THERMO CONTAINER STRUCTURE CONVENIENT TO BE STORED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical field of thermo coolers, and in particular to a thermo container structure convenient to be stored.

Thermo containers are made into shapes like bags or boxes using a thermally insulated material, and are often used for carrying and preserving heat of food, medicines, and the like during outdoor activities. However, a general thermo container has a relatively large size and occupies a large space even if the container is empty, and so it is inconvenient to be stored or carried during outdoor activities, and a high transportation cost for this kind of container is required from the manufacturers. For this reason, manufacturers want to design a foldable container structure that is convenient to be folded and stored; however, thermally insulated material is relatively hard and not easy to be folded, and if the thermally insulated material has to be folded at positions such as a side surface or a bottom surface where folding is required, the surface will have to be formed by several discontinued pieces being sewn together in order to create folding lines, and this causes the surface not being integral but formed by several discontinued pieces which may potentially sacrifice at least part of the thermal insulation performance of the container.

An existing method that may solve the above problem is to use a container with inner and outer layers. The thermal insulation effect is ensured due to the dual-layer structure. However, this kind of dual-layer foldable structure will potentially create other problems: Unlike conventional plastic components, buckling structures are not applicable to thermo container, therefore, when the dual-layer foldable structure is unfolded, the surfaces of the two layers cannot be fixed relative to one another; specifically, when the container is not entirely filled up, there may be a lack of support between the inner and outer layers. In this case, once under stress, the container may deform, which may not only damage the items in the container, but may also result in a poor user's experience.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforesaid disadvantages in the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a thermo container structure that is convenient to be stored. A foldable thermo container structure according to the present invention can provide good thermal insulation effect and stable support after being unfolded.

To attain the above objects, the present invention has the following technical solutions:

• • A thermo container structure convenient to be stored, comprising an outer container and an inner container; the outer container comprises a first body and a first cover; a thermally insulated material is filled in both the first body and the first cover; the inner container comprises a second body and a second cover; the first body and the second body are both compressible and foldable structures, and the first body and the second body are foldable towards two different folding directions respectively where the two different folding directions are perpendicular to each other; in an unfolded state of the thermo container structure, the first cover is capable of closing against an opening of the first body, and the second cover is capable of closing against an opening of the second body.

The first body is foldable along a front-to-back folding direction, and the second body is foldable along a top-to-bottom folding direction; both a left and a right side surfaces of the first body are provided with folding lines which are stitching lines, and the folding lines are arranged in a vertical direction.

Preferably, the first cover is connected to a rear side of the opening of the first body through a connecting piece; in a folded state of the outer container, the first cover is folded completely behind a rear side surface of the first body.

Preferably, a periphery of the opening of the first body and a periphery of the first cover are provided with a first blocking edge and a second blocking edge respectively; upper and lower edges of the connecting piece are connected to an upper edge of a rear outer side of the second blocking edge and a lower edge of a rear outer side of the first blocking edge respectively; when the first cover closes against the first body, the first blocking edge is engaged with the second blocking edge.

Preferably, the second body comprises a bottom wall, a plurality of circumferential walls arranged above the bottom wall, and flexible connecting walls connected between adjacent circumferential walls; a bottommost circumferential wall is connected to peripheral sides of the bottom wall, and sizes of the plurality of circumferential walls gradually decrease along a top-down direction towards the bottom wall.

Materials making both the materials making both the first body and the first cover comprise a waterproof cloth being an outer layer wrapping the thermally insulated material, wherein the thermally insulated material comprises an aluminum-plated film layer, a non-woven fabric layer, a PP (polypropylene) plate layer, a pearl fiber layer, a non-woven fabric layer, and a PEVA (polyethylene-vinyl acetate) layer arranged sequentially where the aluminum-plated film layer is an outermost layer most proximal to an outer side of the outer container, and the PEVA layer is an innermost layer farthest away from the outer side of the outer container.

A zipper is provided between the opening of the first body and the first cover.

