Portable Cooling Chamber Having Radiant Barrier and Cooling System
A compact radiant barrier with applied cooling systems. In accordance with one embodiment, the invention may comprise a folding chair characterized as having a top radiant barrier and deployable radiant barriers on either side as well as the front and rear of the chair. The side radiant barriers are deployable extending down to the chair arms and even below. The invention may further comprise a forced air cooling fan that may be disposed on the lower surface of top component of the chair, in which the top component also operates as a radiant barrier, i.e., a reflective material such that solar radiation is not absorbed but is reflected back into the atmosphere. It is a further aspect of the invention that various elements of the radiant barrier, especially the top barrier, further comprise insulating properties.
This patent application claims the benefit of the provisional patent application assigned application No. 61/779,824, filed on Mar. 13, 2013, and entitled Compact Portable Radiant Barrier with Applied Cooling Systems, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISKNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of portable cooling chambers comprising, in its various embodiments, one or more of radiant barriers cooling systems applied to, for example, a lawn chair or other outdoor apparatus. More specifically, the cooling chamber of the invention provides solar radiation shielding, forced air cooling, forced fluid mist cooling, and an insulated fluid reservoir that is, preferably, maintained below the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment to provide more efficient mist cooling than is otherwise achievable with ambient-temperature misting. Typical applications for the portable cooling chamber, as examples and not by way of limitation, include lawn chairs and similar structures which are typically used in outdoor environments during hot weather such as visits to the beach, concerts, rallies, festivals, sporting events, and the like.
2. Background Art
Increased temperatures in hot outdoor settings are typically caused by a combination of two major effects: 1) the impact of solar radiation on a subject, causing the subject to absorb energy from the radiation; 2) the high ambient temperatures that can be present during the hot months of the year; and 3) high humidity. The combination of these three effects can lead to severe discomfort for an individual in such a setting and can even pose a health risk due to extreme heat. Hyperthermia may result in such situations and further serious health effects, up to and including heat stroke, can occur. On a clear day, solar radiation may reach levels exceeding 240 w/m̂2.
Portable solar shielding systems for personal use that are usable to block solar radiation have been known in the art for some time. For example simple umbrellas or similar structures are often used as a sun shade to prevent solar radiation from impinging on a person while outdoors. While such simple structures can be effective in blocking solar radiation, they fail to lower the ambient temperature beneath the umbrella. Thus, a subject using a simple umbrella may be shielded from direct solar loading, but will not experience a reduction in ambient temperature. Furthermore, most umbrellas are not radiant barriers. Thus they absorb solar energy, rather than reflect it, and re-radiate it from all their surfaces, including the downward facing surface, which usually faces the user. Thus, some of the incident solar radiation is absorbed by the umbrella and re-radiated downward onto the subject, actually raising the temperature of the subject above ambient. On hot days, the ambient temperature may be in excess of 90-100 degrees, depending on location, time of year, and other factors. Thus, simple umbrellas, while blocking solar radiation, are not extremely effective in reducing the temperature of a subject.
Other personal systems that employ small air-moving elements such as battery powered fans have been developed. These systems may, for example, comprise baseball caps with small integrated fans that may be worn while outdoors such as at concerts, sporting events, and the like. However, the small solar shielding provided by the bill of the baseball cap is practically insignificant as it does not block solar radiation entering from the surrounding environment. Furthermore, such caps may fit tightly on the head, causing an insulating effect and trapping body heat underneath the cap. Also, the small air-moving elements such as battery-powered fans which are elements of such devices are typically insufficient to move enough air to provide any significant cooling effect. Such caps, like the umbrella example, even with integrated small battery-powered fans, fail to reduce the ambient temperature surrounding the user.
Still further, personal misting systems have been developed that supply a mist created from a fluid that is passed through an orifice under pressure and directed at or near the user. Such systems may, in the right environment, provide a reduction in ambient temperature by the evaporation of the mist in the surrounding atmosphere. As the water droplets of the mist evaporate, a cooling effect is achieved that is proportional to the rate of evaporation. However, the systems of the prior art do not simultaneously provide solar shielding and air movement to achieve a cooling effect. Furthermore, the personal misting systems of the prior art typically comprise ambient temperature fluids, which are less effective for temperature reduction than fluids that are maintained below the ambient temperature.
A further drawback of the personal cooling systems of the prior art is that they are typically not controllable for the purpose of adjusting the ambient temperature for the user. Thus, they are static systems and have no method or mechanism for effectuating adjustment of the cooling they provide.
It is well-established that the primary mode of absorption of thermal energy from solar radiation is due to the absorption of energy in the infrared portion of the spectrum. Infrared (IR) light is electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than those of visible light, extending from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 0.74 micrometers (μm) to 0.3 mm. This range of wavelengths corresponds to a frequency range of approximately 430 down to 1 THz and includes most of the thermal radiation emitted by objects near room temperature. Infrared light is emitted or absorbed by molecules when they change their rotational-vibrational movements. Much of the energy from the sun arrives on Earth in the form of infrared radiation. Sunlight at zenith provides an irradiance of just over 1 kilowatt per square meter at sea level. Of this energy, 527 watts is infrared radiation, 445 watts is visible light, and 32 watts is ultraviolet radiation. Of these spectra, infrared radiation is the significant component that, when absorbed, results in a rise in the thermal temperature of the body.
