Humidifier

Abstract

The utility model provides a humidifier, include: ultrasonic transducer, it generates high frequency vibration, transducer IC, it controls the ultrasonic transducer through fixed setting to be two or more than two duty cycle (duty cycle) of different activation percentage of each other, and humidification amount decision part, it decides target humidification amount, the transducer IC controls the ultrasonic transducer according to one or more than one duty cycle of target humidification amount combination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a humidifier with precisely adjustable humidification volume, and more specifically, to a humidifier that controls ultrasonic transducers by combining duty cycles set with different activation percentages, thereby enabling more precise adjustment of the humidification volume. Background Technology

[0002] A humidifier is a household appliance that maintains dry indoor air at a suitable humidity level to provide a comfortable environment. Especially in winter or summer when air conditioning is used, indoor air can become dry, which can cause dry skin, respiratory problems, allergies, and other issues. Humidifiers play an important role in preventing such problems and maintaining a healthy indoor environment. In addition, humidifiers can also help plant growth and are useful in preventing furniture and musical instruments from warping. Humidifiers with various functions and designs are available on the market, allowing users to choose the right product based on their needs and environment.

[0003] Humidifiers are categorized into several types based on their humidification methods. The main types include evaporative humidifiers, heating humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers, and combination humidifiers. Evaporative humidifiers expose a water-filled filter or pad to the air, using a fan to circulate the air and promote evaporation. This is a natural evaporation method with low energy consumption, but it requires regular filter replacement and has a relatively slow humidification speed. Heating humidifiers boil water to produce steam, which is then released into the air. This method has a sterilizing effect and provides rapid humidification, but it is energy-intensive and poses a risk of burns. Ultrasonic humidifiers use ultrasonic transducers to break water into tiny droplets, which are then released into the air. Ultrasonic humidifiers are energy efficient, quiet, and provide rapid humidification. Unlike heating humidifiers, they do not pose a risk of burns, and therefore have become widely used recently.

[0004] An ultrasonic humidifier consists of an ultrasonic transducer and a transducer IC. The ultrasonic transducer receives electrical signals and generates high-frequency vibrations, thereby breaking down water into tiny particles. The transducer IC controls these ultrasonic transducers and adjusts their operation through various duty cycles. After the ultrasonic transducer breaks down water into tiny particles through high-frequency vibrations, these particles are released into the air, thus regulating indoor humidity.

[0005] In traditional ultrasonic humidifiers, a fixed duty cycle is used to adjust the humidification output. The duty cycle refers to the proportion of time the oscillator is active within a specified period. For example, with a 50% duty cycle, the oscillator is active for half the period and inactive for the other half. Traditional humidifiers use a few fixed duty cycles to adjust the humidification output. For example, a low humidification level is set to 50%, a medium humidification level to 62%, and a high humidification level to 95%. This method of adjusting humidification output with a fixed duty cycle makes precise adjustment difficult and results in limited humidification levels and low energy efficiency. Because of the fixed duty cycle, it's difficult for users to set the desired accurate humidification output, and because only a few fixed duty cycles are available, it's difficult to adjust the humidification output according to various environmental conditions.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to develop a humidifier that allows users to more precisely adjust the desired humidification level. Utility Model Content

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems existing in the prior art mentioned above. The purpose of the present invention is to control the ultrasonic transducer by combining duty cycles with different activation percentages, thereby providing a humidifier that can more precisely adjust the humidification amount.

[0008] The technical solution of this utility model for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.

[0009] This utility model provides a humidifier, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer that generates high-frequency vibration; a transducer IC that controls the ultrasonic transducer by two or more duty cycles with different activation percentages; and a humidification amount determination unit that determines a target humidification amount, wherein the transducer IC controls the ultrasonic transducer by combining one or more of the duty cycles according to the target humidification amount.

[0010] The oscillator IC adjusts the average humidification amount per unit time by combining one or more duty cycles, and adjusts the humidification amount of the humidifier to the target humidification amount by the average humidification amount.

[0011] The oscillator IC includes a control unit that controls the ultrasonic oscillator based on the calculation results of the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle in the combination of duty cycles.

[0012] The calculation result is derived based on the following mathematical formula 1:

[0013] [Mathematical Expression 1]

[0014]

[0015] Wherein, H refers to the average humidification amount, and a i This refers to the percentage of activation for each duty cycle (i = 1, 2, ... n), x i The duty cycle refers to the working time (i = 1, 2, ... n), and T refers to the unit time.

[0016] The oscillator IC further includes a storage unit that stores a table corresponding to the calculation results. The control unit determines the working time of each duty cycle corresponding to the average humidification amount that is closest to the target humidification amount based on the stored table.

[0017] The humidifier also includes a humidification amount operation unit, which can be operated by the user, and the humidification amount determination unit determines the target humidification amount based on the operation result of the humidification amount operation unit.

[0018] The effects of this utility model are as follows.

[0019] According to this invention, by controlling ultrasonic transducers with fixed duty cycles set at different activation percentages for each other, the humidification amount can be adjusted more precisely, thereby providing the optimal humidity that meets the user's requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figures 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) are examples illustrating the fixed duty cycle of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of an oscillator IC according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an average humidification table corresponding to a duty cycle combination, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a duty cycle combination according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the control unit's control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure Labels

[0027] 10: Humidification amount operation unit, 30: Humidification amount determination unit, 50: Oscillator IC, 51: Storage unit, 55: Control unit, 70: Ultrasonic oscillator, 100: Calculation unit. Detailed Implementation

[0028] It should be noted that the technical terms used in this utility model are merely for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the utility model. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined in this utility model, the technical terms used in this utility model should be interpreted according to their common understanding in the art to which this utility model pertains, and should not be interpreted as overly inclusive or overly narrow. Moreover, when the technical terms used in this utility model are incorrect technical terms that fail to accurately express the idea of ​​this utility model, they should be replaced and understood by technical terms that can be correctly understood by those skilled in the art.

[0029] Furthermore, in this invention, unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, singular expressions include plural expressions. In this invention, terms such as "composed of" or "comprising" should not be construed as necessarily including all the multiple constituent elements or steps described in the invention, and should be understood as meaning that some constituent elements or steps may not be included, or additional constituent elements or steps may be included.

[0030] Furthermore, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the concept of this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting the concept of this utility model to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] The humidifier (hereinafter referred to as "humidifier") capable of precise humidification adjustment described in this utility model will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The humidifier with precisely adjustable humidification capacity (hereinafter referred to as "humidifier") of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 Figure 2(a), Figure 2(b), and Figure 2(c) are functional block diagrams of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. They are examples of fixed duty cycles of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] One embodiment of the humidifier of this utility model is used to more precisely adjust the humidification amount. For this purpose, the humidifier of this embodiment may include a humidification amount operation unit 10 operated to determine the humidification amount, a humidification amount determination unit 30 that determines the target humidification amount, an oscillator IC50 that controls the vibration to provide humidification according to the target humidification amount, and an ultrasonic oscillator 70 that generates high-frequency vibration for humidification.

[0035] The humidification control unit 10 is an interface that allows users to directly set the target humidification level, enabling them to select a specific level from multiple humidification levels. In this case, the number of humidification levels that the user can select can at least exceed the number of fixed duty cycles.

[0036] The humidification control unit 10 can be implemented in a variety of ways.

[0037] For example, the humidification control unit 10 may include an analog knob. The user can set the desired humidification level by rotating the knob. The knob is marked with a range from minimum to maximum humidification level, allowing the user to intuitively select the desired level. Depending on the rotation angle of the knob, different signals are transmitted to the humidification level determination unit 30, which can then determine the target humidification level based on these signals.

[0038] For example, the humidification control unit 10 may include digital buttons. Users can set the desired humidification level in stages by pressing the "+" and "-" buttons. As a specific example, it can be set so that the humidification level increases or decreases by 5% each time a button is clicked. In this case, a separate digital display can be provided so that the currently set humidification level can be confirmed in real time.

[0039] For example, the humidification control unit 10 may include a touch screen interface. Users can intuitively set the humidification level through the touch screen. For instance, they can use a slider to adjust the humidification level or directly input the desired humidification level in numerical form.

[0040] For example, the humidification control unit 10 may include a voice recognition function. The user can set the humidification level using voice commands. For instance, the desired humidification level can be set using a command such as "humidification level 50%". The voice recognition system recognizes the user's command and transmits it to the humidification level determination unit 30, which then adjusts the target humidification level.

[0041] For example, the humidification control unit 10 can be linked with a mobile application. Users can remotely set the humidification level through a smartphone application. The application allows for real-time monitoring of the current humidification level and adjustment as needed. Furthermore, the smartphone's calendar function can be used to automatically adjust the humidification level for specific time periods.

[0042] On the other hand, the humidification amount determination unit 30 can receive operation information about the humidification amount from the humidification amount operation unit 10, set the target humidification amount according to the received operation information, and provide the set target humidification amount information to the oscillator IC.

[0043] At this time, the target humidification amount information can be provided in the form of the duty cycle activation percentage. Therefore, the humidification amount determination unit 30 can perform the operation of converting the operation information provided by the humidification amount operation unit 10 into the corresponding activation percentage.

[0044] The transducer IC50 can control the ultrasonic transducer 70 by using two or more duty cycles with different activation percentages.

