Water-Powered Hand-Washing Method
First Claim
1. A method of washing all five digits of a human hand, each digit having a nail bed, comprising:
- providing a work enclosure having an opening, an interior space, a base portion with a bottom and a spray nozzle positioned opposite the bottom for providing a spray of water to the interior space;
providing water to the spray nozzle so that the inlet water pressure of the spray nozzle is at least 10 pounds per square inch, the outlet flow rate is at least 0.7 gallons per minute and the nozzle exit velocity of the spray of water delivered from the spray nozzle is at least 35 feet per second;
inserting through the opening and into the interior space in the work enclosure the four three-phalanx digits;
delivering the spray of water while positioning the four three-phalanx digits so that the spray of water penetrates into the nail beds of the digits for a first period of time;
removing the four three-phalanx digits from the interior space;
inserting the opposing thumb into the interior space so that the tip of the opposing thumb is pointing substantially toward the spray nozzle; and
delivering the spray of water while positioning the thumb for a period of time so that the spray of water penetrates into the nail beds of the thumb for a second period of time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-washing system for washing fingernail beds and cuticular regions of human fingers and thumbs (collectively “digits”). The hand-washing system includes a work enclosure for containing ones of the digits and a high-velocity, high-flow water spray during a washing operation. The work enclosure defines an interior space, part of which defines an energy-dissipation region that, during use, provides a water reservoir for dissipating energy in the high-velocity, high flow water spray. The work enclosure includes a high-energy spray nozzle and a digit portal sized to receive the four fingers of one hand simultaneously in closed-fingered, upwardly-curled configuration. A mixing valve may be provided to allow a user to adjust the temperature of the water during washing. A quick-disconnect fluid-coupling assembly may also be provided and be used to quickly select between work enclosures of differing size.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of washing all five digits of a human hand, each digit having a nail bed, comprising:
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providing a work enclosure having an opening, an interior space, a base portion with a bottom and a spray nozzle positioned opposite the bottom for providing a spray of water to the interior space; providing water to the spray nozzle so that the inlet water pressure of the spray nozzle is at least 10 pounds per square inch, the outlet flow rate is at least 0.7 gallons per minute and the nozzle exit velocity of the spray of water delivered from the spray nozzle is at least 35 feet per second; inserting through the opening and into the interior space in the work enclosure the four three-phalanx digits; delivering the spray of water while positioning the four three-phalanx digits so that the spray of water penetrates into the nail beds of the digits for a first period of time; removing the four three-phalanx digits from the interior space; inserting the opposing thumb into the interior space so that the tip of the opposing thumb is pointing substantially toward the spray nozzle; and delivering the spray of water while positioning the thumb for a period of time so that the spray of water penetrates into the nail beds of the thumb for a second period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of washing digits of a human hand, each digit having a nail bed, comprising:
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providing a work enclosure having an opening, an interior space, and a spray nozzle positioned for providing a spray of water along a path to the interior space; providing water to the spray nozzle so that the spray of water is delivered from the spray nozzle with a V/Q ratio of at least about 20 FPS/GPM; inserting through the opening and into the interior space in the work enclosure at least one of the four three-phalanx digits so that the nail bed is positioned in the path of the spray of water such that the spray of water extends into the nail beds of the digits for at least 20 seconds; removing the at least one of the four three-phalanx digits from the interior space; inserting the opposing thumb into the interior space so that its nail bed is positioned in the path of the spray of water such that the spray of water extends into the nail bed for at least 20 seconds. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification