CN115190770A - Evaporative cooling garment with capillary bed fibrous fluid and sweat management system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an evaporative cooling garment (100), in which garment (100) a mesh layer (101) shaped as a top is located between outer and inner fibre tube networks (201, 202). The two networks (201, 202) form a first and a second capillary bed (181, 182), respectively, for transporting a cooling liquid over the mesh layer (101) and for absorbing and evaporating sweat produced by the wearer. The mesh layer (101) has openings (115) extending between the inner and outer sides of the mesh layer (101) such that ventilation channels are formed across the mesh layer (101) for creating a 3D air ventilation environment to accelerate sweat evaporation from the inner side and reduce thermal insulation between the two sides, thereby increasing the effect of cooling the wearer and reducing the relative humidity of the wearer. The inner capillary network (202) also collects excess sweat when the second capillary bed (182) is saturated with sweat, thereby avoiding excess sweat from dripping out of the second capillary bed (182) to irritate the wearer.

Description

Evaporative cooling garment with capillary bed fibrous fluid and sweat management system

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/987,392, filed March 10, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

technical field

The present disclosure relates to a capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system that can be assembled to a garment and has an outer and an inner fibrous network installed for cooling the wearer of the garment and accelerating the absorption and absorption of the wearer's sweat. evaporation. The present disclosure also relates to an evaporative cooling garment fitted with the system.

Background technique

Feeling hot or soaked in sweat can be uncomfortable. It is important to cool down and speed up the evaporation of sweat to avoid discomfort. It would be desirable if cooling facilities/materials could be fitted into or installed in garments so that a person could receive cooling and allow for quick evaporation or removal of sweat while enjoying freedom of movement. In the art, there are quite a number of garments with cooling functions and cooling devices that can be fitted to the garments.

In US 2012/0190259, a three-layer quilted textile material for evaporative cooling garments and articles was developed. An evaporative cooling garment is structurally composed of three layers, wherein the outer layer is nylon oxford fabric, the inner layer is waterproof nylon taslon fabric, and the middle layer is viscose/cellulose bonded together in sheet form and nonwoven blend of sodium acrylate fibers.

In US 8,443,463 there is disclosed an evaporative cooling garment system comprising a wicking fabric shirt and a hose connected at one end to a liquid reservoir and at the other end to an upper region of the garment for cooling the shirt fabric Dispense water on. Due to the wicking action of gravity, the shirting fabric transfers liquid (usually sweat produced by the wearer) from the upper region to the multiple lower regions, spreading the liquid over the entire surface for evaporation, thereby cooling the wearer.

In WO 2010/011614 a garment with regionally variable evaporative cooling performance is disclosed. The garment is shaped to cover and fit a portion of a person's skin. The garment is used to cool a person by allowing the water the garment receives from some external source to evaporate.

In WO 2011/010993 and US 2010/0011491 a wearable catheter system for facilitating evaporative cooling of an individual is disclosed. An evaporative cooling garment has a conduit water distribution system installed on the shirt fabric. The conduit water distribution system is connected to a hose for receiving water from an external water supply. The shirting fabric is attached to: a thermally conductive, water-impermeable layer (made of metal or polymer), the inside of which is in contact with the wearer's skin and the outside of which is in contact with the duct system, or a fabric in which a water-absorbing substance is embedded; or for An inner layer that absorbs sweat and limits water exposure to the skin; or a fabric with inner and outer shapes for increased surface area.

In T. Sakoi, N. Tominaga, A.K. Melikovm and S. Kolencíková, "Cooling clothing utilizing water evaporation", Proceedings of Indoor Air 2014 [HP0470], Indoor International In a 2014 publication by the Institute of Air Quality and Climate, Hong Kong, a cooling garment that utilizes water evaporation was disclosed. A cooling garment is a t-shirt fabric that has a water repellent inner side and a hollow fiber supported sliver on its upper side for water distribution. Water is supplied to the upper portion of the shirt through a watertight pipe, one end of which is connected to a motor pump, which is further connected to a water bottle, a direct current (DC) power source and a computer aided programmable controller device.

While there are many existing technologies available for the development of garments with cooling capabilities and cooling devices that can be fitted to garments, there are still many deficiencies in these technologies. First, liquid sweat management is ineffective as sweat absorbs and spreads over the entire substrate, making it heavy, unwieldy and eventually dripping when fully saturated with sweat. Second, due to the multi-layered or compact base structure, there is less air circulation over the skin, which hinders direct evaporation from the skin surface. Third, in the existing evaporative cooling clothing technology, the multi-layer structure is used for water management, which increases the thermal insulation and evaporation resistance, so that it generates thermal stress and moisture stress. Fourth, some existing technologies require many accessories to supply and condition water to desired portions of the garment, adding weight and complexity to use. Fifth, a conduit system with discrete channels at many ends spreads water over the entire base layer, resulting in rapid saturation of the base layer and resulting in weight gain and water dripping on the bottom side of the base layer. Sixth, the prior art does not take into account the accumulated water that begins to trickle after the shirting fabric is supersaturated, and the accumulated liquid sweat that exceeds the saturation limit of the base fabric when the wearer performs a lot of exercise or is in a hot and humid climate. Seventh, for evaporative cooling garments based on the commercially available prior art, liquid evaporation can only take place via the top surface.

There is a need in the art for an improved cooling system that overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned deficiencies. The cooling system can be assembled to the garment to form a garment with cooling function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an evaporative cooling garment for cooling a wearer of the garment.

The garment includes a mesh layer and a capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system. The mesh layer is shaped into a top for the wearer to wear. A capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system can be fitted to the mesh layer to manage coolant distribution and sweat dissipation. The system includes an outer fiber tube network and an inner fiber tube network. A network of outer fiber tubes is located on the outside of the mesh layer for conveying the cooling liquid over the mesh layer, thereby promoting heat exchange between the cooling liquid and the mesh layer. An inner fiber tube network is located on the inner side of the mesh layer for absorbing and evaporating sweat produced by the wearer. Advantageously, the mesh layer comprises a plurality of openings on the surface of the mesh layer. The plurality of openings extend between the inner side and the outer side and form ventilation channels across the mesh layer for creating a three-dimensional (3D) air ventilation environment to accelerate sweat evaporation from the inner side and reduce the gap between the inner and outer sides of the mesh layer of thermal insulation. Thereby, it increases the cooling effect of the wearer.

Preferably, the outer fiber duct network includes a plurality of first channels, one or more upper terminal branches and one or more lower terminal branches. The plurality of first channels are interwoven to form a first capillary bed that at least partially wraps the mesh layer on the outside. The plurality of first channels are configured to spread the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed, thereby promoting heat exchange of the cooling liquid with the mesh layer via the first capillary bed. The one or more upper terminal branches are connected to the first capillary bed for receiving cooling fluid and delivering the received cooling fluid into the first capillary bed. The one or more lower terminal branches are connected to the first capillary bed for collecting the cooling liquid released from the first capillary bed. In particular, the one or more upper terminal branches are located higher than the one or more lower terminal branches when the wearer is upright and wearing the garment. This provides a continuous flow of coolant from the one or more upper terminal branches to the one or more lower terminal branches through the plurality of first passages, thereby allowing the coolant to be refreshed from time to time to further improve wear cooling effect.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first channels are divided into first and second subsets of first channels. The first and second subsets of the first channels are located on the front and back sheets, respectively, of the mesh layer.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of first passages include a hydrophobic shell for preventing leakage of coolant from the plurality of first passages.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of first channels further comprise a first fibrous material surrounded by a hydrophobic shell. The first fiber material is selected to configure the plurality of first channels to spread the cooling liquid by diffusion over the first capillary bed.

Preferably, the inner fiber tube network includes a plurality of second channels interwoven to form a second capillary bed for partially wrapping the wearer when the wearer wears the garment. The plurality of second channels are water permeable to absorb sweat from the wearer. The plurality of second channels are also configured to spread sweat over the second capillary bed to facilitate evaporation of sweat.

Preferably, the plurality of second channels are connected to the one or more lower terminal branches for expelling excess sweat from the second capillary bed when the second capillary bed is saturated with sweat. Thus, this avoids excessive sweat dripping from the second capillary bed and irritating the wearer.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of second channels comprise a second fibrous material selected to configure the plurality of second channels to spread sweat over the second capillary bed by diffusion.

In certain embodiments, the garment further includes one or more upper containers, one or more cores, and one or more lower containers. The one or more upper containers are used to store cooling liquid to be supplied to the outer fiber tube network. the one or more cores connect the one or more upper vessels to the one or more upper terminal branches for transferring the cooling fluid stored in the one or more upper vessels to the first capillary bed . The one or more lower vessels are arranged to receive cooling liquid collected from the one or more terminal branches.

In certain embodiments, the mesh layer is hydrophobic.

In certain embodiments, the mesh layer is formed into a shirt.

In certain embodiments, the capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system can be fitted to the upper garment, or designed within the mesh layer, or even created by physical, chemical or combined surface treatment of the upper garment.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system that can be fitted to an upper garment for managing cooling fluid distribution and sweat dissipation to cool the wearer of the upper garment.

