Embodiments described herein relate to heated gear.
Heated gear requires power in order to produce heat for warming the person wearing the heated gear. In order to produce a desired level of heat in the heated gear, the power source for the heated gear needs to be charged to an appropriate level. Heated gear is powered by, for example, batteries or battery packs that must be physically removed and attached to a charger to be charged if they are rechargeable. Removing and charging the batteries or battery packs is inconvenient and not conducive to an on-the-go lifestyle. Therefore, there is a need for efficient and effortless charging of a power supply for heated gear. For example, for batteries or a battery pack within heated gear, it would be advantageous to wirelessly charge the batteries or battery pack. Wireless charging could be achieved using power transmitted from a power source that fits the on-the-go lifestyle of the wearer of the heated gear. Additionally, heated gear would benefit from additionally being able to wirelessly power other pieces of heated gear.
Embodiments described herein provide systems for wirelessly charging wearable gear. The system includes a garment body, a heater coupled to the garment body, a receiver coupled to the garment body and configured to wirelessly receive power, an energy storage element configured to store charge provided by the receiver, a controller selectively providing power from the energy storage element to the heater, and a power supply including a transmitter configured to wirelessly provide power to the receiver when the transmitter is near the receiver.
Embodiments described herein provide a heated garment. The heated garment includes a garment body, a heater coupled to the garment body, a receiver coupled to the garment body and configured to wirelessly receive power, an energy storage element coupled to the garment body and configured to store charge provided to the receiver, and a controller configured to selectively provide power from the energy storage element to the heater.
Embodiments described herein provide a heated garment. The heated garment includes a garment body, a heater coupled to the garment body, a receiver coupled to the garment body and configured to wirelessly receive power, an energy storage element coupled to the garment body and configured to store charge provided to the receiver, a transmitter coupled to the garment body and configured to wirelessly transmit power from the energy storage element to a device, and a controller. The controller is configured to selectively provide power from the energy storage element to the heater and selectively provide power from the energy storage element to the transmitter.
Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of the configuration and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.
In addition, it should be understood that embodiments may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules that, for purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as if the majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, one of ordinary skill in the art, and based on a reading of this detailed description, would recognize that, in at least one embodiment, the electronic-based aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units, such as a microprocessor and/or application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”). As such, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components, may be utilized to implement the embodiments. For example, “servers,” “computing devices,” “controllers,” “processors,” etc., described in the specification can include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable medium modules, one or more input/output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components.
Relative terminology, such as, for example, “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” etc., used in connection with a quantity or condition would be understood by those of ordinary skill to be inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with the measurement accuracy, tolerances [e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.] associated with the particular value, etc.). Such terminology should also be considered as disclosing the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints. For example, the expression “from about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4”. The relative terminology may refer to plus or minus a percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) of an indicated value.
It should be understood that although certain drawings illustrate hardware and software located within particular devices, these depictions are for illustrative purposes only. Functionality described herein as being performed by one component may be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Likewise, functionality performed by multiple components may be consolidated and performed by a single component. In some embodiments, the illustrated components may be combined or divided into separate software, firmware and/or hardware. For example, instead of being located within and performed by a single electronic processor, logic and processing may be distributed among multiple electronic processors. Regardless of how they are combined or divided, hardware and software components may be located on the same computing device or may be distributed among different computing devices connected by one or more networks or other suitable communication links. Similarly, a component described as performing particular functionality may also perform additional functionality not described herein. For example, a device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way but may also be configured in ways that are not explicitly listed.
Other aspects of the embodiments will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Embodiments described herein relate to heated garments that are wirelessly charged or powered. The heated garments may be configured to receiver power and transmit power to other heated garments and/or devices.
The heated garment 100 illustrated in
The wireless receiver 105 may be located on the mid back side of the heated garment 100. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 105 are also contemplated. The wireless receiver 105 includes the receiving coil 110 that is configured to align with a transmitting coil of a power supply to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 105 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the power supply to the energy storage element of the heated garment 100.
