Fiber aggregate

Abstract

To provide a fiber aggregate capable of appropriately heat-insulating an object covered with the fiber aggregate.SOLUTION: A fiber aggregate 100 includes fibers F and particles P. The particles P contain a material capable of emitting infrared rays, have a particle diameter DP smaller than the diameter DF of the fibers F, and are attached to the outer surfaces of the fibers F. The fiber aggregate 100 emits, for example, infrared rays having a wavelength useful for blood circulation of a human body. Since the particles P are added to the outside of the fiber F, the addition amount can be increased, and the infrared emissivity can be improved. Therefore, the object covered with the fiber aggregate 100 can be appropriately kept warm by the synergistic effect of the heat insulation of the fibers F and the infrared rays.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fiber assembly which is an assembly of fibers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, fiber structures used for cold weather products and blankets for disaster preparedness are known. For example, the fiber structure described in Patent Document 1 below contains a fiber having a high moisture absorption rate and a fiber having moisture absorption and heat generation properties that last.

[0003] The fiber having a high moisture absorption rate includes an acrylate fiber and / or a cellulosic fiber. The moisture absorbing and heat sustaining fiber includes an acrylate fiber having a Mg and / or Ca salt type carboxyl group. The fiber structure is coated with a metal including aluminum. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-000495 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The textile structure of Patent Document 1 is expected to have a further heat-retaining effect because it is coated with metal. However, this type of textile structure is required to be space-saving so that it can be stored in larger quantities for disaster prevention purposes, and is required to be lighter for outdoor clothing applications. For example, it is conceivable that the above requirements could be met by making the thickness thinner.

[0006] In this case, if the thickness of this type of fiber assembly is made thinner, the heat retention effect is reduced accordingly. Therefore, a technology that can maintain the heat retention effect even when the thickness is made thinner is desired. In addition, this type of fiber assembly may be used as a cloth such as a blanket, and a technology that can retain heat is desired to improve the quality of sleep, for example.

[0007] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fiber assembly capable of adequately retaining heat of an object covered by the fiber assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The technical means of the present invention for solving this technical problem is characterized by the following: The fiber assembly of the present invention includes fibers and particles. The particles contain a material capable of emitting infrared rays, have a particle diameter smaller than the diameter of the fibers, and are attached to the outer surface of the fibers.

[0009] In the fiber assembly of the present invention, the particles are contained in an amount of 10.00 parts by mass or more relative to 100 parts by mass of the fibers and the particles in total.

[0010] The fiber assembly of the present invention has an infrared emissivity of 0.90 or more.

[0011] The fiber aggregate of the present invention has one side and another side opposite the one side, and is configured in a cloth-like shape such that, when it covers an object, the one side faces the object and the other side is exposed to the outside.

[0012] The fiber aggregate of the present invention is configured such that when the object is a human being in an environment of 20°C and the human being is covered, the temperature of the epidermis of the human being increases by 1.0°C or more 20 minutes after the human being is first covered.

[0013] The fiber aggregate of the present invention is configured so that the difference between the temperature rise when the fiber aggregate applied to cover the person is washed in advance using the cleaning method specified in AATCC135-2012(2)IIA(ii) and the temperature rise when cleaning using the cleaning method is not performed in advance is 2.1°C or less.

