JP7668987B2 - Hand Dryer - Google Patents

Description

Aspects of the present invention generally relate to hand dryers.

Hand dryers that dry wet hands by blowing out air are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a hand dryer integrated with a washbasin that has an air blowing unit provided on the top of the washbasin, an air blowing box that generates air, and an air blowing duct that connects the air blowing unit and the air blowing box.

JP 2006-304926 A

A hand dryer may be provided with a drying spout that blows out air and a mounting member that attaches the drying spout to a wall. For example, an opening is provided in the outer member of the drying spout, and part of the mounting member is inserted into the opening. In this way, the drying spout is held (supported) by the mounting member.

On the other hand, the drying spout has an external shape that is wide from side to side, for example, and blows out a wide airflow in the left-right direction, which allows the airflow to be blown over a wide area of wet hands, improving usability.
When the drying spout blows a wide air current, the outer casing of the drying spout may become flattened depending on the width of the air current. Therefore, the shape of the opening of the outer casing of the drying spout may not match the shape of a part of the mounting member inserted into the opening. In such a case, a gap may be generated between the outer peripheral surface of the part of the inserted mounting part and the inner peripheral surface of the outer casing, which may make it difficult for the mounting member to hold the outer casing. In other words, it may be difficult to hold the drying spout.

The present invention was made based on the recognition of such problems, and aims to provide a hand dryer that is easy to hold the drying spout.

The first invention is a hand drying device comprising a drying spout that is attached to a wall above the washbowl of a washbasin and blows out a wide shaped wind, and an attachment member that attaches the drying spout to the wall, the drying spout having a box-shaped flat cover with an opening at its rear end, the attachment member being a holding member that is attached to a hole in the wall and has a protrusion that protrudes from the wall when the holding member is attached to the hole, the holding member holding the cover when the protrusion is inserted into the opening, and a spacer that is placed inside the cover, the shape of the protrusion as viewed along the insertion direction in which the protrusion is inserted into the opening differs from the shape of the opening as viewed along the insertion direction, and the spacer that is placed inside the cover is in contact with both the cover and the holding member.

With this hand dryer, the cover can be held in place via the spacers that come into contact with both the cover and the holding member. Therefore, even if the cover is made into a flat box shape to blow out a wide blast of air, it is easy to hold the drying spout stably. For example, rattling and distortion of the cover can be suppressed.

The second invention is a hand dryer according to the first invention, further comprising a fixing member for fixing the spacer to the cover.

With this hand dryer, the spacer is fixed with a fixing member, which prevents the spacer from wobbling relative to the cover, compared to when the spacer is simply in contact with the cover.

The third invention is the hand dryer according to the second invention, characterized in that the fixing member is a screw, and the cover has a screw hole provided on the inner surface of the cover into which the screw is screwed.

With this hand dryer, the screw holes are located on the inner surface of the cover, making them less visible to the user. This prevents the screw holes from degrading the appearance of the cover.

The fourth invention is a hand dryer according to the second invention, characterized in that the fixing member is a screw, and the cover has a screw hole provided at the bottom of the cover into which the screw is screwed.

With this hand dryer, the screw holes are located at the bottom of the cover, making them less visible to the user. This prevents the screw holes from degrading the appearance of the cover.

The fifth invention is a hand dryer according to the first to fourth inventions, characterized in that the spacer has a front surface and a rear surface, and the front surface of the spacer abuts against the cover.

With this hand dryer, the front surface of the spacer can be abutted against the cover to determine the front-to-rear position of the spacer relative to the cover.

The sixth invention is the hand dryer of the fifth invention, characterized in that the front end of the protrusion abuts against the rear surface of the spacer.

With this hand dryer, the front end of the protrusion can be abutted against the rear surface of the spacer to determine the front-to-rear position of the protrusion relative to the spacer. This prevents the protrusion from being inserted too far into the opening in the cover.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a hand dryer that is easy to hold the drying spout is provided.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a washbasin unit equipped with a hand drying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hand dryer according to an embodiment. 1 is a front view illustrating a washbasin unit according to an embodiment. 1 is a plan view illustrating a washbasin unit according to an embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6(a) to 6(c) are plan views illustrating the drying spout of the hand drying device according to the embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a washbasin unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating a drying spout of the hand drying device according to the embodiment. 2 is an exploded view illustrating a portion of a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11(a) and 11(b) are exploded views illustrating a part of a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 13A to 13C are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of a method for installing a hand dryer according to an embodiment. 14(a) to 14(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of a method for installing a hand dryer according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
1 is a perspective view illustrating a washbasin unit equipped with a hand drying device according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the washbasin unit 200 (hand drying system) according to the embodiment includes a hand drying device 100, a water discharge device 130, and a liquid soap discharge device 150.

The hand dryer 100 has a drying spout 10, a drying function section 20, and an air supply duct 30. The water discharger 130 has a water discharge spout 40 and a water function section 45. The liquid soap discharger 150 has a liquid soap spout 50 and a liquid soap function section 55.

The drying spout 10, the water discharge spout 40, and the liquid soap spout 50 are attached to a mounting structure 80. In this example, the mounting structure 80 is part of a washbasin 81. The washbasin 81 is, for example, a wall-mounted type made of ceramic and is attached to a wall W1 inside the room. The washbasin 81 is, for example, in contact with the wall W1. Alternatively, the washbasin 81 may be provided on a counter C1.

The washbasin 81 has a bowl portion 82 (washbowl) and a wall portion 83. The bowl portion 82 has a concave bowl surface 82f that curves downward. The bowl surface 82f receives water discharged from the water discharge spout 40. A drain hole 82p is provided at the bottom of the bowl surface 82f, and water discharged onto the bowl surface 82f is drained through the drain hole 82p. The wall portion 83 extends upward from the rear end of the bowl surface 82f. The wall portion 83 has a wall surface 83f that faces forward.

The drying spout 10, the water spout 40, and the liquid soap spout 50 are each attached to the wall 83 above the washbasin. The drying spout 10, the water spout 40, and the liquid soap spout 50 are located above the bowl surface 82f and are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction.

Each spout (drying spout 10, water spout 40, and liquid soap spout 50) has a cylindrical or box-shaped appearance and is provided with an outlet for discharging liquid or gas, and an internal flow path for directing the supplied liquid or gas to the outlet. Each spout extends forward from wall surface 83f.

In the description of the embodiment, the direction in which the drying spout 10 attached to the wall extends from the wall is referred to as "forward." In other words, "forward" is the direction in which the wall surface on which the drying spout 10 is provided faces. "Rear," "left side," and "right side" are directions seen by a user facing "forward." Additionally, "upward" and "downward" are directions seen by a user standing in front of the drying spout 10.

The mounting structure to which the drying spout 10 of the hand drying device 100 according to the embodiment is attached does not necessarily have to be a washbasin. The mounting structure 80 may be, for example, a panel or cabinet that is provided as appropriate. That is, the wall to which the drying spout 10 is attached may be the wall of a panel or the wall of a cabinet. In this example, the wall surface of the wall to which the drying spout 10 is attached extends in the vertical direction. However, the wall surface of the wall to which the drying spout 10 is attached is not limited to a surface that extends in the vertical direction. For example, the angle between the wall surface of the wall to which the drying spout 10 is attached and the vertical direction is ±50° or less.

The drying function unit 20, the water function unit 45, and the liquid soap function unit 55 are each attached to the wall W1 below the washbasin 81. In this example, in the space below the washbasin 81, the drying function unit 20 is located at the lower right side, the liquid soap function unit 55 is located at the upper right side, and the water function unit 45 is located on the left side. However, the arrangement of the drying function unit 20, the water function unit 45, and the liquid soap function unit 55 is not limited to this. For example, the drying function unit 20, the water function unit 45, and the liquid soap function unit 55 may be placed on the floor.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hand dryer according to an embodiment.
The drying spout 10 has an air outlet 10a and a sensor 10s. The air outlet 10a discharges a wide air stream F diagonally downward and forward. As described below, discharging a wide air stream corresponds to the length of the air outlet 10a in the left-right direction being longer than the length of the air outlet 10a in the front-rear direction.

The sensor 10s detects the user's hands. For example, a microwave sensor, an infrared emitting/receiving distance sensor, or a pyroelectric sensor can be used for the sensor 10s (and sensors 40s and 50s described below). The sensor 10s is positioned so that it can detect the user's hands, for example, in the range where air is blown out from the drying spout 10. The detection range D of the sensor 10s faces, for example, diagonally downward and forward.

The drying function unit 20 has a heater 21, a blower 22 (electric blower), and a control unit 23 (drying control unit). The control unit 23 is electrically connected to the sensor 10s, the heater 21, and the blower 22, and controls the operation of the sensor 10s, the heater 21, and the blower 22. The control unit 23 uses an electric circuit including, for example, a microcomputer.

The blower 22 has, for example, an electric fan, and blows air to the drying spout 10 via the air duct 30. The heater 21 is provided in the air passage between the blower 22 and the air duct 30, and appropriately heats the air sent from the blower 22 to the air duct 30. The air duct 30 connects the drying function unit 20 and the drying spout 10, and supplies the air sent from the blower 22 to the drying spout 10.

For example, when a user holds his/her hand below the drying spout 10, the sensor 10s detects the user's hand and enters a detection state. Then, the control unit 23 operates the blower 22 and the heater 21 based on the detection result (output signal indicating the detection state) of the sensor 10s. This causes the blower 22 to supply air (hot air) to the air supply duct 30. The air supply duct 30 guides the supplied air to the drying spout 10. The air supplied to the drying spout 10 passes through an air passage in the drying spout 10 and is discharged from the air outlet 10a. The user can dry wet hands by blowing the air against their hands. For example, the air supply continues while the sensor 10s detects the presence of the user's hand. When the user moves his/her hand from below the drying spout 10 to outside the detection range of the sensor 10s, the sensor 10s no longer detects the user's hand and enters a non-detection state. Then, the control unit 23 stops the operation of the blower 22 and the heater 21 based on the detection result of the sensor 10s (output signal indicating a non-detection state). This stops the supply of air to the drying spout 10, and stops the discharge of air from the air outlet 10a.

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the washbasin unit according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the water function unit 45 is connected to the water spout 40 by a water supply pipe 46. The water spout 40 is provided with a water outlet 40a that discharges water downward and a sensor 40s that detects the user's hand. The water function unit 45 has a control circuit, a hot water heater, a solenoid valve, and the like. When the user holds his/her hand under the sensor 40s, the sensor 40s enters a detection state in which the user's hand is detected. Then, in the water function unit 45, the control circuit controls the solenoid valve, the hot water heater, and the like based on the output result (output signal indicating the detection state) of the sensor 40s. As a result, water (hot water) is supplied from the water function unit 45 to the water spout 40 via the water supply pipe 46. The water supplied to the water spout 40 is discharged from the water outlet 40a. For example, water continues to be discharged while the sensor 40s detects the presence of the user's hand. When the user moves his/her hand from under the water spout 40 to outside the detection range of the sensor 40s, the sensor 40s no longer detects the user's hand and goes into a non-detection state. Then, in the water function unit 45, the control circuit controls the solenoid valve, hot water heater, etc. based on the detection result of the sensor 40s (output signal indicating the non-detection state). This stops the discharge of water from the water outlet 40a.

The liquid soap function unit 55 is connected to the liquid soap spout 50 by a liquid soap supply pipe 56 and an air supply pipe 57. The liquid soap spout 50 is provided with an outlet 50a that discharges liquid soap downward and a sensor 50s that detects the user's hand. The liquid soap function unit 55 has a control circuit, a liquid soap tank, a pump, etc. When the user holds his/her hand under the sensor 50s, the sensor 50s enters a detection state in which it detects the user's hand. Then, in the liquid soap function unit 55, the control circuit controls the pump, etc. based on the output result of the sensor 50s (output signal indicating the detection state). As a result, liquid soap is supplied to the liquid soap spout 50 from the liquid soap tank via the liquid soap supply pipe 56. The liquid soap supplied to the liquid soap spout 50 is discharged from the outlet 50a. For example, liquid soap is discharged each time the sensor 50s detects the user's hand.

The height (vertical position) of the top end of the drying spout 10, the height of the top end of the water discharge spout 40, and the height of the top end of the liquid soap spout 50 are, for example, the same as each other. By aligning the heights of the top ends, the design can be improved.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the washbasin unit according to the embodiment.
4, the front end 10f of the drying spout 10 is located rearward of the center 82C in the front-to-rear direction of the bowl surface 82f when the drying spout 10 is attached to the wall surface 83f side of the wall portion 83. In other words, the length L10 in the front-to-rear direction of the drying spout 10 is shorter than half the length L82C in the front-to-rear direction of the bowl surface 82f.

Similarly, in FIG. 4, the front end 40f of the water spout 40 and the front end 50f of the liquid soap spout 50 are located rearward of the center 82C. For example, the front ends 10f, 40f, and 50f are all located at the same front-to-rear positions. In this manner, each spout in this embodiment is compactly provided on the bowl portion 82. The spouts extend forward from the wall surface 83f and are lined up on the left and right sides of the bowl portion 82, improving usability, while the compactness of the spouts improves design.

In this example, the dry spout 10 is positioned to the left of the liquid soap spout 50 and the water spout 40. Also, the water spout 40 is positioned between the dry spout 10 and the liquid soap spout 50. However, the order of the spouts is not limited to this. For example, the dry spout 10 may be positioned to the right of the liquid soap spout 50 and the water spout 40. Also, the liquid soap spout 50 may be positioned between the dry spout 10 and the water spout 40.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a drying spout of the hand drying device according to the embodiment.
6(a) to 6(c) are plan views illustrating the drying spout of the hand drying device according to the embodiment.
6(a) is a top view, FIG. 6(b) is a front view, and FIG. 6(c) is a bottom view.

The drying spout 10 is attached to the wall 83 of the washbasin 81 by a retaining member 61 (mounting member 60). Note that the washbasin 81 is omitted in FIG. 5.

The drying spout 10 has a flat box shape. That is, the drying spout 10 has a cover 11 (outer shell member) that has a flat box shape. In other words, when the drying spout 10 is viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 6(b), the length L1 in the left-right direction of the cover 11 is longer than the length L2 in the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction of the cover 11 (e.g., the up-down direction).

The cover 11 has a front surface 11f, a top surface 11t, a bottom surface 11b, a right side surface 11m, and a left side surface 11h.
The top surface 11t is a generally rectangular surface that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions and faces upward.
The front surface 11f extends downward from the front end of the upper surface 11t and faces forward.
The right side 11m extends downward from the right end of the top surface 11t and faces to the right. The left side 11h extends downward from the left end of the top surface 11t and faces to the left. In this example, the right side 11m is a curved surface that is convex to the right, and the left side 11h is a curved surface that is convex to the left.

