humidifier

Abstract

To provide a humidifier that can facilitate water supply, and restrain a splash of water.SOLUTION: A humidifier 100 comprises a main body part 10, a water receiving part 60, and a storage part 20. The main body part 10 comprises a top surface 11 in which a water supply port 14 is formed. The water receiving part 60 is arranged below the water supply port 14 and has a noncircular shape in a planar view. The storage part 20 stores water. The water receiving part 60 comprises a first edge part 61, a second edge part 62, and an inclined part 67. The second edge part 62 is opposed to the first edge part 61. The inclined part 67 connects the second edge part 62 and the first edge part 61 and is curved toward the water supply port 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides humidifier Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Humidifiers are known that have a large water inlet opening, making it easy to replenish the water storage container. The humidifier described in Patent Document 1 is shaped like a pot. When refilling the humidifier with water, water is poured from above the humidifier through the water inlet toward the dome-shaped upper cover. The diameter of the circular water inlet is significantly larger than that of conventional humidifiers. As a result, water can be poured easily without spilling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6179948 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the humidifier in Patent Document 1 has a wide water inlet, the water poured from the inlet is received by a dome-shaped upper cover. In other words, the water is generally received at a single point at the apex of the dome. As a result, the user must aim the water at the apex of the dome. Furthermore, water poured at the apex of the dome flows quickly down the slope because there is little space for it to move laterally, for example. In other words, even if the water is received at the apex of the upper cover, it flows without slowing down much. As a result, the force of the poured water cannot be controlled, and there is a risk of it splashing around.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a humidifier and a water receiving portion that can easily supply water and prevent water from splashing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a humidifier includes a main body, a water receiving portion, and a storage portion. The main body has a top surface on which a water inlet is formed. The water receiving portion is disposed below the water inlet and has a non-circular shape in a plan view. The storage portion stores water. The water receiving portion has a first edge, a second edge, and an inclined portion. The second edge faces the first edge. The inclined portion connects the first edge and the second edge and curves toward the water inlet.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, the water receiving portion has a non-circular shape in a plan view for receiving supplied water and guiding the water to a storage portion that stores the water. The water receiving portion includes a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and an inclined portion. The second edge portion faces the first edge portion. The inclined portion connects the first edge portion and the second edge portion and is curved in a direction opposite to the water supply direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The humidifier and water receiving portion according to the present invention can facilitate water supply and prevent water from splashing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a humidifier according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the humidifier of FIG. 1 taken along line II-II. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a water receiving portion of the humidifier according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the water receiving portion of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the humidifier of FIG. 1 with the front panel removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of a cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description will not be repeated. In addition, to facilitate understanding of the drawings, front, back, left, right, up and down directions will be appropriately described in the embodiments.

[0011] [Embodiment] A humidifier 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the humidifier 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the humidifier 100 of Figure 1 taken along line II-II. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a water receiving portion 60 of the humidifier 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the humidifier 100 of Figure 1 with the front panel 30 removed. Figure 6 is a view showing part of a cross section taken along line II-II of Figure 1.

[0012] Humidifier 100 of the embodiment supplies water directly into the interior of humidifier 100. As will be described later, the shape of water receiving portion 60 that receives the supplied water makes it easy to supply water and prevents water from splashing.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the humidifier 100 includes a main body 10, a water storage section 20, and a front panel 30. The main body 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Here, the rectangular parallelepiped shape does not mean only a rectangular parallelepiped in the strict sense, but also includes, for example, a shape that is slightly tapered toward any face, a rounded shape with a curved portion, or an approximately cubic shape.

[0014] A generally rectangular water inlet 14, an outlet 15 for blowing out humidified air, and an operation panel 16 are provided on the top surface 11 of the main body 10. However, the shape of the water inlet 14 in the embodiment is not limited to a generally rectangular shape. For example, the water inlet 14 may have a square shape, an oval shape, or the like.

[0015] The size of water inlet 14 may be any size. For example, the area that water inlet 14 occupies with respect to the area of ​​top surface 11 excluding operation panel 16 may be large. In one embodiment, as an example, the area of ​​water inlet 14 is set to about half the area of ​​top surface 11 excluding operation panel 16. By making water inlet 14 large, it becomes easier to pour water directly into humidifier 100.

[0016] Furthermore, if humidifier 100 has a large capacity, the amount of water stored in reservoir 20 will be quite large, for example, about 7 liters. Therefore, if reservoir 20 is removed, filled with water, and then reinstalled in main body 10, reservoir 20, which is quite heavy, will need to be carried around.

[0017] As described above, the humidifier 100 of this embodiment can directly supply water through the water inlet 14. In other words, the user can directly supply the amount of water that they can carry, thereby saving the user the trouble and effort of carrying the heavy water storage unit 20.

[0018] The humidifier 100 may further include a sealing portion 40. The sealing portion 40 is a member for covering the water inlet 14. The water inlet 14 is usually covered by the sealing portion 40. When water is to be supplied, the sealing portion 40 is removed.

[0019] The front panel 30 is detachably attached to the main body 10 from the top surface 11 to the front surface 13. The front panel 30 is L-shaped in a side view. The term "L-shaped" also means an approximate L-shape, and may be a shape that can be roughly recognized as an L-shape in a side view.

[0020] As an example of a method for removing the front panel 30, first remove the storage unit 20 from the main body 10. Then, remove the attachment claws (not shown) provided on the front panel 30 from the main body 10, and move the front panel 30. In this simple manner, the front panel 30 can be attached to and detached from the main body 10.

[0021] The front panel 30 also has an opening 31. When the front panel 30 is attached to the main body 10, the opening 31 is located at a position corresponding to the water inlet 14 of the main body 10. The size of the opening 31 is smaller than the water inlet 14. In other words, the opening edge 31a of the front panel 30 extends further inward toward the water inlet 14.

[0022] 2, the humidifier 100 further includes a humidifying filter 50 and a fan 52. The humidifying filter 50 is disposed inside the storage unit 20. The fan 52 is disposed above the storage unit 20.

[0023] An intake port 17 for drawing in outside air is formed on the back surface 12 of the main body 10. The air drawn in through the intake port 17 by the fan 52 passes through the humidifying filter 50 where it is humidified, and is then blown out from the air outlet 15.

[0024] The humidifier 100 further includes a water receiving portion 60. The water receiving portion 60 is disposed below the water inlet 14 and receives the water supplied from the water inlet 14.

[0025] 3 has a non-circular shape in plan view. The non-circular shape does not include a shape that is approximately circular in plan view, and includes shapes such as a substantially rectangular, square, or elliptical shape in plan view. In the embodiment, as an example, the water receiving portion 60 is a substantially rectangular shape in plan view.

[0026] The water receiving portion 60 has a first edge 61, a second edge 62, and an inclined portion 67. The second edge 62 faces the first edge 61. The first edge 61 and the second edge 62 extend in the longitudinal direction of the water receiving portion 60. The water receiving portion 60 further has a third edge 63 and a fourth edge 64 extending in the lateral direction.

[0027] 2, the inclined portion 67 connects the first edge 61 and the second edge 62, and curves toward the water supply port 14. In other words, the inclined portion 67 curves in the direction opposite to the water supply direction indicated by the arrow Y1 in FIG.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the inclined portion 67 has a shape that rises toward the center. Specifically, the inclined portion 67 has a water receiving surface 65 for receiving water and an inclined surface 66. The water receiving surface 65 is formed in the raised center portion of the inclined portion 67 and has a generally rectangular shape that is somewhat wider in the vertical and horizontal directions. The water receiving surface 65 has such a shape that it can receive water over a wide area. This makes it easier to pour water into the water receiving portion 60.

[0029] The inclined surface 66 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the water receiving surface 65. In other words, the inclined surface 66 is a portion of the inclined portion 67 that slopes downward from the water receiving surface 65 toward the first edge portion 61, the second edge portion 62, the third edge portion 63, and the fourth edge portion 64 of the water receiving portion 60.

[0030] By providing the inclined surface 66, poured water flows smoothly along the inclined surface 66 into the storage section 80, which will be described later. As a result, splashing of water can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the water receiving surface 65 is provided, which extends to some extent in the vertical and horizontal directions, the water poured onto the water receiving surface 65 does not all flow down the inclined surface 66 into the storage section 80 at once. Some of the water spreads up and down or left and right on the water receiving surface 65, and then flows down the inclined surface 66 into the storage section 80. Water that spreads up and down or left and right has a larger flow area, so the flow speed slows down. In other words, the force of the water can be suppressed. As a result of suppressing the force of the water, splashing of water can also be suppressed.

[0031] In the embodiment, the water receiving portion 60 has been described as having a generally rectangular water receiving surface 65 and an inclined surface 66. However, the water receiving portion is not limited to the above embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example of the water receiving portion 60. As shown in this figure, the water receiving portion 70 has a first edge 71 and a second edge 72 extending in the longitudinal direction, and a third edge 73 and a fourth edge 74 extending in the lateral direction.

[0032] The water receiving portion 70 further has a first inclined surface 75. The first inclined surface 75 has, for example, a substantially arc-shaped cross-section. The first inclined surface 75 has a vertex 75a, which is the most protruding portion. The vertex 75a passes through, for example, approximately the center of the first inclined surface 75 of the water receiving portion 70 and extends substantially parallel to the first edge portion 71 and the second edge portion 72 (in the left-right direction in FIG. 4).

[0033] 4 is a surface that slopes continuously from a vertex 75a. However, the vertex 75a may be an elongated plane that is generally parallel to the first edge 71 and the second edge 72.

[0034] Water receiving portion 70 can receive water poured from wide-open water inlet 14 near apex 75a, which extends long in the left-right direction as shown in Figure 4. In other words, water receiving portion 70 can receive water over a wide area. This makes it easier to pour water into water receiving portion 70.

[0035] The poured water then flows smoothly along the first inclined surface 75 into the storage section 80, which will be described later. As a result, splashing of water can be suppressed. Furthermore, because the apex 75a extending in the left-right direction is provided, water poured near the apex 75a does not all flow immediately down the inclined surface into the storage section 80. Some of the water spreads out in the left-right direction and then flows down the inclined surface into the storage section 80. The water that spreads out in the left-right direction has a larger flow area, so the flow speed slows down. In other words, the force of the water can be suppressed. As a result of suppressing the force of the water, splashing of water can also be suppressed.

[0036] The water receiving portion 70 may also have a pair of drainage portions 76. The pair of drainage portions 76 are provided on the third edge portion 73 and the fourth edge portion 74, respectively.

[0037] Each drainage portion 76 has a second inclined surface 76a and a drainage groove 76b. The second inclined surface 76a slopes downward from near the apex 75a of the first inclined surface 75 toward the third edge 73 or the fourth edge 74. The drainage groove 76b has a recessed shape that extends from the third edge 73 or the fourth edge 74 toward the inside of the water receiving portion 70.

[0038] The second inclined surface 76a and the drain groove 76b guide water near the gently sloping apex 75a downward, facilitating its drainage. Furthermore, the drain groove 76b can also be used as a fingerhold for catching fingers when removing the water receiving portion 70 from the main body 10.

[0039] The water receiving portion 70 may further be provided with recesses 77 and protrusions 78 on the first inclined surface 75. As an example, a plurality of parallel grooves are formed in the short direction, which is the drainage direction, of the first inclined surface 75 of the water receiving portion 70. By forming a plurality of grooves, a plurality of recesses 77 and protrusions 78 can be provided on the first inclined surface.

[0040] Water poured into the water receiving portion 70 can flow more smoothly along the recessed portions 77 and protruding portions 78 provided in the drainage direction, thereby preventing the water from splashing around.

[0041] The water receiving portion 70 may further have a protrusion 79. For example, a plurality of protrusions 79 are arranged at the four corners of the first inclined surface 75. The protrusions 79 protrude toward the water inlet 14. The tip 79a of the protrusion 79 comes into contact with the rear surface of the front panel 30. In other words, the front panel 30 presses the protrusion 79 from above.

[0042] The entire water receiving portion 70 is fixed inside the humidifier 100 by pressing the protrusion 79 with the front panel 30. As a result, even if the humidifier 100 is violently shaken back and forth or is knocked over, the water receiving portion 70 can be held in place.

[0043] The humidifier 100 further includes a storage section 80 that stores the water receiving section 60 of the embodiment. The storage section 80 shown in FIG.

[0044] The storage section 80 has a bottom surface 81, side surfaces 82, and a support section 83. The side surfaces 82 are provided along the edges of the bottom surface 81. The support section 83 is a member that supports the water receiving section 60 when the water receiving section 60 is placed inside the storage section 80.

[0045] The support portions 83 are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface 81 of the storage portion 80. The support portions 83 are, for example, convex members. As shown in Fig. 6, the convex support portions 83 can support the water receiving portion 60 while forming a gap B1 between the water receiving portion 60 and the bottom surface 81.

[0046] Furthermore, the first edge 61 and the second edge 62 of the water receiving portion 60 are arranged in a non-contact state with the side surface 82 of the storage portion 80. In other words, gaps C1 and C2 are formed between the first edge 61 and the side surface 82 of the storage portion 80 and between the second edge 62 and the side surface 82 of the storage portion 80, respectively.

[0047] The supplied water flows downward through gaps C1 and C2. Then, the water that reaches bottom surface 81 flows further downward through gap B1. As a result, the water received in water receiving portion 60 flows smoothly through storage portion 80 into water channel 90 shown in FIG. 5, as will be described later.

[0048] 5, the water receiving portion 60 is detachable from the storage portion 80. By making the water receiving portion 60 detachable from the storage portion 80, the water receiving portion 60 and the storage portion 80 can be easily cleaned.

[0049] Here, in order to fix the water receiving portion 60 to the storage portion 80, the humidifier 100 may have an engagement structure that engages the water receiving portion 60 with the storage portion 80. As an example, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the water receiving portion 60 has a pair of first engagement portions 68a and 68b for engaging with the storage portion 80. The storage portion 80 also has a pair of second engagement portions 86, 86 for engaging with the water receiving portion 60.

[0050] The first engagement portion 68a is an engagement piece provided on the first edge portion 61 of the water receiving portion 60 and protruding horizontally from the first edge portion 61. The second engagement portion 68b is a hook-shaped engagement claw provided on the second edge portion 62. However, the first engagement portion is not limited to this form. Both the first engagement portions 68a and 68b may be hook-shaped engagement claws. Furthermore, the first engagement portion 68a may be an engagement claw and the second engagement portion 68b may be an engagement piece.

[0051] The pair of second engagement portions 86, 86 are members that receive the first engagement portions 68a and 68b, respectively. The second engagement portions 86, 86 are provided on the bottom surface 81 of the storage portion 80 corresponding to the first engagement portions 68a and 68b, respectively.

[0052] The second engagement portions 86, 86 are, for example, inverted U-shaped. The first engagement portion 68a is inserted into one of the second engagement portions 86, and the second engagement portion 68b is hooked onto the other second engagement portion 86. This allows the water receiving portion 60 to be fixed to the storage portion 80. On the other hand, the water receiving portion 60 can be easily removed from the storage portion 80 by pressing inward the engagement claws of the second engagement portion 68b that are engaged with the second engagement portion 86.

