Receptacle type humidifier for air conveying ducts and the like

Claim 2

A humidifier assembly for use in association with a forced circulation warm air heating system including a heated air supply duct, the humidifier assembly comprising a receptacle member including bottom, side and end wall portions integrally joined together to form an upwardly opening space bounded at its top by abutment surfaces defining a rectangular opening, partition means extending to the level of the top of said space subdividing said space into a component cavity and an evaporation chamber, a mounting plate member including an elongated rectangular body portion having a large air passage aperture and peripheral portions framing the aperture and positioned to engage said abutment surfaces and cover said component cavity, means for supporting said mounting plate member at a fixed station relative to said duct, means for removably fastening said receptacle member to said mounting plate member, an upper member removably fastened to said mounting plate member having a pair of spaced conduit formations over said aperture defining an air inlet for communicating heated air into the evaporation chamber and an air outlet for exit of humidified air therefrom to the heating system, and evaporative means in said evaporation chamber including water droplet discharge means coupled through valve means to a water source for discharging water droplets into the evaporation chamber in the path of air entering through said air inlet.

Claim 3

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said evaporative means fuRther includes an evaporation screen of wire mesh disposed in said evaporation chamber in the path of said water droplets and in evaporative exchange relation to air approaching said air outlet to collect water droplets thereon and evaporate said droplets into the air.

Claim 4

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said droplet discharge means is a spray discharge nozzle for discharging a mist-like spray pattern of droplets into the entering air stream.

Claim 5

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said droplet discharge means is a spray discharge nozzle for discharging a mist-like spray pattern of droplets into the entering air stream and against said screen.

Claim 6

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said screen is shaped into a configuration defining at least one large substantially parallel panel extending along an upwardly inclined plane terminating in rounded upper and lower ends, and support rods removably mounted in said receptacle member about which said rounded upper and lower ends are trained to support the screen.

Claim 7

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said screen is shaped into a configuration defining at least one large substantially parallel panel extending along an upwardly inclined plane terminating in rounded upper and lower ends, and support rods removably mounted in said receptacle member about which said rounded upper and lower ends are trained to support the screen.

Claim 8

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper member comprises a twin-duct collar member having a flat base-plate portion to be fixed against said mounting plate member in covering relation to said aperture and said conduit formations being integral collar formations extending upwardly from said base-plate portion to be coupled to a hot air supply conduit and a cool air return conduit of the heating system.

Claim 9

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said upper member comprises a twin-duct collar member having a flat base-plate portion to be fixed against said mounting plate member in covering relation to said aperture and said conduit formations being integral collar formations extending upwardly from said base-plate portion to be coupled to a hot air supply conduit and a cool air return conduit of the heating system.

Claim 10

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper member comprises a main central member having flanges to be fixed against said mounting plate member and a pair of upwardly diverging inclined hood portions disposed in covering relation to said aperture and defining said conduit formations, said upper member also including a pair of end members removably assembled to said central member and to said mounting plate member forming lateral wall portions of said conduit formations, said hood portions and end members including aligned top wall portions each having opeings therein defining complimentary parts of a circle and having integral collar formations bounding said openings extending upwardly from said top wall portion to be coupled to an air supply conduit and an air return conduit of the heating system.

Claim 11

A humidifier assembly for use in association with a forced circulation warm air heating system including a furnace and a heated air supply duct extending from the furnace and having a horizontal bottom wall having a substantially rectangular opening cut therein, the humidifier assembly comprising a receptacle member including bottom, side and end wall portions integrally joined together to form an upwardly opening space bounded at its top by abutment surfaces defining a rectangular opening, partition means extending to the level of the top of said spaces subdividing said space into a component cavity and an evaporation chamber, a mounting plate member including an elongated rectangular body portion having a large air passage aperture and peripheral portions framing the aperture and positioned to engage said abutment surfaces and cover said component cavity, Means for supporting said mounting plate member at a fixed station relative to said duct, means for removably fastening said receptacle member to said mounting plate member, an upper member removably fastened to said mounting plate member having a pair of spaced conduit formations over said aperture defining an air inlet for communicating heated air into the evaporation chamber and an air outlet for exit of humidified air therefrom to the heating system, and evaporative means in said evaporation chamber including water droplet discharge means coupled through valve means to a water source for discharging water droplets into the evaporation chamber in the path of air entering through said air inlet.

