US 11072148

US Patent 11072148, titled "Recyclable paper-containing packaging with radiant barrier insulation," was issued to Sigma Technologies Int'l LLC on July 27, 2021, from an application filed on January 3, 2019. The inventors are Steven Yializis and Luke Rogers.

Abstract:
The patent describes a packaging material and package/receptacle made from it, which includes a specific aluminized polymeric film. This film has an emissivity of 0.10 or less and is thin enough to meet industrial recycling requirements because the aluminum fully oxidizes during the recycling process. An optional protective coating, less than one micron thick, can be added to prevent aluminum corrosion during normal use. This coating is designed not to increase the emissivity above 0.10 and to allow the aluminum to be fully oxidized and corroded during repulping, enabling the aluminum to be included in the recycled material.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Recyclable Packaging Structure): This claim describes a recyclable packaging that includes a paper layer, a polymer layer affixed to the paper layer, and an aluminum layer deposited on the polymer layer. The aluminum layer is 200 nanometers or less in thickness, resulting in an outer surface emissivity of 0.10 or less. A key characteristic is that this aluminum layer becomes fully oxidized with no visible aluminum after the packaging undergoes a specific recycling treatment. The treatment involves blending, disintegrating in water at about 125 (±10) degrees F at 3000 rpm, separating in a 0.01 inch screen, and drying at 221 degrees F.
• Claim 13 (Recyclable Packaging with Intermediate Coating): This claim is similar to Claim 1 but introduces an intermediate coating applied to the polymer layer, with the aluminum layer then carried by this intermediate coating. The aluminum layer still has a thickness of 200 nanometers or less and results in an emissivity of 0.10 or less. Like Claim 1, the aluminum layer fully oxidizes with no visible aluminum after being subjected to the same recycling treatment process.
• Claim 17 (Method for Thermally Insulating): This claim describes a method for thermally insulating a good within recyclable packaging. It involves placing a reflective insulation material at a pre-defined proximity to the good. The reflective insulation material comprises the recyclable packaging detailed in Claim 13 (i.e., with a paper layer, polymer layer, intermediate coating, and aluminum layer). The aluminum layer's thickness, emissivity, and oxidation characteristics during the specified recycling treatment are the same as described in Claim 13.
• Claim 21 (Method for Manufacturing Recyclable Packaging): This claim outlines a manufacturing method for the recyclable packaging. It involves attaching a polymer layer to a paper layer, and then depositing an aluminum layer on the polymer layer. The aluminum layer's thickness is 200 nanometers or less, and it is configured to result in an outer surface emissivity of 0.10 or less. The crucial aspect is that this aluminum layer is designed to become fully oxidized with no visible aluminum when the packaging is exposed to the specified recycling treatment (blending, disintegrating, separating, and drying).
• Claim 25 (Method for Thermally Insulating - Alternative Structure): This claim describes another method for thermally insulating a good using a recyclable packaging. This packaging structure includes a paper layer, a polymer layer affixed to the paper layer, and an aluminum layer deposited directly on the polymer layer. The aluminum layer has a thickness of 200 nanometers or less, leading to an outer surface emissivity of 0.10 or less, and is characterized by becoming fully oxidized with no visible aluminum after undergoing the specified recycling treatment.
• Claim 26 (Recyclable Receptacle with Metallized Surface and Air Space): This claim describes a recyclable receptacle (container) made from a first material, defining a first cavity. Inside this cavity, there is at least one piece of a second material, separated from an inner surface of the first shell by a target separation distance greater than 3 millimeters. A metallized surface of the receptacle has an energy-radiating parameter (emissivity) of no greater than 0.1, while the first outer surface of the shell has an energy-radiating parameter of no less than 0.50. This claim is broader in that it doesn't explicitly detail the multi-layer structure of the aluminum/polymer/paper but focuses on the functional characteristics of the metallized surface and the recyclability of the receptacle.

Litigation Information:
The patent's "Legal status" section indicates that the "Family has litigation." Specific links are provided to Darts-ip (https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=[65433719](/patent/65433719)&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=[US11072148](/patent/US11072148)(B2)) and Unified Patents (https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Delaware%20District%20Court/case/1%3A24-cv-01073 and https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/[ptab](/ptab)/case/IPR2025-01143). These links point to a US case filed in Delaware District Court (1:24-cv-01073) and a PTAB case IPR2025-01143 which was filed but not instituted (Procedural).