Heating garment with pouch for accommodating inserted heating packets

• US 5,605,144 A
• Filed: 04/08/1994
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: City of Mandan
• Original Assignee: Thermo-Cool Products Inc.
• Inventors: Simmons, John J., Simmons, Steve, Simmons, Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeffery, John A.
• Application Number:
  US08/224,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 219/211, 219/212, 219/527, 219/529, 219/548, 219/549, 126/204, 126/263 R, 126/263.02, 607/108, 607/114, 607/109, 607/110, 607/139, 607/140, 2/10, 2/171.2
• US Class Current: 126/204
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/10 Linings A42B3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/285 with additional heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: A42C 5/04 Ventilating arrangements for head coverings for helmets A42B3/28

Abstract

A garment applies heat to the neck, head or torso with air-activated chemical heating packets. The garment is formed from cloth and is preferably soft and sufficiently supple to conform to the body contours during use. The garment has at least one pouch positioned between two layers of cloth for holding the air-activated heat-producing packet. A layer of cloth between the heating packet and the body is a high pile cloth with air-trapping qualities for diffusing heat supplied by the heating packet to distribute the heat evenly to the body for assuring comfort for the user. In one form of the invention, the garment comprises a neck wrap, scarf, bandanna, a head covering in the form of a hat liner, or a cap insert. The neck wrap, scarf or bandanna includes an elongated pouch for holding the heating packet and has overlapping ends that can be fastened together by means of hook-and-loop fasteners. The head covering has side, rear and top portions, a face opening, and includes pouch positioned to hold the heating packets next to the ears of the user.

Claims

1. A heating garment in combination with an inserted air-activated chemical heating packet that can produce overheating or a sensation of burning of the skin comprising,

a garment article formed from cloth for covering a portion of the body, said garment article being flexible and sufficiently supple to conform to the body contours,

said garment article having inner and outer adjacent layers of cloth forming a pouch therebetween for receiving and supporting the heating packet therein,

each pouch has an opening to enable the heating packet to be inserted into the pouch before use and removed after use,

said air-activated chemical heating packet comprises a flexible packet containing chemically reactive substances that provide an exothermic chemical reaction which increases the temperature of the packet to about 130°

F. to 140°

F. to provide heat for up to about 18 hours,

at least the inner layer of cloth of the pouch is a porous layer positioned between the heating packet and the person'"'"'s body and comprising a high pile cloth including a multiplicity of fibers extending from a portion of the cloth for holding trapped air to control heat distribution by diffusing the heat supplied by the chemical heating packet to the body to enhance the comfort of the user,

the pouch is elongated horizontally to provide a passage that is substantially longer than the width of the chemical heating packet and extends in a generally horizontal direction when the garment is in use to support the heating packet so that the packet will rest in the pouch wherever it is positioned therein,

the heating packet is smaller than the pouch which extends substantially from one end of the garment to the other and the elongated shape of the pouch serves as a means for enabling the relatively smaller heating packet to be shifted within the garment to different positions throughout substantially the entire length of the garment in heat transfer relationship with different selected parts of the body for distributing heat to different points for providing optimum warmth and comfort for the user, and

the friction between the pouch and the packet holds the heating packet in the desired position in the pouch.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the pouch is open at both ends so the heating packet can be inserted and removed through an opening at either end of the garment.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein the high pile fabric comprises a fleece-like fabric.

4. The garment of claim 1 wherein the high pile fabric comprises a knitted fabric.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment comprises a head protective garment for at least partially covering the head of a user, and the pouch is a pouch means with portions on each side of the head for allowing at least one chemical heating packet to be placed adjacent to each side of the head proximate to each ear.

6. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is a hat liner to cover the head, said liner has side portions, a top portion, a rear portion, and a face opening, said hat liner has fasteners thereon for securing the hat liner to a hat by being connected to a portion of the hat, and said pouch means holds said heating packet in heat conductive relationship with the head during use.

8. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is a detachable cap or hat insert having inner and outer adjacent layers of cloth connected along upper and lower edges to define a chamber therebetween for holding a chemical heating packet, means connected to the pouch for attaching the pouch to a cap or hat with a sweatband, and the cap or hat insert is supported upon the inside of a cap during use with the pouch positioned between a portion of the hat and head of the user and said pouch has an opening therein for inserting and removing a chemical heating packet from the pouch, the attaching means is a supporting member formed from stiff sheet material including upper and lower edges, the lower edge of the supporting sheet extends laterally of the cap between the crown of the cap and the sweatband of the cap, and the pouch is connected to the supporting sheet above the sweatband of the cap or hat whereby the pouch depends downwardly on the inside of the cap or hat from said upper portion of the supporting sheet.

9. The garment of claim 8 wherein the pouch has rounded left and right side edges so that when the cap or hat insert is mounted within the front of the cap or hat the insert contacts the forehead of the user for providing warmth and comfort for the head, the supporting sheet includes openings therein to define a mesh structure to enhance ventilation, the supporting sheet is connected to the pouch by a horizontally extending row of stitches proximate to the upper edge of the pouch and the supporting sheet whereby the pouch depends from the row of stitches so that a lower portion of the pouch is positioned between the sweatband of the cap or hat and the head of the user and in contact with the head of the user for keeping the forehead from touching the sweatband, and the supporting sheet holds the heating insert in place within the cap or hat when the cap or hat is removed from the head of the user.

7. The garment of 6 wherein the pouch means of the hat liner has a compartment positioned proximate to each ear of the wearer during use.

10. A heating garment in combination with an inserted air-activated chemical heating packet comprising,

a cloth head covering having left and right sides for covering the sides of the head, a top for covering the top of the head, and a rear portion for covering the rear of the head, said garment covering substantially the entire head except for the face and a face opening at the from of the garment,

said head covering is flexible and sufficiently supple to conform to the body contours,

said head covering has inner and outer adjacent layers of cloth forming a pouch therebetween which extends substantially from one end of the garment to the other for receiving and supporting the heating packet and the pouch has an opening to enable the heating packet to be inserted into the pouch before use and removed after use,

the pouch is elongated horizontally to provide a passage that is substantially longer than the width of the chemical heating packet and extends in a generally horizontal direction when the garment is in use to support the heating packet so that the packet will rest in the pouch wherever it is positioned therein,

the heating packet is smaller than the pouch and the elongated shape of the pouch serves as a means for enabling the relatively smaller heating packet to be shifted within the garment to different positions throughout substantially the entire length of the garment in heat transfer relationship with different selected parts of the body,

said air-activated chemical heating packet comprises a flexible packet containing chemically reactive substances that react to provide an exothermic chemical reaction which increases the temperature of the packet to about 130°

F. to 140°

F. to provide heat for up to about 18 hours,

at least the inner layer of cloth of the pouch has fibers extending from a portion of the cloth,

said head covering has fastener means for securing the head covering in place,

the pouch holds said heating packet in heat conductive relationship with the head during use, and

each such pouch has one of said openings therein for inserting and removing the heating packet from the garment.

11. The garment of claim 10 wherein said pouch means includes compartments positioned in side panels of the head covering proximate to the ears of the user that are automatically aligned with the ears when the garment is in use with the face of the user exposed through the face opening.

12. The garment of claim 10 wherein the head covering is a hat liner and the fastener is a strap having a releasable portion for securing the hat liner within a hat,

the elongated shape of the pouch serves as a means for enabling the heating packet to be shifted within the garment to different positions in heat transfer relationship with different selected parts of the body for distributing heat to different points for providing optimum warmth and comfort for the user, and

friction between the pouch and the packet holds the heating packet in the desired position in the pouch.