CN113491465B - Drying device - Google Patents

Abstract

A drying apparatus comprising a main body and a driving means for driving a lever to move with respect to the main body, the main body comprising: a pair of air inlets communicating with an upstream side of the filter unit for receiving intake air from outside; a pair of body air flow generators for generating a first forced air flow, each body air flow generator having a first end and a second end, each first end being open to a downstream side of the filter unit; a pair of thermoelectric devices configured to regulate a temperature of the first forced airflow; and a first air outlet connected to the second end of each of the main body air flow generators, receiving the first forced air flow from the main body air flow generator, and discharging the first forced air flow to the outside; the lever includes: a pair of lever air flow generators generating a second forced air flow; a second air outlet for discharging a second forced air flow to the outside; and a pair of resistive heaters for regulating the temperature of the second forced air stream prior to the second forced air stream exiting the second air outlet.

Description

Drying device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a drying apparatus and a drying method, and more particularly, to an apparatus for drying a human body or a human body part, but not limited to a human body.

Background

In this specification, if a document, act, or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, that reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act, or item of knowledge, or combination thereof, was published at the priority date, known to the public, part of the common general knowledge, or forms part of the prior art to which the law applies, or was known to be relevant to the attempt to solve any problem with which this specification relates.

Regular showering or bathing is a common activity in modern society. In many cultural circles, shower rooms are being used every day. For example, in the case of a certain sport during the day, it may be washed more than once a day.

The human body is moist due to showering or sweating. In order to prevent bacteria or mold from growing on the human body, it is important for the health of the human to keep the water dry.

Under the proper circumstances, a certain degree of moisture can evaporate by itself, but most people are convenient and comfortable, and actively wipe the body after bathing or exercising. Although wiping with a towel is not a good method of removing water from the body, especially for the foot portion, drying it may take time in order to effectively prevent bacteria or mold, and such a portion may be insufficiently dried. Especially long hair people may feel troublesome when drying the hair with towels.

In addition to the problem of using towels to dry a person's body as desired, the number and frequency of towels used indicates that the towels occupy a significant weight in the overall laundry. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case of gyms, hotels, etc. where the towel is used only once.

The towel washing energy consumption is high, and the clean water consumption is also a problem from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Fresh water resource depletion is considered a common problem in vast areas of the world. The number of towels washed and the frequency of general washing will consume a considerable amount of water resources.

In order to solve the problems as described above, a body dryer is disclosed such as korean patent laid-open patent No. 10-0948030 (patent document 1) and korean patent laid-open patent No. 10-1749344 (patent document 2). When using these body dryers, if a user stands on the upper foot plate, air for drying the body is supplied to the user's foot or lower body, so that water on the body can be removed without using a towel. However, the patent documents 1 and 2 have a problem that the drying cannot be provided to the whole body of the user.

In order to overcome such a problem, korean patent laid-open publication No. 20-0328270 (patent document 3) has been proposed. Wherein a space for accommodating the whole body of the user is provided, and high-temperature air is sprayed to the whole body to perform drying. However, since air is supplied to the whole body of the user, and air for drying is supplied without distinguishing a portion of the user's body where water is present from a portion for drying, there is a problem in that the efficiency of the drying apparatus is low, the skin of the user is excessively dried, and the like.

By providing a drying device giving at least useful countermeasures to the masses, it is intended to solve or improve one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

While certain aspects of the prior art have been discussed for convenience of explanation, applicant does not negate such aspects and thus considers this application to include or have one or more of the prior art aspects discussed herein.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to address one or more of the above mentioned problems by providing a device and a method that not only improve health and hygiene, but also have a positive impact on the environment. For example, the apparatus and method of the present invention provide efficient and effective drying of a person's body or a part of a person's body, thereby reducing or eliminating reliance on towels.

The present invention should be understood to include any and all combinations of features, structures and/or steps described herein, and is not to be limited to such features, structures and/or steps, including the contents of the appended claims, unless expressly recited therein.

The invention provides a drying device, which comprises a main body and a driving device, wherein the main body comprises: a pair of air inlets communicating with an upstream side of the filter unit for receiving intake air from outside; a pair of body air flow generators for generating a first forced air flow, each body air flow generator having a first end and a second end, each of the first ends being open to a downstream side of the filter unit; a pair of thermoelectric devices configured to regulate a temperature of the first forced airflow; and a first air outlet connected to a second end of each of the main body air flow generators, receiving a first forced air flow from the main body air flow generator, and discharging the first forced air flow to the outside; the drive means is configured to drive a lever to move the lever relative to the body; the lever includes: a pair of lever air flow generators for generating a second forced air flow; a second air outlet for discharging the second forced air flow to the outside; and a pair of resistive heaters for regulating the temperature of the second forced air stream before the second forced air stream exits the second air outlet.

The present invention provides another drying apparatus, which includes a main body including: an air inlet; a flow guide having a first end coupled to the air inlet and a second end opened to an upstream side of the filter unit; an air flow generator for generating a forced air flow, having a first end and a second end, the first end being open to a downstream side of the filter unit; and an air outlet connected to the second end of the air flow generator, for receiving the forced air flow from the air flow generator and discharging the forced air flow to the outside.

The term "and/or" as used herein means "and" or both.

The terms a or an, as used herein, unless clearly defined as one, mean one or more than one.

For the purposes of this specification, the term "plastic" should be interpreted as a generic term for various synthetic or semi-synthetic polymeric products, which comprise hydrocarbon polymers.

For the purposes of this specification, if method steps are described in a sequential order, that order does not mean that the steps must be ordered in that order or in time unless otherwise logically explained or explicitly stated.

Numerous variations, widely differing embodiments and other applications of the construction according to the invention may be provided to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

Other aspects of embodiments of the invention are apparent from the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The drying device of the present invention provides one or more of the following effects.

In the present invention, the air outlet is provided around the edge of the drying surface of the main body, and the rod moving up and down along the main body can also supply air for drying, so that the target portion can be accurately dried while drying the entire body of the user.

In the present invention, a thermoelectric device may be used to regulate the temperature of the forced air flow discharged from the body and the stem. Accordingly, a forced air flow of an appropriate temperature is supplied according to the state of water on the user's body, so that drying can be properly performed.

In the present invention, the discharged forced air flow is adjusted based on the data acquired using various sensors, and therefore, appropriate drying of the user's body can be performed more effectively.

Drawings

The objects and features of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the drawings and claims described below. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts.

The preferred embodiments or modes of the present invention are described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view illustrating the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an upper region of the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing internal elements of a part of the upper region of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the flow of air through the internal elements of the upper region of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the flow of air through the internal elements of the upper region from another direction.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a connection between the main body flow generator and the first air outlet in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A is a diagram showing a connection between a main body flow generator and a first air outlet in another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9B is a rear perspective view showing a connection between one of the body flow generators of fig. 9A and the first air outlet.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the first air outlet taken along line A-A' of fig. 3.

Fig. 11A is a perspective view of the drying apparatus of fig. 1 with the lever in a first position.

Fig. 11B is a perspective view of the drying apparatus of fig. 1 with the lever in the second position.

Fig. 12A is a perspective view showing a driving device for a drying device in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12B is a perspective view showing an enlarged area a of fig. 12A.

Fig. 12C is a bottom view of fig. 12B.

Fig. 12D is an exploded perspective view showing a fixing mechanism of a lever of the drying device of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a drying apparatus including an additional lever in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a top perspective view showing the stem of the drying apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the lever of fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a rear perspective view showing a lever of another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a partial perspective view of various parts of the interior of the rod shown in fig. 14-16, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view of various parts of the lever shown in fig. 14 to 17, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 and 20 are diagrams illustrating exemplary paths of forced air flow discharged from the lever illustrated in fig. 14 to 18 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing an electrical structure of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a flow chart of a controller for controlling a temperature-humidity index (THI) using an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart of a controller for controlling Wind speed cooling Index (Wind-Chill Index) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 24A and 24B are diagrams showing a case of drying a user using the lever of the drying apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 25 is a flow chart of the controller implementing drying to the user according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 26 is a perspective view showing an upper region of an exploded drying device of a filter unit of an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 27 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit of fig. 26 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 28 is a front view showing the air inlet and inlet path of the main body flow generator housing of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a partially exploded perspective view of the air inlet of fig. 28.

Fig. 30 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 31 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 32 is a sectional view taken along line B-B' of fig. 31.

Fig. 33 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the drying apparatus main body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

10: a drying device; 11: a driving device; 14: drying the noodles; 40: a lead screw; 41, 42: a nut; 44: a bracket assembly; 45: a guide member; 46: a guide rail; 53: a controller; 58: a memory; 100: a main body; 101: a first air outlet; 102: an air inlet; 103: a body flow generator housing; 104: a filter unit; 106, 107, 108: air flow arrows; 110: a body flow generator; 111: an inlet filter; 113: a particulate filter; 114: a virus filter; 115: a dehumidifying filter; 116: a flow guide; 117: a thermoelectric device; 118: a first face; 119: a second face; 120: a resistance heater; 121, 122: an air duct; 123: an outlet air duct; 124: an upper region; 125: a common opening; 126: a vent; 127: a fin; 128: an air opening; 129: a lower region; 130: an exhaust port; 140: a rear panel; 142: a side panel; 144: a front panel; 200: a rod; 201: a second air outlet; 202: an air inlet; 203: an air inlet; 204: a stem flow generator; 205: an air inlet; 206: a shield; 207: an air duct; 208: a middle outlet; 209: a sensor; 220: a motor; 230: a cover; 400: foot support.

Detailed Description

One or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Drying devices associated with other various uses may be provided. At least in a main application, the drying device may be a dryer for drying a person's body after bathing or showering. The drying device may be used as an auxiliary device after drying with towels or in place of drying with towels in various preferred ways. By using the drying device as a body dryer, the body can be dried by one or more forced airflows of the drying device.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, fig. 2 is a side view of the drying apparatus, and fig. 3 is a front view of the drying apparatus.

Referring to fig. 1, the drying device 10 may include a main body 100 and a lever 200. Although the term "bar" is used, the "bar" should not be construed as being limited to a bar shape, and may have various shapes according to design criteria or expected results. The lever 200 is movable relative to the body 100 by a driving means, which will be described in more detail herein.

The size of the drying apparatus 10 may correspond to the body size. For example, among the structural elements of the drying apparatus shown in fig. 1, the width of the drying apparatus 10, and in particular the main body 100, may be proportional to the body width, thereby enabling the delivery of forced air flow across the body.

The forced air flow may be provided through a first air outlet 101 arranged along an edge of the main body 100. The forced air flow may also be provided through a second air outlet 201 provided at the lever 200. Unlike the first air outlet 101, which is positionally fixed on the main body 100, the second air outlet 201 may provide a forced air flow to various parts of the body as the lever 200 moves up and down along the length L1 of the main body 100 in the length direction.

The main body 100 may define a drying side or surface 14 adjacent to where a user is located for drying by the drying apparatus 10. The drying surface 14 may be defined as the surface or plane of the drying apparatus 10 providing forced air flow through the first air outlet 101 and/or the second air outlet 201. For example, fig. 2 is a side view and fig. 3 is a front view of the drying surface 14.

For example, when the drying apparatus 10 is disposed in a limited space such as a bathroom, it is preferable that the drying apparatus 10 occupies a minimum space and is aesthetically pleasing. For this reason, as shown in the side view of fig. 2, the portion of the main body 100 including the drying surface 14 may be relatively less convex. Just as there is less bulge, a thin and attractive shape can be provided.

In order to achieve the thin and attractive shape described above, at least a portion of the inner structural element of the main body having a larger volume may be disposed in an upper region (the periphery of the air inlet 102 shown in fig. 2) of the main body 100 so as not to interfere with less protrusion of the portion having the drying surface 14. The upper region of the body 100 may be located at or above the head position of the user. The upper region may include bulk elements such as bulk flow generators, thermoelectric devices, flow guides, and the like. In other embodiments, the internal structural elements of the body 100 may be provided at an upper region of the body and disposed toward a lower region of the body 100 to minimize thickness.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of an exemplary upper region of the body 100. In particular, in fig. 4, the front cover of the upper region is removed, exposing the outlet of one of the two flow guides 116 adjacent to the filter unit 104. While another air flow guide 116 cannot be seen in fig. 4, it is disposed on the other side of fig. 4. The filter unit 104 may be disposed in a space in the center of the body and on the opposite side or the same side of the flow guide 116. The filter unit 104 may or may not be replaceable. The front cover (not shown in fig. 4) may be separated to replace the old filter unit 104 with a new filter unit. Fig. 5 illustrates a case where the body flow generator housing 103 is removed in order to reveal several internal structural elements of the upper region of the body 100 illustrated in fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5 together, the upper region of the body 100 may include: a pair of body flow generators 110, a pair of flow guides 116, a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 (including, for example, thermoelectric modules, thermoelectric coolers, or other suitable devices), a pair of air inlets 102, the filter unit 104, and a body flow generator housing 103 enclosing these internal structural elements. In one embodiment, a device that uses a thermoelectric effect, such as the peltier effect, i.e., a thermoelectric device, is used, and in another embodiment, may include an air conditioning or heat pump system that uses a pump, compressor, evaporator, resistive heating element, combustion, or other chemical reaction for controlling temperature. However, other forms of the air conditioning device may be used. According to one mode, the upper region may be considered as an air conditioning system of the main body 100.

A pair of body flow generators 110 are used in the illustrated embodiment. In other embodiments, only one body flow generator may be used or more body flow generators may be used. The body flow generator may be an axial flow fan or the like. In embodiments including a plurality of body flow generators, the plurality of body flow generators may cooperate to generate a uniform flow of air to the body 100. Embodiments may also be included in which independent air flows are generated to the main body 100 so that the air flow intensities of the respective portions of the main body 100 are different from each other. In the present embodiment, with the operation of the pair of body flow generators 110, outside air can flow into the body flow generator housing 103 through the pair of air inlets 102. The pair of air inlets 102 are inlets for supplying external air to the main body 100.

As shown in fig. 5, each body flow generator 110 has its own air inlet 102. However, the pair of body flow generators 110 may share one air inlet 102. Alternatively, the pair of body flow generators may share more than two air inlets.

Air entering the air inlet 102 is directed by respective flow guides 116 located between the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104. In this embodiment, a portion of each flow guide 116 may define an outlet air flow path 105 (see fig. 7), and the outlet air flow path 105 may be a portion of a flow path through which purified air flows from the filter unit 104 to each body flow generator 110. More details of the flow path including the outlet air flow path 105 are described in conjunction with the description of fig. 6 and 7.

Since it is described in the present embodiment as including a pair of flow guides 116, the following description of one flow guide 116 applies equally to the other flow guide 116 of the pair of flow guides 116. As shown in fig. 5, each flow guide 116 may be formed in a curved shape. One end of each flow guide 116 is connected to each air inlet 102, and the other end is open to the upstream side of the filter unit 104. The body of each flow guide 116 includes a curved inner surface and a curved outer surface. The curved inner surface faces the outlet air flow path 105 and forms part of the flow path between the downstream side of the filter unit 104 and the respective body flow generator 110.

Thus, each flow guide 116 forms a flow path between each air inlet 102 and an upstream portion of the filter unit 104. And, at least a portion of each flow guide 116 forms a wall of a flow path between the downstream portion side of the filter unit 104 and each body flow generator 110. In such a configuration, each flow guide 116 may guide air entering through each air inlet 102 and convey that air toward the filter unit 104. The air passing through the filter unit 104 may be transferred to the outlet air flow path 105, and the air is transferred to the first air outlet 101 via the outlet air flow path 105 by the body flow generator 110.

In the above-described structure, each of the flow guides 116 may function to separate the inlet side and the outlet side of the filter unit 104. Each flow guide 116 may also function to separate purified air flowing toward the main body flow generator 110 from air entering from the air inlet 102.

In another configuration, the flow guide 116 does not necessarily have both the function of guiding the inhaled air to the filter unit 104 and the function of guiding the purified air between the main body flow generator and the outlet of the filter unit. For example, the air inlet 102, the flow guide 116, the filter unit 104, and the body flow generator 110 may be arranged in a row or continuously adjacent to each other. Wherein each flow guide 116 may only convey air between the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104.

A pair of thermoelectric devices (thermoelectric devices) 117 may be included in an upper region of the body 100. Each thermoelectric device 117 may be, for example, a semiconductor device that heats or cools air using the peltier effect. In another embodiment, other forms of known thermal elements such as heaters, coolers, or combinations thereof may be employed. For example, a refrigeration cycle with a compressor, evaporator, and condenser may be used to provide cooling and/or heating of the air. In other embodiments, a resistive heater may be used to provide heating of the air.

In this embodiment, a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 is provided. The following description is made with respect to one thermoelectric device 117, and the description is equally applicable to another thermoelectric device. Each thermoelectric device 117 has a first face 118 and a second face 119. One side thereof may be cooled or heated, and conversely the other side thereof may be heated or cooled, depending on the direction of the current supplied to the thermoelectric device 117. For example, when the first (i.e., outer) surface 118 is cooled, the second (i.e., inner) surface 119 is heated. Conversely, when the first face 118 is heated, the second face 119 is cooled.

Each thermoelectric device 117 may heat or cool air passing through the filter unit 104 at the outlet air flow path 105 (see fig. 7). To facilitate heating or cooling, the second face 119 of the thermoelectric device 117 may be exposed to the outlet air flow path 105. The second side 119 may heat or cool air flowing through the outlet air flow path 105 depending on the mode of operation of the thermoelectric device 117. The heated or cooled air may be drawn into the respective body flow generator 110.

The processor may control the direction of the current flowing to the thermoelectric device 117. For example, a voltage source connected to the thermoelectric device 117 may be connected to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. The a/D converter may generate a positive or negative value for controlling the voltage, whereby the current flows to the thermoelectric device 117. In other embodiments, half of the output value of the a/D converter may correspond to a negative current and half to a positive current.

When the thermoelectric device 117 is used in the drying device, the exhaust port 130 may be located at an upper region of the main body 100. Fig. 5 shows a pair of exhaust ports 130 associated with a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 included in an upper region of the body 100. Each vent 130 may be coupled to the first side 118 of each of the thermoelectric devices 117. One or more exhaust ports 130 may be located in an upper region of the body.

When the thermoelectric device 117 operates as a heater, cooler exhaust air may be exhausted to the outside of the drying device 10 through the respective exhaust ports 130. When the thermoelectric device 117 operates as a cooler, warmer exhaust air may be exhausted through the exhaust port 130.

Fig. 6 illustrates the flow of air through the upper region portion of the body 100 of an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is another illustration of the flow of air through the upper region portion of the body 100. Regarding the air flow through the structural elements of the upper region of the main body 100, one main body flow generator 110 is similar to the other main body flow generator 110, and thus one main body flow generator 110 will be described.

The present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 6 and 7. When the body flow generator 110 is in operation, air is drawn in through the air inlet 102 and through the flow guide 116 to the front of the filter unit 104 as indicated by air flow arrows 106, 107 of fig. 7. The air purified by the filter unit 104 is discharged through the side of the filter unit 104.

After the cleaned air exits the filter unit 104, it reaches an outlet air flow path 105 as indicated by air flow arrow 108 in fig. 7. The purified air may be heated or cooled by the thermoelectric device 117 at the outlet air flow path 105. As described above and shown by air flow arrows 131, air exhausted from the thermoelectric device 117 may be exhausted through the exhaust port 130. The heated or cooled air is sucked downward by the main body flow generator 110 as indicated by an air flow arrow 108, and is pressurized by the main body flow generator 110, and moves toward the first air outlet 101 as indicated by an air flow arrow 109 in fig. 7.

The structure of the air conditioning system of the main body 100 is described above. The drying apparatus 10 having the above-described structure can discharge cool air or hot air, thereby adjusting the state of the space where the drying apparatus is installed. The space may be a bathroom. The drying apparatus 10 may cool the bathroom when the weather is hot. The drying apparatus 10 may warm the bathroom when the weather is cold. The drying device may also use the air conditioning system described herein for drying the user. For example, the cold air or the hot air pressurized by the main body flow generator 110 may be discharged through the first air outlet 101 provided along the edge of the main body on the drying surface 14 (refer to fig. 1 to 3). The user on the drying surface side can dry the body using the discharged cool air or hot air.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a connection between the body flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the body flow generator 110 provides air flow to the air duct 121. The duct 121 guides the forced air flow converged through the common opening 125 toward the first air outlet 101 of the main body 100. In the present embodiment, the resistive heater 120 is disposed in the common opening 125 for further heating the forced airflow. The resistive heater 120 may be configured to be used when further heating is required before the heated forced airflow from the body flow generator 110 flows to the air outlet 101. For example, the arrangement may be employed when rapid heating of the bathroom is desired or when forced airflow for additional heating is desired during drying of the user's body.

Although a resistive heater is shown in fig. 8, any suitable other thermal element may be used. In other embodiments, the thermal element may be used in order to selectively heat or cool the air flow exiting and flowing from the common opening 125.

Fig. 9A shows a structure of connection between the body flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 8, according to another embodiment shown in fig. 9A, the outlet of each body flow generator 110 is directly connected to the first air outlet 101 of the body 100. The first air outlet 101 includes an air opening 128 at an upper side thereof. Each air opening 128 is directly connected to an outlet of each of the body flow generators 110. By having the outlets of the respective body flow generators 110 directly connected to the first air outlet of the body 100, the connection structure can be simplified, and the forced air flow can directly flow to the first air outlet 101.

In this embodiment, the forced air flow may be stronger than the forced air flow shown in fig. 8. This is because, among the forced airflows of fig. 8, the forced airflows of the vertical direction of the respective main body flow generators flow in the horizontal direction due to the air duct 121 and collide with each other in order to form a single forced airflow. Then, the duct 121 causes the single forced air flow to flow along the first air outlet 101 in a vertically downward direction. In contrast, in the embodiment of fig. 9A, the forced air flow of each of the main body flow generators directly flows along the first air outlet 101 in the vertically downward direction.

Fig. 9B is a rear perspective view showing a connection between one of the body flow generators and the first air outlet of fig. 9A. In this configuration, as shown in fig. 9B, the body flow generator 110 includes a fan assembly 1101 and a conduit 1102. The fan assembly may be an axial fan or the like. Preferably, the fan assembly includes a high-speed motor capable of sucking and discharging air at a high speed. For example, the fan assembly may include a korean LG electronics smart inverter motor (Smart Inverter Motor) capable of reaching 115000 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) ^TM ). A similar fan assembly may be used.

The fan assembly 1101 is connected to a conduit 1102, which may be a cylindrical tube connected to the first air outlet 101. However, the catheter 1102 is not limited to a cylindrical tube, and an elliptical tube, a rectangular tube, or the like may be used as other structures. The duct 1102 includes air sucked into the duct 1102 by the fan assembly 1101, and in the case where the speed of the forced air cannot be maintained, the speed of the discharged forced air is increased by the fan assembly 1101. Thereby, a forced air flow with a relatively high velocity is introduced into the first air outlet 101.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the first air outlet 101 of the main body of fig. 3, taken along line A-A', illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this partial view, the first air outlet 101 is disposed along an edge of at least a portion of the main body 100. In this embodiment, the shape of the first air outlet 101 corresponds to the shape of the edge of the drying surface 14 of the main body 100 (see fig. 3). However, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the air outlet 101 may take one of a plurality of other configurations. For example, in another embodiment, the first air outlet 101 may be formed by a plurality of slits arranged in a vertical and/or horizontal manner across the drying surface 14 (e.g., with reference to fig. 31).

Referring again to fig. 10, the first air outlet 101 of the present embodiment includes an air duct 122, a vent 126, and fins 127. The duct 122 receives the forced air flow from the upper region of the main body 100 and delivers the forced air flow along the edge of the main body 100.

The air duct 122 extends along an edge of the main body 100 and is connected to an air vent 126 that can be seen from the dry face 14 of the main body 100 (see fig. 1 and 3). The forced air flow is exhausted from the main body 100 through the vent hole 126. The fin 127 may be disposed at the vent hole 126 extending along the edge of the body 100, dividing a space formed by the vent hole 126 into two. The fins 127 may assist the vent holes 126 in directing the forced airflow. In this embodiment, the fin 127 is fixed to the vent hole 126, and the forced airflow is guided in one direction toward the outside.

In another embodiment, the fins may be adjusted to be movable to the left or right so as to guide the forced air discharged from the main body 100 to the desired left or right. For example, to enable at least a portion of the forced air flow to converge inwardly toward the center with respect to the main body 100, the fin on the left side of the main body 100 may be moved to the right, while the fin on the right side of the main body 100 may be moved to the left. Conversely, to enable at least a portion of the forced air flow to diffuse outwardly from the center with respect to the main body 100, the fin on the left side of the main body 100 may be moved to the left, while the fin on the right side of the main body 100 may be moved to the right.

The main body 100 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far. The drying apparatus 10 may include a lever 200 capable of providing a forced air flow. As previously described, the lever 200 may be movable relative to the body 100.

Fig. 11A and 11B respectively show the case where the lever 200 of the embodiment of the present invention is located at two different driving positions on the length L1 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 100.

The lever 200 is movable along the longitudinal length L1 of the main body 100 by driving by a driving device to be described below. The moving range of the lever 200 may be consistent with the length L1 of the body 100 in the length direction, or differently, the moving range of the lever 200 is adjusted to be more closely consistent with the height of a specific user. That is, when the user is located adjacent to the drying surface 14 of the drying apparatus 10, the length (e.g., height) required by the user can be covered by the air flow for drying discharged from the second air outlet 201 by the movement of the lever 200. For example, the lever 200 may be moved (repeatedly moved as needed) from the upper position shown in fig. 11A to the lower position shown in fig. 11B while the forced air flow is discharged from the second air outlet 201, wherein the distance that the lever 200 is moved between the positions shown in fig. 11A and 11B may correspond to the height of the user.

