JP2024024864A - Temperature regulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a temperature regulator which gives temperature sensation to a user for an extended duration.

SOLUTION: A temperature regulator 1 includes: an outer fabric 11 made of a multi-layered fabric; a back fabric 12 made of a material having a higher maximum heat flux than that of the outer fabric; and a holding chamber 13 holding a heat regulating agent between the outer fabric 11 and the back fabric 12.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a temperature regulator that is worn on the body.

A temperature controller called a neck cooler is known for cooling the user's neck. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a neck cooler that has an attachment part that is detachably attached to a hat.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-106650

In Patent Document 1, there is no particular mention of the material constituting the neck cooler, and there is room for improvement.

In contrast, the present invention provides a temperature regulator that improves the duration of the sensation of temperature provided to the user.

One aspect of the present disclosure includes a front fabric made of a multi-layered fabric, a lining fabric made of a material having a higher maximum heat flux than the outer fabric, and a temperature regulating agent held between the outer fabric and the lining fabric. A temperature regulator having a holding chamber is provided.

The lining may be formed of a material having a maximum heat flux of 0.2 W/cm2 or more.

The lining may be a tricot knitted fabric made of fibers containing polyamide and polyurethane.

The outer material may be a cardboard knit.

This temperature regulator may have an opening formed between the outer material and the lining material for inserting the temperature regulating agent into the holding chamber.

The temperature regulator has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, and includes a first surface fastener attached near one end in the longitudinal direction, and a hook-and-loop fastener attached near the other end in the longitudinal direction, and a first surface fastener attached near the other end in the longitudinal direction. It may also include a second surface fastener that sticks to the fastener.

The first surface fastener and the second surface fastener may be sewn with a thread passing through the outer material and the lining material.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the duration of the sensation of temperature provided to the user.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a temperature regulator 1 according to an embodiment. 1 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of a temperature regulator 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a temperature regulator 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a temperature regulator 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of a cold storage agent pack 21. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional structure of a temperature regulator 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional structure of a temperature regulator 1. FIG. A diagram showing the results of a temperature measurement experiment. A diagram showing the results of a cold sensation persistence test.

1. Structure FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a temperature regulator 1 according to an embodiment. The temperature regulator 1 is used by being worn on a part of the human body (in this example, wrapped around the neck). The temperature regulator 1 has a temperature regulator therein as will be described later. This temperature regulator gives the user a sense of temperature. When a cold storage agent or ice pack is used as a temperature regulating agent, a cooling sensation is given to the user. That is, the temperature regulator 1 functions as a so-called neck cooler. Furthermore, when a heat storage material or a disposable body warmer is used as a temperature regulator, a warm sensation is given to the user. That is, the temperature regulator 1 functions as a so-called neck warmer.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of the temperature regulator 1. The temperature regulator 1 has a outer material 11, a lining 12, and a cold storage agent pack 21. The outer fabric 11 is a part that is mainly exposed to the outside air when in use, and the lining 12 is a part that mainly comes into contact with the user when in use. The outer material 11 has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The shape having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction refers to a shape in which the circumscribed rectangle with the smallest area is approximately a rectangle when the outer material 11 is spread out. The term "nearly rectangular" refers to a shape in which the long sides are longer than the short sides to the extent that it can be worn on the intended site (in this example, wrapped around the neck). The outer material 11 can also be said to have a band shape. The same applies to the lining 12.

The outer material 11 is cloth and is made of a highly heat-insulating material. High heat insulation property means that the heat insulation property is higher than that of the lining 12, that is, the thermal conductivity is lower. By using a highly insulating material for the outer material 11 that is exposed to the outside air, the cooling effect of the cold storage agent pack 21 can be extended for a long time.

Outer material 11 comprises fibers with low thermal conductivity, such as polyester, wool, nylon, or silk. The material of the outer material 11 may include materials other than fibers having high thermal conductivity. Other materials include, for example, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polyacetal, polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, rayon such as acetate, cupro, or viscose, polylactic acid, polyimide or polyphenylene. Synthetic fibers such as sulfide, blends with natural fibers such as cotton or hemp, mixed fibers, mixed weaves, mixed knits, and fibers having a core-sheath structure are used.

