Humidifying apparatus
18 claims: 4 independent, 14 dependent
- 1加湿装置であって、 チャンバを含む基部と、 前記基部に取り外し可能に取り付けられた、前記チャンバに水を供給するための水タンクと、 インペラと、該インペラを駆動して空気流を発生させるためのモータと、 前記空気流を前記チャンバに運ぶための入口ダクトと、 前記空気流を前記チャンバからの水で加湿するための加湿手段と、 前記チャンバ内に溜まった水を照射するための紫外線発生器と、 前記チャンバからの前記加湿された空気流を運ぶための出口ダクトと、を備え、前記装置の取り外し可能部分は、紫外線不透過性であるとともに、前記水タンクが前記基部に取り付けられた時に前記チャンバ上に位置し、前記取り外し可能部分は、前記出口ダクトの空気入口と、前記チャンバの周縁部を塞ぐためのフランジとを含む、ことを特徴とする加湿装置。
- 2前記装置の前記取り外し可能部分は、前記水タンクに取り外し可能に接続される、請求項1に記載の加湿装置。
- 3前記取り外し可能部分は、前記入口ダクトの空気出口を含む、請求項1又は2に記載の加湿装置。
- 4前記入口ダクトの前記空気出口は、前記出口ダクトの前記空気入口と同一平面上にある、請求項3に記載の加湿装置。
- 5前記入口ダクトの前記空気出口は、前記出口ダクトの前記空気入口に隣接して位置する、請求項3又は4に記載の加湿装置。
- 6前記取り外し可能部分は、前記フランジの少なくとも一部から垂下する、前記空気流を前記入口ダクトの前記空気出口から前記出口ダクトの前記空気入口に向けて誘導するための壁を含む、請求項5に記載の加湿装置。
- 7前記壁は環状であり、前記入口ダクトの前記空気出口及び前記出口ダクトの前記空気入口の真下に配置される流れチャネルの周囲に延びるように位置付けられる、請求項6に記載の加湿装置。
- 8前記チャンバが最大水位まで水で満たされると、前記壁は、前記チャンバ内に溜まった前記水の中に延びる、請求項6又は7に記載の加湿装置。
- 9前記取り外し可能部分は、前記入口ダクトの空気入口を含み、前記基部は、前記空気流を前記インペラから前記入口ダクトの前記空気入口に運ぶための空気通路を含む、請求項3から8のいずれかに記載の加湿装置。
- 10前記加湿手段は、前記チャンバに溜まった水を霧化するための変換器を含み、前記出口ダクトの前記空気入口は、前記変換器の真上に位置する、請求項1から9のいずれかに記載の加湿装置。
- 11前記水タンクは、環状であるとともに、紫外線不透過性の環状の内壁と、可視光透過性の環状の外壁とを含み、前記装置の前記取り外し可能部分は、前記水タンクの前記環状の内壁に取り外し可能に接続される、請求項1から10のいずれかに記載の加湿装置。
- 12前記出口ダクトは、前記装置の前記取り外し可能部分によって定められた入口部分と、前記装置の前記取り外し可能部分及び前記水タンクの前記環状の内壁によって協働的に定められた出口部分とを含む、 請求項11に 記載の加湿装置。
- 13前記基部に取り外し可能に取り付けられた空気出口と、前記基部から前記空気出口を取り外せるように解放するための解放手段とを備え、該解放手段は、前記基部に取り付けられたユーザ操作可能なボタンを含み、前記出口ダクトは、一対のダクト分岐部に分岐し、前記ボタンは、前記ダクト分岐部の間に位置する、請求項1から12のいずれかに記載の加湿装置。
- 14前記水タンクは、前記空気出口に係合するためのシールと、該シールを支持するための支持体とを含み、前記装置の前記取り外し可能部分は、前記支持体に取り外し可能に接続される、請求項13に記載の加湿装置。
- 15前記シールは、前記空気出口に向けて付勢される、請求項14に記載の加湿装置。
- 16前記シールは、比較的硬質なフレームと、前記空気出口に係合して前記フレームを前記空気出口に付勢するための比較的撓みやすい弾性部分とを含む、請求項15に記載の加湿装置。
- 17前記フレームは、前記支持体に対する前記フレームの動きを可能にするように前記シールに接続され、前記シールの前記弾性部分は、前記フレームを前記支持体から離して付勢するように前記支持体に係合するよう配置される、請求項16に記載の加湿装置。
- 18前記支持体及び前記シールの各々は、前記加湿された空気流を前記出口ダクトから前記空気出口に運ぶための少なくとも1つの開口部を含む、請求項16又は17に記載の加湿装置。
Independent claims18
73 paragraphs, as filed
The present invention relates to a humidifying device. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a humidifying device for generating a moist air stream and an air stream that disperses the moist air in a home environment such as a room or office.
Generally, a household humidifier takes the form of a portable device having a casing containing a water tank for storing a predetermined amount of water and a fan for creating an air flow through the air duct of the casing. The accumulated water is usually carried by gravity to an atomizer to generate water droplets from the received water. The atomizer can take the form of a high frequency vibrating device such as a heater or transducer. Water droplets enter the air stream through the air duct, which allows mist to be released into the environment. The device can include a sensor to detect the relative humidity of the air in the environment. The sensor outputs a signal indicating the detected relative humidity to the drive circuit, which controls the transducer to maintain the relative humidity of the air in the environment near a desired level. Normally, the transducer will stop working when the detected relative humidity is about 5% above the desired level and restart when the detected relative humidity is about 5% below the desired level.
It is known to provide an ultraviolet (UV) emission lamp or other UV radiation generator to sterilize the water carried to the atomizer. For example, US Pat. No. 5,859,952 describes a humidifier in which water supplied from a tank passes through a sterilization chamber before being piped to a chamber containing an ultrasonic atomizer. This sterilization chamber has a UV-transparent window, and below that, a UV lamp that irradiates water as it passes through the sterilization chamber is arranged. U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,474 states that in a humidifier, a water tank contains a UV-permeable tube for carrying water to the outlet of the water tank, and the main body to which this tank is attached allows water to pass through the tube. It is stated that it includes a UV lamp that illuminates when heading to the exit.
International Publication No. 2013/132222 describes a humidifier that includes a body and an annular nozzle that is detachably attached to the body. The body includes a base and a water tank detachably attached to the base. An electric impeller present in the base draws airflow into the humidifier through an air inlet located in the outer casing of the base. A first air passage located downstream of the impeller carries a first portion of the air flow to a first annular internal passage within the nozzle. The first portion of the air flow is discharged from the first air outlet of the nozzle. A second air passage located downstream of the impeller carries a second portion of the air stream above the water reservoir that receives water from the water tank. A transducer in the water reservoir atomizes the water in the water reservoir and humidifies the second part of the air stream. An outlet duct defined by a water tank carries this humidified air stream to the second annular internal passage of the nozzle. The humidified air flow is discharged from the second air outlet of the nozzle so as to accompany the air discharged from the first air outlet of the nozzle.
The base has a relatively wide cylindrical outer wall, a relatively narrow cylindrical inner wall coaxially located above the outer wall, and a recessed annular wall extending between the inner and outer walls. The walls of these bases define the water reservoir, which becomes exposed when the water tank is removed from the base. The water reservoir has a UV transmission tube that houses a UV lamp for irradiating the water that has accumulated inside, and the water that enters the water reservoir from the water tank is irradiated by the UV lamp before it is atomized by the converter. Includes a baffle plate for guiding above the tube. The water tank is annular and is attached by the user to the annular wall of the base so as to surround the inner wall of the base. The base includes a proximity sensor to detect that a water tank has been attached to the base. The drive circuit shuts down the motor, UV lamp and transducer in response to receiving a signal from the proximity sensor indicating that the water tank has been removed from the base.
<p num="0006"><patcit num="1"><text>U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,952</text></patcit><patcit num="2"><text>U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,474</text></patcit><patcit num="3"><text>International Publication No. 2013/132222</text></patcit></p>
<p num="0007"> In the first aspect, the humidifying device provided by the present invention is The base including the chamber and With a removable water tank at the base to supply water to the chamber, An impeller, a motor to drive this impeller and generate an air flow, An inlet duct for carrying airflow to the chamber, Humidifying means for humidifying the air flow with water from the chamber, An ultraviolet generator for irradiating the water accumulated in the chamber, With an outlet duct to carry the humidified air flow from the chamber, The removable portion of the device is UV-impermeable and located on the chamber, and the removable portion includes an air inlet of the outlet duct and a flange for closing the peripheral edge of the chamber.</p><p num="0008"> In addition to providing at least a portion of the outlet duct for carrying the humidified airflow from the chamber, the removable portion of the device also provides a cover for the chamber. By forming the removable portion from a UV-impermeable material, both UV leakage through the removable portion of the device and UV leakage from the peripheral edge of the chamber can be suppressed. The flange can also prevent air from leaking from the periphery of the chamber. Having these features formed on the removable portion of the device allows the user to easily clean the chamber and the removable portion when the removable portion is removed from the device.</p><p num="0009"> The removable portion of the device is preferably removably connected to the water tank so that it is located on the chamber when the water tank is attached to the base, but can also be removably connected to the base.</p><p num="0010"> The removable portion preferably also includes the air outlet of the inlet duct. The air outlet of the inlet duct should be coplanar with the air inlet of the outlet duct so that the air inlet of the outlet duct and the air outlet of the inlet duct are at the same distance above the water level of the water accumulated in the chamber. Is preferable. The air outlet of the inlet duct is preferably located adjacent to the air inlet of the outlet duct so as to minimize the length of the flow path between the air outlet of the inlet duct and the air inlet of the outlet duct.</p><p num="0011"> The removable portion preferably includes a wall that hangs from at least a portion of the flange to guide the air flow from the air outlet of the inlet duct to the air inlet of the outlet duct. This wall is annular and preferably defines the boundaries of the flow channel that lies beneath the air outlet of the inlet duct and the air inlet of the outlet duct, and is therefore preferably positioned so as to extend around this flow channel.</p><p num="0012"> If the UV generator is omitted from the device, the removable portion of the device must be made of a UV-impermeable material and the flange can also be omitted. In the second aspect, the humidifying device provided by the present invention is The base including the chamber and With a removable water tank at the base to supply water to the chamber, An impeller, a motor to drive this impeller and generate an air flow, An inlet duct for carrying airflow to the chamber, Humidifying means for humidifying the air flow with water from the chamber, With an outlet duct to carry the humidified air flow from the chamber, The removable part of the device is located on the chamber, as well as the air outlet of the inlet duct, the air inlet of the outlet duct located adjacent to the air outlet of the inlet duct, and the air outlet and outlet duct of the inlet duct. Includes an annular wall for demarcating flow channels located beneath the air inlet.</p><p num="0013"> When the chamber is filled with water to the maximum water level, the annular wall extends into the water pooled in the chamber to prevent air leakage from the flow channel between the annular wall and the pooled water. It is preferable to construct the interface forming the seal of.</p><p num="0014"> The removable portion includes the air inlet of the inlet duct and the base can include an air passage for carrying the air flow from the impeller to the air inlet of the inlet duct. The air inlet of the inlet duct is preferably located on the removable portion of the side wall facing the base including the airflow port that discharges the airflow towards the air inlet of the inlet duct.</p><p num="0015"> The humidifying means preferably includes a transducer for atomizing the water accumulated in the chamber. The air inlet of the outlet duct is preferably located directly above the transducer.</p><p num="0016"> The water tank is preferably annular and is attached to the base so as to surround at least a portion of the base. For example, the base preferably comprises a cylindrical or tubular wall surrounding the motor and impeller, and the water tank is preferably attached to the base so as to surround the tubular wall. The water tank preferably includes an ultraviolet opaque annular inner wall and a visible light permeable annular outer wall that allows the user to see how much water remains in the tank. The removable portion is preferably detachably connected to the annular inner wall of the water tank, for example by a removable clasp.</p><p num="0017"> The outlet duct can include a plurality of portions extending between the air inlet of the outlet duct and at least one air outlet of the outlet duct. The outlet duct preferably includes an inlet portion defined by the removable portion of the device and an outlet portion co-defined by the removable portion of the device and the annular inner wall of the water tank. The removable portion preferably includes a seal that engages with the annular inner wall of the water tank to prevent leakage of humidified airflow between these two components.</p><p num="0018"> In a preferred embodiment, the outlet duct comprises a plurality of air outlets. For example, the outlet ducts can branch into a pair of duct branches, each containing its own air outlet in the outlet duct. The outlet duct can be branched to carry a humidified air stream around or around a portion of the device so that the device can maintain a compact appearance. For example, the device comprises a removable air outlet at the base and a release means for releasing the air outlet from the base so that it can be removed, the release means having a user-operable button attached to the base. Can include. The outlet duct branches into a pair of duct branches, and the button can be located between the duct branches.</p><p num="0019"> As mentioned above, the removable portion preferably forms part of the water tank or is connected to the water tank, so that the humidified air stream is discharged from the part of the water tank into the air outlet. Is preferable. The water tank preferably includes a seal for engaging the air outlet and a support for supporting the seal, the removable portion being removably connected to the support. The support and seal preferably include at least one opening for carrying the humidified air stream from the duct to the air outlet. The seal preferably includes a relatively rigid frame and a relatively flexible elastic portion for engaging the air outlet and urging the frame to the air outlet. The frame is preferably connected to the support so as to allow the movement of the seal with respect to the support. The frame can also be removable from the support so that the user can clean or replace the seal. The elastic part of the seal is located between the first part surrounded by the frame to engage the air outlet and the second part between the frame and the support to urge the frame towards the air outlet. Can include parts of. The second portion of the elastic portion of the seal can have a corrugated or bellows shape. The first portion of the elastic portion of the seal can also have a corrugated or bellows shape.</p><p num="0020"> In the third aspect, the humidifying device provided by the present invention is The base including the chamber and With a removable water tank at the base to supply water to the chamber, An impeller, a motor to drive this impeller and generate an air flow, An inlet duct for carrying airflow to the chamber, Humidifying means for humidifying the air flow with water from the chamber, With an outlet duct to carry the humidified airflow from the chamber to the air outlet of the device, The outlet ducts are branched into a pair of duct branches, each containing its own air outlet in the outlet duct. The removable portion of the device is located on the chamber and includes the air inlet of the outlet duct, at least partially defining the duct branch, and the water tank has a seal for engaging the air outlet of the device. A removable portion of the device is detachably connected to the support, including a support for supporting the seal.</p><p num="0021"> The features described above in connection with the first aspect of the invention are equally applicable to each of the second and third aspects of the invention and vice versa.</p><p num="0022"> Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described as just an example with reference to the accompanying drawings.</p>
<figref num="1">It is a front perspective view of a humidifier.</figref><figref num="2">It is a front view of a humidifier.</figref><figref num="3">It is a rear view of a humidifier.</figref><figref num="4(a)">It is a side sectional view of the humidifier cut out along the line AA of FIG.</figref><figref num="4(b)">It is an enlarged view of the first part of FIG. 4 (a).</figref><figref num="4(c)">It is an enlarged view of the 2nd part of FIG. 4 (a).</figref><figref num="4(d)">It is an enlarged view of the 3rd part of FIG. 4 (a).</figref><figref num="4(e)">It is a front sectional view of the humidifier cut out along the line BB of FIG. 4 (a).</figref><figref num="4(f)">It is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 4 (e).</figref><figref num="5(a)">It is a front view of the nozzle of a humidifier.</figref><figref num="5(b)">It is the bottom sectional view cut out along the line CC of FIG. 5 (a).</figref><figref num="5(c)">It is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 5 (b).</figref><figref num="6(a)">It is a rear perspective view of the nozzle seen from below.</figref><figref num="6(b)">It is a rear view of a nozzle.</figref><figref num="6(c)">It is an enlarged view of the range D of FIG. 6 (b).</figref><figref num="7(a)">It is a rear view of the nozzle which removed a part of the nozzle housing.</figref><figref num="7(b)">It is an enlarged view of the range E of FIG. 7 (a).</figref><figref num="8(a)">It is a front view of the base of a humidifier.</figref><figref num="8(b)">It is a front perspective view of the base seen from above.</figref><figref num="8(c)">It is a top view of the base.</figref><figref num="8(d)">It is sectional drawing cut out along the line KK of FIG. 8 (c).</figref><figref num="9(a)">It is a front perspective view of the water tank of a humidifier seen from above.</figref><figref num="9(b)">It is a front perspective view of a water tank seen from below.</figref><figref num="9(c)">It is a rear perspective view of the water tank seen from above.</figref><figref num="10(a)">It is a front perspective view of the removable part of a water tank seen from above.</figref><figref num="10(b)">It is the bottom view of the removable part of a water tank.</figref><figref num="10(c)">It is the top view of the removable part of a water tank.</figref><figref num="10(d)">It is a front perspective view of the removable part of a water tank seen from the bottom.</figref><figref num="10(e)">It is a rear perspective view of a removable part of a water tank seen from below.</figref><figref num="11(a)">It is a front view of the base part which arranged the removable part of the water tank in the upper part.</figref><figref num="11(b)">It is a front perspective view seen from above of the base part which arranged the removable part of the water tank in the upper part.</figref><figref num="11(c)">It is the top view of the base part which arranged the removable part of the water tank in the upper part.</figref><figref num="11(d)">It is sectional drawing cut out along the line LL of FIG. 11 (c).</figref><figref num="12">It is a perspective view of the impeller of a humidifying device seen from above.</figref><figref num="13">It is a perspective view of the motor housing of a humidifier seen from the bottom.</figref><figref num="14(a)">It is a top view of the impeller of the humidifier and the motor housing.</figref><figref num="14(b)">It is sectional drawing cut out along the line JJ of FIG. 14 (a).</figref><figref num="14(c)">It is an enlarged view of the range H of FIG. 14 (b).</figref><figref num="15(a)">It is a front perspective view of the base viewed from below.</figref><figref num="15(b)">It is the same figure as FIG. 15A with the bottom wall of the base removed.</figref><figref num="15(c)">The figure is the same as in FIG. 15 (b) in which the panel for blocking the drive circuit from the intrusion of water is removed.</figref><figref num="16(a)">It is a top view of a panel.</figref><figref num="16(b)">It is a bottom view of a panel.</figref><figref num="16(c)">It is a rear perspective view of the panel seen from below.</figref><figref num="16(d)">It is a rear perspective view of the panel seen from above.</figref><figref num="17">It is the schematic of the control system of a humidifier.</figref>
1 to 3 are external views of the fan assembly. In this example, the fan assembly takes the form of a humidifier 10. In general, the humidifier 10 includes a body 12 that includes an air inlet through which air entering the humidifier 10 passes, and a nozzle 14 in the form of an annular casing attached to the body 12, where the nozzle 14 is the humidifier 10. Includes multiple air outlets for discharging air from.
Nozzle 14 is arranged to emit two different air streams. The nozzle 14 includes a posterior portion 16 and an anterior portion 18 connected to the posterior portion 16. Each part 16 and 18 is annular, which extends around the bore 20 of nozzle 14. The bore 20 extends through the center of the nozzle 14 so that the centers of the portions 16 and 18 are located on the axis X of the bore 20.
In this example, the parts 16 and 18 are curved to connect the two nearly linear parts located on either side of the bore 20, the curved upper part that connects the upper end of this straight part, and the lower end of the straight part. It has a "race track" shape in that it includes the lower portion. However, the portions 16 and 18 can have any desired shape and can be, for example, circular or oval. In this embodiment, the height of the nozzle 14 is larger than the width of the nozzle, but the nozzle 14 can also be configured such that the width is larger than the height of the nozzle.
Each of the portions 16 and 18 of the nozzle 14 defines a flow path through which one of the air streams passes. In this embodiment, the rear portion 16 of the nozzle 14 defines a first air flow path through which the first air flow passing through the nozzle 14 passes, and the front portion 18 of the nozzle 14 passes through the nozzle 14. Define a second air flow path through which the air flow of.
As can also be seen with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 5 (c), the rear portion 16 of the nozzle 14 includes an annular outer casing portion 22 that is connected to and surrounds the annular inner casing portion 24. Each casing portion 22, 24 extends around the bore axis X. Each casing portion may be formed from a plurality of connecting parts, but in this embodiment, the casing portions 22 and 24 are formed from a single molded part, respectively. The casing portions 22 and 24 are preferably made of a plastic material. As shown in FIG. 5 (c), the front portion of the inner casing portion 24 has an annular outer wall 24a extending substantially parallel to the bore axis X, a front end wall 24b, and an end wall extending substantially perpendicular to the bore axis X. It has an annular intermediate wall 24c that connects the outer wall 24a to the end wall 24b so that the 24b is located in front of the intermediate wall 24c. During assembly, the outer surface of the outer wall 24a is connected to the inner surface of the front end of the outer casing portion 22 using, for example, an adhesive.
The outer casing portion 22 includes a tubular base 26 that defines the first air inlet 28 of the nozzle 14. Both the outer casing portion 22 and the inner casing portion 24 define the first air outlet 30 of the nozzle 14. As will be described in more detail below, the first air stream enters the nozzle 14 through the first air inlet 28 and is discharged from the first air outlet 30. The first air outlet 30 is defined by overlapping or facing a portion of the inner surface 32 of the outer casing portion 22 and a portion of the outer surface 34 of the inner casing portion 24. The first air outlet 30 takes the form of a slot. This slot has a relatively constant width of 0.5-5 mm. In this example, the first air outlet has a width of about 1 mm. Around the first air outlet 30, a spacer 36 for controlling the width of the first air outlet 30 is separated by urging the outer casing portion 22 and the inner casing portion 24 so as to separate the overlapping portion. Can be placed. These spacers can be integrated with any of the casing portions 22, 24.
In this embodiment, the first air outlet 30 extends partially around the bore 20. The first air outlet 30 extends along a curved upper portion and a straight portion of the nozzle 14. However, the first air outlet 30 can also extend all around the bore 20. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the nozzle 14 includes a sealing member 38 for suppressing the discharge of the first air flow from the curved lower portion of the nozzle 14. In this embodiment, the seal member 38 is substantially U-shaped and is held by a recess formed at the rear end of the inner casing portion 24 so that it is located substantially in a plane perpendicular to the axis X. The seal member 38 engages with a U-shaped protrusion 39 extending forward from the rear end of the curved lower portion of the outer casing portion 22 to form a seal with the protrusion 39.
The first air outlet 30 is arranged to expel air through the front portion of the bore 20 of the nozzle 14. The first air outlet 30 is formed so as to guide air on the outer surface of the nozzle 14. In this embodiment, the outer surface 34 of the inner casing portion 24 includes the Coanda surface 40, and the first air outlet 30 is arranged on the Coanda surface 40 to guide the first air flow. The Coanda surface 40 is annular and therefore continuous around the central axis X. The outer surface 34 of the inner casing portion 24 also includes a diffuser 42 tapered away from the axis X in a direction extending from the first air outlet 30 to the end wall 24b of the inner casing portion 24.
Both casing portions 22 and 24 define an annular first internal passage 46 for carrying a first air stream from a first air inlet 28 to a first air outlet 30. The first internal passage 46 is defined by the inner surface of the outer casing portion 22 and the inner surface of the inner casing portion 24. The first air flow is guided to the first air outlet 30 by the tapered annular mouse portion 48 of the rear portion 16 of the nozzle 14. Therefore, it can be considered that the first air inlet 28, the first internal passage 46, the mouse unit 48, and the first air outlet 30 form the first air passage through the nozzle 14.
The front side portion 18 of the nozzle 14 includes an annular front casing portion 50. The front casing portion 50 extends around the bore axis X and has a "track race" shape similar to the other casing portions 22 and 24 of the nozzle 14. The front casing portion 50 may be formed of a plurality of connecting parts as in the casing portions 22 and 24, but in this embodiment, it is formed of a single molded part. The front casing portion 50 is preferably made of a plastic material.
The front casing portion 50 includes an annular outer wall 50a extending substantially parallel to the bore axis X and an annular inner wall 50b connected to the outer wall 50a at the front end 44 of the nozzle 14. The inner wall 50b forms an angle with respect to the outer wall 50a so as to taper toward the axis X. During assembly, the front casing portion 50 is attached to the inner casing portion 24 using, for example, a series of snap connections between the front wall 50a of the front casing portion 50 and the intermediate wall 24c of the inner casing portion 24. An annular sealing member 52 forms an airtight seal between the inner casing portion 24 and the front casing portion 50.
Referring to FIG. 6 (a), a tubular base 56 is provided at the lower end of the front casing portion 50. The base 56 defines the second air inlet 58 of the nozzle 14. The front casing portion 50, together with the inner casing portion 24, defines the second air outlet 60 of the nozzle 14. In this example, the second air outlet 60 extends partially around the bore 20 along the curved upper and straight portions of the nozzle 14. Alternatively, the second air outlet 60 can extend all around the bore 20. As another example, the nozzle 14 may include a plurality of second air outlets, with each linear portion of the nozzle 14 including its own second air outlet.
In this embodiment, the second air outlet 60 takes the form of a slot with a relatively constant width of 0.5-5 mm. In this example, the second air outlet 60 has a width of about 1 mm. The second air outlet 60 is located between the end wall 24b of the inner casing portion 24 and the inner wall 50b of the front casing portion 50. Along the second air outlet 60, the spacer 62 is separated so as to urge the overlapping portion of the inner casing portion 24 and the front casing portion 50 to separate and control the width of the second air outlet 60. Can be placed. These spacers can be integrated with any of the casing portions 24 and 50. The second air outlet 60 is such that the second air flow is discharged into the bore 20 of the nozzle 14, preferably toward the axis X of the nozzle 14, and more preferably in a plane orthogonal to the axis X of the nozzle 14. It is composed of.
Both casing portions 24 and 50 define an annular second internal passage 68 for carrying a second air stream from the second air inlet 58 to the second air outlet 60. The second internal passage 68 is defined by the inner surface of the inner casing portion 24 and the inner surface of the front casing portion 50. Therefore, it can be considered that the second air inlet 58, the internal passage 68, and the second air outlet 60 form a second air flow path through the nozzle 14.
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 again, the main body 12 is almost cylindrical. The body 12 includes a base 70. The base 70 is shown in more detail in FIG. The base 70 includes a cylindrical outer outer wall 71 that includes an air inlet 72. In this example, the air inlet 72 includes a plurality of openings formed in the outer wall 71 of the base 70. The anterior portion of the base 70 can include the user interface of the humidifier 10. This user interface is schematically shown in FIG. 17 and described in detail below, including at least one user-operable switch or button 73 and a drive circuit 74. The drive circuit is roughly shown by 74 in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (d). Although the drive circuit 74 is shown as a single element in FIG. 18, each drive circuit 74 may include a respective processor for controlling various different components or functions of the humidifier 10. It can also be formed by a plurality of subcircuits that are physically separated but electrically connected to each other. The drive circuit 74 has a removable mains cable (not shown) for powering the humidifier 10 via a connector 75a that resides behind the formed opening 75b of the outer wall 71 of the base 70. Is connected. To connect the drive circuit 74 to the main power supply, the user inserts a cable into the opening 75b and connects it to the connector 75a.
Also referring to FIGS. 4 (a), 4 (d), 4 (e) and 8 the base 70 is a first for carrying a first air stream to a first air flow path through nozzle 14. Includes an air passage 76 and a second air passage 78 for carrying a second air stream to a second air passage through the nozzle 14. The first air passage 76 passes from the air inlet 72 through the base 70 to the first air inlet 28 of the nozzle 14. The base 70 includes a bottom wall 80 connected to the lower end of the outer wall 71. A sound deadening foam sheet 81 is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom wall 80. A tubular central wall 82 having a diameter smaller than that of the outer wall 71 is connected to the outer wall 71 by a bow-shaped support wall 84. The central wall 82 is substantially coaxial with the outer wall 71. The support wall 84 is located above the bottom wall 80 and substantially parallel to the bottom wall 80. As described in more detail below, the support wall 84 extends partially around the central wall 82 to provide an opening for exposing the water reservoir 140 at the base 70. The central wall 82 extends upward away from the support wall 84. In this example, the outer wall 71, the central wall 82 and the support wall 84 are formed as a single component of the base 70, but two or more of these walls are the respective components of the base 70. It can also be formed. The upper wall of the base 70 is connected to the upper end of the central wall 82. The upper wall has a lower truncated conical portion 86 and an upper cylindrical portion 88. The upper cylindrical portion has a double wall, which includes an outer cylindrical wall 88a connected to the truncated conical portion 86 and an inner cylindrical wall 88b into which the base 26 of the nozzle 14 is inserted. These walls 88a, 88b define an annular housing 88c within the upper cylindrical portion of the base 70.
The central wall 82 extends around the impeller 90 to generate a first air flow through the first air passage 76. In this example, the impeller 90 takes the form of a mixed impeller. In general, the impeller 90 is connected to a rotating shaft extending outward from the motor 92 to drive the impeller 90. In this embodiment, the motor 92 is a DC brushless motor having a speed that is variable by the drive circuit 74 in response to a speed selection by the user. The maximum speed of the motor 92 is preferably 5,000 to 10,000 rpm. The motor 92 is housed in a motor bucket that includes a dome-shaped upper portion 96 connected to a lower portion 98. A set of guide vanes 100 that guide air toward the first air outlet 28 of the nozzle 14 is connected to the upper surface of the upper portion 96 of the motor bucket. Further features of the Impeller 92 and the motor bucket will be described below.
Motabake Tsu DOO is attached to the impeller housing 104 located substantially frustoconical impeller housing 104. Further, the impeller housing 104 is attached to an annular platform 106 extending inward from the central wall 82. An annular inlet member 108 for guiding an air flow is connected to the bottom of the impeller housing 104. Between the impeller housing 104 and the platform 106, an annular sealing member 110 is located to prevent air from passing through the perimeter of the outer surface of the impeller housing 104 to the inlet member 108. The platform 106 preferably includes a guide portion for guiding the electric cable 107 from the drive circuit 74 to the motor 92.
The first air passage 76 extends from the air inlet 72 to the inlet member 108. Further, the first air passage 76 extends from the inlet member 108 through the impeller housing 104, the upper end of the central wall 82, and the upper wall portions 86, 88. A truncated conical baffle 109a connected to the inner surfaces of the upper wall portions 86, 88 serves to guide the first airflow released from the impeller housing 104 to the base 26 of the nozzle 14. An annular seal 109b that extends around the upper end of the baffle 109a engages the end of the base 26 of the nozzle 14 to form an airtight seal between the nozzle 14 and the base 70.
The second air passage 78 is arranged to receive air from the first air passage 76. The second air passage 78 is arranged adjacent to the first air passage 76. The second air passage 78 includes a duct 110 for receiving air from the first air passage 76. Duct 110 has an annular inlet port 112 located downstream of the guide vane 100 to form a second air stream by receiving a portion of the air flow released from the guide vane 100. The inlet port 112 is located between the baffle 109a and the dome-shaped upper portion 113 of the impeller housing 104. The duct 110 extends between the impeller housing 104 and the baffle 109a to the exit port 114 located on the central wall 82 of the base 70.
The humidifier 10 is configured to increase the humidity of the second air stream before it enters the nozzle 14. Here, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 and 9 to 11, the humidifier 10 includes a water tank 120 that can be detachably attached to the base 70 of the body 12. The water tank 120 has a cylindrical outer wall 122 having the same radius as the outer wall 71 of the base 70 of the main body 12 so that the main body 12 has a cylindrical appearance when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70. The water tank 120 has a tubular inner wall 124 that surrounds the walls 82, 86, 88 of the base 70 when attached to the base 70. The outer wall 122 and the inner wall 124, together with the annular upper wall 126 and the annular lower wall 128 of the water tank 120, define an annular volume for storing water. Thus, the water tank 120 surrounds the impeller 90 and the motor 92, and thus at least a portion of the first air passage 76, when attached to the base 70.
