Thermal garment

Abstract

A personal thermal garment has a shell and a thermal insert that overlay and cover a substantial portion of the back and the chest of a user. The shell has inner and outer layers that are interconnected to define a chamber between the layers, the chamber extending substantially throughout the shell and overlaying a substantial portion of the back and chest of the user. An access opening to access the chamber is provided in the shell. The thermal insert can be preheated to warm the user or can be precooled to cool the user. The thermal insert substantially conforms to the chamber and has a body portion with two leg portions that extend in the same general direction from the body portion. The insert body substantially overlays and covers the back of the user, with one of the two legs extending over one of the user's shoulders, and the other of the two legs extending over the other shoulder. The access opening is sized to have a length that is about the same as a width of the thermal insert, to easily and conveniently insert and remove the thermal insert into and from the chamber. The thermal insert may have two congruent layers and multiple compartments defined between the two layers, with one of the compartments being sealed and containing a thermal storage medium. Alternatively, the insert may be constructed in one integral piece. Alternatively, a direct thermal material such as crushed ice or water can be used in certain embodiments of the invention without a separately formed thermal insert component.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A thermal garment for a person, the garment comprising: 
 a shell that is worn by a user and that overlays and covers at least a portion of the back and chest of the user, the shell having inner and outer layers that define a chamber therebetween, the chamber extending substantially throughout at least one of a back portion back and a chest portion of the shell, the shell also having a garment access opening that extends from the chamber to outside the shell, to access the chamber; and    a corresponding thermal insert removably positioned in the chamber, the thermal insert including a thermal material that is selected from a group of materials that includes thermal materials that can be preheated to a preselected temperature to warm the user and thermal materials that can be precooled to a preselected temperature to cool the user, the thermal insert being easily and conveniently insertable into and removable from the chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 1 , wherein the thermal insert is a first insert, wherein the back portion includes opposing left and right back portions, wherein the chest portion includes opposing left and right chest portions, wherein the first thermal insert extends between the left back portion and the left chest portion, wherein the thermal garment further includes a second thermal insert, and wherein the second thermal insert extends between the right back portion and the right chest portion.  
     
     
         3 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 1 , wherein the insert has two congruent layers and at least one compartment defined between the two layers.  
     
     
         4 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 3 , wherein the insert includes an insert access opening through which the compartment is accessed.  
     
     
         5 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 4 , wherein the insert access has a closure and the closure is selected from a group of closures including snap, zipper, button, spline and groove, aperture and force fit plug, and aperture and screw cap closures.  
     
     
         6 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 1 , wherein the garment access has a closure and the closure is selected from a group of closures including snap, zipper, button, spline and groove, aperture and force fit plug, and aperture and screw cap closures.  
     
     
         7 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 1 , wherein the insert is constructed in one, integral piece.  
     
     
         8 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shell inner layer includes an air permeable layer that defines a thermal control baffle.  
     
     
         9 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shell outer layer includes a thermal barrier layer.  
     
     
         10 . A thermal garment, the garment being adapted to be worn by a person, the garment having left and right back portions and having left and right chest portions, the garment comprising: 
 a shell, the shell having inner and outer layers, the inner and the outer layers defining a chamber therebetween, the chamber extending generally throughout the shell, the shell also having a shell access opening that extends from the chamber through one of the inner and the outer layers; and    a cooperating thermal insert, the thermal insert being adapted to be one of heated and cooled to a preselected temperature, the thermal insert being removably positioned in the chamber.    
     
     
         11 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 10 , wherein the thermal insert is a first insert, wherein the first thermal insert extends between the left back portion and the left chest portion, wherein the thermal garment further includes a second thermal insert, and wherein the second thermal insert extends between the right back portion and the right chest portion.  
     
     
         12 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 11 , wherein the thermal insert includes a compartment, wherein the thermal insert includes an insert access that extends from the compartment through the insert, wherein the insert access has a closure that is selected from a group of closures including snap, zipper, button, spline and groove, aperture and force fit plug, and aperture and screw cap closures.  
     
     
         13 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 10 , wherein the shell access has a closure and the closure is selected from a group of closures including snap, zipper, button, spline and groove, aperture and force fit plug, and aperture and screw cap closures.  
     
     
         14 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 10 , wherein the insert is constructed in one, integral piece.  
     
     
         15 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 10 , wherein the shell inner layer includes an air permeable layer that defines a thermal control baffle.  
     
     
         16 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 10 , wherein the shell outer layer includes a thermal barrier layer.  
     
     
         17 . A thermal garment comprising: 
 an inner shell;    a cooperating outer shell, the outer shell corresponding to and overlaying the inner shell, the inner and the outer shells being connected and defining a chamber between the inner and the outer shells, the chamber extending substantially throughout the garment;    an access opening, the access opening extending from the chamber and through one of the inner and the outer shells; and    a thermal material, the thermal material being selected from a group that includes materials that can be preheated to a preselected temperature to warm a user and materials that can be precooled to a preselected temperature to cool the user, the thermal material being removably positioned in the chamber.    
     
     
         18 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 17 , wherein the access opening includes a closure device that is selected from a group that includes snap, zipper, button, spline and groove, aperture and force fit plug, and aperture and screw cap closures.  
     
     
         19 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 17 , wherein the inner shell includes an air permeable layer that defines a thermal control baffle.  
     
     
         20 . The thermal garment defined in  claim 17 , wherein the outer shell includes a thermal barrier layer.  
     
     
         21 . A thermal garment for a person, the garment comprising: 
 a shell that is worn by a user and that overlays and covers at least a portion of the back and chest of the user, the shell having inner and outer layers that include a chamber therebetween, the chamber extending substantially over a back portion back and a chest portion of the shell, with the back and chest portions of the chamber on each side of the shell being connected over the shoulder the shell also having a garment access opening in the shoulder that extends from the chamber to outside the shell, to access the chamber; and    a corresponding thermal material removably positioned in the chamber, the thermal material consisting of either a coolable or heatable solid or liquid filler material or a thermal insert, the thermal insert including a thermal material that is selected from a group of materials that includes thermal materials that can be preheated to a preselected temperature to warm the user and thermal materials that can be precooled to a preselected temperature to cool the user, the thermal material being easily and conveniently insertable into and removable from the chamber.