Lavatory with dual plenum hand dryer

• US 9,441,885 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley IP, LLC (Watts Water Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bradley Fixtures Corporation (Bradley Corporation)
• Inventors: Bayley, Graeme S., Figurski, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/350,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20140230269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 341/04, 341/05, 392/384, 392/385, 462/3, 462/8
• 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 a first plenum above a basin and a second plenum incorporated within the basin. A display screen, which may be a touch-screen, can display operational data such as run time, energy consumed, water consumed, soap dispensed, soap remaining, etc. A noise-cancelling feature may actively and/or passively suppress noise from the hand dryer. Electrical energy spent by the hand dryer may also be re-captured with the use of a device within the air plenums that converts the kinetic energy of moving air into electric energy.

Claims

1. A lavatory system comprising:

a faucet extending from the lavatory system configured to dispense a water;

a soap dispenser attached to the lavatory system configured to dispense a liquid soap;

a hand dryer attached to the lavatory proximate the soap dispenser and including a first plenum outlet extending from a rear portion of the lavatory at a first height;

a basin attached to the lavatory system, configured to collect the water and the soap dispensed from the faucet and the soap dispenser, with a second plenum outlet incorporated in the basin at a second height lower than the first height, wherein the first plenum outlet and the second plenum outlet deliver a pressurized air to dry a user'"'"'s hands; and

a display incorporated in a portion of the lavatory system configured to display graphic or textual information to a user.

2. The lavatory system of claim 1, further comprising a sterilization feature attached to the lavatory system including ultraviolet light configured to sterilize at least one of the basin, the pressurized air, and the user'"'"'s hands.

3. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a noise cancellation system within the lavatory system configured to mitigate a sound of the operation of the hand dryer.

4. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a system diagnostics system within the lavatory system with an integrated diagnostic data collection system programmed to collect and display a diagnostic data on the display including at least one of a hand dryer motor run time, a soap level, a period between a motor use cycles, a hand dryer air filter status, and an amount of water dispensed from the faucet.

5. The lavatory system of claim 4 further comprising a touch-sensitive sensor incorporated in the display configured to receive a manual input including operational parameters for the lavatory system including at least one of a motor run time, a faucet run time, and a volume of soap dispensed per cycle.

6. The lavatory system of claim 4 further including a communication system, configured to transmit the diagnostic data, in communication with a remote facility allowing a technician to remotely monitor the system diagnostics system.

7. The lavatory system of claim 3 wherein the noise cancellation system includes at least one of a mechanical noise cancellation device and an electrical noise cancellation device.

8. The lavatory system of claim 7 further comprising a sound amplifier connected to the noise cancellation system configured to provide noise cancellation.

9. The lavatory system of claim 7 further comprising a sound-absorbing material attached to the lavatory configured to provide mechanical noise cancellation.

10. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a power circuit within the lavatory system configured to adapt to a plurality of different voltage inputs from a plurality of different countries and modify the voltage input to match a voltage requirement of a blower motor for the hand dryer and other electrical apparatuses.

11. The lavatory system of claim 2 wherein the sterilization features include a separate ultra violet chamber incorporating at least a portion of the basin configured to accept the user'"'"'s hands.

12. The lavatory system of claim 1 further including a plurality of nozzles extending from the upper plenum outlet and the lower plenum outlet, wherein the nozzles include a non-uniform shape and a non-uniform size and wherein the nozzles are oriented in a plurality of angles.

13. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a moisture detector proximate the hand dryer configured to measure a moisture level of the user'"'"'s hands and determine a run time of the hand dryer.

14. The lavatory system of claim 1 further comprising a first drain in the basin below the faucet and a second drain in the basin below the upper plenum outlet.

17. The lavatory system of claim 4 further comprising a touch-sensitive sensor incorporated in the display configured to receive a manual input including operational parameters for the lavatory system including at least one of a motor run time, a faucet run time, and a volume of soap dispensed per cycle.

18. The lavatory system of claim 17 further including:

a communication system configured to transmit the diagnostic data, in communication with a remote facility allowing a technician to remotely monitor the system diagnostics system; and

a plurality of nozzles extending from the upper plenum outlet and the lower plenum outlet, wherein the nozzles include a non-uniform shape and a non-uniform size and wherein the nozzles are oriented in a plurality of angles.

15. A lavatory system comprising:

a faucet extending from the lavatory system configured to dispense a water;

a soap dispenser attached to the lavatory system configured to dispense a liquid soap;

a hand dryer attached to the lavatory proximate the soap dispenser and including a first plenum outlet extending from a rear portion of the lavatory at a first height;

a basin attached to the lavatory system, configured to collect the water and the soap dispensed from the faucet and the soap dispenser, with a second plenum outlet incorporated in the basin at a second height lower than the first height, wherein the first plenum outlet and the second plenum outlet deliver a pressurized air to dry a user'"'"'s hands; and

an electrical energy generator within the lavatory system configured to convert a kinetic energy from the pressurized air of the upper plenum outlet and the lower plenum outlet into an electrical energy.

16. The lavatory system of claim 15 further comprising:

a display mounted to an external portion of the lavatory system configured to display a graphic or a textual information to a user; and

a system diagnostics system within the lavatory system with an integrated diagnostic data collection system programmed to collect and display a diagnostic data on the display including at least one of a hand dryer motor run time, a soap level, a period between motor use cycles, a hand dryer air filter status, and an amount of water dispensed from the faucet.

19. The lavatory system of claim 16 further comprising:

a first drain in the basin below the faucet and a second drain in the basin below the upper plenum outlet; and

an active noise cancelling device within the lavatory system with an electrical amplifier configured to provide noise cancellation.

20. A lavatory system comprising:

a faucet extending from the lavatory system configured to dispense a water;

a soap dispenser attached to the lavatory system configured to dispense a liquid soap;

a hand dryer attached to the lavatory proximate the soap dispenser and including a first plenum outlet extending from a rear portion of the lavatory at a first height;

a basin attached to the lavatory system, configured to collect the water and the soap dispensed from the faucet and the soap dispenser, with a second plenum outlet incorporated in the basin at a second height lower than the first height, wherein the first plenum outlet and the second plenum outlet deliver a pressurized air to dry a user'"'"'s hands;

a display mounted to an exterior portion of the lavatory system configured to display a graphic or a textual information to a user;

a touch-sensitive sensor incorporated in the display configured to receive a manual input including operational parameters for the lavatory system including at least one of a motor run time, a faucet run time, and a volume of soap dispensed per cycle,

a system diagnostics system within the lavatory system with an integrated diagnostic data collection system programmed to collect and display a diagnostic data on the display including at least one of a hand dryer motor run time, a soap level, a period between a motor use cycles, a hand dryer air filter status, and an amount of water dispensed from the faucet; and

an electrical energy generator within the lavatory system configured to convert a kinetic energy from the pressurized air of the upper plenum outlet and the lower plenum outlet into an electrical energy.