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CN-122003194-A - Drying equipment

CN122003194ACN 122003194 ACN122003194 ACN 122003194ACN-122003194-A

Abstract

According to one aspect, a drying apparatus (100) is provided, the drying apparatus comprising at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device (102), the at least one MEMS device (102) having at least one vibrating member configured to generate an air flow along an air flow path for drying an object, a housing (104) configured to at least partially house the at least one MEMS device, and an air outlet (106) formed in the housing, the air outlet configured to direct the air flow away from the at least one MEMS device.

Inventors

  • M.J. Leleveld

Assignees

  • 皇家飞利浦有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20241004
Priority Date
20231011

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A drying apparatus (100), comprising: At least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device (102) having at least one vibrating member, the at least one MEMS device configured to generate an air flow along an air flow path for drying an object; A housing (104) configured to at least partially house the at least one MEMS device, and An air outlet (106) formed in the housing, the air outlet configured to direct the air flow away from the at least one MEMS device.
  2. 2. The drying apparatus (100) of claim 1, further comprising: A heat source (302) in thermal communication with the at least one MEMS device (102) such that heat generated by the heat source is transferred to the air stream.
  3. 3. The drying apparatus (100) of claim 2, further comprising: a heat transfer bonding medium (304) between the at least one MEMS device (102) and the heat source.
  4. 4. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: A power source electrically connected to the at least one MEMS device (102) and configured to supply power to the at least one MEMS device; Wherein the power source is in thermal communication with the at least one MEMS device such that heat generated by the power source is transferred to the air stream.
  5. 5. The drying apparatus (100) of claim 4, further comprising: a heat transfer bonding medium between the at least one MEMS device (102) and the power source.
  6. 6. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a fan (402) configured to move air along the airflow path.
  7. 7. The drying apparatus (100) of claim 6, further comprising: a motor (404) configured to drive the fan.
  8. 8. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: An air inlet (108) formed in the housing, the air inlet configured to direct ambient air from outside the housing toward the at least one MEMS device (102).
  9. 9. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one MEMS device (102) comprises a plurality of MEMS devices, each MEMS device being configured to generate an air flow and to direct the air flow towards the air outlet.
  10. 10. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the air flow generated by the at least one MEMS device (102) is redirected through the housing of the drying apparatus.
  11. 11. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one MEMS device (102) has a first end and a second end, and Wherein air is provided to the at least one MEMS device at the first end and the air flow is directed away from the at least one MEMS device at the second end.
  12. 12. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one MEMS device (102) has a first end and a second end, and Wherein air is provided to the at least one MEMS device via an inlet between the first end and the second end, and the air flow is directed away from the at least one MEMS device via at least one of the first end and the second end.
  13. 13. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drying apparatus is configured to at least partially dry a body part of a user.
  14. 14. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drying apparatus comprises a blower (1100) or a hand dryer (1200).
  15. 15. The drying apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the drying apparatus comprises a blower (1100), and further comprising: A handle (1102) to be held by a user during use.

Description

Drying equipment Technical Field The present invention relates to a drying apparatus, such as a hair dryer or hand dryer. Background Drying devices such as blowers and hand dryers typically include a heating element and a fan for air propulsion to blow warm air against an object to be dried (e.g., hair or hand). Generating airflow using only fans has several drawbacks. In order to generate a sufficient air flow to achieve the desired drying effect, the fans used in the drying apparatus need to be of sufficient size, meaning that the drying apparatus itself needs to be of sufficient size to accommodate the fans. In addition to the dimensional requirements, fans have other drawbacks. For example, fans that are typically driven by motors can create a significant amount of noise when rotated, which can negatively experience a user using a drying apparatus with such fans. Energy is required to drive the fan (e.g., drive the motor), so a drying apparatus with a larger fan would require a larger amount of energy. As the fans rotate, they create undesirable forces (due to rotational inertia) that can be uncomfortable for a user using the drying apparatus, particularly if the drying apparatus includes a large fan. Accordingly, there is a need for a drying apparatus that at least partially addresses one or more of the problems described above. Disclosure of Invention It is desirable to have a drying apparatus, such as a blower or hand dryer, that can provide the same or better drying effect as existing drying apparatuses, but without suffering from the problems associated with generating an air flow with only a fan. The inventors of the present disclosure have recognized that such improvements may be achieved by providing a drying apparatus that includes different types of airflow-generating devices instead of or in addition to fans. In particular, according to embodiments disclosed herein, among other features, a drying apparatus includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) apparatus that includes one or more vibrating members that vibrate when actuated to cause an air flow that can be used to dry an object. MEMS devices are smaller and quieter than many fans traditionally used in drying devices, and therefore, similar drying effects can be achieved without the drawbacks suffered by drying devices that use only fans for generating air flow. According to a first particular aspect, there is provided a drying apparatus comprising at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device having at least one vibrating member, the at least one MEMS device being configured to generate an air flow along an air flow path for drying an object, a housing configured to at least partially house the at least one MEMS device, and an air outlet formed in the housing, the air outlet configured to direct the air flow away from the at least one MEMS device. In some embodiments, the drying device may further comprise a heat source in thermal communication with the at least one MEMS device such that heat generated by the heat source is transferred to the air stream. The drying device may further comprise a heat transfer bonding medium between the at least one MEMS device and the heat source. In some embodiments, the drying device may include a power source electrically connected to and configured to power the at least one MEMS device. The power source may be in thermal communication with the at least one MEMS device such that heat generated by the power source is transferred to the air stream. The drying device may also include a heat transfer bonding medium between the at least one MEMS device and the power source. In some embodiments, the drying apparatus may further comprise a fan configured to move air along the airflow path. The drying apparatus may further include a motor configured to drive the fan. The drying device may further comprise an air inlet formed in the housing, the air inlet configured to direct ambient air from outside the housing towards the at least one MEMS device. The at least one MEMS device may form at least one wall defining an airflow path along which the airflow moves. At least a portion of the air flow generated by the MEMS device may be redirected through the housing of the drying device. In some embodiments, at least one MEMS device may have a first end and a second end. Air may be provided to the at least one MEMS device at a first end and an air flow may be directed away from the at least one MEMS device at a second end. Alternatively, air may be provided to the at least one MEMS device via an inlet between the first end and the second end, and the air flow may be directed away from the at least one MEMS device via at least one of the first end and the second end. In some embodiments, the drying device may be configured to at least partially dry a body part of the user. In some embodiments, the drying apparatus may comprise a blower or a hand dryer. The drying apparatus may for example comprise a hair