WO2023154037A1

WO2023154037A1 - Hand drying apparatus with dispensing and squeezing arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2023154037A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/015712
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wei Huang
Original assignee: Wei Huang
Priority date: 2022-02-08
Filing date: 2022-02-08
Publication date: 2023-08-17
Also published as: US20230248188A1

Abstract

A hand drying apparatus includes an outer casing and a dispensing and squeezing arrangement. The dispensing and squeezing arrangement includes a support panel, a plurality of supporting members positioned to support a first section and a second section of one or more fabric sheet, a squeezing member movably supported in the outer casing to contact with the second section of the fabric sheet. The hand drying apparatus is operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the idle mode, the first section and the second section of the fabric sheet are positioned to form a drying cavity for receiving a user's hand. In the drying mode, the squeezing member is driven to move along the second section of the fabric sheet so as to drive the second section of the fabric sheet to contact with the user's hand for absorbing moisture and impart rubbing and massage effect.

Description

Hand Drying Apparatus with Dispensing and squeezing Arrangement

Background of the Present Invention

Field of Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand drying apparatus, and more particularly to a hand drying apparatus comprising a dispensing and a squeezing arrangement, which is capable of moving along a user’s hand so as to facilitate a dispensed fabric sheet to touch the user’s hand for drying thereof.

Description of Related Arts

[0002] Conventionally, there exist several kinds of hand drying apparatuses which are used for drying a user’s hand. For example, some conventional drying apparatuses utilizes heated air for drying a user’s hand. The disadvantages of this kind of hand drying apparatuses are that they need long time to dry hand and need a considerable amount of power to operate. Another kind of hand drying apparatus is disposable paper towel dispensers. An obvious disadvantage of this type of hand drying apparatuses is that they are not environmentally friendly. Paper towel dispensers consume a large amount of paper towels. Yet another kind of hand drying apparatus is traditional fabric towel dispensers. This type of hand drying apparatuses dispenses reusable fabric towels for users to dry their hands. A major disadvantage is that a user has to manually squeeze the fabric towel to allow effective absorption of water from the user’s hand.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 11,103,111 (‘ 111 patent) to Huang generally disclose a hand drying apparatus comprising a dispensing and squeezing arrangement which comprises at least a first support panel and a second support panel provided in an outer casing, wherein the second support panel is provided in the outer casing at a position spaced apart from the first support panel to form at least one drying cavity as a space formed between the first support panel and the second support panel for accommodating the user’s hand. [0004] There exist several disadvantages in associated with the hand drying apparatus disclosed in ‘ 111 patent. First, because the first support panel and the second support panel are moving toward and away from each other, there is virtually no rubbing movement between each of the support panels and the user’s hand. As a result, the time of absorbing moisture from the users’ hand is prolonged.

[0005] Second, the hand drying apparatus ‘ 111 utilized two support panels for supporting a fabric so that by driving the movement between the first support panel and the second support panel, a user’s hand may be squeezed, and the moisture absorbed by the fabric. This double panel structure requires a bigger outer casing and more complicated driving mechanism.

[0006] Third, the squeezing mechanism disclosed in ‘ 111 patent is accomplished by moving the first support panel toward the second support panel. More importantly, the first support panel and the second support panel are positioned in parallel with each other. This means a flat panel is arranged to squeeze a user’s hand which has an irregular surface contour. The result is that the user’s hands may not be adequately squeezed so that moisture on the user’s hands may not be adequately absorbed. This arrangement is not ergonomically sound with respect to a human hand.

[0007] As a result, there is a need to develop a hand drying apparatus which provide enhanced hand drying performance and more ergonomically sound with respect to a human hand.

Summary of the Present Invention

[0008] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus a hand drying apparatus comprising a dispensing and squeezing arrangement which is capable of moving along a user’s hand so as to facilitate a fabric sheet to touch the user’s hand for drying thereof. So, this can add rubbing movement to enhance the speed of absorbing moisture. As a result, the time of absorbing moisture from the users’ hand is shorted. [0009] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus comprising a dispensing and squeezing arrangement which may allow paper towel or fabric towel to press against a user’s hand for absorbing moisture thereof. The outer casing and the driving mechanism can be made smaller and simpler.

[0010] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus comprising a dispensing and squeezing arrangement which is ergonomically fit to a hand’s contour so as to substantially enhance drying performance.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, it provides a hand drying apparatus for a fabric sheet used for absorbing moisture from a user’s hand, the hand drying apparatus comprising: an outer casing; and a dispensing and squeezing arrangement, which comprises: a support panel provided in the outer casing; at least one driving rotor rotatably supported in the outer casing for driving the fabric sheet to move in a predetermined direction; a plurality of supporting members provided in the outer casing and positioned to support a first section of a fabric sheet and a second section of a same or another fabric sheet in a tensioned manner, wherein the first section rests on the support panel, while the second section extends over the first section; and at least one squeezing member movably supported in the outer casing and positioned to contact with the second section of the corresponding fabric sheet, the hand drying apparatus being operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the idle mode, the first section and the second section are positioned and retained to space apart from each other by the supporting members to form a drying cavity as a space between the first section and the second section for accommodating at least one user’s hand, wherein in the drying mode, the squeezing member is driven to move along the second section of the fabric sheet so as to drive the second section to contact with the user’s hand in the drying cavity for absorbing moisture from the user’s hand and facilitate a rubbing and massage effect thereto.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, it provides a hand drying apparatus for at least one fabric sheet used for absorbing moisture from a user’s hand, the hand drying apparatus comprising: an outer casing; and a dispensing and squeezing arrangement, which comprises: a support panel provided in the outer casing, the support panel having a first utility side and a second utility side; at least one driving rotor rotatably supported in the outer casing for driving the fabric sheet to move in a predetermined direction; a plurality of supporting members provided in the outer casing and positioned to support a first through fourth section of a fabric sheet in a tensioned manner, wherein the first section rests on the first utility side of the support panel, while the third section rests on the second utility side of the support panel, the second section and the fourth section of the fabric sheet extend over the first section and the third section of the fabric sheet respectively; and at least two squeezing members movably supported in the outer casing and positioned to contact with the second section and fourth section of the corresponding fabric sheet respectively, the hand drying apparatus being operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the idle mode, the first section and the third section are positioned and retained to space apart from the second section and the fourth section respectively by the supporting members to form a first drying cavity and a second drying cavity respectively, the first drying cavity being formed as a space between the first section and the second section, while the second drying cavity being formed as a space between the third section and the fourth section, wherein the drying mode, the squeezing members are driven to move along the second section and the fourth section of the corresponding fabric sheet so as to drive the second section and the fourth section to contact with the user’s hand in the first and the second drying cavities for absorbing moisture from the user’s hands and facilitate a rubbing and massage effect thereon.

[0013] This summary presented above is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify any key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] Fig. l is a perspective view of a hand drying apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a squeezing member according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0017] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a driving mechanism according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 5 a block diagram of a dispensing and squeezing arrangement of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Fig. 6 is a first alternative mode of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the hand drying apparatus according to the first alternative mode of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a driving mechanism according to the first alternative mode of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a squeezing member according to the first alternative mode of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 10 a block diagram of a dispensing and squeezing arrangement of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig. 11 is a second alternative mode of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

[0025] The following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is the preferred mode of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in any limiting sense. It is presented for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention.

[0026] It should be appreciated that the terms "install", "connect", "couple", and "mount" in the following description refer to the connecting relationship in the accompanying drawings for easy understanding of the present invention. For example, the connection can refer to permanent connection or detachable connection. Furthermore, “connected” may also mean direct connection or indirect connection, or connection through other auxiliary components. Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual connection limitation of the elements of the present invention.

[0027] It should be appreciated that the terms "length", "width", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "left", "right", vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "exterior", and "interior" in the following description refer to the orientation or positioning relationship in the accompanying drawings for easy understanding of the present invention without limiting the actual location or orientation of the present invention. Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual location limitation of the elements of the present invention.

[0028] It should be appreciated that the terms "first", "second", "one", "a", and "an" in the following description refer to "at least one" or "one or more" in the embodiment. In particular, the term "a" in one embodiment may refer to "one" while in another embodiment may refer to "more than one". Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual numerical limitation of the elements of the present invention.

[0029] Referring to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5 of the drawings, a hand drying apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Broadly, the hand drying apparatus may comprise an outer casing 10 and a dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20. The hand drying apparatus may be configured for a fabric sheet 100 used for absorbing moisture from a user’s hand. The fabric sheet 100 may be a sheet of paper towel or a sheet of fabric towel.

[0030] The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may comprise a support panel 21, at least one driving rotor 23, a plurality of supporting members 250, and at least one squeezing member 22. The support panel 21 may be provided in the outer casing 10.

[0031] The driving rotor 23 may be rotatably supported in the outer casing 10 for driving the fabric sheet 100 to move in a predetermined direction in the outer casing 10.

[0032] The plurality of supporting members 250 may be provided in the outer casing 10 and positioned to support a first section 101 of a fabric sheet 100 and a second section 102 of a same or another fabric sheet 100 in a tensioned manner, wherein the first section 101 rests on the support panel 21, while the second section 102 extends over the first section 101.

[0033] The squeezing member 22 may be movably supported in the outer casing 10 and positioned to contact with the second section 102 of the corresponding fabric sheet 100.

[0034] The hand drying apparatus may be operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the idle mode, the first section 101 and the second section 102 are positioned and retained to space apart from each other by the supporting members 250 to form a drying cavity 16 as a space between the first section 101 and the second section 102 for accommodating at least one user’s hand, wherein in the drying mode, the squeezing member 22 may be driven to move along the second section 102 of the corresponding fabric sheet 100 so as to drive the second section 102 to contact with the user’s hand in the drying cavity 16 for absorbing moisture from the user’s hand and facilitate a massage effect thereto.

[0035] According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hand drying apparatus of the present invention may utilize the fabric sheet 100 as a medium for absorbing moisture from the user’s hands. Preferably, the fabric sheet 100 may be configured as fabric towel. Alternatively, paper towel may also be used. The fabric sheet 100 may therefore need to possess a predetermined amount of water absorbing ability so that when the fabric sheet 100 is in contact with the users’ hands, water on the users’ hands may be absorbed by the fabric sheet 100. The fabric sheet 100 may be folded or rolled to be continuously supplied to the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20. Note that the hand drying apparatus may utilize one or more fabric sheet 100 for absorbing moisture.

[0036] The outer casing 10 may have a storage compartment 11 for storing cleaned, unused fabric sheet 100, and a collecting compartment 12 for storing used fabric sheet 100. The fabric sheet 100 may be guided to controllably move from the storage compartment 11 to the collecting compartment 12 through the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20. In this preferred embodiment, the storage compartment 11 may be provided on an upper portion 13 of the outer casing 10, while the collecting compartment 12 may be provided on a lower portion 14 of the outer casing 10. The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may be provided between the storage compartment 11 and the collecting compartment 12 at a mid portion 15 of the outer casing 10.

[0037] The hand drying apparatus may further comprise a towel guider 30 provided in the storage compartment 11 for unused fabric sheet 100 to be supported thereon. In this preferred embodiment, the fabric sheet 100 may be configured as a roll which is to be supported on the towel guider 30 in the storage compartment 11. A certain amount of the fabric sheet 100 may be pulled out from the roll and fed to the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20. As such, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may have a continuous supply of fabric sheet 100. The towel guider 30 may be configured as a roller shaft (which may also be driven to move by the driving rotor 23) or a stationary bar affixed in the storage compartment 11 of the outer casing 10.

[0038] The outer casing 10 may further have an access opening 161 provided on the outer casing 10 for allowing a user to access the drying cavity 16 through the access opening 161. Thus, the access opening 161 may be formed at a position corresponding to that of the drying cavity 16 so that a user may be able to put his or her hand in the drying cavity through penetrating the access opening 161. Note that the number of drying cavity 16 and the access opening 161 may be varied according to an actual configuration of the present invention. Some of these configurations will be described below.

[0039] The driving rotor 23 may be distributed in the outer casing 10 in a rotatably movable manner for driving the fabric sheet 100 to move in a predetermined path dictated by the spatial distribution of the driving rotor 23 and the supporting members 250. The objective is to guide the fabric sheet 100 to move from the storage compartment 11 and pass through the drying cavity 16 and to be finally collected in the collecting compartment 12. Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the driving rotor 23 may be arranged to support a portion of the fabric sheet 100 so that when the driving rotor 23 rotates, the fabric sheet 100 may be driven to move in the direction of rotation of the driving rotor 23. It is worth mentioning that the fabric sheet 100 may be supported on the supporting members 250 and the driving rotor 23 in a stretched manner so as to maintain a predetermined tension on the fabric sheet 100 when it is traveled along the supporting members 250 and the driving rotor 23.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 of the drawings, the hand drying apparatus may further comprise a plurality of driving motors 261 (but at least one) one of which is connected to the driving rotor 23 for driving the fabric sheet 100 to move along a path dictated by the distribution of the driving rotor(s) 23. When the fabric sheet 100 is engaged with the driving rotor 23, the rotational movement of the driving rotor 23 may drive a particular portion of the fabric sheet 100 to move from the driving rotor 23 to a corresponding supporting member 250.

[0041] Specifically, at least two of the supporting members 250 may be provided in outer casing 10 in such a manner that the first section 101 of an unused fabric sheet 100 may extend above and temporarily rest on the support panel 21. The exact number of driving rotor 23 and the supporting members 250 employed in the outer casing 10 may depend on the exact configuration of the outer casing 10, and the desirable travel path of the fabric sheet 100, and the number of fabric sheets 100 used.

[0042] The supporting members 250 may be mounted in the outer casing 10 for supporting the fabric sheet 100 in a tensioned manner. The supporting members 250 may be stationary or rotatably mounted in the outer casing 10. The purpose of the supporting members 250 is to guide and support the fabric sheet 100 to travel in a predetermined direction as driven by the driving rotor 23. The exact number of the supporting members 250 may depend on the exact configuration of the outer casing 10, the desirable travel path of the fabric sheet 100, and the number of fabric sheets 100 used. For example, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, two supporting members 250 may be mounted near two ends of the support panel 21 respectively for supporting the first section 101 of the fabric sheet 100. Another supporting member 250 may be provided to support the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100. The first section 101 and the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100 may be guided to form a predetermined angle of inclination with each other, wherein the second section 102 upwardly and inclinedly extends from the first section 101. [0043] The support panel 21 may be mounted in the outer casing 10 for providing support to the first section 101 of the fabric sheet 100 and the user’s hand. The support panel 21 may be securely mounted in the outer casing 10.

[0044] The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may further comprise at least one deformable pad 25 supported on the support panel 21 for supporting the user’s hand. In this preferred embodiment, the deformable pad 25 may be mounted on the support panel 21. When the user’s hand rest on the support panel 21, the deformable pad 25 may slightly deform due to the hand’s weight. Further deformation may occur when the squeezing member 22 is driven to travel along the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100 so as to depress on the user’s hand. The deformable pad 25 on the support panel 21 may also deform due to the pressure exerted by the support panel 21 or the squeezing member 22. The deformable pad 25 may be configured from soft or foam material such as memory foam, sponge, cotton or soft brush etc.

