Temperature adjustment garment

Abstract

To provide a temperature adjustment garment in which a Peltier element unit can be easily, stably and detachably attached to a garment body.SOLUTION: A temperature adjustment garment 1 comprises a garment body 10 having front and back bodies 11 and 12, a body cloth 20 forming the garment body 10, and a Peltier element unit 30 detachably attached to the garment body 10. The Peltier element unit 30 includes a unit body 50 and a locking ring 60 detachably engaged with the unit body 50. A placement plate 70 is fixed to the body cloth 20 of the back body 12, and the unit body 50 is detachably attached to the garment body 10 via the placement plate 70 and the locking ring 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to temperature regulating garments. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, temperature regulating clothing that is worn by workers working in high-temperature outdoor environments such as under the blazing sun to cool the body and regulate body temperature is well known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a temperature regulating garment that includes a Peltier element unit that includes a Peltier element and a metal plate joined to one side of the Peltier element, and a metallic heat exchange plate that is larger in area than the metal plate and is placed on the inner side of the garment while being joined to the metal plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-113371 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the temperature regulating garment disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inside of the garment can be cooled or heated by using a Peltier element, and the body can be cooled or heated efficiently.

[0005] However, in such temperature regulating garments, the metal plate and the heat exchange plate located on the inner side of the garment are fixed via screws, so that the Peltier element unit cannot be attached or detached without a tool such as a screwdriver, which is time-consuming.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a temperature regulating garment which is an improvement over the conventional technology and in which a Peltier element unit can be easily, stably and detachably attached to the garment body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the technical problems, the present invention relates to a temperature regulating garment comprising a garment body having front and back body panels, a body fabric forming the garment body, and a Peltier element unit detachably attached to the garment body.

[0008] The temperature regulating garment of the present invention is characterized in that the Peltier element unit includes a unit body and a locking ring that is removably engaged with the unit body, and a positioning plate is fixed to the body fabric of the back body, and the unit body is removably attached to the garment body via the positioning plate and the locking ring. Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the temperature regulating garment of the present invention, the unit body of the Peltier element unit is removably attached to the garment body via a positioning plate and a locking ring fixed to the main fabric of the garment body, so that the Peltier element unit can be stably and removably attached to the garment body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] The drawings show specific embodiments of the present invention, including essential features of the invention as well as alternative and preferred embodiments. [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the temperature regulating garment according to the present invention in use. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] A view similar to FIG. 1 with the front body removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of Peltier element units as viewed from the front. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of Peltier element units as viewed from behind. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how the Peltier element unit is attached to the clothing body. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view of the Peltier element unit in an arranged state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The temperature regulating garment 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments include essential features of the present invention, as well as features that can be selectively adopted and features that can be appropriately combined.

[0012] 1 to 3, the temperature regulating garment 1 has a vertical direction Y, a horizontal direction X and a front-to-rear direction, and a longitudinal center line P that bisects the dimension in the horizontal direction X, and comprises a garment body 10 that covers the upper body of a wearer, and a plurality of Peltier element units 30 attached to the garment body 10. The outer shape of the garment body 10 is formed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line P.

[0013] The garment body 10 has a so-called jacket-type outer shape that is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal centerline P, and has a front body 11, a back body 12, a collar opening 13, and a sleeve opening 14. The front body 11 is composed of a left front body and a right front body. The left and right front bodies are detachably connected to each other via fastener (connecting) means 15 at a placket extending in the up-down direction Y along the longitudinal axis P.

[0014] The garment body 10 is formed of a breathable mesh-like body fabric 20. The body fabric 20 is formed by bonding together an inner sheet made of a net-like elastic fiber located on the inner side and an outer sheet having a plurality of openings.

[0015] A pocket 21 formed by sewing fabric is provided on the outer surface side of the front body 11. A mobile battery 22 for driving the Peltier element units can be stored in the pocket 21. A wiring cord 23 for electrically connecting to each Peltier element unit 30 extends from the mobile battery 22.

