Hand cleaning station

• US 9,526,380 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enforc Hygiene LLC
• Original Assignee: Enforc Hygiene LLC
• Inventors: Hamilton, Drew, Spurlock, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/615,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20150216369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 462/3, 462/8, 222/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2210/00 Combinations of water taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

An apparatus and method to enforce an effective hand washing technique at a wash station. A hand cleanser controller receives a hand cleanser trigger and responds to receiving the hand cleanser trigger by dispensing hand cleanser and transmitting a reset command. A water dispensing device includes a water dispensing trigger component that detects a user'"'"'s hand proximate to a water faucet. A controller receives a reset command from the hand cleanser device based upon dispensing of a hand cleanser at a wash station, resets a timer in response to receiving the reset command, receives a water dispensing trigger from a water dispensing trigger component, and in response to receiving the water dispensing trigger, actuates the electrically-actuated water valve to dispense water based upon a determination that the timer has expired. Furthermore, the was station may include audio, video or both for use in training, monitoring and advertising presented to the user having to wash their hands for a period of time.

Claims

1. A method of enforcing an effective hand washing technique, comprising:

identifying a user of a selected wash station of more than one wash station;

accessing information in an employee tracking system associated with the user regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions on at least another one of the more than one wash station;

selecting and displaying graphical content to the user in response to the information;

receiving a reset command based upon dispensing of a hand cleanser at the wash station;

resetting a timer in response to receiving the reset command;

receiving a water dispensing trigger; and

in response to receiving the water dispensing trigger, dispensing water based upon a determination that the timer has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the timer is expired;

indicating a current value of the timer;

indicating whether dispensing of water is inhibited based upon the determination of the timer, and

resetting the timer to a user defined value in response to receiving the reset command.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising accessing information in a networked employee tracking system associated with the user and selectin and displaying custom designed graphical content to the user in response to the information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the graphical content is selected based in conjunction with re-selected preferences by the user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a hand cleanser trigger; and

in response to receiving the hand cleanser trigger, dispensing hand cleanser and transmitting the reset command.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the hand cleanser trigger by detecting a user'"'"'s hand under a hand cleanser dispenser.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the hand cleanser trigger by detecting a manual actuation of the hand cleanser dispenser.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether a supply of hand cleanser at the wash station is below a threshold; and

indicating the low supply in response to the determining the supply is below the threshold.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

interrupting water dispensing in response to receiving the reset command.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the user further comprises one of detecting a unique identifier carried by the user and performing facial recognition of the user.

11. An apparatus of a wash station to enforce an effective hand washing technique, comprising:

a water dispensing device, comprising;

an electrically-actuated water valve;

a timer;

a water dispensing trigger component to detect a user'"'"'s hand proximate to a water faucet;

a network interface in communication with an employment tracking system that receives usage information at least one wash station; and

a controller in communication with the electrically-actuated water valve, the water dispensing trigger component; and

a hand cleanser device to;

identify a user of a selected wash station;

accessing, in the employee tracking system, information associated with the user regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions on at least one of the wash stations regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions;

select and display graphical content to the user in response to the information;

receive a reset command from the hand cleanser device based upon dispensing of a hand cleanser at a wash station,

reset the timer in response to receiving the reset command,

receive a water dispensing trigger from the water dispensing trigger component, and

in response to receiving the water dispensing trigger, actuate the electrically-actuated water valve to dispense water based upon a determination that the timer has expired.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising accessing information in a networked employee tracking system associated with the user and selecting and displaying custom designed graphical content in conjunction with pre-selected preferences by the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising accessing information in an employee tracking system associated with the user regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions on at least one other wash station and selecting and displaying graphical content to the user in response to the information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a first indicator, wherein the controller is further to determine whether the timer is expired, and to cause the indicator to indicate whether dispensing of water is inhibited based on the determination of the timer wherein the controller is further to reset the timer to a user defined value in response to receiving the reset command and further comprising a second indicator to indicate a current value of the timer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a hand cleanser controller to;

receive a hand cleanser trigger, and

in response to receiving the hand cleanser trigger, dispense hand cleanser and transmit the reset command.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an infrared sensor to act as the hand cleanser trigger by detecting a user'"'"'s hand under a hand cleanser dispenser.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a flow sensor to act as the hand cleanser trigger by detecting a manual actuation of the hand cleanser dispenser.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a third sensor to determine whether a supply of hand cleanser at the wash station is below a threshold; and

a third indicator to indicate the low supply in response to the determining the supply is below the threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the water dispensing controller is further to interrupt water dispensing in response to receiving the reset command.

20. A system for enforcing an effective hand washing technique comprising:

an employee tracking system;

more than one wash station, each wash station comprising an apparatus to enforce an effective hand washing technique, each apparatus comprising;

a timer;

a supply of hand cleanser;

a hand cleanser infrared sensor positioned to sense a user'"'"'s hand placed under the supply of hand cleanser;

a hand cleanser electrical actuator;

a water dispensing infrared sensor positioned to sense the user'"'"'s hand placed under a water faucet;

a water faucet electrical actuator;

a network interface in communication with the employment tracking system that receives usage information from the more than one wash station; and

at least one controller to;

identify a user of a selected wash station of more than one wash station;

accessing, in the employee tracking system, information associated with the user regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions on at least another one of the more than one wash station regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions;

select and display graphical content to the user in response to the information;

activate the hand cleanser electrical actuator in response to the hand cleanser infrared sensor detecting the user'"'"'s hand;

reset the timer in response to activating the hand cleanser electrical actuator;

activate the water faucet electrical actuator in response to determining that the timer is expired and to the water dispensing infrared sensor detecting the user'"'"'s hand; and

inhibiting the water faucet electrical actuator in response to determining that the timer is unexpired.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a weight activated switch responsive to the supply of hand cleanser being below a weight threshold; and

a low hand cleanser indicator to illuminate in response to the weight activated switch; and

at least one indicator to indicate whether the timer is expired.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a user identification system to identify of a user of the wash station;

a user tracking system to identify training associated with users;

a video display presented to the user of the wash station;

a memory that contains graphical content;

a controller in communication with the user identification to receive user identification of a selected user, in communication with the user tracking system to select graphical content in the memory that is appropriate for the selected use; and

to display the selected graphical content to the selected user on the video display.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the user identification system comprises a biometric reader.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the user identification system comprises a radio frequency identification interrogator.

25. A method of enforcing an effective hand washing technique, comprising:

identifying a user of at least one selected wash station;

accessing information in a networked employee tracking system associated with the user regarding one or more prior hand washing sessions on at least one or more wash station and pre-selected preferences by the user;

selecting and displaying graphical content to the user in response to the information;

receiving a reset command based upon dispensing of a hand cleanser at the wash station;

resetting a timer in response to receiving the reset command;

receiving a water dispensing trigger; and

in response to receiving the water-dispensing trigger, dispensing water based upon a determination that the timer has expired.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a number of times that the user has been trained in effective hand washing technique on any of the washing stations;

in response to determining that the number of times is less than a first threshold, selecting and displaying graphical content comprising a regimented, step-by-step training guide;

in response to determining that the number of times is equal to or greater than the first threshold, selecting and displaying graphical content comprising encouragement as to the value of good technique.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

in response to determining that the number of times is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, selecting and displaying graphical content comprising advertisement presentation.