Heat insulating container and heat insulating panel

Abstract

To provide a heat insulating container having high heat insulating performance, excellent in durability and capable of being manufactured at a relatively low cost.SOLUTION: A side plate panel 1a, a bottom plate panel 1b, and a top plate panel 1c detachably assembled to constitute the heat insulating vessel are heat insulating panels composed of a plastic-made shell body A of a sealed structure and a heat insulating material B sealed inside the shell body A. The shell body A of the heat insulating panel is constituted by plastic hollow plate side a1 and side a2 facing each other at a predetermined interval and a plastic hollow plate, and includes a spacer side a3 disposed at a position along a plate outer edge between the plastic hollow plate side a2 and side, and a shell body outer edge side a4 is constituted by a welded portion of an outer edge portion of the plastic hollow plate side a1, an outer edge portion of the spacer side a3, and an outer edge portion of the plastic hollow plate side a2. a1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insulated container and an insulated panel used for transporting and storing various items while keeping them cool or warm. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, insulated containers (e.g., refrigerated containers) have been widely used to transport items such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductor materials, and food in a cooled or heated state. These insulated containers are required to have high insulating performance so that they can maintain a constant temperature inside for an extended period of time. On the other hand, from the perspective of transportation costs, the container itself must be inexpensive, have sufficient capacity relative to its size (occupied space), and be convenient, such as being able to be disassembled or folded for transport and storage when not in use, and being easy to handle when used or assembled / disassembled.

[0003] Conventionally used insulated containers (e.g., cold storage containers) have a two-layer structure with an inner wall (insulating layer) made of insulating material and aluminum film on the inside of a plastic outer wall (container). However, this type of insulated container does not have sufficient cold and heat retention properties, and is not designed to be disassembled or foldable when not in use. Patent Document 1 also proposes placing a vacuum insulation material between two panels made of hollow plastic boards (such as plastic cardboard), embedding resin foam in the space between the ends (peripheral edges) of the two panels around the entire periphery of the vacuum insulation material, and forming an insulating panel by bonding the two panels together with this resin foam, and assembling several of these insulating panels into a box shape to form an insulating container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-109689 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the heat insulating panel constituting the heat insulating container described in Patent Document 1 has the following problems. (i) Although resin foam is filled between the edges of the two panels at the panel edge (outer edge), the panel edge is not covered by the panel edge, so the insulating properties of the panel edge are low, and therefore the insulating performance of the panel as a whole is also low. (ii) The panel edges (outer edges) are constructed by filling the gap between the edges of two panels with resin foam, but the thermal expansion coefficients of the plastic hollow panel panel (generally made of polypropylene) and the resin foam (polyurethane foam) are different, and this difference in thermal expansion coefficients makes it easy for separation and gaps to occur between the two components (poor joint reliability), which reduces the insulation performance. Furthermore, if such defects occur at the edges of the insulation panels, there is a risk that the sealing performance of the butt joint will be reduced when the insulation panels are butt-jointed together, leading to a reduction in the insulation performance of the insulated container.

[0006] (iii) When resin foam is filled between the edges of the panel during the manufacture of insulation panels, the heat from the filled resin may damage the vacuum insulation material inside the panel. (iv) The two panels are only bonded together with a resin foam filled between their edges (the periphery of the panels). This means that the adhesive surface is prone to deterioration and peeling due to long-term use or external forces, making the panels less durable. (v) Patent Document 1 describes that multiple insulation panels are assembled into a box shape, but there is no further specific description, and the drawings do not appear to show a structure in which the insulation panels are detachably connected to each other (a structure that can be assembled and disassembled). Even if it were assumed that the insulation panels were detachably connected to each other with connectors, the panel ends (outer edges) are made up of the ends of the two face plates and the resin foam filled between those ends, so it would not be easy to fix part of the connectors for detachably connecting the insulation panels to the panel end faces.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide an insulating panel that has high insulating performance and excellent durability and can be manufactured relatively inexpensively, and an insulating container using this insulating panel. In addition to the above-mentioned points, another object of the present invention is to provide an insulating container that can be easily assembled and disassembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an insulating panel in which the exterior is constructed of a sealed shell made up of multiple hollow plastic plates and their welded joints, and an insulating material (such as vacuum insulation material) is enclosed inside the shell, and an insulating container using this insulating panel is constructed by removably assembling multiple insulating panels. That is, the present invention has the following features.

[0009] [1] A heat insulating panel comprising a plastic sealed shell (A) and a heat insulating material (B) enclosed within the shell (A), The heat insulating panel is characterized in that the shell (A) is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or more stacked plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the shell outer edge (a4) is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

[0010] [2] A heat insulating panel in which two or more panel members (20) each having a sealed plastic shell (A) and a heat insulating material (B) sealed inside the shell (A) are stacked and joined together, The shell (A) of each panel member (20) is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more stacked plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the plate between the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the shell outer edge (a4) is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

[0011] [3] The heat insulating panel according to [2] above, wherein the adjacent panel members (20) have their panel surfaces joined together directly or via an interposing material. [4] The heat insulating panel according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the shell outer edge (a4) has an end face perpendicular to the panel surface. [5] The heat insulating panel according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the heat insulating material (B) is a vacuum heat insulating material.

[0012] [6] An insulated container configured by detachably assembling a plurality of side panels (1a) constituting the sides of the container, a bottom panel (1b) constituting the bottom of the container, and a top panel (1c) constituting the ceiling of the container, The side panel (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) each comprise a heat-insulating panel having a sealed plastic shell (A) and a heat-insulating material (B) sealed inside the shell (A); The shell (A) of each insulating panel is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more stacked plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the outer edge (a4) of the shell is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

[0013] [7] An insulated container configured by detachably assembling a plurality of side panels (1a) constituting the sides of the container, a bottom panel (1b) constituting the bottom of the container, and a top panel (1c) constituting the ceiling of the container, The side panel (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) are each made of a heat-insulating panel formed by laminating and joining two or more panel members (20) each having a sealed plastic shell (A) and a heat-insulating material (B) sealed inside the shell (A); The shell (A) of the panel member (20) constituting each insulation panel is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more stacked plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the plate between the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the outer edge (a4) of the shell is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

[0014] [8] In the insulated container of the above [7], the adjacent panel members (20) have their panel surfaces joined together directly or via an interposing material. [9] The insulated container according to any one of the above [6] to [8], wherein the outer edge (a4) of the shell has an end face perpendicular to the panel surface.

[10] The insulated container according to any one of the above items [6] to [9], wherein the heat insulating material (B) is a vacuum heat insulating material.

[11] In the insulated container of any one of [6] to

[10] above, the side panels (1a), bottom panels (1b) and top panels (1c) are detachably assembled so that the edge portions of the panel surfaces of adjacent panels butt against each other's end faces (however, in the case where a flange portion is attached to the outer edge portion of one panel, this includes a state in which the flange portion and the end face of the other panel butt against each other), and a packing material (2) is interposed between the butt portions of the panels.

[0015]

[12] In the insulated container of the above

[11] , the adjacent side panels (1a) are detachably connected by the connectors (3) so that the packing material (2) interposed between the panels at their butt joints is compressed, The insulated container is characterized in that the connected side panel (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) are detachably connected by being fastened with a wound band (4) so ​​that the packing material (2) interposed between the panels is compressed.

[13] In the insulated container of

[12] above, the connector (3) connecting adjacent panels is a connector that detachably connects a component (30) fixed to the edge portion of the panel surface of one of the adjacent panels with a component (31) fixed to the panel end surface of the other panel.

[0016]

[14] In the insulated container of the above

[12] or

[13] , the bottom panel (1b) has a plate-like portion on the underside of the insulating panel main body (100) having a shell (A) and an insulating material (B) sealed therein, and a through hole (9) is formed in the plate-like portion parallel to the panel surface, and a part of the band (4) is inserted into the through hole (9).

[15] In the insulated container of

[11] above, the side panels (1a), bottom panels (1b) and top panels (1c) are detachably connected to each other by connectors (3) so that the packing material (2) interposed between the panels at their butt joints is compressed.

[16] In the insulated container of

[15] above, the connector (3) connecting adjacent panels is a connector that detachably connects a component (30) fixed to the edge portion of the panel surface of one of the adjacent panels with a component (31) fixed to the panel end surface of the other panel.

[0017]

[17] The insulated container according to any one of the above items [6] to

[16] , further comprising a pallet (5) for supporting the container body (x) of the insulated container, which is formed by removably assembling a plurality of side panels (1a), a bottom panel (1b) and a top panel (1c).

[18] The insulated container according to the above

[17] , wherein the container body (x) is supported on a pallet (5) via a cushioning material (6).

[19] In the insulated container of

[18] above, the bottom panel (1b) has a plate-like portion on the underside of the insulating panel body (100) which comprises the shell (A) and the insulating material (B) enclosed therein, and the plate-like portion is formed with a concave cushioning material fitting portion (10x) which fits and restrains the upper end portion of the cushioning material (6); An insulated container characterized in that the pallet (5) has a plate-shaped portion on the upper surface side of its main body, and the plate-shaped portion is formed with a concave cushioning material fitting portion (10y) that fits into and restrains the lower end portion of the cushioning material (6).

[0018]

[20] The insulated container according to

[18] or

[19] above, further comprising a protective cover (7) that is supported and fixed to the pallet (5) in a state of covering the container body (x) supported on the pallet (5) with a predetermined gap.

[21] In the heat-insulating container of

[20] above, a pressure plate (15) for restraining the protective cover is protruded from each side of the pallet (5), The protective cover (7) has a body (70) fitted inside a plurality of pressure plates (15) to cover the container body (x) supported on the pallet (5) with a predetermined gap, and is supported on the pallet (5) and fixed to the pallet (5) with a band (16) wrapped around the protective cover (7). [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The heat insulating panel of the present invention and the heat insulating container of the present invention formed from this heat insulating panel have the following effects. (i) The end of the insulation panel (the outer edge a4 of the shell) is made up of a welded joint between the first plastic hollow plate a1, the second plastic hollow plate a2, and the spacer a3 (plastic hollow plate) between them, and the entire panel is covered with a shell A made of plastic hollow plates (and their welded joints).Furthermore, the spacer a3 (plastic hollow plate) arranged inside the end of the insulation panel (the outer edge a4 of the shell) functions as an insulating layer, and the insulating properties of the panel end are also high, so the panel as a whole has high insulating properties. (ii) As described above, the entire panel is covered with a shell A made of a plastic hollow plate (and its welded parts), so there is no risk of peeling or gaps occurring due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the constituent parts, as occurs at the panel ends (outer edges) of the insulating panel of Patent Document 1, and there is no risk of a decrease in insulating performance.

[0020] (iii) In the manufacture of the insulating panel, the outer edge (end) of the panel is heat-welded, but since there is a spacer a3 made of a plastic hollow plate between the welded part and the insulating material B, heat is blocked and there is no risk of the insulating material B being damaged by the heat during welding. (iv) As described above, the entire panel is covered with a shell A made of a plastic hollow plate (and its welded portion). Therefore, unlike the heat insulating panel of Patent Document 1, there is no risk of deterioration or peeling of the adhesive surfaces between the components at the panel ends due to long-term use or external forces, and high durability is achieved. (v) As mentioned above, the entire panel is covered with a shell A made of a plastic hollow plate (and its welded parts), so it is easy to fix part of the connector for connecting the insulation panels to any part of the panel, including the panel ends (outer edges). (vi) Because it is composed of a shell A made of a plastic hollow plate and a heat insulating material B sealed inside, the panel can be made relatively thin, and high heat insulating performance can be obtained even with such a relatively thin panel. In addition, because the constituent materials are a plastic hollow plate and a heat insulating material, it has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

[0021] Therefore, the insulated container of the present invention has excellent cold and hot insulation performance, capable of maintaining a constant temperature inside for a long period of time, and is durable enough to be used repeatedly for a long period of time. Furthermore, since it has high insulation performance even with a relatively thin wall thickness, it has the advantage of being able to ensure sufficient capacity for the size of the container (occupied space). Furthermore, in the case of an insulated container constructed by removably assembling the insulation panels that make up the container in a specific configuration, it has the advantage of being easy to assemble and disassemble. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heat insulating panel of the present invention, schematically illustrating the same together with FIGS. 2 and 3. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II or line II'-II' in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion P in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a side panel 1a (before assembly) that constitutes the insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention, shown in schematic form together with FIGS. 5 to 18. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV or line V'-V' in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottom panel 1b (a panel before assembly) that constitutes a part of an insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the top side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom panel 1b of FIG. 6 as seen from the underside thereof. [Figure 8] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII or line VIII'-VIII' in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a plate body 8 fixed to the underside of the heat insulating panel body 100 in the bottom panel 1b of FIG. 6, viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top panel 1c (before assembly) that constitutes a part of an insulated container according to one embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the underside. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI or line XI'-XI' in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the insulated container in one embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention, showing the insulated container in an assembled state together with FIGS. 13 to 16 (excluding the protective cover 7). [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged front view of the lower part of the heat-insulating container. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of a container body x of an insulated container (the cross sections of each panel are shown in a simplified manner). [Figure 16] 1 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of a container body x of an insulated container (the cross-section of each panel is shown in a simplified manner). [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a plate body 14 fixed to the upper surface of a pallet 5 of a heat-insulating container. [Figure 18-1] FIG. 18(A) is a perspective view showing a state in which only the body portion 70 of the protective cover 7 is attached to the container body x in one embodiment of the heat-insulating container of the present invention. [Figure 18-2] FIG. 18(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective cover 7 (body portion 70 and lid 71) is attached to a container body x in one embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention. [Figure 19-1] 19(a) is an explanatory view showing one of the assembly steps, along with FIGS. 19-2 to 19-7, illustrating the procedure for assembling the heat-insulating container of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 18. FIG. [Figure 19-2] FIG. 19(a) is an explanatory diagram showing one of the steps for assembling the heat-insulating container. [Figure 19-3] FIG. 19(c) is an explanatory diagram showing one of the steps for assembling the heat-insulating container. [Figure 19-4] FIG. 19(d) is an explanatory diagram showing one of the steps for assembling the heat-insulating container. [Figure 19-5] FIG. 19(e) is an explanatory diagram showing one of the steps for assembling the heat-insulating container. [Figure 19-6] FIG. 19(f) is an explanatory diagram showing one of the steps for assembling the heat-insulating container. [Figure 19-7] FIG. 19(g) is an explanatory diagram showing one of the steps for assembling the heat-insulating container. [Figure 20] FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing the heat-insulating container of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 18 in a disassembled state for transport and storage when not in use. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for forming a welded portion that constitutes the shell outer edge portion a4 of the heat insulating panel of the present invention. [Figure 22] 23 and 24, which are perspective views of a bottom panel 1b (before assembly) that constitutes the insulated container, as viewed from above, showing another embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII or line XXIII'-XXIII' in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged front view of the lower part of the insulated container in an assembled state. [Figure 25] 26 and 27, which are perspective views of a top panel 1c (before assembly) that constitutes the insulated container, as viewed from the underside thereof. [Figure 26] 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI or line XXVI'-XXVI' in FIG. 25. [Figure 27] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of a container body x of an assembled insulated container (the cross sections of each panel are shown in a simplified manner). [Figure 28] 29 and 30, which are perspective views of a bottom panel 1b (before assembly) that constitutes the insulated container, as viewed from above, showing another embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 29] 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIX-XXIX or line XXIX'-XXIX' in FIG. 28. [Figure 30] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of a container body x of an assembled insulated container (the cross sections of each panel are shown in a simplified manner). [Figure 31] 1 shows an embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention that does not have a vibration-proofing function for the container body x, and is a schematic enlarged front view of the lower part of the insulated container in an assembled state. [Figure 32] FIG. 34 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the heat insulating panel of the present invention, schematically shown together with FIG. 33. [Figure 33] 33 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXIII-XXXIII or line XXXIII'-XXXIII' in FIG. 32. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a part of an insulated container in the middle of assembly, showing another embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] First, the heat insulating panel of the present invention will be described. Figures 1 to 3 show schematic diagrams of one embodiment of the insulating panel of the present invention, where Figure 1 is an oblique view of the insulating panel, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line II-II or line II'-II' in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part P in Figure 2. This heat insulating panel comprises a sealed plastic shell A and a heat insulating material B sealed inside the shell A (hollow portion C).

[0024] Shell A has a hollow, sealed structure made up of multiple plastic hollow plates and their welded joints. Specifically, shell A is made up of a first plastic hollow plate a1 (first panel face material) and a second plastic hollow plate a2 (second panel face material) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or more stacked plastic hollow plates. Shell A also has spacers a3 positioned along the outer edges (entire perimeter) of the plastic hollow plates a1 and a2, and a shell outer edge a4 made up of welded joints between the outer edges of the plastic hollow plate a1, the outer edges of the spacers a3, and the outer edges of the plastic hollow plate a2. The welded joints that make up shell outer edge a4 are formed by thermally fusing the outer edges of the above three components.

[0025] Since a heat insulating panel is usually used in a state where it is assembled with other heat insulating panels or other members, it is preferable that the outer edge portion a4 of the shell has an end face that is perpendicular to the panel surface, as in this embodiment. Here, a plastic hollow board is a plastic board with a hollow structure between a pair of parallel face plates. A typical example is plastic corrugated cardboard, but there are various types depending on the shape and manufacturing method of the hollow structure. For example, products with different hollow structure shapes include "Twin Cone," "Single Cone," and "Danplate" manufactured by Ube Exsymo Co., Ltd., "Texel" manufactured by Risu Co., Ltd., and "Plapearl" manufactured by Kawakami Industries Co., Ltd. In addition, manufacturing methods include welding face plates (plastic sheets) to both sides of a molded board processed into a three-dimensional shape (e.g., embossed), welding two face plates (plastic sheets) with convex portions formed on one side together, or extruding the entire board into a single unit.

[0026] In the heat insulating panel of this embodiment, the plastic hollow plate a1 side is the outer surface (e.g., the outer surface of a container), so from the viewpoint of heat insulating effect and panel durability, the thickness of the panel surface material (plastic hollow plate) is set to plastic hollow plate a1 > plastic hollow plate a2. Therefore, for example, the plastic hollow plate a1 may be made of "Twin Cone" (product name) and the plastic hollow plate a2 may be made of "Single Cone" (product name). However, to improve heat retention performance, the plastic hollow plate a1 and the plastic hollow plate a2 may each be made of "Twin Cone" (product name).

[0027] The spacer a3 is a member (spacer) that maintains the distance between the plastic hollow plates a1 and a2, and also serves to close the space between the plastic hollow plates a1 and a2 along the outer edge (entire periphery) of the plates and also functions as a heat insulating layer. The spacer a3 in this embodiment is composed of two stacked plastic hollow plates. The spacer a3 is disposed along the outer edge (entire periphery) of the plates between the plastic hollow plates a1 and a2, with a width that does not excessively reduce the area of ​​the hollow portion C. Generally, the width w (FIG. 2) of this spacer a3 is preferably about 20 to 60 mm, and particularly preferably about 30 to 40 mm, from the above-mentioned viewpoint.

[0028] FIG. 21 shows an example of a method for forming the welded portion that constitutes the shell outer edge a4. In this method, a plastic hollow plate a2, a spacer a3 (two plastic hollow plates), and a plastic hollow plate a1 are stacked (FIG. 21(A)). A certain width portion e including their outer edges is then pressed down from above with a heat bar 20 to form a thin tongue-like portion s (FIG. 21(B)). Next, the tongue-like portion s is bent toward the panel edge (FIG. 21(C)), and the heat bar 20 is pressed against the panel edge (the end faces of the plastic hollow plates a1, a2, and the spacer a3) and welded (FIG. 21(D)). This welds the outer edges of the plastic hollow plate a1, the spacer a3, and the plastic hollow plate a2 together via the tongue-like portion s, forming the shell outer edge a4. The heat bar 20 is used at a temperature that can weld the resin (usually polypropylene) that constitutes the plastic hollow plates.

[0029] 21, any method can be used as long as it can form a weld between the outer edges of the plastic hollow plate a1, the spacer a3, and the plastic hollow plate a2. For example, the plastic hollow plate a2, the spacer a3 (two plastic hollow plates), and the plastic hollow plate a1 can be stacked together, and a heat bar 20 can be pressed directly against the end faces to melt the resin and form the weld (shell outer edge a4). The thickness t (FIG. 3) of the outer edge a4 (welded portion) of the shell is not particularly limited, but is generally about 2 to 8 mm (preferably about 4 to 5 mm).

[0030] There are no particular restrictions on the type of insulating material B that is enclosed inside the shell A (hollow portion C), but it is preferable to use vacuum insulating material as insulating material B in order to create an insulating panel with high insulating performance when combined with the plastic hollow board that makes up the shell A. Vacuum insulation panels are insulation panels in which a core material is placed inside a bag, which is an outer packaging material, and the inside of the bag is kept in a vacuum state. This suppresses internal heat convection, resulting in excellent insulation performance. Various types of vacuum insulation panels are known, each with different types (materials) and structures of outer packaging and core material, and any of these may be used. Two or more sheets of vacuum insulation panels may also be stacked in the panel thickness direction. There is no particular limit to the size of the insulating panel, and it may be an appropriate size depending on the application. There is also no particular limit to the thickness of the insulating panel, but basically it is the total thickness of the first and second panel face materials (plastic hollow plates a1, a2) that make up the shell A and the insulating material B, so it is usually about 25 to 50 mm thick (preferably about 35 to 40 mm thick). The insulating panel of the present invention can be used as a component part (side panel, bottom panel, top panel) of an insulated container as described below, as well as an insulating material (lining material) for the cargo compartment of a container, freight car, truck, aircraft, etc.

[0031] This heat insulating panel has the following effects and is therefore particularly suitable for the above-mentioned applications. (i) The panel end (shell outer edge a4) is composed of a welded joint between a plastic hollow plate a1, a plastic hollow plate a2, and a spacer a3 (plastic hollow plate) between them, and the entire panel is covered with a shell A consisting of the plastic hollow plate and its welded joint. Furthermore, the spacer a3 (plastic hollow plate) arranged inside the panel end (shell outer edge a4) functions as an insulating layer, and the insulating properties of the panel end are also high, so the panel as a whole has high insulating properties. (ii) As described above, the entire panel is covered with a shell A consisting of a plastic hollow plate and its welded parts, so there is no risk of peeling or gaps occurring due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the constituent parts, as occurs at the panel ends (outer edges) of the insulating panel of Patent Document 1, and there is no risk of a decrease in insulating performance.

[0032] (iii) When manufacturing the panel, the outer edge (end) of the panel is heat-welded, but since there is a spacer a3 made of a plastic hollow plate between the welded part and the insulating material B, heat is blocked and there is no risk of the insulating material B (especially vacuum insulating material, etc.) being damaged by the heat during welding. (iv) As described above, the entire panel is covered with a shell A consisting of a plastic hollow plate and its welded parts. Therefore, unlike the heat insulating panel of Patent Document 1, there is no risk of deterioration or peeling of the adhesive surfaces between the components at the ends of the panel due to long-term use or external forces, and high durability is achieved. (v) As described above, the entire panel is covered with a shell A consisting of a plastic hollow plate and its welded parts, so it is easy to fix part of the connecting metal fittings for connecting the insulating panels to each other at any point, including the panel ends (outer edges).

[0033] Next, the heat-insulating container of the present invention will be described. The insulated container of the present invention uses insulating panels having the basic configuration described above for each of the side, bottom, and top panels of the container, and is an insulated container constructed by removably assembling (disassembling) multiple side panels 1a that form the sides of the container, a bottom panel 1b that forms the bottom of the container, and a top panel 1c that forms the ceiling of the container. 4 to 18 show one embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention, and among these, FIGS. 4 to 11 show panels (before assembly) that constitute the insulated container.

[0034] Figures 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations of the side panel 1a, with Figure 4 being a perspective view of the side panel 1a, and Figure 5 being a cross-sectional view taken along line VV or line V'-V' in Figure 4. Figures 6 to 8 are schematic illustrations of the bottom panel 1b, with Figure 6 being a perspective view of the bottom panel 1b seen from above, Figure 7 being a perspective view of the bottom panel 1b seen from below, and Figure 8 being a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII or line VIII'-VIII' in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a plate 8 fixed to the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 in the bottom panel 1b, and is a perspective view of the plate 8 seen from the bottom side. Figures 10 and 11 are schematic illustrations of the top panel 1c, with Figure 10 being a perspective view of the top panel 1c seen from below, and Figure 11 being a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI or line XI'-XI' in Figure 10.

[0035] The heat insulating panel main body 100 of the side panel 1a, bottom panel 1b and top panel 1c (however, in the case of side panel 1a, side panel 1a = heat insulating panel main body 100) each has the heat insulating panel configuration as explained above, that is, a configuration comprising a sealed plastic shell A and heat insulating material B sealed inside this shell A (hollow portion C). Therefore, the configuration of the heat insulating panel main body 100 of the side panel 1a, bottom panel 1b and top panel 1c will be assigned the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 to 3, and detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the shell A of each insulating panel constituting the side panel 1a, bottom panel 1b, and top panel 1c has the plastic hollow plate a1 side facing the outer surface of the container, so the thickness of the panel surface material (plastic hollow plate) is set to plastic hollow plate a1 > plastic hollow plate a2 from the viewpoint of insulating effect and panel durability, etc. However, to further enhance the heat retention effect, the plastic hollow plate a2 may be made the same thickness as the plastic hollow plate a1.

[0036] In the insulated container of this embodiment, a plurality of side panels 1a, bottom panel 1b, and top panel 1c are detachably assembled so that the edge portions of the panel surfaces and the panel end faces of adjacent panels butt against each other (however, if a flange is attached to the outer edge of one panel, this includes a state in which the flange and the panel end face of the other panel butt against each other), and a packing material 2 is interposed in the butted parts of the panels. For this reason, although not shown in Figures 4 to 11, a packing material 2 is attached in advance to one of the panels that make up the butted parts of the panels. As described above, in the present invention, "a state in which the edge portions of the panel surfaces and the panel end faces of adjacent panels are butted against each other" also includes a state in which, when a crocodile portion (in this embodiment, flange portion 101) is attached to the outer edge of one panel (in this embodiment, bottom panel 1b), such as the butt joint between side panel 1a and bottom panel 1b in this embodiment, the crocodile portion and the panel end face of the other panel (in this embodiment, side panel 1a) are butted against each other. The packing material 2 is made of a compressible, elastically deformable resin material (such as urethane foam or rubber). The packing material 2 is adhered and fixed to the panel surface (including the surfaces of the flanges 101 and 102 formed along the outer edge of the heat insulating panel main body 100) or the panel end surface using, for example, double-sided adhesive tape or adhesive.

[0037] The insulated container of this embodiment has a cubic shape and is provided with four side panels 1a as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Two of the side panels 1a (insulating panel main bodies) are arranged opposite each other, and have packing materials 2 (not shown) attached in the vertical direction to both widthwise ends of the inner surfaces (panel surfaces on the plastic hollow panel a2 side) of these panels. 6 to 8, a plate 8 larger than the heat insulating panel main body 100 is fixed to the underside of the heat insulating panel main body 100, and a flange 101 is formed (attached) by this plate 8 along the outer edge of the heat insulating panel main body 100. This flange 101 is for abutting the lower end surface of the side panel 1a. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate 8, but in this embodiment it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight design. For example, the plate 8 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of the heat insulating panel main body 100 of the bottom panel 1b by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, rivets or the like.

[0038] In this embodiment, a bottom panel 1b and a top panel 1c are placed on a cylindrical side panel body formed by connecting four side panels 1a, and are fastened with a band 4 wrapped around the outside, thereby detachably connecting the bottom panel 1b and the top panel 1c to the side panel body, with a through hole 9 provided in the bottom panel 1b for passing the band 4 through. Furthermore, a cushioning material fitting portion 10x is provided on the underside of the bottom panel 1b to fit in and restrain the upper end of the cushioning material 6 provided between the bottom panel 1b and the pallet 5, preventing it from shifting position. The bottom panel 1b has a plate-shaped portion (plates 8, 12) on the underside of the insulation panel main body 100, with a through hole 9 formed parallel to the panel surface and a plurality of recessed cushioning material fitting portions 10x formed in the plate-shaped portion.

[0039] Specifically, a guide groove 80 as shown in Fig. 9 is formed on the underside of the plate 8, and a plate 12 having a plurality of through holes 120 as shown in Fig. 7 is fixed to the underside of the plate 8. Two guide grooves 80 are provided at predetermined intervals in each of the vertical and horizontal directions of the underside of the plate 8 (i.e., arranged in a square pattern). Band guide through holes 9 are formed (pierced) in the vertical and horizontal directions of the panel, parallel to the panel surface, by the guide grooves 80 of the plate 8 and the plate surface of the plate 12. Two through holes 9 are provided at predetermined intervals in each of the vertical and horizontal directions of the panel (i.e., arranged in a square pattern), and a part of a fastening band 4 is inserted into each through hole 9, as will be described later.

[0040] Furthermore, each through hole 120 of the plate 12 forms a recessed cushioning material fitting portion 10x that fits and restrains the upper end portion of the cushioning material 6. The same applies to a guide groove 110 of the plate 11, which will be described later. The guide grooves 80 on the underside of the plate 8 can be formed, for example, by pressing a heat bar against the underside of the plate 8, which is made of a hollow plastic plate, and causing a depression in that area through thermal deformation. The same applies to the guide grooves 110 on the plate 11, which will be described later. Although there are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate 12, in this embodiment it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight. For example, this plate 12 is fixed (attached) to the underside of the plate 8 by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, or rivets. A packing material 2 (not shown) is attached to the upper surface of a flange 101 formed (attached) along the outer edge of the bottom panel 1b (heat insulating panel main body 100).

[0041] 10 and 11, the upper end face of the side panel 1a is abutted against the peripheral edge of the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 (the entire periphery of the insulation panel main body 100) via a packing material 2 (not shown). A plate 18 smaller than the insulation panel main body 100 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 of the top panel 1c, and this plate 18 forms a convex portion 104 on the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 excluding the peripheral edge. In this way, with the upper end face of the side panel 1a abutting against the peripheral edge of the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 of the top panel 1c via the packing material 2, the convex portion 104 is fitted into the inside of the upper end of the cylindrically connected side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion). There are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate 18, but in this embodiment it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight design. For example, the plate 18 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of the heat insulating panel main body 100 of the top panel 1c by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, or rivets. A packing material 2 (not shown) is attached to the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the heat insulating panel body 100 .

[0042] 12 to 16 show the insulated container in an assembled state (excluding the protective cover 7), with Fig. 12 being a perspective view, Fig. 13 being a front view, Fig. 14 being a schematic enlarged front view of the lower part of the insulated container, Fig. 15 being a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the container body x (the cross-sections of each panel are shown in a simplified manner), and Fig. 16 being a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of the container body x (the cross-sections of each panel are shown in a simplified manner). Also, Fig. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing a plate body 14 fixed to the upper surface of the pallet 5. Note that the holding plate 15 is not shown in Fig. 14. The insulated container of this embodiment includes a container body x that is configured by detachably assembling (disassembling) four side panels 1a, a bottom panel 1b, and a top panel 1c, and further includes a pallet 5 that supports the container body x. Furthermore, the pallet 5 supports the container body x via cushioning material 6, thereby providing a vibration-proof function for the container body x.

[0043] The four side panels 1a are arranged in a flat quadrangular shape as shown in Fig. 16 (schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of the container body x), and are assembled so that the edge portions of the panel surfaces of adjacent side panels 1a butt against each other, with packing material 2 interposed between the butted portions of the side panels 1a. Adjacent side panels 1a are detachably connected with connectors 3 so that the packing material 2 interposed between the butted portions is compressed, and the side panels 1a connected in this manner form a cylindrical side panel body.

[0044] There are no particular limitations on the type of connector 3, as long as it can detachably connect the side panels 1a together so that the packing material 2 interposed between the butt joints of adjacent side panels 1a is compressed. As shown in Fig. 13, the connector 3 is preferably one that detachably connects a component 30 fixed to one of the adjacent side panels (for example, the end face of the panel) with a component 31 fixed to the other panel (for example, the edge portion of the panel face), and in this embodiment, a rotary lock is used. A rotary lock is a well-known connecting means consisting of a main body (component 30) having a mechanism for rotating a lever to move the hook portion back and forth, and a hook receiving portion (component 31) for hooking and engaging the hook portion.In this embodiment, the main body (component 30) is fixed to the panel end surface of one of the adjacent side panel panels 1a, and the hook receiving portion (component 31) is fixed to the edge portion of the panel surface of the other side panel.

[0045] This connector 3 (rotary lock) rotates the lever of the main body (component 30) in one direction to advance the hook portion, which then hooks onto and engages with the hook receiving portion (component 31). Next, by rotating the lever in the opposite direction to retract (pull in) the hook portion, the hook portion and the hook receiving portion are firmly connected. This allows adjacent side panels 1a to be firmly connected together, compressing the packing material 2 interposed between the butt portions. The connector 3 may be, for example, a snap lock, a Velcro tape (registered trademark), a lashing belt, or the like.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 16, a bottom panel 1b and a top panel 1c are attached to side panels 1a (side panel trunk portions) that are connected in a cylindrical shape, and as shown in Fig. 15, the insulation panel main body 100 of the bottom panel 1b is fitted into the inside of the lower end of the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion), and a flange portion 101 (upper surface) of the panel outer edge abuts against the lower end surface of the side panel 1a via the packing material 2. On the other hand, the top panel 1c has the upper end surface of the side panel 1a abutted against the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the insulation panel main body 100 via the packing material 2, and a convex portion 104 on the lower surface of the insulation panel main body 100 is fitted into the inside of the upper end of the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion). The above-described configuration of the butt joints between the bottom panel 1b, top panel 1c and side panel 1a is intended to prevent the side panel 1a from collapsing into the inside of the container when the band 4 is wrapped around and tightened around the bottom panel 1b, top panel 1c and side panel 1a (side panel body portion) as described below.

[0047] The cylindrical side panel body (a connection of multiple side panels 1b) and the top and bottom panels 1c and 1b arranged at the upper and lower ends thereof are detachably connected using bands 4 as a connecting means (fastening means). The insulated container of this embodiment has four bands 4 (usually buckle-type fastening bands), and a portion of each band 4 is passed through each of the through holes 9 in the bottom panel 1b in the vertical and horizontal directions. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, each band 4 is wrapped around the side panel 1a (side panel body) and the top panel 1c in a # shape in the vertical and horizontal directions. The bands 4 are tightened so that the packing material 2 interposed between the panels is compressed, thereby detachably connecting (fastening) the side panel 1a (side panel body) to the bottom panel 1b and the top panel 1c. This forms a container body x of the insulated container consisting of the side panel 1a, the bottom panel 1b, and the top panel 1c.

[0048] This container body x is supported on a pallet 5 (transport pallet) via a plurality of cushioning materials 6. These cushioning materials 6 are distributed and arranged at appropriate intervals between the container body x and the pallet 5 so as to stably support the container body x on the pallet 5. Here, the number and layout of the cushioning materials 6 are not particularly limited, but since the cushioning materials 6 become support points at which the container body x is supported on the pallet 5, it is preferable to stably support the container body x on the pallet 5 with a sufficient number of cushioning materials 6 at four or more points, and for this reason, the number is appropriately selected taking into consideration the load distribution of the items stored in the container body x and the deflection of the bottom panel 1b. Generally, the number of cushioning materials 6 is set to 1 m per pallet. 2 Approximately 4 to 12 pieces per pallet (thus, approximately 4 to 12 pieces for a standard pallet size of 110 cm x 110 cm) is preferred, and approximately 5 to 9 pieces per pallet (thus, approximately 5 to 9 pieces for a standard pallet size of 110 cm x 110 cm) is particularly preferred.

[0049] There are no particular restrictions on the material of the buffer material 6, but polyurethane elastomers and vibration-isolating rubbers, which have relatively high vibration-isolating performance and can change the dynamic spring constant depending on the area that receives the load, are particularly preferred, and among these, ether-based foamed polyurethane elastomers are preferred because they can lower the natural frequency and can obtain an appropriate buffer effect over a wide range of loads by changing the component composition. There are also no particular restrictions on the size or thickness of the buffer material 6, but generally, the size is 25 cm. 2 (e.g. 5cm x 5cm) ~ 400cm 2 (For example, 20 cm x 20 cm) and a thickness of about 10 mm to 50 mm is preferable.

[0050] As shown in Figure 17, a plate 14 having a plurality of through holes 140 formed therein similar to the plate 12 shown in Figure 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the pallet 5, and the through holes 140 of this plate 14 form a concave cushioning material fitting portion 10y on the upper surface of the pallet 5 into which the lower end portion of the cushioning material 6 is fitted and restrained. Although there are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate 14, in this embodiment it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight. For example, the plate 14 is fixed (adhered) to the top surface of the pallet 5 by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, or rivets. Each cushioning material 6 is interposed between the container body x and the pallet 5 with its upper end portion fitted into the cushioning material fitting portion 10x on the bottom panel 1b side of the container body x and its lower end portion fitted into the cushioning material fitting portion 10y on the pallet 5, thereby supporting the container body x on the pallet 5. By fitting and restraining the upper and lower end portions of the cushioning material 6 into the cushioning material fitting portion 10x and the cushioning material fitting portion 10y, respectively, the cushioning material 6 is prevented from shifting position and the container body x is stably supported on the pallet 5, thereby more appropriately achieving vibration-damping effect.

[0051] The heat-insulating container of this embodiment further includes a protective cover 7 that covers the container body x. In Figures 12 and 13, the container body x is simply supported on the pallet 5 via cushioning material 6, but in order to prevent the support state and posture of the container body x on the pallet 5 from being distorted, it is not possible to fix the container body x to the pallet 5 with a belt or the like, or to a part other than the pallet 5 (for example, a part inside the container in which the pallet 5 is placed) with a belt or the like, because this would eliminate the vibration-damping effect of the cushioning material 6. For this reason, the insulated container of this embodiment is provided with a protective cover 7 that covers the container body x supported on the pallet 5 with a predetermined gap, and by supporting and fixing this protective cover 7 to the pallet 5, the support state and posture of the container body x on the pallet 5 are prevented from being disturbed.

[0052] Figure 18 (Figures 18-1 and 18-2) shows the protective cover 7 attached, with Figure 18(a) being an oblique view showing only the body 70 of the protective cover 7 attached to the container body x, and Figure 18(b) being an oblique view showing the protective cover 7 (body 70 and lid 71) attached to the container body x. The protective cover 7 is a box-shaped cover with an open bottom end, and includes a cylindrical body 70 and a lid 71 that is removably attached to the top end of the body 70. The body 70 is configured by assembling multiple side panels (plates) that are components, and can be assembled and disassembled as needed. The multiple side panels that make up the body 70 are removably connected by appropriate connecting means (not shown). There are no particular restrictions on the materials used for the panels that make up the body 70 and the lid 71, but in this embodiment, they are made of hollow plastic plates from the perspective of heat insulation and lightweight design. In addition, rubber plates 200 are fixed to the four corners of the top surface of the lid 71. When the insulated containers are disassembled and reassembled as shown in Figure 20 when not in use, and then stacked together for transport or storage, these rubber plates 200 act as anti-slip pads to prevent the insulated containers from falling over.

[0053] Presser plates 15 protrude from the four sides of the pallet 5 to restrain the sides of the protective cover 7 from the outside and position it on the pallet 5. The protective cover 7 has its body 70 fitted inside the presser plates 15 protruding from the four sides of the pallet 5, thereby covering the container body x supported on the pallet 5 with a predetermined gap, and the protective cover 7 itself is also supported on the pallet 5. A band 16 (usually a buckle-type fastening band) with one end fastened to the pallet 5 is wrapped crosswise (vertically and horizontally) around the protective cover 7, and by tightening this band 16, the protective cover 7 is fixed to the pallet 5, and the protective cover 7 and the pallet 5 are integrated. In this way, the container body x is covered and protected by the protective cover 7 so that the support state and posture of the container body x on the pallet 5 do not collapse, without impairing the vibration-damping effect of the cushioning material 6.

[0054] 19 (FIGS. 19-1 to 19-7) (A) to (G) show an example of the procedure for assembling the insulated container of this embodiment, and FIG. 19(A) shows a pallet 5 having cushioning material fitting portions 10y provided on its upper surface via plate bodies 14. Cushioning materials 6 are arranged on this pallet 5 by fitting the lower end portions of the cushioning materials 6 into the cushioning material fitting portions 10y (FIG. 19(B)), and then a bottom panel 1b having cushioning material fitting portions 10x provided on its lower surface via plate bodies 12 is placed thereon, and the upper end portions of the cushioning materials 6 are fitted into the cushioning material fitting portions 10x (FIG. 19(C)). Next, the four side panels 1a are sequentially placed on the flange 101 (on whose upper surface the packing material 2 is provided) of the bottom panel 1b, and the edges and end faces of the panel surfaces of adjacent side panels 1a are butted together via the packing material 2, and both panels are detachably connected with connectors 3 so that the packing material 2 is compressed (Fig. 19(d) to (f)). By connecting the four side panels 1a in a cylindrical shape, the insulation panel main body 100 of the bottom panel 1b is fitted inside the lower end of the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion), and the flange 101 (upper surface) of the bottom panel 1b and the lower end face of the side panel 1a are butted together via the packing material 2.

[0055] Next, the top panel 1c is placed on top of the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion) (Fig. 19(f)), and the upper end face of the side panel 1a is butted against the peripheral edge of the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 via the packing material 2, with the convex portion 104 on the underside of the insulation panel main body 100 fitted into the inside of the upper end of the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion). Next, bands 4 (usually buckle-type fastening bands) passed through the vertical and horizontal through holes 9 of the bottom panel 1b are wound lengthwise and widthwise in a # shape around the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion) and the top panel 1c, and the bands 4 are tightened so that the packing material 2 interposed between the butt joints of the panels is compressed, thereby detachably connecting the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion) to the bottom panel 1b and top panel 1c (Fig. 19(g)). As a result, a container body x of the heat-insulating container is formed, which is made up of the side panel 1a, the bottom panel 1b, and the top panel 1c, and this container body x is supported on the pallet 5 via the cushioning material 6.

[0056] Next, as shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), the container body x is covered with a protective cover 7, and the protective cover 7 is fixed to the pallet 5 with a band 16. This completes the insulated container. Naturally, during the assembly of this insulated container, an object to be kept cold or warm or a refrigerant will be placed inside the container. Figure 20 shows the insulated container of this embodiment disassembled for transport and storage when not in use. The disassembled components (panels) can be stacked on a pallet 5 and the whole package secured with bands 16, allowing for compact storage. The size of the heat-insulating container of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is usually 1 m 3 (e.g. 1m x 1m x 1m) ~ 5m 3 That's about it.

[0057] The heat-insulating container of the present invention can take various embodiments other than those shown in FIGS. 4 to 18, for example, as follows. In the above-described embodiment, the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion), bottom panel 1b, and top panel 1c, which are connected in a cylindrical shape by the connecting device 3, are detachably connected by being fastened with a wrapped band 4, but the side panel 1a and bottom panel 1b, and the side panel 1a and top panel 1c, may also be detachably connected by the connecting device 3.

[0058] In other words, adjacent side panel 1a and bottom panel 1b can be detachably connected by connector 3 so that the packing material 2 interposed between the panels at their butt joints is compressed, and adjacent side panel 1a and top panel 1c can be detachably connected by connector 3 so that the packing material 2 interposed between the panels at their butt joints is compressed. The connectors 3 used are as described in the above embodiment. In this case, the components of the connectors 3 are attached to the butt joints between the side panel 1a and the bottom panel 1b, and between the side panel 1a and the top panel 1c.

[0059] Figures 22 to 24 show another embodiment of the present invention in which the through-holes 9 in the bottom panel 1b are provided in a manner different from that of the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 18. Figures 22 and 23 are schematic diagrams of the bottom panel 1b, with Figure 22 being a perspective view of the bottom panel 1b as seen from above, and Figure 23 being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII or line XXIII'-XXIII' in Figure 22. Figure 24 is a schematic enlarged front view of the lower part of the insulated container in an assembled state. Note that the presser plate 15 is not shown in Figure 24. 4 to 18, guide grooves 80 are formed on the underside of plate 8 of bottom panel 1b, but in this embodiment, a plate 11 for forming through holes is fixed to the underside of plate 8. Guide grooves 110 are formed in the vertical and horizontal directions on the underside of this plate 11, similar to the underside of plate 8 shown in Fig. 9, and further, a plate 12 having a plurality of through holes 120 formed therein as shown in Fig. 7 is fixed to the underside of this plate 11.

[0060] Two guide grooves 110 are provided at predetermined intervals in each of the vertical and horizontal directions on the underside of plate 11 (i.e., arranged in a # shape). Band guide through holes 9 are formed (pierced) in the vertical and horizontal directions of the panel parallel to the panel surface by the guide grooves 110 of plate 11 and the plate surface of plate 12. As in the embodiment of Figures 4 to 18, two through holes 9 are provided at predetermined intervals in each of the vertical and horizontal directions of the panel (i.e., arranged in a # shape), and a part of a fastening band 4 is inserted into each through hole 9. Although there are no particular restrictions on the material of plates 11 and 12, in this embodiment they are made of hollow plastic plates from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight design. Plate 11 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of plate 8, and plate 12 is fixed (bonded) to the underside of plate 11, respectively, by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, or rivets. Other configurations are the same as those in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 18, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0061] Figures 25 to 27 show another embodiment of the present invention in which the assembly structure of the side panel 1a and the top panel 1c differs from that of the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 18. Figures 25 and 26 schematically show the top panel 1c, with Figure 25 being a perspective view of the top panel 1c seen from its underside, and Figure 26 being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI or line XXVI'-XXVI' in Figure 25. Also, Figure 27 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the container body x of the insulated container in an assembled state (the cross-sections of each panel are shown in a simplified form). In the top panel 1c of this embodiment, a plate 13 larger than the insulating panel main body 100 is fixed to the upper surface of the insulating panel main body 100, and a flange 102 is formed (attached) by this plate 13 along the outer edge of the insulating panel main body 100. This flange 102 is for butting against the upper end surface of the side panel 1a. Although there are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate 13, in this embodiment it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight design. For example, the plate 13 is fixed (adhered) to the top surface of the heat insulating panel main body 100 of the top panel 1c by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, rivets, etc. A packing material 2 (not shown) is attached to the underside of a flange 102 formed (attached) along the outer edge of the top panel 1c (heat insulating panel main body 100).

[0062] As shown in Figure 27, the bottom panel 1b is attached to the cylindrically connected side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion) in the same manner as in the embodiment of Figures 4 to 18, but the top panel 1c has its insulation panel main body portion 100 fitted into the inside of the upper end of the side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion), and the flange portion 102 at the outer edge of the panel is abutted against the upper end surface of the side panel 1a via the gasket material 2. By configuring the joints between the bottom panel 1b, top panel 1c and side panel 1a as described above, it is possible to prevent the side panel 1a from falling inside the container when the band 4 is wrapped around and tightened around the bottom panel 1b, top panel 1c and side panel 1a (side panel body portion). Other configurations are the same as those in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 18, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0063] Figures 28 to 30 show another embodiment of the present invention in which the assembly structure of side panel 1a and bottom panel 1b differs from that of the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 18. Figures 28 and 29 schematically show bottom panel 1b, with Figure 28 being a perspective view of bottom panel 1b seen from above, and Figure 29 being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIX-XXIX or line XXIX'-XXIX' in Figure 28. Also, Figure 30 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of container body x of the insulated container in an assembled state (the cross-section of each panel is shown in a simplified form). In this embodiment, the bottom panel 1b is configured so that the lower end surface of the side panel 1a abuts against the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the insulation panel main body 100 (the entire periphery of the insulation panel main body 100) via a packing material 2 (not shown). A plate 17 smaller than the insulation panel main body 100 is fixed to the upper surface of the insulation panel main body 100 of the bottom panel 1b, and this plate 17 forms a convex portion 103 on the upper surface of the insulation panel main body 100 excluding the peripheral edge. As a result, with the lower end surface of the side panel 1a abutting against the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the insulation panel main body 100 of the bottom panel 1b via the packing material 2, the convex portion 103 is fitted into the inside of the lower end of the cylindrically connected side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion).

[0064] A packing material 2 (not shown) is attached to the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the heat insulating panel body 100 . Although there are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate 17, in this embodiment it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight design. For example, the plate 17 is fixed (adhered) to the top surface of the heat insulating panel main body 100 of the bottom panel 1b by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, or rivets. 22 to 24 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of the heat-insulating panel body 100, and further, a plate 12 having a plurality of through holes 120 formed therein as shown in Fig. 7 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of this plate 11. Then, the guide grooves 110 of the plate 11 and the plate surface of the plate 12 form through holes 9 for band guides in the vertical and horizontal directions of the panel.

[0065] As shown in Figure 30, the top panel 1c is attached to the cylindrically connected side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion) in the same manner as in the embodiment of Figures 4 to 18, but the bottom panel 1b is abutted against the lower end surface of the side panel 1a at the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the insulation panel main body 100 via a gasket material 2, and the convex portion 103 on the upper surface of the insulation panel main body 100 is fitted into the inside of the lower end of the cylindrically connected side panel 1a (side panel trunk portion). By configuring the joints between the bottom panel 1b, top panel 1c and side panel 1a as described above, it is possible to prevent the side panel 1a from falling inside the container when the band 4 is wrapped around and tightened around the bottom panel 1b, top panel 1c and side panel 1a (side panel body portion). Other configurations are the same as those in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 18, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0066] FIG. 31 shows an embodiment of the heat-insulating container of the present invention in which the container body x does not have a vibration-proofing function, and is a schematic enlarged front view of the lower part of the heat-insulating container in an assembled state. This heat-insulating container does not have a vibration-proofing function for the container body x, and therefore does not include the cushioning material 6 or the member for holding it as shown in FIG. The bottom panel 1b has a plate member 19 fixed to the underside of the plate body 8, on which the guide groove 80 is formed, to form the through-holes 9 for the bands. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate body 19, but in this embodiment, it is made of a hollow plastic plate from the viewpoint of heat insulation and lightweight design. For example, the plate body 19 is fixed (adhered) to the underside of the plate body 8 by adhesive or joining means such as double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive agent, screws, or rivets.

[0067] The bottom panel 1b is placed directly on the upper surface of the pallet 5. The bottom panel 1b may be detachable from the pallet 5, or may be fixed to the upper surface of the pallet 5. Other configurations are the same as those in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 18, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted. In the case of an insulated container that does not have a vibration-damping function for the container body x, as in this embodiment, there is no problem in fixing the container body x to the pallet 5 with a band or the like, so basically, a protective cover 7 as shown in Figure 18 is not necessary. However, since a protective cover 7 may be required for other reasons, it is acceptable to provide a protective cover 7 as shown in Figure 18.

[0068] The insulating panel of the present invention and each insulating panel constituting the insulating container of the present invention may have a multi-layer structure in which two or more panel members 20, each having a shell A and an insulating material B sealed therein, are laminated and joined together. Such multi-layer insulating panels and insulating containers using them have particularly high insulating properties and are therefore suitable for keeping things cold in the sub-zero temperature range. Figures 32 and 33 are schematic diagrams showing one embodiment of such an insulating panel of the present invention, where Figure 32 is an oblique view of the insulating panel and Figure 33 is a cross-sectional view along line XXXIII-XXXIII or line XXXIII'-XXXIII' in Figure 32. The heat insulating panel of this embodiment is formed by laminating and joining two panel members 20, each of which has a sealed plastic shell A and a heat insulating material B sealed inside the shell A. The heat insulating panel may also be formed by laminating and joining three or more panel members 20.

[0069] Each panel member 20 has the same configuration as the heat insulating panel of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, so it is given the same reference numeral and detailed description will be omitted. The two stacked panel members 20 are joined together using, for example, double-sided adhesive tape or adhesive. In this case, the two panel members 20 may be joined directly to each other via their panel surfaces, but in this embodiment, the panel surfaces are joined together via (sandwiched between) a compressible, elastically deformable interposing material 21. This interposing material 21 is made of a compressible, elastically deformable sheet-like resin material (e.g., foamed polyethylene). The panel members 20 are prone to warping due to temperature changes, and this warping can cause gaps between the panel members 20, potentially reducing the insulating performance of the heat-insulating panel. Therefore, the compressible, elastically deformable interposing material 21 (warping buffer material) is designed to absorb this warping. When the interposing material 21 is disposed between the panel members 20 as in this embodiment, each panel member 20 and the interposing material 21 are joined together using double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive, or the like. When three or more panel members 20 are stacked, the interposing material 21 may be disposed between adjacent panel members 20 and they may be joined in the same manner as above.

