JPH03202015A - Sheet cushion and sheet back cushion - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To maintain the required heat insulating distance between both heat sinks without degrading the mechanism of heat transfer while using a Peltier effect element by interposing a spacer having a good thermal conductivity between the Peltier effect element and a heat exchanger. CONSTITUTION:A heat transfer unit U is laminated, successively from above, with a heat transfer plate 2 disposed on a seat face side, the spacer 3 consisting of a copper plate interposed between this plate and the Peltier effect element 1 thereunder, the Peltier effect element 1 and the heat sink 4. The spacer 3 and the Peltier effect element are made into the plate shape of approximately the same square size, but the spacer 3 is formed thicker than the element. Since the heat sink 4 is provided under the element 1, a cushion material, such as sponge, having both of elasticity and heat insulating characteristic in combination is packed between the heat transfer plate 2 and the heat sink 4. The sufficient heat insulation is obtd. between both. The heat sink 4 is formed to a fin shape in order to take the large surface area for the purpose of heat exchange. The need for providing a fan for the purpose of enforced cooling is eliminated and the reduction of the thickness is attained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a seat cushion and a notebook cushion that incorporate a heat transfer unit that can switch between cooling and heating using a Peltier effect element.

[Prior art/problems to be solved by the invention]

In general, cushions, mats, and the seating and back surfaces of chairs are objects of heat retention and heating, but they are not often seen as objects of cooling. However, for example, when an operator of office automation equipment (○A) sits in a chair and operates the OA equipment for a long time, the seating surface and backrest of the chair gradually become warmer due to the operator's body temperature, which can lead to summer heat. It is often very uncomfortable. In addition, during the summer, cars such as passenger cars reach extremely high temperatures when parked, making it extremely uncomfortable to get into the vehicle. In addition, even during outdoor activities in the summer, when sitting down for a while, the area is often exposed to direct sunlight and is in a so-called burnt state. In the case described above, on the contrary, it is generally advantageous to heat the room in winter. However, conventional mats and cushions that have a built-in heat source and are used for the above-mentioned purposes all have a heat source exclusively for heating. There are no known relatives. In addition, in the case of seat cushions or seat back cushions that are used to keep you warm, check whether any part of your body will be heated when sitting or leaning your back against them, and whether they will be used to cool them down. When using these seat cushions and seat back cushions, some parts of the body may feel uncomfortable. For example, when cooling with a seat cushion, cooling the thighs is preferable, but cooling the anus area causes extreme discomfort. In addition, in the case of a seat back cushion, if it cools the area below the kidneys, that is, from the waist down, it will still cause discomfort. On the other hand, when configuring a heat transfer unit using a thin plate-like Peltier effect element, it is important to consider how to completely insulate the heat exchanger between the heat exchanger that serves as the heat sink on the heat absorption side and the heat exchanger that serves as the heat sink on the heat radiation side. There is a problem. because,
The thickness of the Peltier effect element as described above is approximately 3+u.
This is because the adiabatic distance is too short. However, if the distance between the Peltier effect element and each of the heat/inks described above is increased, the heat transfer function will deteriorate. The present invention has been devised in view of the problems to be solved by the invention as described above, and to effectively solve the problems. [7] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to be able to maintain the necessary insulation distance between both heat sinks without deteriorating the heat transfer mechanism while using a Peltier effect element, and to be able to switch between cooling and heating. It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat cushion and a seat back cushion, and further to provide a seat cushion and a seat back cushion that do not cause discomfort to the user during cooling.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The seat cushion and seat back cushion according to the present invention have the following configuration in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives. That is, a first heat exchanger is provided on one end of a thin plate-like Peltier effect element, and a second heat exchanger is provided on the other end, thereby creating a heat transfer unit that can switch between cooling and heating. The built-in seat cushion or seat back cushion has good thermal conductivity between the Peltier effect element and the second heat exchanger, or between the Peltier effect element and the second heat exchanger. In the seat cushion, the Peltier effect element is disposed biased toward the front from the center of the seating surface of the seat cushion, and the first heat exchanger is It is preferable that the second heat exchanger is disposed approximately evenly around the Peltier effect element on the seating surface, and the second heat exchanger is provided over almost the entire surface of the back surface of the seat cushion. If so, the Peltier effect element is arranged upwardly from the center of the backrest surface of the backrest, and the first heat exchanger is arranged around the Peltier effect element on the backrest surface. It is preferable that the second heat exchanger is arranged to be spread out approximately evenly, and that the second heat exchanger is provided over almost the entire back surface of the backrest of the seat backrest. The cushion may be a single piece like a cloak that can be stretched out like a so-called cushion or a bat, or it may be a part of the chair or seat as the seat or backrest of the chair. , it is not limited to only one of them. [Operations and Effects of the Invention] Seat cushion and seat pad according to the present invention. Since Kuknothon uses a Peltier effect element as its heat source, the direction of current to the element can be controlled. By converting, the heat absorption surface and heat radiation surface are reversed, and the cooling action and heating action on the load side can be switched.The distance between the heat exchangers placed on both sides of the Peltier effect element is determined by the thickness of the element. The distance required for heat insulation can be maintained by appropriately selecting the thickness of the spacer.For example, by using a material with good thermal conductivity such as copper for the spacer, It can sufficiently suppress the deterioration of the heat transfer function and sufficiently reduce the insulation effect to maintain the heat transfer function.In particular, in the seat cushion, the position of the Peltier effect element and the first heat exchanger that serves as the load side heat sink is adjusted to the seat cushion. By deviating the surface from the center to the front side, especially during cooling, the user's thigh area is cooled without cooling the user's anus area, providing a comfortable feeling. In addition, in the case of a computer system, by similarly arranging the device upward from the center, it is possible to avoid cooling the vicinity of the user's kidneys and below the kidneys, thereby providing comfortable cooling. In addition, since the area occupied by the second heat exchanger on the heat source side can be made sufficiently larger than the area occupied by the first heat exchanger on the load side, sufficient cooling action and Provides a warming effect.

