Cooling box device

Abstract

To provide a cooling box device capable of using water or ice instead of cold air for cooling a cooling case, and capable of suppressing fruit or the like put in a cooling chamber inside the cooling case from drying.SOLUTION: A cooling box device includes a cooling case 1 having a cooling chamber 301 for storing an object to be cooled, and a cooling machine 6 which is attachable and detachable to and from the cooling case 1 and cools the cooling chamber 301. The cooling case 1 is constituted by a double case structure having an inner case 30 and an outer case 10, and the cooling machine 6 cools the cooling chamber 301 by circulating cooled fluid in a space 101 between the inner case 30 and the outer case 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cool box apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A cooling box device is known in which a cooling device, which is a cooler, is connected to an insulated box, which is a cooling box, to cool the inside of the cooling box (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-11989 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional cooling box device described in Patent Document 1, cold air, which is air cooled by a refrigerator, is supplied to the cooling chamber inside the cooling box through a through-hole that serves as an inlet for the cooling box. Therefore, if the cooling chamber has not been pre-cooled, water or ice can be used as an alternative to cold air, and cooling can be performed immediately, but water or ice cannot be used instead of cold air. Also, fruits and other items placed in the cooling chamber inside the cooling box will dry out.

[0005] To provide a cooling box device that can use water or ice instead of cold air to cool the cooling box and can prevent fruits and the like placed in a cooling chamber inside the cooling box from drying out. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present disclosure relates to a cooling box device comprising a cooling box having a cooling chamber for accommodating an object to be cooled, and a cooling machine that is detachable from the cooling box and cools the cooling chamber, wherein the cooling box has a double-box structure having an inner box and an outer box, and the cooling machine cools the cooling chamber by circulating a cooled fluid through the space between the inner box and the outer box.

[0007] According to the cooling box device of (1), when carrying the cooling box device, there is no need to carry a cooling device, which is unnecessary when actually used, is heavy, and takes up space inside the device. This makes it possible to avoid carrying a single heavy device, making it easier to carry.

[0008] Furthermore, in a cooling box that does not have a cooling unit, cooling is performed using ice packs, which requires a large amount of ice packs, and the cooling chamber of the cooling box is occupied by a large amount of ice packs, resulting in a small internal volume. However, in the cooling box device of the present disclosure, when cooling is required, the cooling box and the cooling unit can be connected to cool the cooling chamber, making it possible to avoid the cooling chamber being occupied by a large amount of ice packs.

[0009] In addition, instead of cold air, it is possible to put cold water or ice as a fluid in the space between the outer and inner boxes. With this configuration, adding cold water or ice allows for rapid cooling, and keeps the product cold without a chiller. It also makes it possible to prevent the inside of the cooling chamber from drying out.

[0010] (2) The cooling box device described in (1) has an outlet through which the fluid flows from the cooling box to the cooling box, and an inlet through which the fluid flows from the cooling box to the cooling box, and has one connecting part connected to the cooling box.

[0011] According to the cooling box device of (2), the cooling machine and the cooling box are connected by one connecting part, which makes it possible to easily connect the cooling machine and the cooling box.

[0012] (3) The cooling box device according to (2), wherein the connecting portion is constituted by a protrusion protruding from the outer surface of the cooler and engaging with a recess formed in the outer box.

[0013] According to the cooling box device (3), the outlet and inlet are provided in one convex portion, and by engaging one convex portion with one concave portion, it is possible to easily connect the cooling box and the cooler and allow the cold air from the cooler to flow into the cooling box.

[0014] In addition, by forming a recess in the cooling box to engage with the protrusion and recessing a part of the cooling box, a detachable structure can be achieved without increasing the external size. Also, by attaching a cover member that can engage with the recess, the insulation thickness can be ensured.

[0015] (4) The recess is formed with an inlet for introducing the fluid from the cooler to the cooling box and an outlet for discharging the fluid from the cooling box to the cooler, and a recess partition member is provided between the inlet and the outlet in the recess to prevent the fluid from flowing between the inlet and the outlet. (3) A cooling box device as described in

[0016] According to the cooling box device of (4), the portion where the convex portion as the connecting portion engages with the concave portion can prevent the cold air flowing out of the outlet from flowing into the cooling device through the inlet. Also, the concave portion can prevent the cold air flowing out of the outlet from flowing into the space between the outer box and the inner box through the outlet of the cooling box.

