Cooling garment
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024162174
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-03
Smart Images
Figure 2025084678000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling garment for cooling the body of a wearer.
Background Art
[0002] In recent years, there have been many sweltering days that are uncomfortable for people. On such sweltering days, as a measure to prevent heat stroke, in addition to small and frequent water replenishment, the use of appropriate air-conditioning equipment is encouraged. However, due to reasons such as the absence of air-conditioning equipment or insufficient cooling effect, workers working outdoors under sweltering heat, workers working in a stuffy indoor environment, and people engaged in recreation, sports, watching games, etc. under the scorching sun cannot cool off with air-conditioning equipment. Therefore, for people seeking to avoid the heat, clothing with a cooling function has become popular, and in recent years, cooling garments with a cooling fluid path for circulating cold water attached to the garment body have also been developed. An example of this is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
[0003] In Patent Document 1, by pumping, the cooling fluid that flows into the storage part from one end side of the tube is brought into contact with a plastic bottle, and the cooling fluid cooled in the process of dripping while sliding down the outer surface of the plastic bottle is circulated through a tube that meanders over the entire inner surface side of the cooling garment, and then returned to the other end side of the tube, thereby disclosing a cooling garment that constitutes a cooling fluid path through which the cooling fluid flows through the tube. Also, in Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that by pumping the cooling fluid stored in the storage part through a single tube that meanders over the entire inner surface side of the cooling garment, the body of the wearer wearing the cooling garment can be cooled.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 has the following problems. The first problem is that in the cooling clothing disclosed in Patent Document 1, depending on the thickness of the tube that meanders across the entire inner surface side, the cooling clothing becomes thick (i.e., bulky), which gives discomfort to the wearer of the cooling clothing. The second problem is that in the cooling clothing disclosed in Patent Document 1, due to the pumping delivery, the cooling fluid stored in the storage section flows in one direction without branching into a single tube that meanders across the entire inner surface side of the cooling clothing. Therefore, there is a large difference between the temperature of the cooling fluid when it starts flowing into the meandering tube and the temperature of the cooling fluid when it returns to the storage section after passing through the tube. It is difficult to uniformly cool the body of the wearer of the cooling clothing and the cooling efficiency is poor.
[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cooling clothing that can uniformly cool the body of the wearer with good cooling efficiency without giving discomfort to the wearer due to the bulkiness of the cooling clothing.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the cooling clothing according to the present invention has the following configuration. (1) In a cooling garment comprising a storage part capable of freely storing and retrieving a cooling substance with solidifiable physical properties, and a cooling fluid path for guiding a cooling fluid stored in the storage part, the cooling garment is provided with a pump having a suction part for sucking the cooling fluid stored in the storage part and a discharge part for discharging the cooling fluid toward the cooling fluid path. The cooling fluid path and the storage part are formed by an inner sheet material having a surface that contacts the wearer of the cooling garment and a back surface on the opposite side of the surface, and an outer sheet material that adheres to the inner sheet material. The cooling fluid path includes an outflow part for allowing the cooling fluid discharged from the discharge part to flow out of the cooling fluid path. The pump branches the cooling fluid flowing out from the outflow part into a first branch path and a second branch path, and returns the cooling fluid to the storage part from the cooling fluid path. (2) In the cooling garment according to (1), the cooling fluid path is provided continuously to the back and front parts of the garment body via the shoulders. Among the front parts, the right side part of the wearer is defined as the right front part, and the left side part of the wearer is defined as the left front part. The outflow part is provided in the back part. It is preferable that the cooling fluid branched into the first branch path is guided toward the right front part, and the cooling fluid branched into the second branch path is guided toward the left front part. (3) In the cooling garment according to (2), the storage part is provided in the back part. It is preferable that the pump returns the cooling fluid guided toward the right front part to the storage part, and returns the cooling fluid guided toward the left front part to the storage part. (4) In the cooling garment according to (2) or (3), the cooling fluid path is provided with a first reflux path for returning the cooling fluid guided toward the right front part to the storage part, and a second reflux path for returning the cooling fluid guided toward the left front part to the storage part. It is preferable that the first reflux path and the second reflux path are arranged upstream of the cooling substance stored in the storage part. (5) In the cooling garment according to any one of (1) to (4), it is preferable that the surface of the inner sheet material is subjected to a raising process. (6) In the cooling garment according to any one of (1) to (5), the fastener for opening and closing the storage part is preferably arranged on the surface side of the inner sheet material.
Advantages of the Invention
[0008] The operation and effects of the cooling garment according to the present invention having the above configuration will be described.
[0009] (1) Due to the features of the present invention, when the cooling fluid in contact with the coolable physical property cooling substance stored in the storage part is sucked from the suction part by the operation of the pump and discharged by the discharge part toward the cooling fluid path, it flows out from the outflow part and is guided by the cooling fluid path. Also, the cooling fluid path and the storage part are formed of thin materials such as an inner sheet material having a surface in contact with the wearer of the garment and a back surface on the opposite side of the surface, and an outer sheet material adhered to the inner sheet material. Further, even when the cooling fluid discharged from the discharge part is branched into a first branch path and a second branch path by the operation of the pump, it is returned from the cooling fluid path to the storage part.
[0010] Due to this feature, since the cooling fluid path and the storage part provided in the garment body are formed by the inner sheet material and the outer sheet material, the cooling garment does not become thick (that is, bulky), and the thickness of the cooling garment does not give discomfort to the wearer wearing it. Further, due to the operation of the pump, the cooling fluid discharged from the discharge part and flowing out from the outflow part is branched into a first branch path and a second branch path and circulated through the cooling fluid path, so that the difference between the temperature when flowing out from the outflow part into the cooling fluid path and the temperature of the cooling fluid when refluxed from the cooling fluid path to the storage part can be reduced. Thereby, the body of the wearer of the cooling garment can be uniformly cooled, and a cooling garment with good cooling efficiency can be provided.
[0011] Note that the clothing according to the present invention is a general term for concepts including each of the concepts of (a) upper garments such as jackets, jumpers, suits, vests, etc., (b) undergarments such as pants, trousers, etc., and (c) socks and the like worn on the feet and legs such as stockings, foot warmers, etc.
[0012] (2) Due to the features of the present invention, the cooling fluid path is provided so as to be continuous between the back body and the front body of the clothing body via the shoulders. When the cooling fluid flowing out from the outflow part provided in the back body is branched into the first branch path, it is guided toward the right front body of the front body, for example, to cool the right chest of the wearer. On the other hand, when the cooling fluid flowing out from the inflow part is branched into the second branch path, it is guided toward the left front body of the front body, for example, to cool the left chest of the wearer.
[0013] Due to this feature, by the operation of the pump, when the cooling fluid flowing out from the outflow part is branched into the first branch path, it is guided toward the right front body, and on the other hand, by the operation of the pump, when it is branched into the second branch path, it is guided toward the left front body. For example, the left chest and the right chest of the wearer wearing the cooling clothing can be uniformly cooled, and a cooling clothing with good cooling efficiency can be provided.
[0014] (3) Due to the features of the present invention, by the operation of the pump, the cooling fluid cooled by contacting the cooling substance is caused to flow out from the storage part provided in the back body and branched into the first branch path and the second branch path, and then guided toward the right front body and the left front body, for example, to cool the right chest and the left chest of the wearer. Then, by the operation of the pump, the cooling fluid guided toward the right front body and the left front body is guided toward the storage part provided in the back body, for example, to cool the back of the wearer and cause it to flow back to the storage part.
[0015] Due to this feature, after the right chest and left chest of the wearer are cooled by the cooling fluid guided toward the right front body area and the left front body area, for example, until it returns to the storage part provided in the back body area, for example, the back of the wearer is cooled, so that the upper body of the wearer of the cooling clothing can be uniformly cooled. In addition, since the storage part is provided in the back body area, it is possible to avoid interfering with the work being performed on the front side, for example, by a worker working outdoors in sweltering heat.
[0016] (4) Due to the features of the present invention, the cooling fluid guided toward the right front body area by the first reflux path arranged upstream of the cooling substance stored in the storage part and the cooling fluid guided toward the left front body area by the second reflux path arranged upstream of the cooling substance are refluxed to the storage part and brought into contact with the cooling substance stored in the storage part.
[0017] Due to this feature, the cooling fluid guided toward the right front body area by the first reflux path arranged upstream of the cooling substance stored in the storage part and the cooling fluid guided toward the left front body area by the second reflux path arranged upstream of the cooling substance will vigorously return to the storage part arranged downstream. As a result, the cooling fluid that has vigorously returned to the storage part stirs the cooling fluid stored in the storage part, equalizes the temperature of the cooling fluid stored in the storage part, and can sufficiently cool by contacting the cooling substance stored in the storage part. Therefore, since the cooling fluid sufficiently cooled by the cooling substance flows out to the cooling fluid path and the body of the wearer of the cooling clothing is cooled, it is possible to provide a cooling clothing with better cooling efficiency.
[0018] (5) Due to the features of the present invention, the surface of the inner sheet material that contacts the wearer of the clothing is subjected to a raising process.
[0019] Due to this feature, even when the body of the wearer of the cooling clothing comes into contact with the surface of the inner sheet material, since the surface is subjected to a raising process, the comfort of the cooling clothing is improved, and the comfort when wearing the cooling clothing can be enhanced.
[0020] (6) Due to the features of the present invention, since a fastener for opening and closing the storage part is arranged on the surface side of the inner sheet material, the fastener arranged on the surface side is opened to take in and out the cooling substance.
[0021] Due to this feature, the fastener arranged on the surface side that comes into contact with the wearer can be opened to take in and out the cooling substance, and since the fastener cannot be visually recognized by others when the cooling clothing is worn, it is possible to provide cooling clothing having a design property that does not give a sense of incongruity to the cooling clothing depending on the arrangement position of the fastener.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0022]
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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0023] Hereinafter, the cooling clothing according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings with reference to embodiments. The cooling clothing according to the present invention is used, for example, for workers working outdoors in sweltering heat, workers working in a stuffy indoor environment, people engaged in recreation, sports, watching games, etc. under the scorching sun, etc. to cool the body of the wearer. The form of this cooling clothing can be used for various purposes, such as work clothes worn during work, as well as multi-purpose outerwear that can be worn for entertainment, leisure, events, sports, jogging, cycling, etc.
[0024] <Overview of Cooling Clothing 11> First, an overview of the cooling vest 1 to which the cooling clothing 11 is adhered to the lining will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the cooling vest according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 shows the back view of the cooling vest shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows the front view of the inside of the cooling vest shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the front side of the vest body.
[0025] In the cooling vest 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the cooling garment 11 is connected to the cooling vest 1 through the hook-and-loop fastener 20 and is detachable. As a method thereof, a female hook-and-loop fastener 20 is installed on the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1, and a male hook-and-loop fastener 20 is installed on the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 forming the cooling garment 11. Since the cooling garment 11 is connected to the cooling vest 1 through the hook-and-loop fastener 20 and is detachable, for example, when the cooling garment 11 is removed from the cooling vest 1 and only the cooling garment 11 is worn, or when the cooling garment 11 is removed from the cooling vest 1 and only the cooling garment 11 is washed in a washing machine or the like, it is possible.
[0026] <Regarding the vest body 2> First, the vest body 2 with the cooling garment 11 attached will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the vest body 2 is formed in the form of a vest (work clothes without cuffs) having a vest front body 4 and a vest back body 5. However, this cooling vest 1 may be work clothes with long sleeves or short sleeves.
[0027] In the vest body 2, the fabric 3 is formed in a vest shape by a front-side fabric 3A and a back-side fabric 3B. Both the front-side fabric 3A and the back-side fabric 3B are made of synthetic resin fibers excellent in heat resistance, strength, and transpiration, such as nylon and polyester, for example. However, it is not limited to this, and both the front-side fabric 3A and the back-side fabric 3B may be made of leather.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the cooling vest 1 to which the cooling garment 11 is attached, the vest body 2 and the cooling garment 11 are provided.
[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, on the front fabric 3A of the vest body 2, for example, a first storage part 7 and a second storage part 8, which are pockets, are provided. The first storage part 7 and the second storage part 8 are provided in an internal space formed between the front fabric 3A and the lining 10 of the front body part 4 of the vest body 2. Thereby, the portable battery 65 is taken in and out from the first storage part 7 and the second storage part 8.
[0030] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in the first storage part 7, a storage part opening 9, which is an opening through which the pump wiring 66 can be inserted, is provided between the front fabric 3A and the lining 10 of the front body part 4 of the vest body 2. Thereby, even when the pump wiring 66 is in a state of being stored in the first storage part 7 on one end side on the portable battery 65 side, it can be exposed to the inside of the cooling vest 1 through the storage part opening 9.
[0031] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the cooling garment 11 of the present embodiment is attached to the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1 so as to be continuous with the back body part 5 and the front body part 4 of the vest body 2 via the vest shoulder part 6 of the cooling vest 1. Thereby, as shown in Fig. 1, the right front body part 13A of the garment 11 to be described later is arranged on the right side part of the lining 10 of the front body part 4 of the vest, and the left front body part 13B to be described later is arranged on the left side part of the lining 10 of the front body part 4 of the vest. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, a storage part 31 to be described later is arranged on the lining 10 of the back body part 5 of the vest.
[0032] When the cooling garment 11 is attached to the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16 forming the cooling garment 11 comes into contact with the body of the wearer wearing the cooling vest 1 to which the cooling garment 11 is attached. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, the fastener 19 for opening and closing the storage part 31 is arranged near the back of the cooling garment 11 on the surface 16A side of the inner sheet material 16.
[0033] <Regarding the garment body 12> Next, an overview of the cooling garment 11 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a front view of the cooling garment according to the embodiment, FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the cooling garment shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 4.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment includes a garment body 12, a bottomed bag-shaped storage portion 31 that can freely accommodate a PET bottle 90X containing a coolable substance M, such as water or drinking water, in a state where the coolable substance M is stored in a PET bottle 90, a cooling fluid path 21 for guiding the cooling fluid stored in the storage portion 31, a pump 41, a tube 42, a safety valve 51, a pump operation unit 61, and a portable battery 65.
