JP2004202259A - Heating instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating instrument which can improve the feeling of fit to a human body and feel good. <P>SOLUTION: In the heating instrument equipped with a heating means which generates heat by power distribution, and a heating mat which places a heat storage material which is heated by the heating means and reserves heat in a storage bag, the heating means is characterized by fixing a sheet heating element with flexibility on a base sheet. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a moxibustion device provided with a heating element that generates heat when energized.

  In this type of moxibustion device, a heat storage material in a heat mat is heated by a heating element, and the heat of the heat storage material exerts a moxibustion effect.

  However, the conventional hot moxibustion device employs a hard electric heater as a heating body, and thus has a problem that it is difficult to adapt to a human body and has a poor fit.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a warm moxibustion device that can improve a feeling of fitting to a human body and can be easily used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a heating and moxibustion device including a heating body that generates heat by energization, and a heating mat that stores a heat storage material that is heated by the heating body and stores heat in a storage bag. The body provides a body formed by attaching a flexible planar heating element to a base sheet.

  The sheet heating element is preferably formed of a mesh made of a conductive fine wire, and the heating element is preferably formed by sewing the sheet heating element to a base sheet.

  It is preferable that the planar heating element is formed of a woven fabric of the fine wire.

  It is desirable that the heat storage material is composed of ceramic powder.

  It is desirable that the heat storage material is composed of a random fiber aggregate having heat resistance.

  It is desirable that an aluminum layer for heat radiation be interposed between the planar heating element and the heat storage material.

  It is preferable that the storage bag is divided into a plurality of divided storage portions, and the heat storage material is stored in each of the divided storage portions to form the thermal mat.

  It is preferable to provide a pulse control means for keeping the temperature of the heating mat constant by controlling the energization pulse of the planar heating element.

  It is preferable that a thermostat for controlling energization of the planar heating element and an operating temperature adjusting unit for adjusting an operating temperature of the thermostat be provided.

  The sheet heating element is provided on a body pressure dispersion type mat composed of a fluid material, the thin heat storage material is provided on the sheet heating element, and the sheet heating element has a conductive fineness. It is preferable that the heat storage material be formed of a mesh made of a wire, and that the heat storage material be formed of a random fiber aggregate having heat resistance.

  It is desirable that the random fiber aggregate is made of carbon fibers.

  According to the moxibustion device of the present invention, since the heating element is formed by attaching the flexible planar heating element to the base sheet, it does not have a rough feeling like a hard electric heater and has good fit to the human body. Improve and use comfort.

  Further, if the sheet heating element is formed of a mesh made of a conductive fine wire having flexibility, when the sheet heating element is sewn to the base sheet, the sewing machine needle may be in the mesh opening of the sheet heating element. , And the fine wire rod can move closer to the mesh opening adjacent to the mesh opening through which the sewing needle passes to avoid the sewing needle. Therefore, the sheet heating element is less likely to be damaged by the sewing needle, and the sheet heating element can be sewn to the base sheet without deteriorating the quality of the sheet heating element. As a result, unlike the case where the sheet heating element is fixed to the base sheet using an adhesive, it is not necessary to secure the curing time of the adhesive, so that productivity can be improved and the quality of the sheet heating element can be secured.

  In addition, if the sheet heating element is formed of a flexible fine wire, the entire sheet heating element can be curved along the human body, thereby improving the comfort.

  Further, if the heat storage material is made of a random fiber assembly, the weight can be reduced and the burden on the human body can be reduced, and the cushioning property of the random fiber assembly eliminates discomfort when worn on the human body, and I feel better.

  If the random fiber aggregate is made of carbon fibers, different stimuli can be applied simultaneously to the skin, and the effect of moxibustion can be enhanced.

  In addition, if an aluminum layer for heat dissipation is interposed between the planar heating element and the heat storage material, the heat storage material can be effectively heated by the heat dissipation effect of the aluminum layer.

  Further, a heating element is provided on a body pressure dispersion type mat composed of a fluid substance, the heat storage material is provided on the heating element, and a planar heating element constituting the heating element is formed of a conductive fine wire. If the heat storage material is formed by a random fiber aggregate having heat resistance, it is possible to effectively prevent pressure ulcer by a body pressure dispersion type mat and a random fiber aggregate with high air permeability. Further, the coldness of the body pressure dispersion type mat can be eliminated by the heating element.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

Description of Embodiment 1 As shown in FIGS . 1 and 2, a hot moxibustion device includes a heating element 2 having a planar heating element 1 and a heating mat 4 filled with a heat storage material 3 that stores heat by the heating element 2. The heat storage material 3 is radiated to the human body to provide a moxibustion effect.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the heating element 2 is configured by sewing the base sheet 6 and the sheet heating element 1 with heat-resistant thread. The base sheet 6 has flexibility, an aluminum layer 5 is formed on one surface side of the base sheet 6 by vacuum evaporation, and the sheet heating element 1 is provided on the other surface side of the base sheet 6. The surface of the base sheet 6 on which the aluminum layer 5 is formed is a heat dissipation surface.

