A thermal insulation article for placement in a shipping container to hold an item includes a thermally insulating pad shaped to be positioned in a cavity of a rectangular prism shipping container to be adjacent to and cover one or more of a floor, four side walls and cover of the container while leaving an interior space to receive the item. The thermally insulating pad includes a compostable panel that holds together as a single unit and is formed primarily of starch, the panel providing a rectangular plate dimensioned to substantially span whichever of the floor, plurality of side walls or cover that the rectangular plate is adjacent, and a compostable or recyclable water-proof polymer film forming a pocket and surrounding the panel with the panel slidable within the pocket.
Claim CLM-00001. 1. A thermal insulation article for placement in a shipping container to hold an item, comprising:
a thermally insulating pad shaped to be positioned in a cavity of a rectangular prism shipping container to be adjacent to and cover one or more of a floor, four side walls and cover of the container while leaving an interior space to receive the item, wherein the thermally insulating pad includes
a compostable panel that holds together as a single unit and is formed primarily of starch, the panel providing a rectangular plate dimensioned to substantially span whichever of the floor, plurality of side walls or cover that the rectangular plate is adjacent, anda compostable or recyclable water-proof polymer film forming a pocket and surrounding the panel with the panel slidable within the pocket.
Claim CLM-00009. 9. A thermal insulation article for placement in a shipping container to hold an item, comprising:
a thermally insulating pad shaped to be positioned in a cavity of a rectangular prism shipping container to be adjacent to and cover one or more of a floor, four side walls and cover of the container while leaving an interior space to receive the item, wherein the thermally insulating pad includes
a compostable panel that holds together as a single unit and is formed primarily of starch, the panel providing a rectangular plate dimensioned to substantially span whichever of the floor, plurality of side walls or cover that the rectangular plate is adjacent, anda compostable or recyclable water-proof polymer film forming a pocket and surrounding the panel with an interior of the pocket evacuated of air but without the film being bonded to the panel.
Claim CLM-00017. 17. A method of fabricating a thermally insulative insert for placement in a shipping container to hold an item, the method comprising:
placing a compostable panel that holds together as a single unit and is formed primarily of starch between two sheets of compostable or recyclable water-proof polymer film; and heat sealing the two sheets such that the panel is enclosed in a pocket of water-proof polymer film that completely surrounds the panel with the panel slidable within the pocket to form a thermally insulating pad shaped to be positioned in a cavity a rectangular prism shipping container to be adjacent to and cover one or more of a floor, four side walls and cover of the container.
Claim CLM-00020. 20. A method of fabricating a thermally insulative insert for placement in a shipping container to hold an item, the method comprising:
placing a compostable panel that holds together as a single unit and is formed primarily of starch between two sheets of compostable or recyclable water-proof polymer film; evacuating air from a volume between the two sheets; and heat sealing the two sheets such that the panel is enclosed in a pocket of water-proof polymer film that completely surrounds the panel with an interior of the pocket evacuated of air but without the film being bonded to the panel to form a thermally insulating pad shaped to be positioned in a cavity a rectangular prism shipping container to be adjacent to and cover one or more of a floor, four side walls and cover of the container.
