Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPECIFICATION
WARMING TOOL, WARMING KIT, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING WARMING KIT,
AND WARMING METHOD USING THE WARMING KIT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001]
The present invention relates to a warming tool, a warming kit, a method for
manufacturing a
warming kit, and a warming method using the warming kit for preventing a
decrease in body
temperature during an emergency such as a disaster or a rescue situation, or
when a heater cannot be
used due to a power outage or kerosene or fuel exhaustion.
Description of the Background Art
[0002]
A decrease in body temperature during an emergency such as a disaster, a high-
altitude or snow-
related rescue situation, or an accident-related injury significantly affects
the prognosis of a victim.
This decrease in body temperature results in increased bleeding, and
subsequently conversely leads
to factors that cause blood clots. Sufficiently keeping a person warm makes it
possible to prevent
bleeding and subsequent blood clotting. That is, when a disaster, major
injury, or the like occurs, it is
extremely important to maintain body temperature.
For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for effectively keeping a
person warm by
adhering portable body warmers to suitable locations on clothing.
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2009-185433
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004]
Nevertheless, with the prior art warming method, adhering the portable body
warmers during
an emergency is not easy. Further, the body is basically heated using the heat
of the portable body
warmers alone, which does not always have a sufficient warming effect.
In particular, when a person sustains an injury in a disaster or a high-
altitude or snow-related
rescue situation, a long time is required for rescue and the physical strength
that enables the victim to
maintain body temperature on his or her own declines abruptly, requiring a
method that can more
effectively keep a person warm for a longer period of time. Ensuring that the
victim or the like arrives
at a hospital having been kept sufficiently warm significantly increases the
survival rate of the victim,
and decreases subsequent complications.
[0005]
The present invention was made in view of the above-described problems, and it
is therefore an
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object of the present invention to provide a warming tool capable of more
effectively keeping a human
warm body for a long period of time during an emergency such as a disaster or
a rescue situation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a warming kit that
includes the warming
tool described above, is easily carried, and can be quickly used in an
emergency, and a manufacturing
method thereof.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a warming
method for more
effectively warming a human body for a long period of time using the warming
kit during an
emergency such as a disaster or a rescue situation.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006]
A warming tool according to the present invention comprises a front face part
and a back face
part formed from a flexible fabric;
the front face part and the back face part comprising upper end parts, both
side end parts, and
lower end parts in peripheral edge sections thereof, the upper end parts and
the both side end parts
being connected respectively, whereby the warming tool has a bag shape that
opens on the side of the
lower end parts;
the upper end parts comprising a neck part formed in center sections thereof
to a size that allows
a head of a human body to pass therethrough;
the both side end parts comprising arm parts formed on an upper part side
thereof so that arms
of the human body can pass therethrough; and
the front face part further comprising a plurality of pockets on a surface
thereof for holding
heating elements that emit heat when brought into contact with air.
[0007]
Preferably, the neck part is formed into a slit shape between the upper end
parts of the front face
part and the back face part, the upper end parts having a linear shape.
[0008]
Preferably, the warming tool further comprises sleeve parts connected to the
arm parts and
having a cylinder shape so as to cover sections of the arms of the human body
that protrude from the
arm parts.
[0009]
Preferably, the warming tool has dimensions that, when worn on a human body of
a standard
type (presumably about 170 cm in height and about 60 kg in weight), allow at
least both knees of the
human body to be covered.
[0010]
Preferably, the plurality of pockets is formed only on the surface of the
front face part and not
on the back face part.
[0011]
Further, preferably the plurality of pockets includes at least one of the
following:
(1) a
pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of an armpit of
the human body;
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(2) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity from a
groin region to a femoral
region of the human body; and
(3) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of an
abdominal region of the
human body.
[0012]
Further, preferably the front face part comprises a hole for promoting intake
of heat from the
heating element into the warming tool, in each pocket forming position.
