AU2016362792B2

AU2016362792B2 - Blower-type hand dryer

Info

Publication number: AU2016362792B2
Application number: AU2016362792A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philippe Roux
Original assignee: Ghenossis Vagenas Jean Georges
Current assignee: Ghenossis-Vagenas Jean Georges
Priority date: 2015-12-04
Filing date: 2016-12-02
Publication date: 2021-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-02
Also published as: MA43369A; CN108601490A; FR3044537A1; AU2016362792A1; WO2017093968A1; EP3383240A1

Abstract

This hand dryer (1) comprises a housing forming at least one air induction opening, a cavity (3) into which to insert the hands, and one or more ducts (4) for blowing air into this cavity, and contains an air-purification subassembly (7) and a blower (8). According to the invention: – the air-purification subassembly is a photocatalysis system (7) situated underneath a tubular component (5) delimiting the said cavity (3); – the photocatalysis system (7) comprises a rigid framework (20) intended to be connected to the parts (8b) of the body of the blower (8) delimiting the induction opening (8a) of this blower (8), and comprises an absorption membrane mounted on this framework (20), facing toward this induction opening (8a) of the blower (8); – the hand dryer (1) comprises a plate (9) interposed between this absorption membrane and the body of the blower (8); and – the said second air-flow duct is delimited by a component (10) of fully or partially circular shape, engaged around the said tubular component (5) facing the said air-blowing ducts (4).

Description

BLOWER-TYPE HAND DRYER The present invention relates to a blower-type hand dryer, usable in any type of premises but in particular in rooms for collective use such as public toilets. It is well known to provide blower-type hand dryers in public toilets. A hand dryer of this type comprises a housing forming at least one air suction opening, a blower and one or more air blowing openings for blowing air on the hands. Some hand dryers also include a hand-engaging cavity, in which open the air blowing openings. Existing hand dryers have the drawback of blowing the ambient air in the premises, previously sucked, on the user's hands; this mode of operation is not very hygienic in view of what the air in a room such as toilets contain. In addition, some devices have a tendency, during the blowing of the air, to direct water present on the hands towards the sleeves of the user and to wet these sleeves. Patent Application Publication No. EP 2 656 762 A2 describes an apparatus which more or less overcomes these drawbacks. However, the description of this device remains theoretical, particularly with regard to the air purifying means that this device is supposed to include. The present invention aims to overcome drawbacks of the apparatus according to the prior art, and in particular to provide a structure for perfectly purifying the air blown on the hands of a user. The hand dryer concerned comprises, in a manner known per se, a housing forming at least one air suction opening, a cavity into which to insert hands and one or more air-blowing ducts in this cavity, and a blower; - the hand dryer comprises a tubular component internally defining said hand engaging cavity therein, which is open on one side of the hand dryer; - the air-blowing ducts open into a front portion of the tubular component and the rear portion of this tubular component communicates with a first air flow duct connected to the inlet of the blower; - the hand dryer comprises an air-purification subassembly, located on the first air flow duct; and - the hand dryer includes a second air flow duct, connecting the outlet of the blower to the air-blowing ducts.

