JP7730082B2 - hand dryer - Google Patents

Description

Aspects of the present invention generally relate to hand dryers.

Hand dryers that dry wet hands by blowing air are known. For example, there is a hand dryer integrated into a washbasin that has a water outlet that sprays water toward the bowl, a soap outlet that sprays soap, and an air outlet that blows air toward the bowl (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-304926

The washbasin-integrated hand dryer described in Patent Document 1 has a functional unit located at the top back of the hand-washing space. Because the air outlet is located on the front of the functional unit, the front of the functional unit must be tilted toward the bowl, which may create a feeling of oppression for the user using the washbasin. Furthermore, in the washbasin-integrated hand dryer described in Patent Document 1, the air outlet is located in the same functional unit as the water outlet and soap outlet. Therefore, when such a unit is installed in a washbasin, the air outlet and functional unit are combined into a single unit, making it large and voluminous in the hand-washing space, which may create a feeling of oppression for the user. Furthermore, when a user places their hand close to the air outlet, their hand may come into contact with the rear of the hand-washing space, causing discomfort to the user.

The present invention was developed in recognition of these issues, and aims to provide a hand dryer that is compact, attractive, and easy to use.

The first invention is a hand dryer comprising: a drying spout attached to a wall portion located above a bowl portion and having an air outlet that blows a wide shaped air stream toward the bowl portion; a drying function portion having a blower that supplies air toward the drying spout; and an air supply duct connecting the drying function portion and the drying spout; the drying spout having a flat, box-shaped cover that forms the outer shell; the cover having an upper surface portion, a front surface portion that extends downward from the front end of the upper surface portion, and a lower surface portion that extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion; and the lower surface portion having a first inclined portion that slopes downward from the front to the rear.

With this hand dryer, the cover's first inclined portion reduces the height (thickness) of the front portion facing the user. Furthermore, because the first inclined portion slopes downward from the front to the rear, it is less visible to the user. This prevents the drying spout from feeling oppressive to the user and gives the impression of being compact.

The second invention is a hand dryer according to the first invention, further comprising a human body detection sensor for detecting a human body, the human body detection sensor being positioned on the first inclined portion so that its detection range faces downward and diagonally forward.

With this hand dryer, the human body detection sensor is positioned using the inclined surface of the first inclined section, allowing the detection range to be directed diagonally downward and forward. As a result, the drying spout has an improved design and can efficiently detect hands inserted below the drying spout.

The third invention is a hand dryer according to the second invention, characterized in that the human body detection sensor is located closer to the wall portion than the air outlet.

This hand dryer allows you to insert your hands further back than the air outlet, so the air blowing out from the air outlet can be directed efficiently at your hands. This means that your entire hand can be dried efficiently.

The fourth invention is a hand dryer according to the third invention, characterized in that the human body detection sensor is positioned forward of the center of the drying spout in the front-to-rear direction.

With this hand dryer, the human body detection sensor's detection range can be positioned at an appropriate distance from the wall. As a result, when a user inserts their hand below the drying spout, it is possible to prevent their hand from touching the wall, which could cause discomfort to the user. Furthermore, when a user inserts their hand below the drying spout, air can be blown out of the air outlet quickly, making this a user-friendly hand dryer.

The fifth invention is a hand dryer according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, characterized in that the lower surface of the cover has a first extension portion that extends from the lower end of the front surface toward the first inclined portion.

With this hand dryer, the first inclined portion can be made less visible to the user, even if the user positioned in front of the bowl is short. This gives the impression of a slim and compact drying spout to more users. The drying spout also gives the impression of being slim and compact when viewed from the side.
can.

The sixth invention is a hand dryer according to any one of the first to fifth inventions, characterized in that the underside of the cover has a second extension portion that extends rearward from the first inclined portion.

This hand dryer prevents the vertical thickness at the rear of the drying spout from becoming unnecessarily large. In other words, even if the inclination angle of the first inclined portion is increased to increase the vertical thickness at the rear of the drying spout, the second extension portion prevents the vertical thickness at the rear end (wall side) of the drying spout from becoming unnecessarily large. Furthermore, the second extension portion makes it difficult for users positioned in front of the bowl portion to see the rear end side of the first inclined portion. This gives the impression of a slim and compact drying spout to more users.

A seventh invention is a hand dryer according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, characterized in that the cover has a left side surface portion extending downward from the left end of the upper surface portion and a right side surface portion extending downward from the right end of the upper surface portion, and the lower surface portion of the cover has a second inclined portion located rearward of the first inclined portion and extending diagonally downward to the right from the lower end of the left side surface portion, and a third inclined portion located rearward of the first inclined portion and extending diagonally downward to the left from the lower end of the right side surface portion.

In this hand dryer, the drying spout has a cover with an overall shape that is an inverted triangle. As a result, the drying spout can have a slimmer design, improving its appearance.

The eighth invention is a hand dryer according to any one of the first to seventh inventions, characterized in that the first inclined portion is inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal that is greater than 0 degrees and not greater than 75 degrees.

This hand dryer makes it possible to make the first inclined portion less visible to a user positioned in front of the bowl portion. As a result, the user is given the impression that the drying spout is slim and compact.

This aspect of the present invention provides a hand dryer that is compact, attractive, and easy to use.

1 is a perspective view showing a washbasin unit equipped with a hand drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a front view of the washbasin unit with the front door of the washbasin open. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical system and an airflow path system of the hand dryer. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bowl portion, the water spout, the liquid soap spout, and the drying spout in FIG. 1, viewed from above. This is an oblique view of the bowl portion, the water spout, the liquid soap spout, and the drying spout, viewed diagonally from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drying spout seen from diagonally below. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drying spout viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a front view of the drying spout. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the drying spout seen from below. FIG. 2 is a side view of the drying spout seen from the left side. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the drying spout in FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction of arrows AA. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the drying spout as viewed from the direction of arrows BB in FIG. 11. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the state in which the cover, the seal member, and the nozzle cover have been removed from the nozzle of the drying spout. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the nozzle of the drying spout with the cover and spacer removed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the state in which the drying spout is assembled. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 11 showing a drying spout according to a modified example of the present invention.

This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, similar components will be assigned the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a washbasin unit equipped with a hand drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the washbasin unit with the front door of the washbasin unit open.
1, the washbasin unit 200 includes a hand dryer 100, a water discharger 130, and a liquid soap dispenser 150. The hand dryer 100, the water discharger 130, and the liquid soap dispenser 150 are installed on a washbasin 160, for example.

The hand dryer 100 has a drying function unit 10, an air supply duct 20, and a drying spout 30. The water discharger 130 has a water discharge spout 132 and a water function unit 134. The liquid soap discharger 150 has a liquid soap spout 152 and a liquid soap function unit 154.

The drying spout 30, the water spout 132, and the liquid soap spout 152 are attached to the mounting structure 90. In this example, the mounting structure 90 is a washbasin 165. The washbasin 165 is, for example, a wall-mounted type made of ceramic and attached to the wall W1. Alternatively, the washbasin 165 may be provided on the counter 162 of the sink 160.

The washbasin 165 has a bowl portion 166 (washbowl) and a wall portion 168. The bowl portion 166 has a downwardly curved, concave bowl surface 166c between the front end 166a and the rear end 166b. The bowl surface 166c receives water discharged from the spout 132. A drain hole 166d is provided at the bottom of the bowl surface 166c, and water discharged onto the bowl surface 166c is drained through the drain hole 166d.

In this embodiment, the wall portion 168 extends upward from the rear end 166b of the bowl portion 166. The wall portion 168 has a wall surface 168a (surface) facing toward the bowl portion 166. Note that a portion of the counter 162 may be provided between the wall portion 168 and the rear end 166b of the bowl portion 166.

The drying spout 30, the water spout 132, and the liquid soap spout 152 are each attached to a wall portion 168 located above the bowl portion 166. The drying spout 30, the water spout 132, and the liquid soap spout 152 are located above the bowl surface 166c and are aligned apart from each other in the left-right direction.

Each spout (drying spout 30, water spout 132, liquid soap spout 152) has a cylindrical or box-like appearance and is provided with a discharge port for discharging liquid or gas and an internal flow path for guiding the supplied liquid or gas to the discharge port. Each spout 30, 132, 152 extends forward from wall surface 168a.

In the description of this embodiment, the direction in which the drying spout 30 attached to the wall portion 168 protrudes from the wall surface 168a is referred to as "forward." In other words, "forward" is the direction in which the wall surface to which the drying spout 30 is attached faces. "Rear," "left side," and "right side" are directions seen from a user facing "forward." Furthermore, "upper" and "lower" are directions seen from a user standing in front of the drying spout 30.

Note that the mounting structure 90 to which the drying spout 30 of the hand dryer 100 according to this embodiment is attached does not necessarily have to be the washbasin 165. The mounting structure 90 may be, for example, an appropriately provided panel or cabinet. That is, the portion to which the drying spout 30 is attached may be the wall portion of a panel or cabinet located above the bowl portion 166. Note that in this embodiment, the space in front of the wall W1 and above the counter 162 in the washbasin unit 200 is the hand-washing space.

Furthermore, the wall portion to which the drying spout 30 is attached has a wall surface that extends vertically, for example. However, this wall surface is not limited to a surface that extends vertically, and may be inclined. For example, the angle between the direction in which the wall surface extends and the vertical direction is ±50° or less. In other words, the wall surface may be inclined within a range of ±50° with respect to the vertical direction.

The drying function unit 10, water function unit 134, and liquid soap function unit 154 are each located below the bowl portion 166 of the washbasin 165. In other words, the drying function unit 10, water function unit 134, and liquid soap function unit 154 are stored inside the washbasin 160. Maintenance of the drying function unit 10, water function unit 134, and liquid soap function unit 154 can be performed by opening the front door 164 of the washbasin 160. The drying function unit 10, water function unit 134, and liquid soap function unit 154 may also be located, for example, on the back side of the wall W1.

The water function unit 134 is, for example, an electric water heater and is connected to the water spout 132 via a water supply line 136. The liquid soap function unit 154 has, for example, a soapy water tank and a pump and is connected to the liquid soap spout 152 via an air supply line 156 and a liquid soap supply line 158.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical system and airflow path system of the hand dryer.
As shown in FIG. 3 , the hand dryer 100 includes a drying function unit 10 , an air duct 20 , and a drying spout 30 .

The drying function unit 10 is connected to the drying spout 30 via the air supply duct 20. The drying function unit 10 has a blower 12, a heater 14, and a control unit 16. The blower 12 is activated by detection by a human body detection sensor 60 provided in the drying spout 30. The blower 12 has, for example, a fan motor, and when activated, draws in air from outside and supplies it to the air supply duct 20. The blower 12 is connected to the control unit 16, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 16.

The heater 14 raises the temperature of the air (gas) supplied toward the drying spout 30. In other words, the heater 14 raises the temperature of the air (gas) supplied from the blower 12. The heater 14 is activated by detection by a human body detection sensor 60 provided in the drying spout 30. The heater 14 is provided as needed and can be omitted. The hand dryer 100 may blow unheated air supplied from the blower 12 from the drying spout 30. For example, a fin heater is used as the heater 14. The heater 14 may be any heater capable of heating the gas flowing from the blower 12 toward the drying spout 30. The heater 14 is connected to the control unit 16, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 16.

The control unit 16 controls the operation of the hand dryer 100. The control unit 16 is connected to a human body detection sensor 60 provided in the drying spout 30 via a signal line 18 and receives a detection signal from the human body detection sensor 60. The control unit 16 operates the blower 12 and heater 14 based on the detection by the human body detection sensor 60.

The air duct 20 connects the drying function unit 10 and the drying spout 30. The air duct 20 is a flexible duct made of, for example, resin. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air duct 20 extends vertically below the bowl portion 166. In other words, the air duct 20 extends vertically inside the washbasin 160. The lower end of the air duct 20 is connected to the drying function unit 10, and the upper end of the air duct 20 passes between the wall W1 and the wall portion 168 and is connected to the drying spout 30 (see Figure 11).

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bowl portion, the water spout, the liquid soap spout, and the drying spout in FIG. 1 as viewed from above.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bowl portion, the water spout, the liquid soap spout, and the drying spout, viewed obliquely from above.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the drying spout as seen obliquely from below.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the drying spout as seen from above.
FIG. 8 is a front view of the drying spout.
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the drying spout as seen from below.
FIG. 10 is a side view of the drying spout as seen from the left side.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the drying spout in FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction of arrows AA.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the drying spout as viewed from the direction of arrows BB in FIG.
FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the cover, the seal member, and the nozzle cover are removed from the nozzle of the drying spout.
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing the nozzle of the drying spout with the cover and spacer removed.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the state in which the drying spout is assembled.
6 to 10 and 13, the wall portion 168 is omitted.

The drying spout 30 has an air outlet 52 that blows out a wide shaped stream of air in the left-right direction toward the bowl portion 166. The wide shaped stream of air is intended to dry hands inserted below the drying spout 30. The air outlet 52 that blows out the wide shaped stream of air will be described later.

The drying spout 30 is attached to a wall portion 168 located above the bowl portion 166. Specifically, the drying spout 30 is attached to the wall portion 168 via a base 70 inserted through the wall portion 168 and a nut 72 attached to the base 70.

The drying spout 30 has a cover 32 that forms its outer shell. The cover 32 protrudes forward from the wall 168 of the bowl portion 166. That is, the cover 32 has a length in the front-to-rear direction of dimension L1. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end 32a of the cover 32 of the drying spout 30 is located rearward of the center of the bowl portion 166 in the front-to-rear direction. That is, the dimension L1 from the rear end 166b of the bowl portion 166 to the front end 32a of the cover 32 is shorter than half the dimension L2 from the rear end 166b to the front end 166a of the bowl portion 166 (L1 < L2/2). This reduces the feeling of oppression felt by the user even when the drying spout 30 protrudes from the wall 168.

In addition, in this embodiment, the front end 32a of the drying spout 30 is located at the same position as the front end of the water spout 132 and the front end of the liquid soap spout 152. This allows the washing unit 200 to have an improved appearance, as the drying spout 30, water spout 132, and liquid soap spout 152 are aligned in a straight line in the left-right direction.

In addition, the front end 32a of the drying spout 30, the front end of the water spout 132, and the front end of the liquid soap spout 152 are located behind the center of the bowl portion 166 in the front-to-rear direction (towards the wall portion 168). This prevents the hands from coming into contact with the drying spout 30, the water spout 132, and the liquid soap spout 152, for example, when shaking off the hands and letting the water fall into the bowl portion 166. This gives the user a compact and neat impression, and makes the hand dryer 100 easy to use.

The cover 32 is a box-shaped body having an upper surface 33, a front surface 34 extending downward from the front end of the upper surface 33, a left side surface 35 extending downward from the left end of the upper surface 33, a right side surface 36 extending downward from the right end of the upper surface 33, a lower surface 37 extending rearward from the lower end of the front surface 34, and an opening 38 provided at the rear opposite the front surface 34 in the front-to-rear direction.

As shown in Figure 2, the height of the upper surface 33 of the cover 32 is approximately the same as the height of the water spout 132 and the liquid soap spout 152. This gives the washbasin unit 200 a clean impression, improving its appearance.

The left side surface 35 and the right side surface 36 are convexly curved. The bottom surface 37 has a first extending portion 37a, a first inclined portion 37b, a second extending portion 37c, a second inclined portion 37d, and a third inclined portion 37e.

The first extending portion 37a extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion 34. The first inclined portion 37b inclines diagonally downward and rearward from the rear end of the first extending portion 37a. The second extending portion 37c extends rearward from the rear end of the first inclined portion 37b.

The second inclined portion 37d is located rearward of the first inclined portion 37b and inclines from the lower end of the left side surface 35 toward the second extending portion 37c. The second inclined portion 37d is inclined diagonally downward and to the right from the lower end of the left side surface 35. The third inclined portion 37e is located rearward of the first inclined portion 37b and inclines from the lower end of the right side surface 36 toward the second extending portion 37c. The third inclined portion 37e is inclined diagonally downward and to the left from the lower end of the right side surface 36. In other words, the second inclined portion 37d and the third inclined portion 37e are inclined so as to approach each other in the left-right direction from the top to the bottom. A through hole 37f is formed between the first extending portion 37a and the first inclined portion 37b. The through hole 37f penetrates the interior and exterior of the cover 32.

As shown in Figure 8, the cover 32 has a flat, box-like shape in which the horizontal dimension L4 from the left side surface 35 to the right side surface 36 is longer than the vertical dimension L3 from the top surface 33 to the second extension 37c (L3 < L4). This gives the drying spout 30 a thin, compact appearance, improving its appearance.

As shown in Figures 9, 11, and 13, the second extension portion 37c has an internal thread portion 37c1 that penetrates in the vertical direction. A setscrew 74 is threaded into this internal thread portion 37c1 to secure the drying spout 30 to the nut 72 and base 70.

As shown in FIG. 14, the second inclined portion 37d has an internal thread 37d1 extending in the front-to-rear direction on its inner surface. Meanwhile, the third inclined portion 37e has an internal thread 37e1 extending in the front-to-rear direction on its inner surface. The internal threads 37d1 and 37e1 are positioned symmetrically in the left-to-right direction. Screws 68 for securing the spacers 66 (described below) are threadedly engaged with the internal threads 37d1 and 37e1, respectively.

As shown in Figures 6 to 11, the underside 37 of the cover 32 has a first inclined portion 37b that slopes downward from the front to the rear. The length of the first inclined portion 37b in the front-to-rear direction is greater than the length of the first extending portion 37a and the length of the second extending portion 37c in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the cover 32 has a greater vertical height at the rear than at the front. In other words, the cover 32 is taller on the upstream side in the airflow direction than on the downstream side.

This allows the cover 32 to have a large vertical height (thickness) at the rear, ensuring sufficient space for the diffusion chamber 45, which will be described later. Furthermore, the cover 32's first inclined portion 37b reduces the height (thickness) of the front surface 34 that faces the user. Because the first inclined portion 37b slopes downward from the front to the rear, it is less visible to the user. This allows the hand dryer 100 to avoid creating a feeling of oppression for the user and to give the impression of being compact.

As shown in FIG. 10, the angle α of the first inclined portion 37b with the horizontal is greater than 0 degrees and is inclined in the range of 75 degrees or less (0 < α ≦ 75 degrees). This makes it difficult for the first inclined portion 37b to be seen by a user positioned in front of the washbasin 165, as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, the user is given the impression that the drying spout 30 is slim and compact. The angle α of the first inclined portion 37b with the horizontal can be set through experiments and simulations, taking into consideration, for example, design, air discharge performance, and protrusion dimension (L1). In this embodiment, the angle α of the first inclined portion 37b with the horizontal is 20 degrees.

The underside 37 of the cover 32 has a first extension 37a extending from the lower end of the front surface 34 toward the first inclined portion 37b. The first extension 37a connects the front surface 34 and the first inclined portion 37b. The first extension 37a extends from the lower end of the front surface 34 toward the first inclined portion 37b at an angle smaller than the angle α formed by the first inclined portion 37b. In this embodiment, the first extension 37a extends horizontally from the lower end of the front surface 34 toward the first inclined portion 37b. The first extension 37a has an air outlet 52 extending left and right through a through hole 37f.

The first extending portion 37a has a smaller inclination angle than the first inclined portion 37b, so even if a user positioned in front of the washbasin 165 is short, the first inclined portion 37b is less visible to the user. This gives the impression to more users that the drying spout 30 is slim and compact. The drying spout 30 also gives the impression of being slim and compact when viewed from the side.

The underside 37 of the cover 32 has a second extending portion 37c that extends rearward from the first inclined portion 37b. The second extending portion 37c extends rearward from the lower end of the first inclined portion 37b at an angle smaller than the angle α formed by the first inclined portion 37b. In this embodiment, the second extending portion 37c extends horizontally rearward from the lower end of the first inclined portion 37b.

The second extending portion 37c has a smaller inclination angle than the first inclined portion 37b, and therefore can prevent the vertical thickness at the rear side of the drying spout 30 from becoming unnecessarily large. In other words, even if the angle α of the first inclined portion 37b is increased to increase the vertical thickness at the rear side of the drying spout 30, the second extending portion 37c can prevent the vertical thickness at the rear end (wall portion 168 side) of the drying spout 30 from becoming unnecessarily large.

This makes it difficult for users positioned in front of the washbasin 165 to see the rear end of the first inclined portion 37b. This gives more users the impression that the drying spout 30 is slim and compact.

The second extension portion 37c also has a female thread 37c1 that penetrates vertically. A setscrew 74 for attaching the drying spout 30 to the wall portion 168 is threaded into this female thread 37c1. Because the second extension portion 37c has a smaller inclination angle than the first inclined portion 37b, the setscrew 74 is less visible to a user positioned in front of the washbasin 165. This improves the appearance of the drying spout 30.

The underside 37 of the cover 32 has a second inclined portion 37d and a third inclined portion 37e behind the first inclined portion 37b. As shown in Figures 8 and 15, the second inclined portion 37d and the third inclined portion 37e are inclined from top to bottom toward the center of the drying spout 30. This gives the drying spout 30 an overall shape of an inverted triangle. As a result, the drying spout 30 can be designed slimmer, improving its appearance.

The drying spout 30 has a cover 32, a nozzle 40 provided inside the cover 32, a human body detection sensor 60 that detects a hand inserted below the drying spout 30, and a spacer 66 that closes the opening 38 of the cover 32.

The nozzle 40 is stored inside the cover 32. The nozzle 40 has a connection portion 42 and a main body portion 44. The connection portion 42 is located at the rear of the nozzle 40, in the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the connection portion 42 is located on the upstream side of the nozzle 40 in the direction of airflow through the nozzle 40.

The connection part 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-rear direction. The outer diameter of the connection part 42 corresponds to the inner diameter of the air duct 20. The connection part 42 is connected to the air duct 20 inside the cover 32. As shown in Figures 11 and 13, the air duct 20 is fitted into the connection part 42 and fixed with a clamp 43. The inside of the connection part 42 allows the air supplied from the air duct 20 to flow toward the diffusion chamber 45.

The main body 44 is located in front of the connection part 42. The main body 44 is formed in a box shape with an open top. The main body 44 has a diffusion chamber 45, a barrier part 47, an air outlet 52, and a groove part 55.

The diffusion chamber 45 is connected to the connection part 42. The left-right dimension of the diffusion chamber 45 is larger than the inner diameter of the connection part 42. As a result, the air supplied from the connection part 42 to the diffusion chamber 45 is diffused in the diffusion chamber 45. In other words, the diffusion chamber 45 is located between the connection part 42 and the air outlet 52, and diffuses the air supplied from the connection part 42.

The bottom plate 44a of the main body 44 corresponds to the first inclined portion 37b of the cover 32 and extends diagonally upward from the connection portion 42. In other words, the bottom plate 44a serves as the bottom plate of the diffusion chamber 45. A recess 46 is formed in the bottom plate 44a, recessing upward toward the interior of the diffusion chamber 45.

As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the recess 46 is formed in the center of the diffusion chamber 45 in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. In other words, the diffusion chamber 45 has the center of the bottom plate 44a in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions protruding upward. The recess 46 houses the human body detection sensor 60, which will be described later.

The recess 46 has a front surface 46a, a rear surface (barrier portion 47), a left side surface 46b, a right side surface 46c, and a top surface 46d. The front surface 46a is located rearward of the air outlet 52 (described below). The left side surface 46b faces the left wall surface 45a of the diffusion chamber 45. The right side surface 46c faces the right wall surface 45b of the diffusion chamber 45. The top surface 46d faces the nozzle cover 58.

The diffusion chamber 45 has a barrier portion 47 provided in front of the connection portion 42. This barrier portion 47 forms the rear surface of the recess 46. The barrier portion 47 is the surface of the recess 46 that faces the connection portion 42 in the front-to-rear direction. The barrier portion 47 is located at a position where the wind supplied from the connection portion 42 to the diffusion chamber 45 collides.

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the barrier portion 47 has a protrusion 47a on its right end that protrudes rearward. That is, the barrier portion 47 is formed with a step in the left-right direction. The protrusion 47a is formed to allow the signal line 18 extending from the human body detection sensor 60 housed in the recess 46 to pass through. The barrier portion 47 does not have to have the protrusion 47a. That is, the barrier portion 47 may have a flat surface.

The barrier portion 47 is located rearward (toward the connection portion 42) from the center of the diffusion chamber 45 in the front-to-rear direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the dimension L5 in the front-to-rear direction from the connection portion 42 to the barrier portion 47 is shorter than half the dimension L6 from the connection portion 42 to the front end of the diffusion chamber 45 (L5 < L6/2).

In this way, the barrier portion 47 is located upstream in the direction of the wind flowing through the diffusion chamber 45. This allows the wind supplied from the connection portion 42 to collide with the barrier portion 47 early on and be efficiently diffused within the diffusion chamber 45. As a result, the diffusion chamber 45 can be filled evenly with wind (gas), allowing the wind blown out from the air outlet 52 to have a nearly uniform volume.

As shown in FIG. 12, the left-right dimension L7 of the barrier portion 47 is larger than the inner diameter L8 of the connection portion 42 (L7 > L8). The upper end of the barrier portion 47 is located higher than the upper end of the inner diameter of the connection portion 42. This allows all of the air supplied from the connection portion 42 to the diffusion chamber 45 to collide with the barrier portion 47. As a result, the diffusion chamber 45 can be efficiently filled with air (gas).

The diffusion chamber 45 has a first air passage 48 located on the left side of the barrier portion 47 and communicating with the air outlet 52, and a second air passage 49 located on the right side of the barrier portion 47 and communicating with the air outlet 52. The first air passage 48 is located between the left side surface 46b of the recess 46 and the left wall portion 45a of the diffusion chamber 45 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. On the other hand, the second air passage 49 is located between the right side surface 46c of the recess 46 and the right wall portion 45b of the diffusion chamber 45 and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

The diffusion chamber 45 also has a third air passage 50 that communicates with the air outlet 52 on one vertical side of the barrier portion 47. In this embodiment, the third air passage 50 is provided above the barrier portion 47. The third air passage 50 is located between the upper surface portion 46d of the recess 46 and the nozzle cover 58 and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

After the air supplied from the connection part 42 to the diffusion chamber 45 hits the barrier part 47, it flows into the first air passage 48, the second air passage 49, and the third air passage 50. In other words, the air supplied from the connection part 42 to the diffusion chamber 45 flows toward the front (air outlet 52) from three directions: both the left and right sides and the upper center. This allows the air blown out from the air outlet 52 to have a nearly uniform volume.

