Apparatus for Delivering Filtered and Conditioned Air to Wearer of Apparels

The present disclosure relates to mechanical systems for delivering filtered and conditioned air to wearers. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system for continuously delivering conditioned air, on or very near to wearer's body, including breathing zones, whether indoors or outdoors, for example, by using a miniaturized, portable, and lightweight air conditioning system that can be detachably attached to or integrated with personal apparels such as, but not limited to, hats, caps, shoes, eye glasses, music listening devices, pieces of clothing such as shirt collars, button strips, men and women undergarments, pants, or specially designed support frames that can be attached to an individual's apparel or body. The conditioned air can be released anywhere, on or very near to various areas of the body (for example, less than 1 foot from the body's surface), including, for example, the breathing zone (areas near nose and mouth), lower leg, hip, head, neck, and entire upper torso. The air conditioning system and the air delivering networks of ducts are so placed that they preferably are not visible when integrated with various apparels and they are able to deliver a uniform volume and flow rate of air near the desired areas of the body of the wearer.

The present disclosure recognizes the vast need for providing relief to adults and children who suffer from respiratory disorders and allergies and therefore cannot enjoy the outdoors. The present disclosure also provides a solution to individuals seeking to defend themselves against viral infection or inhaling foul air while in the company of those suffering from common cold and flu. Such situations arise especially when people travel in tight closed spaces such as in buses, trains, airplanes, or when they are a part of huge indoor or outdoor gatherings. The present disclosure, hence, also relates to apparatuses for protection against infections and disease.

Respiratory diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, etc., have been on the rise worldwide. With increasing urbanisation, and concomitant increase in population densities in urban areas, the number of people exposed to dust, smoke, and otherwise unclean air also increases. The first line of defence against these disease's symptoms recommended by allergists is to reduce environmental exposure. This can be accomplished by removing the allergen source (for example cats, cigarettes, molds, etc.), its reservoir (for example carpets, drapes, etc.), and also by cleaning the air through the use of high-efficiency air cleaners.

Use of air filtering systems based on High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, electrostatic precipitators, and others, are very effective in removing allergens and pollutants from the air, and consequently, when such air is breathed in, it provides significant relief to individuals suffering from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory disorders. They are now routinely used in homes, hospitals, theatres, transport vehicles, equipment (vacuum cleaners), vents, exhausts, machinery, and many more places to clean air.

One of the major disadvantages of these air-filtering systems is that they are bulky and immovable, and are therefore, always installed inside homes, buildings, and vehicles by integrating them with the central air conditioning and heating systems. The same drawbacks reside with systems that deliver conditioned air directly to the breathing zones by integrating the air delivery system with the frame of a bed since a bulky blower unit has to be installed underneath the bed. Similarly, the portable fan-type room air cleaners are bulky enough to prevent an individual from carrying them or tying them to their body. As such, these systems are incapable of providing a continuous flow of conditioned air to the personal breathing zone and other parts of the body while the individual is outdoors or moving.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,590,062 B2 solves this problem by disclosing an apparatusto generate and deliver filtered or conditioned air directly onto or near a person's body, including near the face of a person. One embodiment provided in the cited document where such an apparatus is integrated into a cap or a hat of a wearer is shown in. The apparatus consists of a blower unit, usually a pump, that draws the ambient air from the environment which is usually rich in pollutants and allergens, and forces it through an air filter that is either directly integrated with the blower unitor is located at its exit port/outlets. From there, the filtered air is transported via an air delivery system, such as a perforated tube, and discharged at the desirable location which could be around the neck or more preferably near the face of the wearer. Orifices-,-(collectively referred to as orifices) on the air delivery systemare designed to discharge air at the desired locations.

One of the challenges in implementing the above design is the pressure drop that occurs along the length of the air delivery system, especially when there are multiple orifices. This loss of pressure results in much lower air volumes and lower than the desired air flow rates from the downstream outlets. Even when such orificesare located within the same zone, such as near the face, air flow is not uniform. One way to overcome this problem is to increase the speed of the blower unit, which unfortunately can result in unwanted noise and vibration unless it is cancelled/dampened using passive foam technologies which as such can add to the cost of the product. Even with these controls, the flowrate can still remain non-uniform. Furthermore, at higher speeds, fan battery gets discharged much faster and has to be recharged more frequently which makes the product less appealing. Further, existing solutions do not allow wearers to operably adjust the flow rate of air delivered by the apparatus.

Therefore, there is a need for a portable air-filtering system that delivers conditioned air to a wearer/individual with uniform flowrate and volume.

