Headwear for use in applying cold to a person's scalp

• US 5,897,581 A
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl Frank, Darren Lee Fronda, Claire Louise Fronda Fronda
• Original Assignee: CARL Darren and Claire Fronda
• Inventors: Fronda, Carl Frank, Fronda, Darren Lee, Fronda, Frank Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, RYAN CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US08/793,637
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 607/104, 607/108-112, 607/114, 165/46
• US Class Current: 607/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0008 Scalp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0086 with a thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0095 with a temperature indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags

Abstract

Headwear (2) for use in applying cold to a person'"'"'s scalp, which headwear (2) is flat when it is not being worn, is foldable around a person'"'"'s head (4) when it is being worn, and is securable on the person'"'"'s head (4), by a plurality of fastener means (6), the headwear (2) being such that the folding nature of the headwear (2) and the plurality of fastener means (6) enables the headwear (2) to be folded as a close fit on the person'"'"'s head (4) irrespective of different persons with different shapes and sizes of head, and the headwear (2) being such that is has double skinned portions (8, 10) which contain a cold retaining medium which gives up its cold to the person'"'"'s scalp when the headwear (2) is being worn.

Claims

1. Headwear for use in applying cold to a person'"'"'s scalp, which headwear is flat when it is not being worn, is foldable around a person'"'"'s head when it is being worn, and is securable on the person'"'"'s head by a plurality of fastener means:

the headwear being such that the folding nature of the headwear and the plurality of fastener means enables the headwear to be folded as a close fit on the person'"'"'s head irrespective of different persons with different shapes and sizes of head;

the headwear being such that it has double skinned portions which contain a cold retaining medium which gives up its cold to the person'"'"'s scalp when the headwear is being worn, a chin strap, and a layer of insulating material for helping to prevent loss of cold from the headwear to the atmosphere; and

the headwear being such that part of the headwear that covers the back of the head has an extra thickness of cold retaining medium which provides extra cold at the back of the head where there are branches of occipital arties which cause hot spots during cooling of the person'"'"'s scalp, whereby even cooling all over the person'"'"'s scalp is achieved.

2. Headwear according to claim 1 in which the fastener means comprises a plurality of pads of interlocking plastics members, and in which an outer surface of the headwear is such that the pads are fastenable to the outer surface, the pads being positioned at edge portions of the headwear when it is flat, and the headwear being such that the pads can be placed where appropriate on the outer surface of the headwear to form the headwear into the required shape for fitting closely on the person'"'"'s head.

3. Headwear according to claim 2 in which the outer surface of the headwear is a raised looped brushed nylon material.

4. Headwear according to claim 1 in which the cold retaining medium is polypropylene glycol gel containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, titanium dioxide and water.

5. Headwear according to claim 1 and including weld points for use in thinning the cold retaining medium at desired parts of the headwear, the weld points being so positioned as to thin the cold retaining medium over parts of the headwear adjacent the person'"'"'s forehead and temples, and the headwear including seams for use in causing the cold retaining medium evenly to be distributed over the headwear.

6. Headwear according to claim 1 in which the insulating material is a foam insulating material or a felt insulating material.

7. Headwear according to claim 1 and including holder means for a temperature monitor.

8. Headwear according to claim 7 in which the holder means is a pocket.

9. Headwear for use in applying cold to a person'"'"'s scalp, which headwear is flat when it is not being worn, is foldable around a person'"'"'s head when it is being worn, and is securable on the person'"'"'s head by a plurality of fastener means:

the headwear being such that the folding nature of the headwear and the plurality of fastener means enables the headwear to be folded as a close fit on the person'"'"'s head irrespective of different persons with different shapes and sizes of head;

the headwear being such that it has double skinned portions which contain a cold retaining medium which gives up its cold to the person'"'"'s scalp when the headwear is being worn, a chin strap, and a layer of insulating material for helping to prevent loss of cold from the headwear to the atmosphere;

the headwear being such that the double skinned portions are made of a flexible sheet polyurethane plastics material; and

the headwear being such that it comprises front flaps which connect together to form a part of the headwear for covering the front of the scalp and the temples, and rear flaps which connect together to form a part of the headwear covering the ears, the back of the head and the neck, the rear flaps being such as to include a centrally positioned rear flap which is pear-shaped when the headwear is flat.