Heated lap blanket

Abstract

This product provides a heated lap blanket that prevents slipping during use and improves heat retention. [Solution] The blanket comprises a two-layer blanket member 2 including an upper fabric material 21 positioned on the upper side and a lower fabric material 22 positioned on the lower side when in use, a mounting member 3 fixed to the surface of the upper fabric material and detachably attached to the desk 9, and a sheet-shaped electric heater 4 positioned between the upper and lower fabric materials and fixed to the back surface of the lower fabric material. The heated lap blanket is characterized in that, when the mounting member is attached to the desk, an air layer S is formed between the upper fabric material and the lower fabric material that is in contact with the user's legs.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a knee warmer with a heater, and particularly to a knee warmer with a heater used during desk work.

Background Art

[0002] In order to suppress the coldness of the feet during desk work, a knee warmer may be used. In recent years, there have also been commercially available products that allow a small USB (Universal Serial Bus) heater to be attached to the knee warmer. A USB heater is a heater that generates heat by being powered from a USB port such as a personal computer or a mobile battery.

[0003] When using a knee warmer, the knee warmer may slip off the user's leg. Also, every time one leaves one's seat, the operation of folding the knee warmer and placing it on a chair or the like is troublesome. For this reason, as disclosed in Utility Model Registration No. 3137131 (Patent Document 1), a knee warmer with a magnet attached to a desk has been conventionally proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a magnet is provided on the surface (upper surface) of the knee warmer as in Patent Document 1, the knee warmer is attached to the desk in a state of floating from the user's leg (thigh). Therefore, even when using a knee warmer with a heater such as a USB heater, the user's leg cannot be sufficiently warmed.

[0006] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a heated lap blanket that prevents slipping during use and improves heat retention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A heated lap blanket according to one aspect of this invention comprises a two-layer blanket member including an upper fabric material positioned on the upper side and a lower fabric material positioned on the lower side when in use; a mounting member fixed to the surface of the upper fabric material and detachably attached to a desk; and a sheet-shaped electric heater positioned between the upper and lower fabric materials and fixed to the back surface of the lower fabric material. The heated lap blanket is characterized in that, when the mounting member is attached to the desk, an air layer is formed between the upper fabric material and the lower fabric material that is in contact with the user's legs.

[0008] Preferably, in a plan view, the mounting members are provided symmetrically on either side of the placement position of the electric heater.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting member is a magnet.

[0010] The heated lap blanket can be attached to the surface of a desk, and it is also desirable that it be further equipped with a magnetic member for attracting magnets.

[0011] More preferably, the electric heater includes a first heater located on one side in the longitudinal direction to warm the thighs of a seated user, and a second heater located on the other side in the longitudinal direction to warm the area around the ankles of a seated user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, it is possible to prevent slipping down during use and to improve the heat retention effect. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]This is a plan view of a heated lap blanket according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a heated lap blanket according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing the usage state of a heated lap blanket according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure schematically shows the form of the blanket member in use in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows a heated lap blanket according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0015] <Example Configuration> Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an example of the configuration of a heated lap blanket (hereinafter abbreviated as "lap blanket") 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a plan view of the lap blanket 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with (A) showing a top view and (B) showing a bottom view. Figures 2(A) and (B) are cross-sectional views of the lap blanket 1, showing the cross section along the line II-II in Figure 1(A). In these figures, the horizontal direction of the lap blanket 1 (blanket member 2) is indicated by arrow A1, and the vertical direction is indicated by arrow A2. Also, the upward direction when the blanket member 2 is arranged approximately horizontally is indicated by arrow A3.

[0016] The lap blanket 1 comprises a two-layer blanket member 2, a mounting member 3, and a sheet-like (film-like) electric heater 4. The planar shape of the blanket member 2 is typically approximately rectangular. The width of the blanket member 2 is, for example, 90 to 110 cm, and the length is, for example, 60 to 80 cm. The blanket member 2 may also be square in shape or elongated in the vertical direction.

[0017] The blanket member 2 includes an upper fabric member 21 disposed on the upper side and a lower fabric member 22 disposed on the lower side in the use state. "Upper side" means the side far from the user's legs (the side of the surface that does not contact the user) in the use state, and "lower side" means the side close to the user's legs on the user side (the side of the surface that contacts the user) in the use state. The surface of the upper fabric member 21 constitutes the upper surface of the blanket member 2, and the surface of the lower fabric member 22 constitutes the lower surface of the blanket member 2.

[0018] The upper fabric member 21 and the lower fabric member 22 have the same shape (substantially rectangular shape) and the same size as each other. The outer peripheral portions of the upper fabric member 21 and the lower fabric member 22 are sewn via a piping material 23. It is desirable that the upper fabric member 21 and the lower fabric member 22 are each composed of a heat-insulating fabric material such as a blanket or a fleece material. The upper fabric member 21 and the lower fabric member 22 are not adhered to each other, and they are integrated by frictional force in the normal state.

[0019] The attachment member 3 is fixed to the surface of the upper fabric member 21. The attachment member 3 is a member that can be detachably attached to the desk, and is typically a magnet. Hereinafter, the attachment member 3 is referred to as "magnet 3". When the top surface of the desk or the lower surface of the drawer (hereinafter referred to as "attachment target surface") is made of a magnetic material such as metal, the blanket member 2 can be easily attached / detached by the magnetic force of the magnet 3.

[0020] A plurality (for example, two) of magnets 3 are provided. Specifically, at least a pair of magnets 3 are provided symmetrically with respect to the center in the lateral direction. The interval between the pair of magnets 3 is determined, for example, within a range of 40 to 90 cm. The size of the magnet 3 is not particularly limited, but when the magnet 3 is circular, the diameter is, for example, about 2 to 3 cm.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the magnet 3 is disposed near one end in the longitudinal direction of the upper fabric member 21 (near the lower end in the drawing). The magnet 3 may be disposed at the center in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, a plurality of pairs of magnets 3 may be provided.

[0022] The electric heater 4 is located inside the blanket member 2. That is, it is positioned between the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22. The electric heater 4 is fixed to the back surface of the lower fabric material 22. The electric heater 4 is a flexible, thin electric heater, and is made of, for example, a carbon nanotube film heater. In the normal state, the surface of the electric heater 4 is in contact with the back surface of the upper fabric material 21.

[0023] The electric heater 4 is positioned in the center in the horizontal direction. In the vertical direction, the electric heater 4 is positioned near one end of the lower fabric material 22 (near the bottom edge of the paper), similar to the magnet 3. It is desirable that the electric heater 4 be positioned between the two magnets 3. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1(B), the electric heater 4 is positioned on the imaginary line segment IL connecting the two magnets 3. In a plan view, it is desirable that the magnets 3 be provided symmetrically on either side of the position of the electric heater 4.

[0024] A USB cable 5 is connected to the electric heater 4. The USB cable 5 is routed to the outside, for example, from one vertical end of the blanket member 2. A USB terminal 52 is provided at the end of the USB cable 5. An operation button 51 for turning the power supply to the electric heater 4 ON / OFF is provided at a point along the routed USB cable 5. The USB cable 5 may also be routed to the outside from one horizontal end of the blanket member 2.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2(A), in the normal state (not in use), the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22 of the blanket member 2 are almost entirely overlapping. As shown by the dashed lines in Figure 2(A) and the solid lines in Figure 2(B), the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22 can be easily separated from each other by hand.

[0026] <Instructions for use> Refer to Figure 3 to explain a specific example of how to use the lap blanket 1. Figure 3 is a schematic side view showing the lap blanket 1 in use.

[0027] When using the lap blanket 1, the user prepares the blanket member 2 so that the pair of magnets 3 are positioned above and towards the user while seated, and places it on their legs. The user also adjusts the orientation of the blanket member 2 so that its horizontal direction approximately coincides with the horizontal direction of the desk 9. At this time, the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22 are integrated by frictional force.

[0028] Subsequently, while remaining seated, the user attaches a pair of magnets 3 to the mounting surface 90 of the desk 9, spaced apart on the left and right. If the mounting surface 90 is made of a magnetic material, the blanket member 2 can be easily attached using the magnets 3. Furthermore, since the magnets 3 are fixed to the blanket member 2 (upper fabric material 21), it is possible to prevent the blanket member 2 from slipping off during use. In addition, since the blanket member 2 can be left hanging on the desk 9 when leaving the seat, the hassle of putting away the blanket member 2 each time the user leaves the seat is eliminated.

[0029] Here, if only the magnet 3 is attached, a space will be created between the legs (thighs) of the seated user and the blanket member 2 (lower fabric material 22). Since the blanket member 2 according to this embodiment has a two-layer structure, the lower fabric material 22 can be pulled down while the upper fabric material 21 remains close to the mounting surface 90. In other words, the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22 can be separated in the vertical direction. The form of the blanket member 2 at this time is schematically shown in Figure 4(A).

[0030] As described above, because the blanket member 2 has a two-layer structure, the lower fabric material 22 does not float away from the user's legs when in use, and the lower fabric material 22 can be in contact with the legs. This improves the heat retention effect. In addition, in this embodiment, since the electric heater 4 is positioned between a pair of magnets 3, the heat from the electric heater 4 can be effectively transferred to the legs via the lower fabric material 22.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, in the usage state, the electric heater 4 and the back surface of the upper fabric material 21 are not in contact, and an air layer S is formed between the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22. Since the air layer S functions as an insulating layer, it is possible to suppress the loss of heat from the electric heater 4 to the mounting surface 90, which is made of metal or the like. In other words, the electric heater 4 can effectively warm the user's legs. Also, since the electric heater 4 can heat the air layer S, it is possible to gently warm the user's abdomen through the upper fabric material 21 that is in contact with the air layer S.

[0032] Furthermore, if the mounting surface 90 of the desk 9 is made of a non-magnetic material such as wood, the magnet 3 cannot be directly attracted to the mounting surface 90. For this reason, as shown in Figure 4(B), the lap blanket 1A may be equipped with a magnetic member 6 for attracting the magnet 3 as part of the set. The magnetic member 6 may be provided in the same number as the magnets 3, or it may be a single, long component in the horizontal direction.

[0033] The magnetic member 6 has a magnetic layer 61 and an adhesive layer (shown by a dashed line in Figure 4(B)) 62. The adhesive layer 62 is adhered to the mounting surface 90, and the magnetic layer 61 is exposed to the space below the desk 9. The adhesive layer 62 may be covered with release paper, which is peeled off when in use.

[0034] <Variation> Referring to Figure 5, another example of a lap blanket will be described. Figure 5 shows a modified lap blanket 1B according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a plan view of the blanket member 2 seen from above, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing the form of the blanket member 2 in use.

[0035] The lap blanket 1B in this modified example differs from the lap blanket 1 described above in that it is equipped with a plurality (for example, two) electric heaters 41 and 42. As shown in Figure 5(A), the lap blanket 1B is equipped with an electric heater consisting of a first heater 41 located near one end in the vertical direction of the blanket member 2 (lower fabric material 22) and a second heater 42 located near the other end in the vertical direction of the blanket member 2 (lower fabric material 22). The first heater 41 is arranged between a pair of magnets 3 and corresponds to the electric heater 4 in the above embodiment. The first heater 41 and the second heater 42 may be provided substantially symmetrically with respect to the vertical center position.

[0036] When using the lap blanket 1B, the blanket member 2 is prepared in the same manner as in the above embodiment, so that the pair of magnets 3 are positioned at the top and in front, and the pair of magnets 3 are attached to the mounting surface 90 of the desk 9. In this case, the other side of the blanket member 2 in the vertical direction hangs down. In this modified example, as shown in Figure 5(B), the second heater 42 is fixed to the back of the lower fabric material 22 of this hanging portion, so the second heater 42 is naturally positioned in front of the user's ankles when seated. In other words, the lap blanket 1B includes a first heater 41 positioned to overlap with the user's thighs when in use, and a second heater 42 positioned to overlap with the user's ankles.

[0037] Therefore, according to this modification, both the user's thighs and ankles can be warmed. As a result, coldness in the user's feet can be effectively suppressed or eliminated.

[0038] <Other> In the embodiments and modifications described above, the mounting member 3 fixed to the surface of the upper fabric material 21 is shown to be a magnet, but the invention is not limited to such examples. For example, the mounting member 3 may be a hooking member (such as a hook) that hooks onto a hooking portion that has been fixed in advance to the mounting surface 90.

[0039] Furthermore, although an example was shown in which two mounting members 3 are provided symmetrically on either side of the placement position of the electric heater 4 (first heater 41), one mounting member 3 may also be provided in a position that overlaps with the placement position of the electric heater 4.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment and its modifications, the planar shape of the blanket member 2 is assumed to be substantially rectangular, but it is not limited to such examples, and may be, for example, elliptical.

[0041] As mentioned above, while it is possible to form an air layer S between the upper fabric material 21 and the lower fabric material 22 when in use, by making the distance between the pair of magnets 3 relatively large (for example, about 80 cm), the entire central part of the blanket member 2, including the upper fabric material 21, can be used in such a way that it hangs downwards (the blanket member 2 placed on the legs is used by bending it from side to side).

[0042] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1: Lap blanket 1A: Lap blanket 1B: Lap blanket 2: Blanket component 3: Mounting component (magnet) 4: Electric heater 5: USB cable 6: Magnetic material 9: desk 21: Upper cloth material 22: Lower cloth material 23: Piping material 41: First heater 42: The second heater 90: Mounting surface S: Air layer

Claims

1. A two-layer blanket member including an upper fabric material positioned on top and a lower fabric material positioned on the bottom when in use, A mounting member that is fixed to the surface of the upper fabric material and detachably attached to the desk, The system includes a sheet-shaped electric heater positioned between the upper fabric material and the lower fabric material, and fixed to the back surface of the lower fabric material. A heated lap blanket characterized in that, when the mounting member is attached to the desk, an air layer is formed between the upper fabric material and the lower fabric material that is in contact with the user's legs.

2. In a plan view, the mounting members are provided symmetrically on both sides of the position where the electric heater is located, as described in claim 1.

3. The aforementioned mounting member is a magnet, as described in claim 1, for the heated lap blanket.

4. The heated lap blanket according to claim 3, further comprising a magnetic member that can be attached to the surface of a desk to which it will be mounted and for attracting the magnet.

5. The heated lap blanket according to claim 1, wherein the electric heater includes a first heater located on one side in the vertical direction for warming the thighs of a seated user, and a second heater located on the other side in the vertical direction for warming the area around the ankles of a seated user.

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