Athlete hand drying system

• US 7,774,953 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Napoli I. Duran
• Original Assignee: Napoli I. Duran
• Inventors: Duran, Napoli I.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/754,245
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 34/77, 34/86, 34/90, 341/03, 341/04, 341/07, 342/02, 342/09, 342/18, 342/42, 422/28, 422/37, 134/28.4, 239/54, 424/421
• US Class Current: 34/77
• 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

Disclosed is a system to dry the hands of individuals. The system may include a pedestal, an air pedal and powder pedal hinged to the pedestal, a chamber having a dome connected to a shroud to define a chamber interior. The chamber interior may be divided into a first divided area, a second divided, and an overhead area that connects the first divided area to the second divided area. Each dived area may include a perforated tube to deliver pressurized air and powder into the chamber interior. An air compressor may be connected directly to the perforated tubes and connected to a powder chamber. In addition to pressurized air being delivered to the chamber interior, powder optionally may be delivered to the chamber interior.

Claims

1. A system to dry the hands of individuals, the system comprising:

a pedestal;

an air pedal hinged to the pedestal;

a powder pedal hinged to the pedestal;

a chamber having a shroud connected below and to a dome to define a chamber interior, where the shroud is an annulus shaped ring that includes a left hand hole, a right hand hole, and a partition, where the left hand hole and the right hand hole each are openings in the shroud through which a person'"'"'s hands may be inserted and where the partition is position vertically to divide the chamber interior into a first divided area and a second divided area that correspond to the left hand hole and the right hand hole, respectively, and into an overhead area beneath the dome that connects the first divided area and the second divided area;

a left tube positioned in the first divided area;

a right tube positioned in the second divided area;

a tower positioned between the pedestal and the chamber;

an air compressor connected to the air pedal, the powder pedal, a first air hose, and a second air hose, where the first air hose is connected to the left tube and the right tube and the second air hose is connected to a powder container, where the powder container is configured to store powder to be delivered through the left tube and the right tube into chamber interior, and where the air pedal and the powder pedal are foot controlled and configured to operate an on/off state of the air compressor; and

an air regulator connected between the powder container and the left tube and the right tube.

2. The system of claim 1, where the air pedal causes the air compressor to blow air into the first air hose when pressed and the powder pedal causes the air compressor to blow air into the second air hose when pressed.

3. The system of claim 1, where at least one of the left tube and the right tube have a U-shape when viewed from a first direction and a semi-circular shape when view from ninety degrees to that first direction.

4. The system of claim 1, where the left hand hole and the right hand hole each are openings in the shroud positioned above the air pedal and the powder pedal, respectively.

5. The system of claim 1, where a height of the partition is greater than a height of the shroud.

6. The system of claim 1, where both the air pedal and the powder pedal are spring loaded levers that are configured to be operated by a human foot, where the air pedal includes a large “

A”

on a visible surface and the powder pedal includes a large “

P”

on a visible surface to distinguish an operation of each pedal.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

casters attached to a bottom of the pedestal, where there are four casters and each caster includes a locking brake.

8. The system of claim 7, where the air compressor is connected to an electric box and a pressure gage, where the electrical box is 110-volt electrical box contained within pedestal and is connected to a power cord.

9. The system of claim 6, where each of the left tube and the right tube is a hollow cylindrical conduit having perforations distributed along its length.

10. The system of claim 9, where the left hand hole and the right hand hole each are rectangular openings.

11. The system of claim 10, where the air compressor is a ½

-horsepower air compressor and the first air hose and second air hose each are ¼

-inch diameter flexible hoses.

12. The system of claim 11, where the system has a height that is approximately three to four feet and a diameter that is approximately twelve to eighteen inches and where the dome is a clear concave shape with the concavity facing downward.

13. A method to dry the hands of individuals with a system, the method comprising:

presenting a system having a pedestal, an air pedal hinged to the pedestal, a powder pedal hinged to the pedestal, a chamber having a shroud connected below and to a dome to define a chamber interior, where the shroud is an annulus shaped ring that includes a left hand hole, a right hand hole, and a partition, where the left hand hole and the right hand hole each are openings in the shroud through which a person'"'"'s hands may be inserted and where the partition is position vertically to divide the chamber interior into a first divided area and a second divided area that correspond to the left hand hole and the right hand hole, respectively, and into an overhead area beneath the dome that connects the first divided area and the second divided area, a left tube positioned in the first divided area, a right tube positioned in the second divided area, a tower positioned between the pedestal and the chamber, an air compressor connected to the air pedal, the powder pedal, a first air hose, and a second air hose, where the first air hose is connected to the left tube and the right tube and the second air hose is connected to a powder container, where the powder container is configured to store powder to be delivered through the left tube and the right tube into chamber interior, where the air pedal and the powder pedal are foot controlled and configured to operate an on/off state of the air compressor, and an air regulator connected between the powder container and the left tube and the right tube;

activating the air compressor from the air pedal to force air through both the first air hose and the left tube and the right and into the first divided area and the second divided area; and

activating the air compressor from the powder pedal to force air through the second air hose and into the powder container.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

regulating the pressure of air leaving the powder container with the pressure regulator.