Electric heating/warming fabric articles

• US 6,215,111 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• 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:
  US09/468,627
• Time in Patent Office: 476 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, 219/543, 219/545, 219/549, 219/552, 661/70, 661/71, 661/90, 661/91, 661/92, 661/94, 661/95, 428/89
• US Class Current: 219/545
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/04 characterised by thread material
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/14 Other fabrics or articles characterised primarily by the use of particular thread materials
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• 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 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/345 knitted fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

A fabric article that generates heat upon application of electrical power is formed, for example, by knitting or weaving, to form a fabric prebody. An electrical resistance heating element in the form of a conductive yarn is incorporated into the fabric prebody, the electrical resistance heating elements extending between opposite edge regions of the fabric. Conductive elements are provided for connecting the electrical resistance heating elements to a source of electrical power.

Claims

1. A fabric article adapted to generate heat upon application of electrical power, comprising:

a fabric body knitted or woven of non-conductive yarns,

a plurality of spaced apart electrical resistance heating elements in the form of conductive yarns knitted or woven into said fabric body together with the non-conductive yarns and extending generally between opposite edge regions of said fabric body, and

electrical conductor elements extending generally along said opposite edge regions of said fabric body and adapted to connect said plurality of spaced apart electrical resistance heating elements in a parallel electrical circuit to a source of electrical power,

said fabric body having a technical face and a technical back, with fleece on at least one of said technical face and said technical back formed by finishing non-conductive yarns of said at least one of said technical face and said technical back in manner to avoid damage to electrical conductivity performance of the conductive yarns knitted or woven together with the non-conductive yarns in said fabric body.

2. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor elements are adapted for connecting said plurality of spaced-apart electrical resistance heating elements in the parallel electrical circuit to a power source of alternating current.

3. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor elements are adapted for connecting said plurality of spaced-apart electrical resistance heating elements in the parallel electrical circuit to a power source of direct current.

4. The fabric article of claim 3, wherein said power source of direct current comprises a battery.

5. The fabric article of claim 4, wherein said battery is mounted to said fabric body.

6. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric article further comprises a power source connected to said plurality of spaced apart electrical resistance heating elements by said electrical conductor elements, said power source comprising a battery mounted to said fabric body.

7. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein a series of at least three electrical resistance heating elements of said plurality of electrical resistance heating elements are symmetrically spaced.

8. The fabric article of claim 7, wherein a series of at least three electrical resistance heating elements of said plurality of electrical resistance heating elements are asymmetrically spaced.

9. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein a series of at least three electrical resistance heating elements of said plurality of electrical resistance heating elements are asymmetrically spaced.

10. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric body comprises a knitted body.

11. The fabric article of claim 10, wherein said fabric body comprises a reverse plaited circular knitted body.

12. The fabric article of claim 10, wherein said fabric body comprises a double knit body consisting of two, separate fabric sheets joined by interconnecting yarns.

13. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric body comprises a woven body.

14. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric body comprises hydrophilic material.

15. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric body comprises hydrophobic material.

16. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said technical face is formed by a stitch yarn and said technical back is formed by a loop yarn.

17. The fabric article of claim 16, wherein said loop yarn overlays the stitch yarn at the technical face and forms loops at the technical back of the fabric body.

18. The fabric article of claim 16, wherein said fabric body has loops formed only in a center region.

19. The fabric article of claim 16, wherein said fabric body has a fleece formed upon both of said technical back and said technical face.

20. The fabric article of claim 16, wherein said conductive yarn is a stitch yarn.

21. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor elements, at least in part, are applied as a conductive paste.

22. The fabric article of claim 21, wherein said electrical conductor elements comprise a conductive wire.

23. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor elements, at least in part, are applied as a conductive hot melt adhesive.

24. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said conductive yarns comprise a core of insulating material, an electrical resistance heating filament disposed generally about said core, and a sheath material generally surrounding said electrical resistance heating filament and said core.

25. The fabric article of claim 24, wherein said core comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

26. The fabric article of claim 25, wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

27. The fabric article of claim 24, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament wrapped helically about said core.

28. The fabric article of claim 27, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments wrapped helically about said core.

29. The fabric article of claim 27, wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

30. The fabric article of claim 24, wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

31. The fabric article of claim 24, wherein said sheath material comprises yarn wrapped about said electrical resistance heating filament and said core.

32. The fabric article of claim 31, wherein said sheath material comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

33. The fabric article of claim 32, wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

34. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said conductive yarns comprise an electrical resistance heating filament and a sheath material generally surrounding said electrical resistance heating filament.

35. The fabric article of claim 34, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament.

36. The fabric article of claim 35, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments.

37. The fabric article of claim 35, wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

38. The fabric article of claim 34, wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

39. The fabric article of claim 34, wherein said sheath material comprises yarn wrapped about said electrical resistance heating filament.

40. The fabric article of claim 39, wherein said sheath material comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

41. The fabric article of claim 40, wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

42. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said conductive yarns comprise a core of insulating material and an electrical resistance heating filament disposed generally about said core.

43. The fabric article of claim 42, wherein said core comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

44. The fabric article of claim 43, wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

45. The fabric article of claim 42, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament.

46. The fabric article of claim 45, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments.

47. The fabric article of claim 45, wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

48. The fabric article of claim 42, wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

49. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said electrical resistance heating element has the form of a conductive yarn comprising an electrical resistance heating filament.

50. The fabric article of claim 49, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament.

51. The fabric article of claim 50, wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

52. The fabric article of claim 49, wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments.

53. The fabric article of claim 49, wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

54. A fabric article adapted to generate heat upon application of electrical power, formed by a method comprising the steps of:

joining, by a reverse plaiting circular knitting process, a non-conductive stitch yarn and a non-conductive loop yarn to form a fabric prebody, the loop yarn overlaying the stitch yarn at a technical face and forming in loops at a technical back of the fabric prebody,

at spaced-apart intervals, incorporating into the fabric prebody as the stitch yarn an electrical resistance heating/warming element in the form of a conductive yarn,

forming the fabric prebody into a fabric body, with the electrical resistance heating/warming elements extending between opposite edge regions of the fabric body,

in a manner to avoid damage to electrical conductivity performance of the electrical resistance heating/warming elements, finishing non-conductive yarns of at least one of said technical face and said technical back of the fabric body to form a fleece surface region, and

providing conductive elements for connecting the electrical resistance heating/warming elements, in parallel, to a source of electrical power.

55. The fabric article of claim 54, formed by method further comprising the steps of:

finishing non-conductive yarns of the technical face of the fabric body, in a manner to avoid damage to electrical conductivity performance of the electrical resistance heating/warming elements, to form a first fleece surface region, and

finishing non-conductive yarns of the technical back of the fabric body in a manner to avoid damage to electrical conductivity performance of the electrical resistance heating/warming elements to form a second fleece surface region.