The second cover is sewn to a lower surface of the first cover; a connecting flange sewn with the first cover is protruded upwardly from a periphery of an upper surface of the second cover.

A lower surface of the second cover is provided with a sealing protruding ring that fits with the opening of the second body; a sealing gasket is fixedly connected to a circumferential surface of the sealing protruding ring; the upper surface of the second cover is recessed to form a plurality of grooves corresponding to the sealing protruding ring; a plurality of ribs are provided across the plurality of grooves; a first platform is provided on an upper surface of the second body at a periphery of the opening of the second body, and a second platform is provided on the lower surface of the second cover at an outer periphery of the sealing protruding ring; the first platform is attached to the second platform when the second cover closes against the second body.

Both an inner wall of the first body adjacent the opening of the first body 1 and an outer wall of the second body are provided with corresponding attachment members respectively.

The above technical solutions of the present invention has the following technical effects:

The present invention is formed by the outer container and the inner container, namely that, the thermo container structure of the present invention has a dual-layer structure consisting of inner and outer layers, which can provide dual thermal insulation effect. At least the outer container is filled with thermally insulated material, such that the thermo container structure has a good thermal insulation performance; additionally, as items are usually stored in the inner container, the inner container can be taken out for cleaning when not in use. The first body of the outer container and the second body of the inner container are both compressible and foldable structures, which can reduce the occupied space and facilitate storage when not in use; since the folding directions of the first body and the second body are perpendicular to each other, non-folding surfaces of the first body and the second body are thus not positioned towards the same direction, and so when the thermo container structure is unfolded, the non-folding surfaces of the first body provide support for the second body against the folding direction of the second body, and the non-folding surfaces of the second body provide support for the first body against the folding direction of the first body, thereby ensuring that the thermo container structure is stable after being unfolded and is not easy to deform under stress, so that user's experience can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closed state of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an open state of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a folding process of an outer container of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a folded state of the outer container of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an inner container of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the inner container of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second body of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a folded state of the second body of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second cover of a specific embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a partial structure of the closed state of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing layers of a thermally insulated material.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of area c of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of area d of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To further explain the technical solutions of the present invention, a detailed description of the present invention is provided below through specific embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 13, the present invention discloses a thermo container structure convenient to be stored, comprising an outer container 1 and an inner container 2;

• • the outer container 1 comprises a first body 11 and a first cover 12; a thermally insulated material a is filled in both the first body 11 and the first cover 12; the inner container 2 comprises a second body 21 and a second cover 22; the first body 11 and the second body 21 are both compressible and foldable structures, and the first body 11 and the second body 21 are foldable towards two different folding directions respectively where the two different folding directions are perpendicular to each other; in an unfolded state of the thermo container structure, the first cover 12 is capable of closing against an opening 110 of the first body 11, and the second cover 22 is capable of closing against an opening 210 of the second body 21.

According to the above solutions, the present invention is formed by the outer container 1 and the inner container 2, namely that, the thermo container structure of the present invention has a dual-layer structure consisting of inner and outer layers, which can provide dual thermal insulation effect. At least the outer container 1 is filled with thermally insulated material a, such that the thermo container structure has a good thermal insulation performance; additionally, as items are usually stored in the inner container 2, the inner container 2 can be taken out for cleaning when not in use. The first body 11 of the outer container 1 and the second body 21 of the inner container 2 are both compressible and foldable structures, which can reduce the occupied space and facilitate storage when not in use; since the folding directions of the first body 11 and the second body 21 are perpendicular to each other, non-folding surfaces of the first body 11 and the second body 21 are thus not positioned towards the same direction, and so when the thermo container structure is unfolded, the non-folding surfaces of the first body 11 provide support for the second body 21 against the folding direction of the second body 21, and the non-folding surfaces of the second body 21 provide support for the first body 11 against the folding direction of the first body 11, thereby ensuring that the thermo container structure is stable after being unfolded and is not easy to deform under stress, so that user's experience can be improved.

The following describes the specific embodiments of the present invention.

