DE102020131057B4 - Hand drying system and hand cleaning system - Google Patents

Abstract

Hand drying system (100) comprising a hand drying device which
- a hand-drying housing (10) which partially encloses an interior space (11) into which a user's hand (2000) can be partially or completely inserted via an entrance opening (19) of the hand-drying housing (10),
- an injection device (20) which is designed to generate a drying air stream which is introduced into the interior space (11) via at least one air inlet opening (24) in such a way that it flows over a hand surface of a hand (2000) of the user which is inserted into the interior space, and
- a suction device (30) which is designed to suck air out of the interior (11) via at least one suction opening (31),
includes,
characterized by
a discharge device connected to the at least one suction opening (31) and hermetically sealed with respect to the surroundings of the hand drying device, which is designed to discharge the air extracted by the suction device (30) into a collecting device (1010) arranged outside the hand drying system (100), wherein the discharge device further comprises a one-way valve device (36) which allows fluids, in particular the extracted air, to flow through substantially only in one direction from the hand drying device to the collecting device (1010).

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a hand drying system for drying hands and a hand cleaning system for cleaning hands.

Background of the invention

Hand drying systems are known from the state of the art that dry a moist or wet hand or a pair of hands of a user by means of a generated air flow.

The air stream can be preheated to achieve efficient drying, during which liquids on the hand surfaces dissolve to a greater extent in the air stream.

Other hand drying systems, such as those in the EP 1 909 628 A1 shown, use an air flow generated by nozzles, which has a high flow velocity, in order to mechanically wipe or blow off additional liquids from the hand surfaces.

Surfaces of such hand-drying systems are typically touched by a large number of different users, especially when used in public sanitary facilities, which leads to an increased germ and dirt load on the hand-drying systems and thus also to an increased risk of infection during use.

In addition, the air currents generated by the hand drying systems cause considerable air movement in the area surrounding the hand drying system, which stirs up not only dirt but also germs and pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and the like, so that a user can come into contact with them via the ambient air.

Another form of hand drying system also includes the use of disinfectants, which are applied to the hand surfaces in the form of a disinfectant stream after the user's hand or pair of hands has been dried.

In the WO 2018/ 206 899 A1 Such a system is shown, which has a chamber largely enclosed by a hand-drying housing, into which the user can insert his hand and which is first dried with the aid of a drying air stream and then disinfected with the aid of a disinfectant introduced into the chamber.

State-of-the-art hand cleaning systems are also known as complete solutions that combine water-based hand cleaning with airflow-based drying in a single wash basin.

Such a hand cleaning system as a complete solution is, for example, in the WO 80/ 01 983 A1 shown, in which inlet openings for water, soap solution and a drying air stream are arranged above a sink, so that the user can use the same system to wash his hand(s) with soap solution and then dry them immediately afterwards.

Even with such complete solutions, there is an increased risk of infection due to a potentially high number of different users and the possible stirring up and distribution of pathogens by the air flow during hand drying.

Further state of the art is also available from the WO 2012 / 056 189 A1 , the WO 2018 / 160 894 A1 and the DE 697 04 768 T2 known.

Especially in times of increased infection rates, hygienic cleaning and drying of hands is essential for users to avoid infection as much as possible, especially when using publicly accessible sanitary facilities.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a hand drying system with an improved hygiene concept.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hand cleaning system with an improved hygiene concept.

To solve this problem, a hand drying system according to claim 1 and a hand cleaning system according to claim 15 are proposed.

The respective dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the systems according to the invention, which can be provided individually or in combination.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a hand drying system with a hand drying device is provided, which comprises a hand dryer A hand drying housing which partially encloses an interior space into which a user's hand can be partially or completely inserted via an inlet opening of the hand drying housing, an injection device which is designed to generate a drying air stream which is introduced into the interior space via at least one air inlet opening in such a way that it flows over the surface of a user's hand inserted into the interior space, and a suction device which is designed to suck air out of the interior space via at least one suction opening. The hand drying system is characterized by a discharge device which is connected to the at least one suction opening and is hermetically sealed with respect to the surroundings of the hand drying device and which is designed to discharge the air sucked out by the suction device into a collecting device arranged outside the hand drying system. The discharge device of the hand drying system further comprises a one-way valve device which allows fluids, in particular the extracted air, to flow through essentially only in one direction from the hand drying device to the collecting device.

The introduced air stream flows over the surface of the user's hand, where any residual moisture, usually from previous hand washing, dissolves in the air stream and/or is mechanically removed. After flowing over the surface of the hand, the air stream typically has a higher humidity than immediately after being introduced into the interior. The air stream can be unsaturated, saturated, or even supersaturated with liquid.

The air flow passing through the interior can also pick up dirt particles, germs or pathogens that have deposited or accumulated, for example, on the surface of the user's hand or on a surface of the hand dryer housing adjacent to the interior.

The air extracted from the interior typically has high levels of humidity and is highly contaminated with dirt, germs, and pathogens, increasing the risk of infection when using the hand-drying system. Therefore, user contact with contaminated exhaust air should be avoided.

The extraction device reliably extracts the contaminated exhaust air from the interior of the hand drying device via the at least one extraction opening, which prevents direct contact between the exhaust air and the user in the interior and prevents the exhaust air from flowing out through the inlet opening into the environment of the hand drying device. The at least one extraction opening is preferably arranged in a part of the hand drying housing adjacent to the interior, in particular on a side opposite the inlet opening.

The exhaust air extracted by the extraction device is discharged via the discharge device, which is hermetically sealed from the surroundings of the hand-drying device, into a collection device located outside the hand-drying system. The term "hermetically sealed discharge device" refers to a discharge device sealed from the surroundings, preventing the extracted exhaust air from escaping from the discharge device into the surroundings, and not a discharge device that is hermetically sealed in the strict sense.

The collection device is essentially sealed off from the surroundings of the hand-drying system, so that exhaust air discharged there can no longer come into contact with the user of the hand-drying system. Contact between the user and contaminated exhaust air is thus reliably prevented.

The discharge device is designed to be connected to the collection device. The collection device is preferably a duct system suitable for discharging the exhaust air, e.g., a sewer system or a ventilation duct system, which is sealed off from the surroundings of the hand-drying system (at least when connected to the hand-drying system) and into which the extracted exhaust air is discharged.

In other words, with the hand drying system according to the invention, contaminated or polluted exhaust air from the hand dryer can be reliably diverted in order to avoid contact of the exhaust air with the user.

This is implemented by the hand drying system according to the invention, which comprises the hand drying device and the discharge device as components, for drying hands and enables the extraction of contaminated exhaust air from the interior and the discharge of the extracted exhaust air into a collecting device that is essentially closed off from the environment of the hand drying system, thereby implementing an improved hygiene concept with a reduced risk of infection during hand drying.

The one-way valve device prevents fluids from flowing back from the collection device into the hand-drying device, particularly through the suction device back into the interior, and is thus designed to seal the hand-drying device from the collection device on one side. Fluids are defined as any flowable medium, including liquids and gases.

The one-way valve device, which is preferably designed as a ball check valve, allows fluid flows in only one direction ("one-way"), so that the extracted exhaust air can pass through the one-way valve device towards the collection device, but cannot flow in the opposite direction. The same applies to all types of fluids that could potentially penetrate the hand drying device from the collection device into the hand drying device via the discharge device, particularly when the extraction device is not active. Such a fluid flow towards the hand drying device, particularly towards the interior, would inevitably transport not only germs or pathogens from the collection device but also those from a suction duct system of the extraction device back into the interior, thus leading to an increased risk of infection during use. This is, however, reliably prevented by the use of the one-way valve device.

