Portable athletic air cooler with face adapter

• US 8,776,789 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael J. McCabe
• Original Assignee: Michael J. McCabe
• Inventors: McCabe, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATNEY, BROOKE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/694,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20110180069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.15, 128/204.14, 128/204.16, 128/205.24, 128/203.24, 128/200.11, 128/203.29, 128/203.26, 128/203.16, 128/203.12, 128/200.24, 128/200.14, 454/237, 454/258, 454/338, 454/284, 165/104.34, 165/104.33, 434/247, 624/20, 624/24, 624/25
• 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 directly attached to said repository and positioned to blow air which travels through the intake air duct and into the repository, flowing in between pieces of said ice to come in contact with said ice and cool the air to create the cool, breathable stream of air;

a cooled air exit duct extending from a wall of said repository to vent the cool, breathable stream of air through the wall of said repository, wherein said wall is a lid of the repository, said lid being configured to be opened in order to replenish the ice; and

a face adapter configured to be slid onto the exit duct so as to be removably attached to said exit duct to form a loose air seal, said face adapter being shaped to receive a user'"'"'s face pressed against it to provide the cool, breathable stream of air suitable for breathing without attaching the face adapter to the user'"'"'s face;

wherein the face adapter has a volume sufficient to hold at least 0.5 liters of air.

2. 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.

3. 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;

a second face adapter configured to be attached to the second exit duct a first removable cap configured to cover the first exit duct if the first face adapter is removed; and

a second removable cap configured to cover the second exit duct if the second face adapter is removed.

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

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wall is a lid connected to the repository by hinges.

6. 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.

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

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

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

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ice is frozen water.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face adapter includes a chin rest configured for the user'"'"'s chin to rest on while receiving the cool, breathable stream of air suitable for breathing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the face adapter has a volume sufficient to hold at least 1.0 liters of air.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said face adapter is configured to be aimed by being rotated in a lateral direction relative to the air exit duct.

14. 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 directly 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 flowing in between pieces of said ice coming in contact with the ice to produce the cool, breathable stream of air;

a cooled air exit duct extending from the lid of said repository to vent the cool, breathable stream of air through said lid; and

a face adapter configured to be slid onto the cooled air exit duct so as to be removably attached to said cooled air exit duct to form a loose air seal, said face adapter being shaped to receive a user'"'"'s face pressed against it to provide the cool, breathable stream of air suitable for breathing without attaching the face adapter to the user'"'"'s face;

wherein the face adapter has a volume sufficient to hold at least 0.5 liters of air.

15. The system of claim 14, 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.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the ice is frozen water.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the face adapter includes a chin rest configured for the user'"'"'s chin to rest on while receiving the cool, breathable stream of air suitable for breathing.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the face adapter has a volume sufficient to hold at least 1.0 liters of air.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the exit duct is a first exit duct and the face adapter is a first face adapter, the system further comprising:

a second exit duct;

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

a first removable cap configured to cover the first exit duct if the first face adapter is removed; and

a second removable cap configured to cover the second exit duct if the second face adapter is removed.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said face adapter is configured to be aimed by being rotated in a lateral direction relative to the air exit duct.