CA1216129A

CA1216129A - Bathroom sterilizing device

Info

Publication number: CA1216129A
Application number: CA000439859A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Judy A. Brian
Original assignee: BRIAN JUDY A
Current assignee: BRIAN JUDY A
Priority date: 1983-10-27
Filing date: 1983-10-27
Publication date: 1987-01-06

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

Sterilizing device for bathrooms, kitchens, mobile homes and the like consists of a flushing tank for holding articles to be sterilized, means for heating water to a sterilizing temperature and being connected to the flushing tank by suitable conduits and water jetting means. A valve arrangement controls the flow line water into the water heating means and the water jet nozzles are directed into the interior of the flushing tank at spaced locations thereon.
A drain is provided in the flushing tank for removing sterilizing water therefrom.

Description

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BATHROOM STERILIZING DEVICE

This invention relates to a sterilizing device and in particular such as a device for sterilizing bathroom accessories and the live.
Devices for sterilizing bathroom articles are well known as shown for example in US. Patent 3,955,922 of May Thea, 1976, US. Patent 4,376,096 of March Thea, 1983 and 4,331,859 of May Thea, 1982. These examples of the available prior art disclose bathroom size sterilizers for dental articles, hair brushes and the like and include compartments having a removable pheromones tray on which items are placed to be sterilized. The sterilizing medium is usually a volatile disinfectant, the vapors of which are remitted by a wick or like to chemically sterilize the items. A disinfectant solution is used in US. Patent 4,331,859.
The present invention provides improvements in this art in the provision of a sterilizing device using hot water which is readily available from the water supply of a household, mobile home, water craft or what ever form of vehicle the device is used in. The installation is preferably made in the counter top of a kitchen or bathroom and the elements of the device are inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

I

According to a broad aspect the invention relates to a sterilizing device comprising, in combination, a flushing tank for holding articles to be sterilized; means or heating water to a sterilizing temperature; and valve means for controlling the flow of line water into said water heating means. A plurality of water jet nozzles are directed into the flushing tank at spaced locations thereon and conduit means interconnect the water heating means with the jet nozzles. A drain is provided in the flushing tank for removing sterilizing water therefrom.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sterilizing unit set out in a schematic form;
Figure 2 is an elevation view, partly in section, of the flushing tank;
Figure 3 is a top view of the elements in Figure 2; and Figures 4 and 5 are top and elevation views respectively of a mesh basket for use in the flushing tank of the present invention.
Turning now to the drawings and in particular to Figure 1, the basic elements of the unit 10 are the flushing tank 12, water heating means 14, valve means 16 and water its lay Water enters the heating means 14 through a hot water line 20 via a gate valve 22 and check valve 24. The water is quickly raised to a sterilizing temperature in the heating means 14 which can be either gas fired or an electrical unit such as a 1300 watt unit and, under line pressure or the pressure of an accessory pump, (not shown) the water is directed via a conduit 26 to the water jets 18 which are directed inwardly into the flushing tank where the water sterilizes any objects therein and is subsequently removed via a drain 28.
Conduit 26 reaches the nozzles 18 by way of a pair of spaced conduits 30 and 32 mounted peripherally of the tank 12. The illustrated tank is cylindrical but it will :~2~L6~2~

be appreciated that this unit can be of any desired configuration. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the flushing tank 12 is provided with a cover 34 which can be provided with a suitable child-proof lock system and the operation of the unit can be governed by a solenoid valve 36 (Figure 1) connected to a reseeable timer 38. A suitable child-proof lock system achieved by a contact switch mounted in the side of the unit at the upper level. The switch would be closed by contact with the cover 34 and complete the circuit to the solenoid valve. If the top is removed the contact switch is opened and the circuit would be incomplete and would shut off the solenoid valve. As indicated, the elements of the unit fit snugly into a counter top 40 of a kitchen or bathroom.
If desired, the tank 12 can be provided with a removable mesh basket 42 shown in Figures 4 and S, the basket having an open weave wall 44 of desired con fig-unction, in this case cylindrical, with a plurality of drain holes 46 in the bottom wall 48 thereof. A
handle 50 is provided centrally of the basket for lowering it into and removing it from the flushing tank 12.
The timer 38 can be activated so that the normally closed solenoid valve 36 is energized and remains open for a given amount of time. Water flows under pressure into the water heating means 14 and, when raised to a sterilizing temperature, passes through the conduit 26 to the nozzles 18 and is directed into the interior of the flushing tank to sterilize any objects therein. These can subsequently be removed from the tank with or without the use of the interior basket.
isle the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in ~6~2~9 a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
The terms and expressions which have been employed in this specification are used as terms of description and not of limitations and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalence of the features shown and described or portions thereof. It is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A sterilizing device for installation in a bathroom, kitchen or the like and comprising, in combination:
(A) a flushing tank having sidewalls and a bottom for holding articles to be sterilized;
(B) removable basket means for retaining said articles in said flushing tank;
(C) water supply means for feeding water to said flushing tank;
(D) means for spraying into the flushing tank the water fed to the tank from the water supply means, wherein the spray means comprises a pair of spaced conduits located peripherally of said tank and connected to said water supply means, wherein each conduit has at least one pair of water jet nozzles on each of said conduits inwardly directed from the sidewalls into the tank;
(E) heating means in said water supply means for heating the water fed to the nozzles to sterilizing temperatures;
(F) valve means for controlling the flow of the water into said heating means, wherein the valve means comprises a solenoid valve and a resettable timer for actuating the solenoid valve; and (G) a drain in the flushing tank for removing sterilizing water therefrom as water is being sprayed through said nozzles.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said drain is in the bottom of the flushing tank.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the nozzles in each pair are located on opposing sidewalls of said flushing tank.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the water heating means is an electric heater.