Heated garment

• US 7,816,628 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Products of Tomorrow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Products of Tomorrow Incorporated
• Inventors: Cipolla, Frank, Sabastian, James, Fernandez, Juan, McGrath, Paul, Keating, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUQUA, SHAWNTINA T
• Application Number:
  US11/604,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080116189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 219/200, 219211- 2, 219/217, 219527-529, 219/545, 219/549
• US Class Current: 219/211
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• 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 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles

Abstract

In an embodiment of the present invention, a garment includes a fabric having a channel, a heat conductive wire disposed in the channel, a power source coupled to the heat conductive wire and detachably attached to the garment, and a controller electrically coupled to the power source and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the controller is configured with a heat setting. In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of heating a garment includes providing a fabric, forming a channel, disposing a heat conductive wire within the channel, connecting the heat conductive wire with a power source, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery, and adjusting the heating of the garment by operating the power source and the heat conductive wire using a controller.

Claims

1. A garment, comprising:

a fabric having a channel;

a heat conductive wire disposed in the channel;

a power source coupled to the heat conductive wire and detachably attached to the garment;

a controller electrically coupled to the power source and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the controller is configured with a heat setting; and

a temperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to be disabled.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels.

3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the plurality of channels are placed in a horizontal pattern.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein the heat setting further comprises a low, a medium and a high setting, and wherein the controller is configured to change the heat setting based on the measured temperature.

5. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a timer operably coupled to the controller and configured to continuously heat the garment for a predetermined period of time, wherein the timer is configured to power off the garment after being powered on for a predetermined period of time.

6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the controller powers on at a first threshold temperature and wherein the controller powers off at a second threshold temperature.

13. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors operably coupled to the controller and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are disposed throughout the garment, and wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are configured to be disabled.

20. The garment of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed proximate an extremity of the user.

21. The garment of claim 20, wherein the extremity is selected from the group consisting of neck, armpit and groin.

22. The garment of claim 13, wherein at least one of the temperature sensors is disposed proximate a core area of the user.

23. The garment of claim 22, wherein the core area is selected from the group consisting of lower back and chest.

25. The garment of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a switch for disabling the temperature sensor.

28. The garment of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises a switch for disabling the temperature sensors.

29. The garment of claim 5, wherein the timer is configured to be overridden when the temperature sensor is enabled.

32. The garment of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor measures ambient temperature.

33. The garment of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the user.

7. A garment, comprising:

a fabric having a channel;

a heat conductive wire disposed in the channel;

a power source coupled to the heat conductive wire and detachably attached to the garment;

a controller electrically coupled to the power source and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the controller is configured with a heat setting, and wherein the controller is configured with data representing thermal properties of the garment; and

a temperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the temperature sensor measures ambient temperature,

wherein the controller is configured to regulate heating of the garment based on the measured ambient temperature and the thermal property data.

8. The garment of claim 7, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels.

9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the plurality of channels are placed in a horizontal pattern.

10. The garment of claim 7, wherein the heat setting further comprises a low, a medium and a high setting, and wherein the controller is configured to change the heat setting based on the measured temperature.

11. The garment of claim 7, further comprising a timer operably coupled to the controller and configured to continuously heat the garment for a predetermined period of time, wherein the timer is configured to power off the garment after being powered on for a predetermined period of time.

12. The garment of claim 7, wherein the controller powers on at a first threshold temperature and wherein the controller powers off at a second threshold temperature.

26. The garment of claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to be disabled.

27. The garment of claim 26, wherein the controller comprises a switch for disabling the temperature sensor.

30. The garment of claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to be enabled and disabled, wherein the timer is configured to be overridden when the temperature sensor is enabled.

14. A method of heating a garment, comprising:

providing a fabric;

forming a channel in the fabric;

disposing a heat conductive wire within the channel;

connecting the heat conductive wire with a power source, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery;

measuring ambient temperature using a temperature sensor; and

adjusting the heating of the garment by operating the power source and the heat conductive wire using a controller, the controller being configured with data representing the thermal properties of the garment;

wherein the step of adjusting the heating of the garment comprises regulating the heating of the garment based on the measured ambient temperature and the thermal property data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a heat setting having a low, a medium and a high heat setting, and wherein adjusting the heating further comprises changing the heat setting based on the measured temperature.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the high setting comprises heating the garment on for 3 seconds and off for one second.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the medium setting comprises heating the garment on for 2 seconds and off for one second.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the low setting comprises heating the garment on for 1 second and off for one second.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein adjusting the heating comprises turning the power on at a first threshold temperature and turning the power off at a second threshold temperature.

24. A garment, comprising:

a fabric having a channel;

a heat conductive wire disposed in the channel;

a power source coupled to the heat conductive wire and detachably attached to the garment;

a controller electrically coupled to the power source and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the controller is configured with a heat setting; and

a plurality of temperature sensors operably coupled to the controller and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are disposed throughout the garment;

wherein the heat conductive wire is configured to independently heat a plurality of areas of the garment, each of the plurality of areas being associated with at least one of the plurality of temperature sensors, and wherein the controller is configured to individually regulate heating of the plurality of areas of the garment separately, based on information provided by the associated temperature sensors.

44. The garment of claim 24, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels.

45. The garment of claim 44, wherein the plurality of channels are placed in a horizontal pattern.

46. The garment of claim 24, wherein the heat setting further comprises a low, a medium and a high setting, and wherein the controller is configured to change the heat setting based on the measured temperature.

47. The garment of claim 24, further comprising a timer operably coupled to the controller and configured to continuously heat the garment for a predetermined period of time, wherein the timer is configured to power off the garment after being powered on for a predetermined period of time.

48. The garment of claim 47, wherein the temperature sensors are configured to be enabled and disabled, wherein the timer is configured to be overridden when the temperature sensors are enabled.

49. The garment of claim 24, wherein the controller powers on at a first threshold temperature and wherein the controller powers off at a second threshold temperature.

50. The garment of claim 24, wherein the temperature sensors are configured to be disabled.

51. The garment of claim 50, wherein the controller comprises a switch for disabling the temperature sensor.

52. The garment of claim 24, wherein at least one of the temperature sensors is disposed proximate a core area of the user.

53. The garment of claim 52, wherein the core area is selected from the group consisting of the lower back and chest.

31. A garment, comprising:

a fabric having a channel;

a heat conductive wire disposed in the channel;

a power source coupled to the heat conductive wire and detachably attached to the garment;

a controller electrically coupled to the power source and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the controller is configured with a heat setting; and

an external pocket configured to receive a packet of heat conductive wires, the packet being configured to detachably couple to the power source and the controller.

34. A garment, comprising:

a fabric having a channel;

a heat conductive wire disposed in the channel;

a power source coupled to the heat conductive wire and detachably attached to the garment;

a controller electrically coupled to the power source and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the controller is configured with a heat setting; and

a temperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and detachably attached to the garment, wherein the temperature sensor is, disposed proximate an extremity of the user.

35. The garment of claim 34, wherein the extremity is selected from the group consisting of neck, armpit and groin.

36. The garment of claim 34, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels.

37. The garment of claim 36, wherein the plurality of channels are placed in a horizontal pattern.

38. The garment of claim 34, wherein the heat setting further comprises a low, a medium and a high setting, and wherein the controller is configured to change the heat setting based on the measured temperature.

39. The garment of claim 34, further comprising a timer operably coupled to the controller and configured to continuously heat the garment for a predetermined period of time, wherein the timer is configured to power off the garment after being powered on for a predetermined period of time.

40. The garment of claim 39, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to be enabled and disabled, wherein the timer is configured to be overridden when the temperature sensor is enabled.

41. The garment of claim 34, wherein the controller powers on at a first threshold temperature and wherein the controller powers off at a second threshold temperature.

42. The garment of claim 34, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to be disabled.

43. The garment of claim 42, wherein the controller comprises a switch for disabling the temperature sensor.