Before the storm of “been there done that” hits, I know there are a couple of ideas in this vane already. I think this is a new and unique way to achieve the cooling affect.

A pillow constructed of medium-density foam, strong enough to retain it’s shape but pliant enough to give a bit, for comfort. Running through the foam are many thin, flexible aluminum wires each about 1/16” or 1.5mm thick. Maintaining a good contact between the medium-density foam and the aluminum wires should allow the wires to pull heat from the foam to an aluminum heat sink located in or near the headboard of your bed. This would most likely not result in a COLD pillow but there should be a constant cooling effect with no power required. At the very least it will prevent your head from sweating.

If you like to move your pillow around, I don’t think this could work for you.
-- ato_de, May 07 2003

buy one, get one free http://www.halfbake...dea/Cooling_20quilt
[po, Oct 05 2004]

neat title. +
-- po, May 07 2003


Like the idea. Would like an explanation of why movement would ruin the effect. (I am not a scientist you know, Jim! - to paraphrase a certain sci-fi poohbah)
-- thecat, May 07 2003


[thecat], A heat sink has a large surface area, to promote heat transfer, since this will be made of aluminum, if you roll over with your pillow or move it too much you will either bean your SO or break the wires. I got this idea from two things that happened to me today.

The first was a contractor who gifted me a brushed aluminum coffee cup. (The handle was also aluminum.) This is, by far, the most useless hot beverage cup on the planet. When I put in my hot tea, (I don't drink coffee) the handle rapidly rose to the temperature of the tea, making it damn near impossible to hold. I swear this thing heated up so quickly, I nearly burned my hand before I finished filling it with hot water. Five minutes later the contents of the cup were barely tepid.

The second thing is my insomnia, and an irritatingly warm pillow.
-- ato_de, May 07 2003


OK. Thanks for the explanation and the amusing extras ato_de.
-- thecat, May 07 2003


Way to turn 2 -'s in a day together into a +, ato_de
-- thumbwax, May 07 2003


Or you could purchase the deluxe model, made of silver.
-- RoboBust, May 07 2003


The heat exchange bottleneck here will probably be the surface area of the wires. Perhaps liquid-cooled?
-- RayfordSteele, Jul 11 2003



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