In an aspect, an apparatus for delivering air to a wearer of an apparel includes a blower unit configured to draw ambient air through a filter unit, where the blower unit is configured to direct the air towards a predetermined direction with respect to the wearer, and a frame attached to the apparel via a pocket, where the frame is configured to accommodate the blower unit. In some embodiments, the apparatus may be used for creating a zone of conditioned air with uniform flow rate and volume on or in proximity to the wearer's body.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include the filter unit having one or more filters configured to filter and condition the air passing therethrough, wherein the blower unit may be configured to pass the ambient air through the filter unit via an air delivery unit, and wherein the filter unit may be configured to be detachably attached to the blower unit via the frame.

In some embodiments, the one or more filters may be configured to add a medication or an aroma, to condition the ambient air.

In some embodiments, the blower unit may include at least one pump configured to draw the ambient air and push the ambient air towards the predetermined direction with respect to the wearer.

In some embodiments, the blower unit may include at least one fan with one or more blades capable of pushing a volume of the air towards the predetermined direction with respect to the wearer. In some embodiments, the one or more blades may be configured to push a turbulent flow of air in the predetermined direction.

In some embodiments, the pocket may be coated with fluid-resistant materials.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may be attached to the apparel using a foam for passive noise and vibration reduction. The foam may have a thickness ranging between about 0.5 mm and about 20 mm, and may be made from a polymer foam with a close or an open cell structure having a density ranging between about 10 kg/mand about 300 kg/m.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include an interface configured to allow the wearer of the apparel to operably control a volume of the air delivered by the blower unit.

In another aspect, a hat that delivers air to a wearer includes a head covering portion having a crown portion for covering a crown of the head of the wearer, the crown portion having a circumferential bottom edge forming a perimeter portion. The hat includes a brim attached to said crown portion having an outer perimeter portion located on an outermost edge and an inner perimeter portion shared with the perimeter portion of the crown where the brim is attached. The brim is located above a face of the wearer when the hat is worn. The hat also includes a blower unit, powered by a power source, attached to the brim to direct a volume of air via an integrated air delivery unit into a filter unit to produce and discharge filtered conditioned air of uniform volume and flow rate directly to a breathing zone of the wearer.

In some embodiments, the blower unit may include a fan having one or more blades for pushing a volume of the air towards the predetermined direction with a turbulent flow with respect to the wearer.

In some embodiments, the brim may be made of foam configured to absorb passive noise and vibrations from the blower unit. In some embodiments, the crown portion may be made of foam configured to absorb passive noise and vibrations from the blower unit.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparel has an apparatus integrally attached thereto.

In some embodiments, the apparel may include a foam disposed between the apparel and the apparatus, where the foam may be configured to absorb passive noise and vibrations from the apparatus.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead is placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure.

The following detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present disclosure, since the scope of the present disclosure is best defined by the appended claims.

As used herein, “substantially” means largely or considerably, but not necessarily wholly, or sufficiently to work for the intended purpose. The term “substantially” thus allows for minor, insignificant variations from an absolute or perfect state, dimension, measurement, result, or the like as would be expected by a person of ordinary skill in the art, but that do not appreciably affect overall performance.

As used herein, “about” means approximately or nearly, and in the context of a numerical value or range set forth means ±10% of the numeric value.

A novel approach that is recognized by the present disclosure is to miniaturize air conditioning and air delivery units, forming an apparatus, such that they may be detachably attached to or permanently integrated with an individual's apparel such as caps, hard hats (for those working in the mining and construction business), shoes, glass frames, pieces of clothing (ties, shirt collars, and pleats of the trousers, men and women undergarments, pants, buttons), and the like, but not limited thereto. The apparatus may be integrated inconspicuously inside a pocket or a provision on the apparel such that it is masked from the outside and cannot be noticed by others, whether in operation or idle. This way the individual/wearer enjoys a continuous flow of conditioned air that is uniformly spread with a constant flow rate very near to their breathing zone, irrespective of whether they are indoors or outdoors, in a formal or causal setting, sitting, standing, walking or running, in a crowded gathering, or sitting in a closed space in a train, bus or an airplane.

The present disclosure recognizes the vast need for providing relief to adults and children who suffer from respiratory disorders and allergies and therefore cannot enjoy the outdoors. The present disclosure also provides a solution to individuals seeking to defend themselves against viral infection or inhaling foul air while being in the company of those suffering from common cold and flu. Such situations arise especially when people travel in tight closed spaces such as in buses, trains, airplanes, or when they are a part of huge indoor or outdoor gatherings.

