# US 6,723,967 B2 · Heating/warming textile articles with phase change components

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- Number: US 6,723,967 B2
- Document ID: US6723967B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 09/974,371
- Filed: 2001-10-10
- Published: 2002-07-04
- Granted: 2004-04-20
- Earliest claimed: 2000-10-10
- Assignees: Malden Mills Industries, Inc.
- Inventors: Moshe Rock; Vikram Sharma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6723967B2

## CPC

- A41D 13/0051: {Heated garments (heated divers' suits B63C11/28)}
- D04B 1/04: characterised by thread material
- F28D 20/023: {the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure}
- H05B 3/345: {knitted fabrics}
- H05B 3/347: {woven fabrics}
- D10B 2401/16: antistatic; conductive
- H05B 2203/003: using serpentine layout
- H05B 2203/004: using zigzag layout
- H05B 2203/005: using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other
- H05B 2203/011: Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means
- H05B 2203/016: Heaters using particular connecting means
- H05B 2203/017: Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
- H05B 2203/036: Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
- Y02E 60/14: Thermal energy storage
- Y10T 428/249958: Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
- A41D: OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- D04B: KNITTING
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A heating/warming textile article (11) with a fabric body (13) with electrical resistance heating/warming elements (15) also contains a phase change component (17) which releases and absorbs latent heat in a cycle corresponding to ON/OFF operation of a power source (23), e.g., a battery, thus to conserve and extend useful battery life.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heating/warming textile article comprising:
a fabric body;
an electrical resistance element attached to the fabric body, the electrical resistance element capable of being electrically coupled to and uncoupled from an electrical power source to cyclically provide electrical power to the electrical resistance element for providing heating/warming of the textile article; and
a phase change component associated with the fabric body and including a phase change material formulated to change phase in a temperature range of use of the textile article, to cyclically absorb and release latent heat in a manner capable of conserving use of the electrical power source;
wherein the phase change component includes a phase change fiber that microencapsulates the phase change material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein said phase change fiber at least partially forms the fabric body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein said phase change fiber is incorporated into the fabric body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein said phase change fiber is attached to the fabric body by at least one of knitting, weaving, stitching, embroidery stitching, laminating and applying an adhesive.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein the phase change component comprises a coating of phase change material on fibers of the fabric body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein the electrical resistance element comprises a conductive yarn and the phase change component comprises a coating on the conductive yarns.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein the electrical resistance element comprises a conductive yarn and said phase change fiber is stranded together with said conductive yarn.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein said temperature range of use of the textile article is about 32° F. to about 120° F.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein said phase change material comprises at least one of paraffin and glycol.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, wherein said power supply is a battery.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling the electrical power supplied from the power supply the electrical resistance element.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a timer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The heating/warming textile article of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a thermostat.