[0045] Here, the duty cycle refers to the proportion of time the oscillator is in an active state within a specified period. At this time, the number of duty cycles in the humidifier and the activation percentage of each duty cycle are fixed.

[0046] Figures 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) are examples of duty cycles. (See reference...) Figures 2(a) to 2(c) The number of duty cycles can be set to three. As shown in Figure 2(a), the first duty cycle (hereinafter referred to as the "first duty cycle") can be set to an activation percentage of 50%. The first duty cycle with an activation percentage of 50% is active for 50% of the vibration period C and inactive for the remaining 50%. As shown in Figure 2(b), the second duty cycle (hereinafter referred to as the "second duty cycle") can be set to an activation percentage of 62%. The second duty cycle with an activation percentage of 62% is active for 62% of the vibration period C and inactive for the remaining 38%. As shown in Figure 2(c), the third duty cycle (hereinafter referred to as the "third duty cycle") can be set to an activation percentage of 95%. The third duty cycle with an activation percentage of 95% is active for 95% of the vibration period C and inactive for the remaining 5%. This number of duty cycles and the setting of each activation percentage is merely an example; various duty cycles can be used depending on the field of application of this invention. However, for the sake of clarity, the following example will be illustrated using three duty cycles, as shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c), with activation percentages of 50%, 62%, and 95% for each duty cycle.

[0047] At this time, the oscillator IC50 can control the ultrasonic oscillator 70 by combining one or more duty cycles according to the target humidification amount. Specifically, the oscillator IC50 controls the ultrasonic oscillator 70 to operate at a first duty cycle during a first time interval within a unit time, controls the ultrasonic oscillator 70 to operate at a second duty cycle during a second time interval within a unit time, and controls the ultrasonic oscillator 70 to operate at a third duty cycle during a third time interval within a unit time. Here, the sum of the first to third times is equal to the unit time, and each of the first to third times can be greater than or equal to 0 seconds and less than the unit time. For example, when the unit time is 10 seconds, the sum of the first to third times is 10 seconds, and each of the first to third times can be between 0 seconds and 10 seconds in duration.

[0048] Thus, the oscillator IC50 adjusts the preset average humidification amount per unit time by combining one or more duty cycles, and can adjust the humidification amount of the humidifier to the target humidification amount by using the average humidification amount. A detailed explanation of this will be given later.

[0049] The operation of the ultrasonic transducer 70 is controlled by the transducer IC50 to generate high-frequency vibrations, thereby breaking water down into tiny particles.

[0050] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of an oscillator IC according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a table showing the average humidification amount corresponding to a duty cycle combination according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a duty cycle combination according to an embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the control unit's control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] The following will refer to Figures 3 to 6 A more detailed explanation of the oscillator IC50 is provided.

[0052] As described above, the oscillator IC50 adjusts the average humidification amount per unit time by combining one or more duty cycles, and can adjust the humidification amount of the humidifier to the target humidification amount by using the average humidification amount.

[0053] For this purpose, the oscillator IC50 may include: a storage unit 51 that stores the calculation results of the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle in the duty cycle combination; and a control unit 55 that controls the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator 70 based on the calculation results stored in the storage unit 51.

[0054] The storage unit 51 stores the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle, specifically, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the example, the calculation results of the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle can be stored in tabular form.

[0055] In this case, a separate calculation unit 100 can be provided to calculate the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle. Here, the calculation unit 100 can be constructed separately from the humidifier, but is not limited to this. If necessary, the calculation unit 100 can be installed inside the humidifier.

[0056] The calculation unit 100 can calculate the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle in the duty cycle combination.

[0057] Preferably, the calculation unit can calculate the average humidification amount corresponding to the working time of each duty cycle based on the following mathematical formula 1.

[0058] [Mathematical Expression 1]

[0059]

[0060] Where H can refer to the average humidification rate, and a i It can refer to the activation percentage of each duty cycle (i = 1, 2, ... n), x i It can refer to the working time of each duty cycle (i = 1, 2, ... n), and T can refer to the unit time.

[0061] The control unit 55 can receive the target humidification amount determined by the humidification amount determination unit 30. When the target humidification amount is received, it selects the average humidification amount that is closest to the target humidification amount based on the table stored in the storage unit 51. It can also control the ultrasonic transducer 70 based on the working time of each duty cycle used to calculate the selected average humidification amount.

