Patent US3917759A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3917759A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Domestic humidifier
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1974-01-30
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Granted: 1975-11-04
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Expires: 1994-01-30
Abstract
Abstract A domestic humidifier for humidifying one or several rooms in a house and which is also ornamental. The humidifier consists of a series of small streams and interconnecting falls. It comprises a hollow body having a front generally rectangular wall, which is inclined and which defines a series of superposed longitudinally extending small stream forming troughs arranged in step-like manner, each trough slightly vertically inclined in an opposite direction with respect to two adjacent troughs. The front wall has steep fall forming portions joining the downstream end of one trough with the upstream end of a subjacent trough. A water reservoir and a pump are located within the hollow body. The pump has an outlet pipe discharging into the upstream end of the highest trough. The lowest trough has a drain hole connected to a drain pipe returning the water to the reservoir. Each trough is, moreover, provided with an auxiliary fall forming groove connecting an intermediate portion of the trough and discharging a portion of the water flowing through the same directly into a subjacent trough. A control valve serves to regulate the flow of water through the system. The water flowing through the troughs and on the steep fall forming portions has a great surface area in contact with air and circulates at a relatively high speed, resulting in good evaporation of water within the room.
Inventors
- 👤 Andre Martin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:33
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24F; F24F6/00; F24F6/02; F24F6/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
232 words
A DOMESTIC WATER HUMIDIFIER COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY DEFINING AN UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY INCLINED FRONT WALL HAV ING SERIALLY CONNECTED TROUGHS AND TRANSVERSELY STEEP STRIP PORTIONS FORMED THEREIN WITH THE TROUGHS LATERALLY ALTERNATING WITH THE TRANSVERSELY STEEP STRIP PORTIONS AND UPWARDLY SEPARATED BY THE LATTER LATERALLY IN STEP-LIKE MANNER, EACH TROUGH HAVING AN OUTSIDE GUARD WALL BEIBG SLIGHTLY INCLINED IN ITS LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE INCLINATION OF ANY ADJACENT TROUGH, AND DEFINING AN UPSTREAM PORTION AND A DOWNSTREAM PORTION, EACH TRANSVERSELY STEEP STRIP PORTION HAVING ONE END PORTION FORMING A STEEP INCLINE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND CASCADING FROM THE DOWNSTREAM PORTION OF ONE TROUGH TO THE UPSTREAM PORTION OF A SUBJACENT TROUGH AND IN SERIES WITH THE ASSOCIATED ONE TROUGH AND SUBJACENT TROUGH FOR FREE WATER CIRCULATION SERIALLY ALONG THE TROUGHS IN OPEN AIR EXPOSURE AND FOR EVAPORATION IN THE AIR, SAID FRONT WALL FORMING A DRAIN CAVITY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE DOWNSTREAM PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST TROUGH, A WATER OUTLET OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATEDD TO THE UPSTREAM PORTION OF THE UPPERMOST TROUGH TO FEED WATER THERETO, AND POWER-ACTUATED MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING WATER FROM THE DRAIN CAVITY TO SAID WATER OUTLET, WHEREBY WATER WILL CIRCULATE IN ZIGZAG MANNER ON SAID FRONT WALL IN SAID TROUGHS AND WILL FORM A SERIES OF FALLS FROM ONE TROUGH TO ANOTHER ALONG SAID STEEP INCLINES FOR EVAPORATION OF WATER OFF SAID FRONT FACE INTO THE AMBIENT AIR.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
232 words
A DOMESTIC WATER HUMIDIFIER COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY DEFINING AN UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY INCLINED FRONT WALL HAV ING SERIALLY CONNECTED TROUGHS AND TRANSVERSELY STEEP STRIP PORTIONS FORMED THEREIN WITH THE TROUGHS LATERALLY ALTERNATING WITH THE TRANSVERSELY STEEP STRIP PORTIONS AND UPWARDLY SEPARATED BY THE LATTER LATERALLY IN STEP-LIKE MANNER, EACH TROUGH HAVING AN OUTSIDE GUARD WALL BEIBG SLIGHTLY INCLINED IN ITS LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE INCLINATION OF ANY ADJACENT TROUGH, AND DEFINING AN UPSTREAM PORTION AND A DOWNSTREAM PORTION, EACH TRANSVERSELY STEEP STRIP PORTION HAVING ONE END PORTION FORMING A STEEP INCLINE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND CASCADING FROM THE DOWNSTREAM PORTION OF ONE TROUGH TO THE UPSTREAM PORTION OF A SUBJACENT TROUGH AND IN SERIES WITH THE ASSOCIATED ONE TROUGH AND SUBJACENT TROUGH FOR FREE WATER CIRCULATION SERIALLY ALONG THE TROUGHS IN OPEN AIR EXPOSURE AND FOR EVAPORATION IN THE AIR, SAID FRONT WALL FORMING A DRAIN CAVITY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE DOWNSTREAM PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST TROUGH, A WATER OUTLET OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATEDD TO THE UPSTREAM PORTION OF THE UPPERMOST TROUGH TO FEED WATER THERETO, AND POWER-ACTUATED MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING WATER FROM THE DRAIN CAVITY TO SAID WATER OUTLET, WHEREBY WATER WILL CIRCULATE IN ZIGZAG MANNER ON SAID FRONT WALL IN SAID TROUGHS AND WILL FORM A SERIES OF FALLS FROM ONE TROUGH TO ANOTHER ALONG SAID STEEP INCLINES FOR EVAPORATION OF WATER OFF SAID FRONT FACE INTO THE AMBIENT AIR.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guard walls of said troughs have at least one recess intermediate their length, said transversely steep strip portions have a steeply inclined groove cascading transversely thereof from one receSs to a subjacent trough and forming an auxiliary fall for some of the water flowing through said troughs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 2, wherein said grooves forming said auxiliary falls are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axes of said troughs in a direction towards the upstream end of the associated subjacent trough in order that the water flowing in said auxiliary falls is counter current to the water flowing within said subjacent trough.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the front wall forms bosses transversely aligned with said recesses to deviate water flowing within the troughs towards said recesses and to said auxiliary falls.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the bottom of said troughs is provided with ribs for agitating water flowing within said troughs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 2 wherein said steep inclines are provided with ribs to increase water agitation along the steep inclines.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drain cavity has a rounded shape and a discharge opening on one side of said cavity, said cavity is located immediately underneath the downstream portion of the lowermost trough and higher than the bottom of the cavity in communication with one steep incline cascading from the lowermost trough and arranged for flowing water along said last-named steep incline tangentially to the rounded cavity to create a whirlpool in the latter before being discharged through said discharge opening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A humidifier as claimed in claim 7, further including a ball in said cavity adapted to be rotated by said whirlpool.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A domestic humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front wall forms a front face and a rear face, said troughs, transversely steep strip portions, and said steep inclines are formed on the front face, said hollow body defines a rearwardly opening chamber against said rear face, and said power-actuated means is mounted in said chamber in concealment behind said front wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A domestic humidifier as claimed in claim 9, further including valve means to manually control the water flow in said troughs and on said inclines, and said power-actuated means including a water reservoir and a submersible pump operatively immersed in the water reservoir.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-03 | 1979-05-05 | 1979-11-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-03 | 1983-05-05 | 1983-11-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-03 | 1987-05-05 | 1987-11-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |