Hand washing display device

• US 20020061500A1
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CDC Investments LLLP
• Original Assignee: Venture Management Alliance LLC
• Inventors: Collopy, Charles T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,832,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/238
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1001 Piston pumps B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0076 Body hygiene; Dressing; Knot tying

Abstract

A hand washing device and method encouraging hand washing includes a display panel, a message “WASH UP with Soap and Water. Get rid of germs in only 15 seconds.” and may have one of a variety of timing means to time the wash cycle or the user may use an ordinary clock. Germ illustrations indicate consequences. The panel is on personal and public use soap dispensers and return springs are used as the timing device.

Claims

1. A display device for encouraging hand washing with soap for a time beyond an ineffective washing time including:

a display panel, first message indicia on said display panel encouraging a person to hand wash a preselected wash time longer than a brief time interval, and

second message indicia on said display panel showing germs for indicating to a person consequences for not washing according to said first message indicia.

2. The display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display panel is a poster board.

3. The display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display panel has an adhesive layer on a back surface for fastening to a support surface.

4. The display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display panel is a wall of a personal use soap dispenser with a pump assembly for pumping soap from a container, said assembly using a reciprocal plunger movable between an up position and a down position and a coil spring to return said plunger to an up position.

5. The display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plunger carries a weight selected to return the plunger to the up position in the selected time interval.

6. The display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display panel is on an exterior wall of a public use soap dispenser with a container having a coil spring of a selected tension for timing and a dispenser lever for dispensing soap from said container.

7. The display device as set forth in claim 1 further including timing means for indicating that the selected wash time has elapsed.

8. The display device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said timing means is an hour glass mounted on the panel.

9. The display device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said timing means is a digital clock.

10. The display device as set forth in claim 7 including a spring having a tension selected to return the plunger to the up position in the selected time interval.

11. The display device as set forth in claim 7 including drag means to decrease the return time for the plunger.

12. The display device as set forth in claim 11 wherein said drag means includes a squeeze clamp on the container, said plunger having an adjustment screw causing drag on the plunger on a return stroke for the plunger.

13. The display device as set forth in claim 11 wherein said drag means includes a set screw on the container that engages the plunger to cause drag on the plunger during return to the up position.

14. The display device as set forth in claim 11 herein said drag means includes axially spaced ridges on the container causing drag on the plunger during return to the up position.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 further including displaying a reward for hand washing for the desirable elapsed time.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the hand washing time is 15 seconds.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said second message is a plurality of illustrations of germs.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said first message is WASH UP! with soap and water, get rid of the germs in only 15 seconds.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein said displaying of said messages is on a mirror above a hand washing facility.

15. A display device for encouraging hand washing with soap for a time beyond an ineffective washing time including:

a display panel of a rigid material,

first message indicia on said display panel encouraging a person to hand wash a preselected wash time of at least 15 seconds,

second message indicia on said display panel showing germs for indicating to a person consequences for not washing according to said first message indicia, and

timing means for indicating that the selected wash time has elapsed.

16. A method of encouraging a person to wash their hands with soap for a significant preselected time beyond a brief time interval,

displaying a first message for the need of a person to wash for a significant time longer than a brief time interval,

displaying a second message for the consequences for failure to wash longer than said brief time interval, and

displaying a desirable hand washing time.