Heating unit

Abstract

To provide a heating unit that can withstand vibrations and is designed with safety in mind. [Solution] A heating unit comprising a container (20) with an opening at the top, a sealing sheet (60) that seals the opening (20), a permeable sheet (70) that is placed on top of the sealing sheet (60) and that allows water vapor to pass through, a water bag (40) contained inside the container (20), a granular heat generating agent (50) that is placed between the water bag (40) and the sealing sheet (60) and generates heat when it comes into contact with water, and a linear member (80) that breaks the water bag (40) and the sealing sheet (60) when pulled, and a fixing member (10) that is continuously and unbroken in a ring shape on the underside or side of the water bag (40) and directly fixes the water bag (40) to the container (20), preventing the heat generating agent (50) from getting inside the ring-shaped fixing member (10).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating unit capable of heating a material to be heated, such as foodstuffs, by a hydration reaction. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a heating unit 1 capable of heating a material to be heated, such as foodstuffs, by a hydration reaction is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The heating unit 1 is accommodated in the lower part of a heating container above which a material to be heated is placed, and heats the material from below. As shown in Figure 8, this heating unit 1 contains a water-absorbent sheet 3, a water bag 4, and a heat-generating agent 5 such as quicklime inside a case 2, and a moisture-proof sheet 6 and a water vapor-permeable sheet 7 are attached to the opening of the case 2.The water bag 4 and the moisture-proof sheet 3 are simultaneously broken using a breaking string 8, causing a hydration reaction and generating heat.

[0003] The water bag 4 is fixed to the water-absorbent sheet 3 with a stapler, and one end of the breaking string 8 is fastened to a cutout 3B formed in the water-absorbent sheet 3, and a knot 8A larger than the width of the cutout 3B is formed in the breaking string 8 to function as a stopper. The other end of the breaking string 8 passes under the water bag 4 and is fastened to a cutout 3A formed in the water-absorbent sheet 3 on the side opposite to the cutout 3B, then extends upward and is fastened to a cutout 6A formed in the moisture-proof sheet 6, and is pulled outward through between the moisture-proof sheet 6 and the water vapor-permeable sheet 7. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-304691 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, since the heat generating agent 5 such as quicklime is in granular form and placed on top of the water bag 4, there is a risk that vibrations during transportation could cause the granular heat generating agent 5 to get between the water bag 4 and the absorbent sheet 3 located underneath, causing the corners of the granules to puncture the water bag 4 and causing it to suddenly heat up due to a hydration reaction. In this way, if the container is unexpectedly heated, not only the heating unit 1 itself may be damaged, but also the material to be heated housed in the heating container may be damaged. Furthermore, it was necessary to form a plurality of cuts 3A, 3B, 6A and a knot 8A in order to fasten the breaking cord 8, resulting in a complex structure.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple heating unit that can withstand vibrations and is designed with safety in mind. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a heating unit (100) of the present invention is a heating unit comprising: a container (20) having an opening (21) at an upper portion; a sealing sheet (60) sealing the opening (21); a permeable sheet (70) provided on the sealing sheet (60) and allowing water vapor to pass through; a water bag (40) accommodated inside the container (20); a granular heat generating agent (50) provided between the water bag (40) and the sealing sheet (60) and generating heat upon contact with water; and a linear member (80) that breaks the water bag (40) and the sealing sheet (60) when pulled; A fixing member (10) is provided continuously and uninterrupted in a ring shape on the underside or side of the water bag (40) to directly fix the water bag (40) to the container (20), and the heat generating agent (50) is prevented from entering inside the fixing member (10) which is provided in a ring shape.

[0008] The heating unit (100) of the present invention is a heating unit comprising: a container (20) having an opening (21) at the top; a sealing sheet (60) sealing the opening (21); a permeable sheet (70) provided on the sealing sheet (60) and allowing water vapor to pass through; a water bag (40) accommodated inside the container (20) via a sheet material (30); a granular heat generating agent (50) provided between the water bag (40) and the sealing sheet (60) and generating heat upon contact with water; and a linear member (80) that breaks the water bag (40) and the sealing sheet (60) when pulled; A fixing member (10) is provided continuously and uninterrupted in a ring shape on the underside or side of the water bag (40) to directly fix the water bag (40) to the sheet material (30), and the heat generating agent (50) is prevented from entering inside the fixing member (10) which is provided in a ring shape.