[0062] by Figure 4 Taking a table as an example, when the control unit 55 receives a target humidification level of 59% from the humidification level determination unit 30, it finds and selects the average humidification level closest to the target humidification level based on the table stored in the storage unit 51. At this time, there may be two average humidification levels closest to the target humidification level. In this case, one of the two average humidification levels closest to the target humidification level will have a value higher than the target humidification level, while the other will have a value lower than the target humidification level. In this case, to save energy consumption, the control unit 55 can select an average humidification level lower than the target humidification level. On the other hand, the control unit 55, having selected the closest average humidification level of 59%, can control the ultrasonic transducer 70 based on the working time of each duty cycle used to calculate the average humidification level of 59%. That is, the control unit 55 can... Figure 5As shown in the example, the ultrasonic transducer 70 is controlled with a first duty cycle for 8 seconds out of a unit time of 10 seconds, and with a third duty cycle for the remaining 2 seconds. During this time, the control unit 55 repeatedly executes control corresponding to the unit time during the period when the humidifier operates according to the target humidification amount.

[0063] According to the field of application of this utility model, the calculation unit 100 can directly calculate the duty cycle combination and the working time of each duty cycle in the duty cycle combination in a way that generates an average humidification amount corresponding to the target humidification amount.

[0064] With the above structure, the humidifier of one embodiment of the present invention can more precisely adjust the humidification amount, and accordingly can provide the optimal humidity according to the user's requirements.

[0065] On the other hand, when the control unit 55 controls the ultrasonic transducer 70 according to two or more duty cycles within a unit time, it can continuously control the transducer corresponding to the same duty cycle without time separation. That is, in a unit time of 10 seconds, for the ultrasonic transducer 70, the control unit 55 can control the ultrasonic transducer 70 continuously for 8 seconds with the first duty cycle, and then control it for 2 seconds with the third duty cycle, instead of separating the first duty cycle by controlling it for 4 seconds with the first duty cycle, controlling it for 2 seconds with the third duty cycle, and then controlling it for 4 seconds with the first duty cycle again. This allows for continuous execution of the same duty cycle to the maximum extent, thereby simplifying control, minimizing control errors, and minimizing duty cycle transitions to reduce power consumption.

[0066] Reference Figure 6 In the example shown, the control unit 55 divides the control cycle corresponding to a unit time into a first cycle T1 and a second cycle T2, and can alternately execute the control corresponding to the first cycle T1 and the control corresponding to the second cycle T2. At this time, the first cycle T1 and the second cycle T2 can be configured with a control sequence that is mutually inverted. That is, when the control unit 55 controls the ultrasonic transducer 70 based on the working time of each duty cycle used to calculate the average humidification amount of 59%, as in the example above, the first cycle T1 can be configured in the order of a first duty cycle of 8 seconds and a third duty cycle of 2 seconds, but conversely, the second cycle T2 can be configured in the order of a third duty cycle of 2 seconds and a first duty cycle of 8 seconds. When the control corresponding to the first cycle and the second cycle is executed alternately in this way, and the control is performed in the order of a first duty cycle of 8 seconds, a third duty cycle of 4 seconds, and a first duty cycle of 8 seconds, the duty cycle switching can be further minimized.

[0067] On the other hand, the above description is merely an illustrative description of the technical concept of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of this utility model. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this utility model are not intended to limit the technical concept of this utility model, but rather to illustrate it. These embodiments do not limit the scope of the technical concept of this utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model should be interpreted by the claims, and all technical concepts within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as falling within the scope of the rights of this utility model.

Claims

1. A humidifier, characterized by, including: an ultrasonic vibrator that generates high-frequency vibrations; a vibrator IC that controls the ultrasonic vibrator by fixing two or more duty cycles at activation percentages that are different from each other; and a humidification amount decision section that decides a target humidification amount, the vibrator IC combining one or more of the duty cycles to control the ultrasonic vibrator in accordance with the target humidification amount.

2. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator IC adjusts an average humidification amount per unit time that is set in advance by combining one or more of the duty cycles, and adjusts a humidification amount of the humidifier to the target humidification amount by the average humidification amount.

3. The humidifier according to claim 2, wherein the vibrator IC includes a control section that controls the ultrasonic vibrator based on a calculation result of an average humidification amount of an operation time corresponding to each duty cycle in the combination of the duty cycles.

4. The humidifier according to claim 3, wherein the calculation result is calculated based on the following mathematical expression 1: [mathematical expression 1] wherein H refers to the average humidification amount, a i refers to the activation percentage of each duty cycle, x i refers to the working time of each duty cycle, wherein i = 1, 2, … n, and T refers to the unit time.

5. The humidifier according to claim 4, wherein the vibrator IC further includes a storage section that stores a table corresponding to the calculation result, the control section decides an operation time of each duty cycle corresponding to the average humidification amount closest to the target humidification amount based on the stored table.

6. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier further includes a humidification amount operation section that is operable by a user, and the humidification amount decision section decides a target humidification amount based on an operation result of the humidification amount operation section.

Images