GB2069320A - Heated garment - Google Patents

Abstract

According to this invention a garment 10 for warming the body incorporates a material having internal interconnected cells, a heater 12 arranged to deliver heated air to said cells, the interconnections being closed at predetermined places so as to obtain distribution of heated air throughout predetermined parts of said garment. The garment may be either a jacket or a survival sleeping bag. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cold weather clothing This invention relates to garments for use in low temperature environments.

It used to be widely believed one of the most effective ways of conserving body heat was to cover the body extremities particularly the hands and head. It has now been realised however that the natural reaction of the body to cold is to reduce heat losses from the extremities and that a much more effective contribution to the maintenance of body warmth can be obtained by warming the torso.

According to the invention there is provided a garment for warming the body, incorporating a material having internal interconnected cells, a heater arranged to deliver heated air to said cells, the interconnections being arranged so as to obtain distribution of heated air throughout predetermined parts of said garment.

The term garment as used herein is intended to include not only clothing for wear but other coverings or parts thereof such as bed clothing, sleeping bags and the like.

The invention is particularly adapted for use with survival sleeping bags, with a jacket or jerkin such as might be worn by persons engaged in outdoor pursuits for example in the construction industry, in railway track maintenance and the like.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention a garment in the form of a jerkin has a heater provided at the front and the internal channelling of the garment is such that heated air is conducted over one shoulder, across the back and back over the other shoulder.

In another embodiment of the invention the garment comprises a pad for use with a sleeping bag. The pad is preferably large enough to extend substantially the full length of the bag. At the top end a loop is formed to which the heater is connected, the loop being adapted to fit over the shoulders of the user.

The heater for use with the present invention is preferably of the kind which produces heat by controlled combustion of charcoal and delivering a stream of heated air by means of a fan. Such a heater is described in U.S. Patent No. 3809526.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a jerkin; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the jerkin of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pad for a sleeping bag and; Fig. 4 illustrates the pad of Fig. 3 in use.

Referring to the drawing a sleeveless jerkin 10 of weatherproof material is provided at its front with a detachable heater 12 of the kind described in U.S. Patent No. 3809526. The outlet 14 and return 1 6 of the heater are connected to the straps 1 8 of a "bib" 20 located on the back of the jerkin and made of an internally interconnected cellular material such as that manufactured by Uniroyal Limited and designated by them 60620/1/1 and 6027/1/1.

The bib 20 is fixed to the jerkin by any suitable means. If desired it can be disposed inside the jerkin, appropriate apertures being provided to permit connection thereof with the external heater. To obtain distribution of heated air in the bib the interconnection between the cells are closed, for example along the dotted line 22. This closing of the interconnections can be obtained for example by hot melt compression.

If desired the entire garment may be made of cellular material. Generally that is not necessary since adequate warmth can be obtained by heating selected areas of the body. The invention is not confined to a jerkin and may be used in connection with any garment.

Referring now to Fig. 3 a pad 30 for a survival bag comprises a sheet of cellular material formed with a substantially central internal partition 32 so as to channel air flow therein as illustrated by the arrows. At one end of the pad a loop 34 of material is formed which is attached to a heater 36 of the kind described in U.S. Patent No.

3809526.

In use, as shown in Fig. 4, the pad is placed in a survival bag 38 so as to be underneath the user whose head projects through the loop thus bringing the heater 36 onto his chest. Since the user is in this instance resting on the pad it is important that the fabric thereof should not be crushed such that the flow of air therethrough is interrupted and the effectiveness of the pad to combat hypothermia impaired. To deal with that the pad is preferably made of non-crushable material such as tubing containing stiffening ribs.

A particularly advantageous kind of such tubing, known per se, comprises a sheet of fabric having pockets for plastic stiffening pieces.

Claims (9)

1. A garment for warming the body incorporating a material having internal connecting cells, a heater arranged to deliver heated air to said cells, the inter connections being arranged so as to obtain distribution of heated air throughout predetermined part of said garment.

2. A garment according to Claim 1 wherein said material is secured to the exterior of the garment.

3. A garment according to Claim 1 wherein said material is disposed inside the garment.

4. A garment according to any preceding claim wherein said predetermined parts of said garment comprise the parts covering the upper torso of a wearer.

5. A garment according to any preceding claim wherein said heater comprises a combustion heater and a fan.

6. A garment according to any preceding claim wherein said closure of interconnections is achieved by hot melt compression.

7. A sleeping bag according to any preceding claim.

8. A jacket according to Claims 1 to 6.

9. A garment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.