WO2003105649A1

WO2003105649A1 - Hand washing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2003105649A1
Application number: PCT/IT2003/000349
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo Cappellini
Original assignee: Paolo Cappellini
Priority date: 2002-06-14
Filing date: 2003-06-04
Publication date: 2003-12-24
Also published as: ITMI20021335A1; AU2003242997A1

Abstract

Hand washing apparatus comprising a water delivery and outflow circuit, and a water temporarily collecting basin, on the bottom whereof a rotary cup internally provided with abrasive inwardly projecting bristles is pivoted.

Description

"HAND WASHING APPARATUS"

The present invention relates to a hand washing apparatus intended for the cleansing of both body parts, such as hands and arms, and things, that can be used by all people which in daily work, or even by chance in public places, can come in contact with soiling, polluting or infecting substances.

The above said apparatus consist substantially of the basic components of a common washbasin or sink, namely a water-dispensing cock, a water-collecting basin and an outlet, to which a characterizing element consisting in a rotating circular cup was added. This cup is provided with inside projecting bristles or brushes arranged in radial rows from the rotation center at regular peripheral gaps, as well as with series of holes or slots that are alternated with respect to said bristles.

The rotating cup may have frustoconical, hemispheric, cylindrical or band- shaped form and is symmetrically pivoted, according to the rotation axis, inside the containing basin. The bottom of the cup is centrally keyed on the spindle of variable speed gear motor, which can give the cup a rotary motion both in clockwise and counterclockwise direction, according to the position of a converting lever acting on the gears of the gear motor.

The apparatus according to the present invention will be illustrated below in more detail with the aid of schematic drawings of a preferred embodiment thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective transparent front-side view of a base cabinet comprising the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a left side, still transparent view of the cabinet in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cabinet in FIG. 1.

As it is clear in the figures, the apparatus according to the present invention comprises a box-shaped cabinet 1, in which a water collecting basin 2, a water dispensing cock 3, a cup 4 contained in basin 1 and provided with a number of inwardly protruding brushes or bristles 5 arranged in radial rows and alternated with little draining and filtering holes, as well as an electric motor 6 are housed.

The operation of the briefly described assembly is as follows: pushing on a start push button 7 starts delivery, from a suitable nozzle, of a given amount of a detergent product, whereupon water output from cock 3 takes place; subsequently, when water has reached a prefixed effective level, cup 4 begins rotating, while a downflow valve at bottom of basin 2 temporarily shuts down. At this moment the dirty hands and/or the soiled item are set in contact with the rotating brushes or bristles 5, whose abrasive action combined with the cleansing effect of detergent and water will remove the dirt from the concerned surfaces, whereas the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of cup 4 expels towards basin 2 the filthy water while keeping back inside the possible suspended particles. The water in excess coming continuously from cock 3, once reached an overflow level in basin 2, flows through a suitable opening. Alternatively feeding cock 3 may be turned off and on in any moment at opinion of the user.

Once the cleansing operation of hands and items has finished, one pushes the stop button 8 that opens in sequence the outlet valve on the bottom of basin 2, turns off water delivery 3 and switches off gear motor 6, thus allowing the prearrangement of a new cycle.

When cup 4 and bristles 5, either during normal washing operation or at the end thereof, are still soiled, it is possible to carry out a closer clean out by energizing again the detergent-dispensing valve. As said above, the revolving speed of bristly cup 4, 5 may be changed by acting a suitable rheostat that controls gear motor 6.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated according to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be clear to the skilled people that changes and variations can be made without leaving the protective scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A hand washing apparatus comprising a cock (3) for dispensing a detergent liquid, and a liquid-collecting basin (2) with a relevant downflow valve, characterized in that inside said collecting basin (2) a rotary cup (4) provided with inward projecting bristles (5) is arranged.

2. The hand washing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said rotary cup (4) can have a hollow frustoconical, hemispheric, cylindrical or band-shaped form, and said projecting bristles (5) are arranged on substantially radial rows.

3. The hand washing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said radial bristles (5) are grouped in form of brushes.

4. The hand washing apparatus according to any previous claim, characterized in that the rotation of said rotary cup (4) can occur both in clockwise and counterclockwise direction.