OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The object of the invention is a reduced sized hand drying device.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This device belongs to the type which has a turbine that is activated by a motor,
takes in air at room temperature makes it pass through a spiral followed by an air
duct which expels it at great speed through an outlet nozzle. The device has been
developed mainly for application as a hand dryer of the type which is installed in
the toilets of many companies and in public establishments, and which will be installed,
like those already fitted, into a suitable housing made up of a base and a cover,
the base being able to be made from a single piece with the spiral or part of same.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0003] The already known devices of said type are generally made up of from a motor with
a certain power in order to aspirate and expel the quantity of air that is sufficient
to fulfil its objective, said motor producing a specific consumption, likewise being
of a specific size that has an effect on the overall size of the device, having, in
general, to resort to a complex arrangement that with the object of reducing said
sized prejudices the features of same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] With the device object of this present invention, the maximum advantage is achieved
in terms of the fluid-dynamic features, starting out from reduced dimensions and consumption,
at the air inlet to the motor has an arrangement that improves the cooling of same
and being characterised mainly by the arrangement of the spiral on the inlet side
enabling the entry of air in spite of the reduced size and the locating of the motor-turbine
in the air inlet area.
[0005] Said spiral arrangement represents a progressive increase of the section size of
said spiral from its beginning and surrounds the centrifugal wheel making up the turbine
until it connects up with the air outlet, which has a constant section until being
finished off with progressive narrowing until ending at the air outlet nozzle.
[0006] This outlet nozzle is of a lesser section than the ducting from which it comes, the
ducting being made by means of gentle and progressive narrowing without sharp or angular
changes to the section through which the air passes.
[0007] As an advantage, the air outlet duct is made up of a stretch that is an extension
of the spiral and the inside of which shapes, in the part with the constant section,
a chamber into which a heating resistance is fitted so that the air expelled by the
device is heated, this chamber minimises the blockage of the air due to the incorporation
of said element and brings about the minimum loss of pressure.
[0008] After the end of the constant section or 'chamber' some directing vanes are fitted
which form a grid, these are placed between the heating resistance and the narrowing
of the air outlet, the progressive reduction of the section allows for the progressive
channelling of the air and the concentration of same, increasing its speed and thus
obtaining, at the outlet nozzle, a concentrated and fast flow of air.
[0009] These and other characteristics will be seen more easily from the detailed description
that follows, which will make it easier to understand, attached to this present document
is a set of drawings of a practical embodiment that is by way of being an example
but not limiting, the scope of this present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a side view of the hand dryer device of the invention,
with a cross section as shown by the cross cut line A-A in Figure 4.
Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a front view of same without the motor.
Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a transversal section view of the hand dryer device
as shown by the cross cut line B-B in Figure 1.
Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of said device without the motor.
Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of same without the motor-turbine equipment.
DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT
[0011] In accordance with said figures, the illustrated hand dryer device is made up of
a single inlet spiral (1) that on one side has an eccentrically placed area or opening
(2) for the room temperature air inlet and, housed in it, a motor-turbine (3) for
the aspiration of said air, the centrifuge wheel (4) being fitted, likewise with a
single inlet, inside the spiral (1) so that the motor (5) protrudes from it (see figure
3).
[0012] The stated opening or area (2) is bent around the periphery of the spiral (1) and
has a variable width that, with a greater size at the beginning and less at the inlet
to the wheel (4) (drawings 3 and 5), minimises the blockage to the air inlet due to
the presence of the motor (5).
[0013] The spiral (1) has, from its beginning (6), a spiral arrangement (7) the section
of which around the wheel (4) (figure 1) progressively increases in size and, at the
end (7'), is connected to a duct (8) from where the aspirated air will exit, said
duct being able to be constructed of (as and how shown) from an extension of the spiral
(1).
[0014] Said characteristics are shown with greater clarity in figure 3 where section "C"
is bigger than section "D".
[0015] This duct (8) is straight, and has a constant section (that can be rectangular, as
shown, or with any other shape) along its entire length, and on the inside forms a
chamber (8') with a calming effect that minimises the blockage, in same, of the exiting
air due to heating resistance (9) and some transversal and parallel vanes (10') that
are fitted into said chamber (figure 1), the latter forming a grid (10) that is fitted
between the element (9) and a progressively narrowing area (11) which is connected
to the end of the duct (8).
[0016] Said narrowed area, that does not have sharp edges and that, at the end, forms the
outlet nozzle (12) for the air, allows the progressive channelling of same and its
concentration on the outside, reducing the level of turbulence and minimising pressure
losses, the stated outlet nozzle being able to be rectangular (as and how shown) or
any other shape.
[0017] As can be understood, the spiral (1) and the wheel (4) can have a double inlet and
in whichever case, the device will be fitted into a suitably shaped housing (not illustrated)
that will retain its parts and which, by means of same, will be fixed to a wall or
facing, said housing being, in the example shown, a flat square vertical base (13)
formed by a lateral side expanded from the spiral-duct (1, 8) assembly (figures 1
and 4), said face opposite that of the room temperature air inlet area (2), and the
base (13) having suitable openings (14) for the stated fixing.
[0018] The invention, within its essential characteristics, can be put into practice in
other embodiments that differ only in the detail of that stated solely by way of example
and which will equally have the protection claimed.
1. A hand dryer device that is comprised of a motor, that works a turbine to aspirate
air at room temperature and then passes it through a spiral, that expels it at greater
speed through an outlet duct, being characterised in that there is a motor-turbine fitted in the air inlet area of the spiral, where the spiral
arrangement on the aspiration side from the start and surrounding the centrifuge wheel
is formed in such a way that the transversal section of the spiral progressively increases
in size until connecting up with the progressive narrowing that ends at the air outlet
nozzle.
2. A hand dryer device, in accordance with claim 1, is characterised because the outlet duct is made up of a stretch that is an extension of the spiral
and has, prior to the narrowing and the consequent outlet nozzle, a section that is
constant throughout its length, the inside of which has a chamber into which an heating
resistance is fitted and at the end there are directional vanes in the form of a grid.
3. A hand dryer device, in accordance with claim 2, is characterised because the air outlet duct has a smaller section than the ducting through which
the air proceeds, making the channelling by means of a smooth and progressive narrowing
without sharp or angular changes of the section through which the air passes.