WO2004006698A1

WO2004006698A1 - Cooling clothes

Info

Publication number: WO2004006698A1
Application number: PCT/JP2002/007020
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hiroshi Ichigaya
Original assignee: Seft Development Laboratory Co.,Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-07-10
Filing date: 2002-07-10
Publication date: 2004-01-22
Also published as: AU2002318652A1

Abstract

Cooling clothes useful for living comfortably with a small power consumption and a convenient structure. At a position of the cloth part corresponding to the trunk, an air flow channel for conducting air between the cloth part and the underwear is formed. A cooler (50) is disposed at a position of the cloth part corresponding to the back. The cooler (50) is provided, in the rear surface thereof, with an air outlet (51) for taking out air from the air flow channel and an air inlet (52) for taking air into the air flow channel. Between the air outlet (51) and the air inlet (52), the air flow channel is provided with a separator (40). A coupling tube (55) couples the air outlet (51) and the air inlet (52). The cooler (50) comprises a compressor (61), a radiator (62), and a heat exchanger fin (64) and cools air in the coupling tube (55) utilizing a refrigeration cycle. A fuel battery (56) is used as a power supply for the cooler (50).

Description

Description Cooling garment Technical field

The present invention relates to a cooling garment that can be comfortably used even in a high-temperature environment. Background art

Air conditioners are currently the most widely used means of relieving heat during hot seasons such as summer. This is very effective in reducing heat because it directly cools the air in the room.

However, although air conditioners are expensive equipment and the household penetration rate has increased, it has not yet spread to each room of a single household. In addition, air conditioners consume a large amount of power, so the spread of air conditioners increases the power consumption of society as a whole, and at the same time, air-conditioners rely on fossil fuels for a large proportion of power generation. The widespread use of conditioners has the sarcastic effect of leading to global warming. In addition, since the air conditioner cools the room air itself, there may be a problem that overcooling may damage health.

Therefore, the development of clothing that consumes less power and can be comfortably used even in the hot season will solve some of these problems.

Some people work in poor environments such as high temperature and high humidity. Such workers usually perform the work with excessive force, or alternately repeat the work for a certain period of time and the cooling of the body. As a result, the worker's body is severely damaged by the poor environment. Therefore, it is desired to devise clothes that can efficiently cool the worker's body even in such a poor environment. Disclosure of the invention The present invention has been made in view of such a technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooling garment that can be comfortably spent with low power consumption and a simple structure. is there.

In order to achieve the above object, a cooling garment according to the present invention is provided with an air for circulating air between a clothing portion and a body or underwear formed by one or more spacers. A flow passage, an air outlet for taking air out of the air flow passage, an air inlet for taking air into the air flow passage, and a space between the air outlet and the air inlet. A connecting pipe to be connected, a blowing means for forcibly generating an air flow inside the air flow passage and the connecting pipe, and a cooling means for cooling air flowing through the connecting pipe using a refrigeration cycle. And a fuel cell which is a power supply for supplying power to the cooling means.

In order to achieve the above object, a cooling garment according to the present invention allows air to be circulated between a cloth part and a body or underwear formed by one or a plurality of spacers. An air outlet for taking air out of the air flow passage; an air inlet for taking air into the air flow passage; and an air outlet for the air outlet. A connecting pipe connecting between the pipes; a blowing means for forcibly generating an air flow in the air flow passage and the connecting pipe; and a cooling means for cooling air flowing through the connecting pipe by using a Peltier effect. And a fuel cell that is a power supply for supplying power to the cooling means. Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cooling garment according to the present invention is intended to circulate air between a cloth part and a body or underwear formed by one or more spacers. An air outlet for taking air out of the air flow passage; an air inlet for taking air into the air flow passage; and an air outlet between the air outlet and the air inlet. And a blowing means for forcibly generating a flow of air inside the air flow passage and the inside of the connecting pipe, and flowing through the connecting pipe using dry ice, ice or a gel-like cooling body. And cooling means for cooling the air to be cooled.

In addition, “underwear” means clothing worn under cooling clothing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a schematic front view of a cooling garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic rear view of the cooling garment.

FIG. 2A is a schematic configuration diagram of a cooling device used for the cooling garment, and FIG. 2B is a schematic sectional view of the cooling device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the flow of air in an air flow passage provided at a site corresponding to the back.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a part of the spacer portion attached to the clothing portion.

FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged perspective view of a part of the spacer section.

FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining an environment in which a cooling effect can be obtained when the outside air introduction cooling method is used.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cooling device in a cooling garment according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a modification of the cooling garment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The best mode for carrying out the invention according to the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, a cooling garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 (a) is a schematic front view of the cooling garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 1 (b) is a schematic rear view of the cooling garment, and Fig. 2 (a) is used for the cooling garment. FIG. 2 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cooling device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the flow of air in an air flow passage provided at a portion corresponding to the back.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the cooling garment of the first embodiment includes a clothing material portion 10, four spacer portions 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 20 d, a separation device (partition means). ) 40 and a cooling device 50. In the first embodiment, a case will be described in which the cooling garment is applied to work clothes, uniforms, and other types of garments that are worn without putting the hem in pants. This cooling garment is a long-sleeved garment, of which the front is closed with a zipper. Also, this cooling garment is Wear on top of the clothes. Here, in the first embodiment, clothing worn under cooling clothing will be referred to as “underwear”. For example, if you decide to wear a shirt under cooling clothing, that shirt is the “underwear” here.

Three spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c are sewn on the back surface of the fabric portion 10 with thread. In the first embodiment, each of the spacers 20 a, 20 b, and 20 c is attached to a sweat-prone portion, for example, a front left trunk, a right front trunk, and a back trunk. It is sewn at the position of the corresponding clothing material section 10. The spacer portions 20a, 20b, 20c form an air flow passage for allowing air to flow between the clothing portion 10 and the underwear. The air flow passage forms a space substantially parallel to the body surface when a person wears cooling clothing. Further, the spacer unit 20 d is provided on the back surface side of the housing of the cooling device 50. The spacer section 20d also forms an air flow passage for allowing air to flow between the cooling device 50 and the underwear.

In the first embodiment, a fastener is used as a means for closing the front part when the cooling garment is worn. A button or a hook can be used, but it is preferable to use a fastener. The fastener can be easily opened and closed, and when the fastener is closed, almost no air leaks from the fastener part to the outside. For this reason, when the fastener is closed, the two spacer portions 20a and 20b provided on the front side of the cloth material portion 10 constitute one airflow passage as a whole.

As shown in FIG. 3, an opening 10a for attaching a cooling device 50 is formed in a portion of the clothing portion 10 corresponding to the central portion of the back. The spacers 20 d provided in the cooling device 50 are fitted into the openings 10 a, and the cooling device 50 is attached to the back side of the clothing 10 so that the four spacers are provided. The sub-portions 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, and 20 d constitute a single closed air flow passage as a whole. Therefore, the air can circulate in the air passage formed around the body of the body.

In addition, air flowing through the air flow passage may leak from the upper and lower portions of the air flow passage. The leaked air exits from the neck portion and the lower end of the fabric portion 10. In such a case, the upper and lower parts of the back of the cloth part 10 should be It is necessary to provide stopping means. For example, as the air leakage prevention means, a band-shaped cloth sewn along a waist direction at a predetermined portion on the back surface of the clothing portion 10 can be used. Here, rubber or the like is put at the end of the belt-shaped cloth on the underwear side to gather together. As a result, the band-shaped cloth cage comes into contact with the undergarment, and the air can be prevented from leaking from the air circulation path. In addition, as another example of the air leakage prevention means, rubber, a string, a belt, or the like can be used.

It is desirable to use a material that does not substantially leak from the clothing portion 10 while air is flowing through the airflow passage as the material of the clothing portion 10. As a material which does not substantially leak air, for example, a high-density cloth can be used. When working in a poor environment, for example, at an outside air temperature of 50 and a humidity of 90%, make sure that the temperature and humidity of the outside air do not enter the inside of the clothing area 10. It is desirable to use a material having heat insulation properties and impermeable to moisture as the 10 material. Next, the structure of the spacer portions 20a, 20b, 20c attached to the cloth portion 10 will be described in detail. Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a part of the spacer parts 20a, 20b, 20c, and Fig. 5 is a part of the spacer parts 20a, 20b, 20c. FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged perspective view of FIG.

The spacer sections 20a, 20b, and 20c shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 include a spacer 21 and a cloth (sheet-like material) 31. Further, the spacer 21 includes a mesh member 25, a plurality of columnar members 26, and a plurality of connecting members 27. The mesh member 25 is formed in a substantially flat shape, and has a plurality of first rails 25a and a plurality of second rails 25b. The plurality of first rails 25a are arranged at regular intervals along the vertical direction in FIG. 4, and the second rails 25b are arranged at regular intervals along the horizontal direction in FIG. The arrangement interval of the first rails 25a and the arrangement interval of the second rails 25b are the same, so that the mesh of the mesh member 25 has a substantially square shape. Here, the arrangement interval between the first rails 25a and the arrangement interval between the second rails 25b is, for example, about 7 mm.

Each columnar member 26 has a length component in the thickness direction of the mesh member 25, and is physically connected to the mesh member 25 at an intersection where the first rail 25a and the second rail 25b intersect. They are connected in a row. In the first embodiment, in particular, each columnar member 26 is connected to the mesh member 25. From above. For example, the length of the columnar member 26 is about 6 mm, and the thickness is about 1.5 mm.

Each connecting member 27 connects the tips of two columnar members 26 located on one diagonal line among four columnar members 26 located around the predetermined mesh of the mesh member 25. Is what you do. For example, in the mesh located in the odd-numbered row from the left and the odd-numbered column from the top, the connecting member 27 connects the columnar member 26 located at the upper right and the columnar member 26 located at the lower left. It is formed as follows. In the mesh located in the even-numbered row from the left and the even-numbered column from the top, the connecting member 27 connects the columnar member 26 located at the upper left with the columnar member 26 located at the lower right. It is formed as follows. The connection members 27 are not formed in other meshes. It is desirable that the number of connecting members 27 be as small as possible. For example, if connecting members 27 are provided in all the meshes of the mesh member 25, the spacer 21 lacks flexibility, and the comfort of the cooling garment becomes very poor. It is because.

Since each side of the first rail 25a and the second rail 25b and each connecting member 27 are also columnar members, the spacer 21 used in the first embodiment includes a plurality of columnar members 26. It can be considered that they are three-dimensionally constructed by connecting them physically.

Specifically, the spacer 21 can be easily manufactured by injection molding or the like using a material (thermoplastic resin) such as a soft plastic or a thermoplastic elastomer. That is, the heated and fluidized plastic is pressed into a mold to form the spacer 21. As can be seen from the structure of the spacer 21 described above, the spacer 21 can be integrally molded by using a mold in any part along the thickness direction. This is because there is no overlap with other parts through the space. Further, the spacer 21 has a feature that the ratio of the volume of the spacer 21 itself to the volume occupied by the outer shape is very small, light, and inexpensive.

The spacer 21 is sewn to the fabric 31. Specifically, the spacer 21 is arranged at a predetermined position of the cloth 31 so that the mesh member 25 of the spacer 21 faces the cloth 31. Then, wrap the thread around the intersection of the mesh members 25, Sew spacer 21 on fabric 31. At this time, a plurality of small-sized spacers 21 may be collected and sewn to the cloth 31. If a large-sized spacer 21 is to be manufactured, a large amount of cost is required for manufacturing the mold, and the manufacturing cost of the spacer 21 is increased. In this manner, by sewing the spacer 21 to the cloth 31, three spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c are obtained. Here, the size and size of each spacer portion 20a, 20b, 20c are determined according to the mounting position and the like.

The fabric 31 is not necessarily a cloth, and any material such as a plastic film or a mesh material can be used as long as it is a sheet material. Alternatively, a large-sized spacer portion may be manufactured by collecting a plurality of small-sized spacer portions and sewing the cloths together. The three spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c are sewn at the positions of the clothing material portions 10 corresponding to the left front torso, the right front torso, and the back torso. Specifically, first, the clother portions 20a, 20b, and 20c of the spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c are arranged such that the cloth 31 is opposed to the back surface of the clothing portion 10 and the spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c are attached to the clothing portions. It is placed at a predetermined location on the ground 10. Then, the cloth 31 is sewn to the cloth part 10 using, for example, a sewing machine. At this time, it is desirable to sew only the end of the cloth 31 to the cloth part 10. This is because the suturing operation of the spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c can be easily performed, and the seams of the cooling garment can be made inconspicuous.

On the other hand, as the spacer portion 20d to be attached to the cooling device 50, a spacer 21 alone obtained by removing the fabric from the spacer portion shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is used. In this case, the spacer portion 20 d is bonded to the back surface of the housing of the cooling device 50. It is desirable that the strength of the spacer portion 20d be higher than the strength of the other spacer portions 20a, 20b, and 20c. Since the spacer unit 20d is attached to the cooling device 50, it is necessary that the spacer unit 20d be able to withstand the pressing force of the cooling device 50 when the cooling device 50 is attached to the clothing unit 10. Because there is.

When the cooling garment to which the spacer portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are attached is thus worn, the connecting member 27 of the spacer 21 comes into contact with the underwear. Heel The connecting member 27 plays a role in preventing the creased underwear portion from entering the interior of the spacer 21. In fact, when the connecting member 27 is not provided, when the wearer of the cooling garment is working, the undergarment is inevitably wrinkled, and the wrinkled undergarment is a columnar member 26 of the spacer 21. Get in between. For this reason, the wrinkled underwear portion impedes the flow of air in the airflow passage. In the first embodiment, by providing the spacer 21 with the connecting member 27, it is possible to reliably prevent the creased underwear from entering the inside of the spacer 21.

Note that a simple structure having no connecting member may be used as the spacer 21, and a mesh material may be attached to the side of the spacer 21 facing the underwear. That is, in this case, the mesh-shaped material plays a role of preventing the creased underwear portion from entering the inside of the spacer 21.

The space portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d secure a space between the clothing material portion 10 of the cooling garment and the underwear, and the space portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d. It has the purpose of circulating air inside d. In order to improve the air flow, it is necessary to increase the aperture ratio of the spacers 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d in a plane perpendicular to the direction of air flow. Specifically, it is desirable that the aperture ratio be 30% or more. On the other hand, in order for the air to sufficiently contact the surface of the underwear in contact with the spacers 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, the spacers 20a, 20 It is necessary to increase the aperture ratio of b, 20 c, and 20 d. Specifically, such an aperture ratio is desirably 20% or more. The sensor units 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d of the first embodiment are designed to satisfy these conditions, thereby improving the air circulation and further improving the space. Since the contact area of the underwear in contact with the sub-sections 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d can be reduced, the chance of direct contact between the underwear and the air can be increased. Further, the spacer portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d have the advantages of being extremely lightweight and having great flexibility.

It is not always necessary to attach spacer portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d to the entire air flow passage. For example, due to the difference in the shape of the body 10 This is because there is no need to attach the spacers 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d where the space becomes available.

Next, the cooling device 50 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling device 50 includes an air outlet hole 51, an air inlet hole 52, two fans (blowing means) 53, 54, a connecting pipe 55, Battery 56, compressor 61, radiator 62, refrigerant tube 63, heat exchange fins (heat exchanger) 64, air outlet tube 71, air inlet tube 72, It has one valve (first adjusting means) 73, second valve (second adjusting means) 74, third valve (third adjusting means) 75, and control section 81. The control unit 81 controls the driving of the fans 53, 54, the compressor 61, and the radiator 62, and specifically, the first valve 73, the second valve 74, and the third valve 73. 5. Open and close control.

The air outlet hole 51 and the air inlet hole 52 are respectively formed on the back surface of the casing of the cooling device 50 and at the left and right positions in the center. The air outlet hole 51 and the air inlet hole 52 are formed at positions close to each other. The air outlet hole 51 is for taking out air from the air flow passage, and the air inlet hole 52 is for taking air into the air flow passage. The air outlet hole 51 and the air inlet hole 52 are connected by a connecting pipe 55.

