초록 ▼

Cooling pads, mattresses, and limb-conforming sleeves reduce a person's temperature by evaporative and/or conductive cooling. An open cell foam pad defines an internal air flow passages proceeding according to serpentine or other desired routing. The pad is wetted, and a blower circulates air throug

Cooling pads, mattresses, and limb-conforming sleeves reduce a person's temperature by evaporative and/or conductive cooling. An open cell foam pad defines an internal air flow passages proceeding according to serpentine or other desired routing. The pad is wetted, and a blower circulates air through the air flow passage and evaporatively cools the pad by removing warm water vapor. By contacting the cooled structure, the person is conductively cooled. The pad also employs evaporative cooling if water is permitted to seep from the foam pad onto the person's skin and subsequently evaporate. Another cooling device is a multi-layer evaporative cooling mattress. The mattress comprises an open cell foam structure having a person-receiving side and a base side. At the person-receiving side lies an absorbent layer with internal liquid delivery lines, and optionally having an outer film applied thereto. Beneath the absorbent layer is an air manifold comprising air flow passages defined in a cushion layer, or an open mesh layer interposed between the absorbent layer and cushion layer. Another cooling device is a thermal cooling sleeve, with a series of multiple elongated, parallel ridges. Pairs of adjacent ridges are separated by intervening channels, and each ridge has a lateral liquid passage through it. When the first and last ridges are brought around to meet each other, the ridges form a contiguous sleeve. Within the sleeve's body, the passages cooperatively define a continuous conduit proceeding from ridge to ridge inside the sleeve.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of cooling a person, comprising operations of:contacting skin with an open cell foam structure defining one or more internal air flow passages proceeding from at least one air inlet to at least one air outlet, the structure additionally defining one or more internal liquid flow passages

1. A method of cooling a person, comprising operations of:contacting skin with an open cell foam structure defining one or more internal air flow passages proceeding from at least one air inlet to at least one air outlet, the structure additionally defining one or more internal liquid flow passages separate from the air flow passages, the liquid flow passages having at least one inlet;wetting the foam structure by directing an evaporation liquid into one or more of the liquid flow passages via the inlet; andblowing air into the air flow passages. 2. The method of claim 1, the wetting operation further comprising soaking the structure in water before contacting skin. 3. The method of claim 1, the structure further including a super-absorbent layer, the wetting operation further including wetting the super-absorbent layer. 4. The method of claim 1,the structure having a person-receiving surface;the person-receiving surface being liquid penetrable;the contacting operation including receiving a portion of the person upon the person-receiving surface;the operation of wetting the foam structure causing wetting of the person's skin. 5. A process for cooling a person comprising operations of:obtaining a multi-layer evaporative cooling bed, comprising:an open cell foam mattress layer having top and bottom surfaces and including an air manifold along the top surface;an absorbent layer with one or more internal liquid flow passages, the absorbent layer being layered over the air manifold;placing at least a portion of a person in contact with the absorbent layer;wetting the absorbent layer by directing a liquid into the liquid flow passages;the absorbent layer gradually releasing moisture into the open cell foam mattress; anddirecting air into the air manifold. 6. The process of claim 5,the cooling bed further including a sealant layer applied to the absorbent layer; andthe operations further including, the sealant layer preventing moisture in the absorbent layer from reaching the person. 7. A multi-layer evaporative cooling bed, comprising:an open cell foam mattress layer having top and bottom surfaces and including an air manifold along the top surface;an absorbent layer with internal liquid flow passages, the absorbent layer being layered over the air manifold and providing an outer, person-receiving surface; anda sealant layer contacting the person-receiving surface of the absorbent layer. 8. The bed of claim 7, the sealant layer being removable from the person-receiving surface. 9. The bed of claim 7, the air manifold comprising one or more passages defined through the foam mattress layer. 10. The bed of claim 7, the air manifold comprising a layer of air permeable material interposed between the foam mattress layer and the absorbent layer. 11. The bed of claim 7, the absorbent layer comprising a super-absorbent material. 12. The bed of claim 7, further comprising:another sealant layer contacting the bottom surface. 13. A system for cooling a person, comprising:an open cell foam structure;one or more air flow passages defined in the open cell foam structure proceeding from one or more air inlets to one or more air outlets;one or more liquid flow passages defined in the open cell foam structure separate from the air flow passages, the liquid flow passages having at least one liquid inlet; andan air blower coupled to at least one of the air inlets. 14. The system of claim 13, the open cell foam structure having a person-receiving surface defining a recess that is complementarily shaped to receive a prescribed body part. 15. The system of claim 13, the internal air flow passages having a serpentine shape. 16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a water source coupled to at least one of the liquid inlets. 17. The system of claim 13, further including a layer of super absorbent material contacting the open cell foam structure. 18. The system of claim 13, wherein the open cell foam structure includes open cell foam for being satura ted with liquid.