In other words, the diverter device seals the hand drying device and thus also the surroundings of the hand drying system from the collecting device.

Preferably, the discharge device is configured to seal the hand-drying device from the collecting device on one side. As a result, the collecting device is essentially sealed off from the hand-drying device in such a way that gases and/or liquids contained in the collecting device are reliably prevented from penetrating the hand-drying device.

The blowing device is preferably configured to extract air from the surroundings of the hand-drying system via at least one intake opening, thereby generating the drying air flow, and directing it via an air duct system to the at least one air inlet opening. Preferably, the blowing device comprises a filter device upstream or downstream of the at least one intake opening, which is configured to clean and/or disinfect the air extracted from the surroundings. The filter device can preferably be based on the use of UV light.

This can further reduce the risk of infection caused by the drying air flow.

Preferably, the blowing device comprises a heating device configured to adjust the temperature of the drying air stream to a usage temperature. This can increase the user's comfort and set an optimal usage temperature for drying hands.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand drying device and the discharge device are designed as a common assembly such that the hand drying device and the discharge device can be set up and/or mounted together in a pre-assembled state.

This eliminates the need for additional connection of the discharge device and the hand-drying device during assembly of the hand-drying system. Furthermore, the visual appearance can be improved because the devices are combined in a single assembly and can thus be arranged within the same housing, e.g., the hand-drying housing, whereby the visual appearance is largely determined by a single housing. In particular, the discharge device can be implemented directly as part of the hand-drying device, e.g., in combination with other existing devices, thus reducing the required installation space.

Alternatively, it may also be advisable to provide or implement the hand-drying device and the drainage device separately as individual components of the hand-drying system, allowing different drainage devices to be combined with different hand-drying devices in a modular manner. This allows different installation location requirements to be met. For example, the collection device may be located a relatively large distance from the location or installation site of the hand-drying device, requiring the use of a drainage device capable of bridging this distance, e.g., using a connecting hose, a push-rod, or the like.

Preferably, the hand drying device of the hand drying system comprises at least at least one mounting section via which the hand drying device is mounted on a wall surface and/or on a floor surface.

The wall-mounted option eliminates the need for supporting base elements, which would otherwise be used to position the hand dryer on a floor surface. This improves the visual appearance of the hand dryer and also allows for easier access to the underside of the hand dryer, e.g., for cleaning.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the suction power of the suction device is greater than the injection power of the injection device. In particular, the suction power is in a range between 35 and 60 liters per second, and the injection power is in a range between 10 and 34 liters per second. Preferably, the suction power is 45 liters per second and the injection power is 30 liters per second.

Due to the lower power of the blowing device compared to the power of the extraction device, at least the air flow introduced by the blowing device is advantageously completely extracted. Furthermore, a negative pressure is created at the extraction opening, which reliably directs the air flow into the interior to the extraction opening and prevents fluids in the interior from escaping through the inlet opening into the area surrounding the hand drying device.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one air inlet opening is configured to introduce the drying air flow towards a center of the interior space in such a way that the drying air flow essentially flows from a wrist of a user's hand placed in the center of the interior space over an upper and/or lower hand surface to the fingertips of the user's hand.

This ensures that the entire surface of the hand is completely covered, during which residual moisture, e.g. in the form of water droplets, is additionally blown mechanically towards the fingertips and detaches from the hand there.

Preferably, the at least one air inlet opening is arranged along an edge of the hand drying housing delimiting the inlet opening such that the drying air flow introduced into the interior is introduced into the interior substantially from the inlet opening at an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees to an opening surface of the inlet opening, wherein the at least one air inlet opening is arranged in particular substantially over the entire delimiting edge of the inlet opening.

This directs the drying airflow from the inlet opening to the center of the interior, where the user typically places their hand. In addition, a counter-directional airflow out of the interior, which can stir up germs and pathogens, is further prevented, especially by extending the entire perimeter, as air is blown into the interior at every point along the perimeter.

If there is only one air inlet opening, it is preferably designed as a slot-shaped opening that runs around the entire inlet opening, following the bordering edge. However, a combination of several slot-shaped and point-shaped air inlets can also be arranged across the entire bordering edge.

Preferably, the inlet opening in the hand drying housing is defined by a front edge, a rear edge and two side edges, wherein the front edge of the inlet opening is substantially straight and the shape of the rear edge of the inlet opening has two curved sections which are substantially adapted to the contours of a right-handed and a left-handed back of a pair of human hands.

By designing the limiting edge in this way, the entry opening is at least partially adapted to the user's hand contours. This minimizes the surface area of the entry opening, e.g., compared to a purely rectangular opening, thus reducing unwanted leakage or backflow of fluids from the interior. Furthermore, the design also serves as a guide for the user, as the user preferably inserts their hands into the interior at the level of the curved sections, whereby the position of the hands in the interior is at least partially determined by the design of the entry opening.

Preferably, the part of the hand drying housing enclosing the interior is made entirely or partially of a transparent material.

This allows the user to have an improved view of the interior, allowing them to, among other things, better estimate hand movements in the interior and avoid contact with surfaces located there.

The hand-drying device preferably comprises at least one light source arranged on the interior, which provides additional illumination. These are preferably designed as multi-color LED light sources, e.g., as RGB or RGBW LEDs.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the extraction device and the injection device comprise a common fan unit configured to both generate the drying air flow and extract the air from the interior. In particular, the fan unit is designed as a double radial fan comprising an electrically driven fan shaft on which a first radial fan for generating the drying air flow and a second radial fan for extracting the air from the interior are arranged.

This means that the extraction device and the blowing device are always active (or inactive) together and also saves space inside the hand drying device and reduces production costs.

Preferably, the blower unit has a protection class of IP67 or higher, making it suitable for use in damp rooms, and the extraction device is designed to extract both gases and liquids.

To achieve an injection power that is lower than the extraction power, the first radial impeller can be smaller than the second radial impeller, particularly in terms of their radial dimensions. In this case, the ratio of injection power to extraction power is determined by the geometric design of the two radial impellers, with the two performance values being determined by the speed of the fan shaft.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand drying device of the hand drying system comprises a disinfectant device which is configured to generate a disinfectant flow and to introduce it into the interior space in such a way that it flows over the surface of the user's hand inserted into the interior space.

This further improves the hygiene concept, as in addition to extracting and discharging the exhaust air from the interior, a disinfectant, preferably non-alcoholic, that combats germs and pathogens is also used. This disinfectant is preferably provided in a disinfectant container. This disinfects not only the user's hand surface, but also parts of the extracted exhaust air itself and parts of the surfaces of the hand dryer housing adjacent to the interior that come into contact with the introduced disinfectant stream, thus reducing the risk of infection during use.

Preferably, the disinfectant stream is introduced directly into the interior via at least one atomizing disinfectant nozzle. This allows, for example, not only a final disinfection of the hand surface to be performed, but also a disinfection step within the cleaning program to be improved.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the disinfectant device comprises a mixing device which is coupled to the injection device and is designed to mix the disinfectant flow into the drying air flow before it is introduced into the interior space, wherein the mixing device in particular comprises an atomizing injection nozzle through which the disinfectant flow is injected into the drying air flow.

