Patent Application
20250113882
It is unfortunate that war and armed conflict are ever-present in human events. However, just as there are aggressors, there must be defenders. As there are tyrants, there must be liberators. Globally, people of high values, morals, and responsibility train and fight for their lives and liberty, as well as the lives and liberty of others in need. Such extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary means, among which are basic detection and concealment. Detection and concealment are key for both offensive and defensive objectives, not only with humans, but in all of nature as well.
Camouflage-including mimesis, color matching, disruptive coloration and/or pattern, and the like—is a highly relevant, though continually challenging means of concealment. Significantly, in human affairs, modern thermal and infra-red sensors can defeat even the best traditional camouflage by detecting a person's heat signature. Such sensors are incorporated in myriad war platforms, ranging from airborne vehicles and drones to land-based sensors and sniper scopes and sights. Accordingly, a ground soldier must augment traditional camouflage with means that also obscure heat signature. Unfortunately, many existing and proposed counter-thermal solutions create significant drawbacks.
For example, many proposed counter-thermal solutions employ features analogous to a “baked potato” by a non- or relatively non-permeable barrier outside of a soldier to trap the soldier's body heat, thus avoiding detection. However, the obvious tradeoff for the counter-thermal properties is unbearable body heat build-up and the resulting discomfort for the soldier who should really have the optimal, achievable environmental conditions to focus on critical, real-world objectives. At their extremes, such drawbacks may even be fatal distractions in hostile environments.
What is needed is a new counter-thermal solution that addresses counter-thermal concealment in a way that also optimizes user comfort as well as operational functionality and versatility.
In accordance with the above, a new and innovative counter-thermal garment is provided. Embodiments of the invention include a counter-thermal garment with a cloak and head shroud with a face veil. The garment is constructed of substantially porous materials and, together with the designed structural features of the garment, is configured to form a volume and barrier around a user that initially retains body heat, then cools and dissipates the body heat through the barrier at a generally ambient temperature. The cloak and hood with veil portions have openings with quiet magnet closures. The cloak incorporates drawstring and channel systems configured to adjust arm length. The resulting garment balances concealment, comfort, and versatility.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claim or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
To further clarify the above and other aspects of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The drawings may not be drawn to scale. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
The present invention in its various embodiments, some of which are depicted in the figures herein, is a counter-thermal garment 100.
In general, counter-thermal garment 100 is comprised of a cloak portion 101 and a head shroud portion 111. Material that facilitates counter-thermal properties-such as polyester mesh (with apertures) or other suitable material—may be used throughout the garment 100. Such material-together with the structure(s) described below—may function to trap, cool, dissipate, obscure, and/or conceal a user's heat signature to outside detection, including thermal and infra-red sensors. Material may also include visual concealment features such as, for example, camouflage patterning and apertures, slits, laser-cut grooves and the like for placement of artificial and/or real vegetation (in ghillie suit fashion). Vegetation packs may be sold with or separately from the counter-thermal garment as a kit. Vegetation, particularly as placed at the head and/or shoulders, may function with the garment to dissipate top line heat signature.
Cloak portion 101 may be configured to generally cover a user wearing a backpack, herein defined as a ruck, backpack, or any other shoulder and/or back mounted or mountable equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, cloak portion 101 generally extends from a user's shoulders to the user's knees. However, in other embodiments cloak portion 101 may extend below a user's knees. Cloak portion 101 may have a head opening 102 adjacent to a top of the cloak portion 101. Cloak portion 101 may also have one or more vertically oriented first front openings 103 extending along a length of the cloak portion 101. In various embodiments, the one or more first front openings 103 may be bounded by one or more magnet closures 201 for opening and closing the one or more first front openings in a relatively quiet manner (as compared to, for example, snaps or velcro) for optimizing and balancing access and concealment. Magnet closures may be exposed and/or sewn into material-covered seams of the garment. In other embodiments, cloak portion 101 may have two or more (including non-centered) vertically oriented front openings with or without magnet or other closures.
Cloak portion 101 may also have one or more secondary front openings 104. In the illustrated embodiments, a secondary front opening 104 is formed as a window or aperture adjacent to and/or above the first front opening 103. Secondary front opening 104 may be configured to allow a user to access (through the cloak) electronics, smart phones, and/or other mobile devices mounted adjacent to a user's neck and/or chest, through the various configurations described herein.
Across various embodiments, cloak portion 101 has a first arm portion 105 and a second arm portion 106 configured to cover a user's respective arms. Adjacent to each arm portion 105, 106 is a drawstring and channel system 107, 108. The drawstring and channel system may be bounded by cord locks or other suitable fasteners and positioned within the cloak portion 101 in such a manner as to allow a user to adjust arm portion length and retain drawstring at certain positions.
In the illustrated embodiment, each drawstring and channel system 107, 108 runs generally along the respective arm portion at a location on the front, back, and/or over the front and back of the cloak portion 101. Arm portions may be shortened by pulling drawstring up through apertures (e.g., 109) positioned adjacent to, for example, the shoulders of the cloak portion. Conversely, arm portions may be lengthened by releasing drawstring down through such apertures. Drawstring channels and drawstring may extend through distal ends of arm portions and/or distal apertures adjacent to the general location of a user's hands, thereby allowing another cloak and/or arm portion adjustment point at such positions. So configured, fabric bunching may occur along surfaces of the cloak, creating further heat dissipation structure and properties and additional visually disruptive and concealing surfaces. In certain embodiments, pockets and/or pouches may be located on the cloak portion 101, for example, adjacent user shoulder locations and/or distal ends of arm portions, in order to store and/or access drawstring (including excess drawstring) that extends beyond channel ends of the drawstring and channel system.
The back of the cloak portion 101 may also have additional windows and/or apertures 303. One or more rear windows allow a person separate from the wearer/user to access a user's backpack (and, for example, gear or equipment) through the user's garment without requiring a user to remove the garment. Additionally, the location of such window and/or aperture may allow for the hood portion to pass through the window and be able to reverse the garment. The back of cloak portion 101 may also have a volume 301 configured to accommodate a ruck, backpack, and the like. The bottom edge of cloak portion 110 may be generally uneven, including scalloped-type cuts, gaps, fringing, and the like in order to achieve visual disruption.
The head shroud portion 111 is generally configured as a hood with veil that is removably positionable: (1) over the head (but not face) in a first configuration A; (2) over the head (and face) in a second configuration B; and (3) behind the head in a third configuration C. Head shroud portion 111 may be attached to the cloak portion 101 along a seam 302 at the cloak portion back, but otherwise have a free bottom edge.
The head shroud portion 111 may also have one or more vertically oriented first front openings 112 extending along a length of the head shroud portion 111. In various embodiments, the one or more first front openings 112 may be bounded by one or more magnet closures 202, again, for opening and closing the one or more first front openings in a relatively quiet manner (as compared to, for example, snaps or velcro) and to optimize and balance access and concealment.
Head shroud portion 111 may be configured to generally overlay the cloak portion 101 and form a volume around and substantially larger than a user's head. So configured, head shroud portion 111 may generally form a spacious tent around a wearer's head and shoulders in either the first A and/or second B configurations. Such tent may act to sink and cool heat signature while maintaining permeability and dissipation characteristics. The large volume of the head shroud portion also provides disruptive pattern properties. In certain embodiments, the head shroud portion 111 may also include shock cord and the like in order to secure the head shroud portion around a user's helmet.
Counter-thermal garment may have various other configurations without departing from the purposes and/or scope of the invention. In one example, the garment may be extended outwards, and through the cloak portion and arm portions specifically, by extending excess drawstring from terminal arm portions to form a hide site for a user positioned underneath the garment. In another example, the garment is fully reversable and may have different camouflage or other features on each side.
Across its embodiments, materials, structure, and features, including as described above, the counter-thermal garment solves the paradox of counter-thermal design, on one hand, and comfort and versatility, on the other.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, and the claims to be set forth in the corresponding non-provisional application to be filed, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
