JP4827768B2 - Rechargeable knee pad warmer and knee supporter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable rechargeable body warmer used to warm a knee. In particular, the present invention relates to a rechargeable knee pad warmer that can maintain a comfortable temperature and easily fits a knee without giving a sense of incongruity.

  Knee arthralgia is a disease that is likely to develop, especially for middle-aged and older people, and many people complain of symptoms. The treatment includes pharmacotherapy, physical therapy such as warming / cooling, exercise therapy, and orthodontic therapy. As a preventive and ameliorating method that can be easily performed in daily life, there is a thermotherapy that improves blood circulation. The articular cartilage does not pass nerves, so the joint itself does not hurt, but since many nerves pass around it, it is recommended to warm the circumference of the kneecap. For this reason, there is a demand for warmers and supporters that warm the area around the kneecap.

  Since the knee has a special shape with the patella protruding forward and articulates, in thermal therapy, it is necessary to fit the thermal source to the knee so that it does not feel as uncomfortable as the knee moves. It has been demanded.

  On the other hand, conventionally, a portable body warmer that uses Joule heat from a heating wire as a heat source is known. Patent Document 1 discloses an electric heating type warmer including an electric heating sheet that generates Joule heat, a battery, and a means for adjusting the temperature of the electric heating sheet.

Utility model registration No. 3122911

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeable knee pad warmer that easily fits a knee.

  The rechargeable knee pad according to the present invention includes a case applied to a human knee, a heating element disposed in the case, a battery that is supplied to the heating element, and that can be repeatedly charged and stored in the case. A temperature adjusting means for controlling the temperature of the heating element, and a rechargeable knee pad warmer, wherein the upper edge of the case has a downward curved shape suitable for being applied to the periphery of the patella, A recess for accommodating a tibial protrusion is formed on the back surface of the case, and the heating element is disposed on a surface other than the recess.

  According to the present invention, the warmer is attached to the knee with the curved upper edge of the case along the lower part of the patella, so that the warmer can be fitted to the knee, and even when the knee joints, Does not give a sense of incongruity. And since the recessed part is formed in the part where the tibia hits and the heating element is not arranged, and the heating element is arranged only around it, the thin part of the skin where the bone exists is not heated, Only the area around the kneecap (particularly below) can be warmed.

In addition, since the heating element is supplied with a rechargeable battery, it can be used repeatedly, and a power cord or the like is unnecessary, and it can be used anywhere.
If a Peltier element is used as the heating element, the heating element can be used for both heating and cooling as required.

  In this invention, if the said case can be bend | folded by the 1 or more connection part extended in a vertical direction, a case can be mounted | worn according to the thickness of a wearer's leg.

  In the present invention, if the fixing means for fixing the case to the knee is provided, the body can be moved with the body warming on the knee.

In the present invention, the temperature adjusting means maintains the temperature of the heating element at a relatively high first temperature for a time, and then maintains a second temperature slightly lower than the first temperature. Can be done.
Alternatively, the temperature of the heating element can be set to the first temperature or the third temperature slightly higher than the second temperature after maintaining the second temperature for a certain period of time.

  In this way, when using a warmer continuously for a certain period of time, by controlling the temperature so that the temperature in a certain time zone becomes slightly lower, the battery consumption can be suppressed, so the warming time of the warmer is reduced. Can be long.

In this invention, the switch which switches ON / OFF of a rechargeable warmer is further provided, and the said temperature control can be performed on the basis of the time when this switch was set to ON.
Alternatively, the temperature adjusting means has a clock function, and the temperature control can be performed based on the time of the clock function.

  By providing the temperature adjusting means, the temperature can be adjusted according to the case of the user. Further, the temperature adjustment timing can be automatically adjusted by using the time when the switch is turned on or the time of the clock function as a reference.

  Alternatively, the temperature adjusting means may include a temperature measuring means for detecting a human body temperature, and the temperature control may be performed based on a change in the body temperature detected by the temperature measuring means. .

In the present invention, a sheet of a high specific heat material having flexibility may be provided on the surface of the heating element.
Or it is good also as the sheet | seat of the highly heat-conductive material which has a softness | flexibility being provided in the surface of the said heat generating body.

