Personal temperature control system

A method for cooling the human body, with a portable cooling system adapted to be carried on the human body, comprising:

• providing a first heat exchanger garment to be worn by a person, including a heat exchanger helmet worn on the head and a separate heat exchanger vest worn on the torso, the two being interconnected in series relationship, the helmet being positioned upstream of the vest in the first heat exchange garment, whereby the coolant entering the garment is first directed to the helmet and circulates through a series of channels throughout the helmet and circulates through a series of channels throughout the helmet and is thereby warmed somewhat by heat exchange in the helmet before passing through the vest, so that the temperature differential between the coolant and the human body is less in the vest than in the helmet;
• providing a compact portable housing unit attachable to the person and carried by the person, including a coolant liquid reservoir and a pump connected to the reservoir,
• providing a second heat exchanger in a portable form, with means for supporting it on the human body, carried by the person and including means for receiving a source of cooling and for exchanging heat between the source and a fluid-tight passageway within the second heat exchanger,
• interconnecting the first heat exchanger garment, the portable housing and the second heat exchanger by conduits with quick-disconnect couplings, so as to establish a first coolant conduit loop within which the first heat exchanger garment is positioned, and the first conduit loop including an inlet conduit to the heat exchanger garment and an outlet conduit from the heat exchanger garment and the reservoir and the pump within the first conduit loop, and also including a bypass conduit extending between the inlet and outlet conduits with the pump between the heat exchanger garment and the bypass conduit, and with an adjustable flow valve connected in the bypass conduit and contained in the portable housing unit to control the flow of coolant liquid through the bypass conduit, and so as to establish a second coolant conduit loop within which the second heat exchanger is positioned, including the bypass conduit as part of the second heat exchanger loop,
• the bypass valve being adjustable so that all, none or any proportion of the liquid coolant may be directed through the bypass conduit with the remainder, if any, being directed through the second coolant conduit loop,
• providing coolant liquid in the reservoir, the heat exchangers and the conduits,
• providing a source of cooling in the second heat exchanger,
• circulating coolant liquid with the pump, through the reservoir and the first coolant conduit loop and through the second coolant conduit loop,
• adjusting the adjustable flow valve to proportion the amount of coolant which (a) exits the first conduit loop and flows through the second conduit loop to be cooled in the second heat exchanger, and (b) flows through the bypass conduit and returns through the first conduit loop, to thereby regulate the amount of cooling of the coolant in the second heat exchanger and to set the coolant temperature in the helmet and vest at a selectable comfortable level for the person.

A temperature control system for the human body, adapted to be carried on the body of the user, comprising:

• a first heat exchanger in the form of a garment including a body vest adapted to be worn by a user, the body vest including a body of heat conducting mayterial with an elongated fluid-tight passageway, adapted to conduct heat away from the head and torso of the user when worn thereon in heat-conducting relationship;
• a second heat exchanger having means for receiving a source of cooling and including a body of heat conducting material with an elongated fluid-tight passageway, positioned to be in heat-conducting relationship with the source of cooling and being portable and having means for supporting it on the human body;
• a first coolant conduit loop within which the first heat exchanger garment is positioned, including outlet conduit means from the heat exchanger garment and inlet conduit means to the heat exchanger garment and a bypass conduit extending between the outlet and inlet conduit means;
• the vest including series of heat exchange channels running generally horizontally and connected so that coolant entering the vest is directed first to the upper portions of the vest and travels progressively downwardly through the heat exchange channels and ultimately through the lower portions of the vest, so that the temperature differential between the coolant and the human body is less in the lower portions of the vest than in the upper portions of the vest, avoiding vaso-constriction and increasing comfort to the user;
• a pump in the first conduit loop, in said inlet conduit means and between the heat exchanger garment and the bypass conduit, positioned to pump coolant liquid through the first heat exchanger garment from the inlet conduit means to the outlet conduit means;
• a coolant liquid reservoir having an inlet and an outlet positioned in the first coolant conduit loop and containing coolant liquid, the system being sealed and the coolant liquid reservoir comprising a hollow liquid-tight container made of flexible material with a wall thickness selected to provide expansion/contraction flexure of the container when it is subjected to a differential of internal and external pressures, whereby venting to atmosphere is avoided;
• a second coolant conduit loop within which the second heat exchanger is positioned, including said bypass conduit as part of the second conduit loop;
• the second heat exchanger comprising a liner of two panels of plastic film sealed to each other along their sides and ends to provide a fluid tight passageway through which the coolant flows, the liner enveloping and contacting a cooling source whereby heat exchange occurs between the coolant and the cooling source;
• a flow restrictor in the outlet conduit means, positioned to maintain a higher pressure in the coolant in the first heat exchanger garment than in the second heat exchanger;
• adjustable flow valve means connected in the bypass conduit, for adjusting the proportion of liquid coolant flowing from the outlet conduit means through (a) the second coolant conduit loop and (b) the bypass conduit, such valve being adjustable so that all, none or any proportion of the liquid coolant may be directed through the bypass conduit with the remainder, if any, being directed through the second coolant conduit loop;
• a portable housing wherein the coolant liquid reservoir, the pump, the bypass conduit and the adjustable flow valve means are contained separate from the garment and the second heat exchanger, the housing providing conduit portions and quick-disconnect coupling means for connecting the pump ultimately to the heat exchanger garment and for connecting the outlet means ultimately to an upstream end of the bypass conduit;
• and
• means for securing the portable housing on the body of the user, whereby the system is easily carried by the user for movement through hostile, high-temperature environments.

