WO1999029193A1

WO1999029193A1 - Wear, particularly men's underwear

Info

Publication number: WO1999029193A1
Application number: PCT/CZ1998/000002
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michal S^¿ORM
Original assignee: Sorm Michal
Priority date: 1997-12-08
Filing date: 1998-01-09
Publication date: 1999-06-17
Also published as: AU3907999A

Abstract

Wear, particularly the men's underwear so as briefs, pants or long johns, provided with at least one thermal bridge formed by a heat conductor (2, 3) having heat conductivity higher than as is that of the underwear material which is built in the wear material (4) and which connects at least two places of different temperature levels in the area of scrotum.

Description

WEAR, PARTICULARLY MEN' S UNDERWEAR

FIELDOFTHE INVENTION

The invention relates to wear, particularly to men's underwear so as to briefs, pants or long Johns, but also to other kinds of wear where it solves thermal conditions in the wear material.

BACKGROUNDOFTHEINVENTION

A negative feature of the modern wear is that is represents a thick thermally insulating layer that can bring about excessive body or body part overheating in some instances.

This problem is actual especially in case of men's underwear. It was found that next to the unhealthy life style, nutrition and deteriorated environment the inappropriate overheating of men' genitals in this wear exhibits an influence on the ability of sperms to fertilise as it impairs the original effects the male's genitals being placed in a cooler environment outside the body. This effect was proven by sauna tests where decreased sperms mobility was observed by men exposed to sauna effects for several days thereafter.

For example, the specification of EP 502 768 discloses mixed fibrous cloth for underwear being in contact with skin, containing 2 - 50 % of elastic polyurethane fibres braided with platinum and at least one of the metal oxides where the metal is aluminium, silicon or titanium and mixed e.g. with cotton. In winter time, the cloth is worn with cotton fibres turned to skin to keep heat, in summer time the cotton fibres are placed on the side which is away from the skin what causes heat transfer through the cotton fibres. This mixed material is determined for fine and highly flexible products that are in direct contact with human body skin, e.g. for vests, short-sleeved shirts, long Johns, what is given by the presence of metals and their oxides radiating electro- magnetically in the infrared range, what provides a feeling of comfort during wearing of wear parts made of this material, it keeps warmth and exhibits good thermal conductivity.

Other systems of heat removal from some parts of human body are also known. For example, the specification WO 84 00480 discloses a ther o-electrically cooled head cover, motorcycle helmet, designed as firm shell with a cavity for heat pump being adjacent to a heat radiator from above. Under the shell, there is a foam layer and next to it an elastic bladder filled with a liquid conducting heat that is in thermal contact with the pump and head. To remove heat from head, the pump transfers the heat from the bladder to the radiator which then radiates it into the surrounding space.

The specification EP 50473 discloses a personal cooling system with Peltier' s cells that have a cool plate which is in contact with body and a cool plate connected to a means for heat transfer designed as a cooling pin. The cell is situated in the broad hat rim, in a tape around head or in a motorcycle or astronaut helmet. The cooling system can be also situated in the overwear or the seat. Thermal contact between the cool plate and the cooled place can be improved by a layer of metal plated cloth of the tape. The system is based on thermo-electrical cooling which uses the temperature gradient formed in the material by means of electromagnetic field for the heat removal.

None of the above mentioned known solutions is a solution that would both keep the required characteristics of the existing materials and provided required thermal climate around the scrotum using an easy-to-produce means that does not alter in any way characteristics of the original material and is just a supplement to it.

SUMMARYOFTHE INVENTION

The above mentioned drawbacks are removed by the wear, namely by the men's underwear, but also by other kinds of wear, which consists in that it is provided with at least one thermal bridge formed by a heat conductor having heat conductivity higher than as is that of the wear material and which connects at least two places of different temperature level for the purpose of heat removal from the area of contact of the men' s underwear with genitals and they are formed by the wear contact place with skin and the place of wear contact with the surrounding environment.

The heat conductor can be preferably formed by a metallic rivet embedded in the underwear material, eventually provided additionally with a vent. Another embodiment of the heat conductor are metallic fibres woven into the underwear material. Apart from the said specific embodiments other heat conductor shapes are also possible.

At the same time it is possible to select a preferable heat conducting material. It is suitable if the conductor is made of copper galvanised by silver or of a metal from the group consisting of bronze, tin, aluminium and steel.

Heat removal in a quantity nearing to the original natural conditions is obtained by an induction heat removal by means of heat conductors and the negative effects of underwear thermal insulation on male's organism are so eliminated. The building of a thermal bridge has positive effect on temperature arrangement in the scrotum area and makes possible to ensure natural ventilation of the originally closed space.