When such an elastic sheet is provided, fit to the body is improved, so that heat can be transmitted more efficiently. By adding a conductive material such as conductive carbon, graphite, or metal powder (for example, copper or aluminum) to the sheet, the thermal conductivity of the material can be increased, and the heat from the heating element can be transferred smoothly to the body. Heat can be transferred to the part.
When the material of the sheet has a high specific heat, the heat storage property can be improved. On the other hand, when the material of the elastic sheet is a material having high thermal conductivity, there is an advantage that heat from the heating element can be smoothly transmitted to a part of the body.
Examples of the high specific heat material include a material having a specific heat of 2 J / (kg · K) or more. Moreover, as a high heat conductive material, the material whose heat conductivity is 1 W / m * K or more is mentioned, for example.

Furthermore, in this invention, if the heat insulating material is provided in the back surface side of the said heat generating body, the heat from a heat generating body can be utilized effectively.
Note that “provided on the back side of the heating element” is not limited to the form in which the heat insulating material is disposed on the back side of the heating element inside the case, but covers the outside of the case (covers the case back side). In this way, a form in which a heat insulating material is arranged is also included.

  The knee supporter of the present invention includes a patch that is applied to a human knee, a pocket that accommodates the heating element, and a fixing means that fixes the patch to the knee. It is a knee supporter, The pocket is provided in parts other than the part which the convex part of a patella contacts.

  According to the present invention, the periphery of the patella can be favorably warmed. Also, if it is made of cloth or rubber belt, it will be deformed according to the movement of the joint, so that it will not cause much trouble.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rechargeable knee pad warmer that can maintain a comfortable temperature and easily fits the body.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1A and 1B are diagrams showing a rechargeable knee pad warmer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a back view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1, and FIG. 1D is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG.
FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a state in which the knee pad warmer of FIG. 1 is applied to the knee.
The rechargeable knee pad 1 includes a case 10 applied to a human knee, a plate-shaped heat transfer plate 14 disposed in the case 10, a heat generating member 15 disposed on the back surface thereof, and the heat generating member 15. And a battery 16 that can be repeatedly charged.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 (B) and 1 (C), the case 10 is a saddle-shaped hollow body whose back side (inner side) surface is recessed in the vertical direction, and the back side surface is applied to the knee. It is done. Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the front shape is substantially rectangular, and the upper edge 10a is curved downward in an arc shape. The case 10 is made of, for example, a resin or an elastomer.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a substantially cross-shaped concave portion 11 that is recessed from the same surface is formed on the back surface of the case 10. Specifically, the recess 11 has a vertical recess 11L extending in the up-down direction and a horizontal recess 11T extending in the left-right direction. The vertical recess 11L extends from the end of the back surface of the case 10 in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the lateral recess 11T extends between the slightly inner portions from both ends in the left-right direction.
A portion of the back surface of the case 10 other than the recess 11 is referred to as a left and right peripheral portion 12.

With reference to FIG. 2, a state where the case 10 is placed on the knee will be described.
The case 10 is mounted with the back side facing the knee and the curved upper edge 10a along the lower part of the patella P. Then, the protruding upper end of the tibia T is accommodated in the lateral recess 11T on the back surface and the tibia T is accommodated in the longitudinal recess 11L. Then, the peripheral portion 12 hits around the tibia T.

A description will be given with reference to FIG. 1 again.
Heat transfer plates 14 are disposed on the surfaces of the left and right peripheral portions 12. A thin plate-like heat generating member 15 is attached to the upper and lower portions of the back surface (surface inside the case) of each heat transfer plate 14. The heat generating member 15 is, for example, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater that generates heat when a voltage is applied, and heat from the heater is transmitted to the heat transfer plate 14 so that the entire heat transfer plate 14 is heated. ing.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the body 1 is mounted so that the curved upper edge 10a is placed along the lower part of the patella P and the tibia T is received in the concave part 11, the periphery of the lower part of the patella P, The heat transfer plate 14 hits around the tibia T, and these portions are warmed. And since the heat-transfer plate 14 does not exist in the portions of the patella P and tibia T where the skin is thin, these portions cannot be heated.
If the body 1 can be folded at one or more connecting points (for example, the DD line in FIG. 1A) extending in the vertical direction, the case 10 can be adapted to the thickness of the wearer's leg. Can be installed.

  As the heat transfer plate 14, a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as metal, conductive plastic, conductive rubber, conductive elastomer and the like can be used. The heat generating member 15 can be variously used in addition to the PTC heater, such as a planar heater. In addition, a Peltier element can be used as the heat generating member 15. In this case, it can be used for both heating and cooling as required.

  The batteries 16 that apply voltage to each heat generating member 15 (power feed) are arranged in the case 10. As this battery 16, for example, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, nickel hydride battery, nickel, cadmium battery, lithium battery, lithium polymer battery, fuel cell, calcium ion battery, or the like can be used. The battery 16 may be externally attached to the case 10.

  An external power supply socket for charging the battery 16 is provided on the lower surface of the case 10 (not shown). In this case, the battery 16 is charged by connecting a power cord for charging to the socket.

  Arranged inside the case 10 is a circuit board 17 that controls whether or not to apply a voltage to the heat generating member 15 (that is, control of ON / OFF of the warmer) and temperature control of the heat generating member 15. As an example, the circuit board 17 adjusts the voltage value or current value from the battery 16 to adjust the temperature of the heat generating member 15 (in the following, an example in which the voltage value is adjusted will be described).

  Temperature sensors (thermistors) 19 a and 19 b are provided at two locations, the back surface of the heat generating member 15 and the back surface of the heat transfer plate 14, so that the circuit board 17 can adjust the temperature of the heat generating member 15. The circuit board 17 adjusts the voltage value from the battery 16 as appropriate based on the detection results of the two sensors 19a and 19b, and adjusts the temperature of the heat generating member 15 and thus the heat transfer plate. Since sensors 19a and 19b are provided at two locations of the heat generating member 15 and the heat transfer plate 14, more accurate temperature adjustment is possible.

  As an example, from the viewpoint of preventing low-temperature burns, the circuit board 17 sets the temperature of the heat transfer plate 14 at a predetermined set temperature (40 ° C. to 40 ° C.) so that the body surface temperature is in the range of 38 ° C. to 42 ° C. 50 ° C). That is, based on the detection results of the temperature sensors 19a and 19b, the battery voltage is controlled to rise when the temperature of the heat transfer plate 14 is lower than the set temperature, while the temperature of the heat transfer plate 14 exceeds the set temperature. In some cases, the output of the power supply is controlled to be lowered stepwise or continuously.

  In addition, an operation switch (not shown) is provided on the front surface of the case 10, and the user can switch ON / OFF of the warmer 1 by operating this switch.

  The rechargeable body warmer 1 of this embodiment can set several operation patterns. For example, “continuous operation mode” that operates while the switch (not shown) is turned on to maintain an appropriate temperature, or “automatic stop mode that automatically turns off after a predetermined time has elapsed after the switch is turned on. Etc. In each mode, temperature adjustment such as “high temperature” and “low temperature” is further possible.

  Furthermore, temperature control is performed so as to maintain a relatively high first temperature (for example, 46 to 48 ° C.) for a certain period of time, and then to maintain a second temperature slightly lower than the first temperature (for example, 40 to 42 ° C.). Can also be done. In this case, after maintaining 2nd temperature for a certain period of time, it can also be set to 1st temperature or 3rd temperature (for example, 44-46 degreeC) a little higher than 2nd temperature.

  In this way, when using a warmer continuously for a certain period of time, by controlling the temperature so that the temperature in a certain time zone becomes slightly lower, the battery consumption can be suppressed, so the warming time of the warmer is reduced. Can be long.

  The timing for starting the temperature control may be the time when a switch (not shown) provided in the case 10 is turned on. That is, the temperature control may be performed from the time when the switch is turned on.

Alternatively, the circuit board 17 has a built-in clock function, and the temperature control can be performed based on the time of the clock function.
Further, the rechargeable body warmer 1 is further provided with a temperature detecting function for detecting the body temperature of the person, and the temperature of the body warmer 1 is lowered (when the body temperature is lowered) due to the detected body temperature (when the body temperature is lowered). For example, it may be configured to be 38 ° C.).

  In the warmer 1, a flexible elastic sheet 21 may be provided on the surface of the heat transfer plate 14. In this example, the sheet 21 is provided so as to cover each of the heat transfer plates 14. However, the sheet 21 is not limited thereto, and the entire peripheral recess 12 on the back surface of the warmer 1 is covered with one sheet 21. It may be.

  The material of this sheet may be either a material having high thermal conductivity or a material having high specific heat (gel materials, elastomer materials, rubber materials, etc. as examples of materials having high specific heat). Moreover, the sheet | seat surface has adhesiveness and the sheet | seat which sticks to clothes etc. may be sufficient.

  The gel material is glycerin, water, etc., polyacrylic acid, sodium polyacrylate, sodium polyicotanate, cross-linked sodium polyacrylate, cross-linked acrylic polymer, cross-linked polyacrylic acid, CMC, HPC, polyvinyl Gels hardened with alcohol, gelatin, gum arabic and gel hardening agent (aluminum hydroxide / magnesium hydroxide / calcium hydroxide, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfate, potassium alum, zinc oxide, synthetic aluminum silicate, etc.) can be used It is.