[0016] A switch 24 is located in the middle of the wiring cord 23. The switch 24 is capable of switching the temperature between three levels: LOW / MID / HIGH. The temperature of the Peltier element can be changed by changing the magnitude of the current flowing through the Peltier element unit 30 between the three levels: LOW / MID / HIGH. Also, each Peltier element unit 30 may be capable of being switched on, or the temperature may be individually switched on and off.

[0017] The Peltier element unit 30 has, in the back body 12, a Peltier element unit 30A located on the longitudinal center line P of the garment body 10, and a pair of Peltier element units 30B, 30C located respectively below both sides of the garment body 10. Since the Peltier element units 30A to 30C and their mounting modes have the same configuration, only the Peltier element unit 30A will be described below in order to avoid redundant explanation.

[0018] A positioning plate 70 for positioning the Peltier element unit 30A is attached to the inner surface side of the body fabric 20 of the back body 12. Referring to the figure, the positioning plate 70 has a panel main body preferably formed from a soft material such as soft or hard plastic material, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, urethane, etc., a substantially hexagonal fixed edge portion 71 sewn to the body fabric 20 by a sewing line 74, a curved flap portion (non-fixed portion) 72 that is not fixed to the body fabric 20, and a through hole 73 located in the center.

[0019] 4 and 5, the flap portion 72 has a first flap portion 72a located between the sewing line 74 and the through hole 73 and extending in the circumferential direction of the through hole 73, and a second flap portion 72b located between the curved outer edge of the positioning plate 70 and the through hole 73 and consisting of a region extending in a convex curve in the lateral direction X between both ends 74a, 74b of the sewing line 74. Also, an opening 25 is formed in the body fabric 20 of the back body 12, which communicates with the through hole 73 of the positioning plate 70 in the thickness direction, and the opening 25 of the body fabric 20 and the through hole 73 of the positioning plate 70 form an insertion hole 18 through which a part of the Peltier element unit 30 is inserted.

[0020] 2, the rear body 12 is provided with a back cover 40 so as to cover the body fabric 20 of the garment body 10. The back cover 40 is preferably made of a mesh-like breathable fabric similar to the body fabric 20, and the peripheral portion of the back cover 40 is sewn to the body fabric 20.

[0021] A fastener 41 extending in the up-down direction Y is provided in the center of the back cover 40 in the lateral direction X, and the back cover 40 can be opened and closed by opening and closing the fastener 41. Although not shown, an opening may be provided in the part of the back cover 40 facing the Peltier element unit 30 attached to the garment body 10 so that the heat exhaust fan part of the Peltier element unit 30 is exposed.

[0022] 6, the Peltier element unit 30A has a unit body 50 that houses a Peltier element, and a locking ring 60 that is detachably connected to the unit body 50.

[0023] The unit body 50 has a heat exhaust fan cover 51 and a Peltier element mounting part 52. With the Peltier element mounting part 52 inserted inside the heat exhaust fan cover 51, they are fixed to each other by a positioning plate means, which is, for example, a combination of a recess and a claw piece, or by adhesion.

[0024] The Peltier element attachment portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is provided with a flange portion 54 that protrudes in the radial direction from the outer circumferential end portion in the shape of an annular plate. A Peltier element, a heat plate, and a heat sink are housed inside the Peltier element attachment portion 52. An electrode is provided on the Peltier element, and a wiring cord 23 that leads to the mobile battery 22 is connected to the electrode. The flange portion 54 has a guide recess 54a for guiding the wiring cord 23.

[0025] A Peltier element is a semiconductor element with the Peltier effect, made by joining an N-type semiconductor and a P-type semiconductor. By passing a direct current through a Peltier element, a temperature difference occurs between the two sides of the Peltier element, with one side becoming colder and the other side becoming hotter. By changing the direction of the current passing through the Peltier element, the heat absorbing side and the heat generating side become reversed, with one side becoming hotter and the other side becoming colder. In addition, the amount of heat absorbed and generated can be changed by changing the magnitude of the current passed through, allowing the temperature to be controlled.

[0026] The heat transfer plate, which is in contact with one surface of the Peltier element, is cooled by the Peltier element. The heat transfer plate is provided so that the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the Peltier element is in contact with the wearer's body. The heat transfer plate, cooled by the Peltier element, cools the wearer's body through the cooling surface in contact with the wearer's body.

[0027] On the other hand, the heat dissipation plate in contact with the other surface of the Peltier element transfers heat generated on the other surface of the Peltier element and dissipates the heat from the surface facing the exhaust fan. The heat transfer plate and the heat dissipation plate are formed of a metal plate such as aluminum.

[0028] The heat exhaust fan cover 51 is cylindrical in shape and has a disk-shaped top portion located at the top side of the cylinder and an exhaust hole 51a for exhausting heat from inside. A cylindrical storage chamber is integrally formed inside the top portion, and a motor is stored inside the storage chamber. The tip side of the motor's rotating shaft protrudes toward the heat sink attached to the Peltier element mounting portion 52, and the tip of a cylindrical spinner is fixed to the rotating shaft.

[0029] A plurality of blades are radially protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the spinner to form a heat exhaust fan. The heat exhaust fan exhausts heat emitted from the heat sink to the outside through exhaust holes 51a. In addition, a female screw portion (first engagement portion) 55 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the heat exhaust fan cover 51.

[0030] The locking ring 60 has a cylindrical engagement tube portion 61 having a through hole 61a, and an annular flange portion 62 extending radially outward from the engagement tube portion 61. A male thread portion (second engagement portion) 63 that engages with the female thread portion 55 located on the outer circumferential surface of the heat exhaust fan cover 51 is located on the inner circumferential surface of the engagement tube portion 61.

[0031] Considering its external shape, the unit body 50 can be said to have a flange portion 54, a first convex portion 50A consisting of the heat exhaust fan cover 51 protruding from the flange portion 54 in the thickness direction, and a second convex portion 50B consisting of part of the Peltier element mounting portion 52.

[0032] When a user attaches the Peltier element unit 30A to the garment body 10, first, the user opens the fastener 41 of the back cover 40 to open the back cover 40 and expose the positioning plate 70 fixed to the body fabric 20. Next, while holding the unit body 50 with one hand, the user grasps and pulls up the flap portion 72 of the positioning plate 70 with the other hand.

[0033] The unit body 50 is inserted in the direction of arrow R through an insertion opening 80 defined between the flap portion 72 and the body fabric 20. As a result, the flange portion 54 of the unit body 50 is positioned between the body fabric 20 and the flap portion 72 of the placement plate 70, and the first convex curved portion 50A is exposed on the inner surface side at the insertion hole 18, while the second convex curved portion 50B is exposed on the outer surface side.

[0034] In this state, a locking ring 60 is attached to the first convex curved portion 50A exposed on the inner surface, i.e., the heat exhaust fan cover 51, and the female threaded portion 55 and the male threaded portion (second engagement portion) 63 are engaged with each other, whereby the locking ring 60 is detachably connected to the unit body 50.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, when the unit body 50 and the locking ring 60 are connected, the flap portion 72 of the mounting plate 70 is clamped between the flange portion 54 of the unit body 50 and the flange portion 62 of the locking ring 60, so that the Peltier element unit 30A is stably attached to the garment body 10 via the mounting plate 70.

[0036] In this way, the Peltier element unit 30A is attached to the clothing body 10 via the positioning plate 70 which is fixed to the clothing body 10 in advance, so that attachment can be performed more easily and stably than, for example, when the Peltier element unit 30A is attached by clamping the body fabric with a positioning plate and a locking ring which are not fixed to the clothing body.

[0037] 4 again, the length dimension of the insertion opening 80 through which the unit body 50 is inserted, i.e., the dimension L1 in the lateral direction X of the second flap portion 72b, is set to be slightly larger than approximately the diameter of the unit body 50. As a result, when the unit body 50 is inserted, it moves while sliding against both side edges of the insertion opening 80, so that the insertion opening 80 can also function as a guide.

[0038] Furthermore, since the second flap portion 72b has a convex curved shape rather than a rectangular shape, the outer surface of the unit body 50 will not be damaged when it comes into sliding contact with the unit body 50, even if the positioning plate 70 is formed from a relatively rigid plastic material or the like.

[0039] Since the outer edge of the portion of the positioning plate 70 where the fixed edge portion 71 is located is approximately hexagonal in shape, even if an external force (impact) acts on the positioning plate 70 attempting to peel it off from the main fabric 20, the force is dispersed in multiple directions, and it can be said that the positioning plate 70 has superior shock absorption ability compared to when the fixed edge portion 71 is curved.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4, the width dimension W2 of the first flap portion 72a, i.e., the distance from the opening edge of the through hole 73 to the inner edge of the sewing line 74, is 5.0 to 7.0 times the width dimension W1 of the fixed edge portion 71, i.e., the distance from the outer edge of the positioning plate 70 to the inner edge of the sewing line 74.

[0041] If the width dimensions W1, W2 are in such a correlation, the first flap portion 72a is relatively wide, so that even if the flange portions 54, 62 of the Peltier element unit 30A are formed relatively wide, the first flap portion 72a can be clamped by the entire flange portions 54, 62 to achieve stable installation.

[0042] Moreover, the width dimension W3 of the second flap portion 72b, i.e., the distance from the opening edge of the through hole 73 to the curved outer edge, is 1.2 to 1.5 times the width dimension W2 of the first flap portion 72a. Since the second flap portion 72b is formed relatively wide in this manner, even if part of the second flap portion 72b is turned up during use, there is no risk that part of the flange portion 54 of the unit main body 50, in particular the guide recess 54a in which the wiring cord 23 is located, will be exposed to the outside and damaged.

[0043] 3, among the multiple Peltier element units 30 attached to the garment body 10, the second flap portion 72b of the Peltier element unit 30A located on the longitudinal center line P faces downward, while the second flap portions 72b of a pair of Peltier element units 30B, 30C located below both sides of the garment body 10 face obliquely upward. In other words, the second flap portions 72b of the Peltier element units 30B, 30C are positioned so as to face each other in the up-down direction Y with the second flap portion 72b of the Peltier element unit 30A.

[0044] In this manner, by positioning the second flap portions 72b of each Peltier element unit 30A to 30C, the Peltier element units 30A, 30B, 30C extending from the wiring cord 23 can be quickly inserted into the insertion opening 80 between the positioning plate 70 and the body fabric 20 without the wiring cord 23 becoming tangled, as compared to when they are randomly oriented in completely different directions, making it easier to attach and detach them.

[0045] In the illustrated example, three Peltier element units 30A-30C are attached to the garment body 10, but the number may be one, two, or more than two. The configuration in which the arrangement plate 70 is fixed to the garment body 10 in advance as described in this specification may be adopted as at least one of the attachment methods for the multiple Peltier element units 30A-30C. Furthermore, the shapes and configurations of the multiple Peltier element units 30A-30C may be different from each other.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the through hole 18 consisting of the opening 25 of the body fabric 20 and the through hole 73 of the placement plate 70 is circular, but it may be any of various known shapes such as ellipse, triangle, rectangle, octagon, etc. As long as the required technical effect of the present invention is exhibited, the shape of the placement plate 70 may be any of various known shapes such as circle, ellipse, square, rectangle, octagon, etc. as a whole, and further, the external dimensions of the plate may be appropriately modified as necessary.

[0047] In addition, in this specification, "clothing" refers to anything worn by a wearer in a broad sense, and includes not only vest-type clothing as shown in the figures, but also long-sleeved and short-sleeved jackets (tops) of various known shapes, bottoms such as trousers and skirts, and even neck coolers attached to neck wraps and clothing for pets, as long as the clothing adjusts the wearer's temperature.

[0048] The present invention can include at least the following embodiments, which can be adopted separately or in combination with each other. (1) The unit body has a flange portion and first and second convex curved portions positioned opposite each other in the thickness direction, the positioning plate has a through hole, a fixed edge portion fixed to the body fabric via a sewing line, and a flap portion not fixed to the body fabric, the locking ring has a cylindrical portion with a through hole and a flange portion extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion, and when the unit body is in an attached state, the locking ring is inserted into an insertion hole that connects an opening formed in the body fabric and the through hole of the positioning plate, and the flap portion of the positioning plate is clamped between the flange portion of the unit body and the flange portion of the locking ring. (2) The flap portion has a first flap portion located between the sewing line and the through hole and extending circumferentially around the through hole, and a second flap portion located between the curved outer edge of the positioning plate and the through hole and consisting of a region extending convexly laterally between both ends of the sewing line. (3) The width dimension of the first flap portion, which is the distance from the opening edge of the through hole to the inner surface of the sewing line, is 5.0 to 7.0 times the width dimension of the fixed edge portion, which is the distance from the outer edge of the positioning plate to the inner edge of the sewing line. (4) The width dimension of the second flap portion, which is the distance from the opening edge of the through hole to the curved outer edge, is 1.2 to 1.5 times the width dimension of the first flap. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Temperature regulating clothing 10 Clothes body 11 Front 12 Back 20 body fabric 25 Open hole 30 Peltier element unit 30A~30C Peltier element unit 50 Unit body 50A First convex part 50B 2nd convex curved part 54 Flange part 60 Locking ring 61 Cylindrical section 61a Through hole 62 Flange part 70 Placement Plate 71 Fixed edge 72 Flap part 72a First flap part 72b Second flap part 73 Through hole 74 Sewing Line 74a, 74b End of sewing line W1 Width dimension of fixed edge W2 Width of the first flap W3 Width of second flap X Horizontal

Claims

1. A temperature regulating garment comprising a garment body having front and back body panels, a body fabric forming the garment body, and a Peltier element unit detachably attached to the garment body, The Peltier element unit includes a unit body and a locking ring that is detachably engaged with the unit body, A positioning plate is fixed to the body fabric of the back body, The unit body is removably attached to the garment body via the positioning plate and the locking ring.

2. The unit body has a flange portion and first and second convex curved portions positioned opposite each other in a thickness direction, The positioning plate has a through hole, a fixed edge portion fixed to the body fabric via a sewing line, and a flap portion not fixed to the body fabric, The locking ring has a cylindrical portion having a through hole and a flange portion extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion, A temperature regulating garment as described in claim 1, wherein when the unit body is attached, it is inserted into an insertion hole that connects an opening formed in the body fabric and a through hole in the positioning plate, and the flap portion of the positioning plate is clamped between the flange portion of the unit body and the flange portion of the locking ring.

3. 3. The temperature regulating garment as described in claim 2, wherein the flap portion comprises a first flap portion located between the sewing line and the through hole and extending circumferentially around the through hole, and a second flap portion located between the curved outer edge of the positioning plate and the through hole and consisting of a region extending convexly in the horizontal direction between both ends of the sewing line.

4. A temperature regulating garment as described in claim 3, wherein the width dimension of the first flap portion, which is the distance from the opening edge of the through hole to the inner surface of the sewing line, is 5.0 to 7.0 times the width dimension of the fixed edge portion, which is the distance from the outer edge of the positioning plate to the inner edge of the sewing line.

5. 5. A temperature regulating garment as described in claim 4, wherein the width dimension of the second flap portion, which is the distance from the opening edge of the through hole to the curved outer edge, is 1.2 to 1.5 times the width dimension of the first flap.

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