Hand Dryer

Abstract

A hand dryer has a housing having an interior. At least one exit opening communicating with the interior of the housing is provided. At least one blower motor is arranged in the interior of the housing and blows air in an air stream through the at least one exit opening to the exterior of the hand dryer. At least one heat radiator emits heat rays, wherein the heat rays are directed toward a drying area of the hand dryer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand dryer comprising:
 a housing having an interior;   at least one exit opening communicating with the interior of the housing;   at least one blower motor arranged in the interior of the housing and blowing air in an air stream through the at least one exit opening to the exterior of the hand dryer;   at least one heat radiation means emitting heat rays, wherein the heat rays are directed toward a drying area of the hand dryer.   
     
     
         2 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat radiation means is a heat radiator. 
     
     
         3 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat radiation means comprises at least one heat radiation source and at least one reflector spatially separated from the heat radiation source wherein the at least one reflector directs the heat rays in the direction toward the drying area. 
     
     
         4 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat radiation means comprises at least one heat radiation source, a reflector, and at least one mirror, wherein the reflector is an integrated reflector or a spatially separate reflector, wherein the mirror directs the heat rays in the direction toward the drying area. 
     
     
         5 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat rays have a wavelength range of approximately 0.6 micrometer up to approximately 2.8 micrometers. 
     
     
         6 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is positioned in a flow path of the air stream generated by the at least one blower motor. 
     
     
         7 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , further comprising an air guide connected to the housing, wherein the heat radiation means is disposed within the air guide. 
     
     
         8 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is a heat radiator that is arranged at the level of the at least one exit opening. 
     
     
         9 . The hand dryer according to  claim 8 , wherein the heat radiator is projecting into the at least one exit opening such that between an outer rim of the heat radiator and a rim of the at least one exit opening an annular gap is defined through which the air stream passes. 
     
     
         10 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is arranged in an area adjacent to the at least one exit opening. 
     
     
         11 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is a halogen lamp. 
     
     
         12 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is an infrared radiator. 
     
     
         13 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is operated at low voltage. 
     
     
         14 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiation means is operated at alternating current. 
     
     
         15 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein, upon turning on the hand dryer, first the heat radiation means is switched on and subsequently, with time delay, the at least one blower motor is switched on. 
     
     
         16 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat rays and the air stream meet in the drying area external to the hand dryer. 
     
     
         17 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two of said at least one exit opening are provided and are arranged such that the air streams exiting from said at least two exit openings meet in the drying area. 
     
     
         18 . The hand dryer according to  claim 17 , wherein axes of said at least two exit openings are positioned angularly relative to each other. 
     
     
         19 . The hand dryer according to  claim 17 , wherein axes of said at least two exit openings approximately meet at a point. 
     
     
         20 . The hand dryer according to  claim 17 , further comprising an air guide connected to the housing, wherein said at least two exit openings are provided in a wall of the air guide and wherein the wall has wall sections positioned angularly relative to each other. 
     
     
         21 . The hands dry out according to  claim 20 , wherein the wall sections are flat and are positioned at an obtuse angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         22 . The hand dryer according to  claim 20 , wherein the wall sections are part of a continuously curved wall. 
     
     
         23 . The hand dryer according to  claim 17 , wherein at least one of said at least two exit openings is provided with the heat radiation means. 
     
     
         24 . The hand dryer according to  claim 23 , wherein an axis of the heat radiation means coincides with an axis of the exit opening in which the heat radiation means is arranged. 
     
     
         25 . The hand dryer according to  claim 20 , further comprising at least one distributor for the air, wherein the at least one distributor is arranged at a spacing upstream of said at least two exit openings. 
     
     
         26 . The hand dryer according to  claim 25 , wherein the distributor is plate-shaped. 
     
     
         27 . The hand dryer according to  claim 25 , wherein the distributor has an extension that is matched to an extension of the wall of the air guide. 
     
     
         28 . The hand dryer according to  claim 25 , wherein the distributor and neighboring wall sections of the air guide define an acceleration space for the air. 
     
     
         29 . The hand dryer according to  claim 28 , wherein the acceleration space narrows in the flow direction of the air. 
     
     
         30 . The hand dryer according to  claim 28 , wherein said at least two exit openings have a common flow space upstream thereof in the air guide, wherein the common flow space in the flow direction of the air is downstream of the acceleration space. 
     
     
         31 . The hand dryer according to  claim 20 , wherein said at least two exit openings are in the form of a plurality of bores and/or slits in the wall. 
     
     
         32 . The hand dryer according to  claim 20 , wherein an exit surface area of said at least two exit openings is sized such that an exit flow speed of the air is greater than approximately 35 m per second. 
     
     
         33 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the blower motor is a high-pressure blower motor. 
     
     
         34 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one exit opening is embodied as grid or aperture plates. 
     
     
         35 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one exit opening is slit-shaped. 
     
     
         36 . The hand dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the air stream exiting from the at least one exit opening and the heat rays are oriented slightly at a slant away from a user of the hand dryer.