WO2001084989A1

WO2001084989A1 - Planar thermal-insulating device, in particular for the human body

Info

Publication number: WO2001084989A1
Application number: PCT/CH2001/000282
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Weder
Original assignee: Empa Eidgenoessische Materialpruefungs- Und Forschungsanstalt
Priority date: 2000-05-11
Filing date: 2001-05-09
Publication date: 2001-11-15
Also published as: AU2001252089A1; EP1280440A1; JP2003532469A; EP1280440B8; EP1280440B1; ATE422317T1; US20030131967A1; DE50114701D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a planar heat insulating device, in particular, an item of clothing or a cover for the human body, comprising a shell (2; 12), which is filled with a heat-insulating material (3, 13). The shell (2, 12) has at least one outlet (32) provided, by means of which a reduction of the gas volume in the thermal-insulating device is possible. The insulating power of the thermal-insulating device can thus be varied, in particular reduced, by, for example, a factor of 10, by means of a considerable volume reduction. An item of clothing can thus be produced which may have thermal-insulation properties, optimised to suit the wearers activities with differing levels of physical exertion.

Description

Flat thermal insulation device, in particular for the human body

The invention relates to a flat thermal insulation device, in particular a piece of clothing or a blanket for the human body, with a cover which is filled with a heat-insulating material. Other examples of such thermal insulation devices are sleeping bags, helmets, medical wound dressings, clothing for motorcyclists or athletes.

Such devices are known for example from US 5,655,237. It is general state of the art, both in the case of clothing and also in the case of blankets, to design these with a covering which forms the outer or inner skin and which, for example, can be watertight. The use of breathable covers is also known here. A blanket or a piece of clothing is filled with insulating material, which can be down or synthetic materials, for example.

When using appropriate breathable covers, such garments offer good thermal insulation with comfortable lying or wearing comfort. A disadvantage of such clothing and blankets, however, is that at different temperatures in the sleeping area, especially in contrast to summer and winter, different, differently insulating blankets must be used. The sleeves and the inner material are then often separated, so that the inner material itself consists of a sleeve and a heat-insulating material. stands . This inner heat insulation device, so to speak, can then be removed and can be used in a double layer to improve the insulation. In the clothing area, jackets with different insulation levels are offered here, for example, or the user pulls different pieces of clothing on top of one another, as required.

The thermal insulation of ceilings and also clothing is changed by the users depending on the temperature, relative humidity and activity of the respective person. Usually people lay out their clothing in such a way that they do not freeze without physical activity. On the other hand, about 5 to 7 times more heat is produced during physical activity than at rest. This means that, in order not to get too much of a rise in the rectal temperature, the person has to get rid of the heat by sweating.

From DE 94 18 527 U a piece of clothing of the type mentioned is known in which the cover is to be subjected to a vacuum. This leads to a dilution of the gas in the envelope and an increase in the thermal insulation.

Based on this prior art, the invention has for its object to provide an insulating element of the type mentioned, which has a variable heat insulation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the casing is provided with an outlet through which a reduction in the gas volume in the heat insulation device is possible.

The thickness is reduced by suctioning off the gas volume filling the thermal insulation device, as a rule ambient air the thermal insulation device. In the simplest case, the cover, inside and outside, can consist, for example, of air- and water-impermeable film, for example PVC, and the filling is a bulky material.

The envelopes are advantageously breathable inside and out and consist of polyester, PTFE, hydrophilic or microporous PU and the filler is a bulky, advantageously non-hygroscopic material which can be reduced in volume under the action of compressive forces. This filler can be a fleece, consist of hollow fibers, and / or can be realized with down.

As a result, the heat insulation is reduced to such an extent that most of the heat can be emitted via convection and radiation, so that people have to sweat less and feel more comfortable. The thermal insulation can be changed over a relatively wide range. With the aid of the technology according to the invention of filling a cushion with air, the thermal insulation can be changed over a wide range (1: 4). Thanks to the breathable, airtight membrane, the moisture still passes through the clothing layers.

In special applications, such as clothing for the fire brigade, the two sides of the cover can also be designed differently on the inside and outside, in particular the outside cover can be less breathable, so that when the protective suit is exposed to hot water vapors from the outside, it does not pass through the clothing pass. In the normal case, however, the higher partial pressure of the water vapor present in the filler will ensure that it is released to the outside through the less breathable layer. The passage is advantageously a valve, in particular a one-way valve. The envelope can be divided into individual chambers, for example by quilting.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. Show it:

1 shows a section of a corresponding flat element in the air-filled state which has a pre-adjustable thermal insulation,

2 shows the element of FIG. 1 in the vacuum state,

3 shows an element similar to that of FIG. 1 with a synthetic fiber material filling,

Fig. 4 shows the element of Fig. 3 in the vacuum state, and

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a ceiling with an electronic control unit for automatically adjusting the heat insulation.

Fig. 1 shows an element with an outer shell 2 and an inner shell 12, between which down 3 is inserted. There are air chambers 4 between the loosely inserted down 3, since the heat-insulating element is in an air-filled state. This state is identified by reference number 1. The air-filled condition and in connection with the down 3 result in a high thermal insulation of the element. This is built up in particular by the heat-insulating effect of the down 3 in connection with the air areas 4 stored between them.

The sleeves 2 and 12 can in particular be breathable sleeves, for example made of polyester, PTFE or hydrophilic or microporous PU. These sleeves 2 and 12 are airtightly connected to one another at their edges. This can be a Gluing, welding or another type of connection. To clean the contents, it can be provided that this connection is a detachable connection at least at one point over a predetermined length, for example via a labyrinth seal.

FIG. 2 now shows the same element as in FIG. 1, after a substantial part of the air 4 has been extracted from the area between the shells 2 and 12 by a device not shown in this drawing. In all figures, the same reference numerals designate the same features. It should be noted that the amount of down filling of the insulating device has not changed between states 1 and 11 in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the considerably thinner element 11, recognizable by the difference in the thickness 5 and 15, the number of air spaces 4 and thus the total volume of the air contained between the shells 2 and 12 has been greatly reduced. This also reduces the insulating ability of the insulating element. According to the applicant's experiments, this can be reduced, for example, by a factor of 8 in the event of a substantial volume reduction. Depending on the setting of the filling levels and the evacuation, other, higher reductions in the insulating capacity are also possible.

The volume can be reduced by venting air 4 via a valve 32. This can be done manually by pressure on the material or by a pump. Instead of the air 4, it is also possible to fill another predetermined gas or gas mixture between the shells 2, 12, which is then not discharged into the ambient air but is collected in a separate reservoir, for example a pressure container that can be filled by said pump. The reservoir can be dimensioned so, in particular larger, so that it diffusion and other re can absorb losses over longer periods of time and the insulation device allows a long service life.

3 and 4 show a further insulating device in the air-filled state 1 and in the vacuumed state 11, elongated and flat nonwoven material 13 forming the filling of the insulating element here. Here too, the thickness of the insulating material 15 can be greatly reduced by removing the air located between the layers 2 and 12.

It is a characteristic of the down 3 or of the fleece 13 that it is bulky and can be compressed under pressure acting from the outside. By reducing the volume occupied by the elements 3 and 13, in particular the air chambers lying between the individual elements 3 and 13 are removed from the space between the layers 2 and 12 and this leads to a reduction in the insulation capacity.

A corresponding pressure outlet 32 can be a valve which is designed as an adjustable one-way valve. The user opens this and pushes the air out of the thermal insulation device. In the case of a blanket, this can be done by rolling up, folding or by loading the body's own weight. In the case of a piece of clothing, such as a jacket, this can be done by the action of the user's own hands and arms on the outer shell, the inner shell resting on the body as an abutment. The same procedure is also possible for clothing elements or trousers covering the arms.

It is useful for blankets, in particular duvets, to provide an additional outlet valve in order to achieve cross ventilation of the blanket; everyday ventilation of the ceiling can then omitted.

In addition to the fillings mentioned and shown in the drawings, fillings made of any self-relaxing material and / or a spacer fabric or spacer woven fabric are also possible by way of example.

Finally, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention with a cover 28 to which a pump 31 is connected. The cover 28 has, in the manner already described, an enveloping top layer 2 and a bottom layer 12 which cannot be seen in the figure. The layers 2 and 12 are welded at the edges 22 or otherwise sealed. In the ceiling 28, three passages 32 are arranged, which lead to a valve block 34 with hoses 33. Via the valve block there is a connection 35 to said pump 31 which, depending on the valve position, pumps air through the hoses 33 into the ceiling 28 or extracts it from the latter. A control line 36 is used for this. The ceiling 28 consists of three chambers 41, 42, 43. Any other number of chambers is also conceivable. These need not be the same size either, as will become apparent from the description below. The advantage of separate chambers 41, 42, 43, between which separating seams 44 are provided, is that the user can set a different degree of insulation for respective body regions. It can therefore be seen that this can be separated for example for the foot area, leg area, lower body and upper body. In the case of a correspondingly wide blanket for two people, a different insulation behavior can then be set for the two people by appropriate cross-separation of the chambers. In the simplest control, inflated chambers 41, 42, 43 are assumed and a corresponding volume of air is pumped out via a flow meter or a timer. Here, at the outlet 32 ensure that no fillers (down 3 or fleece material 13) escape from the chambers.

In a particularly comfortable and automatically working embodiment, a temperature and / or humidity sensor 37 is provided, which is connected via a control line 38 or wirelessly to the pump 31 and its control device. Then, depending on the preset calibration curve, an appropriate volume of air can be automatically extracted from the chambers in order to adjust the degree of insulation of the ceiling according to the outside temperature, the room temperature, the air humidity or other parameters.

It should be noted that as a starting state with good thermal insulation, the sleeves 2 and 12 lie on the filling material 3 or 13, so that air pockets are formed between the individual filling elements 3 and 13, but not due to a too loose distribution of the filling material convection between the Envelopes 2 and 12 can occur, which is to be avoided. Then the insulating effect would drop very much in the highly air-filled state.

With this thermal insulation device, in particular a cover which is suitable for allergy sufferers and in particular mite droppings is created. The use of the thermal insulation device as clothing for motorcyclists results in additional fall damping in the event of accidents.

It is possible to add active substances to a blanket or clothing. These can be herbal additives, vitamins, medicines or perfumes. In this case, admixing can take place via the valve 32 and / or the said reservoir can be used.

In the case of a ceiling, an electronic control It can be provided with which the amount of air to be removed is determined via a flow meter and / or a thickness meter between the sleeves 2 and 12 and / or a timer. The amount of gas to be removed can be predetermined, for example, by a temperature sensor and / or a hygrometer. These various sensors are only mentioned as examples; any measured value that can be used to characterize the room climate can be used.

Corresponding calibration curves are preferably stored in the electronic control unit 31, so that the device is self-regulating. The thermal insulation of such a blanket can be changed within relatively wide limits by removing or introducing air from the space between the envelopes 2 and 12. The room temperature and room humidity in which the ceiling is used serve as the control parameter.

One cycle assumes complete evacuation of the air from the ceiling. The blanket has a thickness of between 5 and 7 millimeters and is suitable for a summer room temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, for example. Depending on the outside climate, the control system determines the amount of air that is blown into the ceiling, depending on the parameters mentioned above, in particular including calibration curves. The filling material, for example down, swells and takes up a larger volume. With a filling volume of approx. 0.3 cubic meters of air with a ceiling of 1.6 by 2.4 meters, for example, a maximum thickness is reached. This maximum thickness of approx. 8 centimeters results in thermal insulation of 1 m K / W and is suitable for a room temperature of 13 to 15 degrees Celsius. Depending on the heat needs of the sleeper, who can set this manually, will be a progressive or degressive or linear Air volume curve can be selected for the parameter.

Since a reliable thickness measurement of such a ceiling cannot be carried out, the filling volume is determined over the running time of the pump. An automatically running calibration function allows the blanket to be evacuated at regular intervals, e.g. twice a week or only every week, during the (adjustable) unused time (e.g. during the day), from where the blanket has a minimal filling quantity, for example 0.015 cubic meters of air is brought to the required volume of air indicated by the sensors.

Diaphragm pumps that can pump and suction are particularly suitable as pumps. A sensible cycle (suction or filling) can be carried out for the 0.3 cubic meters in 10 to 15 minutes. Electrical valves are advantageously provided between the ceiling and the pump in order to be able to lock the suction and pressure side of the pump in an airtight manner towards the ceiling when the pump is not in operation.

In addition to the function of calibration, evacuation also has the function of removing moisture from the ceiling. This ventilation can also be done by a repeated cycle of inflation and suction.

In addition to being used in ceilings, this control can also be integrated in clothing. In the simplest case, the same parameters of the above-mentioned indoor climate (ambient temperature and humidity) are used, both of which are parameters that relate to an air volume that is on the side of the "ceiling" opposite the user. In addition, the workload is an important factor of man, whose physical activity, which determines the feeling of warmth, can be as Switches can be manually adjusted in some stages from low to medium to high. Measurement parameters are preferably used which relate to the area between the user and the item of clothing and which record the temperature and humidity there. The parameters of both areas (inside and outside the item of clothing) can also be linked.

Claims

claims

1. Flat heat insulation device, in particular a piece of clothing or a blanket for the human body, with a cover (2; 12) which is filled with a heat-insulating material (3, 13), characterized in that in the cover (2, 12) at least one outlet (32) is provided, through which a reduction in the gas volume in the heat insulation device is possible.

2. Thermal insulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing consists of an inner surface (12) and an outer surface (2) which are connected to one another at their edges in an airtight manner and / or that the casing is used as protection against mechanical damage with a Outer fabric is provided as a protective layer or laminated.

3. Thermal insulation device according to claim 2, characterized in that the airtight connection provided at its edges is a releasable connection at least at one point over a predetermined length.

4. Thermal insulation device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sleeves (2, 12) consist of air- and water-impermeable film or that the sleeves (2, 12) are breathable inside and out and made of a breathable waterproof and airtight Material and / or consist of a material from the group consisting of polyester, PTFE, hydrophilic or microporous PU.

5. Thermal insulation device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the filling of the heat insulating Materials (3, 13) is a bulky substance.

6. Thermal insulation device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the filling of the heat insulating material is a fleece (13), and / or that the filling consists of hollow fibers and / or down (3), and / or that Filling with self-relaxing material and / or spacer fabric or stand-up webware is realized.

7. Thermal insulation device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the outlet (32) is a valve.

8. Thermal insulation device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sheath (2; 12) is divided into individual chambers (41, 42, 43).

9. Thermal insulation device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that an electronic control device (31) is provided, with which a predetermined gas and / or ambient air that can be stored in a reservoir is removed or blown in via a pump (31) becomes.

10. Thermal insulation device according to claim 9, characterized in that for the electronic control unit (31) the amount of air to be removed can be determined via a flow meter and / or a thickness meter between the sleeves (2 and 12) and / or a timer, and / or that the amount of gas to be removed can be predetermined by a temperature sensor and / or a hygrometer, and / or that a calibration curve is stored in the electronic control unit (31) and is self-regulating.