Warm Steam Vaporizers

© Brooke Clarke 2013

Background
Photos
Patents
Links

Background

I recently had a head cold and the air is very dry at night in the winter time.  Heating air lowers the humidity so it's a good idea to add humidity.  One way to do that is with a warm steam vaporizer.  There are ultrasonic vaporizers, but the water vapor condenses and makes a wet mess nearby.

The big advantage of this type of warm steam vaporizer is that it uses a couple of electrodes to heat the water based on the resistance of the water (the instructions suggest adding a pinch of table salt).  This is an inherently fail safe way to stop heating when the water runs out.

Other ways of making steam involve a heating element that can overheat and start a fire if the water runs out, but this design will never do that.  When this design runs out of water it draws zero power (or the power of the night light for those units that have the light).

Photos

Katz

Katz
                  Warm Steam Vaporizer
4463248
Kaz Mfg.
                  patent 4463248 Warm Steam Vaporizer

Katz Warm Steam
                  Vaporizer
Mineral deposits insulating electrodes.
They need to be scraped or soaked in vinegar.
Katz Warm Steam
                  Vaporizer
After soaking the electrodes in vinegar for a few hours
the white scale is almost completely removed allowing
normal operation.  Without doing this the unit was not
working.
Katz Warm Steam
                  Vaporizers


Vicks

Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer Katz
The night light is in the shape of the classic Vicks
cough drop.

I have one of these in my bedroom and use it most winter nights.
The problem is that it works like the above units, that's to say by eating up the carbon rods. 
When they are used up, and there are no replacement rods, you need to throw away the unit an buy another one.


Vicks V750
This one works by boiling water.  It leaves behind the hard elements in the water, which is good in that those elements are not in the steam, but not so good in that you need to remove them at least monthly.
If too much time goes by (more than a month) without cleaning the unit only runs a few minutes then the light changes from green to red.
Note build up in left chamber.  It can totally fill the gap between the heater element and the inside of the tube that surrounds it, causing the red light to come on, even when it's full of water.
Vicks V750 showing
                  buildup



Patents


1628784 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: May 25 1926,  392/335; 392/338; 422/305; 439/577; 439/919

1879297 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: May 1, 1929
RE 19367 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: May 1, 1929
1922958 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: Sep 28, 1931,
1980066 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: Mar 3, 193, 392/336; 126/271.1; 392/338; 422/302; D23/362

2051719 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: May 7, 1936,
2387156 Electric Vaporizer, Max Katzman, Filing date: Apr 28, 1943, 392/336; 392/338

2802090 Vaporizer, Max & Lawrence Katzman (Kaz Manufacturing Co.), Filing date: Jan 13, 1955, 392/337; D23/362

Calls:
2051718
1534624 Electric Perfumer, Louis Weidlich, Filing date: Jun 27, 1924,  422/125; 128/203.27; 261/DIG.65
2387156 see above
2577958 Vertical Vaporizer, Roy R. Fisher, Filing date: Jun 17, 1949,  392/324; 128/203.17; 239/135; 239/137; 392/337; 392/395; 422/306; D23/360
"...especially that type used for bottle warmers and sterilizers where two electrodes aree spaced in an electrical circuit and connected by a quantity of liquid which is vaporized by the resistance heat."
Calls:
1452574
1599912
1997232
2140516
2235879
2629954 Advertizing and Display Device, Lyndall L. Sutherland, Filing date: May 26, 1950,  40/406; 40/546; 219/214; 292/8; 392/393 -
Puppett drinks moves as if drinking, very similar to the drinking bird, but powered by a flashlight lamp and glass container with narrow neck.

2824946 Electric Vaporizers,

2886793 Vaporizer Carrier and Stand, Lawrence Katzman (Kaz Manufacturing Co.),
    Filing date: Jan 13, 1955, 439/533; 392/335; 392/337; 439/417; 439/481; 439/660; 439/676; 439/699.1; 439/929

D192843 COMBINED MEDICINAL STEAM VAPORIZER AND HOLDER THEREFOR OR THE LIKE

D192589 Combined Medicinal Steam Vaporizer and Humidifier or the Like,  - Design patent, 1961
D214563 

D216973

D201721 Humidifier or the like

D215845 Vaporizer Bowl or the like
3098926 Vaporizer and Heating Chamber

3480001 Bottle Warmer Attachment for Vaporizeer,
3687424 Vaporizer having a fill hole

3714392 Non-Spitting Vaporizing Unit, Lawrence Katzman, Filing date: Dec 13, 1971

4463248 Non-Spitting Noiseless Electric Steam Vaporizer,  Lawrence Katzman et al (Kaz Manufacturing Co.),

Filing date: Nov 9, 1981,  392/337; 128/203.17; 261/142; 338/80; D23/360

Links

http://www.kaz.com/ - removed link by request of kaz.

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page created 22 Mar 2013.