Abstract:
A humidifier which creates a visually entertaining helical flow of mist generally includes a base unit defining a reservoir for holding a quantity of water, a water tank supported on the base unit for supplying water to the reservoir, a humidification device, such as an ultrasonic transducer, in communication with the reservoir for vaporizing the water held in the reservoir to produce a mist, a vortex unit supported on the base unit and a nozzle and a vortex creator positioned in the vortex unit. The vortex unit has an opening disposed above the base unit reservoir to permit the mist produced by the humidification device to rise upwardly into the vortex unit. The nozzle is positioned adjacent the mist opening for introducing a carrier medium flow into the vortex unit and the vortex creator is positioned above the nozzle and the mist opening for diverting the upwardly rising mist from the reservoir into the carrier medium flow from the nozzle and directing a combined mist and carrier medium flow into a helical path within the vortex unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a humidifier having a controlled airflow pattern. More particularly, the present invention relates to a humidifier having a means to cause the produced vapor/mist to swirl in a vortex as it exits the humidifier. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Humidifiers are useful in raising the humidity of air inside homes, particularly during periods of dry weather during the winter and when heat inside a home causes the relative humidity within the home to be lowered to an uncomfortable level. Under these conditions, it is desirable to introduce moisture into the air. Such increased humidity may be desirable in order to improve the comfort level for individuals experiencing the humidified air. For example, during cold weather indoor humidity levels can drop causing drying of skin or throat and adding to the discomfort of respiratory infections. 
         [0005]    In general, humidifiers vaporize water and expel the vapor into the surrounding environment in order to increase the moisture content thereof. Humidifiers are available in a variety of sizes and designs and include both console units and portable units. Console units typically are large stationary units having the humidifying capacity to affect large areas such as an entire house. Portable units are smaller in size and usually have the humidifying capacity to meet the requirements of a single room. Portable humidifiers due to their small size permit them to be moved from room to room as required. 
         [0006]    Several types of humidifiers for increasing humidity in a room are well known in the art, and include ultrasonic, steam-type, warm-air and evaporative humidifiers. In each case, such humidifiers typically include a housing having an inlet, an outlet, a reservoir for holding water and a fan that is connected to the housing for creating an airflow. Water is supplied to the reservoir by a supply tank which is removably supported in the housing. The tank may be removed as required in order to replenish the water supply. Water is typically introduced into the tank through a fill hole which is covered by a removable cap. 
         [0007]    Water is typically transferred from the tank to the base reservoir through a valve assembly disposed in the bottom of the tank. When the tank is placed in the base, the valve engages a member on the base which urges the valve into an open position thereby allowing the water to flow into the reservoir. As water flows from the tank to the reservoir, air simultaneously is drawn into the tank through the valve by the vacuum created from the exiting water. When the water level in the reservoir rises to such a degree that the valve opening becomes covered with water, a hydrostatic balance is reached and the flow of water ceases. As water is vaporized, the reservoir level drops disturbing the balance and resulting in the continued flow of water from the tank. This controlled flow cycle ensures that the humidification device will have a supply of water with which to vaporize, as well as limiting the amount of water such that no water spills over the edges of the base reservoir. 
         [0008]    Ultrasonic or nebulizing humidifiers typically atomize the water by way of an ultrasonic transducer. The transducer converts water in the reservoir to a fine mist by using an ultrasonic wave produced with a vibrating plate or nebulizer contained therein. The resulting fine mist is then typically directed out of the humidifier with a fan to raise the moisture content in the surrounding area. 
         [0009]    Steam-type humidifiers, on the other hand, often utilize an induction heating process, which involves the heating of a metal target or work piece by an induced current. Generally, water is provided in a reservoir together with a metal target. An inductor coil adjacent the target is supplied with power causing the target to heat the water sufficiently to produce steam. The steam is directed out of the humidifier into the environment to thereby increase the humidity of the environment. 
         [0010]    In evaporative humidifiers, a water absorbing material, generally known as a wick, is seated partially submerged in the water of the reservoir and is adapted to draw water in the upper non-immersed part by capillary action. An airflow created by a fan is directed to pass through the upper non-immersed portion of the wick to humidify the air in the room. 
         [0011]    Generally, the primary goal of all types of conventional humidifiers is to provide moisture to the environment with little attention being paid to the manner in which the moisture laden vapor/mist is visually presented. However, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,646, a visually entertaining humidifier has been proposed which generates and displays a small scale tornado-like air flow with the vapor/mist produced by the humidifier. This is accomplished with two air distribution tubes mounted within a chamber which provide an airflow to urge a water aerosol into a helical path to simulate a tornado prior to the moisture stream exiting the humidifier. The resulting effect is both visually entertaining and practical in terms of humidifying the surrounding room. 
         [0012]    Accordingly, it would be desirable to improve upon the entertaining effect of such humidifiers, while providing a simpler and more cost-effective design. It would be further desirable to provide a device which performs a similar effect, but directs airflow in a more predictable and specific pattern. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The present invention is a humidifier which creates a visually entertaining helical flow of mist. The humidifier generally includes a base unit defining a reservoir for holding a quantity of water, a water tank supported on the base unit for supplying water to the reservoir, a humidification device, such as an ultrasonic transducer, in communication with the reservoir for vaporizing the water held in the reservoir to produce a mist, a vortex unit supported on the base unit and a nozzle and a vortex creator positioned in the vortex unit. The vortex unit has an opening disposed above the base unit reservoir to permit the mist produced by the humidification device to rise upwardly into the vortex unit. The nozzle is positioned adjacent the mist opening for introducing a carrier medium flow into the vortex unit and the vortex creator is positioned above the nozzle and the mist opening for diverting the upwardly rising mist from the reservoir into the carrier medium flow from the nozzle and directing a combined mist and carrier medium flow into a helical path within the vortex unit. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment, the vortex creator includes a plate member disposed generally perpendicular to an axis of the vortex unit mist opening and the nozzle has an outlet oriented to direct the carrier medium flow to impinge on the plate member. The nozzle outlet is preferably angularly oriented to direct the carrier medium flow to impinge on the vortex creator plate member at an angle of between about 0 degrees and 90 degrees, and more preferably at an angle of about 45 degrees. 
         [0015]    The base unit preferably includes a tray portion defining the reservoir and the nozzle is integrally formed with the tray portion and includes an internal conduit for delivering the carrier medium from below the tray portion into the vortex unit. The vortex unit preferably defines a cylindrical inner chamber for containing the helical flow and includes a transparent or translucent window portion for viewing the helical flow. The vortex unit may further include a removable door for accessing the interior of the said vortex unit. A light emitting element for illuminating the helical flow within the vortex unit and a fan for forcing the carrier medium through the nozzle may also be provided. 
         [0016]    The present invention further involves a method for generating a visually entertaining helical flow of mist within a humidifier. The method generally includes the steps of vaporizing an amount of water contained within a reservoir of the humidifier to produce a mist, permitting the mist to rise upwardly from the reservoir into a vortex unit, introducing a flow of carrier medium into the vortex unit adjacent the upwardly rising mist, deflecting the upwardly rising mist into a path of the carrier medium flow with a plate member and directing a combined flow of mist and carrier medium into a helical path within the vortex unit with the plate member. The method preferably includes the step of directing the carrier medium flow to impinge upon the plate member at an angle of between about 0 degrees and 90 degrees, and more preferably at an angle of about 45 degrees. 
         [0017]    The preferred embodiments of the humidifier of the present invention, as well as other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description, which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the vortex humidifier formed in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the humidifier shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a detailed exploded perspective view of the base unit of the humidifier shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the tray portion of the base unit. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a detailed exploded perspective view of the water tank assembly of the humidifier shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a detailed exploded perspective view vortex unit of the humidifier shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the vortex unit mounted to the tray portion of the base unit. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective view of the vortex creator and base unit tray portion with the vortex window and rear housing removed for clarity. 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the vortex creator and tray portion nozzle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a preferred embodiment of the vortex humidifier  10  of the present invention is shown. Humidifier  10  generally includes a base unit  12 , a water tank assembly  14  and a vortex unit  16 . The base unit  12  is adapted to receive the tank assembly  14 , such that the tank assembly is insertable and removable therefrom. The tank assembly  14  provides a storage container for water prior to its vaporization by the humidifier. The vortex unit  16  is normally attached to the base unit  12 , but can be removed therefrom for cleaning. 
         [0028]    Referring additionally to  FIG. 3 , the base unit  12  includes a bottom portion  18 , a tray portion  20 , a front cover portion  21  and a rear cover portion  22 . The bottom portion  18  is preferably attached to the tray portion  20  with screws or other fasteners (not shown), while the front and rear cover portions  21  and  22  may be snap-fit or otherwise retained between the bottom portion and the tray portion. Rubber feet  19  are preferably located on the bottom of the bottom portion  18  to provide a stable base for the humidifier  10  on a variety of surfaces. 
