Method and system for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials
Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials within a desired temperature range for an extended time. In one embodiment, the system includes an outer box having a rectangular cavity. An insulation unit is snugly but removably positioned in the rectangular cavity. The insulation unit includes a support and a thermal insulation member. The support may be a generally rectangular sleeve with four sides, an open bottom and an open top. The thermal insulation may be a bilayer material wrapped around the four sides of the support to form a spiral structure. The bilayer material may include a first sheet of an expanded slit-sheet packaging material and a second sheet of tissue paper. The system may additionally include a bottom insulation member at the bottom of the support, a top insulation member at the top of the support, and a payload and temperature-control members between the top and bottom insulation member.
1 . A system for storing and/or transporting temperature- sensitive materials, the system comprising:
(a) an outer container, the outer container comprising a cavity;
(b) an insulation unit disposed in the cavity of the outer container, wherein the insulation unit comprises (i) a support, the support defining a space, the space being dimensioned to receive a payload and a passive temperature-control member, and (ii) thermal insulation wrapped around the support in a wrap direction, wherein the thermal insulation is wrapped continuously around the support at least three times to form a plurality of spiral wraps, wherein each spiral wrap is adhered with an adhesive to an adjacent spiral wrap, the thermal insulation comprising an expanded slit-sheet packaging material; and
(c) at least one passive temperature-control member positioned in the space.
2 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the thermal insulation has a layer factor of no more than 7.
3 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the thermal insulation comprises a bilayer material, the bilayer material comprising a first sheet that is textured, the first sheet being the expanded slit-sheet packaging material, and a second sheet that is non-textured.
4 . The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first sheet comprises an expanded sheet of honeycombed Kraft paper and wherein the second sheet comprises tissue paper.
5 . The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the thermal insulation has a thickness of at least 1 inch.
6 . The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the thermal insulation has a thickness of about 2-4 inches.
7 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the insulation unit, as a whole, is reversibly transformable between an expanded configuration and a flattened configuration by applying compressive force to the insulation unit at different locations thereof to effect transformation.
8 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer container and the insulation unit are reversibly transformable together between an expanded configuration and a flattened configuration by applying compressive force to the outer container at different locations thereof to effect transformation.
9 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support and the thermal insulation are made of paper-based materials, whereby the insulation unit is recyclable without requiring disassembly.
10 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one passive temperature-control member comprises a saddlebag, wherein the saddlebag is arranged to define a cavity dimensioned to receive the payload, and wherein the thermal insulation is wrapped around the saddlebag.
11 . The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the saddlebag is reversibly transformable between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration.
12 . The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one of a top insulation member positioned above the payload and a bottom insulation member positioned below the payload and wherein at least one of the top insulation member and the bottom insulation member comprises a bilayer material wrapped around itself, wherein the bilayer material comprises a first sheet and a second sheet, the first sheet comprising an expanded slit-sheet packaging material, the second sheet comprising tissue paper.
13 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer container comprises an envelope.
14 . The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the thermal insulation is adhered to an interior of the envelope.
15 . An insulation unit for use in a system for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials, the insulation unit comprising:
(a) a support, the support defining a cavity dimensioned to receive a payload; and
(b) thermal insulation wrapped around the support in a wrap direction, wherein the thermal insulation is wrapped continuously around the support at least three times to form a plurality of spiral wraps, wherein each spiral wrap is adhered with an adhesive to an adjacent spiral wrap, and wherein the thermal insulation comprises a sheet of an expanded slit-sheet packaging material.
16 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the support is a sleeve comprising open top and bottom ends.
17 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the support is a 5-sided box comprising four sides, a bottom, and an open top.
18 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the support is a 6-sided box comprising four sides, a bottom, and a top.
19 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the thermal insulation has a thickness of at least 1 inch.
20 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the support and the thermal insulation together are reversibly transformable between an expanded configuration and a flattened configuration by applying compressive force to the insulation unit at different locations thereof to effect transformation.
21 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the support and the thermal insulation are made of paper-based materials, whereby the insulation unit is recyclable without requiring disassembly.
22 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the thermal insulation comprises a bilayer material, wherein the bilayer material comprises a first sheet and a second sheet, the first sheet being the expanded slit-sheet packaging material, the second sheet being a sheet of tissue paper.
23 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expanded slit-sheet packaging material is wrapped seamlessly around the support.
24 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the thermal insulation is wrapped seamlessly around the support.
25 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer container comprises a cardboard box.
26 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the support comprises a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard and chipboard.
27 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expanded slit-sheet packaging material creates a three-dimensional structure that enables air flow through the three-dimensional structure in a variety of directions.
28 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the expanded slit-sheet packaging material creates a three-dimensional structure that enables air flow through the three-dimensional structure in a variety of directions.
29 . The insulation unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the outer container and the insulation unit is made of at least one of cardboard and paper.
30 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support is a sleeve having open top and bottom ends and is made of a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard and chipboard.
31 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adhesive is parallel to the wrap direction in a continuous stream.