Rotating Humidifier Filter Structure for Scale and Mold Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vaporizing type humidifiers with disc-shaped filters face complications in switching between immersion and non-immersion states, leading to issues like scale adhesion, mold growth, and inefficient water absorption, which increases the size and complexity of the humidifier.
Innovation Solution
A humidifier design featuring a disc-shaped filter unit with adjacent absorptive and non-absorptive regions that rotate in a circumferential direction, using a rotation drive mechanism to control water absorption, and incorporating a detection system to stop the rotation when the non-absorptive region is immersed, preventing unnecessary water absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a disc-shaped filter is rotated to switch between immersion and non-immersion states, then scale adhesion and mold growth are prevented, but the structure becomes complicated requiring multiple rotation shaft parts
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is divided into a filter main body and a holder, with the holder being segmented into an immersion region and a non-immersion region. This segmentation allows different parts of the holder to have different water absorption properties, enabling the filter to switch between water absorption and drying states without complex rotation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder is designed with non-uniform water absorption properties: the immersion region has high water absorption to keep the filter moist, while the non-immersion region has low water absorption to keep the filter dry. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by preventing scale and mold through localized drying without requiring complex mechanical rotation.
2Productivity
If the filter is continuously immersed in water for efficient water absorption, then humidification performance is improved, but scale adhesion degrades water absorbability
Solution Approach 1:
The filter operates in periodic cycles, alternating between immersion states (for water absorption and humidification) and non-immersion states (for drying and preventing scale adhesion). The holder's dual-region design enables automatic periodic switching between these states, maintaining both high productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-immersion region periodically discards accumulated water to prevent scale adhesion and mold growth, while the immersion region continuously recovers water for humidification. This cyclical discarding and recovering maintains the filter's water absorbability while ensuring efficient humidification performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a rotation mechanism is added to switch immersion states, then water absorption control is improved, but the humidifier size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is segmented into immersion and non-immersion regions, eliminating the need for complex rotation mechanisms. This segmentation provides water absorption control through the inherent properties of different holder regions, maintaining adaptability while keeping the humidifier compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder automatically controls water absorption through its own structure: the immersion region absorbs water to provide moisture, while the non-immersion region remains dry to prevent scaling. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external rotation devices, maintaining compact size while providing versatile water absorption control.
4Reliability
If the filter is rotated to a horizontal orientation for drying, then mold growth is prevented, but the structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder's non-immersion region has low water absorption properties that naturally keep the filter dry, preventing mold growth without requiring rotation to a horizontal orientation. This local quality approach maintains reliability while avoiding complex rotation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rotating the filter to a horizontal position for drying, the invention inverts the approach by using a holder region that inherently repels water and maintains dryness. This inversion eliminates the need for complex rotation mechanisms while effectively preventing mold growth.
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 simplifies the humidifier structure, prevents scale adhesion and mold growth, and ensures efficient water absorption while maintaining a compact size, reducing noise and the need for complex air duct switching.
Implementation Method 1
a filter main body (20) having a water absorbability and air permeability
Implementation Method 2
a rotation drive mechanism (4) for rotating the filter unit (2) in a circumferential direction
Data Source
AI summary
A disc-shaped filter unit including a filter main body having a water absorbability and a holder having a non water absorbability is disposed in a vertical orientation, with a part of a circumferential portion thereof immersed in water reserved in a water tank, and is rotated by a rotation drive mechanism in a circumferential direction. The filter unit has an absorptive region and a non-absorptive region arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Therefore, in accordance with rotation of the filter unit in the circumferential direction, a state where the absorptive region is immersed and the filter main body of the filter unit absorbs water through a water-conduction hole and a state where the non-absorptive region is immersed and water absorption of the filter main body is prevented by a watertight section having a non water absorbability are continuously alternated.