[0017] (5) A cooling box device according to (4), in which a space partition member is disposed in the space to separate a portion of the space on the inlet side from a portion of the space on the outlet side.

[0018] According to the cooling box device of (5), the space between the inner surface of the outer box and the outer surface of the inner box can be partially divided by the space partition member into a space on the inlet side and a space on the outlet side. As a result, the cool air can circulate to every corner of the space, and it is possible to prevent the cool air from circulating through a short-circuited flow path and not being able to reach the entire space.

[0019] (6) The cooling box device according to (4), wherein the outlet is located above the inlet in the vertical direction.

[0020] According to the cooling box device (6), the position where cold air flows in the space can be set at a low position, and the position where cold air flows out can be set at a high position, making it possible to circulate cold air throughout the entire space, from low positions to high positions within the space.

[0021] (7) A cooling box device according to (1), in which a cooling agent is placed in the space to change the direction of the fluid flowing through the space.

[0022] According to the cooling box device (7), the flow of cold air circulating in the space is redirected and diffused in various directions, allowing the cold air to reach every corner of the space. Furthermore, when the direction of the cold air is redirected, the cold air collides with the ice packs, allowing the ice packs to be cooled efficiently. This allows for a highly effective cooling box that can use ice packs without reducing the cooling effect.

[0023] (8) The cooling box device according to (7), wherein the ice pack is detachable from the cooling box.

[0024] According to the cooling box device of (8), the ice pack can be removed from the cooling box in advance, cooled, and then attached to the cooling box for use.

[0025] (9) The cooling box device according to (8), wherein the ice pack is removably fixed to the outer box.

[0026] According to the cooling box device of (9), when the ice pack is fixed to the inner box, there is a risk that the ice pack will come off and fall when the inner box is removed from the outer box, but this can be prevented. Also, it becomes possible to easily attach and detach the ice pack to and from the outer box when the inner box is removed.

[0027] (10) A cooling box device according to (7), comprising a temperature detection device capable of detecting the temperature of the ice pack in the cooling machine.

[0028] According to the cooling box device of (10), it is possible to easily detect the temperature of the ice pack in the cooler without providing a power supply device for detecting the temperature of the ice pack in the cooling box.

[0029] (11) A cooling box device according to (1), wherein the inner box is detachable from the outer box.

[0030] According to the cooling box device of (11), the cooling material can be easily attached and detached, and the inner box can be easily removed and washed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present disclosure, a cooling box device can be provided that can use water or ice instead of cold air to cool the cooling box, and can prevent fruits and other items placed in the cooling chamber inside the cooling box from drying out. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view illustrating a state in which a cooler is removed from a cooling box of a cooling box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view illustrating a state in which a cooler is removed from a cooling box of a cooling box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front, upper perspective view of a cooling box of a cooling box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with the inner box removed. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a rear, upper perspective view of a cooling box of a cooling box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with the inner box removed from the cooling box. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a space partition member of a cooling box of a cooling box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a recess partition member of a cooling box of a cooling box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view illustrating how cooled air circulates in the space between the inner box and the container body of the cooling box of the cooling box device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a side view illustrating how cooled air circulates in the space between the inner box and the container body of the cooling box of the cooling box device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] A cooling box device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the width direction of the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6 constituting the cooling box device, that is, the upper left direction shown in FIG. 1, is defined as the leftward direction (L), and the opposite direction is defined as the rightward direction (R). The depth direction of the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6 (the upper right direction shown in FIG. 1) is defined as the rearward direction (Rr), and the opposite direction is defined as the frontward direction (Fr). The height direction of the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6, that is, the upper right direction shown in FIG. 1, is defined as the upward direction (Up), and the opposite direction is defined as the downward direction (Dw).

