Air Cooling Device

Abstract

To provide an air cooling device using a cold insulation material, which is light-weighted and can reduce exchange frequency of the cold insulation material by prolonging cold insulation effect (25°C or below, for example) for more than one hour while sufficiently maintaining an air flow rate.SOLUTION: An air cooling device 1 using a cold insulation material for sending cold air for keeping a cold object cold from a blower fan 19 includes a cooling mechanism which makes outside air sucked from an intake port pass through a passage (main cooling chamber 9) provided inside to cool it to cold air and sends the cold air from blower means connected to the passage. The cooling mechanism includes: a main cooling cold insulation material 11 which is arranged inside the passage; and a backup cold insulation material 15 which is a cold insulation material different from the main cooling cold insulation material 11 and is arranged outside the passage. A thermally conductive material (copper plate partition plate 17) is used for a wall of the passage of a portion (cooling chamber 13) in which the backup cold insulation material 15 is arranged, and is covered with a heat insulation material such as urethane for cold insulation so as to accommodate and enclose the main cooling cold insulation material 11 and the backup cold insulation material 15 inside the cooling chamber .SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air-cooling device, and more particularly to an air-cooling device that can suppress an increase in the temperature of a worker's body by sending cool air into, for example, an air-conditioned suit worn by the worker. [Background technology]

[0002] When working in high temperatures (e.g., above 35°C) such as in the summer, workers wear air-conditioned clothing to prevent heatstroke. Air-conditioned clothing generally works by blowing air into the enclosed space inside the suit that covers the worker's body, expelling the humid air that accumulates inside the suit through the gap between the worker's body and the suit, and absorbing the heat generated by the worker's naturalized sweat, thereby preventing the worker's body temperature from rising.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air-conditioned suit equipped with a fan that takes in outside air, the air-conditioned suit having an outer fabric and a lining, and forcibly generating a flow of air in the space between the outer fabric and the lining of the air-conditioned suit.

[0004] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 is configured to send in ambient air using a small blower fan, so the wearer's body temperature rises and the sweat produced is evaporated by the flow of ambient air, which has the problem of limited cooling effect.

[0005] As one technique for solving such problems, a technique using a cold insulator has been proposed, as described in Patent Documents 2 and 3.

[0006] It should be noted that techniques such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 4 to 6 are representative of the general technical level in this field. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-168485 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-53387 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-128603 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-237531 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-34693 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-119928 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 has the problem that the cooling capacity drops significantly as the refrigerant dissipates heat, which means that the refrigerant in the cooling suit needs to be frequently replenished or replaced.

[0009] Similarly, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 can extend the cooling time compared to the technology in Patent Document 2, but the more one tries to maintain the cooling effect, the more essentially it becomes necessary to increase the amount, including the number of ice packs. As described in paragraph 0066 of the specification, the technology in Patent Document 3 is scheduled to be replaced every time the human body cooling device maintains its cooling capacity (for example, every 45 minutes), and frequent replacement is planned, and a human body cooling device cooling system for this purpose is also proposed.

[0010] Furthermore, when considering the temperature perceived by the worker's body, a large air flow rate from the fan is desirable, but the higher the air flow rate from the fan, the shorter the cooling effect will be maintained, which creates a trade-off relationship, making it unrealistic to deal with the situation by adjusting the amount of ice packs.

[0011] These problems are essentially caused by the inability to move away from the idea of responding by increasing the amount (number) of ice packs, and we have to say that there are limits to the direction of development thinking when it comes to extending the cooling effect to more than one hour.

[0012] On the other hand, if the system is designed to use electrical elements such as Peltier elements instead of ice packs, it is possible to extend the cooling effect to several hours, but this requires a large-scale circuit configuration, which exceeds the weight that a worker can carry normally, making it impossible to work.

[0013] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an air-cooling device that uses ice packs, is lightweight, has sufficient air flow rate, and has a long cooling effect (for example, below 25°C) of more than one hour, thereby reducing the frequency of replacing the ice packs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] A first aspect of the present invention is an air cooling device that uses an ice pack to send cold air from a blowing means to cool an object to be cooled, and is provided with a cooling mechanism that cools external air drawn in from an air intake by passing it through a passage provided inside, and sends out the cold air from the blowing means connected to the passage, and the cooling mechanism is provided with a main ice pack that is placed inside the passage, and a backup ice pack that is a separate ice pack from the main ice pack and is placed outside the passage, and the wall of the passage where the backup ice pack is placed is made of a thermally conductive material, and the main ice pack and the backup ice pack are stored inside and surrounded by a heat insulating material.

[0015] In a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the blowing means performs intermittent operation.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner of the second aspect, further comprising backflow suppression means arranged downstream of the intake port for suppressing a backflow of air to the outside.

[0017] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the backflow suppression means includes a change means for changing the flow of air from upstream to downstream and from downstream to upstream at an angle from a linear direction, and then returning the flow to the linear direction.

[0018] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the fourth aspect, wherein the backflow suppression means further includes inclination means arranged downstream of the change means, and the inclination means is arranged at an angle with respect to the linear direction.

[0019] In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the cooling mechanism further comprises spraying means for spraying mist onto outside air taken in through the intake port before the air is sent into the passage.

[0020] A seventh aspect of the present invention is that, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the cooling mechanism comprises an intake air cooling insulation material that is separate from the main cooling insulation material and is arranged downstream or upstream of the intake port to cool the outside air when air is taken in through the intake port.

[0021] An eighth aspect of the present invention is the cooling mechanism according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the cooling mechanism includes a hose connected to the air blowing means, extending toward the object to be kept cool, and covered with a heat insulating material.

[0022] In a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to eighth aspects, the object to be kept cool is a worker's body, and the cooling mechanism sends cool air into an air-conditioned suit worn by the worker. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, as external air drawn in through an air intake port passes through an internal passage, it is cooled by a main cooling material disposed within the passage, and the cold air that keeps the object cool is then blown out by a blower. Furthermore, a backup cooling material is disposed outside the passage to maintain the cooling effect of the main cooling material. The walls of the passage where the backup cooling material is disposed are made of a thermally conductive material, and the main and backup cooling materials are housed and surrounded by a thermal insulating material, thereby extending the cooling effect of the main cooling material. Furthermore, because the cooling system is based on cooling materials rather than electrical elements such as Peltier elements, it does not require large size and can be lightweight. Furthermore, even if the air flow rate of the blower is increased, the backup cooling material does not come into direct contact with the external air drawn in through the air intake port, thereby extending the cooling effect of the main cooling material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an air-cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a prototype of the air-cooling device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the air-cooling device of FIG. [Figure 4] 2(A) and 2(E) are enlarged views showing a flexible hose for guiding cold air, which uses the heat insulating material shown in FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 2(E) and sends out cold air. [Figure 5] 2 is an enlarged view showing an intake flow regulator disk attached to the intake port with flow rate regulation function of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of an intake coolant provided at an intake port. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a mist generating device (spraying mechanism). [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a portion of the intermittent timer circuit of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a table showing the experimental results of the prototypes shown in FIGS. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of an air-cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram for explaining the intake port with flow rate adjustment function of FIG. 10 and a backflow prevention mechanism disposed downstream thereof. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an air-cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a prototype of the air-cooling device of Fig. 1, where Fig. 2(A) is a left side view, Fig. 2(B) is a front view, Fig. 2(C) is a right side view, Fig. 2(D) is a rear view, Fig. 2(E) is a plan view, and Fig. 2(F) is a bottom view. FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the air-cooling device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3(A) shows the cooling chamber with the flexible hose made of insulating material removed, FIG. 3(B) shows the removed cooling chamber, FIG. 3(C) shows the cooling chamber from above, FIG. 3(D) shows the state with the blower fan removed, FIG. 3(E) shows the state with the main refrigerant and backup refrigerant removed, FIG. 3(F) shows the state with the main refrigerant installed in the state of FIG. 3(E), and FIG. 3(G) shows the state with the backup refrigerant installed in the state of FIG. 3(E). FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the flexible hose for guiding cold air using insulating material shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(E) that sends out cold air. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the intake air flow regulator disk attached to the intake port with flow rate adjustment function of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 shows the state of the intake air coolant installed in the intake port. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the mist generating device (spraying mechanism). Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the intermittent timer circuit of Fig. 1.

[0027] Referring mainly to FIG. 1, the air cooling device 1 includes an intake port 3 whose flow rate is adjusted by an intake flow rate adjuster disk shown in FIG. 5, a coolant (intake air cooling cold insulator) 5 (see FIG. 6) that cools the outside air that is the outside air that is taken in through the intake port 3, a mist generator (spray mechanism) 7 (see FIG. 7) that sprays mist onto the outside air that has been cooled by the coolant 5, a cooling chamber 10 into which the cooled outside air that has been sprayed with mist is sent, a main cooling chamber 9 (see FIGS. 3(D) and 3(E)) that is a passage through which the outside air enters the cooling chamber 10, a main cooling cold insulator 11 (see FIG. 3(F)) that is the main coolant stored in the main cooling chamber 9, and a cooling mechanism (see FIG. 8) that generates mist on the outside air that has been cooled by the coolant 5. The cooling system includes a cooling chamber 13 (see FIGS. 3(D) and 3(E)) for maintaining the cooling effect of the main cooling material 11, a backup cooling material 15 (see FIG. 3(G)) stored in the cooling chamber 13, a partition plate 17 (see FIG. 3(E)) made of a thermally conductive copper plate for transmitting the cooling effect of the backup cooling material 15 to the main cooling material 11 in the main cooling chamber 9, a blower fan 19 (see FIG. 3(C)) connected to the outlet of the main cooling chamber 9 which serves as a passage, an intermittent timer circuit 21 (see FIG. 8) for intermittently operating the blower fan 19, and a flexible hose 23 (see FIG. 4) for guiding cool air connected to the blower fan 19 and sending out cool air. Note that the expression "outside air" used above means air outside the air cooling device 1, and may be outdoor air or indoor air, and the same applies below.

[0028] Here, the main cooling material 11 in the main cooling compartment 9 is located in a position where it directly comes into contact with the outside air taken in through the air intake 3 and sent out by the blower fan 19. In contrast, the backup cooling material 15 in the cooling compartment 13 is not located in such a direct position. It is provided to maintain the cooling effect of the main cooling material 11, and is located in the cooling compartment 17 where no air flow occurs. Furthermore, the cooling chamber 10 contains the main cooling material 11 and the backup cooling material 15 inside, and the main cooling compartment 9 and the cooling compartment 13 are covered with cooling urethane for thermal insulation, thereby maintaining the cooling effect. Furthermore, the flexible hose 23 for guiding cold air is covered with flexible hose insulation, which also maintains the cooling effect.

[0029] The air-cooling structure will be explained below. First, in the first stage of cooling, outside air is drawn in and cooled by the intake air cooling insulation material 5. The cooling here is achieved by quickly lowering the temperature with the negative cold air of the intake air cooling insulation material 5. Furthermore, the role of the intake air flow regulator disk, which adjusts the intake air flow rate at the intake port 3, is to adjust the cooling sensitivity, and adjustments can be made not only to the capacity of the exhaust side blower fan 19 but also on the intake side.

[0030] Next, as the second stage of cooling, the spray mechanism 7 sprays mist onto the intake and cooled outside air, continuously cooling it using the evaporation heat effect, preventing the main cooling material 11 in the main cooling chamber 9 from melting as much as possible and slowing down the melting.

[0031] Next, as the third stage, the food is cooled in a cooling chamber covered with urethane for cold insulation. This cooling is performed by the minus cold air from the main cooling material 11 in the main cooling chamber 9. Here, the cooling chamber 10 is divided into the main cooling chamber 9 and the cooling chamber 13 by a partition plate 17, and only the main cooling chamber 9 passes through the air. Because outside air does not flow through the cooling chamber 13 and the cooling chamber 13 does not directly contact the outside air, the backup cooling material 15 is less likely to melt than the main cooling material 11, and the temperature inside the cooling chamber 13 can be maintained lower than that inside the main cooling chamber 9. The main cooling chamber 9 receives the minus cold air from the backup cooling material 15 in the cooling chamber 13 through the copper partition plate 17, and the backup cooling material 15 backs up the cooling effect of the main cooling material 11 by heat exchange due to its thermal conductivity.

[0032] Next, as the fourth stage, the blower fan 19, which draws in cool air from the cooling chamber 10 and sends it outside, is intermittently controlled by an intermittent timer circuit 21. For example, it operates for one minute and stops for eight seconds, repeatedly. By creating periods of stoppage, the strength of the air blown during operation is increased, while the cool air inside the cooling chamber 10 is charged during the stoppage, thereby enhancing the cooling effect. Finally, as the fifth stage, the cool air is sent to the worker's air-conditioned clothing via a flexible cool air guide hose 23. This guide flexible hose 23 is covered with insulation to prevent loss of cooling energy and can be bent and adjusted, providing a design that maintains the cooling effect and is easy to use.

[0033] FIG. 9 is a table showing the experimental results of the prototype shown in FIGS. 2 to 8. Here, the outlet temperature is the temperature measured at the outlet side of the flexible hose 23, and the test environment temperature, which corresponds to the temperature of the outside air, is the indoor temperature measured at a temperature above 30°C and around 35°C. As shown in FIG. 9, the air volume was 24,000 m 3 When the test was set to a speed of 1000 / min, the temperature of the cool air sent out exceeded 25°C in 200 minutes from the start, when the test environment temperature was above 30°C, and it was possible to maintain the temperature below 25°C for up to 190 minutes. In other words, when the outside temperature was 35°C, it was possible to maintain the temperature below 25°C for more than three hours, and the air volume was 20,000 m 3 / min~23,000m 3 It was shown that if the cooling rate is increased to 1 / min, there is a good chance that the cooling effect can be extended to 3.5 hours, and in some cases to nearly 4 hours.

[0034] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of an air-cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the intake port with flow rate adjustment function of Fig. 10 and the backflow suppression mechanism arranged downstream of it. Fig. 11(A) is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 5, and Fig. 11(B) is a diagram for explaining the backflow suppression mechanism.

[0035] The differences from Fig. 1 will be explained below. In the air-cooling device 21, a backflow suppression mechanism 6 is provided downstream of the intake port 3. The backflow suppression mechanism 6 has a baffle plate 6a and an inclined slit 6b. The inclined slit 6b is arranged downstream of the baffle plate 6a.

[0036] The baffle plate 6a is an example of a means for changing the air flow from upstream to downstream and downstream to upstream at an angle from a linear direction and then returning it to a linear direction. This baffle plate 6a can suppress the backflow of cold air to the outside caused by the transfer of thermal energy between the outside and the inside through the air intake 3 due to the temperature difference, even when the blower fan 19 is stopped during intermittent operation by the intermittent timer circuit 21. As a result, the rise in the internal temperature can be suppressed and the time for which the low temperature state is maintained can be extended compared to the embodiment of Figure 1.

[0037] The inclined slit 6b is disposed at an angle to the linear direction and is an example of an inclined means. In addition to being inclined for the technical purpose of suppressing backflow in the same way as the baffle plate 6a, the inclined slit 6b is structured to guide the mist generated by the mist generator 7 to the end so that it does not drain and accumulate in the spray nozzle of the mist generator 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1, 21... air cooling device, 5... intake air cooling refrigeration material, 6... backflow prevention mechanism (backflow prevention means), 6a... baffle plate (changing means), 6b... inclined slit (inclining means), 7... mist generator (spray mechanism), 9... main cooling chamber, 11... main cooling refrigeration material, 13... cooling chamber, 15... backup refrigeration material, 17... partition plate, 19... blower fan, 21... intermittent timer circuit, 23... flexible hose for guiding cool air

Claims

1. An air cooling device that uses a cooling material to send cold air from a blowing means to cool a person's body, which is an object to be cooled, and has a weight within a carryable weight that can be carried by the person, a cooling mechanism that cools external air drawn in through an air intake port by passing it through a passage provided inside, and sends out cool air from the air blowing means connected to the passage; The cooling mechanism includes: A main refrigeration material disposed in the passage; a backup cold insulation material that is separate from the main cold insulation material and is arranged outside the passage, In the air cooling device, a thermally conductive material is used for the wall of the passage in the portion where the backup ice pack is arranged, and the main ice pack and the backup ice pack are housed inside and covered with a heat insulating material so as to surround them.

2. 2. The air-cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said air blowing means is operated intermittently.

3. 3. The air-cooling device according to claim 2, further comprising a backflow suppression means arranged downstream of said intake port for suppressing a backflow of air to the outside.

4. 4. The air cooling device according to claim 3, wherein the backflow suppression means includes a deflector that deflects the air flow from upstream to downstream and from downstream to upstream at an angle from a linear direction and then returns the air flow to a linear direction.

5. the backflow suppression means further includes a tilt means disposed downstream of the change means, 5. The air-cooling device according to claim 4, wherein said tilting means is disposed at an angle relative to said linear direction.

6. 2. The air-cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said cooling mechanism comprises a spraying means for spraying mist onto the outside air taken in through said intake port before said air is sent into said passage.

7. 2. The air-cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling mechanism includes an intake cooling insulation material that is separate from the main cooling insulation material and is arranged downstream or upstream of the intake port to cool the outside air when it is drawn in through the intake port.

8. 2. The air-cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling mechanism comprises a hose connected to the air blowing means, extending toward the object to be kept cool, and covered with a heat insulating material.

9. An air-cooling device as described in claim 1, wherein the cooling mechanism sends cool air into the air-conditioned suit worn by the person.

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