Drying device to facilitate glove placement

1 . A hand drying device, comprising:

a head unit including

an outlet port adapted to eject only airflow into an environment in a direction accessible to hands of a user, the outlet port adapted to be stationary and touchless during use;

an activation switch configured to receive a user activation to initiate ejection of the airflow;

a supply port coupled to the outlet port and adapted to receive the airflow; and

a mounting bracket adapted to mount the head unit to a tool bar of a dental delivery unit;

an air delivery system including

an air valve configured to be coupled to an air tank, the air tank configured to supply the airflow, the air valve adapted to open to allow the airflow from the air tank to pass to the supply port of the head unit in response to an activation event; and

a device or circuitry configured to receive the user activation, to effect the activation event to open the air valve in response to the user activation to cause the airflow to pass continuously to the supply port while activated and configured to effect a deactivation event to close the air valve to stop the airflow while deactivated; and

an air tube that couples the air valve to the supply port.

2 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the activation switch is a momentary contact switch.

3 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the activation switch is a foot-activated switch.

4 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the activation switch is a motion-activated switch.

5 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the air valve includes an air solenoid valve.

6 . The hand drying device of claim 5 , wherein the device or circuitry is a timer device that includes a programmable timer circuit.

7 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the air delivery system and the head unit are contained in separate housings.

8 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , further comprising an air supply system including the air tank and an air compressor coupled to the air tank, the air compressor configured to pressurize air for storage in the air tank.

9 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , further comprising a constrictor coupled to the air tube, the constrictor adapted to adjust a pressure of the airflow to the supply port.

10 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , further comprising a diffuser coupled to the outlet port, the diffuser adapted to diffuse the airflow into the environment.

11 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the air tank is a stand-alone air tank located in a dental office.

12 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the air tank is coupled to a stand-alone air compressor located in a dental office.

13 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the hand drying device is a portable unit.

14 . The hand drying device of claim 1 , wherein the air valve is a mechanical air valve, and wherein the device or circuitry is a timer device including a spring mechanism for controlling the mechanical air valve.

15 . The hand drying device of claim 14 , wherein the mechanical air valve includes a piston, and wherein activation of the activation switch causes the piston to compress the spring mechanism.

16 . The hand drying device of claim 14 , wherein the timer device includes an orifice formed in a cylinder body housing the spring mechanism, a size of the orifice determining an amount of restricted airflow acting against a spring force of the spring mechanism.

17 . The hand drying device of claim 16 , the size of the orifice being proportional to a repeatable time delay corresponding to a duration of time required for the spring mechanism to transition from a most compressed state achieved after activation of the activation switch to a state in which an air passage formed in the piston is no longer aligned with an air inlet and an air outlet of the mechanical air valve.