JP7575009B2 - Temperature control device and temperature control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a temperature adjustment device configured to adjust the temperature of a temperature adjustment target by supplying a heat transfer fluid whose temperature has been adjusted by a refrigeration cycle in the main body to a heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target, whose position relative to the main body changes, and a temperature adjustment system configured with such a temperature adjustment device.

As a temperature adjustment device and temperature adjustment system of this type, the following patent document discloses a portable cooling device (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "cooling device") that is configured to supply cooling water to a cooling garment to cool the wearer of the cooling garment (the wearer's body). This cooling device is configured to supply cooling water from a main body unit to the cooling garment through one of a pair of hoses, and to collect cooling water from the cooling garment to the main body unit through the other of the pair of hoses. The main body unit also houses a refrigeration cycle (compressor, condenser, capillary tube (expansion valve), evaporator, and fan) for cooling water, an ice storage tank configured to store water (ice), a circulation pump that pressure-feeds water to the cooling garment and collects it, and a control unit that controls each part of the cooling device. The main body unit is also provided with a power switch, a display that displays various information (such as the operating state of the cooling device), and the like.

When using this cooling device, the main body, the cooling garment, and the connecting hose are transported to the location of use. Next, the cooling garment is put on, and the main body and the cooling garment are connected with the hose, and the power switch of the main body is operated to start the cooling process. In this case, in this cooling device, the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle is housed in the ice storage tank, and the water in the ice storage tank is cooled by the refrigeration cycle (evaporator) to produce ice in the ice storage tank. In addition, in this cooling device, water that does not freeze in the ice storage tank and water generated by melting ice in the ice storage tank are supplied to the cooling garment through the hose by the circulation pump, and the water whose temperature has been raised by heat exchange with the wearer's body in the cooling garment is collected in the ice storage tank through the hose.

As a result, this cooling device is able to continuously cool the wearer (body) of the cooling garment by continuing to cool the water in the ice storage tank (creating ice) and pumping the water with the circulation pump (circulating it between the main body and the cooling garment).

JP 2018-013261 A (pages 3-6, Figures 1-3)

However, the cooling device disclosed in the above patent document has the following problems to be solved. Specifically, the cooling device disclosed in the above patent document allows the wearer (temperature adjustment target) of the cooling garment (heat exchanger) to move freely within the range of the hose length centered on the location where the main body is installed.

In this case, when using this type of temperature adjustment device, even if a constant amount of cooling water is continuously supplied from the temperature adjustment device to the cooling garment, it may become difficult to provide suitable cooling due to an increase in the amount of heat generated by the temperature adjustment target. As an example, in the above example of a cooling device, the amount of heat generated may increase due to an increase in the amount of movement of the "person wearing the cooling garment" who is the temperature adjustment target (cooling target), or the amount of heat absorbed by the temperature adjustment target may increase due to an increase in the environmental temperature (being in the sun, being near a heat source, etc.). Also, when the amount of heat generated or absorbed by the temperature adjustment target is large, the amount of cold energy may be insufficient, and it may feel as if the cooling device has stopped.

On the other hand, in the cooling device disclosed in the above patent document, it is possible to check whether the cooling device is operating normally by looking at the display arranged on the main body. Therefore, when the wearer of the cooling garment feels that the amount of cold heat is insufficient, he or she can recognize by looking at the display whether the amount of cold heat required to cool to a comfortable temperature is insufficient due to an increase in the amount of heat generated or absorbed, or whether the amount of cold heat required to cool to a comfortable temperature is insufficient due to abnormal operation or unintended stoppage of the cooling device.

However, for example, if the wearer is working on a stepladder or ladder with the main unit placed on the floor and feels that the amount of cooling is insufficient, he or she must stop working, climb down the stepladder or ladder, and check the display on the main unit. For this reason, in this example, it is very cumbersome to climb up and down the stepladder or ladder to check whether the cooling device is operating normally.

In addition, one application of this type of temperature adjustment device (cooling device) is to cool a person (body) lying on a cooling mat (water mat: heat exchanger) by supplying cooling water to the cooling mat in the form of a sheet instead of cooling clothing. In such applications, the amount of heat generated and absorbed by the wearer may change in the same way as in the above example. In this case, in a usage environment where it is possible to install the main unit near the cooling mat, the display of the main unit can be seen while lying on the cooling mat, but in a usage environment where it is not possible to install the main unit near the cooling mat, it is difficult to see the display while lying on the cooling mat. For this reason, it is very cumbersome to get up and move to the location where the main unit is installed to check whether the cooling device is operating normally.

In addition, unlike the cooling devices disclosed in the above patent documents, which can only be switched on and off, variable capacity temperature adjustment devices (cooling devices) that can change the processing capacity of the refrigeration cycle and circulation pump can supply an appropriate amount of cooling water at an appropriate temperature according to the required amount of cold to a heat exchanger such as a cooling suit or cooling mat. When using such variable capacity temperature adjustment devices (cooling devices), it is necessary not only to check whether they are operating normally, but also to check whether the cooling target temperature (temperature adjustment state) of the cooling water in the device and the amount of cooling water supplied per unit time (supply state) are in line with the current situation of the wearer, but because it is necessary to look at the display unit (display) of the main unit, the same problems as with the cooling devices disclosed in the above patent documents arise.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems to be solved, and its main objective is to provide a temperature control device and a temperature control system that allow the operating status of the main body to be recognized reliably and easily.

In order to achieve the above object, a temperature adjustment device according to claim 1 comprises a main body having a refrigeration cycle that adjusts the temperature of a heat transfer liquid, a pump that supplies the heat transfer liquid to a heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target through a supply pipe having at least a portion that is flexible, and a main body-side processing unit that controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle and the pump, and is configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the temperature adjustment target by supplying the heat transfer liquid to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target whose position relative to the main body changes, and further comprises a portable terminal having a terminal-side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal and a terminal-side processing unit that executes predetermined processing based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and the main body comprises a main body-side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting the control signal, and a portable terminal having a terminal-side processing unit that controls the position and and a moving mechanism that changes at least one of the position and orientation of the main body, wherein the main body-side processing unit causes the main body-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal capable of identifying an operating state of the main body, and the terminal-side processing unit is configured to identify the operating state of the main body based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and to execute a notification process of notifying the identified operating state as the predefined process, and causes the terminal-side wireless communication unit to transmit a position detection signal capable of detecting the relative position of the mobile terminal with respect to the main body, and the main body-side processing unit detects the relative position of the mobile terminal with respect to the main body based on the position detection signal received by the main body-side wireless communication unit, and controls the moving mechanism in accordance with the detected position to change at least one of the position and orientation of the main body.
A temperature adjustment device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a temperature adjustment device comprising a main body having a refrigeration cycle for adjusting the temperature of a heat transfer liquid, a pump for supplying the heat transfer liquid to a heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target through a supply pipe having at least a portion flexible, and a main body-side processing unit for controlling the operation of the refrigeration cycle and the pump, and configured to adjust the temperature of the temperature adjustment target by supplying the heat transfer liquid to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target, the position of which changes relative to the main body, and further comprising a mobile terminal having a terminal-side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal and a terminal-side processing unit for executing a predetermined process based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and the main body is configured to recover the heat transfer liquid from the heat exchanger, adjust the temperature of the heat transfer liquid by the refrigeration cycle, and supply it again to the heat exchanger, and further comprising a liquid storage tank capable of storing the recovered heat transfer liquid, and a liquid storage tank capable of detecting the amount of the heat transfer liquid in the liquid storage tank. The device is equipped with a liquid volume detection unit and a main unit-side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting the control signal, and the main unit-side processing unit is configured to be capable of executing a process of causing the main unit-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal capable of identifying the operating state of the main unit, and when the liquid volume detected by the liquid volume detection unit falls below a predetermined warning volume, causes the main unit-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal capable of identifying that the liquid volume has fallen below the warning volume as the operating state, and determines whether or not the heat transfer liquid is being appropriately supplied to the heat exchanger and whether the heat transfer liquid is being appropriately recovered from the heat exchanger based on a state of power supply to the pump, and causes the main unit-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal that reports the identified result, and the terminal-side processing unit is configured to determine the operating state of the main unit based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and to execute an alert process of reporting the identified operating state as the predefined process.
A temperature adjustment device according to a third aspect of the present invention is a temperature adjustment device comprising a main body having a refrigeration cycle that adjusts the temperature of a heat transfer liquid, a pump that supplies the heat transfer liquid to a heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target through a supply pipe having at least a portion that is flexible, and a main body-side processing unit that controls operation of the refrigeration cycle and the pump, and is configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the temperature adjustment target by supplying the heat transfer liquid to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target, the position of which changes relative to the main body, and the temperature adjustment device comprises a plurality of portable terminals having a terminal-side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal and a terminal-side processing unit that executes predetermined processing based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and the main body has a main body-side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting the control signal, and a memory unit that stores predefined operating modes associated with identification information of the terminal-side wireless communication unit in each of the portable terminals, wherein the main body-side processing unit identifies the operating mode associated with the identification information of the terminal-side wireless communication unit acquired when the terminal-side wireless communication unit in any of the portable terminals is connected to the main body-side wireless communication unit, operates the main body in the identified operating mode, and transmits the control signal capable of identifying the operating state of the main body from the main body-side wireless communication unit, and the terminal-side processing unit is configured to identify the operating state of the main body based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and to execute an alert process for notifying the identified operating state as the predefined process.

Further, the temperature adjustment device of claim 4 is the temperature adjustment device of claim 1 or 3 , wherein the main body is configured to recover the heat transfer liquid from the heat exchanger, adjust the temperature by the refrigeration cycle, and supply it again to the heat exchanger, and is equipped with a liquid storage tank in which the recovered heat transfer liquid can be stored, and a liquid volume detection unit capable of detecting the volume of the heat transfer liquid in the liquid storage tank, and when the liquid volume detected by the liquid volume detection unit falls below a predetermined warning volume, the main body side processing unit transmits the control signal from the main body side wireless communication unit, which is capable of identifying the operating state as the liquid volume falling below the warning volume.

In addition, the temperature control device of claim 5 is a temperature control device of any of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the main body side processing unit transmits the control signal from the main body side wireless communication unit, which can identify at least one of the temperature control state of the heat transfer liquid by the refrigeration cycle and the supply state of the heat transfer liquid by the pump as the operating state.

The temperature control device of claim 6 is a temperature control device of any of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the main body unit is provided with a secondary battery that supplies power to each component of the main body unit, and the main body unit side processing unit causes the control signal to be transmitted from the main body unit side wireless communication unit, which is capable of identifying at least one of the remaining charge of the secondary battery and the operating time for which operation can be performed with the remaining charge as the operating state.

The temperature adjustment system described in claim 7 comprises a temperature adjustment device described in any one of claims 1 to 6 , the supply piping, and the heat exchanger, and is configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the temperature adjustment object to which the heat exchanger is attached by heat exchange with the heat transfer liquid supplied from the main body of the temperature adjustment device via the supply piping to the heat exchanger.

The temperature adjustment system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the temperature adjustment system according to the seventh aspect, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be deformable in accordance with an outer shape of the object to be temperature-adjusted to be attached thereto.

The temperature adjustment system of claim 9 is the temperature adjustment system of claim 7 or 8 , which is provided with a temperature adjustment jacket as the heat exchanger, and is configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the body of a person wearing the temperature adjustment jacket, with the body of the person wearing the temperature adjustment jacket being the temperature adjustment target.

The temperature adjustment device according to claims 1 to 3 includes a main body having a refrigeration cycle, a pump, and a main body side processing unit, and is configured to adjust the temperature of the temperature adjustment target by supplying a heat transfer fluid to a heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target whose position relative to the main body changes, and includes a mobile terminal having a terminal side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal and a terminal side processing unit that executes a predetermined process based on the control signal received by the terminal side wireless communication unit, the main body includes a main body side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting a control signal, the main body side processing unit causes the main body side wireless communication unit to transmit a control signal that can identify the operating state of the main body, and the terminal side processing unit identifies the operating state of the main body based on the control signal received by the terminal side wireless communication unit and is configured to execute a notification process that notifies the user of the identified operating state as a predetermined process. The temperature adjustment system according to claim 7 includes the above temperature adjustment device, a supply pipe, and a heat exchanger.

Therefore, according to the temperature adjustment device of claims 1 to 3 and the temperature adjustment system of claim 7 , even if the temperature adjustment target to which the heat exchanger is attached is located at a location far from the main body, by placing the mobile terminal near the temperature adjustment target, the main body can transmit a control signal to the mobile terminal and notify the mobile terminal of the operating state of the main body without moving to the installation location of the main body, so that the operating state of the main body can be reliably and easily recognized. In this case, in a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received between the main body and the mobile terminal by wired communication, there is a risk of communication being disabled due to a break in the signal line, but by adopting a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received between the main body side wireless communication unit and the terminal side wireless communication unit by wireless communication, the possibility of communication being disabled can be sufficiently reduced. In addition, in a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received by wired communication, there is a risk of an accident in which flammable materials ignite or an electric shock occurs when the signal line is broken or the conductor is exposed, but by adopting a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received by wireless communication, it is possible to preferably avoid such accidents.

In the temperature adjustment device according to claims 2 and 4 , the main body is configured to recover the heat transfer liquid from the heat exchanger, adjust the temperature by a refrigeration cycle, and supply it again to the heat exchanger, and is provided with a liquid storage tank capable of storing the recovered heat transfer liquid, and a liquid amount detection unit capable of detecting the amount of heat transfer liquid in the liquid storage tank, and when the liquid amount detected by the liquid amount detection unit falls below a predetermined warning amount, the main body side processing unit transmits a control signal capable of identifying the liquid amount falling below the warning amount as an operating state from the main body side wireless communication unit. Therefore, according to the temperature adjustment device according to claims 2 and 4 and the temperature adjustment system including such a temperature adjustment device, even if the temperature adjustment target to which the heat exchanger is attached is located at a location away from the main body, if the portable terminal is carried, the temperature adjustment target can immediately recognize the lack of liquid in the liquid storage tank, and it is possible to preferably avoid a situation in which normal cooling becomes difficult or the refrigeration cycle or the pump is damaged due to a lack of liquid.

In the temperature adjustment device according to claim 5 , the main body-side processing unit transmits a control signal capable of identifying at least one of the operating states of the temperature adjustment state of the heat transfer liquid by the refrigeration cycle and the supply state of the heat transfer liquid by the pump from the main body-side wireless communication unit. Therefore, according to the temperature adjustment device according to claim 5 and a temperature adjustment system including such a temperature adjustment device, even if the temperature adjustment target to which the heat exchanger is attached is located at a location distant from the main body, as long as the user carries a mobile terminal, the temperature adjustment state and supply state of the heat transfer liquid in the main body can be notified on the mobile terminal, allowing the user to recognize this information reliably and easily.

In the temperature adjustment device according to claim 6 , the main body includes a secondary battery that supplies power to each component of the main body, and the main body-side processing unit transmits a control signal from the main body-side wireless communication unit that can specify at least one of the remaining charge of the secondary battery and the operable time for which operation can be performed with the remaining charge as an operating state. Therefore, according to the temperature adjustment device according to claim 6 and a temperature adjustment system including such a temperature adjustment device, even if the temperature adjustment target to which the heat exchanger is attached is located at a location far from the main body, the remaining charge of the secondary battery and the operable time of the main body can be reliably and easily grasped by placing a mobile terminal near the temperature adjustment target.

According to the temperature adjustment system described in claim 8 , the heat exchanger is configured to be deformable according to the external shape of the object to be temperature-adjusted to be attached, so that the heat exchanger can be placed in suitable contact with objects to be temperature-adjusted that have various external shapes, such as the human body or the body of an animal, thereby enabling the temperature of the object to be temperature-adjusted to be reliably adjusted.

According to the temperature adjustment system described in claim 9 , the body of the wearer of the temperature adjustment jacket serving as a heat exchanger is configured to be the target of temperature adjustment so that the temperature of the wearer's body can be adjusted. This makes it possible to easily attach the heat exchanger to the wearer's body and to suitably adjust the temperature of the wearer's body without interfering with the wearer's movements.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cooling system 1. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a state in which a mobile terminal is worn on the wrist (body) of a person wearing the water jacket 4. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a processing device 14 in a chiller 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal 3. 4 is a flowchart of a notification process 50. 1 is a flowchart of an automatic adjustment process 60. 1 is a flowchart of a manual adjustment process 70.

Below, an embodiment of a temperature control device and a temperature control system will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

First, the configuration of the cooling system 1 will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

The cooling system 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a portable cooling system that is an example of a "temperature adjustment system" and includes a chiller 2, a portable terminal 3, a water jacket 4, and a connecting hose 5.

As described below, this cooling system 1 is configured to supply water cooled in the chiller 2 (for example, fresh water with a sufficiently low impurity content, such as drinking water: cooling water; an example of a "heat transfer liquid") to the water jacket 4 (an example of a "heat exchanger") via a connecting hose 5, thereby cooling (adjusting the temperature) the body (upper body) of a wearer (user of the cooling system 1) wearing the water jacket 4. Therefore, by using this cooling system 1, it is possible to adjust the body temperature to a suitable temperature for people (wearers of protective clothing) who have difficulty cooling their bodies directly with outside air, such as medical workers involved in the treatment of COVID-19 infected people and workers performing virus decontamination work. In this specification, an example of the wearer of the water jacket 4 (the wearer's body) being the "temperature adjustment target" (an example of a "temperature adjustment target whose relative position with respect to the main body changes") will be described.

The chiller 2 is an example of a "main body" and, together with the mobile terminal 3, constitutes a "temperature adjustment device." As shown in FIG. 1, the chiller 2 comprises a refrigeration cycle 11, a tank 12, a pump 13, and a processing device 14, which are housed and integrated within a housing. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, a number of swivel casters 15 are attached to the bottom of the housing, allowing the chiller 2 to be pushed or pulled to move freely on the installation surface.

The refrigeration cycle 11 is an example of a "refrigeration cycle", and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22, an expansion valve 23, an evaporator 24, and a fan 25. In this case, in the chiller 2 of this example, the fan 25 is disposed near the condenser 22, and a configuration is adopted in which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 11 is cooled (condensed) when the air (air inside the housing) blown by the fan 25 passes through the condenser 22. In addition, in the chiller 2 of this example, as an example, a configuration is adopted in which the evaporator 24 formed in a coil shape is housed in the tank 12, and the water in the tank 12 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant.

The tank 12 is an example of a "liquid storage tank" and is configured to be able to accommodate the evaporator 24 (cooling coil) of the refrigeration cycle 11 as described above, and is also configured to be able to store water (liquid storage) as a "heat transfer liquid". The pump 13 is an example of a "pump" and pumps water in the tank 12 through the connecting hose 5 and supplies it to the water jacket 4 according to the control of a processing unit 35 in the processing device 14, which will be described later. In this case, in the cooling system 1 of this example, the pump 13 is configured as a variable pump with a variable pumping rate, as an example.

