WO2001045633A1

WO2001045633A1 - Cooling capsule

Info

Publication number: WO2001045633A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/000357
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jung-Sun Yoon; Hee-Sun Yoon
Original assignee: Yoon Jung Sun; Yoon Hee Sun
Priority date: 1999-12-20
Filing date: 2000-04-18
Publication date: 2001-06-28
Also published as: AU4148900A; KR200192447Y1

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable cooling capsule for cooling the object part conveniently. The cooling capsule has a tubular shape body hermetically containing the coolant therein, the capsule being made of metal and plastics. Since it is a streamliner, it can be easily touched a narrow or hilly parts. The cooling capsule comprises a tubular body, whose inner part is vacant and both lateral ends are open, for containing coolant in the inner part; a cool air radiation part, which hermetically closes a first end of the body, for irradiating cool air generated from the coolant in the body; and a cap which hermetically closes a second end of the body. The cool air generated by coolant contained in the body is radiated by means of the cool air radiation part, so that convenient skin cooling is achieved. A user can carry the cooling capsule and replenish the coolant at any time.

Description

COOLING CAPSULE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a portable cooling capsule for cooling a skin or the like, which contains therein coolant.

Background Art

Conventionally, there has been an ice bag for fomenting a skin or reducing body temperature, which has been made of rubber or vinyl resin and contained therein coolant, such as ice, etc. However, the conventional ice bag has the following drawbacks: it is difficult to be used on narrow or hilly parts because it cannot be made smaller, it is very likely to leak, and its portability is low because of its indeterminate form.

Disclosure of Invention

To solve the above problems, the applicants have invented a cooling capsule which has a tubular shape hermetically containing the coolant therein, the capsule being made of metal and plastics. Since it is a streamliner, it can be easily touched a narrow or hilly parts. Thus, the object of this invention is to provide a cooling capsule comprising a tubular body, whose inner part is vacant and both lateral ends are open, for containing coolant in the inner part; a cool air radiation part, which hermetically closes a first end of the body, for irradiating cool air generated from the coolant in the body; and a cap which hermetically closes a second end of the body. The body is made of heat-insulative material, and the cool air radiation part is made of heat-conductive material. The body is covered with a heat shield to protect cool air from emanating out of the body. The cool air radiation part comprises a radiator for radiating cool air, and an insertion part whose diameter is smaller than outer diameter of the radiator, thereby the insertion part being inserted in the first end of the body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above objects and other advantageous features of the present invention will become more apparent with the following explanation made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling capsule according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view showing a cooling capsule according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling capsule according to the present invention, and

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a person who is applying on his skin a cooling capsule according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The following is a detailed description of the present invention made with reference to the best modes thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing appearance of the cooling capsule. As shown, the cooling capsule is comprised of a tubular body 10; a cool air radiation part 30 inserted to a first end of the body 10; and a cap 50 closing a second end of the body 10. The assembled structure is shown in FIG. 2, which is a longitudinal sectional view of the cooling capsule. In a space formed by the body 10, the cool air radiation part 30 and the cap 50, the coolant, such as ice, dry ice, a mixture of ice and salt, etc., is filled up. A user can easily use the compact cooling capsule and carry it in his or her pocket. Further, since the cool air radiation part 30 has a truncated cone shape of a gentle slope, a user can conveniently use it on narrow or hilly parts(for example, a chin, an armpit, an inside curve of an elbow, etc.).

More specified description will be given with regard to FIGs. 2 and 3. The body 10 has a tubular shape whose inner part is vacant and the lateral ends 11, 12 are open. To a first end 11 of the body 10, the cool air radiation part 30 is inserted. The cap 50 closes a second end 12. It is preferable that the body 10 is made of heat-insulative material(for example plastics) because the body 10 is a component that must be gripped by a user. Further, it is preferable that the body 10 is covered with a heat shield 13 preventing cool air emanation. The foamed plastics which is broadly used for a disposable bowl, the leather, the vinyl, etc. may be used as the heat shield 13. Selection of the heat shield material and its application can be easily accomplished by a person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. Meanwhile, it can be seen that a thin covering 14 is on the heat shield 13. The covering 14 makes the appearance of the cooling capsule more graceful. Vinyl, leather, etc. may be used for the covering 14.

The cool air radiation part 30 is comprised of a radiator 31 for radiating cool air, and an insertion part 32 whose diameter is smaller than outer diameter of the radiator, thereby the insertion part being inserted in the first end 11 of the body 10.

The radiator 31 shapes generally a truncated cone, and the end part is formed round. Therefore, it can be applied on the narrow or hilly parts. Since the radiator 31 directly radiates the cool air out of the body 10, it must be made of good heat- conductive metal(such as aluminum, copper, etc.).

