Patent Publication Number: US-2005115951-A1

Title: Electric heating cushion device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to an electric heating cushion device, more particularly to an electric heating cushion device suitable for cushioning and warming different body parts.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      In U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,211 granted to the Applicant, an electric heating device  1 , 1 ′ is disclosed. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the electric heating device  1 , 1 ′ is shown to include a flexible heating member  2 , a closure unit  3 , 4  and an electric wire unit (not shown). The heating member  2  is formed by winding a flexible sheet into a tubular body, and includes two dielectric layers  21  made from a glass fiber material, and an electric heating film layer  22  disposed between the dielectric layers  21  and adapted to generate heat when supplied with electric power. In  FIG. 1 , the closure unit  3 , which is formed as an elongated connecting block, has two longitudinal blind grooves  31  for receiving fixedly two opposite end portions  23  of the heating member  2 . In  FIG. 2 , the closure unit  4  includes a set of female buttons  41  and a set of male buttons  42  that are respectively disposed on the two opposite end portions  23  of the heating member  2  and that engage each other to form the heating member  2  into a tubular body. Since the closure unit  3 , 4  is needed to hold the end portions  23  so as to form the heating member  2  into the tubular body in the aforesaid electric heating device, the manufacturing cost is relatively high. Moreover, the retaining force resulting from engagement of the female and male buttons  41 , 42  may be insufficient in use.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The object of the present invention is to provide an electric heating cushion device which is suitable for cushioning and warming body parts and which has a firm construction.  
      According to this invention, the electric heating cushion device includes a heating member in form of a flexible sheet which has two end portions opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, and a flexible intermediate portion interposed between the end portions. The heating member includes upper and lower dielectric layers and an electric heating film layer which is disposed between the upper and lower dielectric layers and which is adapted to generate heat when supplied with electric power. The upper dielectric layer at one of the end portions is brought into a permanent interengagement with the lower dielectric layer at the other one of the end portions so as to roll the intermediate portion into a tubular body. The tubular body defines a cylindrical space therein, which extends to terminate at two open ends that are opposite to each other in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction. A cushion member is removably inserted in the cylindrical space through one of the open ends. An electric wire unit has a first end extending into the heating member and connected electrically to the electric heating film layer, and a second end opposite to the first end and adapted to be connected electrically to an electric power source. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a heating member of a conventional electric heating device;  
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of another form of the heating member of the conventional electric heating device;  
       FIG. 3  is a partly exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an electric heating cushion device according to this invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of a heating member of the preferred embodiment;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the heating member of the preferred embodiment; and  
      FIGS.  6  to  8  are schematic views showing the preferred embodiment in a state of use. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the preferred embodiment of an electric heating cushion device according to the present invention is shown to comprise a heating member  70 , an electric wire unit  81 , a cushion member  100 , two end edge caps  90 , and a fabric sleeve  110 .  
      The heating member  70  is in the form of a flexible sheet which has two end portions  74  opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, and a flexible intermediate portion  76  interposed between the end portions  74 . The heating member  70  includes upper and lower dielectric layers  72 , 71  which are formed from a glass fiber material, and an electric heating film layer  73  which is disposed between the upper and lower dielectric layers  72 , 71 . The electric heating film layer  73  is capable of generating heat in a known manner when it is supplied with electric power. The upper and lower dielectric layers  72 , 71  are sealed to each other by heat-sealing at peripheral portions thereof so as to cooperatively enclose the electric heating film layer  73 . With reference to  FIG. 5 , the upper dielectric layer  72  at one of the end portions  74  is brought to an undetachable and permanent interengagement with the lower dielectric layer  71  at the other one of the end portions  74  by high-frequency welding so as to roll the intermediate portion  76  into a tubular body  60 . The tubular body  60  defines a cylindrical space  75  therein, which extends to terminate at two open ends  751  that are opposite to each other in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction.  
      Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the electric wire unit  81  has a first end which extends into the flexible sheet and which is connected electrically to the electric heating film layer  73 , and a second end which is opposite to the first end and which is connected to an electric power adapter  120  or a battery casing  130 . The electric power adapter  120  is adapted to be plugged into a receptacle (not shown) such that the electric heating film layer  73  can be supplied with electric power. The battery casing  130  is adapted for receiving a battery set (not shown), thereby permitting the heating cushion device to be carried by the user. The electric wire unit  81  is wrapped with an insulating layer of silica gel material to prevent electric leakage. Preferably, a known temperature regulator  82  is connected electrically to the electric wire unit  81  to permit regulation of the temperature of the heating member  70 .  
      The cushion member  100  is in the form of an inflatable body, and is removably inserted in the cylindrical space  75  through one of the open ends  751 .  
      The end edge caps  90  are made from a plastic material, and are configured to sheathe the open ends  751 , respectively, so that the electric heating film layer  73  is shielded in the transverse direction.  
      The fabric sleeve  110  is sleeved on the tubular body  60  between the end edge caps  90  for providing a certain degree of comfortableness in use.  
      In use, referring to FIGS.  6  to  8 , the tubular body  60  can support the neck part, the waist part, or the wrist part of the user. When the electric heating film layer  73  is supplied with electric power, the tubular body  60  is heated for warming the supported body part to help relax the muscle.  
      While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.