초록 ▼

A container for shipping and storing food products in two separate chambers has an outer casing enclosing a temperature controlled container fabricated from an insulating material. The temperature controlled container includes a lid and a base. The base has a base chamber including several ventilati

A container for shipping and storing food products in two separate chambers has an outer casing enclosing a temperature controlled container fabricated from an insulating material. The temperature controlled container includes a lid and a base. The base has a base chamber including several ventilation channels formed on the interior of the base chamber. The lid has a first side for sealing the base chamber, which also includes several horizontal channels formed in the first side, and a lid chamber divided into several food product receiving chambers. A lip is formed on the base and a corresponding groove is formed on the lid, such that the lip interlocks with the groove for sealing the base chamber. Moreover, dry ice may be positioned within the temperature controlled container with respect to a plurality of food products to control the temperature within the temperature controlled container. In addition, a method for recycling a shipping and storage container includes the steps of providing shipping containers to a provider of individually packaged meals. Each of the containers includes an outer casing enclosing a temperature controlled container fabricated from an insulating material, from a shipping container fabricator and packing each of the shipping containers with a plurality of individually packaged meals and dry ice for controlling the temperature within the temperature controlled container. It further comprises the step of sending the shipping containers to at least one customer. After removal of the plurality of individually packaged meals, the empty shipping containers are returned to the provider of individually packaged meals. The provider inspects and cleans the returned shipping containers and sanitizes and repacks the returned shipping containers which are undamaged, but the damaged shipping containers are sent to the container fabricator to recycle the outer casing and the insulating material.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [21.] A container for shipping and storing food products in a plurality of chambers, comprising an outer casing enclosing a temperature controlled container fabricated from an insulating material, including a lid and a base;said base comprises a bottom portion and at least one base side

[ We claim:] [21.] A container for shipping and storing food products in a plurality of chambers, comprising an outer casing enclosing a temperature controlled container fabricated from an insulating material, including a lid and a base;said base comprises a bottom portion and at least one base side wall having an upper base side wall edge and a lower, base side wall edge, whereby said lower, base side wall edge of said at least one base side wall is affixed to said floor portion to form a fluid tight seal between said at least one base side wall and said bottom portion, thereby forming a base chamber;said base chamber includes a plurality of channels formed in said at least one side wall and a plurality of channels formed in said floor portion;said lid comprises a top portion having a first side for sealing said base chamber and at least one lid side wall having an upper, lid side wall edge and a lower, lid side wall edge whereby said lower, lid side wall edge of said at least one lid side wall is affixed to said top portion to form a fluid tight seal between said at least one base lid wall and said top portion, thereby forming a lid chamber;said lid chamber includes a plurality of partitions affixed to a second side of said top portion, which divide said lid chamber into a plurality of food product receiving chambers;said top portion having a plurality of channels formed in said first side of said top portion; andsealing means formed on said lid and on said upper, base side wall edge for sealing said base chamber.