Urine powered garment system

A urine powered garment has a shirt and trousers. A collector positioned beneath the trousers is adapted to collect urine. A container is located below and coupled to the collector. A converter dis-associates the constituent elements of the urine within the container to create electrical energy. A pouch receives urine from the container. The pouch has a top opening above and a drain tube below. The drain tube couples the pouch and the converter. A source of potential is adapted to receive electrical potential and to store the received electrical potential until accessed. A super-capacitor couples the converter and the source of potential. The super-capacitor converts the output of the converter prior to feeding to the source of potential.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a urine powered garment system and more particularly pertains to collecting urine from a wearer of the garment, converting the collected urine to electrical power, powering a garment, and illuminating the garment from converted electrical power, the collecting and converting and powering and illuminating being done in a safe, convenient, and economical manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of garment systems of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved urine powered garment system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved urine powered garment system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a urine powered garment system having a shirt and trousers. A collector positioned beneath the trousers is adapted to collect urine. A container is located below and coupled to the collector. A converter dis-associates the constituent elements of the urine within the container to create electrical energy. A pouch receives urine from the container. The pouch has a top opening above and a drain tube below. The drain tube couples the pouch and the converter. A source of potential is adapted to receive electrical potential and to store the received electrical potential until accessed. A super-capacitor couples the converter and the source of potential. The super-capacitor converts the output of the converter prior to feeding to the source of potential.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine powered garment system which has all of the advantages of the prior art garment systems of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine powered garment system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine powered garment system which is of durable and reliable constructions.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved urine powered garment system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such urine powered garment system economically available to the buying public.

Lastly, another object of the present invention is to provide a urine powered garment system for collecting urine from a wearer of the garment, converting the collected urine to electrical power, powering a garment, and illuminating the garment from converted electrical power, the collecting and converting and powering and illuminating being done in a safe, convenient, and economical manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention, the urine powered garment system10is comprised of a plurality of components. Such components in their broadest context include a collector, a container, a pouch, a source of potential, and a super-capacitor. Such components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective.

From a specific viewpoint, the primary embodiment of the present invention is a urine powered garment system. A garment is adapted to be worn by a wearer. The garment includes a shirt14above. The garment includes trousers16below. The garment further includes a belt18located between the shirt and the trousers.

A collector22is provided. The collector is positioned beneath the trousers. The collector is adapted to collect urine from the wearer. A container24is provided. The container is positioned beneath the trousers and below the collector. A tube26is provided. The tube is positioned intermediate the collector and the container. In this manner urine is transferred from the collector to the container. A push/pull closure28is provided. The push/pull closure is provided in the container. In this manner collected urine may be poured out from the container.

A converter32is provided next. The converter is removably coupled to the belt. The converter is chosen from the class of converters including fuel cells and micro-biological converters. The converter has an inlet34. The inlet provides for the receipt of the urine. The converter has interior components36. The interior components dis-associate the constituent elements of the urine. In this manner electrical energy is created. The converter has an outlet38. The outlet provides for the discharge of the dis-associated constituent elements from the urine from the converter.

A pouch42is provided. The pouch is positioned within the shirt adjacent to a back of the wearer. The pouch includes a funnel44. The funnel is positioned above. The funnel provides for the receipt of urine from the container. The pouch has a drain tube46. The drain tube is positioned below. The drain tube couples the pouch and the converter. The pouch has intermediate chambers48. The intermediate chambers provide a flow rate at the drain tube less than the flow rate at the funnel. A bucket50is provided. The bucket provides for the transference of urine from the container to the pouch.

Also provided is a source of potential54. The source of potential has a user-accessible outlet port56. The source of potential is adapted to receive electrical potential. The source of potential is further adapted to store the received electrical potential until accessed through the outlet port.

A super-capacitor60is provided next. The super-capacitor couples the converter and the source of potential. The super-capacitor is adapted to convert the output of the converter prior to feeding the source of potential.

Provided next is a super-conductor64. The super-conductor couples the super-capacitor and the source of potential.

Further provided is a plurality of solar panels68. The solar panels are mounted on the shirt. The solar panels are adapted to receive sunlight. The solar panels are further adapted to convert the received sunlight to electrical potential. The solar panels are operatively coupled to the super-capacitor.

Provided last is plurality of electro-luminescent panels72. The electro-luminescent panels are mounted on the shirt. The electro-luminescent panels are operatively coupled to the solar panels, to the super capacitor, and to the source of potential. In this manner the electro-luminescent panels are powered and illuminated.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is illustrated inFIGS. 6 through 9. In this embodiment, the urine powered garment system100includes a flexible tube104. The flexible tube has a lower end coupled to the converter. The flexible tube has an upper end coupled to the top opening of the pouch.

In this alternate embodiment, a squeeze bulb pump106is provided. The squeeze bulb pump is in communication with the flexible tube adjacent to the converter. In this manner a closed fluid flow path is established from the converter, through the flexible tube, and to the top of the pouch. Repeated squeezing and releasing of the squeeze ball pump will cause a flow of urine from the converter to the top opening of the pouch.

Next in this embodiment, at least one one-way valve108is provided. The one-way valve is located within the length of the tube. The one-way valve abates reverse flow of urine within the flexible tube.

In still another embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, the collector112may be configured for use by a male.

In another embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, the system includes a hat116with a plurality of supplemental solar panels120. The supplemental solar panels are operatively coupled to the super-capacitor. The supplemental solar panels are adapted to convert sunlight into electrical potential. The hat is in the form of a helmet. The hat has a depending neck covering122including electro-luminescent panels124for illumination purposes.

In another embodiment, a primary pouch142and a secondary pouch144are provided. A feed line146is also provided. The feed line feeds urine from the converter to the primary pouch and the secondary pouch. The primary pouch is formed of cells for gravity feeding urine to the converter. A valve148is provided at a lower location. The secondary pouch is formed to gravity feed urine to the valve. In this manner urine in the secondary pouch is adapted to be emptied periodically for processing.

In another embodiment, at least one enlarged electro-luminescent panel152is provided on the back of the shirt. An AC to DC converter154is located intermediate the converter. At least one enlarged electro-luminescent panel is provided. Also provided is at least one USB port156in the AC to DC converter for charging devices and for recharging purposes.

In still another embodiment, a button-cell battery158is provided for charging devices and for recharging purposes.