Corpse cooling device

Abstract

To provide a corpse cooling device capable of sufficiently cooling a corpse and sufficiently suppressing decomposition of the corpse.SOLUTION: A corpse cooling device 1 includes: a refrigerator body 2 including a compressor 6, a condenser 7, and a capillary tube 9; a cooler 3 cooled by the refrigerator body 2; a refrigerant circulation passage 4 connecting them; and a corpse cooling body 5 cooled by the cooler 3 and directly contacting a corpse to indirectly cool the corpse. A refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant circulation passage 4, refrigerant vapor is compressed by the compressor 6, the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 7 is expanded by the capillary tube 9; and the refrigerant is evaporated in the cooler 3 to repeatedly remove evaporation heat from the corpse, thereby suppressing decomposition of the corpse by cooling the corpse through the corpse cooling body 5 cooled by the cooler 3. The cooler 3 is configured with a body cooler 3A and a head cooler 3B, and the corpse cooling body 5 is configured with a body cooling body 5A and a head cooling body 5B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a corpse cooling device that inhibits decomposition of a corpse. [Background technology]

[0002] With permission from the mayor of the city or town, the body is cremated at a crematorium, but until cremation, the body must be kept sufficiently cooled in order to prevent decay and preserve it.

[0003] In such cases, dry ice may be placed around the body to cool it down, but dry ice has a low evaporation temperature and vaporizes easily, so a large amount of dry ice is required, and it also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as it vaporizes, making this extremely dangerous.

[0004] For this reason, a corpse cooling device capable of cooling a corpse for a long period of time without using dry ice has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-195740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, this conventional corpse cooling device is equipped with a cooler with a corpse contact part that comes into direct contact with the corpse, and the cooler is placed on the corpse so that the corpse contact surface, which is the corpse contact part, comes into contact with the chest and abdomen of the corpse. Therefore, since it does not come into contact with the head of the corpse, it is not sufficient to cool the corpse.

[0007] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a corpse cooling device that can sufficiently cool a corpse and sufficiently suppress decay of the corpse. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Therefore, the first invention is a corpse cooling device that comprises a freezing unit body equipped with a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube, a cooler cooled by the freezing unit body, a refrigerant circulation path connecting these, and a corpse cooling body that is cooled by the cooler and comes into direct contact with the corpse to indirectly cool the corpse, and that circulates the refrigerant through the refrigerant circulation path, compresses the refrigerant vapor in the compressor, expands the refrigerant condensed in the condenser in the capillary tube, and removes the heat of vaporization from the corpse as it evaporates in the cooler, thereby cooling the corpse through the corpse cooling body and suppressing decay of the corpse, characterized in that the cooler is composed of a body cooler and a head cooler, and the corpse cooling body is composed of a body cooler and a head cooler.

[0009] The second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the flexible supply pipe and return pipe constituting the refrigerant circulation path are covered with a flexible covering cylinder having a hollow cylindrical shape for preventing condensation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a corpse cooling device can be provided that sufficiently cools the corpse and sufficiently suppresses decomposition of the corpse. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a corpse cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the inside of a refrigerator constituting a corpse cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of a body cooler that constitutes a cooling device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of a head cooler that constitutes the cooler. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a method of using a corpse cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing how to use the body cooler of the corpse cooling device, including a cross-section of circle A and an enlarged view of circle AA, viewed from the head of the corpse. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram showing how to use the head cooler of the corpse cooling device, including an enlarged view of circle BB and a cross section of circle B, as seen from the direction of the head of the corpse. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] 1 to 8, the corpse cooling device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, the corpse cooling device 1, which suppresses decay of the corpse HB, comprises a freezer body 2 equipped with a compressor 6, a condenser 7, and a capillary tube 9, a cooler 3 cooled by the freezer body 2, a refrigerant circulation path 4 connecting these, and a corpse cooling body 5 cooled by the cooler 3 and indirectly cooling the corpse HB by being in direct contact with the corpse HB. The refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant circulation path 4, the refrigerant vapor is compressed by the compressor 6, the refrigerant condensed by the condenser 7 is expanded by the capillary tube 9, and the refrigerant is evaporated by the cooler 3, thereby removing the heat of vaporization from the corpse, and the corpse HB is cooled by repeating this process.

[0013] Next, as shown in Figure 2, the box-shaped refrigeration unit 2 is equipped with at least the following components that make up a refrigeration cycle unit: a compressor 6 that also uses a 100V / 200V power source and compresses refrigerant vapor; a condenser 7 that radiates heat from the refrigerant vapor that has been compressed by the compressor 6 and has a high temperature, causing it to condense; a cooling fan 8 that cools the condenser 7; a capillary tube 9 that passes the refrigerant coming out of the condenser 7 through to reduce its pressure, expand it, and lower its temperature; and an electrical box 10 that houses various electrical components.

[0014] The compressor 6 and the condenser 7, the condenser 7 and the capillary tube 9, the capillary tube 9 and the joint 11, and the joint 11 and the compressor 6 are connected by connecting tubes 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D, respectively. One flexible supply pipe 13A is connected to one end of the joint 11, and the capillary tube 9 is connected to the other end of the joint 11 via the connecting tube 12C. The other flexible return pipe 13B is connected to one end of the joint 11, and the compressor 6 is connected to the other end of the joint 11 via the connecting tube 12D.

[0015] 1 and 3, the exterior of the refrigeration unit body 2 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing, the top surface of which is provided with a handle 15 for carrying, and the upper slope of which is provided with an operation panel section 17 having a power switch section 16. In addition, the side surface of the refrigeration unit body 2 is provided with a plug receptacle 18 to which a power cable (not shown) is connected, an inlet 19 for the cooling fan 8 for cooling the condenser 6, and an exhaust hole 20 for releasing heat from the condenser 6, the compressor 5, etc. to the outside.

[0016] Next, the cooler 3 will be explained based on Figures 1, 4 and 5. This cooler 3 expands the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 7 through the capillary tube 9, and as it evaporates in this cooler 3, it removes the heat of vaporization from the corpse HB. This cooler 3 is composed of a body cooler 3A for cooling the chest and abdomen of the corpse HB, which is the object to be cooled, and a head cooler 3B for cooling the head.

[0017] The body cooler 3A, which is a rectangular plate in plan view, cools the chest and abdomen of the corpse HB and has a larger upper surface area than the head cooler 3B, while the head cooler 3B, which is also a rectangular plate in plan view, serves as a pillow for the corpse HB and has a smaller upper surface area than the body cooler 3A. 5A and 5B, which make up the corpse cooler 5 shown in Fig. 1 but omitted from Fig. 6 for convenience, are the body cooler and the head cooler, and both are flexible cooling bags made of plastic bags that are directly applied to the corpse HB and filled with antifreeze liquid whose main components are ethylene glycol, alcohol, etc.

[0018] 6, the body cooling device 5A is placed on top of the body cooling device 5A so that it is in direct contact with the chest and abdomen of the corpse HB. The head cooling device 5B is placed on top of the head cooling device 3B and is in direct contact with the head of the corpse HB. In this case, the body cooling device 5A and the head cooling device 5B are filled with antifreeze and are flexible, so they can deform to fit the shape of the body and head, increasing the contact area with the body and head, thereby allowing for more effective cooling.

[0019] Next, we will explain in detail the refrigerant circulation path 4, which guides the refrigerant to the cooler 3, which cools the body, through the low-temperature refrigerant vapor that comes out from the capillary tube 7 via the fitting 11 and the forward piping 13A, and guides the refrigerant from the cooler 3 to the compressor 6 via the return piping 13B.

[0020] That is, the supply pipe 13A from the refrigeration unit body 2 is inserted into the body cooler 3A, and then turns back while the refrigerant cools the body cooler 3A (see Figure 4), exits the body cooler 3A and enters the head cooler 3B, and the tip outlet 13AT of the supply pipe 13A via a joint 24 communicates with a passage 23 (see Figure 7) of the head cooler 3B with a maze-like circuit pattern, and the refrigerant circulates within this passage 23 (see Figure 1) to cool the head cooler 3B, and is then led to the tip inlet 13BT1 of the return pipe 13B (see Figure 5). The tip inlet 13BT1 of the return pipe 13B communicates with a joint 25, exits the head cooler 3B via this joint 25 (see FIG. 5), enters the body cooler 3A, and tip outlet 13BT2 via a joint 26 communicates with a labyrinth-shaped circuit-patterned passage 30 of the body cooler 3A (see FIG. 7), and the refrigerant circulates through this passage 30 to cool the body cooler 3A, and then is led to the tip inlet 13BT3 of the return pipe 13B (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, the return pipe 13B is led out of the body cooler 3A via a joint 27, enters the refrigerator body 2, and the refrigerant returns to the compressor 6 via the joint 11 and the connecting tube 12D.

[0021] The body cooler 3A, the head cooler 3B, and the supply pipe 13A and the return pipe 13B extending outside the refrigeration unit 2 are covered with a hollow cylindrical covering cylinder 29 made of foamed rubber that has insulating, pliable, and flexible properties to prevent condensation (partially broken away in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6). In other words, the supply pipe 13A and the return pipe 13B are inserted into this covering cylinder 29.

[0022] That is, when the supply pipe 13A and the return pipe 13B cooled by the refrigerant in the refrigeration unit 2 come into direct contact with the outside air, the temperature difference between the outside air and the cold surfaces of the supply pipe 13A and the return pipe 13B causes condensation on the surfaces of the supply pipe 13A and the return pipe 13B. However, as described above, the supply pipe 13A and the return pipe 13B are covered with the covering cylinder 29, which has a high insulating effect as described above, and therefore condensation is prevented. In addition, the covering cylinder 29 makes the refrigerant that comes out of the capillary tube 9 of the refrigeration unit 2 less susceptible to the influence of the outside air, and therefore a decrease in the cooling capacity of the refrigerant is suppressed.

[0023] The body cooler 3A and the head cooler 3B are composed of a hollow aluminum cooling plate 32 (roll bonded) through which a refrigerant passes to cool the body HB via the body cooler 5A and the head cooler 5B. One side of the heat insulating material 33 is in contact with the cooling plate 32, and the forward piping 13A, the return piping 13B, etc., which constitute the refrigerant circulation path 4 shown in Figures 4 and 5, are arranged in the space on the other side of the heat insulating material 33.

[0024] The body cooler 3A is curved in an arc to fit the shape of the corpse HB (see Figure 7). The body cooler 3A and the head cooler 3B have a roll-bond structure, with two aluminum plates bonded together and portions of both sides bulging outward in a maze-like shape (see Figures 1, 7 and 8) to form the passages 30, 23 through which the refrigerant passes.

[0025] The freezing unit 2 is placed away from the body HB so that it cannot be seen by mourners, and the supply pipe 13A, return pipe 13B and covering cylinder 29 are also made thin so as not to be noticeable.

[0026] As described above, the present invention provides a corpse cooling device that sufficiently cools the corpse and sufficiently prevents the corpse from decomposing. In other words, the abdomen and head are particularly susceptible to decomposition, but by sufficiently cooling these areas, the corpse can be sufficiently prevented from decomposing.

[0027] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various alternatives, modifications, and variations are possible for those skilled in the art based on the above description, and the present invention includes the above alternatives, modifications, and variations within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1. Corpse cooling device 2 Refrigeration unit 3 Cooler 3A body cooler 3B Head cooler 4 Refrigerant circuit 5. Body cooling 5A body cooling body 5B Head cooling body 6. Compressor 7. Condenser 9 capillary tubes 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D connecting tube 13A Outgoing piping 13B Return pipe 29 Covered cylinder HB Corpse

Claims

1. A corpse cooling device comprising a freezing unit body equipped with a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube, a cooler cooled by the freezing unit body, a refrigerant circulation path connecting these, and a corpse cooling body that is cooled by the cooler and comes into direct contact with the corpse to indirectly cool the corpse, wherein the device circulates a refrigerant through the refrigerant circulation path, compresses refrigerant vapor in the compressor, expands the refrigerant condensed in the condenser in the capillary tube, and removes the heat of vaporization from the corpse as it evaporates in the cooler, thereby cooling the corpse through the corpse cooling body and suppressing decay of the corpse, characterized in that the cooler is composed of a body cooler and a head cooler, and the corpse cooling body is also composed of a body cooler and a head cooler.

2. The corpse cooling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the flexible supply and return pipes that constitute the refrigerant circulation path are covered with a flexible covering cylinder having a hollow cylindrical shape and insulating properties to prevent condensation.

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