Gas distribution garment

Abstract

A garment for cooling the body of a wearer is described which comprises a substantially gas impermeable first substrate and a gas-permeable second substrate attached to form a cavity. At least one of the first and second substrates comprising a plurality of raised protrusions on a surface within the cavity, and the gas permeable second substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusions on the surface external to the cavity and proximate to the body of the wearer. The cavity is adapted to be connected to a gas supply such that the gas flows into the cavity and exits the cavity through the gas permeable second substrate. The cooling garment is light weight and conformable, and may be non-tethered for portability.

1 . A garment for cooling the body of a wearer comprising: 
 a substantially gas impermeable first substrate and a gas-permeable second substrate attached around substrate peripheries forming a cavity therebetween,    at least one of the first and second substrates comprising a plurality of raised protrusions on a surface within the cavity, and the gas permeable second substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusions on the surface external to the cavity and proximate to the body of the wearer;    wherein the cavity is adapted to be connected to a gas supply such that the gas flows into the cavity and exits the cavity through the gas permeable second substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first substrate comprises a laminate.  
   
   
       3 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate comprises a laminate.  
   
   
       4 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first and second substrates both comprise a laminate.  
   
   
       5 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first and second substrates are water-vapour-permeable.  
   
   
       6 . The garment of  claim 2  wherein the first and second substrates are water-vapour-permeable laminate.  
   
   
       7 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate comprises perforations.  
   
   
       8 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate comprises a microporous membrane.  
   
   
       9 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate comprises a woven textile.  
   
   
       10 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate comprises a non-woven textile.  
   
   
       11 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first and second substrates have an evaporative resistance value of less than 20 m 2  Pa W −1 .  
   
   
       12 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first and second substrates have an evaporative resistance value of less than 15 m 2  Pa W −1 .  
   
   
       13 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate has an air-permeability of between 10 and 100 litres/m 2 /sec. at a pressure of 100 Pa.  
   
   
       14 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas flows over the wearer's body at a rate of between 1 and 10 litres/second.  
   
   
       15 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas flows over the wearer's body at a rate of between 4 and 8 litres/second.  
   
   
       16 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions are in the form of discrete elements.  
   
   
       17 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions comprise a thermoplastic polymer.  
   
   
       18 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions comprise a thermosetting polymer.  
   
   
       19 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions on the second substrate have a height of between 1 mm and 20 mm.  
   
   
       20 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions on the second substrate have a height of between 2 mm and 4 mm.  
   
   
       21 . The garment of  claim 16  wherein the spacing between the discrete elements is between 5 mm and 25 mm.  
   
   
       22 . The garment of  claim 20  wherein the raised protrusions are discrete elements and the spacing between the discrete elements is between 5 mm and 25 mm.  
   
   
       23 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions within the cavity are located on the first substrate.  
   
   
       24 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the raised protrusions within the cavity are located on the second substrate.  
   
   
       25 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first substrate comprises PTFE.  
   
   
       26 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the second substrate comprises PTFE.  
   
   
       27 . The garment of  claim 25  wherein the PTFE comprises expanded PTFE.  
   
   
       28 . The garment of  claim 26  wherein the PTFE comprises expanded PTFE.  
   
   
       29 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the first and second substrates are flexible.  
   
   
       30 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas permeable second substrate is conformable.  
   
   
       31 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein a substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusion on a surface has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.03 kg.  
   
   
       32 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas permeable second substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusion on a surface has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.03 kg.  
   
   
       33 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas permeable second substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusion on a surface has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.02 kg.  
   
   
       34 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas permeable second substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusion on a surface has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.01 kg.  
   
   
       35 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas flow into said cavity comprises ambient air.  
   
   
       36 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the garment is non-tethered.  
   
   
       37 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the gas flowing into the cavity is filtered or otherwise treated to remove undesirable components.  
   
   
       38 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein said cavity comprises a gas distribution manifold.  
   
   
       39 . The garment of  claim 1  which comprises non-flammable materials.  
   
   
       40 . The garment of  claim 1  which comprises non-melting materials.  
   
   
       41 . A system for cooling the body of a wearer comprising 
 a garment comprising a substantially gas impermeable first substrate and a gas-permeable second substrate attached around substrate peripheries forming a cavity therebetween,    at least one of the first and second substrates comprising a plurality of raised protrusions on a surface within the cavity, and    at least one additional substrate interposed between the body of the wearer and the gas permeable second substrate of the garment, the at least one additional substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusions on a substrate surface;    wherein the cavity is adapted to be connected to a gas supply such that the gas flows into the cavity and exits the cavity through the gas permeable second substrate.    
   
   
       42 . The system according to  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate is affixed to the garment.  
   
   
       43 . The system according to  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate is detachably affixed to the garment.  
   
   
       44 . The system according to  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate and the garment are separate.  
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the first substrate comprises a laminate.  
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the second substrate comprises a laminate.  
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises a laminate.  
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the first and second substrates both comprise a laminate.  
   
   
       49 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the first substrate is water-vapour-permeable.  
   
   
       50 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the second substrate is water-vapour permeable.  
   
   
       51 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the second substrate comprises perforations.  
   
   
       52 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the second substrate comprises a microporous membrane.  
   
   
       53 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises a knit, woven or non-woven textile.  
   
   
       54 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate is water-vapor permeable.  
   
   
       55 . The system of  claim 54  wherein the at least one additional substrate is a gas permeable.  
   
   
       56 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises perforations.  
   
   
       57 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises raised protrusions oriented towards the body of a wearer.  
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 54  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises raised protrusions oriented away from the body of a wearer.  
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 58  wherein the at least one additional substrate is gas permeable.  
   
   
       60 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises an undergarment.  
   
   
       61 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate comprises a T-shirt.  
   
   
       62 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate has an evaporative resistance value of less than 20 m 2  Pa W −1 .(?)  
   
   
       63 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate has an evaporative resistance value of less than 15 m 2  Pa W −1.(?)    
   
   
       64 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the at least one additional substrate has an air-permeability of between 10 and 100 litres/m 2 /sec. at a pressure of 100 Pa.  
   
   
       65 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the flow of gas over the wearer's body is between 1 and 10 l/sec.  
   
   
       66 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the flow of gas over the wearer's body is between 4 and 8 l/sec.  
   
   
       67 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the raised protrusions are in the form of discrete elements.  
   
   
       68 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the raised protrusions comprise a polymer.  
   
   
       69 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the raised protrusions comprise a thermoplastic polymer.  
   
   
       70 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the raised protrusions comprise a thermosetting polymer.  
   
   
       71 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the raised protrusions have a height of between 1 mm and 20 mm.  
   
   
       72 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the raised protrusions on the at least one additional substrate have a height of between 2 mm and 4 mm.  
   
   
       73 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the spacing between the raised protrusions is between 5 mm and 25 mm.  
   
   
       74 . The system of  claim 72  wherein the spacing between the raised protrusions is between 5 mm and 25 mm.  
   
   
       75 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the first substrate comprises PTFE.  
   
   
       76 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the second substrate comprises PTFE.  
   
   
       77 . The system of  claim 75  wherein the PTFE comprises expanded PTFE.  
   
   
       78 . The system of  claim 76  wherein the PTFE comprises expanded PTFE.  
   
   
       79 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the first and second substrates are flexible.  
   
   
       80 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the at least one additional substrate is conformable.  
   
   
       81 . The system of  claim 41  wherein a substrate comprising a plurality of raised protrusions has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.03 kg.  
   
   
       82 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the gas permeable second substrate comprises a plurality of raised protrusions and has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.03 kg.  
   
   
       83 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the gas permeable second substrate comprises a plurality of raised protrusions and has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.02 kg.  
   
   
       84 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the gas permeable second substrate comprises a plurality of raised protrusions and has a conformability peak force of less than or equal to 0.01 kg.  
   
   
       85 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the gas flow into said cavity comprises ambient air.  
   
   
       86 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the gas flowing into the cavity is filtered or otherwise treated to remove undesirable components.  
   
   
       87 . The system of  claim 41  wherein said cavity comprises a gas distribution manifold.  
   
   
       88 . The system of  claim 41  which comprises non-flammable materials.  
   
   
       89 . The system of  claim 41  which comprises non-melting materials.  
   
   
       90 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the system is non-tethered.