| Body dryer -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Body dryerUSPTO Application #: 20060021248Title: Body dryer Abstract: A body dryer which comprises a housing in which a fan assembly is supported at a lower end of the housing. The housing also contains an elongated heating element which extends substantially parallel to an outlet aperture which is in the form of a long slot extending substantially from one end of the dryer to the other end. Hot air is drawn into the housing by a fan assembly through an inlet, over a heating element and forced out of the slot in the form of a thin blade of air surrounded by a buttress of colder air from outside the heater which envelopes around the user's body. The heating element comprises a pair of heating coils supported in a frame and the fan assembly has an inner housing supported within an outer housing and wings for converting a vortex type air flow created by the fan unit into a laminar air flow for flow over the heating element and out of the apertures. Operation of the dryer is by way of actuation which causes light signals supplied by a light conductor to be detected by a circuit board for controlling the dryer. The dryer is mounted on a wall in a vertical disposition with the slot and heating element arranged substantially vertically. (end of abstract)
Agent: The Webb Law Firm, P.C. - Pittsburgh, PA, US Inventor: Ian Robert Symons USPTO Applicaton #: 20060021248 - Class: 034283000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060021248. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a body dryer for drying a person's body after bathing or showering or the like. BACKGROUND ART [0002] As is well known, the conventional technique for drying oneself is by use of towels. Warm air from conventional heaters is also occasionally used, but does not provide an efficient method of drying. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0003] The object of the invention is to provide a body dryer which can efficiently dry a person. [0004] The invention, in a first aspect, provides a body dryer including: [0005] a housing defining an air chamber; [0006] a narrow elongate outlet aperture in the housing; [0007] heating means for heating air in the housing; and [0008] an air blower for supplying air into the housing for heating by the heating means and for discharge through the narrow elongate air outlet aperture so as to form a blade of hot air flowing outwardly of the housing for wrapping around a person standing in proximity to the housing to dry the person. [0009] The creation of the narrow blade which wraps around the person provides extremely efficient drying characteristics because the elongate outlet generally confines the discharged air to a narrow blade of air, which is confined in a buttressing layer of cooler air. The hot central blade within the buttress of cooler air wraps around a person's body, thereby efficiently transferring heat to the person's body to dry the wet body with a minimum waste loss of energy to the surrounding air. [0010] Preferably the housing is an elongate housing having a longitudinal axis which is intended to be arranged substantially vertical when the dryer is installed for use, the housing having a length in the direction of the longitudinal axis of between 1000 mm and 2000 mm. [0011] Preferably the length of the housing is about 1500 mm. [0012] Preferably the air outlet aperture comprises a segmented slit extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing. [0013] However, in other embodiments, the outlet aperture may comprise a continuous slit. [0014] Preferably the heating means comprises at least one coiled heating element arranged substantially parallel to the outlet aperture and supported in the housing so that the outlet aperture is spaced from the heating element. [0015] Preferably two coiled heating elements are provided, the coiled heating elements being arranged one behind the other relative to the outlet aperture. [0016] Preferably the air blower comprises a fan, the housing having an air inlet at a lower portion of the housing, and the fan being disposed adjacent the air inlet for drawing air into the housing, which air can flow over the heating elements and then, due to pressurisation within the housing, exits the outlet aperture in the form of a narrow blade of hot air within an envelope of cooler air that then draws a further layer of buttressing cool external air, so that the buttressing layer of cooler air supports the central blade of hot air as the central blade of hot air flows away from the housing. [0017] Preferably the dryer includes air flow control means for converting a vortex flow of air created by the fan into a substantially laminar flow of air. [0018] Preferably the air flow control means comprises a pair of wings arranged downstream of the fan, each wing in the pair of wings being curved in a direction generally opposite to one another so that the vortex air flow created by the fan impinges on the wings and is straightened by the wings into a substantially laminar flow of air, which then flows through housing and over the heating means and out through the outlet aperture. [0019] Preferably each heating element comprises a said coil of wire supported on a central insulating strip. [0020] Preferably the heating element includes a plurality of support means arranged along the length of the coiled heating element, for supporting the coiled heating element to prevent the coiled heating element coils from simply collapsing or compacting when the housing is arranged in a vertical disposition for use. [0021] Preferably the fan is arranged within an outer fan housing, an inner fan housing containing a motor for rotating the fan located in the outer housing and spaced from the outer housing, the wings extending from the inner housing to the outer housing, an opening in the inner housing so that air can pass into the opening, a secondary fan within the inner housing for drawing air into the inner housing through the opening to flow over the motor to cool the motor, and an outlet for returning the air from the inner housing to the exterior of the inner housing. [0022] The inner housing may include an abutment adjacent the opening for directing air blown by the fan into the opening, and therefore into the inner housing to thereby facilitate the drawing of air into the inner housing by the secondary fan. [0023] Preferably each support means for supporting the coiled element comprises a first card portion having a profiled edge, a second card portion having a profiled edge, so that when the first card portion and second card portion are brought together, the profiled edges define apertures through which both the coil and the central support strip can extend, and with the card portions adjacent the apertures forming support surfaces for holding the coiled element to prevent the coiled element from collapsing vertically under its own weight when the body dryer is installed in a vertical position for use. [0024] Preferably the card portions, and therefore the coiled heating element, is supported in a support frame fixed in the housing. [0025] Preferably the support frame comprises a generally U-shaped section in which the card portions and heating element are received, and a lid section for coupling to the U-shaped section and for holding the card portions, and therefore the heating elements within the frame. Continue reading... Full patent description for Body dryer Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Body dryer patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Body dryer or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Reticle carrier apparatus and method that tilts reticle for drying Next Patent Application: Cross-machine flow and profile control for through-air devices treating permeable webs Industry Class: Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Body dryer patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.16502 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , |
||
