Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02694424 2010-02-23
1922
THERMALLY INSULATED PERSONAL ARTICLES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to thermally insulated articles worn by a mammal,
particularly
human beings, and particularly to articles of clothing and footwear.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Apparel and footwear worn by mammals, particularly human beings, are typically
thermally insulated by means of a thick or a plurality of wool or other fabric
layers per se or
insulative foam, wool or other fabric material between an inner lining and the
outer skin of
cloth making up the jacket, trousers, coats and the like.
At present, satisfactory insulated apparel in cold or very cold environments
generally
need to be bulky to provide a satisfactory comfort level.
There is, however, a need to provide thermally insulated clothing that
provides
satisfactory thermal insulation that is not relatively bulky.
Reflective metal polymeric insulation materials are known in the construction
industry, particularly for use in residential, commercial, and industrial
buildings and
establishments, wherein the insulation material is adjacent frame structures,
walls, crawl
spaces, ceilings, around water heaters and pipes and under concrete floors and
roads.
Examples of such uses are disclosed in United States Patent Nos. 6,322,873 -
issued
November 27, 2001 to Orologio, Furio and No. 6,562,439 - issued May 13, 2003
to
Orologio, Furio; and Canadian Patent No. 2,554,754 - issued December 4, 2007
to Orologio,
Furio.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides articles to be worn by a person in the form of
apparel
or clothing, such as, for example, jackets, coats, trousers, headgear, hats,
tuques, muffs and
gloves, as well as boots and shoes, insulated with a layer of a reflective
metal polymeric
insulating material.
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CA 02694424 2010-02-23
The layer of insulating material may be adhered, sewn or otherwise suitably
affixed
within or to the inner and/or outer layers of the article.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides an article having an inner
article
layer and an outer article layer to be worn by a mammal comprising a thermally
insulating
layer of a reflective metal polymeric insulation material adjacent to at least
one of said inner
and outer article layers.
Preferably, the invention provides an article as hereinabove defined selected
from the
group consisting of apparel, hats, tuques, muffs, gloves, boots and shoes.
Preferably, the apparel is selected from coats, trousers, vests, waistcoats
and dresses.
Preferably, the insulation material comprises a foam material selected from a
closed
cell foam, polyethylene foam, polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene
foam, multi-
film layers assembly, and a bubble pack.
Preferably, the invention provides an article wherein the bubble pack
comprises a first
thermoplastic film having a plurality of portions wherein each of said
portions defines a
cavity; a second thermoplastic film in sealed engagement with said first film
to provide a
plurality of closed said cavities.
Preferably, the invention provides an article comprising at least a single
layer
comprising a metal laminated to a thermoplastic layer or a metalized
thermoplastic layer.
More preferably, the invention provides an article wherein said material has a
first
face and a second face and comprises a laminated layer of metal adjacent or a
metalized layer
on at least one of said first face and said second face.
In further preferred embodiments, the invention provides an article comprising
a
bubble pack assembly having
(i) a first bubble pack having a first thermoplastic film having a plurality
of
portions wherein each of said portions defines a cavity and a second
thermoplastic film in
sealed engagement with said first film to provide a plurality of closed said
cavities; and
(ii) a second bubble-pack having a third thermoplastic film having a plurality
of
portions wherein each of said portions defines a cavity and a fourth
thermoplastic film in
sealed engagement with said third film to provide a plurality of closed said
cavities; and
(iii) a metal layer or metalized thermoplastic film interposed between and
bonded
to said first bubble pack and said second bubble pack.
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In further embodiments, the invention provides an article comprising a bubble
pack
assembly comprising:
(i) a first bubble-pack having a bubbled first thermoplastic film having a
plurality
of portions between said bubbles wherein each of said portions defines a
cavity and a second
thermoplastic film in heat sealed engagement with said first film to close
said cavities;
(ii) a second bubble-pack having a bubbled third thermoplastic film having a
plurality of portions between said bubbles wherein each of said portions
defines a cavity and
a fourth thermoplastic film in heat sealed engagement with said third film to
close said
cavities; and
(iii) a film selected from a metal laminate or a metalized thermoplastic film
interposed between said second and fourth thermoplastic films and laminated
thereto by heat-
sealing to provide said composite bubble pack assembly.
In further embodiments, the invention provides an article wherein said
metalized
thermoplastic or laminate is a layer interposed between a pair of polyethylene
films to
constitute a layer interposed between said first bubble-pack and said second
bubble-pack and
laminated thereto by heat sealing.
In further embodiments, the invention provides an article wherein at least one
of said
first, second, third, and fourth films is formed of a thermoplastic selected
from the group
consisting of a low density polyethylene, a linear low density polyethylene
and a nylon.
In yet further embodiments, the invention provides an article wherein said
bubble
pack further comprises one or more additional thermoplastic films.
In yet further embodiments, the invention provides an article having at least
one outer
layer of laminated metal or metalized film.
In yet further embodiments, the invention provides an article having two outer
layers
formed of laminated metal or metalized thermoplastic film.
In yet further embodiments, the invention provides an article further
comprising at
least one additional thermoplastic film.
In yet further embodiments, the invention provides an object wherein at least
one of
said first, second, third or fourth films is formed of a thermoplastics
material selected from
the group consisting of a low density polyethylene, a linear low density
polyethylene, an
ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer, a nylon, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride.
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In preferred embodiments, the invention provides an article wherein said
reflective
metal polymeric insulation material comprises aluminum.
In further embodiments, the invention provides an article wherein said
insulation
material has a first external outer layer and a second external outer layer
and wherein at least
one of said first and second outer layers has a plurality of external spacers
adhered to said
outer layer at suitable locations intermittent of said outer layer, and by
which said material is
retained to at least one of said inner and outer article layers.
In further embodiments, the invention provides an article wherein said bubble
pack
comprises a reflective metal polymeric insulation bubble pack assembly
comprising a first
reflective metal bubble pack; a second reflective metal bubble pack; and a
first plurality of
intervening bubble spacers suitably located between said first and said second
bubble packs
as to define at least one inner insulative air chamber between said first and
second bubble
packs.
The thickness and location of the insulative layer may be selected dependent
on the
particular article. A typical thickness of material for the inside of an
overcoat, between the
inner lining and outer cloth, such as, wool, or a waterproof outer layer is
preferably Xmm to
Ymm.
The insulation material, preferably, may be suitably sewn or adhered by an
adhesion
as is desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better understood, preferred embodiments
will now
be described by way of example only, with references to the accompanying
drawings wherein
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a person wearing apparel, footwear
and
headgear with a reflective metal polymeric insulation material according to
the invention;
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an article (in part) according to
the
invention;
Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views through a reflective
metal
insulation bubble pack having an interposed aluminum foil or metalized
polymeric film of
use in the practise of the invention;
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Figs. 5 to 16 represent diagrammatic, exploded sectional views of bubble pack
assemblies of use in the practise of the invention; and wherein the same
numerals denote like
parts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 shows generally as 1, a person 2, wearing headgear 3, jacket 4, gloves
5,
trousers 6 and boots 7 lined with reflective metal polymeric insulation
material according to
the invention.
With reference to Fig. 2, this shows generally as 100, a double layer, bubble-
pack
with aluminum foil insulation assembly adhered between the outer skin 202 and
inner lining
204 of a jacket material. The double layer consists of a pair of bubble arrays
120, 140
bonded together through an intervening low density polyethylene film 160.
Arrays, 120, 140
are formed of a plurality of bubble or sealed cavities 180, 200, respectively,
from a 5 mil
polyethylene film 220, 240, respectively. Each of films 220, 240 at their
outer surfaces is
bonded to a reflective aluminum foil 260, 280, respectively, to provide the
whole assembly
with external aluminum surfaces.
Assembly 100 has approximately twenty, 1 cm diameter, 0.5 cm high bubbles per
30
cm length and breadth within each of films 220, 240.
The aforesaid assembly 100 is made by a double hot roller thermal and vacuum
forming process for cavity forming and lamination sealing techniques known in
the art.
With reference to Fig. 3, this shows generally as 200 a composite double
bubble-pack
assembly according to the invention, having an aluminum foil 102 disposed
between and
bonded to bubble arrays 112 and 114 formed as for Fig. 2 assembly. Bubbles 118
and 120
are encapsulated between polyethylene films 116 and 128.
Aluminum foil 102 has a low emissivity value of less than 5% on each surface
to
essentially eliminate heat transfer by radiation.
Each of the single bubble-pack layers 112, 114 provides both thermal
conduction and
convection insulation, and, in combination with the aluminum surfaces,
excellent radiation
insulation.
The composite bubble-pack 100 offers significant resistance to heavy loading
whereby appreciate non-breakage of the air bubbles is often found. Preferably,
outer layers
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128 are made slightly thicker than inner layers 116 to better resist abrasion.
Additional water
resistance or abrasion resistant films may be bonded or formed laminated to
layer 128.
Further, in consequence that composite assemblies of the invention have better
thermal R-values than prior art assemblies, thinner or higher insulative
assemblies may be
provided.
Fig. 4 shows a bubble pack generally as 80 having a pair of insulative air
chambers 81
created by inner spacers 88 laminated to individual bubble packs 82, 84.
Fig. 4 assembly also has a plurality of external spacers 83 adhered to outer
layer 85 to
define with layer 85 open cavities 87, which when adhered or sewn to an inner
or outer lining
90 of an article provides a sealed insulative air chamber 89 from open
cavities 87 between the
bubble pack assembly 88 and lining 90. Assembly 88 has a pair of aluminum
laminate or
metalized films 92 adhered together.
With reference to Figs. 5 to 16 the following numerals denote the same
materials
throughout the drawings, as follows:-
12 - 48 gauge aluminum metalized polyester (PET) film;
14 - adhesive;
16 - 1.2 ml polyethylene film;
18 - 2.0 ml polyethylene film (bubbled);
- 1.2 ml ethylene vinyl acetate - polyethylene film;
20 22 - 2.0 ml polyethylene film;
24 - aluminum foil;
26 - polyester scrim;
FR denotes 18% w/w antimony oxide fire retardant;
W denotes presence of TiO2 pigment (white).
The bubble pack layer is preferably of a thickness selected from 0.5 cm to
1.25 cm.
The other polyethylene layers are each of a thickness, preferably, selected
from 1 to 6mls.
Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred
embodiments
of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted
to those particular
embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are
functional or
mechanical equivalence of the specific embodiments and features that have been
described
and illustrated.
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