U.S. patent application number 13/346878 was filed with the patent office on 2013-07-11 for auto-ventilated outerwear.
The applicant listed for this patent is RYAN C. STOCKETT. Invention is credited to RYAN C. STOCKETT.
Application Number | 20130178146 13/346878 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48744226 |
Filed Date | 2013-07-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130178146 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
STOCKETT; RYAN C. |
July 11, 2013 |
AUTO-VENTILATED OUTERWEAR
Abstract
An outerwear clothing article is disclosed. The outerwear
clothing article may have an outer shell and at least one vent
forming a passage through the outer shell. The at least one vent
may have a closure element movable between a first position at
which flow through the vent is substantially unrestricted, and a
second position at which flow through the vent is restricted by the
closure element. The outerwear clothing article may also have a
sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a temperature
inside the outer shell, and an actuator controllable to move the
closure element between the first and second positions based on the
signal.
Inventors: |
STOCKETT; RYAN C.; (Lebanon,
NH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
STOCKETT; RYAN C. |
Lebanon |
NH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48744226 |
Appl. No.: |
13/346878 |
Filed: |
January 10, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
454/343 ; 2/69;
2/93; 454/339 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2221/38 20130101;
A41D 31/102 20190201; A41D 27/285 20130101; A41D 3/02 20130101;
F24F 7/007 20130101; A41D 13/0025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
454/343 ; 2/69;
2/93; 454/339 |
International
Class: |
A41D 3/02 20060101
A41D003/02; F24F 7/007 20060101 F24F007/007; F24F 7/00 20060101
F24F007/00 |
Claims
1. An outerwear clothing article, comprising: an outer shell; at
least one vent forming a passage through the outer shell and having
a closure element movable between a first position at which flow
through the vent is substantially unrestricted and a second
position at which flow through the vent is restricted by the
closure element; a sensor configured to generate a signal
indicative of a temperature inside the outer shell; and an actuator
controllable to move the closure element between the first and
second positions based on the signal.
2. The outerwear clothing article of claim 1, further including a
controller in communication with the sensor and the actuator, the
controller being configured to receive the signal and responsively
control the actuator.
3. The outerwear clothing article of claim 2, wherein the
controller is configured to control the actuator to move the
closure element from the second position toward the first position
when the signal indicates a temperature within the outer shell
above a threshold temperature.
4. The outerwear clothing article of claim 1, wherein: the outer
shell forms a portion of a coat; and the at least one vent is
located in at least one of an upper chest area, a lower back area,
and a torsal-side area of the coat.
5. The outerwear clothing article of claim 1, wherein the at least
one vent includes multiple vents forming multiple passages through
the outer shell.
6. The outerwear clothing article of claim 5, wherein: a first of
the multiple vents is located at a first side of the outerwear
clothing article; and a second of the multiple vents is located at
a second side of the outerwear clothing article opposite the first
side.
7. The outerwear clothing article of claim 6, wherein: the outer
shell forms a portion of a coat; the first vent is located at a
chest area of the coat; and the second vent is located at a lower
back area of the coat.
8. The outerwear clothing article of claim 1, wherein: the outer
shell forms a portion of pants; and the vent is located at a
back-of-the-knee area of the pants.
9. The outerwear clothing article of claim 1, further including at
least one fan associated with the at least one vent and driven by
the actuator, activation of the fan being controllable based on the
signal to generate flow through the at least one vent.
10. The outerwear clothing article of claim 9, wherein: the at
least one vent includes a plurality of vents; the at least one fan
includes a plurality of fans associated with the plurality of
vents; at least one of the plurality of fans is configured to draw
air into the outer shell; and at least one of the plurality of fans
is configured to push air out of the outer shell.
11. The outerwear clothing article of claim 9, further including a
battery configured to power the actuator and the at least one
fan.
12. The outerwear clothing article of claim 11, wherein the at
least one vent forms at least a partial housing for the sensor, the
actuator, the at least one fan, and the battery.
13. The outerwear clothing article of claim 1, wherein the closure
element of the at least one vent is rotatable relative to an outer
cover between the first and second positions.
14. A method of cooling an outerwear clothing article, comprising:
generating a signal indicative of a temperature within an outer
shell of the outerwear clothing article; and automatically opening
at least one vent in the outer shell based on the signal.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically opening the at
least one vent in the outer shell based on the signal includes
automatically opening the at least one vent when the signal
indicates a temperature within the outer shell above a desired
threshold temperature.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically opening the at
least one vent includes activating an electric motor.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein: the at least one vent includes
multiple vents forming multiple passages through the outer shell;
and automatically opening the at least one vent includes: opening
at least one of the multiple vents located at a first side of the
outerwear clothing article; and opening at least one of the
multiple vents located at a second side of the outerwear clothing
article.
18. The method of claim 17, further including driving with the
electric motor at least one fan associated with the at least one
vent based on the signal.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein driving at least one fan
includes: driving at least a first of the multiple fans to draw air
into the outer shell; and driving at least a second of the multiple
fans to push air out of the outer shell.
20. A coat, comprising: an outer shell forming an upper body
portion having a front and a back, a left sleeve connected to a
first side of the upper body portion between the front and the
back, and a right sleeve connected to a second side of the upper
body portion between the front and the back; at least two vents
disposed within the outer shell at spaced apart locations in the
upper body portion and forming at least two passages through the
outer shell, each of the at least two vents having a closure
element movable between a first position at which flow through each
of the at least two vents is substantially unrestricted and a
second position at which flow through each of the at least two
vents is restricted by the closure element; at least two fans
associated with the at least two vents, a first of the at least two
fans configured to draw air into the outer shell and a second of
the at least two fans configured to push air out of the outer
shell; at least two actuators controllable to move the closure
elements of the at least two vents between the first and second
positions and drive the at least two fans; a sensor configured to
generate a signal indicative of a temperature inside the outer
shell; and a controller in communication with the at least two
actuators, and the sensor, the controller being configured to
selectively cause the at least two actuators to move the closure
elements and drive the at least two fans when the signal indicates
the temperature inside the outer shell above a desired threshold
temperature.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure is directed to outerwear and, more
particularly, to an article of outerwear clothing having automated
ventilation.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Some sporting activities are performed in extreme
environments and require a range of effort from a participant that
can make the sporting activity difficult or even uncomfortable for
the participant. For example, skiing, hiking, and hunting can take
place in cold environments and involve periods of high-energy
expenditure (e.g., traversing a ski slope, hiking uphill, or
traveling to a tree-stand or ground blind under heavy load) as well
as idle periods of low-energy expenditure (e.g., riding a lift up
the ski slope, resting or hiking downhill, or waiting in the tree
stand or blind). During the times of high-energy expenditure, the
participant's body temperature can rise making the participant
uncomfortable and causing the participant to perspire. During times
of low-energy expenditure, the participant's body temperature
drops, again making the participant uncomfortable. When the idle
periods of low-energy expenditure closely follow the times of
high-energy expenditure, the body temperature of the participant
can fall to even lower levels due to evaporative effects of the
perspiration, thereby making the participant even more
uncomfortable.
[0003] Existing outerwear is designed to help alleviate some of the
problems discussed above. In particular, existing outerwear often
includes manual vents that can be opened or closed by the
participant to help maintain a desired body temperature. Although
effective, this type of outwear can also be time consuming and
disruptive to the current sporting activity. In particular, the
participant must be constantly vigilant about monitoring the body
temperature and opening or closing the manual vent. For this
reason, the manual vents are often only opened or closed after the
body temperature of the participant has already reached
uncomfortable levels (e.g., after the participant has already
started to perspire or is already chilled). In addition, the amount
of cooling provided by the manual vents may be inadequate for some
situations.
[0004] One attempt to address the problems discussed above is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,938 that issued to Ichigaya on
Oct. 17, 2006 ("the '938 patent"). In particular, the '938 patent
discloses a cooling suit for allowing comfort of an operator. The
cooling suit includes a cloth part having an upper portion made of
a highly air-permeable material, and a remaining portion made of a
substantially air-impermeable material. Provided at a lower area of
the remaining portion are circular air outlets and corresponding
fans for forcibly extracting air-streams from within the cooling
suit. In this configuration, outside air is introduced into the
upper portion of the cooling suit and drawn by the fans down
through the lower area and out of the air outlets in a manner
substantially parallel to the wearer's body surface so that the
wearer's body is cooled. The fans are powered by a battery pack
attached to a belt of the wearer and manually activated via a
switch on the battery pack.
[0005] Although perhaps an improvement over conventional outwear,
the cooling suit of the '938 patent may still be less than optimal.
For example, the cooling suit may always be open to ventilation
and, accordingly, may result in too much cooling for some
applications. In addition, the cooling suit still requires manual
activation of the system to obtain desired cooling. Further,
electrical power lines that extend from the belt-located battery
pack to the fans may be cumbersome and prone to damage.
[0006] The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more
of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior
art.
SUMMARY
[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an
outerwear clothing article. The outwear clothing article may
include an outer shell and at least one vent forming a passage
through the outer shell. The at least one vent may have a closure
element movable between a first position at which flow through the
vent is substantially unrestricted, and a second position at which
flow through the vent is restricted by the closure element. The
outerwear clothing article may also include a sensor configured to
generate a signal indicative of a temperature inside the outer
shell, and an actuator controllable to move the closure element
between the first and second positions based on the signal.
[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a
method of cooling an outerwear clothing article. The method may
include generating a signal indicative of a temperature within an
outer shell of the outerwear clothing article. The method may also
include automatically opening at least one vent in the outer shell
based on the signal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIGS. 1-3 are pictorial illustrations of exemplary outerwear
clothing articles;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a pictorial illustration of an exemplary disclosed
vent that may be used in conjunction with the outerwear clothing
articles of FIGS. 1-3; and
[0011] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the vent of FIG.
4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate exemplary disclosed outerwear clothing
articles 10. Outerwear clothing articles 10 may include, for
example, a jacket or coat (shown in FIG. 1); insulated pants (shown
in FIG. 3), coveralls, or bibs; footwear (not shown); or other
outerwear known in the art.
[0013] With respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, outerwear
clothing article 10 may include, among other things, an outer shell
12 forming an upper body portion 14 having a front 14F, a back 14B,
a left torsal side portion 14L disposed between front 14F and back
14B, and a right torsal side portion 14R diposed between front 14F
and back 14B opposite left torsal side portion 14L. Outer shell 12
may also form a left sleeve 16L connected at left torsal side
portion 14L, and a right sleeve 16R connected at right torsal side
portion 14R. In some embodiments, outerwear clothing article 10 may
also include a hood 18, if desired. Hood 18, if included, may be
integral with upper body portion 14 or selectively detachable.
Outer shell 12 may be fabricated from any material known in the
art, for example an air impermeable material, a waterproof or
water-resistant material, a breathable material, an absorbing
material, another material, or a combination of any of these
materials. Outer shell 12 may also be provided with features
commonly found in related clothing articles, for example zippers,
draw-strings, pockets, liners, etc.
[0014] With respect to the embodiment of FIG. 3, outerwear clothing
article 10 may include, among other things, an outer shell 20
forming a lower body portion 22 having a front 22F, a back 22B, a
left pant leg 24L extending from lower body portion 22, and a right
pant leg 24R also extending from lower body portion 22. In some
embodiments, outerwear clothing article 20 may also include an
upper body portion (not shown), if desired, for example a portion
that covers only a chest portion (bibs) or a portion that covers
most or all of the wearer's upper body (coveralls). Similar to the
embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, outer shell 20 may be fabricated from
any material known in the art, for example an air-impermeable
material, a waterproof or water-resistant material, a breathable
material, an absorbing material, another material, or a combination
of any of these materials. Outer shell 20 may also be provided with
features commonly found in related clothing articles, for example
zippers, draw-strings, pockets, liners, suspenders, etc.
[0015] As shown in each of FIGS. 1-3, outer shells 12, 20 may be
provided with one or more vents 26. Vents 26 may be located in
strategically beneficial locations. For example, with respect to
the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, vents 26 may be located at an
upper chest area on front 14F, a lower back area on back 14B, at
one or both of left and right side torsal portions 14L, 14R, or at
an intersection of hood 18 with back 14B. With respect to the
embodiment of FIG. 3, vents 26 may be located at a back-of-the-knee
area within left and/or right pant legs 24L, 24R, at an inner thigh
area (not shown), or at another location. Vents 26 may be located
at any location where selective ventilation of the location may be
desired by the wearer of outerwear clothing article 10.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, vent 26 may include a closure element
configured to selectively establish a flow passage 28 through outer
shells 12, 20. In the disclosed embodiment, vent 26 may be a rotary
type element having a closure element 30 concentrically located
within an outer cover 32. In this configuration, closure element 30
may be movable (e.g., rotatable relative to outer cover 32) between
a first or flow-passing position at which flow through passage 28
is substantially unrestricted, and a second or flow-blocking
position at which flow through passage 28 is restricted or
completely blocked by closure element 30. Closure element 30 may be
movable to any position between the first and second positions to
vary a size of passage 28 and/or a restriction on a flow of air
passing through vent 26. Closure element 30 and/or outer cover 32
may be fabricated from, for example, a plastic material (e.g.,
polyethylene, rubber, or another material), a corrosive-resistant
material (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, or another metal with or
without a corrosive-resistant coating), or another material known
in the art. In some embodiments, a seal (not shown) may be disposed
between closure element 30 and outer cover 32, if desired.
