Cooling and Drinking Vest with Interconnected Ice Pockets
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hot weather conditions, there is a need for a device that can efficiently keep the body cool and provide readily accessible cool drinking water, especially during outdoor activities where conventional cooling and hydration methods are cumbersome and not readily available.
Innovation Solution
A dual-function vest with ice pockets interconnected through fluid channels that can be worn to maintain body temperature and provide a source of cool drinking water, where melted ice can be collected and consumed through a built-in drinking spout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional cooling devices (water bottles, portable ice coolers, fans) are carried during outdoor activities, then cooling and hydration functions are provided, but the device occupies free hand and is cumbersome to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate cooling and hydration devices into a single integrated vest system. The vest integrates ice pockets for cooling, fluid channels for water distribution, and a drinking spout for hydration, eliminating the need to carry separate water bottles, ice coolers, and fans. This merging of functions directly resolves the contradiction by providing comprehensive cooling and hydration capabilities while removing the burden of carrying multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The vest serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides body cooling through ice pockets, distributes cool water through fluid channels, and enables direct hydration via the drinking spout. This multi-functional design allows a single device to replace several separate tools, improving ease of operation without increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If water is poured on the body or portable fans are used to keep cool, then body temperature is regulated, but these methods are not readily available when outdoors
Solution Approach 1:
The vest is pre-filled with ice and water before outdoor activities begin. The ice pockets are prepared in advance, and the fluid channels are pre-filled with water. This preliminary preparation ensures that cooling and hydration functions are immediately available when needed, without requiring access to external water sources or power sources during outdoor activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The vest is designed to be self-sufficient, containing all necessary cooling and hydration components within the vest structure itself. The ice pockets, fluid channels, and drinking spout form a self-contained system that does not require external assistance or additional equipment, making it reliably available whenever the wearer needs cooling or hydration.
3Temperature
If ice pockets are added to the vest for cooling, then body cooling function is improved, but the vest structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ice pockets are nested within the vest structure, with the pockets integrated into the vest fabric layers. The fluid channels are embedded within the vest material, running through the structure to connect the ice pockets with the drinking spout. This nesting approach incorporates cooling functionality without adding significant external complexity to the vest.
Solution Approach 2:
The vest utilizes flexible, thin-walled structures for the ice pockets and fluid channels, allowing the cooling components to be integrated into the soft fabric of the vest without requiring rigid or bulky structures. This maintains the vest's wearability while providing effective cooling functionality.
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 vest effectively keeps the body cool by drawing heat away and provides a convenient source of cool water, eliminating the need to carry separate cooling devices or water bottles, while also being adaptable for both hot and cold weather applications.
Implementation Method 1
ice pockets for keeping the body cool
Implementation Method 2
draws water into the ice pockets... the ice pockets, the fluid channels, and the tube are surrounded by a garment layer that is in contact with the human body
Implementation Method 3
fluid channels that allow the fluid flow between the adjacent ice pockets
Data Source
AI summary
A dual-function vest for keeping the body cool and providing cool drinking water. The vest has multiple ice pockets dispersed throughout an area of the vest. The ice pockets are fluidly interconnected to each through fluid channels, wherein water can flow between the multiple ice pockets. A port can be provided in the vest to provide access to an inner volume of the vest. Water can be filled into the multiple ice pockets through the port and also water can be drawn through the port. A long tube can be connected to the port while the free end of the long tube can act as a drinking spout.