HUMIDIFICATION APPARATUS

Abstract

Provided is a humidification apparatus including a main body having a water container accommodating portion, a drawer slidably coupled to the main body to open and close the water container accommodating portion and including a basket having an opening that is open at an upper side thereof, a water container provided to be accommodated in the basket through the opening, a rail assembly coupled to a bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, and allowing the drawer to be slidably moved, an automatic driving device coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, and allowing the drawer to be automatically inserted into or withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion, and a fall prevention device coupled to a lower portion of the basket and configured to support the drawer to prevent the drawer from falling when the drawer is withdrawn.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Applications No. 10-2020-0016427, filed on Feb. 11, 2020 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The disclosure relates to a humidification apparatus having an improved structure that allows a drawer in which accommodating water is accommodated to be automatically withdrawn and inserted and prevents the drawer from falling.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a humidification apparatus is largely divided into an evaporation type humidification apparatus, an ultrasonic type humidification apparatus, and a heating type humidification apparatus according to the humidification method.

The evaporation type humidification apparatus may have a structure in which water is continuously supplied to a humidification cloth of the humidification apparatus to wet the humidification cloth. In order to continuously supply water to the humidification cloth, the humidification apparatus may accommodate a water container that is filled with water.

When a user withdraws the water container filled with water from the humidification apparatus, the water container may not be easily withdrawn due to the weight of the water container, and in a process of the water container being withdrawn, water may leak out of the water container due to an impact applied to the water container.

In order to compensate for the above limitation, the water container may be accommodated in a drawer that is inserted into and withdrawn from in a sliding manner.

However, when the water container is filled with water, the drawer in which the water container is accommodated is not easily inserted and withdrawn due to the weight of the water container, and water may leak out of the water container due to the drawer being fallen or tilted.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a humidification apparatus including: a main body having a water container accommodating portion; a drawer slidably coupled to the main body to open and close the water container accommodating portion and including a basket having an opening that is open at an upper side thereof; a water container provided to be accommodated in the basket through the opening; a rail assembly coupled to a bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, and allowing the drawer to be slidably moved; an automatic driving device coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, and allowing the drawer to be automatically inserted into or withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion; and a fall prevention device coupled to a lower portion of the basket and configured to support the drawer to prevent the drawer from falling when the drawer is withdrawn.

The fall prevention device may include a pair of fall prevention devices coupled to a left side and a right side of the lower portion of the basket, respectively, and each including a support portion, when the drawer is withdrawn, provided to be supported on a floor surface to prevent the drawer from falling.

The fall prevention device may include a case coupled to the lower portion of the basket, a gear fixed to an inside of the case to enable rotation when the drawer moves in a forward and backward direction, and a supporter engaged with and rotated relative to the gear to thereby rotate the support portion.

The fall prevention device may further include a torsion spring configured to limit a range of rotation of the support portion to fix the support portion.

The water container accommodating portion may be provided on the bottom surface thereof with a rack gear configured to rotate the gear in response to withdrawal of the drawer, and the gear may include a first gear engaged with and rotated relative to the rack gear and a second gear engaged with and rotated relative to the first gear to thereby rotate the supporter.

The supporter may include a fixed shaft fixed to the case to enable rotation, a rotating portion fixed to the fixed shaft and engaged with the second gear to cause the supporter to rotate on the fixed shaft, and a rotation shaft allowing the support portion to be rotatably coupled thereto and having the torsion spring coupled between the support portion and the rotation shaft.

The support portion may include a rotation hole rotatably coupled to the rotation shaft, a body provided to be exposed outside of the case by being rotated by the supporter when the drawer is withdrawn, a wheel supported on the floor surface in response to the body being rotated, and a wheel fixing shaft provided at a tip end of the body and to which the wheel is fixed to enable rotation.

When the drawer may be withdrawn, the first gear may be rotated counterclockwise by the rack gear, the second gear may be rotated clockwise by the first gear, the supporter may be rotated counterclockwise on the fixed shaft by the rotating portion engaged with the second gear, and the support portion may be rotated counterclockwise together with the supporter, so that the wheel may be supported on the floor surface.

The automatic driving device may include a pair of automatic driving devices each including a housing coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, a motor coupled to the housing and configured to generate a driving force, a pinion gear provided inside the housing and rotated by the motor, a first link fixed to an inside of the housing to enable rotation and engaged with and rotated relative to the pinion gear, and a second link connecting the drawer to the first link and configured to convert a rotational motion of the first link into a linear motion such that the drawer is linearly moved.

The first link may include a first rotation hole fixed to the housing to enable rotation, a gear portion engaged with the pinion gear, and a rotation protrusion to which the second link is fixed to enable rotation.

The second link may include a second rotation hole rotatably connected to the rotation protrusion, a connecting hole connected to the drawer, and a guide protrusion fixed to the housing to enable a linear motion.

The housing may include a motor coupling portion to which the motor is coupled, a rotation shaft to which the first rotation hole is fixed to enable rotation, a support rib provided to support the rotation protrusion to cause the first link to rotate on the rotation shaft, and a guide groove into which the guide protrusion is inserted and guided to be linearly moved.

When the pinion gear is rotated in response to the motor being driven, the first link may be rotated on the rotation shaft by the pinion gear, and the second link may be rotated on the rotation protrusion so that the drawer is linearly moved in a forward and backward direction.

When the pinion gear may be rotated clockwise, the first link may be rotated counterclockwise on the rotation shaft, the second link may be rotated clockwise on the rotation protrusion, the guide protrusion may be linearly moved in a left-to-right side direction along the guide groove, and an end tip of the second link formed with the coupling hole may be moved forward so that the drawer is withdrawn forward.

When the pinion gear is rotated counterclockwise, the first link may be rotated clockwise on the rotation shaft, the second gear may be rotated counterclockwise on the rotation protrusion, the guide protrusion may be linearly moved in the left-to-right side direction along the guide groove, and the end tip of the second link formed with the coupling hole may be moved backward so that the drawer is inserted backward.

The automatic driving device may include a pair of automatic driving devices each including a housing coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, a motor coupled to the housing and configured to generate a driving force, a belt provided inside the housing and provided to be driven by the motor, a pulley configured to transfer the driving force of the motor to the belt, and a connecting portion connected to the belt and the drawer to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction by the belt.

The connecting portion may include a first connecting portion fixed to the belt, a second connecting portion coupled to the first connecting portion to linearly move in a forward and backward direction together with the first connecting portion, and a third connecting portion coupled to the second connecting portion and the drawer to connect the second connecting portion to the drawer.

The housing may include a plurality of rollers that allow the belt to smoothly operate.

The housing may include a motor coupling portion to which the motor is coupled, a belt accommodating portion provided to form a space in which the belt is driven, a pulley accommodating portion allowing the pulley to be accommodated therein inside the belt accommodating portion, an opening that is open to connect the motor to the pulley, a plurality of roller coupling portions to which the plurality of rollers are coupled in the belt accommodating portion, and a guide hole provided to guide the second connecting portion to linearly move in a forward and backward direction.

When the pulley is rotated in response to the motor being driven, the belt may be driven by the pulley, and the belt when driven may cause the drawer connected to the belt through the connecting portion to be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction.

When the pulley is rotated counterclockwise, the belt may be driven to cause the connecting portion connected to the belt to be linearly moved forward, and cause the drawer to be linearly moved forward together with the connecting portion to thereby be withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion.

When the pulley is rotated clockwise, the belt may be driven to cause the connecting portion connected to the belt to be linearly moved backward and cause the drawer to be linearly moved backward together with the connecting portion to thereby be inserted into the water container accommodating portion.

The automatic driving device may include a pair of automatic driving devices each including a motor configured to generate a driving force, a pinion gear provided to be rotated by the motor, a rack gear portion engaged with the pinion gear to be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction, and a connecting portion connected to the rack gear portion and the drawer to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction by the rack gear portion.

The rack gear portion may include a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear, a fixed rib fixed to the rail assembly to enable a linear motion in a forward and backward direction, and a connecting portion coupling hole to which the connecting portion is coupled.

When the pinion gear is rotated in response to the motor being driven, the rack gear portion engaged with the pinion gear may be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction, and the drawer may be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction together with the rack gear portion.

When the pinion gear is rotated counterclockwise, the rack gear portion may be linearly moved forward to cause the drawer to be moved forward to thereby be withdrawn out of the water container accommodating portion.

When the pinion gear is rotated clockwise, the rack gear portion may be linearly moved backward to cause the drawer to be moved backward to thereby be inserted into the water container accommodating portion.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a humidification apparatus comprising: a main body having a water container accommodating portion; a drawer slidably coupled to the main body to open and close the water container accommodating portion and including a basket having an opening that is open at an upper side thereof; a water container provided to be accommodated in the basket through the opening; a rail assembly coupled to a bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion, and allowing the drawer to be slidably moved; and an automatic driving device allowing the drawer to be automatically inserted into or withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion, and support the drawer to prevent the drawer from falling when the drawer is withdrawn.

The automatic driving device may include a pair of automatic driving devices each including a motor configured to generate a driving force, a plurality of links provided to be rotated by the motor to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction, and a support link provided to rotate in response to the drawer being withdrawn, to be supported on a floor surface to prevent the drawer from falling.

The plurality of links may include a first link fixed to a sidewall of the water container accommodating portion to enable rotation and provided to be rotated by the motor, a second link having one end rotatably connected to the first link and having an other end to which the support link is rotatably coupled, and a third link having one end rotatably connected to the first link and an other end rotatably connected to a sidewall of the drawer.

The first link may include a first fixed portion provided at one end of the first link and fixed to the sidewall of the water container accommodating portion, a gear portion provided to allow the first link to be rotated on the first fixed portion, a first connecting portion provided at an other end of the first link and rotatably connected to the third link, and a second connecting portion provided between the first fixed portion and the first connecting portion and to which one end of the second link is rotatably connected.

The second link may include a third connecting portion provided at one end of the second link and rotatably connected to the second connecting portion of the first link, and a second fixed portion provided at an other end of the second link and to which the support link is fixed to enable rotation.

The third link may include a fourth connecting portion provided at one end of the third link and rotatably connected to the first connecting portion of the first link and a third fixed portion provided at an other end of the third link and fixed to the sidewall of the drawer to enable rotation.

The support link may include a drawer fixed portion fixed to the sidewall of the drawer, a link connecting portion rotatably connected to the second fixed portion of the second link, and a support portion provided to be supported on the floor surface when the drawer is withdrawn.

When the first link is rotated on the first fixed portion in response to the motor being driven, the second and the third link may be rotated by the first link to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in a forward and backward direction.

When the first link is rotated counterclockwise on the first fixed portion by the motor, the second link may be rotated counterclockwise on the third connecting portion, and the third link may be rotated counterclockwise on the forth connecting portion to cause the drawer to be moved forward to thereby be withdrawn out of the water container accommodating portion.

When the drawer is withdrawn, the support link may be rotated counterclockwise on the link connecting portion by the second link, to cause the support portion to be supported on the floor surface.

When the second link may be rotated clockwise on the first fixed portion by the motor, the second link is rotated clockwise on the third connecting portion, and the third link may be rotated clockwise on the fourth connecting portion to cause the drawer to be moved backward to thereby be inserted into the water container accommodating portion.

When the drawer is inserted into the water container accommodating portion, the support link may be rotated clockwise on the link connecting portion by the second link to cause the support portion to be separated from the floor surface.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external appearance of a humidification apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which a drawer is inserted into a water container accommodating portion of a humidification apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a state in which a drawer is withdrawn from a water container accommodating portion of a humidification apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly, an automatic driving device, and a fall prevention device are provided inside a water container accommodating portion according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state in which a fall prevention device and an automatic driving device are coupled to a lower portion of a basket according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fall prevention device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an automatic driving device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a fall prevention device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a fall prevention device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an operation of a fall prevention device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a state in which a water container is being separated from a drawer with the drawer withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly, an automatic driving device, and a fall prevention device are provided inside a water container accommodating portion according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an automatic driving device according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly, an automatic driving device, and a fall prevention device are provided inside a water container accommodating portion according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly and an automatic driving device are provided in a water container accommodating portion according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an automatic driving device according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 26 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 27 is a view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 28 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments and features as described and illustrated in the disclosure are only preferred examples, and various modifications thereof may also fall within the scope of the disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts or components.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “include”, “comprise” and/or “have” when used in this specification, 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 terms including ordinal numbers like “first” and “second” may be used to explain various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are only for the purpose of distinguishing a component from another. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the disclosure. Descriptions shall be understood as to include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items when the items are described by using the conjunctive term “˜ and/or ˜,” or the like.

The terms “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, and “bottom” as herein used are defined with respect to the drawings, but the terms may not restrict the shape and position of the respective components.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Therefore, it is an object of the disclosure to provide a humidification apparatus having an improved structure that allows a drawer in which a water container is accommodated to be automatically withdrawn and inserted, and prevents the withdrawn drawer from falling.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external appearance of a humidification apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which a drawer is inserted into a water container accommodating portion of a humidification apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a state in which a drawer is withdrawn from a water container accommodating portion of a humidification apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a humidification apparatus includes a main body 10 forming the external appearance, a drawer 20 slidably coupled to the main body 10, a water container 30 accommodated in the drawer 20, a rail assembly 40 allowing the drawer 20 to be slidably coupled to the main body 10, a fall prevention device 100 supporting the drawer 20 to prevent the drawer 20 from falling when the drawer 20 is withdrawn, and an automatic driving device 200 allowing the drawer 20 to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn from the main body 1 (see FIG. 4).

The main body 10 may include a water container accommodating portion 11 provided inside the main body 10 and configured to accommodate the water container 30 in which water is stored. The water container accommodating portion 11 may be opened and closed by the drawer 20 slidably coupled to the main body 10.

The drawer 20 may be slidably coupled to the main body 10 by the rail assembly (40 in FIG. 4). The drawer 20 may be slidably moved to open and close the water container accommodating portion 11. The drawer 20 may include a basket 21 having an opening 22 provided to be open at an upper side thereof. The water container 30 may be accommodated in the basket 21. The water container 30 may be accommodated in the basket 21 through the opening 22 of the basket 21. Therefore, in order to take out the water container 30 accommodated in the basket 21, the drawer 20 may need to be fully opened. That is, in a state in which the drawer 20 is not fully opened, the water container 30 may not be taken out from the basket 21. In a state in which the drawer 20 is not fully opened, the water container 30 may not be taken out, so that the stability may be improved.

The rail assembly (40 in FIG. 4) may be coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11. The rail assembly 40 may include a pair of rail assemblies 40. The rail assemblies 40 may be coupled to the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11, respectively, to enable the drawer 20 to slide.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly, an automatic driving device, and a fall prevention device are provided inside a water container accommodating portion according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state in which a fall prevention device and an automatic driving device are coupled to a lower portion of a basket according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fall prevention device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an automatic driving device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the humidification apparatus may include the fall prevention device 100 that supports the drawer 20 to prevent the drawer 20 from falling when the drawer 20 is withdrawn and the automatic driving device 200 that allows the drawer 20 to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11.

