Sheet insulator with improved resistance to heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation
AssigneeZeroloft Corporation
InventorsDavid Sindall, Frank Gojny, Hyo Yul Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sheet insulator is attached to an item of wearing apparel to provide thermal insulation. The sheet insulator has a fiber reinforced aerogel composite encapsulated within a plastic sheeting. The plastic sheeting is secured to the aerogel composite, surface to surface. The plastic sheeting and the aerogel composite have surface upsets such as elongated depressions or burrows positioned and oriented at a flexing position of the wearing apparel so that the sheet insulator is able to flex with the apparel enabling a more natural movement of the apparel.
Claims11
A sheet insulator may be attached to an item of wearing apparel for thermal insulation thereof, the sheet insulator comprising:
- a fiber reinforced aerogel composite encapsulated within a primary plastic sheeting, the primary plastic sheeting secured to an exterior surface of the aerogel composite;
- the primary plastic sheeting and the aerogel composite mutually bonded by a bonding agent;
- a surface of the primary plastic sheeting and the aerogel composite having mutual upsets comprising elongated depressions;
- a secondary plastic sheeting bonded to the primary plastic sheeting thereby covering the elongated depressions, the secondary plastic sheeting punctured by a plurality of first holes having a first orientation, the first holes arranged in coincidence with the elongated depressions;
- and
- a plurality of second holes in the secondary plastic sheeting, the second holes having a second orientation substantially perpendicular to the first orientation, whereas when moisture enters into the depressions through the first holes the depressions direct the moisture to one or more of the second holes wherein said moisture is able to escape through the one or more second holes.
A combination of a thermal insulator sheet and an item of wearing apparel, the combination comprising:
- the thermal insulator sheet including a fiber reinforced aerogel composite encapsulated within a primary plastic sheeting, the primary plastic sheeting secured to an exterior surface of the aerogel composite;
- the primary plastic sheeting and the aerogel composite mutually bonded by a bonding agent;
- a surface of the primary plastic sheeting and the aerogel composite having mutual upsets comprising elongated depressions positioned and conformed so that the thermal insulator sheet bends most easily in a selected direction;
- a secondary plastic sheeting bonded to the primary plastic sheeting thereby covering the elongated depressions, the secondary plastic sheeting punctured by a plurality of first holes having a first orientation, the first holes arranged in coincidence with the elongated depressions;
- a plurality of second holes in the secondary plastic sheeting, the second holes having a second orientation substantially perpendicular to the first orientation, whereas when moisture enters into the depressions through the first holes the depressions direct the moisture to one or more of the second holes wherein said moisture is able to escape through the one or more second holes;
- and
- the thermal insulator sheet fixed to the item of wearing apparel in a position and an orientation wherein flexing of the item of wearing apparel coincides with the selected direction wherein the insulator sheet bends most easily.
A method of directing moisture in a sheet insulator, the method comprising:
- encapsulating a fiber reinforced aerogel composite within a primary plastic sheeting;
- securing the primary plastic sheeting to an exterior surface of the aerogel composite with a bonding agent;
- mutually upsetting a surface of the primary plastic sheeting and the aerogel composite with elongated depressions;
- bonding a secondary plastic sheeting to the primary plastic sheeting thereby covering the elongated depressions;
- puncturing the secondary plastic sheeting with a plurality of first holes having a first orientation, and arranging the first holes in coincidence with the elongated depressions;
- puncturing the secondary plastic sheeting with a plurality of second holes having a second orientation substantially perpendicular to the first orientation;
- and
- directing moisture entering into the depressions through the first holes to at least one of the second holes wherein said moisture escapes through the at least one of the second holes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.