Air intake structure for hand dryers of high airflow pressure

• US 8,037,619 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hokwang Industries Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hokwang Industries Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Liu, Shen-Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Kenneth B
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, COREY JOHN
• Application Number:
  US12/430,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20100269364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 342/18, 342/15, 342/10, 342/83, 34/96, 34/97, 342/01, 392/380, 392/381, 392/382, 392/383, 392/384, 392/385, 392/379, 415/191, 415/192
• US Class Current: 34/218
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/441 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps

Abstract

An air intake structure is located on an airflow guiding casing of a hand dryer communicating with gaps formed between motor blades in the airflow guiding casing. It includes a flow directing frame located on the airflow guiding casing, an axle located in the center of the flow directing frame and a plurality of flow directing blades located between the flow directing frame and the axle.

Claims

1. An air intake structure for hand dryers of high airflow pressure located on an airflow guiding casing of a hand dryer communicating with gaps formed between motor blades of a motor and a motor air suction port located in the airflow guiding casing, comprising:

a flow directing frame which is circular and has an arched profile protruded from the airflow guiding casing and an air inlet communicating with the motor air suction port, and a flow directing chamber formed between one surface end of the air inlet and an outmost surface end of the flow directing frame;

an axle which has a curved profile and is located in the center of the flow directing chamber; and

a plurality of flow directing blades which are extended from the axle and connected to the flow directing frame and are curved in a same direction to direct airflow and each of which has a first curved edge formed on its top rim and a second curved edge formed on its bottom rim, the curved direction of the flow directing blades extended from the axle and connected to the flow directing frame being opposite to another curved direction of the motor blades;

wherein the air intake structure is located close to the motor blades so that the motor air suction port and the outmost surface end of the flow directing frame are spaced at a distance between one and four centimeters;

wherein the flow directing blades are formed with a cross section at a thickness gradually thinner from the axle towards the flow directing frame such that one end of the flow directing blades connecting to the axle is formed at a cross section thicker than another end of the flow directing blades connecting to the flow directing frame.

2. The air intake structure of claim 1, wherein the axle has a circumferential length equal to the sum of the cross section thickness of one end of the flow directing blades connecting to the axle.