{"id":26141,"date":"2012-07-06T18:17:16","date_gmt":"2012-07-06T22:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/?p=26141"},"modified":"2013-07-29T16:09:05","modified_gmt":"2013-07-29T20:09:05","slug":"cool-wearable-innovations-to-help-you-beat-the-summer-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/2012\/07\/06\/cool-wearable-innovations-to-help-you-beat-the-summer-heat\/id=26141\/","title":{"rendered":"Cool Wearable Innovations to Help You Beat the Summer Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Chicago has set a new record with the third straight day of 100+ degree heat<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Temperatures in Illinois are expected to hit as high as 104 degrees<\/a><\/strong> before relief finally arrives on Sunday. \u00a0Washington, DC hit 100 degrees today, and is expected to be even hotter on Saturday, with Baltimore, Richmond and Philadelphia all expecting 100+ degrees for Saturday. \u00a0See Bloomberg<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0The DC area has also had its\u00a0ninth straight day<\/a><\/strong> has had heat in excess of 95 degrees. \u00a0Indeed, it is fair to say that the eastern half of the United States is experiencing prolonged heat like few can ever remember.<\/p>\n

With that in mind I thought it might be an interesting time to take a look at some of the innovations that attempts to beat summer heat have lead to over the years. \u00a0The theme here is wearable coolness.<\/p>\n

So sit right back in your chair, hopefully in a heavily air conditioned office or home, and get in touch with your inner inventor. \u00a0These individuals came up with something patentable, and necessity is certainly the mother of innovation. \u00a0Admittedly, some are more practical than others, but who knows, perhaps this prolonged heat agony will lead to a who new crop of gadgets associated with keeping one cool and refreshed during the dog days of summer.<\/p>\n

[Patent-Watch]<\/p>\n

\"\"Cooling device<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 7,527,612<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued May 5, 2009<\/strong><\/p>\n

This invention relates to a\u00a0cooling garment with one or more conduits for distributing a\u00a0cooling\u00a0medium to one or more areas of the garment, thereby cooling the wearer. In one version of the invention a source of carbon dioxide\u00a0is \u00a0connected to the one or more of the conduits.<\/p>\n

In another embodiment of the invention there is a \u00a0cooling\u00a0medium inlet, one or more conduits associated with the garment to hold the\u00a0cooling\u00a0medium, and a control that enables two-stagecooling. In a first stage at least a portion of the\u00a0cooling\u00a0medium assumes a liquid state and in a second stage, the\u00a0cooling\u00a0medium assumes a gaseous state. Heat from the living body is transferred to the\u00a0cooling\u00a0medium as it moves through the conduits in the first stage. Further, in the second stage, the conduits are arranged to disperse the gaseous\u00a0cooling\u00a0medium and\u00a0cool\u00a0the living body through evaporativecooling.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Personal cooling device<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 6,192,702<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued February 27, 2001\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The invention relates to a\u00a0personal\u00a0cooling\u00a0device that will preferably be worn like a necklace around the user’s neck. \u00a0There is a combination of a body members forming an open-top housing containing a switch actuated motor that operates a fan. \u00a0The fan operates on battery power and has platform positioned over the fan blade. \u00a0The device is adapted to receive a coolant (such as a gel pack) that is secured to the open top of the housing. \u00a0When dangling around the neck of the user the fan will blow the coolant refreshed air upward toward the head of the wearer. \u00a0This gel pack coolant easily replaced when its cooling forces have been depleted.<\/p>\n

The personal\u00a0cooling\u00a0device is lightweight and can be manufactured at a \u00a0low-cost. \u00a0It is, in essence, a personal, battery powered air conditioner that can be worn by the user under hot weather conditions, as may be found in outside amusement parks, beaches or even walking about town during the summer months.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Wearable air conditioners<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 5,201,365<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued April 13, 1993<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now this is my idea of summer cool! \u00a0A wearable air conditioner!<\/p>\n

The invention consists of\u00a0cooling\u00a0systems that can be incorporated into clothing, or applied directly to portions of a human body which require cooling. Flexible inter-communicating containers (such as coils), are adapted to fit body contours and function as heat removers. Water under a vacuum in the containers boils at low temperature and removes body heat. Vapor generated by the boiling water re-condenses into water in a communicating portable cold container, which is\u00a0cooled\u00a0by portable\u00a0ice\u00a0packs, or by endothermic chemical reactants. The degree of\u00a0cooling\u00a0can be controlled by regulation of the degree of the communication between the the heat remover containers and the cold condenser container. The re-condensed water returns spontaneously to the heat remover containers by force of gravity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Cooling suit system<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 4,459,822<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued July 17, 1984<\/strong><\/p>\n

This invention is not the most practical one on the list to be sure, but the patent has long since expired, so no infringement worries if you were to copy and distribute.<\/p>\n

