Evaporative personal cooler

A self-contained device for cooling the neck or forehead of the body of a user, comprising:

• a generally C-shaped housing sized to fit around at least 180.degree. conformally about said user's neck or forehead and defining at least one air intake opening, at least one moisture intake opening, and at least one air exit vent opening;
• at least one heat dissipating metal plate disposed within said housing and having a first body-facing surface and an opposite plenum-facing second surface that defines a surface area exceeding an area of said first body-facing surface to promote heat dissipation, said plate being conformally urged toward said user's neck or forehead;
• a liquid-retainable material disposed within said housing so as to contact at least a chosen one of an upper region and a lower region of said metal plates while being spaced-apart from said second surface of said metal plate so as to define at least one plenum, a portion of said liquid-retainable material being in proximity to said moisture intake opening in said housing;
• and
• a DC motor and fan blade assembly, at least said fan blade assembly being disposed within said housing to draw ambient air through said air intake opening into said housing for circulation along at least a portion of said plenum before exiting through said air exit vent.

A method for cooling a portion of a user's body with a self-contained device, the method comprising:

• (a) biasedly retaining a first surface of a heat dissipating member against said portion, said heat dissipating member having an opposite second surface having an area exceeding an area of said first surface;
• (b) disposing a liquid-retaining material saturated with liquid such that said material contacts at least a chosen one of an upper region and a lower region of said heat dissipating member while being spaced-apart from said second surface of said heat dissipating member to define at least one plenum, wherein liquid from said material may wet said second surface of said heat dissipating member;
• and
• (c) moving ambient air through said plenum to promote evaporation of said liquid from said second surface;
• wherein evaporation of said liquid from said second surface lowers temperature of said heat dissipating member below ambient temperature, thus cooling said portion of said user.