JP7729602B2 - Backpack external cooling cover - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Published at the JAPAN DIY HOMECENTER SHOW 2021, held from October 7th to 9th, 2021.

This invention relates to an external cooling cover for a backpack that can be attached to the outside of a backpack and provides a cooling effect when the backpack is worn in a high-temperature environment.

When going out with a backpack in a hot environment such as summer, the back is particularly prone to sweating, making it easy to suffer from heat stroke.
As described in Patent Document 1, a liquid circulation type cooling garment has been proposed in which a flow path is arranged in the garment body and a cooling liquid is circulated through the flow path for cooling.
However, conventional liquid circulation cooling garments simply circulate a cooling liquid such as ice water, so even if the cooling effect is high at first, the temperature of the cooling liquid rises as the garment is worn, and the cooling effect decreases in a short period of time.
To address this issue, for example, if the cooling suit were equipped with a heat exchanger that cools the cooling liquid, it would be possible to prevent a decrease in the cooling effect, but the heat exchanger would inevitably be bulky and heavy, making it difficult to move around while wearing the cooling suit.Furthermore, it cannot be worn while carrying a backpack.

Utility Model Registration No. 3212335

If we could improve the cooling fluid circulation system to create a flat, flexible fabric that could maintain a comfortable cooling effect for a long period of time while being not bulky, lightweight, and appropriately durable, making it easy to use and cost-effective, then it could be attached not only to cooling clothing but also to a backpack. When going out with a backpack, it may be easier to move around and more convenient to have a cooling cover attached to the backpack rather than cooling clothing.

The present invention was made in response to the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a cooling cover for attaching to an external backpack that uses a cooling fluid circulation system, which can maintain a comfortable cooling effect for a long period of time, while being not bulky, lightweight, and appropriately durable, making it not only easy to use but also cost-effective.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention of claim 1 comprises a cover body that is made into a flat bag shape and is divided into a back portion and left and right side portions so that they can communicate with each other, and is attached to the backpack by wrapping the back portion and the left and right side portions with the inner surfaces of the back portion and the left and right side portions against the back portion and the left and right side portions of the backpack; a storage section that is provided in the shape of a pocket on one side portion of the cover body and that stores a PET bottle filled with a freezable liquid as a cooling material in an upright position so that it can be freely inserted and removed; and a serpentine bag that is exposed on the outer surface of the back portion and runs along the back portion, one end of which is attached to the storage section. This cooling cover for external use on a backpack comprises a flexible tube connected at the top to the PET bottle and at the bottom to the storage section, a pump attached to the tube, and a pocket-sized controller that manually drives the pump. When the pump is activated, cooling fluid that flows into the storage section from one end of the tube comes into contact with the PET bottle and drips down the outer surface, where it is cooled before being returned to the other end of the tube, forming a cooling fluid circulation path that circulates through the tube.

The invention of claim 2 is the cooling cover for external attachment to a backpack described in claim 1, characterized in that the outer surface of the cover body is provided with multiple flexible insertion-type guide sections, and the tube is inserted through these guide sections and routed along the cover.

The invention of claim 3 is a cooling cover for external attachment to a backpack as described in claim 2, characterized in that the insertion- type guide portion is composed of a rubber tape sewn to the outer surface of the cover body and formed into a loop.

The invention of claim 4 is a cooling cover for attaching to an external backpack as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cover body serves as an outer bag, and an inner bag serves as a storage compartment within it, the edges of the openings formed in the bag fabric on the outer surface of the cover body and the inner bag are joined together to open the inside of the inner bag to the outside of the cover body, and the opening is closed by a lid attached to the outer surface of the cover body.

The invention of claim 5 is a cooling cover for attaching to an external backpack as described in claim 4, characterized in that the inner surface of the outer bag is covered with a heat insulating sheet.

The invention of claim 6 is a cooling cover for attaching to an external backpack as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a solid ice pack can be placed between the inner surface of the outer bag and the outer surface of the inner bag.