In the first embodiment, the cooling device 50 is detachably attached to the clothing portion 10. More specifically, a velcro on the side A is sewn around the opening 10a of the cloth material section 10 and the spacer section 20d on the back of the casing of the cooling device 50. The Velcro B side is adhered to the periphery. Then, by attaching the Velcro A on the side and the Velcro B on the side, the cooling device 50 can be easily attached to the clothing portion 10. In particular, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the cooling device 50 is provided with two arms for passing both arms so that the cooling device 50 can be carried on the back like a rucksack. There are two cords. Thus, even when the cooling device 50 comes off the opening 10a of the clothing material 10 unexpectedly, the cooling device 50 does not fall. It is desirable to use a thin velcro tape for attaching the cooling device 50 to the cloth material portion 10 with less air leakage.

In addition, the air flow passage between the air outlet hole 51 and the air inlet hole 52 has a back side. A 40-minute separation is set up along the center of the building and along the vertical direction. In the air flow passage near the air outlet hole 51 and the air inlet hole 52, the air flows from the side of the air outlet hole 51 to the air inlet hole 52, It blocks direct flow from the inlet hole 52 side to the air outlet hole 51 side. In the first embodiment, the separator 40 is provided inside the spacer section 20c and inside the spacer section 20d. Then, when the cooling device 50 is attached to the opening 10a of the clothing material portion 10, a single separation tray 40 is constituted as a whole.

When attaching the cooling device 50 to the opening 10a, the separator 40 provided in the spacer portion 20c and the separator 40 provided in the spacer portion 20d should be used. It is desirable to provide a positioning means for determining the position of the separator 40 in the opening 10a of the cloth material portion 10 so that no gap is generated between them. Specifically, a groove for inserting the separator 40 is formed at a predetermined position in the opening 10a. When installing the cooling device 50 in the opening 10a, align the position of the separator 40 with the groove, and push the separator 40 along the groove to remove the separator 40. It can be arranged at a desired position.

The fans 53, 54 strongly generate airflow inside the airflow passage and the connecting pipe 55. The fan 53 is attached to the junction between the air outlet hole 51 and the connecting pipe 55 as shown in FIG. 2 (b). The fan 53 rotates in a direction to send out the air in the air flow passage toward the connecting pipe 55. On the other hand, the fan 54 is mounted at a position in the air flow passage corresponding to the air inlet hole 52, as shown in FIG. 2 (b). Here, a side flow fan represented by a sirocco fan is used as the fan 54. A side-flow fan is a fan that radially sends out air taken in from the axial direction of the blade toward the outer periphery of the blade. Therefore, the air flowing from the connection pipe 55 toward the air inlet hole 52 is sent out by the fan 54 into the air flow passage on the left back side separated by the separation 40 as shown in FIG. . Then, the air passes through the air flow passage on the front side of the body and reaches the air flow passage on the right side of the back. Then, as shown in FIG. Is sucked into.

The compressor 61, the radiator 62, the refrigerant pipe 63, and the heat exchange fins 64 constitute the main part of the cooling device 50, and correspond to the cooling means of the present invention. That is, each of these parts is cold The air flowing through the connecting pipe 55 is cooled using a freezing cycle. The refrigerant pipe 63 guides the refrigerant from the compressor 61 to the compressor 61. A heat exchange fin 64 is attached to a predetermined portion of the refrigerant pipe 63. The heat exchange fins 64 are arranged so that the connecting pipe 55 passes through the heat exchange fins 64.

Air is warmed by body temperature while flowing through the airflow passage. The warmed air is taken out from the air outlet hole 52 into the connecting pipe 55. On the other hand, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 61 and becomes high-pressure and high-temperature steam. This vapor is cooled by heat exchange by convection with external air in the radiator 62, and is condensed and liquefied. At this time, the heat generated at the time of condensation is radiated from the heat radiator 62. The liquid is sent to an expansion valve (not shown), expands and vaporizes, and becomes vapor. At that time, the steam takes large heat of vaporization from the surroundings and cools the heat exchange fins 64. Then, the heat exchange fins 64 exchange heat with the air flowing in the connecting pipe 55. Thereby, the air flowing through the connecting pipe 55 is cooled, and the steam flowing through the refrigerant pipe 63 is warmed. Thereafter, the steam returns to the compressor 61. This completes the refrigeration cycle.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the air circulating in the airflow passage and the connecting pipe 55 is cooled by using the cooling device 50 using the refrigeration cycle. The wearer's body can be cooled by the air thus blown. In the following, such a cooling method is also referred to as “internal circulation type cooling method”.

As the cooling device 50 used in the first embodiment, for example, in the air outlet hole 51, the temperature raised to 33 t: and the humidity of 80% can be reduced to the temperature 30 and the humidity of 50%. It is sufficient to use one having a cooling capacity that can be used. Therefore, such a cooling device 50 is different from a general indoor air conditioner in its capacity. Depending on working conditions, environmental conditions, and individual differences, for example, the cooling capacity of the cooling device 50 may be about 50 W to 150 W at maximum. Further, in the cooling device 50 using the refrigeration cycle, by controlling the cooling capacity, the amount of cooling for cooling the air in the connecting pipe 55 can be adjusted. For this reason, for example, a knob for adjusting the cooling amount is provided in the casing of the cooling device 50, and the control unit 81 controls the cooling capacity of the cooling device 50 according to the set value by the knob. You may do so.

In addition, cooling systems that use currently available refrigeration cycles use COP ( Energy consumption efficiency) up to a maximum of “5”. If similar technology is used, the power consumption of the cooling device 50 used in the first embodiment can be reduced to one fifth of “7”.

