BATHROOM STERILIZING DEVICE

DISPOSITIF DE STERILISATION POUR EMPLOI DANS LES SALLES DE TOILETTE

English 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.

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.

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.

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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

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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

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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.