In addition, in the cooling system 1 of this example, the chiller 2 and the water jacket 4 are connected by a pair of connecting hoses 5, forming a circulation path in which the water in the tank 12 returns to the tank 12 via the pump 13, one connecting hose 5 (supply hose), the water jacket 4, and the other connecting hose 5 (recovery hose). Therefore, in the cooling system 1 of this example, water is pumped into the water jacket 4 by the pump 13, and the water is recovered from the water jacket 4 to the chiller 2 (tank 12). In the following description, the supply hose and the recovery hose are collectively referred to as the connecting hose 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the processing device 14 includes a communication unit 31, an operation unit 32, a display unit 33, a water level sensor 34, a processing unit 35, and a memory unit 36. The communication unit 31 is an example of a "main unit side wireless communication unit" and receives various control signals transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 and transmits various control signals to the mobile terminal 3 under the control of the processing unit 35, as described below. In this case, in the cooling system 1 (chiller 2) of this example, as an example, the communication unit 31 is configured with a wireless communication module capable of short-range wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, and is configured to be able to transmit and receive various data via wireless communication between the mobile terminal 3 and Bluetooth-compatible devices such as smartphones and tablet terminals on which dedicated application software is installed.

The operation unit 32 includes operation switches that can be used to start/stop the operation of the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) and to specify the operating conditions of the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) (such as the temperature of the water supplied to the water jacket 4 and the amount of water supplied per unit time), and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the switch operation to the processing unit 35. The display unit 33, under the control of the processing unit 35, displays a screen for setting the operating conditions of the chiller 2 and a screen showing the operating status of the chiller 2 (neither of which are shown). The water volume sensor 34 is an example of a "liquid volume detection unit" and is disposed in the tank 12 mentioned above. This water volume sensor 34 detects the amount of water stored in the tank 12 and outputs a detection signal to the processing unit 35.

The processing unit 35 is an example of a "main body side processing unit" and controls the chiller 2 as a whole. Specifically, the processing unit 35 cools the water in the tank 12 by controlling the refrigeration cycle 11 (compressor 21, expansion valve 23, and fan 25). The processing unit 35 also controls the pump 13 to pump (supply) the water in the tank 12 to the water jacket 4. In this case, the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) of this example is configured to be able to execute an automatic adjustment process 60 (an example of a process for changing the "temperature adjustment state" or the "heat transfer liquid supply state": see FIG. 6) that determines the body temperature of the wearer of the portable terminal 3 (the wearer of the water jacket 4) based on the control signal sent from the portable terminal 3 as described below, and adjusts the operating state of the refrigeration cycle 11 and the pump 13 according to the determined temperature, and a manual adjustment process 70 (another example of a process for changing the "temperature adjustment state" or the "heat transfer liquid supply state": see FIG. 7) that adjusts the operating state of the refrigeration cycle 11 and the pump 13 to the temperature and supply amount specified by the control signal sent from the portable terminal 3 or the operation of the operation unit 32 as described below.

The processing unit 35 also transmits, from the communication unit 31 to the mobile terminal 3, a control signal capable of identifying the temperature designated as the temperature of the water to be supplied to the water jacket 4 and the supply amount designated as the supply amount per unit time, i.e., a control signal capable of identifying the temperature to which the refrigeration cycle 11 cools the water in the tank 12 and the supply amount at which the pump 13 pumps the water (an example of a "control signal capable of identifying at least one of the temperature adjustment state and the supply state" as a "control signal capable of identifying the operating state of the main unit"). Furthermore, the processing unit 35 determines the amount of water stored in the tank 12 based on the detection signal output from the water volume sensor 34, and when the determined amount of water stored falls below a preset amount, notifies the user that the amount of water stored is insufficient, and transmits, from the communication unit 31 to the mobile terminal 3, a control signal capable of identifying that the amount of water stored is insufficient (an example of a "control signal capable of identifying that the amount of liquid has fallen below the warning amount" as a "control signal capable of identifying the operating state of the main unit"). The above-mentioned processes by the processing unit 35 will be described in detail later. The memory unit 36 stores the operating program of the processing unit 35 and the calculation results of the processing unit 35.

The portable terminal 3 is an example of a "portable terminal", and in this example, as shown in FIG. 2, is configured as a watch-type (wristband-type) terminal that can be worn on the wrist (an example of the "body of the wearer") of the wearer of the water jacket 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the portable terminal 3 includes a communication unit 41, an operation unit 42, a display unit 43, a temperature sensor 44, a processing unit 45, and a memory unit 46. The communication unit 41 is an example of a "terminal-side wireless communication unit", and, as will be described later, transmits various control signals to the chiller 2 and receives various control signals transmitted from the chiller 2 according to the control of the processing unit 45. In this case, in the cooling system 1 (portable terminal 3) of this example, as an example, the communication unit 41 is configured with a wireless communication module capable of short-range wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, similar to the communication unit 31 of the chiller 2.

The operation unit 42 is an example of an "operation unit capable of performing a designation operation to designate at least one of the temperature adjustment state and the supply state," and includes an operation switch capable of starting/stopping the operation of the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) as described below and designating the operating conditions of the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) (such as the temperature of the water supplied to the water jacket 4 and the amount of water supplied per unit time), and outputs an operation signal according to the switch operation to the processing unit 45. The display unit 43, under the control of the processing unit 45, displays a screen for setting the operating conditions of the chiller 2 and a screen showing the operating state of the chiller 2 (neither of which are shown).

The temperature sensor 44 is an example of a "temperature sensor" and outputs a detection signal capable of identifying the detected temperature to the processing unit 45. In this case, in the cooling system 1 (mobile terminal 3) of this example, as an example, the temperature sensor 44 is disposed at a part that touches the wrist (body) of the wearer when the cooling system 1 (mobile terminal 3) is worn on the wrist of the wearer, and is configured to be able to detect the body temperature of the wearer (an example of the "temperature to be adjusted") via this temperature sensor 44.

The processing unit 45 is an example of a "terminal-side processing unit" and controls the mobile terminal 3 in an overall manner. Specifically, the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit to the chiller 2 a control signal capable of identifying the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 44 (body temperature of the wearer) based on the detection signal output from the temperature sensor 44 (an example of a "control signal capable of identifying the temperature detected by the temperature sensor"). In addition, when the processing unit 45 is instructed to stop/start (restart) the operation of the chiller 2 by a switch operation of the operation unit 42 as described below, the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit to the chiller 2 a control signal capable of identifying the contents of the instruction (an example of a "control signal capable of identifying at least one of the temperature adjustment state and the supply state designated by the designation operation"). In addition, when the temperature of the water to be supplied to the water jacket 4 or the supply amount per unit time is designated by a switch operation of the operation unit 42 as described below, the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit to the chiller 2 a control signal capable of identifying the designated temperature or supply amount.

The processing unit 45 also displays the operating status of the chiller 2 (specified temperature and supply amount) on the display unit 43 based on a control signal transmitted from the chiller 2. Furthermore, when a control signal indicating that the amount of stored water is insufficient is transmitted from the chiller 2, the processing unit 45 displays a message indicating that the amount of stored water in the tank 12 is insufficient on the display unit 43 and outputs an alarm sound from a speaker (not shown). The above-mentioned processes performed by the processing unit 45 will be described in detail later. The memory unit 46 stores the operating program of the processing unit 45 and the calculation results of the processing unit 45.

The water jacket 4 is an example of a "heat exchanger configured to be deformable according to the external shape of the temperature adjustment object to be worn" and a "temperature adjustment jacket configured to adjust the temperature of the wearer's body". It is configured to be connectable to a pair of connecting hoses 5 connected to the chiller 2, and the connection port to which the supply connecting hose 5 is connected and the connection port to which the recovery connecting hose 5 is connected are connected by multiple flexible thin tubes (not shown). This makes it possible for the water jacket 4 to cool the wearer (body) by heat exchange with the water supplied from the supply connecting hose 5 to the water jacket 4 (inside each thin tube). In this case, the water jacket 4 has multiple flexible thin tubes arranged inside the jacket body formed of a fabric or sheet. Therefore, the water jacket 4 can be freely deformed to match the external shape of the wearer's body (upper body).

The connecting hose 5 is an example of "supply piping having at least a portion flexible" and is configured to be able to connect the chiller 2 and the water jacket 4 to each other. In this case, in the cooling system 1 of this example, the entire pipe length direction (longitudinal direction) of the connecting hose 5 is configured as a pressure-resistant hose having flexibility, except for the connector arranged at the pipe end. In the cooling system 1 of this example, the total length of the connecting hose 5 (the supply hose and the recovery hose) is about 2m to 10m (about 5m as an example). In addition, the use form of this example is not limited to the connection of the chiller 2 and the water jacket 4 (the "main body of the temperature adjustment device" and the "heat exchanger") by one set of connecting hoses 5 (one supply hose and one recovery hose), and the chiller 2 and the water jacket 4 can be connected to each other by connecting multiple connecting hoses 5 as supply hoses and recovery hoses, so that the pipe length is within a range in which pressure loss does not cause poor pressure transfer of water (heat transfer liquid).

Next, how to use the cooling system 1 will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

When using the cooling system 1, the chiller 2, the portable terminal 3, the water jacket 4, and the connecting hose 5 are transported to the place of use. In order to perform wireless communication between the chiller 2 and the portable terminal 3, it is necessary to pair the communication units 31 and 41. However, since the procedure for this pairing is publicly known, detailed explanations will be omitted. In this case, for example, when one chiller 2 is shared by multiple people (taking turns to use), each user can have their own portable terminal 3, and when using the cooling system 1, the portable terminal 3 owned by the user can be connected to the chiller 2 by wireless communication to execute various processes as described below. At this time, information capable of identifying an operation mode according to the preferences of each user can be stored in the storage unit 36 of the chiller 2 (processing device 14) in association with the identification information (MAC address, etc.) of the communication unit 41 in the portable terminal 3, so that when the portable terminal 3 owned by the user is connected to the chiller 2 (when wireless communication is possible), the chiller 2 can be operated in an operation mode according to the user's preference (an operation mode according to the connected portable terminal 3).

