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Title: Temperature and/or relative humidity control system
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A device for controlling the relative humidity of a gas utilized in connection with a lift support system comprising, in combination, a chamber bounded by a bottom wall, peripheral side walls, and a top wall, and adapted to receive and hold a quantity of fluid for humidifying a gas therein, said chamber provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, gas spider means associated with said gas inlet, said gas spider means providing gas passageways for segregating portions of said gas provided to said system through said gas inlet, gas proportioning valve means positioned in association with said gas spider means and in line with said gas inlet thereby to permit the independent variable proportioning of gas to at least two down line gas passageways, at least a first passageway traversing said gas spider means and terminating at said gas outlet, and at least a second gas passageway traversing said gas spider means and in fluid communication with said chamber, said gas outlet being in fluid communication with said chamber and with said first passageway in said gas spider means, whereby gas introduced into said system through said gas inlet may be variably adjusted to direct a portion of said gas through said gas spider means to said gas outlet and another portion of said gas directed to a second passageway for introduction into said chamber to humidify the same and exiting said humidified gas into a passageway to mix with said first gas portion thereby forming a gas mixture having a controlled relative humidity. 2. A device for independently controlling the temperature of a gas utilized in connection with a life support system comprising, in combination, a chamber bounded by a bottom wall, peripheral side walls, and a top wall, said chamber adapted to contain a quantity of a fluid for humidifying gases, heat means associated with said chamber for providing heat to the internal portion of said chamber, at least one of said walls of said chamber provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, gas spider means associated with said gas inlet, said gas spider means providing gas passageways for segregating portions of said gas provided to said system through said gas inlet, gas proportioning valve means positioned in association with said gas spider means and in line with said gas inlet thereby to permit the independent variable proportioning of gas to at least the two down line gas passageways, at least a first gas passageway traversing said gas spider means and terminating at said gas outlet, and at least a second gas passageway traversing said gas spider means and in fluid communication with said chamber, said gas outlet being in fluid communication with said chamber and with said first passageway in said gas spider means whereby gas introduced into said system through said inlet may be variably adjusted to direct a portion of said gas through said gas spider means to said gas outlet and another portion of said gas directed to another passageway for introduction into said chamber thereby to heat and humidify the same, and exiting said gas into a passageway to form a gas mixture with said first gas portion thereby forming a gas mixture having a temperature which may be variably adjusted by the operator to a preset value. 3. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said heat means associated with said chamber is provided adjacent the bottom wall thereof. 4. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 3 above, which further includes heat dispersion means associated with said chamber uniformly throughout. 5. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 4 above, wherein said heat dispersion means comprises a vertically elongate heat conducted element positioned on the bottom wall of said chamber such that heat emanating from the bottom wall thereof is caused to be uniformly distributed and dispersed throughout the said chamber. 6. The temperature device as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said heat means comprises an externally mounted heater mounted adjacent said bottom wall and adapted to radiate heat to said bottom wall such that heat emanates from said bottom wall and is permitted to warm the internal portions of said chamber. 7. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said gas spider means comprises a channelled element including a first passageway positioned immediately below and adjacent said gas inlet, said first passageway being in communication with a second passageway which in turn is in communication with said gas outlet, a third passageway in open communication with said first passageway which, in turn, is in open communication with said chamber, and at least a first gas proportioning valve means interposed between said first passageway and said second and third passageways such that the manipulation of said gas proportioning valve means controls the gas flow through said gas inlet and said first passageway to said second and third gas passageways, such that the manipulation of said gas proportioning valve means controls the ratio of gas and the gas flow through either of said second and third gas passageways respectively. 8. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein said gas spider means is provided with a fourth passageway in open communication with said third gas passageway, and which further includes heat exchanger means associated with said gas spider means, said heat exchanger means having a gas inlet in open communication with said fourth passageway, said gas spider means further including a fifth passageway in open communication with a gas outlet from said heat exchanger, and further including at least a second gas proportioning valve means interposed between said third and fourth gas passageways and said gas spider means thereby to proportion and control gas flow through either of said third and fourth passageway such that upon manipulation of said second gas proportioning valve means, the gas flow through said third and fourth passageways and through said heat exchanger means may be controlled thereby to proportion and control the amount of gas flowing into said chamber directly and through said heat exchanger respectively, thereby to effect control of both temperature and relative humidity of the exiting gas. 9. The temperature and relative humidity control device as set forth in claim 8 above, wherein said gas spider means further includes a sixth passageway in open communication with said chamber and with said fifth passageway and further in open communication with said gas outlet of said chamber such that all gases exiting from said chamber and from said device are intermixed in said sixth gas passageway at the point of exiting from said device through said gas outlet. 10. The temperature and relative humidity control device as set forth in claim 8 above, wherein said heat exchanger means comprises a vertically elongate gas chamber provided with a tortuous gas passageway therein, and said vertically elongate gas chamber being adapted to sit within said chamber but in fluid tight relationship with respect to liquids contained within said chamber such that the interior portion of said elongate gas chamber is fluid-tight and impervious to any liquids within said chamber such that any gas passing through said heat exchanger means is retained in dry condition. 11. The temperature and relative humidity control device as set forth in claim 10 above, wherein said heat exchanger means is fixedly secured to said gas spider means and wherein the interior portion of said gas chamber is in fluid communication with said fourth and fifth passageways in said gas spider means and wherein the heat emanating from said heat means associated with said chamber functions to heat the interior portion of said heat exchanger means thereby to heat any gases traversing the tortuous passageway contained therein whereby gas is flowing through said heat exchanger means may only be heated. 12. The temperature device as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said gas proportioning valve means comprises an elongate member having an occlusion member, said occlusion member constructed and designed for interposition between at least two passageways in said gas spider means thereby to permit the variable occlusion of each of the said two gas passageways. 13. The temperature device as set forth in claim 12 above, wherein said occlusion member is constructed in the form of a right angle wedge element and is rotatably positioned in interposed relationship between at least two passageways such that upon rotation of said wedge-shaped element, each of the two passageways may be variably occluded. 14. The temperature and relative humidity control device as set forth in claim 9 above, wherein said device is provided with two gas proportioning valve means, each of said gas proportioning valve means comprising an elongate member including a 90.degree. angled wedge-shaped occlusion member, said occlusion member of said first gas proportioning valve being rotatably interposed between said second and third passageways in said gas spider means, and said occlusion member of said second gas proportioning valve being rotatably interposed between said third and fourth passageways, such that upon the rotational movement of each of said two gas proportioning valves, the operator may variably occlude each of said second and third gas passageways with respect to one another and may similarly variably occlude either of said third and fourth gas passageways with respect to one another such that gas flowing through said gas inlet of said device may be proportioned to flow partially through said second gas passageway and to said gas outlet, and partially through said third gas passageway into said chamber, and similarly, said second gas proportioning valve is rotatably interposed between said third and fourth passageways such that upon rotational movement of said second gas proportioning valve, gas may be proportioned to flow partially through said third passageway into said chamber and partially through said fourth passageway into said heat exchanger, the gas flowing through said third gas passageway and into said chamber establishing a flow path directly into said sixth gas passageway and said gas flowing through said fourth gas passageway establishing a gas flow path through said heat exchanger to said fifth passageway, all of the gases flowing through said device intermixing in said sixth gas passageway immediately prior to exiting through said gas outlet of said device for down line delivery whereby the heat and relative humidity of said exiting gas is fully controllable. 15. The temperature and relative humidity control device as set forth in claim 14 above, wherein gas flowing through said second passageway of said spider means remains in a cool dry condition, while gas flowing through said third gas passageway and through said chamber into said sixth gas passageway is in a hot wet condition, and gas flowing through said fourth passageway through said heat exchanger, said fifth passageway and into said sixth passageway is in a hot dry condition, whereby upon the intermixing of said cool dry gas, hot wet gas, and hot dry gas, the temperature and relative humidity of the resulting gas mixture may be effectively and quickly controlled by the rotational adjustment of said two gas proportioning valves which in turn controls the relative amount of cool dry gas, hot wet gas, and hot dry gas which is permitted to intermix in the sixth passageway of said gas spider means. 16. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said top wall is removeably positioned atop said gas spider means such that upon removal of said top wall, access may be had to said gas spider means. 17. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 16 above, wherein said top wall may be fixedly secured to said gas spider means such that upon removal of said top wall, said top wall and said gas spider means may be removed from said chamber as a unit. 18. The temperature control device as set forth in claim 17 above, wherein said heat exchanger means is fixedly secured to said gas spider means, whereby said heat exchanger means, gas spider means, and top wall may be fixedly secured one to the other and removed from said device as a unit. 19. A device for independently controlling the temperature and relative humidity of a gas utilized in connection with a life support system comprising, in combination, a chamber bounded by a bottom wall, peripheral side walls, and a top wall, said chamber adapted to contain a quantity of a fluid for humidifying gases, heat means associated with said chamber for providing heat to the internal portion of said chamber, at least one of said walls of said chamber provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, gas spider means associated with said gas inlet, said gas spider means providing gas passageways for segregating portions of said gas provided to said system through said gas inlet, gas proportioning valve means positioned in association with said gas spider means and in line with said gas inlet thereby to permit the independent variable proportioning of gas in said system, a first gas passageway traversing said gas spider means and terminating at said gas outlet, a second gas passageway traversing said gas spider means and in fluid communication with said chamber, a third gas passageway in open communication with said first passageway. a fourth gas passageway in open communication with said third gas passageway, and which further includes heat exchanger means associated with said gas spider means, said heat exchanger means having a gas inlet in open communication with said fourth passageway, said gas spider means further including a fifth passageway in open communication with a gas outlet from said heat exchanger, a first gas proportioning valve interposed between said first passageway and said second and third passageways such that the manipulation of said gas proportioning valve means controls the gas flow through said gas inlet and said first passageway to said second and third gas passageways, such that the manipulation of said gas proportioning valve means controls the ratio of gas and the gas flow through either of said second and third gas passageways respectively, a second gas proportioning valve means interposed between said third and fourth gas passageways and said gas spider means thereby to proportion and control gas flow through either of said third and fourth passageway such that upon manipulation of said second gas proportioning valve means, the gas flow through said third and fourth passageways and through said heat exchanger means may be controlled thereby to proportion and control the amount of gas flowing into said chamber directly and through said heat exchanger respectively, thereby to effect control of both temperature and relative humidity of the exiting gas, said gas outlet being in fluid communication with said chamber and with said first passageway in said gas spider means whereby gas introduced into said system through said inlet may be variably adjusted to direct a portion of said gas through said gas spider means to said gas outlet and another portion of said gas directed to another passageway for introduction into said chamber thereby to heat and humidify the same, and exiting said gas into a passageway to form a gas mixture with said first gas portion thereby forming a gas mixture having a temperature and relative humidity which may be variably adjusted by the operator to any desired combination. Other info: Inventors: Heath, Walter I. (Monnford, OK, US) Application Number: 579322 Filing Date: 1975-05-21 Publication_date: 1977-03-29 Assignee: Demeur; Basil E. (Chicago, IL) Primary Class(es): 165/60 128/203.25, 261/DIG65 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Husar, C. J. Assistant Examiner: O'Connor, Daniel J. Attorney: Dominik, Knechtel, Godula & Demeur |
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