Patent Publication Number: US-2018027768-A1

Title: Animal cooling garment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/369,535 filed Aug. 1, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of garments and more specifically relates to garments for cooling animals. 
     2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     It can be difficult for dogs, especially military and police dogs, to keep cool in hot weather for extended periods of time. Many animals have limited abilities to dissipate heat. For example, dogs attempt to reduce their body temperature through their paws or by panting. These mechanisms, however, have a limited effect and, as a consequence, dogs tend to overheat when exposed to direct sunlight and avoid participating in outdoor activities. Some dog owners may constantly give their dog water or provide shade for their dog when outside, but unfortunately, this may not be enough to stave off these conditions or symptoms. Thus, a suitable solution is desired. 
     U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0040839 to Gordon relates to a flexible cooling garment. The described flexible cooling garment includes a wearable garment to evaporatively cool humans and animals. The garment contains a body portion and an attachment portion. The body portion is generally defined by at least one outer seam. The body portion contains three layers; an outer layer, a middle layer, and an inner layer. The outer layer is comprised of a breathable fabric. The middle layer is comprised of a substantially hydrophilic material. The inner layer is substantially hydrophobic, preferably comprising a layer of finely woven substantially hydrophobic fibrous material. The attachment portion contains at least one means for attaching the garment to a wearer. To activate the cooling process, the garment is first immersed in water, wherein the middle layer absorbs water. The wearer then wrings the excess water from the garment and places the garment on the desired body region to be cooled. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known garments art, the present disclosure provides a novel animal cooling garment. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a garment configured to provide prolonged cooling means to an animal. 
     A body-cooling garment is disclosed herein. The body-cooling garment may include an absorbent-body including an inner-surface, an outer-surface, a head-opening and at least two side-openings that may be located opposite each other. The absorbent-body may be configured to attach to a body of a user via the head-opening and the at least two side-openings, and the absorbent may be further configured to retain a liquid. Further, a pocket may be fixedly attached to the outer-surface, and the pocket may include an inner-capacity configured to house a cooling means. The body-cooling garment may be configured to cool the body of the user. 
     A method of using a body-cooling garment is also disclosed herein. The method of using body-cooling garment may comprise the steps of: comprising the steps of: providing the body-cooling garment as above, submerging the body-cooling garment in the liquid; removing an excess of the liquid from the body-cooling garment; pulling the body-cooling garment over a head of the user via the head-opening; inserting a limb of the user through each of the at least two-side openings; and cooling the body of the user via the liquid. 
     For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, an animal cooling garment, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of the body-cooling garment during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1B  is a front perspective view of the body-cooling garment during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a variety of views of the body-cooling garment of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the body-cooling garment of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the body-cooling garment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of use for the body-cooling garment, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to garments and more particularly to an animal cooling garment as used to improve cooling of animals. 
     Generally disclosed is a safe and convenient way to keep dogs cool and comfortable in hot weather. The animal-cooling garment may slip over a dog&#39;s head and two front paws for easy wear. The present disclosure may help prevent exhaustion, heat stroke, and other heat-induced conditions; thus, the animal-cooling garment may offer peace of mind to dog owners by keeping dogs cool and comfortable in the hot summer sun. The device may be useful for different animals. 
     The animal-cooling garment may include a pocket for a frozen gel pack and a harness ring for maximum convenience. The animal cooling garment may be a cooling tank top for dogs exposed to hot weather, particularly police and military dogs. The tank top may be made from PVA sponge material, designed to be submerged in cold water before use, wrung out, and put on a dog prior to exposure to the heat in order to keep them cool for approximately up to two hours. The top may be offered in assorted sizes to accommodate a wide range of dog breeds. 
     The tank top may be submerged or sprayed down to remain cool. Additionally, the tank top may include the pocket on the back, designed to hold the optional frozen pack, so that when it melts it keeps the tank top moist and cool. Further, a grosgrain ribbon may be attached to the pocket. Threaded to the ribbon nay be a metal harness ring. 
     Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1A-5 , various views of a body-cooling garment  100 . 
       FIG. 1A  shows a body-cooling garment  100  during an ‘in-use’ condition  150 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the body-cooling garment  100  may include an absorbent-body  110  and a pocket  120 . The body-cooling garment  100  may configured to cool the body of the user  40 . The absorbent-body may include an inner-surface  111 , an outer-surface  112 , a head-opening  113  and at least two side-openings  114  opposite each other. The absorbent-body  110  may be configured to attach to a body of a user  40  via the head-opening  113  and the at least two side-openings  114 . 
     As shown, in the preferred embodiment, the user  40  may be a dog  10 . In this embodiment, the at least two-side openings  114  may each be configured to receive a front paw of the dog  10 , respectively. Further, in this preferred embodiment, the body-cooling garment may include the absorbent-body  110  including the inner-surface  111 , the outer-surface  112 ; the head-opening  113  and at least two paw-openings  118  opposite each other. The absorbent-body  110  may be configured to attach to a body of a dog  10  via the head-opening  113  and the at least two paw-openings  118 , and the absorbent-body  110  may be further configured to retain the liquid  5 ; further, the body-cooling garment may be configured to cool the body of the dog  10 . 