[0070] FIG. 34 shows one embodiment of the insulated container of the present invention that utilizes a multi-layer insulating panel as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, and is a perspective view showing a part of the insulated container in the middle of assembly. 4 to 18, except that the side panel 1a, bottom panel 1b, and top panel 1c are "multi-layer insulating panels formed by stacking and joining two or more panel members 20" as shown in Figures 32 and 33. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted. Note that some components of the insulating container (for example, the band 4, pallet 5, protective cover 7, etc.) are not shown in the figures. Each of the heat insulating panels constituting the side panel 1a, bottom panel 1b and top panel 1c is formed by stacking and joining two or more panel members 20, and the heat insulating panel of this embodiment is formed by joining (sandwiching) two panel members 20 together via a compressible and elastically deformable interposing material 21. The heat insulating panel may also be formed by stacking and joining three or more panel members 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1a Side panel 1b Bottom panel 1c Top panel 2. Packing material 3 Connectors 4 bands 5 palettes 6 Cushioning material 7 Protective cover 8 Plate 9 through hole 10x,10y cushioning material fitting part 11, 12, 13, 14 Plate 15 Retaining plate 16 bands 17, 18, 19 Plate 20 Panel member 21 Interposition materials 30,31 Components 70 Torso 71 Lid 80 Guide groove 100 Heat insulation panel body 101,102 Tsuba section 103,104 Convex part 110 Guide groove 120,140 Through holes A. Shell B. Insulation material C Hollow part a1 First plastic hollow plate a2 Second plastic hollow plate a3 spacer a4 Outer edge of shell x Container body e part s tongue

Claims

1. A heat insulating panel comprising a plastic shell (A) having a sealed structure and a heat insulating material (B) enclosed within the shell (A), The heat insulating panel is characterized in that the shell (A) is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more laminated plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the shell outer edge (a4) is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

2. The heat insulating panel is formed by laminating and joining two or more panel members (20) each having a shell (A) with a sealed structure made of plastic and a heat insulating material (B) sealed inside the shell (A), The shell (A) of each panel member (20) is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more laminated plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the outer edge (a4) of the shell is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

3. 3. The heat insulating panel according to claim 2, wherein the adjacent panel members (20) have their panel surfaces joined together directly or via an interposing material.

4. 4. The heat insulating panel according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge (a4) of the shell has an end face perpendicular to the panel surface.

5. 4. The heat insulating panel according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating material (B) is a vacuum heat insulating material.

6. The insulated container is configured by detachably assembling a plurality of side panels (1a) constituting the container side, a bottom panel (1b) constituting the container bottom, and a top panel (1c) constituting the container ceiling, The side panel (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) each comprise a heat insulating panel having a sealed plastic shell (A) and a heat insulating material (B) sealed inside the shell (A); The shell (A) of each insulating panel is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more laminated plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the outer edge (a4) of the shell is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

7. The insulated container is configured by detachably assembling a plurality of side panels (1a) constituting the container side, a bottom panel (1b) constituting the container bottom, and a top panel (1c) constituting the container ceiling, The side panel (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) each comprise a heat-insulating panel formed by laminating and joining two or more panel members (20) each including a sealed plastic shell (A) and a heat-insulating material (B) sealed inside the shell (A); The shell (A) of the panel member (20) constituting each insulation panel is composed of a first plastic hollow plate (a1) and a second plastic hollow plate (a2) facing each other at a predetermined distance, and one or two or more laminated plastic hollow plates, and is provided with a spacer (a3) ​​arranged along the outer edge of the plate between the first plastic hollow plate (a1) and the second plastic hollow plate (a2), and the outer edge (a4) of the shell is composed of the welded portion between the outer edge of the first plastic hollow plate (a1), the outer edge of the spacer (a3), and the outer edge of the second plastic hollow plate (a2).

8. 8. The heat insulating panel according to claim 7, wherein the adjacent panel members (20) have their panel surfaces joined together directly or via an interposing material.

9. 9. The heat-insulating container according to claim 6, wherein the outer edge (a4) of the shell has an end face perpendicular to the panel surface.

10. 9. The insulated container according to claim 6, wherein the heat insulating material (B) is a vacuum heat insulating material.

11. 9. The insulated container according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of side panels (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) are detachably assembled such that the edge portions of the panel surfaces of adjacent panels are butted against the panel end faces (however, in the case where a flange portion is attached to the outer edge portion of one panel, this includes the state in which the flange portion is butted against the panel end face of the other panel), and a packing material (2) is interposed between the butted portions of the panels.

12. Adjacent side panels (1a) are detachably connected by connectors (3) so that packing material (2) interposed between the panels at their butt joints is compressed; The insulated container according to claim 11, characterized in that the connected side panel (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) are detachably connected by being fastened with a wound band (4) so ​​that the packing material (2) interposed between the butt joints of the panels is compressed.

13. The insulated container according to claim 12, characterized in that the connector (3) connecting adjacent panels is a detachable connector that connects a component (30) fixed to the edge portion of the panel surface of one of the adjacent panels with a component (31) fixed to the panel end surface of the other panel.

14. The insulated container according to claim 12, characterized in that the bottom panel (1b) has a plate-like portion on the underside of the insulation panel main body (100) which comprises a shell (A) and an insulation material (B) sealed therein, and a through hole (9) is formed in the plate-like portion parallel to the panel surface, and a part of the band (4) is inserted into the through hole (9).

15. The insulated container according to claim 11, characterized in that the plurality of side panels (1a), bottom panel (1b) and top panel (1c) are detachably connected to each other by connectors (3) so that the packing material (2) interposed between the adjacent panels is compressed.

16. The insulated container according to claim 15, characterized in that the connector (3) connecting adjacent panels detachably connects a component (30) fixed to the edge portion of the panel surface of one of the adjacent panels with a component (31) fixed to the panel end surface of the other panel.

17. The insulated container according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising a pallet (5) for supporting the container body (x) of the insulated container, which is configured by removably assembling a plurality of side panels (1a), a bottom panel (1b) and a top panel (1c).

18. 18. The insulated container according to claim 17, wherein the container body (x) is supported on a pallet (5) via a cushioning material (6).

19. The bottom panel (1b) has a plate-like portion on the underside of the heat-insulating panel body (100) which includes a shell (A) and a heat-insulating material (B) sealed therein, and the plate-like portion is formed with a recessed cushioning material fitting portion (10x) which fits and restrains the upper end portion of the cushioning material (6); The insulated container according to claim 18, characterized in that the pallet (5) has a plate-shaped portion on the upper surface side of its main body, and the plate-shaped portion is formed with a concave cushioning material fitting portion (10y) that fits into and restrains the lower end portion of the cushioning material (6).

20. The insulated container according to claim 18, further comprising a protective cover (7) that is supported and fixed to the pallet (5) in a state of covering the container body (x) supported on the pallet (5) with a predetermined gap.

21. A pressure plate (15) for restraining the protective cover is protruded from each side of the pallet (5), The insulated container according to claim 20, characterized in that the protective cover (7) covers the container body (x) supported on the pallet (5) with a predetermined gap by fitting its body (70) inside a plurality of pressure plates (15), and is supported on the pallet (5) and fixed to the pallet (5) with a band (16) wrapped around the protective cover (7).

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