Cooling tool, and method of manufacturing cooling tool

Abstract

To improve a skin touch feeling of a cooling tool on a living body.SOLUTION: A cooling tool 100 comprises a refrigerant 2, and an exterior pack 3 that accommodates the refrigerant 2 and extends in a longitudinal direction. The exterior pack 3 has a first sheet 5, and a second sheet 6 connected to the first sheet 5. The second sheet 6 has a plurality of concave-shaped accommodation portions 65 and a plurality of convex-shaped partitioning portions 66 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction. The accommodation portion 65 recedes in a direction opposite to the first sheet 5 and accommodates the refrigerant 2. The partitioning portion 66 protrudes toward the first sheet 5 and partitions between the adjacent accommodation portions 65. An outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 includes a first end edge 51 and a second end edge 52 that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other. An outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 includes a first end edge 61 and a second end edge 62 that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other. A first junction portion 31 between the first end edge 51 and the first end edge 61, and a second junction portion 32 between the second end edge 52 and the second end edge 62 locate inside the exterior pack 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a cooling device and a method for manufacturing the cooling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling device in which a refrigerant gel ice pack is housed in a tube. The tube is formed by welding a pair of opposing plastic sheets together. A seal extending in the width direction of the tube is formed by welding. The interior of the tube is divided by the seals into a plurality of pockets arranged in the length direction of the tube. Each pocket houses a refrigerant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 4,854,319 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the cooling device described above, the peripheral edges of the pair of plastic sheets extending in the length direction are welded together, and when the cooling device is attached to the target part of the body, the peripheral edges of the welded plastic sheets come into contact with the target part of the body, making the cooling device uncomfortable against the skin of the body.

[0005] The technique disclosed herein has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a cooling device that provides a comfortable contact with the skin of a living body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooling device disclosed herein comprises an ice pack that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase, and an exterior pack that contains the ice pack and extends in the longitudinal direction, the exterior pack having a first sheet and a second sheet that faces the first sheet and is joined to the first sheet, the second sheet having a plurality of concave storage sections and a plurality of convex partition sections that are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction, the storage sections being recessed in the opposite direction to the first sheet to contain the ice pack, and the partition sections being recessed in the direction of the first sheet. and protrudes toward the outer pack to separate the adjacent storage sections, the outer peripheral edge of the first sheet includes a first edge and a second edge that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other, the outer peripheral edge of the second sheet includes a first edge and a second edge that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other, and a first joining portion where the first edge of the first sheet and the first edge of the second sheet are joined and a second joining portion where the second edge of the first sheet and the second edge of the second sheet are joined are located inside the outer pack.

[0007] The method for manufacturing a cooling device disclosed herein includes preparing a first sheet extending in a longitudinal direction, and preparing a second sheet extending in the longitudinal direction, the second sheet including a plurality of convex protrusions arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction and protruding toward a first main surface, and a plurality of concave recesses recessed toward a second main surface to separate adjacent convex protrusions, overlapping the first sheet and the second sheet with the second main surface of the second sheet facing the first sheet, joining a first edge of the outer periphery of the first sheet extending along the longitudinal direction to a first edge of the outer periphery of the second sheet extending along the longitudinal direction to form a first joining portion, and joining a second edge of the outer periphery of the first sheet extending along the longitudinal direction and facing the first edge of the first sheet to a second edge of the outer periphery of the second sheet a second joining portion extending along the longitudinal direction and facing the first edge of the second sheet to form a second joining portion, thereby forming a tubular pack having both ends open in the longitudinal direction; turning the tubular pack over so that the first main surface of the second sheet faces the first sheet, deforming the convex portion so that it is recessed toward the second main surface to form a concave storage portion, and deforming the concave portion so that it protrudes toward the first main surface to form a convex partition portion, thereby forming an outer pack; and filling the inside of the outer pack with ice packs through the open gaps at at least one of the both ends to store the ice packs in each of the multiple storage portions, wherein the first joining portion and the second joining portion are located outside the tubular pack when the tubular pack is formed, and are located inside the outer pack when the outer pack is formed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the cooling device and the method for manufacturing the cooling device, the cooling device has a good feel against the skin of the living body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of the cooling device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the cooling device. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the cooling tool in use. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the first sheet before being joined to the second sheet. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the second sheet before being joined to the first sheet. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic front view of the tubular pack showing the first sheet and the second sheet joined together. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state before the tubular pack is turned inside out. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer pack showing the state after the tubular pack has been turned inside out and before the convex portions and concave portions are deformed. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer packaging pack showing the state after the tubular pack has been turned inside out and the convex portions and concave portions have been deformed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of a cooling device 100. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the cooling device 100. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device 100 taken along line III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device 100 taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device 100 taken along line VV in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device 100 taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 1.

[0011] The cooling device 100 is attached to a target part of a living body. The cooling device 100 cools the target part. In this example, the cooling device 100 is a neck cooling device that cools the neck of a living body. The living body cooled by the cooling device 100 may be either a human or a non-human animal. An example of a non-human animal is a dog or a cat. The target part may also be a part of the living body other than the neck, such as an arm, leg, or head.

[0012] The cooling device 100 includes an ice pack 2 that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase, and an outer pack 3 that extends in the longitudinal direction and has a plurality of pockets 35 that accommodate the ice packs 2. In this example, the cooling device 100 has six pockets 35. The cooling device 100 further includes a first gripping portion 11 and a second gripping portion 12 that are connected to both ends of the outer pack 3 in the longitudinal direction, a first connecting portion 15 that is attached to the first gripping portion 11, and a second connecting portion 16 that is attached to the second gripping portion 12. The first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 are detachable from each other, and when the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 are connected to each other, the outer pack 3 becomes annular.

[0013] The exterior pack 3 is flexible, and the cooling device 100 can be deformed. The cooling device 100 can have a basic flat shape. Unless otherwise specified, the following describes the cooling device 100 in its basic shape. Furthermore, the longitudinal direction of the exterior pack 3 is the length direction L of the cooling device 100, the direction perpendicular to the length direction L when viewed from the front of the cooling device 100 is the width direction W of the cooling device 100, and the direction perpendicular to the length direction L and the width direction W is the thickness direction T of the cooling device 100.

[0014] The ice pack 2 is a PCM (Phase Change Material). When the ice pack 2 is in the solid or liquid phase, it absorbs heat from the target portion as sensible heat. When the ice pack 2 changes from the solid phase to the liquid phase, it absorbs heat from the target portion as latent heat (heat of fusion).

[0015] The ice pack 2 contains, for example, an aliphatic hydrocarbon. The aliphatic hydrocarbon is, for example, paraffin or a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon. The ice pack 2 contains, as the aliphatic hydrocarbon, tetradecane (C 14 H 30 ), hexadecane (C 16 H 34 ) and octadecane (C 18 H 38 ) The ice pack 2 may contain only one or two of tetradecane, hexadecane, and octadecane, or may contain all of them. In addition to aliphatic hydrocarbons, the ice pack 2 may further contain a super absorbent polymer (SAP), water, aroma, graphite, organic matter, minerals, etc. The melting point of the ice pack 2 is, for example, room temperature. The melting point of the ice pack 2 is preferably 5°C or higher and 35°C or lower, and more preferably 15°C or higher and 35°C or lower.

[0016] The exterior pack 3 is formed in a tubular shape. The exterior pack 3 is in direct contact with the ice pack 2 and accommodates the ice pack 2 in a sealed state. The exterior pack 3 can bend and deform regardless of whether the ice pack 2 is in a solid or liquid phase.

[0017] The outer pack 3 has a first sheet 5 and a second sheet 6 that faces the first sheet 5 and is joined to the first sheet 5. The first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 are each made of a synthetic resin. The first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 are each made of one or a mixture of resins such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP). The material of the first sheet 5 and the material of the second sheet 6 may be the same or different.

[0018] The first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 are each formed in a strip shape extending in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the thickness direction T. Specifically, when viewed from the thickness direction T, in each of the first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6, the length in the width direction W of the center portion in the length direction L is longer than the length in the width direction W of both end portions in the length direction L. In more detail, the length in the width direction W gradually increases from both end portions in the length direction L toward the center portion in the length direction L.

[0019] The first sheet 5 has a plurality of concave storage sections 55 and a plurality of convex partition sections 56 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction. The storage sections 55 are recessed away from the second sheet 6 to store ice packs 2. The partition sections 56 protrude toward the second sheet 6 to separate adjacent storage sections 55. In this example, the first sheet 5 has six storage sections 55.

[0020] The second sheet 6 has a plurality of concave storage sections 65 and a plurality of convex partition sections 66 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction. The storage sections 65 are recessed away from the first sheet 5 and store ice packs 2. The partition sections 66 protrude toward the first sheet 5 and separate adjacent storage sections 65. In this example, the second sheet 6 has six storage sections 65.

[0021] The outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 includes a first edge 51 and a second edge 52 that face each other, and a third edge 53 and a fourth edge 54 that are connected to the first edge 51 and the second edge 52 and face each other. Specifically, the first edge 51 and the second edge 52 are located on opposite sides in the width direction W, and the third edge 53 and the fourth edge 54 are located on opposite sides in the length direction L. One end of the third edge 53 is connected to one end of the first edge 51, one end of the fourth edge 54 is connected to the other end of the first edge 51, the other end of the third edge 53 is connected to one end of the second edge 52, and the other end of the fourth edge 54 is connected to the other end of the second edge 52.

[0022] The first edge 51 and the second edge 52 each extend along the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3, i.e., along the length direction L. The third edge 53 and the fourth edge 54 each extend along the lateral direction of the outer pack 3, i.e., along the width direction W.

[0023] The outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 includes a first edge 61 and a second edge 62 that face each other, and a third edge 63 and a fourth edge 64 that are connected to the first edge 61 and the second edge 62 and face each other. Specifically, the first edge 61 and the second edge 62 are located on opposite sides in the width direction W, and the third edge 63 and the fourth edge 64 are located on opposite sides in the length direction L. One end of the first edge 61 is connected to one end of the third edge 63, one end of the fourth edge 64 is connected to the other end of the first edge 61, the other end of the third edge 63 is connected to one end of the second edge 62, and the other end of the fourth edge 64 is connected to the other end of the second edge 62.

[0024] The first edge 61 and the second edge 62 each extend along the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3, i.e., along the length direction L. The third edge 63 and the fourth edge 64 each extend along the lateral direction of the outer pack 3, i.e., along the width direction W.

[0025] The outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 and the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 overlap each other. Specifically, the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are overlapped and joined, the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are overlapped and joined, the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 are overlapped and joined, and the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 are overlapped and joined.

[0026] The joint portion where part of the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 and part of the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 are joined is located inside the outer pack 3. Specifically, a first joint portion 31 where the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are joined, and a second joint portion 32 where the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are joined are located inside the outer pack 3.

[0027] 3, the first edges 51 and 61 are folded inside the exterior pack 3, and portions of the first edges 51 and 61 that face each other in the thickness direction are joined together. The second edges 52 and 62 are folded inside the exterior pack 3, and portions of the second edges 52 and 62 that face each other in the thickness direction are joined together.

[0028] Here, the joining of the first edge 51 and the first edge 61 and the joining of the second edge 52 and the second edge 62 are realized by, for example, welding. In Fig. 3, the boundary between the opposing portions of the first edge 51 and the first edge 61 is shown by a solid line, but when the opposing portions are actually welded, the boundary between the opposing portions of the first edge 51 and the first edge 61 does not have to appear clearly. The same applies to the following description.

[0029] The joint portion where the other part of the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 and the other part of the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 are joined is located outside the outer pack 3. Specifically, a third joint portion 33 where the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 are joined, and a fourth joint portion 34 where the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 are joined are located outside the outer pack 3.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the third edge 53 and the third edge 63 extend to the outside of the outer pack 3 without being folded into the inside of the outer pack 3. Portions of the third edge 53 and the third edge 63 that face each other in the thickness direction are joined together. As shown in Fig. 5, the fourth edge 54 and the fourth edge 64 extend to the outside of the outer pack 3 without being folded into the inside of the outer pack 3. Portions of the fourth edge 54 and the fourth edge 64 that face each other in the thickness direction are joined together.

[0031] The multiple storage sections 55 of the first sheet 5 are arranged side by side along the direction in which the first edge 51 and the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 extend, i.e., along the length direction L. The length in the width direction W of the storage section 55 located at the center of the first sheet 5 in the length direction L is longer than the lengths in the width direction W of the storage sections 55 located at both ends of the length direction L of the first sheet 5. The length in the width direction W of each storage section 55 is, for example, the maximum value in the width direction W of each storage section 55. In more detail, the lengths in the width direction W of the multiple storage sections 55 increase in order from the storage sections 55 located at both ends in the length direction L to the storage section 55 located at the center in the length direction L.

[0032] The storage section 55 is formed in a box shape. More specifically, the storage section 55 has a bottom wall and four side walls provided around the bottom wall. The bottom wall is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The side walls are provided on each of the four sides around the bottom wall. Each side wall is formed in a flat plate shape that is approximately parallel to the thickness direction T. The bottom wall and the side walls may also be curved plate shapes.

[0033] The multiple storage sections 65 of the second sheet 6 are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the first edge 61 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6, i.e., along the length direction L. The length in the width direction W of the storage section 65 located at the center of the second sheet 6 in the length direction L is longer than the lengths in the width direction W of the storage sections 65 located at both ends of the length direction L of the second sheet 6. The length in the width direction W of each storage section 65 is, for example, the maximum value in the width direction W of each storage section 65. In detail, the lengths in the width direction W of the multiple storage sections 65 increase in order from the storage sections 65 located at both ends in the length direction L to the storage section 65 located at the center in the length direction L.

[0034] The storage section 65 is formed in a box shape. More specifically, the storage section 65 has a bottom wall and four side walls provided around the bottom wall. The bottom wall is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The side walls are provided on each of the four sides around the bottom wall. Each side wall is formed in a flat plate shape that is approximately parallel to the thickness direction T. The bottom wall and the side walls may also be curved plate shapes.

[0035] The pocket portion 35 is formed by the storage portion 65 of the second sheet 6 and the first sheet 5 that is joined to the partition portion 66 of the second sheet 6 and covers the storage portion 65. Specifically, the storage portion 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage portion 65 of the second sheet 6 face each other, and the partition portion 56 of the first sheet 5 and the partition portion 66 of the second sheet 6 are joined facing each other. The pocket portion 35 is formed by the storage portion 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage portion 65 of the second sheet 6.

