Thermal blankets

Abstract

Among other things, the disclosure features a thermal blanket including a unitary fabric element having predetermined discrete regions of contrasting insulative capacities arranged based on insulative needs of corresponding regions of a user's body. In one or more first discrete regions of the unitary fabric element, one of the predetermined discrete regions of contrasting insulative capacities consists of loop yarn having a first pile height, and in one or more other discrete regions of the unitary fabric element, another one of the predetermined discrete regions of contrasting insulative capacities consists of loop yarn having another pile height different from and relatively greater than the first pile height. The unitary fabric element comprises fibers having an axial core surrounded by a multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal blanket comprising:
 a unitary fabric element,   the unitary fabric element having a multiplicity of predetermined discrete regions of contrasting insulative capacities, the discrete regions being arranged based on insulative needs of corresponding regions of a user's body,   at least two of the predetermined, discrete regions of contrasting insulative capacities comprising   in one or more first discrete regions of the unitary fabric element, loop yarn having a first pile height, and,   in one or more other discrete regions of the unitary fabric element, loop yarn having another pile height different from and relatively greater than the first pile height; and   the unitary fabric element comprising fibers having an axial core surrounded by a multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the fibers have a denier of about 0.3 dpf to about 10.0 dpf. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal blanket of  claim 2 , wherein the fibers have a denier of about 1.5 dpf to about 10.0 dpf. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the whiskers have an average length of up to about 200% of a diameter of the core. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein at least some regions of the one or more first discrete regions and the one or more other discrete regions are formed of the fibers having the axial core surrounded by the multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a polymer and the whiskers comprise another polymer, and wherein the polymer of the core and/or the polymer of the whiskers comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyamide 6 (PA 6), PA 66, or any of the combinations. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the fibers have about 3 to about 200 whiskers within a cross-sectional surface of the fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the axially-extending grooves are nanogrooves or microgrooves. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the whiskers have an average radial length of about 2 nm to about 10 microns. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary fabric element comprises a first surface region on a first surface and a second surface region on a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface region being smooth or raised, and the second surface region being raised, wherein the first surface region and the second surface region incorporate the fibers, and the fibers incorporated in the second surface have a denier relatively greater than the denier of said fibers incorporated in the first surface. 
     
     
         11 . The thermal blanket of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal blanket consists essentially of the unitary fabric element. 
     
     
         12 . A thermal blanket comprising:
 an inner fabric layer;   an outer fabric layer; and   an insulating fabric layer attached to the outer fabric layer, wherein the insulating fabric layer is a textile fabric having a raised surface facing towards the outer fabric layer,   wherein the raised surface includes a plurality of first discrete regions having a first pile height interspersed among a plurality of other discrete regions having contrasting pile height relatively greater than the first pile height, and   wherein the insulating fabric layer comprises fibers having an axial core surrounded by a multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves.   
     
     
         13 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein the fibers have a denier of about 0.3 dpf to about 10.0 dpf. 
     
     
         14 . The thermal blanket of  claim 13 , wherein the fibers have a denier of about 1.5 dpf to about 10.0 dpf. 
     
     
         15 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein the whiskers have an average length of up to about 200% of a diameter of the core. 
     
     
         16 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein at least some of the first discrete regions and the other discrete regions are formed of the fibers having the axial core surrounded by the multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves. 
     
     
         17 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein the core comprises a polymer and the whiskers comprise another polymer, and wherein the polymer of the core and/or the polymer of the whiskers comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyamide 6 (PA 6), PA 66, or any of the combinations. 
     
     
         18 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein the fibers have about 3 to about 200 whiskers within a cross-sectional surface of the fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein the axially-extending grooves are nanogrooves or microgrooves. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal blanket of  claim 12 , wherein the whiskers have an average radial length of about 2 nm to about 10 microns. 
     
     
         21 . A thermal blanket comprising:
 an inner fabric layer;   an outer fabric layer; and   a unitary fabric element between the inner fabric layer and the outer fabric layer,   the unitary fabric element having a multiplicity of predetermined discrete regions of contrasting insulative capacities, the discrete regions being arranged based on insulative needs of corresponding regions of a user's body, and   the unitary fabric layer comprising fibers having an axial core surrounded by a multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves.   
     
     
         22 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein the fibers have a denier of about 0.3 dpf to about 10.0 dpf. 
     
     
         23 . The thermal blanket of  claim 22 , wherein the fibers have a denier of about 1.5 dpf to about 10.0 dpf. 
     
     
         24 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein the whiskers have an average length of up to about 200% of a diameter of the core. 
     
     
         25 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein at least some of the predetermined discrete regions are formed of the fibers having the axial core surrounded by the multiplicity of radially extending, axially-elongated whiskers, separated by axially-extending grooves. 
     
     
         26 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein the core comprises a polymer and the whiskers comprise another polymer, and wherein the polymer of the core and/or the polymer of the whiskers comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyamide 6 (PA 6), PA 66, or any of the combinations. 
     
     
         27 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein the fibers have about 3 to about 200 whiskers within a cross-sectional surface of the fibers. 
     
     
         28 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein the axially-extending grooves are nanogrooves or microgrooves. 
     
     
         29 . The thermal blanket of  claim 21 , wherein the whiskers have an average radial length of about 2 nm to about 10 microns.