  Rubber materials include styrene, butadiene rubber, natural rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, silicon rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, fluorine rubber, ethylene, propylene rubber, urethane rubber, etc. Can be used.

  Elastomer materials are polyurethane, olefin, styrene, polyester, polyamide, fluorine, syndiotactic 1, 2PB elastomer, chlorinated ethylene copolymer cross-linked polymer alloy, chlorinated polyethylene, ester, halogen polymer alloy type. An elastomer or the like can be used.

  Since the flexible sheet 21 is provided, the fit to the body is improved, so that heat can be transmitted more efficiently. When the specific heat of the sheet is high, the heat storage property can be improved. On the other hand, when the sheet has high thermal conductivity, there is an advantage that the heat from the heating element can be smoothly transferred to a part of the body.

  Alternatively, a heat insulating material 23 (a foaming material such as foamed polyethylene, polyurethane, polyester, etc., which includes a pneumatic rope) is provided so as to cover the entire front and side surfaces of the warmer 1. It is preferable. As a result, heat from the warmer 1 is less likely to escape to the outside through the sheet 23, so heat loss can be suppressed and heat from the heating element can be used effectively.

Next, an example of a rechargeable knee pad warmer provided with a fixing member attached to the knee will be described.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of the rechargeable knee pad warmer of FIG. 1 provided with a fixing member attached to the knee.
In the rechargeable knee pad 1 of this example, belts (fixing members) 31 are fixed at two positions above and below the left and right edges of the case 10. As the belt 31, an elastic rubber band or the like can be used. A convex piece 32 a of a hook-and-loop fastener 32 is fixed to the back surface of the end portion of the belt 31 at one edge. A concave piece 32b of the hook-and-loop fastener 32 is fixed to the front surface of the end portion of the belt 31 at the other edge.

  In addition to the hook-and-loop fastener 32, an adhesive material, an adhesive tape, a fastener, a hook, or the like can be used. As the adhesive material, acrylic-based, SEBS-based, SBS-based, SIS-based, and the like containing petroleum-based resin can be used. For the surface fastener, a polyolefin resin such as a nylon resin, a polyester resin, or a PP resin can be used.

  When wearing this knee pad 1, the back surface of the case 10 is used as the knee side, and the upper edge 10a of the case 10 is applied along the lower part of the patella as described above. Then, each belt 31 is wound around the knee, and the belt end portions are fixed with a hook-and-loop fastener 32.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a rechargeable knee pad warmer according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 (A) is a back view, and FIG. 1 (B) is a cross-sectional view.
FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state in which the knee pad warmer of FIG. 4 is applied to the knee.
This knee pad 1 'differs from the knee pad 1 shown in FIG. 1 and is applied to the upper side of the knee. For this reason, the case 10 is a saddle-shaped hollow with the back side (inner side) surface recessed in the vertical direction, similar to the case of the knee pad 1 shown in FIG. Curved in an arc. The same members as those in the knee pad 1 shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

  When the body warmer 1 ′ is applied to the knee, the curved lower edge 10 a is applied along the upper portion of the patella P with the back surface of the case 10 facing the knee as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the heat transfer plate 14 hits the upper part of the patella P and warms the part. Since the upper part of the knee has thick skin, there is no problem even if the heat transfer plate 14 is provided on the femur. FIG. 5 shows a state where the knee pad 1 is applied below the knee and the knee pad 1 ′ shown in FIG. 4 is applied above the knee. Thus, by using two warmers, it is possible to satisfactorily warm the portions of the knee other than the patella P and the tibia T, and expect relaxation of knee pain.

6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a knee supporter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a front view, and FIG. 6B is a back view.
The knee supporter 40 includes a patch 41 applied to the knee, a pocket 43 for storing the heating element provided in the patch 41, and a belt (fixing means) 45 for fixing the patch 41 to the knee. Prepare.

  The patch 41 is a vertically long rectangle as shown in the figure, and has an elliptical hole 41a at the center. As shown in FIG. 6B, heating element accommodation pockets 43 are formed in the upper and lower portions of the hole 41a on the back surface (inner surface) of the batter 41. As shown in FIG. The lower edge of the upper heating element pocket 43 is cut out in an arc shape so as to surround the hole 41a, and the upper edge of the lower heating element pocket 43 is also cut out in an arc shape so as to surround the hole 41a. When the patch 41 is applied to the knee, the protrusion of the patella portion hits the hole 41a and the surrounding area where the heating element pocket 43 is not formed.

