"green" temperature- controlled mailer

Abstract

A mailer has an outer, longitudinally extending, biodegradable film with lateral edges folded on itself to form a pocket having an opening and sealable by a flap. An assembly is composed of an inner, longitudinally extending, biodegradable film having lateral edges and a longitudinal extending pad composed of textile cuttings and microbial and super-absorbent powders. The inner film extends longitudinally around the pad and is attached to the pad. The assembly is positioned in the pocket with the inner film being sealed to the outer film adjacent the opening to the pocket trapping the pad between the outer and inner films. Sealing tape is mounted on the inner film adjacent to the pocket to seal the pocket closed. The lateral edges of both the outer and inner films, which extend laterally beyond the pad, are heat sealed together.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a “green”, temperature-controlled mailer that is fully (100%) biodegradable.[0003]2. Prior Art[0004]The current technology provides paper mailers, lined with plastic bubble-wrap, or more expensive foam, or foam-lined, boxes. These products are used primarily for shipping sensitive or fragile items, but suffer from the fact that they have extremely limited cushioning, no absorption properties, no antimicrobial properties and practically no temperature-control value.[0005]Foam, or foam-lined, boxes are also used for shipping temperature-sensitive products, such as, medical samples, pharmaceuticals, chocolates, etc. These current products, in addition to being dramatically more expensive to purchase, warehouse, and ship (in-bound and outbound freight), they are also more labor intensive, less user-and-environmentally friendly, and provide very limited protection during transit.SUMMARY OF TH...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The foregoing is accomplished by a mailer that is composed of materials that are 100% biodegradable. The outer surface of the novel mailer consists of a biodegradable film or paper that is also waterproof. The inner surface of the novel mailer is a biodegradable film or paper (substrate) that is permeable. Sandwiched between the inner biodegradable film or paper (substrate), and sealed on all sides, is a novel, proprietary, biodegradable, pad made from re-cycled, purified, ground-up material, to which super absorbent powders (for the absorption of spills), and antimicrobial powders (for the prevention of contamination in case of rupture for such products as blood or vaccines, etc.) have been added during manufacture. The antimicrobials are programmed to expire, after a pre-selected desired length of time, to allow for the eventual, natural, degradation / biodegradability of the novel mailer. The outer surface of the novel pad is encompassed with a water-proof, biodegradable film or paper, sealed on two (or three) sides and is double-sealed, with pressure-sensitive, biodegradable tape, at the top, for safety and to prevent tampering. Phase-change materials (refrigerants / gel packs) used in the novel mailer are also biodegradable, making the entire shipping system safer, dramatically more cost-effective, user-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and socially-responsible.

[0010]The insulative properties of the novel mailer are roughly equivalent to one-half inch of foam, thus, allowing for the savings of second-day shipping as opposed to the cost of overnight priority freight / delivery charges as is required with current mailer technology.

Problems solved by technology

These products are used primarily for shipping sensitive or fragile items, but suffer from the fact that they have extremely limited cushioning, no absorption properties, no antimicrobial properties and practically no temperature-control value.

These current products, in addition to being dramatically more expensive to purchase, warehouse, and ship (in-bound and outbound freight), they are also more labor intensive, less user-and-environmentally friendly, and provide very limited protection during transit.

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