SLAT SYSTEM FOR A HEATING STRUCTURE

Abstract

A slat is configured for use with a heating structure. The slat includes at least one elongated body. An attachment device is coupled to a top end of the at least one elongated body. The attachment device is configured to secure to the heating structure so that the at least one elongated body extends between a top and a bottom of the heating structure.

Claims

1. A slat configured for use with a towel rack, the slat comprising: at least one elongated body, an attachment device coupled to a top end of the at least one elongated body, wherein the attachment device is configured to secure to the towel rack so that the at least one elongated body extends from a top of the towel rack, wherein the at least one elongated body is configured to provide a barrier along a side of an item positioned on the towel rack to restrict fluid flow around the item, and a heat reactive material extending along the at least one elongated body.

2. The slat of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated body includes a pair of elongated bodies extending from the attachment device, wherein each of the pair of elongated bodies is configured to extend downward from the towel rack.

3. The slat of claim 2, wherein an opening is formed between the pair of elongated bodies, wherein the attachment device is coupled to the top end of the towel rack so that at least a portion of the towel rack extends through the opening.

4. The slat of claim 1, wherein the slat is configured to move along the towel rack to position the at least one elongated body adjacent to the item positioned on the towel rack.

5. The slat of claim 4, wherein the attachment device moves along the top of the towel rack.

6. The slat of claim 1, wherein the slat is a first slat that is configured to cooperate with a second slat to provide a plurality of barriers, wherein a first barrier of the plurality of barriers is configured to restrict fluid flow along a first side of the item and wherein a second barrier of the plurality of barriers is configured to restrict fluid flow along a second side of the item.

7. The slat of claim 6, wherein: the first slat is moveable to a position adjacent the first side of the item, and the second slat is moveable to a position adjacent the second side of the item.

8. The slat of claim 1, wherein the heat reactive material includes at least one of a heat resistant material, a heat reflective material, or a heat trapping material.

9. The slat of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated body includes a heating element.

10. The slat of claim 1, further comprising an aroma-therapy system configured to disperse aroma-therapy around the item.

11. A heating structure configured to heat an item, the heating structure comprising: a frame having a top and a bottom, wherein the item is configured to position on the top of the frame and hang toward the bottom of the frame, a heating element configured to discharge heat from the frame, and a slat coupled to the frame, the slat comprising: at least one elongated body, an attachment device coupled to a top end of the at least one elongated body, wherein the attachment device is secured to the frame so that the at least one elongated body extends between the top and the bottom of the frame, wherein the at least one elongated body is configured to provide a barrier to fluid flow along a side of the item to restrict heated fluid from flowing away from the item, and a heat reactive material extending along the at least one elongated body.

12. The heating structure of claim 11, wherein the at least one elongated body includes a pair of elongated bodies extending from the attachment device, wherein each of the pair of elongated bodies extends toward the bottom of the frame.

13. The heating structure of claim 12, wherein an opening is formed between the pair of elongated bodies, wherein the attachment device is coupled to the top end of the frame so that at least a portion of the frame extends through the opening.

14. The heating structure of claim 11, wherein the slat is configured to move along the frame to position the at least one elongated body adjacent to the item.

15. The heating structure of claim 14, wherein the attachment device moves along the top of the frame.

16. The heating structure of claim 11, further comprising a first slat and a second slat.

17. The heating structure of claim 16, wherein: the first slat is moveable to a position adjacent a first side of the item, and the second slat is moveable to a position adjacent a second side of the item.

18. The heating structure of claim 11, wherein the heat reactive material includes at least one of a heat resistant material, a heat reflective material, or a heat trapping material.

19. The heating structure of claim 11, wherein the heating element is positioned in the at least one elongated body.

20. The heating structure of claim 11, further comprising an aroma-therapy system configured to disperse aroma-therapy around the item.

21. A slat configured for use with a heating structure, the slat comprising: at least one elongated body, an attachment device coupled to a top end of the at least one elongated body, wherein the attachment device is configured to secure to the heating structure so that the at least one elongated body extends between a top and a bottom of the heating structure, wherein the at least one elongated body is configured to provide a barrier to fluid flow along a side of an item positioned on the heating structure to retain heat from the heating structure within a space defined by the at least one elongated body and the item, and a heating element is positioned in the at least one elongated body.

22. The slat of claim 21, a fan configured to disperse the heat from the heating element through at least one vent formed in the elongated body.

