Spacer

Abstract

To realize spacers that can be used in a variety of applications.SOLUTION: A spacer 1 comprises: convex parts 10 each having a frame part S11, a plurality of column parts S12 each formed so that one end is connected to the frame part S11 and rises from the frame part S11, and a standing end connection part S13 configured to connect the other ends of the plurality of column parts S12; and flexible connection parts 20 connecting the frame parts S11 of the convex parts 10 in close proximity so that the plurality of convex parts 10 are connected. At least one of the three-dimensional convex part 10 and the elastic deformable flexible connection part 20 is configured to have a shape variable according to a part of the spacer 1. In this way, it is possible to make thickness of the spacer 1 different according to the part of the spacer 1 and to make flexibility of the spacer 1 different according to the part of the spacer 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a spacer having a space inside its three-dimensional structure through which air circulates.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, spacers that are housed inside air-conditioned clothes or air-conditioned mats and form a space inside them through which air circulates are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This spacer has, for example, as shown in FIGS. 9(a), (b), (c), and (d), a convex portion S1 having a frame portion S11, four pillar portions S12 formed such that one end is connected to the frame portion S11 and stands up from the frame portion S11, and a standing end connecting portion S13 connecting the other ends of the four pillar portions S12, and has a spacer structure S including a flexible connecting portion S2 that connects the frame portions S11 of adjacent convex portions S1. A spacer having such a three-dimensional structure has flexibility that allows it to be bent vertically and horizontally, has suitable pressure resistance in its thickness direction, and is used as an ideal spacer for circulating air in a relatively narrow space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, recently, in expanding the applications of spacers, there are various demands according to various applications, and there are some cases where the conventional spacers cannot fully meet these demands. Therefore, the present inventors have intensively studied and have developed a spacer that is easy to use in various applications.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to provide a spacer that can be used in a variety of applications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a spacer comprising: a frame-shaped portion; a plurality of upright portions formed so as to be connected at one end to the frame-shaped portion and standing upright from the frame-shaped portion; a convex portion having an upright end connecting portion that connects the other ends of the plurality of upright portions; and a flexible connecting portion that connects the frame-shaped portions of the convex portions that are located in close proximity to each other so as to be connected to a plurality of the convex portions, before Flexible connection The department Depending on the location of the spacer Different thicknesses result in different levels of flexibility. It is characterized by being configured in such a way. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, a spacer that can be used in a variety of applications can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a plan view (a) showing the spacer of Embodiment 1, and a cross-sectional view (b) of the same figure along line BB. [Figure 2] This is a plan view (a) showing the spacer of Embodiment 1, and a cross-sectional view (b) of the same figure along line BB. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing a modified example of the spacer of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing a modified example of the spacer of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] The images show a plan view (a) of the spacer of Embodiment 2, a perspective view (b) of the convex portion of the spacer, and a perspective view (c) of a modified example of the convex portion. [Figure 6] Figure 5(a) shows cross-sectional views along line aa (a), line bb (b), and line cc (c). [Figure 7]This is a perspective view showing the spacer of Embodiment 2 in a bent state. [Figure 8] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the spacer of Embodiment 2, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the spacer in a bent state, and (c) is an explanatory diagram of an example of use in which the bent spacer is attached to a hat. [Figure 9] These are a plan view (a) and a side view (b) of a conventional spacer, and explanatory diagrams (c) and (d) regarding the three-dimensional structure of the spacer. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the spacer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are subject to various technically preferred limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. The spacer in this embodiment is used by being placed inside air-conditioned clothing or air-conditioned mats to create a space inside them through which air can circulate.

[0017] (Embodiment 1) The spacer 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), a frame-shaped portion S11, a plurality of columnar portions S12 having one end connected to the frame-shaped portion S11 and formed to stand upright from the frame-shaped portion S11, and a standing end connecting portion S13 formed by connecting the other ends of the plurality of columnar portions S12, and a flexible connecting portion 20 that connects the frame-shaped portions S11 of the multiple protrusions 10 that are located close together so that the multiple protrusions 10 are connected. The spacer 1 of Embodiment 1 is configured such that a plurality of protrusions 10 are arranged in a matrix.

