Fan assembly

• US 9,797,612 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Staniforth, Mark Joseph, Beavis, Daniel James, Pullen, Jude Paul, Riggs, Paul Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Orlando, Amber R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hobson, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/166,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20140210115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/16 displacing elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/46 Arrangements of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/26 Arrangements for air-circulation by means of induction, e.g. by fluid coupling or thermal effect
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/12 by forming water dispersions in the air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/14 using nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/22 using UV light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/54 Free-cooling systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Humidifying apparatus includes a chamber, and a water tank for supplying water to the chamber. A baffle located within the chamber divides the chamber into an inlet section and an outlet section, and guides water received from the water tank along the inlet section to the outlet section. An air flow is conveyed over water stored in the outlet section of the chamber and is emitted from the apparatus. Water within both the inlet section and the outlet section of the chamber is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation. The water within the outlet section is atomized by a transducer to humidify the air flow.

Claims

1. Humidifying apparatus comprising:

a chamber;

a water tank for supplying water to the chamber;

at least one baffle located within the chamber for dividing the chamber into an inlet section and an outlet section, and for guiding water received from the water tank along the inlet section to the outlet section;

an irradiating device for irradiating water in both the inlet section and the outlet section of the chamber, wherein the inlet section and outlet section of the chamber are partially delimited by the irradiating device and the at least one baffle is arranged to divide the irradiating device into a first portion for irradiating water in the inlet section of the chamber, and a second portion for irradiating water in the outlet section of the chamber;

an atomizing device for atomizing water stored in the outlet section of the chamber;

an air flow generating device for generating an air flow over water stored in the outlet section of the chamber; and

at least one air outlet for emitting the air flow.

2. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion is located above the second portion.

3. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion is contiguous with the second portion.

4. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the irradiating device comprises an ultraviolet radiation transparent section, and wherein said at least one baffle is arranged to engage the transparent section to divide the irradiating device into the first portion and the second portion.

5. The humidifying apparatus of claim 4, wherein the transparent section of the irradiating device is convex in shape.

6. The humidifying apparatus of claim 4, wherein the transparent section of the irradiating device is tubular in shape.

7. The humidifying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the transparent section of the irradiating device surrounds an ultraviolet radiation emitting lamp of the irradiating device.

8. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the irradiating device is located within the chamber.

9. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one baffle is arranged to define, at least in part, an aperture through which water flows from the inlet section to the outlet section.

10. The humidifying apparatus of claim 9, wherein the aperture is located adjacent to the irradiating device.

11. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, comprising an inlet duct for conveying the air flow towards the outlet section of the chamber, and an outlet duct for conveying the air flow away from the outlet section of the chamber.

12. The humidifying apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inlet duct comprises an outlet port arranged to emit the air flow in such a direction as to generate a movement of the water stored in the outlet section of the chamber.

13. The humidifying apparatus of claim 12, wherein the outlet port of the inlet duct is located in a side wall of the chamber.

14. The humidifying apparatus of claim 12, wherein the outlet port of the inlet duct is arranged to emit air in a direction which is substantially parallel to the upper surface of water stored in the chamber.

15. The humidifying apparatus of claim 11, comprising a base upon which the water tank is mounted, the base comprising the chamber, the air flow generating device and the inlet duct, and the water tank comprising the outlet duct.

16. The humidifying apparatus of claim 15, wherein part of the outlet duct is removable from the water tank.

17. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the atomizing device comprises a transducer, and the humidifying apparatus comprises a controller for controlling the irradiating device and the frequency of vibration of the transducer.

18. The humidifying apparatus of claim 1, comprising a nozzle for receiving the air flow, the nozzle comprising said at least one air outlet, the nozzle extending about an opening through which air from outside the apparatus is drawn by air emitted from the nozzle.