INSULATIVE DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS FOR TREATING SYMPTOMS OF LUNG AND OTHER AILMENTS
An insulative device including an inner layer configured to contact a wearer's body, an outer layer coupled to the inner layer and configured to face away from the wearer's body, a pad disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer and the pad configured to cover a region of the wearer's torso corresponding approximately to the location of the lungs of the wearer, and wherein the inner layer includes a wicking material and the pad includes a sweat absorbing material so that sweat is wicked away from the body, absorbed in the pad, and prevented from evaporating near the wearer's body keeping the region around the lungs warm while allowing the rest of the wearer's body to stay cool so that symptoms of lung ailments are reduced.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/593,166, filed Jan. 31, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, as if recited in full, for all purposes.
BACKGROUNDThe presently disclosed innovations relate to insulative devices, and related methods, for treating lung ailments. Some disclosed devices keep a portion of a wearer's body warm and comfortable, as by wicking sweat away from the body. As but one example, an innovative insulative device can be positioned adjacent a region of a wearer's upper torso (e.g., chest, upper back, or both) or thorax, for example, adjacent the lungs, to help alleviate one or more symptoms of an illness, such as, for example asthma or a cold.
It is well known to keep the body warm by wearing plural layers of clothing material. For example, a person's body can be covered with multiple layers of T-shirts, sweaters, pajamas, and/or a jacket. A problem with plural layers of clothes is that such extra layers can be cumbersome and make the user uncomfortable, particularly when lying in bed or sleeping. This discomfort can result in the user having a hard time falling asleep or participating in an activity. Additionally, extra layers of clothes tend to warm the entire body and may cause the user to sweat excessively and have a hard time falling asleep or participating in activities.
When sleeping, one or more blankets are commonly used to keep a person warm. However, extra blankets typically warm a large area of the body. Blankets are also prone to being kicked off while the user is sleeping, leading to the user not having any insulation (or insufficient insulation) from a blanket, for example, as is thought to be common with infants and children. Moreover, plural layers of blankets (and/or loose clothing) may present a danger of suffocation to infants.
Many textiles and combinations of materials have been developed to provide comfort to a wearer's body while performing activities, as well as when sleeping. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,582 describes a pillow that allows air circulation and that has sweat absorbing features.
However, no known prior art design provides selective insulation, warmth, comfort, and absorption integrated in a snug fitting insulative device as disclosed herein for treating symptoms of lung ailments. Thus, there remains a need for a wearable device or article of clothing configured to selectively insulate a portion of a wearer's chest to alleviate discomfort associated with symptoms of lung ailments.
The innovations disclosed herein overcome the foregoing and other deficiencies in the prior art. Representative embodiments of the disclosed innovations are shown in the appended drawings, which form a portion of this disclosure, wherein the same or similar features share common reference numerals in the drawings and following detailed description.
Each of the insulative devices shown in
A portion of the body that can be selectively warmed can include a portion of the torso or any other discrete body portion or region. It is believed that the application of disclosed devices to one's upper torso may alleviate the symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as the common cold, or flu coughs. For example, symptoms, such as chills, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and congestion, may be alleviated. A snug fit of the insulative device can also inhibit air from circulating between the insulative device and the user's body.
The term “snug fit” is used herein to mean an the item is worn or otherwise disposed tightly on the wearer's body to achieve a contour corresponding to the wearer's body without any substantial gaps between the garment and the wearer's skin (e.g., a gap measuring about 0.25 inches to about 0.5 inches, such as between about 0.375 inches and about 0.875 inches). Some embodiments may be designed to meet children's sleepwear requirements, for example requirements pertaining to tight-fitting sleepwear garments specified by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (e.g., 16 C.F.R. Parts 1615 & 1616).
In some instances, disclosed insulative devices may be used as “warm-ups”, such as used prior to participating in an athletic event, for example in place of or in addition to a conventional sweat-shirt. Even in this application, the insulative device provides selective insulation. In some embodiments, the materials used for the insulative device provide a soft feel and may have a comforting effect on the user.
