The present disclosure relates to a thermally insulated container suitable to manage a content of the container at a desired temperature.
Conventionally, a thermally insulated container is used to, for example, deliver a content while managing the content at a desired temperature. For example, a material such as a vacuum insulating material is used as a material for this thermally insulated container, which is configured to maintain the container in a desired temperature range (see, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-10523).
When the content is, for example, an investigational drug, the drug is required to be strictly managed in a specific temperature range (for example, 2° C. to 8° C.). In addition, in order to enable delivery taking a long time, an internal temperature of a thermally insulated container is required to stay longer in the specific temperature range. In order to satisfy these requirements, it is necessary to further improve a thermal insulation property of the thermally insulated container.
The present disclosure provides a thermally insulated container.
A thermally insulated container according to the present disclosure includes a container main body having a storage section and an opening, a lid body that covers the opening of the container main body, and an inner box stored in the storage section. The lid body has a convex portion arranged along a periphery of the opening of the container main body and protruding toward an inside of the storage section when the lid body covers the opening. The convex portion faces the inner box, with a gap between the convex portion and the inner box when the lid body covers the opening.
This arrangement can extend a heat penetration path from outside the thermally insulated container. In addition, reducing a contact area between the inner box and the lid body can reduce an influence of heat between the inner box and the container main body. This can improve a heat insulation performance of the thermally insulated container.
A thermally insulated container according to one aspect to the present disclosure includes a container main body having a storage section and an opening, a lid body that covers the opening of the container main body, and an inner box stored in the storage section. The lid body has a convex portion arranged along a periphery of the opening of the container main body and protruding toward an inside of the storage section. The convex portion faces the inner box with a gap between the convex portion and the inner box.
This arrangement can extend a heat penetration path from outside the thermally insulated container. In addition, reducing a contact area between the inner box and the lid body can reduce an influence of heat transfer between the inner box and the thermally insulated container. This can improve a heat insulation performance of the thermally insulated container.
A thermally insulated container according to another aspect of the present disclosure may be configured such that a convex portion is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the storage section.
This arrangement can improve a heat insulation performance of the thermally insulated container by suppressing penetration of heat from outside of the container main body.
A thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, an inner box may include a heat storage material.
This arrangement improves the heat insulation performance of the inner box. In addition, having a gap between the convex portion of the lid body and the heat storage material of the inner box can suppress heat conduction and prolong a heat retention effect of the heat storage material.
In a thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, an inner box may include a wall body having a packaging member, and a heat-transfer body and a heat storage material that are stored in the packaging member. The heat storage material may be disposed closer to an outer surface of the inner box than the heat-transfer body is.
Packaging the heat-transfer body and the heat storage material can prevent the heat-transfer body and the heat storage material from being positionally shifted. In addition, disposing the heat storage material closer to the outer surface of the inner box than the heat-transfer body is allows the heat-transfer body to make an internal temperature distribution of the inner box more uniform.
In a thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, a wall body includes at least two wall bodies adjacent to each other. The at least two wall bodies may be coupled to each other, at each one side adjacent to each other, with at least one of a detachable fixing member and the packaging members of the two wall bodies.
This arrangement makes the inner box foldable and allows the inner box to be easily assembled. Accordingly, the heat storage material can be cooled while the inner box is folded. This makes it possible to improve workability at the time of cooling as compared with a case of taking out the heat storage materials one by one from the inner box and cooling each material.
In a thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, a portion of a packaging member that covers a heat storage material may be a transparent resin.
This arrangement makes it possible to easily visually check a molten state of a heat storage material through a packaging member.
A thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure may further include a physical quantity sensor disposed inside an inner box.
This arrangement makes it possible to monitor and manage an environmental situation inside the inner box.
In a thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, an inner box fixing member for fixing an inner box may be disposed on a bottom portion of a storage section of a container main body.
This arrangement can prevent the inner box from moving in the thermally insulated container due to vibrations and the like at the time of delivery and the like.
In a thermally insulated container according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, an inner box fixing member may be disposed between an inner box and a bottom portion of a storage section, and has a first surface in contact with the inner box and a second surface facing the bottom portion of the storage section. The inner box fixing member may have a through hole penetrating from the first surface to the second surface.
This arrangement can further reduce a contact surface between the inner box and the inner box fixing member and suppress heat transfer between the inner box and the inner box fixing member, thereby suppressing a melting speed of a heat storage material.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[1. Overall Configuration]
As shown in
Container case 2 includes case lid body 2a and case main body 2b. Case lid body 2a and case main body 2b are configured to be closed with case fastener 2c. By this configuration, thermally insulated container 1 can be covered and a situation that thermally insulated container 1 and container case 2 are detaching from each other can be prevented. In addition, this configuration can prevent lid body 3 of thermally insulated container 1 from unintentionally opening.
