Insulated container and conveyance method using insulated container

Abstract

To provide a lightweight insulated container 1 capable of preventing a decrease in heat retention.SOLUTION: An insulated container 1 has a storage section 100 comprising a rectangular bottom part 110 and four side parts 140 that are vertically connected to the bottom part 110 and form a storage space 103 together with the bottom part 110, and a top lid part that fits over the top surface in the storage section 100 to form a lid over the storage section 100. A rectangular-shaped vacuum insulation material (212) is used for the top lid part 210 of the insulated container 1. When the top lid part 210 is fitted to the top surface of the storage section 100, the periphery (218) of the vacuum insulation material (212) in the top lid part 210 is in contact with the foam insulation material (141) in the side parts 140.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insulated container that can be suitably used to store items such as medicines, vaccines, artificial organs, food, semiconductors, and equipment related to semiconductor manufacturing, and to transport the items while keeping them warm, and to a transportation method using the insulated container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an insulated container that is made of a foamable resin material and is composed of a storage main body and a lid that covers the main body, and such an insulated container is used for storing and transporting items. As an example of such an insulated container, Patent Document 1 (JP 2019-137458 A) discloses an insulated container having a laminated structure of at least three layers, in which a vacuum insulation layer is disposed between an inner insulation layer and an outer insulation layer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-137458 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As shown in Patent Document 1, in a thermally insulated container, an efficient vacuum insulation layer is provided in addition to an insulation layer made of a foamable resin material to enhance the heat retention effect. One of the factors that reduces the heat retention effect of a thermally insulated container is heat exchange in a gap that is formed when the lid is fitted to the container body that stores the item.

[0005] However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 did not disclose how to effectively utilize the above-mentioned efficient vacuum insulation layer to suppress heat exchange in the gap formed when items are stored in the container body 1 of the insulated container 10 and the container is closed with the opening / closing lid portion 3.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an insulated container capable of suppressing heat exchange in gaps in the insulated container, and a transportation method using such an insulated container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of the present invention is an insulated container having a storage section consisting of a rectangular bottom section and four side sections that are connected vertically to the bottom section and form a storage space together with the bottom section, a top lid section that fits onto the top surface of the storage section and covers the storage section, and a heat storage material arranged within the storage section, wherein a rectangular vacuum insulation material is used for the top lid section, and when the top lid section fits onto the top surface of the storage section, the peripheral portion of the vacuum insulation material in the top lid section can abut against the foam insulation material in the side sections.

[0008] In addition, in the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the storage section is arranged, from outside to inside, with a foam insulation material, a vacuum insulation material, a foam insulation material, a composite sheet material, and a heat storage material.

[0009] In addition, in the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the top lid is provided with a foam insulation material, a vacuum insulation material, and a heat storage material arranged in that order from the outside to the inside.

[0010] In the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, the heat storage material contains a paraffin-based compound as a main component.

[0011] In addition, in the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material includes a gas barrier film that keeps the glass wool core material airtight.

[0012] In the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material, the moisture adsorbent and the gas adsorbent are held in an airtight state by the gas barrier film together with the core material.

[0013] In addition, in an insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention, the gas barrier film includes a gas barrier layer, which has a resin film, an aluminum vapor deposition film disposed on one side of the resin film, and an aluminum foil disposed on the other side of the resin film.

[0014] In addition, in the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, the composite sheet material includes a film layer, a metal foil layer, and an adhesive layer that bonds the film layer and the metal foil layer together.

[0015] Furthermore, in the insulated container according to one aspect of the present invention, when the top lid portion is fitted to the top surface of the storage portion, the vacuum insulation material in the top lid portion abuts against the packing material in the side surface portion.

[0016] In addition, a transportation method using an insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention can include the steps of storing items in any of the insulated containers described above, packing the insulated container containing the items in cardboard, and transporting the insulated container packed in the cardboard. Effect of the Invention

[0017] In one embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention, a rectangular top lid vacuum insulation material is used for the top lid, and when the top lid is fitted to the top surface of the storage section, the peripheral portion of the top lid vacuum insulation material is configured to abut against the foam insulation material on the side portion.Therefore, according to the insulated container of one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material provided in the top lid can suppress heat exchange in the gap formed between the top lid and the storage section, making it possible to prevent a decrease in the heat retention of the insulated container.

[0018] In addition, a transportation method using an insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention can include the steps of storing items in any of the insulated containers described above, packing the insulated container containing the items in a cardboard box, and transporting the insulated container packed in the cardboard box.Such a transportation method can reduce the transportation costs for transporting the target items while maintaining the temperature of the target items.

[0019] Other objects, configurations and effects will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention described below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing an outline of a heat-insulating container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a vacuum insulation material 20. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of a gas barrier film 25 that can be used in the vacuum insulation material 20. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a composite sheet material 40. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a storage section 100 and a top lid section 210 of a heat-insulating container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, separated from each other. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a storage section 100 and a top lid section 210 of the heat-insulating container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, separately. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a top lid portion 210 is fitted into a storage portion 100 of a thermally insulated container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a storage section 100 and a top lid section 210 of the insulated container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the results of a simulated high-temperature environment (outside air temperature 35° C.) test of the insulated container 1 according to each embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the results of a hypothetical test in a low-temperature environment (outside air temperature 5° C.) of the insulated container 1 according to each embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the results of a buckling strength test of the heat-insulating container 1 according to each embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present invention will be shown in a schematic manner, and the scope necessary for the explanation of the relevant part of the present invention will be mainly explained, and the parts that are omitted from the explanation will be based on the publicly known technology.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing an outline of a thermally insulated container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is intended to mainly explain the outline of the thermally insulated container 1 and the materials each component is made of. The names of each part constituting the thermally insulated container 1 will be explained with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

[0023] The insulated container 1 according to the present embodiment can be suitably used to store items such as medicines and food, and to transport the items in a warm state. It is assumed that such an insulated container 1 is packed in a cardboard box 5 and transported as air cargo, for example. Although the use of the insulated container 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to this, when the insulated container 1 according to the present embodiment is used for air cargo, it is required to have high heat retention performance and to be lightweight in order to reduce air freight. Each material used in the insulated container 1 according to the present embodiment is selected so as to reduce the cost of the insulated container 1 and contribute to reducing the weight of the insulated container 1.

[0024] In the insulated container 1, items to be stored are surrounded on six sides by six sheets of heat storage material 50. The insulated container 1 can be composed of a storage section 100 and a top lid section 210 that fits into the storage section 100 to cover the items to be stored. In the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment, the storage section 100 and the top lid section 210 are configured independently, but the storage section 100 and the top lid section 210 can also be configured to be connected by a hinge structure.

[0025] The heat storage material 50 that can be used in the heat insulating container 1 according to this embodiment can be a heat storage material using a latent heat storage method for keeping objects to be stored cold or warm. Various known methods are known for the latent heat storage method. For example, when maintaining a constant temperature below the refrigeration temperature range, a highly hygroscopic polymer resin such as sodium polyacrylate can be used that is made into a gel by incorporating water and additives. When maintaining a constant temperature above the refrigeration temperature range, a material can be used that has various paraffins, sodium acetate trihydrate, nitrates, sulfates, polyethylene glycols, etc. as main components, and additives are appropriately mixed thereto to adjust the freezing point and melting point at which phase transition occurs to a predetermined temperature. In the heat insulating container 1 according to this embodiment, a heat storage material using a latent heat storage method that has a paraffin-based or polyethylene glycol-based compound or an inorganic salt material as the main component is used. In this specification, the term "main component" is defined as a component that accounts for 50% or more by weight of the components that constitute a certain substance.

[0026] At least a portion of the storage section 100 of the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment may be arranged, from the outside to the inside, with foam insulation material 10, vacuum insulation material 20 (not shown in FIG. 1), foam insulation material 10 (not shown in FIG. 1), composite sheet material 40, and heat storage material 50. Also, at least a portion of the top lid section 210 may be arranged, from the outside to the inside, with foam insulation material 10, vacuum insulation material 20, and heat storage material 50.

[0027] The material that occupies the majority of the volume of the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment may be a foamed insulating material 10. The foamed insulating material 10 may be polystyrene foam, polyolefin foam, polyurethane foam, phenol foam, or polyvinyl chloride foam. The polyolefin foam may be, for example, a polyethylene foam or a polypropylene foam.

[0028] The insulated container 1 according to this embodiment uses a panel-shaped vacuum insulation material 20. This vacuum insulation material 20 has good thermal conductivity on two opposing main surfaces, while the insulation property is high in the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material 20 between the two main surfaces. Such a vacuum insulation material 20 will be described.

[0029] 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a vacuum insulation material 20. The vacuum insulation material 20 can be composed of a core material 21 and a film 25 having gas barrier properties that keeps the core material 21 in an airtight state. An adsorbent 22 that adsorbs moisture, gas, etc. may be enclosed in the film 25 together with the core material 21, so as to absorb outgassing that occurs over time from the core material 21 or gas that seeps in through heat seal parts (thermal weld layer 26) between the films 25, etc.

[0030] The vacuum insulation material 20 can be produced by storing a core material 21 in a bag made of a film 25 having a sealing layer 31, sealing the inside of the vacuum insulation material under a reduced pressure, and heating the entire material or unsealed parts under normal pressure to heat seal the unsealed parts of the bag to form a heat-sealed layer 26.

[0031] The core material 21 used in the vacuum insulation material 20 may contain glass wool and an organic binder. The core material 21 may be a glass wool mat made of glass wool and an organic binder, a single layer made of one glass wool mat, or a laminate made of 2 to 10 sheets of glass wool. The average fiber diameter of the glass wool is preferably 2 μm to 10 μm, more preferably 2.5 μm to 8 μm, and even more preferably 3 μm to 7 μm. The organic binder may be a resin mainly made of phenol resin or a resin mainly made of acrylic resin.

[0032] As the core material 21 used in the vacuum insulation material 20, in addition to glass wool and organic binders, for example, powder such as silica, and porous materials such as fibers of foam such as urethane polymer may be used.

[0033] The gas barrier film 25 having gas barrier properties is not particularly limited as long as it has gas barrier properties, but an example of the gas barrier film 25 will be described below. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of the gas barrier film 25 that can be used in the vacuum insulation material 20, and is an enlarged view of the part surrounded by the dotted line in Fig. 2. The gas barrier film 25 used in the vacuum insulation material 20 can have a structure in which a seal layer 31, a gas barrier layer 32, and a protective layer 33 are laminated in this order from the side in contact with the core material 21. The gas barrier film 25 can include a multilayer film in which a seal layer and a gas barrier layer are laminated in advance.

[0034] The thickness of the gas barrier film 25 is not particularly limited, but in order to prevent damage and a decrease in the degree of vacuum, it is preferable to use a film thicker than those conventionally used, for example, one having a thickness of 50 μm or more and 150 μm or less, more preferably 55 μm or more and 135 μm or less, and even more preferably 60 μm or more and 120 μm or less.

[0035] The gas barrier layer 32 is a layer that suppresses gas permeation, and is provided from the viewpoint of preventing a decrease in the degree of vacuum of the vacuum insulation material 20. Examples of the gas barrier layer 32 include metal foils and laminated films (deposited film films) in which a metal or the like is deposited on a resin film. Examples of the metal of the metal foil include aluminum, copper, stainless steel, iron, etc., and aluminum is preferred. Examples of the deposited film include those formed by depositing metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, cobalt, nickel, silica, alumina, or a combination thereof by a deposition method, a sputtering method, or the like.

[0036] Examples of resin films that can be used as the substrate for the above-mentioned vapor-deposited film include films made from aromatic polyester-based resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin; polyolefin-based resins such as polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin and olefin copolymer; vinyl chloride-based resins such as polyvinyl chloride resin and vinyl chloride copolymer; polyamide resins such as nylon 6, nylon 66 and metaxylylenediamine-adipic acid condensate; styrene-based resins such as polyvinyl alcohol resin, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer and acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer; thermoplastic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate resin, acrylic acid ester resin and methyl methacrylate ester copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol resin and partially saponified versions of these, and thermosetting resins such as phenol resin and urea resin.

[0037] The gas barrier layer 32 is preferably a vapor-deposited film obtained by vapor-depositing aluminum on an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, or a vapor-deposited film obtained by vapor-depositing aluminum or silica on a PET resin, or an aluminum foil, or a laminated structure thereof. The metal foil or vapor-deposited film used for the gas barrier layer 32 is generally available on the market, or can be prepared.

