Hand Dryer Fan Mounting for Vibration and Noise Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hand dryers in public washrooms generate excessive noise due to motor-driven fan units that are subject to vibration, which is undesirable in commercial environments.
Innovation Solution
A hand dryer design featuring a motor-driven fan unit supported by a resilient support member with a small contact area, combined with an inflatable mount that provides pneumatic support and reduces vibration transmission, effectively soft-mounting the fan unit to minimize noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a motor-driven fan unit is used to generate high velocity airflow for hand drying, then the drying effectiveness is improved, but vibration and noise are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces resilient support members as intermediary elements between the fan unit and the hand dryer housing. These support members act as mediators that transmit necessary mechanical support while filtering out harmful vibrations and noise, allowing the fan unit to operate at high velocities for effective drying without transmitting excessive noise to the surrounding environment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic isolation by introducing air into the resilient support members, creating a pneumatic cushion that further reduces vibration transmission. This pneumatic element works in conjunction with the resilient material to provide enhanced isolation between the vibrating fan unit and the hand dryer structure, maintaining drying effectiveness while reducing noise
2Stability of the object's composition
If the fan unit is rigidly mounted to the hand dryer structure, then structural stability is improved, but vibration transmission increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the mounting system by replacing rigid connections with resilient support members having specific elasticity and damping characteristics. This parameter change allows the system to maintain structural stability through the resilient properties of the support members while simultaneously reducing vibration transmission through their energy-absorbing capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient support members are constructed from composite materials that combine rigid structural elements with vibration-damping materials. This composite structure provides both the structural stability needed to support the fan unit and the vibration isolation properties needed to reduce noise transmission to the hand dryer housing
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
The solution significantly reduces noise transmission by limiting vibration external to the fan unit while maintaining high airflow velocities for effective hand drying, particularly beneficial in high-pressure hand dryers.
Implementation Method 1
the support member having a vertex, which vertex makes said contact with the fan unit. The resilient support member provides a soft-mounting contact for the fan unit
Implementation Method 2
an inflatable mount secured to a fixed part of the hand dryer, the mount comprising at least one inflatable duct connecting the fan outlet to the air outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A hand dryer for drying a user's hands by means of an airflow discharged through an air outlet on the hand dryer. The airflow is generated by a motor-driven fan unit. The fan unit is supported by resilient support member in contact with the fan unit, the support member having a vertex, which vertex makes said contact with the fan unit.