[0018] The protrusion 10 of this spacer 1 has four columnar sections S12 that serve as upright sections (see protrusion S1 in Figure 9(c)). The column portion S12, which serves as the upright portion, is formed with an inclination that approaches the central axis of the protrusion 10 as it approaches the upright end connecting portion S13 from the frame-shaped portion S11. Note that the number of column portions S12 of the convex portion 10 is not limited to four, and as long as the convex portion 10 has three or more column portions S12, its three-dimensional shape can be preferably maintained. Further, the standing portion is not limited to the rod-shaped column portion S12, and may be the planar wall portion disclosed in Patent Document 1 above.

[0019] The frame portion S11 of this spacer 1 has a square frame shape, but may be a frame portion S11 having a polygonal shape such as a triangle, pentagon, hexagon, etc. Further, the frame portion S11 may have a circular shape or an elliptical shape. Further, the standing end connecting portion S13 of this spacer 1 has a planar shape formed by connecting the other ends of the column portions S12, but may have a frame shape or an annular shape formed by connecting the other ends of the column portions S12.

[0020] The flexible connecting portion 20 of this spacer 1 has a belt shape and is stretched between the frame portions S11 of the convex portions 10 so as to extend from one convex portion 10 to the other convex portion 10. By forming the flexible connecting portion 20 of the spacer 1 into a belt shape that is thinner than the frame portion S11, it is easy to bend at the flexible connecting portion S2, and thereby a spacer 1 having flexibility is configured. Note that by forming the flexible connecting portion 20 into a rod shape thinner than the frame portion S11, it is also possible to make it easy to bend at the flexible connecting portion S2, and thereby it is also possible to configure a spacer 1 having flexibility. As the material for forming the spacer 1, any material can be used as long as it has a strength such that the convex portion 10 does not lose its three-dimensional structure, such as being crushed. It is preferable to use a material that has a certain degree of strength and is not too hard. For example, polyethylene (PE) or a more flexible elastomer (TPE) can be used, but it is not particularly limited.

[0021] Further, as long as it has a structure in which a plurality of convex portions 10 are connected by the flexible connecting portion 20 like this spacer 1, it is possible to form a spacer 1 of any size by changing the number of convex portions 10 connected by the flexible connecting portion 20.

[0022] In particular, the flexible connecting portion 20 of the spacer 1 is formed to have different shapes depending on the part of the spacer 1, and the elastically deformable flexible connecting portion 20 is configured to have different flexibility depending on the part of the spacer 1. The flexible connecting portion 20 here is formed in a curved shape that protrudes from the frame-shaped portion S11 side to the upright end connecting portion S13 side, and has flexibility corresponding to the curvature of the flexible connecting portion 20. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1(b), the flexible connecting portion 20 on the outer side of the spacer 1 has a greater curvature than the central side in the width direction, and the more curvature the flexible connecting portion 20 has, the easier it is to bend and the easier it is to elastically deform. Note that the flexible connecting portion 20 in the central row in the width direction of the spacer 1 is not curved, but has a flat, strip-like shape. In other words, this spacer 1 is formed to bend more easily on the outer side than on the center side in the width direction, and can be used as a spacer 1 that is more flexible on both sides in the width direction.

[0023] Such a spacer 1 can be suitably used in a variety of applications, such as mats that are used with both sides bent, or mats that are easily bent on both sides.

[0024] In this explanation, we have described a spacer 1 in which the flexible connecting portion 20 with greater curvature is positioned more towards the outer side than towards the center in the width direction. However, a spacer 1 in which the flexible connecting portion 20 with greater curvature is positioned more towards the center than towards the outer side in the width direction may also be used. Such spacers are ideally suited for applications such as mats that are used with the center flexed, or mats that are easy to flex in the center and easy to fold.

[0025] Of course, even if the spacer 1 has a flexible connecting portion 20 with a greater curvature positioned outward from the center in the longitudinal direction, it may also be a spacer 1 in which the flexible connecting portion 20 with a greater curvature is positioned outward in both the width and length directions. Alternatively, the spacer 1 may have flexible connecting portions 20 arranged such that the curvature gradually increases from one end in the width direction (or length direction) to the other end. Thus, the arrangement order and location of the flexible connecting parts 20 with different curvatures are arbitrary and can be designed appropriately according to how the spacer 1 is used.

[0026] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the protrusions 10 of the spacer 1 are formed to have different shapes depending on the part of the spacer 1, and the three-dimensional protrusions 10 are configured to have different heights depending on the part of the spacer 1. In this case, the protrusion 10 is formed such that the length of the column portion S12, which is the upright portion, differs depending on the location of the spacer 1, and the height of the protrusion 10 is configured to differ depending on the location of the spacer 1. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2(b), the length of the column portion S12 is shorter for the protrusion 10 on the outer side of the spacer 1 than for the central side in the width direction, and the shorter the column portion S12 of the protrusion 10, the lower its height is formed. In other words, the outer protrusions 10 of this spacer 1 are formed to be lower than the central protrusions 10 in the width direction, so it can be used as a spacer 1 that is thinner on both sides in the width direction.

[0027] Such a spacer 1 can be suitably used in a variety of applications, such as mats that are thinner on both sides, or mats that have more airflow towards the center in the width direction.

[0028] In this explanation, we have described a spacer 1 in which the convex portion 10, which is lower in height, is positioned on the outer side rather than the center side in the width direction. However, a spacer 1 in which the convex portion 10, which is lower in height, is positioned closer to the center rather than the outer side in the width direction may also be used. Such spacers are suitable for applications such as mats that are thinner towards the center, mats that are used with a recessed center, and mats that have greater airflow on both sides in the width direction.

[0029] Of course, the spacer 1 may have protrusions 10 that are lower in height on the outer side rather than the center in the length direction, or it may have protrusions 10 that are lower in height on the outer side in both the width direction and the length direction. Alternatively, the spacer 1 may have protrusions 10 of varying heights arranged so that the thickness gradually decreases from one end in the width direction (or length direction) to the other end. Thus, the arrangement order and placement of the protrusions 10 of different heights are arbitrary and can be designed appropriately according to how the spacer 1 is used.

[0030] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the protrusions 10 of the spacer 1 are formed to have different shapes depending on the part of the spacer 1, and the three-dimensional protrusions 10 are configured to have different sizes depending on the part of the spacer 1. In this case, the protrusion 10 is formed such that the size of the frame-shaped portion S11 differs depending on the location of the spacer 1, and the protrusion 10 is configured to differ in size depending on the location of the spacer 1. Specifically, in Figure 3, the frame-shaped portion S11 is formed smaller on the right side of the convex portion 10 than on the left side in the width direction of the spacer 1, and the convex portion 10 with a smaller frame-shaped portion S11 is formed to be smaller in size. In other words, in Figure 3, the protrusion 10 on the right side of the spacer 1 is smaller than the protrusion 10 on the left side in the width direction, and the spacer 1 can be used as a spacer 1 with a finer texture on the right side in the width direction.

[0031] Such a spacer 1 can be suitably used in a variety of applications, such as mats that have a softer feel on one side in the width direction, or mats that have a higher density feel on one side in the width direction.

[0032] In this example, Figure 3 shows that the protrusion 10 on the right side is smaller than the protrusion 10 on the left side in the width direction. However, even if the protrusions 10 are of different sizes, they may be formed to have the same height. If the heights of the protrusions 10, which differ in size, are to be made the same, then even if the frame-like parts S11 are of different sizes, the lengths of the column parts S12 should be made the same. Of course, the spacer 1 may also consist of a convex portion 10 having a height corresponding to the size of the frame-shaped portion S11, that is, a convex portion 10 having a three-dimensional shape that is higher the larger the frame-shaped portion S11 and lower the smaller the frame-shaped portion S11.

[0033] Furthermore, the flexibility of the flexible connecting portion 20 in the spacer 1 may be varied depending on the location of the spacer 1. For example, in Figure 3, the flexibility of the flexible connecting portion 20 can be adjusted according to the location of the spacer 1 by making the thickness of the flexible connecting portion 20 connected to the relatively large protrusion 10 relatively thick, and the thickness of the flexible connecting portion 20 connected to the relatively small protrusion 10 relatively thin. Note that the thinner the thickness of the flexible connecting portion 20, the easier it is to bend. In this way, the flexibility of the flexible connecting portion 20 can be adjusted according to the cross-sectional shape of the flexible connecting portion 20 (the cross-sectional shape in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the flexible connecting portion 20), such as the thickness of the flexible connecting portion 20. Of course, the ease with which the flexible connecting portion 20 of the spacer 1 can be bent may be approximately the same regardless of the location of the spacer 1.