A temperature control system for the human body, adapted to be carried on the body of the user, comprising:

• a first heat exchanger in the form of a garment including a helmet adapted to be worn by a user, the helmet including a body of heat conducting material with an elongated fluid-tight passageway, adapted to conduct heat away from the head of the user when worn thereon in heat-conducting relationship;
• a second heat exchanger having means for receiving a source of cooling and including a body of heat conducting material with an elongated fluid-tight passageway, positioned to be in heat-conducting relationship with source of cooling;
• a first coolant conduit loop within which the first heat exchanger garment is positioned, including outlet conduit means from the heat exchanger garment and inlet conduit means to the heat exchanger garment and a bypass conduit extending between the outlet and inlet conduit means;
• a pump in the first conduit loop, in said inlet conduit means and between the heat exchanger garment and the bypass conduit, positioned to pump coolant liquid through the first heat exchanger garment from the inlet conduit means to the outlet conduit means;
• a coolant liquid reservoir having an inlet and an outlet positioned in the first coolant conduit loop and containing coolant liquid;
• the system being sealed and the coolant liquid reservoir comprising a hollow liquid-tight container made of flexible material with a wall thickness selected to provide expansion/contraction flexure of the container when it is subjected to a differential of internal and external pressures, whereby venting to atmosphere is avoided;
• a second coolant conduit loop within which the second heat exchanger is positioned, including said bypass conduit as part of the second conduit loop;
• the second heat exchanger comprising a liner of two panels of plastic film sealed to each other along their sides and ends to provide a fluid tight passageway through which the coolant flows, the liner enveloping and contacting a cooling source whereby a heat exchange occurs between the coolant and the cooling source;
• a flow restrictor in the outlet conduit means, positioned to maintain a higher pressure in the coolant in the first heat exchanger garment than in the second heat exchanger;
• adjustable flow valve mans connected in the bypass conduit, for adjusting the proportion of liquid coolant flowing from the outlet conduit means through (a) the second coolant conduit loop and (b) the bypass conduit, such valve being adjustable so that all, none or any proportion of the liquid coolant may be directed through the bypass conduit with the remainder, if any, being directed through the second coolant conduit loop;
• a portable housing mans wherein the coolant liquid reservoir, the pump, the bypass conduit and the adjustable flow valve means are contained separated from the garment and the second heat exchanger, the housing providing conduit portions and quick-disconnect coupling means for connecting the pump ultimately to the heat exchanger garment and for connecting the outlet means ultimately to an upstream end of the bypass conduit;
• and
• means for carrying the portable housing means and the second heat exchanger on the body of the user, whereby the system is easily carried by the user for movement through hostile, high-temperature environments.