Patent ID: 7673855

Claim:
A steam humidifier comprising: (i) a tank for containing water to be heated to generate steam; (ii) a water connection manifold having a manifold chamber in fluid communication with a water supply passage and a water drain passage; and (iii) a rotary valve configured to control a fluid passage between the tank and the manifold chamber and further configured to control the position of one or more locking features, the rotary valve being rotatable between: (a) a first locked position in which the fluid passage between the tank and the manifold chamber is open and the one or more locking features are engaged to lock the tank to a structure of the steam humidifier; and (b) a second unlocked position in which the fluid passage between the tank and the manifold chamber is closed and the one or more locking features are disengaged to unlock the tank from the structure of the steam humidifier.