JP2008023080A - Heater with static electricity therapy function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heater with a static electricity therapy function which prevents a coupling loss of charges from a negative potential electrode and a sheet heating element, and provokes no potential decrease due to a potential interference. <P>SOLUTION: The heater 1 with a static electricity therapy function is designed so as to alternately set a heating condition and a potential therapy condition by switching between a sheet heater 3 and a potential therapy tool 4. A sheet heater 3 is formed by providing a sheet heating element 30 pinched by a pair of heater electrodes 31 and 32 between two insulating sheets 21 and 22 stacked one upon another and having heat resistance and flexibility. The static electricity therapy tool 4 is formed by arranging a negative potential electrode 41 in the area where the sheet heating elements 30 is not provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heater with an electric potential treatment function in which a heating state and an electric potential treatment state are alternately set by switching between a planar heater and an electric potential treatment device. Further, the present invention relates to a heater with an electric potential treatment function suitable for incorporation into clothing such as rugs and futons.

  Conventionally, there has been proposed a heater with an electric potential treatment function capable of obtaining both a thermotherapy effect and an electric potential treatment effect. This heater with a potential treatment function is generally applied to a mat such as a mat or a futon, and a mechanism for generating a negative potential state in addition to a planar heat source is incorporated in the interior of the rug. According to this type of heater with potential treatment function, in addition to heat treatment effects such as blood circulation promotion and fatigue recovery, the potential treatment effect of relieving symptoms such as stiff shoulders, headache, insomnia, and chronic constipation can be obtained. This potential treatment effect is activated when a patient with the above-mentioned disease is placed in a negative potential state, ionization of sodium and calcium in blood circulating in the body is promoted, and the acidified human body is alkalized and activated. It is said that it can be obtained.

  In recent years, attention has been paid to the effect of the above-described heater with a potential treatment function, and its application has been expanded to floor heating appliances and clothing. In particular, a heater with an electric potential treatment function incorporated in clothing is required to be lightweight and not bulky. For this reason, it is indispensable to use a planar heating element as a heat source.

  A planar heater using a planar heating element as a heat source generally has a structure in which a planar heating element is provided between two insulating sheets having heat resistance and flexibility stacked one above the other. It is. As the sheet heating element, there is a sheet heating element printed on the surface of one insulating sheet with ink mainly composed of conductive carbon particles and a plastic matrix resin. A pair of heater electrodes having a comb shape is formed by printing using conductive ink. This planar heating element has a positive temperature coefficient and has a property (PTC characteristic) in which electric resistance increases as the temperature rises. Since the electric resistance increases as the temperature rises, the current rapidly decreases. As a result, the temperature rise gradually becomes milder, and eventually the temperature does not rise above the set temperature. The upper surface of the sheet heating element and the heater electrode is covered with the other insulating sheet, and the two insulating sheets are integrated by bonding or welding.

  In order to incorporate a heater with an electric potential treatment function into clothing, a sheet-like electric potential treatment device suitable for being combined with the above-described planar heater has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). This type of sheet-shaped potential treatment device has a negative potential electrode pattern printed between two insulating sheets having heat resistance and flexibility, and a high voltage generating circuit is formed on the negative potential electrode. The generated negative high voltage (for example, several hundred volts) is applied.

Japanese Patent No. 2873227

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show a heater 10 with a potential treatment function configured by superposing a sheet-like potential treatment device 9 on a planar heater 8. The planar heater 8 includes a planar heating element 80 and a pair of comb-shaped heater electrodes 81 and 82, and the potential treatment device 9 includes a negative potential electrode 90. In the figure, reference numerals 83 and 84 denote insulating sheets constituting the planar heater 8, and reference numerals 91 and 92 denote insulating sheets constituting the potential treatment device 9.
In the heater 10 with the potential treatment function having the above-described configuration, the planar heater 8 connected to the power supply unit 100 and the negative potential electrode 90 of the potential treatment device 9 are switched by the switching operation of the switches 101 and 102 as shown in FIG. It is operated selectively (alternately) every predetermined time, and the potential treatment is paused during heating, and the heating is paused during potential treatment.

However, as shown in FIG. 12A, the negative potential electrode 90 of the potential treatment device 9 is positioned so as to overlap the planar heating element 80 of the planar heater 8. Since a predetermined voltage is applied even when the state heater 8 is in a non-energized state, potential interference occurs between the planar heater 8 and the potential treatment device 9, and as a result, the potential of the potential treatment device 9 is increased. It is causing a decline.
FIG. 12B shows a state in which the negative charge of the negative potential electrode 90 and the positive charge of the planar heating element 80 cancel each other, resulting in a coupling loss of charges, that is, a potential drop.

  Further, in the heater 10 with the potential treatment function described above, since the sheet-like potential treatment device 9 is superimposed on the planar heater 8, it takes a lot of time to manufacture and increases the cost, and the overall thickness increases. There is a problem of being bulky.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problem. By adopting a configuration in which the planar heating element and the negative potential electrode do not overlap, the coupling loss of charge between the negative potential electrode and the planar heating element is achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heater with a potential treatment function that prevents the potential from being lowered and does not cause a potential decrease due to potential interference.

  Another object of the present invention is to integrate the planar heater and the negative potential electrode, thereby reducing the number of manufacturing steps and reducing the cost, and reducing the overall thickness and increasing the bulk. The object is to provide a heater with an electric potential treatment function that suppresses tension.

  The heater with an electric potential treatment function according to the present invention is configured such that a heating state and an electric potential treatment state are alternately set by switching between a planar heater and an electric potential treatment device, and is superposed vertically. A planar heater is formed by providing a planar heating element sandwiched between a pair of heater electrodes in the middle of two insulating sheets having heat resistance and flexibility. In a region where the planar heating element is not provided, a potential treatment device is formed by arranging a negative potential electrode.

In the above-described heater with potential treatment function, the planar heater and the potential treatment device are switched. When the planar heater operates, the potential therapy device ceases operation, while when the potential therapy device operates, the planar heater ceases operation.
Since the negative potential electrode of the potential treatment device is arranged in a region where the planar heating element is not provided, even when voltage is applied to the planar heating element during operation of the planar heater, There is no potential interference between the heater and the potential treatment device, and the potential treatment device does not cause a potential drop.

  In the above-described configuration of the present invention, various types of “planar heating elements” can be used, but those having characteristics (PTC characteristics) in which the electrical resistance value increases as the temperature rises (generally “PTC heaters”). Called).

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the planar heating element is provided in each of a plurality of divided areas, and each pair of heater electrodes is provided at opposing positions sandwiching the planar heating element in each area. In addition, a negative potential electrode is provided in each of the gap area where the planar heating element is not provided between adjacent areas and the peripheral area surrounding the planar heating element.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the planar heating element is provided in one region, and a pair of heater electrodes which form a pair along the center position and the outer peripheral edge of the planar heating element. Each is provided, and a negative potential electrode is provided in a peripheral region surrounding the planar heating element.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to integrate the negative potential electrode into the planar heater, a negative potential electrode is provided between the two insulating sheets constituting the planar heater, or the planar heater is A negative potential electrode is provided in the middle of one insulating sheet constituting and an insulating sheet having heat resistance and flexibility superimposed on the upper surface thereof.
According to these embodiments, as compared with the conventional configuration in which a sheet-shaped potential treatment device is stacked on a planar heater, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, the cost can be reduced, and the overall thickness can be reduced. It can be made thin to reduce bulkiness.

  In addition, on one insulating sheet constituting the sheet heater, a sheet having a negative potential electrode provided between two insulating sheets having heat resistance and flexibility stacked one above the other is stacked. Although a negative potential electrode can be integrated with the heater, in this case, although the potential interference between the planar heater and the potential treatment device can be prevented, the overall thickness cannot be reduced, and the manufacturing effort is reduced. There is no reduction or cost reduction.

According to the present invention, since the planar heating element and the negative potential electrode are configured not to overlap each other, it is possible to prevent the coupling loss of charges between the negative potential electrode and the planar heating element and to reduce the potential due to potential interference. There is no risk of inviting.
Further, by integrating the planar heater and the negative potential electrode, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced and the cost can be reduced, and the overall thickness can be reduced and the bulkiness can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the appearance and configuration of a heater 1 with a potential treatment function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The illustrated example is a battery-operated potential treatment function heater 1 incorporated in a rug, clothing, or the like, and a sheet heater 3 incorporated in a sheet-like heater body 2 and a potential treatment device 4 are connected by a switch. The switching operation is performed every predetermined time to alternately set the heating state and the potential treatment state. A cord wire 5 is electrically connected to the heater body 2 via a connector (not shown), and a controller 6 is attached to the tip of the cord wire 5. The cord 5 includes power cords 51 and 52 for supplying a DC voltage to the planar heater 3 and a negative power cord 53 for applying a negative high voltage for potential treatment.

