Abstract:
An evaporative cooling system that can be easily transported and set up quickly in indoor or outdoor environments to provide effective cooling to a sizable area in a short time period. The system can be operated from standard AC household electrical power, or from a 12-volt DC power source, such as a car or marine battery. The system water tank can be filled with water, or connected to a water source for continual refilling. The system can also be used with a light-weight water source, holding approximately 2 liters of water for temporary cooling, or without water to move large volumes of air.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
   This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/299,574 entitled “Portable Cooling Mechanism” filed on behalf of Ross Johnson, on Jun. 20, 2001. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The invention relates generally to air circulating and cooling mechanisms, in particular evaporative air cooling mechanisms, and, more particularly, to cooling mechanisms that can be transported to different places, as needed. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Cooling of air by circulation has been utilized for many years, as has cooling air by means of evaporative cooling, where dry, warm air is blown across or through a water source so that the air is rehumidified, and then recirculated. This cooling method is especially popular in the American Southwest, where air temperatures often exceed 100 degrees, and the air is dry. 
   Frequently, evaporative coolers are used for cooling in situations where the activities in which persons engage cause them to become warm, creating the threat of heat stress or heat exhaustion. These include situations such as fire fighting, high temperature work environments, and summer work or athletic activities. The use of an evaporative cooler in these situations can reduce the ambient air temperature 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and when the cooler, moist air is blown across a person&#39;s skin, it can help reduce body temperature, as well. Since many of these activities occur outside, and away from buildings and power and water supplies, standard prior art fans, air conditioners, or evaporative coolers that operate off standard household AC electrical current or must be connected to a running water source cannot be used. 
   Therefore, what is needed is an evaporative cooling system which can be easily transported to the location where it is needed, and quickly set up and powered to operate to provide cooling. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present invention, accordingly, provides an evaporative cooling system of a size and weight such that it can be easily transported and set up quickly, when and where it is needed, but is of a sufficient capacity, ruggedness and power to provide effective cooling to a sizable area in a short time period. The present invention can operate in indoor or outdoor environments, as needed. It operates from a DC power source, such as a 12-volt car or marine battery, for use in remote locations. In one configuration, the system can operate from standard AC household electrical power, or it can be hooked up to a DC power source, as described above. 
   The present invention has a water tank, which can be filled with water, or connected to a water source for continual refilling. In another configuration of the system, a small, light-weight water source, holding approximately 2 liters of water, can be connected to the unit. In yet another configuration of the system, both the water tank and the small, light-weight alternative water source are incorporated into the system, and either source can be connected. Since water weighs approximately 8.3 pounds/gallon, disconnecting the water tank and using the alternative water source will reduce the weight of the unit, so it can be easily moved to locations, such as in a construction site below ground, as needed for temporary cooling. 
   The invention comprises a portable evaporative air cooling apparatus having a blower unit comprising a fan, a spray bar capable of receiving water pumped from a water source that has one or more holes for spraying the water, and a cooling media for receiving water, all contained in a housing. The invention also comprises means for securing the spray bar and cooling media in the blower unit housing, and a stand for securing the blower unit to a water tank. The water tank comprises a tank, a lid, a means for filling the tank, a means for draining the tank, a receiver for securing the stand on the blower unit to the water tank, and a receiver tube in the underside for insertion of a mounting mechanism, such as a tripod. The system is attached to an electrical power supply, which provides power to the fan in the blower unit and a pump in the water tank that pumps water to the spray bar. There is also a receptacle in the blower unit housing for attaching a small, alternative water supply that can drip water onto the cooling media for use in situations where the water tank cannot be used. 
   The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily modified to design other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an assembled view of an evaporative cooling system embodying features of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a partially cutaway view of the removable water tank of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partially cutaway side view of the blower unit of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is front view of the blower unit of the system taken along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 3 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a partially exploded view of the rear of the blower unit of the system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the following discussion, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. 
   Referring now to the FIGURES, wherein depicted elements are, for the sake of clarity, not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views.  FIG. 1  shows the evaporative cooling system  1  of the present invention. The primary components of the evaporative cooling system  1  are the stand  2 , the alternative water source  4 , the water tank  10 , and the blower unit  50 . 
