U.S. patent number RE40,408 [Application Number 11/657,985] was granted by the patent office on 2008-07-01 for baby wipes warmer for maintaining moisture and coloration of baby wipes contained therein.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Prince Lionheart, Inc.. Invention is credited to Francois Hacquard, Michael E. Henley, Thomas E. McConnell, Gary L. Smith.
United States Patent |
RE40,408 |
McConnell , et al. |
July 1, 2008 |
Baby wipes warmer for maintaining moisture and coloration of baby
wipes contained therein
Abstract
There is provided a baby wipes warmer comprising a housing which
defines an upper housing wall. It also comprises a liquid tank
assembly that has an upper tank surface defining at least one vapor
aperture therethrough. The tank assembly is disposed within the
hosing in a manner as to form an inside compartment between the
upper housing wall and the upper tank surface. The warmer further
comprises a heating element which is disposed within the housing to
provide heat to the tank assembly. In this regard, a portion of
liquid within the tank assembly transitions into vapors when heated
by the heating element and flow to the inside compartment through
the vapor aperture(s). By providing the vapors, the moisture and
coloration of the baby wipes supported therein can be maintained
while warming them.
Inventors: |
McConnell; Thomas E. (Santa
Ynez, CA), Hacquard; Francois (Los Angeles, CA), Henley;
Michael E. (Santa Ynez, CA), Smith; Gary L. (Arroyo
Grande, CA) |
Assignee: |
Prince Lionheart, Inc. (Santa
Maria, CA)
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Family
ID: |
29249624 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/657,985 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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10136550 |
May 1, 2002 |
6639185 |
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Reissue of: |
10695270 |
Oct 28, 2003 |
06847011 |
Jan 25, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
219/386;
221/150A; 222/146.5; 219/401 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
10/421 (20130101); A47K 2010/3293 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
7/00 (20060101); A47K 10/42 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2176523 |
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Nov 1997 |
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CA |
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2176523 |
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Nov 1997 |
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CA |
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8-24157 |
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Jan 1996 |
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JP |
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08-024157 |
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Jan 1996 |
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JP |
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11-155755 |
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Jun 1999 |
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JP |
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11-155755 |
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Jun 1999 |
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JP |
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H11-225902 |
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Aug 1999 |
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JP |
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H11-225904 |
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Aug 1999 |
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JP |
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H11-299679 |
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Nov 1999 |
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JP |
|
2000-93341 |
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Apr 2000 |
|
JP |
|
2000-093341 |
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Apr 2000 |
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JP |
|
Primary Examiner: Pelham; J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear,
LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/136,550 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,639,185
entitled BABY WIPES WARMER FOR MAINTAINING MOISTURE AND COLORATION
OF BABY WIPES CONTAINED THEREIN filed May 1, 2002, the entirety of
the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by
reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An .[.apparafus.]. .Iadd.apparatus .Iaddend.for moisturizing and
warming at least one wipe, the apparatus comprising: a housing
comprising at least two housing members which are sized and
configured to engage with each other to form an inside compartment
therebetween; a liquid container assembly .[.disposed within.].
.Iadd.in fluid communication with .Iaddend.the inside compartment
of the housing between the at least two housing members thereof,
the liquid container assembly being fixedly engaged to at least one
of the housing members and having at least one aperture
therethrough; .[.and.]. a heating element disposed within .[.the
inside compartment of.]. the housing between the at least two
housing members thereof; .Iadd.a sponge in fluid communication with
liquid disposed within the liquid container assembly; and .Iaddend.
