WO2024023952A1

WO2024023952A1 - Ice pack provision system

Info

Publication number: WO2024023952A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/028855
Authority: WO
Inventors: 正樹大野; 誠三澤
Original assignee: 株式会社MARS Company
Priority date: 2022-07-27
Filing date: 2022-07-27
Publication date: 2024-02-01

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to use a cooled ice pack by exchanging a used ice pack for the cooled ice pack at a store where food was purchased.　An ice pack provision system 100 is a system for providing a frozen ice pack 900A in exchange for the return of a used ice pack 900B at a point Y where food can be purchased, and includes: a supply cycle C1 in which ice packs 900 are circulated between a point X and the point Y and which includes a supply transport step for transporting frozen ice packs 900A from the point X to the point Y and a collection transport step for transporting used ice packs 900B from the point Y to the point X; and a consumption cycle C2 in which ice packs 900 are circulated between the point Y and a point Z and which includes an ice pack use step for transporting food kept at a low temperature using a frozen ice pack 900A from the point Y to the point Z and an ice pack return step for transporting a used ice pack 900B from the point Z to the point Y.

Description

Cold insulation supply system

The present invention relates to a cold insulation material providing system.

Conventionally, cold insulating materials for cooling food and preventing the food from spoiling have been widely used (for example, see Patent Document 1). Cold insulators are often used in households when purchasing food, and by placing the cold insulators in a cold bag together with the purchased food, the food in the bag can be kept cool until the child returns home. can.

JP2018-048318A

However, with the increase in the number of dual-income households in recent years, more and more people are forced to buy food on their way home from work. In that case, you will need to carry cooled ice packs with you when you go to work. However, with this method, by the time you finish shopping after work, the refrigerant will be completely warmed up, so even though you carry the refrigerant with you, the refrigerant will not be able to cool down the food you have purchased. .

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and by exchanging the used cold insulating material with the cooled cold insulating material at the store where the food was purchased, it is possible to always use the cooled cold insulating material. The purpose is to provide a cold storage material supply system that can

These objects are achieved by the present invention described below.

(1) A cold storage material supply system characterized by providing cooled cold storage materials at a point Y where food can be purchased in exchange for the return of used cold storage materials.

(2) comprising a supply conveyance step of conveying the cooled cold insulating material from point X to the point Y, and a recovery conveyance step of conveying the used cold insulating material from the point Y to the point X, a supply cycle in which the cold insulating material is circulated between the point X and the point Y;
a cold insulating material use step of transporting an object kept at a low temperature from point Y to point Z using the cooled cold insulating material; and a cold insulating material transporting the used cold insulating material from point Z to point Y. The cold storage material providing system according to (1) above, comprising a return step, and a consumption cycle of circulating the cold storage material between the point Y and the point Z.

(3) In the supplying and conveying step, the cooled cold insulating material is conveyed to the point Y together with the items to be frozen, in the cold insulating material providing system according to (2) above.

(4) A freezing device is installed at the point X to freeze the used cold storage material,
The cold insulating material providing system according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein a cold insulating material providing device that provides the cooled cold insulating material is installed at the point Y.

(5) The cold insulation material providing system according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein an advertisement is written on the cold insulation material.

(6) The cold insulation material providing system according to any one of (1) to (5) above, which records the history of the cold insulation material.

According to the cold insulating material provision system of the present invention, a consumer can receive a cooled cold insulating material in exchange for returning the used cold insulating material at point Y where food can be purchased. Therefore, food purchased at point Y can be cooled using the cooled cold insulating material received at point Y. Therefore, food spoilage during movement from point Y can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cold insulating material providing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the cold insulating material providing device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the supply cycle. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the consumption cycle. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cold insulation material. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the usage history of the cold insulation material. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a distribution plan created by the cold storage material providing system.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the cold insulating material providing system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A cold storage material providing system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a system whose purpose is to provide frozen (chilled) cold storage materials 900 to consumers at a food store 200. According to the cold storage material providing system 100, a consumer can receive frozen cold storage material 900 (hereinafter also referred to as "frozen cold storage material 900A") at the food store 200.

Therefore, the consumer uses the frozen cold storage material 900A received at the food store 200 to keep the food purchased at the food store 200 cold, and keeps the food at a low temperature during transportation from the food store 200 to the home 400. Can be done. Furthermore, by returning the used cold insulating material 900 (hereinafter also referred to as "used cold insulating material 900B") at the time of next shopping, the consumer can receive the frozen cold insulating material 900A again.

For example, with the increase in the number of dual-income households in recent years, more and more people are forced to shop on their way home after work. In such a case, it is necessary to carry the frozen cold insulating material 900A with you when going to work, but in this case, by the time you finish your work and go shopping, the frozen cold insulating material 900A will completely melt, making it impossible to cool the food. Therefore, as described above, the cold storage material supply system 100 that allows you to receive the frozen cold storage material 900A at the food store 200 is a particularly convenient system for consumers who are unable to carry the frozen cold storage material 900A with them at the time of shopping. .

Here, I would like to talk about Japan. The cold chain (low-temperature distribution network) in Japan is said to be among the best in the world, but the distribution network between 200 food stores and 400 homes, also known as the ``last one mile'' (hereinafter referred to as the ``last one mile distribution network'') ) are not sufficiently maintained. Furthermore, as summer temperatures tend to rise due to global warming, the environment tends to become harsher for food. Therefore, there is a good chance that food will melt or spoil even during the last mile. Therefore, by establishing a last mile distribution network using the cold storage material supply system 100, it is possible to reduce melting and spoilage of food, and to significantly reduce food loss, which has become a worldwide problem in recent years. The cold storage material providing system 100 realizes an eco-friendly system that reduces environmental load by simultaneously reducing food loss and recycling the cold storage material 900.

Hereinafter, the cold insulation material providing system 100 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the consumer purchases food at the food store 200 and then returns to his or her home 400. The destination after purchasing food at the food sales store 200 is not limited to the home 400, but may be any place such as a company, an office, a friend's house, a villa, or the like.

Foods mainly include ice cream, frozen dumplings, frozen hamburgers, frozen grilled rice balls, and other frozen foods, fish (including sashimi, fillets, etc.), beef, pork, chicken, milk, yogurt, and other refrigerated foods. Refers to foods that require frozen or refrigerated storage, such as food delivery, etc., and foods that are recommended to be stored at low temperatures. Foods also include pharmaceuticals, foods for specified health uses, etc. However, the food is not particularly limited.

In a narrow sense, the cold insulation material 900 has the function of "preventing food from heating and keeping the food at a low temperature", but is not limited to this, and also includes materials having the function of "cooling food". It will be done. The cold insulating material 900 is a container containing a cold pack, and the container may be a flexible soft type container or a hard type container. Moreover, a cold pack is also sometimes called a cold storage agent. The difference between ice packs and cold storage agents is not clear, but ice packs are those whose cold storage ingredients are mostly water and freeze at a few degrees below freezing, and cold storage agents that use chemicals in their cold storage ingredients to reach temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. It is also said that it is a cold storage agent.

The cold insulating material providing system 100 circulates the cold insulating material 900 between three points X, Y, and Z that are distant from each other, and repeatedly uses the cold insulating material 900. In this embodiment, point X is a food distribution center 300, point Y is a food store 200, and point Z is a home 400. The food sales store 200 may be a supermarket, a convenience store, a drug store, a department store, a shopping center, a shopping mall, etc., and may be any type of store as long as it can purchase food. Further, the food distribution center 300 is a place where food is temporarily stored and serves as a base from which the necessary number of foods is delivered to surrounding target stores. However, the points X, Y, and Z are not particularly limited.

The cold storage material providing system 100 includes a supply side cycle C1 that circulates the cold storage material 900 between the food distribution center 300 and the food sales store 200, and a consumption cycle C1 that circulates the cold storage material 900 between the food sales store 200 and the home 400. It has a side cycle C2. By performing the supply side cycle C1 and the consumption side cycle C2 in a well-balanced manner, the cold insulation material 900 can be circulated in just the right amount between the food distribution center 300, the food sales store 200, and the home 400.

In order to easily implement the system, the cold storage material providing system 100 includes a freezing device 500 installed at the food distribution center 300 to freeze the cold storage materials 900, and a freezing device 500 installed at the food sales store 200 to freeze the used cold storage materials 900B. A cold storage material providing device 600 (vending machine) that automatically collects and provides frozen cold storage material 900A is used. However, the equipment used is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cold insulation material providing device 600 has a housing 610. Further, on the front of the casing 610, there are a return port 611 for the used cold storage material 900B, a takeout port 612 for the frozen cold storage material 900A, a money slot 613, a change output port 614, an input section 615, and a screen 616. and a reader 617 for login. In addition, within the housing 610, there is a collection warehouse 620 for collecting the returned used cold insulation materials 900B, a storage storage 630 that accommodates the frozen cold storage materials 900A, and a storage for cooling the frozen cold insulation materials 900A in the storage storage 630. and a cooling device 640 that maintains the frozen state. However, the configuration of the cold storage material providing device 600 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform its functions.

Note that installing the cold storage material providing device 600 in the food sales store 200 includes not only installing the cold storage material providing device 600 in the food sales store 200 but also a case that is substantially the same as that in terms of social convention. For example, it may be outside the food sales store 200, or it may be another store adjacent to or close to the food sales store 200. Furthermore, if the food sales store 200 is located in a shopping center or shopping mall as a tenant, it may be another store in the shopping mall, a service counter, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the supply side cycle C1 includes a freezing step S11 in which the cold insulating material 900 is frozen in the freezing device 500 to obtain the frozen cold insulating material 900A, and a supply transport step in which the frozen cold insulating material 900A is transported to the food sales store 200. S12, and a collection and transportation step S13 of transporting the used cold insulating material 900B collected at the food sales store 200 to the food distribution center 300, and steps S11 to S13 are repeated.

<Freezing step S11>
In this step, the used cold insulation material 900B is frozen using the freezing device 500 installed in the food distribution center 300. As the freezing device 500, for example, a frozen storage for frozen foods that is already installed in the food distribution center 300 can be used. By using existing equipment, the cost of introducing the cold storage material providing system 100 can be significantly reduced. However, the freezing device 500 is not particularly limited, and may be a freezing device exclusively used for the cold insulation material 900, for example. In this case, the configuration of the freezing device is not particularly limited, and for example, a configuration in which the cold insulating material 900 is frozen by cold air supplied into the refrigerator, or a configuration in which the cold insulating material 900 is immersed in a liquid refrigerant to freeze the cold insulating material 900 is not particularly limited. Examples include configuration.

<Supply conveyance step S12>
In this step, the frozen cold insulation material 900A is transported to the food store 200. In this embodiment, the frozen cold insulation material 900A is transported to the food sales store 200 by renting an empty space of the frozen delivery vehicle 800A that delivers frozen foods stored in the food distribution center 300 to the food sales store 200. In this way, by transporting the frozen cold insulating material 900A together with the frozen food, the cost of transporting the frozen cold insulating material 900A can be reduced. In addition, since the frozen delivery vehicle 800 often operates periodically from once to several times a day to deliver frozen foods to the food sales stores 200, the frozen cold storage material 900A is delivered to the food sales stores 200. It can be periodically and stably transported.

In particular, in this embodiment, a freezing device 500 is installed in the food distribution center 300. Therefore, the frozen food and the frozen cold insulation material 900A can be loaded onto the frozen delivery vehicle 800A at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of personnel and an extension of working time due to the transportation of the frozen cold insulation material 900A. However, the installation location of the freezing device 500 is not particularly limited, and may not be the food distribution center 300. For example, a cold insulation material freezing center that specializes in freezing and transporting the cold insulation material 900 may be provided, and the freezing device 500 may be installed within the center. In this case, the frozen cold storage material 900A may be loaded via a cold storage material freezing center before or after loading food onto the frozen delivery vehicle 800A.

