Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – With non-dispensing compartment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-07
2003-01-21
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
With non-dispensing compartment
C221S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508383
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sanitation systems and more specifically it relates to a door sanitation system for reducing the transmission of potentially harmful organisms and viruses through physical contact with a door.
Harmful organisms, including bacteria, are widely diffused in nature, and multiply with rapidity, both by fission and by spores. Certain species of bacteria are the cause of certain infectious diseases. Viruses are simple submicroscopic parasites of plants, animals, and bacteria that often cause disease and that consist essentially of a core of IRNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Since viruses are typically unable to replicate without a host cell, viruses are typically not considered living organisms.
Humans carry and transmit harmful organisms, bacteria and viruses everyday. A common type of transmission occurs when an infected individual directly touches another which enters the other person's body thereby infecting them also through various well-established means.
Another type of transmission occurs when an infected individual touches a location upon a door, such as a doorknob, door handle, push plate or other structure upon the door during the opening or closing of the door. Often times organisms, bacteria and viruses are left upon the exterior surface of the portion of the door touched. Organisms, bacteria and viruses can sometimes survive for hours after being positioned upon an object such as a door handle. When another individual physically touches the portion of the door containing the bacteria and/or virus, they have a high risk of becoming infected with the bacteria and/or virus. A common location for contamination to occur with the usage of doors is within a public restroom where individuals often times do not cleanse their hands prior to leaving. Various diseases such as but not limited to
escherichia coli
(a.k.a.
e. coli
), the common cold, staphylococcus, streptococcus, shigellosis and others are transmitted through physical contact with doors within public restrooms and doors in other locations of a building. Hence, there is a need for a sanitation system that not only protects an uninfected individual from being infected with a disease but that also cleanses areas upon a door that are commonly touched during usage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sanitation devices and solutions have been in use for years. An example of a common sanitation device a sanitary napkin containing a disinfectant for disinfecting surfaces. Disinfecting cleaning solutions have also been utilized for years and are common with the art.
The main problem with conventional cleaning devices and solutions is that they typically require a janitor or other designated individual to clean the surfaces at designated intervals which leaves time for inadvertent infections of a disease to occur between two individuals between cleanings. Another problem is that conventional sanitation devices and solutions are not conveniently positioned for an individual to utilize in reducing their risk of contamination.
Examples of patented sanitation devices and systems which are illustrative of such prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,506 to Julius; U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,043 to Harrison; U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,912 to Bonk; U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,246 to Peters; U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,616 to Boone; U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,317 to Sussman et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,069 to Macchia; U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,728 to Bono; U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,984 to McClendon.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for reducing the transmission of potentially harmful organisms and viruses through physical contact with a door. Conventional sanitation systems and devices are not designed to be utilized throughout the day during normal usage of doors.
In these respects, the door sanitation system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of reducing the transmission of potentially harmful organisms and viruses through physical contact with a door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of sanitation devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new door sanitation system construction wherein the same can be utilized for reducing the transmission of potentially harmful organisms and viruses through physical contact with a door.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new door sanitation system that has many of the advantages of the sanitation devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new door sanitation system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art sanitation devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a base, a dispenser attached to the base for receiving a supply of towels, towelettes or wipes, and a trash receptacle attached to the base. The towels within the dispenser are preferably saturated with a disinfecting solution. When preparing to leave a room through a door such as a restroom, the user removes at least one towel from the dispenser and positions the towel within the interior portion of their hand. The user then engages a portion of the door with their hand having the towel positioned in between thereof. As the towel engages the portion of the door such as a door handle, the disinfecting solution disinfects the surface of organisms, bacteria, and viruses. After the door is opened, the user then deposits the towel within the trash receptacle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
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 to the placement position or position on or near the door, 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 the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a door sanitation system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a door sanitation system for reducing the transmission of potentially harmful organisms and viruses through physical contact with a door.
Another object is to provide a door sanitation system that prevents an infected individual from transmitting a disease to a surface upon a door.
An additional object is to provide a door sanitation system that cleans and disinfects a surface upon a door during the normal usage of the door.
A further object is to provide a door sanitation system that prevents the passing of a disease located upon a surface of a door to an individual coming in contact with the door.
Another object is to provide a door sanitation system that enables individuals to exit public restrooms without directly engaging doorknobs, door handles or push plates upon a door.
A further object is to provide a door sanitation system that reduces the spread of harmful organisms, bacteria and viruses to employees of a business that are in contact with food products such as in restaurants.
Another object is to provide a
Lidahl Mary J.
Lidahl Tom R.
Neustel Michael S.
Noland Kenneth W.
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