23. The slat of claim 21, further comprising an aroma-therapy system configured to disperse aroma-therapy around the item.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of a slat formed in accordance with an embodiment and positioned on a heating structure, wherein a towel is positioned on the heating structure;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the slat positioned on the heating structure taken about line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the slat positioned on the heating structure taken about line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a front view of the slat shown in FIG. 1 and positioned on a towel rack, wherein a towel is positioned on the towel rack;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the slat positioned on the towel rack taken about line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the slat positioned on the towel rack taken about line 6-6 in FIG. 4;

[0019] FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the slat shown in FIG. 1 having only one elongated member;

[0020] FIG. 8 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the slat shown in FIG. 1 having a heat reactive material positioned thereon;

[0021] FIG. 9 is a side view of another embodiment of the slat shown in FIG. 1 and formed from a heat reactive material.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a side view of a further embodiment of the slat shown in FIG. 1 having a heating system positioned therein;

[0023] FIG. 11 is a back view of one of the elongated slots of the slat taken about line 11-11 in FIG. 10, wherein a vent is formed in the slat;

[0024] FIG. 12 is a side view of yet a further embodiments of the slat shown in FIG. 1 having telescoping elongated members; and

[0025] FIG. 13 is a front view of a pair of slats coupled together with a top crossbar and a bottom crossbar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0027] Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed material belongs.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, and heating structure 10 includes a frame 12 that is configured to hold an item, for example, a towel 14. The frame 12 includes a pair of side segments 16 that extend between a top end 18 and a bottom end 20. A plurality of horizontal bars 22 extend between the side segments 16. The towel 14 is configured to be placed around one of the horizontal bars 22, for example, a top bar 24, and hang between the top 18 and the bottom 20 of the frame 12. As shown in FIG. 2, with the towel 14 positioned on the heating structure 10, a space 26 is formed. It will be appreciated that the heating structure 10 can be any of the towel warmers shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/634,045; Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent Application PCT/US2019/019095; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/651,289; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/405,310; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/288,173; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/344,449; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/347,642; U.S. Design Patent Application Ser. No. 29/838,179; and U.S. Design Patent Application Ser. No. 29/838,175, each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0029] A slat 40 is coupled to the frame 12. It will be appreciated that the slat 40 can be coupled to the top 18 or bottom 20 of the frame. The slat 40 can be formed integrally with the frame 12. Optionally, the slat 40 is a separate component that couples to the top 18 of the frame 12. In some embodiments, the slat 40 is retrofit to an existing heating structure 10. It will be appreciated that the slat 40 can be positioned on any existing heating structure, built into any new heating structure, or hung on a towel rack and configured to provide heat itself to a towel. The slat 40 includes an attachment device 42 that couples to the frame 12. In the illustrative embodiment, the attachment device 42 is a hooked segment that is sized and shaped to position on the top horizontal bar 24. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the attachment device 42 can be coupled to the bottom 20 of the heating structure 10.

[0030] It will be appreciated that other attachment devices can be contemplated. For example, the attachment device 42 in this context can refer to a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together, generally used to create non-permanent joints (e.g., releasable or lockable), including anchor bolts, battens, bolts (including screws), brass fasteners, buckles, buttons, cable ties, captive fasteners, clamps (or cramps, including hose clamps), clasps (including lobster clasps), clekos, clips (including circlips, hairpin clips, paper clips, and terry clips), clutches, drawing pins (thumbtack), flanges, frogs, grommets, hook-and-eye closures, hook and loop fasteners (including Velcro?), latches, nails, pegs (including clothespins and tent pegs), PEM nuts, pins (including bowtie cotter pins, circle cotters, clevis fasteners, cotters, dowels, linchpins, R-clips, split pins, spring pins, and tapered pins), retaining rings (including circlips and e-rings), rivets, rock bolts, rubber bands (or bands of other materials), screw anchors, snap fasteners, staples, stitches, straps, threaded fasteners (including captive threaded fasteners, nuts, screws, washers, threaded inserts, and threaded rods), ties, toggle bolts, treasury tags, twist ties, wedge anchors, and zippers.