The present disclosure provides a design to solve this problem by placing a blower unit of an apparatus directly above/over a desired area where the conditioned air has to be delivered, such as shown in, towards the wearer. Referring to, front view and an isometric viewof the apparatusdirectly integrated into a portion of an apparelsuch as, for example, a brim of a hat or a cap, is illustrated. The apparatusmay include an air filter unitthat is provided as a separate detachable unit such that the discharged air from a blower unitis directly blown through one or more filtersthat lines the walls of the air filter unit. The filter unitmay be provided with a hinged doorequipped with a spring-loaded lock that may be opened for filter (re)placement and then shut thereafter. The discharged air through the filter unitmay have a constant flow rate and volume, which may be further controlled by controlling speed of a fan or pump associated with the blower unit, and if desired even remotely via a phone application. The one or more filtersmay be of different densities as needed for a specific application depending upon the expected size of the pollutant particles.

In an embodiment, the apparatusmay include an air delivery unit(shown in). The air delivery unitmay provide a zone that directs the exiting air from the blower unitto pass through the filter unit. The zone may be designed to prevent loss of air between the blower unitand the filter unit. In some embodiments, the blower unitand the filter unitmay be directly integrated into or made as a part of a frame(shown in).

In some embodiments, to prevent or dampen noise and vibrations, the apparatusmay be attached to the apparelusing a foam.

Whileillustrate embodiments where the apparatusis integrated in an apparelsuch as a cap or a hat, it may be appreciated by those skilled in that the art that the apparatusmay be suitably adapted for placement thereof in any apparel, including, but not limited to, any garments that cover the body, headwear/headgear, footwear, and the like. The apparatusmay be placed to direct air towards any specific location of the body by integrating the apparatuson the garment in proximity to the specific location of the body.

Referring, isolated illustrations (viz. isometric views,, and top view) of the apparatusare shown. In an embodiment, the apparatusincludes the blower unit, with an integrated air delivery unit, which directs the air into the filter unit. The blower unitmay be powered by a power source (not shown).

In some embodiments, the blower unitmay include at least one fan having one or more blades that push/displace air towards a predetermined direction when rotated. In other embodiments, the blower unitmay include at least one pump configured to push ambient air towards the predetermined direction. In some embodiments, the predetermined direction may be towards the body of the wearer, such as including, but not limited to, face, head, neck, shoulders, torso, legs, feet, and the like. In examples wherein the apparatusis attached to a brim of a cap, the fan may be configured to draw and direct the ambient air towards the wearer's face. In other embodiments, the predetermined direction may be away from the wearer's body to allow air to be ventilated between the appareland the wearer's body.

In some embodiments, the blower unitmay be configured to displace a volume of air from a first side (such as the ambient environment) to a second side (such as interior of the apparelor towards the wearer) through the filter unit. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flow rate of the blower unitmay be such that the volume of air passes through and exits the blower unitwith a velocity between about 10 and about 100 feet per minute. In some embodiments, the blower unitmay be configured to operably change the flow rate based on wearer's requirements. At such ranges, skin sensation for the wearer may be minimal. In such embodiments, the blower unitmay include an interface configured to allow the wearer of the apparelto operably control volume of air delivered by the blower unit. The interface may be any one of including, but not limited to, mechanical interfaces such as knobs, buttons, levers etc., or digital interfaces such as smartphones, touch screens, etc., that allow the wearer to provide inputs to the blower unitto change flow rate thereof based on wearer's requirements. In some embodiments, to keep the flow below 100 feet/minute, the pump or the fan may be operated at less that its full capacity, which increases lifespan of the blower unitand the power source.

In some examples, the pump may be a diaphragm pump with coreless motor (E165-11-090) manufactured by Hargraves (Mooresville, North Carolina), which weighs about 45 grams, has dimensions of about 1.27″×1.17″×0.8″. The pump may deliver a maximum volume of about 1.6 litres/minute, which may yield exit velocities in the desired range that are comfortable for breathing by a human wearer. In some embodiments, the pump may be a miniaturized, lightweight micro pump that preferably has a low power-consuming motor. In such embodiments, the low power requirements may allow the motor to operate at imperceptibly low noise levels, and may be prevented from heating up appreciably above the ambient temperature when run over an extended period of time. In some embodiments, the motor may be configured to operate at power ratings between about 1.5V and about 12V. In some embodiments, the motor may be operable using the power source.

