GB2173697A - Warm air drier - Google Patents

Abstract

A warm air drier comprises a heat exchanger (11) connected with a heated fluid generation system, such as an internal combustion engine, (not shown) which supplies heated fluid such as exhaust gases, to the heat exchanger. A fan (18) causes air to flow through an outlet nozzle (6) of the drier after passage over the heat exchanger (11) whereby air flowing through the outlet (6) in use is heated by heat exchange with the heated fluid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Warm air drier The invention relates to a warm air drier.

Warm air driers are used in a large variety of applications, particularly as hand and face driers. For example, most toilet and washing facilities include warm air hand driers. These hand driers are selfcontained units which have a first source of energy to heat the air, such as an electric heater, and a second source of energy for powering a fan to cause the heated air to flow to an outlet.

In modern motor coaches and also in aircraft and similar vehicles, toilets and other washing facilities are provided and in general a stack of absorbent towels, such as paper towels, is provided for the purposes of drying. Disposal of these towels is difficult since attempts to flush them through the toilet waste disposal system usually results in blockage, particularly in the case of vehicle and aircraft waste disposal systems. It is therefore necessary to provide an extra waste bin for the used towels. The use of towels also leads to hygiene problems and high operating costs.

It has not so far proved possible to use known warm air driers in vehicles, aircraft and other similar applications. This is primarily due to the fact that the electrical heating elements of the warm air driers require a large electrical power source. In general, there is not sufficient power available in conventional vehicles to provide the necessary power to such a heater and so an additional power source would be required. This leads to an undesirable use of space which in this context is at a premium.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a warm air drier comprises heat exchanging means connected to a heated fluid generation system which heats a fluid in use for a primary purpose, the heated fluid being fed to the heat exchanging means; and air flow means for causing air to flow to an outlet of the warm air drier after passage through the heat exchanging means whereby air flowing through the outlet in use has been heated by heat exchange with the heated fluid.

With this invention, no extra power source is required since the warm air drier makes use of heat which is already present in the heated fluid but for another, primary purpose. The only power requirement may be for the air flow means which typically, in the case of a fan, will only require a small amount of power.

Considerable reductions in operating costs are achieved together with improvements in hygiene compared with the use of paper towels.

The heated fluid may comprise water from a cooling system of vehicle or aircraft drive means, lubricant, such as oil, from a lubricating system of drive means of a vehicle or aircraft, or exhaust gases. In each case, the fluid is necessarily heated for other reasons.

The heated fluid generation system could also include an air conditioning system such as is found in aircraft in which air, having passed through the air conditioning system and having thereby been heated, is then fed to the heat exchanging means.

Alternatively, and in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a warm air drier comprises an air conditioning system including air flow means; heat exchanging means coupled by an air passageway with the air flow means; and an air outlet whereby air is caused by the air flow means to flow in use through the heat exchanging means where the air is heated by heat exchange with the surrounding atmosphere and thereafter to flow to the air outlet.

In this case at least a portion of the air which would normally be exhausted after heating is used directly to constitute the air ejected from the outlet.

Preferably, the drier further comprises an outlet control such as a solenoid valve for controlling the open/closed condition of the outlet. In this case the air will normally be circulated via further heat exchanging means or exhausted when not required at the outlet.

The heated fluid generation system could also comprise a water heater primarily for heating water for washing or the like. The advantage of this is that the warm air drier can be used in conjunction with portable washing facilities for example. No additional heat source is required for heating the air and thus the generator forms a selfcontained unit. Such units could find particular application in hospitals where it could be provided on a movable support which can be moved between beds.

The main use of the warm air drier will be in vehicles, particularly coaches in which exhaust gases from the coach drive system are passed to the heat exchanging means prior to being exhausted from the coach.

An example of a coach including a warm air drier according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a motor coach; and, Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the hand drier.

Figure 1 illustrates a motor coach 1 which has a generally conventional form and includes an internal combustion engine 2 for driving the motor coach and a washing area 3 in a lower portion of the coach. Access to the washing area 3 is obtained by steps (not shown) from the passenger accommodation 4 in another portion of the coach 1. In other examples the washing area 3 could be located on the same level as the passenger accommodation 4. The washing area 3 includes a hot air hand drier 5 to be described in more detail.

The hand drier 5 is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The hand drier comprises a plastics outlet nozzle 6 mounted movably in a support member 7 fixed in an aperture 8 of a wall 9 of the washing area 3. The nozzle 6 is movable to cause air to be directed downwardly or upwardly in accordance with whether a person's hands or face is to be dried. Alternatively, the nozzle could be replaced by fixed vanes particularly if the drier is mounted in for example a horizontal portion of a vanity unit in which case the 'wall' 9 would be horizontal.

The drier includes a housing 10 bolted to the wall 9 on its side opposite to the washing area 3 and supports a heat exchanger 11 of conventional type. Exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine 2 pass into the heat exchanger 11 along a conduit 12 and, after passing through the heat exchanger, pass along another conduit 13 to the vehicle exhaust 14. Control valves 15 are provided on either side of the heat exchanger 11 to control the rate of flow.

An air inlet aperture 16 is provided in a rear wall of the housing 10 in alignment with the heat exchanger 11. The aperture 16 communicates via a conduit 17 with an opening 23 in the side of the coach 1 to enable air to be drawn into the housing 10 from outside the coach.

A fan 18 is mounted within the housing 10 between the outlet nozzle 6 and the heat exchanger 11 and is driven by an electric motor 19. An inner guide conduit 20 extends from the fan 18 to the nozzle 6.

The motor 19 is controlled by a push button switch 21 mounted in the wall 9 which is connected electrically with a timer 22. The timer 22 is connected between a power source (not shown) such as a 12V or 24V battery and the motor 19.

In operation, the user adjusts the outlet nozzle 6 (if present) as appropriate, and then depresses the push button. This will initiate the timer 22 so that the power source is coupled with the motor 19 for a predetermined period. During that period, the fan 18 will rotate causing air to be sucked into the housing 10 from the inlet 23. The air will pass through the heat exchanger 11 and thus will be heated by heat exchange with the hot exhaust gases flowing through the heat exchanger. The heated air will pass through the fan and be guided by the guide 20 to the nozzle 6.

The entire unit shown in Figure 2 will have compact dimensions in the order of 22.5 cm x 22.5 cm x 22.5 cm.

In a modification (not shown) the fan 18 could be positioned between the heat exchanger 11 and the aperture 16.

In a further modification, the components within the housing 10 could be positioned at some distance from the wall 9. In that case, a conduit will be provided between tapering portion 20 and the outlet nozzle 6 to conduct heated air to the nozzle 6.

In further modifications, as mentioned above, the heated fluid passing through the heat exchanger 11 could comprise water from the engine cooling system or hot oil from the engine lubricating system. In other applications, the heated fluid could comprise heated air from the air conditioning system of for example an aircraft or hot water which is subsequently fed to a hot water control member such as a tap of a washing facility.

It should be understood that although in this example all the exhaust gases pass through the heat exchanger 11 it is possible for only a portion of exhaust gases to be diverted from the main exhaust system in order to pass through the heat exchanger 11.

Claims (11)

1. A warm air drier comprising heat exchanging means connected to a heated fluid generation system which heats a fluid in use for a primary purpose, the heated fluid being fed to the heat exchanging means; and air flow means for causing air to flow to an outlet of the warm air drier after passage through the heat exchanging means whereby air flowing through the outlet in use has been heated by heat exchange with the heated fluid.

2. A drier according to claim 1, wherein the heated fluid generation system comprises drive means of a vehicle or aircraft.

3. A drier according to claim 2, wherein the fluid comprises water from a cooling system of the drive means or lubricant from a lubricating system of the drive means.

4. A drier according to claim 2, wherein the fluid comprises exhaust gases from the drive means.

5. A vehicle including drive means for driving the vehicle, the drive means being adapted to heat a fluid in use; and a warm air drier according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heated fluid is fed to the heat exchanging means.

6. A drier according to claim 1, wherein the heated fluid generation system comprises a hot water supply system, and means for causing at least a portion of the heated water to pass to the heat exchanging means.

7. A drier according to claim 1, wherein the heated fluid generation system comprises an air conditioning system.

8. A warm air drier comprising an air conditioning system including air flow means; heat exchanging means coupled by an air passageway with the air flow means; and an air outlet whereby air is caused by the air flow means to flow in use through the heat exchanging means where the air is heated by heat exchange with the surrounding atmosphere and thereafter to flow to the air outlet.

9. A drier according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the air conditioning system is provided in an aircraft.

10. A hand or face drier according to any of the preceding claims.

11. A warm air drier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.