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cooling box device includes a cooling box 1 constituting a cooler box for storing items to be cooled, such as fresh foods such as fruits, beverages, and liquids such as water, and a cooling machine 6 that is detachable from the cooling box 1. The cooling box 1 has a cooling chamber 301 that stores the items to be cooled. The cooling machine 6 is detachable from the cooling box 1, and cools the cooling chamber 301 by being connected and attached to the cooling box 1.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the cooling box 1 is equipped with a container body 10 as an outer box, a lid 20, and an inner box 30, and is configured as a double box structure in which the inner box 30, which is detachable from the container body 10, is disposed in the internal space of the container body 10. The container body 10 is a resin molded product in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the entire top surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape forms an opening. In detail, the container body 10 is configured by opposing short side walls 11 and 12 that form both end surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped container body 10, long side walls 13 and 14 that face each other and are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the container body 10, and a bottom 15.

[0036] Cylindrical casters 2 are provided on both ends of the side of the bottom 15 where one short side wall 11 and the bottom 15 are connected so that they can rotate relative to the container body 10 and can abut against the ground, floor, etc. A user of the cooling box device can grasp a handle provided on the other short side wall 12 (not shown) and lift the other short side wall 12 of the container body 10, causing the casters 2 to abut against the ground and allowing the cooling box 1 to be moved.

[0037] A recess 103 is formed in the long side wall 13 of the cooling box 1. As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the recess 103 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is recessed forward. The recess 103 is provided with an inlet 104 for introducing cool air from the cooler 6 into the cooling box 1 and an outlet 105 for discharging cool air from the cooling box 1 to the cooler 6. The inlet 104 is formed as a mesh-shaped through-hole in the lower left part of the outer surface of the long side wall 13 where the recess 103 is formed. The outlet 105 is formed as a mesh-shaped through-hole in the upper right part of the outer surface of the long side wall 13 where the recess 103 is formed. As a result, the outlet 105 is located above the inlet 104 in the up-down direction.

[0038] A recess partition member 106 is provided at the center position in the left-right direction of the recess 103. As shown in Fig. 4, the recess partition member 106 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and as shown in Fig. 2, it is fixed to the long side wall 13 that forms the recess 103 and extends from the upper end to the lower end of the recess partition member 106. As a result, the recess partition member 106 is disposed between the inlet 104 and the outlet 105, and the recess 103 is partitioned by the recess partition member 106, so that cool air is prevented from circulating between the inlet 104 and the outlet 105.

[0039] A lid member 16 is detachably attached to the recess 103. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the lid member 16 has a rectangular parallelepiped plate-like lid outer wall 161 and one rectangular parallelepiped protrusion 162 slightly smaller than the recess 103 that protrudes from the center of the lid outer wall 161 and can engage with the recess 103. Portions 163 of the lid outer wall 161 on both sides of the protrusion 162 in the left-right direction do not engage with the recess 103 and are located rearward of the long side wall 13. When the cooler 6 is connected to the cooling box 1, the engagement of the protrusion 162 with the recess 103 is released, and the lid member 16 is removed from the cooling box 1.

[0040] The lid body 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the lid body top surface 25 has a rectangular shape that is smaller than the opening of the container body 10 and similar to the opening, and forms the bottom surface of a recess that is recessed upward in the lid body 20. That is, the lid body 20 has short side surfaces 21 and 22 that form both end surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the lid body 20, long side surfaces of the lid body (not shown) and long side surfaces 23 and 24 of the lid body that are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lid body 20, the lid body top surface 25, and the lid body upper surface 26.

[0041] The lid 20 can open and close the opening of the container body 10 by rotating on a hinge (not shown) that has blades attached to the outer surface of the upper part of the long side wall 13 and to the long side surface 23 of the lid 20. Annular gaskets (not shown) provided on the lower end of the short sides 21, 22 and long sides 23, 24 of the lid 20 are tightly fitted around the top surface of the opening, thereby causing the lid 20 to close the opening of the container body 10 and keeping the opening of the container body 10 closed.

[0042] The inner box 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped molded resin product, and the entire top surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape forms the opening. In detail, the inner box 30 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is composed of opposing short side walls 31, 32 that form both end faces in the longitudinal direction of the inner box 30, opposing long side walls 33, 34 that are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the inner box 30, and a bottom 35. The space inside the inner box 30 forms a cooling chamber 301.

