CN114727876A

CN114727876A - Sleep promoting appliance

Info

Publication number: CN114727876A
Application number: CN202180004006.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 浅野良太; 氏原由博
Original assignee: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
Current assignee: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-11-06
Filing date: 2021-10-18
Publication date: 2022-07-08
Also published as: JP2022075388A; WO2022097464A1

Abstract

The invention provides a sleep promoting tool which can promote sleep by being worn on ears. The sleep-promoting implement of the present invention can be worn on the ears to warm the ears and promote sleep.

Description

Sleep promoting appliance

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sleep promoting device.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a warming device to be worn on the ear. The warming appliance described in patent document 1 is a bag or pouch having an opening into which an ear is put, and matching the size of the ear.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2018-086202

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that warming the ear provides other effects in addition to improvement of poor blood circulation, and have completed the present invention.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sleep promoting tool that can promote sleep by being worn on the ear.

Means for solving the problems

The sleep promoting device according to claim 1 of the present invention can be worn on the ear to warm the ear and promote sleep.

The sleep promoting appliance, which is one aspect of the present invention, warms the inner surface of the concha of the auricle in the ear and promotes sleep.

A sleep-promoting tool according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an insertion portion capable of being inserted into the concha, and a warmer body for heating an inner surface of the concha through the insertion portion.

A sleep-promoting tool according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an insertion portion protruding from the insertion portion and capable of being inserted into an external ear hole.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a sleep promoting tool that can promote sleep by being worn on the ear can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sleep promoting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a use state of the sleep promoting appliance shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the sleep promoting appliance in the use state shown in fig. 2 is worn on an ear.

Fig. 4 is a graph showing the heating behavior of the contact point of an earplug with a heating sheet (warmer) used in the experiment with the auricle.

Fig. 5 is a bar graph showing the average values of 8 subjects for the length of sleep latency when using an earplug with a heating sheet, and the length of sleep latency when using a general earplug.

Fig. 6 is a bar graph showing the average values of 8 subjects for the degree of relaxation when the earplug with a heating piece is used, and the degree of relaxation when the normal earplug is used, respectively.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an individual of the warmer of the sleep promoting appliance shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 8(a) and 8(b) are a top view and a bottom view, respectively, of an individual ear wearing device of the sleep promoting device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line I-I in fig. 8(a) and 8 (b).

Fig. 10 is a sectional view II-II of fig. 8(a) and 8 (b).

Fig. 11 is a sectional view III-III of fig. 8(a) and 8 (b).

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the sleep promoting appliance in the use state shown in fig. 2.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the sleep promoting appliance according to the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the common structures.

Fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing a sleep promoting tool 100 as an embodiment of the sleep promoting tool of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sleep promoting appliance 100 includes: a warmer 2, a cover member 3, and an ear wearing device 4. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sleep promoting appliance 100. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sleep promoting appliance 100 in a use state. The sleep promoting tool 100 can be distributed on the market in a state where the warmer 2, the cover member 3, and the ear wearing tool 4 are separated into individual units (see fig. 1), or in a state where the warmer 2 and the cover member 3 are attached to the ear wearing tool 4 (see fig. 2). Further, the warmer 2, the lid member 3, and the ear wearing device 4 constituting the sleep promoting device 100 can be distributed individually on the market.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a state in which the sleep promoting appliance 100 in the use state shown in fig. 2 is worn on the ear of the user. As shown in fig. 3, the sleep promoting appliance 100 of the present embodiment is used by being worn on the ear. With the sleep promoting appliance 100, the ear can be warmed by the warmer 2 while being worn on the ear of the user.

As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that not only the poor blood circulation can be improved but also a new finding that sleep can be induced can be obtained by warming the ears using the sleep-promoting device 100. The following describes an outline of an experiment performed to confirm the findings and results of the experiment.

First, the outline of the experiment will be described. In this experiment, an article provided with a sheet-type heating sheet as a warmer having a diameter of 22mm (0.70g) in a heating sheet holding appliance as an ear wearing appliance integrated with an earplug having a sound insulation effect (hereinafter, simply referred to as "earplug with heating sheet"). In this experiment, 8 subjects used both earplugs with a heating sheet and normal earplugs having no warm body and having a sound insulation effect (hereinafter, simply referred to as "normal earplugs") and confirmed the effects. In this experiment, a heating sheet that generates heat by oxidation of iron was used as a sheet-type heating sheet for an earplug with a heating sheet.

Fig. 4 is a graph showing the heating behavior of a point (hereinafter, referred to as "contact point") in contact with the auricle in the earplug with a heating sheet. As shown in FIG. 4, the contact point of the earplug with the heating sheet reached 40 ℃ after about 5 minutes from the start of use, then reached the maximum temperature of 46 ℃, and then was maintained at 40 ℃ or higher for about 30 minutes.

(electroencephalogram analysis)

Specifically, in this experiment, 8 subjects worn earplugs with heating sheets on both ears before going to bed, and measured the brain waves of the subjects during going to bed using a 4-electrode portable brain wave measuring instrument ("brain wave sensor ZA-x (ten)") manufactured by proasist corporation (ltd. プロアシスト). Similarly, the same 8 subjects were fitted with normal earplugs before going to bed, and the brain waves of the subjects during the sleeping were measured using a 4-electrode portable brain wave measuring instrument ("brain wave sensor ZA-x (ten)", manufactured by proasist corporation).

In addition, in this experiment, the time point at which the electrodes are placed on the head of the subject and the recording of the brain wave data is started is defined as the sleep start, and the time taken until falling asleep is defined as the sleep latency period (min) and calculated. The length of the sleep latency varies from person to person, and even the same person sleeps at each time. Therefore, in this experiment, the length of the sleep-in latency period of 2 or more after the working day was measured and the average value was calculated. However, in order to confirm the effect of the sheet-type heating sheet, only data of the subject during normal bedtime was used as the measured brain wave data. In other words, electroencephalogram data of sleep with a very late bedtime and a total sleep time of less than 4 hours are excluded. Further, the length of sleep-in latency when using earplugs with a heating sheet and the length of sleep-in latency when using normal earplugs were averaged over 8 subjects and compared.

(self-evaluation of relaxation)

Further, in this experiment, 8 subjects were fitted with earplugs having heating sheets to sleep on both ears in the same manner as in the above-described electroencephalogram measurement, and after getting up, the degree of relaxation during sleeping overnight was answered by the vas (visual Analogue scale) method. In addition, the same 8 subjects were also allowed to wear normal earplugs to sleep on both ears, and after getting up, responded by the VAS method to the degree of relaxation during the night before sleeping. Specifically, a 10cm line for evaluation without scale was prepared, the left end was designated as "not relaxed" and the right end was designated as "relaxed", and the degree of relaxation was marked on the line for evaluation based on the subjective evaluation of the subject himself, and quantification was performed. The distance (cm) from the left end to the point marked on the straight line was measured and divided by 10cm to be used as the relaxation degree at 100% full score. The degrees of relaxation when the earplugs with the heating sheet were used and the degrees of relaxation when the normal earplugs were used were each calculated as an average of 8 subjects and compared.

Next, the results of the electroencephalogram analysis and the results of the relaxation self-evaluation will be described.

Fig. 5 is a bar graph showing the average values of 8 subjects for the length of sleep latency when using earplugs with a heating sheet and the length of sleep latency when using a normal earplug, respectively.

As shown in fig. 5, it is found that when the subject wears the ear plug with the heating sheet, the sleep latency period (min) tends to be shorter than when the subject wears the normal ear plug. This indicates that the earplug with the heating sheet has an effect of promoting sleep as compared with a normal earplug, and it is known that a good natural sleep can be induced by the earplug with the heating sheet.

Fig. 6 is a bar graph showing the average values of 8 subjects for the degree of relaxation when the earplug with the heating sheet is used and the degree of relaxation when the normal earplug is used.

As shown in fig. 6, it is found that when the subject wears the earplug with the heating sheet, the degree of relaxation tends to increase at bedtime as compared with the case where the subject wears the normal earplug. This implies that an earplug with a heating flap has the possibility of having a positive influence on falling asleep compared to a normal earplug.

As is clear from the above, by using the sleep promoting device 100, the ears can be warmed, and as a result, sleep can be promoted.

The sleep promoting appliance 100 of the present embodiment will be described in more detail below.

As shown in fig. 3, in the sleep promoting device 100 of the present embodiment, the cap member 3 is inserted into the external ear hole EA, so-called an ear hole, and the ear wearing device 4 is fitted into the concha ca (concha auricle) of the auricle au (auricle) and can be fixed to the ear. The sleep promoting implement 100 of the present embodiment is fixed to the ear in this manner, and thereby is worn on the ear. However, the sleep promoting tool 100 may be fixed to the ear by any method as long as it can be worn on the ear. The sleep promoting tool 100 may be fixed to the ear only by being inserted into the external ear hole EA and closely fitting the inner surface of the external ear hole EA, for example. The sleep promoting implement 100 may be fixed to the ear only by being fitted into the concha CA and closely attached to the inner surface of the concha CA. The sleep promoting device 100 may be fixed to the ear by holding any part of the auricle AU other than the concha CA.

The warmer 2, the lid member 3, and the ear wearing device 4 of the sleep promoting device 100 will be described in detail below.

[ Warm body 2]

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an individual body of the thermal body 2. The warmer 2 of the present embodiment is a disposable heating sheet. The warmer 2 is sealed in an air-tight film bag before use. The warmer 2 before use can be sealed in the film bag as the warmer 2 alone, or can be sealed in the film bag together with the ear wearing tool 4 in a state of being attached to the ear wearing tool 4 in advance.

The warmer 2 according to the present embodiment includes: a heat generating composition 5 which causes a chemical reaction accompanied by heat generation when it comes into contact with air, and a housing 6 which houses the heat generating composition 5 therein. The heat-generating composition 5 may contain, for example, in appropriate amounts: oxidizable metal (iron powder, etc.), activated carbon, carbon black, water-retaining agent (wood powder, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, perlite, silica gel, alumina, water-absorbent resin, etc.), metal salt (salt, etc.), water, etc. The housing 6 of the present embodiment includes a1 st sheet 6a and a 2 nd sheet 6b, and the 1 st sheet 6a and the 2 nd sheet 6 sandwich the heat generating composition 5 therebetween and house the heat generating composition. The 1 st sheet 6a and the 2 nd sheet 6b are joined at their peripheral edges by, for example, joining, welding, or the like, with the heat-generating composition 5 interposed therebetween.

