APPARATUS TO DELIVER HOT AIR

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a protection casing (2) adapted to be fixed to a wall (3) and housing an air delivery unit (4). The protection casing (2) has a base wall (6) from the upper part of which a dome-shaped portion (8) projects and two side portions (9) extending parallelly from the lower part of said dome-shaped portion. The air delivery unit (4) is contained between the dome-shaped portion (8) and the side portions (9) and is oscillatably pivoted to the latter to be displaced, by a slight angular oscillation, from a non-use position to a use position. When in its use position, said air delivery unit (4) is actuated upon command of a pushbutton (5) housed in casing (2) and operated by said delivery unit itself.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus to deliver hot air, of the type comprising a protection casing to be fixed to a wall, an air delivery unit electrically operated and housed in the protection casing and at least a pushbutton to actuate the delivery unit. In greater detail, the apparatus in question is particularly adapted to be used as hair or hand drier in public and private use utility premises, such as dressing rooms and showers in gymnasiums, swimming pools and the like, bathrooms in hotels, restaurants, private houses and so on. It is known that in premises of the above type fixed wall-supported apparatuses are often employed which are designed to deliver hot air for use as either hair driers or hand driers, depending upon the cases. To this end, these apparatuses substantially comprise a protection casing to be fixed to a wall, in which a hot air delivery unit is housed. This delivery unit conventionally comprises a tubular or spiral-shaped structure to the opposite ends of which an air inlet and an air outlet are defined which are in communication with the surrounding atmosphere. Housed in the tubular or spiral-shaped structure in consecutive alignment starting from the air inlet, are an impeller, an electric motor to operate the impeller and one or more resistors. The delivery unit can be electrically actuated by at least a timed switch exposed on the casing surface to be hand-actuated by a user. Several apparatus to be used as hair driers are actuated by a lever to which a flexible hose is hung which is connected, at one end thereof, to the outlet of the delivery unit. In greater detail, the apparatus is activated by the disengagement of the hose from the lever and can only be deactivated when the hose is hung back. One embodiment of this type of apparatuses is disclosed in Patents FR 2,297,387 issued on August 6, 1976 and EP 0063670 issued on November 3, 1982. In operation, air is drawn in from the surrounding atmosphere to be sent onto the resistors and, once the latter have heated it, is delivered to the surrounding atmosphere again through the outlet. Although these apparatuses are quite capable of performing the functions they have been constructed for, it has been found that they have some problem as regards their safety in use, taking into account the fact that they are almost always installed in places having a high humidity rate and are exposed to water splashings. More particularly, most of said problems result from the fact that the operating switch is located at the outside of the protection casing and can be often directly touched by the user in order to operate the apparatus. It is clear that under this situation there is the risk that a short-circuit by happen as the switch contacts can be easily reached by humidity and/or water splashes which can fall on the protection casing. Another danger of short-circuiting is given by the possibility of the delivery unit drawing in water and humidity stored on the protection casing thereby wetting the electrical components housed therein. One embodiment of this further type of apparatuses is disclosed in Patents EP 0126777 issued on December 5, 1984 and GB 2,136,680 issued on September 26, 1984. In addition to the above dangers there is also the possibility, above all in apparatuses having a metal casing, that the user may undergo electric shocks should he, as it often happens, actuate the switch with wet hands or in the presence of water on the protection casing. Under this situation the main object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the known art by providing an apparatus to deliver hot air in which all electrical components are properly protected both from humidity and possible water splashes which may reach the protection casing, so as to ensure a complete safety of use as regards the possibility of short-circuits in operation and the possibility of transmitting electric shocks to the user while he is activating or deactivating the apparatus. The foregoing and further objects which will be more apparent in the course of the present description, are substantially attained by an apparatus to deliver hot air, characterized in that said protection casing comprises said base wall having a substantially rectangular shape with a rounded upper end, a dome-shaped portion extending from said rounded upper end in a downwardly inclined fashion with respect to said base wall, and two side portions laterally extending in the same inclined direction from said dome-shaped portion, each side portion (9) being connected to a corresponding side edge of said base wall with the width of each side portion gradually decreasing away from said dome-shaped portion towards said corresponding side edge, an opened passage of said protection casing being defined by the external perimeter of said portion and said two side portions on opposite side with respect to said base wall; said air delivery unit is oscillatably pivoted to said protection casing by two pivots each of which being hinged to one of said two side portions, said air delivery unit being movable