The invention of claim 7 is a cooling cover for external attachment to a backpack described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the controller is equipped with an intermittent operation function that operates the pump intermittently in response to an intermittent operation command.

The invention of claim 8 is a cooling cover for external attachment to a backpack described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the controller is provided on the other side portion and is housed in a pocket with an access port on the outer surface.

The cooling cover of the present invention can be attached to the outside of a backpack. Furthermore, the cooling cover can maintain a comfortable cooling effect for a long period of time, while being not bulky, lightweight, and appropriately durable, making it not only easy to use but also cost-effective.

1 is a view of a cooling cover according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the inside, in a state where the cooling cover is unfolded into a flat surface; FIG. 2 is a view of the cooling cover of FIG. 1 as seen from the outside. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2 . FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the electrical coupling between the controller and the pump of FIG. 3 . 3 is an explanatory diagram of how to insert and remove a PET bottle into and from the cooling cover of FIG. 2. [0023] FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the mechanism by which the cooling effect is maintained for a long period of time when a PET bottle is placed inside. 2 is a diagram showing the cooling cover of FIG. 1 attached to a backpack. FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the backpack of FIG. 7 being worn on the back.

A cooling cover 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 3, the cover body 3 of the cooling cover 1 is formed into a flat bag shape by sewing the edges of the same shaped inner and outer bag fabrics 5 and 7. The cover body 3 is made of a synthetic fiber fabric such as nylon or polyester.
The cover body 3 is divided laterally into a left side portion 9, a back portion 11, and a right side portion 13, but these portions are connected at their boundaries.
The upper edge of the cover body 3 is continuous without any steps, but on the lower side, the left side surface 9 is shorter in the vertical direction than the back support portion 11, and the left side surface 9 extends leftward in a flap-like manner from the boundary with the back support portion 11. The right side surface 13 has approximately the same vertical length as the back support portion 11, but the boundary therebetween is branched off by a slit formed upward from the lower edge.

A loop 17 is formed at the center of the upper edge of the back support portion 11 by sewing both longitudinal ends of the belt. Belts extend from both sides of the loop 17, with a male buckle 19a connected to one end of the belt and a female buckle 19b connected to the other end of the belt. The male buckle 19a is inserted into the female buckle 19b and engaged, resulting in a detachable connection. A buckle 21 with a similar configuration is attached to the outside of the buckle 19. The buckle 21 is attached to the upper edges of the left and right side surfaces 9, 13. Furthermore, buckles 23 with a similar configuration are attached to the side edges of the left and right side surfaces 9, 13.
On the inside, an opening is formed in the vertical direction in a straight line in the horizontal center of the bag fabric 5 of the backrest portion 11, and is closed with a zipper 15.

On the outside, in the backrest portion 11, mesh fabric 25 is sewn to the outer surface of the bag cloth 7 to form an integrated unit. In addition, at the upper corner on the boundary side with the right side portion 13, an insertion hole 27 is opened through the bag cloth 7 and mesh fabric 25, and an eyelet ring 29 is attached, reinforcing the edge of the hole and also joining the bag cloth 7 and mesh fabric 25 there. The interior of the backrest portion 11 is open to the outside through this insertion hole 27.
Additionally, a plurality of stretchable insert-type guide portions 31, 31, ... are provided on the outer surface of the mesh fabric 25. The insert-type guide portions 31 are formed by cutting a short piece of thin rubber tape and sewing both ends in the length direction to the inner surface to form a loop.

A heat insulating sheet 33 is sewn and integrated onto the inner surface of the flat bag portion formed by the bag fabrics 5 and 7 on the right side surface 13. This heat insulating sheet 33 is made of a polyethylene base sheet with aluminum vapor-deposited on it, and is sewn so that the aluminum surface is exposed on the inner surface of the bag.
A pocket 35 is formed on the right side surface 13. The pocket 35 has a linear opening in the horizontal direction at the top of the bag fabric 7, and the opening is closed with a zipper 37.

