Cooling devices
The cooling device addresses excessive abdominal cooling in garments by positioning the front and back devices to minimize abdominal cooling, using phase change materials to maintain torso comfort.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing cooling garments cool the abdomen excessively, leading to physical discomfort such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.
A cooling device comprising a first cooling device forming a front body covering and a second cooling device forming a back body covering, with the lower end of the first device positioned below the upper end of the second device, positioned on the chest and back respectively, using phase change materials to absorb heat and reduce abdominal cooling.
The device effectively cools the torso while minimizing abdominal cooling, reducing discomfort and maintaining comfort.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a cooling device.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling garment for cooling the torso of a human body. The cooling garment includes a front body covering substantially the entire front of the torso and a back body covering substantially the entire back of the torso. An absorbent material is provided inside each of the front body covering and the back body covering. The torso is cooled by the vaporization of the moisture absorbed by the absorbent material.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, in the above-described cooling garment, the abdomen of the human body may be cooled more than necessary. Therefore, there is a risk of causing physical discomfort such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.
[0005] The technology disclosed herein has been made in view of such a point, and the object thereof is to appropriately cool the torso of the human body while reducing the cooling of the abdomen of the human body.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The cooling device disclosed herein is a cooling device worn on the torso of a human body, and includes a first cooling device forming a front body covering and a second cooling device forming a back body covering. Each of the first cooling device and the second cooling device is formed by a cold storage agent and a pack for storing the cold storage agent. The lower end of the first cooling device is disposed below the upper end of the second cooling device and above the lower end of the second cooling device. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] The cooling device can appropriately cool the torso of a person while reducing the cooling of the abdomen. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view of the cooling device. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a rear view of the cooling device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view of the cooling device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cooler along line IV-IV in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified cooling device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Figure 1 is a front view of the cooling device 100. Figure 2 is a rear view of the cooling device 100. Figure 3 is a side view of the cooling device 100. The cooling device 100 is attached to the torso 9 of a human body to cool the torso 9. In the following description, the cooling device 100 will be described using the direction of the human body to which the cooling device 100 is attached. That is, the front of the human body to which the cooling device 100 is attached will be referred to as "front". The same applies to "back", "left", "right", "top", and "bottom".
[0010] The cooling device 100 comprises a first cooling device 1 that forms the front panel and is positioned along the front of the torso 9, and a second cooling device 2 that forms the back panel and is positioned along the back of the torso 9. In this example, the cooling device 100 further comprises a shoulder strap 7 that connects the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2. The cooling device 100 further comprises a torso strap 8 that connects the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2.
[0011] Each of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 is formed in a flat plate shape that extends in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, or more specifically, in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction. That is, the thickness direction of each of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 is approximately the same as the front-rear direction.
[0012] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cooler 100 along the line IV-IV in Figure 1. Each of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 is formed by a coolant 3 and a pack 4 that contains the coolant 3.
[0013] Cooling agent 3 is a PCM (Phase Change Material) that absorbs heat and changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase. Cooling agent 3 contains, for example, an aliphatic hydrocarbon. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are, for example, paraffins or aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons. Cooling agent 3 contains tetradecane (C) as an aliphatic hydrocarbon. 14 H 30 ), hexadecane (C 16 H 34 ) and octadecane (C 18 H 38 ) may contain at least one of the following. Coolant 3 may contain only one or two of tetradecane, hexadecane, and octadecane, or all of them. In addition to aliphatic hydrocarbons, coolant 3 may further contain super absorbent polymer (SAP), water, aroma, graphite, organic matter, or minerals. The melting point of coolant 3 is, for example, room temperature. The melting point of coolant 3 is preferably 5°C to 35°C, and more preferably 15°C to 35°C. When coolant 3 is in the solid and liquid phases, it absorbs the heat of the human body as sensible heat. When coolant 3 changes from the solid phase to the liquid phase, it absorbs the heat of the human body as latent heat, more specifically as heat of fusion. The physical properties of coolant 3 in the first cooler 1 and the physical properties of coolant 3 in the second cooler 2 may be the same or different.
[0014] Pack 4 is flexible. Pack 4 is formed from one or more resins, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP).
[0015] Pack 4 has multiple storage compartments 43 for containing the coolant packs 3. Each of the multiple storage compartments 43 is sealed. That is, the coolant packs 3 are individually contained in each storage compartment 43. The multiple storage compartments 43 are arranged in a direction that intersects the front-to-back direction. Specifically, the multiple storage compartments 43 are arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions. In this example, the overall shape of Pack 4, the total number of storage compartments 43, and the shape of the storage compartments 43 differ between the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2. In Pack 4 of the first cooler 1, there are four rows of four storage compartments 43 arranged horizontally and four rows arranged vertically. In Pack 4 of the second cooler 2, there are six rows of four storage compartments 43 arranged horizontally and six rows arranged vertically. Pack 4 may also have multiple ventilation holes 44 that penetrate through Pack 4 in the front-to-back direction.
[0016] Pack 4 is formed by overlapping and joining two sheets together. Specifically, Pack 4 has a first sheet 41 and a second sheet 42 that overlap in the front-to-back direction. The outer edges of the first sheet 41 and the outer edges of the second sheet 42 overlap. The first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 are arranged with their first sheets 41 facing each other.
[0017] The first sheet 41 is flat. On the other hand, a plurality of recesses 42a recessed toward the side opposite to the first sheet 41 are formed in the second sheet 42. The opening on the first sheet 41 side of each recess 42a is blocked by the first sheet 41. The first sheet 41 and the second sheet 42 are joined to each other so that each recess 42a is sealed by the first sheet 41. Specifically, the portion of the second sheet 42 excluding the recesses 42a, that is, the outer peripheral edge of the second sheet 42 and the portion between adjacent recesses 42a, is joined to the first sheet 41. The joining of the first sheet 41 and the second sheet 42 is realized, for example, by heat welding. In FIG. 4, the boundary of the joined portion in the pack 4 is shown by a solid line, but actually, the boundary of the joined portion may not appear clearly. The storage chamber 43 is formed by the recesses 42a and the first sheet 41.
[0018] The shoulder strap 7 is hung on the shoulder of the human body. In this example, the cooling device 100 has a pair of shoulder straps 7. The pair of shoulder straps 7 are spaced apart in the left - right direction. The shoulder strap 7 connects the upper part of the first cooling device 1 (specifically, the upper end of the pack 4 of the first cooling device 1) and the upper part of the second cooling device 2 (specifically, the upper end of the pack 4 of the second cooling device 2). The shoulder strap 7 may have a length adjuster 71 for adjusting the length of the shoulder strap 7. The length adjuster 71 is, for example, a ring, a buckle, or a surface fastener. The same applies to the length adjuster 81 described later.
[0019] The body strap 8 is arranged around the body 9. In this example, the cooling device 100 has a pair of body straps 8. The pair of body straps 8 are arranged on the side parts of the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2. One body strap 8 connects the left part of the first cooling device 1 (specifically, the left end of the pack 4 of the first cooling device 1) and the left part of the second cooling device 2 (specifically, the left end of the pack 4 of the second cooling device 2). The other body strap 8 connects the right part of the first cooling device 1 (specifically, the right end of the pack 4 of the first cooling device 1) and the right part of the second cooling device 2 (specifically, the right end of the pack 4 of the second cooling device 2). The body strap 8 may have a length adjuster 81 for adjusting the length of the body strap 8.
[0020] The cooling device 100 is attached to the body 9 as shown below. That is, the user's head is passed through in turn between the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 and between the left and right shoulder straps 7, and then out to the outside of the cooling device 100. The user's left arm is passed out to the outside of the cooling device 100 from between the left shoulder strap 7 and the left body strap 8. The user's right arm is passed out to the outside of the cooling device 100 from between the right shoulder strap 7 and the right body strap 8. In this way, the cooling device 100 is attached to the body 9. When the cooling device 100 is attached to the body 9, the front part of the body 9 is cooled by the first cooling device 1, and the rear part of the body is cooled by the second cooling device 2. Incidentally, the lengths of the shoulder straps 7 and the body straps 8 are appropriately adjusted according to the user's physique and the like.
[0021] Subsequently, the configurations of the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 will be described in more detail. The lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 is disposed below the upper end 21 of the second cooling device 2 and above the lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2. Here, the upper end 11 of the first cooling device 1 substantially means the uppermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 in the first cooling device 1. For example, when the cold insulating agent 3 is accommodated in a plurality of accommodating chambers 43 in the first cooling device 1, the uppermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 accommodated in the accommodating chamber 43 located at the uppermost position among them is the upper end 11 of the first cooling device 1. The lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 substantially means the lowermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 in the first cooling device 1. For example, when the cold insulating agent 3 is accommodated in a plurality of accommodating chambers 43 in the first cooling device 1, the lowermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 accommodated in the accommodating chamber 43 located at the lowermost position is the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1. The upper end 21 of the second cooling device 2 substantially means the uppermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 in the second cooling device 2. For example, when the cold insulating agent 3 is accommodated in a plurality of accommodating chambers 43 in the second cooling device 2, the uppermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 accommodated in the accommodating chamber 43 located at the uppermost position among them is the upper end 21 of the second cooling device 2. The lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2 substantially means the lowermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 in the second cooling device 2. For example, when the cold insulating agent 3 is accommodated in a plurality of accommodating chambers 43 in the second cooling device 2, the lowermost end of the cold insulating agent 3 accommodated in the accommodating chamber 43 located at the lowermost position is the lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2.
[0022] More specifically, the vertical dimension L1 of the first cooler 1 (i.e., the distance from the upper end 11 to the lower end 12 in the vertical direction) is shorter than the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2 (i.e., the distance from the upper end 21 to the lower end 22 in the vertical direction). When the upper end 11 of the first cooler 1 and the upper end 21 of the second cooler 2 are at the same height, the lower end 12 of the first cooler 1 is positioned between the upper end 21 and the lower end 22 of the second cooler 2 in the vertical direction. For example, the vertical dimension L1 of the first cooler 1 is 2 / 3 or less of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2. The vertical dimension L1 of the first cooler 1 is 1 / 3 or more of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2. The left-right dimension of the first cooler 1 and the left-right dimension of the second cooler 2 are approximately the same. The thickness of the first cooler 1 and the thickness of the second cooler 2 are approximately the same.
[0023] More specifically, the first cooler 1 has a horizontally elongated shape. That is, the vertical dimension L1 of the first cooler 1 is shorter than the horizontal dimension of the first cooler 1. The second cooler 2 has a vertically elongated shape. That is, the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2 is longer than the horizontal dimension of the second cooler 2.
[0024] When the cooling device 100 is attached to the torso 9, the first cooling device 1 is positioned on the chest 91 and the second cooling device 2 is positioned on the back 93. Specifically, the first cooling device 1 is positioned on the front of the torso 9, above the abdomen 92, and not on the abdomen 92. The second cooling device 2 is positioned across the lower back (i.e., the waist) and the upper back (i.e., above the waist).
[0025] More specifically, the first sheet 41 of the first cooling device 1 follows the chest 91. The second sheet 42 of the first cooling device 1 faces away from the chest 91. The first sheet 41 of the second cooling device 2 follows the back 93. The second sheet 42 of the second cooling device 2 faces away from the back 93. The upper end 11 of the first cooling device 1 and the upper end 21 of the second cooling device 2 are positioned at approximately the same height. The lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 is positioned below the upper end 21 of the second cooling device 2. The lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 is positioned above the lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2. The lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 is positioned at least 1 / 3 of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooling device 2 above the lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2. A portion of the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 is positioned above the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1. The remaining portion of the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 is located below the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1.
