Hand dryer with annular air exhaust

• US 8,544,186 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hokwang Industries Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hokwang Industries Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsu, Chi-Chin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US13/105,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20120285033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: D28/54.1, D28/12, D28/58, 342/66, 342/01, 342/02, 343/85, 345/29, 342/18, 342/33, D23/457, D23/385, 392/381, 392/380
• US Class Current: 34/202
• 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 dryer with annular air exhaust includes a casing and an air supply device located in the casing. The casing has a coupling portion and an air exhaust portion connected to the coupling portion. The air exhaust portion has two extension sections extended from the coupling portion and a connection section connected to the two extension sections to form an annular hand drying passage. The air exhaust portion includes a plurality of first nozzles and a plurality of second nozzles corresponding to the hand drying passage which has a first opening and a second opening at two ends. The air supply device has an airflow guiding duct to direct air to the air exhaust portion. The first and second nozzles exhaust the air towards the hand drying passage to form annular air exhaust, and thus hand drying angles are increased to dry hands faster.

Claims

1. A hand dryer with annular air exhaust, comprising:

a casing which includes a coupling portion fastened to a wall and an air exhaust portion extended from and connected to the coupling portion, the coupling portion being formed at a thickness greater than that of the air exhaust portion to form a drop height section between them such that a moisture evaporation space is formed between the wall and the air exhaust portion, the air exhaust portion including two extension sections extended from the drop height section and a connection section connected to the two extension sections to form an annular hand drying passage communicating with the moisture evaporation space, the air exhaust portion further including a plurality of first nozzles located at the two extension sections and a plurality of second nozzles located at the connection section that are corresponding to the hand drying passage, the hand drying passage including a first opening and a second opening facing the moisture evaporation space at two ends thereof; and

an air supply device which is located in the coupling portion and includes an airflow guiding duct to direct air to the air exhaust portion, the first and second nozzles exhausting the air towards the hand drying passage such that moisture from a user'"'"'s hands is blown into the moisture evaporation space in an air flowing direction for evaporation.

2. The hand dryer of claim 1, wherein the casing includes a front half shell and a rear half shell coupled to the front half shell, the first opening being located on the front half shell and the second opening being located on the rear half shell.

3. The hand dryer of claim 2, wherein the front half shell includes a side frame and a front panel, the side frame including one side connected to the rear half shell and another side formed a fastening opening to hold the front panel.

4. The hand dryer of claim 1, wherein the first and second nozzles are connected to the airflow guiding duct and formed inclinedly along a direction from the first opening towards the second opening.

5. The hand dryer of claim 1, wherein the airflow guiding duct includes two first guiding portions located in the two extension sections and two second guiding portions extended from the first guiding portions into the connection section.

6. The hand dryer of claim 1, wherein the air supply device includes a blower connected to the airflow guiding duct.

7. The hand dryer of claim 6, wherein the blower includes an airflow guiding member which includes an airflow channel and an anchor portion communicating with the airflow channel, the anchor portion including a heating device corresponding to an air inlet of the hand dryer.

8. The hand dryer of claim 1, wherein the air exhaust portion includes an infrared sensor.