The fall prevention device 100 may include a pair of fall prevention devices 100 that may be coupled to the left and right sides of the lower portion of the basket 21, respectively. The basket 21 may include fall prevention device coupling portions 23 to which the fall prevention devices 100 are coupled. The fall prevention device 100 may be moved together with the drawer 20 when the drawer 20 is inserted or withdrawn, and have a support portion 140 rotated by a rack gear 12 provided at a front end of the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11.The rack gear 12 may include a pair of rack gears 12 to cause the fall prevention devices 100 to operate. When the drawer 20 is withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11, the support portion 140 may be rotated by the rack gear 12 to thereby be supported on the bottom surface.

The automatic driving device 200 may be coupled to and fixed to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11. The automatic driving device 200 may be connected to the basket 21 such that the drawer 20 is inserted into and withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11. The basket 21 may include a connecting protrusion 24 connected to the automatic driving device 200. The automatic driving device 200 may include a second link 250 having a connecting hole 252 connected to the connecting protrusion 24.

Referring to 6, the fall prevention device 100 includes a case 110 coupled to the lower portion of the basket 21, a pair of gears 120 fixed to the inside of the case 110 to enable rotation, a supporter 130 engaged with and rotated relative to the pair of gears 120,the support portion 140 rotated by the supporter 130 to be supported on the bottom surface when the drawer 20 is withdrawn, and a torsion spring 150 to limit the rotation range of the support portion 140.

The pair of gears 120 may include a first gear 121 engaged with and rotate relative to the rack gear (12 in FIG. 4), and a second gear 122 engaged with and rotated relative to the first gear 1211. When the drawer 20 is inserted and withdrawn, the first gear 121 may be rotated by the rack gear (12 in FIG. 4). The second gear 122 may be engaged with the first gear 121 and a rotating portion 132 of the supporter 130. The second gear 122 may be rotated by the first gear 121 to rotate the supporter 130.

The case 110 may include a first case 111 and a second case 112. The case 110 may be formed by the first case 111 and the second case 112 coupled to each other. The case 110 may include a first gear rotation shaft 113 to which the first gear 121 is fixed to enable rotation, a second gear rotation shaft 114 to which the second gear 122 is fixed to enable rotation, a supporter rotation hole 115 to which the supporter 130 is fixed to enable rotation), and a drawer coupling portion 116 coupled to the drawer 20.

The supporter 130 may include a fixed shaft 131 fixed to the supporter rotation hole 115 of the case 110 to enable rotation, a rotating portion 132 fixed to the fixed shaft 131 and engaged with the second gear 122 so that the supporter 130 is rotated about the fixed shaft 131, and a rotation shaft 133 to which the support portion 140 is rotatably coupled. When the drawer 20 is moved in the front-rear direction, the supporter 130 may be rotated by the second gear 122 to rotate the support portion 140.

The support portion 140 may include a body 141, a rotation hole 142 rotatably coupled to the rotation shaft 133 of the supporter 130, a wheel 143 supported on the floor surface in response to the drawer 20 being withdrawn, and a wheel fixing shaft 144 to which the wheel 143 is fixed to enable rotation.

When the drawer 20 is withdrawn to cause the supporter 130 to be rotated, the body 141 may be rotated together with the supporter 130. Since the torsion spring 150 is coupled to the rotation shaft 133 of the supporter 130, the body 141 may rotate only within a certain range around the rotation shaft 133. That is, the body 141 is rotated together with the supporter 130, but may be rotated only in a predetermined range around the rotation shaft 133 of the supporter 130 separately from the supporter 130. With such a configuration, the wheel 143 of the support portion 140 is safely supported on the floor surface to prevent the drawer 20 from falling (see FIG. 14).

Referring to FIG. 7, the automatic driving device 200 includes a housing 210 coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11, a motor 220 coupled to the housing 210 to generate a driving force, a pinion gear 230 provided inside the housing 210 and rotated by the motor 220, a first link 240 engaged with and rotated relative to the pinion gear 230, and a second link 250 connecting the first link 240 to the drawer 20 (see FIG. 5).

The housing 210 may include a first housing 211 coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11 and a second housing 217 coupled to an upper portion of the first housing 211.

The first housing 211 may include a motor coupling portion 212 to which the motor 220 is coupled, a through hole 213 through which a part of the motor 220 passes, a rotation shaft 214 to which the first link 240 is fixed to enable rotation, a support rib 215 supporting a rotation protrusion 243 of the first link 240 so that the first link 240 rotates about the rotation shaft 214, and a guide groove 216 into which a guide protrusion 253 of the second link 250 is inserted to be guided to thereby be linearly moved.

The motor coupling portion 212 may be provided on the outer surface of the first housing 211. The motor 220 coupled to the motor coupling portion 212 may be connected to the pinion gear 230 through the through hole 213.

The through hole 213 may be provided such that the motor 220 coupled to the outer surface of the first housing 211 is connected to the pinion gear 230 provided inside the first housing 211. A part of the motor 220 may pass through the through hole 213 so that the motor 220 is connected to the pinion gear 230.

The rotation shaft 214 may be provided to protrude upward at an inside of the first housing 211. The first link 240 fixed to the rotation shaft 214 may be rotated around the rotation shaft 214.

The support rib 215 may be provided to protrude upward at an inside of the first housing 211. The support rib 215 may be provided to have an arc shape around the rotation shaft 214 so as to support the rotation protrusion 243 of the first link 240 rotated about the rotation shaft 214.

The guide groove 216 guides the guide protrusion 253 of the second link 250 to be linearly moved so that the second link 250 connected to the first link 240 converts a rotational motion of the first link 240 into a linear motion.

The second housing 217 may include an accommodating portion 218 in which the pinion gear 230 accommodated and a guide hole 219 guiding the second link 250 to be rotated around the rotation protrusion 243 of the first link 230.

The accommodating portion 218 may be provided at a position corresponding to the through hole 213 of the first housing 211. The accommodating portion 218 may be provided as a groove recessed upward of the inside of the second housing 217.

The guide hole 219 may guide the second link 250 connected to the rotation protrusion 243 of the first link 240 to be rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the rotation protrusion 243 by a predetermined range. The second link 250 provided inside the housing 210 may be partially exposed to the outside of the housing 210 through the guide hole 219. The part of the second link 250 exposed to the outside of the housing 210 may be connected to the drawer 20 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

The motor 220 may be coupled to the housing 210 outside the housing 210. The motor 220 may be connected to the pinion gear 230 through the through hole 213 of the first housing 211. When the motor 220 is operated, the pinion gear 230 connected to the motor 220 may be rotated.

The pinion gear 230 may be disposed inside the housing 210. A part of the pinion gear 230 may be accommodated in the accommodating portion 218 in the housing 210. The pinion gear 230 may include a shaft portion 231 rotatably connected to the motor 220. The pinion gear 230 rotated by the driving force of the motor 220 may be engaged with a gear portion 242 of the first link 240. The first link 240 may be rotated about the rotation shaft 214 by the gear portion 242 engaged with the pinion gear 230.

The first link 240 may be rotatably provided inside the housing 210. The first link 240 includes a first rotation hole 241 rotatably fixed to the rotation shaft 214 of the housing 210, the gear portion 242 engaged with the pinion gear 230, and the rotation protrusion 243 to which the second link 250 is fixed to enable rotation.

With the first rotation hole 241 fixed to the rotation shaft 214 to enable rotation, the first link 240 may, when the pinion gear 230 is rotated, be rotated around the rotation shaft 214 by the gear portion 242 engaged with the pinion gear 230.

With the rotation protrusion 243 connected to the second link 250, the second link 250 may, when the first link 240 is rotated about the rotation shaft 214, be rotated about the rotation protrusion 243.The second link 250 may be rotated around the rotation protrusion 243 to cause the drawer 20 to be linearly moved in the front and rear direction.

