Warming device and methods for warming an article

A portable towel warmer designed to dry heat warm a towel comprising:

• a housing having a base portion, a top portion, an inner shell, an outer shell and a lid, said inner shell having and inner surface that forms a towel cavity, said towel cavity having a bottom wall and a side wall, said towel cavity having a volume to hold up to two bath towels, said lid at least partially secured to said top portion of said housing, said lid movable between an open and a closed position wherein said lid closed position causing said one or more towels in said towel cavity to be substantially encapsulated by said towel cavity and lid and said lid open position enabling one or more towels to be inserted or removed from said towel cavity;
• and,
• a heating system designed to dry heat one or more towels positioned in said towel cavity, said heating system including a resistive heating element, a heating controller, a current connector, and an activation switch, said resistive heating element positioned between an outer surface of said inner shell and an inner surface of said outer shell, said resistive heating element designed to dissipate heat to said towel cavity, said resistive heating element positioned at least partially about said side wall of said towel cavity, 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, or combinations thereof.

A portable textile warmer designed to dry heat warm a textile comprising:

• a housing having a base portion, a top portion, an inner shell, an outer shell and a lid, said inner shell having and inner surface that forms a textile cavity, said textile cavity having a bottom wall, a first side wall and a second side wall that are spaced apart and generally parallel to one another, said textile cavity having a volume to hold up to two bath towels, said lid rotatably connected to said top portion of said housing, said lid movable between an open and a closed position wherein said lid closed position causing said one or more textiles in said textile cavity to be substantially encapsulated by said textile cavity and lid and said lid open position enabling one or more textiles to be inserted or removed from said textile cavity;
• and,
• a heating system designed to dry heat one or more textiles positioned in said textile cavity, said heating system including a resistive heating element, a heating controller, a current connector, and an activation switch, said resistive heating element positioned between an outer surface of said inner shell and an inner surface of said outer shell, resistive heating element spaced from said inner surface of said outer shell, said resistive heating element designed to dissipate heat to said textile cavity, said resistive heating element including a first electrically nonconductive layer, a second electrically nonconductive layer, and a resistance heating material disposed between said first and second electrically nonconductive layers, said resistive heating element positioned substantially about the total surface of said first and second side walls of said textile cavity, 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 after a temperature sensor senses a predetermined temperature.