Cold pack

• US 20050045498A1
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Fish, Jeffrey E., Purcell, Ricky W.
• Application Number:
  US10/648,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20050045498A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/026 with a fluid absorbing layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0276 with separate compartments connectable by rupturing a wall or membrane
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/106 self-cooling, e.g. using a chemical reaction

Abstract

A cold pack that includes an enclosure having a powdered solute and a liquid sealed inside the enclosure. The powdered solute and the liquid are segregated within the enclosure by a membrane. Rupturing the membrane mixes the liquid with the powdered solute to produce an endothermic solution within the enclosure. Substantially all of the powdered solute rapidly dissolves within the liquid such that the cold pack quickly reaches its cooling temperature. In another aspect, the cold pack includes an absorbent core within the enclosure. The absorbent core retains the endothermic solution such that the absorbent core spreads the endothermic solution throughout the enclosure. Spreading the endothermic solution throughout the enclosure produces a uniform cooling temperature throughout the cold pack.

Claims

1. A cold pack comprising:

an enclosure;

a powdered solute within said enclosure;

a liquid within said enclosure; and

a membrane segregating said liquid from said powdered solute, wherein rupturing said membrane mixes said liquid with said powdered solute to produce an endothermic solution within said enclosure.

2. The cold pack of claim 1 wherein said liquid is water.

3. The cold pack of claim 1 wherein said powdered solute is ammonium nitrate.

4. The cold pack of claim 1 wherein said membrane is polyethylene.

5. The cold pack of claim 1 wherein each piece of said powdered solute is substantially between 0.001 and 0.025 inches.

6. A cold pack comprising:

an enclosure;

an solute within said enclosure;

a liquid within said enclosure;

a membrane segregating said liquid from said solute, wherein rupturing said membrane mixes said liquid with said solute to produce an endothermic solution within said enclosure; and

an absorbent core within said enclosure, said absorbent core retaining said endothermic solution to spread said endothermic solution throughout said enclosure.

7. The cold pack of claim 6 wherein said solute is a powdered solute.

8. The cold pack of claim 6 wherein said absorbent core is an absorbent layer.

9. The cold pack of claim 6 wherein said membrane segregates the liquid from the absorbent core.

10. The cold pack of claim 9 wherein rupturing said membrane causes said endothermic solution to be retained by said absorbent core.

11. The cold pack of claim 6 wherein said membrane is polyethylene.

12. A cold pack comprising:

an enclosure;

a powdered solute within said enclosure;

a liquid within said enclosure;

a membrane segregating said liquid from said powdered solute, wherein rupturing said membrane mixes said liquid with said powdered solute to produce an endothermic solution within said enclosure; and

an absorbent core within said enclosure, said absorbent core retaining said endothermic solution to spread said endothermic solution throughout said enclosure.

13. The cold pack of claim 12 wherein said powdered solute is substantially between 0.001 and 0.025 inches.

14. The cold pack of claim 12 wherein said membrane segregates the liquid from the absorbent core.

15. The cold pack of claim 14 wherein rupturing said membrane causes said endothermic solution to be retained by said absorbent core.

16. The cold pack of claim 15 wherein substantially all of said powdered solute is dissolved in said liquid to form said endothermic solution before said endothermic solution is retained by said absorbent core.

17. A method of cooling a portion of a body, the method comprising:

segregating a powdered solute from a liquid, the powdered solute and the liquid both being inside of a cold pack;

mixing the powdered solute with the liquid to form an endothermic solution within the cold pack; and

applying the cold pack to the portion of the body.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein mixing the powdered solute and the liquid to form an endothermic solution includes rupturing a membrane that segregates the powdered solute from the liquid within the cold pack.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein mixing the powdered solute and the liquid to form an endothermic solution includes dissolving substantially all of the powdered solute within the liquid and then distributing the endothermic solution throughout the cold pack.

20. A method of cooling a portion of a body, the method comprising:

segregating an solute from a liquid, the solute and the liquid both being inside of a cold pack;

mixing the solute with the liquid to form an endothermic solution within the cold pack;

distributing the endothermic solution throughout the cold pack; and

applying the cold pack to the portion of the body.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein mixing the solute and the liquid to form an endothermic solution includes rupturing a membrane that segregates the solute from the liquid within the cold pack.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein mixing the solute and the liquid to form an endothermic solution includes mixing a powdered solute within the liquid to form an endothermic solution.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein distributing the endothermic solution throughout the cold pack includes retaining the endothermic solution within an absorbent core.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein retaining the endothermic solution within an absorbent core includes retaining the endothermic solution within an absorbent layer.

25. A method of cooling a portion of a body, the method comprising:

segregating a powdered solute from a liquid, the powdered solute and the liquid both being inside of a cold pack;

mixing the powdered solute with the liquid to form an endothermic solution within the cold pack;

distributing the endothermic solution throughout the cold pack; and

applying the cold pack to the portion of the body.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein mixing the powdered solute and the liquid to form an endothermic solution includes rupturing a membrane that segregates the powdered solute from the liquid within the cold pack.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein mixing the powdered solute and the liquid to form an endothermic solution includes dissolving substantially all of the powdered solute within the liquid and then distributing the endothermic solution throughout the cold pack.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein distributing the endothermic solution throughout the cold pack includes retaining the endothermic solution within an absorbent core.