JP3255043U - Long-lasting cooling cotton - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a long-lasting cooling cotton that can maintain a cooling sensation for a long period of time by being placed on the underside of the outer fabric. [Solution] The long-lasting cooling cotton 1, which is placed on the underside of the outer fabric 2 and provides a sustained cooling sensation, consists of a base material 3 which is a soft, sheet-like cotton material. A cooling gel applied to the entire surface of the base material 3 penetrates into the interior of the base material 3, forming a cooling gel layer 4. The cooling gel contains a urethane elastomer composite material, a phase change material, and a cooling material to exert a sustained cooling effect. Body heat is transferred from the outer fabric 2 to the long-lasting cooling cotton 1 underneath. Due to the heat absorption of the phase change material and the cooling material of the cooling gel, the temperature rise of the upper outer fabric 2 can be suppressed, and the cooling sensation can be maintained for a long period of time. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This invention relates to a cooling cotton that provides a sustained cooling sensation.

Patent Document 1 describes a cooling fabric in which a cooling material layer is applied to one or both sides of a woven or nonwoven fabric. The cooling material layer contains microcapsules containing a phase transition substance, a contact cooling material, and an organic binder. When the body comes into contact with the cooling fabric, heat is absorbed by the dissolution of the phase transition substance and by the contact cooling material. Furthermore, the heat absorbed by the dissolution of the phase transition substance also directly acts on the contact cooling material, thus suppressing the temperature rise of the contact cooling material and extending the duration of the cooling sensation.

Such cooling fabrics are used as the outer fabric for textile products such as bedding covers, sheets, futons, mattress pads, pillows, rugs, and cushions.

Patent No. 6804070

Simply forming a cooling material layer on the surface of a nonwoven fabric outer layer is insufficient to maintain a cooling effect over a long period. Therefore, this invention aims to provide a long-lasting cooling cotton that, when placed beneath the outer fabric containing the cooling material, can sustain a cooling sensation for an extended period.

The sustained cooling cotton, positioned beneath the outer fabric of this invention and providing a continuous cooling sensation, consists of a base material that is a soft, sheet-like cotton material. A cooling gel, applied to the entire surface of the base material, penetrates into the base material, forming a cooling gel layer. Alternatively, the sustained cooling cotton may consist of a base material that is a hard, sheet-like solid cotton, with the cooling gel applied to the entire surface of the base material. The cooling gel contains a urethane elastomer composite material, a phase change material, and a cooling material to provide a sustained cooling effect.

Furthermore, in items such as rugs, mattress pads, pillow pads, pillows, sofa covers, mats, cushions, comforters, and futons, the outer fabric, cushioning material, and lining are layered in that order. Cooling fabric is used for the outer fabric, and sustained cooling cotton is used for the cushioning material.

When a person places their body on the mat, body heat is transferred through the mat's surface fabric to the cooling cotton inside. When heat is transferred to the cooling gel impregnated into the base material, the phase-change material and the cooling material absorb heat, resulting in a cooling sensation. Simultaneously, the temperature rise of the cooling fabric is suppressed, maintaining the cooling sensation for an extended period.

The base material has a basis weight of 20 to 1000 g/ ^m² , and a cooling gel is applied or sprayed onto the surface of the base material. When applying the cooling gel, the application amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , and when spraying the cooling gel, the spray amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² . The application or spray amount can be adjusted according to the degree of the sustained cooling effect, so that the application or spray amount can be increased to enhance the sustained cooling effect. This allows the sustained cooling effect to be set according to the purpose of use.

According to this invention, by impregnating a base material such as cotton or solid cotton with a cooling gel, the sustained cooling effect can be increased compared to applying the cooling gel to the surface. By placing this cooling-sustaining cotton beneath the cooling fabric, the cooling effect can be sustained for an extended period.

Cross-sectional view of a sustained cooling cotton using a cotton material with a small basis weight according to an embodiment of the present invention. Cross-sectional view of a sustained cooling cotton using a large-weight cotton material according to an embodiment of the present invention. Cross-section of a rug made with long-lasting cooling cotton. Cross-sectional view of a sustained cooling cotton using solid cotton of another embodiment.

An embodiment of the sustained cooling cotton according to this invention will be described based on the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the sustained cooling cotton 1 is used by being placed on the underside of the outer fabric 2. The sustained cooling cotton 1 is made by coating the entire surface of a base material 3, which is a soft, sheet-shaped cotton material, with cooling gel. The cooling gel penetrates into the interior of the base material 3, forming a cooling gel layer 4. The cotton material is made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic, or natural cotton fibers, and is formed in a sheet shape. In the figure, 5 is the backing fabric.

Cooling gels contain a phase change material, a cooling material, and a urethane elastomer composite material or polyurethane to provide a sustained cooling effect. Microcapsules containing the phase change material are mixed into the gel along with the cooling material. Examples of gels used include xanthan gum, agar, pectin, and mannan. The component ratio of the phase change material to the cooling material in a cooling gel is typically 28% for the phase change material and 72% for the cooling material. The phase change material can be adjusted between 2% and 98%, while the cooling material is typically between 98% and 2%.

