Humidifier

Abstract

A humidifier is disclosed which includes a desiccant wheel, and a heat exchanger adapted to heat-exchange air dehumidified in an absorption chamber with air introduced into a regeneration chamber. The heat of the air dehumidified in the absorption chamber can be used to increase the temperature of ambient air introduced into the regeneration chamber, thereby reducing the load of a heater to heat the temperature of the ambient air introduced into the regeneration chamber, and thus, achieving a reduction in the power consumption of the heater.

1 . A humidifier comprising: 
 a body;    a barrier which partitions the interior of the body into an absorption chamber and a regeneration chamber;    a turnable desiccant wheel arranged in the interior of the body while extending through the barrier such that one portion of the desiccant wheel is arranged in the absorption chamber, to perform absorption of moisture, and the other portion of the desiccant wheel is arranged in the regeneration chamber, to perform release of moisture;    a heater arranged in the regeneration chamber, and adapted to heat ambient air introduced into the regeneration chamber; and    a heat exchanger arranged at an inlet side of the regeneration chamber, and adapted to heat-exchange the air introduced into the regeneration chamber with air dehumidified in the absorption chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The humidifier according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one channel adapted to guide the air dehumidified in the absorption chamber to flow across the inlet side of the regeneration chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The humidifier according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one channel comprises a plurality of uniformly-spaced channels.  
   
   
       4 . The humidifier according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger and the heater are arranged at opposite sides of the desiccant wheel, respectively.  
   
   
       5 . The humidifier according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a cooler arranged at the inlet side of the regeneration chamber, and adapted to cool the portion of the desiccant wheel dehumidified in the regeneration chamber before being turned toward the absorption chamber, using the air introduced into the regeneration chamber.    
   
   
       6 . The humidifier according to  claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger is arranged in the cooler.  
   
   
       7 . The humidifier according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an absorption-side blowing fan for generating a blowing force to suck ambient air into the absorption chamber, and to outwardly discharge the sucked air; and    a regeneration-side blowing fan for generating a blowing force to suck ambient air into the regeneration chamber, and to outwardly discharge the sucked air.    
   
   
       8 . The humidifier according to  claim 6 , wherein the absorption-side blowing fan is arranged in an absorption-side blowing chamber defined in the interior of the body at an outlet side of the heat exchanger to outwardly discharge air emerging from the heat exchanger.  
   
   
       9 . The humidifier according to  claim 6 , wherein the regeneration-side blowing fan is arranged in a regeneration-side blowing chamber defined in the interior of the body at an outlet side of the regeneration chamber to outwardly discharge air humidified in the regeneration chamber.  
   
   
       10 . The humidifier according to  claim 6 , wherein the absorption-side blowing fan and the regeneration-side blowing fan are arranged at upper and lower positions in the interior of the body, respectively.  
   
   
       11 . The humidifier according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a rotary driver for turning the desiccant wheel.    
   
   
       12 . A humidifier comprising: 
 a body;    a barrier which partitions the interior of the body into an absorption chamber and a regeneration chamber;    a turnable desiccant wheel arranged in the interior of the body while extending through the barrier such that one portion of the desiccant wheel is arranged in the absorption chamber, to perform absorption of moisture, and the other portion of the desiccant wheel is arranged in the regeneration chamber, to perform release of moisture;    a heater arranged in the regeneration chamber, and adapted to heat ambient air introduced into the regeneration chamber;    at least one channel arranged at an inlet side of the regeneration chamber, and adapted to heat-exchange air dehumidified in the absorption chamber with the ambient air introduced into the regeneration chamber;    an absorption-side blowing fan for generating a blowing force to suck ambient air into the absorption chamber, and to outwardly discharge the sucked air; and    a regeneration-side blowing fan for generating a blowing force to suck the ambient air into the regeneration chamber, and to outwardly discharge the sucked air.    
   
   
       13 . The humidifier according to  claim 12 , wherein the absorption-side blowing fan and the regeneration-side blowing fan are arranged at upper and lower positions in the interior of the body, respectively.  
   
   
       14 . The humidifier according to  claim 12 , wherein the absorption-side blowing fan is arranged in an absorption-side blowing chamber defined in the interior of the body at an outlet side of the channel to outwardly discharge air emerging from the channel.  
   
   
       15 . The humidifier according to  claim 12 , wherein the regeneration-side blowing fan is arranged in a regeneration-side blowing chamber defined in the interior of the body at an outlet side of the regeneration chamber to outwardly discharge air humidified in the regeneration chamber.  
   
   
       16 . The humidifier according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one channel comprises a plurality of uniformly-spaced channels.  
   
   
       17 . The humidifier according to  claim 16 , wherein the channels and the heater are arranged at opposite sides of the desiccant wheel, respectively.  
   
   
       18 . The humidifier according to  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a cooler arranged at the inlet side of the regeneration chamber, and adapted to cool the portion of the desiccant wheel dehumidified in the regeneration chamber before being turned toward the absorption chamber, using the air introduced into the regeneration chamber.    
   
   
       19 . The humidifier according to  claim 18 , wherein the channel is arranged in the cooler.  
   
   
       20 . The humidifier according to  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a rotary driver for turning the desiccant wheel.