Abstract:
Device for cooling persons comprises a housing, which extends from an inlet end to an outlet end, and a snow generator, which opens out at the inlet end of the housing. A snow outlet is provided at the outlet end of the housing and a swirling module, which the snow particles generated by the snow generator pass on their way from the inlet end to the outlet end of the housing, is provided in the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a device for cooling persons. Persons have a need to cool down, for example, after visiting a sauna or on hot summer days. Cooling is normally sought by the person going under a cold shower or taking a dip in a tub with cold water. However, people taking a sauna especially often find that it is a pleasant experience in winter weather to cool down outdoors in snow. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    The device for cooling persons comprises a housing with an inlet end and an outlet end. A snow generator is provided, opening out at the inlet end of the housing. At its outlet end, the housing has a snow outlet. Provided in the housing is a swirling module, which the snow passes on its way from the inlet end to the outlet end of the housing. 
         [0003]    Snow generators are generally designed to send the snow some distance from the snow generator. For this reason, the snow leaves the snow generator in the form of a jet and to some extent at high speed. Such snow generators are widely used for providing a layer of artificial snow in forecourts or front gardens. Such a concentrated jet of snow is unsuitable for cooling persons. The device achieves the effect that the snow leaves in a state that is pleasant for the user. 
         [0004]    The snow enters the housing at the inlet end and passes the swirling module. In the swirling module, the snow particles are slowed down and made to swirl. The snow particles, which previously have substantially a uniform direction of movement, thus move in many different directions after the swirling module. When the snow particles leave the snow outlet in this state and land on the body of the user, they provide a pleasant cooling effect. 
         [0005]    The snow outlet is preferably directed downwards, so that the swirled snow particles leave the housing under the influence of gravitational force. The user can stand under the snow outlet and the snow particles gently fall onto him or her. 
         [0006]    Various configurations are possible for the swirling module. For example, one or more air nozzles may be directed into the housing, so that the snow particles are made to swirl by an air stream leaving the air nozzles. In a preferred embodiment, the swirling module comprises a propeller, which the snow particles meet and are made to swirl by the propeller blades. In one embodiment, the kinetic energy of the snow particles is used to drive the propeller. To be able to adapt the degree of swirling, the resistance of the propeller may possibly be adjustable. The degree of swirling can be influenced to a greater extent if an additional drive is provided for the propeller. 
         [0007]    The snow typically leaves snow generators together with an air stream. For cooling persons, it is undesirable that the snow particles leave the device together with a strong air stream. Therefore, an air outlet may be provided in the housing, arranged between the inlet end and the outlet end of the housing. On their way from the inlet end to the outlet end of the housing, the snow particles and the air stream pass the air outlet. Part of the air stream leaves through the air outlet, so that the remaining air stream moves through the housing at reduced speed. A device with such an air outlet is provided in one embodiment, even without a swirling module being present. If the housing comprises a swirling module, the air outlet is preferably arranged between the inlet end of the housing and the swirling module. If a certain positive pressure is produced in this portion of the housing by the swirling module, a greater part of the air steam leaves through the air outlet. 
         [0008]    The air outlet is preferably configured in such a way that it is primarily air that leaves the housing and, if any snow leaves, it is only a small amount. The air outlet is preferably therefore directed substantially parallel to the air stream with respect to its air intake area. The air stream must then change its direction to be able to leave through the air outlet. The snow, which has greater inertia, does not follow this change in direction but continues on its path through the housing together with the remaining air stream. As a further measure to prevent snow from leaving through the air outlet, there may be a filter, which is arranged in front of the air outlet. The filter is preferably set up in such a way that it does not allow particles to pass if they are of a size of over 1 mm, more preferably over 0.5 mm, more preferably over 0.1 mm. 
         [0009]    It is advantageous for generating the snow if the snow leaves the snow generator into an ambient atmosphere in which the temperature lies below 0° C. Therefore, cooling may be provided for the housing, in particular for the region between the inlet end and the swirling module (first housing portion). The cooling device preferably acts on the wall of the housing. For example, a pipe filled with a coolant may be run along the wall of the housing. The wall of the housing is preferably cooled to a temperature of less than −3° C. 
