Personal thermal management system

• US 9,894,944 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vorbeck Materials
• Original Assignee: Vorbeck Materials
• Inventors: Brooks, Louise, Lettow, John, Scheffer, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US14/752,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20160374411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 968 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/005 with controlled temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0053 Cooled garments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0233 connected to or incorporated in clothing or garments A61F2007/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/02 Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a wearable personal thermal management system and an associated method of manufacture. The PTMS comprises a harness that includes one or more cooling components and/or heating components. The harness include an upper-torso wearable portion and/or a lower-torso wearable portion. The PTSM provides a heating and/or cooling effects to one or more thermally sensitive areas of its user when worn.

Claims

1. A wearable personal thermal management system (PTMS) comprising:

a harness comprising an upper portion and a bottom portion;

wherein

the upper portion comprises a first strap configured to be worn proximate to an axillae region of a wearer of the PTMS;

the bottom portion comprises a second strap configured to be worn proximate to a groin area of the wearer; and

at least one of the first strap and the second strap comprise a cooling component and a heating component.

2. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first strap and the second strap comprise a phase change material configured to absorbs thermal energy when an ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold and/or releases thermal energy when the ambient temperature falls below a second predetermined temperature threshold.

3. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the thermally sensitive area is proximate to one or more of the following areas:

a carotid artery area, an axilla area, a groin area, an arm area, a back area, a chest area, an abdominal area, a leg area, a foot area, and a head area.

4. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the cooling component comprises a pulse pump configured to circulate a coolant.

5. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a computing device communicatively coupled to control the cooling component and/or the heating component.

6. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the heating component comprises a composition comprising graphene sheets and a polymer.

7. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the heating component comprises one or more of a thermally conductive adhesive, a thermally conductive gasket, and a thermally conductive seal.

8. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first strap and the second strap comprises a fluid conduit configured to circulate a coolant.

9. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the cooling component utilizes a coolant comprising a coefficient of performance of 0.30 harness.

10. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the harness is formed in a manner to be selectively removable from a garment.

11. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of a hydrated inorganic salt, a linear long chain hydrocarbon, polyethylene glycol, a fatty acid, a stearate, a metal, a carbon nanofibers, paraffin, a wax, a plastic crystal, a eutectic composition, an eicosane, nonadecane, octadecane, heptadecane, hexadecane, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, and polyethylene glycol.

12. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the harness comprises a computing device that controls the cooling component and/or the heating component.

13. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the cooling component and/or the heating component are wirelessly controlled by a computing device.

14. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the cooling component utilizes one or more of a nanofluid, a thermofluid, water, R-134a, R-717, propane, butane, R-744, R-22, R-410A, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, ammonia, and air to provide a cooling effect.

15. The wearable personal thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the harness is formed in a manner to be permanently included a garment.

16. A method for forming a wearable personal thermal management system comprising:

forming a harness comprising an upper portion and a bottom portion;

wherein

the upper portion comprising a first strap configured to be worn proximate to an axillae region of a wearer;

the bottom portion comprising a second strap configured to be worn proximate to the wearer'"'"'s groin area; and

the first strap and the second strap each comprise a cooling component and a heating component.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one of the first strap and the second strap comprises a phase change material configured to absorb thermal energy when an ambient temperature exceeds a first predetermined temperature threshold and/or releases thermal energy when the ambient temperature falls below a second predetermined temperature threshold.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the thermally sensitive area is proximate to one or more of the following areas:

a carotid artery area, an axilla area, a groin area, an arm area, a back area, a chest area, an abdominal area, a leg area, a foot area, and a head area.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning a fluid conduit within at least one of the first strap and the second strap;

and wherein fluid conduit is configured to circulate a coolant.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the harness is formed in a manner to be selectively removable from a garment or permanently included in the garment.