Telephonic communications – Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment – Protective structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-11
2001-10-09
Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment
Protective structure
C379S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301359
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to sterilization devices. More particularly this invention relates to a device for sterilizing the handset of telephone including vertically mounted telephones, horizontally resting telephones, and domestic and public telephones using ultraviolet radiation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has long been known that germs are spread by, among other things, hand to hand contact. Hence there's been much in the literature recently concerning the washing of hands in order to prevent the spreading of the common cold as well as other microbes. Recently, it has even been discovered that bacteria continue to live on writing implements there used by individuals. As such, writing implements can also carry microbes and therefore can be a vector for the spread of disease. Telephones are no less apt to be a vector for the spread of germs. In fact, this is even more the case since individuals breathe into telephones and deposit germs thereon. It is bad enough in one's own family environment, but the spread of germs from one stranger to another via telephone handsets of public telephones, or office telephones is equally a menace.
Many objects are sterilized. For example, hospitals use sterilization routinely for surgical instruments. Typically such sterilization occurs both chemically as well as through high-pressure high temperature steam sterilization. This results in generally sterile instruments for use in surgery. The difficulty, of course, is that such devices are expensive, cumbersome, and are therefore not practical for the widespread sterilization of more common devices.
The spread of germs via bathroom articles has been the subject of invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,407 to Andary et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,445 to Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,88,4072 Ritter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,795 to Sakurai et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,364 to Ritter and U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,770 to Hylton et al. all disclose methods of sterizing toothbrucshes and dental articles using ultraviolet lamps.
Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,851 to Beasley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,847 to Lackey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,460 to Foster, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,572 to Chu, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,521 to Bourgue, all disclsoe ultraviolet based toothbrush sterilizers, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,877 to Choi, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,635 to Duthei, Jr. disclose general sterilization methods and apparatus wherein microorganisms are exposed to ultraviolet light. Thus it can be seen that much work has been done with respect to the sterilization of bathroom articles. However no attention has been paid to the sterilization of other common implements, specifically telephones which can clearly carry disease generating microorganisms.
It would therefore be desirable to have a convenient, readily available method and apparatus for sterilizing telephones, specifically the telephone handset, thereby preventing the transmission of object-borne disease spreading microorganisms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object to the present invention to sterilize telephones, specifically the telephone handset.
It is a further object of present invention to provide a telephone handset sterilization apparatus that can be commonly available and easy to use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sterilization apparatus using ultraviolet radiation as a means of sterilization of the telephone handset.
It is a further object of present invention to combine ultraviolet sterilization and ozone sterilization together to more completely sterilize telephone handsets.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sterilization device for sterilizing telephone handsets safely and without exposing a user to ultraviolet sterilization radiation.
It is a further object of a present invention to provide a telephone handset sterilizer that operates on normal wall current or battery power.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a telephone handset sterilizer apparatus that operates automatically when the telephone is on hook and that is off when the telephone is off hook so as to minimize the exposure of the user to ultraviolet radiation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the telephone handset sterilization via sterilization units built into new telephones and by retrofitting existing telephones with a removably attached module that sterilizes telephone handsets.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by review of the specification that follows.
The present invention is a telephone sterilizer that sterilizes the handset of telephones. The present invention comprises generally an ultraviolet light source particularly in approximately the 200 to 300 nm wavelength range. This UV range is known for its germicidal and sterilization effects achieved by direct radiation. It is also-known that ultraviolet radiation below 200 nm can produce small quantities of ozone from oxygen in the atmosphere. Ozone, in sufficient concentrations is known to have significant germicidal and sterilization effects. Further, ozone, as a gas, is able to reach certain places and crevices in telephone handsets, for example holes or apertures in front of the handset microphone or apertures in front of the handset speaker where ultraviolet radiation might not reach. Thus the present invention uses both UV light sources that produce ozone (i.e. 200 nm and below) and those UV sources that do not (i.e. above 200 nm).
The ultraviolet light source of the present invention is mounted within a handset cradle such that the ultraviolet radiation can shine directly upon and reflect onto the earpiece and the microphone portion of a telephone handset once the telephone handset is replaced in the handset cradle (i.e. the telephone is place back on-hook).
For purposes of this specification the following definitions apply:
Telephone handset cradle: the general structure on telephones in which a telephone handset rests when the telephone is on-hook.
Earpiece cradle: the portion of the telephone handset cradle in which the earpiece of the telephone handset (the part to which a user listens) rests when the telephone is on-hook.
Mouthpiece cradle: the portion of the telephone handset cradle in which the mouthpiece of the telephone handset (the part the user speaks into) rests when the telephone is on-hook.
The ultraviolet light source can be mounted in a number of configurations. For example, the ultraviolet lamp can be a ring type lamp at the base and around the perimeter of the earpiece and mouthpiece cradles respectively. Alternatively tubular ultraviolet lamps can be dispose in the portion of the telephone handset cradle to illuminate the earpiece and mouthpiece.
The wavelength range of the ultraviolet radiation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention also causes a small amount of ozone to be generated. This ozone is released into the telephone handset cradle and together with the ultraviolet radiation provides a more complete sterilization of the earpiece and mouthpiece portions of the telephone handsets. In an alternative embodiment, UV radiation which does not produce ozone (i.e. above 200 nm) is used for those areas that are too enclosed, do not have proper ventilation, or where regulations so dictate.
In an alternative embodiment the present invention also comprises a top or lid (a “telephone handset cradle cover”) which is hingedly or removably attached to the sterilization telephone handset cradle. This telephone handset cradle cover prevents ultraviolet radiation from escaping the area in which sterilization occurs thereby protecting any users or those who pass by the sterilization apparatus. It also contains ultraviolet lamps so that when the lid is closed over the telephone handset, the entire handset is bathed in ultraviolet radiation and surrounded by ozone (if the appropriate UV source is present) to provide complete sterilization of not only the earpiece
Chiang Jack
Roberts Abokhair & Mardula LLC
LandOfFree
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