The lower surface 11b has a front region 11p, a left region 11q, and a right region 11r. The front region 11p extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface 11f and faces downward. The front region 11p has an inclined surface that slopes downward from the front to the rear.
The left region 11q extends rightward from the lower end of the left side surface 11h and faces downward. The left region 11q is inclined downward from the left side to the right side.
The right region 11r extends leftward from the lower end of the right side surface 11m and faces downward. The right region 11r is inclined downward from the right side to the left side.
The left region 11q and the right region 11r intersect at the center of the cover 11 in the left-right direction.

The air outlet 10a is located in the front part of the underside 11b. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the length L3 of the air outlet 10a in the left-right direction is longer than the length L4 of the air outlet 10a in the front-rear direction. In this example, the air outlet 10a is divided into five air outlets 10b in the left-right direction. However, the number of air outlets 10b is not limited to five and can be any number. In addition, the air outlet 10a does not have to be divided into multiple parts.

One end 30a (see FIG. 6(a)) of the air duct 30 is connected to the rear side of the drying spout 10 while extending forward. In other words, the opening of one end 30a of the air duct 30 faces forward and is connected to the drying spout 10. The inner diameter L5 of one end 30a of the air duct 30 is shorter than the left-right length L3 of the air outlet 10a. The air supplied from one end 30a of the air duct 30 to the drying spout 10 spreads left-right in the air path inside the drying spout 10 and is discharged from the air outlet 10a, which is long left-right. In this way, the air outlet 10a discharges a wide shaped wind.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the washbasin unit according to the embodiment.
Fig. 7 shows a part of the washbasin unit as seen from behind the washbasin 81. That is, Fig. 7 shows the back side of the washbasin 81. Note that Fig. 7 omits illustration of some elements such as the water discharge spout 40, the liquid soap spout 50, the water supply pipe 46, and the liquid soap supply pipe 56.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 8 shows a cross section taken along line A1-A1 shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment.
7, a recess 83c recessed toward the front is provided on the rear side of the wall 83 of the washbasin 81. As a result, a space SP1 (space within the recess 83c) between the indoor wall W1 (see FIG. 1) and the washbasin 81 is formed on the back side of the wall surface 83f.

A downward-facing opening 83d is provided at the bottom of the washbasin 81. The space SP1 is connected to the space below the washbasin 81 via the opening 83d.

The wall portion 83 (wall surface 83f) is provided with first to third mounting portions 71 to 73 to which spouts are attached. In this example, each of the first to third mounting portions 71 to 73 is a hole penetrating the wall portion 83. The first to third mounting portions 71 to 73 are aligned on a straight line extending in the left-right direction. The water-discharging spout 40 is attached to the first mounting portion 71, the liquid soap spout 50 is attached to the second mounting portion 72, and the drying spout 10 is attached to the third mounting portion 73.

As shown in FIG. 8, the hand dryer 100 has an attachment member 60 that attaches the drying spout 10 to the wall portion 83. The attachment member 60 has a retaining member 61, a set screw 64 (a pull-out prevention member), and a spacer 65 (a spacer member). The retaining member 61 is attached to the third attachment portion 73, and the drying spout 10 is held (supported) by the retaining member 61. The retaining member 61 is composed of a base 62, which is a cylindrical metal fitting, and a nut 63 for fixing the metal fitting. The base 62 has a cylindrical portion 62a and a flange portion 62b provided at the rear end of the cylindrical portion 62a. The nut 63 screws into the cylindrical portion 62a. The inner diameter of the through hole that is the third attachment portion 73 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 62a and smaller than the outer diameter of the flange portion 62b. When the cylindrical portion 62a is inserted into the third mounting portion 73 from the rear of the wall portion 83, the flange portion 62b on the rear end side abuts against the rear surface of the wall portion 83 via the O-ring 61r. With the cylindrical portion 62a inserted into the third mounting portion 73 (hole in the wall surface 83f) from the rear of the wall portion 83 in this manner, the wall portion 83 is sandwiched between the flange portion 62b on the rear side of the wall portion 83 and the nut 63 on the front side of the wall portion 83. In this way, the holding member 61 is attached to the wall portion 83. The drying spout 10 is attached to the holding member 61 with a set screw or the like.

The retaining member 61 has a protrusion 61p (see FIG. 8) that protrudes from the wall portion 83 when attached to the third attachment portion 73. In this example, the protrusion 61p is the tip of the cylindrical portion 62a and the nut 63. For example, an opening is provided at the rear end of the cover 11, and the rear end of the cover 11 covers the protrusion 61p. In other words, the protrusion 61p is inserted into the opening at the rear end of the cover 11. In this state, the retaining member 61 holds the cover 11. The rear end of the cover 11 is in contact with, for example, the wall surface 83f.