Furthermore, in order to enhance the cooling sensation of the wearer, it is desirable that the temperature difference between the air outlet hole 51 and the air inlet hole 52 be small. To reduce such a temperature difference, a large amount of air must be circulated. Specifically, the amount of air to be circulated may be at least 1 liter Z sec, but is desirably 5 liters / sec or more.

By the way, for example, when cooling the air in the entire room with the indoor air conditioner, it takes a long time to cool the air in the entire room because the volume of the air to be cooled is large. For this reason, in the indoor air conditioner, the cooling capacity during start-up operation must be considerably larger than that during normal operation. On the other hand, in the cooling device 50 used in the first embodiment, since the volume of the air to be cooled is not so large, the wearer's body can be immediately cooled with a small cooling capacity.

Also, when cooling the wearer's body using the internal circulation cooling method, when the wearer is sweating, the humidity in the air passage is low, so the sweat evaporates immediately and the body is Can be cooled. However, when the air flowing through the connecting pipe 55 is cooled by the refrigerant, the sweat becomes drain water. Therefore, in the cooling device 50 used in the first embodiment, the amount of drain water is large for the cooling capacity. Become. As a countermeasure for this, for example, the radiator 62 may be arranged below the connecting pipe 55 so that the drain water generated in the connecting pipe 55 may be guided to the radiator 62. As a result, the heat radiation effect of the radiator 62 can be improved, and the drain water can be evaporated, so that the floor does not get wet with the drain water.

In the cooling garment of the first embodiment, the wearer's body can be cooled by a cooling method other than the above-described internal circulation type cooling method. That is, when the external temperature and humidity are not so high as to use the cooling device 50, in the first embodiment, the external air is circulated in the air flow passage without driving the compressor 61 or the like performing the refrigeration cycle. Thereby, the wearer's body can be cooled. Such a cooling method is also referred to as an “outside air introduction cooling method”. Next, an external air introduction type cooling method will be described. In this outside air introduction cooling method, an air outlet pipe 71 and an air inlet pipe 72 are used. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the air outlet pipe 71 is joined to the connecting pipe 55 near the fan 53, and the air inlet pipe 72 is near the air outlet pipe 71 and heat exchange It is joined to the connecting pipe 55 on the side of the fin 64. The air outlet pipe 71 is for guiding the air taken out from the air outlet hole 61 into the connecting pipe 55 to the outside. Outflow of air from the air outlet pipe 71 to the outside is adjusted by the first valve 73. The air introduction pipe 72 is for introducing external air into the connection pipe 55. The introduction of air from outside to the air introduction pipe 72 is regulated by the second valve 74. The third valve 75 is provided in a connecting pipe 55 between the air outlet pipe 71 and the air inlet pipe 72.

When the internal circulation cooling method is used, the control unit 81 closes the first valve 73 and the second valve 74 and opens the third valve 75. Then, while driving the two fans 53 and 54, the compressor 61 and the radiator 62 are driven to execute the refrigeration cycle. The control by the control unit 81 will be referred to as “first control”. Therefore, in this case, the air in the air flow passage does not flow out to the outside, and the external air does not flow into the air flow passage. On the other hand, when using the outside air introduction type cooling method, the control unit 81 opens the first valve 73 and the second valve 74, closes the third valve 75, and compresses. The fan 61 and the radiator 62 are not driven, and only the two fans 53, 54 are driven. The control by the control unit 81 will be referred to as “second control”. Therefore, in this case, no refrigeration cycle is performed, and external air can enter and exit the air flow passage.

In the cooling method of the outside air introduction type, outside air enters the connection pipe 55 from the air introduction pipe 72 and flows into the air flow passage on the left back side via the fan 54. The inflowed air passes through the air passage on the front side of the body and moves into the air passage on the right back. Then, when the air reaches the fan 53, the air is sucked by the fan 53 and discharged from the air introduction pipe 71 to the outside. In this way, by circulating external air in the air flow passage and setting the temperature of a portion relatively close to the body surface to a temperature lower than the body temperature, it is possible to realize a large temperature gradient near the body surface. it can. Due to this large temperature gradient, the heat emanating from the surface of the human body can easily be placed on the side of the cool clothing And is quickly absorbed by the air flowing in the air flow passage. Therefore, in the cooling method of the outside air introduction type, the wearer can feel cool just by circulating the air in the air flow passage. In addition, in situations where sweating occurs, sweat can be carried outside by the air flowing through the airflow passage, and the body can be cooled directly by absorbing the heat of vaporization caused by sweating.

Next, an environment in which a cooling effect can be obtained by the cooling garment of the first embodiment will be described. First, an environment in which a cooling effect can be obtained when an external air introduction type cooling method is used will be described. FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining an environment in which a cooling effect can be obtained when the outside air introduction type cooling method is used. In FIG. 6, the vertical axis represents humidity, and the horizontal axis represents temperature. Curve S 1 on the left shows a curve where the wet bulb temperature is 30. The middle curve S 2 shows the curve where the wet bulb temperature is 3 3, and the right curve S 3 shows the curve where the wet bulb temperature is 36. This graph was obtained in an environment with a sufficient airflow, and here the results are shown schematically.

With the cooling method using outside air, the cooling effect cannot be obtained even if cooling clothes are used in an environment where sweat from the body cannot evaporate. Therefore, theoretically, it is considered that there is no cooling effect under the environment corresponding to the area on the right side of the curve S 3 on the right side in FIG. Also, even under the environment corresponding to the area surrounded by the curve S3 on the right and the curve S2 in the middle, sweat from the body cannot evaporate much, so the cooling effect cannot be expected so much. On the other hand, in an environment corresponding to the area surrounded by the middle curve S2 and the left curve S1, sweat from the body can evaporate, so that a cooling effect is obtained. And, under the environment corresponding to the left area with the left curve S1 as the boundary, sweat from the body can be sufficiently evaporated, and it is considered that the cooling effect is sufficiently obtained. The environment on the left side of the middle curve S 2 is the normal living environment of humans. For this reason, it is theoretically considered that the cooling effect of the outside air introduction cooling method can be obtained no matter what environment the cooling garment is used for, except for unusual environments.

On the other hand, as for the cooling effect when the internal circulation type cooling method is used, there is no restriction on the use environment such as the cooling effect by the above-described external air introduction type cooling method. Therefore, for example, at a temperature of 50 and a humidity of 90%, poor human beings cannot live. Even in adverse environments, wearing a cooling garment and using the internal circulation cooling method can cool the wearer's body. Actually, the internal circulation type cooling method is used in an environment where the cooling effect cannot be obtained by the outside air introduction type cooling method. In other words, such an internal circulation cooling method is used to reduce the damage to the body due to a poor environment rather than to seek comfort. Therefore, if the heat radiation balance of the wearer's body is maintained, only the torso of the body is cooled, and the purpose of using the internal circulation cooling method is sufficiently achieved.

In the first embodiment, a button for selecting one of an internal circulation type and an outside air introduction type as a cooling method is provided on the casing of the cooling device 50. For this reason, when the wearer presses a desired button according to the working environment or the like, the control unit 81 performs the first control or the second control according to the cooling method selected by the button. Specifically, when the outside temperature and humidity are in the area on the right side of the curve S3 in FIG. 6, the body is cooled using the internal circulation cooling method, and the outside temperature and humidity are lower than the curve S1 in FIG. When in the area on the left, it is desirable to switch the cooling method to the outside air introduction type.

Further, switching between the internal circulation type and the outside air introduction type may be automatically performed. For example, the cooling device 50 is provided with temperature and humidity detecting means for detecting the temperature and humidity of the external environment. The control unit 81 performs one of the first control and the second control based on the temperature and the humidity detected by the temperature and humidity detecting means.

Furthermore, it is also possible to perform an internal circulation type cooling method while introducing outside air. This cooling method is also referred to as “third cooling method”. In the case of performing the third cooling method, the control unit 81 opens the first valve 73, the second valve 74, and the third valve 75, and also opens the two fans 53, 5 4, Compressor 61 and radiator 62 are driven. For example, it is effective to use the third cooling method when the temperature of the outside air is slightly lower than the temperature of the air taken out from the air outlet hole 51 into the connecting pipe 55. Specifically, it is desirable to use the third cooling method when the external temperature and humidity are in a region near the curve S2 in FIG.

If the wearer of the cooling garment is working for a long time using the internal circulation cooling method, take in only a small amount of external air into the air flow passage so that skin respiration can be performed well. Is desirable. In addition, the air may flow in a skewed path in the air flow passage, for example, in the center avoiding the upper and lower parts of the trunk. In such a case, in order to effectively cool the entire body, it is desirable to provide an air guide means for guiding the air along a desired path in the air flow passage. Specifically, a sponge is provided at a predetermined position in the air flow passage to divide the space in the air flow passage so that air flows through all locations in the air flow passage.

The battery 56 is a power supply for supplying electric power to the fans 53, 54, the compressor 61, the radiator 62, and the like. As this battery 56, a fuel cell is used. Fuel cells have the advantage of being smaller and less time-consuming to recharge than rechargeable batteries. Moreover, fuel cells are considered to be compatible with cooling clothing. Due to its characteristics, a fuel cell is not suitable for the case where a large amount of current needs to flow at one time, but is suitable for the case where a constant current gradually flows. In the cooling garment of the first embodiment, when using the outside air introduction type cooling method, the battery is used only for driving the fans 53, 54, and when the internal circulation type cooling method is used. This is because it is sufficient to use a cooling device having a small cooling capacity as the cooling device 50, and in each case, there is no sudden rising current. In addition, it is desirable to provide a battery remaining amount display unit for displaying the remaining amount of the fuel cell in the housing of the cooling device 50.

In the cooling garment of the first embodiment, the air is forcibly generated in the air flow passage by the fan, and the air flowing through the air flow passage is cooled by the cooling device, and the cooled air is returned again. By sending the cooled air into the air passage, the cooled air can flow between the clothing portion and the human body in a direction substantially parallel to the body surface. Therefore, by wearing such a cooling garment, the wearer can obtain coolness and comfort. In addition, since the air cooled by the cooling device is circulated through the air flow passage, the wearer's body is effectively cooled even when the wearer is working under poor environmental conditions. be able to.

In the first embodiment, the case where the cooling garment is worn on the underwear has been described. However, for example, the cooling garment may be worn directly on the bare skin.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the case where the front part of the cooling garment is opened and closed with the fastener has been described. You may make it. Further, such cooling clothes can be applied to clothes of a type in which the rear portion is opened and closed with a fastener or the like, and evening clothes which are worn by wearing on the head because the front and rear portions are not open.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the case where a spacer having a mesh member, a plurality of columnar members, and a plurality of connecting members is used as the spacer has been described. Pisa can be used. In particular, when using the internal circulation type cooling method, the cooling capacity of the cooling device determines the amount of cooling air, so there is not much need to distribute the air near the body surface. For this reason, it is considered that the thickness of the spacer is not so limited. However, practically, it is desirable that the thickness of the spacer be 2 mm or more and 30 mm or less. If the spacer thickness is less than 2 mm, the air pressure must be considerably increased in order to allow a constant flow of air, which is not practical. On the other hand, if the thickness of the spacer is larger than 30 mm, the cooling garment will have poor appearance and comfort.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the case where the air flowing through the connecting pipe is cooled by the cooling device using the refrigeration cycle has been described, but the air flowing through the connecting pipe is cooled by the cooling device using the Peltier effect. You may do so. Here, the Peltier effect means that when two types of conductors (or semiconductors) are joined and current is passed through the joint surface while maintaining the whole at a constant temperature, heat absorption or heat generation occurs at the joint surface That is. Therefore, by using a thermoelectric cooling element to which the Peltier effect is applied as a cooling device, it is possible to cool the air in the air flow passage. In this case, since a low-temperature layer and a high-temperature layer appear in such a thermoelectric cooling element, it is necessary to provide a radiator for radiating the heat of the high-temperature layer to the outside. In the case where a cooling device using the Peltier effect is used, similarly to the case where the cooling device using the refrigeration cycle is used, it is possible to guide the drain water generated in the connection pipe to a radiator to evaporate the water. desirable.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cooling device in a cooling garment according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, according to the second embodiment The schematic front and rear views of the cooling garment are almost the same as those shown in Figs. 1 (a) and (b), respectively.

The cooling garment according to the second embodiment includes a clothing material portion 10, four spacer portions 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, a separator 40, and a cooling device 150. Is provided. This cooling garment differs from that of the first embodiment only in that the cooling device 150 cools the air in the connecting pipe 55 using dry ice. Other points are the same as those in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cooling device 150 includes an air outlet hole 51, an air inlet hole 52, two fans 53, 54, a connecting pipe 55, and a cylindrical container 16. 1, dry ice 16 2, and cooling fins 16 3.

Container 16 1 is for holding dry ice 16 2. As the container 161, a container having good heat insulation properties is used. The upper end of the container 16 1 is covered with an airtight lid 16 1 a. When the lid 16 1 a is put on the container 16 1, the upper portion of the container 16 1 is completely closed. A cooling fin 163 is attached to the bottom of the container 161. The container 16 1 is arranged so that the cooling fins 16 3 pass through the connecting pipe 55. Further, the cooling fins 1 6 3 has hole portion is provided, C 0 ₂ gas generated by vaporization of Dora Iaisu 1 6 2 of the container 1 6 1 is released to the outside through the hole .

In the cooling device 150, the dry ice 162 placed in the container 161 directly cools the cooling fins 163. In addition, the C〇 ₂ gas generated by the vaporization of the dry ice 16 ₂ also cools the cooling fins 16 3 when it is discharged to the outside from the hole. Therefore, the air flowing through the connecting pipe 55 exchanges heat with the cooling fins 16 3 and is cooled. At this time, the C〇 ₂ gas is heated by heat exchange. With such a cooling method, the amount of cooling of the air flowing in the connecting pipe 55 can be adjusted by the amount of air blown by the cooling fan 16. When the amount of dry ice 16 2 is low, open the airtight lid 16 la of the container 16 1 and add dry ice 16 2.

In the cooling garment of the second embodiment, similarly to the cooling garment of the first embodiment, the fan forcibly generates the flow of air in the air flow passage, and the air flowing through the air flow passage is Cooled by the cooling device, and the cooled air is returned to the air flow passage By sending it out, the cooled air can flow between the clothing part and the human body almost parallel to the body surface. Therefore, by wearing such a cooling garment, the wearer can obtain coolness and comfort. In particular, in the second embodiment, the use of dry ice as the cooling device has an advantage that it can be manufactured at a lower cost than that of the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and combinations are possible within the scope of the gist.

For example, in the above-described second embodiment, a case has been described in which the air circulating in the air flow passage is cooled using dry ice, but instead of dry ice, ice or a gel-like cooling body is used. The air flowing through the connecting pipe may be cooled.

In each of the above embodiments, a case has been described in which another spacer unit is attached to the back surface of the clothing unit except for the spacer unit attached to the cooling device. On the other hand, it is also possible to produce an inner garment that can be worn by using a plurality of spacers, and to use this inner garment instead of the spacer attached to the back surface of the above-mentioned cloth part. Good. In this case, by wearing the inner garment on the undergarment and the garment body on the inner garment, an air flow passage can be secured between the garment body and the surface of the undergarment. In addition, one in which a plurality of spacers are attached to the surface of the underwear may be used as the inner clothes. Also in this case, if the garment body is worn on the underwear (middle garment) provided with the soother, an air flow path can be secured between the garment body and the surface of the undergarment. In each of the above embodiments, the case where the cooling garment is applied to the work clothes has been described. However, the cooling garment of the present invention is not limited to the work clothes and can be applied to any clothes.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the body is cooled by wearing the cooling garment of the present invention has been described. However, by changing the size and installation position of the spacer, a wider range of the body can be obtained. Alternatively, a smaller area may be cooled.

By the way, when the cooling garment of the present invention is worn under poor environmental conditions, not only the body of the wearer may be cooled, but also the air sucked by the wearer may be cooled. Hereinafter, a modified example of the cooling garment of the present invention configured to be able to cool the air taken in by the wearer will be described. FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a modification of the cooling garment of the present invention. The cooling clothing shown in FIG. 8 is different from that of the first embodiment in that the cooling device 5 OA includes a cooling device 50 used in the first embodiment, an intake pipe 91, and a mouthpiece. 9 and 2 are added. In this modification, those having the same functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

One end of the intake pipe 91 is located near the connecting pipe 55 so as to pass through the heat exchange fins 64. A mouthpiece 9 2 is attached to the other end of the intake pipe 91.

When the wearer holds the mouthpiece 92 and sucks air, external air flows into the intake pipe 91 from the end of the intake pipe 91 on the side of the heat exchange fins 64. The inflowing air is cooled by heat exchange with the heat exchange fins 64. Thereafter, the cooled air further passes through the intake pipe 91, enters the mouth of the wearer via the mouthpiece 92, and is then released from the nose. Thus, since the wearer can inhale the cooled air, a sufficient cooling sensation can be obtained even when working in a poor environment.

Note that a mask may be used instead of the mouthpiece 92. In this case, a mask configured to guide the air cooled by the heat exchange fins 64 into the mouth of the wearer and to discharge the air to the outside when exhaling is used. Further, the intake pipe 91 and the mouthpiece 92 (or the mask) can be provided in the cooling device used in the second embodiment. Industrial applicability

As described above, in the cooling garment of the present invention, the air is forced to flow in the air flow passage by the fan, and the air flowing through the air flow passage is cooled by the cooling device. By sending the cooled air back into the air flow passage, the cooled air can be flowed substantially parallel to the body surface between the clothing portion and the human body. Therefore, by wearing such cooling clothes, the wearer can obtain coolness and comfort. Therefore, the present invention has a low power consumption and a simple structure. It can be applied to clothes that can be comfortably spent.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. an air flow passage formed by one or more spacers for circulating air between the clothing portion and the body or underwear;

An air outlet for taking air out of the air flow passage;

An air inlet for introducing air into the air flow passage;

A connecting pipe connecting between the air outlet and the air inlet,

Blowing means for forcibly generating a flow of air inside the air flow passage and the connecting pipe;

Cooling means for cooling air flowing through the connection pipe using a refrigeration cycle, and a fuel cell as a power supply for supplying power to the cooling means,

A cooling garment comprising:

2. An air flow passage formed by one or more spacers for circulating air between the clothing portion and the body or underwear;

An air outlet for taking air out of the air flow passage;

An air inlet for introducing air into the air flow passage;

A connecting pipe connecting between the air outlet and the air inlet,

Cooling means for cooling air flowing through the connection pipe using the Peltier effect; a fuel cell as a power supply for supplying power to the cooling means;

A cooling garment comprising:

3. An air flow passage formed by one or more spacers for circulating air between the clothing portion and the body or underwear,

An air outlet for taking air out of the air flow passage;

An air inlet for introducing air into the air flow passage;

A connecting pipe connecting between the air outlet and the air inlet,

Blowing means for forcibly generating a flow of air inside the air flow passage and the connecting pipe; Cooling means for cooling air flowing through the connecting pipe using dry ice, ice or a gel-like cooling body;

A cooling garment comprising:

4. The air outlet part and the air inlet part are provided near each other, and the air outlet part and the air inlet are provided in the air flow passage between the air outlet part and the air inlet part. Block the air in the air flow passage from flowing directly from the air outlet to the air inlet and from the air inlet to the air outlet near the air outlet. 4. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein a partitioning means is provided.

5. The cooling garment according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cooling means includes a control means for controlling a cooling amount for cooling air in the connection pipe.

6. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein the cooling means is attached to a position of the clothing portion corresponding to a back.

7. The cooling garment according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cooling means is detachably attached to the clothing portion.

8. The air flow passage is provided at a portion corresponding to a trunk portion, and air leakage prevention for preventing air flowing in the air flow passage from leaking from upper and lower portions of the air flow passage. 4. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein a cooling means is provided.

9. The spacer has a substantially flat mesh member and a length component in a thickness direction of the mesh member, and a plurality of spacers physically connected to the mesh member at intersections of the mesh member. And a plurality of connecting members for connecting the tips of two of the four pillar members located around the mesh member in a predetermined mesh of the mesh member. The cooling garment according to 2, 3 or 4.

One end of the intake pipe is provided with an intake pipe arranged near the connecting pipe, and air is sucked in from the other end of the intake pipe. Cooling the external air introduced into the intake pipe from the part by the cooling means, and guiding the cooled air to near the mouth or nose of the wearer. Cooling clothing as described.

11. The cooling garment according to claim 1, further comprising a battery remaining amount display unit for displaying a remaining amount of the fuel cell.

1 2. An air outlet pipe for introducing air taken out from the air outlet into the connecting pipe to the outside, an air introducing pipe for introducing external air into the connecting pipe, and an external First adjusting means for adjusting the introduction of air into the connection pipe; second adjusting means for adjusting the introduction of air from the air introduction pipe into the connection pipe; and the first adjustment means between the air extraction pipe and the air introduction pipe. 3. The cooling garment according to claim 1, further comprising: third adjusting means for adjusting the flow of air in the connecting pipe.

13. The cooling means includes: a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; a radiator for exchanging heat with the external air for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the compressor and radiating heat generated at the time; A heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between air flowing through the pipe and the refrigerant cooled by the radiator, and guides drain water generated in the connection pipe to the radiator to evaporate. 2. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein the cooling garment is made to work.

14. The cooling means has a thermoelectric cooling element applying the Peltier effect, and a radiator for radiating heat of a high-temperature layer of the thermoelectric cooling element, and is formed in the connection pipe. 3. The cooling garment according to claim 2, wherein the drain water is guided to the radiator to evaporate.