Auto feed humidification chamber with improved structure

An auto feed humidification chamber with improved structure, the humidification chamber comprises a shell body, an extending tube, a float, a sealing element and a heated plate; the inside of the shell body is provided with a plurality of passage spacer plates, the extending tube is integrally formed on the inside of the shell body, the extending tube has a plurality of positioning blocks; the float is a hollow container, the central portion of the float has an extending portion, a top end of the extending portion has a plurality of hooks, the sealing element can be disposed on the top end of the extending portion; the heated plate is located below the shell body, and the heated plate is used for sealing the shell body to form a chamber space; wherein the extending portion can be suspended on the extending tube by the plurality hooks and the plurality positioning blocks, the passage spacer plates and the concave portions form at least two complicated gas passages in the chamber space, the outside surface of the float and the wall surface of the shell body form at least two annular gas passages in the chamber space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a humidification chamber and more particularly to an auto feed humidification chamber with improved structure, wherein a float is disposed in the humidification chamber, and the float is suspended on a shell body of the humidification chamber, therefore a bottom of the float will not contact with a heated plate of the humidification chamber. During the humidification process, the humidification chamber can be replenished a liquid, the float can rise and fall with the water level of the humidification chamber. When a water inlet of the humidification chamber is blocked by the float, the liquid replenishment of the humidification chamber can be stopped to control the water level of the humidification chamber.

2. Description of Related Art

A first prior-art is US Patent Application Publication No. US20160199614, the first prior-art disclosed a float retention arrangement for humidification chamber, a primary float (116) is connected to a coupling arm (118), the primary float (116) moves a push rod (124) by the coupling arm (118) so as to actuate a primary valve (112). The push rod (124) includes a lower end portion (128) pivotally coupled to the coupling arm (118) and an upper end portion (126). The upper end portion (126) includes a valve body (130), the valve body (130) can engage the first valve seat (132), directly or indirectly, to close the primary valve (112), and prevents water entering the humidification chamber (100) via the primary valve (112). The valve body (130) can also be disengaged from the first valve seat (132) to open the primary valve (112) and permit entry of water into the humidification chamber (100). One end of the supply tube (150) is coupled to the water inlet (108) and the other end of the supply tube (150) is coupled to an adapter for coupling the supply tube (150) to a source of water. The adapter can be in the form of a water spike (152), the water spike (152) can also be used as a retention device of the primary float (116). The first prior-art is not easy to assemble, and the cost of first prior-art is higher. Thus, the first prior-art still requires improvement.

A second prior-art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,016, the prior-art disclosed a humidification chamber, the humidification chamber has a float, the float has a seal element which is movable into and out of a valve seat; when the water level of the humidification chamber exceeds a first level, the seal element will seal off a water inlet; when the water level of the humidification chamber is below the first level, the seal element will open the water inlet; the float has a stand-off rib (94) to prevent the lower end of the float from contacting a heat conductive plate. The stand-off rib (94) of the float may still be in contact with the heat conductive plate when the water level of the humidification chamber is too low. Moreover, the stand-off rib (94) of the float may still be in contact with the heat conductive plate when the water inlet does not replenish water into the humidification chamber (e.g., a water storage container connected to the water inlet has no water). Thus, the second prior-art still requires improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an auto feed humidification chamber with improved structure, the humidification chamber comprises a shell body, an extending tube, a float, a sealing element and a heated plate; the inside of the shell body is provided with a plurality of passage spacer plates, the extending tube is integrally formed on the inside of the shell body, the extending tube has a plurality of positioning blocks; the float is a hollow container, the central portion of the float has an extending portion, a top end of the extending portion has a plurality of hooks, the sealing element can be disposed on the top end of the extending portion; the heated plate is located below the shell body, and the heated plate is used for sealing the shell body to form a chamber space; wherein the extending portion can be suspended on the extending tube by the plurality hooks and the plurality positioning blocks, the passage spacer plates and the concave portions form at least two complicated gas passages in the chamber space, the outside surface of the float and the wall surface of the shell body form at least two annular gas passages in the chamber space.

It is therefore another object of the invention to provide an auto feed humidification chamber with improved structure, the humidification chamber has a float which is a hollow container, the float comprises an extending portion, a plurality of hooks, a plurality of concave portions and a sealing element; the extending portion is disposed at the central portion of the float, the plurality hooks are disposed at a top end of the extending portion, the plurality concave portions are annularly disposed on the extending portion, the sealing element can be fixed on the top end of the extending portion; wherein the float can be suspended in a chamber space of the humidification chamber by the hooks, the plurality concave portions can form at least two complicated gas passages in the chamber space, the outside surface of the float can form at least two annular gas passages in the chamber space.

First advantages of the invention include the extending portion of the float is directly combined to the extending tube of the shell body, the extending portion is directly suspended on the extending tube. Namely, the extending tube of the shell body can be served as a retaining device for the float, therefore a distance can be formed between the heated plate and the bottom of the float. Thus, the invention is easy to assemble, and the cost of the invention can be reduced.

Second advantages of the invention include the complicated gas passages can increase the residence time of a gas when the gas enters the chamber space, the annular gas passages can guide the moisture in the chamber space, and therefore the gas will mix well with the moisture.

Third advantages of the invention include the plurality concave portions are symmetrically disposed on the float, the plurality passage spacer plates are symmetrically disposed in the shell body, and therefore the assembly of the float and the shell body is provided with a foolproof effect; as a result of the assembly of the float and the shell body has the foolproof effect, a gas inlet and a gas outlet of the shell body are also provided with a foolproof effect. Namely, the gas inlet and the gas outlet can be interchangeable to use, the user does not need to identify the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 7, a humidification chamber structure in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a shell body10, an extending tube20, a float30, a sealing element40and a heated plate50; the shell body10has a water inlet11, a gas inlet12and a gas outlet13, the inside of the shell body10is provided with a plurality of passage spacer plates16; the extending tube20is integrally formed on the inside of the shell body10, the position of the extending tube20corresponds to the water inlet11, the extending tube20has a plurality of positioning blocks23; the float30is a hollow container, the float30is provided with a plurality of concave portions36, the central portion of the float30has an extending portion31(for example, but not limit to, the plurality concave portions36are distributed on the same side of the float30, and the plurality concave portions36are annularly disposed on the extending portion31), a top end311of the extending portion31has a plurality of hooks33; the sealing element40can be disposed on the top end311of the extending portion31, and the sealing element40is located below the water inlet11; the heated plate50is located below the shell body10, and the heated plate50is used for sealing the shell body10to form a chamber space51(Please also refer toFIG. 12); wherein the extending portion31of the float30can partially insert into the extending tube20, the extending portion31can be suspended on the extending tube20by the plurality hooks33and the plurality positioning blocks23, therefore a distance can be formed between and a bottom35of the float30the heated plate50; the passage spacer plates16partially enters into the concave portions36, the passage spacer plates16and the concave portions36form at least two complicated gas passages A1in the chamber space51(Please also refer toFIG. 10andFIG. 11); the outside surface301of the float30and the wall surface103of the shell body10form at least two annular gas passages A2in the chamber space51(Please also refer toFIG. 10andFIG. 11); when the water level of the chamber space51enables the float30to rise up until the sealing element40blocks a water inlet hole110of the water inlet11, the water inlet11will stop inputting a liquid; when the water level of the chamber space51enables the float30to fall down until the sealing element40leaves from the water inlet hole110, the water inlet11will input the liquid again (Please also refer toFIG. 12andFIG. 14).

Examples of the combination manner of the float30and the shell body10will be illustrated below, the float30is consisted of an upper casing30aand a lower casing30b, the extending portion31is located at the upper casing30a, and the plurality concave portions36are symmetrically disposed on the upper casing30a(for example, a plurality of hollow convex portions361are symmetrically disposed on the upper casing30a, and each of the concave portions36is formed by the adjacent convex portions361), and the plurality passage spacer plates16are symmetrically disposed in the shell body10; therefore the assembly of the float30and the shell body10is provided with the foolproof effect. For example, but not limit to, when the float30rotates 90 degrees relative to the cover10, the passage spacer plates16of the cover10will also partially enter into the concave portions36(because the plurality concave portions36are symmetrically disposed on the upper casing30a, and the plurality passage spacer plates16are symmetrically disposed in the shell body10); even when the float30rotates 180 degrees relative to the cover10, the passage spacer plates16of the cover10will also partially enter into the concave portions36(because the plurality concave portions36are symmetrically disposed on the upper casing30a, and the plurality passage spacer plates16are symmetrically disposed in the shell body10); even when the float30rotates 270 degrees relative to the cover10, the passage spacer plates16of the cover10will also partially enter into the concave portions36(because the plurality concave portions36are symmetrically disposed on the upper casing30a, and the plurality passage spacer plates16are symmetrically disposed in the shell body10).

