US1892694A - Humidifier - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, w. D CA v HUMIDIFIER Filed Oct. 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WILL/AM D. CARTEQ, BY Maw ATTORNEYS.

Patented 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca WILLIAM DOUGLAB CAB-TEE, OF CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 CO3 POBATION, 01' NEW YORK, 11'. Y A. CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE HUMIDIIIEB Application fled October 22, 1930. Serial No. 590,882.

15 revious devices constant conditionscan only maintained by constant regulation of the motor speed or by keeping the level of the liquid constant, which latter expedient however requires the use of a float mechanism or a storage tank in addition to the reservoir from which the liquid is drawn by thepump. An object of this invention is to evaporate a constant amount of liquid in machines of this character irrespective of the quantity as of liquid in the reservoir.

Another object of the invention is to obtain a high degree of atomization with a minimum rotational speed so as to promote quietness, avoid balancing difliculties, and increase the life of the machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an efiicient and silently operating.

humidifying device simple in construction and economic of manufacture.

The humidifier to which the invention is applicable consists essentially of a vessel for containin the liquid to be atomized, a pump for drawlng liquid from the reservoir, and means associated therewith for imparting a rapid whirling motion to the liquid and forcing it at high velocity against baflling means,

which atomizes the liquid, producing a fine spray. Means are also provided for drawing a1r into the device, routing it through the spray region where it serves as a vehicle to transport the atomized particles of water into the atmosphere.

A feature of this invention resides in the means for imparting a high velocity to the liquid as it is thrown against the atomizin w I means, consisting of a pair of closely spaced integrally rotating discs having concentricallfy arranged corrugations which function to orce the liquid in intimate contact with the rotating discs so that as it leaves the discs it has substantially the peripheral speed thereof.

Another feature of the invention resides in means for maintaining a constant head of water for supplying the rotating discs regardless of the level of the water in the reservoir.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing stationary feeding means for supplying liquid to a rotating disc substantially uniformly over its entire surface.

Still another feature of the invention resides in means for preventing slippage in the means for pumping liquid from the reservoir.

Another feature of the invention resides in the means for discharging the atomized water or mist into the atmosphere, which comprises essentially means defining a space above the operating parts of the humidifier. Within the space so defined, baflles are arranged which prevent the air from leaving the humidifier with a swirling motion. Other means are also provided within this space for trapping coarse drops of moisture which are too large to be readily conveyed by the air vehicle.

Other objects of the invention will be in part pointed out in the following detail description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and will be in part obvious.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter 90 set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the complete description and to the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a humidifier involving the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of Fig. 1 showing certain details of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail of the fan element.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate corresponding elements, a vessel or container 10 is shown in which the humidifier assembly rests supported by suitable means as for instance the legs 11. The bottom of the container 10 also serves as a reservoir for the liquid 12 which is to be atomized. The humidifier assembly comprises a container 13 having upwardly extending walls 14 and bottom 15, the latter having an opening 16 therein, the purpose of which will be hereafter described.

Positioned within the container 13 is an element 17 for supporting the moving parts of the humidifier which in this instance has been illustrated as a cast spider having its legs 18 resting upon the bottom of the container 13. Mounted upon the spider 17 is an electrically driven motor 19, to the shaft 20 of which a hub member 21 is fixedly sccured by suitable means as for instance a nu 22 and washer 23. Positioned co-axially with respect to the motor shaft is pump element 24 which extends downwardly into the liquid 12. Pump element 24 preferably consists of thin metal tubing which is frictionally retained in a seat 25 provided for that purpose in the hub 21. The lower end of the tube 24 is partially enclosed by a collar 26 havin an a erture 27 for the admission of liquid. A metallic strip 28 preferably perforated and slightly twisted is placed within the" pump element 24 for a purpose which will be hereafter described. Small ducts 29 and 30 are drilled in the hub member 21 pro viding communicating passageways to an auxiliary reservoir. These ducts diverge so that centrifugal force due to rotation causes the liquid to rise therein. This reservoir is formed in part by an annular trough having an inner wall 31 co-axially positioned with respect to the hub member and having sufficient clearance so as not to interfere with the rotation thereof' The outer wall 32 of the trough member has flanges 33 by means of which it is mounted on the spider 17. The bottom of the trough is arranged in a series of annular recesses 34 and Against the wall of the outer recess 34 is a circular partition 36 which is the outer wall of the auxiliary reservoir. The upper edge of partition 36 has a lip 37 which forms a weir to permit the liquid from the reservoir to overflow into the compartment 38 without danger of it building up beyond the partition 36. Within the area defined by the partition 36 is an impact ring 39 suitably mounted on the spider 17 and extending below the surface 0 the liquid into the auxiliary reservoir. This ring has an inwardly extending flange 40 upon which rests a battle composed of a zigzag strip of metal screening 41. The overflow chamber 38 has an outlet 42 which communicates with the chamber 13 which latter also has a duct 48 returning to the main reservoir. In the bottom of the recess 35 is an aperture 44 through which water may be fed to the rotating disc 45. The flow of liquid through this aperture may be controlled and for this purpose a valve is provided which may consist of a plunger 47 and a spring member 48. A set screw 49 presses against the plunger 47 opposing the resiliency of the spring 48 so that by means of a thumb screw 50 suitably mounted adjacent the top of the motor 19 and connected to the set screw by the flexible shaft 51., the position of the plunger and consequently the opening of the aperture 44 may be regulated.

The hub member 21 is provided with a flange 52 upon which disc 45 and the fan 53 are mounted for rotation. For simplicity in manufacture and assembly, the disc and fan may be mounted upon the flange 52 by means of bolts 54.

A second disc 46 is spaced slightly apart from disc 45 but is mounted for integral rotation by suitable means as, for .instance, rivets 55 and spacing elements 56. These discs have concentrically arranged corrugations corresponding to each other so that the distance between the discs 'is substantially constant throughout the entire extent of their surfaces. The disc 46 at its inner edge is spaced apart from the disc 45 and has an opening 57 sufliciently large to provide clearance for the lower recess 35 of the auxiliary reservoir and also large enough to admit the flow of a quantity of air therethrough.

Positioned about the periphery of the r0- tating discs 45 and 46 and spaced slightly apart therefrom is a row of tines or baffles 58 against which liquid thrown from the rotating discs may impinge. These baffles may be of any desired type and may be fastened in position on the downwardly extending legs of the spider 17.-

T he upper edge of the container 14 is provided with a circular seat 59 upon which rests a hood 60 having an aperture 61 at the top for the emission of air and mist. In order to insure that the mist emitted through the aperture 61 rises in a vertical direction, a series of baflles 62 has been provided in the compartment defined by the hood 60, which bafiles substantially decrease the tendency of the mist to whirl and thereby permit it to reach a suflicient height to become absorbed in the atmosphere before it can fall to the floor. These baflles may be mounted in any suitable manner but in the preferred embodiment of the invention, they are fastened to the hood member 60 and extend radially inwardly toward the motor 19.

A circular rib element 63 is positioned adjacent the top of the hood member and serves to prevent large drops of moisture from being blown along the inside surface of the hood and emitted from the humidifier.

In order to exclude foreign matter and to prevent'swirling of the liquid 12 in the main reservoir, a screen element 64 surrounding pump 24 is provided. To lend strength to this screen element, the upper edge thereof may be bordered by a funnel shaped element 65 which is in turn fastened to the bottom plate 15 of the humidifier assembly. The element 65 is spaced apart from the bottom plate by means of separators 66 so that no interferences if offered to the flow of air through the aperture 16 in the base 15. Also to prevent seriously overloading the motor which would result if the water level in the reservoir should be inadvertently permitted to extend up around the form 53, an overflow aperture 67 is provided in the wall of the container 10 through which the water will overflow if the proper level is exceeded.

In conjunction with the overflow 17 there has been provided an indicating device which comprises a bar 68 pivoted preferably to the container 10 at 69. This bar may be in the form of a hoop following the contour of the container 10 and pivoted at opposite sides thereof. Attached to the bar 68 adjacent the overflow aperture is a plate 70 upon which suitable graduations may be etched indicating various liquid levels which, by way of suggestion, may be empty, 1; full, full, full and full. These graduations may be viewed through the aperture 67 which thus serves the dual purpose of an overflow and an observation window. A float 71 is mounted on the bar 68 diametrically opposite to the indicating plate 70 which rises and falls with the liquid level, actuating the indicator. The movement of the indicator 70 may be made any fraction of the movement of the float 71 by placing the pivot 69 nearer the indicating plate, which expedient permits the use of a small plate element.

Quietness of operation .is obtained by insulating all bearing surfaces which are not fixedly secured as, for instance, by rubber pads 72 at the foot of the legs 11, pads 73 and 74 where the spider 17 andlegs 11 come in contact with the base 15 of the container 13 and rubber cushioning means 7 5 Where the hood 60 bears upon the seat 59 of the container 13.

. In operation, a suitable amount of liquid is placed in the humidifier reservoir by pouring the same between the space provided between the wall of the container 10 and the hood 60. The proper level of course will be outwardly toward the wall 14 where it is diverted upwardly and out of the aperture 61. At the same time liquid is drawn within the pump 24 through the aperture 27. It builds up in the pump 24 due to centrifugal force, passes up through the ducts 29 and 30 in the hub member 21 and is projected outwardly against the bafile 39 in the upper auxiliary reservoir. The twisted screen element 28 functions to prevent slippage of the liquid in the tube 24 thereby enabling the liquid to be brought up to speed quickly. The screen bafiles 41 supported by the impact ring 39 reduce the tendency of the liquid to swirl, due to its tangential velocity on leaving the ducts 29 and 30 so that the liquid falling into the auxiliary reservoir is comparatively quiet. This eliminates turbulence around the orifice 44 and at the overflow lip 37 so that a constant head is maintained over orifice 44 substantially regardless of the amount of liquid pumped.

As the motor 19 is usually a constant speed motor, the amount of liquid raised by the pump 24 depends upon the level of the liquid 12. In order that a perfect control of the atomization may be had, the pump is designed so that with the valve 47 completely open and the minimum quantity of liquid in the main reservoir, an amount of liquid is pumped which is just suflicient to cause overflow into the compartment 38. This ensures a constant head of liquid to supply the rotating discs 45 and 46 since under any other conditions, namely, when a greater amount of liquid is in the main reservoir or when the valve 47 is partially closed, more liquid will overflow over the lip 37 into the compartment 38. The overflow liquid passes out through the overflow duct 42 into the container 13 where it is returned via the duct 43 to the main reservoir. The station orifice feed 44, positioned over the rotating disc 45, permits liquid to be fed uniformly over the surface of the disc, a condition which would not exist if the orifice feed itself were rotating.

The valve 47 is adjusted by means of the thumb screw 50 until the condition is obtained which will provide sufficient liquid for evaporation to satisfy proper conditions of humidity. The liquid from the reservoir flows through the aperture 57 onto the disc 45. The centrifugal speed imparted to the liquid due to the rotation of the disc urges the liquid outwardly between the discs 45 and 46 until 58 and .broke'ii it reaches their eri heries where it, is hurled with considerage orce against the baflies up into a very fine mist. The tortuous path fwhich the liquid must follow in its travel to the outer edges of the discs by virtue of the corrugations therein'permits the most intimate frictional contact between the liquid and the discs whereby the liquid, when it is hurled from the ed es of the discs, has had imparted thereto su stantially the peripheral speed of the latter. This permits a comparatively low speedmotor to be employed, which promotes quietness, avoids balancing difiiculties, and increases the life of the machine. In order that an adequate amount of air be supplied to the compartment defined by the bafiie 39 so as to permit the free flowing of the liquid from the auxiliary reservoir, an air passage 76 around the motor shaft is rovided through which air may flow. Air is a so aspirated through the openng 57 in the upper disc and also from the upper compartment 39 through the clearance space between the wall 31 of the auxiliary reservoir and the hub 21 which air picks up a considerable amount of moisture due to its intimate confinement with the liquid as it passes between the rotating discs. This air in a particularly humid state combines with the main body of air flowing through the humidifier. This main body of air passes through and is intimately contacted with the mist surrounding the bafiies 58. The fine particles of moisture are entrained in the air which acts as a vehicle to project the fine mo sture particles into the room. The baffles 62 diminish an tendency of the air to swirl so that as it leaves the humidifier through the aperture 61, it is projected perpendicularly upward to a height which is suffic ent to cause complete difiusion and evaporation of the entrained moisture into the surrounding atmosphere.