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates vent 26 in exploded view. As can be seen
in FIG. 5, vent 26 may include an actuator 34 operatively connected
to closure element 30, a controller 36 in communication with
actuator 34, a power supply 38, and a sensor 40. In this
configuration, controller 36 may be configured to selectively cause
actuator 34 to move closure element 30 between the first and second
positions utilizing power from power supply 36 based on signals
from sensor 40.
[0018] Actuator 34 may include, for example, a direct current
continuous electric motor 42 that is connected to closure element
30 by way of a drive train 44. Actuator 34 may be configured to
rotate drive train 44 in a first direction at a continuous speed
and/or with a continuous force when supplied with a positive
current, and rotate drive train 44 in a second direction at a
continuous speed and/or with a continuous force when supplied with
a negative current. Alternatively, electric motor 42 may be a
stepper-type motor, if desired, such that drive train 44 is driven
by a discrete amount in a particular direction each time that a
corresponding positive or negative current is applied to electric
motor 42. Drive train 44 may include a single shaft that directly
connects electric motor 42 to closure element 30 or also include
one or more gears (e.g., a planetary gear set) that together
connect an output of electric motor 42 to closure element 30 in a
desired manner (e.g., at a different speed, with a different force,
and/or in a different rotational direction).
[0019] Controller 36 may include means for receiving signals from
sensor 40, for comparing the signals with threshold values, and for
selectively activating actuator 34 based on the comparison. For
example, controller 36 may include a memory, a secondary storage
device, a clock, and one or more processors that cooperate to
accomplish a task consistent with the present disclosure. Numerous
commercially available microprocessors can be configured to perform
the functions of controller 36. It should be appreciated that
controller 36 could readily embody a computer system capable of
controlling numerous other functions. Various other known circuits
may be associated with controller 36, including signal-conditioning
circuitry, communication circuitry, and other appropriate
circuitry. It should also be appreciated that controller 36 may
include one or more of an application-specific integrated circuit
(ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a computer system,
and a logic circuit configured to allow controller 36 to function
in accordance with the present disclosure. Thus, the memory of
controller 36 may embody, for example, the flash memory of an ASIC,
flip-flops in an FPGA, the random access memory of a computer
system, or a memory contained in a logic circuit.
[0020] Power supply 38 may be a battery, for example an alkaline
battery, a lithium ion battery, or another type of battery known in
the art that selectively supplies power to actuator 34 when allowed
to and/or commanded to do so by controller 36. Power supply 38 may
be dedicated to supplying power to only a single actuator 34
associated with a single vent 26 or, alternatively, to multiple
actuators 34 associated with different vents 26. If power supply 38
is used to provide power to multiple actuators 42, wires (not
shown) connecting power supply 38 to actuators 42 may be disposed
within outer shells 12, 20 or within other layers of outerwear
clothing article 10, as desired. In one embodiment, power supply 38
may be rechargeable and connected to a charging inlet 46 (shown in
FIG. 1). Charging inlet 46 may, in turn, be selectively connected
with a power adapter (not shown) that plugs into an a wall outlet,
with a USB cable (not shown), or with any other type of adapter or
outlet.
[0021] Sensor 40 may embody, for example, a temperature sensor
configured to generate a signal indicative of a temperature within
outer shell 10. Sensor 40 may be located at any desired position
relative to the remaining components of vent 26 such that a
temperature at a particular location within outer shells 12, 20 may
be detected. For example, sensor 40 may be directly exposed to an
interior of outer shells 12, 20, at an interior side of vent 26,
and/or in communication with a flow path within outer shells 12,
20. The resulting signal generated by sensor 40 may be directed to
controller 36 for further processing. It is contemplated that each
vent 26 may be provided with a dedicated sensor 40 (as shown) or,
alternatively, that multiple vents 26 may rely on signals from a
common sensor, if desired.
[0022] In one embodiment, the components of each vent 26 may be
packaged together as an integral module within outer cover 32. In
particular, outer cover 32 may provide a housing that is
connectable to a mounting platform 48 on which the remaining
components of vent 26 may be located. In this configuration,
mounting platform 48 may be air-permeable and fixedly connected to
outer shells 12, 20, for example by way of stitching. Outer cover
32 may then be removably attached to mounting platform 48 to
provide an enclosure that protects the remaining components.
