Abstract text

A cooler accessory for use with a hard hat or other head-protecting gear having a protective shell with a rim, the accessory including a housing that is attachable to the protective shell, flexible and pliable tubing that extends from the rigid housing in a manner that allows for user control over position and orientation of the tubing, and airflow supply means (e.g., an electric fan assembly) for supplying a flow of air that passes through the tubing and exits therefrom. During use, a portion of the tubing is disposed below the rim of the protective shell for directing the flow of air supplied by the airflow supply means under the rim for injection toward space adjacent the user's body, thereby cooling the user's body. Preferably, the tubing is positioned such that airflow is injected into an air gap between the user's head and the protective shell and over the user's head, thereby actively cooling the user's head. In another aspect, parts of the active cooling device (e.g., the housing or portions thereof) can be integrally formed with the protective shell and rim of the hard hat or other type of head-protection gear.