Travel Humidifier

• US 5,673,360 A
• Filed: 09/11/1995
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scripps J. Sebastian
• Original Assignee: Scripps J. Sebastian
• Inventors: Scripps, J. Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paik, Sam
• Application Number:
  US08/526,678
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 392/402, 392/403, 392/404, 392/405, 392/406, 392/337, 361/42, 361/44, 361/45, 220/8
• US Class Current: 392/405
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/025 using electrical heating means F24F6/105 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/334 with means to produce an artificial unbalance for other protection or monitoring reasons or remote control H02H3/338 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable and compact humidifier for use in a hotel room includes a vaporizing chamber having a heating element that vaporizes water contained in a hotel sink or ice bucket. Various safety devices are provided, all of which connect with a ground fault interrupt circuit ("GFCI") located at the electrical plug end of the humidifier. Upon the occurrence of a fault condition, the GFCI disconnects electricity from the vaporizing element. The safety devices include both high and low water level sensors, and a heating element overheat sensor. The humidifier enclosure may either comprise a single component that allows the entire humidifier to float in the reservoir, or the enclosure may comprise a plurality of enclosure sections that telescope relative to each other. The uppermost section is fixed in height with respect to the reservoir, while the lowermost section floats in the reservoir. As the level of water in the reservoir decreases, the telescoping enclosure increases in length.

Claims

1. A portable humidifier for vaporizing water held in a water reservoir apart from the humidifier, the humidifier comprising:

a. a vaporizing chamber having at least one inlet for passing water therethrough and into the vaporizing chamber, and having at least one outlet for passing water vapor therethrough and out of the vaporizing chamber and into a surrounding environment, the vaporizing chamber having floating means associated therewith for floating the vaporizing chamber in the water reservoir;

b. vaporizing means, disposed in the vaporizing chamber, for vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber to create the water vapor that passes through the outlet into the surrounding environment;

c. high water means for sensing when a level of the water in the vaporizing chamber has exceeded a first predetermined height, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the level of water in the vaporizing chamber has exceeded the first predetermined height; and

d. a telescoping outer enclosure comprising a plurality of enclosure sections connected together, a lowermost enclosure section enclosing the vaporizing chamber and the vaporizing means, an uppermost enclosure section connected with a housing of the water reservoir, as the level of water in the water reservoir decreases over time as the water is vaporized, the enclosure sections slide with respect to each other such that the uppermost enclosure section is fixed with respect to the water reservoir housing and the lowermost enclosure section contacts the water in the water reservoir.

2. The portable humidifier of claim 1, further comprising low water means for sensing when the level of the water in the vaporizing chamber has become lower than a second predetermined height, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the level of water in the vaporizing chamber has become lower than the second predetermined height.

3. The portable humidifier of claim 1, further comprising overheat means for sensing when a temperature of the vaporizing means has exceeded a predetermined temperature, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the temperature of the vaporizing means has exceeded the predetermined temperature.

4. The portable humidifier of claim 1, further comprising shutoff means for sensing when an electrical fault associated with the humidifier occurs, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the electrical fault occurs.

5. The portable humidifier of claim 1, wherein the vaporizing means comprises an electrically-powered heating element that heats the water within the vaporizing chamber to a temperature that is high enough to vaporize the water within the vaporizing chamber, and wherein electric power is supplied to the heating element from an electric power source located apart form the humidifier, the electric power being supplied through an electrical cord connected to the heating element and selectively connected to the electric power source at an electrical plug end of the electrical cord.

6. The portable humidifier of claim 5, further including a ground fault interrupt circuit operable to selectively prevent electric power from the electric power source from being applied to the heating element upon an occurrence of at least one of a plurality of fault conditions.

7. The portable humidifier of claim 6, wherein the ground fault interrupt circuit is located at the electrical plug end of the electrical cord.

8. A portable humidifier for vaporizing water held in a water reservoir apart from the humidifier, the humidifier comprising:

a. a vaporizing chamber having at least one inlet for passing water therethrough and into the vaporizing chamber, and having at least one outlet for passing water vapor therethrough and out of the vaporizing chamber and into a surrounding environment, the vaporizing chamber having floating means associated therewith for floating the vaporizing chamber in the water reservoir;

b. vaporizing means, disposed in the vaporizing chamber, for vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber to create the water vapor that passes through the outlet into the surrounding environment;

c. ground fault interrupt circuit means for sensing an occurrence of at least one of a plurality of fault conditions associated with the humidifier, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber upon the occurrence of at least one of the fault conditions, wherein electric power is supplied to the vaporizing means from an electric power source located apart from the humidifier, the electric power being supplied through an electrical cord connected to the vaporizing means and also adapted to be selectively connected to the electric power source at an electrical plug end of the electrical cord, the ground fault interrupt circuit means being located at the electrical plug end of the electrical cord; and

d. a telescoping outer enclosure comprising a plurality of enclosure sections connected together, a lowermost enclosure section enclosing the vaporizing chamber and the vaporizing means, an uppermost enclosure section connected with a housing of the water reservoir, as the level of water in the water reservoir decreases over time as the water is vaporized, the enclosure sections slide with respect to each other such that the uppermost enclosure section is fixed with respect to the water reservoir housing and the lowermost enclosure section contacts the water in the water reservoir.

9. The portable humidifier of claim 8, further comprising high water means for sensing when a level of the water in the vaporizing chamber has exceeded a first predetermined height, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the level of water in the vaporizing chamber has exceeded the first predetermined height, wherein the level of water in the vaporizing chamber exceeding the first predetermined height comprising one of the at least one fault conditions.

10. The portable humidifier of claim 8, further comprising low water means for sensing when the level of the water in the vaporizing chamber has become lower than a second predetermined height, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the level of water in the vaporizing chamber has become lower than the second predetermined height, wherein the level of water in the vaporizing chamber being lower than the second predetermined height comprising one of the at least one fault conditions.

11. The portable humidifier of claim 8, further comprising overheat means for sensing when a temperature of the vaporizing means has exceeded a predetermined temperature, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the temperature of the vaporizing means has exceeded the predetermined temperature, wherein the temperature of the vaporizing means exceeding the predetermined temperature comprising one of the at least one fault conditions.

12. The portable humidifier of claim 8, further comprising shutoff means for sensing when an electrical fault associated with the humidifier occurs, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber when the electrical fault occurs, wherein the occurrence of the electrical fault comprising one of the at least one fault conditions.

13. A portable humidifier for vaporizing water held in a water reservoir apart from the humidifier, the humidifier comprising:

a. a vaporizing chamber having at least one inlet for passing water therethrough and into the vaporizing chamber, and having at least one outlet for passing water vapor therethrough and out of the vaporizing chamber and into a surrounding environment, the vaporizing chamber having floating means associated therewith for floating the vaporizing chamber in the water reservoir;

b. vaporizing means, disposed in the vaporizing chamber, for vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber to create the water vapor that passes through the outlet into the surrounding environment; and

c. a telescoping outer enclosure comprising a plurality of enclosure sections connected together, a lowermost enclosure section enclosing the vaporizing chamber and the vaporizing means, an uppermost enclosure section connected with a housing of the water reservoir, as the level of water in the water reservoir decreases over time as the water is vaporized, the enclosure sections slide with respect to each other such that the uppermost enclosure section is fixed with respect to the water reservoir housing and the lowermost enclosure section contacts the water in the water reservoir.

14. The portable humidifier of claim 13, wherein the floating means comprises at least one air-filled chamber within the lowermost enclosure section.

15. The portable humidifier of claim 13, further comprising ground fault interrupt circuit means for sensing an occurence of at least one of a plurality of fault conditions associated with the humidifier, and for preventing the vaporizing means from vaporizing water within the vaporizing chamber upon the occurrence of at least one of the fault conditions, wherein electric power is supplied to the vaporizing means from an electric power source located apart from the humidifier, the electric power being supplied through an electrical cord connected to the vaporizing means and also adapted to be selectively connected to the electric power source at an electrical plug end of the electrical cord, the ground fault interrupt circuit means being located at the electrical plug end of the electrical cord.

16. The portable humidifier of claim 13, wherein the vaporizing means comprises an electrically-powered heating element that heats the water within the vaporizing chamber to a temperature that is high enough to vaporize the water within the vaporizing chamber, and wherein electric power is supplied to the heating element from an electric power source located apart form the humidifier, the electric power being supplied through and electrical cord connected to the heating element and also adapted to be selectively connected to the electric power source at an electrical plug end of the electrical cord.

17. The portable humidifier of claim 16, further including a ground fault interrupt circuit operable to selectively prevent electric power from the electric from the electric power source from being applied to the heating element upon an occurrence of at least one of a plurality of fault conditions.

18. The portable humidifier of claim 17, wherein the ground fault interrupt circuit is located at the electrical plug end of the electrical cord.