[0043] Between the outer surface of the inner box 30 and the inner surface of the container body 10, a space 101 is formed through which cold air as a fluid supplied from the chiller 6 can flow. Specifically, the inner surface of the short side wall 11 of the container body 10 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the short side wall 31 of the inner box 30, and a space 101 is formed between the inner surface of the short side wall 11 and the outer surface of the short side wall 31. The inner surface of the short side wall 12 of the container body 10 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the short side wall 32 of the inner box 30, and a space 101 is formed between the inner surface of the short side wall 12 and the outer surface of the short side wall 32.

[0044] Furthermore, the inner surface of the long side wall 13 of the container body 10 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the long side wall 33 of the inner box 30, and a space 101 is formed between the inner surface of the long side wall 13 and the outer surface of the long side wall 33. Furthermore, the inner surface of the long side wall 14 of the container body 10 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the long side wall 34 of the inner box 30, and a space 101 is formed between the inner surface of the long side wall 14 and the outer surface of the long side wall 34. Furthermore, the inner surface of the bottom 15 of the container body 10 is spaced apart from the bottom 35 of the inner box 30, and a space 101 is formed between the inner surface of the bottom 15 and the bottom 35. All of these spaces 101 are formed to be in communication with each other.

[0045] A space partition member 107, a refrigerant 41, and a temperature detection device 42 are arranged in the space 101. As shown in FIG. 5, the space partition member 107 is formed of an L-shaped plate-like member. As shown in FIG. 3, an upper end portion, which is one end of the space partition member 107, extends to the upper end portion of the discharge port 105. The space partition member 107 extends downward from the upper end portion of the space partition member 107 along the inner surface of the long side wall 13 of the container body 10 to the inner surface of the bottom 15, and then extends forward along the inner surface of the bottom 15. The other end portion, which is the front end portion, of the space partition member 107 reaches a position spaced apart from the inner surface of the long side wall 14, as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the other end portion, which is the front end portion of the space partition member 107, does not abut against the inner surface of the long side wall 14.

[0046] 5, the right-hand portion of space partition member 107 in the width direction forms fixed portion 1071 that is fixed to the inner surface of bottom 15. The central portion of space partition member 107 in the width direction forms partition wall portion 1072 that rises from fixed portion 1071 toward the inside of space 101. The left-hand portion of space partition member 107 in the width direction forms inner box abutment portion 1073 that abuts against the outer surface of bottom 35 of inner box 30.

[0047] When the inner box 30 is placed in the internal space of the container body 10, the inner box abutment portion 1073 comes into abutment with the outer surface of the bottom 35 of the inner box 30, and the space partition member 107 divides most of the space 101 into a portion of the space 101 on the inlet 104 side (the left portion of the space 101) and a portion of the space 101 on the outlet 105 side (the right portion of the space 101). A flow path through which cool air flows from the portion of the space 101 on the inlet 104 side to the portion of the space 101 on the outlet 105 side is formed in the portion of the space 101 not divided by the space partition member 107, i.e., the portion between the front end of the space partition member 107 and the inner surface of the long side wall 14, and in the entire inner surface of the long side wall 14.

[0048] The ice packs 41 are detachably fixed to the inner surface of the container body 10 and are capable of cooling the cooling chamber 301. Specifically, the ice packs 41 are formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped plate, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, one ice pack is provided at the center of the inner surface of each of the short side walls 11 and 12 of the container body 10, and two ice packs are provided on each of the inner surfaces of the long side walls 13, 14, and bottom 15.

[0049] Of the two ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the long side wall 13 and the inner surface of the bottom 15, one ice pack 41 is arranged in the portion of the space 101 on the inlet 104 side, and the other ice pack 41 is arranged in the portion of the space 101 on the outlet 105 side. Of the two ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the long side wall 14, one ice pack 41 is arranged closer to the inlet 104 than the space partition member 107 in the left-right direction, and the other ice pack 41 is arranged closer to the outlet 105 than the space partition member 107 in the left-right direction. The ice packs 41 arranged in the space 101 in this manner collide with the cold air, which is a fluid circulating in the space 101, thereby changing the flow direction of the cold air and allowing the cold air to circulate evenly in the space 101.

[0050] 3, the temperature detection device 42 includes a thermistor 421 and a detection target member 422, which are arranged and fixed to the inner surface of the long side wall 13 of the container body 10, below the outlet 105. The thermistor 421 is physically connected so as to be able to detect the temperature of the detection target member 422. The thermistor 421, together with a cooler-side temperature detection circuit unit (not shown) provided in the cooler 6, constitutes a single electronic circuit, which is arranged across the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6.

[0051] Specifically, an end of the thermistor 421 is electrically connected to a connector 423 (see FIG. 2). The connector 423 is located and fixed to the outer surface of the long side wall 13 of the container body 10 that forms the recess 103, below the outlet 105. The thermistor 421 and a cooler-side temperature detection circuit unit (not shown) provided in the cooler 6 can be electrically and detachably connected via the connector 423. The thermistor 421 and the cooler-side temperature detection circuit unit (not shown) are electrically connected to form an electronic circuit, and electricity is supplied to the thermistor 421 from the cooler side.

[0052] Detectable member 422 is made of a material with the same heat capacity as ice pack 41, and is configured so that the temperature of detectable member 422 and the temperature of ice pack 41 are the same. As a result, detectable member 422 constitutes a pseudo ice pack. Thermistor 421 measures and detects the temperature of detectable member 422, allowing temperature detection device 42 to detect the temperature of ice pack 41, and the temperature of ice pack 41 can be pseudo-detected in cooler 6 using thermistor 421, connector 423, and a cooler-side temperature detection circuit unit (not shown).

[0053] The cooling device 6 includes a housing 61 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 61 houses a compressor, a heat exchanger, a condenser, an evaporator, and other components (not shown), which cool the air drawn in from the cooling box 1 to produce cool air. A protrusion 62 serving as a connecting part is provided at the front of the housing 61, protruding forward from the front end face, which is the outer surface of the housing 61. The protrusion 62 is composed of a single rectangular parallelepiped protrusion that is slightly smaller than the recess 103 and can be engaged with the recess 103. When the cover member 16 is attached to the cooling box 1, the engagement of the protrusion 62 with the recess 103 is released, and the cooling device 6 is removed from the cooling box 1.

[0054] The protrusion 62 has an outlet 621 through which cool air flows out from the cooler 6 to the cooling box 1, and an inlet 622 through which cool air flows from the cooling box 1 to the cooler 6. The outlet 621 is configured as a through-hole formed in a mesh pattern on the lower left side of the front end face of the protrusion 62. The inlet 622 is configured as a through-hole formed in a mesh pattern on the upper right side of the front end face of the protrusion 62. As a result, the inlet 622 is located above the outlet 621 in the up-down direction.

[0055] When the convex portion 62 engages with the concave portion 103, the outlet 621 is positioned opposite the inlet 104 of the concave portion 103. The cool air flowing out from the outlet 621 is configured to flow into the space 101 from the inlet 104 of the concave portion 103. In this way, the cooler 6 circulates the cool air from the cooler 6 through the outlet 621 and the inlet 104 in the convex portion 62 and the concave portion 103 into the space 101 between the container body 10 and the inner box 30, thereby cooling the cooling chamber 301, which is the space inside the inner box 30.

[0056] When the protrusion 62 engages with the recess 103, the inlet 622 is positioned to face the outlet 105 of the recess 103. This allows the air flowing out of the space 101 through the outlet 105 to flow into the cooler 6 from the inlet 622 of the recess 103 and be cooled by the cooler 6.

[0057] The outlet 621 and the inlet 622 are spaced apart in the left-right direction on the front end surface of the convex portion 62. When the convex portion 62 engages with the recess 103, a recess partition member 106 provided in the recess 103 of the cooling box 1 abuts against the portion of the front end surface of the convex portion 62 between the outlet 621 and the inlet 622. This separates the space on the outlet 621 side from the space on the inlet 622 side in the recess 103, and the recess 103 is configured to prevent the cool air flowing out from the outlet 621 from flowing into the cooler 6 through the inlet 622. The recess 103 is also configured to prevent the cool air flowing out from the outlet 621 from flowing into the space 101 through the exhaust port 105 of the cooling box 1.

[0058] A connector 623 is provided on the protrusion 62. The connector 623 is disposed and fixed to a portion below the inlet 622 on the right side of the front end surface of the protrusion 62. The connector 623 is detachably and electrically connectable to the connector 423 of the recess 103, and when the protrusion 62 engages with the recess 103, the connector 623 is electrically connected to the connector 423. As a result, the thermistor 421 and a cooler-side temperature detection circuit unit (not shown) provided in the cooler 6 are electrically connected via the connector 423 connected to the connector 623, thereby configuring an electronic circuit.

