Method and apparatus for a cloth heater

An electrically heated glass panel cloth heater, comprising:

• a first glass sheet having first and second major surfaces, the second major surface of the first glass sheet having an electrically conductive coating disposed thereon and at least two conductive bus bars disposed on the electrically conductive coating;
• a second sheet of a dielectric material having first and second major surfaces, the first major surface of the first glass sheet and the second major surface of the second sheet being in an opposing relationship to each other, the second major surface of the first glass sheet being laminated to the first major surface of the second sheet by way of a polymeric interlayer therebetween, thus forming a laminated heated glass panel;
• at least one support member, the support member being secured to the heated glass panel and supporting the panel on a wall, floor, countertop, ceiling, and/or other building member;
• and
• at least two conductors disposed within, on, or near to the support member, each conductor being electrically connected on one end to a separate bus bar and each conductor being electrically connected on another end to a source of electrical power;
• wherein, when electricity is communicated through the conductors and the bus bars to the electrically conductive coating, heat is generated at the first glass sheet's first major surface and at the second sheet's second major surface, and, subsequently, when a cloth is placed over a horizontally disposed surface, a portion of the cloth is proximate the first glass sheet's first major surface and another portion of the cloth is proximate the second sheet's second major surface, thus heating the cloth.

A method for heating a cloth with an electrically conductive heated glass panel cloth heater, comprising:

• utilizing a first glass sheet having first and second major surfaces, the second major surface of the first glass sheet having an electrically conductive coating disposed thereon and two conductive bus bars being disposed on the electrically conductive coating;
• utilizing a second sheet of a dielectric material having first and second major surfaces, the first major surface of the first glass sheet and the second major surface of the second sheet being in an opposing relationship to each other, the first major surface of the second sheet being laminated with a polymeric interlayer to the second major surface of the first glass sheet, thus forming a laminated heated glass panel;
• utilizing at least one support member, the support member being secured to the heated glass panel and supporting the panel on a wall, countertop, floor, ceiling, or other building member, thus physically supporting the laminated heated glass panel, and the support member having electrical conductors that communicate electrical power to the laminated heated glass panel, thus heating the heated glass panel;
• and
• placing a cloth across a horizontally disposed surface, wherein the horizontally disposed surface supports the cloth, and the cloth is proximate the two opposing major surfaces, thus heating the cloth at both opposing major surfaces.