Electrically heated garment
First Claim
1. A portable, wearable electrically heated, cold-weather garment system having a plurality of independently, controllable heating zones, comprising:
- a lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric assembly defining shirt and pants portions, at least one glove portion and at least one sock portion, and wherein each portion of the fabric assembly includes fabric made from material which is operable to wick away moisture from the skin of a wearer and dissipate the moisture relatively quickly, thereby helping to keep the wearer dry;
a plurality of flexible conductors, each such conductor being operable to generate heat in response to current flowing therethrough, at least one such conductor being independently associated with the pants portion and constituting a first heating zone, at least one such conductor being independently associated with the shirt portion and constituting a second heating zone, at least one such conductor being independently associated with the glove portion and constituting a third heating zone, and at least one such conductor being independently associated with the sock portion and constituting a fourth heating zone;
portable, wearable electronic controller means for controlling in independent fashion the electrical current flowing through each such conductor constituting a zone, thereby controlling independently the heat generated by each such conductor for each such zone, the controller means including a plurality of solid-state power switching devices, with at least one such device for each such flexible conductor and zone through which electrical current is controlled in independent fashion, and power level selection means for allowing manual control over the controller means by a wearer of the form-fitting fabric assembly; and
connector means for helping to connect the controller means with the independent conductors.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically heated, cold weather garment. The garment includes a lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric for covering portions of the body of a wearer of the garment; a plurality of flexible, electrical heating wires cover stitched to the fabric by sewing; an electronic controller for controlling current flowing through each of the heating wires in a pulse-width modulated fashion, to thereby independently control the heat generated by each heating wire; a plurality of potentiometers for controlling the level of power supplied to each heating wire; and a master power level potentiometer for controlling the power supplied to each of the heating wires in a uniform and simultaneous fashion. In a first preferred embodiment the controller utilizes a combination of analog and digital-like signals to control in a pulse-width modulated fashion the current flow through the heating elements. In a second preferred embodiment the controller includes a microprocessor which is operable to sense changes in the temperature of the heating wires themselves, and to regulate automatically and independently the power supplied to each of the heating wires.
158 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A portable, wearable electrically heated, cold-weather garment system having a plurality of independently, controllable heating zones, comprising:
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a lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric assembly defining shirt and pants portions, at least one glove portion and at least one sock portion, and wherein each portion of the fabric assembly includes fabric made from material which is operable to wick away moisture from the skin of a wearer and dissipate the moisture relatively quickly, thereby helping to keep the wearer dry; a plurality of flexible conductors, each such conductor being operable to generate heat in response to current flowing therethrough, at least one such conductor being independently associated with the pants portion and constituting a first heating zone, at least one such conductor being independently associated with the shirt portion and constituting a second heating zone, at least one such conductor being independently associated with the glove portion and constituting a third heating zone, and at least one such conductor being independently associated with the sock portion and constituting a fourth heating zone; portable, wearable electronic controller means for controlling in independent fashion the electrical current flowing through each such conductor constituting a zone, thereby controlling independently the heat generated by each such conductor for each such zone, the controller means including a plurality of solid-state power switching devices, with at least one such device for each such flexible conductor and zone through which electrical current is controlled in independent fashion, and power level selection means for allowing manual control over the controller means by a wearer of the form-fitting fabric assembly; and connector means for helping to connect the controller means with the independent conductors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A portable, wearable electrically heated, cold weather garment system comprising:
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relatively light weight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric means for covering at least a portion of the body of a wearer of the garment; flexible conductor means, including a plurality of conductors secured to the fabric means, each being associated with an independently controlled heating zone, for generating heat in response to current flowing therethrough, to thereby provide warmth to a wearer of the garment; portable, wearable electronic controller means, including a plurality of solid-state power switching devices each of which is associated with a distinct heating zone, for controlling in a pulse width modulated fashion current flowing through the conductor means, thereby controlling the heat generated by the conductor means; and a plurality of first power level selection means for allowing manual control over the controller means by a wearer of the garment, thereby providing wearer control over current flowing through the conductor means, and thereby providing wearer control over the heat generated by the conductor means. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A portable, wearable electrically heated, cold weather garment system comprising:
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at least an upper body garment portion having at least first and second independent heating zones; at least one independent conductor associated with each such independent heating zone of the garment portion, each such conductor being operable to generate heat in response to a current flowing therethrough; and portable, wearable electronic controller means operating on direct current (D.C.) electrical power for simultaneously and independently controlling in pulse width modulated fashion the current flowing through each such independent conductor, thereby independently and simultaneously controlling the heat generated by each such independent conductor, to thereby provide independent and simultaneous control of the level of heating provided to each independent heating zone of the garment. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. An electrically heated, cold weather garment system comprising:
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lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric means for covering at least a portion of a body of a wearer of the garment; flexible conductor means arranged in a serpentine pattern for generating heat in response to a current flow therethrough, and for distributing the heat uniformly throughout the fabric means; cover stitch means for securing the conductor means to the fabric means and for substantially circumscribing at least a portion of the conductor means; portable, wearable, electronic controller means for controlling in pulse width modulated fashion the current flow through the conductor means, the controller means further being secured to a portion of the garment; power level selection means for providing manual control over the controller means by a wearer of the garment; a flexible wiring harness having first and second ends, the first end being connectable to the controller means; and electrical connector means securely mounted to a portion of the fabric means for removably connecting the second end of the wiring harness with the conductor means, the electrical connector having at least one wing portion for helping to facilitate mounting of the connector means to the fabric means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. For an electrically heated, cold-weather garment, an electrically heated sock, comprising:
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lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric means for covering a foot of a wearer of the sock, the fabric means further being operable to wick away moisture, thereby helping to keep the foot of the wearer and the fabric means dry; flexible conductor means arranged on at least a portion of the fabric means in a serpentine pattern for generating heat in response to a current flow therethrough, and for distributing the heat evenly throughout portions of the fabric means; and cover stitch means for securing the conductor means to the fabric means and for substantially circumscribing a portion of but not all of the circumference of the conductor means in a manner which allows the conductor to move slightly relative to the fabric means, the cover stitch means including stitching arranged to substantially cover the portion of the conductor not wrapped therearound by the fabric means. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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19. For an electrically heated, cold-weather garment, an electrically heated glove, comprising:
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lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric means for covering at least a portion of a hand of a wearer of the garment, the fabric means further being operable to wick away moisture, thereby helping to keep the hand of the wearer and the fabric means dry; flexible conductor means arranged on at least a portion of the fabric means in a serpentine pattern for generating heat in response to a current flow therethrough, and for distributing the heat evenly throughout portions of the fabric means; and cover stitch means for securing the conductor means to the fabric means and for substantially circumscribing a portion of but not all of the circumference of the conductor means in a manner which allows the conductor to move slightly relative to the fabric means, the cover stitch means including stitching arranged to substantially cover the portion of the conductor not wrapped therearound by the fabric means. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification