Floor mounted humidifier with wheeled water reservoir tank

• US 5,447,663 A
• Filed: 03/15/1994
• Issued: 09/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Essick Air Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Tomasiak, Mark J., Dix, Gregory F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILES, TIM
• Application Number:
  US08/213,000
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 261/70, 261/72.1, 261/104, 261/142
• US Class Current: 261/70
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/125 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/00 Air-humidification , e.g. cooling by humidification

Abstract

An improved floor mounted humidifier is disclosed. The humidifier draws dry air into and discharges humidified air from the humidifier. In order to facilitate the refilling of the humidifier with water, a wheel mounted water reservoir tank is provided. The water reservoir tank provides floor movement to a water source to enable the refilling of the water reservoir tank and for return to the floor mounted humidifier. The water reservoir tank also includes a handle for controlled movement of the water reservoir tank. The handle is capable of being extended during wheeled movement of the water reservoir tank and retracted when subsequently re-positioned relative to the humidifier. The water reservoir tank is incorporated into the floor mounted humidifier as an integrated component without detracting from the overall appearance of the humidifier.

Claims

1. In a floor mounted humidifier including humidifying means for drawing air into and for discharging humidified air from the humidifier, the improvement comprising:

a water reservoir tank positioned adjacent said humidifying means, said water reservoir tank being mounted on wheels and including a telescoping handle that is extended in order to facilitate wheeled movement of the water reservoir tank to a water source for filling of the water reservoir tank and for return to the floor mounted humidifier, said telescoping handle being a U-shaped handle having opposing handle side legs interconnected to a handle end leg, the opposing handle side legs being mounted over opposite end surfaces of the water reservoir tank to present the handle end leg in a generally horizontal position for gripping by a user.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposing handle side legs of the U-shaped handle are mounted in angularly offset guide elements attached to opposite end surfaces of the water reservoir tank to present the opposing handle side legs and handle end leg of the U-shaped handle at an angle to a top surface of the water reservoir tank when the U-shaped handle is extended.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein the water reservoir tank includes depending leg portions for complementary reception within complementary recesses in a supporting base of the humidifier.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein the angular offset guide elements include guide portions that extend below the water reservoir tank to serve as legs in supporting the water reservoir tank in an upright position in conjunction with the wheels.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein the guide portions that extend below the water reservoir tank are also cooperatively received within complementary recesses of the humidifier for detachably mounting the water reservoir tank to the humidifier.

6. A floor mounted humidifier including:

a supporting base;

a fixed compartment and a detachable compartment mounted relative to the supporting base and to each other;

the fixed compartment containing humidifying means for drawing dry air into and for discharging humidified air from the humidifier;

the detachable compartment being detachably mounted relative to the supporting base and fixed compartment and including a water reservoir tank mounted on wheels for movement to a source of water supply to facilitate filling of the water reservoir tank and return to the humidifier; and

a telescoping handle that is capable of extending for movement of the water reservoir tank and also capable of collapsing to an out-of-the-way position when the detachable compartment is detachably mounted relative to the supporting base fixed compartment, said telescoping handle being a U-shaped handle having opposing handle side legs and an interconnected handle end leg, the opposing handle side legs being mounted over opposite end surfaces of the water reservoir tank.

7. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 6 wherein the U-shaped handle is capable of being extended at an angle to an upper horizontal surface of the water reservoir tank.

8. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 6 wherein the opposing handle side legs of the U-shaped handle are received within tube guides mounted relative to each opposing end surfaces, each tube guide including tube guide portions that extend below the water reservoir tank in an upright position and each serving as leg for supporting the water reservoir tank in an upright position in conjunction with said wheels.

9. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 6 and including a hinged cover mounted to the fixed compartment for overlying the detachable compartment when detachable mounted to the supporting base.

10. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 6 wherein the wheels are mounted at opposite ends of the water reservoir tank along one side only, and a foot rest is positioned intermediate the wheels to facilitate tilting and separation of the detachable water reservoir compartment including water reservoir tank for filling.

11. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 6 wherein the opposing handle side legs of the U-shaped handle are received slidably within channels formed in decorative molded cover elements mounted to opposite end surfaces of said water reservoir tank.

12. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 11 wherein the decorative molded cover elements include depending foot elements for complementary reception within recesses formed in the supporting base for detachably mounting the detachable compartment relative to the supporting base.

13. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 11 and including a dispensing valve and associated overflow valve mounted relative to a lower end surface of the water reservoir tank for selectively dispensing water to the humidifying means.

14. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 6 wherein the water reservoir tank includes a connecting hose for attachment to a water faucet to facilitate filling of the water reservoir tank.

15. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 14 wherein the connecting hose is received within the water reservoir tank when not in use.

16. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 15 wherein an upper end of the connecting hose includes a hose fitting that both connects to a water faucet while also being slidably mounted relative to an fill opening in an upper end of the water reservoir tank.

17. The floor mounted humidifier as defined in claim 16 and further including an enlarged recess in an upper end of the water reservoir tank surrounding the fill opening to enable filling of the water reservoir tank by hand pouring of water from a separate container.