Body temperature adjustment unit, and body temperature adjustment clothing
The body temperature adjustment unit and clothing system address the usability issues of existing air-conditioning clothing by ensuring the correct orientation of the Peltier element's surface, enhancing user comfort and ease of use.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023203251
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing air-conditioning clothing with Peltier elements faces usability issues due to the risk of accidental operation of the changeover switch, leading to incorrect surface orientation and discomfort for the wearer.
A body temperature adjustment unit and clothing system that utilizes a Peltier element with a blower fan and a cover part that can be reversibly mounted on the clothing, ensuring the heat dissipation surface is always fixed as a cooling surface, preventing accidental heating.
The system effectively adjusts body temperature by ensuring the correct surface orientation of the Peltier element, enhancing user comfort and ease of use by preventing accidental heating.
Smart Images

Figure 2025088508000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a body temperature adjustment unit for clothing that cools or warms the body of a wearer, and a body temperature adjustment clothing equipped with this body temperature adjustment unit in clothing worn on the body, such as a jacket, vest, trousers, etc.
Background Art
[0002] In recent years, there have been many sweltering hot days that are uncomfortable for people. On such sweltering hot 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 air conditioning effectiveness, 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 an air conditioning device. Therefore, clothing with an air conditioning function has become popular for people seeking to avoid the heat. In recent years, air conditioning clothing equipped with an air conditioning unit using a Peltier element has also been developed. One example is disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.
[0003] Patent Document 1 is a cooling and heating clothing that supplies power to a plurality of Peltier elements embedded between the outer fabric and the inner fabric of clothing, and performs cooling or heating of the body by the Peltier effect generated on one side and the other side of the Peltier element. The Peltier element is electrically connected to a controller having a power switch for turning on / off the energization and a switching switch for switching the current direction when energized. In the Peltier element, when the direction of the current flowing through it is in one direction, one side becomes the heat absorption surface, and at the same time, the other side becomes the heat dissipation surface. On the contrary, when the direction of the current is in the other direction on the opposite side, one side becomes the heat dissipation surface, and at the same time, the other side becomes the heat absorption surface, so that on the same heat dissipation surface, the heat absorption surface and the heat dissipation surface are reversed.
[0004] Patent Document 1 states that by using the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element arranged facing the body side as the heat absorption surface, a heating and cooling garment can be used for cooling. By operating a changeover switch to reverse the direction of the current, the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element can be changed to a heat generation surface, enabling the heating and cooling garment to be used for heating. Therefore, the heating and cooling garment of Patent Document 1 can freely select the use of cooling the wearer's body and the use of warming.
[0005] Patent Document 2 is a temperature-adjustable garment provided with a Peltier element unit that includes a Peltier element that becomes a cooling surface on one side and a heat generation surface on the other side due to the Peltier effect, and a fan that blows air onto the heat generation surface. In a temperature-adjustable garment such as that of Patent Document 2, the heat generated on the heat generation surface is cooled by the blowing of the fan.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0006]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, since the heat absorption surface and the heat generation surface of the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element facing the body side of the heating and cooling garment can be easily switched by operating the changeover switch in the controller, there is a risk that the wearer of the heating and cooling garment may accidentally operate the changeover switch and misunderstand the use of the heating and cooling garment. That is, for example, when the wearer wants to use the heating and cooling garment for cooling by setting the direction of the current flowing through the changeover switch in one direction and making the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element facing the body side into a heat absorption surface, there may be a mistake in the direction of the current due to accidental operation of the changeover switch. As a result, the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element becomes a heat generation surface, and the heating and cooling garment becomes for heating.
[0008] In such a case, the wearer should originally feel coldness on the body from the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element that has become the heat absorption surface. However, since this heat dissipation surface has become the heat generation surface, the wearer feels warmth on the body, which causes discomfort to the wearer. Therefore, the usability for the wearer of the air-conditioning clothing in Patent Document 1 is not good.
[0009] In Patent Document 2, since the Peltier element unit has a fan on the heat generation surface side of the Peltier element, by arranging the heat absorption surface of the Peltier element facing the body side, the body of the wearer of the temperature control clothing can be cooled, and the heat generated on the heat generation surface is cooled by the air blown by the fan. On the other hand, similar to Patent Document 1, also in Patent Document 2, by reversing the direction of the current flowing through the Peltier element from one direction to the opposite direction, the heat absorption surface and the heat generation surface can be inverted on the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element facing the body side. However, even when the direction of the current flowing through the Peltier element is reversed and the heat generation surface of the Peltier element is arranged facing the body side, the heat generated on the heat generation surface on the body side cannot be cooled even if the fan blows air to the heat absorption surface on the side opposite to the body.
[0010] Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, when trying to invert and attach the Peltier element unit between the body side of the wearer and the opposite side (outside) of the fabric, the attachment structure between the Peltier element unit and the fabric is in a form that is difficult for the wearer to attach. Therefore, the wearer has difficulty in attaching the Peltier element unit to the fabric with the heat generation surface of the Peltier element facing the body side. Moreover, since the air blown by the fan toward the heat generation surface of the Peltier element is difficult to be exhausted outside the Peltier element unit through the exhaust heat fan cover portion covering the fan, there is also a possibility that the heat generated on the heat generation surface of the Peltier element cannot be efficiently cooled. Therefore, the temperature control clothing in Patent Document 2 is not suitable at all for the use of attaching the Peltier element unit to the fabric with the heat generation surface of the Peltier element facing the body side in practical use.
[0011] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and by effectively utilizing the Peltier effect in a Peltier element, it is possible to selectively adjust the temperature of the body within the worn clothing and to improve the ease of use for the wearer. An object of the present invention is to provide a body temperature adjustment unit and a body temperature adjustment clothing having this body temperature adjustment unit provided in the clothing.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention has the following configuration.
[0013] (1) A temperature adjustment unit that has a housing, a Peltier element housed in the housing with one side exposed to the outside, heat dissipation fins formed on the other side of the Peltier element on the opposite side of the one side, and a blower fan that blows air onto the heat dissipation fins, and is worn on clothing to adjust the temperature of the body inside the clothing. In this unit, the one side is a cooling surface that serves as the heat absorption side, and the other side is a heating surface that serves as the heat generation side. It also has an intake part that introduces air supplied to the blower fan, an exhaust part that discharges the air blown from the blower fan to the outside, an annular fastening means having a second attachment part that can be connected to a first attachment part of the housing, and a cover part that covers the blower fan on the opposite side of the heat dissipation fins. The cover part has an outer peripheral edge part formed so as to be connectable to the housing along the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis on the lower side adjacent to the blower fan with respect to the axial direction along the rotation axis of the blower fan. The exhaust part is formed at a part of the cover part adjacent to the outer peripheral edge part, penetrating in the radial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and in an intermittent arrangement mode in the circumferential direction. The temperature adjustment unit sandwiches the clothing and connects the first attachment part of the housing and the second attachment part of the fastening means, so that it is reversibly mounted on the clothing with the cover part side facing in one direction. When the cover part is arranged facing the outside of the clothing, it has a function of cooling the body with contact of the one side of the Peltier element. When the cover part is arranged facing the inside of the clothing, it has a function of warming the body by exhausting the warm air heat-exchanged between the air blown from the blower fan and the heat dissipation fins from the exhaust part to the inside of the clothing. (2) In the temperature adjustment unit described in (1), the cover part has a central part located on the upper side separated from the blower fan with respect to the axial direction and passing through the rotation axis of the blower fan. The ratio of the height of the cover part to the total height length, which is the distance between the one side and the upper surface of the central part, is 50% or more and 70% or less. (3) In the temperature adjustment unit described in (2), the cover portion is formed in a convex shape with a narrowed outer shape so as to become smaller from the outer peripheral edge portion toward the central portion, and the exhaust portion penetrates the cover portion in the axial direction and is formed radially from the central portion to the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover portion around the rotation axis. This is the gist of the invention. (4) In the temperature adjustment unit according to any one of (1) to (3), it has a control unit for electrical control, and in the blower fan, the air volume per unit time of blowing can be varied by the control unit. This is the gist of the invention. (5) In the temperature adjustment unit according to any one of (1) to (4), the fastening means includes the cover portion, and the second mounting portion is disposed on the outer peripheral edge portion. This is the gist of the invention. (6) In the temperature adjustment unit according to any one of (1) to (5), a flange is formed in the radial direction on at least one outer periphery of the housing or the fastening means. This is the gist of the invention. (7) In the temperature adjustment unit described in (6), the flange is inclined in a form that moves away from one surface to the other surface side at an inclination angle θ of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 30 (deg) as the relative angle with the virtual reference line along the radial direction. This is the gist of the invention. (8) In the temperature adjustment unit according to any one of (1) to (7), the housing and the fastening means are connected by screwing the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion together. This is the gist of the invention. (9) In the temperature adjustment unit according to any one of (1) to (7), among the first mounting portion or the second mounting portion, a protrusion is formed on one side, and a guide for restricting the protrusion is formed on the other side, and the protrusion and the guide engage with each other with a relative rotational movement between the housing and the fastening means, whereby the housing and the fastening means are connected. This is the gist of the invention. (10)(9) In the temperature adjustment unit described above, the housing has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface at the first mounting portion. The first mounting portion is provided with one or more guides that project from the outer peripheral surface and extend in an arc shape or a stepped shape along the outer peripheral surface between one end and the other end. The one or more guides are provided with gaps intermittently between adjacent guides. The guides adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are arranged at the same height in the axial direction. The fastening means has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface at the second mounting portion. The second mounting portion has one or more protrusions that project from the inner peripheral surface. Each of the one or more protrusions is formed so as to be able to pass through the gap, and one of the protrusions engages with one of the guides through the gap. Each of the one or more guides is provided with a stopper for restricting the movement operation of the protrusion at the other end, and is provided in an intermittent arrangement on a sliding surface connecting the one end and the other end. (11)(10) In the temperature adjustment unit described above, each of the one or more guides is formed in an inclined manner with a height difference in the axial direction between the one end and the other end. (12) In a body temperature adjustment clothing formed so that a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the body temperature can be worn on clothing, the temperature adjustment unit described in any one of (1) to (11) is detachably mounted on an opening perforated in the clothing.
[0014] Note that the clothing on which the body temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention is to be worn is a general term for a concept including (a) upper garments such as jackets, jumpers, suits, vests, etc. and (b) lower garments such as pants, trousers, etc.
Effect of the Invention
[0015] The operation and effects of the body temperature adjustment unit and the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention having the above configuration will be described.
[0016] (1) A temperature adjustment unit that has a housing, a Peltier element housed in the housing with one side exposed to the outside, heat dissipation fins formed on the other side of the Peltier element on the opposite side of the one side, and a blower fan that blows air onto the heat dissipation fins, and is worn on clothing to adjust the temperature of the body inside the clothing. One side is a cooling surface that serves as the heat absorption side, and the other side is a heating surface that serves as the heat dissipation side. An intake part that introduces air supplied to the blower fan, an exhaust part that discharges the air blown from the blower fan to the outside, an annular fastening means having a second attachment part that can be connected to a first attachment part of the housing, and a cover part that covers the blower fan on the opposite side of the heat dissipation fins. The cover part has an outer peripheral edge part formed to be connectable to the housing along the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis on the lower side adjacent to the blower fan with respect to the axial direction along the rotation axis of the blower fan. The exhaust part is formed in a radially penetrating manner perpendicular to the rotation axis and in an intermittent arrangement in the circumferential direction at a part of the cover part adjacent to the outer peripheral edge part. The temperature adjustment unit sandwiches the clothing and connects the first attachment part of the housing and the second attachment part of the fastening means, so that it is reversibly mounted on the clothing with the cover part side facing in either direction. When the cover part is arranged facing the outside of the clothing, it has a function of cooling the body with contact with one side of the Peltier element. When the cover part is arranged facing the inside of the clothing, it has a function of warming the body by exhausting the warm air heat-exchanged between the air blown from the blower fan and the heat dissipation fins from the exhaust part to the inside of the clothing.
[0017] Due to this feature, when adjusting the temperature of the body of the wearer wearing the clothing, in the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention, when utilized as a cooling device, the cooling surface is attached to the clothing facing the body side, and when utilized as a heating device, the cover portion having an exhaust portion is attached to the clothing facing the body side. On the other hand, in the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention, the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element facing the body side is not under heat generation and is always fixed to the cooling surface that is under heat absorption. Therefore, compared with the prior art that reversibly switches the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element between a cooling surface and a heating surface by reversing the direction of the current with respect to the electric power supplied to the Peltier element in direct current, the situation where a person accidentally turns the heating surface towards the body side can be suppressed. Therefore, the wearer should originally feel coldness on the body from the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element that has become the cooling surface, and since this heat dissipation surface does not become a heating surface, there will be no discomfort caused to the wearer due to it becoming a heating surface.
[0018] Therefore, according to the body temperature adjustment unit of the present invention, by effectively utilizing the Peltier effect in the Peltier element, the temperature of the body within the worn clothing can be selectively adjusted, and an excellent effect of improving the ease of use for the wearer can be achieved.
[0019] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (2), the cover portion has a central portion located on the rotation axis of the blower fan on the upper side spaced apart from the blower fan in the axial direction, and the ratio of the height of the cover portion in the total height length, which is the distance between one surface and the upper surface of the central portion, is 50% or more and 70% or less. Further, in the temperature adjustment unit described in (3), the cover portion is formed in a convex shape with a narrowed outer shape so as to become smaller from the outer peripheral edge portion toward the central portion, and the exhaust portion penetrates the cover portion in the axial direction and is formed radially from the central portion of the cover portion toward the outer peripheral edge portion around the rotation axis.
[0020] Due to such characteristics, when the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention is utilized as a heating device, warm air is more likely to be exhausted from the exhaust part of the cover part, particularly in the radial direction, to the space between the body temperature adjustment clothing equipped with the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention and the body around the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention, and the amount of air that can be exhausted increases, enabling it to give warmth to the body.
[0021] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (4), it is characterized by having a control unit for electrical control, and in the air blower fan, the air volume per unit time of blowing can be varied by the control unit.
[0022] Due to this characteristic, when the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention is utilized as a heating device, the warm air blown from the exhaust part to the inside of the clothing can be adjusted to a desired air volume, such as air in a relatively strong state, air in a relatively weak state, air in an intermediate state between them, etc.
[0023] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (4), the fastening means comprises a cover part, and the second attachment part is disposed on the outer peripheral edge part.
[0024] Due to this characteristic, since the fastening means is configured to perform both the exhaust of warm air and the integration with the housing with one member, in the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention, the number of components constituting it can be reduced, thereby suppressing the manufacturing cost.
[0025] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (5), a flange is formed in the radial direction on at least one outer periphery of the housing or the fastening means.
[0026] Due to this characteristic, when attaching the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention to clothing, the housing and the fastening means can sandwich the clothing and be connected by screwing or engaging.
[0027] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (6), the flange is inclined in a form that recedes from one surface to the other surface side at an inclination angle θ of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 30 (deg) as an angle relative to the virtual reference line along the radial direction. This is the feature.
[0028] Due to this feature, for example, since the flange of the housing is inclined at the inclination angle θ (deg), the air introduced from the intake part can be easily supplied also to the vicinity of the root of the heat dissipation fins close to the heating surface along the flange. Therefore, the air supplied from the intake part can flow also to the heating surface of the heat source that generates heat in the Peltier element when cooling the heat dissipation fins, and the waste heat from the heating surface can be efficiently dissipated.
[0029] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (7), the housing and the fastening means are connected by screwing the first attachment part and the second attachment part. This is the feature.
[0030] Due to this feature, the degree of freedom in fixing the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention to the clothing is increased regardless of the thickness of the fabric forming the clothing to be worn, and it can be worn on the clothing.
[0031] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (8), among the first attachment part or the second attachment part, on one hand, a protrusion is formed, and on the other hand, a guide for restricting the protrusion is formed, and the protrusion and the guide are engaged with each other with a relative rotational movement between the housing and the fastening means, whereby the housing and the fastening means are connected. This is the feature.
[0032] Due to this feature, compared with the case of connecting the first attachment part of the housing and the second attachment part of the fastening means by screwing, the attachment / detachment operation between the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention and the clothing becomes easy.
[0033] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (9), the housing has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface at the first mounting portion. The first mounting portion is provided with one or more guides extending in an arc shape or a stepped shape along the outer peripheral surface between one end and the other end in a protruding manner on the outer peripheral surface. The one or more guides are provided with gaps intermittently between adjacent guides, and adjacent guides in the circumferential direction are arranged at the same height in the axial direction. The fastening means has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface at the second mounting portion. The second mounting portion has one or more protrusions protruding on the inner peripheral surface. Each of the one or more protrusions is formed to be able to pass through the gap, and one protrusion engages with one guide through the gap. A stopper for restricting the movement operation of the protrusion is arranged at the other end and is provided in an intermittent arrangement form on a sliding surface connecting the one end and the other end.
[0034] Due to this feature, in the field of using the body temperature adjustment clothing equipped with the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention, for example, in a situation where the temperature adjustment unit for the clothing needs to be attached and detached in a short time with screwing, or in a situation where the tool mounted on the operator gets in the way and the screwing operation required for the temperature adjustment unit cannot be carried out smoothly, if the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention can be attached to the clothing with a one-touch operation with a sense of moderation, the burden on the person wearing the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention can be reduced for the clothing.
[0035] In the temperature adjustment unit described in (10), each of the one or more guides is formed in an inclined manner with a height difference in the axial direction between one end and the other end.
[0036] Due to this feature, even if the thickness of the fabric forming the clothing to be worn varies depending on each clothing, the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention can be fixed to the clothing in a manner of firmly sandwiching the clothing between the flange of the first mounting portion and the flange of the fastening member so as not to rattle.
[0037] (11) In a body temperature adjustment clothing formed so as to be attachable to clothing, the temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the body is detachably attached to an opening perforated in the clothing, characterized in that.
[0038] Due to this feature, for example, especially in summer, as a cooling device for workers working outdoors under intense heat or workers working in a stuffy indoor environment, and for people engaged in recreation, sports, watching games, etc. under the scorching sun, the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention can be utilized. On the other hand, for example, especially in winter, as a heating device when used in combination with winter clothing such as jackets and jumpers in cases where partial warmth is desired, the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention can also be effectively utilized.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0039]
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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0040] Hereinafter, the temperature adjustment unit and the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings with reference to Embodiments 1 and 2.
[0041] The body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention is configured such that a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the temperature of the body can be attached to the clothing, and this temperature adjustment unit is the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the temperature adjustment unit according to the present invention will be mainly described, and for the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention, in the present embodiment, the case where it is a vest worn on the upper body of the wearer will be exemplarily cited and briefly described. Also, the contents common to Embodiments 1 and 2 will be first described in Embodiment 1, and then in Embodiment 2, the parts different from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and the description of the parts common to Embodiment 1 will be abbreviated or omitted using the same reference numerals.
[0042] First, the outline of the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 5, 24, and 25. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to attach the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 1 to the opening of the clothing body. FIG. 24 is a front view of the body temperature adjustment clothing with the temperature adjustment unit according to the present embodiment attached to the clothing body as seen from the front view side, and the rear view as seen from the rear view side is shown in FIG. 25. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 (body temperature adjustment clothing) includes the clothing body 2 (clothing), temperature adjustment units 3, 103, a power source 15, wiring 16, an operation unit 17, and the like. In the present embodiment, as an example, there are three temperature adjustment units 3, 103. Note that the number of temperature adjustment units 3, 103 attached to the clothing body 2 may be four or more or one, and is not limited to the present embodiment and can be variously changed.
[0043] <Regarding the clothing body 2> Next, the clothing body 2 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the clothing body 2 is formed in the form of a vest that connects the front body 6 divided into left and right sides, the back body 7, and the front body 6 at the shoulders. In the clothing body 2, the fabric thereof is formed in a substantially layered state by a front-side fabric and a back-side fabric. Both the front-side fabric and the back-side fabric are made of synthetic resin fibers excellent in heat resistance, strength, and transpiration, such as nylon and polyester, and are configured in a mesh structure. The edge portion forming the contour of the clothing body 2 is formed by overlapping the edge of the front-side fabric and the edge of the back-side fabric and subjecting them to piping treatment for fixation.
[0044] In addition, an opening 4 is perforated in the clothing body 2. The opening 4 is disposed at a plurality of positions. In the present embodiment, it is provided at 5 positions on one side of the front body 6, 10 positions on both the left and right sides, and 12 positions on the back body 7, for a total of 22 positions. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, in the front body 6, on both the left and right sides, the openings 4 are arranged in a substantially straight line from the shoulders downward to the abdomen.
[0045] Also, in the back body 7, the openings 4 are arranged at 4 positions at the lower part of the cervical vertebra 8A and 8 positions at the central part of the back 8B and the waist 8C. As shown in FIG. 5, the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening that covers the periphery of the opening 4 is made of a material with higher rigidity (for example, leather, rubber, resin, etc.) compared to the fabric with a mesh structure having a certain degree of flexibility, and is formed on the back-side fabric side as an example. The temperature adjustment unit 3 can be detachably attached to the opening 4 of the clothing body 2. The temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 have a function of adjusting the body temperature inside the clothing body 2 attached to the opening 4.
[0046] (Embodiment 1) <Regarding the temperature adjustment unit 3> Next, the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a plan view seen from the cooling surface side, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the temperature adjustment unit, and FIG. 6 is a plan view seen from the cover portion side. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6, and is an explanatory view showing the temperature adjustment unit according to Example 1 in which the inclination angles of the flanges are θ = 0° both in the housing and the cover portion.
[0047] In this embodiment, in FIG. 2, the vertical direction is defined as the axial direction L along the rotation axis AX, the upper side in the vertical direction is defined as the upper side Lp, and the lower side is defined as the lower side Lw. In FIG. 2, the left-right direction is defined as the radial direction RD, and in FIG. 3, the circumferential direction around the rotation axis AX is defined as the circumferential direction CR. The directions of each figure after FIGS. 1 and 4 also conform to this definition.
[0048] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 and FIG. 24, the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 1 includes a Peltier element 10, an operation unit 17, a blower fan 20, a housing 30, a cover member 50, and the like.
[0049] FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation unit provided in the temperature adjustment units according to Embodiments 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 26, the operation unit 17 includes a control unit 17A, an operation unit 17B, a display unit 17C, and the like. In the operation unit 17, the operation unit 17B and the display unit 17C are electrically connected to the control unit 17A. In the operation unit 17, the control unit 17A performs electrical control and power on / off operation control on the Peltier element 10 and the blower fan 20.
[0050] Specifically, the operation unit 17B is configured in such a manner that by gently pressing with a finger the pressing portion on the upper surface of the operation unit 17 based on a predetermined operation mode, it is possible to perform an on / off switching operation of energization to the Peltier element 10 and an operation for controlling, by the control unit 17A, the heat dissipation temperatures on the cooling surface 11 and the heating surface 12. The display unit 17C is a display unit on the upper surface of the operation unit 17 and is configured in such a manner that it can selectively emit light in a plurality of colors. The temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 1 is a unit in which the housing 30 and the cover member 50 are connected by screwing.
[0051] The Peltier element 10 is a type of plate-shaped semiconductor thermoelectric element. When a direct current is supplied to the Peltier element 10, in the flat plate portion of the Peltier element 10, due to the Peltier effect, one surface, for example, absorbs heat to about 10 °C and enters a state of heat absorption (cooling surface 11), and at the same time, the other surface on the opposite side generates heat to about 30-odd °C and enters a state of heat generation (heating surface 12).
[0052] As shown in FIG. 24, the operation unit 17 can control the Peltier element 10 in three steps with respect to the cold temperature presented on the cooling surface 11 and the heat generation temperature presented on the heating surface 12, namely, a relatively higher temperature state, a relatively lower low temperature state, and an intermediate temperature state therebetween. In this embodiment, the high temperature state is a 100% state in which the Peltier element outputs fully and can dissipate heat, and the temperatures presented on the cooling surface 11 and the heating surface 12 are the highest temperatures among the three steps. The low temperature state is a 50% state in which the Peltier element can dissipate heat with an output, for example, about half that of the high temperature state, and the temperatures presented on the cooling surface 11 and the heating surface 12 are the lowest temperatures among the three steps.
[0053] The intermediate temperature state is between the high temperature state and the low temperature state in the Peltier element. For example, it is a state of about 70-90% of the output that can dissipate heat on the cooling surface 11 and the heating surface 12, and the temperatures presented on the cooling surface 11 and the heating surface 12 are the intermediate temperatures among the three steps. Note that the temperature control of the Peltier element 10 by the operation unit 17 is not limited to three steps and can be variously changed.
[0054] In addition, in the present embodiment, a Peltier element 10 having characteristics (specifications) is cited, in which, due to the Peltier effect, the temperature of the cooling surface 11 in the heat absorption state is about 10°C, and the temperature of the heating surface 12 in the heat generation state is about 30-odd °C. However, the characteristics (specifications) of the Peltier element are not limited to the characteristics (specifications) exemplified in the present embodiment, and can be appropriately changed in accordance with the specifications of the temperature adjustment unit that is essential for setting the temperature of the warm air blown from the exhaust unit 54 described later and the cooling temperature at the cooling surface of the Peltier element to desired temperatures, respectively.
[0055] The Peltier element 10 is disposed inside the housing 30 with the cooling surface 11 exposed to the outside. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, heat dissipation fins 14 are formed on the heating surface 12 of the Peltier element 10. A blower fan 20 for sending air to the heat dissipation fins 14 is disposed adjacent to the Peltier element 10 in the axial direction L of the housing 30. An intake portion 34 is disposed in the circumferential direction CR of the housing 30, and air is supplied from the outside to the blower fan 20 through the intake portion 34. The air blown from the blower fan 20 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust unit 54 described later.
