Humidifier Tray UV-C Layout for Direct Water Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing humidifiers face challenges in maintaining effective sterilization performance of stored water due to the UV lamp's reduced effectiveness when its output or size is increased, and its distance from the water storage area.
Innovation Solution
A humidifier design that includes a sterilizer with a light emitting unit positioned below the water level in the tray, equipped with a UV-C wavelength band and a control unit that adjusts the turn-on time based on water level detection, ensuring direct UV irradiation of the water for enhanced sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UV lamp output or size is increased to secure sterilization performance, then the sterilization performance is improved, but the lamp module becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The UV lamp is positioned at the bottom of the water storage tray, creating a localized high-intensity UV field directly where water is stored. This concentrates the sterilization effect precisely where needed rather than using a larger lamp elsewhere, achieving effective sterilization with a compact lamp module.
Solution Approach 2:
The water itself acts as an intermediary medium that transmits the UV rays from the bottom-positioned lamp throughout the water volume. This allows the UV energy to be distributed effectively through the water without requiring the lamp to be large or positioned elsewhere.
2Device complexity
If the UV lamp is positioned farther from the water storage area, then the lamp module design is simplified, but the sterilization performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the UV lamp above or beside the water storage area (conventional approach), the lamp is invertedly positioned at the bottom of the tray, directly in contact with or adjacent to the water. This inversion of the typical lamp placement achieves superior sterilization performance while maintaining simple lamp module design.
3Device complexity
If the UV lamp is positioned above the water storage area, then the lamp module design is conventional, but the sterilization performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional lamp positioning by placing the UV lamp at the bottom of the water storage tray rather than above it. This fundamental reversal of position allows UV rays to penetrate upward through the water, achieving comprehensive sterilization that superior to conventional top-down illumination.
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
This design maximizes the sterilization effect of the water stored in the tray by ensuring direct UV exposure and adjusting the UV exposure time according to the water level, thereby improving the overall sterilization performance.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting unit irradiating UV rays, wherein the light emitting unit is disposed at a position that is lower than a maximum water level of the water stored in the tray
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a humidifier. The humidifier includes a sterilizer for sterilizing water stored in a tray.