The system includes an outer fiber tube network and an inner fiber tube network. An outer fiber tube network is arranged on the outer side for conveying cooling fluid over the upper garment, thereby promoting heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the upper garment. The inner fiber tube network is arranged on the inner side for absorbing and evaporating sweat captured from the wearer.

The outer fiber duct network includes a plurality of first channels, one or more upper termination branches and one or more lower termination branches. The plurality of first channels are interwoven to form a first capillary bed, the first capillary bed being arranged to at least partially wrap the upper garment on the outside. The plurality of first channels are also configured to spread the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed, thereby promoting heat exchange of the cooling liquid with the upper garment via the first capillary bed. The one or more upper terminal branches are connected to the first capillary bed for receiving cooling fluid and delivering the received cooling fluid into the first capillary bed. The one or more lower terminal branches are connected to the first capillary bed for collecting the cooling liquid released from the first capillary bed. In particular, the one or more upper terminal branches are located higher than the one or more lower terminal branches when the wearer is upright and wearing the top. This provides a continuous flow of coolant from the one or more upper terminal branches to the one or more lower terminal branches through the plurality of first passages, thereby allowing the coolant to be refreshed from time to time to further improve wear cooling effect.

The inner fiber tube network includes a plurality of second channels interwoven to form a second capillary bed for partially wrapping the wearer when the wearer wears the garment. The plurality of second channels are water permeable to absorb sweat from the wearer. The plurality of second channels are also configured to spread sweat over the second capillary bed to facilitate evaporation of sweat. Additionally, the plurality of second channels are connected to the one or more lower terminal branches for expelling excess sweat from the second capillary bed when the second capillary bed is saturated with sweat, thereby avoiding excess sweat Drip from the second capillary bed irritates the wearer.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of first passages include a hydrophobic shell for preventing leakage of coolant from the plurality of first passages.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of first channels further comprise a first fibrous material surrounded by a hydrophobic shell. The first fiber material is selected to configure the plurality of first channels to spread the cooling liquid by diffusion over the first capillary bed.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of second channels comprise a second fibrous material selected to configure the plurality of second channels to spread sweat over the second capillary bed by diffusion.

In certain embodiments, the system further includes one or more upper vessels, one or more cores, and one or more lower vessels. The one or more upper containers are used to store cooling liquid to be supplied to the outer fiber tube network. the one or more cores connect the one or more upper vessels to the one or more upper terminal branches for transferring the cooling fluid stored in the one or more upper vessels to the first capillary bed . The one or more lower vessels are arranged to receive cooling liquid collected from the one or more terminal branches.

Other aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed as shown in the Examples below.

Description of drawings

1 depicts a front view of an evaporative cooling garment having a shirt-shaped mesh layer having a plurality of openings for air ventilation; a first capillary bed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure , which is used to distribute the cooling liquid (usually water) over the mesh layer; and a plurality of lower containers, which are used to collect the cooling liquid at the lower terminal branches of the garment.

2 depicts a rear view of an evaporative cooling garment with a plurality of upper receptacles adjacent to the shoulder portions of the mesh layer carrying cooling liquid for delivery into the first capillary bed through the upper terminal branch of the garment.

Figure 3 depicts a view of the inside of the mesh layer with a second capillary bed mounted on the inside of the mesh layer for absorbing and evaporating sweat captured from the wearer.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale.

Detailed ways

As used herein, "jacket" refers to clothing designed for a person to be worn on the torso of a person's body. Examples of tops include shirts, sweaters, and jackets.

In biology, fibrillar bundles are a transport system in plants composed of fibers and conductive tissue that transport water. A fibrous tube network is employed here, similar to fibrous tube bundles in terms of water transport properties. As used herein, a "fibrillar network" refers to a network of branches connected or cross-linked together, wherein each branch is used to transport liquid therein from one part of the branch to another or to the other part of the branch. the channel of the other branch to which each branch joins. The branches (or channels) in the duct network may or may not have the same cross-sectional dimensions or the same length, but in practice the branches most often have different cross-sectional dimensions and different lengths. Each branch (or each channel) may or may not be formed of fibrous material.

As used herein, a "terminal branch" of a network refers to a branch that has two ends, where one end is connected to one or more branches of the network, while the other end remains open or connected to an entity outside the network.

