Reusable insulated box

Claim 1

A reusable insulated box, comprising: (a) a shipping container having a plurality of interconnected sides integral with a closed bottom and a sealable top; (b) bottom, top and side generally rectangular insulating plate members positioned in said container; (c) each of said insulating plate members comprised of first and second spaced parallel generally planar reflective layers comprising an aluminized surface and a rigid foamed insulating core member disposed between and bonded to each of said layers; (d) each of said plate members sheathed in a heat shrunk film of a heat shrinkable thermoplastic insulating film and said film having a portion contiguous with each of said layers; (e) an anti-blister opening in each of said portions of the film sheathing each of said plate members and overlying each of said layers for preventing blistering of the film by allowing air entrapped by each portion to vent during shrinking of the film; (f) each of said plate members having inner and outer generally parallel surfaces and having four side edges and an opposite two of said side edges of each of said side plate members being mitred and the other two side edges being non-mitred; (g) said bottom plate member outer surface contiguous with and conforming to said closed bottom; (h) the outer surface of each of said side plate members contiguous with one of said sides of said container and a first non-mitred side edge of each side plate member engages said inner surface of said bottom plate member and said mitred edges of each side plate member are in abutting relation with the mitred edges of the adjacent side plate members; (i) said top plate member engaged with the other non-mitred side edge of each side plate member and thereby provides a bounded space for receiving materials; (j) the thickness of said top and bottom plate members plus the height of a side plate member is substantially equal to the height of the sides of said container so that said sealable top may be closed; (k) said insulating film being folded along one of said non-mitred side edges and having a continuous seam extending along the associated mitred edges and along the other non-mitred side edge of each plate member whereby said seams cooperate with said abutting mitred edges for locking said side plate members in position; and, (l) said film on said one non-mitred edge of each side plate member being continuous and uninterrupted and contiguous with the film of one of said top and bottom plate members.