Ultrasonic humidifier

• US 4,643,351 A
• Filed: 06/14/1985
• Issued: 02/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Osawa, Takeshi, Kawada, Toshiaki, Fukamachi, Toshio, Sakurai, Toshio, Matsuda, Kazuto, Noma, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/745,420
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 236/44 E, 236/94, 236/44 A, 236/44 R, 62/176.6, 307/308, 73/29, 73/336.5, 374/170, 374/183, 165/16
• US Class Current: 236/44.00E
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2133 using electric, sonic or ultrasonic energy
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0615 spray being produced at the free surface of the liquid or other fluent material in a container and subjected to the vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/12 by forming water dispersions in the air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/48 Sonic vibrators

Abstract

An ultrasonic humidifier for atomizing water in a vessel by an ultrasonic oscillator and supplying atomized water with air into a room by a blower comprising a humidity sensor detecting the humidity in the room and a thermosensor detecting the temperature in the room. The operation of said ultrasonic oscillator is controlled in such a manner that the value of the detected humidity compensated by said thermosensor may be set for the desired value.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic humidifier, which comprises:

a vessel for holding water;

an ultrasonic oscillator for atomizing the water contained in the vessel;

a blower for supplying the atomized water to a room in which the humidifier is used;

a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the room, the humidity sensor providing an output signal representative of the humidity in the room;

a thermosensor for detecting the temperature in the room;

means for setting the humidity in the room to a desired value;

means for compensating the humidity in which the output signal of the humidity sensor is compensated by the thermosensor;

means for comparing the value of the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means with the desired value of the humidity set by the humidity setting means, the comparing means providing a compared result;

means for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator in accordance with the compared result of the comparing means;

means for displaying the humidity in the room in response to the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means; and

means for preferentially controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator so that if the humidity is set at a desired value which exceeds a predetermined uppermost humidity setting, the ultrasonic oscillator will be operated continuously irrespective of the compared result obtained by the comparing means.

2. An ultrasonic humidifier as defined by claim 1, wherein the humidity displaying means displays the humidity in the room up to a predetermined maximum humidity value;

and wherein the predetermined uppermost humidity setting is selected to be substantially equal to the predetermined maximum humidity value.

3. An ultrasonic humidifier, which comprises:

a vessel for holding water;

an ultrasonic oscillator for atomizing the water contained in the vessel;

a blower for supplying the atomized water to a room in which the humidifier is used;

a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the room, the humidity sensor providing an output signal representative of the humidity in the room;

a thermosensor for detecting the temperature in the room;

means for setting the humidity in the room to a desired value;

means for compensating the humidity in which the output signal of the humidity sensor is compensated by the thermosensor;

means for comparing the value of the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means with the desired value of the humidity set by the humidity setting means, the comparing means providing a compared result;

means for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator in accordance with the compared result of the comparing means; and

means for preferentially controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator so that if the humidity is set at a desired value which exceeds a predetermined uppermost humidity setting, the ultrasonic oscillator will be operated continuously irrespective of the compared result obtained by the comparing means.

4. An ultrasonic humidifier, which comprises:

a vessel for holding water;

an ultrasonic oscillator for atomizing the water contained in the vessel;

a blower for supplying the atomized water to a room in which the humidifier is used;

a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the room, the humidity sensor providing an output signal representative of the humidity in the room;

a thermosensor for detecting the temperature in the room;

means for setting the humidity in the room to a desired value;

means for compensating the humidity in which the output signal of the humidity sensor is compensated by the thermosensor;

means for comparing the value of the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means with the desired value of the humidity set by the humidity setting means, the comparing means providing a compared result;

means for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator in accordance with the compared result of the comparing means; and

means for displaying the humidity in the room in response to the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means.

5. An ultrasonic humidifier according to claim 4 characterized in that said means for displaying the humidity is provided with a plurality of displaying lamps.

6. An ultrasonic humidifier according to claim 5 characterized in that said means for displaying the humidity comprises a plurality of means for comparing respectively having different reference potentials in turn and the value compensated by said means for compensating the humidity being fed to said plurality of means for comparing so as to said displaying lamps being lighted in turn according to the result of comparing with the respective reference potentials.

7. An ultrasonic humidifier, which comprises:

a vessel for holding water;

an ultrasonic oscillator for atomizing the water contained in the vessel;

a blower for supplying the atomized water to a room in which the humidifier is used;

a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the room, the humidity sensor providing an output signal representative of the humidity in the room;

a thermosensor for detecting the temperature in the room;

means for setting the humidity in the room to a desired value;

means for compensating the humidity in which the output signal of the humidity sensor is compensated by the thermosensor;

means for comparing the value of the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means with the desired value of the humidity set by the humidity setting means, the comparing means providing a compared result; and

means for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator in accordance with the compared result of the comparing means;

the humidifier having formed therein an air passage, the air passage being in communication with the blower to allow air to flow therethrough, the humidity sensor being situated within the air passage;

the humidifier further including a humidity detecting chamber formed therein, the thermosensor being situated within the humidity detecting chamber;

the humidity setting means including a humidity setting lever, the humidifier including a sidewall having an aperture formed herein;

the humidity setting lever being received by the aperture, the aperture being in communication with the air passage.

8. An ultrasonic humidifier, which comprises:

a vessel for holding water;

an ultrasonic oscillator for atomizing the water contained in the vessel;

a blower for supplying the atomized water to a room in which the humidifier is used;

a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the room, the humidity sensor providing an output signal representative of the humidity in the room;

a thermosensor for detecting the temperature in the room;

means for setting the humidity in the room to a desired value;

means for compensating the humidity in which the output signal of the humidity sensor is compensated by the thermosensor;

means for comparing the value of the humidity compensated by the humidity compensating means with the desired value of the humidity set by the humidity setting means, the comparing means providing a compared result; and

means for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator in accordance with the compared result of the comparing means;

the humidity sensor including a sensing surface, a casing covering the sensing surface, the casing having formed therein an aperture positioned in alignment with the sensing surface, a filter holder, a filter mounted to the filter holder, the filter holder including a manipulating knob mounted thereto, the filter holder being received by the aperture.