Claim 12

A humidifier assembly for use in association with a forced circulation warm air heating system including a furnace and a heated air supply duct extending from the furnace and having a horizontal bottom wall having a substantially rectangular opening cut therein, the humidifier assembly comprising a receptacle member including bottom, side and end wall portions integrally joined together to form an upwardly opening space bounded at its top by abutment surfaces defining a rectangular opening, partition means extending to the level of the top of said spaces subdividing said space into a component cavity and an evaporation chamber, a mounting plate member including an elongated rectangular body portion having a large air passage aperture and peripheral portions framing the aperture and positioned to engage said abutment surfaces and cover said component cavity, Means for supporting said mounting plate member at a fixed station relative to said duct, means for removably fastening said receptacle member to said mounting plate member, an upper member removably fastened to said mounting plate member having a pair of spaced conduit formations over said aperture defining an air inlet for communicating heated air into the evaporation chamber and an air outlet for exit of humidified air therefrom to the heating system, and evaporative means in said evaporation chamber including water droplet discharge means coupled through valve means to a water source for discharging water droplets into the evaporation chamber in the path of air entering through said air inlet.

Claim 13

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said mounting plate member is slightly larger laterally and longitudinally than the opening in the duct bottom wall and includes an upwardly and outwardly projecting lip formation at one transverse edge thereof to extend into the opening and rest against the adjacent portion of the duct bottom wall bounding a transverse edge of the opening.

Claim 14

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said evaporative means further includes an evaporation screen of wire mesh disposed in said evaporation chamber in the path of said water droplets and in evaporative exchange relation to air approaching said air outlet to collect water droplets thereon and evaporate said droplets into the air.

Claim 15

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said evaporative means further includes an evaporation screen of wire mesh disposed in said evaporation chamber in the path of said water droplets and in evaporative exchange relation to air approaching said air outlet to collect water droplets thereon and evaporate said droplets into the air.

Claim 16

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said evaporative means further includes an evaporation screen of wire mesh disposed in said evaporation chamber in the path of said water droplets and in evaporative exchange relation to air approaching said air outlet to collect water droplets thereon and evaporate said droplets into the air, and wherein said droplet discharge means is a spray discharge nozzle for discharging a mist-like spray pattern of droplets into the entering air atream and against said screen.

Claim 17

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said evaporative means further includes an evaporation screen of wire mesh disposed in said evaporation chamber in the path of said water droplets and in evaporative exchange relation to air approaching said air outlet to collect water droplets thereon and evaporate said droplets into the air, and wherein said droplet discharge means is a spray discharge nozzle for discharging a mist-like spray pattern of droplets into the entering air stream and against said screen.

Claim 18

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said upper member comprises a flat perimeter portion to abut said mounting plate member and a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely inclined hood formations to extend through said opening and be disposed within said air supply duct with one hood formation facing upstream to direct heated air downwardly into said evaporation chamber and the other hood formation facing downstream to return air into the air stream in the duct.

Claim 19

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said upper member comprises a flat perimeter portion to abut said mounting plate member and a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely inclined hood formations to extend through said opening and be disposed within said air supply duct with one hood formation facing upstream to direct heated air downwardly into said evaporation chamber and the other hood formation facing downstream to return air into the air stream in the duct.

Claim 20

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein said upper member comprises a flat perimeter portion to abut said mounting plate member and a pair of upwardly extendinG, oppositely inclined hood formations to extend through said opening and be disposed within said air supply duct with one hood formation facing upstream to direct heated air downwardly into said evaporation chamber and the other hood formation facing downstream to return air into the air stream in the duct.

Claim 21

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein said upper member comprises a flat perimeter portion to abut said mounting plate member and a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely inclined hood formations to extend through said opening and be disposed within said air supply duct with one hood formation facing upstream to direct heated air downwardly into said evaporation chamber and the other hood formation facing downstream to return air into the air stream in the duct.

Claim 22

A humidifier assembly as defined in claim 15, wherein said upper member comprises a flat perimeter portion to abut said mounting plate member and a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely inclined hood formations to extend through said opening and be disposed within said air supply duct with one hood formation facing upstream to direct heated air downwardly into said evaporation chamber and the other hood formation facing downstream to return air into the air stream in the duct.