Humidifier pad

Claim 1

A HUMIDIFIER PAD THROUGH WHICH AIR CAN BE CIRCULATED TO BE HUMIDIFIED, CHARACTERIZED BY: (A) A FILLER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STRIP OF CORRUGATED PAPER-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING THE RIDGES AND GROOVES OF ITS CORRUGATIONS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO ITS LENGHT, SAID STRIP BEING ROLLED INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY TIGHT SPIRAL SO AS TO PROVIDE (1) OPPOSITE FACES ON THE FILLER DEFINED BY OPPOSIDE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE STRIP AND (2) AIR PASSAGES EXTENDING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID FACES AND DEFINED BY THE RIDGES AND GROOVES OF THE CORRUGATIONS; (B) A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID FRAME SURROUNDING THE FILLER AT THE EDGES THEREOF TO HOLD THE STRIP SPIRALLY ROLLED; AND (C) SAID PAD HAVING A PLURALITY OF WATER DISTRIBUTION PASSAGES EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INTO THE FILLER FROM ONE EDGE THEREOF AND OPENING THROUGH THE FRAME AT SAID EDGE OF THE FILLER, SO THAT WHEN THE PAD IS DISPOSED WITH SAID FACES UPRIGHT AND SAID EDGE OF THE FRAME UPPERMOST, WATER CAN BE INTRODUCED INTO EACH OF SAID PASSAGES AND CAN BE CARRIED LATERALLY AWAY FROM THE PASSAGE BY THE CONVOLUTIONS OF THE STRIP TO BE THUS DISTRIBUTED UNIFORMLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE FILLER FOR EXPOSURE TO AIR CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH.