Humidifying unit and ventilating apparatus comprising same

Abstract

The present invention may relate to a humidifying unit. More particularly, the present invention may relate to a humidifying unit with improved humidifying efficiency and increased durability, and to a ventilating apparatus comprising the same.

1 . A ventilating apparatus comprising:
 a ventilating unit comprising a heat exchanger to heat-exchange air (room air) exhausted from a room with air sucked from the outside (outside air);   a humidifying unit comprising a water supply tank to store water configured to humidify the sucked-air (the outside air) sucked by the ventilating unit and a humidification member to humidify the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger of the ventilating unit, while having the air to pass there through; and   a collecting unit comprising a water collecting tank to collect water failing to be absorbed into the humidification member out of the water supplied from the water supply tank and a collecting pipe to guide the water collected in the water collecting tank toward the water supply tank,   wherein the water supply tank is provided beyond the humidification member and the water collecting tank is provided below the humidification member.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the humidifying unit comprises a water level sensor provided in the water supply tank and a water supply pipe comprising a water supply valve. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the water supply valve is closed when a water level inside the water supply tank that is detected by the water level sensor reaches a preset maximum level, and the water supply valve is open when a water level inside the water supply tank lowered than a preset minimum level. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the humidifying unit comprises a water supply pump to pump the water collected in the water collecting tank and a collecting pipe to guide the water pumped by the water supply pump toward the water supply tank. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of water supply holes are formed in a bottom of the water supply tank along a width direction of the humidification member, spaced apart a predetermined distance from the humidification member, or at least one water supply slit is formed in the bottom of the water supply tank along the width direction of the humidification member, to supply the water stored in the water supply tank. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the humidification member of the humidifying unit comprises a plurality of bending sheets spaced apart a preset distance from each other, with a corrugation shape, and a plurality of flat sheets provided between two of the bending sheets, respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the humidification member of the humidifying unit is a flat panel type along a transmitting direction of the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger of the ventilating unit. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a guide rail is provided along a side of each of the humidification member and the water supply tank, and a guide groove is provided along the other side, to selectively slide-insert or slide-withdraw the humidification member. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a sealing material is provided between the water supply tank and the humidification member. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein a guide rail is provided along a side of each of the humidification member and the water supply tank, and a guide groove is provided along the other side, to selectively slide-insert or slide-withdraw the humidification member, and the sealing material is provided in parallel to the guide rail or the guide groove. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein, the sealing material is a band surrounding the guide rail and the guide groove. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the water collecting tank of the collecting unit collects water falling outside the humidification member, failing to be absorbed into the top of the humidification member, out of the water supplied to the humidification member from the water supply tank. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the water collecting tank comprises a ring-shaped accommodation space and an opening to open the accommodation space. 
     
     
         14 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the collecting unit comprises a collecting pump to pump the water collected in the accommodation space of the water collecting tank toward the water supply tank via a collecting pipe. 
     
     
         15 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a drainage unit comprising a drainage pipe to drain the water introduced into the opening out of the water supplied to the humidification member; and a drain pan.   
     
     
         16 . The ventilating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heating/cooling unit to heat or cool the outside air supplied to the humidifying unit,   wherein the heating/cooling unit comprises a heating/cooling coil including a plurality of fins and a refrigerant pipe passing through the plurality of the fins; and an expansion valve.   
     
     
         17 . A humidifying unit comprising:
 a water supply tank to store water therein;   a humidification member to absorb the water supplied from the water supply tank and to humidify air passing there through;   a water collecting tank to collect water falling outside the humidification member, failing to be absorbed, out of the water supplied to the humidification member;   a collecting pipe to provide a passage to re-supply the water collected in the water collecting tank toward the water supply tank; and   a drain pan to drain the water discharged after absorbed into the humidification member out of the water supplied to the humidification member.   
     
     
         18 . The humidifying unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the humidification member comprises a plurality of bending sheets spaced apart a preset distance from each other, with a corrugation shape, and a plurality of flat sheets provided between two of the bending sheets, respectively, and the humidification member is a flat panel type along a transmitting direction of the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger of the ventilating unit. 
     
     
         19 . The humidifying unit according to  claim 18 , wherein a guide rail is provided along a side of each of the humidification member and the water supply tank, and a guide groove is provided along the other side, to selectively slide-insert or slide-withdraw the humidification member, and
 a sealing material is provided between the water supply tank and the humidification member.   
     
     
         20 . The humidifying unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the water collecting tank comprises a ring-shaped accommodation space and an opening to open the accommodation space, and the drain pan drains the water discharged from the humidification member via an opening of the water collecting tank.