By mixing the disinfectant stream into the drying air stream, the latter is enriched with disinfectant, which at least partially dissolves in the drying air stream and thus, together with the drying air stream, reaches both the surface of the user's hand and other areas of the surfaces of the hand dryer housing adjacent to the interior that come into contact with the introduced air stream. Since the mixing takes place before the air is introduced into the interior, there is sufficient time for the disinfectant to mix with the drying air stream, thereby at least partially killing any germs and pathogens contained in the drying air stream.

Preferably, the inner surfaces of a line system connecting the mixing device and the air inlet opening have a high surface roughness. This leads to the formation of a flow boundary layer on the inner surfaces, which impedes the deposition of liquids there, so that Accumulation of disinfectant in the piping system is reduced.

In addition to mixing the disinfectant stream into the drying air stream, direct injection into the interior can also be performed.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand-drying device of the hand-cleaning system comprises a lotion device configured to introduce a skin-care lotion provided in a lotion container into the interior space such that the lotion is applied to the surface of the user's hand inserted into the interior space. The lotion preferably has an antibacterial and antiviral effect.

This allows the skin to be cared for, e.g. with the help of a moisturising lotion, following exposure to the air flow and/or the disinfectant flow that may be harmful to the user's skin.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand drying device of the hand drying system comprises a vertical guide device with which the hand drying housing of the hand drying device can be moved in a vertical direction relative to a floor surface, wherein the vertical guide device in particular comprises an electric drive unit for moving movements of the hand drying housing.

This allows the hand drying housing to be positioned at a location with the enclosed inner chamber at different heights relative to the floor surface, preferably depending on the user's height, in order to ensure comfortable use.

The vertical guide device can be configured to be connected directly to a wall surface. Alternatively, the vertical guide device can be designed to connect a base element of the hand-drying device to the hand-drying housing in such a way that the hand-drying housing can be moved relative to the base element, wherein the base element can be positioned on a floor surface or mounted on a wall surface.

In order to enable a connection of the hand drying device to the collecting device during the movement of the hand drying housing, the discharge device comprises an expandable and bendable connecting line, preferably in the form of a push tube or a connecting hose, with which the collecting device, which is usually firmly connected to the wall, remains connected to the hand drying device even in the event of movement.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand drying device of the hand drying system comprises an electronic control device which is coupled to at least one device from a control group of devices and is configured to control the at least one device on the basis of a control program that can be read by the control device, wherein the electronic control device is configured in particular to receive input signals and, based thereon, to transmit control commands to the at least one controllable device and/or to execute and/or stop and/or adapt the control program.

The control group includes all devices included in the respective version of the hand drying system that can be used during use. These include the blowing device, the suction device, the disinfectant device, the lotion device, and the vertical guide device.

Preferably, the control device is coupled to all devices (subject to their presence) from the control group and is configured to control them simultaneously and/or sequentially.

The control commands cause a change in the operating state of the device controlled by the control device. This includes, for example, switching on/off and changing the device's performance, such as the blowing or extraction performance, etc.

The control program can contain a predetermined temporal sequence of multiple control commands and/or predetermined activation or deactivation conditions. Execution of the control program causes the multiple control commands to be transmitted to the corresponding devices controllable by the control device according to the predetermined temporal sequence.

The possibility of adapting the control program based on the input signals turns the hand drying device into a “smart” hand drying device, whose control program can be adapted to a wide range of usage conditions and/or user inputs using the input signals, thus providing each user with an individual, provides a coordinated program sequence for hand drying.

Preferably, a plurality of control programs are stored in the control device, preferably on an electronic storage device of the control device, which is configured to be read out by the control device, wherein the control device, in particular in the case of a plurality of different control programs, is additionally configured to select one of the plurality of control programs based on the received input signals.

Preferably, the control device is configured to set a suction duration and/or a blowing duration and/or the suction power and/or the blowing line and/or the usage temperature of the drying air stream at the suction device and/or the blowing device via control commands.

Preferably, the control device is configured to set a quantity or volume of disinfectant to be introduced and/or an introduction rate and/or introduction times and/or an introduction duration at the disinfectant device via control commands.

The disinfectant stream can thus be introduced at different times and in different quantities. For example, the disinfectant stream can be mixed with the drying air stream throughout the entire active phase of the injection device or only during specific periods of the active phase, thus achieving more efficient (i.e., faster) drying initially and then completing the drying process with an air stream containing disinfectant, while simultaneously disinfecting the hand.

Preferably, the control device is configured to set an amount or volume of lotion to be introduced and/or an introduction rate and/or introduction times and/or an introduction duration on the lotion device via control commands.

Preferably, the control device is configured to adjust the height of the hand dryer housing above the floor surface on the vertical guide device via control commands. This ensures automatic positioning at different heights, so that use can be better adapted to the user's needs from a comfort perspective.

Preferably, the control device is also configured to read an operating state of the devices controllable by the control device and receive it as an input signal. This allows the control device of the hand-drying devices to be improved in such a way that, among other things, it can detect malfunctions or a maintenance requirement of individual controllable devices or can adapt the control program, e.g., by reducing the extraction power if overheating of the extraction device is detected.

• - Einführen und/oder Entfernen der Hand des Benutzers in den/aus dem Innenraum,
• - Vorhandensein/Fehlen der Hand des Benutzers im Innenraum,
• - eine Luftfeuchtigkeit und/oder eine Lufttemperatur im Innenraum,
• - eine Keimbelastung im Innenraum,
• - eine Größe der eingeführten Hand des Benutzers,
• - eine Temperatur der Handoberfläche,
• - eine Restfeuchtigkeit auf der Handoberfläche,
• - eine Keimbelastung auf der Handoberfläche,
• - eine Körpergröße und/oder Körpertemperatur des Benutzers.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand drying device of the hand drying system comprises at least one sensor device which is coupled to the control device and is configured to detect at least one event and/or a size of a detection group as a detection result and to transmit the detection result as an input signal to the control device, wherein the detection group comprises:

• - Inserting and/or removing the user’s hand into/out of the interior,
• - Presence/absence of the user's hand in the interior,
• - a humidity and/or an air temperature in the interior,
• - a germ contamination in the interior,
• - a size of the user's inserted hand,
• - a temperature of the hand surface,
• - residual moisture on the surface of the hand,
• - a bacterial contamination on the hand surface,
• - a user's height and/or body temperature.

The listed collection group is not to be understood as exhaustive, but can be expanded to include further events and sizes related to the hand drying system.

Preferably, the at least one sensor device is arranged as an optical sensor in the interior or on a side of the hand drying housing facing the user.

By using the sensor devices, a sensor-based, usually contactless control of the hand drying device by the user can be advantageously enabled, during which an optimal process for the user is determined based on the detection results of the at least one sensor device. program sequence for hand drying can be provided.

Advantageously, the control device thus has access to a large amount of information as usage constraints, on the basis of which the control program can be selected and/or adapted in the sense of the “smart” hand drying device.

For example, the blowing device can be stopped if the detected residual moisture falls below a specified limit, or the blowing power can be increased if the detected residual moisture is above a second specified limit.

The blowing line can also be adjusted depending on the detected size of the inserted hand, so that even smaller hands (e.g. of children) with a small hand surface can be dried as best as possible by the air flow.

Furthermore, the use of disinfectant can be dependent on the detected germ load, so that more disinfectant is used if an increased load is detected.

Furthermore, with the aid of a body height of the user detected by the sensor device, the control device can preferably be configured to position the hand drying housing, in particular the entrance opening for the interior, at an optimal height for the user by controlling the drive unit of the vertical guide device.

In other words, with the hand drying system according to the invention, a hand drying process can be adapted to the respective individual needs of individual users in order to achieve optimal hand drying and, above all, hygienic hand drying, in which the amount of necessary contact with the hand drying system can be minimized.

Preferably, the control device is configured to execute a cleaning program to clean the interior before or after use by the user and/or at regular intervals, preferably depending on the detected germ load in the interior, wherein in particular the disinfectant device is controlled, preferably by direct injection into the interior.

This recurring cleaning of the interior can further improve the hygiene concept. The cleaning program can, for example, include injecting disinfectant directly into the interior via disinfectant nozzles, killing any germs or pathogens that may not have been extracted after use. The suction device can be activated in a subsequent step to extract the resulting disinfectant mist.

Preferably, the hand drying device of the hand drying system comprises at least one command input device which is coupled to the control device and is configured to detect command inputs from the user and to transmit them as input signals to the control device.

Preferably, the control device is configured to control the at least one controllable device from the control group - in particular all of them - on the basis of the input signal transmitted by the at least one command input device.

This gives the user the opportunity to influence the control program before and/or during its execution through his instructions or command inputs.

Thus, a command input device for manual height adjustment can be included, which is configured to detect command inputs from the user for height adjustment. The command input device for manual height adjustment preferably comprises a first control element for transmitting a command for an upward movement and a second control element for a downward movement of the hand dryer housing, so that the user can adjust the height of the hand dryer housing according to their wishes.

The command input devices are preferably designed as contactless control panels and/or buttons arranged on a user-accessible surface of the hand-drying housing. These are preferably arranged on a top side and/or on a side surface and/or on a surface of the hand-drying housing adjacent to the interior.

Preferably, the at least one command input device comprises a gesture control device which is configured to detect gestures of the user, evaluate them and send the evaluated gestures as input signals to the control device in such a way that the hand drying device can be controlled via the user's gestures.

Preferably, the at least one command input device comprises a speech recognition device which is configured to capture voice commands from the user, evaluate them and transmit the evaluated commands as input signals to the control device in such a way that the hand drying device can be controlled via the voice commands.

A gesture and/or voice recognition device minimizes the user's necessary contact with the hand-drying device, which also reduces the risk of infection. In particular, the control device, in conjunction with the voice recognition device and/or the gesture control device, is configured to select, adapt, and execute (and, if necessary, pause) the control program using voice commands and/or gestures.

An example of such a user command would be the audible command "My height is 1.75m." Based on this, the voice recognition device transmits a corresponding command to the control device, which causes the hand dryer housing to move to the optimal position for a user's height of 1.75m. The optimal position is defined as a relationship between height, arm length, and the position of the hands above the floor, based on ergonomic principles.

The at least one command input device offers an interaction option that allows the user to customize the program sequence of the hand-drying system. For example, a disinfection step by the disinfectant device could be omitted if the user enters a corresponding command, e.g., in the form of a voice command, "Please do not disinfect your hands."

In a particularly preferred embodiment, a surface contour of the hand drying housing adjacent to the interior is at least partially designed such that liquids located in the interior are guided to a collection area of the hand drying housing located in the interior.

This ensures that liquids collected on the surfaces of the hand drying housing in the interior are directed to the collection area and can be drained out of the interior there, thus reducing additional contamination of the interior by liquids that may be contaminated with pathogens.

Preferably, the collection area is arranged at the lowest point of the interior space and the surrounding surface contour of the hand drying housing has a substantially funnel-like shape.

Preferably, the at least one suction opening is arranged in the collection area of the hand drying housing.

This allows the liquid accumulated in the collection area to be sucked out of the interior directly via the suction opening there by the suction device.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand drying device comprises a drainage device which is designed to drain liquids from the interior via a drainage opening arranged in the collection area.

The drainage device preferably comprises a siphon device.

This enables improved drainage of liquids from the collection area (even without an active suction device), whereby the siphon device, which is usually filled with liquid and is preferably U-shaped, prevents gases from flowing through, which, among other things, serves to minimize odor nuisance. The U-shaped siphon device preferably has a capacity of 0.5 to 1.5 liters.

Preferably, the suction device is connected to the drainage device in such a way that the drainage opening is simultaneously the at least one suction opening.

As a result, a single opening adjacent to the interior serves both as a drainage opening and as an extraction opening.

Preferably, the suction device is connected to the drainage device via an intake nozzle, wherein the intake nozzle opens into the drainage device below the drainage opening at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees to a longitudinal direction of the drainage device, preferably approximately 5 to 10 cm below the drainage opening at an angle of 85 degrees.

Preferably, the drainage device comprises a valve device which, in an open state, allows fluids to pass through and, in a closed state, prevents fluids from passing through.

Preferably, the valve device is arranged starting from the drain opening after the intake nozzle and before the siphon device.

The valve device is configured to be closed when the suction device is active (switched on). This prevents any flow generated by the suction device from flowing back to the intake port and/or into the interior via the discharge device.

Preferably, the valve device is designed as a solenoid valve coupled to the control device and controllable by the control device.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the hand drying device can be provided as a separate component for use with the hand drying system according to the invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a hand cleaning system is provided, comprising a washing device configured to be connected to a water supply device, and a hand drying system according to the first aspect of the invention. The hand drying housing of the hand drying system is configured, at least partially, with the surface contour of the hand drying housing adjacent to the interior space being designed such that liquids located in the interior space are directed to a collection area of the hand drying housing located in the interior space. Furthermore, the hand drying device comprises at least one drainage device configured to drain liquids from the interior space via a drainage opening arranged in the collection area. The hand cleaning system is characterized in that the interior space of the hand drying device is designed as a washing chamber, and the washing device is configured to generate a water stream and introduce it into the interior space via at least one water outlet opening such that the water stream flows over the surface of a user's hand inserted into the interior space.

This provides a hand cleaning system as a complete solution that extends the hygienic suction of the hand drying system to include a water-based cleaning option for the user's hand, with the interior functioning both as a washing room in which the water-based cleaning of the hand takes place and as a drying room in which the subsequent drying takes place by means of the drying air stream.

The used water preferably flows via the drainage device to the collecting device (in this case) arranged outside the hand cleaning system, e.g. a drainage channel system designed to collect liquids.

The washing device is preferably connected to a water supply via water supply connections in the wall, which are usually designed as angle valves, via which a connection is made to a hot or cold water supply or both.

The washing device preferably comprises a valve device which is designed to adjust a water flow conducted through a conduit system from the water supply to the at least one water outlet opening.

The valve device is designed to adjust a flow rate and/or a mixing ratio of hot and cold water and/or a water pressure of the water flow, wherein a flow rate is preferably 4 liters per minute.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the washing device and the hand drying system are designed as a common washbasin assembly such that the washing device and the hand drying system can be set up and/or mounted together in a pre-assembled state.

Alternatively, only the hand-drying device of the hand-drying system and the washing device are designed as a common partial washbasin assembly, such that the washing device and the hand-drying device can be set up and/or mounted together in a pre-assembled state. In this case, the drainage device of the hand-drying system is designed as a separate component of the hand-cleaning system.

In both cases, the washing device is preferably arranged within the hand drying housing and the hand drying housing is adapted to the usual standardized wall-side installation preparations, so that a hand cleaning system as a complete solution in the form of the washbasin assembly can simply replace a conventional washbasin and thus reduce the number of rich functions of the hand cleaning system according to the invention in place of the previous washbasin.

In other words, a washbasin assembly is provided that allows the implementation of essential functions for hygienic cleaning in a single device. These can include (but are not limited to) water-based washing, drying with timed exhaust air extraction, or hand disinfection.

