Hand dryer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hand dryers direct airflow towards the user's lower body after collision with the hand, causing discomfort and noise due to airflow hitting the body and wind direction changes without hand collision.
Innovation Solution
A hand dryer design featuring a nozzle and a wind direction changing part positioned to avoid direct collision of airflow not subjected to hand collision, redirecting airflow away from the user and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drying space is located lower than the shoulders of users so that users easily insert their hands, then the hand dryer is easy to operate, but the airflow after collision with the hand flows toward the user's lower body causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wind direction changing part that redirects the airflow in a different spatial direction after it leaves the nozzle. Instead of allowing the airflow to naturally follow the hand's oblique downward trajectory, the wind direction changing part deflects it upward or sideways, changing the flow dimension and preventing contact with the user's lower body while maintaining the original nozzle positioning for ease of operation.
2Productivity
If a reflecting plate is provided below the airflow nozzle to define a drying space, then the drying space is properly formed, but airflow directly collides with the reflecting plate causing noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wind direction changing function from the traditional reflecting plate configuration. Instead of using a reflecting plate that directly intercepts the airflow path (causing noise), the wind direction changing part is positioned and shaped to gently redirect the airflow after it has already left the nozzle, separating the drying space formation function from the airflow interception function and eliminating direct collision noise.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the wind direction changing part is positioned to redirect airflow away from the user, then user comfort is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The wind direction changing part is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it redirects the airflow away from the user's lower body, defines the boundary of the drying space, and prevents direct collision with the reflecting plate. By combining these functions into a single component, the patent reduces overall structural complexity while achieving the desired airflow control and user comfort.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces airflow discomfort for the user and noise by redirecting airflow away from the user's body and minimizing direct collisions with the wind direction changing part.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle (10) for blowing out an airflow toward a drying space
Implementation Method 2
a wind direction changing part (4b) that changes a direction of the airflow blown out from the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
A hand dryer includes a nozzle for blowing out an airflow toward a drying space, which is open at the front and the left and right sides so that hands can be freely inserted and withdrawn, and a wind direction changing part that changes a direction of the airflow blown out vertically downward from the nozzle. The wind direction changing part is so positioned as to be shifted rearward in a front-back direction from a position on an extension of a blow direction of the nozzle. While the airflow is being blown out vertically downward from the nozzle, the wind direction changing part and the nozzle do not directly face each other.