Stoves and furnaces – Hot-air furnaces – Air moisteners
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-14
2001-09-11
Yeung, James C. (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Hot-air furnaces
Air moisteners
C126S11000R, C165S222000, C165S921000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286501
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to heating and humidifying a building, and more specifically, to adjusting the humidity in a building heated with forced hot air heating apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When air is heated to make a building comfortable in cold weather, air in the building is dried out and has an adverse effect on anyone living or working in such atmosphere. For example, nose and throat membranes dry out, causing irritation and discomfort. Also, excess body moisture evaporation, caused by dry air, requires an even greater temperature level for comfort, thus compounding the problems involved. Inanimate objects, such as furniture and other wooden components of a building, shrink and crack and joints loosen, causing damage to the structure. A dry atmosphere also promotes creation of static electricity, which not only causes petty annoyances due to minor electrical shock episodes, but which may also cause damage to electronic equipment such as computers and the like.
To address these problems, many types of humidifying units have been proposed as stand-alone units or as part of building heating systems.
One example includes placing a container of water near a combustion chamber of a hot air furnace. Water evaporating from the warmed container is circulated through the ductwork of the hot air heating system throughout the building. However, this system creates two problems. First, standing water in the container, which is warmed but not sterilized, tends to promote the growth of bacteria or other pathogens which can make the human building inhabitants ill. Second, the humidity level in the building cannot be effectively controlled.
Some inventions employ the building furnace to boil water and introduce the steam generated into the heated air circulated throughout the building. Although some of these inventions allow for adjusting the overall humidity level within the building, such systems tend to require intricate humidity control circuits which regulate fluid pressure or fluid level within a boiler or heat-exchanging tubes which contain the fluid which is ultimately converted into steam.
Unfortunately, no existing humidifier or furnace system provides a simple mechanism for adjusting the humidity level in a building.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a humidifier that provides for adjusting the humidity level in a building. The invention discourages the growth of pathogens in the water vapor used to humidify buildings. The invention may be readily incorporated into any existing forced hot air heating system. The invention provides improved elements and arrangements thereof, in an apparatus and concomitant method for the purposes described, which are inexpensive, dependable and effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
The invention introduces vapor into the forced hot air supply of a building in an amount related to the height of fluid in a reservoir which feeds the humidifier.
In a conventional oil or gas furnace system, an embodiment configured according to the principles of the invention includes fluid-filled heat exchange tubes that are heated by the furnace as the furnace heats air to be circulated through the building. The fluid is generally intended to be common tap water. However, the term “fluid” should not be interpreted to exclude other suitable liquids, e.g., the fluid might be distilled water, or water having a chemical or medication added to it, etc. A reservoir supplies the fluid to the heat exchange tubes. Between and in fluid communication with both the reservoir and the heat exchange tubes, an evaporation tube maintains a column of fluid at predetermined cold and hot levels above the heat exchange tubes. When the furnace is not operating, the fluid in the evaporation tube defines a cold fluid level that corresponds to a fluid level in the reservoir supplying fluid to the heat exchange tubes. When the furnace is operating, fluid in the heat exchange tubes boils, naturally rises above the cooler fluid in the evaporation tube, and defines a turbulent hot fluid level in a vertically-superior separator. The separator has a purge line that drains fluid from the separator when the hot fluid level is equal to or greater than the height of the purge line. Increasing the height of the fluid in the reservoir increases the height of the fluid in the evaporation tube, and hence increases the height of the turbulent hot fluid level in the separator; conversely, decreasing the height of the fluid in the reservoir decreases the height of the fluid in the evaporation tube, and hence decreases the height of the turbulent fluid level in the separator. Increasing the height of the hot fluid level over the purge line increases the amount of hot water that is drained from the separator. As fluid is drained from the separator, the reservoir refills the system with fluid at ambient temperature. As the reservoir refills the system with fluid at ambient temperature, cooler fluid flows into the evaporation tube, effectively reducing the temperature of the fluid therein. Cooling the temperature of the fluid in the evaporation tube reduces the amount of vapor generated in the evaporation tube, and thus the humidity of the building.
Accordingly, the humidity in the building corresponds to the fluid level in the reservoir; as the fluid level in the reservoir decreases, the humidity of the building increases, and as the fluid level in the reservoir increases, the humidity level of the building decreases.
These and other features of the invention will be appreciated more readily in view of the drawing and the detailed description set forth below.
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Pandiscio & Pandiscio
Yeung James C.
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