Convectively ventilated garments having protective shield layers

Abstract

A ventilated garment including a selectively openable air inlet section adaptable to facilitate the entry of ambient air into an interior space of the ventilated garment to thereby cool the body by natural convection, a selectively openable air outlet section adaptable to facilitate the removal of warm air from the interior space of the ventilated garment, and a protective shield layer positioned adjacent to at least one of the air inlet section and the air outlet section for protecting exposed areas of the wearer's skin against sunlight, wind, snow and rain.

1 . A ventilated garment adapted to form an interior space which receives and covers the body of a wearer, said ventilated garment comprising: 
 (a) an air inlet section positioned at a lower region of said ventilated garment, said air inlet section being configured to facilitate the circulation of a flow of ambient air into the interior space of said ventilated garment to facilitate the cooling of the body of the wearer by natural convection;    (b) an air outlet section positioned at a point higher than the air inlet section at an upper region of the ventilated garment, said air outlet section being configured to facilitate the exit of essentially warm air from the interior space of said ventilated garment; and    (c) a protective shield layer positioned adjacent to said air outlet section for shielding exposed areas of the body of the wearer against various weather conditions.    
   
   
       2 . The ventilated garment of  claim 1 , wherein said air inlet section and said air outlet section each comprise a seamed opening.  
   
   
       3 . The ventilated garment of  claim 2 , further comprising a fastening mechanism for selectively opening and closing the seamed opening at said air inlet section and said air outlet section.  
   
   
       4 . The ventilated garment of  claim 3 , wherein said fastening mechanism is one selected from the group consisting of a zipper arrangement, a loop and button arrangement, a hook and loop arrangement (VELCRO™), a snap arrangement, a clasp arrangement, and a brooch and hook arrangement.  
   
   
       5 . The ventilated garment of  claim 4 , wherein the selective opening of said seamed opening at said air inlet section and said air outlet section permits the convective flow of air within said ventilated garment.  
   
   
       6 . The ventilated garment of  claim 5 , further comprising a panel of mesh fabric disposed at seamed opening of said air outlet section for permitting a flow of air into said ventilated garment at said air inlet section and out of said ventilated garment at said air outlet section.  
   
   
       7 . The ventilated garment of  claim 6 , wherein said panel of mesh fabric comprises a pleated material.  
   
   
       8 . The ventilated garment of  claim 7 , wherein said pleated material has a plurality of bends to provide an adequate cross-sectional flow area for the convective movement of air currents.  
   
   
       9 . The ventilated garment of  claim 8 , wherein said protective shield layer is positioned underneath said seamed opening to reduce the wearer's exposure to the various weather conditions when said seamed opening is selectively placed in the open position.  
   
   
       10 . The ventilated garment of  claim 8 , wherein said seamed opening is positioned underneath said protective shield layer to reduce the wearer's exposure to the various weather conditions when said seamed opening is selectively placed in the open position.  
   
   
       11 . The ventilated garment of  claim 1 , wherein said ventilated garment is one selected from the group consisting of shirts, sweaters, jackets, short pants, dresses, skirts and trousers.  
   
   
       12 . The ventilated garment of  claim 1 , wherein said various weather conditions is one selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet radiation, snow, wind and rain.  
   
   
       13 . A ventilated garment adapted to form an interior space which receives and covers the body of a wearer, said ventilated garment comprising: 
 a pair of lower air inlets for permitting an entry of a stream of ambient air into said interior space layer and a pair of upper air outlets for permitting the exit of a stream of essentially warm air from said interior space, each one of said air outlets positioned vertically above said air inlets at an uppermost region of said ventilated garment such that the body of the wearer is continuously cooled by way of natural convective cooling of the body as a result of the ambient air received from said lower air inlets contacting the body of the wearer to absorb heat therefrom, the air thereby increasing in temperature and rising upwardly within the interior space to absorb additional heat as it becomes less dense, the essentially warm air being replaced by the entry of fresh, ambient air at said lower air inlets; and    a protective shield layer positioned above said upper air outlets for shielding exposed areas of the wearer's body against various weather conditions.    
   
   
       14 . The ventilated garment of  claim 13 , further comprising a second pair of lower air inlets configured to facilitate the entry of a flow of ambient air into said ventilated garment and a second pair of upper air outlets positioned at a point higher than said first and second pairs of lower air inlets for facilitating an additional point of exit of the flow of essentially warm air from the interior space of said ventilated garment.  
   
   
       15 . The ventilated garment of  claim 14 , wherein said first pair of lower air inlets are located at a rear region of said ventilated garment and said second pair of lower air inlets are located at side regions of said ventilated garment.  
   
   
       16 . The ventilated garment of  claim 15 , wherein said first and second pairs of lower air inlets are oriented in at least one of vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions relative to said ventilated garment.  
   
   
       17 . The ventilated garment of  claim 14 , wherein said first and second pairs of air inlets comprise a seamed opening having panel of mesh fabric therein and an overlying panel of fabric which covers said mesh panel to form a cape-type configuration.  
   
   
       18 . The ventilated garment of  claim 14 , wherein said first pair of upper air outlets are located at the front region of said ventilated garment and said second pair of upper air outlets are located at the rear region of said ventilated garment.  
   
   
       19 . The ventilated garment of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second pairs of upper air outlets are oriented in at least one of vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions relative to said ventilated garment.  
   
   
       20 . A ventilated garment adapted to form an interior space for receiving and covering the body of a wearer, said ventilated garment comprising: 
 a plurality of air inlets and a plurality of air outlets, at least one of said plurality of air outlets having a protective shield layer for shielding exposed areas of the wearer's body against various weather conditions,    wherein said plurality of air inlets are positioned relative to said air outlets to create a natural convective cooling effect within the interior space of said ventilated garment.