JP4731361B2 - Steam heating equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam heating device capable of generating water vapor at a predetermined temperature.

  The present applicant has previously proposed a wet heat sheet using water vapor at a predetermined temperature generated by heat generated by an oxidation reaction between oxygen in the air and an oxidizable metal (see Patent Document 1). The wet heat sheet is applied with water vapor heated to a predetermined temperature by mounting it on the waist or shoulders of the human body. As a result, the circulation of the whole body is promoted, and not only the temperature of the application site is increased, but also the peripheral temperature of the fingertip and the like is increased. The effect of the wet heat sheet is considered to be further enhanced by suppressing the decrease in the temperature of the generated water vapor.

JP-A-2005-199051

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a steam heating tool whose performance is further improved as compared with the wet heat sheet described above.

  In the container, a water vapor generating part containing an oxidizable metal, water, an electrolyte and a reaction accelerator is housed in the container, and water vapor at a predetermined temperature can be released to the outside from the container. The container provides a steam heating tool having a heat insulating portion at the peripheral edge thereof.

  The steam heating tool of the present invention has a high heat retention effect. Thereby, according to the steam heating tool of this invention, the temperature of the site | part which applied this effectively increases.

  The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view showing a steam temperature towel as an embodiment of the steam temperature heating device of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. The steam-heated towel 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a substantially flat shape, and includes a water vapor generation part 11 and a container 12 that accommodates the water vapor generation part 11. The container 12 is flat, and a plurality of sheet materials are bonded together to form a sealed space in which the water vapor generating unit 11 is accommodated. The container 12 having a flat shape has a first surface 13 and a second surface 14 located on the opposite side thereof. Each of the surfaces 13 and 14 can transmit air and water vapor. Therefore, in the following description, the surface 13 is referred to as “first ventilation surface 13”, and the surface 14 is referred to as “second ventilation surface 14”. The water vapor generating part 11 contains water in addition to the oxidizable metal, and generates water vapor heated to a predetermined temperature by utilizing the heat generated by the water vapor generating part 11 in contact with oxygen. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the towel 10 has a rectangular shape. The towel 10 has a long side and a short side perpendicular to the long side, but the form of the towel 10 is not limited to this and may be a square having four sides having the same length. The towel 10 is not limited to a rectangle, and there is no limitation on the shape as long as it can be used as a towel.

  The towel 10 is used so that the side of the first ventilation surface 13 faces the skin surface of the user and the side of the second ventilation surface 14 faces outward. The water vapor generated by the heat generation of the water vapor generating unit 11 is applied to the skin surface as the object through the first ventilation surface 13. As described above, each surface of the container 12 is a ventilation surface, but water vapor is preferentially released through the first ventilation surface 13 as compared with the second ventilation surface 14. It has become. The reason for this will be described later.

  The towel 10 directly applies the water vapor generated from the water vapor generating part 11 through the first ventilation surface 13 to the user's skin with the first ventilation surface 13 in contact with the user's skin. Moisten. As a result, the same effect as when using a steaming towel is produced. Moreover, unlike the steam towel, the towel of this embodiment continues to generate water vapor at an appropriate temperature, so that not only the skin is moistened, but also the skin temperature at the application site and its surroundings is increased, and the skin average of the whole body Also raise the temperature. As a result, sweating is promoted, and the effect of promoting metabolism like a sauna bath is produced. That is, there is an advantageous effect that the body sweats comfortably without burdening the body and blood circulation is promoted. In addition, this effect is also effective as an alternative bathing method for people who have low physical fitness, for example, those who need nursing care such as elderly people. There are concerns about an increase in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate for bathing by the elderly and the like, but the alternative bathing method using the towel 10 of the present embodiment has no such fear. Furthermore, according to the towel 10 of this embodiment, an electroencephalogram (alpha wave) raises when a body warms and the relaxation effect can also be anticipated. Therefore, the towel 10 of this embodiment is particularly useful as a nursing towel. Nursing is a concept that includes not only treating and taking care of a sick or injured person inside and outside the hospital, but also taking care of a person who is bedridden or close to it inside or outside the hospital, that is, care. .

First vent face 13 is a surface water vapor is discharged to the outside 1～20000Cm ² area of the vent sites, to be particularly 200～15000Cm ^2, may confer water vapor over a large area of the user's body It is preferable from the point.

  Since the towel 10 of this embodiment can be used as an alternative to a normal steamed towel, it is desirable that the towel 10 has rigidity or drape similar to a cloth towel. From this viewpoint, in this embodiment, the rigidity value of the towel 10 is preferably set to 0.01 to 10 N / width 8 cm, more preferably 0.1 to 5 N / width 8 cm. By setting it as the rigidity value of this range, it can be set as the towel excellent in handleability, texture, and touch. The rigidity value of the towel 10 can be adjusted by appropriately selecting the material of the water vapor generating part 11 and the container 12. The rigidity value of the towel 10 is measured by a bending strength tester “RTA-500” (Orientec Co., Ltd.). The measuring method is to cut out a rectangular test specimen having a length of 10 cm and a width of 8 cm from a steam thermal towel. The specimen is supported at both ends with a span distance of 50 mm. Under this condition, a load is applied to the center of the test body with a pressing member having a width of 50 mm and a tip radius of 5 mm at a crosshead speed of 20 mm / min. Let the maximum load at that time be the stiffness value.

Moreover, since the towel 10 of this embodiment can be used as a substitute for a normal steamed towel, it preferably has a size suitable for the purpose. Specifically, the area is preferably ¹⁰ to 5000 cm ² , particularly 200 to 2000 cm ² . The thickness is preferably 0.1 to 50 mm, particularly preferably 0.5 to 10 mm. In relation to this and the above-mentioned rigidity value, the towel 10 has a ratio (area / thickness) of thickness (mm) to area (cm ² ) of 0.2 to 20000 cm ² / mm, particularly 10 to 1000 cm ^2. / Mm is preferable from the standpoint of having a sufficiently wide area and having a good texture and touch.

  As described above, in the towel 10 of this embodiment, water vapor is preferentially transmitted through the first ventilation surface 13 by appropriately adjusting the air permeability of the first ventilation surface 13 and the second ventilation surface 14. To be released. Specifically, the air permeability of the second ventilation surface is made larger than the air permeability of the first ventilation surface. The air permeability measured by JIS P8117 is defined as the time required for 100 ml of air to pass under a constant pressure. Therefore, a large air permeability means that it takes time to pass air. Yes. That is, the air permeability is low. Conversely, a low air permeability means high air permeability. Thus, the magnitude of the air permeability is opposite to the air permeability. When the first ventilation surface 13 and the second ventilation surface 14 are compared with each other, the first ventilation surface 13 is higher in air permeability than the second ventilation surface 14. That is, the second ventilation surface 14 has air permeability, but has lower air permeability than the first ventilation surface 13.

The air permeability of the second ventilation surface is preferably 100 to 30000 seconds / (100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ), more preferably 1000 to 25000 seconds / ( 100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ), more preferably 5000 to 20000 seconds / (100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ), so that air preferentially flows in through the second vent surface 14 and water vapor passes through the first As a result of the examination by the present inventors, it has been found that it is preferentially released through the ventilation surface 13. As a result, even when the size of the towel 10 is large, air is stably supplied over the entire heating element 11, and the heating element 11 generates heat uniformly. The water vapor generated by the heat generation is uniformly applied to the skin surface of the user through the first ventilation surface 13.

  In addition to the air permeability described above, the physical property value representing the ease of gas permeation of the sheet material is permeable to moisture (JIS Z0208, 40 ° C., 90% RH, hereinafter referred to as the measured value of this method when referred to as moisture permeability). It has been known. And the easiness of permeation | transmission of the water vapor | steam of the air permeable sheet material in a heating tool like a disposable warmer is expressed exclusively by moisture permeability. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the ease of gas permeation is evaluated not by moisture permeability but by air permeability. And by adjusting the value of the air permeability, in the steam thermal towel 10 having air permeability on both surfaces, water vapor can be preferentially released from one surface. The present inventors consider that this reason is caused by the difference in measurement conditions between air permeability and moisture permeability. The moisture permeability is measured under hydrostatic pressure, while the air permeability is measured under pressure. In the towel 10 of the present embodiment, water vapor is generated by the heat generated by the heat generating body 11, and the inside of the container 12 is in a positive pressure state. In order to evaluate the ease of gas permeation under such conditions, it is better to use the air permeability measured under pressure than to use the water vapor permeability measured under hydrostatic pressure. It seems to be suitable for the condition.

