Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
LAVATORY WASH STATION WITH INTEGRATED SINK AND
SANITIZING HAND DRYER
[0001] [intentionally left blank].
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of bathroom wash
stations, and in
particular to a wash station comprising a sanitizing hand dryer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] U.S. Patent 5,199,118 entitled "Hand Wash Station" discloses a hand
sanitizing
wash station that includes a sink, soap dispenser located above the sink, a
water faucet located
above the sink and a hot air hand dryer also located above the sink. A first
sensor detects the
presence of a hand of a user in the area of the faucet and causes the soap
dispenser to provide
soap and the faucet to provide water. A second sensor detects when the user
has moved his
hands adjacent to the hot air dryer causing the hand dryer to turn on. A
problem with this design
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is that because of the separation of the dryer and the sink, the air striking
the wet hands of the
user allows water to be spread outside the sink. In addition, the dryer is not
a sanitizing hand
dryer.
[0004] U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0271441 entitled "Lavatory
System with
Hand Dryer" discloses a lavatory system that includes a countertop and a first
hand washing
station. The first hand washing station includes a basin supported by a
countertop and a faucet
supported by the countertop. The lavatory system also includes a hand dryer
including a housing
supported by the countertop. The housing defines a cavity in which a user's
hands are inserted
during drying, and a motor configured to generate blown air in the direction
of the cavity. The
housing is located such that the user's hands may be inserted into the cavity
without the user
leaving the first hand washing station.
[0005] There is a need for an improved hand sanitizing wash station.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Briefly, according to an aspect of the present invention, a
lavatory wash station
comprises a wash station housing, a sink basin connected to a front of the
housing, wherein the
sink basin has a rim; the wash station also includes a sanitizing hand dryer
assembly having an
air intake and an exit nozzle at the front of the housing, where the air
intake is disposed at the
front of the housing and the exit nozzle is disposed at the front of the
housing above the rim,
where the exit nozzle provides air flow in a substantially downward direction
in the direction of
the sink basin and the sanitizing hand dryer includes an ion generator that
adds ions to the air
passing through the hand dryer.
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[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, a lavatory
wash station
includes a wash station housing, a sink basin connected to a front of the
housing, wherein the
sink basin has a rim, and a faucet connected to the rim; the wash station also
includes a sanitizing
hand dryer assembly having an exit nozzle disposed at the front of the housing
above the rim,
and an ion generator that treats the air passing through the hand dryer; a
dryer cover covers the
nozzle and a section of the basin, wherein the cover is disposed a lateral
distance from the faucet.
[0008] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a
lavatory wash station
includes a wash station housing; a sink basin connected to a front of the
housing, wherein the
sink basin has a washing section surface and a drying section surface wherein
the drying section
surface is sloped towards the washing section surface and a countertop
surface; a sidewall that
extends upwardly from the drying section surface and a transition surface from
the sidewall to
the drying surface section has a relatively smooth contour, wherein the wash
station housing,
sink basin and sidewall are a unitary formed component; an automatic faucet
that directs water
into the washing section; an automatic hand dryer assembly having an exit
nozzle that directs
forced air towards the drying section surface; and a system that sanitizes one
or more surfaces of
the wash station proximate to the drying section surface.
[0009] The sanitizing hand dryer may include an input filter that
comprises a prefilter
and a HEPA filter. The filtered air is then passed through an ion generator to
further sanitize the
air prior to discharge via the exit nozzle.
[0010] These and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will
become apparent in light of the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments thereof,
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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SUMMARY OF THE DRAWING
[0011] FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a single wash station;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a pictorial illustration of a plurality of wash stations
mounted in a
bathroom;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective pictorial view of a plurality of wash
stations and a trash
module;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional illustration of the sink basin;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a pictorial illustration of an alternative embodiment
wash station;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective pictorial view of a plurality of
alternative embodiment
wash stations and a trash module;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective pictorial illustration of the alternative
embodiment wash
station of FIG. 5;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a side view pictorial illustration of the alternative
embodiment wash
station of FIG. 5; and
[0019] FIG. 9 is a pictorial illustration of yet another alternative
embodiment wash
station;
[0020] FIG. 10 is an illustration of an ion generator that includes an ion
generator
assembly and drive electronics.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a lavatory wash station 10. The wash station 10
includes a wash
station housing 12, a sink basin 14, a hand washing assembly 16, and an
automatic sanitizing
hand dryer assembly 18.
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[0022] The housing 12 has a housing front 20 that extends from a housing
bottom end 22
to a housing top end 24, and between a housing first side 26 and a housing
second side 28. A
back surface of the housing preferably abuts a wall.
[0023] The sink basin 14 is connected to the housing front 20, between the
bottom and
the top ends 22 and 24. The sink basin 14 has a basin rim/countertop 30, a
sink hand washing
section 32 and a sink hand drying section 34. The hand drying section 34 is
disposed adjacent to
the housing second side 28.
[0024] The hand washing assembly 16 includes an automatic faucet 36, an
automatic
soap dispenser 38, and a power source 40 (e.g., photovoltaic). As known, the
automatic faucet
36 includes a faucet, an electronically actuated valve (not shown), and a
faucet sensor (not
shown). The faucet has a faucet neck 39 and a faucet spout 41. The faucet neck
39 is connected
to the basin rim 30, and extends from the basin rim 30 to the faucet spout 41.
The faucet spout
41 directs water into the sink hand washing section 32. The faucet sensor
(e.g., a motion or
proximity detector) may be disposed with the faucet, and is configured to
provide flow when, for
example, a hand is detected proximate/below the faucet.
[0025] The soap dispenser 38 has a dispenser neck 43 and a dispenser spout
45. The
dispenser neck 43 is connected to the basin rim 30, between the automatic
faucet 36 and the
housing first side 26. The dispenser neck 43 extends from the basin rim 30 to
the dispenser
spout 45. The dispenser spout 45 is configured to direct soap (e.g., liquid or
foam soap) into the
sink hand washing section 32.
[0026] The power source 40 is disposed on the housing top end 24. The
power source 40
may include a plurality of photovoltaic cells that convert light, for example
from a light fixture
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42 in a bathroom (see FIG. 2), into electricity in order to power for example
the automatic faucet
36 and/or the soap dispenser 38.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the dryer assembly 18 includes an air
circulation
system, a sidewall 44, a dryer cover 46, a purification light 48 and a dryer
sensor (not shown).
The circulation system includes a blower and an air purification system within
the housing 12, an
air intake 50 (see FIG. 3), a filter (not shown) and a nozzle 52.
[0028] The air purification system of the dryer may include combinations of
an ion
generator, UV, filters and other techniques for providing sanitized air via
the nozzle 52. In a
preferred embodiment the dryer achieves Log 3 air purification. In one
embodiment the dryer
may be an XLERATOR hand dryer available from the assignee of the present
invention, Excel
Dryer, Inc. (www.exceldryer.com), who is also the assignee of U.S. Patents
6,038,786 and
7,039,301 both hereby incorporated by reference. In another embodiment the
dryer may be
based upon the proven reliability of the XLERATOR hand dryer, but modified to
include an
input filter assembly and an ion generator. For example, the filter assembly
may include a coarse
filter and HEPA filter, which are arranged such that the coarse filter is
located upstream of the
HEPA filter in the dryer airflow path. The filter assembly is preferably
located upstream of the
dryer blower, while the ion generator may be located downstream of the dryer
blower and the
heating coil, but upstream of the nozzle 52.
[0029] While the power source 40 may provide sufficient power for the
relatively low
power drawing items such as the automatic faucet, the automatic soap
dispenser, et cetera, the
dryer will generally require line power (e.g., 120 VAC, 208 VAC, 220 VAC, 277
VAC, et
cetera) to power the relatively high power drawing items, such as for example,
the dryer blower,
dryer heater coil and ion generator.
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[0030] The blower and air purification system are disposed within the
housing 12, and
includes an air flow conduit between the air intake 50 and the nozzle 52. The
air intake 50 may
be disposed below the basin rim 30, for example, at a corner region of the
housing front 20
adjacent to the housing bottom end 22 and the housing second side 28. The
filter is configured
to filter air provided by the air intake 50 to the downstream air purification
system and blower.