   In  FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the water tank  10  of the present invention is shown. The water tank  10  comprises a holding tank  12  which is preferably approximately 16 inches wide by 14 inches long by 6 inches deep, although other shapes and sizes may be used according to the arrangement of the invention. A drain  14  is located near the bottom portion of the holding tank  12  on the rear of the tank. The drain  14  is sealed with a drain plug  16  when the evaporative cooling system  1  is in use. The drain plug  16  can be removed from the drain  14 , and the water in the holding tank  12  will exit by means of gravity. 
   In one arrangement of the present invention, a hollow receiver tube  22  extends into the holding tank  12  from the bottom, and is sealed around the point of ingress into the bottom of the holding tank  12 , and at the open upper portion of the receiver tube  22 . The opening of the receiver tube  22  at the bottom of the holding tank  12  will allow the insertion of a mounting mechanism, such as a tripod, into the evaporative cooling system  1  so it can be placed at variable heights and positioned in the desired location. 
   Inside the holding tank  12 , braces  24  are secured to the outside diameter of the receiver tube  22  and to the holding tank  12 . The braces  24  provide structural support to the water tank  10 , and also act as baffles for water contained within the water tank  10 . 
   A pump  26  is inserted in the holding tank  12 . The pump  26  is connected to a filter  28 , which is also inserted in the holding tank  12 , by means of tubing  30 . In one arrangement of the present invention, the pump  26  is secured to one of the braces  24  in the holding tank  12  to provide stability during operation. Another portion of tubing  32  connects the filter  28  to the hose barb  44  in the holding tank lid  40 . The water pump  26  pumps water from the holding tank  12  through the tubing  30 , the filter  28 , and out the end of the tubing  32 , as further described below. 
   A lid  40  is secured to the top of the holding tank  12 . The lid  40  has an opening  46  which can be used to put water into the holding tank  12 , if desired. The wiring  75  that connects a pump switch  74 , shown in  FIG. 3 , to the water pump  26  to provide power to the pump is also inserted through an opening in the lid. In one arrangement of the present invention, a splash plate  47  can be inserted into the opening  46  that prevents water in the holding tank  12  from exiting through the opening  46  when the evaporative cooling system  1  is being moved. 
   The opening  46  is preferably rectangular and has a flange around the edge which corresponds with a similar opening in the bottom of the blower unit  50 , although other shapes may be used according to the invention. The hose barb  44  also protrudes through the holding tank lid  40 . The filler hole  48  is used to fill the water tank  10  by means of a water hose or other method. A cover  49  is placed over the filler hole  48  when it is not in use to prevent water from spilling out of the filler hole  48 . 
   There is also a receiver  42  in the holding tank lid  40 . The stand  2  which is attached to the blower unit  50  can be inserted into the receiver  42  to attach the blower unit  50  to the water tank  10 . There is at least one through-material hole in the receiver  42  that corresponds with a hole in the stand  2  to provide means for securing the stand  2  to the water tank  10 . This provides stability for the blower unit  50 , and can be used to provide a method of locking the blower unit  50  to the water tank  10  to prevent theft. 
   In  FIG. 3 , an embodiment of the blower unit  50  of the present invention is shown. In a preferred arrangement of the present invention, blower unit  50  is preferably approximately 18 inches long by 24 inches high by 18 inches wide at the rear portion of the blower unit, with the unit tapering to approximately 15 inches high by 15 inches wide at the front of the unit. The preferred size of the blower unit  50  allows the unit to be portable; however, other sizes of blower unit  50  may be used according to the invention. 
   A handle  64  is attached to the top of the blower unit  50 , for carrying the blower unit  50 , or the entire evaporative cooling system  1 , if the blower unit  50  is secured to the water tank  10 . The handle can be oriented as shown in  FIG. 3 , or rotated to a different angle as appropriate for the particular arrangement of the invention. Also on the top of the blower unit  50  is a receptacle  80  into which the alternative water supply  4  can be inserted, if it is included with the system. 
   A control panel  70  is secured to one side of the blower unit  50 . The control panel  70  preferably contains a fan motor switch  72  to turn the blower fan  54  on and off. The control panel  70  also contains a pump switch  74  to turn the pump  26  on and off. Alternatively, a single switch (not shown) may be used to turn on and off both the blower fan  54  and pump  26 . The control panel  70  also preferably contains electrical connections and a female 20 amp AC electrical receptacle  76 . While the control panel is shown as having the switches on the side of the unit for ease of viewing, depending on the application for which the evaporative cooling system  1  will be used, the unit may be configured so that the switches, and possibly the electrical receptacle are located on the bottom of the control panel, rather than the side to protect the switches from being damaged in transit or use. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , protective screening  52  is attached to the front of the unit to prevent accidental access of materials or persons into the blower fan  54  contained within the blower unit  50 . 
