humidifier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional humidifiers face issues with large droplet formation near the discharge opening, leading to poor cleanliness and maintenance difficulties due to the size of droplets and complex disassembly requirements.
Innovation Solution
The humidifier design incorporates an impactor with a stack of parts and a ring-shaped configuration to reduce droplet size, facilitate uniform discharge, minimize flow resistance, and simplify maintenance by allowing easy disassembly and assembly of parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a narrow discharge opening is used in cylindrical humidifiers, then the structure is compact, but droplet formation increases and cleanliness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an impactor as an intermediary component between the humidification assembly and discharge opening. This impactor forces mist to change direction and collide with surfaces, breaking large droplets into smaller particles before discharge, thereby solving the droplet formation problem while maintaining a compact cylindrical structure
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge opening is segmented into multiple smaller openings arranged circumferentially rather than a single narrow opening. This segmentation distributes the mist flow, reduces droplet concentration at any single point, and improves overall discharge uniformity while maintaining compact dimensions
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the humidifier is disassembled into multiple parts for cleaning, then cleanliness is improved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The impactor is designed as a removable component that can be easily extracted from the humidifier body. This allows users to access and clean the impactor surface where droplets accumulate, improving cleanliness without requiring disassembly of the entire device into multiple complex parts
Solution Approach 2:
The impactor serves multiple functions: it breaks droplets, directs airflow, and provides a removable cleaning surface. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining ease of cleaning
3Object-affected harmful factors
If droplet size is reduced through impactor, then cleanliness is improved, but flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The impactor is positioned only at specific locations where droplet breakage is most needed, rather than throughout the entire airflow path. The lower and upper impactors are strategically placed to break droplets at critical points while leaving other areas with minimal flow resistance, optimizing the balance between droplet size reduction and energy loss
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces droplet size, ensures uniform mist discharge, prevents dew formation, and enhances maintenance accessibility, addressing the cleanliness and maintenance challenges of conventional humidifiers.
Implementation Method 1
an impactor disposed between the outlet and the discharge opening, to which the mist discharged through the outlet is admitted
Implementation Method 2
Ultrasonic humidifiers are equipped with a vibrator to create vibrations from ultrasonic waves, and convert water into mist using the vibrations from the vibrator
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a humidifier. A humidifier according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a case with an intake opening; a fan disposed inside the case; a discharge opening positioned downstream of the fan; a humidification assembly including a humidification device disposed between the fan and the discharge opening, for spraying supplied water, and an outlet through which mist produced by the humidification device is discharged; and an impactor disposed between the outlet and the discharge opening, to which the mist discharged through the outlet is admitted. Thus, the droplet size of humidified air discharged through the discharge opening can be reduced.