HK1188549A - Apparatus and method for enhanced personal hygiene - Google Patents

Description

Device and method for improving personal hygiene

Background

1. Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to a device and method for cleaning the human body. In particular, the present invention relates to a skin cleaning device having a sonic and/or megasonic motor for cleaning human skin.

2. Description of the related Art

Various forms of cleaning implement are known in the art for cleaning objects. For example, cleaning tools for cleaning the human body and for cleaning non-human objects are well known. In the field of articles designed for cleaning the human body, cleaning articles are known, such as ultrasonic cleaning devices, which are capable of cleaning the human face in combination with a liquid cleaning agent (see us patent No. 6, 569, 170).

In addition, for cleaning the human body, it is known to use a cleaning solution in combination with various cleaning-assisting articles. For example, soap and water are known to be combined with brushes to help clean various parts of human skin; likewise, soap and water are known to provide a gentle wipe in combination with a sponge or towel to aid in skin cleansing. Other combinations of cleaning fluids and cleaning products exist to assist in cleaning different parts of the human body for different purposes.

In the field of cleaning tools designed to assist in cleaning non-human subjects, it is known to use sonic and megasonic motors. These motors are used as part of a cleaning tool to reduce cleaning time and improve the cleaning efficiency of mechanical surfaces, such as hospital equipment. In addition, these motors are known to aid in general cleanliness and hygiene maintenance.

Cleaning tools including sonic and megasonic motors are known to aid in cleaning hospital equipment, such as operating tables, surgical tools, and the like. In addition, in addition to simply cleaning hospital equipment, even these sonic and megasonic cleaning tools are known to aid in the sterilization process of the equipment.

In addition to hospital equipment, cleaning tools having sonic and megasonic motors are known to be useful for assisting in cleaning non-human subjects, motorcycle and automobile engines, kitchen utensils, household fixtures, and other items such as walls, tiles, and the like.

In view of the above prior art, attempts have also been made to improve body cleaning articles with the advantages that can be achieved by combining a hardware cleaning tool with a body cleaning article. However, efforts to improve personal cleansing products have seemed to have focused on enhancing the enjoyment of the cleansing process, rather than the utility itself. For example, prior art improvements to child cleaning products appear to focus on simple scent enticement (U.S. patent No. 7,350,256) or amusement devices for actively encouraging children to properly clean their bodies (U.S. patent application No. 2010/0287720 Al).

Clearly, while ultrasonic technology has also been used to improve adult skin cleansing products, such as the invention of U.S. patent No. 6,569,170, designers of prior cleansing products have apparently intentionally avoided the use of sonic and ultrasonic technology to improve children's cleansing products, as demonstrated by the prior art.

In addition, ultrasonic cleaning tool designers seem to be working on developing mild applications of this ultrasonic technology. Clearly, the use of acoustic cleaning techniques to date for producing cleaning tools with greater friction has focused on improving cleaning of non-mechanical devices.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that cleaning the human body is not simply a chemical reaction of the cleaning solution contacting human skin. Human skin cleansing involves rubbing and the number of scrubs applied to human skin in combination with the application of a cleansing liquid to the human skin.

In view of the above-described related art, what is needed is a cleansing device for cleansing human skin that provides improved scrubbing of human skin by increasing the number of scrubs provided by the cleansing device. In addition, there is a need for a cleaning device that encourages children to use the device long enough for it to be adequately washed.

It has been found that the above-mentioned drawbacks are solved by the use of a hand cleaner apparatus and a method of washing hands disclosed in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

In one embodiment, the hand cleaner apparatus includes a sonic motor. The acoustic wave motor is enclosed within an elongated pressure sensitive housing and includes a motor housing. The sonic motor is disposed within the motor housing and is connected to a power source and may also be combined with a cleaning liquid dispenser.

The power supply and cleaning solution dispenser are also enclosed within a pressure sensitive housing. In certain embodiments, the sonic motor may be combined with or replaced by an ultrasonic motor.

The housing includes at least one built-in actuator, and the housing actuator further includes a timer. In combination with the timer, the actuator may provide for simultaneous activation and deactivation of various elements of the hand cleaner apparatus, for example, when pressure is applied to the housing of the sonic motor, not only is the timer activated, but the sonic motor and signal lights are also activated.

In certain embodiments, the signal light is connected to the power source and the timer. The signal light is visible to a user of the hand washer apparatus when the signal light is illuminated. The signal light is activated by applying pressure to a pressure sensitive housing of the hand cleaner apparatus.

Deactivation of various components of the hand cleaner apparatus may occur after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. For example, deactivating may include ceasing operation of the sonic motor after the predetermined time has elapsed. Alternatively, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the signal light may dim or change color to indicate that sufficient time has elapsed since activation. It is contemplated that one or both of the above options may be part of the hand cleaner apparatus deactivation function.

