Channeled warming blanket

• US 7,038,170 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Davis, Shawn, Child, Andrew D., Blackwell, Keith M., Green, Karen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUQUA, SHAWNTINA T
• Application Number:
  US11/131,626
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 219211- 12, 219/545, 219/528, 219/529, 219/516
• US Class Current: 219/212
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• 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 3/342 heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/56 Heating cables

Abstract

A warming blanket incorporating channeled areas for accepting heat and sensor wires. The inventive blanket includes an arrangement of seam structures defining channels housing substantially discrete elongate heating and sensing elements arranged in a substantially similar pattern within the blanket interior.

Claims

1. A warming blanket, comprising:

a first textile panel and a second textile panel operatively joined together by a plurality of seam structures defining an arrangement of channels extending in a pattern between the first textile panel and the second textile panel;

an elongate heating element extending through at least a potion of the channels; and

an elongate sensing element discrete from the elongate heating element extending through at least a portion of the channels, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in substantially common pattern arrangements such that the portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element within the channels are disposed in substantially parallel orientation to one another.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a metallic wire disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wire and fiber core.

3. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a metallic wire disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wire and fiber core.

4. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a pair of metallic wires disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wires and fiber core.

5. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a pair of metallic wires disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wires and fiber core.

6. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element extend through common channels.

7. The invention as recited in claim 6, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in a common sinusoidal pattern.

8. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein at least portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element extend through different channels such that seam structures separate said portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element from one another.

9. The invention as recited in claim 8, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in common sinusoidal patterns shifted out of phase relative to one another.

20. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are continuous.

21. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate heating element contains no electrical connections or electrical intersections with another heating element or sensing element within the blanket.

22. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate sensing element contains no electrical connections or electrical intersections with another sensing element or heating element within the blanket.

10. A warming blanket, comprising:

a first textile panel and a second textile panel operatively joined together by a plurality of elongate seam structures running at least partially along the length of the blanket such that the seam structures define an arrangement of channels extending in a pattern along the length direction of the blanket between the first textile panel and the second textile panel;

an elongate heating element extending through at least a potion of the channels; and

an elongate sensing element discrete from the elongate heating element extending through at least a portion of the channels, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in substantially common wave pattern arrangements such that the portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element within the channels are disposed in substantially parallel orientation to one another.

11. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a metallic wire disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wire and fiber core.

12. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a metallic wire disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wire and fiber core.

13. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a pair of metallic wires disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wires and fiber core.

14. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a pair of metallic wires disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wires and fiber core.

15. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element extend through common channels.

16. The invention as recited in claim 15, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in a common sinusoidal pattern.

17. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein at least portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element extend through different channels such that seam structures separate said portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element from one another.

18. The invention as recited in claim 17, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in common sinusoidal patterns shifted out of phase relative to one another.

19. A warming blanket, comprising:

a first textile panel and a second textile panel operatively joined together by a plurality of elongate seam structures running at least partially along the length of the blanket such that the seam structures define an arrangement of channels extending in a pattern along the length direction of the blanket between the first textile panel and the second textile panel;

an elongate heating element extending through a first potion of the channels; and

an elongate sensing element discrete from the elongate heating element extending through a second different portion of the channels, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in substantially common sinusoidal wave pattern arrangements shifted out of phase such that the portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element within the channels are disposed in substantially parallel orientation to one another.