Electric Heating/Warming Fabric Articles

Abstract

Electric heating/warming composite fabric articles have at least a first fabric layer, a second fabric layer, and a planar, sheet-form conductive layer element interposed between the first and second fabric layers. The conductive layer element includes a conductive textile that is formed as a continuous circuit that includes a plurality of elongated branches. The conductive textile is formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers. Methods of forming electric heating/warming fabric articles are described and claimed.

1 . A heating/warming fabric article, comprising:
 a first fabric layer,   a second fabric layer; and   a planar, sheet-form conductive layer element interposed between the first and second fabric layers, the conductive layer element comprising a conductive textile formed as a continuous circuit comprising a plurality of elongated branches,   wherein the conductive textile is formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers.   
   
   
       2 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer element is formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon yarns and/or fibers, and conductive polymer yarns and/or fibers. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive yarns and/or fibers comprise carbon. 
   
   
       5 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive yarns comprise conductive polymer. 
   
   
       6 . The heating/warming-fabric article of  claim 5 , wherein the conductive polymer is polyalinine. 
   
   
       7 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous circuit comprises a series circuit. 
   
   
       8 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous circuit comprises a parallel circuit. 
   
   
       9 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive yarns and/or fibers comprise metallized fibers. 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is joined to at least one of the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer. 
   
   
       12 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , further comprising a barrier layer between the conductive layer and the fabric layer. 
   
   
       13 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 12 , wherein the barrier layer is formed of a polymer. 
   
   
       18 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 17 , wherein the polymer is a thermoplastic. 
   
   
       19 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 17 , wherein the polymer is polytetraflouroethylene or polyurethane. 
   
   
       20 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive textile is formed into a shape corresponding to a selected surface region of a wearer's body. 
   
   
       21 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 20 , wherein the conductive textile defines one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity among one or more circuit regions of relatively lower resistivity, the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity positioned for correlation with one or more selected heating regions of the wearer's body, the sheet-form conductive layer element, upon application of electrical current to said circuit, producing localized heating in the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity of the circuit attached upon the fabric body for preferential heating of the one or more selected heating regions of the wearer's body. 
   
   
       22 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer element is formed of a material of uniform conductivity and constant thickness. 
   
   
       23 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the conductive layer element has regions contrasting width. 
   
   
       24 - 26 . (canceled) 
   
   
       27 . A heating/warming fabric article, comprising:
 a fabric layer having a broad first surface and a broad second surface, and,   attached to at least one of the broad first surface and the broad second surface, a planar, sheet-form conductive layer element interposed between the first and second fabric layers, the conductive layer element comprising a conducive textile formed as a continuous circuit comprising a plurality of elongated branches,   wherein the conductive textile is formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers.   
   
   
       28 . (canceled) 
   
   
       29 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the fabric article comprises an article of clothing selected from the group consisting of gloves, socks, sweaters, jackets, shirts, pants, hats, footwear, ear muffs, neck warmers, medical braces, medical bands, knee pads, back pads, and joint pads. 
   
   
       30 - 34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 29 , wherein the fabric article comprises a heating pad. 
   
   
       36 . (canceled) 
   
   
       37 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , further comprising a barrier layer between the fabric layer and sheet-formed conductive layer. 
   
   
       38 - 39 . (canceled) 
   
   
       40 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 37 , wherein the barrier layer is formed of a thermoplastic. 
   
   
       41 - 43 . (canceled) 
   
   
       44 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the conductive layer element is formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon yarns and/or fibers, and conductive polymer yarns and/or fibers. 
   
   
       45 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 44 , wherein the conductive polymer is polyalinine. 
   
   
       46 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the conductive yarns and/or fibers comprise carbon. 
   
   
       47 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the conductive yarns comprise conductive polymer. 
   
   
       48 . (canceled) 
   
   
       49 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the continuous circuit comprises a series circuit. 
   
   
       50 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the continuous circuit comprises a parallel circuit. 
   
   
       51 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the conductive yarns and/or fibers comprise metallized fibers. 
   
   
       52 . (canceled) 
   
   
       53 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 27 , wherein the conductive textile is formed into a shape corresponding to a selected surface region of a wearer's body. 
   
   
       54 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 53 , wherein the conductive textile defines one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity among one or more circuit regions of relatively lower resistivity, the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity positioned for correlation with one or more selected heating regions of the wearer's body, the sheet-form conductive layer element, upon application of electrical current to said circuit, producing localized heating in the one or more circuit regions of relatively higher resistivity of the circuit attached upon the fabric body for preferential heating of the one or more selected heating regions of the wearer's body 
   
   
       55 . The heating/warming fabric article of  claim 54 , wherein the areas of relatively higher resistivity and relatively lower resistivity comprise regions of relatively lesser cross-sectional area and relatively greater cross-sectional area, respectively. 
   
   
       56 - 57 . (canceled) 
   
   
       58 . A method of forming an electric heating/warming fabric article, the method comprising:
 configuring a conductive textile, formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers, into a continuous circuit comprising a plurality of elongated branches; and   attaching the circuit to at least one of a first broad surface and a second broad surface of a fabric body for heating of the fabric body upon application of electrical current to said circuit pattern.   
   
   
       59 . (canceled) 
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the configuring step comprises die-cutting the conductive textile, laser cutting the conductive textile, cutting the conductive textile using ultra sound, or manually cutting the conductive textile. 
   
   
       61 . (canceled) 
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the continuous circuit comprises a series circuit. 
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the continuous circuit comprises a parallel circuit. 
   
   
       64 - 66 . (canceled) 
   
   
       67 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising configuring the circuit to comprise areas of relatively higher resistivity and areas of relatively lower resistivity to provide predetermined regions of relatively higher and relatively lower localized heating. 
   
   
       68 . (canceled) 
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising interposing a barrier layer between the fabric body and the circuit. 
   
   
       70 - 72 . (canceled) 
   
   
       73 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the conductive textile is formed of conductive yarns and/or fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon yarns and/or fibers, conductive polymer yarns and/or fibers, and metallized yarns and/or fibers. 
   
   
       74 - 81 . (canceled) 
   
   
       82 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising connecting wire conductors to respective ends of the circuit. 
   
   
       83 - 99 . (canceled)