The second link 250 may be rotatably provided inside the housing 210. The second link 250 may include a second rotation hole 251 rotatably connected to the rotation protrusion 243 of the first link 240, the connecting hole 252 connected to the drawer 20, and the guide protrusion 253 fixed to the housing 210 to enable linear motion (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

The second rotation hole 251 may be provided in a central portion of the second link 250. With the second rotation hole 251 rotatably connected to the rotation protrusion 243, the second link 250 may be rotated around the rotation protrusion 243 when the first link 240 is rotated about the rotation shaft 214. The second link 250 may be rotated about the rotation protrusion 243 to cause the drawer 20 to be moved linearly in the front and rear direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

The connecting hole 252 may be provided at one end of the second link 250. The connecting hole 252 may be connected to the connecting protrusion connecting protrusion 24 of the drawer 20. With such a configuration, the automatic driving device 200 may be connected to the drawer 20. The second link 250 connected to the connecting protrusion 24 of the drawer 20 may be rotated around the rotating protrusion 243 when the first link 240 is rotated, to cause the drawer 20 to be linearly moved in the front and rear direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

The guide protrusion 253 may be provided at the other end of the second link 250. The guide protrusion 253 may be inserted into the guide groove 216 of the housing 210. When the second link 250 is rotated around the rotation protrusion 243, the guide protrusion 253 may be linearly moved in the left and right direction while being inserted into the guide groove 216. When the second link 250 is rotated around the rotation protrusion 243, the guide protrusion 253 may be linearly moved in the left and right direction along the guide groove 216, and the connecting hole 252 may be linearly moved in the front and rear direction. With such a configuration, the drawer 20 connected to the connecting hole 252 may be linearly moved in the front and rear direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

Hereinafter, an operation in which the drawer 20 is automatically withdrawn by the automatic driving device 200 and an operation in which the fall prevention device 100 is supported on the floor surface when the drawer 20 is withdrawn will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 14.

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a fall prevention device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a fall prevention device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an operation of a fall prevention device when a drawer is withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a state in which a water container is being separated from a drawer with the drawer withdrawn according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

The directions specified in the disclosure will be described based on the configuration shown in the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 8, in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the connecting hole 252 of the second link 250 is connected to the connecting protrusion 24 of the drawer 20. In this case, the guide protrusion 253 is located at the right end of the guide groove 216 while being inserted into the guide groove 216 of the housing 210.

Referring to FIG. 9, in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the support portion 140 may maintain a horizontal state.

Referring to FIG. 10, when the motor 220 is operated while the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the pinion gear 230 connected to the motor 220 shaft portion may be rotated clockwise around the shaft portion 231. When the pinion gear 230 is rotated clockwise around the shaft portion 231, the first link 240 may be rotated counterclockwise around the rotation shaft 214 by the gear portion 242 engaged with the pinion gear 230. When the first link 240 is rotated counterclockwise about the rotation shaft 214, the second link 250, while having the guide protrusion 253 moved to the left along the guide groove 216, may rotate clockwise around the rotation protrusion 243. In this case, the one end of the second link 250 in which the connecting hole 252 is formed may be moved toward the front. When the one end of the second link 250 is moved toward the front, the drawer 20 connected to the connecting hole 252 may be moved toward the front.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the drawer 20 is partially withdrawn, the first gear 121 of the fall prevention device 100 may come in contact with and engaged with the rack gear 12 provided on the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11. Even in this case, the support portion 140 may maintain a horizontal state.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the first link 240 is fully rotated counterclockwise by the pinion gear 230, the second link 250, while having the guide protrusion 253 moved in the right direction along the guide groove 216, may rotate clockwise around the rotation protrusion 243. In this case, the one end of the second link 250 in which the connecting hole 252 is formed may be further moved toward the front. When the one end of the second link 250 is further moved toward the front, the drawer 20 connected to the connecting hole 252 may be moved toward the front to be withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11.

Referring to FIG. 13, in the process of the drawer 20 being withdrawn, while the first gear 121 of the fall prevention device 100 is engaged with the rack gear 12 provided on the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11, when the drawer 20 is further moved forward, the first gear 121 may be rotated counterclockwise around the first gear rotation shaft 113. When the first gear 121 is rotated counterclockwise around the first gear rotation shaft 113, the second gear 122 engaged with the first gear 121 may be rotated clockwise around on the second gear rotation shaft 114. When the second gear 122 is rotated clockwise around the second gear rotation shaft 114, the rotating portion 132 engaged with the second gear 122 may cause the supporter 130 to be rotated counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 131. When the supporter 130 is rotated counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 131, the support portion 140 may be rotated counterclockwise together with the supporter 130.

When the support portion 140 is rotated counterclockwise, the wheel 143 of the support portion 140 may be supported on the floor surface as shown in FIG. 14. When the wheel 143 is supported on the floor surface, the front end of the drawer 20 is prevented from falling due to the weight of the water container 30. When the drawer 20 is fully withdrawn while the drawer 20 is prevented from falling, the water container 30 may be taken out from the drawer 20.

In the drawings, only an operation in which the drawer 20 is withdrawn is shown, but when the drawer 20 is inserted, the operation may be performed in a reverse manner from that when the drawer 20 is withdrawn. That is, in order for the drawer to be inserted, the motor 220 may be operated so that the pinion gear 230 is rotated counterclockwise around the shaft portion 231. In addition, when the first gear 121 comes in contact with and engages with the rack gear 12 in the process of the drawer 20 being inserted, the first gear 121 is rotated clockwise around the first gear rotation shaft 113 to cause the support portion 140 to be rotated clockwise such that the wheel 143 of the support portion 140 is separated from the floor surface.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly, an automatic driving device, and a fall prevention device are provided inside a water container accommodating portion according to another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an automatic driving device according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 16, the humidification apparatus may include a fall prevention device 100 that supports the drawer 20 to prevent the drawer 20 from falling when the drawer 20 is withdrawn and an automatic driving device 300 that allows the drawer 20 to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11.

The configuration of the fall prevention device 100 is the same as that shown in FIG. 4, so descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The automatic driving device 300 may include a pair of automatic driving devices 300 fixedly coupled to the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11, respectively.

The automatic driving device 300 includes a housing 310 coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11, a motor 320 coupled to the housing 310 to generate a driving force, a belt 330 provided inside the housing 310 and driven by the motor 320, a pulley 340 transmitting the driving force of the motor 320 to the belt 330, a connecting portion 350 connected to the belt 330 and the drawer 20 to allow the drawer 20 to be linearly moved in the front and rear direction by the belt 330, and a plurality of rollers 360 provided in the housing 310 to facilitate the driving of the belt 330.

The housing 310 may include a first housing 311 coupled to the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11 and a second housing 314 coupled to the first housing 311.

The first housing 311 may include a motor coupling portion 312 to which the motor 320 is coupled, and an opening 313 that is open to connect the motor 320 and the pulley 340 to each other.

The motor coupling portion 312 may be provided on the outer surface of the first housing 311. The motor 320 coupled to the motor coupling portion 312 may be connected to the pulley 340 through the opening 313.

The opening 131 may be provided to connect the motor 320 coupled to the outer surface of the first housing 311 to the pulley 340 provided inside the first housing 311. A part of the motor 320 may pass through the opening 313 so that the motor 320 is connected to the pulley 340.

The first housing 311 and the second housing 314 may include a belt accommodating portion 310a in which the belt 330 is accommodated, a pulley accommodating portion 310b in which the pulley 340 is accommodated, a plurality of roller coupling portions 310c to which the plurality of rollers 360 are coupled, and a guide hole 310d guiding a second connecting portion 352 of the connecting portion 350 to be linearly moved in the front and rear direction.

