JP5586394B2 - Hand dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a hand drying apparatus for drying wet hands.

  As a high-pressure airflow generation device mounted on a hand dryer, there is one that includes a DC brushless motor, a drive circuit that drives the DC brushless motor, and a turbo fan that is rotated by the DC brushless motor.

  For a drive circuit of a DC brushless motor, relatively large electronic components such as switching elements such as FET (Field Effect Transistor) elements, IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) elements, and electrolytic capacitors are used. Since these switching elements generate heat as the DC brushless motor is driven, it is necessary to radiate the elements at all times while the DC brushless motor is driven. Therefore, a radiator is attached to the drive circuit of the DC brushless motor in close contact with the switching element. The radiator is inserted into the intake duct of the hand dryer, and is always cooled by the intake air from the room during driving.

  In Patent Document 1, by mounting a circuit box configured to allow ventilation to a ventilation path, a circuit unit (a circuit board on which a control circuit is formed and a circuit unit mounted on the circuit box) is mounted on the circuit box installed at the bottom of the main body. In addition, a structure that can dissipate heat generated from an electronic component such as a switching element extremely smoothly is disclosed. That is, the air is sucked through the ventilation holes by the operation of the high-pressure air generating unit to form an air flow, and the circuit unit is always cooled during the operation of the DC brushless motor.

  In addition, since a plurality of switching elements are used in the drive circuit and are arranged in a row on the substrate so that they can be arranged efficiently, the arrangement direction affects the longitudinal length of the drive circuit. Furthermore, since large electronic components such as electrolytic capacitors are stacked, the drive circuit has a size that affects the size of the box.

JP-A-6-209879

  The invention described in Patent Document 1 is a structure in which a drive circuit is attached below a portion into which a hand of a box is inserted so that the vertical direction or the horizontal direction of the circuit case is the depth direction of the product box. For this reason, the product depth dimension is required to accommodate the circuit case, and it has been difficult to reduce the thickness.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at obtaining the hand-drying apparatus which aimed at thickness reduction by reducing the depth dimension of a box.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention includes a drying processing space formed so that a hand can be inserted and removed from above and from the side, and an outer box and a high-pressure air that generates high-pressure air. An air flow generator and a nozzle that converts high-pressure air supplied from the high-pressure air flow generator into a high-speed air flow, and jets the high-speed air flow downward to a hand inserted in the drying processing space And a circuit box that accommodates a substrate on which a drive circuit of the high-pressure airflow generator is formed, and is arranged in the box with the shortest length direction coincided with the front-rear direction of the box.

  According to the present invention, by arranging the circuit box on the front side of the box of the intake duct provided on the back side of the box so that the shortest length direction of the circuit box matches the depth direction of the box, Thinning is possible.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the hand dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 with the front cover removed. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the hand dryer according to the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a hand dryer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the hand dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 with the front cover removed. The box 1 forms an outline of a hand dryer. An upper opening 20 a is provided in the upper part of the box 1. A side opening 20b connected to the upper opening 20a is provided on the side of the box 1. Further, the box body 1 communicates with the upper opening 20a and the side opening 20b so that the user can freely insert and remove the hand, and in a side view, the substantially U-shaped hand is inclined so that the lower side approaches the back surface. A drying chamber 2 is provided.

  In addition, a high-pressure airflow generator 3 having blades and a DC brushless motor (which may be a commutator motor) is provided inside the box 1 below the hand drying chamber 2 serving as a drying processing space. Yes. In addition, a drain outlet for draining water in the hand drying chamber 2 is provided at the bottom of the hand drying chamber 2, one end of the drainage channel 4 is attached to the drainage port, and a lower end of the other end of the drainage channel 4 is attached. A tank 5 for collecting water drained through the drainage channel 4 is detachably attached to the box 1.

