ELECTRIC HEATING/WARMING FABRIC ARTICLES

• US 20070164010A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MMI-IPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: Malden Mills Industries Incorporated (Polartec LLC)
• Inventors: Rock, Moshe, Doyle, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/212
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/065 using layered materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0233 connected to or incorporated in clothing or garments A61F2007/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles

Abstract

Electric heating/warming composite fabric articles have at least a fabric layer having inner and outer surfaces, and an electric heating/warming element, e.g., including a bus, formed, e.g., of die cut metallized textile or plastic sheeting or metal foil, affixed at a surface of the fabric layer and adapted to generate heating/warming when connected to a power source. A air-and-water droplet resistant and water vapor permeable barrier layer may be positioned, for example, adjacent to the fabric layer; e.g., with the electric heating/warming element formed thereupon or at least partially impregnated therein, e.g. in a fabric laminate or in a composite formed by application of heat and pressure to at least one layer of a barrier film disposed adjacent thereto, including to protect the electric circuit, e.g. against abrasion, moisture, and or against physical stress due, e.g., to repeated crushing, bending or flexing. Methods of forming electric heating/warming composite fabric articles are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method of forming an electric heating/warming fabric article, the method comprising:

configuring a planar, sheet-form conductive layer element including a bus, formed of electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of metallized textile, metallized plastic sheeting, and metal foil, into an electrically conductive circuit with shape corresponding to a selected surface region of a wearer'"'"'s body and with one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity among one or more circuit regions of relatively lower resistivity, the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity positioned for correlation with one or more selected heating regions of the wearer'"'"'s body;

attaching said circuit to at least one of a first broad surface and a second broad surface of a fabric body in an arrangement corresponding to the selected surface region and in correlation with the one or more selected heating regions; and

,

upon application of electrical current to said circuit, producing localized heating in the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity of the circuit attached upon the fabric body for preferential heating of the one or more selected heating regions of the wearer'"'"'s body.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the planar, sheet-form conductive layer element including an integral bus.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising impregnating the electrically conductive metallized textile with a suitable thermoplastic polymeric material to lock fibers of the electrically conductive metallized textile in a manner to resist local increase in resistivity due to physical stress from one or more of repeated crushing, bending and flexing.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising applying the suitable thermoplastic polymeric material in fluid state and forming a fabric laminate incorporating the impregnated electrically conducting metallized textile.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising forming a laminate of woven fabric.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising forming a laminate of lightweight woven fabric stable in warp and fill directions.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising at least partially impregnating the metallized textile application of predetermined conditions of heat, pressure and time to at least one layer of the suitable thermoplastic polymeric material in the form of a film disposed adjacent the metallized textile to be at least partially impregnated.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying heat of about 350°

F. at pressure of about 7 psi for about 50 seconds.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising at least partially impregnating the metallized textile with a suitable thermoplastic polymeric barrier material having characteristics of being air-and-water-droplet resistant and being water vapor permeable.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least partially impregnating the metallized textile with urethane.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring comprises die-cutting.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring comprises subjecting a sheet material to metal coating, plating or deposition.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the attaching comprises joining the conductive layer and fabric body with adhesive.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an article of clothing including said fabric body.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming comprises shaping the circuit to conform to the shape of the article of clothing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming comprises shaping the circuit to conform to the shape of the article of clothing comprising an article selected from the group consisting of gloves, socks, sweaters, jackets, shirts, pants, hats, footwear, ear muffs, neck warmers, medical braces, medical bands, knee pads, back pads, and joint pads.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming comprises shaping the circuit to conform to the shape of a glove.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming comprises shaping the circuit to conform to the shape of an article of footwear.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming comprises shaping the circuit to conform to the shape of a garment such as a shirt or jacket.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity by reducing cross-sectional area of one or more selected regions of the circuit.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity by reducing conductivity of one or more selected regions of the circuit.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric heating/warming article is incorporated into an article of clothing, and the method further comprises positioning the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity for correlation with one or more selected heating regions of the wearer'"'"'s body adjacent the wearer'"'"'s extremities when the article of clothing is worn.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises incorporating the electric heating/warming article into an article of clothing, and positioning the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity for correlation with one or more selected heating regions of the wearer'"'"'s body adjacent regions of the wearer'"'"'s body where blood flow is close to the skin surface when the article of clothing is worn.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the attaching comprises attaching the circuit to at least one broad surface of a fabric body comprising a textile material selected from the group consisting of weft knitted materials, warp knitted materials, woven materials, and nonwoven materials.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises interposing an air-and-water-droplet resistant, water vapor permeable barrier layer between the fabric body and the sheet-form conductive layer.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising attaching an outer surface of the air-and-water-droplet resistant, water vapor permeable barrier layer to the fabric layer, and attaching an inner surface of the barrier layer to the sheet-form conductive layer.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the attaching comprises joining the layers with adhesive.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting the circuit to a power source, to generate heating/warming.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating the electric heating/warming fabric article into a home furnishing textile article.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the home textile article comprises a blanket, throw, sleeping bag or mattress cover.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring of the circuit comprises configuring the circuit as a series circuit.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring of the circuit comprises configuring the circuit as a parallel circuit.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of the first broad surface and the second broad surface of the fabric body with a smooth surface.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of the first broad surface and the second broad surface of the fabric body with a raised surface.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of the first broad surface and the second broad surface of the fabric body with a brushed surface.

36. A method of forming an electric heating/warming fabric article, the method comprising:

configuring a planar, sheet-form conductive layer element, formed of electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of metallized textile, metallized plastic sheeting, and metal foil, into an electrically conductive circuit with shape corresponding to a selected surface region of a wearer'"'"'s body and with one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity among one or more circuit regions of relatively lower resistivity, the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity positioned for correlation with one or more selected heating regions of the wearer'"'"'s body;

attaching said circuit to at least one of a first broad surface and a second broad surface of a fabric body in an arrangement corresponding to the selected surface region and in correlation with the one or more selected heating regions;

attached a bus in communication with said circuit; and

,

upon application of electrical current through said bus to said circuit, producing localized heating in the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity of the circuit attached upon the fabric body for preferential heating of the one or more selected heating regions of the wearer'"'"'s body.

37. A method of forming an electric heating/warming fabric article, the method comprising:

die-cutting a sheet-form conductive layer to form an electrically conductive circuit including a bus, wherein a first portion of the conductive layer is relatively narrower to increase localized heating and a second portion of the conductive layer is relatively wider to decrease localized heating;

attaching said circuit to an outer surface of a fabric body;

incorporating the fabric body into an article of clothing; and

connecting a power source to the circuit, thereby producing localized heating of the fabric body upon application of electrical current to said circuit.

38. A method of forming an electric heating/warming fabric article, the method comprising:

die-cutting a sheet-form conductive layer to form an electrically conductive circuit, wherein a first portion of the conductive layer is relatively narrower to increase localized heating and a second portion of the conductive layer is relatively wider to decrease localized heating;

attaching said circuit to an outer surface of a fabric body;

attaching a bus in communication with said circuit;

incorporating the fabric body into an article of clothing; and

connecting a power source to the bus and the circuit, thereby producing localized heating of the fabric body upon application of electrical current to said circuit.