Description TOP SIDE WATER SUPPLY HUMIDIFIER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a humidifier, and more particularly to a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism. Background Art

[2] In general, humidifiers are home electric appliances for providing moisture into heated and dry room air, especially in the winter season so as to keep the indoor environment comfortable. Current types includes a heating type, an ultra-sonic type, a fan type, and a complex type humidifiers, each having advantages in accordance with moisture-generating methods.

[3] Each of the humidifiers provides moisture to air in its own unique way. For example, the heating type humidifier generates steam by heating water with a heater or electrodes. The ultra-sonic type humidifier includes a vibrator submerged in water, which provides ultrasonic vibration to the water when applied with electric signals whithin a specific range of frequencies, thereby causing the water to be atomized. The fan type humidifier uses wind generated by a fan that is disposed over water and is rotated of a high speed to create water particles.

[4] The ultra-sonic humidifier of the various types of humidifiers described above, which is most widely used in homes, is explained below.

[5] As shown in FIG. 1, the ultra-sonic humidifier includes a body 11 having an atomizer (not shown) built therein, a water tank 12 detachably seated at one side of the top surface of the body 11, a spray duct 13 through which atomized water is sprayed out, and a cover which covers the whole of the upper surface of the body 11 when the water tank 12 and spray duct 13 are being mounted to the body 11.

[6] Here, the spray duct 13 may be formed to be integrated into the water tank 12. Also, the water tank 12 may be exposed at its outer surface to the outside so that it serves as a cover.

[7] The water tank 12 has, at a bottom surface thereof, an opening (I) for feeding water.

A cap (C) is detachably engaged with the opening (I) and has, in the center thereof, a needle valve (V) operated by a spring. Operations of the ultra-sonic humidifier for feeding and atomizing water are as follows.

[8] When the water tank 12 is seated to a water tank seating recess (G) on one side of the top surface of the body 11 , a protrusion (E) at the center of the water tank seating recess (G) pushes the needle valve (V) in the center of the cap of the water tank 12 upwards into the inside of the water tank 12. The needle valve (V) is opened so that the

water of the water tank 12 flows into the water tank seating recess (G). The water that has flowed into the water tank seating recess (G) flows into an atomizing chamber (G ¹ ) having a vibrator 1 IA via a flow-path (F) formed on the top surface of the body 11. The water in the atomizing chamber (G') is atomized by the vibrator 1 IA, and then the atomized moisture is dispersed via the spray duct 13 to air outside of the humidifier.

[9] A reference letter ¹ S' indicates a water-level sensor which detects the presence of water in the atomizing chamber (G') and shut off electric power supplied to the vibrator 1 IA in the case where there is no water.

[10] The conventional ultra- sonic humidifier described above has a bottom water feeding mechanism in which the opening (I) is formed on the bottom surface of the water tank 12. Therefore, the conventional ultra-sonic humidifier make it uncomfortable to feed water when the water in the water tank 12 is used up, since one can feed water into the water tank 12 only after he detaches the water tank 12 from the water tank seating recess (G) and then disengages the cap (C) from the opening (I) while the water tank 12 is being turned over.

[11] Namely, the conventional humidifier has a problem in that it cannot be fed with water when the water tank 12 is seated in the body 11 since the cap (C) can be disengaged from the opening(I) of the water tank 12 only after the water tank 12 is detached from the body and the needle valve (V) is closed by a spring and then the water tank 12 is turned bottom up. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[12] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism, in which a water tank can be comfortably fed with water through an upper opening, even when seated in a body of the humidifier, and can also be fed with water through a lower opening when detached from the body of the humidifier, although a upper cap of the upper opening is not closed completely. Technical Solution

[13] In order to accomplish these objects, there is provided a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism which includes: a water tank having an upper opening for feeding water at an upper part thereof; an upper cap being operable to open and close the upper opening; upper and lower needle valves disposed on a water supply flow path in the water tank, each of the upper and lower needle valves being elastically supported by elastic means so that each of the upper and lower needle valves is operable to open and close the water supply flow path; and a rod assembly being operable to move the upper

needle valve upwards so that the upper needle valve blocks the water supply flow path so as to prevent water in the water tank from flowing out of the water tank when the upper cap opens the upper opening, and operable to move the upper needle valve downwards so that the upper needle valve opens the water supply flow path so as to allow the water in the water tank to flow out of the water tank when the upper cap closes the upper opening.

[14] A embodiment of the rod assembly includes: a rod disposed to be operable to move upwards and downwards through a rod passage formed by a support structure formed at the upper opening so that a lower end thereof separates from the upper needle valve or comes into contact with the upper needle valve; a rod cap disposed at the uppermost end of the rod so that the rod cap is pushed by the upper cap when the upper cap closes the upper opening and is released from the state of being pushed by the upper cap when the upper cap opens the upper opening; and an elastic means disposed between the rod cap and the support structure so that the elastic means is expanded when the upper cap opens the upper opening and is compressed when the upper cap closes the upper opening.

[15] The rod has a dent formed thereon, in which the dent corresponds to the lowest end of rod passage so as to limit an upward movement of the rod.

[ 16] The humidifier further includes a rod cover joined to the support structure by hooks, the rod cover being in a position to come into contact with the rod cap when the upper cap opens the upper opening so that the rod cover prevents the rod from projecting outward from the upper opening, wherein the rod cover has a plurality of small water- passing holes.

[17] Preferably, the elastic means is a coil spring.

[18] The water tank further includes a lower opening for feeding water at a lower part thereof and a lower cap section being operable to open and close the lower opening, in which the lower cap section includes the water supply flow path and the upper and lower needle valves, in which the water tank can be fed with water through the lower opening when the water tank is detached from a body of the humidifier and the lower cap is opened.

[19] The lower cap section includes a lower cap and a water purifying filter integrally connected to an upper part of the lower cap, in which the water purifying filter purifies water flowing through the water supply flow path and is provided with the upper needle valve, in which the water supply flow path is formed in a support structure within the lower cap and the water purifying filter.

[20] Preferably, the upper cap further includes a water-tight sealing member.

Advantageous Effects

[21] It is an advantage of the present invention that the water tank can be comfortably fed with water even when it is seated in the body. Also, the present invention has an excellent effect in that even though the upper cap is open while the humidifier is in use, the upper needle valve blocks the water supply flow path completely, thereby preventing a water leakage in the body due to water head pressure in the water tank. In addition, the upper cap further includes the water-tight sealing member, which allows the water tank to be fed with water via the lower opening when the water tank is detached from the body and the lower cap is open, although the upper cap of the upper opening is closed completely. Brief Description of the Drawings

[22] FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of the conventional humidifier;

[23] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a structure of a water tank of a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention;

[24] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the water tank of the humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention;

[25] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line A - A of the water tank of FIG. 3 in the state in which an upper cap thereof is closed;

[26] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line A - A of the water tank of FIG. 3 in the state in which the upper cap thereof is opened;

[27] FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of the humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention;

[28] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a different structure of a water tank of a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention; and

[29] FIG. 8 is a perspective view for showing a bottom part of the different structure of the water tank of the humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[30] Hereinafter, a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[31] FIGS. 2 to 6 show a water tank of a humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism of the present invention. The humidifier of the present invention may preferably be an ultra-sonic humidifier. Thus, although not shown in the drawings, the humidifier of the present invention may include a body having an atomizer built therein, a water tank detachably seated at one side of the top surface of the body, a spray duct through which atomized water is sprayed, and a cover which covers the whole of the top surface of the body when the water tank and spray duct are mounted to the body.

[32] In the description below, a structure and operation of the whole of the humidifier is omitted, but a composition closely related to the top water feeding mechanism of the present invention will be explained in detail.

[33] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the humidifier 100 with the top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention includes a water tank 110, an upper cap 120, an upper needle valve 130, a lower needle valve 140, and a rod assembly 160.

[34] The water tank 110 has, at an upper part thereof, an upper opening 111 for feeding water. In the embodiment, the water tank 110 has the upper opening 111 for feeding water at an upper part thereof. However, the water tank 110 of the present invention may also include a lower opening 112 for feeding water at a lower part thereof.

