Abstract:
Temperature control apparel utilizing pockets located at strategic positions corresponding to large muscle groups and to temperature control regions of the human body and containing polyacrylamide gel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to devices for the application of evaporative cooling or moist heat to certain areas of the human body. More particularly, the present invention relates to wearing apparel which provides evaporative cooling or moist heat to specific important points of the human body in order to provide the most effective cooling or therapeutic benefit.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Many situations arise in which it would be advantageous to provide cooling or heating to certain muscles and muscle groups of the human body. It is well known that cooling or heating is most effective when applied to certain strategic locations on the human body, specifically points of high concentration of blood vessels and the major large muscle groups. For example, when working in hot weather one can become overheated and experience heat stress or, in the worst case, heat stroke. In such situations, it would be advantageous to cool the body. In contrast, application of heat to certain muscle groups could be advantageous following strenuous physical activity, such as weightlifting. In each such situation, the goal may be best reached with the use of a heat transfer process involving moisture. Evaporative cooling has been recently used in neck scarves or wraps. Such devices and methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,572,745 and 5,692,380. Application of moist heat has long been used to treat sore muscles, such as the Therapeutic Heat Pack described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,531.  
           [0003]    Currently available evaporative cooling methods and devices have many deficiencies. A common evaporative cooling device is in the form of a permeable cloth tube filled with a water absorbent expandable gel, such as polyacrylamide. Such tubes, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,380, are hydrated by soaking in water, which may be chilled to improve the cooling benefit. Once hydrated, such tubes are hung around the neck thereby placing the evaporative cooling along the back of the neck where there is a large number of blood vessels and blood flow. Such tubes, however, tend to be small in diameter, even when hydrated, and therefore, able to provide minimal cooling. Furthermore, it is difficult to keep such tubes in place when engaged in heavy work or exercise. Tying such tubes around the neck to keep them in place during body movement is often uncomfortable and can restrict blood flow.  
           [0004]    Most common currently available therapeutic moist heat devices consist of pack, such as that descried in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,531. Such packs are generally square or oblong in shape and may have straps and/or hook and loop or other type fasteners which are used to hold the pack in place. When hydrated, such packs tend to be bulky and heavy and cannot be effectively used while moving or continuing to exercise or work. Furthermore, because of cost, most individuals tend to own only a single therapeutic heat pack which can only be used on one location of the body at a time. Therefore, an individual would have to treat different muscles or muscle groups sequentially taking a significant amount of time to complete the moist heat therapy.  
           [0005]    Finally, certain situations arise in which it would be advantageous to provide dry heat to warm a body in the most efficient manner. For example, cold weather hunters would be served by the use of a device which applied dry heat to the major large muscle groups and to certain concentrations of blood vessels, such as at the back of the neck, without the bulkiness of currently available moist heat packs. Dry heat packs are currently available which are generally kept in pockets or held in the hands to warm the hands.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. One embodiment of the present invention is a vest with fixed packets of polyacrylamide gel crystals encased in a water permeable fabric, such packets placed so as to provide moist heat or evaporative cooling to the strategic heating or cooling points on the upper torso of the human body. In another embodiment of the present invention, interior pockets are placed on a vest at such strategic heating or cooling locations. Either water absorbent polyacrylamide packets, to provide evaporative cooling or moist heat, or dry heat or chill packets may be placed in such pockets. Another embodiment of the present invention involves placement of dry or moist heating or cooling to certain large muscle groups of the lower half of the human body. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the application of evaporative cooling to the head of the wearer.  
           [0007]    An advantage of the present invention is that it provides devices and methods to cool or heat a human body such that the individual can continue to be active and to engage in work or exercise while the heat or cool is applied.  
           [0008]    A further advantage of the present invention is that it may be used to provide either dry or moist heating or cooling.  
           [0009]    A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides therapeutic moist heat without the bulkiness of currently available therapeutic heat packs.  
           [0010]    A further advantage of the present invention is that it permits the user to choose which and how many locations of the body will receive the heating or cooling.  
           [0011]    Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vest of a first embodiment of the present invention, showing the inside surface of the back portion of the vest.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a vest of a first embodiment of the present invention, showing the inside surface of the front portions of the vest.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a first alternative stitching pattern for a packet of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a second alternative stitching pattern for a packet of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a plan view of a vest of a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the inside surface of the back of the vest.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a plan view of a vest of a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the inside surface of the front portions of the vest.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is plan view of a pant of a third embodiment of the present invention, showing the inside surface of the front of the pant.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a plan view of a temperature control bandana of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    Referring to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the present invention is a vest having a unitary back side  10  of substantially rectangular shape, a depression area  15  to accommodate the neck of a wearer. Along line A-B at the edge of depression  15  is attached packet  12  at substantially the midpoint of packet  12 . Packet  12  is comprised of a tube of water permeable material, said tube enclosed by stitching lines C-D and E-F. In the interior of tube packet  12  is a quantity of polyacrylamide crystals. It will be understood that packet  12  may be composed of any water permeable fabric, such as cotton or a cotton/polyester blend and is most preferably made from a material consisting substantially of cotton. A sufficient amount of polyacrylamide crystals is placed in packet  12  so that the material of packet  12  is fully extended when the crystals are fully hydrated. When in use, packet  12  drapes around the back of a neck and over the shoulders of a wearer of the vest of the present invention and the two ends of packet  12  rest on the front sides of the wearer&#39;s shoulders. The position of packet  12  around a wearer&#39;s neck places evaporative cooling in an area of concentration of blood vessels. Alternatively, the position of packet  12  around a wearer&#39;s neck places moist heat on and near upper shoulder and neck muscles. Such moist heat may relieve muscle tension and associated pain or headache.  