Since':e1'tain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying idrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A liquid atomizing device comprising a main reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary reservoir, means comprising a pump extending with n the main reservoir for conducting liquid therefrom to the auxiliary reservoir, said pump comprising a tube extending within the main reservoir having means therein for preventing slippage between the liquid and the tube, a rotating disc adapted to receive liquid from said auxiliary reservoir,

.means positioned adjacent the periphery of said disc whereby liquid received therefrom is broken up into a mist, and means for r'outing gas through said mist and discharging it from said device. I

2. A liquid atomizing device comprising a. main reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary reservoir, means comprising a pump extending within the main reservoir for conducting liquid therefrom to the auxiliary reservoir, said pump comprising a tube extending within the main reservoir, perforated means extending longitudinally of said tube for preventing slippage between the liquid and said tube, a rotating disc adapted to receive liquid from said auxiliary reservoir, means positioned adjacent the periphery of said disc whereby liquid received therefrom is broken up into a mist, and means for routing gas through said mist and discharging it from said device.

3. A liquid atomizing device comprising a main reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary reservoir, means for conducting liquid from said main reservoir to said auxiliary reservoir, a plurality of discs mounted in spaced relation below said auxiliary reservoir and adapted for integral rotation, means for feed ing liquid from said auxiliary reservoir to the space between said discs, means positioned adjacent the peripheries of said discs whereby li uid received therefrom is broken up into a fine mist, and means for routing gas through said mist and discharging it from said device.

4. A liquid atomizing device comprising a main reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary reservoir, means for conducting liquid from said main reservoir to said auxiliary reservoir, a plurality of corrugated discs mounted in spaced relation below said auxiliary reservoir and adapted for integral rotation, means for feeding liquid from said auxiliary reservoir to the space between said discs, means positioned adjacent the peripheries of said discs whereby liquid received therefrom is broken up into a fine mist, and means for routing gas through said mist and discharging it from said device.

5. A-liquid atomizing device comprising a main reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary reservoir, means for conducting liquid from said main reservoir to said auxiliary reservoir, a plurality of discs mounted in spaced relation and adapted for integral rotation, the upper of said discs having an aperture communicating with the space between said discs, means for feeding li uid from said auxiliary reservoir through said aperture to the space between said discs, means positioned adjacent the peripheriesof said discs whereby liquid received therefrom is broken up into a fine mist, and means for routing gas through said mist and discharging it from said device.

6. A liquid atomizing device comprising a source of liquid, rotating means adapted to receive liquid and discharge the same therefrom radially outwardly, an auxiliary reservoir, means for supplying liquid from said source to said auxiliary reservoir to maintain a constant head in the same, and means controlling the flow of liquid from said auxiliary reservoir to said rotating means.

7. A liquid atomizing device comprising a source of liquid rotating means adapted to receive liquid and discharge the same therefrom radially outwardly, an auxiliary reservoir, means for supplying liquid from said source to said auxiliary reservoir to maintain a constant head in the same, said means comprising an overflow, and means controlling the flow of liquid from said auxiliary reservoir to said rotating means.

8. A liquid atomizing device comprising a source of liquid, rotating means adapted to receive liquid and discharge the same therefrom radially outwardly, an auxiliary reservoir, means for supplying liquid from said source to said auxiliary reservoir to maintain said auxiliary reservoir constantl overflowing, means controlling the flow 0 liquid from said auxiliary reservoir to said rotating means, and means for disposing of said liquid overflow.

9. A portable humidifier comprising a vessel acting as a reservoir, a compartment within said vessel having an air inlet and an air outlet, means within said compartment for creating a mist, a fan for drawing air within said compartment through a path defined by the walls of said vessel and the wall of said compartment and routing it through said mist whereby said air entrains moisture, and bafiie means also within said compartment for preventing swirling of said air as it is discharged from said outlet.

10. A portable humidifier comprising a. vessel acting as a liquid container, a compartment positioned within said vesselin spaced relation with the wall thereof and above said liquid, said compartment having anair inlet in its base and an air outlet at its top, a motor mounted within said compartment, a pump adapted to be driven by said motor extending through said air, inlet into the liquid in said reservoir, an auxiliary reservoir positioned within said compartment in communication with said pump, a pair of discs mountedin spaced relation and adapted to be rotated by said motor, a valve for regulating the flow of liquid from said auxiliar reservoir to the space between said discs, ba fies arranged about the peripheries of said discs for creating a fine mist of the liquid discharged therefrom, a fan also driven by said motor for drawing air through said inlet and routing it through the mist thus pro duced whereby moisture is entrained and discharging the moisture laden air through said outlet, and baffies also mounted in said

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