Heating pad

Claim 1

MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY SUPPLYING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNG OF HEAT DIRECTLY TO A LIMITED AREA ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF A LAYER OF SKIN, SAID MEANS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A STRIP OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL ARRANGED TO FORM A BACKING MEMBER HAVING A LENGTH AND WIDTH THAT CORRESPOND TO SAID AREA, SAID STRIP BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON SAID SKIN WITH A SURFACE THEREOF DISPOSED IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID SKIN, MEANS ON SAID BACKING MEMBER FOR RETAINING SAID MEMBER POSITIONED ON SAID LAYER OF SKIN WITH THE SURFACE THEREOF FORCED AGAINST SAID EXTERNAL SURFACE SO AS TO BE MAINTAINED IN SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECT CONTACT THEREWITH, AN ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT CONSISTING OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE WIRE HAVING A LOW SPECIFIC RESISTANCE THAT WILL PROVIDE AN OVERALL RESISTANCE OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT THAT IS LOW ENOUGH TO PERMIT THE PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF HEAT TO BE GENERATED UPON THE APPLICATION OF A VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID ELEMENT THAT IS BELOW THE CRITICAL VALUE FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR BURNING OF SAID SKIN, ADHESIVE MEANS ON SAID BACKING MEMBER FOR MAINTAINING IN A PREDETERMINED PATTERN WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ELEMENT BEING EXPOSED FOR DISPOSITION IN DIRECT INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID SKIN WHEN SAID BACKING MEMBER IS DISPOSED THEREON, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID HEATING ELEMENT WITH A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POWER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL THAT IS BELOW SAID CRITICAL LEVEL FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR BURNING OF SAID SKIN.