WO1996019126A1

WO1996019126A1 - Cooling garment

Info

Publication number: WO1996019126A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/003036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Howard Arnold Linzee Tutill
Original assignee: Ud Universal Distributors N.V.
Priority date: 1994-12-22
Filing date: 1995-12-22
Publication date: 1996-06-27
Also published as: GR950100470A; ES2094103B1; NL1001966C1; ITBO950570A0; DE29519564U1; ES2094103A1; IL116476A0; ZA9510971B; BR9506853A; AU4310896A; ITBO950570A1; PT101804A; PE32297A1; GB9425906D0

Abstract

A cooling garment having at least one water permeable pouch. The pouch contains a hydrated hydrophilic gel cool to the touch.

Description

COOLING GARMENT

This invention relates to cooling garments especially or the extremities. Preferred garments include scarves, headbands, hats and the like headgear, those for medical veterinary or sporting application -wrist and ankle bracelets and bandannas.

In warm conditions such as in hospital operating theatres or when engaged in physical activity such as participating in sports, military activities, climbing or walking the human or animal body can get too hot. To an extent the body is cooled by sweating which then evaporates but this is not optimal. Handkerchiefs and sweat bands are known but they simply remove sweat and do not cool the body.

The present invention seeks to at least reduce the problems associated with the prior art. According to the invention there is provided a cooling garment. The garment comprises at least one pouch of water permeable material which contains a hydrated hydrophiiic gel cool to the touch.

Preferably the gel is cross-linked polyacrylamide. The pouch may comprise polycotton.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only by reference to the accompanying figures of which

Fig 1 is a partially cut-away view of a bandana of the invention.

Fig 2 is a partially cut away view of a preferred bandana of the invention; and;

Fig 3 is a partially cut away view of a yet further preferred bandana of the invention. The garment of the invention comprises a pouch I. In use at least a part of one wall 2 of the pouch will contact the skin or hide (in the case of animal such as horses) of a user Wall 2 should be permeable to sweat to prevent an uncomfortable feeling when worn. Preferably the other wall 3 is also permeable. This is advantageous for two reasons. First, the garment can be worn either way round making fining easier and secondly, as will become clearer hereinafter, evaporative cooihg of moisture in the garment can occur more readily. It is preferred that a wicking fabric such as polyester cotton be used. More preferably however the wail is made of a heat sealable especially non-woven fabric such as that use in the manufacture of tea-bags. Paπicularly preferred non-woven fabrics have a base weight of around 20 to 50g/m². In other embodiments of the invention the non-woven-fabric or other material is received within an outer casing 2^' for example of a wicking fabric such as polyester. Those skilled will have little difficulty in selecting other suitable materials.

The pouch contains a hydrophiiic material capable of sorbing water to form a moist gel. As supplied to the user the hydrophiiic material may well be in the form of a erogel. A xerogel is an at least partially dehydrated gel. A very suitable hydrophiiic material is cross-linked polyacrylamide. The hydrophiiic material is conveniently in the form of granules which should be sufficiently large to be retained within the pouch. The precise size will depend on the pore or weave size of the walls 2, 3. To use the garment the hydrophiiic material is caused to sorb aqueous liquid if it is not already hydrated. This can easily be done by soaking the garment in water. If desired the water can contain other materials such as perfumes or vasoconstrictors (for example menthol). Although the garment may be supplied with the hydrophiiic material at least partially dehydrated this is not essential. It may be advantageous to supply the garment ready hydrated and sealed in an impervious container. This is particularly suitable where the aqueous media contains a perfume.

In order to reduce the likelihood of the gel congregating at one pan of the garment it is preferred that the ge: is retained in a plurality of compartments 10 more especially two to eight compartments especially five, six or seven. In preferred embodiments of the invention a or each compartment is provided with a boss or stud 11, preferably at or near the centre of the compartment. The boss can comprise a point heat seal where the compaπment is bounded by heat sealable material stitching, riveting, welding, gluing or other means.

Articles of heat-sealable material are particularly amenable to mechanised production. Such articles can be made, in many cases, so cheaply as to be disposable. In some method embodiments a first layer of material has gel applied to it and a second layer is then secured to the first for example by stitching or heat- sealing or welding with the compartments being defined by seams. In the case of sealable for example heat-sealable material a tube of material may be produced. This could be achieved by joining two or more webs, folding and joining the longitudinal edges of a single web or forming the web as a tube. A compartment wall 9 is then formed by heat sealing, gel introduced and the compartment formed by sealing a further wall 12. The process is continued until all the compartments are filled with gel. The ends of the garment 13,14 may be formed in a similar way. Where the article comprises a pouch of heat-sealable material received in a wicking outer coating, the pouch may be formed as hereinbefore described and then surrounded for example by sewing by the outer coating. The invention has been illustrated by reference to a bandana but is not restricted to them by way of example other suitable garments include hats (in which case the gel could be present in the sweatband), wristbands, headbands, gloves and anklets. Corresponding garments can be prepared for veterinary use. Those skilled in the an will have no difficulty in devising modifications.

Some garments of the invention especially those which are made in accordance with Fig 1 or Fig 3 are intended for repested use. This a cumber would rehvdrate a garment for an expedition or climb. After use the water would be allowed to evaporate and the garment stored away for reuse. Other gatments of the invention for example of Fig 2 may be intended for one-time or few-time use. This be advantageous since the garment can be made of relatively inexpensive materials. This garments of the invention can be used to promote events. For use in medicine and veterinary science disposible garments can be sealed in a sterile container for use and then discarded.

Claims

1. A cooling garment, the garment comprising at least one pouch of water permeable material, the pouch containing a hydrophiiic gel cool to the touch.

2. A cooling garment as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the gel comprises cross- linked polyacrylamide.

3. A cooling garment as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the pouch comprises hear sealable paper.

4. A cooling garment as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the pouch is received in a fabric cover.

5. A cooling garment as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein at least one pouch wall comprises polycotton.

6. A cooling garment as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 in form of headgear.

7. The use of a pouch of water permeable material containing a hydrophiiic gel cool to the touch as a garment.