Stretchable and transformable planar heat pipe for apparel and footwear, and production method thereof

Abstract

Transformable and stretchable essentially planar heat pipe disposed as element of thermal management in apparel or footwear articles.

1 . A heat pipe device that has a shape topologically equivalent to closed planar profile, wherein overall shape and area of said device could be changed by means of external force without disrupting its functionality.  
     
     
         2 . A method of producing heat pipes of  claim 1  wherein said heat pipe has at least one of its dimensions ten times smaller than any other, and wherein opposing walls separated by said dimension contain plurality of incisions that connect outer surfaces of said walls together and each incision has shape of closed profile.  
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 2  wherein some of said closed profiles have preferred direction and their dimension along that direction significantly differs from their size in orthogonal direction.  
     
     
         4 . A device of  claim 1  where material of shell of said heat pipe is partly permeable to abundant atmospheric gases and is impermeable to vapors of refrigerant fluid disposed within.  
     
     
         5 . A heat pipe device of  claim 1  formed as element of apparel or footwear structures.  
     
     
         6 . An apparel or footwear article utilizing heat pipe devices of  claim 1  that disposed in overlapping manner such that there is area of surface of one of said heat pipe in direct thermal contact with surface of another heat pipe.  
     
     
         7 . An article of footwear comprising heat pipe device of  claim 1  disposed in direct thermal contact with foot sole and mostly exposed to thermal contact or heat exchange with air circulating around and through the upper surfaces of said article.  
     
     
         8 . An article of footwear according to  claim 6  wherein at least one of said heat pipes is disposed under foot sole.  
     
     
         9 . An article of  claim 6  wherein at least one of said heat pipes contains refrigerant fluid at such volume and pressure conditions that suppress its evaporation at temperature below certain, and said certain temperature is within range from +15 degree Centigrade to +37 degree Centigrade.  
     
     
         10 . An article of apparel or footwear incorporating a device of  claim 1  wherein said device has low heat transfer at temperatures below certain point and high heat transfer at temperatures above certain point.  
     
     
         11 . An article of  claim 10  wherein wearer can adjust said certain temperature point.  
     
     
         12 . An insole article wherein device of  claim 1  is disposed within.