Super Absorbent Material Cold Pack with On-Demand Refrigerant Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cold packs containing refrigerant fluids, such as water, are heavy and bulky, leading to increased transportation and storage costs due to their weight and volume.
Innovation Solution
The use of Super Absorbent Material (SAM) packs without refrigerant fluid, which are lightweight and compact, combined with a system that adds refrigerant fluid on demand, allowing for efficient production of cold packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cold packs contain refrigerant fluid, then effective temperature control is achieved, but weight and volume increase leading to higher transportation and storage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant fluid from the cold pack structure during transportation and storage, keeping only the lightweight absorbent material. The refrigerant is added only when the cold pack is needed for use, thereby eliminating the weight penalty during logistics while maintaining full functionality during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold pack system is divided into separate components: an absorbent material component that can be transported independently, and a refrigerant fluid that is added separately at the point of use. This segmentation allows the heavy refrigerant to be excluded during transportation while still being available when cooling is required.
2Temperature
If cold packs contain refrigerant fluid, then effective temperature control is achieved, but volume increases leading to higher transportation and storage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant fluid is extracted from the cold pack during transportation and storage phases, leaving only the compact absorbent material. This dramatically reduces the volume occupied during logistics while allowing full volume utilization when the cold pack is activated for temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold pack transitions from a compact state during transportation to an expanded functional state during use. The absorbent material occupies minimal volume initially, then expands to accommodate the refrigerant fluid when added, providing dynamic volume adjustment based on operational requirements.
3Reliability
If SAM packs are sealed closed, then waterproofing and structural integrity are maintained, but ability to add refrigerant fluid is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with a predetermined weakness or opening mechanism that allows controlled access when needed. The pack maintains its sealed, waterproof state during storage and transportation, but the pre-designed opening feature enables refrigerant addition at the point of use without compromising the overall sealing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A controlled opening mechanism or intermediary structure is incorporated into the seal, allowing temporary access for refrigerant fluid addition while maintaining the waterproof barrier. This intermediary feature enables both the sealed state for protection and the open state for refilling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces transportation and storage costs by minimizing weight and volume, while maintaining effective temperature control through the use of SAM packs that can be filled with refrigerant fluid just-in-time, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective cold pack system.
Implementation Method 1
The absorbent material is a Super Absorbent Material (SAM) such as Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP)
Implementation Method 2
Super Absorbent Material (SAM) packs without refrigerant fluid, which are lightweight and compact, combined with a system that adds refrigerant fluid on demand
Data Source
AI summary
A pack with Super Absorbent Material (SAM) inside and without refrigerant fluid inside. A system for dispensing a cold pack including a filling unit for taking in a waterproof SAM pack with SAM inside and without refrigerant fluid inside and adding refrigerant fluid to an inside of the SAM pack, producing a refrigerant pack. Apparatus for producing a cold pack including a SAM source, a source of refrigerant fluid, a bag filler for filling a bag with a mixture of SAM and refrigerant fluid, producing a refrigerant pack, and a cooler for cooling the refrigerant pack, thereby producing a cold pack. Related apparatus and methods are also described.