Hand and foot heaters

Abstract

This invention provides gloves and socks containing printed heaters. The glove or sock with a heater comprises a glove or sock, a substrate with the outline of the glove or sock, and a heater printed on the substrate wherein the substrate is laminated to the glove or sock. The heater comprises two printed conductive bus bars with extensions traversing the substrate and an array of printed resistive areas arranged so that each area is between and overlaps and is contiguous to two conductors, one of which is one of the bus bars or its extensions and the second is the other bus bar or its extensions.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method for preparing a glove with a heater, the method comprising:
 a) providing a glove comprising a cuff surrounding the wrist, a palm and the back of the hand connected to the cuff, and separate sheaths for each finger and thumb, wherein the sheaths extend from the palm and the back of the hand;   b) stretching the glove up to 130% in all directions on a stretcher to provide a stretched cuff, stretched palm and back of the hand and stretched sheaths, and maintaining the glove in the stretched state, wherein the amount of stretching along the lengths of the sheaths is at least as great or greater than that in other directions;   c) providing a substrate with the outline of the stretched glove and with a cuff area corresponding to the cuff of the stretched glove, a back of the hand area corresponding to the back of the hand of the stretched glove, and sheath areas corresponding to the sheaths of the stretched glove;   d) printing a heater onto the substrate, comprising:
 1) printing two conductive bus bars on the area corresponding to the cuff of the glove; 
 2) printing conductive extensions from each bus bar, the conductive extensions traversing the area corresponding to the back of the hand of the glove such that a conductive extension of one bus bar traverses one side of each area corresponding to a sheath of the glove, and a conductive extension of the other bus bar traverses the opposite side of each area corresponding to a sheath of the glove; and 
 3) printing an array of resistive material areas arranged so that each printed resistive material area is between and overlaps and is contiguous to two conductors, one of which is one of the bus bars or its extensions and the second is the other bus bar or its extensions and with spaces of exposed substrate between adjacent resistive material areas, wherein the sheet resistance R s  of the resistive material is between 10 and 50,000 Ω/square; 
   e) laminating the substrate to the back of the stretched glove such that the cuff of the stretched glove is laminated to the corresponding area of the substrate, the back of the hand of the stretched glove is laminated to the corresponding area of the substrate, and the sheaths of the stretched glove are laminated to the corresponding areas of the substrate; and   f) removing the glove from the stretcher.   
     
     
         14 . A method for preparing a glove with a heater, the method comprising:
 a) providing a glove comprising a cuff surrounding the wrist, a palm and the back of the hand connected to the cuff, and separate sheaths for each finger and thumb, wherein the sheaths extend from the palm and the back of the hand;   b) stretching the glove up to 130% in all directions on a stretcher to provide a stretched cuff, stretched palm and back of the hand and stretched sheaths and maintain the glove in the stretched state, wherein the amount of stretching along the lengths of the sheaths is at least as great or greater than that in other directions;   c) providing a substrate with the outline of the stretched glove and with a cuff area corresponding to the cuff of the stretched glove, a palm area corresponding to the palm of the stretched glove, and sheath areas corresponding to the sheaths of the stretched glove;   d) printing a heater onto the substrate, comprising:
 1) printing two conductive bus bars on the area corresponding to the cuff of the glove; 
 2) printing conductive extensions from each bus bar, the conductive extensions traversing the area 25 corresponding to palm of the glove such that a conductive extension of one bus bar traverses one side of each area corresponding to a sheath of the glove and a conductive extension of the other bus bar traverses the opposite side of each area corresponding to a sheath of the glove; and 
 3) printing an array of resistive material areas arranged so that each printed resistive material area is between and overlaps and is contiguous to two conductors, one of which is one of the bus bars or its extensions and the second is the other bus bar or its extensions, and with spaces of exposed substrate between adjacent resistive material areas, wherein the sheet resistance R s  of the resistive material is between 10 and 50,000 Ω/square; 
   e) laminating the substrate to the palm of the stretched glove such that the cuff of the stretched glove is laminated to the corresponding area of the substrate, the palm of the stretched glove is laminated to the corresponding area of the substrate, and the sheaths of the stretched glove are laminated to the corresponding areas of the substrate; and   f) removing the glove from the stretcher.   
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A sock with a heater, comprising:
 a) a sock comprising a portion surrounding the ankle and part of the calf of the leg and a top of the foot and a bottom of the foot connected to the portion surrounding the ankle and part of the calf, wherein the top of the foot and the bottom of the foot extend to the portions covering the toes;   b) a substrate with an area corresponding to the portion of the sock surrounding the ankle and part of the calf of the leg and with an area corresponding to the top of the foot of the sock including the portion covering the toes; and   c) a heater printed onto the substrate, the heater comprising:
 i) two printed conductive bus bars on the area corresponding to the portion of the sock surrounding the ankle and part of the calf of the leg, wherein each bus bar has printed conductive extensions that traverse the area corresponding to the top of the foot of the glove such that a conductive extension of one bus bar traverses one side of each area corresponding to a toe of the sock and a conductive extension of the other bus bar traverses the opposite side of each area corresponding to a toe of the sock; and 
 ii) an array of printed resistive material areas arranged so that each printed resistive material area is between and overlaps and is contiguous to two conductors, one of which is one of the bus bars or its extensions and the second is the other bus bar or its extensions and with spaces of exposed substrate between adjacent resistive material areas, wherein the sheet resistance R s  of the resistive material is between 10 and 50,000 Ω/square, wherein the substrate with the printed heater is laminated to the outside or the inside of the sock such that the portion surrounding the ankle and part of the calf of the leg is laminated to the corresponding area of the substrate and the top of the foot of the glove is laminated to the corresponding area of the substrate.