Electric heating/warming fabric articles

1. A method of forming a fabric article adapted to generate heat upon application of electrical power, said method comprising:

joining, in a continuous web, by a reverse plaiting circular knitting process, a stitch yarn and a loop yarn to form a fabric prebody, the stitch yarn forming a technical face of the fabric prebody and the loop yarn forming a technical back of the fabric prebody, the loop yarn forming in loops that overlay the stitch yarn at the technical face and at the technical back of the fabric prebody;

at spaced-apart intervals, incorporating into the fabric prebody an electrical resistance heating element, laid in in the welt position;

forming the fabric prebody into a fabric body, with the electrical resistance heating elements extending between opposite edge regions of the fabric body; and

providing conductive elements for connecting the electrical resistance heating elements to a source of electrical power.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laid in electrical resistance heating element is in tuck-welt configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laid in electrical resistance heating element is in knit-welt configuration.

4. The method of claim 2 or 3 , comprising the further step of finishing at least one of said technical face and said technical back of the fabric body, in a manner avoiding damage to electrical conductivity of the electrical resistance heating elements, to form a fleece surface region.

5. The method of claim 2 or 3 , comprising the further steps of finishing the technical face of the fabric body, in a manner to avoid damage to electrical conductivity of the electrical resistance heating elements, to form a first fleece surface region, and finishing the technical back of the fabric body in a manner to avoid damage to electrical conductivity of the electrical resistance heating elements to form a second fleece surface region.

6. The method of claim 2 or 3 , comprising the further step of applying, directly to the continuous web, the conductive elements for connecting the electrical resistance heating elements to a source of electrical power.

7. The method of claim 2 or 3 , comprising the further step of incorporating into fabric prebody the electrical resistance heating element in the form of a conductive yarn comprising a core of insulating material and an electrical resistance heating filament disposed generally about said core.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the conductive yarn further comprises a sheath material generally surrounding said electrical resistance heating filament and said core.

9. The method of claim 7 , comprising the further step of forming the sheath material by wrapping said electrical resistance heating filament and said core with yarn.

10. The method of claim 2 or 3 , comprising the further step of incorporating into the fabric prebody the electrical resistance heating element in the form of a conductive yarn comprising an electrical resistance heating filament.

11. The method of claim 2 or 3 comprising the further step of connecting the conductive element to a source of electric power and generating heat.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising the further step of connecting the conductive element to a source of electric power comprising alternating current and generating heat.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising the further step of connecting the conductive element to a source of electric power comprising direct current and generating heat.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising the further step of connecting the conductive element to a source of electric power comprising direct current in the form of a battery and generating heat.

15. The method of claim 13 comprising the further step of connecting the conductive element to a source of electric power comprising direct current in the form of a battery mounted to the fabric article and generating heat.

16. The method of claim 2 or 3 , further comprising:

limiting formation of loops to a central region of the fabric prebody, the central region being spaced from edge regions in the fabric body; and

providing the conductive elements for connecting the electrical resistance heating elements to a source of electrical power in the edge regions of the fabric body.

17. The method of claim 2 or 3 comprising the further step of rendering the yarns of said fabric body hydrophilic.

18. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of rendering the yarns of said fabric body hydrophobic.

19. A fabric article adapted to generate heat upon application of electrical power, comprising:

a fabric body;

a plurality of spaced apart electrical resistance heating elements incorporated into said fabric body, laid in, in the welt position, and extending generally between opposite edge regions of said fabric body; and

electrical conductor elements extending generally along said opposite edge regions of said fabric body and adapted to connect said plurality of spaced apart electrical resistance heating elements to a source of electrical power.

20. The fabric article of claim 19 , wherein said laid in electrical conductor elements are in tuck-welt configuration.

21. The fabric article of claim 19 , wherein said laid in electrical conductor elements are in knit-welt configuration.

22. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical conductor elements are adapted for connecting said plurality of spaced-apart electrical resistance heating elements to a power source of alternating current.

23. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical conductor elements are adapted for connecting said plurality of spaced-apart electrical resistance heating elements to a power source of direct current.

24. The fabric article of claim 23 , wherein said power source of direct current comprises a battery.

25. The fabric article of claim 24 , wherein said battery is mounted to said fabric body.

26. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said fabric article further comprises a power source connected to said plurality of spaced apart electrical resistance heating elements by said electrical conductor elements, said power source comprising a battery mounted to said fabric body.

27. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein a series of at least three electrical resistance heating elements of said plurality of electrical resistance heating elements are symmetrically spaced.

28. The fabric article of claim 27 , wherein a series of at least three electrical resistance heating elements of said plurality of electrical resistance heating elements are asymmetrically spaced.

29. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein a series of at least three electrical resistance heating elements of said plurality of electrical resistance heating elements are asymmetrically spaced.

30. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said fabric body comprises a knitted body.

31. The fabric article of claim 30 , wherein said fabric body comprises a reverse plaited circular knitted body.

32. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said fabric body comprises a woven body.

33. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said fabric body comprises hydrophilic material.

34. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said fabric body comprises hydrophobic material.

35. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said fabric body has a technical face formed by a stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn.

36. The fabric article of claim 35 , wherein said loop yarn forms loops that overlay the stitch yarn at the technical face and the technical back of the fabric body.

37. The fabric article of claim 35 , wherein said fabric body has loops formed only in a center region.

38. The fabric article of claim 35 , wherein said fabric body has a fleece formed upon at least one of said technical back and said technical face.

39. The fabric article of claim 38 , wherein said fabric body has a fleece formed upon both of said technical back and said technical face.

40. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical conductor elements, at least in part, are applied as a conductive paste.

41. The fabric article of claim 40 , wherein said electrical conductor elements comprise a conductive wire.

42. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical conductor elements, at least in part, are applied as a conductive hot melt adhesive.

43. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has the form of a conductive yarn comprising a core of insulating material, an electrical resistance heating filament disposed generally about said core, and a sheath material generally surrounding said electrical resistance heating filament and said core.

44. The fabric article of claim 43 , wherein said core comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

45. The fabric article of claim 44 , wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

46. The fabric article of claim 44 , wherein said synthetic material is nylon.

47. The fabric article of claim 43 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament wrapped helically about said core.

48. The fabric article of claim 47 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments wrapped helically about said core.

49. The fabric article of claim 47 , wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

50. The fabric article of claim 43 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

51. The fabric article of claim 50 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance of about 1.9 ohm/cm.

52. The fabric article of claim 43 , wherein said sheath material comprises yarn wrapped about said electrical resistance heating filament and said core.

53. The fabric article of claim 52 , wherein said sheath material comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

54. The fabric article of claim 53 , wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

55. The fabric article of claim 53 , wherein said synthetic material is nylon.

56. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has the form of a conductive yarn comprising an electrical resistance heating filament and a sheath material generally surrounding said electrical resistance heating filament.

57. The fabric article of claim 56 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament.

58. The fabric article of claim 56 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments.

59. The fabric article of claim 57 , wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

60. The fabric article of claim 56 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

61. The fabric article of claim 56 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance of about 1.9 ohm/cm.

62. The fabric article of claim 56 , wherein said sheath material comprises yarn wrapped about said electrical resistance heating filament.

63. The fabric article of claim 62 , wherein said sheath material comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

64. The fabric article of claim 63 , wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

65. The fabric article of claim 63 , wherein said synthetic material is nylon.

66. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has the form of a conductive yarn comprising a core of insulating material and an electrical resistance heating filament disposed generally about said core.

67. The fabric article of claim 66 , wherein said core comprises a yarn of synthetic material.

68. The fabric article of claim 67 , wherein said synthetic material is polyester.

69. The fabric article of claim 67 , wherein said synthetic material is nylon.

70. The fabric article of claim 66 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element comprises at least one metal filament.

71. The fabric article of claim 70 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments.

72. The fabric article of claim 70 , wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

73. The fabric article of claim 66 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

74. The fabric article of claim 67 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance of about 1.9 ohm/cm.

75. The fabric article of claim 67 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance of about 2.5 ohm/cm.

76. The fabric article of claim 20 or 21 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has the form of a conductive yarn comprising an electrical resistance heating filament.

77. The fabric article of claim 76 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least one metal filament.

78. The fabric article of claim 76 , wherein said electrical resistance heating filament comprises at least three metal filaments.

79. The fabric article of claim 77 , wherein said at least one metal filament of said electrical resistance heating element is formed of stainless steel.

80. The fabric article of claim 76 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance in the range of about 0.1 ohm/cm to about 500 ohm/cm.

81. The fabric article of claim 76 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance of about 1.9 ohm/cm.

82. The fabric article of claim 76 , wherein said electrical resistance heating element has electrical resistance of about 2.5 ohm/cm.