Wearable with temperature control
AssigneeCube Recovery Company
InventorsAaron Young, Alex Richardson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wearable device having a body-to-liquid heat exchanger, configured to exchange heat between a user's body and a liquid, the body-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising a conformal bladder defining a serpentine portion of a liquid-flow path; a first conduit placing an inlet to the liquid-flow path in fluid communication with an outlet of a liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger; a second conduit placing an outlet of the liquid-flow path in fluid communication with an inlet of the liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger; and the liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger coupled to the first conduit and the second conduit.
Claims27
A device, comprising:
- a body-to-liquid heat exchanger, configured to exchange heat between a user's body and a liquid, the body-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising a conformal bladder defining a serpentine portion of a liquid-flow path, the bladder having a stress-relief aperture on an edge of the bladder and another aperture surrounded on all sides by the bladder and configured to receive a joint of the user;
- a first conduit placing an inlet to the liquid-flow path in fluid communication with an outlet of a liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger;
- a second conduit placing an outlet of the liquid-flow path in fluid communication with an inlet of the liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger;
- the liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger coupled to the first conduit and the second conduit, the liquid-to-ambient-air heat exchanger comprising:
- a pump in fluid communication with the liquid-flow path;
- a tank comprising another serpentine portion of the liquid-flow path;
- a Peltier thermoelectric cooler adjacent the tank and in thermal communication with the liquid-flow path;
- a heat sink adjacent the Peltier thermoelectric cooler, with the Peltier thermoelectric cooler being disposed between the tank and the heat sink;
- a fan configured to blow air onto fins of the heat sink;
- and
- a battery configured to provide electrical power to the Peltier thermoelectric cooler, the pump, and the fan;
- a valve positioned to release gas from a compressed-gas container responsive to a signal from a controller;
- and
- a channel into which the valve is positioned to direct the gas, the channel being configured to cause the gas to flow adjacent the heat sink to remove heat from the heat sink when the gas is released by the valve.
A device, comprising:
- a body-contacting heat exchanger configured to provide heat to a user's body, the body-contacting heat exchanger comprising a flexible panel;
- an actuator disposed on a side of the body-contacting heat exchanger away from the user's body, the actuator comprising at least one air bladder;
- a conduit placing the actuator in fluid communication with a compressor;
- the compressor configured to pressurize the actuator;
- a heater associated with the body-contacting heat exchanger;
- a controller operatively coupled to the heater and the compressor;
- a valve positioned to release gas from a compressed-gas container responsive to a signal from the controller;
- a channel into which the valve is positioned to direct the gas, the channel being configured to cause the gas to flow adjacent to a heat sink to remove heat from the heat sink when the gas is released by the valve;
- and
- a battery configured to provide electrical power to the heater, the compressor, and the controller,
- wherein, when the actuator is pressurized, the actuator presses the body-contacting heat exchanger against the user's body while the controller operates the heater to maintain a target temperature at the body-contacting heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.