[0056] In the present embodiment, the blower fan 20 is a propeller fan (axial flow fan) having a propeller 21 that can rotate about the rotation axis AX. The operation unit 17 controls the rotation of the propeller 21 with respect to the blower fan 20. By controlling the current to the propeller 21 during rotation by the operation unit 17, for example, as an example, it is possible to control the propeller 21 in three steps, such as a high rotation mode in which the number of rotations per unit time is maximized, a low rotation mode in which the number of rotations per unit time is minimized, and an intermediate rotation mode in which the number of rotations is intermediate. Thereby, the blower fan 20 can vary the air volume per unit time of the blown air (air AR) in three steps by changing the rotation speed of the propeller 21. Note that the propeller 21 may rotate at a constant rotation speed without control for varying the rotation speed. In addition, the variable adjustment of the rotation speed of the propeller 21 is not limited to three steps, and can be appropriately changed, for example, in the case of multiple steps or stepless.
[0057] In this embodiment, the blower fan is a propeller fan. However, other types such as a sirocco fan or a turbo fan may also be used. In the housing 30, with respect to the axial direction L, the end portion on the lower side Lw is blocked by the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10, sandwiching the heat radiation fins 14. The end portion on the upper side Lp, which is on the opposite side of the cooling surface 11, is covered and blocked by the middle cover 22 that functions as a filter to prevent foreign matter from entering the propeller 21 in a manner that allows the air blown by the blower fan 20 to pass through. Note that the middle cover 22 may not be provided.
[0058] In the temperature adjustment unit 3, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the Peltier element 10 and the blower fan 20 are electrically connected to the power supply 15 via the wiring 16 and the operation unit 17. The operation unit 17 performs electrical control and power on / off operation control of the Peltier element 10 and the blower fan 20.
[0059] The cover member 50 is a member that covers the blower fan 20 via the middle cover 22 on the opposite side of the heat radiation fins 14. The cover member 50 has an outer peripheral edge portion 52 formed to be connectable to the housing 30 along the circumferential direction CR centered on the rotation axis AX at a position adjacent to the blower fan 20 on the lower side Lw with respect to the axial direction L along the rotation axis AX of the blower fan 20. Further, the cover member 50 has a central portion 51 located on the rotation axis AX of the blower fan 20 on the upper side Lp that is separated from the blower fan 20 with respect to the axial direction L.
[0060] In this embodiment, the cover member 50 is formed in a substantially dome shape as a convex shape with a narrowed outer shape that becomes smaller from the outer peripheral edge portion 52 toward the central portion 51. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, an exhaust portion 54 is formed in the cover member 50 to penetrate the cover member 50 in the axial direction L and radially from the central portion 51 to the outer peripheral edge portion 52 of the cover member 50 centered on the rotation axis AX.
[0061] That is, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, etc., one opening part forming the exhaust part 54 penetrates the cover member 50 including a vector component in the axial direction L and a vector component in the radial direction RD. Such one opening part is mainly formed in a form where the opening width is expanded in the radial direction RD, and is intermittently formed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction CR with the distance to the adjacent opening part reduced.
[0062] When the temperature adjustment unit 3 is attached to the opening 4 of the clothing body 2, an annular fastening means for fixing the housing 30 side to the clothing body 2 is required. As will be described later, a first attachment part 35 is formed on the housing 30, and a second attachment part 55 connectable to the first attachment part 35 is formed in the fastening means. The temperature adjustment unit 3 is attached to the clothing body 2 by connecting the first attachment part 35 of the housing 30 and the second attachment part 55 of the fastening means. In the present embodiment, the cover member 50 has the function of the fastening means, and the second attachment part 55 is disposed on the outer peripheral edge part 52.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 7, a cylindrical first attachment part 35 is formed at a part of the housing 30 that covers the periphery of the blower fan 20. A male screw 41 is screwed onto the outer peripheral surface of the first attachment part 35. On the other hand, a cylindrical second attachment part 55 is formed at a part of the cover member 50 that extends downward Lw in the axial direction L from the outer peripheral edge part 52. A female screw 61 that can be screwed with the male screw 41 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second attachment part 55. The housing 30 and the cover member 50 can be connected by screwing the male screw 41 and the female screw 61.
[0064] Also, in the temperature adjustment unit 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, a flange 36 is formed in the radial direction RD on the outer periphery of the first attachment part 35 of the housing 30. Also, a flange 56 is formed in the radial direction RD on the outer periphery of the second attachment part 55 of the cover member 50. The flange 36 of the housing 30 and the flange 56 of the cover member 50 are each formed at an inclination angle θ = 0 (deg) as the relative angle with respect to the virtual reference line VL along the radial direction RD in Example 1 of Embodiment 1.
[0065] As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature adjustment unit 3 is attached to the main body of the clothing 2 by screwing the male screw 41 and the female screw 61 with the outer peripheral edge 5 of the opening 4 of the opening sandwiched between the flange 36 of the housing 30 and the flange 56 of the cover member 50 to connect the housing 30 and the cover member 50.
[0066] By the way, when performing the connection operation or the release operation between the housing 30 and the cover member 50, as shown in FIG. 6, if the outer shape of the flange 56 is a polygon (a regular dodecagon in the illustrated FIG. 6), it becomes easier for a person to rotate the cover member 50 relative to the housing 30, and the operability when attaching and detaching the temperature adjustment unit 3 and the main body of the clothing 2 is good.
[0067] From the viewpoint of improving such operability, in the second attachment portion 55 of the cover member 50, as shown in FIG. 8, a gripping portion 57 having a polygonal shape (a regular decagon in the illustrated FIG. 8) may be provided between the outer peripheral edge portion 52 and the flange 56. Note that FIG. 8 is an example of a variation of the cover portion constituting the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 1, and is a plan view of the cover portion according to Modification 1 as viewed from the central portion side.
[0068] On the other hand, in the temperature adjustment unit 3, the ratio of the height H of the cover member 50, which is the distance between the upper surface of the central portion 51 and the lower surface of the flange 36, to the total height H, which is the distance between the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10 and the upper surface of the central portion 51, is 50% or more and 70% or less. 0 Among them, the ratio occupied by the height H of the cover member 50, which is the distance between the upper surface of the central portion 51 and the lower surface of the flange 36, is 50% or more and 70% or less.
[0069] Specifically, the preferred ratio is, for example, within a range of 50% to 60%. If the ratio exceeds this range, the height of the housing 30 in the body temperature regulating garment 1 will be too low, making it difficult to secure the space required to accommodate the Peltier element 10, the heat dissipation fins 14, and the blower fan 20 in the housing 30. If the size of the Peltier element 10, the heat dissipation fins 14, and the blower fan 20 is forced to be smaller than the size that is actually required to accommodate the space, as will be described later, there is a risk that the body temperature regulating garment 1 will not be able to provide a sufficient body cooling or warming function.
[0070] On the other hand, when the body temperature regulating garment 1 is used to warm the body BS as described below, the cover member 50 is disposed in the space between the inside 1a of the body temperature regulating garment 1 and the body BS. 0 If the proportion of the height H of the cover member 50 in the exhaust section 54 is less than 50%, not only will it be impossible to ensure a larger opening area for the exhaust section 54 in the first place, but when the body temperature regulating clothing 1 is worn with the inner side 1a close to the body BS and the gap between the inner side 1a and the body BS is small, the exhaust section 54 will not have a sufficient actual opening area through which the air from the blower fan 20 can pass, creating the risk that the air from the blower fan 20 will not be easily exhausted to the outside.
[0071] Next, the function of the body temperature regulating garment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the case where the temperature regulating unit of Example 1 is used to cool the body, and Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the case where the temperature regulating unit is used to warm the body. The temperature regulating unit 3 is attached to the garment main body 2 with the cover member 50 side facing in a reversible direction by sandwiching the garment main body 2 and connecting the first attachment part 35 of the housing 30 and the second attachment part 55 of the cover member 50.
[0072] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, when the cover member 50 is disposed on the outer side 1b of the clothing body 2 (the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1), that is, on the side opposite to the body BS of the person wearing the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1, it has a function of cooling the body BS of the person wearing the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 with the contact of the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10.
[0073] When used for the function of cooling the body BS, the person wears the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 with the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10 disposed in the space between the inner side 1a of the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 and the body BS in a state of directly or indirectly contacting the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10 through a singlet or the like. Thereby, the cold heat presented on the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10 is transferred to the body BS of the wearer of the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1, and the body BS of the wearer can be cooled.
[0074] On the other hand, the high-temperature heat generated on the heating surface 12 of the Peltier element 10 is dissipated by the heat dissipation fins 13 while receiving the air flow from the blower fan 20, and the air flow from the blower fan 20 becomes warm air HF and is exhausted to the outer side 1b of the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 through the exhaust portion 54 of the cover member 50.
[0075] When the cover member 50 is disposed on the inner side 1a of the clothing body 2 (the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1), that is, on the side of the body BS of the person wearing the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1, it has a function of warming the body BS of the person wearing the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 by exhausting the warm air HF heat-exchanged between the air flow AR blown from the blower fan 20 and the heat dissipation fins 13 from the exhaust portion 54 of the cover member 50 to the inner side 1a of the clothing body 2.
[0076] When used for the function of warming the body BS, the person wears the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 with the cover member 50 disposed in the space between the inner side 1a of the body temperature-adjusting clothing 1 and the body BS with the central portion 51 facing the body BS side through a singlet or the like. The high-temperature heat generated on the heating surface 12 of the Peltier element 10 is dissipated by the heat dissipation fins 13 while receiving the air flow from the blower fan 20, and the air flow blown from the blower fan 20 becomes warm air HF.
[0077] As a result, the warm air HF diffuses and is exhausted into the space between the inner side 1a of the body temperature adjustment clothing 1 and the body BS through the exhaust portion 54 of the cover member 50. On the other hand, the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10 is exposed to the outside air on the outer side 1b of the body temperature adjustment clothing 1.
[0078] Next, the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the second embodiment and the temperature adjustment unit 3 configured with the cover portion according to the second variation, which is one of the variations of the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the second embodiment, will be briefly described. FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6, and is an explanatory view showing the temperature adjustment unit according to the second embodiment in which the inclination angles of the flanges of both the housing and the cover portion are set to θ = 20°. An enlarged view of part B in FIG. 11 is shown in FIG. 12.
[0079] In the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the second embodiment of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a flange 36 is formed in the radial direction RD on the outer periphery of the first attachment portion 35 of the housing 30, and a flange 56 is formed in the radial direction RD on the outer periphery of the second attachment portion 55 of the cover member 50. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the flange 36 of the housing 30 and the flange 56 of the cover member 50 are each formed at an inclination angle θ (0 ≦ θ ≦ 30) (deg) relative to the virtual reference line VL, and are inclined in a form that moves away from the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10 toward the heating surface 12 side. In the second embodiment, the inclination angle θ is 20 (deg).
[0080] Specifically, for the flange 56 of the cover member 50, both the angle formed by the flange lower surface 56a and the virtual reference line VL and the angle formed by the flange upper surface 56b and the virtual reference line VL are the inclination angle θ of 20 (deg). Also, for the flange 36 of the housing 30, both the angle formed by the flange lower surface 36a and the virtual reference line VL and the angle formed by the flange upper surface 36b and the virtual reference line VL are the inclination angle θ of 20 (deg).
[0081] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 2 when cooling the body, and an explanatory diagram of the case of warming the body is shown in FIG. 14. In the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 2, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the lower surface 36a of the flange in the housing 30 is inclined at an inclination angle θ = 20 (deg), so that the air AR introduced from the intake portion 34 is along the lower surface 36a of the flange. It is also easily supplied to the vicinity of the base of the heat radiation fin 13 close to the heating surface 12.
[0082] As a result, in comparison with the case where the lower surface of the flange in the housing 30 is set to an inclination angle θ = 0 (deg), the air AR supplied from the intake portion 34 circulates also to the heating surface 12 of the heat source that generates heat in the Peltier element 10 in cooling the heat radiation fin 13, and the waste heat from the heating surface 12 can be efficiently dissipated. As a result, in the Peltier element 10, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a decrease in heat exchange efficiency that is likely to occur over time after the start of its operation, and heat absorption on one surface (cooling surface 11) and heat generation on the other surface (heating surface 12) are likely to be maintained in a constant state.
[0083] Similar to Embodiment 1, also in the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 2, as shown in FIG. 13, when the temperature adjustment unit 3 is used for the function of cooling the body BS, the cover member 50 is placed inside the clothing body 2 (body temperature adjustment clothing 1), that is, the temperature adjustment unit 3 is mounted on the clothing body 2 toward the body BS side of the person wearing the body temperature adjustment clothing 1. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 14, when the temperature adjustment unit 3 is used for the function of warming the body BS, the cover member 50 is placed inside the clothing body 2 (body temperature adjustment clothing 1), that is, the temperature adjustment unit 3 is mounted on the clothing body 2 toward the body BS side of the person wearing the body temperature adjustment clothing 1.
[0084] In the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the second embodiment, the angle formed by the lower surface 36a of the flange and the angle formed by the upper surface 36b of the flange do not necessarily have to be the same, and there may be an angular difference between the angle formed by the lower surface 56a of the flange and the angle formed by the upper surface 36b of the flange with respect to the virtual reference line VL. FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a temperature adjustment unit configured by the cover portion according to the modified example 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, in the temperature adjustment unit 3 configured by the cover portion according to the modified example 2, the angle formed by the lower surface 36a of the flange is an inclination angle θ = 20 (deg), but the angle formed by the upper surface 36b of the flange may be an inclination angle θ = 0 (deg).
[0085] As described above, the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the first embodiment is a unit in which the housing 30 and the cover member 50 are connected by screwing, and when mounting on the opening 4 of the clothing body 2, an annular fastening means for fixing the housing 30 side to the clothing body 2 is required.
[0086] As shown in FIG. 16, in the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the modified example 3, this annular fastening means is separate from the cover portion. FIG. 16 is an example of a variation of the temperature adjustment unit according to the second embodiment, and is an explanatory view showing a temperature adjustment unit according to the modified example 3 in which the cover portion and the fastening means are configured separately. FIG. 17 shows the fastening means shown in FIG. 16, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view, respectively.
[0087] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the cover portion 50X has a central portion 51 and an outer peripheral edge portion 52, similar to the cover member 50, and is formed in a convex shape with a narrowed outer shape that becomes smaller from the outer peripheral edge portion 52 toward the central portion 51, and is formed in a substantially dome shape. The cover portion 50X is configured in an integral structure with the housing 30. In the cover portion 50X, a flange 56 extending in the radial direction RD is formed on the lower side Lw of the outer peripheral edge portion 52 with respect to the axial direction L. A male screw 41 is screwed on the outer periphery of this outer peripheral edge portion 52.
[0088] In addition, in the cover portion 50X, an exhaust portion 54 is formed so as to penetrate the cover member 50 in the axial direction L and radially from the central portion 51 to the outer peripheral edge portion 52 of the cover portion 50X around the rotation axis AX. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, one opening portion forming the exhaust portion 54 penetrates the cover portion 50X including a vector component in the axial direction L and a vector component in the radial direction RD. Such one opening portion is mainly formed in a form where the opening width is expanded in the radial direction RD and is intermittently formed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction CR while reducing the distance from the adjacent opening portions.
[0089] As shown in FIG. 17, a fastening member 50Y, which is an annular fastening means, is formed in a ring shape having a regular polygonal outer shape and forms a second attachment portion 55. On the inner peripheral surface 55a of the fastening member 50Y, a female screw 61 is formed so as to be engageable with the male screw 41 of the cover portion 50X. The fastening member 50Y is chamfered at an angle θ on both sides in the thickness direction (the left - right direction in FIG. 17). As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the fastening member 50Y can be arranged to face the flange 56 of the cover portion 50X and also serves as a flange 56Y having an inclination angle θ (0 ≦ θ ≦ 30) (deg) relative to the virtual reference line VL.
[0090] FIG. 18 is a view showing a cover portion according to Modification 4 as one of the variations of the cover portion constituting the temperature adjustment unit according to Modification 3, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. As the cover portion according to Modification 4, as shown in FIG. 17, a fastening member 50Y, which is an annular fastening means, is formed in a ring shape having a regular polygonal outer shape and forms a second attachment portion 55. On the inner peripheral surface 55a of the fastening member 50Y, a female screw 61 is formed so as to be engageable with the male screw 41 of the cover portion 50X.
[0091] The fastening member 50Y is chamfered at an angle θ on one end side in the thickness direction (the left side in the left - right direction in FIG. 18). As shown in FIGS. 16 and 18 for reference, the fastening member 50Y can be arranged to face the flange 56 of the cover portion 50X and also serves as a flange 56Y having an inclination angle θ (0 ≦ θ ≦ 30) (deg) relative to the virtual reference line VL.
[0092] <Embodiment 2> Next, the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to attach the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 2 to the opening of the clothing body.
[0093] As shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 2 is a unit that connects a housing 30 having a cover portion 50X and a fastening member 50Y by engagement. The temperature adjustment unit 103 includes a Peltier element 10, a blower fan 20, a housing 30 having a cover portion 50X, a fastening member 50Y (second attachment portion 55), and the like. In the temperature adjustment unit 103, among the first attachment portion 135 of the housing 30 or the fastening member 50Y (second attachment portion 55), a protrusion 161 is formed at the second attachment portion 155, and a guide 141 for restricting the protrusion 161 is formed at the first attachment portion 135. The housing 30 and the fastening member 50Y are connected by the engagement of the protrusion 161 and the guide 141 with a relative rotational movement between the housing 30 and the fastening member 50Y.
