PORTABLE COOLING DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR AN OPEN AIR VEHICLE

1 . A portable cooling device for an open air vehicle, comprising:

a housing structured to be installed behind an operator of the open air vehicle, the housing including a front surface, an opposing rear surface and right and left side surfaces;

one or more intakes positioned on at least of the side surfaces of the housing and structured to enable intake of ambient air surrounding an outside of the housing;

one or more exhaust vents positioned on the rear surface of the housing and structured to enable heat from inside the housing to dissipate to an outside of the housing;

one or more cooling vents positioned on the front surface of the housing;

a condenser positioned within the housing;

an evaporator positioned within the housing;

one or more fans positioned in the housing and structured to,

draw ambient air through the one or more intakes,

move the ambient air though the evaporator and condenser, and

expel cooled air from the one or more cooling vents; and

one or more diverters coupled to each of the one or more cooling vents and structured to convey the cooled air from the one or more cooling vents to an area proximate to a head or neck of the operator of the open air vehicle,

wherein a housing width is defined as a dimension from the right side to the left side,

wherein a housing depth is defined as a dimension from the front surface to the opposing rear surface,

wherein the width is less than about 30 inches and the depth is less than about 12 inches.

2 . The portable cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein a height is defined as a dimension from the top surface to the bottom surface, and wherein the height is less than about 9 inches.

3 . The portable cooling device of claim 2 , wherein the area proximate to the head or neck of the operator is about 12 inches from the head or neck of the operator.

4 . The portable cooling device of claim 3 , further structured to cool the ambient air drawn in by the one or more intakes to a temperature at least 10° cooler than the ambient air.

5 . The portable cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more diverters are flexible and positioned to be on either side of the operator when installed in the open air vehicle.

6 . The portable cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more diverters are structured to automatically adjust according to changes in operator's body position.

7 . The portable cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the portable cooling device requires not more than about 600 W of power to operate.

8 . A portable cooling system for an open air vehicle, comprising:

a portable cooling device comprising,

a housing structured to be installed behind an operator of the open air vehicle, the housing including a front surface, an opposing rear surface and right and left side surfaces,

one or more intakes positioned on at least of the side surfaces of the housing and structured to enable intake of ambient air surrounding an outside of the housing,

one or more exhaust vents positioned on the rear surface of the housing and structured to enable heat from inside the housing to dissipate to an outside of the housing,

one or more cooling vents positioned on the front surface of the housing,

a condenser positioned within the housing,

an evaporator positioned within the housing,

one or more fans positioned in the housing and structured to,

draw ambient air through the one or more intakes,

move the ambient air though the evaporator and condenser, and

expel cooled air from the one or more cooling vents, and

one or more diverters coupled to each of the one or more cooling vents and structured to convey the cooled air from the one or more cooling vents to an area proximate to a head or neck of the operator of the open air vehicle; and

a mounting assembly structured to mount to the open air vehicle in a location behind the operator, the mounting assembly including,

one or more clamps or brackets structured to engage a frame of an open air vehicle,

a mounting frame structured to support the housing, and

one or more vibration damping elements coupled to the mounting frame and structured to lessen vibrations imparted to the open air vehicle by the housing.

9 . The portable cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the mounting assembly further includes an actuator structured to move one or more components of the mounting assembly relative to the frame of the open air vehicle.

10 . The portable cooling system of claim 8 , wherein a housing width is defined as a dimension from the right side to the left side, wherein a housing depth is defined as a dimension from the front surface to the opposing rear surface, and wherein the width is less than about 30 inches and the depth is less than about 12 inches.

11 . The portable cooling device of claim 8 , wherein the housing further includes a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein a height is defined as a dimension from the top surface to the bottom surface, and wherein the height is less than about 9 inches.

12 . The portable cooling device of claim 9 , wherein the area proximate to the head or neck of the operator is about 12 inches from the head or neck of the operator.

13 . The portable cooling device of claim 12 , further structured to cool the ambient air drawn in by the one or more intakes to a temperature at least 10° cooler than the ambient air.

14 . The portable cooling device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more diverters are flexible and positioned to be on either side of the operator when installed in the open air vehicle.

15 . The portable cooling device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more diverters are structured to automatically adjust according to changes in operator's body position.

16 . The portable cooling device of claim 8 , wherein the portable cooling device requires not more than about 600 W of power to operate.