Note that the transport method is not particularly limited. For example, the frozen cold insulation material 900A may be transported using a dedicated refrigerated delivery vehicle, or delivery may be requested to a delivery company. Thereby, a predetermined number of frozen cold insulation materials 900A can be transported to the food sales store 200 at a predetermined time without being affected by the frozen food delivery schedule or the loading amount of frozen food each time. Depending on the distance from the food distribution center 300 to the food sales store 200, instead of the refrigerated delivery vehicle 800A, a refrigerated delivery vehicle for delivering refrigerated foods (daily items) or a room-temperature delivery vehicle for delivering room-temperature products may be used. A car or the like may also be used. Moreover, it is not limited to a car, and may be a ship, a drone, etc., for example. Further, for example, if the food distribution center 300 and the food sales store 200 are located side by side on the same premises, the frozen cold storage material 900A may be transported by a conveyor, forklift, AGV (automated guided vehicle), etc. .

<Collection and transportation step S13>
In this step, the used cold insulation material 900B collected at the food sales store 200 is transported to the food distribution center 300. In this embodiment, the used cold insulation material 900B is transported to the food distribution center 300 using the delivery vehicle 800B that returns to the food distribution center 300 after delivering the food. Thereby, the cost of transporting the used cold insulation material 900B can be reduced. In addition, since the delivery vehicle 800B often operates periodically from once to several times a day to deliver food to the food sales store 200, the used cold insulation material 900B is periodically delivered to the food distribution center 300. can be transported stably.

Note that in this step, there is no need to cool the used cold insulating material 900B during transportation. Therefore, the delivery vehicle 800B may be any delivery vehicle, such as a frozen delivery vehicle, a refrigerated delivery vehicle, or a normal temperature delivery vehicle. Further, for example, the used cold insulation material 900B may be transported using a dedicated delivery vehicle. Thereby, a predetermined number of used cold insulating materials 900B can be transported to the food distribution center 300 at a predetermined time without being influenced by the food delivery schedule. Moreover, it is not limited to a car, and may be a ship, a drone, etc., for example. For example, if the food distribution center 300 and the food sales store 200 are located side by side on the same premises, the used cold storage material 900B may be transported by a conveyor, forklift, AGV (automated guided vehicle), etc. It's okay.

The supply side cycle C1 has been described above. Next, the consumption cycle C2 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 4, the consumption side cycle C2 includes a storage step S21 of storing the frozen cold storage material 900A transported from the food distribution center 300 in a frozen state, and a collection step S22 of collecting the used cold storage material 900B. and a providing step S23 of providing the frozen cold insulation material 900A to the consumer.

<Storage step S21>
In this step, the frozen cold insulating material 900A transported from the food distribution center 300 is stored in a frozen state. In this embodiment, the frozen cold storage material 900A is promptly stored in the storage 630 of the cold storage material providing device 600 after being transported, and its frozen state is maintained by the operation of the cooling device 640.

<Recovery step S22>
In this step, used cold insulation material 900B is collected from consumers. In this embodiment, the used cold insulation material 900B is put into the return port 611 and collected into the collection warehouse 620.

<Providing step S23>
In this step, the frozen cold insulation material 900A is provided to the consumer in exchange for return of the used cold insulation material 900B or money. When the consumer has the used cold insulation material 900B, when the used cold storage material 900B is returned from the return port 611, the cold storage material providing device 600 returns the frozen cold storage material 900A in the storage 630 to the takeout port 612. discharged and provided to consumers. On the other hand, if the consumer does not have the used cold storage material 900B (if he has never purchased the cold storage material 900 or has forgotten to bring it), the cold storage material providing device 600 inputs the input of money input. In response to the input to the section 615, the frozen cold storage material 900A in the storage 630 is discharged to the outlet 612 and provided to the consumer. Thereby, the consumer can receive the frozen cold insulating material 900A, and can use the received frozen cold insulating material 900A for cooling food. Therefore, after purchasing food at the food store 200, the consumer can cool the food while traveling from the food store 200 to the home 400, thereby preventing the food from melting or spoiling. The consumer can receive a new frozen cold insulation material 900A by returning the frozen cold insulation material 900A used this time to the cold storage material providing device 600 as the used cold insulation material 900B when shopping next time.

