Humidifier

Claim 2

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, float means adapted to be bouyantly supported by water in the receptacle, said receptacle having a vertically expandable and contractible side wall, said float means being connected to said side wall adjacent the upper end thereof, air moisturizing means supported by the float means to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, said moisturizing means having an outlet opening exteriorly of the receptacle for discharging moisture into the surrounding atmosphere.

Claim 3

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float means adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float means to rise and fall with the water level in the Receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said receptacle having a vertically expandable and contractible side wall, the upper edge portion of said side wall being connected with said float means.

Claim 4

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float means adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float means to rise and fall with the water level in the Receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said receptacle having a vertically expandable and contractible side wall, the upper edge portion of said side wall being connected with said float means.

Claim 5

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturizing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said air propelling means comprising a motor driven impeller in said duct carried by said float.

Claim 6

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturizing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said air propelling means comprising a motor driven impeller in said duct carried by said float.

Claim 7

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturizing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said receptacle having a vertically expandable and contractible side wall, the upper edge portion of said side wall being connected with said float.

Claim 8

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturizing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said receptacle having a vertically expandable and contractible side wall, the upper edge portion of said side wall being connected with said float.

Claim 9

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturizing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said air propelling means comprising a motor driven impeller in said duct and said moisturizing means comprising means forming a water slinger driven by said motor for producing a dispersion of water droplets in said duct.

Claim 10

A humidifier comprising a receptacle for water, a float adapted to be bouyantly supported by the water in the receptacle, means forming an air duct, moisturizing means in the air duct contacting the water, said moisturizing means being supported by the float to rise and fall with the water level in the receptacle, means forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said duct, the means forming one of said openings being carried by the float such that said one opening rises and falls with the water level in the receptacle and means for propelling air into said duct, through said inlet opening, through said duct, and thereafter out through said outlet opening, said air propelling means comprising a motor driven impeller in said duct and said moisturizing means comprising means forming a water slinger driven by said motor for producing a dispersion of water droplets in said duct.

Claim 11

A humidifier as called for in claim 5 wherein said moisturizing means also includes an air permeable member wetted by the water in the receptacle and through which at least a portion of the air propelled in the duct is constrained to flow.

Claim 12

A humidifier as called for in claim 6 wherein said water slinger is adapted to direct water droplets against the air permeable member.

Claim 13

A humidifier as called for in claim 6 wherein the water slinger is adapted to wet the impeller blades.

Claim 14

A humidifier comprising a water receptacle having a side wall, a bottom wall and an open upper end, a motor driven air impeller at the open upper end of the receptacle, a generally vertically extending annular member circumscribing said impeller and extending downwardly therefrom, at least the lower section of said annular member being formed of a water absorbent material which is adapted to retain water and which is readily air permeable so that air can flow laterally through said lower section, meAns for maintaining said lower section saturated with water and a float supporting said lower section of said annular member on the water in the receptacle such that the lower portion thereof is partially submerged and the upper portion of the lower section extends upwardly above the level of the water in the receptacle around its entire periphery such that when the impeller is rotated air is directed laterally through the portion of the water saturated section extending above the water level to thereby moisturize said air.

Claim 15

A humidifier comprising a water receptacle having a side wall, a bottom wall and an open upper end, a motor driven air impeller at the open upper end of the receptacle, a generally vertically extending annular member circumscribing said impeller and extending downwardly therefrom, at least the lower section of said annular member being formed of a water absorbent material which is adapted to retain water and which is readily air permeable so that air can flow laterally through said lower section, meAns for maintaining said lower section saturated with water and a float supporting said lower section of said annular member on the water in the receptacle such that the lower portion thereof is partially submerged and the upper portion of the lower section extends upwardly above the level of the water in the receptacle around its entire periphery such that when the impeller is rotated air is directed laterally through the portion of the water saturated section extending above the water level to thereby moisturize said air.

Claim 16

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein said lower section of the annular member is disposed slightly laterally inwardly of the side wall of the receptacle to define an annular air passageway around the outer periphery of said lower section.

Claim 17

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein the upper portion of said annular member defines an air duct extending upwardly above said impeller.

Claim 18

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein said impeller is supported by said float.

Claim 19

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein said annular member circumscribes an area at the water level which has a cross dimension forming a major portion of the cross dimension of the upper open end of the receptacle.

Claim 20

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein said impeller is adapted to rotate about a vertical axis and has blades which extend radially outwardly to closely adjacent the inner periphery of said annular member for producing a relatively large volume of air flow with a minimum of pressure drop across said lower section of the annular member.

Claim 21

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein said annular member is supported by said float.

Claim 22

A humidifier as called for in claim 15 wherein said air impeller is supported by said annular member.

Claim 23

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein said means for maintaining the lower section of said annular member saturated with water includes means within said annular member for directing water droplets to the portion of the lower section of the annular member above the water level.

Claim 24

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 including means for cyclically varying the extent to which the lower section of said annular member is immersed in the water.

Claim 25

A humidifier a called for in claim 9 wherein said motor driven impeller is supported in a vertically fixed position independently of said float, said annular member having its upper section fixed relative to the impeller and an extensible portion interconnecting said lower and upper sections.

Claim 26

A humidifier as called for in claim 9 wherein the float is disposed radially inwardly of the receptacle side wall.

Claim 27

A humidifier as called for in claim 20 wherein said side wall comprises a bellows arrangement.

Claim 28

A humidifier as called for in claim 21 including means providing lateral support to the receptacle.

Claim 29

A humidifier as called for in claim 22 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a supporting wall extending exteriorly around the side wall of the receptacle.

Claim 30

A humidifier as called for in claim 23 wherein said supporting wall is air permeable.

Claim 31

A humidifier as called for in claim 23 wherein said supporting wall comprises an air permeable filter.

Claim 32

A humidifier as called for in claim 23 including means forming vertically extending guideways around the inside of said supporting wall and means on said float engaging said guideways.