KR20210117878A - Drying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drying apparatus comprising: a body; a bar movable with respect to the body; an air chip ball; a flow generator for receiving intake air from an air inlet and generating an air flow; and a bar air outlet on the bar for discharging the air flow from the flow generator. A bar direction mechanism is operative to adjust the direction of the bar. An objective of the present invention is to more efficiently dry hairs of the head in a human body.

Description

Drying apparatus

The present disclosure relates to a drying apparatus and a drying method, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an apparatus for drying a person or part of a person.

In this specification to which a document, act, or item of knowledge is referenced and discussed, it is clear that the reference or discussion indicates that the document, act, or item of knowledge or a combination thereof was publicly available, known, and common at the priority date. It is not an admission that it is part of or is otherwise known to constitute prior art in accordance with applicable law or to an attempt to solve the problems associated with this specification.

A regular shower or bath is a common activity in modern society. In many cultures, shower tubs are used daily. For example, if you do some form of exercise during the day, you may want to wash more than once a day.

A person may get wet as a result of a shower or because of sweating. Drying of this moisture is very important for human health to prevent the growth of bacteria or mold on the person.

Given the right environment, such moisture can evaporate on its own, but for convenience and comfort, most people wash themselves or wipe themselves after exercise. Wiping with a towel is a good way to remove moisture from a person, but to effectively prevent bacteria and mold - especially around the feet - drying can take time and such areas can dry inappropriately. Towel drying your hair can be annoying and complicated, especially for people with long hair.

Aside from the issue of using towels to dry people as much as they want, the number and frequency of towels used means that towels make up a significant portion of the total laundry. This is especially true when towels are used only once, such as in gyms, sports clubs and hotels.

Washing of towels is energy intensive, and consumption of clean water is also problematic from an environmental point of view. The depletion of freshwater resources is known to be a widespread problem in many parts of the world. The number of towels washed and how often they are washed in general consumes a significant amount of water resources.

Additionally, the drying apparatus described herein may be operated in a humid environment such as a bathroom or shower booth. Additionally, moisture may splash on the dryer while the user is drying himself/herself. In addition, the dryer and/or the bathroom and/or shower may become wet during use. Stagnant dirty water can cause unpleasant odors and can lead to the growth of bacteria that pose a health risk.

In order to solve this problem, a body dryer such as Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0948030 (Prior Document 1) and Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1749344 (Prior Document 2) has been provided. These body dryers supply air to dry the user's body toward the user's feet or lower body when the user stands on the footrest to remove moisture from the body without using a towel. However, these prior arts 1 and 2 have a problem in that they cannot provide drying for the user's entire body.

To overcome this, Republic of Korea Registered Utility Model No. 20-0232774 (Prior Document 3) was proposed. Here, a space in which the entire body of the user is accommodated is provided, and drying is performed by spraying high-temperature air to all parts of the body. However, here, air is provided to the entire body of the user, and air for drying is provided without distinction between the wet and dry parts of the user's body. There is a problem of

On the other hand, in general, the hair part of the head of the human body contains the most moisture after a shower or bath. Therefore, most people dry their hair with a separate hair dryer.

It is intended to solve or improve one or more of the above-mentioned problems by providing a drying system that at least provides the public with a useful alternative.

(0010) Although certain aspects of prior art have been discussed for ease of description, Applicant in no way disclaims these technical aspects, and the claimed invention may include or have one or more existing technical aspects discussed herein. It is considered that there is

The present disclosure seeks to address one or more of the above-mentioned problems by providing devices and methods that not only improve health and hygiene, but also have a positive impact on the environment. For example, the devices and methods of the present disclosure provide efficient and effective drying of a person or part of a person, thereby reducing or eliminating reliance on towels.

In particular, the present disclosure is intended to more efficiently dry the hair of the head in the human body.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the claimed invention includes any and all combinations of features, configurations and/or steps described herein, and is not limited to those features, configurations and/or steps as set forth in the appended claims. should be understood as including

The present disclosure relates to a body, a bar movable relative to the body, an air inlet, a flow generator for receiving intake air from the air inlet and generating an air flow, and a bar air outlet on the bar for discharging an air flow from the flow generator. A drying apparatus comprising a will be described. The bar direction mechanism is operable to adjust the direction of the bar.

As used herein, the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or both.

As used herein, "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/or singular form of the noun.

For the purposes of this specification, the term “plastic” should be interpreted to mean a general term for a broad range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products and includes hydrocarbon-based polymer(s).

For the purposes of this specification, when method steps are described in order, the order means that the steps must be arranged in that order over time, unless explicitly stated or otherwise logically stated to interpret the order. it is not doing

Many changes in the construction of the present invention and widely other embodiments and other applications may be suggested to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosure and description herein are purely exemplary and are not intended to be limiting in any sense.

Other aspects of embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The drying apparatus according to the present invention provides at least one or more of the following effects.

In the present invention, there is an air outlet around the edge of the drying surface of the body, and air for drying is also provided by the bar moving up and down along the body. It has the effect of being able to dry accurately.

In the present invention, the temperature of the forced air discharged from the body and the bar can be managed using a thermoelectric device. Accordingly, there is an effect that it is possible to properly dry by supplying a forced air flow at an appropriate temperature according to the moisture state of the user's body.

In addition, in the present invention, a bar direction mechanism is provided to adjust the direction in which the forced air flow is discharged by rotating the bar moving up and down with respect to the body of the drying apparatus about the horizontal axis, and the bar rotates with a vibration pattern to discharge the forced air flow. This makes it possible to provide an intensive forced air flow to the hair part. Therefore, it can have the effect of more easily drying the hair using a drying device.

In particular, using the information provided by the thermal sensor, the controller determines the humidity level for the hair, controls the bar direction mechanism, and at the same time manages the air to provide forced airflow, so that the hair part is dried more smoothly There is an effect that can be done.

In addition, in one embodiment, there is an effect that the hair can be dried by discharging the forced air flow from the upper part and the lower part of the user's head so as to be inclined downwardly and upwardly, respectively, using two bars.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a separate hair drying unit is placed on the upper end of the body, and the hair drying unit provides a forced airflow in which temperature and humidity are managed so that the user's hair can be dried so that the hair can be washed more conveniently. can be dried.

(0020) The objects and features of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and claims set forth below. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis is instead placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers are used to denote like parts throughout the drawings.
(0021) Preferred embodiments or aspects of the present invention are described by way of example only and reference is made to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .
3 is a front view showing the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG.
4 is a perspective view showing an upper region of the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an inner element of a part of the upper region of FIG. 4 ;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the airflow through the inner element of the upper region of Fig. 5;
7 shows the airflow through the inner element of the upper region from another direction;
8 is a view showing the connection between the flow generator and the first air outlet in the embodiment of the present invention.
9A is a view showing a connection between a flow generator and a first air outlet in another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 9B is a rear perspective view showing the connection between one of the flow generators of Fig. 9A and the first air outlet;
10 is a cross-sectional view of the first air outlet taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3 .
Fig. 11A is a perspective view of the drying apparatus of Fig. 1 with a bar in a first position;
Fig. 11B is a perspective view of the drying apparatus of Fig. 1 with a bar in a second position;
12A is a perspective view showing a driving device for a drying device in an embodiment of the present invention.
12B is an enlarged perspective view of area A of FIG. 12A.
Fig. 12C is a bottom view of Fig. 12B;
12D is an exploded perspective view showing the fixing mechanism of the bar of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a perspective view showing a drying apparatus including an additional bar in an embodiment of the present invention.
14A is a perspective view showing a drive device for a drying apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14B is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. 14A.
Fig. 14C is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the driving device of Figs. 14A to 14B;
15 is an upper perspective view showing a bar of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view showing the bar of FIG. 15 .
17 is a rear perspective view showing a bar of another embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a partial perspective view showing various internal parts of the bar of FIGS. 15 to 17 in an embodiment of the present invention;
19 is an exploded perspective view showing various parts of the bar of FIGS. 15 to 18 in an embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
21A and 21B are views showing a user being dried with a bar of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
22 is an exploded perspective view of the upper region of the drying apparatus showing the filter unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is disassembled.
23 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit of FIG. 22 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
24 is a front view showing an air inlet and an inlet path in the flow generator housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
25 is a partially exploded perspective view of the air inlet of FIG. 24 .
26 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
27 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
28 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 27 .
29 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
30A and 30B are views showing a part of the body showing that the bar is rotated in the embodiment of the present invention.
31A and 31B are views showing different rotational directions of the bar in the embodiment of the present invention.
32A through 32D are side views of a drying apparatus with varying airflow from the outlet of a bar of an embodiment of the present invention;
33A through 33F are views showing various airflow configurations coming out of the outlet of the bar of an embodiment of the present invention.
34 is a side view of a drying apparatus having a first bar and a second bar according to an embodiment of the present invention;
35 is a partial view of the body showing various internal components in an embodiment of the present invention;
36A and 36B are views showing another configuration of use of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
37 is a view showing a part of a drying apparatus having a correlation between different air flows in an embodiment of the present invention.
38A is a view showing a drying device used to dry a user's hair in an embodiment of the present invention.
38B is a view showing a drying device used to dry a user's hair in an embodiment of the present invention.
39 is a view showing two bars of a drying apparatus used to create a cyclone air flow in an embodiment of the present invention.
40A is a front view of a drying apparatus including a hair drying unit in an embodiment of the present invention.
40B is a side view of the drying apparatus of FIG. 40A.

(0071) One or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

(072) The drying apparatus according to the disclosure for various uses may be provided. In at least a primary application, the dryer may be a dryer for drying a person after a bath or shower. The dryer may be provided as a supplement to towel drying or as a substitute for towel drying in various preferred forms. By using the drying device as a body dryer, a person can be dried by one or more forced airflow of the drying device.

(0073) 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.

(0074) Referring to FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus 10 may include a body 100 and a bar 200 . Although the term 'bar' is used, 'bar' should not be construed as being limited to the shape of a bar, and may have various types of shapes according to design standards or intended results. The bar 200 may be driven with respect to the body 100 by a driving device, which will be described in more detail herein.

(0075) The drying device 10 may be sized to correspond to the dimensions of a human body. For example, in the configuration of the drying apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus 10 , and in particular the body 100 , is sized in proportion to the size of the human body to enable the transmission of forced air flow across the human body. can be

(0076) The forced air flow may be provided through the first air outlet 101 disposed along the edge of the body 100. The forced air flow may also be provided through the second air outlet 201 in the bar 200 . Unlike the first air outlet 101, which is fixed with respect to the body 100, the second air outlet 201 allows the bar 200 to provide a forced air flow to the body 100 to another part of the human body. ) moves along the longitudinal length L1.

(0077) The body 100 may define a drying side or a drying surface 14 adjacent to a part where the user is for drying by the drying device 10 . The drying surface 14 may generally define a surface or plane through which the forced air flow provided by the drying apparatus 10 through the first air outlet 101 and/or the second air outlet 201 is provided. can For example, FIG. 2 is a side view and FIG. 3 is a front view of the drying surface 14 .

