U.S. patent application number 12/807786 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-15 for regeneratable dehumidifying bag having doubly-protected humidity indicator.
Invention is credited to Tsang-Hung Hsu.
Application Number | 20120061261 12/807786 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45805610 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120061261 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hsu; Tsang-Hung |
March 15, 2012 |
Regeneratable dehumidifying bag having doubly-protected humidity
indicator
Abstract
A dehumidifying bag includes a water-vapor permeable pouch 1, a
desiccant material 2 filled in the pouch 1 for absorbing moisture
through the pouch for dehumidifying a surrounding wherein the pouch
1 is placed, and a doubly-protected humidity indicator 3 printed on
an outer surface of the pouch 1 for reminding an user for replacing
or regenerating the desiccant material 2 when saturated by
moisture.
Inventors: |
Hsu; Tsang-Hung; (Chia Li,
TW) |
Family ID: |
45805610 |
Appl. No.: |
12/807786 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/204 ;
206/459.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 3/1411 20130101;
B01D 2253/106 20130101; B01D 2255/20746 20130101; G01N 31/222
20130101; B01D 53/261 20130101; B01D 2253/112 20130101; B01D
2255/20761 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/204 ;
206/459.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/26 20060101
B65D081/26; B65D 85/00 20060101 B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A regeneratable dehumidifying bag comprising: a water-vapor
permeable pouch; a desiccant material selected from water-vapor
absorbing materials and filled in the pouch, and a doubly-protected
humidity indicator printed or coated on an outer surface of said
pouch, and capillarily communicated with the desiccant material in
the pouch; the improvement which comprises: said doubly-protected
humidity indicator comprising: a color-changeable pattern printed
or coated on the outer surface of the pouch; and an air or vapor
permeable transparent protective layer coated or covered on an
outer surface of the color-changeable pattern, whereby upon
saturation of water vapor as absorbed by the desiccant material in
the pouch, the color-changeable pattern of the humidity indicator
changes the color for reminding an user for replacing or
regenerating the desiccant material in the pouch.
2. A bag according to claim 1, wherein said color-changeable
pattern is presented by printing or coating a printing ink on the
pouch, said printing ink including: a plurality of silica gel
granules, each said granule having cobalt chloride or copper
sulfate inwardly bound in a plurality of capillaries formed in each
said granule, and having said cobalt chloride or copper sulfate
outwardly locked by an air or vapor permeable resin binder; with
the silica gel granules dispersed in the resin binder to form the
printing ink to be adhered on the outer surface of the pouch.
3. A bag according to claim 2, wherein said printing ink of the
color-changeable pattern is prepared by the following process
steps: A. Binding cobalt chloride or copper sulfate into a
plurality of capillaries formed in each said silica gel granule by
mixing an aqueous solution of cobalt chloride or copper sulfate
with the silica gel granules to be a paste; and B. Adding an air or
vapor permeable water-based acrylic resin binder, together with a
surfactant into the paste by well agitation to form the printing
ink of the color-changeable pattern.
4. A bag according to claim 1, wherein said air or vapor permeable
transparent protective layer is made of air or vapor permeable
transparent acrylic resin.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] European patent application No. 08250385.5, also invented by
the present inventor, disclosed a regenerative dehumidifying bag
having a humidity indicator printed on an outer surface of the
pouch, whereby upon saturation of water vapor as absorbed by the
desiccant material in the pouch, a color-changeable marking of the
humidity indicator changes the color for reminding the user for
replacing or regenerating the desiccant material in the pouch.
[0002] However, such a prior art has the following drawbacks:
[0003] 1.When heating or regenerating the pouch after being
saturated with moisture, the water vapor as vaporized may penetrate
the color-changeable marking of the humidity indicator to moisten,
dissolve and remove the cobalt chloride, to thereby fade the
marking color of the humidity indicator gradually.
[0004] 2. The user, when touching the marking of the humidity
indicator, may wet the cobalt chloride by his or her sweat to
dissolve and remove the cobalt chloride, thereby losing its
color-changing effect of the humidity indicator.
[0005] 3. The cobalt chloride as laden in the water vapor when
heated or wetted as aforementioned may transfer to the surrounding
objects or articles to cause their contamination.
[0006] 4.Since cobalt chloride has been considered as a carcinogen,
the color-changeable marking of the prior art may influence, more
or less, the human's health as lacking of outer protective layer on
the marking of the humidity indicator. The present inventor has
found the drawbacks of the prior art and invented the present
dehumidifying bag having a protective layer provided thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a
dehumidifying bag including a water-vapor permeable pouch 1, a
desiccant material 2 filled in the pouch 1 for absorbing moisture
through the pouch for dehumidifying a surrounding wherein the pouch
1 is placed, and a doubly-protected humidity indicator 3 printed on
an outer surface of the pouch 1 for reminding an user for replacing
or regenerating the desiccant material 2 when saturated by
moisture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 shows a perspective drawing of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a partial sectional drawing of the dehumidifying
bag of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the cobalt chloride as
inwardly bound in the capillary of silica gel granule and outwardly
locked by an acrylic resin in accordance with the present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the present invention
as enlarged from FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] As shown in the drawing figures, the present invention
comprises: a water-vapor permeable pouch or bag 1, a desiccant
material 2 selected from silica gel or other water-vapor absorbing
materials filled in the pouch 1, and a doubly-protected humidity
indicator 3 printed or coated on an outer surface of the pouch 1
and capillarily communicated with the desiccant material 2 in the
pouch 1.
