DE202020003223U1 - Hand sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

Hand sterilizer, characterized in that the germs are killed on the hands by the simultaneous application of gaseous ozone and ultraviolet light in the spectrum from 200 to 300 nm.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to rid hands of germs, hands are currently washed with soap and water and / or treated with an antiseptic solution. Common hand sterilizers use disinfectants that have to be refilled regularly

The degree of coverage of the disinfection is limited by the active ingredient used and therefore requires more active ingredients for a broad spectrum effect.

The antiseptic used can irritate the user's skin and the effect of the disinfection depends on the manual application by the user, which is not always complete - especially between the fingers.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to create a hand sterilizer which ensures the disinfection of the entire surface of the hands, does not pose any odor nuisance or health risk and enables a treatment duration of less than 20 seconds.

Research into hospital hygiene has shown that even doctors regularly do not adhere to the prescribed exposure time of at least 20 seconds when washing hands. In addition, no disinfectant should be consumed and refilled

Another task is to use only one active ingredient that does not irritate the skin

STATE OF THE ART

Numerous proposals for sterilizing the surfaces of the hands are known, including hand washing with soap and with disinfectant.

The problem here is that if it is used more often (e.g. in clinical settings), the skin suffers and the effect is not continuous because cleaning between the fingers when washing hands is often neglected.

In addition, disinfection with UV-C radiation is known, but this also mainly works on the surface of the hand and requires some exposure time.

Sterilization with gaseous ozone is also known, but this has an unpleasant metallic odor.

It is therefore almost only used in an admixture with a lot of additional air in handheld and hair dryers, as in WO 2016/144152 , EP 0976356 A2 , EP 289379781 and DE 20 200505894 U1 , which all refer to the mixing of ozone in a hot air stream.

The ozone concentration can only be low and not be sufficient to sterilize hair and skin areas, because otherwise the irritating effect of the ozone and the odor pollution in the blown air stream would be too high.

In contrast, it is considerable in the case of the OZ-AIR HS-800 device manufactured in India, which blows ozone through the hands to be treated towards the floor and also requires an exposure time of almost one minute to sterilize the hands.

SOLUTION

The inventive step here is to primarily use ozone, but to guide it in a sheath flow of air and then either to passivate it in a filter system or to partially circulate it.

The proposed hand sterilization device eliminates these disadvantages by using ozone as a disinfectant which flows around the hands on all sides, but is surrounded by a sheath flow of sucked in air and is continuously sucked off.

This mixed flow is carried on continuously and an adjustable part is neutralized in filters, while the other part is returned to the ozone generators.

In order to keep the exposure time short, this is supported by the simultaneous irradiation with UV-C light, which also accelerates the conversion of the ozone back into oxygen.

DESCRIPTION

The ozone is generated in one or more generator blocks and blown over the hands in a nozzle-like arrangement, while another air flow is sucked in next to them, which acts as a sheath flow.

In addition, a surrounding ring of light-emitting diodes of the UV-C spectrum causes additional sterilization and thus shortens the treatment time.

Ozone and sheath currents are sucked into the device at the same time. This mixture is then divided into two controllable air flows, one of which is fed to the exhaust air filters, the other, however is charged again with ozone and directed at the hands.

The exhaust air is continuously passed through a carbon filter or heating resistors to decompose the ozone in the exhaust air. A central process unit controls the operation of the ozone generators, the starting and stopping of the fans and the heating in the exhaust air filter.

It also contains the selection and display of the remaining sterilization time, supported by visual and acoustic signals to encourage the user to adhere to the required exposure time.

THE DEVICE FOR STERILIZING HANDS ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION HAS THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:

1. 1. It does not use consumables and can work for a long time without intervention.
2. 2. The sterilization effect is extremely broad and covers the entire spectrum of known microorganisms.
3. 3. The treatment does not cause skin irritation
4. 4. The effect includes the hands completely and works on all surfaces.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

1 shows the hand sterilizer ( 1 ) in cross section with the inlet for the hands ( 2 ), through the surrounding channels ( 3 , 4th ) for the ozone charge is limited, whereby the jacket air flow ( 5 ) next to the hands ( 2 ) from the outside ( 6th ) is sucked in, and hands directly with the nozzles ( 7th , 9 ) charged with ozone and also all around with UV-C light emitting diodes ( 10-13 ) irradiated and thus additionally sterilized.

The ozone blast is blown through the nozzles ( 7th , 9 ) on the hands ( 2 ), where this with the sheath current ( 5 ) the outside air sucked in next to the hands ( 23 ) is encased, which is shared by a drum fan ( 24 ) sucked in through a grille cover ( 8th ) in the exhaust duct ( 25th ) to be pulled.

There the air flow is controlled by one of the control unit ( 26th ) electrically controlled slide ( 27 ) divided and to a part ( 28 ) through the filter ( 29 ) sent and as exhaust air in the duct ( 30th ) dismiss. The other part ( 31 ) is returned to the channels ( 3 , 4th ) blown in and again through the ozone generators ( 18th , 19th ) cleverly.

This saves energy by reducing the current flow to the ozone generators and increasing the ozone content of the blowing stream.

A display ( 34 ) is mounted on the top cover of the housing, with which the sterilization can be monitored.

Starting and stopping the ozone generator, the fan, the resistors in the exhaust filter and the movement of the slide ( 27 ) to split the exhaust air flow from the central process unit ( 32 ), with which the sterilization time is specified, as well as the indication of the time remaining until the operating cycle is closed optically in the display ( 34 ) and acoustically with adjustable sound sequences of an integrated sequencer and loudspeaker ( 33 ) is supported.

2 shows the hand sterilizer ( 1 ) in perspective from the outside with the display ( 34 ), the speaker ( 33 ), the grille cover ( 8th ), the UV-C light emitting diodes ( 10-13 ) and nozzles ( 7th ).

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• WO 2016/144152 [0011]
• EP 0976356 A2 [0011]
• EP 289379781 [0011]
• DE 20200505894 U1 [0011]

Claims (9)

Hand sterilizer, characterized in that the germs are killed on the hands by the simultaneous application of gaseous ozone and ultraviolet light in the spectrum from 200 to 300 nm. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 , characterized in that the sterilization is effected by high concentration ozone blown over the hands and its simultaneous suction, together with the suction air acting as a sheath current next to the hands. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 and 2 , characterized in that the housing for introducing the hands into the treatment room is open as far as it requires an all-round movement of the hands by 10 millimeters Hand sterilizer Claim 3 , characterized in that the treatment room is illuminated all around with at least one band of light-emitting diodes of the UV-C spectrum. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 , characterized in that the ozone is generated with high-voltage cascades between electrostatically charged plates by corona discharge and is discharged in an air stream guided between them. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 - 5 , characterized in that the extracted air flow is divided into a then filtered exhaust air flow and a returned, further laden with ozone sterilization flow. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 to 6th , characterized in that the exhaust air filter is heated and the residual ozone is passivated on its heating wires. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 - 6th , characterized in that the exhaust air filter is an activated carbon filter which absorbs the residual ozone. Hand sterilizer Claim 1 - 5 , characterized in that a spray mechanism for skin care products is integrated.

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