FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an apparatus to humidify a room, or other space, volume or similar. In particular the apparatus according to the present invention is used to increase the level of humidity in an adjustable manner in a room without substantially and perceptibly modifying the temperature of the room.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Apparatuses are known, called humidifiers, used in a substantially closed space, such as for example a room, a bedroom, an office or suchlike, in order to increase the level of humidity, for example to facilitate the breathing, in particular but not only, of children.

Two main types of humidifier are known, a first so-called hot humidifier and a second so-called cold humidifier.

Hot humidifiers have a function comparable to normal vaporizers, in which a determinate quantity of water is heated to boiling point and then dispersed in the environment in the form of steam.

This type of humidifier has the disadvantage that, due to the great temperature difference between the temperature of the steam and the temperature of the room, a certain quantity of condensation can be generated, in particular on the inner surfaces of the room which may, over time, promote the formation of deposits, mold and the proliferation of bacteria.

Another problem is the extensive formation of lime scale on the heating resistance, which causes loss of efficiency and needs frequent maintenance operations.

Cold humidifiers have the advantage that they humidify the air with a lesser energy requirement, but on the other hand have the disadvantage that, at least from a sensorial and perceptive point of view, they cause a reduction in the temperature of the room. Indeed, the effect obtained is a nebulization of water particles with mechanical agitation techniques, and the particles are mixed with the ambient air, taking energy from it and therefore causing a lowering of the temperature. US-A-5.645.769, which represents the closest state of the art to the present invention, describes a humidifier device for the interior compartment of vehicles which not only humidifies the space but also determines a refrigeration effect and lowering of temperature inside the interior compartment.

One purpose of the present invention is to achieve an apparatus to humidify a room that allows to humidify the air inside a room to a desired value, determinable as desired, preventing both the formation of condensation and also reductions and modifications of the ambient temperature, also only from the sensorial and perceptive point of view.

Another purpose is to obtain the humidification with a low energy consumption.

Another purpose is also to achieve a purification and/or heating, even limited, of the air.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, an apparatus to humidify a room according to the present invention comprises:

- an area containing water,

- a humidifier circuit which passes through and/or laps said area containing water,

- at least a suction member with a variable speed, and hence delivery, adjustable according to at least two distinct values, able to take ambient air and to introduce at least a fraction of said air taken in inside the humidifier circuit upstream of the area containing water, and

- a member to fragment and disperse the water associated with the area containing water, which is able to determine an atomization of the water so as to form a fine dispersion of water droplets, like a fine, cold mist.

According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the humidifier circuit is configured with respect to the area containing water so that the fraction of air taken in by the suction member meets the fine dispersion of water and transports it toward the exit into the room of the humidified circuit, so as to form a humidified and nebulized stream; moreover, at least downstream of the area containing water along the humidifier circuit, near the exit thereof, or immediately downstream of the exit, there are direct or indirect heating means, with adjustable intensity according to at least two distinct values, to heat said humidified and nebulized fluid, which are suitable to provide said stream with an energy input such as to transform the humidified stream at least partly into steam. According to the invention, the apparatus comprises means to detect the humidity of the room to be conditioned, and means to set a desired value of humidity by the user.

In this way, when the user sets a desired value of humidity, in relation to the value detected by the means that detect the ambient humidity, both the air suction means and the heating means are automatically adjusted. Therefore, the delivery of air and the intensity of heating of the streams of air at exit from the machine are adjusted so that the humidity in the room is taken to the desired value without causing any lowering of the temperature of the room, even only sensorial and perceptible.

In other words, an exact and dosed quantity of air is heated to a precise heating value so as to obtain a balance that leads to a modification of the humidity value without causing variations in the temperature of the room.

Advantageously, the heating temperature induced by the heating means is in any case much lower than the boiling point of water, so as to reduce to a minimum the formation of condensation caused by the re-transformation of the steam into water when it is introduced into the room.

With the present invention, there is no reduction in the room temperature, at least from the sensorial and perceptive point of view, since it is the heating means that provide the energy input necessary for the humidified and nebulized stream exiting from the humidifier circuit, which therefore does not take away energy from the room.

According to another variant, the apparatus also comprises a ventilation circuit, operatively associated with the humidifier circuit, and able to generate a main stream of air, a fraction of which can then be introduced into the humidifier circuit so as to form said humidified stream.

The stream produced by the ventilation circuit is preferably introduced into the room after being subjected to heating.

According to another variant, the suction member is in any case common to both the humidifier circuit and also the ventilation circuit.

According to another variant, the humidifier circuit branches off from an initial segment of the ventilation circuit.

According to a first solution, the heating means that heat the humidified stream consist of the same means that heat the ventilation stream; in this case, the humidifier stream is heated indirectly by mixing the humidified stream and the ventilation stream, at exit from the respective circuits.

In another solution, at least a specific heating mean is present, disposed along the humidifier circuit. In this case, a first solution provides that the heating means are disposed on the outside of the pipe that transports the humidified stream toward the outside, transmitting heat through the walls thereof; another solution provides heating means disposed inside the pipe in order to supply heat in a direct manner to the humidified stream.

According to still another variant, the heating means are disposed downstream of the exit both of the humidifier circuit and also of the ventilation circuit, so as to heat the overall exit stream of air.

According to another variant, two heating members are provided, each disposed in the relative humidifier and ventilation circuit, so as to heat independently both the humidified stream and also the ventilation stream before they are mixed.

According to another variant, the apparatus according to the invention comprises a filter element, such as for example a filter of the HEPA type {High Efficiency Particulate Air filter), ULPA {Ultra Low Penetration Air) or other filter of the so-called absolute type, which filters the air taken in from the room before introducing it inside the humidifier circuit and/or the ventilation circuit, blocking any possible polluting impurities and/or harmful for the health which may be present in the room.

According to another variant, the fragmentation and dispersion member is an ultra-sound transducer.

According to another variant, there is a filter for the water, for example of the anti-lime scale type with resins, at least upstream of the area containing water, so that the water fed to the area containing water has a low impurity content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a front view, partly in section, of an apparatus to humidify a room according to the present invention;

- fig. 2 is a section from II to II of fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 is a section from III to III of fig. 1.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify common elements in the drawings that are substantially identical. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one form of embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other forms of embodiment without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF

EMBODIMENT

With reference to the attached drawings, the number 10 denotes generally an apparatus to humidify a room, hereinafter simply called humidifier.

In this case the humidifier 10 comprises an external containing structure 1 1 able to define a technical compartment, a humidifier circuit 12, a ventilation circuit 13, a suction member 15, an ultra-sound transducer 16 to atomize the cold water, a main heating element 17 and/or a secondary heating element 1 17.

In particular, the external containing structure 1 1 comprises an inlet aperture 19 to take in air from the room, and an outlet mouth 20, from which a ventilation stream is introduced into the room, possibly heated by the main heating element 17.

Following the path of the air from the inlet aperture 19 to the outlet mouth 20, the suction member 15 is mounted on the external structure 1 1 in correspondence with the inlet aperture 19, so as to take in the air to be processed from the room. In particular, the suction member 15 comprises a blade-type ventilator 21 directly connected at outlet to the ventilation circuit 13 and provided at inlet with a HEPA filter 22, in order to abate the impurities in the air and therefore to introduce purified air into the room.

The ventilator 21 is of the type conformed to take in air from the room axially and to introduce it radially inside the ventilation circuit 13.

This solution allows to reduce the bulk of the humidifier 10 while maintaining a high fluidic yield.

The ventilator 21 is of the type adjustable according to at least two speeds, advantageously three or more, so as to vary the delivery of the air taken in by the apparatus 10 and re-introduced into the room, for the reasons explained hereafter.

The apparatus 10 also comprises a humidity detector 40, mounted on the structure and suitable to detect the humidity value of the room.

The ventilation circuit 13 comprises a connection segment 23 having a spiral or screw-type conformation, disposed around the ventilator 21, to define a stream of air by means of the air introduced radially by the ventilator 21 , and an outlet segment 25 with a progressively wider section so as to reduce the exit speed of the ventilation stream, and open in correspondence with the outlet mouth 20 of the external structure 1 1.

The humidifier circuit 12 branches off from the collection segment 23 of the ventilation circuit 13, thus taking in a fraction of the stream taken in from the room by the ventilator 21.

The humidifier circuit 12 comprises an inlet segment 26, a humidifier segment 27 and an outlet segment 29.

The inlet segment 26 is fluidically connected to the collection segment 23 in order to take in the air, the humidifier segment 27 allows to generate a humidified stream with the air taken in, and the outlet segment 29 is open in correspondence with the outlet mouth 20 of the external structure 1 1.

