JP7563797B2 - Temperature regulating clothing and Peltier element unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a temperature regulating garment and a Peltier element unit .

For example, there is body temperature regulating clothing that is worn by workers working outdoors under the hot sun or in high temperature environments to cool the body and regulate body temperature.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that clothing is provided with a removable storage member, and the body is cooled by wearing the clothing in which an ice pack is stored in the storage member. Patent Document 2 discloses clothing that is provided with an air intake and a fan, and cools the body by circulating outside air inside the clothing parallel to the body. Patent Document 3 discloses that flexible tubes that allow liquid at a predetermined temperature, lower or higher than that of the human body, to circulate inside the clothing are arranged in a serpentine shape on the inner surface of the clothing, and the liquid at the predetermined temperature is delivered from a cooling or heating device connected via the tube.

JP 2003-55811 A Patent No. 4329118 JP 2017-57518 A

However, when cooling the body with clothing equipped with ice packs, it is difficult to adjust the temperature, and the cooling effect of the ice packs decreases over time. Therefore, the wearer of the clothing must replace the ice packs every time the cooling effect of the ice packs decreases, making it difficult to wear the clothing continuously for long periods of time and time-consuming to replace the ice packs. In addition, when the clothing is provided with an air intake and a fan to circulate outside air inside the clothing, if the outside air is high temperature, the body cannot be sufficiently cooled. Furthermore, since outside air is circulated inside the clothing, the clothing expands, which reduces the mobility and workability of the worker wearing the clothing. In addition, when tubes that circulate liquid at a specified temperature inside the clothing are arranged in a meandering shape overall on the inner surface of the clothing, the structure of the clothing becomes complex. Furthermore, the weight of the tubes and liquid increases the weight of the entire clothing, and the thickness of the tubes increases the thickness of the entire clothing, which reduces the mobility and workability of the worker wearing the clothing.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a temperature regulating garment and Peltier element unit that can regulate body temperature for long periods of time without interfering with the mobility and workability of the worker wearing the garment.

The temperature regulating garment of the present invention comprises a Peltier element unit having a Peltier element and having a surface that cools or heats the wearer's body when in contact with it , a mobile battery connected to the Peltier element by a wiring cord and supplies current to the Peltier element through the wiring cord, and an insertion hole formed in the back of the garment for attaching the Peltier element unit so that it is in close contact with the wearer's body when worn, the Peltier element unit comprising a flange that is in a position opposite to the surface and protrudes outward from around the surface , and a ring body that is detachable from the main body of the Peltier element unit and clamps the Peltier element unit opposite the flange to screw the Peltier element unit to the fabric of the back body around the insertion hole, and the surface protrudes further inward from the garment than the flange and the ring body when the Peltier element unit is fixed to the fabric of the back body.

The present invention allows the body temperature of the worker wearing the garment to be regulated for a long period of time without interfering with the worker's mobility and workability.

1 is a diagram showing the front side of a temperature regulating garment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the back side of a temperature regulating garment according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a Peltier element unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes a temperature regulating garment according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the front side of the temperature regulating garment 1, and Figure 2 shows the back side of the temperature regulating garment 1. When viewed from above, the left side shows the front body 2, and the right side shows the back body 3.

In this embodiment, the temperature regulating garment 1 is a cooling vest in which four air-cooled Peltier element units are mounted in the area where the wearer's back is located.
The temperature regulating garment 1 is provided at its upper part with a neckline 4 that forms the neckline where the wearer's neck will be positioned when worn. Furthermore, the temperature regulating garment 1 is provided at its left and right sides with armholes 5, 6 through which the wearer's arms pass when worn. The lower end of the armhole 5 is provided with an armhole band 7 for closing the lower end of the armhole 5. The armhole band 7 is formed of a rubber band and a buckle, and allows adjustment of the tightness of the lower end of the armhole 5. Similarly, the lower end of the armhole 6 is provided with a band (not shown) having the same structure as the armhole band 7 for closing the lower end of the armhole 6, allowing adjustment of the tightness of the lower end of the armhole 6.

The front body 2 of the temperature regulating garment 1 is open at the front and can be closed by front body opening and closing bands 8, 9. The front body opening and closing bands 8, 9 are each formed of an elastic band and a buckle, and can be used to open and close the front body 2 as well as to adjust the tightness when the front body 2 is closed.

Furthermore, front body tightening bands 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are provided on the portion of the front body 2 between the front body opening and closing band 8 and the neckline 4. The front body tightening bands 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are made of rubber bands and are sewn or glued to the front body 2, and tighten the temperature regulating garment 1 so that it fits closely to the wearer's body when the front body 2 is closed.

The temperature regulating garment 1 is made of a breathable mesh fabric. Pockets 16, 17 are provided below the wearer's waist from the front body tightening bands 12, 15 of the front body 2, and are formed by sewing fabric. The pockets 16, 17 are provided with fasteners 18, 19, which can be opened and closed.

The pockets 16 and 17 can store batteries for driving the Peltier element units. The pockets 16 and 17 are also provided with through holes 21 and 22 through which a wiring cord 20 for providing power from the battery to the Peltier element unit is inserted from the pockets 16 and 17 toward the Peltier element unit. In FIG. 1, as an example, a mobile battery 23 is stored in the pocket 17 as the battery. However, this is not limiting, and the mobile battery 23 may be stored in the pocket 16.

The back body 3 of the temperature regulating garment 1 is provided with Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27. Specifically, the Peltier element units 24 and 25 are provided in positions that abut on both sides of the wearer's neck, and the Peltier element units 26 and 27 are provided in positions that abut on both underarms. In FIG. 2, the fabric of the back body 3 is provided with insertion holes 28, 29, 30, and 31 into which the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27 are inserted, and the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27 are attached to the back body 3 of the temperature regulating garment 1 via the insertion holes 28, 29, 30, and 31.

1, the fabric of the back body 3 is provided with a back body cover member 32 so as to cover the fabric of the back body 3 in a bag-like shape. The back body cover member 32 is made of the same mesh fabric as the fabric of the back body 3 and a breathable cloth with a finer mesh than the mesh fabric, and the outer edge of the back body cover member 32 is sewn to the fabric of the back body 3. However, the outer edge of the back body cover member 32 facing the through holes 21, 22 provided in the pockets 16, 17 of the front body 2 is provided with through holes 33, 34 leading to the inside of the back body cover member 32. In addition, the back body cover member 32 is provided with a zipper 35 in the vertical direction on the back of the wearer, and the back body cover member 32 can be opened and closed by opening and closing the zipper 35. The finely woven, breathable fabric portion of the rear body cover member 32 facing the insertion holes 28, 29, 30, 31 of the rear body 3 has openings 36, 37, 38, 39 so that the heat exhaust fan portions of the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, 27 are exposed.

As described above, the wiring cord 20 for providing power from the mobile battery 23 stored in the pocket portion 17 to the Peltier element unit extends from the through hole 22 and extends through the through hole 33 into the inside of the rear body cover member 32 between the fabric of the rear body 3 and the rear body cover member 32. When the mobile battery 23 is stored in the pocket portion 16, the wiring cord 20 extends from the through hole 21 and extends through the through hole 34 into the inside of the rear body cover member 32 between the fabric of the rear body 3 and the rear body cover member 32. The cord extended into the inside of the rear body cover member 32 branches and is connected to each of the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27. Separate wiring cords may be used to connect the mobile battery 23 to each of the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27, or the mobile battery 23 may be connected in series to the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27. In either case of connection, except for the short distance from the through hole 22 to the through hole 33, the cord is present inside the rear body cover member 32 between the fabric of the rear body 3 and is not exposed to the outside of the temperature regulating garment 1. Therefore, when putting on and taking off the temperature regulating garment 1, the wiring cord 20 does not get in the way, and the wiring cord 20 does not get caught and become dislodged or break, making it safe.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the Peltier element unit 24 attached to the fabric of the back body 3 of the temperature regulating garment 1. The other Peltier element units 25, 26, and 27 have the same structure, so their explanation is omitted.

The Peltier element unit 24 is attached to an insertion hole 28 provided in the rear body 3. The insertion hole 28 has a folded portion formed by folding the fabric of the rear body 3 at a fixed width along its inner periphery and sewing it. Note that the folded portion may be separate from the fabric of the rear body 3, or may be folded along the inner periphery of the insertion hole 28 and sewn to hold a circular reinforcing plate with a hole on the inside.

The heat exhaust fan cover part 41 and the Peltier element mounting part 42 that constitute the Peltier element unit 24 are fixed to each other by a locking means, such as a combination of a recess and a claw piece, or by adhesive, with the Peltier element mounting part 42 inserted inside the heat exhaust fan cover part 41.

The Peltier element mounting portion 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a flange 43 that protrudes radially from the outer circumferential end in the shape of a circular ring. A Peltier element 44, a heat transfer plate 45, and a heat sink plate 46 are attached to the Peltier element mounting portion 42. The Peltier element 44 is provided with electrodes, to which a wiring cord 20 leading to the mobile battery 23 is connected.

The Peltier element 44 is a semiconductor element with a Peltier effect that is made by joining an N-type semiconductor and a P-type semiconductor. By passing a direct current through the Peltier element 44, a temperature difference occurs between the two sides of the Peltier element 44, with one side becoming colder and the other side becoming hotter. By changing the direction of the current passing through the Peltier element 44, the heat absorbing side and the heat generating side become reversed, with one side becoming hotter and the other side becoming colder. In addition, the amount of heat absorbed and generated can be changed by changing the magnitude of the current passed, thereby controlling the temperature.

The heat transfer plate 45, which is in contact with one surface of the Peltier element 44, is cooled by the Peltier element 44. The heat transfer plate 45 is provided so that the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the Peltier element 44 is in contact with the wearer's body. The heat transfer plate 45, which has been cooled by the Peltier element 44, cools the wearer's body through the cooling surface in contact with the body. Meanwhile, the heat dissipation plate 46, which is in contact with the other surface of the Peltier element 44, transfers heat generated on the other surface of the Peltier element 44 and dissipates the heat from the surface facing the exhaust fan. The heat transfer plate 45 and the heat dissipation plate 46 are formed from a metal plate such as aluminum.

The heat exhaust fan cover part 41 has a cylindrical shape, and an exhaust hole 49 for exhausting heat is provided between the disk-shaped top part 47 located at the top side of the cylinder and the side part that connects to the ring body 48. A cylindrical storage chamber 50 is integrally formed inside the top part 47, and a motor M is stored in the storage chamber 50. The tip side of the rotating shaft of the motor M protrudes toward the heat sink 46 attached to the Peltier element mounting part 42, and the tip part of a cylindrical spinner 51 is fixed to the rotating shaft. A plurality of blades 52 are radially protruded from the outer periphery of the spinner 51, forming a heat exhaust fan 53. The heat exhaust fan 53 exhausts the heat released from the heat sink 46 to the outside through the exhaust hole 49. In addition, a screw groove 54 is formed on the outer surface of the heat exhaust fan cover part 41.

The ring body 48 has a screw groove 55 formed on the inner surface, a ring piece 56 that protrudes radially from the outer end in the shape of a ring plate, and a number of uneven surfaces 57 formed on the ring surface of the ring piece 56 that faces the flange 43 of the Peltier element mounting portion 42.

Next, the procedure for attaching the Peltier element unit 24 to the temperature regulating garment 1 will be described. First, the fastener 35 provided on the back body cover member 32 that covers the fabric of the back body 3 of the temperature regulating garment 1 is opened.