[0036] The multiple pocket portions 35 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the exterior pack 3, that is, along the length direction L. The length in the width direction W of the pocket portion 35 located in the center of the length direction L of the exterior pack 3 is longer than the length in the width direction W of the pocket portions 35 located at both ends of the length direction L of the exterior pack 3. The length in the width direction W of each pocket portion 35 is, for example, the maximum value in the width direction W of each pocket portion 35. In more detail, the lengths in the width direction W of the multiple pocket portions 35 increase in order from the pocket portions 35 located at both ends in the length direction L to the pocket portion 35 located in the center of the length direction L.

[0037] The length in the width direction W of the exterior pack 3 at the center in the length direction L is longer than the length in the width direction W of both ends in the length direction L of the exterior pack 3. Specifically, the length in the width direction W of the exterior pack 3 increases from both ends in the length direction L toward the center in the length direction L. In other words, when viewed from the front of the cooling device 100, the portion of the exterior pack 3 on the first edge 51 side of the first sheet 5 is convex, and the portion of the exterior pack 3 on the second edge 52 side of the first sheet 5 is linear.

[0038] The first sheet 5 has a plurality of partitions 56. In this example, the first sheet 5 has five partitions 56. Each partition 56 extends along the width direction W across both ends of the outer pack 3 in the width direction W. The plurality of partitions 56 are arranged side by side along the length direction L.

[0039] 6, the partition 56 includes a first wall 57 that defines one of the adjacent storage sections 55, a second wall 58 that defines the other of the adjacent storage sections 55, and a connecting section 59 that connects the first wall 57 and the second wall 58. The intersection of the connecting section 59 and the first wall 57 and the intersection of the connecting section 59 and the second wall 58 each form an edge 70 of the partition 56.

[0040] The first wall 57 and the second wall 58 are each part of the partition section 56, but are also part of the storage section 55. More specifically, the first wall 57 and the second wall 58 each constitute a side wall of the storage section 55. The first wall 57 and the second wall 58 are each formed in a flat plate shape that is approximately parallel to the thickness direction T. The first wall 57 and the second wall 58 face each other in the length direction L. The first wall 57 and the second wall 58 are spaced apart from each other in the length direction L. A gap that opens toward the opposite side from the second sheet 6 is formed between the first wall 57 and the second wall 58.

[0041] The connecting portion 59 connects the end of the first wall 57 facing the second sheet 6 to the end of the second wall 58 facing the second sheet 6. One end of the connecting portion 59 intersects with the end of the first wall 57 to form an intersecting portion. The other end of the connecting portion 59 intersects with the end of the second wall 58 to form an intersecting portion. The connecting portion 59 is formed in a flat plate shape that is approximately perpendicular to the thickness direction T. One surface of the connecting portion 59 in the thickness direction T is aligned with the second sheet 6 and joined to the second sheet 6.

[0042] Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of Figure 6. For convenience, Figure 7 is depicted without hatching. A thickness ta of a portion 71 of the first sheet 5 that forms the ridge 70 (hereinafter also referred to as the ridge-forming portion 71) is thinner than a thickness tb of the connecting portion 59 of the first sheet 5 excluding the portion 71.

[0043] The thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 71 is the minimum value of the thickness of the ridge forming portion 71. The thicknesses ta and tb are the magnitudes in the thickness direction of the first sheet 5. More specifically, a notched groove is formed on the surface of the ridge forming portion 71 facing the second sheet 6. The notched groove extends in the width direction W. The notched groove corresponds to the ridge 70. The thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 71 is the thickness of the portion where the notched groove is formed, and the ridge forming portion 71 is a thin-walled portion that is thinner than other portions of the partition section 56. It should be noted that a notched groove may be formed on the surface of the ridge forming portion 71 opposite the second sheet 6.

[0044] In this example, the thickness tb of the connecting portion 59 is the thickness tb of the central portion 59a in the length direction L of the connecting portion 59 (the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3). Note that the thickness tb of the connecting portion 59 may be the average thickness of the connecting portion 59.

[0045] The second sheet 6 has a plurality of partitions 66. In this example, the second sheet 6 has five partitions 66. Each partition 66 extends along the width direction W across both ends of the width direction W of the outer pack 3. The plurality of partitions 66 are arranged side by side along the length direction L.

[0046] The partition portion 66 includes a first wall 67 that defines one of the adjacent storage portions 65, a second wall 68 that defines the other of the adjacent storage portions 65, and a connecting portion 69 that connects the first wall 67 and the second wall 68. The intersection of the connecting portion 69 and the first wall 67 and the intersection of the connecting portion 69 and the second wall 68 each form an edge 80 of the partition portion 66.

[0047] The first wall 67 and the second wall 68 are each part of the partition section 66, but are also part of the storage section 65. More specifically, the first wall 67 and the second wall 68 constitute side walls of the storage section 65. The first wall 67 and the second wall 68 are each formed in a flat plate shape that is approximately parallel to the thickness direction T. The first wall 67 and the second wall 68 face each other in the length direction L. The first wall 67 and the second wall 68 are spaced apart from each other in the length direction L. A gap that opens toward the opposite side from the first sheet 5 is formed between the first wall 67 and the second wall 68.

[0048] The connecting portion 69 connects the end of the first wall 67 facing the first sheet 5 to the end of the second wall 68 facing the first sheet 5. One end of the connecting portion 69 intersects with the end of the first wall 67 to form an intersecting portion. The other end of the connecting portion 69 intersects with the end of the second wall 68 to form an intersecting portion. The connecting portion 69 is formed in a flat plate shape that is approximately perpendicular to the thickness direction T. One surface of the connecting portion 69 in the thickness direction T is aligned with the first sheet 5 and joined to the first sheet 5.

[0049] The thickness ta of a portion 81 of the second sheet 6 that forms the ridge 80 (hereinafter also referred to as the ridge forming portion 81) is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69 of the second sheet 6 excluding the portion 81.

[0050] The thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 81 is the minimum value of the thickness of the ridge forming portion 81. The thicknesses ta and tb are the magnitudes in the thickness direction of the second sheet 6. More specifically, a notched groove is formed on the surface of the ridge forming portion 81 facing the first sheet 5. The notched groove extends in the width direction W. The notched groove corresponds to the ridge 80. The thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 81 is the thickness of the portion where the notched groove is formed, and the ridge forming portion 81 is a thin-walled portion that is thinner than other portions of the partition section 66. It should be noted that a notched groove may be formed on the surface of the ridge forming portion 81 opposite the first sheet 5.

[0051] In this example, the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69 is the thickness tb of the central portion 69a in the length direction L of the connecting portion 69 (the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3). Note that the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69 may be the average thickness of the connecting portion 69.

[0052] The exterior pack 3 has a plurality of partitions 36 formed by joining partitions 56 of the first sheet 5 and partitions 66 of the second sheet 6. Each partition 36 is a foldable part of the exterior pack 3 and functions as a bending hinge for the cooling device 100.

[0053] The partition section 36 of the outer pack 3 is formed by joining together portions of the partition section 56 of the first sheet 5 and the partition section 66 of the second sheet 6 that face each other in the thickness direction. In more detail, the partition section 36 of the outer pack 3 is formed by joining together portions of the connecting section 59 of the partition section 56 of the first sheet 5 and the connecting section 69 of the partition section 66 of the second sheet 6 that face each other.

[0054] At least a portion of the partition 56 of the first sheet 5 and at least a portion of the partition 66 of the second sheet 6 are joined to each other. Specifically, the connecting portion 59 of the partition 56 of the first sheet 5 and the connecting portion 69 of the partition 66 of the second sheet 6 are partially joined along the width direction W. That is, the partition 36 of the outer pack 3 has a space along the width direction W where the partition 56 and the partition 66 are not joined. This allows adjacent pockets 35 to communicate with each other through the space of the partition 36. Therefore, the ice packs 2 contained in the pockets 35 can enter the space of the partition 36. The partition 56 and the partition 66 may be joined over the entire length in the width direction W. That is, the partition 36 does not need to have a space where the partition 56 and the partition 66 are not joined. This allows each pocket 35 to be sealed.

[0055] The first gripping portion 11 and the second gripping portion 12 are portions that are gripped by the user. The first gripping portion 11 and the second gripping portion 12 extend in the length direction L from both longitudinal end portions of the outer pack 3. Specifically, the first gripping portion 11 is joined to the third joint portion 33. The second gripping portion 12 is joined to the fourth joint portion 34. More specifically, the first gripping portion 11 is joined to the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6. The second gripping portion 12 is joined to the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6.

[0056] The first connecting portion 15 is attached to the first gripping portion 11 in a penetrating manner. The second connecting portion 16 is attached to the second gripping portion 12 in a penetrating manner. In this example, the cooling tool 100 has one first connecting portion 15 and two second connecting portions 16. The two second connecting portions 16 are arranged side by side along the length direction L.

[0057] The first connecting portion 15 has an engaging female portion 15a on the second sheet 6 side in the thickness direction T, i.e., on the back side. The second connecting portion 16 has an engaging male portion 16a on the first sheet 5 side in the thickness direction T, i.e., on the front side. The engaging female portion 15a and the engaging male portion 16a are detachably engaged with each other. In this example, the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 are snap buttons. In other words, the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 are a pair of male and female buttons.

[0058] The engaging female portion 15a and the engaging male portion 16a are engaged with each other, connecting the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16, thereby forming a ring-shaped exterior pack 3. By selectively connecting the first connecting portion 15 to one of the two second connecting portions 16, the inner diameter of the ring-shaped exterior pack 3 can be changed.

[0059] Next, an example of how to use cooling device 100 will be described. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the cooling device 100 in use. When using cooling device 100, user U wears cooling device 100, in which ice pack 2 is in a solid phase, around the neck as a target part.

[0060] More specifically, the user wraps the cooling device 100 around their neck in the unfolded state shown in Fig. 1. At this time, the user wraps the cooling device 100 around their neck so that the first sheet 5 faces their neck and the first edge 51 side of the first sheet 5 is positioned upward.

[0061] Next, the user grasps the first gripping portion 11 and the second gripping portion 12, overlaps the first gripping portion 11 and the second gripping portion 12 in front of the user, and engages the female engaging portion 15a of the first connecting portion 15 with the male engaging portion 16a of the second connecting portion 16. This connects the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16, and the cooling device 100 forms a closed ring as a whole and is worn around the neck in a state where it will not come off the neck. At this time, by selectively connecting the first connecting portion 15 to either one of the two second connecting portions 16, the outer packaging pack 3 can be worn in accordance with the thickness of the neck.

[0062] When cooling device 100 is worn around the neck, ice pack 2 absorbs heat from the neck. As a result, ice pack 2 melts and changes to a liquid phase. In this case, ice pack 2 absorbs heat from the neck using not only sensible heat but also latent heat, so the neck is cooled efficiently.

[0063] When removing the cooling device 100 that has been worn around the neck, the user releases the engagement between the female engaging part 15a and the male engaging part 16a, thereby separating the first connecting part 15 and the second connecting part 16.

[0064] If the ice pack 2 becomes liquid during use, the user can change the ice pack 2 into a solid phase and return it to a cooling state by removing the cooling device 100 from around the user's neck and leaving it in a room temperature environment. The cooling device 100 may be cooled by a refrigerator or the like.

[0065] Next, a method for manufacturing the cooling device 100 will be described.

[0066] First, a first sheet 5 extending in the longitudinal direction is prepared. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the first sheet 5 before being joined to the second sheet 6. The first sheet 5 includes a plurality of convex protrusions 155 arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction and protruding toward the first main surface 5a, and a plurality of concave recesses 156 recessed toward the second main surface 5b to separate adjacent protrusions 155. The outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 corresponds to the flange portion of the first sheet 5. The outer peripheral edge 50 includes a first edge 51, a second edge 52, a third edge 53, and a fourth edge 54.

[0067] The first main surface 5a and the second main surface 5b are located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the first sheet 5. The first main surface 5a is the surface on the near side of the paper in FIG. 9, and the second main surface 5b is the surface on the far side of the paper in FIG. 9.

[0068] The first sheet 5 is a molded product having a plurality of protrusions 155 and a plurality of recesses 156 formed in advance. The first sheet 5 is molded by, for example, sheet molding or injection molding.

[0069] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9. For convenience, FIG. 10 is depicted without hatching. The recess 156 includes a first wall 57, a second wall 58, and a connecting portion 59. The intersection of the connecting portion 59 and the first wall 57 and the intersection of the connecting portion 59 and the second wall 58 each form a valley 72 of the recess 156. The thickness ta of a portion 73 of the first sheet 5 that forms the valley 72 (hereinafter also referred to as the valley-forming portion 73) is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 59 of the first sheet 5 excluding the portion 73. A notched groove is formed in the first main surface 5a of the valley-forming portion 73. The notched groove corresponds to the valley 72. In this example, the thickness tb of the connecting portion 59 is the thickness tb of a central portion 59a of the connecting portion 59 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0070] Also, a second sheet 6 extending in the longitudinal direction is prepared. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the second sheet 6 before being joined to the first sheet 5. The second sheet 6 includes a plurality of convex protrusions 165 arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction and protruding toward the first main surface 6a, and a plurality of concave recesses 166 recessed toward the second main surface 6b to separate adjacent protrusions 165. The outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 corresponds to the flange portion of the second sheet 6. The outer peripheral edge 60 includes a first edge 61, a second edge 62, a third edge 63, and a fourth edge 64.

[0071] The first main surface 6a and the second main surface 6b are located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the second sheet 6. The first main surface 6a is the surface on the back side of the paper in FIG. 11, and the second main surface 6b is the surface on the front side of the paper in FIG.

[0072] The second sheet 6 is a molded product in which a plurality of convex portions 165 and a plurality of concave portions 166 are formed in advance. The second sheet 6 is molded by, for example, sheet molding or injection molding.

[0073] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11. For convenience, FIG. 12 is depicted without hatching. The recess 166 includes a first wall 67, a second wall 68, and a connecting portion 69. The intersection of the connecting portion 69 and the first wall 67 and the intersection of the connecting portion 69 and the second wall 68 each form a valley 82 of the recess 166. The thickness ta of a portion 83 of the second sheet 6 that forms the valley 82 (hereinafter also referred to as the valley-forming portion 83) is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69 of the second sheet 6 excluding the portion 83. A notched groove is formed in the first main surface 6a of the valley-forming portion 83. The notched groove corresponds to the valley 82. In this example, the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69 is the thickness tb of a central portion 69a of the connecting portion 69 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0074] Next, a portion of the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 and a portion of the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 are joined to form the tubular pack 3a. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view showing the state in which the first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 are joined. The hatched portion in FIG. 13 is the joined portion of the first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 13.

[0075] Specifically, the first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 are overlapped so that the second main surface 5b of the first sheet 5 faces the second main surface 6b of the second sheet 6. More specifically, the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 faces the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6, the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 faces the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6, the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 faces the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6, and the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 faces the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6. In addition, the convex portion 155 of the first sheet 5 faces the convex portion 165 of the second sheet 6, and the concave portion 156 of the first sheet 5 faces the concave portion 166 of the second sheet 6.

[0076] The first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are joined to form the first joint portion 31, and the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are joined to form the second joint portion 32, thereby forming the tubular pack 3a. Both longitudinal ends of the tubular pack 3a are open. Specifically, the surface of the first edge 51 facing the second main surface 5b is joined to the surface of the first edge 61 facing the second main surface 6b, and the surface of the second edge 52 facing the second main surface 5b is joined to the surface of the second edge 62 facing the second main surface 6b. The third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 are not joined, and the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 are not joined. The gap between the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 is an open gap at one of the ends of the tubular pack 3a. The gap between the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 is an open gap at the other of the ends of the tubular pack 3a. The first and second joining portions 31, 32 are located outside the tubular pack 3a when the tubular pack 3a is formed.

[0077] Next, the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out so that the first main surface 6a of the second sheet 6 faces the first sheet 5, thereby forming the exterior pack 3. The first bonding portion 31 and the second bonding portion 32 are located inside the exterior pack 3 when the exterior pack 3 is formed. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state before the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exterior pack 3 showing the state before the convex portions 155, 165 and the concave portions 156, 166 are deformed after the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out. FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exterior pack 3 showing the state after the convex portions 155, 165 and the concave portions 156, 166 are deformed after the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out.

[0078] 16, the gap S between the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 is widened, and the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 are pulled out from this gap S in the direction indicated by the arrow. More specifically, the third edge 53 and the third edge 63 are passed through the gap between the recess 156 and the recess 166 along the length direction L and pulled out from the gap S between the fourth edge 54 and the fourth edge 64. As a result, the first main surface 5a of the first sheet 5 and the first main surface 6a of the second sheet 6 face each other, and the tubular pack 3a can be turned inside out, as shown in FIG. 17, the shapes of the convex portions 155, 165 and the concave portions 156, 166 are drawn as if they are not crushed, but in reality, the shapes of the convex portions 155, 165 and the concave portions 156, 166 are slightly crushed, the third edge 53 and the third edge 63 are close to each other, and the fourth edge 54 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 are close to each other. By turning the tubular pack 3a inside out, the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are positioned inside the outer pack 3 as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are arranged inside the outer pack 3 in a folded state.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 18 , after turning the tubular pack 3a inside out, the convex portions 155 of the first sheet 5 are deformed so as to be recessed toward the second main surface 5b, thereby forming the concave storage portions 55, and the concave portions 156 of the first sheet 5 are deformed so as to be protruded toward the first main surface 5a, thereby forming the convex partition portions 56. At this time, because the valleys 72 of the recesses 156 are provided with thin-walled valley-forming portions 73, the orientations of the convex portions 155 and the recesses 156 can be easily deformed using the valley-forming portions 73 as the starting points for bending. By deforming the orientation of the recesses 156 to form the partition portions 56, the valleys 72 of the recesses 156 form the ridges 70 of the partition portions 56. The convex portions 155 and the recesses 156 may be deformed while the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out.

[0080] Furthermore, after turning the tubular pack 3a inside out, the convex portions 165 of the second sheet 6 are deformed so as to be recessed toward the second main surface 6b, thereby forming the concave storage portions 65, and the concave portions 166 of the second sheet 6 are deformed so as to be protruded toward the first main surface 6a, thereby forming the convex partition portions 66. At this time, because the thin-walled valley-forming portions 83 are provided in the valleys 82 of the recesses 166, the postures of the convex portions 165 and the recesses 166 can be easily deformed using the valley-forming portions 83 as the starting points for bending. By deforming the posture of the recesses 166 to form the partition portions 66, the valleys 82 of the recesses 166 form the ridges 80 of the partition portions 66. The convex portions 165 and the recesses 166 may be deformed while the tubular pack 3a is being turned inside out.

[0081] Next, the ice packs 2 are filled into the interior of the outer pack 3 through the gap S, and the ice packs 2 are stored in each of the multiple storage sections 65. Specifically, after the ice packs 2 are filled into the interior of the outer pack 3, the partition section 56 of the first sheet 5 and the partition section 66 of the second sheet 6 are joined together, and the ice packs 2 are stored in each of the multiple storage sections 55, 65. The ice packs 2 may also be filled into the interior of the outer pack 3 after the partition sections 56, 66 are partially joined together. Instead of or in addition to the gap S, the ice packs 2 may be filled through the gap between the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6.

[0082] Next, the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 are joined to close the gap S. The third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 are joined. Specifically, the surface of the third edge 53 facing the first main surface 5a is joined to the surface of the third edge 63 facing the first main surface 6a, and the surface of the fourth edge 54 facing the first main surface 5a is joined to the surface of the fourth edge 64 facing the first main surface 6a. At this time, the joined third edges 53 and 63 (third joining portion 33) are located outside the outer pack 3. The joined fourth edges 54 and 64 (fourth joining portion 34) are located outside the outer pack 3. The third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 may be joined before the ice pack 2 is filled into the outer pack 3.

[0083] 1, a first gripping portion 11 and a second gripping portion 12 are attached to both longitudinal ends of the outer pack 3. Specifically, the first gripping portion 11 is joined to the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6, and the second gripping portion 12 is joined to the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6. In this manner, the cooling device 100 is manufactured.

[0084] According to the cooling device 100 described above, the first joint portion 31 where the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are joined, and the second joint portion 32 where the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are joined, are located inside the exterior pack 3, so when the cooling device 100 is worn by wrapping it around the target part of the living body along the longitudinal direction of the exterior pack 3, the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 do not come into contact with the periphery of the target part of the living body. Therefore, the cooling device 100 feels good against the skin of the living body.

[0085] Here, to arrange the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 inside the exterior pack 3, for example, the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are joined together, and the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are joined together to form the tubular pack 3a, and then the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out through the gap between the portion of the outer circumferential edge 50 of the first sheet 5 that is not joined to the second sheet 6 and the portion of the outer circumferential edge 60 of the second sheet 6 that is not joined to the first sheet 5, and the joined first edge 51 and first edge 61 and the joined second edge 52 and second edge 62 are arranged inside the exterior pack 3. In this way, the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 can be easily arranged inside the exterior pack 3.

[0086] In this case, the second sheet 6 has a plurality of concave storage sections 65 and a plurality of convex partition sections 66 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction, so that before the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, the storage sections 65 are recessed toward one main surface of the second sheet 6 and the partition sections 66 are protruding toward the other main surface of the second sheet 6, and when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, the storage sections 65 can be deformed to be recessed toward the other main surface of the second sheet 6 and the partition sections 66 can be deformed to be protruding toward one main surface of the second sheet 6. In this way, when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out and the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are disposed inside the outer pack 3, the concave and convex portions of the storage sections 65 and the partition sections 66 can be inverted to change their positions to correspond to the turning over of the tubular pack 3a. Therefore, even if the tubular pack 3a is turned upside down, the orientation of the containing sections 65 and the partition sections 66 can be maintained, and an appropriate amount of ice pack 2 can be contained in each containing section 65.

