Cooling cylinder and cooling method

Abstract

Provided is a convenient cooling cylinder capable of instantaneously and efficiently cooling a fiber product such as a towel.　A cooling cylinder 100 comprises: a pressure-resistant container 10 which is provided with an injection valve 11 and which has sealed therein a coolant; and a cap 20 which is attached to the pressure-resistant container 10. The cap 20 has: an injection part 21 that is connected to the injection valve 11; and a contact part 22 that comes into contact with a cooling object.

Description

Cooling cylinder and cooling method

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling cylinder including a pressure-resistant container equipped with an injection valve and containing a cooling agent, and a cap attached to the pressure-resistant container, and a cooling method using the cooling cylinder.

[0002] In summer, when cooling textile products such as towels, handkerchiefs, wet towels, and tissues, a cooling aerosol is known that uses the heat of vaporization of a cooling agent (propellant) to instantly freeze the target textile product (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] According to Patent Document 1, when cooling a portable towel sealed in a packaging bag, part of the packaging bag is opened to form an opening, a spray nozzle for a cooling aerosol is inserted into this opening, and a spray button is pressed to spray the cooling agent into the packaging bag, thereby instantly cooling or freezing the portable towel.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-17027

[0005] However, the cooling aerosol described in Patent Document 1 sprays a coolant from a long, thin spray nozzle, so while it is suitable for cooling relatively small textile products sealed in a packaging bag as described in Patent Document 1, it poses problems when directly cooling relatively large textile products or textile products in an unpackaged state.

[0006] For example, when cooling a relatively large textile product such as a towel that is not normally packaged, the cooling aerosol described in Patent Document 1 requires repeated spraying while moving the aerosol from a certain distance away from the textile product. In this case, some of the coolant may not reach the textile product and be wasted, or the coolant may evaporate before reaching the textile product, resulting in a decrease in cooling efficiency. Furthermore, when the surface area of ​​a textile product is large, it takes time to cool the entire textile product, and the temperature of the area where the coolant was initially sprayed may rise, requiring further cooling.

[0007] As described above, the cooling aerosol described in Patent Document 1 can only be used in limited situations, and is not convenient for everyday use.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an easy-to-use cooling cylinder that can instantly and efficiently cool textile products such as towels, and a cooling method using the cooling cylinder.

[0009] The characteristic configuration of the cooling cylinder of the present invention for solving the above problem is a cooling cylinder comprising a pressure-resistant container containing a cooling agent and provided with an injection valve, and a cap attached to the pressure-resistant container, wherein the cap has an injection portion connected to the injection valve and an abutment portion that abuts against the object to be cooled.

[0010] With this cooling cylinder, when the coolant sealed in the pressure-resistant container is sprayed from the spray valve, it travels from the spray portion of the cap to the contact portion. Since the contact portion is in contact with the object to be cooled, for example, if the object to be cooled is a textile product such as a towel, when the coolant is sprayed from the spray portion, it spreads quickly between the contact portion and the textile product, instantly cooling the textile product. Furthermore, because the contact portion is in contact with the textile product, the sprayed coolant does not come into excessive contact with the outside air, suppressing a temperature rise in the cooled area and allowing the textile product to be cooled efficiently. Furthermore, this type of cooling cylinder is easy to use and convenient for everyday use.

[0011] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, the contact portion preferably has an annular cooling surface provided so as to surround the injection portion.

[0012] With this cooling cylinder, the coolant sprayed from the spray unit penetrates between the annular cooling surface and the object to be cooled (e.g., a textile product such as a towel), allowing the textile product to be cooled instantly and efficiently. Furthermore, because the annular cooling surface is arranged to surround the spray unit, the annular cooling surface firmly presses the area to be sprayed on the object to be cooled, and the coolant sprayed from the spray unit spreads evenly between the annular cooling surface and the textile product, allowing the textile product to be cooled uniformly.

[0013] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, the injection part preferably has an injection port through which the coolant is injected, and a diffusion space in which the coolant injected from the injection port is diffused and vaporized.

[0014] With this cooling cylinder, the coolant ejected from the injection valve is sprayed from the nozzle of the injection unit, then diffuses and vaporizes in the diffusion space, passes through the annular cooling surface (contact portion), and reaches the object to be cooled (e.g., a textile product such as a towel). By diffusing and vaporizing the propellant in the diffusion space in this way, the coolant can be more evenly distributed over the annular cooling surface, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the textile product.

