Hand dryer having managed air flow
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorEric K. Satermo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for drying objects in low-volume enclosed spaces is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a hand dryer that comprises a dryer cavity including an input port, an exhaust port, and an opening for insertion of a hand having moisture thereon, an air channel, pneumatically coupling the exhaust port of the dryer cavity to the input port of the dryer cavity, the air channel substantially isolated from an interior volume of the lavatory, and a blower, communicatively coupled to the air channel, for moving air through the air channel and the dryer cavity.
Claims20
A dryer, comprising:
- a cavity including an input port, an exhaust port, and an opening;
- an air channel, pneumatically coupling the exhaust port of the cavity to the input port of the cavity, the air channel isolated from an interior volume in which the dryer is installed;
- and
- a blower, communicatively coupled to the air channel, for moving air through the air channel and the cavity.
A method of drying a hand in an enclosed space, comprising:
- receiving the hand having moisture thereon in an opening of a cavity having an input port and an exhaust port;
- blowing air through the cavity via the input port, the blown air removing at least some of the moisture from the hand accepted into the opening of the cavity;
- exhausting the blown air from the cavity external to the enclosed space through the exhaust port;
- and
- providing the blown air from the exhaust port to the input port of the cavity via an air channel isolated from an interior volume of the enclosed space.
An apparatus for drying a hand in an enclosed space, comprising:
- means for accepting the hand having moisture thereon in an opening of a cavity having an input port and an exhaust port;
- means for blowing air through the cavity via the input port, the blown air removing moisture from the accepted into the opening of the cavity;
- means for exhausting the blown air from the cavity external to the enclosed space through the exhaust port;
- and
- means for providing the blown air from the exhaust port to the input port of the cavity via an air channel isolated from an interior volume of the enclosed space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.