Helmet cooling cushion

Abstract

A cooling cushion for use in military ACH helmets is described. The cooling cushion comprises a plurality of chambers each containing water absorbent polymer crystals.

1 . A generally circular helmet cooling cushion for insertion into an ACH helmet, comprising:
 a generally circular fabric bottom portion for contacting the head of a wearer of said ACH helmet;   a generally circular fabric top portion for releasably engaging the crown of said ACH helmet, said top portion being affixed to said bottom portion, said top portion comprising loop type fabric for engaging the interior crown portion of said ACH helmet;   a plurality of radially extending chambers formed in said cushion, said plurality of radially extending chambers comprising a first plurality of radially extending chambers and a second plurality of radially extending chambers, said first and second pluralities being disposed on opposite sides of a diameter of said generally circular helmet cooling cushion;   each of said chambers containing water absorbent polymer crystals; and   a diametrically extending channel disposed between said first and second pluralities of radially extending chambers and extending continuously along said diameter from one edge portion of said cushion to the opposite edge portion of said cushion.   
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . A helmet cooling cushion in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 said channel has a width selected to be at least as wide as a head band of a head set wearable by a wearer of said helmet wherein when said wearer is wearing a head set said head band is disposed in said channel between said first and second pluralities of radially extending chambers.   
   
   
       4 . A helmet cooling cushion in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein;
 said first plurality of chambers is equal in number to said second plurality of chambers.   
   
   
       5 . A cooling cushion for use in an ACH helmet to provide cooling to the crown of the head of a helmet wearer, comprising:
 a first fabric portion and a second fabric portion, the periphery of said first fabric portion being affixed to the periphery of said second fabric portion;   said first and said second fabric portions being affixed to each other to form a first plurality of chambers and a second plurality of chambers;   water absorbent polymer crystals contained in each chamber of said plurality of chambers;   said first fabric portion being further affixed to said second fabric portion to create a central unfilled portion extending diametrically across said cushion between said first and second pluralities of chambers to form a headset headband receiving channel, said headset headband receiving channel extending continuously along the diameter of said cushion, said headset headband receiving channel having a width at least as large as the width of a headset headband; and   said second fabric portion comprising a loop type fabric to releasably engage a hook type fabric portion carried in the interior crown portion of said ACH helmet.