US2495356A

US2495356A - Heat therapy appliance

Info

Publication number: US2495356A
Application number: US706665A
Authority: US
Inventors: George C Tong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-10-30
Filing date: 1946-10-30
Publication date: 1950-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1967-01-24

Description

Jan. 24, 1950 G. c. TONG HEAT THERAPY APPLIANCE Filed Oct. so, 1946 HJNVENTOR. GEORGE C. TONG Patented Jan. 24, 1950 George C. Tong, St. Louis, Mo. Application October 30, 1946, Serial No. 706,665

4 Claims. (01. 219- 46 This invention relates generally to heating, and particularly to a body warming apparatus.

While it is familiar fact that the application of heat to the human body is conducive to relaxation and assists in the restoration of health and proper functioning of the various parts of the body, the apparatus heretofore employed for warming the feet and legs of the human body has fallen considerably short of all that was desired of it. Such devices have, as a general rule, been complex, so arranged that it was difiicult to maintain sanitation thereof and frequently required the attention of a skilled attendant.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide heating apparatus for the feet and legs which is simple in construction and operation, safe and sanitary.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical heating pad which is easy to manufacture and suitable for heating the feet and legs of the human body.

Other objects will become apparent to those electrical skilled in'the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a developed view of the'heating pad embodied in the apparatus of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line I 55 of Figure 4. I

In accordance with the present invention, generally stated, an elongated fiexibleheating pad is mounted intermediate its ends'up'on a rigid support, so that the extremities of theheatin'g pad extend from the support for a substantial the support is sufficiently close togetherthatall ent invention contemplates that the electrical V heating elements be extended lengthwise of the heating pad and arranged therein in parallel spaced relation. Such an arrangement. more over, facilitates the manufacture of the apparatus and enables the conductor-insulator assembly to be drawn lengthwise through animp'ervious, perspiration-resistant envelope;

Referring now to .thedrawings forlan illustrative embodiment of the invention, an elonmonly used in electrical heating devices.

I5 on the back 1.

V g 2 gated electrical heating pad is connected with." plate-like support, so that the heating pad I extends from the support in the general shape of the letter M, the support being connected at the top of the M. Accordingly, the portions of the heating pad which project from the support comprise

exterior legs

2 and 3 and interior legs 4 and 5, the latter being connected by fold'G and the entire heating pad consisting of the'legs 2,

portions of the heating pad are sufiiciently flexible to be conformed into close relationship with the contour of a body member thereadjacent.

' In the embodiment shown, the support consists of a back 1, spacers 8 and a front 9. The "front 9 is provided with a plurality of slots l0, H, H! and I3 through which the heating pad is threaded to produce the M configuration previously' referred to. The slots 10, ll, l2 and l3 are sizedto permit the heating pad to be drawn therethrough'without difficulty, but yet are sufficiently small that no other securing means is necessary to retain the heating pad in position.

From that portion of the fold which is behind front 9' and between slots IE1 and H an electrical connection l4 extends from the pad to a fixture The fixture l5 may be connected to 'any' suitable source of electrical energy. It will be observed that the heating pad is substantially elongated, being for practical purposes on the order of twelve feet in length, and

the connection of the exterior legs 2 and '3 to of the legs of the pad will snugly embrace the "-feet of a patient being treated. This dictates that the length of the legs of

pad

2,3, 4 and "5,

extending out from the support be at least twice the transverse displacement between

slots

10 and 13. For the

exterior legs

2 and 3 it is preferred,

- in fact, that their extended length be more on the order of three or four times the displace- "ment between the

exterior legs

2 and 3 at their connection to support.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the heating pad. is provided-"witha series of longitudinally extending conductors i6 arranged in parallel spaced f relation on the interior of the pad. While for the sake of clarity, only six such conductors are shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will be understood that any desired number of such conductors may be arranged'wi'thin the pad. The conductors fli are 3 structing the pad, a sheet of felted material I! of a width substantially twice the width of the pad is provided. If the felted material I! be not fireproof, or if it be or a character which is ignitible or charable at the temperatures to which the conductor l5 may be elevated, a similar sheet of fire resistant material 18, such as asbestos cloth, may be super-imposed upon the Sheet 61. The sheets I! and E8 are then folded, as shown at l9 in Figure 5, the fold extending longitudinally throughout the length thereof at approximately the center of the sheets. At the bight of the fold a conductor i6 is laid lengthwise of the sheets and a strip 2!) of flexible dielectric material, such as :fi'ber glass cloth, is laid either above or below the first conductor. With these parts in the position just described, a line of stitching 2| is run lengthwise or the assembly to confine the conductor 16 within the bight of the fold. Another conductor is then laid in parallel to the first conductor and up close to the line of stitching 2|, but on the opposite side of the sheet of dielectric material 20 from the first conductor. A second line of stitching 22 is then applied. This process is repeated through the lateral extent of the assembly and until the desired number of conductors has been seamed in position. Having thus completed the be treated with a suitable sealing compound, such for example as latex solution, or any other comparable material, suitable for closin the perforations formed by the line of stitching and rendering the seam impervious. Having thus stitched the longitudinal edges of the sheet 23 together, the same is invaginated so that the seam 24 becomes an inseam. The assembly of conductors IS with sheets I! and I8 is then drawn lengthwise through the envelope formed by this inseaming of sheet 23, and the ends of the latter are then appropriately secured together as by stitching and the subsequent application of a sealing compound.

Having thus provided the elongated heating pad I, whose length for the purposes of the present invention must be at least ten times its width,

the part thereof to constitute the leg 2 is threaded through slot l from the back of plate 9, and the balance thereof is threaded through slot H, so that the electrical connections 14 are disposed between slots l9 and H behind plate 9. Thereupon the extended portion is drawn back through slot l2 until the center legs 4 and are of appropriate length, and finally the portion to define exterior leg 3 is threaded outwardly through slot l3.

It is also contemplated that a short length of supplementary heating pad 26 of any suitable construction, but preferably likewise impervious and perspiration-resistant, be applied to the support above tthe long pad, as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical connections from pad 26 preferably connected in parallel circuit relationship with the conductors in pad I. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the ends of pad 26 pass through slots and I3 and are appropriately secured to the back of front 9.

From the foregoing description those skilled in the art will readily understand that the invention provides a convenient, safe and sanitary arrangement for heating the feet and legs of a human being and that the arrangement of the elongated heating pad with a transverse foot support minimizes the possibility of inadvertent displacement of the heating pad, so that the latter is of no effect if, as frequently happens during the treatment of a patient, the patient snoozes and by restlessness or otherwise might displace the pad from about the feet. The elongated portions of the heating pad extending from the support, however, may be tucked about the legs and the support 2 arranged against the foot of a bed without reasonable likelihood that restlessness of the patient will displace the parts from the appropriate position. While in the accompanying drawings and in the foregoing description a complete disclosure of one embodiment of the invention has been given, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many and varied changes and modifications of the apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the kind described comprising, an elongated flexible electrical heating pad arranged in M shape, a rigid plate-like support connected to said pad at the top of the M, the exterior and interior legs of said M having a length on the order of at least twice the spacing of the exterior legs at their connection to the support, said support extending substantially beyond said pad at one edge of the latter, and an auxiliary heating pad mounted on the extending portion of said support.

2. A device of the kind described comprising, an elongated flexible electrical heating pad having a length on the order of at least ten times its width, and a rigid plate-like support connected to said pad intermediate its ends so as to provide freely movable elongated heating pad legs extending from said support. I

3. A device of the kind described comprising, an elongated flexible electrical heating pad having a length on the order of at least ten times its width, and a rigid plate-like support connected to said pad intermediate its ends so as to provide freely movable elongated heating pad legs extending from said support, and electrical connections to the interior of said pad located at the region thereof connected to said support.

4. A device of the kind described comprising, an elongated flexible electrical heating pad having a. length on the order of at least ten times its width, and a rigid plate-like support connected to said pad intermediate its ends so as to provide freely movable elongated heating pad legs extending from said support, said pad having a perspiration-resistant covering for the exposed parts thereof.

GEORGE C. TONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Premack June 23, 1942