阅读说明：本技术 供水系统和供水方法 (Water supply system and water supply method ) 是由 M·M·舍雅 J·麦加韦 于 2019-06-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开的实施例涉及供水系统和供水方法。本发明提供一种供水系统和供水方法,该系统包括：吸芯保持室,将吸芯保持在其中,吸芯被布置为用于吸收并容纳在吸芯上流动的水以蒸发；水箱,将水存储在其中,水箱与吸芯物理分离；水运输装置,其分别被连接至吸芯保持室和水箱,以用于在加湿时段期间及加湿时段之前的准备时段期间将水从水箱运输至吸芯；以及控制单元,其被连接至水运输装置,控制单元被配置为控制从水箱到吸芯的水运输的流速。本发明实现了蒸发式加湿器的整个吸芯的有效杀菌而无需使用UVC灯,同时还可以显著改善加湿性能。(Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a water supply system and a water supply method. The present invention provides a water supply system and a water supply method, the system comprising: a wick holding chamber holding a wick therein, the wick being arranged to absorb and contain water flowing over the wick for evaporation; a water tank storing water therein, the water tank being physically separated from the wick; water transport means connected to the wick holding chamber and the water tank, respectively, for transporting water from the water tank to the wick during the humidification period and during a preparation period prior to the humidification period; and a control unit connected to the water transport means, the control unit being configured to control a flow rate of water transport from the water tank to the wick. The invention realizes the effective sterilization of the whole wick of the evaporative humidifier without using UVC lamp, and can also obviously improve the humidifying performance.)

1. A water supply system (200) for an evaporative humidifier, comprising:

a wick holding chamber (202a) in which a wick (204) is held, the wick (204) being arranged to absorb and contain water flowing over the wick (204) for evaporation;

a water tank (202b) in which the water for humidification is stored, the water tank (202b) being physically separated from the wick (204);

a water transport device (210) connected to the wick holding chamber (202a) and the water tank (202b), respectively, for transporting the water from the water tank (202b) to the wick (204) within the wick holding chamber (202a) during a humidification period and during a preparation period prior to the humidification period; and

a control unit (212) connected to the water transport device (210), the control unit (212) being configured to control a flow rate of water transport from the water tank (202b) to the wick (204).

2. The water supply system (200) according to claim 1, wherein the water transport device (210) comprises a water drive (207), a water pipe (208) and one or more water outlet nozzles (209); the water driving device (207) takes in the water tank (202b) and drives the water to the wick holding chamber (202a) by means of the water pipe (208), the water being discharged onto the wick (204) via the water outlet nozzle (209) connected to the water pipe (208).

3. The water supply system (200) according to claim 2, wherein the control unit (212) is connected to the water drive (207); the control unit (212) is configured to adjust the water drive (207) such that at least two different water flow rates (f;)_i、f_s) Is applied, an initial water flow rate (f)_i) For the preparation period, while the other holdsFlow velocity (f)_s) For a subsequent actual humidification period; the initial water flow rate (f)_i) Is equal to or greater than the continuous water flow rate (f)_s)。

4. The water supply system (200) according to claim 3, wherein the control unit (212) is configured to adjust the water drive (207) such that the initial water flow rate (f) is adjusted once the wick (204) is fully wetted during the preparation period_i) Switching to the continuous water flow rate (f)_s) For keeping the wick (204) just wet during the humidification period.

5. Water supply system (200) according to claim 4, wherein a fully wetted state is defined by an algorithm within the control unit (212) at the initial water flow rate (f)_i) Powering the water driving means (207) for a predefined period of time, wherein the period of time is derived from the water absorption capacity of the dry wick (204) and the initial water flow rate (f)_i) The value of (d) is derived.

6. A water supply system (200) according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier comprises a gas flow generating device (205) coupled to the wick (204) for generating a gas flow (211) through and/or along the wick (204), the wick (204) having water vapour therein to be entrained therefrom;

the airflow generating device (205) comprises a fan that draws in air outside the wick holding chamber (202a) to enter the wick holding chamber (202a) through an air inlet (203) and draws/blows the air through and/or along the wick (204) such that humid air is released from the wick holding chamber (202a) via an air outlet (206) to create humidification.

