Swirl pad for body cooling

Abstract

Swirl pad, having an upper side, a lower side, a connecting device, at least one air connection and air outlet openings on the lower side, wherein the sum and the cross sections of the openings are adapted to the volume flow, an inlet can be inserted between the upper side and the lower side and the upper side has a raised surface which converts the volume flow into a static overpressure, characterized in that - the top and bottom in the operational state form a hollow cross-section which is shaped like a torus.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a swirl pad for body cooling.

[0002] During strenuous physical exertion in hot climates, the natural cooling mechanism through sweat evaporation cannot be sufficiently utilized. The result is exhaustion and fatigue due to overheating of the body. Currently available clothing lacks active and passive means of evaporating the sweat sufficiently to achieve a cooling effect. Instead, the sweat is absorbed by the clothing (underwear) and can only be slowly dispersed, except through diffusion processes. Evaporation only occurs when wet areas come into contact with the environment. However, this does not occur close to the body and is therefore not perceived as cooling by the wearer.

[0003] To eliminate this disadvantage, a self-contained evaporative cooling device is known from US Pat. No. 5,802,865 A. The evaporative device has a C-shaped, hinged housing that fits snugly around the user's neck or forehead. During use, a sponge material is saturated with water introduced through slots in the housing. A DC-powered fan within the device draws air into the housing and circulates the air within the cavity and out through outlet openings in the sponge material and housing. Air circulated by the fan promotes evaporation, and plates remove heat from the user's neck or forehead, thereby cooling the user.

[0004] These types of neck cooling devices are widely used. US 2017 / 0370596 A1 discloses a neck cooling device in a C-shaped, open design and an O-shaped, closed design with a battery-operated fan and outlet openings. A closed neck cooling device with an adjustable length is also known from US 2016 / 0058134 A1.

[0005] The teaching from US 2018 / 0 064 574 A1 reduces the cooling zones of the neck cooling device to the areas near the pulse points of the neck, while US 2023 / 0 193 910 A1 teaches to direct the air flow into different channels.

[0006] For self-sufficient energy supply, US 2011 / 0 259 028 A1 proposes supplying the fans with electrical energy from integrated photovoltaic cells.

[0007] However, US 2006 / 0 174 392 A1 describes a garment for cooling the body of a wearer, in which a substantially gas-impermeable first substrate and a gas-permeable second substrate are arranged to form a cavity. At least one spacer element is provided between the first and second substrates. At least one of the first and second substrates preferably comprises a plurality of raised projections on a surface within the cavity, and the gas-permeable second substrate comprises a plurality of raised projections on the surface outside the cavity and proximate the wearer's body. The cavity is configured to be connectable to a gas supply so that gas flows into the cavity and through the gas-permeable second substrate.

[0008] Likewise, from GB 2 523 333 A a harness-type temperature control garment is known which is worn on the upper body of a user, said garment comprising a bladder defining a chamber for receiving a gas supply, and at least one back part arranged to cover at least part of the user's back. A flexible conduit supplies gas to the garment via a distributor attached to the waist. The inner layer of the bladder has an array of holes and is covered with a gas-permeable diffuser layer. The holes direct the gas supplied to the chamber towards the user's body to change the user's temperature. The garment also comprises a breathing channel connected to the bladder for receiving a gas supply, the breathing channel having at least one channel outlet for delivering the supplied gas to the user.

[0009] The disadvantage of these known solutions is that the existing ventilation system cannot direct the air to the areas of high heat production due to the lack of flow direction indicators. This large flow cross-section means that only low flow velocities can be generated at a greater distance from the exhaust opening. This makes it impossible to distribute the airflow and transport it precisely to the areas of high heat and sweat production. Furthermore, the large flow cross-sections require larger volume flows, which require large fans. This severely limits battery life.

[0010] To address the disadvantages described above, further developments have already been introduced. For example, patent DE 10 2018 001 319 B4 discloses an active cooling suit and a method for its application.

[0011] The active cooling suit comprises a fan, a hose system and a zone to be cooled, characterized in that the fan is a performance-optimized radial fan, the hose system branches and cross-sections of the hose system decrease with increasing degree of branching in order to keep the flow velocity constant and the zone to be cooled is delimited by a flexible frame element.

[0012] In this design, the required airflow is already significantly reduced. The size of the air distribution pads is also smaller than the previous state-of-the-art. This makes the configuration more flexible and more comfortable to wear.

