GB2112639A

GB2112639A - Warm air drying apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2112639A
Application number: GB08137840A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Crisp
Original assignee: Smiths Group PLC
Current assignee: Smiths Group PLC
Priority date: 1981-12-16
Filing date: 1981-12-16
Publication date: 1983-07-27
Also published as: GB2112639B

Abstract

Warm air drying apparatus for drying parts of the body has a pivotally- mounted directing flap 18 for the warm air flow which is moveable from a first position in which it directs the flow of warm air through a hand drying outlet 22 to a second position in which it directs the flow of warm air through a face drying outlet (24), and which is arranged to be maintained in its second position by the flow of air acting thereon. The flap is biassed, for example by a spring 21, towards its first position so that it returns automatically from its second to its first position upon cessation of the flow of air. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Warm air drying apparatus This invention relates to warm air drying apparatus for drying parts of the body, and is especially concerned with warm air drying apparatus suitable for drying the hands and face of a person.

Heretofore, it has been known in hand drying apparatus having an electrical blower and heating element for producing a flow of warm air to provide an outlet nozzle for the flow of warm air which can be swivelled manually to direct that air flow downwardly or horizontally as desired in order to dry the hands or face respectively. However, such apparatus is most commonly used for hand drying operations and should the nozzle be left in its face drying configuration following a face drying operation by one user, the need to move the nozzle back to its hand drying configuration by the next user can prove inconvenient.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved warm air drying apparatus for drying the hands and face of a person.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a warm air drying apparatus for drying parts of the body comprising air blowing and heating means operable to produce a flow of warm air, and air flow directing means that is movable between first and second positions in which the flow of warm air is directed through first and second outlets of the apparatus respectively, wherein the air flow directing means, when moved to its second position, is arranged to be maintained in that position by the flow of warm air.

The air flow directing means may be biassed, for example by a spring, towards its first position. In this way the air flow directing means is returned automatically from its second position to its first position when the flow of warm air ceases.

The first and second outlets may be arranged respectively to direct the flow of air generally downwardly in order to dry hands and generally horizontally in order to dry the face.

The air flow directing means is preferably adapted to be moveable manually between its first and second positions.

The air flow directing means may comprise a flap member disposed in a duct for the flow of warm air and may be mounted in the duct for pivotal movement between its first position in which it deflects the flow of air through the first outlet and second position in which it deflects the flow of air through the second outlet. The pivotal axis of the air flow directing means is preferably towards one end of the flap member and extends transversely of the duct and parallel to the planes of the first and second outlets.

A part of the air flow directing means may, together with respective portions of the duct, define the first and second outlets. This part may comprise a portion of the flap member extending from the opposite side of the pivotal axis to the remainder of the flap member and which is inclined with respect to, and offers less surface area to the flow of air, than the remainder of the flap member.

Warm-air drying apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sectional and side views respectively of portion of the warm air drying apparatus showing air flow directing means thereof in a first position in which the flow of warm air is directed through a first outlet of the apparatus for drying the hands; and Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional and side views respectively of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 showing the air flow directing means in a second position in which the flow of warm air is directed through a second outlet of the apparatus for drying the face.

The warm air drying apparatus generally includes a housing which contains, for example, an electric-motor driven centrifugal blower and electrical resistance heating element that are energisable to produce a flow of warm air for drying purposes. The flow of warm air is channelled through a duct leading from the blower scroll and discharged from an outlet region of the housing where it can effect drying of a user's hands or face. Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings show the outlet region of the apparatus through which the warm air flow is discharged, Figs. 2 and 4 being views from the right in Figs. 1 and 3 respectively.

Referring to the drawings, the flow of warm air from the blower and heating element is channelled through a duct 10 of varying rectangular cross-section leading from the blower scroll which opens through an opening in the housing 11 of the apparatus. As indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3, the flow of warm air is directed, in accordance with the position of an air flow directing member referenced at 12, through one of two, separate, outlets, 22 and 24 in Figs. 1 and 3, which lie in planes substantially at right angles to one another.

The member 12, which may be formed as a unitary plastics moulding, is mounted for pivotal displacement in the duct opening around a horizontal axis that extends transversely of the duct 10 and parallel to the planes of the outlets 22 and 24 by means of cylindrical bearing surfaces 14 and 1 5 projecting from the sides which are journalled in apertures 1 6 and 1 7 respectively in the side walls of the duct 1 0. The member 1 2 in cludes first and second rectangular flap portions 1 8 and 1 9 whose width, as can be seen from Fig. 2, is slightly less than the width of the surrounding duct 10. The flap portions 18 and 1 9 are mutually inclined and extend from opposite sides of the pivoted axis.The flap portion 19 9 is considerably shorter than the portion 18, and consequently of lesser surface area, so that overall the member 1 2 is in cross-section an irregular V-shape with the pivotal axis extending along its apex and towards one end.