The fibers constituting the outer material 11 may be either long fibers or short fibers. Moreover, the yarn using this fiber may be any of raw silk, twisted yarn, and processed yarn. The textured yarn is not particularly limited, and may include false twisted yarn (woolly textured yarn, DTY, improved false twisted textured yarn, etc.), pressed textured yarn, shaped textured yarn, rubbed textured yarn, Taslan textured yarn, yarn. The yarn may be any of a long-drawn and uniformly textured yarn, a composite textured yarn, a fluffed yarn, an interlaced bundled yarn, and an interlaced mixed fiber yarn.

The cross-sectional shape of this fiber is not particularly limited, and may be any shape such as round, triangular, star-shaped, flat, C-shaped, hollow, square, and dog-bone.

Moreover, the material of the outer material 11 may be one to which various functional agents are applied, as long as the temperature regulating function of the temperature regulator 1 is not inhibited. Functional agents include coloring agents such as dyes and pigments, matting agents such as titanium oxide, antioxidants, stabilizers, anti-discoloration agents, flame retardants, antistatic agents, heat resistant agents, antibacterial deodorants, and antibacterial agents. , antiviral agents, SR agents, inorganic particles, dyeing aids, cooling agents, humectants, moisture absorbers, water repellents, and fragrances. These functional agents may be used alone or in combination. In addition, "applying" various functional agents to the material of the outer material 11 means adding or mixing these functional agents to the fiber material (by dipping in a solution, spraying a solution, etc.). The concept involves attaching these additives to the surface of the fibers.

Outer material 11 is a multi-layered fabric. Specifically, for example, a fabric having a structure in which a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, or a nonwoven fabric are laminated, or a structure in which a first fabric and a second fabric are connected by an intermediate thread may be mentioned. By using a multi-layered fabric, air can be trapped inside and the insulation effect can be enhanced. The lining 12 is preferably made of a double raschel knit fabric or a cardboard knit from the viewpoint that it is a thin fabric that suppresses discomfort when worn, yet has a structure that allows air to be trapped inside. In particular, cardboard knit with high elasticity is more preferable. Cardboard knit is a knitted fabric made by circular knitting, in which two pieces of fabric, one on the front and the other on the back, are layered and the front and back yarns are connected by a middle thread.

The lining 12 is cloth, and is made of a material that feels cooler to the touch than the outer lining 11. A high contact cooling sensation means that the maximum heat flow rate (also referred to as qmax or maximum heat absorption rate) is high. Specifically, the lining 12 is formed of a material having a maximum heat flow rate of 0.2 W/cm 2 or more. The maximum heat flow rate is measured according to JIS L1927. The maximum heat flux is a characteristic value representing the cold contact sensitivity of the fabric, and indicates the maximum value of the initial heat flux when the skin and the fabric come into contact. The higher the value of the maximum heat flux of the lining 12, the more the user feels the coldness of the cold storage agent and the warmth of the heat storage material.

Lining 12 includes fibers with high thermal conductivity, such as polyamide fibers. In one example, 60% by mass or more of the material is polyamide fiber. The material of the lining 12 may include materials other than polyamide fibers. Other materials include, for example, polyester, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polyacetal, polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, rayon such as acetate, cupro, or viscose, polylactic acid, polyimide. Alternatively, chemical fibers such as polyphenylene sulfide, blends with natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, silk, or wool, blended fibers, mixed weaves, interwoven knits, and fibers having a core-sheath structure may be used.

Other materials in combination with the polyamide fibers may include materials with higher thermal conductivity and/or higher hydrophilicity (than the polyamide fibers). Specifically, materials with higher thermal conductivity and/or hydrophilicity than polyamide fibers include rayon such as acetate, cupro, or viscose, polyacetal, and a core-sheath structure using polyester for the core and EVOH for the sheath. or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

In order to improve the adhesion between the lining 12 (i.e., the temperature regulator 1) and the user's body, a combination of a more stretchable material (than polyamide fibers), such as polyurethane elastic yarn, may be used. If the lining 12 has high elasticity, the contact area between the temperature regulator 1 and the user's body will be large, and the cooling sensation effect can be further emphasized.

The fibers constituting the lining 12 may be either long fibers or short fibers. Moreover, the yarn using this fiber may be any of raw silk, twisted yarn, and processed yarn. The textured yarn is not particularly limited, and may include false twisted yarn (woolly textured yarn, DTY, improved false twisted textured yarn, etc.), pressed textured yarn, shaped textured yarn, rubbed textured yarn, Taslan textured yarn, yarn. The yarn may be any of a long-drawn and uniformly textured yarn, a composite textured yarn, a fluffed yarn, an interlaced bundled yarn, and an interlaced mixed fiber yarn.

