Portable steam humidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11306929-B2
Application number	US-201916565296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2019
Priority date	Sep 9, 2018
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved portable steam humidifier. According to a preferred embodiment, the improved humidifier of the present invention preferably includes a spiral mixing chamber connected to a steam chamber, a spiral outlet duct, an inlet duct and an outlet grill. According to a preferred embodiment, the inlet duct preferably receives air from an inlet fan and directs the air into the spiral mixing chamber where the air is mixed with water vapor from the steam chamber. According to a further preferred embodiment, the air is further directed from the spiral mixing chamber through the spiral outlet duct out through the outlet grill.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air humidifying system, wherein the air humidifying system comprises:
a vapor blower assembly, wherein the vapor blower assembly comprises:
a control surface, wherein the control surface comprises a control panel;
an outlet grill;
an inlet grill, wherein the inlet grill is positioned to receive air from outside the air humidifying system; wherein the inlet grill is positioned to direct air to an inlet duct;
a water heating assembly, wherein the water heating assembly is comprised of a boiler pod, a boiler pod cover, a bonnet and a boiler pod gasket;
a steam chamber, wherein the steam chamber encloses the water heating assembly; further wherein the steam chamber further comprises a steam chamber top;
a spiral mixing chamber, wherein the spiral mixing chamber is connected on a first end to a spiral outlet duct and on a second end to the inlet duct; wherein the spiral mixing chamber is connected to the steam chamber via a chimney;
wherein the steam chamber top is upwardly sloped towards the chimney;
wherein the inlet duct directs air into the spiral mixing chamber; wherein the spiral mixing chamber is configured to combine steam from the steam chamber with air from the inlet duct to form a first steam mixture; wherein the spiral outlet duct is configured to direct the first steam mixture from the spiral mixing chamber through the spiral outlet duct and out through the outlet grill;

a water tank assembly, wherein the water tank assembly comprises a tank handle, a tank top, a valve gasket, and a plunger; wherein the water tank assembly is configured to release water to a trough; and
a base assembly, wherein the base assembly is configured to support the water tank assembly and the vapor blower assembly.

2. The air humidifying system of claim 1 , wherein the boiler pod comprises a bottom surface; wherein the bottom surface is rounded.

3. The air humidifying system of claim 2 , wherein the boiler pod is comprised of an aluminum body cast around a cowl rod heating element.

4. The air humidifying system of claim 2 , wherein the boiler pod is comprised of a zinc body cast around a cowl rod heating element.

5. The air humidifying system of claim 2 , wherein the boiler pod is comprised of a cowl rod heating element.

6. The air humidifying system of claim 5 , wherein the cowl rod heating element comprises a first end and a second end; wherein the first end and the second end of the cowl rod heating element each extend out from the cowl rod heating element.

7. The air humidifying system of claim 6 , wherein the boiler pod further comprises a non-stick outer surface.

8. The air humidifying system of claim 6 , wherein the boiler pod is suspended above the trough.

9. The air humidifying system of claim 8 , wherein the boiler pod gasket is located between the boiler pod and the boiler pod cover.

10. The air humidifying system of claim 9 , wherein the boiler pod gasket is positioned to thermally isolate the boiler pod from the boiler pod cover.

11. The air humidifying system of claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises a lower spiral ramp duct and an upper spiral ramp duct.

12. The air humidifying system of claim 11 , wherein the lower spiral ramp duct is configured to receive the first steam mixture from the spiral outlet duct.

13. The air humidifying system of claim 12 , wherein the lower spiral duct and the upper spiral duct are integrally connected to form a first integrated spiral ramp duct.

14. The air humidifying system of claim 13 , wherein the first integrated spiral ramp duct comprises a single spiral ramp duct which has decreasing volume as the first integrated spiral ramp duct extends upward to the outlet grill.

15. The air humidifying system of claim 14 , wherein the chimney extends into the lower spiral ramp duct; wherein the chimney extends above the bottom surface of the lower spiral ramp duct.

16. The air humidifying system of claim 15 , wherein the upper spiral ramp duct comprises a top surface; wherein the top surface of the upper spiral ramp duct comprises a vertical wall which extends down.

17. The air humidifying system of claim 16 , wherein the trough comprises a water inlet basin configured to receive water from the water tank assembly.

18. The air humidifying system of claim 17 , wherein the trough comprises a water trough channel and a trough reservoir; wherein the water trough channel is configured to direct water from the water inlet basin to the trough reservoir.

19. The air humidifying system of claim 18 , wherein the trough is removable from the water tank assembly.

20. The air humidifying system of claim 19 , wherein the trough is formed of flexible, non-stick material.

21. The air humidifying system of claim 20 , wherein the trough is heat resistant.

22. The air humidifying system of claim 21 , wherein the bonnet is positioned between the trough and the boiler pod.

23. The air humidifying system of claim 22 , wherein the bonnet comprises a plurality of perforations; further wherein the bonnet is comprised of heat resistant material.

Assignees

• Vornado Air Llc

Inventors

• Pease Gregory
• Cartwright Brian M
• Phillips Cooper

Classifications

• B01F23/12

  with vaporisation of a liquid (disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air A61L9/00) · CPC title

• B01F25/10

  Mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components · CPC title

• B01F2101/55

  Mixing liquid air humidifiers with air · CPC title

• B01F35/93

  arranged inside the receptacle · CPC title

• F24F6/025 Primary

  using electrical heating means (F24F6/105 takes precedence) · CPC title