Reconfigurable portable humidifier and method of using the portable humidifier

Abstract

A portable humidifier and a method of using the same. The portable humidifier has a frame; a fluid droplet generator on the frame; and a fluid containment unit for a supply of fluid. The fluid droplet generator is operable to cause fluid droplets generated from fluid from the supply in the fluid containment unit to become entrained in environmental air in a space in which the portable humidifier is located. The fluid containment unit has a wall structure that is selectively reconfigurable to occupy different surrounding volumes.

1 . A portable humidifier comprising:
 a frame;   a fluid droplet generator on the frame; and   a fluid containment unit for a supply of fluid,   the fluid droplet generator operable to cause fluid droplets to be generated from fluid from the supply in the fluid containment unit and to become entrained in environmental air in a space in which the portable humidifier is located,   wherein the fluid containment unit comprises a wall structure that is selectively reconfigurable to occupy different surrounding volumes.   
     
     
         2 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure is reconfigurable back and forth in a predetermined manner between first and second shapes wherein the wall structure occupies different surrounding volumes. 
     
     
         3 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 2  wherein the wall structure is configured to contain a supply of fluid independently of the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 2  wherein the wall structure and frame are configured to cooperatively contain a supply of fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid containment unit is separable from the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the portable humidifier is changeable between: a) a first state wherein the frame and fluid containment unit are fully separated from each other; and b) a second state wherein the fluid containment unit is operatively joined to the frame, by relatively translating the fluid containment unit and frame without requiring manipulation of any separate fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure comprises first and second spaced wall portions and a peripheral wall portion extending between the first and second wall portions and the wall structure is selectively reconfigurable to allow the first and second wall portions to be moved towards and away from each other. 
     
     
         8 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure comprises a peripheral wall portion extending around an axis and bounding a part of a fluid containment volume, the peripheral wall portion controllably collapsible in an axial direction to selectively increase and decrease the fluid containment volume. 
     
     
         9 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 8  wherein the peripheral wall portion has a stepped perimeter that allows at least a first part of the peripheral wall portion to be moved relative to a second part of the peripheral wall portion to thereby change a degree of axial overlap of the first and second parts of the peripheral wall portion and, as an incident thereof, the fluid containment volume. 
     
     
         10 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 9  wherein the peripheral wall structure is made from a resilient material. 
     
     
         11 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 8  wherein the wall structure comprises a top wall portion connected to the peripheral wall portion, the top wall portion having an outlet through which fluid droplets generated by the fluid droplet generator discharge to a space in which the portable apparatus is located. 
     
     
         12 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 11  wherein the wall structure comprises a bottom wall portion connected to the peripheral wall portion and there are connectors on the frame and bottom wall portion that cooperate to releasably maintain a predetermined operatively joined relationship between the fluid containment unit and the frame. 
     
     
         13 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 12  wherein the connectors on the frame and bottom wall portion comprise cooperating male and female parts that are movable into and out of a connected relationship by relative movement in an axial direction. 
     
     
         14 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 13  wherein the male and female parts have radially oppositely facing surfaces. 
     
     
         15 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 14  wherein at least one of the radially oppositely facing surfaces extends substantially fully around the axis. 
     
     
         16 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid containment unit comprises a graspable handle. 
     
     
         17 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure comprises a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and a peripheral wall portion between the top and bottom wall portions and the fluid containment unit further comprises a fluid fill opening in the bottom wall portion and a cap releasably joinable to the bottom wall portion to block the fluid fill opening. 
     
     
         18 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid droplet generator is configured to generate fluid droplets by using at least one of: a) heat; b) water diffusion; c) ultrasonic energy; d) wicking; e) convection; and f) evaporation. 
     
     
         19 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure comprises a peripheral wall portion extending around an axis and the peripheral wall portion is substantially oval as viewed along the axis. 
     
     
         20 . The portable humidifier according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure bounds at least a part of a fluid containment volume and reconfiguration of the wall structure changes a size of the fluid containment volume. 
     
     
         21 . A method of conditioning air within a space, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) obtaining a portable humidifier comprising:
 a frame; 
 a fluid droplet generator on the frame and having “on” and “off” states; and 
 a fluid containment unit for a supply of fluid, 
 the fluid containment unit reconfigurable between at least first and second shapes and occupying a smaller surrounding volume with the fluid containment unit in the first state than in the second state; 
   b) changing the fluid containment unit from the first shape into the second shape to thereby increase a size of a fluid containment volume defined by the fluid containment unit;   c) placing fluid in the fluid containment volume within the fluid containment unit;   d) with the fluid droplet generator in the “on” state and the fluid containment unit having the second shape, causing the fluid droplet generator to produce droplets of the fluid in the fluid storage volume and causing the fluid droplets to be discharged into the space;   e) changing the fluid droplet generator from the “on” state into the “off” state and   f) after performing steps d) and e), changing the fluid containment unit from the second shape back into the first shape.   
     
     
         22 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21 , wherein the fluid containment unit comprises a wall structure bounding the fluid containment volume and step f) comprises collapsing the wall structure. 
     
     
         23 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21 , wherein the fluid containment unit comprises a wall structure bounding the fluid containment volume and step f) comprises collapsing the wall structure in a predetermined manner. 
     
     
         24 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21  further comprising the step of separating the fluid containment unit from the frame. 
     
     
         25 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 24  further comprising the step of directing fluid into the fluid containment unit with the fluid container unit separated from the frame. 
     
     
         26 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 22  wherein the fluid containment unit has a vertical axis and the step of collapsing the wall structure comprises collapsing the wall structure to reduce an axial extent of the wall structure. 
     
     
         27 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21  wherein the fluid containment unit has a vertical axis and further comprising the step of separating the fluid containment unit from the frame by translating the fluid containment unit axially relative to the frame. 
     
     
         28 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21  wherein the step of obtaining the portable humidifier comprises obtaining the portable humidifier in a container in which the fluid containment unit has the first shape. 
     
     
         29 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21  wherein the step of obtaining the portable humidifier comprises obtaining the portable humidifier in a container in which the fluid containment unit has the first shape and the fluid containment unit is operatively connected to the frame. 
     
     
         30 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 21  wherein the step of obtaining the portable humidifier comprises obtaining the portable humidifier with the fluid containment unit having the first shape in a container. 
     
     
         31 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 23  further comprising the steps of obtaining a cover that is separate from the portable humidifier and connects the cover to the portable humidifier with the wall structure collapsed. 
     
     
         32 . The method of conditioning air within a space according to  claim 31  wherein the step of connecting the cover comprises press fitting the cover to the fluid containment unit.