         [0010]    Cooling may likewise be provided for the second housing portion, which extends from the swirling module to the snow outlet. The snow particles then maintain the dry consistency that they obtained in the first housing portion. However, such a dry consistency of the snow particles is often undesirable for treating persons, because the snow particles then rebound from the body without creating a cooling effect. Better cooling is achieved by the snow particles if the snow particles have already begun to melt at their surface. It may be preferable from this aspect not to provide cooling conditions in the second housing portion but to allow a temperature of above 0° C. there. 
         [0011]    The initial melting of the snow particles at the surface can be further increased by adding a gas at a temperature of over 0° C. in the second housing portion. The temperature of the gas preferably lies well above 0° C., for example over 10° C., more preferably over 20° C. The gas may be air which is fed in from the ambient atmosphere. However, it has been found that the snow particles assume an even more pleasant state for the person to be cooled if, instead of air, pure oxygen is added in the second housing portion. This has the additional effect that the oxygen leaves the snow outlet together with the snow and creates pleasant air for the user to breathe there. 
         [0012]    To prevent the gas that is fed in in the second housing portion from leaving the snow outlet directly, without previously acting on the snow particles, a propeller acting to prevent the gas leaving directly may be provided in front of the snow outlet. To protect the user, a mesh may be arranged in front of the snow outlet. 
         [0013]    To keep the operating noise that is generated by the snow generator away from the person to be cooled, a noise-insulating encapsulation may be provided for the snow generator. The encapsulation is preferably formed by a chamber which encloses the snow generator. The chamber follows on from the inlet end of the housing. The chamber may be formed as a third portion of the housing. 
         [0014]    The device is preferably combined with a cabin in which the person stays while he or she is being cooled by the snow from the device. An outflow through which water that forms after the melting of the snow particles can flow away may be provided at the floor of the cabin. To prevent snow particles that are still not melted by this time from collecting on the floor of the cabin, a heating device may be provided for the floor of the cabin. The snow particles melt and flow away through the outflow. If the snow were allowed to collect on the floor of the cabin, this would be problematic from the aspect of hygiene if the device is successively used by more than one person. 
         [0015]    Further means for making use of the device pleasant for the person may be provided. A music system may be set up, allowing the person him- or herself to choose which music he or she wishes to hear. It may also be provided that the air can be provided with aromatic substances, so a pleasant fragrance is produced. The aromatic substances may be added directly to the air in the cabin. In an advantageous embodiment, the aromatic substances are added in the second housing portion, so that they leave the snow outlet together with the snow. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The invention is described below by way of example on the basis of an advantageous embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a device; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows the device from  FIG. 1  together with a cabin for the person to be cooled. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    The device shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a snow generator  10 , the snow nozzle  11  of which is directed into the interior of a housing  12 . The housing  12  is cylindrical in cross section and has a diameter of approximately 40 cm. The end at which the snow nozzle of the snow generator  10  opens out is referred to as the inlet end  13  of the housing  12 . Formed at the opposite outlet end  14  is a snow outlet  15 , through which the snow generated by the snow generator  10  and fed to the housing  12  leaves the housing  12  again. The portion of the housing  12  adjoining the inlet end  13  is directed horizontally, in the middle the housing  12  is deflected by 90° and the outlet end  14  is directed vertically. The housing  12  is divided into a first housing portion  17  and a second housing portion  18  by a propeller  16 , arranged approximately in the middle of the housing. The snow outlet  15  points downwards, so that the snow leaves the snow outlet  15  with gravitational force. A person can stand under the snow outlet  15  and be cooled down by the snow. If the person rubs him- or herself with the snow, the snow can also have a cleaning effect in addition to the cooling effect. This cleaning effect is also desirable after using a sauna. 
         [0020]    The snow generator  10  is arranged in a noise-insulating chamber  29 . The chamber  29  is directly adjacent to the inlet end  13  of the housing  12 , but not directly connected to it in order to keep the transmission of vibrations and noises as low as possible. The snow generator  10  is operated by electrical power. Air is fed to the snow generator  10  through a feed line  30  and water is fed to it through a feed line  31 . In the snow generator  10 , the water and the air are pressurized at temperatures close to freezing. When the mixture leaves the snow generator, snow particles form, moving through the housing in a substantially parallel jet of snow particles. 
         [0021]    Once they have passed through the first housing portion  17 , the snow particles meet the rotating propeller  16 . The propeller  16 , which in  FIG. 1  is schematically shown with just two blades, actually has a multiplicity of blades. The snow particles pass through the propeller  16 , thereby slow down and are imparted extremely varied directions of movement by the propeller  16 . 
         [0022]    The propeller  16  produces a certain positive pressure in the first housing portion  17 . Part of the air that leaves the snow generator  10  therefore escapes through the air outlet  19 , which is arranged in the upper region of the first housing portion  17 . The air outlet  19  lies away from the path that the snow particles cover, so that the snow particles do not leave the housing  12  through the air outlet  19 . A filter element  20 , which prevents snow from leaving, may be provided in the air outlet  19  as an additional measure against snow particles leaving. To save energy, the cooled air that leaves through the air outlet  19  may be fed back to the air inlet of the snow generator  10 . A corresponding connecting line  21  is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0023]    To obtain an atmosphere favourable for the formation of snow in the first housing portion  17 , the housing is surrounded by an insulating layer  22 , which is passed through by coolant lines  24 . The temperature of the wall of the housing and in the first housing portion  17  is thereby kept at approximately −4° C. 
         [0024]    In the second housing portion  18 , the temperature lies above 0° C. From the ambient atmosphere, warmth is introduced into the interior of the housing through the non-insulated wall of the housing. In addition, pure oxygen at a temperature of approximately 20° C. is fed to the second housing portion  18  through a feed line  25 . The feed line  25  is directed at an angle counter to the direction of movement of the snow particles, so that the snow particles are additionally made to swirl and begin to melt at the surface as a result of the warm oxygen. In addition, a second propeller  26  is provided in front of the snow outlet  15 , additionally contributing to the oxygen being able to have a good effect on the snow particles. The snow outlet  15  is closed by a protective mesh  28 , so that the user is not endangered by the propeller  26 . Aromatic substances may be fed to the air in the second housing portion  18  through a further feed line  27 , so that the snow leaves the snow outlet  15  with a pleasant fragrance. When the snow particles leave the snow outlet  15 , they have begun to melt at the surface, so that they provide the user with effective cooling. 
         [0025]    In  FIG. 2 , the device according to the invention is shown in combination with a cabin  32 , in which the user can be cooled down by the snow from the device. The snow generator  10  with the noise-insulating chamber  29  is let into a wall, so that the operating noise of the snow generator  10  is further damped. The other end of the device protrudes out of the wall, so that the snow outlet  15  opens out through the ceiling of the cabin  32 . The user can stand in the cabin under the snow outlet  15  and be cooled by the snow particles. 
         [0026]    Water that forms during the melting of the snow particles can flow away through an outflow  33  in the floor in the cabin. Otherwise, the floor of the cabin  32  is provided with a heating device  34 , so that even the snow particles that fall onto the floor of the cabin  32  in a still frozen state melt completely and flow away through the outflow  33 . 
         [0027]    The device is operated by means of an operator control panel  35 . When the device is put into operation, this takes place by means of a timer, so that the device automatically switches off again after a predetermined period of time. The user can use the operator control panel  35  to set various parameters to suit him- or herself. For instance, the output of the snow generator  10  can be influenced by means of the operator control panel  35 . With a higher output, more snow leaves the device, with a low output, less snow. The user can also set whether and how often oxygen is fed in through the feed line  25 , and thereby influence the consistency of the snow. Furthermore, the feeding in of aromatic substances through the feed line  27  can be controlled, and possibly a music system can be operated. Therefore, the user obtains effective cooling with the snow that leaves the snow outlet  15  and additionally has the possibility of making his or her surroundings pleasant in various respects. The cooling provided by the device is desired in particular after taking a sauna and in hot summer weather.