JP2005334423A - Opening structure and pressure chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a preferable opening structure with air-tightness applicable to a pressure chamber, and a pressure chamber comprising the opening structure. <P>SOLUTION: The structure is disposed in part of sheets 2, 12 and 13 separated with the pressure difference, and is the opening structure with air-tightness for opening/closing an opening with zippers 12F and 13F. An auxiliary sheet 14 is disposed on the sheet 12 in such a way that the auxiliary sheet can overlap the opening and the zipper 12F when the zipper 12F is closed, and an annular continuous seal member 15 is attached to the sheet 12. The seal member 15 can seal the periphery of the opening and the zipper 12F by closely adhering to a face of the auxiliary sheet 14 on the opposite side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The invention according to the claims relates to an opening structure provided with a fastener in a part of a sheet separating a pressure difference, and a pressure chamber including such an opening structure.

  Keeping the air pressure around the body higher than the atmospheric pressure has favorable effects on health promotion, fatigue recovery, beauty, and the like due to an increase in the amount of oxygen in blood and body fluids. As means for obtaining such an effect, various pressure chambers capable of accommodating a person while keeping the internal air at a high pressure (for example, around 1.3 atm) have been manufactured in recent years. The pressure chamber includes a stationary type that is sturdyly configured using metal, hard resin, or the like, and a portable type that is in a bag shape and can be folded.

Patent Document 1 shown below also describes a bag-like pressure chamber (hyperbaric chamber) in which a person can be put in while maintaining the internal atmospheric pressure higher than the surroundings. It is configured to be foldable by a sheet made of vinyl or Kevlar (trademark), and is inflated into a spherical, hemispherical or sausage shape by pressurizing the inside. According to the said literature, the athletic ability of an athlete can be improved using this chamber, or a patient with altitude sickness can be treated.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-20354

The pressure chamber as described above that accommodates a person needs to be provided with an opening that can be opened and closed for the purpose of entering and exiting the person. The opening must be airtight so that the pressure in the chamber can be kept high.
If the chamber is made of metal or the like, it is easy to provide a door and a hatch on a part of the side wall, etc. to realize the possibility of opening and closing and airtightness. However, in the case of a foldable bag-shaped pressure chamber, such a door or the like cannot be provided, and thus it is necessary to adopt a lightweight and flexible opening structure.

  In the above-described Patent Document 1, as such an opening structure, a waterproof and airtight zipper (of the type used for underwater dry suits) is attached to the opening, or a velcro-shaped string is used for reinforcement. It is described.

  However, since the waterproof and airtight zipper ensures waterproofness and airtightness by strongly overlapping the edge of the opening with a zipper (another name for fastener), a strong force is required to open and close the zipper. In addition, the edge of the opening in the seat is apt to be damaged due to wear, etc., but if it is damaged, the waterproofness and airtightness are greatly reduced. The number of usable times (opening and closing times) is limited. In addition, when using a string, it is impossible to increase the airtightness of the opening with only the string, and it is very troublesome to tie or untie the string.

  The invention according to the claims has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides an airtight preferable opening structure that can be employed in a pressure chamber or the like, and a pressure chamber including such an opening structure. .

The opening structure described in claim 1 is provided in a part of a sheet separating pressure difference (that is, a sheet on which one side receives pressure higher than the other side), and the opening is formed as a fastener (slide fastener). Opening structure with airtightness (including watertightness)
-An auxiliary seat is provided on the high-pressure side of the seat (the side with higher pressure than the other) so that it can cover the opening and the fastener when the fastener is closed,
-Annular (continuous closed shape) that can close the periphery of the opening and the fastener by adhering to either the above sheet or the auxiliary sheet (or both) and facing the opposite side (auxiliary sheet or the above sheet) A continuous seal member (not necessarily circular) is attached by joining or the like.

