Heating element arrangement for an electric blanket or the like

In an electrically operated heating device including a pliable member having an interior within which one or more elongated heating elements are located, the improvement comprising one or more passages within the interior of the pliable member, wherein an elongated heating element is located within each passage and is configured such that the heating element has a non-linear wave-type configuration and defines an overall length greater than a length defined by the passage, to alleviate stress on the heating element resulting from application of a tensile force to the heating element, wherein the interior of the pliable member includes a pair of open end areas between which the passages extend, wherein a pair of adjacent heating elements include a connector portion located in one of the open end areas that extends between and interconnects the pair of adjacent heating elements.

In an electrically operated heating device including a pliable member having an interior within which one or more elongated heating elements are located, the improvement comprising one or more passages within the interior of the pliable member, wherein an elongated heating element is located within each passage and is configured such that the heating element has a non-linear configuration and defines an overall length greater than a length defined by the passage, to alleviate stress on the heating element resulting from application of a tensile force to the heating element, wherein the pliable member comprises a carrier member defining first and second layers that are interconnected together so as to define the passages between the first and second layers, and further comprising a pair of outer layers between which the carrier member is located.

A method of positioning one or more elongated heating elements within an interior defined by a pliable member forming a part of an electrically operated heating device, comprising the steps of dividing the interior of the pliable member into separate passages, non-removably placing each heating element within one of the passages in the interior of the pliable member, wherein the heating elements are placed such that each heating element has a non-linear configuration and a length greater than that of the passage, to alleviate stress in the heating element resulting from tensile forces applied to the heating element, and enclosing the heating elements within the separate passages.

A heating device, comprising:

• a pliable member having first and second layers that define oppositely facing surfaces, wherein the first and second layers extend between spaced apart closed ends and define a series of internal passages that extend between the spaced apart closed ends;
• and
• a series of elongated heating elements, wherein each heating element is non-removably disposed within one of the passages, wherein the elongated heating element in each passage has a non-linear configuration such that the overall length of the elongated heating element contained within the passage exceeds the length of the passage, so as to enable the heating element to flex and stretch in response to a tensile force applied to the heating element.