Simple incubator and childcare system equipped with the simple incubator

Abstract

A simple incubator 10 makes it possible to accommodate an infant with a relatively simple operation at the time of use, and also enables the simple incubator to be made compact so as to be able to be stored in a storage space when not in use. The simple incubator 10 comprises: wall parts 12-15 disposed so as to enclose an infant accommodation chamber S1, and a ceiling part 11 located above the wall parts. The wall parts 12-15 are configured so as to be expandable along the height direction of the infant accommodation chamber S1 through the inflation of air into the wall parts 12-15, and so as to be contractable along the height direction of the infant accommodation chamber S1 through the exhausting of air from inside the wall parts 12-15.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a simple incubator and an infant care system including the simple incubator. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-236114, filed on December 26, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] A foldable simple incubator is known as a simple incubator for keeping a newborn baby or the like (hereinafter referred to as a baby) warm inside the internal space. The simple incubator disclosed in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as a conventional simple incubator) includes a flexible housing that can expand and contract in the horizontal direction (left-right direction), and end modules provided on both the left and right ends of the flexible housing. According to the conventional simple incubator, the end modules in an upright state are moved left-right to expand the flexible housing, thereby allowing a baby to be accommodated inside the internal space of the flexible housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 189541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, at sites where simple incubators are used, there is a demand for the simple incubator to be able to accommodate a baby with relatively simple operations when in use, and to be able to make the simple incubator compact and store it in a storage space when not in use.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a simple incubator that can accommodate a baby with relatively simple operations when in use, and can be made compact so that it can be stored in a storage space when not in use, and a childcare system equipped with such a simple incubator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The simple incubator of the present invention comprises a wall portion arranged to surround a child accommodation chamber and a top surface portion located above the wall portion, and the wall portion is configured to be expandable along the height of the child accommodation chamber by injecting gas into the wall portion, and to be contractable along the height of the child accommodation chamber by exhausting the gas from within the wall portion.

[0007] When accommodating a baby in the simple incubator of the present invention, a baby accommodating chamber surrounded by the walls and the top surface is formed by injecting gas into the walls to expand them along the height direction, and the baby can be accommodated in the baby accommodating chamber. When storing the simple incubator of the present invention in a storage space, the height of the entire simple incubator can be reduced to the height before gas injection by discharging the gas injected into the walls.

[0008] In other words, according to the simple incubator of the present invention, when in use, a baby can be accommodated by the relatively simple operation of injecting gas into the wall, and when not in use, the simple incubator can be made compact and stored in a storage space.

[0009] However, in conventional simple incubators, since they are folded in the direction of the baby's height (the direction from the head to the feet when the baby is lying on its back), the width of the flexible housing (the length along the left-right direction of the simple incubator) becomes longer to some extent even when the flexible housing is folded. Also, the end modules provided at both the left and right ends of the flexible housing require a certain width to maintain an upright state. For this reason, it is not easy to reduce the overall size of the simple incubator when not in use.

[0010] In contrast, in the present invention, the walls are folded in the direction of the baby's height (the direction from the back to the chest when the baby is lying on its back), which is shorter than the baby's height, so the height (vertical length) of the walls in the contracted state can be kept relatively low. Also, the walls themselves can maintain the upright state without the need for end modules, which were necessary in conventional simple incubators. Therefore, the overall size of the simple incubator can be easily reduced when not in use, and the simple incubator can be stored compactly in a storage space.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the simple incubator of the present invention, the wall portion is formed by connecting a plurality of small pouch portions in a planar manner via connecting portions, and each of the plurality of small pouch portions has a cylindrical shape extending horizontally and is arranged so as to be stacked along the height direction of the child accommodation chamber.

[0012] In the above-mentioned embodiment, since the plurality of small pouches are connected in a planar manner via the connecting parts, the strength of the wall portion in the expanded state can be increased. Also, since the plurality of small pouches are configured to be folded along the height direction of the infant accommodation chamber, the height of the wall portion in the contracted state can be kept lower.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the simple incubator of the present invention, an opening is formed in a part of the wall portion to allow access to the baby accommodation chamber from the outside, and a door covering the opening is provided which can be opened and closed.

[0014] In the above-described embodiment, medical treatment can be given to the child placed in the simple incubator by opening the openable door, and by keeping the door closed under normal circumstances, temperature changes in the child placement room can also be suppressed.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the simple incubator of the present invention, a heat-retaining curtain is provided on the inside of the door (the opening when the door is opened).

[0016] In the above-described aspect, since the heat-retaining curtain is provided on the inside of the door, temperature changes in the child accommodation room can be minimized even when the door is opened.

[0017] In another aspect of the simple incubator of the present invention, the opening is formed by cutting out a portion of the top surface and a portion of the wall portion continuous with the top surface, and the door is configured to cover the cut-out portion of the top surface and a portion of the wall portion.

