Device to eliminate germs and bacteria from your hands

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device that eliminates germs and bacteria from your hands. The device is especially designed to achieve total asepsis of the hands of people working and/or should have access to certain sectors of industries manufacturing and/or fractionation of food, medicinal products, testing laboratories industry biological, chemical industries in general, operating rooms, etc. where it is required to maintain strict hygiene and asepsis conditions.

Claims

1. A device to eliminate germs and bacteria from hands, the device comprising: a cabinet including a front opening for entry of the hands to be disinfected, the cabinet including: an outer box, the outer box having a front end, a rear end, a top end, a bottom end, a rear wall, side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; an inner box (3) placed inside the outer box (2), the inner box (3) having a cavity where the hands are placed, a front end, a rear end, a top end, a bottom end, a rear wall, side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; spaces between the rear, the side, the top and the bottom walls of the outer box and the inner box; a plurality of slots located in the top wall, bottom wall, and side wall of the inner box; an ozone generator located between the rear walls of the outer box and the inner box; fans located facing the ozone generator, the fans circulate the ozone through the cabinet, the ozone moves inside the cabinet by passing through the plurality of slots of the inner box; a first mesh made of nichrome located in the space between the rear walls of the outer box and the inner box, the first mesh is a heated mesh; a second mesh of nichrome located near the opening of the cabinet; and at least one aperture located in the front end near the top end of the inner box, the aperture allows the passing of air forming a curtain of air which forms an ozone barrier on the inside of the cabinet.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the front opening is covered by a plurality of hanging strips.

3. The device according to claim 1, further including a presence detector inside the cabinet.

4. The device according to claim 1, further including a light indicator for providing a signal for showing that the hands are placed correctly.

5. The device according to claim 1, further including a sound indicator for showing when the hands are in the correct position.

6. The device according to claim 1, further including a timer.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the timer includes a bar of LEDs to show elapsed time of the disinfection.

8. The device according to claim 1, further including a light indicator to show disinfection time completed.

9. The device according to claim 1, further including a luminous indicator to show if one or both hands are removed before a default disinfection time.

10. The device according to claim 1, further including an audible alarm to show if one or both hands are removed before a default disinfection time.

11. The device according to claim 1, further including a UV lamp located in the front end of the inner box.

12. A device to eliminate germs and bacteria from hands, the device comprising: a cabinet including a front opening for entry of the hands to be disinfected, the cabinet including: an outer box, the outer box having a front end, a rear end, a top end, a bottom end, a rear wall, side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; an inner box (3) placed inside the outer box (2), the inner box (3) having a cavity where the hands are placed, a front end, a rear end, a top end, a bottom end, a rear wall, side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; spaces between the rear, the side, the top and the bottom walls of the outer box and the inner box; a plurality of slots located in the top wall, bottom wall, and side wall of the inner box; an ozone generator located between the rear walls of the outer box and the inner box; fans located facing the ozone generator, the fans circulate the ozone through the cabinet, the ozone moves inside the cabinet by passing through the plurality of slots of the inner box; a first mesh is made of nichrome located in the space between the rear walls of the outer box and the inner box, the first mesh is a heated mesh; a second mesh of nichrome located near the opening of the cabinet; at least one charcoal filter located in the spaces between the rear, the side, the top and the bottom walls of the outer box and the inner box; and at least one aperture located in the front end near the top end of the inner box, the aperture allows the passing of air forming a curtain of air which forms an ozone barrier on the inside of the cabinet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) For greater clarity and understanding of the present invention, it has illustrated in several figures that represent the preferred manner of preparation, all for example, where:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the cabinet according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of the cabinet, without the upper walls of the inner box and outer box, showing some of its main components;

