INTEGRAL BODY DRYER

Abstract

The present invention describes an integral body dryer that includes a diffuser and a protective cover attached to an upper end of a support column, wherein the diffuser contains a turbine, an electrical resistor and a pipe with a nozzle for the outlet of air, and the column comprises a rail for sliding the diffuser, the diffuser being able to move along the length of the column in a manner selected from electrical or manual, to blow air along the column and thus dry a user

Claims

1. An integral body dryer comprising a diffuser and a support column; the diffuser comprises a turbine, an electrical resistor and a pipe with a nozzle for the outlet of air, housed inside, and the column comprises a rail for sliding the diffuser, wherein the diffuser is able to move along the length of the column in a manner selected from electrical or manual, to blow air along the column and thus dry the body of a user in the entirety thereof.

2. The integral body dryer, according to claim 1, wherein a protective cover is attached to an upper end of the column.

3. The integral body dryer, according to claim 1, including a covering, which incorporates a longitudinal groove, which houses the column, the diffuser being inside the covering.

4. The integral body dryer, according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle is positioned in the groove so that all the air it expels comes out of the covering.

5. The integral body dryer, according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle has a substantially rectangular configuration and is longitudinally placed, according to the axial direction of the diffuser, to be oriented according to the groove of the covering and the groove to have the smallest dimension with the same effectiveness of the diffuser.

6. The integral body dryer, according to claim 1, including a control panel for the electrical activation of the movement of the diffuser along the length of the column by means of selecting a program.

7. The integral body dryer, according to claim 6, wherein the program selects movement parameters of the diffuser to select from speed, path, operating time and a combination of some of them and also parameters related to the outlet air to select from temperature, power and a combination thereof.

8. The integral body dryer, according to 6, wherein the program can be temporarily interrupted for manual control of the movement of the diffuser.

9. The integral body dryer, according to claim 6 wherein the program ends with the introduction of the diffuser in the protective cover.

10. The integral body dryer, according to claim 1, wherein the diffuser comprises an attachment element for coupling to a platform located on the column configured for sliding along the rail.

11. The integral body dryer, according to claim 1, wherein the diffuser comprises a guide configured for coupling to the rail (4) and to be able to slide along the column.

12. The integral body dryer, according to claim 8, wherein the diffuser is removable from the column to be manually used.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0045] To complement the description that is being made and for the purpose of helping to better understand the features of the invention, according to a preferred practical exemplary embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached wherein, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following figures have been represented:

[0046] FIG. 1 represents a front view of the diffuser used by the drying device of the invention located on a column wherein there is also a protective cover.

[0047] FIG. 2 represents a side view of the diffuser of FIG. 1.

[0048] FIG. 3 represents a front view of the diffuser located inside a covering that includes a groove wherein the nozzle is coupled.

[0049] FIG. 4 represents a cross-sectional side view of the configuration represented in FIG. 3 to see the inner arrangement of the diffuser.

[0050] Below is a list of the references used in the figures: [0051] 1. Diffuser. [0052] 2. Nozzle. [0053] 3. Column. [0054] 4. Rail. [0055] 5. Electrical resistor. [0056] 6. Protective cover. [0057] 7. Groove. [0058] 8. Covering.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0059] The present invention relates to an integral body dryer. It is made up of a device that includes a diffuser (1) that includes guides for sliding along a rail (4) placed on a column (3) and an optional protective cover (6), the function of which is to house the diffuser (1) when it is not being used to prevent foreign elements from entering, such as dust and, particularly, water when placed in proximity to a shower.

[0060] The diffuser (1) and the protective cover (6) installed on the column (3) are represented in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0061] In order to avoid power losses, the diffuser (1) has a cylindrical-shaped configuration, the air entering through one of the bases and leaving through the other base, so that the air path is as simple as possible, with the focus on minimal power loss due to the movement of air.

[0062] The diffuser (1) is made up of a turbine, not represented in the figures, internally placed at one end and responsible for taking in the air that is going to be propelled to provide drying, an electrical resistor (5) responsible for heating the air, and a nozzle (2), placed at the other end of the diffuser (1). Preferably, the nozzle (2) incorporates a grid with two objectives: guiding the air, so that noise is eliminated, and protection for preventing the entry of foreign elements that could get stuck, obstructing the outlet of air.

[0063] The movement of the diffuser (1) along the length of the column (3) enables the nozzle (2) to be placed at the height of all portions of the body of the user to be dried, being able to blow air and carry out drying without any problem.

[0064] An object of the present invention is for the diffuser (1) that moves to dry the body to be configured so that it incorporates all the elements necessary for drying, such as the pressurised air generator, in other words, the turbine, the air heater, in other words, the electrical resistor (5) and the pipe incorporating the air outlet nozzle (2) itself. This implies that there are no energy losses due to the circulation of air due to the fact of having the turbine displaced from the pipe or due to the length of the pipe. This translates into minimal power losses in the device that enable the outlet air coming through the nozzle (2) to not only be adequate in terms of speed and pressure, but also due to these minimal losses, the effectiveness to be greater. Moreover, the electrical resistor (5) has sufficient capacity to heat the entire air flow that passes through the diffuser (1) at the temperature considered adequate and that can be adjusted by the user or be defined.

[0065] The configuration of the device implies that the air outlet power coming through the nozzle (2) is sufficient to be able to carry out the drying of the body in less time than that used with a towel.

[0066] The width of the nozzle (2) is considerably less than that of a person's torso, so that the volume it occupies is not detrimental in terms of the space necessary for the placement thereof, being preferred that the user must move horizontally so that the air falls on all portions of their body.

[0067] Regarding the movement of the device along the column, it must be noted that it can be manual or electric. Thus, the device can move around the column (3) electrically, so that the movement speed, the path and the operating time can be programmed. To this end, the user can select a program that provides a very slow device speed, so that drying is carried out by horizontal sections while rotating so that the air reaches all portions of their body. In another mode, a faster speed can be selected, so that the device dries the body by vertical sections despite having to move vertically several times. Moreover, when used for drying animals, for example, the path can be selected so that air is not blown into unnecessary areas where there is nothing to dry. The operating time is also important, there being cases where there is no rush to finish drying and a longer operating time is preferred.

[0068] To activate the movement of the diffuser (1) electrically, the dryer of the invention can incorporate an electronic panel wherein the operating parameters can be selected, such as movement speed, the path or the operating time. Furthermore, other parameters may also be selected, such as, for example, air temperature or air outlet power. This panel can be in the same diffuser (1) or external thereto.

[0069] Furthermore, the diffuser (1) can further be moved through the column (3) manually, driven by the user themself, so that they are able to position the diffuser (1) along the rail (4), stopping it and moving it at their convenience to select which portions of the body are considered to need more air flow for drying. To be able to move it manually, the electric release of the diffuser (1) can be carried out, for example, by simply stopping the diffuser (1) or by pressing a button that locks the device and keeps it attached to the column (3). This manual release and use is only temporary so, after a certain time, the control of the diffuser (1) is electric again.

[0070] When drying is finished, the program has an option to ensure that the diffuser (1) moves to the upper end of the column (3) to be housed inside a protective cover (6) that protects it from foreign elements such as dust or water that may affect the operation thereof. In the case of having been activated manually, this activation is temporary, so that after a time has passed the electric control of the diffuser is turned back on (1).

[0071] The protective cover (6), in turn, is attached to the column (3) at the upper end in a predetermined position with respect to the rail (4), so that the diffuser (1) is placed inside the cover (6) when moving to the end of the rail (4).

[0072] Furthermore, it must be considered that the diffuser (1) can be disassembled from the column (3). This fact is related to the possibility of personalised use of the diffuser, wherein the user may need to focus the air outlet towards more inaccessible areas for the diffuser (1) being placed in the column (3) to achieve a more effective drying. Once this drying is finished, the diffuser (1) is returned to the position thereof in the column (3) to be electrically controlled again. Thus, it can be seen that the versatility of the integral body dryer of the present invention is complete, the diffuser (1) even being able to be removed from the column (3)

[0073] For its part, the rail (4), despite being considered in the singular, it can also relate to several rails (4), just by adapting the configuration of the guides. In fact, in a preferred embodiment the column (3) incorporates rails (4) wherein a platform with guides is placed to slide along the rails (4), while the diffuser (1) incorporates attachments to be attached to the platform, thus facilitating the disassembly of the diffuser (1) from the column (3). In any case, the configuration of the guides and rails (4) is as wide as can be conceived and of those known in the state of the art.

[0074] In a second embodiment, as represented in FIGS. 3 and 4, along the entire column (3) there is a covering (8) housing the rails (4) and, therefore, leaving the diffuser (1) enclosed. However, this covering (8) is not completely closed, Instead, it incorporates a groove (7) on the front face facing the column (3) and the rails (4), in other words, the outlet nozzle (2) of the diffuser (1) for the outlet of air. Thus, the diffuser (1) is attached at the rear area to the rails (4) of the column (3) and has the nozzle (2) adapted to the groove (7). Preferably, the nozzle (2) has an elongated configuration and is placed vertically, with the longitudinal axis aligned with the longitudinal axis of the diffuser (1), in order not to have a very wide groove (7) in the covering (8), but rather to be of the smallest possible dimension without affecting the efficiency of the diffuser (1). Furthermore, the air outlet nozzle (2) is aligned with the air inlet mouth in the diffuser (1), so that pressure losses are minimal. To this end, in order for the covering (8) to not have a cross section with dimensions that are too large for it to house the entire length of the diffuser (1), the diffuser is placed on the rails (4) of the column (3) with a certain inclination, as desired. This inclination can be combined with an inclination in the nozzle itself (2), a small pressure loss being acceptable. Thus, a compromise is reached in the position of the diffuser (1) wherein the inlet of air through the turbine, not being in a horizontal position, and the outlet through the nozzle (2), as it is not rotated 90 degrees, are favoured. The covering (8) can also incorporate the protective cover (6).

[0075] Lastly, it should be noted that the present invention should not be limited to the embodiment described herein. Other configurations can be made by those persons skilled in the art in light of the present description. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.