Electric heating warming fabric articles

• US 6,111,233 A
• Filed: 04/23/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MMI-IPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: Malden Mills Industries Incorporated (Polartec LLC)
• Inventors: Rock, Moshe, Sharma, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAHBOUR, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US09/298,722
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 219/202, 219/204, 219/205, 219/211, 219/212, 219/213, 219/217, 219/527, 219/528, 219/529, 219/542, 219/545, 219/549, 219/552, 219/544, 219/543, 219/548
• US Class Current: 219/545
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/004 using zigzag 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 2203/029 Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49099 Coating resistive material on a base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 including adhesively bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

Electric heating/warming composite fabric articles have at least a fabric layer having inner and outer surfaces, and an electric heating/warming element in the form of a flexible, preferably stretchable, electricity-conducting film disposed at the inner surface of the fabric layer and adapted to generate heating/warming when connected to a power source. A barrier layer may be positioned, for example, adjacent to the inner surface of the fabric layer; e.g., with the electric heating/warming element formed thereupon. Methods of forming electric heating/warming composite fabric articles are also described.

Claims

1. An electric heating/warming composite fabric article, comprising:

a fabric layer having an inner surface and an outer surface,

a barrier layer resistant to through-passage of air and disposed at said inner surface of said fabric layer, said barrier layer having an inner surface and an outer surface, and

an electric heating/warming element comprising a flexible, electricity-conducting film deposited and forming an electric circuit filament directly upon said inner surface of said barrier layer, the flexible, electricity-conducting, heat-generating film comprising synthetic resin material, and the electric circuit filament adapted to generate heating/warming when connected to a power source.

2. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1, wherein said outer surface of said barrier surface is secured at least adjacent to said inner surface of said fabric layer.

3. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 2, wherein said outer layer of said barrier layer is secured upon said inner surface of said fabric layer.

6. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 4, wherein said electric heating/warming element has the form of a elastically resilient film.

7. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 4, wherein said fabric layer is hydrophobic.

8. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 4, wherein said fabric layer is hydrophilic.

9. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 5, wherein said barrier layer is micro-porous hydrophobic.

10. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 9, wherein said barrier layer is nonporous hydrophilic.

11. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 5, wherein said barrier layer is nonporous hydrophilic.

12. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 5, wherein said barrier layer is formed of poly urethane.

13. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 5, wherein said barrier layer is formed of poly tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

14. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 5, wherein said barrier layer is resistant to through passage of water droplets and permeable to water vapor.

15. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 4, wherein said electric heating/warming element is washable, non-swelling and hydrophobic.

16. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 4, wherein said electric heating/warming element is resistant to stiffening and cold crack.

17. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 or 3, wherein said electric heating/warming element has resistivity in the range of about 100 (1×

10²) ohm-cm to 0.000001 (1×

10^-6) ohm-cm.

18. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 1 to 4, wherein said electricity-conducting film further comprises conductive particles.

19. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 18, wherein said conductive particles comprises at least one of silver and graphite.

20. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 19, wherein flexible, electricity-conducting film is deposited in the form of a fluid.

21. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 20, wherein flexible, electricity-conducting film is deposited in the form of a paste.

22. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 21, wherein said first circuit filament region and said second circuit filament region are formed of material of similar resistivity, with one of said first circuit filament region and said second circuit filament region having a relatively smaller electrical current cross sectional flow area, for relatively greater resistivity and relatively greater generation of heat.

23. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 22, wherein said one of said first circuit filament region and said second circuit filament region having relatively greater resistivity and relatively greater generation of heat has relatively less thickness.

24. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 22, wherein said one of said first circuit filament region and said second circuit filament region having relatively greater resistivity and relatively greater generation of heat has relatively less width.

25. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 22, wherein said one of said first circuit filament region and said second circuit filament region having relatively greater resistivity and relatively greater generation of heat has relatively greater length per unit surface area of said fabric article.

26. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 25, wherein said first circuit filament region and said second circuit filament region are formed of material of relatively different resistivity.

4. An electric heating/warming composite fabric article, comprising at least:

a fabric layer having an inner surface and an outer surface, and

an electric heating/warming element comprising a flexible, electricity-conducting film deposited and forming an electric circuit filament directly upon said inner surface of said fabric layer, the flexible, electricity-conducting, heat-generating film comprising synthetic resin material, and the electric circuit filament adapted to generate heating/warming when connected to a power source.

5. The electric heating/warming composite fabric article of claim 4, further comprising a barrier layer resistant to through-passage of air and positioned at least adjacent to the inner surface of said fabric layer.