Heat Cloth and Process for Producing the Same

Abstract

To provide a heat cloth which is thin and flexible; even when as a reaction of an air-permeable heat cloth proceeds, a heat generating composition becomes massive so that flexibility is lowered, or a part of an accommodating bag rides up by shrinkage and curling as caused by heat generation, well keeps the bonding and holding state so that it does not fall off easily; is supple like cloths; is excellent in flexing properties; easily and surely fits to flexible places such as elbows and knees; is able to take warmth; is applicable with good follow-up deformation properties to various places of a human body such as curved parts including shoulders, arms, a neck and feet; and hardly causes an uncomfortable feeling and a process for producing the same.A heat cloth having a heat generating composition molded body resulting from molding a heat generating composition containing surplus water as a connecting substance accommodated in an accommodating bag, wherein the accommodating bag is constituted of a substrate and a covering material; the covering material covers the heat generating composition molded body as provided on the substrate; the periphery of the heat generating composition molded body is heat sealed to form irregularities; sectional exothermic parts of a convex in which the heat generating composition molded body is accommodated are disposed while holding a sectioned part of a concave as a heat seal part; and the exothermic part is formed of a gathering of the sectional exothermic parts, which is characterized in that the substrate is substantially planar and does not contain a pocket, an accommodating division or an accommodating section; that the heat generating composition contains, as essential components, an iron powder, a carbon component, a reaction accelerator and water, does not contain a flocculant aid, a flocculant, an agglomeration aid, a dry binding material, a dry binding agent, a dry binder, a sticky raw material, a thickener and an excipient, contains surplus water so as to have a water mobility value of from 0.01 to 20, with the water in the heat generating composition not functioning as a barrier layer, and is capable of causing an exothermic reaction upon contact with air; that a volume of the heat generating composition molded body is from 0.1 to 30 cm3; that a capacity of the sectional exothermic parts to a ratio of the volume of the heat generating composition molded body is from 0.6 to 1.0; that a maximum height of the sectional exothermic parts is from 0.1 to 10 mm; that a width of the sectioned part as a space between the sectional exothermic parts is from 0.3 to 50 mm; that a minimum bending resistance on the surface orthogonal to at least a thickness of the heat cloth is not more than 100 mm; that a part of the accommodating bag has air permeability; and the surroundings of the accommodating bag are sealed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a heat cloth using a heat generating composition which after producing a heat generation composition molded body, is capable of causing heat generation without moving water in the heat generating composition molded body to a packaging material or a water absorptive sheet, the heat cloth being soft like fabrics and excellent in flexing properties, easily and surely fitting to flexible places such as elbows and knees, being able to take warmth, being applicable with good follow-up deformation properties to various places of a human body such as curved parts including shoulders, arms, a neck and feet and hardly causing an uncomfortable feeling, and to a process for producing the same.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Heat generating compositions utilizing an oxidation reaction of a metal such as iron have been provided as a powder or granule, or a viscous material or creamy material. Heat cloths utilizing such a heat generating composition are ve...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0036]An object of the invention is to solve the foregoing problems and to provide a heat cloth which is thin and flexible; even when as a reaction of an air-permeable heat cloth proceeds, a heat generating composition becomes massive so that flexibility is lowered, or a part of an accommodating bag rides up by shrinkage and curling as caused by heat generation, well keeps the bonding and holding state so that it does not fall off easily; is supple like cloths; is excellent in flexing properties; easily and surely fits to flexible places such as elbows and knees; is able to take warmth; is applicable with good follow-up deformation properties to various places of a human body such as curved parts including shoulders, arms, a neck and feet; and hardly causes an uncomfortable feeling and a process for producing the same.

Problems solved by technology

However, following spreading in utilization of throwaway body warmers which are aimed to be applied to various places of a human body such shoulders, arms, a neck and feet, even if a heat generating composition is hardened by a thickener, etc., there were encountered problems that in a single packed state, for example, bonding retention is difficult so that the dropping easily occurs and that a strong uncomfortable feeling is caused in wearing.

Such problems are promoted due to a lowering of flexibility as caused by blocking following progression of a reaction of heat generating body.

There was also encountered a problem that a stretched film which forms an accommodating bag is shrunk and curled due to heat generation so that an end part of a single packaging bag rides up, whereby a body warmer as bonded and held easily peels away and drops due to catch therein.

Furthermore, even if the exothermic part is divided into plural compartments, a heat generating composition as hardened by a flocculant aid, etc. involved a problem that an exothermic performance is deteriorated.

That is, according to a method for filling a powdered heat generating composition or a granular heat generating composition while partially sealing, it was mechanically substantially impossible to produce a heat generating body having a plural number of small-sized sectional regions, and additionally, there was caused a problem due to shortage in sealing as caused by incorporation of the heat generating composition into a seal part or the like.

In particular, it was substantially impossible to continuously produce one having a partial shape having a size of not more than 20 mm or one having a small shape of not more than 20 mm.

Furthermore, according to a method using a rotary magnet system as disclosed in Patent Document 17, not only a complicated operation is necessary, but also its structure is complicated.

Accordingly, there were encountered problems that the operation at the time of forming an exothermic layer is troublesome and that a device to be used is complicated and expensive, is liable to cause a fault, takes a long time to do the maintenance and is inconvenient for handling.

Therefore, there was a limit in making the size of the exothermic part small.

Now, in comparison with a heat generating body in which a flocculant and a binding agent are not incorporated, in a heat generating body having plural sectional exothermic parts, the exothermic time is markedly short, especially, in a sectional exothermic part having a narrow region whose shortest length is not more than 15 mm or a sectional exothermic part of a small size, the exothermic duration is markedly short, resulting in a problem in view of practical use.

If it is intended to prolong the exothermic duration, there was a problem that it becomes necessary to increase the dimensions of a single sectioned exothermic part so that the heat generating body becomes one having a sectional exothermic part of a large size.

Furthermore, even by using a powdered or granular heat generating composition, there was a problem that a concave pocket must be previously provided in a packaging material, thereby bringing a complicated operation.

Thus, the process became complicated and involved a problem in view of costs.

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