Next, the chiller 2 and the water jacket 4 are connected by the connecting hose 5, water is supplied to the tank 12 from a water supply port (not shown), and the power cable of the chiller 2 is connected to a commercial AC power supply, and the air in the water circulation path is deaerated according to a predetermined procedure. The above connection, water supply, and deaeration can be performed at the storage location of the cooling system 1 and then transported to the use location. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the water jacket 4 and the mobile terminal 3 are attached. At this time, since the water jacket 4 is configured to be deformable according to the outer shape of the wearer's body, the water jacket 4, which is the "heat exchanger," can be easily attached to the wearer (body: upper body in this example), which is the "temperature adjustment target," and the water jacket 4 can be suitably attached to the body. Next, the mobile terminal 3 operation unit 32 is operated to power up the chiller 2. At this time, the two communication units 31 and 41 are connected to each other, and various signals are transmitted and received between the chiller 2 and the mobile terminal 3. With the above, the cooling system 1 is ready for use.

Then, the cooling process is started by operating either the operation unit 32 or 42. At this time, the processing unit 35 controls the refrigeration cycle 11 to start cooling the water in the tank 12, and controls the pump 13 to start pumping the water in the tank 12. As a result, the water cooled in the tank 12 by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the evaporator 24 is supplied to the water jacket 4 by the pump 13 via the connecting hose 5, and the wearer (body) is cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4. In addition, the water whose temperature has been increased by heat exchange in the water jacket 4 is collected in the tank 12 via the connecting hose 5, cooled again in the tank 12, and then supplied to the water jacket 4 via the connecting hose 5. Therefore, by continuously executing the cooling of the water by the refrigeration cycle 11 and the pumping of the water by the pump 13, the wearer (body) of the water jacket 4 is continuously cooled (temperature regulated).

In addition, in the cooling system 1 of this example, the processing unit 45 in the mobile terminal 3 identifies the temperature at the location of the temperature sensor 44 (in this example, the body temperature of the person wearing the water jacket 4: the temperature of the wrist on which the mobile terminal 3 is worn) based on the detection signal output from the temperature sensor 44, and repeatedly executes a process at regular time intervals (10 second intervals, for example) to cause the communication unit 41 to send a control signal capable of identifying that temperature to the chiller 2. As a result, the body temperature of the wearer is sequentially identified in the chiller 2, as described below.

In addition, in the chiller 2, the processing unit 35 executes the notification process 50 shown in FIG. 5 in parallel with the control of the refrigeration cycle 11 and the pump 13. In this case, in the cooling system 1 (chiller 2) of this example, a configuration is adopted in which the processing unit 35 automatically starts the notification process 50 when the chiller 2 is powered on. In this notification process 50, the processing unit 35 specifies the set temperature (the temperature at which the water supplied to the water jacket 4 is cooled) (step 51) and specifies the set supply amount (the amount of water supplied to the water jacket 4 per unit time) (step 52). Next, the processing unit 35 causes the display unit 33 to display the set temperature and the set supply amount, and causes the communication unit 31 to transmit a control signal capable of specifying them to the mobile terminal 3 (step 53).

In response to this, in the mobile terminal 3, when the communication unit 41 receives the above control signal transmitted from the chiller 2 (communication unit 31), the processing unit 45 determines the set temperature and set supply amount (operation state of the chiller 2) based on the received control signal, and causes the display unit 43 to display the determined set temperature and set supply amount (an example of an "alert process for notifying an operation state" as a "predefined process"). As a result, even if the wearer is away from the chiller 2, the wearer can reliably and easily recognize at what set temperature (target temperature) the refrigeration cycle 11 of the chiller 2 is operating, and at what set supply amount (target supply amount) the pump 13 of the chiller 2 is operating, based on the information displayed on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3.

On the other hand, when the cooling system 1 is in use, water may leak from the connection of the connecting hose 5 due to a poor connection of the connecting hose 5 to the chiller 2 or the water jacket 4, or from a broken part due to a break in the connecting hose 5 or the water jacket 4. In such a case, the amount of water stored in the tank 12 may decrease, causing air (atmospheric air) to get into the circulation path described above, making it difficult for the pump 13 to pump the water, or making it difficult for the refrigeration cycle 11 (evaporator 24) to cool the water. Therefore, after the processing of step 53 described above, the processing unit 35 identifies the amount of water stored in the tank 12 based on the detection signal output from the water volume sensor 34 (step 54).

The processing unit 35 also determines whether the determined water volume is below a predefined warning volume (step 55), and if the water volume is sufficient (not below the warning volume), returns to the aforementioned step 51 for determining the set temperature. If the water volume in the tank 12 is below the warning volume, a message that indicates that the water volume in the tank 12 is insufficient is displayed on the display unit 33, and a warning sound is output from a speaker (not shown) (step 56). The processing unit 35 also causes the communication unit 31 to transmit a control signal to the mobile terminal 3 to notify that the water volume in the tank 12 has fallen below the warning volume (step 57), and then returns to the aforementioned step 51 for determining the set temperature.

At this time, when the communication unit 41 receives the above control signal transmitted from the chiller 2 (communication unit 31), the processing unit 45 of the mobile terminal 3 determines that the amount of water stored in the tank 12 of the chiller 2 has fallen below the warning amount, and causes the display unit 43 to display a message that identifies the lack of water storage, and outputs a warning sound from a speaker (not shown) (another example of an "alert process that notifies of an operating state" as a "predefined process"). As a result, even if the wearer is away from the chiller 2, the wearer can reliably and easily recognize that the amount of water stored in the tank 12 has fallen below the warning amount based on the information displayed on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3 and the warning sound.

Therefore, when the wearer recognizes that the amount of stored water is insufficient, they can supply water into the tank 12 from a water supply port (not shown) of the chiller 2, so that a sufficient amount of water is stored in the tank 12, and suitable cooling by the refrigeration cycle 11 (evaporator 24) and suitable pressure delivery by the pump 13 continue. After this, the processing unit 35 continues to execute this notification process 50 unless an instruction to stop the notification process 50 is given by operating the operation units 32, 42.

Instead of (or in addition to) the series of processes from determining the amount of water stored in the tank 12 (step 54), to displaying a message and outputting a warning sound (step 56), and sending a control signal (step 57), a configuration can be adopted in which a process is carried out by determining whether a sufficient amount of water is being supplied to the water jacket 4, or whether a sufficient amount of water is being recovered from the water jacket 4, and then displaying a message, outputting a warning sound, and sending a control signal.

In this case, if the connecting hose 5 is crushed or if the difference in elevation between the chiller installation location and the wearer's (water jacket 4) position is excessively large, it may be difficult to supply a sufficient amount of water to the water jacket 4 or recover a sufficient amount of water from the water jacket 4. In such a situation, the load on the pump 13 increases, so it is possible to determine whether or not optimal supply and recovery are being achieved based on the power supply status to the pump 13, and to report the determined result.

In addition, the processing unit 35 executes either the automatic adjustment process 60 shown in FIG. 6 or the manual adjustment process 70 shown in FIG. 7 in parallel with the above-mentioned notification process 50. In this case, the cooling system 1 of this example is set to start the automatic adjustment process 60 when the power is turned on as the initial setting state, and a configuration is adopted in which the processing unit 35 automatically starts this automatic adjustment process 60 when the power is turned on. In addition, in the cooling system 1 of this example, as described below, when the power is cut off while the manual adjustment process 70 is being executed in response to an instruction to execute the manual adjustment process 70 during the execution of the automatic adjustment process 60, the manual adjustment process 70 is automatically started the next time the power is turned on (a configuration in which the operating state at the time of power cut is maintained).

For example, when the cooling system 1 (chiller 2) is used for the first time or when the automatic adjustment process 60 was being performed at the time of the most recent power cut, the processing unit 35 executes the automatic adjustment process 60. In this automatic adjustment process 60, the processing unit 35 monitors whether or not temperature data (a control signal capable of identifying the temperature at the location of the temperature sensor 44 (in this example, the body temperature of the wearer)) is transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 (communication unit 41) (step 61). In this case, as described above, in the cooling system 1 of this example, the processing unit 45 of the mobile terminal 3 causes the communication unit 41 to repeatedly transmit a control signal capable of identifying the temperature at the location of the temperature sensor 44 at regular time intervals. Therefore, when the control signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 (communication unit 41) is received by the communication unit 31, the processing unit 35 determines whether or not the temperature (body temperature of the wearer) identified based on the control signal is within a specified temperature range (for example, a range of 35°C to 37°C) (step 62).

The above-mentioned example of the specified temperature range is an example of a temperature range specified as an initial value, and can be changed to any temperature range depending on the wearer's average body temperature, the temperature of the environment in which it is used, and so on. In this case, as described above, each person who shares the chiller 2 is given a mobile terminal 3, and information that can specify an operation mode according to each person's preference is stored in the memory unit 36 of the chiller 2 in association with the identification information of the mobile terminal 3 (communication unit 41). In this case, the chiller 2 can be operated in the associated operation mode corresponding to the mobile terminal 3 connected to the chiller 2. In this case, by arbitrarily changing the above-mentioned specified temperature range and storing it as the operation mode associated with the identification information, water is supplied from the chiller 2 at a temperature within the stored temperature range, as described below.