  As described above, the second ventilation surface 14, which is the surface facing outward, allows air to flow in from the outside, but the amount of water vapor released to the outside is lower than that of the first ventilation surface 13. ing. That is, just because the amount of air flowing in through the second vent surface 14 is large, it cannot be said that the amount of water vapor released is large. One reason for this is that each surface of the container 12 has air permeability. That is, the balance between the air permeability of the first ventilation surface 13 and the second ventilation surface 14 affects the inflow amount of air and the discharge amount of water vapor in the second ventilation surface 14. Therefore, from the viewpoint of suppressing the release of water vapor while ensuring the inflow of air through the second ventilation surface 14, the air permeability of the second ventilation surface 14 is five times the air permeability of the first ventilation surface 13. As mentioned above, it is preferable to set it as 10 times or more especially. Alternatively, the ratio of the air permeability of the first ventilation surface 13 to the air permeability of the second ventilation surface 14 (second ventilation surface / first ventilation surface) is set to 0 to 0.5, particularly 0 to 0.2. It is also preferable that As a result, the release of water vapor through the second vent surface 14 can be further reduced, and the release of water vapor through the first vent surface 13 can be further increased.

The air permeability of the first ventilation surface 13 itself is within the range described above in terms of the air permeability of the second ventilation surface 14 and the ratio of the air permeability between the second ventilation surface 14 and the first ventilation surface 13. On the condition, it is preferably 0.01 to 15000 seconds / (100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ), particularly preferably 0.01 to 10,000 seconds / (100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ). As a result, the release of water vapor through the second vent surface 14 can be further reduced, and the release of water vapor through the first vent surface 13 can be further increased.

The first ventilation surface 13 and the second ventilation surface 14 have good heat generation characteristics of the heating element 11 by controlling their moisture permeability in addition to controlling their air permeability. Air permeability is related to the degree of water vapor release, whereas moisture permeability is related to the degree of air inflow. This is because, as is apparent from the measurement conditions for moisture permeability described above, moisture permeability is measured under hydrostatic pressure, so it is suitable for evaluating the ease of passage of air under atmospheric pressure. Because. Moisture permeability of the first vent face 13 ^{1000~6000g / (m 2 · 24h)} , it is particularly preferably ^{2000~6000g / (m 2 · 24h)} . On the other hand, the moisture permeability of the second ventilation surface 14 is preferably 800 to 6000 g / (m ² · 24 h), and particularly preferably 1000 to 5000 g / (m ² · 24 h). Since the moisture permeability determined by JIS is measured using a predetermined amount of calcium chloride, there is an upper limit to the moisture absorption weight, and it is difficult to measure moisture permeability of 6000 g / (m ² · 24 h) or more. . Since the present invention follows the JIS measurement method, the upper limit of water vapor transmission rate is set to 6000 g / (m ² · 24 h), but actually, water vapor transmission rate of 6000 g / (m ² · 24 h) or more can be used.

  As described above, air permeability and moisture permeability are representative as physical property values representing the ease of gas permeation of the sheet material. The correlation between the two varies depending on the sheet material. That is, depending on the sheet material, there may be a certain degree of correlation between the two, or there may be no correlation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, setting a preferable range of moisture permeability in addition to the air permeability of each ventilation surface has technical significance.

  By the way, in the structure where only the surface facing the wearer's skin in the steam-heated towel is a ventilation surface, air flows from the peripheral edge of the towel. Therefore, when the area of the towel having such a structure is increased, the degree of heat generation is also different due to the difference in the degree of air supply between the peripheral portion and the central portion. That is, heat generation tends to be uneven. On the other hand, in the towel 10 of this embodiment, since air is supplied through the second ventilation surface 14 that does not face the skin, even the towel 10 of this embodiment having a relatively large area generates uniform heat. Is possible. That is, the significance of the double-sided air permeability becomes remarkable when the towel 10 of the present embodiment having a structure in which both surfaces are air-permeable has a large area.

  In the present embodiment, the container 12 has a heat insulating portion at the peripheral edge for the purpose of suppressing a decrease in the temperature of water vapor applied from the steam hot towel 10 to the user's skin. The heat insulating part has a structure capable of preventing the generated water vapor from escaping from the peripheral edge of the towel 10 to the outside and preventing the water vapor generated from the towel 10 from coming into direct contact with the outside air. . In the towel 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the container 12 is the periphery joining formed in the periphery by joining the 1st ventilation surface 13 and the 2nd ventilation surface 14 The heat insulation part which consists of the part 15 is provided. The peripheral joint portion 15 is formed so as to continuously surround the periphery of the water vapor generating portion 11, and the water vapor generating portion 11 does not exist in the peripheral joint portion 15.

  From the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the water vapor generated from the towel 10 from coming into direct contact with the outside air, the width W1 of the peripheral joint 15, that is, the heat insulating part, is preferably 1 to 500 mm, particularly preferably 10 to 100 mm. In addition, in the towel 10 in this embodiment, although the width | variety of the peripheral junction part 15 is the same in all four sides, it is not restrict | limited to this. In addition, the peripheral joint 15 is formed so as to continuously surround the water vapor generator 11, but is not limited thereto, and the peripheral joint 15 may be formed so as to intermittently surround the water vapor generator 11. Good.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the peripheral joint portion 15 includes a joint portion 16 having a closed shape and a non-joint portion 17 surrounded by the joint portion 16. A space is formed in the non-bonded portion 17, and the space serves as an air storage portion. Since the peripheral joint portion 15 has such a structure, the space formed in the non-joint portion 17 becomes a control portion for water vapor generated from the towel 10. As a result, the direct contact between the water vapor generated from the towel 10 and the outside air is more effectively suppressed. From this viewpoint, the width W2 of the non-bonded portion 17 is preferably 0.5 to 500 mm, particularly 1 to 80 mm. Moreover, the area of the non-joining site | part 17 which occupies for the peripheral junction part 15 becomes like this. Preferably it is 95% or less, More preferably, it is 30 to 95%, More preferably, it is 30 to 90%.

  The area of the peripheral joint portion 15, that is, the heat insulating portion, is related to the area of the ventilation portion in the first ventilation surface 13 of the towel 10. Specifically, the ratio (the former / the latter) of the area of the peripheral joint 15 and the area of the ventilation part in the first ventilation surface 13 is preferably 0.01 to 1, more preferably 0.1 to 0.9. If it is, it will prevent more effectively that the water vapor | steam generate | occur | produced from the towel 10 by the peripheral junction part 15 directly contacts external air, without making the whole area of the towel 10 excessively large.

  As shown in FIG. 2, both the first ventilation surface 13 and the second ventilation surface 14 of the towel 10 are made of a sheet material. What kind of sheet material is used may be appropriately determined in consideration of air permeability, moisture permeability, texture, touch, strength, prevention of powder leakage, and the like. As the sheet material that controls the air permeability and prevents the powder from leaking out, a melt blown nonwoven fabric or a moisture permeable film is preferably used. The moisture-permeable film is obtained by forming a melt-kneaded product of a thermoplastic resin and an organic or inorganic filler that is not compatible with the resin into a film shape and stretching it uniaxially or biaxially. It has a structure. As a sheet material used for the purpose of imparting strength, a spunbonded nonwoven fabric is preferably used. Moreover, as a sheet material used for the purpose of improving the texture, a thermal bond nonwoven fabric is preferably used. By configuring a laminated sheet by combining sheet materials having various air permeability and moisture permeability, the degree of freedom for setting the air permeability and moisture permeability of each ventilation surface to a desired value is increased. As an example, in a laminated sheet having a three-layer structure, a spunbond nonwoven fabric can be used as the innermost layer, a meltblown nonwoven fabric can be used as the intermediate layer, and a thermal bond nonwoven fabric can be used as the outermost layer.

  The heating element 11 accommodated in the accommodating body 12 is made of a heat generating sheet or a heat generating powder containing an oxidizable metal, a reaction accelerator, an electrolyte and water. In the case where the heating element 11 is composed of a heat generating sheet, the heat generating sheet is preferably composed of a fiber sheet containing an oxidizable metal, a reaction accelerator, a fibrous material, an electrolyte and water. That is, it is preferable that the exothermic sheet is one in which a fiber sheet containing an oxidizable metal, a reaction accelerator, a fibrous material, and an electrolyte is in a water-containing state. In particular, the exothermic sheet is preferably configured by containing an electrolyte aqueous solution in a molded sheet containing an oxidizable metal, a reaction accelerator, and a fibrous material. Examples of the heat generating sheet include a sheet-like material obtained by wet papermaking, and a laminate formed by sandwiching heat generating powder with paper or the like. Such a heat generating sheet can be manufactured using, for example, the wet papermaking method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-102761 related to the previous application of the present applicant, or the extrusion method using a die coater. On the other hand, when the heat generating body 11 is made of heat generating powder, the heat generating powder preferably includes an oxidizable metal, a reaction accelerator, a water retention agent, an electrolyte, and water. Of the heat generating sheet and the heat generating powder, it is preferable to use the heat generating sheet because it is easy to make the temperature distribution uniform and the ability to support the oxidizable metal is excellent.

Prior to its use, the towel 10 of the present embodiment is entirely packaged by a packaging material (not shown) having an oxygen barrier property so that the heating element 11 does not come into contact with oxygen in the air. As an oxygen barrier material, for example, the oxygen permeability coefficient (ASTM D3985) is 10 cm ³ · mm / (m ² · day · MPa) or less, particularly 2 cm ³ · mm / (m ² · day · MPa) or less. Such a thing is preferable. Specifically, a film such as an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or polyacrylonitrile, or a film obtained by depositing ceramic or aluminum on such a film can be used.

  When the water vapor generating part 11 is composed of a heat generating sheet, the heat generating sheet is formed into a molded sheet containing 60 to 90% by weight of an oxidizable metal, 5 to 25% by weight of a reaction accelerator, and 5 to 35% by weight of a fibrous material. It is preferable that 30 to 80 parts by weight of an aqueous electrolyte solution containing 1 to 15% by weight of electrolyte is contained with respect to 100 parts by weight of the molded sheet. On the other hand, when the water vapor generating part 11 is composed of exothermic powder, the exothermic powder comprises 30 to 80 wt% oxidizable metal, 1 to 25 wt% reaction accelerator, 3 to 25 wt% water retention agent, It is preferably composed of 0.3 to 12% by weight of electrolyte and 20 to 60% by weight of water. As various materials constituting the heat generating sheet and the heat generating powder, the same materials as those usually used in the technical field can be used. In addition, the materials described in JP-A-2003-102761 can also be used.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the preferable embodiment, this invention is not restrict | limited to the said embodiment. For example, although the heat insulation part in the said embodiment was comprised from the peripheral joining part 15 which has the joining part 16 and the non-joining part 17, it replaces with this and only the joining part 16 is shown as shown to Fig.3 (a). The heat insulation part may be comprised from the periphery junction part 15 which consists of. Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), a foam 18 such as a sponge extending outward from the peripheral portion of the container 12 is used as an air storage portion, thereby forming a heat insulating portion. Good. Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the peripheral joint 15 is composed of a joint part 16 and a non-joint part 19 that is adjacent to the joint part 16 and located outside the joint part 16. Also good. In the non-joining site | part 19, it is in the free state which the edge part of the 1st ventilation surface 13 and the 2nd ventilation surface 14 spaced apart, and is in a so-called opening state.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although both of the two surfaces 13 and 14 of the container 12 had air permeability, it replaces with this and only the 1st surface 13 which is a surface facing skin is ventilated. And the second surface facing outward may be non-breathable or non-breathable.

  The above embodiment is an example in which the steam heating device of the present invention is applied to a steam heating towel. However, the application example of the steam heating device of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a feature related to an earlier application of the present applicant. The present invention can be similarly applied to the wet heat sheet described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-199051, the vision improvement treatment device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-65714, and the like.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such examples.

[Example 1]
(1) Manufacture of sheet-like heating element <Raw material composition formulation>
・ Oxidizable metal: Iron powder, manufactured by Dowa Mining Co., Ltd., trade name “RKH”: 84% by weight
-Fibrous material: Pulp fiber (made by Fletcher Challenge Canada, trade name NBKP “Mackenzi (adjusted to CSF 200 ml)”): 8% by weight
Activated carbon: average particle size 45 μm, (manufactured by Nippon Enviro Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name “Carborafine”) 8% by weight
Polyamide epichlorohydrin resin (manufactured by Seiko PMC Co., Ltd., trade name “100 parts by weight of solid content (total of fibrous material, oxidizable metal and activated carbon) of the raw material composition”. WS4020 ") 0.7 part by weight and 0.18 part by weight of anionic flocculant sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., trade name" HE1500F "). Water (industrial water) was further added. The slurry was added until the solid content concentration became 12% to obtain a slurry.