  The sheet heating element 1 generates heat uniformly over the entire surface by energization for converting electric energy to heat energy, and can be formed by a woven fabric (an example of a mesh structure) consisting of only fine-line conductive yarn. Flexibility is provided.

  The conductive yarn is formed of, for example, a conductive material such as stainless steel, and the wire diameter of the conductive yarn is, for example, 20 μm to 500 μm, preferably 200 μm to 300 μm. The mesh opening ratio) is preferably around 50%.

  Further, since the sheet heating element 1 is a woven fabric of conductive wires of fine wires, the sheet heating element 1 is excellent in liquid permeability. 1 can be formed. If the fabric is cut into a heating element wiring pattern to form the sheet heating element 1, there is no need to connect the sheet heating materials.

  The heating mat 4 is configured by storing the heat storage material 3 in a storage bag 8 divided into a plurality of divided storage sections 7, and the presence of these divided storage sections 7 allows the moxibustion device to be attached along the human body. Further, the heating element 2 is interposed between the bag sheet material 8 a on the back side of the storage bag 8 and the heat storage material 3, and the heat radiating surface (aluminum layer 5) of the heating element 2 faces the heat storage material 3. I have.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a heat insulating sheet 9 is interposed between the bag body 8 a on the back side of the storage bag 8 and the heating element 2. The heat insulating sheet 9 is made of a material having a high strength and a high elastic modulus, such as aramid fiber, and also having excellent heat insulating properties.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the divided storage portion 7 is formed by sewing the storage bag 8 and dividing the storage portion 8 at the suturing portion 10, and as shown in FIG. The sheet heating element 1 is fixed to the base sheet 6 by the portion 10. Note that the sheet heating element 1 is temporarily fixed to the base sheet 6 with a thread or the like before being fixed by the stitching portion 10.

  The heat storage material 3 is a ceramic particle that generates a large amount of far-infrared rays, and is heated by the planar heating element 1 to generate far-infrared rays, thereby raising the temperature to a deep part of the human body and improving the effect of hot moxibustion. In addition, security can be easily ensured.

  The particle diameter of the ceramic powder is, for example, about several tens μm to about 10 mm, and is preferably excellent in heat resistance, heat retention, usability, and the like. As the ceramic powder, a synthetic (fired) or natural ceramic can be considered.

  If the particle size of the ceramic powder is reduced to a fine powder, when the heating mat 4 touches a human body, the feeling is not rough and the touch is improved. In particular, in the case of menstrual cramps and gastritis, it becomes optimal for applying the heating mat 4 to a painful part such as the abdomen to perform hot moxibustion treatment. Further, if the heating mat 4 is made thinner, together with the thinness and flexibility of the sheet heating element 1, the feeling of fitting to the human body is improved, and the comfort is improved. Fixation to the affected area becomes easy.

  The hot moxibustion device includes pulse control means 11 for keeping the temperature of the heating mat 4 constant by controlling the power supply pulse. As shown in FIG. 5, the pulse control means 11 includes a charge / discharge timer 12, a pulse oscillator 13, an OR circuit 14, an AND circuit 15, a switch circuit 16, and a timer 17, and at the start, the temperature of the heating mat 4 is reduced. After the sheet heating element 1 is continuously energized by the charge / discharge timer 12 until the temperature reaches the set temperature, the sheet heating element 1 is intermittently energized by the pulse oscillator 13 to maintain a constant temperature. Further, after a predetermined time (for example, one hour) has elapsed by the timer 17, the power supply to the sheet heating element 1 is stopped. However, when the energization is once stopped and the energization is resumed in a short time by a reset switch (not shown), in order to prevent the heating mat 4 from becoming hot, avoid the continuous energization at the start and avoid the charge / discharge timer. 12 is set so that intermittent energization is performed.

  FIG. 6A shows an operation waveform of the pulse oscillator 13, and FIG. 6B shows an operation waveform of the charge / discharge timer 12. For example, the pulse oscillator 13 repeats the control of stopping the current supply for 0.06 seconds after the current supply to the sheet heating element 1 is performed for 0.04 seconds. It is set so that energization is stopped for 20 to 30 minutes after energization is continuously performed for 20 minutes. The OR circuit 14 receives the outputs of the pulse oscillator 13 and the charge / discharge timer 12, and outputs a high-level signal when any of the pulse oscillator 13 and the charge / discharge timer 12 outputs a high-level signal. Then, the output of the OR circuit 14 is input to the AND circuit 15, and while the output signal from the timer 17 is at the high level, the same waveform is output from the AND circuit 15 to control ON / OFF of the switch circuit 16. That is, by turning on the charging / discharging timer 12, the mat is continuously energized (15 to 20 minutes) for a certain period of time to raise the mat temperature to a temperature at which a thermal stimulus can be obtained. Thereafter, the energization is interrupted by on / off control of the pulse oscillator 13 to control the planar heating element 1 to a predetermined heating pattern. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, after a certain period of time (for example, 15 to 20 minutes), the temperature of the heating mat 4 becomes constant, and a heating change curve is obtained, so that a stable heating stimulus can be obtained.