[0034] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the frame-shaped portion S11 and the upright end connecting portion S13 of the convex portion 10 of the spacer 1 are formed to have different planar shapes depending on the part of the spacer 1, and the three-dimensional convex portion 10 is configured to have different outer shapes depending on the part of the spacer 1. In this case, the protrusion 10 is formed such that the planar shape of the frame-shaped portion S11 and the upright end connecting portion S13 in the left four columns in Figure 4 is approximately rectangular, and the planar shape of the frame-shaped portion S11 and the upright end connecting portion S13 in the right two columns in Figure 4 is approximately circular. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the four columns of protrusions 10 on the left side of the figure are formed to have a roughly frustum-shaped square pyramid, while the two columns of protrusions 10 on the right side of the figure are formed to have a roughly frustum-shaped cone. Thus, even a spacer 1 in which protrusions 10 with different external shapes are integrally connected by a flexible connecting part 20 can be suitably used for a variety of applications.

[0035] In this explanation, we have described a spacer 1 in which the four leftmost columns of protrusions 10 in the figure are roughly frustoconical in shape, the two rightmost columns of protrusions 10 in the figure are roughly frustoconical in shape, and the protrusions 10 become smaller towards the right. However, it is also possible to describe a spacer 1 in which the two leftmost columns of protrusions 10 in the figure are roughly frustoconical in shape, the four rightmost columns of protrusions 10 in the figure are roughly frustoconical in shape, and the protrusions 10 become smaller towards the right. Thus, the arrangement order and placement of the protrusions 10, which differ in external shape and size, are arbitrary and can be designed appropriately according to how the spacer 1 is used.

[0036] Furthermore, although the explanation here describes a spacer in which a frame-shaped portion S11 and an upright end connecting portion S13 are both substantially rectangular in shape, or a spacer in which a frame-shaped portion S11 and an upright end connecting portion S13 are both substantially circular in shape, the spacer may also be one in which a frame-shaped portion S11 is substantially rectangular and an upright end connecting portion S13 is substantially circular in shape, or a spacer in which a frame-shaped portion S11 is substantially circular and an upright end connecting portion S13 is substantially rectangular in shape is connected.

[0037] (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 of the spacer according to the present invention will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used for parts identical to those in Embodiment 1, and only the different parts will be described.

[0038] The spacer 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), a convex portion 10 having a frame-shaped portion S11, a plurality of columnar portions S12 with one end connected to the frame-shaped portion S11 and formed to stand upright from the frame-shaped portion S11, and an upright end connecting portion S13 formed by connecting the other ends of the plurality of columnar portions S12, and flexible connecting portions 20 (20a, 20b, 20c) that connect the frame-shaped portions S11 of the convex portions 10 that are located in close proximity to each other so that multiple convex portions 10 are connected. The spacer 1 of Embodiment 2 is configured such that a plurality of protrusions 10 are arranged to form substantially concentric circles.

[0039] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the protrusion 10 of this spacer 1 has an annular frame-shaped portion S11, four columnar portions S12 that serve as upright portions, and a circular upright end connecting portion S13. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(c), if the protrusion 10 has at least three columnar portions S12, the three-dimensional shape of the protrusion 10 can be suitably maintained.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5(a), the spacer 1 is configured such that six protrusions 10 are arranged around a central protrusion 10, and twelve protrusions 10 are arranged around those six protrusions 10, with the protrusions 10 connected to form two concentric circles around the central protrusion 10.

[0041] For example, as shown in Figure 5(a), the central protrusion 10 and the six surrounding protrusions 10 are connected by a thick, band-shaped flexible connecting portion 20a, the twelve outer protrusions 10 are connected by a thin, band-shaped flexible connecting portion 20c, and the outer protrusions 10 and the inner protrusions 10 are connected by a medium-thick, band-shaped flexible connecting portion 20b. In this way, the flexibility of the flexible connecting portion 20 can be adjusted according to the cross-sectional shape of the flexible connecting portion 20 (the cross-sectional shape in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the flexible connecting portion 20), such as the thickness of the flexible connecting portion 20. For example, the thinner the flexible connecting portion 20, the easier it is to bend.

[0042] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6(a), (b), and (c), the central protrusion 10 and the six surrounding protrusions 10 are connected by a non-curved, flat, flexible connecting portion 20a, the twelve outer protrusions 10 are connected by a flexible connecting portion 20c with a relatively large curvature, and the outer protrusions 10 and the inner protrusions 10 are connected by a flexible connecting portion 20b with a relatively small curvature. In other words, in this spacer 1, the curvature of the flexible connecting portion 20 on the outer edge side is greater than that on the central side, making it easier to bend, and the outer edge side of the spacer 1 is more elastically deformable.