In biology, a capillary bed is an interwoven network of capillaries that supply an organ with nutrients and carry waste away from it. The term is used herein in the context of clothing and clothing. As used herein, "capillary bed" refers to an interwoven network of physical channels, forming a mesh covering an area or surface or at least partially surrounding an object, wherein each channel is used to transport liquid.

The present disclosure provides an evaporative cooling garment and a capillary bed quill liquid and sweat management system that can be assembled to the evaporative cooling garment. Evaporative cooling garments used to cool the garment wearer create a 3D air circulation environment to accelerate sweat evaporation and cool air delivery with the help of a capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system. Capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management systems use the principle of siphoning to distribute cooling fluid (usually water) across the garment and remove excess sweat.

The evaporative cooling garments and capillary bed quill liquid and sweat management systems disclosed herein are exemplarily illustrated with the aid of FIGS. 1-3 . FIG. 1 depicts a front view of an exemplary evaporative cooling garment 100 showing the front panel of the garment 100 . Garment 100 is a top and is shaped as a shirt as an example for illustration. Figure 2 depicts a rear view of garment 100 showing its back panel. FIG. 3 depicts a view of the inside of garment 100 , where the inside is used to surround or wrap the wearer when the wearer is wearing the garment 100 .

In FIGS. 1-3 , a reference vertical direction 92 is drawn parallel to the direction of gravity, and is used hereinafter to describe the principles of operation of garment 100 . In the specification and appended claims herein, positional modifiers such as "upper", "higher", "lower", "above" and "below" are referred to with reference to the vertical direction 92 . Also note that in Figures 1-3, garment 100 is drawn in a normal vertical orientation with the wearer wearing garment 100 and standing upright.

Garment 100 includes mesh layer 101 and capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system 102 .

The mesh layer 101 is shaped into an upper garment and is configured to be worn by a wearer. Since the mesh layer 101 is garment-like and intended for wear by the wearer, the outside and inside of the mesh layer 101 are definable. The inner side (as shown in Figure 3) is part of the mesh layer 101 for covering or partially enclosing the torso of the wearer. Therefore, the inner side faces the torso. The outer side (as shown in Figures 1 and 2) is another portion of the mesh layer 101 that is opposite the inner side so that the outer side does not face the wearer's torso.

System 102 may be assembled to mesh layer 101 for managing coolant distribution and sweat dissipation. The system 102 includes an outer fiber duct network 201 and an inner fiber duct network 202 . The outer fiber tube network 201 is located on the outer side of the mesh layer 101 for conveying the cooling liquid above the mesh layer 101 , thereby promoting heat exchange between the cooling liquid and the mesh layer 101 . In normal operation, the outer fiber tube network 201 is located adjacent to the mesh layer 101 . Due to the wide availability of water, the coolant is usually chosen to be water or ice water. The inner fiber tube network 202 is located on the inner side of the mesh layer 101 for absorbing and evaporating the sweat produced by the wearer.

Advantageously, the mesh layer 101 comprises a plurality of openings 115 on the surface 113 of the mesh layer. A plurality of openings 115 extend between the inner side and the outer side and form ventilation channels across the mesh layer 101 . Sweat captured by the inner fiber tube network 202 is evaporated and the stream of moist air carrying evaporated sweat can more easily escape from the inner side of the mesh layer 101 to the outer side thereof via the plurality of openings 115 . In addition, the flow of cool air cooled by the outer fiber tube network 201 on the outer side can more easily enter the inner side through the plurality of openings 115 . Some openings on the mesh layer surface 113 allow the flow of moist air to exit from the inside, while other openings facilitate the flow of cool air to the inside. A 3D air ventilation environment is thereby created through the plurality of openings 115 . The 3D air ventilation environment accelerates the evaporation of sweat from the inside and reduces the thermal insulation between the inside and outside of the mesh layer 101, thereby improving the effect of cooling the wearer. In addition, the accelerated evaporation of sweat helps to reduce the relative humidity on the wearer's skin more quickly, thereby improving wearer comfort.

In order to simplify the manufacture of garment 100 and achieve the effectiveness of contact mesh layer 101, it is preferred that outer fiber tube network 201 is implemented as a mesh, and the different branches of outer fiber tube network 201 do not intersect each other in 3D. As depicted in Figures 1 and 2, preferably the outer fiber tube network 201 includes a plurality of first channels 171 interwoven together to form a first capillary bed 181 that is at least on the outside The mesh layer 101 is partially wrapped. The plurality of first channels 171 are configured to spread the cooling liquid on the first capillary bed 181 , thereby promoting heat exchange of the cooling liquid with the mesh layer 101 via the first capillary bed 181 . In certain embodiments, manufacturing may be further simplified by dividing the plurality of first channels 171 into a first subset 171a of first channels and a second subset 171b of first channels. The first subset 171a of the first channels is located on the front sheet of the mesh layer 101 (as shown in FIG. 1). The second subset 171b of the first channels is located on the back sheet of the mesh layer 101 (as shown in Figure 2). Note that the upper ends of the first and second subsets of the first channels 171a, 171b are combined at the shoulder portion of the mesh layer 101 and the lower ends thereof are combined at the hip portion of the mesh layer 101.