from a non-use position in which it is substantially parallel to said base wall, to a use position in which it is inclined away from said base wall; and said pushbutton is secured to said base wall immediately below said dome-shaped portion, said pushbutton having a drive arm located between said base wall and an upper part of said delivery unit in which its own air inlet is provided, so that said drive arm is actuated by the displacement of said air delivery unit about said pivots to said use position. It is to be pointed out that the inventive apparatus is structured so as to perfectly protect all electrical components provided therein against possible water splashes or humidity. In fact both the operating pushbutton and air inlet of the delivery unit are protected by said casing and practically cannot be reached by possible water splashes that might fall onto the casing. In addition, the user does not need to act directly on said pushbutton for controlling the apparatus operation. On the contrary, he acts on the flexible hose of the apparatus, thereby causing the displacement of the delivery unit that operates the pushbutton. Further features and advantages will best be understood from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus to deliver hot air in accordance with the present invention, given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus of the invention; Fig. 2 is a part cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, 1 generally denotes an apparatus to deliver hot air according to the invention. Briefly, apparatus 1 in known manner substantially comprises a protection casing 2 to be fixed to a wall referenced by 3, a hot air delivery unit 4 housed within casing 2 and at least a pushbutton 5 to operate the delivery unit 4. In accordance with the invention, the protection casing 2, preferably made of an electrically insulating plastic arterial, comprises a base wall 6 designed to allow the fastening of apparatus 1 to a wall 3 by means of nogs 7 or the like. Advantageously, said fastening can also be carried out using a pressure sensitive double-adhesive tape. The base wall 6 has a substantially rectangular configuration with a rounded upper end from which a dome-shaped portion 8 extends in a downwardly inclined fashion. Laterally extending in the same inclined direction from the dome-shaped portion 8 are two side portions 9 which prolong their length parallelly downwardly and are connected each to a corresponding side edge of the base wall 6; the width of each side portion 9 is gradually decreasing away from said dome-shaped portion, towards said corresponding side edge, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In known manner, the delivery unit 4 comprises a tubular structure 10 at the opposite ends of which an air inlet and an air outlet identified by reference numerals 10a and 10b respectively, are defined. Housed in the tubular structure 10, in consecutive alignment starting from the air inlet 10a, are an impeller operated by an electric motor and one or more resistors acting close to the air outlet 10b. All components enclosed in the tubular structure 10 are not shown or further described as known per se and conventional. Advantageously, the delivery unit 4 is disposed vertically and its air inlet 10a is directed upwardly and is exposed on casing 2 through an open side thereof defined by the external perimeter of said portion 8 on the opposite side with respect to the base wall 6. Furthermore, in accordance with the invention, the delivery unit 4 is oscillatably connected to casing 2 according to a substantially horizontal axis, by means of two pivots 11 rotatably engaging into the side portions 9 of the casing. In greater detail, the delivery unit 4 is engaged to the protection casing 2 so as to be movable from a non-use position in which, as shown in solid line in Fig. 2, it is oriented substantially upright, to a use position in which, as diagrammatically shown in dotted line in Fig, 2, it has a slanting orientation away from wall 3. Stop means can be advantageously provided to fix the positioning of the delivery unit 4 in its use condition. In the example shown said stop means consists of a peg 12 made of elastically deformable material fastened to the dome-shaped portion 8 of casing 2 and designed to be elastically engaged by the tubular structure of the delivery unit 4 when the latter is brought to its use position. Under this condition the engagement of peg 12 on the surface of tubular portion 10 brings about a stable positioning of the delivery unit 4 in its use condition. Peg 12 can be replaced by one or more magnets performing the same function, which are fastened to the casing and act on metal elements secured to the tubular structure 10. Still in accordance with the invention, the operating pushbutton 5 is advantageously located at the inside of the protection casing 2 so as to be actuated by the delivery unit 4 as a result of the latter moving to its use position. To this end, in the example shown pushbutton 5 is secured to the upper part of the base wall 6, immediately under the dome-shaped portion 8 suitably protecting it against possible water splashes and the like and is provided with a drive arm 13 designed to interfere with the movement of the delivery unit 4 to close the pushbutton contacts when the delivery unit is brought to its use position. Operation of the apparatus according to the invention described above mainly as regards structure, is very simple. When apparatus 1 is not used, the delivery unit 4 is oriented substantially in an upright direction, that is in the above described position of non-use. Under this situation, as shown in Fig. 2, the walls of the tubular structure 10 are separated from the drive arm 13 of pushbutton 5. As a result, the contacts of the pushbutton 5 are open and the delivery unit is inactive. To