It is therefore desirable that infrared radiation be reflected rather than absorbed, if it is desired to reduce the thermal load on an object. One material that is an effective reflector of infrared radiation is aluminum. In fact, aluminum surfaces may reflect up to 95% of the incident infrared radiation. Furthermore, aluminum may be fabricated in thin foils that have a very low thermal mass, and therefore are not efficient conductors for heat transfer, particularly when only 5% of the incident infrared radiation on an aluminum surface is absorbed. Such thin aluminum foils may further be attached to insulative materials such as air-filled bubble insulators, foam, cloth insulators or insulators of other types and may therefore provide not only reflective properties, but insulative properties as well. In addition to the excellent reflection characteristics of aluminum in the infrared wavelengths, it is to be noted that aluminum has a poor emissivity at these same wavelengths. This means that aluminum is a poor radiator of heat on the “cool side” of the foil, which is to say, the non-radiated side of the foil. Thus, aluminum has two significant properties that make it an excellent radiant barrier material: 1) it reflects infrared energy at a very high rate and 2) it resists re-radiating any absorbed energy on the non-radiated side.
What is needed therefore is a system and apparatus that combines a radiant barrier that reflects radiation, especially infrared radiation, provides insulative properties to reduce heat transfer from inner radiated surface to the user, a misting system that utilizes reduced temperature fluid, and forced air cooling, all contained in a compact transportable apparatus suitable for carrying and deploying by the user without utilizing tools or requiring significant set-up and tear-down time, and is adjustable by the user such that it accommodates a variety of environments and personal preferences.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a solution for the shortcomings of the prior art as described above. The present invention comprises a system and/or method that has one or more of the following features and/or steps, which alone or in any combination may comprise patentable subject matter.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invention may comprise a folding chair characterized as having a top radiant barrier and deployable radiant barriers on either side, and front and back, of the chair which are deployable extending down to the arms of the chair and even below, depending on the embodiment employed. The invention may further comprise a forced air cooling fan which may be disposed on the underneath side of a top surface of the invention and provides forced convection cooling (moving air over the occupant's body), in which the top surface also operates as a radiant barrier on its upper surface using, preferably, reflective material such that solar radiation is not absorbed, but is rather reflected back into the atmosphere. It is a further aspect of the invention that various elements of the radiant barrier, especially the top, further comprise insulative properties such as those exhibited by, for instance, air filled bubble insulators. Such insulators provide resistance to thermal heat transfer. It is also preferred that the deployable radiant barriers on either side and front and rear of the chair deploy on the external surfaces radiant coverings that reflect radiation back into the environment. It is a further aspect of the invention that the radiant barriers of the invention may comprise aluminum reflective surfaces, especially very thin lightweight aluminum sheets or coatings.
A further aspect of the invention is a misting device which is operated by a pump that, preferably, further comprises controls allowing a user to adjust the timing of the pump on and off states, such that a user may adjust the mister so that it provides periodic misting at a rate selected by the user. In this manner, a user may adjust the cooling provided by the misting system to match the particular temperature and other environmental factors of the day, and to also meet the user's personal preferences regarding the cooling effect of the invention (i.e., too cool or too warm). The invention may further comprise an insulated reservoir which may be utilized to store fluid to be used in the misting system. This insulated reservoir may be cooled by the use of gel bladders that have been previously reduced in temperature by placement in a refrigeration system such as a freezer or refrigerator. In this manner, the fluid that is utilized in the misting system may comprise a reduced temperature fluid, typically water, increasing the effectiveness of the temperature-reducing aspects of the invention. It has been established that water at a temperature below the ambient air absorbs more heat energy prior to vaporization than water at, or above, ambient temperature. Evaporative cooling is a physical phenomenon in which evaporation of a liquid, typically into surrounding air, cools an object or a liquid in contact with it. Latent heat describes the amount of heat needed to evaporate the liquid. This heat comes from the liquid itself and the surrounding gas and surfaces. The greater the difference between the two temperatures, in this case ambient air and water, the greater the evaporative cooling effect. However, when the temperatures are at or near equal in value, and the air is saturated to near 100% humidity, heat transfer by vaporization is greatly diminished. It is therefore important that when these conditions exist, the use of cooled water, at a temperature below the ambient air temperature, can be most effective. Heat transfer only occurs where there exists a temperature differential forcing the flow from the high to the low temperature region.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:
The following documentation provides a detailed description of the invention.
