U.S. patent application number 11/168098 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-28 for publicly-accessible moist hand cleaning wipe station.
Invention is credited to Kimberly A. Parker.
Application Number | 20060289558 11/168098 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37566104 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060289558 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Parker; Kimberly A. |
December 28, 2006 |
Publicly-accessible moist hand cleaning wipe station
Abstract
An integrated, self-contained hand sanitizer station is provided
by this invention. The enclosure of the station may be located in a
public venue, and conveniently dispenses wet wipe towelettes for
people to clean their hands with a trash receptacle contained
within the station for ready disposal of the towelettes by the
patrons after their use. By making a good hand hygiene available to
customers, a merchant or public authority can help to reduce germs,
viruses, and bacteria that can otherwise cause the spread of
infectious illnesses.
Inventors: |
Parker; Kimberly A.;
(Minneapolis, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Moss & Barnett P.A.
4800 Wells Fargo Center
90 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis
MN
55402-4129
US
|
Family ID: |
37566104 |
Appl. No.: |
11/168098 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/97 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 10/46 20130101;
A47K 10/3818 20130101; A47K 2010/3266 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/097 |
International
Class: |
A47F 1/00 20060101
A47F001/00 |
Claims
1. An integrated, self-contained station for cleaning the hands,
comprising: (a) an enclosure having two side walls, a front wall, a
back wall, and a top wall with a partition disposed therein for
defining a first interior zone and a second interior zone; (b) an
outlet opening formed in one of the enclosure walls for
communicating with the first interior zone; (c) an inlet opening
formed in one of the enclosure walls for communicating with the
second interior zone; (d) a plurality of moist towelettes
impregnated with a cleaning solution, wherein a leading edge of the
first towelette partially extends through the outlet opening, and
is interconnected to the second towelette with each towelette being
interconnected to the following towelette, so that the first
towelette may be pulled through the outlet opening to separate it
from the next towelette, which draws the leading edge of the second
towelette through the outlet opening, the separated first towelette
being used to clean the hands; and (e) a trash receptacle located
inside the second interior zone of the enclosure, so that upon
insertion of the used towelette through the inlet opening, it falls
into the trash receptacle.
2. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the cleaning
solution impregnating the moist towelette quickly evaporates after
application to the hands.
3. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the cleaning
solution includes soap.
4. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the cleaning
solution includes a disinfectant.
5. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the cleaning
solution includes a germicide.
6. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
towelettes comprise bipartite individual panels that are folded
onto each other so that one panel drawings forth the next panel by
surface contact.
7. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
towelettes comprise a roll having a plurality of panels formed by
serrated lines across the roll transverse to the direction in which
the leading edge of the roll is pulled.
8. The hand cleaning station of claim 2 further comprising means
adjacent to the outlet opening for reducing the inflow of air into
the first interior zone to reduce evaporation of the cleaning
solution from the towelettes.
9. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the first interior
zone is positioned above the second interior zone.
10. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the first
interior zone is positioned beside the second interior zone.
11. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the outlet
opening is located on the top wall of the enclosure.
12. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the outlet
opening is located on the front wall of the enclosure.
13. The hand cleaning station of claim 1, wherein the outlet
opening is located on the bottom wall of the enclosure.
14. The hand cleaning station of claim 1 further including a
written indicia displayed on the surface of at least one wall of
the enclosure.
15. The hand cleaning station of claim 1 further including means
for opening at least one wall of the enclosure for replacement of
the moist towelettes or maintenance of the trash receptacle.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to the sanitation of hands to control
the spread of germs in the general public, and more specifically to
a station for use in publicly-accessible areas that allows a person
to quickly and conveniently obtain a moist hand wipe for cleaning
the hands and disposal of the wipe after use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Cleanliness is a crucial aspect of personal health. While
improved sanitation systems, immunization programs, and the
development of antibiotic drugs during the 1900's in the United
States and the rest of the developed world have overcome serious
infectious diseases like diphtheria and pneumonia that previously
killed large numbers of people, the presence of bacteria, viruses,
and other germs still cause diseases in people that produce
discomfort and lost productivity, and require medical treatment.
For example, over 22 million school days and many more work days
are lost in the U.S. each year due to people suffering from
illness. Each year, approximately 52.2 million cases of the common
cold virus, alone, affect Americans.