[0059] In the cooling box device having the above configuration, the cold air from the cooler 6 flows into the space 101 through the inlet 104 of the recess 103 of the cooling box 1, and flows forward through the lower left part of the space 101 (the left part of the space 101 between the bottom 15 and the bottom 35 shown in Figure 1 (see Figures 7 and 8)) as shown by the arrows in Figures 7 and 8.

[0060] The cold air flowing through the lower left portion of the space 101 collides with the ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the bottom 15, and part of the air flows upward along the inner surface of the short side wall 12. The cold air collides with the ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the short side wall 12 and spreads to every corner of the space 101 between the inner surface of the short side wall 12 and the outer surface of the short side wall 32.

[0061] The cold air collides with the inner surface of the long side wall 14 at the front end of the space 101, spreads along the inner surface of the long side wall 14, collides with two ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the long side wall 14, and reaches every corner of the part of the space 101 between the inner surface of the long side wall 14 and the outer surface of the long side wall 34.

[0062] The cold air then flows into the lower right part of space 101 (the right part of space 101 between bottom 15 and bottom 35 shown in Figure 1 (see Figures 7 and 8)) and the part of space 101 between the inner surface of short side wall 11 and the outer surface of short side wall 31, and flows backward.

[0063] The cold air flowing through the lower right portion of the space 101 collides with the ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the bottom 15, and part of it flows upward along the inner surface of the short side wall 11. Then, together with the cold air flowing rearward from the portion of the space 101 between the inner surface of the long side wall 14 and the outer surface of the long side wall 34, the cold air collides with the ice packs 41 provided on the inner surface of the short side wall 11, and spreads throughout the portion of the space 101 between the inner surface of the short side wall 11 and the outer surface of the short side wall 31.

[0064] Then, in the rear of the space 101 (the part of the space 101 between the inner surface of the long side wall 13 of the container body 10 and the long side wall 33 of the inner box 30), the cold air flows upward along the inner surface of the long side wall 13 of the container body 10, flows out of the space 101 through the outlet 105, and flows into the cooler 6 through the inlet 622 of the convex portion 62.

[0065] The cooling box apparatus according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration can provide the following effects: The cooling box apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a cooling box 1 having a cooling chamber 301 that accommodates an object to be cooled, and a chiller 6 that is detachable from the cooling box 1 and cools the cooling chamber 301. The cooling box 1 has a double-box structure having an inner box 30 and a container body 10 as an outer box, and the chiller 6 cools the cooling chamber 301 by circulating cold air, which is a cooled fluid, through a space 101 between the inner box 30 and the container body 10.

[0066] As a result, when carrying the cooling box device, there is no need to carry the cooling machine 6, which is unnecessary and heavy when actually used and takes up space inside, so carrying one heavy device can be avoided, making it easier to carry.

[0067] Furthermore, in a cooling box that does not have a cooling device 6, cooling is performed using ice packs, which requires a large amount of ice packs, and the cooling chamber of the cooling box is occupied by the large amount of ice packs, resulting in a small internal volume. However, in this embodiment, when cooling is required, the cooling box 1 and the cooling device 6 can be connected to cool the inside of the cooling chamber 301, making it possible to prevent the cooling chamber from being occupied by a large amount of ice packs.

[0068] Moreover, instead of cold air, cold water or ice can be put into the space 101 as a fluid. With this configuration, adding cold water or ice allows for rapid cooling, and cold storage can be achieved without a chiller. It is also possible to prevent the inside of the cooling chamber 301 from drying out. Furthermore, because the space 101 is configured to circulate cold air or the like, it is possible to avoid the need for defrosting as with direct cooling systems.

[0069] Furthermore, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, the cooling machine 6 has an outlet 621 through which cold air as a fluid flows out from the cooling machine 6 to the cooling box 1, and an inlet 622 through which cold air flows from the cooling box 1 into the cooling machine 6, and has a protrusion 62 as a single connecting part that is connected to the cooling box 1. This allows the cooling machine 6 and the cooling box 1 to be connected by a single connecting part, making it possible to easily connect the cooling machine 6 and the cooling box 1.

