JP2009254567A - Finger cover - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a finger cover which has excellent sense of fitting and is fitted to fingers or toes. <P>SOLUTION: The finger cover for covering fingers or toes is formed into a toe shape or finger shape by needle-punching a web in a constant direction and then in a different direction from the constant direction to obtain a nonwoven fabric, and drawing the nonwoven fabric. A toe cover 10 out of the finger cover is formed into a shape into which a whole toe of a foot F can be inserted, and the whole toe inserted from an opening part 11 is covered. Also, the toe cover 10 is integrally formed by applying drawing to the nonwoven fabric, so that the sense of fitting and the strength are excellent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a finger cover that is attached to a finger of a foot or a hand and covers the finger.

  Since the toes of the feet and the fingers of the hand are protruding from the human body, and especially the hand is a part used for daily work, there are many cases where the body is relatively damaged. In addition, various bacteria may propagate in the affected area due to this wound, but the toe of the foot is an environment where the high humidity state is easily maintained by footwear etc. May grow and become so-called athlete's foot. In order to treat these wounds and illnesses, an application drug applied directly to the affected area is generally used.

However, many applied drugs do not penetrate the skin immediately after application, but remain on the skin after application. Therefore, if you perform daily work after application, or wear socks or footwear, it may be removed from the affected area before the drug penetrates, and not only a sufficient therapeutic effect can be obtained but also the surroundings can be contaminated by the drug. is there. For this reason, a cover that is interposed between footwear and a foot is known (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-65885 A

However, since the conventional cover is formed by bonding or sewing, there is a joint surface and the wearing feeling is not good. This is the same for fingers of hands as well as feet.
Then, an object of this invention is to provide the finger cover excellent in a feeling of mounting | wearing as a finger cover mounted | worn to the finger | toe of a foot | leg or a hand.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a finger cover that covers a toe or a finger of a hand and is obtained by three-dimensionally molding a nonwoven fabric.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the nonwoven fabric is obtained by performing needle punching in a direction different from the certain direction after performing needle punching on the web in a certain direction.

  The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the three-dimensional forming process is drawing. The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the finger cover covers a toe portion of a foot.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the finger | toe cover with which the leg | foot and the finger | toe of a hand excellent in the feeling of mounting | wearing are obtained is obtained.

First Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of a toe cover (hereinafter simply referred to as “toe cover”) 10 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 a is a perspective view of the toe cover 10. The toe cover 10 is formed in a flat, substantially semicircular shape that can cover the entire five toes (toes) in use, and the inner diameter decreases from the opening 11 toward the tip 12. Has been. FIG. 1 b is a plan view of the toe cover 10. The opening 11 on the base end side of the toe cover 10 is formed in an arc shape, and the tip 12 is formed at a position where the top part is off the center along the arrangement of the toes. When viewed from the plane, the whole is an irregular circular or oval shape. As an example, the toe cover 10 has a width (left and right direction in FIG. 1b) and a front and rear length (up and down direction in FIG. 1b) of about 120 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 1c, the side surface of the toe cover 10 is formed so flat that the upper surface 14 touches the instep of the foot while the lower surface 13 is stepped on when the toe is inserted. It is possible to swell so that the height in the vertical direction becomes higher as it goes to. Further, V-shaped cut portions 15 directed toward the distal end portion 12 are formed on both sides of the opening portion 11 of the toe cover 10. The user inserts the toe of the foot F into the toe cover 10 from the opening 11 so that the entire toe of the foot F is covered with the toe cover 10 (FIG. 1d). The toe cover 10 is manufactured by cutting a three-dimensionally formed part from the periphery after subjecting the nonwoven fabric sheet to a drawing process, which is a three-dimensional forming process, and further adjusting the shape of the opening 11.

Hereinafter, the raw material and manufacturing process of the toe cover 10 will be described.
The sheet used for forming the toe cover 10 is preferably a non-woven sheet. In order to keep the toes warm and protected, the toe cover 10 itself needs to have a certain thickness, and in this respect, the nonwoven fabric has an advantage that a relatively thick sheet can be easily formed. Moreover, as a manufacturing method of a nonwoven fabric sheet, the needle punch processing method which stabs a web with many needles (needles) and entangles fibers is preferable. This is because the nonwoven fabric formed by the needle punching method has the advantages of high flexibility and high durability.

