WO2007015036A1

WO2007015036A1 - Hand dryer

Info

Publication number: WO2007015036A1
Application number: PCT/GB2005/003019
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony Exton Gardner; Kenneth Geoffrey Broughton
Original assignee: Karn Limited
Priority date: 2005-08-01
Filing date: 2005-08-01
Publication date: 2007-02-08

Abstract

A hands dryer (101) has a base unit (102) and a heated air dispensing unit (103). The base unit is mounted below a counter C. It is secured to the counter at a flange (105) moulded integrally with a housing (106), which extends through a cut-out (119) in the counter. The housing has a lower air inlet (1061) to an electric fan and motor (107) and an electric heater (108) for air blown from the fan. The heater is immediately below an outlet (151) in the top of the lower unit housing. In a partition (152) with a window (159) to one side of the (151) is an infra red detector (131).

Description

HAND DRYER

The present invention relates to a hand dryer.

Electrically powered hot air hand dryers are well known. To our knowledge, without exception, these are wall mounted. This limits their application.

The object of the present invention is to provide a panel-mounted hand dryer.

According to the invention, there is provided a hand dryer intended to be mounted in a panel at an aperture therein, the dryer comprising:

• a base unit to be mounted below or behind a panel at the aperture, the base unit having:

• an air blower and an air heater, • an air inlet for leading ambient air from below or behind the panel to the air blower,

• a base outlet for directing heated air from the heater to above or in front of the panel and

• means for securing the base unit to the panel at the aperture; and • an air dispensing unit having:

• a heated air receiving duct arranged in the form of a stem extending away from the base outlet,

• means for attachment of the air dispensing unit to the panel or the base unit and • a nozzle at the distal end of the stem arranged to direct heated air at least partially downwards for hand drying.

The base-securing means and the stem-attachment means can be complementary, for instance by the duct and the stem each having a complementary screw thread. In a first embodiment, the base securing means is a boss having drillings for screws to be received via drillings in the panel in threaded bores in a boss at the foot of the stem. In a second embodiment, the base unit has a flange for its attachment to the top or front face of the panel, with the base unit extending through the aperture in the panel. The air dispensing unit is complementary to the flange, with the attachment means connecting the unit to the flange.

Provision of the air outlet above the counter can have advantage in deflected air impinging from below on hands being dried.

However, as in the second embodiment: • the base unit has a flange for its attachment to the top or front face of the panel, with the base unit extending through the aperture in the panel and • the air dispensing unit is complementary to the flange, with the attachment means connecting the unit to the flange.

Preferably, as in the second and third embodiments, there is provided a second, lower heated-air nozzle in the air dispensing unit in communication with the heated-air-receiving duct and arranged for directing heated air upwards onto the user's hands from below, the air dispensing unit being adapted to divide the heated air between the distal end nozzle and the second nozzle.

Preferably, the lower air outlet is provided at the foot of the stem. To avoid foreign bodies falling into the orifice of the base unit, the outlet can be provided with a flap. This can be sprung to close, but is preferably arranged to close under its own weight.

Alternatively, as in the third embodiment, the second nozzle is provided in a forwards extension of the stem from a short passage between the base outlet and the stem. To collect any water dripping in through the second nozzle, the forwards extension of the nozzle has a depression at its bottom wall. Preferably: • a drain is included in the depression, the drain opening outside the base outlet to direct drained water away from the base unit; and • a weir is included between the forwards extension and the short passage for inhibiting water dripping in through the second nozzle from entering the base unit.

A switch for drying can be provided as a touch or proximity sensor, either mounted on the dispensing unit or in the panel. Alternatively, a proximity switch is mounted within a surface of the air dispensing unit for detecting presence of hands to be dried and switching on the air blower and heater

In the preferred embodiments, the panel is a counter, that is to say a panel in which a basin is mounted, whereby the dryer can be mounted in the vicinity of the basin. In an alternative, the panel may be a splash panel behind the basin, with the air outlet arranged to direct air downwards towards the counter. With a splash panel mounting, the base unit may still be provided below the contour, with the duct extending up between the splash panel and other wall panels.

To help understanding of the invention, three embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the dryer; Figure 3 is a similar cross-sectional side view of another dryer of the invention; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side vi ew of a third dryer according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the hands dryer 1 has a base unit 2 and a heated air dispensing unit 3. The base unit is mounted below a counter C and is connected to a mains electricity supply M via a cable 4. It is secured to the counter via a boss 5 moulded integrally with a housing 6. The latter houses an electric fan and motor 7 and an electric heater 8 for air blown from the fan. The housing moulding includes a duct 9 from the heater to and through the boss. The air dispensing unit 3 has a hollow stem 11 extending up from a boss 12 to a nozzle 14. The lower and upper bosses 5,12 are of similar size, with screws 15 being received in bores 16 in the boss 5, passing through drillings 17 in the counter C and threadedly engaging in blind bores 18 in the upper boss. A central counter drilling 19 registers with the duct 9 at an orifice 90 and the stem 11 for passing heated air up through the counter, arrow A. The nozzle at the distal end of the stem has a vent 20, with downwards directed apertures 21 for dispensing heated air towards the counter, arrow B. The nozzle is conveniently a two part moulding, with a lower nozzle part 22 having the apertures 21 integral with the stem 11 and an upper cap part 23 clipped to the lower part. The lower part can be a light alloy casting with the upper part being a plastics injection moulding. The upper boss 12 can be integral with the stem, or the latter can be received in the former with an interference fit.

A proximity switch 31 is mounted in the upper boss and connected via wires 32 passing down inside the stem 11 and out of the duct 9 via a grommet 33 to a controller 34 in the lower housing for switching on the fan and heater in the presence of hands between the vent 20 and the counter C. Heated air is then blown up through the duct and the stem and out of the nozzle apertures towards the hands. Significantly, some of the air is deflected off the counter to the underside of the hands, arrow D speeding the drying of them. A timer is provided in the controller to switch off the heater and fan after a suitable time for drying average hands.

The above embodiment can be varied. For instance the fan as diagrammatically shown is an axial fan; it could be tangential. The switch is a proximity switch; it could be a touch switch. The air dispensing unit can be a plastics material injection moulding. The boss 12 and the stem 11 can be separate parts, in order to allow flexibility of aesthetic design.

Turning now to Figure 3, the hands dryer 101 has a base unit 102 and a heated air dispensing unit 103. The base unit is mounted below a counter C. It is secured to the counter at a flange 105 moulded integrally with a housing 106, which extends through a cut-out 119 in the counter. The housing has a lower air inlet 1061 to an electric fan and motor 107 and an electric heater 108 for air blown from the fan. The heater is immediately below a outlet 151 in the top of the lower unit housing. In a partition 152 with a window 159 to one side of the 151 is an infra red detector 131.

The flange 105 of the base unit receives the heads of screws 115, which extend into recesses 1151 in the sides of the housing. Fingers 1152 are accommodated in the recesses. On tightening of the screws, the fingers swing out to abut edges 1153 of the recesses. Further tightening of the screws pulls the fingers up to the underside of the counter, locking base unit to the counter. The flange has bayonet fitting formations 153.

The air dispensing unit 103 has a hollow stem 111 extending up from a boss 112 to a nozzle 114 for directing heated air down onto hands beneath it. The boss has bayonet formations 154 on its underside complementary to the formations 153. The edge 1121 of the boss has an underside set at a height to abut the top of the counter, with the possible interposition of a sealing washer (not shown) for air tightness and to avoid ingress of water.

Centrally, the boss has a flap 155, with a curved leg 156 to a hinge 157. The flap normally closes a lower air outlet 158 in the boss, above the outlet 151. In front of the outlet is the window 159 above the IR detector 131.

In use a user's wet hands are placed beneath the upper nozzle 114. Their presence is detected by the detector 131 and the blower and heater are switched on. Heated air is blown down from the nozzle 114 and up from the outlet 158. This combined air flow quickly dries the hands. In particular it should be noted that we have found that tendency in the absence of the lower outlet to blow water off the hands onto the counter is counteracted by the air flow from the lower outlet. The turbulent airflow around the hands disperses the water into small droplets, which readily vaporise.