The pocket 35 is an outer bag, and inside it is a flat-bag-shaped storage section 39 made of a waterproof synthetic resin sheet. One side of this storage section 39 has a large circular hole, which serves as the main opening of the storage section 39.
A hole of the same size is also formed in the bag fabric 7 of the pocket 35, and the two pieces are overlapped with the hole edges aligned, and a nozzle 41 is attached to the overlapped hole edge. Therefore, the storage section 39 is connected to the pocket 35 via the nozzle 41. As shown in detail in Figure 5, a lid 45 is connected to the nozzle 41 via a string 43, and the opening of the storage section 39 is closed when the male thread portion of the lid 45 is screwed into the female thread portion of the nozzle 41. A packing 47 is fitted into the lid 45 to prevent liquid leakage.
The mouthpiece 41, string 43 and lid 45 are integrally molded from plastic, and although the string 43 is thin and flexible, the mouthpiece 41 and lid 45 have a certain degree of rigidity.

The mouthpiece 41 is formed in the middle of the bag cloth 7 of the pocket 35, and a patch-like pocket 49 made of the same fabric as the bag cloth 7 is provided below the mouthpiece 41, overlapping the outer surface of the pocket 35. The upper side of the bag cloth 51 on the outer surface of this pocket 49 has a linear opening in the horizontal direction, and the opening is closed with a zipper 53.
Holes 55 and 59 are made in the bag fabric 7, which is the same fabric as the pocket 49, and eyelet rings 57 and 61 are attached to reinforce the edges of the holes. The holes 55 and 59 are located at orthogonal corners, with the hole 55 located on the boundary side with the back support 11 on the upper side and the hole 59 on the lower side. The inside of the pocket 49 and the inside of the pocket 35 are connected via the holes 55 and 59.
An expandable pump holder 63 is provided below the insertion hole 55. The rubber tape is cut into short pieces, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are sewn to the outer surface of the bag cloth 7 to form an integrated unit.
The insertion holes 55 , 59 and the pump holder 63 are hidden by the bag cloth 51 of the pocket 49 .

A patch-shaped pocket 65 is superimposed on the outer surface of the left side surface 9. The pocket 65 is made from the same fabric as the bag cloth 7, and the outer bag cloth 67 has a flap-shaped lid that closes with a snap button. The bag cloth 7 of this pocket 65 also has a through-hole 69, and an eyelet ring 71 is attached to reinforce the edge of the hole. The interior of the pocket 65 and the interior of the left side surface 9 are connected via this through-hole 69. The through-hole 69 is hidden by the bag cloth 67 of the pocket 65.

The cover body 3 side is configured as described above and incorporates a cooling fluid circulation path 73. The cooling fluid circulation path 73 is composed of a housing portion 39 and a tube 75, which is made of plastic and is flexible. The tube 75 is connected to the housing portion 39 via the upper and lower sides of the housing portion 39 as connection portions, and when the lid 45 of the housing portion 39 is closed, it becomes a closed flow path for the cooling fluid.
Except for both ends, the tube 75 is exposed on the mesh fabric 25 of the back support portion 11 of the cover body 3. The exposed portion is inserted sequentially through the insertion-type guide portions 31, 31, ... and is wound in a serpentine manner along the exposed surface of the mesh fabric 25, covering the entire exposed surface. When the cooling cover 1 is attached to the backpack R and the backpack R is worn, this serpentine portion 75a comes into contact with the back side of the jacket of the person wearing the backpack.

Both ends of the tube 75 are passed through the insertion holes 27 and enter the pouch of the backrest portion 11. Because the backrest portion 11 and the right side surface portion 13 are connected, the tube 75 enters the interior of the pocket 35 formed by the right side surface portion 13, and one end of the tube 75 is directly connected to the upper connection portion 39a of the storage portion 39 contained inside the pocket 35, thereby communicating with the interior of the storage portion 39. The other end is passed through the insertion hole 59 and drawn out into the pocket 49. Inside this pocket 49, a pump 77 is held in a pump holder 63, and this pump 77 is attached to the drawn-out portion. The other end of the tube 75 is passed through the insertion hole 55 and returned to the interior of the pocket 35, where it is connected to the lower connection portion 39b of the storage portion 39, thereby communicating with the interior of the storage portion 39.

