Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Wash receptacles – With water supply or waste-water tank
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-30
2001-07-03
Fetsuga, Robert M. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Wash receptacles
With water supply or waste-water tank
C004S638000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wash station devices which are particularly suited for industrial applications and, more particularly, to a multifunctional and transportable wash station which is capable of being easily accessed by existing fluid lines within an industrial facility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Employee wash stations which are particularly suited for commercial and industrial use are well known in the art. Such stations are typically found in communal wash areas which are usually located close to locker rooms or employee changing areas within a facility. A common type of hand/arm wash station known in the art utilizes a large circular shaped and open interior basin with a central and upwardly extending faucet which is capable of issuing water in a plurality of discrete streams. Users of the wash station stand around its outer circumference and are able to use either a detergent or liquid supplied soap in combination with selected streams of the issuing water.
Additional examples of hand was stations are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,258, issued to Shaw, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,118, issued to Cole et al. Both Shaw and Cole teach a variation of a wash station with sink and faucet and hand drying means. In the case of Shaw, an infrared sensor senses the presence of a user and activates the connected water source as well as an electrically operated roll towel for permitting the user to dry his/her hands. Cole likewise teaches infrared sensing technology with a first such sensor being activated for issuing both soap and running water for specified time intervals and a second sensor for activating an electric hot-air dryer positioned overhead the faucet and sink. A shortcoming of the prior art devices such as discussed above is that they are fairly limited in most instances to hand wash applications and specific water inlet and drainage requirements require that the devices be located in specified areas only.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a multi-functional and transportable wash station for use in an industrial facility which is capable of providing a variety of potable and non-potable water sources and which is easily transported to and from any locations within an existing facility and installed to existing water supply and waste water drainage lines which are located within the facility. The wash station includes a body having a polygonal shaped base and a superstructure extending upwardly from the base.
An inlet supply line extends from the body and connects to a selected one of the overhead pressurized water lines of the facility to provide an input water supply to the station. A plurality of potable and non-potable water supplies are located on the wash station, among which include faucet and sink stations, faucet and hose connections, drinking fountains, emergency shower stations and the like. A bucket dump station is also located on an upper surface of the wash station base and includes a hingedly connected lid which is upwardly pivoted to reveal a dirty water/waste tank formed within an interior of the base.
A series of drainage lines are provided within the wash stations and are assigned as water return lines for the various potable and non-potable water supplies. The drainage lines collect into the dirty water/waste tank and a sewage ejection pump forces the dirty water through an outlet waste line extending upwardly from the washing station body and into an overhead waste water drainage line in the facility. Alternatively, a gravity discharge drain hole covered by a drain cap is located at a position proximate a bottom of the washing station base and, assuming available ground drainage is located in the facility, can be utilized to drain dirty water from the base located tank.
Located on an underside of the wash station base are first and second elongate extending members, each of which include a downwardly facing “U” shape in cross section and extend in parallel fashion such that the elongate members are capable of receiving inserting portions of a conventional hydraulic operated fork lift. The wash station is therefore capable of being lifted and relocated throughout an industrial facility with the use of existing and widely available loading equipment and then quickly reconnected with minimal plumbing requirements to the existing water supply and waste water drainage lines within the facility. Accordingly, the present invention provides a multi-use wash station which is a major improvement over fairly simplified and restrictive wash stations according to the prior art.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3045252 (1962-07-01), Sorrells
patent: 4130123 (1978-12-01), Wines, Jr. et al.
patent: 4163294 (1979-08-01), Patterson
patent: 4998302 (1991-03-01), Silva
patent: 5031258 (1991-07-01), Shaw
patent: 5148552 (1992-09-01), Kress et al.
patent: 5199118 (1993-04-01), Cole et al.
patent: 5257423 (1993-11-01), Jacobsen et al.
patent: 5526539 (1996-06-01), Bower et al.
patent: 5687434 (1997-11-01), Tagg
patent: 3011303 (1981-10-01), None
patent: 2118533 (1972-07-01), None
English language translation of FR 2,118,533, Jul. 1972.
Burke Carl M.
Goyette Dominic T.
Fetsuga Robert M.
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Goyette Mechanical Co.
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