Note that depending on the content of the purchased food and the temperature, the frozen cold insulating material 900A may not be necessary, and there may be cases where the user only wants to return the used cold insulating material 900B. Therefore, the cold insulation material providing system 100 can only accept the return of the used cold insulation material 900B. The method is not particularly limited, but for example, upon receiving the return of the used cold insulating material 900B, the purchase price of the cold insulating material 900 may be refunded to the consumer. Alternatively, a ticket may be issued that allows the user to receive the frozen cold insulation material 900A for free next time. In addition, if a membership card for using the cold storage material supply system 100 exists, the usage history is stored in the membership card, and the next time, by referring to this usage history, the frozen cold storage material 900A can be received free of charge. It may be possible to do so. In this way, if only the return of the used cold insulating material 900B can be accepted, the convenience of the cold insulating material providing system 100 will be further improved.

The cold insulation material providing system 100 has been described above. Next, the cold insulating material 900 used in the cold insulating material providing system 100 will be explained. Note that the cold insulating material 900 is not limited to the following configuration.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cold insulation material 900 is provided with an advertisement display section 910 as a space for displaying an advertisement. Those who wish to place an advertisement can place an advertisement on the advertisement display section 910 for a fee. The illustrated advertisement display section 910 has two small spaces 911 and two large spaces 912 with different areas, and allows the advertisement space to be selected. By charging for advertisements, the profits can cover all or part of the installation cost and running cost of the cold storage material providing system 100. Therefore, it becomes easier to introduce the cold storage material providing system 100, and it becomes easier to increase profits. Note that the advertisement publication fee may be free. Further, the operator of the cold storage material providing system 100 may himself post advertisements regarding recommended products, special sale products, information on new store openings, etc. of the food sales store 200. This can increase the consumer's desire to purchase.

In the cold storage material providing system 100, the frozen cold storage material 900A is provided in exchange for the return of the used cold storage material 900B, so the consumer is provided with a frozen cold storage material 900A that is different from the previous one. Therefore, if different advertisements are posted for each cold insulation material 900 or for each group of a plurality of cold insulation materials 900, various advertisements can be sequentially shown to consumers. Specifically, for example, there is a cold insulation material 900 on which advertisement L is published, a cold insulation material 900 on which advertisement M is published, and a cold insulation material 900 on which advertisement N is published. When the cold insulation material 900 is returned as the used cold insulation material 900B, the cold insulation material providing device 600 provides the cold insulation material 900 on which advertisement M or advertisement N is posted to the consumer as a new frozen cold insulation material 900A. This allows various advertisements to be shown to consumers. Alternatively, if it is estimated that the consumer has the highest interest in advertisement L among advertisements L, M, and N, the cold insulation material 900 on which advertisement L is posted may be repeatedly provided as frozen cold insulation material 900A. good. In other words, the frozen cold insulation material 900A to be provided may be selected according to the consumer's preference.

Furthermore, the cold insulation material 900 has a sponsoring company display section 920 as a space for displaying the names of sponsoring companies (including individual names) that sponsor the eco-project through the cold storage material providing system 100. By displaying the company name on the sponsoring company display section 920, the sponsoring company can advertise to consumers that it is a highly environmentally conscious company, and can improve the image of the company. Furthermore, the operator of the cold storage material providing system 100 can cover all or part of the introduction cost and running cost of the cold storage material providing system 100 using sponsorship funds from supporting companies. Therefore, it becomes easier to introduce the cold storage material providing system 100, and it becomes easier to increase profits.

Furthermore, each cold insulating material 900 is provided with a recording section 930 in which the transportation history is recorded. The recording unit 930 is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, an IC chip with a memory, a one-dimensional code represented by a bar code, a two-dimensional code represented by a QR code (registered trademark), and the like. In this embodiment, a two-dimensional code 931 is used as the recording unit 930. The two-dimensional code 931 has the advantage of having a sufficient recording capacity, being inexpensive to introduce, and being less likely to break down or be damaged during freezing or transportation. As shown in FIG. 6, an identification code for identifying an individual is set in the two-dimensional code 931, and usage history is also recorded and accumulated. This facilitates management of each cold insulating material 900. In particular, in this embodiment, by linking and recording the consumer's purchase history (POS) in conjunction with the cash register of the food store 200, useful personal information can be obtained and used for subsequent operations. be able to.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the cold storage material providing system 100 includes a terminal P300 that manages the cold storage materials 900 on the food distribution center 300 side, and a terminal P200 that manages the cold storage materials 900 on the food sales store 200 side. . The terminals P300 and P200 read the two-dimensional code 931 of each cold insulating material 900 and sequentially update the usage history recorded therein. These terminals P300 and P200 are connected to the server SVR via a network NT such as the Internet, and transmit the history of each cold insulation material 900 to the server SVR. The server SVR stores and stores the history of each cold insulation material 900 received from the terminals P300 and P200 and various information revealed therefrom. Examples of the various information include the following information.

・Number of frozen cold storage materials 900A in the food distribution center 300 ・Number of used cold storage materials 900B in the food distribution center 300 ・Number of frozen cold storage materials 900A in the food sales stores 200 ・Used cold storage materials in the food sales stores 200 Number of frozen cold insulation materials 900B ・Number of frozen cold insulation materials 900A provided ・Date and time of provision of frozen cold insulation materials 900A ・Number of returned frozen cold insulation materials 900A ・Return date and time of frozen cold insulation materials 900A ・Information of consumers who provided frozen cold insulation materials 900A

Additionally, the server SVR is equipped with AI (artificial intelligence). For example, the AI calculates the expected circulation cycle of the cold insulation materials 900 based on the usage history of each cold insulation material 900 stored in the server SVR, various information, weather forecasts obtained from outside, etc. A distribution plan is created so that there is no excess or shortage of a certain frozen cold storage material 900A. The distribution plan is not particularly limited, but for example, it is as shown in Figure 7, which includes the estimated required number of frozen cold insulation materials 900A at each predetermined time calculated based on past usage history and weather forecasts. It includes the delivery time and delivery amount of the frozen cold insulation material 900A that are optimal for maintaining the frozen cold storage material 900A, and the freezing start time and freezing amount of the used cold insulation material 900B calculated from the delivery time. Thereby, it is possible to prepare just the right amount of frozen cold insulation material 900A. Therefore, there is a waste of energy due to freezing an excessive number of cold packs 900, and a waste of energy due to having to keep the frozen cold packs 900A frozen for a long time before providing them to consumers. Wasteful spending can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to reduce running costs and reduce environmental load.

Note that the terminals P200 and P300 can also modify the distribution plan created by the AI based on the actual situation. This further improves the accuracy of distribution planning. The revised contents are stored in the server SRV and are used for creating the next distribution plan. In addition to the distribution plan, the terminals P200 and P300 can also request transportation of the frozen cold storage material 900A. Thereby, it is possible to manage the inventory of the frozen cold insulation material 900A on the food sales store 200 side based on the actual situation.

The terminals P200, P300 and the server SRV are, for example, composed of computers and have a processor (CPU) that processes information, a memory that is communicably connected to the processor, and an external interface that connects to external devices. . The memory stores various programs executable by the processor, and the processor can read and execute the various programs stored in the memory.

The cold insulation material providing system 100 has been described above. Next, a method of using the cold insulation material providing system 100 will be briefly described. However, the method of using the cold insulation material providing system 100 is not limited to the following method.

First, the cold storage material providing system 100 requests the consumer to register as a member in order to use the cold storage material providing system 100. By registering as a member, personal information such as the consumer's name, address, and telephone number is registered in the server SRV. The cold storage material providing system 100 issues a membership card to the consumer upon completion of membership registration. The membership card may be a membership card such as a card, or an electronic membership card stored in a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. With the above steps, preparations for using the cold insulation material providing system 100 are completed.

Next, the cold storage material providing system 100 requests the consumer to hold the membership card over the reader 617 of the cold storage material providing device 600 and log into the cold storage material providing system 100. When the login is completed, the cold storage material providing system 100 requests the consumer to respond whether the purpose is to receive the frozen cold storage material 900A or to return the used cold storage material 900B.

