Hand dryer with point of ingress dependent air delay and filter sensor

• US 9,267,736 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley Fixtures Corporation (Bradley Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bradley Fixtures Corporation (Bradley Corporation)
• Inventors: Bayley, Graeme S., Figurski, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Christiansen, Janie
• Application Number:
  US13/267,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 462/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A47K 2210/00 Combinations of water taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 4/00 Combinations of baths, douches, sinks, wash-basins, closets, or urinals, not covered by a single other group of this subclass such combinations when connected to water supply or waste pipe E03C1/01
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/12 Velocity of flow; Quantity of flow , e.g. by varying fan speed, by modifying cross flow area F26B21/004 takes precedence; changing air flow pattern F26B21/022

Abstract

A lavatory system includes a hand dryer with at least a first proximity sensor and a second proximity sensor to detect an object for drying. A controller is communicatively linked to the first and second proximity sensors. The controller activates a drying operation after a first delay period if the first proximity sensor first detects the object for drying and activates a drying operation after a second delay period if the second proximity sensor first detects the object for drying. A filter flow sensor may also be provided to ensure proper filtering of the dryer'"'"'s air.

Claims

1. A lavatory system comprising:

a wash basin with a back wall, a front wall, and side walls joining the back and front walls;

a faucet operably connected to the wash basin;

a hand dryer in fluid communication with the wash basin and including a hand-receiving cavity, a top portion with an air outlet, and a bottom portion with an air outlet;

a first point of entry configured to receive a user'"'"'s hands along the front wall of the wash basin such that when drying hands, the user presents hands to be dried into a front of the hand-receiving cavity and draws the hands out of the hand-receiving cavity back toward the front wall of the wash basin;

a second point of entry configured to receive the user'"'"'s hands between the side walls such that when drying hands, the user presents hands to be dried into a side of the hand-receiving cavity and draws the hands out of the hand-receiving cavity toward the front wall of the wash basin;

a blower motor in fluid communication with the air outlets for blowing air through the air outlets; and

a controller that activates the blower motor after observance of a first delay period of a predetermined time if an object to be dried is presented to the hand-receiving cavity at the first point of entry and activates the blower motor after observance of a second delay period of a predetermined time longer than the predetermined time of the first delay period if an object to be dried is presented to the hand-receiving cavity at the second point of entry.

2. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a first sensor that detects side-presentment of the object to be dried to the hand dryer and a second sensor that detects front-presentment of the object to he dried to the hand dryer.

3. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a soap dispenser having a spout in fluid communication with the wash basin.

4. The lavatory system of claim 1 wherein the first delay period is between zero and 300 milliseconds;

and wherein the second delay period is between 200 and 800 milliseconds.

5. A lavatory system comprising:

a wash basin with side walls along a front and sides of the wash basin and a backsplash along a back side of the wash basin;

a hand dryer in fluid communication with the wash basin and including a hand-receiving cavity, a generally horizontal top portion extending from the backsplash above the wash basin with a first outlet port, and a bottom portion extending from the wash basin with a second outlet port, the hand-receiving cavity having a front opening point of entry and a side opening point of entry;

a blower motor for blowing air through the outlet ports in fluid communication with the first and second outlet ports with a first and second hose, respectively;

a faucet extending from the backsplash between the side walls;

a controller that activates the blower motor after an object is placed between the outlet ports, wherein the contoller activates the blower motor after observance of a first delay period if an object to be dried is presented to the front opening point of entry and a second delay period if an object to be dried is presented to the side opening point of entry, wherein the second period of time is greater than the first period of time.

6. The lavatory system of claim 5, wherein the first hose is behind the back splash and a back wall of the hand-receiving cavity and wherein the second hose is underneath the basin.

7. The lavatory system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of nozzles on each one of the first and second outlet ports holes wherein the nozzles on the first outlet port and second outlet port are vertically aligned and at different angles from the horizontal plane with one another such that an s-shaped airflow pattern forms from air exiting the nozzles.

8. The lavatory system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of nozzles on each one of the first and second outlet ports holes wherein the nozzles on the first outlet port and second outlet port are vertically and horizontally aligned on opposing sides of the hand-receiving cavity.

9. The lavatory system of claim 5, wherein the top portion of the hand dryer includes the first hose joining the blower motor to the first outlet port and the bottom portion includes the second hose joining the blower motor to the second outlet port.

10. The lavatory system of claim 5, wherein the hand dryer is situated between the wash basin and a second wash basin.

11. The lavatory system of claim 5, further comprising a display screen configured to display at least one of a blower motor run time, a blower motor cycles, and a time between cycles.

12. A lavatory system comprising:

a wash basin with side walls along a front and sides of the wash basin and a backsplash along a back side of the wash basin;

a hand dryer in fluid communication with the wash basin and including a hand-receiving cavity, a generally horizontal top portion extending from the backsplash above the wash basin with a first outlet port, and a bottom portion extending from the wash basin with a second outlet port, the hand-receiving cavity having first and second points of entry;

a blower motor in fluid communication with the first and second outlet ports for blowing air through the outlet ports;

a faucet extending from the backsplash between the side walls; and

a controller communicatively linked to a first and a second proximity sensor that activates the blower motor after an object is placed between the first and second outlet ports, wherein the controller delays the start of the blower motor when the object is presented in the second point of entry, and wherein the blower motor is started without a delay when the object is presented in the first point of entry; and

wherein the first point of entry is defined generally at a side of the hand-receiving cavity and the second point of entry is defined at a front of the hand-receiving cavity.

13. The lavatory system of claim 12, further comprising:

a generally horizontal surface on the bottom portion that is level with an upper edge of the side walls; and

a vertically sloped surface on the bottom portion integrated with the vertically sloped portion, wherein the second outlet port is located on the vertically sloped portion.

14. The lavatory system of claim 12, further comprising an internal power circuit configured to adapt an amperage and voltage available to the blower motor to a functional amperage and voltage required by the blower motor.

15. The lavatory system of claim 12, wherein the second delay period exceeds the first delay period.

16. The lavatory system of claim 12, further comprising:

a generally horizontal surface on the bottom portion that is level with an upper edge of the side walls;

a vertically sloped surface on the bottom portion integrated with the vertically sloped portion, wherein the second outlet port is located on the vertically sloped portion; and

an internal power circuit configured to adapt an amperage and voltage available to the blower motor to a functional amperage and voltage required by the blower motor.

17. The lavatory system of claim 12, further comprising:

a generally horizontal surface on the bottom portion that is level with an upper edge of the side walls;

a vertically sloped surface on the bottom portion integrated with the vertically sloped portion, wherein the second outlet port is located on the vertically sloped portion; and

wherein the controller commences activation of a drying operation after a first delay period if the first proximity sensor first detects the object for drying and commences activation of a drying operation after a second delay period if the second proximity sensor first detects the object for drying and wherein the second delay period exceeds the first delay period.