[0015] The cooling cylinder according to the present invention is preferably used in an inverted state with the cap facing downward.

[0016] The cooling cylinder of this configuration can be used in an inverted position with the cap facing downwards, making it easy to work in, particularly when cooling relatively large textile products such as towels, and making it a user-friendly product.

[0017] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, the cooling agent is preferably one selected from the group consisting of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dimethyl ether (DME), fluorocarbons, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide.

[0018] The cooling cylinder of this configuration uses the liquefied gas or compressed gas that is commonly used as a propellant as described above as the coolant, so no special approval is required and it can be a low-cost, reliable product.

[0019] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, it is preferable that the object to be cooled is a textile product.

[0020] With this cooling cylinder, the spray part and the contact part work together to instantly cool the textile product. Furthermore, since the object to be cooled is a textile product, a cooling item suitable for everyday use can be easily obtained.

[0021] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, the textile product is preferably one selected from the group consisting of towels, handkerchiefs, wet towels, tissues, masks, gauze, and clothing.

[0022] With the cooling cylinder of this configuration, even if the object to be cooled is a textile product with a relatively large surface area as described above, the entire textile product can be cooled by pressing the cooling cylinder against the surface of the textile product multiple times or by sliding the cooling cylinder over the surface of the textile product.

[0023] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, it is preferable that the contact portion contacts the object to be cooled so as to freeze the object.

[0024] The cooling cylinder of this configuration can freeze the object to be cooled by contacting the contact part with the object, thereby maintaining a high cooling effect and making it suitable for use during the recent hot summers. Furthermore, a high cooling effect can be easily obtained without the need for equipment such as a refrigerator.

[0025] In the cooling cylinder according to the present invention, it is preferable that a frozen pattern corresponding to the shape of the contact portion is formed on the object to be cooled.

[0026] With this type of cooling cylinder, a frozen pattern is formed on the object to be cooled according to the shape of the contact part, so by freely changing the shape of the contact part, various frozen patterns can be formed on the object to be cooled. A cooling cylinder with such unique features can provide added value that is likely to attract the interest of users.

[0027] A characteristic feature of the cooling method of the present invention for solving the above problems is that it is a cooling method using any one of the cooling cylinders described above, and includes a placing step of placing the cooling cylinder in an inverted position on an object to be cooled; a pressing step of pressing the cooling cylinder against the object to be cooled and spraying a coolant; a maintaining step of maintaining the cooling cylinder pressed against the object to allow the coolant to penetrate the object to be cooled; and a lifting step of lifting the cooling cylinder to stop the spray of the coolant.

[0028] According to this cooling method, when the pressing step and the subsequent maintaining step are performed, the coolant sealed in the pressure-resistant container is sprayed from the spray valve and transferred from the spray portion of the cap to the abutting portion. The coolant then spreads quickly between the abutting portion and the textile product, penetrating the textile product and instantly cooling it. Furthermore, because the abutting portion is in contact with the textile product, the sprayed coolant does not come into excessive contact with the outside air, suppressing temperature rise in the cooled portion and allowing the textile product to be cooled efficiently. Furthermore, the placing step allows the cooling cylinder to be used in an inverted position with the cap facing downwards, making the user's working posture more comfortable.

[0029] In the cooling method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the maintaining step is performed until the object to be cooled is frozen.

[0030] According to the cooling method of this configuration, a high cooling effect can be maintained by performing the maintenance step until the object to be cooled is frozen, making it suitable for use during the recent hot summers. Furthermore, a high cooling effect can be easily obtained and the object to be cooled can be frozen even without equipment or devices such as a refrigerator.

[0031] In the cooling method according to the present invention, it is preferable that in the maintaining step, a frozen pattern corresponding to the shape of the contact portion is formed on the object to be cooled.

[0032] With this cooling method, a frozen pattern is formed on the object to be cooled according to the shape of the contact area, so by freely changing the shape of the contact area, various frozen patterns can be formed on the object to be cooled. A cooling method with such unique features can provide added value that is likely to attract people's attention.