[0070] In addition, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, the connecting portion is constituted by a protrusion 62 that protrudes from the front end surface as the outer surface of the cooler 6 and engages with a recess 103 formed in the container body 10 as the outer box.

[0071] As a result, the outlet 621 and the inlet 622 are provided in one convex portion 62, and by engaging one convex portion 62 with one concave portion 103, the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6 can be easily connected, and cold air from the cooler 6 can be allowed to flow into the cooling box 1.

[0072] Furthermore, by forming recesses 103 in the cooling box 1 that engage with the protrusions 62 and configuring the cooling box 1 so that a portion of the cooling box 1 is recessed, a detachable configuration can be achieved without increasing the external size. Furthermore, by attaching a lid member 16 that can be engaged with the recesses 103, the insulation thickness can be ensured. This configuration ensures the insulation thickness of the long side walls 13 of the container body 10 without making the wall too thick, and does not reduce the internal volume of the cooling chamber 301. It is possible to configure the lid member 16 that can be engaged with the recesses 103 to be detachable from the recesses 103 instead of the protrusions 62.

[0073] In addition, in the cooling box device of this embodiment, the recess 103 is formed with an inlet 104 for introducing cold air as a fluid from the cooler 6 into the cooling box 1, and an outlet 105 for discharging the cold air from the cooling box 1 to the cooler 6, and a recess partition member 106 is provided between the inlet 104 and the outlet 105 in the recess 103 to prevent cold air from circulating between the inlet 104 and the outlet 105.

[0074] As a result, at the portion where the protrusion 62 serving as the connecting portion engages with the recess 103, it becomes possible to prevent the cold air flowing out from the outlet 621 from flowing into the cooling device 6 through the inlet 622. Furthermore, at the recess 103, it becomes possible to prevent the cold air flowing out from the outlet 621 from flowing into the space 101 between the outer box and the inner box through the exhaust port 105 of the cooling box 1.

[0075] In addition, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, a space partition member 107 is arranged in the space 101 to separate the space on the inlet 104 side from the space on the outlet 105 side.

[0076] This allows the space partition member 107 to partially partition the space 101 between the inner surface of the container body 10 and the outer surface of the inner box 30 into a portion of the space 101 on the inlet 104 side (the left portion of the space 101) and a portion of the space 101 on the outlet 105 side (the right portion of the space 101). As a result, cool air can circulate to every corner of the space 101, and it is possible to prevent the cool air from circulating through a short-circuited flow path and not reaching the entire space 101.

[0077] Furthermore, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, the outlet 105 is located above the inlet 104 in the vertical direction. This allows the position into which cold air flows in to be at a low position and the position from which cold air flows out to be at a high position in the space 101, making it possible to circulate cold air throughout the entire space 101, from low positions to high positions within the space 101.

[0078] Furthermore, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, ice packs 41 are placed in space 101 to change the direction of the cold air flowing through space 101. This changes the flow of cold air circulating through space 101 and diffuses it in various directions, allowing the cold air to reach every corner of space 101. Furthermore, when the direction of the cold air is changed, the cold air collides with ice packs 41, allowing ice packs 41 to be cooled efficiently. This makes it possible to provide a cooling box 1 with high cooling efficiency that can use ice packs 41 without reducing the cooling effect.

[0079] Moreover, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, ice pack 41 is detachable from cooling box 1. This allows ice pack 41 to be removed from cooling box 1 in advance, cooled, and then attached to cooling box 1 for use.

[0080] Furthermore, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, the ice packs 41 are detachably fixed to the container body 10, which serves as the outer box. This prevents the ice packs from falling off when the inner box 30 is removed from the container body, which can occur when the ice packs are fixed to the inner box. Furthermore, the ice packs 41 can be easily attached to and detached from the container body 10 when the inner box 30 is removed.

[0081] The cooling box apparatus according to this embodiment also includes a temperature detection device 42 that can detect the temperature of ice pack 41 in cooler 6. This makes it possible to easily detect the temperature of ice pack 41 in cooler 6 without providing a power supply device for detecting the temperature of ice pack 41 in cooling box 1.

[0082] Furthermore, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, the inner box 30 is detachable from the outer box, which is the container body 10. This allows the ice packs 41 to be easily detachable, and also allows the inner box 30 to be removed and easily washed.