The 1 st sheet 6a is hat-shaped, the 2 nd sheet 6b is circular flat, and the 1 st sheet 6a and the 2 nd sheet 6b sandwich the heat-generating composition 5 therebetween. As will be described in detail later, the thermal body 2 of the present embodiment is attached to the ear wearing device 4 so that the 1 st sheet 6a is covered with the ear wearing device 4 (see fig. 12). On the other hand, the warmer 2 of the present embodiment is attached to the ear wearing tool 4 with the 2 nd sheet 6b exposed to the outside (see fig. 3 and 12).

In the present embodiment, the air permeability of the 1 st sheet 6a is higher than that of the 2 nd sheet 6 b. In this way, in a state where the warmer 2 is attached to the ear wearing device 4, heat dissipation through the second sheet 6b exposed to the outside can be suppressed. In particular, in the present embodiment, the 1 st sheet 6a is preferably a moisture-permeable sheet, and the 2 nd sheet 6b is preferably a non-moisture-permeable sheet.

The 1 st sheet 6a may be made of a material having high air permeability, for example, or may be made of a material having a vent hole formed therein as appropriate. As examples of the material constituting the 1 st sheet 6a, there can be cited: woven cloth, non-woven cloth, synthetic resin, rubber, elastomer, and the like. The 2 nd sheet 6b may be made of a material having low air permeability, for example. As examples of the material constituting the 2 nd sheet 6b, there can be cited: synthetic resin, a laminate of synthetic resin and woven or nonwoven fabric, and the like.

Examples of the fibrous material constituting the woven or nonwoven fabric having high air permeability include: synthetic fibers such as nylon, vinylon, polyester, rayon, acrylic, polyethylene, polypropylene, acetic acid, polyvinyl chloride, and polybutylene terephthalate, natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, silk, and paper, and mixed fibers of synthetic fibers and natural fibers. These fiber materials may be used alone, or 2 or more kinds may be used in combination.

As the material constituting the synthetic resin having low air permeability, for example, the same material as the resin material exemplified in the above-described fiber material can be used. Therefore, the 2 nd sheet 6b may be, for example, a resin film made of a resin material exemplified as the above-described fiber material. The 1 st sheet 6a may be a resin film similar to the 2 nd sheet 6b, which is appropriately provided with vent holes.

As described above, the heat generating body 2 of the present embodiment is configured to include the heat generating composition 5 that causes a chemical reaction involving heat generation when it comes into contact with air, but is not limited to such a configuration. The thermal body 2 may be any structure that can store heat for a predetermined period of time, and may be used by being heated in a microwave oven, for example. The warm body 2 may use the heat of solidification of an aqueous solution of sodium acetate that is in a supercooled state at room temperature, for example.

In the heat generating body 2 of the present embodiment, the housing 6 for housing the heat generating composition 5 is composed of the 1 st sheet 6a and the 2 nd sheet 6b, but is not limited thereto. The structure of the housing 6 is not particularly limited as long as the heat generating composition 5 is housed and held in a manner corresponding to the structure of the ear wearing device 4.

Hereinafter, a portion of the thermal body 2 of the present embodiment, which accommodates the heat generating composition 5, is referred to as a body portion 2a of the thermal body 2. The main body 2a of the present embodiment has an outer shape of a substantially truncated cone shape, but the outer shape is not particularly limited. In addition, hereinafter, a portion of the thermal body 2 of the present embodiment that protrudes from the main body portion 2a is referred to as a held portion 2 b. The held portion 2b of the present embodiment is a flange portion that protrudes outward in the radial direction from the end portion on the large diameter side of the main body portion 2a in the shape of a truncated cone. The held portion 2b of the present embodiment is formed by the peripheral edge portions of the 1 st sheet 6a and the 2 nd sheet 6 b.

[ cover Member 3]

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the cover member 3 is configured to be attachable to an insertion portion 12 of the ear wearing device 4, which will be described later. More specifically, the lid member 3 of the present embodiment includes: a mounting cylindrical portion 3a (see fig. 12) into which the insertion portion 12 of the ear wearing device 4 is fitted; and an outer covering tube portion 3b connected to the mounting tube portion 3a so as to be folded back from the distal end of the mounting tube portion 3 a.

The insertion portion 12 of the ear wearing device 4 is inserted from the opening of the cap member 3 on the proximal end side of the mounting cylindrical portion 3a toward the inside. The insertion portion 12 is in close contact with the inner surface of the mounting cylindrical portion 3a, and can hold the mounting cylindrical portion 3 a. As will be described in detail below, the insertion portion 12 of the ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment includes the annular projecting portion 12b 1. The annular convex portion 12b1 of the insertion portion 12 is fitted into an annular concave portion 3a1 (see fig. 12) provided on the inner surface of the mounting cylindrical portion 3 a. This can improve the holding property of the cover member 3 by the insertion portion 12.

