Humidifiers

[57] ABSTRACT

A humidifier assembly comprises a two part housing with a lower housing member being a water reservoir pan attached along opposite ends by projecting lips and slidable clamp strips to an inverted U-shaped upper housing member that may be reversed side for side for different air flow direction connections. The upper housing member supports all of the moving parts including the motor, rotor and float valve. The float valve unit includes an integral inlet conduit, discharge nozzle and shroud pivotally mounting a valve seat controlled by the float.

Claims, 16 Drawing Figures

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Patented Nov. 27, 1973

3,774,588

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Patented Nov. 27, 1973

3,774,588

Sheets-Sheet 2

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ATTORNEYS

Patented Nov. 27, 1973

3,774,588

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3,774,588

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

HUMIDIFIERS

This invention relates to humidifiers and particularly to those adapted to supply moisture into hot air heating systems for household and industrial use. ³

In its preferred embodiment the invention will be described as incorporated in a humidifier of the type wherein a rotor carrying a peripheral sleeve of open pore polyurethane is slowly rotated with its lower sector passing through a body of water automatically maintained at a working level.

Humidifiers of this general type have been proposed as disclosed for example in Wentling et al. U.S. Pat. No, 3,266,481. The present invention distinguishes there- 15 over mainly by providing a simple, high capacity, relatively small size humidifier having a mechanically uncomplicated two-piece housing structure adapted for direct mounting on a hot or cold air plenum and readily serviced without major dismantling or removal from ²θ the plenum, and such is a major object of the invention.

A further object of this phase of the invention includes a novel two-piece housing assembly wherein an upper inverted U-shaped housing portion supports the 25 water pick up rotor and mounts the water intake control unit, and the lower housing portion is essentially a water reservoir pan secured across the open bottom of the upper portion so as to be readily removable therefrom independently of the mounting of the upper por- 30 tion on a plenum.

Another object of this phase of the invention is to provide a novel two piece housing structure wherein the upper housing member is reversible side for side and the lower housing member or pan may be mounted ³³on the upper housing member in either reversed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel two piece humidifier housing structure wherein the upper and lower housing parts are held assembled by simple slide fastener clamp strips, and readily disassembled by slipping off the strips.

Another object of the invention is provided by a novel mode of mounting the humidifier on a plenum wherein the upper part of the housing is slidably accepted over an aperture in the plenum side wall. More specifically brackets secured along the plenum aperture edges guide and support the housing upper part.

Humidifiers of this type have encountered maintenance problems due to corrosion at the water intake an particularly at the mounting for the float controlled valve, and it is a further important object of this invention to provide a novel valve unit and mounting wherein a water discharge nozzle is integrally incorporated in a special plastic non-metallic valve part having an integral intake conduit and an integral shroud surrounding the nozzle.

While an effort has been made to provide a valve arrangement of this type as disclosed in Wentling et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,149,626 the invention distinguishes thereover in structural simplicity and improved mode of operation.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and annexed drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partially broken away and partly sectioned showing a humidifier assembly according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 1A is an enlarged fragmentary section substantially on line 1A—1A in FIG. 1;

FIG. IB is a fragmentary section substantially on line IB—IB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is an exploded elevational view partly broken away and in section further illustrating the assembly;

FIG. 2A is a fragmentary view mainly in section showing the drive coupling between the motor and rotor shafts;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the assembly;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged sectional view substantially on line 3A—3A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the top part of the assembly;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the bottom part of the assembly;

FIG. 6 is a section substantially on line 6—6 of FIG. 5 and illustrating mounting of the assembly in a plenum;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 7—7 in FIG. 6 showing a mounting detail;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation in section showing the water inlet valve arrangements;

FIG. 9 is a front end view partly in section on line 9-—9 of FIG. 8 showing details of the valve and shroud;

FIG. 10 is a section substantially on line 10—10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front end view of the integral valve nozzle and shroud unit, similar to FIG. 9 but with the movable valve element removed for clarity of disclosure; and

FIG. 12 is a section substantially on line 12—12 in FIG. 11.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-5; the humdifier assembly of the invention comprises a two part housing 11 consisting essentially of an integral upper member 12 that is of inverted U-shaped as viewed in elevation (FIG. 2) ⁴⁵ and a lower pan-like member 13 detachably secured across the open bottom of the upper member 12.

Upper member 12 has a top wall 14 and opposite end walls 15 and 16. A rear wall 17 is formed over its major portion with a downwardly facing opening 18. A front wall 19 is formed over its major portion with a downwardly facing opening 21. These openings 18 and 21 are preferably rectangular, of the same size and in lateral alignment with each other, and their functions will be later described.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1A, front wall 19 is slightly recessed to form across the front of upper member 12 an internal ledge 20 around its perimeter.

Lower housing member 13 is in the form of a pan ₆₀ having a bottom wall 22, opposite end walls 23 and 24 and opposite front and rear walls 25 and 26.

As shown in FIG. 5, the end walls of lower member are formed with a plurality of integral bosses 27 each having an upwardly open bore 28. As shown in

FIG. 6, the end walls of upper member 12 are formed with a corresponding plurality of integral bosses 29 each terminating in a downwardly projecting pin 31 sized and located to fit slidably within bores 28 in the

3,774,588 assembly. The flat lower edge of upper member 12 lies in a horizontal planar surface as indicated at 32, and the flat upper edge of lower member 13 lies in a horizontal planar surface as indicated at 33. In the assembly these surfaces 32 and 33 are each continuous and in flush engagement along their coextensive portions.

Along the lower edges of end walls 15 and 16 of the upper housing member are formed externally projecting lips 34 and 35 respectively, and along the upper edges of end walls 23 and 24 of the lower housing member are formed corresponding external lips 36 and 37. Lip 35 comprises two sections in alignment but it could be one section. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, at one end lips 34 and 36 are in flush coextensive surface contact over extensions of planar surfaces 32 and 33. Lips 34 and 36 are each undercut to provide inwardly sloping surfaces 38 and 37 respectively inclined at the same angle toward the zone of engagement of the lips whereby when in engagement the lips form a substantially dovetailed tongue.

A clamp fastener strip 42 extends the length of the housing at each side. As shown in FIG. 3A, this strip is U-shaped with its legs 42 and 43 inclined toward each other at about the same angle as the angle of inclination as lip surfaces 37 and 38, so that strip 41 may be mounted to slide endwise at one side embracing both lips 34 and 36. Similarly lips 35 and 37 at the other end of the housing assembly are formed and engaged in the manner shown in FIG. 3A and a second clamp fastener on the housing, as well as reducing the time and cost of assembly.

Referring to FIG. 2, the bottom wall of the lower housing member is formed with an upstanding integral hollow boss 68 mounting overflow tube 69, the open upper end of which is just above the normal water level controlled by the float. Preferably the diameter of tube 69, the lower end of which may be coupled to a suitable drain hose (not shown) is sufficient to provide a drain flow rate equal to the fully open valve discharge should the valve float or linkage be damaged or should the valve stick fully open for some reason. A removable drain plug is provided in the bottom wall at 70.

The rotor assembly 45 comprises a support shaft 71, a generally cylindrical wire skeleton frame 72 secured on the shaft arid a cylindrical annulus 73 of open pore polyurethane or equivalent water pick up material mounted on the frame. One end of the rotor is closed, as by plate 74 secured on the shaft, and the other end is open. One end of shaft 71 is seated freely rotatably in an upwardly open bearing 75 on a transverse bridge 76 extending across opening 42 and secured to the upper housing member by screws 77. The other end of ₅₅ shaft 71 has a flattened enlarged section 78 slidable axially into a nylon or like coupling member 79 fixed on the output shaft 81 of motor 46 as shown in FIG. 2A. Motor unit 46 which is mounted on wall 15 is of the slow speed type incorporating reduction gearing for rotating the rotor assembly at a slow speed of about one to four revolutions per minute, and as the rotor rotates the lower sector of annulus 73 passes through the water body in the lower housing member.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate mounting of the entire humidifier assembly on the side of a sheet metal plenum

81, which can be either a hot air plenum or a cold air plenum. A suitable rectangular opening 82 is cut in the wall of the plenum, as by shears, this opening being of

A metal valve element support 57 is pivoted on a transverse pin 58 extending between the sides of the shroud. This pin may be a simple cotter key extending through aligned shroud apertures as shown. Support 57 has an upstanding tongue 59 adapted to have slipped thereon a resilient valve seating element 61 which in the valve closed position of FIG. 10 closes discharge port 55. As shown, valve element 61 is U-shaped and formed with parallel internal grooves 62 and 63 enabling it to be removed and reversed for double wear. This reversible valve element and its pivotal mount are preferably the same as disclosed in Powers U.S. Pat No. 3,099,286.

Support 57 has pivoted thereto at 64 the arm 65 of a float 66 disposed within the confines of lower housing member 13. Lower housing member 13, as stated before, not only closes the bottom of the housing assembly but also serves as a pan for containing a body of water into which extends the lower periphery of rotor 45 in the assembly. Float 66 supported in the water body controls the amount of water in the pan by shutting off the water intake valve when a predetermined level is reached, and opening the valve when that level falls.

The lower edge of shroud 47 is formed with an integral depending drip lip 67 that controls drainage when the valve is in the final closing stage. By providing an integral shroud, boss and nozzle unit of water resistant ----------------------- _{alIU a} .,^_{ullu νια11ψ laslcIler} P^{lastic this} Phase of the invention insures against water strip 41 slidably mounted endwise thereon. When both leakage andcorrosion of the mounting of the valve unit strips 41 are mounted as above described the upper and lower housing members are adequately secured together, and they may be separated simply by sliding the strips 41 endwise of the respective elips.

