GB2570907A

GB2570907A - Storage container and system

Info

Publication number: GB2570907A
Application number: GB1802131.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bohanna Zuzana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-02-09
Filing date: 2018-02-09
Publication date: 2019-08-14
Also published as: GB201802131D0

Abstract

A storage container 10 with a rectangular box-shaped structure comprising a top 11 that is connected to one wall 14 and joined by fastening means 25 to the other three walls 13, 15, 16. The fastening means may be hook-and-loop fasteners, poppers or zip fasteners. The base 12, the walls 13-16 and the top 11 each comprise an outer sheet 22 of flexible waterproof plastic and an inner sheet 20 of flexible waterproof plastic, perhaps PVC, between which is a layer 21 of thermal insulation material, perhaps hollow fibre wadding. A thin flexible divider sheet 26, perhaps made of a polyester dipped mesh netting, is connected to each wall 13-16 so as to lie just above the base. A cooling block 30 may be inserted into the space between the divider sheet 26 and the base 12, via the narrow slot 28, so that contents of the container 10 are kept cool. The container 10 may fit in a rigid tray (32, figure 4), perhaps of the type used in aircraft. A system is claimed comprising a plurality of containers 10, blocks 30 and trays (32, figure 4).

Description

The present invention relates to a storage container and a storage system, particularly but not exclusively for storing food items for use in passenger vehicles such as passenger aircraft.

Many airlines offer food to passengers during flights, particularly on medium haul and long haul flights; and may offer 'buy-on-board' food on short haul flights. Such food may for example include sandwiches, wraps, or other food items which must be kept cold until they are to be served, in order to comply with food safety regulations, but should not be so cold that they become frozen. In addition they must be stored in a way that is convenient for flight attendants, and enables the flight attendants to dispense the food without difficulty. For example containers should preferably be of a convenient size to carry, and be easy to open to gain access to the food items; in addition the containers must be of a size and shape compatible with storage space on the planes. Planes may also carry other items, such as small containers of drinks, that do not need to be refrigerated; and may utilise trays of a standard size, to contain such items. Some drinks such as wine, champagne and beer may also benefit from being kept cool. Similar issues arise in the context of railways.

According to the present invention there is provided a storage container comprising a rectangular box-shaped structure comprising a base, two side walls and two end walls that are connected together, and a top; the top being connected to one wall, and being joined by readily-disconnectable fastening means to the other three walls; the base, the walls and the top each comprising an outer sheet of flexible waterproof plastic and an inner sheet of flexible waterproof plastic, between which is a layer of thermal insulation material; wherein three of the walls are connected to the base, and wherein a thin flexible divider sheet is connected to each wall so as to lie just above the base.

Where components of the storage container are said to be connected together, and are of the same type of material, they may be integral with each other, or may be fixed together by any convenient assembly method such as gluing, welding or sewing.

The outer sheet and the inner sheet of flexible waterproof plastic may each be of waterproof polyvinylchloride (PVC), as this is reasonably hard wearing and waterproof, and is safe in contact with food items. The thermal insulation is preferably a layer or fabric of hollow fibre wadding, for example polyester wadding fabric, and may be between 2 oz and 8 oz wadding (70 g/m and 270 g/m ), for example 4 oz wadding (135 g/m ), consisting of polyester fibres that are bonded together to form a highly porous fabric. Alternative types of thermal insulation would include wadding or batting made of fibres of cotton or wool, that may be resin bonded.

The fastening means may comprise hook-and-loop fasteners such as Velcro ™, or poppers, or may use a zip fastener.

The flexible divider may for example be a polyester dipped mesh netting, and may be between 50 and 300 g/m²; for example this may be 220 g/m² or 100 g/m². The mesh may for example define apertures no larger than 5 mm across; and the apertures may be less than 3 mm. In use a thin rectangular cooling block can be inserted into the bottom of the storage container, fitting between the base and the sheet of flexible mesh, through the gap between the edge of the base and the wall to which it is not connected.

The storage container may be of such a size as to fit into a rigid tray of a standard size. For example the storage container may be of length 360 mm, width 240 mm and height 100 mm.

In a second aspect the invention provides a storage system comprising a plurality of rigid open-topped trays, and a plurality of storage containers as specified above that are of such dimensions as to fit into the open-topped trays. Such rigid trays may fit into a fixed storage cabinet, for example being supported by rails within the storage cabinet; and the rigid trays may also be transferred into a wheeled trolley to rest on rails within the wheeled trolley.

Thus in the context of an aircraft there may be a fixed storage cabinet for example in a staff-accessible part of the aircraft, in which the food items can therefore be stored during an initial part of a flight. When flight attendants wish to dispense the food items, the trays may be placed into the attendant's wheeled trolley without opening the storage containers. Hence the contents of each storage container may be kept cool until the attendant opens the lid and dispenses the items. This would be equally applicable on a railway, if catering staff are dispensing food items from a trolley.

The invention will now be further and more particularly described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lshows a perspective view of a storage container of the invention, when closed; Figure 2 shows a sectional view on the line 2-2 of figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a sectional view on the line 3-3 of figure 1, along the middle of the storage container from front to back, but with the container in the opened state; and

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a tray in which the storage container of figure 1 fits, the storage container being indicated in broken lines.

Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3, a storage container 10 is of generally rectangular boxlike shape with a top 11, bottom 12, front wall 13, back wall 14, left wall 15 and right wall 16 (the left wall 15, back wall 14 and bottom 12 are not shown in figure 1), each of which is of sandwich construction, consisting of an inner lining 20 of light duty PVC sheet (for example 210 g/m ), a layer 21 of hollow fibre fabric wadding (for example 115 g/m ) to provide thermal insulation, and an outer sheet 22 of heavy duty waterproof PVC (for example 610 g/m²). In the example shown, the back wall 14 is integral with the top 11 and the bottom 12, as shown in figure 3; the left wall 15, the front wall 13 and the right wall 16 are integral with each other. The left wall 15 and the right wall 16 are connected to the back wall 14 along the edges where they meet, for example by sewing; and the left wall 15 and the front wall 13 are connected to the bottom 12 along the edges where they meet, for example by sewing.

The top 11 is connected by two heavy duty nylon zips 25 to the tops of the side walls 15 and 16 and two the top of the front wall 13. Within the storage container 10, as shown in figures 2 and 3, a sheet 26 of polyester dipped mesh netting is connected to the walls 13-16 adjacent to the bottom of each wall 13-16, so it is a short distance, for example less than 10 mm, above the bottom 12. The sheet 26 may define multiple generally square apertures of width 3 mm, so air can circulate through the sheet. As shown particularly in figure 2, the right wall 16 is not connected to the bottom 12, so there is a narrow slot 28 below the bottom of the right wall 16, through which a cooling block 30 can be inserted to fit between the bottom 12 and the sheet 26. This may for example be a plastic-walled chamber containing water that has been cooled well below freezing point so that it is ice, which may for example be at -20°C when first inserted into this position.

As shown in figure 4, the dimensions of the storage container 10 may such as to fit into a rigid tray 32. For example the storage container 10 may be of length 360 mm, width 240 mm and height 100 mm, in order to fit into a rigid tray 32 with corresponding internal dimensions. In the context of an aircraft, there may be a food storage cabinet with multiple rails or shelves to support such rigid trays 32, so that food can be kept cool within storage containers 10 that are placed in these rigid trays 32 and stored in the cabinet. The trays 32 are of such a size that they can be easily handled. When foodstuffs are to be dispensed to passengers, a number of these trays 32 can be placed into corresponding shelves or locations on a serving trolley. A flight attendant can then readily open one storage container 10 at a time to dispense items from it, ensuring that the items in the unopened storage containers 10 remain cold.

The storage container 10 is described by way of example only. It will be appreciated that it can be modified in various ways while remaining with the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. It may for example have different dimensions, although it is desirable 5 that the storage container 10 packed with food items should not be so heavy as to be inconvenient for a crew member to handle. The mesh netting sheet 26 may have apertures of a different size or shape than described above, for example less than 1 mm in width. As a another alternative a flexible divider sheet may be also connected within the container 10 to the inside of the top 11, or one of the walls 13-16, to define a pouch into which a second cooling block may be inserted. The second cooling block may be smaller than the cooling block 30. Although the cooling block 30 is described above as containing water that has been frozen the, the cooling block 30 (or the second cooling block, if this is provided) may be of a different type, for example a dry ice pack containing solid carbon dioxide.

Claims

1. A storage container comprising a rectangular box-shaped structure comprising a base, two side walls and two end walls that are connected together, and a top; the top being connected to one wall, and being joined by readily-disconnectable fastening means to the other three walls; the base, the walls and the top each comprising an outer sheet of flexible waterproof plastic and an inner sheet of flexible waterproof plastic, between which is a layer of thermal insulation material; wherein three of the walls are connected to the base, and wherein a thin flexible divider sheet is connected to each wall so as to lie just above the base.

2. A storage container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer sheet and the inner sheet of flexible waterproof plastic are each of waterproof polyvinylchloride (PVC).

3. A storage container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the thermal insulation material is a layer or fabric of hollow fibre wadding.

4. A storage container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the layer of hollow fibre wadding is

2 2 between 70 g/m and 270 g/m .

5. A storage container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fastening means is selected from hook-and-loop fasteners, poppers, or zip fasteners.

6. A storage container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the flexible divider sheet is a polyester dipped mesh netting.

7. A storage container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims also comprising a cooling block insertable into the bottom of the storage container, fitting between the base and the flexible divider sheet, through the gap between the edge of the base and the wall to which it is not connected.

8. A storage container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is of such a size as to fit into a rigid tray of a standard size.

9. A storage system comprising a plurality of rigid open-topped trays, and a plurality of storage containers as specified in any one of the preceding claims that are of such dimensions as to fit into the open-topped trays.

10. A storage system as claimed in claim 9 also comprising a plurality of thin rectangular cooling blocks for insertion into the bottom of the storage containers, each cooling block fitting between the base and the flexible divider sheet of a storage container, being insertable through the gap between the edge of the base and the wall to which it is not connected.

Intellectual Property Office