Humidifier Or Evaporative Cooler Patents (Class 96/294)
  • Patent number: 8794603
    Abstract: A humidifier for adding humidity to an air stream of an HVAC system during a call for humidity includes an air intake configured to fluidically interface with an HVAC duct, a humidifier pad, a valve for controlling delivery of water from a water source to the humidifier pad, and a controller for controlling the valve. The controller may be configured to cause the valve to deliver a variable amount of water over a particular call for humidity. For example, and in some instances, the controller may cause the valve to deliver water to the humidifier pad for substantially less than all of the time for a particular call for humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: David Quam, Jeremy Peterson
  • Patent number: 8470063
    Abstract: A chimney filter system featuring two or more filter housings mounted atop an industrial chimney stack and a reservoir fluidly connected to the lower filter housing via a first drain pipe that allows water to flow from the lower filter housing to the reservoir. The reservoir allows contaminants in the water to collect on the bottom surface of the reservoir. A second drain pipe is fluidly connected to the reservoir via a pump. The pump and second drain pipe deliver water from the reservoir to the upper filter housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Hector Fernando Erazo Ortega
  • Patent number: 8465006
    Abstract: The productivity of a combined heat and mass transfer device is improved by directing a flow of a carrier-gas mixture through a fluid flow path in a combined heat and mass transfer device operating at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. Heat and mass are transferred from or to the carrier-gas mixture by a direct or indirect interaction with a liquid composition that includes a vaporizable component (e.g., water) in a liquid state to substantially change the content of the vaporizable component in the carrier-gas mixture via evaporation of the vaporizable component from the liquid composition or via condensation of the vaporizable component from the carrier-gas mixture, producing a flow of carrier-gas mixture having a concentration of the vaporizable component that differs from the concentration of the vaporizable component in the carrier-gas mixture before the heat and mass transfer process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, King Fahd Univeristy of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Mostafa H. Elsharqawy, John H. Lienhard, Syed M. Zubair, Prakash N. Govindan
  • Patent number: 8313569
    Abstract: An air washer adsorbs outside contaminated air to disks, which have water films formed thereon, and settles contaminants in water in a water reservoir, thus purifying and humidifying air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: WiniaMando Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Hyung Park, Seung Dae Yang, Hwa Ohk Kim, Joon Ho Jang, Il Ho So
  • Patent number: 8292272
    Abstract: Water is separated from a liquid mixture (e.g., sea water) using a humidification chamber and a dehumidification chamber that are each operated at a pressure less than ambient atmospheric pressure (e.g., at least 10% less than ambient atmospheric pressure). A carrier gas is flowed through the humidification chamber; and inside the humidification chamber, the carrier gas directly contacts the liquid mixture to humidify the carrier gas with water evaporated from the liquid mixture to produce a humidified gas flow. The humidified gas flow is directed through the dehumidification chamber, where water is condensed from the humidified gas flow and collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Mostafa H. Elsharqawy, John H. Lienhard, Syed M. Zubair, Prakash N. Govindan
  • Patent number: 8181943
    Abstract: A humidifier (1), including at least one housing (2), in which multiple fibers (3) constructed as water-permeable hollow fiber membranes are arranged, wherein a first air stream (4) is passed inside the fibers (3) and a second air stream (5) is passed outside the fibers (3), and wherein the housing (2) is of flattened design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Freudenberg KG
    Inventors: Klaus Leister, Harald Ehrentraut
  • Publication number: 20110247496
    Abstract: The present invention provides a humidifier assembly for humidifying a gas stream. The humidifier assembly including a heating element structured to be disposed in the gas stream for directly heating the gas stream as the gas stream passes therethrough and a supply of fluid provided at or near the heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Kimm Gardner, Mabini Arcilla
  • Publication number: 20110232496
    Abstract: An apparatus for purifying and humidifying air which enables separate supply of purified air and humidified air and controls the amount of humidified air discharged and which includes dual flow paths to increase the efficiency of air transfer. The apparatus includes a case having a suction port through which external air is introduced thereinto and a discharge port through which the introduced air is discharged, a circulation fan for causing the introduced air to flow toward the discharge port, a filter unit disposed in the case to filter the introduced air, a humidification unit disposed at a low position in the case to supply the air passed through the filter unit with moisture, and a flow path control unit disposed between the suction port and the humidification unit to control flow of the air passed through the filter unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventor: Woo Jin Kang
  • Patent number: 7281703
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid-to-gas contact device comprising: a liquid-to-gas contact medium which is a honeycomb structural body formed of a porous material including a plurality of through channels defined by a plurality of partition walls and extending through the structural body in an axial direction, and including a plurality of flow passages extending through the honeycomb structural body from an outer peripheral surface side and formed isolatedly from the through channels; and a container which includes a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a liquid supply port, a storage tank for liquid, and, if desired, a liquid discharge port and in which the liquid-to-gas contact medium is to be stored. A capillarity phenomenon function possessed by the liquid-to-gas contact medium is used to provide the device which has a superior thermal efficiency and which can be constituted to be simple and compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsunezo Inaba, Fumio Abe, Takeyoshi Kawahara, Yukio Miyairi
  • Patent number: 7160362
    Abstract: A method of cleaning air, including a humidifying operation for humidifying the air containing chemical contaminants by a humidifier and taking a part of the gaseous contaminants in the air into excessive moisture to remove the contaminants from the air, and a dehumidifying operation for dehumidifying the humidified air by a condenser and taking the gaseous chemical contaminants remaining, without being removed, in the humidifying operation into condensed water for removal. By using an oblique honeycomb having both front and rear faces and both upper and lower faces disposed in open state, air is led from the front opening part of the oblique honeycomb and water is fed from the upper opening part thereof to one or both of the humidifier and condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignees: Nichias Co., Ltd., Tokyo Electron Limited, Taisei Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Terada, Minoru Tanaka, Yuji Matumura, Sadao Kobayashi, Naoki Mori, Hiromu Itoh, Yoshihide Wakayama, Osamu Suenaga
  • Patent number: 6733556
    Abstract: In a ventilation system, such as anaesthesia machines or ventilators for intensive care, provided with a hosed directed to patient, a breathable gas supplying tube, an exhaustion tube and an antibacterial/antiviral filtering device connected at one side to the hose and at the other side to the breathable gas supplying tube and to the exhaustion tube, the filtering device including a casing, provided with an inlet conduit connected to the breathable gas supplying tube, and an outlet conduit connected to the hose; the casing having at least two chambers having parallel axes, defined by at least a common wall, and in fluid connection one with the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Inventor: Pier Luigi
  • Publication number: 20030188638
    Abstract: A method of humidifying gases to 100% relative humidity and a humidifier to carry out such a method are provided to humidify gases for fuel cells and for other applications. The humidification of gases is thermally controlled and thermal energy is managed to provide an efficient system. A pre-humidifier accommodates a wide range of flow rates of dry gas to initially humidify and pre-heat the gas, and a boiler provides steam to mix with the effluent from the pre-humidifier to humidify the gas to saturation. A thermal insulator between the boiler and bulk water and/or pre-humidifier enhances the steam generation from the boiler and prevents direct heating of water or gases by heat from the boiler. Above the boiler, bulk water, and pre-humidifier, a mixing chamber further functions as a condenser and water separator. The mixing chamber provides a space for mixing gases and steam and separates saturated gases from condensed water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventor: Chaojiong Zhang
  • Patent number: 6623546
    Abstract: According to the invention, the vapor is taken from the condensation chamber of the dehydrator and, prior to being compressed and at a temperature substantially equal to 100° C., it is caused to pass in succession through a series of purifiers, and in each of the purifiers it is forced through rain containing a purifying solution, at least one of the rain solutions being water, another containing an acid, and another containing a base. The invention is applicable to treating the vapor that results from dehydrating a variety of kinds of matter, such as farmyard manure, in particular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Sirven
    Inventor: Jacques Bourdel
  • Patent number: 6409157
    Abstract: An air treatment unit for treatment of an air stream, including a pad having a multitude of narrow air-flow channels, the walls of which are formed by corrugated sheets of a stiff material, the sheets being positioned and fixed generally in parallel planes next to each other in such a way that, as seen from an inlet side of the pad to an outlet side thereof, the channels formed by the corrugations of any two sheets located next to each other extend in two different directions the vertical plane of the respective sheet. At least in a central region of the pad, all sheets are positioned obliquely sideways, whereby all channels extend obliquely sideways relative to inlet and outlet surfaces of the pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Munters AB
    Inventors: Bertil Lundin, Geoffrey Bowers, Patricia Tyson Thomas
  • Patent number: 6375724
    Abstract: The invention is a humidification and filtration mask having an open cell foam reservoir attached to the facial or inner surface of a paper filtration mask. The reservoir provides for evenly wetting the paper mask by capillary action, after being charged with water. The device offers low inspiratory airway resistance compared to other art and is lighter and less costly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventor: James Kahekili Foti
