Method and apparatus for disinfecting items
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for disinfecting item, for example a handle for a door or tap in a toilet facility. There are prior art toilet door handles in which movement of the handle applies disinfectant to it. However, disinfectant tends also to be applied to the user'"'"'s hand. Herein there is disclosed apparatus comprising a movable member, e.g. a door handle having a contact surface for being manually engaged to move the movable member; germicide applying means for applying germicide to the surface; and an operating mechanism coupled between the movable member and the germicide applying means and operable in response to movement of the movable member for applying germicide to the contact surface after movement of said movable member. The germicide applying means may be a pump. The operating mechanism may act to prime the pump when the door handle is turned is to open the door and the germicide is sprayed over the handle after the handle is released and returns to its initial position. The return movement may be retarded.
33 Citations
20 Claims
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1-12. -12. (canceled)
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13. An apparatus comprising
a movable member; -
a contact surface engageable manually to move the movable member from a first position to a second position, the member returning to the first position upon release of the contact surface;
germicide applying means for applying germicide to the contact surface; and
an operating mechanism coupled between the movable member and the germicide applying means to cause germicide to be applied to the contact surface, characterised in that the operating mechanism is operable during the return movement of the movable member to the first position to deliver a spray of at least one of an aerosol and a mist of germicide onto the contact surface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A self-sterilizing handle assembly for a door comprising:
a manually operable handle and a spray head, the handle being operable to open the door, characterised in that the handle is arranged upon a manual release subsequent to operation of the door, to cause the spray head to spray germicide over at least part of the handle.
Specification