  The AND circuit 15 receives the outputs of the OR circuit 14 and the timer 17 and outputs a high-level signal when both the OR circuit 14 and the timer 17 output a high-level signal. For example, after a lapse of 60 minutes from the start of energization to the heater, the energization of the sheet heating element 1 is stopped by the timer 17 to prevent the occurrence of troubles such as low-temperature burn due to excessive continuous operation.

  As described above, since the temperature of the heating mat 4 is kept constant by controlling the energization pulse of the sheet heating element 1, as shown in FIG. 1, an operating body including the heating mat 4 and the pulse control means 11 built in the housing. 18 and the electric cord 19, it is possible to remotely control the sheet heating element 1, and when wearing the hot moxibustion device, the control parts of the sheet heating element 1 do not hit the human body, so that it is comfortable to use. Will be better.

  Since the sheet heating element 1 is excellent in liquid permeability as described above, connection with wiring, circuit components, and the like becomes easier than by soldering.

  As the power source, for example, a low-voltage power source of 12 to 24 V, an AC adapter, a battery such as a lithium battery, or the like can be used.

  Further, instead of the pulse control means 11, a thermo control means 20 shown in FIG. The thermo-control means 20 includes a thermostat 21 for controlling energization of the planar heating element 1 and an operating temperature adjusting unit 22 for adjusting the operating temperature of the thermostat 21. Then, when the temperature of the moxibustion device reaches, for example, 70 ° C., the energization circuit of the sheet heating element 1 is turned off by the thermostat 21.

  The operating temperature adjuster 22 includes a heat source 23 and a variable resistor 24 for adjusting a current flowing through the heat source 23. The thermostat 21 can be heated by the heat source 23 to adjust a temperature control area of the thermostat 21. Reference numeral 25 in the drawing denotes a light-emitting diode for confirming energization of the sheet heating element 1, and reference numeral 26 denotes a temperature fuse.

Description of Embodiment 2 FIG. 9 shows Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The heat storage material 3 is configured by making carbon fibers into a random fiber aggregate. The random fiber aggregate refers to a structure in which fibers are randomly gathered three-dimensionally, such as futon.

  Regarding the same or similar components as those of the above-described embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the configuration of the present embodiment are attached to the drawings, and the description is omitted.

  According to the hot moxibustion device of the present embodiment, the heat radiated from the planar heating element 1 is stored by the air taken into the random fiber aggregate, and the stored heat is radiated from the air and transmitted to the human body. In addition, since carbon fibers have high thermal conductivity, heat stimulation to the skin due to heat dissipation through the carbon fibers is different from that due to the heat storage. Thus, by giving different stimuli to the affected part at the same time, the moxibustion effect can be further improved.

  Further, since the heat storage material 3 is a random fiber aggregate, the weight of the hot moxibustion device can be reduced, and the burden on the human body can be reduced.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, by forming the heating mat 4 of the moxibustion device in a planar shape in the same manner as the planar heating element 1, the entire moxibustion device can be planarized. Therefore, when the supporter holding the moxibustion device is wrapped around the human body, the moxibustion device can follow the human body, making it easier to use, and the moxibustion device is flat and inconspicuous, so even if it is a woman It can be used easily.

  In addition, the cushioning properties of the random fiber aggregate do not give unnecessary stimulation to the affected part of the human body, making it optimal for treatment of menstrual pain and gastritis.

  In addition, since carbon fibers have excellent fatigue characteristics, the life of the heating mat can be kept long.

  Further, the random fiber aggregate may be made of heat-resistant fiber such as glass fiber.

  The planar heating element 1 may be made of a mixed paper made of conductive fibers (such as carbon fibers), non-conductive fibers and a binder, or a nonwoven fabric of conductive fibers (such as carbon fibers). good. The sheet heating element 1 is fixed to the base sheet by sewing or a heat-resistant adhesive.

Description of Third Embodiment FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. The moxibustion device includes a body pressure dispersion type mat 27, a heating element 2 disposed on the body pressure distribution type mat 27, and a heat storage material 3 disposed on the heating element 2. . The heating element 2 is formed by connecting the base sheet 6 and the sheet heating element 1, and the sheet heating element 1 is made of a woven fabric composed of only fine-line conductive yarn. Further, the heat storage material 3 is formed by making carbon fibers into a random fiber aggregate.