[0013]
Preferably, the pocket comprises an upper side fabric piece and a lower side
fabric piece;
the upper side fabric piece comprising a peripheral edge section connected to
the surface of the
front face part, excluding a lower end side;
the lower side fabric piece comprising a peripheral edge section connected to
the surface of the
front face part, excluding an upper end side; and
the pocket being formed so that a lower side end part of the upper side fabric
piece overlaps
with an upper side end part of the lower side fabric piece, the heating
element can be inserted and
removed through this overlapping part, and the heating element is prevented
from falling out of the
pocket.
[0014]
A warming kit according to the present invention comprises:
the warming tool described above that stores heating elements in pockets; and
a bag that stores the warming tool folded to a predetermined size;
the warming tool being vacuum-packed by the bag to prevent the heating
elements from emitting
heat.
[0015]
Preferably, the warming kit further comprises a cord member that is stored
inside the bag and is
for securing the warming tool worn on a human body to the human body.
[0016]
A method for manufacturing a warming kit according to the present invention
comprises the
steps of:
removing heating elements vacuum-packed in advance from a bag;
inserting the heating elements into pockets of the warming tool described
above;
folding the warming tool to a predetermined size, and storing the folded
warming tool in a bag;
vacuum-drawing the air inside the bag; and
sealing an opening of the bag.
[0017]
A warming method according to the present invention comprises the steps of
tearing the bag of
the warming kit described above, pulling the warming tool of the warming kit
over a head of a human
body, passing the head through the neck part, and passing arms of the human
body through the arm
parts while causing the heating elements inside the pockets to emit heat,
thereby warming the human
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body.
[0018]
Preferably, the warming method according to the present invention further
comprises the step
of binding the human body wearing the warming tool from an outer side of the
warming tool using
the cord member inside the bag of the warming kit, thereby preventing air
warmed inside the warming
tool from escaping to the outside.
Effect of the Invention
[0019]
The present inventor, based on personal experience as an emergency physician,
devised a
warming tool and a warming kit that most efficiently warm a human body for a
long period of time.
While organisms have many mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis and keep a
constant body
temperature, homeostasis cannot be maintained in a state of hypothermia caused
by a level of coldness
that makes it difficult to maintain homeostasis, or caused by failure of these
mechanisms due to injury
or the like. Even in such cases, putting the warming tool of the present
invention on the human body
makes it possible to efficiently increase the body temperature using the heat
of the heating elements
and, according to the warming tool of the present invention, suppress outflow
of warmed air from
inside the warming tool to the extent possible, allowing the human body to be
efficiently warmed for
a long period of time.
Furthermore, the warming tool according to the present invention allows the
user to move while
wearing the warming tool in the same way as clothing on the body, thereby
significantly aiding in the
prevention of blood clotting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020]
Fig. 1 is a front view of a warming tool according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
Fig. 2 is a rear view of the warming tool in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3A is an enlarged front view illustrating a structure of a neck part.
Fig. 3B is an enlarged view of the neck part as viewed from above.
Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a pocket part.
Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating yet another structure of the pocket part.
Fig. 6 is an external view of a portable body warmer.
Fig. 7 is an external view of a warming kit according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
Fig. 8 is a drawing of an example of use of the warming tool.
Fig. 9 is a drawing of an example of use of a cord member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021]
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with
reference to the
accompanying drawings.
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Figs. 1 and 2 are drawings of a structure of a warming tool according to an
embodiment of the
present invention. A warming tool 1 comprises a front face part 3 and a back
face part 4, each having
a rectangular outer shape and formed from a flexible fabric. The front face
part 3 and the back face
part 4 have substantially the same dimensions.
The front face part 3 and the back face part 4 comprise upper end parts 3t, 4t
and both side end
parts 3s, 4s in peripheral edge sections thereof. These upper end parts 3t, 4t
and both side end parts
3s, 4s are sewn together, and thus the warming tool 1 is formed into a bag
shape that opens on the
side of lower end parts 3b, 4b of the front face part 3 and the back face part
4.
