Soap dispenser having reward program

Details Soap dispenser having reward program Soap dispenser having reward program

1999-12-09

2003-04-01

Wambach, Margaret R. (Department: 2816)

Electrical pulse counters, pulse dividers, or shift registers: c

Applications

Determining machine or apparatus operating time or...

C377S021000, C377S026000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06542568

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to dispensers for hand soap, and more particularly to dispensers for hand soap that tracks usage for a reward program to positively reinforce clean hygiene.
BACKGROUND
Businesses in the food services industry, as well as businesses within other aspects of the hospitality industry, are becoming keenly aware of the need for their employees to maintain clean hygiene. Having workers frequently clean their hands is critical for providing customers with safe and sanitary food and dishes. Ensuring that a worker cleans their hands is especially important after events such as using the bathroom, taking smoking breaks, and handling cleaning supplies or other chemicals.
Maintaining clean hygiene is important because many contaminates that spread to food can cause illness to the customers who eat it. For example, a worker that does not wash his or her hands after using the rest room may spread fecal bacteria to the food that they handle. This bacteria can result in serious illness, or even death, if ingested. Other forms of bacteria and contaminates can cause a person to become ill as well. Having customers become ill from poor hygiene and contaminated food can result in bad publicity and the loss of business. Causing customers to become ill also can expose a business to law suits and financial liability.
Employers have tried many different devices to encourage workers to clean their hands. Examples of these techniques include electronics that track the number of times that soap is dispensed from a dispenser or mechanisms that sound an alarm if the bathroom door is opened before soap is dispensed from a dispenser. The difficulty with these devices is that they rely on negative reinforcement to maintain compliance with hygiene standards. If not managed properly, such devices can create an environment of mistrust for workers or cause workers to resist compliance with hygiene standards. Another approach to promote good hygiene is to make hand washing easier with dispensers that automatically dispense soap. The difficulty with these devices is that they fail to positively encourage, monitor, or enforce compliance.
Therefore, there is a need for a soap dispenser that positively reinforces compliance with hygiene standards. There is a related need for a soap dispenser that enables a program that rewards workers for good hygiene practices. There is also a related need for a soap dispenser that requires an employer to acknowledge a worker's compliance with hygiene standards.
SUMMARY
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for rewarding and encouraging compliance with a predetermined personal hygiene standard in a hygiene compliance program. The system comprises a fluid dispenser, which includes an actuator. A sensor is connected to the actuator. A processor in electrical communication with the sensor and is configured to increment a count when the sensor is actuated, relate the count to an identification code, and compare the count to a predetermined number.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for rewarding and encouraging compliance with a predetermined personal hygiene standard in a hygiene compliance program. The method utilizes an electronic fluid dispenser. The method comprises entering a unique identification code; activating the fluid dispenser; sensing activation of the dispensing mechanism; incrementing a count, the count corresponding to the number of times the fluid dispenser has been activated under the entered unique identification code; displaying a signal when the count equals a predetermined number.


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Willis, D., editor, “Cleanliness No Longer Next to Impossible”, PropertyAndCasualty.com,Industry News, 2 pgs. (May 5, 1998).

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