Examples of the functions of the lower casing30bwill be illustrated below, the lower casing30bcan be a shallow dish structure to avoid an increase in height of the float30, and as a result of the lower casing30bis the shallow dish structure, the lower casing30bwill be provided with a larger cross-sectional area, therefore the buoyant force of the float30can be increased.

Referring toFIGS. 12 to 15, examples of the suspension manner of the float30will be illustrated below, the plurality hooks33surrounds on the outside of the sealing element40, and each of the hooks33is connected to the top end311of the extending portion31; each of the positioning blocks23blocks each of the hooks33to escape from the extending tube20, the float30can be suspended on the extending tube20, therefore the bottom35of the float30will not contact the heated plate50.

Examples of the combination manner of the extending portion31and the extending tube20will be illustrated below, each positioning block23further has an inclined surface231; when the extending portion31of the float30inserts into the extending tube20, each hooks33can use the inclined surface231of the positioning block23to easily insert into the extending tube20(as shown inFIG. 13andFIG. 15).

Examples of the combination manner of the sealing element40and the float30will be illustrated below, the top end311of the extending portion31has a recess312, the recess312can be provided with a fixing seat41, the sealing element40can use the fixing seat41to fix on the top end311of the extending portion31; wherein the sealing element40can be made from the silicone material, the sealing element40has a neck portion43and a pin45, the neck portion43can be fixed in a fixing hole413of the fixing seat41, and the pin45can be received in the recess312(as shown inFIG. 13andFIG. 15).

Referring toFIGS. 3, 12 to 15, examples of the structure of the shell body10will be illustrated below, the shell body10has an annular groove18, the annular groove18is connected with the extending tube20of the shell body10; an upper cover70can be embedded on the annular groove18, the water inlet11and the water inlet hole110are disposed on the upper cover70, the water inlet hole110is located in the extending tube20(for example, the water inlet hole110is disposed in an extending post71of the upper cover70, therefore the water inlet hole110can be located in the extending tube20); thereby, the mold of the shell body10is easy to manufacture, the injection molding of the shell body10and the upper cover70will be easy for manufacturer.

Referring toFIGS. 8, 9, 12 and 14, examples of the additional structure of the shell body10will be illustrated below, the gas inlet12and the gas outlet13are respectively connected with a U-shaped spacer plate19, each U-shaped spacer plate19is connected to an inclined plate191, a notch192is formed between each inclined plate191and the wall surface103of the shell body10, each inclined plate191has a through hole193, an airflow can be allowed to pass through each notch192and each through hole193; when the airflow enters into the gas inlet12, the inclined plate191and the U-shaped spacer plate19connected with the gas inlet12can concentrate the airflow, therefore the airflow enters into the chamber space51by the notch192and the through hole193, and the airflow can be properly buffered.

Examples of the structure evolution of the shell body10will be illustrated below, each U-shaped spacer plate19and each inclined plate191can partially protrude into at least one concave portion36of the float30; wherein the U-shaped spacer plate19of the gas inlet12and the U-shaped spacer plate19of the gas outlet13are symmetrically disposed in the shell body10, the plurality recesses36are symmetrically disposed on the float30, and the plurality passage spacer plates16are symmetrically disposed in the shell body10; therefore the assembly of the float30and the shell body10is provided with the foolproof effect.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 12, examples of the sealing manner of the heated plate50and the shell body10will be illustrated below, the shell body10has an annular edge15, the annular edge15is sealed with an edge55of the heated plate50, a sealing ring60is disposed between the annular edge15and the edge55of the heated plate50; wherein the sealing ring60can be wrapped on the annular edge15.

Referring toFIGS. 9 and 16, in the first embodiment, the plurality passage spacer plates16have a straight edge161(as shown inFIG. 9); in the second embodiment, the plurality passage spacer plates16have a curved edge162(as shown inFIG. 16); thereby forming different airflow impedances.