[35] It is preferable that the upper opening 111 has a support structure 113 formed therein, which is provided with a rod passage 114 through which a rod 170 of the rod assembly 160 moves as described below. Also, the support structure 113 has hook holes 115 to which hooks 201 of a rod cover 200 are connected.

[36] The upper cap 120 opens and closes the upper opening 111. In the embodiment, the upper cap 120 is thread-engaged with the upper opening 111 and has a water-tight sealing member 121 on an outer circumferential surface thereof. The sealing member 121 prevents the water in the water tank 110 from leaking from the water tank 110, even when the water tank 110 is detached from the body and then is turned over. The sealing member 121 allows for feeding water through the lower opening 112 even when the upper opening 111 is completely closed by the upper cap 120.

[37] The upper needle valve 130 and the lower needle valve 140 are respectively disposed at a upper part and lower part of a water supply flow path 152 and are elastically supported on the water supply flow path 152 by elastic means so that the upper needle valve 130 and the lower needle valve 140 open and close the water supply flow path 152, respectively. In the embodiment, it is preferable that the upper needle valve 130 and the lower needle valve 140 are provided at a lower cap section 150 operable to open and close the lower opening 112. It is also preferable that the elastic means elastically supporting the upper needle valve 130 and the lower needle valve 140 are coil springs 131 and 141.

[38] Here, the lower cap section 150 is provided with the water supply flow path 152, the upper needle valve 130, and the lower needle valve 140, in which the water tank 110 can be fed with water through the lower opening 112 when the water tank 110 is detached from the body and then the lower cap section 150 is opened.

[39] Specifically, the lower cap section 150 includes a lower cap 153 which opens and closes the lower opening 112 and is provided with the lower needle valve 140 disposed therein, and a water purifying filter 154 which is disposed to be integrally connected to an upper part of the lower cap 153. The water purifying filter 154 purifies water

flowing through the water supply flow path 152 and is provided with the upper needle valve 130 disposed therein.

[40] Here, it is preferable that the lower cap section 150 is thread-engaged with the lower opening 112, and the water supply flow path 152 is defined by a support structure 151 disposed within the lower cap 153 and the water purifying filter 154. The support structure 151 supports the upper needle valve 130 and the lower needle valve 140.

[41] The lower cap section 150 works as follows (refer to FIG. 1). As the water tank 110 is seated in the water tank seating recess, the protrusion at the center of the water tank seating recess pushes the lower needle valve 140 disposed in the center of the lower cap 153 of the lower cap section 150 of the water tank 110 upwards into the inside of the water tank 110. Thereby, the needle valve is opened so that the water of the water tank 110 flows into the water tank seating recess via the water supply flow path 152. The water that has flowed into the water tank seating recess flows into an atomizing chamber having the vibrator via the flow-path formed on the top surface of the body. The water in the atomizing chamber is atomized by the vibrator, and then the atomized moisture is dispersed via the spray duct to air outside the humidifier.

[42] It is an advantage of the present invention that the water tank 110 has not only the upper cap 120 in the upper part thereof, but also the lower cap section 150 which allows for feeding water into the water tank 110 via the lower opening 112 when the water tank 110 is detached from the body and the lower cap section 150 is opened.

[43] Meanwhile, the rod assembly 160 is elastically supported in the upper opening 111 in such a manner that when the upper cap 120 is disengaged from the upper opening 111 to open the upper opening 111, it moves the upper needle valve 130 upwards to block the water supply flow path 152 to prevent the water in the water tank 110 from flowing out from the water tank 110, and when the upper cap 120 is engaged with the upper opening 111 to close the upper opening 111 , it moves the upper needle valve 130 downwards to open the water supply flow path 152 to allow the water in the water tank 110 to flow out.

[44] In the embodiment, the rod assembly 160 includes the rod 170, a rod cap 180, and an elastic means.

[45] The rod 170 is disposed to be operable to move upwards and downwards through the rod passage 114 formed by the support structure 113, so a lower end thereof comes to be separated from the upper needle valve 130 or comes into contact with the upper needle valve 130. The rod 170 is provided with the rod cap 180 at an upper end portion thereof. A lower end of the rod 170 may be formed with a flat surface to enhance contact force with the upper needle valve 130.