Turning now to Figure 4, the hands dryer 201 has a base unit 202 and a heated air dispensing unit 203. The units are secured to the counter C and to each other in like manner to the second embodiment shown in Figure 3. In this third embodiment, a radial-entry, air filter 2071 is provided below the motor and fan unit 207 at a lower air inlet 2061. For switching on the motor, fan and heater 208, a capacitive proximity sensor 231 is provided inside the top of the base unit 202. The sensor sensing the presence of a user's hands without needing to be exposed.

The dispensing unit has a short upright passage 2111 leading to the air dispensing stem 211 from the outlet 251 from the base unit. The stem is crescent shaped in side view and formed of front and rear mouldings 2112, 2113 clipped together. At the upper end of the crescent a downwards directed nozzle 214 is provided. Similarly at the lower end of the crescent, which is forwards of the passage 2111 , an upwards directed nozzle 2141 is provided. Each has ribs 240 to prevent ingress of foreign bodies. The arrangement of the nozzle 2141 on an upwards curving part 241 of the stem extension, provides a low point or depression 242, in which water dripping can collect and be drained away via drain 243. Further a weir 244 is included between the forwards extension and the short passage for inhibiting water from entering the base unit.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A hand dryer intended to be mounted in a panel at an aperture therein, the dryer comprising:

• an air blower and an air heater,

• an air inlet for leading ambient air from below or behind the panel to the air blower,

• means for securing the base unit to the panel at the aperture; and

• an air dispensing unit having:

• a heated air receiving duct arranged in the form of a stem extending away from the base outlet, • means for attachment of the air dispensing unit to the panel or the base unit and

• a nozzle at the distal end of the stem arranged to direct heated air at least partially downwards for hand drying.

2. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base-securing means and the stem-attachment means are complementary.

3. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the duct and the stem each have a complementary screw thread.

4. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base securing means is a boss having drillings for screws to be received, via drillings in the panel, in threaded bores in a boss at the foot of the stem.

5. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

• the base unit has a flange for its attachment to the top or front face of the panel, with the base unit extending through the aperture in the panel and

• the air dispensing unit is complementary to the flange, with the attachment means connecting the unit to the flange.

6. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

• the flange of the base unit has screw receptacles and the side of the base unit has recesses; • heads of screws are received in the receptacles and the screws extend into the recesses; and

• fingers are accommodated in the recesses the arrangement is such that on tightening of the screws, the fingers swing out to abut edges of the recesses and further tightening of the screws pulls the fingers up to the underside of the counter, locking base unit to the counter.

7. A hand dryer as claimed in any preceding claim, including a second, lower heated-air nozzle in the air dispensing unit in communication with the heated-air- receiving duct and arranged for directing heated air upwards onto the user's hands from below, the air dispensing unit being adapted to divide the heated air between the distal end nozzle and the second nozzle.

8. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second nozzle is provided at the foot of the stem.

9. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second nozzle is provided with a flap to avoid foreign bodies falling into the base outlet.

10. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the flap is sprung to close.

11. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the flap is arranged to close under its own weight.

12. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second nozzle is provided in a forwards extension of the stem from a short passage between the base outlet and the stem.

13. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the forwards extension of the nozzle has a depression at its bottom wall arranged to collect any water dripping in through the second nozzle.

14. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 13, including a drain in the depression, the drain opening outside the base outlet to direct drained water away from the base unit.

15. A hand dryer as claimed in claim 12, claim 13 or claim 14, including a weir between the forwards extension and the short passage for inhibiting water dripping in through the second nozzle from entering the base unit.

16. A hand dryer as claimed in any preceding claim, including a touch or proximity switch mounted in a surface of the air dispensing unit for detecting presence of hands to be dried and switching on the air blower and heater.

17. A hand dryer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, including a proximity switch mounted within a surface of the air dispensing unit for detecting presence of hands to be dried and switching on the air blower and heater.