Set screws 64 (see FIG. 8) are inserted into the cover 11 from the circumferential direction of the cover 11. The circumferential direction of the cover 11 is a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, which is downward in this example. The tip of the set screw 64 abuts against a nut 63. For example, the set screw 64 is a retaining member (set screw) that prevents the cover 11 and the retaining member 61 from coming off. The set screw 64 determines the position of the cover 11 relative to the retaining member 61, and the cover 11 is fixed to the retaining member 61.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air supply duct 30 connected to the rear side of the drying spout 10 passes inside the third mounting portion 73 (and the retaining member 61) and curves downward and to the right from the third mounting portion 73 in the space SP1. The air supply duct 30 curves further downward in the space SP1 and extends through the opening 83d to the drying function unit 20. In this way, the air supply duct 30 curves in the vertical and horizontal directions in the space SP1 behind the wall surface 83f, and connects the drying spout 10 and the drying function unit 20 after passing through the space SP1.

Similarly, the water spout 40, the liquid soap spout 50, the water supply pipe 46, and the liquid soap supply pipe 56 are also attached. That is, the water spout 40 is attached to the first mounting part 71 using a holding member 61w (e.g., a cylindrical metal fitting and a nut). The rear end of the outer member of the water spout 40 is in contact with, for example, a wall surface 83f. The water supply pipe 46 is connected to the water function part 45 from the rear side of the water spout 40, passing through the inside of the first mounting part 71 (and the holding member 61w inserted into the first mounting part 71), the space SP1, and the opening 83d.
The liquid soap spout 50 is attached to the second mounting portion 72 using a retaining member 61s (e.g., a cylindrical metal fitting and a nut) or the like. The rear end of the outer casing member of the liquid soap spout 50 is in contact with, for example, a wall surface 83f. The liquid soap supply pipe 56 is connected to the liquid soap function portion 55 from the rear side of the liquid soap spout 50, passing through the inside of the second mounting portion 72 (and the retaining member 61s inserted into the second mounting portion 72), the space SP1, and the opening 83d.

Note that at least a portion of each spout may be directly or indirectly attached to the wall portion 83. In the above example, each spout is indirectly attached to the wall portion 83 via a retaining member. In other words, each spout is indirectly held (supported) by the wall portion 83 via a retaining member. However, the method of attaching each spout to the wall portion 83 is not limited to the above. Each spout may be directly held (supported) by the wall portion 83.

Also, each holding member may hold the cover of each spout directly or indirectly. That is, for example, the holding member may directly hold the spout cover by contacting the spout cover. Or, for example, a spacer member may be provided between the cover and the holding member, and the holding member may indirectly hold the spout cover via the spacer member. For example, in FIG. 8, a spacer 65 is disposed between the inner circumference of the cover 11 and the nut 63. The spacer 65 is attached to the cover 11 by screws 66a, 66b (see FIG. 9). The holding member 61 holds the spacer 65 by contacting it. At least a portion of the cover 11 is held by the holding member 61 via the spacer 65.

The first to third mounting portions 71 to 73 may have any configuration to which the spouts can be attached. For example, the first to third mounting portions 71 to 73 are not limited to circular through holes. The mounting portion to which the spouts are attached may be one to which the spouts are indirectly attached via a holding member or the like as described above, or one to which the spouts are directly attached. The mounting portion may directly hold the spout by contacting the spout, and may be configured such that, for example, part of the spout is inserted into the through hole that is the mounting portion.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air supply duct 30 has a first duct 31 and a second duct 32. The air supply duct 30 may further have a connection member 33 (connection duct) and a cylindrical connection member 34 (elbow duct) (see FIG. 3).

The second pipeline 32 is connected downstream of the first pipeline 31 in the air path of the air sent from the blower 22 to the drying spout 10. At least a portion of the second pipeline 32 is disposed in the space SP1. One end of the second pipeline 32 is connected to the drying spout 10, and the other end of the second pipeline 32 is connected to one end of the first pipeline 31 via a connecting member 33. The other end of the first pipeline 31 is connected to the drying function unit 20 via a connecting member 34. A member such as a hose clamp is appropriately used for the connection.

The first pipeline 31, the second pipeline 32, and the connecting members 33 and 34 may be made of a material such as rubber or resin. For example, a bellows hose may be used for the first pipeline 31, and a rubber hose may be used for the second pipeline 32.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drying spout 10 has a cover 11 and an air passage member 12 provided inside the cover 11. A nozzle cover 18 (lid) is provided on the upper part of the air passage member 12 via a sealing member 17, making it airtight. The air passage member 12 serves as an air passage that guides air supplied from the air supply duct 30 to the air outlet 10a.

The air passage member 12 has a connection part 13, an air outlet 10a, and an air diffusion chamber 15. The connection part 13 is provided at the rear end of the air passage member 12, and is the part to which the air supply duct 30 is connected. One end 30a of the air supply duct 30 is connected to the connection part 13 while extending forward. The connection part 13 is, for example, cylindrical, and the outer diameter of the connection part 13 is smaller than the inner diameter of the one end 30a of the air supply duct 30. The connection part 13 is inserted into the opening of the air supply duct 30. In this state, the connection part 13 is secured by a clamp 13p.

The air outlet 10a is provided at the tip of the air passage member 12, and blows out the air supplied to the air passage member 12 from the air supply duct 30. The air diffusion chamber 15 is provided between the connection part 13 and the air outlet 10a on the air passage of the air blown out from the air outlet 10a. The air diffusion chamber 15 guides the air supplied from the connection part 13 to the air outlet 10a.

The left-right width of the air diffusion chamber 15 and the left-right width of the air outlet 10a are each larger than the inner diameter of one end 30a of the air supply duct 30. Air supplied to the air diffusion chamber 15 from the air supply duct 30 via the connection part 13 spreads in the vertical and horizontal directions within the air diffusion chamber 15 and is blown out from the air outlet 10a.

For example, a barrier portion 47 is provided in the air diffusion chamber 15. In this example, the barrier portion 47 is a portion of the bottom surface of the air passage member 12 that is raised upward. The barrier portion 47 is located in front of the opening at one end 30a of the air supply duct 30. Therefore, at least a portion of the air that flows from the air supply duct 30 into the air diffusion chamber 15 hits the barrier portion 47 and spreads in the vertical and horizontal directions. By providing the barrier portion 47 in this manner, the air can be spread efficiently in the air diffusion chamber 15. This makes it easier to discharge a uniform, wide wind in the horizontal direction from the air outlet 10a.

The sensor 10s is disposed below the barrier portion 47 within the cover 11. The sensor 10s is covered from below by a first sensor cover 19a. In addition, a second sensor cover 19b is attached around the first sensor cover 19a. The lower surfaces of the first sensor cover 19a and the second sensor cover 19b become part of the lower surface 11b of the cover 11.

As described above, in this example, the air outlet 11a, the connection portion 13, and the air diffusion chamber 15 are provided in the air passage member 12, which is separate from the cover 11. However, this is not limited to the above, and each portion of the drying spout 10 may be appropriately molded as a single unit. The drying spout 10 may also be appropriately divided into multiple members and assembled.

10, 11(a) and 11(b) are exploded views illustrating a part of the drying spout of the hand drying device according to the embodiment.
10, the planar shape of the cover 11 when viewed from the rear is an inverted triangle with rounded corners. The cover 11 has an upper portion 11u and a lower portion 11s. The upper portion 11u is a top plate portion having a top surface 11t. The lower portion 11s is a bottom plate portion having a bottom surface 11b, and a side wall portion having a right side surface 11m and a left side surface 11h. An opening 11c is provided at the rear end of the cover 11.

The drying spout 10 is provided with a fixing member that fixes the spacer 65 to the cover 11. In this example, the fixing members are screws 66a and 66b. By fixing the spacer 65 with a fixing member (e.g., screws 66a and 66b), it is possible to prevent the spacer 65 from wobbling relative to the cover 11, compared to when the spacer 65 is simply in contact with the cover 11.

The lower part 11s of the cover 11 is provided with abutment parts 11v and 11w against which the spacer 65 abuts. Specifically, the abutment part 11v is a convex part provided on the left side of the inner surface of the lower part 11s, and the abutment part 11w is a convex part provided on the right side of the inner surface of the lower part 11s. The rear surface of the abutment part 11v is provided with a screw hole 11x into which the screw 66a is screwed. The rear surface of the abutment part 11w is provided with a screw hole 11y into which the screw 66b is screwed. Since the screw holes 11x and 11y are provided on the lower part 11s of the cover 11, the screw holes are difficult for the user to see. This makes it possible to prevent the appearance quality of the cover 11 from being reduced by the screw holes 11x and 11y. In this example, the screw holes 11x and 11y are provided on the inner surface 11j (inner peripheral surface) of the cover 11, but they may be provided on the outer surface 11k.

The cover 11 and the spacer 65 are made of, for example, metal. The air passage member 12 is made of, for example, resin.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), the air passage member 12 is inserted into the inside of the cover 11 through the opening 11c. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the spacer 65 is inserted into the inside of the cover 11 through the opening 11c and disposed inside the cover 11.

With the front surface 65f (see FIG. 9) of the spacer 65 abutting against the abutment portions 11v and 11w, screw 66a is screwed into screw hole 11x from the rear of the spacer 65, and screw 66b is screwed into screw hole 11y. As a result, the spacer 65 is sandwiched between the cover 11 and the screws 66a and 66b, and fixed to the cover 11. By abutting the front surface 65f of the spacer 65 against the cover 11, the position of the spacer 65 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the cover 11 can be determined.

A substantially circular opening 65r is provided in the center of the spacer 65. The spacer 65 has an inner peripheral surface 65i around the opening 65r. The protrusion 61p of the holding member 61 is inserted into the opening 11c of the cover 11 and the spacer 65. This causes the front end 61f of the protrusion 61p to abut against the rear surface 65b of the spacer 65. By abutting the front end 61f of the protrusion 61p against the rear surface 65b of the spacer 65, the front-to-rear position of the protrusion 61p relative to the spacer 65 can be determined. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 61p from being inserted too far into the opening 11c of the cover 11.

With the front end 61f of the protrusion 61p in contact with the rear surface 65b of the spacer 65, the set screw 64 is inserted from below as described with reference to FIG. 8. The protrusion 61p (e.g., the upper portion 61u) comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface 65i of the spacer 65.

