Air displacing device

• US 8,128,465 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airdri Limited
• Original Assignee: Airdri Limited
• Inventors: Collins, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Towns, Brittany E
• Application Number:
  US12/147,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20090004962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 454/252, 454/253, 454/188, 454/189, 454/190, 454/191, 454/192, 454/341, 454/305, 34/89, 342/59, 342/02
• US Class Current: 454/252
• 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

An air displacing device for transferring air from a first location to a second location comprising a housing including a fan, a prime mover for the fan, means defining an air inlet to receive air from the first location, and an air outlet to deliver air to the second location and a duct for air through the housing from the inlet to the outlet, the fan being operable by way of the prime mover to cause air to be displaced along the duct from the inlet to the outlet, the housing serving to define a datum plane characterized in that the housing has external members adapted for displacement between a first, standby, configuration where the projection of the housing from the datum plane is a minimum and so the volume of the housing is a minimum and a second, working, configuration where the projection of the housing from the datum plane is a maximum and so the volume of the housing is a maximum. The invention is particularly applicable for hand driers but is also applicable to other air moving devices such as vacuum cleaners, air conditioning units and drying apparatus for objects other than hands.

Claims

1. An air displacing device for transferring air from a first location to a second location, the air displacing device comprising:

a housing including a fan, and the fan being contained within a fan chamber;

a prime mover for rotating the fan;

an air inlet to the housing for enabling the device to receive air from the first location;

an air outlet from the housing for delivering air to the second location; and

a duct for transferring air through the housing from the inlet to the outlet via the fan chamber, the fan being operable by the prime mover for causing the air to be displaced along the duct from the inlet to the outlet, and the housing having a fixed section having a plurality of walls extending outward in a first direction, distal ends of the plurality of walls serving to define a datum plane;

wherein the housing has a displaceable member for displacement between a first, standby, configuration where the projection of the displaceable member from the datum plane is a minimum and so that a volume of the housing is a minimum, and a second, working, configuration where the projection of the housing from the datum plane is a maximum and so that the volume of the housing is a maximum; and

the fan chamber includes a scroll section forming at least part of a wall of the fan chamber, the scroll section mounted on a pivot so that when the displaceable member is in its first, standby, configuration, the scroll section is retracted and, when the prime mover drives the fan, air displaced by the fan causes the scroll section to extend and drive the displaceable member into its second configuration.

2. The air displacing device according to claim 1, wherein the air displacing device further comprises a heating element for transferring heat into air displaced along the duct.

3. The air displacing device according to claim 1, wherein the fan is caused to have a minimum outside dimension, when the housing is in its standby configuration, and a maximum outside dimension, when the housing is in its working configuration.

4. The air displacing device according to claim 1, wherein the air displacing device further comprises at least two air inlets and at least two air outlets.

5. The air displacing device according to claim 4, wherein the air displacing device further comprises only two air inlets and two air outlets.

6. The air displacing device according to claim 4, wherein the air displacing device further comprises at least two ducts connecting the least two air inlets to the at least two air outlets.

7. The air displacing device according to claim 4, wherein each air inlet is linked to the air outlet by a separate duct.

8. The air displacing device according to claim 7, wherein each air duct includes a separate fan and a separate fan chamber.

9. The air displacing device according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet is located on an axially opposed wall of the housing from the air outlet.

10. The air displacing device according to claim 9, wherein the air duct channels the air along a substantially linear air path from the air inlet to the air outlet.

11. The air displacing device according to claim 10, wherein the scroll section extends and retracts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the air path.

12. An air displacing device for transferring air from a first location to a second location, the air displacing device comprising:

a housing including a fan, and the fan being contained within a fan chamber;

a prime mover for rotating the fan;

an air inlet to the housing for enabling the device to receive air from the first location;

an air outlet to the housing for delivering air to the second location; and

a duct for transferring air through the housing from the inlet to the outlet through the fan chamber, the fan being operable by the prime mover for causing the air to be displaced along the duct from the inlet to the outlet, and the housing having a fixed section having a plurality of walls extending outward in a first direction, distal ends of the plurality of walls defining a datum plane;

wherein the housing has a displaceable member adapted for displacement between a first, standby, configuration where a projection of the displaceable member from the datum plane is at a minimum amount so that a total volume of the housing is a minimum, and a second, working, configuration where the projection of the displaceable member from the datum plane is at a maximum amount so that the volume of the housing is a maximum; and

the fan chamber includes a scroll section forming at least part of a wall of the fan chamber, the scroll section mounted on a pivot so that when the displaceable member is in the first, standby, configuration, the scroll section is retracted and located adjacent the datum plane and, when the prime mover drives the fan, the air displaced by the fan causes the scroll section to extend and move away form the datum plane and drive the displaceable member to the second configuration.