Electric resistance heating devices – Heating devices – Vaporizer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-17
2002-11-05
Paik, Sang (Department: 3742)
Electric resistance heating devices
Heating devices
Vaporizer
C392S394000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06477322
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to humidifiers, and more particularly to a blowerless warm-air humidifier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the problems with portable humidifiers, which include a vapor chamber in the form of a chimney, a boiler tray, an electrical supply connected to a heating element in the boiler tray, and water reservoirs, is the ability to thoroughly clean the elements of the humidifier.
Portable humidifiers are generally modular and the various parts can easily be disassembled and reassembled for operation. However there are still too many areas of the components that cannot be properly cleaned and are subject of mineral deposits and bacteria built up.
Attempts have been made to overcome certain of these problems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,383 Marino 1994 discloses a humidifier with electrical components located about the lower pan in which the water is heated. An electrical interlocks allows access to the interior only after the electrical power has been unplugged. U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,338 Glucksman issued in 1991 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,529 also to Glucksman issued in 1992 show motor driven blowers in a portable air humidifier where the water tray is removable for cleaning.
However in any of these patents it has still been found difficult to access areas for cleaning, such as the vapor chamber, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a portable humidifier which is made of separable components which can be easily disassembled and assembled for cleaning purposes.
The invention is a humidifier including a base, a boiling tray removably mounted to the base which incorporates a heating element, a liquid supply means supported on the base and having a discharge opening communicating with the boiling tray and adapted to maintain a given level of liquid therein, a vapor passage supported on the base and having a receiving end communicating with the boiling tray and a discharge end for discharging the vapor received from the cavity. Also included is an electrical supply for supplying electrical energy to the heater and a switch mounted on the heating element and adapted to deactivate the electrical power to the heater in response to a separating movement between the vapor passage and the base assembly.
When electrical power is supplied to the heating element the water in the boiling tray rapidly reaches the boiling temperature and begins to vaporize. As this vapor rises in the vapor passage, air is drawn through the air inlet, through the plenum formed beneath the boiling tray and upward through the chimneys formed in the boiling tray. This cool room air mixes with the vapor in the vapor passage thus lowering the temperature of the discharges air/vapor mixture to a safe and comfortable level.
The humidifier of this invention has advantages over prior art warm-air humidifiers for a number of reasons:
i) Compared with other warm-air humidifiers which use a motor driven fan to provide air mixing, the humidifier described herein is quieter, simpler and less costly to manufacture.
ii) Compared with units which mount the heating element in a removable evaporation chamber, the humidifier described herein is simpler in construction and easier to clean. Humidifiers of this type have only the bottom surface of the heating element accessible and since all of the electrical parts are enclosed in the same evaporation housing, care must be taken to prevent water entering the electrical housing during cleaning. The boiling chamber described herein is completely removable from the base to facilitate cleaning.
iii) Compared with units which mount the boiling tray (sealed to the base) and electrical supply in the base, the humidifier described herein is easier to clean and safer since water leaks in the above mentioned units can cause electrical shorts and associated damage. All electrical connections in the humidifier described herein are above the water level of the tray and the overflow level of the base.
An element of this invention is the boiling tray which incorporates through holes in its construction to facilitate the air mixing which results in safe discharge vapor temperatures. The boiling tray can be constructed in a variety of ways to facilitate ease of removal and ease of cleaning.
a) The boiling tray can be constructed of stamped sheet metal, (e.g. stainless steel), with the heating element mounted in close thermal contact. Moreover the surface of the boiling tray can be coated with a non-stick material to further facilitate removal of mineral deposits which accumulate with use.
b) The boiler tray can be constructed of injection molded plastic. In this alternative configuration the plug-in heating element is immersed in the water contained in the tray.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4663091 (1987-05-01), Seo
patent: 4719057 (1988-01-01), Mizoguchi
patent: 4810854 (1989-03-01), Jurisch et al.
patent: 5010905 (1991-04-01), Snyder et al.
patent: 5073967 (1991-12-01), Marino
patent: 5247604 (1993-09-01), Chiu
patent: 5339383 (1994-08-01), Marino
patent: 5361322 (1994-11-01), Glucksman
patent: 5464572 (1995-11-01), Bonzi
patent: 5832176 (1998-11-01), Jung
patent: 5859952 (1999-01-01), Levine et al.
Paik Sang
Renault Ogilvy
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