JP2010036020A - Automatic cooling type water pillow - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic cooling type water pillow in which the whole instrument having a cooling function is contained in a pillow body and which senses the body temperature in a moment by the work of a sensor, which senses the body temperature, and automatically operates, and can automatically attain cooling work up to alleviation of fever. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic cooling type water pillow includes a case, a mat-like water pillow which is arranged on the top of the case and contains therein a liquid or a gel-like cooling object, a coolant tank contained within the case, a first coolant tube connected to the coolant tank, a compressor which force feeds a coolant into the first coolant tube, a cooling fan which cools the coolant of the first coolant tube, an electric motor which operates the compressor and the cooling fan, a main power supply which transmits electricity to the electric motor, a second coolant tube which is contained within the water pillow, connected to the first coolant tube and the coolant tank and arranged in a zigzag form, a temperature sensor for detecting the body temperature of a patient, and a relay power source which belongs to the case and makes the power source switch of the main power supply ON or OFF based on the command of the temperature sensor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatically cooled water pillow.

  Water pillows are useful as a way to lower the fever of fever patients. As a conventional water pillow, for example, a rubber ice pillow is crushed and put with salt together with water and placed on the patient's neck or on a forehead.

  Prior art relating to these water pillows is described in the following patent documents. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, in the affected part cooling device, a cooling device and a refrigerant passage that constitutes a part of a circulation path through which the refrigerant cooled by the cooling device circulates, and the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant passage is used. There is a description relating to an affected part cooling device constituted by an affected part cooling body to be heat-exchanged. In addition, the affected part cooling body has the description regarding the technique which has arrange | positioned the cooling channel | path in the main body which has flexibility.

  Further, in Patent Document 2 below, in a refrigerant circulation type water pillow, a heat absorption part (water pillow part) and a heat source part (ice throwing part) are separately installed and connected to each other with a hose or the like to circulate the refrigerant. There is a description of a water pillow that can keep the endothermic part at a low temperature, and there is also a description of a water pillow that can adjust the temperature of the endothermic part by adjusting the temperature and flow rate of the refrigerant.

  Further, in Patent Document 3 below, a first heat exchanger in which an electronic heat exchange element of a Peltier element is attached in a cooling device, a second heat exchanger enclosed with water in a bag such as rubber, There is a description of a cooling / heating device including two heat medium enclosing pipes connecting between the second heat exchangers and a pump connected to one of the heat medium enclosing pipes.

JP-A-8-299379 JP-A-8-275966 JP-A-8-84744

  The conventional water pillows described above require human labor, labor, and time to replace ice water. In the unlikely event that the ice runs out, it is necessary to have a transmission function to notify this and a function to detect when the patient has fever. there were.

  In addition, the cooling device described in Patent Document 1 is not housed in the pillow body, but is disposed in another place, and has a sensor function for sensing the patient's body temperature. It is not provided at all.

  In addition, the refrigerant circulation water pillow described in Patent Document 2 is not used to lay the cooling function under the head like a pillow, but is used by blowing cold air or hot air near the head near the head. This also has no sensor function for detecting body temperature.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, as in Patent Document 1, the cooling device itself is not housed in the pillow body, but is disposed in another place, and is a sensor for sensing the patient's body temperature. No function is provided.

  That is, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and the entire apparatus having a cooling function is housed in the pillow body, and the body temperature is instantaneously detected by the function of the body temperature sensor to automatically detect the body temperature. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatically cooled water pillow that operates automatically and can automatically achieve the cooling work up to the heat release.

  An automatic cooling water pillow according to one aspect of the present invention that achieves the above object includes a housing including at least one of metal, chemical resin, and hard rubber, and rubber, chemical resin, or waterproofing disposed on the upper surface of the housing. A mat-shaped water pillow that is configured using at least one of cloth and contains a liquid or gel-like cooling object therein, a refrigerant tank that is housed in a housing, a first refrigerant pipe connected to the refrigerant tank, A compressor that pumps the refrigerant into the first refrigerant pipe, a cooling fan that cools the refrigerant in the first refrigerant pipe, an electric motor that operates the compressor and the cooling fan, a main power source that transmits power to the electric motor, and a water pillow, In addition, the second refrigerant pipe connected to the first refrigerant pipe and the refrigerant tank and arranged in a zigzag manner, a temperature sensor for detecting the patient's body temperature, attached to the housing, and the main power supply based on the temperature sensor command. A relay power supply that turns the power switch ON or OFF, and when the temperature sensor command senses that the patient's body temperature is equal to or higher than normal temperature, the relay power supply power switch is turned ON and the motor is activated. The refrigerant is circulated through the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe while being cooled using a cooling fan, and when the patient's body temperature recovers to normal heat, the power switch of the relay power supply is turned off and the motor is stopped. Let

According to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.
(1) The water pillow body is small and lightweight.
(2) Since the cooling device itself is housed in the pillow body, it is easy to carry and install.
(3) Since the sensor can automatically control from heat generation to heat removal, it does not take time.
(4) Usually, it can be used as a general pillow, so even if it suddenly generates heat, it can respond instantly.
(5) Expansion of use for general households is also planned.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the direct description of the following embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a top view of an automatically cooled water pillow according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a right side view (viewed from the direction A in FIG. 1), and FIG. 3 is a left side view (from the B direction in FIG. 1). 4 and 5 are schematic views of the arrangement inside the housing 2 (FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when viewed from the top surface, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when viewed from the back surface (C direction)). FIG. 6 is a rear view of the water pillow of the automatic cooling four seasons water pillow, and FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the arrangement of the second cooling pipes in the water pillow 3.

  As shown in these figures, the self-cooling water pillow 1 is disposed on a housing 2 including at least one of a metal, a chemical resin, and a hard rubber, and is arranged on the upper surface of the housing 2, and has flexibility and elasticity. A refrigerant tank 21 configured by using at least one of rubber, chemical resin, or waterproof cloth, and including a mat-shaped water pillow 3 including a liquid or gel-like cooling object therein; The first refrigerant pipe 22 connected to the refrigerant tank 21, the compressor 23 that pumps the refrigerant to the first refrigerant pipe 22, the cooling fan 24 that cools the refrigerant in the first refrigerant pipe 22, the compressor 23, and the cooling fan 24 are operated. An electric motor 25 to be transmitted, a main power supply 26 that transmits power to the electric motor 25, a second refrigerant pipe 31 that is housed in the water pillow 3 and is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 22 and the refrigerant tank 21 and arranged in a zigzag manner. , A temperature sensor 32 for detecting the temperature of the patient; and a relay power supply 27 attached to the housing 2 and configured to turn on or off the power switch of the main power supply 26 based on a command from the temperature sensor 32. , The relay power supply 27 turns on the power switch of the main power supply to operate the electric motor 25 and the first cooling pipe 22 and the second cooling pipe 31 when it is detected that the patient's body temperature is equal to or higher than normal temperature. While the refrigerant is circulated while being cooled using the cooling fan 24, when the body temperature of the patient recovers to normal heat, the relay power supply 27 turns off the power switch of the main power supply and stops the electric motor 26.

  In this embodiment, the housing 2 is one of the main skeletons of the automatic cooling water pillow. The housing 2 is constructed of a material that is hard enough to incorporate each device such as a refrigerant tank inside, protect it from external impacts, and stably maintain the positional relationship between the built-in devices even when carried. Although it is not necessarily limited to this, it is preferable that it is comprised including at least one of a metal, a chemical resin, or a hard rubber.

  In the present embodiment, the water pillow 3 is disposed on the upper surface of the housing 2. The water pillow 3 contains a cooling object on the liquid or gel in order to cool the heat of the patient who has generated heat. In addition, it is preferable that the water pillow 3 is comprised using at least any one of rubber | gum, a chemical resin, or a waterproof cloth with flexibility and elasticity. In addition, as an example of a cooling object, as long as it has the said function, it is not necessarily limited, However For example, it is a preferable example to use what added various additives, such as antifreeze and a gelatinizer, to water. is there.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the housing 2 includes the refrigerant tank 21, the first refrigerant pipe 22 connected to the refrigerant tank 21, the compressor 23 that pumps the refrigerant to the first refrigerant pipe 22, and the first A cooling fan 24 that cools the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 22, an electric motor 25 that operates the compressor 23 and the cooling fan 24, and a main power supply 26 that transmits power to the electric motor 25 are housed.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the housing 2 is provided with the recessed part 27 in the center part, and the water pillow is fixed to the recessed part 27 and arrange | positioned. By doing in this way, while being able to ensure volume in parts (side parts) other than the center part of the housing 2, there exists an advantage that the position of a pillow is not made higher (it can be set low) more than necessary. In addition, since the water pillow is arranged by providing the concave portion 27, and a first cooling pipe, which will be described later, is inserted from the side of the water pillow and connected to the second cooling pipe, it is fixed by the cooling pipe, so that the patient holds the head. When placed on a water pillow, the shift is less likely to occur laterally, and even if it occurs somewhat, there is an advantage that the load applied to the material of the water pillow is smaller than when it is arranged from the vertically downward direction (see the image diagram of FIG. 8). ).

  In the present embodiment, the refrigerant tank 21 is an apparatus for storing the refrigerant circulating in the first example refrigerant pipe 22 and the second refrigerant pipe 31. The arrangement of the refrigerant tank 21 is not limited, but is preferably provided inside the central portion of the housing 2 (under the water pillow). The shape of the refrigerant tank 21 is not particularly limited as long as a desired volume for storing the refrigerant, which is a fluid, can be achieved. The refrigerant tank 21 can be arranged even in a relatively thin central portion provided with a recess. This is because even when the head is placed, the device is not a device that generates a large amount of vibration, and therefore there is little possibility of causing discomfort to the patient. In this embodiment, the refrigerant is not limited as long as the neck or head of the patient can be cooled directly or via a cooling object in the water pillow. For example, HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), PFC (perfluorocarbon) It is preferable to use at least one of fluorocarbon) or SF (sulfur hexafluoride).

  In the present embodiment, the compressor 23 compresses the refrigerant stored in the refrigerant tank 21 and pumps the refrigerant to the first refrigerant pipe 22 and the second refrigerant pipe 31. In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the compressor 23 is also preferably provided inside the central portion of the casing 2 (below the water pillow 3), similarly to the refrigerant tank 21. In this way, the refrigerant can be efficiently compressed by being arranged in the vicinity of the refrigerant tank 21, and there is less possibility of generating large vibrations compared to the electric motor even when the patient puts his head on. As with the main power source, there is little heat generation, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the thermal efficiency of the water pillow 3.

  In the present embodiment, the electric motor 25 operates the compressor 23. Although it does not necessarily limit as arrangement | positioning of the electric motor 25, arrange | positioning in the side part in the housing 2 is preferable. In this way, even if a recess is formed in the center, it is possible to adopt a relatively bulky one, and even if vibration and heat are generated, it is separated from the patient's head and makes it difficult to transmit the vibration. Further, there is an advantage that heat can be easily discharged from the housing 2.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the first refrigerant pipe 22 is connected to the refrigerant tank 21 and is arranged in a zigzag shape at the side portion inside the housing 2. And the ventilation hole 281 is provided in the side part of the housing 2, The heat removed when cooling the refrigerant | coolant arrange | positioned in zigzag shape can be discharged | emitted by the cooling fan 24 outside the housing 2. FIG. . The first refrigerant pipe 22 is thinly arranged in a zigzag shape, thereby increasing the surface area and facilitating heat dissipation. FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the first cooling pipes arranged in a zigzag shape.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the cooling fan 24 is for cooling the 1st refrigerant | coolant pipe | tube 22 arrange | positioned in the zigzag shape in the side part of the housing 2 as above-mentioned. Although arrangement | positioning of the cooling fan 24 is not necessarily limited, it is preferable from a viewpoint of cooling efficiency that it is arrange | positioned in the zigzag-shaped part vicinity of the 1st cooling pipe 22 of the housing 2 inner side part. The number of the cooling fans 24 is not limited as long as the volume of the housing 2 allows, and a plurality of cooling fans 24 are preferably provided. Also, as will be described later, providing the cooling fans 24 on both sides in the housing 2 increases cooling efficiency. Is preferable. The configuration of the cooling fan 24 is not particularly limited, and a known one can be adopted.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the main power supply 26 is for transmitting electric power to each device in the housing 2 such as the electric motor 25 and the cooling fan. Although arrangement | positioning of the main power supply 26 is not necessarily limited, It is preferable to arrange | position to the side part in the housing 2. As shown in FIG. In this way, even when the power source has heat, it is difficult to transfer heat to the water pillow 2 and heat can be easily discharged outside the housing 2 via the cooling fan 29. The configuration of the main power supply 26 is not particularly limited, but it is advantageous to adopt at least one of a storage battery, a dry battery, a fuel cell, a lithium ion battery, or a lithium polymer battery, which can reduce the size of the pillow, This is preferable because it can be used for a long period of time even if it is away from the station. In particular, a cooling fan 29 is provided on the side near the main power supply 26 and a vent hole 282 is provided on the opposite side of the housing 2 from the side where the first cooling pipe 22 is disposed. It is desirable to efficiently exhaust the heat generated by 26. That is, by providing the cooling fans 24 and 29 on both sides of the housing 2, the first cooling pipe 22 can be cooled on the one hand, and the heat of the device such as the power source 26 can be discharged on the other hand. In this case, it is a preferable example that the air blowing directions of the plurality of cooling fans are substantially the same. Here, “substantially the same” is preferably completely the same, but includes a manufacturing error and a deviation that can be regarded as substantially the same. FIG. 10 shows the wind flow in this case. By doing in this way, the flow of one direction can be made and efficient cooling can be performed. Of course, by separately providing the vent holes 293 not only on the both sides but also on the back, it is possible to set the direction of the cooling fan to the close side, that is, the substantially opposite direction. Here, “substantially opposite” is preferably completely opposite as in the case of “substantially the same”, but includes manufacturing errors and deviations that can be regarded as substantially opposite directions. FIG. 11 shows the wind flow in this case. By doing in this way, the heat from the main power supply 26 and the heat generated from the electric motor 25 can be directly discharged from the vent holes 281 and 282 without being sent into the housing 2, respectively, and cooling can be performed more efficiently. it can.

