Hand dryer apparatus
A hand inserting portion is opened at one surface of a casing or at both the one surface and other surface of the casing. The hand inserting portion includes a space in which hands can be accommodated. A high-pressure-airstream generating unit generates a high-speed airstream. A nozzle is provided on each of two opposing sides of the hand inserting portion, from which the high-speed airstream is jetted into the space of the hand inserting portion. The nozzle includes a hole array formed by arranging a plurality of nozzle holes in a row. Air volume of the high-speed airstream is larger at a central portion of the hole array than at other portions of the hole array.
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The present invention relates to a hand dryer that sanitarily dries wet hands after being washed by a blast of high-speed airstream.
BACKGROUND ARTA hand dryer that dries wet hands has a following configuration. That is, a hand inserting portion which is opened at a front face and side faces and has a space in which hands can be accommodated is provided in a casing constituting an outer shell of the hand dryer, and a high-pressure-airstream generating unit that generates high-speed airstream is incorporated inside the casing. Nozzles are respectively provided on opposing two faces of an inner wall of the hand inserting portion. The high-pressure-airstream generating unit changes air sucked from an air suction port provided on an outer surface of the casing into high-speed airstream to blast the airstream into the hand inserting portion from the nozzles.
In a hand dryer with such a configuration, when a user inserts the hands into the hand inserting portion, a sensor provided in the hand inserting portion detects the hands and the high-pressure-airstream generating unit is activated to jet high-pressure air into the hand inserting portion from the opposing nozzles, so that water droplets on wet hands are blown off to dry the hands (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-116076
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the IventionHowever, in a conventional hand dryer having the above configuration, there is a problem that water droplets around thumbs of washed wet hands cannot be blown off sufficiently. The reason of this phenomenon is as follows. That is, when a user naturally inserts the hands into the hand inserting portion, the thumbs are positioned near a central portion in a horizontal direction of the hand inserting portion. Regarding a position in front and back directions, the thumbs are positioned lopsidedly away from a back side face of the hand inserting portion, and near a front side face thereof. Therefore, a distance from a nozzle provided on the back side face increases, and air is attenuated and cannot reach close enough to the thumbs sufficiently, so that water droplets cannot be blown off efficiently.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hand dryer whose drying ability is improved so that, for example, even water droplets on thumbs positioned lopsidedly near a central portion of the hand inserting portion can be blown off efficiently and sufficiently.
Means for Solving ProblemTo solve the above problems, a hand dryer according to the present invention jets high-speed airstream into a hand inserting portion, which is opened at a front face of a casing or opened at the front face and side faces and has a space in which hands can be accommodated, from nozzles respectively provided on opposing faces of the hand inserting portion by a high-pressure-airstream generating unit which is provided in the casing and generates high-speed airstream. The nozzle includes a hole row formed by arranging a plurality of nozzle holes in a row in a horizontal direction of the hand inserting portion so that air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from a central portion of the hole row is made larger than air volume jetted from the other portions.
EFFECT OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the hand dryer of the present invention, because an air volume of high-speed airstream from a central portion of a hole row of the nozzle is made larger than air volume from the other portions, drying ability is improved so that, for example, even water droplets on thumbs positioned lopsidedly near a central portion of the hand inserting portion can be blown off efficiently and sufficiently.
1 Casing
2 Hand inserting portion
3 High-pressure-airstream generating unit
4a Front nozzle
4b Back nozzle
5 Drain port
6 Drain pipe
7 Drain tank
8 Suction port of high-pressure-airstream generating unit
9 Air suction port
10 Filter
11 Air suction duct
12 Chamber
13 Air discharge duct
14, 15, 17, 19, 21 Hole group
16, 18, 22 Slit-like nozzle hole
BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTIONExemplary embodiments of a hand dryer according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not limited to the embodiments.
First EmbodimentA drain port 5 is provided at a bottom of the hand inserting portion 2. A drain pipe 6 for leading collected water in the hand inserting portion 2 to a drain tank 7 provided at a lower portion of the casing 1 is connected to the drain port 5. An air suction duct 11 that supplies air sucked from an air suction port 9 to the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 is provided between a suction port 8 of the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 and the air suction port 9 provided at a lower side of the casing 1. A chamber 12 is formed at an upstream of the air suction duct 11 (side of the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3). The air suction port 9 is covered with a filter 10. An air discharge duct 13 for leading high-pressure airstream generated by the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 to the front nozzle 4a and the back nozzle 4b is provided between the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 and the hand inserting portion 2.
In the hand dryer 100 thus configured, when hands are inserted into the hand inserting portion 2, a sensor (not shown) provided in the hand inserting portion 2 detects the hands and the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 is activated. When the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 is activated, air sucked from the air suction port 9 enters into the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 from the suction port 8 via the air suction duct 11 to be pressurized.
Air pressurized by the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 passes through the air discharge duct 13 to be jetted as high-speed airstream into the hand inserting portion 2 from the front nozzle 4a and the back nozzle 4b. The high-speed airstream blows onto wet hands to blow off water droplets thereon so as to dry the hands. The blown-off water droplets drip down an inner wall of the hand inserting portion 2 and pass through the drain pipe 6 via the drain port 5 to be collected in the drain tank 7.
As described above, in the hand dryer, the problem to be solved is to efficiently blow off water droplets on the thumbs with a relatively large amount of water droplets left thereon. In the embodiment, to solve the problem, air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from a central portion of the hand inserting portion 2 corresponding to a position of the thumbs at the time of hand insertion is made larger than that of a conventional hand dryer. More specifically, an occupation ratio of nozzle holes per unit area of the inner wall of the hand inserting portion 2 is increased at the central portion of the hand inserting portion 2 and it is decreased at other portions so that the air volume of the high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion 2 is made larger than air volume jetted from the other portions.
While the high-pressure-airstream generating unit 3 of the embodiment is similar to a conventional high-pressure-airstream generating unit, it can be changed with a high-pressure-airstream generating unit having high air blasting ability along with an increase of air volume at the central portion of the hand inserting portion 2. Accordingly, the air volume at the central portion can be reliably increased without reducing the air volume at portions other than the central portion of the hand inserting portion 2.
In the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hole row can be increased, and attenuation of wind speed of the high-speed airstream at the central portion can be decreased, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased. Accordingly, water droplets on the thumbs with a relatively large amount of water droplets left thereon can be blown off efficiently, so that a hand dryer with efficient drying performance can be provided.
Second EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hole row can be increased, and the slit-like nozzle holes can reduce attenuation of a wind speed by a uniform jet flow, volume of high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with high drying performance can be provided. Water droplets on the thumbs of the hands with a relatively large amount of water droplets left thereon can be blown off by the effect.
Fourth EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be further increased, and attenuation of a wind speed can be reduced by exerting a greater effect of merging, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with efficient drying performance can be provided.
Fifth EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be increased, and the slit-like nozzle holes can further reduce attenuation of a wind speed by a uniform jet flow, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with drying performance can be provided.
Sixth EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of a high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be further increased, and the slit-like nozzles hole can further reduce attenuation of a wind speed by a uniform jet flow, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with drying performance can be provided.
Seventh EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be further increased, and the slit-like nozzle holes can further reduce attenuation of a wind speed by a uniform jet flow, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with drying performance can be provided.
Eighth EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be further increased, and attenuation of a wind speed can be reduced by exerting an effect of merging even in a vertical direction, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with efficient drying performance can be provided.
While the hole group 19 of the embodiment is formed by arranging the nozzle holes in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction to form a cross shape, it is only necessary that the nozzle holes are arranged in approximately horizontal and vertical directions, so that, even if the nozzle holes cross diagonally or are arranged to form a T-shape, for example, a predetermined effect can be obtained.
