Generally, personal cooling or heating devices come in a variety of shapes, sizes and functionalities designed with the intended purpose to cool or heat the associated user. Users frequently utilize such devices while traveling, attending events during long periods outside, and all day functions, etc. For example, depending on the time of year, users attending work, amusement parks, hiking, sporting events, concerts, etc. may desire to take advantage of the benefits of portable cooling or heating devices. Examples of conventional personal cooling devices include portable fans, spray bottles, cooling towels, etc. Examples of conventional personal heating devices and heating methods include chemically activated hand warmers, rechargeable battery operated hand warmers, battery operated thermal heaters found in fabric, gloves, boots and jackets that provide short term heat in close contact, various hats, gloves, scarves, etc. Any of the example devices or methods can also be combined to provide additional heating or cooling for the user.
However, these devices and methodologies experience some shortcomings. For example, most devices are intended for heating or for cooling, and cannot be converted to be used for both applications. Conventional personal heating or cooling devices also generally lack effective means for filtering or purifying air that is available for large, non-portable heating and cooling devices of the type that are installed in buildings. Additionally, several of the battery operated personal fans that are available can be carried and/or clipped onto an apparatus (e.g., a stroller element) by a user in close proximity to the user; however, such fan designs merely blow ambient temperature air from the surrounding area and do not actually provide heated or cooled air to the user. Similarly, some personal fan devices that can also be combined with a sprayer, sponge, or towel to be wet with water prior to use (or used individually without a fan) to provide evaporative air effects of airflow out from the fan. However, such devices do not adequately modify ambient temperature air as they are only simple fans and/or evaporative cooling effects, and they are incapable of heating air, cooling air, and filtering or purifying air with a single handheld device. Additionally, conventional insulated parts for containers form a barrier around the object entirely, such that they are not designed to enable airflow to pass through the insulating body to an interior of the insulated object and insulated parts for containers are not intended to be removable. Conventional filter designs also do not allow for removable filter assemblies that retain insulator functionality and conventional filter designs cannot use filters in close proximity to fluid vapor without having the fluid vapor compromise the efficacy of the filter. Moreover even smaller scale filtration units often do not provide users with perceptible reduction of airborne particles such as pollen, dust, and/or smoke particles because diffusion with unfiltered air reduces the concentration of filtered air delivered to the user. There are numerous other shortcomings associated with such conventional products as is well understood by those of skill in the art and by consumers of such products generally.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds