EP2552266B1

EP2552266B1 - Ventilation device for clothing

Info

Publication number: EP2552266B1
Application number: EP11711825.7A
Authority: EP
Original assignee: HAGALON AS
Current assignee: HAGALON AS
Priority date: 2010-03-26
Filing date: 2011-03-24
Publication date: 2014-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-24
Also published as: WO2011117349A1; EP2552266A1

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to ventilation devices, in particular to an active ventilation device for clothing for providing a ventilating airflow to a wearer of clothing.

BACKGROUND

Athletes and other individuals participating in strenuous activities often become overheated. The layer of clothing worn by the individual may prevent or hinder the body's natural cooling mechanism, i.e. the evaporation of perspiration, due to the skin of the person not being exposed to the air. It is known to arrange openings or other passive ventilation means in clothing, however such passive means do not provide for an adequate exchange of air to effectively cool the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a ventilation device that actively exchanges air trapped between the body of a user and a layer of clothing with outside air. The device comprises an appliance arranged to be worn about the torso of a user, in the form of a girdle, a vest or the like. The appliance comprises an outer shell and an inner shell, the shells defining an internal space therebetween. One or more collapsible bellows are arranged in the internal space between the shells. The shells are arranged to move relative to one another in response to the movement of a body part of the user such that portions of the shells alternately move nearer and farther from one another in response to said movement, thus alternately expanding and collapsing the bellows. The bellows are arranged with air inlets and air outlets connected to reversible valves. Such a device is known from US 6,454,749 .
According to one aspect of the invention a series of air distribution tubes are connected to the bellows and arranged underneath an outer layer of clothing in order to distribute and remove air from the body of the user. The distribution tubes may be integrated into the article of clothing or maybe arranged separately.
According to one aspect, the appliance is in the form of a girdle arranged to be worn about the torso of the user. The girdle has an adjustable outer shell that once fitted to the user is relatively rigid. The girdle further comprises an inner shell that can expand and contract. According to one embodiment the expansion and contraction is facilitated by means of the inner shell having sections that are arranged to slide longitudinally relative to each other in response to the breathing of the user. When the user inhales, the circumference of his or her chest cavity increases. This causes the sections of the inner shell to slide apart thus increasing the circumference of the inner shell. The inner shell moves closer to the outer shell thereby compressing the bellows. When the user exhales, the opposite occurs, that is, the inner shell will contract and move farther away from the outer shell thus expanding the bellows.
Depending upon the arrangement of the reversible valves and the distribution tubes, outside air can be drawn into the bellows and expelled onto the body of the user, or alternately warm moist air from around the body of the user may be drawn into the bellows and expelled to the outside environment. A combination of bellows can be arranged in the device to alternately or simultaneously perform both functions. The bellows may be arranged to expand passively in response to the relative movement of the shells or may be equipped with a spring or the like to actively expand the bellows when the shells move apart.
In an alternate embodiment, the appliance is in the form of a vest. The outer material of the vest can function as the outer shell of the appliance while an inner section functions as the inner shell of the appliance. The vest can alternately be made of a softer fabric with the girdle of the first embodiment integrated therein. According to one aspect the vest or girdle may have supply tubes connected to perforated airbags for air distribution and body ventilation.
According to another embodiment the appliance comprises a relatively rigid inner shell and a movable outer shell with the bellows arranged therebetween. The outer shell is connected to the upper arms of the user such that the back-and-forth arm movement associated with walking or running will cause the outer shell to move back and forth. The bellows are arranged at the chest and back of the user. When an arm of the user moves forward, the outer shell at the front of the appliance will move away from the inner shell thus causing the bellows at the chest of the user to expand. Conversely, the outer shell at the back of the user moves closer to the inner shell thus compressing the bellows located at the back of the user. The arm movement will thereby alternately expand and contract the bellows pumping air to or from the body of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention arranged as a girdle.
Figures 1A, 1B and 1C illustrate the bellows in expanded, intermediary, and collapsed states respectively.
Figure 2 shows the girdle of the first embodiment in an open state.
Figures 2A and 2B are detailed views of portions of the first embodiment.
Figure 3 shows the first embodiment with distribution tubes attached.
Figures 4 through 4D illustrate details of the distribution tubes.
Figure 5 illustrates the expansion and contraction of the chest cavity of person while breathing.
Figure 6 illustrates the expansion and compression of the bellows in response to breathing.
Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views of the bellows showing reversible valves.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 illustrate airflow into and out of the bellows in response to expansion and compression.
Figures 12 through 17 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention in the form of a vest.
Figures 18 and 19 are sectional views showing a third embodiment of the invention with the outer shell connected to the arms of the user.
Figures 20 and 21 illustrate air distribution means integrated into an article of clothing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a ventilation device in the form of a girdle (1) is provided. As seen in fig 1, the ventilation device according to the invention comprises an outer shell (2), an inner shell (4) and one or more collapsible bellows (6) arranged therebetween. As seen in Fig. 2, the girdle may be opened for attaching around a user's torso. The girdle comprises a rear hinged area (8), and a fastener arrangement (10) at the front, for example a hook-and-loop style fastener or other appropriate fastening means. The outer shell is preferably made of adjustable sections that may be pulled taught at secured by an adjustment fastener (12), again for example a hook-and-loop style fastener or other appropriate fastening means.
As seen in Figs 7-11, the bellows comprise reversible valves (14). The reversible valves allow air to be drawn into the bellows during expansion, and expelled from the bellows during compression. As seen in figs 3, 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d a plurality of air distribution tubes (16, 18) is connected to the reversible valves of the bellows, to facilitate drawing in outside air and expelling it about the body of a user, or alternatively or simultaneously to draw in warm, moist air from around the body of the user and expel it to the outside environment. As seen in Figs 4- 4d, attachable air distribution tubes (18) may be provided with pores for the air exchange. The distribution tubes may be either worn loosely about the user's body, or may be integrated into an article of clothing. The distribution tubes may be provided with attachment tabs (20) whereupon the tubes may be sewn or otherwise attached to the inside of an article of clothing.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the mode of operation of the device. The girdle is worn about the torso, for example about the chest of the user. As the user breathes, the circumference of his or her chest cavity increases and decreases. When the girdle is fitted properly, this causes the inner shell to expand and contract, alternately expanding and collapsing the bellows against the outer shell. This results in a pumping action that exchanges air according to the desired configuration of the distribution tubes and valves.
An alternate embodiment is illustrated in figs. 12-17. This embodiment is in the form of a vest, alternatively a vest in which the girdle of the first embodiments incorporated. The bellows may be located at the chest, at the back, or both. According to this embodiment, the distribution tubes may optionally be connected to perforated air bags (22) that aid in the exchange of air.
A third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in figs 18 and 19. This embodiment is in the form of a girdle, and comprises a relatively rigid inner shell (24) and a flexible or otherwise moveable outer shell (26) with bellows (6) arranged therebetween. According to this embodiment, the outer shell is connected to the upper arms (28) of the user, for example by being worn on the outside of the upper arms. The outer shell is arranged to move back and forth in concert with the swaying of the arms during walking or running. As figure 19 illustrates, the forward movement of the arms causes the outer shell to move away from the inner shell at the front of the user, causing the bellows to expand, while at the back of the girdle the opposite occurs, collapsing the bellows.
The ventilation device of the invention may be a self contained unit, or may be integrated into other articles of clothing. Figures 20 and 21 illustrate the system of air distribution tubes and air bags integrated into a jacket.