[0043] Thus, if the spacer 1 is elastically deformable more easily on its outer edge than on its central side, it can be bent into a curved shape that forms a nearly spherical surface, for example, as shown in Figure 7. Such a spacer 1 can be suitably used for a variety of applications, such as a mat to be placed on a bowl-shaped recessed seat.

[0044] The number of concentric circles formed by the connected protrusions 10 is arbitrary and can be designed appropriately depending on how the spacer 1 is used. Of course, the arrangement order and location of the protrusions 10 and flexible connecting parts 20 are arbitrary and can be designed appropriately according to how the spacer 1 is used.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figure 8(a), a spacer 1 is formed in which a plurality of protrusions 10 are arranged to form concentric circles and these protrusions 10 are connected by flexible connecting parts 20. In this configuration, the central protrusion 10 is connected by a non-curved flexible connecting part 20a, the outer protrusion 10 is connected by a flexible connecting part 20b with a relatively small curvature, the outermost protrusion 10 is connected by a flexible connecting part 20c with a larger curvature than the inner flexible connecting part 20b, and the outer edge protrusion 10 is connected by a flexible connecting part 20d with a larger curvature than the inner flexible connecting part 20c. This spacer 1 is also more prone to elastic deformation on its outer edge. With a spacer like this 1, for example, it can be bent into a roughly hemispherical shape, as shown in Figure 8(b). Furthermore, if the spacer 1 can be bent into a roughly hemispherical shape in this way, it can be used, for example, by being attached to the inside of a hat C, as shown in Figure 8(c). With a hat C fitted with such a roughly hemispherical spacer 1, a space for air to circulate between the hat C and the wearer's head can be secured, thus preventing the wearer's head from becoming stuffy.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment 2, the convex portions 10 of the spacer 1 were shown and explained as having the same shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the spacer 1 may have convex portions 10 that differ in size, height, external shape, etc. For example, in the case of a spacer 1 used by being attached to the inside of a hat C, the protrusion 10 located on the edge of the hat C (specifically, the protrusion 10 on the outer edge of the spacer 1) may be designed to gradually become smaller and lower than the protrusion on the top of the head. This makes it possible to prevent stuffiness inside the hat C without compromising the wearing comfort of the hat C.

[0047] As described above, the spacer 1 of this embodiment can be used for a variety of applications by appropriately designing the shape and arrangement pattern of the protrusions 10 and the flexible connecting parts 20. This can be achieved.

[0048] In the embodiments described above, the spacer 1, which is molded in a flat shape, is used after being bent. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the spacer 1 may be molded to have a pre-bent shape. In this case, for example, the shape and arrangement pattern of suitable spacers to be placed inside hat C can be designed using 3D CAD or similar software to create 3D data, and the spacers can then be created using a 3D printer or similar software based on that 3D data. Alternatively, the 3D data can be unfolded into flat 2D data to create a mold for molding the spacers, and the spacers molded using that mold can then be assembled in 3D.

[0049] Furthermore, it is preferable that the density of the spacer 1 is 30% or less of the volume of the space it constitutes. Furthermore, it is preferable that the frame-shaped portion S11 and the flexible connecting portion 20 are formed such that the area of ​​the opening where the frame-shaped portion S11 and the flexible connecting portion 20 are not formed accounts for 50% to 95% of the total spacer area on the spacer surface on the side where the frame-shaped portion S11 is formed.

[0050] Furthermore, it goes without saying that other specific structural details can be modified as needed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 Spacer 10 Convex part 20 Flexible connection 20a,20b,20c,20d Flexible connection part S11 Frame part S12 Column part (standing part) S13 Standing end connection part C hat

Claims

1. A spacer comprising: a frame-shaped portion; a plurality of upright portions formed so as to extend from the frame-shaped portion, with one end connected to the frame-shaped portion; a convex portion having an upright end connecting portion that connects the other ends of the plurality of upright portions; and a flexible connecting portion that connects the frame-shaped portions of the convex portions located in close proximity to each other so as to connect a plurality of the convex portions, The spacer is characterized in that the flexible connecting portion is configured to have different flexibility due to different thicknesses depending on the part of the spacer.

2. The spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that the upright portion is formed to have a different length depending on the part of the spacer, and the convex portion is configured to have a different height depending on the part of the spacer.

3. The spacer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame-shaped portion is formed to be of different sizes depending on the part of the spacer, and the protrusion is configured to be of different sizes depending on the part of the spacer.

4. The spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plurality of protrusions are arranged to form substantially concentric circles.

Images