The present invention relates to a hand dryer for drying wet hands after hand washing at a lavatory, a bathroom and the like.
Conventionally, a hand dryer of this kind is known and described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-99235.
The described hand dryer will be explained with reference to FIG. 17.
As shown in FIG. 17, a body case 101 fixed to a wall surface comprises a front case 102 and a water-receiving bowl 103 which projects from a lower portion of the body case 101. A drying space 102a is formed between the front case 102 and the water-receiving bowl 103. Blower means 104, heating means 105 and control means 108 are provided in the front case 102. The front case 102 is provided at its lower end with an air-blowing nozzle 106 which is oriented toward the drying space 102a. The water-receiving bowl 103 is provided at its back lower portion with an air-intake opening 117 for drawing air into the blower means 104. The water-receiving bowl 103 has a communication tube 113 which is in communication with a water-receiving cup 114. The water-receiving cup 114 is disposed below the water-receiving bowl 103, and is detachably mounted to the water-receiving bowl 103 from its front surface side. The water-receiving cup 114 is provided at its upper surface with a water-receiving cup cover 121. The air-intake opening 117 is provided with a filter frame 122.
In the above structure, if a wet hand is inserted into the drying space 102a, air is drawn from the air-intake opening 117 by the blower means 104, the air passes through the heating means 105 and becomes hot air, and the hot air is injected from the air-blowing nozzle 106. Water attached to the hand is scattered by the air injected from the air-blowing nozzle 106 to dry the hand. At that time, drops of water scattered from the hand are gathered into the water-receiving bowl 103, and are gathered from the communication tube 113 into the water-receiving cup 114.
In such a conventional hand dryer, since drops of water scattered from the hand are received into the water receiver and accumulated in the water-receiving cup 114, a wall or a floor is not made dirty. However, there is a case in which a water receiver is not required depending upon use or a place such as an upper portion of a sink in a bathroom. In a narrow place, the water receiver becomes an obstacle, or the water receiver can not be mounted in some cases. Further, when the water receiver is made dirty, since the water receiver can not be washed whole, there is a problem in terms of hygienics and appearance.
Therefore, it is required that a user can freely attach and detach the water receiver depending upon place or use, and when the water receiver is made dirty, only the water receiver can be detached and washed whole.
When a retained-state releasing operation of the water receiver is carried out from outside of the side surface of the water receiver or from side front surface of the water receiver, a side wall hinders the operation and fingers can not move strongly and thus operability is inferior, and design of outward appearance is deteriorated. Thus, it is required that the retained-state releasing operation of the water receiver can easily be carried out without being influenced by the wall surface, and the outward appearance is not deteriorated.
If the water receiver is designed such that it can be detached from the body case, a connection portion between the water receiver and the body case becomes weak, rattling of front and rear portions of the water receiver becomes great, and there is an adverse possibility that the water receiver comes off and falls out.
Therefore, when the water receiver is designed such that it can be detachable from the body case, it is especially required that the rattle of the front and rear portions of the water receiver is not generated.
When the hand dryer is used in a state in which the water receiver is only retained to the body case, if a child tampers and applies a load to the water receiver, there is an adverse possibility that the retained state is released and the water receiver falls out.
Therefore, it is required that even when a slight load is applied to the water receiver, there is no adverse possibility that the water receiver comes off and falls out.
When opposite sides of the water-receiving cup 114 are held, since left and right rails are excessively separated from each other, it is difficult to fit the water-receiving cup 114 to the left and right rails at the same time, and the operability is inferior.
Therefore, it is required to enhance the attaching and detaching performance of the water-receiving cup without increasing costs and the number of assembling steps.
When a mounting position of the hand dryer body case is close to a receptacle and an excessive length of a power cord remains, the power cord encumbers, and the appearance of the mounting place is deteriorated.
Therefore, it is required that the remaining power cord can be dispose of so that the power cord does not encumber or deteriorate the landscape.
When water which was scattered at the time of use is drawn from an intake opening or water enters into the body case by condensation, the water is accumulated, which causes leakage or corrosion and affects an electrical component.
Therefore, it is required that even if water enters into the body case, the water is not accumulated in the body case and is discharged out, the electrical component is not adversely affected, and the discharged water does not drop onto the floor.
When the front case 102 is designed such that it can freely be opened and closed in view of service and construction work, a LED display portion must be provided on the side of the body case not on the side of the front case because a leadwire encumbers. However, when the front case 102 is opened and closed, if the front case or hand hits against the LED and legs of the LED fall, positions of a display hole and the LED are misaligned from each other.
Therefore, it is required that even when the front case 102 is opened and closed, positions of the display hole and the LED can be aligned to each other with small number of parts and small number of assembling steps.
The present invention has been achieved to solve such conventional problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a hand dryer in which the hand dryer can be used in a state in which a user can freely attach and detach the water receiver depending upon place or use, and when the water receiver is made dirty, only the water receiver can be detached and washed whole.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hand dryer in which excessive power cord can be disposed of such that the excessive power cord does not encumber for use and the landscape is not deteriorated.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hand dryer in which even if water enters into the body case, the water is not accumulated in the body case, the water can be discharged out, an electrical component is not adversely affected, and discharged water does not fall onto the floor.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hand dryer in which even if a front case is opened and closed, the positions of a display hole and a LED are not deviated from each other, and in which there are small costs and a small number of assembling steps.
