Hand drying assembly for sink units

Abstract

A sink unit with hand drying assembly including a casement having a top element, a front and a back, a basin having a rim, carried by the casement with the rim adjacent the top element. A faucet is carried by the casement intermediate the basin and the back. a nozzle fixture is carried by the top proximate the rim and includes a housing having a nozzle, and a base with an aperture formed therethrough. An anchor post extends downwardly from the base to a position below the top element. The anchor post defines an air passage therethrough, the air passage aligned with and coupled in communication with the aperture. A fastener engages the anchor post, securing the nozzle fixture to the top element adjacent the basin. A channel element defines a channel coupling the aperture to the nozzle.

Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same, the invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nozzle fixture for use in association with a sink unit having a basin with a front edge and a back edge, the basin carried by a top element, and a faucet positioned adjacent the back edge of the basin, the nozzle fixture comprising:
 a housing having a nozzle, and a base with an aperture formed therethrough;   an anchor post extending downwardly from the base and aligned with the aperture, the anchor post defining an air passage therethrough coupled in communication with the aperture formed through the base;   a fastener engaging the anchor post for securing the nozzle fixture to the top element adjacent the front edge of the basin;   a channel element carried by the base, the channel element defining a channel coupling the aperture to the nozzle;   a pressurized air source supplying pressurized air to the nozzle through the anchor post; and   a regulator regulating the flow of pressurized air to the nozzle to provide high velocity, low volume air;   wherein by employing high velocity, low volume air, and adjusting the direction thereof rearwardly toward the faucet, optimum air velocity and volume are achieved at a drying region positioned above the nozzle and intermediate the nozzle and the faucet, forward of and separate from a hand washing area under the faucet, the pressurized air is at a sufficiently high velocity and low volume to dissipate outside the drying region.   
     
     
         2 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fastener is a nut threaded onto the anchor post to capture the top element between the housing and the nut. 
     
     
         3 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a sensor switch carried by the base for activating the pressurized air source to supply pressurized air to the nozzle through the anchor post. 
     
     
         4 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the sensor switch is activated by detecting an object in the drying region. 
     
     
         5 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fastener is a bracket captured on the anchor post between a nut threaded onto the anchor post and the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the anchor post is slanted forwardly. 
     
     
         7 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising:
 the housing having a second nozzle; 
 a second anchor post extending downwardly from the base, the anchor post defining a second air passage therethrough, the air passage aligned with and coupled in communication with a second aperture formed through the base; and 
 the channel element carried by the base defining a second channel coupling the second aperture to the second nozzle. 
 
     
     
         8 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the second anchor post is slanted forwardly. 
     
     
         9 . A sink unit with hand drying assembly comprising:
 a casement having a top element, a front and a back;   a basin having a rim, the basin carried by the casement with the rim adjacent the top element;   a faucet carried by the casement intermediate the basin and the back;   a nozzle fixture carried by the top proximate the rim of the basin toward the front of the casement, the nozzle fixture including:
 a housing having a nozzle, and a base with an aperture formed therethrough; 
 an anchor post extending downwardly from the base to a position below the top element, the anchor post defining an air passage therethrough, the air passage aligned with and coupled in communication with the aperture formed through the base; 
 a fastener engaging the anchor post and securing the nozzle fixture to the top element adjacent the basin; and 
 a channel element carried by the base, the channel element defining a channel coupling the aperture to the nozzle; 
   an air conduit coupling a pressurized air source to the anchor post supplying pressurized air thereto;   a regulator regulating the flow of pressurized air to the nozzle to provide high velocity, low volume air; and   wherein by employing high velocity, low volume air, and adjusting the direction thereof rearwardly toward the faucet, optimum air velocity and volume are achieved at a drying region positioned above the nozzle and intermediate the nozzle and the faucet, forward of and separate from a hand washing area under the faucet, the pressurized air is at a sufficiently high velocity and low volume to dissipate outside the drying region.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the fastener is a nut threaded onto the anchor post to capture the top element between the housing and the nut. 
     
     
         12 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the top element includes an aperture formed therethrough adjacent the basin, the aperture receiving the post therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the fastener is a bracket captured on the anchor post between a nut threaded onto the anchor post and the housing, the bracket fastened to the bottom surface of the top element. 
     
     
         14 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the top element includes a notch formed therethrough adjacent the basin, the notch receiving the nozzle fixture therein, with the post extending below the top element. 
     
     
         15 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the anchor post is slanted forwardly. 
     
     
         16 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising a sensor switch carried by the base for activating the pressurized air source to supply pressurized air to the nozzle through the anchor post. 
     
     
         17 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the sensor switch is activated by detecting an object in the drying region. 
     
     
         18 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising:
 the housing having a second nozzle; 
 a second anchor post extending downwardly from the base, the anchor post defining a second air passage therethrough, the air passage aligned with and coupled in communication with a second aperture formed through the base; and 
 the channel element carried by the base defining a second channel coupling the second aperture to the second nozzle. 
 
     
     
         19 . The sink unit with hand drying assembly as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the second anchor post is slanted forwardly. 
     
     
         20 . A nozzle fixture for use in association with a top element, the nozzle fixture comprising:
 a housing having a first nozzle and a second nozzle spaced apart from the first nozzle, and a base with first aperture and a second aperture formed therethrough;   a first anchor post and a second anchor post extending downwardly from the base and aligned with the first aperture and the second aperture, respectively, the first anchor post and the second anchor post each defining an air passage therethrough coupled in communication with the first aperture and the second aperture, respectively, formed through the base;   a first fastener engaging the first anchor post for securing the nozzle fixture to the top element;   a second fastener engaging the second anchor post for securing the nozzle fixture to the top element;   a first channel element carried by the base, the first channel element defining a first channel coupling the first aperture to the first nozzle; and   a second channel element carried by the base, the second channel element defining a second channel coupling the second aperture to the second nozzle.   
     
     
         21 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the first fastener is a first nut threaded onto the first anchor post to capture the top element between the housing and the first nut, and the second fastener is a second nut threaded onto the second anchor post to capture the top element between the housing and the second nut. 
     
     
         22 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 20  further comprising:
 a sensor switch carried by the base for activating a pressurized air source to supply pressurized air to the first nozzle through the first anchor post and the second nozzle through the second anchor post, and 
 a regulator regulating the flow of pressurized air to the nozzle to provide high velocity, low volume air; 
 wherein by employing high velocity, low volume air, and adjusting the direction thereof rearwardly toward the faucet, optimum air velocity and volume are achieved at a drying region positioned above the nozzle and intermediate the nozzle and the faucet, forward of and separate from a hand washing area under the faucet, the pressurized air is at a sufficiently high velocity and low volume to dissipate outside the drying region. 
 
     
     
         23 . The nozzle fixture as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the sensor switch is activated by detecting an object in the drying region. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled)