JP3878753B2 - Hand dryer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for drying wet hands after washing hands with water.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of hand drying apparatus is used to remove moisture adhering to the hand after washing the hand in a play facility, a washroom, or a sports facility.
[0003]
As a method for this, there is a method in which warm air is blown through a heater with a blower and the hands are placed in the warm air to dry, and further, a method of drying by blowing compressed air to shorten the drying time. There are known, for example, those described in JP-A-9-37994.
[0004]
Hereinafter, the hand dryer will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in the figure, a pressure chamber 102 for inserting a hand to be dried is provided in the drying container 101, and a compressor 105 having a pressure accumulating container 104 is connected to the pressure chamber 102 via an air pipe 103. On the air pipe 103, a pressure adjusting valve 106, a heater 107, and an on / off type electromagnetic valve 108 are further provided to keep the blowing air pressure at a constant high pressure.
[0005]
In the hand dryer having the above-described configuration, high-pressure air is sequentially introduced and accumulated in the accumulator 104 by the compressor 105. When a wet hand immediately after washing with water is inserted into the pressure chamber 102 of the drying container 101, the sensor 109 detects this. With this detection output, the switch circuit 110 operates to open the solenoid valve 108. As a result, the compressed air in the pressure accumulating container 104 is introduced into the pressure chamber 102 and sprayed onto the surface of the wet hand. This compressed air is maintained at a predetermined pressure, preferably a constant pressure of 2 atm or more, by the pressure regulating valve 106. Since such compressed air is dry air having a moisture content reduced to about ½ or less of that of normal air, the moisture evaporation action of the hand is promoted by blowing it on the hand.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional hand drying apparatus, there is only one blowing nozzle for drying the hand with respect to one hand drying apparatus. For example, in a washroom or a hand washing place such as a school, a hospital, or a public facility at a time. Because many people cannot dry their hands, when one person is drying, there is a problem that the next person has to wait until the drying is finished. It is required to install a plurality of blowing nozzles.
[0007]
In addition, a compressor that generates compressed air for drying is installed in the vicinity of the blowing nozzle, and when the compressed air in the accumulator tank is consumed during drying and the pressure in the accumulator tank decreases, the compressor is operated. For this reason, there is a problem that, during drying, the operation sound of the compressor is generated together with the blowing sound of the compressed air ejected from the blowing nozzle, resulting in double noise, which is required to be low noise.
[0008]
In addition, since high-pressure compressed air is used, there is a problem that the power consumption of the compressor that is the generation source is large, and because of high temperature and high rotation, there is a problem that the operation life is short, and energy saving and durability improvement are required.
[0009]
The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and allows a plurality of people to dry their hands individually or simultaneously, and has low noise during drying, energy saving and long-lasting hand drying. The object is to provide a device.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the hand drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a compressor and a pressure accumulating means for accumulating compressed air, and includes a control means and a branching means for the flow rate and pressure of compressed air, and a plurality of means. It is configured to include an on-off valve and a plurality of blowing nozzles.
[0011]
According to the present invention, a plurality of persons can dry their hands individually or simultaneously.
Further, the other means is configured such that each of the plurality of blowing nozzles is provided with an opening / closing means for opening / closing by detecting the presence or absence of insertion of a hand.
[0012]
According to the present invention, each blowing nozzle can be automatically opened and closed, and a plurality of people can dry their hands individually or simultaneously.
[0013]
The other means is provided with a control means for operating the compressor for a predetermined time, a measuring means for measuring the pressure of the compressed air in the pressure accumulating means, and an operation control means for turning on and off the operation of the compressor. This is a configuration.
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hand dryer with little noise at the time of drying can be provided.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a compressor and a pressure accumulating means for accumulating compressed air, provided with a control means and a branching means for the flow rate and pressure of compressed air, and provided with a plurality of on-off valves and a plurality of blowing nozzles. Yes, compressed air having a constant pressure and a constant flow rate can be blown individually or simultaneously from a plurality of blowing nozzles.
[0017]
In addition, each of the plurality of blowing nozzles is provided with opening / closing means that senses whether or not a hand has been inserted and opens / closes, and compressed air can be automatically blown out or stopped from each blowing nozzle.
[0018]
In addition, the compressor is provided with a control means for operating for a predetermined time, and the pressure accumulating means is provided with a measuring means for measuring the pressure of compressed air to control the operation of the compressor. The on / off operation of the compressor can be controlled by the time or time and the set pressure in the pressure accumulating tank.
[0020]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Example 1
In FIG. 1, a compressor 1 and a pressure accumulating container 2 for accumulating compressed air are provided, a pressure flow rate adjusting valve 3 for controlling the flow rate and pressure of compressed air, and a branch pipe 4 are provided. Each is provided with an on-off valve 5 and a blowing nozzle 6. Here, each device constituting the compressor 1 to the blowing nozzle 6 is constituted by an air pipe and a joint (not shown). In addition, the compressor 1, the pressure accumulating container 2, the pressure flow control valve 3, etc. may be located near the dry place of the hand for installation, but in order to reduce noise and save space, it is separated from the outdoors, under the floor, behind the ceiling, etc. It is desirable to install in a different place.
[0021]
In the above configuration, the air sucked from the compressor 1 is compressed to a predetermined pressure and accumulated in the pressure accumulating container 2. The volume and the set pressure of the pressure accumulating container 2 are set according to the number of people who dry once and the number of times of drying per day, assuming that a large number of people use it, for example, in schools and hospitals, and minimize the volume. To do this, set it at a high pressure above atmospheric pressure.
[0022]
