Portable body cooling apparatus, and applications thereof

Abstract

Portable body cooling apparatus, particularly wearable on subjects, the apparatus comprises a channeled assembly including a coupled pair of channels longitudinally extending adjacent to each other, and wearable along outer contour of a subject's body part. The apparatus also comprises a forced air flow assembly connected to channeled assembly, for generating and driving forced flow of air into and through channeled assembly and facilitate indirect evaporation of liquid inside the channeled assembly, so as to produce forced flow of cool air exiting from channeled assembly and directed onto the subject, thereby cooling the subject. Also disclosed is a corresponding method of cooling a subject.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A portable body cooling apparatus, particularly wearable on a subject, the apparatus comprising:
 a channeled assembly, including a coupled pair of channels longitudinally extending adjacent to each other, and configured for receiving a liquid feed and a forced flow of air, said channeled assembly is wearable along an outer contour of a body part of the subject;   a liquid feed input assembly, operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly, and configured for facilitating input of said liquid feed into said channeled assembly; and   a forced air flow assembly, operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly, and configured for generating and driving said forced flow of air into and through said channeled assembly;   wherein said forced flow of air facilitates indirect evaporation of said liquid feed inside said channeled assembly, and produces a forced flow of cool air exiting from said channeled assembly and directed onto the subject, thereby cooling the subject.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein said coupled pair of channels includes a wettable channel and a dry channel, said wettable channel is configured so as to be wetted via said input flow of said liquid feed, and said dry channel is configured so as to be substantially dry. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said wettable channel is configured as an outer channel and said dry channel is configured as an inner channel, with said dry inner channel being positioned inside of, and surrounded by, said wettable outer channel. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said wettable channel includes at least one wettable channel forced air flow inlet port and at least one wettable channel forced air flow outlet port, and wherein said dry channel includes at least one dry channel forced air flow inlet port and at least one dry channel forced air flow outlet port. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein each said wettable channel forced air flow outlet port protrudes from a wall of said wettable channel, and each said dry channel forced air flow outlet port protrudes from a wall of said dry channel. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said dry channel includes a plurality of said dry channel forced air flow outlet ports that protrude from a wall of said dry channel, and are positionally aligned relative to each other. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said wettable channel is configured as a tube. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said wettable channel includes therein a liquid absorbent material that extends along, and physically contacts, at least a majority of entire length of said dry channel, wherein said liquid absorbent material is suitable for absorbing said liquid feed input into said channeled assembly. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein said liquid absorbent material is a type of material selected from the group consisting of cloth materials and coating materials. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein said wettable channel further includes therein a spacer member that extends along at least a majority of entire length of said dry channel, and is configured to provide spacing between said liquid absorbent material and inner walls of said wettable channel, so as to facilitate unobstructed passage of said forced flow of air inside and through said wettable channel. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said dry channel is configured as a tube longitudinally extending along at least a majority of entire length of said wettable channel. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein said channeled assembly is reversibly bendable, and reversibly fixable in a bended form, so as to facilitate fitting thereof along said outer contour of the subject's body part. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein said liquid feed input assembly is directly connected to said channeled assembly via a liquid feed input line extending between said liquid feed input assembly and said channeled assembly. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the body cooling apparatus is a self-contained apparatus including a liquid feed reservoir, operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly, and configured for storing a reserve supply of said liquid feed. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein said liquid feed reservoir is operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly via a liquid feed connector that is configured for facilitating input of said reserve supply of said liquid feed from said liquid feed reservoir into said channeled assembly, via said forced flow of air, according to Bernoulli's principle for liquid flow. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said forced air flow assembly is operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly, via a wettable channel forced air flow inlet line operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, a wettable channel forced air flow inlet port, and via a dry channel forced air flow inlet line operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, a dry channel forced air flow inlet port. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein the wettable channel forced air flow inlet line is positioned at least partially within a volume defined by the wettable channel. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein at least a majority of a length of the wettable channel forced air flow inlet line is positioned within the volume defined by the wettable channel. 
     
     
         58 . A method of cooling a subject, the method comprising:
 acquiring a portable body cooling apparatus, said apparatus is wearable on the subject, and comprises:   a channeled assembly, including a coupled pair of channels longitudinally extending adjacent to each other, and configured for receiving a liquid feed and a forced flow of air;   a liquid feed input assembly, operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly, and configured for facilitating input of said liquid feed into said channeled assembly; and   a forced air flow assembly, operatively connected to, and in fluid communication with, said channeled assembly, and configured for generating and driving said forced flow of air into and through said channeled assembly;   placing and wearing said apparatus along an outer contour of a body part of the subject;   providing liquid feed to said liquid feed input assembly, so as to facilitate input of said liquid feed into said channeled assembly;   and   activating said forced air flow assembly, wherein said forced flow of air into said channeled assembly facilitates indirect evaporation of said liquid feed inside said channeled assembly, and produces a forced flow of cool air exiting from said channeled assembly and directed onto the subject, thereby cooling the subject.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein said placing and wearing said apparatus includes positioning said coupled pair of channels along said outer contour of said body part of the subject, such that said coupled pair of channels is longitudinally aligned with said body part of the subject.