IT201800009440A1 - CUSTOMIZABLE SPACE-SAVING HEATED THERMAL COVER AND ASSOCIATED KIT - Google Patents

Description

Description of the invention entitled:

"CUSTOMIZABLE SPACE-SAVING HEATED THERMAL TAPE AND ASSOCIATED KIT"

Description

Field of technique

The present invention operates in the field of wearable devices, in particular blankets. More specifically, the blanket of the present invention can be used in the home environment, for greater comfort in cold periods, or for targeted control of body temperature and other vital parameters for the benefit of sick people, the elderly or athletes and sportsmen in general. .

Known art

Various types of blankets, capes and devices for controlling a user's body temperature are known in the current state of the art.

From the classic duvets and blankets that are used on the bed, to thinner blankets that can be easily worn in the home, up to devices used in the event of an emergency to prevent a user from going into hypothermia, also including blankets for animals exposed to atmospheric agents , such as cows or horses. There are also devices equipped with an internal resistance that are usually placed under the sheets (sleep warmer) for greater comfort for the user who goes to bed and finds him already warm.

In the sports sector, which is increasingly the subject of study and research to obtain the maximum sporting performance of an athlete, technical materials and clothing have been developed for the most varied functions: for muscle warming, for perspiration and the removal of sweat from the body, for the release of therapeutic substances on the athlete's skin and so on.

Some international rights have as their object heating blankets for various types of users. One example is the world wide patent WO2018170020 which claims a coating having an outer layer of metallized fabric and a heating element formed of electrically conductive metallic ink. The blanket also has an electrically insulating fabric or layer that diffuses the heat produced by the heating element.

Another patent, WO2018175572, claims a specific warming blanket for babies.

The Chinese patent CN108174469, on the other hand, claims an energy-saving electric blanket and its method of use. It comprises a plurality of pressure sensors and a temperature sensor arranged in the main body of the electric blanket. Also provided is a thermostat arranged on the main body of the electrical casing, a controller and an electrical power connector. The electric blanket is made of carbon fiber and has high heating rate, high stability and aim for energy saving. The pressure sensor can detect if a person is present or not, in order to activate the heating function only if the blanket is worn, thus avoiding waste of energy.

Despite this widespread use of thermal blankets, nothing seems to have been thought more specifically for athletes and sportsmen in general, integrating other devices for monitoring vital parameters important for sports performance to the heating function.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention, a customizable space-saving heated sheet is produced which effectively solves the aforementioned problems. Also described is a kit comprising said thermal sheet for obtaining additional functions.

Like the thermal blankets already available on the market, the thermal blanket of the present invention consists of a light, waterproof and windproof outer layer, a breathable inner layer, able to be placed in contact with the user's body, and an internal resistance, interposed between the aforementioned layers, designed to heat up to transfer heat to the body of the user wearing the cloth.

This resistance can reach temperatures between 36 ° C and 50 ° C depending on whether you want to maintain the body temperature of the wearer within the current parameters or whether you want to raise it.

To obtain this result, inside said sheet there is at least one rechargeable battery powered by a common electrical connector equipped with an electrical socket suitable for being connected to a fixed electrical network or to the cigarette lighter of a car.

Externally there is an activation button to start heating the resistance and to stop this process at the behest of the user wearing the towel.

Advantageously, there is also an adjustment device that allows the wearer to raise or lower the temperature of the internal resistance at will.

Advantageously, the cloth of the present invention is space-saving and can be easily transported thanks to the fact that it is equipped with a resealable pocket capable of integrally containing said cloth in a configuration folded inside the pocket itself. There is also a shoulder strap to facilitate transport.

The sheet is advantageously equipped with a common wireless connection device, such as a bluetooth or the like, which allows the establishment of a data connection between the sheet itself and an electronic device of a user on which the App has been previously installed. dedicated. This allows at least to monitor the level of the battery integrated in the sheet, to switch the resistance on or off and to regulate its temperature.

More equipped and even more advantageous versions of the sheet object of the present invention provide for the presence of:

- internal and / or external storage pocket;

- elastic band, preferably adjustable, to better hug and adhere to the wearer's body;

- at least one heat-sensitive band, visible from the outside, capable of changing color according to the temperature of the fabric itself;

- heated hood or equipped with the same internal resistance as the rest of the sheet.

The advantages offered by the present invention as described up to now, are evident for a great variety of users: both for those who want to stay warm, at home, during the winter months, for the sick, for the elderly, for those who love to sleep in the warm and , given the ease of transport of the towel, even for those who suffer from the cold and want to bring their own heated blanket to the restaurant, cinema, theater and so on. More specifically, the cloth of the present invention is designed for participants of various types of events that take place outdoors. Advantageously, an embodiment of the cloth with reduced dimensions is also provided, as a child, or in the format of a stroller or cradle.

A description of the advantages offered by the version of the present invention specifically dedicated to sportsmen in moments of rest is provided below. In particular, the towel in question can be useful to a sportsman in the muscle preheating phase, or during a break from sporting performance, to prevent the body temperature from undergoing sudden changes. Furthermore, thanks to some features described below, the towel can also be used during workouts to monitor vital parameters that affect sports performance and therefore calibrate rest intervals and effort intervals in a personalized way.

These additional features, in the version of the sheet dedicated to athletes, include at least one external temperature sensor and at least one internal temperature sensor designed to communicate the data detected to at least one thermostat connected to the internal resistance in order to automatically adjust the quantity of heat emitted by the internal resistance.

Eventually the person who sets the data could be the athlete's coach, again via the dedicated App.

Another important parameter to monitor is undoubtedly the sweating of the body. For this reason, it is possible to integrate a humidity sensor in the cloth placed in correspondence with the inner layer of the cloth, which communicates the data to said App allowing the user or his trainer to adjust the resistance temperature accordingly.

Advantageously, the following additional equipment can be included:

- a heart rate monitor, placed in correspondence with the inner layer near the wearer's chest, sending the data to said App; - a breath rate detector, placed in correspondence with the inner layer near the wearer's chest;

- a timer, which can be set through said App, designed to automatically turn off said resistance after a predetermined time interval, sending the data to said App;

- a memory card able to save the data detected by all the devices integrated in said cloth in a personal archive of said wearer user; - an acoustic signal, placed in correspondence with the outer layer of the cloth, near the upper part of the wearer's body, capable of emitting a sound when the body temperature thresholds are reached and any other preset parameters via said App.

The present invention also includes a version in the form of a kit which includes, in addition to a sheet in any of the versions described above, also a battery charger; a blood pressure detector, designed to be worn on the arm by the wearer user and designed to communicate the data detected to the user's electronic device; an electronic watch or bracelet designed to be worn on the wrist by the wearer user and able to communicate to said user the data detected by all the sensors with which said cloth is equipped.

The advantages offered by the present invention are evident in the light of the description set out up to now and will be even clearer thanks to the attached figures and the related detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will be described below in at least one preferred embodiment for explanatory and non-limiting purposes with the aid of the attached figures, in which:

- FIGURE 1 shows a view of the thermal sheet 1 in an open configuration in which one can see the shoulder strap 5, the reclosable pocket 4, the activation key 10 and the temperature regulator 8.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the closed configuration of the same thermal sheet 1 folded for transport so as to occupy the least possible space.

- FIGURE 3 shows the thermal sheet 1 in section in which the external layer 1.1, the internal layer 1.2 and the internal resistance 1.3 which determines its heating are distinguished. Also symbolically represented are the external temperature sensor 11 ', the internal temperature sensor 11, the humidity sensor 12, the breath rate detector 17 of the wearer, the heart rate monitor 15, the timer 20, the battery 9 with the relative electrical connector 3 and the battery charger 30. Finally, the memory card 18, the wireless connection device 14 (in this case a bluetooth) and a common smartphone through which the user can view the data detected by the aforementioned devices and set their operating parameters.

