HAND DRYER

• US 20120291303A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Courtney, Stephen Benjamin, Moloney, Patrick Joseph William, Lesniowski, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US13/474,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20120291303A1
• 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 hand dryer comprising a plurality of hand dryer nozzles—one or more for each of a user'"'"'s hands. The left hand dryer nozzle(s) are arranged to extend across the width of the user'"'"'s left hand when it is held palm-open in front of the left-hand nozzle(s), and the right-hand dryer nozzle(s) are likewise arranged to extend across the width of the user'"'"'s right hand when it is held palm-open in front of the right-hand nozzle(s). The left-hand nozzle(s) extend axially along the wall of a first air supply duct, and the right hand nozzle(s) similarly extend axially along the wall of a second air supply duct. Each air supply duct communicates at its inlet end—being the end nearer the user'"'"'s respective thumb in use—with a motor driven-fan for driving an axial airflow through duct.

Claims

1. A hand dryer comprising a plurality of hand dryer nozzles—

one or more for each of a user'"'"'s hands, the one or more left hand dryer nozzles being arranged to extend across the width of the user'"'"'s left hand when it is held palm-open in front of the one or more left-hand nozzles, the one or more right-hand dryer nozzles being arranged to extend across the width of the user'"'"'s right hand when it is held palm-open in front of the one or more right-hand nozzles, the one or more left-hand nozzles extending axially along the wall of a first air supply duct, the one or more right hand nozzles extending axially along the wall of a second air supply duct, each air supply duct communicating at its inlet end—

being the end nearer the user'"'"'s respective thumb in use—

with a motor driven-fan for driving an axial airflow through duct.

2. The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the supply duct is generally constant along the length of the supply duct, resulting in a progressive straightening of the nozzle exit velocity along the length of the supply duct, or else varies in a manner which nevertheless ensures such straightening of the nozzle exit velocity via a corresponding progressive reduction in the axial flow velocity through the supply duct.

3. The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the duct tapers along the length of the supply duct.

4. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein the supply duct is substantially cylindrical.

5. The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the supply duct forms an external part of the hand dryer.

6. The hand dryer according to claim 1, comprising a motor-driven fan which is configured to force airflow through the nozzles at an exit speed which exceeds 100 m/s.