Claims

A ventilation device arranged to be worn about the torso of a user, the device comprising an outer shell (2) and an inner shell (4), the shells defining an internal space therebetween, and one or more collapsible bellows (6) arranged in the internal space between the shells, wherein said shells are arranged to move relative to one another in response to the movement of a body part of the user such that portions of the shells alternately move nearer and farther from one another in response to said movement, thus alternately expanding and collapsing the bellows, said bellows comprising an air inlet and air outlet connected to reversible valves (14),
characterized in that the outer shell (2) is rigid, the inner shell (4) comprises a plurality of moveable sections, said sections being arranged to slide relative to one another thus increasing or decreasing the circumference of the inner shell, and wherein the body movement of the user that causes the shells to move nearer or further from one another is the expansion and contraction of the chest cavity of the user due to breathing, said expansion and contraction of the chest cavity causing the panels of the inner shell to slide relative to one another, such that when the sections of the inner shell slide apart, thus increasing the circumference of the inner shell, the inner shell moves closer to the outer shell thereby compressing the bellows, and when the user exhales the inner shell will contract and move farther away from the outer shell thus expanding the bellows.
A ventilation device arranged to be worn about the torso of a user, the device comprising an outer shell (26) and an inner shell (24), the shells defining an internal space therebetween, and one or more collapsible bellows (6) arranged in the internal space between the shells, wherein said shells are arranged to move relative to one another in response to the movement of a body part of the user such that portions of the shells alternately move nearer and farther from one another in response to said movement, thus alternately expanding and collapsing the bellows, said bellows comprising an air inlet and air outlet connected to reversible valves (14),
characterized in that the inner shell (24) is rigid and the outer shell (26) is movably connected to the upper arms (28) of the user, whereby the forward and backward movement of the arms of the user during walking or running alternately causes the outer shell to move nearer and farther from the inner shell, thus alternately collapsing and expanding the bellows (6).
A ventilation device according to claim 1 or 2 arranged in the form of a girdle (1).
A ventilation device according to claim 1 or 2 arranged in the form of a vest.
A ventilation device according to one of the aforementioned claims, further comprising elongated air distribution tubes (16, 18) connected to the bellows.
A ventilation device according to claim 5, wherein the distribution tubes are integrated into an article of clothing by means of an attachment tab (20).
A ventilation device according to one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the distribution tubes are perforated.