GB2274239A

GB2274239A - Liquid conditioning garment

Info

Publication number: GB2274239A
Application number: GB9300824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Henry Nealey
Original assignee: BTR PLC
Current assignee: BTR PLC
Priority date: 1993-01-16
Filing date: 1993-01-16
Publication date: 1994-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 2013-01-16
Also published as: GB2274239B; GB9300824D0

Abstract

A liquid conditioning garment, e.g. a vest worn by aircrew comprises an inner layer of fabric which is worn in direct contact with the wearers body, and outer fabric layer having a plurality of apertures, e.g. netting, and an array of pipes 13 for carrying heat exchange fluid (heating or cooling fluid e.g. water/glycol mixture) to keep the wearer at a comfortable body temperature. The positioning of the pipes is important since some parts of the body may need more cooling than others and the pipes are threaded through the apertures to help maintain the correct position. One of the layers of fabric may be printed with the pathway to be taken by the pipes. The manufacturing process is easier than the previous process whereby the pipes had to be passed through 'tunnels' of fabric formed between the rows of stitching. <IMAGE>

Description

GARMENT This invention relates to a garment and particularly to a liquid conditioning garment as worn by aircrew.

One example of such a garment is a liquid conditioning vest (LCV) designed to cover the wearer's torso and arms and to provide thermal confort when supplied with "conditioned" heat exchange fluid e.g.

glycol and water mixture, from a Liquid Conditioning Supply System (LCSS) installed within the aircraft.

Heat transfer is accomplished by a "conditioned" liquid flow circulating in an array of flexible pipes covering the torso and upper arms, thus maintaining the wearer's body at a comfortable temperature. The LCSS can supply hot or cold liquid, depending on the prevailing climatic conditions. The garment needs to be of a suitable construction so that when worn the wearer (aircrew) has an acceptable level of comfort and sufficient mobility.

In accordance with the invention a liquid conditioned garment comprises an inner layer of fabric which, when worn, lies against the wearer's body and an outer layer comprising fabric having a plurality of apertures and being attached to the inner layer at a plurality of locations sufficient to prevent undue movement of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer when the garment is being worn, and at least one flexible pipe for carrying heat exchange fluid passing from the exterior of the garment through an aperture to be located between the two layers, the positioning of the pipe in the aperture locating the pipe as required between the two layers.

Preferably the inner layer comprises a textile fabric which is capable of transporting the moisture away from the wearer's body and the outer layer comprises a fabric, e.g. netting, which is capable of absorbing moisture.

The outer layer is preferably attached to the inner layer by stitching so positioned as not to obstruct the required location of the pipe.

Preferably an outer surface of one of the layers is screen printed with marking to indicate the route for the array of pipes. Preferably the inner layer is so printed so that the marking is hidden by the outer layer and/or the pipes when in position.

According to another aspect of the invention a method of manufacturing a garment comprises joining together an inner layer and an outer layer of fabrics at a plurality of locations sufficient to prevent undue movement of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer when the garment is being worn, the outer layer of fabric being provided with a plurality of apertures, passing a flexible pipe through one of the apertures into the space between the layers, routing the pipe along a required path, out through another aperture, almost immediately passing the pipe through another aperture into the space between the two layers and repeating the routing and passing steps until the pipe is positioned as required. The positioning of the pipe preferably ensures the maximum heat transfer effect when heating or cooling liquid i.e. "conditioned" liquid is passed through the pipe.

Preferably the method of manufacturing a garment includes the step of providing marking e.g. by screen printing, the outer surface of one of the two layers, preferably the inner layer, prior to the two layers being joined together, whereby the route to be followed by the pipe when being fed between the two layers is clearly indicated.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the front view of a Liquid Conditioned Vest (LCV) in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the rear view of the LCV shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a cross-section through part of the LCV shown in Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in the drawings a long-sleeved Liquid Conditioning Vest (LCV) 1, comprises a body portion 2, two arm portions 3, an elasticated collar 4, elasticated cuffs 5 at the wrist end of each arm portion and an elasticated waistband 6.

The LCV comprises an inner layer 7 of elasticated textile fabric which, when worn lies directly against the wearer's body and has "sweat transporting" properties, and an outer layer 8 of a textile netting fabric which has "sweat absorbing" properties. The outer layer covers the body portion and the upper parts of each arm portion as shown at 19 in Figures l and 2. The outer layer 8 is stitched to the inner layer 7 at the collar, above the waistband and at the upper parts of each arm portion (at 9). The outer layer is also stitched to the inner layer at a small number of other positions (one illustrated in Figure 3 at 10), sufficient to prevent movement of the outer layer 8 with respect to the inner layer 7 when the LCV is worn.

Sewn into the vest just above the waistband are inlet and outlet manifold tubes 11 connected via an external hose to the Liquid Conditioning Supply System (LCSS) installed in the aircraft. Attached to the manifold tube is a plurality of flexible pipes 13 which for the major part of their length lie between the two layers of fabric 7 and 8. The routes taken by the pipes are shown by lines in Figures 1 and 2 and are shown merely to illustrate the invention, the actual layout depending on the individual wearer's requirements. The routes are not obstructed by the stitching 10 between the inner and outer layers. As shown in the drawings a supply hose 14 may be connected to the external hose 12 for providing fluid to a hood (not shown).

The heat exchange pipes are positioned by passing an end through an aperture in the netting, running the pipe between the two layers 7 and 8, through another aperture in the netting and then, almost immediately, passed back through an adjacent or nearby aperture to be positioned between the two layers again. This is illustrated schematically in Figure 3. This procedure is continually repeated for all the pipes routed over the LCV and enables each pipe 13 to be positioned as required adjacent the wearer's body and to ensure the maximum heat transfer effect. The inlet end of the pipe is connected to the inlet manifold tube and the outlet end of each pipe to the outlet manifold tube.

To ensure accurate and even distribution of the array of pipes over the wearer' s torso and upper arms the outer surface of the ,inner layer is screen printed with marking lines to show the routes to be followed during the positioning of the pipes between the layers. These lines will not be visible when the garment is worn as the pipes and outer layer will obscure them.

The use of the outer layer netting fabric allows for easy routing of the flexible pipes throughout the garment by hand with considerable ease and speed and yet still maintaining accuracy of location. This compares with existing methods which require "sewn tunnels" to be formed and attached to the garment which is time consuming. It is time-consuming and not easy to feed the flexible pipes along these tunnels.

The use of netting fabric to locate and route the flexible pipes allows for a greater ease of assembling any pipe connections in the array. Thus a higher level of confidence in the connections and reduction in reassembling the connections is ensured.

In-service inspection and maintenance is more readily accomplished and the time required for repair and/or maintenance is reduced compared with existing LCV constructions.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A liquid conditioned garment comprising an inner layer of fabric which, when worn, lies against the wearer's body and an outer layer comprising fabric having a plurality of apertures and being attached to the inner layer at a plurality of locations sufficient to prevent undue movement of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer when the garment is being worn, and at least one flexible pipe for carrying heat exchange fluid passing from the exterior of the garment through an aperture to be located between the two layers, the positioning of the pipe in the aperture locating the pipe as required between the two layers.

2. A liquid conditioned garment according to Claim 1 wherein the inner layer comprises a textile fabric which is capable of transporting moisture away from the wearer's body.

3. A liquid conditioned garment according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the outer layer comprises a fabric which is capable of absorbing moisture.

4. A liquid conditioned garment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer layer of fabric comprises netting.

5. A liquid conditioned garment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer layer is attached to the inner layer by stitching so positioned as not to obstruct the required location of the pipe.

6. A liquid conditioned garment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an outer surface of one of the layers is marked to indicate the route for the pipe.

7. A liquid conditioned garment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner layer is provided with marking to indicate the route for the pipe, the marking being hidden by the outer layer or the pipe when in position.

8. A liquid conditioned garment constructed and arranged susbtantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of manufacturing a garment comprising joining together an inner layer and an outer layer of fabrics at a plurality of locations sufficient to prevent undue movement of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer when the garment is being worn, the outer layer of fabric being provided with a plurality of apertures, passing a flexible pipe through one of the apertures into the space between the layers, routing the pipe along a required path, out through another aperture, almost immediately passing the pipe through another aperture into the space between the two layers and repeating the routing and passing steps until the pipe is positioned as required.

10. A method of manufacturing a garment according to Claim 9 wherein the positioning of the pipe ensures the maximum heat transfer effect when liquid is passed through the pipe.

11. A method of manufacturing a garment according to either one of Claims 9 or 10 including the step of providing marking the outer surface of one of the two layers prior to the two layers being joined together whereby the route to be followed by the pipe when being fed between the two layers is clearly indicated.

12. A method of manufacturing a garment substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A method according to Claim 11 wherein marking is provided on the inner layer.