[0018] In the above-described embodiment, the opening is formed by cutting out part of the top surface and part of the wall, which allows the opening area to be relatively large and also allows hands to be inserted and removed from the child accommodation chamber from an obliquely upward direction, making it easier to accommodate the child in the child accommodation chamber.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the simple incubator of the present invention, the incubator further comprises a bottom surface portion located below the wall portion, and the bottom surface portion is formed by connecting a plurality of small pouches in a planar shape via connecting portions.

[0020] In the above aspect, when the baby accommodation chamber is heated, heat escape from the bottom side of the simple incubator can be prevented, thereby further improving the heat retention function of the baby accommodation chamber.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the simple incubator of the present invention, at least the top surface is made of a transparent material.

[0022] In the above embodiment, the condition of the baby housed in the simple incubator can be easily observed.

[0023] More preferably, the wall or the door is also made of a transparent material.

[0024] The childcare system of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned simple incubator, a temperature regulator placed within a child accommodation chamber of the simple incubator for regulating the temperature within the child accommodation chamber, and a mat placed within the child accommodation chamber.

[0025] The present invention is an excellent childcare system that includes the above-mentioned simple incubator of the present invention, which can accommodate a baby with relatively simple operations when in use and can be compactly stored in a storage space when not in use. Also, a temperature regulator is provided in the child accommodation chamber, so that the temperature in the child accommodation chamber can be maintained at an appropriate temperature. Also, a mat is provided in the child accommodation chamber, so that the mat can appropriately support the baby accommodated in the child accommodation chamber. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, when in use, the baby can be accommodated by a relatively simple operation, and when not in use, the device can be made compact and stored in a storage space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a childcare system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the simple incubator shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of the simple incubator shown in FIG. 1 with a front wall and a heat-retaining curtain removed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the simple incubator shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the simple incubator shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of a heat-retaining curtain in the simple incubator shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a view showing a state in which a front wall portion of the simple incubator shown in FIG. 1 has been removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a childcare system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view of the simple incubator shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover part of the simple incubator shown in FIG. 8 is removed. [Figure 11] 9 is a top view showing the simple incubator shown in FIG. 8 with the cover and top surface removed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, a simple incubator and an infant care system including the simple incubator of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0029] [Configuration of childcare system according to the first embodiment] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the childcare system 1 according to the first embodiment comprises a simple incubator 10 having walls 12-15 arranged to surround a child accommodation room S1 and a top surface 11 located above the walls 12-15, two temperature regulators 30 for regulating the temperature within the child accommodation room S1, and a mat 40 on which a child 50 and the two temperature regulators 30 are placed. The temperature regulators 30 and mat 40 are placed within the child accommodation room S1 as shown in Figure 3. The configuration of the simple incubator 10 will be described in detail later.

[0030] The temperature regulator 30 has a container 31 that can be filled with hot water, cold water, etc., and an exterior part 32 that covers the container 31. The container 31 is, for example, a plastic bottle or a metal container. The exterior part 32 is, for example, a heat-retaining sheet, and is wrapped around the outer periphery of the container 31. As the temperature regulator 30, for example, a device that requires electricity, such as a heater or a cooler, may be used. However, by using the temperature regulator 30 having the container 31 filled with hot water, cold water, etc., as in this embodiment, even in areas without electricity or disaster areas where the use of electricity is limited, the temperature inside the simple incubator 10 can be adjusted. In place of the temperature regulator 30, for example, a small heat generating material that is easy to store (one that uses heat generation by oxidation of iron powder, a hand warmer, etc.), a heat storage material (refrigerant, etc.), a heat dissipation material, etc. may be used.

[0031] The mat 40 has a first mat section 41 on which the baby 50 lies, and a second mat section 42 located below the first mat section 41 and on which the first mat section 41 and the temperature regulator 30 are placed. The two temperature regulators 30 are located at both ends of the first mat section 41 (at the head side and foot side of the baby 50) as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The first mat section 41 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, for example, 340 mm to 380 mm x 500 mm to 600 mm in a plan view, and has a thickness of 30 mm to 60 mm. The second mat section 42 is, for example, 410 mm to 450 mm x 830 mm to 930 mm in a plan view, and has a thickness of 10 mm to 30 mm.

[0032] The first mat portion 41 and the second mat portion 42 are integrally formed by bonding them together. The first mat portion 41 is formed of, for example, a urethane resin, and the second mat portion 42 is formed of, for example, a hard resin harder than the urethane resin. The first mat portion 41 and the second mat portion 42 may be integrally formed rather than being separate bodies. The first mat portion 41 and the second mat portion 42 may be made of the same material.

[0033] [Configuration of a simple incubator] As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the simple incubator 10 includes four walls 12 to 15, a top surface 11 located above an infant accommodation chamber S1 surrounded by the walls 12 to 15, and engagement portions 18 provided on the sides of the walls 12 to 15 and the top surface 11. The overall shape of the simple incubator 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and a bottom surface 16 of the simple incubator 10 (below the infant accommodation chamber S1) opens in a rectangular shape. In the following description, the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 1 is defined as the front, the direction opposite to the X direction as the rear, the direction along the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction as the width direction, and the Z direction perpendicular to each of the X direction and the Y direction as the height direction, and the wall facing the X direction is defined as the front wall 15, the wall facing the opposite direction to the X direction as the rear wall 14, the wall facing the Y direction as the side wall 13, and the wall facing the opposite direction to the Y direction as the side wall 12.

[0034] The side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, the front wall 15 and the top surface 11 are formed of a transparent resin sheet (transparent material) made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin. Needless to say, "transparent" here includes not only completely transparent but also semi-transparent (transparency that allows the inside of the simple incubator 10 to be seen).

[0035] The periphery of each of the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 is closed so that the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 are expandable when gas such as air is injected into the inside. The side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 are formed by connecting a plurality of small pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 to each other in a planar shape (to form a plane) via connecting portions 112, 122, 132, 142, 152. Specifically, side wall portions 12, 13, rear wall portion 14, front wall portion 15 and top surface portion 11 are formed by welding two transparent resin sheets arranged opposite each other, and their inner areas are connected by a plurality of linear connecting portions 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 that are parallel to each other, so that cylindrical pouch portions 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 are formed between each connecting portion 112, 122, 132, 142, 152, respectively.

[0036] The insides of side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 are each divided into seven pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 by a plurality of connecting portions 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 that are continuous in a straight line (see FIG. 5). In the expanded state, each pouch 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 has a cylindrical shape that extends horizontally and has a cross-sectional shape that is, for example, circular. These pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 are arranged side by side at equal intervals, and a plurality of linear connecting portions 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 that are parallel to each other are arranged between pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151.

[0037] Adjacent pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 are connected to each other, and valves 19 for injecting air are provided in parts of pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151. When air is injected through valve 19, pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 expand, and pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 are arranged side by side in a plane (see FIGS. 1 and 4). Pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 arranged in this plane form an air layer that suppresses heat loss from child accommodation room S1. When air is injected into pouches 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, the thickness of top surface 11, side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 is, for example, 30 mm to 60 mm.

[0038] In other words, the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, and the front wall 15 are configured to be expandable along the height of the child accommodation chamber S1 by injecting gas into them, and to be contractable along the height of the child accommodation chamber S1 by expelling gas from within the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, and the front wall 15.

[0039] The overall size of the simple incubator 10, when air is injected into the side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, front wall 15, and top surface 11 (as shown in Figures 1 to 4), is, for example, such that in a plan view, the length of the short side along the X direction (depth when viewed from the front wall 15) is 340 mm to 380 mm, the length of the long side along the Y direction (width when viewed from the front wall 15) is 780 mm to 880 mm, and the height is 300 mm to 350 mm.

[0040] The side walls 12 and 13, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 are provided at their edges with engaging portions 18 that can be engaged with and separated from each other. The engaging portions 18 are made of, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners. When the engaging portions 18 are overlapped to connect the edges, the three-dimensional shape shown in FIG. 1 can be assembled. On the other hand, when the engaging portions 18 are peeled off from each other and the edges of the side walls 12 and 13, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 are released from their connected state, the shape can be deformed into a planar shape shown in FIG. 5. The engaging portions 18 are not provided at the connecting portions between the side walls 12 and the rear wall 14, between the side walls 13 and the rear wall 14, and between the rear wall 14 and the top surface 11, and the side walls 12 and 13, the rear wall 14, and the top surface 11 are connected together.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 5, the top surface 11, the side walls 12, 13, and the rear wall 14 are integrated, and only the front wall 15 is a separate body. In the simple incubator 10 in a state where only the top surface 11, the side walls 12, 13, and the rear wall 14 are assembled, an opening 80 is formed toward the front so that the child accommodation room S1 can be accessed from the outside, as shown in Fig. 3. The front wall 15, which serves as a door covering the opening 80, is fixed openably and closably via the engagement portion 18, thereby forming the simple incubator 10. In other words, of the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, and the front wall 15, the front wall 15 functions as a door covering the opening.