As shown in FIG. 12, the total cross-sectional area of the first air passage 48 and the second air passage 49 at the position of the barrier portion 47 (the sum of areas S1 and S2 surrounded by the two-dot chain line) is larger than the total cross-sectional area of the third air passage 50 at the position of the barrier portion 47 (area S3 surrounded by the one-dot chain line). This allows air to flow efficiently into the left and right first air passages 48 and second air passages 49 located away from the connection portion 42, thereby making it possible to achieve a more uniform air volume blown out from the air outlet 52.

The air outlet 52 is located on the front end side of the main body 44, at a position corresponding to the first extension 37a of the cover 32. The air outlet 52 is connected to the diffusion chamber 45. As shown in FIG. 11, the air outlet 52 is inclined diagonally downward and forward from the diffusion chamber 45. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 11, the air outlet 52 blows out air F diagonally downward and forward. This allows the user to dry their hands in the center of the bowl portion 166 in the front-to-rear direction, without having to insert their hands all the way to the back (towards the wall portion 168).

As shown in Figures 9 and 13, the air outlet 52 has a horizontally elongated shape extending in the left-right direction. The left-right length dimension L9 of the air outlet 52 is greater than the inner diameter L8 of the connection portion 42 (L9 > L8). If the barrier portion 47 were not present in the diffusion chamber 45, the amount of air supplied from the connection portion 42 to the diffusion chamber 45 would be greater in a straight line moving forward, which could result in the air blowing out from the center of the air outlet 52 being stronger than the air blowing out from either side.

In such cases, it may be possible to make the air blown out from the air outlet 52 uniform by increasing the length of the diffusion chamber 45 in the front-to-rear direction. However, in such cases, there is a risk that the force of the air blown out from the air outlet 52 will be weakened. In addition, the drying spout 30 would have to protrude significantly forward from the wall portion 168 (mounting structure 90), which could result in an unsightly appearance.

For this reason, the diffusion chamber 45 is provided with a barrier portion 47. This allows the air to come into contact with the barrier portion 47 and be effectively diffused throughout the diffusion chamber 45, even if the length of the diffusion chamber 45 in the front-to-rear direction is reduced. As a result, the air outlet 52 blows out a wide-shaped airflow with a nearly uniform volume toward the bowl portion 166. By blowing out a wide-shaped airflow, the drying spout 30 can efficiently dry both hands, for example.

The air outlet 52 is divided by multiple partition plates 53. These partition plates 53 straighten the air flowing through the air outlet 52. For example, if the partition plates 53 were not provided, there was a risk of abnormal noise being generated due to turbulence generated around the air outlet 52. On the other hand, if there were too many partition plates 53, there was a risk of the force and volume of the air blowing out of the air outlet 52 becoming weaker. The number of partition plates 53 was determined through experiments and simulations, taking into consideration the generation of abnormal noise and the force and volume of the air.

A groove 55 is formed at the top end of the main body 44, surrounding the periphery of the diffusion chamber 45. A seal member 57 is fitted into this groove 55. The seal member 57 prevents air (gas) from escaping from the diffusion chamber 45 to the outside. The top of the main body 44 is closed off by screwing in a nozzle cover 58.

The human body detection sensor 60 detects a human body (hand) inserted below the drying spout 30. This human body detection sensor 60 is positioned on the first inclined portion 37b so that the detection range D faces diagonally downward and forward. Specifically, the human body detection sensor 60 is located above the first inclined portion 37b and housed in the recess 46 of the nozzle 40. In other words, the human body detection sensor 60 is positioned between the first inclined portion 37b and the bottom plate 44a of the nozzle 40.

The human body detection sensor 60 may be, for example, a reflective optical sensor. However, the human body detection sensor 60 is not limited to this and may be any sensor capable of detecting the user's hand. The human body detection sensor 60 may be, for example, a distance sensor, pyroelectric sensor, capacitance sensor, ultrasonic sensor, microwave sensor, etc.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the detection range D of the human body detection sensor 60 has a maximum directivity direction D1 that faces diagonally downward and forward. The maximum directivity direction D1 is the part of the detection range D where the sensitivity is greatest, and is, for example, the center line of the detection range D. When a human body (hand) is inserted into the detection range D, the human body detection sensor 60 transmits a detection signal to the control unit 16.

As shown in FIG. 11, the human body detection sensor 60 is positioned, for example, along the inclined surface of the first inclined portion 37b, with its lower surface facing diagonally downward and forward. By positioning the human body detection sensor 60 using the inclined surface of the first inclined portion 37b in this way, the detection range D can be directed diagonally downward and forward. This allows the drying spout 30 to have an improved design and can efficiently detect a hand inserted below the drying spout 30.

The human body detection sensor 60 is positioned closer to the wall 168 (rearward) than the air outlet 52. This allows the user to insert their hand further back than the air outlet 52, allowing the air blowing out from the air outlet 52 to be directed efficiently at the hand. This allows the entire hand to be dried efficiently.

The human body detection sensor 60 is positioned forward of the center of the drying spout 30 (cover 32) in the front-to-back direction (dash-dotted line O-O in Figure 11). In other words, the human body detection sensor 60 is positioned forward of the center of the drying spout 30 in the front-to-back direction and rearward of the air outlet 52.

