Neck cooler

Abstract

To provide a neck cooler that enables cooling not only of the contacted neck region but also of other portions, that rapidly offers a sense of coolness, and that can extend the time during which cooling continues.SOLUTION: A neck cooler 100 includes a main body 102 of ring shape attachable to a human neck, and a cooling unit 106 connected to an end of the main body 102. The main body 102 is provided with a phase change member 110 that undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid through body heat of a human, and an outer casing 108 accommodating the phase change member 110. The cooling unit 106 is configured to permit thermal transport by means of electrical energy, to allow flexible adjustment of the direction of the thermal transport relative to the main body 102, and to be attachable and detachable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent summers, there have been many days that are as hot as midsummer, and due to the influence of the new coronavirus, wearing masks has hindered the release of heat through breathing, and people have been unaware of thirst due to wearing masks, leading to an increasing number of cases of heatstroke even when indoors.

[0003] Therefore, there has been an increasing demand in recent years for neck coolers, such as those shown in Patent Document 1. This neck cooler efficiently cools the neck area by utilizing the cooling effect caused by the phase change of a phase change material, which changes from solid to liquid due to the body's temperature. This neck cooler does not require electricity, can be used repeatedly, is less likely to cause condensation like with typical ice packs, and is less irritating even when in direct contact with the skin. Furthermore, it does not contain any substances harmful to the human body, making it safe to use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-21963 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the neck cooler shown in Patent Document 1 only cools the area of ​​the neck that is in contact with the device, and cannot cool other areas. Also, because the cooling occurs through a phase change within the body temperature range, it is difficult to achieve rapid cooling, and the longer the body temperature or air temperature is, the shorter the cooling duration becomes.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a neck cooler that can cool parts other than the neck area that is in contact with the neck, can quickly cool the body, and can provide cooling for a longer period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a neck cooler that includes a ring-shaped main body that can be worn around the neck of a human body and a cooling unit that is connected to the end of the main body, and the main body uses heat storage technology. The cooling unit is provided with a heat storage material (e.g., a phase change material) and an exterior that houses the heat storage material, and is capable of transporting heat using electrical energy, and the mounting direction relative to the main body can be freely adjusted, thereby solving the above problem.

[0008] In the present invention, the neck cooler is equipped with a cooling unit connected to the end of the main body. The cooling unit enables heat transport using electrical energy, and the direction of heat transport relative to the main body is freely adjustable and detachable. This allows the cooling unit to transport heat to areas other than the neck area that contacts the main body, which houses a heat storage material (e.g., a phase change material) that utilizes heat storage technology. Furthermore, because the cooling unit enables heat transport using electrical energy, rapid heat transport and extended heat transport duration are possible. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a neck cooler that can cool parts other than the neck area that is in contact with the neck, can rapidly cool the body, and can provide cooling for a longer period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing a neck cooler according to a first embodiment of the present invention (front view (A) and rear view (B)); [Figure 2] Figure 1. Side view of the neck cooler [Figure 3] Schematic diagram of the neck cooler in Figure 1 (top view (A), bottom view (B)) [Figure 4] A diagram showing the socket part of the ball joint of the neck cooler in Figure 1 (side view of the threaded part and holding part (A), nut part (B), bottom view of the threaded part and holding part (C)) [Figure 5] Side view of the cooling unit of the neck cooler in Figure 1 [Figure 6] Figure 5: Block diagram of the cooling unit [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram of a cooling unit of a neck cooler according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] Block diagram of a cooling unit of a neck cooler according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0012] First, the neck cooler 100 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B).

[0013] 1(A) and 1(B), the neck cooler 100 comprises a ring-shaped main body 102 that can be worn around the neck of a human body, and a cooling unit 106 that is connected to the end of the main body 102. The main body 102 and the cooling unit 106 are connected by a ball joint 104.

[0014] Next, each component will be described in detail.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the main body 102 includes an exterior 108 and a phase change material (heat storage material). The heat storage member 110 is a circular tube-shaped member.

[0016] The exterior 108 is a member that houses the phase change material 110, has an inner diameter of about 36 cm that comes into contact with the neck, is made of a resin (which may be partially or entirely made of metal) such as thermoplastic polyurethane, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or polypropylene, and is highly durable. Note that reference numeral 108A denotes an introduction portion used when introducing the phase change material 110 into the bag-shaped exterior 108.

[0017] The phase change material 110 is a material that undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid due to the body temperature. It can contain paraffin, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and hydrates, and achieves a long-life, stable phase change cycle. At the same time, the phase change material 110 has a lower specific gravity than water, so it places less strain on the neck and is lighter. The melting point of the phase change material 110 is set to, for example, 28°C, and in this embodiment, it can maintain a temperature of around 28°C for about an hour after being worn around the neck.

[0018] 1(A) and 1(B), the ball joints 104 are attached to both ends of the main body 102. The ball joints 104 are made of resin and include a ball stud portion 112 and a socket portion 114.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5, the ball stud portion 112 includes a rod portion 112A attached to the cooling unit 106, and a spherical ball portion 112B provided at the tip of the rod portion 112A.

[0020] As shown in Figures 4(A) to 4(C), the socket portion 114 includes a nut portion 114A, a screw portion 114B, and a holding portion 114C. An inner surface 114AA of the nut portion 114A is provided with a screw groove (the inner diameter of the inner surface 114AA is larger than the outer diameter of the ball portion 112B). A screw groove corresponding to the inner surface 114AA is provided on the surface of the screw portion 114B. An inner surface 114BA of the screw portion 114B is formed as a recess into which the ball portion 112B can be loosely fitted. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(C), the screw portion 114B is provided with four slits 114BB at equal intervals along the outer periphery. Therefore, as nut portion 114A is threaded onto threaded portion 114B while ball portion 112B is loosely fitted onto inner surface 114BA, the pressing force from inner surface 114BA to ball portion 112B increases, making it difficult for ball portion 112B to slide against inner surface 114BA. Hold portion 114C is a member formed integrally with threaded portion 114B, and is configured so that ends of main body 102 are attached to inner recesses 114CA. Therefore, cooling unit 106 (to which ball stud portion 112 is attached) is configured so that its direction can be freely adjusted relative to main body 102 (to which socket portion 114 is attached) and is detachable.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), the cooling unit 106 has a generally cylindrical shape and is supported on both ends of the main body 102. As shown in Figures 1(B), 3(B), and 5, the cooling unit 106 includes a casing 116, a switch 118, a connection port 120, a blower motor 122, a control circuit 124, and a rechargeable battery 126. In other words, the cooling unit 106 is able to transport heat using electrical energy by using the blower motor 122 to move air heated by body temperature (in other words, the cooling unit 106 can be said to be detachable and capable of freely adjusting the direction of heat transport with respect to the main body 102 via the ball joint 104).

[0022] Casing 116 is made of, for example, ABS resin, and is roughly divided into a circular front casing 116A, a circular back casing 116B, and a side casing 116C, as shown in Fig. 5. Side casing 116C is provided with a slit portion 116D, as shown in Fig. 3(B) and Fig. 5, and blower motor 122 is mainly housed between front casing 116A and slit portion 116D.

[0023] The blower motor 122 is, for example, a brushless DC motor, and is designed to be quiet and durable even with long-term use. As shown in FIG. 5, the blower motor 122 includes a rotor 122A integrated with a bladeless fan and a stator 122B fixed to the casing 116. Air intake windows 116AA and 116AB are provided near the rotation axis O of the front casing 116A and the slit portion 116D, respectively. Air taken in through the air intake windows 116AA and 116AB is blown out through the air outlet window 116E (FIG. 3(A)) provided in the side casing 116C. In other words, the bladeless fan is shaped to blow air drawn in near the rotation axis O to the outside. As a result, the cooling unit 106 blows air in the direction of the hair, making it less likely to catch hair.

[0024] The area between the slit portion 116D and the rear casing 116B mainly contains a control circuit 124 and a rechargeable battery 126. A switch 118 is provided in the rear casing 116B and is capable of turning the power to the blower motor 122 on and off and specifying the airflow volume in multiple stages. As shown in FIG. 3(B), the connection port 120 is provided in the side casing 116C. The connection port 120 is mainly a connector member that receives power for the rechargeable battery 126.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 6, the control circuit 124 is connected to the switch 118, the connection port 120, the blower motor 122, and the rechargeable battery 126. The control circuit 124 includes a control unit 124A and a memory unit 124B. The control unit 124A changes the rotation speed of the rotor 122A in multiple stages (for example, three stages) and switches the airflow volume in response to an input signal from the switch 118. In addition, when a charging USB cable (not shown) is connected to the connection port 120, the control unit 124A starts and controls charging of the rechargeable battery 126. The memory unit 124B is connected to the control unit 124A and stores various initial values ​​and the like required by the control unit 124A.

[0026] The rechargeable battery 126 is, for example, a Li-ion battery (for example, 1600mAh at 3.7V), and is said to take 2 to 3 hours to fully charge, with a capacity that allows the maximum airflow to last for about 1 hour (or about 4 hours at the minimum airflow) (note that the rechargeable battery 126 may also be a Li-polymer battery (800mAh at 3.7V)).

[0027] As described above, in this embodiment, the neck cooler 100 includes a cooling unit 106 connected to the end of the main body 102. The cooling unit 102 enables heat transport using electrical energy, is detachable and the direction of heat transport is freely adjustable relative to the main body 102. This allows the cooling unit 106 to transport heat to areas other than the neck portion that contacts the main body 102 housing the phase change material 110. Furthermore, because the cooling unit 106 enables heat transport using electrical energy, adjusting the input of electrical energy enables rapid heat transport and prolonged heat transport. Note that two cooling units 106 are not necessarily required; only one cooling unit is sufficient.

[0028] At the same time, in this embodiment, the cooling unit 106 can be held near the neck even when the main body 102 no longer has a cooling effect. The cooling unit 106 is detachable from the main body 102. Therefore, if necessary, it is possible to replace a warm main body 102 with another cold main body 102 and cool only the warm main body 102 with cold water (running water), an insulated cooler bag that maintains a low temperature, a refrigerator, a freezer, or the like. It is not necessary for the cooling unit 106 to be detachable from the main body 102.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cooling unit 106 includes a blower motor 122. This can promote the movement of air at the destination of the blower, allowing the movement of air warmed by body temperature, including the part of the main body 102 that it comes into contact with, and the movement of moisture exuded from the human body. This can increase the heat dissipation from the human body. However, without being limited to this, the cooling unit may use a Peltier element to make part of the casing a metal with high thermal conductivity and electrically cool that part (in this case, both of the two cooling units may use Peltier elements, or one may use a Peltier element and the other a blower motor).

[0030] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a neck cooler 100 that can cool areas other than the neck area that is in contact with the neck, can quickly cool the area, and can provide cooling for a longer period of time.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In other words, it goes without saying that improvements and design changes are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0032] For example, in the above embodiment, the cooling unit 106 is controlled by the switch 118, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the second embodiment in Fig. 7, the cooling unit 206 may further include a sensor 228 that detects the condition of the human body. Note that, since the remaining parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, the last two digits of the reference numerals are the same and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] In this embodiment, for example, the sensor 228 is attached to the casing in a form similar to that of the switch 118 in the first embodiment, and is configured to measure, for example, the body temperature of the human body. In this case, the control unit 224A may perform control such as increasing the amount of air blown by the air blower motor 222 if the temperature of the human body rises (i.e., the cooling unit 206 can increase or decrease the amount of heat transport according to the output of the sensor 228). This makes it possible to automatically take measures against the heat without the user being aware of it. However, without being limited to this, the sensor may be configured to measure the heart rate in order to detect the condition of the human body (in this case, the control unit may perform control such as increasing the amount of air blown by the air blower motor when the heart rate rises).

[0034] The sensor may detect the condition of the human body, but may also detect changes in the phase-change material. For example, since the amount of light transmitted through the phase-change material changes when it changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase, the sensor may be configured and arranged to detect changes in the amount of light transmitted through the material (in this case, the control unit may control the fan motor to increase the amount of air sent when the amount of light transmitted through the material increases). Alternatively, the sensor may be configured to detect the hardness of the phase-change material (in this case, the control unit may control the fan motor to increase the amount of air sent when the phase-change material becomes soft). The sensor may also be configured to measure the outside air temperature (in this case, the control unit may control the fan motor to increase the amount of air sent when the outside air temperature rises).

[0035] 8, the cooling unit 306 may further include an output unit 330 that can reflect the output of the sensor 328. Since the remaining parts are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, the last two digits of the reference numerals are the same and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] In this embodiment, a speaker may be provided in the casing as the output unit 330. This makes it possible, for example, if the sensor measures body temperature, heart rate, etc., to emit the body temperature, heart rate, etc. from the speaker to alert the user. At the same time, the remaining battery level, etc. may also be notified as appropriate. Alternatively, a liquid crystal or organic EL may be provided in the casing as the output unit 330. This makes it possible to display the body temperature, heart rate, etc. (Of course, the remaining battery level, etc. may also be notified as appropriate). By providing such an output unit, it is possible to alert the user and those around them and take measures to prevent heatstroke, for example.

[0037] In the above embodiment, a phase change material (latent heat storage material) is used as a heat storage material using heat storage technology. However, the present invention is not limited to this. and a small amount of propylene glycol, etc., used as a highly absorbent polymer (gelling agent), By using what is normally used as a cooling agent, it stores the same amount of heat, making it safer. A constant temperature may be maintained.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the main body has only a cooling and heating function. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a thermometer (which may be a printed type or an electronic type) may be provided to visualize the temperature on the main body alone, or the temperature may be indicated by displaying a pattern enclosed inside the heat storage material according to the change in transparency of the heat storage material (i.e., the main body is provided with a temperature display function, and in this case, attention to the operating temperature can be drawn). The exterior may also contain phosphorescent or reflective materials (in this case, it is recommended to wear a protective gear around the neck, especially at night). (This makes it possible to clearly identify the presence of the person wearing the device.) Furthermore, the main body is attached to the neck. Therefore, it is recommended to place tourmaline or other magnetic materials on the part that comes into contact with the neck. It is also possible to place a device on the neck that has a massage function that generates electrical physical stimulation (the part that touches the neck may be configured to vibrate intermittently using electrical energy).

[0039] In the third embodiment, the output of the sensor 328 is outputted from the output section 330 of the temperature adjustment unit 306. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the temperature adjustment unit may be It can be used as a night light or supplementary light for reading by providing a lighting function for the lamp. When the adjustment unit is provided with a speaker, music or the like may be played from the speaker. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] The present invention is particularly suitable for use indoors or outdoors to combat the heat of summer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 100...Neck cooler 102...Main body 104...ball joint 106, 206, 306... Cooling units 108...Exterior 108A…Introduction 110...Phase change member 112...Ball stud section 112A...Rod section 112B...Ball part 114...Socket part 114A...Nut part 114AA, 114BA...inside 114B...Threaded part 114BB, 116D...Slit section 114C...Hold section 114CA...recess 116...Casing 116A...Front casing part 116AA, 116AB...Air intake window 116B...Back casing part 116C...Side casing part 116E…ventilation window 118, 218, 318... Switch 120, 220, 320...Connection port 122, 222, 322...blower motor 122A...Rotor 122B...Stator 124, 224, 324...Control circuit 124A, 224A, 324A...Control unit 124B, 224B, 324B...Storage section 126, 226, 326... Rechargeable batteries 228, 328...sensor 330...Output section O...Rotation axis

Claims

1. A neck cooler comprising a ring-shaped main body that can be worn around the neck of a human body and a cooling unit connected to an end of the main body, The main body includes a heat storage member that utilizes heat storage technology and an exterior that houses the heat storage member, The cooling unit is capable of transporting heat using electrical energy, and the direction of the heat transport can be freely adjusted relative to the main body. A neck cooler that features:

2. In claim 1, The cooling unit is detachable from the main body. A neck cooler that features:

3. In claim 1, The heat storage material is a phase change material that changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase due to the body temperature of the human body. It is said that A neck cooler that features:

4. In claim 1, The cooling unit includes a blower motor. A neck cooler that features:

5. In claim 1, The cooling unit further includes a sensor for detecting the state of the human body, a sensor for detecting a change in the heat storage material, or a sensor for detecting the temperature of the outside air, and can increase or decrease the amount of heat transport according to the output of the sensor. A neck cooler that features:

6. In claim 5, The cooling unit further includes an output section that can reflect the output of the sensor. A neck cooler that features:

7. In claim 1, further comprising: The main body has a temperature display function. A neck cooler that features:

Images