[0031] A pair of elongated bodies 50 extend from the attachment device 42 toward the bottom 20 of the frame 12. That is, each elongated body 50 extends from at attachment end 52 couple to the attachment device 42 to a free end 54. Each of the elongated bodies 50 has the same length 56; however, it will be appreciated that the lengths 56 of each elongated body can differ. In some embodiments, the elongated bodies 50 have an adjustable length 56 that adjusts to a length of the towel 14. For example, the elongated bodies 50 can have telescoping members that enable the length 56 to be adjusted. An opening 58 is formed between the pair of elongated bodies 50. The attachment device 42 is coupled to the top 18 of the heating structure 10 so that at least a portion of the heating structure 10 extends through the opening 58. That is, the slat 40 at least partially encloses the heating structure 10. The elongated bodies are deformable and configured to provide a barrier along a side of the towel 14, as shown in FIG. 3. For example, the elongated bodies 50 function to further define a space 26 formed in conjunction with the towel 14. As such, heat generated by the heating structure 10 is trapped in the space 26 to further heat the towel 14. It will be appreciated, that the slat 40 can also be used with a cooling structure to retain cooled fluid in the space 26. In an embodiment the cooled fluid may be a gas, a liquid, or combinations thereof.

[0032] The slats 40 are configured to move along the heating structure 10 to position the elongated bodies 50 adjacent to the towel 14. For example, the attachment device 42 moves along the top 18 of the heating structure 10 to move the respective slat 40. The two slats 40 illustrated in FIG. 1 cooperate provide barriers for fluid flow along at least two sides of the towel 14. That is, a first slat 44 is moveable to a position adjacent a first side 60 of the towel 14, and a second slat 46 is moveable to a position adjacent a second side 62 of the towel 14. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, only one slat 40 is used to restrict heat flow only on one side of the towel 14.

[0033] In some embodiments, the slat 40 is formed from a heat reactive material. As used herein heat reactive means any material that is at least one of heat resistant, heat reflective, or heat trapping. A heat resistant material is any material that resists deformation from heat. For example, the heat resistant material can be a foam or a rubber. A heat reflective material is any material that reflects heat from its surface. For example, the heat reflective material can be a metal or composite that forms a reflective surface. A heat trapping material is any material that retains heat within an enclosed space. For example, the heat trapping material can be a fabric, such as a wool or a cotton. A heat reactive material can be any combination of heat resistant, heat reflective, and heat trapping. The heat reactive material can include at least one of wool, cotton, foam, canvas, leather, linen, rayon, polyester, silk, suede, denier, nylon, mylar, cordura, polypropylene, insulation, rubber or other heat reactive material.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the slats 40 can be utilized with an existing towel rack 70. It will be appreciated that positioning the towel 14 on the towel rack 70 creates the space 26, as described above. By coupling at least one slat 40 on a crossbar 72 of the towel rack 70, heat can be retained in the space 26 because the elongated bodies 50 deform to provide a barrier along the sides of the towel 14. As described above, the heat can be provided by the slat 40 itself. Alternatively, other heat sources can be adapted to provide heat to the space 26. Retention of this heat is facilitated by the slat(s) 40 positioned on the towel rack 70.

[0035] Referring now to FIG. 7, the slat 40 can be configured with only one elongated body 50. Such an embodiment can be useful with a heating structure or towel rack that is fixed to a wall. In such an embodiment, the one elongated body 50 forms a barrier to restrict heat flow, e.g., fluid flow, along a front side of the towel 14 while the wall provides a barrier restricting heat flow, e.g., fluid flow, along the back side of the towel 14.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 8, in an embodiments where the slat 40 is not formed from a heat reactive material, as described above, a heat reactive material 80 can be applied to the slat 40. In some embodiments, the entire slat 40 can be encased in the heat reactive material 80. Alternatively, as illustrated, an inner surface 82 of the slat 40 includes the heat reactive material 80. The heat reactive material 80 can be applied to only the elongated bodies 50. The heat reactive material 80 may only be applied to one of the elongated bodies 50. In other embodiments, the heat reactive material 80 is applied to both the attachment device 42 and at least one of the elongated bodies 50. In the illustrative embodiment, the heat reactive 80 is applied to the inner surface 82 of the attachment device 42 and both elongated bodies 50. The heat reactive material 80 can be any of the materials described or contemplated above.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 9, the elongated bodies 50 can be formed from a heat reactive material. The elongated bodies 50 are deformable to secure around any number of horizontal bars of a heating structure or rack. The elongated bodies 50 deform around the bars and contact each other to form a barrier 84 that restricts fluid flow. In some embodiments, a fastening mechanism 86 can be secured to the free ends 54 of the elongated bodies 50 to secure the slat 40 around the heating structure or rack.

