A humidifier has a base and a housing. The housing has a steam exhaust vent and a vaporizer. The vaporizer includes a heating element surrounded by a removable porous sleeve that protrudes downwardly into water within a reservoir of the base. The sleeve wicks the water including its minerals and impurities into contact with the heating element wherein energization of the heating element causes the wicked water to convert to steam that rises through the exhaust vent and from the housing during a humidification mode.

A humidifier has a base and a housing. The housing has a steam exhaust vent and a vaporizer. The vaporizer includes a heating element surrounded by a removable porous sleeve that protrudes downwardly into water within a reservoir of the base. The sleeve wicks the water including its minerals and impurities into contact with the heating element wherein energization of the heating element causes the wicked water to convert to steam that rises through the exhaust vent and from the housing during a humidification mode.

Disclosed herein is a self-cleaning evaporation type humidification apparatus. The self-cleaning humidification apparatus is a floating drop evaporation type humidification apparatus of a new concept using a super hydrophobic surface, which provides safe humidification and does not require maintenance and repair, such as cleaning, by naturally or forcedly evaporating floating drops through control of the floating drops in the super hydrophobic surface based on the self-cleaning function, virus reproduction inhibition function, and water-repellant function of the super hydrophobic surface.

Disclosed herein is a self-cleaning evaporation type humidification apparatus. The self-cleaning humidification apparatus is a floating drop evaporation type humidification apparatus of a new concept using a super hydrophobic surface, which provides safe humidification and does not require maintenance and repair, such as cleaning, by naturally or forcedly evaporating floating drops through control of the floating drops in the super hydrophobic surface based on the self-cleaning function, virus reproduction inhibition function, and water-repellant function of the super hydrophobic surface.

An air purification device includes a housing configured to house a desiccant material filter and a fan coupled to the housing and configured to cause airflow to pass through the desiccant material filter. Moisture is to be collected from the airflow by the desiccant material filter. The moisture is to be removed from the desiccant material filter via one or more of heat or microwave energy.

An air purification device includes a housing configured to house a desiccant material filter and a fan coupled to the housing and configured to cause airflow to pass through the desiccant material filter. Moisture is to be collected from the airflow by the desiccant material filter. The moisture is to be removed from the desiccant material filter via one or more of heat or microwave energy.

A humidifier that suppresses formation of a slime, a scale, and a dew bridge in a lower portion of a humidifying member thereby preventing degradation in humidifying performance. The humidifier includes one or more porous metal bodies serving as the humidifying member and including therein a plurality of voids, a fan that blows air to the porous metal body, a water-supplying device (a supply pipe, a reservoir, and a nozzle) that supplies water to the porous metal body, and the porous metal body includes a tip portion formed in a lower end portion, in a protruding shape or a pointed shape.

A low cost medical humidifier for adding moisture to a patient air flow is disclosed. The humidifier comprises a water reservoir, a disposable evaporative wick containing a heater, a lid containing electrical contacts to engage the heater in the wick and airway connections. The wick heater comprises a PET film with aluminium tracks and a cover layer of PTC resistive ink. The heater is covered with paper to provide a water pathway via capillary flow. There is a capillary path from the water reservoir to the wick. The wick and heater are manufactured with printing and calendaring processes in reel to reel processes.

An air conditioner is provided, including an air flow path, a cooling unit disposed in the air flow path that cools air introduced into the air flow path to condense vapor contained in the air, and a humidification unit that humidifies the air and which includes a storage tank for storing water and a heater for heating water in the storage tank. A discharged-water storage unit is also provided, which stores water discharged from the cooling unit and water discharged from the humidification unit, and an exhaust pipe is connected to the storage tank and configured to discharge water in the storage tank to the discharged-water storage unit. An exhaust valve is disposed midway on the exhaust pipe, and an overflow pipe connects the storage tank and a part of the exhaust pipe on the downstream side of the exhaust valve.

A humidifying unit that humidifies a target space includes: a casing including a first ventilation path through which air introduced from outside flows, and a second ventilation path through which air introduced from the outside flows; a moisture adsorbing material that adsorbs moisture in the air flowing through the first ventilation path, releases the moisture to the air flowing through the second ventilation path, and humidifies the air flowing through the second ventilation path; and a heater disposed in the casing and that heats the moisture adsorbing material, or the air flowing through the second ventilation path before humidification. At least a part of the casing is exposed to the target space.