Hand sanitizing apparatus

• US 5,765,242 A
• Filed: 09/24/1996
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph Marciano
• Original Assignee: Joseph Marciano
• Inventors: Marciano, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US08/719,311
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 4/619, 4/623, 4/628
• US Class Current: 4/623
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2210/00 Combinations of water taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors

Abstract

Hand sanitizing apparatus for use in combination with existing wash basins having a water supply. A person'"'"'s hands are washed and dried while held at a sensed position below the apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing adapted to be supported a given height above the wash basin, and a soap/water spray head fixed inside the housing to direct soap and water toward the person'"'"'s hands. Hot and cold water lines extend between the wash basin water supply and a solenoid valve in the housing, to communicate warm rinse water from the valve when opened to the spray head of the apparatus. A soap reservoir and pump are arranged inside the housing to communicate liquified soap to the spray head. An air dryer unit fixed inside the housing serves to dry the hands after wetting by the soap and water sprays. An electrical control circuit includes a sensor that detects the presence of the hands at the sensed position, and a microcontroller for sequential activation of the soap pump, the water solenoid valve, and the air dryer unit over preset operating cycles.

Claims

1. Hand sanitizing apparatus for use in combination with an existing wash basin sink, comprising:

mounting base means for mounting components of the apparatus adjacent a back wall of an existing wash basin sink and at a certain height above the sink;

cover means fixed to said mounting base means, for enclosing components mounted on said mounting base means;

spray head means mounted on said mounting base means for directing sprays of water and a hand soap toward a person'"'"'s hands when held at a sensed position beneath said mounting base means;

water conduit means for diverting water supplied by an outside water supply for the existing sink, to the spray head means mounted on said mounting base means;

cleaning agent dispensing means mounted on said mounting base means, including soap reservoir tank means for containing a supply of said hand soap, and means for directing said soap through the spray head means toward the sensed position beneath said mounting base means;

dryer means mounted on said mounting base means, including means for heating air drawn inside said cover means, and means for propelling the heated air toward the person'"'"'s hands at the sensed position beneath said mounting base means; and

control means for controlling operational cycles of the apparatus in response to certain input conditions, the control means including

means for detecting the presence of said hands at the sensed position beneath said mounting base means, and

means for sequentially activating said cleaning agent dispensing means, said water conduit means, and said dryer means over corresponding operating cycles of preset durations while said hands remain at the sensed position beneath said mounting base means;

wherein said spray head means comprises a spray head body having a first passage with an inlet arranged to receive rinse water originating from said water conduit means and an outlet arranged to direct the rinse water toward the sensed position beneath said mounting base means, and a second passage with an inlet arranged to receive a hand soap originating from the cleaning agent dispensing means and an outlet arranged to direct the hand soap toward said sensed position; and

said spray head body has a control valve passage in communication with said second passage, and means in said control valve passage for preventing seepage of said hand cleanser from the outlet of the second passage in the absence of a preset delivery pressure of the hand cleanser.

2. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control valve passage includes a valve seat, and said preventing means includes a valve ball and a spring member for biasing the valve ball on the valve seat.

3. Hand sanitizing apparatus, comprising:

a mounting wall constructed and arranged to be secured to a rest room wall above a sink basin;

a base projecting from the mounting wall and having a downward facing air dryer outlet opening, for supporting components of the apparatus above the sink basin when the mounting wall is secured to the rest room wall over the sink basin;

a blower/dryer fixed on said base for heating air drawn in the region of said base, wherein said blower/dryer has a downward facing air outlet passage in registration with the air dryer outlet opening in said base, and said air outlet passage faces in the direction of one washing/drying position below an open end of the outlet passage at which position a person will place their hands for both washing and drying by the apparatus, the blower/dryer being operative to propel heated air through the air outlet passage toward the one washing/drying position;

a spray head, a part of which is fixed in the air outlet passage of the blower/dryer, the spray head comprising a rinse water inlet in communication with a rinse water outlet, and a soap inlet in communication with a soap outlet, wherein the rinse water and the soap outlets each face in the direction of the one washing/drying position below the open end of the air outlet passage of the blower/dryer to direct a spray of water and a hand soap selectively toward said one position;

a water conduit arrangement including a valve for diverting water supplied by an outside water supply to communicate with the rinse water inlet of the spray head;

a soap reservoir tank including a pump supported on the base for containing a supply of said hand soap, wherein said tank is in communication with the soap inlet of the spray head;

a sensor fixed on said base to detect the presence of a person'"'"'s hands at the one washing/drying position below the open end of the outlet passage of said blower/dryer; and

a timing circuit coupled to said sensor, for sequentially activating the pump of the soap reservoir tank, the valve of the water conduit arrangement, and the blower/dryer over corresponding operating cycles of preset durations while a person'"'"'s hands are held at the one washing/drying position.

4. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, including

a box assembly constructed and arranged to be joined between said mounting wall and said restroom wall and

at least one pipe section for supporting said box assembly and said mounting wall at a certain height above the sink basin,

wherein the pipe section is joined at a top end to said box assembly , and is joined at a bottom end to a counter top of the sink basin.

5. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said water conduit arrangement is routed through said pipe section to connect with the outside water supply, and to communicate water from said water supply to the spray head of the apparatus.

6. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 4, including electrical leads routed through said pipe section for connecting components mounted on the means base means of the apparatus with an outside electrical power source.

7. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said spray head is in the form of one body having two passages communicating between corresponding ones of said inlets and said outlets of the spray head.

8. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said spray head is fixed on a wall forming the air outlet passage of the blower/dryer.

9. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said spray head is mounted at least partly within the air outlet passage of the blower/dryer.

10. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said timing circuit includes a switch arrangement for enabling manual activation of at least one of said pump of said soap reservoir tank, the valve of the water conduit arrangement, and the blower/dryer.

11. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, including a counter for accumulating a total number of operational cycles of the apparatus.

12. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said counter is coupled with said pump of the soap reservoir tank.

13. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said timing circuit is configured for sequentially activating the the pump of the soap reservoir tank, the valve of the water conduit arrangement, and the blower/dryer in the stated order when the person'"'"'s hands are continuously detected by said sensor.

14. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said timing circuit is configured for activating the valve of the water conduit arrangement over a pre-rinse operating cycle prior to an operating cycle of said pump of the soap reservoir tank.

15. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said water conduit arrangement includes a water supply line constructed and arranged to connect to said outside water supply, a rinse water supply line, and said valve has an inlet port connected to said water supply line and an outlet port connected to said rinse water supply line, for directing rinse water to said spray head through the rinse water supply line according to operation of said timing circuit.

16. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said water conduit arrangement includes a hot water supply line and a cold water supply line each constructed and arranged to connect to said outside water supply, a rinse water supply line, and said valve has inlet ports connected to said hot water and said cold water supply lines, and an outlet port connected to said rinse water supply line, for directing warm rinse water to said spray head through the rinse water supply line according to operation of said timing circuit.

17. Hand sanitizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said timing circuit is configured for setting within a predetermined range at least one of (a) the duration of the operating cycle of said pump of the soar reservoir tank, (b) the duration of the operating cycle of said valve of the water conduit arrangement, and ©

the duration of the operating cycle of said blower/ dryer.