The present invention relates to a comforter, and in particular, to a heated comforter that protects a user from risks associated with using a traditional electric blanket.
Traditional heating blankets typically consist of a fabric enclosure in which an electrical heating wire is inserted. In traditional heating blankets, the electrical heating wire is fully contained within the blanket. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,706,768; 2,708,235; and 3,064,332, all to Kaplan, discloses various wiring diagrams and methods for stitching an electric blanket so that the heating wires are contained within the blanket. However, in these blankets, the heating wire is stitched directly to at least one outer layer of the sheet or blanket. This may result in the overheating of the layer and/or the heating wire, which is a dangerous risk for the user.
Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,753,514 to Harashima, the heater wire is arranged along the base cloth and is sandwiched within a mat body to form an electric blanket. However, in this arrangement, the heater wire is allowed to move about within the blanket, which can cause the heating wire to prematurely rip or tear from the enclosing sleeve, as well as the overheating of an outer layer of the blanket with which it comes into contact.
The present invention relates to a comforter which can provide adequate warmth to a user while reducing the risks of overheating and tearing associated with using a traditional electrically-powered blanket.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a unique method of affixing the heating wire to the interior of the comforter to ensure that the heating wire does not move around and contact or tear an outer layer of the comforter while it is in use. By fixing the heating wire in place in the interior of the comforter to prevent the heating wire from moving around, the lifespan of the heating wire, as well as the outer layer of the comforter, are increased.
In addition, an added benefit of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a reduction in the risk of electrocution of the user of the heated comforter. This can be achieved by combining the heating wire with sufficient stuffing material within the comforter so that the amount of electricity required to power the comforter is reduced. Additionally, the heating wire can be fixed in place by using a cloth sleeve to surround it, and by fastening the sleeve to an interior panel of the comforter. This provides an extra safety measure to the user.
Exemplary embodiments of the present inventions are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show:
As shown in
According to the present invention, a heating wire 1 is provided within the shell of the comforter and it attached to at least one interior panel 11. One way of making the attachment is to sew together a portion of the interior panel 11 with stitching 4 to form a sleeve 2. The interior panel 11 is ideally a cloth-like material, but can be other textiles or other materials that are sufficiently flexible.
As illustrated in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve 2 and the interior panel 11 are made from a single piece of cloth 3 that is folded over to form the sleeve 2 that encloses the heating wire 1, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Alternatively, as illustrated in
In a second embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve 2 is made from a first cloth 30 and a second cloth 31 which are located next to each other and are stitched together via stitches 4a, 4b to enclose the heating wire 1, as illustrated in
In a third embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve 2 is made from a first cloth 40 and a second cloth 41 which are placed end-to-end and then stitched together via stitches 4c, 4d to enclose the heating wire 1, as illustrated in
The stitching 13a of the interior panels also alternates in accordance with the varying wire length. If the heating wire 1 does not have a lateral run 57 in its path, then the stitching 13a on tab 13 extends from the bottom side through the entire length of the comforter 100. If there is a lateral run 57 at the end of the shorter wire length, as is at point 70, the stitching 13a of tab 13 extends from the bottom edge 80 along the shorter wire length, stopping before the lateral run 57 itself. Likewise, if a lateral run 57 is located at the end of the longer wire length, i.e., at point 60, the stitching 13a on tab 13 extends from the bottom edge 80 along the length of the longer wire run, stopping before the lateral run 57 itself. Thus, the stitching pattern varies in accordance with the alternating heating wire length.
It can be seen that the density of heating wire runs is greater at the bottom edge 80 of the comforter 100 than at the top edge 85, due to the short runs at the top edge 85. As a result, there will be more heat towards the bottom edge 80 than towards the top edge 85. Thus, if the user orients the comforter 100 so that the bottom edge 80 is at his feet, the comforter 100 will keep his feet warmer than his upper body.
It is to be understood that the wiring layout of the present invention need not be in the alternating fashion as described above. Other arrangements are also possible, such as an even distribution where the lateral runs 57 are flush with one another at each respective edges 80, 85 of the comforter 100, resulting in a uniform heating pattern. In addition, the wiring pattern need not have straight lateral runs. Any construction which allows the heating wire to extend in an opposite direction, such as a curved or slanted junction portion, would suffice.
In addition, the heating wire pattern, for example, may have long lateral runs and short longitudinal ones. Also, the heating wire spacing may be greater toward the middle of the comforter and wider toward the sides so that most of the heat is in the middle of the comforter 100. Since the sides of the comforter 100 typically hang off the sides of the bed, this may avoid wasteful heating on the side of the bed. Alternatively, the heating wire pattern may be denser toward the sides than in the middle so that the edges where the comforter is lifted when the user gets in and out of bed may be provided with more heat. In essence, any pattern of heating wire can be provided to achieve a desired heating pattern.
As illustrated in
Optionally, the comforter 100 can operate at an extra-low voltage of 48 volts or lower. Since the comforter 100 can be stuffed with stuffing 50, the warmth provided by the heated comforter 100 via the heating wire 1 can be reduced. This can be accomplished by reducing the voltage supplied to the heating wire 1. A voltage control 90 is connected in a power line 92 extending from an electrical plug 94 to a terminal 96 on the comforter. Having the comforter 100 operate at a low voltage provides a reduced risk of electrocution of the user. Other risks associated with the overheating of traditional electrical blankets, such as fire, are also reduced.
According to the embodiments of the present invention, by placing the heating wire 1, located within the sleeve 2, within the comforter 100 along with the stuffing material 50, the comforter 100 prevents a user from having direct contact with the heating wire 1, as illustrated in
Another benefit of having the heating wire 1 fixed in place is that the heating wire 1 is no longer subjected to excessive wear and tear, thereby prolonging the life of the heating wire 1, and likewise the comforter 100.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11501487 | Aug 2006 | US |
Child | 12233450 | US |