CN113491466B

CN113491466B - Drying device

Info

Publication number: CN113491466B
Application number: CN202011628848.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘炫善; 李昇烨; 李相允; 吴炳秀; 全炫柱; 千索拉; 尹志先
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2020-03-19
Filing date: 2020-12-31
Publication date: 2022-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-31
Also published as: KR20210117881A; CN113491465B; EP3910264B1; CN113491466A; CN113491464B; CN113491467B; KR20210117886A; KR20210117884A; CN113491467A; KR20210117879A; KR20210117885A; CN113491465A; KR20210117878A; KR20210117877A; CN113491463A; KR20210117883A; KR20210117880A; EP3910264A1; KR20210117875A; CN113491464A

Abstract

The present invention provides a drying apparatus comprising a main body, an air inlet formed in the main body, a rod supported by the main body and comprising an air outlet, and at least one main body flow generator receiving intake air from the air inlet and discharging a forced airflow through the air outlet, and at least one motor rotating the rod with respect to an axis aligned parallel to a drying plane of the main body, the rotation of the rod causing a directional change of the 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 part of a human body, but not limited to a human body.

Background

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

Regular showering or bathing is a common activity in modern society. Shower rooms are used every day in many cultural circles. For example, in the case of certain sports during the day, it may be possible to wash more than once a day.

The human body is wet by showering or sweating. To prevent bacteria or mold from growing on a person's body, it is important for the health of the person to remove the water and keep it dry.

In a suitable environment, a certain degree of moisture may evaporate by itself, but most people are convenient and comfortable, actively wiping the body after bathing or exercising. Although wiping with a towel is not an easy way to remove water from the body, drying the feet, especially for the feet, may take time to effectively prevent bacteria or mold, and such parts may not be dried sufficiently. When drying hair with a towel, especially people with long hair may feel troublesome.

In addition to the problems when using towels to dry a person's body as desired, the number and frequency of use of the towels used means that the towels occupy a considerable proportion of the total wash load. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case where the towel is used only once in a gymnasium, hotel, etc.

The energy consumption for washing the towel is high, and the consumption of clean water also becomes a problem from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Depletion of fresh water resources is considered to be a ubiquitous problem in a wide range of regions of the world. The number of towels washed and the frequency of general washing will consume a considerable amount of water.

In order to solve the problems as described above, body dryers such as korean patent laid-open No. 10-0948030 (patent document 1) and korean patent laid-open No. 10-1749344 (patent document 2) disclose a body dryer. In using these body dryers, if the user stands on the foot plate, air for drying the body is supplied to the user's feet 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 dryness cannot be provided to the whole body of the user.

In order to overcome such a problem, korean granted utility model patent No. 20-0328270 (patent document 3) was proposed. Wherein a space for accommodating the whole body of the user is provided and the drying is performed by injecting high temperature air to the whole body. However, since air is supplied to the whole body of the user, air for drying is supplied without distinguishing between a portion of the user's body where water is present and a dry portion, and thus there is a problem that the efficiency of the drying apparatus is low and the skin of the user is excessively dry.

Further, after a specific part of the user's body, such as a hair part, has a bath or a shower, relatively much water remains as compared with other parts, but there is no corresponding countermeasure for this.

It is an object to solve or ameliorate one or more of the above mentioned problems by providing a drying apparatus that gives at least useful countermeasures to the public.

While certain aspects of the prior art have been discussed for purposes of illustration, applicant does not negate such aspects and so consider that this application includes or has one or more of the prior art aspects discussed herein.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to solve one or more of the above mentioned problems by providing a device and a method that not only improves health and hygiene, but also has a positive impact on the environment. For example, the apparatus and methods of the present invention provide efficient and effective drying of a human body or a localized portion of a human body, thereby reducing or eliminating reliance on towels.

The drying device of the present invention is intended to intensively convey air for drying to a specific part of a user.

The drying device of the invention aims to control the movement of a rod capable of providing forced airflow to a specific part of a user.

The present invention should be understood to include any and all combinations of features, compositions and/or steps described herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, and the invention is not limited to such features, compositions and/or steps, including the content of the appended claims.

The invention provides a drying device comprising a body, an air inlet formed in the body, a wand supported by the body, the wand comprising an air outlet and at least one body flow generator receiving suction air from the air inlet and discharging a forced airflow through the air outlet, at least one motor being provided to rotate the wand about an axis aligned parallel to a drying surface of the body, the rotation of the wand causing the air outlet to switch direction.

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

As used herein, the term "a" or "an" unless expressly limited to one, refers to one or more than one of the plural.

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

For purposes of this specification, if method steps are described as sequential, that order is not to be construed as a requirement that the steps be necessarily sequential or chronological, unless the order is otherwise logically or expressly stated.

Numerous variations, widely differing embodiments and other applications of the inventive arrangements may be devised by 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 the embodiments of the invention are merely exemplary and will become apparent from the following description given 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 part 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. Therefore, the forced air flow of an appropriate temperature is supplied according to the state of the water on the user's body, and drying can be appropriately performed.

Further, in the present invention, in a state where the lever is moved to a specific position on the main body, the lever is rotated with respect to the horizontal direction shaft and the forced airflow is discharged. By the rotation of the rod as described above, more forced airflow can be delivered to a specific part of the body, and a part having relatively much water can be dried quickly.

In the present invention, in order to prevent the pole from colliding with a user or a surrounding object during the movement and rotation of the pole, the movement and rotation of the pole are controlled by using a proximity sensor or the like, so that the drying apparatus can be safely used.

Drawings

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

Preferred embodiments or aspects of the 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 an 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 device of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

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

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an internal element 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 in the upper region of fig. 5.

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

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

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

Fig. 10 isbase:Sub>A sectional view of the first air outlet taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>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 a 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 a chasing bar in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14A illustrates a perspective view of a driving apparatus for a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14B is an enlarged view illustrating a portion B of fig. 14A.

Fig. 14C is an exploded perspective view illustrating a driving device portion of fig. 14A and 14B.

Fig. 15 is a top perspective view showing a lever of the drying apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a bottom perspective view showing the lever of fig. 15.

FIG. 17 is a rear perspective view of a rod illustrating another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a partial perspective view of various portions of the interior of the rod shown in fig. 15-17 illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is an exploded perspective view of various portions of the lever shown in fig. 15-18 illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the drying apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21A and 21B are diagrams showing a state in which a user is dried using a lever of a drying apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a flowchart of the controller implementing drying to the user according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 23 and 24 are diagrams showing exemplary paths of forced air flow discharged from a stem according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 25A and 25B are diagrams showing a part of a main body in a state where a lever of the embodiment of the present invention is rotated.

Fig. 26A and 26B are diagrams showing other rotation directions of the lever in the embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 27A to 27D are side views of the drying apparatus showing various air flows discharged from the outlet of the rod of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 28A to 28F are diagrams showing various air flows discharged from the outlet of the lever of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a side view of a drying apparatus having a first bar and a second bar according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 30 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus including a first bar and a second bar each having a proximity sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 31 is a flow chart of collision avoidance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 32A to 32D are diagrams showing the safety feature of the lever of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a flow chart for controlling the temperature-humidity index (THI) using a controller in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a flow chart for controlling a Wind speed Cooling Index (Wind-Chill Index) using a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 35 is a perspective view of an upper region of the drying device showing the disassembly of the filter unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 36 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit of fig. 35 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a front view showing the air inlet and inlet path of the body flow generator housing of an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 38 is a partially exploded perspective view of the air inlet of fig. 37.

Fig. 39 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 40 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 41 is a sectional view taken along line B-B' of fig. 40.

Fig. 42 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a drying device main body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals

10: a drying device; 11: a drive 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 main body flow generator housing; 104: a filter unit; 106, 107, 108: air flow arrows; 110: a bulk 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 side; 119: a second face; 120: a resistance heater; 121, 122: an air duct; 123: an outlet 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 rod flow generator; 205: an air inlet; 206: a shield; 207: an air conduit; 208: a middle outlet; 209: a sensor; 220: a motor; 230: a cover; 400: a foot support portion.

Detailed Description

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

Drying devices may be provided for various other uses. At least in a primary application, the drying apparatus may be a dryer for drying a person's body after bathing or showering. The drying device can be used as an aid after drying with towels or in a number of preferred ways instead of drying with towels. 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 apparatus 10 may include a main body 100 and a lever 200. Although the term "bar" is used, the term "bar" should not be construed as being limited to a bar shape, and may have various shapes according to design criteria or intended results. The lever 200 is movable relative to the body 100 by a driving means, which will be described in more detail herein.

The drying appliance 10 may be sized to correspond to body dimensions. For example, among the structural elements of the drying apparatus shown in fig. 1, the width of the drying apparatus 10, particularly the main body 100, may be proportional to the width of the body, so as to be able to transmit a forced airflow across the body.

The forced air flow may be provided through a first air outlet 101 disposed along an edge of the main body 100. The forced air flow may also be provided through a second air outlet 201 provided in the wand 200. Unlike the first air outlet 101 which is fixed in position on the main body 100, the second air outlet 201 can 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 lengthwise direction.

The body 100 may define a drying side or surface 14 adjacent to where a user is positioned for drying with the drying appliance 10. The drying surface 14 may be defined as a surface or plane in which the drying apparatus 10 provides a forced airflow 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 occupy a minimum amount of space and be aesthetically pleasing. For this, 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 protruded. Just because of this less bulging, a thin and elegant shape can be provided.

In order to realize the thin and beautiful shape as described above, an internal structural element of at least a portion of the main body having a large volume may be disposed in an upper region (a periphery of the air inlet 102 shown in fig. 2) of the main body 100 so as not to prevent a portion having the drying surface 14 from being less protruded. The upper region of the body 100 may be located at or above the head of the user. The upper region may include bulky elements such as bulk flow generators, thermoelectric devices, flow guides, and the like. In other embodiments, the internal structural elements of the main body 100 may be provided at an upper region of the main body and disposed toward a lower region of the main body 100 to minimize the 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, thereby exposing the outlet of one 116 of the two flow guides 116 adjacent to the filter unit 104. Although the other air flow guide 116 is not visible 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 as the flow guide 116. The filter unit 104 may or may not be replaceable. The front cover (not shown in fig. 4) can be detached in order to replace the old filter unit 104 with a new one. Fig. 5 shows the body flow generator housing 103 removed to expose several internal structural elements of the upper region of the body 100 shown in fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5 together, the upper region of the body 100 may include: a pair of bulk flow generators 110, a pair of flow guides 116, a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 (which may include, for example, thermoelectric modules, thermoelectric coolers, or other suitable devices), a pair of air inlets 102, the filter unit 104, and a bulk flow generator housing 103 that encloses these internal structural elements. In one embodiment, a device that applies 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 air conditioning devices may be used. According to one approach, the upper region may be considered an air conditioning system of the main body 100.

In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of bulk flow generators 110 are used. In other embodiments, only one bulk flow generator may be used or more bulk flow generators may be used. The bulk flow generator may be an axial fan or similar fan. In embodiments including a plurality of body flow generators, the plurality of body flow generators may cooperate to produce 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 strength of the air flows at various 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, external 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 that supply 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. Differently, the pair of body flow generators may also share more than two air inlets.

Air entering the air inlet 102 is guided by respective flow guides 116 located between the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104. In the present embodiment, a portion of each flow guide 116 may define an outlet air flow path 105 (refer to fig. 7), and the outlet air flow path 105 may become a portion of a flow path along which purified air flows from the filter unit 104 to each body flow generator 110. More details regarding the flow path including the outlet air flow path 105 are described together with the description of fig. 6 and 7.

Since it is described as including a pair of flow guides 116 in the present embodiment, the following description for one flow guide 116 is equally applicable 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 each of the body flow generators 110.

Thereby, each flow guide 116 forms a flow path between each air inlet 102 and an upstream portion of the filter unit 104. Also, at least a portion of each flow guide 116 forms a wall of the flow path between the downstream side of the filter unit 104 and each bulk flow generator 110. In such a configuration, each flow guide 116 may guide air entering through each air inlet 102 and convey the air toward the filter unit 104. The air having passed through the filter unit 104 may be delivered to the outlet air flow path 105, and under the action of the main body flow generator 110, the air is delivered to the first air outlet 101 via the outlet air flow path 105.

In the above structure, each flow guide 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 cleaned air flowing toward the body flow generator 110 from air entering from the air inlet 102.

In another structure, the flow guide 116 does not necessarily have both a function of guiding the sucked air to the filter unit 104 and a function of guiding the purified air between the main body flow generator and the filter unit outlet. For example, the air inlet 102, the flow guide 116, the filter unit 104, and the body flow generator 110 may be disposed in a row or consecutively 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 (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 used. For example, a refrigeration cycle having a compressor, an evaporator, and a 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.

A pair of thermoelectric devices 117 is provided in this embodiment. The following description is for one thermoelectric device 117, and the description applies equally to the other thermoelectric device. Each thermoelectric device 117 has a first side 118 and a second side 119. Depending on the direction of the current supplied to the thermoelectric device 117, one side thereof may be cooled or heated, and conversely, the other side may be heated or cooled. For example, the second face (i.e., inner surface) 119 is heated as the first face (i.e., outer surface) 118 is cooled. Conversely, when the first side 118 is heated, the second side 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 face 119 may heat or cool the 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 each body flow generator 110.

The processor may control the direction of current flowing to 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 negative current and half to positive current.

When the thermoelectric device 117 is used in a drying device, the exhaust port 130 may be located at an upper region of the body 100. Fig. 5 illustrates a pair of exhaust ports 130 associated with a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 included in an upper region of the body 100. Each of the air vents 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, relatively cool discharge air may be discharged to the outside of the drying device 10 through the respective air outlet 130. When the thermoelectric device 117 is operating as a cooler, relatively hot 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 according to 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. The flow of air through the structural elements of the upper region of the body 100 is similar to that of the other body flow generator 110 in one body flow generator 110, and thus the description will be made for one body flow generator 110.

This embodiment is explained in more detail with reference to fig. 6 and 7. When the body flow generator 110 is operated, 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 the

air flow arrows

106, 107 in figure 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 arrows 108 in fig. 7. The cleaned air may be heated or cooled at the outlet air flow path 105 by the thermoelectric device 117. As described above and indicated 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 drawn downward by the body flow generator 110 as indicated by air flow arrow 108, is pressurized by the body flow generator 110, and moves toward the first air outlet 101 as indicated by air flow arrow 109 in fig. 7.

The structure of the air conditioning system of the main body 100 is described above. The drying device 10 having the above-described structure can discharge cold air or hot air to adjust the state of the space in which the drying device is installed. The space may be a bathroom. The drying device 10 can cool the bathroom when the weather is hot. The drying device 10 can warm the bathroom when it is cold. The drying appliance 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 body flow generator 110 may be discharged through the first air outlet 101 provided along the edge of the body on the drying surface 14 (refer to fig. 1 to 3). The user located on the side of the dry face can dry the body with the cold or hot air discharged.

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

As shown, the body flow generator 110 provides a flow of air to the air duct 121. The air duct 121 guides the forced air flows merged through the common opening 125 toward the first air outlet 101 of the main body 100. In the present embodiment, the resistance heater 120 is disposed at the common opening 125 for further heating the forced airflow. This configuration of the resistance heater 120 may be employed when further heating is required before flowing the heated forced airflow from the body flow generator 110 to the air outlet 101. This arrangement may be employed, for example, when rapid heating of a bathroom is required or when forced airflow to provide additional heating is required 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 main body flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the main 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 comprises an air opening 128 in its upper side. Each air opening 128 is directly connected to the 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 outlets of the body 100, the connection structure can be simplified, and the forced air can directly flow to the first air outlets 101.

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

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. As shown in fig. 9B, in this structure, the bulk flow generator 110 includes a fan assembly 1101 and a duct 1102. The fan assembly may be an axial fan or the like. Preferably, the fan assembly includes a high-speed motor capable of sucking air at a high speed and discharging the air. For example, the fan assembly may include a korean LG electronic Smart Inverter Motor (Smart Inverter Motor) capable of reaching 115000 in Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) ^TM )。A similar fan assembly may be used.

The fan assembly 1101 is connected to a duct 1102 which may be a cylindrical tube connected to the first air outlet 101. However, the guide pipe 1102 is not limited to a cylindrical pipe, and an elliptical pipe, a square pipe, a rectangular pipe, or the like may be used as another structure. The duct 1102 includes air drawn into the duct 1102 by the fan assembly 1101, and the fan assembly 1101 increases the velocity of the forced airflow discharged when the velocity of the forced airflow cannot be maintained. Thereby, a forced air flow of relatively high velocity is directed into said first air outlet 101.

Fig. 10 isbase:Sub>A sectional view of the first air outlet 101 of the main body of fig. 3 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A' illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the partial view, the first air outlet 101 is disposed along an edge of at least a portion of the main body 100. In the present embodiment, the shape of the first air outlet 101 substantially corresponds to the shape of the edge of the drying surface 14 of the main body 100 (refer to 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 constituted by a plurality of slits arranged in a vertical and/or horizontal manner across the drying surface 14 (see, for example, fig. 40).

Referring again to fig. 10, the first air outlet 101 of the present embodiment includes an air duct 122, vent holes (vent) 126, and fins (fin) 127. The air duct 122 receives a forced air flow from an upper region of the main body 100 and transmits the forced air flow along an 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 viewed from the drying surface 14 of the main body 100 (refer to fig. 1 and 3). The forced airflow is exhausted from the main body 100 through the vent 126. The fin 127 may be disposed in the vent hole 126 extending along an edge of the body 100, and divide 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 guides the forced airflow in one direction toward the outside.

In another embodiment, the fin may be adjusted to be movable to the left or right, thereby guiding the forced air flow discharged from the main body 100 to the desired left or right. For example, in order to allow at least a part of the forced airflow to converge inward 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 side, and the fin on the right side of the main body 100 may be moved to the left side. Conversely, in order to allow at least a part of the forced airflow to be diffused from the center to the outside with respect to the main body 100, the fin on the left side of the main body 100 may be moved to the left side, and the fin on the right side of the main body 100 may be moved to the right side.

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 wand 200 capable of providing a forced airflow. As previously mentioned, the lever 200 may move relative to the body 100.

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

The lever 200 is movable along the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 by a driving means to be described below. The moving range of the lever 200 may be identical to the length L1 of the main body 100 in the lengthwise direction, or differently, the moving range of the lever 200 is adjusted to more closely correspond to the height of a specific user. That is, when the user is located adjacent to the drying surface 14 of the drying apparatus 10, a length (e.g., height) desired by the user may be covered by the flow of air discharged from the second air outlet 201 for drying through 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 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 device 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 drive device shown in fig. 12B, and fig. 12D is a diagram illustrating an exemplary securing mechanism 210 of the lever 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 12A and 12B, the driving means 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 drive device 11 includes a lead screw 40, a nut 41, and a motor 50 (see fig. 13). The lead screw 40 is formed with a screw thread and may have a length corresponding to the length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the body 100 in the longitudinal direction. The motor 50 may be located at an upper region of the main 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 along the rotation direction of the lead screw 40. The shaft of the motor 50 may be coupled to one end of the lead screw 40 (e.g., an upper end of the lead screw 40). Thus, 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 threaded corresponding to the thread of the lead screw 40, thereby being combined 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 adapted to 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 the clockwise direction, the nut 41 moves upward of the lead screw 40, and the rod 200 moves upward along the longitudinal length with respect to the longitudinal length of the 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 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 the longitudinal length with respect to the longitudinal length of the body 100. When the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 counterclockwise, the nut 41 moves to the upper portion of the lead screw 40, and the rod 200 moves to the upper portion along the longitudinal length with respect to the longitudinal length of the body 100.

Referring to fig. 12C and 12D, the carriage assembly 44 may have one or more guide members 45 for moving along one or more corresponding guide rails 46 of the main body 100. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 13, a dual guide rail is used, including guide rails 46 vertically extending at both side sides 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 track 46 may operate in a manner to retain the rod 200 against rotational movement relative to the lengthwise axis that may be caused by rotation of the lead screw 40. The dual guide 46 may also provide stability to the wand 200 as the wand 200 moves up and down the main body 100.

In the present embodiment, the lever 200 may include a fixing mechanism 210, and the fixing mechanism 210 is used to fix the lever 200 to the guide member 45 of the bracket assembly 44. In the present 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 to the bracket assembly 44, the fixing mechanism 210 slides into the space 47 of the guide member 45, thereby mounting the fixing mechanism 210 to the guide member 45.

The securing mechanism 210 may include one or more protrusions 212 protruding from a side of the securing mechanism 210. The one or more projections 212 may be elastically deformed or have a spring built therein. When the securing mechanism 210 is fully inserted into the space 47 of the guide member 45, the one or more protrusions 212 may catch 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 separation of the lever 200 from the bracket assembly 44. Since the protrusion 212 may be elastically deformed or have a spring built therein, the lever 200 may be separated from the main body 100 by being applied with a sufficient force. The rod 200 can be replaced with another rod 200, and when maintenance is required, the entire drying apparatus 10 can be maintained without being moved.

The above describes an embodiment of a driving device using a lead screw and a nut. In other exemplary configurations, the rod 200 may be driven on the body 100 using structures other than the lead screw and nut. In practice, suitable drive 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 system, a pulley and belt drive, or where the required motion is linear, it may be replaced by a linear actuator.

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 apparatus 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 connected to its own nut 43, and the nut 43 may be connected to its own lead screw 42. The nut 43 is fixed to its own bracket assembly 48 to enable the second lever 300 to move relative to the main 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 described above in relation to the lever 200, and thus, the description will be omitted in order to avoid the repetitive description.

Based on the above-described exemplary embodiment configurations, one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the drying apparatus 10 can employ more bars. The drive device 11 may be of modular construction so as to be able to receive a plurality of rods in the 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, for 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 carriage 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 does not operate the other rod. That is, the motor, lead screw, nut, and bracket assembly of one rod only operate the rod.

Therefore, for each additional rod, the corresponding motor, lead screw, nut, and bracket assembly can be added to the drive device for accommodating the respective rod. In this way, a plurality of rods may be provided on the main body 100 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the preference of the user. Alternatively, the respective drive means may be spaced from one another and may receive more than one rod which move together along the length of the body.

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

Fig. 14A is a view illustrating a driving device having a rack and pinion driving assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, fig. 14B is an enlarged view of the rack and pinion driving assembly of part B, and fig. 14C is an exploded perspective view of the rack and pinion driving assembly of fig. 14B.

Referring to fig. 14A, 14B and 14C, the lever 200 may be driven by a driving device 11 having a rack and pinion assembly to move up and down along the extended height of the main body 100. The rack and pinion assembly may include a rack 54, a stepping motor 55, and a pinion 56 coupled to the stepping motor 55. The rack gear 54 may be vertically disposed along a side of the main body 100. However, the rack gear 54 may be provided at any position of the main body 100. For example, the rack gear 54 may be disposed along the length direction at the center of the main body 100. In other embodiments, the rack gear 54 may be vertically disposed at a side of the main body 100.

In the present embodiment, the rack 54 extends vertically along the side of the main body 100, and has a length that covers the stroke (length L1 in the longitudinal direction, see fig. 1) of the lever 200. The rack gear 54 may be located only at one side portion of the main body 100. In this embodiment, the rack gear 54 is located at both side portions of the main body 100. By providing the rack gears 54 at both side portions of the main body 100, the lever 200 can be more stably moved along the main body 100.

The lever 200 may include guide members 45 provided at both side ends of the lever 200. In other embodiments, the lever 200 may use only one guide member 45 corresponding to a drying apparatus using a single rack 54. In the present embodiment, the lever 200 includes two guide members 45 at both end portions thereof. As shown in fig. 14C, the guide rail 46 is located at an upper portion of the rack gear 54 and has a length capable of covering a moving stroke of the lever 200. Fig. 14C shows a case where the guide rail 46 is provided on an upper portion of the rack gear 54 located on the left side of the main body 100, and another guide rail 46 is provided on an upper portion of the rack gear 54 on the right side of the main body 100 similarly thereto.

The stepping motor 55 including the pinion 56 may be provided at each guide member 45. The shaft of the stepping motor 55 penetrates through a hole 49 formed in the guide member 45, enters a slit 57 of the guide rail 46, and is engaged with a pinion 56 engaged with the rack 54. The rack gear 54 may include a plurality of teeth formed along an outer circumferential surface of the rack gear 54, for example, a length of one side surface of the rack gear 54 corresponds to a stroke distance of the rod 200 to cover the stroke. A pinion 56 provided on the stepping motor 55 engages with the teeth of the rack gear 54, thereby moving the lever 200 along the rack gear 54.

The stepping motor 55 drives the lever 200 to move relative to the main body 100. For example, when the stepping motor 55 rotates in a clockwise direction, the lever 200 may move downward relative to the rack gear 54. When the stepping motor 55 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the lever 200 may move upward with respect to the rack gear 54. The guide rails 46 positioned at both side portions of the main body 100 may guide the movement of the lever 200 during the movement of the lever 200, and may maintain the lever 200 at a predetermined path with respect to the main body 100.

In the present embodiment, one stepping motor 55 may be provided in one guide member 45 to move the rod 200, and the other guide member 45 may simply function as a guide, and thus the stepping motor is not provided in the other guide member 45. Other racks 54 may be provided on the other side of the body 100 and may include a plurality of teeth. In this structure, in order to combine the freely rotating pinion with the teeth of the other rack 54, it may be provided at the other guide member 45. By having two guide members 45 that act together on two racks 54, equal support can be provided at both side ends of the rod 200. In other configurations, both pinions 56 may be actuated simultaneously by a single stepper motor 55. Alternatively, two stepping motors 55 may be used to drive each pinion 56 separately.

Fig. 15 is a top perspective view of the lever 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, fig. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the lever 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 17 is a rear perspective view of the lever 200 corresponding to another structure shown in fig. 16.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, the wand 200 may comprise a first air outlet 201 through which forced air flow may be provided at different positions of the main body 100 depending on the movement of the wand 200 relative to the main 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 wand 200. The air inlet 205 may be protected within a cavity formed between the end of the wand 200 and the shroud 206. The shield 206 may extend from the end of the rod 200 such that the top and side surfaces of the shield 206, except for the bottom surface, provide shielding. The open bottom surface of the shroud 206 allows the air inlet 205 to be accessible to 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 wand 200 (see fig. 18) which houses one or more wand flow generators 204.

Fig. 17 shows two air inlets 202 at the rear end of the rod 200 for supplying air discharged from the second air outlet 201. In contrast, in the configuration of fig. 16, the air inlets 205 are located at each end of the rod 200, as described above. Since the lever 200 protrudes to 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. Thus, one or more air inlets 202 are preferably configured at a location remote from the user. As described above, in the structure of fig. 17, the air inlet 202 is provided on the back side of the lever 200 as described above.

Fig. 18 is a partial perspective view showing various structural elements inside the lever 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In particular, fig. 18 shows the stem 200 with the cover removed to expose a pair of stem flow generators 204 and air conduit 207. The wand 200 may include a pair of wand flow generators 204 that receive intake air from the air inlet 202 and generate a forced airflow through the air conduit 207. The air conduit 207 may include an intermediate outlet 208 through which the forced air flow passes and is expelled through the second air outlet 201.

Fig. 19 is an exploded perspective view illustrating various components of the lever 200 of the above-described embodiment of the present invention of fig. 18.

Referring to fig. 19, the wand 200 has a cover 230, the cover 230 of the wand 200 being separated to allow viewing of various internal components including a pair of wand flow generators 204, a pair of motors 220, a pair of thermal devices (e.g., resistive heaters, thermoelectric devices, and other suitable devices may be used), and an air conduit 207. The wand 200 has a wand flow generator 204 (see figures 18 and 19) which receives intake air from one or more air inlets. The pair of rod flow generators 204 generate a relatively high velocity forced airflow from the received air. For example, the rod flow generator may be a smart inverter motor that rotates at a maximum rotation speed of 115000RPM, thereby sucking in air and discharging it at a high speed. However, other forms of axial fan assemblies may be used.

The forced airflow from the pair of rod flow generators 204 passes through the air conduit 207 in a manner that is exhausted from the intermediate outlet 208. The air guide 207 is illustrated as a cylinder, 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 rod flow generators 204 in the range of the air duct 207, and when the velocity of the forced airflow cannot be maintained, the velocity of the discharged forced airflow is increased by the pair of rod flow generators 204. Thereby, a relatively high velocity forced airflow is directed to the intermediate outlet 208. The discharged air is finally discharged to the outside of the second air outlet 201. In the present embodiment, the case where a pair of rod flow generators are used is shown, but in other structures, one rod flow generator or more than two rod flow generators may be used.

In this embodiment, a pair of resistive heaters 120 are considered to be components of the rod 200. The resistive heaters 120 are 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 rod flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120 may be inside the air conduit 207 with at least a portion thereof enclosed (see fig. 19). 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 the present embodiment, a resistive heater for heating the intake air is used, but in other exemplary embodiments, a thermoelectric device applying the peltier effect, for example, may be used to heat or cool the intake air. In this structure, the rod 200 is not limited to discharging heated air, but may discharge cooler air.

The wand 200 may also include one or more motors 220. As shown in fig. 19, one or more motors 220 may be arranged along a longitudinal axis of the rod 200 parallel to the drying surface 14 of the main body 100. The lever 200 may be rotated upward and downward as the one or more motors 220 rotate relative to their lengthwise axes. By rotating the lever 200, the area of the lever 200 that provides the forced airflow can be enlarged. The drying performance of the lever 200 can be improved as the lever continuously rotates while discharging the forced air flow.

Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration 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, integrated circuit, electrical circuit, logical 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 by the components 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 also controlled by the controller 53. The sensor 209 may be variously associated with the body 100 and stem 200 (e.g., fig. 12C and 16). In several embodiments, one or more sensors 209 may be separately disposed at different locations in the drying apparatus 10.

According to various embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in fig. 12C and 16, for example, the one or more sensors 209 may be associated with the wand 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 appliance 10.

As an example, sensed information from 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 sensing information may be used for determining the presence of the user, physical characteristics of the user including the user's overall and/or specific dimensions, the degree of wetting of the user's body and/or other parts of its body, in particular the temperature or heat of the ambient air and/or the humidity of the ambient air. To accomplish such operation, the drying appliance 10 may include one or more sensors 209 described below.

The one or more sensors 209 may include a thermal sensor such as an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor may be used for acquiring information about ambient heat. For example, an infrared sensor may be used as a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of ambient air. The temperature-related information of the ambient air may be acquired for determining whether the ambient air is to be conditioned.

The infrared sensor may be applied to the body of the user who is located adjacent to the drying apparatus 10. Information from the infrared sensor may be used in order to infer or determine the humidity level of the user's body and/or a particular part of the user's body. The information from the infrared sensor may be used in order to obtain an indication relating to the entire body of the user whose body temperature differs from the temperature of the surrounding air.

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

The proximity sensor may be used in order to determine if a user is too close to the drying appliance or a part thereof. For example, for safety reasons, it may be desirable to limit or prevent movement of the wand 200 in situations where the body is within a certain distance or position relative to the wand. This may include the case where a portion of the body is above or below the wand 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 image information of the surroundings or for determining the presence of the user or for determining the size of the entire body of the user and/or specific parts of the body of the user. The image sensor may be used together with or instead of the thermal sensor for the above-mentioned information in order to acquire more accurate information.

The one or more sensors 209 may include a humidity sensor. The humidity sensor may be used in order to obtain the humidity of the ambient air, for example, in order to obtain 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 moisture sensor may also be used in order to obtain information about the level of wetting/drying of the skin of the user. In order to avoid that the user's skin becomes too dry, the information may be used for regulating 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.

Fig. 21A and 21B are diagrams illustrating a state in which a user is dried using the lever 200 of the drying apparatus 10 of the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 21A and 21B, the lever 200 includes a sensor 209, and the sensor 209 may be a heat sensor disposed to face a user when the user is located within a prescribed distance from the drying surface 14 of the main body 100. The lever 200 may be located at any position along the length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the main body 100 in the longitudinal direction, and in this embodiment, the starting position of the lever 200 may be a position adjacent to the central portion of the drying surface 14. When the drying apparatus 10 is operated, the rod 200 may be driven by the driving means 11 to ascend in a direction indicated by an arrow 1. At the same time, the thermal sensor will also operate.

As the lever 200 is moved 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 position reached, and the driving means 11 may stop the movement of the rod 200. The driving means 11 can move the lever 200 downward as 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 user's body being scanned. The thermal sensor may sense the degree of wetting as a lower temperature and may sense the degree of drying as a higher temperature. The stem flow generator 204 and/or the resistive heater 120 may be operated for drying a user.

In other configurations, the bulk flow generator 110 and/or thermoelectric device 117 operate for drying a user. The bulk flow generator 110 and thermoelectric device 117 may operate in conjunction 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. 21B, the wand 200 may be positioned alongside the head of a user. Generally, hair contains more water, and thus, when the lever 200 is in this position, the heat sensor can detect a considerable wet-out state. Therefore, the rod 200 may be heated for drying the user's hair and does not move during the process of discharging the forced air flow through the second air outlet 201. When the heat sensor senses that the user's hair is sufficiently dried, the driving means 11 may be moved downward as indicated by an 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 of arrow 2. As the wand 200 moves from head to leg and the wand 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, it may stop moving before it moves further downwards in the direction of arrow 2, thereby drying 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 the first arrival at the user's head until the thermal sensor senses that the user is dry. 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. 22 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of drying a user using the controller in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 22, in step S100, 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 S110, the controller 53 determines whether the thermal sensor senses heat. When the thermal sensor senses heat, the controller 53 continues to move the lever 200 upward in step S100. 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 S120.

In step S120, the controller 53 moves the lever 200 downward by the same preset distance as the width of the user' S body covered by the forced airflow discharged from the lever 200. In step S130, the controller 53 operates the stem flow generator 204. In this step, the controller 53 may operate the bulk flow generator 110 and/or the thermoelectric device 117. Accordingly, the forced air flow discharged from the air outlet 201 may dry the corresponding portion of the user adjacent to the pole 200. Also, the forced air flow discharged from the air outlet 101 may assist drying for the user. Therefore, the controller 53 proceeds to step S140.

In step S140, the controller 53 determines whether the thermal sensor senses the same amount of heat as or greater than a preset amount. The preset amount may indicate that the corresponding portion of the user is sufficiently dry. When the heat sensor senses the amount of heat less than the preset amount, the controller 53 proceeds to step S130 so that the controller 53 continues to dry the corresponding portion of the user. Otherwise, the controller 53 proceeds to step S150.

In step S150, the controller 53 determines whether the bottom of the drying surface 14 of the main body 100 is reached. When the rod 200 does not reach the bottom of the drying surface 14, the controller 53 continues to step S120 and repeats steps S120 to S140. Otherwise, when the rod 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, the controller 53 turns off the rod flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120. The controller 53 also turns the bulk flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 off if they are in operation.

Fig. 23 and 24 are views 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 flow of exhausted air is able to cover the width of the user's body as the wand 200 moves up and down along the height of the user. The wand 200 may have a suitable second air outlet 201 across the width of the user's body capable of directing a forced airflow.

Referring to fig. 23, more specifically, the second air outlet 201 may be configured to provide a forced airflow spreading to a side. As the forced airflow moves further away from said second air outlet 201, the forced airflow expands to cover the body width of the user at least in a horizontal direction. Fig. 19 shows an example of a structure for forming the expansion of the forced airflow.

The intermediate outlet 208 of the air conduit 207 may be configured as a circular, oval or quadrangular air outlet, so that the forced airflow can be discharged when the air flow further flows from the second air outlet 201. As an example, a circular air outlet may be relatively small in size, but may provide a relatively strong forced airflow over a small area of the user's body. Although a rectangular air outlet may be relatively large in size, a weaker forced airflow may be created over a wider area of the user's body.

