US20240090715A1 - Hand dryer and method for operating a hand dryer - Google Patents

Hand dryer and method for operating a hand dryer Download PDF

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Publication number
US20240090715A1
US20240090715A1 US18/255,522 US202118255522A US2024090715A1 US 20240090715 A1 US20240090715 A1 US 20240090715A1 US 202118255522 A US202118255522 A US 202118255522A US 2024090715 A1 US2024090715 A1 US 2024090715A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
interior space
air
hand dryer
housing
conveying element
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Pending
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US18/255,522
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English (en)
Inventor
Niklas Kreyenhagen
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Individual
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Individual
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Publication date
Priority claimed from DE102021117593.3A external-priority patent/DE102021117593B4/de
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of US20240090715A1 publication Critical patent/US20240090715A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
    • A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
    • A47K10/48—Drying by means of hot air

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to a hand dryer according to an independent claim and to a method for operating a hand dryer according to another independent claim.
  • Hand dryers drying the hands with an air flow directed onto the hands are well known from the prior art.
  • the hands are inserted into a housing and dried there by an air flow.
  • the housings are open on the sides.
  • water droplets blown away by the air flow, and also the air coming off from the hands can get out of the housing on the open sides.
  • Both the exhaust air discharged into the surrounding space and the water droplets may contain contaminations and, in particular, bacteria or viruses. They then get into the environment unimpededly.
  • the disclosure provides a hand dryer and a method for operating a hand dryer by means of which potential health risks can be avoided particularly effectively.
  • a hand dryer comprises a pot-like housing with an interior space with at least one opening for body parts, preferably hands, to be dried.
  • this is a housing which encloses an interior space all around, with the exception of at least one opening for inserting the body parts (hands).
  • the opening is arranged at the top side of the housing, so that the hands can be inserted into the housing from above in a downward direction.
  • a separate opening for each hand may also be provided.
  • the one opening or two openings are designed to be of such a size that the hands can be inserted into the openings without touching the edge of the opening.
  • the interior space has a rectangular or slit-like configuration, so that two hands extended so as to be flat can be comfortably inserted into the interior space.
  • the hand dryer is configured for attachment to a wall and has corresponding attaching portions and suitable attaching means.
  • the hand dryer further comprises a first filter element for filtering drawn-in air.
  • the air is drawn in from the environment of the housing via an inlet and guided through the filter.
  • at least one nozzle for discharging the filtered air into the interior space of the housing.
  • the filtered air is directed onto the hands in order to dry them.
  • the air discharged from the nozzles flows towards the interior of the housing, so that, if possible, no air ends up in the surrounding space.
  • several nozzles distributed across the interior space are provided for discharging the filtered air.
  • the hands need to be pushed preferably rather deeply into the housing in order to avoid or reduce the flow-back of air into the surrounding space.
  • the hand dryer further comprises a second filter element for filtering the air fed by the nozzle into the interior space of the housing.
  • the exhaust air that has already come into contact with the hands is to be filtered with the second filter element.
  • one or several openings, through which the air coming off from the hands can escape from the interior space are provided in a lower region of the interior space of the housing.
  • the housing comprises an outlet for discharging the air filtered by the second filter element from the housing.
  • at least one connection pipe which guides the air flowing out of the interior space towards the filter and the outlet in a targeted manner, is connected to the interior space.
  • the at least one opening disposed in the interior space for extracting the exhaust air is arranged such that no water is extracted through it.
  • the at least one opening is arranged at a higher level than a collecting region for the water.
  • the hand dryer according to the disclosure not only the air from the environment, which was drawn in and used for drying, is filtered, but also the exhaust air that was in contact with the hands in order to dry them. Accordingly, the air released into the environment is also filtered air which is as free as possible from bacteria and viruses. Due to the pot-like, closed housing, the exhaust air, in particular, cannot get out of the housing directly.
  • the environment of the hand dryer according to the disclosure is not polluted with bacteria or viruses and thus, persons in the environment of the hand dryer are protected from a potential infection.
  • the first filter element and/or the second filter element is a HEPA filter, wherein HEPA stands for “High-Efficiency Particulate Air”.
  • HEPA filters are filters well suited for separating suspended matter from the air.
  • HEPA filters of the filter classes 13 or 14 are suitable for a use according to the disclosure.
