Abstract: A container has a base, peripheral walls and a lid. Each of the base, peripheral walls and lid includes an interior wall spaced from an exterior wall, with vacuum panel in between. The sides of the vacuum panels are covered by compressible insulation fill, minimizing thermal flow along the vacuum panels despite any manufacturing tolerance differences in the width of the vacuum panels as compared to the distance between the interior wall and the exterior wall. The interior wall of the body of the container is provided by a liner formed of a single, deep drawn sheet of material. The exterior wall is similarly formed as a deep drawn shell. The inner liner and the outer shell are welded together with a bead to encase the vacuum panels in a water-tight manner, with the liner, the shell the bead all formed of the same material.

Abstract: A soft-sided, collapsible insulative container having a flexible casing, a base, peripheral sidewalls extending from the base, and a lid. The sidewalls fold upward from the base at a fold hinge and releasably attach at their vertical edges to form an enclosure. The lid fits the top of the enclosure. Each of the sidewalls, the base and the lid are formed of a sealable pocket having a compressible insulation lining for receiving block insulation. The flexible casing extends tightly around the container in a fully-closed position, exerting a uniform pressure on the container to improve the thermal seals.

Abstract: A soft-sided insulative container includes a base, a rear wall and three side walls extending upward from the base, and a cover. The base, rear wall and cover are integrally formed, with the cover connected to the rear wall with a folding hinge. The side walls are integrally formed with each other, with the side walls connected to the base and rear wall at seams. Each side wall has a side wall ear flexibly attached to it with a folding hinge to extend inward adjacent the cover. The cover has cover ears each flexibly attached to it with a folding hinge, and cover ears extend downward around all the peripheral edges of the cover. In a closed position, each unhinged edge between the cover and the side walls includes both a side wall ear and a cover ear in an overlapping configuration. The cover ears are temporarily secured to the side walls in this closed position.

Abstract: A phase change material for maintaining a food product at a temperature of less than 0.degree. F. The phase change material includes a mixture of an organic alcohol, a salt, and water. The organic alcohol has a concentration of between about 2 and 25 percent by weight. The salt has a concentration of between about 15 and 25 percent by weight.