Patent Grant
7413302
People are encouraged to wear life jackets when they are engaged in water sports such a water-skiing, boating, or jet-skiing. However, the same individuals are usually interested in an even suntan. When someone wears a traditional life jacket the area under the life jacket receives no tan and the other areas are very darkly tanned leaving embarrassing lines between the two regions.
Clothing, especially bathing suits, is now available that allows the passage of ultraviolet radiation to facilitate a full body suntan. However, no one has taught a practical life vest that will transmit ultraviolet rays to give an even tan.
There is another issue—aesthetics. An individual may not wish to cover up their body or swimsuit with a light-blocking life vest. Thus, there is a need for a safe and practical life vest that would allow the passage of visible light.
Snow skiers and mountain climbers could also benefit from light selective articles. Garments that would pass heat-carrying ultra-violet radiation but block the loss of the body's infrared radiation would be very useful. Alternatively, garments that would pass visible light would be attractive for the style conscious resort skier that wished to show off their under-jacket garments.
In spite of the numerous possible uses for light selective sport garments there have been none taught beyond the famous light transmitting swimsuit invention of Reidel (U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,798). Reidel's fabric is actually not light transparent but based on the clever trick of a very loose fabric (hexagonal weave) so that only ⅓ of the skin is covered. Camouflage patterns on the suit then provide privacy by preventing the discernment of small physical features. Bortnick (U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,493) taught another swimsuit approach with a conventional rectangular weave but with coated fibers.
Other mentions of light passage in garments have been directed essentially to novelties. Danzy (U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,476) teaches a transparent patch in part of a garment to better display tattoos. Jones (U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,688) teaches a transparent pouch sewn onto a T-shirt to hold, for example, a liquid appearing like beer. Wheeler (U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,109) teaches what are essentially sunglasses attached to a cap.
The basic object of this invention is the use of light selective materials and fabrics to increase the utility of a garment or sports article. The invention is the novel idea that light selective materials and fabrics can radically improve the usefulness, pleasure, and appeal obtained from sportswear and other garments.
To illustrate the broad applications of this concept the following Table I may be useful by depicting a few examples:
For a Tan-Thru life vest one would prefer to transmit UV-A for the skin tanning properties but to limit the UV-B. The visible light is blocked for reasons of modesty and consumer choice. For the infrared radiation, we have two choices which can actually correspond to two different products. For colder and cloudy weather we would want to hold the infrared radiation within the body so we would block it to keep the wearer as warm as possible. This also reduces cancer risk as infrared can be carcinogenic. For sunny but chilly weather, when there is more infrared from the sun, we may wish to transmit this infrared heat to warm the user short-term. All of the life vests are either permanently or temporarily filled with a gas (including air or a foam material) to provide flotation.
For the Fast-Tan™ life vest, the UV-B would also be passed as the UV-B is a strong promoter of melanization.
For the See-Thru™ life vest, the visible light is passed but both of the UV wavelengths are blocked. The infrared treatment is optional as discussed above. For the See & Tan-Thru™ life vest both visible and UV-A light are transmitted but the UV-B is blocked.
The Greenhouse™ snow-ski vest (alternatively a coat with full length sleeves) would transmit UV-A as it provides high energy heating at high altitudes. The warm body then attempts to retransmit infrared (being of lower temperature than the sun and hence giving off lower frequency photons) which is blocked. Visible light is blocked to allow for the more modest consumer. The UV-B passage is optional. Blocking this reduces ultraviolet damage to light sensitive clothing beneath the vest. Gas filling is optional as it presents more insulation but also more bulk. Note that a single layer of UV-A passing material, that blocks IR, can warm the user without any gas filling being required.
The Show-Me™ ski vest or jacket passes visible light to allow the wearer to reveal clothing or physique beneath. The infrared is blocked to retain heat. The UV-A passage is optional depending on the amount of warming desired. No gas filler is indicated for this device.
The Air-Bag™ snow ski pants are gas filled. They offer light weight warmth and cushioning for falls. They protect the hips from falls as air is a very good shock absorber. They would pass visible light to prevent apparent bulk. Other light wavelength passage choices are optional.
It should be clear from the above samples that this invention presents a major new avenue in sport garments. The chart gives seven samples. However, if one were to amplify on this by considering more possible choices, the number of possibilities are impressive. For example, with the five choices of light wavelength transmission and gas filling there are 32=2*2*2*2*2 combinations. There are many choices for the garment or sport article to apply this invention to. Just counting the following: life vest, snow ski vest, snow ski jacket, snow ski pants, hat, gloves, umbrella, and tent gives 10 choices. Multiplying the 10 choices by the 32 combinations gives us 320 illustrations of this invention. The reader will appreciate that it is not necessary to list every one of these applications.
Beyond that flexibility, there are choices and materials that would divide the various light frequencies into different bands. For example, one might pass the lower frequency part of UV-B (310-320 nm wavelength) while blocking the more dangerous UV-B which has the 290-310 nm wavelengths. This would allow stimulation of tanning without the higher cancer risk of the full UV-B band.
A significant feature of this invention is sunglasses and vision-improving eyeglasses which prevent or reduce the unsightly untanned lines across the temple of the head.
Other useful materials include Ecdel from Eastman Chemical Company of Tennessee, TPX of Mitsui Plastic's Inc. of Japan, Teflon of DuPont Engineering Polymers, and Tenite of Eastman Chemical Company of Tennessee. Another suitable material would be a light stabilized polyamide based material. Such a light stabilized material is available from Allied Signal Incorporated of Morristown, N.J.
The practitioner in the art can find many useful references to assist in the choice of an appropriate material or fabric. For example, a material that will transmit visible and UV light but block infrared is taught in Allingham, et al. Mutzhas and Longstaff each teach appropriate materials for transmitting UV-A (lower frequency ultra-violet) and violet (visible). The following discussion of some of these material choices is liberally taken from them.
Polymers passing solar radiation, yet blocking infra-red radiation, can begin with a matrix of polyethylene or a copolymer in which polyethylene predominates, containing a sufficient quantity of a metaphosphate of a metal chosen from among group 1 to 3 of the periodic table. The addition of certain phosphates, and especially metaphosphates does not perceptibly impair the transmission of solar radiation, but changes in a very pronounced manner the transmission of infra-red radiation.
If the polyethylene or polyethylene copolymers have a finely dispersed phosphate ion (such as PO4−3) it will have a strong absorption in the IR region, while being substantially transparent in the visible range. The phosphates used are typically insoluble forms of sodium- potassium- calcium- or aluminum-metaphosphate. The quantity of these incorporated in the polymeric matrix may be varied between 1 and 20 percent by weight, the preferred range being 3 to 10 percent by weight. The preferred polyethylene is low density polyethylene or copolymers of ethylene with vinyl acetate. The insoluble forms of the above metaphosphates can be blended with a granulate of polyethylene by standard industrial processes, such as milling or double screw extrusion. The material can be blow-extruded and the resulting films have good mechanical strength. Experiments have shown that films of low density polyethylene containing from 5 to 10 percent by weight of sodium metaphosphate, or of potassium metaphosphate have good mechanical properties; they are substantially transparent to solar radiation, yet absorb at least 80 percent of infrared radiation.
Metaphosphates, or polymethaphosphates of aluminum, calcium, barium, etc. may also be suitable.
For the Tan-Thru™ embodiment the plastics material, which preferable is a thermo-plastic material or acrylic resin in the form of either a thin film or woven or knitted material, should exhibit the property of being transparent to long wave UV-A radiation of wavelengths between 320 and 400 nm and to visible light in the range between 400 and 450 nm which are those particularly associated with immediate pigment tanning. In addition, the visible light associated within the range 450-700 nm and a major portion of the IR wavelengths greater than 700 nm are absorbed.
Suitable materials are resins of vinyl chloride, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, or acrylic resins such as polymethyl-methacrylate. The vinyl chloride resins referred to are homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride and such resins may, in addition, contain plasticizers preferably of phathallate esters. Copolymers such as polyethylene/vinyl acetate and butadiene/styrene would also suffice. A preferred material is a plasticized polyvinyl chloride film of thickness between 100 and 300 microns, for example, 175 microns, and this may be a single film or a laminate formed with a reinforcing nylon or polyester net to give greater physical strength.
Whichever of the resins is used, it should not have a significant absorption, i.e., greater than 30%, of radiation of wavelengths between 310 and 450 nm. The resin should also be light-stable and non-volatile at the relatively high temperatures used in extrusion or callendering (i.e. about 150°-200° C.). Because these resins are transparent to substantially all of the available energy in the UV-A and UV-B wavelengths and most of the visible and IR spectrum, additional agents described below need to be added to the formulations to selectively filter the wave bands of light previously mentioned in order to achieve the desired effects.
As an alternative to rigid or plasticized thermoplastic film, a woven or knitted fabric preferably of nylon or polyester filaments may be used. A suitable support material is the polyester polyethylene terephthalate. Care must be taken to ensure that the particular cross-section of the fiber, the number of fibers per element and the orientation of the fiber in the woven or knitted fabric does not cause excessive light reflection or defraction. One example is ICI polyester.
A second fabric alternative to rigid film would be TietexR™ 18 gauge warp-knitted polyester. This particular fabric has highly organized linear orientated fibers which minimizes light defraction and encourages high general light transmission.
Because these polyesters have a high UV-B absorbing capacity in their own right, i.e. without additional UV absorbing agents, only those agents imparting visible and IR absorption need be added to create an ideal sunscreen.
The agent used typically in the rigid or plasticized film to achieve UV-B leakage in the range of 310-320 nm is ethylhexyl-p-methoxycinnamate at a weight concentration of 0.05%, when the film thickness is between 100-300 microns. For the same film, pigments such as Microlith Violet B-K, Cromoptal Blue A3R (Ciba-Geigy) and PV Carmine HF4C (Hoescht) at a concentration of 0.1% w/w provide ideal visible light absorption as well as imparting attractive coloration, and a heat sink comprising thermal black (finely divided carbon black) at a concentration of for example, 0.5% w/w, to absorb IR radiation. Film compounded from plasticized PVC and containing the above ingredients serves to transmit 20% UV-B in the wavelength range 310-320 nm, but excludes substantially all UV-B in the range 290-310 nm.
Similar levels of UV-B irradiance in the range 310-320 nm would be achieved by deployment of the previously described fiber fabrics, suitably surface printed or dyed with disperse dyes such as Dispersol Red B2-B at 2.25% w/w concentration. Infra-red may be absorbed by carbon black as previously described or reflected by titanium dioxide.
The life vest embodiment is made by having vertical separating walls 12, which break the vest into chambers 14. Each chamber 14 is filled with ultraviolet transmitting gas such as carbon dioxide or air or nitrogen among many others.
A molded plastic zipper 16 is used to secure the vest to the subject. Other methods of securement could be used as well. Straps to go around the back or crotch straps 200 (see
The vest in
This vest would be very comfortable and lightweight for subjects and yet would inflate instantly upon immersion in water. Even if the material is not 100% transmissive to the ultraviolet light, one can match the transmission by using the appropriate degree of sunblock on the exposed limbs. For example, one might use a 4 or 6 level sunblock on the arms to avoid having any contrasting tans.
Passive intrinsic flotation means 46 are an alternative also included in the vest. These can be made of light transmissive foam. The vest includes very reliable securement means to pull the two sides of the vest across the users chest 60 along with a retainer 58 for each adjustable closure 60 to prevent it from being easily removed. All corners 42 are rounded to prevent irritation or cutting of the user and edges 44 are heat sealed to prevent leakage.
The vest may have passive flotation elements, which are merely a sealed gas such as the pockets 88 or of transmissive foam such as those in pockets 104. An integral pump 90 can be used if someone would rather squeeze with their hands then to blow air into the device.
Pressure release valve 84 found on each side of the vest is to release excessive pressure from a CO2 malfunction, excessive manual inflation followed by high temperature, or someone jumping on the vest. This would allow enough air to leak out to prevent damage to the vest. The seams 94 are sewn to meet the Class 300 lockstitch level to meet federal standard 751.
The automatic inflation as well as the permanently inflated PFD chambers have integral fluid which is not hard in the presence of CO2 but hardens very quickly in the presence of oxygen or nitrogen. Thus if any leak were detected these would be self-sealing. This would be especially true along the stitch cracks of the stitching 130. This self-healing fluid would not work with breathing inflation as the oxygen and nitrogen from the breath would initiate the sealing process.
If, in a worse case situation, one of the third level chambers were to be punctured and completely deflate, it would deflate itself as well as the second level chamber that fed it and the first level chamber. However, this is only 3 of the 9 chambers lost due to the severe deflation on the one chamber and is much preferable to having the whole system deflated.
