Air-conditioned clothing that does not expand excessively due to the air blown in by the fan

Abstract

To provide an air-conditioned suit capable of at least temporarily increasing the flow rate of air sent from a blower. [Solution] The air-conditioned clothing of the present invention comprises a front body, a back body, and one or more blowers, and the back body has at least one tunnel on the inner surface of the back body that communicates with at least one of the one or more blowers, and the at least one tunnel has at least one inlet opening for receiving air blown in from the at least one blower and at least one outlet opening for discharging air out of the at least one tunnel along the back body, and the at least one tunnel is configured to be able to at least temporarily increase the flow rate of the air blown in from the at least one blower.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air-conditioned garment that does not inflate excessively due to air blown in from a blower. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Air-conditioned clothing that is used by passing air through the interior has been known for some time (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Nippon Hefuku Kogyo Co., Ltd., "How to Choose the Size of Air-Conditioned Clothing | How to Avoid a Baggy Look," [online], [Retrieved August 7, 2025], Internet<URL:https: / / www.nihonhifuku.jp / columns / air_conditioned_clothes_size / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional air-conditioned clothing requires the wearer to select a size larger than the wearer normally wears in order to allow for a large air passage through the interior of the clothing (i.e., the space between the clothing and the wearer's skin). Furthermore, because conventional air-conditioned clothing circulates air inside, it can overinflate to the point where it at least partially restricts the wearer's movement and / or field of vision, affecting the wearer's ability to work while wearing the clothing.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an air-conditioned garment that does not inflate excessively due to air blown in from a blower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, the air-conditioned clothing of the present invention comprises a front body, a back body, and one or more blowers, the back body having at least one tunnel on the inner surface thereof that is in communication with at least one of the one or more blowers, the at least one tunnel having at least one inlet opening for receiving air blown in from the at least one blower and at least one outlet opening for discharging the air out of the at least one tunnel along the back body, and the at least one tunnel being configured to be able to at least temporarily increase the flow rate of the air blown in from the at least one blower.

[0007] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one tunnel may comprise at least one guide within the at least one tunnel.

[0008] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one tunnel may comprise at least one pair of guides within the at least one tunnel, each pair of guides being configured such that a width between the guides at least partially narrows along a direction from the at least one entrance opening to the at least one exit opening.

[0009] In one embodiment of the invention, the area of ​​said at least one outlet opening may be smaller than the area of ​​said at least one inlet opening.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one tunnel may extend from the lower part of the back piece to the upper part of the back piece.

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one exit opening may comprise a first exit opening located at an upper portion of the at least one tunnel and a second exit opening located at a middle portion of the at least one tunnel.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the at least one tunnel may extend from the back piece to the front piece.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear body comprises a first fabric and a second fabric on the outside of the rear body that has higher breathability than the first fabric, and the combination of the first fabric and the second fabric may be arranged to partially cover the at least one blower in a three-dimensional manner.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear body further comprises a third fabric on the inside of the rear body, the third fabric having lower breathability than the second fabric, and the third fabric may be positioned at an inner position corresponding to the second fabric so as to partially cover the at least one fan in a three-dimensional manner.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one tunnel may be made of a low stretch material.

[0016] In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one outlet opening may be configured to prevent closing of the at least one outlet opening.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention, said at least one tunnel may comprise equipment for cooling said air blown by said at least one fan.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one tunnel may further comprise one or more fins adjacent to the at least one outlet opening for redirecting the flow of the air exiting the at least one outlet opening.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear body further comprises one or more outer openings for discharging the air that has exited from the at least one outlet opening to the outside of the rear body, and the one or more outer openings may be configured so that the open area can be adjusted.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear body panel may further include one or more fins near the one or more outer openings for changing the flow direction of the air. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air-conditioned suit that does not inflate excessively due to air sent in from a blower. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the front side (outside) of the air-conditioned clothing 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration around the air intake side (front side) of the blower 30. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the back side (inside) of the air-conditioned clothing 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a tunnel 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The terms used in this specification are defined below.

[0024] The term "about," unless expressly stated otherwise, refers to ±10% of the immediately preceding value.

[0025] The air-conditioned clothing of the present invention is designed to prevent the entire clothing from being overinflated by the air taken in from the blower by providing at least one tunnel inside the back and utilizing the Venturi effect. The air-conditioned clothing of the present invention can maintain a stylish silhouette even when the blower is operating while improving air conditioning functionality.

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the front side (outside) of an air-conditioned clothing 1 of the present invention.

[0028] The air-conditioned clothing 1 of the present invention comprises a front body 10, a back body 20, and one or more fans 30. As indicated by the arrows, the fans 30 are used to draw air from outside the air-conditioned clothing 1 into the inside of the air-conditioned clothing 1 and blow air therethrough. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the air-conditioned clothing 1 comprises two fans 30 below the back body 20.

[0029] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the air-conditioned clothing 1 includes a first fabric 21 arranged to partially cover the blower 30 and a second fabric 22 arranged to partially cover the blower 30, the first fabric 21 being different from the second fabric 22. The second fabric 22 has higher breathability than the first fabric 21. The first fabric 21 may be, for example, a non-breathable fabric. The second fabric 22 may be, for example, a breathable fabric (e.g., mesh fabric). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first fabric 21 three-dimensionally covers a portion above the blower 30, and the second fabric 22 three-dimensionally covers a portion below the blower 30. For example, the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 may cover approximately 40% to approximately 60% of the surface of the blower 30.

[0030] The first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 may be partially overlapped. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 are partially overlapped with each other such that the first fabric 21 is positioned outward of the second fabric 22. The first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 may also include a frame for maintaining the three-dimensional shape of the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 so as to three-dimensionally cover the blower 30. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 are provided with frames at their ends for maintaining the three-dimensional shape.

[0031] 1, the air-conditioned clothing 1 is provided with two fans 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The number of fans 30 may be any integer equal to or greater than one.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration around the air intake side (front side) of the blower 30.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the first portion 31 of the blower 30 is three-dimensionally covered by the first fabric 21 (i.e., so as to provide a gap between the surface of the blower 30 and the first fabric 21), the second portion 32 of the blower 30, which is different from the first portion 31 of the blower 30, is three-dimensionally covered by the second fabric 22 (i.e., so as to provide a gap between the surface of the blower 30 and the second fabric 22), and the third portion 33 of the blower 30, which is different from the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the blower 30, is not covered by the first fabric 21 or the second fabric 22. In this way, by partially covering the blower 30 three-dimensionally with fabric, the path of the air flowing toward the blower 30 is narrowed, and the Venturi effect temporarily increases the flow rate of the air taken in by the blower 30. This allows air to be efficiently taken into the air-conditioned clothing 1 via the blower 30.

[0034] Furthermore, by combining a first fabric 21 with less breathability and a second fabric 22 with more breathability to partially cover the blower 30 in a three-dimensional manner, and by providing a portion that is not covered by either the first fabric 21 or the second fabric 22 (i.e., by separating the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 so that they do not completely cover the blower 30), the Venturi effect makes it possible to allow more air to flow into the blower 30 than when the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 completely cover the blower 30.This temporarily increases the flow rate of air passing through the gap between the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22 (and the air passing through the second fabric 22) while ensuring the air flow rate required for blowing and circulating by the blower 30.

[0035] The back body 20 may further include a third fabric 23 on the inside of the back body 20, the third fabric 23 having lower breathability than the second fabric 22. The third fabric 23 is arranged in a position on the inside corresponding to the second fabric 22 so as to partially cover the blower 30 in a three-dimensional manner. In this way, in combination with the first fabric 21, the upper front side and lower back side of the blower 30 are covered with a fabric with low breathability, making it easy to create a flow that blows the air taken in by the blower 30 from below to above.

[0036] 2 illustrates the blower 30 having the third portion 33 that is not covered by the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the blower 30 may be completely covered by the combination of the first fabric 21 and the second fabric 22.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the back side (inside) of the air-conditioned clothing 1 of the present invention.

[0038] The back body 20 includes at least one tunnel 100 on an inner surface of the back body 20 that is in communication with at least one of the one or more blowers 30. The tunnel 100 includes at least one inlet opening (not shown) for receiving air blown from the blower 30 and at least one outlet opening 101 for discharging the air out of the tunnel 100 along the back body 20.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the back body section 20 has a pair of tunnels 100 (partially represented by diagonal lines in FIG. 3). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the tunnels 100 extend from the lower part of the back body section 20 to the upper part of the back body section 20, and the tunnels 100 have outlet openings 101 arranged at the upper part of the back body section 20. Air discharged from the outlet openings 101 arranged at the upper part of the back body section 20 is blown toward the base of the wearer's neck and the carotid artery, thereby enabling the wearer to regulate their body temperature with the air discharged from the outlet openings 101 of the tunnels 100. In addition, the tunnels 100 extend from the back body section 20 to the front body section 10 (passing near the armpits between the back body section 20 and the front body section 10) and have outlet openings 101 arranged at the front body section 10. By extending the tunnel 100 from the back body 20 to the front body 10, the air passing through it acts on the wearer's sides (e.g., the air passing through it cools the wearer's sides), allowing the wearer to regulate their body temperature with the air passing through the tunnel 100 extending from the back body 20 to the front body 10.

[0040] The area of ​​the outlet opening 101 may be smaller than the area of ​​the inlet opening, in which case the tunnel 100 is configured to allow a temporary increase in the air flow rate as the air leaves the tunnel 100 through the outlet opening 101, due to the increased air velocity as it passes through the narrower outlet opening 101.

[0041] The tunnel 100 has a narrowed portion at least in part of the tunnel 100, the narrowed portion having a width narrower than the width of the entrance opening, and has a constricted shape. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the tunnel 100 has one narrowed portion. This allows the flow velocity of air passing through the tunnel 100 to temporarily increase due to the Venturi effect when the air passes through the narrowed portion. In this way, the tunnel 100 is configured so that the flow velocity of air sent from the blower 30 can be at least temporarily increased by the shape of the tunnel 100. Note that, although the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 describes an example in which the tunnel 100 has one narrowed portion, the present invention is not limited to this. The tunnel 100 may have multiple narrowed portions.

[0042] 3, the tunnel 100 further includes an outlet opening 102 disposed in the middle of the tunnel 100. The air discharged from the outlet opening 102 disposed in the middle of the tunnel 100 is blown toward the wearer's back, thereby enabling the wearer to regulate their body temperature with the air discharged from the outlet opening 102 of the tunnel 100.

[0043] The area of ​​the outlet opening 102 may be smaller than the area of ​​the inlet opening, in which case the tunnel 100 may be configured to temporarily increase the air velocity as it leaves the tunnel 100 through the outlet opening 102, due to the increased air velocity as it passes through the narrower outlet opening 102.

[0044] The outlet opening 101 and / or the outlet opening 102 may be configured to prevent the outlet opening from being closed. For example, the outlet opening 101 and / or the outlet opening 102 may be provided with a frame for maintaining its three-dimensional shape to ensure an outlet for the air sent from the blower 30 into the tunnel 100. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the outlet opening 101 and the outlet opening 102 are provided with frames at their ends for maintaining their three-dimensional shape.

[0045] The tunnel 100 is made of a low-stretch material. For example, the tunnel 100 may be made of a material that is less stretchy than the material on the front side of the back body 20. Alternatively, the tunnel 100 may be made of a non-stretch material. The tunnel 100 may be made of, for example, multiple layers of material. Preferably, the tunnel 100 is made of a three-layer material consisting of a non-stretch outer fabric (e.g., 100% nylon or 100% polyester), a breathable waterproof film (e.g., 100% polyurethane), and a tricot knit (e.g., 100% nylon or 100% polyester). Alternatively, the tunnel 100 may be a single layer of fabric used for parachutes, tents, etc., that has been calendered or polyurethane-coated. In this way, by making the tunnel 100 out of a low-stretch material, the force acting on the air passing through the tunnel 100 to inflate it is suppressed, allowing the air passing through the tunnel 100 to maintain its propulsive force in the direction along the back body 20.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the back body 20 has one or more first outer openings 24 for discharging air from the inside of the air-conditioned clothing 1 to the outside of the air-conditioned clothing 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the back body 20 has one or more first outer openings 24 near the shoulder blade areas of the back body 20. In addition, the front body 10 (or the back body 20) has one or more second outer openings 11 for discharging air from the inside of the air-conditioned clothing 1 to the outside of the air-conditioned clothing 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the front body 10 has one or more second outer openings 11 near the shoulder areas of the front body 10. Air that is sent from the blower 30 into the tunnel 100 and exits through the outlet openings 101 and 102 is discharged from the first outer openings 24, the second outer openings 11, and the collar area around the neck. By utilizing the Venturi effect within tunnel 100 and realizing such air flow throughout the entire air-conditioned suit 1, it is possible to increase the air circulation efficiency within the air-conditioned suit 1, and to efficiently perform air conditioning within the air-conditioned suit 1.

[0047] The back body 20 may have a structure for adjusting the width of the collar around the neck. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the back body 20 has a band 25 for adjusting the width of the collar around the neck, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the width of the collar around the neck may be adjustable using snap buttons.

[0048] The first outer opening 24 and / or the second outer opening 11 may be configured to allow the opening area thereof to be adjusted. For example, the first outer opening 24 and / or the second outer opening 11 may be provided with a zipper for adjusting the opening area thereof. The zipper may be, for example, a concealed zipper, but is not limited thereto. In this way, by using a zipper to reduce the opening area of ​​the first outer opening 24 and / or the second outer opening 11, it is possible to generate a Venturi effect in the first outer opening 24 and / or the second outer opening 11 as well. Therefore, such a zipper contributes to further improving the efficiency of air circulation within the air-conditioned clothing 1.

[0049] The back body piece 20 may further include one or more fins (not shown) adjacent to the outlet opening 101, the outlet opening 102, the first outer opening 24, and / or the second outer opening 11 to change and / or adjust the direction of air flow. The fins may be rigid fins (e.g., fins rigid enough to change the direction of air flow). By providing one or more fins adjacent to the outlet opening 101 and / or the outlet opening 102, it is possible to blow air discharged from the outlet opening 101 and / or the outlet opening 102 toward a target body part of the wearer. Furthermore, by providing one or more fins adjacent to the outlet opening 101, the outlet opening 102, the first outer opening 24, and / or the second outer opening 11, the periphery of the outlet opening and / or the outer opening is narrowed by the one or more fins, so that a Venturi effect can also be generated at the outlet opening and / or the outer opening.

[0050] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the back body 20 is provided with a battery 26 for driving the fan 30. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the battery 26 is suspended from a bridge structure, which can reduce the weight load of the battery 26 felt by the wearer when wearing the garment.

[0051] The tunnel 100 may further include a cooling device (for example, a Peltier element) for cooling the air passing through the tunnel 100. This allows the air-conditioned suit 1 to supply cooled air to the inside of the air-conditioned suit 1. Alternatively, the tunnel 100 may further include a heating device (for example, a Peltier element) for heating the air passing through the tunnel 100. This allows the air-conditioned suit 1 to supply heated air to the inside of the air-conditioned suit 1.

[0052] 3, an example has been described in which one fan 30 is arranged to correspond to one tunnel 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of fans may be arranged to correspond to one tunnel 100.

[0053] 3 has been described as an example in which one tunnel 100 extends from the lower part of the back body 20 to the upper part of the back body 20 and branches out to extend from the back body 20 to the front body 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. The tunnel 100 may be made up of multiple tunnels. For example, a first tunnel may extend from the lower part of the back body 20 to the upper part of the back body 20, and a second tunnel different from the first tunnel may extend from the back body 20 to the front body 10.

[0054] FIG. 4 shows an example of the internal structure of the tunnel 100.

[0055] The tunnel 100 includes at least one guide 103 therein. The guide 103 is configured to increase the flow rate of air that contacts the guide 103. As an example, the guide 103 may be a hard guide (e.g., a guide made of a material that is harder than the material of the tunnel 100). As another example, the guide 103 may be made of a low-friction material (e.g., a material that has a lower coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of the material of the tunnel 100).

[0056] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the guide 103 is made of a hard material 103a and a fabric 103b covering the hard material 103a. The hard material 103a preferably includes, but is not limited to, polyester, plastic, stainless steel, aluminum, etc. Note that the configuration of the guide 103 is not limited to the hard material 103a being wrapped in the fabric 103b. For example, the guide 103 may be configured such that the hard material 103a is self-supporting.

[0057] The at least one guide 103 may include at least one pair of guides. Each pair of guides of the at least one pair of guides is configured so that the width between the guides at least partially narrows along a direction from the at least one entrance opening to the at least one exit opening 101. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the tunnel 100 includes a pair of guides curved toward each other to narrow the width within the tunnel 100. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The pair of guides may have, for example, a V-shaped, an inverted V-shaped, or a shape bent toward each other to narrow the width.

[0058] It should be noted that the guide 103 may be a single guide rather than a pair. In this case, for example, the guide 103 may have a V-shape with its apex facing the entrance opening, or may have a triangular shape with its apex facing the entrance opening.

[0059] In this way, the tunnel 100 is configured such that the flow rate of the air blown by the blower 30 can be at least temporarily increased by at least one guide 103 within the tunnel 100 .

[0060] As described above, the present invention has been illustrated using the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be interpreted only by the claims. It is understood that a person skilled in the art can implement an equivalent scope based on the description of the present invention and common technical knowledge from the description of the specific preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] The present invention is useful for providing air-conditioned clothing and the like that does not inflate excessively due to air sent from a blower. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Air-conditioned clothing 10 Front 20 Back 30 Blower 100 Tunnels 101 Exit opening 102 Exit opening 103 Guide

Claims

1. An air-conditioned suit, comprising: The front and The back and One or more blowers; Equipped with the rear body has, on an inner surface thereof, at least one tunnel communicating with at least one of the one or more blowers, the at least one tunnel having at least one inlet opening for receiving air sent from the at least one blower and at least one outlet opening for discharging the air out of the at least one tunnel along the rear body, the at least one tunnel having at least one guide therein, the at least one guide being configured to guide the air sent from the at least one blower by contacting the air and to utilize a Venturi effect to at least temporarily increase the flow rate of the air sent from the at least one blower.

2. the at least one tunnel includes at least one pair of guides within the at least one tunnel; 2. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1, wherein each pair of guides of the at least one pair of guides is configured so that a width between the guides at least partially narrows along a direction from the at least one inlet opening to the at least one outlet opening.

3. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1 , wherein an area of ​​the at least one outlet opening is smaller than an area of ​​the at least one inlet opening.

4. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tunnel extends from a lower portion of the rear body to an upper portion of the rear body.

5. 5. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 4, wherein the at least one outlet opening comprises a first outlet opening disposed in an upper portion of the at least one tunnel and a second outlet opening disposed in a middle portion of the at least one tunnel.

6. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one tunnel extends from the rear body portion to the front body portion.

7. An air-conditioned suit, comprising: The front and The back and One or more blowers; Equipped with the rear body section has at least one tunnel on an inner surface thereof that is in communication with at least one of the one or more blowers, the at least one tunnel having at least one inlet opening for receiving air blown from the at least one blower and at least one outlet opening for discharging the air out of the at least one tunnel along the rear body section, the at least one tunnel being configured to utilize a Venturi effect to at least temporarily increase the flow velocity of the air blown from the at least one blower; The air-conditioned clothing comprises, on the outside of the rear body, a first fabric and a second fabric having higher breathability than the first fabric, the combination of the first fabric and the second fabric being arranged to partially cover the at least one blower in three dimensions, and the at least one blower has a portion that is not covered by the first fabric and not covered by the second fabric because the first fabric and the second fabric are spaced apart.

8. 8. The air-conditioned clothing according to claim 7, wherein the rear body further comprises a third fabric on the inside of the rear body, the third fabric having lower breathability than the second fabric, and the third fabric is arranged at an inner position corresponding to the second fabric so as to partially and three-dimensionally cover the at least one air blower.

9. The air-conditioned clothing according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tunnel is made of a material that is less stretchy than a material on the front side of the back body.

10. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outlet opening is configured to prevent the at least one outlet opening from closing.

11. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tunnel is provided with equipment for cooling the air sent from the at least one fan.

12. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tunnel further comprises one or more fins adjacent to the at least one outlet opening for changing the flow direction of the air exiting the at least one outlet opening.

13. 2. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 1, wherein the rear body further comprises one or more outer openings for discharging the air exiting the at least one outlet opening to the outside of the rear body, and the one or more outer openings are configured to be adjustable in opening area.

14. The air-conditioned garment according to claim 13, wherein the rear body further comprises one or more fins near the one or more outer openings for changing the flow direction of the air.

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