[0013] Most recently, DE 10 2022 000 405 A1 discloses an air distribution pad having an upper side, a lower side, a connecting device and at least one air connection and air outlet openings on the lower side, characterized in that the sum and the cross sections of the openings are adapted to the volume flow, the lower side is adapted to the body of the wearer, an inlay can be inserted between the upper side and the lower side, at least the lower side is made of a flexible plastic and the upper side has an elevation which converts the volume flow into a static overpressure.

[0014] This type of air distribution pad represents an almost optimal solution for body cooling.

[0015] However, a disadvantage of the known state of the art is that although the cooling air is transported in an optimized manner to the surfaces to be cooled, the power zones, the exhaust air escapes undirected.

[0016] Power zones are areas of the human body that are particularly prone to sweating during exertion. Examples include the shoulders, back, and chest.

[0017] The object of the invention is therefore to present a cooling pad that guarantees both a uniform distribution of the cooling air with increased cooling performance and a controlled discharge of the cooling air.

[0018] This object is achieved by the characterizing features of the main claim. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

[0019] The advantage of the invention is that the top and bottom sides form a hollow cross-section in the operational state, which is shaped as a torus.

[0020] The cross-section formed by the top and bottom sides can be shaped very differently. For example, the top side can be flattened to prevent the air distribution pads according to the invention from protruding too much.

[0021] To optimize air circulation within the distribution pad, it is advantageous to equip the inside of the top and / or bottom with air guides. The air guides can be longitudinally elongated contours designed to direct the air toward the insert or the air outlet openings.

[0022] The underside can also be flattened to create a broad support surface. Alternatively, two semicircular shells create a classic torus, with an insert clamped into the center to reduce the flow velocity and create a uniform overpressure of the cooling medium.

[0023] The lining can have further advantageous functions of the air distribution pad according to the invention. For example, the air pad can be coated with an antibacterial coating and reduce airborne bacterial contamination before it reaches the wearer's skin.

[0024] The torus can also have an oval cross-section. With an oval cross-section, the air outlet openings point toward the center of the torus. The openings then do not lie directly on the wearer's skin, and the air distribution pad according to the invention requires no additional spacers.

[0025] The torus can also have any cross-section. This allows the different advantages of the top and bottom surfaces to be combined. For example, the top surface can be flattened, while the bottom surface is oval, with an antibacterial, flow-reducing insert sandwiched between the top and bottom surfaces.

[0026] The unique advantage of the air distribution pad according to the invention is that its toroidal shape allows for a controlled discharge of the cooling air. Both the provision and distribution to the power zones are already known. The selected geometry now structurally enables the cooling air to be discharged. The open area in the center of the toroidal shape allows for resistance-free and thus pressure-free discharge of the heated cooling air.

[0027] If the air distribution pad according to the invention is integrated into a performance shirt, the area above the center of the torus can be left completely open or, at most, covered with a highly air-permeable mesh. This way, the performance shirt offers no resistance to the cooling air flowing out.

[0028] The attachment to a functional shirt or any textile is done using a clamp frame, by sewing or by inserting.

[0029] It shows the only Fig. 1 a cross-section of an air distribution pad according to the invention.

[0030] It shows Fig. 1 shows a torus 1 in section. The torus 1 consists of a top side 2 and a bottom side 3. An air inlet connection 4 is formed tangentially into the top side 3. The top side 2 also has air guiding devices 5 which calm the incoming air and direct it towards the air outlet openings 6. The top side 2 is flattened in order to create a cross-section that is as minimal as possible. An inlay 7 is clamped between the top side 2 and the bottom side 3. The inlay 7 is permeable and has an antibacterial coating. The bottom side 3 has an oval shape 8. Due to the oval shape 8, the air outlet openings 6 can be very easily arranged towards the center of the torus 9. List of reference symbols 1 torus 2 Top 3 Bottom 4 Air inlet connection 5 air guidance devices 6 air outlet openings 7 ticking 8 oval shape 9 Center of the torus

Claims

[1] Swirl pad, having a top side, a bottom side, a connecting device, at least one air connection and air outlet openings on the bottom side, wherein the sum and the cross sections of the openings are adapted to the volume flow, an inlet can be inserted between the top side and the bottom side and the top side has a raised surface which converts the volume flow into a static overpressure, characterized by , that - the top and bottom in the operational state form a hollow cross-section which is shaped like a torus. [2] Swirl pad according to claim 1, characterized by that connecting devices are attached to the circumference of the torus. [3] Swirl pad according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized by that the air connection is located on the circumference of the torus. [4] Swirl pad according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the air outlet openings are increasingly arranged towards the hole of the torus.

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