  Such an opening structure can exhibit high airtightness (including watertightness) even when the fastener itself is not provided with excellent airtightness. This is because, as described above, an auxiliary sheet is provided on the high-pressure side of the sheet, and a seal member that is in close contact with the mating surface is attached to either the auxiliary sheet or the above sheet. When pressure (pressure higher than the low pressure side) is applied from the high pressure side of the sheet, the auxiliary sheet is pressed against the surface of the high pressure side of the sheet, and the sealing member is also brought into close contact with the sheet or the auxiliary sheet. Since the auxiliary seat can cover the opening of the seat and the fastener, and the sealing member is also a continuous ring that can block the periphery of the opening and the fastener, the air from the high pressure side toward the opening of the seat and the fastener is These are blocked by the auxiliary sheet and the sealing member. Since the air toward the opening and the fastener is blocked in this way, even if the fastener itself is not airtight, this opening structure can exhibit high airtightness in a closed state.

  Since high airtightness is not required for the fastener itself, this opening structure does not require the use of a special fastener such as the waterproof airtight zipper described above. Since a general-purpose fastener or a fastener having only simple airtightness can be used, the cost is low and the force required for the opening / closing operation is small. The edges of the openings and the joints of the fasteners wear with the number of opening and closing operations, but there is no risk that the airtightness will be reduced. That is, as long as the auxiliary sheet and the sealing member are not damaged, the above-described airtightness is exhibited. Therefore, even when the auxiliary sheet is frequently opened and closed, it can be used repeatedly for a long period of time.

The opening structure according to claim 2 is in particular:
-The above-mentioned sheet that separates the pressure difference is composed of a double sheet (one that overlaps so that the two sheets come into contact with each other) at least near the opening, and a fastener is attached to each opening,
-Place the above auxiliary sheet between the double sheets (that is, the high pressure side of one of the double sheets)
-Either one of the double sheets or the auxiliary sheet (that is, one or more of the total of three sheets and auxiliary sheets) and the opposite counterpart (auxiliary sheet or one of the above sheets) ) And a continuous ring-shaped sealing member capable of closing the periphery of the opening and the fastener.

  In the opening structure of this claim, since the auxiliary sheet is between the double sheets, the auxiliary sheet is always accommodated in the double sheet in a state of being overlapped with each sheet when the fasteners are closed. Therefore, when the pressure is applied to the high pressure side, there is no need to perform an operation for covering the auxiliary sheet on the high pressure side surface of the sheet in advance. Further, since the auxiliary sheet and the seal member are not exposed in a state where the fasteners are closed, there is no possibility of damaging them accidentally. That is, according to this opening structure, it can be said that it is easy to handle at the time of use, and is advantageous for long-term use while maintaining airtightness.

  The airtightness is exhibited in this opening structure due to the following actions. First, when a seal member is attached to either (or both) the high-pressure side of the low-pressure side of the double sheet or the surface on the auxiliary sheet facing it, The auxiliary sheet is pressed onto the low-pressure side sheet, and airtightness is exhibited by the same action as the opening structure of claim 1. On the other hand, when a seal member is attached to either the low pressure side surface of the double sheet or the surface on the auxiliary sheet opposite to it (or both), when pressure is applied The high-pressure side sheet is pressed against the auxiliary sheet backed up by the low-pressure side sheet, and the sealing member is brought into close contact with the high-pressure side sheet or the auxiliary sheet, so that the opening of the high-pressure side sheet and the fastener are changed to the low-pressure side sheet. Air to go is blocked and airtightness is exhibited.

The opening structure according to claim 3, in particular,
-The above-mentioned sheet separating the pressure difference is made of fiber reinforced resin,
・ The auxiliary sheet is made of a soft resin with a smooth surface,
-The above-mentioned seal member is bonded (attached closely by adhesion or welding) to the surface on the high-pressure side of the above-mentioned sheet facing the auxiliary sheet.
Needless to say, since the airtight opening structure is used, the sheet and the auxiliary sheet are not air permeable.

