JP2024165425A - Thermal insulation container - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide stored items from overcooling or overheating.SOLUTION: A heat-insulating/cold-insulating container 10 keeps items stored in an item storage section 20 warm or cold by using a heat storage member 16. The heat-insulating/cold-insulating container 10 comprises an outer container 12 and an inner container 14 disposed inside the outer container 12 and having the item storage section 20. Further, the heat-insulating/cold-insulating container 10 is provided with a heat storage member housing 18 that is provided between the outer container 12 and the inner container 14 and is capable of housing a heat storage member 16 therein, and a structure constituting the inner container 14 contains a heat storage material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

This invention relates to a heat and cold insulation container.

The heat-retaining/cold-insulating container uses a heat-storage material filled with paraffin or the like to keep the inside warm or cold (see, for example, Patent Document 1). If the heat-storage material has a melting point below 0°C, it is common to freeze it at a temperature 10°C or more lower than the melting point, such as by cooling it to a low temperature of about -25°C in a freezer to freeze the paraffin, in order to shorten the time until it can be reused.

JP 2016-175688 A

For example, in the case of storing stored items in a temperature range of about 15°C to 20°C in an external environment of 35°C in the summer, if a heat storage member taken out of a -25°C freezer is placed directly into an insulated/cold container, the stored items will be supercooled. Even when keeping items warm, the heat storage member is heated above the target temperature range, causing the same problems as when keeping items cold.

The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above problems associated with the conventional technology, and aims to provide a thermal insulation/cold insulation container that can prevent the stored items from overcooling or overheating.

A first aspect of the heat and cold insulation container according to the present invention is as follows:
A heat-insulating/cold-insulating container that uses a heat storage member to keep an item stored in an item storage section warm or cold,
An outer container,
an inner container disposed inside the outer container and having the article storage section;
a heat storage member accommodating section provided between the outer container and the inner container and capable of accommodating the heat storage member;
The gist of the present invention is that the structure constituting the inner container contains a heat storage material.

A second aspect of the heat and cold insulation container according to the present invention is the first aspect,
The structure may be a solid heat storage material.

A third aspect of the heat and cold insulation container according to the present invention is the first or second aspect,
The outer bottom surface of the inner container may be spaced apart from the inner bottom surface of the outer container.

A fourth aspect of the heat and cold insulation container according to the present invention is any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the third aspect,
An upper surface of an inner lid provided on an upper portion of the inner container may be spaced apart from a lower surface of an outer lid provided on an upper portion of the outer container.

The thermal insulation/cold insulation container of the present invention can prevent stored items from overcooling or overheating.

1 is a perspective view showing a thermal insulation/cold insulation container according to an embodiment of the present invention with an outer lid and an inner lid removed; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the thermal insulation/cold insulation container of the embodiment with the outer lid and the inner lid removed. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the heat/cold insulation container of the embodiment. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a thermal insulation/cold insulation container of an embodiment with an outer lid and an inner lid removed. FIG. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the test results.

Next, the thermal insulation/cold insulation container according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, using preferred examples. Note that the embodiments and drawings described below are intended to illustrate some of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to be used for the purpose of limiting the present invention to these configurations, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the heat and cold insulation container 10 according to the embodiment includes an outer container 12 and an inner container 14 disposed inside the outer container 12. The heat and cold insulation container 10 also includes a heat storage member housing section 18 disposed between the outer container 12 and the inner container 14, capable of housing a heat storage member 16. The heat and cold insulation container 10 houses items in an item housing section 20 possessed by the inner container 14, and the items housed in the item housing section 20 are kept warm or cold by the heat storage member 16. The heat and cold insulation container 10 has a double structure of the outer container 12 and the inner container 14, and the item housing section 20 and the heat storage member housing section 18 are separate.

The heat storage member 16 is a case containing a gel or liquid heat storage agent. The heat storage agent may be any material that absorbs or releases heat when changing phase between solid and liquid phases, and may be, for example, what is called a latent heat storage agent, such as normal paraffin or a mixture of normal paraffin and aliphatic alcohol. The heat storage agent may be used alone or in combination of two or more materials, and may be selected arbitrarily based on the relationship between the management temperature of the stored items and the melting temperature of the heat storage agent.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the outer container 12 of the embodiment is box-shaped and includes an outer container body 22 having an outer opening 22a on the upper surface and an outer lid 24 that opens and closes the outer opening 22a. The outer container 12 has a heat-insulating structure. In the embodiment, the outer container body 22 and the outer lid 24 are made of a plate-shaped heat-insulating material covered with a skin sheet. As the heat-insulating material, for example, foam-based heat-insulating materials made of foam such as urethane foam, polystyrene foam, and phenol foam, vacuum heat-insulating materials in which the air inside is removed and placed in a vacuum state, and inorganic heat-insulating materials such as glass wool or rock wool can be used alone or in combination. In addition, from the viewpoints of heat insulation, rigidity, cost, etc., the foam is preferably a hard one, and among these, polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam are preferable. In addition, as the skin sheet, a plastic sheet such as polyvinyl chloride, a composite sheet of a plastic sheet and an aluminum vapor deposition film, or a sheet of other material can be used. In the embodiment of the outer container 12, the protruding portion protruding from the lower side of the outer lid 24 is fitted into the outer opening 22a, and the hook-and-loop fastener extending from the outer edge of the outer lid 24 is joined to the hook-and-loop fastener of the outer container body 22, so that the outer lid 24 is attached to the outer container body 22.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the inner container 14 of the embodiment includes an inner container body 26 having an inner opening 26a on the upper surface, and an inner lid 28 that opens and closes the inner opening 26a. The inner container 14 is box-shaped and formed to be smaller than the inner space of the outer container 12. The inner container 14 may be fixed to the outer container 12, or may be removable from the outer container 12. The inner lid 28 of the inner container 14 is attached to the inner container body 26 by fitting a protruding portion protruding downwardly into the inner opening 26a. The inner container body 26 has a recess 27 formed on the upper edge thereof, and the inner lid 28 can be removed from the inner container body 26 by inserting a finger into the recess 27.

1 to 4, the inner container body 26 is disposed at a distance from the inner surface of the outer container body 22, and a heat storage member housing 18 is provided between the inner surface of the outer container body 22 and the outer surface of the inner container body 26. The outer lid 24 and the inner lid 28 are disposed at a distance from each other, and the heat storage member housing 18 is provided between the lower surface of the outer lid 24 and the upper surface of the inner lid 28. When keeping an item cool, if the heat storage member 16 is disposed in the heat storage member housing 18 provided on the upper side of the inner container 14, the inner container 14 can be efficiently cooled by the descending cold air. In the embodiment, the heat storage member housing 18 is provided on the side and upper side of the inner container 14, but this is not limited thereto, and the heat storage member housing 18 may be provided in other locations, such as between the inner bottom surface of the outer container body 22 and the outer bottom surface of the inner container body 26. The heat storage material storage section 18 may also be provided only on the side of the inner container 14, only on the upper side of the inner container 14, or only on the lower side of the inner container 14.

In the embodiment, the distance between the inner surface of the outer container body 22 constituting the lateral heat storage member housing section 18 and the outer surface of the inner container body 26 is set to be larger than the thickness of the plate-shaped heat storage member 16. Similarly, in the embodiment, the distance between the lower surface of the outer lid 24 constituting the upper heat storage member housing section 18 and the upper surface of the inner lid 28 is set to be larger than the thickness of the plate-shaped heat storage member 16. In the lateral heat storage member housing section 18, the heat storage member 16 is disposed in contact with the inner container body 26, while the heat storage member 16 is disposed away from the outer container body 22. In the upper heat storage member housing section 18, the heat storage member 16 is disposed in contact with the inner lid 28, while the heat storage member 16 is disposed away from the outer lid 24. In this way, by disposing the heat storage member 16 away from the outer container 12 in the heat storage member housing section 18, it is possible to prevent the heat of the heat storage member 16 from escaping to the outside of the heat insulation/cold storage container 10 via the outer container 12. In addition, by abutting the heat storage member 16 against the inner container 14 in the heat storage member housing 18, the heat of the heat storage member 16 can be efficiently transferred to the inner container 14. The positioning of the heat storage member 16 in the heat storage member housing 18 can be appropriately performed by, for example, housing the heat storage member 16 in a pocket provided in the inner container 14 or supporting the heat storage member 16 with a protrusion protruding from the inner surface of the outer container 12. Note that the arrangement of the heat storage member 16 in the heat storage member housing 18 is not limited to the above-described arrangement, and the heat storage member 16 may be abutted against the outer container 12, may be abutted against both the outer container 12 and the inner container 14, or may be disposed away from both the outer container 12 and the inner container 14.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer bottom surface of the inner container 14 is separated from the inner bottom surface of the outer container 12. In the thermal insulation/cold storage container 10 of the embodiment, the inner container 14 is separated from the inner bottom surface of the outer container 12 by a spacer 30 arranged between the outer bottom surface of the inner container 14 and the inner bottom surface of the outer container 12. The spacer 30 is preferably smaller than the bottom of the inner container 14 and made of a material with insulating properties. In this way, by separating the inner container 14 from the inner bottom surface of the outer container 12, it is possible to prevent heat that has entered from outside the thermal insulation/cold storage container 10 from being transferred to the inner container 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of the inner lid 28 provided on the top of the inner container 14 is separated from the lower surface of the outer lid 24 provided on the top of the outer container 12. In this way, by separating the inner lid 28 of the inner container 14 from the outer lid 24 of the outer container 12, it is possible to prevent heat that has entered from outside the thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 from being transferred to the inner container 14. As in the thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 of the embodiment, the outer surface of the inner container 14 is positioned away from the inner surface of the outer container 12, thereby improving the insulation performance.