[0045] When the squeezing member 22 travels along the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100, the second section 102 may exert a corresponding pressure on the user’s hand in the drying cavity 16. The second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100, due to its flexible and deformable physical property, may tightly and fittedly contact with the user’s hand when the squeezing member 22 travels along the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100. As such, the fabric sheet 100 may provide ergonomically optimal moisture absorbing performance on the user’s hand.

[0046] The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may further comprise at least one guiding slot 27 formed in the outer casing 10 for engaging with the squeezing member 22, wherein a movement of the squeezing member 22 may be guided by the guiding slot 27. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guiding slot 27 may have a curved contour in which the squeezing member 22 may slidably engage with the guiding slot 27 so that the squeezing member 22 may move with respect to the outer casing 10 along a direction dictated by the guiding slot 27. In other words, the squeezing member 22 may slidably move along the guiding slot 27.

[0047] Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the squeezing member 22 may comprise a main shaft 221 and a soft layer 222 overlapping on the main shaft 221. The soft layer 222 may be configured from a material having a deformable physical property, such as foam material, sponge material, rubber material or brush material etc. It is worth mentioning that the squeezing member 22 may be configured to have different cross sectional shape, such as circular cross sectional shape, semi-circular cross sectional shape, or even irregular cross sectional shape. It is worth mentioning that the squeezing member 22 may be configured to have different external contours, such as a panel-like structure, rod structure etc.

[0048] Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may further comprise a driving mechanism 25 mounted in the outer casing 10 and connected to the squeezing member 22 for driving the squeezing member 22 to move along the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100. Specifically, the driving mechanism 25 may comprise an actuation motor 251, a threaded rod 252 connected to the actuation motor 251, a driven gear 253 connected to the threaded rod 252, and a plurality of connecting arms 254 connecting the driven gear 253 to the squeezing member 22. The actuation motor 251 may be driven to rotate so as to drive the threaded rod 252 to rotate as well. The threaded rod 252 may be engaged with the driven gear 253 so that when the threaded rod 252 is driven to rotate, the driven gear 253 may be driven to move linearly along a longitudinal direction of the threaded rod 252. At the same time, the connecting arms 254 may connect the driven gear 253 to two ends of the main shaft 221 of the squeezing member 22 in such a manner that when the driven gear 253 is driven to move, the squeezing member 22 may also be driven to move along the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100.

[0049] It is worth mentioning that the main shaft 221 may be rotatably connected to the connecting arms 254 so that the squeezing member 22 may also have rotational movement with respect to the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100. Moreover, each of the connecting arms 254 may be configured to have a predetermined elasticity and deformability so that the squeezing member 22 may be moved along the guiding slot 27 which may have a curved contour.

[0050] According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driven gear 253 and the threaded rod 252 may form a rack and pinion gear assembly so that a rotational movement of the threaded rod 252 may actuate a linear movement of the driven gear 253. Other mechanical engagements may also be possible.

[0051] The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may further comprise a central processing unit 262 electrically connected to the driving motors 261, the actuation motor 251, and at least one motion sensor 263 provided in the drying cavity 16 and electrically connected to the central processing unit 262 for sensing presence of motion in the drying cavity 24. The central processing unit 262 may be programmed to control the operation of the driving motors 261 and the actuation motor 251 when signals from the motion sensor 263 are received. The actuation motor 251 may be driven to rotate so as to drive the squeezing member 22 to travel on the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100.

[0052] It is worth mentioning that used fabric sheet 100 may be moved to accommodate in the collecting compartment 12 which may be located underneath the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20. When all the fabric sheet 100 has been used, the used fabric sheet 100 may be taken out for cleaning so that it may be reaccommodated in the storage compartment 11 and reused for drying in the manner described above.

[0053] The used fabric sheet 100 collected in the collecting compartment 12 may be stacked.

[0054] The operation of the present invention may be as follows: when no object is in the drying cavity 16, the hand drying apparatus of the present invention is idle. When a user wants to dry his hands, he may put his hands into the drying cavity 16 through the access opening 161. When his hands are in the drying cavity 16 and rest on the fabric sheet 100 disposed on the deformable pad 221 and the support panel 21, the motion sensor 263 may detect motion and send the corresponding signal to the central processing unit 262. The central processing unit 262 may then drive the actuation motor 251 so as to allow the squeezing member 22 to travel along the guiding slot 27 and on the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100. The second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100 may then be depressed and contact with a top portion of the user’s hand. The movement of the squeezing member 22 may serve to rub and massage the user’s hand and allow fabric sheet 100 to tightly and fittedly contact with the top portion of the user’s hand so as to absorb the moisture therefrom. On the other hand, the moisture on the bottom portion of the user’s hand may be absorbed by the first section 101 of the fabric sheet 100 which may be disposed on the support panel 21.