When the hand is dried after accumulating the pressure accumulating container 2 at a predetermined pressure, when the on-off valve 5 provided at each branch destination of the branch pipe 4 is opened, the blowout nozzle 6 moves to the pressure flow control valve 3. Then, the compressed air whose pressure is lower than the pressure in the pressure accumulating container 2 is blown out, and the water adhering to the hand is blown off and dried. In addition, when a large number of people are drying at the same time, by opening a plurality of on-off valves, the pressure flow control valve 3 is adjusted so that compressed air of a constant pressure is blown from each blowing nozzle, and the hands of the large number of people are dried. be able to.
[0023]
(Example 2)
This will be described with reference to FIG.
[0024]
The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
In FIG. 2, compressed air branched from the branch pipe 4 is guided to an electromagnetic valve 7 by an air pipe (not shown) and connected to each blowing nozzle 6. A hand detection sensor 9 for detecting the presence or absence of a hand is provided at or near the blowing nozzle 6 and is configured to be wired to the electromagnetic valve 7 via the switch circuit a8.
[0025]
In the above configuration, when a hand is put out in front of the blowing nozzle 6, the hand detection sensor 9 detects this, a signal for opening the electromagnetic valve 7 is sent to the switch circuit a8, and the electromagnetic valve 7 is opened. Thereby, compressed air is blown out from the blowing nozzle 6, and the hand is dried. When a large number of people are drying, since the automatic opening / closing means is provided at each outlet, the electromagnetic valve can be automatically opened or closed individually or simultaneously. At this time, the pressure / flow rate adjusting valve 3 is adjusted according to the number of opening / closing of the electromagnetic valve 7 so that the compressed air having a constant pressure and flow rate is always blown from each blowing nozzle 6.
[0026]
(Example 3)
This will be described with reference to FIG.
[0027]
The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 3, the compressor 1 is provided with a timer 12 for operating for a set time, and the pressure accumulator 2 is provided with a pressure sensor 10 for sensing the pressure of compressed air inside to control the operation of the compressor 1. It was. The configuration beyond the pressure accumulating container 2 is the same as that of the first or second embodiment.
[0028]
In the above configuration, the timer 12 starts when the time or time set for the operation of the compressor 1 elapses, and pressure is accumulated in the pressure accumulator 2. Thereafter, when the pressure in the pressure accumulating container 2 reaches a predetermined pressure, the pressure sensor 10 senses it, sends a signal to the switch circuit b11, stops the operation of the compressor 1, and the pressure accumulation is completed. As a result, for example, it is possible to start the operation of the compressor 1 at 11:00 pm, which is a midnight time zone, and to store the compressor 1 at a predetermined pressure by 6 am on the next day. It becomes possible to perform low-noise drying without operating the compressor 1 during daytime drying.
[0029]
Further, in this configuration, in addition to the linked operation of the timer 12 and the pressure sensor 10 as described above, the operation control of only the pressure sensor 10 is also possible. In this case, the lower limit of the compressed air is set, Sensing control is performed by the pressure sensor 10.
[0030]
Example 4
This will be described with reference to FIG.
[0031]
The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 4, a heating unit 14 for heating the compressed air is provided, and the compressor 1 and the pressure accumulating container 2 are connected by a heat transfer plate 13. The heat transfer plate 13 uses, for example, a high heat conductive material such as copper or graphite or a heat transport means such as a heat pipe, and transfers the heat quantity of the compressor 1 and the pressure accumulating container 2 to the heating unit 14 of compressed air. To do. The heating unit 14 is connected by a pressure accumulating vessel and an air pipe (not shown) and supplies heated compressed air to the pressure flow control valve 3.
[0032]
In the above configuration, the compressor 1 can be considered variously such as a reciprocating type, a rotary type, a swinging piston type, etc., all of which have a large temperature rise of the main body, and appropriate cooling is necessary to ensure its durability. is there. In addition, since the pressure accumulating container 2 temporarily stores the compressed air, if the moisture generated from the compressed air is collected and supplied to the blowing nozzle 6 in a sufficiently dehumidified state, the drying time for hand drying can be shortened, and the constituent devices Reliability is improved. In this configuration, the heat generated by the compressor 1 and the pressure accumulating vessel 2 is conveyed to the heating unit 14 by the heat transfer plate 13, and the compressed air is heated without special heating means such as a heater. The heated compressed air follows the path described in the first, second, and third embodiments, and is blown to the hand from the blowing nozzle 6 to promote further drying of the hand. At the same time, the compressor 1 is cooled, and its durability time can be extended. In addition, the accumulator 2 is also cooled, and moisture generated from the compressed high-temperature and high-pressure air is cooled and condensed to be drained and drained from the drain outlet 15 in a timely manner.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above embodiments, it is possible to provide a hand drying device that can be turned on and off for each blowing nozzle, and that allows a plurality of people to dry their hands simultaneously or individually. Further, it is possible to provide a hand-drying apparatus that has a low operating noise during drying, energy saving, and a long durability time.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hand dryer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a hand dryer according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a hand dryer according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a hand dryer according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional hand dryer.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compressor 2 Accumulation container 3 Pressure flow control valve 4 Branch pipe 5 On-off valve 6 Blowing nozzle 7 Electromagnetic valve 8 Switch circuit a
9 Hand sensor 10 Pressure sensor 11 Switch circuit b
12 Timer 13 Heat Transfer Plate 14 Heating Unit 15 Drain Drain Port

Claims (1)

A compressor and a pressure accumulating means for accumulating compressed air, a control means and a branching means for the flow rate and pressure of compressed air, a plurality of on-off valves and a plurality of blowing nozzles, and a plurality of blowing nozzles. individually, a hand dryer having a closing means for opening and closing by sensing the presence or absence of insertion of the hand, provided with a control means for operating predetermined time to the compressor, the compressed air in the accumulator means measuring means for measuring the pressure of the hand drying apparatus having a driving control means for the switching on and off operation of the compressor.

Images