Heating blanket
An electric heating blanket including a flexible sheet-like heating element and a shell. The shell covers the heating blanket and includes two sheets of flexible material welded together.
1. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, wherein the weld is one of a RF weld, ultrasonic weld, or a heat bond, wherein the two sheets comprise PVC.
2. The electric heating blanket of claim 1 , wherein the two sheets further comprise at least one strap.
3. The electric heating blanket of claim 2 , wherein the at least one strap comprises a reinforcing layer.
4. The electric heating blanket of claim 3 , wherein the at least one strap is integrally formed with at least one of the sheets.
5. The electric heating blanket of claim 3 , further including an attachment post on which the strap may be secured.
6. The electric heating blanket of claim 5 , wherein the attachment post is integrally formed with an anchoring layer that is thermally bonded between the sheets.
7. The electric heating blanket of claim 1 , further comprising:
an array of temperature sensors positioned over the surface of the heating element to collect temperature readings of the heating element.
8. The electric heating blanket of claim 1 , wherein the heating blanket is a pad.
9. The electric heating blanket of claim 1 , wherein the heating blanket is flexible.
10. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, wherein each sheet comprises a strengthening layer and a second layer.
11. The electric heating blanket of claim 10 , wherein the strengthening layer comprises woven nylon and the second layer comprises a water-resistant material that facilitates the thermal bond.
12. The electric heating blanket of claim 11 , wherein each sheet further comprises a third layer on an outside surface of the sheet, the third layer including a water-resistant material.
13. The electric heating blanket of claim 12 , wherein the third layer comprises an anti-slip surface.
14. The electric heating blanket of claim 10 , wherein the heating blanket is a pad.
15. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material;
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, the weld being a thermal bond; and
at least one air pocket incorporated into the thermal bond coupling the two sheets.
16. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, the weld being a thermal bond, further comprising at least one securing strip coupled to the heating element, the at least one securing strip being coupled to the shell by the thermal bond.
17. The electric heating blanket of claim 16 , further comprising a reinforcing layer between the sheets and incorporated into the thermal bond, and at least one hanger point through the sheets and the reinforcing layer.
18. The electric heating blanket of claim 16 , further comprising an anchor point coupled to an anchoring layer, wherein the anchoring layer is incorporated into the thermal bond.
19. The electric heating blanket of claim 6 , further comprising at least one magnet located within the thermal bond coupling the sheets.
20. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
one or more welds coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the two sheets to hermetically seal the heating element therebetween, wherein the heating element is held in position between the two sheets without using connectors that pierce the two sheets.
21. The electric heating blanket of claim 20 , wherein ribbing or piping, forming a soft peripheral edge to the electric heating blanket, extends beyond the edges of the two sheets and is held in place via the one or more welds.
22. The electric heating blanket of claim 20 , further comprising:
a first conductive bus bar coupled to the heating element and extending alongside a first edge of the heating element, the first bus bar being adapted for coupling to a power source for powering the heating element; and
a second conductive bus bar coupled to the heating element and extending alongside a second edge of the heating element, the second bus bar being adapted for coupling to the power source for powering the heating element.
23. The electric heating blanket of claim 22 , wherein
the heating element is stitched to the first bus bar with a first row of electrically conductive stitching; and
the heating element is stitched to the second bus bar with a second row of electrically conductive stitching.
24. The electric heating blanket of claim 23 , further comprising:
a first electrically insulating member interposed between the first conductive bus bar and the flexible heater and being secured therebetween by the first row of conductive stitching, the first electrically insulating member preventing direct electrical contact between the first conductive bus bar and the flexible heater; and
a second electrically insulating member interposed between the second conductive bus bar and the flexible heater and being secured therebetween by the second row of electrically conductive stitching, the second electrically insulating member preventing direct electrical contact between the first conductive bus bar and the flexible heater.
25. The electric heating blanket of claim 20 , further comprising:
at least one securing strip coupled to the heating element, the at least one securing strip being coupled to the shell by the thermal bond.
26. The electric heating blanket of claim 20 , wherein the heating blanket is a pad.
27. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
one or more welds coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the two sheets to hermetically seal the heating element therebetween, wherein the two sheets include a hole passing through the one or more thermal bonds to form a hanging point for the electric heating blanket.
28. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material;
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, wherein the weld is one of a RF weld, ultrasonic weld, or a heat bond; and
a flexible insulating layer extending over a first side of the heating element and covered by the shell.
29. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , wherein the first side is a top side.
30. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , wherein the insulating layer provides at least one of thermal insulation and electrical insulation.
31. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , wherein the insulating layer comprises one of a foam, a high loft non-woven fibrous material, a low loft non-woven fibrous material, a woven fabric, such as cotton or fiberglass, a thin plastic film, cotton, a non-flammable material, cotton and fiberglass.
32. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , further comprising:
a first conductive bus bar coupled to the heating element and extending alongside a first edge of the heating element, the first bus bar being adapted for coupling to a power source for powering the heating element;
a second conductive bus bar coupled to the heating element and extending alongside a second edge of the heating element, the second bus bar being adapted for coupling to the power source for powering the heating element; and
the insulating layer extending over the first and second bus bars.
33. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , wherein the heating element has a surface area of generally uniform electrical resistance per unit area such that the heating element produces a substantially uniform watt density output across the surface area when the element is electrically powered.
34. The electric heating blanket of claim 33 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor coupled to the heating element at a first location thereof where the heating element will be in conductive contact with a body when the blanket is draped over the body, the first location defining a first temperature zone of the surface area of the element;
a temperature controller coupled to the temperature sensor; and
an electric power source coupled to the heating element and to the temperature controller, the power source being controlled by the controller, according to a sensed temperature of the first temperature zone, as sensed by the temperature sensor, in order to maintain a first temperature of the first temperature zone lower than a second temperature of a second temperature zone of the surface area of the heating element, the second temperature zone being defined by a second location of the heating element that is not in conductive contact with the body when the blanket is draped over the body.
35. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , wherein the heating element comprises a nonconductive layer coated with a conductive material.
36. The electric heating blanket of claim 35 , wherein the nonconductive layer of the flexible heater comprises a woven polymer and the conductive material comprises one of: polypyrrole, carbonized ink and metalized ink.
37. The electric heating blanket of claim 35 , wherein the nonconductive layer of the flexible heater comprises a non-woven polymer and the conductive material comprises one of: polypyrrole, carbonized ink and metalized ink.
38. The electric heating blanket of claim 28 , wherein the heating blanket is a pad.
39. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, wherein the weld is one of a RF weld, ultrasonic weld, or a heat bond,
wherein the two sheets comprise urethane to facilitate the one of the RF weld, the ultrasonic weld, or the heat bond.
40. An electric heating blanket, comprising:
a flexible sheet-like heating element including an upper edge, a lower edge, and at least two side edges;
a shell covering the heating element and comprising at least two sheets of flexible material; and
a weld coupling the two sheets of flexible material together about the edges of the heating element, wherein the weld is one of a RF weld, ultrasonic weld, or a heat bond,
wherein the two sheets comprise a weldable polymeric layer to facilitate the one of the RF weld, the ultrasonic weld, or the heat bond.