Channeled warming blanket

Abstract

A warming blanket incorporating channeled areas for accepting heat and/or sensor wires. The inventive blanket includes multiple layers of knitted, woven or non-woven fabrics that are welded together with ultrasonic seams to define channels through which wires for resistive heating can be placed. This composite may be produced in a continuous process, providing the composite in roll form.

1 . A warming blanket composite shell comprising: 
 a first non-woven layer;    a second non-woven layer;    a first decorative fabric layer disposed on an outer surface of said first non-woven layer;    a second decorative fabric layer disposed on an outer surface of said second non-woven layer; and    a plurality of ultrasonic weld seams bonding the non-woven layers and decorative fabric layers together, wherein the ultrasonic weld seams are arranged in a pattern defining boundaries of wire accepting channels.    
   
   
       2 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said composite shell is in roll form.  
   
   
       3 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said weld seams are discontinuous along the length of the warming blanket composite shell.  
   
   
       4 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said first and said second non-woven layers comprise spun-bond non-woven fabrics.  
   
   
       5 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said first and said second non-woven layers are characterized by a fabric weight about 0.40 oz/yd 2  to about 1.1 oz/yd 2 .  
   
   
       6 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein an ultrasonically fusible batting layer is disposed between said first non-woven layer and said first decorative fabric layer.  
   
   
       7 . The invention of  claim 6  wherein said batting layer is polyester resin-bond batting.  
   
   
       8 . The invention of  claim 6  wherein said batting layer is characterized by a loft of about 0.125 inches to about 0.50 inches.  
   
   
       9 . The invention of  claim 6  wherein said batting layer is characterized by a mass per unit area of about 1.1 ounces per square yard.  
   
   
       10 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said first and said second decorative fabric layers are selected from the group consisting of a warp knit, circular knit, nap knit micro-denier, woven, non-woven, and needle punch fabric.  
   
   
       11 . The invention of  claim 10  wherein said first and said second decorative fabric layers are nap knit micro-denier fabric.  
   
   
       12 . The invention of  claim 10  wherein said first and said second decorative fabric layers are characterized by a fabric weight of about 2.5 oz/yd 2  to about 6.0 oz/yd 2 .  
   
   
       13 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said weld seams comprise elongate lines of a predetermined length.  
   
   
       14 . A method of producing a composite warming blanket shell comprising the steps of; 
 (a) arranging let-off rolls such that two non-woven layers are adjacent to one another; and    (b) disposing of a first and second decorative fabric layers on the outer surfaces of said non-woven layers; and    (c) applying a plurality of ultrasonic weld seams across the non-woven layers and decorative fabric layers thereby bonding the non-woven layers and decorative fabric layers together such that the ultrasonic weld seams are arranged in a pattern defining boundaries of channels adapted to accept wire elements.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said first and said second non-woven layers comprise spun-bond non-woven fabrics.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said first and said second non-woven layers comprise a fabric characterized by a weight of about 0.40 oz/yd 2  to about 1.1 oz/yd 2 .  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14  comprising the further step of disposing a batting layer between said first non-woven layer and said first decorative fabric layer.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said batting layer is polyester resin-bond batting.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said batting layer is characterized by a loft of about 0.125 inches to about 0.50 inches.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said batting layer is characterized by a mass per unit area of about 1.1 ounces per square yard.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said first and said second decorative fabric layers are selected from the group consisting of a warp knit, circular knit, nap knit micro-denier, woven, non-woven, and needle punch fabric.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said first and said second decorative fabric layers are nap knit micro-denier fabric.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said first and said second decorative fabric layers are characterized by a fabric weight of about 2.5 oz/yd 2  to about 6.0 oz/yd 2 .