Fig. 12A is a diagram showing a driving means of the lever 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12B is an enlarged view of the driving device shown in part a of fig. 12A. Fig. 12C is a bottom perspective view of the driving device shown in fig. 12B, and fig. 12D is a view showing an exemplary fixing mechanism 210 of the lever 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 12A and 12B, the driving device 11 moves the lever 200 with respect to the main body 100. The driving means 11 may be located at the main body 100. According to this exemplary embodiment, the driving device 11 includes a lead screw 40, a nut 41, and a motor 50 (refer to fig. 13). The lead screw 40 may be threaded and may have a length corresponding to the length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the main body 100 in the longitudinal direction. The motor 50 may be located at an upper region of the body 100. However, the motor 50 may be located at any position where the motor 50 can rotate the lead screw 40, as long as the nut 41 can be moved up and down on the lead screw 40 along the length L1 of the dry surface of the main body 100 in the longitudinal direction of the dry surface according to the rotation direction of the lead screw 40. The shaft of the motor 50 may be coupled to an end portion of the lead screw 40 (e.g., an upper end portion of the lead screw 40). Accordingly, when the motor rotates the shaft in a clockwise direction, the lead screw 40 rotates in a clockwise direction, and when the motor 50 rotates the shaft in a counterclockwise direction, the lead screw 40 rotates in a counterclockwise direction.

Referring to fig. 12B and 12C, the nut 41 is formed with threads corresponding to the threads of the lead screw 40, thereby being coupled with the lead screw 40. The nut 41 is fixed to the rod 200. In the present embodiment, the nut 41 is fixed to the bracket assembly 44 to which the lever 200 is attached. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other structures for directly or indirectly securing the nut 41 may be suitable for use with the rod 200. When the lead screw 40 is rotated by the motor 50, the nut 41 is lifted up and down on the lead screw 40, thereby moving the rod 200 up and down.

For example, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 in a clockwise direction, the nut 41 moves upward of the lead screw 40, and the rod 200 moves upward in a longitudinal direction with respect to a longitudinal length of the main body 100. Conversely, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 in the counterclockwise direction, the nut 41 moves downward of the lead screw 40, and the rod 200 moves downward along the longitudinal length with respect to the longitudinal length of the main body 100.

In another example, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 in a clockwise direction, the nut 41 moves toward a lower portion of the lead screw 40, and the rod 200 moves downward along a longitudinal length with respect to a longitudinal length of the main body 100. When the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 counterclockwise, the nut 41 moves toward the upper portion of the lead screw 40, and the lever 200 moves upward along the longitudinal length with respect to the longitudinal length of the main body 100.

Referring to fig. 12C and 12D, the carriage assembly 44 may have one or more guide members 45 for movement along one or more corresponding guide rails 46 of the body 100. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 13, a double guide rail is used, including guide rails 46 extending vertically at both side portions of the main body 100, respectively. The guide member 45 and the guide rail 46 guide the lever 200 along a prescribed vertical path.

For example, the guide member 45 and guide rail 46 may operate in a manner that retains the rod 200 against rotational movement relative to the length-wise axis that may be caused by rotation of the lead screw 40. The dual rail 46 may also provide stability to the lever 200 as the lever 200 moves up and down along the body 100.

In this embodiment, the lever 200 may include a fixing mechanism 210, the fixing mechanism 210 being used to fix the lever 200 on the guide member 45 of the bracket assembly 44. In this embodiment, the fixing mechanism 210 is provided at both side ends of the lever 200. The guide member 45 may include a space 47 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the fixing mechanism 210. When the lever 200 is mounted on the bracket assembly 44, the fixing mechanism 210 slides into the space 47 of the guide member 45, thereby mounting the fixing mechanism 210 on the guide member 45.

The fixing mechanism 210 may include one or more protrusions 212 protruding from a side of the fixing mechanism 210. The one or more protrusions 212 may be elastically deformed or spring-loaded. When the fixing mechanism 210 is fully inserted into the space 47 of the guide member 45, the one or more protrusions 212 may be caught in one or more corresponding slots provided in the space 47, thereby mounting the lever 200 to the bracket assembly 44.

The securing mechanism 210 may be configured to facilitate detachment of the lever 200 from the bracket assembly 44. Since the protrusion 212 may be elastically deformed or built-in with a spring, the lever 200 may be separated from the body 100 by being applied with a sufficient force. The pole 200 can be replaced with other poles 200, and maintenance can be performed without moving the whole drying apparatus 10 when maintenance is required.

The above describes embodiments of a drive device using a lead screw and nut. In other exemplary constructions, the rod 200 may be driven on the body 100 using structures other than the lead screw and nut. In practice, suitable driving means may be used which are capable of providing the required relative motion. For example, the lead screw and nut may be replaced by a rack and pinion gear train, pulley and belt drive, or by a linear actuator in the event that the desired motion is linear.

Fig. 13 is a front view illustrating a drying apparatus including a first lever 200 and a second lever 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 13, the drying device 10 may include a first lever 200 and a second lever 300. The second lever 300 may include a third air outlet 301, which may be driven to be movable with respect to the main body 100. The second rod 300 may be coupled to its own nut 43, and the nut 43 may be coupled to its own lead screw 42. The nut 43 is fixed to its own bracket assembly 48 to enable the second rod 300 to move relative to the body 100. The lead screw 42 may be driven by its own motor 52. The structural elements related to the driving of the second lever 300 and the functions thereof are similar to those related to the lever 200 described above, and thus, the description will be omitted to avoid the repeated description.

Based on the construction of the exemplary embodiments described above, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that more bars may be employed with the drying apparatus 10. The driving device 11 may be configured in a modular structure so as to be able to accommodate a plurality of rods in the main body 100.

As shown in fig. 13, the lever 200 is associated with its own motor 50, lead screw 40, nut 41, and bracket assembly 44, as an example. The rod 200 moves up and down with respect to the body 100 by the operation of the motor 50, the lead screw 40, and the nut 41. Similarly, the second rod 300 is associated with its own motor 52, lead screw 42, nut 43, and bracket assembly 48. The second rod 300 moves up and down with respect to the main body 100 by the operation of the motor 52, the lead screw 42, and the nut 43. The motor, lead screw, nut and bracket assembly associated with one rod do not operate on the other rod. That is, the motor, lead screw, nut, and bracket assembly of one lever operate only on that lever.

Accordingly, for each additional rod, a corresponding motor, lead screw, nut, and bracket assembly may be added to the driving device for accommodating the corresponding rod. In this way, a plurality of rods can be provided on the main body 100 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the preference of the user. Differently, the individual drives may be spaced apart from each other and may accommodate more than one rod that moves together along the length of the body in the length direction.

Fig. 13 shows the lever 200 and the second lever 300 using the same guide rail. In an exemplary construction, the lever 200 and the second lever 300 may use separate rails. With this structure, the lever 200 or the second lever 300 can be moved to a desired position along the range of its own driving path regardless of the position of the lever 200 or the second lever 300.

Fig. 14 is a top perspective view of the lever 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the lever 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 16 is a rear perspective view of the lever 200 according to another configuration shown in fig. 15.

Referring to fig. 14 and 15, the lever 200 may include a first air outlet 201 through which a forced air flow may be provided at different positions of the body 100 according to movement of the lever 200 relative to the body 100. As for the driving device 11 between the lever 200 and the main body 100, as described above, two guide members 45 may guide the movement of the lever 200 with respect to the main body 100.

One or more air inlets 205 may be located at the end of the rod 200. The air inlet 205 may be protected within a cavity formed between the end of the wand 200 and the shroud 206. The shroud 206 may extend from the end of the stem 200 such that the top and side surfaces of the shroud 206, except the bottom surface, provide shielding. The open bottom surface of the shroud 206 allows the air inlet 205 to be in close proximity to the intake air. This structure can prevent water from falling or splashing into the air inlet 205. The air inlet 205 supplies intake air to the rod 200 (see fig. 17) housing one or more rod flow generators 204.

Fig. 16 shows two air inlets 202 at the rear end of the lever 200 for supplying air discharged from the second air outlet 201. In contrast, in the configuration of fig. 15, the air inlets 205 are located at each end of the rod 200, as described above. Since the lever 200 protrudes toward the user side, the lever 200 is closer to the user than the main body 100, and thus the lever 200 may be more easily wetted. Accordingly, one or more of the air inlets 202 are preferably disposed at a location remote from the user. As described above, in the structure of fig. 16, the air inlet 202 is provided on the rear surface of the lever 200 as described above.

Fig. 17 is a partial perspective view showing the respective structural elements inside the lever 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 17 shows the stem 200 with the cover removed to expose a pair of stem flow generators 204 and air ducts 207. The wand 200 may include a pair of wand flow generators 204 that receive intake air from the air inlet 202 and generate forced air flows through the air conduit 207. The air duct 207 may include an intermediate outlet 208 through which the forced air flow passes and is expelled through the second air outlet 201.

Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view showing various components of the lever 200 of the above-described embodiment of the present invention of fig. 17.

Referring to fig. 18, the wand 200 has a cover 230, the cover 230 of the wand 200 being separated to enable viewing of various internal components including a pair of wand flow generators 204, a pair of motors 220, a pair of thermic devices (e.g., resistive heaters, thermoelectric devices, and other suitable devices may be used), and an air duct 207. The wand 200 has a wand flow generator 204 (see figures 17 and 18) which receives inhaled air from one or more air inlets. The pair of rod flow generators 204 generate a relatively high-speed forced air flow from the received air. For example, the lever flow generator may be a smart inverter motor that rotates at a maximum speed of 115000RPM, thereby sucking air in and discharging it at a high speed. However, other forms of axial fan assemblies may be used.

