COOLING OR HEATING GARMENT

Abstract

A self-contained, wearable, temperature-regulating cooling or heating garment for ambulatory and mobile use includes a water pump, valve, and heater powered by a battery operable to circulate potable water through a network of flexible tubing, to provide cooling or heating parts of a user's body such as the user's head, neck, arms or torso. A push-button control provides adjustment of a pump, flow valve, and temperature. The garment includes a drinking nozzle for providing potable water during use of the garment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present application concerns wearable garments and accessory articles and more particularly is directed to garments for an ambulatory or mobile user that incorporate cooling or heating capabilities into them.

2. Background of the Invention and Overview of the Prior Art

In today's active routines, many people engage in long walks, running, working out, hiking, camping, and other active ambulatory and mobile pastimes, both indoors and outdoors. Moreover, construction, delivery, and infrastructure maintenance workers and the like are typically outdoor activities wherein the heat of exertion or the exposure of cold weather conditions may be experienced by workers. Finding ways to be comfortable while so engaged can be a challenge, depending on the climatic conditions, the level of exertion, and the type of clothing worn during the activity. As heating and air conditioning technologies have developed, compact products and devices have become available for incorporation into personal items such as clothing, hand-carried accessories, and the like. Accordingly, a variety of configurations for adding cooling or heating capabilities to clothing have been patented or disclosed.

Several recent, representative examples of prior art include the following. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,415 issued to Larsen for a Body Cooling Apparatus is directed to a battery-operated vest and headband system that includes an A/C compressor and condenser in a separate box with a reservoir of a liquid refrigerant, and a control unit, all connected to the vest.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,200 issued to Kushnir for a Heat Exchanger Garment is directed to an apparatus for use in a medical procedure and configured as a cape, blanket, or cap for controlling a subject's body temperature. Water from a reservoir or “heat transfer liquid control and circulation device”—with details not disclosed—is pumped through a series of passages in the garment.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,783 issued to Gunn el al. for a System Method for Reducing Brain Injury Particularly in Newborn Infants is directed to circulating a fluid coolant through conduits in a headgear worn by the infant after injury. The flow of cooling fluid is thermostatically controlled to maintain the temperature within a prescribed range.

U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0206018 filed by Barbrei for Systems and Methods for Providing Personal Climate Control is directed to a “fluid conveyance” or vest through which hot or cold fluid (water or anti-freeze) from a reservoir is pumped through a fluid conditioning system, a control manifold, and a network of tubing embedded in the vest. The system may be powered by a battery or external power supply. A drinking tube is provided in one embodiment.

Chinese Patent Application No. CN107041579 filed by Liqing Fu for Multifunctional Air Conditioner Clothing is directed to a garment having an embedded network of tubing. Pre-heated or cold water may be circulated through the tubing network. Alternatively, fluid from a refrigerant system including a compressor and condenser may be circulated through the network of tubing.

The foregoing examples provide heating, cooling, or climate control in situations of personal or medical uses. Typical of these examples is that the apparatus is non-movable, that is, it is not well-suited to ambulatory or mobile users. Some prior art apparatus requires the user who is wearing the apparatus to remain in a fixed setting—for example during medical procedures—and is therefore not configured for wearing while engaged in ambulatory or mobile activities. Some of the disclosed devices require the use of refrigerants, compressors, fans, complex construction, and are thus not well-adapted for personal use. In other examples the disclosed devices, while they may be portable, are bulky and therefore not amenable to persons engaged in active pursuits such as hiking, running, etc. In still other examples, operation of the device is cumbersome and inconvenient to adjust.

What is needed is a portable, light weight, comfortable temperature regulating garment that is suitable for a wide range of personal ambulatory and mobile activities, is easy to control, and operates on water and battery power.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly a temperature regulating garment is described, comprising a garment configured as a wearable conditioning unit adapted to ambulatory and mobile use by a user; a reservoir formed in the garment for storing a supply of potable water therein; a drinking nozzle connected through a drinking tube to the reservoir; a heating element disposed within the garment for supplying heat to the potable water stored in the reservoir; a network of water tubing for circulating the water between the reservoir and a conditioning unit attached to the user's body; a pump connected in the network of tubing for circulating the potable water through the network; a battery operably connected to the pump and the heating element; a control module coupled to the garment through a control section for regulating output pressure of the pump and for regulating the temperature of the heater, wherein the control module is coupled respectively to the pump and the heater through the control section; and wherein the control module comprises a digital circuit having control outputs configured to vary the output pressure and volume of the pump and the heating provided by the heater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a wearable pack, in accordance with one embodiment of the claimed invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a reservoir for use with the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a back side view of a head cap garment for use with the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a pictorial diagram of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 to depict additional features;

