WO2023167685A1

WO2023167685A1 - Hand drying apparatus with squeezing and dispensing arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2023167685A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/019031
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wei Huang
Original assignee: Wei Huang
Priority date: 2022-03-04
Filing date: 2022-03-04
Publication date: 2023-09-07

Abstract

A hand drying apparatus includes an outer casing and a squeezing and dispensing arrangement. The squeezing and dispensing arrangement includes at least a first supporting panel having a shaft, at least a second supporting panel provided in the outer casing, a driving rotor and a plurality of supporting members. The second supporting panel is provided in the outer casing at a position spaced apart from the first supporting panel to form at least one drying cavity. The first supporting panel and the second supporting panel are mounted in the outer casing such that the first supporting panel is pivotally movable with respect to the second supporting panel. The hand drying apparatus can be operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the drying mode, at least one of the first supporting panel and the second supporting panel is driven to pivotally move toward the other supporting panel.

Description

Title

Hand Drying Apparatus with Squeezing and Dispensing 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 squeezing and dispensing arrangement which is capable of exerting pressure to a user’s hand for drying thereof by a fabric sheet, such as a towel.

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 squeezing and dispensing 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. i [0004] The major disadvantage in association with the hand drying apparatus disclosed in ‘ 111 patent is that because the first support panel and the second support panel are moving toward and away from each other in a parallel manner, the drying performance may not be satisfactory because the relative movement between the first support panel and the second support panel is too limited.

[0005] Second, because the first support panel and the second support panel can only be move toward and away from each other in a parallel manner, they do not cater for the external contour of human’s hands.

[0006] 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’s hands.

Summary of the Present Invention

[0007] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus a hand drying apparatus comprising a squeezing and dispensing arrangement which is capable of exerting pressure to a user’s hand for drying thereof by a fabric sheet, such as a towel.

[0008] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus comprising a squeezing and dispensing arrangement which may allow paper towel or fabric towel to press against a user’s hand for absorbing moisture thereof

[0009] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus which has a simpler overall structure and higher efficiency.

[0010] Certain variations of the present invention provide a hand drying apparatus comprising a squeezing and dispensing 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:

[0012] an outer casing; and

[0013] a squeezing and dispensing arrangement, which comprises:

[0014] at least a first supporting panel and a second supporting panel provided in said outer casing, at least one of these two supporting panel having a shaft, and a second supporting panel provided in said outer casing, said second supporting panel being provided in said outer casing at a position spaced apart from said first supporting panel to form at least one drying cavity as a space formed between said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel for accommodating said user’s hand, said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel being mounted in said outer casing such that said first supporting panel is pivotally movable with respect to said second supporting panel through said shaft; and

[0015] at least one driving rotor rotatably supported in said outer casing for driving said fabric sheet to move in a predetermined direction; and

[0016] a plurality of supporting members provided in said outer casing and positioned to support said fabric sheet between said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel in a slidably movable manner;

[0017] said hand drying apparatus being operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in said idle mode, said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel are positioned and retained to space apart from each other, wherein in said drying mode, said first supporting panel is driven to pivotally move toward said second supporting panel about said shaft for allowing said fabric sheet supported on said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel to contact with said user’s hand in said drying cavity so as to absorb moisture from said user’s hand. [0018] 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

[0019] Fig. l is a perspective view of a hand drying apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a driving mechanism according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig. 4 a block diagram of a squeezing and dispensing arrangement of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 5 is a first alternative mode of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the hand drying apparatus according to the first alternative mode of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Fig. 7 a schematic diagram of a driving mechanism of the squeezing and dispensing arrangement of the hand drying apparatus according to the first alternative mode of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 8 a block diagram of a squeezing and dispensing arrangement of the hand drying apparatus according to the first alternative mode of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Fig. 9 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

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 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 squeezing and dispensing 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. [0033] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may comprise at least a first supporting panel 21 having a shaft 210, and a second supporting panel 22 provided in the outer casing 10, the second supporting panel 22 being provided in the outer casing 10 at a position spaced apart from the first supporting panel 21 to form at least one drying cavity 16 as a space formed between the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 for accommodating the user’s hand. The first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 may be mounted in the outer casing 10 such that the first supporting panel 21 is pivotally movable with respect to the second supporting panel 22 about a shaft 210.

[0034] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may further comprise at least one driving rotor 23 rotatably supported in the outer casing 10 for driving the fabric sheet 100 to move in a predetermined direction.

[0035] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may further comprise a plurality of supporting members 250 provided in the outer casing 10 and positioned to support the fabric sheet 100 between the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 in a slidably movable manner.

