Drying Apparatus

• US 20080301970A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Hackwell, Paul Cedric Campbell, Nicolas, Frederic
• Application Number:
  US11/997,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301970A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/202
• 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 having a casing, a cavity formed in the casing for receiving an object, a fan located in the casing and creating an airflow, and at least one slot-like opening communicating with the fan and arranged in the casing to direct an airflow transversely across the cavity. The slot-like opening is formed between opposing walls which approach one another at an angle of between 10° and 20°. In another aspect, two slot-like openings are provided ducting providing communication between the fan and the slot-like openings has a first cross-section in the vicinity of the fan whose dimensions are similar in all directions and a slot-like cross-section in the vicinity of the openings, the transition between the said cross-sections being gradual and smooth.

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, and at least one slot-like opening communicating with the fan and arranged in the casing to direct an airflow transversely across the cavity,

wherein the slot-like opening is formed between opposing walls which approach one another at an angle of between 10°

and 20°

.

2. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposing walls approach one another at an angle of about 14°

.

6. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein the width of the or each slot-like opening is no more than 0.5 mm.

7. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein the fan is adapted to cause an airflow to be emitted through the or each slot-like opening at a velocity of at least 80 m/s.

8. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 7, 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.

9. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein the fan is adapted to cause an airflow to be emitted through the or each slot-like opening at a pressure of at least 8 kPa.

10. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fan is adapted to cause an airflow to be emitted through the or each slot-like opening at a pressure of at least 12 kPa.

11. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein the drying apparatus is a hand dryer.

3. A drying apparatus having comprising a casing, a cavity formed in the casing for receiving an object, a fan located in the casing and creating an airflow, and two opposing slot-like openings communicating with the fan via ducting and arranged in the casing to direct an airflow transversely across the cavity,

wherein the ducting has a first cross-section in the vicinity of the fan whose dimensions are similar in all directions and a slot-like cross-section in the vicinity of the openings, a transition between the said cross-sections being gradual and smooth.

4. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the total cross-sectional area of the ducting is substantially constant between the fan and a point immediately upstream of the slot-like openings.

5. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the ducting is divided into two separate airflow paths at a point downstream of the fan.

12. (canceled)