Patent Application
20080200087
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to ventilation materials and more particularly to a three-layer sheet-like article having an improved ventilation structure formed therein as a material for manufacturing sheet of cloth, mat, footwear, mattress cover, or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Footwear, protective devices for athletes, mats, or mattress covers typically have a ventilation material formed therein for bringing a feeling of comfort to a person wearing same or lying or sitting thereon. A sheet of article having a conventional ventilation material formed therein is shown in
It is designed to cause the sheet of article to have a ventilation effect. However, in fact, it is not true. In detail, the apertures 311 are too small to conduct sufficient air flow through the layers 30, 31, and 32. Further, the heat absorbing area of the layer of ventilation material 31 is relatively large. Thus, for example, a person wearing a pair of shoes having the layer of ventilation material 31 formed therein may feel a degree of discomfort and coldness. Furthermore, the layer of ventilation material 31 is an integral pad having the same stiffness in every portion. Thus, it is impossible of producing an article (e.g., a protective device for athlete) requiring some enhanced portions as protection by means of the well known ventilation material 31. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a ventilation structure, comprising a lower layer of knitted fabric formed of a water-impermeable and water vapor-permeable fabric; an upper layer of knitted fabric formed of a water-impermeable and water vapor-permeable fabric; a plurality of support members formed between the upper and the lower layers; and a plurality of reticulated air ducts formed between the upper and the lower layers with the support members disposed thereamong.
In one aspect of the invention the support members are shaped as triangle.
In another aspect of the invention the support members are formed of rubber, plastic, or bamboo charcoal.
In a further aspect of the invention the hardness of a first portion of the support members is higher than that of the remaining portions of the support members.
In a yet further aspect of the invention the support members have a projecting portion contacting either the upper layer or the lower layer.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
Referring to
In one application, a mat incorporating the support members 11 with thus formed air ducts 111 can be placed on a sheet of cloth. Thereafter, person(s) may sit on the mat. Advantageously, the mat can bring a degree of comfort to the person(s) sitting thereon.
Alternatively, the support members 11 have a projecting portion contacting either the upper layer 12 or the lower layer 10 such that a massaging effect to the corresponding body portion is carried out when a person sits on, for example, a mat having the support members 11 formed therein.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.