The heater array 115 is located throughout the heated garment 100. In some embodiments, the heater array 115 may extend into the arms and/or the collar of the heated garment 100. The heater array 115 may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, heat may be generated by voltage provided by the energy storage element. The heater array 115 may be a resistive heater array. However, other heater arrays are also contemplated. The heater array 115 may include resistive heating coils formed of carbon fibers, high density carbon fibers, or other heating devices. The heated garment 100 is capable of maintaining a temperature of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although in other embodiments, lower or greater temperatures are possible depending upon the heat source or user selection (e.g., high, medium, low heat).
The power supply 120 illustrated in
The wireless transmitter 135 may be configured for capacitive power transfer, inductive power transfer, radio frequency (“RF”) power transfer, magnetic resonance power transfer, etc. For example, the wireless transmitter 135 may include one or more conductive plates configured to align with one or more conductive plates of the wireless receiver 105 of the heated garment 100 for capacitive power transfer via an electric field. As another example, the wireless transmitter 135 may include a transmitting coil configured to align with the receiving coil 110 of the wireless receiver 105 of the heated garment 100 to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of inductive power transfer, the wireless transmitter 135 may include a transmitting antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer to the wireless receiver 105 of the heated garment 100.
The power cord 140 is configured to be plugged into an outlet in order to power the wireless transmitter 135. For example, the power cord 140 may be plugged into a 12V DC outlet in a car. In some embodiments the power supply 120 may include a power converter to convert AC power into DC power useable by the wireless transmitter 135.
When configured for inductive power transfer, the wireless transmitter 135 and the wireless receiver 105 may each be constructed as a conductor wrapped into a coil shape or form (e.g., inductive coil). When provided with power and configured for inductive power transfer, the wireless transmitter 135 may be provided with an AC current that creates a cyclically changing magnetic field as the current cyclically changes (due to the cyclical nature of an AC signal). The changing magnetic field is transmitted through the air medium surrounding the wireless transmitter 135. The wireless receiver 105 of the heated garment 100 receives the changing magnetic field generated by the wireless transmitter 135. The changing magnetic field generated by the wireless transmitter 135 induces an AC signal in the wireless receiver 105 of the heated garment 100, which may then be rectified to a DC signal that is used to charge the energy storage element. In some embodiments, the inductive coil is formed by a coil trace on a printed circuit board (PCB), forming a PCB trace antenna. In some embodiments, the inductive coil or another wireless power transfer device 105, 135 includes a laser direct structuring (“LDS”) antenna that is built into the power supply 120 and/or the heated garment 100.
As illustrated in a cutaway portion, the heated garment 100 also includes the heater array 115. The heater array 115 is disposed in both a left portion 180 and a right portion 185 of the torso body 145. In some embodiments, the heater array 115 may extend into the arms 150 and/or collar 155. The heater array 115 may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, the heater array 115 may be a resistive heater array. However, other heater array types are also contemplated. In other embodiments, the heated garment 100 may include a first heater array and second heater array arranged as an upper module and a lower module, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the heater array 115 is controlled via the button 170. In other embodiments, multiple heater arrays may be controlled individually via a single control input or multiple control inputs.
The wireless charging elements 195 include wireless transmitters 190. The wireless transmitters 190 may be configured for capacitive power transfer, inductive power transfer, radio frequency (“RF”) power transfer, magnetic resonance power transfer, etc. The wireless transmitters 190 transmit power from the energy storage element of the heated garment 100 to receivers within heated gloves, in order to power a heater array of the heated gloves. In some embodiments, the wireless transmitters 190 may transmit power to pants, socks, thermal tops, and the like.