A neck part 1A is formed in center sections of the upper end parts 3t, 4t to a
size that allows a
head of a human body to pass therethrough.
The neck part lA is formed by partially not sewing together the center
sections of the upper end
parts 3t, 4t. Specifically, the neck part 1A is formed into a linear shape
between the upper end parts
3t, 4t of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4, as illustrated in
Figs. 3A and 3B. The neck part
1 A is formed linearly as a slit-shaped gap such as illustrated in Fig. 3B and
thus, although the gap
widens when the head is passed therethrough, the neck part 1A closes once the
head is through. This
decreases the likelihood of warm air stored inside the bag-shaped warming tool
1 escaping to the
outside.
[0022]
The warming tool 1 further comprises arm parts 1B formed on upper part sides
of the both side
end parts 3s, 4s of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4 so as to
allow arms of a human body
to pass therethrough. These arm parts 1B are formed by partially not sewing
together the upper part
sides of the both side end parts 3s, 4s of the neck part 1A.
The warming tool 1 further comprises a slit 1C on lower sides of the both side
end parts 3s, 4s
of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4. This slit 1C is formed by
partially not sewing together
the lower sides of the both side end parts 3s, 4s. The slit 1C is provided to
ensure ease of walking by
a user when the warming tool 1 is worn on the body of the user.
The warming tool 1 further comprises sleeve parts 10 having tubular shapes and
respectively
connected to both of the arm parts 1B. The sleeve parts 10 are provided so as
to cover sections of the
arms of the user that protrude from the arm parts 1B.
[0023]
The warming tool 1 is, for example, formed using a thick nonwoven fabric made
from 80%
polypropylene and 20% calcium carbonate. The warming tool 1 preferably has a
warm color, such as
yellow or orange, that can be easily found during a disaster, a rescue
situation, or the like. In this
embodiment, the color is yellow. While the front face part 3 and the back face
part 4 are each formed
by layering two pieces of nonwoven fabric to increase warming in this
embodiment, the configuration
is not limited thereto.
[0024]
A plurality of pocket parts 6 (6A to 6H) for holding portable body warmers 100
described later
is provided on a surface of the front face part of the warming tool 1. The
portable body warmer 100
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is a heating element that emits heat for a certain period of time when brought
into contact with air.
The pocket parts 6 (6A to 6H) are not provided to the back face part 4. This
prevents the back of the
user from getting burned and eliminates a sense of back discomfort caused by
an unevenness of the
portable body warmers 100 when the user reclines on a backrest or lies down.
The specific arrangement of the plurality of pocket parts 6 (6A to 611) will
be described later.
Here, the structure of the pocket part 6 is described.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the pocket part 6 comprises an upper side fabric
piece 61 and a lower
side fabric piece 62 having rectangular shapes. Three sides, including an
upper end part and both side
parts, of the upper side fabric piece 61 are sewn to the front face part 3,
and three sides, including a
lower end part and both side parts, of the lower side fabric piece 62 are sewn
to the front face part 3.
The upper side fabric piece 61 partially overlaps with the lower side fabric
piece 62 so that an
overlapping part 63 and an upper end section of the lower side fabric piece 62
are formed in a lower
end part of the upper side fabric piece 61. An opening formed in the
overlapping part 63 between the
upper side fabric piece 61 and the lower side fabric piece 62 serves as an
insertion/removal port 64
of the portable body warmer 100. The insertion/removal port 64 is always open,
making it easy to
store the portable body warmer 100 in or remove the portable body warmer 100
from the pocket part
6 by expanding the insertion/removal port 64. With the overlapping part 63
provided, it is possible to
reliably prevent the portable body warmer 100 from falling out of the pocket
part 6.
Fig. 5 illustrates the internal structure of the pocket part 6. Two holes 3H1,
3112 are formed in
the section where the pocket part 6 is disposed on the front face part 3. The
holes 3111, 3112 are
provided to promote the intake of heat from the portable body warmer 100 into
the warming tool 1.
The dimensions of the holes 3111, 3H2 can be suitably adjusted. The number of
holes is also not
limited thereto, and can be suitably changed.
[0025]
Fig. 6 illustrates an example of the portable body warmer 100.
The portable body warmer 100 stores a composition 110 such as iron powder,
water, inorganic
powder for moisture adjustment, activated carbon, and salts in a package 101
such as a paper or resin
bag, and an outer peripheral edge part 101s is sealed. Examples of specific
commercial products
include heating elements similar to Hokkairo (trademark of Kowa Company, Ltd.)
and the like. The
portable body warmer 100 is vacuum-packed in a bag made from a plastic film
(not illustrated) prior
to use. When the portable body warmer 100 is removed from this bag, the iron
powder comes into
contact with the air, oxidizes, and emits heat. Generally, the portable body
warmer 100 is
manufactured so as to continually emit heat at a temperature of tens of
degrees Celsius for about 12
hours. It should be noted that, in addition to commercial portable body
warmers, dedicated portable
body warmers may also be used.
[0026]
Fig. 7 is an external view of a warming kit according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
A warming kit 200 stores the warming tool 1 folded to a predetermined size as
well as a cord
member 300 in a bag 201 made from a plastic film, and an outer peripheral part
203, excluding an
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opening 202 of the bag 201, is sealed. Additionally, to ensure that the unused
portable body warmer
100 held in the warming tool 1 is not brought into contact with air, the air
in the interior is released
and the bag 201 is sealed by a seal part 204 on the opening side. That is, the
bag 201 vacuum-packs
the warming tool 1.
The portable body warmers 100 vacuum-packed in advance are removed from a bag
and
respectively stored in the pocket parts 6A to 6H of the warming tool 1 so as
to not come into contact
with air to the extent possible. This warming tool 1 is then folded to
predetermined dimensions,
inserted into the bag 201, and vacuum-packed.
To reliably prevent air from entering, the bag 201 is a plastic film having a
multi-layer structure.
The cord member 300 is, for example, a hemp cord of about 2 m, and is enclosed
in the bag 201
to secure the warming tool 1 worn on a human body to the human body. The cord
member 300 is tied
crosswise to facilitate shoulder movement, or used, for example, as a belt in
the vicinity of the
abdominal region for preventing warm air from escaping from the area of the
feet, thereby helping
the user more effectively use the warming tool 1.
[0027]
Fig. 8 illustrates a user wearing the warming tool 1. It should be noted that,
while the user is
actually wearing clothing, the clothing is not illustrated as a matter of
convenience of explanation.
Further, the height of the user is presumably an ordinary height of about 170
cm.
When the user wants to avoid a decrease in body temperature, the user removes
the warming
tool 1 from the bag 201 of the warming kit 200. The portable body warmers 100
held in the warming
tool 1 removed from the bag 201 come into contact with air and start to emit
heat. The user pulls the
bag-shaped warming tool 1 over his or her head, brings his or her head through
the neck part 1A and
to the outside, and passes both arms through the arm parts 1B and into the
sleeve parts 10.
As illustrated in Fig. 8, the warming tool 1 has dimensions in a vertical
direction that allow
coverage from the shoulders to the vicinity of the ankles when the user is
standing, and dimensions
in a horizontal direction that allow ample room for a standard body size. The
sleeve parts 10 have a
length that reaches the finger tips, and prevent warm air from escaping from
the arm parts 1B and the
sleeve parts 10.
[0028]
As illustrated in Fig. 8, the pocket parts 6A, 6C are disposed in armpit
regions 501A, 501B of
the human body.
The pocket part 6B is disposed in a chest region 502.