The two different folding directions of the first body 11 and the second body 21 (with reference to the thermo container structure being placed upright on the ground or a platform) may be a front-to-back folding direction and a left-to-right folding direction respectively, the front-to-back folding direction and a top-to-bottom folding direction respectively, the left-to-right folding direction and the top-to-bottom folding direction respectively, the left-to-right folding direction and the front-to-back folding direction respectively, the top-to-bottom folding direction and the front-to-back folding direction respectively, the top-to-bottom folding direction and the left-to-right folding direction respectively, or in any other combinations, given that the two different folding directions of the first body 11 and the second body 21 are not the same direction and are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the thermo container structure is a rectangular box, the first body 11 is designed to be foldable along the front-to-back folding direction, and the second body 21 is designed to be foldable along the top-to-bottom folding direction. The first body 11 having the front-to-back folding direction allows the foldable surfaces to be designed on left and right side surfaces and a bottom surface of the outer container 1, and these surfaces have smaller surface areas and are more easily to be folded.

Further, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, both the left and right side surfaces of the first body 11 are provided with folding lines 111 which are stitching lines, and the folding lines 111 are arranged in a vertical direction, such that the thermally insulated material a inside the left and right side surfaces of the first body 11 is discontinued at the folding lines 111 and forms two separated pieces at two sides of each of the folding lines 111.

Further, the first cover 12 is connected to a rear side of the opening 110 of the first body 11 through a connecting piece 13, such that in a folded state of the outer container 1, the first cover 12 can be directly folded behind a rear side surface of the first body 11 (please refer to the illustration in FIG. 4). This makes the overall structure of the folded outer container 1 flatter and easier to package and store, and the first cover 12 does not need to be separately stored from the first body 11, thereby reducing the risk of loss. In this embodiment, a periphery of the opening 110 of the first body 11 and a periphery of the first cover 12 are provided with a first blocking edge 112 and a second blocking edge 121 respectively; upper and lower edges of the connecting piece 13 are connected to an upper edge of a rear outer side of the second blocking edge 121 and a lower edge of a rear outer side of the first blocking edge 112 respectively, such that the first cover 12 can be completely flipped behind the rear side surface of the first body 11; when the first cover 12 closes against the first body 11, the first blocking edge 112 is engaged with the second blocking edge 121, thereby achieving a sealing effect at the connecting piece 13 (please refer to the illustration in FIG. 10).

Further, referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, the second body 21 comprises a bottom wall 211, a plurality of circumferential walls 212 arranged above the bottom wall 211, and flexible connecting walls 213 connected between adjacent circumferential walls 212; a bottommost circumferential wall 212 is connected to peripheral sides of the bottom wall 211, and sizes of the plurality of circumferential walls 212 gradually decrease along a top-down direction towards the bottom wall. Each of the plurality of circumferential walls 212 and each of the flexible connecting walls 213 are each formed as an enclosing wall which is not necessarily in a circular shape. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 211, an uppermost and the bottommost circumferential walls 212, and the second cover 22 are all made of PP (polypropylene), and the remaining circumferential walls 212 and the flexible connecting walls 213 are made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).

With reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the materials making both the first body 11 and the first cover 12 comprise a waterproof cloth b being an outer layer wrapping the thermally insulated material a, wherein the thermally insulated material comprises an aluminum-plated film layer 4, a non-woven fabric layer 5, a PP (polypropylene) plate layer 6, a pearl fiber layer 7, a non-woven fabric layer 8, and a PEVA (polyethylene-vinyl acetate) layer 9 arranged sequentially where the aluminum-plated film layer is an outermost layer most proximal to an outer side of the outer container, and the PEVA layer is an innermost layer farthest away from the outer side of the outer container. The materials making the first body 11 and the first cover 12 can provide good thermal insulation performance.

