High pressure chamber device

Abstract

To provide a hyperbaric chamber apparatus that is compact and yet highly airtight.SOLUTION: A shell 14 forming a hyperbaric chamber comprises a body part 32, serving as a housing, and a connecting part 22 connected to an opening 36 of the body part 32. The connecting part 22 includes a bag body molded from a material with flexibility and having a connecting part-side opening having a larger size than the size of the opening 36, and an elastically-deformable annular elastic member fixed along an edge of the opening. The opening side of the connecting part 22, with it elastically deformed, is inserted inside the body part 32, and after that, when air is supplied thereto by an air supply part 16, with the elastic member deployed, the opening side of the connecting part 22 comes into contact with the edge of the opening of the opening 36 of the body part 32, so that the hyperbaric chamber is formed by the body part 32 and the connecting part 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hyperbaric chamber device capable of increasing the internal air pressure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, devices have been considered that can improve the health of people in a closed space by controlling the air pressure and air quality in the space. Many of these devices have a relatively large volume, and have problems in that it takes time to reach a predetermined air pressure and is inefficient when used by individuals. Therefore, there are devices that control the air pressure and air quality in a space while part of the user's body is contained therein, such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-45611 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2009-285249 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the device described in the above patent document is certainly compact, it is difficult to ensure airtightness in the part where the human body is exposed. For example, even during use, the device may easily become displaced due to the user's movement, which may cause the air inside to leak out.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure chamber device that is compact yet highly airtight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the high pressure chamber device of the present invention comprises: A hyperbaric chamber device comprising: a shell that forms a hyperbaric chamber capable of accommodating a user's body; and an air supply unit that supplies air to the hyperbaric chamber, the hyperbaric chamber being capable of increasing the internal air pressure when the user is in the hyperbaric chamber, The shell includes a main body portion, which is a housing having an opening, and a connecting portion, which is connected to the main body side opening, which is the opening of the main body portion; The body side opening has a dimension smaller than an inner dimension of the body portion, the connecting portion includes a bag body formed from a flexible material and having a connecting portion side opening having a dimension larger than a dimension of the main body side opening, and an elastically deformable annular elastic member fixed along an opening edge of the connecting portion side opening, the elastic member is capable of being inserted into and removed from the main body side opening of the main body portion in an elastically deformed state, When a portion of the connecting part on the opening side of the connecting part is inserted into the inside of the main body part and the elastic member is deployed, the air supply part supplies air to the connecting part on the opening side of the connecting part, so that the portion of the connecting part on the opening side of the connecting part contacts an opening edge of the main body side opening of the main body part, and the high pressure chamber is formed by the main body part and the connecting part.

[0007] In the hyperbaric chamber device of this configuration, the hyperbaric chamber is formed by attaching the connecting part so that it protrudes from the opening of the main body when the user places part or all of his / her body inside the main body. In the hyperbaric chamber device of this configuration, the shell is composed of two parts, the main body which is a housing, and the connecting part which is mainly a flexible bag body, and the connecting part is only expanded when in use to form the hyperbaric chamber, so that the device itself is compact. In addition, after the connecting part is attached to the main body, when the air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber is increased by the air supply unit, the opening edge side of the bag body of the connecting part is pressed against the vicinity of the opening edge of the main body, and the hyperbaric chamber is sealed. Therefore, the hyperbaric chamber device of this configuration is compact and simple, yet highly airtight.

[0008] The "main body" in the hyperbaric chamber device of this configuration may be capable of accommodating the entire body of the user, but from the viewpoint of compactness, it is preferable that a part of the user's body is accommodated on the connecting part side. The "main body" may be capable of accommodating a part of the user's body when the user is seated, or a part of the user's body when the user is lying down. The "connecting part" in this configuration may be capable of accommodating a part of the user's body that is not accommodated in the main body, such as the upper body or legs.

[0009] In the above configuration, the main body may have a groove on the inner surface, inside the main body opening, into which the elastic member fits.

[0010] With this configuration of high-pressure chamber device, the connecting part can be attached to the main body part at a specified position, thereby preventing the connecting part from shifting during use and reliably securing the wrap length between the main body part and the bag body, thereby further improving the airtightness of the high-pressure chamber.