wherein a portion of liquid is dispensable through the at least one
aperture of the liquid container assembly for moisturizing the at
least one wipe, and wherein heat is acquirable from the heating
element for warming the at least one wipe, the liquid including
anti-microbial additives.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is fabricated from
a plastic material.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least two housing
members comprise a body member and a base member.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the body member is peripherally
defined by an exterior-side housing wall having a base end, the
base end being engaged with the base member.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing defines an upper
housing wall.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the upper housing wall is an
openable/closeable lid member pivotally engaged to the housing for
selectively providing access to the inside compartment thereof.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid container assembly
is fabricated from a heat conducting material.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the heat conducting material is
metal.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid container assembly
is a liquid reservoir for storing a quantity of liquid therein.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid container assembly
is a liquid tank for storing a quantity of liquid therein.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid is water.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid is anti-microbial
liquid.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid container assembly
has upper and lower surfaces, the liquid container assembly forming
a liquid compartment between the upper and lower surfaces thereof
for storing a quantity of liquid therein.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one aperture is
extended through the liquid container assembly in a manner as to
fluidly communicate the inside compartment and the liquid
compartment with each other.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one wipe is at
least one fabric wipe.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one wipe is at
least one baby wipe.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heating element is
disposed adjacent the liquid container assembly.
.Iadd.18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid container
assembly is permanently attached to at least one of the housing
members..Iaddend.
.Iadd.19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid container
assembly is disposed within the inside compartment of the
housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.20. An apparatus for moisturizing and warming at least one
wipe, the apparatus comprising: a housing comprising at least two
housing members which are sized and configured to engage with each
other to form an inside compartment there between; a liquid
reservoir in fluid communication with the inside compartment of the
housing between the at least two housing members thereof, the
liquid reservoir being fixedly engaged to at least one of the
housing members and disposed exterior to the housing, the liquid
reservoir having at least one aperture therethrough; and a heating
element disposed within the housing between the at least two
housing members thereof; wherein a portion of liquid is dispensable
through the at least one aperture of the liquid reservoir for
moisturizing the at least one wipe, and wherein heat is acquirable
from the heating element for warming the at least one wipe, the
liquid including anti-microbial additives..Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the liquid reservoir is
permanently attached to the at least one of the housing
members..Iaddend.
.Iadd.22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the liquid reservoir is
disposed laterally adjacent to the inside compartment..Iaddend.
Description
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to baby wipes warmers, and
more particularly to an improved baby wipes warmer having a liquid
tank located therewithin which provides heated liquid vapors to the
baby wipes for maintaining moisture and coloration of the baby
wipes.
Baby wipes have been marketed in the United States for many years.
Essentially, baby wipes are small pre-moistened paper or synthetic
(non-woven) towelettes and are typically available in packages to
the consuming public. They are primarily used to cleanse the skin
of infants and small children. The wipe-fluid content for these
pre-moistened wipes is generally comprised of cleansers, lotions
and preservatives.
A few years after the baby wipes were introduced into the
marketplace, various products for warming the wipes were made
available to the public. Such products have been devised to comfort
the baby wipe users from the inherent "chill" given off by the
contact of the moistened wipes. For example, it is now a common
practice for parents to employ the use of warm baby wipes on their
children.
These warming products are generally electric operated and come in
two distinct styles. One is an "electric blanket" style which is
sized to wrap around the external surfaces of a plastic baby wipes
container. The other is a self-contained plastic "appliance" style
which warms the accommodated baby wipes with its internally
positioned heating element. Though such currently known and
available baby wipes warming products achieve their primary
objective of warming baby wipes, they possess certain deficiencies
which detract from their overall utility.
Perhaps the two greatest deficiencies of the prior art baby wipes
warming products are the inabilities to sustain the moisture
content and coloration of the baby wipes. More specifically, drying
of the baby wipes occurs due to heating of their moisture which
accelerates dehydration. Further, discoloration of the same appears
to be inevitable because of a reaction of various chemicals in the
wipes to heating. As such, even though these existing products may
adequately warm the baby wipes, they cannot, however, seem to avoid
the undesirable effects of dehydration and discoloration when
warming them.