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The radiant barriers of the invention, which comprise top radiant barrier 210, first side radiant barrier 201, second side radiant barrier 202, front radiant barrier 203 and rear radiant barrier 204 preferably are fabricated from insulative materials, such as air filled bubble insulator with radiant barrier outer layers, that are further adapted to receive aluminum foil covering such as to provide a radiant barrier surface with an insulative inner core. While this is the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are many other radiant barrier fabrics which exhibit varying degrees of insulative properties which may be utilized in the compact radiant barrier system 200 of the invention. One such “bubble foil” is manufactured by EcoFoil, which is a division of Clickstop, Inc., located in Urbana, Iowa, which consists of a double layer of polyethylene bubbles sandwiched between two layers of aluminum radiant barrier foil. Bubble foil, also called foil-faced bubble insulation, can be used in a variety of applications because it is lightweight and easy to handle yet provides superior insulating value. The bubble center creates maximum R-Value and the reflective foil on both outside surfaces reflects up to 97% of radiant heat. Because of the air space built between the layers of foil, bubble foil insulation works to keep radiant heat from penetrating a structure from the outside.
The radiant barriers of the invention, and the back cover, may be fabricated using any means of fabrication known in the textile arts such as stitching, or, alternatively, adhesive bonding or any other means as known to a person of ordinary skill in the textile arts such as adhesive backed tape and the like. The means of fabrication of the radiant barriers and back cover of the invention are not to be construed as limitation on the breadth and scope of the invention.
The preferred embodiment shown in figures and discussed in the description is directed at a folding chair application; however, it is to be noted that the compact radiant barrier and cooling system of the invention has numerous applications other than the folding chair embodiment discussed herein. For example, the invention may be used to cool chaise lounges, baby carriages and strollers, playpens, personal mobility devices such as scooters, wheelchairs and the like, child transport devices such as bicycle trailers, toddler play houses and similar structures, wheeled child carriages used by joggers, infant transport devices; pet strollers, portable pet shelters; riding lawn mowers, golf carts, boats of all types including power canoes and kayaks, firefighter and first responder relief stations, application for military personnel, disaster relief stations, and for use during power outages in which cooling systems may be off line for hours, days or weeks.
Although a detailed description as provided herein contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not merely by the preferred examples or embodiments given.
Claims
1. A system for reducing a temperature within a space, the system comprising:
- one or more radiant barriers forming a surface of a cooling chamber;
- a cooling fan disposed on an inside-facing surface of the cooling chamber;
- an insulated reservoir for holding a misting fluid;
- a misting device for spraying the misting fluid into the cooling chamber;
- wherein activation of one of the cooling fan and the misting device produces a cooling effect for an occupant of the cooling chamber; and
- a power source for supplying power to at least one of the cooling fan and the misting device.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more radiant barriers comprise a top radiant barrier and a first side radiant barrier, the top radiant barrier deployable forwardly from an upper region of a back of a folding chair and the first side radiant barrier deployable downwardly from a first side surface of the top radiant barrier, the cooling chamber formed by the top and first side radiant barriers, the back of the folding chair and a folding chair seat.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the cooling fan is disposed on an interior-facing surface of the top radiant barrier.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the one or more radiant barriers further comprise a second side radiant barrier deployable downwardly from a second side surface of the top radiant barrier, the first and second side surfaces in opposing relation.
5. The system of claim 4 the folding chair comprising first and second arms, wherein the first and second radiant barriers extend downwardly from the respective first and second side surfaces of the top radiant barrier for attachment to the respective first and second arms.
6. The system of claim 1 removably attached to a back of a folding chair.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more radiant barriers comprise a top radiant barrier and a front radiant barrier deployable downwardly from a front edge of the top radiant barrier.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more radiant barriers comprise a reflective material for reflecting solar radiation away from the cooling chamber.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the radiant barrier further comprises an insulating material.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the misting device is located proximate the cooling fan, mist from the misting device impinging air flow from the cooling fan and scattering in the cooling chamber.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more radiant barriers comprise an aluminum reflective surface.
12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pump for supplying the misting fluid under pressure from the insulated reservoir to an orifice of the misting device.
13. The system of claim 1 wherein the pump and a user-controllable pump controller for controlling on and off cycles of the pump are disposed proximate the cooling chamber.
14. The system of claim 1 the misting device comprising an orifice having a diameter of about 5 microns.
15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a temperature of the misting fluid below ambient temperature.
16. The system of claim 1 removably attached to a back of a folding chair and rotatable backwards into proximal contact with a rear surface of the back of the folding chair.
17. The system of claim 1 further comprising one of gel packs and instant cold packs proximate the insulated reservoir for cooling the misting fluid.
18. The system of claim 1 wherein the misting fluid comprises water.
19. The system of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises one or more batteries.
20. A system comprising a radiant barrier for enclosing an open space and a cooling system disposed within the open space, the cooling system further comprising a cooling fan and a misting device, mist from the misting device impinging cooling air from the cooling fan, the open space bounded by one or more radiant barriers.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 13, 2014
Publication Date: Sep 18, 2014
Inventor: Tom Fleming (Barefoot Bay, FL)
Application Number: 14/210,155
International Classification: A47C 7/66 (20060101); A47C 7/74 (20060101);