When the pump 77 is operated, the cooling fluid flows as shown by the arrows in Figure 4. The cooling fluid flows into the interior of the storage section 39 from the upper connection 39a of the storage section 39, flows out into the tube 75 from the lower connection 39b, flows through the serpentine portion 75a of the tube 75, and then flows back into the interior of the storage section 39 from the upper connection 39a of the storage section 39. The cooling fluid circulates through the cooling fluid circulation path 73 in this manner.

The cord 77a of the pump 77 is passed through the insertion hole 55, passes through the inside of the bag in the back support portion 11, proceeds into the inside of the bag in the left side portion 9, and is passed through the insertion hole 69 and pulled out into the inside of the pocket 65. The controller 79 is housed inside the pocket 65, and is detachably connected to this controller 79.

The controller 79 has the external shape shown in Figure 4 and is equipped with an ON/OFF switch 79a on its exterior. Pressing this switch 79a supplies power to the pump 77, causing the pump 77 to operate, and pressing it again stops the power supply. A lamp 79b lights up while power is being supplied. A USB connector 79c is also provided for external charging and power supply. As will be described later, the controller 79 is housed in a pocket 65 that opens to the outside when the cooling cover 1 is attached to the backpack R, so it can be operated without removing it from the backpack R.
The controller 79 houses a battery and a microcomputer, and is connected to a switch 79a and the motor of the pump 77. Working in conjunction with software, the controller 79 realizes an operation mode execution function that controls the power supply to the motor, thereby operating the pump 77.

The operation mode execution function allows the user to select a desired operation mode from multiple operation modes, and when switch 79a is pressed, a timer is used to measure the time and a three-hour operation mode is implemented. Pressing switch 79a once selects continuous operation mode. Pressing switch 79a twice selects intermittent operation mode (1) of 1 minute operation → 1 minute stop → 1 minute operation → 1 minute stop → .... Pressing switch 79a three times selects intermittent operation mode (2) of 20 seconds operation → 1 minute 30 seconds stop → 20 seconds operation → 1 minute 30 seconds stop .... In other words, the operation mode execution function includes an intermittent operation function that operates pump 77 intermittently.
If the switch 79a is pressed and held during operation, the operation ends.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lid 45 is removed from the nozzle 41 to insert or remove the PET bottle P.
The interior of the storage section 39 can accommodate PET bottles P with a capacity of approximately 200 to 700 mL in an upright position. Note that the "upright position" does not necessarily mean that the bottle is standing upright, but also includes a situation where the bottle is leaning against the inner surface of the storage section 39. Depending on the horizontal size of the storage section 39, the PET bottles P are accommodated in an upright position.

The cooling cover 1 is provided with the cooling mechanism as described above, and when in use, the lid 45 is opened, water W as a cooling fluid is poured in through the nozzle 41, and the PET bottle P is placed in the storage section 39.
The storage section 39 is flat and bag-shaped, but is made of a flexible synthetic resin material, and when the PET bottle P is stored inside, it deforms and the middle section expands. However, since the bottom is not flat, adding only a small amount of water W will bring the water level higher than the connecting section 39b.

In this embodiment, the PET bottle P stored in the storage section 39 contains a frozen beverage as ice K. For example, it may contain a purchased, unopened bottle containing a beverage, or a bottle that has been emptied and then refilled with water or the like and frozen in a freezer.
When the cooling fluid circulation path 73 is formed by the operation of the pump 77 as described above, the water W that has flowed into the container 39 turns into droplets D, which hit the outer surface of the plastic bottle P and slide down. As they fall, heat is absorbed and the water is cooled, and they join the pool of water below. The cooled pool of water below is returned to the tube 75 side by the suction action of the pump 77.