- FIGURE 4 shows a user wearing the thermal sheet 1 making it adhere to the body with the lateral elastic bands 6. In this version of the kit object of the present invention there is an object-holder pocket 7 on the sheet, a pair of thermo-sensitive bands 13 which change color as the temperature of the sheet 1 varies and a blood pressure meter 16. When the condition is reached preset physics the buzzer 19 is configured to emit a sound.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention will now be illustrated purely by way of example but not limiting or binding, using the figures which illustrate some embodiments relating to the present inventive concept.

With reference to FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of sheet 1 in its simplest version. In fact, it is equipped with a resealable pocket 4 with shoulder strap 5 for easy transport of the sheet 1 in a folded and space-saving configuration and with a temperature adjustment device 8 which allows the user wearing the sheet 1 to increase or decrease. the temperature of the internal resistance 1.3 which is between the external layer 1.1 and the internal layer 1.2 of the sheet 1.

From the aforementioned figure you can also see the activation key 10, the pressure of which causes the ignition of the resistance 1.3, which is powered by a rechargeable battery 9 integrated in said sheet 1, at a preset temperature of 40 ° C (possibly modifiable through said adjustment device 8 or through the App of the electronic device that can be connected to said cloth through the Bluetooth device 14) until the battery 9 runs out or until the activation key 10 is pressed again.

With reference to Figs. 3 and 4 show the preferred embodiment of the sheet 1 in question, that is the one dedicated to sportsmen for monitoring the vital parameters that affect sports performance and for maintaining the body at the desired temperature in moments of pause from sports.

In this case the sheet 1 will be equipped with at least one adjustable elastic band 6 that the sportsman will make adhere to his body to optimize the beneficial effects of the sheet 1 and to allow the correct operation of the devices installed in correspondence with the inner layer 1.2 of the sheet 1 itself. .

Externally, i.e. in correspondence with the outer layer 1.1 of the sheet 1, two thermosensitive strips 13 are arranged which, changing color as the temperature inside the sheet 1 varies, signal at what temperature the athlete's body is, thus signaling to the coach whether the athlete needs additional rest or is ready to resume performance.

Internally, the cloth 1 is equipped with: a heart rate monitor 15 designed to detect the heart rate of the wearer user; a humidity sensor 12, designed to detect the wearer's sweating; a breath rate detector 17, designed to detect the wearer's breathing rate; an internal temperature sensor 11, associated with an external temperature sensor 11 'positioned on the external layer 1.1 of said cloth 1.

All these sensors and devices, thanks to a common wireless communication system of the bluetooth 14 type, communicate the data detected to an electronic device in the possession of the wearing athlete or his coach, which, through the dedicated App, can monitor the data collected and adjust the target parameters to be reached accordingly.

Once these parameters have been reached, the athlete is again ready to restart the sporting activity and, to signal this event, the acoustic signal 19, placed in correspondence with the outer layer 1.1 near the upper part of the wearer's body, will emit a sound.

Optionally, the audible warning device 19 can be configured to operate in the event that the vital parameters monitored exceed the threshold values preset by means of said App.

In the version currently considered the best for the cloth 1 of the present invention, there is also a timer 20, which can be set by means of said App, able to automatically turn off said resistance 1.3 after a predetermined time interval. In the event that it is not immediately possible to send the data to the electronic device via bluetooth, the sheet 1 can be equipped with a memory card 18 suitable for saving the data detected by all the devices in a personal archive downloadable on an electronic device in a second time.

Finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variants that are obvious for a person skilled in the art can be made to the invention described so far, without thereby departing from the scope of protection that is provided by the attached claims.

Claims (15)

