Dryer and splash guard

Abstract

A splash guard for hand dryers that eliminates or reduces water from being splashed from the hands during the drying process onto the nearby walls and floor. The splash guard may be configured to mount below existing wall mounted hand dryers or may include an integrated blower assembly having a blower positioned in the lower portion of the splash guard, such as below the outlet nozzle and the hands being dried.

1 . A dryer for mounting to a support structure said dryer comprising:
 a back side configured to mount against the support structure; and   a contoured front surface including an evaporation surface having a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent and wherein said longitudinal extent extends downward and away from said back side.   
     
     
         2 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein said evaporation surface has a concave front surface along its lateral extent. 
     
     
         3 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein said evaporation surface extends laterally between a first side wall and a second sidewall, and wherein said evaporation surface is bounded by a lower outer lip and said first and second walls. 
     
     
         4 . The dryer of  claim 3  wherein said sidewalls protrude outwardly relative to at least a portion of said evaporation surface and wherein said sidewalls and said lower outer lip define a recessed drying cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein said contoured front surface includes an upper portion, a middle portion and a lower portion, and wherein said upper portion includes an air outlet surface extending outwardly, relative to said back side and wherein said middle portion includes said evaporation surface extending from said upper portion to said lower portion, and wherein said evaporation surface includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion and wherein said first portion extends downwardly from said air outlet surface and said second portion extends arcuatly outward and downward from said first portion and wherein a third portion extends away from said upper portion and outwardly relative to said back side. 
     
     
         6 . The dryer of  claim 5  including an outer shell defining said front surface and an opposing inner surface and wherein said inner surface of said middle portion defines channels extending between said lower portion and said upper portion. 
     
     
         7 . The dryer of  claim 5  wherein said third portion when viewed along a line forming said longitudinal extent is equal to or approaches a straight line for at least a section of said third portion. 
     
     
         8 . The dryer of  claim 1  further including a blower assembly having an expansion chamber proximate to said air outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The dryer of  claim 1  further including a blower assembly having a cold plasma generator. 
     
     
         10 . The dryer of  claim 1  further include a first and second side wall located at opposing edges of said lateral extent and wherein said first and second side walls extend along said opposing edges for at least the majority of said longitudinal extent of said evaporation surface. 
     
     
         11 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein said contoured surface further includes an air outlet surface extending from said evaporation surface and wherein said air outlet surface includes an air outlet configured to direct air along said longitudinal extent of said evaporation surface. 
     
     
         12 . The dryer of  claim 11  wherein said air outlet is located a first distance from said back side and wherein said evaporation surface includes an outer lip and wherein at least a portion of said evaporation protrudes a greater distance from said back side than said first distance. 
     
     
         13 . The dryer of  claim 11  further including a contoured inner surface opposing said contoured outer surface, and a blower assembly having a blower and an air passageway and wherein said contoured inner surface and outer surface include an upper portion, a middle portion, said contoured inner surface defining a blower cavity in said lower portion, at least one channel in said middle section, said blower being located in said blower cavity and wherein said air passageway extends from said blower through said channels to said air outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The dryer of  claim 13  wherein said middle portion is free from air outlets. 
     
     
         15 . A dryer configured to mount on a supporting surface, said dryer comprising:
 a backside; and   a contoured front surface including an evaporation surface having a lower outer lip and an air outlet surface including an air outlet on the opposing side of said evaporation surface from said lower outer lip and wherein said lower outer lip protrudes at least partially further than said air outlet from said backside.   
     
     
         16 . The dryer of  claim 15  further including a blower assembly including a blower and wherein said blower is located on the opposite side of said evaporation surface from said air outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein said evaporation surface extends downwardly from said air outlet surface and away from said backside. 
     
     
         18 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein said evaporation surface is at least partially bounded by sidewalls and wherein said sidewalls are free from air outlets. 
     
     
         19 . The dryer of  claim 15  further including a cold plasma device. 
     
     
         20 . A splash guard for a dryer comprising:
 an evaporation surface having a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent and wherein said evaporation surface a first portion, a second portion and a third portion and wherein said first portion when viewed in cross section along said longitudinal extent is approximately linear at least in part, a second portion extends from said first portion and wherein said second portion viewed in cross section along said longitudinal extent has relative to said first portion a decreasing radius, and said third portion extending from said second portion when viewed in cross section along said longitudinal extent has an increasing radius relative to said first portion; and   a first and second side wall located at opposing edges of said lateral extent and wherein said first and second side walls extend along said opposing edges for at least the majority of said longitudinal extent, and wherein each of said first and second side walls protrudes relative to said evaporation surface for the majority of the longitudinal extent of said first portion and at least a portion of the longitudinal extent of said second portion.   
     