[0087] Similarly, the first sheet 5 has a plurality of concave storage sections 55 and a plurality of convex partition sections 56 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction, and therefore, before the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, the storage sections 55 are recessed toward one main surface of the first sheet 5 and the partition sections 56 are protruding toward the other main surface of the first sheet 5, and when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, the storage sections 55 can be deformed to be recessed toward the other main surface of the first sheet 5 and the partition sections 56 can be deformed to be protruding toward one main surface of the first sheet 5. In this way, when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out and the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are placed inside the outer pack 3, the concave and convex portions of the storage sections 55 and the partition sections 56 can be inverted to change their positions to correspond to the turning over of the tubular pack 3a. Therefore, even if the tubular pack 3a is turned upside down, the orientation of the containing sections 55 and the partition sections 56 can be maintained, and an appropriate amount of ice pack 2 can be contained in each containing section 55.

[0088] Furthermore, in the second sheet 6, the thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 81 is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69, so when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out and the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are placed inside the outer pack 3, the thin ridge forming portion 81 can be used as the starting point for folding to easily invert the concaves and convexes of the containing portion 65 and the partition portion 66. Therefore, the postures of the containing portion 65 and the partition portion 66 can be adjusted by turning the tubular pack 3a inside out.

[0089] Furthermore, in the first sheet 5, the thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 71 is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 59, so when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out and the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are placed inside the outer pack 3, the thin ridge forming portion 71 can be used as the starting point for folding to easily invert the respective concaves and convexes of the containing portion 55 and the partition portion 56. Therefore, the postures of the containing portion 55 and the partition portion 56 can be adjusted by turning the tubular pack 3a inside out.

[0090] Furthermore, because the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34 are located outside the exterior pack 3, the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34 can be overlapped when attaching the cooling device 100 so as to wrap it around the target part of the living body along the longitudinal direction of the exterior pack 3. This allows the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 to be attached to the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34, respectively, and the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34 to be connected by the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16. Therefore, the cooling device 100 can be attached to the target part of the living body without coming off.

[0091] Furthermore, the storage section 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage section 65 of the second sheet 6 face each other, and the partition section 56 of the first sheet 5 and the partition section 66 of the second sheet 6 are joined facing each other, so that the pocket section 35 is formed by the storage section 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage section 65 of the second sheet 6. This allows the volume of the pocket section 35 to be increased, and the volume of the ice pack 2 stored in the pocket section 35 to be increased, thereby increasing the cooling effect of the cooling device 100.

[0092] Furthermore, because each pocket 35 is partitioned by the joining of the dividers 56 and 66, the ice packs 2 contained in each pocket 35 are less likely to move out of the pocket 35. Therefore, the amount of ice packs 2 in each pocket 35 is stable, and an appropriate amount of ice packs 2 can be contained in each pocket 35.

[0093] Furthermore, the multiple pocket portions 35 are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3. As a result, when the cooling device 100 is attached so as to be wrapped around the target part of the living body along the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3, the multiple pocket portions 35 are arranged in a line along the periphery of the target part of the living body. Therefore, the ice pack 2 can efficiently cool the periphery of the target part of the living body.

[0094] Furthermore, the length in the width direction W of the pocket portion 35 located in the center of the length direction L of the exterior pack 3 is longer than the length in the width direction W of the pocket portions 35 located at both ends of the length direction L of the exterior pack 3. As a result, when the cooling device 100 is worn around the neck, the ice packs 2 with a long length in the width direction W housed in the pocket portion 35 located in the center of the length direction L can efficiently cool the area from the neck to the back of the head. On the other hand, the ice packs 2 with a short length in the width direction W housed in the pocket portions 35 located at both ends of the length direction L can mainly cool the neck without cooling the face.

[0095] According to the manufacturing method of the cooling device 100 described above, the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 are located outside the tubular pack 3a when the tubular pack 3a is formed, and are located inside the outer pack 3 when the outer pack 3 is formed, so that the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 can be easily positioned inside the outer pack 3 by turning the tubular pack 3a inside out.

[0096] In addition, the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, and the convex portions 165 of the second sheet 6 are deformed so that they are recessed toward the second main surface 6b to form a concave storage section 65, and the concave portions 166 of the second sheet 6 are deformed so that they protrude toward the first main surface 6a to form a convex partition section 66.Therefore, by reversing the concavities and convexities of the convex portions 165 and the concave portions 166, the formation of the storage section 65 and the partition section 66 can be made to correspond to the turning over of the tubular pack 3a.

[0097] Similarly, the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, and the convex portions 155 of the first sheet 5 are deformed so that they are recessed toward the second main surface 5b to form a concave storage section 55, and the concave portions 156 of the first sheet 5 are deformed so that they protrude toward the first main surface 5a to form a convex partition section 56.Therefore, by reversing the concavities and convexities of the convex portions 155 and the concave portions 156, the formation of the storage section 55 and the partition section 56 can be made to correspond to the turning over of the tubular pack 3a.

[0098] Therefore, it is possible to easily manufacture a cooling device 100 that provides a pleasant contact with the skin of a living body.

[0099] Furthermore, the second sheet 6 has a plurality of protrusions 165 (storage sections 65) and a plurality of recesses 166 (divider sections 66) formed in advance, allowing an appropriate amount of ice packs 2 to be stored in each storage section 65. Specifically, when forming an exterior pack using two flat sheets, after storing ice packs in the exterior pack, the two sheets are joined between adjacent pocket sections to form multiple pocket sections in the exterior pack. In this case, there is a risk that the ice packs may move freely inside the exterior pack, making it impossible to store an appropriate amount of ice packs in each pocket section. Therefore, by using the second sheet 6 with the protrusions 165 and recesses 166 formed in advance, the first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 can be joined at the divider sections 66 with an appropriate amount of ice packs 2 stored in each storage section 65. This allows the manufacture of a cooling device 100 in which an appropriate amount of ice packs 2 is stored in each pocket section 35.

[0100] Similarly, the first sheet 5 has a plurality of pre-formed convex portions 155 (storage portions 55) and a plurality of concave portions 156 (partition portions 56), so that an appropriate amount of ice pack 2 can be stored in each storage portion 55.

[0101] Other Embodiments As described above, the above embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to this and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Furthermore, the components described in the above embodiment can be combined to create new embodiments. Furthermore, the components described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description may include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem in order to exemplify the technology. Therefore, the fact that these non-essential components are described in the accompanying drawings or detailed description should not be interpreted as immediately determining that these non-essential components are essential.

[0102] For example, the number of pockets 35 and dividers 36 may be increased or decreased. That is, the number of storage sections 55, 65 and dividers 56, 66 may be increased or decreased. Furthermore, the multiple pockets 35 may be arranged side by side along the width direction W in addition to the length direction L.

[0103] The first bonding portion 31 and the second bonding portion 32 are located inside the outer pack 3, but the third bonding portion 33 or the fourth bonding portion 34 may also be located inside the outer pack 3. In other words, it is sufficient that the bonding portion where part of the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 and part of the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 are bonded is located inside the outer pack 3.