     In a further example, the user  40  may be a horse. In this embodiment, the at least two-side openings  114  may each be configured to receive a front leg of the horse, respectively. It is appreciated that the body-cooling garment  100  is not limited for wear by the dog  10  or the horse, and may be worn by a human of all ages. The body-cooling garment  100  may be manufactured in a variety of sizes and shapes to accommodate all species and breeds of animal, and all ages of human. 
       FIG. 1B  shows a body-cooling garment  100  during an ‘in-use’ condition  150 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the absorbent-body  110  may be configured to retain a liquid  5 . Further, the absorbent-body  110  may be configured to cool the body of the user  40  via the liquid  5 . Shown here is the absorbent-body  110  being submerged in the liquid  5 . The liquid  5  may preferably have a cold temperature. Once submerged, the absorbent-body  110  may retain the liquid  5  and be worn to evaporatively cool the user  40 . 
     According to one embodiment, the body-cooling garment  100  may be arranged as a kit. The kit may include a set of instructions  107 . The instructions  107  may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the body-cooling garment  100  (such that the body-cooling garment  100  can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner). 
       FIG. 2  shows various perspective views of the body-cooling garment  100  of  FIG. 1A , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the body-cooling garment  100  may include an absorbent-body  110  including the inner-surface  111 , the outer-surface  112 , the head-opening  113  and the at least two side-openings  114  opposite each other. The absorbent-body  110  may be configured to attach to the body of a user  40  via the head-opening  113  and the at least two side-openings  114  (as shown in  FIG. 1A ). 
     The absorbent-body  110  may be made from a hydrophilic material  115 . In a preferred embodiment, the hydrophilic material  115  may be a synthetic sponge composed of Polyvinyl Alcohol. It should be appreciated that the absorbent-body  110  is not limited to the synthetic sponge composed of Polyvinyl Alcohol. Any wicking material, or non-wicking material may be used. In the preferred embodiment, the absorbent-body  110  may be a vest-top with no attachment-portion  135  (attachment-portion  135  shown in  FIG. 4 ), which may be pulled over the head of the user  40 . 
       FIG. 3  shows various views of the pocket  120  and the cooling means  122  of the body-cooling garment  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the pocket  120  may be fixedly attached to the outer-surface  112  and may include an inner-capacity  121  configured to house a cooling means  122 . The pocket  120  may be the hydrophilic material  115 . Similar to the absorbent-body  110 , the hydrophilic material may be a synthetic sponge composed of Polyvinyl Alcohol. Other materials may be used. 
     Also shown here is the cooling means  122 . In the preferred embodiment, the cooling means  122  may be a frozen gel-pack  123 . The frozen gel-pack  123  may include a refrigerant gel configured to absorb a considerable amount of heat before warming above 0° C. In another example, the cooling means  122  may be an ice-pack filled with frozen water. 
       FIG. 4  shows a front perspective view of the body-cooling garment  100  of  FIG. 1A , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the body-cooling garment may further include a leash-connection ring  130  attached to an outer-surface  124  of the pocket  120 . In the preferred embodiment, the body-cooling garment may additionally include a decorative ribbon  131  configured to attach the leash-connection ring  130  to the outer-surface  124  of the pocket  120 . The decorative ribbon  131  may be manufactured in a variety of colors, patterns, designs, etc. Materials such as lace, silk, wood, may be used. It is appreciated that the decorative feature may not be limited to ribbon. In the preferred embodiment in which the user  40  is the dog  10 , a leash may be attached to the leash-connection ring  130  for use whilst walking the dog  10 . 1   
     In the preferred embodiment, the body-cooling garment  100  may be a vest-top with no attachment-portion  135  ( FIG. 2 ), which may be pulled over the head of the user  40 . Illustrated here is an alternative embodiment to the preferred embodiment, wherein the body-cooling garment includes an attachment-portion  135  configured to attach the garment to the body of the user  40 . Here, the attachment-portion  135  may be a hook and loop fastener such as VELCRO®. In further examples, the attachment-portion  135  may be a zipper, a button-fastener, a hook and eye fastener, or the like. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram  550  illustrating a method of using a body-cooling garment to cool a body of a user  500 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the method of using  500  a body-cooling garment to cool a body of a user may include the steps of: comprising the steps of: step one  501 , providing the body-cooling garment  100  as above; step two  502 , submerging the body-cooling garment in the liquid  5 ; step three  503 , removing an excess of the liquid  5  from the body-cooling garment; step four  504 , pulling the body-cooling garment over a head of the user  40  via the head-opening  113 ; step five  505 , inserting a limb of the user  40  through each of the at least two-side openings  114 ; and step six  506 , cooling the body of the user  40  via the liquid  5 . 
     Further steps may include: step seven  507 , inserting a cooling means  122  within the inner-capacity  121  of the pocket  120 ; step eight  508 , pulling the body-cooling garment over the head of the user  40  via the head-opening  113 ; step nine  509 , inserting the limb of the user  40  through each of the at least two-side openings  114 ; and step ten  510 , cooling the body of the user  40  via the liquid  5  and the cooling means  122 . 
     It should be noted that step seven  507 , step eight  508 , step nine  509  and step ten  510  are optional steps and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use  500  are illustrated using dotted lines in  FIG. 5  so as to distinguish them from the other steps of method of use  500 . It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for using body-cooling garment  100  (e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.), are taught herein. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.