Hand dryer
A hand dryer is equipped with a hand insertion area ( 10 ), having a width that is able to accommodate hands, a high-pressure air generator ( 2 ), which generates a high-pressure airflow, discharge nozzles (N 1 , N 2 ), which are disposed in the upper surface of the hand insertion area ( 10 ) and blow the high-pressure airflow, an exhaust duct ( 4 ), which is connected between the exhaust side of the high-pressure air generator ( 2 ) and the discharge nozzles (N 1 , N 2 ), an ejection port ( 23 ), which opens to the space surrounding the hand dryer, a switching damper ( 24 ), which opens a portion of the exhaust duct ( 4 ) and is connected to the ejection port ( 23 ), and an ion generator ( 22 ), which generates ions having sterilization action into the high-pressure airflow passing through the exhaust duct ( 4 ) on the upstream side of the switching damper ( 24 ).
1. A hand dryer that blows out a high-pressure airflow generated by a high-pressure air generator into a hand insertion area which is so sized as to be able to accommodate a hand, to have moisture that is adhered on the hand blown away inside the hand insertion area by kinetic energy of the high-pressure airflow,
the hand dryer comprising:
an ejection port that opens to a space around the hand dryer;
a switching damper that is provided to be openable and closable and that, in an open state thereof, opens part of an airflow path extending from the high-pressure air generator to the hand insertion area to make the airflow path communicate with the ejection port; and
an ion generator that generates ions having a sterilization function in the high-pressure airflow flowing at an upstream side of the switching damper in the airflow path.
2. A hand dryer, comprising:
a hand insertion area which is so sized as to be able to accommodate a hand;
a high-pressure air generator that generates a high-pressure airflow;
a discharge nozzle that is provided in an upper surface of the hand insertion area and blows out a high-pressure airflow;
an exhaust duct that is connected between an exhaust side of the high-pressure air generator and the discharge nozzle;
an ejection port that opens to a space around the hand dryer;
a switching damper that opens part of the exhaust duct to make the exhaust duct communicate with the ejection port; and
an ion generator that generates ions having a sterilization function in the high-pressure airflow flowing at an upstream side of the switching damper in the exhaust duct.
3. The hand dryer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hand detecting sensor that detects a hand inserted into the hand insertion area,
wherein,
when the hand detecting sensor detects a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated with the switching damper closed, and the ion generator is driven; and
when the hand detecting sensor does not detect a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated with the switching damper opened, and the ion generator is driven.
4. The hand dryer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hand detecting sensor that detects a hand inserted into the hand insertion area,
wherein
a power stage of the high-pressure air generator is switchable between two power stages of a high power stage and a low power stage;
when the hand detecting sensor detects a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated in the high power stage with the switching damper closed, and the ion generator is driven; and
when the hand detecting sensor does not detect a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated in the low power stage with the switching damper opened, and the ion generator is driven.
5. The hand dryer of claim 4 , further comprising:
a timer,
wherein
the timer starts counting time at a time point when the hand detecting sensor stops detecting the hand, and the high-pressure air generator is operated in the high power stage until a predetermined period of time elapses after the time point.
6. The hand dryer of claim 4 , further comprising:
an ion sensor,
wherein
the ion sensor starts detecting ion concentration at a time point when the hand detecting sensor stops detecting the hand, and the high-pressure air generator is operated in the high power stage until a predetermined level of ion concentration is detected.
7. A hand dryer of claim 1 ,
wherein
the ions having the sterilization function mainly include H + (H 2 O) m ions as positive ions and O 2 − (H 2 O) n ions as negative ions.
8. The hand dryer of claim 2 , further comprising:
a hand detecting sensor that detects a hand inserted into the hand insertion area,
wherein,
when the hand detecting sensor detects a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated with the switching damper closed, and the ion generator is driven; and
when the hand detecting sensor does not detect a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated with the switching damper opened, and the ion generator is driven.
9. The hand dryer of claim 2 , further comprising:
a hand detecting sensor that detects a hand inserted into the hand insertion area,
wherein
a power stage of the high-pressure air generator is switchable between two power stages of a high power stage and a low power stage;
when the hand detecting sensor detects a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated in the high power stage with the switching damper closed, and the ion generator is driven; and
when the hand detecting sensor does not detect a hand, the high-pressure air generator is operated in the low power stage with the switching damper opened, and the ion generator is driven.
10. A hand dryer of claim 2 ,
wherein
the ions having the sterilization function mainly include H + (H 2 O) m ions as positive ions and O 2 − (H 2 O) n ions as negative ions.
11. A hand dryer of claim 3 ,
wherein
the ions having the sterilization function mainly include H + (H 2 O) m ions as positive ions and O 2 − (H 2 O) n ions as negative ions.
12. A hand dryer of claim 4 ,
wherein
the ions having the sterilization function mainly include H + (H 2 O) m ions as positive ions and O 2 − (H 2 O) n ions as negative ions.
13. A hand dryer of claim 5 ,
wherein
the ions having the sterilization function mainly include H + (H 2 O) m ions as positive ions and O 2 − (H 2 O) n ions as negative ions.
14. A hand dryer of claim 6 ,
wherein
the ions having the sterilization function mainly include H + (H 2 O) m ions as positive ions and O 2 − (H 2 O) n ions as negative ions.