COLD AND HOT PACK CAPABLE OF BEING PLASTICIZED

Abstract

A cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized comprises: a bag member made of an impermeable soft sealing material; plural particle-like supporters disposed in the bag member, each of the particle-like supporters is formed with at least a pore; and a fluid filled and accommodated in the pores of the particle-like supporters, and a negative pressure status is formed inside bag member, thereby enabling the particle-like supporters and the fluid to be pressed and secured by the atmospheric pressure so as to prevent sag. The present invention is able to be applied in various fields such as a cold and hot pack, a sitting pad, a water bed, an anti-bedsore mattress and a temperature keeping pack, and provides better functions and quality comparing to prior art.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cold and hot pack, especially to a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized.

2. Description of Related Art

A cold and hot pack is commonly used in our daily lives, such as being used in a mattress, a cushion, a pillow or an eye cover.

The conventional cold and hot pack can be categorized in two types, the first type is to have a bag member being filled with a fluid, and the second type is to have a bag member being filled with a fluid and installed with an inner lining thereby allowing a negative pressure status to be formed inside the bag member. Basically, the first type of the cold and hot pack is to have a fluid being filled in the cold and hot pack, and a thickening agent is added or the bag member is further divided into several independent partitioned members thereby capable of improving a disadvantage of the fluid sag due to being attracted by the gravity. The second type of the cold and hot pack is to form a negative pressure status inside the bag member, and the fluid is forced to be remained in pores formed in the inner lining due to being pressed by the atmospheric pressure, thereby capable of improving the disadvantage of the fluid sag due to being attracted by the gravity.

Because water is a material which is low in cost, environmental friendly and easy to be obtained, more importantly the specific heat of water is high, so water becomes one of the most favorable cooling or heating agent; because water is formed as a liquid-state fluid, the water itself does not have any specific shape and would generate sag due to being attracted by the gravity. Thus, when the first type of the cold and hot pack is used as a sitting or bedding pad, a shortage of causing unstable motion such as floating is generated. In fact, for being applied as a cold and hot pack, the fluid is unable to be remained at the desired location thereby providing poor performance. In addition, when being applied for cold compressing, the bag member would be expanded and unable to be matched with the shape of human body. On the other hand, if a sponge is adopted as the inner lining for the second type of the cold and hot pack, the sponge can only provide a small supporting force when the bag member is being pressed, so the volume of the sponge is compressed and shrunk, and the fluid is discharged from the sponge thereby losing the negative pressure status and causing the fluid sag. For improving the above-mentioned disadvantages, skilled people in the art have utilized a spacer fabric inner lining for replacing the sponge, but the spacer fabric inner lining still has following disadvantages:

• • 1. The spacer fabric inner lining is expensive, thereby unable to be applied in every cold and hot pack.
  • 2. The fabrication of the spacer fabric inner lining is not easy, and the general thickness is about 1 cm, so the space inside the bag member allowing the negative pressure to be generated is limited thereby unable to be filled with sufficient amount of fluid.
  • 3. When the spacer fabric inner lining is tailored, the fallen filaments are hard to be completely removed, so the process of filling fluid may be affected, if the filaments are adhered at the location where the sealing is taken place, the bag member is unable to be completely sealed.
  • 4. The spacer fabric inner lining is formed as a sheet-like member, the user cannot move or adjust the thickness according to his/her actual needs for allowing the cold and hot pack to be fully matched with the human body shape thereby unable to provide the excellent cold and hot compressing effect.
  • 5. The manufacturing of the cold and hot pack having the spacer fabric inner lining is difficult, because the air remained in the interior is hard to be discharged, the negative pressure status is difficult to be achieved.

Take the Taiwan Patents NO. M585054 and NO. 1293601 (corresponding to the U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,781) granted to the applicant of the present invention for example, a sheet-like spacer fabric is disposed inside a bag member, so a negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member, the atmospheric pressure can be utilized for pressing the fluid accommodated in gaps formed inside the spacer fabric thereby preventing sag; because the thickness of spacer fabric is less than 1 cm, the production cost is high, and the thickness at different portion of the bag member cannot be respectively adjusted for being matched with the human body shape and providing a more efficient cold and hot compressing effect.

Take the Taiwan Patent NO. M304954 (corresponding to the China Patent Application NO. ZL 200520119277.2) granted and applied by the applicant of the present invention for example, a block-like sponge is disposed in a bag member, and a substantial negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member, so the atmospheric pressure can be utilized for forcing the fluid to be remained in gaps formed in the block-like sponge, thereby preventing the fluid from generating sag; the sponge has advantages of lower cost and adjustable thickness comparing to the spacer fabric, but the supporting force thereof is not as good as the spacer fabric, when supporting force provided by the sponge is reduced while the bag member is pressed, and the fluid is able to flow out from the sponge, so the bag member is expanded and the negative pressure status is lost, the fluid would also flow and generate sag, and the thickness at different portion of the bag member cannot be respectively adjusted for being matched with the human body shape so as to provide a more efficient cold and hot compressing effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, in which the interior of a bag member is disposed with particle-like supporters formed with pores and served as supporting members, so a user can freely squeeze the bag member for pushing and displacing the particle-like supporters, meanwhile the particle-like supporters and a fluid accommodated in the pores are able to be moved at the same time, thereby enabling the shape of the cold and hot pack to be adjusted so as to be matched with the human body shape.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, in which particle-like supporters and a fluid accommodated in pores thereof being in a negative pressure status are forced and secured through being pressed by the atmospheric pressure thereby preventing sag.

For achieving aforesaid objectives, one technical solution of the present invention is to provide a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, which comprises: a bag member made of an impermeable soft sealing material; plural particle-like supporters, disposed in the bag member, each of the particle-like supporters is formed with at least a pore; and a fluid, filled and accommodated in the pores of the particle-like supporters, and a negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member, thereby enabling the particle-like supporters and the fluid to be pressed and secured by the atmospheric pressure so as to prevent sag.

One another objective of the present invention is to provide a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, in which a bag member is formed with at least an opening allowing a user to fill in a fluid and easily control the volume of the fluid, thereby enabling the cold and hot pack to be in a negative pressure status and providing advantages such as easy to be stored and carried around, and the weight is able to be greatly reduced during transportation.

Still one another objective of the present invention is to provide a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, in which a bag member is formed with at least an opening allowing a user to fill in a fluid and an anti-freezing agent such as salt or glycerol, and the bag member is able easily to be controlled in a negative pressure status, thereby enabling particle-like supporters and the fluid accommodated in pores of the particle-like supporters being forced and secured through being pressed by the atmospheric pressure so as to prevent sag, thus the bag member is able to be kept in a flexible status under the freezing point for providing an excellent cold compressing effect.

For achieving aforesaid objectives, another technical solution of the present invention is to provide a cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, which comprises: a bag member made of an impermeable soft material and formed with at least an opening; plural particle-like supporters, disposed in the bag member, each of the particle-like supporters is formed with at least a pore; and a fluid, filled in from the opening and accommodated in the pores of the particle-like supporters, the amount of the fluid is able to be adjusted to be slightly less than the total volume defined by the particle-like supporters being mutually stacked, so excessive fluid is able to be discharged from the opening then the opening is closed, and a negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member, thereby enabling the particle-like supporters and the fluid to be pressed and secured by the atmospheric pressure so as to prevent sag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the cold and hot pack according to the present invention;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view illustrating the particle-like supporter being formed with pores according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2b is a perspective view illustrating the particle-like supporter being formed with pores according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the particle-like supporters and the liquid in the bag member being moved toward the central portion of the cold and hot pack according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the cold and hot pack being adjusted for being matched with the heel of the human body according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the cold and hot pack according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the cold and hot pack shown in FIG. 5 being filled with liquid according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7a is a schematic view illustrating the cold and hot pack shown in FIG. 5 being filled with the liquid and the excessive liquid being discharged thereby allowing a negative pressure status to be formed in the bag member according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7b is another schematic view illustrating the cold and hot pack shown in FIG. 5 being filled with the liquid and the excessive liquid being discharged thereby allowing a negative pressure status to be formed in the bag member according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the liquid control valve being connected with the opening of the bag member according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring from FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the cold and hot pack provided by the present invention comprises a bag member 1, plural particle-like supporters 2 and a fluid 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bag member 1 is made of an impermeable soft material, e.g. but not limited to a high polymer selected from polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polyurethane (PU), PE/Nylon, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS) and silicon, and a surface of the above-mentioned high polymer can be provided with a fabric thereby allowing the bag member 1 to be formed with a prettified outlook and higher quality.

Wherein, the dimension of the bag member 1 is greater than the total volume defined by the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3, thereby allowing the supporters 2 and the fluid 3 to be accommodated in an inner space formed inside the bag member 1. As shown in FIG. 1, after the plural particle-like supporters 2 and a certain amount of the fluid 3 are accommodated in the bag member 1, a negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member 1, at this moment the bag member 1 is pressed by the external atmospheric pressure, and the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3 saturated in pores 21 formed in the supporters 2 are restrained in a certain area inside the bag member 1, thereby preventing the fluid 3 from generating sag due to being attracted by the gravity.

Because a reserved space 11 is formed in the bag member 1, and the reserved space 11 is able to accommodate a small amount of the fluid 3 discharged from the pores 21 of the particle-like supporters 2, thereby allowing the bag member 1 to be maintained in a soft and flexible status when being used, and enabling the bag member 1 to be sufficiently matched with the body shape, thus an excellent cold and hot compressing effect is provided.

The plural particle-like supporters 2 are made of a high polymer such as polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyamide (PA), or the high polymer can be mixed with a material having far infrared radiating property such as zirconia, germanium or bamboo carbon. Each of the particle-like supporters 2 is formed with at least a pore 21; as shown in FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b, the supporter 2 is e.g. but not limited to be formed in a tubular or hollow spherical shape, because the particle-like supporter 2 is provided with a certain hardness, e.g. being higher than 60 A of the Shore Scleroscope; when the supporter 2 is pressed by an external force, the supporter 2 itself is provided a sufficient support force and elasticity, so the amount of the fluid 3 discharged from the pores 21 of the particle-like supporters 2 is very little thereby being able to be matched with the reserved space 11 of the bag member 1, thus the cold and hot pack can be maintained in a soft and flexible status when being used, and can be sufficiently matched with the body shape, an excellent cold and hot compressing effect is therefore provided.

The fluid 3 is e.g. but not limited to water, for avoiding from being frozen or hardened, a proper amount of anti-freezing agent such as salt or glycerol can be added. Meanwhile, the fluid 3 is mainly accommodated in the pores 21 of each of the particle-like supporters 2, and a small amount of the fluid 3 is accommodated in gaps formed through the particle-like supporters 2 being stacked with each other. In addition, the interior of the bag member 1 can be provided with a proper amount of thickening agent or polymer water-absorbing agent for making the flowing motion of the fluid 3 to be kept in a minimum status, thereby reducing the heat exchange rate between the fluid 3 and the exterior, thus the heating or cooling compress treatment provided by the cold and hot pack can be prolonged. Wherein, the thickening agent is preferably to be carboxy methyl cellulose, and the high polymer water-absorbing agent is preferably to be sodium polyacrylate.

When the cold and hot pack of the present invention is manufactured, a fill opening of the bag member 1 allows the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3 to be filled into the bag member 1, and the fluid 3 can be used for forcing the air inside the bag member 1 to be discharged then excessive amount of the fluid 3 can also be discharged, after a proper negative pressure status is formed inside the cold and hot pack, the fill opening is sealed. Through controlling the discharged amount of the fluid 3, various negative pressure statuses can be easily obtained, thereby satisfying the individual need of different products; for example, the more fluid 3 is discharged, the higher negative pressure status is obtained, so the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3 are less likely to move and the bag member 1 becomes less soft.

As shown in FIG. 3, when a user uses two hands to respectively press two sides of the bag member 1, the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3 accommodated in the pores 21 are moved towards the center, thereby allowing the bag member 1 to be formed in a plasticized status with the central portion being protruded.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cold and hot pack is used for enclosing the heel of a human body, and the particle-like supporters 2 inside the bag member 1 are pressed for pushing and moving the particle-like supporters 2, so the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3 accommodated in the pores 21 are moved at the same time, thereby allowing the shape of the cold and hot pack to be adjusted for being matched with the heel, thus an excellent cold and hot compressing effect is provided.

Referring to FIG. 5, which is a perspective view illustrating the cold and hot pack according to the second embodiment of the present invention; as shown in FIG. 5, the bag member 1 is formed with at least an opening 12, the opening 12 includes a fluid control valve 4 made by a high polymer being processed with injection molding, the fluid control valve 4 can be used for controlling the fluid 3 to be filled or discharged. The fluid control valve 4 is formed with a fasten unit 41 combined with the opening 12, the interior of the fasten unit 41 is formed with a grid net 411 for preventing the particle-like supporters 2 from falling out of the bag member 1 from the opening 12, the exterior thereof is formed with a connection part 412, e.g. but not limited to a thread portion, so as to be connected to a sealing valve 42, the sealing valve 42 is formed with a valve cover 421 capable of sliding, when the valve cover 421 is pulled out, the sealing valve 42 is enabled to be opened; when the valve cover 421 is pushed back, the sealing valve 42 is enabled to be closed.

Referring to FIG. 6, which is a schematic view illustrating the cold and hot pack being filled with fluid according to the second embodiment of the present invention; as shown in FIG. 6, when the fluid 3 is desired to be filled in the bag member 1, the sealing valve 42 is removed from the bag member 1 for allowing the fluid 3 to be filled, after the fluid 3 is fully filled and flows out from the opening 12, then the sealing valve 42 is reinstalled for being connected to the connection part 412 formed on the fasten unit 41 of the opening 12 thereby preventing the fluid 3 from flowing out from the fluid control valve 4.

Referring to FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b, which are schematic views illustrating the cold and hot pack being filled with the liquid and the excessive liquid being discharged thereby allowing a negative pressure status to be formed in the bag member according to the second embodiment of the present invention; as shown in figures, the opening 12 of the bag member 1 filled with the fluid 3 is oriented to face downwardly, and the valve cover 421 of the sealing valve 42 is pulled to be opened, so the fluid 3 is downwardly discharged due to the gravity and the atmospheric pressure until the atmospheric pressure is no longer able to compress the volume of the particle-like supporters 2, thus the fluid 3 stops being discharged; then the sealing valve 42 is tightened and locked and the valve cover 421 is pushed back for enabling the sealing valve 42 to be in a closed status.

At this moment, a negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member 1; of course the user can further press and squeeze the particle-like supporters 2 for enabling the fluid 3 to continuously flow out from the opening 12, so a higher negative pressure status is formed inside the bag member 1. At this moment, the particle-like supporters 2 and the fluid 3 are all pressed by the atmospheric pressure thereby sag being prevented, so the particle-like supporters 2 are able to be squeezed and displaced for shaping the bag member 1 to a desired shape.

Referring to FIG. 8, which is a perspective view illustrating the liquid control valve being connected with the opening of the bag member according to the second embodiment of the present invention; as shown in FIG. 8, the fluid control valve is a clipper 43, the fluid 3 is able to be filled after the clipper 43 is removed from the opening 12 of the bag member 1, when the fluid 3 is fully filled and flows out from the opening 12, the above-mentioned step of orienting the opening 12 of the bag member 1 filled with the fluid 3 to face downwardly can be processed, so the fluid 3 is discharged downwardly due to the gravity and the atmospheric pressure until the atmospheric pressure is no longer able to compress the volume of the particle-like supporters 2, so the fluid 3 stops being discharged; then the opening 12 is folded, and the clipper 43 is clipped on the folded opening 12 thereby preventing the fluid 3 from leaking.

What shall be addressed is that the outlook of the bag member 1 is not limited to what has been disclosed above, the bag member 1 can be formed in a doll-like shape or be disposed in the a stuffed cushion so as to provide a more friendly interface. In addition, minerals having far infrared radiating property can also be mixed with the particle-like supporters 2 or the fluid 3, so when the bag member 1 is heated, thermal energy can be converted into sufficient amount of far infrared for providing an upmost hot compressing effect. Moreover, because the bag member 1 is in a negative pressure status, most of the fluid 3 is accommodated in the pores 21 of the particle-like supporters 2, and the pores 21 can be used for blocking the convection of the fluid 3, thereby reducing the heat exchange between the cold and hot pack and the exterior so as to prolong the time period for maintaining the cold and hot pack in a proper working temperature.

Based on what has been disclosed above, advantages achieved by the present invention are: the cold and hot pack of the present invention takes advantage of the atmospheric pressure and recompose the corresponding relations between components thereby providing several novel functions for overcoming the disadvantages of prior art such as unstable supporting, high contact pressure, poor edge sealing and fluid sag; the fluid of the present invention is completely distributed along with the particle-like supporters formed with the pores, so the bag member can be plasticized through pushing and squeezing the particle-like supporters inside the bag member thereby being completely matched with the shape of any human body part so as to provide the excellent cold and hot compressing effect; moreover, the fluid is saturated in the pores of the particle-like supporters, so the particle-like supporters can be used for blocking the convection of the fluid, thereby reducing the energy transferred by the fluid and prolonging the time period for maintaining the cold and hot pack in a proper working temperature.

