Electric heating – Heating devices – With heater-unit housing – casing – or support means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-11
2003-06-17
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
With heater-unit housing, casing, or support means
C219S217000, C219S544000, C219S549000, C392S380000, C034S233000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06580060
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns foot warming devices. Many people have difficulties in keeping their feet warm when seated for long periods, particularly where cool temperatures at floor level prevail, such as in the rear seat of an automotive vehicle during cold weather.
Keeping the feet comfortably warm is difficult for many people due to poor circulation to the feet especially when the person is physically at rest for extended periods.
The heating systems in most cars do not keep the floor warm in the rear seat area. There have heretofore been proposed bulky and complicated arrangements for extending the vehicle heater system to the rear seat area. Also, auxiliary heaters have been proposed to solve this problem, but these also have been too bulky to be practical as a foot warmer. There have also been proposed electrically heated mats. However, within practical power limits for this application, such mats are relatively ineffective since only limited heat is conducted into the soles of the feet.
Heated massage pads have also been proposed for therapeutic use, but these are not adequate for cold weather foot warming nor designed for use in automotive vehicle passenger spaces.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a compact foot warmer which will be effective at keeping the user's feet warm even when the user is seated for long periods in cool temperature conditions in an automobile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above object and others which will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by a foot warmer mat which combines an electrically heated mat with a fan motor and heater element creating a flow of warm air over the top of the heated mat so as to insure adequate warming of the user's feet even when using relatively low wattage heaters, since heat is efficiently applied to all parts of the user's feet. In addition, a vibrator unit within the mat stimulates blood circulation to the user's feet to reduce the need for external warming of the feet. The mat is of a compact construction and adapted to be powered from an auto electrical system to be well suited for automotive use.
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Inman Carla B.
Inman Derrick M.
Benefiel John R.
Dahbour Fadi H.
Walberg Teresa
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