In this opening structure, a fiber reinforced resin sheet is used as a sheet that separates the pressure difference, so that it does not stretch greatly when subjected to different pressures on both sides, and there is also room for pressure resistance. It is done. This is also preferable in terms of ensuring airtightness that is realized as described above by pressing the auxiliary sheet against the high-pressure side of the sheet.
However, a resin-made sheet reinforced with fibers is generally such that the contained fibers have irregularities formed on the surface of the sheet. Therefore, if the sealing member is bonded to the auxiliary sheet and the sealing member is pressed against the surface of the fiber-reinforced sheet when pressure is applied, the sealing member and the sheet (irregularities due to the fibers) There is a possibility that airtightness may be insufficient due to a gap that is likely to occur between the two.
Therefore, the opening structure of this claim is such that the sealing member is closely joined to the high-pressure side surface of the sheet (fiber reinforced), and the auxiliary sheet is made of a soft resin with a smooth surface. It was. In this way, the above-mentioned sheet and the seal member are integrated with no gap by joining, and at the same time, the seal member can be tightly adhered to the surface of the auxiliary sheet when pressure is applied, and a tight airtightness is secured. The

The pressure chamber according to claim 4 is a pressure chamber used at an internal pressure different from atmospheric pressure (that is, at a pressure higher or lower than atmospheric pressure).
・ The opening structure shown in the above claims is provided at the entrance of the user.

Generally, the user's doorway in a pressure chamber has a high opening / closing frequency. For example, in the case of a pressure chamber that accommodates people for health promotion as described above, it is usually recommended to keep people in high pressure for 40 to 50 minutes. The door will be opened and closed about 10 times a day for entry and exit. In a commercially available waterproof and airtight zipper, the allowable number of opening and closing times that can maintain airtightness is about 500 times. Therefore, it can be said that the above-described opening and closing frequency with the entry and exit of a person is too severe for the waterproof and airtight zipper. The zipper has a drawback that it is not easy to open and close because of its heavy operation. In addition to a chamber for health promotion, etc., a person's doorway is normally opened and closed several tens of times a day in a pressure chamber for exercise training and various experiments.
In consideration of this point, the pressure chamber of this claim is provided with the opening structure shown in the above-mentioned claim at the entrance / exit of the user. The opening structure of the above claims exhibits high airtightness in a closed state, and since a general-purpose fastener or the like can be used, the force required for opening and closing operations is small, and even when it is frequently opened and closed, airtightness is impaired. It can be used repeatedly for a long period of time (described above). Therefore, it can be said that this pressure chamber is highly preferable with an optimum opening structure as a human entrance.

The pressure chamber according to claim 5 is in particular the pressure chamber according to claim 4,
・ In order to keep the internal pressure above atmospheric pressure, it is configured as a foldable cylindrical bag-like container,
-The above-mentioned opening and fastener are provided on the cylindrical side surface along the longitudinal direction (that is, in a direction parallel to the axial center of the cylinder).

Such a pressure chamber accommodates a user and keeps the internal atmospheric pressure at atmospheric pressure or higher, and can be used for the aforementioned health promotion and the like. This has the following operational characteristics in particular. That is,
A pressure chamber is configured as a foldable bag-like container, and the opening structure of the above claims is adopted for the pressure chamber. In other words, it is not an opening structure with heavy and undeformable doors and hatches, but an opening structure composed of deformable elements such as seats, fasteners, auxiliary seats and seal members is adopted, so the pressure chamber including the opening structure itself Can be folded, and is also lightweight as a whole. Therefore, the pressure chamber of this claim is very easy to move and transport to another use location as necessary.
In the cylindrical bag-like container, an opening and a fastener are provided along the longitudinal direction on the cylindrical side surface. Therefore, maintaining airtightness by pressing the auxiliary sheet against the sheet including the opening and the fastener is realized extremely effectively. This is because the opening provided in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical side surface can be formed in a straight line shape and is not greatly deformed three-dimensionally even if the pressure acting on the bag-like container changes. That is, unlike the opening provided on the spherical surface, the opening as described above does not have a curved shape (bent along with the surface of the sheet), and does not have a flat surface (for example, a dice-type container). Unlike the opening provided on the side surface, the shape does not change three-dimensionally (that is, it swells with the surface of the sheet) even under pressure. Therefore, in this pressure chamber, high airtightness is always ensured by using a flat auxiliary sheet that is not given a special three-dimensional shape (thus easily available and low cost).