The angle at which the forced airflow is discharged 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 covering a smaller portion of the user's body, and a wide arc angle may create a weaker air flow covering 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 forced airflow on the user's body.

Referring to fig. 24, the second air outlet 201 may be configured as an elongated slit that extends across the length of the lever 200 in the longitudinal direction (the lateral direction with respect to the length of the main body in the longitudinal direction) 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, since the lever 200 is vertically moved upward and/or downward with respect to the main body 100, the forced air flow of the second air outlet 201 can cover all parts of the user's body. For such a configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 may be formed as an elongated slit (slot) across the lengthwise length of the air duct 207. The second air outlet 201, which is an elongated slit as shown in fig. 24, corresponds to the slit of the intermediate outlet 208.

Fig. 25A and 25B are two views showing a drying device having a lever 200 having a second air outlet 201 and a part of the main body 100. The direction of the second air outlet 201 of the wand 200 may be altered according to the drying requirements. For example, as shown in fig. 25B, by rotating at least a portion of the lever 200 in the direction indicated by the arrow 213, the second air outlet 201 can be selectively changed in direction substantially with respect to the horizontal axis, whereby the opening angle of the second air outlet 201 is relatively adjusted downward. The lever 200 may be rotated by a pair of motors 220 located at both side ends of the lever 200 (refer to fig. 19). However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and another device may be used to rotate the lever 200. May be selectively controlled using a controller such as the controller 53 (see fig. 20) described above.

Fig. 26A and 26B are side views illustrating the rotational movement of the lever 200. In fig. 26A, arrow 213 shows the rotation of the rod 200 and the second air outlet 201 towards the lower side, and arrow 215 shows the downward spitting of the forced airflow discharged from the air outlet 201. Fig. 26B has the same structure as fig. 26A, but arrow 214 shows the lever 200 and second air outlet 201 rotating upward, and arrow 215 shows the forced airflow spitting upward from the air outlet 201.

A sensor 221 located on the pole 200 may be used to sense wetting of an area. For example, the sensor 221 may be a thermal sensor that may detect a wetted area according to a temperature difference between the wetted area and the dry area, and the forced air flow 215 may be directed toward the wetted area according to sensing of the sensor 221. The sensor 221 may be aligned with the direction of the forced air flow 215 and may detect the dryness of the area dried by the forced air flow 215. When the sensor 221 senses that the area is dry, the forced airflow 215 may be directed toward other areas that require drying. For example, when sensor 221 is a thermal sensor, an increase in temperature of an area may indicate that the area has been dried. Depending on the sensing of the sensor 221, the forced airflow 215 may be directed systematically or randomly toward other areas until the other areas are partially or fully dried to a desired degree.

In other exemplary embodiments, the forced air flow 215 may remain stationary relative to the area to be dried, or the forced air flow 215 may rotate in more than one oscillatory manner. For example, the forced air flow 215 may be repeatedly rotated between the positions shown in fig. 26A and 26B. In order to cover a part or the whole of the area that needs to be dried, for example, to cover the whole body of the user, the direction of the forced air flow 215 may be achieved by a fixed air flow discharged from the rod 200, the rod 200 being stationary in the vertical direction and repeatedly rotating between a plurality of positions, and/or a combination of the rotation of the rod 200 and the vertical movement of the rod 200 with respect to the main body 100 by the driving means 11.

While the rotation of the wand 200 and second air outlet 201 relative to a substantially horizontal axis is shown in fig. 25A, 25B, 26A and 26B, the wand 200 and second air outlet 201 may additionally or alternatively be rotated relative to one or more other axes in order to control the direction of the forced air flow 215 in order to achieve the desired degree of drying in the area requiring drying. For example, the rod 200 and the second air outlet 201 may be rotatable with respect to two or three axes selected from a plurality of horizontal and vertical axes.

Fig. 27A and 27B are side views of the drying apparatus 10 having the second air outlets 201 aligned to two different directions. As shown in fig. 27A, the second air outlet 201 is configured to direct the forced airflow 215 from the drying apparatus in a horizontal direction toward the outside. According to various embodiments, the second air outlet 201 may be controlled, for example, to switch the forced air flow 215 upwards according to the direction indicated by arrow 214 and/or downwards according to the direction indicated by arrow 213. This movement of the second air outlet 201 can blow out a forced airflow over a wide area. Although the device of fig. 27B has the same structure as that shown in fig. 27A, the direction of the first air outlet 201 is changed to downward in the direction indicated by the arrow 213. Alternatively, the forced air flow 215 is discharged when the second air outlet 201 is directed to the lower portion. Then, the second air outlet 201 converts the direction to its original position. Such movement of the second air outlet 201 may perform a sweeping (sweeping) action.

In addition to changing direction up and/or down or with respect to one or more other axes, in several exemplary embodiments, the forced airflow 215 may also be selectively expanded as shown in fig. 27C and 27D.

The second air outlet 201 shown in fig. 27C is substantially similar to the second outlet 201 shown in fig. 27A. However, the second air outlet 201 of fig. 27C is configured as a jet-like shape having a little or no divergent angle in the vertical or horizontal direction. Differently, the second air outlet 201 may be configured such that the degree of expansion of the forced air flow 215 becomes greater. For example, as shown in fig. 27D, the forced airflow 215 may expand into a fan-like (fan-like) shape. In the configurations of fig. 27C and 27D, the angle at which the forced airflow 215 is spread may be determined by the angle of the Arc (Arc) in the intermediate air outlet 208 (refer to fig. 18 and 19). As an example, the narrow arc angle may be formed to cover a stronger air flow in a narrow portion of the area, and the wide arc angle may be formed to cover a weaker air flow in a wider portion. The shape of the intermediate outlet 208 and the angle of the arc may be selected, for example, according to the effect of the forced airflow required on the user's body. In one configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 may have an adjustable nozzle, and thus, the angle of the arc in the intermediate outlet 208 can be adjusted, whereby a spray-shaped forced airflow or a fan-shaped forced airflow can be discharged according to the angle of the arc. A motor controlled by the controller 53 may be used for adjusting the adjustable nozzle.

Additionally or alternatively, as shown in fig. 28A and 28B, the forced airflow 215 may expand in a lateral direction, and may also have different characteristics.

As shown in fig. 28A, the second air outlet 201 may be located at the pole 200, and the forced airflow 215 may diverge from the second air outlet 201 at least in a lateral direction. This will provide a forced airflow 215 that increases in distance from the bar 200 and expands in width, the width of the forced airflow 215 becoming larger than the width of the second air outlet 201.

As shown in fig. 28B, the lateral expansion and contraction of the forced air flow 215 can be controlled. The forced airflow 215 may be controlled to change direction to the left and/or right as shown by

arrows

216 and 217 in fig. 28B. The direction of the air flow may be controlled by the movement of the nozzle or by flow guides or integrated fins provided on the nozzle. For example, the nozzles disposed on the intermediate outlet 208 may be moved to the left and/or right. A motor controlled by the controller 53 may be used to move the adjustable nozzle to the left and right.

As shown in fig. 28C and 28D, the second air outlet 201 may be an elongated slit crossing the length direction of the rod 200, and thus, the forced air flow may be substantially planar. In one configuration, the length of the slit may substantially cover the width of the body of the user. To achieve this, the intermediate outlet 208 may be formed as an elongated slit provided along the length direction of the air duct 207. The second air outlet 201 configured as an elongated slit as shown in fig. 28C corresponds to the slit of the intermediate outlet 208. In this structure, as the lever 200 moves upward and/or downward in a vertical direction with respect to the main body 100, the forced air flow 215 of the second air outlet 201 may cover an area having a width corresponding to the length of the slit.

As shown in fig. 28C, the forced airflow 215 may be configured to exit the second air outlet 201 with minimal or no expansion in the lateral direction. Alternatively, the forced air flow 215 may be restricted to expand more widely in a lateral direction or to contract more narrowly than the air outlet 201. For example, as shown in fig. 28D, the second air outlet 201 may be configured to constrict the forced air flow 215 in the directions of the

arrows

218 and 219, thereby changing the degree of lateral expansion of the forced air flow 215. To achieve this structure, a plurality of vertical louvers may be formed at the outlet portion of the intermediate outlet 208. To constrict the forced airflow, half of the louvers from the left may be moved to the right, and half of the louvers from the right may be moved to the left. Conversely, to expand the forced airflow, half of the louvers from the left may be moved to the left, and half of the louvers from the right may be moved to the right. The shutter may be moved by a motor controlled by the controller 53.

Fig. 28E and 28F are diagrams of the lever 200 showing different orientations of the second air outlet 201 and the forced air flow 215. The structure of the second air outlet 201 of fig. 28E is substantially similar to that of the air outlet shown in fig. 28A and 28B. Additionally or alternatively to the lateral expansion and contraction of the forced air flow 215, the second air outlet 201 may be operable to reverse the direction of the forced air flow 215 in a lateral direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 28E, the forced air flow 215 may be switched left and right as indicated by arrow 218. This may be performed by a movable nozzle as described above.

