JP2005034533A - Spacer for air flow passage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensively manufacturable spacer for an air flow passage formable into the large area, and superior in mass productivity. <P>SOLUTION: This spacer 30 for the air flow passage is used for forming the air flow passage for allowing outside air or cooled or dehumidified air to flow to the vicinity of a surface of the human body. The spacer 30 for the air flow passage has a substantially flat mesh-shaped member 31, and a plurality of projecting parts 32. Plastic is used as a raw material of the mesh-shaped member 31. The plurality of projecting parts 32 are regularly formed on a surface of the mesh-shaped member 31. The spacer 30 for the air flow passage can be made on the basis of the mesh-shaped member 31. For example, the plurality of projecting parts 32 can be easily formed in the mesh-shaped member 31, by pressing the mesh-shaped member 31 by these metal molds, by sandwiching the mesh member 31 in the heated two metal molds (a male mold and a female mold). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an air flow passage spacer used for forming an air flow passage through which external air or cooled or dehumidified air flows near the surface of a human body.

The present inventor uses a human body-contact type air conditioner that can remove moisture or suppress an increase in body temperature by circulating external air near the surface of the human body, and the human body-contact type air conditioner. Have been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The human body-contact type air conditioner includes an air flow passage for circulating external air or cooled or dehumidified air in the vicinity of the surface of the human body, and a blowing means for forcibly generating an air flow inside the air flow passage. For example, it is applied to clothes, mats, cushions and the like. The spacer is for forming an air flow passage, and includes, for example, a plate-like member and a large number of protrusions formed thereon. As such a spacer, a spacer in which a plate-like member and a protrusion are integrally formed by plastic injection molding is practically used.
International Publication No. 01/15573 Pamphlet International Publication No. 01/24664 Pamphlet

  However, conventionally, since the spacer is formed by injection molding of plastic, there is a problem that the amount of plastic used increases and its manufacturing cost is high. In addition, it is necessary to use a spacer having a large area for a human body-contact type air conditioner applied to a mat or the like laid on a bed, but it has been difficult to form such a large area spacer by injection molding. .

  In addition, the mat used on a bed or sofa, or a spacer used in a human body-contact type air conditioner applied to a vehicle seat, etc., does not impair the cushioning properties inherently possessed by the mat or seat. It is necessary to provide flexibility and pressure resistance and durability enough to withstand the pressure from the human body.

  The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airflow passage spacer that can be manufactured at a low cost, can be increased in area, and is excellent in mass productivity. . Another object of the present invention is to provide an airflow passage spacer that is excellent in flexibility and pressure resistance.

  In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is an air flow path spacer used for forming an air flow path for circulating external air or cooled or dehumidified air in the vicinity of the surface of a human body. And a mesh-like member made of plastic, and a plurality of convex portions formed on the surface of the mesh-like member.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the air flow path spacer according to the first aspect, the mesh member is composed of a plurality of linear members, and the mesh in a portion other than the portion where the convex portion is formed. A part of the linear member is characterized in that a thickness of the linear member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh member is formed thin.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the air flow passage spacer according to the second aspect, characterized in that polypropylene or a plastic containing polypropylene is used as the material of the mesh member.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the airflow path spacer according to the first, second, or third aspect, the spacer is provided between a human body and an object in contact with the human body.

  The spacer for an air flow passage according to the present invention includes a mesh-shaped member made of plastic and a plurality of convex portions formed on the surface thereof, so that the amount of plastic used per unit area can be reduced. For this reason, the spacer for airflow passages can be manufactured at low cost, and the weight of the spacer for airflow passages can be reduced. Further, since the air flow passage spacer can be obtained by continuously forming the mesh member wound in a roll shape, the air flow passage spacer is excellent in mass productivity and has a large area. Even the airflow path spacers can be easily made.

  Further, by forming the thickness of the linear member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh member with respect to a part of the mesh member in a portion other than the portion where the convex portion is formed, The flexibility of the portion where the thickness is reduced can be increased, and therefore the flexibility of the entire air flow passage spacer in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh member can be provided. In particular, by using polypropylene or a plastic containing polypropylene as the material of the mesh member, the tensile strength and the repeated durability are improved as the thickness of the mesh member is reduced. Pressure resistance and durability can be increased.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The spacer for airflow passages of the first embodiment is used for forming an airflow passage for circulating external air or cooled or dehumidified air in the vicinity of the surface of the human body. This air flow passage is used, for example, in a human body-contact type air conditioner that can remove moisture or suppress an increase in body temperature by circulating external air or the like near the surface of the human body. Below, the case where the spacer for airflow passages of 1st embodiment is applied to the air-conditioning mat as a human body contact | adherence type | formula air conditioning device is demonstrated.