A controller 200 for the heated garment 100 is illustrated in
The receivers 235 wirelessly receive power from a power source 240. The charging power received through the receivers 235 is provided to an energy storage element 230. For example, the energy storage element 230 may be a 12V battery pack, a capacitor, etc. The energy storage element 230 provides power to a heater array 115. The heater array 115 is controlled via the heater controller 225. In some embodiments, the heater controller 225 maintains the heater array at a temperature up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although in other embodiments, lower or greater temperatures are possible depending upon the heat source or user selection (e.g., high, medium, low heat).
The indicators 215 receive control signals from the controller 200 to turn ON and OFF or otherwise convey information based on different states of the heated garment 100. For example, the indicators 215 may display that the heater array 115 is ON, that the energy storage element 230 is out of power, the charge status of devices receiving charge via transceivers 220, etc. The indicators 215 include, for example, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or a display screen (e.g., an LCD display). The display/indicator(s) 215 may also include additional elements to convey information to a user through audible or tactile outputs (e.g., a speaker). The display/indicator(s) 215 may also be referred to as an output device configured to provide an output to a user.
The controller 200 includes a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide power, operational control, and protection to the components and modules within the controller 200 and/or heated garment 100. For example, the controller 200 includes, among other things, a processing unit 245 (e.g., a microprocessor, an electronic processor, an electronic controller, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device), a memory 250, input units 255, and output units 260. The processing unit 245 includes, among other things, a control unit 270, an arithmetic logic unit (“ALU”) 275, and a plurality of registers 280 (shown as a group of registers in
The memory 250 is a non-transitory computer readable medium and includes, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area can include combinations of different types of memory, such as a ROM, a RAM (e.g., DRAM, SDRAM, etc.), EEPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, an SD card, or other suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory devices. The processing unit 245 is connected to the memory 250 and executes software instruction that are capable of being stored in a RAM of the memory 250 (e.g., during execution), a ROM of the memory 250 (e.g., on a generally permanent basis), or another non-transitory computer readable medium such as another memory or a disc. Software included in the implementation of the heated garment 100 can be stored in the memory 250 of the controller 200. The software includes, for example, firmware, one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. The controller 200 is configured to retrieve from the memory 250 and execute, among other things, instructions related to the control processes and methods described herein. In other embodiments, the controller 200 includes additional, fewer, or different components.
The power supply 415 illustrated in
Wireless charging element 505 is configured to wirelessly charge a mobile device, for example, a cell phone. Wireless charging element 505 includes a wireless transmitter 510 configured for capacitive power transfer, inductive power transfer, radio frequency (“RF”) power transfer, magnetic resonance power transfer, etc. Wireless transmitter 510 transmits power from the energy storage element of the heated garment 500 to receiver(s) within the mobile device. In some embodiments, the heated garment 500 may include a pocket on the exterior of the torso body 145 that can hold the mobile device while it is being wirelessly charged by wireless charging element 505.
Similar to wireless charging element 505, wireless charging element 515 is configured to wirelessly charge another device, such as an audio listening device (e.g., a portable radio, wireless headphones, etc.). Wireless charging element 515 includes a wireless transmitter 520 configured for capacitive power transfer, inductive power transfer, radio frequency (“RF”) power transfer, magnetic resonance power transfer, etc. Wireless transmitter 520 transmits power from the energy storage element of the heated garment 500 to receiver(s) within the audio listening device. In some embodiments, the heated garment 500 may include a pocket on the exterior of the torso body 145 that can hold the audio listening device while it is being wirelessly charged by wireless charging element 515.
Wireless charging elements 525 are configured to wirelessly charge illumination devices, for example, flashlights, headlamps, etc. Wireless charging elements 525 include wireless transmitters 530 configured for capacitive power transfer, inductive power transfer, radio frequency (“RF”) power transfer, magnetic resonance power transfer, etc. Wireless transmitters 530 transmit power from the energy storage element of the heated garment 500 to receiver(s) within the illumination devices. In some embodiments, the heated garment 500 may include pockets on the exterior of the torso body 145 that can hold illumination devices while they are wirelessly charged by wireless charging element 525.
