Humidifier

Claim 1

A humidifier including a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a water reservoir and means for maintaining the water at a substantially constant level therein, a porous evaporator means rotatably mounted in said housing and adapted to be wetted by the water in said reservoir, said evaporator means comprising a generally cylindrical drum having a closed inner end and an open outer end opposed to said air inlet whereby air to be humidified enters said open end of said drum and passes through said drum to said air outlet, an air flow controlling means in said drum comprising a generally conical member of increasing slope extending substantially throughout the length of said drum and having its larger diameter end at the inner end of said drum and its smaller diameter at said open end of said drum for causing the air to flow along predetermined paths within said drum which effect substantially uniform flow of air through the entire cylindrical surface of said drum, a horizontally disposed drive shaft on which said drum is coaxially secured for rotation therewith, the inner end of said drive shaft extending through said inner end of said drum, motor means on said housing and coupled to said inner end of said drive shaft for rotating said drum at a predetermined speed, a diverter at said air inlet in said housing, said diverter having an annular flange projecting toward and in close proximity to said open end of said drum to direct the flow of air into said drum, said drive shaft having its outer end extending through said smaller diameter end of said conical member and being journaled on said diverter.