[0009] The present invention is also characterized in that the fixing member (10) is provided on the peripheral edge of the lower surface or the peripheral edge of the side surface of the water bag (40).

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that the fixing member (10) is an adhesive.

[0011] The present invention is also characterized in that the fixing member (10) is a double-sided tape.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that one end (81) of the linear member (80) is fixed to the container (20) together with the water bag (40) at one end side of the water bag (40) by the fixing member (10), and the other end (82) of the linear member (80) passes through the underside of the water bag (40) and is engaged with a water bag notch (40A) formed at the other end side of the water bag (40).

[0013] The present invention is also characterized in that the other end of the linear member (80), above the portion where it is engaged with the water bag notch (40A), is engaged with a sheet notch (60A) formed on the other end of the sealing sheet (60), and passes between the sealing sheet (60) and the permeable sheet (70) and is pulled out so as to be exposed outward from one end of the sealing sheet (60).

[0014] The present invention is also characterized in that a tab (41) is provided on at least one side of the periphery of the water bag (40), and the water bag notch (40A) is formed in the tab (41).

[0015] The present invention is also characterized in that the other end (82) of the linear member (80) engaged in the water bag notch (40A) is also fixed by the fixing member (10).

[0016] The present invention is also characterized in that the fixing member (10) is also provided inside the fixing member (10) provided in the annular shape.

[0017] The symbols in parentheses above indicate corresponding elements or items described in the drawings and in the detailed description of the invention to be described later. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] In a heating unit such as the one of the present invention, the water bag must be fixed in place in order to break it by pulling a linear member such as a string and bring the water into contact with the heat-generating agent. In conventional examples, the water bag is fixed not to the lowest open-topped container but to a sheet (sheet material) interposed between the container and the water bag. However, in the present invention, the sheet (sheet material) is omitted and the water bag is fixed directly to the container, which simplifies the configuration and reduces costs. The fixing member that fixes the water bag to the container is, for example, an adhesive such as hot melt or double-sided tape, and is attached continuously and without interruption in a ring shape on the underside or side of the water bag, preventing granular heat-generating agents such as quicklime (calcium oxide) from getting inside the ring-shaped fixing member.This prevents the granular heat-generating agent from getting into between the water bag and the container due to vibration during transportation, and the risk of the granular corners creating holes in the water bag.

[0019] The fixing member for fixing the water bag to the container may be any type that is continuous and annular, and does not allow the granular heat generating agent to get inside the annular shape. For example, it may be a type in which a spray of adhesive is sprayed at a high density without any gaps. The annular shape may be a perfect circle or ellipse, or may be a triangle, a square, a polygon of more than one side, or even a gourd shape, depending on the shape of the container to be fixed.

[0020] Furthermore, as in the conventional example, when a water bag is housed inside a container via a sheet material, the water bag may be fixed directly to the sheet material using a fixing member that is provided in a continuous, uninterrupted ring shape. This prevents the granular heat generating agent from getting between the water bag and the sheet material, thereby preventing the water bag from breaking unexpectedly.

[0021] In addition, according to the present invention, the fixing member is provided on the peripheral edge of the underside or side of the water bag, thereby minimizing contact of the granular heat generating agent located on the outside of the ring with the underside of the water bag.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, one end of the linear member is fixed to the container together with the water bag by the fixing member, so there is no need to form a part to fasten the one end of the linear member. The other end of the linear member passes through the underside of the water bag and is simply engaged with a water bag notch formed on the other end of the water bag, making for a simple configuration.