Accordingly, the routing of wires within outer shell 10 may not
required in this embodiment. It should be noted that other
packaging arrangements may also be possible.
[0023] In a particular disclosed embodiment, vent 26 may also be
provided with a fan 50. Fan 50 may be disposed between actuator 34
and closure element 30, and driven by actuator 34. For example,
motor 42 may be connected to drive both of closure element 30 and
fan 50 by way of a planetary gear drive (not shown) associated with
drive train 44. Specifically, a sun gear (not shown) may be
connected in parallel with fan 50 to a shaft of drive train 44 that
is directly driven by motor 42, and a ring gear (not shown) may be
connected to closure element 30 and driven by the sun gear via one
or more sets of planet gears (not shown). In this configuration, a
first duration of motor activation may function to rotate closure
element 30 toward the flow-passing position until a first end-stop
(not shown) engages a portion of outer cover 32 and/or mounting
platform 48, and subsequent activation of motor 42 may function to
rotate fan 50 at high speed for active ventilation. Alternatively,
motor 42 may be deactivated after engagement of closure element 30
with the end-stop for passive ventilation. To then move closure
element 30 toward the flow-blocking position, the current passing
through motor 42 may be reversed for a short period of time until a
second end-stop (not shown) is engaged. The current passing through
motor 42 may then be terminated.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0024] The disclosed outerwear clothing article may be useful in
many different applications including, among others, skiing,
hiking, and hunting applications. In fact, the disclosed outerwear
clothing article may be used in any application where automated
ventilation can improve the ease of the associated activity and/or
the comfort level of the wearer. Operation of outerwear clothing
article 10 will now be described in detail.
[0025] During initial use of outerwear clothing article 10, closure
element 30 of vent 26 may initially be in its flow-blocking
position. As an energy expenditure level of the wearer of outerwear
clothing article 10 begins to increase, a body temperature of the
wearer may also increase in a proportional manner. At this time,
sensor 40 may generate a signal indicative of the temperature
within outer shells 12, 20 and communicate this signal to
controller 36.
[0026] Controller 36 may selectively activate actuator 34 and/or
fan 50 based on the signal from sensor 40. In particular,
controller 36 may compare the signal from sensor 40 with one or
more threshold values and, based on the comparison, activate
actuator 34 to move closure element 30 to its flow-passing
position. For example, when the signal indicates a temperature
within outer shell 12 above a desired threshold temperature,
controller 36 may activate actuator 34 to move closure element 30
to the flow-passing position. In some embodiments, controller 36
may also activate actuator 34 to drive fan 50 when the temperature
within outer shell 12 is above the desired threshold temperature.
Alternatively, controller 36 may only activate actuator 34 to drive
fan 50 only when the temperature within outer shell 12, as
indicated by the signal from sensor 40, is above a second higher
threshold temperature. In other words, controller 36 may implement
a multi-stage cooling process, wherein vent 26 is used alone during
a first stage to passively cool outwear clothing article 10 when
the temperature within outer shell 12 is at a first level, and vent
26 and fan 50 are used together during a second stage to actively
cool outerwear clothing article 10 when the temperature within
outer shell 12 is at a higher second level.
[0027] In some embodiments, different vents 26 may work together to
reduce the temperatures within outer shell 12. For example, based
on signals from one or more sensors 40, fans 50 of one or more
vents 26 may be driven to draw air into outer shell 12, while fans
50 of other vents 26 may be driven in a reverse direction to push
air out of outer shell 12. In this manner, a flow of air may be
generated through outer shell 12 that improves circulation and
cooling within outerwear clothing article 10.
[0028] After cooling for a period of time, the signal from sensor
40 may indicate a lower temperature within outer shell 12. Based on
a comparison of the signal from sensor 40 with the same or another
threshold temperatures, controller 36 may selectively cause
actuator 34 to stop driving fan 50 and/or to rotate closure element
30 to its flow-blocking position.
[0029] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the outwear clothing
article of the present disclosure without departing from the scope
of the disclosure. Other embodiments will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and
practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, it is
contemplated that operation of vent 26, such as operation of fan 50
and/or movement of closure element 32 may be manually controlled
(e.g., turned on/off or adjusted for temperature, vent opening
amount, and/or fan speed), if desired, through an interface (not
shown) associated with controller 36. It is also contemplated that
a heating element (not shown) may optionally be associated with
vent 26 and selectively activated based on the signals from sensor
40. It is intended that the specification and examples be
considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure
being indicated by the following claims.
* * * * *