  Furthermore, in producing a nonwoven fabric by the needle punching method, it is preferable to perform needle punching on the web again in a direction different from that direction, for example, a direction orthogonal to the direction after needle punching in a certain direction of the web. . In this way, after performing needle punching in a certain direction of the web, and further performing needle punching from different directions on the web, the longitudinal and lateral elongation of the sheet when uniformed into a nonwoven sheet becomes uniform, so that three-dimensional molding Good moldability at the time. On the other hand, a nonwoven fabric sheet that has been subjected to needle punching only in one direction is torn or cracked in the nonwoven fabric sheet during the molding process, and the formability deteriorates.

  The kind of fiber raw material to be used for the toe cover 10 is not particularly limited, and any fiber can be used as long as it can be used as a nonwoven fabric. For example, polyamide fibers such as nylon, polyester fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid fibers, and synthetic fibers typified by polyacrylonitrile such as acrylic can be used. Further, semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate and promix, and regenerated fibers such as ammonia rayon, viscose rayon, and purified cellulose, plant fibers such as cotton and hemp, and animal fibers such as wool and silk can be used. Each of these fibers may be used alone, or two or more different types of fibers may be mixed or laminated. Each fiber may be selected according to the function (texture, moisture absorption, friction resistance, moldability, etc.) of the fiber.

  In addition, it is also possible to use functional fibers to which various functions such as deodorizing properties, hygroscopic properties, heat generation properties, antibacterial properties, moisture retention properties, and hypoallergenic properties are added as the above-mentioned fibers. In particular, in the case of chemical fibers, these functions can be added to the fiber itself by spinning the raw material with a deodorant or antibacterial agent, and in the case of natural fibers such as cotton yarn, the fiber surface can be erased. These functions can be added by applying or coating a odorant or an antibacterial agent.

  When the toe cover 10 is formed using a plurality of types of fiber materials, there are a plurality of methods for manufacturing and forming a nonwoven fabric. First, a method of forming a toe cover 10 by blending a plurality of types of fiber materials to adjust one web, processing the web into a non-woven sheet. According to this method, a single nonwoven fabric sheet in which a plurality of types of fiber raw materials are homogeneously mixed can be obtained, which is effective in terms of production efficiency and product strength.

  On the other hand, a plurality of webs are adjusted according to the type of the fiber material, and needle punching is performed in a state where the plurality of webs are laminated to form a single nonwoven sheet. There is a method of three-dimensionally forming this nonwoven fabric sheet. This method needs to adjust a plurality of webs, and there is a problem that the amount of work increases, but there is an advantage that the function of the fiber material is easily exhibited. That is, when using fibers imparted with deodorizing properties and antibacterial properties, these fibers are disposed on the inner side of the toe cover 10 (the side where the foot F is inserted), and when using fibers having an excellent heat retaining function. By disposing the fibers so as to be outside the toe cover 10, the function of each fiber material can be efficiently exhibited with respect to the toe cover 10.

  In addition, a plurality of webs are adjusted for each specific fiber material, and a plurality of non-woven sheets are manufactured by needle punching for each web, and then the non-woven sheets are laminated and simultaneously formed. There is a method of bonding non-woven fabric sheets. In this case, it is preferable to add the low-melting fiber to at least one layer of web because the fiber also functions as an adhesive by mixing the low-melting fiber melted by heating at the time of molding.

Moreover, the fabric weight (weight per m < ² >) of the nonwoven fabric sheet for toe covers 10 has the preferable range of 50-300g. If the basis weight is 50 g or more, the nonwoven fabric sheet can be formed into a three-dimensional shape. In addition, when aiming at heat retention, it is necessary to ensure a certain amount of thickness, and the basis weight is preferably 100 g or more. On the other hand, if it exceeds 300 g, the thickness increases, but the heat retaining property does not improve so much, so the feeling of wearing deteriorates. In the case where a plurality of webs or nonwoven fabric sheets are laminated and formed, the above weight per unit area is the total amount of each layer.

  In the production of the nonwoven fabric sheet, first, the fiber raw material is adjusted. Depending on the type of fiber material, the fiber material is mixed, and the web is adjusted through steps such as fiber opening and carding. At this time, when manufacturing a web in which a plurality of fiber raw materials are blended, mixing is performed with each fiber raw material at the time of fiber opening, and the long web is adjusted so that each fiber raw material is evenly mixed. . Further, when a plurality of webs are manufactured and the webs are bonded to each other at the time of manufacturing or forming the nonwoven fabric sheet, the above process is performed for each web.