[0036] The hand drying apparatus may be operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in the idle mode, the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 are positioned and retained to space apart from each other, wherein in the drying mode, the first supporting panel 21 may be driven to pivotally move toward the second supporting panel 22 about the shaft 210 for allowing the fabric sheet 100 supported on the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 to contact with the user’s hand in the drying cavity 16 so as to absorb moisture from the user’s hand.

[0037] 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 squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20.

[0038] 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 squeezing and dispensing 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 squeezing and dispensing 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. It is worth mentioning that other configurations of the outer casing 10 may be possible.

[0039] 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 squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20. As such, the squeezing and dispensing 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 motor 261) or a stationary bar or shaft affixed in the storage compartment 11 of the outer casing 10.

[0040] 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 cavities 16 and the access openings 161 may be varied according to an actual configuration of the present invention. Some of these configurations will be described below. [0041] 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 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 driving rotor 23 and the supporting members 250 in a stretched manner so as to maintain a predetermined tension on the fabric sheet 100 when it is traveled along the driving rotor 23 and the supporting members 250.

[0042] Specifically, at least two of the supporting members 250 may be provided in outer casing 10 in such a manner that a portion of unused fabric sheet 100 may extend above the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22. It is important to point out that the exact number of driving rotors 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.

[0043] 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, and the desirable travel path of the fabric sheet 100. For example, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, two supporting members 250 may be mounted near two ends of the first supporting panel 21 respectively, while another supporting member 250 may be mounted near the other end of the second supporting panel 22, wherein the fabric sheet 100 may be guided to extend on the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 so as to form a V-shaped configuration or contour of the fabric sheet 100. [0044] The first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 may be mounted in the outer casing 10 for providing supports to the fabric sheet 100 and the user’s hand. At least one of the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 may be pivotally supported in the outer casing 10. The movement of the first supporting panel 21 and/or the second supporting panel 22 may be actuated by a driving mechanism 25 described below. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second supporting panel 22 is securely and immovably provided in the outer casing 10 while the first supporting panel 21 may be pivotally supported in the outer casing 10 to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22 about the shaft 210. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the first supporting member 21 may be provided at a position above the second supporting panel 22.

[0045] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may further comprise a driving mechanism 25 provided in the outer casing 10 for driving at least one of the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 to pivotally move toward the other supporting panel 21(22). In this preferred embodiment, the first supporting panel 21 may be positioned above the second supporting panel 22 wherein the driving mechanism 25 may be configured to drive the first supporting panel 21 to pivotally move toward the second supporting panel 22 so as to adjust the size and volume of the driving cavity 16.

[0046] The driving mechanism 25 may comprise an actuation motor 251, and a transmission box 252 connected to the actuation motor 251. The transmission box 252 may comprise a plurality of transmission members 2521 coupled to the actuation motor 251 and the shaft 210 of the first supporting panel 21 respectively, so that when the actuation motor 251 is driven to rotate, the transmission members 2521 in the transmission box 252 are also driven to rotate so as to drive the shaft 210 of the first supporting panel 21 to rotate as well. When the shaft 210 of the first supporting panel 21 is driven to rotate, the entire first supporting panel 21 may also be driven to rotate so as to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22 about the shaft 210. Thus, the actuation motor 251 may be coupled to the first supporting panel 21 through the transmission box 252 for exerting a driving torque thereto so as to drive the first supporting panel 21 to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22. Note that the driving mechanism 25 may be provided on a front portion or a rear portion of the first supporting panel 21. Each of the transmission members 2521 may be configured as transmission gears, transmission belt, transmission chains, or similar mechanical components.

[0047] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may further comprise at least one deformable pad 221 supported on one of the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 for supporting the user’s hand. In this preferred embodiment, the squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may comprise two deformable pads 221 supported on the first supporting panel 21 and the second supporting panel 22 respectively. When the user’s hand rest on the second supporting panel 22, one of the deformable pads 221 may slightly deform due to the hand’s weight. Further deformation may occur when the first supporting panel 21 is driven to depress on the user’s hand. Moreover, the deformable pad 221 on the first supporting panel 21 may also deform due to the pressure exerted by the first supporting panel 21. The slight deformation may allow the fabric sheet 100 to deform slightly so as to absorb moisture from the user’s hand. Each of the deformable pads 221 may be configured from soft or foam material such as memory foam. Thus, one of the deformable pads 221 may be supported on an upper side 223 of the second supporting panel 22 while a portion of the fabric sheet 100 may be supported on the deformable pad 221. The other deformable pad 221 may be supported on the first supporting panel 21 while another portion of the fabric sheet 100 may be supported underneath the deformable pad 221. When the first supporting panel 21 is driven to pivotally move toward the second supporting panel 22, the corresponding portions of the fabric sheet 100 may come into contact with the user’s hand.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 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 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. [0049] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 may further comprise a central processing unit 262 electrically connected to the driving motors 261 and 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 16. 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. Thus, the central processing unit 262 may be connected to the actuation motor 251 for it to actuate so as to drive the first supporting panel 21 to pivotally move toward the second supporting panel 22.

