The present application relates generally to humidifiers, and specifically to evaporative humidifiers.
Humidifiers are devices that emit moisture into an environment external the device (e.g., a bedroom) to increase the humidity of that external environment. The most common humidifiers are evaporative humidifiers, which draw air from the external environment and into contact with a water moistened wick or other moistened body to evaporate the water as water vapour and then emit the water vapour into the external environment.
Many conventional evaporative humidifiers require a user to disassemble at least a portion of the humidifier to refill the water tank. This can be a laborious task, especially after the tank is full and heavy with water. There have been some attempts to address this problem. For example,
According to some embodiments of the application, there is provided an evaporative humidifier comprising: in vertical relationship and in fluid communication with each other, a water inlet and a water reservoir downstream the water inlet, the water reservoir positioned to receive water from the water inlet along a first fluid path; at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, wherein one or more of the at least one air inlet and the at least one air outlet is in vertical relationship with one or more of the water inlet and the water reservoir, and a wick, downstream the water inlet, partially disposed in the water reservoir and configured to draw water up from the reservoir to a portion of the wick in fluid communication with the at least one air inlet and the at least one air outlet; and a motor-fan assembly downstream the water inlet and upstream the water reservoir and in vertical relationship with the water inlet, the water reservoir and one or more of the at least one air inlet and the at least one air outlet, wherein the motor-fan assembly is configured to generate an air current for drawing air, via the at least one air inlet, from an environment external the evaporative humidifier through at least the portion of the wick and to move moistened air to the external environment via the at least one air outlet and along a second fluid path that is at least partially separate from the first fluid path; wherein the motor-fan assembly comprises, a motor, a fan-blade assembly operatively connected to an output shaft of the motor, and a controller operatively connected to the motor.
According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier further comprises: a diverter downstream the water inlet, the diverter configured to, receive water from the water inlet, and direct the received water to the water reservoir along the first fluid path. According to some embodiments, the diverter comprises a fluid diverting surface of the fan-blade assembly. According to some embodiments, the diverter comprises at least one water conduit configured to direct the received water to the reservoir via the first fluid path. According to some embodiments, the at least one water conduit comprises at least one channel. According to some embodiments, the diverter comprises a funnel in vertical relationship and in fluid communication with the water inlet.
According to some embodiments, the motor is an electric motor, optionally a variable speed motor. According to some embodiments, the electric motor is a direct current (DC) motor or an alternating current (AC) motor.
According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier further comprises a motor-fan assembly housing, the motor-fan assembly housing having a fan grill downstream the motor-fan assembly.
According to some embodiments, the water inlet comprises a grill.
According to some embodiments, the at least one air inlet is downstream and in vertical relationship with the at least one air outlet. According to some embodiments, the at least one air outlet is provided in a first housing of the evaporative humidifier and the at least one air inlet is provided in a second housing of the evaporative humidifier downstream the first housing, the second housing comprising the water reservoir.
According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier further comprises a control panel operatively connected to the controller, the control panel configured to receive input to actuate the motor.
According to some embodiments, the motor is a printed circuit board (PCB) motor.
According to some embodiments, the water inlet, the water reservoir, the wick and the motor-fan assembly are at least generally arranged in axial relationship with respect to each other.
According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier further comprises a relative humidity sensor, wherein the motor is operatively connected to the relative humidity sensor and configured to provide the moistened air to the external environment based on a sensed relative humidity in accordance with at least one desired relative humidity setting. According to some embodiments, the at least one desired relative humidity setting is a plurality of humidity settings, optionally 40%, 50% and 60% relative humidity.
According to some embodiments, the portion is disposed above a pre-determined water-level.
According to some embodiments, the fan-blade assembly comprises a plurality of fluid-moving fan blades each having a conical shaped profile beginning at the root of the respective fan blade.
