GB2364242A - Hand-driers - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-drier has an open mouth 3 for entry of hands into a glass tube 4 to be warmed by infra-red radiation from tungsten-halogen lamps 12 [and elliptical reflectors 13] distributed round the outside of the tube 4. A fan 8 draws air into the tube 4 through the mouth 3 to pass over the warmed hands and be vented via openings 11. The tube 4 is mounted on rings 5 that also serve as baffles to block radiation from the lamps 12 passing out through the mouth 3.

Description

2364242 Hand-Driers 5 This invention relates to hand-driers.

According to the present invention there is provided a hand-drier wherein one or more sources of radiant energy are located to warm hands inserted in the drier, and 10 wherein means is provided for causing air to pass over the warmed hands.

The radiant energy may be infra-red radiation.

15 The sources of the radiant energy may be located outside a partiallyenclosed cavity for radiating heat through a wall of the cavity to warm hands inserted in the cavity. In these circumstances, the means for causing air to pass over the warmed hands may comprise a fan or other means 20 for drawing air through the cavity. More especially, the cavity may be defined by a glass or other tube having an opening at one end for receiving the hands to be dried, and the means for drawing air through the cavity may in these circumstances be located at the other end of the 25 tube for drawing air into the tube through the opening. one or more baffles may be located around the outside of the tube for blocking radiation from the lamps passing out through the opening.

30 A hand-drier in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows the hand-drier in sectional-perspective view.

35 Referring to the drawing, the hand-drier has an external metal-housing that is formed by a front fascia 1 and a rear main-casing 2. The fascia 1 provides an open mouth 3 f or easy entry of the hands to be dried into a glass tube 4 of the drier. The tube 4 is mounted coaxially within rings 5 that are retained within the casing 2 spaced from one another on six rods 6. The rods 6 are 5 secured to a base-plate 7 and extend through it to project rearwardly from the casing 2 for use in attaching the drier to a structural wall (for example, a washroomwall).

10 An electrical ly-powered centrifugal fan 8 mounted on the plate 7 is coupled to the inner end 9 of the tube 4 f or drawing air through the mouth 3 into the tube 4 at its outer end 10. The mouth 3 is of venturi shape, not only to facilitate insertion of the hands into the tube 4, but 15 more especially to promote stream-flow of air into and along the inside of the tube 4. After passing over the hands, the air drawn in is vented from the fan 8 radially through openings 11 at the rear of the casing 2.

20 Six tungsten-halogen lamps 12 (only some shown) are mounted equidistant from one another around the outside of the glass tube 4. The lamps 12 are shrouded by individual elliptical reflectors 13 (only some shown) that direct the emitted light radially inwards through 25 the wall 14 of the tube 4. The tube 4 is of a borosilicate glass to resist thermal shock and to have good transparency to the infra-red radiations from the lamps 12, so that the hands inserted in the tube 4 are warmed. The rings 5 in combination form a louvre 30 structure that blocks radiation from the lamps 12 exiting through the mouth 3, without limiting to any substantial extent the radiation path to the hands. As a further safety feature, a perforated disc 16 is mounted on the rods 6 across the inner end 9 of the tube 4 as a f inger- 35 guard to the fan 8.

Insertion of hands through the mouth 3 into the tube 4 is detected by a passive infra-red sensor (not shown) for activating the fan 8 and energising the lamps 12 while the hands remain entered (other forms of motion and 5 proximity sensing may be used). Radiation from the lamps 12 warms the wet hands to evaporate the water, and the air sucked over the hands by the f an 8 quickly draws of f the water vapour and vents it into the ambient atmosphere from the drier via the openings 11; the drier may be 10 modified to incorporate filtering of the air and/or condensation of the water from it, before venting. The efficient and comfortable warming of the hands is facilitated by the reflectors 13 in focusing the radiation through the wall 14 onto the hands with an even 15 distribution around the whole circumference of the tube 4. The lamps 12 provide instant heat when energised, and cool rapidly afterwards. Moreover, they provide visible light which passes through the wall 14 to provide a 'comfort' effect within the tube 4 for the user while the 20 hands are being dried.

The drying process is efficiently and quickly achieved with the drier described above. In particular, heat energy is directed to the wet hands for evaporating the 25 water on them, and is not used primarily for heating the air. Furthermore, the air surrounding the hands, namely that into which evaporation takes place, is replaced continuously by fresh, unsaturated air from the ambient atmosphere so as to ensure that the evaporation process 30 proceeds unhampered.

The location of the hands within the partial ly-enclosed cavity formed by the tube 4 facilitates the rapid drawing off of water vapour without the necessity for movement of 35 large volumes of air, and therefore enables a low-power, quiet fan to be used. Moreover, the possibility of bacterial infection of the hands during the drying process within the drier, is significantly reduced since the air contacting the hands is directly from the ambient atmosphere. It is notable in this respect that the air contacting the hands passes through the f an 8 and other 5 enclosed parts of the drier where bacteria might lurk, only following such contact.

claims:

1. A hand-drier wherein one or more sources of radiant energy are located to warm hands inserted in the drier, and wherein means is provided for causing air to pass over the warmed hands.

Claims (1)

1. 2. A hand-drier according to Claim I wherein the one or more sources of

   radiant energy are one or more sources of infra-red radiation.

   3. A hand-drier according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the one or more sources of radiant energy are located outside a part ia 1 ly-enc losed cavity for radiating heat through a wall of the cavity to warm hands inserted in the cavity.

   4. A hand-drier according to Claim 3 wherein the means for causing air to pass over the warmed hands comprises means for drawing air through the cavity.

   5. A hand-drier according to Claim 4 wherein the cavity is def ined by a tube having an opening at one end for receiving the hands to be dried, and wherein the means for drawing air through the cavity is located at the other end of the tube f or drawing air into the tube through the opening.

   6. A hand-drier according to Claim 5 wherein a plurality of lamps for emitting the radiant-heat energy are located around the outside of the tube for applying heat to the hands by radiation through the wall of the tube.

   7. A hand-drier according to Claim 6 wherein the lamps are tungsten-halogen lamps.

   8. A hand-drier according to any one of Claims 5 to 7 wherein one or more baffles are located around the outside of the tube for blocking radiation from the lamps passing out through the opening.

   9. A hand-drier according to any one of Claims 5 to 8 including means defining an open mouth of venturi form leading into said opening for promoting stream-flow of air into and along the tube.

   10. A hand-drier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.