[46] The rod 170 is further provided with a dent 171. The dent 171 corresponds to the

lowest end of the rod passage 114, so that it limits the upward movement of the rod 170.

[47] The rod cap 180 is provided to the highest end of the rod 170, so that when the upper cap 120 is disengaged from the upper opening 111, it is separated from the upper cap 120, and when the upper cap 120 is engaged with the upper opening 111, it is in contact with the upper cap 120.

[48] The elastic means is disposed between the rod cap 180 and the support structure

113, so that it is expanded when the upper cap 120 is disengaged from the upper opening 111 to open the upper opening 111, and it is compressed when the upper cap 120 is engaged with the upper opening 111 to close the upper opening 111. The elastic means is preferably a coil spring 190.

[49] In addition, the rod assembly 160 further includes the rod cover 200 which has the hooks 201 respectively hooked to each of the hook holes 115.

[50] As the upper cap 120 is disengaged from the upper opening 111, the rod cover 200 is in contact with the rod cap 180 so as to prevent the rod 170 from projecting outward from the upper opening 111. The rod cover 200 has a plurality of small water-passing holes 202 formed therein through which water supplied through the upper opening 111 penetrates.

[51] According to the humidifier of the present invention described above, the water tank 110 can be comfortably fed with water while being seated in the body because of the operation of the upper needle valve 130 interconnected with the operation of the rod assembly 160.

[52] In addition, even though the upper cap 120 is opened while the humidifier 100 is in use, the upper needle valve 130 blocks the water supply flow path 152 completely, thereby preventing water leakage in the body due to water head pressure in the water tank 110.

[53] The present invention can be applied not only to the embodiment of the humidifier

100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, but also to a humidifier 100' and a water tank 110', both of which have different structures shown in FIG. 7 and 8.

[54] The operation of the humidifier 100 according to the present invention is explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. FIG. 4 shows the humidifier 100 in operation, in which the water tank 110 is seated on the body and the upper cap 120 of the water tank 110 closes the upper opening 111. When the water tank 110 is seated on the body in the state that the upper cap 120 is engaged with the upper opening 111, then the coil spring 190 of the rod assembly 160 is compressed by the upper cap 120, whereby the rod 170 is moved downwards through the rod passage 114. The moved rod 170 comes into contact with and pushes the upper needle valve 130 downwards, so that the upper needle valve 130 is moved downwards to open the water supply flow path 152.

[55] Meanwhile, FIG. 5 shows the humidifier 100, in which the upper cap 120 of the water tank 110 is disengaged from the upper opening 111 to open the upper opening 111. When the upper cap 120 is disengaged from the upper opening 111 to open the upper opening 111, then the rod 170 of the rod assembly 160 is released from the state of being pushed by the upper cap 120. Therefore, the rod 170 is moved upwards through the rod passage 114 by the expansion of the coil spring 190, whereby the upper needle valve 130 is moved upwards by the coil spring 131 so as to close the water supply flow path 152. Industrial Applicability

[56] The humidifier with a top water feeding mechanism according to the present invention includes a water tank having an upper opening for feeding water at an upper part thereof, an upper cap being operable to open and close the upper opening, upper and lower needle valves disposed on a water supply flow path in the water tank, in which each of the upper and lower needle valves is elastically supported by each of elastic means so that each of the upper and lower needle valves is operable to open and close the water supply flow path, and a rod assembly being operable to move the upper needle valve upwards so that the upper needle valve blocks the water supply flow path so as to prevent water in the water tank from flowing out of the water tank when the upper cap opens the upper opening, and being operable to move the upper needle valve downwards so that the upper needle valve opens the water supply flow path so as to allow the water in the water tank to flow out of the water tank when the upper cap closes the upper opening. Therefore, it is an advantage of the present invention that the water tank can be comfortably fed with water even when it is seated in the body. Also, the present invention has an excellent effect in that even though the upper cap is opened while the humidifier is in use, the upper needle valve blocks the water supply flow path completely, thereby preventing water leakage in the body due to water head pressure in the water tank.

[57] In addition, the upper cap further includes the water-tight sealing member, which allows the water tank to be fed with water via the lower opening when the water tank is detached from the body and the lower cap is open, although the upper cap of the upper opening is closed completely.