The Peltier element unit 24 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 provided in the back body 3 from the inside of the temperature regulating garment 1, and the flange 43 of the Peltier element attachment part 42 is brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the insertion hole 28. Next, the ring body 48 is brought into contact with the heat exhaust fan cover part 41 from the outside of the fabric of the back body 3 of the temperature regulating garment 1 and the inside of the back body cover member 32 through the opening of the fastener 35, and the screw groove 55 formed on the inner surface of the ring body 48 and the screw groove 54 formed on the outer surface of the heat exhaust fan cover part 41 are screwed together. As a result, the inner periphery of the insertion hole 28 is tightly sandwiched from both the inside and outside by the flange 43 and the annular piece 56. Moreover, with this screwing operation, the multiple uneven strips 57 formed on the annular piece 56 of the ring body 48 rotate and bite into the fabric located outside the insertion hole 28, so that the Peltier element unit 24 can be easily and tightly attached to the temperature regulating garment 1. When the Peltier element unit 24 is attached to the temperature regulating garment 1 and the wiring is completed, the fastener 35 is closed to close the back body cover member 32. By providing the fastener 35 in this way, the installation work of the Peltier element unit 24 can be easily performed by opening the fastener 35, and the wiring cord 20 does not protrude from the temperature regulating garment 1 by closing the fastener 35. Conversely, when removing the Peltier element unit 24 from the temperature regulating garment 1, the ring body 48 can be easily removed by rotating the ring body 48 in the opposite direction to the screwing operation and removing it from the insertion hole 28. In this way, since the Peltier element unit 24 can be easily attached and detached, the number of Peltier element units 24 to be attached can be adjusted according to the temperature environment. The fastener 35 is provided on the back part, but it may be provided along the armholes 5 and 6.

Next, the actual use of the temperature regulating garment 1 will be described.
The wiring cord 20 extending from the mobile battery 23 stored in the pocket 17 of the temperature regulating garment 1 is connected to the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27, and a switch (not shown) arranged on the mobile battery 23 side or in the middle of the wiring cord 20 is turned on. The switch is designed to be able to switch the temperature between three levels: LOW/MID/HIGH. The temperature of the Peltier element 44 can be changed by changing the magnitude of the current flowing through the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27 between the three levels: LOW/MID/HIGH. In addition, turning on the switch rotates the heat exhaust fan 53 provided on the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27, promoting heat dissipation from the heat sink 46. The heat exhaust fan 53 may change its rotation speed in response to the switching of the above three temperature levels, or may rotate at a constant speed regardless of the switching of the temperature. Furthermore, each of the Peltier element units 24, 25, 26, and 27 may be configured to have a switch that can be turned on and the temperature may be individually switched.

When the temperature regulating garment 1 is worn, the heat transfer plates 45 of the Peltier element units 24, 25 come into close contact with both sides of the wearer's neck, and the heat transfer plates 45 of the Peltier element units 26, 27 come into close contact with both armpits of the wearer, thereby cooling those areas. The above areas are areas where large arteries pass near the surface of the body, and cooling those areas is effective in regulating body temperature. Therefore, the Peltier element units may be positioned so that the heat transfer plates 45 come into close contact with areas other than those above, for example, the central part of the back where the aorta passes.

Furthermore, when wearing the temperature regulating garment 1, combining it with air-conditioning garments that circulate outside air inside the garment increases the heat dissipation effect of the Peltier element itself, allowing the body to be cooled more effectively.

In the above embodiment, the temperature-regulating clothing that cools the body by the heat absorption of the Peltier element has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As described above, the Peltier element is a joint between an N-type semiconductor and a P-type semiconductor, and when a direct current is passed through it, one side absorbs heat and the other side generates heat. When the direction of the current is changed, the heat-absorbing side and the heat-generating side are reversed. Therefore, in the above embodiment, by changing the direction of the current applied to the Peltier element in the opposite direction, the surface of the heat transfer plate 45 of the Peltier element unit 24 that contacts the body changes from a cooling surface to a heating surface, and the clothing can be used as a heating clothing that warms the body. Furthermore, by providing a switching means such as a changeover switch that switches the direction of the current applied to the Peltier element, the clothing can be made into a heating and cooling clothing that can cool and heat the body as needed. Furthermore, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the clothing may be provided, and the temperature inside the clothing may be adjusted by switching the direction of the current according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