As also shown in fig. 28C and 28D, the second air outlet 201 of fig. 28F has an elongated or structure such as a slit. As shown in fig. 28F, the forced airflow 215 from the second air outlet 201 may be switched left and right as indicated by an arrow 218, for example, as shown in fig. 28F. This may be performed by a movable nozzle as described above.

The up and down movement of the second air outlet 201 may be provided by a corresponding movement of part or all of the rod 200 in relation to the second air outlet 201. As described above, examples of such movement of part or all of the lever 200 are shown in fig. 11A, 11B, 25A, and 25B.

One or more driving mechanisms may be located between the body 100 and the lever 200 to achieve the up and down movement of the lever 200. An example of such a drive mechanism may be the drive device 11 shown in fig. 12A to 12C and fig. 14A to 14C described above. One or more drive mechanisms may be provided between the body 100 and the lever 200 to effect rotational movement of the lever. An example of such a drive mechanism may be a pair of motors 220 provided on each side of the lever 200 as previously shown in fig. 19. The motor 220 may be a rotary motor or a stepper motor.

Additionally or alternatively, the second air outlet 201 itself may be configured differently or be switched in direction in order to change the direction of the forced air flow 215. Fig. 28A to 28F show examples of a structure in which the direction is switched to change the direction of the forced airflow 215. To change the direction of the forced airflow from the second air outlet 201, the second air outlet 201 may include one or more nozzles, louvers, or the like. Examples related thereto have been described above. The direction changing or reconfiguring structure of the air outlet 201 may include one or more of the direction changing or reconfiguring structures of the flow guide elements. For example, when the forced airflow 215 changes direction to the side, as shown in fig. 28E and 28F, the air outlet 201 may include one or more vertical fin flow guides. These vertical fin flow guides can be reversed as indicated by arrows 218 in fig. 28E and 28F, whereby the forced airflow 215 is reversed as shown.

The various embodiments described thus far include a single rod 200. However, the drying device is not limited to one bar 200. For example, in order to perform the drying process more quickly, two or more rods may be used. All of the exemplary embodiments described herein may include one or more rods.

Fig. 29 is a diagram of a drying apparatus having a first bar 200 and a second bar 300. As shown in fig. 29, the second air outlet 201 of the first lever 200 may discharge a forced air flow 215 and allow the forced air flow 215 to be changed in direction as indicated by an arrow 222, and the third air outlet 301 of the second lever 300 may discharge a forced air flow 315 and allow the forced air flow 315 to be changed in direction as indicated by an arrow 223. As shown in fig. 29, the first and

second sticks

200, 300 may be operated together to dry a particular area. For example, the action performed with the drying device may be drying of the user's head.

Differently, each of the first and

second sticks

200, 300 may be assigned to individual regions that require drying. For example, in the case where the area requiring drying is the user's body, the first stick 200 may be dispensed to dry the user's head and the second stick 300 may be dispensed to dry the user's body. The above described dispensing is merely exemplary, and the first and

second sticks

200 and 300 may be dispensed and dried to the user in various combinations.

Fig. 30 shows the drying apparatus 10 having the first lever 200 and the second lever 300. The driving device 11 may be modular, and a plurality of rods may be added to the driving device 11 without changing the structure of the main body 100. That is, a plurality of rods may be added to the existing rack or racks of the main body. When the lever is mounted, a guide member of the lever is movably provided at the guide rail. A plurality of guide rails and a plurality of racks may be used on one or a pair of rods. In other constructions, one or a pair of rails and racks may be used for all of the bars provided on the body of the drying appliance. The modularity of the drying apparatus has been explained above.

When multiple rods run on the same rail or rails and/or the same rack or racks, there is a possibility of collision between the two driving rods. That is, the collision prevention method can be implemented. Fig. 30 illustrates a collision prevention method using a proximity sensor. As shown in fig. 30, the proximity sensor is provided on the bottom surfaces of the first and

second bars

200 and 300.

For example, the controller 53 may receive proximity information from the proximity sensor. In the configuration of fig. 30, since the proximity sensors of the first and

second bars

200 and 300 are located on the bottom surface, the proximity information from the proximity sensors of the bars 200 is sufficient for collision avoidance purposes.

As a preliminary collision avoidance structure, one rod may be moved upward in a size obtained by subtracting the cumulative height of the rods above it from its maximum height. For example, in fig. 30, the second stick 300 may be moved to a position where the height value of the stick 200 is subtracted from its maximum height. In the case where a third lever is provided, the third lever may be moved to a position where the value of the cumulative height of the lever and the second lever is subtracted from the maximum height thereof.

Fig. 31 is a flowchart illustrating a collision avoidance structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Against the background of a preliminary collision avoidance structure, the controller 53 may operate in accordance with the collision avoidance procedure shown in fig. 31.

In step S200, the stick is moved according to the task until the proximity sensor of the stick senses an object, which may be another stick, and provides proximity information to the controller 53. In step S210, the controller 53 stops the lever movement immediately after receiving the proximity information.

In step S220, the controller 53 continues to receive proximity information and determines whether the distance between the rod and the object is less than a preset threshold. When the distance is less than the preset threshold, the controller drives the lever, in which case the motor driving the lever moves upward, in step S230. In step S210, the controller 53 stops the stick and determines whether the distance between the stick and the object is less than a preset threshold in step S220. And when the distance is smaller than the preset threshold value, repeating the steps S230, S210 and S220.

When the controller 53 determines that the distance is greater than the preset threshold (or may be the same) in step S220, the controller drives the lever to continue moving downward and restarts the task in step S240. Continuously, in the case where the controller 53 determines that an object is detected, the process is restarted in step S200.

The above-described process is merely exemplary, and other forms of collision avoidance structure may be implemented. For example, the maximum number of levers that can be set at the main body may be determined. The movement of the bars for each mode of action of the drying device is pre-configured for each of the bars that can be set at the maximum number. The actuation features of the levers used for the actuation mode may be configured to prevent one lever from colliding with the other lever. The features may operate the controller or be stored in a semiconductor memory 58 (see fig. 20) that is part of the controller hardware. For example, the lever may transmit a signal to a controller provided at the main body through an electrical connector as shown in fig. 12D and 14C. A controller at the body may determine the number of levers set based on the number of signals received.

Fig. 32A to 32D are diagrams showing the safety feature of the lever of the embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the wand may include a plurality of proximity sensors. Although the use of a proximity sensor is contemplated in the present embodiment, other sensors may be used. For example, an image sensor or an infrared sensor may be used.

The proximity sensor 211 may be located at one or more corners of the pole. However, the proximity sensor 211 may be located in the center of one or more surfaces of the rod. Although three or four proximity sensors are used in the figures, in other configurations, a fewer or greater number of proximity sensors may be used. For example, two proximity sensors 211 may be located on the upper and lower surfaces of the bar, respectively.

The lever can be considered to have two modes of movement and stopping. One of the two modes of movement may be a mode in a case where the lever is moved to a vertically upper portion and to a vertically lower portion with respect to the main body. Another mode may be a mode in which the lever is rotated with respect to its lengthwise axis. The longitudinal axis may be a center of the rod in a length direction of the rod (see fig. 32B), or the longitudinal axis may be eccentric with respect to the second body (see fig. 32A).

Referring again to fig. 32A, the rod 200 may be moved in a vertical direction or rotated about its axis. When one or more proximity sensors 211, for example, sense an object 212', the associated one or more proximity sensors 211 communicate proximity information to the controller 53. The controller 53 may compare the preset threshold value to the proximity information. The controller 53 may maintain the stem movement or rotation if the proximity information is greater than a preset threshold. If the proximity information is less than a preset threshold, the controller 53 may stop the movement or rotation of the wand 200.

The controller 53 may continue to receive proximity information. In the case where the controller 53 stops the movement of the rod, when the controller 53 determines that the object exceeds a preset threshold and approaches too close to the rod to reach the next preset threshold, if the rod is rotated, for example, as shown in fig. 32A, the controller 53 may make the rod parallel.

The upper surface of the rod 200 may be perpendicular with respect to the direction of gravity, so that the object 212' can be seated on the upper surface of the rod 200. The upper surface of the rod 200 may support the object 212'. A proximity sensor or sensor 211 senses the presence of an object 212' on the wand 200 and the controller 53 may cause the wand 200 to remain stopped. When the object 212' is removed from the rod 200, the controller 53 may move or rotate the rod 200 vertically.

Referring to fig. 32B, the controller 53 may rotate the lever 200. As the wand 200 is rotated, one or more proximity sensors 211 may, for example, sense an object 212', such as a human hand. A proximity sensor or sensors 211 provide proximity information to the controller 53. The controller 53 may compare a preset threshold value with the proximity information. If the proximity information is greater than a preset threshold, the controller 53 may continue to rotate the wand 200. If the proximity information is less than a preset threshold, the controller 53 may stop the rotation of the wand 200.

In one configuration, the controller 53 may restart the rotation of the lever 200 after a time delay (e.g., 2 seconds). After the rotation is restarted, if the controller 53 determines that the proximity information is less than the preset threshold, the controller 53 stops the rotation of the lever 200 and repeats the process. In other configurations, before restarting rotation of the lever 200, the controller 53 may wait until the proximity information is greater than a preset threshold.

Referring to fig. 32C, during stopping, vertical movement, or rotation of the wand 200, one or more proximity sensors 211 may sense an object between the wand 200 and the main body 100 (not shown). In the mode in which the wand 200 is stopped, the controller 53 may maintain the stopped wand 200 until the object is removed. In the mode of vertical movement of the rod, the controller 53 may stop the movement of the rod 200 until the object is removed. In the mode in which the lever 200 is rotated, the controller 53 may stop the rotation of the lever 200 until the object is removed.

Referring to fig. 32D, an example of the first lever 200 and the second lever 300 is shown. Each of the first and

second bars

200, 300 may include one or more proximity sensors 211. The information from the proximity sensor may be used in the collision avoidance system described above with reference to fig. 30 and 31, for example.

As shown in fig. 32D, one or more of the first rod 200 or the second rod 300 may be rotated with respect to the body 100. In the case where one of the first lever 200 and the second lever 300 rotates, the rotation may cause a collision between the first lever 200 and the second lever 300. For this reason, when one or both of the levers are rotated by the proximity sensors 211 received from the first lever 200 and the second lever 300, the controller 53 may additionally operate as described with reference to fig. 30 and 31 in order to prevent collision between the first lever 200 and the second lever 300.

The following describes a method for regulating the air flow generated by the drying apparatus. 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 device 10 can cool the bathroom when it is hot, and the drying device 10 can warm the bathroom for the user's comfort when it 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, the user may cool the body by sweating. The sweat absorbs a certain degree of heat from the user's body to evaporate, thereby providing a cool feeling to the user. However, when the humidity level in the bathroom is high, the sweat fails to evaporate efficiently, thus leaving water on the user's body. This will cause the user to feel 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 possibly the humidity. In one embodiment, to determine the comfort of the user, the controller 53 needs to consider a comfort index that relates temperature and humidity. A temperature-humidity index (THI), known as discomfort index, may be used for comfort sensing to determine the currently sensed temperature and the 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 _d Is the dry bulb temperature expressed in ° f and RH is the relative humidity expressed in percent, expressed in decimal numbers. For example, the 50% relative humidity is 0.5.

It should be noted that THIs is relative rather than absolute. Temperature has different effects on different people. Various factors such as height, weight, sex, health status, etc. cause a particular person to experience different temperatures than others.

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

TABLE 1

Grade	Range of THI	Comfort level
			Is very high	More than 80	All feel uncomfortable
Height of	75 to 80 or less	50% feel uncomfortable
			In general	68 to 75 or less	Initially felt uncomfortable
Is low with	68 or less	Does not feel uncomfortable

FIG. 33 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a controller to use the temperature-humidity index (THI) for regulating a given space temperature in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 33, the controller 53 may receive sensing information from the thermal sensor in step S300. The information may be the ambient temperature of the bathroom. In step S310, the controller 53 may acquire sensing information from the humidity sensor. The information may be a humidity level of the bathroom. In step S320, 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 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 S330, the controller 530 may determine whether the derived 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 according to the needs of the individual user. When the THI is less than 75, the controller 53 may proceed to step S360, and the controller 53 may end the adjustment of the THI.

Otherwise, in step S330, when the controller 53 determines that the THI is the same as or greater than 75, the controller 53 may proceed to step S340. In step S340, the controller 53 may transmit a signal for operating the flow generator. The flow generator may be turned on or off and generate a predetermined air flow. Differently, the controller 53 may be configured to control the variable air intake amount by using the air intake amount corresponding to the required air flow. For example, the flow generator may be a body flow generator 110 located at the body 100. In step S350, the controller 53 may operate the thermoelectric device 117. It should be understood 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 cause it to cool (or heat) the air drawn through the air inlet 102. The cooled air not only lowers the temperature of the drawn 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 a thermal level value. The thermal level value may correspond to a thermal level that is cooler or hotter than ambient air. The controller 53 may proceed to step S300 to repeatedly perform steps S300 to S330.

In step S330, the controller 53 may again determine whether THI is the same as or greater than 75. When the controller 53 determines again that the THI is the same as or greater than 75, the controller 53 proceeds to step S340 and step S350, sucks air and cools the air. The controller 53 continues the process unless and until the controller 53 determines in step S330 that the THI is less than 75. In this case, the controller 53 proceeds to step S360, and the controller 53 ends the method.

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

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

Wherein, T _wc Is the wind speed cooling index, T, in degrees Celsius _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 felt by the user is lower as the forced airflow 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.

Although embodiments may not have sensors for determining the air flow velocity, the estimation may be made 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 known variables. Therefore, the embodiment includes a content of evaluating the air flow speed based on these known parameters. Also, embodiments may include a table correlating air flow velocity and the speed at which the flow generator is operated. Thus, for a known flow generator input, the system can know the air flow velocity from the corresponding preset value. In one embodiment, the user-related target surface skin temperature may be 30 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 appliance 10 should be a temperature that is hardly or not at all uncomfortable for the user. The apparent temperature discomfort index (Humidex) may provide appropriate guidance on the level of comfort or discomfort provided according to the temperature suitable for 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 is formulated as follows.

Wherein H represents a comfort index, T _air Is the air temperature, T, in degrees Celsius _dew Is the dew condensation temperature expressed in ° c.

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

FIG. 34 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a controller to control temperature using a wind speed cooling index in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 34, the controller 53 may control a rod flow generator for providing forced air to the body of the user through the air outlet 201 according to thermal sensor information and a wind speed cooling index. In step S400, 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 rod 200.

In step S410, the controller 53 receives Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of the stem flow generator 204. In this configuration, the RPM of the stem flow generator 204 is variable. In the configuration in which the RPM of the lever flow generator 204 is fixed without being variable, the controller 53 searches for 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 S420, the controller 53 has the air temperature in the pole 200 and the air flow speed of the forced air flow and may determine the wind speed cooling index. One formula that the controller 53 may use 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 S430, the controller 53 determines whether the found wind speed cooling index is the same as or greater than a preset target. The preset 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 S440. In step S440, the controller 53 may cause the air flow to be heated in the pole 200 using the resistive heater 120 to increase the temperature of the forced air flow. The controller 53 may proceed to step S400, and then may repeat steps S400 to S430. Since the heat sensor is disposed adjacent to the air outlet 201, the heat sensor can detect an increase in temperature. And, step S410 may be skipped if the 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 in step S430 that the wind speed cooling index is the same as or greater than the target. When the wind speed cooling index is the same as or greater than the target, the controller 53 proceeds to step S450, turns off the resistance heater 120 and ends the method.

Fig. 35 is a perspective view showing an upper region of the drying apparatus in an exploded state of the filter unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 36 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The filter unit 104 may provide one or more of filtering or treatment of the intake air flow. In particular, in urban or other urban environmental settings, there is a possibility that the ambient air will contain undesirable levels of floating solids. Such solid materials may be harmful to health, and when a drying device is used to dry the body of a user, if the drying device is provided to the user, the solid materials may adversely affect the skin.

For example, the solids may be alkaline or acidic and, therefore, may cause damage to the user's body. As shown in fig. 36, the filter unit 104 may include one or more particulate filters 113 for capturing solids. The one or more particulate filters 113 may be of a generally usable form, such as a glass fiber filter, a polyester filter, or a HEPA filter.

The ambient air may contain bacteria or viruses which would cause a risk of infecting the user of the drying appliance. The filter unit 104 may comprise a bacterial and/or viral filter 114 if not provided with a particulate filter 113. Such filters may include an antimicrobial or antibacterial element.

To dry, the intake air needs to have its moisture reduced or removed prior to being discharged. The filter unit 104 may include one or more dehumidification filters 115, for example, with desiccant.

In this embodiment, a pair of air inlets 102 deliver respective 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 site for a filter within the filter unit.

Fig. 37 is a front view of an air inlet and inlet path of a flow generator housing of an embodiment of the invention, and fig. 38 is an exploded perspective view of the air inlet of fig. 37.

Referring to fig. 37, an inlet path including an air inlet 102 and a flow guide 116 guides intake air from the air inlet 102 toward the filter unit 104. However, since the drying appliance 10 may be used in an environment where moisture is present, such as a bathroom or shower stall, water may be splashed into the drying appliance 10 or the ambient air of the drying appliance 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 which is able to draw ambient water into the air inlet 102. Such water is not suitable for entering the drying apparatus 10. In addition to water entering the air inlet 102, the flow path may draw in and convey other substances through the air inlet 102 to the flow guide 116.

As shown in fig. 37 and 38, the air inlet 102 provides a flow path that is biased in an upward direction toward the flow guide 116. This upward bias may act as a gravity defense wall against water or other solid matter entering the drying apparatus 10. To further block unintended water or other objects from entering the flow path, an obstruction may be provided in the inlet flow path, in addition or instead of in the form of an inlet filter 111, such as shown in fig. 38. More specifically, the inlet filter 111 may be in the form of a particulate filter for filtering particles from the intake air.