(4) FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the cabinet showing with descending arrows an air curtain to keep the cloud of ozone inside the cabinet during the disinfection process;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of the cabinet showing a plurality of hanging strips in the front opening of the cabinet that form a curtain containment of ozone within the cabinet and for obstruction of entry of impurities from the environment outside to the inside of the cabinet;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cabinet showing the mesh of the Nichrome meshes of the two steps of the Thermo-agitation system; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a top view of the cabinet showing the direction of the ozone movement and the ozone destroyer inside the cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIGS. 1 to 3 shown a device 1 comprising a double box defined by an outer box 2 and an inner box 3 that includes a front opening 4 for the entry of the hands to disinfect. Between the posterior, lateral, upper, and bottom walls of the two boxes, there are respective spaces X for the movement of ozone gas O and/or air. The outer box 2 and the inner box 3 must be made of a material that does not react with ozone, for example, stainless steel 316L, PVDF (plastic), and PVC.

(9) The bottom wall and the top wall of the inner box 3 have a plurality of slots 5a-5b, and their side walls include a plurality of slots 5c, which, as explained below, allow the passage and movement of ozone O during the disinfection process. Optionally, the front opening 4 can be covered by a plurality of hanging strips 11 as a curtain, whose purpose is to contribute to obstruct both the exit of ozone from the cabinet and the entrance of impurities from the outside environment.

(10) The cut of FIG. 2 shows that between the rear wall of the outer box 2 and the inner box 3 there is located an ozone generator 6, e.g. ceramic, of sufficient power to generate a cloud of ozone in the quantity and the density required to achieve total asepsis of both hands of the user.

(11) A couple of fans 7 laterally aligned among themselves are mounted on the back side of the inner box 3, and ahead of the ozone generator 6. The fans 7 forced the recirculation of the ozone on the space between the walls of the outer boxes 2 and the inner box 3, making it pass through the slots 5a, 5b and 5c of the walls of the inner box 3, so that it arrives in the enclosing form for both hands to be disinfected. The exact combination of ozone, and the speed with which it spreads, results in the time that the hands should be placed to be properly disinfected.

(12) The forced circulation of air that distributes the ozone evenly, and in the required amount reaching simultaneously both hands placed properly, ensure the total disinfection.

(13) In addition, there are placed two elements that ensure that the outside environment near the cabinet is free of ozone, or at least that a minimum amount is dispersed to avoid irritation of the respiratory tract of the person who completed the disinfection of their hands or who are in the vicinity of the cabinet.

(14) The ozone O that tries to escape the cabinet will be forced to go to the bottom end of the barrier 10 to be sucked and forced to go through a two-step Thermo-agitation system. First, the ozone goes through a first thermal Nichrome mesh 13, which will be at a temperature close to the 60 C. A large amount of the ozone is thermally destroyed by the first thermal mesh 13. The ozone that is not destroyed continues with turbulent flow (stirring) until it reaches the second Nichrome mesh 14 (see FIG. 6), which is close to the injection zone (upper zone) of the barrier. The size and shape of the nichrome meshes will depend on the size and shape of the cabinet. The mesh may be made of any thickness.

(15) The device 1 also includes a detector 15 for the presence and hand position within a cabinet, a light indicator 16 for the correct positioning of the hands, a sound indicator 17 for the correct position of the hands, a timer/time counter 12 for the processing and interruption by removal of one or both hands before default disinfection time. The timer/time counter 12 includes LEDs 18 to indicate the elapsed time of the disinfection process.

(16) In addition, the device 1 includes a luminous indicator 19 of disinfection time completed, luminous indicator 20 for removal of one or both hands before default disinfection time, and an audible alarm 21 of removal of one or both hands before default disinfection time. (See FIGS. 1 and 2).

(17) In the space X at the top end between the two boxes 2, 3, there are located fans 22 which help to move the residual ozone towards the barrier 10.

(18) In the space X at the bottom between the two boxes 2, 3, there are located fans 23 which help suck ozone from the barrier 10.

(19) Charcoal filters 24 may also be placed on the spaces x.

(20) FIG. 6 shows the cabinet including the ozone flow direction 25 and the ozone destroyer 26 flow direction of ozone inside the cabinet.