In the above embodiment, the screw groove 55 formed on the inner surface of the ring body 48 and the screw groove 54 formed on the outer surface of the heat exhaust fan cover part 41 are screwed together, so that the inner peripheral edge of the insertion hole 28 is sandwiched from both inside and outside by the flange 43 of the Peltier element attachment part 42 located on the inside of the fabric of the back body 3 of the temperature regulating garment 1 and the annular piece 56 of the ring body 48 located on the outside of the fabric of the back body 3. In contrast, a flange may be formed on the heat exhaust fan cover part 41, a screw groove may be formed on the Peltier element attachment part 42, and the ring body 48 may be screwed together with the Peltier element attachment part 42, so that the inner peripheral edge of the insertion hole 28 is sandwiched from both inside and outside by the annular piece 56 of the ring body 48 located on the inside of the fabric of the back body 3 and the flange located on the outside of the fabric of the back body 3.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1...temperature regulating garment, 2...front body, 3...back body, 4...neckline, 5, 6...armhole, 7...armhole band, 8, 9...front body opening and closing band, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15...front body tightening band, 16, 17...pocket portion, 18, 19, 35...zipper, 20...wiring cord, 21, 22, 33, 34...pass-through hole, 23...mobile battery, 24, 25, 26, 27...peltier element unit, 28 , 29, 30, 31...insertion hole, 32...back body cover member, 36, 37, 38, 39...opening, 41...heat exhaust fan cover, 42...peltier element attachment, 43...flange, 44...peltier element, 45...heat transfer plate, 46...heat sink, 47...top, 48...ring body, 49...exhaust hole, 50...storage chamber, 51...spinner, 52...blade, 53...heat exhaust fan, 54, 55...screw groove, 56...ring piece, 57...uneven strip,

Claims (5)

A Peltier element unit having a Peltier element and a surface that comes into contact with the wearer's body to cool or heat the device;
A mobile battery connected to the Peltier element by a wiring cord and supplying a current to the Peltier element through the wiring cord;
an insertion hole formed in a rear body of the garment for attaching the Peltier element unit so as to be in close contact with the body of a wearer when the garment is worn;
Equipped with
The Peltier element unit is
a flange extending outwardly from a periphery of said face at a location opposite said face ;
a ring body that is detachable from the body of the Peltier element unit and that clamps the flange in a state facing the flange to fix the Peltier element unit to the fabric of the back body around the insertion hole by screwing the ring body,
the surface protrudes toward the inside of the garment beyond the flange and the ring body when the Peltier element unit is fixed to the fabric of the back body.
Temperature regulating clothing. The Peltier element unit is provided at a position that comes into close contact with the neck, back, or armpit of the wearer when worn.
The temperature regulating garment of claim 1 . The insertion holes are formed at a plurality of locations,
The Peltier element unit is detachably attached to the insertion hole.
The temperature regulating garment according to claim 1 or 2. A rear body cover member that covers a portion of the rear body including the portion where the insertion hole is formed in a bag-like shape;
A fastener for opening and closing the rear body cover member is provided,
The wiring cord is stored inside the rear body cover member.
The temperature regulating garment according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A Peltier element unit that has a surface that contacts the wearer's body and generates heat or cools the wearer's body by a Peltier element and can be fixed to a wearing tool that is worn on the body,
a flange extending outwardly from a periphery of said face at a location opposite said face ;
a ring body that is detachable from the body of the Peltier element unit and that clamps the flange in a state facing the flange to fix the Peltier element unit to the mounting fixture by screwing the ring body,
the surface protrudes from the mounting fixture beyond the flange and the ring body when the Peltier element unit is fixed to the mounting fixture;
Peltier element unit.

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