Abstract:
A foldable cool pack offering an enlarged contact area with an item therein. The foldable cool pack comprises two or more segments hingedly coupled together. The foldable cool pack can be folded and thus adapted to the geometry to a stored item so as to achieve an increased surface contact with the stored item. As a result, the heat transfer between the foldable cool pack and the stored item is enhanced and evenly distributed. Further, an item stored in the cool pack can be effectively isolated from the ambient air as well as from other stored items.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE 
       [0001]    This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0136847, filed on Oct. 10, 2014, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to refrigerators, and more specifically, to cool packs in refrigerators. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus used to keep food cold or frozen by circulating refrigerant in a cooling cycle. A cooling system is typically installed at the rear side of a freezing chamber in a refrigerator. Cold air is generated and circulated within the refrigerator by a fan, thereby maintaining the refrigerator interior at a low temperature. 
         [0004]    The refrigerator has a storage chamber for storing food and other items. The storage chamber may be divided into a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, which are maintained at different temperature ranges. 
         [0005]    Some refrigerators include a cool pack used to keep the items stored therein cold for an extended time even when the refrigerator cooling system stops functioning, e.g., during a power outage. 
         [0006]    Conventionally, a cool pack typically has a rigid surface through which heat is conducted away from stored items. The cool pack typically has a shape of a flat box or panel. Unfortunately, the contact area between the cool pack and a stored item is limited, leading to inefficient heat transfer and ineffective isolation of the item from the surrounding environment which usually has a higher temperature than the cool pack. Thus, when a cool pack is used, it usually takes a long time to lower the temperature of an item and the cool pack can only keep a cold item cool for a short time. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a foldable cool pack which can be used to separate an item stored in a refrigerator from other items in the refrigerator, and thereby effectively maintain the item at a low temperature. 
         [0008]    An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a foldable cool pack including: a first segment; a second segment which is disposed at one side of the first segment; and a hinge unit which is disposed between the first segment and the second segment. The hinge unit hingedly couples the first segment and the second segment so that the second segment is rotatable relative to the first segment. 
         [0009]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator including: a storage chamber which stores a food item in a cool state or in a frozen state; a shelf coupled to a wall of the storage chamber; and a foldable cool pack. The foldable cool pack includes: a first segment; a second segment which is disposed on one side of the first segment; and a hinge unit which hingedly couples the first segment and the second segment together. The positioning angle between the two segments can be adjusted via the hinge unit. 
         [0010]    The second segment may be formed to have at least two sub-segments that are hingedly coupled together. The hinge may have a plurality of gear teeth operable to adjust an angle between the two sub-segments. 
         [0011]    A depressed region may be formed on the surface of the first segment or the second segment. 
         [0012]    The foldable cool pack may further include a clip unit disposed on the second segment and used to fix a memo paper or alike. The clip unit may be disposed at any position relative to the hinge unit. 
         [0013]    Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of using a foldable cool pack. The method includes: disposing an item on the first segment of the foldable cool pack for storage; folding the second segment relative to the first segment via a hinge unit between the second segment to form a contact between the second segment and the item; and placing the foldable cool pack in a refrigerator. 
         [0014]    Advantageously, the foldable cool pack according to the present disclosure can surround an item with an enlarged contact area, thereby effectively isolating the item from other items and ambient environment and maintaining the item at a low temperature. 
         [0015]    The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary foldable cool pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates various operational states of an exemplary foldable cool pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates configurations of exemplary second segments including a clip unit according to embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates exemplary foldable cool packs in use and enclosed in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    An exemplary foldable cool pack  200  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a refrigerator  100  including the foldable cool pack  200  are described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the foldable cool pack  200  according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first segment  210 , a second segment  220 , and a hinge unit  230 . 
         [0022]    Both the first segment  210  and the second segment  220  may have a shape of a near-flat panel. The exterior of the segments is made of rigid or near rigid materials. 
         [0023]    Both the first segment  210  and the second segment  220  are filled with a cold storage material. It will be appreciated that any suitable cold storage material that is well known in the art can be used to practice the present disclosure. 
         [0024]    In this example, the second segment  220  is coupled to one side of the first segment  210 . 
         [0025]    The first segment  210  is disposed on a shelf or at the bottom of a storage chamber, e.g., a freezing chamber or a refrigerating chamber. In the illustrated state, the second segment  220  is positioned perpendicular to the first segment  210 . For instance, the second segment  220  may be placed against an interior wall of the storage chamber. 
         [0026]    The first segment  210  and the second segment  220  may have the same or different sizes and/or shapes. An external item can be placed between, and in contact with, both the first segment  210  and the second segment  220  for storage at a low temperature. 
         [0027]    The hinge unit  230  is disposed between the first segment  210  and the second segment  220 . 
         [0028]    The hinge unit  230  hingedly couples the first segment  210  and the second segment  220  together and enables the second segment  220  to rotate relative to the first segment  210 . 
         [0029]    The hinge unit  230  may have gear teeth which can restrict the rotation of the second segment  220  to a certain angle range and by a certain rotation step. 
         [0030]    With the aforementioned configuration, an item placed in the foldable cool pack makes contact with the cool surfaces of both segments. Thus, the contact area for heat transfer is advantageously enlarged, compared to the contact area provided by an unfoldable cool pack according to the prior art. The enlarged contact area efficiently cools the storage item and effectively thermally isolates it from the ambient environment as well as other items stored in the refrigerator. 
         [0031]    The second segment  220  may include two or more sub-segments which can be bent relative to each other through the hinges installed in between. 
         [0032]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the second segment  220  is composed of a plurality of sub-segments and hinges  225  disposed in between. 
         [0033]    The number of hinges  225  may be related to the dimension of the second segment  220  and the rotation range of the second segment  220 . 
         [0034]    The hinges  225  may have gear teeth which can be used to adjust the rotation angles of the sub-segments. 
         [0035]    The number of gear teeth included on hinge  225  may be dictated by the designed rotational range of the second segment  220 . 
         [0036]    A depressed region may be formed on the surfaces of the first segment  210  and/or the second segment  220 . 
         [0037]    The depressed region  212  may be concave in shape, which advantageously provides a conformal and increased surface area for contact with a stored item that has a curved surface, such as a bottle. Accordingly, the item can be securely positioned on the first segment  210 . 
         [0038]    That is, when an item having a curved outer surface is positioned on the depressed region  212 , such as a beverage bottle, the item can be securely retained by the depressed region without unwanted motions, such as sliding or rolling. Also, a large portion or the entire surface of the beverage bottle may be effectively surrounded by the foldable cool pack, thereby providing an increased contact area for heat transfer between the item and the cool pack. 
         [0039]    A process of using the foldable cool pack  200  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0040]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a user can rotate the second segment  220  relative to the first segment  210  via the hinge unit  230  in clock-wise or counter-clock-wise directions. Thus the storage space in between the segment can be adjusted. 
         [0041]    For example, if an item having a small size is to be stored in the cool pack  200 , the user can rotate the second segment  220  toward the first segment  210  until both segments are in contact with the item. For a large size item, the user rotates the second segment  220  away from the first segment  210  to adjust the space in between the segments so that the item can fit in. 
         [0042]    For an item having a curved surface, the second segment  220  can be rotated relative to the first segment  210  to a position such that both segments make contact with the item. Further, its sub-segments can be rotated relative to each other to further enlarge the contact surface area with the item&#39;s curved surface. 
         [0043]    Thus a stored item can be contained by the foldable cool pack even if the item has a curved or other shape, which advantageously enhances the heat transfer efficiency and uniformity between the item and the cool pack. 
         [0044]    With the configuration that the second segment  220  includes foldable sub-segments, a stored item may be effectively isolated from the ambient air as well as other items present in the storage room. 
         [0045]    Further, the depressed region  212  of the first segment  210  can effectively restrict or prevent unwanted motion (e.g., sliding and rolling) of an item disposed therein. This is especially useful for storing items having a curved shaped (e.g., beverage bottle) and maintaining a low temperature of the item. 
         [0046]    It will be appreciated that a foldable cool pack according to the present disclosure may include various other components or functions that are well known in the art. 
         [0047]      FIG. 3  illustrates different designs of a second segment of an exemplary foldable cool pack which includes a clip unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the foldable cool pack  200  includes a clip unit  240  disposed on a surface of the second segment  220 . The clip unit  240  may be disposed on an outer surface of the foldable cool pack  200  so that it is visible to users, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. 
         [0049]    The clip unit  240  can be used to hold a memo paper or other external object, for instance which can bear any written information related to an item stored therein. The clip unit  240  includes a fixed end coupled to the surface of the second segment  220 , and an open end which can be temporarily lifted up by a user and to hold an external object (e.g., a memo paper or a like) against the second segment  220  when it is released. 
         [0050]    Here, the clip unit  240  may be disposed on one side of the second segment  220  and away from the hinge unit  230 , and as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A to 3C . The open end may point to an upper side ( FIG. 3A ), a lateral side ( FIG. 3B ), or a lower side ( FIG. 3C ) of the second segment  220 . 
         [0051]    In other embodiments, the clip unit  240  may be disposed on the other surface of the second segment  220  and to face the first segment  210 . Further, two or more clip units  240  may be disposed, or the clip unit  240  may be coupled to the foldable cool pack permanently or detachably. 
         [0052]    Hereinafter, an exemplary refrigerator  100  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
         [0053]    The refrigerator  100  includes an aforementioned foldable cool pack  200  that can be placed in a storage chamber  120  or on a shelf  110  of the refrigerator  100 . 
         [0054]    The storage chamber  120  has a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber which are maintained at different temperature ranges. 
         [0055]    The shelf  110  is detachably coupled to the walls of the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber. The shelf  110  may can be used to support items stored in the refrigerator  100 , such as food items. 
         [0056]    The foldable cool pack  200  is positioned on the shelf  110  in the storage chamber  120 . 
         [0057]    More specifically, the first segment  210  of the foldable cool pack  200  lies on the shelf  110 , and the second segment  220  may be positioned adjacent to, or against, a wall of the storage chamber  120 . 
         [0058]    Therefore, a user can conveniently place one or more items in the foldable cool pack  200  for storage. 
         [0059]    That is, even though multiple food items are stacked on the shelf  110  in the refrigerator  100 , the items can be advantageously and effectively separated and stored in the foldable cool pack  200 . The temperature of the various food items may be effectively maintained regardless of the various shapes of the items. 
         [0060]    According to the present disclosure, the foldable cool pack  200  can be configured to surround a stored item in an increased area, thereby effectively maintaining the temperature of the item. 
         [0061]    The foldable cool pack  200  may effectively separate and accommodate the items that are accommodated or stored in the storage chamber  120 . 
         [0062]    An exemplary method of using the foldable cool pack  200  will be described below. 
         [0063]    First, the first segment  210  of the foldable cool pack  200  is disposed on the shelf  110  in the storage chamber  120  of the refrigerator  100 . 
         [0064]    A user places one or more items on the first segment  210 . The second segment  220  is folded after the user rotates the sub-segments on the second segment  220  to approximately conform to the shape of the stored item. As such, the foldable cool pack can surround the item disposed on the first segment  210 , and the items are stored in the refrigerator. 
         [0065]    Here, the depressed region  212  is concave-shaped and formed on a surface of the first segment  210 . An item may be disposed on the depressed region  212  of the first segment  210 . 
         [0066]    The second foldable portion  220  may further include the clip unit  240  that is disposed on one surface. The clip unit  240  can be used to attach a memo paper or the like to the cool pack. 
         [0067]    Reference has been made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the disclosure is described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings showing embodiments of the disclosure are semi-diagrammatic and not to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for the clarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the drawing Figures. Similarly, although the views in the drawings for the ease of description generally show similar orientations, this depiction in the Figures is arbitrary for the most part. Generally, the disclosure can be operated in any orientation. 
         [0068]    It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present disclosure, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “accessing” or “executing” or “storing” or “rendering” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories and other computer readable media into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or client devices. When a component appears in several embodiments, the use of the same reference numeral signifies that the component is the same component as illustrated in the original embodiment. Although certain preferred embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is intended that the disclosure shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law.