U.S. patent application number 13/694506 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-12 for vest for cooling or warming the user.
The applicant listed for this patent is Wiley H. Ezell. Invention is credited to Wiley H. Ezell.
Application Number | 20140157484 13/694506 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50879361 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140157484 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ezell; Wiley H. |
June 12, 2014 |
Vest for cooling or warming the user
Abstract
A body temperature-adjusting vest which includes a plurality of
generally rectangular pockets in each of which is housed at least
one cooling and/or warming gel pack capable, when activated, of
transferring heat between its contents and the wearer's body. The
pockets themselves are part of a wide, belt-like, generally
symmetrical array worn snugly about the torso. Side-by-side pockets
form the array's mid-section where the vest's gel packs are
concentrated. Additional pockets are connected to, but spaced apart
from, the mid-section by elasticized side bands which pass under
the armpits and can be stretched slightly, pressing each pocket
against the torso. Reversible in that the array and shoulder straps
supporting it can be quickly repositioned and worn with the
mid-section in front or back, the vest can reduce a wearer's
exposure to changing wind directions and the like.
Inventors: |
Ezell; Wiley H.; (Chatham,
LA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ezell; Wiley H. |
Chatham |
LA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50879361 |
Appl. No.: |
13/694506 |
Filed: |
December 7, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/0053 20130101;
A41D 13/0058 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/102 |
International
Class: |
A41D 1/04 20060101
A41D001/04 |
Claims
1. A vest which a person can wear to keep himself cool in summer,
which comprises: (a) first and second elasticized side bands and a
plurality of generally rectangular pockets which are interconnected
in such a way as to form an elongated, generally symmetrical array,
the array including a mid-section which is spanned by at least two
of the pockets, each contiguous pair of pockets in the mid-section
being aligned side-by-side, distal ends of the first and second
elasticized side bands being attached to the mid-section and to
first and second pockets, respectively, which are disposed
proximate with the array's first and second terminal ends and
which, in use, are spaced apart from the mid-section; (b) a
releasable fastener and a pair of straps connecting the releasable
fastener to the first and second pockets at points thereon which,
in the case of the first pocket, are spaced apart from its juncture
with the first elasticized side band by approximately the first
pocket's width and which, in the case of the second pocket, are
spaced apart from its juncture with the second elasticized side
band by approximately the second pocket's width; (c) a plurality of
gel packs, the gel packs containing a gel which can absorb heat
energy for up to hours at a time once the gel has been activated,
at least one gel pack being mounted within each of the pockets
which are then sealed closed prior to use; and (d) means for
stretching the first and second elasticized side bands slightly
when the vest is held in place about a user's torso and, in the
process, pressing each of the pockets against his body, so that
heat energy can be transferred efficiently from it to the gel packs
mounted within the pockets.
2. The vest according to claim 1, wherein each of the pockets
includes two layers formed of a water-resistant cloth and a
heat-reflective liner, the liner being juxtaposed between the two
water-resistant layers and disposed contiguous with the inside
surface of the water-resistant cloth layer which is directed away
from the wearer's torso in use, the liner functioning as an
insulator to conserve some of the heat-absorbent capacity of the
gel contained within each gel pack sealed within each of the
individual pockets.
3. The vest according to claim 2, which is further characterized as
being reversible in that the generally symmetrical array can be
quickly rotated about the wearer's torso and then worn with the
array's mid-section held in front of his chest rather than behind
his back, all the while keeping the heat-reflective liner within
each pocket contiguous with the inside of the pocket's outer cloth
layer, so that a user can reposition the vest to adjust for
changing wind directions and temperatures which he may experience
while he is engaged in hours-long outdoor activities.
4. The vest according to claim 1, which further comprises means,
including a pair of shoulder straps connected to the mid-section
and to the first and second pockets, respectively, for adjusting,
in a vertical direction relative to the wearer's shoulders, the
position of the elongated, generally symmetrical array when it is
held in place about the torso during use, so that by repositioning
the array, the user can concentrate the transfer of heat energy
away from specific regions within the central core of his body
which otherwise tend to be too warm in hot weather.
5. A vest which a person can wear to keep himself warm in winter,
which comprises: (a) first and second elasticized side bands and a
plurality of generally rectangular pockets which are interconnected
in such a way as to form an elongated, generally symmetrical array,
the array including a mid-section which is spanned by at least two
of the pockets, each contiguous pair of pockets in the mid-section
being aligned side-by-side, distal ends of the first and second
elasticized side bands being attached to the mid-section and to
first and second pockets, respectively, which are disposed
proximate with the array's first and second terminal ends and
which, in use, are spaced apart from the mid-section; (b) a
releasable fastener and a pair of straps connecting the releasable
fastener to the first and second pockets at points thereon which,
in the case of the first pocket, are spaced apart from its juncture
with the first elasticized side band by approximately the first
pocket's width and which, in the case of the second pocket, are
spaced apart from its juncture with the second elasticized side
band by approximately the second pocket's width; (c) a plurality of
gel packs, the gel packs containing a gel which can release heat
energy for up to hours at a time once the gel has been activated,
at least one gel pack being mounted within each of the pockets
which are then sealed closed prior to use; and (d) means for
stretching the first and second elasticized side bands slightly
when the vest is held in place about a user's torso and, in the
process, pressing each of the pockets against his body, so that
heat energy can be transferred efficiently to it from the gel packs
mounted within the pockets.
6. The vest according to claim 5, wherein each of the pockets
includes two layers formed of a water-resistant cloth and a
heat-reflective liner, the liner being juxtaposed between the two
water-resistant cloth layers and disposed contiguous with the
inside surface of the water-resistant cloth layer which is directed
away from the wearer's torso in use, the liner functioning as an
insulator to conserve some of the heat energy stored in the gel
contained within each gel pack sealed within each of the individual
pockets.
7. The vest according to claim 6, which is further characterized as
being reversible in that the generally symmetrical array can be
quickly rotated about the wearer's torso and then worn with the
array's mid-section held in front of his chest rather than behind
his back, all the while keeping the heat-reflective liner within
each pocket contiguous with the inside of the pocket's outer cloth
layer, so that a user can reposition the vest to adjust for
changing wind directions and temperatures which he may experience
while he is engaged in hours-long outdoor activities.
8. The vest according to claim 5, which further comprises means,
including a pair of shoulder straps connected to the mid-section
and to the first and second pockets, respectively, for adjusting,
in a vertical direction relative to the wearer's shoulders, the
position of the elongated, generally symmetrical array when it is
held in place about the torso during use, so that by repositioning
the array, the user can concentrate the transfer of heat energy
towards specific regions within the central core of his body which
otherwise tend to be too cold in winter weather.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a non-provisional application of the
earlier filed provisional application, Ser. No. 61/630,362, filed
Dec. 9, 2011, and claims the benefit of the priority of the filing
date of Dec. 9, 2011, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Sec. 119(e).
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to articles of clothing and
more specifically to such articles which a person can wear to keep
himself cool in hot weather and warm in winter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide, in
combination, a vest with large pockets and a plurality of gel
packs, at least one of which is housed within each of the pockets
during use, each gel pack, when activated, absorbing heat energy
for hours or, alternately, releasing heat energy over comparable
time intervals, thereby helping the vest wearer to cool off in hot
weather and warm up in winter.
[0004] A further object is to provide such a combination in which
cooling gel packs, when the vest is used for cooling, can be
activated by placing them in a freezer. Alternately, when the vest
is used for warming, warming gel packs can be activated by heating
them in a microwave oven or the like.
[0005] A still further object is to provide such a combination in
which warming gel packs, rather than being activated by warming
them in a microwave oven or the like, can be activated just by
opening the gel pack's outer packaging wrapper and then shaking the
gel pack itself and its contents.
[0006] The improved vest, which, in use, is fitted snugly about a
wearer's upper torso, includes a plurality of generally rectangular
pockets and first and second elasticized side bands. The pockets
and the side bands are interconnected in such a way as to form an
elongated, generally symmetrical array, the mid-section of which is
spanned by at least two pockets, each contiguous pair of pockets in
the mid-section being aligned side-by-side and perpendicularly to
the array's center-line. Distal ends of the first and second side
bands are connected to the mid-section and to first and second
pockets, respectively, which, in use, are spaced apart from the
mid-section. Moreover, in the preferred embodiment, the first and
second pockets themselves are also spaced apart in use, preferably
interconnected by a safety release buckle or the like and a pair of
straps attached thereto and to the first and second pockets,
respectively.
[0007] The pockets in the vest are dimensioned so that each of them
can be fitted with at least one gel pack selected from a wide
variety of heating and/or cooling gel packs. In those embodiments
in which the pockets are sufficiently large that individual pockets
can be fitted with more than one gel pack at a time, the wearer can
augment the heat transfer capacity of those gel pack(s) initially
fitted into such a pocket with additional gel pack(s) activated
hours later, thereby sustaining the vest's capacity to transfer
heat energy over longer time intervals than would otherwise be
possible.
[0008] Closure of each pocket is preferably achieved with the use
of a Velcro.RTM. fastener or equivalent such as a zipper, buttons
or snaps. Alternately, one can fit an individual pocket initially
with its capacity of gel pack(s) and sew the pocket closed.
[0009] All exposed layers of the vest's pockets are preferably
fabricated from a water resistant cloth, such as a treated cotton,
polyester, nylon or the like. Contiguous with the vest's outer
cloth layer is a liner, which functions as an insulator. Formed of
a heat-reflective material such as that described in U.S. Pat. No.