However, it may also be useful here to provide or implement the washing device and the hand drying system or the washing device, the hand drying device and the drainage device separately as individual components of the hand cleaning system in order to enable retrofitting of an existing device or individual adaptation to local conditions.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the drainage device of the hand drying system is connected to the drain opening of the hand drying device and is designed to drain the liquid drained through the drainage device into the collecting device.

The discharge device thus fulfils the task of discharging both the extracted exhaust air and the discharged water from hand washing into the collection device, e.g. a sewage system, which is closed off from the environment of the hand cleaning system.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hand cleaning system comprises a cleaning agent device which is designed to introduce a cleaning agent provided in a cleaning agent container into the interior space in such a way that the cleaning agent reaches the surface of the user's hand which has been inserted into the interior space.

This can be done via at least one separate cleaning agent opening.

Preferably, the cleaning agent device comprises a cleaning agent mixing device which is coupled to the washing device and is configured to mix the cleaning agent into the water flow before it is introduced into the interior.

This allows for the supply of cleaning agents, such as soap solutions, to be implemented during the water inlet without requiring additional inlet openings in the hand dryer housing. Furthermore, the user does not have to hold their hand under a separate opening to apply cleaning agents, and the cleaning agent can be applied during a single wash cycle.

Preferably, the control group of devices additionally comprises the washing device, the cleaning agent device and the valve device.

Preferably, the control device is configured to adjust the flow rate and/or the mixing ratio and/or the water pressure and/or introduction times and/or an introduction duration of the water flow at the washing device via control commands.

Preferably, the control device is configured to set a quantity or volume of cleaning agent to be introduced and/or an introduction rate and/or introduction times and/or an introduction duration of the cleaning agent at the cleaning agent device via control commands.

Preferably, the hand cleaning system or hand drying device comprises at least one signaling device coupled to the control device and configured to provide selected information to the user. This can be a signaling device for providing information visually and/or acoustically.

Preferably, the at least one signaling device is an optical display device arranged on one surface of the hand dryer housing, via which the selected information is visually displayed. This optical display device can comprise LED lamps of different colors, e.g., as status lights, and/or be designed as a screen unit.

This makes it possible to provide the user with selected information, which may include, for example (but not limited to), the remaining duration of the control program, the blowing and/or suction power, an indication of an impending disinfection, an already carried out disinfection with the aid of the disinfectant device or the reaching of a program end.

Preferably, the at least one command input device configured to capture command inputs from the user is designed as part of the screen unit. For example, the screen unit may comprise a command input device in the form of a touchscreen.

The hand cleaning system according to the invention provides a "smart" hand cleaning system which, in addition to the functions of the hand drying system according to the first aspect of the invention, incorporates an automated washing process with a corresponding cleaning agent. A program sequence during use can be composed of different steps—e.g., setting the optimal height, washing, washing with soap, rinsing, drying, disinfecting, disinfecting and drying, and applying lotion—which can also be modified or their sequence altered at the user's request. Thus, a virtually touchless hand cleaning system is provided, in which user contact with contaminated surfaces and fluids is prevented or at least greatly reduced, while the user can still adjust the cleaning (or drying or disinfection of their hands) according to their preferences.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the hand drying device can be provided as a separate component for use with the hand cleaning system according to the invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the hand drying device and the washing device can be provided as a common partial wash basin assembly for use with the hand cleaning system according to the invention.

• 1 zeigt eine Ausführungsform eines Handtrocknungssystems gemäß eines ersten Aspekts der Erfindung.
• 2a, 2b zeigen einen Teil einer Absaugvorrichtung und der Ableitvorrichtung in einer aktiven und in einer inaktiven Phase.
• 3 zeigt eine weitere Ausführungsform des Handtrocknungssystems.
• 4 zeigt eine Ausführungsform eines Handreinigungssystems gemäß eines zweiten Aspekts der Erfindung.
• 5a, 5b zeigen zwei verschiedene Ausführungsmöglichkeiten einer Kombination aus Absaugvorrichtung, Abflussvorrichtung und Ableitvorrichtung des Handreinigungssystems.

Further aspects and their advantages as well as more specific embodiments of the aforementioned aspects and features are described below with the aid of the drawings shown in the attached figures:

• 1 shows an embodiment of a hand drying system according to a first aspect of the invention.
• 2a , 2b show part of a suction device and the discharge device in an active and an inactive phase.
• 3 shows another embodiment of the hand drying system.
• 4 shows an embodiment of a hand cleaning system according to a second aspect of the invention.
• 5a , 5b show two different design options for a combination of suction device, drainage device and discharge device of the hand cleaning system.

Identical or similar elements in the figures may be designated by the same reference symbols, but sometimes also by different reference symbols.

It is emphasized that the present invention is in no way limited to the exemplary embodiments described below and their embodiment features. The invention further comprises modifications of the aforementioned exemplary embodiments, in particular those which result from modifications and/or combinations of individual or multiple features of the described exemplary embodiments within the scope of protection of the independent claims.

Detailed character description

1 shows an embodiment of a hand drying system 100 with hand drying device according to a first aspect of the invention.

The hand drying device comprises a hand drying housing 10, which is mounted on a wall 1000 via an upper and a lower mounting section 80 using corresponding screws 81. The hand drying device is arranged substantially vertically and parallel to the wall 1000.

The hand drying housing 10 partially encloses an interior space 11 in an upper part of the hand drying device, into which a hand 2000 of a user can be inserted via an entrance opening 19 in the hand drying housing 10.

The hand-drying housing 10 is designed such that the hand 2000 is inserted essentially diagonally downwards through the entrance opening 19 into the interior 11. A part 12 of the hand-drying housing located above the interior 11 is made of a transparent material, for example, glass or plastic, so that the user has a better view of the interior 11. In addition, an LED light source 13 is arranged in the interior.

An injection device 20, a suction device 30, a disinfectant device 50 and a control device 90 are arranged inside the hand drying housing 10. The control device 90 is connected to the aforementioned devices and is designed to control them on the basis of a control program and to transmit control commands to them for changing an operating state of the devices.

The injection device 20 comprises a suction line 22, through which by driving a first radial wheel 41 of a common blower unit 40, air is sucked in from the surroundings of the hand drying device through a suction opening 21, and a supply line 23, in which the sucked-in air is guided as a drying air stream to the air inlet opening 24. There, it is introduced into the interior 11 in such a way that the drying air stream flows over a hand surface of the user's hand 2000. As in 1 As shown, the drying air flow is introduced into the interior space 11 from the inlet opening 19, in this case at an angle of approximately 75 degrees to an opening surface of the inlet opening 19

Between the first radial wheel 41 of the blowing device 20 and the air inlet opening 24, the disinfectant device 50 is arranged, which comprises a disinfectant pump 51 as a mixing device, with which a disinfectant provided in the disinfectant container 53 is injected into the drying air stream via an injection nozzle 52 in the flow direction of the drying air stream into the supply line 23 to the air inlet opening 24.

Depending on a control program specified in the control device 90, the injection of the disinfectant into the supply line 23 can take place over a complete active (switched on) phase of the injection device 20 or only in certain temporal portions of the active phase.

The control device 90 is further configured to read out an operating state of the injection device 20, the suction device 40 and the disinfectant device 50. Thus, a fill level of the disinfectant container 53 can be detected and, on the basis of this, a corresponding, predetermined action can be initiated, for example, the output of a corresponding message "Disinfectant empty" via a display device (in 1 not shown).