[0023] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the other end of the linear member, above the portion where it is engaged with the water bag notch, is engaged with a sheet notch formed on the other end of the sealing sheet, and is pulled out so that it passes between the sealing sheet and the permeable sheet and is exposed outward from one end of the sealing sheet.Therefore, the user simply pulls the other end of the pulled-out linear member, which causes the sealing sheet and water bag to break, bringing the water into contact with the granular heat-generating material and causing a hydration reaction to occur, thereby heating it.

[0024] In addition, according to the present invention, tabs are provided around the entire periphery of the water bag, and the water bag notches are formed in the tabs, so that the other end of the linear member is engaged with the water bag notches in a stable state.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the other end of the linear member engaged in the water bag notch is also fixed by the fixing member, so that it is firmly fixed and will not easily come off.

[0026] In addition, according to the present invention, a fixing member is also provided inside the annular fixing member, so the entire underside of the water bag can be fixed to the container located below, or to the sheet material if one is present, so there are no gaps through which the granular heat generating agent can enter. In other words, this can be done by applying an adhesive such as hot melt to the entire underside of the water bag, by sticking double-sided tape to the entire underside, or by spraying a high-density spray of adhesive onto the entire underside of the water bag without leaving any gaps.

[0027] By accommodating the heating unit configured in this manner below a heating container with a material to be heated placed above it, the material to be heated can be heated from below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an outline of a heating unit according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a heating unit according to the present invention; [Figure 3]2 is an enlarged plan view showing the underside of the water bag 40 in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing another embodiment of the underside of the water bag 40 in FIG. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing yet another embodiment of the underside of the water bag 40 in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 2, showing another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing an outline of a conventional heating unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] A heating unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heating unit 100 of this embodiment comprises a container 20 having an opening 21 at the top, a sealing sheet 60 that seals the opening 21, a permeable sheet 70 that is provided on the sealing sheet 60 and allows water vapor to pass through, a water bag 40 contained inside the container 20, a granular heat generating agent 50 that is provided between the water bag 40 and the sealing sheet 60 and generates heat upon contact with water, and a linear member 80 that is provided so as to be in contact with the water bag 40 and the sealing sheet 60 and that breaks the water bag 40 and the sealing sheet 60 when pulled.

[0031] The container 20 is a resin product with a square outer shape, and has a permeable sheet 70 at the top and a flange 22 on which the sealing sheet 60 is placed. The permeable sheet 70 and the sealing sheet 60 are pressed against the flange 22. Granular heat generating agent 50, which is made of quicklime (calcium oxide) in this example, is placed on top of water bag 40. Opening 21 of container 20 is sealed with sealing sheet 60 to prevent granular heat generating agent 50 from becoming damp.

[0032] The water bag 40 has a square outer shape and, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, is a pouch, i.e., a soft bag-like container, filled with water W. A tab (header portion) 42 is provided around the entire periphery of the water bag 40. In the conventional example (Figure 6), the water bag 40 was housed in the case 2 via the water-absorbent sheet 3, but here there is nothing equivalent to the water-absorbent sheet 3, and the water bag 40 is fixed directly to the container 20 by the fixing member 10.

[0033] The fixing member 10 is made of an adhesive, here a hot melt adhesive, and is provided continuously and uninterrupted in an annular shape on the underside of the water bag 40 as shown in FIGS. The water bag 40 is fixed directly to the container 20 by the fixing member 10. Here, the water bag 40 is fixed directly to the bottom surface of the container 20, so that the granular heat generating agent 50 does not get inside the fixing member 10, which is provided in an annular shape. More specifically, the fixing member 10 is provided so as to surround a position close to the tab 42 on the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the water bag 40 in a rectangular shape.

[0034] The linear member 80 is made of a string, and one end 81A of the string is crimped and fixed to the container 20 together with the water bag 40 by a fixing member 10 on one end side of the water bag 40, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the other end 82 of the linear member 80 passes through the underside of the water bag 40 and is engaged with a water bag notch 40A formed in the tab 41 portion on the other end side of the water bag 40, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. Furthermore, at the other end of the linear member 80, above the portion where it is engaged with the water bag notch 40A, it is engaged with a sheet notch 60A formed on the other end side (right side in Figure 1) of the sealing sheet 60, and passes between the sealing sheet 60 and the permeable sheet 70 and is pulled out so as to be exposed outward from one end side (left side in Figure 1) of the sealing sheet 60.

[0035] The heating unit 100 is housed in the lower part of a heating container, with the material to be heated (not shown) placed above it, and when the user pulls the linear member 80 toward one end of the sealing sheet 60 (the left side in Figure 1), the water bag 40 and the sealing sheet 60 are broken. This rupture causes the water in the water bag 40 to come into contact with the quicklime on the water bag 40, causing a hydration reaction that heats the heating unit 100, and the water vapor passes through the ruptured sealing sheet 60, permeates the permeable sheet 70 above it, and is released upward, allowing the material to be heated from below.

[0036] According to the heating unit 100 configured in this manner, adhesive is used as the fixing member 10 for the water bag 40 to the container 20, and the adhesive is provided continuously and uninterrupted in a ring shape around the lower peripheral edge of the water bag 40, and this part is firmly fixed by coming into contact with the container 20, so that granular heat generating agent 50 such as quicklime (calcium oxide) does not get inside the fixing member 10 which is provided in a ring shape. This prevents the risk of the granular heat generating agent 50 getting between the water bag 40 and the container 20 due to vibrations during transportation, etc., and causing holes in the water bag 40 due to the corners of the granules.

[0037] In this embodiment, an adhesive such as hot melt is used as the fixing member 10, but other adhesives may be used, such as double-sided tape, as long as they do not allow the granular heat generating agent 50 to get inside the fixing member 10. Therefore, for example, a type of atomized adhesive that is sprayed at a high density without leaving any gaps may also be used. Although the annular shape is rectangular here, it may be circular or elliptical, or may be triangular, or a polygonal shape with more sides, or even gourd-shaped, depending on the shape of the container to be fixed.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, the fixing member 10 is provided on the peripheral edge of the underside of the water bag 40, so that it is possible to minimize contact of the granular heat generating agent 50 located on the outside of the ring with the underside of the water bag 40. Depending on the shape of the water bag 40, the fixing members 10 may be provided on the peripheral edge of the side surface. More preferably, as shown in Figure 5, a fixing member 10 may be provided on tabs 41 provided around the periphery of the water bag 40 to fix it to the container 20. Here, the other end 82 of the linear member 80 engaged with the water bag notch 40A is also fixed by the fixing member 10.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the water bag 40 is not fixed to the container 20 via a sheet material as in the conventional example, but is fixed directly to the container 20. However, when using a sheet material (not shown) as in the conventional example, a continuous, uninterrupted annular fixing member 10 can be provided on the underside or side of the water bag 40, and the water bag 40 can be fixed directly to the sheet material to prevent the granular heat generating agent 50 from getting inside the annular fixing member 10. Furthermore, by eliminating the sheet material, the configuration can be simplified and costs can be reduced.

[0040] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the end 81A on one end 81 of the linear member 80 is fixed to the container 20 together with the water bag 40 by the fixing member 10, as shown in Figure 4, so there is no need to form a part to specifically engage the one end 81 of the linear member 80. The other end 82 of the linear member 80 passes through the underside of the water bag 40 and is simply engaged with the water bag notch 40A formed on the other end side of the water bag 40, which provides a simple configuration.

[0041] Furthermore, the other end 82 of the linear member 80, above the portion engaged with the water bag notch 40A, is engaged with the sheet notch 60A formed on the other end of the sealing sheet 60, and is pulled out so as to pass between the sealing sheet 60 and the permeable sheet 70 and be exposed outward from one end of the sealing sheet 60. Therefore, the user can simply pull the other end 82 of the pulled-out linear member 80 to break the sealing sheet 60 and the water bag 40, bringing the water into contact with the granular heat-generating material and causing a hydration reaction to occur, thereby heating the water. At this time, the water bag 40 is firmly fixed to the container 20 by the fixing member 10, so that the water bag 40 does not move within the container 20 when the linear member 80 is pulled, and the water bag 40 can be broken in a stable state.