[0035] The cooling garment 11 of the present embodiment is worn by a person who works in a high-temperature environment or the like to cool the body. The garment body 12 of the cooling garment 11 of the present embodiment is formed by an inner sheet material 16 and an outer sheet material 17. The inner sheet material 16 and the outer sheet material 17 are made of a fabric made of synthetic resin fibers excellent in waterproofness, flexibility, heat resistance, strength resistance, and transpiration, such as nylon and polyester. The inner sheet material 16 and the outer sheet material 17 have heat-bonding properties such that they are heat-bonded to each other at their contact portions. The inner sheet material 16 shown in FIG. 4 is placed on the outer sheet material 17 shown in FIG. 5, and then the back surface 17B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16 are heat-bonded by a known heat-bonding device. Here, according to the definition of the Japanese Standard Industrial Classification, a sheet is a soft material with a thickness of 0.2 mm or more. Therefore, the inner sheet material 16 of the present embodiment is a soft material having a thickness of about 2 mm, and the outer sheet material 17 of the present embodiment is a soft material having a thickness of about 1 mm.
[0036] The inner sheet material 16 of the present embodiment has a surface 16A that comes into contact with the body of the wearer wearing the cooling clothing 11, and a back surface 16B that comes into contact with a cooling fluid (water in the present embodiment). Further, the outer sheet material 17 of the present embodiment has a surface 17A that comes into contact with the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1 of the present embodiment, and a back surface 17B that comes into contact with the cooling fluid.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the clothing body 12 has a front body part 13 divided into left and right, a back body part 14, a clothing shoulder part 15, and the like. The back body part 14 and the front body part 13 divided into left and right are connected via the clothing shoulder part 15. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the cooling clothing 11 is viewed from the front, among the front body part 13, the right side part of the wearer is the right front body part 13A of the clothing, and the left side part of the wearer is the left front body part 13B of the clothing. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a fastener 19 for opening and closing a storage part 31 provided near the back of the back body part 14 of the clothing body 12 is provided on the surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the cooling clothing 11 is viewed from the front, among the clothing shoulder parts 15, the right side part of the wearer is the right clothing shoulder part 15A, and the left side part of the wearer is the left clothing shoulder part 15B.
[0038] The cooling clothing 11 according to the present embodiment includes a cooling fluid path 21, a storage part 31, a tube 42 made of a flexible resin, a first outflow part 32 on one end side of the tube 42, a second outflow part 24 on the other end side of the tube 42 on the opposite side, a pump 41 for sending a cooling fluid N (water in the present embodiment) into the tube 42, and the like. The first outflow part 32 is disposed in the storage part 31, which will be described in detail later. Further, the second outflow part 24 is disposed in the cooling fluid path 21, which will be described in detail later. The pump 41 includes a suction part 43 that sucks the cooling fluid N from the first outflow part 32 through the tube 42 by the operation of the pump 41, and a discharge part 44 that discharges the cooling fluid N toward the cooling fluid path 21 through the tube 42 by the operation of the pump 41.
[0039] As shown in Fig. 5, seventeen male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 that forms the cooling garment 11. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, three male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the portion of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 corresponding to the right front body part 13A of the garment. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, two male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the portion of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 corresponding to the right shoulder part 15A of the garment. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, three male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the portion of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 corresponding to the left front body part 13B of the garment. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, two male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the portion of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 corresponding to the left shoulder part 15B of the garment. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, one male hook-and-loop fastener 20 is installed on the neck part of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, two male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the right side part of the back of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, two male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the left side part of the back of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, two male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 are installed on the lower back part of the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17. Note that on the lining 10 of the cooling vest, seventeen female hook-and-loop fasteners are installed so as to be adhesive to the seventeen male hook-and-loop fasteners 20 installed on the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17. By adhering the seventeen female hook-and-loop fasteners installed on the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1 to the male hook-and-loop fasteners installed on the surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17 that forms the cooling garment 11, the cooling garment 11 can be attached to the cooling vest 1.
[0040] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 4 will be described. The cooling fluid path 21 and the storage portion 31 of the present embodiment are formed by placing the inner sheet material 16 shown in FIG. 4 on the outer sheet material 17 shown in FIG. 5, and then thermocompression bonding the back surface 14B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16 using a known thermocompression bonding device. As shown in FIG. 6, by thermocompression bonding the back surface 14B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16, an internal space 21S of the cooling fluid path 21 is formed. Also, by thermocompression bonding the back surface 14B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16, an internal space 31S of the storage portion 31 is formed.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 6, by thermocompression bonding the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16 and the back surface 17B of the outer sheet material 17 to create a thermocompression bonded portion NT, the first branch path 22 of the cooling fluid path 21, the storage portion 31, and the second branch path 23 of the cooling fluid path 21 are formed between the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16 and the front surface 17A of the outer sheet material 17. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, in the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment, the storage portion 31 is interposed between the first branch path 22 and the second branch path 23.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the front surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16 is subjected to a raising process. The front surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16 of the present embodiment has a so-called peach raising, which has a texture like the skin of a peach (see FIG. 6). Thereby, when the cooling garment 11 is worn, a large number of raised portions 16S provided on the front surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16 come into contact with the body of the wearer, and a comfortable feeling can be given to the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11.
[0043] <Regarding the cooling fluid path 21> As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the cooling fluid path 21 is formed in the cooling garment 11 by thermocompression bonding the back surface 17B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, the cooling fluid path 21 is provided in the cooling garment 11 so as to be continuous with the front body part 13 (right front body part 13A and left front body part 13B) and the back body part 14 of the garment body 12 through the garment shoulder part 15 of the cooling garment 11.
[0044] The storage part 31 is preliminarily filled with the cooling fluid N, and after the PET bottle 90 is stored, the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 is sent from the first outflow part 32 through the tube 42 to the suction part 43 of the pump 41 by the pump 41, and is sent from the discharge part 44 of the pump 41 through the tube 42 to the second outflow part 24 and flows out into the cooling fluid path 21. The pump 41 according to the present embodiment discharges the cooling fluid N sucked from the first outflow part 32 toward the second outflow part 24, then causes it to flow out from the second outflow part 24, branches it into the first branch path 22 and the second branch path 23, and plays a role of refluxing it to the storage part 31 through the first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28 provided in the cooling fluid path 21. Further, the cooling fluid path 21 guides the cooling fluid N flowing out from the second outflow part 24 to branch into the first branch path 22 and the second branch path 23, and contacts the outer peripheral surface 90a of the PET bottle 90 with the cooling fluid N guided to the storage part 31 through the first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28 provided in the cooling fluid path 21 to cool it.