(21) Another aspect of the invention of the ozone O is destroyed using the upper edge of the front side of the inner box 3 an ultraviolet lamp 8 by means of which, given the properties of the frequency of ultraviolet rays, destroy the residual ozone molecules scattered inside the cabinet and that try to exit the cabinet to the outside environment. A second additional element includes a curtain of air that forms a barrier that obstructs the exit of the ozone towards the environment.

(22) As shown in FIG. 1, in the top front end of the inner box 3 and ahead of the UV light lamp 8, are located slots 9 through which passes the air, such as shown in FIG. 3, produces a barrier 10 that acts from the beginning of the disinfection process until a few moments after it is concluded.

(23) When the user introduces its two hands inside of the cabinet 1, i.e. inside the inner box 3, the detector 15 of location and movements of the hands determines if they are in the correct position to start the process of total disinfection. Detection is performed using a technology of sensing based recognition of gestures and movements by mathematical algorithms. The detector 15 is commercially known as Gesture Sensor, that allows to determine with a high degree of reliability if both hands have been introduced and are located correctly, if the hands are located on the right side, if both hands are positioned parallel to the floor of the cabinet and the required depth within the same, and detecting the opening of fingers among the required conditions to start the disinfection to be held with the necessary efficiency to achieve total asepsis. The detector 15 can be optical, capacitive, or other technology available today or in the future.

(24) If the position of the hands is correct, a yellow light is turned on in the light indicator 16, and optionally, a sound indicator 17 of audio frequency emits a signal indicating to the user that it will be beginning the process of disinfection of the hands. From that moment, the ozone generator 6 is activated, the fans 7 begin to operate, the air barrier 10 is formed, and the timer 12 starts counting the time that the process will last, approximately 30 seconds, during which the user must leave the hands in the correct position to achieve a total asepsis. The user should place the palms of his hands down and separate the fingers.

(25) By means of a visual indicator or display of the LEDs 18, which defines a status bar graduated in proportion to the elapsed time of the disinfection process, the user sees how the time passes that he/her should keep their hands inside of the device to complete the disinfection.

(26) Concluding the stipulated time and concluding the process, normally, the light indicator of time of disinfection 19 turns on a green light and a light indicator 20 generator of audio frequency emits a sound signal to indicated to the user to remove the hands from the cabinet 1 perfectly sanitized.

(27) The gestures sensor activated a UV lamp 8, whose rays destroy the ozone molecules that could be on the device. The air barrier 10 stops when gestures sensor detects that the user withdrew his/her hands from the inside of the cabinet 1.

(28) The time of the disinfection process and permanence of the hands of the user in the inside of the cabinet 1 is configurable in multiples of milliseconds, being necessary that the hands remain in the correct position for the pre-set time, so that the process is considered to be efficiently performed.

(29) If the gestures sensor detects that the position of one or both hands is not correct, it actives an audible alarm 21 which emits a warning beep, or beep alarm, turns on a red light, and user must position the hands properly to start the disinfection of them again. In the event that one or both hands do not remain correctly positioned during the time preset for the disinfection process, the operation automatically stops the device until the hands are placed correctly.

(30) From the moment in which the process is interrupted, is activated the timing of a predetermined time, called resuming time, configurable in multiples of milliseconds. If during the resuming time, the user puts his/her hands in the correct position, the disinfection process is restarted once the gestures sensor detects the presence of both hands, correctly placed.

(31) Once the resuming time is done, if detector 15 does not detect that the hands are correctly positioned inside the cabinet 1, the status bar stops, the process is completely cancelled, and the device returns to its initial state. The user is alerted of this situation through a visual indication or an alarm.

(32) Another aspect of the invention, one device includes a light UV 8 lamp to destroy residual ozone.

(33) Optionally, when deemed appropriate and sufficient, the device can also operate for one hand disinfection, which is configurable in the user's profile.

(34) Having thus particularly described and given the nature of the present invention and form as it will be realized, pleads claim of ownership and exclusive right to: