Individual comfort control device
US4662433A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 29, 1984 |
| Grant date | May 5, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 29, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S165/05
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The instant invention is a major energy saver in the form of a blanket which allows personal heat control, particularly cooling. More specifically, the blanket is provided with internal ducts through which a stable foam is circulated as a cooling fluid in such a way that the inside of the blanket facing the person being cooled is maintained at a temperature slightly below body temperature, while the outside of the blanket is insulated to minimize heat exchange with the environment. Compared to the use of a liquid as the circulating cooling fluid, foam is very light and thus minimizes the weight of the blanket, but it has better heat transfer properties and heat capacity than a gas. Cooling of the recirculating cooling fluid is done separate from the blanket in a refrigeration unit connected to the blanket by a feed and return duct. The refrigeration unit can operate by means of a heat pump, or use a stored refrigerant such as ice, or employ a continuous coolant, such as tap water. The integrity of the circulating foam is maintained by passing a certain fraction of the circulating fluid through a foam regeneration unit which both reconstitutes foam which has started to collapse and …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.