[0013] The pouch 1 in made of water-vapor permeable materials for
capillarily passing water vapor and air through a thickness of the
pouch. The materials such as high density fibrous member, knitted
sheet, woven or non-woven cloth having porosity or capillary pores
formed therethrough are preferable. The pouch 1 may be well closed
for sealably storing the desiccant material 2 therein without
leakage.
[0014] The doubly-protected humidity indicator 3 of the present
invention comprises: a color-changeable pattern 31 printed or
coated on an outer surface of the pouch 1; and an air or vapor
permeable transparent protective layer 32 coated or covered on an
outer surface of the color-changeable pattern 31, whereby upon
saturation of water vapor as absorbed by the desiccant material 2
in the pouch 1, the color-changeable pattern 31 of the humidity
indicator 3 changes the color for reminding an user for replacing
or regenerating the desiccant material in the pouch 1.
[0015] The color-changeable pattern 31 is presented by a printing
ink which includes: a plurality of silica gel granules 311, each
granule 311 having cobalt chloride or copper sulfate 313 inwardly
bound in a plurality of capillaries 312 formed in each granule 311,
and outwardly locked by an air or vapor permeable resin binder 314;
with the silica gel granules 311 dispersed in the resin binder 314
to form the printing ink to be adhered on the outer surface of the
pouch 1.
[0016] The printing ink of the color-changeable pattern 31 is
prepared by the following process steps: [0017] A. Binding cobalt
chloride or copper sulfate 313 into a plurality of capillaries 312
formed in each silica gel granule 311 by mixing aqueous solution of
cobalt chloride or copper sulfate with the silica gel granules to
be a paste; [0018] B. Adding an air or vapor permeable resin binder
314, preferably an acrylic resin, together with a surfactant into
the paste by well agitation to form the printing ink of the
color-changeable pattern 31.
[0019] The air or vapor permeable transparent protective layer 32
is made of air or vapor permeable transparent resin, preferable
transparent acrylic resin, which may be coated or printed on the
outer surface of the color-changeable pattern 31.
[0020] The transparent protective layer 32 has a plurality of
micropores formed therethrough to be air or vapor permeable to
allow the removal of the vapor as vaporized when heating and
regenerating the bag of the present invention. Since the vapor as
vaporized may pass through the micropores in the protective layer
32, it may help a smooth regeneration of the saturated desiccant
material 2 in the bag.
[0021] However, when an user's finger touches the humidity
indicator 3, the protective layer 32 will prevent a direct contact
of the user's finger with the cobalt chloride (which may be
poisonous) as locked in the inner layer of pattern 31, thereby
protecting human health.
[0022] When the bag of the present invention is placed in an
interior of a cabinet or in a room to allow the desiccant material
2 for absorbing moisture from its surrounding, and upon saturation
of moisture absorbed by the desiccant material 2 in the pouch 1,
the cobalt chloride will change its color from a blue color to a
pink color which may be clearly observed through the transparent
layer 32, indicating that the desiccant material 2 should be
regenerated. Since the acrylic resin 314 is hydrophilic, the
moisture may pass through the pouch 1 and penetrate into the
capillaries 312 to contact the cobalt chloride (or copper sulfate)
313 "locked" in the silica gel 311 for humidity indication.
[0023] If the cobalt chloride is substituted with copper sulfate,
and upon saturation of moisture, it will change color from white to
azure blue.
[0024] The features of the pattern 31 of the humidity indicator 3
are not limited to be that as shown in the present invention.
[0025] The humidity indicator 3 may be formed as an art figure, a
decorative features, an advertising presentation, and any other
descriptive features, not limited in the present invention.
[0026] After saturation of the desiccant material in the pouch 1,
it may be placed in a micro-oven, a heater, or exposed under solar
radiation for regeneration of the desiccant material by vaporizing
and removing the moisture as absorbed in the desiccant
material.
[0027] Reversibly, when the color has been changed back to its
original color, it indicates that the regeneration of the desiccant
material has been completed.
[0028] The resin as used in the present invention is preferably
selected from hydrophilic or water-based acrylic resin.
[0029] The present invention, especially the doubly-protected
humidity indicator 3, may have the following advantages to be
superior to the prior art:
[0030] 1.The cobalt chloride or copper sulfate has been inwardly
bound into the capillaries in the silica gel granules, and is
further outwardly "locked" by the acrylic resin, like the
encapsulation of the silica gel granules by the acrylic resin, so
that the cobalt chloride or copper sulfate will not be easily
removed by outside moisture or vapor to be stably printed on the
pouch, thereby preventing easy decolorization of the pattern 31 and
prolonging the life of the printing ink of the humidity
indicator.
[0031] 2.The protective layer 32 will prevent a direct contact with
the poisonous cobalt chloride by the user's hand, thereby
protecting his or her health and also enhancing environmental
protection.
[0032] 3. When heating for regenerating the desiccant material, the
vapor as vaporized may be easily emitted through the air or vapor
permeable protective layer 32 to thereby facilitate the
regeneration process.
[0033] 4.The outer transparent layer, made of acrylic resin, may
form a glossy layer, thereby enriching the decorative effect of the
dehumidifying bag of the present invention.
[0034] The present invention provides a humidity indicator, having
an inner protected layer of cobalt chloride (or copper sulfate) as
"interlocked" among silica gel and resin binder; and having an
outer protected resin layer for protecting the user and the
environment, thereby designated as "doubly-protected humidity
indicator".
[0035] The present invention may be modified without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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