The outlet segment 29 of the humidifier circuit 12 is disposed substantially parallel and separate from the outlet segment 25of the ventilation circuit 13, and in this case has a lower air delivery than the latter.

Both the outlet segment 29 of the humidifier circuit 12 and the outlet segment 25 of the ventilation circuit 13 open in correspondence with the outlet mouth 20 of the external structure 1 1, so as to allow the two streams to be at least partly mixed, so that, thanks to the higher temperature of the ventilation stream, the humidified stream is provided with an energy input in the form of heat.

In particular, the portion 20a of the outlet mouth 20 is where the air subjected to heating by the main heating element 17 exits, whereas the portion 20b is where the humidifier stream exits which, joining the heated stream exiting from the portion 20a, determines the desired humidification of the air without generating perceptible variations in the temperature of the room.

The ultra-sound transducer 16 is operatively associated with the humidifier segment 27 of the humidifier circuit 12 and comprises in this case an ultra-sound impulse generator 30, a piezoelectric crystal 33, a water tank 31 connected to an area containing water 35 and a valve member 32.

Between the tank 31 and the area containing water 35 there is an anti-lime scale filter 36, for example of the resin type, which prevents or at least reduces the formation of lime scale, in particular on the components 30, 33 of the transducer and along the humidifier circuit 12.

The impulse generator 30 is of the substantially traditional type and, when activated, excites the piezoelectric crystal 33 which emits ultra-sounds inside the water contained in the containing area 35, in order to micronize the particles and disperse the micronized drops inside the humidifier segment 27.

In this way, inside the humidifier segment 27, a fine, cold mist of water is formed, above the mass of water disposed in the containing area 35. The fraction of ambient air, with its adjustable delivery, which is taken into the inlet segment 26, is guided to lap the part above the containing area 25, taking with it the drops that make up the mist and therefore generating a humidified flow of air, which is then discharged through the outlet segment 29.

The tank 31 is disposed lateral with respect to the inlet segment 26, and feeds the containing area 35 with water so as to maintain a certain level, which can be regulated so as at least to completely cover the impulse generator 30 and the piezoelectric crystal 33, for the micronization.

The valve member 32 selectively determines the level in the containing area 35.

The main heating element 17 in this case is disposed along the outlet segment 25 of the ventilation circuit 13, so as to heat the stream of air in an adjustable manner, before it mixes with the humidified stream.

The mixing of the two streams determines a heat exchange which delivers energy to the humidified stream containing micronized particles, in quantities dosed to determine an at least partial vaporization of the particles, so that the overall resulting stream has the correct dosage of humidity without the disadvantages on the one hand of condensation forming and on the other hand of cooling the room.

The main heating element 17 is for example of the electric resistance type, and comprises one or more electric coils distributed on the section of the outlet segment 25, to heat the stream of ventilation air passing through it.

Preferably, the main heating element 17 is a PTC resistor with multiple branches able to be selectively and independently activated so as to allow to regulate the heating intensity according to the ambient conditions desired to be obtained.

In the variant shown by a line of dashes in fig. 3, the secondary heating element 1 17 is shown, which delivers energy in the form of heat to the humidified stream containing the micronized particles, so as to supply at outlet the humidified stream at the desired and looked for degree of humidity.

In this variant, in solutions that are not shown here, the outlet of the humidified stream may also be not contiguous to the outlet of the main ventilation stream, but disposed in another part of the containing structure 1 1.

The secondary heating element 1 17 can be a resistance disposed around a pipe that makes up the humidifier circuit 12; in this case, the stream is heated through the walls of the pipe.

In other solutions, the secondary heating element 1 17 may consist for example of an armored resistance disposed inside the pipe so that the humidified stream passes through it before it exits from the circuit 12.

During functioning, the humidity detector 40 detects the ambient humidity value and compares it with a humidity value, pre-set in the machine or settable by the operator, to which the room is to be taken.

Based on this detection, the delivery of air of the humidifier stream by the suction member 15 is conditioned, and the heating value determined by the main 17 or secondary 1 17 heating element, so that the heat exchange at the exit of the two streams, humidifier and ventilation, is such as to determine a balance that leads to the desired humidity value being reached in the room without causing any variation in temperature.

It is clear that modifications and/ or additions of parts may be made to the humidifier 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

For example, it comes within the field of the present invention to provide that a single heating element 17 is disposed downstream of the two circuits 12 and 13, and upstream of the outlet mouth 20, so as to heat the stream of outlet air after mixing of the stream of air and the humidified stream.