Articles for providing heating and cooling benefit to a person

Abstract

Articles that provide heating and/or cooling for wearers of various types of wearing apparel are disclosed. The articles comprise removable inserts for wearing apparel that are activated by exposure to air or breaking an internal bag of the insert and shaking the inserts to provide single use disposable inserts. The disposable inserts provide heating or cooling for an extended period of time. A reusable insert is disclosed that is activated by heating or by refrigeration to provide either heating or cooling. Heating or cooling is provided by wearing apparel comprising at least one chamber for a compressed gas cylinder. The chamber may be recharged as needed to provide continuous heating or cooling of a person's head or various parts of a person's body. In one embodiment, the articles comprise a length of tubing extending along at least a portion of the wearing apparel and an aperture for the release of gas from a compressed gas cylinder into the tubing. The wearing apparel may be recharged as needed to provide continuous heating or cooling of various parts of a person's head or various parts of a person's body.

1 . A temperature altering article for wearing apparel comprising, in combination: 
 a wearing apparel product;    a first chamber and a second chamber on the wearing apparel product, wherein the first chamber is located proximate a first portion of the wearer's body and the second chamber is located proximate a second portion of the wearer's body;    a first self-contained and removable insert providing one of heating and cooling;    wherein the first insert is adapted to be received in the first chamber;    means located on the first insert for causing it to provide one of heating and cooling to the first portion of the wearer's body;    a second self-contained and removable insert providing one of heating and cooling;    wherein the second insert is adapted to be received in the second chamber; and    means located on the second insert for causing it to provide one of heating and cooling to the second portion of the wearer's body.    
     
     
         2 . The temperature altering article of  claim 1  wherein each of the first insert and the second insert contains one of a reactive core and an internal bag, wherein the reactive core provides warming of the insert when the insert is exposed to air and wherein the internal bag provides cooling when the internal bag of the insert is broken and the insert is shaken.  
     
     
         3 . The temperature altering article of  claim 1  wherein each of the first insert and the second insert contains a fluid having a high heat capacity that provides warming of the insert when the insert is heated by an exterior heating source and which provides cooling of the insert when the insert is cooled by an exterior cooling source.  
     
     
         4 . The temperature altering article of  claim 1  wherein the one of heating and cooling means comprises a compressed gas cylinder containing one of a heating and cooling gas.  
     
     
         5 . The temperature altering article of  claim 4  further comprising a valve system for retaining the one of heating and cooling gas in the insert when the compressed gas cylinder is withdrawn.  
     
     
         6 . The temperature altering article of  claim 4  further comprising a spike for piercing the compressed gas cylinder to release the one of heating and cooling gas.  
     
     
         7 . The temperature altering article of  claim 1  wherein the wearing apparel product is one of a jumpsuit, hat, helmet, sock, firefighter suit, and military combat suit.  
     
     
         8 . A temperature altering article for wearing apparel comprising, in combination: 
 a first wearing apparel product;    a first chamber on the first wearing apparel product, wherein the first chamber is located proximate a first portion of the wearer's body;    a second wearing apparel product;    a second chamber on the second wearing apparel product, wherein the second chamber is located proximate a second portion of the wearer's body;    a first self-contained and removable insert providing one of heating and cooling;    wherein the first insert is adapted to be received in the first chamber;    means located on the first insert for causing it to provide one of heating and cooling to the first portion of the wearer's body;    a second self-contained and removable insert providing one of heating and cooling;    wherein the second insert is adapted to be received in the second chamber; and    means located on the second insert for causing it to provide one of heating and cooling to the second portion of the wearer's body.    
     
     
         9 . The temperature altering article of  claim 8  wherein the each of the first insert and the second insert contains one of a reactive core and an internal bag, wherein the reactive core provides warming of the insert when the insert is exposed to air and wherein the internal bag provides cooling when the internal bag of the insert is broken and the insert is shaken.  
     
     
         10 . The temperature altering article of  claim 8  wherein each of the first insert and the second insert contains a fluid having a high heat capacity that provides warming of the insert when the insert is heated by an exterior heating source and which provides cooling of the insert when the insert is cooled by an exterior cooling source.  
     
     
         11 . The temperature altering article of  claim 8  wherein the one of heating and cooling means comprises a compressed gas cylinder containing one of a heating and cooling gas.  
     
     
         12 . The temperature altering article of  claim 11  further comprising a valve system for retaining the one of heating and cooling gas in the insert when the compressed gas cylinder is withdrawn.  
     
     
         13 . The temperature altering article of  claim 11  further comprising a spike for piercing the compressed gas cylinder to release the one of heating and cooling gas.  
     
     
         14 . The temperature altering article of  claim 8  wherein the first wearing apparel product is one of a jumpsuit, hat, helmet, sock, firefighter suit, and military combat suit and the second wearing apparel product is another of a jumpsuit, hat, helmet, sock, firefighter suit, and military combat suit.  
     
     
         15 . A temperature altering article for wearing apparel comprising, in combination: 
 a wearing apparel product;    a length of tubing extending along a portion of an interior of the wearing apparel product; and    a source of a gas fluid adapted to be introduced into the tubing and adapted to be activated by a person for internally altering a temperature of the wearing apparel product.    
     
     
         16 . The temperature altering article of  claim 15  wherein the gas fluid is a cooling gas fluid to thereby internally cool the wearing apparel product and cool at least a portion of the wearer's body.  
     
     
         17 . The temperature altering article of  claim 15  wherein the gas fluid is a heating gas fluid to thereby internally heat the wearing apparel product and heat at least a portion of the wearer's body.  
     
     
         18 . The temperature altering article of  claim 15  wherein the length of tubing defines a plurality of weep holes for dispersing the gas fluid toward an inner portion of the wearing apparel product.  
     
     
         19 . The temperature altering article of  claim 15  wherein the source of a gas fluid comprises a compressed gas cylinder.  
     
     
         20 . The temperature altering article of  claim 19  further comprising a spike for piercing the compressed gas cylinder to release the gas fluid into the tubing.