Abstract:
A device for providing heat dissipation is claimed. The device comprises an outer shell and an inner, heat-dissipating gel layer within said outer shell, the inner heat-dissipating gel layer that comprises a hydrogel compound that dissipates body heat without refrigeration at room temperature.

Description:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0001]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The disclosed invention relates generally to heat dissipating gel pads. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosed invention are directed towards gel pads, and methods of manufacture thereof, that allow for the independent dissipation of body heat without external requires such as refrigeration, electrical inputs, or other external assistance. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Frequently, seats and other surfaces are designed from a utilitarian perspective and provide little to no comfort. Common attempts to increase the comfort of surfaces focus on the tactile properties of the surface such as increasing the padding of the surface or applying various materials on top of the existing surface to increase the comfort of said surface. While these techniques may provide temporary physical comfort, many of these solutions ignore the heat dissipation from human occupants that occurs when occupants are in contact with the surfaces. For example, while wool seat covers may provide initial comfort such materials inherently trap the body heat of occupants and add to the discomfort of the occupant when in contact with the surface for extended periods of time. Further, during warmer seasons, or in warmer climates, such solutions fail to dissipate any body heat and, at times, can render the surface even more uncomfortable. 
         [0004]    Solutions to provide cooling properties to surfaces and surface covers generally involve complicated apparatuses or undue maintenance. For example, some solutions contain constant water coolant throughout the cover which requires the attachment of a surface covering with external hoses or other connections that allow for circulation of cooling water or other coolants. Alternatively, other solutions do not require attachment of coolant supplies but require repeated refrigeration and can result in extreme variations in temperature resulting in an unpleasant shock to the occupant. 
         [0005]    Thus, there is currently a need in the art for a cooling surface cover or pad that provides heat dissipation without the necessity of the previously discussed shortcomings. Specifically, there exists a need for a cooling gel pad that dissipates the heat from an occupant without the need for an external cooling source or repeated maintenance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Generally, the disclosure describes a device for providing heat dissipation. In one embodiment, the device comprises an outer shell and an inner heat-dissipating gel layer within the outer shell. In one embodiment, the inner heat-dissipating gel layer comprises a hydrogel compound that dissipates body heat without refrigeration, electrical inputs, or other external assistance. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment the outer shell comprises a water-proof fabric shield, such as nylon taffeta fabric. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the foregoing, the outer shell further may comprise a plurality of openings. As will be discussed, the inner hydrogel may comprise a water and glycerol based compound. In further embodiments, the hydrogel may further contain one or more stabilizing agents including, but not limited to, polyacrylic acid and/or sodium chloride. In another embodiment, the hydrogel comprises 30-40% water, 40-50% glycerol, 12-18% sodium chloride and 1-4% polyacrylic acid. 
         [0008]    The use of the hydrogel may result in the maintenance of a temperature approximately 3 to 5 degrees Celsius below room temperature. As such, the outer shell may be designed for use in strollers, car seats, or other sitting devices. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts, and in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a top-view of a cooling gel pad according to one embodiment of the disclosure; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cooling gel pad according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    In the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed invention. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a top-view of a cooling gel pad according to one embodiment of the disclosure. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a gel pad  100  comprises an outer shell  102  containing a plurality of openings  104   a - e.    
         [0014]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the outer shell  102  can be designed according to the intended use of the gel pad  100 . For example, the outer shell  102  in  FIG. 1  is designed for use within strollers or similar vehicles. Thus, the perimeter of the outer shell  102  is designed to fit within the confines of the transporting device, a stroller. Alternatively, the outer shell  102  can be designed for use in scenarios other than that of a stroller. For example, the outer shell  102  may be designed for use in automobiles, office chairs, or non-sitting uses, such as mattress pads, etc. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the outer shell  102  is comprised of a fabric suitable for juxtaposition with human skin. For example, the outer shell  102  may be comprised of a water proof fabric shield. In one embodiment, the shield may comprise nylon taffeta fabric. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the foregoing, the outer shell  102  may comprise a water-proof material capable of withholding the liquid content, maintaining the integrity of the inner material discussed further herein. 
         [0016]    As the embodiment of  FIG. 1  illustrates, the outer shell  102  contains a plurality of openings  102   a - e . In one embodiment, the openings  102   a - e  comprise perforations in the outer shell  102  to allow for the insertion of straps or other restraining devices such as seatbelts. As illustrated, these openings  102   a - e  allow for the attachment of the gel pad  100  to other devices such as strollers, car seats, high chairs, baby bouncers or other similar devices, and allow for the gel pad  100  to remain stationary during movement of said devices. 
         [0017]    For example, openings  104   a  and  104   b  may allow for shoulder straps of a stroller to be inserted, whereas opening  104   c  may allow for a waist or crotch strap to be inserted thus allowing a child to be buckled into the stroller on top of the gel pad  100 . While the examples discussed herein are in the context of strollers the examples are not meant to be limited to only strollers. Alternatively, the openings  104   a - e  may be arranged, removed, or added in order to accommodate various carrier or other devices. For example a gel pad  100  configured for use within an automobile may contain three openings for a buckle receiver, a waist strap, and a shoulder strap as found within a traditional automobile. Further, the gel pad  100  may contain no openings when used with a device such as a mattress. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cooling gel pad according to one embodiment of the disclosure. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the gel pad  200  comprises an outer layer  202   a  and  202   b , an inner layer  204 , and a shield layer  206 . The outer layers  202   a  and  202   b  may comprise an outer layer similar to that described with respect to  FIG. 1  and such properties are not repeated herein for the sake of clarity. 
         [0019]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the gel pad  200  may comprise a shield layer  206   a ,  206   b . In one embodiment, the shield layer  206   a ,  206   b  comprises a PVC shield layer that seals and isolates the inner layer  204 . Use of a PVC shield layer operates to maintain the moistness of the inner layer  204  and increases the durational use of the inner layer  204 . Notably, the shield layer  206   a ,  206   b  may be substantially thinner than the outer layer  202   a ,  202   b . In some embodiments, the shield layer  206   a ,  206   b  may be fused within outer layer  202   a ,  202   b  resulting in a single, two-sided outer layer  202   a ,  202   b.    
         [0020]    As discussed above, an inner layer  204  is sealed within the outer layer  202   a - b  and provides heat dissipation to the user of the gel pad  200  without the need for external cooling sources or repeated maintenance. In one embodiment, the inner layer  204  comprises a hydrogel such as a hydrophilic cooling gel. The hydrogel primary consists of water and includes additional elements to act as stabilizing agents in order to provide a gel-like texture. Thus, the inner layer  204  comprises a flexible gel-like texture to provide both thickness and flexibility. By utilizing the gel-like properties of the hydrogel, the gel pad  200  is able to provide both the beneficial cooling effects as well as comforting effects provided by the gel. 
         [0021]    As discussed above, the inner layer  204  contains a certain percentage of water. The use of water allows for the quick absorption and dissipation of body heat from the user of the pad. In contrast to previous techniques however, the inner layer  204  further contains stabilizing agents within the inner layer  204  and intermixed with the water. These agents substantially increase the speed of cooling and enhance the power of said cooling. In one embodiment, the hydrogel contains less than fifty percent water by volume. Additionally, the hydrogel may contain a combination of chemicals in addition to the water including, but not limited to, glycerol, sodium chloride, and polyacrylic acid. In one embodiment, the chemical combination is as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Water 
                 30-40% 
               
               
                   
                 Glycerol 
                 40-50% 
               
               
                   
                 Sodium Chloride 
                 12-18% 
               
               
                   
                 Polyacrylic acid 
                  1-4% 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0022]    Notably, however various percentages of the above combination maybe altered and the above example is not intended to be limited. Further, comparable chemicals may be substitute for the above listed chemicals if appropriate. 
         [0023]    The above described chemical compositions provide substantial benefits not found in the current state of the art. For example, when the temperature of the environment is between 5 to 35 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the pad remains generally between 2 to 5 degrees Celsius below the temperature of the environment. Thus, as can be seen, under reasonable conditions the hydrogel maintains a temperature that is consistently cooler than the outdoor temperature, even as the outdoor temperature fluctuates. Furthermore, while not required, the gel pad  200  may be refrigerated in order to extend the duration of the cooling effect if the outdoor temperature is above room temperature. Notably, however, the gel pad  200  remains operational despite a lack of refrigeration, electrical inputs, or other external assistance. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 1-2  are conceptual illustrations allowing for an explanation of the disclosed invention. Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the disclosed invention to a single embodiment, as other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed invention can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the disclosed invention are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the invention. In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other embodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the disclosed invention encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration. 
         [0025]    The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art(s) (including the contents of the documents cited and incorporated by reference herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the disclosed invention. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s). 
         [0026]    While various embodiments of the disclosed herein have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the disclosed invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.