Patent Publication Number: US-7910860-B2

Title: Fluid warmer

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/888,457, filed on Feb. 6, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a heat exchanger, and more particularly to a fluid warmer that is configured to receive containers of different sizes to warm fluid contained therein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A common problem with using lotions, moisturizers, oils, colloids or other liquids designed to be applied to the body, is that the liquids are sometimes cold, cool or uncomfortable when being applied. This problem is compounded when the liquid has been stored in a cold area. Another common problem with using such liquids is that when the container is relatively empty, the liquid tends to line the inside of the container instead of pooling at the bottom where most dispenser systems access the liquid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a heat exchange apparatus including a bladder support configured to support a heat exchange target, a heating element supported by the bladder support, and a heat exchanging portion supported by the bladder support, the heat exchanging portion including a bladder in contact with the outer surface of the heat exchange target and adapted to conform to the outer surface of the heat exchange target. 
     The present invention also provides a heat exchange apparatus including a holder configured to support the heat exchange target, a bladder support supported by the holder, a heating element supported by the bladder support, and a heat exchanging portion supported by the bladder support, the heat exchanging portion including particulate in contact with the outer surface of the heat exchange target and adapted to conform to the outer surface of the heat exchange target. 
     The above mentioned and other features of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fluid warmer including a bladder according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the fluid warmer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the fluid warmer of  FIG. 1  including a heat exchange target. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a fluid warmer according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , heat transfer apparatus  10  is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. Heat transfer apparatus  10  includes housing  12  and bladder support  14  ( FIG. 2 ). Bladder support  14  is supported by housing  12 . Heat transfer apparatus  10  optionally includes heat adjuster  22  supported by housing  12 . It is understood that heat adjuster  22  could be a dial, knob, switch, remote control or any other device coupled to electronics (not shown) for controlling heating element  18  to a desired temperature. 
     Housing  12  defines aperture  30  exposing an opening into housing  12 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , housing  12  substantially encloses bladder support  14 . As described below, however, housing  12  need not substantially enclose bladder support  14 . In  FIG. 1 , aperture  30  provides an opening into housing  12  and exposes a portion of bladder support  14 . 
     As also illustrated in  FIG. 1 , housing  12  defines a substantially cylindrical shape. It should be noted that the size and shape of housing  12  is not limited to the illustration shown as housing  12  may define a wide variety of shapes and sizes. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, bladder support  14  may include bladder  16 , sac  16  or any other suitable heat exchanger  16 . It should be understood however that bladder  16  is not limited by a shape or size. It should also be understood that bladder  16  is not limited to a single conformation, that by deformation bladder  16  may readily change shape and conformation. Bladder  16  may include a liquid or solid with good thermal conductivity. As shown in  FIG. 2 , bladder  16  defines an interior space  20 . It should be understood, however, that bladder  16  may be configured such that interior space  20  is only provided upon insertion of a heat exchange target. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , heat transfer apparatus  10  is shown in greater detail. Housing  12  includes, among other things, housing walls  24  (shown as a single, continuous wall) and end wall  26 . Housing walls  24  and end wall  26  define cavity  28 . In this embodiment, bladder  16  is at least partially disposed within cavity  28 . It is understood that bladder  16  need not be disposed within housing  12 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , heating element  18  is described in greater detail. Heating element  18  is operably coupled to heat adjuster  22 . Heating element  18  may include a thermostat, optionally a variable heat thermostat, controlled by heat adjuster  22 . It should be understood that the heating element  18  is also coupled to a power source (not shown). In this embodiment, heating element  18  is shown in multiple locations. It is understood that heating element  18  is not limited to the locations illustrated. It is also understood that heating element  18  may be a single heating element part, or heating element  18  may include multiple heating element parts, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . As also illustrated, heating element  18  may be adjacent to housing  12 , such as housing wall  24  or end wall  26  of housing  12 , or heating element  18  may be embedded within housing  12 , such as within housing wall  24  or end wall  26  of housing  12  or any location within cavity  28 . 
     Aperture  30  and optionally interior space  20  are configured to accept a large variety of shapes and sizes of heat exchange target  34  ( FIG. 4 ). Heat exchange target  34  may include a variety of different container sizes and shapes. Heat exchange target  34  may also contain a variety of different kinds of materials, including gases, liquids, and colloids such as lotions and hand creams. 
     Bladder  16  may include a liquid sufficiently viscous to support a heat exchange target  34 . The liquid may also be sufficiently fluid to conform to different shapes of heat exchange target  34 . Application of force by the user inserting heat exchange target  34  and/or heat provided by heating element  18  may assist the liquid within bladder  16  to conform to the different shapes and sizes of heat exchange target  34 . Bladder  16  may also include a liquid with a low partial vapor pressure such that warming the liquid will not cause deformation of bladder  16  to maximize the surface area in contact with, and therefore the heat transfer to, heat exchange target  34 . Interior space  20  or interior opening  20  also allows for bladder  16  movement and deformation. 
     In operation, a user places heat exchange target  34  into interior space  20  or interior opening  20  of housing  12  and adjacent to bladder  16 . Bladder  16  may conform to heat exchange target  34  with or without any of the following: force from the user, heat transfer from heating element  18  and force from bladder support  14 . During operation, bladder  16  remains in close and direct contact with heat exchange target  34 . Bladder  16  assists in efficient heat transfer from heating element  18  to heat exchange target  34 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , heat transfer apparatus  110  is shown in operation with heat exchange target  134  according to another embodiment of the present invention. Heat transfer apparatus  110  includes the same features as heat transfer apparatus  10  except for the following described differences. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , housing  112  supports bladder support  14  which supports bladder  16 , heat element  18 , and heat exchange target  134 . Heat transfer apparatus  110  operates in a similar fashion as heat transfer apparatus  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , heat transfer apparatus  210  is shown according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. Heat transfer apparatus  210  includes the same features as heat transfer apparatus  10  except for the following described differences. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , heat transfer apparatus  210  includes a housing  212  including a holder formed of particulate  216 . Particulate  216  may be fluid enough to allow insertion of heat exchange target  34  into particulate  216 . Particulate  216  may include good thermal conductivity, and provide an interior space that conforms to and supports heat exchange target  34 . Particulate  216 , similar to bladder  16 , assists in efficient heat transfer to and from heat exchange target  34 . 
     Particulate  216  may also be a sorbent for volatile, semivolatile and non-volatile substances  236 . Substances  236  may be water, chemicals for fragrances or air freshening, or other desirable products. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , substances  236  may vaporize as shown by wavy lines  237 . Vaporization may or may not require heat transfer from heating element  18 . 
     While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.