Wearable Vascular System for Facilitating Evaporative Cooling of an Individual
A water-cooling apparatus is disclosed that significantly improves the comfort of an individual by reducing overheating, perspiration, dehydration, odors, and electrolyte loss. A vascular distribution system attachable either directly to the individual or to a shirt or other garment worn by the individual delivers water that cools the individual by evaporation. A source of water can be included, and water can be pumped and/or squeezed from the source, pushed by air pressure, or drawn through the vascular system by gravity or capillary action. A chiller can cool the water before it is delivered, and the vascular system and/or water source can be in thermal contact with the individual. A connecting port can be included to allow the water source to be temporarily connected, and a drinking port can be included to allow the individual to drink the water and/or force water into the vascular system by blowing into the port.
The invention generally relates to apparatus for cooling individuals, and more specifically to apparatus for cooling individuals with water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONExercise is generally known to have many benefits for individuals of all ages. These benefits include improved cardiovascular health, reduced blood pressure, prevention of bone and muscle loss, maintenance of a healthy weight, improved psychological heath, and many others. However, exercise is generally accompanied by a certain degree of discomfort, including overheating, sweating, etc, and this leads to a significant reduction in the intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise undertaken by many individuals, thereby reducing the health benefits that can be derived from recreational and conditioning exercise. Excess heating during exercise can also reduce peak athletic performance, because the performance of a muscle deteriorates when the muscle is overheated.
Overheating of an individual can also occur during leisure activities due to exposure to sunlight and other warm weather conditions. Such overheating can reduce the comfort of these activities and shorten the amount of time that they can be enjoyed. In addition, individuals can become overheated while performing work in a hot environment, either indoors or outdoors, thereby decreasing their productivity and comfort, and possibly even endangering their health.
The body's primary method of cooling when overheated is perspiration. Perspiration is highly effective because water has a high heat capacity and a high heat of vaporization, and so the evaporation of perspiration is an efficient mechanism for eliminating unwanted heat. However, there are several major disadvantages to perspiration, including dehydration, loss of electrolytes, and unwanted odors.
There are many approaches known for helping to keep an exercising or working individual cool, thereby reducing perspiration and discomfort. For example, if the exercise takes place indoors, the ambient air in the exercise environment can be maintained at a low temperature by an air conditioning system. However, cooling by this method is limited because air has a low heat capacity and does not make good thermal contact with the body. Fans and humidifiers can be used to increase heat transfer from the body of an exerciser to the air, but these approaches still cannot provide sufficient cooling in all cases. When exercise occurs outdoors, these approaches are largely unavailable.
For similar reasons, there are few satisfactory approaches known for cooling an individual during an outdoor work or leisure activity when sunlight and/or warm weather lead to overheating of the individual. Cool air can be directed onto the individual, but the low heat capacity of cool air limits its effectiveness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn apparatus for cooling an individual is claimed that distributes water onto the individual using a vascular water distribution system so as to efficiently cool the individual by evaporation of the water while the individual is exercising or taking part in other activities that could lead to overheating. The apparatus provides efficient cooling of the individual, thereby reducing perspiration and associated dehydration, loss of electrolytes, odors, and discomfort.
The apparatus includes a vascular water distribution system cooperative with at least a portion of the body of the individual, the vascular water distribution system being connectable to a source of water and being able to distribute water over a portion of the body of the individual, thereby enabling evaporative cooling of the portion of the body of the individual.
In preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system includes structural elements that maintain the configuration of the vascular water distribution system when the vascular water distribution system is in use.
In some preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the individual, and in some of these embodiments the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the individual using straps, ties, belts, and/or elastic bands.
In certain preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system is attachable to a garment. And in some of these embodiments the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the garment using hook-and-loop attachment fabric, glue, tie strips, magnetic attachment, buttons, hooks, pins, and/or snaps.
In some embodiments water flows through the vascular water distribution system due to pressurizing the water, due to gravity, and/or due to capillary action.
In various preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system is in thermal contact with the individual, thereby allowing water flowing through the vascular water distribution system to absorb heat from the individual.
In preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system includes a connecting port that is temporarily connectable to a source of water. And in other preferred embodiments the apparatus includes a drinking port that is attachable to the source of water and can be used by the individual to drink from the source of water and/or t push water into the vascular water distribution system by blowing into the drinking port.
In certain preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the fabric of a shirt, shorts, and/or a hat.