Forced air flow from the pair of stem flow generators 204 passes through the air conduit 207 in a manner that exits from the intermediate outlet 208. The air duct 207 is shown as a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this shape, and an elliptical tube, a square tube, a rectangular tube, or the like may be used. The air duct 207 has air sucked by the pair of lever flow generators 204 in the range of the air duct 207, and in the case where the speed of the forced air cannot be maintained, the speed of the discharged forced air is increased by the pair of lever flow generators 204. Whereby a relatively high-speed forced air flow is directed to said intermediate outlet 208. The discharged air is finally discharged to the outside of the second air outlet 201. In the present embodiment, a case where a pair of rod flow generators is used is shown, but in other structures, one rod flow generator or more than two rod flow generators may be used.

In the present embodiment, a pair of resistive heaters 120 are considered as components of the rod 200. The resistive heater 120 is located downstream of each rod flow generator 204. In another embodiment, the resistive heater may be located upstream of the stem flow generator or integrally formed with the stem flow generator. In this embodiment, the stem flow generator 204 and the resistive heater 120 may be inside the air conduit 207 with at least a portion thereof enclosed (see fig. 18). The air duct 207 may guide the air heated by the resistance heater 120 toward the intermediate outlet 208 and may be discharged through the second air outlet 201.

In this embodiment, a resistive heater for heating the intake air is used, but in other exemplary embodiments, a thermoelectric device employing the peltier effect may be used to heat or cool the intake air, for example. In this structure, the lever 200 is not limited to exhausting heated air, but may exhaust cooler air.

The lever 200 may also include one or more motors 220. As shown in fig. 18, one or more motors 220 may be disposed along a longitudinal axis of the rod 200 parallel to the drying surface 14 of the main body 100. As the one or more motors 220 are rotated relative to their longitudinal axes, the rod 200 may be rotated up and down. By rotating the lever 200, the area where the lever 200 provides the forced air flow can be enlarged. The lever 200 can improve drying performance as it continuously rotates while exhausting the forced air flow.

Fig. 19 and 20 are diagrams illustrating an exemplary manner in which pressurized air is discharged from the second air outlet 201 based on the shape and/or size of the second air outlet 201 in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The second air outlet 201 may be configured such that the discharged air flow can cover the body width of the user as the lever 200 moves up and down along the height of the user. The wand 200 may have a suitable second air outlet 201 capable of directing forced air across the width of the user's body.

Referring to fig. 19, more specifically, the second air outlet 201 may be configured to provide a forced air flow spreading sideways. As the forced air flow is further away from said second air outlet 201, the forced air flow expands to cover the body width of the user at least in the horizontal direction. Fig. 18 shows an example of a structure for forming expansion of the forced air flow.

The intermediate outlet 208 of the air duct 207 may be configured as a circular, oval or quadrangular air outlet, enabling the forced air flow to be discharged when the air flow further flows from the second air outlet 201. As an example, while a circular air outlet may be relatively small in size, a relatively strong forced air flow may be created to a small area of the user's body. Although the rectangular air outlet may be relatively large in size, a weaker forced air flow may be created for a wider area of the user's body.

The angle of the exiting forced airflow may be determined by the angle of the Arc (Arc) of the intermediate outlet 208. As an example, a narrow arc angle may create a stronger air flow that covers a smaller portion of the user's body, and a wide arc angle may create a weaker air flow that covers a wider portion of the user's body. The shape of the intermediate outlet 208 and the angle of the arc may be selected according to the desired effect of the forced air flow on the user's body.

Referring to fig. 20, the second air outlet 201 may be configured as an elongated slit extending across the longitudinal length (side direction with respect to the longitudinal length of the main body) of the lever 200, so as to discharge air in the form of a planar blade. In one configuration, the length of the slit may substantially cover the width of the user's body. In this structure, the forced air flow of the second air outlet 201 can cover all parts of the user's body due to the upward and/or downward vertical movement of the lever 200 with respect to the main body 100. For such a structure, the intermediate outlet 208 may be formed as an elongated slit (slot) across the length of the air duct 207 in the longitudinal direction. The second air outlet 201, which is an elongated slit as shown in fig. 20, corresponds to the slit of the intermediate outlet 208.

Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing an electrical structure of the drying apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The controller 53 controls the operation of the overall drying apparatus 10. The controller 53 may be a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, an electrical circuit, a logic electrical circuit, or the like.

The controller 53 may control the operation of the body flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 of the body 100, the controller 53 may control the operation of the stem flow generator 204 and the resistive heater 120 associated with the stem, and may control the motor 220. Various operations performed using the structural elements have been described above, and thus, further description will be omitted. The controller 53 may store information in the memory 58 and access it in order to control the operation of the drying appliance 10.

The drying apparatus 10 may include one or more sensors 209 that are also controlled by the controller 53. The sensor 209 may be variously associated with the body 100 and the lever 200 (e.g., fig. 12C and 15). In several embodiments, one or more of the sensors 209 may be spaced apart at different locations in the drying apparatus 10.

According to various embodiments like the embodiments shown in fig. 12C and 15, for example, the one or more sensors 209 may be associated with the rod 200. The controller 53 may receive sensed information from one or more sensors 209 of the lever 200, and the controller 53 may use the sensed information as an operating parameter to operate the drying apparatus 10.

As an example, the sensed information of one or more sensors may be used by the controller 53 in order to determine various characteristics of the environment surrounding the device and/or conditions of the user and/or various characteristics. For example, the sensed information may be used in order to determine the presence of the user, the physical characteristics of the user including the user's overall and/or specific dimensions, the degree of wetness of the user's body and/or other parts of his body, in particular the temperature or heat of the ambient air and/or the humidity of the ambient air. To achieve such operation, the drying apparatus 10 may include one or more of the sensors 209 described below.

The one or more sensors 209 may include thermal sensors such as infrared sensors. The infrared sensor may be used for acquiring information about the surrounding heat. For example, an infrared sensor may be used as a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of ambient air. Information about the temperature of the ambient air may be obtained in order to determine whether the ambient air is to be conditioned.

The infrared sensor may be used on the body of a user located adjacent to the drying apparatus 10. The information from the infrared sensor may be used for estimating or determining the humidity level of the user's body and/or a specific part of the user's body. The information from the infrared sensor may be used for acquiring an index of the whole body of a user whose body temperature is different from the ambient air temperature.

The one or more sensors 209 may include a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may be used in order to determine proximity to a user of the drying apparatus 10. For example, information from the proximity sensor may be used in order to determine the distance of the user from the drying surface of the drying apparatus 10. The drying apparatus may be operated for drying a user when the user is within a prescribed distance from the drying surface 14. In order to obtain the required speed of the forced air flow towards the user, the information from the proximity sensor may be used in order to adjust the forced air flow speed from the air outlet 101 and/or the air outlet 201 according to the distance of the user.

The proximity sensor may be used in order to determine if the user is too close to the drying apparatus or a part thereof. For example, for safety reasons, it may be desirable to limit or prevent movement of the rod 200 in the event that the body is within a particular distance relative to the rod or is located at a particular position relative to the rod. This may include the case where a part of the body is located above or below the rod 200, in the path of its movement.

The one or more sensors 209 may include an image sensor. The image sensor may be used for acquiring surrounding image information or determining the presence of a user or determining the size of the entire body of the user and/or a specific part of the body of the user. The image sensor may be used in conjunction with or instead of a thermal sensor for the above-mentioned information in order to obtain more accurate information.

The one or more sensors 209 may include a humidity sensor. The humidity sensor may be used for acquiring the humidity of the ambient air, for example, for acquiring information about the humidity level of a bathroom in which the drying apparatus is installed. The drying apparatus 10 may be used or operated to remove moisture from the air to bring the humidity level below a predetermined level. The humidity sensor may also be used for obtaining information about the level of wetness/dryness of the user's skin. In order to avoid that the skin of the user becomes too dry, said information may be used in order to adjust the heat applied to the forced air flow.

In addition to the exemplary sensors described above, other sensors known in the art may be used in order to obtain the desired results.

As described above, the drying apparatus 10 can perform air conditioning of a given space. For example, the space may be a bathroom. The drying apparatus 10 may cool the bathroom when the weather is hot, and the drying apparatus 10 may warm the bathroom for user comfort when the weather is cold. In such a scenario, the controller 53 may determine the ambient air humidity or ambient hot air temperature of the bathroom, which temperature and humidity information may be used to adjust the temperature for user satisfaction.

For example, in a hot bathroom, a user may cool the body by sweating. The sweat absorbs a certain amount of heat from the user's body to evaporate, thereby providing the user with a cool sensation. However, when the humidity level in the bathroom is high, the sweat cannot be effectively evaporated, thus water remains on the user. This will result in the user feeling hotter than the temperature of the bathroom, which may cause discomfort to the user.