[0026] Here, the lower end 12 of the first cooler 1 is located above the lower end 22 of the second cooler 2, and the first cooler 1 is not positioned on the abdomen 92. Therefore, the abdomen 92 is less likely to be cooled by the cooler 100. Thus, the torso 9 can be properly cooled while reducing the amount of cooling to the user's abdomen.
[0027] Furthermore, the lower end 12 of the first cooler 1 is located more than one-third of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2 above the lower end 22 of the second cooler 2. Therefore, the cooling of the abdomen 92 by the cooler 100 can be further reduced.
[0028] In addition, a portion of the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 is positioned below the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1. Therefore, the lower part of the back 93 can be cooled by the second cooling device 2. Thus, the torso 9 can be further cooled by the cooling device 100 while reducing the cooling of the user's abdomen.
[0029] In addition, a portion of the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 is positioned above the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1. Therefore, the second cooling device 2 can cool the part of the back above the waist. Thus, the torso 9 can be further cooled by the cooling device 100 while reducing the amount of cooling to the user's abdomen.
[0030] Furthermore, each pack 4 of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 has multiple storage chambers 43 arranged at intervals, and there are no coolants 3 in the parts of the pack 4 between adjacent storage chambers 43. Therefore, the parts of the pack 4 between adjacent storage chambers 43 are more flexible than the storage chambers 43 in which the coolants 3 are stored. Consequently, each of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 can be easily deformed to conform to the shape of the body 9. As a result, the body 9 can be cooled even further by the cooler 100.
[0031] Next, we will describe the modified cooling device 200. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the modified cooling device 200. Cooling device 200 differs from cooling device 100 in that the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 are integrated. Note that the basic configuration of cooling device 200 is the same as that of cooling device 100, so we will omit the explanation.
[0032] The cooling device 200 does not have a shoulder strap 7. The upper part of the first cooling device 1 and the upper part of the second cooling device 2 are connected. Specifically, the upper end of the pack 4 of the first cooling device 1 and the upper end of the second cooling device 2 are continuous. As a result, the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 are integrated. The connection between the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 is placed over the shoulders of the human body, and the cooling device 200 is attached to the torso 9.
[0033] In this example, the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 are integrated. For example, the first sheet 41 of the first cooler 1 and the first sheet 41 of the second cooler 2 are a single sheet. The second sheet 42 of the first cooler 1 and the second sheet 42 of the second cooler 2 are also a single sheet. Therefore, by overlapping the two sheets, the first sheet 41 and the second sheet 42, and joining them together, the pack 4 of the first cooler 1 and the pack 4 of the second cooler 2 can be easily manufactured. In addition, by connecting the upper part of the first cooler 1 and the upper part of the second cooler 2, the shoulder strap 7 can be omitted.
[0034] Other embodiments As described above, the embodiments described herein have been presented as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, it is possible to combine the components described in the embodiments above to create new embodiments. In addition, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description may include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, in order to illustrate the technology. Therefore, the mere presence of such non-essential components in the attached drawings and detailed description should not be immediately assumed to mean that those non-essential components are essential.
[0035] For example, the vertical dimension L1 of the first cooler 1 may exceed 2 / 3 of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2. The vertical dimension L1 of the first cooler 1 may also be less than 1 / 3 of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooler 2. The shape, size, material, etc. of the packs 4 of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 are not limited. The material, etc. of the coolants 3 of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 are not limited.
[0036] The cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 may be positioned only below the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1. In other words, the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 only needs to be positioned at least below the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1.
[0037] The shoulder strap 7 and the waist strap 8 are both optional.
[0038] The technology disclosed in this document can be summarized as follows:
[0039] [1] Cooling devices 100, 200 to be attached to the torso 9 of a human body, comprising a first cooling device 1 that forms the front body and a second cooling device 2 that forms the back body, wherein each of the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 is made of a cooling agent 3 and a pack 4 that contains the cooling agent 3, and the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 is positioned below the upper end 21 of the second cooling device 2 and above the lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2.
