JP7506890B2 - Refrigerants, refrigeration equipment, cargo, transport equipment, manufacturing method of refrigeration equipment, transport method and refrigeration method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to thickeners for ice packs, ice packs, ice packs, cargo, transport equipment, methods for manufacturing ice packs, transport methods, and ice pack methods.

There is known a cooling agent (sometimes called a cooling storage agent or ice pack, etc.) that is used to transport food and the like in a cooled state (for example, Patent Document 1). Note that, conventionally, the term cooling agent may refer not only to the cooling agent but also to the entire container in which the cooling agent is enclosed, but in this disclosure, the cooling agent refers to the cooling agent itself, and the entire combination of the cooling agent and the container in which the cooling agent is enclosed is referred to as a cooling device.

In commonly available cooling devices, the cooling agent is composed of water to which various additives have been added. Examples of additives include preservatives, freezing point depressants, thickeners, antifreeze, and colorants. The cooling device is cooled, for example, by a refrigerator or freezer. The cooling device is then packaged, for example, together with the object to be cooled (e.g., food), or used to cool the human body.

In addition, tapioca is known in the food technology field, not in the field of ice packs, as a thickener that increases the viscosity of food.

JP 2017-128622 A

It is hoped that technology related to thickening agents for ice packs will be expanded.

The thickener for ice packs according to one embodiment of the present disclosure contains tapioca.

The ice pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure contains the above-mentioned ice pack thickener and water.

In one example, the ice pack contains chloride.

In one example, the ice pack contains _CaCl2 as the chloride.

In one example, the ice pack has a _CaCl2 concentration of 20% or more, a total concentration of chlorides other than _CaCl2 of 0% or more and 5% or less, and a tapioca concentration of 3% or more.

The cooling device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned cooling agent and an enclosure in which the cooling agent is enclosed.

The cargo according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned cooling device, an object to be kept cold, and a storage container that contains both the cooling device and the object to be kept cold.

A transport device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned cooling device, an object to be kept cold, and a storage container that contains both the cooling device and the object to be kept cold.

The method for producing the cooling device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a gelatinization step of gelatinizing the mixture of water and tapioca, and an enclosure step of enclosing the water and tapioca in the enclosure before the temperature of the mixture gelatinized by the gelatinization step falls below 5°C.

A transportation method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of storing the cooling device and the object to be kept cold in a storage container, and transporting the storage container that contains both the cooling device and the object to be kept cold.

In one example, the temperature of the cooling device during the storing step is below the freezing point of the ice pack.

The cooling method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of storing the cooling device and the object to be cooled together in a storage container.

The above configuration or procedure will enrich the technology related to thickeners for ice packs.

11 is a chart showing experimental results regarding leakage amounts of ice packs containing different types of chlorides according to an embodiment. 13 is a chart showing experimental results regarding leakage of chloride-free ice packs according to embodiments. 1 is a chart showing experimental results regarding leakage amounts of ice packs containing two or more chlorides according to an embodiment. 11 is a chart showing experimental results regarding leakage amounts of ice packs having different tapioca concentrations according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing experimental results regarding the cooling capacity of a cooling agent according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is another diagram showing the experimental results regarding the cooling capacity of the ice pack according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is still another diagram showing the experimental results regarding the cooling capacity of the ice pack according to the embodiment. 8(a), 8(b) and 8(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining application examples of ice packs. 4 is a flowchart showing the steps of a method for manufacturing and using a cooling device according to an embodiment.

(Overview of ice packs)
The ice pack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure contains at least water and tapioca as a thickener. The tapioca is, for example, in a powder form before being mixed with water (including water as a solvent for an aqueous solution. The same applies hereinafter unless a contradiction occurs). To clarify, tapioca is a starch produced from the rhizome of cassava. The tapioca may be produced as a food product or for industrial use such as alcohol production. In addition, the tapioca may be simply dried rhizome of cassava, or may be treated with esterification, acetylation, or the like.

When water and tapioca are mixed and heated, the viscosity of the mixture (i.e., ice pack) containing water and tapioca increases due to gelatinization (i.e., gelatinization). When the mixture is then cooled, the viscosity of the mixture increases further and/or the mixture solidifies due to aging (i.e., beta-ization or retrogradation). Some tapioca powders are soluble in cold water (for example, Sansho Co., Ltd.'s product name "PTA-03"). In this case, heating for gelatinization is not required.

In the following description, for convenience, reference to solidification may be omitted. Therefore, descriptions regarding thickening due to aging may be appropriately interpreted as descriptions regarding solidification. An ice pack containing tapioca may refer to a mixture containing at least water and tapioca, regardless of whether it has undergone gelatinization (or aging), or may refer only to a mixture that has undergone gelatinization (or aging) (a mixture with increased viscosity). In the description of this embodiment, the former is used unless otherwise specified.

The cooling agent containing tapioca as a thickener as described above has various effects, such as the following:

If the viscosity of the ice pack is high, when filling a container with the ice pack to produce a cooling device, the workability decreases and it becomes difficult to spread the ice pack to every corner of the container. On the other hand, if the viscosity of the ice pack is low, the ice pack is likely to leak out of the container if the container in which it is filled is damaged. The leaked ice pack may, for example, soil the object to be kept cold and its surroundings.

