CN105992543B - Drying apparatus for hands - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand dryer comprising: a high-pressure air flow generating device installed inside a frame, and the frame is formed with a front wall nozzle and a rear wall nozzle leading to a hand insertion part where a user can insert a hand; The detection sensor detects that the user's hand is inserted into the hand insertion part, and when the hand detection sensor detects the user's hand, the hand dryer sprays the air flow generated by the high-pressure air flow generating device to the hand insertion part , wherein the hand dryer has an operation part, the operation part is equipped with a switch for switching between the operable state and the stop state of the device, and the switch is configured to include an operation provided on the outer surface of the frame at a position below the hand insertion part. The panel and a plurality of electrode units are provided on the back side of the operation panel, and the switch is a capacitive method that detects an operation based on a change in capacitance generated in the electrode unit when a user's finger touches the operation panel.

Description

hand dryer

technical field

The present invention relates to a hand drying device for drying wet hands after washing.

Background technique

In the past, instead of wiping the wet hands after washing with towels and handkerchiefs, a hand drying device was used as follows: a wet hand is inserted into the hand insertion part (hand drying room), and a high-speed air stream is sprayed on the inserted hand, Blow away the water adhering to the hands, and dry the hands.

In Patent Document 1, a kind of hand drying device is disclosed. The air supply air flow of the electric blower on the surface is ejected; the air supply flow path is connected with the air supply side and the ejection hole of the electric blower; the outer contour covers the electric blower and the air supply flow path and forms the appearance of the main body; In the drying device, the power switch is placed on the lower part or the back of the main body when it is installed.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-327433

Contents of the invention

In the hand drying device disclosed in Patent Document 1, by disposing the power switch on the lower part or the back of the main body installation state, it is difficult for water to directly get on the power supply when sprinkling water on the equipment when cleaning the main body installation space, etc. Open and close to prevent the intrusion of water and realize a highly safe hand drying device.

However, in the hand drying device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the power switch disposed on the lower part and the back side of the main body frame cannot be easily operated during cleaning, so when the hand insertion part is wiped and cleaned, the hand detection sensor reacts and Since the operation starts, there is a problem that cleaning is difficult.

In addition, even if the power switch is arranged on the lower part of the main body, there is a risk of water splashing from the floor, and when the power switch is arranged on the back of the main body, there is a risk of being exposed to the main body. In the case of spraying water around the frame, there is a possibility that droplets of water may get in the gap between the wall and the wall due to spray generated when the hands are dry, but it cannot be said that water intrusion cannot be reliably prevented.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a hand drying device that can be easily operated on and off during cleaning and that prevents water from entering even if water droplets are scattered around the operation part.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose, the present invention provides a hand drying device, which has: a frame body formed with a hand insertion part into which a user can insert a hand and a nozzle leading to the hand insertion part; a high-pressure air flow generating device , arranged inside the frame; and a hand detection sensor, which detects that the user's hand is inserted into the hand insertion part, and when the hand detection sensor detects the user's hand, the hand drying device generates a high-pressure air flow The airflow generated by the device is sprayed from the nozzle to the hand insertion part. The hand drying device is characterized in that it has an operation part, and the operation part is provided with a switch for switching the operation state and the stop state of the device. The operation panel on the outer surface of the lower position than the hand insertion part and a plurality of electrodes provided on the back side of the operation panel, the switch is based on the electrostatic capacitance generated in the electrodes when the user's finger touches the operation panel. changes to detect the electrostatic capacitance mode of operation.

In the hand dryer of the present invention, the ON/OFF of the operation can be easily operated during cleaning, and the switch of the operation part is a capacitive type, so even if water droplets are scattered to the periphery of the operation part, the effect of water is not easy to intrude.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the hand dryer of the present invention viewed from one side.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the hand dryer provided with an operation panel on the side of the housing.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the operation panel.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement around the operation panel.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of a hand dryer in which a power switch is provided on the back.

Fig. 7 is a side sectional view of a hand dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the hand drying device of the present invention.

Symbol Description

1, 40: hand dryer; 2: frame body; 3, 42: hand insertion part; 3a: front wall; 3b: rear wall; 3c: bottom wall; 4: high-pressure air flow generating device; 5a: Front wall nozzle; 5b: rear wall nozzle; 8a: upper side hand detection sensor; 8b: deep side hand detection sensor; 8c: hand detection sensor; 9: opening; 10: exhaust chamber; 11: exhaust port; 12 : electric heater; 13a: front exhaust channel; 13b: rear exhaust channel; 14: suction channel; 15: suction port; 16: air filter; 17: drainage channel; 18: drainage tank; 19: front Panel; ₂₁ : Operation panel; 22a: _{On -} off switch; 22b: Air volume adjustment switch; 22c: Heater switch; 22d: Key lock switch; ₂₃ : Display part _; , 23b ₄ , 23b ₅ , 23c, 23d, 23e: LED lights; 24: electrode part; 25: conductive rubber; 26: electrode control circuit; 31: control part; 31a: control circuit; 31b: housing; 31c: Cover; 31d: radiator; 41: power switch; 100: loading and unloading port.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiment of the hand dryer of this invention is demonstrated in detail based on drawing. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

Implementation mode 1.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the hand dryer of the present invention viewed from one side. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the hand dryer according to Embodiment 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 , regarding the hand dryer 1 , an opening 9 is provided in the housing 2 forming the outer contour of the hand dryer 1 . The opening 9 is an insertion port for the user of the hand dryer 1 to insert a hand into the housing 2 . As shown in FIG. 2 , a hand insertion portion 3 is provided on the upper portion of the housing 2 , and this hand insertion portion 3 is a space covering the hand of the user of the hand dryer 1 inserted through the opening 9 . The hand insertion portion 3 is capable of freely inserting and withdrawing the user's hand from the up-down direction or the left-right direction. The hand insertion portion 3 has a U-shaped cross-section when viewed from the side, and is slightly inclined from the front side toward the rear side as it goes from the upper portion to the lower portion of the hand insertion portion 3 .

As described above, the hand insertion portion 3 has a U-shaped cross section, and the front wall 3a as the inner wall on the front side faces the rear wall 3b as the inner wall on the rear side. Moreover, the front wall 3a and the rear wall 3b are connected at the lowermost part by the bottom wall 3c which is the inner wall of the bottom surface side. In this way, the hand insertion portion 3 has a bottomed U-shaped cross section with an open top when viewed from the side. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, both side surfaces in the width direction of the hand insertion part 3 are opened.

Thus, the lower part of the hand insertion part 3 is a space surrounded by the front wall 3a, the rear wall 3b, and the bottom wall 3c. In addition, the upper part of the hand insertion part 3 is a space where the front wall 3 a and the rear wall 3 b are opposed and both sides are open, and the user's hand can be pulled out and inserted into the hand insertion part 3 from the outside of the housing 2 .

Moreover, the front wall 3a, the rear wall 3b, and the bottom wall 3c contain resin, and this resin is impregnated with an antimicrobial agent. Furthermore, a hydrophobic coating such as silicon-based or fluorine-based or a hydrophilic coating such as titanium oxide is applied to the surfaces of the front wall 3a, the rear wall 3b, and the bottom wall 3c. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of stains to the front wall 3a, the rear wall 3b, and the bottom wall 3c of the hand insertion portion 3, and to reduce the growth of miscellaneous bacteria.

In the hand insertion portion 3, a front wall nozzle 5a for ejecting air is provided near the upper opening 9 of the front wall 3a, and a rear wall for ejecting air is provided near the upper opening 9 of the rear wall 3b. Nozzle 5b. The front wall nozzle 5a and the rear wall nozzle 5b are opposed to each other. The front wall nozzle 5a and the rear wall nozzle 5b are a plurality of openings arranged on a substantially straight line in the width direction, and each opening is in the shape of a slit extending in a wave shape in the width direction when viewed from the front. In addition, the front ends of the front wall nozzle 5a and the rear wall nozzle 5b are slightly inclined downward from the horizontal direction, and the air ejected from the front wall nozzle 5a and the rear wall nozzle 5b is sprayed toward the lower part (deep side) of the hand insertion part 3. angle.

At the front wall 3a, an upper hand detection sensor (light-emitting side) 8a for detecting the presence or absence of a hand is provided at a position closer to the upper opening 9 than the front wall nozzle 5a. The deep side of 3 is provided with the deep side hand detection sensor (light-emitting side) 8b that detects whether there is a hand. At the rear wall 3b, a hand detection sensor (light-receiving side) 8c is provided in the vicinity of the approximate center of the upper hand detection sensor 8a and the deep side hand detection sensor 8b, and the upper hand detection sensor 8a and the deep side hand detection sensor 8b respectively constitute The transmissive sensor paired with the hand detection sensor 8c detects the presence or absence of a hand when the infrared rays emitted by the upper hand detection sensor 8a and the deep side hand detection sensor 8b are blocked by the hand inserted into the hand insertion part 3 .

