Humidifier and air-conditioning apparatus with humidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015219346-A1
Application number	US-201314417470-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2013
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Aug 6, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A humidifier that suppresses formation of a slime, a scale, and a dew bridge in a lower portion of a humidifying member thereby preventing degradation in humidifying performance. The humidifier includes one or more porous metal bodies serving as the humidifying member and including therein a plurality of voids, a fan that blows air to the porous metal body, a water-supplying device (a supply pipe, a reservoir, and a nozzle) that supplies water to the porous metal body, and the porous metal body includes a tip portion formed in a lower end portion, in a protruding shape or a pointed shape.

First claim

1 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . A humidifier comprising:
a humidifying member having a flat plate shape and having therein a plurality of voids; a blower device that blows air to the humidifying member; and a water-supplying device that supplies water to the humidifying member, wherein the humidifying member is vertically erected and configured such that a thickness thereof becomes smaller from an upper position thereof toward a lower position thereof stepwise or steplessly, and a gap is provided between the water-supplying device and the humidifying member.

24 . The humidifier of claim 23 , wherein
a projecting portion comprising a projection or a corner is formed on a lower end portion of the humidifying member, the projecting portion projecting along a direction in which air is blown in the humidifying member.

25 . The humidifier of claim 24 ,
wherein the projecting portion is provided in an upstream region of the humidifying member in a direction in which the air is caused to flow.

26 . The humidifier of claim 23 , further comprising:
a plurality of the humidifying members; and an upper humidifying member having therein a plurality of voids and disposed to cover a top portion of the plurality of humidifying members, wherein the water from the water-supplying device is supplied to the plurality of humidifying members through the upper humidifying member.

27 . The humidifier of claim 23 , further comprising a humidifying member supporter having a heat conductance equal to or higher than a heat conductance of the humidifying member, and supporting the humidifying member with respect to a casing,
wherein the humidifying member and the humidifying member supporter, as well as the humidifying member supporter and the casing are tightly joined.

28 . The humidifier of claim 23 , further comprising a heating device that heats the humidifying member, or a heat transfer device that transfers heat transmitted from the humidifying member.

29 . The humidifier of claim 23 , being configured to selectively perform:
a humidifying operation in which the water-supplying device supplies the water to the humidifying member and the blower device blows air to the humidifying member; and a drying operation in which the water supply to the humidifying member is not performed and the blower device blows air to the humidifying member.

30 . The humidifier of claim 29 ,
wherein airflow of a higher velocity is supplied to the humidifying member in the drying operation than in the humidifying operation.

31 . The humidifier of claim 29 ,
wherein a projecting portion comprising a projection or a corner, the projection or the corner projecting along the direction in which air is blown in the humidifying member, is formed on a lower end portion of the humidifying member, and the airflow is preferentially supplied to the projecting portion of the humidifying member in the drying operation than a portion of the humidifying member other than the projecting portion.

32 . The humidifier of claim 23 , further comprising:
a conductor electrode opposed to the humidifying member with a gap therebetween; and a power source that applies a voltage between the humidifying member and the conductor electrode.

33 . The humidifier of claim 23 ,
wherein a surface of the humidifying member is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment.

34 . The humidifier of claim 23 ,
wherein the humidifying member is constituted of a porous material formed by foaming a metal or ceramic, or fiber of a metal or a ceramic.

35 . The humidifier of claim 27 ,
wherein a lower face of the humidifying member supporter is inclined.

36 . A humidifier comprising:
a plurality of humidifying members constituted of a foamed metal, having a flat plate shape and having a surface subjected to a hydrophilic treatment, and opposed to each other with a gap therebetween; a water-supplying device that supplies water to the plurality of humidifying members; and a blower device that blows air to the humidifying member, wherein each of the humidifying members is vertically erected and configured such that a thickness of each of the humidifying members becomes smaller from an upper position of each of the humidifying members toward a lower position of each of the humidifying members stepwise or steplessly, and a gap is provided between the water-supplying device and the humidifying members.

37 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising a humidifier,
the humidifier including: a humidifying member having a flat plate shape and having therein a plurality of voids; a blower device that blows air to the humidifying member; and a water-supplying device that supplies water to the humidifying member, wherein each of the humidifying members is vertically erected and configured such that a thickness of each of the humidifying members becomes smaller from an upper position of each of the humidifying members toward a lower position of each of the humidifying members stepwise or steplessly, and a gap is provided between the water-supplying device and the humidifying members.

Assignees

• Morikawa Akira
• Sakai Takahiro
• Inanaga Yasutaka
• Tsutsumi Hiroshi
• Takada Masaru
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Morikawa Akira
• Sakai Takahiro
• Inanaga Yasutaka
• Tsutsumi Hiroshi
• Takada Masaru

Classifications

• F24F6/02 Primary

  by evaporation of water in the air · CPC title

• F24F6/04 Primary

  using stationary unheated wet elements · CPC title

• F24F1/0087

  with humidification means · CPC title

• F24F1/0063

  by the mounting or arrangement of the heat exchangers · CPC title

• F24F1/0073

  characterised by the mounting or arrangement of filters · CPC title