Insert for thermally insulated containers

Abstract

An insert for a thermally insulated container is provided, the insert comprising one or more panels made of a thermally conductive material. In an implementation, the panels may be reconfigured between a first, flat configuration and a second, erected configuration. In the second, erected configuration, the insert can be retrofitted to an existing thermally insulated container, to improve evenness in the internal temperature distribution.

1 . An insert for a thermally insulated container, the insert comprising one or more panels made of a thermally conductive material. 
     
     
         2 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive material is aluminium. 
     
     
         3 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the panels are each in the form of an aluminum sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The insert of claim  19 , wherein the sheet thickness is within the range 0.5 to 3 millimeters. 
     
     
         5 . The insert of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more fixation devices adapted to fix the insert inside the thermally insulated container. 
     
     
         6 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein at least one side panel of said one or more panels comprises one or more openings in the form of one or more perforations or slots. 
     
     
         7 . The insert of  claim 6 , wherein said one or more side panel openings are configured as attachment locations for the disposition of one or more additional thermally conductive panels inside the thermally insulated container. 
     
     
         8 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises a pocket for holding a phase-change cooling material, such as ice, and wherein said pocket is also made of a thermally conductive material. 
     
     
         9 . The insert of  claim 8 , wherein said pocket is disposed in contact with one or more of said thermally conductive panels. 
     
     
         10 . The insert of  claim 8 , wherein said pocket comprises an upwardly facing opening for receiving the phase-change cooling material, which opening is configured to be accessible when a lid of the container is opened. 
     
     
         11 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the thermally conductive panels each comprise at least one fold line. 
     
     
         12 . The insert of  claim 11 , wherein the insert comprises one and only one thermally conductive panel. 
     
     
         13 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is adapted to be reconfigured between a first, flat configuration and a second, erected configuration, wherein in the second, erected configuration the insert is provided in readiness for insertion into the thermally insulated container. 
     
     
         14 . The insert of  claim 13 , wherein in the first, flat configuration, the insert comprises a base panel and at least one side panel provided in the form of a depending foldable tab, wherein a fold line is provided between said base panel and said at least one depending side-panel tab. 
     
     
         15 . The insert of  claim 14 , wherein in the first, flat configuration, the insert is in the shape of a cross defined by said base panel and four side panels provided in the form of respective, depending foldable tabs, wherein a total of four fold lines are provided between said base panel and said depending side-panel tabs. 
     
     
         16 . A container comprising an insert according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A method of retrofitting a thermally insulated container, the method comprising the step of fitting an insert according to  claim 1  to the thermally insulated container. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The insert of  claim 3 , wherein said aluminum sheet has a uniform thickness. 
     
     
         20 . The insert of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more fixation devices are adapted to fix the insert to one or more internal side walls of said thermally insulated container. 
     
     
         21 . The insert of  claim 6 , wherein each side panel comprises a plurality of perforations. 
     
     
         22 . The insert of  claim 8 , wherein the pocket material is a metal, such as aluminum.