Patent Publication Number: US-7713370-B2

Title: Clothing ventilation device allowing the human body to breathe, and method for producing the device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES 
   This application is a division of and is based upon and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 for U.S. Ser. No. 10/239,637, filed Sep. 24, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,378,141 which is a National Stage of PCT/EP02/00472, filed Jan. 18, 2002, and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Italian Patent Application No. PD01A000016, filed Jan. 24, 2001, the entire contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to a ventilation device to be applied to items of clothing in order to allow the human body to breathe. 
   The invention also relates to the method for producing the device. 
   BACKGROUND ART 
   It is known that people wear shoes and clothing mainly to protect themselves from weather and the cold. 
   Depending on the external temperature and on the environmental conditions, it is necessary to resort to various “layers” of clothing in order to adapt the body to the surrounding environment. 
   This protection system allows, in particular, to easily adapt the body to the thermal variations that can occur simply by adding or removing one or more layers of clothing. 
   The human body inherently has a series of “mechanisms” that allow it to adapt thermally to the surrounding environment. 
   In case of overheating, the body, in fact, reacts by increasing perspiration, which by evaporating ensures a natural lowering of the temperature of the body. 
   However, if the water vapor is unable to escape from the layers of clothing in which the human body is wrapped, humidity increases and the vapor condenses, returning to the liquid state of perspiration and thus wetting the clothes starting from the ones that constitute the first layer (underwear). 
   The only solution to this drawback is to replace as quickly as possible the wet item with a dry one, with the risk, however, of subjecting the body to sudden chilling. 
   A breathable item of clothing has recently been devised which is disclosed in Italian Patent Application PD99A000149 of Jul. 6, 1999 and in the corresponding WO 01/01803 A1 and comprises a protective outer enclosure with an internal layer that affects at least part of the extension of said outer enclosure and defines internally an interspace. 
   The inner layer has, at least at the regions of the human body where sweat forms most abundantly, holes for access to said interspace for the vapor produced by sweating. 
   The inner layer and the outer enclosure have, in the top regions of the item, holes for the evacuation of the vapor that is conveyed by a “stack effect” inside said interspace, combined with means that hold out water, impurities or other substances. 
   The means that hold out water is constituted by a membrane that is permeable to vapor and/or air, impermeable to water, arranged in the upper regions where the vapor exit holes are formed, and interposed between said outer enclosure and said inner layer. 
   As an alternative, the means that hold out the water is constituted by a ventilation element that is provided with means for fixing to the fabric of an item of clothing at an appropriately provided opening. 
   The ventilation element has, at the part to be arranged externally, an orientation that slopes from the center toward the peripheral region and a top opening. 
   An external protective dome, raised substantially from the ventilation element, is fixed perimetrically thereto and has, in a position other than the central one, at least one hole that is not aligned with the central opening. 
   Although said means that hold out water have been found to be functional, even in the other embodiments disclosed in Italian Patent Application PD99A000149 of Jul. 6, 1999 and in the corresponding WO 01/01803 A1, they have been found to have drawbacks, including difficulties in manufacture and/or production, but most of all their resulting or inherent color is hardly comparable to the color of the item, and this causes considerable problems in terms of visual impact, which is fundamental for marketability. 
   An equally important factor is high cost. 
   DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
   The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a ventilation device of the type suitable to be applied to items of clothing that allows breathing, at the same time ensuring the fullest impermeability to water and a visual impact that is distinctly better than the impact obtained with known devices. 
   Within this aim, an object to be achieved with the present invention is to provide a ventilation device that allows in every respect the natural thermoregulation of the human body. 
   Another object is to obtain a ventilation device that is structurally very simple to provide. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation device that is easy to apply to any type of item of clothing. 
   This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a ventilation device to be applied to items of clothing, characterized in that it comprises:
         an assembly with through holes, composed of a band of material that is at least partially transparent and impermeable and is provided to be arranged externally, a layer provided to be placed in view and made of natural or synthetic fabric, natural or synthetic leather or equivalents, at least one layer of adhesive polymeric material for joining one another said outer band and said layer to be placed in view, between which is inserted:   a membrane which is impermeable to water and permeable to vapor, provided for being arranged internally, and sealed at least perimetrically to said assembly on the side of said layer to be placed in view.       