         [0029]    The front and rear cover portions  21  and  22  form a peripheral side wall of the base unit  12 . The front cover portion  21  includes a window frame  27  formed therein for viewing the vortex unit  16  and the rear cover portion  22  includes an air inlet  29  formed therein. The base unit  12  may also contain controls  34 , accessible through the front cover portion  21 , for adjusting the rate of vaporization and the level of ambient humidity desired in a manner well known in the art. 
         [0030]    As further shown in  FIG. 4 , the tray portion  20  includes a wall portion  23  extending upwardly from a floor portion  25  and terminating in a rim  24 . The wall portion  23  and the floor portion  25  define a basin like base reservoir  26  that is capable of holding a limited quantity of water. When the tank assembly  14  is inserted into the base  12 , water flows from the tank assembly into the reservoir  26  in a manner that will be described in detail below. 
         [0031]    The tray portion  20  of the base unit  12  further includes a nozzle  32 , which may be formed integral with the tray or formed separately and attached to the tray in a conventional manner. The nozzle  32  is disposed over an opening  54  formed in the floor  25  of the tray portion  20  and includes an outlet  33  formed opposite the tray opening. The outlet  33  is preferably formed at an angle with respect to the floor  25  of the tray portion  20 . As will be discussed in further detail below, the nozzle  32  of the base unit  20  extends through a nozzle opening  56  of the vortex unit  16  to deliver a carrier medium, such as ambient air, into the vortex unit. 
         [0032]    The water in the base reservoir  26  communicates with a humidification device  28 , which is located within the base unit  12 . In a preferred embodiment, the humidification device  28  is an ultrasonic transducer  29  attached to the base unit  12  between the bottom portion  18  and the tray portion  20 . The ultrasonic transducer  29  includes a vibrating plate  30 , which extends through an opening  31  formed in the floor  25  of the tray portion  20  to be in contact with the water contained in the tray portion reservoir  26 . The ultrasonically vibrating plate  30  vaporizes the water within the reservoir  26  to produce a vapor or mist, which rises into the vortex unit  16  in a manner described in more detail below. 
         [0033]    In alternative embodiments, the humidification device  28  can be of any type well known in the art, such as a heating coil, an inductive element, or an evaporative wick, which causes the evaporating, nebulizing, heating or misting of the water. In addition, throughout this specification the terms vaporize and vaporization are used to refer to the process of transforming water to a gas-like state such as a vapor, a mist or a fine spray so that it way be dispersed to the surrounding air and increase the water content thereof. 
         [0034]    A fan assembly  44  is also provided within the base unit  12  for creating an airflow within the humidifier. The fan assembly  44  includes a motor  46 , a propeller  48  and a transformer  50 . The motor  46  is preferably an electric motor which is mounted to the base unit  12  between the bottom portion  18  and the tray portion  20 . The propeller  48  is rotatably received in a cowl portion  47  of the base bottom portion  18  and initially draws relatively dry air in through the air inlet  29  of the base unit rear cover portion  22 . Air drawn into the base unit  12  by the fan assembly  44  is forced upwardly through the opening  54  of the tray portion  20  and out through the angularly oriented outlet  33  of the nozzle  32 . As will be discussed in further detail below, the airflow passing through the tray portion  20  is mixed with the water vapor generated in the reservoir  26  before exiting through a vortex chamber outlet  52  provided at an upper end of the vortex unit  16 . 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the water tank assembly  14  includes a tank  36 , a tank cap  38  positioned over an opening formed at the top of the tank and a valve assembly  40  mounted at an opening formed in the bottom of the tank. The opening at the top of the tank  36  serves as a filling port and the opening at the bottom of the tank serves as a water exiting port. The water tank assembly  14  can also include a handle  41  to facilitate removal and refilling of the tank  36 . 
         [0036]    The valve assembly  40  is of a type well known in the art which prevents water from flowing from the tank  36  when it is outside the base unit  12 , but allows water to exit the tank when the tank is inserted in the base. In this regard, the valve assembly  40  is engageable with a valve actuator  42 , provided in the base unit  12 , for permitting water to exit the tank  36  to flow into the base reservoir  26 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the valve actuator  42  is preferably a protrusion or button-type member provided in the tray portion  20  of the base unit  12  and extending upwardly from the bottom of the reservoir  26 . The valve actuator  42  is positioned within the reservoir  26  such that it aligns with the valve assembly  40  when the tank unit  14  is seated within the base unit  12 . Additionally, a float  43  may be provided with the valve actuator  42  for the purpose of closing the valve assembly  40  of the tank unit  14 . 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the vortex unit  16  preferably includes a transparent or translucent vortex window  58 , a rear housing  60  and a vortex creator  62 . The vortex window  58  is in the form of a half-cylinder with the rear housing  60  forming the other half. When fitted together, the vortex window  58  and the rear housing  60  define a cylindrical vortex chamber or chimney  74 . Preferably attached to the window  58  and rear housing  60 , and closing off the top of the chamber  74 , is a chamber cover  59  including the vortex chamber outlet  52 . The vortex chamber outlet  52  is preferably in the form of a removable grill element. 
         [0038]    In a preferred embodiment, the vortex unit  16  further includes a vortex clean door  64  having a floor portion  66 . However, it is conceivable for the floor portion  66  of the vortex clean door  64  to be integrated with the rear housing  60 . In the preferred embodiment, the vortex clean door  64  is removably attached to the vortex rear housing  60  via a simple latch mechanism  65 , which engages the rim of a finger opening  67  formed in the rear housing. Such removal of the clean door  64  provides access to the interior surface of the vortex window  58  for cleaning. 
         [0039]    The floor portion  66  of the vortex clean door  64  is formed with the nozzle opening  56  mentioned above and is also formed with a mist or vapor opening  68 . The mist or vapor opening  68  communicates with the tray reservoir  26  when the vortex unit  16  is mounted to the base unit  12 . In this manner, vapor or mist generated by the humidification device  28  rises from the base reservoir  26  through the vapor opening  68  formed in the floor portion  66  and enters the vapor unit  16 . As mentioned above, the vapor entering the vortex unit  16  through the vapor opening  68  mixes with the air entering the vortex unit through the nozzle  32 . 
         [0040]    The vortex creator  62  is attached to the floor portion  66  of the clean door  64  and is positioned over both the nozzle  32  and the vapor opening  68 . The vortex creator  62  includes an upper plate-like member  70  and a side wall  72  extending downwardly from the plate-like member for attachment to the floor portion  66  of the clean door  64 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the vortex creator  62  is attached to the floor portion  66 , the upper plate-like member  70  and the side wall  72  define a mist mixing chamber  73  disposed over the mist opening  68 . In particular, the mist  81  generated from the water  69  contained in the tray reservoir  26  rises through the mist opening  68  and mixes with air  79  exiting the outlet  33  of the nozzle  32 . Moreover, the vortex creator  62  acts like a baffle or diverter for both the air  79  exiting the nozzle outlet  33  and the mist or vapor  81  exiting the vapor opening  68 . Specifically, the base nozzle  32  directs air at an angle to impinge upon the bottom surface  82  of the plate-like member  70  of the vortex creator  62  and upon the inside surface  84  of the vortex window  58 , where the air is redirected in a horizontal direction. Thus, the outlet  33  of the nozzle is angularly oriented at an angle of between 0 and 90 degrees, and is preferably about 45 degrees. 
         [0042]    The upper plate-like member  70  and the side wall  72  of the vortex creator  62 , together with the inner surface  84  of the vortex window  58  further define a mist flow outlet  83  for directing the combined air/mist flow into the vortex chamber  74  in a helical path. Specifically, the air  79  is first mixed with the vapor  81  rising from the base reservoir  26  through the vapor opening  68  in the vortex creator mixing chamber  73 . The vortex creator  62  diverts the combined air/mist horizontally through the mist flow outlet  83  into the vortex chamber  74  defined between the vortex window  58 , the vortex rear housing  60  and the clean door  64 . The horizontal air flow caused by the vortex creator  62  combined with the vertical inner surface  84  of the vortex window  58 , as well as the natural tendency for the water mist to rise, creates a helical flow path for the air/water vapor mixture within the vortex chamber  74 , as shown by arrow  75  in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Such helical flow presents an entertaining visual element to the vapor mixture in the form of a vortex simulating a tornado or a whirlpool. 
         [0043]    The vortex is visible through the transparent vortex window  58  before it exits the vortex chamber  74  through the chamber outlet  52 . To further enhance the vortex visual effect, the humidifier of the present invention can further be provided with illuminating features. In particular, the base unit  12  can further contain one or more light emitting elements  70 , such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), as shown in  FIG. 3 , which project light into the vortex chamber  74  to illuminate the vortex. Furthermore, a lens  76  can be fitted within an opening  86  formed in the floor  25  of the tray portion  20  and an opening  78  formed in the floor  66  of the clean door  64  to permit the light emitted by the light elements  70  to pass through the tray and door into the vortex chamber  74 . 
         [0044]    As a result of the present invention, a humidifier is provided which creates a visually entertaining helical flow of mist, while at the same time, functions to raise the humidity level within a room or office. The visual effect is achieved with a simple and cost-effective design and an airflow is created having a more predictable and specific pattern. 
         [0045]    Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.