[0003] The cold virus can be spread between people by hand-to-hand
contact, or picked up from surfaces on which the virus exists. The
Rota virus germ that causes gastrointestinal illness can be
transferred from a dry smooth surface to a clean hand for as long
as 20 minutes after the surface has been contaminated. Acute
Respiratory Syndrome ("SARS"), hepatitis A, meningitis, and
infectious diarrhea are other common prevalent health problems.
Meanwhile, food-borne illnesses based upon E. coli, Salmonella, and
other bacteria can be spread to others by microorganisms that can
live on surfaces like cafeteria tables and doorknobs for up to two
hours. And, of course, influenza and pneumonia have not been
completely eradicated by public health systems. These two diseases
in combination are the seventh leading causes of death among
Americans.
[0004] Unfortunately, many people fail to wash their hands in
public places, thereby exposing themselves to the germs that cause
these illnesses by rubbing their noses or eyes after touching
someone or something contaminated with the bacteria or virus.
Moreover, such people can transfer this risk of infection to others
since most such bacteria and viruses can be transferred by
hand-to-hand contact. In one study, only 58% of female and 48% of
male middle and high school students washed their hands after using
the restroom, and of the individuals who did wash their hands, only
33% of the females and 8% of the males actually used soap. In
another study of 341 children's daycare centers, infrequent hand
washing of the children or providers after nose wiping, diaper
changes, and before meals correlated to higher frequencies of
illness. Conversely, another study involving Detroit school
children in which scheduled hand washing at least four times each
day showed a reduction in gastrointestinal illness and related
absences by more than 50%.
[0005] Despite the proven health benefits of good hand hygiene,
many people simply do not bother to wash their hands or do so
incorrectly. The bathrooms in restaurants can suffer from long
lines, thereby discouraging people from taking the time to wash
their hands before eating. Moreover, many food courts at malls have
eliminated their restroom facilities in order to save the need to
clean them. In such situations, people have nowhere to go to wash
their hands. However, even in cases where people do stop to wash
their hands before eating, there may be a failure to wet the hands,
followed by thorough lathering of the hands with soap, so that the
surfactants contained in the soap can attach themselves to the
germs and dirt particles to suspend them within the hot or warm
rinse water that is necessary to eliminate the harmful germs and
dirt from the hands.
[0006] This need for concerted and thorough hand washing extends
beyond mealtimes. Other important occasions during a person's day
in which infectious germs or viruses may be prevalent include after
using the restroom, after changing diapers, before and after the
preparation of foods, before and after treating wounds or cuts,
before and after touching a sick or injured person, after blowing
one's nose, after touching animals or animal waste, after handling
garbage, and after handling money.
[0007] Pre-moistened and disposable towelettes impregnated with a
cleaning and/or disinfectant solution have become increasingly
popular in the marketplace. Often called "wet wipes" or "wipes,"
they provide a convenient method of applying disinfectant to a
kitchen counter (Clorox's "Disinfecting Wipes"), cleaning agent to
a toilet bowl (S.C. Johnson's "Scrubbing Bubbles Flushable Toilet
Wipes"), cleaner and disinfectant to a baby's bottom (Pampers
Wipes), or cleaner to a floor (Swiffer Wet Cleaning System). These
companies emphasize not only the convenience provided by such
products (i.e., no need to maintain household stocks of sponges and
rags in addition to the branded cleaning agent--the wipe can be
simply thrown in the garbage after its use), but also the fact that
they kill germs instead of spreading them around. Hand sanitizers
have also become popular with people who are very concerned about
killing germs that their hands pick up. Such alcohol-based gels
come in a bottle that can be carried in a purse or pocket. They
include a germicide and evaporate quickly after application to the
hands, thereby saving the need for a towel to dry the hands.
[0008] Paper towels are typically available in dispensers located
in public bathrooms near the sink. For those people who take the
time and trouble to clean their hands with soap and water, the
towels can be used to dry their hands with a trash receptacle close
by for disposal of the used paper towel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,688,242
issued to Lawrence et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,415,588 issued to Gui;
U.S. Pat. No. 1,994,394 issued to Horwitt; and U.S. Pat. No.
1,681,840 issued to Carlson disclose typical paper towel and waste
basket arrangements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,909 issued to Stewart
improves upon this simple concept by providing a wall-mounted paper
towel dispenser and wastebasket whereby the person needs to step on
a pedal to advance the next paper towel, which also activates a
tamper in the wastebasket that compacts the volume of used towels
to reduce the incidence of overflowing wastebaskets. U.S. Pat. No.
4,173,792 issued to Rex shows a windshield washer station for use
at a gas station that includes a paper towel dispenser and
wastebasket in addition to the receptacle container, the windshield
cleaning solution and squeegee.
[0009] Most restrooms rely upon simple soap and water for hand
washing with the accompanying need for the proper hand washing
technique discussed above. Moreover, most people do not carry hand
wipes or hand sanitizer products with them, and therefore have no
ready means for cleaning their hands, even if they wanted to do so,
unless a restroom is reasonably accessible. Therefore, efforts have
been made within the industry to increase the portability or
availability of such hygiene products. U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,245
issued to Faltin in 1963, for example, provided an early example of
a hand carried litter container with a box on one side for
dispensing paper tissues, and a box with a lid on the other side of
disposal of the used paper tissues. U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,875 issued
to Watts et al. discloses a more recent idea for a portable
dispenser for paper wipes with a slot on the backside for disposal
of the wipes after use.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,689 issued to Arians addresses concerns
over germs that might breed on the door knobs of public bathrooms.
Therefore, it discloses an arrangement consisting of a paper towel
dispenser located immediately above the door handle and a trash
receptacle positioned immediately below the door handle. In this
manner, the person who wishes to exit the bathroom can grab a paper
towel and use it to grab the door handle to open the door, letting
the towel drop in the trash receptacle when he releases the towel
as he walks through the open door. Of course, such a towel
dispenser does nothing for cleaning the hands or killing the germs
on the door handle.
[0011] Similar efforts have been made to provide dispensers for wet
wipes that clean the hands. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,103
issued to Silvers illustrates a multiple-compartment bin that would
be located on the floor of, for example, a home nursery or day care
facility that contains new diapers, baby wipes, and a sealed
receptacle for disposing of the used diapers. The wipes are stacked
in a sealed compartment to keep them clean and slow down the
evaporation of the cleaning solution contained in the wipes. A
sanitation kit for placement on a table or counter is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,246 issued to Peters consisting of a container
for a stack of germicidal towelettes hermetically sealed in
envelopes, and a disposal bin attached to the towelette container.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,147 issued to Ashford shows a
"Bedside Butler" unit for a hotel or home night table that
constitutes a box with two containers--one container with a sealed
flap for dispensing antimicrobial wipes, and a second container for
disposing of the used wipes. However, none of these dispenser units
is portable. Likewise, in none of them is a wet wipe towelette
visibly available in order to encourage a person to wash his
hands.
[0012] A door sanitation kit similar to Arians is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,508,383 issued to Lidahl et al. except that a wet towel
is dispensed for covering the hand prior to grabbing the handle to
open a public bathroom door. U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,897 features a
pole stand for use in a public area to which is attached a wet wipe
dispenser, an antimicrobial soap dispenser, and spray bottle, and a
waste basket. The patent discloses that this apparatus can be used
for dispensing free cleaning and sanitizing supplies to the public,
and that an advertising display can be added to provide a benefit
to the merchant who makes this sanitation station available to its
customers. Nevertheless, such an arrangement looks relatively
rickety and is subject to falling over or being accidentally tipped
over. Moreover, the wet wipe dispenser, hand soap dispenser, spray
bottle, and pole provide a number of surfaces that need to be kept
clean so as not to detract from the sanitary appearance of such a
"sanitizing stand." In a similar vein, the open waste basket is
subject to overflowing and will show any other messy garbage that
is dumped in it by a customer.