A hand dryer according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a body case provided therein with a blower means and at its lower surface with an air-blowing nozzle, and a water receiver disposed below the body case and forming a hand-inserting space between the body case and the water receiver, the water receiver is detachable with respect to the body case in a state in which the body case is disposed, the water receiver comprises a receiving portion which covers a lower front surface, a back surface which is connected to the receiving portion and which covers a wall surface, and a pair of side surfaces which are connected to the receiving portion to form rising portions from opposite sides of the back surface, water receiver-side retaining portions are respectively provided on upper portions of the side surfaces, body case-side retaining portions are respectively provided on opposite sides of the body case, the water receiver is mounted to the body case by the water receiver-side retaining portions and the body case-side retaining portions.
According to this aspect, if a user grasps the side surfaces of opposite sides of the water receiver and sets the water receiver-side retaining portions to the body case-side retaining portions, the water receiver-side retaining portions are hooked on the body case-side retaining portions, and the water receiver can be fixed.
Therefore, the user can freely attach and detach the water receiver depending upon place or use, and when the water receiver is made dirty, only the water receiver can be detached and washed whole.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in the hand dryer of the first aspect, retained-state releasing means for releasing a retained state between the water receiver-side retaining portion and the body case-side retaining portion is provided on each of the inner surfaces of the side surfaces constituting the water receiver.
According to this aspect, when the user detaches the water receiver, since the retained-state releasing means is provided on each of the inner surfaces of the side surfaces, the operation can be carried out using thumbs which can easily be strained.
Therefore, the hand dryer is disposed in a narrow space, the water receiver can easily be attached and detached, and the outward appearance is not deteriorated by the retained-state releasing means.
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the hand dryer of the first aspect, the pair of side surfaces constituting the water receiver are respectively provided at their upper portions with water receiver-side connection portions, the body case is provided at its opposite, sides with body case-side connection portions, respectively, and a guider capable of slide the water receiver in a vertical direction with respect to the body case is constituted by the water receiver-side connection portion and the body case-side connection portion.
According to this aspect, when the water receiver is connected to the body case, since the water receiver-side connection portion is fitted along the body water receiver-side connection portion, the connection between the body case and the water receiver is strengthened by the guider, and the rattle in the front and rear portions of the water receiver can be eliminated.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the hand dryer of the first aspect, the back surface constituting the water receiver is provided at its upper central portion with a water receiver-fixing screw which connects the body case to the water receiver.
According to this aspect, the body case and the water receiver can reliably be fixed, and an adverse possibility that the water receiver comes off and falls out is eliminated, and a safe hand dryer can be obtained.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the hand dryer of the first aspect, a water-receiving cup is detachably mounted to a lower portion of the water receiver.
According to this aspect, since only the water-receiving cup can be attached and detached, water can easily be discharged and the water-receiving cup can easily be washed.
A hand dryer according to a sixth aspect of the invention comprises a body case provided therein with a blower means and at its lower surface with an air-blowing nozzle, and a water receiver disposed below the body case and forming a hand-inserting space between the body case and the water receiver, the water receiver is detachable with respect to the body case in a state in which the body case is disposed, the water receiver is provided at its lower portion with a water-receiving cup, the water receiver is provided at its substantially central portion of its back bottom with a reversed T-shaped rail extending in a longitudinal direction, the water-receiving cup is provided at its upper surface with a guide groove formed by notching the upper surface from its rear portion.
According to this aspect, if the guide groove of the water-receiving cup is inserted to the reversed T-shaped rail, the water-receiving cup is supported by the reversed T-shaped lateral rib from below and thus, it is possible to detachably hold the water-receiving cup.
A hand dryer according to a seventh aspect of the invention comprises a body case provided therein with a blower means and at its lower surface with an air-blowing nozzle, and a water receiver disposed below the body case and forming a hand-inserting space between the body case and the water receiver, the water receiver is detachable with respect to the body case in a state in which the body case is disposed, a box-like accommodating portion for accommodating a power cord which supplies electricity to the blower means is provided such that the box-like accommodating portion is opened at a back side of the body case.
According to this aspect, a length of the power cord is determined at the time of construction, and a remaining portion of the power cord is accommodated in the box-like accommodating portion and then, the body case is mounted to the wall. Therefore, the remaining portion of the power cord does not encumber for use and does not deteriorate the landscape.
A hand dryer according to an eighth aspect of the invention comprises a body case provided therein with a blower means and at its lower surface with an air-blowing nozzle, and a water receiver disposed below the body case and forming a hand-inserting space between the body case and the water receiver, the water receiver is detachable with respect to the body case in a state in which the body case is disposed, the body case is provided at its lower surface with an intake opening for drawing air in the hand-inserting space by suction force of the blower means, a water hole is provided in a wind path extending from the intake opening to the blower means, the water hole is located above the water receiver.
According to this aspect, even when water scattered from the hand at the time of use is drawn from the intake opening or water enters into the body case by the condensation, since the water drops to the water receiver from the water hole and is accumulated in the water-receiving cup. Therefore, there is no electrical trouble which may be caused by submerging the electrical component such as the hand detecting sensor, and a floor is not wet.
A hand dryer according to a ninth aspect of the invention comprises a body case provided therein with a blower means and at its lower surface with an air-blowing nozzle, and a water receiver disposed below the body case and forming a hand-inserting space between the body case and the water receiver, the water receiver is detachable with respect to the body case in a state in which the body case is disposed, the blower means includes a blower case having a display board, the display board is provided with a light-emitting diode, the body case is provided with a display hole capable of visually check the light-emitting diode, a LED holding portion is provided around the light-emitting diode.
According to this aspect, the LED holding portion can prevent the legs of the light-emitting diode from falling. Therefore, even if the front case is opened and closed at the time of construction or maintenance, the display hole of the front case and the LED can be aligned to each other.