Steam generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12038201-B2
Application number	US-201916980805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steam generator comprising: a steam housing which forms the exterior and has a space in which water is stored; a steam heater disposed inside the steam housing and generating heat by means of an applied power; a water pipe disposed on one side of the peripheral surface of the steam housing and having a communication hole through which water is introduced from the outside into the steam housing or water inside the steam housing is discharged to the outside; an air inlet part disposed on the upper surface of the steam housing and having an air inlet through which air is introduced into the steam housing; a steam outlet part disposed on the upper surface of the steam housing apart from the air inlet part by a predetermined distance and having a steam outlet through which steam generated inside the steam housing and the air introduced through the air inlet part are discharged to the outside.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a cabinet assembly forming an inner space, the cabinet assembly having an inlet through which air of an indoor space is introduced into the inner space;
a humidification assembly disposed within the cabinet assembly to generate humidified air using evaporated water,
wherein the humidification assembly comprises a steam housing in which water is stored and in which stored water is evaporated, the steam housing having an air inlet through which air in the inner space is introduced into the steam housing and a humidified air outlet through which the humidified air is discharged,
a water pipe, connected to the steam housing, through which water leaking from the steam housing flows,
a heat exchange assembly disposed in the inner space; and
a drain pan disposed at a lower portion of the heat exchange assembly, configured to support the heat exchange assembly and configured to close a part of a lower side of the inner space,
wherein the air inlet is disposed at a rear of the steam housing, the humidified air outlet is disposed at a front of the steam housing, and the water pipe is disposed at the rear of the steam housing.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the air inlet and the humidified air outlet are disposed on an upper surface of the steam housing and are spaced apart from each other.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the air inlet is larger than a surface area of the humidified air outlet.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the humidified air outlet is in a range of ½ to ⅔ of a surface area of the air inlet.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the humidified air outlet and a bottom surface of the steam housing is greater than a distance between the air inlet and the bottom surface of the steam housing.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein water flowing to the steam housing flows through the water pipe.

7. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the water pipe is disposed at a lower end of a peripheral surface and at a side of the steam housing having the air inlet.

8. The air conditioner of claim 7 , the humidification assembly further comprising:
a first connection pipe through which water introduced into the steam housing flows;
a second connection pipe connected to the water pipe;
a third connection pipe through which water discharged out of the steam housing flows; and
a three-way pipe connecting the first connection pipe, the second connection pipe, and the third connection pipe.

9. The air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein the first connection pipe and the third connection pipe incline towards a lower side of a direction of a flow of water.

10. The air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein the first connection pipe forms a flow channel longer than that of the third connection pipe.

11. The air conditioner of claim 8 , the humidification assembly further comprising:
a water tank to store water; and
a water supply assembly disposed between the water tank and the first connection pipe, and configured to adjust an amount of supplied water such that a water level of the steam housing is within a predetermined water level, while supplying water in the water tank to the steam housing,
wherein the air inlet is spaced a predetermined distance above the predetermined water level.

12. The air conditioner of claim 11 , wherein the humidification assembly further comprises:
a drain assembly connected to the third connection pipe to drain water in the steam housing, the water tank, and the water supply assembly.

13. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a water level sensor to sense a lowest water level and a highest water level in the steam housing,
wherein the air inlet is spaced a predetermined distance above the highest water level in the steam housing.

14. The air conditioner of claim 13 , wherein the water level sensor protrudes from an upper surface of the steam housing towards an inside of the steam housing, and is disposed between the air inlet and the humidified air outlet.

15. The air conditioner of claim 13 , the water level sensor comprising;
a first water level sensor to sense the lowest water level when water in the steam housing reaches a lower end of the first water level sensor; and
a second water level sensor to sense the highest water level when the water in the steam housing reaches a lower end of the second water level sensor,
wherein the air inlet is spaced above the lower end of the second water level sensor.

16. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the humidification assembly further comprises:
a humidification fan, disposed at an upper side of the steam housing, configured to move air in the inner space to flow to a water storage of the steam housing through the air inlet.

17. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner further comprises:
a filter assembly disposed inside the air inlet, to filter air in an indoor space and to supply filtered air to the indoor space.

18. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the humidification assembly supplies the humidified air to a discharge flow channel through which air in the inner space is discharged to the indoor space.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Younggu
• Mun Seongkuk
• Bae Junseok
• Lee Jungwoo
• Jang Hwanhak
• Choi Sunggyu

Classifications

• F24F13/20 Primary

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• F24F11/0008

  for air-humidification (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F6/02

  by evaporation of water in the air · CPC title

• F24F6/00

  Air-humidification {, e.g. cooling by humidification} · CPC title

• B01D2279/50

  for air conditioning · CPC title