The outer diameter of the insertion part 32 is essentially the same as the inner diameter of the first end 11 of the body 10, since the insertion part 32 must be inserted into the end of the body 10 and sealed hermetically. The insertion part 32 can be coupled with the body 10 either by means of screw thread or by forced insertion. According to the latter, the production cost is lower than that of the former. For hermetical reliability and mechanical firmness, it is preferable to apply an adhesive between the insertion part 32 and the first end 11 of the body 10. For adhesive application, the outer diameter of the insertion part 32 is to be smaller than the inner diameter of the first end 11 of the body 10, enough to accommodate the adhesive thickness. Further, inserting an O-ring packing 34 to the first end 11 of the body 10 will still more increase the body's hermetical reliability.

As a modified mode from the above basic structures, the radiator 31 can further comprise multiple fins 33 at its inner surface, so that the amount of cool air radiation can be maximized(See FIG. 2). These fins 33 enlarge the inner surface area. Appearance and the number of the fins 33 are arbitrarily designed by an ordinary person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. In addition, it is preferable that the surface of the radiator 31 is mirror-polished, since it directly touches a human skin. For this, either a physical method, such as a very fine sandpaper or abrasives, or a chemical method, such as anodization, or both, can be utilized. The cap 50 plays a role in closing the second end 12 of the body 10. Since the cap 50 must be frequently opened for replenishment of the coolant, the cap 50 is inserted in the body 10 by means of screw thread(See FIG. 2). Starting material of the cap 50 does not matter. That is, unless the screw thread is easily broken due to frequent insertion and detachment, either metal or plastics, or both, is used as a starting material of the cap 50. Meanwhile, in FIGs. 1 and 3, circumference of the cap 50 is finely rugged, so as not to slip when a user opens the cap with his hand.

It is important that the cap 50 hermetically close the body 10. Thus a packing 53 is inserted to the thread part 51 of the cap 50. An O-ring type rubber packing, which is commonly used for a water tap, a wrist watch, etc., can be used as the packing 53.

Now, how to use the cooling capsule of the present invention will be explained. A user opens the cap 50 and fills the coolant in the body 10. For the coolant, it is preferable to use both the ice and the salt together. The temperature in the body 10 goes down to 0°C at most when using the ice only, but, when using the ice and salt together, the temperature can go down much below zero. In addition to the ice and salt, the dry ice, and any other coolant can be used.

After filling the body 10 with the coolant, a user closes the cap 50 to use the cooling capsule. Since the body 10 is hermetically sealed, the coolant does not leak, and therefore a user can carry the cooling capsule in his/her pocket and use it anywhere at any time.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a person who is applying on his skin the cooling capsule. Because the cool air radiation part 30 is a truncated cone shape and the circumference is gradually varied from 50 to 20mm, it can be easily used on the narrow and hilly parts of the human body. For reference, the total length of the cooling capsule is about 200mm, and the length of the cool air radiation part 30 is about 70mm. The minimum diameter of the cool air radiation part 30 is about 20mm, and the maximum diameter is about 50mm.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A cooling capsule comprising: a tubular body, whose inner part is vacant and both lateral ends are open, for containing coolant in the inner part, a cool air radiation part, which hermetically closes a first end of the body, for irradiating cool air generated from the coolant in the body, and a cap which hermetically closes a second end of the body.

2. The cooling capsule of claim 1, wherein the body is made of heat-insulative material, and the cool air radiation part is made of heat-conductive material.

3. The cooling capsule of claim 2, wherein the body is made of plastics and the cool air radiation part is made of aluminum or copper.

4. The cooling capsule of claim 1 , wherein the body is covered with a heat shield to protect cool air from emanating out of the body.

5. The cooling capsule of claim 4, wherein the heat shield is selected from the group of foamed plastics, leather, or vinyl.

6. The cooling capsule of claim 1 , wherein the cool air radiation part comprises a radiator for radiating cool air, and an insertion part whose diameter is smaller than outer diameter of the radiator, thereby the insertion part being inserted in the first end of the body.

7. The cooling capsule of claim 6, wherein the radiator has generally a truncated cone shape appearance.

8. The cooling capsule of claim 6, wherein an adhesive is applied between the insertion part and the first end of the body.

9. The cooling capsule of claim 6 or 8, wherein a packing is inserted between the insertion part and the first end of the body.

10. The cooling capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a plurality of fins are formed on the inner surface of the cool air radiation part, so that the inner surface area of the cool air radiation part is enlarged.

11. The cooling capsule of claim 9, wherein a plurality of fins are formed on the inner surface of the cool air radiation part, so that the inner surface area of the cool air radiation part is enlarged.

12. The cooling capsule of claim 6 or 7, wherein the surface of the radiator is smoothly polished by anodization.

13. The cooling capsule of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises a screw thread to be inserted into the second end of the body.

14. The cooling capsule of claim 13, wherein a packing is inserted to the screw thread of the cap.

15. The cooling capsule according to any one of claims 1, 6, and 13, wherein the coolant is selected from the group of a mixture of ice and salt, or dry ice.