  First, the air conditioning mat will be briefly described. FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of an air conditioning mat in which the air flow path spacer according to the first embodiment is used, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow AA of the air conditioning mat.

  The air-conditioning mat 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a mat that is used on a bed and is used to prevent the body from stuffy when a person lies on the bed. The air conditioning mat 10 includes a lower plate 11, an air flow path spacer 30, a fabric 12, force distribution means 13, an air inlet portion 14, an air outlet portion 15, a crossflow fan 16, and a switch 17. And a plug 18.

  The lower plate 11 is a soft flat plate-like member on which the air flow path spacer 30 is placed. The airflow passage spacer 30 is for ensuring a space through which air flows. The airflow passage spacer 30 will be described in detail later. On the airflow passage spacer 30, the force distribution means 13 and the fabric 12 are placed in this order. As the fabric 12, a fabric having a low air flow and a good moisture permeability is used. The fabric 12 covers the surface and upper and lower side surfaces of the force distribution means 13 in FIG. As described above, a substantially flat air flow passage is formed between the lower plate 11 and the fabric 12 by the air flow passage spacer 30. A person will lie on this fabric 12.

  The force distribution means 13 is for dispersing the force received from the human body and applying it to the air flow path spacer 30 when the person lies on the fabric 12. As the force distribution means 13, for example, a mesh member is used. In general, it is not always necessary to use a mesh-like material as the force dispersing means 13, and any force dispersing means 13 may be used as long as it is flexible, has low thermal resistance, and is excellent in moisture permeability. be able to. By using this force distribution means 13, the convexity 32 of the airflow passage spacer 30 is suppressed from a rugged feeling against the body, and part of the fabric 12 enters between the convexities 32 of the airflow passage spacer 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air flow from being hindered.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the left side surface of the airflow path spacer 30 is open so that air can be sucked in. This open part is the air inlet 14. The right side surface of the air flow path spacer 30 is also open, and an air outlet 15 for discharging air to the outside is provided at the end of the open part.

  The cross flow fan 16 is a belt-like air source, and is for forcibly generating an air flow in the air flow passage spacer 30. The cross flow fan 16 is attached to the foot side of a person who lies on the fabric 12. Further, the cross flow fan 16 rotates in a direction in which the air in the air flow path spacer 30 is discharged from the air outlet portion 15 to the outside. The switch 17 is for turning on / off the driving of the cross flow fan 16. The plug 18 is for connecting to a commercial power source.

  Since the air-conditioning mat 10 has such a configuration, when the cross flow fan 16 is rotated, air in the space in the air flow path spacer 30 is discharged and the space becomes negative pressure. External air flows from the portion 14 into the airflow path spacer 30 and flows through the airflow path spacer 30. When a person is sleeping on the air-conditioning mat 10, sweat from the human body enters the air flow path spacer 30 through the fabric 12. Then, the moisture which has entered is discharged to the outside by the air flowing through the air flow passage spacer 30. Moreover, if there is much air circulation, the fabric 12 does not warm with body temperature, and a person can sleep comfortably even on a hot night. In particular, the effect is further improved by circulating the dehumidified and cooled air instead of circulating the external air as it is in the air flow path spacer 30.

  Next, the air flow path spacer 30 of the first embodiment will be described. 2A is a schematic plan view of a part of the air flow path spacer 30 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a schematic side view of a part of the air flow path spacer 30.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the air flow path spacer 30 of the first embodiment includes a substantially planar mesh member 31 and a plurality of convex portions 32. The mesh member 31 includes a plurality of linear members 31a arranged at regular intervals along the horizontal direction, and a plurality of linear members 31b arranged at regular intervals along the vertical direction. The plurality of convex portions 32 are regularly formed on the surface of the mesh member 31. As a material of the mesh member 31, plastic is used. The airflow path spacer 30 can be made based on the mesh member 31. For example, by sandwiching the mesh member 31 between two heated molds (male mold and female mold) and pressing the mesh member 31 with these molds, a plurality of convex portions 32 can be easily formed on the mesh member 31. Can be formed. Hereinafter, the air flow passage spacer 30 having such a configuration is also referred to as a “mesh spacer”.