The structure constituting the inner container 14 contains a heat storage material. That is, the inner container 14 has a heat storage function. Here, both the inner container body 26 and the inner lid 28 may contain a heat storage material, or either one of the inner container body 26 and the inner lid 28 may contain a heat storage material. Also, the heat storage material may be contained in the entire inner container body 26, or the heat storage material may be contained in a part of the inner container body 26. Similarly, the heat storage material may be contained in the entire inner lid 28, or the heat storage material may be contained in a part of the inner lid 28. Here, it is preferable that the heat storage material is contained at least in the wall facing the heat storage member housing section 18 in the inner container 14, and in the embodiment, it is preferable that the heat storage material is contained at least in the vertical wall of the inner container body 26.

As the heat storage material, a solid heat storage material or a gel or liquid heat storage agent enclosed in the heat storage member 16 described above can be used. The heat storage material can be in various forms such as granular, capsule-shaped with heat storage material (heat storage agent) enclosed inside, fibrous, or plate-shaped, but as in the embodiment, it is preferable to construct the structure constituting the inner container 14 from a solid heat storage material. By constructing the structures of the inner container 14, such as the inner container body 26 and the inner lid 28, from a solid heat storage material, bleeding that may occur in gel or liquid heat storage agents can be eliminated. In addition, in the case of gel or liquid heat storage materials, since they need to be enclosed in an enclosure such as a capsule to prevent bleeding, it is very difficult to form the inner container 14 by extreme pressure molding such as injection molding to prevent damage to the enclosure. If the structure itself is formed from a solid heat storage material, the inner container body 26 and the inner lid 28 can be easily manufactured. In addition, the structure can also be formed from a resin material containing a solid heat storage material.

A solid heat storage material stores heat by changing its molecular structure (main chain or side chain) depending on temperature, and remains solid even when the temperature changes. Examples of solid heat storage materials include those containing a compound and a polymer, and for example, a solid heat storage material with a melting enthalpy of 30 J/g or more in the range of 10°C to 60°C is preferable. In addition, it is preferable that the ΔHSP (Hansen solubility parameter) between the polymer and the compound is 3.5 or less, and the melting enthalpy of the compound in the range of 0°C to 100°C is 30 J/g or more. It is even more preferable that the molecular weight of the compound is 290 g/mol to 2000 g/mol, and the activation energy of the kinetics of the compound is 20 kJ/mol or more. Examples of compounds contained in the solid heat storage material include those having an alkyl group with 14 to 30 carbon atoms, those having a linear alkyl group with 14 to 30 carbon atoms, saturated fatty acid esters, saturated ethers, and saturated hydrocarbons. Polymers contained in solid heat storage materials include those with a melting enthalpy of 30 J/g or more in the range of 10°C to 60°C, specifically ethylene-n-hexadecyl acrylate-methyl acrylate copolymers.

As a heat storage material other than the solid heat storage material, the above-mentioned latent heat storage material can be used. In this case, for example, the walls of the inner container body 26 and the inner lid 28 can be formed by a case in which the heat storage material is enclosed.

For example, if it is desired to store items contained in the thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 at approximately 15°C to 25°C in a summer environment with an outside temperature of 35°C, the controlled temperature of the item storage section 20 is set to approximately 20°C. In this case, the heat storage material of the heat storage member 16 is selected to have a melting point (freezing point) at approximately the controlled temperature (for example, approximately 20°C), and the controlled temperature is maintained by using the temperature regulating action of the heat storage material to maintain a constant temperature near its melting point for a relatively long period of time. In order to maintain the item storage section 20 of the inner container 14 at the controlled temperature, it is preferable to use a heat storage material contained in the structure of the inner container 14 that exhibits the above-mentioned temperature regulating action near the melting point of the heat storage material of the heat storage member 16.

