JP7220882B2 - hand dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a hand dryer for drying wet hands after washing.

In order to keep the hands (fingers) in a hygienic condition, it is important not only to wash the hands but also to dry them after washing. For this reason, instead of wiping wet hands with a towel or handkerchief after washing, a hand dryer is used to dry the hands by blowing a high-speed air stream to blow away the water droplets on the hands. Various devices have been proposed so far.

For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, water droplets attached to a hand inserted into the drying chamber from a hand insertion port opened on the upper surface of the device body are removed by blowing an air flow toward the drying chamber in the device body. Hand dryers have been proposed that dry hands by blowing them off with an air stream, and these hand dryers employ an open loop system in which the air (exhaust air) blown onto the hands is discharged outside the device body. ing. Specifically, in the hand drying apparatus proposed in Patent Document 1, ventilation holes are opened in the left and right side walls of the apparatus main body, and the air (exhaust) used for drying the hands is discharged from the ventilation openings into the apparatus. It is discharged outside the main body. In addition, in the hand drying apparatus proposed in Patent Document 2, both sides of the drying chamber are open, and the air (exhaust) used for drying the hands is directly discharged from the openings on both sides of the drying chamber. It is discharged outside the main body.

However, if an open loop system is adopted as a method for flowing air, such as the hand dryers proposed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, various bacteria contained in the blown water droplets scatter around, and the user of the hand dryer and people around you may inhale germs.

Therefore, Patent Document 3 proposes a hand dryer that employs a closed loop system in which air is circulated within the device body without being discharged outside the device body. This hand dryer also dries the hands inserted in the drying chamber by blowing the air blown from the air blowing part into the drying chamber. Air (exhaust air) circulates within the device body and is returned to the air outlet, and this air is again used to dry the hands, which is repeated. Therefore, according to this hand dryer, the air (exhaust air) used for drying the hands is not discharged outside the main body of the device. It is not discharged outside the main unit.

JP 2019-088978 A International publication WO2017/130336 International publication WO2017/057597

By the way, the hand drying device proposed in Patent Document 3 will be described in more detail. This air is sucked into the blower motor through the water receiving tray arranged at the bottom of the apparatus main body. The air sucked into the blower motor is discharged into an air compression chamber formed above the blower motor and compressed, and the compressed air extends upward from the air compression chamber to the drying chamber. The air is returned to the drying chamber through two reflux ducts (a front pipe and a rear pipe), and is blown out from the air outlets that open to the front and rear sides of the drying chamber, respectively. By continuously repeating such operations, the air circulates inside the device body without being discharged outside the device body, but this hand dryer has the following problems.

That is, two reflux ducts (front pipe and rear pipe) extending upward from the air compression chamber toward the drying chamber are composed of thin pipes, and these pipes are bent in the middle. Therefore, the flow resistance of the air flowing through these return ducts toward the drying chamber cannot be sufficiently reduced, and the flow rate and flow velocity of the air blown into the drying chamber from each air outlet cannot be sufficiently secured. It may not be possible to efficiently dry the hand inserted in the Therefore, as a countermeasure, installation of a large-sized blower motor or the like raises the cost of the device and complicates the manufacturing process. In addition, there is a possibility that air passing sound becomes louder because the air does not flow sufficiently smoothly, resulting in noise. Therefore, as a countermeasure for that, it is necessary to install a sound deadening material around the pipe of the return duct.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to efficiently dry hands after washing while preventing germs contained in water droplets adhering to hands from scattering to the surroundings. To provide a hand drying device capable of realizing noise reduction during operation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an insertion opening (3) which opens in the upper part of an apparatus main body (1A) and is for inserting a washed hand into the apparatus main body (1A), and the insertion opening (3). ) for drying the hand inserted through the insertion port (3), and a water receiving tray (5) arranged at the lower end of the apparatus body (1A). , an exhaust passage (6) extending downward from the drying chamber (4) and communicating with the water receiving tray (5); and a blower motor ( 7), an air compression chamber (8) for compressing the air discharged from the blower motor (7), and an air outlet for opening the air compressed in the air compression chamber (8) to the drying chamber (4). (9, 10, 21, 22), wherein the air blown out from the air outlet (9, 10, 21, 22) to the drying chamber (4) is The exhaust passage (6), the water receiving tray (5), the blower motor (7), the air compression chamber (8), the recirculation passage (11), and the air outlets (9, 10, 21, 22) A hand drying device (1, 1-2) in which an air circulation flow circulating in this order is formed in the device main body (1A), wherein the reflux passage (11) is formed around the drying chamber (4). It is characterized by

