Tri-modal localized heating garment

Abstract

A garment that heats a portion of a human body during warm-up prior to athletic endeavor having a heater pad member with a size between the size of a common index card and an ordinary sheet of paper for localized penetrating heating of tissue and muscles. Heating is achieved by electrical heating of a heater pad member having a reflective metal foil on one side of the heater pad and thermally conductive PVF sheets on the opposite side. On the one hand, the metal foil reflects optical radiation toward a human body, while on the other hand, the PVF sheets direct infrared radiation into the human body. Control electronics and the heater pad are contained in separate pockets of the garment that are electrically connected together.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A garment for localized heating of a human body member consisting of:
 an elastomeric wrap member having a thickness not exceeding 4 mm. and having opposed outer and inner major surfaces; the wrap member having a length that envelops a human body portion with the outer major surface facing away from the human body portion;   a heater pad member supported within a heater pad pocket in the wrap member with a thickness of less than 2 mm and having a non-woven electrically insulative and thermally conductive fabric confining a heater element with first and second ends; the heater pad member having a lengthwise dimension that is less than half the length of the wrap member′   a shiny, reflective metal foil member within the heater pad pocket of the wrap member with a first foil surface facing the heater pad member and a second foil surface facing the inner major surface of the wrap member, with areawise foil member dimensions generally corresponding to areawise dimensions of the heater pad member;   a plurality of laminated PVF sheets forming an infrared radiation transmitting member generally corresponding in areawise dimensions to the heater pad member, the PVF sheets having a combined thickness of less than one millimeter, and having opposed major surfaces with one major surface facing the heater pad member, and one major surface arranged for facing a human body member, the foil member and PVF sheets sandwiching the heater pad member therebetween, all within the heater pad pocket;   at least one closed power pack pocket in the wrap member containing a removable flat battery, the power pack pocket laterally near the heater pad pocket, the battery having a battery electrode electrically communicating power to a first end of the heater element of the heater pad member; and   a closed controller pocket with control electronics electrically connected between the power communicating battery electrode and the first end of the heater element, and a temperature sensor member associated with the controller pocket producing electrical signals governing temperature, the sensor having a temperature set point indicative of a predetermined maximum temperature so that the wrap member maintains a human body member near the predetermined maximum temperature;   whereby the reflective foil directs optical radiation from the heater pad member towards a human body member and the PVF sheets direct infrared radiation towards the human body member, while the heater pad member thermally conducts heat towards the human body member.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1  having two heater pad members. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the temperature sensor member is a thermistor. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the temperature sensor is connected to an auxiliary resistor array for achieving a user-selected maximum temperature that allows manual selection of one temperature of a series of temperatures in a range of maximum temperatures between 110 degrees F. and 135 degrees F. 
     
     
         5 . A garment for localized heating of a human body member consisting of:
 an elastomeric wrap member having opposed outer and inner major surfaces, the wrap member having a length that envelops a human body portion with the outer major surface facing away from the human body portion;   a heater pad member supported within a heater pad pocket in the wrap member, having an electrically insulative and thermally conductive fabric confining a heater element with first and second ends, the heater pad member having a lengthwise dimension that is less than half the length of the wrap member for localized penetrating heating of tissue and muscles during warm-up prior to athletic endeavor;   a shiny, reflective metal foil member within the heater pad pocket of the wrap member with a first foil surface facing the heater pad member and a second foil surface facing the inner major surface of the wrap member, with areawise foil member dimensions generally corresponding to areawise dimensions of the heater pad member;   a plurality of laminated PVF sheets forming an infrared radiation transmitting member generally corresponding in areawise dimensions to the heater pad member, the PVF sheets having a combined thickness of less than one millimeter, and having opposed major surfaces with one major surface facing the heater pad member, and one major surface arranged for facing a human body member, the foil member and PVF sheets sandwiching the heater pad member therebetween, all within the heater pad pocket;   at least one additional pocket in the wrap member laterally near the heater pad pocket, the at least one additional pocket containing battery-powered control electronics, the battery having a battery electrode electrically communicating power to the control electronics and to a first end of the heater element of the heater pad member through the control electronics; and   a temperature sensor member associated with the controller producing electrical signals governing temperature, the sensor having a temperature set point indicative of a predetermined maximum temperature so that the wrap member maintains a human body member near the predetermined maximum temperature;   whereby the reflective foil directs optical radiation from the heater pad member towards a human body member and the PVF sheets direct infrared radiation towards the human body member, while the heater pad thermally conducts heat towards the human body member.   
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5  having two heater pad members. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein
 the temperature sensor member is a thermistor; and 
 the temperature sensor is connected to an auxiliary resistor array for achieving a user-selected maximum temperature that allows manual selection of one temperature of a series of temperatures in a range of maximum temperatures between 110 degrees F. and 135 degrees F. 
 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 7  wherein
 to control the temperature a proportional integral (PI) control loop, using pulse width modulation (PWM) as the output signal to modulate current through thermal resistor is used; 
 the duty cycle the width of the pulses in a high state; and 
 the PI control loop (Proportional Integrative control loop) uses the thermistor to read temperature of the heating element to tell the controller how close the real temperature to the value that the system wants to get; and 
 the proportional part of the control increases or reduces the duty cycle of the PWM according to how close the real temperature to the final value. 
 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein the heater pad member has a size proportioned to a specific body part to be heated for localized penetrating heating of tissue and muscles. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein the heater pad member has a size proportioned to a specific body part to be heated for localized penetrating heating of tissue and muscles during warm-up prior to athletic endeavor. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein
 the element is connected to a USB type C connector; 
 the USB type C connector allows the battery to be charged as well as controlling and send current to the heating element for heat generation through a nichrome wire in the heating element. 
 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 11  wherein the USB-C connector has two functions,
 First the USB-C connector is used to connect a wall charger to let the battery to be charged with a Quick Charge 3.0 protocol, using the D+ and D− USB pins to communicate with the wall charger to ask for certain voltage levels to accomplish a quick charge; and 
 the second function is to connect the heating element, where VBUS and GND are for passing current through the thermal resistor, and using two more pins to read temperature values from the thermistor. 
 