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

As an additional measure to dehumidify the intake air, an electric resistance heater (not shown) may be arranged adjacent to the inlet filter 111. During operation, the resistance heater may heat the intake air in order to remove moisture from the air. Additionally, the resistance heater may remove moisture from the inlet filter 111 in order to increase the life of the inlet filter 111.

Fig. 39 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying appliance according to another embodiment of the invention. For example, similarly to the arrangement shown in fig. 9A, the connection between the body flow generators 110 and the first air outlets 101 of the body 100 is the same as in the case where the outlets of the respective body flow generators 110 are directly connected to the first air outlets 101 of the body 100. In order to provide the user with additional comfort and/or increased drying efficiency, the heated air is preferably further heated by the thermoelectric device 117. As shown in fig. 39, the air flow from the filter unit 104 may pass through a side of the thermoelectric device 117 so that it is selectively heated or cooled.

Although a square-shaped thermoelectric device 117 covering a portion of the discharge air flow path 105 is shown in fig. 39, 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 covering all of the purified air of the air flow path starting from the outlet of the filter unit 104 to the end of the inlet of the main body flow generator 110. In the case of further heating of the air, heating of the heated air downstream of the body flow generator 110 will be more effective.

A thermal element such as a resistive heater 120 may be provided on the downstream side of the respective bulk flow generators 110. The resistance 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 facilitating device 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. 39, 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 bulk flow generator.

Fig. 40 shows a drying device 20 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 41 shows a cross-sectional view of the main body 100 and the lever 200 of the drying apparatus of fig. 40.

As shown in fig. 40, in the drying device 20, the first air outlet 101 may be disposed so as to cross at least a part of the drying surface of the main body 100. Unlike the drying device 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 device 20 includes the outlet duct 123 arranged 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 and is disposed across the drying surface 14. The outlet duct 123 is located in two regions, an upper region 124 and a lower region 125. In this configuration, a difference in spitting may be allowed between other regions of the first air outlet 101.

Fig. 41 is a sectional view taken along line B-B' of fig. 40, which is taken across the main body 100 and the rod 200, in a case where the first air outlet 101 is an outlet disposed across the drying surface 14 of the main body 100. In the drying device 20, the pair of body flow generators 110 may deliver the forced air to an air duct 121 (similar to that shown in fig. 8) that discharges the forced air from the drying device 20, an air duct 122, and finally to a plurality of outlet air ducts 123. Shown in phantom is a duct 122 capable of receiving a forced airflow from the duct 121. The duct 122 may include a plurality of vertical slits extending along the length of the main body corresponding to the vertical slits of the outlet duct 123. The duct 122 may discharge the forced airflow to the plurality of outlet ducts 123 through a plurality of slits sequentially discharged to the outside of the main body 100 through the outlet ducts 123. The first air outlet 101 may be formed by the air passage 122 and a plurality of outlet air passages 123.

In this embodiment, the rod 200 may receive air from the body flow generator 110 of the body 100. For example, the wand 200 may have one or more inlets such as the air inlet 203 shown in figure 41. An example of a rod 200 having this structure is shown in fig. 17. Referring to fig. 17, a pole 200 having a pair of air inlets 202 at a rear end of the pole 200 may receive a forced airflow from a portion of the plurality of outlet ducts 123 corresponding to the pair of air inlets 202. Referring to fig. 41, air discharged from the main body flow generator 110 inside the main 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 body flow generator 110 of the body 100. However, in other embodiments, the wand 200 does not have a wand flow generator 204, but instead discharges the forced airflow received from the body flow generator 110 of the body 100 directly. Although not shown, the rod 200 may include a resistive heater 120 as shown in fig. 19. Although not shown, the rod 200 may include a thermoelectric device instead of a resistance heater. The lever 200 may additionally adjust the forced airflow received from the main body 100. Differently, the pole 200 may not include an air conditioning device and discharge the forced airflow conditioned by the thermoelectric device 117 of the main body 100 without additionally conditioning the forced airflow received from the main body 100.

Referring again to fig. 40, the drying device 20 may further include a foot support 400 enabling a person to place his or her foot. The air duct 122 may further extend to be connected to the foot support 400. The wind tunnel 122 may supply a flow of air to one or more air outlets of the foot supporting part 400, thereby drying the feet of the person using the air discharged from the one or more air outlets. In the structure shown in fig. 40, the foot support 400 may be configured to be retracted 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. 42 is an exploded perspective view of the body of the embodiment of the present invention.

The body 100 may be covered by an injection molded plastic cover. As shown in fig. 42, the injection molded plastic cover may include a rear panel 140, side panels 142, and a front panel 144 covering the main body 100. In other embodiments, the plastic cover may have a thin metal plate attached to its surface. The various parts of the plastic lid may be snap-fit to each other. For example, one part may have a male portion and the other part in combination therewith may have a corresponding female portion. When the two members are snap-coupled to each other, the convex portion enters the concave portion to be coupled to each other, and the two members are fixed to each other. The plastic cover forms the appearance of the main body 100, providing an aesthetically superior appearance. The plastic cover of the main body 100 is separated by pulling the plastic cover from the main body 100 due to the snap-coupling with each other, and can be optimized according to the user's taste by replacing it with another plastic cover having an appearance and style satisfying the user's taste. The plastic cover 230 (refer to fig. 26) of the stick 200 may also be separated and replaced with another plastic cover having an appearance and style satisfying the user's preference, thereby being optimized according to the user's preference.

Exemplary embodiments of the drying apparatus have been described above. Embodiments may be modified in keeping with the particular uses and adaptations.

Where reference is made to elements or integers having equivalents disclosed in the foregoing, such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to a plurality of exemplary 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 invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the preferred embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited 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 within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that many variations of the invention as described herein are possible with reference to the drawings without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus, wherein,

the method comprises the following steps:

a main body;

an air inlet formed at the main body;

a plurality of rods, each of which is supported by the body and is capable of moving up and down and rotating, including an air outlet, having at least one proximity sensor;

at least one flow generator receiving intake air from the air inlet and discharging a forced airflow through the air outlet;

at least one motor that rotates the lever with respect to an axis aligned parallel to a drying surface of the main body, the rotation of the lever causing the air outlet to perform a direction change;

a driving device located between the main body and the rod, and moving the rod up and down relative to the main body to change the position of the air outlet; and

a controller, any one of the plurality of levers receiving proximity information from the proximity sensor, comparing a threshold value of proximity of the any one lever with respect to adjacent other levers and the proximity information, and if the proximity information is within the threshold value, deactivating the at least one motor and the drive device, stopping up and down movement and rotation of the any one lever with respect to the body, avoiding collisions between levers.

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

at least one of a heating element and a cooling element is included to air condition the drawn air.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the controller is configured to move the arbitrary one of the levers up and down and rotate according to the end of the time delay.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the controller is configured to, upon receiving proximity information indicating that an external object has moved beyond the threshold and is within a proximity of a next threshold, enable adjustment of the arbitrary one of the rods such that an upper surface of the arbitrary one of the rods is perpendicular with respect to a direction of gravity so as to enable placement of the external object on the upper surface of the arbitrary one of the rods.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the controller is configured to operate the driving device upon receiving proximity information indicating that the proximity information exceeds a threshold value from the proximity sensor.

6. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the controller is configured to operate the at least one motor upon receiving proximity information from the proximity sensor indicating that the proximity information exceeds a threshold.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the proximity information transmitted from the proximity sensor indicates the proximity of an external object with respect to the arbitrary one of the bars.

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the proximity information is a distance between the arbitrary one of the bars and the adjacent other bars.

9. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the controller is configured to operate the drive device if the proximity information is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

10. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the drying device further comprises a memory;

the controller is configured to control movement of the plurality of rods with the drive device according to the motion configuration stored in the memory.

11. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the air outlet is one of circular, elliptical, and quadrilateral, the air outlet having an arc angle such that the forced airflow expands as it exits the air outlet.

12. The drying apparatus according to claim 11,

the air outlet is actuated to enable the angle of the arc of the air outlet to be adjusted.

13. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the air outlet is an elongated slit extending across the length of the bar in order to force the air stream to emit air in the form of a planar blade.

14. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the air outlet is movably actuated to provide a directional switch of the forced air flow.

15. The drying apparatus according to claim 1,

the air outlet includes a moving flow guide that acts to provide selective directional shifting of the forced airflow.

16. The drying apparatus according to claim 3,

the driving device includes:

a first drive member associated with the body and a second drive member associated with the lever, at least a portion of the first drive member and the second drive member being in contact with one another; and

a motor that drives at least one of the first drive member and the second drive member relative to the other to move the lever relative to the main body and move the position of the air outlet of the lever;

wherein the first drive member is a lead screw connected to a rotation shaft of the motor, and the second drive member is a nut coupled with the lead screw.

17. The drying apparatus according to claim 3,

the driving device includes:

a motor that drives the second drive member relative to the first drive member to move the position of the air outlet of the stem;

the first driving member is a rack formed with teeth, and the second driving member is a gear engaged with the rack formed with teeth and connected to a rotating shaft of the motor.