Humidifier

Details Humidifier Humidifier

2002-11-21

2004-06-15

Bushey, Scott (Department: 1724)

Gas and liquid contact apparatus

Fluid distribution

Valved

C261S072100, C261S119100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06749181

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a humidifier, more particularly a humidifier, which can prevent vapor from leaking through a joint between a conduit and a vapor outlet thereof, and which provides a supporting mechanism for increasing stability of a water-containing bottle connected thereto.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Humidifiers are used for maintaining proper amount of humidity in the air for the well being of humans.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional humidifier includes a main body
1
, a valve
12
, a vapor conduit
14
, and an upper cover
15
. The main body
1
includes a heating member (not shown), a holding space
11
, and a water tank in a lower section of the main body
1
. The valve
12
is disposed in the holding space
11
, and is provided for controlling flow of water from a bottle to the main body
1
. The conduit
14
is disposed in the main body
1
for vapor to pass through. The upper cover
15
is joined to the upper end of the main body
1
. The upper cover
15
has a vapor outlet
17
, which is connected to the upper end of the conduit
14
, has and a through hole
16
, which is right above the valve
12
.
A water-containing bottle (not shown) is passed through the hole
16
, and connected to the valve
12
at a neck in an inverted position for supplying the humidifier with water.
Thus, vapor produced by the humidifier can travel through the vapor outlet
17
via the conduit
14
to increase humidity in the air. However, the humidifier is found to have disadvantages as follows:
1. The vapor outlet
17
is simply mounted around the upper end of the conduit
14
or the upper end of the conduit is simply mounted around the lower end of the outlet
17
without leakage prevention means being provided. Consequently, vapor is prone to leak through the joint between the conduit
14
and the vapor outlet
17
thereof
2. The valve
12
is subject to damage because the water-containing bottle connected thereto is likely to tilt or shake due to lack of supporting means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a humidifier, which is equipped with a leakage prevention means on a joint between a conduit and a vapor outlet thereof to prevent vapor from leaking.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the humidifier with a supporting means for increasing stability of a water-supplying bottle connected to a valve thereof.
The leakage prevention means of the humidifier of the present invention has several ring-shaped portions, which define inner and outer concentric annular trenches. The concentric trenches are respectively closely mounted onto an upper end of a vapor conduit, and a down-projecting annular protrusion of a vapor outlet disposed right above the conduit. The supporting plates can be pivoted up and down, and are biased by torsion springs to hold the water-supplying bottle in between in an inverted vertical position, which is connected to a valve of the humidifier. The torsion springs will keep the supporting plates in a sloping position with certain resistance if a bottle connected to the valve has such a circumference that the supporting plates are pivoted away from the usual horizontal position by the bottle.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3131237 (1964-04-01), Collins, Jr.
patent: 6164630 (2000-12-01), Birdsell et al.
patent: 6176473 (2001-01-01), Stanek et al.
patent: 6338473 (2002-01-01), Hebblewhite et al.

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