As described above, the protrusion 61p inserted into the opening 11c supports the spacer 65, which in turn supports part of the cover 11. The lower part of the cover 11 and the protrusion 61p are secured together by a set screw 64. This allows the cover 11 to be held directly by the protrusion 61p, or indirectly via the spacer 65.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a drying spout of a hand drying device according to an embodiment.
Fig. 12 shows a cross section taken along line A2-A2 shown in Fig. 8. In other words, Fig. 12 shows a cross section seen along the insertion direction in which the protrusion 61p is inserted into the opening 11c of the cover 11. In this example, the insertion direction is from the rear to the front.

As shown in FIG. 12, the shape of the protrusion 61p as viewed along the insertion direction is different from the shape of the opening 11c as viewed along the insertion direction.
Specifically, the shape of the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protrusion 61p (nut 63) seen along the insertion direction is generally circular, and is polygonal due to chamfering. On the other hand, the opening 11c is provided along the shape of the outer periphery of the cover 11. Therefore, the shape of the opening 11c seen along the insertion direction is flat. More specifically, the shape of the opening 11c seen along the insertion direction is an inverted triangle with rounded corners.

The spacer 65 is disposed between the outer peripheral surface 61j of the generally circular protrusion 61p and the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11, which has a rounded corner and an inverted triangular shape. The spacer 65 disposed inside the cover 11 contacts both the cover 11 and the retaining member 61. Specifically, as already described, the front surface 65f (see FIG. 9) of the spacer 65 contacts the contact portions 11v, 11w (see FIG. 10) of the cover 11. Also, the inner peripheral surface 65i of the spacer 65 contacts a portion of the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protrusion 61p and is supported by the protrusion 61p.

When viewed along the insertion direction, the spacer 65 disposed inside the cover 11 fills at least a portion of the gap between the cover 11 and the retaining member 61.

The shape of the inner peripheral surface 65i of the spacer 65 is substantially circular, following the shape of the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protruding portion 61p. The gap (distance d1) between the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protruding portion 61p and the inner peripheral surface 65i of the spacer 65 is kept small over the entire inner peripheral surface 65i. For example, the distance d1 between the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protruding portion 61p and the inner peripheral surface 65i of the spacer 65 is a predetermined distance or less (e.g., 0 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less) over substantially the entire inner peripheral surface 65i.

The shape of the outer peripheral surface 65j of the spacer 65 is an inverted triangle with rounded corners that follows the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11. The gap (distance d2) between the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11 and the outer peripheral surface 65j of the spacer 65 is kept small over the entire outer peripheral surface 65j. For example, the distance d2 between the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11 and the outer peripheral surface 65j of the spacer 65 is a predetermined distance or less (for example, 0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less) over almost the entire outer peripheral surface 65j. Note that the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11 and the outer peripheral surface 65j of the spacer 65 do not have to be in contact with each other.

By using a spacer 65 with the above-mentioned shape, for example, when an external force is applied to the cover 11, the force transmitted to the holding member 61 is dispersed, making it easier to prevent stress from concentrating at one point on the holding member 61.

The inner circumferential surface is the surface facing the inside of the drying spout, and the outer circumferential surface is the surface facing the outside of the drying spout. The inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface are, for example, approximately parallel to the insertion direction (front-rear direction).

As described above, in the embodiment, the drying spout 10 is provided with a wide air diffusion chamber 15, so that a wide shaped wind is blown out. The cover 11 of the drying spout 10 is also in a wide box-shaped flat shape according to the shape of the air diffusion chamber 15. When a box-shaped flat cover 11 is used, as described above, the shape of the opening 11c of the cover 11 may differ from the shape of the protruding portion 61p of the holding member 61. In such a case, a gap may be generated between the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protruding portion 61p inserted into the opening 11c and the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11, making it difficult for the holding member 61 to hold the cover 11. For example, it is considered that the holding member 61 may come into direct contact with the cover 11 and make it difficult to support the cover 11. The position of the holding member 61 relative to the cover 11 may not be fixed, and the cover 11 may rattle or become distorted.

In order to fill the gap between the outer peripheral surface 61j of the protrusion 61p and the inner peripheral surface 11i of the cover 11, it is possible to increase the diameter of the nut 63 and the base 62. However, in this case, the hole in the wall into which the base 62 is inserted is also made larger. Therefore, depending on how the cover 11 is attached, the hole in the wall may be easily exposed, which may result in a poor appearance. Also, unlike the shape of the nut 63, the shape of the opening 11c of the cover 11 is not circular, so it is difficult to fill the gap sufficiently even if the diameter of the nut 63 is increased.

In contrast, in the embodiment, a spacer 65 is provided that contacts both the cover 11 and the holding member 61. The spacer 65 fills at least a portion of the gap between the cover 11 and the holding member 61, making it easier to stably hold the cover 11 via the spacer 65. Therefore, even if the cover 11 is made into a flat box shape so as to blow out a wide air stream, it is easy to stably hold the drying spout 10. For example, rattling and distortion of the cover 11 can be suppressed.