The belt accommodating portion 310a is a space formed by coupling the first housing 311 and the second housing 314 to each other, may form a space in which the belt 330 is driven.

The pulley accommodating portion 310b is formed inside the belt accommodating portion 310a, and is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 313 so that the pulley 340 accommodated in the pulley accommodating portion 310b is connected to the motor 320.

The roller coupling portion 310c may be provided in a plurality of units thereof, to which the plurality of rollers 360 for smoothly driving the belt 330 may be coupled.

The guide hole 310d may guide the second connecting portion 352 of the connecting portion 350, which is provided to be linearly moved in the front-rear direction together with the belt 330, to be linearly moved in the front-rear direction together with the belt 330.

The motor 320 may be coupled to the motor coupling portion 312 formed on the outer surface of the first housing 311. The motor 320 coupled to the motor coupling unit 312 may be connected to the pulley 340 through the opening 313 so that the pulley 340 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 320.

The belt 330 may be accommodated in the belt accommodating portion 310a of the housing 310. The belt 330 accommodated in the belt accommodating portion 310a may be connected to the pulley 340 rotated by the motor 320. When the pulley 340 is rotated by the motor 320, the belt 330 may be linearly moved in the front and rear direction.

The pulley 340 may be accommodated in the pulley accommodating portion 310b of the housing 310. The pulley 340 may include a shaft portion 341 connected to the motor 320. The pulley 340 accommodated in the pulley accommodating portion 310b may be rotated by the motor 320 so that the belt 330 may be linearly moved in the front-rear direction.

The connecting portion 350 includes a first connecting portion 351 fixed to the belt 330, a second connecting portion 352 coupled to the first connecting portion 351 and linearly moved in the front and rear direction together with the first connecting portion 351, and a third connecting portion 354 coupled to the second connecting portion 352 and the drawer 20 to connect the second connecting portion 352 to the drawer 20.

The first connecting portion 351 may be fixed to the belt 330 and may be linearly moved in the front-rear direction together with the belt 330 which is linearly moved in the front-rear direction by the motor 320.

The second connecting portion 352 may be coupled to the first connecting portion 351 and may be linearly moved in the front-rear direction together with the first connecting portion 351, which is linearly moved in the front-rear direction together with the belt 330. The second connecting portion 352 may be linearly moved in the front-rear direction along the guide hole 310d of the housing 310. The second connecting portion 352 may have one part thereof disposed outside the housing 310 through the guide hole 310d, and the other part thereof disposed inside the housing 310. The second connecting portion 352 may include a third connecting portion coupling hole 353 to which the third connecting portion 354 is coupled.

The third connecting portion 354 may be coupled to the second connecting portion 352 to thereby be linearly moved in the front-rear direction together with the second connecting portion 352. The third connecting portion 354 may be coupled to the drawer 20 to cause the drawer 20 to be linearly moved in the front and rear direction. The third connecting portion 354 may include a drawer coupling hole 355 coupled to the drawer 20 and a second connecting portion coupling hole 356 coupled to the third connection coupling hole 353 of the second connecting portion 352 by a coupling member (not shown) and the like.

Next, an operation in which the drawer 20 is automatically withdrawn by the automatic driving device 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19.

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 18 is a view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 19 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 17, in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the connecting portion 350 connecting the belt 330 to the drawer 20 may be located at the rear end of the belt 330.

Referring to FIG. 18, when the motor 320 is operated in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the pulley 340 may be rotated counterclockwise around the shaft portion 341. When the pulley 340 is rotated counterclockwise around the shaft portion 341, the belt 330 connected to the pulley 340 may operate such that an upper portion of the belt 330, which is illustrated as being connected to the connecting portion 350 in the drawing, may be moved toward the front. When the belt 330 is moved toward the front, the connecting portion 350 may be moved toward the front together with the belt 330. When the connecting portion 350 is moved toward the front, the drawer 20 connected to the connecting portion 350 may be moved toward the front.

Referring to FIG. 19, when the connecting portion 350 moving forward together with the belt 330 is moved to the front end of the belt 330, the drawer 20 may be fully withdrawn from the inside of the water container accommodating portion 11. When the drawer 20 is fully withdrawn, the drawer 20 may be supported on the floor surface to be prevented from falling by the fall prevention device 100. In addition, when the drawer 20 is fully withdrawn, the water container 30 may be separated from the drawer 20 through the opening 22 of the drawer 20 and taken out.

In the drawing, only an operation in which the drawer 20 is withdrawn is shown, but when the drawer 20 is inserted, the operation may be performed in a reverse manner from that when the drawer 20 is withdrawn. That is, the pulley 340 is rotated clockwise around the shaft portion 341 by the motor 320, and the belt 330 may be operated such that an upper portion of the belt 330, which is illustrated as being connected to the connecting portion 350 in the drawing, is moved toward the rear. When the belt 330 is moved toward the rear, the connecting portion 350 may be moved toward the rear together with the belt 330. When the connecting portion 350 is moved toward the rear, the drawer 20 connected to the connecting portion 350 may be moved toward the rear to thereby be inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11.

Since the operation of the fall prevention device 100 is the same as the operation of the fall prevention device 100 shown in FIGS. 9 to 14, descriptions thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly, an automatic driving device, and a fall prevention device are provided inside a water container accommodating portion according to still another embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 20, the humidification apparatus may include a fall prevention device 100 that supports the drawer 20 to prevent the drawer 20 from falling when the drawer 20 is withdrawn and an automatic driving device 400 that allows the drawer 20 to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11.

The configuration of the fall prevention device 100 is the same as the configuration of the fall prevention device 100 shown in FIG. 4, so descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The automatic driving device 400 may include a pair of automatic driving devices 400, which may be fixed coupled to the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the water container accommodating portion 11, respectively.

The automatic driving device 400 may include a motor 410 coupled to the bottom of the water container accommodating portion 11 to generate a driving force, a pinion gear 420 rotated by the motor 410, a rack gear portion 430 engaged with the pinion gear 420 to enable linear motion in the front and rear direction, and a connecting portion 440 connected to the rack gear portion 430 and the drawer 20 so that the drawer 20 is linearly moved in the front and rear direction by the rack gear portion 430.

The pinion gear 420 may be connected to the motor 410. The pinion gear 420 may be rotated by the driving force of the motor 410. A part of the pinion gear 420 may be disposed to pass through the rail assembly 40 so as to be engaged with a rack gear 431 of the rack gear portion 430 which will be described below.

The rack gear portion 430 may be fixed to an upper portion of the rail assembly 40 to enable linear motion in the front and rear directions. The rack gear portion 430 may include the rack gear 431 engaged with the pinion gear 420, a fixed rib 432 fixed to the rail assembly 40 to enable linear motion in the front and rear direction, and a connecting portion coupling hole 433 to which the connecting portion 440 is coupled.

The rack gear 431 may be provided at a lower end of the rack gear portion 430 to be engaged with the pinion gear 420. When the motor 410 is driven and the pinion gear 420 is rotated, the rack gear portion 430 may be linearly moved in the front and rear direction by the rack gear 431 engaged with the pinion gear 420. That is, according to the rotation direction of the pinion gear 420, the rack gear portion 430 may be linearly moved forward or backward.

The fixed rib 432 may be fixed to an upper end of the rail assembly 40. The fixed rib 432 may be fixed to the rail assembly 40 to be movable in the front-rear direction. The rack gear portion 430 may be linearly moved in the front and rear direction by the fixed rib 432.

The connecting portion coupling hole 433 may be provided to allow the connecting portion 440 to be coupled thereto. The connecting portion 440 may be coupled to the rack gear portion 430 through the connecting portion coupling hole 433. Accordingly, when the rack gear portion 430 is linearly moved in the front and rear direction, the connecting portion 440 to which the rack gear portion 430 is coupled may also be linearly moved in the front and rear direction together with the rack gear portion 430.