[0013] Therefore, there is a need for a self-contained, integrated
hand sanitizer station that can be located inside restaurants,
cafeterias, diaper changing stations, ballparks, casinos, petting
zoos, kitchens, restrooms, and any other public or work areas where
good hand hygiene is important. The opportunity to grab a wet wipe
to clean one's hands and quickly dispose of the wipe after use is
convenient and may even remind the person to clean his or her
hands. Good hand hygiene does not take much time or effort when it
is convenient, and it offers great benefits in terms of preventing
illness and the spread of infectious diseases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] An integrated, self-contained hand sanitizer station is
provided by the invention. Such invention may take the form of a
vertical enclosure that stands on the floor and contains an upper
portion and a lower portion. A package unit containing a plurality
of wet wipe towelettes is contained in the upper portion of the
station, so that the wet wipes may be quickly and conveniently
dispensed through an opening in the station wall panel. Preferably,
such package of towelettes will be further positioned with the
enclosure adjacent to a plunger device for applying force to the
stack of wipes to push them towards the outlet opening. The package
or enclosure unit may also contain a sealing mechanism adjacent to
the dispensing opening for the next available wet wipe to minimize
the flow of ambient air into the package or enclosure that might
dry out the wet wipe towelettes. A trash receptacle is
self-contained within the lower interior portion of the dispenser
with an adjacent opening in a wall of the station for disposal of
the wet wipe towelette after its use that is out of sight. The wet
wipe towelette may be quickly grabbed and used to clean the hands,
followed by disposal in the trash receptacle. By making good hand
hygiene quick and convenient through the use of the hand sanitizer
station, bacteria, viruses, and other germs that are prevalent in
public areas may be eliminated from the hands that can otherwise
cause illness to the person or be transferred to other persons.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] In the accompanying drawings:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hand sanitizer station
of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the wet wipe
towelettes used in the hand sanitizer station.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
wet wipe towelettes used in the hand sanitizer station.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of
the wet wipe towelettes used in the hand sanitizer station.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top portion of the hand
sanitizer station of FIG. 1, showing the installation of packages
of wet wipe towelettes.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the top portion of the hand
sanitizer station of FIG. 1, showing the insertion of packages of
wet wipe towelettes into loading trays that are installed into the
hand sanitizer station.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the
hand sanitizer station of FIG. 1, showing the trash receptacle
installed therein.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the
hand sanitizer station of FIG. 1, showing another embodiment for
mounting a trash receptacle therein.
[0024] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
hand sanitizer station of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the hand sanitizer station
of FIG. 9, showing the installation of the wet wipe towelettes
therein.
[0026] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of
the hand sanitizer station of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] An integrated, self-contained hand sanitizer station for a
public area is provided by the invention containing a wet wipe
dispenser and a trash receptacle within an enclosure. The wet wipe
towelette may be quickly grabbed and used to clean the hands,
followed by disposal in the trash receptacle. By making good hand
hygiene quick and convenient through the use of the hand sanitizer
station, bacteria, viruses, and other germs that are prevalent in
public areas may be eliminated from the hands that can otherwise
cause illness to the person or be transferred to other persons.
[0028] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the hand sanitizer station 10
of the present invention. It contains a top wall 12, front upper
wall 14, front lower wall 16, side upper wall 18, side lower wall
20, and corresponding walls on the other side and back. In this
manner, the side walls cooperate with the top wall to form upper
interior zone 22 and lower interior zone 24. Located on front upper
panel 14 are two outlet openings 26 and 28 for dispensing wet wipe
towelettes as will be discussed more fully below. Top wall 12 and
front lower wall 16 are hinged by means of hinges 32 and 34,
respectively, so that they can be easily opened to gain access to
the upper interior zone 22 and lower interior zone 24.
[0029] The wet wipe towelettes for use in the hand sanitizer
station of the present invention can be any of a number of
disinfectant wipe products that are known in the art. They may be
made from paper, cloth, or other fiber products, and come in
discrete sheets or tear-away panels. Each sheet or panel should be
impregnated with a cleaning solution that may constitute a soap,
disinfectant, or germicide. Lotions, moisturizers, perfumes,
scents, or other agents may be added to the towelette as well for
the convenience of the user. The towelette should be robust enough
to not disintegrate upon use, but may be designed to biodegrade
over time after its use.
[0030] The towelettes 38 will preferably consist of rectangular or
square panels that folded in upon themselves in bipartite panels
overlapping between individual towels in an "accordion"
arrangement, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. In this manner,
pulling the leading edge of a towelette 40 to take possession of it
will cause the next towelette 42 to be pulled forward to the
standby position.
[0031] Instead of individual towelettes, the towelette may also
constitute one long ribbon 46 on a roll with a multitude of
serrated cuts 48 to form individual panels 50, as shown more
clearly in FIG. 3. The towelette roll may be wound into a roll 52,
so that pulling the first panel will not only allow it to be
separated from the roll along the serration line, but also pull the
next panel into the standby position. In still another embodiment,
the towelette ribbon 56 could be internally wound so that the
leading edge 58 is on the inside of the roll, instead of the
outside, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4. Such an arrangement, with
internal winding 60 of the ribbon roll, provides more resistance to
the towelettes as they are pulled and separated from the roll, and
contains the disinfecting solution impregnated within the
towelettes more completely in order to reduce evaporation.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows the hand sanitizer station 10 of the present
invention with the top panel 12 open. As previously discussed,
upper interior zone 22 is formed by front wall 14, side walls 18
and 19, back wall 17, bottom wall 21 and top panel 12. The wet wipe
towelettes 40 are prepackaged in sealed packages 70 and 72 which
constitute rectangular prisms in the case of the accordion-fold
arrangement of the towelettes of FIG. 2. The packages 70 and 72 may
be quickly and easily fit into or removed from the upper interior
zone 22 for easy refill of the towelettes in the hand sanitizer
station. Just as importantly, packages 70 and 72 keep the
towelettes clean prior to their dispensing from the hand sanitizer
station, and prevent air from coming into contact with the
towelettes that would otherwise cause evaporation of the
disinfectant solution impregnated within the toilettes. The close
proximity of one wet wipe towelette with another wet wipe towelette
will further reduce the evaporation of the disinfectant solution.
Outlet openings 74 and 76 in one end of the packages 70 and 72
allow the towelettes to be pulled out of the packages. By aligning
openings 74 and 76 with outlet openings 26 and 28 in the upper
front panel 14, the towelettes may peek out of the upper zone 22
for convenient dispensing from the hand sanitizer station.
[0033] While packages 70 and 72 for the wet wipe towelettes have
been shown as rectangular prisms, they could adopt any other
appropriate shape. For example, the package could be cylindrical in
shape for the internally wound towelette roll of FIG. 4. The
package for the towelettes will be made from an appropriate
material like plastic, and can be rigid or flexible.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention
in which the same numbers have been used for the same elements in
FIGS. 5 and 6 for the convenience of the reader. Instead of
inserting towelette packages 70 and 72 into upper zone 22 of the
hand sanitizer station, they are inserted into loading trays 80 and
82, respectively, which in turn are inserted into the upper zone
when the towelettes are to be refilled. Such loading trays 80 and
82 have the same shape and dimensions of packages 70 and 72. They
also contain openings 84 and 86 for insertion of the standby
towelette. By aligning holes 84, 74 and 26, for example, when
loading tray 80 containing package 70 is inserted into upper
interior zone 22, the towelettes may be easily and conveniently
dispensed from the hand sanitizer station 10.
[0035] Also positioned inside trays 80 and 82 are spring plungers
83 and 85, respectively, which apply outward force on the other end
of packages 70 and 72, so that the available wet wipe towelettes
are pushed toward openings 84 and 86. This increases the likelihood
that the leading edge of the standby towelette will stick through
the openings for easy dispensing, and will not get caught inside
the hand sanitizer unit and therefore be unavailable to a person
who wants to grab a towelette to clean his or her hands.
[0036] FIG. 7 shows the lower portion of the hand sanitizer station
10 of the present invention. As discussed above, front door panel
16, side walls 20 and 27, rear wall 25 and top wall 21 cooperate to
form lower interior zone 24. Used wet wipe towelettes are inserted
through inlet opening 30 in door panel 16 for convenient disposal.
Trash can 90 may be contained within lower zone 24 to collect these
used towelettes for subsequent disposal. Door panel 16 is hinged on
its one side with respect to wall 27 to enable trash can 90 to be
taken in and out of the lower portion of the hand sanitizer station
for unloading of the trash can. At the same time, the door, when
closed, hides the trash can out of sight to provide a neater and
more sanitary appearance of the hand sanitizer station. While the
wet wipe towelettes should not contain visible dirt or other mess
after they are used to clean hands, a plastic garbage liner may
still be used in trash can 90 in case garbage is dumped by a
customer into the hand sanitizer station opening 30. The garbage
liner may also make it easier to dispose of the collected used wet
wipe towelettes from the trash can 90.