Moreover, the present invention is provided with advantages of stable supporting capability, preventing sag and maintaining the maximum amount of fluid, and the present invention can be applied as an anti-bedsore mattress, a cold and hot pack, a temperature keeping pack, a waterbed and a mouse pad, also can be applied as a mattress which provides a comfortable cooling effect in summer time thereby capable of being used for replacing an air conditioner so as to save electric energy and facilitate indoor ventilation; thus the cold and hot pack provided by the present invention is novel and more practical in use comparing to prior art.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific examples of the embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. A cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, comprising:

a bag member made of an impermeable soft sealing material;

plural particle-like supporters, disposed in said bag member, each of said particle-like supporters being formed with at least a pore; and

a fluid, filled and accommodated in said pores of said particle-like supporters, and a negative pressure status being formed inside said bag member, thereby enabling said particle-like supporters and said fluid to be pressed and secured by the atmospheric pressure so as to prevent sag.

2. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pore of said particle-like supporter is formed in a tubular or hollow spherical shape.

3. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said particle-like supporter is made of a high polymer.

4. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said particle-like supporter is made of a high polymer mixed with a material having far infrared radiating property and selected from zirconia, germanium and bamboo carbon.

5. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 3, wherein said high polymer is selected from polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA, Nylon).

6. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein said high polymer is selected from polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA, Nylon).

7. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bag member is made of a high polymer selected from polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polyurethane (PU), PE/Nylon, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS) and silicon.

8. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 7, wherein a surface of said bag member is provided with a fabric.

9. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fluid is selected from water, a solution mixed with water and an anti-freezing agent, a solution mixed with water, said anti-freezing agent and a thickening agent or a solution mixed with water, said anti-freezing agent and a polymer water-absorbing agent.

10. A cold and hot pack capable of being plasticized, comprising:

a bag member made of an impermeable soft material and formed with at least an opening;

plural particle-like supporters, disposed in said bag member, each of said particle-like supporters being formed with at least a pore; and

a fluid, filled in from said opening and accommodated in said pores of said particle-like supporters, the amount of said fluid being able to be adjusted to be slightly less than the total volume defined by said particle-like supporters being mutually stacked, so the excessive amount of said fluid being able to be discharged from the opening then said opening being closed, and a negative pressure status being formed inside said bag member, thereby enabling said particle-like supporters and said fluid to be pressed and secured by the atmospheric pressure so as to prevent sag.

11. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein said opening includes a fluid control valve made by a high polymer being processed with injection molding, and said fluid control valve is used for controlling said fluid to be filled or discharged.

12. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 11, wherein said fluid control valve further includes: a fasten unit combined with said opening, the interior of said fasten unit is formed with a grid net for preventing said particle-like supporters from falling out from said opening, the exterior of said fasten unit is further formed with a connection part; and a sealing valve, connected with said connection part and formed with a valve cover capable of sliding for controlling said sealing valve to be opened or closed.

13. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 11, wherein said liquid control valve is a clipper, said clipper is able to be removed from said opening of said bag member or used for clipping said folded opening thereby controlling said fluid to be filled or discharged.

14. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein said pore of said particle-like supporter is formed in a tubular or hollow spherical shape.

15. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein said particle-like supporter is made of a high polymer.

16. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein said particle-like supporter is made of a high polymer mixed with a material having far infrared radiating property such as zirconia, germanium and bamboo carbon.

17. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 15, wherein said high polymer is selected from polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA, Nylon).

18. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 16, wherein said high polymer is selected from polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA, Nylon).

19. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein said bag member is made of a high polymer selected from polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polyurethane (PU), PE/Nylon, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS) and silicon.

20. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 19, wherein a surface of said bag member is provided with a fabric.

21. The cold and hot pack as claimed in claim 12 wherein said fluid is selected from water, a solution mixed with water and an anti-freezing agent, a solution mixed with water, said anti-freezing agent and a thickening agent or a solution mixed with water, said anti-freezing agent and a polymer water-absorbing agent.