Patent Application
20190008676
None.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable
This invention relates to the field of garments. More specifically, the invention comprises a wearable vest that transfers heat to a wearer or absorbs heat from a wearer.
Outer garments have long been used to regulate beat transfer from a human wearer. Most garments serve to reduce beat loss on cold days, and vests have been used tor this purpose for many years. In more recent times some garments have been used to absorb heat from the wearer. In the field of sports medicine, it is now well understood that pre-cooling an athlete enhances performance during an event. In addition, cooling an athlete immediately after an event often aids in recovery.
In the pre-cooling scenario, the body's core temperature must be reduced. As the human body seeks at all times to maintain a fixed core temperature, a substantial heat transfer is required to create the desired reduction. An outer garment may be used to locate a suitable heat transfer medium against-the user's torso. The temperature of the transfer medium must be significantly below the user's skin temperature. However, a temperature difference that is too great will cause tissue damage. The use of a garment-based heat transfer mechanism therefore presents the competing concerns of (1) a temperature difference that is great enough to transfer sufficient heat, and (2) a temperature difference that is small enough to a void tissue damage.
A beat transfer medium that undergoes a phase change offers advantages. First, the use of a phase change allows the absorption of much more heat that would be possible in its absence. Second, the use of a phase change provides a steady temperature for the beat transfer medium as it is transitioning from a solid to a liquid (the temperature of a substance being constant in that process).
One suitable heat transfer medium is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,491 to Kolen and Nebolon. This patent discloses a hydrating liquid consisting of a solution of water and a humectant selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, glycerin, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, and combinations thereof. Upon freezing, these solutions create a solid state that is akin to packed snow or crushed ice. It remains pliable instead of freezing into a unified solid mass. More recent developments regarding this type of heat transfer medium are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,039,747 to Nebolon and Gardner.
It is known in the art to provide heat transfer packs such as disclosed in the '491 and '747Patents. These packs are typically placed in a pocket formed as part of a securing wrap or garment. These have been used in medical applications for cooling therapy (such as following knee surgery). Recently such packs have been used for pre-cooling in the field of sports medicine, post cooling to aid in recovery, and precooling for high heat environments.
Beyond the field of athletics, research data now indicates that human performance is adversely affected by heat in many different environments. For example, industrial production facilities often have elevated ambient temperatures. Some facilities operate with ambient temperatures between 32 and 40 degrees centigrade (90 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit). A metal forging factory experiences this range of temperatures, particularly in the summer.
The human body can tolerate these temperature indefinitely, but it is now understood that performance will be adversely affected. This degradation leads to lower productivity, cognitive performance loss, and even an increase in workplace accidents. In fact, European regulatory agencies are not considering restricting the length of exposure to such temperatures.
A heat transfer garment can enhance the productivity of workers in these high-heat environments. A suitable garment can allow a human operator's core temperature to remain normal even when the operator is surrounded by a hot environment.
Of course, the effects of cold temperatures on human performance may be just as pronounced. In cold environments it may be desirable to provide a garment that actually transfers heat to the wearer (as opposed to simply reducing the heat loss rate from the wearer).
The present invention provides a heat transfer garment that may be used to enhance human performance in many applications.
The present invention comprises a heat transfer vest. The vest is configured to mount a plurality of heat transfer packs emits interior surface. In the preferred embodiments the appropriate portions of the interior surface are covered in a hook-compatible material (such as VELCRO loop material). In these versions, the thermal transfer packs include one or more hook panels that are used to attach the packs to the interior surface.
For the versions intended to absorb heat from the wearer, the thermal transfer packs preferably contain a heat transfer medium that undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid well below human body temperature. The medium preferably also transitions to a “soft” solid skin to packed snow or crushed ice. The packs also include a cover material on the side facing the user. This cover material provides some insulation between the wearer and the cold heat transfer medium. It preferably also provides a wicking action to that moisture is not trapped.
While primarily intended for cooling applications the inventive vest may also be used for heating applications. In these embodiments, the temperature of the thermal transfer packs is initially above that of human body temperature.
Back panel 10 is configured to rest against the user's back. Left front panel 18 and right front panel 20 are configured to rest against the anterior portion of the user's abdomen and chest. Left and right yoke panels 14, 16 pass over the users shoulders and joint the left and right front panels 18, 20 to back panel 10. Seams are shown where these various panels are joined, but seams will not always be present. In some versions the vest may be made of one contiguous panel or some other configuration of multiple panels.
The two front panels meet at vertical break 42, which is selectively closed using zipper 40. Right front panel 20 includes right front lateral extension 24. Left front panel 18 includes left front lateral extension 22. The two lateral sides of back panel 10 preferably include lateral extensions as well. Left arm relief 26 and right arm relief 28 lie above the region of the lateral extensions.
The lateral extensions are configured to overlap in order to adjust the overall circumference of the vest when it is donned by a user. The vest preferably includes adjustable securement mechanisms so that it can fit a wide variety of users. In the version shown in
The free end of each strap includes a hook panel. These are hook panels 44, 50, 52, and 54. Loop panels 32, 34, 36, and 38 are provided on exterior surface 30 of left front panel 18 and right front panel 20. The vest is designed so that it can be adjusted by the user. One good approach to adjusting the vest is to first don the vest and then zip up zipper 40 to close vertical break 42. The user then pulls the two straps tight and presses the hook panels on the free ends of the straps against the loop panels on the outward facing surface of the vest. For example, the user might first secure hook panel 52 to right upper loop panel 36. The user would then draw the upper strap to a desired level of tightness before securing hook panel 44 to left upper loop panel 32.