When tapioca is used as a thickener, the inconvenience of sealing the ice pack due to its high viscosity as described above can be reduced by sealing the ice pack in the container before aging or when aging is not very advanced. On the other hand, when the ice pack containing the ice pack sealed in the container is cooled in order to use the ice pack, the viscosity of the ice pack further increases due to aging. This reduces the likelihood of the ice pack leaking and/or reduces the amount of leakage.

Even if the ice pack leaks, the aged ice pack has low fluidity and is less likely to wet (adhere to) the object being cooled. Furthermore, depending on the method used to remove the leaked ice pack, the solidification of the ice pack makes it easier to remove the ice pack from the object being cooled.

Also, since tapioca is used as a food, adding tapioca does not affect the danger of the ice pack. Therefore, for example, although it depends on the other ingredients in the ice pack, used ice packs can be disposed of as food waste, just like food. Also, in the event of a leak, there is no need to treat them as hazardous materials.

(Ingredients of ice packs)
The ice pack may contain only water and tapioca, or may further contain other ingredients. The other ingredients include preservatives, freezing point depressants, melting point depressants (which may also serve as freezing point depressants), thickeners (other than tapioca), antifreeze, and colorants. In the ice pack, the melting point and the freezing point may be the same value or different values. In the description of this embodiment, the melting point and the freezing point may be interchangeable as long as no contradiction occurs.

The concentration of tapioca and the concentration of ingredients other than tapioca may be set as appropriate. In the description of this embodiment, concentrations are in mass percent unless otherwise specified. In the description of this embodiment, values that do not include decimals include values rounded to the nearest tenth. For example, a range of 10% or more includes 9.5%. A range of 40% or less includes 40.4%. Numerical values that include decimals include values rounded to the nearest tenth. For example, a range of 0.5% or more includes 0.45%.

Examples of concentrations are as follows: The tapioca concentration may be 1% to 10%, 3% to 10%, or 3% to 5%. The melting point depressant (e.g., chlorides and/or salts, described below) concentration may be 10% to 40%. The preservative concentration may be 0.005% to 0.02%. The colorant mass may be 0.05% to 0.2%.

From another perspective, the mass of water in the mass of the ice pack may be 50% or more, 60% or more, 90% or more, or 97% or more. In other words, the mass of ingredients other than water (including tapioca) may be, for example, 50% or less, 40% or less, 10% or less, or 3% or less. Note that when the amount of ingredients other than water is 3% or less, the ingredients may include only tapioca, or may further include other ingredients.

(Melting Point Depressant)
As described above, the cooling agent may contain a melting point depressant. By lowering the melting point, for example, it is possible to perform cooling using latent heat in a temperature range lower than the melting point of water.

Specific materials for the melting point depressant may be various, including known ones. For example, the melting point depressant may be a chloride and/or a salt. To clarify, a chloride is a compound formed by chlorine and an element or atomic group that is more positive than the chlorine. The salt referred to here is a salt in chemistry, that is, a compound in which an anion derived from an acid and a cation derived from a base are ionic bonded. The quality (grade) of the chloride and/or salt is not important. Chlorides and/or salts for various purposes such as general use, industrial use, and food additives may be used, and it does not matter whether they are first grade or special grade.

Examples of chlorides and/or salts include the following _{: NaHCO3} , _NaHSO4 , _Na2HPO4 , _NaH2PO4 , MgCl(OH), MgCl2.Mg(OH) ₂ , _NaCl , CaCl2, _NH4Cl , _{CH3COONa , CuSO4 , MgCl2} , _MgSO4 , _CaSO4 , and KCl. In the description of this embodiment, calcium chloride ( _CaCl2 ), magnesium chloride ( _MgCl2 ), sodium chloride (NaCl), and potassium chloride (KCl) may be focused on.

The concentration of the melting point depressant (e.g., chloride and/or salt) in the ice pack may be set as appropriate. For example, the concentration may be the concentration of the melting point depressant that produces the lowest melting point in an aqueous solution containing only the melting point depressant as a solute, or a concentration close to that concentration. The ice pack contains other ingredients (e.g., tapioca) in addition to the melting point depressant, but unless a large amount of other ingredients is added, the concentration of the melting point depressant that produces the lowest melting point in the ice pack does not differ significantly from the concentration of the melting point depressant that produces the lowest melting point in an aqueous solution containing only the melting point depressant as a solute.

Specifically, in the case of _CaCl2 , the concentration may be 20% to 40% or 25% to 35% with 30% as the center. In the case of _MgCl2 , the concentration may be 25% to 45% or 30% to 40% with 35% as the center. In the case of NaCl, the concentration may be 14% to 34% or 19% to 29% with 23.5% (about 24%) as the center. In the case of KCl, the concentration may be 11% to 31% or 16% to 26% with 21% as the center.

The above range examples are shown as examples of ranges of the concentration of the melting point depressant in the ice pack (the ratio of the mass of the melting point depressant to the mass of the ice pack). However, the above range examples may also be applied to the range of the ratio of the mass of the melting point depressant to the total mass of the melting point depressant and the mass of water in the ice pack.

(Effect of chlorides on the thickening effect of tapioca)
An experiment was conducted to measure the leakage of ice packs containing water, tapioca, and chlorides from their containers. The results showed that chlorides affect the thickening effect of tapioca, and that the magnitude of this effect differs depending on the type of chloride. The details are as follows. In this experiment and the experiments described below, the ice packs only contain the ingredients mentioned, and do not contain ingredients that are not mentioned.

