Temperature Maintaining Package Having Corner Discontinuities

Abstract

A shipping package for use in transportation of a temperature sensitive product. The shipping package includes layers of insulation and phase change material surrounding a payload cavity. The layers of insulation and phase change material are provided as separable panels. The panels may be inserted into an outer container in such manner that no insulation or phase change material are proximate to inner corners of the container. In one embodiment, the panels are provided in an overlapping relationship within the container so as to define corner discontinuities within the container.

1 . A shipping package for a temperature sensitive payload comprising:
 an outer container;   an insulation structure within the interior of the outer container;   a phase change material structure within the interior of the insulation structure; and   a payload section surrounded by the insulation structure and adapted to receive a temperature sensitive product, and with a corner discontinuity being defined at a corner of the insulation structure or phase change material structure or both.   
   
   
       2 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the shipping package has eight corners and the corner discontinuity includes eight voids proximate to each of the eight corners of the shipping package. 
   
   
       3 . The package of  claim 2  wherein the insulation structure and phase change material structure include a plurality of panels and the eight voids are defined at corner intersections of the plurality of panels. 
   
   
       4 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the insulation structure includes multiple insulation panels of generally identical form. 
   
   
       5 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the insulation panels are vacuum insulation panels. 
   
   
       6 . The package of  claim 5  wherein the insulation panels overlap each other generally along edges of the container. 
   
   
       7 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the phase change material structure includes multiple panels of generally identical form. 
   
   
       8 . The package of  claim 7  wherein the phase change material structure includes at least two different phase change materials. 
   
   
       9 . The package of  claim 8  wherein the at least two different phase change materials are provided in at least two separable panels. 
   
   
       10 . The package of  claim 3  wherein the plurality of panels are generally rectangular in form and the plurality of panels overlap each other generally along edges of the container. 
   
   
       11 . A shipping package for a temperature sensitive payload comprising:
 an outer container;   a plurality of insulation panels inserted into the outer container to define an insulation structure; and   a plurality of phase change material panels inserted into the outer container to define a phase change material structure, and wherein one or more voids are defined at corners of either the insulation structure or the phase change material structure or both, said one or more voids being proximate to one or more corners of the outer container, and said one or more voids being formed at overlapping intersections of a plurality of panels.   
   
   
       12 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of insulation panels are generally identical in size and shape. 
   
   
       13 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of phase change material panels are generally identical in size and shape. 
   
   
       14 . A shipping package for a thermally sensitive payload comprising:
 an outer container defined by a plurality of inner walls and a plurality of corners;   a layer of phase change material surrounding a payload cavity;   a layer of insulation surrounding the layer of phase change material, wherein said layer of insulation contacts the inner walls of the outer container but does not extend into the plurality of corners of the outer container.   
   
   
       15 . The package of  claim 14  wherein the layer of insulation is defined by a plurality of overlapping insulation panels. 
   
   
       16 . A method of packaging a temperature sensitive product comprising:
 preparing an outer container of corrugated paper or plastic;   placing within the interior of the outer container an insulation material including one or more insulation panels, said placing defining an insulation structure; and   placing within the interior of the outer container a phase change material that is preconditioned to be solid, liquid, or solid and liquid and acting as a thermal buffer to protect the temperature sensitive product against thermal damage, said placing defining a phase change material structure, wherein at least one thermal discontinuity is defined at a corner of either the insulation structure or the phase change material structure.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said placing includes placing multiple identically formed insulation panels according to a pattern resulting in multiple voids at corners of the insulation structure. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said placing includes placing multiple identically formed phase change material panels according to a pattern resulting in multiple thermal discontinuities at the corners of the phase change material structure. 
   
   
       19 . A method of packaging a container for temperature maintenance comprising:
 preparing an outer container into a cubic or rectangular prism shape;   lining an interior of the outer container with insulation material in an overlapping manner as to have no insulation material proximate to one or more of the corners of the outer container; and   lining the interior of the insulation material layer with phase change material provided within separable panels.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said lining the interior of the outer container includes inserting multiple, generally identical insulation panels to define a void proximate to corners of the outer container.