Specifically, when the temperature determined in step 62 above is higher than the specified temperature range (when the amount of cold energy required to cool the wearer's body to a temperature within the specified temperature range is insufficient) (step 63), the processing unit 35 determines whether the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time (the amount of water pumped by the pump 13) can be increased (step 64h). When it is determined that the amount can be increased (when the pump 13 is not operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 controls the pump 13 to increase the amount of water supplied per unit time (step 65h) and executes the processing of step 69 described below. As a result, the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time is increased, and the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 64h that the amount cannot be increased (when the pump 13 is operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 determines whether the target cooling temperature of the water by the refrigeration cycle 11 can be changed to a low temperature (step 66h). When it is determined that the target cooling temperature can be changed to a low temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is not operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 sets the target cooling temperature to a low temperature by a predetermined change amount (for example, 1°C), controls the refrigeration cycle 11 to cool the water in the tank 12 to the new target cooling temperature (step 67h), and executes the processing of step 69 described later. As a result, the temperature of the water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 is reduced, and the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

Furthermore, when it is determined in step 66h that the target cooling temperature cannot be changed to a low temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 causes the display unit 33 to display a message indicating that suitable cooling is difficult, and causes the communication unit 31 to transmit a control signal to display a similar message on the mobile terminal 3 (display unit 43) (step 68). As a result, a message indicating that suitable cooling is difficult is also displayed on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3, and the wearer recognizes that the upper limit of the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 has been reached.

In addition, when the control of the pump 13 in step 65h, the control of the refrigeration cycle 11 in step 67h, or the display of the message or the output of the control signal in step 68 is completed, the processing unit 35 determines whether an instruction to change the temperature adjustment capacity has been given by operation of the operation unit 32 or a control signal sent from the mobile terminal 3 (step 69).

At this time, when the wearer operates either the operation unit 32 of the chiller 2 or the operation unit 42 of the mobile terminal 3 to manually change the temperature adjustment capacity of the cooling system 1, the processing unit 35 starts the manual adjustment process 70 instead of the automatic adjustment process 60 when it receives an operation signal from the operation unit 32 or a control signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 (a control signal transmitted in response to the operation of the operation unit 42). Also, when it is determined in step 69 that an instruction to change the temperature adjustment capacity has not been issued, the process returns to the above-mentioned step 61 and monitors the transmission of new temperature data (a control signal indicating the temperature specified in the mobile terminal 3) from the mobile terminal 3 (communication unit 41).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the temperature determined based on the control signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 in the above-mentioned step 62 is not within the specified temperature range and the determined temperature is lower than the specified temperature range (when the amount of cold energy required to cool the wearer's body to a temperature within the specified temperature range is too much) (step 63), the processing unit 35 determines whether or not the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time (the amount of water pumped by the pump 13) can be reduced (step 64c). Also, when it is determined that the amount can be reduced (when the pump 13 is not operating at minimum capacity), the pump 13 is controlled to reduce the amount of water supplied per unit time (step 65c), and the processing of the above-mentioned step 69 is executed. As a result, the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time is reduced, so that the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 64c that the amount cannot be reduced (when the pump 13 is operating at minimum capacity), the processing unit 35 determines whether the target cooling temperature of the water by the refrigeration cycle 11 can be changed to a higher temperature (step 66c). When it is determined that the target cooling temperature can be changed to a higher temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is not operating at minimum capacity), the processing unit 35 sets the target cooling temperature to a higher temperature by a predetermined change amount (for example, 1°C), controls the refrigeration cycle 11 to cool the water in the tank 12 to the new target cooling temperature (step 67h), and executes the processing of step 69 described above. As a result, the temperature of the water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 rises, and the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

When it is determined in step 66c that the target cooling temperature cannot be changed to a high temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is operating at minimum capacity), the processing unit 35 executes the processing of step 68 described above. As a result, a message indicating that suitable cooling is difficult is also displayed on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3, and the wearer recognizes that the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 has reached its lower limit. At this time, an operation to stop the cooling system 1 (chiller 2) is performed as necessary. Furthermore, when any of the control of the pump 13 in step 65c, the control of the refrigeration cycle 11 in step 67c, and the display of the message or output of the control signal in step 68 is completed, the processing unit 35 executes the processing of step 69 described above.

As described above, during execution of the automatic adjustment process 60, a control signal capable of identifying the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 44 of the mobile terminal 3 is sent from the mobile terminal 3 to the chiller 2, and the water supply state (pumping amount) by the pump 13 and the water temperature adjustment state (cooling state) by the refrigeration cycle 11 are automatically changed so that the temperature identified in the chiller 2 based on the control signal is within the specified temperature range. As a result, sufficient cold energy is supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 to bring the body of the person wearing the water jacket 4 to a temperature within the specified temperature range.

On the other hand, as an example, when the wearer of the water jacket 4 feels that the cooling capacity adjusted by the automatic adjustment process 60 described above is not adjusted to a comfortable temperature, the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 is manually changed by operating the operation unit 32 or the operation unit 42. At this time, when an instruction to change the cooling capacity is given by operating the operation unit 42, for example, the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit a control signal capable of identifying the content of the instructed change to the chiller 2. In response to this, in the chiller 2, the processing unit 35 starts the manual adjustment process 70 shown in FIG. 7, and determines whether or not an instruction to improve the cooling capacity has been given based on the control signal received by the communication unit 31 (step 71).

At this time, when an instruction to increase the cooling capacity has been given (when the water jacket 4 is operating at a capacity lower than the cooling capacity desired by the wearer), the processing unit 35 determines whether the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time (the amount of water pumped by the pump 13) can be increased (step 72h). Also, when it is determined that the amount can be increased (when the pump 13 is not operating at maximum capacity), the pump 13 is controlled to increase the amount of water supplied per unit time (step 73h), and the processing of step 77 described later is executed. As a result, the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time is increased, improving the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1, and the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 72h that the amount cannot be increased (when the pump 13 is operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 determines whether the target cooling temperature of the water by the refrigeration cycle 11 can be changed to a low temperature (step 74h). When it is determined that the target cooling temperature can be changed to a low temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is not operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 sets the target cooling temperature to a low temperature by a predetermined change amount (for example, 1°C), controls the refrigeration cycle 11 to cool the water in the tank 12 to the new target cooling temperature (step 75h), and executes the processing of step 77 described later. As a result, the temperature of the water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 is lowered and the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 is improved, so that the wearer's body is suitably cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

Furthermore, when it is determined in step 74h that the target cooling temperature cannot be changed to a low temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is operating at maximum capacity), the processing unit 35 causes the display unit 33 to display a message indicating that it is difficult to change to the instructed state, and causes the communication unit 31 to transmit a control signal to display a similar message on the mobile terminal 3 (display unit 43) (step 76). As a result, a message indicating that it is difficult to change to the instructed state is also displayed on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3, and the wearer recognizes that the upper limit of the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 has been reached.

In addition, when the control of the pump 13 in step 73h, the control of the refrigeration cycle 11 in step 75h, or the display of the message or the output of the control signal in step 76 is completed, the processing unit 35 determines whether an operation has been performed by the operation unit 32 or a control signal sent from the mobile terminal 3 to instruct a transition from the manual adjustment process 70 to the automatic adjustment process 60 (step 77).

At this time, if the wearer desires automatic adjustment and operates either the operation unit 32 of the chiller 2 or the operation unit 42 of the mobile terminal 3, the processing unit 35 starts the automatic adjustment process 60 instead of the manual adjustment process 70 when it receives an operation signal from the operation unit 32 or a control signal sent from the mobile terminal 3 (a control signal sent in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit 42). Also, if it is determined in step 77 that no operation has been performed to instruct a transition to the automatic adjustment process 60, the manual adjustment process 70 is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 71 that the cooling capacity has been instructed to be reduced (when the water jacket 4 is operating at a capacity higher than the cooling capacity desired by the wearer), the processing unit 35 determines whether the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time (the amount of water pumped by the pump 13) can be reduced (step 72c). When it is determined that the amount can be reduced (when the pump 13 is not operating at minimum capacity), the pump 13 is controlled to reduce the amount of water supplied per unit time (step 73c), and the processing of step 77 described above is executed. As a result, the amount of water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 per unit time is reduced, and the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 is reduced, so that the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 72c that the amount cannot be reduced (when the pump 13 is operating at minimum capacity), the processing unit 35 determines whether the target cooling temperature of the water by the refrigeration cycle 11 can be changed to a higher temperature (step 74c). When it is determined that the target cooling temperature can be changed to a higher temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is not operating at minimum capacity), the target cooling temperature is set to a temperature higher by a predetermined change amount (for example, 1°C), the refrigeration cycle 11 is controlled to cool the water in the tank 12 to the new target cooling temperature (step 75c), and the processing of the above-mentioned step 77 is executed. As a result, the temperature of the water supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 rises and the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 decreases, so that the wearer's body is appropriately cooled by heat exchange in the water jacket 4.

When it is determined in step 74c that the target cooling temperature cannot be changed to a high temperature (when the refrigeration cycle 11 is operating at minimum capacity), the processing unit 35 executes the processing of step 76 described above. As a result, a message is displayed on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3 indicating that it is difficult to change to the instructed state, and the wearer recognizes that the cooling capacity of the cooling system 1 has reached its lower limit. At this time, an operation to stop the cooling system 1 (chiller 2) is performed as necessary. Furthermore, when any of the control of the pump 13 in step 73c, the control of the refrigeration cycle 11 in step 75c, and the display of the message or the output of the control signal in step 76 is completed, the processing unit 35 executes the processing of step 77 described above.

As described above, by executing the manual adjustment process 70, water is supplied from the chiller 2 to the water jacket 4 at the specified cooling capacity. This causes the chiller 2 to supply the water jacket 4 with the necessary and sufficient cold energy to bring the body of the wearer of the water jacket 4 to the temperature desired by the wearer. Note that in the cooling system 1 of this example, since the notification process 50 described above is executed continuously, the set temperature (target cooling temperature) and set supply amount (target supply amount) at that time are displayed sequentially on the display unit 43 of the mobile terminal 3 regardless of whether the automatic adjustment process 60 or the manual adjustment process 70 is being executed.

