Insulation device

Claim 1

IN AN INSULATED CONTAINER FOR CONFINING A LIQUEFIED GAS AT CRYOGENIC TEMPERATURES WHEN USED IN AMBIENT PRESSURES OF LESS THAN 1 MICRON, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A GAS-TIGHT WALL AND AN INSULATING BLANKET SUPPORTED AGAINST THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE WALL, AN IMPROVED INSULATING BLANKET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF OVERLAPPING INSULATION SLABS, EACH OF SAID SLABS COMPRISING FLEXIBLE, PLASTIC SHEET, WITH A METAL COATING, THE METALIZED PLASTIC BEING CONSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AN EMISSVITY OF LESS THAN .06 AND A COMPOSITE LATERAL HEAT CONDUCTIVITY OF LESS THAN 10X10**-6 WATS PER SQUARE PER *K. AT 300*K., WOUND AROUND TWO THERMALLY ISOLATED SPACED SUPPORTING SURFACES IN THE FORM OF A MULTILAYER SPIRAL ELLIPSE, HAVING ITS FOCI IN THE REGION OF SAID SPACED SURFACES, THE METALLIZED SHHEET BEING DEFORMED AS BY CRUMPLING SO THAT CONTACT BETWEEN ADJACENT LAYERS OF THE SPIRAL ELLIPSE IS LIMITED ESSENTIALLY TO RANDOM POINT CONTACT, THE SPACED SURFACES ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SLAB BEING CONNECTED TO SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SLAB IN ITS POSITION RELATIVE TO THE CONTAINER, WHEREBY THE INNERMOST TURNS OF THE SPIRAL ACT AS A TENSION MEMBER ARRANGED IN THE INTERIOR OF EACH SLAB TO TAKE UP STRESSES TRANSMITTED TO THE SLAB VIA SAID SURFACES, AND A SECTION TENSION MEMBER PROVIDED WITHIN THE ABOVE SAID TENSION MEMBER.