[0038] Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the slat 40 can be configured with a heat system 90 that includes a heating element 92 to produce heat and a fan 94 to discharge the heat from the heating element 92 through a vent 96. Such an embodiment, can be utilized with any heating structure to provide additional heat. Such an embodiment, can also be used with a towel rack, for example towel rack 70, which does not produce heat on its own. The vent 96 can be positioned on the inner surface 82 of the slat 40 in elongated body 50 and/or in the attachment device 42. The slat 40 can include a heating system 90 in either elongated body 50 or both elongated bodies 50. In some embodiments, the heating system 90 can be position in the attachment device 42. The slat 40 can include any number of heating systems 90. It will be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the slats 40 can also include an aroma-therapy system 100 that disperses aroma-therapy into the space 26.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 12, the slat 40 can include a pair of attachment devices 42. For example, a top attachment device 120 can attach to a top of a heating structure, and a bottom attachment device 122 can attach to a bottom of the heating structure. It will be appreciated that any of the embodiments described herein can include a top attachment device 120 and a bottom attachment device 122. Additionally, any of the embodiments described herein can include only a top attachment device 120 to couple to the top of the heating structure or only a bottom attachment device 122 to couple to the bottom of the heating structure.

[0040] The slat 40 illustrated in FIG. 12 also includes telescoping elongated bodies 50 that each include a top body 110 and a bottom body 112 that is configured to retract into the top body 110 to size the slat to a heating structure or rack. It will be appreciated that the top body 110 can be configured to retract into the bottom body 112. Each of the top body 110 and the bottom body 112 can be formed from a heat reactive material. Additionally, each of the top body 110 and the bottom body 112 can be configured to deform around the heating structure to define a barrier that restricts heat flow. It will further be appreciated that the telescoping elongated bodies 50 can include the top body 110, the bottom body 112, and any number of intermediate bodies (not shown). Moreover, any of the embodiments described herein can include telescoping elongated bodies 50.

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 13, a pair of slats 40 can be coupled with a top crossbar 130 and a bottom crossbar 132. The top crossbar 130 and the bottom crossbar 132 can be secure to the slats 40 to define barriers at a top of the towel 14 and a bottom of the towel 14. The top crossbar 130 and the bottom crossbar 132 can be attached to any of the embodiments described herein. Moreover, the top crossbar 130 and the bottom crossbar 132 can be used independently of each other. That is, the slats 40 can be coupled with only the top crossbar 130 or the slats 40 can be coupled with only the bottom crossbar 132. The top crossbar 130 and the bottom crossbar 132 can be coupled to the slats 40 using any suitable fastening mechanism. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the top crossbar 130 rests over the slats 40 and is not physically coupled to the slats 40. In some embodiments, the top crossbar 130 and the bottom crossbar 132 can be variable in length, for example telescoping, to accommodate horizontal movement of the slats 40. That is, the top crossbar 130 and the bottom crossbar 132 can include a smaller section 136 that retracts into and extends from a larger section 134.

[0042] It will be appreciated that any of the features described above can be reasonably combined to form other embodiments of a heating structure and/or heating component.

[0043] Any theory, mechanism of operation, proof, or finding stated herein is meant to further enhance understanding of principles of the present disclosure and is not intended to make the present disclosure in any way dependent upon such theory, mechanism of operation, illustrative embodiment, proof, or finding. It should be understood that while the use of the word preferable, preferably or preferred in the description above indicates that the feature so described can be more desirable, it nonetheless cannot be necessary and embodiments lacking the same can be contemplated as within the scope of the disclosure, that scope being defined by the claims that follow.

[0044] In reading the claims it is intended that when words such as a, an, at least one, at least a portion are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language at least a portion and/or a portion is used, the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0045] It should be understood that only selected embodiments have been shown and described and that all possible alternatives, modifications, aspects, combinations, principles, variations, and equivalents that come within the spirit of the disclosure as defined herein or by any of the following claims are desired to be protected. While embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same are to be considered as illustrative and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Additional alternatives, modifications and variations can be apparent to those skilled in the art. Also, while multiple inventive aspects and principles have been presented, they need not be utilized in combination, and many combinations of aspects and principles are possible in light of the various embodiments provided above.