US 8,499,367 B2 · Cooling garment having phase change material in its extremity portions

Abstract

A cooling garment comprises a phase change material and at least one of: at least one leg portion and at least one arm portion. The phase change material may have a transition temperature between solid and liquid phases of between about 60° F. to about 90° F. The at least one arm portion has the phase change material disposed therein, and the at least one leg portion has the phase change material disposed therein. The arm and leg portions may be attached to a torso portion and shorts portion, respectively, and may be removable therefrom. The cooling garment may include a sensor configured to indicate a cooling capacity of the phase change material. A portable container having a reactivation substance stored therein may be provided to reactivate the phase change material. In one embodiment, the portable container is part of a self-contained breathing apparatus. In another embodiment, the phase change material is submerged in the reactivation substance in the container.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method for increasing the time a worker may work in a high-temperature environment without risk of heat stroke by decreasing a human core temperature comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a cooling garment to a garment wearer, said garment comprising at least one removable portion selected from the group consisting of:
an arm portion and a leg portion, said portion dimensioned to substantially cover at least part of a human extremity, said portion further comprising an amount of phase change material in each portion, said phase change material able to undergo a phase change from solid to liquid at a temperature of from about 60 to about 90° F.;
and
(b) effecting a phase change in the phase change material from solid to liquid to cool the wearer by effecting heat loss in the wearer's body through the wearer's extremities;
wherein the garment does not comprise any phase change material in a torso portion of the garment and the phase change material in the removable portion is reactivated quickly once the cooling effect of the removable portion is exhausted.

2 more elements

A system for increasing the time a worker may work in a high-temperature environment without risk of heat stroke by decreasing a human core temperature comprising:

a cooling garment dimensioned to fit a wearer, said garment comprising at least one removable portion selected from the group consisting of:
an arm portion and a leg portion, said portion dimensioned to substantially cover at least part of a human extremity, said portion further comprising an amount of phase change material in each portion, said phase change material able to undergo a phase change from solid to liquid at a temperature of from about 60 to about 90° F.;
and
a reactivation substance for reactivating the phase change material;
wherein the phase change material undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid at a temperature of from about 60 to about 90° F. to cool the extremity of the wearer to substantially maintain a wearer's core temperature within a preselected temperature range by promoting a heat loss in a human body via the wearer's extremities, and
wherein the garment does not comprise any phase change material in a torso portion of the garment and the phase change material in the removable portion is reactivated quickly once the cooling effect of the removable portion is exhausted.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cooling garment having phase change material in its extremity portions

Life of this patent

Cooling garment having phase change material in its extremity portions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29