Abstract:
An article of clothing, namely, a shirt in which at least one cooling apparatus but preferably a system of cooling apparatuses having miniature fans are attached so as to cool the person of the wearer. The shirt contains a plurality of strategic openings wherein the cooling apparatuses can be removably attached. The cooling apparatuses are connected to a centralized power source and controller, which serves to actuate the fans. The cooling apparatuses can be detached from the shirt for cleaning or replacement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to an article of clothing having a cooling apparatus, which operates to relieve the discomfort of heat and cool the person of the wearer.  
         [0002]     Clothing is generally made to be functionally suitable for specific weather conditions, as for rain or cold. In cold weather, for instance, it is advisable to wear layers of clothing made of suitably warm fabric, such as a light cashmere sweater or a heavy wool coat, in order to retain body heat and insulate one&#39;s body from the cold. The colder the weather, the more layers can be added to keep warm. Conversely, in hot weather, it is desirable to ventilate the body and relieve body heat. However, the functionality of clothing—as determined by the type, texture, weight and color of fabric—to relieve heat is limited and, in contrast to adding layers for cold weather, layers cannot be continually removed to adjust to increasing heat in hot weather.  
         [0003]     As a result, it is a common problem for people who attend activities, indoor or outdoor, where the temperature is excessively hot, to suffer great discomfort from the effects of heat, which diminishes the pleasure of the activity. For the thousands of people who attend summertime sporting events, whether it is a baseball game or a NASCAR race, coping with the heat is a significant problem. Oftentimes, people bring manual fans or small handheld electric fans to obtain relief from the oppressiveness of the heat, but it becomes inconvenient to have to continuously operate a fan while attending to a sporting event. This problem is all the more acute when a person is not simply a spectator, but rather is an active participant in a recreational activity, such as hiking or biking. It is impractical for a hiker or bicyclist to operate a fan while engaged in the activity. Consequently, for those who participate in any type of warm weather recreational activities, the heat can be an inhibiting and even debilitating factor.  
         [0004]     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for clothing that can effectively reduce the discomfort of heat and cool the wearer in hot weather conditions.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     The present invention is directed to an article of clothing with at least one attached cooling apparatus that is capable of reducing the discomfort of heat to the person of the wearer. An article of clothing having the features of the present invention comprises at least one opening formed therein, with a cooling apparatus capable of fitting within the opening. The cooling apparatus is comprised of a fan enclosed within an encasement, and having a means for being secured to the opening of the clothing article. The cooling apparatus is connected to a power source and a controller. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     The features and advantages of this invention are better understood with regard to the following drawings, description, and claims. The drawings consist of the following:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an article of clothing embodying features of this invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an article of clothing having an opening.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2 ( a ) is a detail front view of an opening as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a front view of an article of clothing embodying features of this invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3 ( a ) is a detail front view of a cooling apparatus as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 3 ( b ) is a sectional view of a cooling apparatus attached to an opening.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side view of an article of clothing embodying features of this invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5 ( a ) is a front view of an opening with lining having fasteners.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5 ( b ) is a front view of a cooling apparatus with lining having fasteners.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5 ( c ) is a side view of a cooling apparatus attached to an opening by fasteners.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6 ( a ) is a sectional view of a cooling apparatus having a rectangular shape.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6 ( b ) is a sectional view of a cooling apparatus having a circular shape. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an article of clothing  11  comprising at least one opening  12 , wherein a cooling apparatus  13  is capable of fitting within the opening  12 . The cooling apparatus  13  is connected to a power source and controller unit  14 .  
