Wearable Temperature Control Garment System

Abstract

A wearable air temperature control system has two separable parts, a garment and an external heat pump, and the two parts are connected together via a connecting tube. The garment comprises an inner layer, a middle layer which is a carrier supporting the PCM capsules, and an insulating layer. The three layers is secured together to form a laminated unitary structure, which is flexible, soft and breathable. The external heat pump circulates cold or hot water through the garment when the garment is connected. The water flows in the capillary tube embedded in the PCM capsules and recharge the PCM. As a result, the garment could achieve cooling or heating by melting or freezing the PCM material inside the PCM capsules, whether the garment is separated from or connected to the heat pump for recharging. After the garment is fully recharged, the garment can be disconnected from the heat pump which allows wearers to move or work easily outdoors only wearing the portable garment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable temperature control system, comprising a garment, a phase change material (PCM), a capillary tube, wherein the PCM and the capillary tube reside in the garment, and a heat pump external to the garment that adjusts a temperature of a heat exchanging medium and circulates the heat exchanging medium through the capillary tube. 
     
     
         2 . The wearable temperature control system of  claim 1 , wherein garment further comprises an inner layer, a middle layer, and an insulating outer layer that form a laminated unitary structure, wherein the PCM is encapsulated in a plurality of PCM capsules, the middle layer has a porous structure and serves as a carrier for the PCM capsules, wherein the capillary tube is arranged adjacent to PCM capsules, forming a convoluted flow path for the heat exchanging medium inside the garment. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable temperature control system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat pump comprises a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, and a pump, wherein, in a cooling mode, the compressor compresses a refrigerant, and the compressed refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator, absorbing heat from the heat exchange medium, and the refrigerant vapor condenses in a condenser, releasing heat to ambient, and wherein, in a heating mode, the compressor compresses the refrigerant, and the compressed refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator, absorbing heat from the ambient, and the refrigerant vapor condenses in the condenser, releasing heat to the heat exchanging medium, and wherein the pump circulates the heat exchanging medium between the heat pump and the garment, wherein in an automated control mode, the heat pump is switched between cooling and heating mode based on the garment insider layer  3  surface temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable temperature control system of  claim 1 , wherein the garment and the heat pump are connected at a port on the garment, wherein the port has two dry-break connectors. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein said the garment cools or heats a wearer's body while connected to or disconnected from the heat pump. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 2 , covers up to 48% of a wearer's body area. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein said the PCM capsules in the garment are recharged through the heat exchange medium in the capillary tube adjacent to the PCM capsules, wherein PCM inside the PCM capsules has a melting temperature ranges from 25 to 38° C. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein the PCM in the PCM capsules has a melting point of 28.3° C. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the inner layer and the outer insulating layer are separable from the middle layer. 
     
     
         10 . The heat pump of  claim 3 , further comprising a connecting tube that connects the heat pump with the garment, wherein an end of the connecting tube connecting the garment is a dry-break style connector that inserts into the port on the garment and, upon disconnecting from the garment, the port closes automatically. 
     
     
         11 . The heat pump of  claim 9 , further comprising a control device that receives signals from the garment and setts the heat pump to one or more operating mode. 
     
     
         12 . A method of cooling or heating a human being using the wearable temperature control system of  claim 1 , comprising: putting the garment on the human being; connecting the garment with the heat pump; circulating a heat exchanging medium through the garment so that the PCM capsules in the garment is recharged; and disconnecting the garment from the heat pump so that the human being is able to move about wearing the garment without carrying the heat pump. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein PCM inside the PCM capsules has a melting temperature ranges from 25 to 38° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the heat pump is either a chiller or a heater.