The experimental method is as follows. A plurality of types of ice packs were prepared, each consisting of water, tapioca, and chloride, with different types of chloride. Tapioca that was soluble in cold water was used. In other words, the ice packs were gelatinized without heating. For each type of ice pack, 400 g of gelatinized ice pack was enclosed in a bag to prepare ice packs. The bags were prepared by placing two rectangular and flexible resin films facing each other and joining the four sides of each film to each other. Two ice packs were prepared for each type of ice pack. One of the two ice packs (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Type A") was left in a room temperature atmosphere after preparation (after the gelatinized ice pack was enclosed). The remaining one (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Type B") was brought to room temperature after freezing and thawing the ice pack (i.e., aging). Then, one short side of each ice pack was held and the ice pack was hung. A 2 cm slit was made near the corner between the lower short side and one of the long sides of the hanging ice pack. The amount of ice pack that leaked out and fell from the slit was then measured every minute.

The tapioca concentration was 3%. The chloride concentration in the ice pack (the ratio of the mass of chloride to the mass of the entire ice pack) was the same as the chloride concentration at which the melting point of an aqueous chloride solution containing only chloride as a solute is lowest. The types and concentrations of chloride were as follows: CaCl ₂ : 30%, MgCl ₂ : 35%, NaCl: 23.5%, KCl: 21%. The tapioca used was "PTA-03" by Sansho Corporation (the same applies to other experiments described below).

FIG. 1 is a chart showing the measurement results. The "t (min)" column shows the elapsed time (unit: min). The other columns show the leakage amount for each type of chloride. The "Qa (g)" column shows the leakage amount (unit: g) of the A type cooling device. The "Qb (g)" column shows the leakage amount (unit: g) of the B type cooling device. Since there was almost no difference in the leakage amount Qa depending on the type of chloride, only the measurement results of _CaCl2 are shown as a representative of multiple types of chlorides. Each row shows the leakage amount per minute from 1 minute to 10 minutes. The leakage amount shown here is the total amount of leakage from 0 minutes.

As shown in this figure, for Type A (leakage amount Qa), 95% (=380g/400g) of the total amount of ice pack leaks out in 1 minute, and almost the entire amount of ice pack leaks out in 2 minutes. As mentioned above, this is not only the case for _CaCl2 , but also the same for other chlorides.

On the other hand, for Type B (leakage amount Qb), the leakage amount per elapsed time is reduced compared to Type A for all chlorides. In other words, the ice pack is less likely to leak. For example, the leakage amount Qb after one minute is less than 50% of the total amount of ice pack, and from another perspective, it is less than half the leakage amount Qa after one minute. Also, the time required for 95% of the total amount of ice pack to leak is 3 minutes or more.

The leakage amount Qb differs depending on the type of chloride. The order of least leakage amount Qb per elapsed time is _CaCl2 , _MgCl2 , KCl, and NaCl. For example, the ratio of leakage amount Qb after 1 minute to the total amount of ice pack is 0% ( _CaCl2 ), about 23% ( _MgCl2 ), about 45% (KCl), and about 46% (NaCl), respectively. However, the difference between KCl and NaCl is slight, and from 5 minutes onwards, the leakage amount Qb of KCl is equal to or greater than the leakage amount Qb of NaCl.

When the chloride was _CaCl2 , the leakage amount Qb was 0 g. In other words, the ice pack did not fall from the slit in the bag. The weight of the ice pack adhering to the outer surface of the bag near the slit was 1 g.

In addition, no water separation was observed with type B ice packs as they aged. The same was true in other experiments described below.

(Chloride-free ice pack)
The same experiment was also conducted on a cooling agent containing only water and tapioca (no chlorides). As a result, it was confirmed that the leakage amount of the cooling agent was also small. It was also found that chlorides not only lower the melting point, but also increase the thickening effect of tapioca. Specifically, it is as follows.

The experimental method was the same as that shown in Figure 1. However, as mentioned above, the ice pack consisted of only water and tapioca. The tapioca concentration was set to 5%, which is higher than the tapioca concentration shown in Figure 1 (3%). The experiment was conducted only on Type B (the ice pack was frozen and thawed).

Figure 2 is a graph showing the measurement results of leakage volume Qb, and is similar to Figure 1.

As shown in this figure, even when no chloride is added, the leakage amount Qb is relatively small. For example, the leakage amount Qb after 1 minute is less than 20% of the total amount of ice pack (400 g). Even after 10 minutes, the leakage amount Qb does not reach 95% of the total amount of ice pack.

1 and 2, it can be seen that when _CaCl2 is added, the leakage amount Qb is reduced (eliminated) compared to when no chloride is added, even though the tapioca concentration is low. In other words, _CaCl2 increases the thickening effect of tapioca.

(Chloride combination)
An experiment similar to that shown in FIG. 1 was carried out on a cooling agent containing _CaCl2 and other chlorides ( _MgCl2 , NaCl, or KCl) as chlorides. As a result, it was found that the effect of increasing the thickening effect of tapioca by _CaCl2 was maintained even when other chlorides were added. Specifically, the results are as follows.

The experimental method is the same as that shown in FIG. 1. However, the ice pack is composed of water, tapioca, _CaCl2 and other chlorides. The total concentration of _CaCl2 and the concentration of other chlorides is 40%. A plurality of ice packs with different individual concentrations of _CaCl2 and other chlorides (in other words, the ratio of _CaCl2 or other chlorides to the above 40%) were prepared. In addition, the experiment was conducted only for type B (the ice pack was frozen and thawed).

3 is a chart showing the experimental results. In this chart, the first row shows the concentration of _CaCl2 . The second row shows the concentrations of other chlorides. The third row shows the evaluation results of the leakage amount. Each column corresponds to a plurality of ice packs having different individual concentrations of _CaCl2 and other chlorides.

The evaluation was based on the leakage amount Qb after 10 minutes. When the leakage amount Qb was 10 g or less, it was rated as A, when it was 11 g or more and 50 g or less, it was rated as B, and otherwise it was rated as C. In this experiment, the types of chlorides other than _CaCl2 had almost no effect on the above-mentioned graded evaluation, so in Figure 3, the results are shown regardless of the types of other chlorides.

As shown in this figure, if the concentration of CaCl ₂ is 25% or more and the concentration of other chlorides is 10% or less, the evaluation is A. Also, if the concentration of CaCl ₂ is 20% or more and the concentration of other chlorides is 15% or less, the evaluation is B or more. Although not shown in particular, even if the concentration of CaCl ₂ is 20% and the concentration of other chlorides is 15%, if the concentration of tapioca is increased to more than 3%, the evaluation is A. From the above, as an example of the concentration range from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of CaCl ₂ increasing the thickening effect of tapioca, the concentration of CaCl ₂ is 20% or more and the concentration of other chlorides is 15% or less.

(Tapioca concentration)
An experiment similar to that shown in FIG. 1 was carried out on a number of ice packs with different tapioca concentrations. As a result, it was found that a significant effect was achieved if the tapioca concentration was 1% or more. Specifically, the results are as follows.

The experimental method was the same as that in Fig. 1. However, the ice pack consisted of water, tapioca, and _CaCl2 . The concentration of _CaCl2 was 30%. In addition, the experiment was conducted only for type B (the ice pack was frozen and thawed).

Figure 4 is a graph showing the measurement results of leakage amount Qb, and is similar to Figure 1. However, each column shows the leakage amount Qb for each concentration of tapioca.

As shown in this figure, if the tapioca concentration is 1% or more, the thickening effect of tapioca can be obtained. Also, if the tapioca concentration is 3% or more, the leakage amount Qb can be made approximately 0. This result is the result when _CaCl2 , which can increase the thickening effect of tapioca, is added. Therefore, it can be seen that the tapioca concentration can be reduced to 3% or 1% by appropriately selecting additives other than water and tapioca.

(Effect of tapioca on cold storage)
An experiment was conducted to examine the cooling capacity of ice packs containing tapioca. As a result, it was confirmed that the cooling capacity of ice packs containing tapioca is equivalent to that of ice packs containing thickeners other than tapioca. Specifically, the results are as follows.

The experimental method is as follows. An ice pack containing tapioca and an ice pack containing a thickener different from tapioca were prepared. For each type of ice pack, 600 g of the ice pack was enclosed in a bag made of flexible resin film to prepare an ice pack. Next, two ice packs containing different types of thickener were placed in a freezer maintained at -130°C for a sufficient time. This caused the ice pack to freeze and the temperature of the ice pack to be equal to the temperature inside the freezer. After that, the two ice packs were taken out of the freezer and placed individually in a foam container placed at room temperature. The container had inner dimensions of 300 mm x 200 mm x 120 mm, and was approximately sealed after the ice pack was placed inside. The ice pack was placed on a paper box placed inside the container so that it was located in the center of the space inside the container. Then, the temperature of the ice pack and the temperature of the atmosphere inside the container were continuously measured.

The ice pack was made of water, a thickener, and _CaCl2 with a concentration of 30%. As a thickener different from tapioca, a polyacrylamide-based anionic water-absorbing polymer (commercially available as a thickener) was used. The concentration of tapioca was 3.0%. The concentration of the water-absorbing polymer was 1.5%.

Figures 5 to 7 show the measurement results. The above experiment was performed three times, and each figure shows the results of each experiment. In these figures, the horizontal axis t indicates the elapsed time in units of hours (h) and minutes. The vertical axis T indicates the temperature (units: °C). The multiple lines in the figures show the relationship between the elapsed time and temperature obtained by measurement.

In the legend, "PL0" indicates the temperature of the ice pack containing the water-absorbing polymer. "PL1" indicates the temperature inside the container in which the ice pack containing the water-absorbing polymer is placed. "TA0" indicates the temperature of the ice pack containing tapioca. "TA1" indicates the temperature inside the container in which the ice pack containing tapioca is placed. "EN" indicates the environmental temperature (the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the container). As can be seen from the fact that only one "EN" is shown in each figure, "PL0" and "PL1" and "TA0" and "TA1" are measured in parallel at the same environmental temperature.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the temperature change of the ice pack containing tapioca (TA0) is roughly the same as the temperature change of the ice pack containing a water-absorbing polymer (PL0). In addition, the temperature change (TA1) inside the container in which the ice pack containing tapioca is placed is roughly the same as the temperature change (PL1) inside the container in which the ice pack containing a water-absorbing polymer is placed. In other words, there is no significant difference in the cooling capacity of the two ice packs, and it has been confirmed that tapioca can be used as a thickening agent for ice packs.