In addition, the outer fiber duct network 201 further includes one or more upper termination branches 131 and one or more lower termination branches 132 . One or more upper terminal branches 131 and one or more lower terminal branches 132 are connected to the first capillary bed 181 . One or more upper terminal branches 131 are used to receive coolant (eg, from a coolant reservoir) and deliver the received coolant into the first capillary bed 181 (eg, by diffusion). The one or more lower terminal branches 132 are used to collect the cooling liquid released from the first capillary bed 181 (ie, spent cooling liquid). In particular, the one or more upper terminal branches 131 are located higher than the one or more lower terminal branches 132 when the wearer is wearing the garment and the wearer's torso remains in a normal upright position (eg, when the wearer is upright). This provides a continuous flow of cooling fluid from the one or more upper terminal branches 131 to the one or more lower terminal branches 132 through the plurality of first passages 171, thereby allowing the cooling fluid to be refreshed from time to time to further enhance the cooling effect of the wearer .

It is desirable to prevent the plurality of first channels 171 from leaking cooling liquid from wetting the mesh layer 101 and other parts of the garment 100 . In certain embodiments, the plurality of first passages 171 include a hydrophobic casing for preventing coolant leakage from the plurality of first passages 171 . Since the hydrophobic shell is used to transfer heat between the cooling liquid and the mesh layer, it is preferred that the hydrophobic shell is thin enough to achieve low thermal resistance in the radial direction of each first channel.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of first channels 171 further comprise a first fibrous material surrounded by a hydrophobic shell. The first fiber material is selected to configure the plurality of first channels 171 to spread the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed 181 by diffusion. It is also possible that the first fibrous material is selected to slow the delivery of the cooling liquid in the first plurality of first channels 171 compared to implementing the plurality of first channels 171 with only a hydrophobic shell. Using a hollow housing to implement the plurality of first channels 171 may cause the cooling fluid to flow too fast before the heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the mesh layer 101 is effective. As an example, the first fiber material may consist of hydrophilic fibers, or may be a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers.

As mentioned above, water or ice water is usually used as the coolant. Additives can be added to water to form water-based coolants for secondary purposes as well as primary cooling purposes. For example, fungicides or bactericides can be added to the water to form a water-based cooling liquid for inhibiting pathogen growth in the outer fiber tube network 201 .

In order to supply cooling fluid to the outer fiber tube network 201 , preferably, the garment 100 further includes one or more upper receptacles 121 and one or more cores 105 . One or more upper tanks 121 are used to store the cooling liquid supplied to the outer fiber tube network 201 . The one or more wicks 105 connect the one or more upper vessels 121 to the one or more upper terminal branches 131 for transferring the cooling liquid stored in the one or more upper vessels 121 to the first capillary bed 181 . Coolant may conveniently be stored in one or more water bladders 104a, which are placed in one or more upper receptacles 121 to form one or more coolant reservoirs.

In order to collect spent cooling liquid from the outer fiber tube network 201 , preferably, the garment 100 further comprises one or more lower receptacles 122 arranged to receive the cooling liquid collected from the one or more lower terminal branches 132 . One or more water bladders 104b may be provided in one or more lower receptacles 122 for storing the collected spent cooling fluid. Note that since one or more upper termination branches 131 are higher than one or more lower termination branches 132 during normal operation of outer fiber duct network 201, one or more upper receptacles 121 are also located higher than one or more lower receptacles 122 location.

