JPH06311995A - Warmth implement - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a warmth implement which can prevent a burn to the body, even in the case a safety mechanism against abnormal heat generation of a heating element falls into impossibility. CONSTITUTION:In a pad-like warmth implement to mount on the body, this implement is provided with shape memory alloys 4, 4 for moving a heating element 3 in the direction for keeping it at a distance from the body by constituting them so that when the temperature of the heating element 3 rises exceeding an allowable temperature which can be imparted to the body, the shape is varied at that temperature.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating device to be worn on the body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional heating device of this type, a cord-shaped heating element is arranged, for example, in a meandering shape in a sheet-shaped bag having a shape corresponding to the shape of a body part to which the heating element is attached, and is supplied from a commercial power source. The heat is applied to the body by driving the heating element to generate heat, and is used as a thermotherapy tool or a heating tool (Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-59-
See Japanese Patent No. 36533, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-2024, and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-10816 (A61F 7/0).
0)).

In addition, this type of heating device is equipped with various safety mechanisms against abnormal heat generation due to its nature of being worn on the body. For example, if the nylon covering the nichrome wire melts due to abnormal heat generation, the nichrome wire and the anomaly sensing wire attached to it will short-circuit to stop the power supply, or when an abnormal temperature rises. 2. Description of the Related Art A mechanism provided with a thermal fuse that shuts off the power supply to a heating element is known.

[0004]

However, even when such a reliable safety mechanism is provided, it is required to have more perfect safety assuming that the safety mechanism should not operate.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heating tool capable of preventing burns to the body even when the safety mechanism against abnormal heat generation fails.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the heating device of the present invention is a heating device to be worn on the body when the temperature of the heating element exceeds the allowable temperature that can be given to the body. In addition, it is characterized by comprising a shape memory alloy that moves the heating element in a direction away from the body by changing its shape at that temperature.

The shape memory alloy may be provided so as to change its shape at least in the central part of the heating device.

[0008]

According to the above structure, even if the safety mechanism against abnormal heat generation becomes inoperable, when the temperature of the heating element exceeds the allowable temperature that can be given to the body, the shape memory alloy changes its shape at that temperature. However, since the heating element is moved away from the body due to this shape change, it is possible to prevent the heating element that has abnormally generated heat from coming into contact with the body and prevent burns.

Further, the above-mentioned heating element generally has the highest temperature near the central portion of the heating tool and the highest temperature portion near the central portion of the heating tool at the time of the above abnormality. By providing the heating device so that its shape changes in the central part, the high temperature portion is detached from the body preferentially and reliably.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing its embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a plan view in which a part of the main body 1 of the heating device according to the present invention is cut away so that the internal structure can be seen. The warming tool main body 1 is configured to be worn on a person's waist, and has a substantially rectangular flexible and waterproof sheet-like bag body 2 and a meandering shape in the sheet-like bag body 2. A heat generating element 3 having flexibility, the shape-memory alloys 4 and 4 also arranged in the sheet-shaped bag body 2 on the side in contact with the body, and also in the sheet-shaped bag body 2. Surface side that is not in contact with the body (side that is the outer side when worn)
And a connector 7a for connecting the heating element 3 and the cord 7b (shown in FIG. 4) to each other.

The heating element 3 is made by coating a nichrome wire with nylon. An abnormal sensing wire is wound around the surface of this nylon. And the abnormality sensing line are short-circuited.

Each shape memory alloy 4 has a rod-like shape with a circular cross section, and has a pair of parallel portions 4a, 4a.
A vertical portion 4b connecting the ends of the parallel portions 4a and 4a.
It has a so-called U-shape with and. The pair of parallel portions 4a, 4a are arranged laterally with respect to the heating tool body 1, while the vertical portion 4b is arranged vertically in the substantially central portion of the heating tool body 1. The shape memory alloy 4 may be arranged so as to receive heat from the heating element 3 in the same manner as the body receives heat from the heating element 3. For example, the heating element 3 and the heat insulating material 5 It may be arranged between and.

The shape memory alloy 4 has the above shape at room temperature. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 which is a sectional view taken along the line xx in FIG. 1, the flat shape is maintained. On the other hand, when the temperature of the heating element 1 rises above the allowable temperature that can be applied to the body, for example, when it reaches 70 ° C., the shape of the heating element 1 changes at that temperature. The shape change at this time is a change in which the portions near both ends of the parallel portion 4a are bent toward the body side by about 90 ° as shown in FIG. Due to this shape change, the sheet body on the side in contact with the body and the heating element 3
It is possible to form a gap of about 7 mm between and.
The sheet-shaped bag body 2 has flexibility as described above, and since there is a margin between the edge portion and the end portion of the shape memory alloy 4, the shape of the shape memory alloy 4 described above. The formation of gaps due to changes has come to be done smoothly.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a supporter-type heating tool in which the heating tool body 1 is incorporated in a supporter 6, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the heating tool body 1 is removed from the supporter 6. It is a figure.

The supporter 6 is a laterally long strip-shaped body, and the central portion in the lengthwise direction thereof, that is, the portion 6a that abuts the waist portion is formed to be somewhat wider. A pocket 6b for accommodating the heating tool body 1 is formed on the body contact surface side of the waist contact portion 6a. The pocket 6b is formed with a non-sewn portion 6c for allowing the connector 5 of the heating tool body 1 to project outside the pocket 6b. Since the non-sewn portion 6c is formed, the orientation of the warming tool body 1 housed in the pocket 6b is determined.

A controller 8 is connected to the heating element body 1 via the connector 7a and the cord 7b, and an electric cord 9 is connected to the controller 8. And in the above controller 8,
A switch 8a for turning on and off, a temperature control circuit (not shown), and the like are incorporated.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the supporter-type heating device incorporating the above-mentioned heating device body 1 is mounted on the waist.

As described above, by storing the warming tool body 1 in the pocket 6a of the supporter 6 and mounting it on the waist, the warming tool body 1 is heated by the heat (for example, about 43 ° C.). , The lower back is warmed and the therapeutic effect on neuralgia etc. is obtained. In this normal use state, the shape memory alloy 4 maintains the flat shape shown in FIG. 2, and the heating element 3 is in a position close to the body.

On the other hand, if the temperature control circuit or the safety circuit should fail and the heating temperature of the heating element 3 exceeds 70 °,
At that temperature, the shape memory alloys 4 and 4 change their shapes as shown in FIG. 3, and due to this shape change, the above-mentioned heating element 3 which is abnormally heated is moved away from the body. You can prevent burns by blocking contact with.

In addition, the heating element 3 generally has the highest temperature in the vicinity of the central portion of the main body of the heating tool, and in the case of the above abnormality, the highest temperature portion is in the vicinity of the central portion of the main body of the heating tool. Then, since the shape memory alloys 4 and 4 are provided so as to change their shape at least in the central part of the heating tool main body, the high temperature part is detached from the body preferentially and reliably, which is safe. The sex can be further improved.

Particularly, since the shape memory alloy 4 is formed in a U shape and the vertical portion 4b is arranged in the vertical direction, the vertical portion 4b is not a point but the point when the shape is changed.
Since the pair of parallel portions 4a and 4a are supported by lines as a whole, it is possible to reliably achieve the formation of the gap between the body and the heating element 3.

The shape and shape change of the shape memory alloy 4 are not limited to those described above, but before the change, a substantially flat shape is maintained, and a gap is formed between the heating element 3 and the body during abnormal heat generation. Any shape and shape change may be used as long as the shape changes as formed.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the support rod shape memory alloy 4 is provided in the heating tool body 1 has been shown.
In the supporter type heating device, the heating device main body 1 may not have the shape memory alloy 4 but the supporter 6 may have the shape memory alloy 4.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the heating element abnormally heats up, the shape memory alloy changes its shape to move the heating element away from the body, so that the abnormally heated heating element contacts the body. Can prevent burns and prevent burns.
Further, by providing the shape memory alloy so as to change the shape at least in the central portion of the heating device, it is possible to preferentially and reliably remove the high temperature portion from the body, thereby further improving safety. Produce an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view showing an internal structure of a warming tool body of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line xx of FIG. 1 showing a state before the shape memory alloy of the present invention changes in shape.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line xx in FIG. 1 showing a state after the shape memory alloy of the present invention has changed its shape.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a supporter-type heating device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the heating tool body of the present invention is removed from the supporter-type heating tool.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the supporter-type heating device of the present invention is attached to the waist.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main body of heating equipment 2 Sheet-like bag 3 Heating element 4 Shape memory alloy 6 Supporter 8 Controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A warming tool to be worn on a body, when the temperature of the heating element rises above an allowable temperature that can be applied to the body, the shape of the heating element changes to move the heating element away from the body. A heating tool, characterized by comprising a shape memory alloy. 2. The heating tool according to claim 1, wherein the shape memory alloy is provided so as to change its shape at least in a central portion of the heating tool.