The connecting portion 440 may include a rack gear portion coupling hole 441 coupled to the connecting portion coupling hole 433 of the rack gear portion 430 and a drawer coupling hole 442 coupled to the drawer 20. The connecting portion 440 is coupled to the rack gear portion 430 and the drawer 20 so that the rack gear portion 430 and the drawer 20 may be connected to each other. Therefore, when the rack gear portion 430 is linearly moved in the front and rear direction, the drawer 20 connected to the rack gear portion 430 by the connecting portion 440 is also linearly moved in the front and rear direction together with the rack gear portion 430.

Next, an operation in which the drawer 20 is automatically withdrawn by the automatic driving device 400 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23.

FIG. 21 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to still another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 22 is a view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 23 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 21, in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the front end portion of the rack gear 431 may be engaged with the pinion gear 420.

Referring to FIG. 22, when the motor 410 is operated in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the pinion gear 420 may be rotated. When the pinion gear 420 is rotated counterclockwise by the motor 410, the rack gear portion 430 may be moved forward by the rack gear 431 engaged with the pinion gear 420. When the rack gear portion 430 is moved toward the front, the drawer 20 connected to the rack gear portion 430 by the connecting portion 440 may also be moved toward the front.

Referring to FIG. 23, when the rack gear portion 430 is moved toward the front until the rear end portion of the rack gear 431 is engaged with the pinion gear 420, the drawer 20 may be fully withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11. When the drawer 20 is fully withdrawn, the drawer 20 may be supported on the floor surface to be prevented from falling by the fall prevention device 100. In addition, when the drawer 20 is fully withdrawn, the water container 30 may be separated from the drawer 20 through the opening 22 of the drawer 20 and taken out.

In the drawing, only an operation in which the drawer 20 is withdrawn is shown, but when the drawer 20 is inserted, the operation may be performed in a reverse manner from that when the drawer 20 is withdrawn. That is, when the pinion gear 420 is rotated clockwise by the motor 410, the rack gear portion 430 may be moved toward the rear by the rack gear 431 engaged with the pinion gear 420. When the rack gear portion 430 is moved toward the rear, the drawer 20 connected to the rack gear portion 430 by the connecting portion 440may be also moved toward the rear to thereby be inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11.

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state in which a rail assembly and an automatic driving device are provided in a water container accommodating portion according to still another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an automatic driving device according to still another embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 24 to 25, the humidification apparatus may include an automatic driving device 500 that allows the drawer 20 to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11 while supporting the drawer 20 to prevent the drawer 20 from falling when the drawer 20 is withdrawn.

The automatic driving device 500 may be provided in a pair of automatic driving devices 500 fixedly coupled to lower end portions of left and right sidewalls of the water container accommodating portion 11, respectively. Link coupling holes 13 may be provided in the lower end portions of the left and right sidewalls of the water container accommodating portion 11 for coupling of the automatic driving device 500.

The automatic driving device 500 may include a motor 510 that generates a driving force, a plurality of links 520, 530, and 540 that are rotated by the motor 510 to cause the drawer 20 to be linearly moved in the front-rear direction, and a support link 550 provided to rotate when the drawer 20 is withdrawn so as to be supported on the floor surface to prevent the drawer 20 from falling.

The plurality of links 520, 530, and 540 may include a first link 520 fixed to the sidewall of the water container accommodating portion 11 to enable rotation and provided to be rotated by the motor 510, a second link 530 having one end thereof rotatably connected to the first link 520 and the other end thereof allowing the support link 550 to be rotatably connected thereto, and a third link 540 having one end thereof rotatably connected to the first link 520 and the other end thereof rotatably connected to the sidewall of the drawer 20.

The first link 520 may include a first fixed portion 521 provided at one end of the first link 520 and fixed to the sidewall of the water container accommodating portion 11 to enable rotation, a gear portion 522 allowing the first link 520 to be rotated around the first fixed portion by the motor 510, a first connecting portion 523 provided at the other end of the first link 520 and rotatably connected to the third link 540, and a second connecting portion 524 provided between the first fixed portion 521 and the first connecting portion 523 and allowing one end of the second link 530 to be rotatably connected thereto.

The first fixed portion 521 may be provided at one end of the first link 520 and may be fixed to the link coupling hole 13 formed in the sidewall of the water container accommodating portion 11. The first link 520 rotated by the motor 510 may be rotated around the first fixed portion 521.

The gear portion 522 may be provided along the circumference of the first fixed portion 521 and connected to the motor 510. The gear portion 522 may enable the first link 520 to be rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the driving force of the motor 510. According to the rotation direction of the motor 510, the first link 520 may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521.

The first connecting portion 523 may be provided at the other end of the first link 520 and rotatably connected to a fourth connecting portion 541 of the third link 540. When the first link 520 is rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the third link 540 connected to the first link 520 may be rotated around the first connecting portion 523 to cause the drawer 20 to be linearly moved in the front-to-rear direction.

The second connecting portion 524 may be rotatably connected to the third connecting portion 531 of the second link 530. When the first link 520 is rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the second link 530 connected to the first link 520 may be rotated around the second connecting portion 524to cause the support link 550 to be rotated.

The second link 530 may include the third connecting portion 531 provided at one end of the second link 530 and rotatably connected to the second connecting portion 524 of the first link 520 and a second fixed portion 532 provided at the other end of the second link 530 and allowing the support link 550 to be fixed thereto to enable rotation.

The third connecting portion 531 may be rotatably connected to the second connecting portion 524 of the first link 520. When the first link 520 is rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the second link 530 may be rotated around the second connecting portion 524 connected to the third connecting portion 531 to cause the support link 550 to be rotated.

The second fixed portion 532 may be fixed to a link connecting portion 552 of the support link 550 to enable rotation. When the first link 520 is rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the support link 550 may be rotated by the second link 530.

The third link 540 may include the fourth connecting portion 541 provided at one end of the third link 540 and rotatably connected to the first connecting portion 523 of the first link 520 and a third fixed portion 542 provided at the other end of the third link 540 and fixed to the sidewall of the drawer 20 to enable rotation.

The fourth connecting portion 541 may be rotatably connected to the first connecting portion 523 of the first link 520. When the first link 520 is rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the third link 540 may be rotated around the first connecting portion 523, to which the fourth connecting portion 541 is rotatably connected, to cause the drawer 20 to be moved in the front-rear direction.

The third fixed portion 542 may be rotatably fixed to the link fixed portion 25 provided on the sidewall of the drawer 20. When the first link 520 is rotated about the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the third link 540 may be rotated about the first connecting portion 523 to cause the drawer 20 to be moved in the front-to-rear direction through the third fixed portion 542.

The support link 550 may include a drawer fixed portion 551 fixed to the sidewall of the drawer 20 to enable rotation, a link connecting portion 552 rotatably connected to the second fixed portion 532 of the second link 530, and a support portion 553 supported on the floor surface when the drawer 20 is withdrawn.

The drawer fixed portion 551 may be fixed to a support link fixed portion 26 provided on the sidewall of the drawer 20. When the first link 520 is rotated about the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the support link 550 may be rotated around the drawer fixed portion 551 by the second link 530.

The link connecting portion 552 may be rotatably connected to the second fixed portion 532 of the second link 530. When the first link 520 is rotated around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the support link 550 may be rotated around the drawer fixed portion 551 by the second link 530 connected to the link connecting portion 552.