According to the present invention, a return passage having a relatively large flow area is formed around the drying chamber, and the return passage extends substantially straight to the air outlet without being greatly bent in the middle. The flow resistance of the air flowing through the passage can be kept small. As a result, the amount of air blown out from the air outlet to the drying chamber increases and the flow velocity increases, and the air flow effectively blows off the water droplets adhering to the hand inserted in the drying chamber. Efficient drying. In addition, the air flows smoothly through the substantially straight return passage without resistance, and turbulence and swirl of the air do not occur in the return passage, so that the generation of noise associated with the air flow is suppressed. Quiet operation is realized.

In this hand drying device, a closed loop system is adopted as a flow system, and air circulates within the device main body. Therefore, the air (exhaust air) used for drying the hands is not discharged outside the main body of the device, and various bacteria contained in the water droplets adhering to the hands are discharged outside the main body of the device together with the air, thereby reducing the environmental impact on the surrounding environment. There is no problem of contamination of

Here, the entire circumference of the drying chamber (4) is constituted by inner and outer double walls (4a, 4b), and the space formed between the inner and outer double walls (4a, 4b) is defined by the return passage (11 ) may be configured as

According to the above configuration, the circulation passage having a rectangular ring-shaped flow passage cross section in plan view is formed over the entire circumference of the drying chamber. The flow rate and flow velocity of the air directed to the air outlet are further increased, and the high speed air flow can dry the hands more efficiently.

A pair of air outlets (9, 10, 21, 22) are provided on the front and rear or on the left and right of the drying chamber (4), and a pair of circulation passages (11) are arranged on the front and rear or on the left and right. may be partitioned by partition walls (16, 23).

According to the above configuration, the air flowing through the recirculation passage is divided into two by the partition wall, and the divided air is equally distributed and guided to the pair of air outlets, so that the air is blown out from both air outlets. The amount of air and the flow rate are also uniform, and the deviation of the flow rate and flow rate is prevented, and the front and back of the hand are dried almost simultaneously and efficiently.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the exhaust passage (6) extends vertically downward straight from the drying chamber (4) toward the water receiving tray (5).

According to the above configuration, the air (exhaust air) used for drying the hands in the drying chamber smoothly flows through the straight exhaust passage toward the water receiving tray, so that the flow resistance of the air is suppressed to be small. Increased flow and velocity. As a result, the flow rate and flow velocity of the air circulating in the main body of the device can be increased, and the hands can be dried more efficiently. be done.

A concave portion (4b1) recessed toward the rear side is formed in a part of the outer wall (4b) on the front side of the inner and outer double walls (4a, 4b) constituting the return passage (11). Also good.

According to the above configuration, the concave portion formed in a part of the outer wall on the front side of the inner and outer double walls constituting the circulation passage can be effectively used as a storage space for the control board, for example, and the hand dryer can be used. miniaturization can be achieved.

Further, the air outlets (9, 10, 21, 22) have a plurality of slits that open toward each of the plurality of finger crotch portions (Y) of the hand (H) inserted in the drying chamber (4). Alternatively, it may be configured by a circular hole.

According to the above configuration, the air wiped out from the air outlet in the drying chamber directly hits the crotch portion of the hand where water droplets tend to collect, effectively blowing off and removing the water droplets, so that the entire hand is quickly dried at the same time. .