(0078) For example, when the dryer 10 is provided within a confined space, such as a bathroom, it may be desirable for a minimal amount of space to be occupied by the dryer 10, and possibly, aesthetically. will be satisfied To this end, the portion including the drying surface 14 of the body 100 may be provided to protrude relatively less, as shown in the side view of FIG. 2 . This less protrusion can provide a slimmer shape.

(0079) In order to achieve such a slim shape, the bulky internal components of at least a part of the body are made of the body 100 so as not to prevent the part having the drying surface 14 from protruding less. It may be disposed on the side of the upper region (around the air inlet 102 shown in FIG. 2 ). The upper region of the body 100 may be located at or above the user's head. The upper region may include bulky elements such as flow generators, thermoelectric devices, flow guides, and the like. In another embodiment, the internal components of the body 100 may be disposed toward the lower region of the body 100 while being provided in the upper region of the body to have a minimized depth.

(0080) FIG. 4 is a detailed view of an exemplary upper region of the body 100. As shown in FIG. In particular, in FIG. 4 , the front cover of the upper region has been removed to expose the outlet of one of the two flow guides 116 adjacent to the filter unit 104 . The other air flow guide 116 is not visible in FIG. 4 , but may be disposed on the other side of FIG. 4 . The filter unit 104 opposes and/or cooperates with the flow guide 116 and is disposed in a space in the center of the body. The filter unit 104 may be replaceable or non-replaceable. The front cover (not shown in Fig. 4) can be removed to replace the old filter unit 104 with a new filter unit. FIG. 5 shows that the overlay has been removed to expose some internal components of the upper region of the body 100 shown in FIG. 4 .

(0081) Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together, the upper region of the body 100 includes a pair of flow generators 110, a pair of flow guides 116, and a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 (this device is, (including, for example, a thermoelectric module, thermoelectric cooler, or other suitable device), a pair of air inlets 102 , the filter unit 104 , and a flow generator housing 103 surrounding the internal components. can do. One embodiment uses a thermoelectric device, a device that uses a thermoelectric effect such as the Peltier effect, while another embodiment uses a pump, compressor, and evaporator, resistance heating element, combustion or other chemical reaction to control temperature. This may include an air management or heat pump system. However, other types of air management devices may be used. According to one aspect, the upper region may be considered as an air management system of the body 100 .

In the illustrated embodiment (0082), a pair of flow generators 110 is used. In other embodiments, only one flow generator or a large number of flow generators may be used. The flow generator may be an axial fan or the like. Embodiments including multiple flow generators may cooperate to create a uniform airflow into the body 100 . Embodiments may also include generating independent airflow into the body 100 to vary the intensity of the airflow in various portions of the body 100 . In the present embodiment, external air may be received into the flow generator housing 103 by the operation of the pair of flow generators 110 through the pair of air inlets 102 . The pair of air inlets 102 provide an inlet point for external air to the body 100 .

(0083) As shown in FIG. 5, each flow generator 110 has its own air inlet 102, respectively. However, a single inlet 102 may be used with the pair of flow generators 110 . Alternatively, two or more air inlets may be used with the pair of flow generators.

(0084) The air entering the air inlet (102) is guided by the respective flow guides (116) positioned between the air inlet (102) and the filter unit (104). In this embodiment, each flow guide 116 has an outlet air flow path 105 ( 7) can be partially defined. More details of the flow path including the outlet air flow path 105 will be described in conjunction with the description of FIGS. 6 and 7 .

(0085) Since the present embodiment has been described as including a pair of flow guides 116 , the following description of one flow guide 116 also reflects the other flow guides of the pair of flow guides 116 . To this end, each flow guide 116 may have a curved shape as shown in FIG. 5 . One end of each flow guide 116 is connected to each air inlet 102 , and the other end is opened upstream of the filter unit 104 . The body of each flow guide 106 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 flow generator 110 .

(0086) Thus, each flow guide 116 forms a flow path between each air inlet 102 and the upstream portion of the filter unit 104 . In addition, each flow guide 116 forms, at least in part, a wall of a flow path between the downstream side of the filter unit 104 and each flow generator 110 . In this configuration, each of the flow guides 116 is capable of passing the air entering through the respective air inlets 102 and delivering the air to the filter unit 104 . The air passing through the filter unit 104 may flow to the outlet air flow path 105 through which the flow generator 110 sends air to the first air outlet 101 .

(0087) In the above configuration, each flow guide 116 may function to separate between the inlet side and the outlet side of the filter unit 104 . Each flow guide 116 may function to separate the air entering from the air inlet 102 from the purified air flowing toward the flow generator 110 .

(0088) In an alternative configuration, the flow guide 116 may not have both a function of guiding intake air to the filter unit and a function of guiding purified air between the flow generator and the filter unit outlet. For example, the air inlet 102 , the flow guide 116 , the filter unit 104 , and the flow generator 110 may be installed in a line or sequentially adjacent to each other. Here, each flow guide 116 can only transmit air between the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104 .

(0089) A pair of thermoelectric devices 117 may be included in the 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 alternative embodiments, other types of known thermal elements may be employed, such as heaters, coolers, or combinations thereof. 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 another embodiment, a resistive heater may be used to provide heating of the air.

(0090) In this embodiment, there is a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 . Accordingly, the following description is for one thermoelectric device 117, and the other thermoelectric devices are the same. To this end, each thermoelectric device 117 has a first surface 118 and a second surface 119 . Depending on the direction of the current supplied to the thermoelectric device 117, one surface may be cooled or heated while the other surface may be heated or cooled, respectively. For example, when the first surface (ie, the outer surface) 118 is heated, the second surface (ie, the inner surface) 119 is heated. Conversely, when the first surface 118 is heated, the second surface 119 is cooled.

(0091) Each thermoelectric device 117 can heat or cool the air in the outlet air flow path 105 (see FIG. 7) passed through the filter unit 104. To facilitate this, the second surface 119 of the thermoelectric device 117 may be exposed to the outlet air flow path 105 . According to the operation mode of the thermoelectric device 117 , the second surface 119 may heat or cool the air passing through the outlet air flow path 105 . The heated or cooled air may be sucked into each flow generator 110 .

(0092) The processor may control the direction of the current flowing to the thermoelectric device 117 . For example, a voltage source connected to the thermoelectric device 117 may be connected to an analog-to-digital converter (A/D). The A/D converter may be adapted to generate a positive or negative value for controlling the voltage so that the current is applied to the thermoelectric device 117 . In another embodiment, the A/D converter may have a half of its output value corresponding to a negative current and a half corresponding to a positive current.

(0093) The exhaust port 130 may be located in the upper region of the body 100 when the thermoelectric device 117 is used in the drying device. 5 shows a pair of exhaust ports 130 associated with a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 included in the upper region of the body 100 . Each exhaust port 130 may be connected to one first surface 118 of each of the thermoelectric devices 117 . One or more vents 130 may be located in the upper region of the body.

(0094) When the thermoelectric device 117 operates as a heater, cold exhaust air may be discharged to the outside of the drying device 10 by the respective exhaust ports 130 . When the thermoelectric device 117 operates as a cooler, warm exhaust air may be discharged by the exhaust port 130 .

(0095) FIG. 6 shows an air flow passing through a portion of the upper region of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is another illustration of the airflow through a portion of the upper region of the body 100 . Since the air flow passing through the components of the upper region of the body 100 is similar to that of the other flow generators 110, one flow generator 110 will be described.

(0096) This embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 . When the flow generator 110 is operated, as indicated by the air flow arrows 106 and 107 in FIG. 7 , air is sucked in through the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104 through the flow guide 116 . arrives at the front of The purified air is discharged through the sides of the filter unit (104).

(0097) The purified air, after exiting the filter unit 104, reaches the outlet air flow path 105 as indicated by the air flow arrow 108 in FIG. The purified air may be heated or cooled by the thermoelectric device 117 in the outlet air flow path 105 . Air from the thermoelectric device 117 may be exhausted through the outlet 130 as described above, and as indicated by the airflow arrow 131 . As indicated by the air flow arrow 108, heated or cooled air is sucked down by the flow generator 110 and pressurized by the flow generator 110, as indicated by the air flow arrow 109 in FIG. As shown, it goes to the first air outlet 101 .

(0098) The configuration of the air management system of the body 100 has been described above. The drying apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration may discharge cold or warm air in order to control the state of the space in which the drying apparatus is installed. The space may be a bathroom. During hot days, the dryer 10 can cool the bathroom. During cold days, the drying device 10 can warm the bathroom. The drying device may also use the air management system described herein to dry the user. For example, cold air or warm air pressurized by the flow generator 110 is supplied to the first air outlet 101 along the edge of the body from the drying surface 14 (see FIGS. 1-3). can be emitted by The user on the drying surface can be dried by the exhausted cold air or warm air.

(0099) FIG. 8 is a view showing a connection between the flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in (00100), the flow generator 110 provides an air flow to the duct 121 . The duct 121 guides the combined forced air flow through the common opening 125 to the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 . In this embodiment, the resistance heater 120 is disposed in the cavity opening 125 to further heat the forced air flow. This configuration can be used when the forced air flow heated from the flow generator 110 needs to be further heated before going to the air outlet 101 . For example, this configuration can be used when rapid heating of the bathroom is required or when additional heated forced airflow is required during drying of the user.

(00101) Although a resistive heater is shown in FIG. 8, any other suitable thermal element may be used. In other embodiments, the thermal element may be used to selectively heat or cool the airflow flowing out of the cavity opening 125 .

(0102) FIG. 9A shows the connection between the flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 in an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 , the outlet of each flow generator 110 is directly connected to the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 according to an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 9A . The first air outlet 101 includes an air opening 128 on the upper side of the first air outlet 101 . Each air opening 128 is directly connected to a respective outlet of one of the flow generators 110 . By having the outlet of each flow generator 110 directly connected to the first air outlet of the body 100 , the connection structure can be simplified and the forced air flow is directed to the first air outlet 101 . can be moved.

(0103) In this embodiment, the forced air flow may be stronger than the forced air flow shown in FIG. 8 . This is because in the forced air flow of FIG. 8, the vertical forced air flow of each flow generator flows in the horizontal direction by the duct 121 and collides with each other to form a single forced air flow. Then, the duct 121 allows the single forced air flow to flow vertically downward to the first air outlet 101 . In contrast, in the embodiment of FIG. 9A , the forced air flow of each flow generator directly flows vertically downward to the first air outlet 101 .

(0104) FIG. 9B is a rear perspective view showing the connection between one of the flow generators and the first air outlet of FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 9B , in this configuration, the flow generator 110 includes a fan assembly 1101 and a conduit 1102 . The fan assembly may be an axial fan or the like. More preferably, the fan assembly includes a high-speed motor capable of sucking in and discharging air at high speed. ^{For example, the fan assembly may include a smart inverter motor (Smart Inverter Motor TM} ) of LG Electronics of Korea that can operate up to 115,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). A similar fan assembly may be used.

(0105) The fan assembly 1101 is connected to a conduit 1102, which may be a cylindrical tube connected to the first air outlet 101. However, it goes without saying that the conduit 1102 is not limited to a cylindrical tube, and other configurations may be used, such as an elliptical tube, a square tube, a rectangular tube, and the like. The conduit 1102 includes air sucked in by the fan assembly 1101 within the range of the conduit 1102, and when the speed of the forced air flow cannot be maintained, the speed of the forced air flow discharged is measured by the fan assembly 1101. is increased by Accordingly, a relatively high velocity forced air flow is introduced into the first air outlet 101 .

(0106) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3 further showing the first air outlet 101 of the body of the embodiment of the present invention. As partially illustrated, the first air outlet 101 is disposed along an edge of at least a portion of the body 100 . In this embodiment, the first air outlet 101 actually follows the shape of the edge of the drying surface 14 of the body 100 (see FIG. 3 ). However, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the air outlet 101 may take on any one of a number of different configurations. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the first air outlet 101 has a plurality of slits positioned vertically and/or horizontally across the drying surface 14 (see, eg, FIG. 40 ). can be composed of

(0107) Referring back to FIG. 10 , the first air outlet 101 according to the present embodiment includes a duct 122 , a vent 126 , and a pin 127 . The duct 122 receives the forced air flow from the upper region of the body 100 and transmits the forced air flow along the edge of the body 100 .

(0108) The duct 122 extends along the edge of the body 100 and is in a vent 126 viewable from the drying face 14 of the body 100 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Connected. The forced air flow exits the body 100 through the vent 126 . The pin 127 may be disposed in the vent 126 extending along the edge of the body 100 and divides the space formed by the vent 126 into two. The pin 127 may help guide the forced air flow out of the vent 126 . In this embodiment, the pin 127 is fixed to the vent 126 and guides the forced air flow outward and straight in one direction.

(0109) In an alternative embodiment, the pin may be adjusted to move left or right to guide the forced airflow exiting the body 100 in a left or right direction, as desired. For example, the pin on the left side of the body 100 can move in the right direction so that at least a portion of the forced air flow can converge inward toward the center with respect to the body 100 , and the right side of the body 100 . The pin on the left can be moved in the left direction. Conversely, the pin on the left side of the body 100 can move in the left direction so that at least a part of the forced air flow branches outward from the center with respect to the body 100 , and the pin on the right side of the body 100 is can move to the right.

(0110) So far, the body 100 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described. The drying device 10 may include a bar 200 capable of providing a forced air flow. The bar 200 is movable relative to the body 100 , as mentioned above.

(0111) Figures 11A and 11B show the bar 200 in two separate driving positions along the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(0112) The bar 200 may be driven by a driving device to be described later to move along the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 . The moving range of the bar 200 may be fixed to match the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 or, alternatively, may be adjusted to more closely match the height of a specific user. That is, when the user is positioned adjacent to the drying surface 14 in the drying device 10 , the user's required length (eg, key) is reduced by the movement of the bar 200 to the second air. The outlet 201 may be covered by airflow for drying. For example, the bar 200 may move from the upper position shown in FIG. 11A to the lower position shown in FIG. 11B while discharging the forced air flow from the second air outlet 201 (repeat if desired). Thus), the distance moving between the positions of the bar 200 in FIGS. 11A and 11B may correspond to the height of the user.

(0113) FIG. 12A is a view showing a driving device of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12B is an enlarged view of the driving device shown in section A of Fig. 12A. Fig. 12C is a bottom perspective view of the driving device shown in Fig. 12B, and Fig. 12D is a view showing an exemplary fixing mechanism 210 of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(0114) Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B , the driving device 11 drives the bar 200 with respect to the body 100 . The driving device 11 may be located on the body 100 . According to this exemplary embodiment, the driving device 11 includes a lead screw 40, a nut 41, and a motor 50 (see Fig. 13). is formed and may have a length corresponding to the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the body 100 . The motor 50 may be located in the upper region of the body 100 . However, in the motor 50, the nut 41 according to the rotation direction of the lead screw 40, the lead screw 40 along the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface of the body 100. It may be located at any position as long as the motor 50 can rotate the lead screw 40 to move up and down. The shaft of the motor 50 may be coupled to one end of the lead screw 40 (eg, an upper end of the lead screw 40 ). Accordingly, when the motor rotates the shaft clockwise, the lead screw 40 rotates clockwise. When the motor 50 rotates the shaft counterclockwise, the lead screw 40 rotates counterclockwise.

(00115) Referring to FIGS. 12B and 12C , the nut 41 is screwed to correspond to the thread of the lead screw 40 and is coupled to the lead screw 40 . The nut 41 is fixed to the bar 200 . In this embodiment, the nut 41 is fixed to the bracket assembly 44 on which the bar 200 is mounted. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other configurations for securing the nut 41 to the bar 200 , directly or indirectly, are possible. When the lead screw 40 is rotated by the motor 50 , the nut 41, in turn, moves up and down on the lead screw 40 to move the bar 200 up and down.

(00116) For example, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 clockwise, the nut 41 moves above the lead screw 40, and in turn the bar 200 moves upward relative to and along the longitudinal length of the body 100 . On the other hand, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 counterclockwise, the nut 41 moves downward of the lead screw 40, and in turn turns the bar 200 into the It moves down relative to and along the longitudinal length of the body 100 .

(00117) In another example, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 clockwise, the nut 41 moves to the lower part of the lead screw 40, and in turn, the bar ( 200) relative to and along the longitudinal length of the body 100 downward. When the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 in the counterclockwise direction, the nut 41 moves to the upper part of the lead screw 40, and in turn, the bar 200 rotates the body ( 100) and move upwards along the longitudinal length.

(00118) Referring to FIGS. 12C and 12D, the bracket assembly 44 includes one or more guide members 45 for movement along one or more corresponding guide tracks 46 of the body 100. can have In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the double guide track is used and includes guide tracks 46 extending perpendicularly to both sides of the body 100 . Together with this, the guide member 45 and the guide track 46 guide the bar 200 along a predetermined vertical path.

(00119) For example, the guide member 45 and guide track 46 hold the bar 200 against rotational motion about its longitudinal axis that may result from rotation of the leadscrew 40. can be operated to The double guide track 46 may also provide stability to the bar 200 when moving up and down along the body 100 .

(00120) In this embodiment, the bar 200 may include a fixing mechanism 210 for fixing to the guide member 45 of the bracket assembly 44 . The fixing mechanism 210 is provided at both ends of the bar 200 in this embodiment. The guide member 45 may include a space 47 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the fixing mechanism 210 . When the bar 200 is mounted on the bracket assembly 44 , the fixing mechanism 210 slides into the space 47 of the guide member 45 , whereby the fixing mechanism 210 moves into the bracket assembly 44 . It is mounted on the guide member (45).

(00121) The fixing mechanism 210 may include one or more protrusions 212 protruding from the side of the fixing mechanism 210 . The one or more protrusions 212 may be elastically deformable or may be spring loaded. When the fixing mechanism 210 is fully inserted into the space 47 of the guide member 45 , the one or more protrusions 212 attach the bar 200 to the bracket assembly 44 . It can be hung in one or more corresponding slots in the space 47 for this purpose.

(00122) The fixing mechanism 210 may provide an easy separation of the bar 200 from the bracket assembly 44 . Since the protrusion 212 is elastically deformable or contains a spring, the bar 200 can be separated from the body 100 by applying a sufficient force. The bar 200 can be replaced with other bars 200 and can be serviced without the need to take the entire dryer 10 for maintenance.

(00123) An embodiment of a drive device using a lead screw and a nut has been described. In another exemplary configuration, the bar 200 may be driven on the body 100 by components other than the lead screw and the nut. In practice, any suitable drive capable of providing the required relative motion may be used. For example, the leadscrew and nut may be replaced by a rack and pinion system, a pulley and belt drive, or a linear actuator if the desired motion is a linear motion.

(00124) FIG. 13 is a front view showing a drying apparatus including a bar 200 and a second bar 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(00125) Referring to FIG. 13 , the drying apparatus 10 may include a bar 200 and a second bar 300 . The second bar 300 may include a third air outlet 301 , and may be movably driven with respect to the body 100 . The second bar 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 so that the second bar 300 can be driven relative to the body 100 . The leadscrew 42 may be driven by its own motor 52 . Components related to the driving of the second bar 300, and their functions, are similar to those described above with respect to the bar 200, and thus, further descriptions are omitted to avoid overlapping descriptions.

(00126) Based on the configuration of the exemplary embodiment described above, it is readily conceivable by those skilled in the art that even more bars may be employed in the drying apparatus 10 . The driving device 11 may be modular to accommodate a plurality of bars in the body 100 .

(00127) As shown in FIG. 13 , for example, the bar 200 is associated with its own motor 50 , leadscrew 40 , nut 41 , and bracket assembly 44 . By the operation of the motor 50 , the lead screw 40 , and the nut 41 , the bar 200 moves up and down with respect to the body 100 . Similarly, the second bar 300 is associated with its own motor 52 , leadscrew 42 , nut 43 , and bracket assembly 48 . The second bar 300 moves up and down with respect to the body 100 by the operation of the motor 52 , the lead screw 42 , and the nut 43 . The motor, leadscrew, nut and bracket assembly associated with one bar does not operate on the other bar. That is, the motor, leadscrew, nut, and bracket assembly of one bar operates only with respect to that bar.

(00128) Thus, for each additional bar, a corresponding motor, leadscrew, nut and bracket assembly can be added to the drive to receive that bar. In this way, the drying apparatus 10 may be configured to have a plurality of bars on the body 100 according to the user's preference. Alternatively, each drive may receive one or more bars spaced apart from each other and moving together along the longitudinal length of the body.

(00129) FIG. 13 shows the bar 200 and the second bar 300 using the same guide track(s). In an exemplary alternative configuration, the bar 200 and the second bar 300 may use separate guide tracks. With this configuration, the bar 200 or the second bar 300 moves to a desired position along the range of its own driving path, regardless of the position of the bar 200 or the second bar 300 . can be operated.

(00130) FIG. 14A is a view showing a rack and pinion drive assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14B is an enlarged view of the rack and pinion drive assembly of part B, and FIG. 14C is the rack and pinion drive assembly of FIG. 14B It is an exploded perspective view of the drive assembly.

(00131) Referring to FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C, the bar 200 may be moved up and down along the extended height of the body 100 driven by the rack and pinion assembly. The rack and pinion assembly may include a rack 54 , a stepper motor 55 , and a pinion gear 56 coupled to the stepper motor 55 . The rack 54 may be positioned vertically along the side of the body 100 . However, the rack 54 may be installed in any position of the body 100 . For example, the rack may be located at the center of the body 100 in the longitudinal direction. In another embodiment, the rack may be positioned perpendicular to the side of the body 100 .

(00132) In this embodiment, the rack 54 extends vertically along the side of the body 100 and has a length covering the stroke (longitudinal length L1, see FIG. 1 ) of the bar 200 . have The rack 54 may be located only on one side of the body 100 . In this embodiment, the rack 54 is located on both sides of the body 100 . Having racks 54 on both sides of the body 100 may allow the bar 200 to move more stably along the body 100 .

(00133) The bar 200 may include guide members 45 installed at both ends of the bar 200. (See FIGS. 12A through 12D and 13 .) In another embodiment, the bar ( 200 may use only one guide member 45 to correspond to a drying apparatus using a single rack 54 . The guide member 45 of the bar 200 may be movably installed on a corresponding guide track 46 located on the body 100 . Each guide track 46 may be disposed adjacent to a corresponding rack. As the bar 200 moves up and down with respect to the body 100 , the guide track 46 holds the bar 200 in a predetermined path through the guide members 45 .

(00134) The stepper motor 55 including the pinion gear 56 may be installed in each guide member 45 . The rack includes a plurality of teeth extending along the surface of the rack that can correspond to the travel distance of the bar 200 . The pinion gear 56 of the stepper motor 55 meshes with the teeth of the rack 54 to move the bar 200 along the rack 54 . The stepper motor 55 drives the movement of the bar 200 . For example, when the stepper motor 55 rotates clockwise, the bar 200 may move upward along the rack, and when the stepper motor 55 rotates counterclockwise, the bar moves the rack. You can move down along.

(00135) In this embodiment, one stepper motor 55 may be installed on one guide member 45 to move the bar 200, and the other guide member 45 serves only as a guide. However, there is no stepper motor installed there. Another rack 54 may be installed on the other side of the body 100 and may include a plurality of teeth. In this configuration, a freely rotating pinion gear may be provided on the other guide member 45 to engage the teeth of the other rack 54 . Having two guide members 45 working together with the two racks 54 can provide equal support at both ends of the bar 200 . In another configuration, the two pinion gears 56 are united with each other and can be operated by one stepper motor 55 . Alternatively, two stepper motors 55 may be used to drive each pinion gear 56 .

(00136) FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is an alternative shown in FIG. 16 . It is a rear perspective view of the bar 200 according to the general configuration.

(00137) Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, the bar 200 provides a forced air flow at a different position corresponding to the body 10 according to the position of the bar 200 with respect to the body 100. A first air outlet 201 may be included. As described above with respect to the drive device 11 between the bar 200 and the body 100 , the two guide members 45 guide the bar 200 in its movement relative to the body 100 . can guide you

(00138) One or more air inlets 205 may be located at the end of the bar 200. The air inlet 205 may be protected in a cavity formed between the end of the bar 200 and the shield 206 . The shield 206 may extend from the end of the bar 200 to form a shield on its top and side surfaces except for the bottom surface. The open bottom surface of the shield 206 allows the air inlet 205 to access the intake air. This configuration is operable to prevent water from entering the air inlet 205 by falling or splashing. The air inlet 205 supplies intake air to enter the shopping bar 200 accommodating one or more flow generators 204 (see FIG. 18).

(00139) FIG. 17 shows two air inlets 202 located at the rear end of the bar 200 for supplying air discharged from the second air outlet 201 . In contrast, in the configuration of FIG. 16 , as described above, the air inlets 205 are located at each end of the bar 200 . As the bar 200 extends laterally toward the user, it may be more prone to getting wet than the body 100 because the bar 200 is closer to the user. Accordingly, it may be desirable for one or more air inlets 202 to be positioned away from the user. As such, in the configuration of FIG. 17 , the air inlet 202 is provided at the rear side of the bar 200 , as described above.

(00140) FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view showing various internal parts of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 18 shows a pair of flow generators 204 and a bar 200 with its cover removed to expose an air conduit 207 . The bar 200 may include a pair of flow generators 204 that receive the intake air from the air inlet 202 and generate a forced air flow through the air conduit 207 . The air conduit 207 may include an intermediate outlet 208 through which the forced air flow passes and is discharged by the second air outlet 201 .

(00141) FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing various parts of the bar 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above with respect to FIG. 18 .

19, the bar 200 includes a pair of flow generators 204, a pair of motors 220, a pair of thermal devices (eg, resistance heaters, thermoelectric devices, and other suitable devices). may be used), and its cover 230 separated to reveal the various internal components including the air conduit 207 . The bar 200 has a flow generator 204 that receives intake air from one or more air inlets (see FIGS. 16 and 17). generate airflow. For example, the flow generator may be a smart inverter motor that sucks in and discharges air at a high speed by operating at a maximum of 115,000 RPM. However, other types of axial fan assemblies may be used.

(00143 The forced air flow from the pair of flow generators 204 passes through the air conduit 207 to be discharged from the intermediate outlet 208. The air conduit 207 is shown in a cylindrical shape. It is not limited and can be used such as an oval tube, a square tube, a rectangular tube, etc. The air conduit 207 has air sucked by the pair of flow generators 204 within the range of the air conduit 207. However, if the speed of the forced air flow cannot be maintained, the speed of the forced air flow discharged by the pair of flow generators 204 is increased. The exhausted air is eventually discharged to the outside of the second air outlet 201. Although this embodiment is illustrated as using a pair of flow generators, in other configurations, one flow generator or two or more flow generators may be used. can

(00144) In this embodiment, a pair of resistance heaters 120 are shown as components of the bar 200 . Resistance heaters 120 are located downstream of each flow generator 204 . In alternative embodiments, the resistance heater may be located upstream of the flow generator or may be integral to the flow generator. In this embodiment, the flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120 may be at least partially enclosed within the air conduit 207 (see FIG. 18 ). The air conduit 207 is the resistance The air heated by the heater 120 may be guided toward the intermediate outlet 208 and may be discharged through the second air outlet 201 .

(00145) While this embodiment uses a resistance heater to heat the intake air flow, in other exemplary embodiments, for example, a thermoelectric device using the Peltier effect may be used to heat or cool the intake air flow. have. In this configuration, the bar 200 is not limited to discharging heated air, but may also discharge cold air.

(00146) The bar 200 may further include one or more motors 220 . 19 , one or more motors 220 may be positioned along the longitudinal axis of the bar 200 , which may be parallel to the drying surface 14 of the body 100 . The one or more motors 220 may cause the bar 200 to tilt up and down by rotating about its longitudinal axis. By tilting the bar 200 up and down, the bar 200 can expand an area to which a forced air flow can be applied. In addition, by continuously tilting the bar 200 up and down while blowing a forced air flow, the bar can improve drying performance.

(00147) FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the drying apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The controller 53 controls the overall operation of the drying apparatus 10 . The controller 53 may be a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, an electric circuit, a logic electric circuit, or the like.

(00148) The controller 53 may control the operation of the flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 of the body 100, and the controller 53 is associated with the flow generator 204 and the bar. It is possible to control the operation of the resistance heater 120 , and above all, it is possible to control the motor 220 . Various operations performed by the components have been described above, and further descriptions are omitted. The controller 53 may store and access information in the memory 58 to control the operation of the drying apparatus 10 .

(00149) The drying apparatus (10) may include one or more sensors (209) that are also controlled by the controller (53). The sensor 209 may be variously associated with the body 100 and bar 200 (eg, FIGS. 12C and 16 ). In some embodiments, one or more sensors 209 may It may be located remote from the device 10 .

(00150) According to various embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12C and 16 , for example, the one or more sensors 209 may be associated with the bar 200 . The controller 53 may receive sensing information from one or more sensors 209 of the bar 200 and the controller 53 may operate the drying apparatus 10 using the sensor information as an operating parameter. can

(00151) By way of example, sensing information of one or more sensors may be used by the controller 53 to determine various characteristics and/or user conditions and/or various characteristics of the environment surrounding the device. For example, the sensory information may include the presence of the user, the user's physical characteristics, including overall and/or specific dimensions of the user, the degree of wetness of the user's body and/or other parts of the body, in particular the temperature of the surrounding air or It can be used to determine heat and/or humidity of the surrounding air. To achieve this, the drying device 10 may include one or more sensors 209 described below.

(00152) The one or more sensors 209 may include a thermal sensor, such as an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor may be used to obtain information about ambient heat. For example, the infrared sensor may be used as a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of ambient air. Information about the ambient air temperature can be obtained to determine whether to condition the ambient air.

(00153) The infrared sensor may be used for the user's body located adjacent to the drying device (10). The information from the infrared sensor can be used to infer or determine the humidity level of the user's body and/or specific parts of the user's body. The information from the infrared sensor may be used to obtain an indicator for the entire body of the user, wherein the temperature of the ambient air and body temperature are different.

(00154) The one or more sensors 209 may include a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may be used to determine the user's proximity to the drying device (10). For example, the information from the proximity sensor may be used to determine the user's distance from the drying surface of the drying apparatus 10 . When the user is within a predetermined distance from the drying surface 14 , the drying device may be operated to dry the user. The information from the proximity sensor may be used to adjust the velocity of the forced airflow from the air outlet 101 and/or the air outlet 201 according to the distance of the user, in order to obtain a desired velocity of the forced airflow towards the user. .

(00155) The proximity sensor can be used to determine if the user is too close to the dryer or part thereof. For example, for safety reasons, it may be desirable to limit or prevent movement of the bar 200 when a person is within or at a specific position relative to the bar. This may include a case where a part of the person's body is above or below the bar 200, or within the path of its movement.

(00156) The one or more sensors 209 may include an image sensor. The image sensor may be used to obtain image information of the surroundings, to determine the presence of a user, and to determine the dimensions of the entire body of the user and/or a specific part of the user's body. The image sensor may be used in conjunction with or instead of a thermal sensor for information as mentioned above to obtain more accurate information.

(00157) The one or more sensors 209 may include a humidity sensor. The humidity sensor may be used to obtain information about the humidity level of the surrounding air, for example, the humidity level of the bathroom in which the drying device is installed. The drying device 10 may be used or operated to remove moisture from the air until the humidity level is below a predetermined level. The humidity sensor may also be used to obtain information on the level of wetness/dryness of the user's skin. This information can be used to adjust the heat applied to the forced air stream so that the user's skin does not become too dry.

In addition to the exemplary sensors described above (00158), other sensors known in the art may be used to achieve the desired results.

(00159) FIGS. 21A and 21B are views showing that the user is dried by the bar 200 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(00160) Referring to FIGS. 21A and 21B , the bar 200 includes a sensor 209 , which may be a thermal sensor positioned to face the user when the user is on the drying surface 14 of the body 100 . do. The bar 200 may be located at any position along the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the body 100, and in this embodiment, the starting position of the bar 200 is the drying surface ( 14) can be anywhere adjacent to the central part. When the drying device 10 is operated, the bar 200 may be driven upward in the direction of the arrow 1 by the driving device 11 . At the same time, the thermal sensor is also operated. Control of the driving device and the thermal sensor may be performed by the controller 53 .

(00161) As the bar 200 is driven upward, the L-sensor scans the user. When the thermal sensor no longer detects heat from the user, the height of the user is determined by the reached and the driving device 11 may stop the movement of the bar 200 . The drive device 11 can now move the bar 200 downward in the direction of the arrow 2 . At the same time, the thermal sensor scans the user. The thermal sensor may detect the degree of wetness in the part of the user being scanned. The thermal sensor may measure the degree of wetting at a lower temperature and detect the degree of drying as a warmer temperature. The flow generator 204 and possibly the resistance heater 120 can be operated to dry the user.

(00162) In another configuration, the flow generator 110 and possibly the thermoelectric device 117 can be operated to dry the user. The flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 may be operated together with the operation of the flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120 of the bar 200 . The flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 can be operated continuously until the bar 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14 and then the flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device ( 117) can be turned off.

(00163) As shown in FIG. 21B, the bar 200 may be positioned next to the user's head. Since hair generally retains a lot of water, the thermal sensor can detect significant wetness when the bar 200 is in this position. Accordingly, the bar 200 is heated to dry the user's hair and may not move while the forced air flow is discharged from the second air outlet 201 . When the thermal sensor detects that the user's hair is sufficiently dry, the driving device 11 may move downward in the direction of the arrow 2 .

(00164) As the bar 200 moves downward in the direction of the arrow 2, the heated forced air flow discharged from the air outlet 201 may dry the head, body, and eventually the legs. . As the bar 200 moves from the head to the legs, until the bar 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, before moving further downward in the direction of the arrow 2, The bar can be stopped to dry the wetter part of the user.

(00165) In another embodiment, after initially arriving at the user's head, the bar 200 may repeatedly move up and down from head to toe until the thermal sensor detects that the user is dry. The movement of the bar described is exemplary and other forms of movement of the bar for building the user are conceivable.

(00166) FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the upper region of the drying apparatus showing the disassembled state of the filter unit in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 23 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

(00167) The filter unit 104 may provide one or more filtration or treatment of the intake air flow. Particularly in urban or other urban settings, the ambient air may contain undesirable levels of suspended solids. Such solids may be hazardous to human health, and if provided to the user when using a drying device to dry the user's body, may adversely affect the human skin.

(00168) For example, the solid may be basic or acidic, and thus may damage the user's body. The filter unit 104 may include one or more particulate filters 113, as shown in FIG. 23, to trap solids. The one or more particulate filters 113 may be of a generally usable type such as, for example, a glass fiber filter, a polyester filter, or a HEPA filter.

(00169) Ambient air may contain bacteria or viruses, which pose a risk of infection to the user of the dryer. If the particulate filter 113 is not present, the filter unit 104 may include a bacterial and/or virus filter 114 . Such filters may include antibacterial or antibacterial elements.

(00170) It is necessary to reduce or remove moisture from the intake air before it is discharged for drying. The filter unit 104 may include, for example, one or more dehumidifying filters 115 having a desiccant.

(00171) In the present embodiment, the pair of air inlets 102 respectively deliver intake air to the filter unit 104 . The use of a single filter unit 104 is advantageous to provide a single point of maintenance for any filter within the filter unit, especially when there are multiple flow generators.

(00172) FIG. 24 is a front view of an air inlet and an inlet path in the flow generator housing in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of the air inlet of FIG.

(00173) Referring to FIG. 24 , the inlet path including the air inlet 102 and the flow guide 116 guides intake air from the air inlet 102 to the filter unit 104 . However, the drying device 10, such as a bathroom or shower room. Because it can be used in a humid environment, water can splash into the drying device 10 or the air surrounding the drying device 10 , including the air inlet 102 . Additionally, during use, there may be water intake at the air inlet 102 due to the operation of the flow generator 110 which may draw ambient water into the air inlet 102 . It is undesirable for such water to enter the drying apparatus 10 . In addition to the water entering the air inlet 102 , the flow path can suck other substances that have passed through the air inlet 102 and direct it to the flow guide 116 .

(00174) As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 , the air inlet 102 provides an upwardly biased flow path to the flow guide 116 . This upward deflection may act as a gravitational barrier against water or other solid material entering the drying apparatus 10 . To further prevent unwanted water or other objects from entering the flow path, an obstruction may additionally or alternatively be provided in the inlet flow path in the form of an inlet filter 111 , as shown for example in FIG. 25 . . The inlet filter 111, more specifically, may be in the form of a particulate filter for filtering particles from the intake air.

(00175) Alternatively, the inlet filter 111 may be in the form of a macroscopic filter such as a macroscopic mesh filter for preventing the inflow of larger objects. When it is desirable to protect from water flowing into the intake air or to dehumidify the intake air of the intake filter 111, a desiccant for absorbing water may be included.

(00176) As an additional measure for dehumidifying the intake air, a resistance heater (not shown) may be located adjacent to the inlet filter 111 . In operation, the resistance heater may heat the intake air to remove moisture from the air. Additionally, the resistance heater may remove moisture in the inlet filter 111 in order to increase the lifespan of the inlet filter 111 .

(00177) FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 9A , the connection between the flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 is such that the outlet of each flow generator 110 is the body 100 . ) is the same as directly connected to the first air outlet (101). It may be desirable to further heat the air heated by the thermoelectric device 117 to provide additional comfort and/or increased drying efficiency to the user. 26, the airflow from the filter unit 104 may pass through one side of the thermoelectric device 117 to be selectively heated or cooled.

(00178) FIG. 26 shows a square thermoelectric device 117 covering a portion of the discharge air flow path 105, but the thermoelectric device 117 may be rectangular covering both outlets of the discharge air flow path. . That is, the thermoelectric device 117 may have a rectangular shape covering all of the purified air in the air flow path starting at the outlet of the filter unit 104 and ending at the inlet of the flow generator 110 . If the air is heated further, it may be better to heat the heated air downstream of the flow generator 110 .

A thermal element such as (00179) resistance heater 120 may be provided downstream of each flow generator 110 . The resistance heater 120 may further heat the air pressurized by the flow generator 110 toward the first air outlet 101 . The resistance heater 120 may be used as an accelerating device for further heating or overheating the air heated by the thermoelectric device 117 .

(00180) Although the thermal element is shown as a resistive heater in FIG. 26, other suitable thermal elements may be used. In another configuration, the thermal element may be a thermoelectric device that may be used to selectively heat or cool the air downstream of the flow generator.

(00181) Fig. 27 shows a drying apparatus 20 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the body 100 and the bar 200 of the drying apparatus of FIG. 27 .

27 , in the drying apparatus 20 , the first air outlet 101 may be disposed across at least a portion of the drying surface of the body 100 . Unlike the drying device 10 described above, when the first air outlet 101 is along the edge of the body 100 , the first air outlet 101 of the drying device 20 is connected to the drying surface 14 . ) including an outlet duct 123 disposed across the surface. In this embodiment, the outlet duct 123 is a plurality of vertical slits extending along the longitudinal length of the 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 129 . This configuration can allow a difference in discharge between different areas of the first air outlet 101 .

(00183) FIG. 28 is B of FIG. 27 crossing the body 100 and the bar 200 when the first air outlet 101 is an outlet disposed across the drying surface 14 of the body 100 -B' is a cross-sectional view. In the drying device 20 , a pair of flow generators 110 includes a duct 121 (similar to that shown in FIG. 8 ) through which a forced air flow is discharged from the drying device 20 , a duct 122 , and finally a plurality of It is possible to send a forced air flow to the outlet duct 123 of the dog. Shown in cross-sectional view is a duct 122 that can receive a forced air flow from the duct 121 . The duct 122 may include a plurality of vertical slits extending along the longitudinal length of the body corresponding to the vertical slits of the outlet duct 123 . The duct 122 may discharge a forced air flow to a plurality of outlet ducts 123 through a plurality of slits sequentially discharged to the outside of the body 100 by the outlet duct 123 . The duct 122 and the plurality of outlet ducts 123 may include the first air outlet 101 .

(00184) In this embodiment, the bar 200 may receive air from the flow generator and the generator 110 of the body 100 . For example, the bar 200 may have one or more inlets, such as an air inlet 203 as shown in FIG. 28 . One example of a bar 200 having this configuration is shown in FIG. 17 . Referring to FIG. 17 , the bar 200 having a pair of air inlets 202 at the rear end of the bar 200 is formed from a portion of a plurality of outlet ducts 123 covering the pair of air inlets 202 . You can get forced airflow. Referring to FIG. 28 , one or more air inlets 203 receive air from the flow generator 110 inside the body 100 and discharge the air from the second air outlets 201 .

(00185) In this embodiment, the bar 200 includes a pair of flow generators 204 for further accelerating the pressurized air received from the flow generator 110 of the body 100 . However, in another embodiment, the bar 200 does not have the flow generator 204 and discharges the forced air flow received from the flow generator 110 of the body 100 as it is. Although not shown, the bar 200 may include a resistance heater 120 as shown in FIG. 19 . Although not shown, the bar 200 may include a thermoelectric device instead of a resistance heater. The bar 200 may further adjust the forced air flow received from the body 100 . Alternatively, the bar 200 may not include an air management device and force regulated by the thermoelectric device 117 of the body 100 without further regulating the forced airflow received from the body 100 . Airflow can be exhausted.

(00186) Referring back to FIG. 27 , the drying apparatus 20 may further include a footrest 400 on which a person can place their feet. The duct 122 may further extend to be connected to the footrest 400 . The duct 122 may supply an air flow to one or more air outlets of the footrest 400 so that the air discharged from the one or more air outlets may dry the person's feet. In the configuration shown in FIG. 27 , the footrest 400 may be configured to be retracted into the body 100 of the drying apparatus 20 when not in use, for example. However, in another embodiment, the footrest 400 may be fixed by being supported by the floor without retracting.

(00187) Figure 29 is an exploded perspective view of a body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(00188) The body 100 may be covered with an injected plastic cover. 29 , the injected plastic cover may include a rear panel 140 , a side panel 142 , and a front panel 144 covering the body 100 . In another embodiment, the plastic cover may have a thin metal plate attached to its surface. The parts of the plastic cover can be snapped together. For example, one part may have a protrusion and the other part to be joined may have a corresponding grooved part. When the two parts are snap-fitted to each other, the protrusion enters and engages the groove portion and the two parts are fixed to each other. The plastic cover forms the appearance of the body 100 and provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Since they are snap-coupled to each other, the plastic cover of the body 100 is separated by pulling the plastic cover from the body 100 and replaced with another plastic cover having a design and pattern that satisfies the user's preference, so that their taste can be optimized for the user. The plastic cover 230 (see FIG. 19) of the bar 200 is also removable and can be replaced with another plastic cover having a design and pattern that satisfies the user's taste, thereby optimizing the user according to the user's taste. You have to know that it can be.

(00189) Drying devices described herein for use in wet environments, such as bathrooms or showers, may be prone to getting wet. Also, while the user is drying, moisture may splash on the drying device. A bathroom or shower can also become humid after use. Stagnant dirty water can cause unpleasant odors and the growth of bacteria that pose health risks. In order to solve this problem, various embodiments and configurations of a drying apparatus for drying a bathroom, a shower booth, and above all, the drying apparatus itself will now be described.

(00190) In the following description, in order to achieve the required drying characteristics of the drying apparatus, if necessary, the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 may be operated independently or may be operated in association with each other. have.

(00191) FIGS. 30A and 30B are two views showing a portion of a drying apparatus showing a bar 200 having a second air outlet 201 and a portion of the body 100. FIG. The direction of the second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 may be changed based on drying needs. For example, the second air outlet 201 may be selectively turned about a substantially horizontal axis by rotating at least a portion of the bar 200 in the direction of arrow 213, as shown in FIG. 30B. and, thereby, the opening angle of the second air outlet 201 in a relatively downward direction is adjusted. The bar 200 may be rotated by a pair of motors 220 positioned at both ends of the bar 200 (see FIG. 19). However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and the bar ( 200), other devices may be used. Control may optionally be provided by a controller, such as controller 53 (see FIG. 20) described above.

(00192) FIGS. 26A and 26B are side views showing the rotational motion of the bar 200 . 26A shows the rotation of the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 in the downward direction as indicated by the arrow 213, and the downward discharge of the forced air flow from the air outlet 201 is indicated by the arrow 215. is shown by FIG. 26B has the same configuration as FIG. 26A, but shows upward rotation of the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201, as indicated by arrow 214, and shows the forced airflow from the air outlet 201. The upward discharge is shown by arrow 215 .

(00193) As shown in FIGS. 30A, 30B, 31A, and 31B, the direction of the outlet forced air flow 215 is substantially changed by rotating the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 about a horizontal axis. It may be directed to different positions in the vertical direction with respect to the bar 100 . For example, by controlling the rotation of the bar and secondary air outlet 201 about a substantially horizontal axis, the forced airflow 215 may be directed to most or all of the area facing the drying apparatus and/or to the drying apparatus 10 . can be discharged to the top and bottom areas for For example, when the drying device 10 is installed in the shower booth, the forced air flow 215 may reach the ceiling and floor of the shower booth as well as the wall opposite to the drying device 10 .

(00194) A sensor 221 located on the bar 200 may be used to detect wetness of a certain area. For example, the sensor 221 may be a thermal sensor and detect a wet area based on a temperature difference between a wet area and a dry area, and the forced air flow 215 may be applied to the sensing of the sensor 221 . based on the wet area can be directed. The sensor 221 may be aligned in the direction of the forced air flow 215 , and may detect the dryness of the area dried by the forced air flow 215 . Once the sensor 221 senses that the area is dry, the forced airflow 215 can be directed to another area to be dried. For example, when the sensor 221 is a thermal sensor, an increase in the temperature of an area may indicate that the area is dry. Based on the sensing of the sensor 221 , the forced airflow 215 may systematically or randomly direct other areas until that area is partially or wholly dry to a desired degree.

(00195) In another exemplary embodiment, the forced air stream 215 may be static relative to the area to be dried or the forced air stream 215 may rotate with one or more oscillation patterns of motion. For example, the forced airflow 215 may rotate repeatedly between the positions shown in Figures 31A and 31B. One use of the vibrating pattern of motion as described above may be for drying the user's hair. For example, when the user is positioned in front of the drying surface 14 of the drying device 10 , the bar 200 may move to the position of the user's head. The forced air flow 215 may be provided and the user's hair may be dried through the vibration pattern of the movement of the bar 200 . The drying operation of the bar may be carried out for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 31A and 31B , the sensor 221 of the bar 200 may detect the degree of wetting of the user's hair. In one configuration, the sensor 221 may be a thermal sensor. During the drying operation of the user's hair, when the sensor 221 detects that the user's hair has been dried, the drying operation of the bar may be stopped or the bar 200 may be moved to another position on the user's body. . One configuration for drying a user's hair has been described. Another configuration for drying the user's hair will be further described below.

(00196) Although the rotation of the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 about a substantially horizontal axis is shown in FIGS. 25A, 25B, 26A and 26B, the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 ) may additionally or alternatively be rotated about one or more other axes to control the direction of forced airflow 215 to achieve a desired level of drying of the area to be dried. For example, the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 may be rotated about two or three axes selected from a plurality of horizontal and vertical axes.

(00197) Figures 32A and 32B are side views of a drying apparatus 10 having a second air outlet 201 oriented in two different directions. As shown in Fig. 32A, the second air outlet 201 is positioned so that the forced air flow 215 faces the outside horizontally in the drying apparatus. According to various embodiments, the second air outlet 201 may be controlled such that, for example, the forced air flow 215 is turned upward in the direction of arrow 214 and/or downward in the direction of arrow 213 . . This movement of the second air outlet 201 can be used to blow a forced air flow over a large area. The device of FIG. 32B has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 32A, but the direction of the first air outlet 201 is changed to face downward in the direction of the arrow 213 . Alternatively, when the second air outlet 201 is directed downward, the forced air flow 215 is discharged. Then, the second air outlet 201 is redirected to its original position. This movement of the second air outlet 201 may be used to perform a sweeping operation toward or away from the drying device 10 .

In addition to being redirected upwards or downwards (00198) or about one or more other axes, in some exemplary embodiments, forced airflow 215 is optionally can be expanded.

(00199) The second air outlet 201 shown in Fig. 32C is substantially similar to the second outlet 201 shown in Fig. 32A. However, the second air outlet 201 in Fig. 32C is configured such that the forced air flow 215 is jet-like with little or no extension angle in the vertical or horizontal direction. Alternatively, the second air outlet 201 may be configured to provide a greater degree of expansion of the forced air flow 215 . For example, as shown in Fig. 32D, the forced air flow 215 is the angle at which the forced air flow 215 is spread out at the intermediate air outlet 208 (see Figs. 18 and 19) at the angle of the arc. can be determined by For example, a narrow arc can create a narrow but strong airflow that covers a narrow portion of the area. A wider arc can create a wider but weaker airflow that covers a larger area. The shape of the intermediate outlet 208 and the angle of the arc may be selected, for example, depending on the effect of the forced air flow required on the user's body. In one configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 can be formed with an adjustable nozzle so that the angle of the arc at the intermediate outlet 208 can be adjusted, whereby, depending on the angle of the arc, a jet-type forced air flow or a fan-type forced air flow is generated. can be emitted. A motor under the control of the controller 53 can be used to adjust the adjustable nozzle.

The (00200) forced airflow 215 may additionally or alternatively extend laterally and may have further characteristics, as shown in FIGS. 28A and 28B .

(00201) As shown in FIG. 33A, the second air outlet 201 may be located on the bar 200, and the forced air flow 215 is at least on the side from the second air outlet 201. direction can be extended. This provides a forced air flow 215 that increases in the width direction with an increased distance from the bar 200 , and the width of the forced air flow 215 becomes larger than the width of the second air outlet 201 .

(00202) As shown in FIG. 33B, the lateral expansion and contraction of the forced airflow 215 can be controlled. The forced air flow 215 may be controlled to change direction to the left and/or right as shown by arrows 216 and 217 in FIG. 33B. The direction of the air flow may be controlled by the movement of the nozzle or may be controlled by a flow guide or an integrated pin in the nozzle. For example, the nozzle at the intermediate outlet 208 may move in a left and/or right direction. A motor under the control of the controller 53 can be used to move the adjustable nozzle left and right.

(00203) As shown in FIGS. 33C and 33D, the second air outlet 201 may be an extended slit transverse to the longitudinal direction of the bar 200, so that the forced air flow is substantially planar. can In one configuration, the length of the slit may be sufficient to cover the width of the user's body. For this configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 may be formed as an elongated slit along the longitudinal length of the air conduit 207 . The second air outlet 201 having an extended slit as shown in FIG. 33C corresponds to the slit of the intermediate outlet 208 . In this configuration, as the bar 200 moves up and/or down in the vertical direction with respect to the body 100 , the forced air flow 215 of the second air outlet 201 corresponds to the length of the slit. It can cover the width of the area to be used.

(00204) The forced air flow 215 may be configured to emerge from the second air outlet 201 such that there is minimal lateral expansion or no lateral expansion, as shown in FIG. 33C. Alternatively, the forced air flow 215 may further expand laterally, or may be limited to be narrower than the air outlet 201 . For example, as shown in FIG. 33D, the second air outlet 201 is configured to change the degree of lateral expansion of the forced air flow 215 by reducing the forced air flow 215 in the directions of arrows 218 and 219. can be configured. For this configuration, a plurality of vertical shutters may be formed at the outlet of the intermediate outlet 208 . To reduce the forced airflow, the shutter half starting from the left can be moved in the right direction and the shutter half starting from the right can be moved in the left direction. Conversely, in order to expand the forced airflow, the shutter half starting from the left can be moved leftward and the shutter half starting from the right can be moved in the right direction. The shutters can be moved by a motor under the control of the controller 53 .

(00205) FIGS. 33E and 33F are alternative views of bar 200 showing different directions of secondary air outlet 201 and forced airflow 215 .

(00206) The configuration of the second air outlet 201 in Fig. 33E is substantially similar to the configuration of the air outlet shown in Figs. 33A and 33B. Additionally, or alternatively, to the lateral expansion and contraction of the forced air flow 215 , the second air outlet 201 may be operated to divert the direction of the forced air flow 215 laterally. For example, as shown in FIG. 33E , the forced air flow 215 may be diverted left and right in the direction of arrow 218 . This can be done via a movable nozzle as described above.

(00207) The second air outlet 201 of FIG. 33F has an extended or slit-like configuration, as also shown in FIGS. 33C and 33D. As also shown in FIG. 33F, the forced airflow 215 from the outlet 201 may be diverted left and right, for example in the direction of arrow 218, as shown in FIG. 33F. This can be done via movable shutters as described above.

(00208) The vertical movement of the second air outlet 201 may be provided by a corresponding movement of a part or all of the bar 200 with which the second air outlet 201 is related. An example of such movement of part or all of the bar 200 is shown in FIGS. 30A and 30B , as described above.

(00209) One or more driving mechanisms may be positioned between the body 100 and the bar 200 to enable up-and-down movement of the bar 200 . An example of such a drive mechanism is the motor 220 as shown in Fig. 19 described above. As shown in FIG. 19 , each pair of motors 200 may be provided on each side of the bar 200 . The motor 220 may be a rotation motor or a stepper motor 193 .

(00210) Additionally, or alternatively, the second air outlet 201 itself may be configured differently or may be changed to change the direction of the forced air flow 215 . Examples of configurations that are diverted to change the direction of forced airflow 215 are shown in FIGS. 33A-33F. The second air outlet 201 may include one or more nozzles, shutters, or the like to redirect the forced air flow from the second air outlet 201 . Examples have been previously described herein. The redirection or reconfiguration of the air outlet 201 may include redirection or reconfiguration of one or more of the flow guide elements. For example, when the forced airflow 215 is redirected laterally, as shown in FIGS. 33E and 33F, the air outlet 201 may include one or more vertical fin flow guides. These vertical fin flow guides can be diverted in the direction of arrow 218 in FIGS. 33E and 33F, whereby the forced airflow 215 is diverted as shown.

(00211) So far, various embodiments described herein include one bar 200 . However, the drying apparatus is not limited to having one bar 200 . For example, for a faster drying process, two or more bars may be used. All exemplary embodiments described herein may include one or more bars.

(00212) FIG. 34 is a view of a drying apparatus having a bar 200 and a second bar 300. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 34 , the second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 may discharge the forced air flow 215 so as to change the direction in the direction of the arrow 222 , and the second air outlet 201 of the second bar 300 may 3 The air outlet 301 may discharge the forced air flow 315 so that the direction can be changed in the direction of the arrow 223. As shown in FIG. 34 , the bar 200 and the second bar 300 may operate together to dry one specific area. As will be explained in more detail below, the configuration of FIG. 33 may be helpful in drying human hair.

(00213) FIG. 35 is a view showing a part of the body of the drying apparatus, wherein the first air outlet 101 is provided in at least a part of the periphery of the body 100. As shown in FIG. The air management system for the first air outlet 101 may be similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 26, and a pair of flow generators and a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 (not shown in FIG. 35, but in FIG. 26) shown) may be included. In other configurations, one or more flow generators may be used and/or one or more thermoelectric devices may be used. In this embodiment, the drying apparatus 10 may further include a pair of resistance heaters 120 . However, in another configuration, the drying apparatus 10 may not include the resistance heater 120 . The configuration of the drying apparatus of FIG. 35 may be similar to that of the drying apparatus of FIG. 26 , the difference is that the drying apparatus of FIG. 35 includes a pair of dampers 630 . These dampers are operable by the damper actuator 635 to selectively open or close the lower region of the first air outlet 101 . The damper actuator 635 may be controlled by the controller 53 .

(00214) The body 100 may include a pair of dampers 630 to block a portion of the air flow coming out of the first air outlet 101. The damper 630 may block the lower portion of the first air outlet 101 . By blocking the lower portion of the first air outlet 101, all forced airflow from the flow generator 110 is discharged through the upper portion of the first air outlet 101 above the pair of dampers 630. can This allows an amplified airflow to be provided from the top of the first air outlet 101 , which may be adjacent to the user's head. Since the user's hair is a wet part that generally contains a significant amount of moisture, the amplified airflow from the top of the first air outlet 101 can help dry the user's hair quickly.

(00215) In order to enhance drying of the user's hair, the thermoelectric device 117 may heat the air flow flowing to the flow generator 110 . The heated forced air flow may be discharged through the upper portion of the first air outlet 101 toward the user's hair. In a configuration in which the resistance heater 120 is additionally provided to the thermoelectric device 117 , the resistance heater 120 may be operated to further heat the heated air flow of the thermoelectric device 117 , whereby the user of more enhanced hair drying.

(00216) FIGS. 36A and 36B are views showing a drying apparatus specially configured for drying a user's hair and especially their hair.

(00217) In the configuration shown in FIGS. 36A and 36B , the drying apparatus may include a bar 200 and a second bar 300 . The second bar 300 may be optional and in other configurations, the drying apparatus may have a single bar 200 . The second bar 300 has a third air outlet 301 for supplying a forced air flow, as described above. 36A shows the bar 200 and the second bar 300 at the bottom of the body 100, while FIG. 36B shows the bar 200 at the top of the body 100 and the second bar ( 300) is shown in the lower part of the body 00.

(00218) Referring to FIG. 36A , the first air outlet 101 may be partially closed as described above to amplify the amount of air discharged from the upper portion 612 of the first high wing outlet 101 . When this airflow is sufficient for the required drying of the hair using the various configurations as described above, the bar 200 and the second bar 300 are not used to dry the user's hair. Rather, as shown in FIG. 36A , the bar 200 and the second bar 300 may be positioned at different parts of the body 100, for example, to simultaneously dry different parts of the user's body. . Although the bar 200 and the second bar 300 are shown stationary in FIG. 36A, in reality, the bar 200 and the second bar 300 are moving to dry various parts of the user's body. It can be moved along its longitudinal length. In another configuration, the drying apparatus has one bar 200 , and the other bar 200 can be moved along its moving longitudinal length to dry the user's body.

(00219) According to FIG. 36B, in this configuration, the forced airflow in the upper portion 612 of the first air outlet 101 is supplemented by the forced airflow from the bar 200. As shown in FIG. The bar 200 is located on the upper portion of the body 100 . The forced air flow from the upper part 612 of the first air outlet 101 and the forced air flow from the bar 200 together can be used to dry the user's hair. This configuration may provide for faster drying of the user's hair. As a further drying measure, the bar 200 can rotate about its longitudinal axis relative to the body 100 , for example as described in connection with FIGS. 31A and 31B . The forced airflow from the bar 200 may be rotated in one or more vibration patterns of motion. For example, the forced airflow may rotate repeatedly between the positions shown in FIGS. 31A and 31B to be blown out to dry the user's hair. A sensor located on the bar 200, such as a thermal sensor, may be used to sense the dryness of the user's hair. Meanwhile, in a configuration in which the first bar 300 is used, the second bar 300 may be used to dry other parts of the user's body.

(00220) Fig. 37 is a schematic diagram showing the interaction between the body of the drying apparatus and the forced air flow of the bar.

(00221) The upper portion 612 of the second air outlet 101 may provide the body forced airflow 613. Because of the contour and angle of the upper portion 612 of the first air outlet 101 (see FIG. 2 ), the body forced airflow 613 may flow obliquely downward. Preferably, the flow direction of the body forced air flow 613 is such that the body forced air flow 613 faces the upper part of the user's head. The bar 200 or its second air outlet 201 may be oriented such that a forced air flow 215 is provided at least partially upward. The bar 200 can provide this direction of forced airflow by being rotated at an upward slope similar to that shown in FIG. 31B and positioned below the user's head. The bar 200 may provide a forced air flow 215 toward the lower portion of the user's head. The forced air streams 613 and 215 may be configured such that they merge and interact at the user's head from above and from below. The interaction of forced air currents 613 and 215 can create turbulence and thereby enhance the drying effect. As a further improvement, the bar 200 can be rotated in one or more vibration patterns of motion while expelling a forced airflow 215 towards the user's head.

(00222) The drying device may be configured such that the body forced airflow 613 emerges from the top and adjacent positions of the user's head. The bar 200 may be positioned so that the second air outlet 201 supplies the forced air flow 215 from a corresponding position below and adjacent to the user's head. The location of the bar 200 below and adjacent to the user's head may be desirable to provide a forced airflow 215 upwards towards the nape of the user's neck. This can cause lifting and separation of human hair, allowing forced airflow through the hair and increasing the drying of moisture to the hair.

(00223) The second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 or the third air outlet 301 of the second bar 300, if any, may be positioned prior to the hair drying operation and may be positioned during the hair drying operation. can keep That is, the second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 or the third air outlet 301 of the second bar 300 maintain a stopped state during the drying operation. However, the second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 or the third air outlet 301 of the second bar 300 are preferably active as described above.

(00224) That is, in the configuration of FIG. 37, it is preferable to actively rotate the second air outlet 201 about its axis to vary the position of interaction with different parts of the user's head. It is preferable to move back and forth along the longitudinal axis of movement of the second air outlet 201 to vary the position of interaction with different parts of the user's head. In one configuration, the rotation of the second air outlet 201 and the forward and backward movement of the second air outlet 201 may be performed simultaneously.

(00225) Also shown in FIG. 37 is a pair of sensors 221, which may be thermal sensors. For the purposes of this description, the sensor 221 will be described as a thermal sensor 221 . However, other types of sensors may be used. The thermal sensor 221 may be used to obtain thermal information of the surroundings, particularly including user information. From this thermal information, the location range of the user, the location of the user's body part, the local humidity level, and other characteristics can be determined.

(00226) Control of the bar 200 in drying the user's hair may be based, at least in part, on information received from the thermal sensor 221 . For example, based on the degree received from the thermal sensor 221 , it may be possible to determine the height of the user and the upper and lower boundaries of the head. Here, the upper and lower boundaries of the user's head may refer to upper and lower boundaries of the user's hair in the head. An example of how a user's height may be determined has been described with respect to FIGS. 21A and 21B . In order to determine the upper boundary of the user's head, when the controller 53 determines the user's height through thermal information received from the thermal sensor 221, this point is located on the upper portion of the user's head as shown in Fig. 21A. It should be where the bar 200 is. The controller 53 may then determine that this point is the upper boundary of the user's head. Controller 53 may mark this point in memory 58 . And the controller can move the bar 200 on the top of the user's head downward. As the bar 200 moves downward, the thermal sensor 221 can detect significant moisture since the hair retains a lot of moisture. As the bar 200 moves further downward, the bar 200 may detect a relatively low humidity, which may mean that the thermal sensor 221 is no longer detecting moisture in the user's hair. Based on this thermal information, the controller 53 can determine that the lower boundary of the user's head has been reached.

(00227) Alternatively, when the bar 200 is driven upward to determine the user's height as described in FIG. 21A , it may mean that the thermal sensor 221 has detected the lower boundary of the user's head. The thermal sensor 221 may detect a significantly increased humidity that may be present. Controller 53 may mark this point in memory 58 . The bar 200 may continue to be driven upward until the sensor 221 detects no more moisture or minimal moisture, meaning that moisture in the user's hair is no longer detected. . Based on this thermal information, the controller 53 can determine that the user's height has been reached, which is a position that may correspond to the upper boundary of the user's head.

With the known upper and lower bounds of the user's hair (00228), the controller may proceed to dry the user's hair using the various configurations and operations described above. This is desirable in that the drying operation can be optimized for each user, as people have different heights, different head sizes, and different hair lengths. When the user is drying their hair, the user preferably has their back facing the drying side 14 of the drying device 10, as this posture can detect the hair better and dry the hair better. because it becomes

(00229) The use of the thermal sensor 221 to determine the boundaries of the user's hair is used to determine the characteristics of the user's hair, such as the length of the hair, as well as the thermal sensor 221 to determine the degree of moisture in the user's hair. can be used. This information may additionally be used to control the dryer in drying the user's hair, for example, it washes the user's hair until the thermal sensor 221 reading indicates that the dryer stops drying the user's hair. it will dry

(00230) Information from thermal sensor 221 and properties inferred from thermal information may be used to control the operation of the drive mechanism for bar 200 and second bar 300 (if any) in relation to the body. , for example to match the key of a specific user. This has been described by way of example with reference to FIGS. 21A and 21B .

(00231) Thermal information from the thermal sensor 221 and the L-sensor 221 may be used to control the direction of the air outlet of the bar 200 and/or the second bar 300, for example, air flow. To this user, and specifically to their head, the desired slope is transmitted.

(00232) FIG. 38A shows a drying apparatus used to dry the hair 33 of a user 34. In FIG. As shown in FIG. 38A , the user 34 has their back turned towards the drying surface of the drying device 10 . The bar 200 may be positioned above the user's head 33 . The second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 is then oriented downward so that the forced air flow 215 is directed downward toward the user's head 33 .

(00233) The second bar 300 may be located under the user's head. Then, the third air outlet 301 of the second bar 300 is oriented upward so that the forced air flow 315 is directed upward toward the user's head 33 .

In operation (00234), the forced airflows 215 and 315 may be rotated in a vibration pattern as shown by the respective arrows 222 and 223 . This rotation can be performed by relocating the directions of the second air outlet 201 and the third air outlet 301 of each of the bars 200 and the second bar 300 . For example, FIG. 19 shows a motor 220 capable of rotating the bar 200 about its longitudinal axis. The second bar 300 may be rotated similarly.

(00235) Forced airflows 215 and 315 may be diverted such that they are simultaneously directed in a similar or the same direction, or they are each diverted by the same amount at the same time. In another embodiment, the airflow can be redirected according to a separate program to maximize the randomness of the resulting turbulent flow and improve the drying effect.

(00236) Drying of the user's head 33 and the rest of the user's body may be additionally provided by a forced air flow from the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 . In some embodiments, the airflow at the first air outlet 101 can slightly cool or warm the person, while drying (in the case of the head 33 ) is applied to the bar 200 and the second bar 300 . can be provided by

(00237) FIG. 38b shows another embodiment of a drying device used for drying the user's 34's hair 33. As shown in FIG. Instead of using the bar 200 and the second bar 300 for drying the user's head 33, FIG. 38b shows the body forced airflow of the upper portion 612 of the air outlet 101 of the body 100. It is shown using a bar 200 with forced airflow 215 along with 613 .

(00238) Body 100 may be positioned on a wall or other support structure such that upper portion 612 of air outlet 101 is at least above the head of an average person. The outlet forced airflow 215 of the bar may be diverted as indicated by arrow 222 as previously described.

(00239) FIG. 39 shows a drying apparatus having a bar 200 and a second bar 300 used to create a cyclonic flow effect.

(00240) The second air outlet 201 and the third air outlet 301 of each bar 200 and second bar 300 are shown by arrows 222 and 223 to be redirected, as described above. can The forced airflows 215 and 315 may be rotated by a vibrating panel as shown by the respective arrows 222 and 223 . This rotation may be performed by changing the direction of the second air outlet 201 and the third air outlet 301 of each of the bars 200 and the second bar 300 . According to an embodiment, the interaction between the forced airflows 215 and 315 as a result of their motion relative to each other creates a cyclonic flow 224 as shown in FIG. 39 .

(00241) Cyclone flow 224 can provide the desired degree of turbulence and circulation for use in effectively drying the user's hair. In particular, when the counterclockwise cyclone flow 224 as shown in FIG. 39 and the user is standing with their back facing the dryer, the cyclone flow 224 can lift and separate the long hair and the hair can be dried. make it possible

The (00242) cyclone flow 224 may be generated by the controlled sweeping of the air outlet direction of the bar 200 and the second bar 300, and the interaction of their forced airflow. For example, after the forced air flow of the second bar 300 is swept upward, the forced air flow 215 of the bar 200 may be swept upward.

(00243) One or more flow generators that create forced airflows 215,315 may be controlled to provide the desired cyclonic flow. For example, if forced airflows 215 and 315 are swept upward one by one in order to produce a cyclone effect, the flow generator is configured to stop or reduce airflow generation during the return sweep operation of either or both forced airflows 215 and 315. can be controlled.

(00244) In another embodiment, the cyclone effect 244 may be generated by a static interaction between the forced airflows 215 and 315.

(00245) FIGS. 40A and 40B show an embodiment of the drying apparatus when the drying apparatus includes the hair drying unit 700 .

(00246) The hair drying unit 700 may be located on or toward the top of the body 100 to correspond to the proximity position of the user's head. 40A and 38B, the hair drying unit 700 is provided so as to be above the height of the user's head and provides an air flow inclined downward from the top to the user's head.

(00247) The hair drying unit 700 may receive all or part of the air flow from one or more flow generators of the body 100 . Referring to Fig. 40A, a hair drying unit 700 is shown including the upper portion 612 of the first air outlet 100. In another embodiment, the hair drying unit 700 may be a separate one or more of its own. It may include one or more flow generators, one or more thermoelectric devices and/or thermal elements such as resistance heaters, and a separate air outlet to provide dedicated airflow from the hair dryer 700 .

(00248) The positioning of the orientation of the air outlets and other components on which they depend may be actively controlled, such as by a controller 53 .

In operation (00250), controller 53 may use input from one or more sensors to sense information about the user, such as their location or physical characteristics. The controller may additionally receive information relating to the location of one or more air outlets and may operate one or more associated drive mechanisms to provide a desired orientation of the air outlets.

(00251) The air outlet may be actively redirected during a drying operation, for example in response to a change in the user's degree of drying, the user's location, or one or more user inputs.

(00252) Control of the air outlet may include performing vibration during the drying operation or a pattern of vibration in the direction of the air outlet.

(00253) Exemplary embodiments of the drying apparatus have been described above. Embodiments may be modified for a particular use and suitability.

(00254) Where the preceding description refers to elements or integers having known equivalents, such equivalents are included as if they were individually presented.

(00255) Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be appreciated that various changes may be made. Accordingly, the preferred embodiment should be considered only in terms of description and not for the purpose of limitation, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Moreover, the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description of the invention, all differences falling within the scope of which are to be construed as included in the present disclosure.

(00256) No feature recited herein shall be construed as referring to 35 USC 112(f) unless the term "means" is explicitly used.

(00257) Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10: drying device 11: driving device
14: dry side 40: lead screw
41, 42: nut 44: bracket assembly
45: guide member 46: guide track
53: controller 58: memory
100: body 101: first air outlet
102: air inlet 103: flow generator housing
104: filter unit 106, 107, 108: air flow arrow
110: flow generator 111: inlet filter
113: particulate filter 114: virus filter
115: dehumidification filter 116: flow guide
117: thermoelectric device 118: first side
119: second surface 120: resistance heater
121, 122: duct 123: outlet duct
124: upper region 125: common opening
126: vent 127: pin
128: air opening 129: lower area
130: exhaust port 140: rear panel
142: side panel 144: front panel
200: bar 201: second air outlet
202: air inlet 203: air inlet
204: flow generator 205: air inlet
206: shield 207: air conduit
208: intermediate exit 209: sensor
220: motor 221: sensor
230: cover 300: second bar
301: third air outlet 315: forced air flow
400: footrest 612: upper
613: forced air flow 630: damper
635: damper actuator 700: hair drying unit

Claims (20)

body;
a bar movable with respect to the body;
air inlet;
a flow generator for receiving intake air from the air inlet and generating an air flow;
a bar air outlet on the bar for discharging the air flow from the flow generator; and
and a bar direction mechanism operable to adjust the direction of the bar.
The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the bar by the bar direction mechanism determines the direction of the air flow from the bar air outlet.
The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bar direction mechanism is operative to control the direction of rotation of the bar with respect to a horizontal axis.
The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bar direction mechanism includes a motor operative to control the direction of rotation of the bar with respect to a horizontal axis.
The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bar direction mechanism is operative to control the bar through one or more vibration patterns of motion.
The drying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism operative to drive the bar relative to the body.
7. Drying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said drive mechanism is operative to move said bar relative to said body along at least a vertical direction.
7. Drying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said drive mechanism comprises a motor operative to turn said bar relative to said body.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising: driving a drive mechanism to move the bar to a position proximate to a user's head;
operating a flow generator to generate an air flow to the bar air outlet; and
and a controller configured to operate the bar direction mechanism to position the bar to direct the airflow towards the user's head.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a thermal sensor, and
and the controller is configured to determine the humidity of the user's head based on a sensor detection value from the thermal sensor.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a second bar movable relative to the body;
The second bar,
a second flow generator; and
second bar air outlet; and
and a second bar direction mechanism operable to control the direction of the second bar, wherein the bar and the second bar are operated independently.
The method of claim 11, wherein the driving mechanism,
further operable to drive the second bar against the body, the drying apparatus further comprising a controller, the controller comprising:
drive a drive mechanism to move the bar relative to the body to a position vertically upward and adjacent to the user's head;
driving a drive mechanism to move the second bar relative to the body to a position vertically upward and adjacent to the user's head;
operating the respective flow generators and the second flow generators to generate air flows to the respective bar air outlets and the second bar air outlets;
and the bar air outlet direction mechanism and the second bar air outlet direction mechanism are respectively configured to operate so that the air flows of the bar air outlet and the second bar air outlet converge.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the bar direction mechanism is operative to control the direction of rotation of the bar air outlet with respect to a horizontal axis and the second bar direction mechanism is operative to control the direction of rotation of the second bar air outlet with respect to the horizontal axis, and The drying device further includes a controller, and the drying device includes:
A drying apparatus, configured to operate each of the bar air outlet direction mechanism and the second bar air outlet direction mechanism through one or more vibration patterns of motion.
The body flow generator according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a body air outlet, the flow generator comprises a body flow generator and a bar flow generator, each of the body air outlet and the bar air outlet having their respective body flow generators and bar flow generators. A drying device that discharges the air flow from the
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the body air outlet extends along at least a portion of the height of the body, and the drying device is selectively operative to close at least the lower portion of the body air outlet so that the air flow is discharged from the upper portion of the body air outlet. Drying device further comprising at least one damper.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a controller, the controller comprising:
operating at least one damper so that the air flow is discharged from the upper portion of the body air outlet;
moving the bar relative to the body to a position lower than the top of the body air outlet;
operating the body flow generator and the bar flow generator to provide an air flow from each of the upper portion of the body air outlet and the bar air outlet; and
A drying apparatus configured to operate a bar direction mechanism for controlling the rotation of the bar air outlet so that the air flow at the upper portion of the body air outlet and the bar air outlet converges.
17. The drying apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the bar direction mechanism through one or more vibrations to actively change the convergence position of the airflow of the upper portion of the body air outlet and the bar air outlet.
16. The drying apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an air flow conduit between the body flow generator and the bar air outlet, selectively connectable to divert the air flow of the body flow generator to the bar air outlet.
19. Drying apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when the airflow conduit is connected to the bar air outlet, the bar air outlet is capable of receiving the airflow of both the body flow generator and the bar flow generator.
The hair drying unit according to claim 1, further comprising a hair drying unit having a hair drying air outlet, the hair drying unit being provided on the upper portion of the body and turning with respect to the body to change the direction of the air flow of the hair drying air outlet Dryer that can be.

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