The extraction device comprises an intake line 33, via which air is extracted from the interior 11 through an extraction opening 22 by driving a second radial wheel 42 of the common blower unit 40, and a supply line 34 to a discharge device, through which the extracted air is discharged into a collecting device arranged outside the hand drying system.

For additional protection of the user, a fluid-permeable protective cover 32 is arranged above the intake opening 31, which allows fluids to flow through, but reliably closes the intake opening 31 against the user, in particular against the fingers of his hand 2000.

The embodiment shown is an embodiment in which the discharge device and the hand drying device are designed as a common assembly, wherein the discharge device is arranged substantially in the interior of the hand drying housing 10.

The drainage device comprises a one-way valve device designed as a ball check valve 36 and an outlet pipe 38, whose outlet opening 39 opens into a sewer drain pipe 1010. The outlet pipe 38 is connected to the sewer drain pipe by means of a sealing rubber sleeve 1011. The sewer drain pipe 1010 serves as access to a sewer system used as a collecting device.

The ball check valve 36 with ball 37 connects the supply line 34 to the outlet pipe 38. The supply line 34 has a U-shaped profile, which opens at the bottom into the ball check valve 36. The ball check valve 36 is designed such that the extracted air can be guided through the supply line 34 via the ball check valve 36 to the outlet opening 39, but no fluid flows in the opposite direction are possible. In this way, the hand drying device with the discharge device can be sealed on one side against the sewer drain pipe 1010 and thus against the sewage system.

Thus, the exhaust air extracted from the interior space 11 is directed into the sewer system via the outlet opening 39 of the discharge device, thus removing it from the immediate vicinity of the user of the hand-drying system, significantly reducing the risk of infection due to contaminated exhaust air. Furthermore, the backflow of fluids (including the already discharged exhaust air) from the sewer system is prevented by the ball check valve 36.

In the embodiment shown, the common blower unit 40 is designed as a double radial blower, wherein the first radial wheel 41 and the second radial wheel 42 are arranged on a common blower shaft and the blower shaft is driven by an electric drive M.

The different diameters of the first 41 and second 42 radial impellers result in different injection and intake performance. In this case, the first radial impeller 41 is smaller, so the intake performance is lower than the intake performance.

Furthermore, a motion-detecting sensor device is contained within the LED light source 13, which is connected to the control device 90 and configured to detect the insertion of the user's hand 2000. Based on this, the control device 90 is configured to execute the control program, during which the blowing device 20, the suction device 30, and the disinfectant device 50 are activated for a duration predetermined by the control program in order to dry and disinfect the hand 2000 inserted into the interior space 11.

2a shows a part of the suction device 30 and the discharge device of the hand drying system from 1 in an inactive phase. The electric drive M is at a standstill, and with it the second radial wheel 42 of the suction device, so that no air is extracted through the suction opening 31.

In this case, the ball check valve 36 is closed, the ball 37 prevents any possible backflow of fluids from the outlet opening 39 via the outlet pipe 38 back towards the suction opening 31 or towards the interior space 11.

2b shows a part of the suction device 30 and the discharge device of the hand drying system from 1 in an active phase. The electric drive M is switched on and the second radial wheel 42 rotates and extracts air from the interior 11 through the extraction opening 31.

In this case, the ball 37 of the ball check valve 36 is pushed upward by the exhaust air flow, so that the exhaust air flow is directed to the outlet opening 39 and is then discharged from the hand dryer. When the electric drive is switched off, the ball 37 sinks back due to gravity and closes the ball check valve 36.

In the embodiment shown, the ball check valve 36 is closed by gravity, but can also be designed with elastic return elements.

3 shows a further embodiment of the hand drying system 100, in which the hand drying device is arranged vertically, wherein the inlet opening 19 to the interior 11 is arranged on an upper side of the hand drying housing 10

To limit the inlet opening 19, the hand drying housing 10 has a corresponding edge which is formed by a rear edge 15, a front edge 16 and two side edges 17.

The rear edge 15 has two curved sections 15a, 15b, which are essentially adapted to the contours of a right-handed 15b and a left-handed 15a back of a pair of human hands. The front edge 16 and the two side edges 17 are essentially straight.

Due to the design of the entrance opening to the interior 11 in this way, an insertion direction of a hand or a pair of hands is essentially predetermined, so that an optimal placement or positioning of the hand or pair of hands in the interior is predetermined for the hand drying process carried out by the device.

A slit-shaped air inlet opening 24 is arranged below the rear edge 15 and the front edge 16 of the inlet opening 19. The air inlet openings 24 are aligned such that the drying air flow introduced thereby is guided into the interior space 11 essentially from the direction of the inlet opening 19. The slit-shaped design of the air inlet openings 24 enables optimal introduction of the drying air flow into the interior space 11, during which the drying air flow preferably flows over the entire surface of a hand inserted into the interior space 11.

The interior space 11 is also adapted to the contours of a hand or a pair of hands of a user in order to specify an optimal placement of the hand or pair of hands and to adapt a flow direction of the drying air flow introduced through the air inlet openings 24 within the interior space 11 to the contours of a hand (or pair of hands).

The hand drying device has a housing interior 10a in a lower section of the hand drying housing 10, which is usually closed off from the surroundings of the hand drying device by a housing flap.

In the embodiment shown, the disinfectant container 53 of the disinfectant device 50 is arranged within the housing interior 10a, as well as the common blower unit 40 with electric drive M, the supply line 23 to the air inlet openings 24, and the suction line 33 of the suction device. Further supply or discharge lines are not shown in the view shown or are hidden by the blower unit 40.

The blowing device sucks in air from the surroundings of the hand drying device via the intake opening 21, which is preferably arranged in a lower region of the hand drying device (with the aid of the blower unit 40 driven by the electric drive M) and directs this air via the supply line 23 to the air inlet openings 24 arranged in the interior 11.

Due to the arrangement of the disinfectant container 53 and the shared blower unit 40 in the housing interior 10a, these can be accessed relatively easily for maintenance purposes. For example, the disinfectant in the disinfectant container 53 can be easily and quickly refilled, or the disinfectant container 53 itself can be replaced in its entirety.

The hand-drying device further comprises two guide rails 82 arranged vertically at the rear as part of a vertical guide device. The hand-drying housing 10, including its interior, can be moved vertically along the guide rails using carriages running on the guide rails and thus positioned at different heights. The vertical guide device preferably has an electric drive unit configured for this purpose (not shown). The guide rails 82 have mounting sections 80 with which the hand-drying device can be mounted on a wall.

Proximity-activated control panels 91 are connected to the control device (not shown here) in such a way that actuation of the control panels by the user causes a movement upwards (arrow pointing up) or downwards (arrow pointing down) in order to set an optimal height for the user.

Furthermore, the hand drying device comprises on the top side a sensor device designed as a camera 92 for detecting a body height of the user, which is transmitted to the control device and thus causes an automatic movement to a height optimal for the user.

In addition, a screen unit 93 is arranged on top, in the user's field of vision, which is also connected to the control device and provides selected information to the user, e.g., the current altitude position, a remaining drying time, etc.

4 shows an embodiment of a hand cleaning system 200 according to a second aspect of the invention. The hand cleaning system 200 comprises a hand drying system with a hand drying device, comprising a hand drying housing 10, which is mounted on a wall 1000 via an upper and a lower mounting section 80 with corresponding screws 81. The hand cleaning system 200 is arranged substantially vertically and parallel to the wall 1000.

The hand drying housing 10 partially encloses an interior space 11 in an upper part, into which a hand 2000 of a user can be inserted via an entrance opening 19 in the hand drying housing 10.

