INTERACTIVE DRIER UNIT

• US 20090000147A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Airdri Limited
• Original Assignee: Airdri Limited
• Inventors: COLLINS, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/147,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/565
• 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 drier unit comprising a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet, a flow duct through the housing linking the air inlet to the air outlet; a fan disposed in the flow duct so as to displace air along the duct from the inlet to the outlet characterised in that the air outlet includes more than one outlet aperture, each aperture being directed to provide for the passage of air into a drying region adjacent the housing, air flow from one aperture being caused to interact with air flow from another aperture to generate swirling of air in the drying region. The invention further envisages means providing for air flow through the apertures to be coupled so that in the event of one or some of the apertures being blocked flow through the remaining unblocked aperture or apertures is increased.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A drier unit comprising:

a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet,

a flow duct through the housing linking the air inlet to the air outlet;

a fan disposed in the flow duct so as to displace air along the duct from the inlet to the outlet,

wherein the air outlet includes more than one outlet aperture, each outlet aperture being directed to provide for the passage of air into a drying region adjacent the housing, and air flow from one aperture being caused to interact with air flow from another aperture to generate swirling of air in the drying region.

9. The drier unit according to claim 8, wherein the flow duct provides for air flow along the duct to generate a source of pressurised air upstream of, and common to at least a majority of outlet apertures, so that in the event of one outlet aperture being obstructed, the source of pressurised air is enabled to flow through the remaining aperture or apertures.

10. The drier unit according to claim 8, wherein the flow duct provides for airflow along the duct to a first one, or a first group of some, of the outlet apertures and at least one further flow duct through the housing linking the air inlet to the air outlet;

and the or each further air duct providing for further air flow along the further duct or each further duct from the inlet to a second or second group of the outlet apertures.

11. The drier unit according to claim 8, wherein the drier unit has an air outlet with two apertures.

12. The drier unit according to claim 11, wherein including a region upstream of the apertures common to both apertures the region being adapted for feeding with air fed are fed from the or all flow ducts.

13. The drier unit according to claim 11, wherein each aperture is adapted for feeding from a flow duct exclusive to the aperture.

14. The drier unit as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.