Electrically heated therapeutic pillow

Claim 1

A therapeutic heating device, comprising: a. flexible housing means forming a pillow, said flexible housing means comprising first and second casings, said second casing being retained within said first casing with a space being defined therebetween, said first casing having an inner surface coextensively coated with a highly conductive flexible material, said second casing having an outer surface coextensively coated with a highly conductive flexible material, said space being filled by an electrically conductive foam, said foam having very high resistance in an uncompressed state and very low resistance in a compressed state, said foam being in coextensive electrical contact with said material coating said outer surface of said inner casing and said material coating said inner surface of said outer casing; b. fluid means sealingly contained within said inner casing; c. electric heating means disposed in said second casing, said heating means being operably controlled by a thermostat means, said heating means having first and second terminals, said second terminal being electrically connected to said conductive material coating said outer surface of said second casing; and d. power supply means for operating said electric heating means, a first lead of said power supply means being electrically connected directly to said first terminal of said heating means, said first lead being electrically insulated from said electrically conductive coatings and said foam, a second lead of said power supply being electrically connected to said conductive material coating said inner surface of said outer casing, so that pressure applied to the outer surface of said first casing will cause said foam to assume its compressed state of low electrical resistance to complete the circuit from said second power supply lead to said second terminal of said heating means thereby causing energization of said heating means.