The outer cylindrical portion 3b covers the outer side in the radial direction of the mounting cylindrical portion 3 a. An annular space is defined between the mounting tube 3a and the outer tube 3 b. Therefore, when inserted into the external ear hole EA as shown in fig. 3, the external cylindrical portion 3b is pressed against the inner surface of the external ear hole EA, and thus, while elastically deforming radially inward so as to approach the outer surface of the mounting cylindrical portion 3a, comes into close contact with the inner surface of the external ear hole EA. As described above, by attaching the cover member 3 to the ear wearing device 4, the cover member 3 is fitted in the external ear canal EA so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the external ear canal EA, and the fixation of the sleep promoting device 100 to the external ear canal EA can be improved. Further, by using the cover member 3, the external ear hole EA can be closed, and the sound insulation can be improved. This can block external noise and the like, and can make the user wearing the sleep promoting tool 100 easily relax.

The material constituting the lid member 3 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include: rubbers, elastomers, synthetic resins including soft resins and hard resins, and the like. Examples of the synthetic resin include polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In the lid member 3 of the present embodiment, the mounting tube portion 3a and the outer tube portion 3b are integrally formed of the same material, but may be formed of different materials. The lid member 3 may be formed by mixing a metal or a material such as carbon with a base material such as rubber, an elastomer, or a synthetic resin. Further, the cover member 3 may be formed of a thermally conductive resin.

[ ear wearing device 4]

The ear wearing device 4 is configured to be able to attach the above-described warmer 2 and the cover member 3. The ear wearing tool 4 is configured to be worn on the ear together with the warmer 2 and the cover member 3 attached thereto. The phrase "the ear wearing tool 4 can be worn on the ear" includes not only the ear wearing tool 4 itself directly fixed to the ear but also the ear wearing tool 4 indirectly fixed to the ear through another member such as the cover member 3 that can be fixed to the ear.

Fig. 8(a) is a plan view of the ear wearing device 4 alone as viewed from the upper surface side. Fig. 8(b) is a bottom view of the individual ear-worn device 4 viewed from the lower surface side. Here, the "upper surface" of the ear wearing device 4 refers to a surface located on the auricle AU (see fig. 3) side in a state where the ear wearing device 4 is worn on the ear. The "lower surface" of the ear wearing device 4 refers to a surface on the opposite side of the upper surface. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the ear wearing device 4 at the position of line I-I shown in fig. 8(a) and 8 (b). Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the ear wearing device 4 at the position of line II-II shown in fig. 8(a) and 8 (b). Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the ear wearing device 4 at the position of line III-III shown in fig. 8(a) and 8 (b). Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the sleep promoting device 100 in a state in which the warmer 2 and the lid member 3 are attached to the ear wearing device 4. Fig. 12 shows a cross section at the same position as the line I-I in fig. 8(a) and 8(b) in a state where the warmer 2 and the cover member 3 are attached to the ear wearing tool 4. Hereinafter, the structure of the ear wearing device 4 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1 to 3 and 8 to 12.

As shown in fig. 1 and the like, the ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment includes: a contact portion 11, an insertion portion 12, a holding portion 13, and a connecting flange portion 20.

< contact part 11 >

The contact portion 11 is in contact with a predetermined portion of the auricle AU in a state where the ear wearing device 4 is worn on the ear (see fig. 3). The predetermined portion of the auricle AU which the contact portion 11 contacts in a state where the ear wearing tool 4 is worn on the ear (see fig. 3) is not particularly limited. The thermal body 2 warms an arbitrary portion of the auricle AU via the contact portion 11, and can improve poor blood circulation, and can be expected to improve symptoms such as vertigo. In addition, the parasympathetic nerves inside are heated and stimulated, and a relaxation effect can be obtained. Further, sleep can be promoted as described above.

As shown in fig. 3, the contact portion 11 of the present embodiment is constituted by an insertion portion 14 that can be inserted into the concha CA of the auricle AU. The insertion portion 14 is configured to be inserted into the concha CA to contact an inner surface of the concha CA, which is a predetermined portion of the auricle AU. More specifically, the insertion portion 14 as the contact portion 11 of the present embodiment is inserted into the concha CA, and thereby comes into contact with the inner surface of the concha cavity (cavum conchae) in the inner surface of the concha CA. Although the predetermined portion of the auricle AU with which the contact portion 11 contacts is not particularly limited as described above, the contact portion 11 preferably employs the insertion portion 14 that is inserted into the concha CA to contact the inner surface of the concha CA as in the present embodiment, and particularly preferably employs the insertion portion 14 that contacts the inner surface of the concha cavity. The thermal body 2 can effectively heat the parasympathetic nerves inside by heating the inner surface of the concha CA by the insertion portion 14 as the contact portion 11. Thereby, the relaxation effect described above can be more improved. In addition, since the relaxation effect is improved, a further sleep promoting effect can be expected.

Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the extending direction of the fitting portion 14 is referred to as "height direction a of the fitting portion 14", or simply as "height direction a". The fitting portion 14 of the present embodiment has a substantially truncated cone-shaped outer shape. Therefore, the height direction a of the fitting portion 14 of the present embodiment is the central axis direction of the annular side wall portion 15 (see fig. 1 and the like) described below. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of explanation, a direction from the base end side to the tip end side of the fitting portion 14 in the height direction a of the fitting portion 14 may be simply referred to as "upper side". In the height direction a of the fitting portion 14, a direction from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the fitting portion 14 may be simply referred to as "lower side". The upper side of the present embodiment is an end side of the annular side wall portion 15 (see fig. 1 and the like) connected to a top plate portion 16 (see fig. 1 and the like) as described below. The lower side of the present embodiment refers to the other end side of the annular side wall portion 15 opposite to the one end side connected to the top plate portion 16.

As shown in fig. 8 to 12, the fitting portion 14 of the present embodiment defines a housing space 15a therein, and the housing space 15a can house the warmer 2 that heats the inner surface of the concha CA by the fitting portion 14. The insertion portion 14 of the present embodiment includes: the convex surface contacting the inner surface of the concha CA is a concave surface defining the housing space 15a on the back side of the convex surface. Specifically, the fitting portion 14 of the present embodiment includes an annular side wall portion 15 and a top plate portion 16. The annular side wall portion 15 is configured to be fittable to the concha CA. In particular, the annular side wall portion 15 of the present embodiment can be fitted so as to be sandwiched between the inner surfaces of the conchas CA. More specifically, the annular side wall portion 15 of the present embodiment can be fitted so as to be sandwiched between the inner surfaces of the concha cavities among the inner surfaces of the conchas CA. The annular side wall portion 15 defines a housing space 15a in which the main body 2a (see fig. 7) of the heater 2 can be housed. The top plate 16 is connected to one end (hereinafter, referred to as "upper end") of the annular side wall 15 on the upper side. The upper end of the housing space 15a of the annular side wall 15 is closed by a top plate 16. In other words, the housing space 15a of the present embodiment is a truncated cone-shaped space defined by the annular side wall portion 15 and the top plate portion 16. The top plate portion 16 has a bottom contact surface 16a as a contact surface that can contact the bottom surface of the concha CA in a state where the annular side wall portion 15 is fitted to the concha CA. More specifically, the bottom contact surface 16a of the present embodiment is configured to be able to contact the bottom surface of the concha cavity among the bottom surfaces of the conchas CA. The bottom contact surface 16a of the top plate 16 of the present embodiment is constituted by a top plate upper surface 17a on the opposite side of the top plate lower surface 17b facing the housing space 15a in the top plate 16. The insertion portion 14 of the present embodiment includes a lateral contact surface as a contact surface that can contact the inner side surface of the concha CA. The lateral contact surface of the present embodiment is constituted by the outer surface 15c of the annular side wall portion 15.

The above-described warmer 2 can be attached to the ear wearing device 4 by housing the main body 2a in the housing space 15 a. Specifically, the main body 2a of the thermal body 2 can be housed in the housing space 15a from an open end of the annular side wall portion 15, which is an end (hereinafter, referred to as "lower end") on a lower side of the annular side wall portion 15 on a side opposite to an upper end connected to the top plate portion 16.

The outer shape of the fitting portion 14 of the present embodiment is a truncated cone shape, but the outer shape is not particularly limited. The outer shape of the insertion portion 14 may be, for example, a cylindrical shape. In addition, the outer shape of the insertion portion 14 may be, for example, a shape matching the inner surface of the concha CA. Therefore, the annular side wall portion 15 of the fitting portion 14 is not limited to the tapered cylindrical shape of the present embodiment. The annular side wall portion 15 may have a cylindrical shape having the same inner diameter and outer diameter at any position in the central axis direction. However, the outer surface of the annular side wall portion 15 preferably has a tapered shape that tapers from a lower end opposite to the upper end connected to the top plate portion 16 toward the upper end connected to the top plate portion 16, as in the present embodiment. Thus, the fitting portion 14 can be easily fitted to the concha CA. The annular side wall portion 15 may have a cross-sectional outer shape perpendicular to the height direction a, which is not circular, but may be an amorphous shape matching the inner surface of the concha CA. Further, the top plate 16 of the present embodiment is formed of a flat plate portion having a circular flat shape that closes the upper end of the annular side wall portion 15 having a tapered cylindrical shape, but is not limited to this configuration. The top plate 16 is preferably configured to increase the area of the bottom contact surface 16a that contacts the bottom surface of the concha CA. Therefore, the top plate 16 may be formed of a curved plate portion curved in a dome shape, for example, so that the bottom contact surface 16a is convex. Further, although the housing space 15a of the present embodiment is a space having a substantially truncated cone shape, the shape of the housing space 15a is not particularly limited. The housing space 15a of the present embodiment may be configured to be able to house at least a part of the thermal body 2 and to be able to heat the auricle AU through the insertion portion 14. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 12, the main body 2a of the heater 2 is housed in the housing space 15a, and is covered with the annular side wall portion 15 and the top plate portion 16.