7. The water supply system (200) according to claim 6, wherein the control unit (212) is further connected to the airflow generating device (205), the control unit (212) being further configured to control the airflow generating device (205) to continue generating the airflow (211) through and/or along the wick (204) for drying, while once the humidifier is instructed to turn off, water transport to the wick (204) is stopped until the wick (204) becomes acceptably dry.

8. The water supply system (200) according to claim 8, wherein the acceptable dryness is a dry state in which the wick (204) contains no more than 5% water.

9. A water supply method using the water supply system (200) for an evaporative humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising:

receiving an instruction indicating to turn on the humidifier;

activating the water transport device (210) and transporting the water stored in the water tank (202b) to the wick (204) within the wick holding chamber (202a) during the humidification period and during a preparation period prior to the humidification period;

wherein at least two different water flow rates (f) are applied in view of controlling the flow rate of water transport from the water tank (202b) to the wick (204) including different working phases_i、f_s) An initial water flow rate (f)_i) For the preparation period, while another continuous water flow rate (f)_s) For the subsequent actual humidification period; the initial water flow rate (f)_i) Is equal to or greater than the continuous water flow rate (f)_s)。

10. Method for supplying water according to claim 9, wherein said initial water flow rate (f)_i) From the water absorption capacity of the dry wick (204) and the water supply at the initial water flow rate (f)_i) The time of the operation is determined; and/or the continuous water flow rate (f)_s) Corresponds to the water loss rate of the wick (204) due to water evaporation.

11. Method for supplying water according to claim 10, wherein said continuous water flow rate (f)_s) Is a function of ambient temperature and ambient relative humidity, or in addition to the airflow rate/fan speed through and/or along the wick (204).

12. A water supply method according to claim 11, wherein the flow rate of the water transport to the wick (204) is controlled to decrease with an increase in the relative humidity under the condition that an F-ratio is less than 1; wherein the F ratio is defined as follows:

F＝f/e

wherein the content of the first and second substances,

e is the total water evaporation rate, indicating the total amount of water evaporated from the wick (204) per unit time at a particular ambient temperature and relative humidity, in ml/min;

f is the rate of water supply by the water transport means (210) towards the wick (204) in ml/min;

wherein the F-ratio continuously decreases and approaches zero as the relative humidity approaches a user-set threshold humidity level.

13. A method of supplying water according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the ambient temperature and the relative humidity in the wick holding chamber (202a) are derived from an integrated sensor provided on the humidifier, or from an external reference source connected to the humidifier.

14. A computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therewith, which when executed on a control unit (212) cause the control unit (212) to implement the method according to any one of claims 9-13.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therewith, which when executed on a control unit (212) cause the control unit (212) to implement the method according to any one of claims 9-13.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of humidification technology, and more particularly, to a water supply system and a water supply method applied to a humidifier or a two-in-one air purifier and a humidifier.

Background

Humidifiers are available from many brands and are widely used to increase the humidity of air in an indoor space. There are several such products in Philips' current product portfolio. Different architectures have been developed based on different principles (evaporative humidifiers, evaporators, impeller humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers, etc.), but they all have in general one thing in common: a water tank, which represents a reservoir for water required during operation.

Humidifiers based on cold evaporation typically utilize a wick that is located in the airflow path of the appliance such that part of the wick is always submerged by the water in the water tank. This allows the non-submerged wick portion to remain wet at all times. During operation, the fan blows air over the moist wick and as the water evaporates during this process, new water is continuously drawn into the wick by capillary forces.

Due to the availability of water, microbial growth often occurs in such devices over time. The wick represents the structure within the tank having the greatest surface area that may be colonized by microorganisms. This not only negatively affects the user experience due to the occurrence of malodours, but also leads to health problems, i.e. when microorganisms and/or their by-products (such as MVOCs) are released into the air. This is relevant for the general population and is especially important for asthmatics and allergic persons, as fungi, molds and other microbial-derived substances (e.g. endotoxins) can act as asthma initiators, stimulants, etc.

Microbial growth is largely dependent on the presence of water. In the absence of water, microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi rapidly dry out, which often leads to a momentary cessation of metabolic activity (resulting in cessation of growth and replication) and subsequently to a rapid decline in the viability of many species. The process of removing water from the organisms is also called drying. "for example, treponema pallidum is a reagent of syphilis that is so intolerant to water shunt that it dies on the surface of dry contaminants within 20 seconds. Physical preservation of food by drying has been practiced for thousands of years by humans and in most cases does reduce the number of potentially pathogenic microorganisms (http:// academic. pgcc. edu/. kroberts/web/recit/rec12.htm) ".

As mentioned above, one of the major problems with humidifiers is microbial growth on the wick. To address this problem, some manufacturers, such as Dyson, implement UVC light sources in their devices. The problem with this approach is that the microorganisms need to be actually exposed to UVC radiation; microorganisms located in the shaded areas/surfaces are not inactivated. If a photograph of the UVC illuminated water chamber of the Dyson humidifier is taken, several shaded areas can be seen.

In wick-based humidifiers, the wick itself represents the light absorbing structure. If a light source, such as a UVC lamp, is implemented in the wick-containing water tank, the wick can become shadowed, thereby creating areas where the dose of light is insufficient to cause effective inactivation of microorganisms.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is intended to solve the problem of microbial growth on the wick and in the water tray of the humidifier, while improving the humidification performance, by providing a water supply system and a water supply method that can achieve effective sterilization of the entire wick, and even the water tank, of an evaporative humidifier without using a UVC lamp or the like.

In order to solve the above technical problem(s), the present invention proposes to provide a water supply system for an evaporative humidifier, including:

a wick holding chamber in which a wick is held, the wick being arranged to absorb and contain water flowing over the wick for evaporation;

a water tank storing therein water for humidification, the water tank being physically separated from the wick;

a water transport device connected to the wick holding chamber and the water tank, respectively, for transporting water from the water tank to the wick in the wick holding chamber during the humidifying period and during a preparation period prior to the humidifying period; and

a control unit connected to the water transport means, the control unit being configured to control a flow rate of water transport from the water tank to the wick.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, the water transport means comprises a water drive, a water pipe and one or more water outlet nozzles; the water driving device takes water in the water tank and drives the water to the wick holding chamber by means of a water pipe, the water being discharged onto the wick via a water outlet nozzle connected to the water pipe.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, the control unit is connected to the water drive; the control unit is configured to adjust the water drive such that at least two different water flow rates are applied, one initial water flow rate for a preparation period and another continuous water flow rate for a subsequent actual humidification period; the initial water flow rate is equal to or greater than the continuous water flow rate.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, the control unit is configured to adjust the water drive such that during the preparation period, once the wick is fully wetted, the initial water flow rate is switched to the continuous water flow rate for keeping the amount of water on the wick constant during the humidification period.

In one embodiment of the invention, the fully wet condition is optionally defined by an algorithm within the control unit that powers the water driving means with an initial water flow rate for a predefined time period, wherein the time period is derived from the water absorption capacity of the dry wick and the value of the initial water flow rate.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, the humidifier comprises a gas flow generating device coupled to the wick for generating a gas flow through and/or along the wick, the wick having water vapour therein to be entrained therefrom;

the airflow generating device includes a fan that draws air outside the wick holding chamber, into the wick holding chamber through the air inlet, and draws/blows air through and/or along the wick such that humid air is released from the wick holding chamber via the air outlet to create humidification.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, the control unit is further connected to the airflow generating means, the control unit being further configured to control the airflow generating means to continue to generate airflow through and/or along the wick for drying, while, once the humidifier is instructed to turn off, water transport to the wick is stopped until the wick becomes acceptably dry.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, acceptable dry refers to a dry state in which the moisture content of the wick does not exceed 5%.

In order to solve the technical problem(s), the present invention further provides a water supply method of a water supply system of an evaporative humidifier using any one of the above embodiments of the water supply system, including:

receiving an instruction indicating to switch on a humidifier;

activating the water transport device and transporting the water stored in the water tank to the wick within the wick holding chamber during the humidification period and during a preparation period prior to the humidification period;

wherein the flow rate of water transport from the water reservoir to the wick is controlled in view of comprising different working phases, at least two different water flow rates are applied, one initial water flow rate for a preparation period and another continuous water flow rate for a subsequent actual humidification period; the initial water flow rate is equal to or greater than the continuous water flow rate.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, the initial water flow rate corresponds to the water absorption dynamics of the dry wick; and/or the continuous water flow rate corresponds to the rate of water loss from the wick due to water evaporation.

In one embodiment of the invention, the continuous water flow rate is optionally a function of ambient temperature and ambient relative humidity, and optionally further takes into account the air flow rate/fan speed through and/or along the wick.

In one embodiment of the invention, optionally, as a result of the operation of the humidifier, the rate of water supply to the wick is controlled to decrease as the ambient relative humidity increases, such that the F-ratio continuously decreases from 1; wherein the F ratio is defined as follows:

F＝f/e

wherein the content of the first and second substances,

e denotes the total water evaporation rate, which indicates the total amount of water evaporated from the wick per unit time at a particular ambient temperature and relative humidity, in ml/min;

f refers to the water supply rate of the water transport device towards the suction core, and the unit is ml/min;

wherein the F-ratio continuously decreases and approaches zero as the relative humidity approaches the user-set threshold humidity level.

In one embodiment of the invention, the ambient temperature and ambient relative humidity are optionally derived from integrated sensors provided on the humidifier or from an external reference source connected to the humidifier.

In order to solve the technical problem(s) described above, the present invention also proposes to provide a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied therewith, which, when executed on a control unit, cause the control unit to implement any of the embodiments of the water supply method described above.

In order to solve the technical problem(s) described above, the present invention also proposes to provide a computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therewith, which, when executed on a control unit, cause the control unit to implement an embodiment of any of the above-described water supply methods.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following technical advantages and characteristics:

the present invention provides a water supply system and method that can be applied to a wick-based humidifier having separate compartments for a water reservoir and a wick. More specifically, information about the current and target environment RH, temperature and fan settings of the humidifier can be used to control the water flow rate to the wick.

The present invention can significantly reduce microbial growth in, for example, wick-based evaporative humidifiers. Typically, this is achieved by applying water to the wick during use and ensuring that the wick dries between uses. Thus, inhibition of microbial growth can be achieved by: a) minimizing the time during which microbial growth may actually occur on the wick; and b) inactivating the microorganisms after each use by drying.

When applied to humidifiers, inhibiting microbial growth will reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens, reducing maintenance frequency and odor nuisance.

Furthermore, the present invention allows the entire wick surface to be used for water evaporation, as no part of the wick is actually submerged in the water tank anymore, which will result in a higher humidification rate (and therefore better humidification performance) with the same humidification rate, the same or smaller wick size (and therefore smaller humidifier appliance), compared to current humidifiers where a wick is located that is inside the actual water tank and therefore at least partially submerged in water.

Finally, according to the present invention, a simple geometric structure of the water tank can be easily realized without any structure causing a shadow, and uniform irradiation of the entire water tank volume and the surface thereof can be realized using a simple UVC light source or the like, and then, an evaporative humidifier having a simple structure can be realized.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and in which:

fig. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a water supply system for an evaporative humidifier according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 shows a humidity graph illustrating that for an evaporative humidifier, the humidification rate represented by vector AB depends on the position of point a, and thus on the temperature and absolute humidity;

fig. 3 shows another humidity diagram further illustrating that compensation for the humidification rate in an evaporative humidifier can be achieved by taking into account the CD/AB ratio; and

fig. 4 schematically shows the correlation of values for F-ratio and ambient relative humidity in an evaporative humidifier controlled by a water supply method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a water supply system for an evaporative humidifier according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 1, the main components of the disclosed water supply system 200 include a wick holding chamber 202a, a water tank 202b, a water conveyance device 210, and a control unit 212. The wick holding chamber 202a holds the wick 204 therein, the wick 204 being arranged to absorb and contain water flowing over the wick for evaporation. The water tank 202b stores water therein for humidification, and the water tank 202b is physically separated from the wick 204. The water transport device 210 is connected to the wick holding chamber 202a and the water tank 202b, respectively, for transporting water from the water tank 202b to the wick 204 in the wick holding chamber 202a during the humidification period and the preliminary preparation period thereof. The control unit 212 is connected to the water conveyance device 210, and the control unit 212 is configured to control the water conveyance flow rate from the water tank 202b to the wick 204.

Specifically, the water transporter 210 primarily includes a water drive 207 (e.g., a water pump), a water pipe 208, and one or more water outlet nozzles 209. The water driving device 207 takes water from the water tank 202b and drives the water to the wick holding chamber 202a by means of a water pipe 208, the water being discharged onto the wick 204 via a water outlet nozzle 209 connected to the water pipe 208.

In particular, the control unit 212 is connected to the water drive 207 and is configured to adjust the water drive 207 such that at least two different water flow rates f are imposed_i、f_sAn initial water flow rate f_iFor a preparation period, while another continuous water flow rate f_sFor the following actual humidification period. Initial water flow rate f_iIs equal to or greater than the continuous water flow rate f_s。

More specifically, the control unit 212 may be configured to regulate the water drive 207 such that during the preparation period, once the wick 204 is fully wetted, an initial water flow rate f_iChange to a continuous water flow rate f_sFor keeping the wick 204 properly wetted during the humidification period. Alternatively, to achieve two different water flow rates f_i、f_sThe control unit 212 may also be configured to control other component(s) of the water transport device 210Such as the diameter of the water outlet nozzle(s) 209 for providing at least two different water flow rates.

In an embodiment of the invention, the "fully wetted" state is achieved by an algorithm in the control unit 212 at an initial water flow rate f_iPowering the water driving means 207 for a predefined period of time, wherein the period of time is derived from the water absorption capacity and the initial water flow rate f of the dry wick 204_iIs derived from the value of (c).

In one embodiment of the invention, the evaporative humidifier may comprise a gas flow generating device 205, the gas flow generating device 205 may be coupled to the wick 204 for generating a gas flow 211 through and/or along the wick 204, the wick 204 comprising water vapour to be entrained. The airflow generating device 205 may comprise a fan that draws air out of the wick holding chamber 202a, into the wick holding chamber 202a through the air inlet 203, and draws/blows air through and/or along the wick 204 such that humid air is released from the wick holding chamber 202a via the air outlet 206 to create humidification.

The control unit 212 may be further connected to the gas flow generating device 205 and further configured to control the gas flow generating device 205 to continue generating a gas flow 211 through and/or along the wick 204 for drying, while, once the humidifier is instructed to turn off, water transport to the wick 204 is stopped until the wick 204 becomes acceptably dry. The above "acceptable dry" refers to a dry state where the moisture content of the wick 204 does not exceed 5%.

Thus, in contrast to current wick-based evaporative humidifiers, the water tank 202b of the present invention is physically separated from the wick 204 such that the water within the water tank 202b does not come into direct contact with the wick 204. Water is applied to the wick 204 only during the actual humidification cycle. An important aspect of the present invention may be a control algorithm in the control unit 212 to ensure that:

a) after the device is switched on, the water flowing directly towards the wick 204 is high enough to ensure that maximum humidification performance is quickly achieved;

b) during the steady state phase (sustained phase), the water supplied to the wick 204 exactly compensates for the water loss due to evaporation; and

c) the wick 204 is acceptably dry after each humidification cycle, before the device is completely powered down.

