Individual comfort control device

Abstract

The instant invention is a major energy saver in the form of a blanket which allows personal heat control, particularly cooling. More specifically, the blanket is provided with internal ducts through which a stable foam is circulated as a cooling fluid in such a way that the inside of the blanket facing the person being cooled is maintained at a temperature slightly below body temperature, while the outside of the blanket is insulated to minimize heat exchange with the environment. Compared to the use of a liquid as the circulating cooling fluid, foam is very light and thus minimizes the weight of the blanket, but it has better heat transfer properties and heat capacity than a gas. Cooling of the recirculating cooling fluid is done separate from the blanket in a refrigeration unit connected to the blanket by a feed and return duct. The refrigeration unit can operate by means of a heat pump, or use a stored refrigerant such as ice, or employ a continuous coolant, such as tap water. The integrity of the circulating foam is maintained by passing a certain fraction of the circulating fluid through a foam regeneration unit which both reconstitutes foam which has started to collapse and agglomerate, and regenerates foam which has completely broken when the unit is out of service for extended periods.