In the case of returning the used cold insulating material 900B, the cold insulating material providing system 100 prompts the consumer to return the used cold insulating material 900B to the return port 611, and returns the used cold insulating material 900B from the return port 611. The same number of frozen cold insulation materials 900A will be available to consumers free of charge from the next time onwards (this state is also referred to as a stock state).

In the case of receiving the frozen cold insulation material 900A, the cold storage material providing system 100 further determines whether the reception is by exchange with the used cold insulation material 900B, the receipt of the used cold insulation material 900B in a stock state, or the receipt by new purchase. Request an answer as to whether it has been received. In the case of receiving the used cold storage material 900B in exchange, the cold storage material providing system 100 prompts the consumer to return the used cold storage material 900B to the return port 611, and the used cold storage material 900B returned from the return port 611 is The same number of frozen cold insulation materials 900A as materials 900B are provided to consumers. Furthermore, in the case of receiving used cold insulation materials 900B in a stocked state, the cold storage material providing system 100 provides the specified number of frozen cold insulation materials 900A to the consumer, with the stocked number as the upper limit. Further, in the case of a new purchase, the cold storage material providing system 100 provides the specified number of frozen cold storage materials 900A to the consumer after confirming the input of money into the cold storage material providing device 600 and the input to the input unit 615.

As described above, the consumer can receive the frozen cold storage material 900A, which can be used to cool the food purchased that day. Thereby, the food can be kept at a low temperature until it reaches the home 400, and food spoilage can be prevented. Note that the timing of receiving the frozen cold insulating material 900A may be after purchasing the food or before purchasing the food. If the frozen cold insulating material 900A is received before purchasing the food, the frozen cold insulating material 900A can be used to cool the food from the time the customer picks it up to the time the customer pays for the food. When the food arrives at the home 400 and is stored in the refrigerator/freezer, the cold insulation material 900 ends its role as the frozen cold insulation material 900A and becomes a used cold insulation material 900B. The consumer only needs to bring the used cold insulating material 900B with him the next time he goes shopping.

Here, the cold storage material providing system 100 may store multiple types (large, medium, small) of frozen cold storage materials 900A of different sizes (capacities) in the cold storage material providing device 600. The consumer can select and receive one suitable for him/herself from among the plurality of types of frozen cold insulation materials 900A, considering the distance to the home 400, the type and amount of food purchased, etc. Similarly, the cold storage material providing system 100 may store multiple types of frozen cold storage materials 900A having different melting points (melting points of 0° C., -10° C., and -20° C.) in the cold storage material providing device 600. The consumer can select and receive one suitable for him/herself from among the plurality of types of frozen cold insulation materials 900A, considering the distance to the home 400, the type and amount of food purchased, etc.

Furthermore, the cold storage material providing system 100 may store multiple types of frozen cold storage materials 900A with different posted advertisements. When the consumer wishes to receive the frozen cold insulation material 900A, the cold storage material providing system 100 selects the frozen cold insulation material 900A that has an advertisement with a higher probability that the consumer will be interested from among these frozen cold insulation materials 900A. Select and provide. As a result, consumers' desire to purchase can be increased, and excellent advertising effects can be achieved. The selection of frozen cold insulation material 900A is performed by AI in server SVR based on consumer purchase information (POS) recorded in server SRV.

Furthermore, while the consumer is logged in, the cold storage material providing system 100 displays an advertisement on the screen 616 of the cold storage material providing device 600 to advertise to the consumer. This can increase the consumer's desire to purchase. Advertisements may be still images or videos. At this time, the cold storage material providing system 100 selects and displays advertisements with a high probability that consumers will be interested. As a result, consumers' desire to purchase can be increased, and excellent advertising effects can be achieved. The selection of advertisements is performed by the AI in the server SVR based on the consumer purchase information (POS) recorded in the server SRV. Those who wish to place advertisements can place advertisements on the screen 616 for a fee. Thereby, all or part of the introduction cost and running cost of the cold insulation material providing system 100 can be covered by the profit. Therefore, it becomes easier to introduce the cold storage material providing system 100, and it becomes easier to increase profits. Note that the advertisement publication fee may be free. Further, the operator of the cold storage material providing system 100 may himself post advertisements regarding recommended products, special sale products, information on new store openings, etc. of the food sales store 200.