The water W should be kept to a level that prevents air from being mixed into the cooling fluid circulation path 73, i.e., the water W in the container 39 should be at a level higher than the lower connection part 39b, and by keeping the amount of water W to a minimum, weight can be reduced. Furthermore, weight reduction also improves the durability of the cooling cover 1.
The ice K made by freezing the beverage in the PET bottle P gradually melts as it absorbs heat to cool the water W. However, as shown in Figure 6, only the bottom of the PET bottle P is immersed in the water W, and the water W turns into droplets D when it flows into the container 39 from the upper connection 39a. These droplets D come into contact with the upper outer surface of the PET bottle P and are cooled as they drip down. Therefore, the rate at which the ice K melts is slow. Furthermore, due to specific gravity, the ice K remains at the top of the PET bottle P until the end as it melts. When the water droplets D flow into the container 39 from the upper connection 39a, they first come into contact with the upper outer surface of the PET bottle P and then slide down from there, so the ice K can be used to cool the water droplets D without waste.

The inner surface of the pocket 35 is lined and covered with a heat insulating sheet 33, which can keep the PET bottle P stored in the storage section 59 cold. The pocket 35 also has gaps that can be used to store solid ice packs, so storing ice packs there can keep the PET bottle P even more cold.
In this way, by surrounding the PET bottle P and keeping it cold, the ice K becomes even more difficult to melt, so that the water W flowing through the exposed tube 75 can be cooled for a long period of time.

As described above, the pump 77 can also be operated intermittently, and since water droplets D do not flow into the storage section 39 when the pump is stopped during intermittent operation, intermittent operation also slows down the rate at which the ice K in the PET bottle P melts.
In this way, by contacting the PET bottle P with water droplets D rather than immersing it in water W, or by operating it intermittently, the life of the ice K in the PET bottle P is extended, and the duration of the cooling effect is extended. Therefore, the frequency of replacing the PET bottle P can be reduced.

On the other hand, the water W that has just been cooled by the ice K is quite cold, and since the tube 75 is exposed from the cover body 3, touching the tube 75 through which the water W flows feels a relatively strong coldness. However, if the water W that has just been cooled by the ice K is constantly flowing, the sensation becomes duller and the coldness seems to have weakened.
In such a case, if the water W is heated to a certain extent, cooled, and then heated to a certain extent again, and the water W is cooled again in a cyclical manner, the user will feel a pleasant coolness when it is cooled again.
Therefore, by selecting the optimal intermittent operation mode, it is possible to provide a comfortable coolness for a long period of time. The above intermittent operation mode (2) has a relatively long stop period of 1 minute 30 seconds, and once the coolness has been completely removed to the point where only a slight amount of coolness remains, a strong coolness is felt again for a moment.

The cooling cover 1 has a lightweight structure and can be provided at low cost. In addition, the cooling cover 1 is flexible, and as shown in Figure 7, the boundary between the left side surface portion 9 and the back support portion 11 and the boundary between the back support portion 11 and the right side surface portion 13 are folded into a three-dimensional shape, which can be used to wrap the backpack R from the outside and attached to the backpack R by connecting the buckles 19, 21, and 23.
The cooling cover 1 is flat and not bulky, so that it acts like a cover covering the backpack R, and does not interfere with the movement of the person wearing the backpack R when standing, as shown in FIG.

Also, the meandering portion 75a of the tube 75 comes into contact with the back side, but the cover body 3 is constructed to be flexible and can be deformed along the shape of the body of the person carrying the rucksack R, and the tube 75 can also move to some extent while pulling the insertion type guide part 31, so that the meandering portion 75a comes into contact with the back side and the cooling effect can be utilized without waste.
The fabric and tubes 75 that make up the cover body 3 of this cooling cover are not special and can be obtained inexpensively, and sewing them together to make the cooling cover 1 does not require any time-consuming work or special equipment or tools, making it cost-effective.

