Portable warming device and method for warming an article

• US 8,481,895 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Proton LLC
• Original Assignee: Heatwave LLC
• Inventors: Taylor, Curtis, Whitner, Douglas E., Vitantonio, Marc Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): JENNISON, BRIAN W
• Application Number:
  US11/410,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20060191901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 219/521, 219/544, 219/535, 219/394, 219/385, 219/492, 392/403, 392/390
• 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 arrangement including a resistive heating element, a heating controller, a current connector, and an activation switch;

said resistive heating element positioned on an outer surface of said inner shell and about said side wall of said warming cavity, in close proximity to said outer surface of said inner shell and about said side wall of said warming cavity, or combinations thereof;

said 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 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 after a user has actuated said activation switch, 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 heating element is at least partially positioned adjacent to a protective heat conducting material, said protective heat conducting material positioned on an outer surface of said inner shell, in close proximity to said outer surface of said inner shell, or combinations thereof.

5. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 4, wherein said resistive heating element is at least partially positioned between two layers of said protective heat conducting material.

6. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating 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 in maintaining said lid in a closed position, facilitating maintaining said lid in an open 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 in a closed position.

11. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating arrangement includes a lid open detector terminates current to said resistive 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 resistive heating element.

15. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom of said warming cavity includes at least one drain opening to enable fluid to drain out from said warming cavity.

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 has 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 depressible switch.

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

41. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 14, wherein said heating arrangement includes a plurality of visual indicators.

42. The portable textile warmer as defined in claim 41, wherein at least two of said visual indicators are selected from the group of indicators that indicate that said heating arrangement is connected to a power source, said heating mat is heating, said heating mat is cooling, at least one towel in said warming cavity is properly heated, said lid is not properly closed, at least one component of said heating arrangement is not properly working, a towel can or should be inserted in said warming cavity, illuminates at least one control on said body, illuminates at least one display on said body, said heating controller has been activated, said heating controller has been deactivated, said lid was not opened after completion of a heating cycle of said heating mat, a temperature in said warming cavity, an ambient temperature, a current time, a time the at least one towel has been heated in said warming cavity, or combinations thereof.

21. A portable towel warmer designed to dry heat at least one towel comprising:

a body having a bottom housing, a top housing, an inner shell, an outer shell and a single lid;

said inner shell having an inner surface that at least partially forms a warming cavity;

said body having a total volume of less than about 8000 cubic inches;

said warming cavity including a base wall and at least one side wall formed by said inner surface of said inner shell;

said warming cavity having a volume to hold at least one standard bath towel and 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 the at least one towel in said warming cavity to be substantially encapsulated by said warming cavity;

said lid in the open position enabling the at least one towel to be inserted or removed from said warming cavity;

said bottom of said inner shell including at least one drain opening to enable fluid to drain out from said warming cavity; and

,

a heating arrangement at least partially positioned in said housing and designed to dry heat the at least one towel positioned in said warming cavity;

said heating arrangement including a heating mat, a heating controller, a current connector, a visual indicator, and an activation switch;

said heating arrangement designed to generate at least about 100 watts of energy and no more than about 1500 watts of energy and to heat said warming cavity to a temperature of at least about 105°

F. and no more than about 330°

F.;

a majority of said heating mat positioned between said inner and outer shell of said body;

a majority of said heating mat positioned on an outer surface of said inner shell and about said side wall of said warming cavity, in close proximity to said outer surface of said inner shell and about said side wall of said warming cavity, 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 heating mat 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 a user has actuated said activation switch, or combinations thereof;

said body and said heating arrangement having a total weight of no more than about 30 pounds.

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

23. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said heating mat is at least partially adhesively secured to said outer surface of said inner shell.

24. The portable towel 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 towel warmer as defined in claim 24, wherein said heating mat is positioned at least about 80% of said outer surface of said inner shell.

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

27. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 22, wherein said electrically insulating material includes silicone.