  Subsequently, needle punching is performed on the web using a needle punching device. As shown in FIG. 2, the needle punch processing apparatus 20 includes a pair of upper and lower substrates 21 arranged at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of through-holes are formed in the thickness direction in the same opposing position of the pair of substrates 21. 22 is formed regularly vertically and horizontally. A space formed between the pair of substrates 21 becomes a passage 23 of the web 16. Above the substrate 21, a needle support plate 25 having a large number of needles 24 projecting is disposed so as to be movable up and down by a driving device (not shown). The large number of needles 24 are formed in the through holes 22 formed in the substrate 21. It is arranged corresponding to the position. When the needle support plate 25 moves downward, the needle 24 is inserted into the through hole 22 formed in the substrate 21, and passes through the through holes 22 of the pair of substrates 21 so as to cross the passage 23 of the web 16. Further, when the needle support plate 25 moves upward, the needle 24 is detached from the through hole 22. Therefore, the needle 24 repeatedly moves up and down while the web 16 moves through the passage 23 formed between the pair of substrates 21, and the fibers in the web 16 are hooked by the needles 24 and the fibers are entangled to obtain the nonwoven fabric sheet 17. It is done.

Further, in order to perform needle punching again from a different direction, the long web 16 once subjected to needle punching is cut into a certain length, for example, a square, and then needle punching is performed first. The webb 16 is again moved through the passage 23 of the substrate 21 and subjected to needle punching by being 90 degrees apart from the direction. The needle density when needle punching the web 16 is preferably about 50 to 200 needles / cm ² . For this needle density, the first needle punch and the subsequent needle punches from different directions may be applied at the same density or at different densities.

  Furthermore, the three-dimensional shape of the toe cover can be obtained by subjecting the nonwoven fabric sheet 17 obtained in the above process to a drawing process. As shown in FIG. 3, the drawing apparatus 30 used for the drawing process includes a die 31 having a recess at the center and a punch 32 formed so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the recess of the die 31. Further, a cloth presser 33 having a hole at a position corresponding to the concave portion is disposed on the upper surface of the die 31, and the nonwoven fabric sheet 17 is sandwiched between the die 31 and the cloth presser 33 by a fastening means (not shown) so as not to move. Fix it. The punch 32 is formed in a predetermined three-dimensional shape (the shape of the toe cover). The punch 32 is pressed against the nonwoven fabric sheet 17 fixed to the die 31 and the fabric presser 33, and the nonwoven fabric sheet 17 is stretched to obtain a desired shape. Process into a solid shape. The die 31, the punch 32, etc. can be heated by a heater (not shown) so that the nonwoven fabric sheet 17 can be easily stretched. During drawing, the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric sheet 17 are heated by heating the die 31 and the punch 32. Drawing is performed in a softened state. The heating temperature may be appropriately set according to the fiber material to be used, but when the raw fiber contains binder fibers that are low melting point fibers, the drawing device 30 is set to a temperature higher than the melting point. Must be set.

Next, the embodiment will be specifically described with reference to examples.
Example 1
Polylactic acid fiber (4.4 dtx fiber length 51 mm) 30 wt% (hereinafter referred to as “%”), low melting point polyester fiber (4.4 dtx fiber length 102 mm) 55%, rayon fiber (3.3 dtx fiber length 51 mm) Each 15% was spread with a spreader and then blended and carded to create a long web with a basis weight of 100 g, which was designated as the first web. In addition, 30% polylactic acid fiber (4.4 dtx fiber length 51 mm), 55% polylactic acid fiber (1.7 dtx fiber length 51 mm), and 15% deodorant cotton yarn (trade name MOFF (registered trademark)) are each opened using a fiber opening machine. After opening the fiber, it was blended and carded to create a long web with a basis weight of 50 g, which was designated as the second web.

The first web was placed on the lower side, and the second web was stacked on the first web. The needle was punched at a needle density of 50 needles / cm ² for the first time. Subsequently, the needle punching finished web was cut in a substantially square shape, with the direction of the web is rotated by 90 degrees was subjected to needle punching of the second time the needle density of 50 present / cm ^2. By these needle punches, the first web and the second web became one non-woven fabric sheet that was inseparable due to the interlaced fibers. The basis weight of the nonwoven fabric sheet was 150 g.

  Next, the non-woven fabric sheet was transferred to a drawing apparatus, and the non-woven fabric sheet was positioned on the die so that the first web was on the lower side, and the periphery of the non-woven fabric sheet was fixed immovably with a fabric presser. In this state, the die was heated to about 100 degrees and the fabric presser was heated to about 120 degrees, and the punch heated to about 100 degrees was lowered from above the nonwoven fabric sheet to perform drawing processing. In addition, the movement amount of the punch at the time of a shaping | molding process is about 13 cm from the nonwoven fabric sheet surface, and this movement was performed over 10 seconds. After the forming process, the toe cover was completed by cutting the three-dimensional part formed from the periphery of the nonwoven fabric sheet, cutting the opening in an arc shape, and forming cuts toward the tip side on both sides.

  This toe cover has a non-joint surface because it is formed by three-dimensional molding of a single non-woven sheet, and it has a good feeling of wearing, and because it is formed according to the toe shape of the foot, There was no sense of incompatibility even if I wore it. Furthermore, since the fiber which has a deodorizing function is contained inside touching a leg | foot directly, the deodorizing effect was more effective.

Example 2
Polylactic acid fiber (4.4 dtx fiber length 51 mm) 30%, Polylactic acid fiber (1.7 dtx fiber length 51 mm) 55%, Hygroscopic exothermic acrylate fiber (Toho Textile Co., Ltd., Sunburner (registered trademark)) 15%, Each was opened with a spreader, then blended and carded to create a long web. This web was subjected to needle punching with a needle punching machine under the same conditions as in Example 1 to obtain a nonwoven fabric sheet. The basis weight of this nonwoven fabric sheet was 200 g. Furthermore, the toe cover is formed by drawing the nonwoven fabric sheet with the drawing apparatus under the same conditions as in Example 1, cutting the three-dimensional part formed from the periphery of the nonwoven fabric sheet after the forming process, and cutting the opening in an arc shape. Was completed. As with Example 1, this toe cover had a good wearing feeling, and there was no uncomfortable feeling when wearing footwear. Further, since it contains hygroscopic exothermic fibers, it has excellent heat retention.

According to the toe cover 10 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the toe cover 10 of the above embodiment, all five toes can be inserted. Therefore, the entire toe can be covered.

(2) By inserting the toe of the foot F into the toe cover 10, the toe part can be kept warm by the toe cover 10.
(3) Further, since the toe cover 10 does not directly touch the toe and the footwear when the medicine or the like is applied to the toe portion, it is possible to prevent the footwear from being contaminated.

(4) The toe cover 10 is formed by three-dimensionally molding a nonwoven fabric sheet. For this reason, there is no sewing surface or adhesive surface on the toe cover 10, and the feeling of wearing is good.
(5) Since the nonwoven fabric sheet is used for the toe cover 10, the toe cover 10 is excellent in elasticity and heat retention.

  (6) Since the nonwoven fabric sheet is obtained by performing needle punching on the web, the nonwoven fabric can be obtained without impairing the function of the fiber itself. Further, since the needle punching is performed from two different directions, the nonwoven fabric sheet is not torn even if it is drawn.

  (7) By using fibers having various functions (deodorant, heat retention, antibacterial, etc.), these functions can be exhibited synergistically. Further, by manufacturing the web by dividing it into a plurality of layers, for example, hygroscopic fibers can be arranged so as to be inside the toe cover 10, and the function can be exhibited more efficiently.

  (8) The notches 15 are formed on both side surfaces of the toe cover 10 toward the tip. For this reason, the toe cover 10 can be greatly opened in the height direction, and the application range due to the difference in the size of the foot is increased.

In addition, you may change this embodiment as follows.
The cut portion 15 does not have to be V-shaped and may be a simple cut. Further, the cut portion 15 may be formed only on at least one side surface. This facilitates the adjustment of the height of the toe cover 10.

○ The overall size of the toe cover may be changed. For example, the front and rear lengths may be made shorter so that only the fingers are covered, or the length of the lower surface 13 and the length of the upper surface 14 may be different.
○ Although all five toes are included, for example, the size may cover only one finger or may cover two or more.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of a finger cover 40 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, since 2nd Embodiment is a structure which makes the main change point having changed the shape of the toe cover 10 of 1st Embodiment, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted about the same part.