The opening structure described in claim 1 has the following effects.
-Even without using a waterproof and airtight zipper with excellent airtightness, it can exhibit high airtightness when closed.
-Low cost because there is no need to use special fasteners.
・ Less force is required for opening and closing operations.
-Even if it is frequently opened and closed, it can be used repeatedly for a long time.

  According to the opening structure described in claim 2, the handling at the time of use is simple, and it is advantageous for long-term use while maintaining airtightness.

  The opening structure according to the third aspect is particularly advantageous in terms of pressure resistance because the sheet does not extend greatly due to the action of pressure. Further, the seal member can be firmly adhered to the surface of the auxiliary sheet during the action of pressure, and high airtightness is ensured.

  The pressure chamber according to claim 4 has an opening structure at the user's doorway that exhibits high airtightness, requires less force for opening and closing operation, and does not deteriorate even if it is frequently opened and closed. Since it is provided, it is preferable as a pressure chamber (for example, a chamber for health promotion, treatment, beauty, recovery from fatigue, training, or various experiments) in which people have many opportunities to enter and exit.

  Since the pressure chamber according to the fifth aspect can be folded including the opening structure itself and is light in weight, it can be easily moved and transported to another use location as necessary. Moreover, high airtightness can always be ensured by using an auxiliary sheet that is easily available and low in cost.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing details of the opening structure 10 employed in the pressure chamber 1 shown in FIG. 2 and the subsequent figures. FIG. 1A is a plan view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. is there. 2A and 2B are external views of the pressure chamber 1, in which FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG. 2B is a side view. 3 is a perspective view showing the entire pressure chamber 1, and FIG. 4 is a system diagram showing an air supply system to the pressure chamber 1.

The pressure chamber 1 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 accommodates a person inside, and the internal air pressure can be kept higher than the atmospheric pressure by about 0.03 MPa (about 0.3 kg / cm ² ). doing. By laying a person for 40 to 50 minutes under such high pressure, effects on health promotion, fatigue recovery, and beauty are brought about.

  In order to make it portable so that it can be folded and carried, the chamber 1 has a bag-like container made of a fiber-reinforced polyurethane sheet 2. When air is sealed in the container to near the above pressure, it swells into a cylindrical shape (including hemispherical portions at both ends) as shown in the figure, and when the air is discharged, it becomes deflated and compactly folded.

  The pressure chamber 1 is used by being installed on the horizontal support 3 in a sideways state as shown in FIG. The upper portion is provided with an opening structure 10 including an opening with a fastener 12F along the longitudinal direction. When the chamber 1 is used, the opening structure 10 is opened and closed by the fastener 12F and the like. Users can go in and out. A cushioned bed (not shown) is disposed in the chamber 1, and the user receives the pressure of air sent in while lying on the bed. 2 and 3, reference numeral 4 denotes a viewing window formed of a transparent resin sheet, and reference numeral 5 denotes a connection portion (joint) to which an air pipe (for example, an air injector 26), a valve, a measuring instrument, or the like can be connected. .

The opening structure 10 in the pressure chamber 1 is configured as shown in FIG. That is,
a) The sheet 2 which is the main body of the chamber 1 is composed of a double sheet 11 in which an outer (low pressure side) sheet 12 and an inner (high pressure side) sheet 13 overlap each other in the vicinity of the opening. In this example, as the sheets 12 and 13, as with the sheet 2, a fiber-reinforced polyurethane sheet is used.

  b) The openings in the sheets 12 and 13 of the double sheet 11 can be opened and closed by attaching fasteners 12F and 13F, respectively. As the fasteners 12F and 13F, those having a so-called simple airtight level performance as the airtightness are used. The fasteners 12F and 13F are both provided straight along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical side surface of the chamber 1 as shown in FIG. 2 (a), and may overlap vertically as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and (b). The positions are shifted slightly (several tens of mm or more) so as not to be parallel.

  c) The auxiliary sheet 14 is arranged between the sheets 12 and 13 of the double sheet 11 as shown in FIG. The auxiliary sheet 14 is made of vinyl chloride that is transparent and soft and has a smooth surface (at least the surface facing the sheet 12), and has a dimension that can be completely covered with the fastener 12F. One edge along the longitudinal direction of the fasteners 12F and 13F is joined to the sheet 12 and 13 to be integrated with the sheet 2, and the other edge is not fixed so that a person can go in and out.

  d) An annular seal member 15 having a semicircular cross section is joined to the inner side surface (that is, the high pressure side surface) of the sheet 12 on the outer side (low pressure side). The seal member 15 can be produced, for example, by longitudinally cutting a rubber O-ring near the center. For the sheet 12, a seal member 15 is attached in an annular shape (oval shape) as shown in FIG. 1A so as to surround the fastener 12F and cover the auxiliary sheet 14, and is flat as shown in FIG. The surfaces are joined with an adhesive as a joining surface.

  The opening structure 10 configured in this manner provides high airtightness due to the action of the auxiliary sheet 14 and the seal member 15. That is, when a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure is applied from the inside of the pressure chamber 1, the auxiliary sheet 14 is pressed against the inner surface of the outer sheet 12 and is brought into close contact with the entire circumference of the seal member 15. In this state, the auxiliary sheet 14 covers the fastener 12F and its opening (inside the chamber 1), and the fastener 12F and the seal member 15 surrounding the opening are joined to the sheet 12 and the auxiliary sheet 14 It will be in close contact with. Therefore, at this time, the air from the inside of the chamber 1 toward the fastener 12F of the sheet 12 and the opening thereof is blocked by the auxiliary sheet 14 and the seal member 15, and high airtightness is maintained.

The pressure chamber 1 incorporates the following technical devices for the convenience of production or use. That is,
・ Fastening in the sheet 2 to form a bag-like container, double sheet 11 (between the sheets 12 and 13) and joining them to the auxiliary sheet 14, and fasteners 12F to the openings of the sheets 12 and 13 With regard to the attachment of 13F and the like, the fabric, the sheet, and the like are bonded to each other with an adhesive or heated to be fused. When stitching together, it is advisable to provide a resin film or the like at the stitched portion to prevent air leakage.
A reinforcing ring (not shown) is provided inside the sheet 2 forming the cylindrical wall surface, for example, in the vicinity of the viewing window 4 so that people can easily enter and lie in the chamber 1 in a state where the internal air is exhausted. . The reinforcement ring is made of a highly elastic resin or stainless steel pipe so that the seat 2 can maintain a generally cylindrical shape near the user's head even when the internal air pressure is low. In this way, it is possible to prevent the seat 2 from covering the face of the lying user and causing discomfort.
Cover the outside of the pressure chamber 1 (the main body) composed of the sheet 2 with a non-stretchable cover 2a (see FIG. 3), and print the name of the operator (including trademark) and usage instructions on the cover 2a To do. Unlike the sheet 2 which cannot be expanded or contracted by a pressure under pressure, the cover 2a is small in expansion and contraction, so that the printing is hardly peeled off.

  The pressure chamber 1 is supplied with air or the like by the equipment shown in FIG. That is, the operation unit 20 is provided in the vicinity of the pressure chamber 1, and various devices for supplying air or the like are arranged in the unit 20, and they are connected to the connecting portion (joint) provided in the chamber 1. ) With a pipe or hose. Specifically, it is as follows.

