Fabric heating element and method of manufacture

• US 6,057,530 A
• Filed: 08/29/1996
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermosoft International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thermosoft International Corporation
• Inventors: Gurevich, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US08/705,527
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 219/528, 219/529, 219/543, 219/545, 219/548, 219/549, 219/211, 219/212, 29/611, 29/620
• US Class Current: 219/529
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 1/148 the terminals embracing or surrounding the resistive element H01C1/142 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing resistors providing fillings for housings or enclosures H01C1/02; reducing insulation surrounding a resistor to powder H01C1/03; manufacture of thermally variable resistors H01C7/02, H01C7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 7/00 Non-adjustable resistors formed as one or more layers or coatings; Non-adjustable resistors made from powdered conducting material or powdered semi-conducting material with or without insulating material consisting of loose powdered or granular material H01C8/00; resistors having potential barriers, e.g. field-effect resistors, H01L29/00; semiconductor devices sensitive to electromagnetic or corpuscular radiation, e.g. photoresistors, H01L31/00; magnetic field controlled resistors H10N50/10; bulk negative resistance effect devices H10N80/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/002 Heaters using a particular layout for the resistive material or resistive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/004 using zigzag layout
• 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 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/026 Heaters specially adapted for floor heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/029 Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/145 Carbon only, e.g. carbon black, graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type

Abstract

A soft and flexible thin heating element made of electrically conductive carbon carrying fabric coated with a soft stabilizing material. The heating element is shaped by curing the soft stabilizing material and cutting the coated fabric into a desired pattern. The electrical contacts are attached to the ends of the heating element core, which are electrically connected in parallel or in series. The fabric heating element core is sealed to form a multi-layer assembly comprising of at least two electrically insulating layers which envelop each strip of the heating element core. A method of producing the soft and flexible heating element is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a heating element having a durable construction for incorporation into a plurality of articles, said method comprising the steps of:

coating woven carbon containing fabric with a soft stabilizing material;

curing said soft material so as to stabilize said coated fabric to prevent fraying after cutting;

cutting a heating element core of predetermined shape out of said coated fabric so as to create at least one gap between portions of said fabric;

attaching conductive means for introducing an electric current to the ends of said heating element core; and

insulating said heating element by laminating said heating element between at least two layers of insulating material so as to envelop said heating element core and said conductive means, provided that said layers of insulating material are fused together through said at least one gap in said heating element core,

wherein said coated fabric is pressed by advancing said coated fabric through a pressing device having at least one roller and having an adjustable pressure function to control the amount of stabilizing material in the coating.