Abstract:
A bag for dry ice includes a container having a chamber therein for receiving the dry ice; a first layer of insulation at the chamber constructed and arranged to provide a first heat transfer rate; and a second layer of insulation at the chamber spaced apart from the first layer of insulation, and constructed and arranged to provide a second heat transfer rate greater than the first transfer rate. A related method is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present embodiments relate to apparatus and methods to transport perishable products such as for example food products which must remain chilled or frozen for delivery to recipient locations. 
         [0002]    Delivery of products, such as for example home delivery of grocery products, has many challenges in order to deliver the food in a non-perishable state. One challenge is to provide a cost effective, nonreturnable container for the food product capable of maintaining same in a chilled or frozen state when the container with groceries will be exposed to external or ambient temperatures during transport to and at the recipient location, such as a home or business. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present embodiments address this challenge and provide a delivery container designed for inexpensive construction and which can be mass produced at low cost, and which can be reuseable, non-returnable, and/or recyclable. 
         [0004]    There is therefore provided a bag for dry ice, which includes a container having a chamber therein for receiving the dry ice; a first layer of insulation at the chamber constructed and arranged to provide a first heat transfer rate; and a second layer of insulation at the chamber spaced apart from the first layer of insulation, and constructed and arranged to provide a second heat transfer rate greater than the first transfer rate. 
         [0005]    There is also provided a dry ice bag for transporting groceries, which includes a flexible pouch having a space therein for containing dry ice; a plurality of insulation liners in the space, each of said insulation liners providing a separate and distinct heat transfer rate; and at least one hole in the flexible pouch proximate one of the plurality of insulation liners having a lowest heat transfer rate and through which vapor from the dry ice may be exhausted from the space. 
         [0006]    There is further provided a method of providing heat transfer for products to be transported, which includes positioning the product for transport; providing a container having a chamber therein for receiving the dry ice, a first layer of insulation at the chamber constructed and arranged to provide a first heat transfer rate, and a second layer of insulation at the chamber spaced apart from the first layer of insulation, and constructed and arranged to provide a second heat transfer rate greater than the first transfer rate; and orientating the container with one of the first and second layers facing the product. 
         [0007]    Other features of the present embodiments are set forth herein and provided in the present claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the following description of exemplary embodiments considered in connection with the accompanying drawing Figures, of which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a cross-section side plan view of a disposable transport apparatus embodiment according to the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a side perspective view of an element of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-section top plan view of the element shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a stop perspective view in cross-section of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Before explaining the inventive embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, if any, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
         [0014]    In the following description, terms such as a horizontal, upright, vertical, above, below, beneath and the like, are to be used solely for the purpose of clarity illustrating the invention and should not be taken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale. 
         [0015]    The present embodiments provide a disposable food product transport box which does not have to be returned by the recipient and is manufactured from recyclable materials. 
         [0016]    In general and referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , an apparatus  10  of the present inventive embodiments includes a transport box, such as for example a corrugated cardboard box, used as the outer shell of the container for the apparatus. The container includes an open end having for example a top or flaps which can be opened for access to the interior of the container and dosed for shipment of the products, such as grocery products, to the recipient. 
         [0017]    An interior space of the container is provided with an insulation material liner, such as for example bubble wrap, to line the bottom and sides of the container. The insulation liner can be a single piece precut to the interior volume of the container or alternatively, the insulation liner can be a plurality of inserts each also precut and nested inside the container at specific regions to line the bottom and sidewalls of same. If bubble wrap is used for the insulation liner, the size of the bubbles and density of same can be selected based upon the atmosphere in the container that is to be used to ship the food products, groceries, etc., providing a chilled or frozen atmosphere. 
         [0018]    The apparatus  10  also includes a snow bag or pouch having a relatively thin profile constructed from, for example bubble wrap and in which is contained a predetermined amount of CO 2  snow or pellets. That is, the snow bag, as more clearly shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , includes a space or chamber therein in which the CO 2  snow or pellets are contained. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the snow bag is shown in more detail when it is filled with dry ice and thereafter sealed for use in the container when the grocery products are shipped. As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , a top and bottom of the snow bag is sealed to the sidewall to provide the bag or pouch, and bubble wrap is disposed at an interior of the sidewall as more clearly shown in  FIG. 3  for a purpose described hereinafter. One sidewall of the bag is provided with relatively thin or smaller sized bubble wrap and has at least one and for most applications, a plurality of holes through the sidewall in fluid communication with an interior space of the pouch wherein the CO 2  snow or pellets is disposed. An opposite side of the wall has relatively larger sized or thicker bubble wrap and is without holes. The effect of the sidewall with the holes and the relatively thinner bubble wrap allows for the escape of CO 2  vapor during the sublimation of dry ice in the pouch. That same side of the bag provides for an increase in heat flux for greater heat removal with respect to grocery products facing or in close proximity to such sidewall. The opposite side all with the thicker bubble wrap and no holes therethrough provides for less heat removal from the grocery products when placed in close proximity or facing same. 
         [0020]    Referring in particular to  FIG. 1 , the apparatus  10  is shown constructed as a transport box  12  which, in effect, can be an open ended container having an open end  14  disposed for most applications, at a top  16  of the transport box. Such construction facilitates loading of the apparatus  10 . The transport box  12  is formed from a plurality of sidewalls  18 , one of such sidewalls providing a bottom  20  of the box. The sidewalls  18  define an interior space  22  or chamber for the transport box  12 . The interior space  22  is sized and shaped to receive at least one and for many applications a plurality of grocery bags  24  or other food products. The top  16  is movable in and out of position with respect to the open end  14  and the interior space  22  to provide access to same for loading and discharge as will be described hereinafter. The sidewalls  18 , including the top  16  and the bottom  20 , may be constructed of thermally insulateable material. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, an inner surface  26  of the sidewalls  18  may be provided with insulation material  28 . The insulation material  28  may include bubble wrap, high density foam, or a combination, by way of example only, to line the inner surface  26  of the transport box  12  to facilitate control of an atmosphere  30  at the interior space  22 . A snow bag  32  is constructed and arranged to be disposed at the interior space  22  of the transport box  12 . The snow bag  32  as mentioned above contains a predetermined amount of CO 2  snow  46  or pellets (dry ice). 
