Necklace style portable cooling device

• US 20080101928A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O2cool LLC
• Original Assignee: GLJ LLC
• Inventors: Chen, Yung
• Granted Patent: US 7,828,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/213.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/084 hand fans

Abstract

A personal cooling device especially adapted to be worn around the neck of the user formed by an enclosure, a power source carried in the enclosure, a centrifugal flow impeller carried within the enclosure, a motor carried within the enclosure for powering the impeller and an air duct formed around the impeller. The enclosure is provided with an air inlet and an air discharge opening adaped to direct an air stream toward the user when hung around the user'"'"'s neck.

Claims

1. A cooling device adapted to be worn on the body of the user comprising,

an enclosure having a plurality of continuous surfaces and including a front half portion and a rear half portion,

a power source contained within said enclosure,

fan means carried within said enclosure for creating an air stream,

a motor interconnected with said fan means and by a motor shaft and connected to said power source for operating said fan means,

actuation means for actuating said motor,

an air inlet formed in said enclosure,

an air discharge opening formed in said enclosure and associated with said fan means for discharging the air stream created by said fan means,

a duct associated with said discharge opening, said duct commencing rearward of the discharge opening, and terminating forwardly of said discharge opening,

said fan means comprising a centrifugal flow impeller,

and means for securing said cooling device onto the body of the user,

whereby said cooling device is constructed to receive air from the air inlet and discharge an air stream through the discharge opening to effectively cool the user.

2. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said duct associated with said discharge opening is substantially radial in cross section and increases in a linear angle from rearward of said discharge opening to the forward end of said discharge opening.

3. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said duct is substantially volute in shape.

4. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said duct is constructed in order to direct the air stream created by said fan means through said discharge opening in a path substantially normal to the motor shaft.

5. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said cooling device includes a strap adapted to hang said cooling device about the neck of the user thereby to render said device wearable.

6. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 5 above, wherein said duct and associated discharge opening is configured to discharge the air stream created by said fan means in an upward direction when said cooling device is hung about the neck of the user.

7. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said air inlet is formed in said front half portion of said enclosure.

8. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said enclosure includes at least one additional air inlet positioned on a surface adjacent to said front half portion.

9. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said duct is formed by a first duct portion formed integrally with said front half portion and a second duct portion formed integrally with said rear half portion, whereby the interconnection of said front and rear half portions creates said duct.

10. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said enclosure assumes a box shape configuration which is elongate in length and thin in width.

11. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said air inlet includes a series of ribs to protect the fan means from user access.

12. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 5 above, wherein said discharge opening includes a plurality of ribs extending across said opening.

13. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 12 above, wherein said ribs are positioned in a manner to facilitate the direction of the air stream created by said fan means in an upward direction when worn about the neck of the user.

14. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said enclosure is provided with a stand pivotally mounted to said rear half portion thereof, said stand being pivotally movable to allow said device to be adjusted to discharge the air stream toward the user and further allow for placement on an underlying flat support surface.

15. A necklace style cooling device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said enclosure is further provided with a clip carried thereon to allow said device to be clipped onto the clothing of the user thereof.