JP2007007335A - Thermotherapeutic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermotherapeutic appliance used for the knee or elbow of a user, capable of retaining the temperature suitable for the thermotherapy for a long period of time and holding a heating part at an appropriate region without being displaced with the motion of the joint part. <P>SOLUTION: The thermotherapeutic appliance is composed of a cylindrical holder made of an elastic material and a chemical pocket warmer held inside the holder. The holder has a storage part in which the chemical pocket warmer can be taken in/out. The thermotherapeutic appliance is attached to the knee or elbow in such a way that the chemical pocket warmer storage part is located around the leg or arm of the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermotherapy device using a chemical warmer used for thermal therapy of knees and elbows.

  Chemical warmers that use the heat of oxidation of metals such as iron, so-called disposable warmers, have been developed mainly for the purpose of easily obtaining heating. Various types are put on the market and have been proposed depending on the application site, such as a type to be applied to clothes and skin, a type to be laid on the sole, a type to be applied to the back of the foot (sock), and a type to be wound in the form of a belt.

  Thus, the conventional chemical body warmers are assumed to be used in a stationary state, and therefore the conventional form is not suitable for heating the knee or elbow, wrist, or ankle, which are movable parts (joint parts). In particular, it is difficult to fix to knees and elbows with a large movable range.

  Recently, a type in which a chemical warmer itself is wound in a band shape has been proposed (Patent Document 1). However, in this case, the fixing device itself is a heating device, which covers a wide area other than a specific affected part, and becomes too hot, and can be used only in limited seasons and places. Further, although it is effective to some extent for rotational movements of the wrist, ankle, neck, etc., further improvement is required in that it cannot follow the large bending and expansion / contraction movements of the elbows and knees and is displaced.

  Under these circumstances, a chemical warmer applied to knees and elbows and its fixture have not been known.

  In addition, as described above, since the conventional chemical warmers are intended for heating, they have aimed to generate heat at a relatively high temperature for a long time with a view to preventing low-temperature burns.

  Therefore, when diverting conventional chemical warmers to thermotherapy, which mainly involves treatment at relatively low temperatures, the temperature may exceed the temperature required for the intended treatment, and the risk of low-temperature burns due to easy diversion There are concerns. Although there have been proposals so far (Patent Document 2), further research is required for practical use.

JP 2002-146612 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-62820

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermotherapy device used for knees and elbows that can maintain a temperature suitable for thermotherapy for a long time and can hold a heat generating part at an appropriate site without being displaced with respect to movement of a joint part. Objective.

  That is, the present invention comprises a cylindrical holder made of a stretchable material and a chemical warmer held by the holder, the holder having a storage part in which the chemical warmer can be taken in and out, and the chemical The present invention relates to a thermal treatment device that is mounted on a knee or elbow so that a body warmer is located around a leg or an arm.

  In order to prevent the legs or arms from being overstressed by the holder, it is preferable to set the pressure of the holder against the skin when worn on the knee or elbow while the chemical body is stored to 80 hPa or less.

  The holder may be made of a single stretchable fiber product. However, when the holder has a multi-layered bag shape, the chemical warmer storage portion can be formed in the bag.

  The chemical warmer storage part may be formed without providing a partition in the bag-shaped holder, or may be a pocket formed by partitioning the inside of the bag-shaped holder. When forming without a partition in the bag-shaped holder, the position of the chemical warmer can be freely changed and adjusted, which is convenient.

  On the other hand, the chemical warmer serving as the heat generating part may be composed of an inner bag having air permeability only on one surface, or may be composed of an inner bag having air permeability on both surfaces.

  According to the heat treatment device for knee elbow of the present invention, the temperature suitable for heat treatment can be maintained for a long time, and it does not deviate from the movement of the joint part, does not cause congestion due to pressure, and is suitable for the knee and elbow. The exothermic part can be held in a proper part.

  A preferred embodiment of the thermal treatment device for elbows of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made. Of course, it can also be implemented by changing the dimensions and the like as a thermal therapy device for the knee.

  1 is a schematic side view of a thermal treatment device for elbows according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view when the thermal treatment device of FIG. 1 is attached to the elbow.

  The thermotherapy device includes a cylindrical holder 1 and a chemical warmer 2, and the holder 1 is provided with a bag-shaped storage portion 3 in which the chemical warmer 2 can be taken in and out. In the present embodiment, the chemical warmer storage unit 3 is provided with two openings 5 for taking in and out the chemical warmer 2, and the chemical warmer 2 stored in the storage unit 3 is stored in the storage unit 3. It can be positioned freely.

  The holder 1 is made of a stretchable material so that it can follow the bending and stretching of the elbow joint. Further, if necessary, a tightening region 4 for facilitating fixing of the holder 1 may be provided in a part of the holder 1 (see FIG. 1).

  As described above, the holder 1 may stop blood flow when tightening too tight an arm, and may cause congestion. Therefore, the holder 1 is attached to the knee or elbow while the chemical warmer 2 is stored in the storage unit 3. It is preferable to set the pressure of 1 to the skin to 80 hPa or less. When congestion occurs, heat may accumulate in the affected area and low-temperature burns may occur. Therefore, it is desirable that the compression force be 40 hPa or less, particularly 35 hPa or less. Further, the lower limit is 10 hPa, further 20 hPa, especially 30 hPa, because if it becomes loose, the followability to the affected area is lost and it becomes easy to move and it is difficult to position the treatment site.

  In this embodiment, the holder 1 has a shape in which one stretchable fiber product (woven fabric, knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, etc.) is folded and doubled to close the open portion, that is, a multi-structure bag. The opening 5 is opened during the knitting process. Although the opening 5 may be two places like this embodiment, it is 1-6 places according to the range and position to treat, and preferably 1-3 places. The arrangement of the opening 5 is not particularly limited.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 5 is knitted with the outer cloth 6 of the bag-shaped holder 1 partially opened. In this case, the storage unit 3 is a space between the outer cloth 6 and the inner cloth 7 constituting the holder 1, and the chemical warmer 2 is stored therein.

  Although not shown, the bag-like holder 1 may be appropriately sewn to provide individual storage portions (pockets). In this case, if the pocket is arranged in the direction of bending of the joint, there is a feeling of pressure when the joint is bent. Therefore, the pocket is preferably provided on the side of the arm (a leg in the case of a knee) that does not hinder the movement of the joint. . However, depending on the treatment site, it may be arranged so as to surround the arm and / or vertically.

  Although not shown, the storage portion may be separately manufactured and sewn or pasted on the holder 1. When affixing, an adhesive may be used, or the position may be removably changed with a hook-and-loop fastener or the like.

  Moreover, a lid or a cover may be attached to the opening 5, and a button or a fastener (linear or hook-and-loop fastener) may be attached from the viewpoint of preventing the dropout.

The holder 1 is made of a stretchable material, but it is made of synthetic fibers alone, and also natural fibers such as plant fibers, animal fibers, and mineral fibers. May be selected as appropriate in consideration of properties, wear resistance, chemical resistance, and the like. Preferred examples of the fiber material include polyamide, polyurethane, and polyester. Moreover, although not limited, the thickness of a fiber may be 3-100 micrometers, Preferably it may be 10-50 micrometers. The mechanical properties of the fibers, 10~300kg / mm ² in tensile strength, preferably 10~100kg / mm ^2, 1~50% elongation, preferably 5-30%.

  Stretchability is also related to the material of the fiber, but can be controlled by the fabric production method. A knitted fabric is preferable, and a circular knitted fabric, a horizontal knitted fabric, a flat knitted fabric, a rubber knitted fabric, a pearl knitted fabric, a double-sided knitted fabric and the like are particularly preferable because a fabric knitted with a circular knitted fabric can be formed into a cylindrical shape without sewing.

  The holder 1 is manufactured with this stretchable material, but the fabrication method is not limited to the one sheet or bag shape as described above, but any method that does not impair the stretchability and flexibility. May be.

  What is necessary is just to enable the dimension of the holder 1 to select the thing of various sizes suitably according to the to-be-treated person's physique.

  Next, the chemical warmer which is the other component of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the chemical warmer 2 used in the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a heat generating composition 12 that generates heat in the presence of air is enclosed in a flat bag (hereinafter referred to as an inner bag) 11. The flat bag 11 is accommodated in an airtight bag (hereinafter referred to as an outer bag) 13.

  The exothermic composition 12 is preferably dispersed in the inner bag 11 at a basis weight of 0.1 to 1 g per 10 mm square in order to achieve uniform and gentle heat generation.

  The outer bag 13 is preferably made of a non-porous film such as polyethylene, polypropylene, silica-deposited film, and vinylidene chloride coated film. Among these, a vinylidene chloride coated film is preferable from the viewpoint of impermeability of oxygen and water vapor and appropriate permeability of hydrogen. The thickness of the nonporous film is preferably 30 to 300 μm.

  A conventional exothermic composition may be used as the exothermic composition 12 enclosed in the flat bag 11 and oxidatively generates heat in the presence of air. For example, metal powder such as iron powder, activated carbon, water, water retention agent (wood powder, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, perlite, silica gel, alumina, water absorbent resin, etc.), salt, etc. can be used. It is not limited.

  The inner bag 11 is at least partly breathable and has vent holes or groups of micro holes. That is, one of the surfaces (the lower surface in FIG. 6) may be the air permeable surface 14 and the other surface may be the non-air permeable surface 15, or both surfaces may be air permeable surfaces. Furthermore, a part of one side may be a breathable surface and the rest may be a non-breathable surface.

  When a non-venting surface is provided, a synthetic resin such as nylon, polyethylene, or polypropylene is preferably used as the resin constituting the non-venting surface.

  The breathable surface is formed of a conventionally used material such as a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a knitted fabric, a film perforated in the non-breathable material, or a combination thereof.

  The size of the inner bag 11 is not particularly limited in the present invention, and may be appropriately selected according to the shape, size, etc. of the chemical warmer storage (or pocket). In addition, the shape is not limited to a rectangle, and other shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, a tongue piece shape, and a heart shape can also be adopted. The thickness is 1 to 15 mm, preferably 2 to 8 mm from the viewpoint that the feeling of wearing is good and the movement of the joint is not easily hindered. Further, regarding the thickness, in addition to the uniform thickness, it is also possible to change the feeling of pressure by adding unevenness to the thickness of the inner bag 11.

  The air permeability of the inner bag 11 may be determined in consideration of the skin surface temperature and time at which a so-called low temperature burn can occur. For example, the skin temperature and time that may cause low temperature burns are 6 hours at a skin temperature of 42 ° C, 3 hours at 43 ° C, 1.5 hours at 44 ° C, and 45 minutes at 45 ° C. It may be controlled in consideration of the composition of the exothermic composition so as not to exceed the threshold value. However, if the treatment is performed for a short time, the heat may be generated at a higher temperature (for example, 60 ° C. or 70 ° C.).

Although not limited, the air permeability of the entire inner bag 11 is preferably 100 to 2000 g / m ² · 24 h in terms of water vapor permeability measured by A method (humidity sensor method) defined in JIS K7129. 200 to 800 g / m ² · 24 h is more preferable. If the water vapor permeability is higher than 2000 g / m ² · 24 h, the exothermic composition may generate excessive heat, and if it is lower than 100 g / m ² · 24 h, the exothermic composition may not generate sufficient heat.

  The heating temperature and duration can also be controlled by the structure of the chemical body warmer 2 and the storage unit 3, particularly the inner (arm or knee side) cloth 7 or the outer cloth 6 of the storage unit 3.

  For example, there are the following combinations, but the present invention is not limited to these.

(1) When the inner fabric has a breathable structure and the chemical warmer has a double-sided breathability In this case, a relatively high heat generation temperature can be obtained, but attention should be paid to low-temperature burns and the like.

(2) When the inner cloth has a breathable structure and the chemical warmer is breathable only on one side In this case, put the chemical warmer into the storage part 3 so that the ventilated surface of the chemical warmer is on the opposite side (outside) of the body Then, the intake of air becomes easy, and the heat generation temperature becomes relatively high (about 38 to about 42 ° C.). Conversely, when the chemical warmer is placed in the storage unit 3 so that the ventilation surface of the chemical warmer is on the body side (inside), the intake of air is restricted and the heat generation temperature becomes relatively low (about 36 to about 40 ° C.).

  That is, it can be adjusted to the temperature required for the thermotherapy depending on the direction in which the chemical warmer 2 is inserted.

(3) When the inner fabric has a non-breathable or non-breathable structure and the chemical warmer is double-sided breathable In this case, a relatively high heat generation temperature can be obtained. It can be controlled by selectively setting the thermal conductivity.

(4) When the inner cloth has a non-breathable or hardly breathable structure and the chemical warmer is breathable only on one side. In this case, the chemical warmer as described in (2) above is taken into consideration, taking into account the thermal conductivity of the inner cloth. Depending on the direction in which 2 is inserted, the temperature can be adjusted to a temperature required for the thermal treatment.

(5) When both the inner cloth and the outer cloth are impermeable, and a means for putting in and out the chemical warmer is provided in the storage section In this case, the temperature adjustment necessary for the thermal treatment can be performed by the function of the storage section.

  In order to make the inner cloth non-breathable or non-breathable, for example, a non-breathable film may be attached to the body side of the storage portion.

  Moreover, the storage part of a chemical warmer can be made into the form which only locks (attaches) a chemical warmer instead of the bag shape (or pocket) as mentioned above. In this case, the chemical warmer is mounted on the outer surface or inner surface of the holder. Examples of means for attaching the chemical warmer include sticking with an adhesive, fixing with a hook-and-loop fastener, fixing with a button, and the like.

  When the chemical warmer is attached to the holder, an adhesive layer made of a normal adhesive substance is formed on one surface of the inner bag 11 (for example, the surface 14 in FIG. 6), and the adhesive layer is peeled off. Paper or a release film may be provided.

  The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer may be provided on one entire surface of the inner bag 11 or may be partially provided so as to form an appropriate pattern such as a striped pattern, a lattice pattern, or a polka dot pattern. Moreover, you may provide in a non-breathable surface and may provide in a breathable surface.

  The thermotherapy device of the type used for the elbow has been described above, but when used for the knee, the size may be adjusted according to the knee.

  Next, the thermotherapy device of the present invention will be described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1
A knee holder with a bag-shaped chemical body storage section with two openings shown in FIG. 1 using a 0.5 mm thick spandex cloth circularly knitted with polyamide fibers (180 mm circumference, length) 150 mm).

  This holder was attached to the adult male knee in the same manner as the supporter. At that time, a thermocouple was affixed on the skin where the chemical warmer hits the inner cloth of the holder and set so that the change in the skin surface temperature could be recorded.

  As the chemical warmer, two chemical warmers having 95 mm in length, 70 mm in width and 3 mm in thickness and having an inner bag which is non-breathable on one side were used. Take this inner bag out of the outer bag and shake it several times in the air, then place the non-breathable side down in one pocket (the breathable side is upward) and the non-breathable side up in the other pocket (breathable) The sex surface was faced down), and the time course of skin temperature (8 hours) was examined. The results are shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the solid line indicates the case where the air permeable surface is set downward, and the broken line indicates the case where the air permeable surface is set upward.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the temperature of the skin can be adjusted depending on whether the non-breathable surface is upward or downward.

  In addition, although the test subject carried out daily life with wearing for 8 hours, the thermotherapy device of the present invention did not greatly deviate, and the chemical warmer did not fall off. Also, there was no sense of incongruity in bending and stretching the knees, and there were no obstacles such as congestion.

It is a schematic plan view of a preferred embodiment for the elbow of the thermal treatment device of the present invention. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is a partial schematic plan view of the opening part of the holder shown in FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing when the thermal treatment tool of FIG. 1 is mounted on the elbow. It is a schematic sectional drawing of one Embodiment of the chemical warmer which can be used for this invention. 2 is a graph showing changes in skin temperature measured in Example 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Holder 2 Chemical warmer 3 Chemical warmer storage (pocket)
4 Tightening region 5 Opening 6 Outer cloth 7 Inner cloth 11 Inner bag 12 Heat generating composition 13 Outer bag 14 Breathable surface 15 Non-breathable surface

Claims (7)

A cylindrical holder made of a stretchable material and a chemical warmer held by the holder, the holder having a storage part in which the chemical warmer can be taken in and out, and the chemical warmer storage part is a leg A thermal therapy device that is worn around the knee or elbow so that it is positioned around the arm or arm. The thermotherapy device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of the holder against the skin when worn on the knee or elbow with the chemical body warmed is 80 hPa or less. The thermotherapy device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holder has a bag-like multiple structure, and the chemical warmer storage part is constituted by the bag. The thermotherapy device according to claim 3, wherein the chemical warmer storage part is formed without providing a partition in the holder. The thermotherapy device according to claim 3, wherein the chemical warmer storage part is a pocket formed by partitioning a bag-shaped holder. The thermotherapy device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the chemical body warmer comprises an inner bag having air permeability only on one side. The thermotherapy device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the chemical body warmer comprises an inner bag having air permeability on both sides.

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