Some embodiments of the insulative device may be applied by wearing the device on the chest or on the back. In other possible embodiments, the device may be held in place by a piece of garment such as a top, T-shirt, sweat shirt, and/or held in place by friction. Optionally, the insulative device may be integrated in or on an article of clothing, as shown in several of the drawings.
In some embodiments, an insulative member may cover a portion of the upper torso as a generally rectangularly shaped member extending in a circumferential direction around a wearer's torso and having a first width (e.g., a longitudinal width) sufficient to extend approximately from the wearer's collar bone to the wearer's abdomen, for example ending approximately at the transpyloric plane of the wearer's body, and having a second width (e.g., a circumferential width) sufficient for opposed sides of the member to be coextensive with (or at least approximately coextensive with) the anterior axillary lines on opposed sides of the body of the wearer (e.g., to be within about two inches, such as between about 0.75 inches and about 1.25 inches, of each of the opposed anterior axillary lines).
The insulative member, sometimes referred to as a “cough pad”, can cover any one or more, or all, selected parts of the upperbody and can vary in thickness for example it can become thin at or near a perimeter edge or in an area near where it attaches to a corresponding garment or fastener. The pad can extend from a position adjacent (i.e., approximately coextensive with) or coextensive with the left anterior axillary line to a position adjacent the right anterior axillary line around the front (chest) or around the back. The pad can extend from a position adjacent or coextensive with the left midaxillary line to a position adjacent or coextensive with the right midaxillary line around the front (chest) or around the back. The pad can extend from a position adjacent or coextensive with the left posterior axillary line to a position adjacent or coextensive with the right posterior axillary line around the front (chest) or around the back. The pad can extend around the whole of the upper body, for example from a position adjacent or coextensive with the midaxillary line to a position adjacent or coextensive with the mid axillary line. The pad can extend between any combination of the above positions, for example from a position adjacent or coextensive with the left or right axillary line to a position adjacent or coextensive with the other axillary lines (anterior, mid and posterior). In each of these embodiments, the pad can extend between a position adjacent or coextensive with about two inches (e.g., between about 0.25 inches and about 2.5 inches) above or below the pectoralis major (or about two inches below the serratus anterior) and about two inches above or below the obliquas externas.
In other embodiments, a similar insulative member may cover one or more selected portions of the back of a wearer. Embodiments of the disclosed innovations caninclude a portion configured to cover selected anatomy above and/or below the lung area, for example, the device can extend to a position adjacent or coextensive with the neck or to a position adjacent or coextensive with above or below the waist line, for example the lower back. The insulative device caninclude a unitary structure having inner and outer layers, and a thin layer of insulative material position between the inner and outer layers. As used herein “unitary” means having the character of a unit, not divided or discontinuous structurally.
In some embodiments, the insulative device includes an inner layer configured to contact a wearer's body, an outer layer coupled to the inner layer and configured to face away from the wearer's body, and an insulative pad disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer. The insulative pad may cover a selected region on a wearer's body corresponding approximately to a location of the lungs of the wearer.
As used herein, the term “inner layer” refers to a layer of a layered garment configured to face the body of a person wearing the device. Similarly, “outside layer” or “outer layer” refers to a layer of a layered garment configured to face away from the body of a person wearing the device. An inner layer can be configured to draw moisture away from the wearer's skin, as by wicking, allowing evaporation or other transport mechanism. An adjacent insulative pad can include a sweat absorbing material configured to absorb sweat and/or prevent sweat from evaporating near the wearer's skin, enhancing a rate at which moisture is drawn away from the wearer's skin and keeping the chest area (or other selected region covered by the pad) warm, and the person comfortable. The insulative pad can absorb sweat and allow the sweat to evaporate from a position spaced from the wearer's body, preventing evaporation of the sweat from cooling the selected region of the wearer's body.
Some embodiments of disclosed insulative devices use an inner layer 8 (
In other embodiments, the insulative device 5 can include a shell layer filled with an insulative material.
