Cooling garment

Abstract

To provide a novel and useful cooling garment capable of achieving a long-lasting cooling effect and solving hygiene-related issues without requiring troublesome work.SOLUTION: A cooling garment has a piece of cooling lining 47 attached to a garment body with a snap button. In the cooling lining, two waterproof and flexible synthetic resin sheets having the same size and shape are joined by heat sealing to be integrated. Two seal lines 53 and 53 extend substantially in parallel to each other, and an elongated space is formed between the two seal lines. This space forms a flow path 55. When the cooling lining is removed from the garment body and crushed so as to flatten the flow path, most of the water remaining in the flow path can be removed. After that, if it is hung and dried, the residue of water is naturally removed, and thus stains such as water scale hardly stay. Further, the surface of the cooling lining can be cleaned by wiping.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling garment suitable for use in a work site or the like in a high-temperature environment. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to accommodate work in high-temperature environments such as summer, a liquid-circulation cooling garment has been proposed, as described in Patent Document 1, in which tubes are attached to the garment body and cooling liquid is circulated through the tubes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-11483 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to enhance the cooling effect, it is necessary to attach the tubes to the garment body with as small a gap between them as possible. In Patent Document 1, the tubes are attached to the garment body in a serpentine manner by being inserted sequentially through a large number of insertion-type guide sections. However, tap water is usually used as the coolant, and after a certain period of use, water may be constantly in the tubes, causing the tubes to become dirty with limescale and other deposits, creating hygiene problems. Furthermore, if left unattended, the tubes may become clogged, making it difficult for the water to circulate, which will have a negative effect on the cooling effect. However, since the tube is inserted through a considerable number of through-type guide portions as described above, removing the tube from the garment body and then reattaching it is a rather troublesome task.

[0005] The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned problems in the conventional art, and its object is to provide a new and useful cooling garment that provides a sustainable cooling effect and overcomes hygiene issues without requiring any cumbersome work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a cooling garment comprising a garment body that wraps around the upper body, and a single piece of cooling lining similar to the garment body that is removably attached to the inner side of the garment body, wherein the cooling lining is made up of two waterproof sheets joined together, and the space left unjoined between the two waterproof sheets is used as a flow path that forms part of the circulation path of the cooling fluid.

[0007] Preferably, the garment body and the cooling lining are joined at the shoulders with the front and rear panels connected together. Preferably, the flow path has a meandering portion and is continuous in a continuous line. Preferably, both ends of the flow path are open at the surface of the lower end of the rear body of the cooling lining that is joined to the main garment body, and are detachably connected to the cooling section of the cooling fluid via a flexible tube to form a sealed circulation path. Preferably, the cooling lining is removably attached to the inner surface of the garment body with snap buttons. Preferably, the cooling lining is removably attached to the inner surface of the garment body by hook and loop fasteners. Preferably, the cooling portion is configured with a waterproof bag in which a cooling fluid is stored and in which a cooling material is accommodated so as to be freely removable. Preferably, the bag is capable of accommodating a PET bottle or plastic container filled with a freezable liquid as a cooling agent in a removable manner.

[0008] In one embodiment, the cooling section is provided on the garment body side, and in another embodiment, the cooling section is attached to the waist belt. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The cooling garment of the present invention provides a sustainable cooling effect and overcomes hygiene issues without requiring any cumbersome work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a cooling vest according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with the front body part opened and laid out flat. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of FIG. 2 with the cooling liner removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cooling liner of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cooling vest of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the cooling vest of FIG. 1 being worn. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a front view of a cooling vest according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the cooling vest of FIG. 7 in a worn state. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cooling vest according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a front view of the cooling vest in FIG. 9 with the front part opened and laid out flat. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a rear view of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a rear view of FIG. 11 with the cooling liner removed. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the cooling liner of FIG. [Figure 14] 11 is a perspective view of the bag of FIG. 10 with a container placed therein. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A cooling garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the cooling garment is a vest-type cooling vest 1, the garment body 3 of which is made of a synthetic fiber fabric such as nylon or polyester. The back body 5 and the left and right front body parts 7, 9 are connected via the shoulders 11 and are made of a breathable mesh fabric. The underarm areas between the left front body 7 and the back body 5 are connected using a belt 13. The underarm areas between the right front body 9 and the back body 5 are also connected using a belt 13. The left front body 7 and the right front body 9 are connected using a belt 15.

[0012] From the middle to the lower side of the left front body 7, two pieces of pocket fabric are overlapped from the outer side and the edges are sewn together to form a pocket 17. Above the pocket 17, both ends of a thick belt sheet are sewn to the left front body 7 so as to cross the left front body 7, and an insertion-type guide part 19 is provided. The same structure is used on the right front body side 9.

[0013] In the back body 5, two pieces of pocket fabric 21a, 21b (FIG. 5) are overlapped from the outer side and the edges are sewn together to form a large pocket 21. The pocket 21 is U-shaped near the shoulder 11 to correspond to the shape of the back body 5, and branches out to the left and right. The upper end of each pocket is not sewn to the bag cloth 21a on the bag cloth 21b side, and these become small openings 21c, 21c of the pocket 21. The main opening of this pocket 21 is a portion where the bag cloth 21b is divided horizontally, and this opening is opened and closed by a fastener 23. This fastener 23 is located on the upper side near the branch portion. A separate bag cloth 25a is sewn to the inner surface of the lower side of the bag cloth 21b of the pocket 21, and together with the bag cloth 21b, a pocket 25 is formed. The opening of the pocket 25 is a part where the bag cloth 21b is divided horizontally, and the opening is opened and closed by a fastener 27.

[0014] The inner surface of the pocket 21, i.e., the facing surfaces of the bag cloth 21a and the bag cloths 21b and 25a, are covered by sewing with heat insulating sheets 29, 29. The heat insulating sheet 29 is made of a polyethylene base sheet with aluminum vapor deposition, and is covered by sewing so that the aluminum surface is exposed. An insertion hole 21d is formed in the overlapping portion of the back body 5 and the lining cloth 21a of the pocket 21, and the inside of the pocket 21 is open on the side of the back body 5. This insertion hole 21d is located at the lower end of the back body 5. Pocket 25 also has insertion holes 25b and 25c at the overlapping portion of bag cloth 25a and heat insulating sheet 29, and the inside of pocket 25 is open on the pocket 21 side.

[0015] A flat, elongated bag-like storage section 31 made of a waterproof synthetic resin sheet is contained inside the pocket 21. One side of this storage section 31 has a large circular hole formed therein, which serves as the main opening of the storage section 31. A hole of the same size is also formed in the bag cloth 21b of the pocket 21, and the two pieces are overlapped with the hole edges aligned, and a cap 33 is attached to the overlapped hole edges, so that the storage section 31 is connected to the pocket 21 via the cap 33, and the storage section 31 becomes an inner pocket of the pocket 21. The opening made by the cap 33 is closed by a lid 35. The storage section 31 is flexible and the middle part can expand, so that a plastic bottle P with a capacity of 200 to 700 mL can be stored in an upright position. The opening is sized to allow the plastic bottle P to be inserted and removed.

[0016] Connection parts are provided on the upper and lower sides of the storage part 31, and flexible tube 37 is connected to these. Tube 37a, one end of which is connected on the lower side, is passed through insertion hole 25b and enters the inside of pocket 25. A pump 39 is contained inside pocket 25, and tube 37a is attached to this pump 39. At the tip of the tube 37a, it is passed through insertion hole 25b again and returns to the inside of pocket 21. The returned tube 37a, together with the tube 37b whose one end is connected at the upper side, is passed through the insertion hole 21d and drawn out to the outside of the rear body piece 5 of the garment main body 3.

[0017] The cord 39a of the pump 39 is passed through the insertion hole 25c, enters the inside of the pocket 21, and is pulled out from the small opening 21c on the left side. The cord 39a that has been pulled out passes through the insertion guide portion 19 of the left front body panel 7, and is detachably connected to a controller 41 that can be stored in the pocket 17. The controller 41 has an ON / OFF switch, and pressing this switch operates the pump 39, and pressing it again stops it. A USB connector is provided for charging.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, a number of attachment pieces 43 are attached at appropriate intervals to the edge of the inner surface of the garment body 3. The attachment piece 43 is made of a flexible thin sheet of synthetic resin and has a rectangular shape. One short side of the rectangle is sandwiched between the edging tape 3a of the garment body 3 and sewn on. A male member 45a of a snap button 45 is attached to the attachment piece 43. The male member 45a has a protruding portion protruding from the surface of the attachment piece 43 opposite to the surface that overlaps with the inner surface of the garment body 3. The male members 45a are distributed over the entire periphery of the garment body 3, spanning from the rear body 5 to the left and right front body parts 7, 9, so as to surround the garment body 3.

[0019] 2, a piece of cooling lining 47 is attached in an overlapping state to the inner side of the garment body 3. This cooling lining 47 is similar to the garment body 3 but slightly smaller, and has sections 47a, 47b, and 47c that correspond to the back body 5 and the left and right front body sections 7 and 9 of the garment body 3. The cooling lining 47 is made of two waterproof and flexible synthetic resin sheets 49, 49 of the same size and shape, overlapped with their edges aligned and joined together by heat sealing. The edge seal portion 51 is double-lined and continues around the entire edge to form a closed ring.

[0020] A plurality of female members 45b of snap buttons 45 are attached to edge seal portion 51 at appropriate intervals. The female member 45b is provided so that its recess is on the synthetic resin sheet 49 side of the cooling lining 47 that is to be overlaid on the garment body 3, and the male member 45a on the garment body 3 side fits and fastens thereto. The female member 45b and the male member 45a are provided in a one-to-one corresponding position when the cooling lining 47 is superimposed on the inner side of the garment body 3, and by fastening these together, the cooling lining 47 is attached to the garment body 3, and by separating the female member 45b and the male member 45a, the cooling lining 47 is removed from the garment body 3.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 4, the synthetic resin sheets 49, 49 are also heat-sealed on the inner side than the edges. This heat seal is linear, with two seal lines 53, 53 extending almost parallel to each other, and a long, narrow space is formed between the two seal lines 53, 53. This space is surrounded by the synthetic resin sheets 49, 49 and the seals are sealed, so that when both ends are closed, it becomes a sealed space. A flow path 55 for the cooling fluid is formed in this space.

[0022] The flow path 55 extends in a long, continuous line, extending upward in a meandering manner from the lower left side of the portion 47a, moving to the portion 47b, extending downward in a straight line to the middle, then extending downward in a meandering manner further, turning back from the lower end and extending upward in a straight line, and then returning to the portion 47a and extending downward in a straight line at the middle in the left-right direction. The flow paths 55 extend symmetrically, and as described above, extend downward in a straight line at the middle in the left-right direction, reach the lower end, turn around, and extend upward in a straight line in parallel. In this manner, by combining the meandering portion 55a and the straight portion 55b, a state is realized in which the flow paths 55 are evenly arranged at an appropriate density over the entire portions 47a, 47b, and 47c.

[0023] The end 55c of the flow passage 55 extends in a single stroke and has a circular shape with an increased width. Both ends 55c, 55c are located below the portion 47a and toward the center. The end 55c is integrally molded and communicates with the base of the tube connection part 57. The tube connection part 57 is L-shaped, and the tip tube 57a extends parallel to the cooling lining 47 with a slight gap therebetween.

[0024] The tubes 37a, 37b drawn out to the outside are fitted and connected to the end pipes 57a, 57a of the tube connection parts 57, 57, respectively, to form a closed path connecting the tube 37b - the storage part 31 - the tube 37a - the one-stroke flow path 55 - the tube 37b. When the pump 39 is operated, this closed path becomes a circulation path for the water W, which is the cooling fluid, supplied therein. The tube 37 is fitted and connected to the tip tube 57a, and the tube 37 is elastically expanded and pressed against the tip tube 57a, so that a tight seal is ensured in the circulation path. On the other hand, by pulling the tube 37, it can be easily peeled off from the tip tube 57a.

[0025] A 500 mL plastic bottle P containing water W and a frozen beverage as a coolant is placed in the opening of the storage section 31, and the plastic bottle P is stored in an upright position. The storage section 31 functions as a cooling section that cools the water W by contacting it with the plastic bottle P. When the circulation path is formed as described above by the operation of pump 39, the water W that has flowed into the storage section 31 turns into droplets and drips down as it hits the outer surface of the plastic bottle P. As it falls, heat is absorbed and it is cooled, and it joins the pool of water below. The cooled pool of water below is returned to the tube 37 side by the suction action of pump 39. It is sufficient that the water W is at a level that does not allow air to be mixed into the circulation path, and therefore, the water level needs to be above the tube connection portion on the lower side of the storage portion 31 .

[0026] The cooling vest 1 is constructed as described above, is lightweight and thin, and its bulk is only that of the plastic bottle P. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, it does not impede the movement of the wearer when worn.

[0027] In addition, the flow paths 55 on the cooling lining 47 side are formed by heat sealing, and can be arranged at a higher density than when a tube is laid, and the thickness of the synthetic resin sheet 49 can be set to be thinner than the wall thickness of the tube. Furthermore, the flow paths 55 expand when water W is circulating, but the side that is pressed between the wearer and the garment body 3 and has a gentle curve comes into contact with the wearer, so the contact area between the flow paths 55 and the wearer via the synthetic resin sheet 49 is larger than when a non-deformable tube is laid. Therefore, the cooling effect is higher than when a tube is laid.

[0028] Furthermore, if the connection part of the tube 37 is exposed, there is a risk that it may come loose at that part depending on the wearer's movements, but this tube 37 is exposed to the outside only between the cooling lining 47 and the garment body 3, and the connection part on the cooling lining 47 side is on the underside of the back body 5 of the garment body 3, a part where the wearer's movements are not easily transmitted, and the connection structure is such that it cannot be detached unless it is pulled parallel to the cooling lining 47. Therefore, it will not come loose accidentally.

[0029] When not being worn, the cooling lining 47 can be easily removed from the garment body 3. By opening the snap buttons 45 and then removing the tube 37, the garment body 3 and the cooling lining 47 become completely separate. The tube 37 can be easily attached and detached by manually pulling the portion where it is fitted onto the tube connecting portion 57.

[0030] By squashing the cooling lining 47 and flattening the flow path 55, most of the water W remaining in the flow path 55 can be removed. If the cooling lining 47 is then hung up to dry, the remaining water will naturally drain out, and water stains and other dirt will be less likely to adhere. In addition, dirt can be removed by wiping the surface of the cooling lining 47. When wearing, the cooling lining 47 can be attached to the garment body 3 by fastening the snap buttons 45 again and connecting the tube.

[0031] When the cooling lining 47 becomes old and the dirt is difficult to remove by the above-mentioned work, it can be replaced with another new cooling lining 47. The cooling lining 47 can be easily manufactured by bonding synthetic resin sheets 49, 49 together to form a single piece, and can be provided at a low price, so it can be used as a consumable item.

[0032] A cooling vest 61 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 7, the clothing body 63 of the cooling vest 61 has a similar shape to the clothing body 3 of the cooling vest 1, but is made of a single sheet and does not have a pocket 21 for storing the storage section 31. Instead, a separate outer bag 65 is hung from a waist belt 67. This outer bag 65 corresponds to the pocket 21, and the storage section 31 is attached as an inner pocket.

[0033] Depending on the type of work and the working conditions, such as on-site construction work, for safety reasons, the cooling suit may be worn as an inner layer and a protective jacket may be worn over it. In addition to standing and moving around, there are also tasks that require sitting in a chair, such as operating a forklift. Even when riding a motorcycle, a protective jacket is usually worn. In such a case, carrying the plastic bottle P on one's back can be bulky, but if it is hung from the waist belt 67 as described above, it can be worn comfortably as an inner layer, and as shown in FIG. 8, a comfortable cooling effect can be maintained for a long time whether one is standing or sitting.

[0034] A cooling vest 71 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the clothing body 73 of the cooling vest 71 has some slight changes in design, but is largely constructed in the same way as the clothing body 3 of the cooling vest 1 of the first embodiment, and similar components are given the same symbols and will not be described. However, pocket 75 is provided in place of pocket 21. Pocket 75 has a flap-shaped lid 75a on the outer surface side, and is opened and closed by a linear fastener 75b. Short belts 75c, one end of 75c are sewn to the upper end of the inside of pocket 75 with a gap in the left-right direction. Snap buttons 75d are attached to the middle and other ends of each belt 75c. This engagement of the recesses and protrusions makes belts 75c into a ring-shaped hanging part.

[0035] The pocket 75 contains a cooling bag 77 that is made of a flexible plastic material and has an open top. 14, the cooling bag 77 is made into a vertically long rectangular flat bag shape similar to the storage section 31. However, the upper bag opening of the cooling bag 77 is closed by a zipper 77a and a closing member 77b. The closing part 77b is divided into a bar part and a C-shaped clip part, and the bar part is fixed in parallel to the underside of the zipper 77a of one of the bag surfaces, and the two bag surfaces are folded back in the direction of wrapping the bar part, and furthermore, by sandwiching it with the clip part, the two bag surfaces are sandwiched at the folded part and tightly sealed, so that the bag mouth is closed. Used in combination with the zipper 77a, the cooling bag 77 is doubly locked.

[0036] A flap piece 77c is provided on the other bag surface, and the cooling bag 77 is accommodated in the pocket 75 in a suspended state by inserting the hanging portion through a hole formed in this flap piece 77c. The tube 37 is connected to the cooling bag 77 in the same positional relationship as that of the storage section 31 . A container 79 is housed in the cooling bag 77. This container 79 is filled with a freezable liquid (water in this embodiment) and is closed with a screw-type lid 79a. The container 79 is made of rigid plastic (polyethylene (PE) in this embodiment) and is molded into a thin, flat, rectangular box. The shape of the container 79 is designed so that it does not deform even when the water freezes into ice. Therefore, with this Cooling Vest 71, the back does not expand, so there is no discomfort even when the back is placed against a wall or the back of a chair.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 11, the cooling lining 83 is constructed similarly to the cooling lining 47, but has a different pattern of flow paths 55. In this flow path 55, at the center of the back body 5, two straight line portions 55d, 55d extending in parallel in the vertical direction are short-circuited by straight line portions 55e, 55e, ... extending in the horizontal direction, and the number of serpentine portions 55f is reduced on the left and right front body portions 7, 9. In this way, the pattern of the flow paths 55 can be freely changed to suit the size and shape of the cooling lining 83. As described above, the flow paths are short-circuited at the linear portions 55e, 55e, ..., and branch into multiple paths, which increases the flow path density accordingly. Although the flow paths are not strictly linear, the water W does not accumulate along the way because it is circulated by pump action.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 12, on the inner side of the garment body 73, in place of the male members 45a of the snap buttons 45, loop surfaces 81a of a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners 81 are attached by sewing at appropriate intervals along the edge. Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 13, a hook surface 81b is also attached to the edge of the mating surface of the cooling lining 83. Therefore, the cooling lining 83 is attached to the garment body 73 by having the loop surface 81a and the hook surface 81b face each other and the hook of the hook surface 81b being hooked onto the loop of the loop surface 81a.

[0039] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention. The design of the flow passages 55 may be optimized according to the size of the garment body 3, 63, 73. The design of the flow passages 55 can be changed even if the garment body size is the same, and the denser the flow passages 55 are, the stronger the cooling power will be. Furthermore, the cooling material is not limited to a frozen plastic bottle containing a drink, but may be water poured into a container and frozen, or ice or the like may be poured into the container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1...Cooling vest (first embodiment) 3... Garment body 3a... Edging tape 5... Back body 7... Left front body 9... Right front body 11... Shoulder 13…Belt 15…Belt 17…Pocket 19... Insertion type guide portion 21... Pocket 21a, 21b... Bag cloth 21c...small opening 21d...insertion hole 23...fastener 25...Pocket 25a...Bag cloth 25b, 25c...Through holes 27: fastener 29: heat insulating sheet 31: storage section 33: Cap; 35: Cap; 37a, 37b: Tube 39…Pump 39a…Cord 41…Controller 43: Mounting piece 45: Snap button 45a: Male member 45b...female member 47a, 47b, 47c...cooling lining 49: Synthetic resin sheet 51: Edge seal portion 53: Seal line 55: Flow path 55a: Serpentine portion 55b: Straight portion 55c: end portion 57: tube connection portion 57a: tip tube 61...Cooling vest (second embodiment) 63...Clothing body 65...Outer bag 67...Waist belt 71...Cooling vest (third embodiment) 73... Garment body 75... Pocket 75a... Flap-shaped lid 75b...Line fastener 75c...Belt 75d...Snap button 77...cooling bag 77a...zipper 77b...closure 77c...flap piece 79...container 79a...lid 81... Velcro fastener 81a... Loop surface 81b... Hook surface 83...Cooling lining 55d, 55e...Straight section 55f…Meandering section P: Plastic bottle W: Water

Claims

1. A cooling garment having a garment body for wrapping an upper body and a single piece of cooling lining similar to the garment body and removably attached to the inner side of the garment body, The cooling lining is made of two waterproof sheets joined together, A cooling garment characterized in that the space left unbonded between the two waterproof sheets is used as a flow path constituting part of a circulation path for a cooling fluid.

2. The cooling garment according to claim 1, The cooling garment is characterized in that the garment body and the cooling lining are connected at the shoulders with the front and back panels.

3. The cooling garment according to claim 2, A cooling garment characterized in that the flow paths have meandering portions and are connected in a single stroke.

4. The cooling garment according to claim 3, The cooling garment is characterized in that both ends of the flow path are open at the surface of the lower end of the rear body of the cooling lining that is joined to the main garment body, and are detachably connected to the cooling part of the cooling fluid via a flexible tube to form a sealed circulation path.

5. The cooling garment according to claim 4, The cooling garment is characterized in that the cooling lining is detachably attached to the inner side of the garment body with snap buttons.

6. The cooling garment according to claim 4, The cooling garment is characterized in that the cooling lining is detachably attached to the inner surface of the garment body by a hook-and-loop fastener.

7. The cooling garment according to claim 4, The cooling garment is characterized in that the cooling portion is composed of a waterproof bag in which a cooling fluid is stored and in which a cooling material is accommodated so as to be freely inserted and removed.

8. The cooling garment according to claim 7, The cooling garment is characterized in that the bag can accommodate a PET bottle or a plastic container filled with a freezable liquid as a cooling material in a freely insertable and removable manner.

9. 9. The cooling garment according to claim 8, A cooling garment, characterized in that the cooling portion is provided on the garment body side.

10. 9. The cooling garment according to claim 8, A cooling garment characterized in that the cooling part is attached to a waist belt.

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