  Further, in the present embodiment, providing the buffer sheet 4 inside the housing 2 and disposing the refrigerant tank, compressor, electric motor, main power source, etc. on the buffer sheet 4 can reduce heat transfer and mechanical vibration. In particular, this effect becomes more remarkable when combined with the above-described preferable arrangement. The buffer sheet is not limited as long as it is a member that can absorb a force such as vibration. For example, a urethane sheet or a rubber sheet can be preferably used.

  In the present embodiment, the second refrigerant pipe 31 is accommodated in the water pillow 3. The second refrigerant pipe 31 is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 22 and the refrigerant tank 21 and is arranged in a zigzag shape in the water pillow 3. As a result, it is possible to cool the cooling object in the water pillow 3 efficiently because it is flat and has a surface area, and the patient puts his head on by holding a hard cooling pipe in the cooling object of the water pillow. Even if it is a case, it becomes possible to use it suitably without giving discomfort. Further, the first refrigerant pipe 22 and the second refrigerant pipe may be formed integrally or separately. The form of molding separately has the advantage that the housing 2 and the water pillow 3 can be made separately and easily assembled by connecting the cooling pipes after assembly. Further, as described above, the first and second refrigerant pipes may be inserted into the water pillow so as to penetrate from the lower part of the housing 2, or as shown in the examples of FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, It may be inserted in the lateral direction from the relatively wall portions on both sides of the recess provided in the portion.

  In the present embodiment, a relay power supply 27 attached to the housing 2 and capable of turning on or off the power switch of the main power supply 26 is disposed. A temperature sensor 32 is connected to the relay power supply 27, and the relay power supply 27 turns the main power supply ON or OFF based on a command from the temperature sensor 32. The relay power supply is preferably provided with a lamp for displaying the difference between when the power is on and when the power is not on, for example, a green lamp that is displayed when the power is on It is preferable to have a red lamp for displaying when the power is not turned on.

  The temperature sensor according to the present embodiment is not limited as long as it can measure the body temperature of the patient, but includes a plus side and a minus side sensor and a control circuit. It is a preferable example. As an example of the pair of sensors, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of linear sensors extending in the lateral direction attached to the surface of the water pillow are preferable. By doing so, it is possible to heat the patient in a natural state where the patient puts his head on the water pillow, and this state is the most efficient position for sensing heat. Of course, a pair of pads as shown in FIG. 12 may be used.

  A temperature sensor 32 disposed at the neck of the patient; and a relay power supply 27 attached to the housing 2 and configured to turn on or off the power switch of the main power supply 26 based on a command from the temperature sensor 32. When the patient senses that the patient's body temperature is equal to or higher than normal temperature, the power switch of the relay power supply 27 is turned on to activate the electric motor 25 to cool the refrigerant in the first cooling pipe 2 and the second cooling pipe 31. While circulating using the fan 24 while cooling, when the patient's body temperature recovers to normal heat, the power switch of the relay power supply 27 is turned OFF and the electric motor is stopped.

  Here, the operation of the automatic cooling water pillow according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, when a patient who generates heat above normal heat (36.5 ° C.) puts his head on the head, the temperature sensor 32 senses the heat and issues a command to the relay power supply. The relay power supply issues a command to the main power supply and turns on the power switch of the main power supply.

  When the power switch of the main power supply is turned on, the electric motor starts operating and the compressor starts operating. In addition, a power transmission device is disposed between the electric motor and the compressor, and the compressor is operated via the power transmission device, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant tank is pumped to the first refrigerant pipe.