The nozzle 52 is disposed above the basin rim 30 and the faucet spout 41, at a
corner region of
the housing front 20 adjacent to the housing top end 24 and the housing second
side 28. The
nozzle 52 directs air substantially vertically downward towards the sink hand
drying section 34.
This ensures that air from the dryer, which strikes the hand(s), flows
primarily along the interior
of the hand drying section inwardly towards the sink hand washing section 32.
The surface of
the hand drying section 34 preferably slopes inwardly so water runs into the
hand washing
section, which contains the drain.
100311 Referring again to FIG. 1, the sidewall 44 extends from the basin
rim 30 to the
dryer cover 46. This provides separation for adjacent wash stations, as shown
in FIGs. 2 and 3.
The dryer cover 46 is disposed a lateral distance from the automatic faucet
36, such that the
faucet remains uncovered. Significantly, the air flow from the nozzle flows
vertically downward
towards the sink basin, so water removed from the hands of a user by the
airflow is contained
within the sink basin rather than falling onto the floor, onto another surface
of the wash station,
or over to an adjacent wash station.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional illustration of the sink basin,
including the hand
washing section 32 and the hand drying section 34. The primary airflow path
from the nozzle
(not shown) is illustrated by arrow 80. As shown in FIG. 4, the contours of
the sections 32, 34
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ensure that airflow moves along surfaces of the sink hand drying section 34
towards the sink
hand washing section 32, taking water on the surfaces along with it.
[0033] Referring yet again to FIG. 1, the purification light 48 (e.g., a
blue purification
light) may be disposed on a bottom of the dryer cover 46. The purification
light 48 may
illuminate and/or sanitize surfaces of the sidewall 44, the housing front 20
and/or the sink basin
14 in a region between the sink hand drying section 34 and the dryer cover 46.
If the light
merely illuminates, then the light may turn on when the dryer is discharging
drying air, and turn
off when the user has completed drying his hands. In addition to providing
visual light, it is
contemplated that the light 48 may also purify surfaces of the wash station
struck by the light
using visible and invisible wavelengths of light, including for example UV
light. In this ease the
light may remain on for a period of time after the blower has stopped, in
order to provide the
desired purification/sanitizing.
[0034] The dryer sensor may be disposed proximate the nozzle 52. The dryer
sensor is
configured to provide an "on" signal to the blower, the air purification
system and/or the
purification light when, for example, a hand is proximate the nozzle 52.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the wash station
10 may be
configured as a modular unit 54 such that a plurality of the wash stations 10
can be connected
together for use, for example, in a public restroom. Each modular unit 54 may
also include a
trash receptacle 56, a tissue dispenser 58, et cetera disposed on the housing
front 20.
[0036] The wash station may include a display 60 that turns on when the
dryer assembly
18 is operating. The display 60 may be configured, for example, as a backlit
sign that relays
information regarding the manufacturer of the wash station 10, et cetera, or
it may be a display
presenting scores at an event, or any other information that a user may find
of interest.
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[0037] FIG. 5 is a pictorial illustration of an alternative embodiment
wash station 70.
This embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment in FIG. 1 with the
principal
exception that the embodiment of FIG. 5 includes a dryer cover 72 that is
substantially on plane
with faucet 74 (i.e., at about the same height). In contrast, in the
embodiment illustrated in FIG.
1 the dryer cover 46 is located at a height above the faucet 36. One of
ordinary skill will
appreciate that the dryer cover may also be located at a height below the
faucet.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a perspective pictorial view of a plurality of the
alternative embodiment
wash stations 70 configured as a modular unit 90 such that a plurality of the
wash stations 70 are
connected together for use, for example, in a public restroom. Each modular
unit 70 may also
include a trash receptacle 92 having an opening 94 and a tissue dispenser 96.
[0039] In some embodiments, each wash station 70 may include a
display/logo 98 that
illuminates when the dryer is discharging air. For example, the display 98 may
be configured,
for example, as a backlit sign that relays infoituation regarding the
manufacturer of the wash
station 90, et cetera, or it may be a display presenting scores at an event,
or any other information
that a user may fmd of interest. The wash station may also include a
photovoltaic cell 100 to
convert light to electricity. In one embodiment is may simply be an
illuminated logo. The wash
station includes a sanitizing hand dryer that preferably provides Log 3
purified air 102 via an exit
nozzle 103 with sufficient kinetic energy to rapidly dry the hands of a user,
as discussed above
with respect to an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. Soffit 104 covers the
plumbing and line
power connections that operably connect the wash station, and each wash
station may include an
air intake 106 that provides air to the sanitizing hand dryer located within
the wash station
housing.