[Embodiment] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of seat shoes/ginsers according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the seat shoes/ginsers according to the present invention.
It is a 1-line arrow sectional view. The seat cushion of this embodiment has a heat transfer unit U including a Peltier effect element 1 therein.
Built-in. The heat transfer unit U includes a spacer 3 made of a copper plate interposed between a heat transfer plate 2 disposed on the upper side of the seat cushion, that is, on the seat surface side, and a Peltier effect element 1 below the heat transfer plate 2, and a Peltier plate. The effect element 1 and the human/link 4 are stacked in this order from above. Further, the seat surface of the /-Tokuno/Yon is covered with a sponge layer 7, and a heat insulating material 8 is filled between the heat exchanger plate 2 and the heat sink 4. Heat exchanger plate 2
is a metal plate approximately 2mm thick, which occupies approximately half of the area of the seat and is biased to one side from the center.When the user sits with the biased side facing forward, the and is located near the user's thigh. The spacer 3 and the Peltier effect element 1 have approximately the same square plate shape, and the spacer 3 is thicker. Specifically, the thickness of the element 1 is about 3n, and the thickness of the spacer 3 is about 7mi. Since the heat sink 4 is provided under the element 1, the distance between the heat exchanger plate 2 and the heat sink 4 is approximately 10 rtm, and a cushion material such as a sponge having both elasticity and heat insulation properties is stuffed between them. Sufficient heat insulation can be obtained between the two. The heat sink 4 is formed on the so-called "back surface" of the seat cushion, extending over almost the entire surface thereof, and is further formed into a fin shape to provide a large surface area for heat exchange. By making the surface area ratio between the heat transfer plate 2 and the heat sink 4 sufficiently large, a sufficient amount of heat radiation can be obtained from the heat sink 4 especially in the case of cooling, so a fan for forced cooling can be used. There is no need to provide this, and the seat cushion can be made thinner. In addition, as for the power source, by providing an external battery box (not shown) or a charger, it is possible to use the device outdoors. Switching between cooling and heating is performed by changing the direction of the current flowing through the Peltier effect element 1. In particular, if the side of the element 1 is placed on the heat transfer plate 2 side or on the heat absorption side, the user's thighs can be switched. can be cooled. At that time, the anus and its surroundings are not cooled and the user does not feel discomfort. FIGS. 4 and 5 are a side view and a rear view showing an example of the seat cushion and seat back cushion Ml according to the present invention. The seat cushion S is placed on the seat part 9 of the chair, and the seat back cushion B is used by being fixed to the back part 5 of the chair. Therefore, in the case of the seat back cushion B, since it is used while being fixed to a substantially vertical surface, a fixing means such as a hook member 6 is provided. This fixing member 6 is provided at a position where the heat exchanger plate 2 is located on the upper side in the installed state, and as a result, it does not cool the lower part of the user from the waist down, especially during cooling, and the back part, that is, roughly the kidneys. Since it cools the upper part, it does not cause discomfort to the user. Note that the reference numeral 10 in the figure does not indicate a power cord. These seat cushions S and seat back cushions B have approximately the same configuration when formed into a so-called portable thin cushion-like unit, but the heat transfer unit U
It is also possible to form the unit U by integrally incorporating it into the seat or back of the chair, in which case the position of the unit U in each of the seat and back is limited. In the case of a seat part, these heat transfer units U are provided at a position approximately half on the front side of the seat surface, and in the case of a backrest part, these heat transfer units U are provided at a position approximately on the upper half of the backrest surface. especially,
When incorporated into a chair, it is possible to allow some leeway in the thickness of the seat and backrest, and therefore it is also possible to incorporate a small fan for forced cooling.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the seat cushion according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figure is a cross-sectional view taken along the line [-11] of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are a side view and a rear view showing an example of the usage state of the seat cushion and seat back cushion according to the present invention.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1), a first heat exchanger (2) is placed on one end side of the thin plate-shaped Peltier effect element (1), and a second heat exchanger (2) is placed on the other end side of the thin plate-like Peltier effect element (1).
The Peltier effect element (1) and the first heat exchanger (2) are each provided with a heat exchanger (4), and the seat cushion has a built-in heat transfer unit (U) that can switch between cooling and heating. or between the Peltier effect element (1) and the second heat exchanger (4), a sheet characterized in that a spacer (3) with good thermal conductivity is interposed between the Peltier effect element (1) and the second heat exchanger (4). cushion. (2), the Peltier effect element (1) is disposed biased toward the front from the center of the seating surface of the seat cushion, and the first heat exchanger (2) is disposed on the seating surface of the Peltier effect element (1). ), and the second heat exchanger (4) is provided over substantially the entire surface of the seating back surface of the seat cushion. . (3) A first heat exchanger (2) is placed on one end side of the thin plate-shaped Peltier effect element (1), and a second heat exchanger is placed on the other end side of the thin plate-like Peltier effect element (1).
The seat back cushion is provided with a heat exchanger (4) and has a built-in heat transfer unit (U) that can switch between cooling and heating, and the Peltier effect element (1) and the first heat exchanger (2) ) or between the Peltier effect element (1) and the second heat exchanger (4), a spacer (3) having good thermal conductivity is provided. Seat back cushion. (4) The Peltier effect element (1) is arranged upwardly from the center of the backrest surface of the seat back cushion, and the first heat exchanger (2) has the Peltier effect element (1) on the backrest surface. 1), and the second heat exchanger (4) is provided over substantially the entire back surface of the seat back cushion. Seat back cushion.