[0040] With this configuration, the torso 9 can be cooled by the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2. Moreover, since the lower end 12 of the first cooler 1 is located above the lower end 22 of the second cooler 2, the abdomen 92 is less likely to be cooled by the first cooler 1, making it less likely to cause discomfort. Therefore, the torso 9 can be cooled appropriately.
[0041] [2] In the cooling devices 100, 200 described in [1], the first cooling device 1 is not placed on the abdomen 92 of the human body but on the chest 91 of the human body, and the second cooling device 2 is placed on the back 93 of the human body.
[0042] This configuration further reduces the cooling of the abdomen 92 by the coolers 100 and 200.
[0043] [3] In the cooling devices 100, 200 described in [1] or [2], the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1 is located at least 1 / 3 of the vertical dimension L2 of the second cooling device 2 above the lower end 22 of the second cooling device 2.
[0044] This configuration further reduces the cooling of the abdomen 92 by the coolers 100 and 200.
[0045] [4] In the cooling devices 100, 200 described in any one of [1] to [3], at least a portion of the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 is positioned below the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1.
[0046] With this configuration, the lower part of the back 93 can be cooled by the second cooler 2, and the torso 9 can be further cooled by the coolers 100 and 200.
[0047] [5] In the cooling device described in any one of [1] to [4], at least a portion of the cooling agent 3 of the second cooling device 2 is positioned above the lower end 12 of the first cooling device 1.
[0048] With this configuration, the upper part of the back 93 can be cooled by the second cooler 2, and the torso 9 can be further cooled by the coolers 100 and 200.
[0049] In the cooling device 100 described in any one of [1] to [5], each of the packs 4 of the first cooling device 1 and the second cooling device 2 has a plurality of storage chambers 43 that are spaced apart and individually house the cooling agents 3.
[0050] In this configuration, the portion of each pack 4 of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 between adjacent storage chambers 43 does not contain the cooling agent 3 and is therefore more flexible than the storage chamber 43 containing the cooling agent 3. As a result, each of the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2 is easily deformed to conform to the shape of the body 9. Consequently, the body 9 can be cooled even further by the first cooler 1 and the second cooler 2. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0051] 100,200 Cooling devices 1 1st cooling device 12 Lower end of the first cooler 2 Second cooling device 21 Upper end of the second cooler 22 Lower end of the second cooler 3. Cooling pack 4 packs 43 Confinement Rooms 9 Torso 91 Chest 92 Abdomen 93 Back L2 Upper and lower dimensions of the second cooling device
Claims
1. A cooling device that is attached to the torso of the human body, A first cooling device that forms the front of the garment, It comprises a second cooling device that forms the back of the garment, Each of the first and second cooling devices is formed by a cooling agent and a pack that contains the cooling agent in a way that prevents it from being removed. The lower end of the first cooler is positioned below the upper end of the second cooler, and above the lower end of the second cooler. The pack has a first sheet and a second sheet that overlap in the front-to-back direction, The first sheet is flat, and the second sheet has multiple recesses formed in the direction opposite to the first sheet. The first sheet of the first cooling device is aligned with the chest of the human body, and the second sheet of the first cooling device faces the side opposite to the chest. The first sheet of the second cooling device is positioned along the back of the human body, and the second sheet of the second cooling device faces the side opposite to the back.
2. In the cooling device according to claim 1, The first cooling device is not placed on the abdomen of the human body, but on the chest of the human body. The second cooling device is a cooling device placed on the back of the human body.
3. In the cooling device according to claim 1, The lower end of the first cooler is located at a distance of at least one-third of the vertical dimension of the second cooler than the lower end of the second cooler.
4. In the cooling device according to claim 1, At least a portion of the cooling agent of the second cooling device is positioned below the lower end of the first cooling device.
5. In the cooling device according to claim 1, At least a portion of the cooling agent of the second cooling device is positioned above the lower end of the first cooling device.
6. In the cooling device according to claim 1, Each of the packs of the first and second cooling devices has a plurality of storage chambers arranged at intervals for individually accommodating the cooling agents.
Citation Information
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