A drain port (not shown) for draining water from the hand insertion portion 3 is provided at an end in the width direction of the bottom wall 3c constituting the bottom surface of the hand insertion portion 3 . An upper end portion of a drain passage 17 extending in the vertical direction of the frame body 2 is attached to the drain port. The drain groove 18 is connected to the lower end of the drain passage 17 . The drain tank 18 stores water drained through the drain passage 17 and is detachably attached to the bottom of the housing 2 . The drainage groove 18 has a shape having the largest cross-sectional area on a horizontal projection plane.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a high-pressure air flow generator 4 for generating high-pressure air is provided inside the housing 2 below the hand insertion portion 3 . In addition, the air pressurized by the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 is discharged to an exhaust chamber 10 provided above the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 . The exhaust chamber 10 surrounds the exhaust side of the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 . The top of the exhaust chamber 10 is provided with an exhaust port 11 that discharges the air in the exhaust chamber 10, and an electric heater 12 is arranged on the exhaust port 11, and the electric heater 12 is opposite to the high-pressure air flow generating device 4. The high-pressure air that is generated and exhausted into the exhaust chamber 10 is heated. To the exhaust port 11 , a front exhaust duct 13 a and a rear exhaust duct 13 b , which are ventilation paths branching toward the front side and the rear side of the housing 2 , are connected. The front exhaust passage 13a passes through the front side of the front wall 3a of the hand insertion part 3 and extends upward from the exhaust port 11, and the rear exhaust passage 13b passes through a position rearward of the rear wall 3b of the hand insertion part 3. At the same time, it extends upward from the exhaust port 11 .

The front exhaust passage 13a is connected at the upper end to the front wall nozzle 5a provided on the front wall 3a, and the rear exhaust passage 13b is connected to the rear wall nozzle 5b provided on the rear wall 3b at the upper end. Thus, the high-pressure air discharged from the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 passes through the exhaust chamber 10, the exhaust port 11, and the front exhaust passage 13a, and is converted into high-speed air by the front wall nozzle 5a, and the high-speed air is ejected from the front wall nozzle 5a. into the hand insertion part 3. In addition, the high-pressure air discharged from the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 passes through the exhaust chamber 10, the exhaust port 11, and the rear exhaust passage 13b, and is converted into high-speed air by the rear wall nozzle 5b, and the high-speed air is ejected from the rear wall nozzle 5b. into the hand insertion part 3.

On the suction side of the high-pressure airflow generator 4 , the upper end of the suction passage 14 extending in the vertical direction of the housing 2 is connected to the high-pressure airflow generator 4 . A sound-absorbing material 20 is attached to the inner wall of the air intake passage 14 in order to reduce noise generated from the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 . In addition, the suction passage 14 extends to the bottom of the frame body 2 , and the lower end of the suction passage 14 is connected to the suction port 15 opening downward at the bottom of the frame body 2 . In addition, an air filter 16 is detachably attached to the inlet of the air inlet 15 . In addition, a front panel 19 is attached to the front of the housing 2 , and an operation panel 21 for switching the operating state of the hand dryer 1 is provided on a part of the front panel 19 above the drain tank 18 .

Next, the control unit 31 of the hand dryer 1 will be described. Inside the housing 2 , the control unit 31 is provided below the high-pressure airflow generator 4 . The control unit 31 includes a control circuit 31a for controlling the operation of the high-pressure air flow generator 4 and the electric heater 12, a case 31b for accommodating the control circuit 31a, a cover 31c for protecting the control circuit 31a, and a radiator 31d.

The control circuit 31 a uses relatively large electronic components such as switching elements such as FET (Field Effect Transistor) elements and IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) elements, or electrolytic capacitors. When the high-pressure airflow generating device 4 is driven, the switching element on the control circuit 31a generates heat, so it is necessary to dissipate the generated heat to suppress failure. Generally, the heat sink 31d is provided to dissipate heat generated in the switching element, but in this embodiment, the heat sink 31d is also placed in close contact with the switching element at the control circuit 31a of the high-pressure air flow generator 4 . In addition, since the radiator 31d is inserted into the intake passage 14, the radiator 31d is cooled by the airflow flowing through the intake passage 14 when the high-pressure airflow generator 4 operates. In addition, the heat sink 31d is made of aluminum having good thermal conductivity, and has a fin shape.

The control part 31 is based on signals output from the upper side hand detection sensor (light-emitting side) 8a, the deep side hand detection sensor 8b, and the hand detection sensor 8c that are arranged on the hand insertion part 3 to detect whether there is a hand in the hand insertion part 3. Operation of the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 . In addition, the airflow generated by the high-pressure airflow generator 4 is ejected into the hand insertion section 3 from the front wall nozzles 5a and rear wall nozzles 5b provided on the front wall 3a and rear wall 3b of the inner wall of the hand insertion section 3 .

