Thermal liner and thermal container comprising same

Abstract

A thermal liner comprising a plurality of planar panel sections and being configurable in an operative configuration defining a closed inner chamber delimited by a bottom wall, four side walls and a top wall. Each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises an inner sheet, an outer sheet and at least one intermediate sheet. A first core layer extends between the inner sheet and a respective one of the at least one intermediate sheet and defines a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween. A second core layer extends between the outer sheet and a respective one of the at least one intermediate sheet and defines a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween. A container having a thermal liner such as the one described above is also provided.

1 . A thermal liner comprising:
 two panels configurable between an extended configuration and an operative C-shaped configuration, the two panels being engageable with one another when configured in the operative configuration in order to define a closed inner chamber, each one of the two panels comprising:   an inner sheet;   an outer sheet; and   a core separating the inner sheet from the outer sheet, the core comprising at least two core layers separated by a layer separation sheet, each one of the at least two core layers including a geometrically patterned structure.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal liner of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least two core layers of the two panels has a surface area and wherein the surface area of the at least two core layers of the two panels is substantially the same. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal liner of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least two core layers of the two panels has a surface area and wherein the at least two core layers includes an inner core layer, the surface area of the inner core layer of at least one of the two panels being smaller than the surface area of the other core layers thereof and the inner core layer being inset with regard to the other core layers. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal liner of  claim 3 , wherein the two panels have a thickness and wherein the inner core layer is inset with regard to the other core layers of a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness of the two panels. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal liner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each one of the two panels comprises a reflective surface. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal liner of  claim 5 , wherein the inner sheet of each one of the two panels has an inner facing surface, the inner facing surface of the inner sheet of each one of the two panels comprising the reflective surface. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal liner of  claim 1 , wherein the layer separation sheet of each one of the two panels comprises an intermediate reflective surface. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal liner of  claim 7 , wherein the layer separation sheet of each one of the two panels comprises an outer sheet facing surface facing the outer sheet and wherein the outer sheet facing surface of the layer separation sheet of each one of the two panels comprises the intermediate reflective surface. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal liner of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each one of the two panels comprise a liquid/vapor resistant barrier. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal liner of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least two core layers of each one of the two panels comprises a honeycomb structure defining a grid of hexagonal open-ended core cells. 
     
     
         11 . A thermal liner comprising:
 a least two panels configurable between an extended configuration and an operative configuration, the at least two panels each including panel sections superposable onto corresponding panel sections of another one of the least two panels when configured in the operative configuration, the at least two panels defining a closed inner chamber delimited by a bottom wall, four side walls and a top wall when configured in the operative configuration and each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall including at least two core layers, each one of the at least two panels comprising:
 an inner sheet; 
 an outer sheet; 
 a core separating the inner sheet from the outer sheet, the core comprising at least one core layer including a geometrically patterned structure. 
   
     
     
         12 . The thermal liner of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the inner sheet and the outer sheet of at least one of the at least two panels comprises a reflective surface. 
     
     
         13 . The thermal liner of  claim 12 , wherein the inner sheet of each one of the at least two panels has an inner facing surface, the inner facing surface of the inner sheet of each one of the at least two panels comprising the reflective surface. 
     
     
         14 . The thermal liner of  claim 12 , wherein the outer sheet of each one of the at least two panels has an outer facing surface and wherein the outer facing surface of the layer separation sheet of the outer sheet of each one of the at least two panels comprises the reflective surface. 
     
     
         15 . The thermal liner of  claim 11 , wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet of at least one of the at least two panels comprises a liquid/vapor resistant barrier. 
     
     
         16 . The thermal liner of  claim 15 , wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each one of the at least two panels comprises a liquid/vapor resistant barrier. 
     
     
         17 . The thermal liner of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one core layer of each one of the at least two panels comprises a honeycomb structure defining a grid of hexagonal open-ended core cells. 
     
     
         18 . A thermal liner comprising a plurality of planar panel sections and being configurable in an operative configuration defining a closed inner chamber delimited by a bottom wall, four side walls and a top wall, wherein each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises an inner sheet, an outer sheet and at least one intermediate sheet, with a first core layer extending between the inner sheet and a respective one of the at least one intermediate sheet and defining a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween and a second core layer extending between the outer sheet and a respective one of the at least one intermediate sheet and defining a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween. 
     
     
         19 . The thermal liner of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises a reflective surface. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal liner of  claim 19 , wherein the inner sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall has an inner facing surface, the inner facing surface of the inner sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprising the reflective surface. 
     
     
         21 . The thermal liner of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one intermediate sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises an intermediate reflective surface. 
     
     
         22 . The thermal liner of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one intermediate sheet comprises an outer sheet facing surface facing the outer sheet, the outer sheet facing surface of the at least one intermediate sheet comprising the intermediate reflective surface. 
     
     
         23 . The thermal liner of  claim 18 , wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises a liquid/vapor resistant barrier. 
     
     
         24 . The thermal liner of  claim 18 , wherein each one of the first core layer and the second core layer comprises a honeycomb structure defining a grid of hexagonal open-ended core cells. 
     
     
         25 . The thermal liner of  claim 18 , wherein each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises at least one intermediary core layer extending between adjacent intermediate sheets and defining a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween. 
     
     
         26 . The thermal liner of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one intermediary core layer comprises a honeycomb structure defining a grid of hexagonal open-ended core cells. 
     
     
         27 . A thermal container comprising:
 a container comprising:
 a container bottom wall; and 
 four container side walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the container bottom wall; 
   a thermal liner insertable into the container and comprising a plurality of planar panel sections, the thermal liner being configurable in an operative configuration defining a closed inner chamber delimited by a bottom wall, four side walls and a top wall, wherein each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprises an inner sheet, an outer sheet and at least one intermediate sheet, with a first core layer extending between the inner sheet and a respective one of the at least one intermediate sheet and defining a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween and a second core layer extending between the outer sheet and a respective one of the at least one intermediate sheet and defining a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween,   wherein each one of the bottom wall and the side walls of the thermal liner is superposed respectively to the container bottom wall and the four container side walls when the thermal liner is inserted in the container with the inner chamber being closed at least by the top wall of the thermal liner.   
     
     
         28 . The thermal container of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall defining the inner chamber of the thermal liner comprises a reflective surface. 
     
     
         29 . The thermal container of  claim 28 , wherein the inner sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall defining the inner chamber of the thermal liner has an inner facing surface, the inner facing surface of the inner sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprising the reflective surface. 
     
     
         30 . The thermal container of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one intermediate sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall defining the inner chamber of the thermal liner comprises an intermediate reflective surface. 
     
     
         31 . The thermal container of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one intermediate sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall defining the inner chamber of the thermal liner comprises an outer sheet facing surface facing the outer sheet, the outer sheet facing surface of the at least one intermediate sheet of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall comprising the intermediate reflective surface. 
     
     
         32 . The thermal container of  claim 27 , wherein each one of the first core layer and the second core layer of each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall defining the inner chamber of the thermal liner comprises a honeycomb structure defining a grid of hexagonal open-ended core cells. 
     
     
         33 . The thermal container of  claim 27 , wherein each one of the bottom wall, the side walls and the top wall defining the inner chamber of the thermal liner comprises at least one intermediary core layer extending between adjacent intermediate sheets and defining a plurality of geometrically patterned structures inbetween. 
     
     
         34 . The thermal container of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one intermediary core layer comprises a honeycomb structure defining a grid of hexagonal open-ended core cells.