Patent Publication Number: US-7900371-B1

Title: Personal dryer apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Whether for convenience, pleasure, or by need due to infirmity, personal body drying devices have been known and appreciated for some time. Various features are provided in the plurality of devices offered. The present apparatus provide features heretofore not known, and, as such, offers improvements to the art. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The personal dryer apparatus relates to personal drying devices and more especially to a personal dryer apparatus with full enclosure, entry and exit doors, multi-levels of elongated air delivery nozzles, an original air flow design, and multi-levels of motion sensors for sensing a person&#39;s presence for powering the apparatus and for turning off power. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the personal dryer apparatus, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a personal dryer apparatus which has many novel features that result in an improved personal dryer apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the personal dryer apparatus provides a full personal enclosure. The apparatus can be positioned as chosen, whether next to a shower or bath or apart therefrom. One door of the apparatus may be selectively removed if complete shower-to-apparatus joining is desired. The apparatus provides opposite entry and exit. The cap design and interior air delivery and air exit designs provide optimal air flow into, through, and out of the apparatus. The spaced apart nozzles provide multi-levels of air delivery. The apparatus provides temperature controlled heated air. The selectively positioned nozzle openings along with the fan control provide selectively delivered air flow amounts. 
     Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the improved personal dryer apparatus so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
     An object of the personal dryer apparatus is to provide a full personal enclosure. 
     Another object of the personal dryer apparatus is to opposite entry and exit. 
     A further object of the personal dryer apparatus is to provide optimal air flow into, through, and out of the apparatus. 
     An added object of the personal dryer apparatus is to provide multi-levels of air delivery. 
     And, an object of the personal dryer apparatus is to provide temperature controlled heated air. 
     Yet another object of the personal dryer apparatus is to provide selective air flow amount. 
     A further object of the personal dryer apparatus is to provide motion-sensed on and off function. 
     These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the improved personal dryer apparatus will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the improved personal dryer apparatus when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the improved personal dryer apparatus in detail, it is to be understood that the personal dryer apparatus is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the improved personal dryer apparatus. It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the personal dryer apparatus. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the second door side. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the upper region of the cap of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view of an elongated delivery nozzle in the open position. 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of an elongated delivery nozzle in the closed position. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the cap, the view at a lower elevation than that taken in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, the principles and concepts of the personal dryer apparatus generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 , and  5 , the personal dryer apparatus  10  partially comprises a hexagonal enclosure  11  having an interior  11   a . The enclosure  11  has a first wall  12  spaced apart from a second wall  14 . The pair of identical spaced apart doors comprises a first door  16  and a second door  18 . Each of the first door  16  and the second door  18  is hingedly connected to the second wall  14  via a plurality of hinges  19 . One of each of the pair of identical handles  98  is disposed on the first door  16  and the second door  18 , respectively. The base  20  is disposed on a bottom of the enclosure  11 . The base  20  is connected to the first wall  12  and the second wall  14 . The drain  22  is disposed in an approximate center of the base  20 . The non-slip surface  24  is disposed atop the base  20 . The pair of identical delivery ducts  41  is disposed within the enclosure  11 . One delivery duct  41  is extended vertically along each of the first wall  12  and the second wall  14 . The quartet of identical spaced apart elongated delivery nozzles  82  is horizontally disposed along each delivery duct  41 . A horizontal shaft  84  is disposed within each nozzle  82 . A selectively positioned pivotal opening  86  is affixed to each shaft  84 . The fan control  92  is disposed within the enclosure  11 . The heat control  94  is disposed within the enclosure  11 . The plurality of spaced apart motion sensors  56  is disposed along each delivery duct  41 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the cap  30  is disposed atop the enclosure  11 . The cap  30  comprises a top  32  and four spaced apart sides comprised of the first side  31   a  disposed above the first door  16 , the second side  31   b  disposed above the first wall  12 , a third side  31   c  disposed above the second door  18 , and the fourth side  31   d  disposed above the second wall  14 . The fan  34  is disposed in a center of the cap  30  within the fan shroud  49 . The fan  34  is in communication with the motion sensors  56  and the fan control  92 . The pair of identical spaced apart convex partitions  72  is disposed partially around the fan  34 . The pair of identical spaced apart transfer channels  40  is in communication with the fan  34 . The heating element  90  is disposed within the shroud  49 . The heating element  90  is disposed below the fan  34 . The heating element  90  is in communication with the motion sensors  56  and the heat control  94 . An identical external vent  44  is disposed within each cap  30  side. An identical porous partition  80  is disposed within each side of the cap  30 . Each porous partition  80  is in communication with one external vent  44 , respectively. Each porous partition  80  has a midpoint  81 . A quartet of identical concave diffusers  60  is disposed within the cap  30 . A pair of identical lateral partitions  74  is disposed within the cap  30 . Each lateral partition  74  is affixed to one midpoint  81  of one porous partition  80  and to one convex partition  72 , respectively. A pair of identical fore to aft partitions  78  is disposed within the cap  30 . Each fore to aft partition  78  is affixed to one midpoint  81  of one porous partition  80  and to one convex partition  72 , respectively. A pair of identical spaced apart fan openings  71  is disposed within the cap  30 . Each fan opening  71  is in communication with one lateral partition  74  and one fore to aft partition  78 , respectively. The pair of identical spaced apart open to fan chambers  62  is disposed within the cap  30 . Each open to fan chamber  62  moves air into the enclosure interior  11   a . Each open to fan chamber  62  is outwardly bounded by one concave diffuser  60 , one porous partition  80  disposed above one door, one lateral partition  74 , one fan opening  71 , one fore to aft partition  78 , and one porous partition  80  disposed above one wall. A pair of identical spaced apart closed to fan chambers  64  moves air out of the enclosure  11 . Each closed to fan chamber  64  is outwardly bounded by one concave diffuser  60 , one porous partition  80  above one door, one lateral partition  74 , one convex partition  72 , one fore to aft partition  78 , and one porous partition  80  above one wall. One of a pair of identical rectangular ceiling vents  50  is disposed within each closed to fan chamber  64 . One of a pair of identical elongated vents  54  is disposed within each closed to fan chamber  64 . 
     When a user enters the enclosure  11 , the motion sensors  56  detect a presence. The user dials the fan control  92  and heat control  94  to the desired setting to operate the apparatus  10 . A user may choose to leave the fan control  92  and heat control  94  in the desired setting. Upon user exit from the interior  11   a , the fan  34  and heating element  90  cease functions until a presence is once again detected by the motion sensors  56 . The apparatus  10  is powered by conventional electrical power sources. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the personal dryer apparatus, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the personal dryer apparatus. 
     Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the drawings and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the personal dryer apparatus may be used. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the personal dryer apparatus. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the personal dryer apparatus to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the personal dryer apparatus.