The outer wall 122 is made of a material that allows visible light to pass through so that the user can observe the amount of water stored in the water tank 120. For the same reason, the upper wall 126 is also preferably made of the same material as the outer wall 122. The outer wall 122 and the upper wall 126 can be connected by using an adhesive or a laser welding method. These walls 122, 126 are preferably made of a permeable plastic material. The inner wall 124 and the lower wall 128 are preferably integrated, and do not need to be made of the same plastic material as the outer wall 122 and the upper wall 126. In this embodiment, the inner wall 124 and the lower wall 128 are configured so that when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70, the portion of the base 70 surrounded or covered by the inner wall 124 and the lower wall 128 is not visible to the user. It is made of a material that does not allow ultraviolet radiation, preferably visible light. An adhesive is used to connect the inner wall 124 to the upper wall 126 and the outer wall 122 to the lower wall 128.
When the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70, the lower wall 128 of the water tank 120 engages with the support wall 84 of the base and is supported by the support wall 84. The lower wall 128 is formed with a protrusion 130 for placement in a recess 132 formed on the support wall 84 of the base 70 so that the water tank 120 is reliably positioned on the base 70 at an accurate angle. Can be installed. The protrusion 130 assists in accurately positioning the water tank 120 on the base 70 and increases the force required to move the water tank 120 with respect to the base 70 in the recess 132 on the underside of the support wall 84. It takes the form of a magnet that interacts with other magnets mounted below (not shown). This can reduce the risk of the water tank 120 moving unintentionally with respect to the base 70.
The water tank 120 preferably has a capacity of 2-4 liters. In particular, as can be seen with reference to FIGS. 9 (b) and 9 (c), the outlet 134 is removably connected to the lower wall 128 of the water tank 120, for example by collaborative screw connections. In this example, the water tank 120 is filled by removing the water tank 120 from the base 70 and turning the water tank 120 upside down so that the discharge port 134 projects upward. Next, the discharge port 134 is twisted off from the water tank 120, and water is injected into the water tank 120 through the opening exposed when the discharge port 134 is removed from the water tank 120. The discharge port 134 preferably includes a plurality of radial fins for facilitating gripping the discharge port 134 and twisting the water tank 120. When the water tank 120 is filled, the user reconnects the outlet 134 to the water tank 120, returns the water tank 120 to a non-upside-down orientation, and returns the water tank 120 onto the base 70. Inside the discharge port 134, there is a spring-loaded valve 136 for preventing water from leaking through the water outlet of the discharge port 134 when the water tank 120 is turned upside down again. The valve 136 is urged toward a position where the skirt portion of the valve 136 engages with the upper surface of the discharge port 134 so as to prevent water from entering the discharge port 134 from the water tank 120.
The upper wall 126 of the water tank 120 includes one or more supports 138 for supporting the inverted water tank 120 on a work surface, counter surface or other support surface. In this example, two parallel supports 138 are formed around the upper wall 126 to support the inverted water tank 120.
As can be seen here with reference to FIGS. 4 and 8, the base 70 includes a water reservoir 140 for receiving water from the water tank 120. The water reservoir 140 is an independent component that is connected to the underside of the support wall 84 of the base 70 and is exposed by an opening formed in the support wall 84. The water reservoir 140 includes an inlet chamber 142 for receiving water from the water tank 120 and an outlet chamber 144 for receiving water from the inlet chamber 142, which atomizes the water and accompanies it with a second air stream. .. The inlet chamber 142 is located on one side of the water reservoir 140 and the outlet chamber 144 is located on the other side of the water reservoir 140. The water reservoir 140 includes a base and a side wall that extends around the perimeter of the base and stands upright from the base. The base is formed so that the depth of the outlet chamber 144 is deeper than the depth of the inlet chamber 142. The base portions present in the chambers 142, 144 are substantially parallel and the bottom wall 80 of the base 70 so that the humidifier 10 is substantially horizontal when located on a horizontal support surface. It is preferable that they are also parallel to each other. Water can flow from the inlet chamber 142 to the outlet chamber 144 by a channel 150 formed within the water reservoir 140.
A pin 152 extends upward from a portion of the base that partially forms the inlet chamber 142. When the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70, the pin 152 projects into the discharge port 134 and pushes the valve 136 upward to open the discharge port 134, which allows water to flow into the inlet chamber 142 under gravity. When the inlet chamber 142 is filled with water, the water enters the outlet chamber 144 through the channel 150. As water flows out of the water tank 120, these waters are replaced in the water tank 120 by air entering the water tank 120 through a slot 154 located on the side wall of the outlet 134. When the chambers 142 and 144 are filled with water, the water levels in the chambers 142 and 144 are equal. The discharge port 134 is arranged so that the water reservoir 140 can be filled with water up to a maximum water level substantially flush with the upper end of the slot 154 existing in the side wall of the discharge port 134, and above this water level. Then, air cannot replace the water that enters the water tank 120 and flows out of the water tank 120.
The portion of the base that partially forms the outlet chamber 144 includes a circular opening for exposing the piezoelectric transducer 156. The drive circuit 74 is configured to actuate the vibration of the transducer 156 in atomization mode to atomize the water present in the outlet chamber 144. The converter 156 has a frequency f that can be 1-2 MHz in atomization mode.<sub>1</sub>Can be ultrasonically vibrated with. Referring to FIG. 15 (b), the transducer 156 is a piezoelectric transducer assembly 157 connected to the underside of the bottom wall 80 of the base 70 so as to project through an opening formed in the bottom wall 80 of the base 70. Form a part of. The converter 156 is connected to the drive circuit 74 by a wire 158.
The water reservoir 140 also includes an ultraviolet (UV) generator for irradiating the water in the water reservoir 140. In this embodiment, the UV generator is arranged to irradiate the water in the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140. In this embodiment, the UV generator comprises a UV lamp 160 that forms part of the UV lamp assembly 162 at the base 70. The UV lamp assembly 162 takes the form of a cartridge that can be removed and inserted into the base 70 for user replacement as needed. The water reservoir 140 includes a UV transmission tube 164. Tube 164 is located within the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140. The UV lamp assembly 162 is supported by the base 70 so that it is positioned within the tube 164 when the UV lamp 160 is fully inserted into the base. The open end of the tube 164 preferably projects through an opening formed in the side wall of the water reservoir 140 to allow the UV lamp 160 to enter the tube 164. An O-ring seal member is provided between the pipe 164 and the opening formed in the side wall to prevent water leakage through the opening.
With reference to FIGS. 15 (a) and 15 (b), the bottom wall 80 of the base 70 includes an opening for inserting or removing the transducer assembly 157 and the UV lamp assembly 162 into the base 70. Usually, the opening is covered by a panel 166 that is detachably connected to the underside of the bottom wall 80 of the base 70. By removing the panel 166 from the bottom wall 80 of the base 70, the user can access both the UV lamp assembly 162 and the transducer assembly 157 as needed to replace or repair each assembly. ..
A float 168 is provided in the water tank 120, and a water level sensor 170, which is schematically shown in FIG. 17 for detecting the position of the float 168, is provided in the base 70, whereby the water level in the water tank 120 is measured. The indicated signal can be supplied. The base 70 can also include a proximity sensor 172 for detecting that the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70. The proximity sensor 172 can take the form of a Hall effect sensor that interacts with a magnet (not shown) present on the lower wall 128 of the water tank 120 to detect the presence or absence of the water tank 120 on the base 70.
The water tank 120 defines an inlet duct 174 for receiving a second air stream from the outlet port 114 of the base 70. In this embodiment, the inlet duct 174 is defined by a removable portion 176 of the water tank 120 that is detachably connected to the inner wall 124 of the water tank 120 by a user-operable clasp 177. The removable portion 176 is shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 11 shows the position of the removable portion 176 with respect to the base 70 when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70. The removable portion 176 includes a body 178 made of a material that is opaque to UV radiation, preferably molded of a plastic material. The inlet duct 174 passes from the air inlet 180 through the main body 178 to the air outlet 182. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the air inlet 180 of the inlet duct 174 is positioned to face the outlet port 114 present on the central wall 82 of the base 70 when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70. It is located on the side wall of the main body 178. The air outlet 182 of the inlet duct 174 is located on the bottom wall 184 of the body 178 so that it is located above the water reservoir 140. The maximum water level of the water reservoir 140 is preferably selected so that the air outlet 182 is above the maximum water level. As a result, the second air flow enters directly above the surface of the water existing in the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140.
The water tank 120 also includes an outlet duct for carrying a second air stream from the water reservoir 140 to the second air inlet 58 of the nozzle 14. In this embodiment, the outlet duct includes an inlet portion 186 and an outlet portion 188. The inlet portion 186 is defined by the removable portion 176 of the water tank 120. The removable portion 176 includes an air inlet 190 of the outlet duct. As shown in FIGS. 11 (c) and 11 (d), the air inlet 190 is located on the bottom wall 184 of the body 178 so that it is located directly above the transducer 156 when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70. Will be done. As a result, the water column generated during the operation of the transducer 156 can enter the inlet portion 186 of the outlet duct, so that the mist-like water particles generated in the vicinity of the water column can surely accompany the second air flow. become. The air inlet 190 of the outlet duct is preferably substantially coplanar with the air outlet 182 of the inlet duct 174, and the flow path between the air outlet 182 of the inlet duct 174 and the air inlet 190 of the outlet duct. It is preferably located adjacent to the air outlet 182 of the inlet duct 174 so that the length is minimized.
The body 178 of the removable portion 176 includes a flange 192 that extends outward from the bottom wall 184. The flange 192 extends around most of the body 178. The flange 192 is located above the recess 194 of the support wall 84 that extends around the water reservoir 140 when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70, and is preferably molded so that it is attached to the recess 194. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 8 (a) to 8 (d) with FIGS. 11 (a) to 11 (d), the flange 192 is located around the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140 during the operation of the UV lamp 160. It blocks the portion 196 and thus serves to prevent UV radiation from leaking from the peripheral portion 196 of the outlet chamber 144.
The removable portion 176 includes a wall portion 198 hanging from the flange 192 to guide a second air flow from the air outlet 182 of the inlet duct 174 toward the air inlet 190 of the outlet duct. The wall 198 is annular and defines the boundary of the flow channel located directly below the air outlet 182 of the inlet duct 174 and the air inlet 190 of the outlet duct, and is therefore positioned to extend around it. The height of the wall 198 is such that when the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140 is filled with water to the maximum water level, the end of the wall 198 extends into the water accumulated in the outlet chamber 144 and accumulates with the wall 198. It is selected to build an interface with the water that forms a seal to prevent leakage of a second air stream from the flow channel defined by the wall 198.
The body 178 of the removable portion 176 includes a port 200 through which a second air stream from the inlet portion 186 enters the outlet portion 188. When the removable portion 176 is connected to the inner wall 124 of the water tank 120, the removable portion 176 defines the inner portion of the outlet portion 188 and the inner wall 124 defines the outer portion of the outlet portion 188. A seal 202 located on the removable portion 176 forms an airtight seal to prevent leakage of a second air stream from the interface between the inner wall 124 and the removable portion 176. In this embodiment, the outlet portion 188 of the outlet duct branches to form a pair of duct branching portions 204, each including each air outlet 206 of the outlet duct. Thereby, the outlet duct is a portion of the base 70 that can be actuated by the user to release the nozzle 14 from the base 70, a second air flow around the button 260 (discussed in more detail below) in this embodiment. Will be able to carry.
With reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 9 (a), the water tank 120 includes a seal 210 for engaging the base 56 of the nozzle 14. FIG. 9 (a) shows the seal 210 removed from the rest of the water tank 120 so that its characteristics can be seen. The seal 210 is supported by a support 212 integrated with the inner wall 124 of the water tank 120. The seal 210 is detachably connected to the support 212 so that the user can remove the seal for cleaning and replacement. For example, the seal 210 includes a pair of elastic fingers 214 that extend through an opening 216 formed in the support 212 when the seal 210 is connected to the support 212. When removing the seal 210 from the support 212, the user picks the finger 214 to allow the finger 214 to pass through the opening 216 as the seal 210 is pulled away from the support 212. The finger 214 is connected to the relatively rigid frame 218 of the seal 210. The frame 218 is formed so as to surround the end of the base 56 of the nozzle 14.
The frame 218 supports the relatively flexible elastic portion of the seal 210. The elastic portion of the seal 210 includes a first portion 220 for engaging with the end of the base 56 of the nozzle 14, which is held and surrounded by the frame 218. The elastic portion of the seal 210 engages with the support 212 to separate the frame 218 from the support 212 and urges towards the base 56 of the nozzle 14, a pair of second portions hanging from the first portion 220. Also includes 222. The seal 210 and the support 212 include an opening or passage 224 through which a second air stream is allowed to pass through the base 56 of the nozzle 14. In this embodiment, each of the second portions 222 is tubular and has a corrugated or bellows shape.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the water tank 120 is attached to the base 70, the inner wall 124 surrounds the upper wall of the base 70, exposing the open upper end of the upper cylindrical portion of the upper wall. The water tank 120 includes a handle 230 that facilitates removal of the water tank 120 from the base 70. The handle 230 moves relative to the water tank 120 between a storage position housed in the recess 232 of the water tank 120 and a deployment position that rises above the upper wall 126 of the water tank 120 for user grip. It is pivotally connected to the water tank 120 so that it can be connected.
When the nozzle 14 is attached to the main body 12, the base 26 of the outer casing portion 22 of the nozzle 14 is located on the open end of the upper cylindrical portion of the upper wall of the base 70, and the base 56 of the front casing portion 50 of the nozzle 14 is located. It will be located on the seal 210 of the water tank 120. After that, the user pushes the nozzle 14 toward the main body 12. When the bases 26, 56 of the nozzle 14 are fully inserted into the body 12, the annular seal 109b engages with the end of the base 26 of the nozzle 14 to form an airtight seal between the nozzle 14 and the base 70. , The seal 210 engages with the end of the base 56 of the nozzle 14 to form an airtight seal between the nozzle 14 and the water tank 120.
Next, referring to FIGS. 4 (c) and 6 to 8, the main body 12 includes a sensor 240 for detecting the position of the nozzle 14 with respect to the main body 12. The sensor 240 is connected to the drive circuit 74, which is configured to suppress the operation of the UV lamp 160 unless the signal received from the sensor 240 indicates that the nozzle 14 is fully inserted into the body 12. Will be done. In this example, the nozzle 14 includes a magnet 242, and the sensor 240 takes the form of a Hall effect sensor that produces a signal indicating the detection intensity of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 242. The sensor 240 is located within the housing 88c defined by the cylindrical walls 88a, 88b of the base 70 of the body 12, and the magnet 242 is attached to the sensor 240 when the base 26 of the nozzle 14 is completely inserted into the base 70 of the body 12. It exists on the base 26 of the nozzle 14 so as to be located adjacent to it.
The base 26 of the nozzle 14 includes a housing 244 for holding the magnet 242. The housing 244 is located on the outer surface of the base 26. The housing 244 has an annular wall integrated with the base 26 that defines at least the side wall 246, the lower end wall 248 and the upper end wall of the housing 248. The housing 244 can have one of a variety of other shapes, such as a rectangle or other polygon, so this annular wall is a series of connected walls that define the side walls 246 and end walls of the housing 244. Can be replaced with a part. The wall of the housing 244 surrounds the magnet 242. The cover 250 is connected to the wall of the housing 244 by a snap connector.
