Humidifier

• US 4,906,417 A
• Filed: 05/03/1989
• Issued: 03/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Rival Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Associated Mills Incorporated
• Inventors: Gentry, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiesa, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US07/348,157
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 261/1, 261/18.1, 261/22, 261/30, 261/81, 261/119.1, 261/91, 261/142, 261/DIG. 17, 261/DIG. 65, 122/233, 422/123, 422/124, 422/125, 128/200.16, 128/200.14, 128/200.25, 128/200.21, 128/203.26, 128/203.27, 219/271, 219/273, 219/275, 239/102.1, 239/302, 239/338, 239/214.11, 239/214.17, 239/214.25, 239/222.11
• US Class Current: 261/30
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/18 by injection of steam into the air
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/65 Vaporizers

Abstract

A humidifier has a cap which may be lifted off to wash it. The lift off cap is sealed to the humidifier by a labyrinth seal. A vapor well is formed in the top surface of said cap with a steam discharge nozzle directed over the well. The cap, and therefore, the nozzle and vapor well may rotate over a 360° traverse. The nozzle is formed by spaced inclined planes setting at angles in the range of 8°-30° and preferably 18° and 20°, respectively, the angles being taken with respect to the horizontal.

Claims

1. A humidifier comprising a source of steam, a mist chamber removable rotatable a lift-off cap which is free of attachments and which has an upper surface and contains a nozzle, said cap setting freely on said humidifier above said mist chamber for a rotation about a 360°

C. traverse, means for directing an air stream containing said stream from said source toward said cap and through said nozzle to there exit said humidifier, said cap having a pair of internal inclined planes for guiding and directing said air stream out said nozzle at an angle which is inclined upwardly at an angle of substantially 8°

-28°

with respect to horizontal, said two planes slightly converging in the direction of said nozzle, a labyrinth seal surrounding said cap to contain said stream in said mist chamber, said cap having a circular base for enabling it to rotate endlessly within said labyrinth seal and a medication vapor well for containing a medication substance unitarily formed on and within said upper surface of said cap and positioned in front of and beneath said nozzle, said vapor well having a bottom surface which is impinged on its underside by said air stream to vaporize any of said medication substance which may be contained therein by the heat of the steam in said air stream issuing from said nozzle, whereby said nozzle and vapor well move as a unit through said 360°

C. traverse to direct a medicated mist along any azimuth about said 360°

C. traverse and whereby said cap can be removed by simply lifting it off for easy cleaning.

2. The humidifier of claim 1 wherein said cap includes two piece parts one of said piece parts forming said vapor well and extending to a first of said pair of planes inclined at an angle of about 20 and terminating at an elevated edge of said well, said first inclined plato extending away from said elevated edge of said well and said nozzle, and a second of said pair of planes inclined at an angle of about 18°

and extending from an opposite side of said cap toward said well and in a spaced relationship to said first inclined plane, thereby defining between them a nozzle orifice extending upwardly with said plane converging toward each other at an angle of about 2°

, the second of said piece parts being a decorative cap bonded to and covering said first piece part.

3. The humidifier of claim 2 and indicia means marking on a well of said vapor well to identify a specified amount of substance to be deposited in sad well for vaporization.

4. The humidifier of claim 1 wherein said underside of said vapor well is shaped and dimensioned to vaporize any substance in said well in response to heat in said air stream.

5. The humidifier of claim 1 and a removable reservoir positioned to rest on a base of said humidifier, and valve means for delivering water at a metered rate from said reservoir to said steam generator.