Cooling vest module

Abstract

A cooling vest module includes a flexible back plate attachable to a garment and at least one thermoelectric cooler mounted thereon. An annular gasket on an inner surface of the back plate seals against a wearer's back to define a confined recirculation space. Each cooler draws ambient air through an external inlet, discharges cooled air into the recirculation space via a cold-air outlet, and exhausts waste heat through heat-dissipation apertures. A recirculation inlet returns part of the cooled air for further cooling, while mounting features, support pads, and optional twin coolers ensure secure installation and structural integrity. The module provides efficient, true recirculating cooling and is particularly suitable for safety vests worn by environmental sanitation workers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooling vest module, comprising:
 a flexible back plate configured for connection to a garment and having an inner surface; and   at least one cooler mounted on the flexible back plate and configured to generate cool air,
 wherein an annular gasket is molded on an inner surface of the flexible back plate so as to define, together with the inner surface, a channel; 
 wherein, when the flexible back plate is placed against a wearer's back, the gasket contacts the wearer's back to form a sealed space between the channel and the wearer's back; 
 wherein the cooler includes heat-dissipation apertures and an external air inlet communicating with an external environment, and further includes a cold-air outlet and a recirculation air inlet positioned on a side of the cooler that faces the sealed space, the cold-air outlet and the recirculation air inlet opening into the channel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible back plate includes peripheral connection ports configured for attachment to the garment; the flexible back plate defines a mounting opening having a first stepped groove on a front edge and a second stepped seat on a rear edge; the cooler is fitted in the first stepped groove; and a locking frame is fitted in the second stepped seat and snap-engaged with the cooler so as to clamp the cooler to an edge of the mounting opening. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 2 , wherein multiple relief openings penetrate the first stepped groove and the second stepped seat along an edge of the mounting opening; the cooler is formed with multiple latch grooves; the locking frame is formed with multiple detent hooks which, after passing through the relief openings, engage the latch grooves. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 2 , wherein multiple support pads are molded on the inner surface of the flexible back plate inside the gasket and are flush with the gasket. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 4 , wherein support strips are provided on an inner side of the cooler to raise the inner side of the cooler so as to prevent blockage of the cold-air outlet and/or the recirculation air inlet. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling vest module of any one according to  claim 1 , wherein two coolers are symmetrically mounted on the flexible back plate within the gasket. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 1 , wherein each cooler comprises:
 a housing defining an intake chamber communicating with the external air inlet and the recirculation air inlet;   a thermoelectric cooling module including a thermoelectric element, a cold-side heat-conducting seat disposed on a cold side of the thermoelectric element, and a hot-side heat-sink seat disposed on a hot side of the thermoelectric element;   a fan mounted in the intake chamber with an air outlet facing the heat-sink seat and the heat-conducting seat; and   a partition plate disposed at a rear end of the housing, in contact with the thermoelectric element, and dividing a rear chamber of the housing into an exhaust channel and a cooling channel,
 wherein the heat-conducting seat is located at an inlet of the cooling channel, the heat-sink seat is located at an inlet of the exhaust channel, the heat-dissipation apertures communicate with the exhaust channel, and the cold-air outlet communicates with the cooling channel. 
   
     
     
         8 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 7 , wherein the fan comprises a fan housing, a motor mounted in the fan housing, and a turbo impeller mounted to the motor; the fan housing has the air outlet disposed around the turbo impeller, a first air inlet corresponding to the recirculation air inlet, and a second air inlet corresponding to the external air inlet, the turbo impeller extending between the first and second air inlets. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 8 , wherein the turbo impeller comprises a hub and a plurality of blades integrally molded around the hub; a partition plate integrally connects adjacent blades at intermediate portions to divide each blade into a first blade body and a second blade body; a first airflow passage corresponding to the first air inlet is defined between adjacent first blade bodies and faces the heat-conducting seat; and a second airflow passage corresponding to the second air inlet is defined between adjacent second blade bodies and faces the heat-sink seat. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling vest module according to  claim 9 , wherein the fan housing comprises a lower shell and an upper cover that are snap-fastened together; the motor is mounted on the lower shell below the upper cover; the second air inlet is formed in the upper cover; the first air inlet is formed in a bottom of the lower shell; and the air outlet is formed in side walls of the lower shell and the upper cover.