Humidifier

Abstract

To provide a humidifier capable of minimizing a phenomenon that water flows out to the external of a water tank.SOLUTION: A humidifier includes: a housing; a water tank including an opening / closing valve for discharging stored water; a water tank unit for storing the discharged water; a humidification member performing humidification; an air blowing portion; a water supply adjustment member disposed on the water tank unit to be movable between an opening position for opening the opening / closing valve to supply the water to the water tank unit, and a closing position for closing the opening / closing valve to block the supply of water; a water supply operation member kept into contact with the water supply adjustment member for moving the water supply adjustment member; and a control portion for controlling the driving of the water supply operation member to position the water supply adjustment member on the opening position or the closing position. The water supply adjustment member includes a space formation member provided with an opening for guiding the water discharged from an outflow port of the opening / closing valve to the water tank unit, and the space formation member includes a water intake space capable of taking the water discharged from the outflow port when the housing is inclined at a specific angle or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidifier for increasing the humidity in the air, and more particularly to a humidifier capable of adjusting the water supply from a water bucket to a water tank.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a humidifier that artificially generates and sprays moisture to increase the humidity indoors sprays water vapor generated by heating the water stored in a water tank to a predetermined temperature into the room according to the moisture generation method. This is a heating type humidifier, an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water particles refined by ultrasonic vibration of the water stored in the water tank into the room, and a combined humidifier that has both a heating type humidification method and an ultrasonic type humidification method. Recently, an evaporation type (blowing type) humidifier that immerses a humidifying member (humidifying filter) in a water tank and then evaporates the water that has moved to the humidifying member by blowing to perform humidification is also used.

[0003] Although such conventional humidifiers differ in the humidification method, generally, a method of supplying water from a water bucket to a water tank is often used.

[0004] A conventional humidifier equipped with a water bucket and a water tank has a structure in which when the water bucket is attached to the water tank, an on-off valve connected to the inlet of the water bucket is opened by a protrusion formed in the water tank, and water is supplied from the water bucket to the water tank. At this time, when the water level in the water tank coincides with the lower end of the outlet of the on-off valve, air does not flow into the water bucket, and the water stored in the water bucket is no longer supplied to the water tank.

[0005] Therefore, since the conventional humidifier is configured to maintain the water level in the water tank at a certain level, even after the humidification is completed, water at a certain level continues to remain in the water tank, and there are hygienic problems such as the generation of mold, scale, water scale, odor, and the growth of bacteria in the water tank.

[0006] In particular, in the case of a conventional vaporizing humidifier, since the humidifying filter is immersed in the water stored in the water tank or humidification is performed with a rotating disk in contact with the water stored in the water tank, water remains not only in the water tank but also in the humidifying member, leading to the above-mentioned hygiene problems.

[0007] In addition, conventional humidifiers equipped with an air purification function can selectively operate in an air purification mode and a humidification mode. However, even when humidification is not desired, such as in the air purification mode, water in the water tank and / or the humidifying member continues to evaporate due to the blowing, resulting in a continuous humidification state. And conventional humidifiers also have the problem that even in the air purification mode that does not require water supply, when the water level in the water tank becomes low, water is supplied again from the water bucket, and the dirty state of the water tank continues.

[0008] On the other hand, when a conventional humidifier tilts during use or movement, the water stored in the water tank moves in the direction in which the humidifier (water tank) tilts. As a result, the lower end of the outlet of the on-off valve may be higher than the water level in the water tank and be exposed to the air. In this case, since air is supplied into the water bucket through the outlet of the water bucket, the water stored in the water bucket continues to flow into the water tank, causing the problem that the water overflows from the upper end of the water tank and leaks to the outside.

[0009] In order to solve such problems, conventionally, a technique has been proposed in which a partition is formed in the water tank portion corresponding to the periphery of the outlet of the on-off valve to prevent water from continuously flowing out of the water bucket even when the housing of the humidifier tilts.

[0010] However, such a conventional technique has the problem that since the partition is fixed to the water tank portion, it cannot actively prevent water overflow corresponding to the degree to which the humidifier tilts.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0011]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0012] The present invention has been devised to solve at least some of the problems of the prior art as described above, and not only can adjust whether to supply water from a water bucket to a water tank, but also aims to provide a humidifier that can minimize the phenomenon of water flowing out of the water tank when the housing is tilted.

[0013] Also, as one aspect, the present invention aims to provide a humidifier and its control method that improve hygiene by minimizing contamination and bacteria generation in the water tank and / or humidifying member.

[0014] And, as one aspect, the present invention aims to provide a humidifier capable of drying the humidifying member and / or the water tank.

[0015] Also, as one aspect, the present invention aims to provide a humidifier that can supply water to or cut off the water supply to the water tank according to the change of the flow path inside the humidifier without using another driving means for supplying water to the water tank.

[0016] And, as one aspect, the present invention aims to provide a humidifier that is easy to clean the water tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0017] As one aspect for achieving the above object, the present invention includes a housing having an air inlet through which air is inhaled and an air outlet through which air is discharged, a water bucket body mounted inside the housing, a water bucket including a closing valve that is coupled to the water bucket body and opens and closes to enable discharge of water stored inside the water bucket body, a water tank unit including a water tank that stores the water discharged from the water bucket, a humidifying member that performs humidification using the water stored in the water tank, a blowing unit that provides a blowing force so that the air flowing in from the air inlet passes through an air flow path portion formed between the air inlet and the air outlet and flows to the air outlet, a water supply adjustment member installed in the water tank unit so as to be movable to an open position where the closing valve is opened to supply water from the water bucket to the water tank unit and a closed position where the closing valve is closed to cut off the supply of water from the water bucket, a water supply actuating member that contacts the water supply adjustment member and moves the water supply adjustment member, and a control unit that controls driving of the water supply actuating member so that the water supply adjustment member is positioned at the open position or the closed position. The water supply adjustment member includes a space forming member having an opening that guides the water discharged from the outlet of the closing valve to the water tank unit. The space forming member includes a water intake space that can intake the water discharged from the outlet when the housing is tilted by a certain angle or more, thereby providing a humidifier.

[0018] At this time, the water supply adjustment member may include a contact portion that is arranged to be pressurizable via the water supply actuating member, a lifting and pressurizing portion that is integrally coupled to the space forming member and is arranged to pressurize the closing valve, and a rotating shaft portion that connects the contact portion and the lifting and pressurizing portion.

[0019] Also, the contact portion moves in the vertical direction by driving of the water supply actuating member, the lifting and pressurizing portion rotates about the rotating shaft portion in response to the vertical movement of the contact portion, and the open position can be a position in a state where the lifting and pressurizing portion rotates by a preset angle about the rotating shaft portion from the closed position.

[0020] On the one hand, the humidifier according to one aspect of the present invention further includes an inclination sensor that senses the inclination of the housing, and when the inclination sensed by the inclination sensor is equal to or greater than a preset value, the control unit further controls the driving of the water supply actuating member so that the water supply adjusting member is located at the water supply cutoff position, and the water supply cutoff position can be a position in a state where it rotates at an angle greater than the angle of rotation when the lifting and pressurizing unit moves from the closed position to the open position.

[0021] In addition, the water tank unit includes a water tank cover that covers at least a part of the upper portion of the water tank, and the water supply adjusting member can be installed on the water tank cover.

[0022] And the water bucket is eccentrically arranged on one side in the length direction of the water tank, and the opening of the space forming member can be formed on one side in the length direction of the water tank.

[0023] In addition, the space forming member includes a bottom surface corresponding to the lower surface of the outflow port and a side wall formed to extend upward from the bottom surface so as to cover at least a part of the periphery of the outflow port in a state where the water supply adjusting member is in the open position, and the water intake space can be formed between the bottom surface and the side wall when the housing tilts by a certain angle or more.

[0024] At this time, the opening of the space forming member may be composed of an open end portion formed by opening one side of the side wall, or may be composed of a communication opening formed on one side of the bottom surface.

[0025] On the one hand, the humidifier according to one aspect of the present invention is provided inside the housing, and further includes an air purification filter that filters the air flowing in from the suction port, and a flow path adjusting member that is rotatably arranged in the air flow path portion and adjusts the flow of air to the discharge port, and the control unit can control the driving of the water supply actuating member by controlling the rotation of the flow path control member.

[0026] At this time, the discharge port includes a humidified air discharge port through which the air flowing into the suction port and passing through the air purification filter is discharged through the humidifying member, and a clean air discharge port through which the air is discharged without passing through the humidifying member. The flow path adjusting member rotates between a humidifying mode position in which the air flowing through the air flow path portion is discharged through the humidifying member and a clean mode position in which the air is discharged without passing through the humidifying member. When the flow path adjusting member is in the humidifying mode position, the water supply adjusting member is located at the open position, and when the flow path adjusting member is in the clean mode position, the water supply adjusting member can be located at the closed position.

[0027] Further, the flow path adjusting member includes a flow path adjustment main body configured to cross the air flow path portion so as to open and close at least a part of the air flow path portion, and a shaft member serving as the rotation center of the flow path adjustment main body. The water supply actuating member can be coupled to the shaft member and rotate together with the flow path adjusting member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration, not only can it control whether to supply water from the water bucket to the water tank through the movable water supply adjusting member, but also by forming a water intake space through the space forming member, when the housing is tilted, the phenomenon of water flowing out of the water tank can be minimized.

[0029] Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by driving the water supply adjusting member according to the tilt of the housing, when the housing is tilted, the supply of water from the water bucket to the water tank can be quickly cut off.

[0030] And according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve the effect of improving the hygiene by minimizing the contamination of the water tank and / or the humidifying member and the generation of bacteria.

[0031] Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve the effect that not only the humidifying member can be dried, but also the water tank can be dried.

[0032] And, according to one embodiment of the present invention, for the supply of water to the water tank, without using another driving means, according to the change of the flow path inside the humidifier, water supply to the water tank can be performed or water supply can be cut off, so that the number of driving means can be reduced and the structure of the humidifier can be simplified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033]

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Figure 24

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified into several other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Also, the embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the relevant technical field. Therefore, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings can be exaggerated for clearer explanation.

[0035] Also, the singular expressions in this specification include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and the same reference numerals throughout the specification refer to the same components or corresponding components.

[0036] The present invention relates to a humidifier 100 that performs humidification with a water bucket 130 and a water tank 141. The humidifier 100 according to the present invention can be applied not only to a humidifier having only a humidification function but also to a humidifier (humidifying and cleaning machine) having other additional functions such as an air purification function in addition to the humidification function.

[0037] Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the present invention will be described by taking as an example the humidifier 100 that performs humidification using a humidifying member 170 immersed in the water tank 141 and includes a humidification function and an air purification function. However, as long as the humidifier 100 according to the present invention can perform humidification with a water bucket 130 and a water tank 141, various changes are possible in the specific humidification method, the type and shape of the humidifying member 170, whether it includes additional functions other than the humidification function, and the type of additional functions.

[0038] Hereinafter, the humidifier 100 according to the present invention and its control method will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0039] First, the humidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a humidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a water bucket 130, a humidifying member 170, and a water tank unit 140 are separated from the humidifier 100 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the water tank unit 140, a water supply adjustment member 150, and the humidifying member 170 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG. 1 after removing the water bucket main body 131 from the humidifier 100 shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 5(a) and (b) are perspective views showing a closed position where the water supply adjustment member 150 shown in FIG. 3 closes the on-off valve 135 and an open position where the water supply adjustment member 150 opens the on-off valve 135, respectively. FIG. 6 is a view showing a modified example of the water supply adjustment member 150 shown in FIG. 5, where (a) is a perspective view in the open position and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B' of (a). FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a flow path adjustment member 190 and a water supply operating member 195 provided in the humidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a view showing the humidifier 100 shown in FIG. 1, where the upper part is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG. 1 with the water bucket main body 131 removed, and the lower part is a cross-sectional view of the central part of the housing 110. FIGS. 9 to 11 are enlarged views showing the states of the humidifying mode, the air cleaning mode, and the drying mode in the D portion of FIG. 8, respectively. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I' of FIG. 3. FIGS. 13 to 16 are cross-sectional views respectively showing an enlarged view of the E portion of FIG. 12, showing a closed position of the water supply adjustment member 150, an open position of the water supply adjustment member 150, a state where the water tank is tilted from the open position shown in FIG. 14, and a state where the water supply adjustment member 150 moves to a water supply cutoff position from the state shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 17, a humidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 110 that forms the appearance of the product, a water tank 130 including a water tank body 131 and an on-off valve 135, and a water tank unit 140 including a water tank 141 that stores the water discharged from the water tank 130, a humidifying member 170 that performs humidification using the water stored in the water tank 141, a blowing unit 180 that provides blowing force, a water supply adjustment member 150 that is installed to be movable in order to open and close the on-off valve 135, and a control unit C that controls the position of the water supply adjustment member 150. Further, the humidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can further include at least a part of a water supply operation member 195 configured to move the water supply adjustment member 150, an air purification filter 120 that filters and purifies air, and a flow path adjustment member 190 that adjusts the flow of air. Incidentally, the water supply adjustment member 150 can include a space forming member 160 in which an opening 163 is formed so as to guide the water discharged from the outlet of the on-off valve 135 to the water tank 141.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 110 can include a housing body 111 that forms the appearance of the product, a suction port 115 through which external air flows into the inside of the housing body 111, and a discharge port 116 through which the air that has passed through the inside of the housing body 111 is discharged to the outside of the housing body 111.

[0043] Further, the discharge port 116 can be configured to be separated into a humidified air discharge port 118 through which the air that has flowed into the suction port 115 is filtered by an air purification filter 120 described later and then discharged through the humidifying member 170, and a clean air discharge port 117 through which the air that has flowed in from the suction port 115 passes through the air purification filter 120 and is then discharged without passing through the humidifying member 170.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 110 can have a structure in which the suction port 115 is formed at the lower front of the housing main body 111, the humidified air discharge port 118 is formed at the upper front of the housing main body 111, and the clean air discharge port 117 is formed on the upper surface of the housing main body 111. However, the installation positions and numbers of the suction port 115 and the discharge ports (116; 117, 118) can be changed in various ways. For example, the suction port 115 may be installed on a plurality of surfaces among the front, rear, left, and right surfaces of the housing 110 so as to be able to suck air in a plurality of directions, and the installation positions and numbers of the humidified air discharge port 118 and the clean air discharge port 117 can also be changed.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 8, in the housing 110, air flow paths F1, F2, and F3 are formed inside so that the air flowing in from the suction port 115 is discharged through the discharge ports (116; 117, 118). Also, referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, in the housing 110, a partition plate 112 can be installed so as to partition an opening 113 where the air flow paths F1, F2, and F3 and the water bucket 130 are installed.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 8, the air purification filter 120 is provided inside the housing 110. The air purification filter 120 can be configured to be disposed in the air flow path at the rear stage of the suction port 115 and filter (purify) the air flowing in from the suction port 115. Also, the air purification filter 120 can be installed in the front stage flow path of the blower unit 180 so that the air flowing in from the suction port 115 flows into the blower unit 180 after being filtered by the air purification filter 120.

[0047] Such an air purification filter 120 can be configured in a square shape corresponding to the shape and cross-sectional area of the air flow path at the rear stage of the suction port 115. Therefore, all the air flowing in through the suction port 115 of the housing 110 can pass through the air purification filter 120. However, the shape of the air purification filter 120 is not limited to the above-mentioned square shape, and known filters in various forms can be used. For example, the air purification filter 120 can be composed of a three-dimensional filter having a circular or angular cross-section and with a space formed inside.

[0048] Also, such an air purification filter 120 can be selected from known filters having various forms and functions for air filtration, and the type, number, form, etc. of the filter used as the air purification filter 120 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8, and various changes are possible.

[0049] And the water bucket 130 is installed at the opening 113 of the housing 110, and includes a water bucket main body 131 in which a space for storing water for humidification is formed, and an opening and closing valve 135 that is coupled to the water bucket main body 131 and opens and closes to enable the discharge of the water stored inside the water bucket main body 131.

[0050] Such a water bucket 130 can have a structure separated from the humidifier 100 so that the inside of the water bucket main body 131 can be easily filled with water. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water bucket 130 can be configured to be separable from the housing 110. Also, the water bucket main body 131 may be configured to form a part of the appearance of the housing 110, but is not limited thereto.

[0051] The on-off valve 135 is configured to be openable and closable to supply the water stored in the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 of the water tank unit 140. An outlet 136 through which the water stored in the water bucket body 131 is discharged can be formed in the on-off valve 135. A stepped portion (136a in FIG. 3) where a step is partially formed can be formed at the lower end of the outlet 136. Through such a stepped portion 136a, external air can easily flow into the inside of the water bucket body 131, and when air flows into the inside of the water bucket body 131, the water stored in the water bucket body 131 can be easily discharged through the outlet 136.

[0052] As an example, the on-off valve 135 can have a mechanical valve structure that opens and closes by elastic force. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, a schematic configuration of the on-off valve 135 having a mechanical valve structure will be described.

[0053] The on-off valve 135 can have a structure in which a blocking member 139 installed above the rod member 137 is elastically supported by an elastic member 138 installed on the rod member 137. The elastic member 138 can be composed of a coil spring wound around the rod member 137 or the like. The elastic member 138 can apply an elastic force to the blocking member 139 in the tensile direction. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 13, when no external force is applied to the elastic member 138, the blocking member 139 seals and closes the upper end of the outlet 136.

[0054] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, when an external force that presses the rod member 137 upward acts on the on-off valve 135, the elastic member 138 is compressed and the rod member 137 and the blocking member 139 move upward. Thereby, the blocking member 139 opens the upper end of the outlet 136, and the water stored in the water bucket body 131 can be discharged through the outlet 136.

[0055] On the one hand, the on-off valve 135 can be screwed to the inlet of the water bucket body 131 via the cap members 135a and 135b. Figures 13 and 14 show that the cap members 135a and 135b have a double structure separated into two parts, but the cap member 137 can also be composed of a single member. Since such an on-off valve 135 has a configuration commonly used for the water bucket 130 of a normal humidifier, a more detailed description will be omitted.

[0056] Next, the water tank unit 140 is installed inside the housing 110 and is adapted to store the water discharged from the water bucket 130 in response to the opening of the on-off valve 135.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the water tank unit 140 can include a water tank 141 for storing the water supplied from the water bucket 130, and a water tank cover 145 configured to cover at least a part of the upper portion of the water tank 141 and on which the water bucket 130 is placed.

[0058] On one side of the water tank 141 (the right side in FIGS. 2 and 3), a cover installation portion 144 for installing the water tank cover 145 is formed, and on the other side of the water tank 141 (the left side in FIGS. 2 and 3), a humidifying member mounting opening 142 for installing the humidifying member 170 can be formed. Thereby, the humidifying member 170 can be installed in a state of being immersed in the water stored in the water tank 141.

[0059] Also, referring to FIGS. 3 and 12, in order to prevent the water stored in the water tank 141 from overflowing outside the water tank 141 even when the housing 110 is slightly tilted, the upper portion 143 of the water tank can be formed such that both one side and the other side in the length direction are higher than the central side.

[0060] The water tank cover 145 is formed with a water bucket mounting portion 146 on which the opening and closing valve 135 of the water bucket 130 is installed on the upper surface, and the water bucket 130 can be supported through the water bucket mounting portion 146. Also, in order for the outlet 136 of the opening and closing valve 135 to penetrate the water tank cover 145 and be exposed to the lower side of the water tank cover 145, an installation opening 147 having a diameter larger than that of the outlet 136 can be formed in the water tank cover 145. Incidentally, an avoidance groove 148 can be formed in the water tank cover 145 so that a water supply adjustment member 150 described later is exposed to the upper side of the water tank cover 145. Further, a water supply adjustment member mounting portion 149 for installing the water supply adjustment member 150 can be provided on the lower surface of the water tank cover 145.

