Neck cooling device

Abstract

To provide a neck cooling device which is capable of being adjusted according to size and shape of the neck of a wearer, does not create a large gap between itself and the neck, and is capable of producing a sufficient cooling effect.SOLUTION: When a neck N1 of a wearer is thin, a neck cooling device 1 is bent into an internal diameter small state and in this state, and a metal plate 17 undergoes bending deformation. When a neck N2 of a wearer is thick, the neck cooling device 1 is bent into an internal diameter large state and in this state, the metal plate 17 undergoes bending deformation. Therefore, the neck cooling device 1 is bent into the state matching the size and shape of the neck. Thus, the neck cooling device 1 is adjustable according to the size and shape of the wearer, and it is possible to prevent a large gap from appearing between the neck cooling device 1 and the neck. Therefore, all of 11 housing parts 11, 13 contact and cool the neck, and provide a high cooling effect as the neck cooling device 1. The neck cooling device 1 has free size specifications, so to speak.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a neck cooler. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, neck coolers such as those shown in Patent Document 1 have been put to practical use. This neck cooler is composed of a tube filled with a phase change material that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase. The tube is curved to fit the neck, and both ends are expanded, allowing the neck to be passed through the expanded gap and wrapped around the neck. The phase change material absorbs heat from the neck, melts, and changes to a liquid phase. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-21963 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional neck cooling devices have fixed sizes and shapes and cannot be adjusted to fit the size and shape of the wearer's neck, which can result in a large gap between the neck cooling device and the neck, making it difficult to achieve a sufficient cooling effect. Furthermore, when working outdoors while wearing a neck cooler, if the neck cooler is exposed to direct sunlight, the phase change material will change from a solid phase to a liquid phase in a short period of time, which will shorten the duration of the cooling effect.

[0005] Furthermore, when the phase change material is changed from a liquid phase to a solid phase, it must be cooled using a cooler box or the like, which requires a considerably longer cooling time than using a cooling agent or the like.

[0006] The present invention was made with an eye on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a neck cooler that can be adjusted to fit the size and shape of the wearer's neck, that does not leave a large gap between the neck cooler and the neck, that can obtain a sufficient cooling effect, that can extend the time it takes for the phase change material to change from solid to liquid even when exposed to direct sunlight, and that can extend the duration of the cooling effect, and that can also shorten the cooling time when a cooler box or the like is used to change the phase change material from liquid to solid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and has a cooling unit including a band-shaped body made of a flexible material, and a block-shaped container provided on the front surface of the band-shaped body and containing a phase change material that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase, This neck cooling device is characterized in that the storage sections are arranged in multiple locations with gaps between them along the length of the band, and a bendable metal plate is provided between the band and the cooling section along the length of the band.

[0008] Preferably, the housing portion is formed in the shape of a square block.

[0009] Preferably, the metal plate is made of an aluminum alloy.

[0010] Preferably, the strip is made of a light-blocking material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The neck cooling device of the present invention can be adjusted to fit the size and shape of the wearer's neck, and can provide a sufficient cooling effect without leaving a large gap between the neck cooling device and the neck, making it a one-size-fits-all device. Furthermore, even when exposed to direct sunlight, the time required for the phase change material to change from a solid phase to a liquid phase can be extended, thereby extending the duration of the cooling effect. Furthermore, when a cooler box or the like is used to change the phase change material from a liquid phase to a solid phase, the cooling time can be shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a neck cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the neck cooling device of FIG. 1 in an expanded state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the neck cooling device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along line B-B. [Figure 6] 2 is a plan view of the neck cooling device of FIG. 1 in a state where it is curved to fit a wearer whose neck diameter is small. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the neck cooling device of FIG. 1 in a state where it is curved to fit a wearer whose neck has a large diameter. [Figure 8] 2 is a view showing a state in which the housing parts of the neck cooling device of FIG. 1 are in contact with each other. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A neck cooling device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8, the reference numeral 3 denotes a strip, which is made of a flexible black plastic film with light-blocking properties. Both ends of the strip 3 are formed in a semicircular arc shape. A cooling section 5 is provided on the front surface of the strip 3, and this cooling section 5 is made up of two strip-shaped plastic films 7 and 9 that are overlapped and sealed together. The plastic films 7 and 9 are transparent. The plastic films 7 and 9 are sealed with their edges aligned and joined together, and the portion surrounded by the sealed edges is not sealed. Both ends of the plastic films 7 and 9 are formed in a semicircular arc shape corresponding to both ends of the strip 3.

[0014] While the plastic film 7 is flat, the plastic film 9 is raised in the shape of blocks at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction, and the spaces between adjacent raised portions in the longitudinal direction are fitted to the plastic film 7 and sealed. These raised portions are separated from the plastic film 7, and these gaps are used to form storage sections 11, 13, which are three-dimensional sealed spaces. There are nine storage sections 11 and two storage sections 13. The storage sections 11 are formed in the shape of a square block, and the storage sections 13, located at both ends of the strip 3, are formed in the shape of a triangular block by utilizing semicircular arc-shaped curved surfaces on both ends.

[0015] A phase change material 15 is enclosed in the housing portions 11 and 13. The phase change material 15 will be described in detail later. As described above, plastic film 7 and plastic film 9 are sealed between storage sections 11 and 11, and between storage sections 11 and 13, forming sealed areas. These areas form gaps 14 between storage sections 11 and 11, and between storage sections 11 and 13, respectively.

[0016] A thin metal plate 17 made of an aluminum alloy is provided between the strip 3 and the plastic film 7 of the cooling section 5. The metal plate 17 is provided along the length of the strip 3, has a thickness of 1 mm, and is bendable. The edges of the strip 3 and the plastic film 7 are aligned and sealed with the metal plate 17 sandwiched between them, and the metal plate 17 is held between the strip 3 and the plastic film 7. The metal plate 17 has a shape similar to that of the strip 3, and its longitudinal ends are formed in a semicircular arc shape to correspond to the shape of the strip 3. As described above, the plastic films 7 and 9 are transparent, so that the metal plate 17 can be seen through the gap 14 when viewed from the front.

[0017] The phase change material 15 sealed and housed in the housing portions 11 and 13 is a so-called PCM (Phase Change Material) that changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase upon absorbing heat. In the present invention, the phase change material 15 is used as a cooling medium for cooling the neck by absorbing heat from the neck as latent heat of fusion. The solidification temperature is adjusted to about 26°C.

[0018] The phase change material 15 contains, for example, paraffin or aliphatic hydrocarbon (or fatty saturated hydrocarbon). The phase change material 15 contains at least one of tetradecane (C14H30), hexadecane (C16H34), and octadecane (C18H38) as the paraffin or aliphatic hydrocarbon. The phase change material 15 may contain all of tetradecane (C14H30), hexadecane (C16H34), and octadecane (C18H38).

[0019] Next, a method for wearing the neck cooling device 1 will be described. The neck cooling device 1 is gripped at both ends and wrapped around the back of the neck, bending it into a C-shape to release the area around the throat (see FIG. 1). As shown in Figure 6, when the wearer's neck N1 is thin, the neck cooling device 1 is bent so that the inner diameter becomes smaller. In this state, the metal plate 17 is bent and deformed. Therefore, the neck cooling device 1 is bent to fit the size and shape of the neck N1, and that shape is maintained. 7, when the wearer's neck N2 is thick, the neck cooling device 1 bends to a state where the inner diameter is large, and in this state the metal plate 17 is bent. Therefore, the neck cooling device 1 bends to a state that matches the size and shape of the neck N2.

[0020] The housing sections 11 and 13 themselves are made rigid by the inclusion of a phase change material 15, but the area between them where the plastic film 7 and plastic film 9 directly overlap can be bent, and there is also a gap 14. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, by making the gap 14 triangular, the neck cooling device 1 can be curved, and moreover, the bending can be made strong enough that the front ends of adjacent housing sections 11 and 11 or housing sections 11 and 13 come into contact with each other, so that the inner diameter of the neck cooling device 1 can be adjusted as described above, and the adjusted inner diameter can be maintained by utilizing the bending deformability of the metal plate 17.

[0021] As described above, the neck cooling device 1 can be adjusted to fit the size and shape of the wearer, and can be worn comfortably without feeling any pressure or slipping out of position. Also, the neck cooling part 1 can be easily removed from the neck N by spreading both ends apart. That is, the neck cooling device 1 is a one-size-fits-all type. In addition, all eleven storage sections 11, 13 can be used to come into contact with the neck and cool it, so the cooling effect of the neck cooler 1 is also enhanced. As described above, there is a limit to bending, so even if the metal plate 17 is bent too strongly, it can be prevented from breaking.

[0022] When working outdoors while wearing neck cooling device 1, the outer surface of band 3 is made of a light-blocking plastic film, and phase change material 15 is hidden from the outside by band 3, minimizing the effect of sunlight on phase change material 15. This extends the time it takes for phase change material 15 to change from a solid phase to a liquid phase, and the duration of the cooling effect can be extended. When the phase change material 15 is cooled in a cooler box or the like, the neck cooler 1 is stretched out straight as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The metal plate 17 is made of an aluminum alloy and has high thermal conductivity, so the phase change material 15 is cooled quickly. This makes it possible to shorten the cooling time required to change the phase change material 15 from the liquid phase to the solid phase.

[0023] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the number of the storage sections is not limited to 11. Furthermore, as long as the band-shaped body 3 is colored, it can have a certain degree of light blocking ability even if it is not black, so that it is possible to increase the color variations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1…Neck cooling device 3...Belt 5...Cooling section 7, 9...Plastic film 11, 13... Storage section 14...gap 15...phase change member 17...metal plate N1, N2…Neck

Claims

1. a cooling unit including a band-shaped body made of a flexible material and a block-shaped container provided on the front surface of the band-shaped body and containing a phase change material that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase; This neck cooling device is characterized in that the storage sections are arranged in multiple locations with gaps between them along the length of the band, and a bendable metal plate is provided between the band and the cooling section along the length of the band.

2. The neck cooling device according to claim 1, A neck cooling device characterized in that the housing portion is formed in the shape of a square block.

3. The neck cooling device according to claim 1, The neck cooling device is characterized in that the metal plate is made of an aluminum alloy.

4. The neck cooling device according to claim 1, The neck cooling device is characterized in that the band-shaped body is made of a light-blocking material.

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