  The controller 6 is provided with an operation unit 60, and the operation unit 60 is provided with a slide switch 61 and three display lamps 62 to 64 including LEDs. The first display lamp 62 is lit when there is a remaining battery level. The second display lamp 63 is lit when in a warming state, and the third display lamp 64 is lit when in a potential treatment state. The slide switch 61 is for setting the temperature in three stages or selecting the operation of only the potential treatment device 4.

The heater main body 2 has a substantially square rectangular shape, and the planar heater 3 and the potential treatment device 4 are integrated in the middle between two insulating sheets 21 and 22 that are stacked one above the other and joined together. Of the same structure.
Insulating sheets 21 and 22 are synthetic resin films having heat resistance and flexibility, and olefin-based films such as polyethylene terephthalate are used, but are not limited thereto. For example, vinyl chloride In addition to resin materials such as nylon and rubber, it is also possible to use rubber materials.

  The planar heater 3 sandwiches the planar heating element 30 provided in each of a plurality of (in the illustrated example) the strip-shaped regions S1 to S4 and the planar heating element 30 of each of the strip-shaped regions S1 to S4. It is composed of positive and negative heater electrodes 31 and 32 provided at opposing positions, a conductive portion 33 that connects the positive heater electrodes 31 in series, and a conductive portion 34 that connects the negative heater electrodes 32 in series.

  Each planar heating element 30 is formed by printing on the surface of one insulating sheet 21 using an ink mainly composed of conductive carbon particles and a plastic matrix resin. The planar heating element 30 has a positive temperature coefficient and has a property (PTC characteristic) in which electric resistance increases as the temperature rises.

  On the surface of the insulating sheet 21, positive and negative heater electrodes 31 and 32 are formed at opposite positions sandwiching the planar heating element 30 by thermally welding a metal foil of silver or copper. Also, a conduction portion 33 that connects each positive heater electrode 31 and a conduction portion 34 that connects each negative heater electrode 32 are formed in series with each heater electrode 31 and 32 by thermally welding the same metal foil.

  Between the adjacent belt-like regions S1, S2, between S2, S3, and between S3, S4, belt-like gap regions R1 to R3 where the planar heating element 30 is not provided are interposed, and each gap region R1. A negative potential electrode 41 connected in series is provided in the peripheral region surrounding R3 and the four planar heating elements 30. The negative potential electrode 41 is also formed by thermally welding a silver or copper metal foil to the surface of the insulating sheet 21. The negative potential electrode 41 and a high voltage generation circuit (not shown) constitute a potential treatment device 4.

  In this embodiment, the negative potential electrode 41 is provided in the middle of the two insulating sheets 21 and 22 constituting the heater main body 2, and the potential treatment device 4 is integrally incorporated in the heater main body 2, but not limited thereto, As shown in FIG. 3, a negative potential electrode 41 may be provided and integrated between one insulating sheet 22 constituting the heater body 2 and an insulating sheet 23 of the same material stacked on the upper surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 4, on the one insulating sheet 22 constituting the heater body 2, a negative potential electrode 41 is provided between two insulating sheets 23 and 24 of the same material stacked one above the other. You may overlap and integrate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the sheet heating elements 30 are provided in each of the plurality of band-like areas S1 to S4, and the heater electrodes 31 and 32 are provided at positions facing the sheet heating elements 30 in the band-like areas S1 to S4. In addition, the negative potential electrodes 41 are provided in the gap regions R1 to R3 between the belt-like regions and the peripheral region surrounding the planar heating element 30, respectively, but as shown in FIG. 5, the planar heating element 30 is provided in one region. A pair of heater electrodes 31 and 32 are provided along the center position of the planar heating element 30 and along the outer peripheral edge, and a negative potential electrode 41 is provided in a peripheral region surrounding the planar heating element 30. It may be.
The heater main body 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is formed in a horizontally long planar shape corresponding to the shape of both shoulder portions in order to be attached to the shoulder portion of the clothing, but the shape depends on the attachment site. The design can be changed.