The hand-drying housing 10 is designed such that the hand 2000 is inserted essentially horizontally or slightly diagonally downwards through the inlet opening 19 into the interior 11. The hand-drying housing 10 also has an air separation edge 14 at the inlet opening 19, which not only regulates the flow of air from the environment into the interior 11, but also prevents liquids from spilling out of the interior 11.

A portion 12 of the hand dryer housing located above the interior 11 is made of a transparent material, such as glass or plastic, allowing the user a better view of the interior 11. Additionally, an LED light source 13 is arranged in the interior.

Inside the hand drying housing 10, an injection device 20, a suction device 30, a disinfectant device 50, a washing device 60, a soap dispenser device 64 and a control device 90 are arranged.

The control device 90 is connected to the aforementioned devices and is configured to control them on the basis of a control program and to transmit control commands to them.

The blowing device 20 is similar to that shown in 1 shown embodiment of the hand drying device.

In the embodiment shown, the disinfectant device 50 is arranged between the first radial wheel 41 and the air inlet opening 24 which comprises a disinfectant pump 51 as a mixing device, with which a disinfectant provided in the disinfectant container 53 is injected via an injection nozzle 52 in the flow direction of the drying air flow into the supply line 23 to the air inlet opening 24.

In the embodiment shown, the washing device 60 is designed as a common wash basin assembly with the hand drying system, so that the washing device 60 is arranged substantially within the hand drying housing 10.

The washing device 60 is connected to a water supply 1020 in the wall 1000 via an angle valve 1021. In the present case, this is a cold water connection, although the hand cleaning system 200 according to the invention is by no means limited to this. Designs with a cold and a hot water connection are also possible.

The washing device 60 also comprises a control valve 61, with which a water flow is adjusted, which is introduced from the water supply 1020 through a water flow supply line 62 via a supply opening designed as a water shower 63 into the interior space 11 in such a way that the water flow flows over a hand surface of the hand 2000 of the user.

The control valve 61 can be closed or partially or fully open in order to regulate a water quantity of the water flow.

After the control valve 61 and before the water shower 63, a soap dispenser device 64 is arranged on the water flow supply line 62, which comprises a soap pump 65 as a soap mixing device, with which a soap solution provided in the soap solution container 67 is injected into the water flow supply line 62 via a soap nozzle 66 in the direction of flow of the water.

Depending on a control program predetermined in the control device 90, the injection of the soap solution into the supply line 62 preferably takes place over a first temporal sub-range of an active (switched on) phase of the water flow supply through the washing device 60, so that in the first temporal sub-range, the hand surface is cleaned with water and soap solution and in a second temporal sub-range, it is subsequently rinsed with water without soap solution.

A drain pipe 70 connects a drain opening 71 adjacent to the interior 11 with an outlet pipe 38 of the drainage device. The drain opening 71 is arranged at a lowest point of the interior 11 in a collection area, so that liquids accumulating there are drained from the interior and guided via the drain pipe 70 to an outlet opening 39 of the drainage device. The connection of the drainage device, in particular the outlet pipe 38, is analogous to the 1 illustrated embodiment of the hand drying system.

The drain pipe 70 comprises a U-shaped siphon 73 in which a usually present water column prevents the flow of gas, in particular unpleasant odors, towards the interior space 11.

In the embodiment shown, the suction device 30 is connected to the drain pipe 70 via an intake nozzle 35. The intake nozzle 35 opens into the drain pipe 70 below the drain opening 71 at an angle of 85 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the drain pipe 70. The inclination of the intake nozzle 35 points diagonally upwards from the drain pipe 70. Here, when the suction device 30 is active, air is sucked out of the interior 11 via the drain opening 71, which thus simultaneously serves as a suction opening 31 of the suction device 30.

A supply line 34 of the suction device 30 is designed with the one-way valve device designed as a ball check valve 36, wherein the supply line 34 in the embodiment shown opens into the suction pipe before the ball check valve 36, just above the siphon device 73. Both the drain pipe 70 and the supply line are separated from the outlet pipe 38 and thus from the outlet opening 39 by the ball check valve 36 in such a way that a flow of fluids in the direction of the outlet opening 39 is possible, but is blocked in the opposite direction by the ball check valve 36.

Furthermore, a solenoid valve 72 is arranged within the drain pipe 70 between the drain opening 71 and the siphon 73. This solenoid valve can open and close the drain pipe 70 for fluid flow in both directions. The solenoid valve is connected to the control device 90, so that the control device 90 can initiate the opening and/or closing of the solenoid valve 72 and thus the drain pipe 70 by transmitting control commands.

Closing the solenoid valve 72 and thus closing the drain pipe 70 is This is particularly advantageous in the case of an active suction device 30, since a backflow of the extracted air through the siphon 73 is thereby prevented and the extracted air only has the path through the ball check valve 36 via the outlet pipe 38 to the outlet opening 39.

For safety reasons, the drain opening 71 or the intake opening 31 is provided with a fluid-permeable protective cover 32, which reliably closes the opening or openings against the user, in particular against the fingers of his hand 2000.

Furthermore, a motion-detecting sensor device is contained within the LED light source 13, which is connected to the control device 90 and configured to detect the insertion of the user's hand 2000. Based on this, the control device 90 is configured to execute the control program, during which the blowing device 20, the suction device 30, the disinfectant device 50, the water device 60, the soap dispenser device 64, and the solenoid valve 72 are controlled to wash, dry, and disinfect an inserted hand.

An exemplary sequence of such a control program by the control device 90 is described below.

In a first step, the sensor device arranged in the LED lamp 13 detects the insertion of the user's hand 2000 and transmits this as a detection result to the control device 90.

In a subsequent step, the control device 90 transmits a control command to the water device 60, in particular to the control valve 61, such that a water flow is introduced into the interior space 11 over a predetermined time range T0 to T1.

In a subsequent step, the control device 90 transmits a control command to the soap dispenser device 64, in particular to the soap pump 65, such that the soap solution is mixed into the water flow over a predetermined time range T0 to T01, where T01<T1.

After the time T1 has elapsed, the control device 90 transmits, in a subsequent step, a control command to the suction device 30 and to the injection device 20, in particular to the electric drive M of the common blower unit 40, such that over a time range T2 to T3 a drying air flow is introduced into the interior 11 and air is extracted from the interior 11, where T1<T2 applies.

In a subsequent step, the control device 90 transmits a control command to the disinfectant device 50, in particular to the disinfectant pump 51, such that the disinfectant is mixed into the drying air stream over a predetermined time range T23 to T3, where T23<T3 and T23>T2 applies.

At the end of time T3, the control program is terminated and the user's hand 2000 has been washed with soap and water, rinsed with water, dried and disinfected. The specified times are understood to be times stored in the control program or times changed by the user from the control program.

5a shows a first possible embodiment of a combined design comprising a suction device, a drainage device, and a discharge device. In this embodiment, the supply line 34 opens directly into the ball check valve 36, which is connected to the outlet pipe 38 leading to the outlet opening 39. The discharge pipe 70 also opens into the outlet pipe 38 without passing through the ball check valve 36. As a result, the air extracted via the suction opening 31 is guided via the supply line 34 directly to the ball check valve 36 and only then flows into the outlet pipe 38 together with the drained water in the discharge pipe 70.

5b shows a combined design comprising a suction device, a drainage device, and a discharge device. In this design, the supply line 34 first opens into the drain pipe 70, above the U-shaped siphon 73. Only then is the ball check valve 36 arranged, so that both the air extracted via the suction opening 31 and the water flowing through the siphon 73 from the drain pipe are directed through the ball check valve 36 to the outlet pipe 38 and thus to the outlet opening 39.