Furthermore, a first filter member (12) may be arranged between the water receiving tray (5) and the blower motor (7) in the direction of air flow.

A second filter member (13) may be arranged between the blower motor (7) and the air compression chamber (8) in the air flow direction.

According to the above configuration, the air circulating in the device main body is purified by passing through the first filter member and/or the second filter member, and fine particles such as dust and various germs contained therein are removed. These fine particles and germs do not adhere to hands, and dry hands are kept in a hygienic condition.

A control means (19) for driving and controlling the blower motor (7) and a detection means (17) for detecting insertion of a hand into the drying chamber (4) are provided. It may be installed in the mouth (3), and the control means (19) may start driving the blower motor (7) when the detection means (17) detects the tip of the hand.

According to the above configuration, when the tip of the hand inserted into the drying chamber is detected by the detecting means, the blower motor is driven and air is blown out from the air outlet before the entire hand is inserted into the drying chamber. Therefore, hands can be dried quickly without time lag. In addition, since the blower motor does not stop until the dried hand is completely pulled out of the drying chamber and the tip of the hand passes through the detecting means, the hand is sufficiently dried.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently dry hands after washing while preventing germs contained in water droplets adhering to the hands from scattering to the surroundings, and to realize quiet operation of the hand dryer. The effect of being able to

1 is a front view of a hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2 showing how air is blown out from the air outlet of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing other examples of the opening shape of the air outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a block diagram which shows the system configuration|structure of the hand dryer which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing circulation of air in the body of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing operation procedures of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a hand dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 9; It is the schematic which shows the hand dryer which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view, (d) is a rear view.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
1 is a front view of a hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line BB of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is the present invention. A view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the same hand dryer. In the following description, the directions indicated by arrows in FIGS. 1 to 3 are defined as "left, right", "front (front), rear (rear)" and "up and down" directions, respectively.

A hand drying device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device for drying wet hands (fingers) after washing, and is installed, for example, near a washstand in a washroom. The hand dryer 1 includes a synthetic resin outer case 2 that covers the outer peripheral surface of the device main body 1A (see FIG. 2). The outer case 2 includes a cover member 2A that covers the upper portion of the device main body 1A It is composed of a main body case 2B that covers portions other than the upper part of the apparatus main body 1A, and the cover member 2A is integrally attached to the upper part of the main body case 1B.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an insertion opening 3 is formed in the central portion of the cover member 2A for inserting the hand after washing into a drying chamber 4 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. The insertion port 3 is inclined obliquely from the front side (front side) to the back side (back side) while the opening area is narrowed toward the drying chamber 4 in a funnel shape. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a detachable water receiving tray 5 is installed at the lower end of the outer case 2 .

By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer case 2 includes the drying chamber 4 arranged below the insertion opening 3 for drying the hand inserted through the insertion opening 3, and the water receiving tray 5. , an exhaust duct 6 as an exhaust passage extending downward from the drying chamber 4 and communicating with the water receiving tray 5, a blower motor 7 connected to the exhaust duct 6 via the water receiving tray 5, and the blower motor 7 discharging air. An air compression chamber 8 for compressing air, a circulation passage 11 for returning the air compressed in the air compression chamber 8 to air outlets 9 and 10 opening to the drying chamber 4, and a plate as a first filter member. A filter 12 and a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) 13 as a second filter member are accommodated.

The drying chamber 4 forms a funnel-shaped rectangular space with an opening area narrowed downward. Here, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the entire circumference of the drying chamber 4 is constituted by an inner wall 4a and an outer wall 4b that constitute a rectangular frame-shaped inner and outer double wall. 4b, the return passage 11 configured as a rectangular cylindrical space is formed. Therefore, the return passage 11 is formed over the entire circumference (four circumferences) of the drying chamber 4 and has a rectangular tubular shape of a rectangular ring in plan view. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a part of the outer wall 4b on the front side of the inner and outer double walls constituting the return passage 11 is formed with a recess 4b1 recessed toward the rear side. A space S is formed between the outer case 2 (main body case 2B). The size (capacity) of the drying chamber 4 is such that the hand inserted therein can be rotated horizontally with the hand extended.

