Patent Publication Number: US-2007113564-A1

Title: Mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-use controls

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      The present invention relates to mechanically heated and cooled clothing, and, more particularly, to mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-use controls for regulating temperature.  
     BACKGROUND  
      To feel comfortable during hot or cold weather, most people traditionally dress according to the weather. During hot weather, some people commonly wear thin, light clothing such as T-shirts, shorts, and skirts. For cold weather, items such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, coats, insulated vests, hats, gloves, earmuffs, mittens, gloves and scarves are popular. Shoes in particular are items of clothing that are important for comfort in different temperatures.  
      However, some clothing can be uncomfortable to wear on different occasions. Some warm-weather clothes may cause the wearer to feel uncomfortably hot, and some cold-weather clothing may be too thin to provide adequate heat to the wearer. Therefore, attempts have been made to design mechanically heated and cooled garments capable of making people more comfortable in different weather conditions.  
      For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,772 to Sunderland provides a foot-warming system that “includes a device wherein a support assembly detachably mounts a battery pack on the upper surface of a boot to electrically power a heating element within the boot via an electrical cord that preferably passes through an opening in the boot beneath the mounted battery pack.” 
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,979 to Cardarelli provides “an air flow system based on the human circulatory system whereby a cushioning, cooling and circulating air flow is generated by a wearer of the shoe.” 
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,641 to Harvie provides a combination personal cooling and heating system in a vest, comprising a heating unit and a cooling unit, power pack, and thermostat. Electric heating strips in the vest add heat, and liquid heat exchange loops in the vest enable cooling. The user can adjust the cooling or heating rate by a wireless or wired remote control  
      Although such systems may provide significantly more heating or cooling for different items of clothing, they typically do not provide mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls. Therefore, there is a need for mechanically heated and cooled clothing, such as shoes, boots, and gloves, with easy-to-use controls.  
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      The following explanation describes the present invention by way of example and not by way of limitation.  
      It is an aspect of the present invention to provide mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls.  
      It is another aspect of the present invention to provide mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-use controls.  
      It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide mechanically heated and cooled gloves with easy-to-use controls.  
      This and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and associated drawings. In accordance with the present invention, mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls is provided. An embodiment comprises an athletic shoe with temperature controls and electrical wiring. A heating and cooling unit attached to the shoe comprises a thermostat, a cooling device, and a heating device. Temperature transfer means in the shoe, such as electrical heating elements and loops for liquid heat exchange, accomplish desired heating and cooling of the shoe. The temperature controls may comprise on, off, hot, and cold buttons for activating the heating and cooling unit and controlling the temperatures. The system may be attached to the shoe or attached to other items and worn elsewhere, such as to a belt worn about the user&#39;s waist. The system may also be used with other types of clothing, for example with gloves. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The following embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram that illustrates a mechanically heated and cooled athletic shoe with easy-to-use controls.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective diagram that illustrates a mechanically heated and cooled glove with easy-to-use controls. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
      The following description of drawings is offered to illustrate the present invention clearly. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the concepts of the present invention are not limited to these specific details. Also, commonly known elements are shown in diagrams for clarity, as examples only and not as limitations of the present invention.  
      The present invention comprises mechanically heated and cooled clothing with easy-to-use controls.  FIG. 1  shows an athletic shoe  2  in accordance with the present invention, which comprises the following elements: 
          Temperature controls  4 ,     Electrical wiring  6 ,     A heating and cooling unit  8 ,     A cooling device  10 ,     A heating device  12 ,     A thermostat  13 ,     Loops for liquid heat exchange  14 ,     Electrical wiring  16 , and     Electrical heating elements  17 .        

      The temperature controls  4  allow the wearer of the shoe  2  to quickly and easily regulate the temperature of the shoe  2  in the area where the wearer&#39;s foot is placed. As shown in detail A, the temperature controls  4  may comprise very simple and easy-to-use controls. For example the wearer may press an on button  18  or off button  20  to activate or deactivate the heating and cooling unit  8 . In addition, the wearer may press a hot button  22  to make the shoe  2  warmer or a cold button  22  to make the shoe cooler. In an embodiment, the temperature controls  4  may be preconfigured to achieve comfortable and safe temperatures. In another embodiment, the wearer may set the temperature ranges associated with the hot button  20  and cold button  24 , through on or more thermostats in the shoe  2 .  
      Electrical wiring  6  connected to the temperature controls  4  and the heating and cooling unit  8  allows electrical signals from the temperature controls  4  to control the operation of the heating and cooling unit  8 . In another embodiment, wireless means may replace the electrical wiring  6 .  
      The heating and cooling unit  8  comprises a thermostat  13 , a cooling device  10 , and a heating device  12 , all of which are known to those skilled in the art. For example, the thermostat  12  may be a bimetal thermostat that senses and controls temperatures associated with elements of the heating and cooling unit  8 . The cooling device  10  may employ a motor and pump to circulate a liquid, for example water or a chemical gel, through loops for liquid heat exchange  14  in the shoe  2 . The heating device  12  may use electrical wiring  16  to activate electrical heating elements  17  in the shoe  2 .  
      In an embodiment the heating and cooling unit  8  may be battery powered.  
      In addition, in an embodiment the heating and cooling unit  8  may be worn on another part of the body from the clothing to be heated and cooled. For example, the heating and cooling unit  8  for a shoe  2  may be attached to a belt and worn around the user&#39;s waist. In another embodiment, the heating and cooling unit  8  may be attached to the item of clothing to be heated and cooled.  
       FIG. 2  shows that the temperature controls  4  may be used with different types of clothing, such as a glove  26 .  
      Use  
      The user puts on the mechanically heated and cooled shoe  2 , shown in  FIG. 1 , and uses the temperature controls  4  to turn the heating and cooling unit  8  on or off. The user can the press the hot button  22  to make the shoe warmer or the cold button  24  to make it colder, according to preconfigured temperature ranges or to user-controlled parameters. The hot button  22  activates the heating device  12 , and the cold button  24  activates the cooling device  10 . Because the temperature controls are so easy-to-use, the user can turn the heating and cooling on and off quickly, eliminating the need for sensors in the shoe to mechanically sense and regulate the temperature there.  
      Mechanically heated and cooled shoes with easy-to-used controls may be especially useful in environments with extreme temperatures, for use by the military for example, and may prevent conditions like frostbite. They may also be beneficial for elderly wearers with poor circulation or foot disease. Moreover, such shoes may come in many different sizes and styles, for example tennis shoes, boots, military boots, slippers, and snow boots. The shoes may be manufactured of readily available materials, such as rubber, leather, foam, cotton, nylon, cloth, plastic, and synthetic materials, including recycled materials.  
      The best dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention described above, including variations in form and use, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.  
      Other embodiments of the present invention provide multiple items of mechanically heated and cooled clothing, the temperatures of which may be controlled, individually or collectively, through a single heating and cooling unit. In such embodiments, the heating and cooling unit may comprise a plurality of thermostats and cooling and heating units.