7,452,833, the liner is employed to conserve some of the stored
energy in the gel packs.
[0010] In addition to the straps which attach the safety release
buckle or the like to the first and second pockets, the vest
preferably also includes first and second shoulder straps connected
by a combination dual-slotted fastener and short strap loop to the
center of the upper edge of the first and second pockets,
respectively. Sized to go over the shoulder of the user, the first
and second straps terminate proximate with the upper edge of the
mid-section and are connected thereto at spaced apart locations,
separated by a distance comparable to the width of one of the
mid-section's individual pockets.
[0011] The vest, in the preferred embodiment, is also provided with
means for adjusting the respective lengths of both the first and
second shoulder straps as well as of at least one of the straps
employed to attach the safety release buckle to the first and
second pockets, so that not only can the vest be secured snugly
about the user's upper torso but also the wearer can move the vest
up and down, as needed, over a substantial distance to warm or,
alternately, to cool selected areas of his body.
[0012] Further enhancing the usefulness of the vest is the fact
that it can be worn with the mid-section held either next to the
wearer's back or in front of his chest, so that a user can can
reposition the vest to adjust for changing wind directions and
temperatures which be may experience while he is engaged in such
outdoor activities as running a foot race, sitting in a deer stand
and the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the improved vest as it is
being worn buckled together across a wearer's chest.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a back view of the vest according to FIG. 1 as
the vest is being worn with its mid-section held next to the
wearer's back.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the vest with the clasp elements
of its safety release buckle fully engaged, fastening it
together.
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the vest with its safety release
buckle unfastened.
[0017] FIG. 5 shows the vest laid flat, as on a table, with the
outer cloth layer of the vest's pockets in an up position.
[0018] FIG. 6 shows the vest laid flat, as on a table, with the
inner cloth layer of the vest's pockets in an up position.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a closeup view, on an enlarged scale, of a
fragmentary portion of the vest according to FIG. 1, in which each
of the mid-section's pockets has been opened to receive a gel pack,
with a gel pack being shown partially inserted into one of the open
pockets.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a closeup view, on a further enlarged scale, of a
conventional gel pack.
[0021] FIG. 9 is a closeup view, on an enlarged scale, of a
fragmentary portion of the vest according to FIG. 1, in which one
of the mid-section's pockets has been opened to receive a gel pack
and the other pocket has been sealed, with the gel pack being shown
partially inserted into the open pocket.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a closeup view, on a further enlarged scale, of a
fragmentary portion of the vest according to FIG. 1, in which are
shown interior surfaces of one of the vest's pockets as well as the
placement of the insulator liner contiguous with the vest's outer
cloth layer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0023] In the drawings, the improved vest is indicated generally by
the reference numeral 10. Included in the vest 10 are a plurality
of generally rectangular pockets 11-14 and a pair of elasticized
side bands 15, 16, which are interconnected so as to form an
elongated, generally symmetrical array (FIGS. 5 and 6). Pockets 11,
12 form a contiguous pair defined by the vest's mid-section 20 and
are disposed side-by-side with each other, spanning the mid-section
20 longitudinally. Side bands 15, 16, which are attached to the
pockets 11, 12, respectively, both connect the mid-section 20 to
the pockets 13, 14 and space it apart from them. The pockets 13,
14, each of which is situated proximate with one of the array's
terminal ends, are preferably interconnected in use by a safety
release buckle 25 with clasp elements 35,36 attached to them by an
adjustable strap 26 and a strap loop 24, respectively (FIGS. 3 and
4).
[0024] Each pocket 11-14 is sized so that at least one of any one
of a wide variety of heating and/or cooling gel packs 30 can be
housed within it. To accommodate a side-by-side alignment of the
two pockets 11, 12 in the mid-section 20, into each pocket of which
at least one such gel pack 30 can be fitted, the mid-section
itself, in the preferred embodiment, measures about 12 inches in
length by about 7 inches in width, with each of the pockets 11, 12
measuring about 7 inches by 6 inches. In addition, each pocket 13,
14 preferably also has approximately the same overall dimensions as
does the individual pocket 11 or 12.
[0025] Examples of heating gel packs 30 which can be housed, more
than one at a time, within a pocket 11-14 include the products
known as HotHands and Model HH2, both of which are manufactured by
HeatMax Inc. of Dalton, Ga. 30733. The model HH2 gel pack 30 comes
with an outer packaging wrapper (not shown) and is of special
interest because of the ease with which it can be activated and the
fact that it has been found to perform well for hours in the vest
10. Indeed, this gel pack 30 is activated just by removing its
outer packaging wrapper and then shaking the gel pack itself and
its contents. Each HotHands gel pack, on the other hand, needs to
be heated in a microwave oven or the like in order to activate
it.