The temperature of the ice pack is temporarily constant at about -50°C. This is due to the latent heat when the ice pack changes from solid to liquid. That is, the melting point of the ice pack used in the experiment is about -50°C. Also, the concentration of _CaCl2 of 30% in this experiment is roughly the concentration at which the melting point is lowest when _CaCl2 is used as a melting point depressant. Therefore, about -50°C is the lowest melting point when _CaCl2 is used as a melting point depressant.

(Function of thickener for ice packs and ice packs)
As described above, the ice pack thickener according to the present embodiment contains tapioca. From another perspective, the ice pack according to the present embodiment contains the above-mentioned ice pack thickener and water.

Therefore, the effects already described are achieved. For example, when preparing a cooling device by sealing an ice pack in a container, the ice pack can be sealed in an appropriate manner while ensuring the fluidity of the ice pack. On the other hand, when using the cooling device, the viscosity of the ice pack can be increased (or the ice pack can be solidified) to reduce the likelihood of the ice pack leaking and/or the amount of leakage. It is also possible to dispose of the ice pack as food waste, and to reduce the need to treat it as a hazardous material.

The ice pack may contain chloride.

In this case, for example, the melting point (and/or freezing point) of the ice pack can be lowered. This makes it possible to utilize latent heat in a temperature range lower than the melting point of water, or to realize a soft ice pack in a temperature range lower than the melting point of water (but higher than the melting point of the ice pack).

Commercially available thickeners may not be usable for ice packs containing chlorides. For example, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) does not exhibit a thickening effect when added to a solution containing divalent ions such as ^Ca2+ or Mg2 ⁺ . On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1, tapioca exhibits a thickening effect even for solutions containing such divalent ions. Therefore, by enriching the technology of thickeners for ice packs using tapioca, the freedom of selection of chlorides that can be used for ice packs that require viscosity is also improved.

The ice pack may include _CaCl2 as the chloride.

In this case, for example, as described above, the thickening effect of the tapioca can be increased, and thus the likelihood of leakage of the ice pack can be reduced, and the amount of leakage can be reduced. From another perspective, the amount of tapioca added to achieve the desired viscosity can be reduced.

The concentration of _CaCl2 may be 20% or more. The concentration of the total chlorides other than _CaCl2 may be 0% or more and 5% or less. The concentration of tapioca may be 3% or more.

In this case, for example, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the effect of reducing the probability of ice pack leakage and reducing the amount of leakage can be sufficiently obtained.

(Refrigeration equipment, cargo, transport equipment, manufacturing method of refrigeration equipment, transport method and refrigeration method)
Hereinafter, a cooling device, cargo, transport equipment, a method for manufacturing a cooling device, a transport method, and a cooling method according to the present embodiment will be described.

Figure 8 (a) is a perspective view showing an example of a cooling device 3 that uses ice pack 1. Note that part of the cooling device 3 is shown broken away.

The cooling device 3 has an ice pack 1 and an enclosed container 5 in which the ice pack 1 is enclosed. The ice pack 1 is an ice pack according to this embodiment, and contains tapioca as a thickener for the ice pack. The cooling device 3 may be of a type that can be used repeatedly, or may be of a disposable type. Note that the enclosed container 5 may contain a gas (e.g., air) together with the ice pack 1.

The size, shape, and material of the sealed container 5 may be set appropriately. For example, the sealed container 5 may be a sealed container of various known cooling devices. Specifically, for example, the sealed container 5 may be a bag-shaped container made of a flexible material (such as resin), or a hard-type container (as shown in the example) made of a non-flexible material (such as resin). For example, the sealed container 5 may not have an injection port (the ice pack 1 cannot be taken out without destroying the sealed container 5), or may have an injection port blocked by a cap as in the example shown in the figure. For example, the shape of the sealed container 5 may be a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape (as shown in the example), or may have a unique shape depending on the application. For example, the volume of the sealed container 5 (maximum volume in the case of a flexible container) may be 10 ml or more and 1 liter or less.

Figure 8 (b) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of cargo 11 using ice pack 1.

The cargo 11 includes, for example, one or more objects 13 to be kept cold, one or more cooling devices 3, and a box 15 that contains them all. The box 15 is an example of a storage container.

Examples of the object to be kept cold include food. Examples of the food include frozen foods, frozen sweets, fresh sweets, dairy products, and fresh foods. Frozen foods are foods that are frozen for the purpose of long-term storage, and before freezing, they may be unheated, heated, uncooked, or cooked. Examples of frozen sweets include ice cream. Examples of fresh sweets include cake. Examples of dairy products include yogurt. Examples of fresh foods include fresh fish (seafood), meat, and fruits and vegetables. In FIG. 8(b), a cup of ice cream is shown as an example of the object to be kept cold 13.

In addition to food and beverages, examples of objects to be kept cold include organs for transplantation and vaccines (containers containing organs for transplantation or vaccines). The term "cold storage" is generally used for food products, but as can be understood from the above examples, in this disclosure, objects to be kept cold are not limited to food products.

The size, shape, and material of the box 15 may be set as appropriate, and for example, various known boxes may be used. Representative examples include a relatively small box (e.g., 1 m or less x 1 m or less x 1 m or less) made of polystyrene foam or cardboard, and a cooler box (ice box) that combines a plastic case with insulating material. The material of the box 15 may be one with relatively high insulating properties, or one with low insulating properties.

