Patent Application
20170363308
The present invention relates to a convertible humidifier that is configured to humidify an area from the floor or an elevated space, such as a tabletop or desk.
Humidifiers provide humidity to a room or a given area near the humidifier. Typically, humidifiers are designed to be placed in one particular type of place. For example, humidifiers that are designed to be placed on a floor have a set height to provide humidity from the ground to the desired level. Likewise, humidifiers that are designed to be placed on an elevated surface, such as a table or desk, have a different height than a floor humidifier to provide humidity from the elevated surface to a desired level. However, floor humidifiers and humidifiers for elevated surfaces cannot readily exchange locations and provide humidity at a desired level.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide one humidifier that can be used at multiple locations and still provide humidity at a desired level.
The present invention relates to a humidifier that can be used on an elevated surface, such as a tabletop or desk, and on the floor. A detachable extending portion allows the humidifier to be converted from a tabletop or desktop humidifier into a floor standing humidifier. The detachable extending portion allows the humidity produced by the humidifier to be released at an increased height that puts the moisturizing mist where a user needs it for use throughout a room.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a convertible humidifier includes a base portion that produces mist, a control panel that controls the production of the mist by the base portion, a reservoir detachably connectable to the base portion, which holds water to be used by the base portion to produce the mist, and a nozzle configured to direct the mist. The reservoir includes a pass-through connection that allows the mist produced by the base portion to be directed to an opening on a top surface of the reservoir, the nozzle is detachably connected to the opening on the top surface in a first operation mode, and the nozzle is detachably connected to an extending portion, which is detachably connected to the opening on the top surface, in a second operation mode.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, an embodiment of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the present invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practice and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, method, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein.
Accordingly, while example embodiments of the invention are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are 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 example embodiments of the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments of the invention are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” if used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.
An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a convertible humidifier that can be used on an elevated surface, such as a tabletop or desk, and on the floor. A detachable extending portion allows the humidifier to be converted from a tabletop or desktop humidifier into a floor standing humidifier. The detachable extending portion allows the humidity produced by the humidifier to be released at an increased height that puts the moisturizing mist where a user needs it for use throughout a room.
In this exemplary embodiment, as show in
As also shown in
The air outlet 160 may include a fan 180 that assists in the control of the flow of mist from the base portion 20 and through the reservoir 30. The fan of the air outlet 160 may be controlled by the control panel 60.
As shown in
As shown in
A delay start function allows programming of the convertible humidifier 10 to turn on automatically. By using the one or more buttons 75 on the control panel 60, a user may enter the time, which may be displayed on the display 70. Once the delay start time is entered, the convertible humidifier 10 may provide acknowledgement of the entry by, for example, flashing the delay start time on the display 70, beeping from a speaker 100 that is provided in the base portion 20, or both. The display 70 may also show a countdown time until the convertible humidifier 10 turns on.
An automatic turn off (auto-off) function allows programming of the convertible humidifier 10 to turn off automatically. By using the one or more buttons 75 on the control panel 60, a user may enter the time, which may be displayed on the display 70. Once the auto-off time is entered, the convertible humidifier 10 may provide acknowledgement of the entry by, for example, flashing the auto-off time on the display 70, beeping from a speaker 100 that is provided in the base portion 20, or both. The display 70 may also show a countdown time until the convertible humidifier 10 turns off. The delay start function and auto-off function may also be used in conjunction with one another.
A mist output function allows programming of the output level of mist of the convertible humidifier 10. By using the one or more buttons 75 on the control panel 60, a user increase and decrease the amount of mist produced by the convertible humidifier 10. The air outlet 160 increases the air flow from the base portion 20 as the desired output level of mist increases. The air flow from air outlet 160 allows the mist produced by the base portion to be direct through the reservoir 30.
The convertible humidifier 10 may have a low setting, a medium setting, a high setting, a supreme setting, and a turbo setting, which can be set by using the one or more buttons 75. In one embodiment of the present invention the turbo setting may have a default operational setting where the convertible humidifier 10 outputs mist at the highest level for a predetermined period of time, and then output mist at the next highest level (supreme setting) after the predetermined period of time has elapsed. Further, the default operational setting may prevent the use of the highest level (turbo setting) for a predetermined period of time.
A relative humidity level function allows programming of the convertible humidifier 10 to turn off and turn on automatically to maintain a predetermined humidity. By using the one or more buttons 75 on the control panel 60, a user may enter a desired humidity level, which may be displayed on the display 70. Once the desired humidity level is entered, the convertible humidifier 10 may provide acknowledgement of the entry by, for example, flashing the desired humidity level on the display 70, beeping from a speaker 100 that is provided in the base portion 20, or both. The display 70 may also alternate between showing the ambient humidity in the surrounding environment and the desired humidity level. The humidistat 80 is used to determine the ambient humidity in the surrounding environment of the convertible humidifier 10. The ambient humidity determined by the humidistat 80 is compared with the desired humidity level. If the ambient humidity and the desired humidity are about the same, the convertible humidifier automatically turns off. When the ambient humidity and the desired humidity differ by a predetermined amount, the convertible humidifier 10 automatically turns on.
A dim function allows the display 70 of the convertible humidifier 10 to be turned off and turned on during operation of the convertible humidifier 10. By using the one or more buttons 75 on the control panel 60, a user may press a dim function button to turn off the display 70, and may press any of the one or more buttons 75 to turn on the display 70.
An automatic safety shut-off function allows for the convertible humidifier 10 to automatically turn the mist production off when the water sensor 90 determines that there is no water present. The convertible humidifier 10 may also turn off completely when the water sensor 90 determines that there is no water present. If the water sensor 90 determines that there is no water present, the display 70 may also indicate that there is no water present. The speaker 100 may also provide audible information about the waterless state of the reservoir 30 by beeping.
As showing in
The reservoir 30 may also be provided with a handle 160a on a top surface 35. The handle 160a may be used to assist in attaching and detaching of the reservoir 30 from the base portion 20 to ensure a good connection between the reservoir 30 and the base portion 20. As show in
As also shown in
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In another embodiment of the present invention, the electronics 200 determines when the convertible humidifier 10 is in the first mode or when in the second mode by, for example, detecting the connection of the extending portion 40 to the reservoir 30. When the second mode, the mist output may increase to the turbo setting automatically. In an alternative embodiment, the mist output may remain at the current mist output setting until a user manual sets the mist output function after the convertible humidifier 10 is detected to be in the second mode. In another embodiment of the present invention, the detection of the ambient humidity by the humidistat 80 is adjusted, when the electronics 200 detects the convertible humidifier 10 is in the second mode, in order to compensate for the increased distance of the mist output from the humidistat 80.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This is a non-provisional patent application of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/704,143, filed Sep. 21, 2012, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61704143 | Sep 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14949753 | Nov 2015 | US |
| Child | 15690805 | US | |
| Parent | 14032363 | Sep 2013 | US |
| Child | 14949753 | US |