Insulative MemberAs mentioned above, in some embodiments, the insulative device can include an insulative member 5 having a laminated construction of an inner layer 4, an insulative layer 8, and an outer layer 6. Similar to the inner layer, the outer layer may include a unidirectional wicking material to wick moisture out of the insulative layer to allow it to evaporate. With such an arrangement of materials, the insulative device 2 can position the evaporatively cooled region spaced apart from the wearer's chest, ensuring that the chest remains warm despite an evaporating sweat. The insulative layer 8 can provide has a relatively large temperature gradient to prevent the cooling effect of evaporation from cooling the user.
The insulative layer may be made of natural or synthetic materials including sweat absorbing or “wicking” materials such as cotton, wool, polyester, OMNI HEAT® (available from Columbia Sportswear Company, Portland, Oreg.), THINSULATE® (available from 3M, St. Paul, Minn.), CROSLITE™ (available from Crocs, Niwot, Col.), feathers, beads, rubber, paper, acrylic, cellulose, fiberglass, rock-wool, foam, layers of cloth, etc. In some embodiments, a batting material may be used as an insulative material that consists of, for example, 100% polyester fill. Optionally, the insulative material may be impregnated with antimicrobial chemicals or the pad may be filled with many different materials, for example therapeutic herbs, etc.
Some embodiments have batting sewn to the shell or inner layer along all sides of the insulative member. In some embodiments, the thickness of the batting material operative ranges from about ⅛ inch to about 10 inches. For example,
Other embodiments may have a pad with a fill material that is loosely packed and thus can conform to the user's body. The loose fill also can reduce discomfort that may otherwise occur from applying the device to the user's body. In other embodiments, the device may include two shell layers 4, 6 and a polyester fill. Further embodiments may have a zipper allowing a volume of fill material to be selectively varied by a user. The amount of fill material may be added so that the insulative device will conform to a person's body in a selective manner, and will provide a selected degree of insulation to a wearer's body, thereby providing a user-configurable device and a selectable degree of relief from a lung ailment.
Optionally, the insulative device may have an outer protective material applied to the pad. In some embodiments, the device may include decorative surface patterns, such as different stitching patterns, and/or fabrics in different color, materials, textures, or applied decorations.
FastenersSome insulative devices can be held in place on the body of a user via fasteners, or retainers. In some embodiments, a retainer can include any type of garment or clothing item that is adapted to hold the insulative member in a desired position. For example, the garment may be made as a single stretchable structure or the garment may have belts and/or straps to secure an insulative device to the user's body. Optionally, straps can extend around the body, between the legs, over the shoulders or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, fasteners include elastic materials like a rubber band, or strips of leather, cotton, wool, etc. configured to hold the device in place. One or more connections can go on the front, side, or back portions of the user's body. Optionally, one or more connections can be positioned adjacent or at the pad at a front portion of the device so that the pad protects the user from noticing the connection point. Some fasteners use portions of an elastic material(s) such as LYCRA™ (available from DuPont, Wilmington, Del.) to ensure a snug fit of the insulative device to the user's body. Some embodiments may have shoulder portions covering some portion of the shoulders, for example, straps of a soft cushiony material that feel comfortable against the body and that have the ability to conform with movement of the body and that hold the pad snug against a user's body. Other embodiments may have straps that flare out at the attachment portion to the tubular structure, for example as shown in
The embodiments shown in
Elastic band 14 may be contoured along the sides of the device such that band 14 extends under the user's arm, as shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the insulative member 5 (
In the embodiment shown in
In other embodiments, for example as shown in
Some embodiments may have hidden seams so that the sensation of the connection is essentially eliminated and comfort to the user is increased. For example, in the embodiment shown in
Optionally, the edges of the device may be reinforced and/or softened, for example by stitching or folding material or by adding a strip of a suitable edge material.
In other possible embodiments, an insulative member or a pad may be sewn into the front and/or back of a garment, for example as shown in
The cough pad can cover any or all parts of the upperbody and can vary in thickness for example it could become thin at the edges or in areas near where it attaches to the strap. The pad can go from the left anterior axillary line to the right anterior axillary line around the front (chest) or around the back. The pad could go from the left midaxillary line to the right midaxillary line around the front (chest) or around the back. The pad could go from the left posterior axillary line to the right posterior axillary line around the front (chest) or around the back. The pad could also go around the whole of the upper body for example from the midaxillary line to the mid axillary line. The pad could go in any combination of the above starting at the left or right axillary line and end at any of the other axillary lines (anterior, mid and posterior). For each embodiment, the pad can extend between about several inches above or below the pectoralis major (or several inches below the serratus anterior) and about several inches above or below the obliquas externas.