  The refrigerant pumped to the first refrigerant pipe is deprived of heat by a cooling fan that rotates in a zigzag-shaped portion, and is carried to the second refrigerant pipe. And the refrigerant | coolant conveyed to the 2nd refrigerant pipe cools the cooling object in a water pillow, and cools a patient's head and neck. This continues until the patient's heat returns to normal. Since the second refrigerant pipe is connected to the refrigerant tank, the refrigerant eventually returns to the refrigerant tank and repeats circulation as long as the electric motor is operating. In this case, the cooling fan not only cools the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe but is also provided on the side of the main power supply side as described above, and discharges heat generated from other devices such as the main power supply outside the housing. It is preferable in that the heat of the water pillow can be suppressed to a low state.

  When the patient recovers to normal temperature, the operation is stopped by a command from the temperature sensor at the neck of the patient, so that the circulation of the refrigerant is also stopped.

As described above, the following effects can be expected from the present invention.
(1) The water pillow body is small and lightweight.
(2) Since the cooling device itself is housed in the pillow body, it is easy to carry and install.
(3) Since the sensor can automatically control from heat generation to heat removal, it does not take time.
(4) Usually, it can be used as a general pillow, so even if it suddenly generates heat, it can respond instantly.
(5) Expansion of use for general households is also planned.

  In this embodiment, the automatic cooling water pillow automatically measures the patient's heat and controls the ON and OFF of the main power supply according to this heat. It is also possible to add a configuration in which a button for performing cooling is attached and the start and stop of cooling are controlled manually.

  The present invention has industrial applicability as an automatically cooled water pillow.

It is a top view of the self-cooling type water pillow according to the embodiment. It is a right view of the self-cooling type water pillow according to the embodiment. It is a left view of the automatic cooling water pillow which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic of arrangement | positioning inside the housing of the automatic cooling water pillow which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic of arrangement | positioning inside the housing of the automatic cooling water pillow which concerns on embodiment. It is a rear view of the self-cooling type water pillow according to the embodiment. It is a schematic top view of arrangement | positioning of the 2nd cooling pipe in a water pillow. It is an image figure for demonstrating the load added to a water pillow. It is the schematic of the 1st cooling pipe arrange | positioned at zigzag shape. It is a figure which shows the flow of the wind of the automatic cooling water pillow which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of the wind of the automatic cooling threshold diagram pillow which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of another temperature sensor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automatic cooling type water pillow, 2 ... Housing, 3 ... Water pillow, 4 ... Buffer sheet

Claims (7)

A casing composed of at least one of metal, chemical resin, or hard rubber;
A mat-shaped water pillow disposed on the upper surface of the housing, configured using at least one of rubber, chemical resin, or waterproof cloth, and including a liquid or gel-like cooling object therein;
A refrigerant tank, a first refrigerant pipe connected to the refrigerant tank, a compressor that pumps the refrigerant to the first refrigerant pipe, a cooling fan that cools the refrigerant in the first refrigerant pipe, A motor that operates the compressor and the cooling fan, and a main power source that transmits power to the motor;
A second refrigerant pipe housed in the water pillow and connected in a zigzag manner to the first refrigerant pipe and the refrigerant tank;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the patient;
A relay power supply attached to the housing and for turning on or off a power switch of the main power supply based on a command from the temperature sensor;
When it is detected by the temperature sensor command that the patient's body temperature is equal to or higher than normal temperature, the relay power supply switch is turned on and the motor is operated to connect the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe. While the refrigerant is circulated while being cooled using the cooling fan, when the body temperature of the patient is restored to normal heat, the power switch of the relay power supply is turned off to stop the electric motor.   The automatic cooling water pillow according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on a surface of the water pillow on the mat.   The self-cooling type water pillow according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a concave portion at a central portion, and the water pillow is disposed in the concave portion.   The automatic cooling according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerant tank and the compressor are arranged inside the central portion of the casing, and the electric motor and the main power source are arranged so as to sandwich the refrigerant tank and the compressor. Formula water pillow. Ventilation holes are provided on both sides of the housing,
The automatic cooling water pillow according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fan is provided in the vicinity of each of the vent holes. A vent hole is provided on the back of the housing,
The automatic cooling water pillow according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing direction of the cooling fans disposed on both side surfaces is substantially opposite.   The automatic cooling water pillow according to claim 1, wherein the main power source includes any one of a storage battery, a dry battery, a fuel cell, a lithium ion battery, or a lithium polymer battery.