With the aid of the structural details of the outer fiber tube network 201 as disclosed above, the principle of operation of the outer fiber tube network 201 to transport the cooling liquid over the mesh layer 101 is explained as follows. Consider using water as a coolant. Water is filled in one or more water bladders 104a located in one or more upper receptacles 121 . The one or more cores 105 are inserted into the one or more water bladders 104a such that the one or more cores 105 are submerged in water. The water rises along one or more wicks 105 due to capillary action against gravity. Since the one or more cores 105 are connected to the one or more upper terminal branches 131 at the shoulder portion of the mesh layer 101, water travels down the path of the one or more cores 105 at the shoulder portion, thereby passing through a The upper terminal branch(s) 131 supply water to a plurality of first channels 171 (which include a first subset 171a of first channels at the front panel and a second subset 171b of first channels at the rear panel). When the water is received by the one or more upper terminal branches 131, the water begins to move downward due to capillary action and under the action of gravity. In this way, siphoning of water begins in the first capillary bed 181 . Note that water is supplied to the first capillary bed 181 spontaneously by siphoning without the need for a DC motor to pump water from the one or more water bladders 104a to the first capillary bed 181 . While moving downward, water from one or more upper terminal branches 131 (which is generally wider than each first channel) is distributed into subsequent first channels (which gradually narrow in cross-sectional width). The respective first channels of the plurality of first channels 171 are then merged together and finally terminated at the one or more lower terminal branches 132 . One or more lower terminal branches 132 at the lower end of the first capillary bed 181 are connected to one or more water bladders 104b held in one or more lower vessels 122 fixed on the mesh layer 101 . The siphon water from the plurality of first channels 171 (ie, from the first and second subsets 171a, 171b of the first channels) reaches the one or more lower terminal branches 132 and is eventually collected into one or more lower terminal branches. One or more water bladders 104b provided in the container 122.

Similar to the outer fiber tube network 201 , the inner fiber tube network 202 is preferably implemented as a mesh without the different branches of the inner fiber tube network 202 intersecting each other in 3D to simplify the manufacture of the garment 100 . As depicted in FIG. 3 , preferably the inner fiber tube network 202 includes a plurality of second channels 172 interwoven to form a second capillary bed 182 for partially wearing the garment 100 by the wearer Wrap the wearer. The plurality of second channels 172 are water permeable to absorb sweat from the wearer. It can be seen that the plurality of second channels 172 are hydrophilic. Additionally, the plurality of second channels 172 are configured to spread sweat over the second capillary bed 182 to facilitate evaporation of the sweat.

To simplify illustration, FIG. 3 depicts a plurality of second channels 172 on the inner side of one sheet (front or back) of mesh layer 101 . However, in practice, it is more preferred that the plurality of second channels 172 be distributed on the front and back panels of the mesh layer 101 because of the advantage of absorbing sweat from the front and back sides of the wearer's torso and subsequently Evaporate. The present disclosure includes two embodiments of placing a plurality of second channels 172 on one or both sheets of mesh layer 101 .

Preferably, a plurality of second channels 172 are connected to one or more lower terminal branches 132 for draining excess sweat from the second capillary bed 182 when the second capillary bed 182 is saturated with sweat. Thus, this avoids excessive sweat dripping from the second capillary bed 182 and irritating the wearer.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of second channels 172 further comprise a second fibrous material. In addition to being water permeable, the second fiber material is selected to additionally configure the plurality of second channels 172 to spread sweat over the second capillary bed 182 by diffusion. As an example, the second fiber material may be composed of hydrophilic fibers.

With the aid of the structural details of the inner tube network 202 as disclosed above, the principle of operation of the inner tube network 202 to absorb and evaporate the sweat produced by the wearer is explained as follows. The second capillary bed 182 on the inner side of the mesh layer 101 is exposed to the wearer's skin, thereby functioning to collect sweat from the skin. Sweat penetrates into the plurality of second channels 172 due to hydrophilic absorption. Due to capillary action, the sweat is then spread within the plurality of second channels 172 over a larger surface area of the branched network (ie, the second capillary bed 182), rather than over a restricted circular area of a continuous fabric layer of textile material middle. Sweat can quickly spread over the branch network for evaporation. Additionally, in the event of saturation of sweat in the second plurality of channels 172 , the sweat is directed to travel along the second plurality of channels 172 toward the one or more lower terminal branches 132 for collection into the one or more lower receptacles 122 One or more water bladders 104b are provided.

Since the inner tube network 202 is designed to absorb and evaporate sweat and collect excess sweat in the event of sweat saturation, it is desirable that the mesh layer 101 and the inner tube network 202 do not compete with each other in sweat absorption. Otherwise, the retention of sweat in the mesh layer 101 may cause discomfort to the wearer, and sweat dripping, which is annoying to the wearer, may occur. Preferably, the mesh layer 101 is hydrophobic, substantially hydrophobic, or at least more hydrophobic than the plurality of second channels 172 in terms of rate of perspiration absorption per unit area.

As mentioned above, the mesh layer 101 is formed into a top garment. In certain embodiments, the mesh layer 101 is formed into a shirt. The shirts can be camping shirts, T-shirts, polo shirts, etc.

With the various embodiments of the garment 100 as disclosed above, the garment 100 may be advantageously used for sweat management, as detailed below. There are two stages of sweating. The first stage is nonsensory perspiration and the second stage is liquid perspiration. The middle mesh layer 101 activates evaporation from the wearer's skin surface to achieve perspiration-free perspiration and helps reduce relative humidity on the skin surface. This prolongs the time that the vapour can build up on the skin before liquid sweat is produced. Additionally, if the wearer's body produces liquid perspiration during physical exercise or when the ambient relative humidity is high, the inner fiber tube network 202 is activated to absorb the liquid sweat and route the absorbed liquid sweat along the plurality of second channels 172 is delivered towards one or more water bladders 104b. Thus, the garment 100 as disclosed herein solves the problem of perspiration spreading over the entire fabric layer when wearing ordinary garments. The problem of sweat distribution makes normal clothing heavy, unwieldy and smelly. Garment 100 also addresses the problem of sweat dripping from the underside of conventional garments onto the floor when the wearer produces a lot of sweat.

In summary, the evaporative cooling garment 100 as disclosed herein is useful in: use as sportswear; use by construction workers; use by industrial workers in hot work environments; use by occupants in hot dry climates or hot humid climates; For occupational heat stress management; and for animal use. Other uses of the garment 100 are also possible as those skilled in the art deem suitable.

Although the evaporative cooling garment 100 provides cooling to the wearer through the advantageous combination of the mesh layer 101 and the capillary bed quill liquid and sweat management system 102, the system 102 may be first manufactured as a stand-alone item for subsequent fitting to an upper garment , or can be designed in or on the mesh layer 101 by physical or chemical means. As can be seen, the system 102 can be fitted to a top, or can be designed into the mesh layer 101, or can even be produced by physical, chemical or combined surface treatment of the top. In addition to claiming garment 100 , the present disclosure also claims a capillary bed quill fluid and sweat management system that can be fitted to a garment according to any of the embodiments disclosed above for system 102 .

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Accordingly, the present embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and therefore all changes that come within the equivalency and range of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (20)

1. An evaporative cooling garment for cooling a wearer of the garment, the garment comprising:

a mesh layer shaped as a top garment to be worn by the wearer; and

a capillary bed capillary liquid and sweat management system fittable to the mesh layer for managing coolant distribution and sweat dissipation, the system comprising an outer network of fibers on the outside of the mesh layer for transporting coolant over the mesh layer to facilitate heat exchange between the coolant and the mesh layer, and an inner network of fibers on the inside of the mesh layer for absorbing and evaporating sweat produced by the wearer;

wherein the mesh layer comprises a plurality of openings on a mesh layer surface extending between the inner side and the outer side and forming ventilation channels across the mesh layer for creating a three-dimensional (3D) air ventilation environment to accelerate sweat evaporation from the inner side and reduce thermal insulation between the inner side and the outer side of the mesh layer, thereby enhancing the effect of cooling the wearer.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the outer fiber network comprises:

a plurality of first channels interwoven together to form a first capillary bed at least partially encasing the mesh layer on the exterior side, the plurality of first channels configured to spread the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed to facilitate heat exchange of the cooling liquid with the mesh layer via the first capillary bed;

one or more upper terminal branches connected to the first capillary bed for receiving the cooling fluid and delivering the received cooling fluid into the first capillary bed; and

one or more lower terminal branches connected to the first capillary bed for collecting the cooling liquid released from the first capillary bed, wherein the one or more upper terminal branches are located at a higher position than the one or more lower terminal branches when the wearer is standing upright and wearing the garment, such that the cooling liquid continuously flows from the one or more upper terminal branches to the one or more lower terminal branches through the plurality of first channels, thereby allowing the cooling liquid to be refreshed from time to further increase the effect of cooling the wearer.

3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first channels comprise a hydrophobic outer shell for preventing the cooling fluid from leaking from the plurality of first channels.

4. The garment of claim 3, wherein the plurality of first channels further comprises a first fibrous material surrounded by the hydrophobic shell, the first fibrous material selected to configure the plurality of first channels to distribute the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed by diffusion.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the inner fiber network comprises:

a plurality of second channels interwoven together to form a second capillary bed for partially wrapping the wearer when the wearer is wearing the garment, the plurality of second channels permeable to water to absorb sweat from the wearer, the plurality of second channels configured to spread the sweat over the second capillary bed to facilitate evaporation of the sweat.

6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the plurality of second channels comprise a second fibrous material selected to configure the plurality of second channels to distribute the sweat over the second capillary bed by diffusion.