In preferred embodiments the apparatus includes a source of water connectable to the vascular water distribution system. In some of these embodiments the source of water includes a water chiller that is able to cool the water before it is distributed by the vascular water distribution system. In other of these embodiments the source of water includes a pump operable by the individual so as to pump water into the vascular water distribution system. And in some of these embodiments the pump is operated automatically when the body of the individual undergoes movement such as breathing, walking, moving of arms, and moving of legs.
In yet other preferred embodiments in which the apparatus includes a source of water connectable to the vascular water distribution system, the source of water includes an air space cooperative with water contained in the source of water, the air space being fillable with compressed air so as to apply pressure to the water, thereby pushing the water into the vascular water distribution system. In some of these embodiments the air space is separated from the water in the source of water by a flexible barrier that is able to apply pressure to the water while ensuring that only water will be delivered by the source of water to the vascular water distribution system. In other of these embodiments the source of water includes a pump operable by the individual so as to compress the air in the air space. And in some of these embodiments the pump is operated automatically when the body of the individual undergoes movements such as breathing, walking, moving of arms, and moving of legs.
In certain preferred embodiments the source of water includes a water container that can be compressed by the individual so as to push water into the vascular water distribution system. In other preferred embodiments at least some of the water supplied by the source of water is maintained in thermal contact with the individual before it is delivered to the vascular water distribution system. And in still other preferred embodiments the vascular water distribution system distributes water unevenly over the portion of the body of the individual.
Exercise performance can sometimes be enhanced by cooling the muscles that are performing the most exercise. In
Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention except as indicated in the following claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for cooling an individual, the apparatus comprising:
- a vascular water distribution system cooperative with at least a portion of the body of the individual, the vascular water distribution system being connectable to a source of water; and the vascular water distribution system being able to distribute water over a portion of the body of the individual, thereby enabling evaporative cooling of the portion of the body of the individual.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system includes structural elements that maintain the configuration of the vascular water distribution system when the vascular water distribution system is in use.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the individual.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the individual using at least one of:
- straps;
- ties;
- belts; and
- elastic bands.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system is attachable to a garment.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the garment using at least one of:
- hook-and-loop attachment fabric;
- glue;
- tie strips;
- magnetic attachment;
- buttons;
- hooks;
- pins; and
- snaps.
7. The garment of claim 1, wherein water flows through the vascular water distribution due to at least one of:
- pressure applied to the water;
- capillary action; and
- gravity.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system is in thermal contact with the individual, thereby allowing water flowing through the vascular water distribution system to absorb heat from the individual.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system further comprises a connecting port that is temporarily connectable to a source of water.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a drinking port that is attachable to the source of water and can be used by the individual to drink from the source of water.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein water can be pushed into the vascular water distribution system by blowing into the drinking port.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system is attachable to the fabric of at least one of a shirt, shorts, and a hat.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a source of water connectable to the vascular water distribution system.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the source of water includes a water chiller that is able to cool the water before it is distributed by the vascular water distribution system.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the source of water includes a pump operable by the individual so as to pump water into the vascular water distribution system.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the pump is operated automatically when the body of the individual undergoes movement that is at least one of:
- breathing;
- walking;
- moving of arms;
- moving of legs;
- and other body movements.
17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the source of water includes an air space cooperative with water contained in the source of water, the air space being fillable with compressed air so as to apply pressure to the water, thereby pushing the water into the vascular water distribution system.
18. The garment of claim 17, wherein the air space is separated from the water in the source of water by a flexible barrier that is able to apply pressure to the water while ensuring that only water will be delivered by the source of water to the vascular water distribution system.
19. The garment of claim 18, wherein the source of water includes a pump operable by the individual so as to compress the air in the air space.
20. The garment of claim 19, wherein the pump is operated automatically when the body of the individual undergoes movement that is at least one of:
- breathing;
- walking;
- moving of arms;
- moving of legs;
- and other body movements.
21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the source of water includes a water container that can be compressed by the individual so as to push water into the vascular water distribution system.
22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least some of the water supplied by the source of water is maintained in thermal contact with the individual before it is delivered to the vascular water distribution system.
23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vascular water distribution system distributes water unevenly over the portion of the body of the individual.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 21, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 28, 2010
Inventors: Richard Goldmann (Poughkeepsie, NY), Russ Weinzimmer (Milford, NH), Douglas P. Burum (Acton, MA)
Application Number: 12/176,888
International Classification: F28D 15/04 (20060101);