JP7526998B2 - Ice pack cooling device and ice pack set - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an ice pack cooling device that allows ice packs used for icing to be carried in a cooled state.

Some ice bags are equipped with a cap member that has an opening at the top end of a deformable bag portion for putting ice or water in and taking it out. The opening of the cap member is closed with a removable lid member.

This ice pack is used to ice a body part by filling it with crushed ice and a small amount of water, but it cannot be used for long periods of time. In other words, it is not suitable for carrying around while playing golf and using it repeatedly between plays, for example.

For this reason, coolers were sometimes used to carry ice packs that had been prepared in advance.

However, using a cooler box to carry a single ice pack is not practical in terms of ease of handling.

In order to keep the ice pack cool and portable, it is possible to put it in a specially designed insulated container, as disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. The portable insulated container in Patent Document 1 has an insulated container for putting a chilled can container in, and an insulated lid that can be attached and detached to the opening of the insulated container.

JP 2010-202259 A

However, to take out the can you want to keep cold, you first need to remove the insulated lid. After that, you have to put the removed insulated lid somewhere and then take out the can in a separate operation. This is fine if the item you want to keep cold is a can that you will only take out once, but if you want to keep an ice pack that you will use repeatedly, you will need to remove and put back the insulated lid, which is cumbersome and inefficient.

Also, if the item to be cooled is a fixed-shape item such as a can, the space inside the insulated container can be made small, but if it is an ice pack, the excess space inside the insulated container tends to be large. Too much air inside reduces the cooling performance.

Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to provide an ice pack that is easy to carry and take out as needed, making it convenient to use, while also improving its cooling performance.

The means for achieving this is an ice bag cooling device that keeps an ice bag cool and has a cap member with a removable lid member at the top end of the bag, the ice bag cooling device is formed in a bottomed, insulating, cylindrical shape, has an attachment part that attaches the cap member to the inner peripheral surface of the top end to close the opening of the top end, and the main body part below the attachment part has a smaller diameter than the attachment part.

In this configuration, the mouthpiece of the ice bag attached to the attachment part by fitting or screwing functions as a lid for the ice bag cooler. When in use, the ice bag can be used as is by simply removing the mouthpiece from the ice bag cooler without having to change hands. In addition, the main body, which has a smaller diameter than the attachment part, reduces excess space inside the ice bag cooler.

According to this invention, the cap of the ice bag to be cooled functions as a lid, making it compact and easy to carry a single ice bag. Moreover, since the cap is all that is needed to insert or remove the ice bag, it is easy to operate and can be used easily. In addition, the diameter of the main body is smaller than that of the attachment part, which reduces the amount of extra space inside and allows for good cooling performance even when the ice bag is not a fixed shape.

A perspective view of an ice pack set. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ice pack with the lid member separated. Cross-section of the ice pack set in assembled state. Cross-section of an ice pack cooling device. FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of how to use the ice pack set. Cross-section of making ice inside an ice pack.

One embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of ice pack cooling device 11 combined with ice pack 31. Ice pack cooling device 11 and ice pack 31 are components of ice pack set 10 for carrying ice pack 31 while keeping it cool. A connecting structure is provided between ice pack cooling device 11 and ice pack 31 to maintain the combined state of the two when combined.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ice bag 31 has a cap member 33 at the upper end of a flexible bag portion 32. The cap member 33 is provided with a removable lid member 34.

The bag portion 32 is made of a waterproof fabric or silicone rubber, and has multiple pleats 32a on its periphery, which are created by fixing the nozzle member 33.

The cap member 33 is circular in plan view, and has a circular opening 33a in the center as shown in FIG. 3. The short cylindrical portion 35 that defines the opening 33a has an internal thread 35a formed on its inner circumferential surface for screwing in the lid member 34, and the upper end surface of the short cylindrical portion 35 has a protruding rib 37 that abuts from below against a packing 36 provided on the underside of the outer circumferential portion of the lid member 34.

The cover member 34 that closes the opening 33a of the nozzle member 33 has a cylindrical insertion portion 39 formed on the underside of the disk-shaped main body portion 38 that fits into the opening 33a, and a male thread 39a that screws into the female thread 35a of the nozzle member 33 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 39. The gasket 36 of the cover member 34 described above is provided on the underside of the main body portion 38, on the outer circumferential side of the insertion portion 39.