[0104] The first sheet 5 may be flat and include the outer peripheral edge 50, without including the storage section 55 and the partition section 56. In this case, the pocket section 35 is formed by the storage section 65 of the second sheet 6 and the first sheet 5 joined to the partition section 66 of the second sheet 6 and covering the storage section 65.

[0105] Although the first sheet 5 is disposed on the front side and the second sheet 6 is disposed on the back side, the second sheet 6 may be disposed on the front side and the first sheet 5 on the back side. In other words, when the cooling device 100 is attached to the human body in a ring shape, the second sheet 6 may be disposed on the inside of the ring, i.e., on the human body side, and the first sheet 5 may be disposed on the outside of the ring.

[0106] The first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 are strip-shaped, but may be polygonal, oval, elliptical, or other shapes. For example, the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 may be composed of arc-shaped first and second edges without including the third and fourth edges, in which case both ends of the first edge and both ends of the second edge are connected.

[0107] In the first sheet 5, the thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 71 is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 59, but the thickness ta may be the same as the thickness tb. In the second sheet 6, the thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 81 is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69, but the thickness ta may be the same as the thickness tb.

[0108] The storage section 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage section 65 of the second sheet 6 are formed in a box shape, but may be formed in other shapes such as a hemispherical shape. For example, if the storage section 55 is formed in a hemispherical shape, the storage section 55 may have only curved side walls without a bottom wall.

[0109] The first gripping portion 11 and the second gripping portion 12 may be omitted, and the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 may be attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the outer pack 3. Specifically, the first connecting portion 15 may be attached to the third joint portion 33, and the second connecting portion 16 may be attached to the fourth joint portion 34.

[0110] The first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 are not limited to snap buttons. For example, the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 may be other fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners. Also, the first connecting portion 15 and the second connecting portion 16 may be omitted.

[0111] The joining of the first sheet 5 and the second sheet 6 is not limited to welding, but may be achieved by, for example, adhesion.

[0112] The material of the ice pack 2 is not limited. Any material can be used for the ice pack 2 as long as it absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase. The freezing point of the ice pack 2 can be set arbitrarily. However, since the ice pack 2 cools a living organism using the heat of fusion of the ice pack 2, it is preferable that the freezing point of the ice pack 2 be lower than the temperature of the target living organism (e.g., a human). Furthermore, since the ice pack 2 is often used in the summer, from the viewpoint of freezing the ice pack 2 at room temperature, it is preferable that the freezing point of the ice pack 2 be higher than the average outdoor temperature in summer. Setting the freezing point of the ice pack 2 to room temperature does not exclude the cooling device 100 from being cooled in a refrigerator or the like. Naturally, the cooling effect of the cooling device 100 can be further improved by cooling the cooling device 100 in a refrigerator or the like.

[0113] [Aspect] The above-described embodiment is a specific example of the following aspects.

[0114] (Aspect 1) The cooling device 100 includes an ice pack 2 that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase, and an exterior pack 3 that accommodates the ice pack 2 and extends in the longitudinal direction. The exterior pack 3 has a first sheet 5 and a second sheet 6 that faces the first sheet 5 and is joined to the first sheet 5. The second sheet 6 has a plurality of concave storage sections 65 and a plurality of convex partition sections 66 that are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction. The storage sections 65 are recessed in the opposite direction to the first sheet 5 to accommodate the ice pack 2, and the partition sections 66 protrude toward the first sheet 5 to accommodate the ice pack 2. The outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 separates the storage section 65 and includes a first edge 51 and a second edge 52 that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other, and the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 includes a first edge 61 and a second edge 62 that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other, and a first joining portion 31 where the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are joined, and a second joining portion 32 where the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are joined are located inside the outer pack 3.

[0115] According to this configuration, the first joint portion 31 where the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and the first edge 61 of the second sheet 6 are joined, and the second joint portion 32 where the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 are joined, are located inside the exterior pack 3, so when the cooling device 100 is worn by wrapping it around the target part of the living body along the longitudinal direction of the exterior pack 3, the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 do not come into contact with the periphery of the target part of the living body. Therefore, the cooling device 100 feels good against the skin of the living body.

[0116] (Aspect 2) In the cooling device 100 according to the first aspect, The partition portion 66 includes a first wall 67 that partitions one of the adjacent storage portions 65, a second wall 68 that partitions the other of the adjacent storage portions 65, and a connecting portion 69 that connects the first wall 67 and the second wall 68, and the intersection portion of the connecting portion 69 with the first wall 67 and the intersection portion of the connecting portion 69 with the second wall 68 each form an edge 80 of the partition portion 66, and the thickness ta of the portion 81 of the second sheet 6 that forms the edge 80 is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69 of the second sheet 6 excluding the portion 81.

[0117] According to this configuration, the thickness ta of the ridge forming portion 81 is thinner than the thickness tb of the connecting portion 69, so when the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out and the first joining portion 31 and the second joining portion 32 are placed inside the outer pack 3, the thin ridge forming portion 81 can be used as the starting point for folding to easily invert the concaves and convexes of the containing portion 65 and the partition portion 66. Therefore, this can be accommodated by turning the tubular pack 3a inside out.

[0118] (Aspect 3) In the cooling device 100 according to the first or second aspect, The outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 includes a third edge 53 and a fourth edge 54 connected to the first edge 51 and the second edge 52 of the first sheet 5 and facing each other, and the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 includes a third edge 63 and a fourth edge 64 connected to the first edge 61 and the second edge 62 of the second sheet 6 and facing each other, and a third joining portion 33 where the third edge 53 of the first sheet 5 and the third edge 63 of the second sheet 6 are joined, and a fourth joining portion 34 where the fourth edge 54 of the first sheet 5 and the fourth edge 64 of the second sheet 6 are joined are located outside the outer pack 3.

[0119] With this configuration, the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34 are located outside the exterior pack 3, so when attaching the cooling device 100 by wrapping it around the target part of the living body along the longitudinal direction of the exterior pack 3, the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34 can be overlapped. This makes it possible to attach connecting members such as fasteners to the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34, respectively, and to connect the third joint portion 33 and the fourth joint portion 34 by the connecting members. Therefore, the cooling device 100 can be attached to the target part of the living body without coming off.

[0120] (Aspect 4) In the cooling device 100 according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, The first sheet 5 has a plurality of concave storage sections 55 and a plurality of convex partition sections 56 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the first sheet 5, the storage sections 55 of the first sheet 5 are recessed away from the second sheet 6 to store the ice packs 2, the partition sections 56 of the first sheet 5 protrude toward the second sheet 6 to separate adjacent storage sections 55 of the first sheet 5, the storage sections 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage sections 65 of the second sheet 6 face each other, and the partition sections 56 of the first sheet 5 and the partition sections 66 of the second sheet 6 are joined facing each other.

[0121] According to this configuration, the storage section 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage section 65 of the second sheet 6 face each other, and the partition section 56 of the first sheet 5 and the partition section 66 of the second sheet 6 are joined facing each other, so that the pocket section 35 is formed by the storage section 55 of the first sheet 5 and the storage section 65 of the second sheet 6. This makes it possible to increase the volume of the pocket section 35 and the volume of the ice pack 2 stored in the pocket section 35, thereby increasing the cooling effect of the cooling device 100.

[0122] (Aspect 5) The manufacturing method of the cooling tool 100 includes preparing a first sheet 5 extending in the longitudinal direction, preparing a second sheet 6 extending in the longitudinal direction, the second sheet 6 including a plurality of convex protrusions 165 arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction and protruding toward a first main surface 6a, and a plurality of concave recesses 166 recessed toward a second main surface 6b to separate adjacent convex protrusions 165, and placing the second main surface 6b of the second sheet 6 opposite the first sheet 5 and the first sheet 5 in front of the second sheet 6. The first sheet 5 is overlapped with the second sheet 6, and a first edge 51 of the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 extending along the longitudinal direction and a first edge 61 of the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 extending along the longitudinal direction are joined to form a first joining portion 31, and a second edge 52 of the outer peripheral edge 50 of the first sheet 5 extending along the longitudinal direction and facing the first edge 51 of the first sheet 5 and a second edge 62 of the outer peripheral edge 60 of the second sheet 6 extending along the longitudinal direction are joined to form a first joining portion 31. the first main surface 6a of the second sheet 6 facing the first sheet 5, and deforming the tubular pack 3a so that the first main surface 6a of the second sheet 6 faces the first sheet 5, thereby forming a tubular pack 3a with both ends open in the longitudinal direction; the tubular pack 3a being turned inside out so that the first main surface 6a of the second sheet 6 faces the first sheet 5, the convex portion 165 being deformed so as to be recessed toward the second main surface 6b to form a concave storage portion 65, and the concave portion 166 being deformed so as to protrude toward the first main surface 6a to form a convex partition portion 66, thereby forming an exterior pack 3; and filling the interior of the exterior pack 3 with ice packs 2 through the opened gaps S of at least one of the both ends, so that the ice packs 2 are stored in each of the plurality of storage portions 65, wherein the first and second joint portions 31 and 32 are located outside the tubular pack 3a when the tubular pack 3a is formed, and are located inside the exterior pack 3 when the exterior pack 3 is formed.

[0123] According to this configuration, the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 are located outside the tubular pack 3a when the tubular pack 3a is formed, and are located inside the outer pack 3 when the outer pack 3 is formed, so that the first joint portion 31 and the second joint portion 32 can be easily positioned inside the outer pack 3 by turning the tubular pack 3a inside out.

[0124] In addition, the tubular pack 3a is turned inside out, and the convex portions 165 of the second sheet 6 are deformed so that they are recessed toward the second main surface 6b to form a concave storage section 65, and the concave portions 166 of the second sheet 6 are deformed so that they protrude toward the first main surface 6a to form a convex partition section 66.Therefore, by reversing the concavities and convexities of the convex portions 165 and the concave portions 166, the formation of the storage section 65 and the partition section 66 can be made to correspond to the turning over of the tubular pack 3a.

[0125] Therefore, it is possible to easily manufacture a cooling device 100 that provides a pleasant contact with the skin of a living body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 100 Cooling Devices 2 ice packs 3 Exterior Packs 3a Tubular Pack 31 1st joint part 32 Second joint part 33 Third joint part 34 4th joint part 5 Sheet 1 50 outer edge 51 First edge 52 Second edge 53 Third edge 54 Fourth edge 55 Storage section 56 Partition 6 Second Sheet 6a First main surface 6b Second principal surface 60 outer edge 61 First edge 62 Second edge 63 Third edge 64 Fourth Edge 65 Storage section 66 Partition 67 1st wall 68 Second wall 69 Connecting part 80 ridges 81 Ridge forming part 165 Convex 166 Recess ta Thickness of the ridge forming part tb Thickness of the connecting part S Gap

Claims

1. An ice pack that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase, an outer pack containing the ice pack and extending in the longitudinal direction; the outer pack has a first sheet and a second sheet facing the first sheet and joined to the first sheet, the second sheet has a plurality of concave storage portions and a plurality of convex partition portions alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction, the storage portion is recessed in a direction opposite to the first sheet to store the ice pack; the partition portion protrudes toward the first sheet to separate the adjacent storage portions, the outer peripheral edge of the first sheet includes a first edge and a second edge that extend along the longitudinal direction and face each other, the outer peripheral edge of the second sheet includes a first edge and a second edge extending along the longitudinal direction and facing each other, A first joining portion where the first edge of the first sheet and the first edge of the second sheet are joined, and a second joining portion where the second edge of the first sheet and the second edge of the second sheet are joined are cooling devices located inside the outer pack.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, the partition portion includes a first wall that separates one of the adjacent storage portions, a second wall that separates the other of the adjacent storage portions, and a connecting portion that connects the first wall and the second wall, an intersection between the connecting portion and the first wall and an intersection between the connecting portion and the second wall each form an edge of the partition portion, A cooling device in which the thickness of the portion of the second sheet that forms the ridge is thinner than the thickness of the connecting portion of the second sheet excluding that portion.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, the outer peripheral edge of the first sheet includes a third edge and a fourth edge connected to the first edge and the second edge of the first sheet and facing each other, the outer peripheral edge of the second sheet includes a third edge and a fourth edge connected to the first edge and the second edge of the second sheet and facing each other, A third joining portion where the third edge of the first sheet and the third edge of the second sheet are joined, and a fourth joining portion where the fourth edge of the first sheet and the fourth edge of the second sheet are joined are cooling devices located outside the outer pack.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1, the first sheet has a plurality of concave storage portions and a plurality of convex partition portions alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the first sheet, the storage portion of the first sheet is recessed in a direction opposite to the second sheet to store the ice pack; the partition portion of the first sheet protrudes toward the second sheet to separate the adjacent storage portions of the first sheet; The cooling device, wherein the storage portion of the first sheet and the storage portion of the second sheet face each other, and the partition portion of the first sheet and the partition portion of the second sheet are joined facing each other.

5. Providing a first longitudinally extending sheet; preparing a second sheet extending in a longitudinal direction, the second sheet including a plurality of convex protrusions arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction and protruding toward the first main surface side, and a plurality of concave recesses recessed toward the second main surface side to separate adjacent convex protrusions; overlapping the first sheet and the second sheet with the second main surface of the second sheet facing the first sheet; forming a first joint portion by joining a first end edge of the outer periphery of the first sheet, the first end edge extending along the longitudinal direction, and a first end edge of the outer periphery of the second sheet, the second end edge extending along the longitudinal direction, and a second end edge of the outer periphery of the first sheet, the first end edge extending along the longitudinal direction and facing the first end edge of the first sheet, and a second end edge of the outer periphery of the second sheet, the second end edge extending along the longitudinal direction and facing the first end edge of the second sheet, to form a tubular pack having both ends open in the longitudinal direction; turning the tubular pack over so that the first main surface of the second sheet faces the first sheet, deforming the convex portion into a recessed state toward the second main surface to form a concave containing portion, and deforming the concave portion into a protruding state toward the first main surface to form a convex partition portion, thereby forming an exterior pack; and filling the interior of the outer pack with ice packs through the open gap at least one of the ends, and storing the ice packs in each of the plurality of storage sections, A method for manufacturing a cooling device, wherein the first joint portion and the second joint portion are located outside the tubular pack when the tubular pack is formed, and are located inside the outer pack when the outer pack is formed.

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