This allows the human body detection sensor 60 to keep its detection range D at an appropriate distance from the wall 168. As a result, when a user inserts their hand below the drying spout 30, the hand is prevented from touching the wall 168, which could cause discomfort to the user. Furthermore, when a user inserts their hand below the drying spout 30, air can be blown out of the air outlet 52 quickly, making the hand dryer 100 easy to use.

The first sensor cover 62 is located below the human body detection sensor 60 and engages with the recess 46. The first sensor cover 62 is formed, for example, from a material that is transparent to the radio waves of the human body detection sensor 60, and closes off the lower part of the recess 46.

The second sensor cover 64 is located below the first sensor cover 62 and is screwed to the nozzle 40. The second sensor cover 64 closes the through-hole 37f of the first inclined portion 37b, leaving the underside of the first sensor cover 62 exposed to the outside. An air outlet 52 is provided in front of the second sensor cover 64. The first sensor cover 62 and second sensor cover 64 may also be provided as a single unit.

The spacer 66 closes the opening 38 of the cover 32. As shown in Figure 14, the outer shape of the spacer 66 corresponds to the opening 38 of the cover 32, and an insertion hole 66a is formed in the center through which the air duct 20 passes.

The spacer 66 is attached to the cover 32 by threading the screw 68 into the female thread portion 37d1 and the female thread portion 37e1, respectively. This prevents the nozzle 40 from falling out of the opening 38. Furthermore, the spacer 66 prevents deformation of the cover 32 by contacting the cover 32, for example, when an external force is applied to the cover 32.

Thus, the hand dryer 100 according to this embodiment comprises a drying spout 30 attached to a wall portion 168 located above the bowl portion 166 and having an air outlet 52 that blows a wide shaped air stream toward the bowl portion 166; a drying function portion 10 having a blower 12 that supplies air toward the drying spout 30; and an air supply duct 20 that connects the drying function portion 10 and the drying spout 30. The drying spout 30 has a flat, box-shaped cover 32 that forms its outer shell. The cover 32 has an upper surface 33, a front surface 34 that extends downward from the front end of the upper surface 33, and a lower surface 37 that extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface 34. The lower surface 37 has a first inclined portion 37b that slopes downward from the front to the rear.

As a result, the height (thickness) of the front surface 34 of the cover 32, which faces the user, is reduced by the first inclined portion 37b. Furthermore, because the first inclined portion 37b slopes downward from the front to the rear, it is less visible to the user. This prevents the drying spout 30 from feeling oppressive to the user and gives the impression of being compact.

The drying spout 30 also includes a human body detection sensor 60 that detects a human body. The human body detection sensor 60 is positioned on the first inclined portion 37b so that the detection range D faces diagonally downward and forward. By positioning the human body detection sensor 60 using the inclined surface of the first inclined portion 37b, the detection range D can be directed diagonally downward and forward. As a result, the drying spout 30 has an improved design and can efficiently detect a hand inserted below the drying spout 30.

In addition, the human body detection sensor 60 is positioned closer to the wall portion 168 than the air outlet 52. This allows the hand to be inserted further back than the air outlet 52, so the air blowing out from the air outlet 52 can be efficiently directed at the hand. This allows the entire hand to be dried efficiently.

Furthermore, the human body detection sensor 60 is positioned forward of the center of the drying spout 30 in the front-to-rear direction (dash-dotted line O-O in Figure 11). This allows the human body detection sensor 60 to have its detection range D appropriately separated from the wall 168. As a result, when a hand is inserted below the drying spout 30, the hand is prevented from touching the wall 168, which could cause discomfort to the user. Furthermore, when a hand is inserted below the drying spout 30, air can be blown out of the air outlet 52 early, making the hand dryer 100 easy to use.

The underside 37 of the cover 32 also has a first extension 37a that extends from the bottom end of the front side 34 toward the first inclined portion 37b. This makes it less likely for the user to see the first inclined portion 37b, even if the user positioned in front of the washbasin 165 is short. This gives the impression to more users that the drying spout 30 is slim and compact. The drying spout 30 also gives the impression of being slim and compact when viewed from the side.

The underside 37 of the cover 32 also has a second extension 37c that extends rearward from the first inclined portion 37b. This prevents the vertical thickness of the rear side of the drying spout 30 from becoming unnecessarily large. In other words, even if the inclination angle of the first inclined portion 37b is increased to increase the vertical thickness of the rear side of the drying spout 30, the second extension 37c prevents the vertical thickness of the rear end (wall portion 168 side) of the drying spout 30 from becoming unnecessarily large. Furthermore, the second extension 37c makes the rear end side of the first inclined portion 37b less visible to users positioned in front of the bowl portion 166. This allows more users to see the drying spout 30 as being slim and compact.

The cover 32 also has a left side surface portion 35 extending downward from the left end of the upper surface portion 33, and a right side surface portion 36 extending downward from the right end of the upper surface portion 33. The lower surface portion 37 of the cover 32 has a second inclined portion 37d located rearward of the first inclined portion 37b and extending diagonally downward to the right from the bottom end of the left side surface portion 35, and a third inclined portion 37e located rearward of the first inclined portion 37b and extending diagonally downward to the left from the bottom end of the right side surface portion 36.

As a result, the overall shape of the cover 32 of the drying spout 30 is an inverted triangle. As a result, the drying spout 30 can have a slimmer design, improving its appearance.

