US1975329A - Fastening means for electric heating pads - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 2, 1934. p MaCSWEENEY 1,975,329

FASTENING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC HEATING PADS Filed Feb. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l B Y A TTbmvE y Oct. 2, 1934. J. P. M SWEENEY F'AS'I'EIIIIIG' MEANS FOR ELECTRIC HEATING PADS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1931 .INVENTOR JOSEPH P/Zvc Swarm-r 2% A TORNEY Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FASTENING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC HEATING PADS Application February 6, 1931, Serial No. 514,019

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electric heating pads and more especially to means for temporarily fastening such pads to any part of the body and one of the objects of the invention is to provide 5 such fastening means in combination with an auxiliary cover of pliable. thin and porous fabric which will not impair the heat radiating efiiciency of the electric heating pad and will form a protective and reinforcing casing for it.

Another object of this invention is to so attach the fastening means to the auxiliary cover that the heating pad can be fastened in place when placed around both large and small parts of the body.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be more readily apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment of my invention reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric heating pad provided with my combined auxiliary cover and fastening means.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the electric heating pad and cover illustrated in Figure 1, the dotted lines in this "figure showing how the fasten- ,ing means permit the enveloping of a small part of the body, such as an arm or limb, which makes necessary the overlapping of the sides of the electric heating pad.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the combined auxiliary cover and fastening means and the heating pad placed within the cover.

In the figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The auxiliary cover and fastening means for electric heating pads forming the subject matter of my present invention serves to materially increase the utility of such heating pads in addi- 40 tion to keeping the pad proper from being soiled. As illustrated in the figures the cover is made up in the form of a fiat and narrow bag I having its top left open. The electric heating pad 2 is inserted into the cover thru the open top until all but the upper end of the pad is surrounded by it. The material from which the bag shaped cover is made up is preferably a thin, flexible and porous or loosely woven fabric which permits a quick radiation of the heat generated by the heating pad. The electric cord 3 thru which the electric current is furnished to the pad and which is permanently attached to the pad and its heating unit, enters the open end of the cover so as not to interfere with the ready insertion of the pad into the cover 1 or its removal from it.

The fastening means proper are provided by one or more straps 4, 4 which are sewed or otherwise suitably fastened to one side of the cover as illustrated in Figure 1. These straps are also made up of flexible material and are fastened to the cover at an intermediate point with one end of the strap leading from the cover preferably longer than the other. The straps are fastened to one side of the cover but only for a short distance as illustrated in all of the figures. This is essential because it permits the folding of the pad with its cover around a small part of the body, such as an arm or limb, without impairing the function of the fastening straps. In folding the pad around a body-of small circumference, the ends of the pad must overlap each other as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2 and the portion of the sides of the cover which are free from the straps permit such an overlapping of the sides of the pad and cover without interference by the straps. Furthermore the straps are free to encircle the overlapped portions of the pad and cover and when the ends are tied together hold the cover and pad, including the overlapped portions thereof, firmly in place.

While I have shown three straps fastened to the cover, it is understood that but one or two may be used. On the other hand if two or more straps are provided on the cover only one of them may be used to fasten the heating pad and cover in place.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that, while the cover is not positively fastened to the heating pad, it provides a protective reinforcing casing for the pad which in turn provides positive means for fastening the pad in place as above pointed out. With the fastening straps fastened to the cover the pad may thus be fastened in place without in any way straining the structure of the heating pad proper.

In the modified form of the cover and its fas tening means illustrated in Figure 3, the straps 6, 6 are not permanently fastened to one side of the cover, but pass thru a series of eyelets 7, 7 which are inserted into the side of the cover. These eyelets are so arranged in the side of the cover that the straps 6, 6 may be passed therethru either parallel to the top and bottom or parallel to the ends of the pad or parallel to both the top and bottom and ends thereof. In this way the cover and its heating pad may be tied to the body in either direction.

I claim:

A flexible fabric cover for flexible electric heating pads, made up in the form of a thin bag to reduce its heat insulating property to a minimum, said bag having the outline and shape of the electrical pad and having one end of the bag open to permit the pad to slide in and out of the bag, a strap having an intermediate section thereof fastened to one side of the bag intermediate the top, bottom and ends thereof to per-

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