In addition, in the above-mentioned automatic adjustment process 60, when the specified temperature is outside the specified temperature range, the change in the amount of water supplied to the water jacket 4 is prioritized, and when the supply amount cannot be changed, the temperature of the water supplied to the water jacket 4 is changed. However, instead of such control, when the specified temperature is outside the specified temperature range, the change in the temperature of the water supplied to the water jacket 4 is prioritized, and when the temperature cannot be changed, the amount of water supplied to the water jacket 4 is changed. In addition, in the above-mentioned manual adjustment process 70, the change in the amount of water supplied to the water jacket 4 is prioritized according to the specified cooling capacity, and when the supply amount cannot be changed, the temperature of the water supplied to the water jacket 4 is changed. However, instead of such control, the change in the temperature of the water supplied to the water jacket 4 is prioritized according to the specified cooling capacity, and when the temperature cannot be changed, the amount of water supplied to the water jacket 4 is changed.

In this way, the chiller 2 and the mobile terminal 3 are provided with a chiller 2 having a refrigeration cycle 11, a pump 13, and a processing unit 35, and are configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the wearer of the water jacket 4 (the wearer's body) by supplying water to the water jacket 4 worn by the "temperature adjustment target (in this example, the wearer of the water jacket 4)" whose position relative to the chiller 2 changes. The mobile terminal 3 is provided with a communication unit 41 capable of receiving control signals and a processing unit 45 that executes predefined processing based on the control signal received by the communication unit 41, the chiller 2 is provided with a communication unit 31 that can transmit control signals, the processing unit 35 causes the communication unit 31 to transmit a control signal that can identify the operating state of the chiller 2, and the processing unit 45 is configured to identify the operating state of the chiller 2 based on the control signal received by the communication unit 41, and to execute a notification process that notifies the user of the identified operating state as a predefined process. The cooling system 1 is also provided with the above-mentioned chiller 2, the mobile terminal 3, the water jacket 4, and the connecting hose 5.

Therefore, according to the chiller 2, the portable terminal 3, and the cooling system 1, even if the wearer of the water jacket 4 is located away from the chiller 2, by placing the portable terminal 3 near the wearer (in this example, on the wearer's wrist), the chiller 2 can transmit a control signal to the portable terminal 3 and the operating state of the chiller 2 can be notified on the portable terminal 3 without moving to the installation location of the chiller 2, so that the operating state of the chiller 2 can be recognized reliably and easily. In this case, in a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received between the "main body" and the "portable terminal" by wired communication, there is a risk of communication being disabled due to a break in the signal line, but by adopting a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received between the communication units 31 and 41 by wireless communication, the possibility of communication being disabled can be sufficiently reduced. In addition, in a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received by wired communication, there is a risk of an accident in which flammable materials ignite or an electric shock occurs when the signal line is broken or the conductor is exposed, but by adopting a configuration in which control signals are transmitted and received by wireless communication, such accidents can be preferably avoided.

In addition, in this chiller 2 and portable terminal 3, the processing unit 35 causes the communication unit 31 to transmit a control signal that can identify at least one of the operating states of the water temperature adjustment state by the refrigeration cycle 11 and the water supply state by the pump 13. Therefore, according to this chiller 2, portable terminal 3, and cooling system 1, even if the wearer of the water jacket 4 is located at a location away from the chiller 2, as long as he or she is carrying the portable terminal 3, the water temperature adjustment state and supply state in the chiller 2 can be notified on the portable terminal 3, allowing the wearer to recognize this information reliably and easily.

In addition, in the chiller 2 and the portable terminal 3, the chiller 2 is configured to recover water from the water jacket 4, adjust the temperature by the refrigeration cycle 11, and supply it again to the water jacket 4. The chiller 2 is also equipped with a tank 12 that can store the recovered water, and a water volume sensor 34 that can detect the amount of water in the tank 12. When the amount of water detected by the water volume sensor 34 falls below a predetermined warning amount, the processing unit 35 transmits a control signal from the communication unit 31 that can identify the amount of water falling below the warning amount as an operating state. Therefore, according to the chiller 2, the portable terminal 3, and the cooling system 1, even if the wearer of the water jacket 4 is located at a location away from the chiller 2, as long as he or she is carrying the portable terminal 3, the wearer can immediately recognize the lack of liquid in the tank 12, and it is possible to preferably avoid a situation in which normal cooling becomes difficult or the refrigeration cycle 11 or the pump 13 is damaged due to a lack of liquid.

In addition, in the chiller 2 and the mobile terminal 3, the chiller 2 includes a refrigeration cycle 11, a pump 13, and a processing unit 35, and is configured to be able to adjust the body temperature of a "temperature adjustment target (in this example, the wearer of the water jacket 4)" whose position relative to the chiller 2 changes by supplying water to the water jacket 4 worn by the "temperature adjustment target (in this example, the wearer of the water jacket 4)." The mobile terminal 3 includes a communication unit 41 capable of transmitting a control signal and a processing unit 45 that causes the communication unit 41 to transmit a control signal, the chiller 2 includes a communication unit 31 capable of receiving a control signal transmitted from the communication unit 41, and the processing unit 35 is configured to be able to change at least one of the state of water temperature adjustment by the refrigeration cycle 11 and the state of water supply by the pump 13 in response to the control signal received by the communication unit 31. In addition, the cooling system 1 includes the above-mentioned chiller 2, the mobile terminal 3, the water jacket 4, and the connecting hose 5.

Therefore, with this chiller 2, portable terminal 3, and cooling system 1, even if the wearer of the water jacket 4 is located away from the chiller 2, by placing the portable terminal 3 close to the wearer (in this example, on the wearer's wrist), the portable terminal 3 can send a control signal to the chiller 2 to reliably and easily change the water temperature adjustment state and supply state. This makes it possible to reliably and easily change the operating state to one that can adjust the wearer's body to a suitable temperature.

In addition, in this chiller 2 and portable terminal 3, the portable terminal 3 is equipped with a temperature sensor 44 capable of detecting the temperature of the wearer of the water jacket 4 (the wearer's body), the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit a control signal capable of identifying the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 44, and the processing unit 35 identifies the temperature of the wearer of the water jacket 4 based on the control signal received by the communication unit 31, and changes at least one of the above states according to the identified temperature. Therefore, according to this chiller 2, portable terminal 3, and cooling system 1, even if the wearer of the water jacket 4 is located in a place far from the chiller 2, as long as the portable terminal 3 is carried, the temperature adjustment state and supply state are automatically adjusted so that an appropriate cooling capacity is exerted according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 44. In addition, the operation of specifying the cooling capacity is also unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to more easily change to an operating state in which the wearer's body can be adjusted to a suitable temperature.

In addition, in this chiller 2 and portable terminal 3, the portable terminal 3 has an operation unit 42 that allows a designation operation to specify at least one of the above states, and the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit a control signal that can identify at least one of the states specified by the designation operation. Therefore, according to this chiller 2, portable terminal 3, and cooling system 1, even if the wearer of the water jacket 4 is located at a location away from the chiller 2, as long as he or she carries the portable terminal 3, he or she can arbitrarily designate the temperature adjustment state and supply state so that the desired cooling capacity is achieved without moving near the chiller 2. This makes it possible to more reliably change the operating state to one that allows the wearer's body to be adjusted to a suitable temperature.

In addition, with this cooling system, the "heat exchanger (in this example, the water jacket 4)" is configured to be deformable according to the external shape of the "temperature adjustment target" to which it is attached. This allows the "heat exchanger" to be in suitable contact with "temperature adjustment targets" of various external shapes, such as the human body or animal body, and therefore the temperature of the "temperature adjustment target" can be reliably adjusted.

In addition, this cooling system is configured so that the temperature of the wearer's body can be adjusted by treating the wearer's body as the "temperature adjustment target" with the water jacket 4 acting as the "heat exchanger." This makes it easy to attach the "heat exchanger (water jacket 4)" to the wearer's body, and allows the temperature of the wearer's body to be appropriately adjusted without interfering with the wearer's movements.

The configuration of the "temperature adjustment device" and the "temperature adjustment system" are not limited to the above-mentioned examples of the chiller 2 and the portable terminal 3, and the cooling system 1.

For example, a configuration has been described in which casters 15 are attached to the housing of chiller 2 so that it can be pushed or pulled across the installation surface, but instead of (or in addition to) such a configuration, a self-propelled mechanism (one example of a "moving mechanism") that changes the position of chiller 2 on the installation surface, or a rotation mechanism (another example of a "moving mechanism") that changes the orientation of chiller 2 on the installation surface can be provided on chiller 2, and chiller 2 can be made to self-propel or rotate depending on the relative position and relative orientation of the "temperature adjustment target" to chiller 2 (not shown).

When adopting such a configuration, as one example, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the processing unit 35 of the chiller 2 identifies the relative position of the mobile terminal 3 with respect to the chiller 2, and moves the chiller 2 (if a self-propelled mechanism is provided) so that the chiller 2 and the mobile terminal 3 are at a distance within a predefined distance range according to the identified position, or a configuration in which the chiller 2 is rotated (if a rotation mechanism is provided) so that the connection part of the connecting hose 5 in the chiller 2 faces the mobile terminal 3. Specifically, as one example, the processing unit 45 of the mobile terminal 3 is caused to execute a process of transmitting a predefined beacon signal (an example of a "position detection signal capable of detecting the relative position of the mobile terminal with respect to the main body") from the communication unit 41 at a predetermined time interval.

When a self-propelled mechanism is provided in the chiller 2, multiple antennas are provided in the communication unit 31 of the chiller 2. The processing unit 35 is caused to execute a process of identifying the reception strength of the beacon signal received via each antenna of the communication unit 31, and identifying the direction in which the source of the beacon signal (i.e., the mobile terminal 3) is located based on the identified reception strength and the arrangement of each antenna, and a process of identifying the distance between the mobile terminal 3 and the chiller 2 based on the identified reception strength. The processing unit 35 is also caused to execute a process of controlling the self-propelled mechanism to move (self-propel) the chiller 2 so that the distance is within a predetermined distance range centered on the mobile terminal 3 based on the identified direction and identified distance (an example of a process of "controlling the movement mechanism to change the position of the main body").

