JP7428992B2 - skin contact sheet - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a skin-contact sheet used for parts that come into contact with the skin of the human body, such as skin pads, footwear, and handwear.

When you exercise or play sports, the area where your feet and shoes come into contact can rub, which can cause blisters and inflammation on your feet, and shocks that are applied to your body from the ground through your shoes can cause fatigue and discomfort.
Similarly, when wearing socks and gloves, there are problems such as the formation of blisters on the feet and hands due to friction between the feet and the socks or between the hands and the gloves due to strenuous activities.
Furthermore, when using a skin pad or the like in contact with a part of the skin, there are problems such as the skin rubbing against the skin pad and causing inflammation.
As a method for solving the above-mentioned problems, a conventional technique has been proposed that makes it difficult to cause chafing and inflammation on the parts that come into contact with the skin, such as the soles of the feet and palms.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-37282 International Publication No. 2013/190647 International Publication No. 2019/038886

Patent Document 1 discloses a sock in which a reinforcing material (2, 3) made of foamed polyurethane is provided on the back side of the sock.
However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to prevent feet from slipping by providing an anti-slip material, on the other hand, when putting feet into socks or shoes, Due to the non-slip material, there was a problem in that the feet could not be smoothly inserted into the shoes or socks.

Patent Document 2 is a technology provided by the inventor of the present invention as a solution to the problems of the prior art such as Patent Document 1. It has a structure in which a slippery net (12) is stretched over a non-slip cushioning material (11) to ensure ease of wear and to reduce friction between contact areas such as feet and hands with the fabric. This prevents the skin from getting irritated (rubbing) and prevents the occurrence of blisters and inflammation.
However, in the case of the technique shown in Patent Document 2, since the net body (12) is attached by being stretched around the wool material (11), there are the following problems.
First, a separate sewing process is required to sew the net body (12) onto the cushion material (11). Therefore, manufacturing requires a lot of manpower and time.
Second, when obtaining a product by cutting a cushion sheet with a sewn net body (12) into a foot shape, etc., the net body (12) will fray at the cut edges, so such a simple method is adopted. Can not. That is, since the edges of the cut net body (12) tend to fray, it is necessary to cut the cushion material (11) into a product shape in advance, and then sew the net body (12) and sew the edges. .
Thirdly, in order to ensure that the entire net body (12) is in full contact with the cushioning material (11), it is necessary to make the stitches finely sewn. If the sewing seams are rough, the contact surface of the net body (12) to the cushion material (11) will be rough, making it difficult to perform its function.

Patent Document 3 is a technique provided by the present inventor as a solution to the problems of Patent Document 2, in which the surface for contact with the human body part has a first surface (10a) with good lubricity and a low level surface with a small step. This is a skin-contact sheet (10) comprising a non-slip second surface (10b) consisting of a non-slip surface (10b); When worn, the human body part easily slides on the smooth first surface (10a), and when pressure is applied thereafter, the human body part comes into contact with the non-slip second surface (10b). faced and immobilized. When inserting and removing a foot or hand from shoes, socks, or gloves, it is possible to do so smoothly and without difficulty, and once inserted, the soles and palms of the feet remain perfectly immovable against the shoes, socks, or gloves. can be brought into contact with
However, in the case of the technology shown in Patent Document 3, it is quite difficult to configure the smooth first surface (10a) and the non-slip second surface (10b) with a small step using methods other than printing. be. Further, in the case of printing, the durability of the smooth first surface (10a) formed by the printing becomes an issue.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art described above and to provide a new skin-contact sheet that has vacuum adsorption properties to the skin under pressure contact. In other words, mere light contact does not cause adhesion, but when the skin comes into contact with the sheet surface with a certain amount of pressure, vacuum adsorption is exhibited and friction (rubbing) with the skin occurs during use. The object of the present invention is to provide a new skin-contact sheet that can provide a contact surface that does not occur. Another object of the present invention is to provide a skin contact sheet as a skin pad that does not cause inflammation or blisters due to friction (rubbing) with the skin. Furthermore, when inserting and removing feet and hands into shoes, socks, and gloves, it is not difficult to insert them, and by applying pressure after insertion, the soles of the feet, palms, or part of the skin can be inserted into socks or gloves. It can be brought into close contact with gloves, skin pads, etc., and can therefore be used as part of skin pads, socks, gloves, shoe insoles, and other products to ensure breathability while reducing friction (rubbing). ) Our goal is to provide a new skin-contact sheet that can reliably prevent the occurrence of blisters and inflammation caused by skin irritation.

In order to achieve the above object, the skin-contact sheet of the present invention is a skin-contact sheet that is used in contact with a part of the skin of the human body, such as the sole of the foot or the palm of the hand, and includes:
The skin-contact sheet is constructed using an air-permeable foamed elastic body mainly composed of a large number of open cells with ventilation passages extending from the front surface that contacts the skin to the back surface ,
Further, the open cells of the foamed elastic body are configured to be compressively deformed by receiving pressure from the skin on the surface, and some of the open cells close the middle of the ventilation passage due to the compressive deformation. It is configured as a vacuum suction hole,
In addition, the large number of open cells constituting the ventilation passage from the front surface to the back surface of the foamed elastic body includes front surface cell cells opening on the front surface, internal cell cells located inside, and back surface cell cells located on the back surface. The front surface foam cells are distributed on the surface surface with a total area ratio of 30 to 70% to the surface surface, and the foam cells are composed of communication holes that communicate between the foam cells. The first feature is that, at least in the vicinity of the surface, the opening is opened into the inner wall of the bubble cell at a total area ratio of 10 to 50% relative to the inner wall of the bubble cell.
In addition to the above-mentioned first feature, the skin-contact sheet of the present invention has a second feature that the cell diameter of the surface foam cells is from several tens to several hundreds of microns.
In addition to the first or second feature described above, the skin contact sheet of the present invention has a third feature in that the surface of the foamed elastic body of the skin contact sheet is configured to have a smooth surface.
In addition to the third feature above, the skin contact sheet of the present invention is characterized in that the smooth surface of the foamed elastic body of the skin contact sheet is formed by surface processing or surface printing of the foamed elastic body. is the fourth feature.
In addition to any one of the first to fourth features described above, the skin contact sheet of the present invention has a fifth feature that includes a skin pad that comes into contact with a part of the skin or a roller that becomes a part of the skin pad. It is said that
In addition to any one of the first to fourth features described above, the skin contact sheet of the present invention has a sixth feature in that it is attached to the inner sole of a sock and becomes a part of the sock.
In addition to any one of the first to fourth features described above, the skin contact sheet of the present invention has a seventh feature that it is attached to the inner surface of the palm side of the glove and becomes a part of the glove.
In addition to any one of the first to fourth features described above, the skin contact sheet of the present invention has an eighth feature in that it is attached to the insole or the upper surface of the insole to become a part of the insole.
In addition to any one of the first to fourth features described above, the skin-contact sheet of the present invention has the ninth feature that it is attached to the part of the footwear that comes into contact with the foot and becomes a part of the footwear. .
In addition to any one of the first to ninth features, the skin contact sheet of the present invention has a tenth feature in that the foamed elastic body is made of soft urethane foam.

According to the skin-contact sheet according to claim 1, the skin-contact sheet is a skin-contact sheet that is used in contact with a part of the skin of a human body, and is made of a breathable sheet mainly made of open cells. It is constructed using a certain foamed elastic material. By being composed of a foamed elastic body in which the main foamed cells are open cells, air permeability is ensured between the front surface and the back surface of the sheet.
Then, some of the open cells are blocked in the middle of the ventilation passage from the front surface to the back surface by receiving pressure from the skin in contact with them, and become vacuum suction holes for the skin in contact with them. It is configured.
Therefore, if the skin-contact sheet is in contact with the skin but is not pressed, the vacuum adsorption effect by the skin-contact sheet will not occur. Due to compressive deformation , some of the open cells expel air from the upstream to the downstream direction of the ventilation passage, and the passage is subsequently blocked, forming a vacuum suction hole, which exerts a vacuum suction effect and attaches to the skin in contact with it. It will be absorbed. As a result, the skin and the skin-contact sheet are held immobile by vacuum suction on their contact surfaces, and friction (rubbing) is prevented from occurring. This can reliably prevent skin irritation and blisters caused by friction.
Of course, even in areas where the skin-contact sheet is in contact with the skin, not all open cells in the contact area are closed due to compression deformation, and many open cells continue to have sufficient air permeability. maintain the state held. Therefore, moisture and hot air emitted from the skin can be effectively dissipated and removed through the skin contact sheet.

According to the skin-contact sheet according to claim 1 , the open cells of the elastic foam used in the skin-contact sheet further include front surface cell cells that open on the front surface, internal cell cells that are located inside, and open cells on the back surface. It consists of open back surface bubble cells and communication holes that communicate between the bubble cells.
The surface cells are dispersed on the surface at a total area ratio of 30 to 70% of the surface.
When the total area ratio exceeds 70%, the surface bubble cells tend to be largely merged between adjacent cells, and the possibility of forming vacuum suction holes is reduced.
On the other hand, if the total area ratio is less than 30%, the number of surface cells becomes too small, and even if open cells are formed, sufficient air permeability cannot be ensured. Moreover, when the skin-contact sheet is subjected to compression deformation, there is an excessive probability that the open cells of the foamed elastic body will change to vacuum suction holes, causing a problem in which the air permeability is considerably deteriorated.
By setting the total area ratio to 30 to 70%, the number and size of the surface bubble cells can be adjusted to maintain sufficient air permeability and to ensure a sufficient probability of changing from open cells to vacuum suction holes. This is a range that satisfies both the conditions for exhibiting vacuum adsorption properties.
Furthermore, the communication holes communicating between the cells are opened to the inner walls of the cells at a total area ratio of 10 to 50%, at least near the surface.
By setting the total area ratio of the openings of the communication holes to the inner wall of the cell to be 50% or less, when the skin-contact sheet is compressed by pressure on its surface, the surface cell and the subsequent interior The communicating holes of the bubble cells are easily blocked by compression, and the ventilation passages are therefore blocked, so that it is possible to maintain the possibility that the front surface bubble cells that open to the front surface become vacuum suction holes. If the total area ratio exceeds 50%, the communicating holes of the bubble cells will be difficult to close even when pressed, and the possibility of forming vacuum suction holes will be too low.
On the other hand, if the total area ratio of the openings of the communicating pores to the inner wall is less than 10%, the communicating pores will be too easily blocked and the proportion of open cells will be too small, resulting in poor breathability of the skin contact sheet in contact with the skin. It becomes difficult to secure enough.

According to the skin contact sheet according to claim 2 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to claim 1 , the surface bubble cells have a cell diameter of several tens to several hundreds of microns, thereby providing the following effects:
Although the surface cells dispersed on the surface of the foamed elastic body do not merge with each other, they become relatively large cells and tend to have a total area ratio of 30 to 70%, which provides sufficient air permeability. It becomes easier to prepare. Of course, by setting the cell diameter of the surface bubble cells to several tens to hundreds of microns, the size of the communicating pores becomes appropriate, making it easier for the total area ratio to the inner wall to be 10 to 50%, which makes skin contact easier. When the sheet is compressed and deformed by pressure from the skin, the rate at which open cells change into vacuum suction holes is set at an appropriate rate. This makes it possible to provide a skin-contact sheet that has both breathability and vacuum suction properties.
If the cell diameter of the surface cells is less than several tens of microns, it is not preferable because it is too small and does not have sufficient air permeability, and further deteriorates air permeability when subjected to compressive deformation.
On the other hand, if the cell diameter exceeds several hundred microns, the surface bubble cells tend to merge with each other, and the openings of the communication holes tend to become too large, making it difficult for the ventilation passages to become blocked, resulting in vacuum suction holes. The ratio is too low.

According to the skin contact sheet according to claim 3 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to claim 1 or 2 , the surface surface of the foamed elastic body of the skin contact sheet is configured to have a smooth surface. So,
When positioning the skin and the skin-contact sheet, the sheet can be slid easily and accurately positioned at the desired position. When pressure is applied from the skin in contact with the sheet, the skin-contact sheet vacuum-adsorbs the skin and holds it in an immobile state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the skin from being subjected to friction (rubbing) at the contact surface.

According to the skin contact sheet according to claim 4 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to claim 3 , the smooth surface of the foamed elastic body of the skin contact sheet has a surface of the foamed elastic body. Because it is constructed by processing or surface printing,
A foamed elastic body whose main cells are open cells does not need to have a smooth surface from the time of manufacture, and the manufacturing conditions for the foamed elastic body can be expanded. After production, the foamed elastic body can be finished with a desired smooth surface by subjecting its surface to a post-treatment or by surface printing.

According to the skin contact sheet according to claim 5 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , the skin contact sheet has a skin pad that is in contact with a part of the skin. , or become part of the skin pad,
During use, the skin-contact sheet can be precisely positioned and applied to the desired skin position by sliding it on its surface. When pressure is applied between the skin and the skin-contact sheet, a vacuum suction effect occurs on the contact sheet, the skin surface and the skin-contact sheet are vacuum-adsorbed, and the skin surface is held in an immobile state. Therefore, as a skin pad or a part of a skin pad, inflammation due to friction (rubbing) can be reliably prevented.

According to the skin contact sheet according to claim 6 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , since it is attached to the inner sole of the sock and becomes a part of the sock,
When inserting the foot into the sock, the foot can be smoothly inserted by sliding on the surface of the skin contact sheet, which has not yet been subjected to vacuum suction. Thereafter, when the sole of the foot presses against the skin-contacting sheet due to the weight being applied, a vacuum suction effect occurs on the skin-contacting sheet to hold the sole in an immobile state. As a result, it is possible to provide socks that can prevent the soles of the feet from being subjected to friction (rubbing) and sufficiently prevent the occurrence of inflammation, blisters, etc. due to exercise or the like.
Further, according to the skin contact sheet according to claim 7 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , it is arranged on the inner surface of the palm side of the glove and becomes a part of the glove. By this,
When inserting the hand into the glove, the hand can be smoothly inserted by sliding on the surface of the skin contact sheet, which has not yet been subjected to vacuum suction. After insertion, when pressure is applied from the palm to the front surface of the skin contact sheet, a vacuum suction effect occurs on the skin contact sheet, and the palm can be vacuum suctioned and immobilized. Therefore, it is possible to provide a glove that can prevent friction (rubbing) on the palm and sufficiently prevent the occurrence of inflammation, blisters, etc.

Further, according to the skin contact sheet according to claim 8 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , it is attached to the insole or the upper surface of the insole and becomes a part of the insole. By becoming
When the foot is inserted into the shoe, the skin-contact sheet of the insole does not yet have a vacuum suction effect, so the foot can be inserted smoothly into the shoe. , a vacuum suction effect occurs on the skin contact sheet, making it possible to immobilize the sole of the foot in a state where it is in perfect contact with the insole. Therefore, it is possible to provide an insole that can sufficiently reduce the friction (rubbing) between the sole of the foot and the insole and sufficiently prevent the occurrence of inflammation, blisters, etc.
Further, according to the skin contact sheet according to claim 9 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, it is attached to the part of the footwear that comes into contact with the foot and becomes a part of the footwear. By this,
When inserting the foot into the footwear, the skin-contact sheet does not yet have a vacuum suction effect, so the foot can be inserted smoothly into the footwear. A vacuum suction effect occurs, and the part that the foot contacts can be immobilized in a state where it is in perfect contact with the surface. Therefore, the friction (rubbing) between the foot and the footwear can be sufficiently reduced, and the occurrence of inflammation, blisters, etc. can be sufficiently prevented.