         [0021]    Packet  14  is attached to vest  10  along the upper edge of packet  14  and at a vest location corresponding to the upper back area of a wearer of the vest  10 . Packet  14  is also composed of a water permeable material and forms an enclosed area into which polyacrylamide crystals are placed.  
         [0022]    Referring now to FIG. 2, a first embodiment of the present invention is a vest having two front portions  50  and  55 . The depression in the back portion of the vest is shown as dashed line G-H and would rest on the back of a wearer&#39;s neck. Front portions  50  and  55  lie respectively on the left and right side of a wearer&#39;s upper torso. Referring again to FIG. 2, portion  50  has attached a packet  52  at a location corresponding to the left pectoral muscles of a wearer and portion  55  has attached a packet  54  at a location corresponding to the right pectoral muscle of a wearer. Each of packets  52  and  54  are composed of a water permeable fabric and contain polyacrylamide crystals. It will be understood that the V-shaped neckline, illustrated in FIG. 2, of the front portions  50  and  55  of vest  10  are design elements. Therefore, the front neckline and collar of vest  10  could take any shape, such as a scoop neckline or tab collar. Dashed lines X-Y and W-Z indicate stitching with which packets  52  and  54  are attached to vest  10 . It will be understood that alternative methods of attachment of packets  12 ,  14 ,  52  and  54  could be used, such as gluing or use of hook and loop fasteners. In the preferred embodiment, packets  12 ,  14 ,  52  and  54  are sewn or stitched onto vest  10 . Therefore, the front neckline and collar of vest  10  could take any shape, such as a scoop neckline or tab collar.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 illustrates one alternative stitching for packets  14 ,  52  and  54 . Each of packets  14 ,  52  and  54  are sewn or stitched around the outer edges to form the packets and are then stitched diagonally across each packet from each of two adjacent corners. Such diagonal stitches produce subpackets  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  19  in which the polyacrylamide crystals are approximately evenly distributed. FIG. 4 shows an alternative stitch pattern to produce subpackets  16   a ,  17   a ,  18   a  and  19   a.    
         [0024]    A second embodiment of the vest of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 shows a back portion  60  of the second embodiment of the vest. Back portion  60  is comprised of a substantially rectangular shape having a depression  65  to fit around the neck of a wearer. The inside surface of back portion  65  has a plurality of pockets placed at a number of strategic locations corresponding to certain muscles and blood vessel concentrations of a wearer. The preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5 and has four pockets  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64 . It will be understood that numerous variations of number, size, placement and shape of pockets are possible. FIG. 6 shows the inside surface of the two front portions  70  and  80  of the second embodiment of the vest of the present invention. In its preferred embodiment, there are four pockets  71 ,  72 ,  73  and  74 . It will be understood that numerous variations of number, size, placement and shape of pockets are possible. Each of pockets  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  64 ,  71 ,  72 ,  73  and  74  contains a packet,  61   a ,  62   a ,  63   a ,  64   a ,  71   a ,  72   a ,  73   a  and  74   a , respectively. Each of packets  61   a ,  62   a ,  63   a ,  64   a ,  71   a ,  72   a ,  73   a  and  74   a  are comprised of a water permeable material and contain polyacrylamide crystal. Each of packets  61   a ,  62   a ,  63   a ,  64   a ,  71   a ,  72   a ,  73   a  or  74   a  are configured and sized so as to fit within its corresponding pocket. Each of pockets  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  64 ,  71 ,  72 ,  73  and  74  preferably may be sealed to prevent the accidental escape of its corresponding packet. It will be understood that any number of commonly available methods to seal pockets may be utilized, such as buttoning, snapping or hook and loop fasteners. It will be further understood that a wearer may remove all or any number of packets  61   a ,  62   a ,  63   a ,  64   a ,  71   a ,  72   a ,  73   a  or  74   a  so as to suit his or her cooling or heating needs.  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIG. 7, the pant  20  of the present invention is comprised of any length pant garment onto the inside or outside front surface of which are two pockets  21  and  22  placed at locations corresponding to the quadriceps of the wearer. Pockets  21  and  22  contain packets  21   a  and  22   a , respectively. Each of packets  21   a  and  22   a  are comprised of a water permeable material and contain polyacrylamide crystal. Each of packets  21   a  and  22   a  are configured and sized so as to fit within its corresponding pocket. Each of pockets  21  and  22  preferably may be sealed to prevent the accidental escape of its corresponding packet. It will be understood that any number of commonly available methods to seal pockets may be utilized, such as buttoning, snapping or hook and loop fasteners. It will be further understood that a wearer may remove one or both of packets  21   a  and  22   a  so as to suit his or her cooling or heating needs.  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 8, a temperature control bandana  80  is illustrated. Bandana  80  consists of a double fold of cloth and is of substantially triangular shape. As seen in FIG. 8, the two folds of cloth are stitched together so as to form a plurality of internal tunnels  81 ,  82 ,  83 ,  84 ,  85 ,  86 ,  87 ,  88 ,  89 ,  90 ,  91 ,  92 ,  93 ,  94 ,  95 , and  96 . Polyacrylamide crystals are placed in each of these tunnels and are held within each tunnel by the stitching which is illustrated by dashed lines. The bandana may be soaked in either hot or cold water thereby causing the polyacrylamide crystals to absorb the water. The bandana may then be used on a wearer&#39;s head or around a wearer&#39;s neck to either heat or cool that region of the body.