The positions of the object 13 to be kept cool and the cooling device 3 within the box 15 may also be set appropriately. For example, the cooling device 3 may be located to the side of the object 13 to be kept cool (as in the illustrated example), above or below the object 13, or a combination of two or more of these. Depending on the type of object 13 to be kept cool, its packaging, and/or the configuration of the box 15, it may be possible to directly house the ice pack 1 in the box 15 (without enclosing it in the enclosure 5) rather than housing the cooling device 3 in the box 15.

Figure 8 (c) is a side view showing an example of a transport device 21 that uses ice pack 1.

The transport equipment 21 has, for example, one or more cargoes 11 and one or more containers 23 that store the cargoes 11. Note that the containers 23 are also an example of a storage vessel, similar to the boxes 15.

Examples of transport equipment 21 include automobiles (as shown in the example), aircraft, trains, ships, and motorcycles. In FIG. 8(c), a refrigerated or freezer vehicle having a built-in container 23 is shown.

The arrangement of the cargo 11 within the container 23 may be set as appropriate. Also, instead of storing the cargo 11 in the container 23, the object to be refrigerated 13 and the cooling device 3 may be directly stored in the container 23 (without being stored in a box 15). Depending on the type of object to be refrigerated 13, its packaging and/or the configuration of the container 23, it may also be possible to store the ice pack 1 directly in the container 23 (without being enclosed in an enclosure 5).

Here, the box 15 and its contents are described as cargo 11. In other words, the cargo is exemplified as being relatively small, so that it can be carried (manually) by one person or a small number of people. However, the cargo may be larger than this size. For example, in FIG. 8(c), the container 23 is shown attached to an automobile, but it may also be something that is loaded onto and unloaded from a container ship, truck, and/or train, and this container and its contents may be considered to be cargo.

The storage vessel (box 15 or container 23) may simply be insulated, or may be actively kept at a low temperature by a cooling device such as a chiller. In the latter case, the temperature of the object to be kept cold is maintained at a temperature intermediate between the target temperature of the cooling device and the temperature of the ice pack, which is lower than the target temperature, for example.

Figure 9 is a flow chart showing the steps of the manufacturing method, transportation method, and cooling method of the cooling device. Note that Figures 8(a) to 8(c) also show the transportation method and cooling method according to the embodiment, and may be referred to together with Figure 9.

In step ST1, a mixture containing at least water and tapioca is gelatinized. If the ice pack contains other ingredients besides water and tapioca, the other ingredients may be added at an appropriate time. For example, the other ingredients may be added before or after the addition of tapioca, but before gelatinization. In this case, the likelihood that the gelatinization will hinder the dispersion of the other ingredients is reduced.

When tapioca requires heating for gelatinization, the temperature and time of heating may be set appropriately. For example, the gelatinization onset temperature of a mixture containing tapioca that has not been specially treated is 50°C or higher and 70°C or lower, depending on the other ingredients. Therefore, the temperature of the mixture may be 50°C or higher, 60°C or higher, or 70°C or higher.

In addition, if the tapioca does not require heating for gelatinization, the temperature of the mixture may be any suitable temperature as long as gelatinization occurs. For example, the temperature of the mixture may be higher than room temperature, may be room temperature, may be below room temperature and above 0°C, or may be below room temperature and above the freezing point of the mixture. Room temperature is, for example, 5°C to 35°C (Japanese Industrial Standards), or 15°C to 25°C (Japanese Pharmacopoeia) (the same applies below).

In any case, it can be said that the gelatinization of the mixture is carried out within the gelatinization temperature range in which gelatinization can occur. The gelatinization temperature range of a mixture that requires heating for gelatinization is, for example, 50°C or higher or 60°C or higher. The gelatinization temperature range of a mixture that does not require heating for gelatinization is, for example, 0°C or higher, 5°C or higher, or 10°C or higher.

In step ST2, the ice pack 1 in a gelatinized state is sealed in a sealed container 5 to produce the ice pack 3. The temperature of the ice pack 1 at this time may be an appropriate temperature. For example, it may be a temperature higher than room temperature, room temperature, or lower than room temperature.

Here, a mixture that requires heating for gelatinization generally has a higher viscosity as the temperature decreases. Also, aging progresses most rapidly around 0°C. Therefore, if the ice pack 1 requires heating for gelatinization, the ice pack 1 may be sealed in the sealing container 5 before the temperature of the ice pack 1, which was set to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 50°C) or higher in step ST1, falls below the predetermined temperature (e.g., 50°C), before it reaches the upper limit of room temperature (e.g., 35°C or 25°C), or before it falls below the lower limit of room temperature (e.g., 5°C or 15°C).

In addition, a mixture that does not require heating for gelatinization will age (become more viscous) through, for example, freezing and thawing. Therefore, if ice pack 1 does not require heating for gelatinization, ice pack 1 may be sealed in sealing container 5 before the temperature of ice pack 1 gelatinized in step ST1 reaches the freezing point of ice pack 1. Also, just because heating is not required for gelatinization, there is basically no need to prepare ice pack 1 in a temperature environment lower than room temperature during gelatinization and sealing. Therefore, sealing may be performed when the temperature of ice pack 1 is room temperature.

In any case, the encapsulation may be performed before the temperature of the mixture (ice pack 1) gelatinized in step ST1 falls below the lower limit of room temperature (e.g., 5°C or 15°C).

