Cool Coat

Abstract

A thermal coat or garment for maintaining a person comfortably cool, the garment comprising an article of clothing having a tube, the tubular network comprising a passage containing water and other chemicals such as Freon used in refrigerator mechanisms, and the tubes having capillary openings through the wall thereof so to permit the tube to evaporate outwardly, the evaporating operation creating a cooling effect to a wearer.

Description

This invention relates generally to thermal garments. More specifically it relates to thermal garments for maintaining a person in a comfortably cool condition.

A principle object of the present invention is to provide a cool coat having a novel construction based upon the principles of refrigeration wherein an evaporation of a liquid creates a cooling state, and wherein the present invention does not employ any mechanisms to create the evaporative action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cool coat which in a modified form of the invention may include a hand operated valve between a liquid reservoir and the coat so as to move the cooling liquid into the tubular system or network after a quantity thereof has evaporated during a cooling action.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a cool coat which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and showing the tube construction,

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of one of the tubes showing the capillary openings through the wall of the tube so to effect an evaporation of liquid contained within the tube, and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of a modified design of the present invention employing a hand operated valve and a liquid reservoir.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 at this time, the reference numeral 10 represents a cool coat according to the present invention wherein there is a garment 11 which may comprise a vest, as shown, or which may otherwise comprise a coat, a pair of trousers or any other garment, and which incorporates the present invention.

The garment 11 includes an inner wall 12 and an outer wall 13, either one of the walls being configurated with corrugations so to form a tubular network 14 comprised of interconnecting tubes 15. One end of the tubes, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, is provided with an inlet 16 into which liquid may be received for circulating throughout the tubular network 14.

The opposite end 17 of the tubular network is closed, as shown in FIG. 1. It will thus be evident that the liquid is dispensed from the tubular network by other means than an outlet, such means comprising a plurality of capillary openings 18 extending through the tubular walls, as shown in detail in FIG. 3 of the drawing. Thus it will be evident that the liquid will evaporate from within the tube and accordingly the tubular system will require replacement of cooling liquid.

Such cooling liquid may comprise a mixture of water and a refrigerant chemical such as Freon generally used in refrigeration cooling systems.

In operative use, it will now be evident that when the tubular network is filled with a coolant liquid, the same will evaporate through the capillary openings 18, such evaporation causing a lowering of temperature at the surface of the vessel or tubular wall, and thus cooling off the wearer of the garment.

In FIG. 4 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of the present invention is shown to comprise a garment 19 which is generally similar to the garment illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, but wherein as shown in the rear view, there is a liquid reservoir 20 containing the coolant liquid, the reservoir being replenished by a removable cap 21.

A manually operated pressure bulb 22 is mounted along a tube 23 communicating between the reservoir 20 and the tubular network 24. The tubular network 24 comprises a generally like tubular system as above described.

In the present form of the invention, the inlet 16 is not necessary. When the pressure bulb is squeezed by hand, it will pump the warm liquid, heated by the natural body warmth from the tubular network to the reservoir and at the same time recirculate a fresh cool refrigerant liquid from the reservoir back into the tubular network.

Also thus as the liquid coolant is vaporized through the capillary openings 18 of the tubes, the liquid may be replenished into the network 24. It is to be noted that there may be provided a T-configurated fitting 25 at the junction of the tube 23 and the tubular network 24 so as to branch the liquid travel toward the right and left side of the garment.

In one form of the invention, gravity may drain the fluid downward to the reservoir 20 gradually after which a manual squeezing of the pressure bulb 22 will cause the liquid to be again raised upwardly into the tubular network.

Thus a continuous or almost continuous movement of the liquid will aid in circulation thereof and thus aid in the cooling operation.

Accordingly in one form of the invention, the pressure bulb may contain two directional passages, whereas in another form of the invention, the pressure bulb may include only a one-way valve so to normally force the liquid upwardly.

Claims

What I now claim is:

1. In a cool coat, the combination of a thermal garment, said thermal garment comprising an article of clothing, said article of clothing including an inner wall and an outer wall, either one of said walls being deformed so to form corrugations therein forming a tubular network comprised of a plurality of interconnecting tubes between said walls, and said walls having capillary openings extending therethrough so to allow evaporation therethrough of a liquid placed within said tubular network, said tubular network being provided at one end with an inlet into which said liquid is received into said tubular network, a rear side of said garment being provided with a liquid reservoir, said reservoir being connected by a tube to said tubular network, said tube being intercepted by a hand operated pressure bulb located on the rear of said garment for moving said liquid between said reservoir and said tubular network, said coolant liquid comprising a mixture of water and a refrigerant cooler consisting of Freon.