# US 10,765,275 B2 · Hand dryer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,765,275 B2 - Document ID: US10765275B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/559,185 - Filed: 2015-09-01 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-07 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Kenji Sawabe; Toshihiko Horii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765275B2 ## CPC - A47K 10/48: Drying by means of hot air - B05B 1/262: {with fixed deflectors} - F26B 21/50: Ducting arrangements from the source of air or other gases to the materials or objects being dried - A47K: SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## Abstract 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toward a drying space, which is open at the front and the left and right sides so that hands can be freely inserted and withdrawn, and a wind direction changing part that changes a direction of the airflow blown out vertically downward from the nozzle.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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hand dryer comprising: an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion extending from a lower-most end of the upper portion to a lower-most end of the hand dryer, the upper portion extending to a first front-most end of the hand dryer at the upper portion, and the lower portion extending to a second front-most end of the hand dryer at the lower portion, a nozzle located at the upper portion of the hand dryer and configured to blow out an airflow toward a drying space, from a start of an airflow blowing operation to an end of the airflow blowing operation; and a wind direction changing part configured to change a direction of the airflow blown out from the nozzle into the drying space, the wind direction changing part being located at the lower portion of the hand dryer and extending to the second front-most end of the hand dryer at the lower portion, wherein, in a front view of the hand dryer, the wind direction changing part slopes obliquely toward at least one lateral side of the wind direction changing part, and wherein while the airflow is being blown out from the nozzle, at least at the start of the airflow blowing operation, the wind direction changing part and the nozzle do not directly face each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the drying space is open at least at the front, and the wind direction changing part is located rearward of the nozzle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hand dryer according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is provided in a casing forming an outer shell, and the wind direction changing part is placed rearward of, and does not extend beyond, a position at a distance of half of a distance between a first front-most end of the casing and a rear-most end of the casing along a front-back direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hand dryer according to claim 3, wherein the size along the front-back direction of the casing is 100 mm or less. ### Claim 5 A hand dryer comprising: an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion extending from a lower-most end of the upper portion to a lower-most end of the hand dryer, the upper portion extending to a first front-most end of the hand dryer at the upper portion, and the lower portion extending to a second front-most end of the hand dryer at the lower portion, a nozzle located at the upper portion of the hand dryer and configured to blow out an airflow toward a drying space, from a start of an airflow blowing operation to an end of the airflow blowing operation; and a wind direction changing part configured to change a direction of the airflow blown out from the nozzle into the drying space, the wind direction changing part being located at the lower portion of the hand dryer and extending to the second front-most end of the hand dryer at the lower portion, wherein, in a front view of the hand dryer, the wind direction changing part slopes obliquely toward at least one lateral side of the wind direction changing part, and wherein while the airflow is being blown out from the nozzle, at least at the start of the airflow blowing operation, the wind direction changing part is not located on an extension of a blow direction of the nozzle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The hand dryer according to claim 5, wherein the drying space is open at least at the front, and the wind direction changing part is located rearward of the extension of the blow direction of the nozzle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The hand dryer according to claim 5, wherein the nozzle is provided in a casing forming an outer shell, and the wind direction changing part is placed rearward of, and does not extend beyond, a position at a distance of half of a distance between a first front-most end of the casing and a rear-most end of the casing along a front-back direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The hand dryer according to claim 7, wherein the size along the front-back direction of the casing is 100 mm or less. ### Claim 9 A hand dryer comprising: an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion extending from a lower-most end of the upper portion to a lower-most end of the hand dryer, the upper portion extending to a first front-most end of the hand dryer at the upper portion, and the lower portion extending to a second front-most end of the hand dryer at the lower portion, a nozzle located at the upper portion of the hand dryer and configured to blow out an airflow toward a drying space, from a start of an airflow blowing operation to an end of the airflow blowing operation; and a wind direction changing part configured to change a direction of the airflow blown out from the nozzle into the drying space, the wind direction changing part being located at the lower portion of the hand dryer and extending to the second front-most end of the hand dryer at the lower portion, wherein, in a front view of the hand dryer, the wind direction changing part slopes obliquely toward at least one lateral side of the wind direction changing part, and wherein while the airflow is being blown out from the nozzle, at least at the start of the airflow blowing operation, the wind direction changing part is not located on an extension of a center axis of an air jet hole of the nozzle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The hand dryer according to claim 9, wherein the drying space is open at least at the front, and the wind direction changing part is located rearward of the extension of the center axis of the air jet hole. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The hand dryer according to claim 9, wherein the nozzle is provided in a casing forming an outer shell, and the wind direction changing part is placed rearward of, and does not extend beyond, a position at a distance of half of a distance between a first front-most end of the casing and a rear-most end of the casing along a front-back direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The hand dryer according to claim 11, wherein the size along the front-back direction of the casing is 100 mm or less.