When freezing the heat storage member 16, the heat storage member 16 can be cooled to a temperature significantly below the melting point (for example, 0°C or below) to solidify the heat storage agent in a short time. The heat storage material contained in the structure of the inner container 14 is preferably capable of storing heat from 0°C (the temperature when stored in the heat storage member storage section 18) until the heat storage agent of the heat storage member 16 reaches 20°C (the melting point of the heat storage agent). In this way, the heat storage material contained in the structure of the inner container 14 can appropriately buffer the heat of the heat storage member 16 that has been supercooled below its melting point, preventing the item storage section 20 from being supercooled.

When the thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 keeps the item storage section 20 cold, the heat storage material contained in the structure of the inner container 14 can adequately buffer the heat of the heat storage member 16 that has been overcooled to a temperature lower than the management temperature of the item storage section 20, thereby preventing an excessive drop in temperature of the item storage section 20. Similarly, when the thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 keeps the item storage section 20 warm, the heat storage material contained in the structure of the inner container 14 can adequately buffer the heat of the heat storage member 16 that has been overheated to a temperature higher than the management temperature of the item storage section 20, thereby preventing an excessive rise in temperature of the item storage section 20. Therefore, the thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 can prevent the items stored in the item storage section 20 from being overcooled or overheated. The thermal insulation/cold insulation container 10 is suitable for applications such as storing and transporting items that require delicate temperature control, such as medicines, beverages such as wine, and fresh foods.

(test)
A thermal insulation/cold insulation container was prepared by placing an inner container inside an outer container, and the temperature change of the item stored in the item storage section of the inner container was measured. In the temperature measurement test, the lower limit of the management temperature of the item was set to 15°C, and the upper limit of the management temperature was set to 25°C. The outer containers of Test Examples 1 to 3 were box-shaped with a width of 275 mm, a depth of 205 mm, a height of 165 mm, and a plate thickness of 30 mm, and were used in common in Test Examples 1 to 3. The inner container of Test Example 1 was formed of the solid heat storage material described in paragraph [0022], and had a width of 200 mm, a depth of 100 mm, a height of 80 mm, and a plate thickness of 15 mm. The inner container of Test Example 2 was formed of a box with a width of 200 mm, a depth of 100 mm, a height of 80 mm, and a plate thickness of 15 mm, using a plate material made of polystyrene foam. The inner container of Test Example 3 is a box made of polypropylene (PP) plate material with a width of 200 mm, a depth of 100 mm, a height of 80 mm, and a plate thickness of 15 mm. The outer containers of Test Examples 1 to 3 are left at 23°C (room temperature) for 12 hours before the temperature measurement test. The inner containers of Test Examples 1 to 3 are left at 30°C for 12 hours before the temperature measurement test, and then kept in a thermostatic chamber at 23°C for 30 minutes. The object is a glass bottle containing 30 g of water, which is kept in a thermostatic chamber at 23°C for 30 minutes before the temperature measurement test. The heat storage member (manufactured by Inoac Corporation, model number HAH-500+20) is kept at 5°C for 24 hours before the temperature measurement test. In the temperature measurement test, three heat storage members were placed between the outer container and the inner container for each of Test Examples 1 to 3, and then the temperature change of the item (water in the glass bottle) was measured after placing the heat storage members in an environment of 35°C for 24 hours or more. The results are shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 5, Test Example 1, in which the inner container was made of a solid heat storage material, shows less temperature drop in the item at the initial stage when the heat storage member was inserted and the test was started, compared to Test Examples 2 and 3. Thus, it can be confirmed that Test Example 1, in which the inner container was made of a solid heat storage material, can buffer the heat of the supercooled heat storage member with the inner container, preventing the item from becoming supercooled.

10: heat-insulating/cold-insulating container, 12: outer container, 14: inner container, 16: heat storage member,
18 Heat storage material storage section, 20 Article storage section, 24 Outer lid, 28 Inner lid

Claims (4)

A heat-insulating/cold-insulating container that uses a heat storage member to keep an item stored in an item storage section warm or cold,
An outer container,
an inner container disposed inside the outer container and having the article storage section;
a heat storage member accommodating section provided between the outer container and the inner container and capable of accommodating the heat storage member;
A heat-insulating/cold-insulating container, characterized in that a structure constituting the inner container contains a heat storage material. The heat/cold storage container according to claim 1, wherein the structure is a solid heat storage material. The heat/cold storage container according to claim 1, wherein the outer bottom surface of the inner container is spaced apart from the inner bottom surface of the outer container. The heat and cold insulation container according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the inner lid provided on the upper part of the inner container is separated from the lower surface of the outer lid provided on the upper part of the outer container.

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