According to the skin contact sheet according to claim 10 , in addition to the effects achieved by the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , since the foamed elastic body is made of soft urethane foam,
Urethane as a material fully demonstrates its inherent strength and elasticity, and has good strength and durability as a skin-contact sheet.It also has soft compressive deformation due to pressure from the skin in contact with it, and has elasticity to recover from it, and is made of open cells. It is possible to provide a skin-contact sheet that has good air permeability and good vacuum suction properties due to the change in some of the open cells to vacuum suction holes.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skin contact sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an enlarged view of a skin contact sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of foamed cells formed in a skin contact sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of each foamed cell formed in a skin contact sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the characteristics of the skin-contact sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which the skin-contact sheet has not yet received any pressure from the skin. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the characteristics of the skin-contact sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which the skin-contact sheet is under pressure from the skin it comes into contact with. FIG. 3 is an end view in the thickness direction schematically showing the state of bubbles in the skin contact sheet which has not yet received any pressure from the skin. FIG. 2 is an end view in the thickness direction schematically showing the state of air bubbles in the skin contact sheet under pressure from the skin in contact with the sheet.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, the structure of a skin contact sheet 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The skin contact sheet 10 is made of a breathable foamed elastic body 11. The foamed elastic body 11 has a predetermined thickness, a front surface 11a and a back surface 11b, and is usually supplied as a long belt-shaped sheet or a batch sheet with a certain length and width. From this long sheet or batch sheet, for example, by cutting or punching, a skin contact sheet 10 having a shape suitable for various uses that come into contact with the soles of the feet, palms, and other skin parts of the human body is constructed. . FIG. 1 shows a skin contact sheet 10 intended to be used as a skin contact sheet 100 for the inner sole of a sock, which is attached to the inner sole of a sock and used so as to be in contact with the sole of the foot.
The thickness of the foamed elastic body 11 of the skin contact sheet 10 is set to an appropriate thickness depending on the specific use, but for example, it is used at a thickness of about 0.5 mm to 5 mm, more generally from 1 mm to several mm. There are many cases.
There is no distinction between the front surface 11a and the back surface 11b of the foamed elastic body 11, which is the front surface and which is the back surface, but in the present invention, the surface that comes into contact with the skin is called the front surface 11a. I decided to.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 to 4, the foamed elastic body 11 of the skin contact sheet 10 is a foamed body in which foamed cells 20 are dispersed on the front surface 11a, the back surface 11b, and the inside 11c, and is made of an elastic body. has been done.
The foamed elastic body 11 can be made of elastic, soft foamed plastic. As the flexible foamed plastic, for example, flexible foamed polyurethane foam can be preferably used. Further, soft foamed acrylic foam, soft foamed EVA, other resin elastomer-based or rubber-based open-cell sponges can also be used. However, by adjusting the blending conditions such as raw material ratio and foaming agent ratio, and manufacturing conditions, it is possible to obtain a more preferable elastic state according to the application as a skin contact sheet, and to make appropriate changes to the vacuum suction hole VSH described later. It is necessary to have a bubble OC.
The foamed elastic body 11 as the skin contact sheet 10 is required to have at least air permeability. This is because by providing breathability, it has the ability to dissipate moisture and sweat from the skin that comes into contact with it.
In order to satisfy this air permeability condition, the foamed elastic body 11 has a structure in which foamed cells 20 (20a, 20b, 20c) are dispersed on its front surface 11a, back surface 11b, and inside 11c. 20 communicate with each other via communication holes 30 to form an open cell OC, and the structure is such that air permeability is maintained between the front surface 11a and the back surface 11b.
Of course, this foamed elastic body 11 allows for the presence of some closed cells CC (see FIG. 3) that do not communicate with other cells, but by making open cells OC the main foamed cells 20, the surface in contact with the skin is Air permeability is ensured between the front surface 11a on the opposite side and the back surface 11b on the opposite side.