According to the invention, - the air-purification subassembly is a photocatalysis system located underneath the tubular component; the rear end of the tubular component is connected to a rear plate sized and shaped so as to close the space formed between the tubular component, the photocatalysis system and the surrounding walls of the housing; - the photocatalysis system comprises a rigid framework intended to be connected to the parts of the body of the blower delimiting the inlet opening of this blower, and comprises an absorption membrane mounted on this framework, facing towards the inlet opening of this blower; - the hand dryer comprises a plate interposed between the absorption membrane and the body of the blower, having outer edges which coincide with those of said framework, so as to maintain the outer edges of said membrane, and having a central support portion supporting the central portion of the membrane, this plate forming at least one air flow opening between said outer edges and said central portion of this plate; and said second air flow duct is delimited by a part having a fully or partially circular shape, engaged around said tubular component opposite said air blowing ducts. It will be understood that the terms "front" and "rear" are to be considered with respect to the direction of introduction of the hands in said tubular component. Thus, the hand dryer according to the invention forms an air flow circuit which is partly closed; indeed, a major part of the air blown by the air blowing ducts is captured by said first air flow duct and passes through the photocatalysis system before being sucked by the blower; this recirculated air is purified before being fed by the blower into said second air flow duct and then to be diffused again by the air blowing ducts. As a result, the air blown on the user's hands is purified by photocatalysis, and is therefore perfectly hygienic. In addition, the air to which the user's hands are exposed flows from said air blowing ducts, which are in a front position in said tubular component, towards said rear portion of this tubular component; this air thus flows substantially from the wrists of the user, towards the end of the fingers of this user, and therefore tends to remove the residual water present on the user's hands vis-i-vis the user's sleeves, eliminating the risk of wetting these sleeves. The structure of the hand dryer is perfectly adapted to receive a photocatalysis system as an air-purification subassembly for the purification of the air blown on the hands; it is simplified by the direct mounting of the photocatalysis system on the blower inlet, this direct mounting being made possible by said plate, which allows to maintain said absorption membrane notwithstanding the sucking force exerted by the blower. The rigid framework that necessarily comprises the photocatalysis system for supporting at least one ultraviolet lamp is perfectly integrated into the apparatus, being in sealing relationship with the suction opening of the blower. Said first air flow duct is constituted in a simple manner, being essentially delimited by said plate and by said surrounding walls of the housing; the partially or circularly-shaped part constituting said second air flow duct makes it possible to direct the purified air to the user's hands without risk of mixing this air with unpurified air. The air blowing ducts could open into said hand-engaging cavity in a purely radial manner; preferably, however, each air blowing duct is arranged through the wall of said tubular component in an oblique direction relative to a plane tangential to this wall at an opening of this duct, and the different ducts. blowing air are arranged so that the air they blow flows in said tubular component in a circular motion. This circular motion is combined with the axial suction movement of the air generated by the blower through said first air flow duct, so that a swirling flow of air is created within said hand-engagement cavity. This swirl or vortex flow turns out to achieve a very efficient hand drying. Said oblique direction may form an angle of about 20 to 60 ° relative to said tangent plane. The air blowing ducts may not be evenly distributed around the periphery of the tubular component; preferably, they are regularly distributed around this periphery. The tubular component may in particular comprise four air-blowing ducts, thus positioned at about 90 ° from each other. The hand dryer according to the invention may not include means for heating the air flowing in it; it may also include such heating means; in this case, because the air is recycled, the energy consumption for heating this air is reduced.