In this configuration, by defining the above-mentioned "predetermined distance range" to be sufficiently shorter than the length of the connecting hose 5, when the wearer of the water jacket 4 (the person carrying the mobile terminal 3) moves relative to the chiller 2, it is possible to preferably prevent the connecting hose 5 from being stretched, causing the connecting hose 5 to become detached from the chiller 2 or the water jacket 4, or to prevent the connecting hose 5 from breaking due to stress being applied in the elongation direction.

When a rotation mechanism is provided in the chiller 2, multiple antennas are provided in the communication unit 31 in the same manner as when a self-propelled mechanism is provided. The reception strength of the beacon signal received via each antenna of the communication unit 31 is identified, and the processing unit 35 is caused to execute a process of identifying the direction in which the source of the beacon signal (i.e., the portable terminal 3) is located, based on the identified reception strength and the arrangement of each antenna. Furthermore, the processing unit 35 is caused to execute a process of controlling the rotation mechanism to rotate the chiller 2 so that the connection part of the connecting hose 5 in the chiller 2 faces the portable terminal 3, based on the identified direction (one example of the distance associated with "controlling the movement mechanism to change the orientation of the main body").

By adopting such a configuration, when the wearer of the water jacket 4 (the person carrying the mobile terminal 3) moves relative to the chiller 2, stress is applied to the connecting hose 5 in the bending direction at the connection part to the chiller 2, which can preferably prevent the connecting hose 5 from breaking or becoming detached from the chiller 2.

In this way, the chiller 2 and the portable terminal 3 can be configured to include a "moving mechanism (self-propelled mechanism or rotating mechanism)" that changes at least one of the position and orientation of the chiller 2, the processing unit 45 causes the communication unit 41 to transmit a position detection signal (beacon signal in the above example) capable of detecting the relative position of the portable terminal 3 to the chiller 2, and the processing unit 35 detects the relative position of the portable terminal 3 to the chiller 2 based on the position detection signal received by the communication unit 31, and controls the "moving mechanism" according to the detected position to change at least one of the position and orientation of the chiller 2.

With the chiller 2 and the mobile terminal 3 configured in this way, by placing the mobile terminal 3 near the water jacket 4 (the person wearing the water jacket 4) (for example, wearing the mobile terminal 3 together with the water jacket 4 as in this example), the relative position of the mobile terminal 3 with respect to the chiller 2 is detected, and the relative position of the chiller 2 with respect to the mobile terminal 3 and the orientation of the chiller 2 with respect to the mobile terminal 3 are changed by the "movement mechanism" according to the detected position, so that it is possible to prevent the distance between the chiller 2 and the mobile terminal 3 (i.e., the distance between the chiller 2 and the person wearing the water jacket 4) from becoming excessively large, or the connection part of the connecting hose 5 in the chiller 2 from being oriented in a direction different from that of the mobile terminal 3. This makes it possible to preferably prevent the connecting hose 5 from coming off the chiller 2 or the water jacket 4, or for the connecting hose 5 to break.

Although the above description takes as an example a configuration in which the temperature sensor 44 disposed on the mobile terminal 3 detects the wearer's body temperature and changes the operating state of the chiller 2 in response to the detected body temperature, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which, instead of (or in addition to) body temperature, various types of biometric information of the wearer (temperature adjustment target) such as heart rate and blood pressure are detected in the "mobile terminal", and a "control signal" capable of identifying the detected biometric information is sent from the "mobile terminal" to the "main body of the temperature adjustment device" to change the operating state of the "main body". In this case, by sending a "control signal" capable of identifying heart rate, blood pressure, etc. from the "mobile terminal" to the "main body", the activity status of the wearer of the "mobile terminal" (i.e., the wearer of a "temperature adjustment jacket" such as the water jacket 4) can be identified in the "main body". Therefore, for example, immediately after starting activity, the temperature of the water supplied from the "main body of the temperature adjustment device" can be made slightly higher and the amount supplied can be made small, to avoid heat shock caused by a sudden drop in body temperature, and as the wearer's activity level increases, the temperature of the water supplied can be gradually lowered and the amount supplied can be gradually increased, so that when the wearer is very active (when the body needs to be sufficiently cooled), the necessary and sufficient temperature and amount of water can be supplied to the "temperature adjustment jacket."

Also, an example of the cooling system 1 configured with a dedicated mobile terminal 3, which is an example of a "mobile terminal," has been described, but instead of (or in addition to) the mobile terminal 3, a general-purpose "mobile terminal" (such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, or various wearable terminals that can be used in combination with these) on which application software capable of executing the same processes as those described above in the mobile terminal 3 can be installed can be used to configure the "temperature adjustment system." Note that the processes executed by the general-purpose "mobile terminal" are similar to the processes executed by the processing unit 45 of the mobile terminal 3 in the cooling system 1 described above, so detailed explanations will be omitted. Also, an example of the cooling system 1 configured with a mobile terminal 3 separate from the water jacket 4 has been described, but the "mobile terminal" can also be integrated into the water jacket 4.

In addition, while the above description is of an example in which the connecting hose 5, which is made of a pressure-resistant hose that is flexible in its entirety in the pipe length direction (longitudinal direction), is used as the "supply pipe", the "supply pipe" can also be made of a pipe body that is flexible only in a portion of its pipe length direction (longitudinal direction). Specifically, as an example, the "supply pipe" can be configured to bend at the connection portion (portion of the flexible pipe body) by connecting multiple pipe bodies (inflexible pipe bodies) that do not substantially bend in the range of normal use with a flexible pipe body (not shown). In this way, by adopting a "supply pipe" that is flexible in at least a portion of its pipe length direction (longitudinal direction), the relative position of the "temperature adjustment target to which a heat exchanger is attached" with respect to the "main body" can be freely changed.

In addition, the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) has been described as using water (fresh water) as the heat transfer liquid, but instead of water, a liquid heat transfer medium such as antifreeze or synthetic oil can be used as the heat transfer liquid. In addition, the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) can be used as the heat transfer liquid. The chilled heat transfer liquid is supplied to the heat exchanger to cool the temperature adjustment target to which the heat exchanger is attached. Instead of (or in addition to) this configuration, a heated heat transfer liquid can be supplied to the heat exchanger (e.g., water jacket 4) to heat the temperature adjustment target (a configuration in which the heat transfer liquid is heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the condenser 22 and supplied to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target). These configurations can also achieve the same effects as the chiller 2 (cooling system 1).

Although the configuration with the tank 12 as a "liquid storage tank" has been described as an example, a configuration without a "liquid storage tank" can also be adopted. When adopting such a configuration, an "evaporator (when the configuration is for cooling the heat transfer liquid)" or a "condenser (when the configuration is for heating the heat transfer liquid)" can be arranged in the "heat exchanger" arranged in the flow path of the "heat transfer liquid" to adjust the temperature as the "heat transfer liquid" passes through. Furthermore, although the configuration of a "circulation type temperature adjustment device" that circulates the "heat transfer liquid (water in the above example)" between the "heat exchanger" has been described as an example, the configuration of the present application can also be adopted in a "non-circulation type temperature adjustment device" that does not recover the "heat transfer liquid" from the "heat exchanger".

In addition, the water jacket 4 (the wearer of the water jacket 4) is used as a "heat exchanger that can be deformed according to the external shape of the temperature adjustment object to be worn" to supply "heat transfer liquid (water in the above example)" to adjust (cool) the temperature of the wearer's body (upper body), but the "heat exchanger that supplies heat transfer liquid" is not limited to this. For example, the "heat transfer liquid (water, etc.)" may be supplied to an icing cover (cooling zone: another example of "heat exchanger whose position relative to the main body changes") that is provided with thin tubes through which the "heat transfer liquid (water, etc.)" can pass and that can be worn on the arms, legs, neck, etc. Specifically, an icing cover in which multiple flexible thin tubes are provided within a cover body formed of a fabric or sheet can be used as a "heat exchanger" (another example of "heat exchanger that can be deformed according to the external shape of the temperature adjustment object to be worn"). This allows a person suffering from inflammation of the limbs, neck, etc., to wear the ice cover and supply a "heat transfer fluid (water, etc.)" to suitably cool the area when it is difficult to maintain a resting state (for example, when rehabilitation is required). Even in this type of usage, by carrying a "mobile terminal," it is possible to reliably and easily adjust the temperature and heat transfer fluid supply, and check the operating status of the device.

In addition, a "heat transfer liquid (water, etc.)" may be supplied to a water mat (cooling mat: yet another example of a "heat exchanger whose position relative to the main body changes") that is laid on a futon like a bed sheet and can cool a person (body) sleeping on it. Specifically, a water mat with multiple flexible thin tubes arranged inside a mat body made of fabric or sheet can be used as a "heat exchanger" (yet another example of a "heat exchanger that can be deformed according to the outer shape of the temperature adjustment target to which it is attached"). This makes it difficult for people who have difficulty getting up from their futon, such as those infected with the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to adjust the temperature adjustment state and the supply state of the heat transfer liquid, and check the operating state of the equipment when the main body is installed at a certain distance. However, by adopting a configuration such as that of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the temperature adjustment state and the supply state of the heat transfer liquid, and check the operating state of the equipment without getting up from the futon (water mat).

