Portable Athletic Air Cooler with Face Adapter

• US 20110180069A1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael J. McCabe
• Original Assignee: Michael J. McCabe
• Inventors: McCabe, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,776,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.15
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/003 having means for creating a fresh air curtain
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0017 using cold storage bodies, e.g. ice
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A portable, low maintenance apparatus is provided for cooling down athletes following strenuous exercise. The apparatus has a repository that holds ice, and a fan configured to blow air through the ice and out of a face adapter part. The face adapter is shaped to provide a cool, breathable stream of air to a user who presses his face up against the adapter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a cool, breathable stream of air to a user, the apparatus comprising:

an insulated, waterproof repository configured to hold ice, said repository having an intake air duct configured to accept ambient air from outside the repository;

a fan attached to said repository and positioned to blow air which travels through the intake air duct and into the repository to come in contact with said ice and cool the air to create the cool, breathable stream of air;

a cooled air exit duct for venting the cool, breathable stream of air through a wall of said repository; and

a face adapter configured to be attached to said exit duct and shaped to fit against a user'"'"'s face to provide the cool, breathable stream of air suitable for breathing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face adapter is shaped to receive the user'"'"'s face pressed against it to deliver the cool, breathable stream of air to the user without attaching the face adapter to the user'"'"'s face.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face adapter is configured to be removably attached to the air exit duct;

and

wherein the face adapter is configured to be rotated in a lateral direction relative to the air duct.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exit duct is a first exit duct and the face adapter is a first face adapter, the apparatus further comprising:

a second exit duct; and

a second face adapter configured to be attached to the second exit duct.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fan is battery powered.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wall is a lid of the repository.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lid is configured to be opened in order to replenish the ice.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wall is a lid connected to the repository by hinges.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible hose configured to attach the face adapter to said cooled air exit duct, wherein the cool, breathable stream of air passes through the flexible hose.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the repository has a volume sufficient to hold at least 20 pounds of ice.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an empty weight of the apparatus without the ice is no more than 15 pounds.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an empty weight of the apparatus without the ice is no more than 25 pounds.

13. A system mounted on a lid for providing a cool, breathable stream of air, the system comprising:

an intake air duct configured to accept ambient air;

a fan attached to said lid and positioned to blow ambient temperature air which travels through the intake air duct into a repository configured to hold ice, said ambient temperature air coming in contact with the ice to produce the cool, breathable stream of air;

a cooled air exit duct for venting the cool, breathable stream of air through said lid; and

a face adapter configured to be attached to said cooled air exit duct and shaped to fit against a user'"'"'s face to provide the cool, breathable stream of air suitable for breathing.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the face adapter is shaped to receive the user'"'"'s face pressed against it to deliver the cool, breathable stream of air to the user without attaching the face adapter to the user'"'"'s face.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the face adapter is configured to be removably attached to the air exit duct;

and

wherein the face adapter is configured to be rotated in a lateral direction relative to the air duct.