WASHING DEVICE FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS

• US 20090308951A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael P. Suter
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Suter
• Inventors: Suter, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US12/545,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20090308951A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/318
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 13/001 Washing, cleaning, or drying devices for veterinary purposes A61D7/00, A61D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0409 Shower handles
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/046 Adding soap, disinfectant, or the like in the supply line or at the water outletpreventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/08 comprising only taps or cocks
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/20 operated by separate actuating members with one plug turning in another F16K11/12

Abstract

A washing device [1000] is described which is uniquely adapted for use by elderly, handicapped, or other users which use one hand for support and have only one hand free to operate the device. Since the washing device [1000] is operated with one hand it allows the user one hand or both hands free to scrub, clean and bathe animals and humans. The washing device [1000] includes a supply line [1010] with a cleaning fluid under pressure. The supply line [1010] directs the fluid to a fluid valve [1210] which is controlled by a first clicking mechanism 1231 which toggles the valve between an “open” position directing fluid flow to an additive valve [1240], and a “closed” position which stops fluid flow. Additive valve [1240] is also toggled between two positions by a second clicking mechanism [1232]. In its ‘fluid only’ position, only fluid is allowed to pass out of the additive valve [1240] through a mixing chamber [1400] and out of a changeable head [1700] to the user. In another embodiment, a single three-position valve performs the same functions. The present invention embodies a method of one-hand use of the device, or hands free washing using the device.

Claims

1. A washing device [1000] designed for single-hand operation for connecting to a fluid hose [3] comprising:

a) a housing [1100] having two sides, a first end and a second end, a front surface and a back surface;

b) a handle section [1120] at the first end capable of being held by one hand;

b) a supply line [1010] capable of directing fluid flow through the housing [1100];

c) a hose connection [1030] for causing a fluidic connection between the fluid hose [3] and the supply line [1010];

d) a head section [1140] at the second end having a plurality of nozzles [1710];

e) an additive container [1600] having a container inlet [1610] and a container outlet [1630] leading to the nozzle outlets, for holding an additive and releasing the additive through the container outlet [1630] to the nozzle outlets when fluid enters through the container inlet [1610]; and

f) a three-way roller valve [1900] located on the back surface within a length of a human thumb from the handle section [1120], capable of rolling about an axis which passes from side to side, causing the valve to be operated by rolling an exposed surface of the three-way roller valve toward the first end and toward the second end allowing simple single-hand operation, the three-way roller valve [1900] being coupled to the supply line [1010], the additive container inlet [1610], and the nozzles [1710], having three positions,

i. a first position preventing the flow of fluid from the supply line [1010] through the fluid valve [1210],

ii. a second position allowing fluid flow from the supply line [1010] only through the nozzles [1710], and

iii. a third position allowing fluid flow from the supply line [1210], through the nozzles [1710], and through the additive container inlet [1610] releasing the additive through the container outlet [1630] to the nozzles [1710] to be mixed with the fluid from the supply line [1010].

2. The washing device [1000] of claim 1 wherein the head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable scrubbing brushes [1730].

3. The washing device [1000] of claim 1 wherein the head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable washing sponges [1730].

4. The washing device [1000] of claim 1 wherein the head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable loofa-like washing material [1730].

5. The washing device [1000] of claim 1 wherein the head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable cloth material [1730].

6. A washing device [1000] for connecting to a fluid hose [3] comprising:

a) a housing [1100] having a head section [1140] and a handle section [1120], wherein the handle section [1120] has two sides, a front surface and a back surface, the front surface shaped to receive fingers of a user and the back surface shaped to receive a thumb of a user, the handle section [1140] is capable of being held by one hand;

b) a supply line [1010] capable of directing fluid flow through the housing [1100];

c) a hose connection [1030] for causing a fluidic connection between said fluid hose [3] and the supply line [1010];

d) a plurality of nozzles [1710] for spraying out fluids provided to them;

e) an additive container [1600] having a container inlet [1610] and a container outlet [1630] coupled to at least one of the nozzles [1710] for holding an additive and releasing the additive through the container outlet [1630] when fluid enters through the container inlet [1610];

f) a fluid valve [1210] located on the back surface within a length of a human thumb from the handle section [1120], having an input fluidically coupled to the supply line [1010], and a fluid line outlet [1271] coupled to the nozzles [1710], the fluid valve [1210] capable of being placed, and remaining in, without outside force;

i. a first position, thereby preventing the flow of fluid from the supply line [1010] through the fluid valve [1210], and

ii. a second position allowing fluid flow from the supply line [1010] through the fluid valve [1210] to the fluid line outlet [1271] and out of the nozzles [1710];

g) an additive valve [1240] located on the back surface within a length of a human thumb from the handle section [1120], having an input fluidically coupled to the fluid line outlet [1271] of the fluid valve [1210] and an output fluidically coupled to nozzles [1710] capable of being placed in, and remain in, without outside force;

i. a first position, preventing fluid flow through the fluid valve [1210], and

ii. a second position allowing fluid flow from the output of the fluid valve [1210] to pass through the additive valve [1240], to an additive line output [1281], to the container inlet [1610] causing an additive to be forced out of container outlet [1630] and to the nozzles [1710].

7. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the fluid valve [1210] is push-type toggle valve and further comprises:

a first clicking mechanism [1231] is coupled to a fluid button [1211] and the fluid valve [1210] for toggling the fluid valve [1210] when the fluid button [1211] is pressed between its first position and its second position.

8. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the additive valve is a push-type toggle valve and the washing device further comprises:

a second clicking mechanism [1232] coupled to the fluid button [1211] and the fluid valve [1210] for toggling the fluid valve [1210] when the fluid button [1211] is pressed to between its first position and its second position.

9. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the fluid valve [1210] is a roller-type valve.

10. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the additive valve [1240] is a roller-type valve.

11. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the fluid valve [1210] and the additive valve [1240] are designed to roll about an axis which passes from side to side of the housing, the valves are sized and positioned to be operated by a single human hand of a user holding the handle section [1140].

12. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the housing head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable scrubbing brushes [1730].

13. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the housing head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable washing sponges [1730].

14. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the housing head section [1140] further comprises:

a loofa-like washing material [1730].

15. The washing device [1000] of claim 6 wherein the housing head section [1140] further comprises:

a changeable cloth material [1730].

16. A washing device [1000] intended for one-hand operation comprising:

a) a housing having two sides, a first end and a second end, a front surface and a back surface, the housing having a handle section [1120] at the first end and a head section [1140] at the second end, the front surface of the handle section [1120] being shaped to receive fingers of a user and the back surface shaped to receive a thumb of a user;

b) a hose connection in the handle section [1120] fluidically connected to a fluid source;

c) an additive container [1600] for carrying an additive;

d) a plurality of nozzles [1710];

e) at least one roller valve located on the back surface within a length of a human adult thumb from the handle section [1120] capable of rolling about a side to side axis and capable of being operated by a thumb of one hand of a user, fluidically coupled to the hose connection, the valve having at least three settings,

i. a first setting for preventing the flow of fluid;

ii. a second setting for allowing the flow of fluid to the nozzles [1710]; and

iii. a third setting allowing the flow of fluid out of the nozzles [1710] and also causing additive to flow out of the nozzles [1710].

17. The washing device of claim 16 wherein the head section [1140] further comprising:

changeable scrubbing brushes [1730].

18. The washing device of claim 16 wherein the head section [1140] further comprises:

changeable washing sponges [1730].

19. The washing device of claim 16 wherein the head section [1140] further comprises:

changeable loofa-like washing material [1730].

changeable cloth material [1730];

a screen inside of the nozzles [1710];

an air intake allowing air to enter the nozzles [1710] causing foaming; and

/or

an agitator for mixing the fluid and the additive.

20. A method of bathing comprising the steps of:

providing a washing device, the washing device [1000] intended for one-hand valve operation and hands free washing comprising;

a) a housing having two sides, a first end and a second end, a front surface and a back surface, the housing having a handle section [1120] at the first end and a head section [1140] at the second end, the front surface of the handle section [1120] being shaped to receive fingers of a user and the back surface shaped to receive a thumb of a user;

b) a hose connection in the handle section [1120] fluidically connected to a fluid source;

c) an additive container [1600] for carrying an additive;

d) a plurality of nozzles [1710];

e) at least one valve located on the back surface within a length of a human adult thumb from the handle section [1120] capable of being operated by a thumb of one hand of a user while the one hand holds the washing device, fluidically coupled to the hose connection, the at least one valve enabling the following settings,

i. a first setting for preventing the flow of fluid;

ii. a second setting for allowing the flow of fluid to the nozzles [1710]; and

iii. a third setting allowing the flow of fluid out of the nozzles [1710] and also allowing fluid to flow into the additive container causing additive to flow out of the nozzles [1710];

providing a selectively mountable washing device mount, said washing device mount adaptable to hold the washing device in place to provide a directed stream of fluid from the washing device;

connecting the selectively mountable washing device mount to a wall or water source pipe, or other static or selectively static object to hold the mount in place;

connecting the washing device to the selectively mountable washing device mount either before during or after “

operating the at least one valve”

step washing device is connected to the mount;

with one hand, operating the at least one valve of the washing device while holding the washing device [1000], or operating the at least one valve with one hand while the washing device [1000] is held by the mount; and

washing a human or animal with at least the one hand while the washing device is operating in the first setting, the second setting, or the third setting;

while using at least one hand for another purpose (such as holding the human or animal, or washing the human or animal) operating the at least one valve of the washing device to change among the first setting, the second setting, or the third setting while holding the washing device [1000], or operating the at least one valve with an other hand of a person to change among the first setting, the second setting, or the third setting while the washing device [1000] is held by the mount.