Moisture removal phase shift personal cooling Garment

• US 6,125,645 A
• Filed: 02/02/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Climatech Safety, Inc., Phyllis C. Horn, Stephen T. Horn
• Original Assignee: Stephen T. Horn
• Inventors: Horn, Stephen T.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/017,341
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 62/4, 62/259.3, 62/530, 62/457.2, 2/904, 2/DIG. 1, 2/DIG. 5, 2/458
• US Class Current: 62/259.3
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0056 using evaporative effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0233 connected to or incorporated in clothing or garments A61F2007/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/106 self-cooling, e.g. using a chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 17/005 Active or passive body temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/01 Ventilated garment

Abstract

The present invention provides a body cooling garment to easily and effectively protect the human body in hot conditions. By suspending in vapor contact a cold surface with channels in it'"'"'s surface; moisture is evaporated from the body, condensed on the cold surface, and the body shielded from environmental heat. The condensed moisture is channeled from the garment.

Claims

1. A method of cooling the body of a wearer of a cooling garment, said method comprised of the following steps:

1. supporting a hydrophobic spacer means next to said body,

a) supporting a cold surface next to said hydrophobic spacer means,

b) evaporating perspiration from said body into vapor phase water,

c) transferring said vapor phase water through said hydrophobic spacer means,

d) condensing said vapor phase water into liquid phase water on said cold surface, thus cooling said body.

2. The cooling garment of claim 1 wherein said cold surface is cooled by endothermic chemical reaction.

3. The cooling garment of claim 1 wherein said cold surface is cooled by frozen chemical.

4. The cooling garment of claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic spacer means is synthetic fiber batting.

12. The cooling garment of claim 1 wherein said cold surface is comprised of multiple quilted sections wherein the spaces between the said multiple quilted sections forms substantially vertical channels.

13. The process of claim 1 with the added step of draining said liquid water off of said cold surface and away form said body.

5. A garment for cooling the body of a wearer fashioned of layered components into a generally rectangular garment having opposite end edges and opposite side edges, said garment having a head opening in a generally central location for accommodating head and neck of said wearer, front and rear panels, defined by said head opening, for overlaying chest and back of said wearer respectively, said garment having an inside surface being the surface closest to the body of said wearer, said front and rear panels comprising layers, presented here in an order starting with the claimed layer closest to said inside surface as follows:

a spacer layer of a vapor permeable hydrophobic material on the inside of a heat absorbing layer having a temperature below the dew point of water with a substantially unrestricted vapor travel between the wearer and the heat absorbing layer.

6. The cooling garment of claim 5 wherein said heat adsorbing layer is comprised of multiple quilted sections wherein the space between the said multiple quilted sections forms a substantially vertical channel.

7. The cooling garment of claim 5 wherein heat adsorbing layer is cooled by a endothermic chemical reaction.

8. The cooling garment of claim 5 wherein heat adsorbing layer comprises a sealed container containing a frozen chemical.

9. The cooling garment of claim 5 wherein said vapor permeable hydrophobic material is synthetic fiber batting.

10. The cooling garment of claim 5 wherein a vapor permeable but waterproof membrane is placed next to said heat absorbing layer.

11. The cooling garment of claim 5 wherein an insulating layer is placed on the outside of said heat adsorbing layer.