List of reference symbols

10

Hand drying housing

10a

Housing interior

11

Interior

12

Hand drying housing part above interior

13

LED bulbs

14

air separation edge

15

rear edge

15a, 15b

curved section for left/right hand

16

front edge

17

side edge

19

Entrance opening

20

Blowing device

21

Intake opening of the blowing device

22

Intake line of the blowing device

23

Supply line to air inlet opening

24

Air intake opening

30

Suction device

31

Suction opening

32

protective cover

33

Suction line of the suction device

34

Supply line to discharge device

35

Intake manifold

36

ball check valve

37

Ball of the ball check valve

38

Outlet pipe

39

Outlet opening

40

common blower unit

41

first radial wheel

42

second radial wheel

50

Disinfectant device

51

Disinfectant pump

52

Injector

53

Disinfectant container

60

Washing device

61

Control valve washing device

62

Water supply line

63

Water shower

64

Soap dispenser device

65

Soap pump

66

Soap nozzle

67

Soap container

70

Drainage device

71

Drain opening

72

solenoid valve

73

U-shaped siphon

74

Water column in the siphon

80

Assembly section

81

Fixing screws

82

guide rail

90

Control device

91

proximity-based control panel

92

camera

93

Screen unit

100

Hand drying system

200

Hand cleaning system

1000

Wall

1010

sewer drain pipe

1011

rubber sleeve

1020

Water supply

1021

Angle valve

2000

Hand of a user

M

electric drive blower unit

Claims (18)

A hand drying system (100) comprising a hand drying device, which comprises - a hand drying housing (10) partially enclosing an interior space (11) into which a user's hand (2000) can be partially or completely inserted via an inlet opening (19) of the hand drying housing (10), - an injection device (20) configured to generate a drying air stream, which is introduced into the interior space (11) via at least one air inlet opening (24) in such a way that it flows over a hand surface of a user's hand (2000) inserted into the interior space, and - a suction device (30) configured to suction air out of the interior space (11) via at least one suction opening (31), characterized by a discharge device connected to the at least one suction opening (31) and hermetically sealed with respect to the surroundings of the hand drying device, which discharge device is configured to Extraction device (30) to discharge extracted air into a collecting device (1010) arranged outside the hand drying system (100), wherein the discharge device further comprises a one-way valve device (36) which flow of fluids, in particular the extracted air, is permitted essentially only in one direction from the hand drying device to the collecting device (1010). Hand drying system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the hand drying device and the discharge device are designed as a common assembly, such that the hand drying device and the discharge device can be set up and/or mounted together in a pre-assembled state. Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a suction power of the suction device (30) is greater than an injection power of the injection device (20), in particular the suction power is in a range between 35 and 60 liters per second and the injection power is in a range between 10 and 34 liters per second. Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one air inlet opening (24) is designed to introduce the drying air flow in the direction of a center of the interior space (11) in such a way that the drying air flow essentially flows from a wrist of a hand (2000) of the user placed in the center of the interior space over an upper and/or lower hand surface to the fingertips of the hand (2000) of the user. Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction device (30) and the injection device (20) have a common blower unit (40) which is designed both to generate the drying air flow and to extract the air from the interior (11), wherein the blower unit (40) is designed in particular as a double radial blower which comprises an electrically driven blower shaft on which a first radial wheel (41) for generating the drying air flow and a second radial wheel (42) for extracting the air from the interior (11) are arranged. Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand drying device comprises a disinfectant device (50) which is designed to generate a disinfectant flow and to introduce this into the interior space (11) in such a way that it flows over the hand surface of the user's hand (2000) inserted into the interior space. Hand drying system (100) according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the disinfectant device (50) comprises a mixing device which is coupled to the injection device and is designed to mix the disinfectant flow into the drying air flow before it is introduced into the interior space (11), wherein the mixing device in particular comprises an atomizing injection nozzle (52) through which the disinfectant flow is injected into the drying air flow. Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand drying device comprises a lotion device which is designed to introduce a skin care lotion provided in a lotion container into the interior space (11) in such a way that the lotion reaches the hand surface of the user's hand (2000) inserted into the interior space (11). Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand drying device comprises a vertical guide device (82) with which the hand drying housing (10) of the hand drying device can be moved in a vertical direction relative to a floor surface, wherein the vertical guide device (82) in particular comprises an electric drive unit for moving movements of the hand drying housing (10). Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand drying device comprises an electronic control device (90) which is coupled to at least one device from a control group of devices and is configured to control the at least one device on the basis of a control program readable by the control device (90), wherein the electronic control device (90) is configured in particular to receive input signals and, based thereon, to transmit control commands to the at least one controllable device and/or to execute and/or stop and/or adapt the control program, wherein the control group comprises - the blowing device (20), - the suction device (30), - the disinfectant device (45), - the lotion device, and - the vertical guide device (82). Hand drying system (100) according to Claim 10 , characterized in that the hand drying device comprises at least one sensor device (92) which is connected to the control device device (90) and is designed to record at least one event or at least one size of a recording group as a recording result and to transmit the recording result as an input signal to the control device (90), wherein the recording group comprises: - insertion and/or removal of the hand (2000) into/from the interior space (11), - presence/absence of the user's hand (2000) in the interior space (11), - a humidity and/or an air temperature in the interior space (11), - a germ load in the interior space (11), - a size of the inserted hand (2000) of the user, - a temperature of the hand surface, - a residual moisture on the hand surface, - a germ load on the hand surface, - a body size and/or body temperature of the user. Hand drying system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a surface contour of the hand drying housing (10) adjacent to the interior (11) is at least partially designed such that liquids located in the interior are guided to a collection area of the hand drying housing (10) located in the interior (11). Hand drying system (100) according to Claim 12 , characterized in that the hand drying device further comprises a drainage device (70) which is designed to drain liquids from the interior (11) via a drainage opening (71) arranged in the collection area. Hand drying device for use in a hand drying system (100) according to one of the Claims 1 until 13 . Hand cleaning system (200), comprising - a washing device (60) which is adapted to be connected to a water supply device (1020); - a hand drying system (100) according to one of the Claims 1 until 13 ; characterized in that the interior (11) of the hand drying device is designed as a washing space and the washing device (60) is designed to generate a water flow and to introduce this into the interior via at least one water outlet opening (63) in such a way that the water flow flows over a hand surface of a user's hand (2000) inserted into the interior. Hand cleaning system (200) according to Claim 15 , characterized in that the washing device (60) and the hand drying system (100) are designed as a common washbasin assembly, such that the washing device (60) and the hand drying system (100) can be set up and/or mounted together in a pre-assembled state. Hand cleaning system (200) according to one of the Claims 15 or 16 , characterized in that the drainage device of the hand drying system (100) is connected to the drainage opening (71) of the hand drying device and is designed to drain the liquid drained through the drainage device (70) into the collecting device (1010). Hand cleaning system (200) according to one of the Claims 15 until 17 , characterized in that the hand cleaning system (200) comprises a cleaning agent device which is designed to introduce a cleaning agent provided in a cleaning agent container (67) into the interior space (11) of the hand drying device in such a way that the cleaning agent reaches the surface of the user's hand (2000) introduced into the interior space, wherein the cleaning agent device in particular comprises a cleaning agent mixing device (65, 66) which is coupled to the washing device (60) and is designed to mix the cleaning agent into the water flow before it is introduced into the interior space (11).