The Vacuum Bottle & Air Pot® Pavilion
The Vacuum Bottle & Air Pot® Pavilion
The Vacuum Bottle & Air Pot® Pavilion was established in 2008 to commemorate Zojirushi’s 90th anniversary.
The pavilion was conceived on the theme “the evolution of vacuum insulation technology.” On display in the pavilion are a variety of insulated containers from past and present for the enjoyment of viewers. (For more information, see the January 2014 issue of the PR magazine pla-topia).http://www.zojirushi.co.jp/corp/kinenkan/
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Before the 19th Century
As early as the Nara Period (710-794) in Japan, people began to preserve ice and food in what were then called “ice houses.” In 17th-century Europe, the principle that heat is retained in a vacuum was eventually discovered.
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During the 19th Century
In the last half of the 19th century, the prototype of vacuum insulated containers appeared when British chemist and physicist James Dewar invented the world’s first vacuum flask. Dewar devised a glass vessel with a vacuum jacket between the outside and the inside and was successful in storing liquid oxygen at temperatures of -100? and lower in it. A replica of Dewar’s vacuum flask is on display in the pavilion.
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Around 1907
In 1904, the German company Thermos began commercially selling vacuum-insulated containers. In 1907, Japan began importing double-glass insulated metal containers for keeping beverages hot, which were sold under the captivating name mahobin (magic bottle).
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1912
In 1912, mahobin were manufactured in large number in Osaka, Japan. At the time, Osaka was a flourishing center for the manufacture of electric light bulbs and so there were plenty of glass blowers there, which made it the ideal place for manufacturing mahobin. Immediately after manufacturing was scaled up, World War I broke out in 1914. In India and Southeast Asia, where colonies of people from European countries settled, commodities from Europe became scarce. To make up for the shortage, large quantities of Japanese-made products came into distribution in those parts of the world. The mahobin was one of the products that sold at an explosive pace.
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1945
After World War II, lifestyles changed greatly and the practice until then of cooking over wood fires gradually disappeared. As stable sources of heat for cooking appeared, the mahobin became a popular household item. Utility was of first importance, but eventually consumers also began expecting attractive designs. Zojirushi’s stylish Pelican Pot was a big hit. It was followed by the Super Pot whose improved design was achieved by the addition of plastic.
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1963
Mahobin with an outer steel plate pre-printed with flower designs were introduced. They were more inexpensively priced and became a big hit. In 1963, Zojirushi began manufacturing and selling High Pot Z with not only an attractive outer appearance but also an improved inner structure. Now hot water could be poured without having to remove a stopper. The self-righting Dharma doll, a traditional toy of Aizu in Fukushima prefecture, provided the hint for the new mechanism.
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1973
In 1973, the Air Pot(R) Osudake (just push) went on sale and was a tremendous hit. Hot water could be dispensed without having to tip the pot by just pushing a button. The breakthrough mechanism worked by pushing the button at the top of the pot to apply pressure to the air inside, which caused the hot water to move up a pipe inside the pot. Later models were made with a transparent part to show from the outside how much hot water was left in the pot.
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2008
Beginning in 2008, mahobin incorporating IT technology were sold. The Mimamori (Keeping Watch) Hotline service was launched so that families living far away from their elderly relatives are able to continuously monitor them to make sure they are alright. In Japan’s aging society, many elderly persons live alone. The electric i-Pot, adapted to the age of the Internet, is equipped with a wireless transmitter that sends information via the Internet in realtime to family members living at a distance whenever the pot is turned on or hot water is dispensed.