Ninth EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of the high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be further increased, and attenuation of a central wind speed can be reduced by increasing a diameter of the nozzle hole, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with efficient drying performance can be provided.
Tenth EmbodimentIn the hand dryer thus configured, since air volume of the high-speed airstream jetted from the central portion of the hand inserting portion can be further increased, and the slit-like nozzle holes can further reduce attenuation of a wind speed by a uniform jet flow, volume of the high-speed airstream blowing onto the hands can be increased and a speed thereof can be increased, so that a hand dryer with efficient drying performance can be provided.
While the slit-like nozzle hole 22 of the embodiment is formed in a cross shape, it is only necessary that slits extend in approximately horizontal and vertical directions, so that, even if the slit-like nozzle hole is formed in a diagonally intersecting shape or is formed in a T-shape, for example, a predetermined effect can be obtained.
While the hand inserting portion 2 according to the first to the tenth embodiments is formed in the casing 1 of the hand dryer so as to be opened at the front face and the side faces, a hand inserting portion can be formed to have an opening only at the front face.
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A hand dryer apparatus comprising:
- a casing that forms a frame of the hand dryer apparatus, the casing including one surface and an other surface;
- a hand inserting portion that is opened at the one surface or at both the one surface and the other surface, the hand inserting portion including a space in which hands can be accommodated;
- a high-pressure-airstream generating unit that generates a high-speed airstream; and
- a nozzle provided on each of two opposing sides of the hand inserting portion, from which the high-speed airstream is jetted into the space of the hand inserting portion, wherein
- the nozzle includes a hole array formed by arranging a plurality of nozzle holes in a row, and
- an air volume of the high-speed airstream is larger at a central portion of the hole array than at other portions of the hole array.
15. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein occupation ratios of the nozzle holes per unit area are larger at the central portion of the hole array than at the other portions of the hole array.
16. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein diameters of the nozzle holes are larger at the central portion of the hole array than at the other portions of the hole array.
17. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein pitches of the nozzle holes are smaller at the central portion of the hole array than at the other portions of the hole array.
18. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
- the nozzle holes at the central portion of the hole array have a shape of a slit,
- the nozzle holes at the other portions of the hole array have a shape of a circle, and
- a length of the slit is longer than a diameter of the circle.
19. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a number of rows of the nozzle holes in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the hole array is larger at the central portion of the hole array than at the other portions of the hole array.
20. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the rows of the nozzle holes at the central portion include a row of slit nozzle holes and a row of circular nozzle holes.
21. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the rows of the nozzle holes at the central portion include a plurality of rows of slit nozzle holes.
22. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
- the nozzle holes have a shape of a slit, and
- a width of the slit of the nozzles holes at the central portion of the hole array in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the hole array is wider than a width of the slit of the nozzles holes at the other portions of the hole array in said direction.
23. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
- the hole array is formed by arranging a plurality of hole groups including a plurality of nozzle holes, and
- the hole groups at the central portion of the hole array are formed by arranging the nozzle holes in both one direction and other direction perpendicular to the one direction while the hole groups at the other portions of the hole array are formed by arranging the nozzle holes in the one direction.
24. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 23, wherein pitches of the hole groups are smaller at the central portion of the hole array than at the other portions of the hole array.
25. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 23, wherein diameters of the nozzle holes of the hole groups are larger at the central portion of the hole array than at the other portions of the hole array.
26. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
- the hole array is formed by arranging a plurality of hole groups including a plurality of nozzle holes,
- the nozzle holes of the hole groups at the central portion of the hole array have a shape of a crossed slit,
- the nozzle holes of the hole groups at the other portions of the hole array have a shape of a circle, and
- a length of the crossed slit both in a direction of the hole array and in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the hole array is longer than a diameter of the circle.
Type: Application
Filed: May 2, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 6, 2008
Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Tokyo)
Inventors: Yasuyuki Itoigawa (Tokyo), Keiji Kameishi (Tokyo)
Application Number: 11/797,342