Next, the operation of the hand dryer 1 will be described. A user of hand dryer 1 stands on the front side of hand dryer 1 and inserts wet hands into hand insertion part 3 through opening 9 provided on the upper part of hand dryer 1 . Then, the hand is inserted into the lower part (deep side) of the hand insertion part 3, and when the infrared rays emitted from the deep side hand detection sensor 8b are blocked due to the fingertips of the inserted hand, etc., the unillustrated miniature of the control circuit 31a The computer judges that the hand is inserted into the hand insertion part 3 . As a result, the microcomputer issues an instruction to start the operation of the high-pressure air flow generator 4 . When the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 is in motion, the outside air from which dust has been removed by the air filter 16 is sucked in from the air inlet 15, and the air is sucked into the suction port of the high-pressure air flow generating device 4 through the air suction passage 14. side. The high-pressure air flow generating device 4 generates high-pressure air from the thus sucked air.

The high-pressure air pressurized by the high-pressure airflow generator 4 is discharged from the exhaust side of the high-pressure airflow generator 4 into the exhaust chamber 10 . At this time, when a heater switch described later is turned on (on), part of the high-pressure air is heated by the electric heater 12 . Then, the high-pressure air heated by passing through the electric heater 12 is mixed with the high-pressure air not heated by passing through the exhaust port 11 not provided with the electric heater 12, and is separated to the front exhaust passage 13a and the rear exhaust passage 13a. Exhaust passage 13b and flow through. The high-pressure air of warm air flowing through the front exhaust duct 13a and the rear exhaust duct 13b is switched from high-pressure air through the front wall nozzle 5a provided on the front wall 3a and the rear wall nozzle 5b provided on the rear wall 3b. for high velocity air. Then, the high-speed air of the warm air is blown out into the hand insertion portion 3 from the front wall nozzle 5a and the rear wall nozzle 5b.

These front wall nozzles 5a and rear wall nozzles 5b are provided in a plurality in a substantially straight line in the width direction of the hand insertion portion 3 in the vicinity of the opening portion 9, so in the vicinity of the opening portion 9, along the High-speed air in the shape of an air curtain extending in the width direction is ejected. This air curtain-shaped high-speed air reaches the user's wrist inserted into the hand insertion portion 3 or both the back of the hand and the palm near the wrist, and the water adhering to the front and back of the hand becomes water droplets and is blown away.

At this time, the ejection directions of the front wall nozzle 5 a and the rear wall nozzle 5 b are slightly inclined downward from the horizontal direction, and are toward the deep side of the hand insertion portion 3 . Therefore, the high-speed air jetted from the front wall nozzle 5 a and the rear wall nozzle 5 b is also jetted toward a direction inclined slightly downward from the horizontal direction, that is, toward the deep side of the hand insertion portion 3 . In other words, the high velocity air hits not at a perpendicular angle to the hand, but at an angle oblique (downward) towards the fingertip. Therefore, the high-speed air ejected from the front wall nozzle 5a and the rear wall nozzle 5b mostly flows along the hand from the wrist to the fingertip after colliding with the hand, and most of the water attached to the hand also flows from the wrist to the fingertip. Then, the water that reaches the fingertips breaks away from the fingertips near the bottom of the hand insertion part 3 to become water droplets, and most of them are blown downward, that is, toward the bottom wall 3 c of the hand insertion part 3 .

The water droplets blown away from the wet hand reach the front wall 3 a, the rear wall 3 b, or the bottom wall 3 c of the hand insertion portion 3 . Then, the water droplets that have reached the front wall 3a and the rear wall 3b flow down toward the bottom wall 3c that is the bottom of the hand insertion portion 3, and pass through the drainage channel 17 from the unshown drain port provided on the bottom wall 3c of the hand insertion portion 3. It is recovered by the drainage tank 18.

When the user's hand is withdrawn from the hand insertion part 3 and the light emitted by the upper hand detection sensor (light-emitting side) 8a reaches the hand detection sensor 8c, the control circuit 31a stops the high-pressure airflow generator 4.

Next, the operation panel 21 of the hand dryer 1 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1 , in the frame body 2 , at a part of the front panel 19 below the hand drying chamber, above the drainage groove 18 , an operation panel 21 for switching the operating state of the hand dryer 1 is provided as follows: Can be operatively exposed from the outside. The drain groove 18 is provided so as to be inserted into a concave attachment and detachment port 100 provided in the housing 2 . The operation panel 21 is provided near the loading and unloading port 100 .

In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the operation panel 21 is provided on the front of the housing 2 , but it may be provided on the side of the housing 2 . Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the hand dryer in which the operation panel is provided on the side of the housing.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the operation panel. A plurality of switches 22a to 22d for changing various settings of the hand dryer 1 are provided on the operation panel 21 . Specifically, an on-off switch 22a, an air volume adjustment switch 22b, a heater switch 22c, and a key lock switch 22d are provided on the operation panel 21 .

The on-off switch 22a is a switch for switching between the operable state and the stopped state of the hand dryer 1 . When the on-off switch 22a is in the "on" state, the hand dryer 1 is in an operable state. According to the detection of hands based on the upper side hand detection sensor 8a, the deep side hand detection sensor 8b and the hand detection sensor 8c, the high-pressure air The stream generating device 4 operates. On the other hand, when the on-off switch 22a is in the "OFF" state, the hand dryer 1 is in a stopped state, and the high-pressure air flow generator 4 does not operate even if a hand is inserted into the hand insertion part 3 . Therefore, the on-off switch 22a switches between the operable state and the stopped state of the hand dryer 1 .

Specifically, by switching the on-off switch 22a to the "off" state corresponding to the operation off (off), the signal is sent to the relay in the control circuit 31a, and the contacts of the relay are opened to cut off the flow towards the high-pressure air. Since the power supply of the generating device 4 is performed, the hand dryer 1 is in a stopped state where it cannot be used, although the power supply to the control circuit 31a is being performed. The hand dryer 1 in the stopped state is just like a power-off state for the user. By switching the on-off switch 22a to the "on" state corresponding to the opening of the operation, the signal is sent to the relay in the control circuit 31a, and the contacts of the relay are closed to supply power to the high-pressure air flow generating device 4, so the hands are dry. The device 1 is in an operable state where it can be used. The hand dryer 1 in an operable state is just like a power-on state for the user.

In addition, the above-mentioned relay for turning on and off the power supply to the high-pressure airflow generating device 4 may not be mounted, and when the on-off switch 22a is in the "OFF" state, the upper side hand detection sensor 8a, the deep side The detection of the hand by the hand detection sensor 8b and the hand detection sensor 8c becomes invalid, thereby setting the hand dryer 1 to a stop state, so that even if the hand is inserted into the hand insertion part 3, the high-pressure air flow generator 4 does not operate. action.

The air volume adjustment switch 22b is a switch for adjusting the air volume during operation of the high-pressure air flow generator 4 . The heater switch 22c is a switch for switching the electric heater 12 on and off. In addition, a display unit 23 for displaying the state of the device (the state of setting in each switch) by means of LEDs is provided above the various switches.

In the display unit 23, LED lamps for reporting the respective states set by the on-off switch 22a, the air volume adjustment switch 22b, and the heater switch 22c are provided above the on-off switch 22a, the air volume adjustment switch 22b, and the heater switch 22c. (lamp) 23a ₁ to 23d and the LED lamp 23e which reports that the drainage tank 18 is full of water. At the on-off switch 22a, LED lamps 23a ₁ and 23a ₂ are correspondingly arranged above the display characters of "off" and "on", and report that the operation is turned off by lighting each LED lamp 23a ₁ and 23a ₂ status or enabled status. In addition, above the air volume adjustment switch 22b, five LED lamps 23b ₁ to 23b ₅ are arranged horizontally in a row to report the air volume blown from the air outlet, and to report the large air volume by lighting up sequentially from left to right. .

In addition, an LED lamp 23c is provided above the heater switch 22c, and lights up when the electric heater 12 that heats the air blown out from the blower port is "ON", and when the electric heater 12 is "OFF". Turn off the light, thereby reporting the on-off state of the electric heater 12. Also, an LED lamp 23d is provided above the key lock switch 22d, and is turned on when the key lock is set, and turned off when the key lock is not set, to indicate the setting state of the key lock.

In the electrostatic capacitance switch, the electrostatic capacitance changes according to the contact area of the finger, so by bringing the finger into close contact, the change in the electrostatic capacitance becomes larger, but if the finger touches lightly or touches the end of the electrostatic capacitance switch, etc., the electrostatic capacitance changes. The change in capacitance becomes smaller. In addition, in the capacitance switch, when a conductor such as water comes into contact, the capacitance changes as in the case of touching with a finger. In the case of a small water droplet, the change in capacitance is small, but in the case of a large water droplet passing over the capacitance switch such as along the main body, the change in capacitance becomes slightly larger.

Here, if the switch detection threshold is set high in order to prevent erroneous detection due to water adhesion, the switch cannot be detected even if the switch is lightly touched, and thus the operational feeling is deteriorated. Conversely, if the threshold value is set low, a finger contact may be falsely detected when a large water droplet is attached. In addition, if it is a large water drop like running along the main body, it will be removed in a short time without accumulating on the capacitive switch, so it can be prevented by detecting when the change exceeding the threshold value lasts for a certain period of time or more. False detection, but it needs to be in contact with the electrostatic capacitance switch for a certain period of time during operation. In the case of a switch that needs to be operated multiple times, such as the air volume adjustment switch 22b, the operation time per operation becomes long, so that operability deteriorates.