7. The garment of claim 2, wherein the inner fiber network comprises:

a plurality of second channels interwoven together to form a second capillary bed for partially enveloping the wearer when the garment is worn by the wearer, the plurality of second channels permeable to water to absorb sweat from the wearer, the plurality of second channels configured to distribute the sweat over the second capillary bed to facilitate evaporation of the sweat, wherein the plurality of second channels are connected to one or more lower terminal branches for draining excess sweat from the second capillary bed when the second capillary bed is saturated with sweat, thereby avoiding dripping of the excess sweat from the second capillary bed to irritate the wearer.

8. The garment of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more upper vessels for storing the cooling liquid to be supplied to the outer fiber optic network;

one or more wicks connecting the one or more upper reservoirs to the one or more upper terminal branches for transferring the cooling liquid stored in the one or more upper reservoirs to the first capillary bed; and

one or more lower containers arranged to receive the cooling liquid collected from the one or more terminal branches.

9. The garment of claim 7, further comprising:

one or more upper vessels for storing the cooling liquid to be supplied to the outer fiber optic network;

one or more wicks connecting the one or more upper reservoirs to the one or more upper terminal branches for transferring the cooling liquid stored in the one or more upper reservoirs to the first capillary bed; and

one or more lower containers arranged to receive the cooling liquid collected from the one or more terminal branches.

10. The garment of any of claims 1-9, wherein the plurality of first channels are divided into first and second subsets of first channels, the first and second subsets of first channels being located on the front and back panels of the mesh layer, respectively.

11. The garment of any of claims 1-9, wherein the cooling fluid is water.

12. The garment of any of claims 1-9, wherein the mesh layer is hydrophobic.

13. The garment of any of claims 1-9, wherein the mesh layer is shaped as a shirt.

14. The garment of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the capillary bed capillary liquid and sweat management system can be fitted to the coat, or designed within the mesh layer, or even created by a physical, chemical or combined surface treatment of the coat.

15. A capillary bed capillary liquid and sweat management system mountable to a coat for managing coolant distribution and sweat dissipation to cool a wearer of the coat, the coat having an exterior and an interior, the system comprising:

an outer fiber optic network disposed on the outer side for transporting a cooling fluid over the jacket to facilitate heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the jacket, wherein the outer fiber optic network comprises:

a plurality of first channels interwoven together to form a first capillary bed arranged to at least partially wrap the jacket on the outside, the plurality of first channels configured to spread the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed to facilitate heat exchange of the cooling liquid with the jacket via the first capillary bed;

one or more upper terminal branches connected to the first capillary bed for receiving the cooling fluid and delivering the received cooling fluid into the first capillary bed; and

one or more lower terminal branches connected to the first capillary bed for collecting the cooling liquid released from the first capillary bed, wherein the one or more upper terminal branches are located at a higher position than the one or more lower terminal branches when the wearer stands upright and wears the jacket, such that the cooling liquid continuously flows from the one or more upper terminal branches to the one or more lower terminal branches through the plurality of first channels, thereby allowing the cooling liquid to be refreshed from time to further enhance the effect of cooling the wearer; and

an inner network of capillaries arranged on the inner side for absorbing and vaporizing sweat captured from the wearer, wherein the inner network of capillaries comprises:

a plurality of second channels interwoven together to form a second capillary bed for partially enveloping the wearer when the garment is worn by the wearer, the plurality of second channels permeable to water to absorb sweat from the wearer, the plurality of second channels configured to distribute the sweat over the second capillary bed to facilitate evaporation of the sweat, wherein the plurality of second channels are connected to the one or more lower terminal branches for draining excess sweat from the second capillary bed when the second capillary bed is saturated with sweat, thereby avoiding dripping of the excess sweat from the second capillary bed to irritate the wearer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of first channels comprise a hydrophobic outer shell for preventing the cooling fluid from leaking from the plurality of first channels.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of first channels further comprises a first fibrous material surrounded by the hydrophobic outer shell, the first fibrous material selected to configure the plurality of first channels to distribute the cooling liquid over the first capillary bed by diffusion.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of second channels comprise a second fibrous material selected to configure the plurality of second channels to distribute the sweat over the second capillary bed by diffusion.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more upper vessels for storing the cooling liquid to be supplied to the outer fiber optic network;

connecting the one or more upper containers to one or more wicks of the one or more upper terminal branches for transferring the cooling liquid stored in the one or more upper containers to the first capillary bed; and

one or more lower containers arranged to receive the cooling liquid collected from the one or more terminal branches.

20. The system of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the cooling fluid is water.

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