Thus, there exists a substantial need in the industry, and in the
infant products manufacturing business in particular, for a baby
wipes warming product that can effectively provide warmth to the
baby wipes without dehydrating and/or discoloring them. Further,
there exists a need for a baby wipes warming product which can
achieve these objectives in a user-friendly and time-efficient
manner.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention specifically addresses and overcomes the
above-described deficiencies of prior art baby wipes warming
products by providing an improved baby wipes warmer that can warm
baby wipes while substantially maintaining their original moisture
content and coloration. Briefly, in order to accomplish such
objectives, the present baby wipes warmer may utilize a heatable
liquid tank assembly which can provide liquid vapors to the baby
wipes through its at least one vapor aperture. Alternatively, the
present baby wipes warmer may use an elevated support surface such
as a suspension tray in lieu of the tank assembly in which the baby
wipes supported thereon can be heated while sustaining their
moisture and color through vapors rising from the heated liquid
pool disposed thereunderneath. These as well as other features of
the present invention will be discussed in more detail infra.
In accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a baby wipes warmer for warming baby
wipes while substantially maintaining their original moisture
content and coloration. Such warmer comprises a housing with a
pivotally engaged lid member that can open and close relative
thereto. A liquid tank assembly is disposed within the housing in
such a way that its upper tank surface is vertically surrounded by
the housing's interior-side housing wall and horizontally closed
off by the lid member. In this respect, an inside compartment is
defined which can be selectively accessed by opening and closing
the lid member.
The liquid tank assembly is preferably fabricated from any heat
conducting material such as metal (e.g., aluminum). The tank
assembly comprises a liquid compartment which is formed between its
upper and lower tank surfaces. The liquid compartment is used to
hold any liquid that can produce vapors when heated such as water.
By heating the liquid compartment, a portion of the liquid may
change its physical state and flow into the inside compartment as
vapors which helps to maintain the original moisture content and
coloration of the baby wipes placed thereat. To allow the rising
vapors to seep into the inside compartment from the liquid
compartment, at least one vapor aperture is formed through the
upper tank surface.
A heating element is disposed within the housing relative to the
lower tank surface for the purpose of heating the liquid. The
heating element may be located in various positions to achieve such
purpose. For example, the heating element can be placed within the
liquid compartment itself adjacent the lower tank surface to
substantially extend thereabout. However, the heating element can
also be placed outside the liquid compartment and still provide the
requisite heat to the lower tank surface by being adjacent thereto.
It is specifically contemplated herein that any types of heating
element such as an electrically powered heating pad may be
used.
In the first preferred embodiment, the upper tank surface is
characterized by a generally flat support surface used for
supporting the baby wipes thereon. This surface may be defined to
be a part of the upper tank surface itself. In the alternative,
however, the support surface can be formed by a suspension tray
which is removably engaged upon a sponge material that extends
through an exposed opening defined on the upper tank surface. If
the latter configuration is used, the vapor aperture(s) of the
upper tank surface is formed by the sponge itself as its inherent
characteristics would allow the vapors to gradually flow
therethrough. Moreover, a ridge may be formed around both types of
support surfaces for confining the baby wipes within the physical
boundary set thereby.
Further in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention,
there may be provided a liquid reservoir which is set in fluid
communication with the liquid compartment. The liquid reservoir may
be disposed within the housing adjacent the liquid tank assembly,
or alternatively mounted to an exterior of the housing. To
establish fluid communication, any elongated and hollowed structure
such as a conduit may be used to provide a flow channel between the
reservoir and the liquid compartment. As will be demonstrated
below, the liquid reservoir ensures that the liquid within the
liquid compartment is always sustained at a certain level
sufficient to provide adequate evaporation.
In accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a baby wipes warmer which utilizes an
elevated support surface such as a suspension tray in lieu of the
tank assembly. The support surface is disposed within an inside
compartment which is collectively formed by the interior-side
housing wall and the upper housing wall. More specifically, the
interior-side housing wall defines a generally flattened interior
compartment surface used for placing the support surface thereon
above the liquid level contained within the inside compartment. By
doing so, the baby wipes accommodated thereon can be heated while
sustaining their moisture and color through vapors rising from the
heated liquid pool disposed underneath.
In accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a liquid tank assembly in the form of an elongated
central channel is embedded laterally along the flattened interior
compartment surface. This assembly forming the elongated central
channel includes a sponge material therewithin so that it may draw
liquid out of the reservoir by capillarity. Similar to the first
embodied baby wipes warmer, its upper tank surface comprises at
least one vapor aperture which allows liquid vapor to travel
therethrough.
In illustrating the operation for all embodied baby wipes warmers,
a stack of baby wipes may be placed within the inside compartment
simply by opening and then closing the lid member. The liquid
contained within the baby wipes warmer should be checked to ensure
that there is sufficient quantity, i.e., water level present. This
can be accomplished by checking the liquid reservoir (for the first
and third embodiments) or the liquid level within the inside
compartment itself (for the second embodiment). Thereafter, the
baby wipes warmer may be plugged into an electrical outlet in order
to activate the heating element (if not already done). By following
this easy-to-follow procedure, portions of the liquid can
transition into vapors when sufficiently heated which then travel
upwardly through the vapor aperture(s) to contact the baby wipes so
that they may be maintained in constant moisturized conditions and
coloration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These as well as other features of the present invention will
become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a baby wipes warmer constructed in
accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present
invention and illustrating a stack of baby wipes positioned within
its inside compartment;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the baby wipes warmer of
FIG. 1 and illustrating a liquid reservoir which is exteriorly
mountable to its exterior-side housing wall;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the baby wipes warmer of FIG. 1
and illustrating a heating element disposed between its water tank
assembly and base member;
FIG. 3A is a plan view of the water tank assembly of FIG. 3 and
illustrating a plurality of vapor apertures which are formed
through its upper tank surface;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the baby wipes warmer of FIG. 1
and illustrating a heating element immersed in a quantity of liquid
contained within its water tank assembly;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the baby wipes warmer of FIG. 1
and illustrating a suspension tray which is placed upon a sponge
extending through an exposed opening of its water tank
assembly;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a baby wipes warmer constructed
in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention and illustrating a suspension tray which is placed
directly over a quantity of liquid contained within its inside
compartment; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a baby wipes warmer constructed
in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present
invention and illustrating a sponge disposed within its water tank
assembly which is in the form of a laterally extending central
water channel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes
of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention
only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1
prospectively illustrates a baby wipes warmer 10 constructed in
accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present
invention. As indicated above, the baby wipes warmer 10 is adapted
to warm a stack of baby wipes 12 accommodated therein while
maintaining the wipes 12 in a substantially moisturized condition
and with their original coloration (i.e., white). Those of ordinary
skill in the art will recognize that the baby wipes warmer 10 may
be formed to have a variety of external housing shapes,
configurations, geometries, sizes and textures other than for that
shown in the provided figures.
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the baby wipes warmer
10 comprises a housing 14. This housing 14 may be fabricated from
any rigid material, but plastic polymer is preferred. The housing
14 is formed having a main body member 16 and a base member 18.
More particularly, the body member 16 is peripherally defined by an
exterior-side housing wall 20 with a base end 22 that engages onto
the base member 18. The base member 18 is contemplated to be used
for supporting the baby wipes warmer 10 on any provided surface
(e.g., desktop, floor, night stand, etc.) and may optionally
include a plurality of adjustable foot pads 24 for this
purpose.
The housing 14 of the present baby wipes warmer 10 comprises a
pivotally engaged top lid member 26 which is capable of opening and
closing relative to the housing 14. The lid member 26 may open and
close utilizing any conventional methods such as using a door
spring 28, for example. When such lid member 26 is closed with
respect to the housing 14, it becomes an upper housing wall as it
encloses the interior of the housing 14 from the outside. On the
other hand, the opening of the lid member 26 allows access to an
inside compartment 30 of the housing which will be discussed in
more detail below. By accessing the inside compartment 30, a stack
of baby wipes 12 (layered or inter-folded stack) may be inserted
and individually withdrawn for use.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a liquid tank assembly 32 is
provided within the housing 14. More specifically, the liquid tank
assembly 32 is located between the body and base members 16, 18
when they are engaged to each other in the manner described above.
Upon such placement, the upper tank surface 34 of the tank assembly
32 collectively forms the inside compartment 30 with the
interior-side housing wall 36 and the lid member 26 of the housing
14. To describe this aspect in more detail, the upper tank surface
34 becomes vertically surrounded as the tank end 38 of the
interior-side housing wall 36 is rested against the upper tank
peripheral edge 40 thereof. The upper tank surface 34 is then
horizontally closed off by the top lid member 26 forming the closed
position. By such structural interaction, the requisite inside
compartment 30 may be formed.
Although FIG. 2 illustrates the liquid tank assembly 32 to be
generally rectangular in configuration, it is expressly stated
herein that the tank assembly 32 may be configured in other ways
without deviating from its operational capabilities.
The liquid tank assembly 32 defines a lower tank surface 42 which
is positioned beneath the upper tank surface 34 towards the base
member 18. The upper and lower tank surfaces 34, 42 are connected
to each other by a surrounding side tank surfaces 44 to thereby
form a liquid compartment 46 within the tank assembly 32. This
liquid compartment 46 is used for holding any liquid 48 that can
evaporate when sufficiently heated and thus produce vapors 49 which
are able to moisturize. A type of liquid 48 which is exemplary of
this nature is water. However, the use of any fluids which may
safely moisturize the baby wipes 12 are foreseeable.
Because the contained liquid 48 must evaporate upon sufficient
heating, the liquid tank assembly 32 should therefore be made from
any material that is capable of rising in temperature in reaction
to heating. It is preferred that the tank assembly 32 is fabricated
from a heat-conducting material such as metal. More preferably,
aluminum would be desirable for fabricating the tank assembly 32 as
it reacts very well to heating.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the upper tank surface 34 includes a
plurality of vapor apertures 50 extending therethrough which
provide fluid communication between the inside and liquid
compartments 30, 46. The vapor apertures 50 allow the vapors 49 to
pass through from the liquid compartment 46 to the inside
compartment 30 so as to heat the wipes and maintain the baby wipes
12 in a constant moisturized condition and coloration. Preferably,
the vapor apertures 50 are formed within the support surface 52
which is surrounded by a ridge 54 formed therearound. The support
surface 52 is primarily used for accommodating the baby wipes 12 in
which the surrounding ridge 54 confines them in place to prevent
side-to-side movement.
Referring now to FIG. 5 only, an alternative embodiment of the
support surface 52 is depicted. In this embodiment, the upper tank
surface 34 may instead define an exposed opening 56 between the
ridge 54. A support surface 52 may be disposed within this opening
56 in a manner as to extend substantially thereabout. Any structure
providing a horizontal flat surface can be defined as the support
surface 52 such as a suspension tray, for example. Preferably, a
sponge material 58 extending through the exposed opening 56 from
the liquid compartment 46 is used to removably secure the support
surface 52 in place. The sponge 58 is preferred for this purpose as
its naturally formed pores may simulate the vapor apertures 50
thereby permitting the vapors 49 to seep therethrough.
Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, a heating element 60 is provided within
the housing 14 relative to the lower tank surface 42. As noted
above, the purpose of the heating element 60 is to heat the tank
assembly 32 so that portions of liquid 48 are changed into vapors
49. The heating element 60 may be disposed in various positions to
achieve this purpose. One position is to locate the heating element
60 within the liquid compartment 46 so that it is immersed in
liquid 48 to substantially extend adjacent the lower tank surface
42 (best shown in FIG. 4). The heating element 60 may also be
positioned outside the liquid compartment 48 to extend adjacent the
lower tank surface 42 (best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5). Although the
use of various heaters is contemplated, it is preferred that an
electrically powered heating pad is utilized.
Referring now back to FIGS. 1 and 2, a liquid reservoir 62 may
optionally be incorporated into the present baby wipes warmer 10.
However, the use of the liquid reservoir 62 is not mandatory as the
liquid level within the liquid compartment 46 may be manually
refilled. The liquid reservoir 62 is in fluid communication with
the liquid compartment 46. By such communication, the reservoir 62
can provide additional liquid to the liquid compartment 46 when
needed. The additional liquid may be provided manually by operation
of a valve device which may open and close the liquid flow into the
liquid compartment 46. The liquid reservoir 62 includes a refill
cap 64 preferably fabricated from a rubber material for selectively
accessing its interior.
Similar to the heating element 60, the liquid reservoir 62 may also
be located in multiple positions. For example, it can be disposed
within the housing 14 adjacent the liquid tank assembly 32 (shown
in FIG. 7). Alternatively, the liquid reservoir 62 may be
exteriorly mounted to the exterior-side housing wall 20 (shown in
FIG. 1). Irrespective of its positioning, the important concept to
be derived is that the reservoir 62 fluid communicates with the
liquid compartment 46 for providing additional liquid 48 thereto
when needed. To establish fluid communication, any elongated and
tubular structure 66 such as a conduit may be used to form a
reservoir channel 66 between the reservoir 62 and the liquid
compartment 46. In this respect, the liquid reservoir 62 ensures
that the liquid 48 within the liquid compartment 46 is always kept
at a certain level which is sufficient to provide adequate
evaporation.
FIG. 6 illustrates a baby wipes warmer 70 which is constructed in
accordance with a second preferred embodiment. The second embodied
baby wipes warmer 70 is substantially identical to the first
embodiment with one major distinction. More specifically, the baby
wipes warmer 70 of the second embodiment eliminates the use of the
liquid tank assembly 32. Rather, its interior-side housing wall 72
is adapted to define a substantially flattened interior compartment
surface 74 which extends generally parallel to the base member 18.
By merely closing the top lid member (not shown), an inside
compartment 78 is formed. A quantity of liquid 80 is directly
contained within this compartment 78.
A support surface 82 which is defined by a suspension tray 84 is
disposed within the inside compartment 78. However, it should be
noted that the support surface 82 is positioned above the pool of
liquid 80 as it must accommodate the baby wipes 12 thereon. The
support surface 82 may be engaged upon the interior compartment
surface 74 through any known process such as bonding or fastening.
By utilizing this arrangement, the baby wipes 12 are adequately
heated while sustaining their moisture and color through vapors 86
rising from the heated liquid pool 80 disposed immediately
underneath the support surface 82.
FIG. 7 shows a baby wipes warmer 90 which is made in accordance
with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. This
warmer 90 is substantially identical to the first embodied baby
wipes warmer 10 except that its liquid tank assembly 92 is
fabricated in the form of an elongated central channel and is
embedded laterally along the interior compartment surface 94. This
elongated central channel serving as the liquid tank assembly 92
includes a sponge 96 within its liquid compartment 98. The sponge
96 operates to draw the liquid 100 out of the adjacently located
liquid reservoir 102 by capillarity. Similar to the tank assembly
32 of the first embodiment, its upper tank surface 104 includes a
plurality of vapor holes 106 which allow the liquid 100 to
evaporate therethrough.
The operation of the first embodied baby wipes warmer 10 is
described herein which is simultaneously representative for
operations of the second and third embodied baby wipes warmers 70,
90. First, a stack of baby wipes 12 to be warmed is placed within
the inside compartment 30 simply by opening and then closing the
lid member 26. The liquid 48 contained within the baby wipes warmer
10 should be checked to ensure that there is sufficient level
present for adequate evaporation. This can be accomplished by
visually checking the liquid reservoir (for the first and third
embodiments) or the liquid level within the inside compartment
itself (for the second embodiment). Thereafter, the baby wipes
warmer 10 should be plugged into an electrical outlet (not shown)
in order to activate the heating element 60 (if not already done).
By following this easy-to-follow procedure, portions of the liquid
48 can transition into vapors 49 when sufficiently heated which are
then provided to the baby wipes 12 so that they may be maintained
in constant moisturized condition and coloration.
Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention
may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus,
the particular combination of parts described and illustrated
herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments of the
present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of
alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the
invention.
* * * * *