In other embodiments, the blower unitmay include the at least one fan having the one or more blades. In some embodiments, the rotation of the fan may allow the blower unitto draw in ambient air, and push the air towards the predetermined direction. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the blower unitmay include the fan displaces a volume of air through from a first side (such as the ambient environment) to a second side (such as interior of the apparelor towards the wearer) through the filter unit. In certain embodiments, the blades of the fan may be configured to push a turbulent flow of air in the predetermined direction. In such embodiments, the blades may draw the air inside the air delivery unitfrom the ambient environment, and cause particulate matter, such as submicron allergen particles, for example, to collide with each other (due to turbulent flow) and form/clump together larger particles. In some examples, the blades may cause particulate having diameters of less than about 0.3 micrometres to collide and clump together to form larger particulate matter having diameters between about 0.3 micrometres to about 0.5 micrometres. The turbulent air having the clumped particulate matter may then be more efficiently blocked by one or more filtersof the filter unit(as described subsequently). In such embodiments, the filtershaving a density lower than a predetermined threshold may also be used for filtering the air. In such embodiments, the fan may be indicative of a turbine fan. In other embodiments, the blades may be defined to have a geometric profile that produces turbulent flow during rotation.

In some embodiments, the blower unitmay direct the filtered air without the harmful submicron particles in the breathing zone of the wearer. The breathing zone may be indicative of an area around nose and mouth of the wearer. To make the apparatusmore efficient and to increase the output flow volume of the conditioned air, without increasing the size of the blower unit, the blades of the fan associated with the blower unitmay operate as micro turbine blades configured to pass air from an inlet faceof the filter unit, through the one or more filters, and out through an outlet faceof the filter unit. In such embodiments, the apparatusmay reduce the size of the blower unit, minimizing or dampen noises during operation thereof, and extending the operating time of the blower uniton a single charge of the power source/battery. In some embodiments, the fan may have a capacity to operate at about 2000 to about 50,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

At higher fan speeds, the wearer may experience unwanted excessive vibration and/or noise. Therefore, in certain embodiments, passive noise and vibration reduction foam may be installed around the apparatusat or in proximity to the location on the apparelwhere the apparatusis attached. In examples where the apparelis a hat, the foam may be defined within the brim of the cap or all around the hat. In some embodiments, the foam may have a thickness ranging between about 0.5 mm and about 20 mm. In some embodiments, the foam may be made from a polymer foam with a close or an open cell structure. In some embodiments, the foam may have a density ranging between about 10 kg/mto about 300 kg/m. The material and geometric profile of the foam may be suitably adapted based on the type of apparel.

In some embodiments, the apparatusmay include the power source, such as a battery, configured to supply power to the fan or the pump of the blower unit. In some embodiments, the power source may be indicative of rechargeable Direct Current (DC) batteries, but may not be limited thereto. In some embodiments, the power source may be batteries made of lithium-ion, such as those available in retail stores. In some embodiments, the power source may have capacities between about 9 volts to about 15 volts. In some embodiments, the power source may be designed to run the fan for at least a pre-defined time period such as, but not limited to, 6 hours on a single charge without overheating. In some embodiments, the sizes, dimensions, and specifications of the fan or the pump may be optimized to minimize power consumption. In other embodiments, the power source may be indicative of a photovoltaic cell.

In some embodiments, the apparatusmay include an electrically conductive wirethat is configured to allow the power source to supply power to the blower unit. The electrically conductive wiresmay be made of metals, such as copper, but not limited thereto. The electrically conductive wiresmay be insulated by a sheath made of any one or combination of including, but not limited to, rubber, plastic, metallic sheaths, and the like. The wiresmay connect the power source to the blower unit, and may be attached to the apparelinconspicuously to hide the wiresfrom normal view. In some embodiments, the wiresmay be attached on inner side of the apparel, i.e. between the wearer and a clothed portion of the apparel. In some embodiments, the wiresmay be drawn through an inner flap or a pocket that is sewn on the apparel. In some examples, the wiresmay be drawn from the power source to the apparatusvia the pocket, from inside edge of the crown of the apparelindicative of a hat.

In some embodiments, the apparatusmay be configured to be attached to the apparel. In some embodiments, the apparatusmay be accommodated within a flap/pouch/pocket or an opening on the apparel. In some embodiments, the apparatus, having the power source, the blower unit, and the filter unit, may be placed in an inconspicuous location on the apparel. In embodiments where the apparelis a headwear such as a hat, the apparatusmay be attached to the hat at any place around the crown of the hat. The pocket may allow the apparatusto be camouflaged by using a fabric that matches the rest of the hat.