cause the activation of the delivery unit 4 it is sufficient to slightly rotate the latter about pivots 11 so as to dispose it in its use position. In fact, under this situation, as previously said, the displacement of the drive arm 13 carried out by the tubular structure 10 causes the closure of the contacts of the pushbutton 5 and, as a result, the desired actuation of the delivery unit 4. When the delivery unit 4 is in operation, the impeller therein provided causes the drawing in of air through the air inlet 10a. The drawn-in air is taken from the surrounding atmosphere through the hollow spaces existing between the delivery unit 4 and protection casing 2, as well as, optionally, through slits suitably formed in the side portions 9 of said casing. The air drawn in through the air inlet 10a is heated at the inside of the tubular structure 10 and delivered through the air outlet 10b. Should apparatus 1 be used as a hand-drier, the orientation of the delivery unit 4 in its non-use position and use position is accomplished manually, directly acting on said delivery unit. When apparatus 1 is used as a hair drier, a flexible hose 14 should preferably be combined therewith; said flexible hose 14 partially shown in dotted line, extends from the air outlet 10b and the free end thereof, not shown, can be equipped with several different accessories, such as diffusers, brushes and the like and conventionally fastened to casing 2 by suitable hooking means not shown. In this case it will be sufficient to direct said free end of the flexible hose 14 towards the user's head to cause said hose to move apart from wall 3, which brings about the orientation of the delivery unit 4 into its use position and, as a result, the activation of the same upon the action of pushbutton 5. When hose 14 is merely released the use of apparatus 1 being no longer necessary, it comes automatically close to wall 3; in fact the weight of said hose overcomes the resistance offered by peg 12 and automatically brings back the delivery unit 4 to its non-use position, causing the deactivation thereof. Advantageously said deactivation, unlike that of known apparatuses, takes place even if the user forgets to hung the free end of hose 14 to casing 2. The present invention attains the intended purposes. The inventive apparatus is in fact structured so as to perfectly protect all electrical components provided therein against possible water splashes or humidity. It is to be pointed out in this connection that both the operating pushbutton 5 and air inlet 10a of the delivery unit 4 are protected by casing 2 and practically cannot be reached by possible water splashes that might fall onto the casing. In addition, activation of pushbutton 5 achieved by the displacement of the delivery unit 4 eliminates the necessity for the user to act directly on said pushbutton to control the apparatus operation. On the contrary, the switching on and off of the apparatus are achieved by directly acting on the tubular structure 10 or flexible hose 14, that is to say on elements made in electrically insulating arterial and located rather far from pushbutton 5.

Claims: 1. An apparatus to deliver hot air, comprising: a protection casing (2) having a base wall (6), to be fixed to a supporting wall (3); an air delivery unit (4) electrically operated and housed in the protection casing (2); at least a pushbutton (5) to actuate the air delivery unit (4), characterized in that said protection casing (2) comprises said base wall (6) having a substantially rectangular shape with a rounded upper end, a dome-shaped portion (8) extending from said rounded upper end in a downwardly inclined direction with respect to said base wall (6), and two side portions (9) laterally extending in the same inclined direction from said dome-shaped portion (8), each side portion (9) being connected to a corresponding side edge of said base wall (6) with the width of each side portion gradually decreasing away from said dome-shaped portion (8) towards sold corresponding side edge, an opened passage of said protection casing (2) being defined by the external perimeter of sold portion (8) and said two side portions (9) on opposite side with respect to said base wall (6); said air delivery unit (4) is oscillatably pivoted to sold protection casing (2) by two pivots (11) each of which being hinged to one of said two side portions (9), said air delivery unit (4) being movable from a non-use position in which it is substantially parallel to said base wall (6), to a use position in which it is inclined away from said base wall (6); and said pushbutton (5) is secured to said base wall (6) immediately below said dome-shaped portion (8), said pushbutton (5) having a drive arm (13) located between said base wall (6) and an upper part of said delivery unit (4) in which its own air inlet (10a) is provided; so that said drive arm (13) is actuated by the displacement of said air delivery unit (4) about said pivots (11) to said use position. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a lower part of said air delivery unit (4) is provided with an air outlet (10b) which projects on the outside of said protection casing (2) through said opened passage thereof when said air delivery unit (4) is in its own use position. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises stop means acting between the delivery unit (4) and casing (2) to fix the delivery unit (4) in its use position. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said stop means comprises a peg (12) made of elastically deformable material, secured to the dome-shaped portion of casing (2) and designed to be elastically engaged by said delivery unit (4) when the latter is brought to its use position.

Inventors: BERTANI, CARLO
Applicants: MO-EL S.R.L.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A45D20
IPC codes: A47K10, A45D20