[0037] An alternative embodiment of the lower portion of the hand
sanitizer station of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8. A
rack 92 slides with respect to side rails 96 and 98 mounted to the
interior walls 20 and 27. A trash can may be mounted in rack 92 or
else a garbage bag liner may be secured at its upper end to the
rack. In this manner, the can or bag that collects the used wet
wipe towelettes may be slid out of the lower interior zone 24 by a
sanitation worker for easier disposal of the used towelettes.
[0038] Another embodiment 100 of the hand sanitizer station is
illustrated in FIG. 9. Lower portion 130 is similar to the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 except that a top panel 110 contains
inlet opening 120 so that used wet wipe towelettes can be dropped
into a trash can or garbage liner contained within the lower
interior zone 130. A back wall panel 108 extends above the lower
portion. Extending above the lower portion of the hand sanitizer
station is an upper portion 132 formed by front wall 104, back wall
103, side walls 18 and 102, bottom wall 106 and top panel 12.
Openings 122 and 124 formed within bottom panel 106 allows wet wipe
towelettes to be dispensed through the bottom of the upper portion
132.
[0039] As shown more clearly in FIG. 10, the wet wipe towelettes
are prepackaged in sealed packages 130 having a dispensing hole
132. If the packages are made from flexible material, or in order
to facilitate proper alignment of dispensing hole 12 with
dispensing holes 122 or 124 in the hand sanitizer station 100, the
towelette package 130 may be inserted into container 134 prior to
its placement inside of the upper interior zone 132 of the hand
sanitizer station. Opening 136 in the bottom of container 134
allows the standby towelette to stick out of the opening 122 or 124
in bottom panel 106 of the upper portion 132 of the hand sanitizer
station for easy dispensing.
[0040] FIG. 11 shows still another embodiment 140 of the hand
sanitizer station of the present invention. Like the embodiment
shown in FIG. 1, the insertion hole 142 for disposal of the used
wet wipe towelette is in the front panel 144 of the lower portion
of the station. However, unlike the FIG. 1 embodiment, the outlet
holes 146 and 148 for dispensing of wet wipe towelettes are located
in the top panel 150 of the hand sanitizer station. Because the wet
wipe towelettes are dispensed from the top, the prepackaged
containers for the towelettes may include some extra cleaning
disinfectant, or germicidal solution to maintain the moisture
within the unused towelettes for a longer period of time.
[0041] The hand sanitizer station of the present invention may be
used in any public area where people have a need or desire to wash
their hands. Thus, as a customer enters a restaurant, he could grab
a wet wipe towelette to wash his hands and easily dispose of the
towelette more quickly than going to the restroom to wash his hands
at the sink. The hand sanitizer station could alternatively be
positioned by the condiment station in the restaurant which is the
last place most customers visit just before they sit down to eat
their meal. The hand sanitizer station could likewise be positioned
in school or corporate cafeterias, food courts, or sports stadiums.
Other possibilities include without limitation gymnasiums and
exercise facilities, nursing homes, daycare centers, diaper
changing stations, schools, banks, casinos, airports, cruise ships,
hospitals, pediatrician's waiting rooms, petting zoos, kennels,
vetinary clinics, and other public places where germs may be
present. The hand sanitizer station could also be located in
restaurant kitchens to encourage kitchen staff to clean their hands
more frequently. Likewise, the hand sanitizer station could be
placed in restrooms or portable outdoor toilets, because customers
are more likely to grab a wet wipe towelette to wash their hands if
they can do so quickly without needing to touch a dirty sink,
faucet, or towel dispenser.
[0042] The above specifications and drawings provide a complete
description of the structure and use of the hand sanitizer station
of the present invention. It should be appreciated that many
alternative embodiments of the invention can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example,
a hand sanitizer gel containing a germicide could be dispensed
instead of wet wipes, which could also save the need for a towel to
dry the hands. The opening for disposing of the wet wipe towelettes
could be covered by a swing panel for further enclosure of the used
towelettes contained therein. A sealing strip made from rubber
plastic, or other appropriate material could also be secured around
the perimeters of the dispensing openings of the hand sanitizer
station adjacent to the standby wet wipe towelette in order to
reduce inflow of air into the station to reduce evaporation of the
cleaning, disinfectant, or germicidal solution contained in the
towelettes. Likewise, advertisements or other printed indicia could
be displayed on the front or sides of the hand sanitizer station to
mention the name of the vendor providing the hand sanitizer station
or some other advertising message of the vendor or a paid sponsor.
Therefore, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter
appended.
* * * * *