The foamed cells 20 of the foamed elastic body 11 of the skin contact sheet 10 are comprised of front surface cells 20a that open to the front surface 11a of the foamed elastic body 11, and back surface cells 20b that open to the back surface 11b of the foamed elastic body 11. and internal bubble cells 20c existing in the interior 11c of the foamed elastic body 11.
Communication holes 30 are opened in each of the bubble cells 20a, 20b, and 20c.
This communication hole 30 allows adjacent cells 20a, 20b, 20c, etc. to communicate with each other, and through the communication hole 30, from the front surface 11a, the front surface foam cell 20a, the inner foam cell 20c, and the back surface foam cell 20b are connected. The foamed elastic body 11 has a large number of ventilation passages W reaching the back surface 11b through the foam, and a large number of open cells OC in which the front surface cell 20a, the internal cell cell 20c, and the back surface cell 20b are connected. .
One or more communicating holes 30 are randomly opened in the inner walls of the individual bubble cells 20a, 20b, and 20c.
As a tendency, the larger the cell diameter of the bubble cells 20a, 20b, 20c, the larger the opening of the communicating hole 30, and the larger the number of communicating holes 30 opening in the inner wall of one bubble cell 20a, 20b, 20c.
Furthermore, the cells 20a, 20b, and 20c of the foamed foam 20 are located at the center in the thickness direction of the foamed elastic body 11, compared to the front surface foamed cells 20a and the back surface foamed cells 20b on the front and back surfaces of the foamed elastic body 11. The cell diameter of the internal bubble cells 20c tends to increase. For example, even if the front surface cells 20a that open to the front surface 11a open to the front surface 11a independently of each other, adjacent foam cells 20c may largely merge with each other near the center of the foamed elastic body 11. occurs.
In places where the air cells 20a, 20b, and 20c are largely merged, air permeability is maintained well, but it is difficult to block the air permeability between the air cells 20a, 20b, and 20c. Become.

Referring also to FIGS. 5 to 7, in the skin-contact sheet 10 made of the foamed elastic body 11 configured as described above, the skin-contact sheet 10 further comes into contact with the skin of a person and receives pressure from the skin. When the foamed elastic body 11 receives the support, a part of the large number of open cells OC (20a) opened on the front surface 11a of the foamed elastic body 11 turns into a vacuum suction hole VSH (20a), thereby exhibiting an adsorption effect.
FIG. 5 shows a state before the sole (skin) of a person's foot comes into contact with the foamed elastic body 11 of the skin contact sheet 10. At this stage, the foamed elastic body 11 of the skin-contact sheet 10 has not yet been pressed and is in its original state, with most open cells OC occupying the majority, and no vacuum suction holes VSH formed.
On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the sole (skin) of a person's foot is in contact with the skin contact sheet 10 and presses the skin contact sheet 10. In this state, the foamed elastic body 11 of the skin contact sheet 10 is pressed from the front surface 11a by the soles of the feet (skin), and undergoes compression deformation. Due to this compressive deformation, a large number of open cells OC (front surface cells 20a) dispersed on the front surface 11a are partially blocked in the middle of the ventilation passage W. In this case, by being pressed from the front surface 11a, the air in the open cells OC (the front surface cells 20a) is pushed out downward, and the ventilation passage W is closed.
Therefore, negative pressure is generated inside the open cell OC (front surface cell 20a) whose ventilation passage W is closed due to the elastic recovery action of the foamed elastic body 11, and becomes a vacuum suction hole VSH.
A large number of surface bubble cells 20a, which have become vacuum suction holes VSH, are dispersed, and each vacuum suction hole VSH microscopically suctions the sole of the foot.
By dispersing and distributing a large number of fine surface air cells 20a on the surface 11a of the foamed elastic body 11, a large number of vacuum suction holes VSH are generated randomly, and evenly distributed on the contact surface of the sole of the foot. Disperse and adsorb. This allows the sole of the foot to be held immovably by suction.
Of course, by configuring so that a large number of surface cells 20a still forming open cell OCs remain randomly without becoming the vacuum suction holes VSH, the air permeability due to the open cell OCs can also be ensured. .

FIG. 6 schematically shows the state of the foamed cells 20 (20a, 20b, 20c) and communication holes 30 in the skin contact sheet 10 in a state where the skin contact sheet 10 has not yet received any pressure from the skin. FIG. In this state, the front surface foam cell 20a, the inner foam cell 20c, and the back surface foam cell 20b are communicated through the communication hole 30, and almost all of the ventilation passages W from the front surface 11a to the back surface 11b are connected to the front surface foam cell 20a. Almost all the front surface cells 20a are open cells OC together with the inner cells 20c and the back surface cells 20b.

FIG. 7 is an end view in the thickness direction schematically showing the state of air bubbles in the skin contact sheet 10 under pressure from the skin in contact with the sheet. In this state, the ventilation passage W from the front surface cell 20a to the back surface 11b via the inner cell 20c and the back surface cell 20b is partially blocked, and many of the open cells OC are About half of the surface bubble cells 20a are randomly formed into vacuum suction holes VSH.

In order for some of the many surface cells 20a constituting the open cell OS to change into vacuum suction holes VSH, the size and density of the cells 20a, 20b, and 20c, and the size of the communication hole 30 are required. In completing the present invention, the inventor discovered that it is necessary to make the , density, etc. appropriate.

When the individual size of the bubble cells 20a, 20b, 20c becomes too large, the diameter of the communication hole 30 increases accordingly, and the number of communication holes 30 that open to each bubble cell 20a, 20b, 20c also increases. It tends to be too much.
If the foam cells 20a, 20b, 20c are too large, the adjacent foam cells 20a, 20b, 20c will come into close contact with each other, and the density occupied by the foam cells 20a, 20b, 20c will also increase, making it easier for them to merge with each other and become independent. This tends to make it difficult to exist as a bubble cell. Of course, the communication hole 30 also becomes larger, and the communication hole 30 tends to be less likely to be blocked.
In this case, even if the foamed elastic body 11 is compressively deformed under pressure, it is hardly expected that the existing open cells OC will change into vacuum suction holes VSH. Therefore, even if the foamed elastic body 11 is compressed and deformed due to pressure from the skin, almost no vacuum adsorption action occurs.