A lever 20 is attached to the bearing surface 1 5 of the member 1 2 and connected through a helical spring 21 to a fixed part of the duct 10, or alternatively the housing 11, which acts to urge the member 1 2 into the position shown in Fig. 1, that is, with the flap portion 1 8 abutting the top wall of the duct 10.

With the member 1 2 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the flow of warm air from the energised blower and heating element is deflected by the flap portions 1 8 and 1 9 downwardly through the outlet 22, the outlet 22 being defined by an edge 23 of the bottom wall of the duct 10, the lowermost edge of the flap portion 1 9 and the sidewalls of the duct 10. The downwardly directed warm air flow, represented by the smaller arrows in Fig. 1, may conveniently be used to dry the hands, the apparatus being mounted at an appropriate height for this purpose.

If the face is also to be dried, the member 12 is pivotally displaced by the user pulling the flap portion 1 9 upwardly, against the action of the spring 21, so as to move the member 1 2 into a second position, as shown in Fig. 3, in which the edge of the flap portion 1 8 abuts the bottom wall of the duct 10. In this position, the flow of warm air is prevented from escaping downwardly and is deflected by the member 1 2 generally horizontal, through the outlet 24 defined between the top edge 25 of the duct opening, the upper edge of the flap portion 1 9 and the sidewalls of the duct 1 0. The flow of warm air issuing from the outlet 24, represented by the smaller arrows in Fig. 3, is thereby appropriately directed onto a user's face.

Although displacement of the member 1 2 in this respect is opposed by the action of the spring 21, it is not necessary for the user to hold the member 1 2 in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 as, once in that position, the pressure of the air flow acting upon the flap portion 1 8 is sufficient to overcome the force acting in the opposite sense caused by the spring's tension, this being chosen accordingly beforehand, and maintains the member 12 in the position shown.

Should the user wish to revert to drying hands, a slight downward movement of the flap portion 1 9 will be all that is necessary to reduce the effect of the air flow acting on the flap portion 1 8 by an amount sufficient to cause the member 1 2 to flip back to its first position, as shown in Fig. 1, under the action of the spring 21.

If the blower is de-energised whilst the member 1 2 is in its second position the member 1 2 will be returned automatically to its first position by the spring 21 upon the consequential disappearance of the air flow.

In this way, the apparatus will always be in the appropriate setting for a hand drying operation upon re-energisation by the next user and the necessity for that user to have to re-set the apparatus for a hand drying operation is removed.

In a further embodiment, it is envisaged that the spring 21 may be dispensed with, and, for example by making the mass of the flap portion 1 9 greater than the flap portion 18, gravity may be used to return the member 1 2 from its second position to its first position upon de-energisation of the blower.

Claims

1. Warm air drying apparatus for drying parts of the body comprising air blowing and heating means operable to produce a flow of warm air, and air flow directing means that is moveable between first and second positions in which the flow of air is directed through first and second outlets of the apparatus respectively, wherein the air flow directing means, when moved to its second position, is arranged to be maintained in that position by the flow of air.

2. Warm air drying apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the air flow directing means is biassed towards its first position whereby the air flow directing means is returned automatically from its second position to its first position upon cessation of the flow of air.

3. Warm air drying apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the air flow directing means is biassed by means of a spring.

4. Warm air drying apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the first and second outlets are arranged respectively to direct the flow of air generally downwardly in order to dry hands and generally horizontally in order to dry the face.

5. Warm air drying apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air flow directing means is adapted to be moveable manually between its first and second positions.

6. Warm air drying apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the air flow directing means comprises a flap member disposed in a duct for the flow of air.

7. Warm air drying apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the flap member is mounted in the duct for pivotal movement between its first position in which it deflects the flow of air through the first outlet and its second position in which it deflects the flow of air through the second outlet.

8. Warm air drying apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the pivotal axis of the flap member is towards one end of the flap member and extends substantially transversely of the duct and generally parallel to the planes of the first and second outlets.

9. Warm air drying apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein a part of the flap member defines, together with respective portions of the duct, the first and second outlets.

1 0. Warm air drying apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said part comprises a portion of the flap member extending from the opposite side of the pivotal axis to the remainder of the flap member and which is inclined with respect to, and offers less surface area to the flow of air than, the remainder of the flap member.

11. Warm air drying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.