< insertion part 12 >

As shown in fig. 8, 9, and the like, the insertion portion 12 protrudes from the fitting portion 14 as the contact portion 11. The insertion portion 12 is configured to be insertable into an external ear hole EA (see fig. 3) together with the cover member 3 attached thereto. Specifically, the insertion portion 12 of the present embodiment protrudes outward from the fitting portion 14 in a plan view (see fig. 8 a) viewed in the height direction a of the fitting portion 14. More specifically, the insertion portion 12 of the present embodiment is provided to protrude from the annular side wall portion 15 of the fitting portion 14 toward the outside in the radial direction B of the annular side wall portion 15. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the radial direction B of the annular side wall portion 15 may be simply referred to as "radial direction B".

The insertion portion 12 of the present embodiment includes: a proximal end portion 12a connected to the annular side wall portion 15, and a distal end portion 12b connected to the proximal end portion 12a and insertable into the mounting cylindrical portion 3a (see fig. 12) of the lid member 3. The distal end portion 12b has a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The central axis direction C, which is the extending direction of the distal end portion 12b, is inclined with respect to the height direction a of the fitting portion 14. The distal end portion 12b is insertable into the mounting cylindrical portion 3a of the cover member 3 to press and expand the mounting cylindrical portion 3a outward in the radial direction. Thereby, the outer surface of the distal end portion 12b is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the mounting tube portion 3 a. As a result, the cover member 3 is held by the insertion portion 12 of the ear wearing device 4. In addition, the outer tubular portion 3b is in close contact with the inner surface of the external ear hole EA, and the external ear hole EA can be further closed by the close contact between the outer surface of the distal end portion 12b and the inner surface of the mounting tubular portion 3a, whereby the sound insulation of the sleep promoting device 100 can be further improved.

Further, the distal end portion 12b of the present embodiment includes an annular convex portion 12b1 that protrudes outward in the radial direction. When the distal end portion 12b of the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the mounting cylindrical portion 3a of the lid member 3, the annular convex portion 12b1 of the distal end portion 12b fits into the annular concave portion 3a1 (see fig. 12) provided on the inner surface of the mounting cylindrical portion 3 a. This makes the mounting tube portion 3a less likely to fall off from the distal end portion 12 b. Therefore, the holding property of the cover member 3 by the insertion portion 12 can be improved.

The insertion portion 12 of the present embodiment is formed separately from the lid member 3 so as to be able to attach the lid member 3 described above, but may be formed integrally. Therefore, the distal end portion 12b of the insertion portion 12 according to the present embodiment may be formed integrally with the mounting cylindrical portion 3a of the lid member 3, for example.

The ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment includes the insertion portion 12, but is not limited to this configuration. The ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment is configured to be fixed to the ear by being brought into close contact with the inner surface of the external auditory meatus EA, but if the ear wearing device 4 fixed only by the auricle AU is used, for example, the ear wearing device 4 may not include the insertion portion 12. However, from the viewpoint of relaxation effect due to sound insulation and further sleep promotion effect that can be obtained by the relaxation effect, the sleep promotion appliance 100 preferably includes the insertion portion 12 that can be inserted into the external ear hole EA. The lid member 3 described above may be omitted if the insertion portion 12 itself can be brought into close contact with the inner surface of the external ear hole EA. The lid member 3 described above is preferably used so as to be able to correspond to the inner diameter of the external ear hole EA of each user. Although the insertion portion 12 of the present embodiment is formed integrally with the insertion portion 14, it may be formed separately from the insertion portion 14 and detachably attached to the insertion portion 14.

< holding part 13 >

The holding portion 13 can hold the thermal body 2 that heats a predetermined portion of the auricle AU through the contact portion 11. In other words, the inner surface of the concha CA, which is a predetermined portion of the auricle AU, is heated by the insertion portion 14, which is the contact portion 11, of the warmer 2 held by the holding portion 13 of the present embodiment.

The holding portion 13 can hold the thermal body 2 in a state where the thermal body 2 is spaced from the fitting portion 14 with the gap X therebetween (see fig. 12). By providing the gap X, a rapid increase in the temperature of the insertion portion 14 due to the thermal body 2 can be suppressed, as compared with a structure in which the insertion portion 14 and the thermal body 2 are in contact with each other without the gap X. Therefore, burning of the inner surface of the concha CA which comes into contact with the insertion portion 14 can be avoided.

As shown in fig. 8(b), the holding portion 13 of the present embodiment includes: a support portion 18 for supporting the thermal body 2 from below, and a restriction wall portion 19 for restricting the movement of the thermal body 2 in a direction orthogonal to the height direction a.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 9 to 12, the support portion 18 of the present embodiment includes: a flat plate-like support plate portion 18a located below the lower end of the fitting portion 14 and extending in a direction orthogonal to the height direction a; and a support protrusion 18B protruding from the limiting wall 19 inward in the radial direction B. The held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 is supported from below by the support plate portion 18a and the support protrusion portion 18b in a state where the main body portion 2a is accommodated in the accommodation space 15 a. Therefore, the support plate portion 18a and the support protrusion portion 18b are provided at positions that do not overlap with the housing space 15a in the height direction a. More specifically, the support plate portion 18a and the support projection 18B of the support portion 18 of the present embodiment are provided at positions outside the housing space 15a in the radial direction B.

The restricting wall 19 is connected to the outside of the support portion 18 in the radial direction B and extends upward in the height direction a. More specifically, as shown in fig. 9 to 12, the restricting wall 19 of the present embodiment includes: a1 st regulating wall portion 19a connected to the outer side of the support plate portion 18a in the radial direction B and extending upward in the height direction a; and a 2 nd regulating wall portion 19B connected to the outer side of the support protrusion portion 18B in the radial direction B and extending upward in the height direction a. In a state where the held portion 2B of the thermal body 2 is supported from below by the support plate portion 18a and the support protrusion portion 18B, the 1 st limiting wall portion 19a and the 2 nd limiting wall portion 19B are located outside in the radial direction B of the held portion 2B. Therefore, in a state where the main body portion 2a is accommodated in the accommodation space 15a and the held portion 2b is supported from below by the support plate portion 18a and the support protrusion portion 18b, the movement of the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 in the direction orthogonal to the height direction a is restricted by the 1 st restriction wall portion 19a and the 2 nd restriction wall portion 19 b.

The holding portion 13 may be any portion as long as the movement of the thermal body 2 relative to the ear wearing device 4 can be restricted within a predetermined range so that the thermal body 2 does not come off the ear wearing device 4. That is, the structure of the holding portion 13 is not limited to the structure that holds the warm heat body 2 so that the warm heat body 2 does not move at all with respect to the ear wearing device 4.

As shown in fig. 12, the holding portion 13 of the present embodiment holds the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 so as to be movable within a predetermined range in the height direction a. Specifically, the holding portion 13 of the present embodiment holds the thermal body 2 so that the thermal body 2 can move in the height direction a within a range from a position where the upper surface of the held portion 2b contacts the lower end of the fitting portion 14 and the lower surface of the connecting flange portion 20 described below to a position where the lower surface of the held portion 2b contacts and is supported by the support plate portion 18a and the support protrusion portion 18 b. Fig. 12 shows a holding position in which the upper surface of the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 is positioned on the uppermost side, and the thermal body 2 is in contact with the lower end of the fitting portion 14 and the lower surface of the connecting flange portion 20.

Further, as shown in fig. 12, the holding portion 13 of the present embodiment holds the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 in a state where the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 cannot move in the direction orthogonal to the height direction a. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the 1 st and 2 nd regulating

wall portions

19a and 19b of the regulating wall portion 19 are located around the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 in the direction orthogonal to the height direction a. Therefore, the 1 st regulating wall portion 19a and the 2 nd regulating wall portion 19b of the regulating wall portion 19 come into contact with the outer edge of the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2, thereby regulating the movement of the thermal body 2 in the direction orthogonal to the height direction a. However, as described above, the holding portion 13 may hold the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 so as to be movable within a predetermined range in the direction orthogonal to the height direction a.

As described above, the holding portion 13 of the present embodiment can hold the thermal body 2 by restricting the movement of the lower side of the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 in the height direction a and the movement in the direction orthogonal to the height direction a by the support portion 18 and the restricting wall portion 19.

In the ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment, the fitting portion 14 is connected to the 2 nd regulating wall portion 19b by a connecting flange portion 20 described below. A support protrusion 18B protrudes from the 2 nd limiting wall 19B toward the inside in the radial direction B. The 2 nd regulating wall 19b is connected to the support plate 18 a. Further, a1 st regulating wall portion 19a is connected to an outer edge of the support plate portion 18 a. In this way, in the ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment, the fitting portion 14 and the holding portion 13 as the contact portion 11 are connected by the connecting flange portion 20. Although the fitting portion 14 and the holding portion 13 are integrally formed with the connecting flange portion 20 interposed therebetween in the present embodiment, at least one of the holding portion 13, the fitting portion 14, and the connecting flange portion 20 may be formed separately and joined by bonding, welding, or the like.

As shown in fig. 9 and 12, the support plate portion 18a of the present embodiment faces the lower surface of the base end portion 12a of the insertion portion 12 described above with a gap therebetween in the height direction a. The holding portion 2B of the thermal body 2 can be inserted between the lower surface of the base end portion 12a of the insertion portion 12 and the upper surface of the support plate portion 18a from the inside toward the outside in the radial direction B. As shown in fig. 9 and 12, the 1 st regulating wall portion 19a extends upward from the outer edge portion of the support plate portion 18a on the outer side in the radial direction B, and is connected to the base end portion 12a of the insertion portion 12.

< connecting flange portion 20 >

As described above, the ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment includes the connection flange portion 20 in addition to the contact portion 11, the insertion portion 12, and the holding portion 13. The connection flange portion 20 of the present embodiment is connected to the fitting portion 14 as the contact portion 11. More specifically, the connecting flange portion 20 of the present embodiment protrudes outward in the radial direction B from the lower end of the fitting portion 14, and connects the fitting portion 14 to the 2 nd regulating wall portion 19B of the holding portion 13. As shown in fig. 8(B), 9, and 12, the connecting flange portion 20 of the present embodiment includes a free end portion 20a whose outer edge portion in the radial direction B is not connected to the 2 nd regulating wall portion 19B of the holding portion 13. As shown in fig. 8(b), 9, 10, and 12, a vent groove 21 is formed in the lower surface of the free end portion 20a, and the vent groove 21 is connected to a recess provided at the lower end of the fitting portion 14 and communicates with the housing space 15 a. Therefore, even in a state where the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 is in contact with the lower end of the fitting portion 14 and the connecting flange portion 20 in a state where the main body portion 2a of the thermal body 2 is accommodated in the accommodating space 15a, air can be let into the accommodating space 15a through the vent groove 21. Therefore, even when the main body 2a containing the heat generating composition 5 (see fig. 7) that generates heat by contact with air is housed in the housing space 15a, air can be caused to enter the housing space 15a by the ventilation groove 21, and heat can be generated.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, in a state where the thermal body 2 is attached to the ear wearing device 4, a part of the held portion 2B of the thermal body 2 is exposed to the outside of the outer edge of the free end portion 20a in the radial direction B. Therefore, when the thermal body 2 is to be taken out from the ear wearing device 4, the portion of the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 exposed from the outer edge of the free end portion 20a may be grasped and operated. In this way, the thermo-thermal body 2 can be easily taken out from the ear wearing device 4.

As shown in fig. 8a, the connecting flange portions 20 of the present embodiment are not provided at positions on both sides of the insertion portion 12 in the circumferential direction D of the fitting portion 14 (the same circumferential direction as the annular side wall portion 15 in the present embodiment, and hereinafter simply referred to as "circumferential direction D"). Therefore, the ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment is configured such that the upper surface of the support plate portion 18a is visible in a plan view shown in fig. 8 (a). The warmer 2 of the present embodiment can be attached to the ear wearing device 4 by inserting the held portion 2B from the inside toward the outside in the radial direction B between the lower surface of the proximal end portion 12a of the insertion portion 12 and the upper surface of the support plate portion 18 a. Therefore, by not providing the connecting flange portions 20 on both sides of the insertion portion 12 in the circumferential direction D, it can be confirmed from the outside whether or not the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 is properly inserted between the lower surface of the base end portion 12a of the insertion portion 12 and the upper surface of the support plate portion 18 a.

The ear wearing device 4 of the present embodiment includes the connecting flange portion 20 protruding outward in the radial direction B from the lower end of the fitting portion 14 in order to connect the fitting portion 14 as the contact portion 11 and the holding portion 13, but is not limited to the connecting flange portion 20 of the present embodiment as long as the fitting portion 14 and the holding portion 13 are connected. However, it is preferable to use the connecting flange portion 20 having a lower surface positioned flush with the lower end of the fitting portion 14 in the height direction a, as in the present embodiment. In this way, in a state where the main body portion 2a of the thermal body 2 is accommodated in the accommodation space 15a, the flange-shaped held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 can be prevented from moving so as to be inclined with respect to the height direction a. As a result, the main body 2a of the thermal body 2 is less likely to fall out of the housing space 15 a. Therefore, the positional stability of the thermal body 2 in the state where the holding portion 13 holds the held portion 2b of the thermal body 2 can be further improved.

The material constituting the ear wearing device 4 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include: rubbers, elastomers, synthetic resins including soft resins and hard resins, and the like. More specifically, there may be enumerated: polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), elastomers, and the like. The ear wearing device 4 may be made of a material having high thermal conductivity because the heat of the thermal body 2 is efficiently transmitted to the auricle AU (see fig. 3). Examples of such a material include a material having a high thermal conductivity such as carbon, which is mixed with a base material such as rubber, elastomer, or synthetic resin, thereby improving the thermal conductivity. In addition, a heat conductive resin having high heat conductivity may be used.

The sleep promoting tool of the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration shown in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

Description of the reference numerals

2: warm body

2 a: body part

2 b: held part

3: cover part

3 a: mounting tube section

3a 1: annular recess

3 b: exterior tube section

4: ear wearing appliance

5: heat-generating composition

6: storage body

6 a: no. 1 sheet

6 b: no. 2 sheet material

11: contact part

12: insertion part

12 a: basal end part

12 b: tip end portion

12b 1: annular convex part

13: holding part

14: embedded part

15: annular side wall part

15 a: storage space

15 c: outer surface of the annular side wall portion

16: roof board part

16 a: bottom contact surface

17 a: upper surface of the top plate

17 b: lower surface of the top plate

18: support part

18 a: support plate part

18 b: support protrusion

19: limiting wall

19 a: 1 st limiting wall part

19 b: 2 nd limiting wall part

20: connecting flange part

20 a: free end

21: ventilation groove

100: sleep promoting appliance

X: voids

AU: auricle

CA: concha

EA: external ear hole

A: height direction of the embedded part

B: the radial direction of the annular side wall part of the embedded part

C: central axis direction of the insertion portion

D: circumferential direction of the embedded part

Claims

1. A sleep promoting appliance can be worn on ears to warm the ears and promote sleep.

2. The sleep promoting appliance of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of a concha of an auricle in the ear is warmed and sleep is promoted.

3. The sleep-promoting appliance according to claim 2, comprising:

an insertion portion into which the concha can be inserted, and

a warmer for heating the inner surface of the concha via the insertion part.

4. The sleep-promoting appliance according to claim 3, comprising:

an insertion portion protruding from the insertion portion and capable of being inserted into an external ear hole.