Inflatable shipping container

Abstract

An inflatable, reusable cargo containing and protecting device suitable for use in shipping, which is inflatable by compressed air. A plurality of air chambers forms the exterior frame of the container, while high strength webbing forms the interior. The air chambers may comprise neoprene, PVC, HYPALON®, or other similar material that is formable, pliable, foldable, abrasion resistant, and which can be used to form airtight structures. A high strength, foldable, pliable material in a webbed or solid format forms the interior. The non-rigid material may comprise ballistic nylon, PVC or other suitable material and may be stitched, epoxied, chemically welded, or otherwise attached to the air chambers. A user may store a large number of the devices in a deflated and folded state, requiring only minimal space. When required, the devices are inflated, packed and shipped. At the receiving end, the devices may be deflated and folded for storage or return, either way taking advantage of the low weight and small volume required.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 182,306, filed on May 29, 2009. The entire teachings of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to an inflatable shipping container that after use, can be deflated and folded to a very small volume for storage or return to the shipper.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Shipping containers are subject to many utility demands. They must be capable of withstanding rough handling, varying climate conditions, abrasion, and impact from various sources such as happens when other nearby containers shift during transit. Containers featuring these characteristics strive to provide varying degrees of shock absorption. Along with these basic durability requirements, shipping containers must also provide the maximum strength and capacity for the least amount of weight. Ideally, storage space requirements for containers not ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present invention is an inflatable, reusable cargo-containing and protecting device suitable for use in shipping, which is inflatable by compressed air. A plurality of air chambers made of durable material forms the exterior frame of the container, while high strength webbing or fabric connects the air chambers and forms the walls of the container. The material for the air chambers, webbing and or wall fabric may comprise neoprene, PVC, hypalon, or other similar material. Advantageously, the material is formable, pliable, foldable, and abrasion resistant. The material forming the air chambers is additionally airtight. A high-strength, foldable, pliable material in a webbed or solid format forms the walls and is preferably disposed on the interior of the volume formed by the frame, as a lining, for example. The material may comprise non-rigid materials, such as ballistic nylon, PVC or other suitable material and may be stitched, epoxied, chemically welded, or otherwise attached to the air chambers. A user may store a large number of the devices in a deflated and folded state, requiring only minimal space. When required, the devices are inflated, packed and shipped. At the receiving end, the devices may be deflated and folded for storage or return, either way taking advantage of the low weight and small volume required.

Problems solved by technology

Shipping containers are subject to many utility demands.

Due to rising cost and dwindling resources, many entities whose distribution channel model allows, are going away from single-use containers, such as common cardboard or paperboard boxes.

Although these types of single-use containers represent a relatively low unit cost, they have limited durability characteristics as previously described and do not have a long shelf life in other than a climate-controlled environment.

Standing alone, they are not suitable for shipping or transport.

However, the materials described for embodiment teach only ease of cleaning and weight-bearing capacity only sufficient for infants.

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