Apparel Polymer Chamber for Body Temperature Moderation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Athletic performance is negatively affected by elevated core body temperature, leading to decreased speed, strength, and reaction time, and increased heat stress, as core temperature rises above a threshold during athletic activities, especially in hot or humid climates.
Innovation Solution
An article of apparel incorporating polymer chamber elements that can contain substances in liquid or solid states to moderate body temperature, featuring a substrate element, front and rear chamber elements with triangular subchambers, and insulating layers to regulate temperature through heating or cooling, allowing for adjustable and therapeutic temperature management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the core temperature increases during athletic activity, then the athletic performance decreases, but the body temperature regulation is passive and cannot be actively controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of water from liquid to solid (ice) to alter the thermal properties. The ice chamber element provides active cooling capability by utilizing the phase change properties of ice, allowing the temperature regulation to be actively controlled rather than passively responding to body heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of water from liquid to solid (freezing) to create a cooling mechanism. The ice chamber element exploits the latent heat of fusion during phase change to absorb body heat, providing active temperature regulation that prevents core temperature from reaching threshold levels that would degrade athletic performance.
2Temperature
If active cooling mechanisms are added to apparel, then temperature regulation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling function into a separate ice chamber element that can be independently integrated into the apparel. This modular design allows the active cooling mechanism to be added without redesigning the entire apparel structure, maintaining relative simplicity while improving temperature regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an ice chamber element as an intermediary component between the body and the external environment. This intermediary provides active cooling through phase change of ice, mediating the heat transfer process and improving temperature regulation without requiring complex active control systems.
3Temperature
If ice chamber element is added to apparel, then cooling capability improves, but the weight of the apparel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the cooling medium from liquid water to solid ice, which has a higher density and greater cooling capacity per unit volume. This parameter change allows for more efficient cooling with less material, partially offsetting the weight increase by improving the cooling-to-weight ratio.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparel effectively moderates body temperature before and during athletic activities, reducing heat stress and enhancing performance by either cooling or heating the body, thus improving athletic performance and providing therapeutic benefits for temperature-related conditions like hyperthermia or hypothermia.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer chamber element that defines an interior void for containing a substance in either a liquid or a solid state
Implementation Method 2
The chamber element may have a plurality of subchambers, which may have a triangular shape and may be in fluid communication
Implementation Method 3
an insulating layer may be positioned opposite the separation layer and located to form an exterior surface of the apparel when the apparel is worn
Data Source
AI summary
An article of apparel may include a polymer chamber element that defines an interior void for containing a substance in either a liquid or a solid state. Depending upon the substance located within the chamber element, the apparel may be utilized for increasing or decreasing the body temperature of the individual. The chamber element may have a plurality of subchambers, which may have a triangular shape and may be in fluid communication. In some configurations, the subchambers may have different sizes or volumes.