Clean hands assured

• US 6,029,600 A
• Filed: 11/23/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Claude G. Davis
• Original Assignee: Claude G. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Claude G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis, Faye
• Application Number:
  US09/197,817
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 116/200, 116/201, 116/211, 222/180, 222/635, 222/402.1, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 116/200
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/267 by a separate device actuated by repeated, e.g. human, input, e.g. by a moving wing of a door or window, a ringing doorbell, a flushing toilet
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 1/0069 Sanitary doorknobs or handles, e.g. comprising a disinfectant
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A device for assuring that restroom users are effectively reminded to wash and cleanse their hands. A spray pump is attached adjacent to an exterior door-handle to a restroom and is activated either by the turning of the handle or by the opening of the door. The spray pump includes a spray nozzle which sprays the user'"'"'s front palm and/or back of the hand with a dye stain when the door-handle is opened. The dye stain is non-toxic fast drying and easily washable with cleanser such as soap and water. The dye stain can be visible in natural light and include colors such as red, yellow, blue and the like. Alternatively, the dye stain can be only visible to infrared light. The device can be used with round circular door-handles and lever door-handles. A shield around the door handle can discourage attempts to defeat the staining.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms have cleaned their hands, comprising:

means for storing a visible removable non-toxic dye adjacent to a restroom door; and

release means adjacent to an exterior door-handle of the restroom door that releases a portion of the visible dye towards the handle from the storing means when the door-handle is turned, said dye being washable with cleanser and not just with water.

2. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 1, wherein the removable non-toxic dye includes:

a colored non-toxic dye visible in natural light.

3. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 1, wherein the storing means include:

an aerosol pump.

4. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 1, wherein the release means includes:

a mechanical spray pump activated by the door-handle being turned.

5. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 4, wherein the door-handle includes:

a rotating lever.

6. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 4, wherein the door-handle includes:

a doorknob.

7. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 4, wherein the release means further includes:

a shield about the door-handle to discourage attempts to block the spraying of the dye.

8. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 4, further comprising:

a cover for covering a portion of a nozzle of the pump having a template opening for creating a selected dye shaped pattern onto the user'"'"'s hand.

9. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 8, wherein the template includes:

cut-outs forming a pattern on the user'"'"'s hand.

10. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 8, wherein the template includes:

grids forming a "bulls eye" pattern on the user'"'"'s hand.

11. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 1, wherein the release means includes:

a mechanical spray pump activated by an opening of the door.

12. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 1, wherein the release means includes:

electrical contacts attached to the door which activate an electrically driven pump.

13. The apparatus for assuring that persons entering restrooms of claim 12, wherein the release means further includes:

a conductive plate having an exposed portion attached to a door frame above the door, so that the electrical contacts attached to a moving door rub against an exposed portion of the plate to complete an electrical circuit to activate the pump.