[0055] It is worth mentioning that the central processing unit 262 may be configured to drive multiple squeezing motions (i.e. reciprocating movement) of the squeezing member 22 along the guiding slot 27 and with respect to the support panel 21. Specifically, the squeezing member 22 may be arranged to repetitively travel on the second section 102 of the fabric sheet 100 for optimally absorbing the moisture from the user’s hand ergonomically. The pressure exerted by the squeezing member 22 may slightly depress the user’s hand and squeeze the deformable pad 221 so as to allow the user’s hands to be surrounded or wrapped by the fabric sheet 100.

[0056] When the user withdraws his hand from the drying cavity 16, the driving motors 261 may be actuated to move the used fabric sheet 100 from the drying cavity 16 to the collecting compartment 12 while supplying the drying cavity 16 with unused fabric sheet 100. The hand drying apparatus may then become idle again and ready for next round of operation as mentioned above.

[0057] It is also worth mentioning that the arrangement of the various components of the hand drying apparatus as described above may have several alternatives and variations. Some of these alternatives and variations may be described below. For example, the storage compartment 11, the collecting compartment 12 and the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 may be arranged and configured in a side- by-side manner (as opposed to up-and-down manner) so that fabric sheet 100 may travel from the storage compartment 11 sidewardly to the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20 and eventually to the collecting compartment 12.

[0058] Moreover, the drying cavity 16 and the access opening 161 may be shaped and sized to form a horizontal orientation in the sense that a longitudinal axis of the drying cavity 16 may substantially parallel to horizontal. This configuration may be illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. However, the drying cavity 16 may be shaped and sized to form a vertical orientation in the sense that a longitudinal axis of the drying cavity 16 may substantially parallel to vertical direction. The orientation of the drying cavity 16 and the access opening 161 may determine the orientation in which the user’s hands are disposed in the drying cavity 16. The configuration of the other components may also be adjusted accordingly.

[0059] Referring to Fig. 6 to Fig. 10 of the drawings, a first alternative mode of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The first alternative mode is similar to the preferred embodiment, except the configuration of the outer casing 10’ . As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 of the drawings, the storage compartment 11’, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ and the collecting compartment 12’ may be arranged in a side-by-side manner, in which the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may be provided between the storage compartment 11’ and the collecting compartment 12’. Unused fabric sheet 100’ may be stored in the storage compartment 11’ while used fabric sheet 100’ may be collected in the collecting compartment 12’. Driving rotors 23’, the supporting members 250’, and the squeezing member 22’ may also be provided in the outer casing 10’.

[0060] According to the first alternative mode of the present invention, the fabric sheet 100’ may utilize two sides of the support panel 21’ for drying each of the user’s hands. Specifically, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may comprise a support panel 21’ having a first utility side 211’ and a second utility side 212’, at least one driving rotor 23’, a plurality of supporting members 250’, and at least two squeezing members 22’ . The support panel 21’ may be provided in the outer casing 10’ .

[0061] As in the preferred embodiment mentioned above, the driving rotor 23’ may be rotatably supported in the outer casing 10’ for driving the fabric sheet 100’ to move in a predetermined direction in the outer casing 10’. The plurality of supporting members 250’ may be provided in the outer casing 10’ and positioned to support a first section 101’, a second section 102’, a third section 103’ and a fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’ in a tensioned manner, wherein the first section 101’ may rest on a first utility side 211’ of support panel 21’, while the third section 103’ may rest on a second utility side 212’ of the support panel 21’. The first utility side 211’ and the second utility side 212’ of the support panel 21’ may be opposite to each other in the outer casing 10’. [0062] The two squeezing members 22’ may be movably supported in the outer casing 10’ and positioned to contact with the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the corresponding fabric sheet 100’ respectively. As in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer casing 10’ may further have a first guiding slot 271’ and a second guiding slot 272’ for engaging with the two squeezing members 22’ respectively, wherein a movement of the squeezing members 22’ may be guided by the first guiding slot 271’ and the second guiding slot 272’. Each of the first guiding slot 271’ and the second guiding slot 272’ may have a curved contour in which a squeezing member 22’ may slidably engage with the corresponding guiding slot 271’ (272’) so that the corresponding squeezing member 22’ may move with respect to the outer casing 10’ along a direction dictated by the corresponding guiding slot 271’ (272’). In other words, the squeezing members 22’ may slidably move along the first guiding slot 271’ and the second guiding slot 272’ respectively.

[0063] Referring to Fig. 8 of the drawings, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may further comprise two driving mechanisms 25’ mounted in the outer casing 10’ and connected to two squeezing members 22’ respectively for driving the squeezing members 22’ to move along the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’. Each of these driving mechanisms 25’ may be structurally identical to the driving mechanism 25 disclosed in the preferred embodiment above.

[0064] Thus, each of the driving mechanisms 25’ may comprise an actuation motor 251’, a threaded rod 252’ connected to the actuation motor 251’, a driven gear 253’ connected to the threaded rod 252’, and a plurality of connecting arms 254’ connecting the driven gear 253’ to the corresponding squeezing member 22’. The actuation motor 251’ may be driven to rotate so as to drive the threaded rod 252’ to rotate as well. The threaded rod 252’ may be engaged with the driven gear 253’ so that when the threaded rod 252’ is driven to rotate, the driven gear 253’ may be driven to move linearly along a longitudinal direction of the threaded rod 252’ . At the same time, the connecting arms 254’ may connect the driven gear 253’ to two ends of the main shaft 221’ of the corresponding squeezing member 22’ in such a manner that when the driven gear 253’ is driven to move, the corresponding squeezing member 22’ may also be driven to move along the corresponding section of the fabric sheet 100’. Each of the connecting arms 254’ may be configured to have a predetermined elasticity and deformability so that the corresponding squeezing member 22’ may be moved along the corresponding first guiding slot 271’ or the second guiding slot 272’, each which may have a curved contour.

[0065] As in the preferred embodiment described above, the hand drying apparatus may be operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the idle mode, the first section 101’ and the second section 102’ are positioned and retained to space apart from each other while the third section 103’ and the fourth section 104’ are positioned and retained to space apart from each other to form a first drying cavity 161’ and a second drying cavity 162’, wherein the first drying cavity 161’ may be formed as a space between the first section 101’ and the second section 102’, while the second drying cavity 162’ may be formed as a space between the third section 103’ and the fourth section 104’ for accommodating both of a user’s hands respectively. In the drying mode, the squeezing members 22’ may be driven to move along the first guiding slot 271’ and the second guiding slot 272’ and on the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the corresponding fabric sheet 100’ respectively so as to drive the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ to contact with the user’s hand in the first and the second drying cavities 161’, 162’ for absorbing moisture from the user’s hands and facilitate a massage effect thereto.

[0066] Thus, the main difference between the preferred embodiment and the first alternative mode is the addition of one more drying cavity so that the hand drying apparatus may simultaneously dry both of user’s hands. Moreover, configuration of the storage compartment 11, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ and the collecting compartment 12’ may be arranged in a side-by-side manner, as opposed to a top-down configuration.

[0067] The storage compartment 11’ may be utilized for storing cleaned, unused fabric sheet 100’, while the collecting compartment 12’ may be utilized for storing used fabric sheet 100’. The fabric sheet 100’ may be guided to controllably move from the storage compartment 11’ to the collecting compartment 12’ through the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’. In this first alternative mode, the storage compartment 11’ may be provided on a first side portion 13’ of the outer casing 10’, while the collecting compartment 12’ may be provided on a second side portion 14’ of the outer casing 10’. The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may be provided between the storage compartment 11’ and the collecting compartment 12’ at a mid portion 15’ of the outer casing 10’.

[0068] The towel guider 30’ may be provided in the storage compartment 11’ for unused fabric sheet 100’ to be supported thereon. A certain amount of the fabric sheet 100’ may be pulled out from the roll and fed to the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ for providing a continuous supply of fabric sheet 100’.

[0069] The outer casing 10’ may have two access openings 160’ provided on the outer casing 10’ for allowing a user to access the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ through the access openings 160’ respectively. Thus, the access openings 160’ may be formed at positions corresponding to those of the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ respectively so that a user may be able to put his or her hand in the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ through penetrating the access openings 160’. Note that the number of drying cavity and the access opening may be varied according to an actual configuration of the present invention.

[0070] As in the preferred embodiment, the driving rotor 23’ may be distributed in the outer casing 10’ in a rotatably movable manner for driving the fabric sheet 100’ to move in a predetermined path dictated by the spatial distribution of the driving rotor 23’ and the supporting members 250’. The objective is to guide the fabric sheet 100’ to move from the storage compartment 11 ’ and pass through the drying cavities 161’, 162’ and to be finally collected in the collecting compartment 12’.

[0071] Furthermore, the driving motor 261’ may be connected to the driving rotor 23’ for driving the fabric sheet 100’ to move along a path dictated by the distribution of the driving rotor(s) 23 ’ .

[0072] At least two of the supporting members 250’ may be provided in outer casing 10’ in such a manner that the first section 101’ and the third section 103’ of an unused fabric sheet 100’ may extend along the first utility side 211’ and the second utility side 212’ of the support panel 21’. The exact number of driving rotor 23’ and the supporting members 250’ employed in the outer casing 10’ may depend on the exact configuration of the outer casing 10’, and the desirable travel path of the fabric sheet 100’, and the number of fabric sheets 100’ used.

[0073] The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may further comprise at least one deformable pad 25’ supported on the support panel 21’ for supporting or providing cushion to the user’s hand. In this first alternative mode, two deformable pads 25’ may be mounted on the support panel 21’ and provide cushion to the first utility side 211’ and second utility side 212’ respectively. When the user’s hand rest on the support panel 21’, the deformable pad 25’ may slightly deform due to the hand’s weight. Further deformation may occur when the squeezing members 22’ are driven to travel along the second section 102’ and/or the second section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’ and depress on the user’s hand. The deformable pads 25’ on the support panel 21’ may also deform due to the pressure exerted by the support panel 21’ or the squeezing members 22’. Each of the deformable pads 25’ may be configured from soft or foam material such as memory foam, sponge, cotton or soft brush etc.

[0074] When the squeezing members 22’ travels along the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’, the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ may exert a corresponding pressure on the user’s hand in the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ respectively. The second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’, due to their flexible and deformable physical property, may tightly and fittedly contact with the user’s hands when the squeezing members 22’ travel along the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’. As such, the fabric sheet 100’ may provide ergonomically optimal moisture absorbing performance on the user’s hand.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the construction of the squeezing member 22’ may be identical to that of the squeezing member 22 described in the preferred embodiment above. Thus, each of the squeezing members 22’ may comprise a main shaft 221’ and a soft layer 222’ overlapping on the main shaft 221’. The soft layer 222’ may be configured as having a deformable physical property, such as foam material, rubber material, sponge material, etc. The soft layer 222’ may be overlapped on part or all of the main shaft 221’. The main shaft 221’ may have a wide variety of external shapes, such as tubular shape, or even an irregular shape.

[0076] In the first alternative mode, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may further comprise a central processing unit 262’ electrically connected to the driving motors 261’, the actuation motor 251’, and a plurality of motion sensors 263’ provided in first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ respectively and electrically connected to the central processing unit 262’ for sensing presence of motion in the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ respectively. The central processing unit 262’ may be programmed to control the operation of the driving motors 261’ and the actuation motor 251’ when signals from the motion sensor 263’ are received. The actuation motor 251’ may be driven to rotate so as to drive the squeezing member 22’ to travel on the second section 102’ and/or the second section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’.

[0077] The operation of the present invention may be as follows: when no object is in any of the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’, the hand drying apparatus of the present invention is idle. When a user wants to dry his hand, he may put his hands into the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ through the access openings 160’. When his hands are in the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ and rest his hands on the first section 101’ and the third section 103’ of the fabric sheet 100’ disposed on the deformable pads 221’ and the support panel 21 ’ respectively, the motion sensors 263 ’ may detect motion and send the corresponding signal to the central processing unit 262’. The central processing unit 262’ may then drive the actuation motor 251’ which in turns drive the squeezing members 22’ to travel along the first guiding slot 271’ and the second guiding slot 272’ so as to move on the second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’. The second section 102’ and the fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’ may then be depressed and contact with the user’s hands respectively. The movement of the squeezing members 22’ may serve to massage the user’s hands and allow fabric sheet 100’ to tightly and fittedly contact with the user’s hands so as to absorb the moisture therefrom. [0078] As in the preferred embodiment mentioned above, the central processing unit 262’ may be configured to drive multiple squeezing motions (i.e. reciprocating movement) of the squeezing members 22’ with respect to the support panel 21’. Specifically, each of the squeezing members 22’ may be arranged to repetitively travel on the corresponding second section 102’ or the fourth section 104’ of the fabric sheet 100’ for optimally absorbing the moisture from the user’s hand ergonomically. The pressure exerted by the squeezing members 22’ may slightly depress the user’s hand and squeeze the deformable pads 221’ so as to allow the user’s hands to be surrounded or wrapped by the fabric sheet 100’.

[0079] When the user withdraws his hand from the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’, the driving motors 261’ may be actuated to move the used fabric sheet 100’ from the first drying cavity 161’ and the second drying cavity 162’ to the collecting compartment 12’ while supplying the two drying cavities 161’, 162’ with unused fabric sheet 100’. The hand drying apparatus may then become idle again and ready for next round of operation as mentioned above.

[0080] Referring to Fig. 11 of the drawings, as a second alternative to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hand drying apparatus may adopt a top-down configuration of the storage compartment 11”, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20”, and the collecting compartment 12”. The dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20” may be identical to that of the first alternative mode described above, except that it may further comprise a plurality of fabric diverters 60” provided on two sides of support panel 21” respectively for diverting a traveling path of the fabric sheet 100”. Each of the fabric diverters 60” may be configured as a metallic panel folded into a V-shaped structure. Moreover, a guiding rod 61” may be provided on the fabric diverter 60” wherein the fabric sheet 100” may be arranged to pass through and change travelling direction in the outer case 10”.

[0081] The present invention, while illustrated and described in terms of a preferred embodiment and several alternatives, is not limited to the particular description contained in this specification. Additional alternative or equivalent components could also be used to practice the present invention.

Claims

What is Claimed is:

1. A hand drying apparatus for at least one fabric sheet used for absorbing moisture from a user’s hand, said hand drying apparatus comprising: an outer casing; and a dispensing and squeezing arrangement, which comprises: a support panel provided in said outer casing; at least one driving rotor rotatably supported in said outer casing for driving said fabric sheet to move in a predetermined direction; a plurality of supporting members provided in said outer casing and positioned to support a first section and a second section of a fabric sheet in a tensioned manner, wherein said first section rests on said support panel, while said second section extends over said first section; and at least one squeezing member movably supported in the outer casing and positioned to contact with said second section of said corresponding fabric sheet, said hand drying apparatus being operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in said idle mode, said first section and said second section are positioned and retained to space apart from each other by said supporting members to form a drying cavity as a space between said first section and said second section for accommodating at least one user’s hand, wherein in said drying mode, said squeezing member is driven to move along said second section of said fabric sheet so as to drive said second section to contact with said user’s hand in said drying cavity for absorbing moisture from said user’s hand and facilitate a rubbing and massage effect thereto.

2. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer casing has a storage compartment for storing cleaned, unused fabric sheet, and a collecting compartment for storing used fabric sheet, said fabric sheet being guided to controllably move from said storage compartment to said collecting compartment through said dispensing and squeezing arrangement.

3. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said supporting members are provided in said outer casing to support said first section of an unused fabric sheet extending above and temporarily resting on said support panel.

4. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said two supporting members are mounted near two ends of said support panel respectively for supporting said first section of said fabric sheet, wherein another said supporting member is provided to support said second section of said fabric sheet, said first section and said second section of said fabric sheet being supported to form a predetermined angle of inclination with each other, wherein said second section upwardly and inclinedly extends from said first section.

5. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 4, wherein said dispensing and squeezing arrangement further comprises at least one deformable pad supported on said support panel for providing a cushion effect to said user’s hand when said user’s hand rests on said support panel.

6. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein said squeezing member comprises a main shaft and a soft layer overlapping on said main shaft, said squeezing member being arranged to travel along said second section of said fabric sheet for exerting a pressure on said user’s hand through said second section of said fabric sheet.

7. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 6, wherein said dispensing and squeezing arrangement further comprises a driving mechanism mounted in said outer casing and connected to said squeezing member for driving said squeezing member to move along said second section of said fabric sheet, said driving mechanism comprising an actuation motor, a threaded rod connected to said actuation motor, a driven gear connected to said threaded rod, and a plurality of connecting arms connecting said driven gear to said squeezing member, said threaded rod being engaged with said driven gear so that when said threaded rod is driven to rotate, said driven gear is driven to move linearly along a longitudinal direction of said threaded rod so as to drive said squeezing member to move along said second section of said fabric sheet.

8. A hand drying apparatus for at least one fabric sheet used for absorbing moisture from a user’s hand, said hand drying apparatus comprising: an outer casing; and a dispensing and squeezing arrangement, which comprises: a support panel provided in said outer casing, said support panel having a first utility side and a second utility side; at least one driving rotor rotatably supported in said outer casing for driving said fabric sheet to move in a predetermined direction; a plurality of supporting members provided in said outer casing and positioned to support a first through fourth section of a fabric sheet in a tensioned manner, wherein said first section rests on said first utility side of said support panel, while said third section rests on said second utility side of said support panel, said second section and said fourth section of said fabric sheet extend over said first section and said third section of said fabric sheet respectively; and at least two squeezing members movably supported in the outer casing and positioned to contact with said second section and fourth section of said corresponding fabric sheet respectively, said hand drying apparatus being operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in said idle mode, said first section and said third section are positioned and retained to space apart from said second section and said fourth section respectively by said supporting members to form a first drying cavity and a second drying cavity respectively, said first drying cavity being formed as a space between said first section and said second section, while said second drying cavity being formed as a space between said third section and said fourth section, wherein said drying mode, said squeezing members are driven to move along said second section and said fourth section of said corresponding fabric sheet so as to drive said second section and said fourth section to contact with said user’s hand in said first and said second drying cavities for absorbing moisture from said user’s hands and facilitate a rubbing and massage effect thereon.

9. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 8, wherein said outer casing may have a storage compartment formed on a first side portion of said outer casing for storing cleaned, unused fabric sheet, a collecting compartment form an a second side portion of said outer casing for storing used fabric sheet, said dispensing and squeezing arrangement being positioned between said storage compartment and said collecting compartment to form a side-by-side configuration, wherein said fabric sheet is guided to controllably move from said storage compartment to said collecting compartment through said dispensing and squeezing arrangement.

10. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 9, wherein at least two of said supporting members are provided in said outer casing to support said first section of an unused fabric sheet extending on said first utility side of said support panel, at least two of said supporting members being provided in said outer casing to support said third section of an unused fabric sheet extending on said second utility side of said support panel.

11. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 10, wherein said second section of said fabric sheet is supported by at least one of said supporting members to form a predetermined angle of inclination with said first second of said fabric sheet, said fourth section of said fabric sheet being supported by at least one of said supporting members to form a predetermined angle of inclination with said third second of said fabric sheet.

12. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein said dispensing and squeezing arrangement further comprises at least one deformable pad supported on said support panel for providing a cushion effect to at least one of said first utility side and said second utility side.

13. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said squeezing members comprises a main shaft and a soft layer overlapping on said main shaft, said squeezing member being arranged to travel along one of said second section of said fabric sheet and said fourth section of said fabric sheet for exerting a pressure on said user’s hand.

14. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 13, wherein said dispensing and squeezing arrangement further comprises at least one driving mechanism mounted in said outer casing and connected to at least one of said squeezing members for driving said corresponding squeezing member to move along said corresponding section of said fabric sheet, said driving mechanism comprising an actuation motor, a threaded rod connected to said actuation motor, a driven gear connected to said threaded rod, and a plurality of connecting arms connecting said driven gear to said squeezing member, said threaded rod being engaged with said driven gear so that when said threaded rod is driven to rotate, said driven gear is driven to move linearly along a longitudinal direction of said threaded rod so as to drive said squeezing member to move along said corresponding section of said fabric sheet.