[0014] In the fiber assembly of the present invention, a metal layer is added to a part or the whole of the region on the other surface. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the fiber assembly emits infrared rays having wavelengths that are beneficial for blood circulation in the human body. Since the particles are added to the outside of the fibers, the amount of particles added can be increased, and the infrared emissivity can be improved. Therefore, the heat insulation of the fibers and the synergistic effect of the infrared rays can adequately keep an object covered by the fiber assembly warm. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a main portion of a fiber aggregate according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an enlarged view showing the aggregated state of fibers, (b) is an enlarged view including a cross section of a single fiber, and (c) is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of the outer surface of a single fiber. [Diagram 2] 2 is a table showing the particle inclusion state, particle content, and infrared emissivity of the example of the fiber assembly shown in FIG. 1 in comparison with those of a comparative example. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a person is covered with a blanket made of the example of the fiber assembly shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a table showing output values ​​for each evaluation item of Examples 1 to 3 of the fiber assembly shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a table showing the output values ​​for each evaluation item of Examples 3 and 4 of the fiber assemblies shown in FIG. 1 . [Figure 6]1A is a plan view of the outside and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the inside of a fiber aggregate according to a modified embodiment of the present invention, laid flat. [Figure 7] 7A shows the fiber assembly shown in FIG. 6 when it is worn by a mannequin resembling a human body, with (a) both the hood portion and the main body portion worn, and (b) showing the state where only the hood portion has been detached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] The fiber assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention is a fiber assembly including fibers and particles. The fibers in this embodiment may be any of synthetic fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, regenerated fibers, natural fibers, and mixtures of two or more selected from these fibers.

[0019] Examples of synthetic fibers that may be used include nylon, polyester, acrylic, vinylon, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, vinylidene, polyurethane, benzoate, and polychlor. Fibers obtained by mixing two or more raw materials of fibers selected from these may also be used. Fibers obtained by interlacing two or more fibers selected from these may also be used.

[0020] As the semi-synthetic fiber, for example, acetate, triacetate, promix, etc. may be used. Also, a fiber obtained by mixing two or more raw materials of the fiber selected from these may be used. Also, a fiber obtained by interlacing two or more fibers selected from these may be used.

[0021] Examples of regenerated fibers include rayon, polynosic, and cubla. Fibers obtained by mixing two or more raw materials selected from these fibers may also be used. Fibers obtained by interlacing two or more fibers selected from these fibers may also be used.

[0022] The natural fibers may be, for example, plant fibers such as cotton and hemp, or animal fibers such as wool and silk.

[0023] Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of a main part of a fiber assembly 100 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1(a), the fiber assembly 100 is an assembly of a plurality of fibers F. The fiber assembly 100 may be configured as a woven fabric from the plurality of fibers F, or may be configured as a pile fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a knitted fabric, or the like.

[0024] 1(b), the fiber F in this embodiment has a shape of a long body. The fiber F may have any geometrical characteristics such as length, roughness, and cross-sectional shape, but the diameter DF (e.g., representative diameter, average diameter, etc.) in the cross section of the fiber F is larger than the diameter DP (e.g., representative diameter, average diameter, etc.) of the particle P. The diameter DF in the cross section of the fiber F may be, for example, 10 μm or less, 10 μm to 50 μm, or 50 μm to 100 μm, but is not limited thereto.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1(c), the fiber assembly 100 includes countless fine particles P. The particles P in this embodiment include a material capable of emitting infrared rays. The infrared rays may be far infrared rays in the heating field. The infrared rays may have a wavelength in the wavelength range of 3.0 μm to 1000 μm, for example.

[0026] Examples of materials that can radiate infrared rays include silica stone, tourmaline, pumice, limestone, feldspar, wollastonite, yellow rock, peridotite, white clay, diatomaceous earth, gypsum, silica black, perlite, zeolite, apatite, kaolin, bentonite, talc, cordierite, sepiolite, dolomite, zircon, zircon silicate, magnesite, magnesia, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, etc. Particles obtained by mixing two or more materials selected from these may also be used.

[0027] The particles P in this embodiment have a particle diameter DP smaller than the diameter DF of the fibers F. The shape of the particles P is, for example, spherical, polyhedral, irregular, plate-like, needle-like, etc., and the geometric characteristics are arbitrary. The diameter DP of the particles P (for example, representative diameter, average diameter, etc.) is smaller than the diameter DF (for example, representative diameter, average diameter, etc.) in the cross section of the fibers F. The diameter DP of the particles P may be, for example, 0.1 μm or less, 0.1 μm to 1 μm, or 1 μm to 10 μm, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] The particles P in this embodiment are added to the outer surface of the above-mentioned fiber F. The outer surface is, for example, a side surface, an end surface, etc. of the fiber F. The particles P may be added by being applied to a part or the entire area of ​​the outer surface of the fiber F.

