Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2002-03-05
Chin, Randall E. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
C015S088400, C134S180000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06351866
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a arm scrubbing system and more particularly pertains to automatically cleaning the arms, hands and fingernails of a surgeon prior to contact with a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cleaning systems of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, cleaning systems of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of scrubbing a surgeon's hands and/or, fingers and/or fingernails through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,117 to Plante discloses a surgical washing device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,987 to Kopfer discloses a surgeon hand arm scrubbing apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,968 to Buckley discloses a hand-cleaning device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,651 to Crisp et al discloses hand and forearm cleansing apparatus. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,811 to Nakamura discloses an automatic hand washer.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a arm scrubbing system that allows automatically cleaning the arms, hands and fingernails of a surgeon prior to contact with a patient.
In this respect, the arm scrubbing system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of automatically cleaning the arms, hands and fingernails of a surgeon prior to contact with a patient.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved arm scrubbing system which can be used for automatically cleaning the arms, hands and fingernails of a surgeon prior to contact with a patient. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of cleaning systems of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved arm scrubbing system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved arm scrubbing system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a housing. The housing is fabricated of a transparent plastic material. The housing has a planar upper wall and a parallel planar lower wall and a planar distal wall and a parallel planar proximal wall. Semi-cylindrical side walls are provided there between. The housing has a chamber between the walls. The housing also has a horizontal parting line. The horizontal parting line separates the housing into an upper half and a similarly configured lower half. A hinge couples the upper and lower halves along the horizontal parting line of one side wall. In this manner access is allowed to the chamber. Two laterally spaced circular rear apertures are formed in the distal wall and two laterally spaced circular front apertures are formed in the proximal wall. Each aperture has an upper semi-circle in the upper half and a lower semi-circle in the lower half. Provided next is a circular opening. The circular opening is formed in the upper wall for adding cleansing/disinfectant fluid into the chamber. A stopper is positionable in the circular opening. A second circular opening is formed in the lower wall for removing cleansing/disinfectant fluid from the chamber. Another stopper is positionable in the second circular opening. A pair of similarly configured plastic transparent tubes is provided. The tubes are in a cylindrical configuration. Each tube has a distal end. The distal end is rotatably received in a distal aperture. A proximal end is rotatably received in a proximal aperture for concurrent oscillary movement of the tubes within the chamber. Next provided is a plurality of tufts of bristles. The bristles are radially exterior ends are secured to the interior face of each tube. Radially interior ends are defined openings for the receipt of the arms of a surgeon. A plurality of apertures is provided through the tubes between the tufts for the passage of cleansing/disinfectant fluid from the chamber into the tubes for cleaning the arms of a surgeon. A drive assembly is provided next. The drive assembly includes a motor operable in an oscillatory manner. The motor is secured to the distal wall with drive pulleys extending distally therefrom. A driven pulley extends distally from each tube. A drive belt couples the drive pulleys and the distal pulleys. An elastomeric washer-like member is further provided. The washer-like member is in a generally frusto-concial configuration fixedly secured to the proximal wall coaxial with the tubes for the passage of a surgeon arms there through. Provided next is a vertically disposed finger washing plate. The finger washing plate is axially slidable within each tube adjacent to the distal wall. Each plate has four radially extending fingers with enlarged exterior ends. Each plate also has keyways formed with respect to each cylinder for receiving the exterior ends of the fingers. Coil springs are provided within the keyways urging the exterior ends and plate proximally. The plate has proximally extending bristles for washing the fingers and fingernails of a surgeon. Further provided are four downwardly extending legs. The legs depend from the four corners of the lower wall. Each leg has an upper segment and a tubular lower segment. Each leg further has spaced holes and is slidably received over an associated upper segment. A spring biased button extends from the upper leg through a preselected hole in the lower leg. A stabilizing plate couples the lower legs adjacent to their lower ends. Last provided is a horizontal adjustment rod. The rod is secured to the distal wall with distally extending projections and a pair of hollow guide rails with vertical slots receiving the projections for varying the height of the housing.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved arm scrubbing system which has all of the advantages of the prior art cleaning systems of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object
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