Such a configuration provides temperature regulation for a specifically selected portion of the wearer's body which is lacking from prior art devices and conventional clothing. Similar embodiments can be incorporated into other configurations, for example, tank top, pajama top, etc. Optionally, a pad may be disposed in a shirt's pocket.
In some embodiments, the size of the insulative device may be sized to conform to a body of an infant, a child or an adult. For example, an insulative member or pad may be sewn into a front and/or a back of an infant's one-piece bodysuit, for example a child “onesie.” The bodysuit may have a form that wraps under the users body between the legs.
Some embodiments of the device are generally designed to correspond to a height and a width of the user's chest. However, the insulative device may have any suitable shape, for example, a rectangle with rounded edges, a circle, an oval, a triangle, a quadrahedral, a rhombus, or conforming to a contour of a portion of a person's body. In some embodiments, the pad of the device may be dimensioned so that it is barely noticeable to a user and does not interfere with a wearer's regular activities. For example,
As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the insulative device is worn snug against the user's skin. In other embodiments, however, the insulative device may be worn over a user's clothes and may be structurally adapted for such use. A layered structure as described herein can be worn over other clothes.
The disclosed innovations further contemplate an insulative device that may be attached to a user's head as a pillow to prevent the pillow from falling off, for example, as a travel pillow used by a user on an airplane. Such embodiments, may allow for a more fully filled pillow.
The disclosed innovations further contemplate methods of treating lung conditions such as a cough or other asthmatic symptom by placing the device adjacent a wearer's chest. For example, the insulative device can be placed between the user's shirt and chest or shirt and back, and held in place. The device conforms to the user's body and keeps the chest warm by reducing conductive, convective, and/or radiative heat loss. The device further reduces heat loss by absorbing sweat and preventing the sweat from evaporating adjacent the user's body.
It is believed that a benefit of using an insulative device is that it allows a portion of the user's core and chest to be relatively warmer than the rest of the body. By allowing the rest of the body to be cool and unencumbered, the user can feel more comfortable. This comfort can increase the user's ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It is believed that by warming the lungs, the blood vessels dilate, aiding in the transport of blood through the lungs. In warm conditions, oxygen dissolves more readily into the blood making the lungs more efficient. When warm, the airways can open allowing for better air flow. If the lungs are warmer, it is believed mucus in the lungs becomes more fluid making it easier for a wearer to dispel excess mucus from the lungs. It is believed that these factors alleviate one or more symptoms of asthma or allergies or other ailments that affect breathing.
Other benefits of using an insulative device can include a user falling asleep more readily and being less likely to wake up in the middle of the night. In contrast to some of the prior art methods and devices, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,582, the disclosed innovations do not inhibit a person's movement and are configured to remain in a selected position on the user's body during the activity or while sleeping.
Presently disclosed innovations also contemplate embodiments that have or can accommodate sensors attached to a wearer, for example to monitor body temperature or humidity. The sensors may be accommodated in the device by a slot or aperture 91 in the insulative member 5 of the device (
Some insulative devices may have one or more heating elements integrated in or attached to the device. For example, an electrically powered (or exothermic chemical reaction) heating element configured to dissipate heat can be removably positioned in a pocket (not shown) in the pads. Other embodiments may include ventilation holes and/or zones of materials with different properties, for example zones of a stretchy mesh material or zones of materials with different moisture absorbing properties. Some embodiments may be disposable or washable, others may be used with or without an insulative device cover.
Methods for making such an insulative device can include providing material for an inner layer, a pad, and an outer layer, and forming the layers, for example, as described above. The layers may be integrated into a unitary structure and configure the device so that it can cover and insulate a specific portion of the wearer's body. A cross-section illustrating possible layers of an insulative device are shown in
Technologies disclosed herein can also be used to treat ailments other than lung ailments, including sore muscles, tight muscles, bruises, and joint pain. It is believed that disclosed technologies can assist in healing such ailments by keeping an area around the effected body part warm thus helping blood flow to the effected body part. Disclosed technologies can also protect the aliment from further damage by protecting the area from coming in contact with external objects. For example in everyday use to protect a bruised hip a user could wear an insulative device as described herein over the hip so that if they bump the hip against a foreign object the device can provide partial protection from the impact. Insulative devices are not meant as a replacement for pads used in sports activities like football.
Insulative devices can be used to cover and warm a sore back. Here you get the insulation of a local area to keep it warm, or can be used to cover a sore muscle thus keeping it warm and helping healing.
All patent and non-patent literature cited herein is hereby incorporated by references in its entirety for all purposes.
Persons skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations are possible in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts and actions which have been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings to explain principles of the inventive subject matter, and that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit and scope of the teachings and claims contained therein.
Claims
1. An insulative device for a selected portion of a body, the device comprising:
- an inner layer configured to contact a wearer's body;
- an outer layer coupled to the inner layer and configured to face away from the wearer's body;
- an insulative pad disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer and the pad configured to selectively cover a limited region of the wearer's torso corresponding approximately to a location of the lungs of the wearer;
- wherein the inner layer comprises a wicking material and the pad comprises a sweat absorbing material so that sweat is wicked away from the body, absorbed in the pad, and prevented from evaporating near the wearer's body keeping the region of the wearer's body around the lungs warm while allowing the rest of the wearer's body to stay cool.
2. The insulative device of claim 1, further comprising a retainer configured to hold the device in place on the body of the wearer.
3. The insulative device of claim 1, wherein the region of the wearer's torso comprises a frontal thorax region of the wearer's torso.
4. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the region of the wearer's torso comprises a back thorax region of the wearer's torso.
5. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the pad is sized to cover a portion of the wearer's torso from a position adjacent the wearer's sternum to a position adjacent the wearer's collar bone and from a position in front of one underarm to a position in front of the other underarm.
6. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the pad has a longitudinal dimension measuring about 10 inches and a circumferential dimension measuring about 12 inches.
7. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the inner layer, the outer layer, and the pad constitute a unitary structure.
8. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the retainer comprises a plurality of shoulder portions extending between respective front and back portions of the device when donned by a wearer.
9. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the retainer comprises matingly engageable fasteners allowing the insulative device to be selectively fitted around the wearer's body.
10. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the retainer comprises a slip-resistant material or a gripping material applied to the inner layer so that the insulative device is held in place on the body of the wearer when donned.
11. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the inner layer and/or the outer layer comprise an elastic material.
12. The insulative device of claim 1 further comprising an outer protective material.
13. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the pad is coupled to one or both of the inner layer and the outer layer stitching.
14. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the pad comprises a plurality of zones having respectively different moisture absorbancy properties.
15. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the device defines an aperture configured for sensor wires to extend through the insulative device.
16. The insulative device of claim 1 wherein the device defines a plurality of ventilation holes.
17. A method for alleviating symptoms of lung ailments, the method comprising:
- positioning an insulative device on a wearer's upper torso, the insulative device comprising an inner layer configured to contact a wearer's body, an outer layer coupled to the inner layer and configured to face away from the wearer's body, an insulative pad disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer and the pad configured to cover a region of the wearer's torso corresponding approximately to a location of the lungs of the wearer, wherein the inner layer comprises a wicking material and the pad comprises a sweat absorbing material so that sweat is wicked away from the body, absorbed in the pad, and prevented from evaporating near the wearer's body keeping the region of the body warm while allowing the rest of the wearer's body to stay cool, and wherein the insulative device conforms to the wearer's body; and
- insulating a wearer's body from approximately the sternum to the collar bone and from the front of one arm pit to the front of the other arm pit; and
- keeping the lungs warm by reducing radiating heat loss and by reducing convection heat loss so the symptoms of lung ailments are reduced.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 31, 2013
Publication Date: Aug 1, 2013
Inventor: Daniel Mayeri (Beaverton, OR)
Application Number: 13/755,955