     FIG. 5  provides a detailed view of the elements of the cooling mechanism at the rear of the blower unit  50 . Cooling media  58  is inserted in the rear of the blower unit  50 . A lip  51  that encircles the inside of the blower unit  50  serves as a stop for the front of the cooling media  58 . The lip is continuous, except for an opening at the top that allows the arm  63  of the spray bar  62  to protrude into the blower unit  50 . 
   A spray bar  62  is positioned behind the cooling media  58 . In one arrangement of the present invention, the spray bar  62  is circular in shape and sized to fit inside the rear of the blower unit  50 , with holes for spraying of water in only the upper portion of the circular shape. The spray bar  62  had an arm  63  that extends into the blower unit  50 . The arm  63  can have holes for spraying of water on the bottom of the arm. Typically, the arm  63  has a removable end piece  63   a  that can also have a hole in it which can be removed from the arm  63  to clean out any debris that may have accumulated in the spray bar  62 . The spray bar  62  also has an elbow at the bottom to which to connect the tubing  68  that connects at the other end to the portion of the hose barb  44  that extends above the top of the holding tank lid  40 . A raised flange  53  encircles the outside of the blower unit at rear edge. The cooling media  58  and spray bar  62  are retained in the rear of the blower unit  50  by means of a sealing gasket  60  that fastens around the raised flange  53 . 
   In operation, the evaporative cooling unit  1  is connected to an electrical power source through the control panel  70 . The blower fan  54  is turned on at the control panel  70  by means of the fan motor switch  72 . The pump  26  in the water tank  10  is turned on at the control panel  70  by means of the pump switch  74 . The pump  26  pumps water from the holding tank  12  through the tubing  30  to the filter  28 , then into the tubing  32 , through the hose barb  44 , into the tubing  68  and into the spray bar  62 . The spray bar  62  sprays water onto the cooling media  58  so that the cooling media  58  is kept evenly and continuously moistened. 
   The blower fan  54  draws air in through the rear of the blower unit  50 . As the air is drawn through the cooling media  58 , it absorbs water from the cooling media  58 , and the moist, cooler air is blown out the front end of the blower unit  50 . A damper  66  may be located on the top of the blower unit  50 . It can be adjusted to a closed or an open position to direct the flow of the water stream from the hole in the end of the removable end piece  63   a  into the blower unit  50 , or back down into the water tank  10 , respectively. This water is pulled into the fan blades, and atomized into a fine mist, which is blown out with the air for additional evaporative cooling. 
   Any surplus moisture in the cooling media  58  which is not retained in the cooling media  58  or blown out into the air drips from the bottom of the cooling media  58  through a drain hole  55  in the bottom of the blower that aligns with the opening  46  in the holding tank lid  40  and thus back into the water tank  10 . A flange around the opening in the bottom of the blower fits inside the flange on the opening  46  so that all the water drips back into the water tank  10 . 
   If the unit is only provided with an alternative water supply  4 , or if it is desired to use the blower unit  50  with the alternative water supply  4 , rather than with the water tank  10 , the stand  2  can be disconnected from the receiver  42  in the holding tank lid  40 , along with the tubing  68  being disconnected from the spray bar  62  and electrical connection to the pump  26  being disconnected. The blower unit can then be used alone as a fan, or the alternative water supply  4  can be placed in the receptacle  80  in the top of the blower unit  50 . The alternative water supply  4  drips water down between the cooling media  58 , and the fan blades. The water is pulled into the fan blades, and atomized into a fine mist, which is blown out with the air. The blower unit  50  can be mounted to a tripod or other mounting mechanism, if desired, inserted into the stand  2 , and can be easily moved to needed locations, given the lighter weight of the unit without a water tank  10  and the water it contains having to be moved as well. When using the system in this manner, the alternative water supply  4  can last over an hour before needing to be refilled. 
   It is understood that the present invention can take many forms and embodiments. Accordingly, several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.