Patent ID: 7169459

Claim:
A collapsible cellular insulation panel for mobile shelters (i) having excellent insulation performance without the need to maintain an inflation pressure, (ii) that is light weight, and (iii) that is easily collapsed from an open configuration to a very thin collapsed configuration for easy transportation and storage, comprising: a first sheet forming one side of the panel; a second sheet forming an opposite side of the panel; a plurality of hollow cells located between the first and second sheets, the cells being open to ambient air pressure so as to not require inflation, the air having relatively low thermal conductivity, the cells being formed by a plurality of membranes attached at opposite ends thereof to internal faces of the first and second sheets, and having one or more intermediate portions attached to at least one other adjacent membrane, the membrane ends attached to the first sheet being longitudinally spaced from the opposite membrane ends attached to the second sheet, such that each successive membrane partially overlaps an adjacent membrane; the panel having an open and a collapsed configuration determined by the relative forces applied to the first and second sheets, such that in the open configuration, the cells are filled with air, and in the collapsed configuration, each of the overlapping membranes lie generally parallel to the first and second sheets to occupy a minimal space between the first and second sheets.