Electric heating sheet

• US 5,422,462 A
• Filed: 04/01/1994
• Issued: 06/06/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kishimoto, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa J.
• Application Number:
  US08/221,501
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 219/545, 219/528, 219/529, 219/558, 219/559, 219/211, 219/212
• US Class Current: 219/545
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0272 For heating of fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/005 using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/011 Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/015 Heater wherein the heating element is interwoven with the textile
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/016 Heaters using particular connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/026 Heaters specially adapted for floor heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/347 woven fabrics

Abstract

Conductive yarns and conductive wires having insulating properties at least on their surfaces are plain-woven as warps and wefts, thus manufacturing a unidirectionally conductive fabric in which neighboring conductive yarns are not electrically in contact with each other. A pair of electrodes is connected to ends of the conductive yarn, and polymeric insulating layers are laminated on both surfaces of the unidirectionally conductive fabric, thus manufacturing an electric heating sheet. Moreover, by forming polymeric covering layers having a thermal fuse function, a temperature-detecting function and a temperature controlling function on the unidirectionally conductive fabrics, highly durable and safe electric heating sheets are manufactured.

Claims

1. An electric heating sheet comprising a unidirectionally conductive fabric in which conductive yarns and conductive wires having an insulating covering layer on their surfaces are woven as warps and wefts, woven such that neighboring conductive yarns are not electrically in contact with each other, and further comprising at least one pair of electrodes, connected to both ends of said conductive yarn to apply an electric field therebetween and generate heat.

2. An electric heating sheet according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive yarn and the conductive wire is used as a heating wire.

3. An electric heating sheet according to claim 1, wherein the insulating covering layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer, arranged so that if the insulating layer of thermoplastic polymer melts by overheating, the conductive yarns and the conductive wires are short-circuited and function as a thermal fuse element.

4. An electric heating sheet comprising a unidirectionally conductive fabric in which conductive yarns and insulating yarns having insulating properties at least on their surfaces are woven as warps and wefts, woven such that neighboring conductive yarns are not electrically in contact with each other;

wherein at least two conductive yarns are used as a pair of electrodes connected to both ends of said conductive yarn to apply an electric field therebetween and generate heat, and wherein a resistance sheet having a large positive temperature coefficient of resistance is formed between said electrodes.

5. An electric heating sheet comprising:

a unidirectionally conductive fabric including conductive yarns and conductive wires having thermoplastic insulating properties at least on their surfaces woven as warps and wefts, woven such that neighboring conductive yarns are not electrically in contact with each other,

wherein at least two conductive yarns are used as a pair of electrodes,

a thermosensitive layer, formed between the electrodes,

changes in impedance due to the temperature changes in said thermosensitive layer being detected by said electrodes, and wherein said pair of electrodes is connected to both ends of said conductive yarn to apply an electric field therebetween which generates heat.

6. An electric heating sheet according to claim 5, wherein the thermosensitive layer is made of an electrically thermosensitive polymeric compound with melting properties, the sheet arranged such that the layer of electrically thermosensitive polymeric compound melts by overheating, thus short-circuiting the conductive yarn and conductive wire across each other in the sheet and functioning as a thermal fuse element.