[0053] The storage section 80 also has a hole 84 formed in the bottom surface 81. The hole 84 is provided to allow water that has flowed into the storage section 80 to flow into a water channel 90, which will be described later. The shape of the hole 84 may be any shape, and in the embodiment, as an example, the hole 84 is circular.

[0054] The position where the hole 84 is provided is not particularly limited. In the embodiment, as an example, the hole 84 is provided on the bottom surface 81 near the second edge 62 when the water receiving section 60 is in place. The bottom surface 81 of the storage section 80 is inclined downward toward the hole 84. As a result, water that flows into the storage section 80 flows into the water channel 90 through the hole 84.

[0055] The bottom surface 81 of the storage section 80 may have a first region 81a that slopes continuously and gently, and a second region 81b that has a step to form a steep slope. By providing the second region 81b that forms a steep slope, the speed at which water is collected can be increased. However, the storage section 80 of the embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned aspect. The bottom surface 81 of the storage section 80 may be formed only by the first region 81a that slopes continuously without a step.

[0056] 5 and 6, the storage section 80 may further include a rib portion 85. The rib portion 85 is a long, narrow member provided along the side surface 82 of the storage section 80. However, the rib portion 85 does not have to be provided over the entire surface of the side surface 82 of the storage section 80. In the embodiment, as an example, the rib portion 85 is provided in the portions facing the first edge portion 61 and the second edge portion 62 of the water receiving portion 60, respectively.

[0057] The rib portion 85 protrudes from the side surface 82 of the storage portion 80 toward the inside of the storage portion 80. The amount of protrusion of the rib portion 85 is set so as not to reach the first edge portion 61 or the second edge portion 62 when the water receiving portion 60 is placed in the storage portion 80, as shown in FIG.

[0058] Furthermore, the rib portion 85 is provided at a position closer to the water supply port 14 than the first edge portion 61 and the second edge portion 62 when the water receiving portion 60 is placed in the storage portion 80.

[0059] 6, water flowing down the inclined portion 67 may have too much force and may climb up the side surface 82. In this case, the provision of the rib portion 85 makes it possible to block the water climbing up the side surface 82. As a result, water is prevented from entering the interior of the humidifier 100 through the gap between the storage portion 80 and the front panel 30.

[0060] Furthermore, when the water receiving portion 60 is disposed in the storage portion 80, the opening edge portion 31a of the front panel 30 may overlap the first edge portion 61 and the second edge portion 62 of the water receiving portion 60 in a plan view. In other words, as shown in Fig. 6, the opening edge portion 31a covers the first edge portion 61 and the second edge portion 62. As a result, even if water splashes as indicated by arrow R2, the opening edge portion 31a of the front panel 30 can prevent the water from splashing to the outside.

[0061] 2 and 5, the humidifier 100 further includes a water channel 90. The water channel 90 is, for example, cylindrical. The water channel 90 communicates with the storage unit 80 via a hole 84 in the storage unit 80. The water channel 90 guides the supplied water to the storage unit 20.

[0062] Here, the reservoir 20 is disposed on the opposite side of the water channel 90 from the storage section 80 that stores the water receiving section 60. One end of the water channel 90 is connected to the portion of the storage section 80 where the hole 84 is formed, and the other end is connected to the reservoir 20. As a result, the water received in the water receiving section 60 can be guided to the reservoir 20 via the water channel 90.

[0063] 5, the water channel 90 has a first member 91 and a second member 92. The first member 91 is slightly larger in size than the second member 92. The second member 92 is fitted into the first member 91. As a result, the second member 92 can be detachably attached to the first member 91.

[0064] By making the second member 92 detachable from the first member 91, the second member 92 can be removed and the water channel 90 can be easily cleaned.

