Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

The School Corporation Kansai University

A School of Corporation Kansai University

Nobuki Sakikawa

Kazuo Nishikawa

Takashi Miyata

Yoshihiro Uramoto

Kazuya Matsumoto

Yasumasa Suzuki

Hiroaki Okano

Akihiro Yamaguchi

Emi Nishiuchi

An application member includes a stimuli-responsive polymer that reversibly changes to being hydrophilic and to being hydrophobic in response to an external stimulus to allow impregnation and release of an active ingredient to be applied to the skin.

Application member and impregnation material

An excellent hygroscopic material containing a temperature responsive polymer, which can efficiently conduct heat, and hence has water release properties of absorbed water is realized. The hygroscopic material containing a polymer gel containing a temperature responsive polymer whose affinity with water reversibly changes in response to temperature stimulation and a thermally conductive filler is used.

Hygroscopic material

To reduce loss due to water evaporation and to efficiently release moisture from a moisture absorbing portion, in the humidity controller according to the present invention, a moisture absorbing portion () is formed to include at least two gel sections each with a different thermal conductivity and to release absorbed moisture from an exposed surface () that is a specific region exposed outside and that is disposed on the surface opposite to a heater () on the basis of heating by the heater ().

Humidity controller

To provide a dehumidifying device and dehumidifying method each of which allows absorbed water to be efficiently extracted from a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material or a polymeric moisture absorbing material containing a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material, a dehumidifying device of an embodiment of the present invention includes (i) a stimulus providing section configured to provide an external stimulus to a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material or a polymeric moisture absorbing material containing a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material and (ii) a transfer section configured to transfer water released by the polymeric moisture absorbing material.

Dehumidification device and dehumidification method

The present invention achieves a moisture absorbing material which enables efficient dehumidification without supercooling or large heat quantity; and a dehumidifier in which the moisture absorbing material is used. The moisture absorbing material can be a dried product of a polymer gel in which an interpenetrating polymer network structure or a semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure is formed by (a) a stimuli-responsive polymer whose affinity with water changes reversibly in response to an external stimulus and (b) a hydrophilic polymer.

Hygroscopic material and dehumidifier using same

A moisture absorbing material (i) having has (a) a first state in which the moisture absorbing material is capable of absorbing moisture, and (b) a second state in which the moisture absorbing material releases the moisture absorbed in the first state, and (ii) has a property of changing from the first state to the second state in response to an external stimulus and returning from the second state to the first state when the external stimulus disappears, the moisture absorbing material includes: first through fourth moisture absorbing bodies which have respective different stimulus response levels and are provided in order of stimulus response level so as to be in contact with one another.

Water absorbent material, dehumidification device, and dehumidification method

Provided is a dehumidification apparatus with good energy efficiency. A moisture absorbing material (polymeric moisture absorbing material), which absorbs moisture and swells at a temperature not higher than a predetermined temperature sensitive point, while shrinking and releasing condensed water at a temperature higher than the temperature sensitive point as a result of phase transition, is formed so as to be divided into a plurality of segments which are made apart from each other during dehydration. A rotation motor () is used to move the moisture absorbing material (polymeric moisture absorbing material) between a moisture absorption region () and a dehydration region (). In the dehydration region (), the moisture absorbing material (polymeric moisture absorbing material) is heated by the heater ().

Dehumidification device

A dehumidifying device configured such that a dehumidifying material having absorbed moisture can efficiently release moisture. The dehumidifying device carries out dehumidification with a polymeric moisture-absorbing material that (i) exhibits hydrophilicity in a temperature range equal to or lower than a temperature sensitive point which is a given temperature and (ii) exhibits hydrophobicity in a temperature range higher than the temperature sensitive point. The dehumidifying device includes: a substrate to which the polymeric moisture-absorbing material is fixed; a heat generating member which heats, to the temperature range higher than the temperature sensitive point, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material that has absorbed moisture; and a moisture absorbing unit motor which rotates the substrate, so that the moisture, which has been absorbed by the polymeric moisture-absorbing material that is heated to the temperature range higher than the temperature sensitive point, is released as a waterdrop by a centrifugal force.

A humidity controlling apparatus comprising: a moisture absorption unit including a base material rotatable about a rotation shaft and a macromolecular moisture absorbent provided in a layer on an outer periphery of the base material; and a heat source partially heating the moisture absorption unit, the macromolecular moisture absorbent having a hydrophilic state capable of absorbing moisture in the air and a hydrophobic state which releases the moisture sorbed in the hydrophilic state, the macromolecular moisture absorbent having a nature such that when temperature rises, the macromolecular moisture absorbent changes from the hydrophilic state to the hydrophobic state, and when the temperature falls, the macromolecular moisture absorbent returns from the hydrophobic state to the hydrophilic state, requires small thermal energy and can efficiently control humidity.

Humidity controlling apparatus

A humidity controlling apparatus comprises: a moisture absorbent (1) made of a macromolecular gelated moisture absorbing material which takes a first state being capable of absorbing moisture and a second state releasing in a liquid state the moisture absorbed in the first state, and which has a nature to change from the first state to the second state when a definite level of temperature or higher is attained, and return to the first state when the definite level of temperature or higher is no longer attained; and an energy converting particle (2) which is disposed so as to be buried inside the moisture absorbent and has a nature to generate heat when it is exposed to an external stimulus factor which is at least one of light, electric waves and a high frequency magnetic field.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Nobuki Sakikawa