Abstract: A heat insulating pad material, particularly for use in a battery shield, is made of a molded foam with a rough surface produced by in-mold expansion molding of expandable resin beads, a facing of a high-melting resin film, and an intermediate layer of a low-melting resin film. The foam and the facing are laminated together by melting the low-melting resin film in a manner that the rough surface is transparent through the facing. Upon lamination, heat may be applied onto the facing under pressure to emboss the rough surface of the molded foam, thus imparting a textured pattern. A heat insulating assembly for a battery comprises a battery case having outer surface walls and a pad of a one-piece pad member or pad members fayed and secured to the walls in a covering manner. The pad may be of the aforementioned pad material as well as molded foams produced by in-mold expansion molding or extrusion molding.

Abstract: A foam molded product of a synthetic resin having a continuous hardened surface layer formed uniformly on a part or the whole of its surface during its foam-in-place molding and having a desired thickness. A mold and a process which can make such a product without bringing about any substantial change in an ordinary foam-molding operation. A part of foamable resin particles which are fed into the mold for making the product are caused to contact a mold surface heated to or above the melting point of the particles and melt to form a molten resin layer, and the molten resin layer is hardened to form the hardened surface layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of precooling precooled materials such as fruits and vegetables under vacuum, and keeping it in a precooled state for a long time, and to a refrigerating container therefor. Precooling and keeping the precooled state for a long time have been regarded as impossible in the past, but these problems are resolved in this invention even for materials closely stored in the container. This container is formed with ventilating communication conduits of a desired length for providing communication between the inside and outside of the container when the container is closed. As a result, the materials such as the fruits and vegetables can be transported a long distance and stored for a long time with an increased reliability of freshness, yet without deteriorating precooling effects.