[0038] In this embodiment, the gas barrier layer 32 used is a vapor-deposited film having an aluminum vapor-deposited film on one side to reduce heat leakage from the surroundings, and an aluminum foil on the other side to reduce gas permeability. There are no particular limitations on the thickness of the gas barrier layer 32, but in the case of a vapor-deposited film, the thickness of the vapor-deposited film is preferably 200 Å or more and 2000 Å or less, and the thickness of the metal foil such as aluminum foil is preferably 5 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

[0039] For the sealing layer 31 of the vacuum insulation material 20, a resin with a relatively low melting point is used, and for example, any one of plastic films of high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), unoriented polypropylene (CPP), oriented polypropylene (OPP), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), or a laminate film of these plastic films can be used. The thickness of this heat-sealing layer 26 is preferably 5 μm or more and 50 μm or less.

[0040] A resin having a high heat resistance and resistance to punctures by sharp objects such as knives is used for the protective layer 33 of the vacuum insulation material 20. Examples of the resin that can be used for the protective layer 33 include aromatic polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, and polyamide resins such as nylon 6, nylon 66, and metaxylylenediamine-adipic acid condensate.

[0041] The form (shape) of the adsorbent 22 is not particularly limited, and may be a powder, pellet, tablet, or the like. The adsorbent 22 may be divided into an adsorbent that mainly adsorbs moisture and an adsorbent that mainly adsorbs atmospheric gases that permeate from the outside, and the material is not particularly limited. For example, the adsorbent 22 may be calcium oxide, silica gel, zeolite, or the like.

[0042] The adsorbent 22 may be packaged as an adsorbent pack. The adsorbent pack may be one in which the adsorbent is sealed in a bag made of a gas-permeable sheet. Examples of the gas-permeable sheet include nonwoven fabric made of plastic fibers and Japanese paper.

[0043] In the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment, a composite sheet material 40 is used to suppress temperature changes in the space (storage space 103) in which items and the like are stored in the insulated container 1. This composite sheet material 40 uses a plastic base film while containing metal, and can reduce the weight of the insulated container 1 compared to using a member made of a single metal such as aluminum.

[0044] 4 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a composite sheet material 40. The composite sheet material 40 may include, for example, a film layer 41, an adhesive layer 42 provided on the film layer 41, and a metal foil layer 43 provided on the adhesive layer 42.

[0045] There are no particular limitations on the film layer 41 as long as it has mechanical strength, and it is preferable that it is at least one type selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), cycloolefin polymer (COP), triacetate cellulose (TAC), fluorine-based resins (PTFE, PFA, FEP, ETFE, PCTFE, PVDF, PVF), polyphenyl sulfide (PPS), polyethylene, and polypropylene (PP).

[0046] The adhesive for forming the adhesive layer 42 is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied at room temperature, and examples thereof include acrylic adhesives, rubber adhesives, urethane adhesives, silicone adhesives, polyvinyl ether adhesives, olefin adhesives, etc. These adhesives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0047] The metal foil layer 43 is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, stainless steel, brass, silver, aluminum, nickel, and titanium. Among these, the metal foil layer 43 is more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and brass from the viewpoint of thermal conductivity.

[0048] A packing material 60 is used in at least a part of the storage section 100 of the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment. When the top lid section 210 is fitted to the top surface of the storage section 100, this packing material 60 is positioned between the storage section 100 and the vacuum insulation material 20 in the top lid section 210, thereby preventing the inflow and outflow of heat. For the packing material 60, an elastic material with high airtightness and durability, such as nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, or butyl rubber, is suitable.

[0049] Next, the details of the laminated structure of the thermally insulated container 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the storage section 100 and the top lid section 210 of the thermally insulated container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention separately. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the storage section 100 and the top lid section 210 of the thermally insulated container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention separately. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the top lid section 210 is fitted into the storage section 100 of the thermally insulated container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The cross-sectional view here shows a cross-section cut along a plane including a line perpendicular to the horizontal plane when the bottom section 110 of the thermally insulated container 1 is placed on the horizontal plane.

[0050] The insulated container 1 of this embodiment has a storage section 100 consisting of a rectangular bottom section 110 and four side sections 140 that are connected vertically to the bottom section 110 and form a storage space 103 together with the bottom section 110, and a top lid section 210 that fits into the top surface of the storage section 100 and covers the storage section 100.

[0051] At least a portion of the bottom portion 110 of the storage section 100 is arranged, from outside to inside, with a bottom outer foam insulation material 111, a bottom vacuum insulation material 112, a bottom inner foam insulation material 113, a bottom composite sheet material 114, and a bottom heat storage material 115.

[0052] In addition, at least a part of the side portion 140 in the storage section 100 is arranged with a side portion outer foam insulation material 141, a side portion vacuum insulation material 142, a side portion inner foam insulation material 143, a side portion composite sheet material 144, and a side portion heat storage material 145, in this order from the outside to the inside. The side portion outer foam insulation material 141, the side portion vacuum insulation material 142, the side portion inner foam insulation material 143, the side portion composite sheet material 144, and the side portion heat storage material 145 can be made by, for example, forming the four sides of the side portion with four independent members, which are then joined together. In addition to making it in this way, a method of making the entire side portion with a single member, providing easy-to-bend portions such as grooves in three appropriate places, and folding it to form a square shape when viewed from the top can also be adopted.

[0053] At least a portion of the top lid 210 has a top lid foam insulation material 211, a top lid vacuum insulation material 212, and a top lid heat storage material 215 arranged in this order from the outside to the inside.

[0054] A rectangular top lid vacuum insulation material 212 is used for the top lid portion 210, and when the top lid portion 210 is fitted to the top surface of the storage section 100, the peripheral portion (top lid vacuum insulation material peripheral portion 218) of the top lid vacuum insulation material 212 in the top lid portion 210 abuts against the foam insulation material in the side portion 140 (side portion outer foam insulation material 141).

[0055] The panel-shaped vacuum insulation material 20 has good thermal conductivity on two opposing main surfaces, while the insulation performance is high in the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material 20 between the two main surfaces. The vacuum insulation material 20 also has excellent insulation performance per weight. When used as a part of the top lid portion 210, this vacuum insulation material 20 contributes to reducing the weight of the insulated container 1 itself and improving its heat retention performance.

[0056] Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the storage section 100 and the top cover section 210 of the insulated container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view of the part surrounded by the dotted line in Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, a path AB shown by a dashed line indicates a gap formed between the storage space 103 in the insulated container 1 and the space outside the insulated container 1.

[0057] Of the gaps described above, the gap formed by the peripheral portion (top lid vacuum insulation peripheral portion 218) of the top lid vacuum insulation material 212 is arranged to face the peripheral portion and abut with the foam insulation material (side surface outer foam insulation material 141) in the side surface portion 140, thereby suppressing the flow of heat in and out of the peripheral portion. In this manner, the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment has a layout in which the peripheral portion (top lid vacuum insulation peripheral portion 218) of the top lid vacuum insulation material 212, which has high heat retention performance, is protected by the side surface outer foam insulation material 141.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in path AB in Figure 8, when the top lid portion 210 is fitted to the top surface of the storage section 100, the top lid portion vacuum insulation material 212 abuts against the side surface portion gasket material 160 in the side surface portion 140, thereby suppressing the flow of heat in and out of the vacuum insulation material.

[0059] In this way, according to the insulated container 1 of this embodiment, heat exchange in the gap formed between the storage section 100 and the top lid section 210 can be suppressed, making it possible to prevent a decrease in the heat retention properties of the insulated container 1.

[0060] In the transportation method using the insulated container 1 of this embodiment, it is assumed that items, etc. are stored in the insulated container 1 as described above, the insulated container 1 containing the items, etc. is packed in a cardboard box 5, and the insulated container 1 packed in the cardboard box 5 is transported as air cargo, etc.

[0061] According to the transportation method using the insulated container 1 of this embodiment, by utilizing the insulated container 1 which is lightweight and has high heat retention performance, it is possible to carry out transportation while keeping costs down, especially in terms of air freight charges.

[0062] A prototype of the insulated container 1 according to this embodiment was produced and a performance test was carried out, which will be described below as an example. Three types of insulated containers 1 according to the examples were produced. These respective insulated containers 1 may be referred to as insulated containers 1 according to Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3. The characteristics of each insulated container 1 are as follows. Example 1: An example of a thermally insulated container 1 that emphasizes the balance between weight reduction and thermal insulation performance. Example 2: An example of the insulated container 1 that emphasizes weight reduction. Example 3: An example of the insulated container 1 that places importance on the insulating performance.