From the rear side of the drying chamber 4, the exhaust duct 6 extends vertically downward straight without bending toward the water receiving tray 5, and its lower end opens above the water receiving tray 5. . In the space near the front side (front side) in the outer case 2, the blower motor (blower driven by the motor) 7 as air blowing means is arranged in a state of being housed in a motor case 7A. 7 (between the water receiving tray 5 and the blower motor 7 in the direction of air flow), the pre-filter 12 is arranged. Between the water receiving tray 5 and the pre-filter 12, a partition plate 14 made of a grid-shaped plate member is interposed, and between the pre-filter 12 and the motor case 7A, a mesh-shaped A partition plate 15 is interposed. Here, the mesh size of one partition plate 15 is set to be much smaller than the grid size of the other partition plate 14 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the HEPA filter 13 is arranged on the discharge side (upper side) of the blower motor 7, and the air compression chamber 8 is formed above the HEPA filter 13. As shown in FIG. That is, the HEPA filter 13 is arranged between the blower motor 7 and the air compression chamber 8 in the air flow direction, and the air compression chamber 8 is connected to the lower end of the return passage 11 .

By the way, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of plural Air outlets 9 and 10 are open respectively. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear air outlet 10 formed on the slope of the inner wall 4a opens at a position higher than the front air outlet 9 formed on the vertical surface of the inner wall 4a. These air outlets 9 and 10 open toward a point P near the center of the upper portion of the drying chamber 4, respectively. Point P is set at a position corresponding to the crotch of the hand inserted in the drying chamber 4 .

Here, FIG. 4 (a view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2) shows a state in which the air outlets 9 on the front side (front side) are viewed from the inside of the drying chamber 4. Four slits are arranged on each side of the drying chamber 4 so as to correspond to the inter-finger portions Y of the left and right hands H inserted into the drying chamber 4 and are spaced apart from each other. It should be noted that the left and right hands H shown in FIG. 4 are shown conceptually for explaining the positional relationship with the air outlet 9, and do not show the actual state.

By the way, in the present embodiment, each air outlet 9 is formed as a laterally elongated rectangular slit, but a circular hole 9a shown in FIG. It may be formed as an elongated slit 9b. Here, the shape and number of each air outlet 9 are not limited to those shown in the present embodiment, and are arbitrary.

Although only the shape and arrangement of one (front) air outlet 9 have been described above, the shape and arrangement of the other (rear) air outlet 10 are the same as those of the one air outlet 9. Therefore, description and illustration thereof are omitted.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the circulation passage 11 formed on the outer periphery of the drying chamber 4 is located at the center of the left and right portions (upper and lower portions in FIG. 3) of the circulation passage 11 in the front-rear direction. A partition wall 16 that is long in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 3) divides the space into a front region 11F and a rear region 11B. A plurality of front air outlets 9 are opened in a front region 11F of the return passage 11, and a plurality of rear air outlets 10 are opened in a rear region 11B.

Therefore, in the hand dryer 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. An optical sensor (detection means) 17 is installed to detect the light. The optical sensor 17 has a light projecting part (not shown) arranged on one of the left and right sides of the insertion slot 3 and a light receiving part (not shown) arranged on the other side. This is called a photointerrupter that detects the insertion of a hand when the light receiving portion does not detect light. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the optical sensor 17 is arranged above a straight line L indicated by a dashed line connecting the centers of the front and rear air outlets 9 and 10 . Therefore, the optical sensor 17 can detect the hand before it is inserted into the drying chamber 4 . The optical sensor 17 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the insertion slot 3, or may be provided on only one side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an LED lamp 18 is installed on the upper front side of the drying chamber 4 to illuminate the inside of the drying chamber 4 by lighting while the hand dryer 1 is in operation. The LED lamp 18 is configured by arranging a plurality of LED light sources in a straight line at appropriate intervals along the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2) in the drying chamber 4. It is covered by the sidewalls of the slot 3 constructed as part of 2A. For this reason, the LED lamp 18 cannot be directly seen from above the insertion port 3, and the light emitted from the LED lamp 18 does not come into direct contact with the eyes of the user of the hand dryer 1. Indirect lighting that is friendly to the appearance can be used for the entire lighting of the . The color of the light emitted from the LED lamp 18 may be white, red, or the like, in addition to blue, but a sterilizing effect can be obtained by using blue in particular.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a space S formed between a recess 4b1 formed in a portion of the outer wall 4b forming a part of the drying chamber 4 and the outer case 2 includes a control board. Means 19 are arranged. By arranging the control means 19 by making effective use of the space S in this way, the size and size of the hand dryer 1 can be reduced.

Here, the system configuration of the hand dryer 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. Also, the optical sensor 17, the blower motor 7 and the LED lamp 18 are electrically connected. When a signal indicating that a hand has been inserted into the drying chamber 4 is input from the optical sensor 17, the control means 19 drives the blower motor 7 and lights the LED lamp 18, the details of which will be described later. .

The hand dryer 1 configured as described above is arranged so that the upper portion of the outer case 2 (insertion port 3 and its surroundings) is at the height of the waist of the user. is attached to a wall surface of a washroom or the like, and its operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing circulation of air in the main body of the hand dryer, and FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the hand dryer.

First, it is determined whether or not the user's hand has been inserted into the drying chamber 4 through the insertion port 3 opened on the upper surface of the hand dryer 1, that is, whether or not the optical sensor 17 has detected the hand (FIG. 8). step S1). In this case, since the optical sensor 17 is arranged in the insertion port 3, when the tip of the user's hand is detected by the optical sensor 17 before the user's hand is inserted into the drying chamber 4, the optical sensor 17 , sends a detection signal to the control means 19 .

When the insertion of the user's hand into the drying chamber 4 is detected by the optical sensor 17 (step S1: Yes), the control means 19 starts driving the blower motor 7 and lights the LED lamp 18 (step S2 ). When the blower motor 7 was driven, the air discharged from the blower motor 7 passed through the HEPA filter 13 and flowed into the air compression chamber 8 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. Air is compressed in the air compression chamber 8 to increase its pressure. As shown in FIG. 7, the air compressed in the air compression chamber 8 flows into the recirculation passage 11 and flows upward through the recirculation passage 11 toward the front and rear air outlets 9 and 10 .

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the return passage 11 is partitioned into a front region 11F and a rear region 11B by the partition wall 16, so that the air flowing from the air compression chamber 8 into the return passage 11 is distributed evenly. and divided into front side area 11F and rear side area 11B, and flows through front side area 11F and rear side area 11B, respectively, from front side air outlet 9 and rear side air outlet 10 to point P in drying chamber 4 The front and back surfaces of the user's hands inserted into the drying chamber 4 are dried.

Since the circulation passage 11 is formed over the entire outer periphery of the drying chamber 4 as described above, the flow passage area is larger than that of the conventional art, and the circulation passage 11 is enlarged in the middle. Since it extends substantially straight toward the air outlets 9 and 10 without bending, the flow resistance of the air flowing through the recirculation passage 11 is kept small. Therefore, the flow rate and flow velocity of the air flowing through the front region 11F and the rear region 11B, which are divided into two parts of the return passage 11, are increased. Increases flow velocity. As a result, the water droplets adhering to the front and back of the user's hands inserted into the drying chamber 4 are effectively blown off by the high-speed air flow, and the front and back of the hands are dried efficiently and simultaneously. In addition, since the air flows smoothly through the substantially straight return passage 11 without resistance and no turbulence or vortex is generated in the return passage 11, the generation of noise associated with the air flow is suppressed. The noise reduction during operation is realized.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the air divided in two in the return passage 11 is evenly distributed and flows through the front region 11F and the rear region 11B toward the air outlets 9 and 10, respectively. The amount and flow rate of the air blown out from 9 and 10 are also made uniform, and unevenness in the flow rate and flow rate is prevented, and the front and back surfaces of the hands are dried almost simultaneously and efficiently.

Further, in the present embodiment, air is blown out from the air outlets 9 and 10 toward the point P (see FIG. 7) of the drying chamber 4, and the point P is assumed to be between the fingers of the hand as described above. Therefore, the air is intensively blown to the part between the fingers of the hand, where water droplets tend to remain, and the entire hand is dried uniformly and at the same time. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the air outlets 9 and 10 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 4) are arranged at positions corresponding to the finger joints of the hand. The air blown out from the blowout ports 9 and 10 is intensively blown to each of the inter-finger portions Y of both hands H as indicated by arrows in FIG. Therefore, the inter-finger portion Y of the hand H where water droplets tend to remain is dried more effectively.

The air (exhaust air) used for drying the user's hands as described above flows downward in the drying chamber 4 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. is constricted downward, the flow velocity of the air flowing through the drying chamber 4 is gradually increased. The air (exhaust air) flows from the drying chamber 4 into the exhaust duct 6 and flows downward through the exhaust duct 6 toward the water receiving tray 5. As described above, the exhaust duct 6 is directed downward. Since the exhaust duct 6 extends straight, the air (exhaust air) flows smoothly toward the water receiving tray 5. - 特許庁For this reason, the flow resistance of the air (exhaust air) is suppressed to be small, the flow rate and flow velocity of the air are increased, and the generation of noise accompanying the turbulence of the air flow is suppressed, so that the hand dryer 1 is quiet during operation. is planned.

Water droplets contained in the air (exhaust air) that has flowed from the exhaust duct 6 to the water receiving tray 5 are separated from the air due to the difference in specific gravity from the air and fall to the water receiving tray 5. stored in When the water receiving tray 5 is filled with water, the water receiving tray 5 can be pulled forward to remove it from the apparatus main body 1A, and the water accumulated in the water receiving tray 5 can be discarded. can.

The air from which water droplets have been removed in the water receiving tray 5 passes through the pre-filter 12 and is purified, then sucked into the blower motor 7, and is discharged after being pressurized by the blower motor 7. After that, the same operation as described above is performed. Repeatedly, the hands inserted into the drying chamber 4 are continuously dried by the air blown out from the air outlets 9 and 10, respectively.

Therefore, in the hand dryer 1 according to the present embodiment, as indicated by arrows in FIG. , the circulation passage 11, and the air outlets 9 and 10 in this order, an air circulation flow is formed in the apparatus main body 1A. As described above, in the hand dryer 1 according to the present embodiment, the closed loop system is adopted as the air flow system, and the air (exhaust air) used for drying the hands is discharged outside the device main body 1A. Therefore, there is no problem that germs contained in water droplets adhering to the hands are discharged out of the device main body 1A together with the air to contaminate the surrounding environment.

In addition, the air circulating inside the apparatus main body 1A is purified by passing through the pre-filter 12 and the HEPA filter 13, and fine particles such as dust and other germs contained therein are removed. Keeps hands dry and hygienic.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the mesh-shaped partition plate 15 is interposed between the pre-filter 12 and the motor case 7A, the noise caused by the air flowing through the pre-filter 12 and the motor case 7A is suppressed by the partition plate 15. . Although not shown, by wrapping sound absorbing material around the outer periphery of the drying chamber 4 and the exhaust duct 6, the noise caused by the air flow can be suppressed to a low level.

By the way, in step 2 shown in FIG. 8, when the blower motor 7 is driven and the LED lamp 18 is turned on, the inside of the drying chamber 4 is indirectly illuminated by the light emitted from the LED lamp 18. In particular, when blue light is emitted from the LED lamp 18, the inside of the drying chamber 4 can be sterilized by the sterilizing action of ultraviolet rays. Here, since the optical sensor 17 is installed in the insertion port 3 above the drying chamber 4 , when the tip of the hand inserted into the drying chamber 4 is detected by the optical sensor 17 , Since the blower motor 7 is driven and the air is blown out from the air outlets 9 and 10 before the whole hand is inserted, the hand is quickly dried without time lag.

After that, it is determined whether or not the optical sensor 17 has detected that the user's hands have been pulled out of the drying chamber 4 after the drying of the hands is completed (step S3). When the user pulls out the hand from the drying chamber 4, the optical sensor 17 is pulled out of the drying chamber 4 because the light-receiving part of the optical sensor 17 receives the light emitted from the light-emitting part. This is detected and the signal is sent to the control means 19 . That is, when the optical sensor 17 detects that the hand is pulled out of the drying chamber 4 (step S3: Yes), the control means 19 stops driving the blower motor 7 and turns off the LED lamp 18 (step S4). is completed (step S5).

Then, the circulation of air in the main body 1A of the apparatus is stopped, the blowing of air from the air outlets 9 and 10 is also stopped, and the indirect lighting of the drying chamber 4 by the LED lamp 18 is also stopped. Here, since the optical sensor 17 is installed in the insertion port 3 above the drying chamber 4, even after the hand is pulled out from the drying chamber 4, the tip of the hand passes the optical sensor 17. For a short period of time, the blower motor 7 is driven to continue drying the hands, and the LED lamp 18 continues to light. Therefore, the blowing of air from the air outlets 9 and 10 is not finished before the hand is completely pulled out of the drying chamber 4, and the illumination of the drying chamber 4 by the LED lamp 18 is not finished. is made necessary and sufficient, and convenience for the user is enhanced.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG.

9 is a side cross-sectional view of a hand dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. The same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

In the hand dryer 1-2 according to the present embodiment, a pair of air outlets 21 and 22 opening into the drying chamber 4 are formed on the left and right sides of the inner wall 4a of the drying chamber 4 (top and bottom in FIG. 10). The circulation passage 11 formed on the outer circumference of the drying chamber 4 is divided into partition walls that are elongated in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 10) provided in the center of the front and rear portions of the circulation passage 11 (left and right portions in FIG. 10) in the left-right direction. 23 divides into a left area 11L and a right area 11R. A left air outlet 21 opens in the left region 11L of the return passage 11, and a right air outlet 22 opens in the right region 11R. The rest of the configuration of the hand dryer 1-2 according to the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the hand dryer 1 according to the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

Also in this embodiment, when the optical sensor 17 detects that a hand is inserted into the drying chamber 4, the blower motor 7 is driven, the LED lamp 18 is lit, and the main body 1A of the apparatus has a A circulating flow of air as shown in FIG. 7 is generated, and the air blown into the drying chamber 4 from a plurality of air outlets 21 and 22 opening on the left and right sides of the drying chamber 4 causes the hands to be exposed to the air in the first embodiment. Dry in the same way. Here, in the present embodiment, since the return passage 11 is divided into the left region 11L and the right region 11R by the partition wall 23, the air flowing from the air compression chamber 8 into the return passage 11 is evenly divided into two. The air is distributed to the left area 11L and the right area 11R, flows through the left area 11L and the right area 11R, and is blown out from the left air outlet 21 and the right air outlet 22 into the drying chamber 4. provided for drying the user's hands inserted into the

Therefore, in the present embodiment as well, the same effect as obtained in the first embodiment can be obtained. It is possible to efficiently dry the hands of a person and to realize a quiet operation of the hand dryer 1. - 特許庁