In some embodiments, the pockets configured to accommodate the apparatus, or the wires, may be coated with a fluid-resistant material. In some embodiments, the fluid-resistant material may be a hydrophobic material that isolates the apparatusfrom sweat and other accidental exposure to fluids/water. In some examples, the entire brim or crown of the cap may be made using the fluid-resistance materials.

In some embodiments, the apparatusmay include the filter unithaving one or more filtersconfigured to filter and condition air passing therethrough. In some embodiments, the blower unitmay be configured to pass the ambient air through the filter unitvia the air delivery unit. In some embodiments, the filter unitmay be configured to be detachably attached to the blower unitvia a frame. In such embodiments, the filter unit, or the one or more filtersthereof, may be removed or replaced with another filter unithaving different specifications (such as material, type, density, etc.) based on use requirements. Further, removing the filter unitmay allow wearers to perform maintenance, such as cleaning, on the filter unit. Additionally, the filter unitmay be removed when quality of the ambient air is likely to be clean, and the blower unitis adapted to cool or heat the ambient air.

The filtersfilter/block particulate matter, such as including, but not limited to, harmful pollutant particulates, dust, dirt, debris, smoke, smog, aerosols, airborne biologics, and the like. In some embodiments, the filtersmay be indicative of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter configured to filter particulate matter, and microscopic biologics such as bacteria and viruses. In other embodiments, the filtersmay be indicative of a charcoal filter that removes odours. In further embodiments, a gas absorber may be integrated with the filterto protect a wearer from inhaling unwanted gaseous pollutants and/or to allow a person to breath clean, odour-free air. In yet other embodiments, each of the filtersmay have one or more slats defined parallelly along an edge of the frame. In such embodiments, each of the filtersmay be arranged/stacked such that each of the slats form grid pattern. The density of the filtersmay be chosen for a specific application such as for outdoor use during allergy seasons, specific filters for blocking viruses, specific filters for individuals with specific allergies to specific allergens, or for protection against occupation hazards such as in mining or fire fighting for prevention of smoke inhalation.

In some embodiments, the one or more filtersmay be configured to add a medication or an aroma, to condition the ambient air. The filter unitmay have the inlet facethat allows to pass through the one or more filters. In some examples, the filtersmay contain medication to aid the opening of the wearer's nasal passages, or injected with aromas for creating a pleasant environment.

In some embodiments, the filter unitmay include the outlet facethrough which the air filtered by the filtersexit the filter unit. In some embodiments, the outlet facemay have one or more slats defined to deflect the air passed through the filter unittowards the predetermined direction. In examples where the apparelis indicative of a cap, the filtered or the conditioned air may exit through the outlet faceof the filter unitand may be discharged directly into the breathing zone of the wearer.

In some embodiments, the apparatusmay include a frame. The framemay be a part of either the blower unitor the filter unit. In some embodiments, the framemay be substantially cuboidal in geometry. The framemay have an annular gap of a substantially circular or polygonal contour. The fan or the pump of the blower unitmay be accommodated in the annular gap. Further, the filter unitand the blower unitmay be arranged successively inside the annular gap of the frame.

In some embodiments, the framemay be provided with the hinged door. The hinged doormay be locked to the frameof the filter unitusing a fastener. The fastener may be indicative of any fastening means configured to reversibly lock the hinged doorto the framewith the filter unitplaced inside the frame. In some embodiments, the fastener may be any one or combination of including, but not limited to, clips, interlocking elements, adhesives, hook and loop fasteners, hook and slot fasteners, friction grip fasteners, nails, screws, rivets, and the like.show a perspective view of the apparatuswith the hinged doorin its open configuration. The hinged doormay be operably opened to allow wearers to access and replace the filters, and perform maintenance on the blower unit. In some examples, the wearer may replace the filterswhen the filtersare dirty. In other examples, the filtersmay be replaced with another set of filters having a different density for use in different environments.

In some embodiments, the apparatusmay include the air delivery unitthat directs the air pushed from the blower unittowards a desired direction with respect to the wearer. In some embodiments, the framemay define the air delivery unit. In some embodiments, the blower unitmay be configured to draw the ambient air into the air delivery unit. In some embodiments, the air delivery unitprevents allergens and other harmful particles from entering the zone of conditioned air, so that the air being breathed in by the wearer is substantially filtered and conditioned air delivered by the apparatus.