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

29. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, including a lid counterbalance, said lid counterbalance facilitating in maintaining said lid in said closed position, facilitating in maintaining said lid in said open 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 in said 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 has 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 a predetermined amount of time of current flow to said resistive heating element.

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

37. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein 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 towel 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 towel warmer as defined in claim 21, wherein said visual indicator includes a plurality of indicators, said plurality of indicators including at least two indicators designed to indicate 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 the at least one towel in said warming cavity is properly heated, indicating when said lid is not properly closed, indicating when at least one component of said heating arrangement is not properly working, indicating when a towel can or should be inserted in said warming cavity, illuminating at least one control on said body, illuminating at least one display on said body, indicating that said heating controller has been activated, indicating that said heating controller has been deactivated, indicating that said lid was not opened after completion of a heating cycle of said heating mat, indicating a temperature in said warming cavity, indicating an ambient temperature, indicating a current time, indicating a time the at least one towel has been heated in said warming cavity, or combinations thereof.

40. The portable towel 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.

43. A portable towel warmer designed to dry heat at least one towel comprising:

a body having a bottom housing, a top housing, an inner shell, an outer shell and a single lid;

said inner shell having an inner surface that at least partially forms a warming cavity;

said body having a total volume of less than about 8000 cubic inches;

said warming cavity including a base wall and at least one side wall formed by said inner surface of said inner shell;

said warming cavity having a total volume of at least about 175 cubic inches;

said single lid pivotally connected on said top housing;

said lid movable between an open and a closed position wherein said lid in the closed position causing the at least one towel in said warming cavity to be substantially encapsulated by said warming cavity;

said lid in the open position enabling the at least one towel to be inserted or removed from said warming cavity;

a bottom of said inner shell including at least one drain opening to enable fluid to drain out from said warming cavity and out of said body;

said bottom housing including a non-slick surface to inhibit or prevent said bottom housing from slipping or inadvertently moving on a surface; and

,

a heating arrangement at least partially positioned in said housing and designed to dry heat the at least one towel positioned in said warming cavity without use of a fan or blower;

said heating arrangement including a heating mat, a heating controller, a current connector, a plurality of visual indicators, and an activation switch;

said heating arrangement designed to generate at least about 100 watts of energy and no more than about 1500 watts of energy and to heat said warming cavity to a temperature of at least about 105°

F. and no more than about 330°

F.;

a majority of said heating mat positioned between said inner and outer shell of said body;

said heating mat is positioned about said side wall of said warming cavity and at least about 80% of said outer surface of said inner shell;

said current connector designed to connect to a current source to provide current to said heating mat;

at least one of said visual indicators including an indicators to indicate when current is flowing through said heating mat;

said activation switch is positioned on said top housing;

said activation switch including a user depressible switch;

said body and said heating arrangement having a total weight of no more than about 30 pounds.

44. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating mat includes a first and second heating conducting protective layer and a resistive heating element positioned between said first and second heating conducting protective layer, said resistive heating element at least partially covered by an electrical insulating material, said heating mat is spaced a farther distance from said outer shell than from said inner shell.

45. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 44, wherein said heating controller terminates a flow of current to said heating mat after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature, said heating controller includes a thermostat, a thermal fuse, or combinations thereof.

46. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 45, wherein at least one of said visual indicators is positioned on said top housing and adjacent said actuator switch.

47. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 46, wherein said heating mat is spaced a farther distance from said outer shell than from said inner shell.

48. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 47, wherein said body and said heating arrangement having a total weight of about 7-8 pounds, said body having total volume of about 605-1183 cubic inches.

49. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 48, wherein said heating arrangement has a single heating cycle after being activated by said activation switch.

50. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 49, wherein at least one of said visual indicators includes an indicator to indicate when a towel can or should be inserted in said warming cavity.

51. The portable towel warmer as defined in claim 50, wherein said heating controller terminates a flow of current to said resistive heating element after a predetermined amount of time of current flow to said resistive heating element.