The fastener is provided with case fastener grip 2d to facilitate opening and closing the fastener.
Case lid fixtures 2e are disposed at two portions of container case 2. This makes it possible to reliably close thermally insulated container 1. In addition, document storage sections 2g are arranged on a side surface and a top surface of container case 2. Note that document storage sections 2g can be provided at arbitrary positions on container case 2. Case handle 2f is provided such that case handle 2f is supported by two opposing side surfaces of container case 2. This allows a user to easily carry the container case by holding case handle 2f.
As shown in
[2. Lid Body]
Lid body 3 will be described next.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Among paths through which heat enters inside thermally insulated container 1 from outside thermally insulated container 1, an interface in contact with lid body 3 and container main body 4 is regarded as a path that has a largest influence. Disposing throat 3d can extend a heat penetration path. This makes it possible to further reduce an influence of penetration of heat from between lid body 3 and container main body 4. Accordingly, it is possible to improve a heat insulation performance of thermally insulated container 1.
While lid body 3 is closed, throat 3d faces inner box 5 with a gap between throat 3d and inner box 5. That is, throat 3d is disposed so as not be in contact with inner box 5 stored in storage section 4c. This arrangement can reduce a contact area between inner box 5 and lid body 3, that is, a contact area with thermally insulated container 1, and hence can reduce heat transfer between inner box 5 and thermally insulated container 1. As a result, a heat insulation performance of thermally insulated container 1 improves. In this exemplary embodiment, as described later, heat storage material 5b is disposed on wall body 10 of inner box 5, and throat 3d is disposed so as not to be in contact with heat storage material 5b.
A distal end of throat 3d is positioned closer to a bottom portion of storage section 4c than an end portion of inner box 5 is, where the end portion is located alongside lid body 3 in storage section 4c. This extends a heat-transfer path from container main body 4 to inner box 5 and hence improves the heat insulation performance.
As shown in
In this exemplary embodiment, through hole 6a is disposed in inner box fixing member 6. More specifically, inner box fixing member 6 is disposed between inner box 5 and the bottom portion of storage section 4c, and inner box fixing member 6 has through hole 6a extending through from a contact portion with inner box 5 to a bottom portion side of storage section 4c. In another words, inner box fixing member 6 has a first surface in contact with inner box 5 and a second surface facing the bottom portion of storage section 4c, and inner box fixing member 6 has through hole 6a penetrating from the first surface to the second surface. This further reduces a contact area between inner box 5 and inner box fixing member 6, that is, a contact area with the thermally insulated container 1. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce heat-transfer between inner box 5 and thermally insulated container 1.
[3. Inner Box]
Inner box 5 will be described in detail next.
Inner box 5 has wall body 10. In this exemplary embodiment, as shown in
As shown
Wall body 10 forming inner box 5 includes heat storage material 5b and heat-transfer body 5c. Heat storage material 5b and heat-transfer body 5c are stored in packaging member 5a.
In this exemplary embodiment, inner box 5 includes six wall bodies 10. Wall bodies 10 are disposed in a box shape to form inner box 5.
As shown in
Without heat-transfer body 5c, cooling air from heat storage material 5b flows toward the bottom portion of inner box 5. This increases a difference in temperature between the top surface portion (top surface) and the bottom portion (bottom surface). In this exemplary embodiment, disposing heat-transfer body 5c spreads cooling air from heat storage material 5b to entire heat-transfer body 5c. When air inside inner box 5 comes into contact with heat-transfer body 5c via packaging member 5a, a temperature of the top surface portion and a temperature of the bottom surface are made uniform, and temperature distributions are reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to keep an internal temperature of inner box 5 uniform.
According to this exemplary embodiment, disposing heat storage material 5b at outer surface side of inner box 5 instead of inner surface side of inner box 5 can form an internal space of inner box 5 with flat surfaces. Accordingly, a user can check every corner of the inside of the inner box 5. For example, when heat storage material 5b is disposed inside inner box 5, a content (for example, a drug bin) is sometimes hidden behind heat storage material 5b, and the user may overlook existence of a content. A reduction in size of a drug bin, in particular, tends to cause such an overlook. However, even if a content is a smaller drug bin, inner box 5 according to this exemplary embodiment is not hidden by heat storage material 5b. That is, visibility of an internal space of inner box 5 is high.
In inner box 5 according to this exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of packaging member 5a that covers heat storage material 5b is formed of a transparent resin. This makes it possible to visually check a state (for example, a degree of melting) of heat storage material 5b through packaging member 5a.
It is very important, in terms of temperature management, to grasp the degree of melting of a heat storage material. Meanwhile, if the lid of the inner box is opened to check a state of a coolant inside the inner box, a temperature of an internal space of the inner box rises. In addition, opening inner box 5 may apply unnecessary vibrations, light, and the like to a content such as a drug stored in inner box 5.
