Mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-use controls

Abstract

Mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls is provided. An embodiment comprises an athletic shoe with temperature controls and electrical wiring. A heating and cooling unit attached to the shoe comprises a thermostat, a cooling device, and a heating device. Temperature transfer means in the shoe, such as electrical heating elements and loops for liquid heat exchange, accomplish desired heating and cooling of the shoe. The temperature controls may comprise on, off, hot, and cold buttons for activating the heating and cooling unit and controlling the temperatures. The system may be attached to the shoe or attached to other items and worn elsewhere, such as to a belt worn about the user's waist. The system may also be used with other types of clothing, for example with gloves.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to mechanically heated and cooled clothing, and, more particularly, to mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-use controls for regulating temperature.

BACKGROUND

To feel comfortable during hot or cold weather, most people traditionally dress according to the weather. During hot weather, some people commonly wear thin, light clothing such as T-shirts, shorts, and skirts. For cold weather, items such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, coats, insulated vests, hats, gloves, earmuffs, mittens, gloves and scarves are popular. Shoes in particular are items of clothing that are important for comfort in different temperatures.

However, some clothing can be uncomfortable to wear on different occasions. Some warm-weather clothes may cause the wearer to feel uncomfortably hot, and some cold-weather clothing may be too thin to provide adequate heat to the wearer. Therefore, attempts have been made to design mechanically heated and cooled garments capable of making people more comfortable in different weather conditions.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,772 to Sunderland provides a foot-warming system that “includes a device wherein a support assembly detachably mounts a battery pack on the upper surface of a boot to electrically power a heating element within the boot via an electrical cord that preferably passes through an opening in the boot beneath the mounted battery pack.”

U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,979 to Cardarelli provides “an air flow system based on the human circulatory system whereby a cushioning, cooling and circulating air flow is generated by a wearer of the shoe.”

U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,641 to Harvie provides a combination personal cooling and heating system in a vest, comprising a heating unit and a cooling unit, power pack, and thermostat. Electric heating strips in the vest add heat, and liquid heat exchange loops in the vest enable cooling. The user can adjust the cooling or heating rate by a wireless or wired remote control

Although such systems may provide significantly more heating or cooling for different items of clothing, they typically do not provide mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls. Therefore, there is a need for mechanically heated and cooled clothing, such as shoes, boots, and gloves, with easy-to-use controls.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The following explanation describes the present invention by way of example and not by way of limitation.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-use controls.

It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide mechanically heated and cooled gloves with easy-to-use controls.

This and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and associated drawings. In accordance with the present invention, mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls is provided. An embodiment comprises an athletic shoe with temperature controls and electrical wiring. A heating and cooling unit attached to the shoe comprises a thermostat, a cooling device, and a heating device. Temperature transfer means in the shoe, such as electrical heating elements and loops for liquid heat exchange, accomplish desired heating and cooling of the shoe. The temperature controls may comprise on, off, hot, and cold buttons for activating the heating and cooling unit and controlling the temperatures. The system may be attached to the shoe or attached to other items and worn elsewhere, such as to a belt worn about the user's waist. The system may also be used with other types of clothing, for example with gloves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram that illustrates a mechanically heated and cooled athletic shoe with easy-to-use controls.

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram that illustrates a mechanically heated and cooled glove with easy-to-use controls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The following description of drawings is offered to illustrate the present invention clearly. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the concepts of the present invention are not limited to these specific details. Also, commonly known elements are shown in diagrams for clarity, as examples only and not as limitations of the present invention.

The present invention comprises mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls. FIG. 1 shows an athletic shoe 2 in accordance with the present invention, which comprises the following elements:

• • Temperature controls 4,
  • Electrical wiring 6,
  • A heating and cooling unit 8,
  • A cooling device 10,
  • A heating device 12,
  • A thermostat 13,
  • Loops for liquid heat exchange 14,
  • Electrical wiring 16, and
  • Electrical heating elements 17.

The temperature controls 4 allow the wearer of the shoe 2 to quickly and easily regulate the temperature of the shoe 2 in the area where the wearer's foot is placed. As shown in detail A, the temperature controls 4 may comprise very simple and easy-to-use controls. For example the wearer may press an on button 18 or off button 20 to activate or deactivate the heating and cooling unit 8. In addition, the wearer may press a hot button 22 to make the shoe 2 warmer or a cold button 22 to make the shoe cooler. In an embodiment, the temperature controls 4 may be preconfigured to achieve comfortable and safe temperatures. In another embodiment, the wearer may set the temperature ranges associated with the hot button 20 and cold button 24, through on or more thermostats in the shoe 2.

Electrical wiring 6 connected to the temperature controls 4 and the heating and cooling unit 8 allows electrical signals from the temperature controls 4 to control the operation of the heating and cooling unit 8. In another embodiment, wireless means may replace the electrical wiring 6.

The heating and cooling unit 8 comprises a thermostat 13, a cooling device 10, and a heating device 12, all of which are known to those skilled in the art. For example, the thermostat 12 may be a bimetal thermostat that senses and controls temperatures associated with elements of the heating and cooling unit 8. The cooling device 10 may employ a motor and pump to circulate a liquid, for example water or a chemical gel, through loops for liquid heat exchange 14 in the shoe 2. The heating device 12 may use electrical wiring 16 to activate electrical heating elements 17 in the shoe 2.

In an embodiment the heating and cooling unit 8 may be battery powered.

In addition, in an embodiment the heating and cooling unit 8 may be worn on another part of the body from the clothing to be heated and cooled. For example, the heating and cooling unit 8 for a shoe 2 may be attached to a belt and worn around the user's waist. In another embodiment, the heating and cooling unit 8 may be attached to the item of clothing to be heated and cooled.

FIG. 2 shows that the temperature controls 4 may be used with different types of clothing, such as a glove 26.

Use

The user puts on the mechanically heated and cooled shoe 2, shown in FIG. 1, and uses the temperature controls 4 to turn the heating and cooling unit 8 on or off. The user can the press the hot button 22 to make the shoe warmer or the cold button 24 to make it colder, according to preconfigured temperature ranges or to user-controlled parameters. The hot button 22 activates the heating device 12, and the cold button 24 activates the cooling device 10. Because the temperature controls are so easy-to-use, the user can turn the heating and cooling on and off quickly, eliminating the need for sensors in the shoe to mechanically sense and regulate the temperature there.

Mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-used controls may be especially useful in environments with extreme temperatures, for use by the military for example, and may prevent conditions like frostbite. They may also be beneficial for elderly wearers with poor circulation or foot disease. Moreover, such shoes may come in many different sizes and styles, for example tennis shoes, boots, military boots, slippers, and snow boots. The shoes may be manufactured of readily available materials, such as rubber, leather, foam, cotton, nylon, cloth, plastic, and synthetic materials, including recycled materials.

The best dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention described above, including variations in form and use, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Other embodiments of the present invention provide multiple items of mechanically heated and cooled clothing, the temperatures of which may be controlled, individually or collectively, through a single heating and cooling unit. In such embodiments, the heating and cooling unit may comprise a plurality of thermostats and cooling and heating units.

Claims

1. Mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls, comprising

an item of clothing,

temperature controls, such that the wearer of the item of clothing can quickly control the temperature of the item of clothing through buttons on the item of clothing,

a heating and cooling unit,

means of transferring temperature to the item of clothing.

2. The item of clothing of claim 1, wherein the item of clothing is a shoe.

3. The item of clothing of claim 1, wherein the item of clothing is a glove.

4. The temperature controls of claim 1, wherein the temperature controls comprise

an on button, such that the on button activates the heating and cooling unit,

an off button, such that the off button deactivates the heating and cooling unit,

a hot button, such that the hot button activates a means of heating the item of clothing, in the heating and cooling unit, and

a cold button, such that the cold button activates a means of cooling the item of clothing, in the heating and cooling unit.

5. The heating and cooling unit of claim 1, wherein the heating and cooling unit is battery powered.

6. The heating and cooling unit of claim 1, wherein the heating and cooling unit comprises

a thermostat,

a means of cooling the item of clothing, and

a means of heating the item of clothing.

7. The means of transferring temperature to the item of clothing of claim 1, wherein the means of transferring temperature to the item of clothing comprises electrical heating elements in the item of clothing.

8. The means of transferring temperature to the item of clothing of claim 1, wherein the means of transferring temperature to the item of clothing comprises a motor and pump to circulate a liquid through loops for liquid heat exchange in the item of clothing.

9. Mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls, comprising

an item of clothing,

temperature controls, such that the wearer of the item of clothing can quickly control the temperature of the item of clothing through buttons on the item of clothing, the buttons comprising an on button, such that the on button activates a heating and cooling unit, an off button, such that the off button deactivates the heating and cooling unit, a hot button, such that the hot button activates a means of heating the item of clothing, in the heating and cooling device, and a cold button, such that the cold button activates a means of cooling the item of clothing, in the heating and cooling device,

a heating and cooling unit comprising a thermostat, a means of cooling the item of clothing, and a means of heating the item of clothing.

means of transferring temperature to the item of clothing.

10. The heating and cooling unit of claim 9, wherein the heating and cooling unit is battery powered.

11. A mechanically heated and cooled shoe with easy-to-use temperature controls, such that the wearer of the shoe can quickly control the temperature of the shoe through buttons on the shoe, the buttons comprising

an on button, such that the on button activates a heating and cooling unit,

an off button, such that the off button deactivates the heating and cooling unit,

a hot button, such that the hot button activates a means of heating the shoe, in the heating and cooling unit, and

a cold button, such that the cold button activates a means of cooling the shoe, in the heating and cooling unit,

a battery-powered heating and cooling unit comprising

a thermostat,

a means of cooling the shoe, and

a means of heating the shoe.

means of transferring temperature to the shoe.