13(a) to 13(c) and 14(a) to 14(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of a method for installing a hand dryer according to an embodiment.
13A, the holding member 61 is attached to a hole provided in a wall surface 83f of the washbasin 81. Specifically, a metal fitting having a cylindrical portion is inserted into the hole in the wall surface 83f and fixed with a nut using a tool such as a wrench.

The second pipeline 32 is connected in advance to the rear side of the drying spout 10 using a clamp or the like. At this time, the connecting member 33 and the first pipeline 31 are not connected to the second pipeline 32.

As shown in FIG. 13(b), the end of the second pipeline 32 opposite the drying spout 10 is passed through a hole in the wall surface 83f (the cylindrical portion of the holding member 61) from the front side of the wall surface 83f. Then, the second pipeline 32 that has passed through the hole in the wall surface 83f is passed through the space SP1 on the back side of the wall surface 83f and the opening 83d (see FIG. 7).

As shown in FIG. 13(c), the drying spout 10 is fixed to the holding member 61 with screws on the front side of the wall surface 83f.

As shown in FIG. 14(a), the drying function unit 20 is attached to the wall W1 below the washbasin 81. For example, a metal fitting is attached to the wall W1, and the drying function unit 20 is attached to the metal fitting. Here, the first pipe 31 is already connected to the drying function unit 20. If the first pipe 31 is too long, the installer may cut it as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 14(b), one end of the connection member 33 (joint) is inserted into the upper end of the first pipeline 31 and secured with a hose band 33g (clamp).

As shown in FIG. 14(c), at the lower end of the washbasin 81, the other end of the connection member 33 is inserted into the lower end of the second pipeline 32 and fixed with a hose band 33h (clamp).

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. Any design modifications made by a person skilled in the art to the above-described embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, dimensions, materials, arrangement, installation form, etc. of each element of the washbasin unit are not limited to those exemplified, and can be modified as appropriate.
Furthermore, the elements of each of the above-described embodiments can be combined to the extent technically possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

10 drying spout, 10a air outlet, 10b discharge port, 10f front end, 10s sensor, 11 cover, 11a air outlet, 11b bottom surface, 11c opening, 11f front surface, 11h left side surface, 11i inner peripheral surface, 11j inner surface, 11k outer surface, 11m right side surface, 11p front region, 11q left region, 11r right region, 11s bottom portion, 11t top surface, 11u top portion, 11v, 11w abutment portion, 11x, y screw holes, 12 air passage member, 13 connection portion, 13p clamp, 15 air diffusion chamber, 17 sealing member, 18 nozzle cover, 19a first sensor cover, 19b 2nd sensor cover, 20 drying function section, 21 heater, 22 blower, 23 control section, 30 air supply duct, 30a one end, 31 first duct, 32 second duct, 33 connection member, 33g, 33h hose band, 34 connection member, 40 water discharge spout, 40a water discharge port, 40f front end, 40s sensor, 45 water function section, 46 water supply pipe, 47 barrier section, 50 liquid soap spout, 50a discharge port, 50f front end, 50s sensor, 55 liquid soap function section, 56 liquid soap supply pipe, 57 air supply pipe, 60 mounting member, 61 holding member, 61f front end, 61j outer circumferential surface, 61p protrusion, 61r O-ring, 61s holding member, 61w holding member, 62 base, 62a cylindrical portion, 62b flange portion, 63 nut, 64 set screw, 65 spacer, 65b rear surface, 65f front surface, 65i inner peripheral surface, 65j outer peripheral surface, 65r opening, 71-73 first to third mounting portions, 80 mounting structure, 81 washbasin, 82 bowl portion, 82f bowl surface, 82p drain hole, 83 wall portion, 83c recess, 83d opening, 83f wall surface, 100 hand drying device, 130 water discharge device, 150 liquid soap discharge device, 200 washbasin unit, C1 counter, L1-L4, L10, L82C length, L5 inner diameter, SP1 space, W1 wall, d1, d2 distance

Claims (6)

A drying spout that is attached to the wall above the washbowl of the washbowl and blows out a wide shaped wind;
A mounting member for mounting the drying spout to the wall portion;
Equipped with
The drying spout has a box-shaped flat cover with an opening at its rear end,
The mounting member is
a retaining member attached to a hole in the wall portion, the retaining member having a protruding portion that protrudes from the wall portion when the retaining member is attached to the hole, the retaining member retaining the cover with the protruding portion inserted into the opening;
A spacer disposed inside the cover;
having
a shape of the protrusion as viewed along an insertion direction in which the protrusion is inserted into the opening is different from a shape of the opening as viewed along the insertion direction,
A hand drying device, characterized in that the spacer disposed inside the cover contacts both the cover and the holding member. The hand dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing member for fixing the spacer to the cover. the fixing member is a screw,
3. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein the cover has a screw hole provided on an inner surface of the cover into which the screw is screwed. the fixing member is a screw,
3. The hand dryer according to claim 2, wherein the cover has a screw hole provided at a lower portion thereof and into which the screw is screwed. The spacer has a front surface and a rear surface;
5. The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the spacer abuts against the cover. The hand dryer according to claim 5, characterized in that the front end of the protrusion abuts against the rear surface of the spacer.

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