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a hand dryer according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a rear view. . In the same figure, the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

In the hand dryer 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the circulation passage 11 formed around the drying chamber 4 is provided at a position covering the circumference from the upper end to the lower end of the drying chamber 4. On the other hand, in the hand dryer 1-3 according to the present embodiment, the reflux passage 11-3 formed around the drying chamber 4 is located at the upper end of the drying chamber 4 and its vicinity (height position), and is not provided around positions lower than the upper end of the drying chamber 4 and its vicinity. Further, the return passage 11-3 of the hand dryer 1-3 of the present embodiment includes a front fan duct 11-3F communicating with the front portion of the return passage 11-3 from the blower motor 7, and a return passage 11 from the blower motor 7. -2 has two air ducts of rear air duct 11-3B communicating with the rear part.

11, only one of the front side air duct 11-3F and the rear side air duct 11-3B is used as the air duct communicating from the blower motor 7 to the circulation passage 11-3, although illustration is omitted. may be provided. By adopting such a configuration, the hand dryer can further reduce the labor required for cleaning and maintenance.

The application of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical ideas described in the scope of claims, the specification, and the drawings.

For example, in the above embodiment, the partition wall 16 or 23 is provided in the return passage 11, but the partition wall 16 or 23 may be omitted. Alternatively, when partition walls are provided in the circulation passage 11, their installation positions and number are not limited to those shown in the above embodiment, and other positions and numbers can be provided. For example, partition walls may be provided at one location or at three or more locations in the return passage 11, and the positions of the partition walls in that case can be set at arbitrary positions in the return passage 11. .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the shape (plan view shape) of the inner wall 4a and the outer wall 4b of the drying chamber 4 when viewed from above is a horizontally long rectangular shape (rectangular shape). And the shape of the outer wall 4b viewed from above may be an elliptical shape or other shape.

Claims (9)

an insertion opening for inserting a washed hand into the apparatus main body, which is opened in the upper part of the apparatus main body;
a drying chamber disposed below the insertion port for drying the hand inserted through the insertion port;
a water receiving tray arranged at the lower end of the device main body;
an exhaust passage extending downward from the drying chamber and communicating with the water receiving tray;
a blower motor connected to the exhaust passage through the water receiving tray;
an air compression chamber for compressing air discharged from the blower motor;
a recirculation passage for recirculating the air compressed in the air compression chamber to an air outlet opening to the drying chamber;
The air circulation flow in which the air blown out from the air outlet to the drying chamber circulates through the exhaust passage, the water receiving tray, the blower motor, the air compression chamber, the recirculation passage, and the air outlet in this order. A hand drying device formed within the device body,
The return passage is formed in a tubular shape of a ring in a plan view so as to have a ring-shaped flow passage cross section along the entire circumference of the drying chamber. drying equipment. 2. A hand drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drying chamber has an inner and outer double wall around the entire periphery thereof, and a space formed between the inner and outer double walls serves as the circulation passage. 3. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein a part of the outer wall on the front side of the inner and outer double walls is formed with a recess recessed toward the back side. The hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the exhaust passage extends vertically downward straight from the drying chamber toward the water receiving tray. A pair of said air outlets are provided in front and rear or left and right of said drying chamber, and said circulation passage is partitioned by a pair of partition walls arranged in front and behind or left and right. 5. A hand dryer according to any one of 4. 6. The air outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air outlet is composed of a plurality of slits or circular holes opening toward a plurality of finger-to-finger portions of the hand inserted in the drying chamber. The hand drying device of claim 1. The hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a first filter member is arranged between the water receiving tray and the blower motor in the direction of air flow. The hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a second filter member is arranged between the blower motor and the air compression chamber in the direction of air flow. Control means for driving and controlling the blower motor, and detection means for detecting insertion of a hand into the drying chamber,
The detection means is installed in the insertion port,
The hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control means starts driving the blower motor when the detection means detects the tip of the hand.

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