A phase-change material is a substance that changes between a liquid and solid phase depending on the temperature; it is a so-called PCM (Phase Change Material) and serves as a cooling medium. The phase-change material cools the object by absorbing heat from the object as latent heat of fusion, thereby changing from a solid to a liquid phase. Here, the phase-change material solidifies at room temperature. Specifically, the solidification point of the phase-change material is set to -15°C to 35°C. Preferably, the solidification point of the phase-change material is set to 0°C to 30°C.

For example, the phase change material includes paraffin or aliphatic hydrocarbon (or aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon). The paraffin or _aliphatic hydrocarbon may include at least one of tetradecane ( _C14H30 ), hexadecane ( _C16H34 ), and _octadecane ( _C18H38 ). Alternatively, the phase change material may include all of _tetradecane ( _C14H30 ), _hexadecane ( _C16H34 ), and _octadecane ( _C18H38 ). Furthermore, in addition to paraffin or aliphatic hydrocarbon, the phase change material may further include superabsorbent polymer (SAP), water, aroma _, or graphite. As an example, the phase change material may include paraffin, aliphatic compounds, organic matter, and minerals.

The cooling material is typically an absorbent resin such as sodium polyacrylate, menthol, PCM, or camphor, and provides a cooling sensation when in contact with the long-lasting cooling cotton.

The urethane elastomer composite material is a material obtained by polymerizing polyurethane and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). It acts as a microencapsulating agent, forming a microcapsule coating on the phase change material. By microencapsulating the phase change material, it exhibits a sustained cooling effect.

The basis weight of the cotton material used as the base material 3 is 10 to 1000 g/ ^m² , preferably 60 to 200 g/ ^m² . The thickness of the cotton material is 1 to 50 mm, and the denier of the cotton material is 0.1 to 200 denier.

The cooling gel is applied to the entire surface of the substrate 3. The method of application to the entire surface can be by coating or spraying. When the cooling gel is applied with a roller, the application amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , preferably 15 to 300 g/ ^m² . When the cooling gel is sprayed with a spray gun, the spray amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , preferably 15 to 300 g/ ^m² .

As shown in Figure 1, when the cotton material has a low basis weight (the base material 3 is thin), the cooling gel applied from the surface of the base material 3 penetrates to the back surface, forming a cooling gel layer 4 throughout the entire base material. As shown in Figure 2, when the cotton material has a high basis weight (the base material 3 is thick), the cooling gel applied from the surface penetrates to the middle of the base material 3 in the thickness direction, forming a cooling gel layer 4 from the surface to the middle portion of the base material 3.

As the cooling gel penetrates, the base material 3 becomes colored. Once the gel penetrates to the back, both the front and back surfaces are colored, allowing the cooling cotton 1 to be used regardless of which side is facing up. When the gel has penetrated halfway, the front surface is colored, but the back surface remains the color of the base material 3, making the front surface easily recognizable. Furthermore, the front surface can be identified by touch, and a sustained cooling sensation is obtained on the front surface. A slight cooling sensation is obtained on the back surface, but the sustained cooling effect is not very noticeable.

Here, the amount applied or sprayed can be adjusted according to the desired level of sustained cooling effect. Even with the same base weight, if a normal sustained cooling effect is sufficient, for example, the amount is set to 120 g/ ^m² , while if a stronger sustained cooling effect is desired, for example, the amount applied or sprayed is increased to 150 g/ ^m² . In this way, the effect of sustained cooling can be set by adjusting the amount applied or sprayed according to the intended use.

As shown in Figure 3, the sustained cooling cotton 1 is used as a cushioning material for floor coverings such as rugs 10. The floor covering consists of a surface fabric 2, the sustained cooling cotton 1, and a backing fabric 5. The backing fabric 5 can be a woven or knitted fabric made of synthetic fibers, natural fibers, or nonwoven fabric. The surface fabric 2 is a cooling fabric, and may be made of a fabric with high thermal conductivity such as nylon, rayon, polyethylene, or linen, or it may be a woven or knitted fabric made of synthetic fibers, natural fibers, or nonwoven fabric that has been treated with cooling components such as xylitol or menthol.

The outer edge of the lug 10 is piped 12 and further quilted 13. Bonding may be used instead of quilting 13. Furthermore, the outer edge of the lug 10 is not limited to piping 12; it may also be hemmed or bonded and cut without a hem.

When a person stands on a rug 10, which has a cooling outer fabric 2 with a sustained cooling cotton 1 placed underneath, their body heat is transferred to the outer fabric 2 when their skin touches it. This creates an immediate cooling sensation. However, with this type of contact cooling alone, the cooling sensation diminishes once the skin and fabric temperatures equalize.

However, heat is transferred from the upper outer fabric 2 to the sustained cooling cotton 1, and the cooling components of the cooling gel absorb the heat transferred from above. The cooling gel is warmed, the phase change material melts and absorbs heat, and the cooling material also absorbs heat, resulting in a cooling sensation. In the sustained cooling cotton 1, the transferred heat is diffused, efficiently suppressing the temperature rise of the cooling gel, thus maintaining the cooling sensation for a long period. In this way, the outer fabric 2 provides instantaneous coolness, while the sustained cooling cotton 1 continuously absorbs and dissipates heat, making it difficult for the overall temperature of the rug to rise, thus making the cooling sensation more sustained and allowing for a long-lasting, comfortable coolness.

Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the sustained cooling cotton 1. The sustained cooling cotton 1, positioned beneath the outer fabric 2, is formed by applying a cooling gel to the entire surface of a base material 3, which is a rigid, sheet-like cotton. A cooling gel layer 4 is formed on the surface of the base material 3, with a small amount of the cooling gel penetrating into the interior of the base material 3.

Regarding the solid cotton, short fibers such as polyester, which are the raw material, are intertwined using airflow and mechanical processes to form a sheet with a random, three-dimensional structure that does not have a specific directionality. The formed sheet is then bonded by either heating to fuse the fibers together (thermal melting) or by spraying a binder resin as an adhesive. This fixes the fibers in place, resulting in a firm, board-like solid cotton. Because the solid cotton is dense and firm, the body does not sink too deeply even under load. The presence of many gaps between the fibers provides relatively good breathability. Due to the random arrangement of the fibers, force is easily distributed evenly under load in a certain direction, resulting in durable material that resists sagging. The sustained cooling cotton 1 using this solid cotton can be used as a cushioning material for floor coverings such as rugs 10 with a surface fabric 2, similar to the sustained cooling cotton 1 described above, enabling the creation of floor coverings with excellent pressure distribution.

The basis weight of the solid cotton used as the base material 3 is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , preferably 60 to 300 g/ ^m² . The thickness of the solid cotton is 2 to 1000 mm, and the denier of the solid cotton is 3 to 200 denier.

The cooling gel is applied to the entire surface of the substrate 3. The method of application to the entire surface can be by coating or spraying. When the cooling gel is applied with a roller, the application amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , preferably 15 to 300 g/ ^m² . When the cooling gel is sprayed with a spray gun, the spray amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , preferably 15 to 300 g/ ^m² .

Furthermore, if the cotton padding has a small weight (the base material 3 is thin), the cooling gel 4 applied to the surface of the base material 3 will penetrate only slightly. If the cotton padding has a large weight (the base material 3 is thick), the cooling gel applied to the surface will penetrate only slightly in the thickness direction of the base material 3. As the cooling gel penetrates, the base material 3 will be colored.

By placing the sustained cooling cotton 1 on the underside of the outer fabric 2, particularly the cooling fabric, it is possible to achieve a cooling effect that lasts for a long period of time, similar to the sustained cooling cotton 1 of the cotton material described above.

Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of this invention. The surface fabric using the sustained cooling cotton 1 is suitable for various types of mats on which the body rests, such as cushions, mattresses, multi-covers (a single piece of fabric sewn on all four sides), comforters, futons, mattress pads, pillow pads, pillows, and sofa covers. The surface fabric 2 may be an ordinary fabric without cooling properties. Also, the surface fabric 2, including the cooling fabric placed on top of the sustained cooling cotton 1, may be a cover, and the sustained cooling cotton 1 is used by covering it with the surface fabric 2. The surface fabric 2 may also be bonded to the surface of the sustained cooling cotton 1 to integrate them.

1. Sustained cooling cotton 2. Outer fabric 3. Base material 4. Cooling gel layer 5. Backing fabric 10. Rug

Claims (8)

A sustained cooling cotton material, positioned beneath the outer fabric to provide a continuous cooling sensation, is characterized by its base material being a soft, sheet-like cotton material, with a cooling gel applied to the entire surface of the base material permeating its interior. The sustained cooling cotton according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer fabric is made of a cooling fabric. The sustained cooling cotton according to claim 2, characterized in that the thickness of the cotton material is 1 to 50 mm and the denier of the cotton material is 0.1 to 200 denier. A sustained cooling cotton, positioned beneath the outer fabric, that provides a continuous cooling sensation. It consists of a base material that is a rigid, sheet-like cotton, and is characterized by having a cooling gel applied to the entire surface of the base material. The sustained cooling cotton according to claim 4, characterized in that the outer fabric is made of a cooling fabric. The sustained cooling cotton according to claim 5, characterized in that the thickness of the solid cotton is 2 to 1000 mm and the denier of the solid cotton is 3 to 200 denier. The cooling gel contains a urethane elastomer composite material, a phase change material, and a cooling material to provide a sustained cooling effect, and the basis weight of the base material is 10 to 1000 g/ ^m² .
The sustained cooling cotton according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a cooling gel is applied or sprayed onto the surface of a base material, and when the cooling gel is applied, the application amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , and when the cooling gel is sprayed, the spray amount is 5 to 1000 g/ ^m² , and the application amount or spray amount can be adjusted according to the degree of sustained cooling effect, such that the application amount or spray amount is increased when the sustained cooling effect is increased. The sustained cooling cotton according to claim 7, characterized in that the outer fabric is the outer fabric of one of the following items: rug, mattress pad, pillow pad, pillow, sofa cover, mat, cushion, comforter, or mattress.