The AC power supply includes an AC power source 705, a power transmission device 710, and a wireless transmitter 715. The AC power source 705 may be a power source that supplies single AC line voltage or universal AC line voltage such as a conventional wall outlet, a car outlet, etc. The power transmission device 710 may include an AC/DC converter that converts AC power into DC power that is usable by the wireless transmitter 715. Alternatively, the power transmission device 710 may transmit the AC power to the wireless transmitter 715, such that the magnetic field created by the wireless transmitter 715 is cyclical in nature.
The heated garment 800 illustrated in
The wireless receiver 810 may be located in the seat portion of the heated garment 800. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 810 are also contemplated. The wireless receiver 810 includes the receiving coil 815 that is configured to align with a transmitting coil of a power supply to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 810 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the power supply to the energy storage element of the heated garment 800.
The heater array is disposed throughout the heated garment 800. In some embodiments, the heater array may extend into the legs of the heated garment 800. The heater array may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, heat may be generated by voltage produced by the energy storage element. The heater array may be a resistive heater array. However, other heater arrays are also contemplated. The heater array may include resistive heating coils formed of carbon fibers, high density carbon fibers, or other heating devices. In some embodiments, the heated garment 800 is capable of maintaining a temperature of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although in other embodiments, lower or greater temperatures are possible depending upon the heat source or user selection (e.g., high, medium, low heat).
The power supply 820 illustrated in
The wireless transmitter 835 may be configured for capacitive power transfer, inductive power transfer, radio frequency (“RF”) power transfer, magnetic resonance power transfer, etc. For example, the wireless transmitter 835 may include one or more conductive plates configured to align with one or more conductive plates of the wireless receiver 810 of the heated garment 800 for capacitive power transfer via an electric field. As another example, the wireless transmitter 835 may include a transmitting coil configured to align with the receiving coil 815 of the wireless receiver 810 of the heated garment 800 to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of inductive power transfer, the wireless transmitter 835 may include a transmitting antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer to the wireless receiver 810 of the heated garment 800.
The power device 825 may be a battery pack, for example, a 12V battery pack, an 18V battery pack, etc. The power device 825 supplies power to the wireless transmitter 835. In some embodiments, the seat cushion 830 may be plugged into an outlet, such that AC power is supplied to the wireless transmitter 835.
The heated garment 900 illustrated in
The head covering 920 illustrated in
The wireless receiver 930 may be located on a top portion of the head covering 920. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 930 are also contemplated. The wireless receiver 930 includes the receiving coil 935 that is configured to align with a transmitter 915 of the heated garment 900 to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 930 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the heated garment 900 to illumination member 940.
The heated garment 1000 includes a wireless transmitter or receiver (e.g., transceiver) 1010. As shown in the finger portions of the heated garment 1000, the heated garment 1000 also includes one or more heater arrays 1005. The heater array 1005 may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, heat may be generated by voltage produced by an energy storage element within the heated garment 1000. Additionally or alternatively, heat may be generated by power wirelessly received from another heated garment, such as heated garment 100 of
The wireless transceiver 1010 may be configured to transmit power to a device when a person wearing the heated garment 1000 is holding the device. A device 1015 that is powered by power received from the heated garment 1000 is illustrated in
The device 1015 illustrated in
The wireless receiver 1025 may be located within the handle of the device 1015. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 1025 are also contemplated. The wireless receiver 1025 includes the receiving coil that is configured to align with a transmitting coil of the heated garment 1000 to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 1025 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the heated garment 1000 to the illumination part 1020.
The heated garment 1100 illustrated in
The heater array 115 is disposed throughout the heated garment 1100. In some embodiments, the heater array 115 may extend into the arms and/or the collar of the heated garment 1100. The heater array 115 may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, heat may be generated by voltage produced by the energy storage element. The heater array 115 may be a resistive heater array. However, other heater arrays are also contemplated. The heater array 115 may include resistive heating coils formed of carbon fibers, high density carbon fibers, or other heating devices. In some embodiments, the heated garment 1100 is capable of maintaining a temperature of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although in other embodiments, lower or greater temperatures are possible depending upon the heat source or user selection (e.g., high, medium, low heat).
The safety vest 1110 includes a wireless receiver 1120 and a receiving coil 1125. The safety vest 1110 also includes an illumination part 1115. The wireless receiver 1120 receives power from the heated garment 1100, via the wireless transmitter 1105, to illuminate the illumination part 1115 of the safety vest 1110. In some embodiments, the illumination part 1115 is illuminated when the wireless receiver 1120 is receiving power from the wireless transmitter 1105 of the heated garment 1100. Alternatively, or additionally, the safety vest 1110 may include a switch to selectively activate the illumination part 1115.
The wireless receiver 1120 may be located on the mid back of side of the safety vest 1110 such that when a person wears the safety vest 1110 over the heated garment 1100, the wireless receiver 1120 is aligned with the wireless transmitter 1105. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 1120 are also contemplated. The wireless receiver 1120 includes the receiving coil 1125 that is configured to align with a transmitting coil of the heated garment 1100 to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 1120 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the heated garment 1100 to the illumination part 1115.
The heated garment 1200 illustrated in
The wireless receiver 1205 may be located on the lower back side of the heated garment 1200. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 1205 are also contemplated. The wireless receiver 1205 includes the receiving coil 1210 that is configured to align with a transmitting coil of an external power device to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 1205 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the power supply to the energy storage element of the heated garment 1200.
The heater array 115 is disposed throughout the heated garment 1200. In some embodiments, the heater array 115 may extend into the arms and/or the collar of the heated garment 1200. The heater array 115 may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, heat may be generated by voltage produced by the energy storage element. The heater array 115 may be a resistive heater array. However, other heater arrays are also contemplated. The heater array 115 may include resistive heating coils formed of carbon fibers, high density carbon fibers, or other heating devices. In some embodiments, the heated garment 1200 is capable of maintaining a temperature of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although in other embodiments, lower or greater temperatures are possible depending upon the heat source or user selection (e.g., high, medium, low heat).
The external power device 1215 illustrated in
The heated garment 1400 of
The button 170 includes a display portion 175 to indicate an ON/OFF status of the heated garment 1400. The heated garment 1400 may also include a visual charge indicator 1405, a device charge indicator 1410, and an audible transducer charge indicator 1415. The visual charge indicator 1405 is configured to indicate a charge status of an energy storage element within the heated garment 1400. In some embodiments, the visual charge indicator 1405 may be a rectangle of LEDs broken into segments, each segment indicating a level of charge within the energy storage element. For example, if two of four segments are illuminated, the energy storage element contains 50% charge. In some embodiments, the visual charge indicator 1405 may include colored LEDs. For example, the rectangle of LEDs may be broken into three segments, one segment green, one segment yellow, and one segment red. Each color-coded segment corresponds to a charge level of the energy storage element.
The device charge indicator 1410 is configured to indicate the charge status of a device being charged by the heated garment 1400. For example, the device may be a mobile phone, headphones, a flashlight, and the like. In some embodiments, the device charge indicator may be parallel curved lines made of LEDs, each line indicating a level of charge of the device. For example, if two of the five lines are illuminated then the device has 40% charge.
The audible transducer charge indicator 1415 is configured to indicate the charge status of the energy storage element of the heated garment 1400 and/or the device. In some embodiments, the audible transducer charge indicator 1415 emits a beeping sound at a first frequency when the energy storage element of the heated garment 1400 and/or the device is fully charged. In some embodiments, the audible transducer charge indicator 1415 emits a beeping sound at a second frequency when the energy storage element of the heated garment 1400 and/or the device is less than 20% charged. In some embodiments, the audible transducer charge indicator 1415 emits a beeping sound at a third frequency when the energy storage element of the heated garment 1400 and/or the device is without any charge.