[0061] And, a water sensing sensor (LS in FIG. 17) can be installed in the water tank unit 140 so as to be able to sense the water level and the presence or absence of water stored in the water tank 141. Such a water sensing sensor LS may be a water level sensing sensor that senses the height of the water stored in the water tank 141. However, the water sensing sensor LS is not limited to this, and may be composed of a sensor that senses the presence or absence of water at the bottom of the water tank 141. Incidentally, the water sensing sensor LS may be installed inside the water tank unit 140, but in order to facilitate the cleaning of the water tank 141, when it is installed outside the water tank 141 and the water tank 141 is coupled, it may be configured to measure the water level and the presence or absence of water using capacitance or the like.

[0062] And, as shown in FIG. 2, the water tank unit 140 can be installed so that the water bucket 130 can be separated from the opening 113 of the housing 110 in a state where the water bucket 130 is separated from the housing 110. At this time, the water tank unit 140 can be separated from the housing 110 by a sliding method with the humidifying member 170 mounted on the water tank 141.

[0063] The humidifying member (humidifying filter) 170 performs humidification using the water supplied from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 of the water tank unit 140.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 8, the humidifying member 170 can be installed adjacent to the humidified air discharge port 118 and flush with the front surface of the housing 110. The humidifying member 170 can be arranged downstream of the blower unit 180 in the air flow path. Thereby, the air flowing due to the operation of the blower unit 180 is humidified through the humidifying member 170 and then discharged through the humidified air discharge port 118 (see FIG. 9).

[0065] In this way, since the air purification filter 120 is arranged upstream of the blower unit 180 and the humidifying member 170 is arranged downstream of the blower unit 180, when only the air purification function is performed as described later (see FIG. 10), the air filtered by the air purification filter 120 is discharged through the clean air discharge port 117 without passing through the humidifying member 170, so that the air purification efficiency can be increased. As a result, even if the blower fan provided in the blower unit 180 is driven at a relatively low RPM and low power, it is possible to ensure a sufficient discharge volume and reduce the generation of noise. Also, when humidifying is performed through the switching of the flow path of the flow path adjusting member 190 described later (see FIG. 9), the humidifying efficiency is increased by causing the air blown from the blower unit 180 to flow entirely toward the humidifying member 170 side.

[0066] Such a humidifying member 170 can be configured to have a material and shape with excellent hygroscopicity so as to sufficiently absorb the water stored in the water tank 141 of the water tank unit 140. As an example, the humidifying member 170 can have a structure immersed in the water stored in the water tank 141 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, the installation structure of the humidifying member 170 is not limited to the above-described structure, and known various forms of vaporization-type humidifying structures such as the form of a rotating disk can also be used. Also, the humidifying member 170 provided in the humidifier 100 according to the present invention is not limited to a vaporization-type humidifying member, and various changes can be made to the specific structure and shape as long as humidification can be performed using the water supplied from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141.

[0067] Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the humidifying member 170 can be attached to and detached from the water tank unit 140 through the humidifying member attachment opening 142. Further, after separating the water bucket 130 from the housing 110, the humidifying member 170 can be separated from the housing 110 by a sliding method while being attached to the water tank unit 140.

[0068] On the other hand, the humidifying member 170 is disposed in the humidifying flow path F3 among the air flow path portions (F1, F2, F3 in FIG. 8) corresponding to the inside of the partition plate 112. Thereby, in order to arrange the water tank unit 140 to which the humidifying member 170 is attached in the humidifying flow path F3, a through hole (see FIG. 4, not provided with a drawing reference) through which the portion of the water tank unit 140 to which the humidifying member 170 is attached is retracted and pulled out can be formed on the side surface of the partition plate 112.

[0069] Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the blower unit 180 provides a blowing force so that the air flowing in from the suction port 115 flows to the discharge port (116; 117, 118) through the air flow path portions F1, F2, F3 formed between the suction port 115 and the discharge port (116; 117, 118).

[0070] Referring to FIG. 8, the air flow path portions F1, F2, F3 can include a blowing flow path F1 located on the outlet side of the blower unit 180, a clean flow path F2 through which the air from the blowing flow path F1 flows to the clean air discharge port 117, and a humidifying flow path F3 through which the air from the blowing flow path F1 flows to the humidified air discharge port 118.

[0071] Specific air flow paths of such air flow path portions F1, F2, F3 can be variously changed according to the positions of the suction port 115 and the discharge port (116; 117, 118), the suction / discharge positions of the blower unit 180, and the directions.

[0072] In addition, similar to a normal air blower used in an air purifier, the air blowing unit 180 can include an air blowing fan (not labeled in the drawing) that causes air to flow, and a fan motor (not shown) that drives the air blowing fan. FIG. 8 shows a structure in which the air blowing unit 180 is arranged behind the air purification filter 120 with reference to the air flow path and is sucked in from one side of the air blowing unit 180. However, the installation position and the suction structure of the air blowing unit 180 are not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 8, and various modifications are possible. For example, the air blowing fan provided in the air blowing unit 180 can also have a double suction structure.

[0073] And the water supply adjustment member 150 is installed movably for opening and closing the on-off valve 135. When the on-off valve 135 opens and closes, the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 is carried out or blocked. That is, the water supply adjustment member 150 can be installed in the water tank unit 140 so as to be movable to an open position (FIG. 14) where the on-off valve 135 is opened to supply water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 of the water tank unit 140, and a closed position (FIG. 13) where the on-off valve 135 is closed to block the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141.

[0074] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the water supply adjustment member 150 includes a main body 151, a contact portion 158 formed on one side of the main body 151 and arranged to be pressurized by a water supply actuating member 195 described later, a lifting and pressurizing portion 159 formed on the other side of the main body 151 and arranged to pressurize the on-off valve 135, and a rotating shaft portion 154 connecting the contact portion 158 and the lifting and pressurizing portion 159. At this time, the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 can be integrally coupled with a space forming member 160 described later. The contact portion 158 moves in the vertical direction by the drive of the water supply actuating member 195, and the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 can rotate about the rotating shaft portion 154 corresponding to the vertical movement of the contact portion 158. That is, the contact portion 158 and the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 can be configured to rotate about the rotating shaft portion 154. And the open position (FIG. 14) can be a position in a state where the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 rotates from the closed position (FIG. 13) by a preset angle about the rotating shaft portion 154. Also, the rotating shaft portion 154 can be rotatably coupled to a water supply adjustment member mounting portion 149 formed on the lower surface of the water tank cover 145.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 5, when the main body 151 rotates about the rotating shaft portion 154 by the pressurization of a water supply actuating member 195 described later, the main body 151 can have a structure in which two main bodies 152 and 153 are connected so as not to interfere with the inner wall surface of the water tank 141. That is, the main body 151 can be separated into a first main body 152 corresponding to one side of the main body 151 and ascending and descending by the pressurization of the water supply actuating member 195, and a second main body 153 rotating about the rotating shaft portion 154 according to the ascending and descending of the first main body 152. In this case, the contact portion 158 can be provided on the first main body 152, and the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 and the rotating shaft portion 154 can be provided on the second main body 153. Also, the second main body 153 can include a first extension portion 155 extending toward the first main body 152 side, a second extension portion 156 extending in a direction opposite to the first extension portion 155, and a side surface extension portion 157 extending from the second extension portion 156 in the direction of the lifting and pressurizing portion 159. At this time, the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 is connected to the side surface extension portion 157.

[0076] Although Fig. 5 does not specifically show the connection structure between the first main body 152 and the second main body 153, the first main body 152 and the second main body 153 can have a hinge connection structure so that the second main body 153 can rotate in response to the lifting and lowering of the first main body 152. However, the connection structure between the first main body 152 and the second main body 153 can be variously modified. For example, the first main body 152 can also have a structure in which its lifting and lowering is guided by a guide member (not shown) formed on the water tank cover 145.

[0077] Through such a configuration, the water supply adjustment member 150 can have a structure in which the lifting and pressing portion 159 rotates and moves up and down about the rotation shaft portion 154 in response to the vertical (lifting and lowering) movement of the contact portion 158. That is, when the contact portion 158 is pressed by the water supply operating member 195 and moves downward, and when the contact between the water supply operating member 195 and the contact portion 158 is released and the contact portion 158 moves upward by the elastic force of the elastic member 138 provided in the on-off valve 135, the lifting and pressing portion 159 and the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjustment member 150 can be configured to be able to rotate about the rotation shaft portion 154 (see the arrows in Figs. 5 and 6).

[0078] Referring to Fig. 14, when the water supply adjustment member 150 rotates and the lifting and pressing portion 159 moves upward, the blocking member 139 of the on-off valve 135 is lifted upward and the on-off valve 135 is opened. As a result, the water stored inside the water bucket 130 can be discharged through the outlet 136 and supplied to the water tank 141. When water is supplied to the water tank 141, the water level WL1 of the water tank 141 rises until it corresponds to the height of the lower end (step portion 136a) of the outlet 136. When the water level WL1 of the water tank 141 corresponds to the height of the lower end of the outlet 136, the inflow of air into the water bucket 130 is blocked and the water in the water bucket 130 is not discharged, so the water level WL1 of the water tank 141 can be maintained constant.

[0079] On the one hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the water supply adjustment member 150 is installed in the water supply adjustment member mounting portion 149 formed in the water tank cover 145 and can be separated for cleaning the water supply adjustment member 150 and / or the water tank unit 140. Further, since the water supply adjustment member 150 is not installed on the bottom surface of the water tank unit 140 but is installed on the water tank cover 145 separable from the water tank 141, it does not have any influence during the cleaning of the water tank unit 140. That is, since no structure for pressing the on-off valve 135 or for installing the water supply adjustment member 150 is formed on the bottom surface of the water tank 141, there may be an advantage that the bottom surface of the water tank 141 can be easily cleaned.

[0080] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the space forming member 160 is provided in the water supply adjustment member 150, and an opening 163 is formed so as to guide the water discharged from the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 to the water tank 141 of the water tank unit 140 when the water supply adjustment member 150 is in the open position (FIG. 14).

[0081] Such a space forming member 160 is formed around the lifting and pressing portion 159 connected to the side surface extension portion 157 and can be integrally formed with the main body portion 151 of the water supply adjustment member 150. Therefore, when the contact portion 158 is pressed by the water supply operating member 195, the space forming member 160 can rotate together with the water supply adjustment member 150 about the rotation shaft portion 154.

[0082] The space forming member 160 includes a bottom surface 162 corresponding to the lower surface of the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 and a side wall 161 formed to extend upward from the bottom surface 162 so as to cover at least a part of the periphery of the outlet 136 in a state where the contact portion 158 is pressed by the water supply operating member 195 and the water supply adjustment member 150 is in the open position (FIG. 14). Further, the lifting and pressing portion 159 of the water supply adjustment member 150 can be formed to protrude upward at the central portion of the bottom surface 162.

[0083] When the water supply adjustment member 150 is in the open position (FIG. 14), such a space forming member 160 guides the water discharged from the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 to pass through the bottom surface 162 and flow down into the water tank 141 through the opening 163.

[0084] Also, referring to FIG. 15, when one side of the housing 110 / water tank 141 is lifted and the bottom surface of the housing 110 / water tank 141 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, an inclination angle (θ) is formed between the bottom surface of the housing 110 / water tank 141 and the horizontal plane. Thus, when the inclination angle (θ) of the housing 100 / water tank 141 is equal to or greater than a certain angle with the water supply adjustment member 150 in the open position (FIG. 14), a water intake space 165 capable of taking in the water discharged from the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 into the space forming member 160 can be formed in the space forming member 160. Such a water intake space 165 can be formed between the bottom surface 16 2 and the side wall 16 1 when the housing 110 and the water tank 141 are inclined at an angle equal to or greater than a certain angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0085] Thus, when the housing 110 / water tank 141 tilts, the water stored in the water tank 141 moves in a direction opposite to the direction in which the water tank 141 is lifted. As a result, the water level WL1 of the water tank 141 at the lifted portion of the water tank 141 becomes lower than the lower end of the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135. Thereby, there is a possibility that the water in the water bucket 130 continues to be discharged and overflows outside the water tank 141. However, according to the present invention, since the water intake space 165 is formed in the space forming member 160, when the housing 110 / water tank 141 tilts by a certain angle or more, as shown in FIG. 15, the water level WL2 of the water intake space 165 comes to be positioned higher than the lower end portion of the outlet 136. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, when the water tank 141 tilts by a certain angle or more with the on-off valve 135 positioned at the open position (FIG. 14), the lower end portion of the outlet 136 is completely accommodated in the water intake space 165. In this case, since air does not flow into the inside of the water bucket 130 through the outlet 136, even when the on-off valve 135 is in the open state, the water supply from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 can be blocked.

[0086] The inclination angle (θ) of the housing 110 / water tank 141 and / or the volume of the water intake space 165 for making the water level WL2 of the water intake space 165 be formed higher than the lower end portion of the outlet 136 can be set by changing the length of the bottom surface 162 of the space flow member 160, the angle at which the bottom surface 162 is inclined toward the opening 163 side, the distance between the bottom surface 162 and the lower end portion of the outlet 136, and the like.

[0087] On the one hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the inclination angle (θ) of the water tank 141 is equal to or greater than a preset value, the water supply operating member 195 can be configured to further press the contact portion 158 downward from the open position shown in FIG. 14. In this case, the water supply adjustment member 150 and the space forming member 160 connected thereto can move to a water supply cutoff position (FIG. 16) corresponding to a position (state) where they rotate at an angle greater than the rotation angle when moving from the closed position shown in FIG. 13 to the open position shown in FIG. 14. At such a water supply cutoff position (FIG. 16), the distance between the bottom surface 162 of the space forming member 160 and the lower end of the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 decreases, and the bottom surface 16 2 and the side wall 16 1 so that the volume of the water intake space 165 formed therebetween increases. As a result, at the water supply cutoff position (FIG. 16), the lower end of the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 can be positioned lower than the water level WL2 of the water intake space 165 compared to the open position (FIG. 15). As a result, when the housing 110 / water tank 141 tilts at a certain angle or more, by forming the water intake space 165 in the space forming member 160 in advance, the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 can be blocked.

[0088] In the case of FIG. 15, unless the housing 110 / water tank 141 tilts at a certain angle (for example, 10° to 15°) or more, the lower end of the outlet 136 cannot be accommodated in the water intake space 165. On the other hand, at the water supply cutoff position (FIG. 16), the water intake space 165 can be formed in advance at an inclination angle smaller than that in FIG. 15 (for example, around 5° to 7°) so that the lower end of the outlet 136 can be accommodated in the water intake space 165. Therefore, according to the inclination of the water tank 141, it is possible to surely prevent the phenomenon that the water stored in the water tank 141 overflows by blocking the water supply in advance.

[0089] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 12, a humidifying member 170 is installed in the water tank 141, and the water bucket 130 is installed on the side opposite to the humidifying member 170 so as to be separable outside the housing 110. For example, since the water bucket 130 is installed on one side (the right side in FIGS. 2 and 12) of the water tank 141 and the humidifying member 170 is installed on the other side (the left side in FIGS. 2 and 12) of the water tank 141, the water bucket 130 and the on-off valve 135 provided therein can be arranged eccentrically on one side in the length direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 12) of the water tank 141. At this time, the water discharged from the water bucket 130 can flow down into the water tank 141 through the direction opposite to the humidifying member 170, and the opening 163 of the space forming member 160 can be formed on one side in the length direction of the water tank 141 (the right side in FIGS. 2 and 12).

[0090] Referring to FIG. 5, the side wall 161 of the space forming member 160 can be formed only in a partial area around the lifting and pressurizing part 159 that opens and closes the outlet 136, and can have a shape in which one side of the side wall 161 is open. In the case of the space forming member 160 having the shape shown in FIG. 5, the opening 163 can be composed of an open end 163a formed by opening one side of the side wall 161.

[0091] As a modification of the space forming member 160, as shown in FIG. 6, the side wall 161 of the space forming member 160 can also be configured to have a shape that entirely wraps around the periphery of the lifting and pressurizing part 159 that opens and closes the outlet 136. In the case of the space forming member 160 having the shape shown in FIG. 6, the opening 163 can be composed of a communication opening 163b formed on one side of the bottom surface 162.

[0092] And, as shown in FIG. 14, in order to allow the water discharged from the water bucket 130 to easily flow down into the water tank 141, the bottom surface 162 of the space forming member 160 can be inclined downward in the direction of the opening 163 at the open position (FIG. 14) where the water supply adjusting member 150 opens the on-off valve 135.

[0093] Thus, according to the embodiments of the present invention, since the space forming member 160 that forms the water intake space 165 is integrally formed with the water supply adjusting member 150, the direction of the opening 163 of the space forming member 160 and the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation shaft portion 154 can be changed in design according to the mounting direction of the water tank 141, the eccentric position of the on-off valve 135, etc., so that the design freedom of the water tank unit 140 can be improved.

[0094] The water supply actuating member 195 is configured to rotate the water supply adjusting member 150 about the rotation shaft portion 154 by pressing the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjusting member 150 or releasing the pressure on the contact portion 158. That is, the water supply actuating member 195 drives the water supply adjusting member 150 to be in the open position (FIG. 14) or the closed position (FIG. 13). The driving of such a water supply actuating member 195 can be performed by the control unit C.

[0095] Referring to FIGS. 3, 5, and 8 to 11, when the water supply actuating member 195 presses the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjusting member 150 downward, the lifting and pressing portion 159 moves up and down about the rotation shaft portion 154, and the on-off valve 135 can be opened. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, when the lifting and pressing portion 159 moves upward, the blocking member 139 of the on-off valve 135 elastically supported by the elastic member 138 moves upward, and a gap is formed through which water can flow down between the blocking member 139 and the upper end portion of the water outlet 136, so that water is supplied from the water bucket 130 to the water tank unit 140. Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, when the contact (pressing state) between the water supply actuating member 195 and the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjusting member 150 is released, the blocking member 139 comes into close contact with the upper end portion of the water outlet 136 by the elastic force of the elastic member 138 provided in the on-off valve 135, and the on-off valve 135 is closed.

[0096] Such a water supply actuating member 195 can be configured to operate independently of other components via independent driving means so as to perform the function of pressing the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjusting member 150. However, the water supply actuating member 195 can also be configured to open the on-off valve 135 by rotating together with the flow path adjusting member 190 in accordance with the switching of the flow path of the flow path adjusting member 190 described later and pressing the contact portion 158.

[0097] And the flow path adjusting member 190 can be arranged to be rotatable in the air flow path portions F1, F2, F3 and can be configured to adjust the flow of air to the discharge ports (116; 117, 118).

[0098] Referring to FIG. 8, the flow path adjusting member 190 can be configured to switch the flow path so that the air flowing through the air flow path portions F1, F2, F3 is discharged through at least one of the humidified air discharge port 118 and the clean air discharge port 117.

[0099] For example, the flow path adjusting member 190 has a clean mode position (see FIG. 10) where the air flowing into the suction port 115, filtered by the air purification filter 120, and then discharged from the blower unit 180 passes through the clean flow path F2 and flows to the clean air discharge port 117, and a humidification mode position (see FIG. 9) where the air from the blower unit 180 passes through the humidification flow path F3 and flows to the humidified air discharge port 118. That is, the air purified by passing through the air purification filter 120 is discharged in a humidified state through the humidified air discharge port 118 after passing through the humidifying member 170 when the flow path adjusting member 190 is in the humidification mode position shown in FIG. 9, and is discharged through the clean air discharge port 117 without passing through the humidifying member 170 when the flow path adjusting member 190 is in the clean mode position shown in FIG. 10. When the flow path adjusting member 190 is in the humidification mode position (FIG. 9), the water supply adjusting member 150 is located at the open position (FIG. 14), and when the flow path adjusting member 190 is in the clean mode position (FIG. 10), the water supply adjusting member 150 is located at the closed position (FIG. 13).

[0100] On the other hand, the flow path adjustment member 190 may be located at a third position (dry mode position) located between the cleaning mode position and the humidifying mode position (see FIG. 11). In this case, the air from the blower unit 180 can be branched into the cleaning flow path F2 and the humidifying flow path F3 and flow to both the clean air outlet 117 and the humidified air outlet 118.

[0101] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the flow path adjustment member 190 includes a flow path adjustment body 191 configured to cross at least a part of the air flow paths F1, F2, and F3 so as to open and close at least a part of the air flow paths F1, F2, and F3, a shaft member 193 that forms the rotation center of the flow path adjustment body 191, and a reinforcing rib 192 for complementing the rigidity of the flow path adjustment body 191.

[0102] Further, the flow path adjustment member 190 can be configured to rotate by a drive unit M composed of a motor or the like. Therefore, by controlling the drive unit M via the control unit C, the flow path adjustment member 190 rotates between the cleaning mode position and the humidifying mode position.

[0103] On the other hand, the water supply actuating member 195 described above can also be configured to rotate integrally with the flow path adjustment member 190 in accordance with the rotation of the flow path adjustment member 190. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the flow path adjustment body 191 of the flow path adjustment member 190 rotates about the shaft member 193 by the drive of the drive unit M, the water supply actuating member 195 can rotate together with the flow path adjustment member 190. The water supply actuating member 195 can be formed integrally with the shaft member 193 of the flow path adjustment member 190 or coupled to the shaft member 193.

[0104] As a result, the opening and closing of the on-off valve 135 provided in the water tank 130 can be performed by the rotation of the water supply actuating member 195 together with the flow path adjusting member 190. For example, when humidification is performed through the humidifying member 170 (that is, when the flow path adjusting member 190 is in the humidification mode position), the flow path adjusting member 190 is in a position to open the humidifying flow path F3, and the water supply actuating member 195 can be positioned at a position to press the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjusting member 150. Thereby, the on-off valve 135 provided in the water tank 130 can be opened and water can be supplied from the water tank 130 to the water tank 141. Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the opening and closing of the on-off valve 135 provided in the water tank 130 is performed by the water supply actuating member 195 that rotates together with the flow path adjusting member 190, the supply of water from the water tank 130 to the water tank unit 140 can be efficiently blocked, and there can be an advantage that no other driving means for supplying water to the water tank unit 140 is required.

[0105] On the other hand, referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the housing 110 can include an opening 113 in which the water tank 130 is installed and a partition plate 112 that partitions the air flow paths F1, F2, and F3 through which air flows. At this time, the water supply adjusting member 150 can be positioned at the opening 113 corresponding to the outside of the partition plate 112, and the flow path adjusting member 190 can be positioned at the air flow paths F1, F2, and F3 corresponding to the inside of the partition plate 112. However, the water supply actuating member 195 connected to the flow path adjusting member 190 can be configured to be exposed to the opening 113 through a through hole (not shown) formed in the partition plate 112 so as to be able to press the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjusting member 150 positioned at the opening 113.

[0106] The control unit C can control the drive of the water supply actuating member 195 so that the water supply adjusting member 150 is located at the open position or the closed position. Further, when the housing 110 / water tank 141 is tilted by a certain angle or more, the control unit C can prevent water overflow from the water tank 141 in advance. When the tilt of the housing 110 is detected, the control unit C can control the position of the water supply adjusting member 150 to cut off the water supply (water feeding) from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141. That is, when the tilt detected by the tilt sensor TS is equal to or greater than a preset value, the control unit C can perform a water supply cutoff mode in which the movement of the water supply actuating member 195 is controlled so that the water supply adjusting member 150 moves to the water supply cutoff position in FIG. 16.

[0107] In addition, the control unit C can control the water supply from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 and the drive of the blower unit 180. That is, the control unit C can perform a cleaning mode for air cleaning and a humidifying mode for humidification by controlling the water supply to the water tank 141 and the drive of the blower unit 180. In addition to this, after the humidifying mode ends, a drying mode in which the humidifying member 170 and / or the water tank 141 is dried can be performed.

[0108] And the control unit C can also adjust the rotational position of the flow path adjusting member 190 to guide the air flow according to the cleaning mode, the humidifying mode, and the drying mode by controlling the drive of the flow path adjusting member 190.

[0109] First, the water supply cutoff mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16.

[0110] [Water Supply Cutoff Mode] The humidifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an inclination sensor (TS in FIG. 17) that senses the inclination of the housing 110, and the control unit C can control the position of the water supply adjustment member 150 based on the inclination value sensed by the inclination sensor TS. The inclination sensor TS is installed at least one inside the housing 110 to sense the inclination of the housing 110, and accordingly, the inclination of the water tank 141 installed in the housing 110 can also be measured.

[0111] The control unit C senses the inclination of the housing 110 / water tank 141 via the inclination sensor TS, and when the sensed inclination value is equal to or greater than a preset value, the water supply adjustment member 150 is moved to the water supply cutoff position (FIG. 16) corresponding to a position rotated by an angle larger than the angle rotated when moving from the closed position (FIG. 13) to the open position (FIG. 14). It can be configured to move.

[0112] The movement of the water supply adjustment member 150 can be performed by controlling the movement of the water supply actuating member 195. Further, a driving means may be separately installed for driving the water supply actuating member 195, and the control unit C controls the driving means to control the movement of the water supply actuating member 195. However, as described above, the water supply actuating member 195 may be configured to rotate together with the flow path adjustment member 190, and the control unit C may be configured to control the movement of the water supply actuating member 195 by controlling the driving of the flow path adjustment member 190.

[0113] As described above, the water supply adjustment member 135 is configured to move from a closed position (FIG. 13) that closes the on-off valve 135 by rotation to an open position (FIG. 14) that opens the on-off valve 135. When the housing 110 or the water tank 141 is tilted in a state where the water supply adjustment member 135 is in the open position (FIG. 14), the water stored in the water tank 141 concentrates in the direction opposite to the direction in which the water tank 141 is lifted, and the water level in the direction opposite to the direction in which the water tank 141 is lifted increases. Further, when the left side of the water tank 141 is lifted in the state of FIG. 14, the water stored in the water tank 141 concentrates on the right side, and the water level WL1 in the right side region of the water tank 141 rises. When the water level WL1 in the right side region of the water tank 141 rises, since the lower end portion of the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 is located below the water level WL1 of the water tank 141, the water supply from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 can be automatically blocked. On the contrary, in the state of FIG. 14, when the right side of the water tank is lifted as shown in FIG. 15, the water stored in the water tank 141 concentrates on the left side, and the water level WL1 in the right side region of the water tank 141 decreases. When the water level WL1 in the right side region of the water tank 141 rises, since the lower end portion of the outlet 136 of the on-off valve 135 is located below the water level WL1 of the water tank 141, the water supply from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 may continue and overflow of the water tank 141 may occur.

[0114] When the housing 110 / water tank 141 is tilted by a certain angle or more in the open position (FIG. 14) of the on-off valve 135, a water intake space 165 is formed in the space forming member 160. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, when the lower end portion of the outlet 136 is completely accommodated in the water intake space 165, the water supply can be blocked. However, if the housing 110 / water tank 141 is not tilted by a certain angle or more, the lower end portion of the outlet 136 cannot be completely accommodated in the water intake space 165.

[0115] Taking such points into consideration, in the water supply cutoff mode, even when the housing 110 / water tank 141 is not tilted by a certain angle or more, if the tilt value detected by the tilt sensor TS is equal to or greater than a preset value, the rotation angle of the water supply adjustment member 150 is increased from the open position (FIG. 14) so that the water supply adjustment member 150 is positioned at the water supply cutoff position (FIG. 16). Thereby, when the tilt value is equal to or greater than the set value, by previously forming a water intake space 165 in the space forming member 160, it becomes possible to cut off the water supply. Therefore, it becomes possible to cut off the water supply even with a small tilt angle, and it becomes possible to surely prevent the overflow phenomenon of the water tank 141.

[0116] On the other hand, as described above, when the left side of the water tank 141 is lifted in the state of FIG. 14, the water supply from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 is automatically cut off. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, when the right side region of the water tank 141 where the on-off valve 135 is located is lifted, the water supply can be cut off. In this case, the control unit C can be configured to perform the water supply cutoff mode when the tilt angle generated by lifting the right side region of the water tank 141 where the on-off valve 135 is located is equal to or greater than the set value. However, in order to more surely prevent the overflow of the water tank 141, the control unit C can also be configured to perform the water supply cutoff mode when the tilt angle in any direction is equal to or greater than the set value.

[0117] Next, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11, the cleaning mode, the humidifying mode, and the drying mode will be described.

[0118] [Cleaning Mode] First, as shown in FIG. 9, in the cleaning mode, the control unit C controls the position of the flow path adjustment member 190 so that the flow path adjustment member 190 faces the vertical direction in order to open the cleaning flow path F2 of the air flow path parts F1, F2, and F3, and the blower unit 180 can be driven. In this way, when the flow path adjustment main body 191 of the flow path adjustment member 190 is installed in parallel with the cleaning flow path F2, the air blown from the blower unit 180 passes through the cleaning flow path F2 opened by the flow path resistance of the humidifying member 170 installed in the humidifying flow path F3, and can be discharged through the clean air discharge port 117.

[0119] In this case, since the water supply operation member 195 connected to the flow path adjustment member 190 is in a state of being separated from the contact part 158 of the water supply adjustment member 150 (a non-contact state), the lifting and pressurizing part 159 of the water supply adjustment member 150 does not pressurize the on-off valve 135. Therefore, the blocking member 139 provided in the on-off valve 135 maintains a closed state by the elastic force of the elastic member (spring), and the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank unit 140 is stopped.

[0120] When the blower unit 180 is driven in such a flow path state in the cleaning mode, the air flowing in from the suction port 115 is filtered through the air purification filter 120, and then can pass through the cleaning flow path F2 without passing through the humidifying member 170 and be discharged to the clean air discharge port 117.