[0065] Here, a wall 13a is provided on the front surface 13 of the main body 10 of the humidifier 100. The water channel 90 is housed so as to be embedded in the wall 13a. In this embodiment, a first member 91 of the water channel 90 is formed by recessing a portion of the wall 13a. Alternatively, the first member 91 may be a separate member from the wall 13a to form the water channel 90, which may then be embedded in the wall 13a.

[0066] Furthermore, a notch 13b may be provided in the portion of the wall 13a that contacts the water channel 90. By providing the notch 13b, a finger grip can be provided when removing the second member 92 attached to the first member 91, making removal easier.

[0067] The shape of the notch 13b may be any shape as long as it allows the second member 92 to be removed. For example, in Figure 5, notch 13b of different shapes are provided on both sides of the water channel 90.

[0068] The water channel 90 may also have a curved portion 93 on the inside. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the curved portion 93 is provided on the first member 91. The curved portion 93 is curved in a direction away from the humidifying filter 50. The curved portion 93 causes the water to flow in a curved direction as indicated by arrow Y2 in Fig. 2. This makes it easier to supply water directly to the upper portion 51 of the humidifying filter 50 from diagonally above.

[0069] The upper portion 51 of the humidifying filter 50 is a portion through which air normally passes easily, and by supplying water directly to this portion through which a large amount of air passes, the humidifying function is improved.

[0070] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner for ease of understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the configuration of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0071] The present invention provides a humidifier and has industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10 Main body 11 Top 13b Notch 14 Water inlet 20 Storage section 30 Front Panel 31 Aperture 31a Opening edge 50 Humidification filter 60 Water receiving section 61 First edge 62 Second edge 65 Water receiving surface 66 Slope 67 Slope 68a, 68b 1st engagement part 80 Storage area 81 bottom 82 Side 84 Hole 85 Rib section 86 Second engagement portion 90 Waterways 91 First member 92 Second member 93 Curved section 100 humidifier Y1 Water supply direction

Claims

1. a main body having a top surface on which a water supply port is formed; a water receiving portion disposed below the water supply port; a storage section for storing water; a storage section having a hole and a bottom surface inclined downward toward the hole, the storage section storing the water receiving section; Equipped with the water receiving portion is formed in a shape that widens in a first direction that intersects with the vertical direction and in a second direction that intersects with the vertical direction and the first direction, and has an inclined portion that receives water from above; the inclined portion is inclined such that a position of a central portion in the up-down direction is higher than positions of ends in the up-down direction in the first direction and the second direction, The water receiving portion faces the bottom surface with a gap between them, and is housed in the housing portion so as to cover the hole.

2. The storage section is The sides and a rib portion protruding from the side surface toward the inside of the storage portion; The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein

3. 3. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the water receiving portion is detachable from the storage portion.

4. the water receiving portion has a first engaging portion for engaging with the storage portion, The humidifier according to claim 1 , wherein the storage portion has a second engaging portion for engaging with the water receiving portion.

5. 5. The humidifier according to claim 1, further comprising a water channel that communicates with the storage section through the hole in the storage section and that guides water supplied from the water supply port to the storage section.

6. The water channel is cylindrical, A first member; a second member detachable from the first member; 6. The humidifier of claim 5, wherein

7. Further, a humidifying filter is disposed inside the storage portion, The reservoir is disposed on the opposite side of the water receiving section across the water channel, 7. The humidifier according to claim 5, wherein the water channel has an inner curved portion.

8. The humidifier according to claim 5 , wherein the main body has a notch in a portion that houses the water channel.

9. The humidifier according to claim 1 , further comprising a front panel that is detachably attached to the main body from the top surface to a front surface and that is L-shaped in a side view.

10. the front panel has an opening formed at a position corresponding to the water inlet of the main body and smaller than the water inlet; The humidifier according to claim 9 , wherein an opening edge portion of the front panel overlaps both end portions of the water receiving portion in the first direction in a plan view.

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