[0063] Table 1 shows the dimensions, weight, and thermal resistance (storage section 100) of the insulated container 1 according to each embodiment. In terms of weight, the insulated container 1 according to each embodiment was 10% or more lighter than insulated containers available on the market. Table 2 shows a comparison of the insulation index of the storage section 100 of the insulated container 1 according to each embodiment. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0064] Next, the characteristics of the foam insulation material used in common in the insulated container 1 according to all the embodiments will be described. In the insulated container 1 according to the embodiment, urethane foam using an environmentally friendly foaming agent (HFO: hydrofluoroolefin) with low thermal conductivity was used as the foam insulation material. HFO foaming agent urethane foam has excellent insulation performance because gas with extremely low thermal conductivity (also a foaming agent when forming the foam) is trapped in independent bubbles, and is an insulation material that can be used in a wide temperature range from room temperature to -162°C in liquefied natural gas plants. The advantage of HFO is that in addition to its low global warming potential, the insulation performance (thermal conductivity) of the gas itself is equal to or higher than that of HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), a fluorocarbon.

[0065] Next, the characteristics of the heat storage material used in the heat insulating container 1 according to Examples 1 to 3 will be described. Ecojoule (registered trademark) provided by ENEOS SunEnergy Corporation was used as the heat storage material. The heat storage material is a laminate film packed with 90% normal paraffin by mass and 10% CEBC by mass, which is a gelling agent. CEBC is an olefin crystal-ethylene butylene-olefin crystal block copolymer, and its CAS registration number is CAS No68954-09-6. For example, the laminate film may be a laminate of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aluminum, and non-oriented polypropylene (CPP). The dimensions of one heat storage material may be 300 mm x 200 mm x 20 mm (thickness).

[0066] Using the thermal insulation containers 1 according to Examples 1 to 3 as described above, a simulated high temperature environment (outside air temperature 35° C.) test and a simulated low temperature environment (outside air temperature 5° C.) test were carried out, and the results are shown in FIGS.

[0067] The procedure for each environmental simulation test is explained below. In both the high temperature environment simulation test (outside air temperature 35°C) and the low temperature environment simulation test (outside air temperature 5°C), a dummy specimen (mass 2 kg, a specimen simulating a pharmaceutical product) was placed in the insulated container 1, and the time until the temperature of the dummy specimen deviated from the maintenance temperature range (15 to 25°C) was measured.

[0068] As a preliminary step, in the case of a test simulating a high-temperature environment (outside air temperature 35°C), the insulated container 1 was left in a thermostatic chamber at 15°C for 24 hours. In the case of a test simulating a low-temperature environment (outside air temperature 5°C), the insulated container 1 was left in a thermostatic chamber at 25°C for 24 hours. In both tests, the dummy specimen was left in the thermostatic chamber at 20°C for 24 hours.

[0069] A dummy specimen was placed in the insulating container 1 prepared as described above, and in the case of a high-temperature environment simulation test, the insulating container 1 was left in a thermostatic chamber at 35°C for 144 hours, and the temperature of the surface of the dummy specimen was measured. In addition, in the case of a low-temperature environment simulation test, a dummy specimen was placed in the insulating container 1 prepared as described above, and the insulating container 1 was left in a thermostatic chamber at 5°C for 144 hours, and the temperature of the surface of the dummy specimen was measured.

[0070] The environmental simulation test is shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the results of the high temperature environment (outside air temperature 35°C) simulation test of the heat-insulating container 1 according to each embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the results of the low temperature environment (outside air temperature 5°C) simulation test of the heat-insulating container 1 according to each embodiment. In the high temperature environment (outside air temperature 35°C) simulation test, the time until the temperature deviates from the maintenance temperature range (15 to 25°C) was 157 hours in Example 3 (insulation performance-oriented type), 136 hours in Example 1 (balanced type), and 130 hours in Example 2 (lightweight type). In the high temperature environment (outside air temperature 35°C) simulation test, the time until the temperature deviates from the maintenance temperature range (15 to 25°C) was 164 hours in Example 3 (insulation performance-oriented type), 148 hours in Example 1 (balanced type), and 127 hours in Example 2 (lightweight type). In all tests, it was confirmed that the heat-insulating container 1 according to Examples 1 to 3 had sufficient heat insulation performance.

[0071] Next, the results of the buckling strength test carried out using the heat-insulating containers 1 according to Examples 1 to 3 will be described. The heat-insulating containers 1 according to Examples 1 to 3 were stored in cardboard boxes 5 and made ready for transport, and then set in a strength tester. The deformation of the cardboard boxes was confirmed while applying an evenly distributed load to the upper surface of each cardboard box. The compression load was measured up to 300 kg. The test was carried out at a temperature of 23°C, and the loading speed was 5 mm / min. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the results of the buckling strength test of the heat-insulating containers 1 according to each Example. After applying a load capacity of 300 kg to the heat-insulating container 1 in the buckling strength test as described above, the heat-insulating container 1 was opened, but no change or damage was observed compared to before the test.

[0072] As described above, in the insulated container of one embodiment of the present invention, a rectangular top lid vacuum insulation material is used for the top lid, and when the top lid is fitted to the top surface of the storage section, the peripheral portion of the top lid vacuum insulation material is configured to abut against the foam insulation material on the side portion.Therefore, according to the insulated container of one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material provided in the top lid can suppress heat exchange in the gap formed between the top lid and the storage section, making it possible to prevent a decrease in the heat retention of the insulated container.

[0073] In addition, a transportation method using an insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention can include the steps of storing items in any of the insulated containers described above, packing the insulated container containing the items in a cardboard box, and transporting the insulated container packed in the cardboard box.Such a transportation method can reduce the transportation costs for transporting the target items while maintaining the temperature of the target items.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. All such modifications are included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Insulated container 5. Cardboard box 10. Foam insulation 20. Vacuum insulation material 21 Core material 22. Adsorbent 25 Gas barrier film 26...Heat welding layer 31. Sealing layer 32 Gas barrier layer 33...protective layer 40 Composite sheet material 41 Film layer 42...adhesive layer 43...metal foil layer 50...Heat storage material 60...Packing material 100... Storage section 103 Storage space 104...Opening 110...Bottom part 111... Bottom outer foam insulation 112 Bottom vacuum insulation material 113... Bottom inner foam insulation 114...Bottom composite sheet material 115... Bottom heat storage material 140...Side part 141... Outside foam insulation material on side 142 Side vacuum insulation material 143... Foam insulation on the inside of the side 144...Side composite sheet material 145...Side heat storage material 160 Side packing material 210... Top cover 211···Foam insulation for top cover 212···Vacuum insulation material for top cover 215....Top cover heat storage material 218....Top cover vacuum insulation material periphery

Claims

1. A storage section including a rectangular bottom surface portion and four side surfaces that are connected vertically to the bottom surface portion and form a storage space together with the bottom surface portion; a top cover part that fits onto a top surface of the storage part to cover the storage part; A heat storage material disposed in the storage portion, An insulated container in which rectangular vacuum insulation material is used for the top lid portion, and when the top lid portion is fitted to the top surface of the storage section, the peripheral portion of the vacuum insulation material in the top lid portion abuts against the foam insulation material in the side portion.

2. The insulated container according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the storage section is provided with a foam insulation material, a vacuum insulation material, a foam insulation material, a composite sheet material, and a heat storage material, in that order from the outside to the inside.

3. 3. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the top lid is provided with a foam insulation material, a vacuum insulation material, and a heat storage material arranged in that order from the outside to the inside.

4. 3. The heat-insulating container according to claim 1, wherein the heat storage material is mainly composed of a paraffin-based compound.

5. 3. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum insulation material includes a gas barrier film that keeps the glass wool core material in an airtight state.

6. 6. The insulated container according to claim 5, wherein the vacuum insulation material includes a moisture adsorbent and a gas adsorbent, the moisture adsorbent and the gas adsorbent being held in an airtight state by the gas barrier film together with the core material.

7. 7. The insulated container according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the gas barrier film includes a gas barrier layer, the gas barrier layer having a resin film, an aluminum vapor deposition film disposed on one side of the resin film, and an aluminum foil disposed on the other side of the resin film.

8. 4. The insulated container according to claim 3, wherein the composite sheet material includes a film layer, a metal foil layer, and an adhesive layer that bonds the film layer and the metal foil layer together.

9. 4. The insulated container according to claim 2, wherein when the top lid portion is fitted to the top surface of the storage portion, the vacuum insulation material in the top lid portion abuts against the packing material in the side portion.

10. A step of storing an article in the insulated container according to claim 2 or claim 3; A step of packaging the insulated container containing the item in a cardboard box; and transporting the insulated container packed in cardboard.

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