Ventilated and Protective Articles of Apparel

Abstract

A system may include an article of apparel and a fluid source. The article of apparel incorporates a plurality of fluid channels, and the apparel includes a fluid connector in fluid communication with the fluid channels. A fluid source is configured to join with the fluid connector and supply a fluid to the fluid channels. The article of apparel may include a pad component formed from a polymer foam material, which defines the fluid channels. A pair of material elements may be secured to opposite sides of the pad component, with one of the material elements being fluid permeable adjacent to at least a portion of the fluid channels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of apparel having a front portion configured to cover a chest of a wearer, a back portion configured to cover a back of a wearer, and a shoulder portion configured to cover shoulders of a wearer, the shoulder portion connecting the front portion to the back portion, the article comprising:
 an outer material layer;   an inner material layer being fluid permeable;   a fluid connector;   a pad component located and secured in the space between the outer material layer and the inner material layer, the pad component including a first surface facing towards the outer material layer, a second surface facing towards the inner material layer, and a thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface;   an elongated fluid void that is constructed into the pad component and that extends entirely through the thickness of the pad component from the first surface to the second surface, the elongated void being in direct fluid connection with the fluid connector and extending from the back portion of article, through the shoulder portion of the article, and to the front portion of the article; and   one or more fluid grooves branching off of the elongated void, the one or more fluid grooves being constructed into the second surface of the pad component and extending only partially through the thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein a fluid flows (a) through the fluid connector, (b) into the fluid void, and (c) through the inner material layer when the fluid connector is joined with a fluid source. 
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid void and the one or more fluid grooves intersect to form an angle between 90 and 180 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluid grooves comprise at least two fluid grooves which extend parallel to one another and which extend from the fluid void to a periphery edge of the pad component. 
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid void extends fully through the pad component, and wherein the fluid grooves extend partially through the pad component. 
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the apparel has a configuration for covering at least a portion of a torso of a wearer, the outer material element, the inner material element, and the pad component being located in a front region and a back region of the apparel. 
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel of  claim 6 , wherein the fluid connector is located in the back region of the apparel. 
     
     
         8 . The article of apparel recited of  1 , wherein at least a portion of the outer material element is fluid impermeable. 
     
     
         9 . An article of apparel comprising:
 an outer material layer;   an inner material layer being fluid permeable;   a fluid connector;   a pad component located and secured in the space between the outer material layer and the inner material layer, the pad component including a first surface facing towards the outer material layer, a second surface facing towards the inner material layer, and a thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface; and   a first fluid groove and a second fluid groove constructed into the second surface of the pad component and extending only partially through the thickness, the first fluid groove including a first fluid-groove cross section, the second fluid groove including a second fluid-groove cross section, wherein the first fluid-groove cross section is larger than the second fluid-groove cross section.   
     
     
         10 . The article of apparel of  claim 9 , wherein the pad component includes a taper from a larger thickness to a smaller thickness as the pad component extends towards a periphery edge of the pad component, and wherein the taper is linear. 
     
     
         11 . The article of apparel of  claim 9 , wherein the pad component includes a taper from a larger thickness to a smaller thickness as the pad component extends towards a periphery edge of the pad component, and wherein the taper is non-linear. 
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel of  claim 9  further comprising, an elongated fluid void that is constructed into the pad component and that extends entirely through the thickness of the pad component from the first surface to the second surface, the elongated void being in direct fluid connection with the fluid connector and extending from the back portion of article, through the shoulder portion of the article, and to the front portion of the article. 
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second fluid grooves branch off of the elongated fluid void. 
     
     
         14 . An article of apparel having a front portion configured to cover a chest of a wearer, a back portion configured to cover a back of a wearer, and a shoulder portion configured to cover shoulders of a wearer, the shoulder portion connecting the front portion to the back portion, the article comprising:
 an outer material layer;   an inner material layer being fluid permeable;   a fluid connector;   a pad component located and secured in the space between the outer material layer and the inner material layer, the pad component including a first surface facing towards the outer material layer, a second surface facing towards the inner material layer, and a thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface;   an elongated fluid void that is constructed into the pad component and that extends entirely through the thickness of the pad component from the first surface to the second surface, the elongated void being in direct fluid connection with the fluid connector and extending from the back portion of article, through the shoulder portion of the article, and to the front portion of the article;   one or more fluid grooves branching off of the elongated void, the one or more fluid grooves being constructed into the second surface of the pad component and extending only partially through the thickness;   a fluid source for providing a fluid to the article of apparel; and   a fluid-modifying element coupled to the fluid source.   
     
     
         15 . The article of apparel of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid-modifying element is a refrigeration element. 
     
     
         16 . The article of apparel of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid-modifying element is a heating element. 
     
     
         17 . The article of apparel of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid-modifying element is a dehumidifying element. 
     
     
         18 . The article of apparel of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid-modifying element is an oxygenation unit. 
     
     
         19 . The article of apparel of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid-modifying element is an aromatic element. 
     
     
         20 . The article of apparel of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid source is incorporated into the article of apparel.