The inner cylindrical wall 88b of the base 70 includes a groove 252 shaped to receive the housing 244 when the nozzle 14 is attached to the body 12. The sensor 242 is positioned within the housing 88c between the groove 252 and the outer cylindrical wall 88a. The groove 252 and the housing 244 have substantially the same shape so that the nozzle 14 is angled with respect to the body 12 when the base 26 of the nozzle 14 is inserted into the body 12. The groove 252 engages the side wall 246 of the housing 244 to engage the side wall 254 for restraining relative rotation between the nozzle 14 and the body 12, and the lower end wall 248 of the housing 244 to engage the housing 244. Includes an end wall 256 to limit the degree to which it can be inserted into the groove 252.
With reference to FIGS. 4 (f) and 6 to 8, a mechanism for holding the nozzle 14 on the main body 12 so as to be releasable is provided. Briefly, the body 12 includes a button 260, a detent 262 for engaging the nozzle 14, and an annular actuator 264. The detent 262 is movable relative to the base 70 between a holding position for holding the nozzle 14 on the body 12 and a release position for releasing the nozzle 14 so that it can be removed from the body 12. It is installed in the housing 88c of. Each detent 262 is pivotally mounted within the housing 88c and is urged by a spring 265 toward a holding position where each detent 262 projects through an opening formed in the cylindrical wall 88b of the base 70. .. These detents 262 face each other in the radial direction. When the user attaches the nozzle 14 to the body 12, the detent 262 is urged away from the holding position by the base 26 of the nozzle 14 to allow the base 26 of the nozzle 14 to enter the base 70 of the body 12. To do. The base 26 of the nozzle 14 includes a pair of diametrically opposed recesses 266 that are angularly aligned with the detent 262 when the nozzle 14 is inserted into the body 12. When the nozzle 14 is fully inserted into the body 12, the detent 262 enters the groove 266 by the urging force of the spring 265 and holds the nozzle 14 on the body 12 unless the user presses the button 260.
Actuator 264 takes the form of a non-circular hoop located within cavity 88c to engage detent 262. The button 260 and the actuator 264 are arranged such that the actuator 264 rotates in the cavity 88c when the user presses the button 260. For example, the actuator 264 includes a protrusion 264a that contacts the button 260 and is pushed to one side when the user presses the button 260, thereby rotating the actuator 264 clockwise within the housing 88c. Due to its asymmetrical shape, the actuator 264 engages the detent 262 during rotation and moves the detent 262 away from the groove 266 to the release position against the urging force of the spring 265. As a result, the user can remove the nozzle 14 from the main body 12. When the nozzle 14 is lifted from the main body 12, the user can release the button 260. The spring 265 urges the detent 262 to return to the holding position, which causes the actuator 264 to rotate counterclockwise within the housing 88c to raise the button 260.
When the nozzle 14 is removed from the body 12, the user can remove the water tank 120 from the base 70 to fill, for example, the water tank 120, or remove and clean the removable portion 176 and the seal 210. While removing the nozzle 14 from the body 12, there is an opportunity for water to flow into the body 12 through the exposed first air passage 76, especially when the water tank 120 is returned onto the base 70. For example, as can be seen with reference to FIGS. 4 (e), 13 and 14, water droplets may fall on the exposed upper surface of the upper portion 96 of the motor bucket. In order to prevent these water droplets from flowing down the motor bucket and entering the motor or motor bearing components, the lower portion 98 of the motor bucket has a lip portion 270 that forms an annular dropping edge that extends around the motor bucket. Provided. As a result, any water droplets that flow down the sides of the motor bucket will move away from the motor 92 and into the impeller 90.
The impeller 90 includes a substantially conical hub 272 and a series of curved blades 274 connected to, preferably integrated with, the outer surface of the hub 272. In this embodiment, the impeller 90 further comprises a nearly truncated conical shroud 276 connected to the outer edge of the curved blade 274. When water droplets fall from the lip portion 270, these water droplets fall between the hub 272 and the shroud 276 in the impeller 90. The water droplets then fall from the impeller 90 through the inlet member 108 onto the muffling foam sheet 81. To minimize any disruption of airflow caused by the rotation of the impeller 90, the lip 270 does not protrude downward from the motor bucket beyond the hub 272 of the impeller 90.
The lip portion 270 is defined by the outer peripheral wall of the annular groove 278 formed in the lower portion of the motor bucket. The impeller 90 includes an annular blade 280 connected to the base of the hub 272 so as to extend into the groove 278. In this embodiment, each of the groove 278 and the blade 280 is annular. During the rotation of the impeller 90, the blades 280 generate an air boundary adjacent to the lip 270, through which water droplets pass along the lower portion 98 of the motor bucket over the lip 270. Is further suppressed.
With reference to FIG. 4 (d) and FIGS. 15 and 16 again, the drive circuit 74 is located within the base 70. The drive circuit 74 is connected by a screw to the lower surface of the annular support wall 84 of the base 70. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15 (c), the drive circuit 74 is located in the immediate vicinity of the air inlet 72 of the device 10. To prevent the drive circuit 74 from being exposed to any moisture or other material that enters the base 70 through the air inlet 72, the base 70 draws the drive circuit 74 from the airflow passing from the air inlet 72 to the inlet member 108. Includes panel 290 connected to support wall 84 to block.
FIG. 16 shows the panel 290 alone, and FIG. 15 (b) shows the panel 290 in its original position within the base 70. The panel 290 has substantially the same shape as the drive circuit 74 and includes a C-shaped main body 292 and a rising wall 294 extending upward from the peripheral edge of the main body 292. The body 292 has a plurality of differently shaped risers to accommodate a variety of different components of the drive circuit 74.
Panel 290 includes a trough 296 located below connector 75a to which the user attaches the mains cable. The trough 296 includes a drain hole 298 for draining any such water from the trough 296, as there is a risk of water entering the base 70 through the opening 75b when disconnecting the mains cable from the base 70. ..
As described above, a button 73 for controlling the operation of the humidifier can be located on the outer wall 71 of the base 70 of the main body 12. The button 73 can be used to activate and stop the motor 92 to power on and off the humidifier. The humidifying device 10 also includes a remote control device 300 for transmitting a control signal to the user interface circuit 302 of the humidifying device 10. FIG. 17 schematically illustrates the control system of the humidifier 10 including the remote controller 300, the user interface circuit 302 and the other electrical components of the humidifier 10. In general, the remote control device 300 includes a plurality of buttons that can be pressed by the user and a control device for generating and transmitting an infrared signal in response to one of the buttons being pressed. The infrared signal is emitted from a window located at one end of the remote control device 300. The control device receives power from a battery in the battery housing of the remote control device 300.
The first button is used to activate and stop the motor 92, and the second button is used to set the speed of the motor 92, and thus the rotational speed of the impeller 90. The control system may have a discrete number of user-selectable settings, each corresponding to a different rotational speed of the motor 92. Use the third button to set the desired relative humidity level for the environment in which the humidifier 10 is located, such as an indoor, office or other home environment. For example, the desired relative humidity level can be selected within the range of 30-80% at 20 ° C by repeatedly operating the third button. A fourth button can be used to selectively stop the transducer 156 to prevent the second air stream from being humidified.
The user interface circuit 302 displays a switch activated by the operation of the button 73 by the user, a sensor or receiver 304 for receiving a signal transmitted by the remote control device 300, and the current operation setting of the humidifying device 10. Includes display 306 and. For example, display 306 can usually show the currently selected relative humidity level. When the user changes the rotational speed of the motor 92, the display 306 can temporarily show the latest selected speed setting. The display 306 can be directly behind the transparent or translucent portion of the outer wall 71 of the base 70, and the sensor 304 can be behind the button 73.
The user interface circuit 302 is connected to the drive circuit 74. The drive circuit 74 includes a microprocessor and a motor driver for driving the motor 92. A mains cable (not shown) for powering the humidifier 10 extends through an opening 75b formed in the base 70. This cable is connected to the plug. The drive circuit 74 includes a power supply unit connected to the connector 75a. The user interface may also include one or more LEDs that give a visual warning depending on the condition of the humidifier 10. For example, the first LED 308 can be turned on to indicate that the water tank 120 has been depleted, as indicated by the signal received by the drive circuit 74 from the water level sensor 170.
