Heated animal bed

• US 6,189,487 B1
• Filed: 04/09/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miller Manufacturing Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Allied Precision Industries, Inc. (Miller Manufacturing Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reusche, Thomas K., Owen, Donald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelson, Judith A.
• Application Number:
  US09/289,228
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 119/28.5, 219/211, 219/212, 219/213, 219/217, 219/528, 219/219, 219/529, 219/549
• US Class Current: 119/28.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0157 Mats; Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0158 Floor heating or cooling systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0353 Dog beds

Abstract

A heated bed for dogs, cats or other animals which can provide a selected amount of heat to the animal depending upon environmental temperatures. The bed includes a hollow blanket casing within which is disposed at least three layers of foam insulation material placed one on top of another. A removable heating element is interposed between two adjacent layers of the foam material and supplies heat to the animal resting on the bed. The amount of heat delivered to the animal is regulated by selectively positioning the heating element between different adjacent layers of the foam material. The heating element is connected to a power source via a step down transformer which converts high voltage energy into lower voltage energy to minimize the danger of serious shock to the animal.

Claims

1. A heated animal bed for providing a selected amount of heat to an animal comprising:

a top blanket layer;

a bottom blanket layer;

means for joining the top blanket layer to the bottom blanket layer at the periphery thereof to form a hollow casing;

at least three layers of insulating foam material positioned one on top of another within the hollow casing such that there is at least a bottom foam layer adjacent to a middle foam layer, and at least a middle foam layer adjacent to a top foam layer;

a removable electric heating element for imparting heat to the top blanket layer when supplied with current from a power source, the heating element being sized and configured for insertion between the foam layers, such that the heating element may be selectively interposed between two adjacent layers of the insulating foam material to provide a selected amount of heat to the top blanket layer.

2. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bottom foam layer has a thickness greater than that of the middle and top foam layers.

3. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least four layers of insulating foam material are positioned within the hollow casing.

4. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electric heating element is in circuit with a step down transformer.

5. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electric heating element is an electric resistance wire.

6. A heated animal bed for providing a selected amount of heat to an animal comprising:

a hollow blanket casing having an upper blanket layer and a lower blanket layer;

at least three layers of insulating foam material positioned one on top of another within the hollow casing such that there is at least a bottom foam layer adjacent to a middle foam layer, and at least a middle foam layer adjacent to a top foam layer;

a removable electric heating element for imparting heat to the upper blanket layer when supplied with current from a power source, the heating element being sized and configured for insertion between the foam layers, such that the amount of heat being imparted being determined by selectively interposing the electric heating element either between the top and middle foam layers or the middle and bottom foam layers.

7. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 6 wherein the bottom foam layer is thicker than the middle and top foam layers.

8. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 6 wherein the electric heating element is in circuit with a step down transformer.

9. A heated animal bed as claimed in claim 6 wherein the electric heating element is an electric resistance wire.

10. A heated animal bed for providing a selected amount of heat to an animal comprising:

a hollow blanket casing having an upper blanket layer and a lower blanket layer;

an electric heating element for imparting heat to the upper blanket layer when supplied with current from a power source; and

top, middle and bottom layers of insulating material positioned one on top of another within the hollow casing and defining a first pocket between the top and middle layers of insulating material and a second pocket between the middle and bottom layers of insulating material, each of the pockets being sized to receive the heating element such that the amount of heat imparted is determined by selectively interposing the electric heating element either in the first pocket between the top and middle layers of insulating material or the second pocket between middle and bottom layers of insulating material.

11. A heated pet bed as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bottom layer of insulating material has a thickness greater than that of the middle and top layers of insulating material.