  • Patent number: 6248155
    Abstract: A humidifier/air purifier including a housing defining a water reservoir, an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening; a generally V-shaped wicking element in fluid communication with the reservoir; an air filter with a generally V-shaped air filter medium and a frame supporting the air filter medium mounted above the wicking element; and a blower for causing air flow through the air inlet opening, through the wicking element, through the air filter, and through the air outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Bemis Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: John W. Seaman
  • Patent number: 6036755
    Abstract: A water filtering type air cleaning unit includes a housing having an upper side defining an air draining conduit and a lower side defining an air inlet conduit, a water permeable air filtering device mounted in the air draining conduit and including a plurality of stacked air filtering pipes, a water permeable disk mounted on a top edge of the water permeable air filtering device, a cold water heat exchanging device mounted in the air inlet conduit and including a cold water inlet and a cold water outlet connected with the water permeable disk, a water pump mounted in the air inlet conduit and connected with the cold water inlet, a water tank mounted in the air inlet conduit and connected with the water permeable air filtering device and the water pump, a natural convention device mounted in the housing and including a plurality of closed circulating pipes each filled with a refrigerant, and a vent mounted in the housing and including an upper side formed with an air outlet and an air inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Yiue Feng Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-Liang Weng
  • Patent number: 6024292
    Abstract: A decorative structure to humidify and heat interior living space including a housing having a water reservoir at the bottom and a weir at the top, a vertically disposed sheet located in the housing between the reservoir and the weir, the sheet having a rear face and an exposed front face, a heat member located in proximity to the rear face of the sheet for heating the sheet and a submersible pump located in the reservoir with lines to pump water from the reservoir to the weir during operation and use to allow the water pumped to the weir to cascade over the exterior face of the sheet and back to the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Russell G. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5993522
    Abstract: A compressed air strainer and drying treatment is provided in which a filter core of the strainer can be used successively without replacement. The strainer includes a strainer main trunk, an admitting pipe stretching into the inside of the main trunk, a water intake apparatus on one side of the top end of the main trunk, and an escape pipe set on the other side of the top end connecting a heat exchanger. An automatic drainer and a manual drainer are coupled to one side of the main trunk. On another side of the main trunk, a check valve is provided and a U-shaped pipeline connects the strainer to the evaporator. The drying treatment is accomplished by splitting the inlet compressed air into many fine streams by filter baffle plates to generate innumerable small bubbles and thereby increase the contacting area between the air and the water. Oil, dirt and contaminants are carried into the air bubble and then are filtered therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventor: Chin-Fu Huang
  • Patent number: 5851271
    Abstract: A device for simultaneously filtering and humidifying an air flow uses an outer casing having a rotatable, reticulated filtering element. The air flow enters the casing and must pass through the filtering element by making abrupt change in directions. Particles in the air flow, due to their greater inertia, will not be able to follow the air flow and, therefore, will not pass through the filtering element. There are expelled through an opening. The air flow exists through an outlet that is within the perimeter of the filtering element. A water projector serves to both humidify the air flow and wetten the filter elements surface in order to capture particles in the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Inventors: Fernando A. Baptista, Joao M. Pereira Dias Baptista
  • Patent number: 4705511
    Abstract: An introducer sheath includes a connector body having an inlet and an outlet; a flexible tube for intravenous use at the outlet, including a helical coiled spring having a plurality of coils, each coil spaced from an adjacent coil, and a thin cylindrical wall prepared from a protective coating composition completely surrounding the spring to define an inner and an outer wall surface, the cylindrical wall surrounding said spring having a substantially constant wall thickness throughout its length, the coating composition comprising a thermoplastic polymeric material dissolved in a solvent solution, the composition having a solids content ranging from about 4% to about 18%, and said solution comprising a solvent selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, methyl ethyl ketone, dimethylformamide, cyclohexane, and mixtures thereof, formed on a helical coiled spring by dipping the latter therein and then drying at room temperature; and a valve assembly including a first elastic membrane having a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Bipore, Inc.
    Inventor: Nuri Kocak