GB2358350A

GB2358350A - Hand drier with ozone producing electrostatic field

Info

Publication number: GB2358350A
Application number: GB0001115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Richard Hallam; David Scott Mcdougall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-01-19
Filing date: 2000-01-19
Publication date: 2001-07-25
Also published as: GB0001115D0

Abstract

An electrostatic field within the hair drier converts some of the oxygen passing through it in to ozone. The electrostatic field is produced, between a filter 16 and the outlet 12, by a corona unit 19. The corona discharge unit 19 comprises a tube of quartz glass 20 sandwiched between tubes of stainless steel mesh 21, 22. The bimedial filter 16 has electrostatic and activated carbon components. The drying ozone has bactericidal properties.

Description

2358350 HAND DRYER This invention concerns a hand dryer of the kind

(hereinafter termed of the kind referred to) which emits a jet of heated air onto the hands of the user who will ordinarily rub his hands together in the jet. Usually a dryer of the kind referred to will have a manually adjustable flap to direct the jet upwardly to enable drying of the face.

Known hand dryers of the kind referred to generally have a nozzle of quite small dimension which becomes contaminated with bacteria deflectd backwardly by the jet from the hands of a user, which bacteria can then be transferred to the hands of a subsequent user.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand dryer of the kind r eferred to, which overcomes, at lease to some extent, the problem aforesaid.

According to the present invention, there is provided a hand dryer of the kind referred to wherein the air leaving the dryer is first passed through an electrostatic field to convert some of the oxygen therein to ozone.

Ozone has well-known bactericidal properties and also, surprisingly, is a most effective drying agent enabling the temperature of the jet to be lower than required for untreated air for similar effect.

The invention will be fizffier apparent from the following description, with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing which show, by way of example only, one form of hand dryer embodying same.

Of the drawing:- Figure I shows a front view of the dryer; Figure 2 shows a side view of the dryer; and Figure 3 shows a cross-section through the dryei.il on the line III - III of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the hand dryer con-t 14e, a prisniatic housing 10 of generally triangular cross-section.

The downwardly angled lower wall I I of the housing 10 p resents a slo t1( nozzle 12 of extended length through which a heated jet may be emitted to dry the & of a user which need not be bunched together as necessary with many convent'i a dryers in view of the extended length.

The nozzle 12 is provided with a manually adjustable flap 13 which 'be moved to direct the jet upwardly for drying the face.

Within the housing 10 are two fans 14, which draw air through a gri)lc ll 5 in the top wall 16 of the housing 10 and a filter 16 mounted behind the grille 15 an(JI c I heating elements 17 for discharge through the nozzle 12. The filter 16 is bin Oal i I comprising an electrostatic filter and an activated carbon filter.

The fans 14 operate automatically in response to the presence of the 4,a ds or face adjacent the nozzle 12 as determined by proximity sensors (not shown).

Between the fans 14 and nozzle 12 is a chamber 18 containing a corona unit 19 which is operated, again by the proximity sensors, to establish a powerful electrostatic field to convert oxygen in the air stream into ozone.

The corona unit 19 comprises a tube 20 of quartz glass sandwiched between tubes 21 and 22 of stainless steel mesh. When the unit 19 is operating, typically a current of 9mA at 4kv flows between the tubes 21 and 22.

The ozone enrichedjet has known bactericidal properties and has enhanced drying properties enabling the jet temperature to be reduced for similar effect when compared with a conventional dryer.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A hand dryer wherein the air leaving the dryer is first passed throu1 jan electrostatic field to convert some of the oxygen therein to ozone.

2. An electric hand dryer in which the air leaving the dryer when opel ng 01 in a hand drying mode is first passed through an electrostatic field to convert so'h'll the oxygen therein to ozone.

3. A hand dryer as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the ozone enrich d et temperature is lower for similar effect when compared with a conventional dryet.

4. A hand dryer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the electrostatic field is generated by a corona unit. 1 i

5. A hand dryer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the electrostatic field is generated by a corona unit. located within the dryer in the pail f a fan-induced air flow through the dryer.

6. A hand dryer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 in which air is!: drawn into the dryer and passes through a filter.

7. A hand dryer as claimed in Claim 6 when dependent on Claim 5 in which the filter is upstream of the corona unit.

8. A hand dryer as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 in which the filter is a bime! j 1 filter comprising an electrostatic filter and an activated carbon filter.

4 - jr-

9. A hand dryer as claimed in Claim 5 or 7 in which the corona unit comprises a tube of quartz glass sandwiched between tubes of stainless steel mesh.

10. A method of drying the hands using a hand dryer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9.

11. A method of drying the hands at reduced temperature compared with conventional hand dryers, comprising using a hand dryer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9.

12. A hand dryer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.