When the motor 510 is rotated so that the drawer 20 is withdrawn, the support portion 553 may be rotated around the drawer fixed portion 551 to thereby be supported on the floor surface. In a state in which the support portion 553 is supported on the floor surface, the drawer 20 may be prevented from falling at a time of the drawer 20 being withdrawn.

Next, the operation in which the drawer 20 is automatically withdrawn by the automatic driving device 500 and the drawer 20 is prevented from falling by the automatic driving device 500 when the drawer is withdrawn will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 26 to 28,

FIG. 26 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device in a state in which a drawer is inserted according to still another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 27 is a view illustrating an operation of an automatic driving device when a drawer is being withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 28 is a view illustrating an automatic driving device when a drawer is fully withdrawn according to still another embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 26, in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the support link 550 may have the support portion 553 located at a position higher than that of the drawer fixed portion 551Referring to FIG. 27, when the motor 510 is operated in a state in which the drawer 20 is inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11, the first link 520 connected to the motor 510 may be rotated around the fixed portion 521. That is, when the motor 510 is rotated clockwise, the gear portion 522 engaged with the motor 510 may cause the first link 520 to be rotated counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521. When the first link 520 is rotated counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521, the third link 540 connected to the first link 520 may be rotated clockwise around the first connecting portion 523 to thereby push the drawer 20 toward the front.

In addition, when the first link 520 is rotated counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521, the second link 530 connected to the first link 520 may pull the link connecting portion 552 of the support link 550 toward the rear to cause the support link 550 to be rotated clockwise around the drawer fixed portion 551.

Referring to FIG. 28, when the first link 520 is further rotated counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the third link 540 connected to the first link 520 may be rotated clockwise around the first connecting portion 523 to further push the drawer 20 toward the front. Thus, the drawer 20 may be fully withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11.

In addition, when the first link 520 is rotated counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521, the second link 530 connected to the first link 520 may further pull the link connecting portion 552 of the support link 550 toward the rear to cause the support link 550 to be further rotated clockwise around the drawer fixed portion 551. When the support link 550 is further rotated clockwise around the drawer fixed portion 551, the support portion 553 may come in contact with and support on the floor surface. Accordingly, when the drawer 20 is fully withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11, the drawer 20 may be prevented from falling by the support portion 553 of the support link 550 supported on the floor surface.

That is, when the first link 520 is rotated counterclockwise around the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the second link 530 connected to the first link 520 may cause the support link 550 to rotate the support link 440 to thereby prevent the drawer 20 from falling, and the third link 540 connected to the first link 520 may cause the drawer 20 to move forward to thereby allow the drawer 20 to be withdrawn from the water container accommodating portion 11.

In the drawing, only an operation in which the drawer 20 is withdrawn is shown, but when the drawer 20 is inserted, the operation may be performed in a reverse manner from that when the drawer 20 is withdrawn. That is, when the first link 520 is rotated clockwise about the first fixed portion 521 by the motor 510, the third link 540 may be rotated counterclockwise about the first connecting portion 523 to pull the drawer 20 toward the rear. The drawer 20 moved to the rear may be inserted into the water container accommodating portion 11.

In addition, when the first link 520 is rotated clockwise around the first fixed portion 521, the second link 530 connected to the first link 520 may push the link connecting portion 552 of the support link 550 toward the front so that the support link 550 is rotated counterclockwise around the drawer fixed portion 551. When the support link 550 is rotated counterclockwise around the drawer fixed portion 551, the support portion 553 may be separated from the floor surface.

As is apparent from the above, the humidification apparatus may allow the drawer in which the water container is accommodated to be automatically withdraw and inserted, so that water filled in the water container can be prevented from flowing to leak out of the water container.

In addition, in a state in which the drawer is withdrawn, the drawer can be prevented from falling due to the weight of the water container, thereby preventing the water filled in the water container from leaking out due to an impact applied to the water container.

In addition, the water container is provided to be removed from the drawer when the drawer is fully withdrawn, thereby improving the user safety.

Although the humidification apparatus has been described by way of embodiments in relation to a specific shape and direction, the above embodiments are illustrative purpose only, and it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and scope of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A humidification apparatus comprising: a main body;a drawer slidably coupled to the main body and configured to slide into and slide out of the main body to open and to close the drawer, respectively, the drawer including a basket having an opening that is open at an upper side thereof;a water container configured to be accommodated in the basket through the opening;an automatic driving device coupled to a bottom surface of the main body, and configured to allow the drawer to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn out of the main body by slidably moving the drawer; anda fall prevention device coupled to a lower portion of the basket and configured to support the drawer to inhibit the drawer from falling when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body.

2. The humidification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fall prevention device includes a pair of fall prevention devices coupled to a left side of the lower portion of the basket and a right side of the lower portion of the basket, respectively, and each fall prevention device of the pair of fall prevention devices includes a support portion provided to be supported on a floor surface to inhibit the drawer from falling when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body.

3. The humidification apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fall prevention device includes a case coupled to the lower portion of the basket, a gear fixed to an inside of the case to enable rotation when the drawer moves in a forward direction and a backward direction, anda supporter engaged with and rotated relative to the gear to thereby rotate the support portion.

4. The humidification apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fall prevention device further includes a torsion spring configured to limit a range of rotation of the support portion and fix the support portion.

5. The humidification apparatus of claim2, wherein a rack gear provided on the bottom surface of the main body is configured to rotate the gear in response to withdrawal of the drawer, and the gear includes a first gear engaged with and rotated relative to the rack gear and a second gear engaged with and rotated relative to the first gear to thereby rotate the supporter.

6. The humidification apparatus of claim 5, wherein the supporter includes a fixed shaft fixed to the case to enable rotation, a rotating portion fixed to the fixed shaft and engaged with the second gear to cause the supporter to rotate on the fixed shaft, anda rotation shaft allowing the support portion to be rotatably coupled thereto and having a torsion spring coupled between the support portion and the rotation shaft.

7. The humidification apparatus of claim 6, wherein the support portion includes a rotation hole rotatably coupled to the rotation shaft,a body provided to be exposed outside of the case by being rotated by the supporter when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body,a wheel supported on the floor surface in response to the body being rotated, anda wheel fixing shaft provided at a tip end of the body and to which the wheel is fixed to enable rotation.

8. The humidification apparatus of claim 7, wherein when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body, the first gear is rotated counterclockwise by the rack gear, the second gear is rotated clockwise by the first gear, the supporter is rotated counterclockwise on the fixed shaft by the rotating portion engaged with the second gear, and the support portion is rotated counterclockwise together with the supporter, so that the wheel is supported on the floor surface.

9. The humidification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the automatic driving device includes a pair of automatic driving devices and each automatic driving device of the pair of automatic driving devices includes a housing coupled to the bottom surface of the main body,a motor coupled to the housing and configured to generate a driving force, a pinion gear provided inside the housing and rotated by the motor,a first link fixed to an inside of the housing to enable rotation and engaged with and rotated relative to the pinion gear, anda second link connecting the drawer to the first link and configured to convert a rotational motion of the first link into a linear motion such that the drawer is linearly moved.

10. The humidification apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first link includes a first rotation hole fixed to the housing to enable rotation,a gear portion engaged with the pinion gear, anda rotation protrusion to which the second link is fixed to enable rotation.

11. The humidification apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second link includes a second rotation hole rotatably connected to the rotation protrusion,a connecting hole connected to the drawer, anda guide protrusion fixed to the housing to enable a linear motion.

12. The humidification apparatus of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a motor coupling portion to which the motor is coupled,a rotation shaft to which the first rotation hole is fixed to enable rotation,a support rib provided to support the rotation protrusion to cause the first link to rotate on the rotation shaft, anda guide groove into which the guide protrusion is inserted and guided to be linearly moved.