  • one or more prefilters are disposed upstream of a HEPA filter, in order to reduce the burden on the HEPA filter.
  • the at least one nozzle for discharging the filtered air into the interior space is arranged in the region of the opening of the interior space and directed towards the interior space.
  • several nozzles are distributed around the opening. The arrangement of the nozzles provides support for as little air as possible getting through the opening—and thus unfiltered—into the environment.
  • the air flows of the intake air and exhaust air are conveyed independently of each other.
  • the hand dryer has a first conveying element for drawing in air from the environment, in particular a pump, fan or ventilator connected to a motor.
  • the hand dryer has a second conveying element for extracting the air located in the interior space and for discharging it from the housing. This may also be a pump, fan or ventilator connected to the same or, in particular, a further motor.
  • a particularly efficient extraction of the exhaust air that has been in contact with the hands is realized by the second conveying element, and it is thus avoided that unfiltered exhaust air, with the bacteria and viruses that may possibly be present therein, gets into the environment.
  • the first conveying element and the second conveying element can be operated independently of each other.
  • the hand dryer according to the disclosure offers the advantage of different operating modes. For example, only the second conveying element may be activated, and thus, air from the environment of the hand dryer may be drawn in, primarily via the opening of the housing, and cleaned.
  • the hand dryer may serve for filtering the ambient air in a time in which it is not in use for drying hands.
  • the hand dryer has sensors, which detect an insertion and/or removal of hands, or generally of objects, into the interior space of the housing.
  • the sensors are preferably connected to a control system via which the first conveying element and/or second conveying element can be controlled.
  • the hand dryer has an operating unit, such as a touchscreen.
  • the operating unit is arranged within the housing and accessible via a door.
  • the operating parameters of the first conveying element and/or second conveying element can be adjusted by means of the operating unit.
  • the operating unit is connected to the control system for this purpose.
  • the hand dryer can be operated for a particularly great length of time if the first filter element and/or the second filter element are replaceable.
  • the filter may be replaced after a set interval or after a set number of uses of the hand dryer.
  • an air curtain may be arranged in the region of the opening for the hands, which additionally has the effect that no unfiltered air gets out of the interior space into the environment.
  • the hand dryer has a collection device for liquid in the interior space of the housing, and particularly at the bottom of the interior space.
  • the collection device has a funnel-shaped configuration and, with a drain, forms the lowermost point of the housing.
  • the transport of the water droplets towards the collection device can be supported by a downwardly directed air flow generated by the at least one nozzle and/or the air extraction means located in the lower region of the interior space.
  • a filter for cleaning the collected liquid is additionally provided in order to remove viruses and bacteria also from the waste water. This provides for additional protection, and the hand dryer is particularly safe.
  • the collection device may be connected to a collection container, so that the hand dryer can be installed and operated independently of a drain pipe. From the drain of the collection device, the liquid preferably runs through the filter and then into the collection container.
  • the collection container has a filling level indicator. It is thus possible to recognize as quickly as possible if the collection container has to be emptied.
  • the collection container may be emptied via a valve.
  • the collection container is configured like a drawer and can be pulled from the housing.
  • the housing is at least partially, and in particular in the region of the interior space, provided with an antibacterial and/or antiviral coating.
  • an antibacterial and/or antiviral coating particularly the regions of the hand dryer with which the hands may possibly come into contact for drying are provided both with an antibacterial and an antiviral coating.
  • Such areas are primarily located around the opening and in the interior space of the housing.
  • a UV source in the interior space, which is suitable for disinfecting the interior space.
  • This UV source may also be replaceable.
  • a UV source is also arranged immediately upstream of the first filter element and/or second filter element in order to clean the flowing air and/or the corresponding filter element.
  • the housing has a door via which the interior of the housing is accessible.
  • the filter elements and/or the collection container and/or a UV source can be replaced if the door is open.
  • the operating unit may only be accessible if the door is open.
  • the door can be locked, and the interior of the housing is only accessible using a key.
  • the hand dryer may have a device for hand disinfection.
  • the hand dryer has a container for disposing disinfectant which is connected to at least one opening in the interior space of the housing. Disinfectant can be conveyed from the container to the at least one opening by means of a pump. The disinfectant is then sprayed onto the hands in the interior space.
  • the openings are also configured in the form of nozzles. The disinfectant that drops off from the hands or misses the hands also reaches, preferably via the collection device, the collection container of the hand dryer in which the water is also collected.
  • the container for the disinfectant is accessible such that disinfectant can be replenished.
  • the spraying of disinfectant onto the hands may be activated by a user by means of a key or button on the outside of the housing or the above-mentioned operating unit on the inside of the housing.
  • the activation of this function is possible either before, after or during the hand drying process.
  • the latter has a display.
  • the display is arranged on the top side or above the hand dryer.
  • the display is suitable for displaying videos or images.
  • the videos or images may be advertisements or notices, for instance.
  • the contents that are supposed to be displayed on the display may, in particular, be transmitted to the device wirelessly, particularly via WLAN or Bluetooth.
  • the transmission of contents to the display may be password-protected.
  • the disclosure also relates to a method for operating a hand dryer as described above, wherein the hand dryer has a first conveying element and a second conveying element that can be operated independently of each other, and wherein the first conveying element and the second conveying element are switched on in case of a detection of hands in the interior space, and wherein the first conveying element and/or the second conveying element are switched on for a defined time interval during a period in which no hands are disposed in the interior space.
  • the first and second conveying elements are started and air is drawn in from the environment via the inlet, conveyed into the interior space onto the hands to be dried, extracted again via the openings in the interior space and conveyed to the outlet.
  • the first conveying element and/or second conveying element are then switched on for a defined time interval.
  • the two conveying elements then draw in air from the environment via the inlet and/or the opening, and the ambient air is filtered.
  • only the second conveying element is switched on.
  • the second conveying element then draws air from the environment via the opening of the interior space of the housing and filters it.
  • the hand dryer can thus also be used for filtering the ambient air.
  • the operation of the first conveying element and/or second conveying element may be continued for a defined time interval immediately subsequent to drying the hands, or they may be activated independently thereof, or be switched on permanently.
  • the frequency of the activation of the first conveying element and/or conveying element, the shut-off delay and/or the duration of the activation can be adjusted in particular by means of the operating unit. For example, the following parameters can be adjusted:
  • only the second conveying element may be activated for several seconds or even minutes.
  • the first conveying element is additionally switched on particularly when the presence of hands is detected by the sensors.
  • the hand dryer For detecting the presence of hands or of an object in the interior space, the hand dryer has, in particular, at least one sensor.
  • the sensor may be a motion sensor or light barrier, for instance.
  • the sensors also detect if the hands or an object are removed again from the interior space and then—possibly after a defined time of continued operation—switch the first conveying element and the second conveying element off again.
  • a particularly energy-saving operation of the hand dryer can be realized.
  • FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a hand dryer in a schematic cross-sectional view
  • FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a hand dryer in a schematic perspective view obliquely from above
  • FIG. 3 shows the hand dryer from FIG. 2 in a rear view.
  • a hand dryer 10 according to a first embodiment is schematically shown in FIG. 1 .
  • the hand dryer 10 comprises a pot-like housing 12 , wherein an interior space 14 is accessible via an opening 16 for body parts to be dried.
  • the hand dryer 10 is arranged on a wall 18 .
  • the hand dryer 10 further has an inlet 20 for drawing in air from the environment.
  • the inlet 20 extends on a side surface of the hand dryer 10 across a large part of the height.
  • a first filter element 22 for filtering the drawn-in air is arranged following the inlet 20 .
  • the filter element 22 is a HEPA filter of the filter class 13 .
  • the filtered air is guided via a first conveying element (not visible) towards nozzles 24 arranged around the opening 16 .
  • the respective flow direction is illustrated with different arrows in FIG. 1 .
  • the nozzles 24 serve for discharging the filtered air into the interior space 14 of the housing 12 . In this case, the nozzles 24 are orientated such that they release air into the interior space 14 and are directed towards hands located in the interior space 14 , so that moisture on the hands is conveyed towards the bottom 26 of the interior space 14 .
  • the hand dryer 10 In order to discharge the air—particularly the air coming from the hands—from the interior space 14 , the hand dryer 10 has a second conveying element 28 which conveys the air to an outlet 32 through openings 30 arranged in a lower region of the interior space 14 .
  • the outlet 32 extends on a side of the hand dryer 10 across a large part of the height.
  • a second filter element 34 which serves for filtering the air coming from the hands, is disposed between the openings 30 and the outlet 32 .
  • the second filter element 34 is a HEPA filter of the filter class 13 .
  • a prefilter 36 is disposed upstream of the second filter element 34 .
  • the second filter element 34 and the prefilter 36 are arranged in a filter housing 35 .
  • the filter housing 35 is removable via an opening 37 in the housing 12 .
  • the bottom 26 of the housing 12 has a funnel-shaped collection device 38 for the moisture blown off from the hands.
