Abstract:
A fan heater with a humidifier includes a housing in which both a warm air generation mechanism for generating warm air and a humidification mechanism for generating a mist are provided. The fan heater with the humidifier is characterized by its integrated structure for effectively providing warm air and appropriate moisture at the same time, so as to prevent the air around the fan heater from being too dry.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a fan heater with a humidifier, wherein a warm air generation mechanism for generating warm air and a humidification mechanism for generating a mist are provided in the same housing to effectively supply warm air and appropriate moisture at the same time. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As the temperatures in many parts of the world can be intolerably low, the uncomfortable sensation of coldness has given rise to the development of electric heaters, fan heaters, and the like. While these products are intended to provide warmth to spaces of specific sizes, continued use of electric heaters or fan heaters indoors will make the air so dry that another kind of discomfort is felt. The overly dry air may irritate or even injure such sensitive organs as the skin and the mucous membrane. 
         [0005]    Conventionally, fan heaters and humidifiers are separate devices independent of each other. A consumer tends to buy a fan heater first and will not consider buying a humidifier until a later time. However, whether the fan heater and the humidifier are purchased separately or at the same time, the additional cost of the humidifier is inevitable. The humidifier also occupies extra space. 
         [0006]    The main structure of a conventional fan heater includes a quartz electric heating tube and a blower. The quartz electric heating tube serves as the heat source. The air generated by the blower blows over the heat source and becomes warm. The warm air is then output through an air outlet. Nevertheless, this structure has low heating efficiency due to the fact that the components near the quartz electric heating tube are subject to prolonged overheating and that the heat source cannot be released. 
         [0007]    On the other hand, the main structure of a conventional humidifier includes a fixed humidifier main body, an atomizer, and a blower. The water stored in the humidifier main body is pumped to the atomizer where the water is gasified into a mist, and the mist is blown out of the humidifier by the blower. This structure, however, incurs high manufacturing costs and adds to the complexity of the control procedure of the humidifier. Besides, the water level in the humidifier cannot be known from the outside and can only be detected by the control unit. As such, the conventional humidifier leaves much room for improvement. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In view of the above-mentioned defects of the conventional products, the present inventor conducted extensive research and experiment and finally succeeded in developing a fan heater with a humidifier as disclosed herein. The disclosed fan heater with the humidifier includes a housing in which both a warm air generation mechanism for generating warm air and a humidification mechanism for generating a mist are provided. The disclosed fan heater with the humidifier is characterized by its integrated structure for providing appropriate moisture while the fan heater is in operation, thus preventing the air around the fan heater from being excessively dry. 
         [0009]    In the warm air generation mechanism of the present invention, a thermistor heating element and a quartz electric heating tube are located above a blower to provide a concentrated heat source and high heating efficiency. The air blown by the blower passes through the thermistor heating element and the quartz electric heating tube, and the resultant warm air is output through a warm air outlet. 
         [0010]    In the humidification mechanism of the present invention, a humidifier mounting plate is provided at the back of the housing, and a humidifier main body is fastened to the mounting plate. The humidifier main body is provided with a water bottle connector on which a water-loaded water bottle can be placed upside down. The water in the water bottle flows into the humidifier main body under the control of a check valve and is gasified into a mist by an ultrasonic atomization module and a blower in the humidifier, wherein the blower also blows the mist out of the humidifier. 
         [0011]    Overall, a compact structure is provided for effectively supplying warm air and appropriate moisture at the same time so that the air in the space where the fan heater with the humidifier is used will not be too dry. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the warm air generation mechanism according to the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the warm air generation mechanism according to the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the warm air generation mechanism according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the warm air generation mechanism according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the warm air generation mechanism according to the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the humidification mechanism according to the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the humidification mechanism according to the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a partially exploded perspective view of the humidification mechanism according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a fan heater with a humidifier as disclosed by the present invention essentially includes a housing  1 , a warm air generation mechanism  2  provided in the housing  1 , a humidification mechanism  3  provided in the housing  1 , a control panel  4  provided on the front side of the housing  1 , and an AC power cord  5 . 
         [0022]    As for the housing  1 , a warm air outlet  11  and a control panel penetration hole  12  are provided at the front end, an air inlet  13  connected with a filter plate  131  is provided at the rear end, a mist outlet  14  is provided at the top end, and an openable inspection plate  15  is provided on one side. 
         [0023]    The warm air generation mechanism  2  includes a fan heater case which is composed of a metallic front plate  2 A, a rear ventilation plate  2 B, a left-side plate  2 C, a right-side plate  2 D, a cover plate  2 E, and a bottom plate  2 F. The front plate  2 A is provided with a wind mesh  2 A 1  and a control panel installation hole  2 A 2 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , a blower  21  is provided in the fan heater case of the warm air generation mechanism  2 . An air guiding frame  22  is fixed to an air outlet  211  at an upper end of the blower  21 . A thermistor heating element  23  is fixed in the air guiding frame  22 . A heating element holder  24  is fixed above the air guiding frame  22 . A warm air output frame  25  is connected to the heating element holder  24 . A quartz electric heating tube  26  is provided in the warm air output frame  25 . The warm air output frame  25  has a generally horizontal air guiding opening  251   
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 7  through  FIG. 9 , the humidification mechanism  3  includes a humidifier mounting plate  31  and a humidifier main body  32 . The humidifier mounting plate  31  is fixed below the air inlet  13  at the rear end of the housing  1 . An L-shaped adapter  311 , a set of spring  312 -loaded sliding fasteners  313 , and a power supply connector  314  are provided on the humidifier mounting plate  31 . As for the humidifier main body  32 , fastening rings  324  are provided on the front side, and an upper cover  326  and a bottom plate  325  are fixed at the upper and the lower ends respectively. A power supply connection plate  321 , an ultrasonic atomization module  322 , and a brushless blower  323  are fixed inside the humidifier main body  32 . The power supply connection plate  321  is electrically connected to the ultrasonic atomization module  322  and the brushless blower  323 . 
         [0026]    The upper cover  326  of the humidifier main body  32  is connected with a mist guiding tube connector  33  and a water bottle connector  34 . A check valve  37  equipped with a spring  35  and a washer  36  is provided in the water bottle connector  34 . A water bottle  38  can be placed upside down on the water bottle connector  34  so that the water in the water bottle  38  is introduced into the humidifier main body  32 . 
         [0027]    The fastening rings  324  on the front side of the humidifier main body  32  are inserted into the humidifier mounting plate  31  and are engaged with the sliding fasteners  313  respectively such that the humidifier main body  32  is connected to the humidifier mounting plate  31 , with the power supply connector  314  electrically connected to the power supply connection plate  321 . 
         [0028]    The L-shaped adapter  311  is connected to a mist guiding tube  315  which, in turn, is connected to a mist-outlet top plate  316  provided at the mist outlet  14  of the housing  1 . Thus, a humidifying mist can be output through the mist-outlet top plate  316 . A mist-outlet sliding cover  317  is provided on the mist-outlet top plate  316 . 
         [0029]    A main circuit board  41  is fixed in the control panel  4  and includes a control circuit, a power switch  42 , a display panel  43 , and a plurality of adjustment knobs  44 . The power switch  42 , the display panel  43 , and the adjustment knobs  44  are exposed on a surface of the control panel  4  so as to be directly operated by the user. A power button  421  is mounted around the power switch  42 . The control panel  4  passes through the control panel penetration hole  12  at the front end of the housing  1  and is fixed at the control panel installation hole  2 A 2  on the front plate  2 A of the warm air generation mechanism  2 . 
         [0030]    The AC power cord  5  is connected to a transformer  27  in warm air generation mechanism  2 . The transformer  27  is connected to and supplies a transformed DC output power to the blower  21 , the thermistor heating element  23 , and the quartz electric heating tube  26  of the warm air generation mechanism  2 . The transformer  27  also supplies the transformed DC output power to the ultrasonic atomization module  322  and the brushless blower  323  through the power supply connector  314  and the power supply connection plate  321 . 
         [0031]    In addition, the transformer  27  supplies the transformed DC output power to the main circuit board  41  of the control panel  4 . The main circuit board  41  is connected to the blower  21 , the thermistor heating element  23 , and the quartz electric heating tube  26  of the warm air generation mechanism  2 , and is connected via the power supply connector  314  and the power supply connection plate  321  to the ultrasonic atomization module  322  and the brushless blower  323 . Operation of the above-mentioned electronic components can be controlled via the adjustment knobs  44  and the control circuit of the main circuit board  41 . 
         [0032]    In summary, the fan heater with the humidifier as described above can effectively provide warm air and appropriate moisture at the same time so that the air in the space where the fan heater with the humidifier is used will not be too dry.