The outer container 1 also comprises a zipper 14 provided between the opening 110 of the first body 11 and the first cover 12 to act as reinforcement upon closure of the first cover 12 against the first body 11 to prevent the inner container 2 from loosening and falling off. Additionally, the outer container 1 and the inner container 2 work together to achieve a dual thermal insulation effect, and the inner container 2 is provided with the second cover 22 to prevent leakage of cold air; an ordinary zipper 14 can be used here instead of a sealing zipper, so that the cost of the product is greatly reduced. In this embodiment, an elastic zipper tape is used to make the zipper 14; when the zipper 14 is in a closed state, the zipper tape is tightened, such that the first cover 12 is subject to a downward pulling force, and thus the second cover 22 fits more tightly with the second body 21, thereby achieving a better sealing performance.

The outer container also comprises a shoulder strap 15 whose two ends are connected to two sides of the first body 11 respectively to facilitate carrying and transporting the thermo container. The shoulder strap 15 can be attached to the first body 11 by using hooks to facilitate detachment when not in use.

The second cover 22 is sewn (by using a sewing machine) to a lower surface of the first cover 12, such that the second cover 22 and the first cover 12 form an integral structure that can be opened and closed simultaneously, so that opening and closing of the cover of the thermal container structure by a user is simpler and more convenient. In this embodiment, a connecting flange 221 used for sewing is protruded upwardly from a periphery of an upper surface of the second cover 22; since the connecting edge 221 protrudes upwardly but not laterally as in conventional thermo container, the connecting edge 221 does not occupy any lateral space of the first cover 12 and/or the second cover 22 after the second cover 22 is sewn to the first cover 12, and no extra space is required to be formed in the opening of the first body 11 to accommodate the connecting edge 221, such that the inner container 2 and the outer container 1 can be attached more tightly with each other and will not easy to displace with respect to each other.

A lower surface of the second cover 22 is provided with a sealing protruding ring 222 that tightly fits with the opening 210 of the second body 21. This tight-fitting sealing method ensures that the cold air or liquid in the inner container 2 will not leak.

Further, a sealing gasket 23 is fixedly connected to a circumferential surface of the sealing protruding ring 222 to improve sealing performance. The sealing gasket 23 can be fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the sealing protruding ring 222 by using, for example, adhesive.

Additionally, the upper surface of the second cover 22 is recessed to form a plurality of grooves 223 corresponding to the sealing protruding ring 222. Specifically, the plurality of grooves 223 are hollowed portions at a back side of the sealing protruding ring 222, so that the weight and production cost of the second cover 22 can be reduced. In this embodiment, a plurality of ribs 224 are provided across the plurality of grooves 223 to ensure the strength of the sealing protruding ring 222 after being hollowed out to form the plurality of grooves 223.

Also, a first platform 214 is provided on an upper surface of the second body 21 at a periphery of the opening 210 of the second body 21, and a second platform 225 is provided on the lower surface of the second cover 22 at an outer periphery of the sealing protruding ring 222. The first platform 214 is attached to the second platform 225 to achieve surface contact sealing, which, in combination with the sealing gasket 23, jointly achieves sealing between the second body 21 and the second cover 22. As a result, a contact point between the sealing gasket 23 and an inner wall of the second body 21 can be designed to be relatively small (for example, by providing a sealing flange 231 as shown in FIG. 10). In this case, the frictional force when the second cover 22 is opened is also relatively small, and so the second cover 22 can be opened more easily.

Both an inner wall of the first body 1 adjacent the opening 110 of the first body 1 and an outer wall of the second body 21 are provided with corresponding attachment members 3 respectively to achieve relative fixation of the first body 1 and the second body 21, such that the second body 21 fits more stably within the first body 11; even if only a few items are contained in the second body 21, the first body 11 and the second boy 21 will not displace with respect to each other when user takes out or places in items into the second body 21. The attachment members can be magnetic plates, hook and loop fasteners, or the like.

The above embodiments and illustrations are not intended to limit the form and style of the product of the present invention. Any appropriate variations or modifications made by those of ordinary skills in the art within the scope of the present invention shall be considered as falling within the scope of the patent.