The cross-sectional shape of this fiber is not particularly limited, and may be any shape such as round, triangular, star-shaped, flat, C-shaped, hollow, square, and dog-bone.

Further, the material of the lining 12 may be one to which various functional agents are applied, as long as the temperature regulating function of the temperature regulator 1 is not inhibited. Functional agents include coloring agents such as dyes and pigments, matting agents such as titanium oxide, antioxidants, stabilizers, anti-discoloration agents, flame retardants, antistatic agents, heat resistant agents, antibacterial deodorants, and antibacterial agents. , antiviral agents, SR agents, inorganic particles, dyeing aids, cooling agents, humectants, moisture absorbers, water repellents, phase change substances that undergo phase transition near body temperature, and fragrances. These functional agents may be used alone or in combination. Furthermore, "applying" various functional agents to the material of the lining 12 means adding or mixing these functional agents to the fiber material (by dipping in a solution, spraying a solution, etc.). The concept involves attaching these additives to the surface of the fibers.

The lining 12 is a woven or knitted fabric. The woven fabric is plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, or the like. Knitted fabrics include warp knitting, weft knitting (flat knitting or circular knitting), and the like. Since woven or knitted fabrics use longer threads than nonwoven fabrics, the high thermal conductivity of polyamide fibers can be more effectively expressed. In order to emphasize the cool contact effect, it is effective to increase the elasticity of the lining 12 to improve airtightness and wearing comfort. From this point of view, it is preferable that the lining 12 is a knitted fabric. Among knitted fabrics, it is more preferable to use a knitted fabric such as a tricot fabric that has ridges on one side (for example, the side that comes into contact with the user's body) and is smooth on the opposite side (for example, the side that does not come into contact with the user's body).

The outer fabric 11 and the lining 12 are fixed, for example, by sewing. When sewing the outer material 11 and the lining 12, a space for holding the cold storage agent pack 21 (hereinafter referred to as a "holding chamber", details will be described later) is formed inside, and an opening for taking the cold storage agent pack 21 in and out of the holding chamber. A sewing line is formed like this.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing the appearance of the temperature regulator 1. FIG. 3A shows a front view of the outer material 11 (ie, the front side), and FIG. 3B shows a front view of the lining material 12 (ie, the back side). A holding chamber 13 is formed by a sewing line S sewing the outer material 11 and the lining material 12 together. In this example, the sewing line S is not formed over all four sides of the outer material 11 and the lining material 12. The sewing line S is not formed on a part of one side, and an opening 14 is formed. The opening 14 is an opening for taking the cool storage agent pack 21 into and out of the holding chamber 13, communicates with the holding chamber 13, and has a size that allows the cool storage agent pack 21 to pass through. In this way, by having a structure in which the temperature regulating agent can be put in and taken out through the opening 14, it can be used as a neck cooler by putting a cold storage agent or ice pack in the summer, and as a neck heater by putting a heat storage material or a heat generating material in the winter. can be used. Furthermore, since the temperature regulator can be taken out, the temperature regulator 1 can be washed. Note that although the cold storage agent pack 21 is housed in the holding chamber 13, the illustration of the cold storage agent pack 21 is omitted in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

In the temperature regulator 1, a hook-and-loop fastener 111 and a hook-and-loop fastener 121 are fixed to the outer fabric 11 on one end side and the lining fabric 12 on the other end side, respectively. One side of the hook-and-loop fastener 111 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 has a loop surface, and the other has a hook surface. The hook-and-loop fastener 111 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 are fixed to the outer fabric 11 and the lining 12 by, for example, sewing. In this example, the sewing thread passes through both the hook-and-loop fastener 111 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 from the outer fabric 11 to the lining 12 or from the lining 12 to the outer fabric 11. By fixing both the hook-and-loop fastener 111 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 to both the outer fabric 11 and the lining 12, compared to an example in which the hook-and-loop fastener 111 is sewn only to the outer fabric 11 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 is sewn only to the lining 12, It can be fixed more firmly.

The user secures the hook-and-loop fastener 111 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 by wrapping the temperature regulator 1 around a predetermined part of the body (for example, around the neck). By using it in this manner, it is possible to prevent the temperature regulator 1 from separating from the body.

In one example, the hook-and-loop fastener 111 and the hook-and-loop fastener 121 have different lengths (in the longitudinal direction). By making the hook-and-loop fastener on one side long in this way, the diameter of the temperature regulator can be adjusted according to the thickness of the area to be wrapped.