  Further, each of the embodiments described above has a battery drive system for incorporation into clothing and the like, and the controller 6 is provided with a portion (not shown) in which a battery is loaded. As shown in FIG. 6, an AC power supply driving method may be adopted by providing a power plug 7.

FIG. 7 shows an electrical configuration of the above-described heater 1 with a potential therapeutic treatment function. In the figure, a control device 65 is composed of a one-chip microcomputer, and is incorporated in the controller 6 and includes a CPU that is the main body of control, a ROM that stores programs, a RAM that is used for reading and writing data, and the like. . The control device 65 is connected to the slide switch 61 and the three display lamps 62 to 64 constituting the operation unit 60, and to the planar heater 3, the potential treatment device 4, and the relay circuit 70. Yes. The relay circuit 70 includes a switch (contact mechanism) for switching the planar heater 3 and the potential treatment device 4 to operate alternately.
The power supply unit 71 is a battery and supplies power to the planar heater 3 and the high voltage generation circuit (not shown) of the potential treatment device 4. The internal power supply circuit 72 supplies power to a built-in circuit including the control device 65.

In the heater 1 with potential treatment function described above, the planar heater 3 and the potential treatment device 4 are switched at predetermined intervals by a switch. When the planar heater 3 operates, the potential therapy device 4 stops operating, while when the potential therapy device 4 operates, the planar heater 3 stops operating.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the negative potential electrode 41 of the potential treatment device 4 is disposed in a region where the planar heating element 30 is not provided. Even if a voltage is applied to the electrode-shaped heating element 30, no potential interference occurs between the planar heater 3 and the potential treatment device 4, and the potential of the potential treatment device 4 does not decrease.

  FIG. 8B shows a state in which the negative charge of the negative potential electrode 41 and the positive charge of the planar heating element 30 do not cancel each other, no charge coupling loss occurs, and the potential hardly decreases.

It is the top view which fractured | ruptured a part which shows the external appearance of the heater with an electric potential treatment function which is one Example of this invention, and the internal structure of a heater main body. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the heater main body of another Example. It is sectional drawing of the heater main body of another Example. It is the top view which fractured | ruptured a part which shows the external appearance of another Example, and the internal structure of a heater main body. It is the top view which fractured | ruptured a part which shows the external appearance of another Example, and the internal structure of a heater main body. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the heater with an electric potential treatment function. It is sectional drawing which shows the positional relationship and effect | action of a planar heating element and a negative potential electrode. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a prior art example. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a prior art example. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical constitution of a prior art example. It is sectional drawing which shows the positional relationship and effect | action of a planar heating element and a negative potential electrode about a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heater with potential treatment function 2 Heater main body 3 Planar heater 4 Potential therapy device 21, 22, 23, 24 Insulation sheet 30 Planar heating element 31, 32 Heater electrode 41 Negative potential electrode

Claims (5)

A heater with a potential treatment function that switches between a planar heater and a potential treatment device to alternately set a state of heating and a state of potential treatment,
A planar heater is formed by providing a planar heating element sandwiched between a pair of heater electrodes in the middle of two insulating sheets having heat resistance and flexibility stacked one above the other. A heater with a potential treatment function, in which a potential treatment device is formed by disposing a negative potential electrode in a region where no heating element is provided.   Each of the planar heating elements is provided in each of a plurality of divided areas, each of the heater electrodes paired at an opposing position sandwiching the planar heating element in each area, and a surface between adjacent areas. The heater with an electric potential treatment function according to claim 1, wherein a negative potential electrode is provided in each of a gap area where no heating element is provided and a peripheral area surrounding the planar heating element.   The planar heating element is provided in one region, and a pair of heater electrodes are provided at the central position and the outer peripheral edge of the planar heating element, and surrounds the planar heating element. The heater with a potential therapeutic function according to claim 1, wherein a negative potential electrode is provided in a peripheral region.   The said negative potential electrode is a heater with an electric potential treatment function in any one of Claims 1-3 provided in the middle of the two insulating sheets which comprise a planar heater.   The negative electrode of any one of Claims 1-3 provided in the middle of one insulating sheet which comprises a planar heater, and the insulating sheet which has the heat resistance and flexibility piled up on the upper surface. The heater with the electric potential therapeutic function of crab.

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