The bridges are a simple, material-undemanding and easy-to- apply means how to disturb the thermal insulation in the wear part, whereby, the wear material thermal conductivity remains unchanged in the other wear parts . The thermal bridges can be situated directly in the place where heat removal is required, their number, size and material composition can be easily calculated mathematically.

Thanks to the thermal conductivity of the bridges which is substantially higher then that of the wear cloth, the bridges remove quickly and reliably much more heat than as it would be in case of the cloth alone. The thermal bridges are destined namely for men' s underwear to provide a solution of the thermal climate in the scrotum area.

This environment is of essential influence on functioning of speriogenesis in testicles and simultaneously on male's psychosexual well-being. The present invention is targeted on influencing this environment and the solution consists in massive heat removal into the outside environment and in alternating the cooling effects selectively in several spots in the scrotum area, in temperature difference changes and consequently it evokes better blood circulation in skin of this region.

During motion, walking etc. the cooling effect alternates (considering the selectively situated thermal bridge to the surrounding lower temperature environment) and evokes blood circulation in skin. Simultaneously, it evokes natural and, therefore, pleasant feelings comparable with conditions of the natural state without any wear or with loose wear.

LIST OF FIGURES IN DRAWINGS

The accompanied drawings show an example of the embodiment of the invention where Fig. 1 and 2 show two possible embodiments of the thermal bridges and Fig. 3 shows in detail an embodiment of the heat conductor of the thermal bridges shown in Fig. 2.

EXAMPLES

Figure 1 shows thermal bridges that were made by stitching the cloth area 1_ of man' s briefs which is in contact with scrotum with a heat conductor 2_ which has the form of a silver coated copper filament of 1.^10"4 mm diameter. To provide heat removal, the area with stitches is larger then 5 cm². Other material then copper filaments can also be used, e.g. bronze, tin, aluminium or steel etc. Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the thermal bridges according to this invention. In this case the conductors 3_^ are metallic, e.g. copper rivets 5_ with 10 mm diameter having metal sheet thickness 0.3 mm. They are 14 in number. The rivets 5_ fixed in the cloth 4_ of the underwear are shown in detail in Figure 3. Of course, a number of other conductor shapes making the thermal bridges, their size and number as well as material selection are possible. The rivets 5_ should be of size between 1 to 50 mm and it is possible to provide them also with a vent.

The thermal bridge made by contact between the body skin and the surrounding environment outside the underwear what is an interconnection between the areas of different temperature levels by means of a heat conductor, whereby the temperature difference between the areas interconnected by the conductor is 20 °C in average, provides heat removal by conduction according to the total thermal bridge area. The heat removal can be calculated by means of the following known formula:

Q = λ.S.τ. (tι-t₂) .σ^"1 where λ - thermal conductivity factor

S - thermal bridges area τ - action time ti - external skin temperature (about 36°C) t₂ - external environment temperature (10-30°C σ - thermal bridge thickness

In case of conductive heat removal, which is more effective than the convective one (by flow) the optimal thermal bridges area is 12 cm². The heat removal nears to the original natural conditions and thereby the influence of wear thermal insulation is substantially eliminated. A suitable heat conductor material and its thermal conductivity selection makes possible to influence the volume of heat removed significantly. For example, thermal conductivity of copper is 0.377 kJ.s^~1.m^~1. °C^-1 and that of underwear cloths i-s between 0.0004 and 0.009 kJ.s^_1.m^_1. °C^_1. It is obvious from this comparison that copper removes or transfers a multiplicity of the heat transferred by the cloth.

Claims

1. Wear, particularly the men's underwear, so as briefs, pants or long Johns, characterised in that they are provided with at least one thermal bridge formed by a heat conductor (2, 3) having heat conductivity higher than as is that of the underwear material which is built in the wear material (4) and which connects at least two places of different temperature levels in the area of contact of the men' s underwear with genitals and they are formed by the wear contact place with skin and the place of wear contact with the surrounding environment.

2. Wear according to claim 1, characterised in that the heat conductor (3) is formed by a metallic rivet (5) embedded in the underwear material (4) and, eventually, provided with a vent.

3. Wear according to claim 1, characterised in that the heat conductor (2, 3) are metallic fibres woven into the underwear material.

4. Wear according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the heat conductor (2, 3) is made of copper galvanised by silver.

5. Wear according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the heat conductor (2, 3) is of metal from the group consisting of bronze, tin, aluminium and steel .