   Advantageously, between said assembly and said membrane there is a layer of open-cell expanded plastic material. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of an embodiment thereof illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of the device according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the components of the device of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the device in a step of its production; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the device in a step of its production that follows the step of  FIG. 3 . 
   

   WAYS TO CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
   With reference to the figures, a preferred embodiment of a ventilation device according to the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  10 . 
   The ventilation device  10  comprises an assembly  11  with through holes  12  (in order to allow the passage of vapor) composed of a band  13  made of at least partially transparent and impermeable material to be arranged externally, a layer  14  to be placed in view, preferably of the same type as the one that constitutes the item of clothing (not shown) on which the device is applied, therefore for example natural or synthetic fabric, natural or synthetic leather or equivalents, joined by applying heat to said band  13  by means of at least one layer  15  made of heat-sealing polymeric material inserted between them. 
   The layer  15  preferably has a thickness in the order of 0.1 mm and is made of a material that is compatible with the material of the band  11  and with the requirements of, for example, high-frequency bonding (cited hereafter) and therefore with a low melting point. 
   Advantageously, in this case the material can be constituted by PU. 
   As an alternative, the layer  15  can be constituted by a coating or spread of an adhesive that can be reactivated by pressure or heat. 
   The function of the band  13  is also to avoid unraveling of the fabric of the layer  14  to be placed in view after the provision of the holes  12 . 
   The band must also be made of a material that is compatible with high-frequency bonding, for example PVC, if this type of bonding is subsequently adopted. 
   A membrane  16  that is impermeable to water and permeable to vapor (such as expanded PTFE and/or hydrophilic polymer), to be arranged internally, is sealed at least perimetrically by high-frequency bonding to the assembly  11  on the side of said layer  14 . 
   Alternatively, sealing can also be performed by thermoformation (hot pressing in molds) or with another suitable means. 
   Conveniently, the membrane  16  can be laminated together with a supporting layer (mesh)  17 , which in this case is shown at the inner part but can also be arranged toward the outside. 
   The membrane  16  can also be laminated with protective materials (not shown), which are in any case placed toward the inside. 
   Advantageously, between the layer  14  to be placed in view and the membrane  16  there is a layer  18  made of open-cell expanded plastic material, which is capable of creating a space for separating them in order to allow better passage of the vapor. 
   The layer  18  can also be used to produce a padding effect and, through the high-frequency bonding that produces compressed and expanded regions, provide on the outside decorations, designs, markings, et cetera. 
   As regards the production process, it provides for the following steps:
         the band  13  is coupled by continuous or discontinuous thermoformation to the layer  14 , to be placed in view, by means of the layer  15 ;   the through holes  12  are formed through the assembly  11 , which has the appearance shown in  FIG. 3 ;   the membrane  16 , optionally together with the mesh  17 , is joined to the assembly  11  (optionally with the layer  18  inserted between them), by high-frequency bonding ( FIG. 4 ).       

   In practice it has been found that the present invention has achieved more than satisfactorily the intended aim and objects. 
   A considerable advantage has been achieved by the present invention in that a ventilation device has been provided which is suitable to be applied to items of clothing, and allows maximum breathing and at the same time ensures the fullest impermeability to water and is therefore particularly suitable for all items in which waterproofness is a fundamental prerogative. 
   It should be noted that the band  13  (which is transparent) places the layer  14  in view, and this gives the assembly an excellent visual impact. 
   Another very important advantage has been achieved in that a ventilation device has been provided which ensures, in every respect, the natural thermoregulation of the human body. 
   Moreover, one should consider the fact that the ventilation device devised with the present invention is structurally very simple to provide. 
   It is also worth pointing out the fact that the ventilation device that has been devised is easy to apply to any type of item of clothing. 
   All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. 
   The materials used, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.