Air Humidification Injection Apparatus

Abstract

The invention is an apparatus that humidifies air to a selected relative humidity and injects the humidified air into a container to establish the selected relative humidity throughout the container. The apparatus facilitates ambient supply air into a vessel for humidification to a selected relative humidity. The resulting humidified air is purged from the vessel and routed for injection into the container. The injected humidified air infiltrates the container and sustains the selected relative humidity throughout the container. Contents of the container are thus maintained at the selected relative humidity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Proper humidification is essential for cigars or other items that have storage recommendations requiring specific relative humidity levels. Passive methods of humidification include the natural evaporation of ambient moisture. In devices that use passive humidification methods, moisture naturally evaporates from a solid state medium, typically a porous membrane, such as a sponge or foam-type material, a fibrous grid or matrix, a hygroscopic salt, or a polymer designed to expand and contain moisture, as exhibited in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,975,288; 7,892,327; 5,936,178; and 8,087,645 respectively. The rate of evaporation is not able to be controlled, thus a precise and consistent relative humidity cannot be achieved. Furthermore, the relatively slow rate of natural evaporation is not sufficient to rapidly establish a selected relative humidity in an enclosure, specifically a cigar humidor or other enclosure that is repeatedly opened and needs to be repeatedl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The air humidification injection apparatus described in this patent is designed to create a stable storage environment for tobacco products and other items that benefit from a certain level of humidity. It continuously injects humidified air into a container, ensuring a stable environment for preserving the items. This invention is particularly useful for the cigar industry to maintain their cigars at a specific humidity level.

Problems solved by technology

The rate of evaporation is not able to be controlled, thus a precise and consistent relative humidity cannot be achieved.

Furthermore, the relatively slow rate of natural evaporation is not sufficient to rapidly establish a selected relative humidity in an enclosure, specifically a cigar humidor or other enclosure that is repeatedly opened and needs to be repeatedly humidified.

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