초록 ▼

A protective garment (10) adapted to be worn by personnel in high temperature or otherwise harmful environments. Tile garment comprises a torso section 11 and depending on the wearer's needs and desires, arms (14), head (13) and leg sections (15) and readily attachable complementary portions for cov

A protective garment (10) adapted to be worn by personnel in high temperature or otherwise harmful environments. Tile garment comprises a torso section 11 and depending on the wearer's needs and desires, arms (14), head (13) and leg sections (15) and readily attachable complementary portions for covering the face, hands and feet extremities. The garment is equipped with a supply of precooled and dehumidified ventilating gas or other coolant medium to be flowed over various body parts of the wearer. The coolant supply comprises one or more storage containers (20) carried about the waist. The coolant is supplied therefrom through a valve (25) to an inlet (41) in the suit. From the inlet, the coolant medium is distributed through flexible conduits (50) which include component distribution systems (55A, 55B, 57A, 57B, 61A, 61B) leading to the various body parts. The conduits are preferably attached to the lining of the suit and each provided along its length with holes (59) which are of increasing diameters in the direction away from the suit inlet to provide more uniform flow to a body area. Each component distribution system includes a thermostatic valve (81) or valve (61) controlled by a thermocouple (60) fixed at a location in the distribution zone such as at the ankles, wrists, or waist of the wearer whereby the valve acts to control coolant flow to a particular body area in order to maintain the surface temperature of the particular body area in a narrow range about 72.degree. to 76.degree.. The garment also includes sensors for monitoring and signalling physiological signs and providing other information as to the location, physical condition and identity of the garment wearer and an electrical communications system for transmitting such information to a remote base station and for receiving information therefrom.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]means for supplying a dehumidified coolant medium to said inlet port, said means for supplying a coolant medium being fastened to the garment exterior for distributing the dehumidified coolant medium to flow over the various body parts of the wearer, said means for distribu

[What is claimed is:] [1.]means for supplying a dehumidified coolant medium to said inlet port, said means for supplying a coolant medium being fastened to the garment exterior for distributing the dehumidified coolant medium to flow over the various body parts of the wearer, said means for distributing the coolant medium comprising a system of flexible conduits fixed to the interior surface of the garment and including component distribution systems leading to the various parts of the wearer's body, and the interior surface of the garment being provided with a system of grooves wherein said grooves open inward towards the body surface of the garment wearer, each said conduit being provided with holes along its length for communicating the coolant medium to the system of grooves in the garment and distributing the coolant over the surface of the wearer's body; andvalve means installed in each component conduit distribution system and automatically responsive to the temperature of the coolant medium when distributed over a particular body area associated with said component conduit distribution system to control the flow of coolant medium so as to maintain the surface temperature of the wearer's particular body area in a prescribed temperature range.