Drier information system

• US 8,136,262 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airdri Limited
• Original Assignee: Airdri Limited
• Inventors: Collins, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/147,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 34/89, 34/90, 341/05, 342/01, 342/02, 342/18, 342/42, 340/679, 340/657, 700/208, 454/252
• US Class Current: 34/89
• 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 drier information system is provided including display means relating to a given region of the system which means serves, at least while a drying cycle is in operation, to provide a visual display indicating at least one of the following parameters: the extent of the region; a boundary of the region; direction or example of manipulation of a pair of hands or other article while in the region to provide for a preferred drying sequence. The visual display can represent the parameters as a two dimensional array within or adjacent the region. Alternatively the visual display can represent the parameters as a virtual or actual three dimensional array within or adjacent the region.

Claims

1. A drier unit incorporating a drier information system comprising:

a housing including a fan contained within a fan chamber;

a motor for supplying rotational drive to the fan;

an air inlet for supplying air to the fan chamber;

an air outlet coupled with the fan for delivering air from the fan to a drying area;

a duct for transferring air through the housing from the inlet to the outlet via the fan chamber, and the fan being operable by the motor for causing the air to be displaced along the duct from the inlet to the outlet;

a proximity sensing device coupled to a control means for detecting insertion of an object to be dried into the drying area and initiating actuation of a drying cycle of the drier unit;

wherein the drier information system is located adjacent to the outlet and coupled to the control means for providing a visual display in the drier area to a user, and the drier information system, upon actuation of the drying cycle of the drier unit, indicating at least one of an extent of the drying area and a boundary of the drying area; and

the visual display is manipulatable by the control means for visually displaying locations of at least first and second discrete drying areas and thereby indicating a desired manipulation of the object to be dried, when located within the drying area, and providing a desired drying sequence for the object to be dried.

2. The drier unit incorporating a drier information system according to claim 1, wherein the visual display is represented as a two dimensional array within or adjacent to the drying region.

3. The drier unit incorporating a drier information system according to claim 1, wherein the visual display is one of a virtual and an actual three dimensional array within or adjacent to the drying region.

4. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 1, wherein the visual display displays a location of a third discrete drying area and the visual display is manipulatable, by the control means, for visually displaying the desired manipulation of the object to be dried and providing a desired drying sequence for the object to be dried utilizing a desired sequence of the location of the first, the second and the third discrete drying areas.

5. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 1, wherein the drier information system comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes supported adjacent to the outlet, and the plurality of light emitting diodes are selectively illuminated to provide the visual display in the drier area to the user.

6. A drier unit incorporating a drier information system, the drier unit comprising:

a housing including a fan contained within a fan chamber;

a motor for supplying rotational drive to the fan;

an air inlet for supplying air to the fan chamber;

an outlet aperture coupled with the fan chamber for delivering air from the fan along a drying axis to a drying area;

a duct for facilitating transfer of the air through the housing from the inlet to the outlet aperture via the fan chamber while the fan is operated by the motor to cause the air to be displaced along the duct from the inlet to the outlet aperture; and

a proximity sensing device being coupled to a control means for detecting insertion of an object to be dried into the drying area and initiating actuation of a drying cycle of the drier unit;

wherein the drier area comprises at least first and second discrete drying areas;

the drier information system is located adjacent to the outlet aperture and coupled to the control means for providing a visual display in the drier area to a user, and the drier information system, upon actuation of the drying cycle of the drier unit, indicating at least one of an extent of the drying area and a boundary of the drying area; and

the visual display is manipulatable, by the control means, for visually displaying a location of the first discrete drying area and then a location of the second discrete drying area and thereby indicating a desired manipulation of the object to be dried and providing a desired drying sequence for the object to be dried.

7. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 6, wherein the visual display is represented as a two dimensional array within or adjacent to the drying area.

8. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 6, wherein the visual display is one of a virtual and an actual three dimensional array within or adjacent to the drying area.

9. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 6, wherein the visual display displays a location of a third discrete drying area and the visual display is manipulatable, by the control means, for visually displaying the desired manipulation of the object to be dried, when located within the drying region, and providing a desired drying sequence for the object to be dried utilizing a desired sequence of the location of the first, the second and the third discrete drying areas.

10. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 6, wherein the drier information system comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes supported adjacent to the first and the second outlet apertures, and the plurality of light emitting diodes are selectively illuminated to provide the visual display in the drier area to the user.

11. A drier unit incorporating an information system, the drier unit comprising:

a housing including a first fan contained within a first fan chamber and a second fan contained within a second fan chamber;

a motor for supplying rotational drive to the first fan and the second fan;

an air inlet for supplying air to the first fan chamber and the second fan chamber;

a first air outlet aperture coupled with the first fan chamber for delivering air from the first fan along a first drying axis to a drying area;

a second air outlet aperture coupled with the second fan chamber for delivering air from the second fan along a second drying axis to the drying area;

ducts for facilitating transfer of the air through the housing from the inlet to the first and the second outlet apertures via the first fan chamber and the second fan chamber when the first and the second fans are operated by the motor to cause the air to be displaced along the duct from the inlet to the first and the second outlet apertures; and

a proximity sensing device being coupled to a control means for detecting insertion of a pair of hands to be dried into the drying area and initiating actuation of a drying cycle of the drier unit;

wherein the drier area comprises at least first and second discrete drying areas;

the drier information system is located adjacent to the first and the second outlet apertures and coupled to the control means for providing a visual display in the drier area to a user, upon actuation of the drying cycle of the drier unit, indicating at least one of an extent of the drying area and a boundary of the drying area; and

the visual display is manipulatable by the control means for visually displaying a location of the first discrete drying area and then a location of the second discrete drying area and thereby indicating a desired manipulation of the pair of hands to be dried and providing a desired drying sequence for the pair of hands to be dried.

12. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 11, wherein the visual display is represented as a two dimensional array within or adjacent to the drying area.

13. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 11, wherein the visual display is one of a virtual and an actual three dimensional array within or adjacent to the drying area.

14. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 11, wherein the visual display displays a location of a third discrete drying area and the visual display is manipulatable by the control means for visually displaying the desired manipulation of the pair of hands to be dried, when located within the drying region, and providing a desired drying sequence for the pair of hands to be dried utilizing a desired sequence of the location of the first, the second and the third discrete drying areas.

15. The drier unit incorporating the drier information system according to claim 11, wherein the drier information system comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes supported adjacent to the first and the second outlet apertures, and the plurality of light emitting diodes are selectively illuminated to provide the visual display in the drier area to the user.