A humidity sensor 310 is also provided for detecting the relative humidity of the air in the external environment and supplying a signal indicating the detected relative humidity to the drive circuit 74. In this example, the humidity sensor 310 can be placed directly behind the air inlet 72 to detect the relative humidity of the airflow drawn into the humidifier 10. The user interface is the relative humidity H of the airflow entering the humidifier 10 by the output from the humidity sensor 310.<sub>D</sub>Is the desired relative humidity level H set by the user<sub>S</sub>It can include a second LED 312 that is lit by the drive circuit 74 when it is shown to be or more.
The user activates the first button of the remote control device to operate the humidifier 10, and in response, the remote control device 300 generates a signal including data indicating the operation of the first button. This signal is received by the receiver 304 of the user interface circuit 302. The operation of the button is communicated to the drive circuit 74 by the user interface circuit 302, which in response activates the UV lamp 160 to irradiate the water accumulated in the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140. .. In this example, the drive circuit 74 simultaneously drives the motor 92 to rotate the impeller 90. The rotation of the impeller 90 draws air into the body 12 through the air inlet 72. The air flow passes through the impeller housing 104 and the guide vane 100. Downstream of the guide vane 100, some of the air discharged from the guide vane 100 enters the duct 110, while the rest of the air discharged from the guide vane 100 is nozzle 14 along the first air passage 76. It is carried to the first air inlet 28 of. Therefore, the impeller 90 and the motor 92 can be considered to generate a first air flow that is carried to the nozzle 14 by the first air passage 76 and enters the nozzle 14 through the first air inlet 28.
The first air flow enters the first internal passage 46 at the lower end of the first internal passage 46. The first air stream is split into two air streams that flow in opposite directions around the bore 20 of nozzle 14. When the air stream passes through the first internal passage 46, the air enters the mouse portion 48 of the nozzle 14. It is preferable that the velocity of the air flow entering the mouse portion 48 is substantially uniform around the bore 20 of the nozzle 14. The mouse unit 48 guides an air flow toward the first air outlet 30 of the nozzle 14, and the air flow exits from the humidifier 10 through the first air outlet 30.
The air flow discharged from the first air outlet 30 is accompanied by air from the external environment, specifically from the peripheral region of the first air outlet 30 and the periphery of the rear portion of the nozzle 14. Generates the next air flow. A part of this secondary airflow passes through the bore 20 of the nozzle 14, while the rest of the secondary airflow accompanies the airflow discharged from the first air outlet 30 in front of the nozzle. Will be.
As described above, the air enters the second air passage 78 by the rotation of the impeller 90 to form a second air flow. The second air stream passes through the inlet duct 174 of the removable portion 176 of the duct 110 and the water tank 120 and is discharged onto the water pooled in the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140. When the drive circuit 74 activates the vibration of the converter 156 to atomize the water accumulated in the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140, floating water droplets are formed above the water existing in the outlet chamber 144 of the water reservoir 140. Will be done. The converter 156 can be activated in response to user input received from the remote control device 300 and / or a certain time after the operation of the motor 92 to generate an air flow through the humidifier 10.
Due to the rotation of the impeller 90, the floating water droplets accompany the second air stream. The second air stream, which is moist at this point, passes upward through the outlet duct to the second air inlet 58 of the nozzle 14 and enters the second internal passage 68 in the front portion 18 of the nozzle 14.
The second air stream is split at the base of the second internal passage 68 into two air streams flowing in opposite directions around the bore 20 of the nozzle 14. As these air streams pass through the second internal passage 68, each air stream is discharged from the second air outlet 60. The discharged second airflow was carried away from the humidifier 10 within the airflow generated by the discharge of the first airflow from the nozzle 14, thereby moistening at a distance of several meters from the humidifier 10. You will be able to experience the air flow quickly.
This moist air flow is detected by the humidity sensor 310 and has a relative humidity H of the air flow entering the humidifier 10.<sub>D</sub>However, the relative humidity level H selected by the user using the third button on the remote controller 270<sub>S</sub>Eject from nozzle 14 until 1% higher at 20 ° C. The discharge of moist airflow from the nozzle 14 can then be terminated by the drive circuit 74, preferably by changing the mode of vibration of the transducer 156. For example, the vibration frequency of the transducer 156 is f<sub>1</sub>> f<sub>3</sub>Frequency f with 0<sub>3</sub>If it is lower than this, the accumulated water will not be atomized. Alternatively, the amplitude of vibration of the transducer 156 can be reduced. Optionally, the motor 92 can be stopped so that no airflow is emitted from the nozzle 14. However, if the humidity sensor 310 is located in the immediate vicinity of the motor 92, it is preferable to keep the motor 92 in constant operation to avoid unwanted humidity fluctuations in the local environment of the humidity sensor 310.
Relative humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 310 as a result of the completion of the release of moist airflow from the humidifier 10.<sub>D</sub>Begins to decline. The relative humidity of the air in an environment close to the humidity sensor 270 is the user-selected relative humidity H<sub>S</sub>After a 1% drop at 20 ° C, the drive circuit 74 reactivates the vibration of the transducer 156 in atomization mode. When the motor 92 is stopped, the drive circuit 74 also restarts the motor 92 at the same time. As mentioned above, this moist air has a relative humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 310.<sub>D</sub>However, the user-selected relative humidity level H<sub>S</sub>Eject from nozzle 14 until 1% higher at 20 ° C.
The operating sequence of the transducer 156 (and optionally the motor 92) to keep this detected humidity level close to the level selected by the user is until the first button is activated again or in the water tank 120. Continues until a signal is received from the water level sensor 170 indicating that the water level has dropped below the minimum water level. When the first button is activated, or when this signal is received from the water level sensor 170, the drive circuit 74 stops the motor 92, the converter 156 and the UV lamp 160 to turn off the humidifier 10. The drive circuit 74 also receives a signal from the base 70 that the water tank 120 has been removed in response to a signal from the proximity sensor 172 that the nozzle 14 has been removed from the base 70. In response to what is received from sensor 240, these components of the humidifier 10 are stopped.
46 sheets
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Every citation, both ways
| Document | Relation | Office |
|---|---|---|
| JP2013185821A | Cites | Japan |
| JP02104872U | Cites | Japan |
| JP03015675U | Cites | Japan |
13 members in 9 offices
Priority claims5
| Document | Office | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14134282 | United Kingdom | – | |
| 201413428 | United Kingdom | A | |
| 201413428 | United Kingdom | A | |
| 14134282 | – | – | – |
| GB20140013428 | – | – | – |
Members13
| Document | Office | Kind | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2528709A | United Kingdom | A | |
| CA2956245A1 | Canada | A1 | |
| US2016033150A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| WO2016016616A1 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A1 | |
| CN105318472A | China | A | |
| JP2016031231A | Japan | A | |
| AU2015295118A1 | Australia | A1 | |
| GB2528709B | United Kingdom | B | |
| US9599356B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| EP3175183A1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A1 | |
| JP6161663B2This record | Japan | B2 | |
| RU2017106182A | Russian Federation | A | |
| CN105318472B | China | B |
9 legal events, as the office reported them to INPADOC
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| Cancellation because of no payment of annual feesLAPS | LAPS | |
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| First payment of annual fees (during grant procedure)JAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A61A61 | A61 | |
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Numbers
- Publication
- 6161663
- Publication, DOCDB
- 6161663
- Publication, EPODOC
- JP6161663B
- Application
- 149387
- Application, DOCDB
- 2015149387
- Application, EPODOC
- JP20150149387
Titles2
- Japanese
- 加湿装置
- English
- Humidifier
Classification
- CPC, 17
- F24F6/12
- F24F13/26
- F04D25/08
- F04F5/16
- F24F8/22
- F24F8/192
- Y02A50/20
- B01J19/10
- B01J19/123
- C02F1/32
- F04D29/441
- F04D29/545
- F04F5/20
- F24F3/14
- B01F23/2133
- C02F1/325
- F24F2006/006
- IPC, 3
- F24F6 12
- F24F6 00
- F24F13 26