Claims 1. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), designed to maintain or raise the surface body temperature of a wearer according to pre-established and customizable parameters, said sheet (1) being made up of an external waterproof and windproof layer (1.1), a internal (1.2) transpiring and a resistance (1.3) comprised between said external layer (1.1) and said internal layer (1.2), said resistance (1.3) being able to reach a temperature between 36 ° C and 50 ° C, preferably 40 ° C; said sheet (1) being characterized by the fact that it comprises: - an electric connector (3) adapted to allow the recharging of at least one integrated battery (9) which powers said resistor (1.3) inside said sheet (1); - an activation key (10) suitable for turning on or off said resistance (1.3); - an adjustment device (8) consisting of a pair of keys suitable to allow said wearer user to increase or decrease the temperature of said internal resistance (1.3); - a resealable pocket (4) designed to fully contain said sheet (1) in a configuration folded inside the pocket (4) itself so as to be easily transportable occupying as little space as possible; - a shoulder strap (5) connected to the edges of said resealable pocket (4), able to be grasped by a user for transport; - a common wireless connection device (14), of the bluetooth or similar type, suitable for allowing a flow of data to and from at least one electronic device of a wearing user; said electronic device being equipped with a special dedicated App through which said wearer user can set the desired temperature of said resistance (1.3), turn on or turn off said resistance (1.3) and monitor the residual battery level (9); said cloth (1) being able to be extracted from said reclosable pocket (4) and worn by the user who, by pressing said activation key (10), causes it to heat up to the required temperature until a new pressure of said activation key activation (10) or when said battery (9) runs out. 2. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises at least one storage pocket (7) placed on the external surface of the outer layer (1.1) of said sheet (1) and / or on the inner surface of the inner layer (1.2). 3. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it also comprises at least one elastic band (6), preferably adjustable, able to embrace the user's body to make said cloth (1). 4. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises at least one thermosensitive band (13), placed in correspondence with the external surface of the outer layer (1.1) of said sheet (1) , able to change color according to the temperature of the cloth (1) itself. 5. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises at least one heated hood designed to cover the wearer's head. 6. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises at least one external temperature sensor (11 ') and at least one internal temperature sensor (11) suitable for communicating the data detected to at least one thermostat connected to said internal resistance (1.3) adapted to automatically adjust the amount of heat emitted by said internal resistance (1.3) to keep the wearer's body temperature within predetermined parameters. 7. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a humidity sensor (12), located in correspondence with the internal layer (1.2) of said sheet (1), suitable for detecting the wearer's sweating and sending the data to said electronic device; said user, through said App, being able to set sweating threshold values as a function of which to adjust the temperature of said internal resistance (1.3). 8. Customizable space-saving heated towel (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a heart rate monitor (15), placed in correspondence with the inner layer (1.2) near the chest of the wearing user, adapted to detecting the heartbeat frequency of the wearing user and sending the data to said electronic device; said user, through said App, being able to view the data detected. 9. Customizable space-saving heated towel (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a breath rate detector (17), placed in correspondence with the inner layer (1.2) near the user's chest wearer, able to detect the breathing frequency of the wearing user and to send the data to said electronic device; said user, through said App, being able to view the data detected. 10. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises an acoustic signal (19), placed in correspondence with the outer layer (1.1) near the upper part of the user's body wearer, able to emit a sound when the body temperature thresholds and any other preset parameters are reached; said user, through said App, being able to view the data detected and set said parameters. 11. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a timer (20), which can be set by means of said App installed on said electronic device of said user, able to automatically turn off said resistance ( 1.3) after a predetermined time interval. 12. Customizable space-saving heated thermal sheet (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a memory card (18) suitable for saving the data detected by all the devices integrated in said sheet (1) in a personal archive of said wearer user. 13. Customizable space-saving heated thermal kit, designed to maintain or raise the surface body temperature of a wearer according to pre-established and customizable parameters, characterized by the fact of including: - a thermal sheet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; - a battery charger (30) with electrical connector from a fixed electrical system or from a car, suitable for recharging the battery (9) integrated in said sheet (1); - a blood pressure detector (16) designed to be worn on the arm by the wearer user and able to communicate the data detected to the user's electronic device or by saving the data in the memory card (18), if present; - any electronic watch or bracelet designed to be worn on the wrist by the wearer user and able to communicate to said user the data detected by all the sensors with which said cloth (1) is equipped. Use of the customizable space-saving heated towel (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, for monitoring the rest and recovery phases during sports performance of an athlete and for regulating the body temperature of said athlete. 15. Use of the customizable space-saving heated towel (1), according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 14, for regulating the body temperature of a user involved in outdoor events.