Inner box 5 according to this exemplary embodiment allows a visual check on the degree of melting of heat storage material 5b through packaging member 5a without opening inner box 5. Accordingly, this makes it possible to eliminate a feeling of anxiety of a user, feeling that he/she cannot check the degree of melting of heat storage material 5b.
As heat-transfer body 5c, a metal (for example, aluminum or copper), a resin (for example, polypropylene or ABS resin), or the like can be used. It is preferable to use a material with higher conductivity as heat-transfer body 5c.
As shown in
Inner box 5 according to this exemplary embodiment can be folded. Inner box 5 can be developed from a box shape. Adjacent wall bodies 10 are coupled to each other with either packaging member 5a of each of adjacent wall bodies 10 or detachable fixing members 5d. As shown in
As fixing members 5d, for example, members such as planar tapes or buttons can be used. Sizes of fixing members 5d, coupling places of wall bodies 10, and the like can be selected in accordance with weights, thicknesses, and the like of heat storage material 5b and heat-transfer body 5c.
A heat storage material is generally cooled by a cooling device before use, and is attached to inner box 5 when inner box 5 is used. In this case, inner box 5 according to this exemplary embodiment can be folded while heat storage materials 5b are attached to (incorporated in) wall bodies 10.
As shown in
Inner box 5 according to this exemplary embodiment eliminates necessity to take out heat storage materials one by one from packaging members and necessity to store completely cooled heat storage materials one by one in packaging members. This makes it possible to easily and efficiently cool heat storage materials.
Note that an arrangement (for example, an opening portion) for loading and unloading heat storage material 5b is not shown in inner box 5. When it is necessary to load and unload a heat storage material, inner box 5 may have an opening portion for loading and unloading heat storage material 5b. For example, there may be case in which a heat storage material is selected as appropriate in accordance with a temperature range of a content to be managed or inspection or the like of a heat storage material is performed. An opening portion is disposed in, for example, wall body 10. More specifically, for example, an opening portion may be disposed in packaging member 5a so as to open in a top surface direction of inner box 5. In this case, in order to make a temperature inside inner box 5 uniform, contact tightness is desired between heat storage material 5b and heat-transfer body 5c. Accordingly, when an opening portion is disposed, a fixing member or the like is desired to be disposed near the opening portion so as to close the opening portion. This can maintain or improve contact tightness between heat storage material 5b and heat-transfer body 5c even when an opening portion is disposed.
Storing inner box 5 in thermally insulated container 1 makes it possible to make an internal temperature of inner box 5 more uniform and maintain the temperature for a long period of time.
As shown in
As shown in
Note that inner box 5 may have physical quantity sensor 11 (for example, a temperature sensor, a single sensor such as a vibration sensor or optical sensor, or a composite sensor including a vibration sensor and an optical sensor). This makes it possible to record environmental changes in inner box 5 during delivery. When inner box 5 includes a temperature sensor as physical quantity sensor 11, the temperature sensor may be disposed in a region of a temperature distribution in inner box 5 which is regarded as a region with a highest temperature (for example, an upper portion of an inner wall of inner box 5). Inner box 5 may further include a wired or wireless communication means for transmitting data measured by physical quantity sensor 11 to an external device.
When inner box 5 includes a wired communication means, a cable extending from physical quantity sensor 11 may be disposed along the top surface of inner box 5 and routed to outside of inner box 5 through a gap in a coupling portion for coupling adjacent wall bodies 10.
When a wireless communication means is used, a resin member is preferably used as a material for heat-transfer body 5c of inner box 5 in consideration of an influence of shielding of electric waves.
Note that an arrangement of throat 3d of lid body 3 can be variously modified. In a case shown in
In each of these cases, a heat-transfer path of heat from an outside of thermally insulated container 1 is maximally elongated, and throat 3d and heat storage material 5b are positioned in a contactless relationship. This makes it possible to improve a heat insulation performance of thermally insulated container 1.
As described above, the present disclosure can improve a heat insulation performance. This makes it possible to widely apply the present disclosure to applications requiring heat retention. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to applications of storage or delivery of an investigational drug, blood, or specimen, which requires a storage environment in a specific temperature range.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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JP2018-166521 | Sep 2018 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4322954 | Sheehan | Apr 1982 | A |
4344300 | Taylor | Aug 1982 | A |
4809522 | deNevers | Mar 1989 | A |
5875646 | Rich | Mar 1999 | A |
8517211 | Brown | Aug 2013 | B2 |
20110174166 | Sparacio | Jul 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2013-010523 | Jan 2013 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200079575 A1 | Mar 2020 | US |