The hand dryer further comprises a sensor for automatically switching on the hand dryer, which detects the presence of hands in said cavity. Said tubular component could have a constant section; preferably, however, this component has a slightly frusto-conical shape, having a front portion of smaller section than the rear portion. This feature enhances favorably the flow of air through said tubular component and thus the drying of hands. Preferably, in this case, the cone generating said slightly frusto-conical shape is an oblique cone, and said tubular component is positioned in the hand dryer so that it has a lower generatrix being inclined with respect to a central axis of the tubular component, so that the front portion of the tubular component is located at a higher level than the rear portion of this piece. The evacuation of the water falling from the user's hands against the lower portion of the wall of the tubular component is thus perfectly assured, without risk of stagnation in this tubular component. Advantageously, the hand dryer comprises: a reservoir of disinfecting and / or perfuming liquid product and a nebulization sub-assembly for nebulizing this liquid product, the outlet orifice of which opens onto the outside of the hand dryer housing, and - a branch tube connected to said second air flow duct, of which an outlet port opens near the outlet of the nebulization subassembly. The air blown by this branch tube makes it possible to widely diffuse, in the room equipped with the hand dryer, the nebulized product emitted by the nebulization sub-assembly. The embodiment of this branch tube is simplified by the presence of said fully or partially circular part. The invention will be better understood, and other features and advantages thereof will appear, with reference to the accompanying drawing, showing, by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the hand dryer blowing concerned. Figure 1 is a perspective view, in the assembly state; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view, according to the same angle of view as in figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view at an angle of view more or less opposite to that in figure 2; Figure 4 is a view in the assembled state, in section along a median vertical plane, with an encircled detail; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the detail encircled in figure 4; Figure 6 is a view of the hand dryer in assembled state, from the side and in vertical median section, with representation of the flow path of the air through the hand dryer, and Figure 7 is a view of the hand dryer in the assembled state, at a substantially opposite angle of view to that in figure 4, and with omission of two shells forming the housing of the hand dryer. Figures 1 to 4 and 6 show a blowing-type hand dryer 1, usable in any type of premises but in particular in rooms for collective use such as public toilets. As can be seen in figure 1, the hand dryer 1 comprises a housing 2, a hand engaging cavity 3 and one or more ducts 4 for blowing air into this cavity 3. The cavity 3 is open on a front side of the hand dryer 1, and the front opening of this cavity, through which a user engages his hands in the cavity 3, also forms an air suction opening in the hand dryer 1, as will appear below. Referring to figures 2 and 3, it appears that the hand dryer 1 comprises a tubular component 5 internally delimiting said cavity 3, a rear plate 6, a photocatalysis system 7, a blower 8, a plate 9 interposed between the photocatalysis system 7 and the blower 8, a quasi-circular part 10 and a nebulization assembly 11. The housing 2 is formed by a front shell 2a and a rear shell 2b connected to one another. The front shell 2a forms a front opening in which, in the mounting position, is engaged in a controlled manner the front opening of the tubular component 5. The rear shell 2b forms a recess 15 at its rear surface, more particularly visible on figure 6, and has a lateral opening 16, visible in figure 3, for diffusion of the perfuming and / or disinfecting product nebulized by the nebulization assembly 11, and a lateral opening 17 for blowing air. The rear shell 2b may also have an opening in one of its side walls or in its bottom, closed by a hatch, allowing access to the photocatalysis system 7 for installation and removal of this system through of this opening.

The tubular component 5 has a not straight cone shaped, having, as shown in figure 6, an upper area perpendicular to the plane of the front and rear openings of this component and a lower area inclined relative to these planes. The air blowing ducts 4 open into a front portion of the tubular component 5 and the rear end of this tubular component receives the plate 6 in a fitted engagement with it, this plate having a corresponding opening. This tubular component 5 could also be purely cylindrical. The tubular component 5 has dimensions such that the user can not only introduce both hands into the cavity 3 delimited therein but also rub his hands in this cavity 3. Four ducts 4 for blowing air are opening in the cavity and are evenly distributed around the periphery of the tubular component, two ducts 4 being arranged, when the hand dryer 1 is in condition of use, substantially in the vertical plane and the other two ducts 4 are therefore arranged in the horizontal plane. Figure 5 shows one duct 4 on an enlarged scale. It appears that each duct 4 is arranged through the wall of the tubular component 5 in an oblique direction relative to a plane tangential to this wall at an opening of this duct, so that the duct 4 is delimited, in a plane parallel to the planes of the openings of this component 5, by oblique surfaces 5a. The inclination of a surface 5a with respect to said tangent plane may especially be such that a straight line passing through it forms an angle of about thirty or forty degrees with said plane. These surfaces 5a of the four ducts 4 are inclined identically from one duct 4 to the other, so that the air they blow flows in the tubular component 5 in a circular motion. The plate 6 takes place on the rear end of the tubular component 5 as mentioned above; apart from its upper opening for engagement on this part 5, it comprises a wall having lateral edges which, in the embodiment shown, are inclined; in the mounting position, these lateral edges come in close proximity to corresponding inclined walls formed by the shell 2b at the top of the recess 15. Said wall of the plate 6 also has a dimension in the vertical direction, that is to say in a direction radial to said opening, which is such that the lower edge of the plate 6, opposite the opening, comes in the immediate vicinity of the photocatalysis system 7, located underneath the tubular component 5.

This photocatalysis system 7 comprises a square frame-shaped framework 20, two ultraviolet lamps 21 of cylindrical shape, mounted in this framework, two support grids, placed on the openings of the framework 20, and nonwoven membranes coated with titanium dioxide placed on these grids, these grids and these membranes being visible in figure 6 but not shown in figures 2 and 3. The structure of the photocatalysis system 7 and these components are known in themselves and are not therefore not described in detail. It appears in figures 4 and 6 that the photocatalysis system 7 is mounted in the shell 2b so that the rear edges of the framework 20 come in close proximity to the corresponding walls formed by the shell 2b at the bottom of the recess 15. As can be seen in figure 6, the plate 6 is dimensioned and shaped so as to close the space between the tubular component 5, the photocatalysis system 7 and the surrounding walls of the shell 2b of the housing, and that all of these elements are used to define a first airflow duct 25 directed towards the suction opening 8a formed by the blower 8. On its side opposite this duct 25, the framework 20 is connected to the parts of the body of the blower delimiting this suction opening 8a but with the interposition of the plate 9. As can be seen in figures 2 and 3, this plate 9 has outer edges that coincide with those of said framework 20, so as to maintain the outer edges of the membrane which the subassembly 7 comprises on this side of the framework 20, and having a central support part for supporting the central portion of this membrane, this central part being connected to the rest of the plate 9 by a lateral edge. The plate 9 thus delimits, between said outer edges and said central portion, a U-shaped air flow opening. The blower 8 is of known type and is therefore not particularly described in detail. Apart from its square-shaped suction opening 8a, corresponding to the shape of the framework 20, and a plate 8b for receiving and mounting the plate 9, it has an air blowing opening 8c connected to the circular part 10. This part 10 is intended to be engaged in an adjusted manner on the tubular component 5, as can be seen in figures 4, 6 and 7. It is internally hollow and, on its radially internal wall, forms orifices intended to coincide with the ducts 4 for blowing air. At one end, it forms an opening adapted to be sealingly connected to the air blowing opening 8c formed by the blower 8, and is closed at its opposite end. At this opposite end, it receives, as more particularly visible in figure 7, a branch tube 26 for directing air near the delivery port delivering the nebulized product. Part 10 thus forms a second air flow duct 30. The nebulizing assembly 11 comprises the above-mentioned tube 26, a reservoir 35 of liquid product to be nebulized, a subassembly 36 for nebulizing this product, terminating in a delivery orifice nozzle for the nebulized product, and a base 37 for supporting the reservoir 35. The reservoir 35 and the subassembly 36 are of known types and are therefore not described in detail. The port for delivering the nebulized product is arranged so as to coincide with the opening 16 after assembly, and the end of the tube 26 is opposite the orifice 17; the air blown by this tube makes it possible to diffuse widely, in the room equipped with the hand dryer 1, the nebulized product emitted by the nebulization assembly 11. The blowing of this air creates a loss of load which is compensated by the air entering through the front opening of the tubular component 5. It thus appears that the hand dryer 1 forms an air flow circuit, shown by arrows in figure 6, which is partly closed; in fact, a major part of the air blown through the air blowing ducts 4 is captured by the first air flow duct 25 and passes through the photocatalysis system 7 before being sucked by the blower 8; this recirculated air is purified before being fed by the blower 8 into the second air flow duct 30 and is then distributed again by the air-blowing ducts 4. In addition, the air to which the user's hands are exposed in the cavity 3 flows from the air blowing ducts 4 to the rear portion of the tubular component 5; this air thus flows substantially from the user's wrists, towards the user's end of fingers, and therefore tends to remove the residual water present on the user's hands vis-i-vis this user's sleeves. The invention therefore provides a hand dryer blowing 1, usable in any type of premises but in particular in rooms for collective use such as public toilets, which has the following decisive advantages: - blow on the user's hands an air purified by photocatalysis, and therefore perfectly hygienic; - eliminate the risk of wetting the user's sleeves;

- create a swirling flow of air inside the hand-engaging cavity 3, which proves to achieve very efficient hand drying; - have a structure made simple and compact, resulting in particular from the direct mounting of the framework 20 in the shell 2b and the blower 8, and the implementation of the plates 6 and 9; - spread widely, in the room equipped with the hand dryer 1, the nebulized product emitted by the nebulization assembly 11.