Next, the user secures hook panel 54 to right lower loop panel 38. Then he or she secures hook panel 50 to left lower loop panel 34. The position of the hook panels can be iteratively adjusted to achieve a comfortable fit. Compression of the transfer packs against the body is desirable to obtain a suitable rate of heat transfer. The two lateral gaps in the vest allow a very wide range of adjustment. An elastic functionality for straps 46, 48 is desired since this allows the user to stretch the straps and secure them—thereby providing a desired level of inward compression.
Ordinarily the straps will be disconnected each time the user removes the vest. Alternatively, once a comfortable fit is achieved, the hook panels may be left in place. The user then removes the vest by unzipping zipper 40 and secures it hack in place (when desired) by using the zipper again.
The neck and arm reliefs may be different for different applications. One application for the vest is a hot industrial environment. In this sort of environment a worker may need considerable freedom of movement. In such a case, the neck and arm reliefs may be enlarged to accommodate anticipated head and arm movements.
The inventive vest uses thermal transfer packs that are directly attached to its interior surfaces (as opposed to being placed in a pocket).
When this substance transitions to a solid it expands to a form that is similar to packed snow or crushed ice. Air is admitted to the Interior through valve 64 during the freezing process. When the medium melts valve 64 allows air out of the enclosed interior but not the liquid medium. Hook panels 66 are provided to attach thermal transfer pack 68 to the interior surface of the inventive vest (via the loop covering thereon).
Cover material 76 may be bonded to the thermal transfer pack by any suitable method—including adhesives or stitching. It is preferable for the side facing the user to have no exposed discontinuities as these may be irritating.
Heat transfer medium 72 is contained within interior 70 formed between the two layers of sealing material 74. Hook panel 66 is affixed to the outward-facing side of the assembly. The soft and pliable cover material 76 faces toward the user. Hook panel 66 faces away from the user and toward the loop covering on the inside of the vest.
The use of the hook-and-loop connection between the thermal transfer packs and the vest means that the user may move the packs to many desired locations and may “customize” the configuration to suit his or her preferences. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to provide a “standard” placement for some of the packs.
Standard locations may be marked on the vest's interior,
Once the desired thermal transfer packs are in position, the user may don the vest and adjust it for a suitable fit as shown in
The use of the hook-and-loop fasteners makes replacement of the thermal packs easy and convenient. If the user is working in a hot environment (and therefore using thermal transfer packs intended to cool), the packs will need to be changed approximately every four hours. A fresh supply of replacement packs can be prepared in a freezer. The user takes off the vest and lays it out as shown in
The inventive vest may incorporate other features to enhance its performance.
Throughout this disclosure, the term “loop material” should be understood to mean any material that is compatible with a hook panel so that the hook panel will adhere to the loop material. The term encompasses traditional VELCRO loop material but it encompasses many other materials as well.
MS patients may also benefit from additional cooling applied to the back of the neck and the lower posterior portions of the skull (other users may obviously benefit from cooling applied to these areas as well). Shawl collar 98 is provided in the version of the vest in
The shawl collar preferably includes elastic functionality so that the cranial pack will be urged against the user's neck and bead. The entire shawl collar may be made of elastic material (such as an elastic neoprene) or elastic panels may be provided in inelastic material.
Returning again to
Waterproof layer 118 prevents the water in evaporative layer 120 seeping inward. Of course, as those skilled in the art will know, waterproof layer 118 may include materials that allow wafer to pass outward through the layer but prevent water passing inward. In use, the outside of the jacket can be wetted (such as by pouring or spraying). The outside may also be rewetted at intervals to prolong the evaporative cooling effect.
Any of the known evaporative cooling fabrics could be used for evaporative layer 120. In some embodiments, the vest could simply be constructed as an evaporative cooling layer 120 on the outside of a layer of loop material 96. The vest in this instance would have cold packs affixed to the loop material and an evaporative cooling layer over the top. A single material could also be used for the evaporative cooling layer and the layer of loop material (which could then he made as a single layer).
The construction of
In some versions of the composite thermal transfer bag the sub-bags or outer bag can be include a thermochromatic material. This material changes color when the media freezes—thereby clearly indicating to the user whether all the sub-bags are fully transitioned to a solid. In some versions a thermochromatic ink may be added to the water within sub-bags 122. In other versions, the thermochromatic material will be a film added to the sub-bags, the overall bag, or both.
The various embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features:
1. The back panel yoke panels, and front panels may be made as one integral piece.
2. The back panel and front panels combine to encircle the user around the torso. Breaks in this circumference may be provided at various places (as well as potential overlaps) to allow the circumference of the encirclement to be adjusted so that the vest may fit different size users.
3. The loop covering may cover the entire interior surface of the vest. On the other hand, it may only include a band passing around the region of the user's navel.
4. The vest may be used with hot packs configured to transfer heat to the user. These hot packs may also incorporate a phase change.
5. The vest may be used with cold packs based on gel technology.
6. The closure mechanisms may include buckles or snaps rather than hook-and-loop devices.
7. The vest may be made in different sizes. For some versions the only closure mechanism may be the zipper.
8. The vest may include a groin strap that passes from the front to the rear between the user's legs. This strap could also be equipped with thermal transfer bags.
9. The fabrics used for the vest and for the thermal transfer bags may include antimicrobial agents that inhibit the formation of odor-producing substances.
Although the preceding descriptions present considerable detail they should be properly viewed as illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention rather than limiting the scope of the invention. Many more embodiments following the same principles will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims rather than by the examples given.
