Self heat clothing and blankets

Abstract

A self-heat article of clothing to be worn by a person to keep warm during an emergency situation which cannot be inadvertently removed until the emergency situation is over, and a self-heat blanket to cover a person or persons while sleeping, in which the articles of clothing and blankets have a self heating system incorporated therein. The self-heating system includes self-heat disks held in closely spaced apart relationship between an upper and lower layer of fabric material which begin to generate heat when exposed to oxygen in the air. The self-heat disks include a mixture of iron powder, charcoal powder, table salt or sodium chloride mixed together with water, cut into disks having an area dimension of about one square inch each. Airtight enclosures are provided to hold the self-heat articles of clothing and the self-heat blankets to prevent exposure to air and the oxygen in the air until they are to be used. When removed from the airtight enclosures, the self-heat disks become exposed to the oxygen in the air and begin the chemical reaction that generates the heat.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to the field of clothing with self-heat temperature rise or warming characteristics when exposed to oxygen after removal from an airtight storage pack, such as a survivor's kit, and put on a person's body, intended particularly for use in emergency situations when a person becomes stranded or trapped in a cold environment in which the person might otherwise freeze or suffer other adverse health consequences. The invention also relates to blankets having the same self-heat characteristics. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Prior to this invention, strips of fabric having self-heating characteristics have been available, such as the strips of fabric manufactured by Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio which they refer to as “air activated Heat Wraps.” Such fabric strips can be purchased of various lengths, and while those of an appropriate length can be wrapped around a person's arm or waist, they are not available in the form of an ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"This patent describes a type of clothing that has built-in heating technology. The clothing is made up of thin disks made of materials that generate heat when exposed to oxygen in the air. These disks are interleaved between folds of a loose weave fabric, like cotton, and held in place by the fabric. The clothing can be worn and will maintain heat for an extended period of time. It is designed to be held in place over the body's most important areas, like the chest and arms, even if the person falls asleep or becomes unconscious. The clothing can be stored in an airtight package to protect it from exposure to oxygen and can be re-cooled when no longer needed. Compared to traditional wraps, the clothing has a different structure that allows it to be held in place without needing a separate fastening means."

Problems solved by technology

In such case, whereas the item of clothing will remain in place while being worn, a length of fabric wrapped around a person's arm or waist is likely to fall away in which the unconscious person might die or suffer irreparable injury from exposure to the cold.

However, when such fabric strips or items of clothing are removed from the air tight enclosure and either wrapped around a portion of a person's body or in the case of such clothing put on for the person to wear, the disks within the loose woven fabric become exposed to the oxygen in the air and begin t heat up.

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