[0026] Examples of cooling gel packs 30 which can be readily fitted
into the pockets 11-14 include the Ice-Brik Model IB3, which
measures 5 inches long by 2.5 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick, and
which is manufactured by Polar Industries, Inc. Activation of this
cooling gel pack 30 entails placing it in a freezer.
[0027] An example of a gel pack (not shown) which, depending upon
whether it is activated by freezing or, alternately, by being
warmed in a microwave oven or the like, can be used either for
cooling or warming, respectively, is available commercially in the
form of hot and cold multi-purpose compresses.
[0028] Generally, the gel packs must be charged just prior to each
use, whether or not they are removably housed in the pockets 11-14
of a vest 10.
[0029] As is best illustrated in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10, each pocket
11-14 preferably includes two water resistant cloth layers 41, 42
and a liner 40 of heat-reflective insulation material which is
disposed contiguous with the inside surface of the pocket's outer
layer 41. The liner 40, so deployed, reduces heat energy transfer
between gel pack(s) 30 housed within a pocket 11-14 and the
environment in general. The inner cloth layer 42, on the other
hand, is free of any such insulating liner and, in use, is
preferably held snugly against the user's torso, separated
therefrom by at most a thin layer of clothing, thus allowing a
relatively high rate of heat energy transfer through the inner
cloth layer to be achieved.
[0030] Means for pressing the pockets 11-14 against the user's
torso includes the elasticized side bands 15, 16 and the strap 26
which, in the preferred embodiment, is adjustably mounted within a
dual-slotted appendage of the safety release buckle's clasp element
35 (FIGS. 3 through 6). So that the side bands 15, 16 which, by way
of example, measure about 6 inches in width can be utilized, in
combination with the strap 26, to provide for a snug fit but also,
at the same time, are sufficiently flexible to allow for ease of
motion on the part of the vest wearer, the side bands are
preferably fabricated from Lycra.RTM. or another spandex fabric
commonly utilized in athletic apparel. The length of each band 15,
16 depends upon whether the vest 10 is small, medium or large in
size, with 3 inch long side bands preferably being utilized in the
small size vest, 6 inch long in the medium size and 12 inch long in
the large size.
[0031] In use, the vest 10 is held in position relative to the
wearer's shoulders by a pair of shoulder straps 21, 22 (FIGS. 1 and
2). Each strap 21, 22 is permanently attached to the mid-section 20
proximate with the upper edge of the pocket 11, 12, respectively.
Distal from the mid-section 20, each strap 21, 22, once it has been
threaded through both slots of a dual-slotted fastener 33, 34,
respectively, is next slideably looped through the upper half of a
dual-slotted anchor 31, 32, the lower half of which is connected by
a short, looped strap 27, 28 to the center of the upper edge of the
pocket 13, 14 (FIGS. 1 through 6). Thus, the shoulders straps 21,
22 can be adjusted, by increasing or, alternately, decreasing the
lengths of the looped portions of the shoulder straps, so as to
reposition the vest 10 over a substantial distance, downwardly or
upwardly, relative to the wearer's shoulders or midriff. The extent
to which the looped portions of the straps 21, 22 can be elongated
is limited by a connecting strap 23 attached to both of these
straps to keep them from slipping off of the wearer's shoulders
(FIG. 2) Nevertheless, the adjustability in the straps 21, 22
facilitates the wearer's positioning the vest 10 in such a way as
to concentrate the transfer of heat energy to or, alternately, from
specific regions within the central core of the wearer's body which
otherwise tend to be too cold in winter and/or too warm in hot
weather.
[0032] For best results, each of the straps 21, 22, 26 should be
adjusted so as to provide a firm fit about the user's torso and, in
the process, stretch the elasticized side bands 15, 16 slightly.
Also, clothing should be worn over the vest 10 to enhance its
performance. Because the heat-reflective liner 40 is placed on the
inside of the outer cloth layer 41 of each pocket 11-14, one can
achieve a longer use lifetime for the gel packs 30 than would
otherwise be possible.
[0033] Except for the placement of the heat-reflective liner 40
which is to be always worn on the inside of the outer cloth layer
41 of each pocket 11-14, the vest 10 is reversible in character. As
a consequence, a user can wear the vest 10 in such a way that its
mid-section 20 is held in front of his chest rather than behind his
back. This feature offers special advantages for marathon runners
and other athletes engaged for hours at a time in strenuous outdoor
activities during which they may encounter abrupt reversals in wind
direction and/or 180 degree changes in the direction they must run
relative to the wind, sometimes forcing them to run against a cold
wind after they have built up a sweat running before the wind, for
example--with all such changes potentially giving rise to adverse
physiological effects on an athlete and his performance, but which
the vest 10, quickly reversed and worn back to front or vice versa,
can help to ameliorate.
* * * * *