[0033] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cooling cylinder according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state in which a cap is attached to the pressure-resistant container and (b) shows a state in which the cap is removed from the pressure-resistant container. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state (method of use) of a cooling cylinder according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state before the coolant is sprayed, (b) shows a state immediately after the coolant is sprayed, and (c) shows a state in which the coolant is being sprayed. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of forming a frozen pattern on a cooling target using a cooling cylinder according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the state of the surface of the cooling target before the coolant is sprayed, and (b) shows the state of the surface of the cooling target with the frozen pattern formed.

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the cooling cylinder and the cooling method of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not intended to be limited to the following description and drawings.

[0035] <Overall Configuration of the Cooling Cylinder> The cooling cylinder of the present invention is primarily used to cool textile products. In this context, "cooling" refers not only to lowering the temperature of the object to be cooled but also to freezing the object. Examples of textile products to be cooled include everyday items such as towels, handkerchiefs, wet towels, and tissues, as well as sanitary items such as masks and gauze. When a cooling agent is sprayed onto these objects, the cooling effect is achieved by rapidly lowering the temperature due to the heat of vaporization of the cooling agent. Continued spraying of the cooling agent onto the object freezes the surface of the object, entraining moisture in the air and surrounding areas. The frozen object (e.g., a frozen towel) can maintain a high cooling effect, making it ideal for use during the recent heatwaves. Furthermore, a high cooling effect can be easily achieved and the object can be frozen without the need for equipment such as a refrigerator. It is even more effective if the object to be cooled also contains moisture, as the moisture freezes, resulting in a longer-lasting cooling effect.

[0036] 1 is a perspective view of a cooling cylinder 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cooling cylinder 100 includes a pressure-resistant container 10 and a cap 20. (a) shows the pressure-resistant container 10 with the cap 20 attached, and (b) shows the pressure-resistant container 10 with the cap 20 removed. Details of the cooling cylinder 100 will be described below.

[0037] <Pressure-resistant vessel> The pressure-resistant vessel 10 is provided with an injection valve 11. The injection valve 11 is configured to include a valve stem 11a and a valve mechanism 11b (see FIG. 2). A coolant R (see FIG. 2) is sealed inside the pressure-resistant vessel 10. The coolant R is ejected from the valve stem 11a, which is located outside the pressure-resistant vessel 10, via the valve mechanism 11b, which is located inside the pressure-resistant vessel 10. Although not shown, a tube for sucking the coolant R may be connected to the valve mechanism 11b.

[0038] The pressure vessel 10 is generally made of metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, iron, tin, or copper, but may also be made of resin or glass as long as it is strong enough to withstand the internal pressure when filled with the coolant R. The capacity of the pressure vessel 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 50 to 500 mL in consideration of its use as a cooling cylinder (cooling aerosol).

[0039] The coolant R can be any conventionally known coolant used as a propellant. Examples of coolant R include liquefied gases such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dimethyl ether (DME), and fluorocarbons (e.g., HFO-1234ze), as well as compressed gases such as nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. These liquefied gases and compressed gases are commonly used as aerosol propellants, so no special approval is required to manufacture a cooling cylinder (cooling aerosol). This allows for a low-cost, reliable product.

[0040] In addition to the above-mentioned cooling agent R, other ingredients (for example, ingredients used in cosmetics) can also be enclosed in the pressure-resistant container 10. Examples of other ingredients include fragrances, essential oils, moisturizers, UV absorbers, deodorants, etc. By enclosing ingredients used in cosmetics together with the cooling agent R in the pressure-resistant container 10, the cooling cylinder 100 of the present invention can also be used as a cosmetic product. When the cooling cylinder 100 of the present invention is used as a cosmetic product, it is preferable to use compressed gas as the propellant.

[0041] <Cap> The cap 20 functions as an actuator that activates the injection valve 11 when attached to the pressure-resistant container 10. The cap 20 has an injection portion 21 and an abutment portion 22.

[0042] [Injection Unit] The injection unit 21 is connected to the valve stem 11a (injection valve 11) from inside the cap 20, and injects the coolant R ejected from the injection valve 11 to the outside. The coolant R is ejected from the injection port 21a of the injection unit 21. If necessary, the injection unit 21 is provided with a diffusion space 21b in which the coolant R ejected from the injection port 21a diffuses and vaporizes. When the diffusion space 21b is provided, the coolant R ejected from the injection valve 11 is once ejected from the injection port 21a of the injection unit 21 and then diffuses and vaporizes in the diffusion space 21b. This makes it easier for the coolant R to be evenly distributed over the contact portion 22, which will be described later, and improves the cooling efficiency of the object to be cooled (for example, a textile product such as a towel).