  The hand drying chamber 2 includes a front side wall surface 2a constituting an inner wall on the front side, and a rear side wall surface 2b constituting an inner wall on the back side facing the front side wall surface 2a, and a silicon-based or fluorine-based surface on the surface. A hydrophilic coating such as a water-repellent coating or titanium oxide is applied. The front side wall surface 2a and the back side wall surface 2b are formed of a resin containing an antibacterial agent. Therefore, the adhesion of dirt to the inner wall surface of the hand drying chamber 2 can be reduced and the growth of bacteria can be reduced. Front side nozzles 6a and back side nozzles 6b are linearly provided in the left-right direction near the upper opening 20a of the front side wall surface 2a and near the upper opening 20a of the back side wall surface 2b. The high-speed air flow is inclined toward the back side of the hand-drying chamber 2 (in other words, downward from the horizontal direction) and sprayed simultaneously on the back side and palm side of the hand inserted into the hand-drying chamber 2 A flow can be applied and water droplets adhering to the hand can be blown away.

  In addition, an upper hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7a for detecting the presence or absence of a hand is provided on the back side wall surface 2b below the back side nozzle 6b, and on the back side of the hand drying chamber 2 on the front side wall surface 2a. A back side hand detection sensor (light emission side) 7b for detecting the presence or absence of a hand is provided, and a hand detection sensor (light reception side) 7c is provided below the upper hand detection sensor (light emission side) 7a on the back side wall surface 2b. Yes. The upper hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7a and the hand detection sensor (light receiving side) 7c are paired to constitute a reflective sensor, and the infrared light emitted from the upper hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7a is reflected by the hand. The hand inserted in the hand drying chamber 2 is detected by being received by the hand detection sensor (light receiving side) 7c. The back side hand detection sensor (light emitting side 7b) and the hand detection sensor (light receiving side) 7c are paired to form a transmission type sensor, and infrared light emitted from the back side hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7b. Is blocked by the hand inserted into the hand drying chamber 2 to detect that a hand has been inserted into the hand drying chamber 2.

  The exhaust side of the high-pressure airflow generator 3 is located in an exhaust chamber 11 provided inside the box 1. The exhaust chamber 11 is provided with an exhaust port 11 a for discharging the air in the exhaust chamber 11. The exhaust port 11a is provided with a front side exhaust duct 12a and a back side exhaust duct 12b, which are divided into a front side and a back side, respectively. The front side exhaust duct 12a communicates with the front side nozzle 6a, and the back side exhaust duct 12b communicates with the back side nozzle 6b. The intake side of the high-pressure airflow generator 3 is open and connected to one side of the intake duct 8, and a sound absorbing material is attached to the inner wall of the intake duct 8 to reduce noise from the high-pressure airflow generator 3. It has been. The other side of the air intake duct 8 is connected to an air inlet 9 that opens downward on the bottom surface of the box 1, and an air filter 10 is detachably provided at the inlet of the air inlet 9.

  The circuit box 13 includes a drive circuit case (substrate holding member) 13b, a drive circuit cover 13c, and a radiator 13d, and houses the drive circuit substrate 13a. On the drive circuit board 13a on which the drive circuit of the DC brushless motor is formed, relatively large electronic components such as a switching element 13e (FET element, IGBT element, etc.) and an electrolytic capacitor are used. Since the switching elements 13e are arranged in a row so that they can be efficiently arranged on the drive circuit board 13a, the arrangement direction affects the length of the drive circuit board 13a in the longitudinal direction. In addition, since large electronic components such as electrolytic capacitors are stacked, the drive circuit board 13a has a size that affects the size of the box 1. The size is about 200 mm in the longitudinal direction and about 150 mm in the lateral direction, and the switching elements 13 e are arranged in the longitudinal direction.

  Since the switching element 13e on the drive circuit board 13a generates heat as the DC brushless motor is driven, it is necessary to radiate the element at all times during the driving of the DC brushless motor to prevent element failure. For this reason, the drive circuit case 13b that holds the drive circuit board 13a of the DC brushless motor is provided with a radiator 13d that is thermally connected to the switching element 13e. The radiator 13d is inserted into the intake duct 8 of the hand dryer, and is always cooled by the intake air from the room when the DC brushless motor is driven. The heat radiator 13d is made of aluminum having high thermal conductivity, and the heat radiating portion has a fin shape. In addition, if the heat can be sufficiently radiated from the surface of the drive circuit case 13b without providing the radiator 13d, a configuration in which the radiator 13d is omitted is also possible.

  The drive circuit board 13a is held by a metal drive circuit case 13b. Since the hand-drying device is often installed in a place where water is easily applied, such as a hand washing place, a potting material such as urethane is poured into the drive circuit case 13b to protect the drive circuit board 13a from water. The radiator 13d is in close contact with the drive circuit case 13b and sucks heat from the switching element 13e and dissipates it into the air. However, the drive circuit case 13b and the radiator are formed by forming the drive circuit case 13b into an aluminum die-cast product. 13d can be integrated, and the number of parts and cost can be reduced, and the occurrence of problems such as insufficient heat dissipation due to close variation between the radiator 13d and the drive circuit case 13b can be suppressed.

  The circuit box 13 is arranged on the front side of the box body 1 from the intake duct 8 provided on the back side of the box body 1 so that the shortest length direction of the circuit box 13 coincides with the depth direction of the box body 1. ing. That is, the drive circuit case 13b and the radiator 13d are exposed in the intake duct 8 that extends in the vertical direction of the box 1 by connecting the intake port 9 opened at the bottom of the box 1 and the high-pressure airflow generator 3. Thus, the circuit box 13 is inserted from the front side of the box 1. In this case, the longitudinal direction of the drive circuit board 13a coincides with the left-right direction of the box 1 and can be arranged in the box 1 most efficiently. Therefore, the dead space in the box 1 can be reduced. Further, since the intake duct 8 is not bent in the middle and the air passage is substantially straight, it is difficult to cause a pressure loss of the high-pressure airflow generator 3.

  In the invention described in Patent Document 1, the circuit unit is installed in the ventilation path from the back surface of the box body to the front surface and is cooled by the intake air, but from the intake port on the back surface of the box body to the high-pressure airflow generator. Since the intake duct is bent, there is a problem that pressure loss of the high-pressure airflow generator occurs in the ventilation path. On the other hand, in the present embodiment as described above, since the heat generation source on the drive circuit board 13a accommodated in the circuit box 13 can be cooled without bending the intake duct 8, the high-pressure airflow generator 3 Pressure loss can be improved.

  With such an arrangement, the circuit box 13 can be sufficiently cooled without bending the intake duct 8, and the height (depth direction) of the intake duct 8 can be reduced.

  Furthermore, by arranging the heat source (such as the switching element 13e) mounted on the drive circuit board 13a so as to be located above the circuit box 13, the high temperature portion in the circuit box 13 can be positioned upward. Thereby, it is possible to minimize the temperature in the circuit box 13 from rising due to convection of the heated air in the circuit box 13 as a whole.

  Further, since the circuit box 13 is inserted into the intake duct 8 from the front side of the box body 1, the drive circuit board 13 a can be seen from the front side of the box body 1 even when the box body 1 is attached to a wall or the like. Accessible and maintainability is improved.

  A front cover 14 is attached to the box 1 and covers the high-pressure airflow generator 3 and the circuit box 13 in the box 1.

  Next, the operation will be described. The user stands on the front side of the hand dryer and puts each wet hand into the hand dryer 2 from the left and right side openings 20b of the hand dryer with the arms extended downward. In FIG. 2, when both hands are brought close to the center, both arms are inserted from the upper opening 20a. At this time, the user's hand is inserted into the hand drying chamber 2 to the vicinity of the wrist, and a pair of an upper hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7a and a hand detection sensor (light receiving side) 7c provided in the hand drying chamber 2, and the back side A pair of a hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7b and a hand detection sensor (light receiving side) 7c detects the hand. When the user's hand is detected by the sensor, the high-pressure airflow generation device 3 is activated, and air is sucked into the intake duct 8 from the intake port 9 while removing dust in the air filter 10. The air sucked into the intake duct 8 reaches the suction side of the high-pressure airflow generator 3 and is converted into high-pressure air by the high-pressure airflow generator 3.

  The high-pressure air whose pressure has been increased by the high-pressure airflow generator 3 is exhausted from the exhaust side of the high-pressure airflow generator 3 into the exhaust chamber 11 and passes through the front-side exhaust duct 12a and the back-side exhaust duct 12b from the exhaust port 11a. The front-side nozzle 6a and the back-side nozzle 6b are converted from high-pressure air into a high-speed air flow and ejected into the hand drying chamber 2. Since the front side nozzle 6a and the back side nozzle 6b are provided linearly in the left-right direction in the vicinity of the upper opening 20a, a high-speed air flow is jetted onto the air curtain in the vicinity of the upper opening 20a, and the inside of the hand drying chamber 2 It hits both the back and palm of the hand inserted into the water and blows off the water adhering to the surface of the hand as water droplets. Then, by gradually pulling out the inserted hand from the upper opening 20a to the outside of the hand drying chamber 2, the location where the air curtain-like high-speed air flow is sprayed is from the vicinity of the wrist of the inserted hand to the fingertip. The water droplets that have moved toward the entire hand are removed, and the hand can be dried. At this time, even if the pair of the back side hand detection sensor (light emission side) 7b and the hand detection sensor (light reception side) 7c does not detect the hand, the upper hand detection sensor (light emission side) 7a and the hand detection sensor (light reception side) ) While the pair with 7c detects the hand, the high-pressure airflow generator 3 is continuously driven.

  When the hand is completely removed from the hand drying chamber 2, it is detected that there is no pair of the upper hand detection sensor (light emitting side) 7a and the hand detection sensor (light receiving side) 7c, and the high pressure air flow generator 3 is stopped. Let Water droplets blown off from the wet hand inserted in the hand drying chamber 2 are blown to the hand drying chamber 2 and flow down against the front side wall surface 2a and the rear side wall surface 2b, and drainage provided at the bottom of the hand drying chamber 2 It is collected in the tank 5 through the drainage channel 4 from the mouth.

  Thus, since the direction of the shortest length of a circuit box corresponds with the depth direction of a box, the hand dryer which concerns on this Embodiment can make a depth dimension small and can implement | achieve thickness reduction.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the hand dryer according to the present invention. In FIG. 3, the front cover 14 is inclined toward the back side of the box as it goes downward. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  By reducing the dimension of the circuit box 13 in the depth direction, the front cover 14 can be inclined toward the back side as the box 1 is located below. That is, since the depth dimension of the box 1 is the largest in the hand drying chamber 2 portion, it is difficult for the knees and legs to hit when used standing in front of the box 1. For this reason, the user can approach the box 1 and dry his / her hand, which improves usability. In addition, it has the effect of making it look thin visually.

  As described above, the hand drying device according to the present invention is useful as a hand drying device installed in a toilet or a hand washing place, and is particularly suitable for installation in a narrow space.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Box 2 Hand drying chamber 2a Front side wall surface 2b Rear side wall surface 3 High pressure airflow generator 4 Drainage channel 5 Tank 6a Front side nozzle 6b Rear side nozzle 7a Upper hand detection sensor 7b Back side hand detection sensor 7c Hand detection sensor 8 Intake duct 9 Intake port 10 Air filter 11 Exhaust chamber 11a Exhaust port 12a Front exhaust duct 12b Rear exhaust duct 13 Circuit box 13a Drive circuit board 13b Drive circuit case 13c Drive circuit cover 13d Radiator 13e Switching element 14 Front cover 20a Upper part Opening 20b Side opening

Claims (5)

A box having a drying processing space formed so that a hand can be inserted and removed from above and from the side,
A high-pressure airflow generator for generating high-pressure air;
A nozzle that converts the high-pressure air supplied from the high-pressure airflow generator into a high-speed airflow, and jets the high-speed airflow downward toward a hand inserted in the drying processing space;
A drive circuit board on which a drive circuit of the high-pressure airflow generator is formed; and a circuit box disposed above and below the high-pressure airflow generator with the shortest length direction aligned with the front-rear direction of the box ,
An air inlet formed in the bottom surface of the box,
The high-pressure airflow generator and the circuit box arranged above and below, and an intake duct formed in the box body by the high-pressure airflow generator and the back surface of the box facing the circuit box are provided. And
The intake duct extends in the vertical direction and connects the intake port and the high-pressure airflow generator,
The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the circuit box is exposed inside the intake duct . Before SL circuit box includes a substrate holding member for holding said driving circuit board on one side, is placed on the other side of the substrate holding member, and a radiator for radiating heat generated in said drive circuit And
The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the radiator is exposed inside the intake duct. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein the circuit box is inserted into the intake duct from the front side of the box.   4. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein the substrate holding member and the radiator are integrally formed.   5. The hand-drying device according to claim 1, wherein a heat source mounted on the drive circuit board is disposed above the circuit box. 6.

Images