     
         21 . The splash guard of  claim 20  wherein said third portion along said lateral extent is concave. 
     
     
         22 . A dryer for mounting to a support structure, said dryer comprising:
 a contoured front surface having an air outlet surface and an evaporation surface extending therefrom, said evaporation surface including a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent and wherein said evaporation surface includes a first portion, a second portion extending from said first portion and a third portion extending from said second portion and wherein said first portion when viewed in cross section includes an approximately linear section, and wherein said second portion when viewed in cross section has an arcuate shape and wherein said third portion is less arcuate than said second section and wherein said lateral extent of each of said first, second and third portions has an at least partially concave contoured front surface.   
     
     
         23 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said second portion when viewed in cross section along said longitudinal extent has relative to said first portion a decreasing radius, and said third portion extending from said second portion when viewed in cross section along said longitudinal extent has an increasing radius relative to said first portion. 
     
     
         24 . The dryer of  claim 23  wherein the radius of said third portion increases to an approximately linear surface along the longitudinal extent as it extends away from said second portion. 
     
     
         25 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including a first side wall and second side wall each located at opposing edges of said lateral extent and wherein said first and second side walls extend along said opposing edges for at least the majority of said longitudinal extent, and wherein each of said first and second side walls protrudes relative to said evaporation surface for the majority of the longitudinal extent of said first portion and at least a portion of the longitudinal extent of said second portion. 
     
     
         26 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said evaporation surface is bounded by a lower outer lip and said first and second side walls and wherein said outer lip extends from said first sidewall to said opposing second sidewall. 
     
     
         27 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said longitudinal extent is at least 175 mm. 
     
     
         28 . The dryer of  claim 27  wherein said longitudinal extent is between 225 and 550 mm. 
     
     
         29 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said longitudinal extent is between 250 and 350 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said lateral extent is at least 125 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including a back side and wherein said evaporation surface includes an outer lip extending a greater distance from said backside than at least a portion of an air outlet on the opposing side of side of said evaporation surface. 
     
     
         32 . The dryer of  claim 22  having an overall length of 400 to 800 mm. 
     
     
         33 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including an outer shell having a contoured outer surface having a middle portion and a lower portion and wherein said middle portion defines said evaporation surface and wherein said outer shell has a height of at least 130 mm from a backplate at approximately the center of the intersection of said middle and said lower portion. 
     
     
         34 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including an outer shell having a contoured outer surface having an upper portion, a middle portion and a lower portion and wherein said middle portion defines said evaporation surface and wherein said outer shell defines a cavity capable of receiving a blower assembly. 
     
     
         35 . The dryer of  claim 34  wherein said lower portion includes at least one air inlet and said upper portion includes an air outlet surface extending from said evaporation surface and said air outlet surface includes at least one air outlet. 
     
     
         36 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including a blower assembly having an expansion chamber proximate to said air outlet. 
     
     
         37 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including a blower assembly having a cold plasma generator. 
     
     
         38 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including an outer shell having a contoured outer surface and a contoured inner surface, each cooperatively having an upper portion, a middle portion and a lower portion and wherein said middle portion defines said evaporation surface and said inner contoured surface includes a blower cavity in said lower portion, channels defined by said sidewalls and an outlet cavity defined by said upper portion and wherein a blower assembly having a blower located in said blower cavity, an air outlet extending out of said upper portion and an air passageway extending between said blower and said air outlet and wherein said air passageway passes through said channels. 
     
     
         39 . The dryer of  claim 22  further including an outer shell having a contoured outer surface having an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion and wherein said middle portion defines said evaporation surface and wherein an outer lip extends between said evaporation surface on said middle portion and said lower portion and wherein said third portion of said evaporation surface includes an approximately linear profile along said longitudinal extent proximate to said outer lip. 
     
     
         40 . The dryer of  claim 39  wherein said linear profile is at least 30 degrees from horizontal and less than 60 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         41 . The dryer of  claim 40  wherein said linear profile is at least 33 degrees from horizontal and less than 50 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         42 . The dryer of  claim 41  wherein said linear profile is at least 40 degrees from horizontal and less than 46 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         43 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said linear profile is angled approximately 42 degrees from horizontal and wherein said third portion further includes a lateral extent crossing said linear profile and wherein said lateral extent is concave. 
     
     
         44 . The dryer of  claim 22  wherein said further including an outer shell having a contoured outer surface having an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion and wherein said middle portion defines said evaporation surface and wherein said splash guard has an overall longitudinal length and wherein said evaporation surface forms the majority of said overall length.