On the other hand, if the individual size of the bubble cells 20a, 20b, 20c is too small, each bubble cell 20a, 20b, 20c will be too far away from the adjacent bubble cell 20a, 20b, 20c. Furthermore, the density occupied by the bubble cells 20a, 20b, and 20c becomes smaller, and the total area ratio of the openings of the front surface bubble cells 20a to the front surface 11a becomes smaller. The diameter of the communication holes 30 that open to each of the bubble cells 20a, 20b, and 20c is also small, and the number of the communication holes 30 is also small, so that the total area ratio of the bubble cells 20a, 20b, and 20c to the inner wall becomes small.
Therefore, in this case, the proportion of open cells OC originally present in the foamed elastic body 11 is insufficient, resulting in a state where the breathability is reduced, and the foamed elastic body 11 is compressed and deformed under pressure. Most of the open cells OC tend to turn into vacuum adsorption holes VSH, and even though adsorption occurs, sufficient air permeability cannot be ensured.

When the front surface 11a of the foamed elastic body 11 is compressed and deformed by the pressure from the skin it comes in contact with, a portion of the open cell OC that opens on the front surface 11a has an appropriate proportion, for example, an open cell OC of 30 to 70. The conditions for the vacuum suction hole VSH at a rate of % are as follows:
First, the total open area ratio of the surface cells 20a opening to the surface 11a to the surface 11a must be in the range of 30 to 70%.
The communication holes 30 communicating between the air cells 20a, 20b, and 20c must have a total area ratio of 10 to 50% with respect to the inner walls of the air cells 20a, 20c, at least in the vicinity of the front surface 11a.
When the total opening area ratio of the surface foam cells 20a exceeds 70% and the total opening area ratio of the communication holes 30 to the inner walls of the foam cells 20a, 20c in the vicinity of the front surface 11a exceeds 50%, the surface The proportion of surface cells 20a remaining as open cells OC exceeds 70%, and the proportion of vacuum suction holes VSH becomes less than 30%, making it difficult to perform the vacuum suction function.
When the open area ratio of the surface foam cells 20a exceeds 70%, the surface foam cells 20a have a large cell diameter, are close to the adjacent surface foam cells 20a, and have large-diameter internal cells. It will be in a state close to the cell 20c. If the total opening area of the communicating holes 30 near the surface 11a with respect to the inner walls of the bubble cells 20a and 20c exceeds 50%, the open area of the communicating holes 30 occupying the inner wall of the bubble cells is large, and the bubble cells are compressively deformed. Even when receiving water, the open communication hole 30 is almost never clogged.
In general, the foamed elastic body 11 has a large number of bubbles in the thickness direction because the bubble cells in the center in the thickness direction (among the internal bubble cells 20c, the bubble cells in the center in the thickness direction) tend to be the largest. In the central portion, the ventilation passage W (communication hole 30) is rarely blocked.
Therefore, in order for the front surface bubble cells 20a to change from open cells OC to vacuum suction holes VSH, it is necessary that the ventilation passage W (communication hole 30) be blocked near the front surface 11a. For example, the presence or absence of occlusion in the range of 1/3 of the thickness of the foamed elastic body 11 on the front surface 11a side is actually important.
The vicinity of the front surface 11a is within the range of ⅓ of the thickness of the foamed elastic body 11 on the front surface 11a side. More preferably, it is within the range of 1/4 of the front surface 11a side. Looking at it from another perspective, in order for the open cell OC to become the vacuum suction hole VSH and to exhibit sufficient vacuum suction function, the blockage of the ventilation passage W must occur in 5 to 6 holes in the thickness direction from the surface cell 20a. Since it is preferable that the cell is closed up to the cell 20c, the vicinity of the surface 11a can be said to be the range in which 5 to 6 cells exist from the surface 11a.

On the other hand, the opening area ratio of the surface foam cells 20a is less than 30%, and the total opening area ratio of the communication holes 30 to the inner walls of the foam cells 20a and 20c in the vicinity of the front surface 11a is less than 10%. In this case, the proportion of the surface cells 20a remaining as open-cell OC is less than 30%, and the proportion of vacuum suction holes VSH exceeds 70%, and although the vacuum suction function is exerted, the breathability function is fully exerted. become unable.
When the open area ratio of the front surface foam cells 20a is less than 30%, the front surface foam cells 20a tend to have small cell diameters and to be spaced apart from adjacent front surface foam cells 20a. In addition, the surface cell 20a and the inner cell 20c therebelow also have small diameters and tend to be separated from each other.
If the total opening area of the communicating holes 30 with respect to the inner wall of the foam cells is less than 10%, the opening area of the communicating holes 30 in the inner wall area of the foam cells 20a, 20c becomes considerably small, and the foamed elastic body 11 is subjected to compressive deformation. Then, the communication hole 30 near the front surface 11a is easily clogged. Therefore, most of the surface cells 20a, which were initially open cells OC, become vacuum suction holes VSH, and although vacuum suction properties are exhibited, air permeability is impaired.