[0083] In addition, in the cooling box device of this embodiment, the temperature detection device 42 is composed of a thermistor 421 provided in the cooling box 1, and the electronic circuit electrically connected to the thermistor 421 is arranged across the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6, and is electrically and detachably connected by a connector 623 at a protrusion 62 which serves as a connecting portion connecting the cooling box 1 and the cooler 6, thereby supplying electricity to the thermistor 421 from the cooler 6 side.

[0084] As a result, if a thermistor is installed in the cooling box, a power supply is required and the power supply must also be installed in the cooling box, but since electricity can be supplied to the thermistor 421 from the cooling machine 6 side via connector 623, it is possible to configure the cooling box 1 without a power supply.

[0085] Furthermore, in the cooling box device according to this embodiment, thermistor 421 measures the temperature of detectable member 422, which is provided in cooling box 1 and has the same heat capacity as ice pack 41. This allows the temperature of detectable member 422, which matches the temperature of ice pack 41, to be measured, and therefore temperature detection device 42 can virtually detect the temperature of ice pack 41 by having thermistor 421 measure and detect the temperature of detectable member 422.

[0086] Furthermore, in the cooling box device of this embodiment, the cooling box 1 is constructed with a double box structure having an inner box 30 that is detachable from the container body 10 and the container body 10 as an outer box, and the thermistor 421 and the detectable member 422 are fixed to the container body 10 in the space 101 between the inner box 30 and the container body 10.

[0087] This makes it possible to detect the temperature of the detectable member 422, which is placed in the space 101 in the same way as the ice pack 41 and fixed at an appropriate position on the inner surface of the container body 10, and is cooled in the same way as the ice pack 41 cooled by cold air in the space 101, thereby enabling highly accurate temperature detection.

[0088] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, the configurations of the cooling box, the cooler, the temperature detector, etc. are not limited to the configurations of the cooling box 1, the cooler 6, the temperature detector 42, etc. in this embodiment.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, the rear part of the cooling box 1 is connected to the front part of the cooling machine 6, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the lower part of the cooling box may be connected to the upper part of the cooling machine.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the temperature detection device 42 is provided in the cooling box 1 having a double box structure including the container body 10 and the inner box 30, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, the temperature detection device may be provided in a cooling box that does not have a double box structure and is configured only by the container body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1...cooling box 6...cooler 10...container body (outer box) 30...inner box 41...refrigerant 42...temperature detection device 62...protrusion (connecting part) 101...space 103...recess 104...inlet 105...outlet 106...recess partition member 107...space partition member 301...cooling chamber 421...thermistor 422...detectable member 423, 623...connector 621...outlet 622...inlet

Claims

1. a cooling box having a cooling chamber for accommodating an object to be cooled; a cooling machine that is detachable from the cooling box and cools the cooling chamber, The cooling box has a double box structure having an inner box and an outer box, The cooling machine is a cooling box device that cools the cooling chamber by circulating a cooled fluid through the space between the inner box and the outer box.

2. 2. The cooling box apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling device has an outlet through which the fluid flows from the cooling device to the cooling box, and an inlet through which the fluid flows from the cooling box to the cooling device, and has one connecting portion connected to the cooling box.

3. The cooling box apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting portion is configured by a protrusion protruding from the outer surface of the cooler and engaging with a recess formed in the outer box.

4. The recess is formed with an inlet for introducing the fluid from the cooler to the cooling box and an outlet for discharging the fluid from the cooling box to the cooler, The cooling box apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a recess partition member is provided between the inlet and the outlet in the recess to prevent the fluid from flowing between the inlet and the outlet.

5. The cooling box apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a space partition member is disposed in the space to separate a space portion on the inlet side from a space portion on the outlet side.

6. The cooling box apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the outlet is located above the inlet in the vertical direction.

7. The cooling box device according to claim 1 , wherein a cooling agent that changes the direction of a fluid flowing through the space is disposed in the space.

8. The cooling box device according to claim 7, wherein the ice pack is detachable from the cooling box.

9. The cooling box device according to claim 8, wherein the ice pack is detachably fixed to the outer box.

10. The cooling box apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a temperature detection device capable of detecting the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling machine.

11. The cooling box apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inner box is detachable from the outer box.

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