Humidification module and home appliance including the same

Abstract

A humidification module includes a housing including a lower part to store water and a guide part to guide droplets generated from the stored water to an upper part of the housing, and a fan configured to guide heated air to the housing. The housing includes a first flow path through which a first part of the heated air guided by the fan passes through the lower part of the housing and is guided with the droplets to the upper part of the housing by the guide part, and a second flow path through which a second part of the heated air guided by the fan that vaporizes the droplets guided with the first part of the heated air passes and is guided to the upper part of the housing by the guide part.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A humidification module comprising:
 a housing including a lower part to store water and a guide part to guide droplets generated from the stored water in the lower part of the housing to an upper part of the housing; and   a fan configured to guide heated air to the housing,   wherein the housing comprises:
 a first flow path through which a first part of the heated air guided by the fan passes through the lower part of the housing and is guided with the droplets to the upper part of the housing by the guide part; and 
 a second flow path through which a second part of the heated air guided by the fan that vaporizes the droplets guided with the first part of the heated air passes and is guided to the upper part of the housing by the guide part. 
   
     
     
         2 . The humidification module according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a branch pipe between the guide part and the fan, and
 a lower part of the branch pipe comprises a first leakage part through which the first part of the heated air flows to the first flow path, and   an upper part of the branch pipe comprises a second leakage part through which the second part of the heated air flows to the second flow path.   
     
     
         3 . The humidification module according to  claim 2 , wherein the first part of the heated air flows from the branch pipe to the first leakage part, passes the lower part of housing, and is guided to the upper part of the housing with droplets by the guide part, and
 wherein the second part of the heated air flows from the branch pipe to the second leakage part and is guided to the upper part of the housing by the guide part.   
     
     
         4 . The humidification module according to  claim 2 , wherein the first leakage part and the second leakage part of the branch pipe are at a location higher than a water level of the water stored in the lower part of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The humidification module according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flow path and the second flow path has a common section in which the first part of the heated air and the second part of the heated air are mixed with each other. 
     
     
         6 . The humidification module according to  claim 5 , wherein the housing further comprises a mixing part at a starting point of the common section and in which the first part of the heated air and the second part of the heated air are mixed with each other and flow. 
     
     
         7 . The humidification module according to  claim 6 , wherein the mixing part comprises a guide, and
 wherein the guide of the mixing part causes the first part of the heated air and the second part of the heated air to flow in a spiral direction and the droplets to vaporize.   
     
     
         8 . The humidification module according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a discharge part configured to discharge the droplets vaporized by the heated air to outside of the humidification module. 
     
     
         9 . The humidification module according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a branch pipe;   a heater between the branch pipe and the fan, the heater being configured to heat external air sucked through by the fan and supply the heated air to the branch pipe.   
     
     
         10 . A home appliance comprising a humidification module, the home appliance comprising:
 a memory to store at least one instruction; and   a processor configured to be communicatively coupled to the memory to control the home appliance,   wherein the humidification module comprises:
 a fan configured to suck external air; 
 a heater configured to be connected to the fan, heat the external air sucked through the fan and supply heated air; and 
 a housing including a lower part to store water and a guide part to guide droplets generated from the stored water in the lower part of the housing to an upper part of the housing, and 
   wherein the housing comprises:
 a first flow path through which a first part of the heated air passes through the lower part of the housing and is guided with the droplets to the upper part of the housing by the guide part; 
 a second flow path through which a second part of the heated air that vaporizes the droplets guided with the first part of the heated air passes and is guided to the upper part of the housing by the guide part; and 
 a mixing part in which the first part of the heated air and the second part of the heated air are mixed with each other and flow. 
   
     
     
         11 . The home appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein the home appliance further comprises a first water tank to store water,
 the humidification module further comprises a second water tank to store water introduced from the first water tank,   the housing further comprises an opening to connect the first water tank and the second water tank, and   the first water tank and the second water tank are connected through a water supply pipe.   
     
     
         12 . The home appliance according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a water level detection sensor configured to detect a water level of the second water tank,   wherein the processor is configured to adjust an amount of the first part of the heated air moving through the first flow path by adjusting an amount of water introduced from the first water tank to the second water tank based on the water level of the second water tank detected through the water level detection sensor.   
     
     
         13 . The home appliance according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a user interface,   wherein the processor is configured to, based on a user input to adjust a humidification amount of the home appliance being obtained through the user interface, adjust an amount of the first part of the heated air moving through the first flow path by adjusting an amount of water introduced from the first water tank to the second water tank based on the user input.   
     
     
         14 . The home appliance according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a user interface,   wherein the processor is configured to:
 obtain a user input to adjust a humidification amount of the home appliance through the user interface; and 
 adjust an amount of the external air sucked through the fan based on the user input. 
   
     
     
         15 . The home appliance according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a user interface; and   a humidity sensor to detect an external humidity of the home appliance,   wherein the processor is configured to adjust an amount of the first part of the heated air moving through the first flow path by adjusting an amount of water introduced from the first water tank to the second water tank by comparing a humidity setting value input through the user interface and the external humidity detected through the humidity sensor.