The total open area ratio of the surface cells 20a opening to the surface 11a to the surface 11a is in the range of 30 to 70%, and the cells 20a, 20c of the communication holes 30 communicating between the cells 20a, 20b, 20c. By setting the total area ratio to the inner wall of 10 to 50%, when the foamed elastic body 11 is subjected to compressive deformation by the skin in contact with it, a part of the surface cell 20a, which is an open cell OC, is vacuum-adsorbed. The hole VSH changes to an appropriate ratio, that is, the ratio of the vacuum suction hole VSH to the open cell OC is 30 to 70%.
By changing the ratio of the vacuum suction holes VSH to the open cell OC to 30 to 70%, the vacuum suction force against the skin in contact with the skin contact sheet 10 is appropriately exerted, and the skin in contact with the sheet is adsorbed in an immobile state. can be retained. At the same time, it can also ensure breathability for the skin that comes into contact with it.
The ratio of vacuum suction holes VSH to open cells OC is more preferably 40 to 60%. To this end, the total opening area ratio of the surface cells 20a opening to the surface 11a to the surface 11a should be in the range of 40 to 60%, and the air bubbles in the communication holes 30 communicating between the cells 20a, 20b, and 20c. It is preferable to adjust the total area ratio of the cells 20a and 20c to the inner walls to a range of 20 to 40%.

Note that it is not determined in advance which of the large number of surface cells 20a will change from open cells OC to vacuum suction holes VSH. Which of the many dispersed surface cells 20a changes from open cells OC to vacuum suction holes VSH in response to subtle changes in compression deformation of the foamed elastic body 11 due to subtle changes in the pressing force from the skin? It changes each time.
Of course, even if it changes to the vacuum suction hole VSH once, it will return to the original open cell OC depending on the situation. The surface bubble cells 20a, which are configured to be dispersed in large numbers on the surface 11a in this way, change randomly between the open cells OC and the vacuum suction holes VSH over time, and are mutually uniform as a whole. They will exist in a dispersed manner.
Of course, the change between the open cell OC and the vacuum suction hole VSH is mainly due to compressive deformation of the foamed elastic body 11, but due to the condition of moisture and sweat coming out from the skin, the communication hole 30 etc. are opened or closed, the continuous cell OC changes to the vacuum suction hole VSH, or vice versa, the vacuum suction hole VSH returns to the open cell OC repeatedly.
That is, when viewed as a whole, a large number of surface bubble cells 20a change into vacuum suction holes VSH and then return to the original open cell OC, repeating this process at random, while absorbing moisture from the skin into the skin-contact sheet. is released to the back surface 11b side, and is vacuum-adsorbed to the skin surface in contact to prevent the skin surface from rubbing.

In order for an appropriate proportion of 30 to 70% of the open cells OC of the surface cells 20a to turn into vacuum suction holes VSH due to pressure from the skin in contact, the cell diameter of the surface cells 20a must be at least several Preferably, the thickness is from ten to several hundred microns.
By adjusting the front surface bubble cells 20a to such a size, the total area ratio of the front surface bubble cells 20a that actually open to the front surface 11a falls within the range of 30 to 70%, and the front surface 11a is not overcrowded. The surface bubble cells 20a can be dispersed and opened without being crowded or undercrowded. At the same time, the number and opening diameter of the communication holes 30 that communicate with the inner walls of the surface cells 20a and the inner cells 20c in the vicinity of the surface 11a are appropriate, and the communication holes with respect to the inner walls of the cells 20a and 20c are appropriate. The total opening area ratio of 30 falls within the range of 10 to 50%.

In addition, in the present embodiment described above, a flexible polyurethane foam was actually used as the foamed elastic body 11. This allows urethane as a material to fully exhibit its inherent strength and elasticity. That is, it has good strength and durability as the skin contact sheet 10, has soft compressive deformation due to pressure from the skin in contact with it, and has elasticity to recover from the deformation, has air permeability due to the open cell OC, and has good vacuum resistance due to the open cell OC. Good vacuum suction properties can be provided by making good changes to the suction holes VSH.

When the skin-contact sheet 10 is attached to the skin, if it is desired to smoothly slide on the skin surface and move it to the desired position, it is preferable that the surface of the foamed elastic body 11 be a highly slippery surface.
For example, when using the skin contact sheet 10 attached to the inner sole of a sock, if the surface 11a of the foamed elastic body 11 is non-slip, it will easily get caught when the foot is inserted into the sock, allowing smooth insertion. becomes difficult. The same goes for gloves.
As a means for making the front surface 11a of the foamed elastic body 11 smooth, there is, for example, a means for processing the material surface of the foamed elastic body 11 into a smooth surface with a small surface roughness. Further, the material surface of the foamed elastic body 11 may be made into a smooth surface by surface printing.
Of course, when using the surface treatment or surface printing, it is necessary to avoid impairing the air permeability of the foamed elastic body 11.

The skin contact sheet 10 can be configured as a skin pad that is used in contact with a part of the skin, or as a part of the skin pad. That is, when the skin-contact sheet 10 is 100% and becomes a skin pad as it is, or when the side that comes into contact with the skin is the skin-contact sheet 10 and the side that does not come into contact with the skin is lined with another fabric. In some cases, the skin pad is used only on a portion of the skin pad.

