Thermal footwear
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for thermally-regulating footwear, comprising:
- a thermocell layer with a first side and a second side, a power generation layer,at least two electrodes coupled to the power generation layer, and at least one junction box disposed in the thermocell layer,wherein the power generation layer further comprises a plurality of sub-layers, each sublayer comprising a dielectric elastomer material and an insulator, the dielectric elastomer generating a current when compressed or decompressed, and the thermocell layer comprises a first conductor and a second conductor,wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are in electrical communication with each other such that when a current is passed through the first conductor and the second conductor, there is an increase in the local temperature of at least one of the junctions between the first conductor and the second conductor and a decrease in the local temperature of at least one of the junctions between the first conductor and the second conductor,wherein the junction box accepts the at least two electrodes such that in accepting the at least two electrodes, an N-P junction is created,wherein the power generation layer provides power to the thermocell layer, andwherein the thermocell layer is configured to provide at least one of warming and cooling.
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Abstract
An article and system for regulating temperature in footwear. Thermal footwear may include a power generation layer, a thermocell layer, and an accessory layer. The power generation layer may be constructed of an actuator material—for example, a dielectric elastomer—which may generate an electric current when compressed or decompressed. The thermocell layer may be configured to either warm or cool a user'"'"'s foot, and may be reversible by being removably coupled to the power generation layer. The accessory layer may include other components; for example, an integrated circuit chip for power transmission to an external device may be included.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for thermally-regulating footwear, comprising:
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a thermocell layer with a first side and a second side, a power generation layer, at least two electrodes coupled to the power generation layer, and at least one junction box disposed in the thermocell layer, wherein the power generation layer further comprises a plurality of sub-layers, each sublayer comprising a dielectric elastomer material and an insulator, the dielectric elastomer generating a current when compressed or decompressed, and the thermocell layer comprises a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are in electrical communication with each other such that when a current is passed through the first conductor and the second conductor, there is an increase in the local temperature of at least one of the junctions between the first conductor and the second conductor and a decrease in the local temperature of at least one of the junctions between the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the junction box accepts the at least two electrodes such that in accepting the at least two electrodes, an N-P junction is created, wherein the power generation layer provides power to the thermocell layer, and wherein the thermocell layer is configured to provide at least one of warming and cooling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A thermally-regulating insert for use in footwear, the thermally-regulating insert comprising:
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a thermocell layer with a first side and a second side, and a power generation layer, the power generation layer further comprises a plurality of sub-layers, each sub-layer comprising a dielectric elastomer material and an insulator, the dielectric elastomer generating a current when compressed or decompressed, the thermocell layer comprises a first conductor and a second conductor, at least two electrodes coupled to the power generation layer, and at least one junction box disposed in the thermocell layer, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are in electrical communication with each other such that when a current is passed through the first conductor and the second conductor, there is an increase in the local temperature of at least one of the junctions between the first conductor and the second conductor and a decrease in the local temperature of at least one of the junctions between the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the power generation layer is configured to provide power to the thermocell layer, wherein the junction box is configured to accept the at least two electrodes such that in accepting the at least two electrodes, an N-P junction is created, wherein the insert is sized and shaped to fit into a user'"'"'s footwear, and wherein the thermocell layer is configured to provide at least one of warming and cooling. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification