Evaporative Cooling Clothing System for Reducing Body Temperature of a Wearer of the Clothing System

• US 20100031428A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leslie Owen Paull
• Original Assignee: Leslie Owen Paull
• Inventors: Paull, Leslie Owen
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/458
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0053 Cooled garments
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 5/00 Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation

Abstract

The present invention discloses an evaporative cooling clothing system for reducing body temperature of a wearer of the clothing system. The clothing system includes a clothing article configured using a wicking fabric and a hollow transport defining a cavity for transporting a liquid from a liquid reservoir to an upper region of the clothing article. The hollow transport has an intake section and a dispensing section. The intake section is attached to the liquid reservoir for receiving the liquid, and the dispensing section is attached to the upper region of the clothing article. The upper region of the clothing article receives the liquid from the dispensing section and transfers the liquid to a lower region of the clothing article. The lower region of the clothing article exposes the liquid to an environment surrounding the clothing article for evaporation.

Claims

1. An evaporative cooling clothing system for reducing body temperature of a wearer of the clothing system, the clothing system comprising:

a clothing article configured using a wicking fabric; and

a hollow transport defining a cavity for transporting a liquid from a liquid reservoir to an upper region of the clothing article,

the hollow transport having an intake section and a dispensing section, the intake section attached to the liquid reservoir for receiving the liquid, the dispensing section attached to the upper region of the clothing article,

the upper region of the clothing article receiving the liquid from the dispensing section and transferring the liquid to a lower region of the clothing article, and

the lower region of the clothing article exposing the liquid to an environment surrounding the clothing article for evaporation.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispensing section includes a plurality of orifices through which the dispensing section transfers the liquid from the cavity to the upper region of the clothing article.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a valve attached to the intake section to regulate the rate at which the liquid is received by the hollow transport.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering an upper torso of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a neck region and a shoulder region; and

the dispensing section is configured along the neck region and the shoulder region.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering an upper torso of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a neck region, a shoulder region, and a spinal region, the spinal region extending along a center rear portion of the garment; and

the dispensing section is configured along the neck region, the shoulder region, and the spinal region.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering the lower half of the body of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a waist region; and

the dispensing section is configured along the waist region.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispensing section is removably attached to the upper region of the clothing article.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispensing section is attached to the upper region of the clothing article by insertion into a sheath attached to the upper region of the clothing article.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispensing section is wrapped in a fabric to distribute the liquid around an outer surface of the dispensing section.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the hollow transport is tubular.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the wicking fabric includes an ultraviolet light absorber.

12. A method of evaporatively cooling clothing to reduce body temperature of a wearer of the clothing, the method comprising:

transporting, by a hollow transport through a cavity defined by the hollow transport, a liquid from a liquid reservoir to an upper region of a clothing article configured using a wicking fabric;

transferring the liquid from the hollow transport to the upper region of the clothing article;

transferring, by the upper region of the clothing article, the liquid to a lower region of the clothing article; and

exposing, by the lower region of the clothing article, the liquid to an environment surrounding the clothing article for evaporation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein transferring the liquid from the hollow transport to the upper region of the clothing article further comprises transferring the liquid from the cavity to the upper region of the clothing article through a plurality of orifices in the hollow transport.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein transporting, by a hollow transport, a liquid from a liquid reservoir to an upper region of a clothing article configured using a wicking fabric further comprises regulating, by a valve attached to the hollow transport, the rate at which the liquid is received.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering an upper torso of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a neck region and a shoulder region; and

transferring, by the hollow transport, the liquid to the upper region of the clothing article further comprises transferring the liquid to the neck region and the shoulder region of the garment.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering an upper torso of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a neck region, a shoulder region, and a spinal region, the spinal region extending along a center rear portion of the garment; and

transferring, by the hollow transport, the liquid to the upper region of the clothing article further comprises transferring the liquid to the neck region, the shoulder region, and the spinal region of the garment.

17. An evaporative cooling clothing apparatus for reducing body temperature of a wearer of the clothing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for transporting a liquid stored in a liquid reservoir to an upper region of a clothing article configured using a wicking fabric, the upper region of the clothing article transferring the liquid to a lower region of the clothing article, the lower region of the clothing article exposing the liquid to an environment surrounding the clothing article for evaporation.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising means for regulating the rate at which the liquid is received by the transporting means.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering an upper torso of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a neck region and a shoulder region; and

the transporting means transfers the liquid to the neck region and the shoulder region of the garment.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the clothing article is a garment for covering an upper torso of the wearer, the upper region of the garment having a neck region, shoulder regions, and a spinal region, the spinal region extending along a center rear portion of the garment; and

the transporting means transfers the liquid to the neck region, the shoulder region, and the spinal region of the garment.