  As shown in FIG. 4 a, the finger cover 40 has a cylindrical shape with a base end serving as an opening 41, and the tip is a spherical blocking portion 42. For example, the finger cover 40 has a size of about 20 mm in diameter and about 30 mm in length, and can be inserted to a depth that covers the first joint of the adult index finger or middle finger (FIG. 4 b). . The finger cover 40 protects the affected part from the outside by covering the wounded finger, and when the liquid is applied to the finger, the finger cover 40 covers the affected part to ensure the penetration of the chemical. At the same time, the chemical liquid can be prevented from contaminating clothes and the like. In addition, it is also possible to use a fiber having a skin beautifying effect on the material of the finger cover 40 or to massage the skin such as the face in a state where a cosmetic liquid is infiltrated into the finger cover 40.

The fiber material used for the finger cover 40 is not particularly limited for the purpose of protecting the finger, and various fibers described in the first embodiment can be used. For the purpose of skin massage, at least one fiber containing a functional material (chitin, chitosan, platinum nanocolloid) having less irritation to the skin with respect to material and strength and a function such as beautifying skin. It is effective to use for the part. Moreover, the fabric weight (weight per m < ² >) of the nonwoven fabric sheet for the fingers cover 40 has the preferable range of 50-200g. If it is 50 g or more, it can be molded into a three-dimensional shape. On the other hand, if it exceeds 200 g, the thickness increases and it becomes harder. Therefore, when it is worn on the finger of a hand whose skin is thinner than the foot, it becomes easy to feel discomfort and pain.

  The nonwoven fabric sheet to be formed on the finger cover 40 can be manufactured by needle punching from two different directions, and the three-dimensional shape of the finger cover 40 is imparted to the nonwoven fabric sheet by drawing. be able to. The method of manufacturing these nonwoven fabric sheets and the drawing process are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment.
(1) In the second embodiment, by attaching a finger cover 40 to a finger, when a chemical solution or the like is applied to the finger, the penetration of the chemical solution can be ensured, and contamination by the chemical solution can be prevented.

  (2) A massage effect can be easily obtained by forming the finger cover 40 with a material having a skin-beautifying function or by allowing a cosmetic liquid to penetrate the finger cover 40 to massage the face. In addition, you may change this embodiment as follows.

Although described as the finger cover 40, the size or the like may be changed to provide a toe cover.
○ The finger cover 40 is sized to accommodate only one finger, but may be sized to accommodate two or more fingers (FIGS. 4c and 4d). For example, by using the two-finger cover 43 that is large enough to contain two fingers, the contact area during massage is increased.

○ The tips of the finger covers 40 and 43 may be open as long as they are used for massage.
Next, the technical idea grasped from each of the above embodiments will be described below.
one. The finger cover covers the entire toe of the foot, and a cut portion is formed on at least one side surface of the finger cover.

  two. The finger cover is a finger cover that is used by being attached to a finger of a hand, and can insert one or two fingers of the hand.

a is a perspective view of the toe cover of 1st Embodiment, b is a top view, c is a side view, d is explanatory drawing which shows a mounting state. The schematic diagram of the needle punch device of this embodiment. Sectional drawing of the drawing apparatus of this embodiment a is a perspective view of the finger cover of 2nd Embodiment, b is explanatory drawing which shows the state with which the finger cover was mounted | worn to a finger, c is a perspective view of another example, d is explanatory drawing which shows the mounting state of another example.

Explanation of symbols

  10 .... Toe cover, 11 .... Opening part, 12 .... Tip, 15 .... Incision part, 16 .... Web, 17 ... Nonwoven sheet, 20 .... Needle punch processing device, 30 ... Drawing device, 40 ・ ・ Finger cover, F ・ ・ Foot

Claims (4)

  A finger cover for covering a finger of a foot or a hand, wherein the finger cover is a three-dimensionally formed nonwoven fabric.   2. The finger cover according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric is obtained by performing needle punching in a direction different from the certain direction after performing needle punching on the web in a certain direction.   The finger cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the three-dimensional molding is drawing.   The finger cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the finger cover covers a toe portion of a foot.

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