Electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric

• US 6,897,408 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TA Lai Sporting Goods Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tai LAI Sporting Goods Enterprises Company Limited
• Inventors: Wu, Ming-Lai
• Primary Examiner(s): DAHBOUR, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US10/329,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 219/211, 219/212, 219/213, 219/217, 219/528, 219/529, 219/544, 219/545, 219/549, 392/425, 392/432, 392/435
• US Class Current: 219/211
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0001 Body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0071 using a resistor, e.g. near the spot to be heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0077 Details of power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0094 using a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0233 connected to or incorporated in clothing or garments A61F2007/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/12 Threads containing metallic filaments or strips
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/233 protein-based, e.g. wool or silk
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/25 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/46 Flat yarns, e.g. tapes or films
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/47 multicomponent, e.g. blended yarns or threads multicomponent fibres or filaments D03D15/292
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/56 elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 3/02 Tubular fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/12 Carbon; Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2211/02 Wool
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2211/04 : Silk
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/061 : elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 : antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/00 : Wearing apparel
• 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 3/342 : heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/347 : woven fabrics

Abstract

The present invention is related to an electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric. The fabric is made of metal yarn and natural fiber. After a yarn covering process (covering metal yarn with short staple yarn), a circular loom is used to weave circular hollow heating wire containing fabric in the desired dimensions (0.1 cm˜5 cm). After that, the heating wire containing fabric is pressed into flat shape. Then, the fabric is covered with natural long fiber or short staple, such as wool and rabbit fur. The wire containing fabric will be made into different types of products according to user demand (like rehabilitation equipment or insulating clothes). Thus, convenience is provided for use of the product and wide range of applications can be found for the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric, characterized in following manufacturing steps:

A. selecting a conductive metal wire and a natural fiber;

B. processing through yarn feeding equipment to wrap the natural fiber by the metal wire to form a metal containing yarn;

C. weaving the metal containing yarn through a circular loom into a circular hollow shape fabric;

D. shaping the circular hollow wire fabric by pressing into a flat shape to improve consistency in electric conductivity; and

covering the wire containing fabric with natural long fiber or short staple fiber to produce the wire containing fabric.

2. The electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric of claim 1, wherein said metal yarn has diameter between 0.035 mm and 0.08 mm.

3. The electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric of claim 1, wherein said natural fiber is wool, rabbit fur, far-IR treated silk or elastic fiber.

4. The electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric of claim 1, wherein optimum coil density for said metal wire wrapped around said natural fiber is 3˜

64 coils for 1-cm natural fiber.

5. The electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric of claim 1, wherein said circular hollow wire has diameter between 0.1 cm and 1 cm.

6. An auxiliary rehabilitation equipment comprises a rubber foam substrate with a piece of wire fabric laid evenly inside a proper location with one end extending out of said substrate to connect to a built-in lithium battery and a temperature controller with a programmable chip controller and wherein a programmable chip controller in a temperature controller possesses temperature control function and has a signal-receiving unit with a long distance remote control so as to form a structure of a subunit (rehabilitation equipment) and a main unit (a remote control) wherein said remote control at least comprises a temperature control unit for setting up therapy temperature, a time control unit for setting up therapy time, a liquid crystal display to indicate actual temperature and therapy time, and function buttons for operation setting.

7. The auxiliary rehabilitation equipment of claim 6, or wherein said remote control can further form a configuration comprising one main unit and several subunits.