Air-flow apparatus

Abstract

An air-flow apparatus for treating air and drying an object has a housing with an interior space, into which the object to be dried can be introduced via an opening of a partially opened lid of the housing, and with a bottom opposite the lid. A pump is connected on its inlet side to the interior space in such a way that, by means of a pumping action of the pump, a negative pressure is generated in the interior space and an air flow directed from the opening into the interior space is generated for drying the object. A flow arrangement has a controllable overpressure generating device, an inflow pipe and at least one nozzle, the overpressure generating device being connected on its outlet side to the interior space via the inflow pipe and the at least one nozzle and being adapted to form an overpressure in the inflow pipe and to generate a second air flow directed into the interior space via the at least one nozzle for drying the object.

1 . An air-flow apparatus which is arranged for treating air and for drying an object, in particular a human hand, the air-flow apparatus comprising:
 a housing having an interior space into which the object to be dried is insertable via an opening of a partially opened lid of the housing, and having a base opposite the lid;   a suction pump which is connected on an inlet side to the interior space in such a way that, by means of a pumping action of the pump, a negative pressure is generated in the interior space and a first air flow directed from the opening exclusively into the interior space, is generated for drying the object, the pump being designed for discharging on an outlet side an outlet air flow passing through the pump; and   a flow arrangement which has a controllable overpressure generating device, an inflow pipe and at least one nozzle, the controllable overpressure generating device being connected on its outlet side via the inflow pipe and the at least one nozzle to the interior space and being adapted to form an overpressure in the inflow pipe and to generate via the at least one nozzle a second air flow directed into the interior space for drying the object.   
     
     
         2 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control element electrically connected to the pump and the controllable overpressure generating device for controlling operating modes of the air-flow apparatus, wherein the control element is adapted to,
 in a drying mode, activating the pump and the overpressure generating device to generate the first and second airflows; and   in an air cleaning mode, to activate the pump and to deactivate the overpressure generating device to generate the first air flow and not to generate the second air flow.   
     
     
         3 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising at least one detection sensor adapted to detect the object in the interior space, wherein the control element is adapted to activate the drying mode upon detection of the object in the interior space and to deactivate the drying mode upon absence or termination of detection of the object in the interior space. 
     
     
         4 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one detection sensor is arranged to detect at least one of the following:
 a type of the object;   a size of the object;   a position of the object in the interior space.   
     
     
         5 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising at least one sensor for germ detection and/or air quality measurement, which is mounted on an outside of the housing or in an outside space and is arranged to detect the germ load of air in the outside space, wherein the control element is adapted to activate the air cleaning mode upon detection of an exceeding of a predetermined threshold value of the germ load of air in the outside space using the at least one sensor for germ detection and/or measurement of the air quality. 
     
     
         6 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a display for displaying germ load and/or air quality data measured with the at least one sensor for germ detection and/or measurement of air quality. 
     
     
         7 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising at least one pressure sensor in in the interior space and/or on an outside of the housing and/or in an outside space, wherein the control element is adapted to control the pump and/or the overpressure generating device on the basis of pressure values recorded with the at least one pressure sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising at least one injector mounted above the lid for introducing disinfectant onto the lid and into the first air flow, wherein the control element is adapted to activate the injector and the pump in a self-cleaning mode for generating the first air flow. 
     
     
         9 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first air flow is greater than the second air flow and the negative pressure in the interior space generated by the pump is greater in amount than a positive pressure in the interior space generated by the overpressure generating device. 
     
     
         10 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a valve for preventing the backflow of the outlet air flow is attached to an outlet pipe of the pump. 
     
     
         11 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a unit for discharging and/or decontaminating the outlet air flow, in particular the outlet air flow contaminated with germs, is fitted to an inlet pipe and/or to an outlet pipe of the pump. 
     
     
         12 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the overpressure generating device is formed by a further pump. 
     
     
         13 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising a filter system for purifying ambient air drawn in by the further pump via an inlet. 
     
     
         14 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the overpressure generating device is formed by a further pump, which is connected on its inlet side via a valve, in particular a controllable valve, to an outlet of the unit for decontamination. 
     
     
         15 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the unit for decontamination has an inlet for the supply of ambient air. 
     
     
         16 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a unit for decontamination of the outlet air flow is attached to an outlet pipe of the pump, the overpressure generating device being formed by an electrically controllable valve, which is connected on its inlet side to an outlet of the unit for decontamination. 
     
     
         17 . The air-flow apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a plurality of suction zones are provided in the base and/or on side walls of the interior space;   the pump is additionally connected to the interior space on its inlet side via at least one suction line; and   the at least one suction line opens into the interior space near the partially opened lid in such a way that an air flow parallel or substantially parallel to the lid is generated.