In step ST3, the cooling device 3 is cooled. The temperature of the cooling device 3 (ice pack 1) at this time is, for example, at least lower than the lower limit of room temperature (for example, 5°C or 15°C). If the temperature of the cooling device 3 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the environment, the cooling device 3 will not function as a cold storage. For example, the temperature of the cooling device 3 may be 0°C or lower, -50°C or lower, -100°C or lower, or -130°C or lower. From another perspective, the temperature of the cooling device 3 does not have to be lower than the melting point of the ice pack 1, or may be lower than the melting point. In other words, the ice pack 1 may not be frozen, or may be frozen.

In step ST4, the cooling device 3 cooled in step ST3 and the object 13 to be cooled are placed in a box 15 (FIG. 8(b)). The temperature of the cooling device 3 (cold pack 1) at this time may be set to an appropriate temperature. For example, the various temperatures exemplified in the explanation of step ST3 may be applied to step ST4. The temperature at the completion of step ST3 and the temperature at the start or completion of step ST4 may be different or approximately the same.

In step ST5, the box 15 containing both the cooling device 3 and the object 13 to be cooled is transported (Figure 8 (c)).

Steps ST1 and ST2 indicate a manufacturing method of the cooling device 3 according to the embodiment. The manufacturing method of the cooling device 3 may be defined to include step ST3. Steps ST3 to ST5 indicate a transporting method and a cold storage method according to the embodiment. The transporting method and the cold storage method may be defined not to include step ST3. The cold storage method may simply perform cold storage without transporting (the cold storage method may have only steps ST3 and ST4). Steps ST1 to ST5 (or up to ST4) may be considered as a method of using a thickener for ice packs.

In step ST3, the cooling device 3 is cooled for cold storage (for steps ST4 and onward). At this time, the ice pack 1 may age (the viscosity may increase). In other words, the cooling for cold storage may also serve as cooling to increase the viscosity of the ice pack 1. In this case, the temperature of the ice pack 3 may be set appropriately. For example, if the ice pack 1 requires heating for gelatinization, the above-mentioned examples of temperatures for cold storage may be applied as is. If the ice pack 1 does not require heating for gelatinization, for example, the temperature of the ice pack 1 may be set to 0°C or below or below the freezing point of the ice pack 1.

Between steps ST2 and ST3, a distribution step may be interposed in which the cooling device 3 is circulated. In such a case, cooling may be performed immediately after step ST2 (or, from another point of view, before the cooling device 3 is circulated) for the sole purpose of aging of the ice pack 1. The ice pack 1 may then be circulated, and step ST3 may be performed at the destination. In this case, step ST3 may or may not contribute to aging. During distribution, the temperature of the ice pack 3 may rise once (for example, it may become room temperature).

The temperature of the ice pack 1 in cooling for the sole purpose of aging as described above may be set as appropriate. For example, the temperature of the ice pack 1 in cooling for the sole purpose of aging may be higher than, equal to, or lower than the temperature of the ice pack 1 in step ST3. The above-mentioned examples of temperatures when step ST3 serves not only as cooling but also as cooling for aging may be used as the temperature of the ice pack 1 when cooling for the sole purpose of aging is performed.

When a distribution step for distributing the cooling device 3 is interposed between steps ST2 and ST3, unlike the above, the cooling device 3 may be distributed without cooling for the purpose of aging alone. From another perspective, leakage during distribution between steps ST2 and ST3 may be reduced, for example, by the viscosity increased by gelatinization. Furthermore, in the case of the cooling agent 1 that requires heating for gelatinization, leakage during distribution between steps ST2 and ST3 may be reduced by the viscosity increased by the temperature of the cooling agent 1 decreasing to room temperature.

Also, unlike any of the above, there may not be a distribution step between step ST2 and step ST3. For example, all of steps ST1 to ST5 (or ST4) may be performed at the location where the refrigerated items are produced or wholesaled, or at each business office of the company that handles home delivery.

In the above explanation, step ST3 shown in the figure is described as a step for keeping the food cold. However, step ST3 may be considered to be a step that includes both cooling for the sole purpose of aging and cooling for keeping the food cold, or a step that is a superordinate concept of both.

To cool the cooling device 3 to an extremely low temperature, for example, the "Ultra-Low Temperature Chiller Cold Wave" manufactured by ADD Co., Ltd. may be used. This ultra-low temperature chiller uses a multi-stage evaporator and a mixed refrigerant to cool the supplied gas (for example, air, freon gas, liquid nitrogen, or argon gas) to a temperature of about -130°C. Then, for example, by supplying the gas cooled by the chiller around the cooling device 3, the cooling device 3 (cooling agent 1) can be cooled to the various temperatures exemplified above.

Just to clarify, a chiller includes the concept of a freezer. Although not specifically illustrated, a chiller has, for example, as its basic components, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that cools the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the cooled refrigerant before sending it out, and an evaporator that cools the object to be cooled (the ice pack or the gas supplied around the ice pack) with the reduced pressure refrigerant. Chillers may be installed, for example, at locations where the objects to be cooled are produced or wholesaled, or at each office of a company that handles home delivery.

As described above, the manufacturing method of the cooling device 3 according to this embodiment may include a gelatinization step (ST1) and an encapsulation step (ST2). In the gelatinization step, a mixture of water and tapioca may be gelatinized. In the encapsulation step, the water and tapioca may be encapsulated in an encapsulation container 5 before the temperature of the mixture gelatinized by the gelatinization step falls below 5°C (or 15°C; in other words, the lower limit of room temperature).

In this case, for example, if the ice pack 1 is gelatinized by heating, the ice pack 1 can be sealed in the sealed container 5 before it reaches a temperature at which aging progresses rapidly (the viscosity increases rapidly). Also, even if the ice pack 1 does not require heating for gelatinization, the ice pack 1 can be naturally sealed in the sealed container before aging progresses rapidly. This improves workability and/or allows the ice pack 1 to spread to every corner of the sealed container 5. On the other hand, since the cooling device 3 is usually cooled to a temperature lower than room temperature or below the freezing point of the ice pack 1 in light of its usage mode, the viscosity of the ice pack 1 increases thereafter. This reduces the probability that the ice pack 1 will leak and/or reduces the amount of leakage of the ice pack 1.

In the transportation method according to this embodiment, the temperature of the cooling device 3 in the storing step (ST4) may be set to a temperature equal to or lower than the freezing point of the ice pack 1. Note that the freezing point of the ice pack 1 is usually 0°C or lower.

In this case, for example, for cold storage purposes, the temperature of the ice pack 1 is set to a temperature at which aging progresses rapidly. Therefore, after the ice pack 1 is sealed in the sealing container 5, the viscosity of the ice pack 1 can be reliably increased by aging.

The technology disclosed herein is not limited to the above embodiments and may be implemented in various ways.

As mentioned above, by sealing the tapioca-containing ice pack in a container before the viscosity of the tapioca-containing ice pack increases due to aging, it is possible to both facilitate sealing and reduce leakage. However, the tapioca-containing ice pack may also be sealed in a container after aging. Even in this case, for example, the effect of reducing leakage can be obtained, and the likelihood that the tapioca-containing ice pack can be treated as food waste can be improved, and/or the need to treat it as a hazardous material can be reduced.

The water and tapioca may be contained (or enclosed; the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph) in a container before gelatinization. In other words, the ice pack may be gelatinized in the container. For example, if heating is required for gelatinization, a mixture of water and tapioca may be contained in a container, and then the water and tapioca may be heated together with the container to perform gelatinization. Furthermore, regardless of whether heating is required for gelatinization, the water and tapioca may be contained in a container without being mixed. For example, the water and tapioca may be contained in the container in that order, and then the water and tapioca may be agitated by applying vibration to the container.

In the manufacturing method of the cooling device according to this embodiment, when the phrase "enclosing step of enclosing water and tapioca in an enclosed container before the temperature of the mixture gelatinized by the gelatinization step drops below 5°C (or 15°C)" is used, this includes the case where gelatinization is performed by mixing and/or heating water and tapioca in a container, as described above, and the temperature at that time is 5°C or higher.

The thickener for ice packs may be composed only of tapioca, for example. However, it goes without saying that it may contain impurities that are unavoidable during production. Furthermore, the thickener for ice packs may contain ingredients other than tapioca (intentionally added ingredients).

For example, a mixture of tapioca and a component that enhances the thickening effect of tapioca (e.g., _CaCl2 ) may be distributed as a thickener for ice packs. However, for example, when the component that enhances the thickening effect of tapioca is _CaCl2 , only tapioca in the above mixture may be regarded as a thickener and _CaCl2 as a melting point depressant, and the mixture of the thickener and the melting point depressant may be regarded as being distributed as a multifunctional additive for ice packs.

For example, the thickener for the ice pack may also contain a component (e.g., a preservative) that reduces unintended deterioration of the tapioca. Such a preservative may or may not function as a preservative to reduce spoilage of the ice pack after it is made.

In any case, when a mixture containing tapioca and other ingredients is distributed, the entire mixture may be regarded as a thickener for ice packs, or the entire mixture may be regarded as an additive for ice packs, with tapioca being a part of the thickener for ice packs being distributed.

1... ice pack, 3... ice pack, 5... sealed container, 11... cargo, 13... object to be kept refrigerated, 21... transportation equipment.

Claims (9)

A thickener for ice packs containing tapioca ;
water and,
CaCl2 , _​
A cooling agent containing. The concentration of _CaCl2 is 20% or more,
The total concentration of chlorides other than _CaCl2 is 0% or more and 5% or less,
The ice pack according to claim 1 , wherein the tapioca has a concentration of 3% or more. The cooling agent according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A container in which the ice pack is sealed;
A cooling device having the above structure. The cooling device according to claim 3 ,
An object to be kept cold;
A storage container that stores both the cooling device and the object to be cooled;
Cargo that has the following characteristics: The cooling device according to claim 3 ,
An object to be kept cold;
A storage container that stores both the cooling device and the object to be cooled;
A transportation device having the above structure. A method for producing the cooling device according to claim 3 ,
A gelatinization step of gelatinizing the mixture of water and tapioca;
An encapsulation step of encapsulating the water and the tapioca in the encapsulating container before the temperature of the mixture gelatinized by the gelatinization step becomes lower than 5°C;
A method for manufacturing a cooling device having the above structure. A step of storing the cooling device according to claim 3 and an object to be cooled in a storage container;
A step of transporting the storage container that contains both the cooling device and the object to be cooled;
A transportation method having the above construction. The transportation method according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature of the cooling device in the storing step is equal to or lower than the freezing point of the ice pack. A cooling method comprising the step of housing both the cooling device according to claim 3 and an object to be kept cold in a housing container.

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