         [0021]    Referring also to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the snow bag  32  is shown with more specificity. The snow bag  32  may be of flexible or firm construction. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the snow bag  32  includes opposed sides  34 ,  36 , a top  38  and a bottom  40 . The top  38  is provided with an opening  42  in communication with a chamber  44  within the snow bag  32 . The opening  42  is provided for introduction of the CO 2  snow  46  or pellets into the chamber  44 . The top  38  may have a releasably engageable seal  48  of for example tongue and groove construction, in order to dose off or seal access to the chamber  44  after the CO 2  snow  46  has been deposited into the chamber. A pre-determined amount of the CO 2  snow  46  or pellets is loaded into the snow bag  32  either manually or via automation. 
         [0022]    An interior surface of each one of the sides  34 ,  36  is provided with a Dyer of insulation material such as for example bubble wrap. Referring in particular to  FIG. 3 , the side  34  is provided with a bubble wrap layer  50 , while the side  36  is provided with another bubble wrap layer  52 . The bubble wrap layer  50  Is of a lesser or thinner construction than the bubble wrap layer  52 . In effect, the bubble wrap layer  50  provides for greater heat removal or heat flux with respect to food products at the interior space  22  of the transport box  12 . In contrast, the bubble wrap layer  52  provides for a lesser amount of heat removal or a reduced heat flux of the food products at the interior space  22  of the transport box  12  as will be described hereinafter. That is, there will be provided a greater amount of heat removal to occur at the side  34  of the snow bag  32 , as compared to the heat removal which will occur at the side  36  of the snow bag. 
         [0023]    The side  34  is also provided with a plurality of vent holes  54  positioned either randomly or in an arranged pattern at the side  34  shown for example in  FIG. 2 . The vent holes  54  may have a diameter ranging of, for example, from 2 mm to 5 mm. 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 4  there is shown the transport box  12  arranged to deliver the grocery bags  24  which are positioned at the interior space  22  of the transport box and a pair of the snow bags  32  deposited on top of each one of the grocery bags for providing heat transfer depending upon whether the food products need to be chilled or frozen. That is, the transport box  12  may be compartmentalized so that one of the grocery bags  24  is in its own compartment having the necessary one of the snow bags  32  deposited thereon to provide for a chilled atmosphere; while the other grocery bag  24  is in its own compartment within the transport box  12  and has another snow bag  32  deposited thereon to maintain the food products in the grocery bag  24  in a frozen state. The compartments may be of different sizes and shapes. 
         [0025]    During use of the disposable food product transport box apparatus  10  of the present invention, either the chilled or frozen groceries  24  are loaded into the interior space  22  within the confines of the insulation material  28 . The transport box can be any size depending upon the amount or volume of the grocery products to be shipped. Construction of the transport box  12  with corrugated cardboard provides for natural ventilation from the container without adversely impacting the truck, shipping container, etc. that is transporting the apparatus  10  or a plurality of apparatus for many different recipients. 
         [0026]    If the groceries  24  being shipped are of a chilled variety, the snow bag  32  is disposed at the top of the transport box  12  with the larger bubble wrap side without the holes facing downward exposed to and possibly in contact with the groceries when the top  16  is or the flaps are closed. This will maintain the groceries in a chilled condition. Such an arrangement allows for less heat transfer between the groceries and the snow bag  32  and keeps the groceries  24  in a chilled state. If, on the other hand, the groceries being transported are required to be frozen, the snow bag  32  will be disposed onto the top of the groceries in the container with the sidewall  34  of the bag having the smaller bubble wrap  50  and plurality of vent holes  54  facing the groceries when the top  16  is or the flaps are closed. This arrangement of the snow bag  32  with respect to the groceries provides for greater heat transfer between the groceries and the snow bag and maintains a frozen temperature for the groceries in the container. 
         [0027]    The snow bag  32  can be sealed by mechanically crimping the top  3  at the opening  42  to the chamber  44  such as for example by using the tongue and groove construction, mechanical crimping, heat sealing, pressure sealing or any other known method of mechanical closure. The construction of the snow bag  32  permits only the escape or exhaust of CO 2  vapor through the vent holes  54  and thereby prevents a user or handler of the snow bag from physically contacting the dry ice and being subjected to ice burn. 
         [0028]    The transport box  12  can be constructed of inexpensive, readily available shipping materials such as for example cardboard and bubble wrap as described above. This will lower costs considerably of the apparatus  10  over existing systems which employ plastic totes and plastic shipping boxes. Such plastic constructions are expensive and must be returned for reuse. In contrast, the corrugated cardboard and bubble wrap can be disposed of for being subsequently recycled, such as after home delivery. Alternatively, it is possible to infuse or incorporate into the cardboard other substances to make the cardboard biodegradable, thereby further reducing the footprint of disposable materials with respect to the environment. 
         [0029]    The transport box  12  may also be constructed of plastic components with same being sized and shaped to permit stacking for easy storage and recycling of same for use as constructed. 
         [0030]    It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary, and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as described and claimed herein. It should be understood that the embodiments described above are not only in the alternative, but can be combined.