Container for package

Abstract

An insulative container includes a container-support frame and a container shell coupled to the container-support frame. A method of forming the insulative container includes forming the container-support frame and the container shell. The container-support frame and the container shell include polymeric materials.

1 . An insulative container comprising
 a container-support frame including an upper support extending around a central axis of the insulative container, a lower support spaced apart vertically from the upper support and extending around the central axis of the container, and a sidewall support interconnecting the upper support and the lower support and extending only partway around the central axis, and   a container shell including a bottom panel coupled with the lower support and a side panel spaced apart from the bottom panel and having an upper end coupled with the upper support, a lower end coupled with the lower support, a first circumferential end coupled with a first portion of the sidewall support, and a second circumferential end coupled with a second portion of the sidewall support,   wherein the container-support frame includes a first polymeric formulation and a first density and the bottom panel and the side panel of the container shell include a foamed sheet including a second polymeric formulation having a second density less than the first density.   
     
     
         2 . The insulative container of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymeric formulation and the second polymeric formulation each include polypropylene. 
     
     
         3 . The insulative container of  claim 1 , wherein the upper support includes a brim extending perpendicular to central axis and an upper skirt coupled to an inner end of the brim and extending downward away from the brim to couple with the upper end of the container shell. 
     
     
         4 . The insulative container of  claim 3 , wherein the upper skirt has an inner surface facing toward the central axis and an outer surface facing away from the central axis, and the upper end of the container shell is attached to the outer surface of the upper skirt. 
     
     
         5 . The insulative container of  claim 4 , wherein the lower support includes a floor, a lower skirt extending upwardly from the floor toward the upper support and coupled to the lower end of the side panel, and a mount flange extending inward toward the central axis and coupled to the bottom panel. 
     
     
         6 . The insulative container of  claim 5 , wherein the lower skirt has an inner surface facing toward the central axis and an outer surface facing away from the central axis, and the lower end of the side panel is attached to the outer surface of the lower skirt. 
     
     
         7 . The insulative container of  claim 6 , wherein the mount flange has an upper surface facing toward the upper support and a lower surface facing away from the upper support and the bottom panel is attached to the lower surface of the mount flange. 
     
     
         8 . The insulative container of  claim 5 , wherein the floor has an outer perimeter spaced apart from the lower skirt by a first distance, and the side panel has a thickness that is about equal to the first distance. 
     
     
         9 . The insulative container of  claim 5 , wherein the floor is spaced a first distance from an upper end of the lower skirt and the mount flange is spaced a second distance from the upper end of the lower skirt, the second distance being less than the first distance. 
     
     
         10 . The insulative container of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom panel has a thickness that is less than or equal to a third distance defined between the mount flange and the floor. 
     
     
         11 . The insulative container of  claim 5 , wherein the lower support further includes a bottom panel support coupled to the mount flange and extending inward toward the central axis from the mount flange to couple to an upper surface of the bottom panel and reinforce the bottom panel against deflection relative to the lower support. 
     
     
         12 . The insulative container of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom panel support is cantilevered from the mount flange and has a lower surface facing away from the upper support flush with a lower surface of the mount flange. 
     
     
         13 . The insulative container of  claim 1 , wherein the frame further includes a plurality of stack lugs coupled to the upper support and extending downwardly away from the upper support toward the lower support, the plurality of stack lugs configured to engage the upper support of a second insulative container stacked with the insulative container to maintain spacing between the upper support of the insulative container and an upper support of the second insulative container. 
     
     
         14 . The insulative container of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of stack lugs includes a first stack lug coupled to the sidewall support, a second stack lug spaced circumferentially from the first stack lug and cantilevered to the upper support, and a third stack lug spaced circumferentially equal distances from the first stack lug and the second stack lug and cantilevered to the upper support. 
     
     
         15 . The insulative container of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall support includes a support rib, a first support flange coupled to a first circumferential side of the support rib and extending in a first circumferential direction away from the support rib, and a second support flange coupled to a second circumferential side of the support rib and extending in a second circumferential direction away from the support rib opposite the first support rib. 
     
     
         16 . The insulative container of  claim 15 , wherein the first circumferential end of the sidewall panel is coupled to an outer surface of the first support flange and the second circumferential end of the sidewall panel is coupled to an outer surface of the second circumferential end of the sidewall panel. 
     
     
         17 . The insulative container of  claim 16 , wherein the support rib is located circumferentially between the first circumferential end and the second circumferential end of the sidewall panel and provides a portion of an exterior surface of the insulative container with the side panel. 
     
     
         18 . The insulative container of  claim 17 , wherein the support rib has an outer end spaced a distance from the outer surface of the first support flange and the outer surface of the second support flange, and the sidewall panel has a thickness that is about equal to the distance. 
     
     
         19 . The insulative container of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second polymeric formulations consist of one or more non-aromatic polymeric materials. 
     
     
         20 . The insulative container of  claim 19 , wherein the container shell consists of the foamed sheet and an outer skin bonded to an outer surface of the foamed sheet, the outer skin including a film layer and an ink layer printed on the film layer.