JP4211990B2 - Hand dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a hand drying apparatus for washing hands in a washroom or a toilet and drying wet hands with warm air.

  Conventionally, with this type of hand drying device, after using the toilet or washing dirty hands, do not use handkerchiefs or towels, and do not wet the pockets that store handkerchiefs, etc., and dry the hands Air blow type hand dryers are in practical use.

  This hand drying device incorporates a blowing means and a heat generation means, and starts operation when the hand detection means detects the hand that has been put out, and dries the surface of the wet hand with warm air.

  In such a conventional hand drying device, it takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute to dry the hand completely. Therefore, if the air volume is increased to shorten the time, it is unsafe if the heat generating means is overheated. When a highly safe PTC heater is used as the heat generating means, there is a problem that the amount of air passing therethrough is increased, resulting in a supercooled state and the heat generation efficiency of the PTC heater is deteriorated. Therefore, there is a demand for a hand-drying device that maintains the safety of the heat generating means and improves the heat generation efficiency even when drying in a short time.

  Moreover, in order to keep the hot air blowing temperature constant, it is necessary to simultaneously control the air volume of the air blowing means and the heat generation amount of the heat generating means, and there is a problem that the control becomes complicated, and the hot air temperature is maintained by simple control. It is requested.

  In addition, since the current flowing through the circuit of the control circuit that controls the air blowing means and the heat generating means becomes large, there is a problem that the ambient temperature of the control circuit exceeds the allowable temperature range in the sealed case. As a solution to this, it is conceivable to add a small fan motor for cooling. However, since the apparatus becomes large, a compact and effective heat dissipation measure is required.

  The present invention solves such a conventional problem, can shorten the drying time, can keep the warm air temperature constant with simple control, and effectively controls the ambient temperature of the control circuit. The object is to provide a hand dryer that can be lowered.

  In order to achieve the above object, the hand-drying device of the present invention has a blowing means, a heating means and a bypass air passage provided in parallel on the blowing side of the blowing means, and a wind passing through the heating means and the bypass air passage. The air blowing nozzle is a rapid reduction nozzle, and a hand drying device capable of greatly shortening the drying time can be obtained.

  The other means uses a PTC heater as the heat generating means, and controls the blowout temperature by controlling the air volume of the air blowing means, thereby obtaining a hand-drying device that can eliminate the need for controlling the heat generating means. be able to.

  The other means has a control means for controlling the air blowing means and the heat generating means, and a preliminary air outlet provided in the air blowing means. The air is sent from the auxiliary air outlet to the control means. Since a part of the wind sent from the means is discharged from the preliminary outlet and sent to the control means, a hand-drying device that can effectively lower the ambient temperature of the control circuit is obtained.

  According to the present invention, by providing the heating means and the bypass air passage in the heating element storage frame, it is possible to blow strong jet warm air without reducing the heat generation efficiency of the heating means, and the drying time of the hand Can be greatly shortened.

  In addition, by using a PTC heater as the heat generating means, the blowout temperature can be controlled only by the strength of the air flow of the air blowing means, and the control means can have a simple configuration.

  Moreover, since a part of the wind blown from the blowing means is discharged from the preliminary blowout outlet by the positive pressure and blown to the control means, it can dissipate heat without adding a small fan motor for cooling, The atmosphere temperature of the control means can be lowered effectively in a compact manner.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, the main body includes a front case and a water receiving portion provided at a lower end portion of the front case, and a blowing unit and a heating unit are provided in the front case. A blow-out nozzle that discharges warm air toward the water receiving portion on the downstream side of the air blowing means, and the water receiving portion projects in front of a lower end portion of the front case, and An air intake passage that forms a space for inserting a hand below the outlet nozzle and has an intake port that opens downward at the lower end of the front case on the rear side of the main body and serves as an air intake portion of the air blowing means. The water receiving portion that is formed and directed to the warm air discharged from the blowing nozzle is formed in a dish shape in a direction to receive water droplets generated when the wet hand is dried, and is discharged from the blowing nozzle. The air will be the body Dry air in the room is continuously supplied from the intake port below the intake passage formed at the lower end of the front case on the rear side, and more moisture is provided near the water receiver. The contained air is less likely to turn to the intake port of the intake passage located on the opposite side of the space where the hand can be inserted into the water receiving part , and almost no air is taken in, which can improve the drying efficiency and shorten the drying time. It will be possible.

Moreover, the hand drying apparatus of Claim 2 uses the air blowing nozzle as the sudden reduction nozzle, and the air discharged from the air blowing nozzle is converged without spreading by the sudden reduction nozzle. As a result, the air containing a large amount of water is less likely to rotate by the intake port of the intake passage.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the hand drying device according to the second aspect , wherein the detector for detecting the presence of the hand and transmitting a detection signal for operating the air blowing means and the heat generating means is provided with an air blowing nozzle. The air from the air blowing nozzle that has converged is sufficiently blown onto the hand, and the drying efficiency is improved.

  The hand-drying device of the first invention collects and blows out the blowing means, the heat generating means and the bypass air passage provided in parallel on the blowing side of the air blowing means, and the wind that has passed through the heat generating means and the bypass air passage. It has a blower nozzle, and this blower nozzle is an abruptly reducing nozzle. The air flowing in the heating element housing frame is divided and passed through the heating element and bypass airflow in a balanced manner and then mixed again. And it has the effect | action that it blows out as strong hot air from a ventilation blowing nozzle.

  In the hand drying device of the second aspect of the invention, when the amount of air passing through the heating element changes due to the strength of the air flow of the blowing means, the heat generation amount approximately proportional to the air flow is obtained by the temperature characteristics of the PTC heater. Even if the air volume increases, the warm air temperature sent from the air blowing nozzle does not drop greatly, and moderate warm air can be obtained. Conversely, when the air volume decreases, the heat generation amount of the heating element also decreases, The temperature of the hot air delivered from the blow-off nozzle is not significantly increased, and an appropriate hot air can be obtained.

  The hand-drying device of the third aspect of the invention has a control means for controlling the blowing means and the heat generating means, and a preliminary air outlet provided in the air blowing means, and blows air from the preliminary air outlet to the control means. Since a part of the air blown from the blowing means is discharged from the preliminary blower outlet and blown to the control means, it has the effect of expelling hot air generated from the control means and lowering the ambient temperature.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 1 is composed of a front case 2 and a water receiving portion 3 projecting from the lower part. The front case 2 is provided with a blowing means 4 and a heat generating means 5, and a blowing nozzle 6 is provided. It is provided toward the water receiver 3. A detector 7 for detecting a hand is provided in the vicinity of the air blowing nozzle 6. The control means 8 receives the detection signal from the detector 7 and drives and controls the blowing means 4 and the heat generating means 5.

  The main body 1 is fixed by attaching a mounting bracket 10 to a wall surface such as a washroom with a fixture 11 such as a screw. A blower 12b that is rotationally driven by a motor 12a as an air blowing means 4 is provided inside the main body 1, and PTC heaters 5a and 5b are disposed as a heat generating means 5 between the air blowing means 4 and the air blowing nozzle 6. is doing. A heating element storage frame 13 provided with a bypass air passage 9 is provided in parallel with the PTC heaters 5a and 5b, and a blow-off nozzle 6 is provided in communication with the downstream side. The blow-off nozzle 6 blows hot jet air from the blow-off nozzle 6 as an abruptly reduced shape that narrows the outlet so that hot air blown through the heating element housing frame 13 is discharged at a speed of 80 m / s or more. Thus, the drying time can be shortened. An intake passage 15 having an intake port 14 below is formed on the rear side of the main body 1 and serves as an air suction portion of the blowing means 4.

  A water receiver 3 projects from the lower end of the front case 2 and is formed integrally with the main body 1 so as to have a space in which a hand can be inserted below the air blowing nozzle 6. The water receiving portion 3 is formed in a dish shape and can receive water droplets.

  A detector 7 for detecting the presence of a hand is disposed in the vicinity of the blow-off nozzle 6 below the front case 2. In order to reduce the noise generated from the main body 1, a sound absorbing material 16 is provided around the air blowing means 4.

  In the above configuration, first, when a hand is inserted below the air blowing nozzle 6, the hand is detected and the detection output is turned on, the air blowing means 4 and the heat generating means 5 are operated via the control means 8, Hot air is blown from the air blowing nozzle 6. Next, when the hand is dried and the hand is removed from below the air blowing nozzle 6, the detection output of the detector 7 is turned off, and the operation is stopped.

  The heating element storage frame 13 forms the bypass air passage 9 in a form adjacent to the PTC heaters 5a and 5b, and the air blown from the air blowing means 4 passes through the wind passing through the PTC heaters 5a and 5b and the bypass air passage 9. Divided into the wind. As a result, the amount of air passing through the PTC heaters 5a and 5b is smaller than when the bypass air passage 9 is not formed, and the heat generation efficiency of the PTC heater is improved. Furthermore, after the hot air that has passed through the PTC heaters 5a and 5b and the air that has passed through the bypass air passage 9 are mixed again in the air blowing nozzle 6, it becomes jet hot air from the reduced opening and becomes a hand. The wet hand that is sprayed on the surface can be efficiently dried in a short time.

  In addition, although the water receiving part 3 illustrated what was formed integrally with the front case 2, the water receiving part 3 formed separately from the front case 2 is arranged with a space below the blow-off nozzle 6. May be.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 1, PTC heaters 5 a and 5 b are provided as the heating means 5. Moreover, the air volume changeover switch 17 which switches the air volume of the ventilation means 4 into two steps of strength and weakness is provided.

  In the above configuration, if the amount of wind passing through the heat generating means 5 changes due to the strength of the air flow of the air blowing means 4, the heat generation amount approximately proportional to the air volume is obtained by the temperature characteristics of the PTC heaters 5a and 5b. Even if the temperature increases, the temperature of the wind that has passed through the heat generating means 5 is not lowered, and is further mixed with the blown air from the bypass air passage so that an appropriate warm air can be obtained from the blow-off nozzle 6.

  On the other hand, when the amount of air blown is reduced, the amount of heat generated by the heat generating means 5 is also reduced, and the temperature of the wind passing through the heat generating means 5 is not increased. Moderate warm air can be obtained.

  FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram of the blown air volume and the blowing temperature. Curve A is a temperature characteristic when the PTC heaters 5a and 5b of the present invention are used as the heat generating means 5, and curve B is a conventional resistance wire heat generating element. It is a temperature characteristic at the time of using for. As can be seen from FIG. 2, when the PTC heaters 5a and 5b are used as the heat generating means 5, the blowing temperature does not change so much even if the air flow rate increases or decreases within the normal use range.

  Further, since the bypass air passage 9 is provided in parallel with the heat generating means 5 of the PTC heaters 5a and 5b, it is possible to obtain warm air having a temperature suitable for hand drying by mixing with air blowing at room temperature.

  Therefore, the temperature of the hot air blown from the blow-off nozzle 6 can be controlled without switching the heat generating means 5 only by switching the air volume of the blower means 4 in multiple stages.

(Embodiment 3)
As shown in FIG. 3, the air blowing means 4, the air blowing means housing 18 in which the air blowing means 4 is disposed, and a preliminary air outlet 19 are provided on the side wall of the air blowing means housing 18. The air guide tube 20 is connected to the main body. Further, a ventilation window 21 is formed in the upper part of the intake passage 15, and the storage space 22 of the control means 8 and the intake passage 15 are communicated with each other.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the air sucked from the air inlet 14 by the operation of the air blowing means 4 passes through the air blowing means 4, and most of the air is sent through the heat generating means 5 or the bypass air passage 9. The air is blown from the air blowing nozzle 6, but a part of the air is blown from the preliminary air outlet 19 provided on the side wall of the air blowing unit housing 18 through the air guide pipe 20 to the control unit 8. Then, the air is blown into the intake passage 15 through the ventilation window 21.

  In this flow operation, since the pressure of the blower means housing body 18 is the highest, and then the housing space 22 and the intake passage 15 are lowered in this order, air flows naturally from the high pressure portion to the low pressure portion, respectively. is there.

  The hand drying device according to the present invention is effective as a hand drying device that improves the drying efficiency of the hand and greatly shortens the drying time, and dries a wet hand with warm air.

Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 of the present invention Side sectional view of a hand dryer Air flow-temperature characteristic diagram of the heating means of the second embodiment Side sectional view of the hand-drying device of Embodiment 3

Explanation of symbols

4 Blowing means 5 Heat generating means 5a PTC heater 5b PTC heater 6 Blowing nozzle 8 Control means 9 Bypass air passage 19 Preliminary outlet

Claims (3)

The main body is composed of a front case and a water receiving portion provided at a lower end portion of the front case, and a blowing means and a heat generating means are provided in the front case, and the water receiving portion is provided downstream of the blowing means. An air blowing nozzle that discharges warm air toward the air is provided, and the water receiving portion protrudes in front of the lower end of the front case to form a space in which a hand can be inserted below the air blowing nozzle. In addition, on the rear side of the main body, an air intake passage that opens downwardly at the lower end portion of the front case is formed to form an air intake passage serving as an air suction portion of the air blowing means, and the temperature discharged from the air blowing nozzle. The hand drying apparatus, wherein the wind receiving water receiving portion is formed in a dish shape in a direction for receiving water droplets generated when the wet hand is dried . The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing nozzle is a rapid reduction nozzle. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein a detector for detecting the presence of a hand and transmitting a detection signal for operating the air blowing means and the heat generating means is provided in the vicinity of the air blowing nozzle.

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