  The heating element pocket 43 accommodates a heating element such as a disposable body warmer. In addition to the disposable body warmer, a coolant can also be used.

  Upper and lower belts 45 extend in the lateral direction from the left and right edges of the application cloth 41. The belt 45 is an elastic rubber band or the like. In this example, as shown in the figure, the belts 45 are positioned at different levels in the vertical direction. A convex piece (or concave piece) 46 a of a hook-and-loop fastener 46 is attached to the surface on the back side of the tip of each belt 45. On the other hand, a concave piece (or convex piece) 46 b of a hook-and-loop fastener 46 is attached to the front side surface of the patch 41.

  When the knee supporter 40 is used, the heating element is accommodated in each pocket 43 and the back surface of the patch 41 is applied to the knee. Then, the belt 45 is wound around the knee, and the belt end 46 is fixed with the hook-and-loop fastener 46.

7 is a modification of the knee supporter of FIG. 6, FIG. 7A is a front view, and FIG. 7B is a back view.
The knee supporter 40 ′ in this example has substantially the same structure as the knee supporter 40 in FIG. 6, but the width of the upper and lower belts 45 is wide, and the left and right edges of the patch cloth 45 are laterally moved from the same height. It extends in the direction.

It is a figure which shows the rechargeable knee pad warmer which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, FIG. 1 (A) is a back view, FIG.1 (B) is a cross-sectional view in the BB cut surface of FIG. 1C is a transverse sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1D is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. It is a front view which shows the state which applied the knee pad body warmer of FIG. 1 to the knee. It is a front view which shows an example of the rechargeable knee pad warmer of FIG. 1 provided with the fixing member with which a knee is mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows the rechargeable knee pad warmer which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, FIG. 4 (A) is a back view, FIG.4 (B) is a cross-sectional view. It is a front view which shows the state which applied the knee pad body warmer of FIG. 4 to the knee. It is a figure explaining the knee supporter which concerns on embodiment of this invention, FIG. 6 (A) is a front view, FIG.6 (B) is a back view. FIG. 7A is a modified example of the knee supporter of FIG. 6, FIG. 7A is a front view, and FIG. 7B is a back view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rechargeable knee pad 10 Case 11 Concave part 12 Peripheral part 14 Heat-transfer plate 15 Heat generating member 16 Battery 17 Circuit board 19 Temperature sensor 21 Elastic sheet 23 Heat insulating material 31 Telescopic belt 32 Surface fastener 40 Knee supporter 41 Cover cloth 43 Pocket 45 Elastic belt 46 hook-and-loop fastener

Claims (12)

A case that hits the human knee,
A heating element disposed in the case;
A battery capable of being repeatedly charged and housed in the case for supplying power to the heating element;
Temperature adjusting means for controlling the temperature of the heating element;
A rechargeable knee pad with
The upper edge of the case has a downwardly curved shape suitable for being applied around the patella;
A rechargeable knee pad warmer characterized in that a concave portion for accommodating a tibial protrusion is formed on the back surface of the case, and the heating element is disposed on a surface other than the concave portion.   The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to claim 1, wherein the case can be bent at one or more connecting portions extending in a vertical direction.   The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a fixing means for fixing the case to the knee is provided. The temperature adjusting means is
The temperature control of maintaining the temperature of the heating element at a relatively high first temperature for a period of time and then maintaining the temperature at a second temperature slightly lower than the first temperature is performed. The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to 2 or 3.   The temperature of the heating element is set to the first temperature or the third temperature slightly higher than the second temperature after maintaining the second temperature for a certain period of time. 4. Rechargeable knee pad warmer according to 4. It further includes a switch for switching on / off of the rechargeable body warmer,
The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the temperature control is performed based on a time point when the switch is turned on. The temperature adjusting means has a clock function;
The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the temperature control is performed based on a time of the timepiece function.   The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a sheet of a high specific heat material having flexibility is provided on a surface of the heating element.   The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a sheet of a highly heat conductive material having flexibility is provided on a surface of the heating element.   The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a heat insulating material is provided on a back surface side of the heating element.   The rechargeable knee pad warmer according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a Peltier device is used as the heating element. A patch applied to the human knee,
A pocket for storing the heating element,
Fixing means for fixing the patch to the knee;
A knee support comprising:
The knee supporter, wherein the pocket is provided in a portion other than a portion where the convex portion of the patella hits.

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