Hand sanitizing assembly

• US 10,398,793 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alva Foster
• Original Assignee: Alva Foster
• Inventors: Foster, Alva
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyner, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US15/602,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20180339072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/48 Drying by means of hot air hair-drying devices A45D20/00; curative hot-air baths A61H33/06; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0088 Liquid substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/15 Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0278 Arrangement or mounting of spray heads B05B13/0207 takes precedence

Abstract

A hand sanitizing assembly for sanitizing and drying hands includes a tunnel unit that is positioned on a support surface. Hands are selectively placed in the tunnel unit. A sanitizing unit is positioned within the tunnel unit and the sanitizing unit contains a fluid sanitizer. The sanitizing unit selectively dispenses the fluid sanitizer to sanitize the hands when the hands are positioned in the tunnel unit. A blower unit is positioned within the tunnel unit to selectively urge air through the tunnel unit. In this way the hands are dried when the hands are sanitized.

Claims

1. A hand sanitizing assembly being configured to automatically sanitize and dry hands, said assembly comprising:

a tunnel unit being configured to be positioned on a support surface, said tunnel unit being configured to have hands positioned therein, said tunnel unit comprising a housing having a front wall, a back wall and an outer wall extending therebetween, said outer wall having a bottom side and a top side, said top side being concavely arcuate with respect to the bottom side such that said housing has a quonset shape, said housing having a first well extending through said front and back walls, said housing having a second well extending through said front and back walls, each of said first and second wells having a bounding surface, said housing having a chamber extending substantially between said front and back walls, said housing having a pair of ducts, each of said ducts intersecting said chamber and an associated one of said wells such that said chamber is in fluid communication with each of said first and second wells, said chamber having a bounding surface, said bounding surface corresponding to said chamber being continuous such that said chamber has a cylindrical shape, said tunnel unit having a pair of sleeves, each of said sleeves having a plurality of openings;

a sanitizing unit being positioned within said tunnel unit, said sanitizing unit containing a fluid sanitizer, said sanitizing unit selectively dispensing said fluid sanitizer wherein said sanitizing unit is configured to sanitize the hands when the hands are positioned in said tunnel unit; and

a blower unit being positioned within said tunnel unit wherein said blower unit is configured to selectively urge air through said tunnel unit thereby facilitating the hands to be dried when the hands are sanitized, said blower unit including a fan having a primary end and a secondary end, said fan being elongated between said primary end and said secondary end, said fan comprising a plurality of blades, each of said blades being spaced apart from each other and extending between said primary and secondary ends, said fan being rotatably positioned within said chamber such that said fan urges air through each of said ducts, into each of said first and second wells and outwardly through said openings in each of said sleeves wherein said fan is configured to dry the hands when the hands are positioned in said tunnel unit.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of sleeves, each of said sleeves having a first end, a second end and an exterior wall extending therebetween, each of said sleeves being positioned within an associated one of said first and second wells having said first end and said second end corresponding to each of said sleeves being aligned with an associated one of said front wall and said back wall and having said exterior wall being spaced from said bounding surface of said associated first and second well.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said exterior wall corresponding to each of said sleeves has a plurality of openings extending into an interior of said corresponding sleeve, said openings being spaced apart from each other and being distributed in a plurality of rows on said corresponding sleeve.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said sanitizing unit comprises a reservoir being positioned within said housing, said reservoir containing said fluid sanitizer.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, further comprising:

a spout being coupled to and extending upwardly from said reservoir such that said spout is in fluid communication with said reservoir, said spout having a distal end with respect to said reservoir, said distal end being open, said spout extending through said top side of said housing having said distal end being exposed for filling said reservoir; and

a cap being removably positioned on said distal end to close said distal end.

6. The assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a pump being positioned within said housing, said pump having an input and an output, said input being in fluid communication with said reservoir such that said pump selectively urges said fluid sanitizer outwardly from said output.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, further comprising:

a first tube having a plurality of first nozzles;

a second tube having a plurality of second nozzles; and

a conduit being fluidly coupled between said output and each of said first and second tubes such that conduit directs said fluid sanitizer outwardly through each of said first and second nozzles wherein said fluid sanitizer is configured to be dispensed onto the hands.

8. The assembly according to claim 6, further comprising:

a processor being positioned within said housing, said processor being electrically coupled to said pump, said processor selectively generating an on sequence, said pump being turned on when said processor generates said on sequence;

a pair of sleeves; and

a motion sensor being coupled to said housing, said motion sensor being electrically coupled to said processor, said motion sensor being positioned in a selected one of said sleeves wherein said motion sensor is configured to sense motion thereby facilitating said motion sensor to detect when the hands are positioned in said selected sleeve, said processor generating said on sequence when said motion sensor senses motion.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, further comprising:

a control being coupled to said housing wherein said control is configured to be manipulated, said control being electrically coupled to said processor such that said control controls operational parameters of said processor; and

a power supply being positioned in said housing, said power supply being electrically coupled to said processor, said power supply comprising a power cord extending outwardly from said housing, said power cord having a distal end with respect to said housing, said distal end of said power cord having a plug being electrically coupled thereto wherein said plug is configured to be electrically coupled to a power source.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of sleeves, each of said sleeves being positioned in an associated one of said first and second wells; and

a set of first tubes, each of said first tubes extending substantially around said sleeve corresponding to said first well, said first tubes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first and second ends of said corresponding sleeve.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein each of said first tubes has a plurality of first nozzles being fluidly coupled thereto, each of said first nozzles extending through said corresponding sleeve and into said first well, each of said first nozzles having a distal end with respect to said corresponding sleeve, said distal end corresponding to each of said first nozzles being open.

12. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of sleeves, each of said sleeves being positioned in an associated one of said first and second wells; and

a set of second tubes, each of said second tubes extending substantially around said sleeve corresponding to said second well, said second tubes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first and second ends of said corresponding sleeve.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein each of said second tubes has a plurality of second nozzles being fluidly coupled thereto, each of said second nozzles extending through said corresponding sleeve and into said second well, each of said second nozzles having a distal end with respect to said corresponding sleeve, said distal end corresponding to each of said second nozzles being open.

14. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a processor selectively generating an on sequence; and

a motor being coupled to said fan such that said motor rotates said fan when said motor is turned on, said motor being electrically coupled to said processor such that said motor is turned on when said processor generates said on sequence.

15. A hand sanitizing assembly being configured to automatically sanitize and dry hands, said assembly comprising:

a tunnel unit being configured to be positioned on a support surface, said tunnel unit being configured to have hands positioned therein, said tunnel unit comprising;

a housing having a front wall, a back wall and an outer wall extending therebetween, said outer wall having a bottom side and a top side, said top side being concavely arcuate with respect to the bottom side such that said housing has a quonset shape, said housing having a first well extending through said front and back walls, said housing having a second well extending through said front and back walls, each of said first and second wells having a bounding surface, said housing having a chamber extending substantially between said front and back walls, said housing having a pair of ducts, each of said ducts intersecting said chamber and an associated one of said wells such that said chamber is in fluid communication with each of said first and second wells, said chamber having a bounding surface, said bounding surface corresponding to said chamber being continuous such that said chamber has a cylindrical shape, and

a pair of sleeves, each of said sleeves having a first end, a second end and an exterior wall extending therebetween, each of said sleeves being positioned within an associated one of said first and second wells having said first end and said second end corresponding to each of said sleeves being aligned with an associated one of said front wall and said back wall and having said exterior wall being spaced from said bounding surface of said associated first and second well, said exterior wall corresponding to each of said sleeves having a plurality of openings extending into an interior of said corresponding sleeve, said openings being spaced apart from each other and being distributed in a plurality of rows on said corresponding sleeve;

a sanitizing unit being positioned within said tunnel unit, said sanitizing unit containing a fluid sanitizer, said sanitizing unit selectively dispensing said fluid sanitizer wherein said sanitizing unit is configured to sanitize the hands when the hands are positioned in said tunnel unit, said sanitizing unit comprising;

a reservoir being positioned within said housing, said reservoir containing said fluid sanitizer,

a spout being coupled to and extending upwardly from said reservoir such that said spout is in fluid communication with said reservoir, said spout having a distal end with respect to said reservoir, said distal end being open, said spout extending through said top side of said housing having said distal end being exposed for filling said reservoir,

a cap being removably positioned on said distal end to close said distal end,

a set of first tubes, each of said first tubes extending substantially around said sleeve corresponding to said first well, said first tubes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first and second ends of said corresponding sleeve, each of said first tubes having a plurality of first nozzles being fluidly coupled thereto, each of said first nozzles extending through said corresponding sleeve and into said first well, each of said first nozzles having a distal end with respect to said corresponding sleeve, said distal end corresponding to each of said first nozzles being open,

a set of second tubes, each of said second tubes extending substantially around said sleeve corresponding to said second well, said second tubes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first and second ends of said corresponding sleeve, each of said second tubes having a plurality of second nozzles being fluidly coupled thereto, each of said second nozzles extending through said corresponding sleeve and into said second well, each of said second nozzles having a distal end with respect to said corresponding sleeve, said distal end corresponding to each of said second nozzles being open,

a pump being positioned within said housing, said pump having an input and an output, said input being in fluid communication with said reservoir such that said pump selectively urges said fluid sanitizer outwardly from said output,

a conduit being fluidly coupled between said output and each of said first and second tubes such that conduit directs said fluid sanitizer outwardly through each of said first and second nozzles wherein said fluid sanitizer is configured to be dispensed onto the hands,

a processor being positioned within said housing, said processor being electrically coupled to said pump, said processor selectively generating an on sequence, said pump being turned on when said processor generates said on sequence,

a motion sensor being coupled to said housing, said motion sensor being electrically coupled to said processor, said motion sensor being positioned in a selected one of said sleeves wherein said motion sensor is configured to sense motion thereby facilitating said motion sensor to detect when the hands are positioned in said selected sleeve, said processor generating said on sequence when said motion sensor senses motion,

a control being coupled to said housing wherein said control is configured to be manipulated, said control being electrically coupled to said processor such that said control controls operational parameters of said processor, and

a power supply being positioned in said housing, said power supply being electrically coupled to said processor, said power supply comprising a power cord extending outwardly from said housing, said power cord having a distal end with respect to said housing, said distal end of said power cord having a plug being electrically coupled thereto wherein said plug is configured to be electrically coupled to a power source; and

a blower unit being positioned within said tunnel unit wherein said blower unit is configured to selectively urge air through said tunnel unit thereby facilitating the hands to be dried when the hands are sanitized, said blower unit comprising;

a fan having a primary end and a secondary end, said fan being elongated between said primary end and said secondary end, said fan comprising a plurality of blades, each of said blades being spaced apart from each other and extending between said primary and secondary ends, said fan being rotatably positioned within said chamber such that said fan urges air through each of said ducts, into each of said first and second wells and outwardly through said openings in each of said sleeves wherein said fan is configured to dry the hands when the hands are positioned in said tunnel unit, and

a motor being coupled to said fan such that said motor rotates said fan when said motor is turned on, said motor being electrically coupled to said processor such that said motor is turned on when said processor generates said on sequence.