[0042] When a doctor or the like accesses the child accommodation room S1 from outside the simple incubator 10 (inserting his / her hand into the simple incubator 10), the doctor or the like grasps the gripping portion 153 provided on the lower edge of the front wall portion 15 located on the front side of the simple incubator 10, and releases the connection between the front wall portion 15 and the side wall portion 12 and the connection between the front wall portion 15 and the side wall portion 13 (pulling apart the engaging portions 18 from each other), thereby opening the front wall portion 15. At this time, the front wall portion 15 and the top surface portion 11 may remain connected, or the engaging portion of the front wall portion 15 may be peeled off from the engaging portion 18 of the top surface portion 11 to remove the front wall portion 15, as shown in FIG.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 7, a heat-retaining curtain 17 is provided at an opening covered by the front wall 15 so as to hang down on the inside of the front wall 15. Specifically, the heat-retaining curtain 17 is provided at a position on the top surface 11 corresponding to the front wall 15 (the connection between the front wall 15 and the top surface 11, inside the front wall 15), and this heat-retaining curtain 17 has the function of keeping the child accommodation room S1 warm. As shown in Fig. 6, the heat-retaining curtain 17 is, for example, a curtain-shaped member having multiple cuts on one edge of a sheet-like member, and the other edge is continuous, but the one edge is separated into multiple strips by the cuts. The heat-retaining curtain 17 is formed of a transparent resin sheet made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin or the like.

[0044] The overall shape of the thermal insulation curtain 17 is approximately rectangular, and is set to a size slightly smaller than the front wall portion 15. At the other end of the thermal insulation curtain 17 (the end opposite the side where the slits are provided), engagement portions 18 are provided on both sides of the sheet. By engaging the engagement portion 18 provided on one side of the thermal insulation curtain 17 with the engagement portion 18 of the top surface portion 11, and by engaging the engagement portion 18 provided on the other side of the thermal insulation curtain 17 with the engagement portion 18 of the front wall portion 15, the thermal insulation curtain 17 can be positioned at a position on the top surface portion 11 corresponding to the front wall portion 15 (inside the front wall portion 15).

[0045] 1 to 5, a total of four holes 113 are formed in top surface 11, two on each side in plan view, which penetrate from the outside of simple incubator 10 toward child accommodation chamber S1. The opening shape of hole 113 is, for example, approximately circular, and is configured to be able to hold a syringe when inserted into hole 113.

[0046] In this embodiment, when accommodating a baby 50 in the simple incubator 10, air is injected into the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, and the front wall 15 to expand them in the height direction (i.e., Z direction which is the height direction of the baby accommodating chamber S1) to form a baby accommodating chamber S1 surrounded by the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, and the front wall 15 and the top surface 11, and then the simple incubator 10 is placed over the mat 40 on which the baby 50 lies (the simple incubator 10 is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1), thereby allowing the baby 50 to be accommodated in the baby accommodating chamber S1 of the simple incubator 10. Furthermore, when storing the simple incubator 10 in a storage space, the air injected into the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 is discharged, thereby allowing the overall height of the simple incubator 10 to be reduced to the height before the air was injected.

[0047] In other words, the simple incubator 10 of this embodiment is a simple incubator that can accommodate a baby 50 with relatively simple operations when in use, and can be made compact and stored in a storage space when not in use.

[0048] In this embodiment, the side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 are folded in the direction of the baby's height (the direction from the back to the chest when baby 50 is laid on its back on the mat 40), which is shorter than the baby's height, so that the heights (vertical lengths) of the side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 in the contracted state can be kept lower than in the past. Also, since the side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 themselves can maintain an upright state, the overall size of the simple incubator 10 can be easily reduced when not in use, and the simple incubator 10 can be compactly packed up and stored in a storage space.

[0049] In this embodiment, side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 are formed by multiple pouches 121-151 that are connected in a planar manner via connecting portions 122-152, which increases the strength of side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 when in the expanded state. Also, because multiple pouches 121-151 are configured to be folded along the height direction of child accommodation chamber S1, the height of side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, and front wall 15 when in the contracted state can be kept lower.

[0050] In this embodiment, since the above-mentioned engaging portion 18 is provided, the simple incubator 10 can be easily assembled when in use. Furthermore, by releasing the connection between the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, the front wall 15, and the top surface 11 by the engaging portion 18, the entire simple incubator 10 can be deployed horizontally, so that the height of the side walls 12, 13, the rear wall 14, and the front wall 15 in the contracted state can be kept lower. As a result, the simple incubator 10 can be stored in a more compact state by folding it appropriately, and multiple simple incubators 10 can be stored stacked on top of each other.

[0051] In this embodiment, medical procedures can be performed relatively easily on the child 50 accommodated in the simple incubator 10 by opening the front wall portion 15, which functions as a door covering the opening, and by keeping the front wall portion 15 closed under normal circumstances, temperature changes in the child accommodation room S1 can also be suppressed.

[0052] In this embodiment, since the heat-retaining curtain 17 is provided so as to hang down on the inside of the front wall portion 15, even if the front wall portion 15 is opened, the temperature change in the child accommodation room S1 can be minimized.

[0053] In this embodiment, the side walls 12, 13, rear wall 14, front wall 15 and top surface 11 are formed from transparent resin sheets, so that the state of the baby 50 accommodated in the simple incubator 10 can be easily observed from the outside. Furthermore, by using polyvinyl chloride resin, a lightweight and inexpensive simple incubator 10 can be provided.

[0054] In this embodiment, the pouch portions 121, 131, 141, 151 of the different wall portions 12 to 15 are not connected to each other, so that even if the pouch portion constituting one of the side wall portions 12, 13, rear wall portion 14, and front wall portion 15 is torn and the air inside escapes, the overall shape of the simple incubator 10 can be maintained and the space that constitutes the child accommodation room S1 can be maintained as long as the pouch portions of the other wall portions are not torn.

[0055] In this embodiment, holes 113 are formed in top surface 11, and these holes 113 can be used as ventilation openings, and in addition, a syringe connected to a tube can be inserted into hole 113 to supply breast milk or the like to baby 50. Also, since two holes 113 are formed on each side, breast milk or the like can be easily supplied to baby 50 regardless of whether the head of baby 50 is facing to the left or right of simple incubator 10 (the Y direction or the direction opposite to the Y direction).

[0056] The childcare system 1 of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned simple incubator 10, and therefore is an excellent childcare system that can accommodate a baby 50 with a relatively simple operation when in use, and can compactly store the simple incubator 10 in a storage space when not in use. In addition, a temperature regulator 30 is disposed in the child accommodation room S1, so that the temperature in the child accommodation room S1 can be maintained at an appropriate temperature. This temperature regulator 30 is also composed of a container filled with hot or cold water, and is therefore simple and easy to handle. Furthermore, a mat 40 is disposed in the child accommodation room S1, so that the mat 40 can appropriately support the baby 50 accommodated in the child accommodation room S1.

[0057] [Configuration of childcare system according to the second embodiment] 8 and 9, the childcare system 2 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the simple incubator 20 further has a bottom part 26, is provided with a cover part 60, and the front wall part 25 is not configured to be openable and closable. In the following description, the same or substantially the same configurations as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same numbers, and description will be omitted or simplified.

[0058] 8 and 9, the childcare system 2 comprises a simple incubator 20 having walls 22-25 arranged to surround a child accommodating room S2, a top surface 21 located above the walls 22-25, and a bottom surface 26 located below the walls 22-25, two temperature regulators 30, and a mat 43 on which a child 50 is placed. The temperature regulators 30 and the mat 43 are arranged in the child accommodating room S2.

[0059] [Configuration of a simple incubator] 8 to 11, simple incubator 20 includes four walls 22 to 25, a top surface 21 located above child accommodating chamber S2 surrounded by walls 22 to 25, and a bottom surface 26 located below child accommodating chamber S2. In the following description, the direction of arrow X in Fig. 8 is defined as the front, the direction opposite to the X direction as the rear, the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction as the width direction, and the Z direction perpendicular to both the X and Y directions as the height direction. The wall facing the X direction is defined as front wall 25, the wall facing the opposite direction to the X direction as rear wall 24, the wall facing the Y direction as side wall 23, and the wall facing the opposite direction to the Y direction as side wall 22.

[0060] The overall shape of this simple incubator 20 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped, with parts of the front wall 25 and the top surface 21 opening as shown in Figure 10. In other words, the opening 70 is formed by cutting out part of the top surface 21 and part of the front wall 25 that is continuous with the top surface 21. This opening 70 allows access to the infant accommodation room S2 from outside the simple incubator 20, and is covered by a cover 60 which corresponds to a door in the present invention.

[0061] The structure of these top surface portion 21, side walls 22, 23, rear wall portion 24, front wall portion 25 and bottom surface portion 26 is formed from a transparent resin sheet (transparent material) made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin, similar to the top surface portion 11, side walls 12, 13, rear wall portion 14 and front wall portion 15 of the first embodiment, and the periphery is closed and the multiple small pouch portions are connected in a planar manner via connecting portions so that the container can expand when a gas such as air is injected inside. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the child accommodation space S2 can be easily formed by putting each portion 21-26 in an expanded state, and the height of the simple incubator 20 can be reduced by putting each portion in a contracted state.

[0062] The overall size of the simple incubator 20, in a state where air is injected into each of the parts 21-26 and the cover part 60 is placed (the state shown in Figs. 8 and 9), is such that, in a plan view, the length of a side along the X direction (the depth of the simple incubator 20 as a whole when viewed from the front wall part 25) is 400mm to 800mm, the length of a side along the Y direction (the width of the simple incubator 20 as a whole when viewed from the front wall part 25) is 400mm to 800mm, and the length of a side along the Z direction (the overall height of the simple incubator 20) is 300mm to 600mm. The height of the front wall part 25 (the height of only the front wall part 25 excluding the opening 70) is set to 10% to 90% of the overall height of the simple incubator 20, for example, 30mm to 540mm. The length of the side of the top surface portion 21 along the X direction (the depth of only the top surface portion 21 excluding the opening 70) is set to 10% to 90% of the depth of the entire simple incubator 20, for example, 40 mm to 720 mm.

[0063] In addition, the edges of each of the parts 21 to 26 are welded together and integrated, which provides a higher level of airtightness than when the edges are connected with hook-and-loop fasteners or the like, thereby improving the heat retention effect of the child accommodation chamber S2.

[0064] 8 and 10, three holes 211 penetrating from the outside of the simple incubator 20 toward the child accommodation chamber S2 are formed in the top surface 21, lined up in the depth direction, at positions on the side wall 22 side. The opening shape of the holes 211 is, for example, substantially circular, and is configured to be able to hold a syringe when inserted into the holes 211.

[0065] 11, two temperature regulators 30 and a mat 43 on which the baby 50 is placed are placed on the bottom surface 26. The temperature regulators 30 are placed on the rear wall 24 side (opposite the X direction) of the bottom surface 26, and the mat 43 is placed in front of the temperature regulators 30 (X direction side). The bottom surface of the mat 43 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the baby 50 is placed) is provided with four engagement parts 431 made of, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the upper surface of the bottom surface 26 is provided with engagement parts (not shown) made of, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners at positions corresponding to the engagement parts 431 of the mat 43. In other words, the mat 43 is configured to be detachable from the bottom surface 26.

[0066] Furthermore, mat 43 is formed, for example, from urethane resin, and configured to a size corresponding to the baby accommodation chamber S2 of simple incubator 20. Note that, although in Fig. 11 baby 50 is placed so that the mouth of baby 50 is near hole 211, this is not limiting, and the orientation of baby 50 may be changed depending on the overall shape of simple incubator 20, the arrangement of temperature regulator 30, etc.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the cover portion 60 is a member that functions as a door that covers the opening 70, and is formed by stacking multiple layers (e.g., three layers) of transparent resin sheets made of polyvinyl chloride resin. The cover portion 60 includes an upper surface portion 61 that covers the top surface portion 21 cut out of the opening 70, and a front surface portion 64 that covers the front wall portion 25 cut out of the opening 70. The upper surface portion 61 and the front surface portion 64 are both rectangular in plan view. The front surface portion 64 is shaped to hang down from the end of the upper surface portion 61 on the front wall portion 25 side toward the bottom surface portion 26 side, and the upper surface portion 61 is connected to the top surface portion 21 via a connection portion 611 (see Fig. 9).

[0068] Furthermore, the cover portion 60 is formed with two side surface portions 62, 63 which connect the top surface portion 61 and the front surface portion 64 and come into contact with the outer surfaces of the two side wall portions 22, 23 when the opening 70 is closed. One side surface portion 62 is formed in a triangular shape in a plan view that hangs down from the end portion of the top surface portion 61 on the side wall portion 22 side toward the bottom surface portion 26 side, and the other side surface portion 63 is formed in a triangular shape in a plan view that hangs down from the end portion of the top surface portion 61 on the side wall portion 23 side toward the bottom surface portion 26 side.

[0069] An end portion of the upper surface portion 61 on the rear wall portion 24 side (the end portion opposite the front surface portion 64) is welded to the upper surface of the top surface portion 21, and this welded portion serves as a connection portion 611 between the cover portion 60 and the top surface portion 21. As shown in Fig. 9, this connection portion 611 is a portion that functions as a rotation center when the cover portion 60 is opened and closed. In other words, the connection portion 611 functions as a hinge for the cover portion 60, and allows the cover portion 60 to be opened and closed.

[0070] 8, two extending portions 641 are formed at the tip end (end portion on the bottom surface portion 26 side) of the front surface portion 64, which are rectangular in plan view and extend toward the bottom surface portion 26. An engaging portion 642 made of, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener is fixed to the back surface (surface facing the front wall portion 25) of each extending portion 641. Meanwhile, an engaging portion 252 made of, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener is fixed to the upper portion of the front wall portion 25, as shown in FIG. 9. The engaging portion 642 of the cover portion 60 is detachable from the engaging portion 252 of the front wall portion 25. This makes it possible to prevent the cover portion 60 from unintentionally coming off or rolling up when the opening 70 is covered with the cover portion 60, and makes it possible to easily expose the opening 70 by simply removing the engaging portion 642 of the cover portion 60 from the engaging portion 252 of the front wall portion 25.

[0071] When a doctor or the like accesses child accommodation room S2 from outside the simple incubator 20 (when the doctor or the like inserts his / her hand into the simple incubator 20), first, the doctor or the like grasps extension 641 of cover part 60 and pulls it toward the user (X direction) to disengage engagement part 642 from engagement part 252 of front wall part 25, and releases the connection between front wall part 25 and front surface part 64 of cover part 60. Then, by lifting extension part 641 upward (Z direction) while still grasping it, cover part 60 rotates about connection part 611 as the center of rotation along the arrow in Fig. 9, and moves to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 9. This releases opening 70, allowing access to child accommodation room S2 through opening 70.

[0072] In this embodiment, the various parts 21-26 that make up the simple incubator 20 are welded together, and the entire surface of the child accommodation chamber 21, including the bottom surface, is covered, thereby improving the heat retention function of the child accommodation chamber S2 compared to a simple incubator which has an open bottom surface.

[0073] Also, because opening 70 is covered with cover 60, it is possible to provide medical treatment to baby 50 accommodated in simple incubator 20 while minimizing temperature changes in baby accommodation chamber S2. Furthermore, because cover 60 is formed from multiple layers of transparent resin sheets, it is possible to ensure heat retention without impairing visibility of baby accommodation chamber S2.

[0074] In addition, because the opening 70 is formed by cutting out a part of the top surface 21 and a part of the front wall 25, the opening area can be made relatively large, and since hands can be put in and out of the child accommodation chamber S2 from an obliquely upward direction, it is easy to accommodate the child 50 in the child accommodation chamber S2. Furthermore, because the two side surface portions 62, 63 of the cover portion 60 are configured to abut against the outer surfaces of the respective side walls 22, 23, it is possible to prevent the cover portion 60 from being unintentionally detached or rolled up. In addition, because the cover portion 60 is connected to the top surface 21 via the connection portion 611, the child accommodation chamber S2 can be accessed without removing the cover portion 60 from the simple incubator 20.

[0075] Furthermore, because bottom surface portion 26 is provided in which multiple small pouches are connected in a planar manner via connecting portions, it is possible to prevent heat from escaping from the bottom side of simple incubator 20 when child accommodation chamber S2 is heated, thereby improving the heat retention function of child accommodation chamber S2. Also, in addition to the cushioning properties of mat 43 itself, the cushioning properties of bottom surface portion 26 can be utilized.

[0076] Moreover, since an engagement portion 431 is provided on the bottom surface of the mat 43 and an engagement portion corresponding to the engagement portion 431 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 26, the mat 43 can be securely fixed to the bottom surface portion 26. Furthermore, since the mat 43 is configured to be detachable from the bottom surface portion 26, the mat 43 can be easily removed when it becomes soiled, for example.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0078] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the wall portion is formed such that a plurality of cylindrical pouches are connected in a plane via a connecting portion that is continuous in a straight line, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pouches may be connected in a plane via a connecting portion that is a shape other than a straight line, such as a curve, or may be connected in a plane via a connecting portion to form a pouch having a shape other than a cylindrical shape. The cross-sectional shape of the pouch is not limited to a circle, and may be other cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangle. Furthermore, instead of a connecting portion that is continuous in a straight line, for example, two sheets may be joined in a dot shape. The present invention also includes an example in which a plurality of pouches are connected in a plane (to form a plane), but the present invention is not limited to this, and may include a case in which a plurality of pouches having different thicknesses are prepared, and the thickness of the wall portion changes, such as the thickness of the wall portion gradually increasing from the top to the bottom of the wall portion, or a case in which a plurality of cylindrical pouches having the same shape are prepared and the center positions of the cylindrical pouches are shifted forward and backward to form a wavy wall portion.

[0079] In the above embodiments, the overall shape of the simple incubator is generally rectangular, but the shape is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a cube, or the top surface may be circular in plan view and the walls may be cylindrical. The number of walls may be determined according to the overall shape of the simple incubator. In addition, if the number of walls is relatively large, the strength of the walls as a whole can be ensured even if no connecting parts are provided inside the walls.

[0080] In each of the above embodiments, the engaging portion is exemplified as a hook-and-loop fastener, but this is not limited to this, and any known engaging means can be used, such as a fastener (line fastener), a button with a concave-convex fit, or a hook that can engage with the engaged portion.

[0081] In the above first embodiment, the engaging portions 18 are provided on the edges of the wall portions 12, 13, 15 and the top surface portion 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the engaging portions 18 for connecting the wall portion 12 and the top surface portion 11 and the engaging portions 18 for connecting the wall portion 13 and the top surface portion 11 may be removed, and the wall portion 12 and the top surface portion 11 may be connected to each other. In this case, by folding the wall portions 12 and 13, the entire simple incubator 10 can be made more compact, and further, the number of engaging portions 18 can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0082] In the first embodiment, the bottom surface of the simple incubator 10 is open, but this is not limiting, and the simple incubator 10 may have a bottom surface portion as in the second embodiment.

[0083] In the above first embodiment, the wall portion 14 and the top surface portion 11 are connected to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an engagement portion 18 may be provided at the connection portion between the rear wall portion 14 and the top surface portion 11, and the top surface portion 11 may be configured to be removable not only from the side walls 12, 13 and the front wall portion 15 but also from the rear wall portion 14. In this case, the baby can be accommodated or removed from the upper part of the baby accommodation room S1. In the second embodiment, the simple incubator 20 is configured such that the respective portions 21 to 26 are integrated by welding, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the respective portions may be configured to be detachable via the engagement portions as in the first embodiment.

[0084] In each of the above embodiments, the top surface has substantially the same configuration as the wall surface, but this is not limiting and may be formed, for example, from one or more transparent resin sheets. Even in this case, the wall surface and the top surface can form an infant accommodation chamber S1, and an infant can be accommodated inside. Furthermore, since there is no need to supply gas to the top surface, the simple incubator can be assembled in a shorter time and the entire simple incubator can be made more compact.

[0085] In the above first embodiment, the thermal curtain 17 is a curtain-like member having multiple slits on one edge of a single sheet-like member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, multiple string-like members may be hung close to each other with no gaps, or a single sheet-like member may be hung in an area excluding the peripheral portion with a hole or slit of a size that allows a doctor or the like to insert his or her hand. Note that there is no particular limitation on the installation method as long as it is placed inside a wall configured to be openable and closable.

[0086] In the second embodiment, the opening 70 is formed by cutting out a part of the top surface 21 and a part of the front wall 25, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the opening 70 may be formed by cutting out only a part of the front wall 25 without cutting out a part of the top surface 21. Also, the opening 70 may be formed by cutting out a part of the top surface 21 and a part of a wall other than the front wall 25 (for example, the side wall 22). Also, the number of openings is not limited to one, and a plurality of openings may be provided, and each of the plurality of openings may be provided with a cover portion.

[0087] In each of the above embodiments, the top surface portions 21, 21A, the wall portions 22-24, 22A-24A, and the bottom surface portion 26 are formed from a transparent material, but this is not limited thereto, and they may not be formed from a transparent material, or only a portion of them may be transparent.

[0088] The material, shape, size, number, location, and the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0089] When in use, the infant can be accommodated with relatively simple operations, and when not in use, the simplified incubator can be made compact and stored in a storage space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1,2…Childcare system 10,20…Simple incubator 11,21...Top section 12, 13, 22, 23...Side wall (wall) 14,24...Rear wall (wall) 15...Front wall (wall / door) 25…Front wall (wall) 26…Bottom part 111,121,131,141,151…Sachet part 112,122,132,142,152...Connection part 113,211...hole 153...Gripping part 252...Engagement portion 16…Bottom 17…Thermal curtain 18...Engagement part 19…Valve 30…Temperature controller 31…Container 32...Exterior part 40,43…Matte 41…First mat section 42…Second mat section 431...Engagement part 50…children 60…Cover part (door) 61...Top part 62,63…Side part 64...Front section 611…Connection 641...Extension part 642…Engagement part 70,80…Aperture S1, S2: Child detention room

Claims

1. A wall portion arranged to surround the child accommodation room; A top surface portion located above the wall portion, the wall portion is configured to be expandable along the height direction of the child accommodation chamber by injecting gas into the wall portion, and to be contractable along the height direction of the child accommodation chamber by discharging the gas from within the wall portion, A simple incubator characterized in that an opening is formed in a portion of the wall to allow access to the baby accommodation chamber from the outside, and a door covering the opening is provided which can be opened and closed.

2. The wall portion is formed by connecting a plurality of small pouches in a planar shape via connecting portions, 2. The simple incubator according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of small pouches has a cylindrical shape extending horizontally and is arranged so as to be stacked along the height direction of the infant accommodation chamber.

3. 2. The simple incubator according to claim 1, wherein an insulation curtain is provided on the inside of the door.

4. The opening is formed by cutting out a part of the top surface portion and a part of the wall portion continuous with the top surface portion, 4. The simple incubator according to claim 1, wherein the door is configured to cover a part of the top surface and a part of the wall that are cut out.

5. Further comprising a bottom surface portion located below the wall portion, 5. The simple incubator according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface portion is formed by connecting a plurality of small pouches in a plane shape via connecting parts.

6. The simple incubator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A temperature regulator that is disposed inside the infant accommodation chamber of the simple incubator and that adjusts the temperature inside the infant accommodation chamber; A childcare system comprising: a mat to be placed in the child accommodation room.

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