JP3034530B2 - Buffer material device used for fresh food transportation - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a cushioning device used for transporting fresh products such as vegetables, flowers, and fruits.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, when transporting vegetables, flowers, and fruits from a production area to a consumption area, a cushioning material such as a sponge is put in a housing together with the above-mentioned fresh material and transported. By the way, the sponge as a cushioning material used at the time of transportation occupies a considerable volume even when compressed at the time of transportation and storage, so that the cost increases accordingly. If the sponge is compressed to save space during transportation and storage, the elasticity will decrease and the function as a cushioning material will decrease, so it must be kept free at least during storage. The space requires a large space, and high costs are inevitable.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention gained a revelation on the possibility of using a gas-filled material such as balloons while studying buffer materials used for transporting fresh products such as fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In the course of further research, the carbon dioxide generating material is placed in a container, and the carbon dioxide is generated by reacting the raw material at the stage of exerting the function as a buffer material. The technical idea has been obtained that, when the cushioning material is not used as a cushioning material during storage or the like, the occupied volume can be reduced, and thus the above-mentioned disadvantages can be solved. Moreover, when this is used as a cushioning material when transporting fresh products, the carbon dioxide gas that has permeated and leached has an effect on maintaining the freshness of these vegetables, fruits or flowers, so that it can be a win-win. I understand. That is, a first object of the present invention is to provide a cushioning material that can reduce the occupied volume at the time of stock and transportation, and can reduce storage costs and transportation costs. A second object of the present invention is to provide a cushioning material that not only exhibits a single function as a cushioning material when transporting fresh products, but is also effective in maintaining freshness. A third object of the present invention is to provide a method for transporting fresh food which is effective in buffering function and maintaining freshness. The object of the present invention is a cushioning device used for transporting fresh products with good freshness. The device comprises a container, a liquid disposed in the container, and a liquid that generates carbon dioxide gas by being mixed. And / or a solid raw material, wherein the container has a carbon dioxide permeable property capable of gradually releasing the carbon dioxide gas filled in the container to the outside of the container, and is formed of a soft film. This is achieved by a cushioning device used in the transportation of fresh food. In this buffer material device, it is preferable that liquid and / or solid raw materials that generate carbon dioxide gas by being mixed are isolated from each other by an easily breakable isolation material. Needless to say, there are various solid and / or liquid materials (occupying a much smaller volume than gas) that generate carbon dioxide gas by the reaction, for example, a combination of sodium carbonate and citric acid. No.

【Example】

1 and 2 show an embodiment of a cushioning device used for transporting perishables according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows a state in which the perishables, such as fruits, are transported for packaging. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of a cushioning device used for this transportation. In each of the figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing such as a cardboard box, and fruits 2 such as grapes are buffered in the housing 1.
It is included with. The cushioning material 3 includes a container 4 made of a film made of a soft plastic having a property of transmitting carbon dioxide to some extent, and a desired amount of carbon dioxide filled in the container 4. As shown in FIG. 2, reference numeral 5 denotes a container placed in the container 4 in an exhausted state. The container 5 has watertightness, but is made of a material which can be easily broken when a force is applied. The container 5 is filled with, for example, a citric acid solution. Reference numeral 6 denotes, for example, sodium carbonate powder, which is put in the container 4 together with the container 5 filled with the citric acid solution. Reference numeral 7 denotes a seal portion for adjusting the shape of the container 4 to a desired shape when the container 4 is expanded with carbon dioxide gas as shown in FIG. When the cushioning device is configured as described above, when the cushioning device is used as a cushioning material for transporting fruits, the container 5 is broken by applying force to the inside of the container 5, and the citric acid solution and carbonate The soda powder 6 is mixed with the soda powder 6, and carbon dioxide gas is generated by the reaction. Then, the container 4 that has been crushed so far is swelled by the carbon dioxide gas generated by the reaction, and has just the shape as shown in FIG.
It can be used as a cushioning material. In addition, at this time, since the container 4 is permeable to carbon dioxide gas, it is gradually discharged into the housing 1 in which the fruits are stored, which is also very effective in maintaining the freshness of the fruits in the housing 1. In general, the transportation does not take a long time, and for example, the period of transportation and storage from the production area to the consumption area may be about 1 day to 1 week. What is necessary is just to determine the carbon dioxide gas permeability of the material of the container 4 so that it takes about one day to one week for this to be performed, and this can be appropriately determined in consideration of the carbon dioxide gas permeability coefficient and the thickness of the material of the container 4. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view of a second embodiment of the cushioning device used for transporting fresh food according to the present invention. Even in the present embodiment, the basic technical concept is the same as that of the first embodiment, so that the detailed description is omitted. In this embodiment, the container 5 and the sodium carbonate powder 6
Is specially constituted by a seal 8, and when used, the seal is broken by carbon dioxide gas pressure so that carbon dioxide gas can diffuse into the container 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of a third embodiment of the cushioning device used for transporting fresh food according to the present invention. Even in this embodiment, the basic technical idea is the same as that of the first embodiment, and not only the citric acid solution but also the sodium carbonate powder 6 is merely put in the container 5, so that the details Detailed description is omitted.

According to the present invention, not only is the buffer function exhibited, which is effective in maintaining the shape of the product, but also the carbon dioxide gas which has permeated and leached into the housing during transportation of fresh products such as fruits, flowers and vegetables. Since it exerts an effect on maintaining the freshness of these vegetables, fruits or flowers, it exerts the effect of two birds with one stone, and is extremely high in value. In addition, the volume occupied by the cushioning device at the time of stock and transportation can be reduced, and storage costs and transportation costs can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a cushioning device used for transporting fresh products according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is for transporting fresh products such as fruits. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of a cushioning device used for this transportation, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams of a cushioning device used for fresh food transportation according to the present invention. It is a schematic explanatory view of another example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Housing, 2 ... Fruit, 3 ... Buffer material, 4 ... Container, 5 ... Container, 6 ... Sodium carbonate powder, 7 ... Seal part.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI A23B 7/148 (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23B 7/148 B65D 81/00-81/20 B65D 85/00-85/50

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cushioning device used for transporting fresh products with good freshness, comprising a container, a liquid disposed in the container and mixed to generate a carbon dioxide gas and / or a liquid. And a solid raw material, wherein the container has a carbon dioxide gas permeability capable of gradually releasing the carbon dioxide gas filled in the container to the outside of the container, and is formed of a soft film. A cushioning device used when transporting perishables. 2. A cushioning device used for transporting fresh products according to claim 1, wherein the liquid and / or solid raw material which generates carbon dioxide gas by being mixed is an easily breakable isolation material. What is isolated.