Wick cartridge for an evaporative humidifier

Abstract

A wick assembly for an evaporative humidifier, the wick assembly including a wick, and a wick cartridge. The wick is made from a water absorbent material. The wick cartridge defines a chamber in which the wick is located, and includes at least one water inlet opening through which water passes to be absorbed by the wick and at least one air inlet aperture positioned above the water inlet opening when in a use condition through which air enters the chamber to evaporate the absorbed water from the wick.

1 . A wick assembly for an evaporative humidifier, the wick assembly comprising:
 a wick made from a water absorbent material; and   a wick cartridge defining a chamber from an external environment outside the wick cartridge, wherein the wick is located in the chamber and the wick cartridge defines:   a water inlet configured for passing water into the chamber from the external environment;   an air inlet aperture configured for passing air into the chamber from the external environment; and   an air outlet passage configured for passing air and water vapor from the wick and the chamber to the external environment,   wherein the air inlet aperture is positioned between the water inlet and the air outlet passage in a wicking direction through the wick from the water inlet toward the air outlet passage.   
     
     
         2 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wick cartridge is made from plastic, metal, or another material or material combination that obstructs or largely obstructs air. 
     
     
         3 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wick cartridge includes a water inlet opening defining the water inlet,
 the air inlet aperture is positioned downstream from the water inlet opening in the wicking direction when in a use condition, and   the air outlet passage is positioned downstream from the water inlet opening in the wicking direction and the air inlet aperture when in the use condition.   
     
     
         4 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wick cartridge is made from a water permeable material through which water permeates to define the water inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a seal or a seal interface disposed on the wick cartridge around the air inlet aperture, and configured for sealing the air inlet aperture in fluid communication with a duct for receiving air into the chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wick cartridge includes walls along the wick downstream from the air inlet aperture to constrain air to move through the wick. 
     
     
         7 . The wick assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the wick is folded to form internal walls positioned in the wick cartridge, wherein the internal walls are arranged overlapping each other in a width direction of the wick cartridge, and are oriented parallel to the wicking direction from the air inlet aperture toward the air outlet passage, and separators are positioned between consecutively arranged internal walls in the width direction of the wick cartridge. 
     
     
         8 . The wick assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the wick cartridge includes a first cartridge side wall that defines the air inlet aperture, and includes a second cartridge side wall that forms a side of the wick cartridge opposite the first cartridge side wall, and
 wherein at least one of the first cartridge side wall and the second cartridge side wall define the air outlet passage.   
     
     
         9 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wick cartridge includes walls that compress the wick in the chamber such that fluids passing through the chamber from the water inlet and the air inlet aperture pass through the wick. 
     
     
         10 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wick cartridge includes a mineral collector disposed on the wick, the mineral collector being configured to collect minerals in water moving through the wick toward the air outlet passage. 
     
     
         11 . The wick assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the mineral collector is a mineral pad, and the wick assembly further comprises a holder connected with the wick cartridge for retaining the mineral pad on the wick adjacent the air outlet passage. 
     
     
         12 . The wick assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the mineral collector is a mineral pad, and the wick cartridge defines a passage from the wick toward the air outlet passage, around the mineral pad, to the external environment, for directing a primary air flow from the wick through the air outlet passage. 
     
     
         13 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wick includes a primary wick and a booster wick in contact with at least one side of the primary wick, the booster wick having a lower air permeability than the primary wick. 
     
     
         14 . The wick assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the booster wick is disposed along at least one side of the primary wick between the water inlet and the air outlet passage in the wicking direction of fluid flow from the water inlet toward the air outlet passage. 
     
     
         15 . The wick assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the booster wick is disposed along the primary wick between the air inlet aperture and the air outlet passage in the wicking direction of fluid flow from the water inlet toward the air outlet passage. 
     
     
         16 . The wick assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the booster wick is disposed along the primary wick, and the primary wick and the booster wick are folded together to form panels, wherein the panels are arranged overlapping each other in a width direction of the wick cartridge, and the booster wick is interposed between and separates portions of the primary wick in the width direction of the wick cartridge. 
     
     
         17 . The wick assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the booster wick is laminated with the primary wick, and the booster wick extends continuously along a surface of the primary wick in the wicking direction, and extends along at least a portion of the surface of the primary wick in a width direction of the wick cartridge perpendicular to the wicking direction. 
     
     
         18 . The wick assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a separator made from a water impermeable material and configured to seal against an inner surface of a water tank of an associated evaporative humidifier in which the wick assembly is received, wherein the separator includes at least one wick-receiving aperture for receiving the wick cartridge. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a wick assembly, the method comprising:
 providing a wick cartridge that defines a chamber, a water inlet, an air inlet aperture, and an air outlet passage; and   positioning a wick in the chamber such that the wick is positioned to absorb water passing through the water inlet to receive air passing through the air inlet aperture and to direct the air toward the air outlet passage.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising positioning a mineral collector in contact with a first wick end portion of the wick adjacent to the air outlet passage. 
     
     
         21 - 26 . (canceled)