The skin contact sheet 10 can be attached to the inner sole of a sock and become a part of the sock.
Similarly, the skin contact sheet 10 can be attached to the inner surface of the palm side of the glove and become a part of the glove.
By applying the skin-contact sheet 10 to the inner sole of the sock, when a pressing force is applied to the skin-contact sheet 10 from the sole of the foot with the foot inside the sock, a large number of openings open on the front surface 11a of the skin-contact sheet 10. The surface cell 20a changes from open cell OC to vacuum suction hole VSH, resulting in a state in which open cell OC and vacuum suction hole VSH are mixed. As a result, the skin-contact sheet 10 becomes a sheet that has both a ventilation function and a vacuum suction function, which keeps the sole of the foot in an immobile state to prevent friction (rubbing) thereon, and also removes moisture from the sole of the foot from the skin. Moisture is released onto the back surface 11b side of the contact sheet 10 to prevent moisture from accumulating on the soles of the feet. Therefore, friction (rubbing) on the soles of the feet is eliminated, and generation of frictional heat, inflammation, blisters, and blisters can be prevented.
The same applies to gloves as in the case of socks.

The skin-contact sheet 10 can be attached to the insole or the upper surface of the insole of a shoe and become a part of the insole.
That is, when the skin contact sheet 10 is 100% and becomes an insole as it is, when the side that comes into contact with the skin is the skin contact sheet 10 and the side that does not come into contact with the skin is an insole lined with another material, This corresponds to the case where the insole uses the skin contact sheet 10 so that it contacts only a part of the sole of the foot. To hold the sole of the foot in an immobile state on the front surface of an insole and maintain breathability when wearing shoes with bare feet. In this case as well, friction (rubbing) on the soles of the feet is eliminated, and the occurrence of inflammation, blisters, and blisters can be prevented.

The skin-contact sheet 10 can be attached to a part of the footwear that comes into contact with the foot and become a part of the footwear.
The skin-contact sheet 10 is attached to a part of footwear such as shoes, sandals, sandals, slippers, etc., and when it comes into contact with the foot, when the attached contact-removal sheet 10 receives pressure from the skin, it releases the skin. It is possible to hold it in an immobile state by vacuum suction and also maintain its breathability. Therefore, it is possible to provide footwear that can eliminate inflammation, blisters, and blisters caused by friction (rubbing) caused by the part of the foot that comes in contact with the foot.

The skin contact sheet 10 does not necessarily have to be a flat sheet, including the skin contact sheet 100 for the inner sole of socks and the palm-shaped contact sheet.
The three-dimensionally curved skin-contact sheet 10 needs to function as a skin-contact sheet that extends from the sole of the foot (palm) to the side of the foot (side of the hand), and in some cases even to the back of the foot (back of the hand). It becomes possible to make it correspond to gender.

10 Skin contact sheet 11 Foamed elastic body 11a Front surface 11b Back surface 11c Inside 20 Foamed cells 20a Front surface foam cells 20b Back surface foam cells 20c Internal foam cells 30 Open holes 100 Skin contact sheet for inner sole of socks OC Open cells CC Closed cells VSH Vacuum suction hole W Ventilation passage

Claims (10)

A skin contact sheet used in contact with a part of the skin of the human body, such as the sole of the foot or the palm of the hand,
The skin-contact sheet is constructed using an air-permeable foamed elastic body mainly composed of a large number of open cells with ventilation passages extending from the front surface that contacts the skin to the back surface ,
Further, the open cells of the foamed elastic body are configured to be compressively deformed by receiving pressure from the skin on the surface, and some of the open cells close the middle of the ventilation passage due to the compressive deformation. It is configured as a vacuum suction hole ,
In addition, the large number of open cells constituting the ventilation passage from the front surface to the back surface of the foamed elastic body includes front surface cell cells opening on the front surface, internal cell cells located inside, and back surface cell cells located on the back surface. The front surface foam cells are distributed on the surface surface with a total area ratio of 30 to 70% to the surface surface, and the foam cells are composed of communication holes that communicate between the foam cells. A skin-contact sheet characterized in that, at least in the vicinity of the surface, openings are formed in the inner walls of the foam cells at a total area ratio of 10 to 50% relative to the inner walls of the foam cells . The skin contact sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the surface foam cells have a cell diameter of several tens to several hundred microns . The skin-contact sheet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the foamed elastic body of the skin-contact sheet is configured to have a smooth surface . 4. The skin contact sheet according to claim 3 , wherein the smooth surface of the foamed elastic body of the skin contact sheet is formed by surface processing or surface printing of the foamed elastic body . The skin-contact sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a skin pad that comes into contact with a part of the skin, or a part of the skin pad . The skin-contact sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is attached to the inner sole of a sock and becomes a part of the sock . The skin contact sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is attached to the inner surface of the palm side of the glove and becomes a part of the glove . The skin-contact sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is attached to an insole or an upper surface of an insole of a shoe to form a part of the insole . The skin-contact sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is attached to a part of footwear that comes into contact with the foot and becomes a part of the footwear. 10. The skin contact sheet according to claim 1, wherein the foamed elastic body is made of soft urethane foam .

Images