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[0040] FIG. 7 is a perspective pictorial illustration of the alternative
embodiment wash
station 70 of FIG. 5. The wash station includes a sink basin 108 that includes
a hand washing
section surface 110 and a hand drying section surface 112. The surface 112 is
slightly above and
canted (e.g., sloped) towards the hand washing section surface 110 such that
water falling on the
surface 112 (e.g., from the hands of a user using the dryer) runs down to the
surface 110 and into
a drain. The wash station also includes a sidewall 114 that extends upwardly
from the hand
drying surface 112 towards the dryer. The transition from the vertical
sidewall 114 to the hand
drying surface 112 has a relatively smooth contour that facilitates a
relatively smooth (e.g.,
laminar) flow of air to move water along the hand drying surface 112 towards
the hand washing
section surface 110 and the drain. The wash station 70 may also include a
countertop surface
115 substantially planar with a top surface of the dryer cover 72.
[0041] FIG. 8 is a side view pictorial illustration of the alternative
embodiment wash
station of FIG. 5 with a user moving into an operable position.
[0042] FIG. 9 is a pictorial illustration of yet another alternative
embodiment wash
station 120. This embodiment include a first sink 122 and a second sink 124
(e.g., preferably a
unitary piece) each having hand washing base surfaces. The wash station 120
also includes a
hand dryer exit nozzle 126, such as for example the sanitizing hand dryer as
discussed herein
above, that discharges air in a substantially downward vertical direction
towards a hand drying
surface generally located between the hand washing base surfaces associated
with the first and
second sinks 122, 124. In this embodiment, the hand drying section of the sink
preferably slopes
off towards the adjacent handing washing sections of the first and second
sinks 122, 124. The
wash station 120 may also include a light source 128 that provides light 129
that illuminates the
area generally below the hand dryer nozzle 126 when the hand dryer is
operating. As discussed
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above, the light source 128 may be configured to sanitize surfaces of the
sink, including for
example, hand drying surface of the sink, and/or provide light that sanitizes
surfaces of the sink.
The wash station 120 may also include a photovoltaic cell 130 to convert light
to electricity to
power the low power devices such as for example the faucet and the soap
dispenser. A dryer air
inlet 132 may be provided along a lower surface of the wash station, and a
soffit 134 may cover
plumbing and line power connections that operably connect the wash station
120. The wash
station 120 may also include a display or backlit placard 136.
100431 FIG. 10 is an illustration of an ion generator 131 that includes an
ion generator
assembly 133 and drive electronics 135. The ion generator assembly includes an
insulating
frame 137 and a grid of wires comprising a plurality of ground wires 138-143
and a plurality of
corona wires 144-150 (e.g., 0.002 diameter tungsten wire) that provide a
negative electrode. The
air passes substantially perpendicularly through the grid picking up ions on
the way. The ground
grid is positioned just after the heater in the air path with the high voltage
grid positioned
approximately 0.3" from the ground grid. One of ordinary skill in the art will
recognize that
various ion generator configurations may be used to assist in providing
sanitized air, such as for
example Log 3 sanitized air.
100441 Although the hand dryer has been discussed in the context of a
single exit nozzle
that provides the forced air to dry the hands of a user, it is contemplated
that the dryer may have
a plurality of exit nozzles. The plurality of nozzles may be spaced apart and
arranged so as to
provide forced hot air to dry both hands of a user simultaneously. In
addition, it is contemplated
that the sidewalls (e.g., 44 and 114) may be non-unitary components with
respect to the sink
basin. While the faucet and hand dryer have been discussed in the context of
preferred
embodiments of an automatic faucet and automatic hand dryer that sense the
proximate hands of
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a user and turn on, it is of course contemplated that embodiments may include
faucets and hand
dryers that are turned on manually by the user.
[00451 While various embodiments of the present invention have been
disclosed, it will
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments
and
implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the present
invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and
their equivalents.
[0046] What is claimed is:
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