This invention is a\u00a0cooling\u00a0suit with a conduit or conduits for circulating a\u00a0cooling\u00a0media throughout the suit. \u00a0The suit is connected through an inlet into a housing having an insert made of elastic material, which contains pieces of a solid refrigerant such as ice which is meltable. The insert is made of flexible material so that it tightly engages the ice and the thawing liquid as it is formed. \u00a0A pump is used to circulate the liquid which is\u00a0cooled\u00a0in the housing back through the conduit of the\u00a0suit.<\/p>\n

An object of the invention is to provide a\u00a0cooling\u00a0suit\u00a0and a heat exchanger construction that are simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture. \u00a0Perhaps that has been achieved here, but I’m not sure wearing a airtight suit on a 100+ degree day is a recipe for feeling refreshed, relaxed and cool.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Cooling bracelet<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 6,772,445<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued August 10, 2004<\/strong><\/p>\n

This invention is a bracelet with\u00a0cooling\u00a0capabilities. The bracelet has hollow member that can hold a freezable liquid such as water. A removable cap that covers the opening of the bracelet allows for water to be placed in the hollow interior. \u00a0The bracelet can then be frozen by conventional means prior to wearing.\u00a0The bracelet is made of a flexible material that allows the\u00a0coolness\u00a0of the interior ice to escape, yet is thick enough to protect the user’s skin from possible ice burn.<\/p>\n

According to the patent, once frozen the bracelet can keep a\u00a0cool\u00a0temperature for several hours before all of the ice is melted and it should be refrozen. That would be a neat trick given the high temperatures we have been experiencing of late, at least when using water as the liquid coolant, but applying a cold compress to one’s wrist on a hot summer day no doubt will bring at least temporary relief.<\/p>\n

There is also a detachable watch face to the bracelet so the user may wear the bracelet as a watch and still be\u00a0cooled\u00a0by the interior ice. \u00a0The\u00a0cooling\u00a0bracelet can be manufactured in separate wrist sizes, or in alternate embodiments the bracelet can be manufactured to stretch to fit different wrist sizes. \u00a0The bracelet may be emptied and refrozen, so this is not a single use item.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Combined cooling garment<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 7,827,624<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued November 9, 2010<\/strong><\/p>\n

A rather complicated device, this invention is a combined clothing\u00a0garment\u00a0and air-cooling\u00a0device for reducing a user body temperature during physical activity. \u00a0There is a vest adapted to be positioned about a thoracic region of the user and a helmet adapted to be positioned on the head of the user. According to the patent, this combination allows for a more complete\u00a0cooling\u00a0effect on the user.<\/p>\n

The vest and helmet may include a mechanism for selectively introducing ambient air into the internal chamber. In addition, a mechanism for\u00a0cooling\u00a0the ambient air within the internal chamber and thereafter channeling the cooled\u00a0ambient air out from the internal chamber may be included.<\/p>\n

The ambient air\u00a0cooling\u00a0and channeling mechanism may further include a plurality of flexible tubing seated within the internal chamber and oriented along non-overlapping patterns.<\/p>\n

The combined clothing\u00a0garment\u00a0and air-cooling\u00a0device may also include the\u00a0cooling\u00a0agent containing dry\u00a0ice\u00a0to provide a longer lastingcooling\u00a0affect on the user.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Cooling cap<\/strong>
\nU.S. Patent No. 5,887,276<\/a><\/strong>
\nIssued March 30, 1999<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is one of those inventions that you look at and say to yourself \u2014 “heck, I can be an inventor too!” \u00a0It is essentially a baseball cap that you soak in water. \u00a0It is a little more complicated than that, and honestly I think something this simple would have real difficulty getting patented today after the Supreme Court rewrote the law of obviousness in KSR v. Teleflex<\/em>\u00a0in 2007, but if you read the claims there is more to it than just soaking a baseball cap in cold water, although not much more.<\/p>\n

This invention is a\u00a0cooling\u00a0cap made with knitted net fabric of polyester yarn. \u00a0There is an outer open-meshed fabric for covering the front part of the cap, an inner fine linen fabric for lining, a water absorbent fiber layer for bearing water or absorbing sweat, and multiple eyelets or loopholes. When the user puts on the cap after soaking the water absorbent fiber layer in cold water, the water borne in the water absorbent fiber layer is vaporized by absorbing the\u00a0heat\u00a0produced from the\u00a0heat\u00a0of the user, who will presumably be working, exercising or baking because it is just to darn hot!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is fair to say that the eastern half of the United States is experiencing prolonged heat like few can ever remember. With that in mind I thought it might be an interesting time to take a look at some of the innovations that attempts to beat summer heat have lead to over the years. The theme here is wearable coolness. So sit right back in your chair, hopefully in a heavily air conditioned office or home, and get in touch with your inner inventor. These individuals came up with something patentable, and necessity is certainly the mother of innovation. Who knows, perhaps this prolonged heat agony will lead to a who new crop of gadgets associated with keeping one cool and refreshed during the dog days of summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19234,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[228,3],"tags":[4659,8735,304,44],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26141"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19234"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26141\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26141"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=26141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}