Wash chamber for automated appendage-washing apparatus

• US 7,607,443 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meritech Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Resurgent Health & Medical LLC
• Inventors: Barnhill, Paul R., Johannsen, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaudhry; Saeed T
• Application Number:
  US11/829,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20080099049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 134/95.3, 134/103.2, 134/103.3, 134/104.2, 134/118, 134/119, 134/153, 134/157, 134/181, 134/198, 239/596, 239/597, 239/601, 239/750, 604/289
• US Class Current: 134/103.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2210/00 Combinations of water taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 7/04 Mechanical washing or cleaning devices, hand or mechanically, i.e. power operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/80 Implements for cleaning or washing the skin of surgeons or patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/065 Hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 35/00 Baths for specific parts of the body electric circuits therefor A61H33/005; specific components therefor A61H33/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble

Abstract

A wash cylinder or chamber for an automated cleaning station to clean an object or a person'"'"'s body part includes nozzles on the interior of the cylinder, the nozzles of one embodiment comprising an increasing roll angle providing a novel spray pattern. Additionally, embodiments of the invention include fluid guidance and conveyance structures, angled nozzles, sealing structures, finger guards, nozzle ribs, wash chamber seating mechanisms and drains, and nozzle inlays having a plurality of nozzles. Also disclosed are methods of washing an object or body part using a wash cylinder or chamber and methods of assembling a wash cylinder or chamber.

Claims

1. A cleaning station to at least partially clean at least a portion of at least one appendage of a user using at least one fluid, comprising:

a rotatable wash chamber, the wash chamber including a first end and a second end and an axis of rotation;

an appendage receiving cavity located within and defined by the wash chamber, the appendage receiving cavity adapted for being accessible by the portion of the at least one appendage through an opening in the first end of the wash chamber, wherein the wash chamber comprises a housing enclosing substantially the appendage receiving cavity, the appendage receiving cavity being accessible by the at least one appendage through an opening in the housing;

a plurality of nozzles disposed on the housing, the plurality of nozzles adapted to project the at least one fluid into the appendage receiving cavity; and

a fluid conveyance structure adapted to deliver the at least one fluid directly to at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, wherein the fluid conveyance structure is adjacent to a void space, wherein the fluid conveyance structure is offset from a center of the wash chamber at least a first radial distance, the center substantially collocated along the axis of rotation of the wash chamber, wherein the void space is located at a second radial distance from the center of the wash chamber, and wherein the first radial distance is substantially equal to the second radial distance for a given longitudinal position along a longitudinal length of the wash chamber, wherein, when the fluid conveyance structure is filled with the at least one fluid, the void space is not filled with the at least one fluid;

whereby, during operation of the wash chamber, the at least one fluid flows in from a fluid inlet, through the fluid conveyance structure and the at least one nozzle, and into the appendage receiving cavity.

2. The cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the fluid conveyance structure delivers the at least one fluid to a discrete subset of the plurality of nozzles, the discrete subset comprising the at least one nozzle and at least a second nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, and wherein the void space is not enclosed fully by the housing.

3. The cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the fluid conveyance structure includes a tube extending from a fluid manifold proximate to the fluid inlet to the at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles and wherein the wash chamber is free of an outer housing.

4. The cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the fluid conveyance structure conveys the at least one fluid to a subset of the plurality of nozzles, the subset including the at least one nozzle but not all of the plurality of nozzles, wherein the fluid conveyance structure is a tube, wherein each of a plurality of tubes services a multi-member set of nozzles, and wherein the plurality of tubes are in communication with a common manifold.

5. The cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the void space is spaced apart from the fluid conveyance structure along an arc length of the wash chamber, wherein the fluid conveyance structure comprises the at least one fluid, and wherein, at the same time, the void space is free of the at least one fluid.

6. The cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the fluid conveyance structure comprises one or more of a tube, duct, channel and groove, wherein the housing comprises an inner cylinder and outer cylinder, and wherein an annular space between the inner and outer cylinders is divided into one or more fluid conveyance structures and one or more void spaces.

7. The cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the fluid conveyance structure includes a first fluid duct extending from a fluid manifold proximate to the fluid inlet to at the at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, wherein the housing comprises an inner cylinder and outer cylinder, and wherein an annular space between the inner and outer cylinders is divided into one or more fluid conveyance structures and one or more void spaces.

8. The cleaning station of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises an inner cylinder and outer cylinder, wherein an annular space between the inner and outer cylinders is divided into one or more fluid conveyance structures and one or more void spaces, and wherein the plurality of nozzles includes:

a first set of nozzles disposed on a cylindrical portion of the wash chamber in a helical pattern;

wherein the first fluid duct connects each nozzle in the first set of nozzles to the fluid manifold.

9. The cleaning station of claim 8, wherein the fluid conveyance structure includes a second fluid duct and the plurality of nozzles includes a second set of nozzles disposed on the wash chamber in a ring proximate to the first end of the wash chamber, wherein the second fluid duct connects each nozzle in the second set of nozzles to the fluid manifold.

10. The cleaning station of claim 9, where the first fluid duct and the second fluid duct are interconnected.

11. A cleaning station to at least partially clean at least a portion of at least one object using at least one fluid, comprising:

housing means for enclosing substantially an object receiving cavity;

means for providing access by the portion of the object to the object receiving cavity, the means for providing access residing within at least a portion of the housing means;

means for rotating the housing means, wherein the means for rotating is adapted for rotating the housing means for receiving around the portion of the at least one object;

means for establishing a flow of the at least one fluid into the object receiving cavity;

means for conveying the at least one fluid, wherein the means for conveying is located adjacent to a void space; and

a plurality of nozzles adapted for projecting the at least one fluid, wherein the plurality of nozzles receives the at least one fluid from the means for conveying, wherein, when the conveyance means comprises the at least one fluid, the void space is free of the at least one fluid, wherein the at least two nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are separated by an arc distance and are each separated from a center of the housing means by a substantially equal radial distance, and wherein the void space is located along a portion of the arc distance.

12. The cleaning station of claim 11, wherein the housing means comprises an inner cylinder and outer cylinder, wherein an annular space between the inner and outer cylinders is divided into one or more fluid conveyance means and one or more void spaces, and wherein the means for conveying comprises one or more of a tube, duct, channel and groove.

13. The cleaning station of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the housing means comprises a cylindrical shape and wherein the housing means is free of an outer housing member.

14. The cleaning station of claim 11, wherein the housing means comprises an inner cylinder and outer cylinder, wherein an annular space between the inner and outer cylinders is divided into one or more fluid conveyance means and one or more void spaces, and wherein the object includes at least one of:

an appendage of a person; and

an inanimate object.

15. A cleaning station, comprising:

a rotatable wash chamber, the wash chamber comprising inner and outer housing members forming an annular space therebetween;

an appendage receiving cavity located within and enclosed substantially by the inner housing member, the appendage receiving cavity being accessible, by at least a portion of an appendage of a user, through an opening in the wash chamber;

a plurality of nozzles disposed on the wash chamber, the plurality of nozzles adapted to project at least one cleaning fluid into the appendage receiving cavity; and

at least one fluid conveyance structure positioned in the annular space and in communication with at least one nozzle, the at least one fluid conveyance structure dividing the annular space into fluid carrying and non-fluid carrying portions, whereby, when the fluid carrying portion comprises the at least one cleaning fluid, the non-fluid carrying portion is free of the at least one cleaning fluid.

16. The station of claim 15, wherein the fluid conveyance structure conveys the at least one cleaning fluid to a subset of the plurality of nozzles, the subset including the at least one nozzle but not all of the plurality of nozzles, wherein the fluid conveyance structure is a tube, wherein each of a plurality of tubes services a multi-member set of nozzles, and wherein the plurality of tubes are in communication with a common manifold.

17. The station of claim 15, wherein the at least one fluid conveyance structure comprises a plurality of fluid conveyance structures and wherein the fluid conveyance structures are in communication with a common manifold.

18. The station of claim 15, wherein a plurality of the nozzles provide spray patterns that differ in at least one of a roll angle and a pitch angle.

19. The station of claim 17, wherein the manifold comprises an fluid input and a protrusion positioned on a surface opposite the fluid input to redirect the at least one cleaning fluid flowing through the fluid input, and wherein the protrusion is sloped.

20. The station of claim 15, wherein a at least first and second nozzles are mounted on a common inlay, the inlay being removably disposed on the wash chamber, and wherein the first and second nozzles receive the at least one fluid from a common fluid conveyance structure.

21. A cleaning station, comprising:

a rotatable wash chamber, the wash chamber comprising a housing;

an appendage receiving cavity located within and substantially enclosed by the housing, the appendage receiving cavity being accessible, by at least a portion of an appendage of a user, through an opening in the housing;

a plurality of nozzles disposed on the housing, the plurality of nozzles adapted to project at least one cleaning fluid into the appendage receiving cavity; and

a plurality of fluid conveyance structures positioned at discrete intervals on an exterior of the housing and in communication with the plurality of nozzles, wherein a substantial portion of the housing exterior is free of fluid conveyance structures.

22. The station of claim 21, wherein the plurality of fluid conveyance structures are in fluid communication with a common manifold.

23. The station of claim 21, wherein a plurality of the nozzles provide spray patterns that differ in at least one of a roll angle and a pitch angle.