Drying Apparatus

• US 20080209760A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Nicolas, Frederic, French, Timothy Alexander, Hutchinson, Peter Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/585
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/48 Drying by means of hot air hair-drying devices A45D20/00; curative hot-air baths A61H33/06; electric heating elements H05B

Abstract

A drying apparatus has a casing, a cavity formed in the casing for receiving an object, a fan located in the casing and creating an airflow, a motor provided in the casing for driving the fan and ducting for carrying the airflow from the fan to at least one opening arranged to emit the airflow into the cavity, wherein the ducting includes at least one air duct in which at least one vane is located, the vane extending in the direction of airflow and dividing the air duct into a plurality of airflow portions.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus, comprising a casing, a cavity formed in the casing for receiving an object, a fan located in the casing and capable of creating an airflow, a motor provided in the casing for driving the fan and ducting for carrying the airflow from the fan to at least one opening arranged to emit the airflow into the cavity,

wherein the ducting comprises at least one air duct in which at least one vane is located, the vane extending in the direction of airflow and dividing the air duct into a plurality of airflow portions.

2. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the each vane is positioned in the air duct such that the distance between the vane and any adjacent wall of the air duct or further vane is no more than a predetermined value.

3. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined value is calculated as a function of the operating speed of the motor.

4. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined value is calculated as a function of the speed of sound in the airflow passing along the air duct at the normal operating temperature.

5. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined value is calculated according to the formula:

$\mathrm{Predetermined}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Value}=\frac{30\times <br><br>\mathrm{Speed}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{sound}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{air}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{duct}}{\mathrm{Operating}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{speed}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{the}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{motor}<br><br>\underset{\_}{.}}$

6. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined value is calculated according to the formula:

$\mathrm{Predetermined}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Value}=\frac{10800}{\mathrm{Operating}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{speed}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{the}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{motor}<br><br>\underset{\_}{.}}$

7. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined value is in the range from 100 mm to 150 mm.

8. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the predetermined value is substantially 120 mm.

9. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein more than one vane is provided in the or each air duct.

10. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the vanes are arranged in a plurality of rows.

11. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein adjacent rows of vanes overlap in the direction of the airflow.

12. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the number of vanes in each row is higher than the number of vanes in a preceding row.

13. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the breadth of the or each air duct increases between the fan and the opening.

14. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the or each opening is a slot-like opening extending across the width of the cavity.

15. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the width of the slot-like opening is no more than 0.8 mm.

16. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the fan is adapted to cause an airflow to be emitted through the slot-like opening at a velocity of at least 100 m/s.

17. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fan is adapted to cause an airflow to be emitted through the slot-like opening at a pressure of at least 12 kPa.

18. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the drying apparatus is a hand dryer.

20. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined value in calculated according to the formula:

$\mathrm{Predetermined}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Value}=\frac{30\times <br><br>\mathrm{Speed}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{sound}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{air}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{duct}}{\mathrm{Operating}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{speed}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{the}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{motor}<br><br>\underset{\_}{.}}$

21. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the predetermined value is calculated according to the formula:

$\mathrm{Predetermined}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Value}=\frac{10800}{\mathrm{Operating}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{speed}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{of}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{the}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{motor}<br><br>\underset{\_}{.}}$

19. (canceled)