         [0020]     1. Clothing Article  
         [0021]     The clothing article  11  will have at least one opening  12  of any shape, as shown in  FIG. 2 , but preferably that of a rectangle or circle in order to accommodate the shape of the cooling apparatus  13 . While the article must have at least one opening  12 , it is preferable that the article will have a plurality of openings. It is further preferable that at least one opening is located on the front of the article, one on the back of the article, one on each of the left and right sides of the article, as partially shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]     The opening  12  receives the cooling apparatus  13 . The opening  12  has a lining  12 ( a ) made of an adhesive, breakaway material, commonly sold under the trademark “Velcro.” The cooling apparatus  13  has a corresponding lining  13 ( a ) as shown in  FIG. 3 ( a ). The Velcro lining  12 ( a ) of the opening  12  adheres to the corresponding lining  13 ( a ) on the cooling apparatus  13 , as shown in  FIG. 3 ( b ), thereby enabling the cooling apparatus  13  to be fitted into the opening  12 . In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS.  5 ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ), the opening  12  has a lining  12 ( b ) with attached fasteners  12 ( c ), such as snaps or clasps embedded in the lining  12 ( b ), to which corresponding fasteners  13 ( c ) on the cooling apparatus  13  fasten, as shown in  FIG. 5 ( c ). The cooling apparatus  13  may be removed from the article  11  for cleaning by simply unfastening the snaps or clasps, or by separating the Velcro linings.  
         [0023]     2. Cooling Apparatus  
         [0024]     The cooling apparatus  13  is comprised of a miniature electric fan  16 ( a ) encased in a protective cover  16 ( b ), and is capable of fitting in the opening  12  of the article  11 .  
         [0025]     As it is desired that the cooling apparatus  13  be as small, lightweight and unobtrusive as possible, while still capable of generating maximum fan speed sufficient to achieve the purpose of cooling the wearer, the cooling apparatus  13  should be accordingly compact. Fans that are suitably compact for use in the present invention are sold commercially. Commercial fans that are best suitable for the present invention have dimensions typically of 60×60×10 mm or 80×80×15 mm, and weigh approximately 75 g. Such fans are powered by small electric motors, with a voltage of about 12V, and capable of generating fan speed upwards of 4000 rpm. Because it is desired that the cooling apparatus  13  operate as noiselessly as possible, commercial fans that would be suitable for use in the present invention should have a noise measurement of not more than 39 db(A).  
         [0026]     The fan  16 ( a ) is encased in a protective cover  16 ( b ), preferably made of a lightweight plastic or other suitably hard material, taking the form of a grill or mesh screen, which protects the person of the wearer from the operation of the fan  16 ( a ). The shape of the cover  16 ( b ) can be rectangular or circular. Around the protective cover  16 ( b ), the cooling apparatus  13  has a lining  13 ( a ) that matches the lining  12 ( a ) of the opening on the clothing article  11 , and is made of a corresponding material. For example, where the lining  12 ( a ) of the article opening  12  is made of Velcro, as shown in  FIG. 2 ( a ), the lining  13 ( a ) of the cooling apparatus  13  would also be made of Velcro, as shown in  FIG. 3 ( a ). Where the lining  12 ( b ) of the opening  12  has fasteners  12 ( c ), as shown in  FIG. 5 ( a ), the lining  13 ( b ) of the cooling apparatus  13  will also have fasteners  13 ( c ), as shown in  FIG. 5 ( b ). As indicated above, the cooling apparatus  13  is detachably fitted into the opening  12  of the clothing article  11  by means of the Velcro lining or fasteners, as shown in  FIG. 3 ( b ) and  FIG. 5 ( c ) respectively.  
         [0000]     3. Power Source and Controller  
         [0027]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cooling apparatus is connected to a power source  14 ( a ) and a controller  14 ( b ). The power source  14 ( a ) is removably attached to the clothing article  11 , so as to enable the convenient removal of batteries or for the convenience of cleaning. For example, the power source  14 ( a ) and controller  14 ( b ) unit can be enclosed in a housing, which can be attached to the clothing article  11  by Velcro or fasteners. In this embodiment, the housing includes a first adhesive patch attached to said clothing article  11 , and a second adhesive patch attached to said housing, whereby said first adhesive patch adheres to said second adhesive patch. In another embodiment, the power source  14 ( a ) and controller  14 ( b ) unit can be contained in a pocket with a closable flap. The power source  14 ( a ) generates power to the cooling apparatus  13 , which can be activated and deactivated by controller  14 ( b ).