초록 ▼

A personal temperature control system including a first heat exchanger adapted to be worn as a garment and a second heat exchanger adapted to interact with a temperature source, the first and second heat exchangers being interconnected through a pump and reservoir unit. The first heat exchanger toge

A personal temperature control system including a first heat exchanger adapted to be worn as a garment and a second heat exchanger adapted to interact with a temperature source, the first and second heat exchangers being interconnected through a pump and reservoir unit. The first heat exchanger together with the pump and reservoir are portable and in one embodiment the second heat exchanger is constructed to be fully portable. Specific devices including automatic quick release couplings interconnect the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger through the pump and reservoir. The fabrication of the first heat exchanger in helmet and vest portions is disclosed together with a control display unit housing the pump and reservoir and including an adjustable flow valve connected in parallel with the second heat exchanger. A preferred embodiment of the adjustable flow valve provides non-linear change in rate of flow upon adjustment.

대표청구항 ▼

A temperature control system for the human body, adapted to be carried on the body of the user comprising: a first heat exchanger in the form of a garment including a helmet and a separate body vest adapted to be worn by a user and connected together by a fluid conduit, each of the helmet and the bo

A temperature control system for the human body, adapted to be carried on the body of the user comprising: a first heat exchanger in the form of a garment including a helmet and a separate body vest adapted to be worn by a user and connected together by a fluid conduit, each of the helmet and the body vest including a body of heat conducting material with an elongated fluid-tight passageway, adapted to conduct heat away from the head and torso of the user when worn thereon in heat-conducting relationship; a second heat exchanger having means for receiving a source of cooling and including a body of heat conducting material with an elongated fluid-tight passageway, positioned to be in heat-conducting relationship with the source of cooling and being portable and having means for supporting it on the human body; a first coolant conduit loop within which the first heat exchanger garment is positioned, including outlet conduit means from the heat exchanger garment and inlet conduit means to the heat exchanger garment and a bypass conduit extending between the outlet and inlet conduit means, the helmet being positioned upstream of the vest in the first heat exchange garment, whereby the coolant entering the garment from the inlet conduit means is first directed to the helmet and circulates through a series of channels throughout the helmet and is thereby warmed somewhat by heat exchange in the helmet before passing through the vest, so that the temperature differential between the coolant and the human body is less in the vest than in the helmet; a pump in the first conduit loop, in one of said outlet conduit means and said inlet conduit means and between the heat exchanger garment and the bypass conduit, positioned to pump coolant liquid through the first heat exchanger garment from the inlet conduit means to the outlet conduit means; a coolant liquid reservoir having an inlet and an outlet positioned in the first coolant conduit loop and containing coolant liquid; a second coolant conduit loop within which the second heat exchanger is positioned, including said bypass conduit as part of the second conduit loop; quick-disconnect means for joining the second heat exchanger into the second conduit loop whereby the second heat exchanger may be easily removed from the loop and replaced by another heat exchanger; adjustable flow valve means connected in the bypass conduit, for adjusting the proportion of liquid coolant flowing from the outlet conduit means through (a) the second coolant conduit loop and (b) the bypass conduit, such valve being adjustable so that all, none or any proportion of the liquid coolant may be directed through the bypass conduit with the remainder, if any, being directed through the second coolant conduit loop, whereby the setting of the adjustable flow valve means regulates the extent to which coolant liquid warmed in the first heat exchanger garment is cooled in the second heat exchanger for return to the heat exchanger garment, and portability means for securing the liquid reservoir, the pump, the bypass conduit and the adjustable flow valve means on the body of the user whereby the system is easily carried by the user for movement through hostile, high-temperature environments.