Climate controlled headgear apparatus

Abstract

A headgear apparatus having a shell, an air flow structure, a thermoelectric system, a connector, and a condensate wick. The air flow structure is coupled to the shell and the thermoelectric system is configured to produce a stream of air. The thermoelectric system has a housing having at least one air inlet, a first and a second air outlet, a least one blower and at least one thermoelectric heat pump. The first air outlet provides the stream of cooled air to the air flow structure and the second air outlet vents hot air produced by the heat pump to outside the apparatus. The connector is configured to connect the first air outlet of the thermoelectric system housing to the air flow structure and the condensate wick is configured to collect condensation formed by the heat pump and evaporate the collected condensation using the hot air produced by the heat pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A headgear apparatus comprising:
 a) a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface;   b) an air flow structure coupled to the inner surface of the shell, the air flow structure comprising a tubular spacer fabric;   c) a thermoelectric system removably coupled to the outer surface of the shell, the system configured to produce a stream of cooled air and comprising a housing having:
 i) at least one air inlet; 
 ii) a first air outlet and a second air outlet; 
 iii) a least one blower; 
 iv) at least one thermoelectric heat pump disposed within the housing, between the air inlet and the air outlets; and 
 v) a condensate wick disposed within the housing, below the blower and heat pump, the condensate wick configured to collect condensation formed by the heat pump and evaporate the collected condensation using the hot air produced by the heat pump; and 
   d) a connector configured to removably connect the first air outlet of the thermoelectric system housing to the air flow structure;   wherein the first air outlet provides the stream of cooled air to the air flow structure and the second air outlet vents hot air produced by the heat pump to outside the apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of blowers and a plurality of heat pumps within the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a thermal insulation layer disposed between the inner surface of the shell and the air flow structure. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an air filter positioned proximate the air inlet of the thermoelectric system for filtering air entering the air inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a controller for controlling the thermoelectric system. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an impact absorbing layer disposed between the inner surface of the shell and the air flow structure. 
     
     
         7 . A headgear apparatus comprising:
 a) a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface;   b) an air flow structure coupled to the inner surface of the shell;   c) a thermoelectric system configured to produce a stream of air, the thermoelectric system disposed along the outer surface of the shell and comprising a housing having:
 i) at least one air inlet; 
 ii) a first air outlet and a second air outlet; 
 iii) a least one blower; 
 iv) at least one thermoelectric heat pump disposed within the housing, between the air inlet and the air outlets; and 
 v) a condensate wick disposed within the housing, below the blower and heat pump, the condensate wick configured to collect condensation formed by the heat pump and evaporate the collected condensation using the hot air produced by the heat pump; and 
   d) a connector configured to connect the first air outlet of the thermoelectric system housing to the air flow structure;   wherein the first air outlet provides the stream of cooled air to the air flow structure and the second air outlet vents hot air produced by the heat pump to outside the apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein there are a plurality of blowers and a plurality of heat pumps within the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a thermal insulation layer disposed between the inner surface of the shell and the air flow structure. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an air filter positioned proximate the air inlet of the thermoelectric system for filtering air entering the air inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a controller for controlling the thermoelectric system. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an impact absorbing layer disposed between the inner surface of the shell and the air flow structure. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the air flow structure layer comprises tubular spacer fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the thermal insulation layer comprises a radiation cross-linked closed cell foam. 
     
     
         15 . A headgear apparatus comprising:
 a) a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface;   b) an air flow structure coupled to the inner surface of the shell;   c) a thermoelectric system configured to produce a stream of air, the thermoelectric system coupled to the shell and the air flow structure and comprising a housing having:
 i) at least one air inlet; 
 ii) a first air outlet and a second air outlet; 
 iii) a least one blower; 
 iv) at least one thermoelectric heat pump disposed within the housing, between the air inlet and the air outlets; and 
 v) a condensate wick disposed within the housing, below the blower and heat pump, the condensate wick configured to collect condensation formed by the heat pump and evaporate the collected condensation using the hot air produced by the heat pump; 
   wherein the first air outlet provides the stream of cooled air to the air flow structure and the second air outlet vents hot air produced by the heat pump to outside the apparatus.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein there are a plurality of blowers and a plurality of heat pumps within the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a thermal insulation layer disposed between the inner surface of the shell and the air flow structure. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the thermoelectric system housing removably couples the shell. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an impact absorbing layer disposed between the inner surface of the shell and the air flow structure. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the air flow structure layer comprises tubular spacer fabric.