Hand drier having a plurality of transmitters and at least one receiver located in the vicinity of the outlet
US5111594A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1991 |
| Grant date | May 12, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA47K10/48
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A hand drier has an air outlet at which an object for drying is presented about which are mounted a plurality of transmitters of electromagnetic radiation located in the vicinity of the outlet, the transmitters being spaced apart one from another and from at least one receiver sensitive to the radiation. The receiver is masked to prevent direct emissions from any and all of the transmitters reaching the receiver; the transmitters and the, or each, receiver are located relative to a working volume at the air outlet operate so that on an object being located in the working volume a drying cycle is initiated by the passage of emission from the transmitters being scattered by the object so as to cause at least indirect emission from the object to fall on the, or at least one, receiver. Preferably the transmitters and the or each receiver are operable with electromagnetic radiation which is at or near the infra red portion of the spectrum. The transmitters and the receiver or receivers are conveniently mounted on a common structural element such as a circuit board.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.