Portable warming device and method for warming an article

• US 20060191901A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Proton LLC
• Original Assignee: Heatwave LLC
• Inventors: Taylor, Curtis, Vitantonio, Marc Louis, Whitner, Douglas E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,481,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/521
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/06 combined with means for drying towels A47K10/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable warming device for dry heating a towel. The portable warming device includes a heating arrangement that heats one or more surface of the portable warming device so as to heat a towel that is in contact with the one or more heated surfaces. The heating arrangement includes a controller to at least partially control the heating of the towel.

Claims

1. A portable textile warmer designed to dry heat warm a textile comprising:

a housing body having a bottom portion, a top portion, an inner shell, and a lid, said inner shell having an inner surface that at least partially forms a warming cavity, said warming cavity having a base wall and a side wall, said warming cavity having a volume to hold at least one standard bath towel, said lid positionable on said top portion of said housing, said lid movable between an open and a closed position wherein said lid in the closed position causing said one or more textiles in said warming cavity to be substantially encapsulated by said warming cavity, said lid in the open position enabling one or more textiles to be inserted or removed from said warming cavity; and

,

a heating arrangement designed to dry heat one or more textiles positioned in said warming cavity, said heating system including at least one resistive heating element, a heating controller, a current connector, and an activation switch, said at least one resistive heating element positioned on an outer surface of said inner shell, in close proximity to said outer surface of said inner shell, or combinations thereof, said at least one resistive heating element designed to heat said inner surface of said inner shell, said current connector designed to connect to a current source to provide current to said at least resistive heating element, said heating controller terminating a flow of current to said resistive heating element once a predetermined period of time has passed since said activation switch has been actuated by a user, after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature, or combinations thereof.

2. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein an outer surface of said resistive heating element includes an electrically insulating material.

3. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 2, wherein said electrically insulating material includes silicone.

4. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said resistive heat material is at least partially positioned adjacent to a protective heating conducting material.

6. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat controller includes a thermostat, a thermal fuse or combinations thereof.

7. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said lid is rotatably connected to said top portion of said housing.

8. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said lid includes a transparent material, a semi-transparent material, or combinations thereof.

9. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, including a lid counterbalance, said lid counterbalance facilitating maintaining said lid in a closed position, facilitating maintaining said lid in a closed position, or combinations thereof.

10. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said lid includes a lid closure mechanism to maintain said lid is a closed position.

11. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating arrangement includes a lid open detector to terminate current to said at least one heating element when said lid is in a non-closed position.

12. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, including an aroma generating device.

13. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, including at least one blower.

14. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating arrangement includes at least one visual indicator to indicate when current is flowing through said at least one heating element.

15. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom portion of said housing body includes at least one drain.

16. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said current connector includes an electric power cord and a wall outlet connector.

17. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating arrangement includes a single heating cycle after being activated by said activation switch.

18. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating controller terminates a flow of current to said resistive heating element after said temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature.

19. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said activation switch is positioned on said top portion of said body housing, said activation switch including a depressable switch.

20. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, said heating controller includes an arrangement to enable a user to adjust a time of heating, a heating temperature, or combinations thereof.

5. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 5, wherein said resistive heat material is at least partially positioned between two layers of protective heating conducting material.

21. A portable towel warmer designed to dry heat warm a towel comprising:

a body having a bottom housing, a top housing, an inner shell, an outer shell and a lid, said inner shell having and inner surface that at least partially forms a warming cavity, said warming cavity including a base wall formed by said bottom housing and at least one side wall formed by said inner cavity, said warming cavity having a volume to hold up to two standard bath towels, said lid pivotly connected on said top housing, said lid movable between an open and a closed position wherein said lid in the closed position causing one or more of said towels in said warming cavity to be substantially encapsulated by said warming cavity, said lid in the open position enabling one or more towels to be inserted or removed from said warming cavity, said bottom housing including at least one drain; and

,

a heating arrangement designed to dry heat one or more towels positioned in said warming cavity, said heating system including a heating mat, a heating controller, a current connector, a visual indicator, and an activation switch, a majority of said heating mat positioned between said inner and outer shell, a majority of said heating mat positioned on an outer surface of said inner shell, in close proximity to said outer surface of said inner shell, or combinations thereof, said current connector designed to connect to a current source to provide current to said heating mat, said visual indicator including an indicator to show when current is flowing through said heating mat, said current connector including an electric power cord and a wall outlet connector, said heating controller terminating a flow of current to said resistive heating element once a predetermined period of time has passed since said activation switch has been actuated by a user, after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature, or combinations thereof.

22. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating mat includes a first and second heating conducting protective layers and at least one resistive heating element positioned between first and second heating conducting protective layers, said resistive heating element at least partially covered by an electrical insulating material.

23. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating mat adhesively secured to said outer surface of said inner wall.

24. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating mat is spaced a farther distance from said outer shell than from said inner shell.

25. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating mat is positioned at least about 80% of said outer surface of said inner shell.

26. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating controller terminating a flow of current to said resistive heating element after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature.

27. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said electrically insulating material includes silicone.

28. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heat controller includes a thermostat and a thermal fuse or combinations thereof.

29. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, including a lid counterbalance, said lid counterbalance facilitating maintaining said lid in a closed position, facilitating maintaining said lid in a closed position, or combinations thereof.

30. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said lid includes a lid closure mechanism to maintain said lid is a closed position.

31. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating arrangement includes a lid open detector to terminate current to said heating mat when said lid is in a non-closed position.

32. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, including an aroma generating device.

33. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, including at least one blower.

34. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating arrangement includes a single heating cycle after being activated by said activation switch.

35. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating controller terminates a flow of current to said resistive heating element after said temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature.

36. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said activation switch is positioned on top housing, said activation switch including a depressable switch.

37. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, said heating controller includes an arrangement to enable a user to adjust a time of heating, a heating temperature, or combinations thereof.

38. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said bottom housing includes a top surface having an arcuate shape, said top surface defining at least a portion of said warming cavity.

39. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said visual indicator indicating that said heating arrangement is connected to a power source;

indicating that said heating mat is heating;

indicating that said heating mat is cooling;

indicating that said towel in said warming cavity is properly heated;

indicating when the lid is not properly closed;

indicating when at least one component of said heat arrangement is not properly working;

illuminating at least one control on the portable warming device;

illuminating at least one display on the portable warming device;

indicating that at least one control on said portable warming device has been activated, deactivated, or combinations thereof;

indicating that said lid was not opening after completion of the heating cycle of said heating mat;

indication the temperature in said warming cavity;

indicating ambient temperature;

indicating current time;

indicating the time a towel has been heated in said warming cavity;

or combinations thereof.

40. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating arrangement includes a programmable interface designed to receive user-generated instructions for at least one feature of said portable heating device.

41. A portable towel warmer designed to be suspended from a wall mounted towel rack and to warm a towel associated with the towel rack comprising:

a body member including a first member, a second member, and a cavity disposed between the first and second members;

a heating mat at last partially positioned in said cavity, said heating mat includes a first and second heating conducting protective layers and at least one resistive heating element positioned between first and second heating conducting protective layers, said resistive heating element at least partially covered by an electrical insulating material, said heating mat designed to heat an outer surface of said first and second members

a towel rack engaging fastener designed to support and detachable connect said first and second members on said towel rack;

a heating controller, said heating controller terminating a flow of current to said resistive heating element once a predetermined period of time has passed since said activation switch has been actuated by a user, after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature, after being shut-off by a user, or combinations thereof;

and a current connector said current connector designed to connect to a current source to provide current to said heating mat.

43. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 43, wherein an inner surface of said first and second members includes a plurality of rib members.

42. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 43, including a connector designed to connect to a second portable towel warmer.

44. A method for dry heating a textile comprising:

proving a portable housing body, said housing body having a bottom portion, a top portion, an inner shell, and a lid, said inner shell having and inner surface that at least partially forms a warming cavity, said warming cavity having a base wall and a side wall, said warming cavity having a volume to hold up to three standard bath towels, said lid positionable on said top portion of said housing and movable between an open and a closed position, said portable housing body having a weight of up to 30 lbs. and a total volume of up to 8000 cubic inches;

opening said lid and placing at least one textile in said warming cavity;

closing said lid to substantially encapsulated said at least one textile in said warming cavity;

activating a heating arrangement to cause a heating mat to heat said inner surface of said inner shell, said heating arrangement at least one resistive heating element, a heating controller, a current connector, and an activation switch, said at least one resistive heating element positioned on an outer surface of said inner shell, in close proximity to said outer surface of said inner shell, or combinations thereof, said current connector designed to connect to a current source to provide current to said at least resistive heating element, said heating controller designed to terminate a flow of current to said resistive heating element once a predetermined period of time has passed since said activation switch has been actuated by a user, after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature, after being shut off by a user, or combinations thereof;

opening said lid after a some time period after activation of said heating arrangement; and

,

removing said textile from said warming cavity.