Note that the method of fixing one end and the other end of the temperature regulator 1 is not limited to using a hook-and-loop fastener. For example, the temperature regulator 1 may have a hole at one end instead of a hook-and-loop fastener, and the other end may be inserted through the hole and fixed to a predetermined part of the body. In yet another example, the temperature regulator 1 may have a fixing device such as a string or a buckle instead of the hook-and-loop fastener, and may be fixed to a predetermined part of the body with this fixing device.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of the cool storage agent pack 21. As shown in FIG. The top of the figure corresponds to the front, and the bottom corresponds to the back. The cold storage agent pack 21 includes, in order from the front, an exterior film 211, a heat insulating material 212, a cold storage agent 213, a heat insulating material 214, and an exterior film 215.

The exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 are members for organizing the internal elements to facilitate handling. The exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 need to have enough strength to not be torn during expected handling, and enough flexibility to allow the temperature regulator 1 to be attached to the body. Further, the exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 are joined so as to have a space inside (that is, in a bag shape). The exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 are bonded, for example, by heat fusion. The exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 may be formed using any material as long as it satisfies these conditions. In one example, the exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 are made of resin. As the resin, for example, at least one of nylon (or polyamide resin), EMMA (ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer) resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate is used. The exterior film 211 and the exterior film 215 may be transparent so that the inside can be seen, or may be colored so that the inside cannot be seen.

The heat insulating material 212 and the heat insulating material 214 are heat insulating materials for suppressing heat entering the cool storage agent 213 and extending the duration of the cool storage agent 213. The heat insulating material is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity of 0.05 W/m·K or less, for example. As the heat insulating material, for example, a foamed plastic heat insulating material, a fiber heat insulating material, or an aerogel in which the dispersion medium in the gel is replaced with air is used. As the foamed plastic heat insulating material, for example, at least one of polystyrene foam, urethane foam, polyethylene foam, and phenol foam is used. In addition to the heat insulating material, the heat insulating material 212 and the heat insulating material 214 may include a heat shielding material such as a vapor-deposited aluminum film or aluminum foil.

The cold storage agent 213 is the main body of the cold storage agent, and is a chemical used to keep an object at a low temperature. A cold storage agent is water and antifreeze sealed in an exterior material. This exterior material has a smaller size than the exterior film 211, the heat insulating material 212, the heat insulating material 214, and the exterior film 215, and in the illustrated example, one cold storage agent pack 21 includes four cold storage agents 213. It will be done. As the antifreeze, for example, an ethylene glycol liquid is used. The combination of water and antifreeze is designed depending on the desired hardness when freezing the cold storage agent. Adding more water will make it harder, and adding more antifreeze will make it softer. If there is a lot of antifreeze, it will not freeze and will remain soft even when cooled, making it easier to handle when worn around the body, such as wrapping it around the neck. However, if there is too much antifreeze, the heat of fusion will be small, and the cold storage capacity will be reduced. From the viewpoint of maintaining a soft state even when cooled and ensuring sufficient cold storage capacity, the proportion of antifreeze is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less.

5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure of the temperature regulator 1. 5A shows the AA cross section in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5B shows the BB cross section in FIG. 3, respectively. Note that in these figures, the length in the thickness direction is exaggerated for explanation of the cross-sectional structure. The temperature regulator 1 has a structure including, from the side in contact with the user's body, a lining 12, an exterior film 215, a heat insulating material 214, a cold storage agent 213, a heat insulating material 212, an exterior film 211, and an outer material 11.

In this example, the outer fabric 11 and the lining 12 are fixed by so-called double stitching. The seams are located inside the holding chamber 13 and are not exposed to the outside. Note that the state of the bag stitching is omitted in FIG. 5B. Note that other techniques such as fold-down stitching may be used to process the seam allowance.

2. Example The inventors of the present application manufactured a prototype of the temperature regulator 1 and evaluated its cooling sensation sustainability. The inventors produced two prototypes, prototype a and prototype b. The specifications of the outer material and lining of each prototype are shown in Table 1.

Prototype a is an article whose outer material and lining material are made of the same fabric. Both the outer material and the lining material are plain woven fabrics using 100% polyester fibers (82 dtex) as the warp and weft. That is, in prototype a, there is no difference in heat insulation properties and cool contact feeling between the outer material and the lining material.

Prototype b is an article whose outer material and lining material are made of different fabrics. In prototype b, the lining is a tricot fabric knitted with yarns of 86% polyamide of 78 dtex/14% polyurethane of 44 dtex. Among these, polyamide contributes to the cool touch function. Polyurethane contributes to high stretchability.

In order to evaluate the heat insulation properties of the outer materials used in prototypes a and b, the inventors of the present application conducted the following tests. That is, (a) 100% polyester plain weave, (b) cardboard knit, and (c) 100% polyester double raschel knit are placed on top of a heat source (hot plate) with a surface temperature of 50°C at a room temperature of 25°C. The surfaces were brought into contact with each other and the time course of the surface temperature was measured. Double raschel knitted fabric is a warp knitted fabric like tricot knitted fabric.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the results of a temperature measurement experiment. The horizontal axis of the figure shows the elapsed time after the dough was placed on the heat source, and the vertical axis shows the temperature on the surface of the dough (the surface opposite to the one in contact with the heat source). The 100% polyester plain woven fabric had higher thermal conductivity than the other two fabrics, reaching 50°C quickly (about 0.3 seconds). On the other hand, the temperature of the cardboard knit only rose to 47.0°C after 15 seconds, making it the most insulating material among these three fabrics. The double raschel knitted fabric has lower insulation properties than the cardboard knit, and the temperature rose to 49.9°C in 15 seconds. From the above, it is thought that multi-layered fabrics such as double raschel knitted fabrics and cardboard knitted fabrics have higher heat insulation properties than single layer fabrics such as plain woven fabrics and tricot knitted fabrics.

Using these prototypes, the following cold sensation persistence test was conducted. A prototype temperature controller with an ice pack that had been chilled in the freezer for one day was placed in an artificial climate chamber set at 35 degrees Celsius. In this state, the temperature of the surface of the backing material of the temperature controller and the environment (artificial climate chamber) was measured. A button battery type temperature/humidity logger (Hygrochron #1923, manufactured by NK Laboratories, Inc.) was used for temperature measurement.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the results of a cold sensation persistence test. The horizontal axis of the figure shows time, and the vertical axis shows temperature. According to the test results, the time during which the temperature could be maintained at 25° C. or lower was about 40 minutes for prototype a (comparative example), while it was about 75 minutes for prototype b (example). That is, the results of the examples of the present invention were obtained such that the duration of the cooling sensation was approximately 1.8 times longer than that of the comparative examples.

3. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. Some modified examples will be explained below. Some of the matters described in the following modified examples may be applied in combination with other parts.

The temperature regulator 1 is not limited to one that is worn around the neck. The temperature regulator 1 is worn on a part other than the neck, such as the head, wrist, torso, thigh, ankle, etc., and may have a shape and size depending on the part on which it is worn.

The specific shape of the temperature regulator 1 is not limited to that illustrated in the embodiment. For example, the temperature regulator 1 may not have the opening 14 and may have a structure in which the temperature regulator cannot be taken out. Further, even when an opening is provided, the position of the opening is not limited to that illustrated in the embodiment. For example, the opening may be formed in either the outer material 11 or the lining material 12.

The method of fixing the outer fabric 11 and the lining 12 is not limited to sewing. The outer material 11 and the lining 12 may be fixed, for example, with an adhesive.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Temperature regulator, 11... Outer material, 12... Lining, 13... Holding chamber, 14... Opening, 21... Cold storage agent pack, 111... Hook-and-loop fastener, 121... Hook-and-loop fastener, 211... Exterior film, 212... Heat insulating material, 213 ...Cold storage agent, 214...Insulating material, 215...Exterior film

Claims (7)

A outer material made of multi-layered fabric,
a lining made of a material having a higher maximum heat flux than the outer material;
A temperature regulator comprising: a holding chamber that holds a temperature regulator between the outer material and the lining material. The temperature regulator according to claim 1, wherein the lining is made of a material having a maximum heat flux of 0.2 W/cm2 or more. The temperature regulator according to claim 2, wherein the lining is a tricot knitted fabric made of fibers containing polyamide and polyurethane. The temperature regulator according to claim 1, wherein the outer material is a cardboard knit. The temperature regulator according to claim 1, further comprising an opening formed between the outer material and the lining material for inserting the temperature regulating agent into the holding chamber. The temperature regulator has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction,
a first surface fastener attached near one end in the longitudinal direction;
The temperature regulator according to claim 1, further comprising: a second hook-and-loop fastener attached near the other end in the longitudinal direction and stuck to the first hook-and-loop fastener. The temperature regulator according to claim 6, wherein the first surface fastener and the second surface fastener are sewn with thread passing through the outer material and the lining material.

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