[0043] [Contact Portion] The contact portion 22 is a member that contacts the cooling target to improve cooling performance. The contact portion 22 is positioned adjacent to the spray portion 21. Therefore, the coolant R sprayed from the spray portion 21 is immediately transferred to the contact portion 22. As a result, the coolant R spreads and contacts the cooling target in contact with the contact portion 22, instantly cooling the cooling target and even freezing it. Furthermore, the presence of the contact portion 22 prevents the coolant R sprayed from the spray portion 21 from excessively contacting the outside air, thereby suppressing temperature rise in the cooled or frozen portion and enabling efficient cooling of the cooling target. The contact portion 22 may have any shape. The shape of the contact portion 22 may be, for example, a round, square, floral, star, or animal pattern, or a character pattern such as alphabets, numbers, katakana, or hiragana. Since a frozen pattern is formed on the surface of the object to be cooled according to the shape of the contact portion 22, various frozen patterns can be formed on the object to be cooled by freely changing the shape of the contact portion 22. The cooling cylinder 100 of the present invention, which has such unique features, can provide added value that easily attracts people's attention. For example, if a user posts the cute frozen pattern formed on a towel or handkerchief on social media, it can provide entertainment that will entertain many people beyond the purpose of cooling.

[0044] The contact portion 22 preferably has annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b arranged to surround the injection portion 21. In this embodiment, double annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b are provided, but single or triple or more annular cooling surfaces may be provided. By providing the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b, the coolant R injected from the injection portion 21 penetrates between the annular cooling surfaces 22b and the cooling target, and further between the annular cooling surface 22a and the cooling target, thereby instantly and efficiently cooling the cooling target. Furthermore, because the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b are arranged to surround the injection portion 21, the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b firmly press the target area, and the coolant R injected from the injection portion 21 spreads evenly between the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b and the cooling target, thereby uniformly cooling the cooling target. In addition, when providing double annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b as in this embodiment, if the width of the outer annular cooling surface 22a is made larger than the width of the inner annular cooling surface 22b, as shown in Figure 1, the posture of the cooling cylinder 100 during spraying is more likely to be stable.

[0045] In this way, the cooling canister 100 can efficiently and instantly cool the object to be cooled by the cooperation of the spray portion 21 and the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b (contact portion 22), making it easy to obtain a cooling item suitable for everyday use. Even if the object to be cooled is a textile product with a relatively large surface area, such as a towel, handkerchief, wet towel, tissue, mask, gauze, or clothing, the entire textile product can be cooled by pressing the cooling canister against the surface of the textile product multiple times or by sliding the cooling canister over the surface of the textile product. Furthermore, as will be described in the cooling method below, the cooling canister 100 can be used with simple operations, making it easy to use in everyday life.

[0046] <Cooling method using a cooling cylinder> Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state (method) of use of a cooling cylinder 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. (a) shows the state before the cooling agent is sprayed, (b) shows the state immediately after the cooling agent is sprayed, and (c) shows the state while the cooling agent is being sprayed. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of a frozen pattern on a cooling target using a cooling cylinder 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the state of the surface of the cooling target before the cooling agent is sprayed and (b) shows the state of the surface of the cooling target with the frozen pattern formed.

[0047] 2, the object to be cooled is a towel M. To cool the towel M, a user places the towel M on a flat table and places the cooling cylinder 100 upside down on top of the towel M (placing step). At this time, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b (contact portion 22) of the cap 20 contact the surface of the towel M, and the nozzle 21a is directed toward the surface of the towel M.

[0048] Next, the user presses the cooling cylinder 100 against the towel M (pressing step). The pressing time of the cooling cylinder 100 is preferably 0.1 seconds or more. At this time, the cap 20 presses the injection valve 11 of the pressure-resistant container 10 due to the reaction force, which activates the valve mechanism inside the pressure-resistant container 10 and causes the coolant R to be ejected from the valve stem 11a. The coolant R ejected from the valve stem 11a is ejected from the injection port 21a of the cap 20 and is diffused and vaporized in the diffusion space 21b as shown in FIG. 2(b).