  The operation unit 20 is first provided with an air compressor 21, and a safety valve 22, a filter 23 (particularly for removing fine dust, etc.), an electromagnetic valve 24 and a ball valve 25 are connected to the supply port. The air compressor 21 is a diaphragm type that is oil-free and generates less dust and outgas. The set pressure of the safety valve 22 is atmospheric pressure + 0.1 MPa. The tip of the ball valve 25 is connected to an air injector 26 on the chamber 1 through a flexible hose. A silencer is attached to the solenoid valve 24 and the air injector 26.

  On the other hand, on the air discharge side, a pressure gauge 29, a relief valve provided in the unit 20 is connected to the air discharger 27 on the chamber 1 via a flexible hose and connected to a ball valve 28 in the operation unit 20. 31 and the solenoid valve 32. The relief valve 31 sets the set relief pressure to atmospheric pressure + 0.03 MPa. Further, a silencer may be attached to the air discharger 27, the ball valve 28, the relief valve 31 and the electromagnetic valve 32.

  Air is sent from the air compressor 21 at a high pressure (atmospheric pressure + 0.05 MPa), and the air pressure in the pressure chamber 1 is set to atmospheric pressure + 0 by the set relief pressure of the relief valve 31 provided on the discharge side. 0.03 MPa is set. In this way, air constantly escapes from the relief valve 31 during pressurization, so that the inside of the chamber 1 can be ventilated and the comfort of use is maintained.

  The pressure chamber 1 is further provided with a safety valve 33 that can be manually operated from the inside to release the pressure to a part of the seat 12 so that the user can reduce the pressure in an emergency. In addition, a transmission button 34 as a calling chime is also provided in the chamber 1 so as to be wirelessly transmitted to the receiving / notifying device 35 in the operation unit 20. In addition, headphones (wireless reception type) are also arranged in the chamber 1 so that music received from the external music player 37 can be heard.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention, and is a view showing details of an opening structure 10 adopted in the pressure chamber 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 1A is a plan view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. It is an external view of the pressure chamber 1, Comprising: Fig.2 (a) is a top view, The same (b) is a side view. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire pressure chamber 1. FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing an air supply system to the pressure chamber 1 and the like. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pressure chamber 2 Sheet | seat 10 Opening structure 11 (12 * 13) Double sheet | seat 12F * 13F Fastener 14 Auxiliary sheet | seat 15 Seal member 20 Operation unit

Claims (5)

It is provided in a part of the sheet separating the pressure difference, and has an airtight opening structure that opens and closes the opening with a fastener,
An auxiliary seat is provided on the high pressure side of the seat so that the opening and the fastener can be covered when the fastener is closed,
An opening structure characterized in that an annular continuous seal member is attached to either the sheet or the auxiliary sheet so as to be in close contact with the opposing surface of the opposite side and close the periphery of the opening and the fastener. The above-mentioned sheet separating the pressure difference is composed of a double sheet at least in the vicinity of the opening, and each has a fastener in the opening,
The auxiliary sheet is arranged between the double sheets,
Either one of the double sheets or the auxiliary sheet is attached with an annular continuous sealing member that can close the periphery of the opening and the fastener in close contact with the opposing mating surface. The opening structure according to claim 1.   The sheet separating the pressure difference is made of resin reinforced with fiber, the auxiliary sheet is made of soft resin with a smooth surface, and the sealing member faces the auxiliary sheet. The opening structure according to claim 1, wherein the opening structure is joined to a high-pressure side surface of the sheet. A pressure chamber used at an internal pressure different from atmospheric pressure,
A pressure chamber, wherein the opening structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is provided at a user's doorway. In order to maintain the internal atmospheric pressure at atmospheric pressure or higher, it is configured as a foldable cylindrical bag-like container, and an opening and a fastener are provided along the longitudinal direction on the cylindrical side surface. Item 5. The pressure chamber according to Item 4.

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