[0011] In the above configuration, the main body side opening of the main body portion may open laterally.

[0012] In the high pressure chamber device of this configuration, the main body is open on the side, so that the user can easily enter and exit the main body.

[0013] In the above configuration, the main body portion may include a seat portion therein for a user to sit on, and the bag body of the connecting portion may be tubular with a bottom.

[0014] The hyperbaric chamber device of this configuration is configured so that the main body functions as a chair, and can be used in such a manner that the main body accommodates the upper body of the user and the connecting part accommodates the legs of the user. Furthermore, even when the hyperbaric chamber device of this configuration is not used as a hyperbaric chamber device, the connecting part can be folded and the main body can be used as a chair, making it easy to incorporate into a living environment.

[0015] In the above configuration, the main body side opening may be formed in a curved shape.

[0016] For example, if the main body opening is rectangular, it is thought that gaps are likely to occur at the corners between the bag of the connecting part. In the high-pressure chamber device of this configuration, there is no point where the bag of the connecting part can bend relative to the main body opening, so the main body and the bag are securely wrapped, making it possible to further increase the airtightness of the high-pressure chamber.

[0017] In the above configuration, the body side opening may be formed in a circular shape, and the elastic member may be a circular member having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the body side opening.

[0018] In this configuration of high pressure chamber device, the shape of the opening on the main body side and the shape of the opening on the connecting part side of the connecting part are circular, so there is no need to consider the orientation of the connecting part relative to the main body part, making it easy to attach the connecting part to the main body part. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high pressure chamber device which is compact yet highly airtight. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use; [Diagram 3]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connecting portion is detached from the main body portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state in which the connecting part is removed from the main body part. [Diagram 5] 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a process of attaching the connecting portion to the main body portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connecting part is attached to the main body part. [Figure 7] A side cross-sectional view showing the state in which air is supplied into the high pressure chamber. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a chair used in an air conditioning apparatus according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, as a mode for carrying out the present invention, examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be carried out in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0022] The hyperbaric chamber device of the embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioner 10 that can adjust the air pressure and air quality inside the device while the user is inside, thereby improving the user's health condition and promoting his or her health. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 10 includes a shell 14 capable of accommodating a user 12 inside, and an air control device (air supply unit) 16 that increases the air pressure inside the shell 14 (hyperbaric chamber S) and controls the quality of the air inside, specifically the oxygen concentration and carbon dioxide concentration.

[0023] The shell 14 is composed of a chair 20 on which a user can sit and a flexible bag-shaped cover member 22. The cover member 22 is attached to the chair 20 to form a high-pressure chamber S inside the chair 20. The chair 20 is composed of a seat 30 on which a user can sit, a roughly spherical housing 32 that accommodates the seat 30, and legs 34 that support the housing 32. The housing 32 is hollow inside and has a shape like a sphere cut from the side. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing 32 has a shape like a sphere cut diagonally downward with its apex at a position lower than the apex. That is, the housing 32 has a roughly circular opening 36 (hereinafter referred to as the "housing-side opening 36") formed therein, and the housing-side opening 36 opens to the side and slightly diagonally upward. The inner diameter R1 of the housing-side opening 36 is smaller than the inner diameter R2 of the housing 32.

[0024] 3 and 4, a seat portion 30 is provided within the housing 32. The seat portion 30 is composed of a cushion portion 40 and a backrest portion 42, with the cushion portion 40 being disposed on the bottom side within the housing 32 and the backrest portion 42 being disposed on the side opposite the housing-side opening 36 in a position facing the housing-side opening 36.

[0025] The housing 32 may be formed of materials such as FRP or PP. The cushion section 40 and the backrest section 42 may employ, for example, sponge or urethane having cushioning properties as the inner material, and may employ synthetic leather, artificial leather, leather, cotton, fabric, or the like as the surface material. The seat section 30 is detachable from the housing 32. An interior material may be provided on the inner surface of the housing 32, and may be made of resin or may be made of the same cushioning material as the seat section 30.

[0026] Although the chair 20 thus configured differs depending on the user's physique, when the user sits in the same posture as in a typical chair, as shown in Fig. 2, the body of the user 12 except for a part of the lower legs (in Fig. 2, from the part above the knee to the lower leg) is housed inside the housing 32. In other words, the housing 32 covers the head of the seated user 12 from above, and also covers the left and right sides of the head and upper body.

[0027] A cover member 22 can be attached to the housing 32 of the chair 20. The cover member 22 is mainly composed of a flexible bag-shaped cover body (bag) 50. The cover body 50 is made of soft synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride, nylon, or polyethylene, and is colorless, transparent, and stretchable. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover body 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a ring-shaped wire (elastic member) 54 is fixed to the edge of the opening 52. That is, the opening 52 of the cover member 22 (hereinafter referred to as the "cover side opening 52") is held in a circular shape by the wire 54. However, the wire 54 can be easily elastically deformed by the user 12 applying force (see FIG. 5). The cover member 22 has no openings other than the cover side opening 52 and two connection ports 56, 58 for connecting two connection tubes 60, 62 of the air control device 16, and is highly airtight.

[0028] Next, a method of mounting the cover member 22 configured as above to the housing 32 will be described. First, as shown in Fig. 4, the cover member 22 has an outer diameter R3 of the cover-side opening 52 (outer diameter of the wire 54) that is larger than the inner diameter R1 of the housing-side opening 36. As described above, the wire 54 can be easily elastically deformed by the user, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 5, by putting the wire 54 in an elastically deformed state, the wire 54 can be inserted through the housing-side opening 36 and the cover member 22 can be inserted into the inside of the housing 32. Then, the wire 54 is deployed inside the housing 32 and the wire 54 is brought into contact with the inner surface side of the housing 32 and the opening edge of the housing-side opening 36, whereby a closed space, i.e., a high-pressure chamber S, is formed by the housing 32 and the cover member 22.

[0029] An annular groove 32A is provided on the inner surface of the housing 32 along the edge of the housing-side opening 36, a predetermined distance inward from the edge of the opening. The inner diameter R4 at the location where the groove 32A is formed is set to be approximately equal to the outer diameter R3 of the cover-side opening 52, so that the end of the cover member 22 to which the wire 54 is fixed, on the cover-side opening 52 side, can be fitted into the groove 32A. In other words, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the housing 32 and the cover member 22, causing a loss of airtightness.

[0030] With the above-mentioned configuration, the user 12 can seat on the seat 30 of the chair 20 and temporarily house his / her lower legs in the housing 32, or insert his / her lower legs into the cover body 50 from the cover-side opening 52 of the cover member 22, and then fit the end of the cover member 22 on the cover-side opening 52 side into the groove 32A of the housing 32, thereby attaching the cover member 22 to the housing 32. In this way, the air conditioning device 10 can create a state in which the high-pressure chamber S is closed with the user 12 housed in the high-pressure chamber S.

[0031] Next, the air control device 16 will be described. The air control device 16 is configured to include a device main body 64 in which an air pressure control device, an oxygen concentrator, and a carbon dioxide removal device are integrated, and the above-mentioned two connection tubes 60, 62 that connect the device main body 64 and the shell 14. The device main body 64 can control the air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber S, as well as the oxygen concentration and carbon dioxide concentration in the hyperbaric chamber S. For example, the device main body 64 controls the air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber S to be higher than the external air pressure, and controls the oxygen concentration in the hyperbaric chamber S to be higher than the external oxygen concentration, so that the air conditioning device 10 can activate the parasympathetic nerves of the user 12 in the hyperbaric chamber S to bring him or her into a relaxed state, thereby improving the health of the user 12 and promoting his or her health. When the user 12 breathes in the hyperbaric chamber S, the carbon dioxide concentration in the hyperbaric chamber S increases, so the device main body 64 controls the carbon dioxide concentration in the hyperbaric chamber S to decrease.

[0032] Specifically, the air control device 16 takes in the air in the high pressure chamber S into the carbon dioxide removal device through the connection tube 60. The carbon dioxide removal device separates carbon dioxide from the taken-in air, discharges the separated carbon dioxide to the outside, and sends the air from which carbon dioxide has been removed to the air pressure control device. The oxygen concentrator then sends out the air to which oxygen has been added (air with a high oxygen concentration) to the air pressure control device, and the air pressure control device sends the air to which oxygen has been added and from which carbon dioxide has been removed through the connection tube 62 to the high pressure chamber S. In this way, the air control device 16 reduces the carbon dioxide concentration in the high pressure chamber S, while increasing the air pressure and oxygen concentration in the high pressure chamber S. The carbon dioxide removal device may be of a type that adsorbs carbon dioxide. Also, in FIG. 7, the device main body 64 is shown placed on the floor, but it can also be attached to the lower back side of the housing 32, so that the chair 20 and the air control device 16 can be moved together.

[0033] The device main body 64 is equipped with a switch for adjusting the air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber S, a switch for adjusting the oxygen concentration in the hyperbaric chamber S, a switch for adjusting the pressurization time until the adjusted air pressure is reached, a switch for adjusting the pressure recovery time before the adjusted air pressure is restored to the air pressure at the start of pressurization, and a switch for adjusting the exposure time during which the adjusted air pressure is maintained. The air control device 16 is also equipped with a remote controller for remotely operating the device main body 64 wirelessly or by wire. Even when the user 12 is accommodated in the hyperbaric chamber S, the device main body 64 can be remotely operated by using the remote controller.

[0034] As described above, the air conditioning device 10, which is a high-pressure chamber device of this embodiment, includes the shell 14 that forms the high-pressure chamber S capable of accommodating the body of the user 12, and the air control device 16 as an air supply unit that supplies air to the high-pressure chamber S. The shell 14 is made up of the housing 32 as a main body unit that is a case having an opening, and the cover member 22 as a connecting unit that connects to the housing side opening (main body side opening) 36 that is an opening of the housing 32. The housing side opening 36 has a smaller dimension than the inside dimension (inner diameter) of the housing 32, and the cover member 22 is made up of the cover main body 50 as a bag body molded from a flexible material and having a cover side opening (connecting part side opening) 52 with a dimension larger than the housing side opening 36, and an elastically deformable ring-shaped wire (elastic member) 54 fixed along the opening edge of the cover side opening 52. When the wire 54 is elastically deformed, it can be inserted and removed from the housing side opening of the housing 32, and when the portion of the cover member 22 on the cover side opening 52 side is inserted inside the housing 32 and the wire 54 is deployed, air is supplied by the air control device 16, so that the portion of the cover member 22 on the cover side opening 52 side abuts against the opening edge of the housing side opening 36 of the housing 32, and a high-pressure chamber S is formed by the housing 32 and the cover member 22.

[0035] In the air conditioner 10 of this embodiment, the shell 14 is composed of two parts, the housing 32 which is a case, and the cover member 22 mainly composed of the flexible cover body 50, and the cover member 22 is expanded only when in use to form the high-pressure chamber S, so that the device itself is compact. In other words, when not in use as the air conditioner 10, the flexible cover member 22 can be folded up and used as the chair 20. In addition, in the air conditioner 10 of this embodiment, after the cover member 22 is attached to the housing 32, when the air pressure in the high-pressure chamber S is increased by the air control device 16, the opening edge side of the cover body 50 of the cover member 22 sticks to the vicinity of the opening edge of the housing 32, and the high-pressure chamber S is sealed. Therefore, the air conditioner 10 is compact and simple, yet highly airtight.

[0036] Furthermore, in the air conditioning device 10 of this embodiment, the housing 32 has a groove portion 32A inside the housing-side opening 36 on the inner surface, into which the wire 54 of the cover member 22 fits. This allows the cover member 22 to be attached to the housing 32 in a fixed position, preventing the cover member 22 from shifting during use and reliably ensuring the lap length between the housing 32 and the cover main body 50, thereby making the high-pressure chamber S more airtight.

[0037] <Other embodiments> In the air conditioning device 10 of the above embodiment, the housing side opening 36 provided in the housing 32 as the main body is circular, and the wire 54 fixed to the opening edge of the cover member 22 as the connecting part is also circular, but the shape is not limited to this. For example, instead of the chair 20 in the first embodiment, a chair 80 as shown in FIG. 8 can be used. This chair 80 is configured to include a seat 82 for a user to sit on, a housing 84 as the main body constituting the shell, and legs 86 supporting the housing 84, similar to the chair 20 in the first embodiment. However, the housing 84 is egg-shaped, and the opening 88 is also egg-shaped. In this case, the cover member as the connecting part can also ensure high airtightness by forming the wire fixed to the opening edge in an egg shape.

[0038] In both the air conditioner 10 of the embodiment described above and the air conditioner using the chair 80 shown in FIG. 8, the openings 36, 88 of the housings 32, 84 serving as the main body are configured to open to the side, making it easy for the user 12 to enter and exit the housings 32, 84. Note that the opening of the main body of the hyperbaric chamber device of the present invention is not limited to being on the side. For example, it may be configured to open upward. In that case, the main body can be configured to accommodate at least the lower half of the user's body, and the upper half of the body can be accommodated on the connecting part side.

[0039] In addition, in both the air conditioner 10 of the above-mentioned embodiment and the air conditioner using the chair 80 shown in Fig. 8, the openings 36, 88 of the housings 32, 84 as the main body are formed in a curved shape, but this is not limited thereto. For example, they may be rectangular or polygonal. However, compared to rectangular or polygonal openings, curved openings do not have any places where the bag body of the connecting part can bend, so the main body and the bag body are reliably wrapped, and it is possible to further increase the airtightness of the high pressure chamber.

[0040] In the air conditioning device 10 of the above embodiment, the main body functions as a chair, but is not limited thereto. For example, the main body may be shaped to accommodate a part or the whole of the user's body when lying down. Specifically, the main body and the connecting part may be configured to form a capsule-shaped shell. In this case, for example, a part of the upper or side of the capsule shape may be configured as the connecting part. In other words, in the air pressure chamber device of the present invention, the shape of the main body and the connecting part are not particularly limited, and various shapes may be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10...Air conditioning device (high pressure chamber device), 12...User, 14...Shell, 16...Air control device (air supply device), 20...Chair, 22...Cover member (connecting portion), 30...Seat, 32...Housing (main body), 32A...Groove, 36...Housing opening (main body side opening), 50...Cover body (bag), 52...Cover side opening (connecting portion side opening), 54...Wire (elastic member), 80...Chair, 82...Seat, 84...Housing (main body), 88...Opening (main body side opening)

Claims

1. A hyperbaric chamber device comprising: a shell that forms a hyperbaric chamber capable of accommodating a user's body; and an air supply unit that supplies air to the hyperbaric chamber, the hyperbaric chamber being capable of increasing the internal air pressure when the user is in the hyperbaric chamber, The shell includes a main body portion, which is a housing having an opening, and a connecting portion, which is connected to the main body side opening, which is the opening of the main body portion; The main body portion has a shape in which an internal space expands from the main body side opening toward the inside, the connecting portion includes a bag body formed from a flexible material and having a connecting portion side opening larger in shape than the main body side opening, and a ring-shaped elastic member that is elastically deformable and fixed along an opening edge of the connecting portion side opening, the elastic member is capable of being inserted into and removed from the main body side opening of the main body portion in an elastically deformed state, a connecting portion-side opening portion of the connecting portion is inserted into the inside of the main body portion and the elastic member is deployed. When air is supplied by the air supply portion, the connecting portion-side opening portion of the connecting portion comes into contact with an opening edge of the main body-side opening of the main body portion, and the high-pressure chamber is formed by the main body portion and the connecting portion, the main body has an inner surface, on the inside of the main body opening, a groove into which the elastic member fits, A high-pressure chamber device, wherein a portion of the connecting portion on the connecting portion side opening side is pressed by internal pressure between the main body side opening on the inner surface of the main body and the groove portion.

2. 2. The high pressure chamber device according to claim 1, wherein the body side opening of the body portion opens in a horizontal direction with respect to a vertical direction.

3. The main body portion includes a seat portion therein for a user to sit on, The high pressure chamber device according to claim 2 , wherein the bag body of the connecting portion is in the form of a cylinder with a bottom.

4. 4. The high pressure chamber device according to claim 1, wherein the body side opening is formed in a curved shape.

5. The body side opening is formed in a circular shape, 5. The high pressure chamber device according to claim 4, wherein the elastic member is a circular member having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the main body side opening.

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