For a better understanding of the various implementations described herein and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:
Herein described are exemplary evaporative humidifiers which, according to at least some embodiments, allow for water to be provided to the reservoir (also referred to herein as the water tank) without disassembly of the evaporative humidifier. For example, re-filling the reservoir may be performed without separating the reservoir (without or without the associated housing) from the rest of the evaporative humidifier. As discussed below, the described evaporative humidifiers provide at least some separation between the fluid path utilized to provide water to the reservoir and the fluid path utilized to move moistened air out to the external environment. By separating the air flow from the water flow, the evaporative humidifier may be assembled in at least a generally vertical orientation. As a result, the foot print and/or overall size of the described evaporative humidifiers may be less than conventional top-fill humidifiers and may be easier to fill.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary aspects of the present application described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary aspects described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the exemplary aspects described herein. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary aspects described herein. Any systems, method steps, method blocks, components, parts of components, and the like described herein in the singular are to be interpreted as also including a description of such systems, method steps or tasks, components, parts of components, and the like in the plural, and vice versa.
Attention is direct to
The water inlet 108 comprises any suitable opening or plurality of openings through which water can be provided to the reservoir 110. For example, according to some embodiments, the water inlet 108 comprises a grill or screen (
As discussed above, one or more of the air inlet(s) and air outlet(s), such as air inlet(s) 114 and air outlet(s) 112 are in vertical relationship with one or more of the water inlet 108 and the water reservoir 110. According to some embodiments, one or more of the air inlet(s) 114 and the air outlet(s) 112 are generally arranged in axial relationship with the water inlet 108 and/or the water reservoir 110. For example, according to some embodiments, the air inlet(s) 114 and/or the air outlet(s) 112 and the water inlet 108 and/or the water reservoir 110 may be generally arranged about axis A-A (
A variety of air inlet and air outlet arrangements are contemplated. Attention is directed to
The wick 116 is partially disposed in the water reservoir 110 and configured to draw water up from the water reservoir 110 by capillary action to a portion 122 of the wick 116 disposed away from a top surface level of water that will be provided to the evaporative humidifier 100 (such as a predetermined maximum water level 124). The portion 122 is in fluid communication with the air inlet(s)112 and the air outlet(s) 114. According to some embodiments, the portion 122 is disposed entirely out of the water reservoir 110. According to some embodiments, the portion 122 is partially disposed out of the water reservoir 110. According to some embodiments, the portion 122 is at least partially disposed in the water reservoir 110. The water wick 116 comprises any suitable materials and may possess any suitable shape and/or dimensions (e.g., thickness, height, etc.). For example, as depicted in the example evaporative humidifier 100, the water wick 116 is generally cylindrical, similarly to the housing 102. According to some embodiments, the water wick 116 is at least partially supported by a wick frame 126.
The motor-fan assembly 118, downstream the water inlet 108 and upstream the water reservoir 110, is in vertical relationship with the water inlet 108, the water reservoir 110 and one or more of the air inlet(s) 112 and the air outlet(s) 114. In particular, the motor-fan assembly 118 is configured to generate an air current 130 for drawing air 132, via the air inlet(s) 112, from an environment external the evaporative humidifier 100 through at least the portion of the wick 122, and for moving moistened air 134 to the external environment via the air outlet(s) 114 (
The motor-fan assembly 118 comprises at motor 138, a fan-blade assembly 140 operatively connected to an output shaft 142 of the motor 138 and a controller 144 (
According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier 100 comprises a control panel 160 operatively connected to the controller 144 and configured to receive input to actuate the motor 138. For example, according to some embodiments, the control panel 160 comprises a plurality of touch-responsive buttons and/or surfaces (e.g., buttons 184 of control panel 160 depicted in
The motor-fan assembly 118 may be housed in a motor-fan-housing 152. According to some embodiments, the motor-fan assembly housing 152 comprises a fan grill 158. According to some embodiments, the fan-grill 158 is concave in shape towards the water-reservoir, which may help allow the portion 122 of the wick 116 to reside in air-fluid communication with the air inlet(s) 112. According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier 100 comprises one or more to align and/or position various components in respect of each other, such as registration keys 161 coupled to the fan grill 158.
Any suitable motor is contemplated. According to some embodiments, the motor 138 is an electric motor, such as a direct-current (DC) motor or an alternating-current (AC) motor. According to some embodiments, the motor 138 is a printed circuit board (PCB) motor. According to some embodiments, the motor 138 is a variable speed motor.