13. The humidification apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the pinion gear is rotated in response to the motor being driven, the first link is rotated on the rotation shaft by the pinion gear, and the second link is rotated on the rotation protrusion so that the drawer is linearly moved in the forward direction and the backward direction.

14. The humidification apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pinion gear is rotated clockwise, the first link is rotated counterclockwise on the rotation shaft, the second link is rotated clockwise on the rotation protrusion, the guide protrusion is linearly moved in a left-to-right side direction along the guide groove, and an end tip of the second link formed with the connecting hole is moved forward so that the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body.

15. The humidification apparatus of claim 14, wherein when the pinion gear is rotated counterclockwise, the first link is rotated clockwise on the rotation shaft, the second gear is rotated counterclockwise on the rotation protrusion, the guide protrusion is linearly moved in the left-to-right side direction along the guide groove, and the end tip of the second link formed with the connecting hole is moved backward so that the drawer is inserted into the main body.

16. The humidification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the automatic driving device includes a pair of automatic driving devices and each automatic driving device of the pair of automatic driving devices includes a housing coupled to the bottom surface of the main body,a motor coupled to the housing and configured to generate a driving force,a belt provided inside the housing and provided to be driven by the motor, a pulley configured to transfer the driving force of the motor to the belt, anda connecting portion connected to the belt and the drawer to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in a forward direction and a backward direction by the belt.

17. The humidification apparatus of claim 16, wherein the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion fixed to the belt,a second connecting portion coupled to the first connecting portion to linearly move in the forward direction and the backward direction together with the first connecting portion, anda third connecting portion coupled to the second connecting portion and the drawer to connect the second connecting portion to the drawer.

18. The humidification apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing includes a plurality of rollers that allow the belt to move.

19. The humidification apparatus of claim 18, wherein the housing includes a motor coupling portion to which the motor is coupled,a belt accommodating portion provided to form a space in which the belt is driven,a pulley accommodating portion allowing the pulley to be accommodated therein inside the belt accommodating portion,an opening that is open to connect the motor to the pulley, a plurality of roller coupling portions to which the plurality of rollers are coupled in the belt accommodating portion, anda guide hole provided to guide the second connecting portion to linearly move in the forward direction and the backward direction.

20. The humidification apparatus of claim 19, wherein when the pulley is rotated in response to the motor being driven, the belt is driven by the pulley, and the belt when driven causes the drawer connected to the belt through the connecting portion to be linearly moved in the forward direction and the backward direction.

21. The humidification apparatus of claim 20, wherein when the pulley is rotated counterclockwise, the belt is driven to cause the connecting portion connected to the belt to be linearly moved forward, and cause the drawer to be linearly moved forward together with the connecting portion to thereby be withdrawn out of the main body.

22. The humidification apparatus of claim 21, wherein when the pulley is rotated clockwise, the belt is driven to cause the connecting portion connected to the belt to be linearly moved backward and cause the drawer to be linearly moved backward together with the connecting portion to thereby be inserted into the main body.

23. The humidification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the automatic driving device includes a pair of automatic driving devices and each automatic driving device of the pair of automatic driving devices includes a motor configured to generate a driving force, a pinion gear provided to be rotated by the motor,a rack gear portion engaged with the pinion gear to be linearly moved in a forward direction and a backward direction, anda connecting portion connected to the rack gear portion and the drawer to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in the forward direction and the backward direction by the rack gear portion.

24. The humidification apparatus of claim 23, wherein the rack gear portion includes a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear,a fixed rib fixed to a rail assembly to enable a linear motion in the forward direction and the backward direction, anda connecting portion coupling hole to which the connecting portion is coupled.

25. The humidification apparatus of claim 24, wherein when the pinion gear is rotated in response to the motor being driven, the rack gear portion engaged with the pinion gear is linearly moved in the forward direction and the backward direction, and the drawer is linearly moved in the forward direction and the backward direction together with the rack gear portion.

26. The humidification apparatus of claim 25, wherein when the pinion gear is rotated counterclockwise, the rack gear portion is linearly moved forward to cause the drawer to be moved forward to thereby be withdrawn out of the main body.

27. The humidification apparatus of claim 26, wherein when the pinion gear is rotated clockwise, the rack gear portion is linearly moved backward to cause the drawer to be moved backward to thereby be inserted into the main body.

28. A humidification apparatus comprising: a main body;a drawer slidably coupled to the main body and configured to slide into and slide out of the main body to open and to close the drawer, respectively, the drawer including a basket having an opening that is open at an upper side thereof;a water container configured to be accommodated in the basket through the opening; andan automatic driving device configured to allow the drawer to be automatically inserted into and withdrawn out of the main body by slidably moving the drawer and to support the drawer to inhibit the drawer from falling when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body.

29. The humidification apparatus of claim 28, wherein the automatic driving device includes a pair of automatic driving devices and each automatic driving device of the pair of automatic driving devices includes a motor configured to generate a driving force,a plurality of links provided to be rotated by the motor to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in a forward direction and a backward direction, anda support link provided to rotate and to be positioned so that the support link is supported on a floor surface to inhibit the drawer from falling in response to the drawer being withdrawn out of the main body.

30. The humidification apparatus of claim 29, wherein the plurality of links includes a first link fixed to a sidewall of the main body to enable rotation and provided to be rotated by the motor, a second link having one end rotatably connected to the first link and having an other end to which the support link is rotatably coupled, anda third link having one end rotatably connected to the first link and an other end rotatably connected to a sidewall of the drawer.

31. The humidification apparatus of claim 30, wherein the first link includes a first fixed portion provided at one end of the first link and fixed to the sidewall of the main body, a gear portion provided to allow the first link to be rotated on the first fixed portion, a first connecting portion provided at an other end of the first link and rotatably connected to the third link, anda second connecting portion provided between the first fixed portion and the first connecting portion and to which one end of the second link is rotatably connected.

32. The humidification apparatus of claim 31, wherein the second link includes a third connecting portion provided at one end of the second link and rotatably connected to the second connecting portion of the first link, and a second fixed portion provided at an other end of the second link and to which the support link is fixed to enable rotation.

33. The humidification apparatus of claim 32, wherein the third link includes a fourth connecting portion provided at one end of the third link and rotatably connected to the first connecting portion of the first link and a third fixed portion provided at an other end of the third link and fixed to the sidewall of the drawer to enable rotation.

34. The humidification apparatus of claim 33, wherein the support link includes a drawer fixed portion fixed to the sidewall of the drawer, a link connecting portion rotatably connected to the second fixed portion of the second link, anda support portion provided to be supported on the floor surface when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body.

35. The humidification apparatus of claim 34, wherein when the first link is rotated on the first fixed portion in response to the motor being driven, the second link and the third link are rotated by the first link to cause the drawer to be linearly moved in the forward direction and the backward direction.

36. The humidification apparatus of claim 35, wherein when the first link is rotated counterclockwise on the first fixed portion by the motor, the second link is rotated counterclockwise on the third connecting portion, and the third link is rotated counterclockwise on the forth connecting portion to cause the drawer to be moved forward to thereby be withdrawn out of the main body.

37. The humidification apparatus of claim 36, wherein when the drawer is withdrawn out of the main body, the support link is rotated counterclockwise on the link connecting portion by the second link, to cause the support portion to be supported on the floor surface.

38. The humidification apparatus of claim 37, wherein when the second link is rotated clockwise on the first fixed portion by the motor, the second link is rotated clockwise on the third connecting portion, and the third link is rotated clockwise on the fourth connecting portion to cause the drawer to be moved backward to thereby be inserted into the main body.

39. The humidification apparatus of claim 38, wherein when the drawer is inserted into the main body, the support link is rotated clockwise on the link connecting portion by the second link to cause the support portion to be separated from the floor surface.