Therefore, in the hand dryer 1 , the time required to perform contact until an operation is accepted is changed according to the function of the operated switch. On-off switch 22a, air flow adjustment switch 22b and heater switch 22c switching and key lock setting in key lock switch 22d require the same time, but only prolong the time required for key lock release in key lock switch 22d. It takes time, for example, if there is no continuous contact for more than about two seconds, the operation will not be accepted. By setting in this way, operability can be maintained as good as possible, and malfunctions caused by water droplets flowing down can be prevented.

Next, an outline of the operation will be described. The state in which the red LED lamp 23a ₁ is lit corresponding to "OFF" of the on-off switch 22a of the operation panel 21 is the state in which the operation of the hand dryer 1 is turned off. First, when the finger touches the on-off switch 22a, the on-off switch 22a is activated, the operation is turned on, the LED lamps 23a ₂ corresponding to "on" are turned on, and the red LED lamps 23a ₁ corresponding to "off" are turned off. . When the operation is turned on, the hand dryer 1 is in a standby state that can be used at any time. Therefore, if a wet hand is inserted into the hand insertion part 3, the upper side hand detection sensor 8a, the deep side hand detection sensor 8b and the hand detection sensor 8c detect the hand and the high-pressure air flow generator 4 is activated, and the air flows from the front wall nozzle 5a. And the rear wall nozzle 5b blows out and can dry hands.

In addition, when the operation is turned on, the respective LED lamps 23b ₁ to 23b ₅ corresponding to the air volume adjustment switch 22b, the LED lamp 23c corresponding to the heater switch 22c, and the LED lamp 23d corresponding to the key lock switch 22d and the time point at which they are turned on are turned on. The setting state maintains a state of lighting or turning off the lights as well and reports each setting state. When the on-off switch 22a of the operation panel 21 is touched when the operation is turned on, the power supply of the hand dryer 1 is turned off, and the LED lamp 23a ₁ corresponding to "off" of the display part 23 is lit, and it is connected to "on". The corresponding LED lamps 23a ₂ are turned off, and the LED lamps 23b ₁ to 23b ₅ corresponding to the air volume adjustment switch 22b, the LED lamp 23c corresponding to the heater switch 22c, and the LED lamp 23d corresponding to the key lock switch 22d are all turned off.

The air volume adjustment switch 22b, the heater switch 22c, and the key lock switch 22d of the operation panel 21 can be accepted only when the operation is turned on. When the air volume adjustment switch 22b is touched when the operation is turned on, the air volume will increase by one level each time the air volume is touched, and the corresponding LED lights 23b ₁ to 23b ₅ will light up sequentially from left to right. There are five levels of air volume setting, and the state in which all five LED lamps 23b ₁ to 23b ₅ arranged horizontally are lit means that the maximum air volume is set. When the air volume adjustment switch 22b is further operated once under the state set to the maximum air volume, the minimum air volume is returned, and among the five LED lamps 23b ₁ to 23b ₅ arranged horizontally, only the left end LED lamp 23b ₁ is lit, and the remaining The LED lamps 23b ₂ , 23b ₃ , 23b ₄ , and 23b ₅ are turned off.

When the heater switch 22c is touched in the state where the operation is turned on, the "on" and "off" of the electric heater 12 can be switched. If the heater is in the set state of "on", the electric heater 12 will operate. , the corresponding LED lamp 23c lights up. If the heater is set to "OFF", the electric heater 12 does not operate, and the LED lamp 23c turns off. Every time the heater switch 22c is touched, the ON and OFF switching of the heater is repeated sequentially "ON" and "OFF".

When the key lock switch 22d is touched while the operation is turned on, the setting of the key lock can be switched. In the state where the key lock is set, the corresponding LED lamp 23d blinks, and when the key lock is not set, the corresponding LED lamp 23d turns off. When the key lock switch 22d is touched while the key lock is not set, the key lock is set, and when the key lock switch 22d is touched while the key lock is set, the key lock is released.

When the key lock is set, acceptance of all operations of the on-off switch 22 a of the operation panel 21 , the air volume adjustment switch 22 b , and the heater switch 22 c which are operation switches is prohibited. Therefore, in the state where the key lock is set, even if a finger touches any switch of the on-off switch 22a, the air volume adjustment switch 22b, and the heater switch 22c, the operation is not accepted, and the setting cannot be switched. change.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement around the operation panel. On the inner side of the operation panel 21 which is a part of the front panel 19, the electrode part 24 which captures the change of electrostatic capacitance is arrange|positioned at each position corresponding to the on-off switch 22a, the air volume adjustment switch 22b, the heater switch 22c, and the key lock switch 22d. Between the inner wall surface of the operation panel 21 and the electrode part 24, a conductive rubber 25 is provided as a conductive elastic body that prevents the air layer from intervening and makes the inner surface of the front panel 19 and the electrode part 24 adhere closely. The electrode part 24 is connected to the control circuit 31a of the control part 31, and the capacitance change which arises in the electrode part 2 is detected by the control circuit 31a. The electrode part 24 may include a printed circuit board on which a copper foil is printed, or may be an electrode plate including a metal plate.

In the above configuration, when a cleaner or a manager touches the various switches of the operation panel 21, the microcomputer of the control circuit 31a detects a change in the electrostatic capacitance generated in the electrode part 24, and executes a communication with each switch. The content of the switch is processed accordingly.

For example, when a cleaner presses (touches) the on-off switch 22 a while cleaning the hand dryer 1 , the capacitance of the electrode portion 24 changes via the operation panel 21 and the conductive rubber 25 . The electrostatic capacitance value of the electrode part 24 is monitored by the control circuit 31a in the control part 31. When it is detected that the value above or below the preset value is detected, it is judged that the on-off switch 22a is operated. When the detection of the hand detection sensor 8a, the deep side hand detection sensor 8b and the hand detection sensor 8c is valid, it becomes invalid, and the detection of the upper side hand detection sensor 8a, the deep side hand detection sensor 8b and the hand detection sensor 8c before the operation becomes valid when it is invalid. Therefore, when the on-off switch 22a is operated during cleaning to make the detection of the upper side hand detection sensor 8a, the deep side hand detection sensor 8b, and the hand detection sensor 8c invalid, the on-off switch 22a is operated again after cleaning. The detections of the upper hand detection sensor 8 a , the deep side hand detection sensor 8 b , and the hand detection sensor 8 c thus become effective.

The same applies to the air volume adjustment switch 22b. When the control circuit 31a judges that the air volume adjustment switch 22b is operated, when the high-pressure air flow generator 4 is operated, the air volume is increased by one step compared with that before the air volume adjustment switch 22b is operated. . However, when it is determined that the air volume adjustment switch 22b has been operated while the air volume is set to the maximum, the air volume is set to the minimum. In addition, in FIG. 4 , the case where the air volume can be set to 5 levels is taken as an example, but the air volume can also be adjusted to 4 levels or less or 6 levels or more.

The same operation is performed on the heater switch 22c to enable setting of ON or OFF of the electric heater 12 .

With this structure, even when water is sprayed on the periphery of the hand dryer 1 or water drops are scattered around the operation panel 21 during use, there is no part of the product where water infiltrates around the operation portion ( There is no seam between the operation panel 21 and the frame body 2), so there is no electric shock due to water intrusion into the energized circuit, etc., and a safe hand dryer 1 can be realized. In addition, the frame body 2 is firmly formed of plastic resin (ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), etc.) having a thickness of about 1 mm to 3 mm, and when the operation part is operated, it can be detected internally by only touching it with a finger. Since there is no moving part during handling due to capacitance changes, there is no durability problem such as cracking due to handling.

In the case of using a mechanical switch, it is necessary to provide a cover with elastic rubber, resin sheet, etc. for waterproofing, but if the number of times of use increases, cracks may occur and water may enter. In this embodiment, since a capacitance switch is used, such a problem does not arise.

For comparison, a hand dryer in which a power switch is provided on the back will be described. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a structure of a hand dryer in which a power switch is provided on the back. The power switch 41 which turns on and off the power supply of the hand dryer 40 is arrange|positioned at the back surface of the hand dryer 40. As shown in FIG. If the hand dryer 40 is installed on the wall, the power switch 41 cannot be easily operated, so the cleaner wipes and removes the hand insertion part 42 while maintaining the power supply of the hand dryer 40, and the hand detection sensor detects the hand. It is often the case that the operation starts due to the insertion of the If wiping and cleaning are performed while the hand dryer 40 is in operation, the water during cleaning may be scattered around and the droplets may get on the cleaner himself, making it difficult to perform the cleaning operation.

On the other hand, the hand dryer 1 of this embodiment is equipped with the operation panel 21 around the drain tank 18 that the cleaner must clean, so there is no need to find where the on-off switch 22a is, and it is possible to prevent accidents caused by forgetting to turn off the power supply. There is a problem that water droplets scatter around.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , the various switches of the operation panel 21 are provided with a display unit 23 near the top of the various switches as a means for reporting the setting status by the operation of the switches. As described above, when the control circuit 31a determines that various switches are operated, the display unit 23 notifies the operator of the setting status by turning on or off the lights in conjunction with the setting status based on the operation. According to this configuration, the operational feeling at the time of operation is good, and the setting state can be reliably notified to the cleaner.

In addition, the operation panel 21 is provided with a key lock switch 22d for enabling or disabling the operation of various switches. By long pressing the key lock switch 22d once, the operation panel 21 is set to a locked state, so that all operations of other switches (on-off switch 22a, air volume adjustment switch 22b and heater switch 22c) are not accepted. By setting the operation panel 21 in the locked state, it is possible to prevent the user from being careless, and to prevent the operation setting of the hand dryer 1 from being switched when wiping the periphery of the operation panel 21 during cleaning. In addition, although the two-second long press is illustrated in FIG. 4, this is only an example after all, and the long press time is not limited to this.

In the locked state, by pressing and holding the lock switch 22d for a long time, the locked state of the operation panel 21 is released, the acceptance of various switch operations is enabled, and the manager and cleaner can change the setting of the hand dryer 1 .

In addition, in the above description, the operation of various switches is enabled or disabled by operating the key lock switch 22d, but as another mode, after the various switches of the operation panel 21 are operated, it may be set in advance. Even when no operation is performed for a certain period of time, the operation panel 21 is automatically set to the locked state, and the operation of various switches is invalidated. In this case, by pressing and holding the lock switch 22d for a long time, the locked state of the operation panel 21 is released, and various other switch operations become valid again. By adopting this aspect, it is possible to prevent a cleaner or a manager from forgetting to lock various switches and changing settings due to the user's carelessness.

In addition, the key lock switch 22d switches the setting and release of the key lock, and "key lock" is displayed on the key lock switch 22d. When the operation panel 21 is automatically locked, since the key lock switch 22d is mainly operated for the purpose of key lock release, it may be displayed as "key lock release".

Implementation mode 2.

Fig. 7 is a side sectional view of a hand dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the hand drying device of the present invention. About the same part as Embodiment 1, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected. In addition, description of the same parts as those in Embodiment 1 will be omitted, and only different parts will be described below.

In the second embodiment, the electrode control circuit 26 in which the electrode unit 24 and the control unit 31 described in the first embodiment are integrated is arranged on the inner surface of the operation panel 21 . In this structure, the electrode portion where the capacitance change occurs and the microcomputer of the control unit 31 that processes the capacitance change are integrated in the substrate, so it is possible to prevent the occurrence of failure to capture the capacitance due to variation in wiring length and wiring. change such issues.

In addition, since capacitance processing can be performed on one substrate, the influence of radiation noise received by the wiring of the electrode-control section and noise in the equipment generated by the high-pressure air flow generator 4 can be alleviated.

As above, the hand dryer of the present invention can be easily turned on and off during cleaning, and the switch of the operation part is a capacitive type, so even if water droplets are scattered around the operation part, water is not easy to intrude. is useful.

Claims (4)

1. a kind of drying apparatus for hands, has：Framework, being formed with user by hand insertion section that hand is inserted into and can pass to the hand and insert Enter the nozzle in portion；Pressure-air stream generation apparatus is set to the inside of the framework；And hand detection sensor, detection use The hand of person is inserted in the case where hand insertion section, described in the case where the hand detection sensor detects the hand of user Air stream caused by the pressure-air stream generation apparatus is ejected into the hand insertion section by drying apparatus for hands from the nozzle, The drying apparatus for hands is characterized in that,

With operation portion, the operation portion have switching device can operating condition and halted state switch,

The switch is configured to include the behaviour for being set to the outer surface of the position of hand insertion section on the lower described in the ratio of the framework Make panel and the multiple electrodes in the back side of the operation panel are set, the switch is based on touching due to the use of the finger of person The variation of the operation panel and the electrostatic capacitance that is generated in the electrode detects the electrostatic capacitance method of operation,

The operation panel is configured at the face side of the framework.

2. drying apparatus for hands according to claim 1, which is characterized in that

There is the framework displacement can, the displacement can be housed in the water blown away from the hand of the user at the hand insertion section Drop,

The loading hatch of the displacement can is formed in the face side of the framework,

The loading hatch of the operation panel and the displacement can is adjacent and configures.

3. drying apparatus for hands according to claim 1 or 2, which is characterized in that

The elastomer of electric conductivity, warp are configured between the inner surface and the electrode of the framework of the part of the operation panel The inner surface of the framework is set to be close to the electrode by the elastomer of the electric conductivity.

4. drying apparatus for hands according to claim 1 or 2, which is characterized in that

With control unit, when the hand detection sensor detects the hand of user, the control unit makes the pressure-air Stream generation apparatus acts,

The electrode and the control unit are set as integrated electrode control circuit in the internal surface configurations of the operation panel.