Cold storage pack

Abstract

To provide a cold storage pack capable of delivering functions other than cooling, including insect-repellent and deodorizing effects following cooling.SOLUTION: A cold storage pack 1 comprises: an outer body 10 having a hollow interior; a lid section 11 that is attachable to and detachable from an opening formed in the outer body 10; and a content accommodated inside the outer body 10, the content including sodium polyacrylate, urea or ammonium nitrate, water, an anti-expansion agent, and a plant extract. With this configuration, the cold storage pack 1 can provide, in addition to sufficient cooling function, other effects such as insect-repelling and deodorizing effects following cooling.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cold pack for use in sports, leisure activities, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, soft and hard ice packs that can maintain a cold or warm state have become widely used during sports, leisure activities, etc. Ice packs can be frozen in a freezer beforehand and used in a cooler box, or to maintain the temperature of objects around the ice pack at a low temperature. After use, ice packs are often stored in the freezer for a certain period of time before being reused.

[0003] A cold pack generally contains water and a small amount of superabsorbent polymer in an outer bag made of polyethylene or other material. The superabsorbent polymer absorbs water, hardens, and melts more slowly than ice.

[0004] Incidentally, a cold pack has been disclosed in which a suitable amount of drinking water is filled and sealed in a flexible or stretchable drink pack, and the packed pack can be frozen as is (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also disclosed is a cold pack containing an organic thermochromic material in an amount of 0.15 to 3.00 wt % of the total amount of cold insulator (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-302190 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-239091 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional cold packs are simply used repeatedly by being placed in a freezer after use and frozen to be reused as ice packs, and are rarely used for other purposes.

[0007] Furthermore, when using an ice pack and then freezing it in the freezer to reuse it as an ice pack, some conventional ice packs still have insufficient cooling temperature and cooling performance, and the melting point quickly rises above 0°C, and the cooling time below freezing is very short.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a cold pack that not only has a sufficient cooling function during use, but also has other functions such as insect repellent and deodorizing effects after cooling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cold pack comprising a hollow exterior body, a detachable lid portion that can be attached to an opening formed in the exterior body, and contents that are contained inside the exterior body, wherein the contents include sodium polyacrylate, urea or ammonium nitrate, water, an expansion inhibitor, and a plant extract.

[0010] In the cold pack according to the present invention, the plant extract is preferably a plant extract oil having at least one of an insect repellent effect and a deodorizing effect.

[0011] In the cold pack according to the present invention, the plant extract oil is preferably an aromatic oil.

[0012] In addition, in the cold pack according to the present invention, the contents preferably include 5 g of sodium polyacrylate, 160 g of urea or ammonium nitrate, 330 g of water, 3 cc of propylene glycol as an expansion inhibitor, and 2 cc of a plant extract.

[0013] In the cold pack according to the present invention, the contents preferably contain 9 g of sodium polyacrylate, 840 g of water, 5 cc of propylene glycol, and 3 cc of plant extract.

[0014] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cold pack containing 5 g of sodium polyacrylate, 160 g of urea or ammonium nitrate, 330 g of water, 3 cc of propylene glycol as a swelling inhibitor, and 2 cc of a plant extract. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The cold pack of the present invention comprises a hollow exterior body, a detachable lid that can be attached to an opening formed in the exterior body, and contents contained within the exterior body, the contents including sodium polyacrylate, urea or ammonium nitrate, water, an expansion inhibitor, and a plant extract. With this configuration, the cold pack of the present invention can provide other functions such as insect repellency and deodorization after cooling in addition to its cooling function. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a cold pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing temperature changes during use of the same cold pack and a cold pack according to a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (Embodiment) An ice pack according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Ice packs (also called ice packs) are widely used as handy products that can maintain a low temperature, and are used for first aid when you have a fever or a headache, or as a way to cope with the heat during sports, leisure, work, study, etc.

[0018] First, the structure of a cold pack according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Cold pack 1 has an exterior body 10 made of a rigid thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, as shown in Fig. 1, and a lid (cap) 11 that can be attached to or detached from an opening formed at the top of this exterior body 10. The size of cold pack 1 is, for example, 80 mm wide, 59 mm deep, and 169 mm high, with the diameter of lid 11 being approximately 23.5 mm, and the weight is approximately 530 g.

[0019] Next, the composition of the contents housed in the exterior body 10 of the cold pack 1 will be described. The contents of the cold pack 1 include water, plant extracts, dihydric alcohol, etc. More specifically, the contents are 5 g of sodium polyacrylate, 33% (160 g) of urea or ammonium nitrate, 330 g of water, 3 cc of propylene glycol as a dihydric alcohol, and 2 cc of plant extracts.

[0020] The coolant used is ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, urea, or the like, which undergoes an endothermic reaction when dissolved in water. At least one of ammonium nitrate and urea is used as the coolant. In this case, only one of ammonium nitrate and urea may be used, or both may be mixed in a predetermined ratio. The coolant also undergoes an endothermic reaction with water to produce a cooling effect.

[0021] Propylene glycol is an expansion inhibitor and is added to prevent expansion of the container exterior body 10. Note that other highly absorbent resin polymers or silica gel may be used instead of propylene glycol.

[0022] The plant extract may be any raw material (plant extract oil) such as aromatic oil that has at least one of an insect repellent effect and a deodorizing effect, and examples thereof include lemongrass, citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, geranium, etc. Furthermore, peppermint oil and Aomori hiba are oils that have an insect repellent effect, and other oils that have an insect repellent effect may also be added.

[0023] The cold pack 1 contains sodium polyacrylate, which acts as a thickening agent to prevent the immediate flow of water from the cold pack 1. In some cases, the cold pack 1 also contains carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which acts as a thickening agent.

[0024] Next, the use of the cold pack 1 according to this embodiment will be described. First, the cold pack 1 is placed in a freezer for a certain period of time (10 hours or more). At this time, it is preferable to set the temperature of the freezer to high. The estimated freezing time of the cold pack 1 is approximately 10 hours. Note that the cold pack 1 will not exhibit sufficient cooling effect unless it is completely frozen. It is also more effective when used in conjunction with a cooler bag or cooler box. Note that the cooling effect during use will vary depending on the number of cold packs 1, the initial temperature of the cooled cold packs 1, the performance of the cooler box, the outside temperature, and other factors.

[0025] Once the contents of the ice pack 1 have melted, the lid 11 can be removed and the pack can be used upright, for example, in a tent. This allows plant extracts with insect repellent and deodorizing properties to be released from inside the pack 1, allowing it to be used as an insect repellent or deodorizer. For example, plant extracts from cedar and asparagus have a deodorizing effect, while those containing Hokkaido peppermint oil have an insect repellent effect. The ice pack 1 can then be placed in the freezer and reused, allowing it to be used repeatedly.

[0026] The cooling duration of the cold pack 1 according to the present embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 2. This figure shows the temperatures of the cold pack 1 and the comparative cold pack 2 placed in a cooler bag and measured in an environment of about 28°C.

[0027] As shown in this figure, the temperature range of the ice pack 1 starts at about -17°C, remains around -10°C for more than about 5 hours, and then gradually rises. On the other hand, the temperature range of the general ice pack 2 starts at about -17°C, remains around 0°C for more than about 5 hours, and then gradually rises. As such, it can be seen that the ice pack 1 can maintain cooling for a longer period of time compared to the conventional ice pack 2.

[0028] As described above, cold pack 1 according to this embodiment not only has a cooling function superior to conventional ice packs, but also has insect repellent and deodorizing effects by opening lid 11 after use. That is, in addition to the cooling function that allows the cold pack to be used repeatedly, it can also simultaneously perform other functions such as insect repellent and deodorizing effects after cooling (three functions: ice pack + insect repellent + deodorizing).

[0029] Furthermore, compared to conventional cold packs, the cold pack 1 has improved cooling performance, which can be improved when reused as an ice pack after cooling. More specifically, when the cold pack 1 is reused after use, the cooling duration at a cooling temperature of about -10°C can be extended.

[0030] Furthermore, when the cold pack 1 is carried in a cooler box or the like and used, there is no need to carry an insect repellent or deodorizer, and the user can prevent the volume of items they need to carry from increasing when using the cold pack 1.

[0031] (Variation) A modified cold pack according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The size of the cold pack according to this modified example is, for example, 100 mm wide, 76 mm deep, 199 mm high, with the diameter of the lid 11 being approximately 23.5 mm, and the weight of the main body being approximately 940 g, which is larger than the cold pack 1 of the above embodiment.

[0032] The contents of the cold pack of this variation include water, plant extracts, dihydric alcohol, etc. The composition of the contents housed in the exterior of the cold pack differs from that of the cold pack 1 of the above embodiment, specifically, 9 g of sodium polyacrylate, 840 g of water, 5 cc of propylene glycol as a dihydric alcohol, and 3 cc of plant extracts. In other words, no urea or ammonium nitrate is used as a cooling agent. The plant extracts are, for example, peppermint oil, plant extract oils such as cedar and asparagus, and aromatic oils, which have insect repellent and deodorizing effects.

[0033] The method of use is the same as for the cold pack 1 according to the above embodiment, but the cooling temperature range is maintained at 2.4°C to 3.6°C for more than 10 hours, which is longer than that of conventional products. After 10 hours, the temperature gradually rises. In other words, the cold pack according to this modification can cool food two to three times cooler than a refrigerator, maintaining a refrigerated (non-frozen) state for a longer period of time. When the contents of the cold pack begin to melt, the lid can be opened and the pack can be used upright, releasing plant extracts with insect repellent and deodorizing effects, allowing it to be used as an insect repellent or deodorizer.

[0034] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the raw materials having deodorizing and insect repellent effects are not limited to plant extracts, and any raw materials having similar effects may be used. Also, ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, etc. may be used as a coolant. Furthermore, the exterior body 10 may be a flexible outer bag with a cap made of polyethylene, nylon, polyamide, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 ice pack 10. Exterior body 11 Lid

Claims

1. An ice pack, The container includes an exterior body having a hollow space, a lid portion that can be attached to and detached from an opening formed in the exterior body, and a content to be contained inside the exterior body; The cold pack is characterized in that the contents include sodium polyacrylate, urea or ammonium nitrate, water, an anti-swelling agent, and a plant extract.

2. 2. The cold pack according to claim 1, wherein the plant extract is a plant extract oil having at least one of an insect repellent effect and a deodorizing effect.

3. 3. The cold pack according to claim 2, wherein the plant-extracted oil is an aromatic oil.

4. 3. The cold pack according to claim 2, wherein the contents include 5 g of sodium polyacrylate, 160 g of urea or ammonium nitrate, 330 g of water, 3 cc of propylene glycol as an expansion inhibitor, and 2 cc of plant extract.

5. 3. The cold pack of claim 2, wherein the contents include 9 g of sodium polyacrylate, 840 g of water, 5 cc of propylene glycol, and 3 cc of plant extract.

6. The contents of a cold pack are characterized by comprising 5 g of sodium polyacrylate, 160 g of urea or ammonium nitrate, 330 g of water, 3 cc of propylene glycol as an expansion inhibitor, and 2 cc of a plant extract.

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