#252 | What does a bento ice pack absorb? | What are people doing during that movement? [02_Observation_120]

Today's theme is

"Bento ice packs"

[Assumed Scenario]

During summer vacation, there is no school lunch, so I make bento boxes.
I make them in the morning, and they are eaten at lunch.
I add an ice pack so they don't spoil.

Once, I included an ice pack that came with takeout
in my child's bento box,
the pack tore and the contents leaked,
and the inside of the bento box and the cooler bag
became sticky.

If you pack it without letting it cool down enough,
heat gets trapped inside the bento box.
On the other hand, if the ice pack is too close,
some of the rice or side dishes
can get too cold and become hard.

Even if it is difficult to change the performance of the ice pack itself,
can I devise a way to manage how heat is transferred?

This time, I will look at the scene of putting a bento box into a cooler bag
and carrying it around.

[Changing the Perspective]

▪️General perspective:
Ice packs are for cooling food and other items.
They try to keep things cold for as long as possible.

▪️What I want to look at this time:
Ice packs are things that continuously receive heat
from food, containers, and the outside air.

Where do they receive heat from?
How fast do they receive it?
Which side faces the food?

I will think about whether the heat transfer can be regulated
by the placement, the contact area, and how it is wrapped.

[What are people doing during that movement?]

1. Estimating the necessary "coldness"
Deciding the size and number of ice packs
according to the time until eating and the amount of food.
Checking if they are frozen enough.

2. Placing it where it receives heat
Placing the ice pack near the food,
such as on top of or next to the bento box.

Deciding the orientation and the side that touches
while thinking about the effective position.

3. Reducing heat entering from the outside
Putting the ice pack and bento box into a cooler bag,
reducing the time exposed to outside air and the gaps.

Creating a state where it is difficult for heat to enter from the outside,
not just keeping the coldness inside.

[Existing ingenuity]

There are ways to block heat from the outside air with cooler bags or insulation sheets,
and ways to place the ice pack on top or store it in dedicated pockets or
dividers.

These are for placing the ice pack near the food
and maintaining its position while carrying it.

However, they do not finely regulate the distance from the food, the contact surface,
or even the speed at which heat is received.

[Support that would be helpful]

1. Being able to adjust the area that receives heat
Not just changing the size or number of ice packs,
but being able to adjust the area facing the food side.

Creating a state where it does not receive too much heat at once
and can continue to work until the necessary time,
according to the amount of bento and the time until eating.

2. The orientation for receiving heat is naturally determined
Blocking heat on the side closer to the outside air,
and allowing heat to be received on the side closer to the food.

It would be good to have a support where the ice pack
naturally settles in an orientation suitable for its role,
without having to think carefully about the front, back, or orientation every time you place it.

3. Maintaining the distance from the food
Preventing it from touching the food too directly,
which would cause only a part of it to get too cold,
while also preventing it from being too far away and making it difficult to receive heat.

Ensuring that the positional relationship with the food can be maintained until the end,
even if it shakes during transport
or the ice pack melts and becomes soft.

[💡Summary]

An ice pack added to keep things cold
until it is time to eat the bento.

I usually see it as "something to cool food," but
in reality, it is continuously receiving heat
from the food, the container, and the outside air.

Even if it is difficult to change the ice pack itself,
the way heat is transferred might be regulated
by the area, orientation, and distance facing the food.

This time, I looked not only at human movements
but also at the invisible "movement of heat."

Next time, I will think about forms that regulate the flow of heat
while changing the environment around the ice pack!


#Observation
#IcePack
#Bento
#SummerVacation
#CoolerBag
#Heat
#Living
#LifeWithChildren
#Tools
#DailyNecessities
#Design
#ProductDesign