The heated garment 1500 illustrated in
The wireless receiver 1510 may be located in the palm area of the heated garment 1500. However, other locations of the wireless receiver 1510 are also contemplated. The receiving coil 1515 is configured to align with a transmitting coil of the steering wheel to allow for inductive and/or magnetic resonance power transfer via a magnetic field. As another example of wireless power transfer, the wireless receiver 1510 may include a receiving antenna configured to allow for RF power transfer from a transmitting antenna of the steering wheel to the heater array 1505 when the wireless receiver 1510 is receiving power from a transmitter within the steering wheel.
The steering wheel 1520 that transmits power to the heated garment 1500 is illustrated in
The first heated garment 1605 includes wireless transmitter 1615 and wireless receiver 1620. In some embodiments, they are instead wireless transceivers 1615 and 1620 that are capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless power. Wireless transmitter 1615 is located on one sleeve on the first heated garment 1605 and wireless receiver 1620 is located on the other sleeve of the first heated garment 1605. The first heated garment 1605 includes a first energy storage element that stores power to be provided to the first heater array. The second heated garment 1610 includes wireless transmitter 1625 and wireless receiver 1630. In some embodiments, they are instead wireless transceivers 1625 and 1630 that are capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless power. Wireless transmitter 1625 is located on one sleeve on the second heated garment 1610 and wireless receiver 1630 is located on the other sleeve of the second heated garment 1610. The second heated garment 1610 includes a second energy storage element that stores power to be provided to the second heater array.
In some embodiments, wireless transmitter 1625 is configured to wirelessly transmit power from the second energy storage element to the first energy storage element, via wireless receiver 1620. In some embodiments, the wireless transmitter 1615 is configured to wirelessly transmit power from the first energy storage element to the second energy storage element, via wireless receiver 1630.
As illustrated in a cutaway portion, the heated garment 1700 also includes the heater array 115. The heater array 115 is powered via power stored in an energy storage device within the heated garment 1700. For example, the heated garment 1700 may include a battery pack within the heated garment 1700. The heated garment 1700 is configured to receive wireless power from a power supply as provided by any of the embodiments described herein.
The heater array 115 is disposed throughout the heated garment 1700. In some embodiments, the heater array 115 may extend into the arms and/or the collar of the heated garment 1700. The heater array 115 may be configured to generate heat based on a received DC voltage. For example, heat may be generated by voltage produced by the energy storage element. The heater array 115 may be a resistive heater array. However, other heater arrays are also contemplated. The heater array 115 may include resistive heating coils formed of carbon fibers, high density carbon fibers, or other heating devices. In some embodiments, the heated garment 1700 is capable of maintaining a temperature of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although in other embodiments, lower or greater temperatures are possible depending upon the heat source or user selection (e.g., high, medium, low heat).
Additionally, the heated garment 1700 includes typical garment features such as a torso body 145, arms 150, a collar 155, and front pockets 160. A front surface 165 of the jacket 10 includes a control input. In the illustrated embodiment, the control input is a button 170 that may be actuated by a user. As explained in greater detail below, the button 170 includes a display portion 175 to indicate a status of the heated garment 1700.
The illumination members 1705 are located on the ends of the arms 150. The illumination members 1705 may include one or more LEDs. The illumination members 1705 are powered by the energy storage element. In some embodiments, the heated garment 1700 includes a switch for actuating the illumination members 1705. In some embodiments, the illumination members 1705 are powered directly from the wireless power received by the heated garment 1700.
Thus, embodiments described herein provide, among other things, wirelessly charged or powered heated garments. Various features and advantages are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/194,273, filed May 28, 2021, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63194273 | May 2021 | US |