FIG. 7 illustrates a control section of the embodiment of FIG. 5 according to the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of the invention depicted in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7; and

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a digital circuit for use in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In an advance in the state of the art, described herein is a wearable, temperature regulating, self-contained cooling or heating garment that includes a water pump, valve, and a heater powered by a battery supported in the garment. The invention is operable to circulate potable water through a network of flexible tubing incorporated into a separate extension of the garment. The garment may include without limitation a bib, scarf, vest, shirt, cap, cuff, girdle, sash, sleeve, and the like. The invention is configured to provide cooling or heating parts of a user's body such as the user's head, neck, arms, legs, or torso. The garment may include a drinking nozzle and a digital control circuit equipped with buttons for easily controlling the flow and temperature of the water through the network of tubing in the garment.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wearable back pack 10, in accordance with one embodiment of the claimed invention. As described, the back pack 10 may be configured with a cooling system for the user by circulating cold water through the water tubing 16 and the associated conduits to be described. In an alternate embodiment to be described with FIGS. 5-9, the invention may be configured to supply either cooling water or heated water through the network of water tubing and the associated conduits.

The back pack 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a bag 12 shaped to conform to the body surface it is intended to be supported against using a harness 14 shown attached to the upper and lower portions of the bag 12. The pack 10 may consist primarily of a vessel or reservoir 30 to contain the potable water. The reservoir 30 may further be disposed within the interior of the bag 12, preferably as a separate envelope or liner (not shown). In either form, the reservoir 30 may be stored in a compartment 20 of the bag 12. Similarly, a separate battery compartment 22 may be provided on the bag 12 to enclose a battery 24 for powering control apparatus including a pump 50 to be described.

A network of tubing 16 for circulating cooling water from the reservoir 20 to a user's cap 72 (See FIGS. 3 and 4) connects the bag 12 to a separate extension of the bag 12—a garment extension called a conditioning unit, which may be a cap 72 as illustrated in FIG. 4 or formed as a vest, shirt, cuff, sash, sleeve, or girdle or cumber bund (not shown in FIGS. 1-4 but described below in FIGS. 5 and 6) connected to the network 16. The network 16 may include at least one tube 76 for the supply of water from the reservoir 30 and at least one tube 78 for the return of the water to the reservoir 30. The tube 76 and the tube 78 may be parts of the same length of tubing. The bag 12 may also include a drinking tube 18 that may be connected to a mouthpiece or nozzle 38 as shown in FIG. 2. In the present embodiment, the bag 12 may be filled with potable water to supply cooling to the bag 12 and drinking water to the nozzle 38. The back pack 10 configuration of the bag 12 can be modified for support on a person's body in other ways such as but not limited to a waist belt as illustrated in FIG. 5, integrated into a shirt or other article of clothing, etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates a reservoir 30 for use with the back pack 10 embodiment of FIG. 1. The reservoir 30 includes a filling cap 32, the drinking tube 36, nozzle 38, and connection of a water line 42 through a connector 40. The water line 42 may be connected to the input terminal of a pump 50 to circulate cooling water through the tubing 44 of the network 16 to the user's cap 72 or other garment or garment extension to which the water tubing 44 may be connected.

FIG. 3 illustrates a back side view of a cap 72 having a water tubing network 70 for use with the embodiment of FIG. 1. The cap 72 is shown with water supply tubing 76 from a manifold 60 that is coupled to a water pump 50 via a connecter 62. Similarly, the cap 72 is shown with a cap outlet water tubing 78 to return the water to the water pump 50 via the connector 62 on the manifold 60. The supply conduit 52 from the water pump 50 may be connected to the manifold 60 via a connector 64. The return conduit 54 from the connection between the manifold 64 and the reservoir 30, completes the circulation path of the cooling water where it may be pumped through the pump inlet conduit 42 to the water pump 50.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 showing the cap 72 and the return tubing 78 of the water tubing network 70. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that the particular arrangement of the supply 76 and return 78 portions of the water tubing may be disposed differently than shown in FIG. 4, depending on the specific form of the cap 72.

FIG. 5 illustrates a pictorial diagram of one example of an alternate embodiment 100 of the present invention, configured as a vest 102. The vest 102 is one implementation of a garment extension configured as a conditioning unit as mentioned herein above. The vest 102 is shown opened to depict the network 120 of water tubing through which cold or heated water from a reservoir 130 may be circulated. When fully assembled, the sides of the vest 102 join seams A to A′ and B to B′ to form respective arm openings 106 and 108, on either side of the neck cut-out 104. The side edges of the vest 102 may include closures, for example such as button 110 and button-hole 112.

Attached to the vest 102 is the tubing of the network 120 coupled between respective outlet connector 122 (associated with the outlet connector 123 of the circulation system 160 to be described) and inlet connector 124 (associated with the inlet connector 125 of the circulation system 160). The supply portion 132 of the tubing network 120, fed from outlet port 136 provides water supply from the reservoir 130 to the circulation system 160 to be pumped into the tubing network 120. Similarly, the return portion 134 of the tubing network 120 returns water to the reservoir 130 via inlet port 138 to be processed by the circulation system 160. The reservoir 130 may include a drinking tube 140 and an attached nozzle 142. The reservoir 130 may be supported on the user's body from the belt attached to the reservoir 130, or by other suitable means. The connectors 122 & 123, 14 & 125, 134 and 136 may be chosen according to considerations of the types of tubing used, ease of connection, resistance to leaks, etc.

The tubing for the water tubing and conduits attached to the garment may be selected from flexible, clear plastic such as, without limitation, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), Tygon, FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) and the like. The tubing may be approximately ¼ to ½ inch in outside diameter having a wall thickness of approximately 0.030 inch, and capable of a bend radius of less than or equal to ¾ inch. Other desirable properties of the plastic tubing include chemical resistance, useable over a wide temperature range (e.g., 0 degrees F. to 150 degrees F.). The FEP clear plastic tubing meets these requirements.

Other types of garment extensions such as a bib, scarf, shirt, cuff, sash, sleeve, girdle or cumber bund, for example, may be configured in the same way is illustrated in FIG. 5 for a vest.

FIG. 6 illustrates a view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 to depict additional features including a pocket 150 on the front right side of the vest 102 to support a control device, a pump, a heater or other functional mechanism that may be connected to the water cooling and/or heating system of the invention 100 illustrated in FIG. 5. Similarly, a second pocket 152 may be disposed on a left front side of the vest 102 to support a battery for powering a pump or heater connected to the system of the invention 100.

FIG. 7 illustrates a control section 160 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 according to the present invention. The control section 160 may include a pump 162 for circulating water through the tubing network 120 shown in FIG. 5, a valve 164 for controlling the flow of water through the tubing network 120, a heater 166 for supplying heat to the water being pumped through the tubing network 120, and a manifold 168 for coupling the output of the control section 160 to a an outlet tube 170 via a connector 172. The circulation system 160 may further include an inlet tube 174 connected to an inlet port of the circulation system 160 via a connector 176. The outlet tube 170 may include an outlet connector 123 for connecting the control section 160 to the tubing network 120 via a mating outlet connector 122 disposed on the vest 102 as shown in FIG. 5. Similarly, the inlet tube 174 may include an inlet connector 125 for connecting tubing network 120 disposed on the vest 102 via the mating inlet connector 124 to the control section 160.

Continuing with the control section 160 depicted in FIG. 7, a control module 180 is connected to the control section 160 through a control connector 182 that includes input lines from the control module 180 and output lines to the control section 160. The control module 180 may include, for example, push-button switches 184, 186, and 188 for respectively controlling the pump 162, the valve 164, and the heater 166. The push-button switches 184, 186, and 188 may include momentary single-pole, single-throw (SPST) contacts for indicating sequential control inputs to a digital circuit 196 (not shown) within the control module 180. The digital circuit 196 within the control module 180 may be powered by the battery 190 connected to the control module 180 via a cable 192. The control module 180 may optionally include an ON-OFF switch 198.

The digital circuit 196 may be implemented by a discrete electrical circuit or a programmed micro controller enclosed within the control module 180. Control outputs of the digital circuit for operating the pump 162, the valve 164, and the heater 166 may be respectively controlled by pressing the associated switches, respectively pump switch 184, valve switch 186, and heater switch 188, in a control sequence defined as follows: successively pressing the associated button provides a signal for the functions On—Low—Medium—and High desired by the user for respectively controlling the output levels of the pump 162, the valve 164, and the heater 166.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of the invention depicted in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. A smart phone 200 equipped with an application (app) 202 may be adapted to wirelessly interact with the digital circuit 196 of the control module 180 via a wireless receiver 204 connecter to the connector 182. Communication is facilitated by antennas 206 and 208 incorporated respectively in the smart phone 200 and wireless receiver 204.

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a digital circuit 196 contained within the control module 180 for controlling the operation of the control section 160. A micro controller 210 includes a CPU 212 and a program memory 214 for storing a program (not shown) for operating the control section 160 as described herein. The CPU is powered by connections from the battery 190 to the respective supply terminal 250 (for Vcc) and the return terminal 252 (Vss), which are connected between the positive and negative terminals of the battery 190. Output terminals of the micro controller 210 include a pump output 220, a valve output 222, and a heater output 224. Each of these output terminals supply an operating signal configured to operate the respective functional unit—the pump 230, the valve 232, and the heater 234. Input terminals of the micro controller 210 include the momentary SPST switches as follows: switch 240 for the pump 230, switch 242 for the valve 232, and switch 244 for the heater 234. Depending on the current requirements of the pump 230, valve 232 and heater 234, the current to the respective device may be boosted by discrete driver devices (not shown) connected in series with the respective output terminals 220, 222, and 224 as will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art.

While the invention has been shown and escribed in only a few of its forms, it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the features illustrated in one of the embodiments (such as the cap form) may be adapted for use another of the embodiments (such as the vest form) without departing from the concept of the invention. Similarly, any of the described features—or their functional equivalents—may be adapted to other embodiment forms such as a shirt, cuff, a sleeve, stockings, girdle, etc. Further, the control circuit embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are illustrative of a wide variety of alternative control circuitry as would readily be identified by persons skilled in the art. Such alternatives are contemplated for the present invention as described and set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A temperature regulating garment, comprising:

a garment configured as a wearable conditioning unit adapted to ambulatory and mobile use by a user;

a reservoir formed in the garment for storing a supply of potable water therein;

a drinking nozzle connected through a drinking tube to the reservoir;

a resistance heater disposed within the garment for supplying heat to the potable water stored in the reservoir;

a network of water tubing for circulating the potable water between the reservoir the wearable conditioning unit;

a pump connected in the network of water tubing for circulating the potable water through the network;

a battery operably connected to the pump and the resistance heater; and

a control module coupled to the garment through a control section for regulating output pressure of the pump and the temperature of the resistance heater, wherein the control module is coupled respectively to the pump and the resistance heater through the control section;

wherein the control module comprises a digital circuit having control outputs configured to vary the output pressure and volume of the pump and the heating provided by the resistance heater.

2. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein:

circulation of the potable water is controlled by a valve operated by the control module; and

an open-and-close state of the valve and the flow rate of the valve are controlled from the control module.

3. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein:

the garment is formed of a woven garment fabric in a plain or twill weave.

4. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises:

a bladder having a capacity of at least one liter, formed of a water proof material, and attached to or disposed within a compartment of the garment.

5. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the resistance heater comprises:

a grid formed of resistance wire embedded within an insulated envelope.

6. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the wearable conditioning unit comprises:

a separate extension of the garment selected from the group consisting of a vest, a bib, a shirt, a cuff, a sash, a sleeve, a cap, a girdle, a cumber bund, and a pocket.

7. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

a plurality supply conduit of flexible tubing coupled from the reservoir to the manifold.

8. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the pump comprises:

a battery operated pump adapted to circulate the potable water from the reservoir through the network.

9. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the battery comprises:

a rechargeable battery having sufficient voltage and capacity to operate the pump at a 20% duty cycle for at least two hours.

10. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein:

each control output of the control module includes a push button switch operable in a plurality of states including an OFF, ON LOW, ON MEDIUM, ON HIGH sequence; and

an ALL OFF mode from any state.

11. The temperature regulating garment of claim 8, wherein:

the digital circuit is configured as a programmable micro controller having a non-volatile memory and associated input/output circuits; and

a program stored in the non-volatile memory and configured to operate the functional units of the control section according to a predetermined scheme.

12. The temperature regulating garment of claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

a return conduit of flexible tubing coupled from the manifold to the reservoir.