[0121] [Humidifying mode] Next, as shown in FIG. 10, in the humidification mode, the control unit C can control the position of the flow path adjustment member 190 so that the clean flow path F2 of the air flow path parts F1, F2, and F3 is closed, that is, so that the flow path adjustment member 190 is positioned in a direction crossing the lateral cross-section of the clean flow path F2, for example, in an oblique direction. That is, the flow path adjustment member 190 can be positioned such that the upper end of the flow path adjustment main body 191 inclines toward the humidified air clean discharge port 118. In this case, since the upper end of the flow path adjustment main body 181 of the flow path adjustment member 190 comes to be adjacent to the partition wall W and the lower end comes to be adjacent to the opposite side of the partition wall W, the flow of air into the clean flow path F2 is blocked, and the air flowing through the air flow path part flows into the humidification flow path F3 through the through-hole WH formed in the partition wall W. As a result, the air blown from the blower unit 180 can be humidified through the humidifying member 170 and then discharged to the outside of the housing 110 through the humidified air discharge port 118.

[0122] When performing such a humidification mode, the control unit C controls the movement of the water supply adjustment member 150 so that the on-off valve 135 is in an open state and drives the blower unit 180. Specifically, when performing the humidification mode, the control unit C causes the water supply operation member 195 connected to the flow path adjustment member 190 to come into contact with the contact part 158 of the water supply adjustment member 150 and pressurize the contact part 158. Accordingly, the contact part 158 of the water supply adjustment member 150 moves downward with respect to the rotation shaft part 154, and the lifting and pressurizing part 159 of the water supply adjustment member 150 moves upward with respect to the rotation shaft part 154. Then, the lifting and pressurizing part 159 of the water supply adjustment member 150 pressurizes the rod member 137 of the on-off valve 135 upward so that the blocking member 139 moves upward. Therefore, the on-off valve 135 is in an open state, and water is supplied from the water bucket 130 to the water tank unit 140.

[0123] When the blower unit 180 is driven in such a flow path state of the humidification mode, the air flowing in from the suction port 115 can be filtered through the air purification filter 120, then humidified through the humidifying member 170 and the humidification flow path F3, and discharged to the humidified air discharge port 118.

[0124] [Drying Mode] Also, as shown in FIG. 11, after the humidification mode ends, the control unit C can perform a drying mode so that the humidifying member 170 and / or the water tank 141 are dried. When performing such a drying mode, the control unit C cuts off the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141, and drives the blower unit 180 so that the water absorbed by the humidifying member 170 and / or the water stored in the water tank 141 is dried.

[0125] And, when performing the drying mode, the control unit C controls the movement of the water supply adjustment member 150 so that the on-off valve 135 is in a closed state. That is, when the flow path adjustment member 190 rotates from the humidification mode position to the drying mode position via the control unit C, the contact between the water supply operating member 195 connected to the flow path adjustment member 190 and the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjustment member 150 is released, so that the elastic force of the elastic member 158 causes the lifting and pressurizing portion 159 of the water supply adjustment member 150 to move downward. Due to such an elastic force, the on-off valve 135 is closed, thereby cutting off the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank unit 140.

[0126] Also, after the humidification ends, the control unit C can control the position of the flow path adjustment member 190 so that the flow path adjustment member 190 has a third position (drying mode position) located between the cleaning mode position and the humidification mode position for performing the drying mode. Also, in this state, the blower unit 180 is driven so that the water absorbed by the humidifying member 170 and / or the water stored in the water tank 141 can be dried.

[0127] Specifically, in the flow path adjustment member 190, as shown in FIG. 11, the inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction has an angle smaller than the inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction at the humidification mode position in FIG. 10. In this case, the upper end of the flow path adjustment member 190 is slightly separated from the partition wall W, and the lower end is slightly separated from the opposite side of the partition wall W. Therefore, a part of the air flows into the clean flow path F2, and a part of the air flows into the humidification flow path F3 through the through hole WH formed in the partition wall W. As a result, the air passing through the humidification member 170 can dry the humidification member 170. Further, the humidification member 170 can have a structure capable of absorbing the water stored in the water tank unit 140. In this case, the water stored in the water tank 141 of the water tank unit 140 can also be dried according to the drying of the humidification member 170.

[0128] At this time, in order to improve the drying efficiency, the position of the flow path adjustment member 190 in the drying mode can be set to ensure a sufficient air volume sent to the humidification flow path F3. For example, the position of the flow path adjustment member 190 in the drying mode can be adjusted by slightly rotating from the humidification mode position so that the contact between the water supply operating member 195 and the contact portion 158 of the water supply adjustment member 150 is released and the on-off valve 135 can be closed.

[0129] On the other hand, the control unit C can adjust the air volume of the blower unit 180 based on at least one of the illuminance and the relative humidity when the drying mode is executed.

[0130] For example, when the measured illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor (IS in FIG. 17) is equal to or lower than a preset reference illuminance value, such as at night (bedtime), the control unit C can reduce the air volume of the blower unit 180 for quiet operation.

[0131] Further, when the measured relative humidity is equal to or higher than a preset reference relative humidity value, since there is a large amount of water vapor in the air and the drying of the humidifying member 170 and the water tank 141 is not smooth, in order to perform a fast drying operation, the air volume can be increased compared to the case where it is smaller than the reference relative humidity value. At this time, the measured relative humidity can be obtained via various known sensors such as the temperature and humidity sensor HS shown in FIG. 17.

[0132] Then, when the measured illuminance is equal to or lower than a preset reference illuminance value, the control unit C minimizes the air volume, and when the measured illuminance is higher than the preset reference illuminance value, the control unit C compares the measured relative humidity with the preset reference relative humidity value and can increase or decrease the air volume.

[0133] The increase or decrease of the air volume can be achieved by adjusting the driving RPM of the air blowing unit 180. Hereinafter, taking the case where the air blowing stage of the humidifier 100 is composed of five levels from the lowest RPM level 1 to the highest RPM level 5 as an example for explanation. When the measured illuminance is equal to or lower than the preset reference illuminance value, the air blowing unit 180 can be driven at level 1, which is the lowest RPM, so as not to interfere with the user's rest (going to bed) (that is, for quiet operation). When the measured illuminance is higher than the preset reference illuminance value, the air blowing unit 180 can be driven at level 2 or higher, which is higher than level 1. Also, when the measured relative humidity is equal to or higher than the reference relative humidity value, since there is a large amount of water vapor in the air, in order to perform a fast drying operation, the air blowing unit 180 can be driven at level 4 or 5. Conversely, when the measured relative humidity is smaller than the reference relative humidity value, the air blowing unit 180 can be driven at level 3 or 2 so that the air volume is less than that when it is equal to or higher than the reference relative humidity value.

[0134] In contrast, based on the air supply stage corresponding to the current state of the air (e.g., the amount of dust), it is also possible to drive by increasing or decreasing the air supply stage according to the illuminance or relative humidity. For example, when the set value of the air supply stage corresponding to the current state of the air (e.g., the amount of dust) is 3 levels, if the measured illuminance is equal to or lower than a preset reference illuminance value, the air supply unit 180 is driven at an air supply stage lower than the current set air supply stage (3 levels) (e.g., 1 level or 2 levels), and if the measured illuminance is greater than the preset reference illuminance value, the current set air supply stage (3 levels) can be maintained, or for the performance of a fast drying operation, the air supply unit 180 can be driven at 4 levels or 5 levels higher than the current set air supply stage (3 levels). Also, when the measured relative humidity is equal to or higher than the reference relative humidity value, for the performance of a fast drying operation, the air supply unit 180 is driven at 4 levels or 5 levels higher than the current set air supply stage (3 levels), and when the measured relative humidity is smaller than the reference relative humidity value, the current set air supply stage (3 levels) can be maintained, or the air supply unit 180 can be driven at 2 levels or 1 level lower than the current set air supply stage (3 levels).

[0135] On the other hand, the above-mentioned preset reference illuminance value or reference relative humidity value may consist of one value, or may consist of two or more values. In this way, when the reference illuminance value or reference relative humidity value is two or more, the increase or decrease of the air supply volume can be controlled corresponding to the interval corresponding to the measured illuminance or measured relative humidity. In this way, the method of adjusting, increasing, or decreasing the air supply volume considering illuminance or relative humidity is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and various changes are possible.

[0136] And the control unit C can make the drying mode be performed during a preset drying set time. Such a drying set time can be preset in consideration of the volume of water stored in the water tank 141, the amount of water absorbed by the humidifying member 170, and the like. On the other hand, as described above, the control unit C can increase or decrease the air supply volume of the air supply unit 180 based on at least one of illuminance and relative humidity. In this case, the drying set time can be set further considering the increase or decrease of the air supply volume.

[0137] On the one hand, with the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 blocked, the control unit C drives the blower unit 180. As the water absorbed by the humidifying member 170 and / or the water stored in the water tank 141 dries out, the water stored in the water tank 141 gradually disappears. As a result, the water level in the water tank 141 gradually decreases, and finally, it may be sensed through the water detection sensor LS that the water level in the water tank 141 reaches the bottom water level or there is no water at the bottom of the water tank 141.

[0138] In this way, even after it is sensed through the water detection sensor LS that there is no water in the water tank 141, the humidifying member 170 maintains the absorbed state for a certain period of time. Therefore, in order to completely dry the water absorbed by the humidifying member 170, after it is sensed that there is no water in the water tank 141, the control unit C can further perform the drying mode during a preset additional drying time.

[0139] At this time, the additional drying time can be preset in consideration of the amount of water absorbed by the humidifying member 170, etc. On the other hand, as described above, the control unit C can increase or decrease the air volume of the blower unit 180 based on at least one of the illuminance and the relative humidity. In this case, the additional drying time can be set by further considering the increase or decrease of the air volume.

[0140] In this way, when the blower unit 180 is driven in the flow path state of the drying mode, a part of the air flowing in from the suction port 115 can be filtered through the air purification filter 120, and then dried by the water absorbed by the humidifying member 170 and / or the water stored in the water tank 141 through the humidifying member 170 and the humidifying flow path F3, and then discharged to the humidified air discharge port 118. A part of the air can be filtered through the air purification filter 120 and then discharged to the clean air discharge port 117 through the clean flow path F2 without passing through the humidifying member 170.

[0141] On the one hand, in the case of the embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that the humidifying member 170 is immersed in the water stored in the water tank 141. However, as long as the water supplied from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 can be provided to the humidifying member 170 for humidification, the shape, structure, and / or operation method of the humidifying member 170 are not limited to the above-described immersion humidification structure, and various changes are possible. For example, the structure for supplying water to the humidifying member 170 may be a structure in which the water stored in the water tank 141 is sprayed onto the humidifying member 170, or the water stored in the water bucket 130 or the water tank 141 may flow along the surface of the humidifying member 170, and the water tank 141 is installed below the humidifying member 170 so that the water flowing down from the humidifying member 170 is stored, or the humidifying member 170 has a structure in the form of a rotating disk. Even in such cases, in a state where the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 is blocked, by blowing air to the humidifying member 170 side, a drying mode for drying the water stored in the water tank 141 and / or the humidifying member 170 can be performed.

[0142] Next, with reference to FIGS. 18 to 24, a control method (S10, S100) of a humidifier according to the present invention will be described.

[0143] The control method (S10, S100) of the humidifier according to the present invention includes a control method (S10) of the humidifier for water supply interruption and a control method (S100) of the humidifier including a drying stage for drying the water stored in the water tank 141.

[0144] Hereinafter, a water supply cut-off control method (S10) and a drying control method (S100) will be described based on the humidifier 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. However, the humidifier 100 to which the water supply cut-off control method (S10) according to the present invention is applied is not limited to the configuration of the humidifier 100 described via FIGS. 1 to 17 as long as it can adjust the water supply from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 (the presence or absence of water supply), and its specific humidification method is not limited either. Further, the humidifier 100 to which the water supply cut-off control method (S10) and the drying control method (S100) according to the present invention are applied is not limited to a humidifier having only a humidification function, and can include all humidifiers with an added air purification function and humidifiers including other added functions.

[0145] [Water supply cut-off control method (S10)] Referring to FIG. 18, a water supply cut-off control method (S10) will be described in which water supply cut-off is performed when the housing 110 / water tank 141 is tilted.

[0146] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a water supply cut-off control method for a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0147] As shown in FIG. 18, the water supply cut-off control method (S10) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be configured to include an inclination comparison step (S11), a position determination step (S12) of the water supply adjustment member 150, and a movement step (S13) of the water supply adjustment member.

[0148] First, in the inclination comparison step (S11), it is determined whether the inclination value of the housing 110 / water tank 141 sensed via the inclination sensor (TS in FIG. 17) is equal to or greater than a preset value.

[0149] At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, when the right region where the on-off valve 135 is located is lifted, water supply cutoff is required. Therefore, in the inclination comparison step (S11), it is possible to determine whether the inclination angle generated by the lifting of the right region where the on-off valve 135 is located is equal to or greater than the set value. However, in order to more reliably prevent the overflow of the water tank 141, in the inclination comparison step (S11), it is also possible to compare whether the measured inclination angle in any direction of the housing 110 is equal to or greater than the set value.

[0150] In the position determination step (S12) of the water supply adjustment member 150, it is determined whether the on-off valve 135 is open. When the water supply adjustment member 150 is in the closed position of the on-off valve 135, since the water in the water bucket 130 is not discharged even if the housing 110 / water tank 141 is tilted, there is no need to cut off the water supply. Therefore, the movement of the water supply adjustment member 150 is controlled only when the water supply adjustment member 150 is in the open position of the on-off valve 135.

[0151] When the measured inclination value is equal to or greater than the set value and the water supply adjustment member 150 is in the open position, the movement step (S13) of the water supply adjustment member for moving the water supply adjustment member 150 from the open position to the water supply cutoff position is performed. Thereby, a water intake space 165 is formed in the space forming member 160, and the lower end portion of the on-off valve 135 is immersed in the water intake space 165, and the water supply can be cut off.

[0152] On the other hand, FIG. 18 shows that the position determination step (S12) of the water supply adjustment member 150 is performed after the inclination comparison step (S11), but it is also possible to perform the inclination comparison step (S11) after the position determination step (S12) of the water supply adjustment member 150.

[0153] [Drying control method (S100)] With reference to FIGS. 19 to 24, a control method (S100) of a humidifier including a drying step of the water tank 141 will be described.

[0154] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a control method (S100) of a humidifier including a drying stage according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 20 to 24 are flowcharts showing various embodiments of the drying stage among the control methods (S100) shown in FIG. 19.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 19, a control method (S100) of a humidifier including a drying stage according to an embodiment of the present invention relates to a control method of a humidifier 100 in which water supplied from a water bucket 130 to a water tank 141 is provided to a humidifying member 170 for humidification, and includes a humidifying stage (S110) and a drying stage (S150 to S170), and may further include a subsequent stage (S190) performed after the drying stage.

[0156] First, the humidifying stage (S110) is configured to proceed in a humidifying mode in which humidification is performed via the humidifying member 170. Such a humidifying stage (S110) corresponds to the humidifying mode of the humidifier 100, and a detailed description of the humidifying stage (S110) is substituted for the description of the humidifying mode described above. Such a humidifying stage (S100) is performed until a humidifying end signal is input, and when the humidifying end signal is input (S120), the humidifying mode ends.

[0157] Such a humidifying end signal may include an end signal for turning off (OFF) the drive of the humidifier 100 and a third mode progress signal for performing a third mode other than the humidifying mode and the drying mode. At this time, the third mode progress signal may include a standby signal for ending the humidifying stage and waiting. Such an end signal and the third mode progress signal can be input by a user's selection or the setting of the humidifier 100.

[0158] Then, after the humidifying mode ends, a drying stage (S150 to S170) for proceeding in a drying mode in which the water tank 141 and / or the humidifying member 170 is dried is performed.

[0159] Such drying stages (S150 to S170) can be configured to include a drying mode execution stage (S150) in which the drying mode is performed with the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 blocked, as shown in FIG. 19, a determination stage (S160) for determining whether the drying mode is completed, and an end stage (S170) for ending the drying mode after the drying mode is completed.

[0160] First, the drying mode execution stage (S150) corresponds to the drying mode of the humidifier 100. And the drying mode execution stage (S150) is performed with the water supply valve member 135 closed, and the operation for closing the water supply valve member 135 in the drying mode execution stage (S150) substitutes for the description of the above-mentioned drying mode.

[0161] And in the drying mode execution stage (S150), at least a part of the air blown from the blower unit 180 can be configured to flow to the humidifying member 170. For example, by driving the blower unit 180 with the flow path adjustment member 190 in the position shown in FIG. 11, a part of the air passes through the humidifying member 170 and is discharged through the humidified air discharge port 118, and the remaining air can be configured to be discharged through the clean air discharge port 117.

[0162] On the other hand, the drying mode execution stage (S150) can be configured such that the water stored in the water tank 141 can be removed through blowing air to the humidifying member 170 by performing the drying mode execution stage (S150) with the humidifying member 170 immersed in the water tank 141.

[0163] Referring to FIGS. 20 to 24, the drying mode execution stage (S150) can be configured to adjust the air volume based on at least one of illuminance and relative humidity.

[0164] For example, the drying mode execution stage (S150) may be configured to adjust the air volume considering both the illuminance and the relative humidity as shown in FIGS. 20 and 23, may be configured to adjust the air volume considering the illuminance as shown in FIGS. 21 and 24, or may be configured to adjust the air volume considering the relative humidity as shown in FIG. 22.

[0165] Then, in the drying mode execution stage (S150), as shown in FIGS. 20, 21, 23, and 24, the measured illuminance is compared with a preset reference illuminance value (S151). When the measured illuminance is equal to or less than the reference illuminance value, the air volume can be configured to decrease (S155). As shown in FIGS. 20, 22, and 23, the measured relative humidity is compared with a preset reference relative humidity value (S153). When the measured relative humidity is equal to or greater than the reference relative humidity value, the air volume can be configured to increase compared to the air volume in the case where it is smaller than the reference relative humidity value (S156) (S157).

[0166] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 23, in the drying mode execution stage (S150), the measured illuminance sensed by the illuminance sensor (IS in FIG. 17) is compared with the reference illuminance value (S151). When the measured illuminance is equal to or less than the reference illuminance value, such as at night (bedtime), the blower unit 180 can be driven at the lowest RPM to minimize the air volume (S155). When the measured illuminance is greater than the reference illuminance value, the measured relative humidity can be compared with the reference relative humidity value (S153). When the measured relative humidity is equal to or greater than the reference relative humidity value, since the amount of water vapor in the air is large and the drying of the humidifying member 170 is not smooth, the blower unit 180 can be driven at a high RPM to increase the air volume for performing a fast drying operation (S157). When the measured relative humidity is less than the reference relative humidity value, the blower unit 180 can be driven at a low RPM to decrease the air volume (S156).

[0167] Then, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 24, in the drying mode execution stage (S150), it can be configured to consider the illuminance and not consider the relative humidity. In this case, the measured illuminance is compared with the reference illuminance value (S151). When the measured illuminance is less than or equal to the reference illuminance value, such as at night (bedtime), the blower unit 180 is driven at the lowest RPM to minimize the air volume (S155). When the measured illuminance is greater than the reference illuminance value, the blower unit 180 can be configured to be driven at a low RPM or a normal RPM selected according to the air quality to adjust the air volume (S156).

[0168] Also, as shown in FIG. 22, in the drying mode execution stage (S150), it can be configured to consider the relative humidity and not consider the illuminance. In this case, the measured relative humidity is compared with the reference relative humidity value (S153). When the measured relative humidity is greater than or equal to the reference relative humidity value, since there is a large amount of water vapor in the air and the drying of the humidifying member 170 is not smooth, for the execution of a fast drying operation, the blower unit 180 is driven at a high RPM to increase the air volume (S157). When the measured relative humidity is less than the reference relative humidity value, the blower unit 180 can be driven at a low RPM to reduce the air volume (S156).

