Cooling Garment With Vapor-Permeable Sealed Compartment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling garments with water-permeable outer layers become humid during use, leading to discomfort, while impermeable layers cannot be activated by immersion, posing challenges in providing effective and comfortable cooling.
Innovation Solution
A cooling garment with impermeable outer layers to liquid water but permeable to water vapor, featuring a sealed cooling section with a water-absorbent layer between the layers, and vent holes for vapor escape, ensuring the surface remains dry and allowing easy activation by a water inlet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If outer layers are water-permeable to enable activation by immersion, then the garment can be easily activated, but the surface becomes humid during use causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The outer layers are segmented into two distinct functional zones: impermeable regions that prevent liquid water penetration and maintain surface dryness, and a localized permeable inlet region that enables water activation. This segmentation allows the garment to selectively permit water entry only at the designated inlet while blocking water at the outer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
A hydrophilic guide layer acts as an intermediary between the water inlet and the water-absorbent core. This guide layer channels water from the inlet directly to the absorbent material through capillary action, preventing water from reaching the outer surface while ensuring complete activation of the cooling core.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If outer layers are impermeable to liquid water to maintain dry surface, then surface humidity is prevented, but activation by immersion becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The outer layers are segmented into two distinct functional zones: impermeable regions that prevent liquid water penetration and maintain surface dryness, and a localized permeable inlet region that enables water activation. This segmentation allows the garment to selectively permit water entry only at the designated inlet while blocking water at the outer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer layers exhibit spatially varying permeability properties: the majority of the surface is impermeable to maintain dryness, while a specific local region (the inlet) is permeable to enable water activation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between surface dryness and activation capability.
3Temperature
If water-absorbent material is used to provide cooling, then cooling effect is achieved, but water distribution uniformity becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
A hydrophilic guide layer acts as an intermediary between the water inlet and the water-absorbent core. This guide layer channels water from the inlet directly to the absorbent material through capillary action, preventing water from reaching the outer surface while ensuring complete activation of the cooling core.
Solution Approach 2:
The water-absorbent core utilizes porous material structure with controlled pore size and distribution to ensure uniform water distribution throughout the cooling section. The porous structure facilitates capillary wicking that evenly distributes water across the entire absorbent region, achieving uniform cooling.
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 garment maintains a dry surface, enhances cooling efficiency, and provides comfortable wear by preventing sweat accumulation and allowing effective evaporation, while ensuring easy activation and efficient water distribution within the sealed compartment.
Implementation Method 1
a water absorbent layer that is enclosed between both outer layers
Implementation Method 2
The water is then contained in the garment by a suitable water-absorbing substance... Upon evaporation of the water, heat is withdrawn from the garment, which manifests as a cooling effect
Implementation Method 3
two outer layers that are impermeable to liquid water, at least one of the outer layers being permeable to water vapor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling garment for cooling a torso of a wearer, comprising a front and a rear panel with a neck opening therebetween, wherein the front panel and the rear panel together comprise one single cooling section composed of two outer layers with a water absorbent layer sandwiched therebetween. The two outer layers are sealed together along their edges to form a single compartment for the storage of water, wherein the portions of the compartment that are at the front and the rear panel are in fluid communication with one another over the shoulders. Both outer layers are impermeable to water but permeable to water vapor. The cooling garment may be activated by filling the compartment with water via an inlet in one of the outer layers.