  The mesh spacer 30 has a number of advantages as follows. That is, first, since the mesh spacer 30 is obtained by molding the mesh-like member 31, the amount of plastic used per unit area can be reduced. Therefore, the mesh spacer 30 can be manufactured at low cost, and the mesh spacer 30 can be reduced in weight. Secondly, since the convex portion 32 itself has a mesh shape, the convex portion 32 does not hinder the air flow. Thirdly, the mesh spacer 30 having various characteristics can be obtained by adjusting the thicknesses and intervals of the linear members 31a and 31b constituting the mesh member 31. For example, by increasing the thickness of the linear members 31a and 31b and reducing the distance between the linear members 31a and 31b, the mesh spacer 30 having a very high pressure resistance can be formed, while the linear member 31a. , 31b and the spacing between the linear members 31a, 31b can be increased to make a mesh spacer 30 that is not very high but is very light. Fourthly, since the mesh spacer 30 can be obtained by continuously forming the mesh-shaped member 31 wound in a roll shape, the mesh spacer 30 is excellent in mass productivity, and is large. Even the mesh spacer 30 having an area can be easily formed. Thus, it can be said that the mesh spacer 30 is ideal for use as a spacer for securing an air flow passage.

  The mesh member 31 may have a structure in which a large number of holes are formed in a plastic flat plate, and an opening ratio on the surface thereof is 30% or more. In this case, a part other than the hole is considered as a linear member. Here, the “opening ratio at the surface” refers to the ratio of the area of the area where the linear member is not formed to the area of the entire surface of the mesh member.

  The air flow passage spacer of the first embodiment includes a mesh-like member made of plastic and a plurality of convex portions formed on the surface thereof, so that the amount of plastic used per unit area can be reduced. . For this reason, the spacer for airflow passages can be manufactured at low cost, and the weight of the spacer for airflow passages can be reduced. Further, since the air flow passage spacer can be obtained by continuously forming the mesh member wound in a roll shape, the air flow passage spacer is excellent in mass productivity and has a large area. Even the airflow path spacers can be easily made.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a part of the air flow path spacer according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view of a hinge portion formed on the linear member in the air flow path spacer. (B) is a schematic side view of the hinge part.

  The mesh spacer has various advantages as described in the first embodiment. However, when it is necessary to greatly increase the pressure resistance of the mesh spacer, the linear member itself must be thickened. However, this reduces the flexibility of the mesh spacer. The air flow path spacer of the second embodiment is an improvement of the air flow path spacer of the first embodiment so as to solve such problems and to improve both pressure resistance and flexibility. .

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the air flow path spacer (mesh spacer) 300 according to the second embodiment includes a mesh member 310, a plurality of convex portions 320, and a plurality of hinge portions 330. Here, the mesh member 310 includes a plurality of linear members 310a arranged at regular intervals along the horizontal direction and a plurality of linear members 310b arranged at regular intervals along the vertical direction. The mesh spacer 300 of the second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that a plurality of hinge portions 330 are formed on the mesh member 310 and that polypropylene is used as the material of the mesh member 310. is there. About another point, it is the same as that of the said 1st embodiment.

  The hinge part 330 is a part of the mesh-like member 310 in a part other than the part where the convex part 320 is formed, and is a part subjected to hinge processing. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the hinge portion 330 is a portion in which the thickness of the linear members 310 a and 310 b in the direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh member 310 is formed. In FIG. 3, the hinge portion 330 is indicated by a black circle, and the plurality of hinge portions 330 are linear shapes corresponding to the sides of the square when a square having a predetermined size surrounding each convex portion 320 is considered. It is formed in each part of members 310a and 310b. Here, the “direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh-like member 310” means a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface in contact with the human body when the mesh spacer 300 is used in the air conditioning mat 10. Therefore, in FIG. 3, the thickness of the linear members 310a and 310b in the vertical direction is not reduced, but the thickness of the linear members 310a and 310b in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is reduced.

  The hinge part 330 is formed by crushing a part of the linear members 310a and 310b along a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh-like member 310 and processing it into a flat shape. Specifically, utilizing the property that plastic is softened by heating, a predetermined die that is heated is pressed against the mesh-like member 310 so that a part of the linear members 310a and 310b can be easily hinged. Can be applied. Of course, when the convex portion 320 is formed, the hinge portion 330 can be formed simultaneously with the formation of the convex portion 320. As described above, it is very easy to form the hinge portion 330 on the mesh-like member 310.

  By forming the hinge portion 330 on the mesh member 310 in this way, the hinge portion 330 has flexibility, so that the mesh spacer 300 as a whole has flexibility in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh member 310. be able to. The thinner the hinge part 330 is, the more flexible the mesh spacer 300 is.

  In the second embodiment, polypropylene is used as the material of the mesh member 310. Polypropylene has a characteristic that the tensile strength and the repeated durability are improved as the thickness is reduced due to the hinge effect. This characteristic of polypropylene is used in the hinges of storage cases for various purposes that are often used in the home. Therefore, both the pressure resistance and flexibility of the mesh spacer 300 can be improved by using polypropylene as the material of the mesh member 310 and forming the hinge portion 330 on the mesh member 310.

  In addition, when giving high pressure resistance to the hinge part 330, although it is desirable to use a polypropylene as a raw material of the mesh-like member 310 as mentioned above, of course, it is not necessary to use pure polypropylene, and the mesh spacer 300 In consideration of other characteristics to be added, a plastic containing polypropylene in an appropriate ratio may be used.

  The air flow path spacer of the second embodiment has the same effect as that of the first embodiment. In particular, in the second embodiment, both the pressure resistance and flexibility of the air flow path spacer can be improved by using polypropylene as the material of the mesh member and forming a hinge portion on the mesh member.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the airflow passage spacer is used in the human body contact type air conditioner has been described. However, the airflow passage spacer of the present invention is used in the human body contact type air conditioner. It can also be used for the purpose similar to the purpose of the spacer, for example, for the purpose of providing an air flow path between the human body and the object in contact with the human body. That is, by providing the airflow path spacer of the present invention between the human body and the object in contact with the human body, a space for circulating air can be ensured between the human body and the object. Even if air is not forced to flow through the space, a certain degree of effect can be expected. For example, by providing the air flow passage spacer of the present invention between a person's back and a portion in contact with the back of the rucksack, an air flow passage can be secured between the back and the rucksack. At this time, the air in the airflow path spacer is warmed at the body temperature and rises inside the airflow path spacer, causing an air flow between the back and the rucksack. It can be prevented to some extent.

  As described above, the air flow path spacer of the present invention includes a mesh-like member made of plastic and a plurality of convex portions formed on the surface thereof, so that the amount of plastic used per unit area is Is less. For this reason, the spacer for airflow passages can be manufactured at low cost, and the weight of the spacer for airflow passages can be reduced. Further, since the air flow passage spacer can be obtained by continuously forming the mesh member wound in a roll shape, the air flow passage spacer is excellent in mass productivity and has a large area. Even the airflow path spacers can be easily made. Therefore, the air flow path spacer of the present invention is for the purpose of forming an air flow path in a human body-contact type air conditioner such as an air conditioning mat, or for the purpose of forming an air flow path between a human body and an object in contact with the human body. Can be used.

(A) is a schematic plan view of the air-conditioning mat in which the spacer for airflow passages of 1st embodiment is used, (b) is a schematic sectional drawing of the air-conditioning mat in the AA arrow direction. (A) is a schematic plan view of a part of the spacer for an air flow passage of the first embodiment, and (b) is a schematic side view of a part of the spacer for the air flow passage. It is a schematic plan view of a part of the spacer for airflow passages of the second embodiment. (A) is a schematic top view of the hinge part formed in the linear member in the spacer for airflow paths, (b) is a schematic side view of the hinge part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Air-conditioning mat 11 Lower board 12 Cloth 13 Force distribution means 14 Air inlet part 15 Air outlet part 16 Cross flow fan 17 Switch 18 Plug 30,300 Air flow path spacer (mesh spacer)
31, 310 Mesh-like member 31a, 31b, 310a, 310b Linear member 32, 320 Convex part 330 Hinge part

Claims (4)

An air flow path spacer used to form an air flow path for circulating external air or cooled or dehumidified air near the surface of a human body,
An airflow passage spacer comprising a mesh-like member made of plastic and a plurality of convex portions formed on the surface of the mesh-like member.   The mesh member is composed of a plurality of linear members, and a part of the mesh member in a portion other than the portion where the convex portion is formed, the direction in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mesh member. The spacer for an air flow passage according to claim 1, wherein the linear member is thin.   The spacer for an air flow passage according to claim 2, wherein polypropylene or a plastic containing polypropylene is used as a material of the mesh member. The spacer for an air flow passage according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the spacer is provided between a human body and an object in contact with the human body.

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