Hand dryer apparatus

• US 7,657,162 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kameishi, Keiji, Itoigawa, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Thor S
• Application Number:
  US11/797,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 392/384
• 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 inserting portion is opened at one surface of a casing or at both the one surface and other surface of the casing. The hand inserting portion includes a space in which hands can be accommodated. A high-pressure-airstream generating unit generates a high-speed airstream. A nozzle is provided on each of two opposing sides of the hand inserting portion, from which the high-speed airstream is jetted into the space of the hand inserting portion. The nozzle includes a hole array formed by arranging a plurality of nozzle holes in a row. Air volume of the high-speed airstream is larger at a central portion of the hole array than at other portions of the hole array.

Claims

1. A hand dryer apparatus comprising:

a casing that forms a frame of the hand dryer apparatus, the casing including one surface and an other surface;

a hand inserting portion that is opened at the one surface or at both the one surface and the other surface, the hand inserting portion including a space in which hands can be accommodated;

a high-pressure-airstream generating unit that generates a high-speed airstream; and

a nozzle provided on each of two opposing sides of the hand inserting portion, from which the high-speed airstream is jetted into the space of the hand inserting portion, wherein

the nozzle includes a hole array formed by arranging a plurality of nozzle holes in a row, and

an air volume of the high-speed airstream is larger at a central portion of the hand insertion portion than at other portions of the hand insertion portion.

2. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein occupation ratios of the nozzle holes per unit area are larger at the central portion of the hand insertion portion than at the other portions of the hand insertion portion.

3. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein diameters of the nozzle holes are larger at the central portion of the hand insertion portion than at the other portions of the hand insertion portion.

4. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein pitches of the nozzle holes are smaller at the central portion of the hand insertion portion than at the other portions of the hand insertion portion.

5. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the nozzle holes at the central portion of the hand insertion portion have a shape of a slit,

the nozzle holes at the other portions of the hand insertion portion have a shape of a circle, and

a length of the slit is longer than a diameter of the circle.

6. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of rows of the nozzle holes in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the hole array is larger at the central portion of the hand insertion portion than at the other portions of the hand insertion portion.

7. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rows of the nozzle holes at the central portion include a row of slit nozzle holes and a row of circular nozzle holes.

8. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rows of the nozzle holes at the central portion include a plurality of rows of slit nozzle holes.

9. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the nozzle holes have a shape of a slit, and

a width of the slit of the nozzles holes at the central portion of the hand insertion portion in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the hole array is wider than a width of the slit of the nozzles holes at the other portions of the hand insertion portion in said direction.

10. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the hole array is formed by arranging a plurality of hole groups including a plurality of nozzle holes, and

the hole groups at the central portion of the hand insertion portion are formed by arranging the nozzle holes in both one direction and an other direction perpendicular to the one direction while the hole groups at the other portions of the hand insertion portion are formed by arranging the nozzle holes in the one direction.

11. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 10, wherein pitches of the hole groups are smaller at the central portion of the hand insertion portion than at the other portions of the hand insertion portion.

12. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 10, wherein diameters of the nozzle holes of the hole groups are larger at the central portion of the hand insertion portion than at the other portions of the hand insertion portion.

13. The hand dryer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the hole array is formed by arranging a plurality of hole groups including a plurality of nozzle holes,

the nozzle holes of the hole groups at the central portion of the hand insertion portion have a shape of a crossed slit,

the nozzle holes of the hole groups at the other portions of the hand insertion portion have a shape of a circle, and

a length of the crossed slit both in a direction of the hole array and in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the hole array is longer than a diameter of the circle.