[0049] Furthermore, the cooling canister 100 is maintained in a pressed state against the towel M (maintenance step). Then, as shown in Fig. 2(c), the cooling agent R enters between the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b and the towel M, permeates the towel M, and instantaneously cools the towel M. Here, the cooling canister 100 may be slid along the surface of the towel M while being pressed against the towel M. In this case, a wide area of ​​the towel M can be cooled with a single operation.

[0050] The above-described maintaining step may be carried out until the towel M is frozen. The frozen towel M can maintain a high cooling effect and is suitable for use during the recent hot summers. The present invention also has a great advantage in that a high cooling effect can be easily obtained and the object to be cooled can be frozen without the need for equipment such as a freezer.

[0051] Once the coolant R has sufficiently spread over the towel M, the user lifts the cooling canister 100 (lifting step), as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b). This stops the spray of coolant R from the cooling canister 100, and the cooling of the towel M is completed. At this time, a frozen pattern corresponding to the shape of the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b (contact portion 22) is formed on the surface of the towel M, as shown in Figure 3(b) (in this embodiment, the portions corresponding to the annular cooling surfaces 22a and 22b are slightly raised, and the portion corresponding to the diffusion space 21b is raised). If the towel M needs to be cooled again or if a different portion of the towel M needs to be cooled, the states (operations) shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c) can be repeated.

[0052] In this way, the cooling method using the cooling cylinder 100 of the present invention can be carried out by simply performing the simple operations of the placing step, the pressing step, the maintaining step, and the lifting step.

[0053] According to the cooling method of the present invention, the cooling cylinder 100 can be used in an inverted state with the cap 20 facing downward, which allows the user to work in a more comfortable position, particularly when cooling relatively large textile products such as towels M. Therefore, the cooling cylinder 100 is not only superior in cooling efficiency to conventional cooling aerosols, but is also easy to use.

[0054] The cooling cylinder and cooling method of the present invention are used for the purpose of cooling textile products, and are primarily intended to cool daily necessities and sanitary products, but can also be used for cooling clothing products. Furthermore, if ingredients used in cosmetics are enclosed in the cooling cylinder together with the cooling agent, it can also be used as a cosmetic product.

[0055] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Pressure-resistant container 11 Spray valve 20 Cap 21 Spray portion 21a Spray nozzle 21b Diffusion space 22 Contact portion 22a, 22b Annular cooling surface 100 Cooling cylinder R Coolant M Towel (object to be cooled)

Claims

1. A cooling cylinder comprising a pressure-resistant container filled with a coolant provided with an injection valve, and a cap attached to the pressure-resistant container, wherein the cap has an injection part connected to the injection valve and a contact part that contacts the object to be cooled.

2. The cooling cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the contact part has an annular cooling surface provided so as to surround the injection part.

3. The cooling cylinder according to claim 2, wherein the injection part has an injection port through which the coolant is injected and a diffusion space in which the coolant injected from the injection port diffuses and vaporizes.

4. The cooling cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is used in an inverted state with the cap facing downward.

5. The cooling cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coolant is one selected from the group consisting of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dimethyl ether (DME), fluorinated hydrocarbon, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide.

6. The cooling cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the object to be cooled is a textile product.

7. The cooling cylinder according to claim 6, wherein the textile product is one selected from the group consisting of towels, handkerchiefs, wet wipes, tissues, masks, gauze, and clothes.

8. The cooling cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contact part contacts the object to be cooled so as to freeze the object to be cooled.

9. The cooling cylinder according to claim 8, wherein a freezing pattern corresponding to the shape of the contact part is formed on the object to be cooled.

10. A cooling method using the cooling cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a placing step of placing the cooling cylinder on the object to be cooled in an inverted state; a pressing step of pressing the cooling cylinder against the object to be cooled to inject the coolant; a maintaining step of maintaining the state in which the cooling cylinder is pressed against the object to be cooled and allowing the coolant to penetrate into the object to be cooled; and a lifting step of lifting the cooling cylinder to stop the injection of the coolant.

11. The cooling method according to claim 10, wherein the maintaining step is performed until the object to be cooled freezes.

12. The cooling method according to claim 11, wherein in the maintaining step, a freezing pattern corresponding to the shape of the contact part is formed on the object to be cooled.

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