In the alternative a valve system could go by hose from the pressure and gas source to each one of the individual chambers. This would ensure that the deflation of no chamber could interfere with its neighbors. However, this adds expense and weight and makes transmissibility of visible and ultraviolet light more problematical.
a, b, and c show alternative backings to reduce the discomfort from the plastic adhering to the skin. In
Transparent foam is very difficult to make because of the Snell's law causing multiple pathways for the light as it goes in and out of each cell. However, the foam can be made translucent to allow the passage of ultraviolet light. A representative translucent foam material is high clarity polypropylene combined with endothermic buoying agents which is available from Coral Foam Company located at www.Coralfoam.com.
Also the NuSil Technology Company of Carpenteria, Calif. has a product R1-2354 which is a high strength RTV silicon foam which when catalyzed yields a medium density flame retardant silicone foam which is flexible and translucent.
These foams, while they are not transparent enough to, say, read a newspaper through, will allow, with some distortion, the basic images of a bathing suit to come through and thus achieve some of the vanity and appearance goals of the invention.
For a Tan-Thru™ life vest one would like to transmit UV-A for the melanization (skin tanning) properties but to limit the carcinogenic UV-B. The visible light is blocked for reasons of modesty and consumer choice. For the UV-A infrared radiation, we have two choices which can really correspond to two products, hence labeled optional.
For the Fast-Tan™ life vest, the UV-B would also be passed as the UV-B is a strong promoter of melanization.
For the See-Thru™ life vest, the visible light is passed but both of the UV wavelengths are blocked. The infrared treatment is optional as discussed above. For the See & Tan-Thru™ life vest both visible and UV-A light are transmitted but the UV-B is blocked.
The Greenhouse™ snow-ski vest (alternatively a coat with full length sleeves) would transmit UV-A. Visible light is blocked to allow for the more modest consumer. The UV-B passage is optional. Blocking this reduces ultraviolet damage to light sensitive clothing beneath the vest. Gas filling is optional as it presents more insulation but also more bulk. Note that a single layer of UV-A passing material can warm the user.
The Show-Me™ ski vest or jacket passes visible light to allow the wearer to reveal clothing or physique beneath. The UV-A passage is optional depending on the amount of warming desired. No gas filler is used for this embodiment.
Alternatively, there is a minimal frame as the bows connect either directly to the lenses or through a hinge mechanism 265.
The bow 250 is at least partially translucent to a predetermined spectrum of ultraviolet light. In one embodiment the bow 250 has a critical section 255, in the contact region of the temple, which is more translucent to a predetermined spectrum of ultraviolet light than is the remainder of the bow 250. The length of the translucent section 255 is preferably 3-5 cm long but lengths of 2-7 cm would also function well. The transition between the translucent section 255 and the less translucent sections of the bow 250 is preferably not sudden but rather graded. In the preferred embodiment the nose bridge is at least partially translucent to a predetermined spectrum of ultraviolet light. The critical sections 255 may be of different thicknesses than other sections of the bows 250. In one example, the critical section 255 may be generally thinner than other sections of the bows 250 and pass more UV light.
Another embodiment of the invention is a tent that passes UV and visible light but blocks ultra-violet. This would warm up during the day yet retain the heat of the inhabitants at night.
It should be understood that the foregoing relates only to preferred embodiments of the present invention, and that many changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/057,949, filed Feb. 14, 2005 and entitled “Tan Thru Glasses,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,844 filed Feb. 25, 2002 and entitled “Tan-Thru Glasses,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,168 filed Oct. 6, 2000 and entitled “Light Selective Sports Garments,” which is a continuation-in-part of the application Ser. No. 09/472,495 entitled, “Sun Tanning Life Vest” filed Dec. 27, 1999, now abandoned, which is itself a continuation-in-part of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,395 filed Sep. 11, 1997 and entitled “Sun Tanning Life Vest.” All of the above patents and applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10083844 | Feb 2002 | US |
| Child | 11057949 | US | |
| Parent | 09680484 | Oct 2000 | US |
| Child | 10083844 | US | |
| Parent | 09472495 | Dec 1999 | US |
| Child | 09680484 | US | |
| Parent | 08927243 | Sep 1997 | US |
| Child | 09472495 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11057949 | Feb 2005 | US |
| Child | 11674658 | US |
