AUTOMATIC DOORMAT
Present invention relates to an automatic doormat providing cleanliness and hygiene for the shoes under continuous contact with all kinds of environment. More particularly, the invention relates to providing cleanliness by means of vacuum and the rotating cleaning elements, and providing hygiene with a disinfectant liquid supplied by a spraying element, and storing the collected particles in a replaceable container.
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
Embodiments constituting the present state of the art are generally the doormats made of metal, rubber, textile, etc. are used to clean the shoes contacted with the unhygienic places and so formed microbes and particles thereon, especially in places such as houses, hospitals, offices, food industry etc. The main object of using these doormats is to prevent the introduction of the elements (solid, liquid, etc.) from the outer place to the inner place. However, contrary to their functions such embodiments cannot sufficiently prevent the contamination of the inner places by the microbes that threaten the personal health. In order to avoid the said deficiency, shoes are isolated especially in the hospitals, with plastic bags named galoshes.
Especially the olds suffer from the galoshes due to the drawbacks taking place during putting on and putting out thereof. On the other hand, the galoshes are either reused in which case the usage is questionable from the hygiene point of view or thrown away, in which case the discarding thereof can cause serious environmental contamination since decomposition of said plastic galoshes can take hundreds of years.
Such doormats do not have an embodiment capable of collecting and storing the dust and particles found on the sole or surface of shoes. Consequently, particles
and bigger unhygienic substances resulted from the contact with shoes are left on the doormat and induced an environment suitable for dangerous bacterial growth .
By the present invention, it is intended to solve the above mentioned problems without exceeding the size of the conventional doormats.
Apart from the above mentioned doormats, some other embodiments can be seen in the scope of the present state of the art. For example, BE-A-890 907 discloses a sterilizing embodiment containing a flat basin comprising a disposable spongy cartridge impregnated with a sterilizing product. Similar embodiment is disclosed in EP-A-60148, according to that a sterilizing device comprises a replaceable cartridge.
Deficiencies being obvious in these embodiments are referred to functional and material concepts in that the sterilizing device are continuously changed and thrown away, and the sizes of the embodiments restricts usage of the said embodiments.
The object of the present invention is to provide automatic cleanliness and disinfections of the sole and surface of the shoes contaminated with microbes as a result of contact with the outdoor environment.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the usage of the galoshes which can cause significant environmental problems in terms of the decomposition of the galosh material when thrown away.
It is still another object of the present invention is to provide a totally automatic embodiment which eliminates the usage of the galoshes being difficult to put on and put out to feet. The purpose of the invention based on this state of the art is to develop a doormat in the way explained in the technical field section to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages.
The doormat in the scope of the present invention comprises movable cleaning elements that enables cleanliness of shoes and vacuum elements that provides collection of particles in a replaceable container. Therefore the surface and the inside is provided to be clean. After this operation, a disinfectant is sprayed onto the shoes with a spraying element. Hence, it is possible to keep the shoes always clean and disinfected.
By virtue of the present invention, the contamination by the microbes of the places like the house and the hospital in particular, where the hygiene is of primary concern, is prevented. Thus, the need to wear galoshes on the shoes when entering the places like hospital is eliminated.
The aims, characteristics and the advantages according to the invention will be better understood by examining the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates the assembly of the doormat with movable cleaning elements, which is also capable of spraying disinfectant.
Figure 2 illustrates the top view of the doormat with movable cleaning elements, which is also capable of spraying disinfectant.
Figure 3 illustrates the assembly of the doormat containing no movable cleaning elements, having only vacuum group.
Figure 4 illustrates the top view of the doormat containing no movable cleaning elements, having only vacuum group.
Figure 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a multi guiding element. Figure 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment for movable cleaning elements having gears and motor.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
1. Actuator 12. Photocell
2. Vacuum element 13. Vacuum plate
Container 14. Vacuum openings
Particle guiding element 15. Multiple particle guiding element
5. Doormat floor 16. Connecting pipe
6. Power switch 17. Sensor
7. Movable cleaning elements 18. Vacuum holder
8. Spraying element 19. Neck
9. Door 20. Gear unit
10. Wall 21. Motor
11. Cleaner wings
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
The automatic doormat in the scope of the present invention comprises five main parts: A doormat floor (5), movable cleaning elements (7), a spraying element ( 8), an actuator (1), and a container (3).
Doormat floor (5), the form is optionally metal framework construction thereof is placed on the movable cleaning elements (7) and vacuum plate (13).
Actuation of the cleaning elements and the elements enabling disinfections is performed automatically. In order to achieve this, when the person with infected shoes stands on the doormat, a photocell (12) disposed in the door (9) in the wall (10) senses the person and sends electrical signals to the power switch (6) and then said power switch (6) actuates an actuator (1) which is selected as a
then said power switch (6) actuates an actuator (1) which is selected as a conventional electric motor preferably. Similar procedure is followed when the person leaves the doormat platform in that the photocell (12) sends electric signals to the actuator (1) so that it stops cleaning and disinfecting actions. Furthermore, another photocell can be disposed in the door, in order to prevent actuation of the automatic doormat when a person tries to leave the inner side (clean place) through the door.
The actuator (1) actuated by the way described above, activates a vacuum element (2) which is preferably a propeller, and air having infectious particles is vacuumed through vacuum openings (18) by virtue of the vacuum element (2), and then particles in the air are collected in a container (3) by means of particle guiding element (4) which is embodied preferably as a plastic pipe. Said container (3) comprises a flexible chamber similar to the vacuum cleaners and there is a neck (19) between container (3) and vacuum element (2) to maintain dust and particles inside the container (3).
Actuation of the movable cleaning elements (7) which are placed in various orientations and formations on the doormat floor (5) is performed by the negative pressure resulting from the vacuum. Cleaner wings (11) disposed circumferentially on the movable cleaning elements (7) rotated by said negative pressure tear off the particles on shoes and provide the collection thereof in a vacuum plate (13). Afterwards the particles are forced by the vacuum to guide through by a vacuum holder (18) and then particle guiding element (4) to be restrained in the container (3).
Spraying elements (8) having disinfectant material therein is actuated when the movable cleaning elements (7) are in motion. The spraying elements (8) are preferably located nearby the cleaner wings (11) of the movable cleaning elements (7), and preferably at a lower region of the cleaner wings (11). Therefore said movable cleaning elements (7) provide disinfection and at the same time cleaning of the shoes. Furthermore the spraying can be provided by an external pump rather than providing by the effect of vacuuming.
As an alternative embodiment, the automatic actuation of the doormat can be achieved by sensors (17) sensible to the weight of the person standing on the doormat. In this way the sensors (17) can be positioned on the doormat floor (5).
Furthermore, as seen in the Figure 5, multiple guiding elements (15) for sucking the undesirable particles on the shoes can be another alternative embodiment for the invention. In this embodiment, vacuum openings (14) are formed on the multiple particle guiding elements (15) for sucking the harmful particles which are conveyed to the container (3) via a connecting pipe (16).
In Figure 6, it is illustrated an alternative embodiment in the scope of the present invention. According to the figure, movable cleaning elements (7) are actuated by virtue of a motor (21) and a gear unit (20). In this embodiment, movable cleaning elements (7) are preferably placed in three distinct group with corresponding movable cleaning element.
Apart from the above mentioned alternative embodiments, the automatic doormat can be employed without actuating the movable cleaning elements (7) and the spraying elements (8), the matter is shown in the Figures 3 and 4.