[0029] When adding particles to the fiber F by coating, for example, the fiber F may be molded into a long body in advance, and then the particles P may be coated on the molded fiber F. In this case, the fiber F is molded through processes such as kneading a master batch of raw materials and spinning. The particles P of this embodiment are not added during this process. In other words, it is preferable to mold the fiber F so that the particles P are not mixed into the fiber F.

[0030] More specifically, apart from the molding of the above-mentioned fiber F, the particles P are dispersed in a liquid medium to prepare a coating liquid. It is preferable that a pigment or the like for coloring the fiber F is added to the coating liquid. The coating liquid prepared above is applied to the outer surface of the molded fiber F. The particles P may be attached to the fiber by drying the liquid medium after coating.

[0031] As a method of applying the coating liquid, wet coating such as spraying or dipping may be performed on the molded fibers F themselves or on the molded fibers F processed into pile, woven fabric, etc. Note that the application of the particles P to the fibers F is not limited to wet coating, and for example, dry coating or the like may be adopted.

[0032] In the fiber assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the content of the particles P is defined as follows: When the total amount of the fibers F and the particles P is 100 parts by mass, it is preferable that the content of the particles P is 10.0 parts by mass or more.

[0033] In the fiber assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the infrared emissivity of the infrared rays emitted from the fiber assembly 100 (that is, the particles P) is 0.90 or more.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 2, in the fiber assembly 100 of this embodiment, the particles P are added to the outside of the fibers F. This allows a large amount of particles P to be contained in the fiber assembly 100. Accordingly, the infrared emissivity can be improved. As an example, when the content of the particles P is 12.5 parts by mass, the infrared emissivity of the fiber assembly 100 is 0.93.

[0035] On the other hand, in a comparative example different from the embodiment of the present invention, when particles were mixed inside the fibers, the particle content was about 0.67 parts by mass, and the infrared emissivity of the fiber assembly in this case was changed to 0.80 to 0.88.

[0036] The fiber assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured in the form of a cloth. The form of the cloth in this embodiment may be, for example, a pile, a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, etc. The basis weight of the cloth in this embodiment is, for example, 10 g / m 2 Below 10g / m 2 ~50g / m 2 , 50g / m 2 ~100g / m 2 , 100g / m 2 ~500g / m 2 It may be, but is not limited to,

[0037] In the present embodiment, the cloth has one side and another side opposite to the one side. When an object is covered with the cloth in the present embodiment, the one side faces the object and the other side is exposed to the outside. Here, the object may be, but is not limited to, a person, an animal, etc.

[0038] The thickness of the fabric in this embodiment may be, for example, 1.0 mm or less, 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm, 5.0 mm to 10 mm, or 10 mm or more, but is not limited thereto. Here, the thickness of the fabric corresponds to the shortest distance from one side to the other side. The thickness can be appropriately designed depending on the heat retention performance, the purpose (storage capacity, flexibility, weight, etc.), cost, design, the characteristics of the material of the metal layer described later, etc.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the cloth in this embodiment may be, for example, a blanket B as bedding. In this case, when a person H is covered with the blanket B in this embodiment, one side B1 faces the person H on the inside, and the other side B2 is exposed to the outside. Infrared rays are emitted from the one side B1 toward the epidermis of the person H. Therefore, in addition to the blanket B keeping the person H warm, the infrared rays act on the blood flow (blood flow rate, blood flow velocity) and blood oxygen through the epidermis of the person H. As a result, the person H can maintain a state suitable for sleep.

[0040] 4 and 5 are tables summarizing the evaluation results of the fiber aggregate 100 of this embodiment. The subject of the evaluation was a sample in which the fiber aggregate 100 was configured as blanket B shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, evaluation examples based on tests using the sample are indicated as Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, and Example 4.

