Patent Publication Number: US-2010122391-A1

Title: Clothing capable of generating signal in wet environments

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an article of clothing, and more specifically to an article of clothing that can generate signals when used in a wet environment. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A life jacket is a device for aquatic activities that is designed to assist a wearer to keep afloat when in water, thereby enhancing safety on the water for the wearer. 
     The life jacket is generally filled with foam or air for providing buoyancy to the wearer. In order to increase the function of the life jacket, the life jacket may comprise a light-emitting unit and a manual power unit. By means of starting the power unit manually, the light-emitting unit can be driven to radiate light or generate a flash of light, thereby catching lifesavers&#39; attention. 
     However, when a non-swimmer wearing the life jacket falls into water unexpectedly, he/she will often panic and may likely forget the proper way to operate the power unit. Consequently, the life jacket fails to provide the anticipated function of emitting light when the wearer is in such urgent situations. 
     Further, other than for the above dire conditions, this current invention can also be applied mainly for attracting passers-by on the streets in rainy days, or simply as a decoration on clothing. Additionally, clothing of the present invention can much enhance the wearer&#39; safety automatically when he or she is walking in the streets on rainy dark days. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is one objective of the present invention to provide an article of clothing, which can generate signals automatically when it is exposed to a wet environment. 
     To achieve this objective of the present invention, the clothing comprises a garment, a container embedded in or attached to the garment for infiltration of water liquids, which is filled with a dry electrolyte solution made of organic materials and having two electrodes electrically connected to the electrolyte, and an electric device electrically connected to the above electrodes for generating signals. 
     When the garment is exposed to a wet environment, the water solution can permeate through the container to mix with the originally dry electrolyte such that an electric current can be created to drive the electronic device to generate the signals. 
     The scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing of an article of clothing according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container of the clothing according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing of the clothing according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the electronic device is electrically connected with the electrolyte, and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an article of clothing according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an article of clothing  10  in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a garment  20  embodied as a life jacket, a container  30 , and an electrical device  40 . 
     The container  30  is made of porous materials, such as a two-way flow membrane that includes fiber or polymers. Preferably, the container  30  can be made of flexible materials to be fitted to the type of the garment  20 , or can be made of inflexible materials. The container  30  is filled with a dry electrolyte  32  and equipped with a positive electrode  34  and a negative electrode  36 . The electrolyte  32  can be, but not limited to, organic materials containing chlorophyll or organic polymers including salt ions; and further, the positive electrode  34  can be, but not limited to, a carbon rod and graphite, and the negative electrode  36  can be, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, zinc oxide (ZnO), manganese oxide (MnO), and magnesium oxide ((MgO), such that the positive electrode  34  and the negative electrode  36  have different oxidation-reduction potentials. Besides, the container  30  is detachably mounted to any position of the garment  20  by way of sewing, or using hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     The electrical device  40  can be embodied as, but not limited to, a radio transmitter, a light-emitting unit or a sound producing device so as to generate an electrical wave, rays of light or sound. The electrical device  40  can be mounted to the garment  20  and electrically connected with the positive and negative electrodes  34  and  36  by wires, or mounted to the container  30  and electrically connected with the positive and negative electrodes  34  and  36  by wires, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     By means of the aforesaid design, when the clothing  10  is immersed in water, water can permeate through the container  30  to mix with the dry electrolyte  32  contained in the container  30  and thus reduce resistance of the electrolyte solution  32 , such that an electric current can be created by an oxidation-reduction reaction caused between the positive and negative electrodes  34  and  36  through the then conducting electrolyte  32 , thereby driving the electrical device  40  to generate the electrical wave, rays of light or sound. 
     As a result, when a person wearing the clothing  10  of the present invention falls into the sea, the electronic device  40  can send out signals automatically by the direct mixing of the seawater and the electrolyte  32  without taking any manual work on the electronic device  40 , so that the wearer stands a better chance of being rescued, especially in the dark. 
     In conclusion, the clothing  10  of the present invention is crucial to its wearer in terms of increasing chances of being rescued from drowning in water owing to its automatic signal generating capability. Moreover, the clothing  10  of the present invention provides the organic electrolyte  32  that can be absorbed and decomposed completely in soil without causing threat to the environment. Furthermore, the fact that the clothing  10  of the present invention only allows the electrochemical reaction within to proceed in a wet environment, rather than in a dry situation, guarantees its long service life. 
     The clothing  10  can be realized under various kinds of design or outlook without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example,  FIG. 4  shows an article of clothing  50  in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, i.e., as a diaper. In it, the container  52  and the electrical device  54  are installed inside the clothing  50 . 
     Once the diaper is wet, the electrical device  54  is activated immediately owing to the permeation of the urine through the container  52  and thus parents or a babysitter will be reminded of the need to change the diaper, thereby preventing a baby from catching cold or suffering a diaper rash. Such same invention can also be applied on some disabled or old persons. 
     With the invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.