Although the cold insulating material providing system of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part may be any configuration having similar functions. Can be replaced. Moreover, other arbitrary components may be added to the present invention.

Note that in the embodiment described above, the cold insulating material 900 is circulated alone in the supply cycle C1 and the consumption cycle C2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in at least one of the supply cycle C1 and the consumption cycle C2, the cold bag containing the cold insulation material 900 may be circulated. That is, the whole cold bag containing the cold insulation material 900 may be provided to the consumer and collected. Further, for example, in a case where a cold insulating agent or a cold storage agent is embedded in a cold insulating bag and the cold insulating bag itself has a function as a cold insulating material, the cold insulating bag corresponds to the cold insulating material 900 of the embodiment described above.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the cold insulation material providing device 600 automatically collects and provides the cold insulation material 900, but the means for collecting and providing the cold insulation material 900 is not particularly limited. For example, at least one of collecting and providing the cold insulating material 900 may be performed manually. In this case, for example, a freezer for storing the frozen cold storage material 900B is installed next to the cash register, and the consumer is asked to return the used cold storage material 900B to the cash register when paying at the food store 200. After paying, the frozen cold storage material 900 may be provided to the consumer from a freezer installed next to the cash register. At this time, the consumer himself or herself may take out the frozen cold insulating material 900 from the freezer, or the person in charge may take out the frozen cold insulating material 900 from the freezer and hand it over to the consumer.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the frozen cold insulating material 900 is provided to the consumer as the frozen cold insulating material 900A, but if it is already cooled and can maintain the function of keeping food at a low temperature, then freezing is possible. It doesn't have to be.

As described above, the cold retaining material providing system 100 is characterized by providing cooled cold retaining materials at point Y where food can be purchased in exchange for returning used cold retaining materials. According to such a cold insulating material providing system 100, food purchased at point Y can be cooled using the cooled cold insulating material received at point Y. Therefore, food spoilage during movement from point Y can be suppressed. Therefore, its industrial applicability is great.

100...Cold supply supply system 200...Food sales store 300...Food distribution center 400...Home 500...Freezer 600...Cold supply supply device 610...Casing 611...Return port 612...Takeout port 613...Money slot 614...Change dispenser Exit 615...Input section 616...Screen 617...Reader 620...Collection warehouse 630...Accommodation warehouse 640...Cooling device 800...Frozen delivery vehicle 800A...Frozen delivery vehicle 800B...Delivery vehicle 900...Cold insulating material 900A...Frozen cold insulating material 900B...Used Cold insulation material 910... Advertisement display section 911... Small space 912... Large space 920... Sponsor company display section 930... Recording section 931... Two-dimensional code C1... Supply side cycle C2... Consumption side cycle NT... Network P200... Terminal P300... Terminal S11 …Freezing step S12…Supply transportation step S13…Collection transportation step S21…Storage step S22…Collection step S23…Providing step SRV…Server SVR…Server X…point Y…point Z…point

Claims

A cold storage material supply system characterized by providing cooled cold storage materials at point Y where food can be purchased in exchange for the return of used cold storage materials.
a supply conveyance step of conveying the cooled cold insulating material from point X to the point Y; and a recovery conveyance step of conveying the used cold insulating material from the point Y to the point and a supply cycle in which the cold insulating material is circulated between the point Y and the point Y;
a cold insulating material use step of transporting an object kept at a low temperature using the cooled cold insulating material from the point Y to a point Z; and a cold storage step of transporting the used cold insulating material from the point Z to the point Y. The cold insulation material providing system according to claim 1, further comprising a material return step, and a consumption cycle of circulating the cold insulation material between the point Y and the point Z.
The cold insulating material providing system according to claim 2, wherein in the supplying and transporting step, the cooled cold insulating material is transported to the point Y together with the items to be frozen.
A freezing device that freezes the used cold storage material is installed at the point X,
The cold insulating material providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a cold insulating material providing device that provides the cooled cold insulating material is installed at the point Y.
The cold insulation material providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an advertisement is written on the cold insulation material.
The cold insulating material providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a history of the cold insulating material is recorded.