[0041] The evaluation items in Examples 1 to 4 are the blood flow rate (mL / min), blood flow velocity (cm / sec), blood oxygen (transcutaneous arterial oxygen saturation, SpO2%), and epidermal temperature (°C) of person H when the person H is covered with a sample of blanket B. The tests in Examples 1 to 4 were carried out in an environment of 20±2°C and 65±4% relative humidity. The tests in Examples 1 to 4 were carried out on five people in their 20s to 40s in one Example, and the output values ​​of each evaluation item were averaged.

[0042] The tests of Examples 1 to 4 were carried out after a 10-minute preparation period. The preparation period was a period during which the subject H was not covered with the sample of Blanket B. The test period for Examples 1 to 4 was 20 minutes. During the preparation period and the test period, the subject H was kept in a seated position.

[0043] Note that the "before test" output values ​​in Figures 4 and 5 indicate values ​​in the preparation period, before the test period. The "after test" output values ​​in Figures 4 and 5 indicate values ​​at the end of the test period, which corresponds to the point in time when 20 minutes have passed since person H began to be covered. The "difference" in Figures 4 and 5 indicates the difference between the "after test" value and the "before test" value.

[0044] A laser Doppler blood flow monitor (mооr VMS-LDF2) was used to evaluate the blood flow volume and blood flow velocity. The measurement points were the upper limbs between the elbow and wrist of person H. A pulse oximeter (Rossmax SA-210) was used to evaluate blood oxygen levels. The measurement points were the fingers of person H. A thermal infrared digital camera (SAT-HY6800) was used to evaluate the epidermal temperature. The measurement points were the upper limbs between the elbow and wrist of person H.

[0045] The output value of this test is often affected by human physiological factors even when a blanket B having the same configuration and performance is used. For this reason, in Examples 1, 2, and 3 shown in the table of FIG. 4, the same blanket B sample was used for the test at different dates and times. The test dates and times for Examples 1, 2, and 3 are November 22, 2021, May 17, 2022, and June 9, 2022, respectively. In Examples 1 to 3, a blanket B that had been washed in advance was used as a sample. As a washing method, 10 cycles of washing were performed 30 times according to the method specified in AATCC (American Association of Textile Science and Technology) 135-2012 (2) IIA (ii).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, in the evaluation of the blood flow rate in Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3, the "difference" was +10.0%, +12.5%, and +9.6%. In the evaluation of the blood flow velocity in Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3, the "difference" was +13.8%, +12.6%, and +11.6%. In the evaluation of the blood oxygen in Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3, the "difference" was +1.6, +2.0, and +1.5. Thus, in all of Examples 1 to 3, infrared rays were emitted from one side B1 of blanket B toward the epidermis of person H, and the blood flow (blood flow rate, blood flow velocity) and blood oxygen were improved (see FIG. 3).

[0047] As shown in Fig. 4, the "differences" in the evaluation of epidermal temperature in Examples 1, 2, and 3 were +2.9, +2.5, and +1.0. Thus, in all of Examples 1 to 3, in line with the improvement in blood flow (blood flow rate, blood flow velocity) and blood oxygen, the heat escaping from the epidermis to the outside was blocked by the insulating effect of Blanket B. For this reason, in all of Examples 1 to 3, the epidermal temperature increased. The increase in epidermal temperature ranged from +1.0 to +2.9, which means that the epidermal temperature increased by 1.0 or more.

[0048] As described above, the fabric (blanket B) in the fiber assembly 100 of this embodiment is preferably configured to have the following performance. A person H existing in an environment of 20°C is applied as an object to be covered by blanket B. When person H is covered by blanket B, the temperature of the epidermis of person H rises by 1.0°C or more 20 minutes after person H begins to be covered.

[0049] On the other hand, in Example 4 shown in the table of Fig. 5, a sample of Blanket B that had not been washed was used. That is, the sample of Blanket B used in Examples 1 to 3 corresponds to the sample of Blanket B in Example 4 that was washed by the above-mentioned method. In order to clarify the difference in performance due to washing, the evaluation results of Example 3 are also shown in Fig. 5.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, in the evaluation of blood flow rate in Example 4, the "difference" was +10.5%. In the evaluation of blood flow velocity in Example 4, the "difference" was +14.3%. In the evaluation of blood oxygen in Example 4, the "difference" was +1.9. In the evaluation of epidermal temperature in Example 4, the "difference" was +3.1. In each of the evaluation items of blood flow rate, blood flow velocity, blood oxygen, and epidermal temperature, the output values ​​of Example 4 exceeded those of Example 3.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 5, when focusing on the epidermal temperatures in Examples 3 and 4, the "difference" in Example 4 is +3.1, while the "difference" in Example 3 is +1.0. Comparing Examples 3 and 4, it can be seen that the performance of the washed sample of Blanket B (Example 3) is deteriorated compared to the unwashed sample of Blanket B (Example 4).

[0052] More specifically, the temperature rise in Example 4 is 3.1°C (the "difference" is +3.1), while the temperature rise in Example 3 is 1.0°C (the "difference" is +1.0), so the difference in the temperature rise is 2.1°C. In addition, in the evaluation of the epidermis temperature, the "difference" in Example 3 is the smallest among Examples 1 to 3. For this reason, it can be inferred that the difference in the temperature rise caused by washing will be 2.1°C or less. It can be seen that the degree of deterioration due to washing is minimal.

[0053] In view of the above, it is preferable that the fabric (blanket B) in the fiber assembly 100 of this embodiment is configured to have the following performance: The difference between the temperature rise range when blanket B applied to cover person H is washed in advance by the washing method specified in AATCC135-2012(2)IIA(ii) and the temperature rise range when washing is not performed in advance by the washing method is 2.1°C or less.

[0054] The fabric in the fiber assembly 100 of this embodiment is not limited to the blanket B, and may take various modified forms. Modified forms of this embodiment will be described below.

[0055] In the cloth of the modified embodiment of this invention, a metal layer is added to a part or the whole of the other surface region. The metal layer in the modified embodiment of this invention is added so as to be laminated on the cloth layer in the thickness direction of the cloth. As the material of the metal layer, it is preferable to use a material capable of reflecting infrared rays. As the material of the metal layer, for example, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel, silver, etc. may be used. Also, an alloy obtained from two or more materials selected from these may be used.

[0056] The metal layer in the modified embodiment of the present invention may be added to a part or the whole of the other surface of a fabric having particles added to the fabric. The metal layer may be added by any method, such as transfer, adhesion with an adhesive, vacuum or beam deposition, sputtering, etc. The metal layer may be added by any method, as long as the metal and the fabric can be bonded partially or entirely. The metal layer may also be patterned into a predetermined shape on the fabric.

[0057] The thickness of the metal layer in the modified example of this embodiment may be, for example, 10 nm or less, 10 nm to 50 nm, 50 nm to 100 nm, or 100 nm to 500 nm, but is not limited thereto. The thickness can be appropriately designed depending on the heat retention performance, the purpose (storage capacity, flexibility, weight, etc.), cost, design, the characteristics of the fiber material of the cloth, etc.

[0058] Figures 6 and 7 show an example of a fiber aggregate 100 according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the fiber aggregate 100 is configured in a cloth-like shape, and includes a main body portion 10 and a hood portion 20. When the fiber aggregate 100 is laid flat, the main body portion 10 has a rectangular shape in a plan view.

[0059] In the main body 10, the length of the long side is specified as X, and the length of the short side is specified as Y. For example, when it is assumed that the main body 10 of the fiber assembly 100 will cover the entire body of a person to keep them warm, the main body 10 may be designed with X = 1900 mm and Y = 1100 mm.

[0060] Hood portion 20 is connected to the upper end of main body portion 10 at approximately the center in the left-right direction. Hood portion 20 is bag-shaped with depth toward the top. Hood portion 20 has a specified length Z from the bottom end of main body portion 10 to the top of hood portion 20. For example, when it is assumed that hood portion 20 of fiber assembly 100 will cover the head to keep a person warm, hood portion 20 may be designed with Z = 1400 mm.

[0061] The shapes and dimensions of the main body 10 and the hood portion 20 (including the above values ​​of X, Y, and Z, and the dimensions of other portions) are not limited to those in this example described above, and may be arbitrary.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 6(a), a metal layer 30 is exposed on the outside of the main body portion 10 and the hood portion 20. As shown in Fig. 6(b), a cloth 40 is exposed on the inside of the main body portion 10 and the hood portion 20. The metal layer 30 is transferred in a layer form over the entire outer area of ​​the cloth 40 (the entire outer area of ​​the main body portion 10 and the hood portion 20).

[0063] The cloth 40 is composed of fibers to which the above-mentioned particles have been added. When an object is covered with the fiber assembly 100, the cloth 40 directly faces the object. In this embodiment, a motif pattern is applied to the cloth 40 for the purpose of improving the design, but the presence or absence of a motif pattern is optional.

[0064] 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the fiber aggregate 100 is worn on a mannequin that resembles a human, assuming that the object to be covered with the fiber aggregate 100 is a "person." When the fiber aggregate 100 is worn, the main body 10 entirely covers the back and the area from the shoulders to the vicinity of the knees.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the fiber assembly 100 can also have the hood portion 20 cover the area from the neck to the head. In this case, the part of the person covered by the main body portion 10 and the hood portion 20 directly faces the cloth 40. The cloth 40 is made of fibers to which particles have been added, and the particles are capable of emitting infrared rays. This allows the infrared rays to act on the person's epidermis, improving blood circulation and appropriately keeping the person warm.

[0066] When the outside temperature is lower than a person's body temperature, heat is dissipated from the person toward the outside air. In this case, by covering a person with the fiber assembly 100, the fabric 40 and the metal layer 30 can block heat dissipation. In particular, the metal layer 30 can increase the effect of blocking heat dissipation.

[0067] This allows the thickness of the cloth 40 to be thin. Furthermore, since the particles are applied to the outside of the fibers by coating or the like, a large amount of particles can be applied to the fibers of the thin cloth 40. Therefore, even if the cloth 40 is thin, it can maintain appropriate heat retention with a high emissivity.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 7(b), the hood portion 20 can be detached from the head while the main body portion 10 is still attached. Even if the outside air temperature, body temperature, warmth, etc. change, only the hood portion 20 can be attached and detached depending on the situation, and appropriate heat retention can be maintained.

[0069] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, the fiber assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes fibers F and particles P. The particles P contain a material capable of emitting infrared rays, have a particle diameter DP smaller than the diameter DF of the fibers F, and are attached to the outer surface of the fibers F.

[0070] According to the above configuration, the fiber assembly 100 emits infrared rays (far infrared rays) having a wavelength beneficial for blood circulation in the human body, for example. Since the particles P are added to the outside of the fibers F, the amount of particles added can be increased, and the infrared emissivity can be improved. Therefore, due to the synergistic effect of the heat insulation of the fibers F and the infrared rays, an object (e.g., a person) covered by the fiber assembly 100 can be kept moderately warm.

[0071] In particular, in this embodiment, the particles P are contained in an amount of 10.00 parts by mass or more relative to 100 parts by mass of the total of the fibers F and the particles P. For example, when the particles P are contained inside the fibers F, it is generally difficult to contain the particles P in an amount of 10.00 parts by mass or more in the fiber assembly 100. By containing the particles P in an amount of 10.00 parts by mass or more as in this embodiment, the infrared emissivity can be further improved. Furthermore, even if the fibers F are repeatedly washed or used for a long period of time, the particles P remain firmly in the fibers F because a large amount of the particles P is contained therein, and the emission of infrared rays can be maintained.

[0072] In particular, in this embodiment, the infrared emissivity of the fiber assembly 100 is 0.90 or more. For example, when particles P are contained inside the fibers F, it is generally difficult to make the infrared emissivity of the fiber assembly 100 0.9 or more. By making the infrared emissivity 0.90 or more as in this embodiment, for example, it is possible to make the infrared rays act more effectively on the blood circulation of the human body. Furthermore, even if the fiber assembly 100 is washed repeatedly or used for a long period of time, the infrared effect can be maintained because the infrared emissivity of the fiber assembly 100 is high.

[0073] Particularly in this embodiment, the fiber assembly 100 is configured like a cloth (blanket B) with one side B1 and the other side B2 defined, and when covering an object (person H), the one side B1 faces the object (person H) and the other side B2 is exposed to the outside. In this way, infrared rays are emitted from the one side B1 toward the epidermis of person H. Therefore, in addition to the blanket B keeping person H warm, the infrared rays act on blood flow (blood flow rate, blood flow velocity) and blood oxygen through person H's epidermis. As a result, person H can maintain a state suitable for sleep.

[0074] In particular, in this embodiment, the blanket B of the fiber assembly 100 is applied to a person H existing in an environment of 20°C as an object, and is configured so that when the person H is covered, the temperature indicated by the epidermis of the person H (epidermal temperature) rises by 1.0°C or more 20 minutes after the person starts to be covered. This allows for moderate heat retention, and allows the person H to maintain a more suitable state for sleep.

[0075] In particular, in this embodiment, the fiber assembly applied to cover the person is configured so that the difference between the rise in temperature (skin temperature) when the fiber assembly is washed in advance by the washing method specified in AATCC135-2012(2)IIA(ii) and the rise in temperature (skin temperature) when washing is not performed in advance by the washing method is 2.1° C. or less. This makes it possible to minimize deterioration due to washing.

[0076] Moreover, the fiber assembly 100 according to the modified example of this embodiment is configured in the form of a cloth 40. The cloth 40 has one side and another side defined, and when it covers an object (e.g., a person), the one side faces the object and the other side is exposed to the outside. A metal layer 30 is added to a part or the whole of the area of ​​the other side.

[0077] According to this, the metal layer 30 can block heat dissipation to the outside on the other side of the fiber assembly 100. Therefore, due to the synergistic effect of the infrared rays and the metal layer 30, the heat retention effect can be maintained even when the thickness is reduced.

[0078] From the above, the fiber assembly 100 can meet the demand for space saving for disaster prevention purposes, allowing for larger stockpiles. In addition, the fiber assembly 100 can be used for outdoor clothing, making it possible to reduce the weight of the fabric.

[0079] The above-mentioned embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10...Main body 20…Hood section 30...metal layer 40...cloth 100...Fiber assembly B…Blanket B1…One page B2…other side DF: Fiber diameter DP: Particle diameter F…fiber P…particle

Claims

1. Fibers and Particles, In a fiber assembly comprising: The particles are The material includes a material capable of emitting infrared rays, has a particle diameter smaller than the diameter of the fiber, and is attached to the outer surface of the fiber. Fiber assembly.

2. The fiber assembly according to claim 1, The particles are The content is 10.00 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the fibers and the particles combined. Fiber assembly.

3. The fiber assembly according to claim 2, Infrared emissivity is 0.90 or higher Fiber assembly.

4. The fiber assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The cover is configured in a cloth-like shape, with one surface and another surface opposite to the one surface being defined, and with the one surface facing the object and the other surface being exposed to the outside when the cover is used to cover an object. Fiber assembly.

5. The fiber assembly according to claim 4, A person present in an environment of 20°C is applied as the object, the temperature of the person's skin when covered, The temperature is increased by 1.0°C or more 20 minutes after the person is covered. Fiber assembly.

6. The fiber assembly according to claim 5, The temperature rise when the fiber aggregate applied to cover the person is washed in advance by the washing method specified in AATCC135-2012(2)IIA(ii); The temperature rise when cleaning by the cleaning method is not performed in advance. The difference was designed to be less than 2.1°C. Fiber assembly.

7. The fiber assembly according to claim 4, A metal layer is added to a part or the whole of the region on the other surface. Fiber assembly.

Images