[0094] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the housing 30 has a cylindrical first attachment portion 135 at the first attachment portion 135. The first attachment portion 135 has, in a manner protruding on the outer peripheral surface 135a, four (one or more) guides 141 extending in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface 135a between one end 142 and the other end 143 in the present embodiment. The four guides 141 are provided with gaps 146 between adjacent guides 141, 141 intermittently, and the guides 141, 141 adjacent in the circumferential direction CR are arranged at the same height in the axial direction L. Each of the four guides 141 is formed in an inclined manner with a height difference Δh in the axial direction L by giving an inclination angle of 3°, for example, between one end 142 and the other end 143.
[0095] As shown in FIG. 19, the fastening member 50Y has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 155a at the second attachment portion 155. The second attachment portion 155 has one or more (four in this embodiment) protrusions 161 protruding on the inner peripheral surface 155a, and the four protrusions 161 are each formed so as to be able to pass through the gap 146. One protrusion 161 engages with one guide 141 through the gap 146. Stoppers 145 for restricting the movement operation of the protrusion 161 are disposed at the other ends 143 of the four guides 141, and are provided at three locations in a discontinuous arrangement form on the sliding surface 144a connecting the one end 142 and the other end 143 in this embodiment.
[0096] In the temperature adjustment unit 103, as shown in FIG. 19, the cover portion 50X is inserted into the opening 4 from one surface side of the clothing body 2, and the flange 36 of the housing 30 is brought into contact with one surface of the clothing body 2. Then, with the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening 4 of the clothing body 2 sandwiched between the first attachment portion 135 of the housing 30 inserted through the opening 4 and the fastening member 50Y disposed on one surface side of the clothing body 2, a relative rotational operation between the housing 30 and the fastening member 50Y is performed. As a result, the protrusion 161 provided on the inner peripheral surface 155a of the fastening member 50Y (second attachment portion 55) enters the sliding surface 144a from one end 142 of the guide 141 through the gap 146 and advances downward Lw in the axial direction L following the sliding surface 144a. Then, until the flange 56Y comes into contact with the other surface of the clothing body 2, the protrusion 161 slides on the sliding surface 144a toward the flange 36 side while sliding toward the other surface of the clothing body 2 on the side opposite to the contact surface of the flange 36.
[0097] When the flange 56Y comes into contact with the other surface of the clothing body 2 and the protrusion 161 is restricted from moving in the reverse direction of its advancement, the stopper 145 closest to the position where the protrusion 161 cannot advance on the sliding surface 144a restricts the movement of the protrusion 161. At this time, the stopper 145 that restricts the movement of the protrusion 161 is selected from among the three locations according to the thickness of the fabric forming the clothing body 2, that is, the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening 4 of the opening.
[0098] Specifically, it will be described. FIG. 20 is a side view of the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 2, and is an explanatory view showing a case where the first attachment portion of the housing and the fastening member are engaged in the first stage. FIG. 21 is an explanatory view showing a case where, similar to FIG. 20, the first attachment portion of the housing and the fastening member are engaged in the second stage. FIG. 22 is an explanatory view showing a case where, similar to FIGS. 20 and 21, the first attachment portion of the housing and the fastening member are engaged in the third stage. FIG. 23 is an explanatory view showing the temperature adjustment unit according to Embodiment 2 using a side view and a semi-cross-sectional view.
[0099] As shown in FIG. 20, when the thickness of the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening is relatively thick, for example, about d1 = 3 (mm), among the three stoppers 145, the movement of the protrusion 161 is restricted by the stopper 145 facing the first stage first as the protrusion 161 advances. Also, as shown in FIG. 22, when the thickness of the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening is relatively thin, for example, about d3 = 1 (mm), among the three stoppers 145, the movement of the protrusion 161 is restricted by the stopper 145 facing the last third stage as the protrusion 161 advances. Further, as shown in FIG. 21, when the thickness of the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening is, for example, about d2 = 2 (mm), which is an intermediate thickness between d1 and d2, among the three stoppers 145, the movement of the protrusion 161 is restricted by the stopper 145 facing the second stage as the protrusion 161 advances.
[0100] Thus, as shown in FIG. 23, the temperature adjustment unit 103 sandwiches the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening of the opening 4 between the flange 36 of the housing 30 and the fastening member 50Y, and engages the guide 141 provided on the outer peripheral surface 135a of the first attachment portion 135 of the housing 30 with the protrusion 161 provided on the inner peripheral surface 155a of the fastening member 50Y (second attachment portion 55) to connect the housing 30 and the fastening member 50Y, thereby being attached to the clothing body 2.
[0101] <Regarding the evaluation test of the temperature adjustment unit 3> Next, the evaluation test of the body temperature adjustment clothing according to the present invention will be described. For the purpose of verifying the significance of the body temperature adjustment clothing 1,101 according to the present embodiment, the applicant conducted an evaluation test to confirm the influence of heat on the body for a person wearing the body temperature adjustment clothing 1,101. FIG. 27 is a view showing the experimental body temperature adjustment clothing used in the evaluation test of the temperature adjustment unit according to the present embodiment, and is a front view shown from the front side, and a rear view of the experimental body temperature adjustment clothing shown in FIG. 27 as viewed from the rear side is shown in FIG. 28.
[0102] In the evaluation test, as the body temperature adjustment clothing corresponding to the body temperature adjustment clothing 1,101, as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the experimental body temperature adjustment clothing 1 was used. The experimental body temperature adjustment clothing 1 is a body temperature adjustment clothing in which three temperature adjustment units 3 according to Embodiment 1 are attached to the clothing body, one on each side near the chest in the front view and one at the lower part of the cervical vertebra in the back view, for a total of three.
[0103] <Experimental Conditions> In the evaluation test, in a room with an ambient temperature of about 27°C, the subject wore the experimental body temperature adjustment clothing 1, and Experiment 1 in which the temperature adjustment unit 3 was used to cool the subject's body as shown in FIG. 9 for reference and Experiment 2 in which the temperature adjustment unit 3 was used to warm the subject's body as shown in FIG. 10 for reference were each conducted separately. In Experiment 1, the body was cooled in the same manner as in FIG. 9, and in Experiment 2, the body was warmed in the same manner as in FIG. 10.
[0104] In both Experiments 1 and 2, by energizing the temperature adjustment unit 3, the Peltier element 10 and the blower fan 20 were operated. After energization, in the clothing inner space formed between the inner side of the experimental body temperature adjustment clothing 1 and the body surface for 30 minutes, in the case of Experiment 1, the cooling surface 11 (see FIG. 9) of the Peltier element 10 was brought into contact with the body surface through the shirt, and the temperature of the contacting cooling surface 11 was measured with a non-contact thermometer. In the case of Experiment 2, at a location about 5 cm away from the temperature adjustment unit 3, as shown in FIG. 10 for reference, the temperature of the warm air HF exhausted into the clothing inner space from the exhaust part 54 of the cover member 50 was measured with a non-contact thermometer.
[0105] <Experimental Results> Figure 29 is a graph showing the relationship between the elapsed time after the start of use and the cooling temperature as a result of Experiment 1 of the evaluation test for investigating the influence of temperature exerted by the temperature adjustment unit on the experimental body temperature adjustment clothing. Figure 30 is a graph showing the relationship between the elapsed time after the start of use and the hot air temperature as a result of Experiment 2, following Figure 29.
[0106] In the results of Experiment 1, as shown in Figure 29, after 5 minutes had elapsed since the start of energization and until the end of the experiment, the temperature cooling the body surface was approximately 6°C. Also, in the results of Experiment 2, as shown in Figures 27 and 30, after 5 minutes had elapsed since the start of energization and until the end of the experiment, the temperature of the hot air HF warming the body surface was approximately 31°C, and the hot air HF had a temperature with almost no fluctuations.
[0107] Next, the operation and effects of the temperature adjustment units 3, 103 according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0108] The temperature adjustment unit 3, 103 according to this embodiment includes a housing 30, a Peltier element 10 housed in the housing with one side exposed to the outside, a heat dissipation fin 13 formed on the other side of the Peltier element 10 opposite to one side, and a blower fan 20 that blows air to the heat dissipation fin 13. In the temperature adjustment unit that is attached to the clothing body 2 and adjusts the temperature of the body BS inside the clothing body 2, one side is a cooling surface 11 that serves as the heat absorption side, the other side is a heating surface 12 that serves as the heat generation side, an intake part 34 that introduces the air AR supplied to the blower fan 20, an exhaust part 54 that discharges the air blown from the blower fan 20 to the outside, an annular fastening means (cover member 50, fastening member 50Y) having a second attachment part 55, 155 that can be connected to the first attachment parts 35, 135 of the housing 30, and a cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) that covers the blower fan 20 on the opposite side of the heat dissipation fin 13. The cover part has an outer peripheral edge part 52 formed to be connectable to the housing 30 along the circumferential direction CR centered on the rotation axis AX on the lower side Lw adjacent to the blower fan 20 with respect to the axial direction L along the rotation axis AX of the blower fan 20. The exhaust part 54 is formed at a part of the cover part adjacent to the outer peripheral edge part 52 so as to penetrate in the radial direction RD orthogonal to the rotation axis AX and be arranged intermittently in the circumferential direction CR. The temperature adjustment unit 3, 103 sandwiches the clothing body 2 and connects the first attachment parts 35, 135 of the housing 30 and the second attachment parts 55, 155 of the fastening means (cover member 50, fastening member 50Y), so that the cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) side is reversibly oriented and attached to the clothing body 2. When the cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) is arranged facing the outside 1b of the clothing body 2, it has the function of cooling the body BS with the contact of the cooling surface 11 of the Peltier element 10. When the cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) is arranged facing the inside 1a of the clothing body 2, it has the function of warming the body BS by exhausting the warm air HF heat-exchanged between the air AR blown from the blower fan 20 and the heat dissipation fin 13 from the exhaust part 54 to the inside 1a of the clothing body 2.
[0109] With this feature, when adjusting the temperature of the body BS of the wearer who wears the clothing body 2, in the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103, when utilized as a cooling device, the cooling surface 11 is attached to the clothing body 2 facing the body BS side, and when utilized as a heating device, the cover members 50 and 50X having the exhaust portion 54 are attached to the clothing body 2 facing the body BS side. On the other hand, in the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103, the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element 10 facing the body BS side is not under heat generation and is always fixed to the cooling surface 11 under heat absorption. Therefore, compared with a temperature adjustment unit with a specification that reversibly switches the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element between a cooling surface and a heating surface by reversing the direction of the current with respect to the power supplied to the Peltier element in direct current, it is possible to suppress a person from accidentally facing the heating surface 12 toward the body BS side. Therefore, the wearer should originally feel cold on the body from the heat dissipation surface of the Peltier element that has become the cooling surface 11, but since this heat dissipation surface does not become a heating surface, there is no discomfort caused to the wearer due to the heat dissipation surface becoming a heating surface.
[0110] Therefore, according to the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 according to Embodiments 1 and 2, the wearer can selectively utilize the cooling function and the heating function that effectively utilize the Peltier effect generated on the cooling surface 11 and the heating surface 12 of the Peltier element 10 to adjust the temperature of the body BS, and an excellent effect of improving the ease of use for the wearer can be achieved.
[0111] Also, in the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 according to Embodiments 1 and 2, the cover part (cover members 50, 50X) has a central part 51 located on the rotation axis AX of the blower fan 20 on the upper side Lp that is separated from the blower fan 20 in the axial direction L, and the overall height length H which is the distance between the cooling surface 11 and the upper surface of the central part 51 0 Among them, the ratio occupied in the height H of the cover part (cover members 50, 50X) is characterized by being 50% or more and 70% or less.
[0112] In addition, in the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 according to Embodiments 1 and 2, the cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) is formed in a convex shape with a narrowed outer shape so as to become smaller from the outer peripheral edge part 52 toward the central part 51, and the exhaust part 54 penetrates the cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) in the axial direction L and is formed radially from the central part 51 to the outer peripheral edge part 52 of the cover part (cover member 50, cover part 50X) around the rotation axis AX.
[0113] Due to these features, when the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 are utilized as a heating device, the warm air HF can be exhausted from the exhaust parts 54 of the cover members 50 and 50X into the space between the inner side 1a of the body temperature adjustment clothing 1 and the body BS, particularly in the radial direction RD, and the air volume that can be exhausted around the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 is likely to increase, and as a result of the experiment 2 in the evaluation test cited as an example, it becomes possible to give warmth to the body BS.
[0114] In addition, the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 are characterized by having an operation unit 17 for electrical control, and in the blower fan 20, the air volume per unit time of blowing can be varied by the operation unit 17.
[0115] Due to this feature, when the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 are utilized as a heating device, the warm air HF blown from the exhaust part 54 to the inner side 1a of the clothing main body 2 can be adjusted to a desired air volume, such as air in a relatively strong state, air in a relatively weak state, air in an intermediate state, etc.
[0116] In addition, in the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 1, the fastening means (cover member 50) comprises a cover part, and the second attachment part 55 is disposed on the outer peripheral edge part 52.
[0117] Due to this feature, the cover member 50 integrates both the exhaust of the warm air HF and the integration with the housing 30 in one member, so the number of components constituting the temperature adjustment unit 3 can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing cost of the temperature adjustment unit 3 can be suppressed.
[0118] Further, in the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to the first embodiment, a flange 36 is formed in the radial direction RD on the outer periphery of the first attachment portion 35 of the housing 30, and a flange 56 is formed in the radial direction RD on the outer periphery of the second attachment portion 55 of the cover member 50.
[0119] Due to this feature, when attaching the temperature adjustment unit 3 to the clothing body 2, the housing 30 and the cover member 50 can sandwich the clothing body 2 and be connected by screwing or engaging.
[0120] Further, in the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 according to the first and second embodiments, the flanges 36 and 56 are inclined at an inclination angle θ of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 30 (deg) as the relative angle with respect to the virtual reference line VL along the radial direction RD, and are inclined in a form that moves away from the cooling surface 11 toward the heating surface 12 side.
[0121] Due to this feature, the flange 36 of the housing 30 is inclined at an inclination angle θ (deg). As a result, the air AR introduced from the intake portion 34 is more likely to be supplied along the lower surface 36a of the flange to the vicinity of the root of the heat radiation fin 13 close to the heating surface 12. Compared with the case where the lower surface of the flange in the housing 30 is set to an inclination angle θ = 0 (deg), the air AR supplied from the intake portion 34 also flows through the heating surface 12 of the heat source that generates heat in the Peltier element 10 when cooling the heat radiation fin 13, so that the waste heat from the heating surface 12 can be efficiently radiated. As a result, in the Peltier element 10, it is possible to suppress the decrease in heat exchange efficiency that is likely to occur over time after the start of its operation, and the heat absorption on one surface (cooling surface 11) and the heat generation on the other surface (heating surface 12) are likely to be maintained in a constant state. On the other hand, when the flange 56 is also inclined at an inclination angle θ (deg) corresponding to the flange 36, the flange 56 and the flange 36 are arranged opposite to each other, and the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening of the clothing body 2 can be sandwiched in surface contact over the entire area. Therefore, the temperature adjustment units 3 and 103 can be mounted in a stable manner without locally applying a gripping force to a part of the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening of the clothing body 2.
[0122] Further, in the temperature adjustment unit 3 according to Embodiment 1, the housing 30 and the fastening means (cover member 50) are connected by screwing the first attachment portion 35 and the second attachment portion 55.
[0123] Due to this feature, the degree of freedom in fixing the temperature adjustment unit 3 to the clothing body 2 is increased without depending on the thickness of the fabric forming the clothing body 2 to be worn (when there is no outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening) or the thickness of the outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening 4 of the opening, and the temperature adjustment unit 3 can be mounted on the clothing body 2.
[0124] Further, in the temperature adjustment unit 103 according to Embodiment 2, among the first attachment portion 135 or the second attachment portion 155, in the housing 30, a protrusion 161 is formed, and a guide 141 that restricts the protrusion 161 is formed by fastening means (fastening member 50Y). With a relative rotational movement between the housing 30 and the fastening means (fastening member 50Y), the protrusion 161 and the guide 141 engage with each other, whereby the housing 30 and the fastening means (fastening member 50Y) are connected. This is the feature.
[0125] Due to this feature, compared with the case where the first attachment portion 35 of the housing 30 and the second attachment portion 55 of the fastening means (cover member 50) are connected by screwing, the attachment and detachment operation between the temperature adjustment unit 103 and the clothing body 2 becomes easier.
[0126] Further, in the temperature adjustment unit 103 according to Embodiment 2, the housing 30 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 135a at the first attachment portion 135. The first attachment portion 135 has one or more guides 141 extending in an arc shape or a stepped shape along the outer peripheral surface 135a between one end 142 and the other end 143 in a protruding manner on the outer peripheral surface 135a. The one or more guides 141 are provided with a gap 146 between adjacent guides 141 intermittently. The guides 141 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction CR are arranged at the same height in the axial direction L. The fastening means (fastening member 50Y) has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 155a at the second attachment portion 155. The second attachment portion 155 has one or more protrusions 161 protruding on the inner peripheral surface 155a. The one or more protrusions 161 are formed to be able to pass through the gap 146 and engage with the one or more guides 141 through the gap 146. Each of the one or more guides 141 is provided with a stopper 145 that restricts the movement of the protrusion 141 at the other end 143 and is provided in an intermittent arrangement form on a sliding surface 144a connecting the one end 142 and the other end 143. This is the feature.
[0127] Due to this feature, until the flange 56Y comes into contact with the other side of the clothing body 2, the protrusion 141 advances toward the flange 36 side and is restricted in its movement by the stopper 145, so that the temperature adjustment unit 103 can be attached to the clothing body 2 with a one-touch operation with a sense of propriety. Therefore, in the field where the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 is used, for example, in a situation where the temperature adjustment unit to the clothing body 2 has to be attached and detached in a short time with screwing, or in a situation where the tools mounted on the operator get in the way and the screwing operation required for the temperature adjustment unit cannot be performed smoothly, etc., if the temperature adjustment unit 103 can be attached to the clothing body 2 with a one-touch operation with a sense of propriety, the burden on the person attaching the temperature adjustment unit 103 to the clothing body 2 can be reduced.
[0128] Further, in the temperature adjustment unit 103 according to Embodiment 2, each of the one or more guides 141 is formed in an inclined manner with a height difference Δh in the axial direction L between one end 142 and the other end 143.
[0129] Due to this feature, even if the thickness of the fabric forming the clothing body 2 to be worn (when there is no opening outer peripheral edge portion 5) or the thickness of the opening outer peripheral edge portion 5 of the opening 4 varies from one clothing body 2 to another, the temperature adjustment unit 103 can be firmly fixed to the clothing body 2 by sandwiching it between the flange 36 of the first attachment portion 35 and the flange 56Y of the fastening member 50Y without looseness.
[0130] Further, in the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 formed so that a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the body temperature can be attached to the clothing, the temperature adjustment units 3, 103 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 are detachably attached to the opening 4 formed by perforating the clothing body 2.
[0131] Due to this feature, the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 can be utilized as a cooling device especially for workers who work outdoors under intense heat in summer, workers who work in a stuffy indoor environment, and people who engage in recreation, sports, spectating, etc. under the scorching sun. On the other hand, especially in winter, the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 can also be effectively utilized as a heating device when used in combination with winter clothing such as jackets and jumpers for those who desire partial warmth.
[0132] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to Embodiments 1 and 2. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described Embodiments 1 and 2, and can be appropriately modified and applied without departing from the gist thereof.
[0133] For example, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the clothing body 2 was exemplified as a vest to be worn on the upper body of the wearer. However, the clothing targeted by the clothing attachment structure of the body temperature adjustment device according to the present invention is not limited to vests and upper garments, and various modifications are possible as long as it can be worn.
[0134] Also, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the body temperature adjustment clothing 1, 101 in which three temperature adjustment units 3, 103 are attached to the clothing body 2 was cited. However, the number of temperature adjustment units to be attached and the position of the opening of the clothing to which the temperature adjustment unit is attached are not limited to Embodiments 1 and 2, and can be appropriately changed according to the use of the body temperature adjustment clothing (product) according to the present invention, the physique of the wearer, etc., and the specifications of the product.
[0135] Also, in Embodiments 1 and 2, in the case of the Peltier element, the temperature of the cooling surface 11 under heat absorption was set at about 10°C as an example. However, it is not limited to such a temperature. For example, it may be a temperature range higher than 0°C and up to near 10°C, and the heat absorption characteristics of the Peltier element can be appropriately changed. Similarly, the temperature of the heating surface 12 under heat generation was set at about 30-odd °C as an example. However, it is not limited to such a temperature. For example, it may be a temperature slightly higher than body temperature, such as around 40°C that does not cause burns, and the heat generation characteristics of the Peltier element can be appropriately changed.
[0136] In Embodiment 2, although the one or more guides 141 extending on the outer peripheral surface 135a of the first attachment portion 135 are formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface 135a, the one or more guides may protrude on the outer peripheral surface of the first attachment portion, and extend in a stepped manner like a spiral staircase along the outer peripheral surface between one end and the other end.
Explanation of Signs
[0137] 1,101 Garment for body temperature adjustment 1a Inside of the garment 1b Outside of the garment 2 Garment body (garment) 3, 103 Temperature adjustment unit 4 Opening 10 Peltier element 11 Cooling surface (one surface) 12 Heating surface (the other surface) 13 Heat dissipation fin 17 Operation unit 17 (control unit) 17A Control unit (control unit) 17B Operation part (control unit) 17C Display part (control unit) 20 Blower fan 30 Housing 34 Intake part 35, 135 First attachment portion 35a, 135a Outer peripheral surface of the first attachment portion 36 First flange (flange) 50 Cover member (cover part, fastening means) 50X Cover part 50Y Fastening member (fastening means) 51 Central part 52 Outer peripheral edge part 54 Exhaust part 55, 155 Second attachment portion 55a, 155a Inner peripheral surface of the second attachment portion 56 Second flange (flange) 61 Protrusion 141 Guide 142 One end 143 The other end 144a Sliding surface 145 Stopper 146 Gap θ Inclination angle L Axial direction CR Circumferential direction RD Radial direction BS Body AR Air HF Warm air AX Rotation axis VL Virtual reference line Δh Level difference
Claims
1. A temperature adjustment unit that has a housing, a Peltier element housed in the housing with one surface exposed to the outside, heat dissipation fins formed on the other surface of the Peltier element on the opposite side of the one surface, and a blower fan that blows air onto the heat dissipation fins, and is worn on clothing to adjust the temperature of the body inside the clothing, wherein the one surface is a cooling surface that serves as the heat absorption side, and the other surface is a heating surface that serves as the heat generation side; an intake portion that introduces air supplied to the blower fan; an exhaust portion that discharges the air blown from the blower fan to the outside; an annular fastening means having a second attachment portion that can be connected to a first attachment portion provided on the housing; a cover portion that covers the blower fan on the opposite side of the heat dissipation fins, and the cover portion has an outer peripheral edge portion formed so as to be connectable to the housing along a circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis on the lower side adjacent to the blower fan with respect to an axial direction along the rotation axis of the blower fan; the exhaust portion is formed at a portion of the cover portion adjacent to the outer peripheral edge portion so as to penetrate in a radial direction orthogonal to the rotation axis and in an intermittent arrangement pattern in the circumferential direction; the temperature adjustment unit sandwiches the clothing and connects the first attachment portion of the housing and the second attachment portion of the fastening means, whereby the cover portion side is reversibly oriented and attached to the clothing; when the cover portion is arranged facing the outside of the clothing, it has a function of cooling the body with contact of the one surface of the Peltier element; when the cover portion is arranged facing the inside of the clothing, it has a function of warming the body by exhausting warm air that has undergone heat exchange between the air blown from the blower fan and the heat dissipation fins from the exhaust portion to the inside of the clothing; A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
2. In the temperature adjustment unit according to Claim 1, the cover portion has a central portion located through the rotation axis of the blower fan on the upper side spaced apart from the blower fan with respect to the axial direction, and among the total height lengths that are the distances between the one surface and the upper surface of the central portion, the ratio occupied by the height of the cover portion is 50% or more and 70% or less; A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
3. In the temperature adjustment unit according to Claim 2, the cover portion is formed in a convex shape with a narrowed outer shape so as to become smaller from the outer peripheral edge portion toward the central portion. The exhaust portion penetrates the cover portion in the axial direction and is formed radially from the central portion to the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover portion around the rotation axis. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
4. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 1, It has a control unit for electrical control, In the blower fan, the air volume per unit time of blowing can be varied by the control unit. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
5. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 1, The fastening means includes the cover portion, and the second attachment portion is disposed on the outer peripheral edge portion. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
6. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 1, A flange is formed in the radial direction on at least one outer periphery of the housing or the fastening means. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
7. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 6, The flange is inclined in a form that recedes from one surface to the other surface side at an inclination angle θ of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 30 (deg) as an angle relative to a virtual reference line along the radial direction. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
8. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 1, The housing and the fastening means are connected by screwing the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
9. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 1, Among the first attachment portion or the second attachment portion, on one hand, a protrusion is formed, and on the other hand, a guide for restricting the protrusion is formed. With a relative rotational movement between the housing and the fastening means, the protrusion and the guide engage with each other, whereby the housing and the fastening means are connected. A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
10. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 9, The housing has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface at the first attachment portion. The first attachment portion is provided with one or more guides extending in an arc shape or a stepped shape along the outer peripheral surface between one end and the other end in a protruding manner on the outer peripheral surface. The one or more guides are provided with gaps between the intermittently adjacent guides, and the circumferentially adjacent guides are arranged at the same height in the axial direction. The fastening means has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface at the second mounting portion, The second mounting portion has one or more protrusions projecting on the inner peripheral surface, and each of the one or more protrusions is formed to be able to pass through the gap, and one of the protrusions engages with one of the guides through the gap, Each of the one or more guides is provided with a stopper for restricting the movement operation of the protrusion at the other end, and is provided in an intermittent arrangement form on a sliding surface connecting the one end and the other end, A body temperature adjustment clothing characterized by the above.
11. In the temperature adjustment unit according to claim 10, Each of the one or more guides is formed in an inclined manner with a height difference in the axial direction between the one end and the other end, A temperature adjustment unit characterized by the above.
12. In a body temperature adjustment clothing formed so that a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the temperature of the body can be attached to the clothing, The temperature adjustment unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is detachably attached to an opening formed by perforating the clothing, A body temperature adjustment clothing characterized by the above.
Citation Information
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