     
     
         13 . A garment for localized heating of a human body member consisting of:
 an elastomeric wrap member having a thickness not exceeding 4 mm and having opposed outer and inner major surfaces, the wrap member having a length that envelops a human body portion with the outer major surface facing away from the human body portion;   a heater pad member supported within a heater pad pocket in the wrap member, with a thickness of less than 2 mm and having a non-woven electrically insulative and thermally conductive fabric confining a heater element with first and second ends;   a shiny, reflective metal foil member within the heater pad pocket of the wrap member with a first foil surface facing the heater pad member and a second foil surface facing the inner major surface of the wrap member, with areawise foil member dimensions generally corresponding to areawise dimensions of the heater pad member;   a plurality of laminated PVF sheets forming an infrared radiation transmitting member generally corresponding in areawise dimensions to the heater pad member, the PVF sheets having a combined thickness of less than one millimeter, and having opposed major surfaces with one major surface facing the heater pad member, and one major surface arranged for facing a human body member, the foil member and PVF sheets sandwiching the heater pad member therebetween, all within the heater pad pocket;   at least one additional pocket in the wrap member laterally near the heater pad pocket, the at least one additional pocket containing battery-powered control electronics, the battery having a battery electrode electrically communicating power to the control electronics and to a first end of the heater element of the heater pad member through the control electronics; and   a temperature sensor member associated with the controller producing electrical signals governing temperature, the sensor having a temperature set point indicative of a predetermined maximum temperature so that the wrap member maintains a human body member near the predetermined maximum temperature;   whereby the reflective foil directs optical radiation from the heater pad member towards a human body member and the PVF sheets direct infrared radiation towards the human body member, while the heater pad thermally conducts heat towards the human body member.   
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 13  having two heater pad members. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 13  wherein
 the temperature sensor member is a thermistor; and 
 the temperature sensor is connected to an auxiliary resistor array for achieving a user-selected maximum temperature that allows manual selection of one temperature of a series of temperatures in a range of maximum temperatures between 110 degrees F. and 135 degrees F. 
 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 15  wherein
 to control the temperature a proportional integral (PI) control loop, using pulse width modulation (PWM) as the output signal to modulate current through thermal resistor is used; 
 the duty cycle the width of the pulses in a high state; and 
 the PI control loop (Proportional Integrative control loop) uses the thermistor to read temperature of the heating element to tell the controller how close the real temperature to the value that the system wants to get; and 
 the proportional part of the control increases or reduces the duty cycle of the PWM according to how close the real temperature to the final value. 
 
       The Integrative part makes an addition of previous temperature values read plus the actual value multiplied by a constant determined by the nature of the system (transfer function) to stabilize effects like overdamping and reaching a more accurate final temperature value. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 13  wherein the heater pad member has a size proportioned to a specific body part to be heated for localized penetrating heating of tissue and muscles during warm-up prior to athletic endeavor. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 13  wherein
 the element is connected to a USB type C connector; 
 the USB type C connector allows the battery to be charged as well as controlling and send current to the heating element for heat generation through a nichrome wire in the heating element. 
 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 18  wherein the USB-C connector has two functions,
 First the USB-C connector is used to connect a wall charger to let the battery to be charged with a Quick Charge 3.0 protocol, using the D+ and D− USB pins to communicate with the wall charger to ask for certain voltage levels to accomplish a quick charge; and 
 the second function is to connect the heating element, where VBUS and GND are for passing current through the thermal resistor and using two more pins to read temperature values from the thermistor.