GB2031246A - Disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

A disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece comprises a container body A having an apertured circular base 2 and a side wall 1 defining an open ended chamber which receives a disinfectant-impregnated porous member C. Prongs 10 on the other side of the base 2 fit into perforations 17 in the telephone mouthpiece D. The side wall 1 is shaped, e.g. grooved, on its inner periphery at 8 to receive a perforated lid B. The side wall can be extended and bent back to receive a sound guiding wall on the mouthpiece. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece The present invention relates to a disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece transmitter.

Due to the fact that domestic or public telephones, except those for exclusive private use, aresutilized by many different people one after the other, and that, when the telephone is in use, callers talk with their lips close to the mouthpiece, telephone mouthpieces can be very unsanitary unless they are constantly sterilized thoroughly after every use. In addition, the user has a possibility of being annoyed by any offensive oral odour from the previous user that may remain on the mouthpiece.

According to this invention there is provided a disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece, comprising a container body having a generally circular base portion and a side wall connected to one side of said base portion to define an open ended chamber for receiving a disinfectantimpregnated porous member, said base portion being apertured, and said base portion having on its other side a plurality of prongs adapted to fit into performations in a telephone mouthpiece, and means provided on the side wall and adapted for securing a generaly circular lid member thereto to cover said chamber, said lid member being slightly curved into a dish-like form and being perforated.

Preferably, the said base portion is formed with a central circular opening and a plurality of radiallyarranged openings outwardly of the central opening.

The lid member then preferably has performations at least facing the central opening and radiallyarranged openings in the base portion.

The invention will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container body utilized as part of a disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of a lid member which fits into the container body of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device of the first embodiment mounted on a telephone mouthpiece; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second disinfectant device embodying the present invention in a position on a mouthpiece which has a sound guiding wall around the perforations of the mouthpiece.

Referring to Figure 1, shown generally as A is a container body having a side wall 1 with generally a cylindrical orfrusto-conical shape and a circular base portion 2 connected to the side wall to form an open-ended chamber. The base portion 2 has a circular opening 3 at its centre and a number of radially-arranged openings 4 of desired contour outwardly from the central circular opening 3. The radially-arranged openings 4 are generally regularly spaced but with occasional gaps as at 9. The central circular opening 3 of the container body allows for a person's voice to pass through the container body into a telephone mouthpiece. The openings 4 serve to allow a volatile disinfectant and optionally a scenting perfume impregnated in a thin and spongy member, described hereinafter, to enter the mouthpiece.

A stopper is provided in the inner upper portion of the side wall 1 for securing a lid B. The stopper preferably includes a circumferential coupling groove 8 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 1 and a projection 7 formed on the inner periphery of the side wall 1 just above the groove 8.

Base wall portions 9 between the openings 4 of the container base A have on the reverse a plurality of prongs 10 extending so as to be inserted into performations 17 of a telephone mouthpiece D. Slots 11 in each of the prongs assist in fitting the container body A and securing it on to the telephone mouthpiece D.

The lid member B is a substantially circular element having a number of perforations 13 and 14 at such positions that they face the central opening 3 and radially arranged openings 4, respectively, when the lid B is attached to the container body A. The perforations 13 and 14 may be formed in any desired pattern, such as a recticulated striped pattern, and may be decorated or figure with a suitable design or trademark 12, as shown in Figure 2, as long as conversation on the telephone is not obstructed thereby.

The lid B has peripheral annular portion 15 adapted to be engaged by the groove 8. As is illustrated in Figure 3, the lid member is slightly curved to have a dish-like configuration so that the annular portion 15 can readily be disengaged from the groove 8 by pulling the container body A in the direction of the arrows 16 in Figure 3.

A disinfectant is impregnated in a thin spongy, porous circular member C, such as made of morteplenge. The diameter of the member C is generally equal to the inside diameter of the bottom plate of the container body A.

The disinfectant with which the member C is impregnated, is preferably a solution obtained by dissolving main ingredients of 0.1 mg of hydroxyquinoline sulphate, 50 ml of ethanol and 60 ml of glycerol. (all these ingredients are prescribed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia), and an addition of 0.1 ml of an aromatic perfume in distilled water to form a total of 1,000 ml of a diluted solution.

The disinfectant-impregnated member C is disposed on the bottom plate of the container body A, and then the lid member B is placed on the container body and affixed over it in such a manner that the annular portion 15 of the lid is engaged by the groove 8 of the container body. For attaching the disinfectant device to the telephone mouthpiece D, it suffices to insert the prongs 10 into performations of the mouthpiece. Thus, gas vaporized from the disinfectant-impregnated member can pass through the openings 4, 13 and 14so that both the mouthpiece D and the lid B are entirely disinfected.

Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, in which the telephone mouthpiece D' has a sound guiding wall 18 around the performations 17 of the telephone mouthpiece. We believe that in Great Britain about three quarters of the telephone mouthpieces are provided with such sound guiding means, so that it is necessary to modify the construction of disinfectant devices.

As is apparent from Figure 4, the only difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is that the side wall 1' is extended and bent sufficiently to define an annular cavity by which the top of the sound guiding wall 18 is engaged to enhance the connection between the mouthpiece and the disinfectant device. In other respects the basic construction of this embodiment is the same as the previously described first embodiment.

Accordingly, the disinfectant device may be readly attached to or detached from the mouthpiece of the telephone transmitter D'. Further, the disinfectantimpregnated filter serves to prevent dust from falling on and accumulating in the mouthpiece or the perforations 17.

In both examples illustrated, the device enables disinfection of a telephone mouthpiece, without deleteriously obstructing the transmission of the speaker's conversation into the mouthpiece. Furthermore the device may, simultaneously with disinfecting the mouthpiece, proide an agreeable fragrance thereto by an aromatic ingredient, whereby the user can feel refreshed while talking on the telephone. The device is readily attached on the telephone mouthpiece and detached therefrom, and allows easy replacement of a spent disinfectant with a new one.

It is to be understood that modifications to the examples illustraed will occur to those skilied in the art.

Claims (7)

1. A disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece, comprising a container body having a generally circular base portion and a side wall connected to one side of said base portion to define an open ended chamber for receiving a disinfecantimpregnated porous member, said base portion being apertured, and said base portion having on its other side a plurality of prongs adapted to fit into performations in a telephone mouthpiece, and means provided on the side wall and adapted for securing a generaly circular lid member thereto to cover said chamber, said lid member being slightly curved into a dish-like form and being perforated.

2. The disinfectant device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said base portion is formed with a central opening and a plurality of radially-arranged openings outwardly from the central opening.

3. The disinfectant device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lid member has performations at least facing the central opening and radially-arranged openings in the base portion.

4. The disinfectant device as claimed in any preceding claim, wheren said disinfectant is admixed with an effective amount of a perfume.

5. The disinfectant device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said lid securing means includes a protrusion formed on the inner periphery of said side wall and a groove arranged parallel to and below said protrusion and formed on the inner periphery of said side wall, and wherein said lid member has an annular portion adapted to be engaged by said groove so that the lid member is firmly secured to said container body.

6. The disinfectant device as claimed in any preceding claim, wheren said side wall has an extended bent portion forming an annular cavity in which the tip portion of a cone-like, sounding guiding wall of a telephone mouthpiece can be inserted.

7. A disinfectant device for a telephone mouthpiece, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.