Apparatus for both humidification and air cleaning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054322-B2
Application number	US-201615338146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a humidification and air cleaning apparatus. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus includes: a base body including a water tank insertion space formed therein; a water tank having an upper side thereof opened, storing water therein, placed in the water tank insertion space, and separable from the base body; a top cover assembly disposed over an opened upper part of the water tank and disposed separably from the water tank; an air wash inlet formed at a side of the water tank and receiving air into the water tank; a discharge flow passage formed in at least one of the top cover assembly and the water tank, or formed between the top cover assembly and the water tank; and a water supply flow passage disposed inside the top cover assembly and guiding water into the water tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A humidification and air cleaning apparatus comprising:
a base body having a insertion space formed therein;
a water tank to store water, separably placed in the insertion space of the base body;
a top cover assembly disposed over an opened upper part of the water tank;
an air wash inlet formed at a side of the water tank to receive air into the water tank;
a discharge flow passage formed in at least one of the top cover assembly and the water tank, or formed between the top cover assembly and the water tank to discharge air in the water tank; and
a water supply flow passage formed in the top cover assembly to guide water into the water tank.

2. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when water is supplied from the upper side of the top cover assembly, and the supplied water flows into the water tank through the water supply flow passage.

3. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the top cover assembly is separable from the water tank.

4. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water tank comprises a visual body formed of a transparent material, and
the visual body is separable from the base body together with the water tank.

5. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the base body comprises a base connector;
the top cover assembly comprises a top connector; and
the base connector and the top connector are electrically connected to each other.

6. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
at least a portion of the water tank comprises a visual body formed of a transparent material,
the visual body comprises a connector opening, and
when the top cover assembly is placed in the visual body, the base connector and the top connector are electrically connected to each other through the connector opening.

7. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the visual body further comprises a connector support on which the top connector is placed, and the connector opening is formed in the connector support.

8. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the base connector further comprises a base connector communication unit;
the top connector further comprises a top connector communication unit; and
control signals of the base connector communication unit and the top connector communication unit are mutually transmitted and received through the visual body.

9. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the base connector communication unit and the top connector communication unit mutually transmit and receive a control signal through an IR signal; and
the connector support is formed of a transparent material that transmits an IR signal.

10. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the top cover assembly comprises:
a top cover grille having the water supply flow passage and the discharge flow passage separated from each other;
an operation module assembled with the top cover grille to receive an operation signal from a user; and
a top connector to provide power or a control signal to the operation module, and
when the top cover assembly is placed in the visual body, the base connector and the top connector are electrically connected to each other.

11. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the operation module further comprises an upper water supply guide to guide water supplied from the upper side into the water supply flow passage.

12. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the operation module further comprises an operation water inlet forming at least a portion of the water supply flow passage therein, and
the water supply flow passage formed in the top cover grille communicates with the operation water inlet.

13. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the operation module comprises:
an operation housing assembled with the top cover grille;
an operation water inlet formed inside the operation housing and forming at least a portion of the water supply flow passage;
an input unit disposed in the operation housing to receive an operation signal from a user; and
an operation controller to control the input unit,
wherein the operation controller is electrically connected to the top connector.

14. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the operation housing comprises:
an upper operation housing having the water supply flow passage formed therein;
a lower operation housing assembled with the upper operation housing and having the water supply flow passage therein; and
an inner wall disposed in at least one of the upper operation housing and the lower operation housing, and having the operation water inlet.

15. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the upper operation housing, the lower operation housing and the inner wall forms an operation space,
wherein the operation space is sealed from the water supply flow passage, and
the operation controller and the input unit are disposed in the operation space.

16. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the upper operation housing further comprises an upper water supply guide to guide water supplied from the upper side into the operation water inlet, and the upper water supply guide is an inclination surface formed on the upper operation housing.

17. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the operation module further comprises a water level display unit that displays a water level of the water tank, and
upon water supply from the upper side, the water level display unit displays the water level on the operation housing.

18. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 17 , wherein:
the operation housing has an upper side surface thereof comprising an inner inclination surface that inclines toward the operation water inlet and an outer inclination surface that inclines in an opposite direction to the inner inclination surface;
the input unit is disposed on the outer inclination surface and the water level display unit is disposed on the inner inclination surface; and
the input unit, the operation water inlet, and the water level display unit are disposed on a straight line with respect to an eye line of a user.

19. The humidification and air cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a discharge humidification medium disposed under the top cover assembly,
wherein the discharge humidification medium covers the discharge flow passage, and humidifies air passing through the discharge flow passage.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc
• Lg Electroincs Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jongsu
• Kim Taeyoon
• Lee Kunyoung
• Lee Kyoungho
• Lee Jungwoo
• Choi Jieun
• Son Sanghyuk

Classifications

• B01F3/04007

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F24F13/28

  Arrangement or mounting of filters · CPC title

• B01D46/10

  Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces · CPC title

• F24F13/082

  Grilles, registers or guards · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title