Towel heater and dispenser

• US 4,084,080 A
• Filed: 09/28/1976
• Issued: 04/11/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William T. Mcmahan
• Original Assignee: William T. Mcmahan
• Inventors: McMahan, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayewsky, Volodymyr Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/727,471
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 219/272, 219/275, 219/284, 219/365, 219/385, 219/386, 219/400, 219/401, 219/430, 219/432, 219/438, 219/439, 219/441, 219/521, 219/523, 219/435, 219/436, 21/81, 21/94, 21/95, 21/102 R, 34/200, 34/242, 68/5 R, 99/341, 99/440, 126/273, 126/20, 126/369, 122/459
• US Class Current: 219/401
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/00 Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3293 combined with wipe warming devices

Abstract

An apparatus for the heating, moistening and holding cosmetic towels or the like is disclosed herein having a box-like support into which a water tray is placed. Legs are carried underneath the tray for holding the tray in spaced relationship with respect to the bottom of the support. A heater coil is downwardly suspended from the tray in the space and the heater coil terminates in a pronged electrical connection for detachably receiving an electrical plug attached to a conventional source of AC line voltage. The water tray holds a small quantity of water and, in turn, supports a removable perforated table which supports the towels. The sidewall of the water tray upwardly project beyond the towel surface of the perforated table and the sidewall of box-like support. A removable lid completes the device so that steam produced by the heated water is captured in the device for heating and moistening the towels.

Claims

1. Apparatus for moistening and heating a towel preparatory for placement against the skin of a user, the combination comprising:

a support frame of box-like construction having a continuous sidewall carried about the periphery of a bottom so as to define an open cavity between the opposing wall surfaces of said sidewall;

a water tray removably carried within said support frame open cavity and havving a continuous sidewall carried about the periphery of a bottom and said tray bottom arranged in spaced apart relationship with respect to said support frame bottom;

an electrical heating element disposed in said space defined between said tray bottom and said support frame bottom;

a perforated table removably disposed in said water tray having a perforated surface elevated about a quantity of water carried on said tray bottom;

control means operably coupled to said electrical heating element for energizing said element for heating said water in said tray so as to create steam about said perforated table;

a vented lid detachably carried on the exposed edge of said support frame sidewall to close said open cavity whereby steam is maintained under said lid;

the height of said tray continuous sidewall is substantially greater than the height of said support frame continuous sidewall;

said water tray includes a plurality of legs arranged at the respective corners thereof for supporting said tray on said support frame and for defining said space between said support frame bottom and said water tray bottom;

said perforated table, said water tray and said support frame are of respective diminishing size so as to provide a nested relationship one within the other;

said water tray further includes mounting means downwardly suspending said heating element from said water tray bottom within said defined space;

said perforated table is on U-shaped cross section incorporating a pair of legs downwardly depending from the opposite side edges of said perforated surface;

said control means further includes a thermocouple connected in series with said switch operable in response to steam temperature to interrupt said circuit; and

a light coupled in said circuit for visually indicating energization of said circuit.