Combined clothing garment/air-cooling device and associated method

• US 7,827,624 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Cole
• Original Assignee: David Cole
• Inventors: Cole, David
• Primary Examiner(s): MUROMOTO JR, ROBERT H
• Application Number:
  US12/221,748
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 245/8, 2 6/9, 2 8/1, 2 9/7, 210/2, 227/2, 2DI/G 3
• US Class Current: 2/458
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0025 by means of forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0053 Cooled garments
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0055 by means of dry ice

Abstract

A combined clothing garment and air-cooling device may include a vest and helmet adapted to removably position about a user'"'"'s body. The garments may include spaced insulation layers with an internal chamber formed therebetween. A mechanism may be included for selectively introducing air into the internal chamber. The mechanism may include entry ports in the outer layer and an air-intake vent positioned over the entry ports manually toggled open and closed. Another mechanism may be included for cooling the air within the internal chamber and channeling cooled air out. An access panel preferably has windows along its longitudinal length and may be slidably interfitted within the body and linearly displaced open and closed to permit and prohibit air from entering. A cooling agent containing dry ice may be removably contained within internal tubing for lowering air temperature.

Claims

1. A combined clothing garment and air-cooling device for reducing a user body temperature during physical activity, said combined clothing garment and air-cooling device comprising:

a vest adapted to be removably positioned about a thoracic region of the user; and

a helmet adapted to be removably positioned about a head region of the user;

wherein each of said vest and said helmet comprises

inner and outer insulation layers configured in such a manner that an internal chamber is formed therebetween respectively,

an air-permeable inner layer seated within said internal chamber,

means for selectively introducing the ambient air into said internal chamber, and

means for cooling the ambient air within said internal chamber and thereafter channeling the cooled ambient air out from said internal chamber;

wherein the ambient air has first and second temperatures prior to entering and leaving said internal chamber respectively;

wherein said ambient air introducing means and said ambient air cooling and channeling means are independently and simultaneously operable based upon distinct first and second distinct user inputs;

wherein said ambient air introducing means comprises

a plurality of entry ports formed through said outer insulation layer;

an air-intake vent removably positioned over said entry ports and being manually toggled between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting the ambient air from entering said internal chamber respectively, said air-intake vent comprising

an elongated body attached directly to said outer insulation layer and having a plurality of openings juxtaposed along a longitudinal length of said body, and

a single and unitary access panel having a plurality of windows juxtaposed along a longitudinal length thereof, said access panel being slidably interfitted within said body and configured in such a manner that said windows are selectively aligned and offset from said openings while said body remains statically attached to said outer insulation layer;

wherein said access panel is linearly displaced between open and closed positions based upon said first user input to thereby permit and prohibit the ambient air from entering through said entry ports when said windows are aligned and offset from said openings respectively.

2. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 1, wherein said ambient air cooling and channeling means comprises:

a plurality of flexible tubing seated within said internal chamber and oriented along non-overlapping patterns;

a cooling agent removably contained within a first set of said tubing for lowering the first ambient air temperature to said second ambient air temperature with said first tubing set; and

a plurality of egress orifices formed in said first tubing set to thereby direct the cooled ambient air outwardly from said first tubing set and into said internal chamber;

wherein said inner insulation layer is provided with a plurality of apertures formed therein for transferring the cooled ambient air out from said internal chamber and directly onto the user respectively.

3. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 2, wherein said cooling agent comprises:

dry ice;

wherein said egress orifices permit vapor byproduct of said cooling agent to egress therefrom during sublimation which converts said cooling agent from a solid state to a vapor state.

4. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 2, wherein said ambient air cooling and channeling means comprises:

a self-powered fan; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to said fan;

wherein said fan is selectively toggled between on and off modes based upon receipt of said second user input such that a flow rate of the ambient air is regulated within said first tubing set.

5. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 4, wherein said ambient air cooling and channeling means further comprises:

an air-distribution manifold directly attached to said fan and said first tubing set for selectively directing the ambient air towards user-defined target zones respectively;

wherein a second set of said tubing are attached to said entry ports and said fan for receiving and directing the ambient air downstream towards said air-distribution manifold respectively.

6. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 3, wherein said air-permeable layer is perforated and formed from mesh material for prohibiting said dry ice from undesirably escaping from said orifices and thereafter passing through said apertures.

7. A combined clothing garment and air-cooling device for reducing a user body temperature during physical activity, said combined clothing garment and air-cooling device comprising:

a vest adapted to be removably positioned about a thoracic region of the user; and

a helmet adapted to be removably positioned about a head region of the user;

wherein each of said vest and said helmet comprises

spaced inner and outer insulation layers configured in such a manner that an internal chamber is formed therebetween respectively,

an air-permeable inner layer seated within said internal chamber and being intercalated between said inner and outer insulation layers respectively,

means for selectively introducing the ambient air into said internal chamber, and

means for cooling the ambient air within said internal chamber and thereafter channeling the cooled ambient air out from said internal chamber;

wherein the ambient air has first and second temperatures prior to entering and leaving said internal chamber respectively;

wherein said ambient air introducing means and said ambient air cooling and channeling means are independently and simultaneously operable based upon distinct first and second distinct user inputs;

wherein said ambient air introducing means comprises

a plurality of entry ports formed through said outer insulation layer;

an air-intake vent removably positioned over said entry ports and being manually toggled between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting the ambient air from entering said internal chamber respectively, said air-intake vent comprising

an elongated body attached directly to said outer insulation layer and having a plurality of openings juxtaposed along a longitudinal length of said body, and

a single and unitary access panel having a plurality of windows juxtaposed along a longitudinal length thereof, said access panel being slidably interfitted within said body and configured in such a manner that said windows are selectively aligned and offset from said openings while said body remains statically attached to said outer insulation layer;

wherein said access panel is linearly displaced between open and closed positions based upon said first user input to thereby permit and prohibit the ambient air from entering through said entry ports when said windows are aligned and offset from said openings respectively.

8. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 7, wherein said ambient air cooling and channeling means comprises:

a plurality of flexible tubing seated within said internal chamber and oriented along non-overlapping patterns;

a cooling agent removably contained within a first set of said tubing for lowering the first ambient air temperature to said second ambient air temperature with said first tubing set; and

a plurality of egress orifices formed in said first tubing set to thereby direct the cooled ambient air outwardly from said first tubing set and into said internal chamber;

wherein said inner insulation layer is provided with a plurality of apertures formed therein for transferring the cooled ambient air out from said internal chamber and directly onto the user respectively.

9. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 8, wherein said cooling agent comprises:

dry ice;

wherein said egress orifices permit vapor byproduct of said cooling agent to egress therefrom during sublimation which converts said cooling agent from a solid state to a vapor state.

10. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 8, wherein said ambient air cooling and channeling means comprises:

a self-powered fan; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to said fan;

wherein said fan is selectively toggled between on and off modes based upon receipt of said second user input such that a flow rate of the ambient air is regulated within said first tubing set.

11. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 10, wherein said ambient air cooling and channeling means further comprises:

an air-distribution manifold directly attached to said fan and said first tubing set for selectively directing the ambient air towards user-defined target zones respectively;

wherein a second set of said tubing are attached to said entry ports and said fan for receiving and directing the ambient air downstream towards said air-distribution manifold respectively.

12. The combined clothing garment and air-cooling device of claim 11, wherein said air-permeable layer is perforated and formed from mesh material for prohibiting said dry ice from undesirably escaping from said orifices and thereafter passing through said apertures.