Therefore, the controller 53 for adjusting the bathroom needs to consider not only the temperature but also the humidity. In one embodiment, to determine the comfort of the user, the controller 53 needs to consider a comfort index that correlates temperature and humidity. A temperature-humidity index (THI), known as an uncomfortable index, may be used for determining a comfort sense of a currently sensed temperature and a currently sensed humidity.

Several formulas are given for determining THI. One of the formulas is as follows:

THI＝T _d -(0.55-0.55RH)(T _d -58)

wherein T is _d Is the dry bulb temperature expressed in degrees f and RH is the relative humidity expressed in percent, which is expressed in decimal numbers. For example, 50% relative humidity is 0.5.

It should be noted that the THI is relative rather than absolute. The temperature brings different effects to different people. Various factors such as height, weight, sex, health status, etc. make the temperature perceived by a particular person different from others.

The following table is the THI reflecting the comfort of the average person.

TABLE 1

Grade	THI Range	Comfort level
			Is very high	80 or more	Are all uncomfortable
High height	75 to 80	50% feel uncomfortable
			In general	68 to 75 or less	Uncomfortable feeling at the beginning
Low and low	68 or less	Is not uncomfortable

Fig. 22 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a controller to use a temperature-humidity index (THI) for adjusting a given space temperature in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 22, in step S100, the controller 53 may receive sensing information from the thermal sensor. The information may be the ambient temperature of the bathroom. In step S110, the controller 53 may acquire sensing information from the humidity sensor. The information may be a humidity level of the bathroom. In step S120, the controller 53 may use the acquired temperature information and humidity information in order to determine the THI. One formula that the controller 53 may use in order to find the THI may be the formula provided above. The formula may be stored in the memory 58 and may be accessed by the controller 53.

In step S130, the controller 530 may determine whether the calculated THI is the same as or greater than 75. A reference index 75 may be stored in the memory 58. It should be clear that the reference index 75 is not absolute. For example, the reference index 75 may be increased or decreased in the memory 58 as desired by the individual user. When the THI is less than 75, the controller 53 may proceed to step S160, and the controller 53 may end the adjustment of the THI.

Otherwise, in step S130, when the controller 53 determines that the THI is the same as or greater than 75, the controller 53 may proceed to step S140. In step S140, the controller 53 may transmit a signal for operating the flow generator. The flow generator may be turned on or off and generates a predetermined air flow. Differently, the controller 53 may be configured to control the variable air intake by using the air intake corresponding to the required air flow. For example, the flow generator may be a body flow generator 110 located in the body 100. In step S150, the controller 53 may operate the thermoelectric device 117. It should be clear that the bulk flow generator and thermoelectric device need not operate sequentially, but may operate simultaneously or in reverse order.

The controller 53 may send a signal to the thermoelectric device 117 to cool (or heat) the air drawn in through the air inlet 102. The cooled air not only reduces the temperature of the sucked air, but also dehumidifies the air. The cooled and dehumidified air may be discharged through the air outlet 101. The controller 53 may be configured to adjust the amount of heating or cooling by the heat level value. The heat level value may correspond to a heat level that is cooler or hotter than ambient air. The controller 53 may proceed to step S100, thereby repeatedly performing steps S100 to S130.

In step S130, the controller 53 may again determine whether THI is the same as 75 or greater. When the controller 53 determines again that THI is the same as 75 or greater, the controller 53 proceeds to step S140 and step S150, sucks air and cools the air. The controller 53 continues the process unless and until the controller 53 determines that THI is less than 75 in step S130. In this case, the controller 53 proceeds to step S160, and the controller 53 ends the method.

In some cases, the forced airflow provides wind speed cooling (wind cool) to the user, and the system may be used in order to regulate air intake and temperature at a comfortable level. This is the case when the user senses the air flow at a temperature lower than the ambient air temperature. There are several formulas proposed for determining wind speed cooling. For the purposes of this disclosure, reference may be made to north american and british wind speed cooling indexes as follows.

T _wc ＝13.12+0.6215T _a -35.75v ^+0.16 +0.4275T _a v ^+0.16

Wherein T is _wc Is based on the wind speed cooling index in degrees centigrade, T _a Is the air temperature in degrees celsius and v is the air flow velocity in km/hour.

According to the above formula, the temperature of the air flow perceived by the user is lower as the forced air flow speed is faster. Therefore, when the air flow speed increases, the controller 53 may increase the temperature of the forced air flow in order to obtain the target temperature.

While embodiments may not have sensors for determining air flow rate, it may be inferred from known constraints within the system. For example, the size of the chamber for air flow, the power of the flow generator, and the size of the outlet for air flow are all known variables. Accordingly, embodiments include evaluating the air flow rate based on these known parameters. Also, embodiments may include a table correlating air flow rates to flow generator operating rates. Thus, for the input of a known flow generator, the system may know the air flow velocity from the corresponding preset value. In one embodiment, the user-related target surface skin temperature may be 30 degrees celsius to 32 degrees celsius. Thus, forced air heating and cooling may be provided to generate or maintain this temperature.

In one embodiment, the temperature of the forced air flow generated by the drying apparatus 10 should be a temperature at which the user experiences little or no discomfort. The discomfort index (Humidex) of the apparent temperature may provide a proper guide for the level of comfort or discomfort provided according to the temperature applicable to the user's skin. The discomfort index takes into account both temperature and relative humidity when determining the level of comfort or discomfort. The discomfort index formula is as follows.

Wherein H represents a comfort index, T _air Is the air temperature expressed in DEG C, T _dew The dew condensation temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius.

In several embodiments, the apparent temperature suitable for the user is between 20 ℃ and 39 ℃. In a preferred embodiment, the apparent temperature for the user is between 20 ℃ and 29 ℃. As described above, the apparent temperature may be determined in consideration of a wind speed cooling index of the air flow temperature.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling temperature by a controller using a wind speed cooling index in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 23, the controller 53 may control a lever flow generator for providing forced air flow to the body of the user through the air outlet 201 according to thermal sensor information and a wind rate cooling index. In step S200, the controller 53 receives information from the thermal sensor. For example, when the thermal sensor position is the position of the sensor 209 shown in fig. 15, the information reflects the ambient air temperature of the lever 200.

In step S210, the controller 53 receives Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of the lever flow generator 204. In this configuration, the RPM of the lever flow generator 204 is variable. In the structure of the case where the RPM of the lever flow generator 204 is not variable but fixed, the controller 53 searches the RPM stored in the memory 58. The RPM of the lever flow generator 204 is the same as the air flow rate of the forced air flow.

In step S220, the controller 53 has the air temperature in the lever 200 and the air flow speed of the forced air flow and can determine the wind speed cooling index. One formula that may be used by the controller 53 to obtain the wind speed cooling index may be the formula provided above. The formula may be stored in a memory 58 accessible by the controller 53.

In step S230, the controller 53 determines whether the calculated wind speed cooling index is the same as or greater than a preset target. The predetermined target may be selected from a number of different temperatures or temperature ranges. For example, the target may be a target surface skin temperature of about 30 ℃ to about 32 ℃. The target may be stored in the memory 58.

When the wind speed cooling index is lower than the target, the controller 53 may proceed to step S240. In step S240, the controller 53 may cause the air flow to be heated in the lever 200 using the resistance heater 120 to increase the temperature of the forced air flow. The controller 53 may proceed to step S200, and then may repeat steps S200 to S230. Since the thermal sensor is disposed adjacent to the air outlet 201, the thermal sensor can detect an increase in temperature. And, step S210 may be skipped in the case that RPM of the flow generator is not changed.

As described above, the controller 53 repeatedly performs the process unless and until the controller 53 determines that the wind speed cooling index is the same as or greater than the target in step S230. When the wind speed cooling index is the same as or greater than the target, the controller 53 proceeds to step S250, turns off the resistance heater 120, and ends the method.

Fig. 24A and 24B are diagrams showing a case of drying a user using the lever 200 of the drying apparatus 10 of the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 24A and 24B, the lever 200 includes a sensor 209, and the sensor 209 may be a thermal sensor disposed to face a user when the user is located within a prescribed distance from the dry surface 14 of the main body 100. The lever 200 may be located at an arbitrary position along the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the main body 100, and in this embodiment, the start position of the lever 200 may be a position adjacent to the central portion of the drying surface 14. When the drying device 10 is operated, the lever 200 can be driven by the driving device 11 to rise in the direction indicated by the arrow 1. At the same time, the thermal sensor will also operate.

As the lever 200 moves upward, the thermal sensor scans the user. When the thermal sensor no longer senses heat from the user, the height of the user is determined by the reached position, and the driving means 11 can stop the movement of the lever 200. The driving device 11 can move the lever 200 downward in the direction indicated by the arrow 2. At the same time, the thermal sensor scans the user. The thermal sensor may sense the degree of wetness on the scanned user's body. The thermal sensor may sense the degree of wetting as a lower temperature and the degree of drying as a higher temperature. The stem flow generator 204 and/or the resistive heater 120 may be operated for drying the user.

In other constructions, the body flow generator 110 and/or the thermoelectric device 117 operates to dry the user. The body flow generator 110 and thermoelectric device 117 may operate with the stem flow generator 204 and the resistive heater 120 of the stem 200. The body flow generator 110 and thermoelectric device 117 may be continuously operated until the rod 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, and then the body flow generator 110 and thermoelectric device 117 may be turned off.

As shown in fig. 24B, the wand 200 may be positioned beside the head of the user. In general, hair contains more water, and therefore, when the lever 200 is in this position, the thermal sensor can detect a considerably wetted state. Accordingly, the lever 200 may be heated in order to dry the hair of the user, and not moved during the process of discharging the forced air flow through the second air outlet 201. When the thermal sensor senses that the user's hair is sufficiently dried, the driving means 11 may be moved downward as indicated by arrow 2.

The heated forced air flow exiting the air outlet 201 may dry the head, body and ultimately the legs as the wand 200 is moved downwardly in the direction indicated by arrow 2. As the wand 200 moves from head to leg and the wand 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, the wand may cease to move before it moves further downwardly in the direction indicated by arrow 2, thereby drying out more of the user's other body parts than others.

In other embodiments, the wand 200 may be moved up and down repeatedly from head to foot after reaching the head of the user for the first time, until the thermal sensor senses that the user has dried. The movement of the wand described herein is merely exemplary and other forms of movement of the wand for drying a user are contemplated.

FIG. 25 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of drying a user using the controller in an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to fig. 25, in step S300, the controller 53 moves the lever 200 upward with respect to the main body 100. And, the controller 53 receives thermal information from the thermal sensor. In step S310, the controller 53 determines whether the thermal sensor senses heat. When the heat sensor senses the heat, the controller 53 continues to move the lever 200 upward in step S300. When the heat sensor does not sense heat, the controller 53 assumes that the lever 200 reaches the height of the user, thereby stopping the movement of the lever 200 and proceeding to step S320.

In step S320, the controller 53 moves the lever 200 downward at a preset distance equal to the width of the user' S body covered by the forced air discharged from the lever 200. In step S330, the controller 53 operates the rod flow generator 204. In this step, the controller 53 may operate the body flow generator 110 and/or the thermoelectric device 117. Accordingly, the forced air discharged from the air outlet 201 can dry the corresponding portion of the user adjacent to the lever 200. And, the forced air flow discharged from the air outlet 101 may assist in drying the user. Accordingly, the controller 53 proceeds to step S340.

In step S340, the controller 53 determines whether the thermal sensor senses the same or greater amount of heat than a preset amount. The preset amount may indicate that the corresponding portion of the user is sufficiently dried. When the thermal sensor senses less heat than a preset amount, the controller 53 proceeds to step S330 to cause the controller 53 to continue drying the corresponding portion of the user. Otherwise, the controller 53 proceeds to step S350.

In step S350, the controller 53 determines whether the bottom of the dry surface 14 of the main body 100 is reached. When the stick 200 does not reach the bottom of the drying surface 14, the controller 53 proceeds to step S320, and repeats steps S320 to S340. Otherwise, when the wand 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, the controller 53 turns off the wand flow generator 204 and the resistive heater 120. The controller 53 also turns the body flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 off if they are in operation.

Fig. 26 is a perspective view showing an upper region of an exploded drying device of a filter unit of an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 27 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit of the embodiment of the present invention.

The filter unit 104 may provide one or more filtering or treatment of the flow of intake air. In particular, in urban or other urban setting, ambient air may contain undesirable levels of buoyant solids. Such a solid substance may be harmful to the health of the user, and when the drying device is used in order to dry the user's body, it may have an adverse effect on the skin if it is provided to the user.

For example, the solids may be alkaline or acidic and thus may cause damage to the user's body. As shown in fig. 27, the filter unit 104 may include one or more particulate filters 113 for capturing solids. The one or more particulate filters 113 may be in a form that is generally used, such as a fiberglass filter, a polyester filter, or a HEPA filter.

Ambient air may contain bacteria or viruses, which may lead to a risk of being infected to the user of the drying apparatus. If not provided together with the particulate filter 113, the filter unit 104 may include a bacterial and/or viral filter 114. Such filters may include antibacterial or antibacterial elements.

In order to dry, the intake air needs to reduce or remove moisture from the intake air before it is discharged. The filter unit 104 may include, for example, one or more desiccant filters 115 having a desiccant.

In this embodiment, a pair of air inlets 102 communicate each intake air to the filter unit 104. Where a single filter unit 104 is used, particularly with a plurality of flow generators, it is advantageous to provide a single service location for a filter within the filter unit.

Fig. 28 is a front view of an air inlet and inlet path of a flow generator housing of an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 29 is an exploded perspective view of the air inlet of fig. 28.

Referring to fig. 28, an inlet path including the air inlet 102 and the flow guide 116 directs intake air from the air inlet 102 to the filter unit 104. However, since the drying apparatus 10 may be used in an environment where moisture exists, such as a bathroom or shower room, water may splash to the drying apparatus 10 or the ambient air of the drying apparatus 10 including the air inlet 102. Additionally, during use, water may be drawn into the air inlet 102 by the action of the body flow generator 110 being able to draw ambient water into the air inlet 102. Such water is not suitable for entering the drying apparatus 10. In addition to the water entering the air inlet 102, the flow path may draw in and deliver other substances through the air inlet 102 to the flow guide 116.

As shown in fig. 28 and 29, the air inlet 102 provides a flow path that is biased in an upward direction toward the flow guide 116. The upward deflection may act as a gravity-proof wall for water or other solid matter entering the drying apparatus 10. To further block the ingress of unintended water or other objects into the flow path, as shown for example in fig. 29, an obstruction may be provided in the form of an inlet filter 111 in addition to or instead of the inlet flow path. In more detail, the inlet filter 111 may be in the form of a particulate filter for filtering out particles from the intake air.

The inlet filter 111 may be in the form of a macro filter such as a macro mesh filter for preventing inflow of larger objects. In the case where it is preferable to protect the intake air from the inflowing water or dehumidify from the intake air of the intake filter 111, a desiccant for absorbing water may be included.

As an additional measure for dehumidifying the intake air, a resistance heater (not shown) may be disposed adjacent to the inlet filter 111. During operation, the resistive heater may heat the intake air in order to remove moisture from the air. Additionally, the resistance heater may remove moisture within the inlet filter 111 in order to increase the lifetime of the inlet filter 111.

Fig. 30 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, similar to the arrangement shown in fig. 9A, the connection between the body flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 is the same as in the case where the outlet of each body flow generator 110 is directly connected to the first air outlet 101 of the body 100. In order to provide additional comfort and/or increased drying efficiency to the user, the heated air is preferably further heated by thermoelectric device 117. As shown in fig. 30, the air flow from the filter unit 104 may pass through one side of the thermoelectric device 117 so that it is selectively heated or cooled.

Although the thermoelectric device 117 of a square shape covering a portion of the discharge air flow path 105 is shown in fig. 30, the thermoelectric device 117 may have a rectangular shape covering the entire outlet of the discharge air flow path. That is, the thermoelectric device 117 may have a rectangular shape that covers all of the purified air of the air flow path from the outlet of the filter unit 104 to the inlet of the body flow generator 110. In the case of further heating the air, the heated air is heated downstream of the main body flow generator 110, and the effect will be better.

A thermal element such as a resistive heater 120 may be provided on the downstream side of the respective body flow generator 110. The resistive heater 120 may further heat the air pressurized by the body flow generator 110 toward the first air outlet 101. The resistive heater 120 may be used as a promoting means for further heating or superheating the air heated by the thermoelectric device 117.

Although a resistive heater is shown as the thermal element in fig. 30, other suitable thermal elements may be used. In other constructions, the thermal element may be a thermoelectric device that can be used to selectively heat or cool air on the downstream side of the body flow generator.

Fig. 31 shows a drying apparatus 20 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 32 shows a cross-sectional view of the main body 100 and the lever 200 of the drying apparatus of fig. 31.

As shown in fig. 31, in the drying device 20, the first air outlet 101 may be disposed so as to extend across at least a part of the drying surface of the main body 100. Unlike the drying apparatus 10 described above, in the case where the first air outlet 101 is provided along the edge of the main body 100, the first air outlet 101 of the drying apparatus 20 includes the outlet duct 123 arranged so as to cross the surface of the drying surface 14. In this embodiment, the outlet duct 123 is a plurality of vertical slits extending along the length of the main body 100 in the longitudinal direction, and is disposed across the drying surface 14. The outlet duct 123 is located in both the upper region 124 and the lower region 125. In this configuration, a difference in ejection may be allowed between other areas of the first air outlet 101.

Fig. 32 is a sectional view taken along line B-B' of fig. 31 across the main body 100 and the lever 200 in the case where the first air outlet 101 is an outlet disposed across the dry face 14 of the main body 100. In the drying device 20, a pair of body flow generators 110 may deliver forced air to an air duct 121 (similar to that shown in fig. 8) that discharges forced air from the drying device 20, an air duct 122, and finally to a plurality of outlet air ducts 123. Shown in cross-section is an air duct 122 capable of receiving forced air from the air duct 121. The air duct 122 may include a plurality of vertical slits extending along a length direction of the main body corresponding to the vertical slits of the outlet air duct 123. The duct 122 may discharge the forced air flow to the plurality of outlet ducts 123 through a plurality of slits sequentially discharged from the outlet duct 123 to the outside of the main body 100. The first air outlet 101 may be formed by the air duct 122 and a plurality of outlet air ducts 123.

In this embodiment, the wand 200 may receive air from the main body flow generator 110 of the main body 100. For example, the lever 200 may have one or more inlets such as the air inlet 203 shown in fig. 32. An example of a lever 200 having this structure is shown in fig. 16. Referring to fig. 16, the lever 200 having a pair of air inlets 202 at the rear end of the lever 200 may receive the forced air flow from a portion of the plurality of outlet air ducts 123 corresponding to the pair of air inlets 202. Referring to fig. 32, air discharged from the body flow generator 110 inside the body 100 is received by one or more air inlets 203 and discharged from the second air outlet 201.

In the present embodiment, the lever 200 is provided with a pair of lever flow generators 204 that additionally accelerate the pressurized air received from the main body flow generator 110 of the main body 100. However, in other embodiments, the lever 200 does not have a lever flow generator 204, but directly exhausts the forced airflow received from the body flow generator 110 of the body 100. Although not shown, the rod 200 may include a resistive heater 120 as shown in fig. 18. Although not shown, the rod 200 may include a thermoelectric device instead of the resistive heater. The lever 200 may additionally adjust the forced air flow received from the main body 100. Differently, the lever 200 may not include an air conditioning device and discharge the forced air flow conditioned by the thermoelectric device 117 of the main body 100 without additionally conditioning the forced air flow received from the main body 100.

Referring again to fig. 31, the drying apparatus 20 may further include a foot support 400 that enables a person to place his or her feet. The air duct 122 may further extend to be connected to the foot support 400. The air duct 122 may supply air flow to one or more air outlets of the foot supporting part 400, thereby drying the feet of the person using air discharged from the one or more air outlets. In the configuration shown in fig. 31, the foot support 400 may be configured to retract into the main body 100 of the drying apparatus 20, for example, when not in use. However, in other embodiments, the foot support 400 may be supported and secured by its bottom without being retracted.

Fig. 33 is an exploded perspective view of the body of an embodiment of the present invention.

The body 100 may be covered by an injection molded plastic cover. As shown in fig. 33, the injection molded plastic cover may include a rear panel 140, a side panel 142, and a front panel 144 covering the body 100. In other embodiments, the plastic cover may have a thin metal plate attached to its surface. The individual parts of the plastic cover can be snap-fitted to each other (snapfit). For example, one component may have a convex portion and the other component coupled thereto may have a corresponding concave portion. When the two parts are snap-engaged with each other, the male part enters the female part to be engaged with each other, and the two parts are fixed to each other. The plastic cover forms the appearance of the body 100, providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The plastic covers of the body 100 are separated by pulling the plastic covers from the body 100 due to the snap-coupling with each other, and can be optimized according to the preference of the user by replacing them with other plastic covers having an appearance and style satisfying the preference of the user. The plastic cover 230 (refer to fig. 26) of the lever 200 may also be separated and replaced with another plastic cover having an appearance and style satisfying the user's preference, thereby being able to be optimized according to the user's preference.

Exemplary embodiments of the drying apparatus have been described above. The embodiments may be modified in accordance with specific uses and adaptations.

Where reference is made to an element or integer having an equivalent to that disclosed in the foregoing, such equivalent is included as if it were individually indicated to be incorporated herein.

While embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments should be considered in an illustrative sense only and should not be considered as limiting the technical scope of the present invention to the embodiments. Further, the present invention is defined not by the detailed description of the invention but by the appended claims, and all differences falling within the scope will be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that many variations of the present invention can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Claims (27)

1. A drying apparatus comprising a main body, a lever movable relative to the main body, and a driving device configured to drive the lever to move the lever,

the main body includes:

an air inlet for sucking air from the outside;

a filter unit that filters the sucked air;

a main body air flow generator for receiving the air to be filtered to generate a first forced air flow, having a first end and a second end, the first end being open to a downstream side of the filter unit;

a thermoelectric device configured to regulate a temperature of the first forced airflow; and

a first air outlet connected to a second end of the main body air flow generator, receiving a first forced air flow from the main body air flow generator and discharging the first forced air flow to the outside;

the lever includes:

a lever housing forming an appearance of the lever;

a lever air flow generator disposed inside the lever housing for generating a second forced air flow;

a second air outlet formed at the lever housing to discharge the second forced air flow to the outside; and

and a resistance heater provided inside the lever housing for adjusting a temperature of the second forced air flow before the second forced air flow is discharged from the second air outlet.

2. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the thermoelectric devices are in a pair, each thermoelectric device comprises a first face and a second face, the first face is cooled or heated and the second face is heated or cooled according to the direction of current conducted to the thermoelectric device;

either one of the first face and the second face of the thermoelectric device is exposed toward the upstream side of the main body air flow generator.

3. Drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

and a discharge port connected to the other of the first and second sides of the thermoelectric device.

4. A drying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein,

the body includes an upper region including a pair of the air inlets, a pair of the body air flow generators, a pair of the thermoelectric devices, and a pair of the exhaust ports.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

the body further includes a lower region which is a remaining region except the upper region.

6. The drying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein,

the lower region of the body includes a dry face disposed on the front surface,

The first air outlet is formed along an edge of the drying surface.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein,

the first air outlet includes:

a duct receiving a first forced air flow from a second end of each of the body air flow generators;

the air vent is communicated with the air duct; and

and the fins are positioned in the space of the vent holes.

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

the upper region of the body further includes a space for accommodating the filter unit.

9. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main body further comprises:

a flow guide having a first end coupled to the air inlet and a second end open to an upstream side of the filter unit.

10. Drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein,

the thermoelectric device includes a first face and a second face, the first face being cooled or heated and the second face being heated or cooled according to a direction of an electric current that is turned on to the thermoelectric device;

either one of the first face and the second face of the thermoelectric device is exposed toward the upstream side of the main body air flow generator.

11. Drying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein,

and a discharge port connected to the other of the first and second sides of the thermoelectric device.

12. Drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein,

the flow guide includes a curved outer surface and a curved inner surface that forms a wall of an air flow path between the downstream side of the filter unit and the main body air flow generator.

13. Drying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein,

the body includes an upper region including a pair of the air inlets, a pair of the flow guides, a pair of the body air flow generators, a pair of the thermoelectric devices, and a pair of the exhaust ports.

14. Drying apparatus according to claim 13, wherein,

the body further includes a lower region which is a remaining region except the upper region.

15. Drying apparatus according to claim 14, wherein,

the lower region of the body includes a dry face disposed on the front surface,

the first air outlet is formed along an edge of the drying surface.

16. Drying apparatus according to claim 15, wherein,

the first air outlet includes:

an air duct housing forced air flow from a second end of the main body air flow generator;

the air vent is communicated with the air duct; and

and the fins are positioned in the space of the vent holes.

17. Drying apparatus according to claim 14, wherein,

the upper region of the body further includes a space for accommodating the filter unit.

18. Drying apparatus according to claim 17, wherein,

the filter unit has a front surface for accommodating sucked air and a pair of side surfaces for discharging air purified through the front surface.

19. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the rod air flow generators are in a pair.

20. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the resistance heaters are a pair.

21. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

also included within the wand housing is an air duct including a first opening in fluid connection with the wand air flow generator and a second opening through which the second forced air flow is discharged to the exterior of the second air outlet.

22. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the lever housing further includes a detachable cover.

23. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

further comprises:

a controller; and

the thermal sensor is used to detect the presence of a thermal sensor,

the controller is configured to determine a ambient temperature from information sensed from the thermal sensor and to control the thermoelectric device from the information sensed from the thermal sensor.

24. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

further comprises:

a controller;

a thermal sensor; and

a humidity sensor is provided for sensing the humidity of the air,

the controller is configured to determine a ambient temperature based on sensed information from the thermal sensor;

the controller determines a humidity level based on sensed information from the humidity sensor;

the controller determining a temperature-humidity index based on the ambient temperature and the humidity level;

the controller controls the thermoelectric device and the body air flow generator according to the temperature-humidity index associated with a target index.

25. Drying apparatus according to claim 24, wherein,

the controller is configured to control the thermoelectric device to cool the first forced airflow when the temperature-humidity index is the same as or greater than a target index.

26. Drying apparatus according to claim 24, wherein,

the controller is configured to shut down the thermoelectric device and the body air flow generator when the temperature-humidity index is less than a target index.

27. Drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the body further includes a detachable cover.

Images