Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Apparatus – Operating or controlling device engaged and moved by work or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-13
2003-12-30
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Apparatus
Operating or controlling device engaged and moved by work or...
C134S05600D, C134S0570DL, C134S0580DL, C134S113000, C134S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668842
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for sanitizing or washing footwear.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is generally known to provide an apparatus for sanitizing footwear of a worker in a work or industrial environment. Such known apparatus for disinfecting shoes require substantial intervention, effort, and interaction by the worker with the device. For example, certain types of such known apparatus include porous material that is partially immersed in the disinfection liquid to serve as a wick to impregnate the porous material with the disinfection liquid, such that the user steps onto the porous material and moves his or her feet to clean and disinfect their shoes. Other types of such known apparatus employ rotating brushes powered from an electrical power source.
However, given the limitations of such generally known apparatus, it would be advantageous to provide for an apparatus and a method for sanitizing footwear that is transportable and can be easily installed in or at a wide variety of locations, or moved to or from a wide variety of locations, in a work or industrial environment. It would also be advantageous to provide for an apparatus that is of a relatively simple and low-cost construction and that can deliver a spray of a fluid mixture including disinfectant solution. It would further be advantageous to provide for an apparatus that facilitates simple “walk-through” operation by the worker. It would be further advantageous to provide for an apparatus and method for sanitizing or washing foreign matter or debris from footwear that allows for convenient adjustment of flow rates and concentration of the disinfectant solution depending upon the needs of a particular application.
It would be desirable for an apparatus and method for sanitizing or washing foreign matter or debris from footwear of a worker in a work or industrial environment to provide one or more of these advantageous features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transportable apparatus for dispensing a fluid in a spray to footwear of a worker. The apparatus includes a housing including a base section, a platform installed within the base section, a fluid dispensing assembly coupled to the housing, and a fluid dispensing system including a first valve assembly configured to dispense fluid to the fluid dispensing assembly when a force is applied to the platform so that the spray of the fluid is dispensed onto the footwear.
The present invention also relates to a method of sanitizing the footwear of a worker with a fluid, including the steps of detecting when the worker has stepped onto a platform and dispensing the fluid onto the footwear for at least a predetermined period.
The present invention further relates to method of sanitizing the footwear of a worker entering or exiting a location in a work or industrial environment, including the steps of positioning an apparatus at the entrance or exit of the location, coupling the apparatus to a supply of a fluid and wherein the apparatus is actuated to provide a flow including the fluid when the worker steps into the apparatus so that the flow including the fluid is dispensed onto the footwear of the worker.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment.
FIG. 2
is a fragmentary front section elevation view of the apparatus.
FIG. 2A
is a fragmentary front section elevation view of the apparatus according to an alternative embodiment.
FIG. 3
is a top plan view of the apparatus.
FIG. 4
is a fragmentary left side elevation view of the apparatus.
FIG. 5A
is a fragmentary exploded view of the fluid dispensing system of the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment.
FIG. 5B
is a sectional elevation view of a flow control element of the apparatus.
FIG. 5C
is a perspective view of a fluid mixing element of the apparatus.
FIG. 6
is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus.
FIG. 6A
is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line
6
A—
6
A in FIG.
6
.
FIG. 7
is a fragmentary right side elevation view of the apparatus.
FIGS. 8A and 8B
are exploded views of flow control elements of the apparatus.
FIG. 9
is a fragmentary top plan view of the apparatus.
FIG. 10
is a fragmentary side elevation view of the apparatus.
FIGS. 11 and 12
are fragmentary side sectional elevation views of the apparatus.
FIG. 13
is a fragmentary front section elevation view of the apparatus taken along line
13
—
13
in FIG.
11
.
FIGS. 13 and 14
are a fragmentary front section elevation view of the apparatus taken along line
14
—
14
in FIG.
12
.
FIG. 15
is a fragmentary front elevation view of the electric activation device.
FIG. 16
is a fragmentary side elevation view of the electric activation device.
FIG. 17
is a fragmentary side section view taken along line
17
—
17
in FIG.
16
.
FIG. 18
is a fragmentary side section view taken along line
18
—
18
in FIG.
16
.
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WO 00/73688 May 2000.*
Bradley Corporation Installation and Maintenance Instructions—Bradley Bootwash BW 2100, Jul., 1999.
Bradley Corporation, Plumbing Fixtures Technical Data for “Ablution Panel Ritual Hand and Foot Washing Fixture,” Jul., 1997.
Carroll James E.
Jaworski Jeffery S.
Wilke Arno C.
Bradley Corporation
Stinson Frankie L.
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