Evaporative Cooling System

Abstract

A device for cooling the surface of an object or the skin of a person or animal comprising a plurality of evaporator fins, each having a substantially planar horizontal portion for making contact with an object to be cooled, one or more vertical portions attached to or continuing from the horizontal portion that extends upward there from, and a fabric layer disposed on a surface of the vertical portion. The device includes a support member comprised of one or more parts that connect the plurality of evaporator fins into a larger structure, and can include means to urge the horizontal portions of the evaporator fin assembly against a surface to be cooled. The device can also be embodied as one or more pieces of fabric with a plurality of convoluted evaporator fins adhered to it.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A cooling device comprising:
 a. a plurality of evaporator fins, each having;
 i. a substantially planar horizontal portion for making contact with an object to be cooled, 
 ii. a vertical portion attached to or continuing from the horizontal portion that extends upward there from, 
 iii. a fabric layer disposed on a surface of at least one of the horizontal and vertical portions, 
   b. a support member comprised of one or more parts that connect the plurality of evaporator fins into a larger structure.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the support member extends through a slot formed in a root of the vertical portion of each evaporator fin that is adjacent the horizontal portion thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling device of  claim 1  further comprising evaporator fin guards that cover the edges of the vertical portions of the evaporator fins. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the fabric layer extends over the horizontal and vertical portion of each evaporator fin and is a portion of a continuous common fabric layer disposed on the first and second vertical portions. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the fabric layer is common to at least portions of a plurality of evaporator fins in the device. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein one or more evaporator fins of the plurality include tabs used to crimp over portions of the evaporator fin guards to hold them in place. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the support member is curved to form an arc that subtends an angle greater than 180 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the evaporator fins are attached to a support member as a one-dimensional array. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the evaporator fins are attached to a support member as a two-dimensional array. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein each evaporator fin is formed by bending a flat portion of metal having a fabric layer attached to at least one side thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling device of  claim 1  further comprising a second fabric layer that is in substantial contact with the fabric layers of each evaporator fin to provide a fluid reserve capacity. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling device of  claim 1  further comprising a reservoir with a wick that communicates fluid to a common wick or to the fabric layer of one or more evaporator fins. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling device of  claim 1  further comprising at least a second fabric layer disposed on the support member that contacts the fabric layers of each evaporator fin to provide a fluid reserve capacity and wicks fluid between evaporator fins. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling device of  claim 1  that additionally includes means to urge the horizontal portions of each evaporator fin against a surface to be cooled. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein one or more evaporator fins in the plurality form a fin strip by including one or more additional vertical portion(s) attached to or continuing from said horizontal portion that are covered with a fabric layer. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling device of  claim 15  comprised of a plurality of said fin strips. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling device of  claim 15  further comprising a common support member that connects said fin strips into a larger array. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling device of  claim 1  in which said common support member is made of fabric. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein a skin-facing surface of the evaporator fins have one or more thermally conductive post-like extensions designed to penetrate human hair or animal fur and touch the user's skin. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling device of  claim 1  that additionally includes means to connect the evaporator fins into an array. 
     
     
         21 . The cooling device of  claim 20  that further comprises means to urge the evaporator fin bases against a surface to be cooled. 
     
     
         22 . A cooling device comprising an array of convoluted evaporator fins and a hydrophilic fabric bonded to one or more portions of said evaporator fins. 
     
     
         23 . A cooling device comprised of one or more pieces of fabric with a plurality of convoluted evaporator fins adhered to it. 
     
     
         24 . The cooling device of  claim 23  further including means to urge the evaporator fin bases against a surface to be cooled. 
     
     
         25 . A cooling device comprising:
 a. a plurality of evaporator fins disposed in an at least one dimensional array for urging against a member or surface to be cooled, each evaporator fin having a lower portion and an upper portion opposed from the lower portion,   b. a fabric for supporting the at least one dimensional array of cooling fins at the lower portion thereof and covering at least a portion thereof,   c. a barrier layer spaced apart from the fabric and disposed above the upper portions of the plurality of evaporator finds to provide a channel to receive air forced across the evaporator fins.   
     
     
         26 . The cooling device of  claim 25  further comprising a fan disposed in fluid communication with the channel to force air from outside the cooling device into the channel. 
     
     
         27 . The cooling device of  claim 25  wherein the barrier layer comprises a fabric layer that is operative as a fluid reservoir that is disposed facing the channel and an air impenetrable layer disposed on the opposing side of the fabric layer that faces away from the channel.