The pocket parts 6D to 6F are disposed in an abdominal region 503 where bones
and large
muscles do not exist, making it easy to warm internal organs directly.
The pocket parts 6G, 611 are disposed in groin to femoral regions 504A, 504B.
To efficiently warm the body, areas with arteries close to the body surface
should be warmed.
Representative areas include the neck where the carotid artery is located,
both armpits where the
axillary artery is located, and the groin region to the inner side of the
femur where the femoral artery
is located. Thus, in this embodiment, the pocket parts 6 are disposed in four
locations (both armpit
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regions (both sides) and both groin to femoral regions), excluding the neck,
making it possible to
efficiently warm the body using the portable body warmers 100.
That is, the portable body warmers 100 are disposed in the armpit regions
501A, 501B, thereby
readily warming both hands and arms, and in the groin to femoral regions 504A,
504B, thereby readily
warming both legs.
Further, the portable body warmers 100 are disposed in three locations of the
abdominal region
503, thereby preventing a decrease in temperature of internal organs in the
abdominal cavity.
The portable body warmer 100 disposed in the pocket part 6B in the middle of
the chest region
502 is in a chest region near the heart and, while having a relatively small
body-warming effect, can
be expected to have a mental effect. That is, while warming is not actually
performed well by the
portable body warmer 100 in the pocket part 6B, the user mentally senses being
warmed.
[0029]
According to the warming tool 1 of this embodiment, the neck part 1A is given
the above-
described structure and the sleeve parts 10 are provided, thereby enclosing
the air warmed from the
neck and arm parts inside the warming tool 1 having an ample size, making the
warmed air less likely
to escape to the outside, and thus making extremely effective warming
possible.
[0030]
As illustrated in Fig. 9, if the cord member 300 is used in place of a belt to
bring the warming
tool 1 in close contact with the lumbar region of the user, the warmed air is
less likely to escape from
the opening on the lower side of the warming tool 1, making even more
effective warming possible.
The cord member 300 is used to make it easier for the user to move, thereby
leading to warming.
[0031]
When the portable body warmers 100 no longer emit heat after being removed
from the bag 201
of the warming kit 200, the portable body warmers 100 are replaced with new
portable body warmers
100, making it possible to achieve warming for an even longer period of time.
The warming tool 1 can thus be used many times by newly replacing the portable
body warmers
100.
[0032]
While it is very important to maintain body temperature when a disaster, a
major injury, or the
like occurs, prior art warming methods could only keep a person warm for a
short period of time due
to the physical strength remaining for self-maintaining body temperature. In
actuality, both physical
strength and body temperature decrease. Therefore, according to the warming
method of this
embodiment, efficient warming can be achieved for a long period of time and
the user can move more
easily, thereby suppressing a decrease in physical strength. As a result, the
user arrives at the hospital
having been kept sufficiently warm, thereby saving his or her life. Further,
the user is rescued having
been kept sufficiently warm, thereby decreasing subsequent complications.
[0033]
While an example of a warming tool applicable to a standard body type of about
170 cm in
height and 60 kg in weight for a human body is given in the above-described
embodiment, the present
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invention is not limited thereto, and a warming tool having dimensions that
correspond to an age, a
body type, a gender, or the like may be manufactured.
[0034]
In the above-described embodiments, while cases of a disaster, a rescue
situation, and the like
are given as application examples of the present invention, the application is
not limited thereto, and
the present invention can be applied to various scenarios for preventing a
decrease in body
temperature.
Descriptions of Reference Numerals
[0035]
1 Warming tool
IA Neck part
1B Arm part
1C Slit
3 Front face part
4 Back face part
6, 6A to 6H Pocket part
Sleeve part
100 Portable body warmer (Heating element)
101 Package
110 Iron powder
200 Warming kit
201 Bag
300 Cord member
501A, 501B Armpit region
502 Chest region
503 Abdominal region
504A, 504B Groin to femoral regions