A ring-shaped protrusion 40 that bulges upward is formed on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the main body 38, and two protrusions 41 are formed on the outer periphery of the protrusion 40 to provide a grip for the hand when rotating the cover member 34 (see Figure 2).

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, a flange 42 is formed at the upper end of the short cylindrical portion 35 of the nozzle member 33, protruding outward, and a thick edge 42a is formed on the outer periphery of the flange 42. The upper end of the bag portion 32 is held between this edge 42a and the short cylindrical portion 35. In the figure, 43 is a clamp, and the vertical length of the clamp 43 is formed to an appropriate length as long as it does not protrude below the short cylindrical portion 35.

A packing 44 is fixed to the outer periphery of the edge 42a of the nozzle member 33. The packing 44 functions as the above-mentioned connecting structure, and has a fitting portion 45 that fits into the edge 42a, and a hanging portion 46 that extends downward along the clamping metal fitting 43 from the inner periphery lower end position of the fitting portion 45. A fin 46a that protrudes to the outer periphery is formed around the entire circumference at the vertical middle portion of the outer periphery surface of the hanging portion 46.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view of the ice bag 31 combined with the ice bag cooling device 11, the portion of the cap member 33 of the ice bag 31 below the fitting portion 45 of the packing 44 is stored inside the ice bag cooling device 11.

As a result, the fins 46a in the hanging portion 46 of the packing 44 come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the ice pack cooling device 11 from the inside, and the protruding portion 45a, which is the underside of the fitting portion 45 and protrudes outward from the upper end of the hanging portion 46, comes into contact with the upper end of the ice pack cooling device 11 from above.

The ice bag cooler 11 has a structure with thermal insulation properties, and in this example, as shown in FIG. 5, is a metallic vacuum double bottle formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The size of the ice bag cooler 11 in a plan view is large enough to fit the nozzle member 33 of the ice bag 31, and a fitting portion 12 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the ice bag cooler 11 as an attachment portion that attaches the nozzle member 33 of the ice bag 31 described above to close the opening of the upper end. The main body portion 13 below this fitting portion 12 is the portion that has the vacuum space 14, and has a smaller diameter than the fitting portion 12.

That is, the ice pack cooler 11 is composed of an outer bottle 15 and an inner bottle 16 whose upper ends are joined together, and both the outer bottle 15 and the inner bottle 16 have walls 15a, 16a and bottoms 15b, 16b. The wall 15a of the outer bottle 15 is formed vertically straight from the top to the bottom, whereas the wall 16a of the inner bottle 16 has an inclined step portion 16c formed between the vertical portion that constitutes the aforementioned fitting portion 12 and a vertical portion below that.

The inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 12 is the wall inner surface portion 12a against which the fin 46a of the packing 44 of the nozzle member 33 abuts, and the upper end surface portion 12b of the fitting portion 12 is the portion against which the protruding portion 45a of the packing 44 of the nozzle member 33 abuts.

When the nozzle member 33 of the ice bag 31 is fitted into the fitting portion 12 of the ice bag cooling device 11, the opening of the ice bag cooling device 11 is closed in an airtight manner by the ice bag 31, specifically the nozzle member 33. When the opening of the ice bag cooling device 11 is closed, the bag portion 32 is positioned inside the main body portion 13, and the portion of the nozzle member 33 above the fitting portion 45 of the packing 44 protrudes from the top end of the ice bag cooling device 11 (see FIG. 4).

The ice bag cooling device 11 can function with just the above-mentioned configuration, but in this example, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, it can be stored along the inner circumferential surface of the main body 13, and an auxiliary member 51 that surrounds the bag portion 32 of the ice bag 31 is provided so that it can be inserted and removed. In other words, the above-mentioned ice bag set 10 is composed of the ice bag 31, the ice bag cooling device 11, and the auxiliary member 51.

The auxiliary member 51 is tubular, specifically a cylindrical shape that is closed in the circumferential direction. Its size in a plan view is such that it fits into the inner circumferential surface of the main body 13 of the ice pack cooling device 11.

The height H1 of the auxiliary member 51 is slightly lower than the height H2 of the inner circumferential surface of the main body 13 of the ice pack cooling device 11, as shown in FIG. 4. The auxiliary member 51 also has a tapered inner circumferential surface 52 that becomes smaller in diameter toward the lower end, as shown in FIG. 6. The inclination angle α of the inner circumferential surface 52 is preferably small.

As shown by the phantom lines in Figure 2, the upper part of the auxiliary member 51 is deformable, while the lower end is rigid enough not to deform easily. In other words, the lower end of the auxiliary member 51 is formed with a shape-retaining edge 54 that is more rigid than the area above it.

The shape-retaining edge portion 54 is formed by making it thick as shown in FIG. 6. Specifically, the circumferential thickness t1 of the shape-retaining edge portion 54 is thicker than the thickness t2 of the portion above it. In other words, the shape-retaining edge portion 54 is a rib-like portion that protrudes in the outer circumferential direction and forms an annular shape.

A number of ribs 55 extending upward are formed on the upper surface of the shape-retaining edge portion 54. The ribs 55 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of ribs 55 may be two as in the illustrated example, or it may be three or more.

As shown in FIG. 6, the outer surface position of the shape-retaining edge 54 and the outer surface position of the upper end of the auxiliary member 51 are the same in the circumferential direction. In other words, the portion above the shape-retaining edge 54 extends diagonally upward and outward within the range of the thickness t1 of the shape-retaining edge 54. Because of this configuration, when the auxiliary member 51 is stored inside the ice pack cooling device 11, both the outer peripheral surface of the shape-retaining edge 54 and the outer peripheral surface of the upper end are similarly close to the inner peripheral surface of the main body 13 of the ice pack cooling device 11.

In addition, even if the auxiliary member 51 is stored inside the ice bag cooling device 11, it does not prevent the ice bag 31 from being attached to the ice bag cooling device 11. Therefore, whether the auxiliary member 51 is stored or not, when the ice bag 31 is combined with the ice bag cooling device 11, the appearance will be as shown in FIG. 1.

The ice bag cooling device 11 with such an auxiliary member 51 attached, and the ice bag set 10 consisting of the ice bag 31, the auxiliary member 51, and the ice bag cooling device 11, are used as follows.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the manner in which ice bag set 10 is used. As shown in this figure, the main ways in which ice bag set 10 can be used are as a combination of ice bag 31 and auxiliary member 51 (Figure 7(a)), as a combination of ice bag 31 and ice bag cooling device 11 (Figure 7(b)), and as ice bag 31 alone (Figure 7(c)).

The use of the combination of ice bag 31 and auxiliary member 51 is an example of how ice bag 31 can function as an ice bag. In other words, it is used to hold at least ice I inside bag portion 32 of ice bag 31. As shown in FIG. 8, ice bag 31 with water W in bag portion 32 is held by auxiliary member 51, and freezing is performed in this state.

The ice bag 31 is held against the auxiliary member 51 by inserting the bag portion 32 of the ice bag 31 into the auxiliary member 51 from above. Although there is no special locking means, the lower portion of the cap member 33 of the bag portion 32 hooks onto the upper end of the auxiliary member 51, so the relationship between the auxiliary member 51 and the ice bag 31 is stable. Water W can be poured into the ice bag 31 either before or after it is held against the auxiliary member 51.

When freezing occurs, the ice I that forms inside the bag portion 32 expands, but at this time the auxiliary member 51 determines the shape and size of the ice I. In other words, the bag portion 32 with the pleated portion 32a tries to expand irregularly toward the outer periphery, but the auxiliary member 51 acts as a wall to regulate the expansion and keep it within a certain range.

The auxiliary member 51 is sized to fit within the ice pack cooling device 11, so that the bag portion 32 of the ice pack 31 that is frozen while fitted into the auxiliary member 51 fits securely within the ice pack cooling device 11.

As mentioned above, there is no locking mechanism between the ice bag 31 and the ice bag cooler 11, but even if you mistakenly try to place the ice bag 31 in by turning the auxiliary member 51 upside down, the upper end of the auxiliary member 51 in the inverted position has a small opening, so you will notice the mistake as soon as you place the ice bag 31 on it.

After the water W in the ice bag 31 turns into ice I, the auxiliary member 51 surrounding the bag portion 32 of the ice bag 31 is removed. The auxiliary member 51 has an inner circumferential surface 52 that is wider toward the upper end, and the lower end is rigid while the upper side is flexible, so that even if the bag portion 32 and the auxiliary member 51 are stuck together due to freezing, the auxiliary member 51 can be easily removed from the bag portion 32 by holding the lower end of the auxiliary member 51.

The rib 55 formed integrally with the shape-retaining edge 54 aids in removal. In other words, the rib 55 makes it easier to apply rotational force.

The ice bag 31 with the auxiliary member 51 removed is stored in the ice bag cooling device 11 as shown in FIG. 7(b). That is, the bag portion 32 is inserted into the ice bag cooling device 11, and the cap member 33 is fitted by pushing it into the fitting portion 12. The fins 46a and the protruding portion 45a of the packing 44 of the cap member 33 deform and come into close contact with the opposing portions (the wall inner surface portion 12a and the upper end surface portion 12b), forming a seal with the fitting portion 12, so that it is difficult to come off and maintains its cooling properties.

The bag portion 32 of the ice bag 31, which closes the ice bag cooling device 11 with the cap member 33 as a lid, is kept cold by the insulating function of the ice bag cooling device 11 and the airtightness of the packing 44.

When storing the ice bag 31 in the ice bag cooling device 11, the auxiliary member 51 can also be stored. In this case, the auxiliary member 51 is interposed between the bag portion 32 of the ice bag 31 and the ice bag cooling device 11, and functions as a cushioning material. In other words, even if the bag portion 32 shakes due to vibrations when carried, the auxiliary member 51 prevents the bag portion 32 from colliding with the ice bag cooling device 11, and reduces the load on the bag portion 32, especially on its upper end portion.

When using the ice bag 31, remove the ice bag 31 from the ice bag cooling device 11 as shown in FIG. 7(c).

After use, store the ice bag 31 immediately in the ice pack storage device 11 as shown in FIG. 7(b). When freezing or cooling the ice bag 31, hold it in place on the auxiliary member 51 as shown in FIG. 7(a).

When making ice I in the ice bag 31, if another appropriate member is used to shape the ice, it can be frozen to fit into the ice bag cooling device 11 without using the auxiliary member 51. When using the ice bag 31, in addition to making ice I directly in the ice bag 31 as described above, multiple pieces of ice of appropriate size can be placed in the ice bag 31 together with water as necessary. In this case, the auxiliary member 51 can be used as a stand to support the ice bag 31, which does not have a fixed shape.

The ice bag set 10 is used in this way, and can be conveniently used, for example, for simple icing or to feel cool between golf games. By quickly storing the ice bag 31 in the ice bag storage device 11 after each use, the ice bag 31 can be used for a long period of time.

In addition, when using the ice bag 31, all you have to do is hold the cap member 33 in your hand and pull it, and there is no need to change your grip, making it very easy to use. Even when storing the ice bag inside the ice bag cooling device 11, all you have to do is push the cap member 33 you are holding into the fitting portion 12, which is extremely quick and easy.

The fitting portion 12 has an inner wall portion 12a that abuts against the fins 46a of the packing 44 provided on the nozzle member 33, and an upper end surface portion 12b that abuts against the protruding portion 45a of the packing 44 from above, so it has good cold retention and anti-slip properties.

Since the ice bag set 10 is equipped with an auxiliary member 51, when freezing water W in the ice bag 31 for use, it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of an unforeseen situation in which the ice bag 31 cannot be accommodated in the ice bag cooling device 11. The auxiliary member 51 can be used not only when freezing, but also when carrying the ice bag 31 and can be placed in the ice bag cooling device 11 together with the ice bag 31, and can also be used when putting ice and water in the ice bag 31, which is convenient.

Because the auxiliary member 51 is cylindrical, no special operations are required for use, making it easy to handle, and it reliably controls the shape of the ice.

In addition, the diameter of the main body 13 is smaller than the fitting portion 12 of the ice pack cooling device 11, so the space inside the ice pack cooling device 11 can be made smaller. This allows the device to be carried around while maintaining good cooling properties.

In addition, the outer surface position of the shape-retaining edge 54 of the auxiliary member 51 and the outer surface position of the upper end of the auxiliary member 51 are the same in the circumferential direction, which helps to reduce excess space within the ice pack cooling device 11.

The above configuration is one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and other configurations may also be adopted.