The following sections describe in more detail how the invention can be implemented and how it can be used to achieve the desired inhibition of microbial growth and optimum humidification performance.

With continued reference to fig. 1, an airflow generating device 205 (e.g., a fan) draws air from outside the housing 201 into the humidifier apparatus via the air inlet 203, where it passes through the wick 204 and is blown from the apparatus via the air outlet 206. In contrast to current evaporative humidifiers, where the wick is located within the water tank, the housing 201 contains at least two compartments in the base of the humidifier: a wick holding chamber 202a and a water tank 202 b. This separation of the water tank 202b and wick 204 makes it possible to keep the wick 204 acceptably dry whenever the humidifier is not in use.

Once the humidifier is powered on, a water drive 207 (e.g., a water pump) is activated and drives water from the water tank 202b via a water line 208 to the water outlet nozzle(s) 209 where the water is discharged onto the wick 204, such as the upper portion or surface of the wick 204 or the sides of the wick 204 being wetted. Subsequently, the water travels throughout the wick 204 under the drive of gravity and/or capillary forces. Thus, the capillary force together with the contribution of gravity ensures that the water is evenly distributed throughout the wick 204. At this point, as the air flows through the wick 204, evaporation occurs such that the water content in the air exiting the wick 204 and the apparatus via the air outlet 206 is significantly higher than when entering the apparatus via the air inlet 203.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is assumed that the water absorption capacity of the dry wick 204 is 50ml, and that the initial water flow rate f_iIs 100 ml/min. Continuous water flow rate f_sIs set to best match the humidification rate/water loss rate of the humidifier (equal to the evaporation across the wick 204 at a particular ambient temperature and Relative Humidity (RH)). For example, in the case of a humidification rate of 600 ml/hour, the continuous water flow rate f_sAbout 10 ml/min.

Therefore, once the humidifier of the present embodiment is turned on, only 30 seconds (preparation period) are required to completeThe wicks 204 are fully wetted and reach a maximum humidification rate. Thus, the control unit 212 is configured to set the water drive 207 to the initial water flow rate f in the first 30 seconds (preparation period) after the device is powered on_i100 ml/min. After the entire wick 204 has been saturated, the control unit 212 then switches to set the water drive 207 to a continuous water flow rate f_sThis ensures that the wick 204 is supplied with the right amount of water exactly during the humidification period for keeping the wick 204 exactly wet.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the device further comprises a control mechanism that stops the supply of water to the wick 204 once the user turns off the device, but maintains the fan-mediated airflow for a defined period of time that is long enough to allow the wick 204 to dry acceptably.

In practice, the evaporation rate of the humidifier will depend on: 1) ambient air humidity, 2) ambient temperature, and 3) airflow rate through the device. Thus, a constant continuous flow f_sOften resulting in an under-supply of water to the wick 204 (which will continue to reduce the wetting performance until the wick 204 is dry) or an over-supply of water (which will result in water accumulation in the wick holding chamber 202 a). Thus, a more complex embodiment takes these three factors (ambient temperature, RH and airflow/fan setting) into account and adjusts the continuous water flow rate f_sSo that the amount of water supplied to the wick 204 always corresponds to the actual humidification rate. Generally, the evaporation rate increases as the ambient temperature increases and/or the relative humidity decreases and/or the air flow rate/fan speed increases, and then the system correspondingly increases the continuous water flow rate f_s。

In addition, the invention also discloses a water supply method using the water supply system shown in the figure 1 according to any one of the above embodiments of the invention. Specifically, the method may comprise the steps of:

receiving an instruction indicating to switch on a humidifier;

activating the water transport device 210 and transporting the water stored in the water tank 202b to the wick 204 in the wick holding chamber 202a during the humidification period and during the preparation period before the humidification period;

wherein the identificationControlling the flow rate of water transport from the tank 202b to the wick 204 in a sequence comprising different phases of operation, applying at least two different water flow rates f_i、f_sAn initial water flow rate f_iFor a preparation period, while another continuous water flow rate f_sFor a subsequent actual humidification period; initial water flow rate f_iIs equal to or greater than the continuous water flow rate f_s。

In one embodiment of the invention, the initial water flow rate f_iFrom the water absorption capacity of the dry wick 204 and the system at the initial water flow rate f_iDetermination of the time of operation, continuous water flow rate f_sCorresponding to the water loss rate (humidification rate) of the wick 204 due to water evaporation.

It will be appreciated that the disclosed water supply method may use information about ambient temperature and relative humidity (e.g., from an integrated sensor provided on the humidifier, or from an external sensor or reference source in the case of a connected humidifier) and airflow rate/fan speed to derive the current humidification rate, and thus the water supply rate required for the wick, as described below. That is, the continuous water flow rate f_sCan be a function of ambient temperature and ambient Relative Humidity (RH), and optionally, also takes into account the airflow rate/fan speed through and/or along the wick 204.

Fig. 2 shows a humidity chart illustrating that the humidification rate of an evaporative humidifier depends on the ambient humidity and temperature. Referring to fig. 2, the humidification rate of the appliance at the highest speed setting is typically established under standard conditions indicated by point a in fig. 2. The graph is a standard humidity chart, where the X-axis is temperature and the Y-axis is absolute humidity. The evaporation probability is defined by the magnitude of the vector AB, where point B represents the saturation condition of the air.

Therefore, in the above-described fig. 2, the humidification rate in the condition a is reflected by the length of AB. As the relative humidity increases, the condition point moves toward point B and the length of AB decreases. The decrease in AB length reflects the decrease in humidification rate achievable at higher ambient relative humidity.

FIG. 3 schematically shows another humidity diagram further illustrating evaporation of a particular volume of waterTime is inversely related to the length of the vector AB or CD. The longer the vector, the shorter the time required to evaporate a defined amount of water. This relationship can be used to optimally adjust the continuous water flow rate f based on ambient relative humidity and temperature_sAnd determining the time required to dry the wick at different ambient humidity levels and temperatures.

For example, if the humidifier is operated under the condition represented by point C instead of point a in the graph, the evaporation probability is given by the magnitude of the vector CD. In this case, the evaporation rate will be higher than in the previous environment by the CD/AB ratio.

In particular, for fig. 3, the evaporation potential of condition a depends on the length of AB. The evaporation probability of condition C depends on the length of the CD. Points B and D represent air saturation conditions at different saturation temperatures, respectively. Therefore, to compensate from condition C to condition A, the water supply rate determined for the standard conditions should be multiplied by AB/CD (length of AB divided by length of CD).

This can be expressed as a temperature ratio (T-Tw)/(20-10.8) since in this case the standard dry bulb temperature used to derive the humidification rate is 20 ℃ at a relative humidity of 30% RH. This gives a corresponding wet bulb temperature of 10.8 ℃. Tw for different temperatures and humidities may be provided in a look-up table in software, or may be provided using a simple transfer function.

Alternatively, the calculation may be done as a ratio of absolute humidity.

Also, the humidification rate may be a function of the fan speed. The humidification rate that is not the maximum speed is simply the ratio that is stored in the machine firmware and applied to the calculation.

In some embodiments, the time for which the fan continues to operate after the user turns off the device is also determined by the system based on these three factors. Higher relative humidity and lower temperature will require longer fan operation time after the water supply is turned off. The fan speed may also be increased to speed up the drying process.

Since microbial growth cannot be carried out without water (drying), the problem of microbial growth on the wick can be solved without the need for additional physical sterilization means or impregnation of the wick material.

Considering that dry wicks represent a very important aspect of the invention, it is further disclosed below how this aspect is technically achieved via some "intelligent control" means, taking into account the fact.

Typically, one will use a humidifier with ambient air dry (e.g., 30% RH and below). The humidification rate is higher at lower ambient humidity levels at a given temperature. Thus, during operation of the humidifier, the more humid the air becomes (e.g., to 50% RH and above), the slower the humidification rate becomes. This means that as the ambient humidity increases, the time required to dry the fully wet wick also increases. The problem is that humidifiers are normally turned off when the ambient humidity is high (thus requiring no water to dry the wick after operation; from the user's perspective, this duration needs to be shortened because the user desires the appliance to actually be turned off immediately after the user has turned off).

In one embodiment of the present invention, to address the above issues, specifically, the flow rate of water transport to the wick 204 may be controlled to decrease as the ambient relative humidity increases due to humidifier operation, with an F-ratio less than 1, where F-ratio is defined as:

F＝f/e

where e is the total water evaporation rate, which indicates the total amount of water evaporated from the wick 204 per unit time at a particular ambient temperature and relative humidity, in ml/min; and f is the water supply rate of the water transport means 210 towards the wick 204 in ml/min;

wherein the F-ratio continuously decreases and approaches zero as the relative humidity approaches the user-set threshold humidity level.

Thus, the wick automatically starts drying and dries faster once the user decides to turn off the appliance.

This concept can be extended to an automatic mode, ensuring that the wick is already dry when the appliance reaches its target value. This may be accomplished using a table accessible by the controller. The table shown in fig. 4 schematically shows the correlation of the values for the F-ratio and the ambient relative humidity in an evaporative humidifier controlled by a water supply method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In calculating the evaporation rate e, the control unit takes into account the ambient humidity and temperature values and the airflow rate/fan speed of the fan, a table such as that shown in fig. 4 can be used for the set point of 65% RH; once 60% is reached, the water supply is stopped (so F is 0) and the remaining water content in the wick is sufficient to increase the RH by the remaining 5%. As a result, the wick dried acceptably once 65% RH was reached.

In addition, the present invention also provides a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therewith, which when executed on a control unit, cause the control unit to implement any of the embodiments of the water supply method described above.

Furthermore, similarly, the invention also provides a computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therewith, which when executed on a control unit, cause the control unit to implement an embodiment of any of the above-described water supply methods.

In summary, the present invention provides a water supply system and method that can be applied to a wick-based humidifier having separate compartments for a water reservoir and a wick. More specifically, information about the RH of the humidifier, the temperature, and the fan setting may be used to control the water flow rate to the wick.

The present invention can significantly reduce microbial growth in, for example, wick-based evaporative humidifiers. Typically, this is achieved by applying water to the wick only during use and ensuring that the wick dries between uses. Thus, inhibition of microbial growth can be achieved by: a) minimizing the time during which microbial growth may actually occur on the wick; and b) inactivating the microorganisms after each use by drying.

When applied to humidifiers, inhibiting microbial growth will reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens, reducing maintenance frequency and odor nuisance.

Furthermore, the present invention allows the entire wick surface to be used for water evaporation, as no portion of the wick is actually submerged in the tank, which would result in a higher humidification rate (and therefore better humidification performance) with the same humidification rate, the same wick size, or less (and therefore smaller humidifier appliances), as compared to current humidifiers in which the wick is located in the actual tank and is therefore at least partially submerged in water.

Finally, according to the present invention, a simple geometric structure of the water tank can be easily realized without any structure causing a shadow, and uniform irradiation of the entire water tank volume and the surface thereof can be realized using a simple UVC light source or the like, and then, an evaporative humidifier having a simple structure can be realized.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

The invention further applies to a device comprising one or more of the distinctive features described in the description and/or shown in the drawings. The invention further relates to a method or process comprising one or more of the distinctive features described in the description and/or shown in the drawings.

The various aspects discussed in this patent may be combined to provide additional advantages. Further, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be combined, and that two or more embodiments may also be combined. Furthermore, some features may form the basis of one or more divisional applications.