Humidification module for an air treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948205-B2
Application number	US-201715760651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an humidification attachment module (66) arranged to be coupled with an air treatment apparatus (10), the module comprising a fluid dispensing unit (88) for a humidification fluid that is supplied by a fluid reservoir (86), a flow inlet (74) for an inlet air flow (120), a first flow path defined between the flow inlet (74) and a first flow outlet (76), a second flow path defined between the flow inlet (74) and a second flow outlet (78), and a flow dividing unit (100), wherein the first flow path bypasses the fluid dispensing unit (88), wherein the second flow path passes through the fluid dispensing unit (88), and wherein the flow dividing unit (100) is operable to divide an overall flow through the humidification module into a first flow path component (122) and a second flow path component (124). The present disclosure further relates to air treatment apparatus (10) and to a method of augmenting an air treatment apparatus (10).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air treatment apparatus comprising:
a ventilating unit comprising:
a motor; and
a ventilator, said ventilating unit configured to:
generate an airflow through said air treatment apparatus;

an air purification module comprising:
at least one filter, said air purification module configured to:
purify air within said airflow;

a main housing comprising:
a housing flow outlet, wherein said purified air within said airflow passes through said housing flow outlet;

a humidification attachment module comprising:
an air flow inlet configured to:
receive said purified air from said housing flow outlet; and

a housing portion comprising:
a first flow outlet, wherein said purified air exits said air treatment apparatus; and

an outlet grille configured to:
cover one of: said housing flow outlet and said first flow outlet, wherein the humidification attachment module and the outlet grille can interchangeably cover said housing flow outlet, wherein said air treatment apparatus is configured to:

adopt one of:
an augmented configuration, wherein the humidification attachment module covers the housing flow outlet and said outlet grille covers the first flow outlet, and
a non-augmented configuration, wherein the outlet grille covers the housing flow outlet.

2. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the humidification attachment module comprises:
a fluid dispensing unit comprising:
a fluid reservoir configured to:
store a humidification fluid; and

a fluid dispenser configured to:
dispense said humidification fluid stored within said fluid reservoir,

a first flow path defined between the air flow inlet and the first flow outlet, wherein said first flow path is configured to bypass said fluid dispenser;

a second flow path defined between the air flow inlet and a second flow outlet, wherein said second flow path is configured to pass through said fluid dispenser; and
a flow divider,
wherein the flow divider is configured to:
divide said airflow through the humidification attachment module into at least one of: a first flow path component and a second flow path component.

3. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the fluid dispensing unit comprises:
absorbing material arranged for storing said humidification fluid.

4. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the absorbing material comprises:
a wick material arranged in at least one wick pad, said wick material impregnated with the humidification fluid, wherein the wick material is associated with the second flow outlet.

5. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the fluid dispensing unit comprises:
at least two sections spaced away from one another, wherein the first flow path is led through an intermediate passage space between the at least two sections of the fluid dispensing unit toward the first flow outlet.

6. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the flow divider comprises:
at least one adjustable flow diverter configured to:
adjust a ratio between the first flow path component and the second flow path component.

7. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one adjustable flow diverter comprises:
a movable louver, wherein the movable louver is configured to:
pivot about a swivel axis.

8. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , movable louver comprises:
wherein a pair of opposite louvers, each of which is associated with a section of the fluid dispensing unit, wherein said pair of opposite louvers inhibit the first flow path component in a second swivel state, and inhibit a second flow path component in a first swivel state.

9. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the fluid reservoir comprises:
a water compartment that defines a bypass opening for the first flow path component, and wherein the fluid reservoir comprising guiding surfaces for guiding the second flow path component towards the second flow outlet.

10. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the humidification attachment module is arranged on top of the air purification module and the first flow outlet of the air humidification module is a top outlet, and wherein the second flow outlet of the air humidification attachment module is a lateral outlet.

11. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the humidification attachment module further comprises:
an indicator extension configured to:
operate as a status switch on said main housing when the humidification attachment module is attached thereto, said status switch configured to:
disable an operation of the humidification attachment module when the outlet grille is removed.

12. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the humidification attachment module is configured to:
attach to the air treatment apparatus in a snap-on mounting fashion.

13. The air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ventilator comprises:
at least one centrifugal ventilator, driven by said motor, configured to:
suck said air through at least one lateral inlet opening of said main housing, and
blow said air upwardly toward said housing flow outlet.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Mcgarva John Robert
• Wang Bao

Classifications

• F24F8/10

  by separation, e.g. by filtering · CPC title

• F24F13/14 Primary

  built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre · CPC title

• F24F13/1413

  using more than one tilting member, e.g. with several pivoting blades (F24F13/15 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F2221/36

  Modules, e.g. for an easy mounting or transport · CPC title

• F24F13/0272

  Modules for easy installation or transport · CPC title