At one end, wall 16 of the upper housing is formed with a large circular opening 42' surrounded by an integral projecting collar 43' adapted as will appear to be connected to an air flow conduit.

The housing members 12 and 13 are preferably inte- 40 gral molded units, made of a rigid hard smooth plastic material that is inert with respect to water. Strips 41 are each integral formed units, which may be severed lengths of a longer strip, of a plastic material which is fairly stiff but preferably more elastic than the material 45 of the body so that a strip 41 can assume a fair frictional grip when installed along the lips and also be capable of adapting to small dimensional differences.

The humidifier assembly includes a water intake valve assembly 44 (FIG. 8), a humidifier rotor assem- ⁵⁰bly 45, (FIG. 2) and an electric drive motor 46.

The intake valve assembly comprises an integral molded plastic nozzle and a surrounding cup-shaped shroud element 47 having a relatively flat back wall 48 adapted to seat against the inner lower side of front wall 19 of the upper housing member as shown in FIG. 8. Integral with shroud wall 48 is a projecting externally threaded hollow boss 49 that extends through an opening 51 in the housing member, and a suitable nut and washer assembly 52 on boss 49 secures the valve assembly rigidly upon the upper housing member with shroud wall 48 tight against housing wall 19.

Within the shroud projects an integral hollow discharge nozzle 53 having a rounded apertured tip 54 formed with a discharge port 55. A water supply conduit (not shown) may be attached to boss 49 which has a common internal passage 56 with nozzle 53.

3,774,588 corresponding size (preferably slightly smaller) to housing openings 18 and 21. Then three mounting brackets 83 are attached by screws 84 along the upper and two side edges of plenum opening 82. As shown in FIG. 7, each bracket 83 projects away from the plenum to terminate in a flange 85 that extends through and around the corresponding edge of rear opening 18 of the upper housing member 12 so that, as shown in FIG. 6, the U-shaped upper housing member 12 may be mounted directly on the plenum by sliding it downwardly along the side brackets until the horizontal top bracket receives the upper edge of opening 18. The housing is then supported by the brackets 83 with plenum opening 82 in alignment with housing opening 18. It will be observed that the mounting of the housing assembly on the plenum is such that the lower housing member can be readily detached, by slipping off strips 41, and cleaned without disturbing the housing attachment to the plenum.

The brackets 83 should be secured in such relative horizontal and vertical positions that the attached lower housing member 13 will be substantially accurately horizontal for obtaining a proper water level therein.

Since side openings 18 and 21 are of the same size and aligned, the upper housing member 12 may be reversed from the disposition shown to mount wall 19 on the bracket 83 which would align housing opening 21 with the plenum opening. The lower housing member would be mounted on the upper housing member with ledge 86 forward. In such case the valve assembly would be mounted in an opening 51 in wall 21 which would then be the front wall of the upper housing member.

In operation, the assembly 11 is mounted on the plenum and collar 43' is connected to a suitable bypass conduit for admitting the air to be humidified into the assembly. This air enters the open end of rotor 45 and picks up water in passing through the rotor annulus and enters the plenum through opening 82.

When there is an accumulation of lime or the like in the pan, the lower housing member 13 may be speedily detached from the mounted upper housing member (by removal of strips 41), cleaned and restored to operative position.

When the housing assembly is mounted on the plenum, the front wall opening is closed by a removable front plate 85 that seats at its lower end on ledge 86 of wall 25 of the lower housing member (FIG. IB) and has a resilient latch 87 coacting with the upper edge of opening 21. A manual knob 88 is fixed on plate 85.

Should the rotor 45 be damaged, or the annulus be clogged or otherwise require cleaning, it is not necessary to separate the housing members. Removal of the rotor can be accomplished by detaching front plate 85, lifting the free end of shaft 71 out of bearing 75 and pulling the shaft axially out of coupling 79. The rotor now may be extracted through opening 18 which is large enough for the purpose.

The above described upper and lower housing members are preferably constructed of a glass filled polyester plastic that is not corroded by water or the usual chemicals encountered in municipal water systems, and dimensionally stable when subjected to hot air at the usual space heating temperatures.

The humidifier of the invention requires fewer parts, and their assembly is simple and rapid and requires no special tools. No tools are needed for servicing it. It is inexpensive to manufacture and although small in size has a high air moisturizing capacity.

The bottom housing member is a pan that may be detached for cleaning without disturbing the mount of the humidifier on the plenum, and access for replacement of the water pick up annulus is gained by merely removing the front closure plate so that the rotor may be detached from the drive and pulled out without disturbing the housing connections.

The pan 25 preferably has a bottom that slopes downwardly toward the front side whereby loose minerals and like particles may be carried by water flow to the drain at 70 when the plug is removed. This arrangement permits a larger accumulation of particles in the pan before cleaning is necessary.

Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that there is a step 86 at the juncture of overflow tube 69 and boss 68. This essentially provides a visual water level gauge, with the normal water depth in the pan being approximately up to the step.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.