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HumidifierRelated Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Atmosphere And Sorbent Contacting TypeHumidifier description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060201182, Humidifier. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a humidifier, and, more particularly, to a humidifier which is capable of using heat of air dehumidified in an absorption chamber to heat air sucked into a regeneration chamber, thereby reducing the load of a heater adapted to heat the air sucked into the regeneration chamber, and thus, achieving a reduction in power consumption. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Generally, air conditioners are used to form more comfortable indoor environments for users. Such an air conditioner includes a dehumidifier for dehumidifying a confined space, for example, a room, a humidifier for humidifying the room, and a ventilator for ventilating the room. For the humidifier, a humidifier, which does not require supply of water, may be used. Such a humidifier uses a desiccant wheel made of a desiccant, and humidifies air present in the room where the humidifier is installed, using moisture absorbing and releasing functions of the desiccant wheel. [0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an inner structure of a conventional humidifier. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1. [0006] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional humidifier includes a body 2, and a desiccant wheel 6 arranged in the interior of the body 2, and adapted to perform absorption of moisture and release of the absorbed moisture. [0007] A barrier 4 is mounted in the interior of the body 2 to partition the interior of the body 2 into an absorption chamber 10, in which absorption of moisture from air introduced into the absorption chamber 10 is carried out, and a regeneration chamber 20, in which release of moisture to air introduced into the regeneration chamber 20 is carried out. [0008] The desiccant wheel 6 is mounted to the barrier 4 in a state of being inclined at a predetermined angle while extending through the barrier 4 such that one portion of the desiccant wheel 6 is positioned in the absorption chamber 10, and the other portion of the desiccant wheel 6 is positioned in the regeneration chamber 20. A rotator (not shown) such as a motor is coupled to the desiccant wheel 6, in order to turn the desiccant wheel 6 such that the positions of the portions of the desiccant wheel 6 are reversed, after the desiccant wheel 6 has been used for a predetermined time. [0009] The absorption chamber 10 is provided with a first inlet 12, through which ambient air is introduced into the absorption chamber 10, and a first outlet 14, through which air dehumidified in the absorption chamber 10 is outwardly discharged. The regeneration chamber 20 is provided with a second inlet 22, through which ambient air is introduced into the regeneration chamber 20, and a second outlet 24, through which air humidified in the regeneration chamber 20 is discharged into the room. [0010] The first inlet 12 is formed at a rear wall of the body 2. The first outlet 14 and second inlet 22 are formed at a front wall of the body 2. The second outlet 24 is formed at one side wall of the body 2. [0011] A first blowing fan 16 is arranged in the absorption chamber 10, to generate a blowing force for sucking ambient air into the absorption chamber 10 through the first inlet 12, and outwardly discharging the sucked air through the first outlet 14. A second blowing fan 26 is arranged in the regeneration chamber 20, to generate a blowing force for sucking ambient air into the regeneration chamber 20 through the second inlet 22, and discharging the sucked air into the room through the second outlet 24. [0012] A first flow guide 18 is arranged in the absorption chamber 10. The first flow guide 18 partitions the absorption chamber 10 into a suction chamber portion where the first inlet 12 is arranged and a discharge chamber portion where the first outlet 14 is arranged, to guide ambient air sucked into the absorption chamber 10 through the first inlet 12 to be outwardly discharged through the first outlet 14 after passing through the desiccant wheel 6. [0013] A second flow guide 28 is arranged in the regeneration chamber 20. The second flow guide 28 partitions the regeneration chamber 20 into a suction chamber portion where the second inlet 22 is arranged and a discharge chamber portion where the second outlet 24 is arranged, to guide ambient air sucked into the regeneration chamber 20 through the second inlet 12 to be discharged into the room through the second outlet 24 after passing through the desiccant wheel 6. [0014] A heater 30 is arranged in the regeneration chamber 20, to heat the air sucked into the regeneration chamber 20 through the second inlet 22. [0015] Meanwhile, a third flow guide 7 is arranged in the suction chamber portion of the regeneration chamber 20, to define a cooling chamber portion 8 in which one portion of the desiccant wheel 6 heated in the regeneration chamber 20 is cooled by the air sucked into the regeneration chamber 20 before being turned toward the absorption chamber 10. [0016] Hereinafter, operation of the conventional humidifier having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. [0017] First, when the first blowing fan 16 in the absorption chamber 10 operates, ambient air is sucked into the absorption chamber 10 through the first inlet 12, to pass the desiccant wheel 6. Moisture contained in the sucked air is absorbed into the desiccant wheel 6 while the sucked air passes the desiccant wheel 6, so that the sucked air is dehumidified. [0018] The air dehumidified by the desiccant wheel 6 is then outwardly discharged from the absorption chamber 10 through the first outlet 14. [0019] Meanwhile, when the second blowing fan 26 in the regeneration chamber 20 operates, ambient air is sucked into the regeneration chamber 20 through the second inlet 22, and is then heated by the heater 30. The heated air then dries the desiccant wheel 6 while passing through the desiccant wheel 6. [0020] As the desiccant wheel 6 is dried by the heated air, moisture is released from the desiccant wheel 6 to the air. That is, the air is humidified by the desiccant wheel 6. The humidified air is then discharged into the room through the second outlet 24. [0021] However, since the conventional humidifier heats ambient air sucked into the regeneration chamber 20 to a predetermined temperature or above, in order to more effectively release moisture from the desiccant wheel 6, an increased amount of electric power is consumed due to the use of the heater 30, thereby resulting in an increase in maintenance costs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0022] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described related art, and it is an object to provide a humidifier capable of reducing the load of a heater used in the humidifier, and thus, achieving a reduction in power consumption. Continue reading about Humidifier... Full patent description for Humidifier Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Humidifier patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Humidifier or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Air conditioner Next Patent Application: Indoor unit of air conditioner and method of manufacturing the indoor unit Industry Class: Refrigeration ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Humidifier patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.2063 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
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