<Making conditions>
Using the slurry, it was diluted with water to 0.3% just before the paper making head, and paper was made at a line speed of 15 m / min with an inclined short paper machine to produce a wet shaped sheet.

<Drying conditions>
The molded sheet was sandwiched with felt and dehydrated under pressure, passed through a heating roll at 140 ° C. as it was, and dried until the water content became 5% or less. The basis weight after drying was 450 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.45 mm. The composition of the molded sheet thus obtained was measured using a thermogravimetric measuring apparatus (TG / DTA 6200, manufactured by Seiko Instruments Inc.), and as a result, the composition was 84% iron, 8% activated carbon, and 8% pulp.

<Preparation of sheet heating element>
The obtained molded sheet was cut into 80 mm × 100 mm, two sheets were stacked, and the following electrolyte was injected so that the amount of the electrolyte was 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the formed sheet. Capillary phenomenon was used to infiltrate the electrolyte into the entire molded sheet to obtain a sheet-like heating element.

<Electrolyte>
Electrolyte: Purified salt (NaCl)
Water: Industrial water Electrolyte concentration: 5%

<Production of steam-heated towel>
The first vent surface was formed by laminating a spunbond nonwoven fabric of PET, a meltblown nonwoven fabric of PP, and a spunbond nonwoven fabric of PP and rayon. The air permeability exceeded the measured lower limit of 0.01 seconds / (100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ), and the moisture permeability exceeded the measured upper limit (6000 g / (m ² · 24 h)). The second ventilation surface was constituted by arranging a stretched porous polyethylene moisture-permeable film containing calcium carbonate on the inside and an air-through nonwoven fabric on the outside. The basis weight of the moisture permeable film was 45 g / m ² . The air-through nonwoven fabric was a core-sheath type composite fiber having polyethylene terephthalate as a core and polyethylene as a sheath, and the basis weight was 20 g / m ² . The air permeability of the second ventilation surface was 10,000 seconds / (100 ml · 6.42 cm ² ), and the moisture permeability was 1000 g / (m ² · 24 h).

The rectangular container shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2 was manufactured using these materials, and the said sheet-like heat generating body was accommodated in the inside. This gave a steam warm towel. The width W1 of the peripheral joint portion in the steam-heated towel was 40 mm at the front and rear end portions in the longitudinal direction and 20 mm at both side portions in the width direction. The width W2 of the non-joined portion 15 in the peripheral joint portion was 30 mm at the front and rear end portions in the longitudinal direction, and 10 mm at both width direction side portions. The area of the non-joining part occupied in the peripheral joint part was 60%. The area of the steam hot towel was 800 cm ² and the thickness was 1.5 mm. The area of the ventilation portion of the first ventilation surface was 496 cm ² . The ratio (area / thickness) of the thickness (mm) to the towel area (cm ² ) was 533 cm ² / mm. The rigidity value of the steam hot towel was 0.5 N / width 8 cm.

[Example 2]
A steam hot towel was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the structure of the peripheral joint portion was as shown in FIG. The peripheral joint width W1 was 40 mm.

[Comparative Example 1]
A steam hot towel was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the first ventilation surface and the second ventilation surface were sealed with a width of 5 mm.

[Evaluation 1]
As shown to Fig.4 (a), the steam thermal towel 10 obtained by the Example and the comparative example was mounted on the flat vinyl bed 20. As shown in FIG. At this time, the first ventilation surface 13 was opposed to the vinyl bed 20 so that water vapor was released toward the vinyl bed 20. A first temperature sensor 21 was attached to the center of the first ventilation surface 13. Further, the second temperature sensor 22 was attached on the vinyl bed 20 facing the central portion of the first ventilation surface 13. Further, a third temperature sensor 23 was attached on the vinyl bed 20 facing the peripheral joint of the steam temperature towel 10. In addition to this, a fourth temperature sensor 24 was attached on the vinyl bed 20 at a position 5 cm outward from the edge of the steam temperature towel 10. Each temperature sensor has a structure in which only one surface can detect the temperature. The time at which the steam-heated towel 10 was brought into contact with oxygen (air) was regarded as time zero, and changes with time in the temperature sensor positions were observed. The results are shown in FIGS. 4 (b) to (d).

  As is clear from the results shown in FIGS. 4B to 4D, in the steam-heated towel of each example, there is no large opening between the temperature of the towel 10 and the temperature of the vinyl bed 20. In the steam temperature towel of the comparative example, it can be seen that there is a large gap between the temperature of the towel 10 and the temperature of the vinyl bed 20. It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the non-joined portion 17 exists in the peripheral joint 15, the temperature of the peripheral joint 15 increases. This means that the heat-insulating effect of the peripheral joint 15 having the non-joined portion 17 is very high.

[Evaluation 2]
The steam-heat towel obtained in Example 1 was applied simultaneously to the three areas of the shoulder ribs, waist and abdomen of 8 healthy subjects, and the subject's forehead, chest, back, upper arm, forearm, back of hand, thigh and shin The skin surface temperature was measured. The measurement was performed using LTST08-12 (Thermistor type surface temperature measuring device manufactured by Gram Co.). The skin surface temperature at each site was averaged, and the skin surface temperatures of 8 subjects were further averaged to calculate the average skin temperature. The result is shown in FIG.

  As is apparent from the results shown in FIG. 5, it can be seen that the average skin temperature is increased by about 1.1 ° C. by applying the steam-heated towel, compared to before application. Although not shown in the figure, the skin surface temperature at the site to which the steam hot towel was applied increased by about 3 ° C.

[Evaluation 3]
Simultaneously with the measurement according to Evaluation 2, the subject's brain wave (alpha wave), sweat volume, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured. The alpha wave was measured with a multipurpose electroencephalograph SYNAFIT1000 (manufactured by NEC) under the open eye condition. The amount of sweating was measured with a weight scale HV-G / HW-G series: digital platform scale (manufactured by A & D). The blood pressure and heart rate were measured with a digital automatic sphygmomanometer HEM-712C (manufactured by OMRON). As a result, the alpha wave increased by 45%, and the amount of sweat increased by 8.12 g / (min · m ² ). There was no change in blood pressure and heart rate. From these results, it can be seen that application of the steam-heated towel has a sauna effect, a relaxing effect, and a simulated bathing effect without imposing a burden on the body (heart) of the subject.

FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view showing a steam temperature towel as an embodiment of the steam temperature tool of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams (corresponding to FIG. 2) showing another structure of the heat insulating portion. FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing the mounting position of the temperature sensor, and FIGS. 4B to 4D are graphs showing changes with time in temperature at each measurement position. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the change with time of the average skin temperature when a steam-heat towel is applied to the body.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Steam thermal towel 11 Water vapor generation part 12 Container 13 1st ventilation surface 14 2nd ventilation surface 15 Peripheral junction part 16 Joining part 17 Non-joining part

Claims (10)

In the container, a water vapor generating part containing an oxidizable metal, water, an electrolyte and a reaction accelerator is housed, and water vapor at a predetermined temperature can be released from the container to the outside.
The container has a first surface located on the side close to the skin and a second surface located on the side far from the skin, and has a heat insulating portion on the peripheral edge thereof ,
The heat insulating portion comprises a peripheral joint portion formed by joining the first surface and the second surface at the peripheral portion of the container,
The peripheral joint portion has a joint portion having a closed shape formed by joining the first surface and the second surface, and a non-joint portion surrounded by the joint portion;
A steam heating tool in which the peripheral joint portion is formed so as to continuously surround the periphery of the steam generating portion . The steam heating tool according to claim 1, wherein the ratio (area / thickness) of the area (cm ² ) of the steam heating tool to the thickness (mm) of the steam heating tool is 0.2 to 20000 cm ² / mm. Even without least has a first face with a breathable, using the steam generated from the steam generating unit through the first surface under being in contact with the side of the first surface to the skin of the user's The steam heating tool according to claim 1 or 2, which is applied to the skin.   The steam heating device according to claim 3, wherein the second surface has lower air permeability than the first surface, or the second surface is hardly breathable or non-breathable. The steam heating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a width of the non-bonded portion is 0.5 to 80 mm. The steam heating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an area of the non-joining portion occupying in the peripheral joint portion is 30 to 95%.   The steam heating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a width of the heat insulating portion is 1 to 500 mm. The steam heating tool according to claim 3 , wherein a ratio (the former / the latter) of the area of the heat insulating portion and the area of the ventilation portion on the first surface is 0.01-1.   The steam heating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the water vapor generating part is made of a sheet-like material manufactured by wet papermaking or made of powder. Moist heat towel according to claim 3, wherein the area of vent sites in the first surface is 1~20000cm ^2.

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