[0042] In addition, a tab 41 is provided around the entire periphery of the water bag 40, and the water bag notch 40A is formed in the tab 41, so that the other end 82 of the linear member 80 is stably engaged with the water bag notch 40A.

[0043] The tabs 41 do not necessarily have to be provided around the entire periphery of the water bag 40, but may be provided on three sides, or on one or two sides, as shown in FIG. 6 and 7, the fixing member 10 may be provided continuously from the periphery of the lower surface of the water bag 40 to the lower surface of the tab 41.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fixing member 10 is provided in an annular shape on the underside of the water bag 40, but the fixing member 10 may also be provided on the inside of the annular shape. That is, the entire underside of the water bag 40 can be fixed to the container 20 located below it, or to the sheet material if one is present, so there are no gaps into which the granular heat generating agent 50 can get in. This can be done by applying an adhesive such as hot melt to the entire underside of the water bag 40, by sticking double-sided tape to the entire underside, or by spraying a high-density spray of adhesive onto the entire underside of the water bag 40 without leaving any gaps. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 heating unit 2 cases 3. Water-absorbing sheet 3A Notch 3B Notch 4 water bag 5. Heat generating agents 6 Moisture-proof sheet 6A Notch 7. Water vapor permeable sheet 8 Breaking string 8A Knot 10 Fixing member 20 containers 21 Opening 30 Sheet material 40 water bag 40A water bag notch 41 tabs 50 Heat Generator 60 Sealing Sheet 60A sheet cut 70 Transparent Sheet 80 Linear members 81 One end of a linear member 81A End of one end of a linear member 82 Other end of linear member 100 Heating Unit 101 Heating unit

Claims

1. A heating unit comprising: a container having an opening at the top; a sealing sheet for sealing the opening; a permeable sheet provided on the sealing sheet and allowing water vapor to pass through; a water bag contained inside the container; a granular heat generating agent provided between the water bag and the sealing sheet and generating heat upon contact with water; and a linear member for breaking the water bag and the sealing sheet when pulled; A heating unit characterized by a fixing member that is continuously and uninterruptedly attached to the underside or side of the water bag in a circular shape and that directly fixes the water bag to the container, preventing the heat generating agent from entering inside the fixing member that is attached in a circular shape.

2. A heating unit comprising: a container having an opening at the top; a sealing sheet for sealing the opening; a permeable sheet provided on the sealing sheet and allowing water vapor to pass through; a water bag contained within the container via a sheet material; a granular heat generating agent provided between the water bag and the sealing sheet and generating heat upon contact with water; and a linear member for breaking the water bag and the sealing sheet when pulled; A heating unit characterized by a fixing member that is continuously and uninterruptedly arranged in a ring shape on the underside or side of the water bag and that directly fixes the water bag to the sheet material, preventing the heat generating agent from entering inside the ring-shaped fixing member.

3. 3. The heating unit according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is provided on a peripheral edge of a lower surface or a peripheral edge of a side surface of the water bag.

4. 4. The heating unit according to claim 3, wherein the fixing member is an adhesive.

5. 4. The heating unit according to claim 3, wherein the fixing member is a double-sided tape.

6. A heating unit as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one end side of the linear member is fixed to the container together with the water bag by the fixing member at one end side of the water bag, and the other end side of the linear member passes through the underside of the water bag and is engaged with a water bag notch formed at the other end side of the water bag.

7. The heating unit described in claim 6, characterized in that the other end of the linear member, above the portion engaged with the water bag notch, is engaged with a sheet notch formed on the other end of the sealing sheet, and is pulled out so as to pass between the sealing sheet and the permeable sheet and be exposed outward from one end of the sealing sheet.

8. The heating unit according to claim 6, wherein a tab is provided on at least one side of the periphery of the water bag, and the water bag notch is formed in the tab.

9. The heating unit according to claim 6, wherein the other end of the linear member engaged with the water bag notch is also fixed by the fixing member.

10. 3. The heating unit according to claim 1, wherein a fixing member is also provided inside the annular fixing member.

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