Electric warm air mirror defogging device

Claim 2

A mirror defogging device comprising: a globular pseudo light bulb-type housing having a central axis; an electrical plug base fixedly extending from said housing along said central axis for connection to an electrical lamp socket adjacent a mirror surface; and wherein said globular housing includes an air inlet extending through a surface thereof, a resistance heater in said housing, a rotating fan within said housing, a motor in said housing for rotating said fan, said air inlet, heater, fan and motor being axially aligned along said central axis of said housing, and an air outlet laterally offset from said central axis, extending through said housing and in exit flow communication with said fan such that air entering said housing through said inlet is heated and directed by said fan to said outlet for discharge laterally to a mirror surface.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 in which said plug base is a screw threaded Edison-type base.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 in which said air inlet comprises a series of spaced apertures extending through an outer wall of said housing.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 in which said resistance heater comprises a spiral resistance wire coil interposed between said air inlet and said fan.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 including a rotary joint between the portion of said housing provided with said air outlet and the remainder of said housing for orienting said air outlet and directing warmed outlet air to various positions on a mirror.

Claim 7

A mirror defogging device comprising: a globular housing having a central axis; an electrical plug base fixedly extending from said housing along said central axis for connection to an electrical lamp socket adjacent a mirror surface; said globular housing including an air inlet extending through a surface thereof, a resistance heater in said housing, a rotating fan within said housing, a motor in said housing for rotating said fan, and an air outlet extending through a portion of said housing and being laterally offset from said central axis, said outlet being in exit flow communication with said fan such that air entering said housing though said inlet is heated and directed by said fan to said outlet for discharge to a mirror surface; and including a rotary joint between the portion of said housing provided with an air outlet and the remainder of said housing for laterally orienting said air outlet and directing warmed outlet air to various positions on a mirror; and in which said joint is a slip joint having an unlimited arc of rotation.

Claim 8

A mirror defogging device comprising: a globular housing having a central axis; an electrical plug base fixedly extending from said housing along said central axis for connection to an electrical lamp socket adjacent a mirror surface; said globular housing including an air inlet extending through a surface thereof, a resistance heater in said housing, a rotating fan within said housing, a motor in said housing for rotating said fan, and an air outlet extending through a portion of said housing and being laterally offset from said central axis, said outlet being in exit flow communication with said fan such that air entering said housing though said inlet is heated and directed by said fan to said outlet for discharge to a mirror surface; and including a rotary joint between the portion of said housing provided with an air outlet and the remainder of said housing for laterally orienting said air outlet and directing warmed outlet air to various positions on a mirror; and in which said joint is a slip joint having an unlimited arc of rotation.

Claim 9

The deive of claim 6 in which said globular housing comprises an inner hemispherical translucent section and an outer hemispherical translucent section connected to said inner section by said rotary joint one of said sections defining said portion of the housing provided with said air outlet.

Claim 10

The device of claim 7 wherein said rotary joint comprising a circumferential groove in said inner section and a groove-matching ridge on said outer section.

Claim 11

The device of claim 1 in which said heater, said fan and said motor are supported by a mounting plate affixed to said housing.

Claim 12

In combination, a vertical vanity mirror; a multi-light light bar having a series of linearly aligned light sockets therein, said light bar being positioned adjacent to a peripheral edge of said mirror; and a mirror defogger bulb positioned in one of said light sockets and in electrical contact therewith, said defogger bulb comprising: an electrical plug base and an inner housing section attached thereto; means including a resistance heater, rotatable fan, and fan-driving motor carried by said inner housing section; a substantially hemispherical outer bulb section rotatively connected about an axis of rotation relative to said inner section and cooperating with said inner section to enclose said heater, said fan and said motor; an air inlet extending through said outer bulb section; and an air outlet in said outer bulb section positioned such that ambient air pulled into said connected sections through said inlet by said fan is heated by said resistance heater and directed by said fan through said air outlet to a surface of said mirror, said air outlet being laterally offset from the axis of rotation of said outer section.

Claim 13

In combination, a vertical vanity mirror; a multi-light light bar having a series of linearly aligned light sockets therein, said light bar being positioned adjacent to a peripheral edge of said mirror; and a mirror defogger bulb positioned in one of said light sockets and in electrical contact therewith, said defogger bulb comprising: an electrical plug base and an inner housing section attached thereto; means including a resistance heater, rotatable fan, and fan-driving motor carried by said inner housing section; a substantially hemispherical outer bulb section rotatively connected about an axis of rotation relative to said inner section and cooperating with said inner section to enclose said heater, said fan and said motor; an air inlet extending through said outer bulb section; and an air outlet in said outer bulb section positioned such that ambient air pulled into said connected sections through said inlet by said fan is heated by said resistance heater and directed by said fan through said air outlet to a surface of said mirror, said air outlet being laterally offset from the axis of rotation of said outer section.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 10 in which said air inlet is a series of spaced apertures extending through a wall of said outer bulb section.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 10 in which said resistance heater comprises a resistance wire coil positioned between said air inlet and said fan.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 10 wherein said defogger bulb is energized in series with light bulbs positioned in other of said light sockets.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 10 in which said inner housing section and said outer bulb section are rotatably connected a slip joint having an unlimited arc of rotation.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 14 further comprising means for locking said outer bulb section with respect to said inner housing section to fix the direction of heated air exiting said defogger bulb.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 10 further comprising an adaptor nozzle connected to and extending from said air outlet to convey heated air to said mirror.