Humidifier

• US 8,220,782 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Hepple
• Original Assignee: David Hepple
• Inventors: Hepple, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bushey, Charles
• Application Number:
  US13/373,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20120043394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 261/94, 261/95, 261/97, 261/99, 261/104, 261/107, 261/DIG.34, 261/DIG.65, 844/53, 239/35, 239/53
• US Class Current: 261/99
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/00 Details of, or accessories for, stringed musical instruments, e.g. slide-bars
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 7/00 Other auxiliary devices or accessories, e.g. conductors' batons or separate holders for resin or strings

Abstract

This invention is a humidifier used to increase and maintain the humidity of a musical instrument, such as a guitar. The humidifier is a container made of a water vapor permeable material that contains a water absorbent material such as acrylate polymer. The container is held within the body of the instrument by being mounted onto the strings of the instrument. The container is filled with water by an opening that is sealed with a cap. The water absorbent material can hold water without dripping, but will allow the water to evaporate.

Claims

1. A humidifier for musical instruments comprising:

a water vapor permeable container made of a non-rigid supple fabric material;

where the water is contained within the container and water vapor evaporating from the water diffuses through the water vapor permeable container into the musical instrument,

where the container has an opening to pour water into the container,

the container has a cap to seal the container, and

the container is capable of changing shape when water contained within the container evaporates.

2. The humidifier of claim 1 where the container has two layers of material, both water vapor permeable.

3. The humidifier of claim 1 where the container has a mount attached so that the container can be mounted in the instrument.

4. The humidifier of claim 1 where the container has a mount that is a bar so that the container is inserted between strings of the instrument and the bar prevents the container from being pushed through the strings.

5. The humidifier of claim 1 where the humidifier is used with instruments that have a hollow body and strings.

6. The humidifier of claim 5 where the container has a mount that is a bar so that the container is inserted between strings of the instrument into the hollow body of the instrument and the bar prevents the container from being pushed through the strings into the hollow body of the instrument.

7. The humidifier of claim 1 where the humidifier is used with a guitar so that the container is within a hole in the body of the guitar.

8. The humidifier of claim 1 where the container contains a water absorbent material that adsorbs any water poured into the container and then allows the water to evaporate into water vapor.

9. The humidifier of claim 8 where the water absorbent material is an acrylate polymer.

10. The humidifier of claim 1 where the water vapor permeable material is capable of releasing water vapor so that the relative humidity within the instrument is 40-60%.

11. The humidifier of claim 10 where the container is large enough to contain enough water so that the water vapor permeable material releases water vapor so the relative humidity of 40-60% is maintained for 24 hours.

12. The humidifier of claim 1 where the container is made of a supple fabric material that allows water vapor to evaporate out of the container, so that the container changes shape as the water evaporates out of the container.

13. The humidifier of claim 1 where the non-rigid material allows the passage of water vapor through the material but blocks the passage of liquid water through the material.

14. The humidifier of claim 1 where the non-rigid material is an engineered thermoplastic polyester inner layer laminated to a polyester micro denier fabric outside layer.

15. The humidifier of claim 1 where the non-rigid material is a polytetrafluoroethylene inner layer laminated to a polyester micro denier fabric outside layer.