The ice bag set 10 may consist of only the ice bag 31 and the ice bag cooling device 11.

The insulating material may be held in the insertion portion 39 in the lid member 34 of the ice bag 31.

You can use an existing ice bag 31, in which case a gasket 44 is attached to the nozzle of the ice bag.

In the above example, the attachment portion of the ice pack cooling device 11 is configured as a fitting portion 12 into which the cap member 33 is simply fitted, but it may also be configured as a screw into which the cap member 33 is screwed. If the attachment portion is configured as a screw, the screw will function as the connecting structure described above.

When the connection structure is configured with a screw, it may be an internal screw structure with a screw on the inner peripheral surface of the ice pack cooling device 11, or an external screw structure with a screw on the outer peripheral surface of the ice pack cooling device 11.

The auxiliary member 51 may not be a closed cylinder, but may be a cylinder that can be opened to a C-shape in cross section. In this case, a means for closing the open part is provided. With such an auxiliary member 51, the frozen ice bag can be easily removed by opening it. Also, in this case, there is no need to form the shape-retaining edge portion 54, so the thickness of the auxiliary member 51 in the circumferential direction can be made thinner, and the extra space inside the ice bag cooling device 11 can be further reduced.

In the above example, the auxiliary member 51 is cylindrical and completely closed, but it may have an opening that runs through it in the thickness direction, like a basket, for example.

The inner surface 52 of the auxiliary member 51 may be provided with projections and recesses, for example by embossing, to reduce the contact area with the bag portion 32 of the ice pack 31 and facilitate separation when the ice pack 31 and the bag portion 32 are frozen together.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 ice bag set 11 ice bag cooling device 12 fitting portion 12a wall inner surface portion 12b upper end surface portion 13 main body portion 31 ice bag 32 bag portion 33 mouthpiece member 34 lid member 44 packing 45a extension portion 46a fin 51 auxiliary member 52 inner peripheral surface 54 shape-retaining edge portion

Claims (8)

An ice bag cooling device for cooling an ice bag having a cap member with a removable lid member at the upper end of a bag portion,
the nozzle member is formed in a bottomed tubular shape having thermal insulation properties, and a mounting portion is formed on an inner peripheral surface of an upper end portion thereof to mount the nozzle member thereon and close an opening of the upper end portion;
A main body portion below the mounting portion has a smaller diameter than the mounting portion,
The ice pack is provided with an auxiliary member that can be stored along the inner circumferential surface of the main body and surrounds the bag portion of the ice pack in a removable manner.
Ice pack cooling device. The ice pack cooling device of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion has at least one of an inner wall portion that abuts a fin protruding from the outer peripheral surface of a portion of a gasket provided on the nozzle member that fits into the mounting portion, and an upper end surface portion that abuts from above a protruding portion of the gasket that protrudes outward to the outer periphery above the portion of the gasket that fits into the mounting portion. The auxiliary member is cylindrical.
The ice pack cooling device according to claim 1 or 2 . The ice pack cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the auxiliary member has a tapered inner circumferential surface that becomes smaller in diameter toward a lower end side. 5. The ice pack cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein a shape-retaining edge portion having higher rigidity than an upper portion of the lower end of the auxiliary member is formed at the lower end of the auxiliary member. The shape-retaining edge portion is formed to be thicker in the circumferential direction than the portion above it,
The ice pack cooling device according to claim 5 , wherein the outer surface position of the shape-retaining edge portion of the auxiliary member and the outer surface position of the upper end of the auxiliary member are the same in the circumferential direction. 7. An ice bag cooling device comprising: the ice bag according to claim 1 ; and an ice bag provided with a cap member having a detachable lid member at an upper end of a bag portion;
The ice bag set has a gasket on the mouth member of the ice bag that fits tightly to the mounting portion of the ice bag cooling device. An ice bag having a cap member with a removable lid member at the upper end of the bag portion ;
The ice bag cooling device is formed in a bottomed tubular shape having thermal insulation properties for keeping the ice bag cold, and a mounting part is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end part to close the opening of the upper end part by attaching the mouthpiece member, and a main body part below the mounting part has a smaller diameter than the mounting part,
The ice bag set has a gasket on the mouth member of the ice bag that fits tightly to the mounting portion of the ice bag cooling device.

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