  Regarding the same or similar components as those of the above-described embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the configuration of the present embodiment are attached to the drawings, and the description is omitted.

  The body pressure dispersion type mat 27 is configured by storing a fluid substance 27a such as water or a gel-like substance in a bag 27b. The body pressure dispersing type mat 27, when a human body comes into contact with the mat, deforms the periphery of the contact portion along the shape of the human body to increase the contact area of the human body, so that the human body is not localized. , Which can be supported on a wider surface to disperse the body pressure as a whole, reduce the pressure applied to the human body and prevent pressure ulcers (bed sores), and return to the original shape when the body pressure disappears It is. As the fluid substance 27a, a gel material (for example, a synthetic rubber or a polymer gel to which a urethane viscoelastic polymer or a mineral oil gel is added), water, or the like is used.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the heating element 2 is interposed between the human body and the body pressure dispersion type mat 27, the cooling characteristic of the fluid material 27a of the body pressure dispersion type mat 27 is no longer felt and the body 2 is used. The comfort is improved, and the heat storage material 3 is interposed between the human body and the body pressure dispersion type mat 27. Therefore, the air permeability which is not present in the fluid substance 27a can be secured by the random fiber of the heat storage material 3.

  Moreover, since the heating element 2 and the heat storage material 3 are thin and highly flexible, the heating element 2 and the heat storage material 3 can follow the deformation of the body pressure distribution type mat 27, and the function of the body pressure distribution type mat 27 is not impaired. That is, since the heat storage material 3 is a random fiber aggregate of carbon fibers, and the sheet heating element 1 is made of a woven fabric composed of only fine-line conductive yarns, the heat storage material 3 and the sheet heating element 1 The body pressure dispersing mat 27 can be deformed along the shape of the human body following the deformation of the body pressure dispersing mat 27, and the function of the body pressure dispersing mat 27 for dispersing the body pressure by increasing the contact area of the human body is not impaired.

  The application of this embodiment is, for example, a cushion, a bed mat, a chair seat, a backrest, and the like.

  Note that the warm moxibustion devices of Embodiments 2 and 3 also include the above-described pulse control means or thermocontrol means.

It is a perspective view of the moxibustion device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is XX sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view of the heating body of the moxibustion device of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the moxibustion device of the present invention. It is a circuit block diagram of the pulse control means of the warm moxibustion device of the present invention. It is an operation | movement waveform diagram of the pulse control means of the warm moxibustion device of this invention. FIG. 3 is an operation waveform of a pulse control unit of a moxibustion device of the present invention and a corresponding temperature change curve of a heating mat. It is a circuit block diagram of the thermo control means of the warm moxibustion device of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the moxibustion device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the moxibustion device which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Planar heating element 2 Heating element 3 Heat storage material 4 Heating mat

Claims (11)

A heating moxibustion device including a heating element that generates heat by energization, and a heating mat that is formed by storing a heat storage material that is heated by the heating element and stores heat in a storage bag,
The heating device is characterized in that the heating element is formed by attaching a flexible planar heating element to a base sheet.   2. The heating element according to claim 1, wherein the sheet heating element is formed of a mesh made of a conductive fine wire, and the heating element is formed by sewing the sheet heating element to a base sheet. Moxibustion device.   The hot moxibustion device according to claim 2, wherein the planar heating element is formed of the fine wire fabric.   The hot moxibustion device according to claim 1, wherein the heat storage material is made of a ceramic powder.   The hot moxibustion device according to claim 1, wherein the heat storage material is formed of a random fiber aggregate having heat resistance.   The hot moxibustion device according to claim 1, wherein a heat-dissipating aluminum layer is interposed between the sheet heating element and the heat storage material.   The warm moxibustion device according to claim 1, wherein the storage bag is divided into a plurality of divided storage portions, and the heat storage material is stored in each of the divided storage portions to form the heating mat.   The hot moxibustion device according to claim 1, further comprising pulse control means for controlling the temperature of the heating mat to be constant by controlling the energization pulse of the planar heating element.   2. The moxibustion device according to claim 1, further comprising a thermostat that includes a thermostat that controls energization of the planar heating element and an operating temperature adjustment unit that adjusts an operating temperature of the thermostat. 3. Providing the sheet heating element on a body pressure dispersion type mat composed of a fluid substance, providing the thin heat storage material on the sheet heating element,
The sheet heating element is formed by a mesh made of a conductive fine wire,
The hot moxibustion device according to claim 1, wherein the heat storage material is formed of a random fiber aggregate having heat resistance. The hot moxibustion device according to claim 5, wherein the random fiber aggregate is made of carbon fiber.

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