KR20160142046A

KR20160142046A - Device for automatic ventilation of functional clothes

Info

Publication number: KR20160142046A
Application number: KR1020150077867A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 형창희
Original assignee: 한국전자통신연구원
Priority date: 2015-06-02
Filing date: 2015-06-02
Publication date: 2016-12-12

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic air circulating apparatus for automatically opening and closing a ventilation opening of a functional garment and a method thereof, A controller for analyzing the environment and outputting a control signal for ventilation of the functional clothes according to the analysis result, and an actuator for physically deforming the ventilation opening of the functional clothes according to the control signal.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an automatic air-

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a functional garment, and more particularly to an automatic air circulation apparatus for automatically opening and closing a ventilation opening of a functional garment.

In general, it is 0.06 liter per hour when a person is resting, 0.5 liters per hour when exercising lightly, and more than one liter of sweat steam is excreted from the human body during intense exercise, though it depends on the condition of the person wearing the exercise and the strength of the exercise. . In order for a person to maintain comfort, the sweat vapors discharged from the human body must be appropriately discharged to the outside.

To this end, functional garments utilize the waterproof, windproof and breathable functions of the fibers to allow the sweat vapors generated during wearing the clothes to be discharged to the outside without physical changes of the fibers themselves. For example, in the case of a functional garment fiber material such as Gore-Tex, a structure in which a water molecule is allowed to escape from the inside to the outside by blocking the passage of water molecules from the outside to the inside of the functional clothes by using a number of fine hole structures I have.

However, there is a problem that all the moisture can not be discharged to the outside due to the limitation of the moisture permeability function of the fiber material.

In order to overcome the limitation of the moisture permeability of such a textile material, as shown in Fig. 1, a functional garment is provided with an opening vent such as a zipper. Such an opening-and-closing type ventilation hole is provided at a position such as an armpit and the like where the body is sweaty and high in temperature, and exists in the same position as the shoulder where air can easily flow from the outside such as a motorcycle.

For example, in the case of a jacket to be worn during vigorous exercise, a shoulder or an underarm portion is provided with a ventilation zipper for quickly discharging moisture to the outside and circulating air. In addition, there are opening and closing ventilation openings for air circulation in various parts to suit the characteristics of each exercise in outdoor clothing, ski suit, motorcycle suit and the like.

Although the opening / closing operation of the user is required by the judgment of the user, it is hard to know when the opening / closing vent is to be opened and closed, so that many users do not use (operate) properly. Also, in addition to bare-handed exercises, it is very difficult to manually manipulate such opening and closing ventilations during exercise or athletic competition using various apparatuses. For example, in the case of a motorcycle garment, there are many structures in which outside air can be introduced into various positions of clothes, but it is difficult to manipulate the opening / closing vent because a person must keep the handle steadily.

Meanwhile, as interest in the wearable market has increased recently, healthcare researches for attaching temperature and humidity sensors to clothing and performing monitoring have been continuously carried out. For example, there is a health care system in which sensors such as temperature, humidity, and gas sensors fabricated on flexible PCBs are applied to clothes and the surrounding environment is monitored using information obtained from each sensor. However, such a healthcare system does not support technology for performing only monitoring and actively managing temperature and humidity using information obtained from each sensor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic air circulation apparatus that automatically opens and closes a ventilation opening of a functional garment according to a monitored environment.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic air circulation apparatus for a functional garment, the apparatus comprising: a sensing unit for measuring an internal environment of the functional garment; And a controller for outputting a control signal for ventilation of the functional clothes according to the analysis result, and an actuator for physically deforming the ventilation opening of the functional clothes according to the control signal.

Here, the sensing unit may include at least one of a temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the functional garment and a humidity sensor for measuring the internal humidity of the functional garment.

Wherein the controller compares a set value including a preset temperature set value and a humidity set value with each of a temperature measured value and a humidity measured value received from the sensing unit and determines whether at least one of the temperature measured value and the measured humidity value If it exceeds the set value, it is determined that ventilation is necessary.

The actuator opens and closes a ventilation hole of the functional garment according to the control signal.

In one example, the actuator is a piezoelectric element. At this time, the actuator may be one in which the piezoelectric element of a woven type is woven together with the fabric of the functional garment, or the piezoelectric element is coated on one side of the fabric of the functional garment, and each of the parallel piezoelectric elements is different So as to adjust the size of the ventilation opening. Or the actuators are disposed on both sides of the support of the ventilation openings of the functional clothes, in which the piezoelectric elements deforming upward and downward with respect to the horizontal plane are respectively disposed.

As another example, the actuator is an element having magnetism. At this time, the actuator may be formed by woven together with the fabric of the functional garment, the element having the magnetic property in a form capable of weaving, the element having the magnetic property is coated on one side of the fabric of the functional garment, So that mutual repulsive forces are generated between elements having parallel magnetism.

As another example, the actuator is a material that shrinks or relaxes with temperature. At this time, the actuator is arranged such that a material shrinking or relaxing according to the temperature is disposed between the fabrics of the functional garment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically circulating air in a functional garment, the method comprising: measuring temperature and humidity inside the functional garment; measuring the temperature and humidity using the measured temperature and humidity; Analyzing the internal environment of the functional garment and outputting a control signal for ventilation of the functional garment according to the analysis result; and physically deforming the ventilation opening of the functional garment according to the control signal.

The outputting step may include comparing the measured temperature value, the humidity measurement value, and the predetermined temperature set value and the humidity set value, respectively, and comparing the measured temperature value and the humidity measured value with each other, And outputting the control signal for ventilation of the functional clothes if the set value and the humidity set value are exceeded.

As an example, the deforming step physically deforms the vents of the functional garment through a combination of bending or bending of the piezoelectric elements.

As another example, the deforming step physically deforms the vents of the functional garment through a combination of attractive forces or repulsive forces of the elements having magnetism.

As another example, the deforming step physically deforms the vents of the functional garment through a material that contracts or relaxes with temperature.

According to the present invention, by analyzing the environment inside the functional clothes and automatically opening / closing the ventilation openings for air circulation to maintain a comfortable state in the clothes based on the analysis result, air discharge and circulation function Can be performed automatically.

1 is a view illustrating an opening / closing vent such as a zipper provided in a conventional functional garment.
2 is a block diagram of an automatic air circulation apparatus of a functional garment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining an implementation position of an automatic air circulation apparatus in a functional garment according to the present invention;
4 is a view for explaining a case where ventilation is controlled by adjusting the cloth lattice size of the functional garment using an actuator composed of a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a case where ventilation is controlled by adjusting a cloth lattice size of a functional garment using an actuator having magnetic properties according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view for explaining a case where opening and closing of a ventilation opening of a functional garment is controlled through a characteristic of contraction or relaxation according to a temperature change according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view for explaining a case where opening and closing of a ventilation opening of a functional garment is controlled by using an actuator composed of a piezoelectric element.
8 is a view for explaining a case where ventilation is controlled by controlling the fabric lattice size of the functional garment through the characteristic of contraction or relaxation according to the temperature change according to the embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. And is provided to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present invention is defined by the claims. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. It is noted that " comprises, " or "comprising," as used herein, means the presence or absence of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / Do not exclude the addition.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components, and in the following description of the present invention, Detailed explanations of the detailed description will be omitted when the gist of the present invention can be obscured.

An automatic air circulation apparatus for a functional garment according to an embodiment of the present invention is for automatically adjusting the ventilation of a functional garment according to the environment (for example, temperature and humidity) inside the functional garment. The principle of the ventilation (automatic air circulation function) of the functional clothes in the present invention can be roughly classified into two types.

One is a method of adjusting the lattice size of the fabric of a functional garment, which is difficult to identify with the naked eye of the user. This method allows moisture particles to be discharged more quickly within the fabric structure, similar to materials that exhibit moisture permeability, such as Gore-Tex materials.

The other is a method in which the ventilation opening implemented in the functional garment is automatically opened and closed by a method that can be confirmed by the user's eyes, such as opening and closing of the ventilation opening provided in the existing functional clothes. This method replaces the conventional ventilation zipper that requires user intervention, so that the ventilation opening having the resilience instead of the zipper is automatically opened or closed according to the internal environment.

For this operation, the automatic air circulation apparatus of the functional garment according to the embodiment of the present invention can be realized as shown in FIG. 2, the automatic air circulation apparatus 100 implemented in the functional garment 10 includes a sensing unit 110, an analysis unit 120, a driving unit 130, and an actuator 140 do.

The sensing unit 110 is a sensor for monitoring the environment inside the functional clothes 10 and mounted at a predetermined position of the functional clothes 10. [ The sensing unit 110 includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature and a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the surrounding environment. The sensing unit 110 may further include a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor as well as a sensor for measuring a surrounding environment that may affect the comfort of the wearer of the functional garment 10. [

These sensors (temperature sensor and humidity sensor) can be mounted at positions where the sweat is most generated in the interior of the functional clothes 10 (for example, the inside S1 on the back) as shown in Fig. Alternatively, the sensors (the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor) may be mounted at different positions (e.g., the shoulder portion of the temperature sensor and the underarm portion of the humidity sensor).

The measured values (temperature measured value and humidity measured value) measured by the sensing unit 110 may be transmitted to the analyzer 120 through the conductive signal line. Alternatively, the measurement values measured by the sensing unit 110 may be transmitted to the analysis unit 120 via the short-range wireless network.

The analysis unit 120 analyzes the measurement value received from the sensing unit 110 and confirms the environmental condition in the functional clothes 10. [ At this time, the analyzer 120 may mainly use a chip developed through a semiconductor process. To prevent damage to the chip during the washing of the functional garment 10, the analysis unit 120 may be located near the zip fastening devices A1 and A2 or the zip fastening device as shown in Fig. Alternatively, the analysis unit 120 may be located at a place where less bending occurs, such as a zipper.

The analyzer 120 compares the measured value of at least one of the temperature measurement value and the humidity measurement value with a predetermined set value to determine whether ventilation is required. At this time, the predetermined set value includes the temperature set value and the humidity set value previously set by the manufacturer or wearer of the functional garment 10.

The analyzer 120 determines whether or not ventilation is required according to whether each of the temperature measurement value and the humidity measurement value exceeds a preset temperature set value and a humidity set value.

As an example, the analyzing unit 120 determines that ventilation is necessary when both the temperature measurement value and the humidity measurement value exceed the respective set values (temperature and humidity set values). As another example, the analyzer 120 judges that ventilation is necessary when any one of the temperature measurement value and the humidity measurement value exceeds the set value.

In addition, the analyzer 120 determines that ventilation is not necessary if the temperature measurement value and the humidity measurement value are respectively less than the temperature and the measurement set value.

The driving unit 130 outputs a control signal for controlling the actuator 140 based on the analysis result of the analysis unit 120. At this time, the driver 130 may be mainly a chip developed through a semiconductor process like the analyzer 120. 3, the driving unit 130 and the zipper fixing devices C1 and C2 together with the analyzer 120 as shown in FIG. 3, the vicinity of the zipper fixing device Or where there is less bending, such as a zipper.

The driving unit 130 may include a controller together with the analysis unit 120. At this time, the control unit may be formed of a single chip including the driving unit 130 and the analysis unit 120, or a chip level package or a flexible PCB. At this time, the control unit may be located around the ventilation hole, or may be positioned together to perform a signal analysis and a control signal output function, and may transmit the control signal to the actuator 140 through the conductive signal line.

For example, the automatic air circulation apparatus 100 including the sensing unit 110, the analysis unit 120, and the driving unit 130 as well as the actuator 140 may be configured as one (for example, a single chip) , And a plurality of configurations that perform the same function are implemented, so that various combinations and operations are possible to maintain a comfortable garment condition.

Meanwhile, when the analysis unit 120 determines that ventilation is required, the driving unit 130 outputs a control signal for ventilation of the functional clothes 10. If it is determined that ventilation is not necessary as a result of the analysis by the analysis unit 120, the driving unit 130 may stop the output of the control signal. At this time, the control signal output from the driving unit 130 may be transmitted as an electrical signal to the actuator 140 through the conductive signal line.

The actuator 140 physically deforms the ventilation hole of the functional garment 10 according to a control signal received from the driving unit 130. 3, the actuator 140 is controlled by the control signal to control the size of the fabric grid of the functional clothes 10, which is hard to be visually recognized by the user, And the ventilation openings AC1 and AC2 are opened and closed.

First, the case of adjusting the fabric grid size of the functional clothes 10 will be described in detail.

As an example, the actuator 140 may deform the structure of the fabric grid of the functional garment 10 through a combination of bending or bending of the piezoelectric elements. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining how the structure of the fabric lattice of the functional garment is modified by the actuator constituted by the piezoelectric element according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In this case, the functional garment 10 is constituted by strip-shaped piezoelectric elements 41 and 43 which can be woven as shown in FIG. 4 (a), and can be weaving together with the fibers have. Alternatively, the functional garment 10 may be in the form that the piezoelectric elements 41 and 43 are coated on one side of the fabric.

In the case of a piezoelectric element, a shape is deformed depending on the magnitude of the electric signal. When the control signal is received from the driving unit 130 using the property of the piezoelectric element, the direction in which the bending of the piezoelectric element is generated is controlled according to the magnitude of the electrical signal of the control signal (magnitude of the applied voltage).

For example, the actuator 140 adjusts the bending direction so as to bend the piezoelectric elements 41 woven vertically in FIG. 4 (a) so as to bend in the left-right direction, respectively, and horizontally woven piezoelectric elements 43 are vertically To adjust the direction of bending to bend. Accordingly, the size of the lattice (air circulation hole) of the woven fabric of the functional garment 10 can be adjusted as shown in Fig. 4 (b).

As another example, the actuator 140 may deform the structure of the fabric grid of the functional garment 10 through a combination of attractive forces or repulsive forces. 5 is a diagram for explaining a structure of a fabric lattice of a functional garment modified by an actuator having magnetism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this case, the materials 51 and 53 having magnetic properties such that they can be woven as shown in Fig. 5A are formed in a strip shape, and can be woven together with the fabric. Alternatively, one of the surfaces of the fibers (fabric) of the functional garment 10 may be coated with magnetic materials 51 and 53.

In the case of a material having magnetism, an attractive force or a repulsive force is generated by a control signal. When the control signal is received from the driving unit 130, the actuator 140 adjusts the attractive force or the repulsive force of the magnetic substance according to the electrical characteristics of the control signal. 5 (a), the actuator 140 is controlled to generate repulsive force between the magnetic material 51 having the magnetically woven fabric longitudinally in accordance with the control signal, and between the materials 53 having the magnetically transversely woven So that a repulsive force is generated between them. Thus, the size of the lattice (air circulation hole) of the woven fabric of the functional garment 10 can be adjusted as shown in Fig. 5 (b).

As described above, the structure of the fabric grid of the functional clothes 10 is modified to allow the discharge of coarse water particles through the conditioned air circulation vents, thereby enabling quick humidity control and temperature control.

4 and 5 show cases in which the ventilation openings of the molecular structure size of water vapor are opened or closed by deforming the structure of the fabric grid of the functional clothes 10. [ In such a case, it is difficult to confirm opening and closing of the ventilation opening with the naked eye of the user. Accordingly, the present invention also proposes a case in which a ventilation hole of a size observable by the naked eye, embodied in the functional garment 10, is opened and closed.

For example, the actuator 140 can control the opening and closing of the ventilation opening of the functional clothes 10 through the material contracted by the temperature change. FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a case where a ventilation opening of a functional garment is opened or closed by an actuator that is contracted by a temperature change according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this case, the actuator 140 uses a property such as a nylon material used for an artificial muscle that contracts or relaxes with a change in temperature. At this time, an electrode having conductivity is applied to the outside of the material causing the contraction, and the material in the inside is contracted by the heat generated when the electricity flows.

For example, the contraction material (nylon material) 61 may be embodied on both sides of a structure, such as a support, which can replace the zipper of the ventilation opening as shown in Fig. At this time, the material (nylon materials) 61 and 63 in which the shrinkage occurs can be implemented in various forms such that the direction in which shrinkage occurs is different as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

As another example, the actuator 140 can adjust the opening and closing of the ventilation opening of the functional clothes 10 through the bending of the piezoelectric element. 7 is a view for explaining a case in which a ventilation opening of a functional garment is opened and closed by an actuator constituted by a piezoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this case, unlike the case of FIG. 6 in which the ventilation openings are opened and closed in the left and right direction, the actuator 140 adjusts the interval (opening and closing) of the ventilation openings by using the piezoelectric elements 71 and 73 which are deformed upward and downward . As shown in Fig. 7, on the left side of the supporter that can replace the zipper of the ventilation opening of the functional garment 10, a piezoelectric element 71 causing upward bending deformation is disposed, and a bending deformation The piezoelectric element 73 can be disposed.

At this time, the piezoelectric element can be realized by using a flexible material and weaving like a fiber, even if it is not a fiber form. In addition, it is possible to quickly ventilate according to the state of the functional clothes 10 by the characteristics of the piezoelectric element that can control the degree of bending according to the voltage of the control signal (electric signal) externally applied.

On the other hand, the material in which the shrinkage occurs in accordance with the temperature change illustrated in Fig. 6 can be fabricated in a fiber form. When such a characteristic is used to reflect the material in which the contraction occurs in the structure for deforming the fabric lattice as shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 140 can be realized as shown in FIG. In the case of FIG. 8, by replacing the piezoelectric element used in FIG. 4 and deforming the fabric lattice of the functional clothes 10 by using the material 81 in which contraction occurs, the size of particles that can pass through the fabric lattices is adjusted .

At this time, the largest change occurs at the center for the curved surface shape, and the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element of the actuator 140 through the resistance change to the same applied voltage can be adjusted in size have. In this case, a shape of a curved surface can be formed even if the same applied voltage and the same piezoelectric element are used. Such a configuration can be implemented more easily than a method of adjusting the magnitude of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the environment (temperature and humidity) in the functional clothes is analyzed and the ventilation openings for air circulation are automatically opened and closed to maintain a comfortable state in the clothes based on the analysis results. The air discharge and circulation function added to the functional garment can be automatically performed.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the scope of the claims and their equivalents shall be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

10: Functional Clothes
100: Automatic air circulation device 110:
120: Analyzer 130:
140: Actuator

Claims

A sensing unit for measuring an internal environment of the functional garment;
A control unit for analyzing an internal environment of the functional clothes using a measurement value received from the sensing unit and outputting a control signal for ventilation of the functional clothes according to the analysis result; And
An actuator physically deforming the ventilation hole of the functional garment according to the control signal;
And an automatic air circulation device for the functional garment.