[0045] The cooling fluid path 21 includes a first branch path 22, a second branch path 23, a first change path 25, a second change path 26, a first reflux path 27, a second reflux path 28, and a confluence restriction portion 29. The first branch path 22 is a path that guides the cooling fluid sent from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 to the second outflow portion 24 and flowing out into the cooling fluid path 21 toward the right front body area 13A of the clothing. The second branch path 23 is a path for guiding the cooling fluid sent from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 to the second outflow portion 24 and flowing out into the cooling fluid path 21 toward the left front body area 13B of the clothing. As shown in FIG. 4, the first change path 25 is a path for guiding the cooling fluid guided to the right front body area 13A of the clothing by the first branch path 22 toward the first reflux path 27. As shown in FIG. 4, the second change path 26 is a path for guiding the cooling fluid guided to the left front body area 13B of the clothing by the second branch path 23 toward the second reflux path 28. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first reflux path 27 is a path for refluxing the cooling fluid guided to the back body area 14 of the clothing through the first change path 25 to the storage portion 31. The second reflux path 28 is a path for refluxing the cooling fluid guided to the back body area 14 of the clothing through the second change path 26 to the storage portion 31. The confluence restriction portion 29 is formed by thermocompression bonding the back surface 17B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16 so as to guide each cooling fluid to the storage portion 31 through separate paths without allowing the cooling fluid guided to the back body area 14 through the first change path 25 and the cooling fluid guided to the back body area 14 through the second change path 26 to confluence. By including the first branch path 22, the second branch path 23, the first change path 25, the second change path 26, the first reflux path 27, and the second reflux path 28, the cooling fluid path 21 can prevent, for example, a significant difference in the cooling effect from occurring due to the cooling fluid path 21 through which the cooling fluid flows and the contact portion with the wearer.
[0046] <Regarding the storage portion 31> Next, the storage unit 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how to insert and remove a PET bottle containing a cooling substance into the storage unit of the cooling clothing according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing in perspective the state in which a PET bottle containing a cooling substance is inserted through the opening for the storage unit of the cooling clothing according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing in perspective the state in which the PET bottle containing the cooling substance is stored in the storage unit of the cooling clothing and the storage unit is closed.
[0047] The storage unit 31 of the present embodiment is formed near the back of the cooling clothing 11 by thermally bonding the back surface 17B of the outer sheet material 17 and the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16. The storage unit 31 is formed in a bottomed bag shape capable of storing the cooling fluid N. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the storage unit 31 is formed in a bag shape by the inner sheet material 16 and the outer sheet material 17, and an opening 18 for the storage unit is provided in a part thereof. By sliding the fastener 19 in the state where the storage unit 31 is closed, the opening 18 for the storage unit can be opened. Further, in the state where the opening 18 for the storage unit is open, that is, the storage unit 31 is open, by sliding the fastener 19, the opening 18 for the storage unit can be closed. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the opening 18 for the storage unit is formed so that the internal space 31S of the storage unit 31 can communicate with the outside of the clothing body 12 by sliding the fastener 19 to open the opening 18 for the storage unit. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, by sliding the fastener 19 to close the opening 18 for the storage unit, the storage unit 31 is hermetically closed, and as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, it is opened when the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance and the cooling fluid N enter and exit between the internal space 31S of the storage unit 31 and the outside thereof.
[0048] In this embodiment, the cooling garment 11 cools the cooling fluid N with the solidifiable cooling substance M (such as water or drinking water) and uses it while the solidifiable cooling substance M is stored in the storage portion 31. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cooling garment 11 is used in a state where the PET bottle 90 containing the cooling substance M, which is in a state of storing the cooling substance M in the PET bottle 90, is immersed in the cooling fluid N stored in the storage portion 31. Therefore, the storage portion 31 is sized to be able to freely take in and out the PET bottle 90 (PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance). Further, the storage portion 31 is formed so that the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance can be stored in the internal space 31S through the opening 18 for the storage portion.
[0049] <Regarding the circulation of the cooling fluid> Next, the circulation of the cooling fluid will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of the cooling fluid due to the operation of the pump. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the cooling fluid in the entire cooling garment shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing how the cooling fluid is cooled by the cooling substance in the PET bottle in the cooling garment according to the embodiment.
[0050] First, with reference to FIG. 10, the circulation of the cooling fluid in the cooling garment 11 will be described due to the operation of the pump 41. The arrow shown in FIG. 10 indicates the flow of the cooling fluid N. As shown in FIG. 10, when the pump 41 is operated, the cooling fluid N stored in the storage portion 31 from the first outflow portion 32 is sucked into the suction portion 43 through the tube 42. Then, the cooling fluid sucked from the suction portion 43 is discharged from the discharge portion 44 through the tube 42 toward the cooling fluid path 21 by the operation of the pump 41. The cooling fluid discharged from the discharge portion 44 will flow out from the second outflow portion 24 to the cooling fluid path 21 through the tube 42 and the safety valve 51.
[0051] The cooling fluid that has reached the second outflow section 24 flows out from the second outflow section 24 into the cooling fluid path 21, and returns to the storage section 31 through the cooling fluid path 21. The cooling fluid that has flowed into the storage section 31 is cooled through contact with the PET bottle 90X containing the solidifiable cooling substance M (such as water or drinking water) stored in the storage section 31. Then, due to the operation of the pump 41, the cooling fluid stored in the storage section 31 is again sucked from the first outflow section 32 through the tube 42 into the suction section 43. As shown in FIG. 10, the configuration is such that the cooling fluid stored in the storage section 31 is circulated.
[0052] Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 11, the flow of the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid path 21 and the storage section 31 will be described. The arrows shown in FIG. 11 indicate the flow of the cooling fluid N. For example, when the pump operation section 63 is pressed by the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11, the power supply to the pump 41 is turned on. As a result, the pump 41 is operated, and the cooling fluid N stored in the storage section 31 is sent out from the first outflow section 32 and sucked into the suction section 43 of the pump 41 through the tube 42. Subsequently, the cooling fluid N discharged from the discharge section 44 of the pump 41 through the tube 42 is sent to the second outflow section 24 via the safety valve 51. Subsequently, the cooling fluid N sent out from the second outflow section 24 flows out into the cooling fluid path 21 and branches into the first branch path 22 and the second branch path 23. As a result, the cooling fluid N branched into the first branch path 22 is guided to the vicinity of the right side of the back of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11. On the other hand, the cooling fluid N branched into the second branch path 23 is guided to the vicinity of the left side of the back of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11. Therefore, the back of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 can be efficiently cooled from the left and right by the cooling fluid N branched into the first branch path 22 and the second branch path 23.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 11, the cooling fluid N guided to the first branch path 22 is guided along the periphery of the storage portion 31 toward the first change path 25 provided in the right front body part 13A of the cooling clothing 11. Thereby, before being guided to the first change path 25, the cooling fluid can cool not only the right side portion of the wearer's back but also the vicinity of the wearer's right shoulder and right chest. On the other hand, the cooling fluid N guided to the second branch path 23 is guided along the periphery of the storage portion 31 toward the second change path 26 provided in the left front body part 13B of the cooling clothing 11. Thereby, before being guided to the second change path 26, the cooling fluid N can cool not only the left side portion of the wearer's back but also the vicinity of the wearer's left shoulder and left chest.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 11, the cooling fluid N guided to the first change path 25 is guided by the first change path 25 through the first change path 25 toward the first reflux path 27. Thereby, before being guided to the first reflux path 27, the cooling fluid N can cool not only the vicinity of the wearer's right chest but also the vicinity of the wearer's right shoulder and neck. On the other hand, the cooling fluid N guided to the second change path 26 is guided by the second change path 26 through the second change path 26 toward the second reflux path 28. Thereby, before being guided to the second reflux path 28, the cooling fluid N can cool not only the vicinity of the wearer's left chest but also the vicinity of the wearer's left shoulder and neck.
[0055] The cooling fluid N guided to the back body 14 of the clothing through the first change path 25 returns vigorously to the storage part 31 located downstream of the first return path 27 without being merged with the cooling fluid N guided to the back body 14 of the clothing through the second change path 26 by the first return path 27, thereby stirring the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 and making the temperature of the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 uniform. Then, it merges with the cooling fluid N guided to the back body 14 of the clothing through the second change path 26 and the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31. Thereby, not only the vicinity of the wearer's head but also the right side of the center of the back can be cooled by the cooling fluid. On the other hand, the cooling fluid guided to the back body 14 of the clothing through the second change path 26 by the second return path 28 returns vigorously to the storage part 31 located downstream of the second return path 28 without being merged with the cooling fluid guided to the back body 14 of the clothing through the first change path 25, thereby stirring the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 and making the temperature of the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 uniform. Then, it merges with the cooling fluid guided to the back body 14 of the clothing through the first change path 25 and the cooling fluid stored in the storage part 31. Thereby, not only the vicinity of the wearer's head but also the left side of the center of the back can be cooled by the cooling fluid.
[0056] Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the role of the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance stored in the storage part 31 will be described. The arrow shown in FIG. 12 indicates the flow of the cooling fluid N.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 12, the storage part 31 is filled with the cooling fluid N (such as water) so that it can be stored in the internal space 31S of the storage part 31. Further, the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance in a state where the cooling substance M (such as water or drinking water) is solidified (or, for example, in a liquid state cooled to a low temperature close to zero degrees) is stored in the internal space 31S of the storage part 31 in a standing posture and immersed in the stored cooling fluid N as shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 and FIG. 12, and then the cooled clothing 11 is used.
[0058] The cooling fluid N stored in the internal space 31S is continuously sent from the second outflow portion 24 to the cooling fluid path 21 by the pump 41 as shown in FIGS. 10 to 11. The cooling fluid N returns to the internal space 31S of the storage portion 31 again from the first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28 after flowing through the cooling fluid path 21. At this time, since the cooling fluid N (water) takes heat from the body of the wearer of the cooling clothing 11 and is refluxed to the internal space 31S from the first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28, it is heated, that is, as an example, it has risen by about 2 degrees or about 3 degrees compared to the water temperature at the time of sending from the first outflow portion 32 and the time of sending from the second outflow portion 24.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 12, the heated cooling fluid N flows into the internal space 31S from the first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28, and then flows through the internal space 31S while contacting the outer peripheral surface 90a of the plastic bottle 90X containing the cooling substance. Therefore, the heated cooling fluid N exchanges heat with the cooling substance M through the outer peripheral surface 90a of the plastic bottle 90X containing the cooling substance while maintaining the delivery flow rate by the pump 41, and is cooled and lowered in temperature, and is adjusted to a suitable temperature at which the wearer of the cooling clothing 11 feels comfortable. The cooling fluid N cooled in the internal space 31S is sent from the outlet 32a of the first outflow portion 32 toward the suction portion 43 of the pump 41, and can continuously cool the wearer.
[0060] However, inside the plastic bottle 90X containing the cooling substance, as shown in FIG. 12, the solidified cooling substance M (ice or the like) gradually melts over time and changes into a cooling molten substance K (water or the like) that is a melt (liquid). Since the temperature of the cooling molten substance K gradually rises after the cooling substance M undergoes a phase change from a solid state to a melt state, the cooling effect of the cooling molten substance K on the heated cooling fluid N gradually decreases compared to the cooling substance M before the phase change.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 12, while accompanying the circumferential flow along the outer peripheral surface 90a of the plastic bottle 90, it flows toward the first outflow portion 32 and is sent out from the first outflow portion 32 toward the suction portion 43 of the pump 41. Thereafter, the cooling fluid sent out from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 is sent out from the outlet 24a of the second outflow portion 24 and flows out into the cooling fluid path 21. The cooling fluid N flowing out from the cooling fluid path 21 is branched into a first branch path 22 and a second branch path 23. The cooling fluid branched into the first branch path 22 is guided toward the right shoulder portion 15A of the clothing while following along the periphery of the storage portion 31. The cooling fluid branched into the second branch path 23 is guided toward the left shoulder portion 15B of the clothing while following along the periphery of the storage portion 31.
[0062] The cooling garment 11 according to this embodiment is formed by opposing the inner sheet material 16 and the outer sheet material 17 and thermally bonding the back surface 16B of the inner sheet material 16 and the back surface 17B of the outer sheet. Also, since the thickness of the inner sheet material 16 is about 2 mm and the thickness of the outer sheet material 17 is about 1 mm, the cooling garment 11 can be made lighter. Thereby, when the wearer wears the cooling garment 11, it is possible to prevent the discomfort caused by the thickness of the cooling garment 11 from being given to the wearer. Further, in this embodiment, the flow of the cooling fluid from the storage unit 31 until it returns to the storage unit 31 through the cooling fluid path 21 is not configured to be a one-way path. The cooling fluid flowing out from the second outflow unit 24 is branched into a first branch path 22 and a second branch path 23 and finally merges at the storage unit 31. As a result, the difference in temperature between the temperature of the cooling fluid when starting the flow through the meandering tube such as the cooling garment disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the temperature of the cooling fluid when returning to the storage unit through the tube (for example, a difference of 5 degrees) is smaller than the difference in temperature between the temperature of the cooling fluid when flowing out from the second outflow unit 24 into the cooling fluid path 21 and the temperature of the cooling fluid when returning to the storage unit 31 through the first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28 (for example, a difference of 2 degrees or 3 degrees). Further, since the contact point between the meandering tube such as the cooling garment disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the body of the wearer is on the circumference of the tube, the contact area with the tube is small. However, the contact area between the surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16 forming the cooling garment 11 according to this embodiment and the body of the wearer is large. Therefore, the back, chest, shoulders, neck, etc. of the wearer can be uniformly cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid path 21 while the temperature difference when flowing out from the second outflow unit 24 into the cooling fluid path 21 remains small.
[0063] <Safety valve> Next, the structure and operating principle of the safety valve will be described with reference to FIG. 13, FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the safety valve according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14A is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid when no pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path. FIG. 14B is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid when pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path. FIG. 14C is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid when the cooling fluid is discharged from the discharge port of the safety valve.
[0064] For example, if a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied by contact with a person other than the wearer to the cooling fluid path 21 or the storage unit 31 of the worn cooling garment 11, a burden is imposed on the cooling fluid path 21, the storage unit 31, and the pump 41, which may lead to rupture of the cooling fluid path 21, rupture of the storage unit 31, or failure of the pump 41. Therefore, for example, when the pressure applied by contact with a person other than the wearer to the cooling fluid path 21 of the worn cooling garment 11 becomes a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump, drainage is performed from the safety valve 51 to reduce the pressure so as not to impose a burden on the cooling fluid path 21, the storage unit 31, and the pump 41.
[0065] As shown in FIG. 13, the safety valve 51 of the present embodiment includes a valve body 52 housed in a valve member 53, a valve member 53 for housing the valve body 52 and a spring 55, a communication portion 54 formed by the valve body 52 and the valve member 53, a spring 55, and a discharge port 56 that communicates with the inside of the safety valve 51 and discharges the cooling fluid. As shown in FIG. 13, the safety valve 51 according to the present embodiment is configured such that a tube 42 is inserted into the safety valve 51 so that the safety valve 51 cannot be removed from the tube 42. The biasing force of the spring 55 according to the present embodiment is, for example, twice the pressure (discharge pressure) for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow portion 24.
[0066] The safety valve 51 of this embodiment is configured such that the cooling fluid discharged from the discharge portion 44 by the operation of the pump 41 and flowing through the tube 42 branches off from the main flow path SK, and the pressure of the main flow path SK acts on the valve body 52 from the branch point BK. Since the valve body 52 is pressed by the spring 55, the safety valve 51 is in a closed state.
[0067] When the cooling clothing 11 according to this embodiment is worn and a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump 41 is applied from outside the cooling fluid path 21 or the storage portion 31, if the pressure that biases in the direction opposite to the spring 55 from the branch point BK overcomes the pressure (biasing force) with which the spring 55 biases toward the valve body 52, the valve body 52 moves toward the spring 55 and the safety valve 51 opens. When the safety valve 51 opens, the cooling fluid flows into the communication portion 54 and is drained through the discharge port 56. Note that the pressure (specified pressure) that hinders the operation of the pump 41 from outside the cooling fluid path 21 in this embodiment is, for example, a pressure exceeding twice the pressure (discharge pressure) for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow portion 24. That is, the safety valve 51 according to this embodiment has a function of opening when the pressure from outside the cooling fluid path 21 exceeds a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump 41 (twice the pressure (discharge pressure) for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow portion 24) and discharging the cooling fluid to the outside from the discharge port 56 of the safety valve 51.
[0068] Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid will be described when no pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied from outside the cooling fluid path or the storage portion, and when a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied from outside the cooling fluid path or the storage portion. Note that the white arrows shown in FIG. 14 indicate the magnitude of the pressure applied to the cooling fluid N, and the larger the white arrow, the greater the pressure applied to the cooling fluid N.
[0069] First, with reference to FIG. 14A, the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid when no pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path or the storage section will be described. As shown in FIG. 14A, since the valve body 52 is pressed by the spring 55, the safety valve 51 is in a closed state.
[0070] As shown in FIG. 14A, when no pressure is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path 21 or the storage section 31 (that is, when the pressure does not exceed twice the pressure for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge section 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow section 24), a pressure P0 is applied to the cooling fluid N discharged from the discharge section 44 by the operation of the pump 41. Also, as shown by the flow NG of the cooling fluid (see FIG. 14A), when no pressure that hinders the operation of the pump 41 is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path 21, the cooling fluid N flows from the discharge section 44 toward the second outflow section 24 by the operation of the pump 41.
[0071] Next, with reference to FIG. 14B, the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid when a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump 41 is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path 21 or the storage section 31 will be described. As shown in FIG. 14B, when a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump 41 is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path 21 or the storage section 31 (for example, when pressure is applied to the cooling fluid path 21 of the cooling garment 11 being worn due to contact with a person other than the wearer), a pressure P1 (in this embodiment, a pressure exceeding twice the pressure (discharge pressure) for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge section 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow section 24) is applied to the cooling fluid N discharged from the discharge section 44 by the operation of the pump 41 and flowing toward the second outflow section 24. As shown in FIG. 14B, the pressure P1 in the main flow path SK also acts on the valve body 52 from the branch point BK, and the pressure P1 is applied to the valve body 52. Note that the pressure P1 shown in FIG. 14B is greater than the pressure P0 shown in FIG. 14A. Also, as shown by the flow NG of the cooling fluid (see FIG. 14B), when a pressure that hinders the operation of the pump is applied from the outside of the cooling fluid path, the cooling fluid N flows from the discharge section 44 toward the second outflow section 24 by the operation of the pump 41.
[0072] Using FIG. 14C, the flow and pressure of the cooling fluid when the cooling fluid N is discharged from the discharge port 56 and depressurized will be described. When the valve body 52 moves toward the spring 55 and the safety valve 51 is in the open state, as shown in FIG. 14C, the cooling fluid flows into the communication portion 54, and the cooling fluid N is discharged through the discharge port 56, thereby reducing the pressure applied to the cooling fluid N in the tube 42 to the pressure P2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14C, the pressure P2 applied to the valve body 52 is smaller than the pressure P1 shown in FIG. 14B, and the pressure P2 applied to the cooling fluid N flowing toward the second outflow portion 24 through the safety valve 51 is also smaller than the pressure P1 shown in FIG. 14B. Further, as shown in the flow NG of the cooling fluid (see FIG. 14C), when the cooling fluid N is discharged from the discharge port 56, there are cases where the cooling fluid N is discharged from the discharge port 56 and where the cooling fluid N flows from the discharge portion 44 toward the second outflow portion 24 due to the operation of the pump 41.
[0073] <Regarding the pump operation unit 61> FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pump operation unit provided in the cooling garment 11 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the cooling garment 11 includes a pump operation unit 61, and the pump operation unit 61 includes a pump control unit 62, a pump operation unit 63, a pump display unit 64, and the like. In the pump operation unit 61, the pump operation unit 63 and the pump display unit 64 are electrically connected to the pump control unit 62.
[0074] The pump 41 is electrically connected to the portable battery 65 via the pump operation unit 81 by wiring. The portable battery 65 is a storage battery such as a primary battery or a secondary battery that supplies power to the pump 41. The power supply unit and the wiring are detachably attached and detached freely through a connector such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection. The power of the power supply unit is supplied to the pump operation unit 61 through the wiring.
[0075] The pump control unit 62 is a control means for electrically controlling the pump 41. Specifically, the pump control unit 62 performs, for example, current control when energizing the pump 41. Note that the pump control unit 62 may control the pumping (circulation) flow rate of the cooling fluid N flowing through the cooling fluid path 21 by the pump 41 as necessary.
[0076] The pump operation unit 63 is configured in a manner that enables an operation for controlling the on / off switching of the energization to the pump 41 by pressing a pressing portion on the upper surface of the pump operation unit 61. The pump display unit 64 is a display unit on the upper surface of the pump operation unit 61 and is configured in a manner that can selectively emit light from a plurality of colors.
[0077] The pump operation unit 63 is configured in a manner that enables an operation for controlling the pump control unit 62 by gently pressing a pressing portion on the pump operation unit 61 with a finger based on a predetermined operation mode. The pump display unit 64 is a display unit on the pump operation unit 61 and is configured in a manner that can selectively emit light from a plurality of colors corresponding to the operation performed by the pump operation unit 63.
[0078] Next, the operation and effects of the cooling garment 11 according to this embodiment will be described. The cooling garment 11 according to this embodiment includes a storage part 31 that can freely store and retrieve a cooling substance M having solidifiable physical properties, and a cooling fluid path 21 for guiding the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 in a clothing body 12. In the cooling garment 11, it includes a pump 41 having a suction part 43 that sucks the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 and a discharge part 44 that discharges the cooling fluid toward the cooling fluid path 21. The cooling fluid path 21 and the storage part 31 are formed by an inner sheet material having a surface 16A that contacts the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 and a back surface 16B on the opposite side of the surface 16A. The cooling fluid path 21 includes a second outflow part 24 for allowing the cooling fluid N discharged from the discharge part 44 to flow out of the cooling fluid path 21. The pump 41 branches the cooling fluid N flowing out from the second discharge part 24 into a first branch path 22 and a second branch path 23, and refluxes it from the cooling fluid path 21 to the storage part 31, which is characterized in that.
[0079] Due to this feature, since the cooling fluid path 21 and the storage part 31 provided in the clothing body 12 are formed by the inner sheet material 16, the cooling garment 11 will not become thick (that is, bulky), and the thickness of the cooling garment 11 will not cause discomfort to the wearer. Also, due to the operation of the pump 41, the cooling fluid N discharged from the discharge part 44 flows out from the second outflow part 24 and is branched into the first branch path 22 and the second branch path 23, so that the temperature when the cooling fluid flows out from the second outflow part 24 into the cooling fluid path 21 and the temperature of the cooling fluid when it refluxes from the cooling fluid path 21 to the storage part 31 can have a reduced difference, and the body of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 can be uniformly cooled, and a cooling garment 11 with good cooling efficiency can be provided.
[0080] In addition, in the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment, the cooling fluid path 21 is provided so as to be continuous with the back body part 14 and the front body part 13 of the garment body 12 via the garment shoulder part 15. Among the front body part 13 of the garment, the left side part of the wearer is defined as the left front body part 13B of the garment, and the right side part of the wearer is defined as the right front body part 13A of the garment. The second outflow part 24 is provided in the back body part 14 of the garment. The cooling fluid N branched into the first branch path 22 is guided toward the right front body part 13A of the garment, and the cooling fluid N branched into the second branch path 23 is guided toward the left front body part 13B of the garment. This is the gist of the present invention.
[0081] Due to this feature, by the operation of the pump 41, the cooling fluid N flowing out from the second outflow part 24 and branched into the first branch path 22 is guided toward the right front body part 13A of the garment, while the cooling fluid N flowing out from the second outflow part 24 and branched into the second branch path 23 is guided toward the left front body part 13B of the garment. Thus, for example, it is possible to uniformly cool the back, left chest, and right chest of the wearer wearing the cooling garment.
[0082] In addition, in the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment, the storage part 31 is provided in the back body part 14 of the garment. The pump 41 refluxes the cooling fluid N guided toward the right front body part 13A of the garment to the storage part 31, and refluxes the cooling fluid N guided toward the left front body part 13B of the garment to the storage part 31. This is the gist of the present invention.
[0083] Due to this feature, after the right chest of the wearer is cooled by the cooling fluid N guided toward the right front body part 13A of the garment and the left chest of the wearer is cooled by the cooling fluid N guided toward the left front body part 13B of the garment, until the cooling fluid N is refluxed to the storage part 31 provided in the back body part 14 of the garment, for example, the back of the wearer is cooled. Thereby, the upper body of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 can be uniformly cooled, and it is possible to avoid disturbing the work being performed on the front side by, for example, a worker working outdoors in sweltering heat by the storage part 31.
[0084] Further, in the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment, the cooling fluid path 21 is provided with a first reflux path 27 for refluxing the cooling fluid N guided toward the right front part 13A of the garment to the storage part 31, and a second reflux path 28 for refluxing the cooling fluid N guided toward the left front part 13B of the garment to the storage part 31. The first reflux path 27 and the second reflux path 28 are arranged upstream of the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance M stored in the storage part 31.
[0085] Due to this feature, the cooling fluid N guided toward the right front part 13A of the garment by the first reflux path 27 arranged upstream of the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance M stored in the storage part 31 and the cooling fluid N guided toward the left front part 13B of the garment by the second reflux path 28 arranged upstream of the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance M stored in the storage part 31 vigorously return to the storage part 31 located downstream. As a result, the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 is agitated, the temperature of the cooling fluid N stored in the storage part 31 is made uniform, and it can be sufficiently cooled by contacting the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance M. Therefore, the cooling fluid N sufficiently cooled by contacting the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance M flows out into the cooling fluid path 21, and the body of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 can be sufficiently cooled, and a cooling garment with better cooling efficiency can be provided.
[0086] Further, in the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment, the surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16 is subjected to a raising process.
[0087] Due to this feature, even when the body of the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 comes into contact with the surface 16A of the inner sheet material 16, since the surface 16A is subjected to a raising process, the wearing comfort of the cooling garment 11 is improved, and the comfort when wearing the cooling garment 11 can be enhanced.
[0088] Further, in the cooling garment 11 according to the present embodiment, the fastener 19 for opening and closing the storage portion 31 is characterized in that it is disposed on the surface 16A side of the inner sheet material 16.
[0089] Due to this feature, the fastener 19 disposed on the surface 16A side of the inner sheet material 16 that contacts the wearer can be opened to take in and out the PET bottle 90X containing the cooling substance M, and there is no sense of discomfort at the arrangement position of the fastener 19 when the cooling garment 11 is worn. Therefore, a cooling garment 11 having a design can be provided.
[0090] As described above, the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and applied without departing from the gist thereof.
[0091] In the cooling vest 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the cooling garment 11 was detachably connected to the cooling vest 1 through the hook-and-loop fastener 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cooling garment 11 may be sewn to the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1. Further, for example, the cooling garment 11 may be fixable to the lining 10 of the cooling vest 1 by buttons. Further, for example, each way of wearing the clothes such as wearing the cooling garment 11 on the inner layer without sewing the cooling garment 11 to other clothes and wearing the outer layer in a state where the cooling garment 11 is worn may be adopted.
[0092] For example, in the embodiment, the cooling vest 1 formed in the form of a vest is given. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications are possible, such as a long-sleeved upper garment, a jacket, etc.
[0093] The thickness of the inner sheet material 16 according to the present embodiment was about 2 mm, and the thickness of the outer sheet material 17 was about 1 mm. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The thicknesses of the inner sheet material 16 and the outer sheet material 17 can be appropriately changed as long as the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 does not feel discomfort due to the thickness of the cooling garment 11.
[0094] In addition, in the embodiment, a cooling garment 11 that cools a cooling fluid N (water) is exemplified by a PET bottle 90X containing a cooling substance M (such as water or drinking water) in a PET bottle 90. However, in addition to ice, the cooling substance may be a latent heat storage material composition in which, as a so-called cold insulating agent, for example, an acetate hydrate such as sodium acetate trihydrate is used as a main component and additives are added to adjust the freezing point of the latent heat storage material to near zero degrees. Such a latent heat storage material composition may be stored in the internal space of the storage portion in a bagged state.
[0095] In addition, in the embodiment, the outer shape of the cooling garment 11 is the shape shown in FIGS. 4 to 5. However, the outer shape of the cooling garment 11 is not limited to the embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the arrangement mode of the cooling fluid path 21 and the storage portion 31 in the cooling garment 11 is not limited to the embodiment and can be changed as appropriate.
[0096] The safety valve 51 according to the present embodiment opens when the biasing force of the spring 55 (a pressure twice the pressure (discharge pressure) for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow portion 24) is exceeded, and discharges the cooling fluid to the outside of the safety valve 51. However, it is not limited to this. For example, if the pressure that biases in the opposite direction to the spring 55 overcomes the pressure (biasing force) with which the spring 55 biases toward the valve body 52 and the safety valve 51 opens, the biasing force of the spring 55 can be appropriately changed, for example, to 1.5 times, 2.5 times, etc. the pressure (discharge pressure) for sending out the cooling fluid N from the discharge portion 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow portion 24. However, for example, when the wearer wearing the cooling garment 11 is pressed by a wall, a chair, etc., and pressure is applied to the cooling fluid path 21 and the storage portion 31, it is preferable that the biasing force of the spring 55 is such that the pressure that biases in the opposite direction to the spring 55 overcomes the pressure (biasing force) with which the spring 55 biases toward the valve body 52 and the safety valve 51 does not open.
[0097] When the pressure from outside the cooling fluid path 21 exceeds twice the pressure for sending the cooling fluid N from the discharge part 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow part 24, the safety valve 51 according to the present embodiment opens, and discharges the cooling fluid from the discharge port 56 to the outside of the cooling clothing 11. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the safety valve 51 may be provided in the cooling fluid path 21. In this case, when the pressure from outside the cooling fluid path 21 exceeds twice the pressure for sending the cooling fluid N from the discharge part 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow part 24, it may be configured to open the valve and discharge the cooling fluid from the discharge port 56 from the cooling fluid path 21 to the storage part 31, thereby reducing the pressure applied to the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid path 21.
[0098] Also, the safety valve 51 according to the present embodiment had the shape shown in FIG. 13, but is not limited to this. For example, the tube 42 may be provided with a safety valve having a valve body part that blocks the cooling fluid from flowing into the internal space of the tube 42 from outside the tube 42 and blocks the cooling fluid from flowing out of the internal space of the tube 42 to the outside of the tube 42, while allowing the air in the internal space of the tube 42 to flow out to the outside. In this case, the valve main body may be formed of a waterproof and moisture-permeable film using a waterproof and moisture-permeable material that has waterproofness to block the flow of the cooling fluid and moisture permeability to allow only air to flow between the internal space and the outside of the tube 42. By using this safety valve, for example, when the pressure from outside the cooling fluid path 21 exceeds twice the pressure for sending the cooling fluid N from the discharge part 44 of the pump 41 toward the second outflow part 24, the valve body part of the safety valve breaks, so that the cooling fluid is discharged from the safety valve and the pressure applied to the cooling fluid in the tube 42 can be reduced. Further, this safety valve may be provided in the cooling fluid path 21 or the storage part 31 in addition to the tube 42.
Description of Reference Numerals
[0099] 11 Cooling clothing (cooling clothing) 12 Clothing body 13 Front part of clothing (front part) 13A Right front part of clothing (right front part) 13B Front left part of the bedding (Front left part) 14 Rear part of the bedding (Rear part) 15 Shoulder part of the bedding (Shoulder part) 15A Right shoulder of the bedding 15B Left shoulder of the bedding 16 Inner sheet material (Inner sheet material) 16A Surface of the inner sheet material (Surface) 16B Back surface of the inner sheet material (Back surface) 17 Outer sheet material 17A Surface of the outer sheet material 17B Back surface of the outer sheet material 18 Storage part opening 19 Fastener 21 Cooling fluid path (Cooling fluid path) 22 First branch path (First branch path) 23 Second branch path (Second branch path) 24 Second outflow part (Outflow part) 25 First change path 26 Second change path 27 First reflux path (First reflux path) 28 Second reflux path (Second reflux path) 31 Storage part (Storage part) 32 First outflow part 41 Pump (Pump) 42 Tube (Tube) 43 Suction part (Suction part) 44 Discharge part (Discharge part) 51 Safety valve (Safety valve) 52 Valve body 53 Valve member 54 Communication part 55 Spring 56 Drainage port 61 Pump operation unit 62 Pump control part 63 Pump operation part 64 Pump display part 65 Portable battery 66 Pump wiring M Cooling substance (Cooling substance) N Cooling fluid (Cooling fluid)
Claims
1. A cooling garment comprising a storage section capable of storing a cooling substance having a solidifiable physical property in a freely removable manner, and a cooling fluid path for guiding the cooling fluid stored in the storage section, a pump including a suction portion that draws in the cooling fluid stored in the storage portion and a discharge portion that discharges the cooling fluid toward the cooling fluid path, The cooling fluid path and the storage section are The cooling garment is formed by an inner sheet material having a surface that contacts a wearer of the cooling garment and a back surface opposite to the surface, and an outer sheet material that is bonded to the inner sheet material, The cooling fluid path includes: an outlet portion for causing the cooling fluid discharged from the outlet portion to flow into the cooling fluid path; The pump comprises: The cooling clothing branches the cooling fluid flowing out from the outlet into a first branch path and a second branch path, and returns the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid path to the storage portion.
2. The cooling garment according to claim 1, The cooling fluid path includes: The back body and the front body of the garment body are connected to each other via the shoulders, Of the front body, the part to the right of the wearer is the right front body, and the part to the left of the wearer is the left front body; The outflow portion is provided on the rear body, The cooling fluid branched into the first branch path is guided toward the right front body, The cooling fluid branched into the second branch path is guided toward the left front body part.
3. The cooling garment according to claim 2, The storage section is provided in the rear body, The pump comprises: The cooling fluid guided toward the right front body is returned to the storage section, The cooling garment causes the cooling fluid guided toward the left front body to flow back to the storage section.
4. The cooling garment according to claim 2, The cooling fluid path includes a first return path for returning the cooling fluid guided toward the right front body to the storage section, and a second return path for returning the cooling fluid guided toward the left front body to the storage section, The first return path and the second return path are arranged upstream of the cooling material stored in the storage section.
5. The cooling garment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The cooling garment has a surface of the inner sheet material that is nap-brushed.
6. The cooling garment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A fastener for opening and closing the storage section is disposed on the front surface side of the inner sheet material.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Cooling garment
JP2023011483A