Any suitable power source for the motor 138 is contemplated. For example, according to some embodiments, the power source for the motor 138 comprises at least one battery (battery-operated). According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier 100 comprises a power cable 166 (
According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier is configured to adjust the amount of moistened air provided to the external environment based on a sensed relative humidity of the air in that external environment. It is understood that “relative humidity”, as referred to herein, is the actual amount of water vapour present in the air in the external environment in relation to the water vapour capacity of the air at a particular temperature (e.g., at 25 degrees Celsius or any other suitable temperature). According to some embodiments, the evaporative humidifier, such as the evaporative humidifier 100, comprises a relative humidity sensor, such as relative humidity sensor 143 (see, for example,
According to some embodiments, the motor 138 is operatively connected to the relative humidity sensor and comprises at least two modes, such as ON and OFF, and is configured to switch between the at least two modes to provide moistened air to the external environment in accordance with at least one desired relative humidity setting based on the sensed relative humidity. According to some embodiments, the at least one desired relative humidity setting may be selected using the control panel 160 or any other suitable input mechanism. For example, according to some embodiments, the motor is configured to turn ON until the sensed relative humidity reaches the desired relative humidity. As another example, according to some embodiments, the at least one desired relative humidity setting comprises a plurality of desired relative humidity settings, such as 40%, 50% and/or 60% relative humidity.
As depicted in
Alternative configurations of the evaporative humidifier are contemplated. Attention is directed
The evaporative humidifier 200 also comprises a diverter downstream the water inlet 108, such as diverter 246. Similarly to the diverter 146, the diverter 246 is configured to direct the received water to the water reservoir 110 along a first fluid path (water path). However, the first fluid path utilized by the diverter 246, such as first fluid path 220 (depicted in
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that there are yet more alternative implementations and modifications possible, and that the above examples are only illustrations of one or more implementations. The scope, therefore, is only to be limited by the claims appended hereto.
It will also be understood that for the purposes of this application, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” or “one or more of X, Y, and Z” language can be construed as X only, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more items X, Y, and Z (e.g., XYZ, XYY, YZ, ZZ).
In the present application, components may be described as being “configured to” or “enabled to” perform one or more functions. Generally, it is understood that a component that is configured to or enabled to perform a function is configured to or enabled to perform the function, or is suitable for performing the function, or is adapted to perform the function, or is operable to perform the function, or is otherwise capable of performing the function.
Additionally, components in the present application may be described as being “operatively connected to”, “operatively coupled to”, and the like, to other components. It is understood that such components are connected or coupled to each other in a manner to perform a certain function. It is also understood that “connections”, “coupling” and the like, as recited in the present application include direct and indirect connections between components.
References in the application to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an implementation”, “a variant”, etc., indicate that the embodiment, implementation or variant described may include a particular aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment, implementation or variant necessarily includes that aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment referred to in other portions of the specification. Further, when a particular aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect or connect such module, aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described. In other words, any module, element or feature may be combined with any other element or feature in different embodiments, unless there is an obvious or inherent incompatibility, or it is specifically excluded.
It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for the use of exclusive terminology, such as “solely”, “only”, and the like, in connection with the recitation of claim elements or use of a “negative” limitation. The terms “preferably”, “preferred”, “prefer”, “optionally”, “may”, and similar terms are used to indicate that an item, condition or step being referred to is an optional (not required) feature of the invention.
The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “and/or” means any one of the items, any combination of the items, or all of the items with which this term is associated. The phrase “one or more” is readily understood by one of skill in the art, particularly when read in context of its usage.
The term “about” can refer to a variation of ±5%, ±10%, ±20%, or ±25% of the value specified. For example, “about 50” percent can in some embodiments carry a variation from 45 to 55 percent. For integer ranges, the term “about” can include one or two integers greater than and/or less than a recited integer at each end of the range. Unless indicated otherwise herein, the term “about” is intended to include values and ranges proximate to the recited range that are equivalent in terms of the functionality of the composition, or the embodiment.
As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges recited herein also encompass any and all possible sub-ranges and combinations of sub-ranges thereof, as well as the individual values making up the range, particularly integer values. A recited range includes each specific value, integer, decimal, or identity within the range. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, or tenths. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc.
As will also be understood by one skilled in the art, all language such as “up to”, “at least”, “greater than”, “less than”, “more than”, “or more”, and the like, include the number recited and such terms refer to ranges that can be subsequently broken down into sub-ranges as discussed above. In the same manner, all ratios recited herein also include all sub-ratios falling within the broader ratio.
The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/805,414, as filed Feb. 14, 2019; the entire contents of which as are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62805414 | Feb 2019 | US |