In addition, when pets, livestock, and other animals are used as the "temperature adjustment target" instead of humans, the water jacket 4, icing cover, and water mat can be used as the "heat exchanger" to adjust the temperature. Also, instead of a "heat exchanger for the purpose of adjusting the temperature of humans and animals", a display shelf or storage (refrigerator or thermal insulation tank) for items that should be kept at a certain temperature can be used as the "temperature adjustment target" and a "heat exchanger" can be attached to it to adjust the temperature. Specifically, when selling fresh food or other items on a mobile basis, an icing sheet (cooling sheet: yet another example of a "heat exchanger whose position relative to the main body changes") with thin tubes through which a "heat transfer liquid (water, etc.)" can pass can be placed under or on top of the displayed product, and the icing sheet can be supplied with a "heat transfer liquid (water, etc.)" to cool the product (temperature adjustment target). Furthermore, various machines that require temperature control (portable machinery and equipment such as welding machines, excavators, and cutting machines) can be treated as "temperature control targets," and the growing area of plants (crops) whose growing environment should be kept within a desired temperature range can be treated as "temperature control targets," and a "heat exchanger" can be attached (disposed) to adjust the temperature.

In addition, the chiller 2 (cooling system 1) has been described as being configured to be used by connecting the power cable to commercial AC, but instead of (or in addition to) this configuration, a secondary battery (an example of a "secondary battery that supplies power to each component of the main body") capable of storing power to operate the refrigeration cycle 11 (compressor 21 and expansion valve 23), pump 13, etc., can also be installed.

In this case, when the chiller 2 is configured to be operable by power supply from the secondary battery, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the processing unit 35 transmits a control signal from the communication unit 31 to the mobile terminal 3 that can identify at least one of the remaining charge of the secondary battery and the operating time that the chiller 2 can operate with the remaining charge when operated in its current state, and the processing unit 45 in the mobile terminal 3 displays the remaining charge of the secondary battery in the chiller 2 and the operating time of the chiller 2 on the display unit 43 based on the control signal received by the communication unit 41. By adopting such a configuration, even if the "temperature adjustment target" (such as the wearer of the water jacket 4) to which the "heat exchanger" is attached is located at a location far from the chiller 2, the remaining charge of the secondary battery and the operating time of the chiller 2 can be reliably and easily grasped by placing the mobile terminal 3 near the "temperature adjustment target" (the wearer).

In addition, the cooling system 1 has been described with an example of a configuration in which a "heat transfer fluid (water)" is supplied from the chiller 2 to a water jacket 4 or the like, which is a "heat exchanger" that can be moved anywhere. However, the chiller 2 can also be configured to supply a "heat transfer fluid (water)" to various "heat exchangers" (another example of a "heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target whose position relative to the main body changes") that are fixedly installed at any location. Furthermore, although the cooling system 1 has been described with an example of a configuration that includes a portable chiller 2 that can be carried and used at any location, the configuration of the present invention can also be adopted in a "temperature adjustment system" that includes a fixed "main body" that is fixedly installed at any location.

In addition, an embodiment of a cooling system 1 including a chiller 2 and a mobile terminal 3, which are examples of a "temperature adjustment device", as well as a water jacket 4 and a connecting hose 5 has been described, but for the components other than the "temperature adjustment device" (the water jacket 4 and connecting hose 5 in the cooling system 1), existing items (items for receiving a supply of a "heat transfer liquid" from another "temperature adjustment device" to adjust the temperature of a "temperature adjustment target") can also be used.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cooling system 2 Chiller 3 Portable terminal 4 Water jacket 5 Connecting hose 11 Refrigeration cycle 12 Tank 13 Pump 14 Processing device 21 Compressor 22 Condenser 23 Expansion valve 24 Evaporator 25 Fan 31, 41 Communication unit 32, 42 Operation unit 33, 43 Display unit 34 Water volume sensor 35, 45 Processing unit 36, 46 Memory unit 44 Temperature sensor 50 Notification process 60 Automatic adjustment process 70 Manual adjustment process

Claims (9)

a main body having a refrigeration cycle that adjusts the temperature of a heat transfer liquid, a pump that supplies the heat transfer liquid to a heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target through a supply pipe having at least a portion that is flexible, and a main body side processing unit that controls operations of the refrigeration cycle and the pump;
A temperature adjustment device configured to adjust the temperature of a temperature adjustment target by supplying the heat transfer liquid to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target, the temperature adjustment target changing its position relative to the main body,
a mobile terminal having a terminal-side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal, and a terminal-side processing unit that executes a predetermined process based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit;
the main body includes a main body-side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting the control signal, and a movement mechanism that changes at least one of a position and an orientation of the main body;
the main body-side processing unit causes the main body-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal capable of identifying an operating state of the main body;
the terminal-side processing unit is configured to be able to specify the operating state of the main body unit based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and to execute, as the predefined processing, a notification process for notifying the specified operating state, and to transmit, from the terminal-side wireless communication unit, a position detection signal capable of detecting a relative position of the mobile terminal with respect to the main body unit;
A temperature adjustment device in which the main body side processing unit detects the relative position of the mobile terminal with respect to the main body unit based on the position detection signal received by the main body side wireless communication unit, and controls the moving mechanism in accordance with the detected position to change at least one of the position and orientation of the main body unit. a main body having a refrigeration cycle that adjusts the temperature of a heat transfer liquid, a pump that supplies the heat transfer liquid to a heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target through a supply pipe having at least a portion that is flexible, and a main body side processing unit that controls operations of the refrigeration cycle and the pump;
A temperature adjustment device configured to adjust the temperature of a temperature adjustment target by supplying the heat transfer liquid to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target, the temperature adjustment target changing its position relative to the main body,
a mobile terminal having a terminal-side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal, and a terminal-side processing unit that executes a predetermined process based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit;
the main body is configured to recover the heat transfer liquid from the heat exchanger, adjust the temperature by the refrigeration cycle, and supply the recovered heat transfer liquid again to the heat exchanger, and includes a liquid storage tank capable of storing the recovered heat transfer liquid, a liquid amount detection unit capable of detecting the amount of the heat transfer liquid in the liquid storage tank, and a main body side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting the control signal;
the main body-side processing unit is configured to be able to execute a process of causing the main body-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal capable of identifying an operating state of the main body, and when the amount of liquid detected by the liquid amount detection unit falls below a predetermined warning amount, causes the main body-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal capable of identifying that the amount of liquid has fallen below the warning amount as the operating state, and causes the main body-side wireless communication unit to identify whether or not the heat transfer liquid is being appropriately supplied to the heat exchanger and whether or not the heat transfer liquid is being appropriately recovered from the heat exchanger based on a state of power supply to the pump, and causes the main body-side wireless communication unit to transmit the control signal for reporting the identified result;
The terminal-side processing unit is configured to identify the operating state of the main body unit based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and to execute an alarm process to notify of the identified operating state as the predefined process. a main body having a refrigeration cycle that adjusts the temperature of a heat transfer liquid, a pump that supplies the heat transfer liquid to a heat exchanger attached to a temperature adjustment target through a supply pipe having at least a portion that is flexible, and a main body side processing unit that controls operations of the refrigeration cycle and the pump;
A temperature adjustment device configured to adjust the temperature of a temperature adjustment target by supplying the heat transfer liquid to the heat exchanger attached to the temperature adjustment target, the temperature adjustment target changing its position relative to the main body,
a plurality of mobile terminals each having a terminal-side wireless communication unit capable of receiving a control signal and a terminal-side processing unit that executes a predetermined process based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit;
the main body includes a main body-side wireless communication unit capable of transmitting the control signal, and a storage unit that stores a predefined operation mode associated with identification information of the terminal-side wireless communication unit in each of the portable terminals;
the main body-side processing unit specifies the operation mode associated with the identification information based on the identification information of the terminal-side wireless communication unit acquired when the terminal-side wireless communication unit in any of the portable terminals is connected to the main body-side wireless communication unit, operates the main body in the specified operation mode, and transmits the control signal capable of specifying an operation state of the main body from the main body-side wireless communication unit;
The terminal-side processing unit is configured to identify the operating state of the main body unit based on the control signal received by the terminal-side wireless communication unit, and to execute an alarm process to notify of the identified operating state as the predefined process. The main body is configured to recover the heat transfer liquid from the heat exchanger, adjust the temperature by the refrigeration cycle, and supply it again to the heat exchanger. The main body is also provided with a liquid storage tank capable of storing the recovered heat transfer liquid, and a liquid amount detection unit capable of detecting the amount of the heat transfer liquid in the liquid storage tank.
The temperature control device of claim 1 or 3, wherein when the liquid volume detected by the liquid volume detection unit falls below a predetermined warning volume, the main body side processing unit transmits the control signal from the main body side wireless communication unit, which can identify the liquid volume falling below the warning volume as the operating state. The temperature adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main body side processing unit transmits the control signal capable of identifying at least one of the state of temperature adjustment of the heat transfer fluid by the refrigeration cycle and the state of supply of the heat transfer fluid by the pump as the operating state from the main body side wireless communication unit. the main body includes a secondary battery that supplies power to each component of the main body;
A temperature control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body side processing unit causes the control signal capable of identifying at least one of the remaining charge of the secondary battery and the operating time during which the secondary battery can operate with the remaining charge to be transmitted from the main body side wireless communication unit as the operating state. A temperature adjustment system comprising a temperature adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the supply pipe, and the heat exchanger, and configured to adjust the temperature of the temperature adjustment target to which the heat exchanger is attached by heat exchange with the heat transfer liquid supplied from the main body of the temperature adjustment device through the supply pipe to the heat exchanger. The temperature adjustment system according to claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be deformable according to the external shape of the object to be temperature-adjusted. The temperature adjustment system according to claim 7 or 8, which is provided with a temperature adjustment jacket as the heat exchanger, and is configured to adjust the temperature of the wearer's body by treating the body of the wearer of the temperature adjustment jacket as the temperature adjustment target.

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