When the ice K in the plastic bottle P melts, it can be removed from the storage section 39 and used to replenish fluids. Convenience stores also sell frozen plastic bottled drinks, so you can purchase them to replace your bottle when you are out.
The cooling cover 1 is provided with multiple pockets, such as pocket 65, which is convenient for storing small portable items, and these pockets can be used in place of the pockets of the backpack R, even if they become difficult to access due to the attachment of the cooling cover 1. In addition, since the backpack R is exposed at the bottom of the left side surface 9, if there is an opening for a pocket of the backpack R there, that pocket can be used.
When the cooling cover 1 is not in use, the boundary between the left side surface part 9 and the back rest part 11 and the boundary between the back rest part 11 and the right side surface part 13 can be folded to make it flat, thereby making it compact and not taking up much storage space.
In this way, the cooling cover 1 is easy to use.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention.
The layout and density of the tube 75 may be optimized depending on the size of the cover body, etc.

1...Cooling cover 3...Cover body 5...Inner bag cloth 7...Outer bag cloth 9...Left side surface portion 11...Back support portion 13...Right side surface portion 15...Fastener 17...Loop 19...Buckle 19a...Male buckle 19b...Female buckle 21...Buckle 23...Buckle 25...Mesh fabric 27...Through-hole 29...Eyelet ring 31...Through-type guide portion 33...Insulating sheet 35...Pocket 37...Fastener 39...Storage portion 39a...Upper connection portion 39b...Lower connection portion 41...Nozzle 43...String 45...Lid body 47...Gasket 49...Pocket 51...Bag cloth 53...Fastener 55...Through-hole 57...Eyelet ring 59...Through-hole 61...Eyelet ring 63...Pump holder 65...Pocket 67...Bag cloth 69...Through-hole 71...Eyelet ring 73...Cooling fluid circulation path 75...Tube 75a...Serpentine portion 77...Pump 77a...Cord 79...Controller 79a...Switch 79b...Lamp 79c...USB connector R...Backpack P...Plastic bottle K...Ice W...Water D...Water droplets

Claims (8)

a cover body formed into a flat bag shape and divided into a back portion and left and right side portions so as to be able to communicate with each other, and attached to the backpack by wrapping the back portion and the left and right side portions with the inner surfaces of the back portion and the left and right side portions against the back portion and the left and right side portions of the backpack; a storage section provided in the shape of a pocket on one side portion of the cover body and for storing a PET bottle filled with a freezable liquid as a cooling material in an upright position so that it can be freely taken in and out; a flexible tube exposed on the outer surface of the back portion and running in a serpentine shape, one end connected to the storage section at an upper side and the other end connected to the storage section at a lower side; a pump attached to the tube; and a pocket-storable controller for manually operating the pump.
This cooling cover for external use on a backpack is characterized in that, when the pump is operated, the cooling fluid that flows into the storage section from one end of the tube comes into contact with the PET bottle, slides down the outer surface of the bottle, is cooled as it drips, and is then returned to the other end of the tube, creating a cooling fluid circulation path that flows through the tube. The backpack external cooling cover according to claim 1,
A cooling cover characterized in that a plurality of flexible insertion guide portions are provided on the outer surface of the cover body, and tubes are inserted through the guide portions and routed along the cover body. In the backpack external cooling cover according to claim 2,
The cooling cover is characterized in that the insertion- type guide portion is composed of a rubber tape sewn to the outer surface of the cover body in a loop shape. The cooling cover for attaching to an external rucksack according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A cooling cover characterized in that the cover body is an outer bag and an inner bag is formed within it as an outer bag, the edges of the opening holes formed in the bag cloth on the outer surface of the cover body and the inner bag are joined together so that the inside of the inner bag is open to the outside of the cover body, and the opening hole is closed by a lid attached to the outer surface of the cover body. In the backpack external cooling cover according to claim 4,
This cooling cover is characterized in that the inner surface of the outer bag is covered with a heat insulating sheet. The cooling cover for attaching to an external rucksack according to claim 4 or 5,
This cooling cover is characterized in that a solid ice pack can be accommodated between the inner surface of the outer bag and the outer surface of the inner bag. The cooling cover for attaching to an external rucksack according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A cooling cover characterized in that the controller has an intermittent operation function that operates the pump intermittently in response to an intermittent operation command. The cooling cover for attaching to an external rucksack according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The cooling cover is characterized in that the controller is provided on the other side surface and is housed in a pocket with an outlet on the outer surface side.