GB2040425A - Cooling element - Google Patents

Abstract

A known cooling element for use in a thermally insulated receptacle employed for the temporary cool storage of containers for beverages and the like, consists of a hollow, substantially box-shaped body provided with a closable filling opening 11 located so that in the normal filling position the body cannot be filled completely with liquid used for providing a cooling medium, and with holes in which the containers to be stored can be placed. However the cold transfer across the surfaces of the holes is limited and thus the cooling elements have to occupy an undesirably large volume of the receptacle. Such cooling elements according to the invention have improved cold transfer by the holes 17, 18 being in the form of apertures extending through the cooling element connected to each other over their full height by a space 19 whose width is less than the diameter of the apertures. In one embodiment of the invention two such apertures are provided on a diagonal of the element, which may be of substantially rectangular form. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cooling element This invention relates to a cooling element for use in a thermally insulated receptacle employed for the temporary cool storage of commercial containers for beverages, which element consists of a hollow substantially box-shaped body e.g. with rectangular corners, provided with a closable filling opening located so that in the normal filling position the body cannot be filled completely with liquid, and with cylindrical holes in which the containers to be stored can be placed.

Cooling elements of this type are used, for instance, in camping bags, cooler boxes, picnic bags and suchlike thermally insulated receptacles which have double walls and in which the space between the two walls contains air or a thermally insulating material. A thermally insulated receptacle will hereinafter be referred to by the term 'receptacle'.

Cooling elements are usually filled with a liquid.

They are cooled in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator or in a freezer, optionally to below the freezing point of the liquid, and then placed in the receptacle together with the containers to be kept cool. These cooling elements occupy part of the space in the receptacle, so that it is always necessary to strike a compromise between the size of the element and the volume of the useful space remaining in the receptacle, in which food is usually stored. For this reason the cooling elements can have a limited height only, so that the containers to be placed in the receptacle are provided with little support against toppling and thus are insufficiently protected against breakage during rough handling of the receptacle, and thus the size of the heat-exchanging area is limited.

Another disadvantage of known cooling elements is that their recesses are hard to clean because the bottom corners of the recesses are difficult of access. This is detrimental to hygiene particularly when food is stored in the containers. The invention provides cooling elements in which such disadvantages are mitigated, are easy to handle, provide adequate cooling power and can be used for liquids that can be cooled to below the soldification point.

According to the invention this is achieved in that each of the holes opens both into the base plane and into the top plane of the body, and in that the holes communicateovertheirfull heightthrough an intermediate connecting space whose width is smal lerthanthediameterofthe holes used for storing the containers.

The containers can now be enclosed by the element over the full height of this element, so that, without being supported by each other, they receive sufficient support to protect them from toppling over. As the holes extend from the top plane to the base plane, cleaning them is easy, their being no inaccessible corners. The reliability of the cooling element is enhanced by the presence of connecting spaces, since if these were absent the material between the holes for the containers would easily tear when the contents expand. The connecting spaces further provide the advantage of facilitating the hand ling of the cooling element, because the element can now easily be manually gripped in the holes.

The element is filled with drinking water or another potable liquid which, unlike the liquids normally used, such as salt solutions and liquids on a paraffin basis, solidify at about 0 C. The element according to the invention can, without objection, be made so high that proper fixation of the containers is ensured, and sufficient cooling power is obtained without loss of useful space.

The use of cooling element doubling as containers of potable liquids is not unknown in itself. However, the known elements of this type have no holes in which containers can be placed. The height of the cooling element is preferably between 1/5 and 4/5 of the diameter of the holes for the containers.

In a preferred design the element has two container holes, whose longitudinal axes lie in or near the diagonal plane between two upright edges, and has the filling opening located near one of the other upright edges. Thus, the holes for the containers together with the connecting space form a natural grip, which facilitates pouring from the element.

Advantageously, one of the upright edges of the body is moved inwards parallel to itself, so that an indentation is formed which is bounded by two receding side wall portions enclosing a right or obtuse dihedral angle, with at least one of the planes being normal to a side wall of the body, and with the filling opening being located in that plane. This means that in the normal filling position the body cannot be filled completely, and, in addition, it facilitates complete emptying of the element.

Because the cooling element can in part derive its characteristic properties from the suitability for the storage of potable liquids, it is preferable for safety reasons to make the element of a physiologically harmless material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers of these plastics, or mixtures of these polymers and/or copolymers.

The invention will hereinafter be elucidated with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the drawing.

Fig. 1 is a cooling element according to the invention having two communicating cylindrical holes.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a partly cut-away thermally insulated receptacle in which has been placed a cooling element according to Fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the element consists of a hollow, substantially box-shaped body 1 with right-angled corners, whose upright edges 2,3,4,6 and 7 are rounded, with the edge 6 being moved inwards parallel to itself from the dotted position 6', to form an indentation bounded by wall portions 8 and 9 including an obtuse dihedral angle. One of the planes, the wall portion 9, is at right angles to wall 10 of body 1. The closable filling opening 11 is located in this same plane 9. In the normal position for filling, the element rests on wall 12, so that during filling an air pocket is formed near wall portion 13. The element further comprises a side wall 14, a base plane 15 and a top plane 16.

Two cylindrical holes, 17 and 18, communicating through a connecting space 19, each open into the base plane as well as into the top plane, as does space 19. The axes of the holes lie approximately in the diagonal plane between edges 2 and 4.

For use, the element is filled with liquid whilst the wall 12 is down. After closure, the element is laid flat on its base plane 15 in a freezing compartment. The air originally present near wall portion 13 is distributed along the top plane 16. The volume increase of the contents taking place during freezing occurs mainly in the air pocket along the top plane. When the element has cooled down sufficiently it is placed in a cooler box- see Fig. 2 -, after which containers 21 and 22 are placed in the holes 17 and 18.

By preference the height of the element, which is here considered equal to the length of an upright edge, is between 1/5 and 4/5 of the diameter of the holes for the containers.

The cooling elements are made of a plastic that is resistant to very low temperatures and from which cooling elements can be made that remain intact after a large number of extreme temperature fluctuations. Partly in view of its physiological properties, high-density polyethylene is very suitable for the purpose.

Example A cooling element according to the invention was formed by blow moulding from high-density polyethylene. The external dimensions were 236 mmx 190 mmx 64 mm. The diameter of the holes for the containers was 92 mm, the width of the connecting space 30 mm. The short edges of the element were rounded. The filling opening of the cooling element was located in an indentation of one of the corners of the element, so that after filling up to the filling opening, in the normal filling position, an air pocket was left. The cooling element was suitable for containing 1 litre of potable liquid.

After the element had been filled it was many times frozen to -180C and thawed up again, whilst lying on one of its largest side faces. After this experimentthe cooling element proved completely intact.

Claims (1)

1. A cooling element for use in athermallyinsu- lated receptacle employed for the temporary cool storage of containers for beverages and the like, which element consists of a hollow, substantially box-shaped body provided with a closable filling opening located so that in the normal filling position the body cannot be filled completely with liquid, and with cylindrical holes in which the containers to be stored can be placed, this element being characterized in that the said holes are apertures extending through the said box-shaped body and are connected to each other over their full heights by connecting spaces whose width is less than the diameter of the said apertures.

2. A cooling element according to Claim 1, wherein the ratio between the height and the diameter of the apertures is between 1/5 and 4/5.

3. A cooling element according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the element has two apertures whose longitudinal axes lie in or near a diagonal plane of the box-shaped body.

4. Acooling element according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the filling opening is located on a side of the box-shaped body.

5. A cooling element according to Claim 4, wherein the said box-shaped body is provided with substantially rectangular corners, the said filling opening being located in a corner identation of the said box.

6. A cooling element according to Claim 5, wherein the said identation is formed so that it is bounded by two side wall portions enclosing a right or obtuse dihedral angle.

7. A cooling element according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the element is made of a physiologi cally harmless plastics material.

8. A cooling element according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. Athermally insulating receptacle provided with a cooling element according to any of Claims 1 to8.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 14 April 1980.

Superseded claims 1.

New or amended claims: 1.

1. A cooling element for use in a thermally insulated receptacle employed for the temporary cool storage of containers for beverages and the like, which element consists of a hollow, substantially box-shaped body provided with a closable filling opening located so that in the normal filling position the body cannot be filled completely with liquid, and with cylindrical holes in which the containers to be stored can be placed, the said holes being connected to each other over their full heights by connecting spaces whose width is less than the diameter of the said apertures, this element being characterised in that the said holes are apertures extending completelythrough the said box-shaped body.