Claims

1. A blowing hand dryer (1), comprising a housing (2) forming at least one air suction opening, a hand-engaging cavity (3) into which hands are to be inserted and one or more blowing ducts (4) for blowing the air in the hand engaging cavity, and a blower (8); - the hand dryer comprises a tubular component (5) defining therein said hand engaging cavity (3), which hand engaging cavity is open on one side of the hand dryer (1); - the air blowing ducts (4) open into the hand-engaging cavity at a front portion of the tubular component (5) and a rear portion of the tubular component (5) communicates with a first air flow duct (25) connected to an inlet of the blower (8); - the hand dryer (1) comprises a subassembly (7) for air purification, located on the first air flow duct (25) to purify air passing through the first air flow duct; and - the hand dryer (1) comprises a second air flow duct (30), connecting an outlet of the blower (8) to the air-blowing ducts (4); characterized in that - the air purification subassembly is a photocatalysis system (7) located underneath the tubular component (5); - a rear end of the tubular component (5) is connected to a rear plate (6) dimensioned and shaped so as to close the space formed between the tubular component (5), the photocatalysis system (7) and surrounding walls of the housing (2); - the photocatalysis system (7) comprises a rigid framework (20) intended to be connected to parts (8b) of a body of the blower (8) which delimit a suction opening (8a) of the blower (8), and comprises an absorption membrane mounted on the rigid framework (20), facing toward the suction opening (8a) of the blower (8); - the hand dryer (1) comprises a plate (9) interposed between the absorption membrane and the body of the blower (8), having outer edges that coincide with those of said framework (20), so as to maintain in place outer edges of said membrane, and having a central support portion for supporting a central portion of the membrane, the rear plate (6) forming at least one air flow opening between said outer edges and said central portion of the rear plate (9) interposed between the absorption membrane and flip INAixi "Ffhlvi j]"pr. ntiA

- said second air flow duct is defined within a part (10) said part being of fully or partially circular shape, positioned around an outside of said tubular component (5) opposite said air-blowing ducts (4).

2. The hand dryer (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each air blowing duct (4) is arranged through the wall of said tubular component (5), in a direction oblique to a plane tangent to this wall at an opening of this duct, and in that the different air-blowing ducts (4) are arranged so that the air they blow flows into the hand engaging cavity within said tubular component (5) in a circular motion.

3. The hand dryer (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said oblique direction forms an angle of about 20 to 60 ° relative to said tangent plane.

4. The hand dryer (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air-blowing ducts (4) are evenly distributed around the periphery of the tubular component (5).

5. The hand dryer (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the tubular component (5) comprises four air blowing ducts (4), so positioned at about 90 relative to each other.

6. The hand dryer (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in further comprising means for heating air flowing in the hand dryer.

7. The hand dryer (1) according to one of claims I to 6, characterized in that said tubular component (5) has a slightly frusto-conical shape, having a front portion of smaller section than the rear portion.

8. The hand dryer (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that a cone defining said slightly frusto-conical shape is an oblique cone, and in that said tubular component (5) is positioned in the hand dryer (1) such that it has a lower generatrix which is inclined with respect to a central axis of the tubular component (5), so that an anterior portion of the tubular component (5) is situated at a level higher than the rear portion of this tubular component (5).

9. The hand dryer (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises: - a reservoir (35) containing a disinfectant and/or perfuming liquid product, - a nebulizing subassembly (36) for nebulizing said liquid product, an outlet orifice of the nebulizing subassembly comprising an outlet opening to the outside of the housing (2) of the hand dryer (1), and - a branch tube (26) connected to said second airflow duct (30), having an outlet port opening near the outlet of the nebulization subassembly (36).