  • the liquid accumulates on the bottom 26 of the housing 12 and can be discharged from there.
  • the collection device 38 is connected at its lower post point to a collection container 42 via a connection 40 .
  • a filter 44 which filters bacteria and/or viruses from the water coming off the hands, is arranged between the collection device 38 and the collection container 42 .
  • the collection container 42 has a valve 43 which can be opened and closed as required.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 Another embodiment of a hand dryer 10 is shown in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 , wherein, for explaining the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the description of the first embodiment are used for identical or at least functionally identical components.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 A second embodiment of the hand dryer 10 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
  • the hand dryer 10 has a pot-shaped housing 12 with an interior space 14 and, in this case, two openings 16 for inserting the hands (see FIG. 2 ).
  • One hand can be inserted into the housing 12 through, in each case, one opening 16 .
  • the hand dryer 10 has a first conveying element 46 in the form of a motor-powered fan, by means of which air is drawn in from the environment via an inlet 20 and conveyed in the housing 12 and to the interior space 14 .
  • the interior space 14 has a slit-like configuration, and nozzles 24 extending across the sides are arranged on the opposing long sides, so that a flow is directed towards the hands from two sides.
  • the air is guided via a y-shaped connection pipe 48 , which extends from the first conveying element 46 to the nozzles 24 (as is apparent from a synopsis of FIGS. 2 and 3 ).
  • connection pipe 48 constitutes a direct connection between the first conveying element 46 and the respective nozzle 24 in order to obtain as laminar a flow as possible.
  • a first filter element 22 a HEPA filter of the filter class 13 , is arranged between the inlet 20 and the first conveying element 46 .
  • the first filter element 22 is arranged in a housing 50 , and is replaceable.
  • the nozzle 24 is arranged on the edge of the opening 16 and blows the drawn-in air, towards the bottom 26 of the interior space 14 , onto the hands to be dried.
  • one opening 30 (not visible), respectively, is formed on the opposing long sides of the interior space 14 , via which air is extracted from the interior space 14 .
  • the hand dryer 10 has a second conveying element 28 , via which the air is conveyed from the respective opening 30 to an outlet 32 .
  • the openings 30 are followed in each case by connection pipes 52 (also see the synopsis of FIGS. 2 and 3 ), which first lead to a second filter element 34 in a second filter housing 54 , wherein the second filter element 34 serves for filtering the air extracted from the interior space 14 .
  • the bottom 26 of the interior space 14 has a funnel-shaped configuration and serves as a collection device 38 for liquid blown off from the hands.
  • the liquid is discharged through an opening in the bottom 26 of the interior space 14 via a pipe 40 to a collection container 42 .
  • the collection container 42 for the liquid is replaceable.
  • the hand dryer 10 comprises a control system 56 .
  • the control system 56 is functionally connected to sensors 58 (see FIG. 2 ), by means of which the insertion of hands into the housing 12 and their removal therefrom is detected. If the insertion of hands is detected, then the start-up of the first conveying element 46 and the second conveying element 28 is prompted by means of the control system 56 . In addition, a start-up the second conveying element 28 and, if necessary, of the first conveying element 46 can be prompted with the control system 56 even independently of a signal of the sensors 58 , in order to filter the ambient air in an interim period.
  • the housing 12 of the hand dryer 10 has a door (not shown), via which the first filter element 22 , the second filter element 34 and the water container 42 can be removed.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
  • Filtering Of Dispersed Particles In Gases (AREA)
US18/255,522 2020-12-01 2021-12-01 Hand dryer and method for operating a hand dryer Pending US20240090715A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102020131880 2020-12-01
DE102020131880.4 2020-12-01
DE102021116869.4 2021-06-30
DE102021116869 2021-06-30
DE102021117593.3 2021-07-07
DE102021117593.3A DE102021117593B4 (de) 2020-12-01 2021-07-07 Händetrockner und Verfahren zum Betreiben eines Händetrockners
PCT/EP2021/083813 WO2022117668A1 (de) 2020-12-01 2021-12-01 Händetrockner und verfahren zum betreiben eines händetrockners

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20240090715A1 true US20240090715A1 (en) 2024-03-21

Family

ID=79185479

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US18/255,522 Pending US20240090715A1 (en) 2020-12-01 2021-12-01 Hand dryer and method for operating a hand dryer

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US20240090715A1 (de)
EP (1) EP4255269A1 (de)
JP (1) JP2023551341A (de)
WO (1) WO2022117668A1 (de)

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2434745A (en) * 2006-02-02 2007-08-08 Dyson Technology Ltd Drying apparatus with waste water filter
JP5511963B2 (ja) * 2010-08-05 2014-06-04 三菱電機株式会社 手乾燥装置
CA2820789C (en) * 2010-12-07 2017-02-28 Brian Graydon An apparatus for drying and sanitizing hands
JP6742507B2 (ja) * 2017-03-28 2020-08-19 三菱電機株式会社 手乾燥装置
JP2019195365A (ja) * 2018-05-07 2019-11-14 三菱電機株式会社 手乾燥装置
ES1253301Y (es) * 2020-05-29 2020-12-29 Serra David Montana Secador de manos cubierto anti salpicaduras y antibacterias

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WO2022117668A1 (de) 2022-06-09
JP2023551341A (ja) 2023-12-07
EP4255269A1 (de) 2023-10-11

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