EP1056977B1 - Air humidifier - Google Patents

Air humidifier Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1056977B1
EP1056977B1 EP99907997A EP99907997A EP1056977B1 EP 1056977 B1 EP1056977 B1 EP 1056977B1 EP 99907997 A EP99907997 A EP 99907997A EP 99907997 A EP99907997 A EP 99907997A EP 1056977 B1 EP1056977 B1 EP 1056977B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
reservoir
air
shaft
humidifier
opening
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP99907997A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1056977A1 (en
Inventor
Gunnar LÖFQVIST
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
KB Biotopen
Original Assignee
KB Biotopen
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by KB Biotopen filed Critical KB Biotopen
Publication of EP1056977A1 publication Critical patent/EP1056977A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1056977B1 publication Critical patent/EP1056977B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F6/00—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification
    • F24F6/02—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification by evaporation of water in the air
    • F24F6/04—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification by evaporation of water in the air using stationary unheated wet elements
    • F24F6/043—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification by evaporation of water in the air using stationary unheated wet elements with self-sucking action, e.g. wicks

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an air humidifier for conditioning ambient air, comprising a liquid reservoir with an upward facing opening, a body which is arranged above the reservoir and is made of a capillary material and a shaft expending through the opening into the reservoir.
  • the body and the shaft is manufactured from a single piece. When the humidifier is set up for use, the body is located directly above the shaft which extends down into the liquid in the reservoir.
  • the humidity of the air is an important factor which influences our experience of the indoor climate. Especially during the winter season, the indoor climate is influenced because the air that is used for ventilation exhibits a lower humidity of the air than during the summer season. That is the reason that the indoor air may become very dry, for example in office rooms. These rooms are normally ventilated by exchanging the room air for outdoor air at an average frequency of about one renewal per hour.
  • a number of devices which enable humidifying the indoor air. Some of these devices function as electric driven steam generators that are expensive, energy consuming, noisy as well as require frequent cleaning. Other more simple devices function by natural evaporation, without a supply of electric energy. Generally, these devices have a low degree of efficiency, which involves that they are not cost efficient. In many cases organic material is used as a wick, for drawing up water from a water reservoir in the humidifier, wherein there is a great risk for growth of micro-organisms, mould and bacteria in said material.
  • One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a simple and efficient device for solving the above described problems.
  • the humidifier according to the invention is characterized by the features of the claim.
  • the reservoir is preferably provided with a closing lid with an via hole which closes against the shaft.
  • the lid may be provided with a closable filling opening.
  • the edge of the liquid reservoir opening constitutes a support for the capillary material body.
  • a closable filling opening is preferably located adjacent the edge of the liquid reservoir.
  • the humidifier shown in Fig. 1 comprises a liquid reservoir 10 with upward facing opening 11.
  • the opening is provided with a closing lid 14 with a closable filling opening 15.
  • the lid 14 is provided with a via hole which closes against a cylindrical shaft 13, which is manufactured from a single piece with a spherical body 12, in such a way that it is rotation symmetric.
  • the body 12 When the humidifier is set up for use, the body 12 is located directly above the shaft 13, which extends down into the liquid in the reservoir.
  • the body is manufactured with its shaft of a mineral material, namely sandstone, which is available from Slite on Gotland.
  • This sandstone has an air content of about 20%, which means that water may be drawn up by capillary suction via the shaft and be distributed in the body 12, so that it becomes damp.
  • the diameter of the shaft is about a third of the diameter of the body, in order to get sufficient capillary transport capacity to maintain a moist sandstone surface. That is to say that there should be practically free water on the surface of the sandstone. This results in that the capillary transported moisture may be delivered to the ambient air according to the principle of evaporation from a substantially free liquid surface.
  • the climatic conditions which are generally stated as essential for our experience of indoor climate is the temperature, the movement of the air as well as the humidity of the air.
  • One way of presenting the connection between a suitable temperature and a relative humidity is to state a delimited area in the so called Mollier diagram.
  • T w is a part of the expression of g .
  • an energy balance equation may be formulated. It is assumed that the energy efficiency only occurs between ambient air and moist surface.
  • g * h c ( ⁇ cy + ⁇ r )*( T i - T w )
  • the ambient temperature T i must be higher than the temperature T w of the surface for enabling energy to be transferred from the air to the surface.
  • the above described humidifier operates efficiently without the inconveniences mentioned in the introductory part. Because the driving power for humidifying, i.e. thermal energy, is derived from the surroundings, a physical effect is obtained on said surroundings. As a result of this, an automatic mixing of the air is provided in a closed room, if the humidifier according to the invention is placed inside this room.
  • the driving power for humidifying i.e. thermal energy
  • the humidifier shown in Fig. 2 comprises an in the direction upwards slightly tapering liquid reservoir 10, which forms a support for the spherical body 12 by means of the edge of its opening 14. Consequently, this embodiment of the invention does not need any closing lid.
  • a filling opening 15 is arranged in the side of the reservoir, and this opening is closable by means of a stopper 16.
  • the invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, but several variants are conceivable.
  • the shape of the shaft 13 and the body 12 may be varied.
  • the reservoir 10 may be designed differently.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Air Humidification (AREA)
  • Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
  • Air Conditioning Control Device (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
EP99907997A 1998-02-20 1999-02-18 Air humidifier Expired - Lifetime EP1056977B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9800537 1998-02-20
SE9800537A SE9800537L (sv) 1998-02-20 1998-02-20 Luftbefuktare
PCT/SE1999/000218 WO1999042764A1 (en) 1998-02-20 1999-02-18 Air humidifier

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1056977A1 EP1056977A1 (en) 2000-12-06
EP1056977B1 true EP1056977B1 (en) 2004-11-17

Family

ID=20410270

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99907997A Expired - Lifetime EP1056977B1 (en) 1998-02-20 1999-02-18 Air humidifier

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1056977B1 ( )
AT (1) ATE282799T1 ( )
CA (1) CA2321251A1 ( )
DE (1) DE69921969D1 ( )
NO (1) NO20004034L ( )
SE (1) SE9800537L ( )
WO (1) WO1999042764A1 ( )

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR101267628B1 (ko) 2011-03-02 2013-05-24 (주)엘지하우시스 공기 청정기능을 갖는 광촉매를 이용한 가습장치
JP7445858B2 (ja) * 2019-02-26 2024-03-08 パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社 加湿装置のための液体格納装置

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3276754A (en) * 1963-09-20 1966-10-04 Roy P Skerritt Stabilizing evaporator plate holder
GB1600027A (en) * 1977-11-09 1981-10-14 Pack A L Humidifiers and vaporisers
US5403233A (en) * 1993-02-22 1995-04-04 Daneshvar; Yousef Humidifier
DE4341701C2 (de) * 1993-12-09 1996-09-19 Juergen Mundt Pilzförmiges Verdampfer- und Luftbefeuchtungssystem
DE9409274U1 (de) * 1994-06-08 1994-08-04 Loucatos, Marinos, 48143 Münster Luftbefeuchter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE9800537D0 (sv) 1998-02-20
ATE282799T1 (de) 2004-12-15
NO20004034D0 (no) 2000-08-11
SE9800537L (sv) 1999-08-21
EP1056977A1 (en) 2000-12-06
WO1999042764A1 (en) 1999-08-26
NO20004034L (no) 2000-08-11
DE69921969D1 (de) 2004-12-23
CA2321251A1 (en) 1999-08-26

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