Automatic hand washing and drying machine

• US 5,924,148 A
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stanley E. Flowers Sr
• Original Assignee: Stanley E. Flowers Sr
• Inventors: Flowers, Stanley E. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eloshway, Charles R.
• Application Number:
  US09/031,376
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 4/619, 4/620, 4/623, 4/625, 4/626, 4/628, 4/639, 4/640, 4/650, 4/653, 4/668, 134/95.2, 134/95.3, 607/81, 607/86
• US Class Current: 4/619
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/48 Drying by means of hot air hair-drying devices A45D20/00; curative hot-air baths A61H33/06; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2210/00 Combinations of water taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers

Abstract

An automatic hand washing and drying machine for automatically washing and drying the hands and, optionally, moisturizing the hands. The machine has an enclosed hand washing chamber wherein the housing has a front wall having first and second openings for receiving therethrough the right and left hands of the user. The first and second openings are covered with a first and second flexible rubber gaskets, respectively. The housing further comprises a sloped top wall made of clear and transparent material to allow the user to visually inspect the hand washing and drying processes.

Claims

1. An automatic hand washing and drying machine for automatically washing and drying hands comprising:

a housing having a top portion hingedly connected to a bottom portion wherein said top portion is a quasi-triangularly shaped structure comprising;

a sloped top wall,

a back wall,

first and second side walls shaped in the form of a truncated right-triangularly shaped structure wherein the base of the truncated right-triangularly shaped structure is disposed along said back wall, and

a front wall having formed therein first and second semi-circular apertures, and

wherein said bottom portion comprises a box shaped structure wherein a front wall of said bottom portion has formed therein first and second semi-circular apertures which align with said first and second semi-circular apertures of said front wall of said top portion when said top portion is closed onto said bottom portion to form circular openings;

a wash basin coupled in the interior of said box shaped structure;

a water injection system for injecting water in said wash basin;

an air injection system for injecting air above said wash basin;

a cleaning fluid dispensing system for injecting cleaning fluid to a user'"'"'s hands in said wash basin;

an electronic eye for detecting the insertion of the hands in said wash basin through said circular openings; and

,

a control unit for timing the activation of said water injection system, said air injection system and said cleaning fluid dispensing system in response to the detecting of said electronic eye to carry out a hand washing process and a hand drying process.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein at least the sloped top wall of said top portion is made of a clear and transparent material which allows the user to visually inspect the hand washing and drying processes taking place.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein said back wall of said top portion is hingedly coupled to said bottom portion to allow said top quasi-triangularly shaped structure to rotate upward to permit access to said wash basin.

4. The machine of claim 1, wherein said circular openings are covered with first and second flexible rubber gaskets.

5. The machine of claim 1, further comprising a moisturizing fluid dispensing system having first and second reservoirs exteriorly coupled to said first and second side walls of said top portion wherein said first and second reservoirs have coupled thereto outlets journalled through said first and second side walls for dispensing moisturizing fluid to hands in said wash basin and wherein said moisturizing fluid dispensing system is activated by said control unit.

6. The machine of claim 1, wherein the box shaped structure of said bottom portion is made of a material which is visually obscuring.

7. The machine of claim 1, wherein said wash basin comprises right and left parallelly aligned hand receptacles separated by a spacer wherein said spacer has coupled to the rear thereof said electronic eye.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said right and left hand receptacles are trough shaped wherein each receptacle of said right and left hand receptacles comprises side walls and a bottom concaved surface wherein said bottom concaved surface has formed therein a drain and wherein said side walls have coupled thereto water jets for expelling water therethrough.

9. An automatic hand washing and drying machine for automatically washing and drying hands comprising:

a housing having a top portion hingedly connected to a bottom portion wherein said top portion is a quasi-triangularly shaped structure comprising;

a sloped top wall made of a clear and transparent material which allows the user to visually inspect the hand washing and drying processes taking place;

a back wall,

first and second side walls shaped in the form of a truncated right-triangularly shaped structure wherein the base of the truncated right-triangularly shaped structure is disposed along said back wall, and

a front wall having formed therein first and second semi-circular apertures, and

wherein said bottom portion comprises a box shaped structure wherein a front wall of said bottom portion has formed therein first and second semi-circular apertures which align with said first and second semi-circular apertures of said front wall of said top portion when said top portion is closed onto said bottom portion to form circular openings;

a wash basin coupled in the interior of said box shaped structure;

a water injection system for injecting water in said wash basin;

an air injection system for injecting air above said wash basin;

a cleaning fluid dispensing system for injecting cleaning fluid to a user'"'"'s hands in said wash basin;

an electronic eye for detecting the insertion of the hands in said wash basin through said circular openings; and

,

a control unit for timing the activation of said water injection system, said air injection system and said cleaning fluid dispensing system in response to the detecting of said electronic eye to carry out a hand washing process and a hand drying process.

10. The machine of claim 9, wherein said back wall of said top portion is hingedly coupled to said bottom portion to allow said top quasi-triangularly shaped structure to rotate upward to permit access to said wash basin.

11. The machine of claim 9, wherein said circular openings are covered with first and second flexible rubber gaskets.

12. The machine of claim 9, further comprising a moisturizing fluid dispensing system having first and second reservoirs exteriorly coupled to said first and second side walls of said top portion wherein said first and second reservoirs have coupled thereto outlets journalled through said first and second side walls for dispensing moisturizing fluid to hands in said wash basin and wherein said moisturizing fluid dispensing system is activated by said control unit.

13. The machine of claim 9, wherein the box shaped structure of said bottom portion is made of a material which is visually obscuring.

14. The machine of claim 9, wherein said wash basin comprises right and left parallelly aligned hand receptacles separated by a spacer wherein said spacer has coupled to the rear thereof said electronic eye.

15. The machine of claim 14, wherein said right and left hand receptacles are trough shaped wherein each receptacle of said right and left hand receptacles comprises side walls and a bottom concaved surface wherein said bottom concaved surface has formed therein a drain.