U.S. patent application number 16/903650 was filed with the patent office on 2020-12-24 for conforming heating pad.
The applicant listed for this patent is Sunbeam Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Matthew Allen Johnson, Sergiu Mihail Pop.
Application Number | 20200404749 16/903650 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004917147 |
Filed Date | 2020-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200404749 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pop; Sergiu Mihail ; et
al. |
December 24, 2020 |
CONFORMING HEATING PAD
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a heating pad that
conforms to body parts of a user. The conforming heating pad can be
worn to provide heat relief on different parts of a user's body. In
an embodiment, a conforming heating pad includes a first layer on a
posterior side of the heating pad, a second layer, a third layer,
and a fourth layer on an anterior side of the heating pad. A
continuous heating element is distributed throughout the second
layer. The continuous heating element is capable of being
selectively heated to increase the temperature of the heating pad.
The third layer has a plurality of cavities formed in it. Each
cavity holds a plurality of beads. When the heating pad is applied
to a body portion of a user, the weight of the beads applies a
force against the conductive heating element, the second layer, and
the first layer to thereby conform them to the body portion of the
user.
Inventors: |
Pop; Sergiu Mihail; (Lake
Worth, FL) ; Johnson; Matthew Allen; (South Haven,
MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sunbeam Products, Inc. |
Boca Raton |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004917147 |
Appl. No.: |
16/903650 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62863073 |
Jun 18, 2019 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F 7/08 20130101; H05B
2203/002 20130101; H05B 3/342 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H05B 3/34 20060101
H05B003/34 |
Claims
1. A heating pad comprising: a first layer on a posterior side of
the heating pad; a second layer having a continuous heating element
distributed throughout the second layer, wherein the continuous
heating element is selectively heated to increase the temperature
of the heating pad; a third layer having a plurality of cavities
formed therein, wherein at least one of said plurality of cavities
holds at least one bead; and a fourth layer on an anterior side of
the heating pad; and wherein the weight of the beads applies a
force against the conductive heating element, the second layer, and
the first layer to thereby conform them to a body portion of a user
of the heating pad.
2. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the first layer is comprised
of a single-sided fabric.
3. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the second layer is
comprised of a nylon material.
4. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the third layer is comprised
of a polyester fabric.
5. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the fourth layer is
comprised of a fleece material.
6. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cavities is
arranged in a grid pattern.
7. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the at least one bead is
comprised of at least one of glass and ceramic.
8. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cavities is
formed by a plurality of opposite-facing dimples.
9. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein the conductive heating
element is surrounded by an insulative material.
10. The heating pad of claim 1, wherein a controller is provided in
electronic communication with the conductive heating element.
11. A heating pad comprising: a first layer on a posterior side of
the heating pad; a second layer having a heating element
distributed throughout the second layer, wherein the continuous
heating element is capable of being selectively heated to increase
the temperature of the heating pad; a third layer having a
plurality of beads; and a fourth layer on an anterior side of the
heating pad; and wherein the weight of the beads applies a force
against the conductive heating element, the second layer, and the
first layer to thereby conform them to a body portion of a user of
the heating pad.
12. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the first layer is
comprised of a single-sided fabric.
13. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the second layer is
comprised of a nylon material.
14. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the third layer is
comprised of a polyester fabric.
15. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the fourth layer is
comprised of a fleece material.
16. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the third layer includes a
plurality of cavities to hold the plurality of beads.
17. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the plurality of beads is
comprised of at least one of glass and ceramic.
18. The heating pad of claim 16, wherein the plurality of cavities
is formed by a plurality of opposite-facing dimples.
19. The heating pad of claim 11, wherein the conductive heating
element is surrounded by an insulative material.
20. The heating pad of claim 16, wherein the plurality of cavities
is arranged in a grid pattern.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 62/863,073, filed on Jun. 18, 2019, entitled
"CONFORMING HEATING PAD" currently pending, the entire disclosure
of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to heating pads, and more
particularly, to a flexible heating pad that conforms to body parts
of a wearer.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Clinical studies have shown that the application of heat can
provide relief for muscle and joint pain. Current heating pads are
stiff and rigid, which prevents them from conforming to certain
body parts.
[0004] For example, current rigid heating pads are unable to
contour to curved and complex body parts, such as a shoulder, a
knee, an elbow, an ankle, or a foot. The inability of current
heating pads to conform to certain body parts impedes proper heat
transfer contact to a user when placing the current heating pad,
especially on the certain, complex body parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is directed to a heating mechanism
that conforms to body portions of a user. In an embodiment, a
heating pad includes a first layer on a posterior side of the
heating pad. It further may include a second layer, a third layer,
and a fourth layer on an anterior side of the heating pad. A
continuous heating element is distributed throughout the second
layer. The continuous heating element is capable of being
selectively heated to increase the temperature of the heating pad.
The third layer has a plurality of cavities formed in it. Each
cavity holds a plurality of beads. When the heating pad is applied
to a body portion of a user, the weight of the beads applies a
force against the conductive heating element, the second layer, and
the first layer to thereby conform them to the body portion of the
user.
[0006] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter.
The detailed description and specific examples, while indicating
the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for
purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the
scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] A more complete understanding of the present invention, and
the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily
understood by reference to the following detailed description when
considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the conforming heating
pad conforming to a shoulder, upper back, and neck portion of a
user;
[0009] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of the conforming heating
pad; and
[0010] FIG. 3 depicts contoured states of the conforming heating
pad and a controller of the conforming heating pad.
[0011] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by
way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in
detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and
detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the
disclosure to the particular embodiments disclosed, but on the
contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present disclosure is directed to a conforming heating
pad having improved flexibility and conformability to body parts.
The conforming heating pad utilizes a unique heating wire pattern,
reduced pad materials, a lightly weighted layer of (e.g., glass)
beads, and outer layers comprised of soft, flexible materials. The
conforming heating pad of the present disclosure easily flexes to
contour to the shape of any body part for more effective pain
relief (relative to conventional heating pads) by creating more
contact points to the user's body and ensuring better heat
transfer. The conforming heating pad described herein can use an
electrical power source (e.g., alternating current power, a
battery, USB power source, etc.) to provide electric current to a
heating wire distributed throughout a layer of the conforming
heating pad.
[0013] The present disclosure will now be described with reference
to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to
like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the
characteristics of the present disclosure, proportional
relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained
in the drawing figures.
[0014] The present disclosure is directed to a conforming heating
pad 2. Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference
designators refer to like elements, there is shown in FIGS. 1-3
views of an example embodiment of the conforming heating pad 2 in
accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates the
conforming heating pad 2 conforming to a shoulder, upper back, and
neck portion of a user. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the conforming
heating pad 2 flexes to contour to the shape of the shoulder, upper
back, and neck portion of the user's body for more effective pain
relief (relative to conventional heating pads) by creating more
contact points to the user's body and thus ensuring better heat
transfer.
[0015] In an example embodiment, the conforming heating pad 2 may
be a planar rectangular member. The conforming heating pad 2
preferably includes at least four flexible layers. The layers
preferably help allow the heating pad 2 to conform to the part of
the user's body onto which the conforming heating pad 2 is placed.
In a first embodiment and as shown in FIG. 2, the layers of the
conforming heating pad 2 include a first layer 4 that covers a
posterior side of the conforming heating pad 2 and is positioned
adjacent to the user when the conforming heating pad 2 is worn. The
first layer 4 is the layer that comes into contact with the user's
skin or clothing and preferably provides a comfortable surface that
does not irritate the skin of the user when the conforming heating
pad 2 is worn and is also able to transfer heat. The first layer 4
may be comprised of a single-sided fabric including soft,
velvet-like fibers (e.g., microplush.RTM. fabric, etc.) in some
embodiments.
[0016] The conforming heating pad 2 preferably further includes a
second layer 6 anterior to the first layer 4 which provides a
surface on which a conductive heating element 8 may be attached.
The second layer 6 may be comprised of a flexible material, such as
nylon, for example. The conductive heating element 8 is distributed
throughout the length and width of the conforming heating pad 2. In
an embodiment, the conductive heating element 8 is distributed
throughout the conforming heating pad 2 in a serpentine-like
pattern as illustrated in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the
conductive heating element 8 is attached to the second layer 6 by
threads or the like. The conductive heating element 8 is
electrically coupled to one or more heating element connectors for
connecting the conductive heating element 8 to an electrical
connector. The electrical connector is in turn connected to an
electric controller and/or electric power source, as will be
explained in more detail hereinafter. The conductive heating
element 8 can be in the form of a conductive wire or conductive
thread. For example, the conductive heating element 8 may be
comprised of a thin copper wire. However, it will be appreciated by
persons skilled in the art that the conductive heating element 8
can be comprised of any material that conducts electric current but
also has electrical resistivity such that the electric current is
at least partially converted to heat energy when flowing through
the conductive heating element 8. In some embodiments, the
conductive heating element 8 is electrically insulated with an
insulating material (e.g., a sheath, jacket, etc.) that prevents
electric current from flowing from the conductive heating element 8
to other components of the conforming heating pad 2 but also
conducts heat energy generated by the conductive heating element 8
to other components of the conforming heating pad 2 and/or portions
of the user's body.
[0017] The conforming heating pad 2 further includes a third layer
10 that is anterior relative to each of the layers 4, 6. The second
layer 6 and the conductive heating element 8 are therefore located
and positioned in between the first layer 4 and the third layer 10.
The third layer 10 includes a posterior third layer 10A and an
anterior third layer 10B that each have one or more dimples 12
formed therein. The posterior third layer 10A and the anterior
third layer 10B may be comprised of a flexible material, such as
polyester fabric (e.g., high density polyester fabric), for
example. When the posterior third layer 10A and the anterior third
layer 10B are arranged adjacent to each other, the dimples 12 of
each layer are aligned such that two opposing dimples 12 (i.e., a
dimple 12 of the posterior third layer 10A and a dimple 12 of the
anterior third layer 10B) form a cavity configured to hold beads
14. The beads 14 may be comprised of glass, ceramic, or the like.
In some embodiments, the dimples 12 are formed in the posterior
third layer 10A and the anterior third layer 10B in a grid pattern
(e.g., a 5.times.5 grid, etc.) such that the beads 14, and thus the
weight of the beads 14, are evenly distributed throughout the third
layer 10.
[0018] When the conforming heating pad 2 is placed on a body
portion of a user, the weight of the beads 14 applies a force
against the conductive heating element 8, the second layer 6, and
the first layer 4 to help conform them to the wearer's body
portion. This preferably keep the conforming heating pad 2 in place
and snug against the wearer's body portion. In some embodiments,
the size of the beads 14 is fine (e.g., within a range of about 0.8
millimeters in diameter to about 1.5 millimeters in diameter,
etc.), and the beads 14 may have a high density and smooth
surfaces. The high density and smooth shape allow the beads 14 to
be very fluid or dynamic when the conforming heating pad 2 is moved
or re-arranged on a body portion of the user. In some embodiments,
beads 14 act as a thermal insulator, which helps increase heat
retention properties of the conforming heating pad 2.
[0019] As illustrated, the conforming heating pad 2 further
includes a fourth layer 16 that is anterior to all of the layers 4,
6, 10. The third layer 10 and the beads 14 are therefore located
and positioned in between the second layer 6 and the fourth layer
16. The fourth layer 16 may be comprised of a fleece material, for
example. The visible outer layers of the conforming heating pad 2
include the first layer 4 and the fourth layer 16, where only the
fourth layer 16 is visible when the conforming heating pad 2 is
worn.
[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the conforming heating pad 2 can
be rolled up (e.g., for storage purposes, etc.). An electric
controller 30 is selectively connectable to the conductive heating
element 8, such that when an electric current is supplied from the
electric controller 30 through the conductive heating element 8,
heat is produced. The produced heat is transferable from the
conductive heating element 8 through the second layer 6 and the
first layer 4 to the portion of the user's body upon which the
conforming heating pad 2 is placed/secured. The electric controller
30 includes control circuitry for controlling an operational status
of the conforming heating pad 2 and/or the flow of electrical
current through the conductive heating element 8. For example, the
electric controller 30 may include at least one selection mechanism
and one or more indicators. The at least one selection mechanism
can enable a human user to select (e.g., push, turn, etc.) the
selection mechanism to turn the power on or off and/or to adjust
the temperature setting of the electric controller 30 until the
desired heat setting (e.g., low, medium, high, etc.) has been
reached. The one or more indicators can indicate the status of the
conductive heating element 8, on or off, or a temperature setting
of the conforming heating pad 2. The electric controller 30 may
include a housing that can be any shape and size as long as it is
able to surround the electronics and circuitry components of the
controller 30. In one embodiment, the one or more indicators of the
controller 30 may be visual indicators in the form of one or more
light-emitting diode (LED) lights that preferably will indicate
whether the controller 30 has power and/or its temperature setting.
In one embodiment, a series of three LED lights may turn on or
change different colors, notifying the user of the selected
pre-determined temperature setting. In the same or another
embodiment, another LED light may turn on or change different
colors, notifying the user of the operational state (e.g., on or
off) of the electric controller 30.
[0021] In certain embodiments, the conforming heating pad 2
described herein provides a high (e.g., about 145 degrees
Fahrenheit) level of heat, a quick (e.g., a high heat-up time of
about 15 minutes, but the user can feel the heat in about 30
seconds) heat-up time (e.g., via XpressHeat.TM. heating pad
technology), extreme flexibility compared to current heating pad
construction, a weighted bead layer to assist with conformability
to body portions of a user, and/or multiple heat settings. In some
embodiments, the conforming heating pad 2 is washable. The
contouring pad profile of the conforming heating pad 2 creates
better contact points between the conductive heating element 8 and
body portions of a user, which provides enhanced heat transfer for
more effective pain relief compared to current heating pads.
[0022] All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by
reference in their entirety.
[0023] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly
shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was
made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the
accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications
and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without
departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is
limited only by the following claims.
* * * * *