Humidity-regulating sheets and containers

Abstract

To provide a lightweight humidity-conditioning sheet and a container equipped with the same. [Solution] The humidity-conditioning sheet 1 comprises a base sheet 10, a storage sheet 20, and mesoporous silica 30. The storage sheets 20 are arranged in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, and are adhered and fixed to the base sheet 10. There is a gap between the base sheet 10 and the storage sheet 20, and the gap is filled with mesoporous silica 30. Through holes 12 are formed in the four corners of the base sheet 10, and strings are passed through the through holes 12 so that the base sheet 10 can be hung from the ceiling of a container.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidity-conditioning sheet and a container equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are humidity control members used to control the humidity of a space. Patent Document 1 is an example of such technology, in which a humidity control member having a multilayer structure containing mesoporous silica is attached to the inside of a container. The humidity control member according to one embodiment of Patent Document 1 is a flat member that is integrated in the left-right direction of the container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7036967 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the above-described embodiment of Patent Document 1, the humidity control member is assumed to have a relatively large mass. However, considering that such a member will be used for humidity control inside a building, a container, etc., there is a demand for the member to be lightweight in terms of ease of installation.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight humidity-conditioning sheet and a container equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The humidity-conditioning sheet of the present invention comprises a first sheet, a plurality of second sheets fixed to the first sheet at different positions so as to leave gaps between the first sheet and the second sheets, and mesoporous silica granules contained in the gaps between the first sheet and each of the plurality of second sheets, and either or both of the first sheet and the second sheet are breathable.

[0007] In the humidity-conditioning sheet of the present invention, external air flows into the gaps through the breathable first or second sheet. The mesoporous silica particles contained in the gaps then condition the air. Because the entire structure of the present invention is formed in a sheet shape, it is easy to achieve a lightweight structure.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of second sheets are arranged in a first direction along the first sheet and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and along the first sheet, respectively. In this way, since the second sheets for containing mesoporous silica are arranged vertically and horizontally, it is easy to distribute the mesoporous silica uniformly on the first sheets.

[0009] In this invention, it is preferable that the humidity-conditioning sheet is suspended under the ceiling. Condensation is relatively likely to occur near the ceiling of the container. Therefore, by suspending the humidity-conditioning sheet under the ceiling, the sheet is positioned in an effective position to prevent condensation.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the humidity-conditioning sheet is placed on the cargo, which makes it easier to effectively condition the humidity around the cargo. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic view of a humidity-conditioning sheet according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the humidity-conditioning sheet of FIG. 1 taken along line II-II″. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing one humidity control member of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a container in which the humidity-conditioning sheet of FIG. 1 is used on the ceiling. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a container in which the humidity-conditioning sheet of FIG. 1 is used on the cargo. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A humidity-conditioning sheet 1 and a container 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. The container 100 has a humidity-conditioning sheet 1 suspended from the ceiling (see FIG. 4). The container 100 may be, for example, a dry container for transportation. The size of the container 100 is not important, but examples of containers that may be used include 10-foot containers, 20-foot containers, 40-foot containers, 40-foot high cube containers, and 45-foot containers, as specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The container 100 can be used for both marine and land transport, and is used for domestic and international transportation.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 comprises a base sheet 10 (referred to as the first sheet in the present invention), a storage sheet 20 (referred to as the second sheet in the present invention), and mesoporous silica 30. Note that, hereinafter, as shown in Figure 1, the width direction of the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is referred to as the left-right direction (referred to as the first direction in the present invention). Also, the front-rear direction (referred to as the second direction in the present invention) is defined so that the bottom of Figure 1 is the front direction and the top is the rear direction. Note that, as shown in Figure 2, the direction perpendicular to both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction is referred to as the up-down direction.

[0014] The base sheet 10 has a main body 11 and through holes 12. The main body 11 is a rectangular sheet that is slightly smaller than the ceiling surface of the container 100. The main body 11 need only be large enough to cover the ceiling surface. A breathable sheet material is used for the main body 11. For example, a nonwoven fabric made of a synthetic resin such as polyester is used. The openings of the nonwoven fabric are small enough to prevent the mesoporous silica 30 from falling off, but large enough to ensure the humidity-regulating performance of the mesoporous silica 30.

[0015] The through holes 12 are formed at each of the four corners of the main body 11. The through holes 12 may be fitted with metal fittings such as grommets for reinforcing the holes.

[0016] The storage sheet 20 is a rectangular sheet smaller than the base sheet 10. The storage sheet 20 is made of the same sheet material as the base sheet 10. However, a material different from the storage sheet 20 and the base sheet 10 may be used as long as it is breathable. The storage sheet 20 has four sides fixed to the upper surface 11a of the main body 11 so that a gap K is formed between the storage sheet 20 and the base sheet 10. The storage sheets 20 are arranged along both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. The size and number of the storage sheets 20 are adjusted as appropriate depending on the size and humidity of the container 100.

[0017] The mesoporous silica 30 is a granular material that adjusts the humidity in the space of the container 100. The mesoporous silica 30 may be artificially synthesized, or may be diatomaceous earth, which is formed by the accumulation of diatom shells. The upper limit of the average diameter of the mesoporous silica is preferably such that sufficient humidity-regulating performance is ensured, for example, 8 to 9 mm. The smaller the lower limit of the average diameter of the mesoporous silica, the easier it is to ensure humidity-regulating performance, but it is preferably large enough to sufficiently reduce powder shedding from the base sheet 10 and the storage sheet 20.

[0018] 2, the mesoporous silica 30 is contained in the gap K and placed on the upper surface 11a. The containing sheet 20 covers the mesoporous silica 30 on the base sheet .

[0019] Next, a method for producing the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 will be described, as shown in Figure 3. First, mesoporous silica raw material is pulverized (S1). Next, the pulverized mesoporous silica raw material is classified to obtain mesoporous silica granules with an adjusted particle size (S2). Next, the classified mesoporous silica is dried by leaving it alone or by applying heat, to obtain mesoporous silica 30 to be used in the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 (S3).

[0020] Next, three sides of each storage sheet 20 are bonded to the upper surface 11a of the main body 11 of the base sheet 10 (S4). Next, mesoporous silica 30 is filled through the openings on the unbonded sides of each storage sheet 20 (S5). Next, the remaining side of each storage sheet 20 is bonded (S6). In this manner, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is produced.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 4, the completed humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is used by hanging the strings passed through the four through-holes 12 on the ceiling of the container 100. In this case, it is preferable that the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is installed so that the storage sheet 12 is positioned above the base sheet 11, but the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 may also be installed upside down.

[0022] According to the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 described above, external air flows into the gap K through the breathable base sheet 10 and storage sheet 20. The mesoporous silica 30 stored in the gap K then conditions the humidity of the air. The humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is formed in a sheet shape as a whole, which facilitates weight reduction. Furthermore, since the storage sheets 20 for storing the mesoporous silica 30 are arranged in the left-right direction and the front-back direction, it is easy to distribute the mesoporous silica 30 evenly on the base sheet 10. Furthermore, by hanging the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 below the ceiling of the container 100, the sheet is positioned in an effective position against condensation.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 may be placed on top of a cargo C contained in a container 100. In this case, it is preferable that the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is placed so that the storage sheet 12 is located above the base sheet 11, but the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 may also be placed upside down. When used by placing the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 on a cargo C in this way, the band-shaped portion where the through-holes are formed may be removed, and the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 may consist of only the main body 11.

[0024] [Variations] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated not only by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments but also by the scope of the utility model registration claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the utility model registration claims. Below, modifications of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described. Furthermore, parts common to the above-mentioned embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals as above, and descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0025] In the first embodiment described above, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is used on the ceiling of the container 100, but it may also be used on other wall surfaces.

[0026] In the above-described embodiment, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 is used in the container 100. However, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 may also be used in spaces other than containers that require humidity control, such as warehouses and storage sheds. The humidity-conditioning sheet 1 may also be installed inside the loading platform of a transport vehicle.

[0027] In the above-described embodiment, the base sheet 10 is large enough to cover the entire ceiling of the container 100. However, the base sheet may be large enough to cover only a portion of the ceiling of the container 100.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the storage sheet 20 is rectangular. However, the storage sheet may be circular or have another shape. The storage sheets may also be different sizes.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, the storage sheets 20 are arranged in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, and are fixed to the base sheet 10. However, as long as the positions of the storage sheets 20 are different, the storage sheets 20 may be fixed to any position on the base sheet 10.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the gap K between the base sheet 10 and the storage sheet 20 is filled only with mesoporous silica 30. However, it may be filled with a mixture of other materials containing silicon dioxide as a main component, such as silica gel, or other humidity control materials, such as zeolite. It may also be filled with a mixture of mesoporous silica 30 and other materials with other effects, such as deodorizing materials, such as activated carbon.

[0031] Furthermore, the humidity-conditioning sheet 1 according to the above-described embodiment may not only be used as is, but may also be cut to an appropriate size before use.

[0032] Furthermore, either the base sheet 10 or the storage sheet 20 according to the above-described embodiments may be non-breathable. For example, a non-breathable synthetic resin sheet such as a sheet used for packaging food storage or a waterproof sheet may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Humidity control sheet 10 base sheet 20 storage seats 30 Mesoporous silica S Gap

Claims

1. The first sheet, a plurality of second sheets fixed to the first sheet at different positions from each other so as to have gaps between them; mesoporous silica particles contained in gaps between the first sheet and each of the plurality of second sheets, A humidity-conditioning sheet, wherein either one or both of the first sheet and the second sheet is breathable.

2. The humidity-conditioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of second sheets are arranged in a first direction along the first sheet and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and along the first sheet.

3. A container having the humidity-conditioning sheet according to claim 1 or 2 suspended below a ceiling.

4. A container having a humidity-conditioning sheet according to claim 1 or 2 placed on a cargo.

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