[0169] The increase or decrease in the air volume can be configured to simply increase the driving RPM of the blower unit 180 according to the illuminance and / or relative humidity. However, based on the blowing stage corresponding to the current air state (e.g., dust amount), it is also possible to drive by increasing or decreasing the blowing stage according to the illuminance or relative humidity. For example, assume that the blowing stage of the humidifier 100 is composed of five levels from the lowest RPM level 1 to the highest RPM level 5, and the set value of the blowing stage corresponding to the current air state (e.g., dust amount) is level 3. In this case, when the measured illuminance is below the reference illuminance value, the blower unit 180 can be driven at a blowing stage lower than the current set blowing stage (level 3) (e.g., level 1 or 2) for quiet operation (S155). When the measured illuminance is greater than the reference illuminance value, the current set blowing stage (level 3) can be maintained, or the blower unit 180 can be driven at level 4 or 5 higher than the current set blowing stage (level 3) for performing fast drying operations (S157). Also, when the measured relative humidity is above the reference relative humidity value, the blower unit 180 can be driven at level 4 or 5 higher than the current set blowing stage (level 3) for performing fast drying operations. When the measured relative humidity is less than the reference relative humidity value, the current set blowing stage (level 3) can be maintained, or the blower unit 180 can be driven at level 2 or 1 lower than the current set blowing stage (level 3).

[0170] On the other hand, the above-mentioned reference illuminance value or reference relative humidity value may consist of one value or two or more values. In this way, when the reference illuminance value or reference relative humidity value is two or more, the increase or decrease in the air volume can be controlled corresponding to the interval to which the measured illuminance or measured relative humidity corresponds.

[0171] In this way, the method for adjusting, increasing, or decreasing the air volume considering the illuminance or relative humidity is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and various changes are possible.

[0172] And the completion determination step (S160) for determining whether or not the drying mode has ended can be determined according to whether or not a preset drying set time has elapsed, as shown in FIGS. 20 to 22 (S161), and when the drying set time has elapsed, the drying mode is ended (S170).

[0173] That is, the drying steps (S150 to S170) can be performed during a preset drying set time. Such a drying set time can be set in advance in consideration of the volume of water stored in the water tank 141, the amount of water absorbed by the humidifying member 170, and the like. On the other hand, as described above, in the drying mode execution step (S150), the air volume of the blower unit 180 can be increased or decreased based on at least one of the illuminance and the relative humidity. In this case, the drying set time can be set in further consideration of the increase or decrease in the air volume.

[0174] Differently, the completion determination step (S160) for determining whether or not the drying mode has ended can include a step (S165) of determining whether or not it is sensed that there is no water in the water tank 141, and a step (S166) of determining whether or not an additional drying time has elapsed after it is sensed that there is no water in the water tank 141, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, and when the additional drying time has elapsed, the drying mode can be configured to end (S170).

[0175] That is, as the drying mode execution step (S150) progresses with the supply of water from the water bucket 130 to the water tank 141 blocked, the water stored in the water tank 141 gradually disappears, the water level in the water tank 141 gradually drops, and finally, there is no water at the bottom of the water tank 141. Even after it is sensed that there is no water in the water tank 141 in this way, the humidifying member 170 maintains the absorbed state for a certain period of time. Therefore, in order to completely dry the water absorbed by the humidifying member 170, in the completion determination step (S160) of the drying mode, the drying mode can be further performed during the additional drying time after it is sensed that there is no water in the water tank 141.

[0176] At this time, the additional drying time can be set in advance in consideration of the amount of water absorbed by the humidifying member 170 and the like. On the other hand, as described above, in the drying mode execution stage (S150), the air volume of the blower unit 180 can be increased or decreased based on at least one of the illuminance and the relative humidity. In this case, the additional drying time can be set in further consideration of the increase or decrease in the air volume.

[0177] Then, after the drying mode ends (S170), a subsequent stage is performed (S190). As described above, the drying stage (S150 to S170) is performed after the humidification end signal is input (S120). Further, the humidification end signal can include a humidifier drive end signal and a third mode progress signal.

[0178] Therefore, in the subsequent stage (S190), after the drying stage ends (S170), according to the humidifier end signal, the drive of the humidifier 100 is turned off or the third mode is advanced. At this time, the third mode progress signal can include a cleaning mode in which the air filtered through the air purification filter 120 is discharged without passing through the humidifying member 170.

[0179] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious to those having ordinary knowledge in the art that various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the technical idea of the present invention described in the claims. In particular, the present invention includes deleting some non-essential configurations, substituting other configurations, or adding other configurations in the various embodiments described above. Further, the present invention can be configured to include those in which the configurations of the above-described embodiments are combined in a composite manner.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0180] 100 Humidifier 110 Housing 111 Housing Main Body 112 Partition Plate 113 Opening 115 Suction Port 116 Exhaust port 117 Clean air exhaust port 118 Humidified air exhaust port 120 Air purification filter 130 Water bucket 131 Water bucket body 135 On-off valve 136 Outlet 136a Step portion 137 Rod member 138 Elastic member 139 Shut-off member 140 Water tank unit 141 Water tank 142 Humidifying member mounting opening 143 Upper part of water tank 144 Cover installation portion 145 Water tank cover 146 Water bucket mounting portion 147 Installation opening 148 Avoidance groove 149 Water supply adjustment member mounting portion 150 Water supply adjustment member 151 Main body portion 152 First main body 153 Second main body 154 Rotation shaft portion 155 First extension portion 156 Second extension portion 157 Side extension portion 158 Contact portion 159 Lifting and pressurizing portion 160 Space forming member 161 Side wall 162 Bottom surface 163 Opening 163a Open end 163b Communication opening 165 Water intake space 170 Humidifying member 180 Blower section 190 Flow path adjustment member 191 Flow path adjustment body 192 Reinforcing rib 193 Shaft member 195 Water supply actuating member C control unit F1 air flow path F2 clean air path F3 humidification air path HS temperature and humidity sensor IS illuminance sensor LS water detection sensor M drive unit TS tilt sensor W partition wall WH through-hole WL1 water level in the water tank WL2 water level in the water intake space

Claims

1. A housing having an air inlet through which air is inhaled and an air outlet through which air is discharged, a water bucket mounted inside the housing, the water bucket comprising a water bucket body and an on-off valve coupled to the water bucket body and configured to open and close to enable discharge of water stored inside the water bucket body, a water tank unit comprising a water tank for storing water discharged from the water bucket, a humidifying member configured to perform humidification using the water stored in the water tank, a blower unit configured to provide a blowing force such that air flowing in from the air inlet passes through an air flow path portion formed between the air inlet and the air outlet and flows to the air outlet, a water supply adjustment member installed in the water tank unit and configured to be movable to an open position where the on-off valve is opened to supply water from the water bucket to the water tank unit and a closed position where the on-off valve is closed to cut off the supply of water from the water bucket, a water supply actuating member configured to contact the water supply adjustment member and move the water supply adjustment member, a control unit configured to control driving of the water supply actuating member such that the water supply adjustment member is positioned at the open position or the closed position, wherein the water supply adjustment member includes a space forming member having an opening configured to guide water discharged from an outlet of the on-off valve to the water tank unit, and the space forming member includes a water intake space configured to intake water discharged from the outlet when the housing is inclined by a certain angle or more, a humidifier.

2. The water supply adjustment member according to claim 1, comprising: a contact portion configured to be pressurizable via the water supply actuating member; a lifting and pressurizing portion integrally coupled to the space forming member and configured to pressurize the on-off valve; and a rotating shaft portion configured to connect the contact portion and the lifting and pressurizing portion.

3. The contact portion moves in a vertical direction by driving of the water supply actuating member, the lifting and pressurizing portion rotates about the rotating shaft portion in response to the vertical movement of the contact portion, and the open position is a position in a state where the lifting and pressurizing portion rotates by a preset angle about the rotating shaft portion from the closed position, the humidifier according to claim 2.

4. further comprising an inclination sensor configured to sense an inclination of the housing, wherein the control unit further controls driving of the water supply actuating member such that the water supply adjustment member is positioned at a water supply cutoff position when the inclination sensed by the inclination sensor is equal to or greater than a preset value. The humidifier according to claim 3, wherein the water supply cutoff position is a position in a state where the lifting and pressurizing part rotates at an angle larger than the angle of rotation when the lifting and pressurizing part moves from the closed position to the open position.

5. The water tank unit includes a water tank cover that covers at least a part of the upper part of the water tank. The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water supply adjusting member is installed on the water tank cover.

6. The water bucket is arranged eccentrically on one side in the length direction of the water tank. The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the opening of the space forming member is formed on one side in the length direction of the water tank.

7. The space forming member includes a bottom surface corresponding to the lower surface of the outflow port and a side wall formed to extend upward from the bottom surface so as to cover at least a part of the periphery of the outflow port in a state where the water supply adjusting member is in the open position. The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water intake space is formed between the bottom surface and the side wall when the housing tilts by a certain angle or more.

8. The humidifier according to claim 7, wherein the opening of the space forming member is constituted by an open end portion formed by opening one side of the side wall or a communication opening formed on one side of the bottom surface.

9. An air purification filter provided inside the housing for filtering air flowing in from the suction port. A flow path adjusting member rotatably arranged in the air flow path portion for adjusting the flow of air to the discharge port. Further comprising The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit controls the driving of the water supply operating member by controlling the rotation of the flow path adjusting member.

10. The discharge port includes a humidified air discharge port through which air flowing into the suction port and passing through the air purification filter is discharged through the humidifying member, and a clean air discharge port discharged without passing through the humidifying member. The flow path adjusting member rotates between a humidifying mode position where air flowing through the air flow path portion is discharged through the humidifying member and a clean mode position where air is discharged without passing through the humidifying member. When the flow path adjusting member is in the humidifying mode position, the water supply adjusting member is in the open position. The humidifier according to claim 9, wherein when the flow path adjusting member is in the cleaning mode position, the water supply adjusting member is in the closed position.

11. The flow path adjusting member includes a flow path adjustment body configured to cross at least a part of the air flow path portion so as to open and close the air flow path portion, and a shaft member that forms the rotation center of the flow path adjustment body. The humidifier according to claim 10, wherein the water supply operating member is coupled to the shaft member and rotates together with the flow path adjusting member.

Images