[0050] 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 squeezing and dispensing 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.

[0051] The operation of the present invention may be as follows: when no object is in the drying cavity 16, the hand drying apparatus is idle. When a user wants to dry his hand, 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 his hands on the fabric sheet 100 disposed on the deformable pad 221 and the second supporting panel 22, 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 to rotate so as to drive the first supporting panel 21 to pivotally move toward the second supporting panel 22 until the fabric sheet 100 supported on the first supporting panel 21 come into contact with the user’s hands. The pressure exerted by the first supporting panel 21 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.

[0052] The first supporting panel 21 may be configured to depress on the user’s hand for a predetermined period of time. After the time lapses, the first supporting panel 21 may be driven to pivotally move away from the second supporting panel 22. At this time, the user may move his hands out of the drying cavity 16 through the access opening 161. It is worth mentioning that the central processing unit 262 may be configured to drive multiple squeezing and pivotal motions (i.e. reciprocating movement) of the first supporting panel 21 with respect to the second supporting panel 22. This motion may again trigger the motion senor 263 and the corresponding signal may be sent to the central processing unit 262. The central processing unit 262 may be configured to drive the corresponding driving rotor 23 to rotate so as to drive the fabric sheet 100 to move along the path dictated by the distribution of the driving rotor(s) 23. This allows the used fabric sheet 100 in the drying cavity 16 to be moved aside (and eventually moved to the collecting compartment 12) and replaced by unused fabric sheet 100 moved from the storage compartment 11. The hand drying apparatus may then become idle again and ready for next round of operation as mentioned above.

[0053] It is 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 squeezing and dispensing 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 squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20 and eventually to the collecting compartment 12.

[0054] 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. 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.

[0055] Referring to Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 of the drawings, a first alternative mode of the hand drying apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The second alternative mode is similar to the preferred embodiment, except the configuration of the outer casing 10’. As shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the storage compartment 11’, the squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20’ and the collecting compartment 12’ may be arranged in a side-by-side manner, in which the squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20’ may be sandwiched 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’ and the supporting members 250’ may also be provided in the outer casing 10’.

[0056] Moreover, the outer casing 10’ may have two drying cavities 16’ for accommodating two hands of a user respectively. Accordingly, the fabric sheet 100’ may utilize two sides of the second supporting panel 22’ for drying each of the user’s hands. Thus, the dispensing and squeezing arrangement 20’ may comprise a second supporting panel 22’ having a first utility side 221’ and a second utility side 222’, at least one driving rotor 23’, a plurality of supporting members 250’, a first supporting panel 21 ’ having a shaft 210’ and a third supporting panel 27’ having another shaft 270’ . The first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ may be provided in the outer casing 10’ in such a manner that the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ may pivotally move with respect to the first utility side 221’ and the second utility side 222’ of the second supporting panel 22’ about the two corresponding shafts 210’, 270’ respectively. 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’.

[0057] 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 the fabric sheet 100’ in a tensioned manner, wherein fabric sheet 100’ may sequentially extend along the first supporting panel 21’, the first utility side 221’ of second support panel 22’, the second utility side 222’ of the seconds supporting panel 22’ and the third supporting panel 27’.

[0058] Referring to Fig. 7 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 the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ respectively for driving the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22’ about the two corresponding shafts 210’, 270’ respectively. Each of these driving mechanisms 25’ may be structurally identical to the driving mechanism 25 disclosed in the preferred embodiment above.

[0059] Thus, each of the driving mechanisms 25’ may comprise an actuation motor 251’, a transmission box 252’ connected to the actuation motor 251’, and a driven member 253’ connecting the transmission box 252’ to the corresponding supporting panel (i.e. the first supporting panel 21’ or the third supporting panel 27’). The transmission box 252’ may comprise a plurality of transmission members 2521’ coupled to the actuation motor 251’ and the driven member 253’ respectively, so that when the actuation motor 251’ is driven to rotate, the transmission members 2521’ in the transmission box 252’ are also driven to rotate so as to drive the driven member 253’ to rotate. When the driven member 253’ is driven to rotate, the corresponding first supporting panel 21’ or the third supporting panel 27’ may also be driven to rotate so as to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22’ about the two corresponding shafts 210’, 270’. Thus, one actuation motor 251’ may be coupled to the first supporting panel 21’ through the transmission box 252’ for exerting a driving torque thereto so as to drive the first supporting panel 21’ to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22. Another actuation motor 251’ may be coupled to the third supporting panel 27’ through the corresponding transmission box 252’ for exerting a driving torque thereto so as to drive the third supporting panel 27’ to pivotally move toward or away from the second supporting panel 22’. Each of the transmission members 2521’ may be configured as transmission gear, transmission chain, transmission belt, or similar mechanical components.

[0060] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20’ may further comprise at least one deformable pad 221’ supported on one of the first supporting panel 21’, the second supporting panel 22’ and the third supporting panel 27’ for supporting the user’s hand. In this preferred embodiment, the squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20’ may comprise two deformable pads 221’ supported on the first utility side 221’ and the second utility side 222’ of the second supporting panel 22’ respectively. When the user’s hands rest on the second supporting panel 22’, the deformable pads 221’ may slightly deform due to the hand’s weight. Further deformation may occur when the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ are pivotally driven to depress on the user’s hand. Each of the deformable pads 221’ may be configured from soft or foam material such as memory foam.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20’ 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 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’.

[0062] The squeezing and dispensing arrangement 20’ may further comprise a central processing unit 262’ electrically connected to the driving motors 261’ and the actuation motor 251’, and a plurality of motion sensors 263’ provided in two drying cavities 16’ and electrically connected to the central processing unit 262’ for sensing presence of motion in the drying cavities 16’ . 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. Thus, the central processing unit 262’ may be connected to the actuation motor 251’ so as to drive the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ to pivotally move toward the first utility side 221’ and the second utility side 222’ of the second supporting panel 22’ about the two corresponding shafts 210’, 270’ respectively.

[0063] Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, the supporting members 250’ may be distributed in the outer casing 10’ in such a manner that the fabric sheet 100’ two of the supporting members 250’ may support a section of the fabric sheet 100’ to extend along the first supporting member 21’ in a tensioned manner. The fabric sheet 100’ may then be guided by one of the supporting members 250’ to extend along the first utility side 221’ of the second supporting panel 22’. The fabric sheet 100’ may then be supported by another supporting member 250’ and may be guided to extend across the second supporting panel 22’ and extend along the second utility side 222’ of the second supporting panel 22’. A section of the fabric sheet 100’ may then be supported by yet another supporting member 250’ and extend along the third supporting panel 27’. In other words, the fabric sheet 100’ may be supported to travel through the two drying cavities 16’ in a tensioned manner for absorbing the moisture from the users’ hands.

[0064] The operation of the present invention may be as follows: when no object is in the drying cavities 16’, the hand drying apparatus is idle. When a user wants to dry his hand, he may put his hands into the two drying cavities 16’ through the access openings 161’. When his hands are in the drying cavities 16’ and rest his hands on the fabric sheet 100’ disposed on the deformable pads 221’ and the second supporting panel 22’, 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 motors 251’ to rotate so as to drive the first supporting panel 21 ’ and the third supporting panel 27’ to pivotally move toward the first utility side 221’ and the second utility side 222’ of the second supporting panel 22’ about the two corresponding shafts 210’, 270’ respectively until the fabric sheet 100’ supported on the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ come into contact with the user’s hands in the two drying cavities 16’ respectively. The pressure exerted by the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ may slightly depress the user’s hands and squeeze the deformable pads 221’ so as to allow the user’s hands to be surrounded or wrapped by the fabric sheet 100’.

[0065] The first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ may be configured to depress on the user’s hand for a predetermined period of time. After the time lapses, the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ may be driven to pivotally move away from the second supporting panel 22’ about the two corresponding shafts 210’, 270’. At this time, the user may move his hands out of the drying cavities 16’ through the access openings 161’. It is worth mentioning that the central processing unit 262’ may be configured to drive multiple squeezing and pivotal motions (i.e. reciprocating movement) of the first supporting panel 21’ and the third supporting panel 27’ with respect to the second supporting panel 22’. The central processing unit 262’ may be configured to drive the corresponding driving rotor 23’ to rotate so as to drive the fabric sheet 100’ to move along the path dictated by the distribution of the driving rotor(s) 23’. This allows the used fabric sheet 100 in the drying cavities 16’ to be moved aside (and eventually moved to the collecting compartment 12’) and replaced by unused fabric sheet 100’ moved from the storage compartment 11’. The hand drying apparatus may then become idle again and ready for next round of operation as mentioned above. [0066] Referring to Fig. 9 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”.

[0067] 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 a fabric sheet used for absorbing moisture from a user’s hand, said hand drying apparatus comprising: an outer casing; and a squeezing and dispensing arrangement, which comprises: at least a first supporting panel having a shaft, and at least a second supporting panel provided in said outer casing, said second supporting panel being provided in said outer casing at a position spaced apart from said first supporting panel to form at least one drying cavity as a space formed between said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel for accommodating said user’s hand, said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel being mounted in said outer casing such that said first supporting panel is pivotally movable with respect to said second supporting panel about the shaft; and at least one driving rotor rotatably supported in said outer casing for driving said fabric sheet to move in a predetermined direction; and a plurality of supporting members provided in said outer casing and positioned to support said fabric sheet between said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel in a slidably movable manner; said hand drying apparatus being operated between an idle mode and a drying mode, wherein in said idle mode, said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel are positioned and retained to space apart from each other, wherein in said drying mode, said first supporting panel is driven to pivotally move toward said second supporting panel about said shaft for allowing said fabric sheet supported on said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel to contact with said user’s hand in said drying cavity so as to absorb moisture from said user’s hand.

2. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said supporting members are provided in outer casing in such a manner that a portion of unused fabric sheet extends above said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel in a tensioned manner.

3. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein said first supporting panel is pivotally supported in said outer casing in such a manner that said first supporting panel is adapted to be driven to pivotally move toward and away from said second supporting panel.

4. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises a driving mechanism provided in said outer casing for driving said first supporting panel to pivotally move with respect to said second supporting panel about said shaft, said driving mechanism comprising an actuation motor, a transmission box connected to said actuation motor and said shaft of said first supporting panel, said transmission box comprising a plurality of transmission members coupled to said actuation motor and said shaft of said first supporting panel respectively, so that when said actuation motor is driven to rotate, said transmission members in said transmission box are also driven to rotate so as to drive said shaft of said first supporting panel to rotate, said rotation of said shaft being arranged to drive said entire first supporting panel to pivotally move with respect to said second supporting panel.

5. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 4, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises at least one deformable pad supported on one of said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel.

6. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises at least one driving motor connected to said driving rotor, a central processing unit electrically connected to said driving motor and said actuation motor, and at least one motion sensor provided in said drying cavity and electrically connected to said central processing unit for sensing presence of motion in said drying cavity.

7. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises a third supporting panel having another shaft provided in said outer casing, said second supporting panel having a first utility side and a second utility side, said first supporting panel and said third supporting panel being provided in said outer casing in such a manner that said first supporting panel and said third supporting panel are pivotally move with respect to said first utility side and said second utility side of said second supporting panel about said corresponding shafts respectively, said first utility side and said second utility side of said support panel being opposite to each other.

8. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein said third supporting panel is provided in said outer casing at a position spaced apart from said second supporting panel to form another drying cavity as a space formed between said third supporting panel and said second supporting panel for accommodating said user’s hand.

9. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 8, wherein at least two of said supporting members are provided in outer casing in such a manner that a portion of unused fabric sheet extends along said first supporting panel and said second supporting panel in a tensioned manner, and along said second supporting panel and said third supporting panel in a tensioned manner.

10. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 9, wherein said first supporting panel and said third supporting panel are pivotally supported in said outer casing in such a manner that said first supporting panel is adapted to be driven to pivotally move toward and away from said first utility side of said second supporting panel, while said third supporting panel is adapted to be driven to pivotally move toward and away from said second utility side of said second supporting panel.

11. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 10, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises two driving mechanisms provided in said outer casing for driving said first supporting panel and said third supporting panel to pivotally move with respect to said second supporting panel about said two corresponding shafts respectively, each of said driving mechanism comprising an actuation motor, a transmission box connected to said actuation motor, and said corresponding shaft of one of said first supporting panel and said third supporting panel, said transmission box comprising a plurality of transmissions coupled to said corresponding shaft of one of said first supporting panel and said third supporting panel, so that when said actuation motor is driven to rotate, said transmissions in said transmission box are also driven to rotate so as to drive said corresponding shaft to rotate, said rotation of said shaft being arranged to drive said corresponding first supporting panel or said third supporting panel to pivotally move with respect to said second supporting panel.

12. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises at least one deformable pad supported on one of said first supporting panel, said second supporting panel and said third supporting panel.

13. The hand drying apparatus, as recited in claim 12, wherein said squeezing and dispensing arrangement further comprises at least one driving motor connected to said driving rotor, a central processing unit electrically connected to said driving motor and said actuation motors of said driving mechanisms, and at least one motion sensor provided in at least one of said drying cavities and electrically connected to said central processing unit for sensing presence of motion in said drying cavity.