Storage container

Abstract

A storage container includes an insulating container having an opening; a temperature controlling unit that is independent of the insulating container and detachably attached to the opening of the insulating container in a manner closing and sealing a portion of the opening; and a main lid attached to the opening of the insulating container in a manner closing and sealing an other portion of the opening. The temperature controlling unit is composed of an insulative sub-lid; and a temperature controlling subunit provided on the sub-lid. The temperature controlling subunit is composed of a base fitted into a through-hole formed on the sub-lid; and a Stirling refrigerator including a temperature control effect member thermally exposed inside the insulating container. Accordingly, the interior of the insulating container of an arbitrary size can be cooled, and items can be continuously stored longer than when using conventional solid carbon dioxide or cold reserving agent.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 11 / 185,050, filed on Jul. 20, 2005, the benefit of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 120, and is further incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims priority to Japanese patent application No. JP2004-242952 filed on Aug. 23, 2004 and No. JP2004-278464 filed on Sep. 24, 2004, which both are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a temperature controlling unit and a storage container using the same, and more particularly, to a storage container for transportation.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In general, a conventional container for transportation comprises an insulating container and a cover, both made of foam synthetic resins, and holds solid carbon dioxide, a cold reserving agent or the like inside, there...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]Thus, in order that the temperature control effect member of the temperature control subunit may be thermally exposed inside the insulating container, the temperature controlling unit that is independent of the insulating container is detachably attached to the opening of the insulating container in a manner closing and sealing a portion of the opening, while the main lid is openably and closably attached to an other portion of the opening to thereby constitute the storage container, whereby the interior of the container is cooled. Further, as any arbitrary sizes of the insulating container and the main lid may be chosen as long as they are within a range that allows the temperature controlling unit to be attached thereto, it is possible to set a volume of the storage container relatively freely. Furthermore, as the interior space defined by the insulating container and the lid is cooled by the temperature controlling unit, items to be stored can be stored for a longer period of time. Moreover, as solid carbon dioxide, etc. is not used in cooling the interior of the storage container by the temperature controlling unit, the running cost thereof can be reduced, and environmental burden can be suppressed as gasified carbon dioxide is not generated. Additionally, the temperature controlling unit can be simply formed by fitting the base provided on the temperature controlling subunit into the through-hole of the sub-lid. In addition to the foregoing, as the interior of the storage container is cooled by the Stirling refrigerator, the interior of the storage container can be cooled to a very low temperature at a low running cost, and the container as a whole can relatively have a light-weight structure.

[0030]Thus, the step member of the main lid contacts the step member of the sub-lid, thereby reducing the possibility of forming a gap between the main lid and the sub-lid, and thus the insulating performance of the storage container can be enhanced.

Problems solved by technology

The container which cools the interior by solid carbon dioxide, a cold reserving agent or the like, however, has a problem such that as solid carbon dioxide sublimes or the cold reserving agent melts down due to heat from stored items or heat from the exterior of the container, it takes a lot of trouble for refilling solid carbon dioxide or replacing the cold reserving agent to keep the stored items in the container for a long time.

In the case of using solid carbon dioxide, its repetitive use over a long period of time increases not only the amount of the solid carbon dioxide, which eventually increases the running cost, but also the density of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as the solid carbon dioxide gasifies due to the sublimation.

While the containers of the above described Japanese publications neither require such a labor nor suffer such an environmental burden, they are unable to store items with larger volumes than the internal volumes of the containers due to the pre-limited inner volumes, and they are relatively heavy and expensive.

Accordingly, there is a problem in using them for transportation.

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