Furthermore, the first inclined portion 37b is inclined at an angle between 0 degrees and 75 degrees from the horizontal. This makes it difficult for a user positioned in front of the bowl portion 166 to see the first inclined portion 37b. As a result, the user is given the impression that the drying spout 30 is slim and compact.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 11, showing a drying spout according to a modified example of the present invention.
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which a recess 46 is provided in the diffusion chamber 45 and the human body detection sensor 60 is housed in this recess 46. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the modified example shown in Fig. 16, the human body detection sensor 83 may be disposed between the bottom plate 81 of the diffusion chamber 80 and the first inclined portion 82 of the cover 32 without providing a recess in the diffusion chamber 80. In the modified example shown in Fig. 16, a screw seat 85 for screwing the nozzle cover 84 to the diffusion chamber 80 protrudes from the bottom plate 81 toward the inside of the diffusion chamber 80. A rear surface 85a of the screw seat 85 serves as a barrier.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the human body detection sensor 60 was placed on the first inclined portion 37b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the human body detection sensor 60 may be placed, for example, in front of the air outlet 52 or on the wall portion 168. In other words, the human body detection sensor can be placed in any position as long as it can detect a hand inserted below the drying spout 30.

In the above-described embodiment, the underside 37 of the cover 32 has the first extending portion 37a, the first inclined portion 37b, and the second extending portion 37c. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the underside 37 of the cover 32 may have at least the first inclined portion. That is, the first inclined portion may extend from the lower end of the front surface 34 of the cover 32 to the rear end of the cover 32, or the first inclined portion may extend from the rear end of the first extending portion 37a to the rear end of the cover 32, or the first inclined portion may extend from the lower end of the front surface 34 of the cover 32 to the second extending portion.

The above describes embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. Design modifications made by a person skilled in the art to the above-described embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, dimensions, materials, and placement of each element of a hand dryer 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 within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the features of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Drying function section 12 Fan 14 Heater 16 Control section 18 Signal line 20 Air supply duct 30 Drying spout 32 Cover 32a Front end 33 Upper surface section 34 Front surface section 35 Left side surface section 36 Right side surface section 37 Lower surface section 37a First extension section 37b First inclined section 37c Second extension section 37c1 Female thread section 37d Second inclined section 37d1 Female thread section 37e Third inclined section 37e1 Female thread section 37f Through hole 38 Opening section 40 Nozzle 42 Connection section 43 Clamp 44 Main body section 44a Bottom plate 45 Diffusion chamber 45a Left wall section 45b Right wall section 46 Recess 46a Front surface section 46b Left side surface section 46c Right side surface portion 46d Top surface portion 47 Barrier portion 47a Projection portion 48 First air passage 49 Second air passage 50 Third air passage 52 Air outlet 53 Partition plate 55 Groove portion 57 Sealing member 58 Nozzle cover 60 Human body detection sensor 62 First sensor cover 64 Second sensor cover 66 Spacer 66a Insertion hole 68 Screw 70 Base 72 Nut 74 Set screw 80 Diffusion chamber 81 Bottom plate 82 First inclined portion 83 Human body detection sensor 84 Nozzle cover 85 Screw seat 85a Rear surface portion 90 Mounting structure 100 Hand dryer 130 Water discharge device 132 Water discharge spout 134 Water function portion 136 Water supply pipe 150 Liquid soap discharge device 152 Liquid soap spout 154 Liquid soap function part 156 Air supply pipe 158 Liquid soap supply pipe 160 Washstand 162 Counter 164 Front door 165 Washbasin 166 Bowl part 166a Front end 166b Rear end 166c Bowl surface 166d Drain hole 168 Wall part 168a Wall surface 200 Washbasin unit W1 Wall

Claims (7)

a drying spout attached to a wall portion located above the bowl portion and having an air outlet that blows out a wide-shaped airflow toward the bowl portion;
A drying function unit having a blower that supplies air toward the drying spout;
an air supply duct connecting the drying function unit and the drying spout,
The drying spout has a box-shaped, flat cover that forms an outer shell,
The cover is
An upper surface portion;
a front surface portion extending downward from a front end of the upper surface portion;
a lower surface portion extending rearward from a lower end of the front surface portion;
a left side surface portion extending downward from the left end of the upper surface portion;
a right side surface portion extending downward from a right end of the upper surface portion;
and
The lower surface portion is
a first inclined portion inclined downward from the front to the rear ;
a second inclined portion located rearward of the first inclined portion and extending obliquely downward to the right from a lower end of the left side surface portion;
a third inclined portion located behind the first inclined portion and extending diagonally downward to the left from the lower end of the right side surface portion . Further provided with a human body detection sensor for detecting a human body,
The hand dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the human body detection sensor is disposed on the first inclined portion so that a detection range faces downward and diagonally forward. The hand dryer described in claim 2, characterized in that the human body detection sensor is located closer to the wall portion than the air outlet. The hand dryer described in claim 3, characterized in that the human body detection sensor is positioned forward of the center of the drying spout in the front-to-rear direction. A hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lower surface of the cover has a first extension extending from the lower end of the front surface toward the first inclined portion. A hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the underside of the cover has a second extension extending rearward from the first inclined portion. The hand dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the first inclined portion is inclined such that an angle between the first inclined portion and the horizontal is in the range of more than 0 degrees and not more than 75 degrees.