To improve efficiency, deactivation may be referred to simply as a state change. A change in status of a signal light, a change in status of operation of the sonic motor, a combination of both status changes, or other changes to the two status changes in combination with other hand cleaner apparatus actions, such as cleaning fluid dispensing. Alternatively, the signal may be implemented by a simple Light Emitting Diode (LED) arrangement or other form of small, permanent lighting familiar to those skilled in the art.

The hand cleaner apparatus also includes first and second cleaning heads at first and second ends of the apparatus, respectively. The scrub head is mechanically coupled to each end of the sonic motor such that when the sonic motor is activated, the scrub head is moved by the sonic motor.

In another embodiment, the sonic motor of the hand cleaner apparatus is designed to rotate and/or vibrate the scrub head when pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive housing. Each scrub head can include a scrub area that vibrates upon activation and a finger scrub notch that rotates upon activation. The timer may also be designed to measure the elapsed time only when pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive housing of the hand cleaner apparatus.

As for the activator, in another embodiment, a motion-sensitive activator may be used instead of a pressure-sensitive actuator. In other words, the sonic motor may be activated by a sudden movement of the hand cleaner apparatus.

In another embodiment, a method of hand washing is disclosed. The method includes the step of activating a hand cleaner apparatus made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The method further includes performing a hand washing operation when the hand cleaner apparatus is activated. After performing the hand washing operation, hands and the hand cleaner apparatus are rinsed, and the user releases the hand cleaner apparatus.

In a variation of the method embodiment, the method may include performing a hand washing operation by moving hands around the activated hand washer assembly in a positive manner. This enables gentle abrasive scrubbing of the skin at the location where the hand cleaner apparatus contacts the hands moving around the hand cleaner apparatus. Of course, the above method may be repeated if the party believes that the previously performed hand washing operation did not satisfactorily clean their hands.

From reading the present specification, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be made in the apparatus and methods described above.

The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the present invention, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth below.

Drawings

The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a general embodiment of a hand cleaner apparatus made in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the hand cleaner assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of using the hand cleaner apparatus of FIG. 1 in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

fig. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a part of the method shown in fig. 3 in more detail.

Detailed Description

The following provides a detailed description of embodiments of the invention and should not be taken to be limiting of the invention itself. Rather, any number of variations may fall within the scope of the invention, which is defined in the claims following the description.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a general embodiment of hand cleaner apparatus 100. Hand cleaner apparatus 100 is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The following description, in conjunction with the illustrated embodiments, is intended to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a general description of the presently preferred embodiments of hand cleaner apparatus 100.

As shown, hand cleaner apparatus 100 includes two hand cleaner ends 110 separated by a hand cleaner grip 120. Hand cleaner grip 120 enables a user to grip hand cleaner apparatus 100 with at least one hand. However, in use, a user may grasp either or both of hand cleaner tips 110 of hand cleaner apparatus 100 with one or both hands.

As shown, each hand cleaner end 110 includes a scrubbing area 130 and a finger scrubbing notch 140. The scrubbing area 130 provides an area that facilitates scrubbing of a skin surface area that is approximately the size of a palm or cheek of a human face. To perform scrubbing, the scrubbing area 130 is designed to vibrate. When vibrated, the scrubbing area 130 is particularly useful for scrubbing areas of skin that approximate the surface area size of the palm or cheek of a human face.

The finger scrub indentations 140 facilitate scrubbing of a smaller surface area, such as a finger, nail, or other body part, such as the area between the toes of a human foot. Each finger scrub notch 140 is designed to vibrate and rotate relative to hand cleaner grip 120 and corresponding scrub pad 130. When hand cleaner apparatus 100 is activated, a user may grasp one or both of hand cleaner tips 110 and scrub indentation 140 with a fingernail, pinching or poking finger to remove unwanted material beneath the user's fingernail.

Also provided at each hand cleaner end 110 are Light Emitting Diode (LED) apertures, two of which are labeled LED apertures 150. LED aperture 150 provides space for a user of hand cleaner apparatus 100 to see the LED. The LEDs are designed to illuminate upon activation of hand cleaner apparatus 100. After hand cleaner device 100 is activated and a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, the LEDs change state by dimming or changing color.

It is contemplated that audio signals or displays, such as music, may be generated from within hand cleaner apparatus 100 instead of or in combination with LEDs. The audio signal can be played in much the same way as the LED activation/deactivation.

Hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be designed to be able to select different music styles or volumes to indicate a difference between activation and deactivation, or to indicate such a difference by a simple music on/off. In general, the signals for activation and deactivation of hand cleaner apparatus 100 are sometimes referred to herein as indicators.

In another embodiment, hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be designed to operate as a digital music player when not being used for washing hands.

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, there are a variety of configurations that may be used to activate hand cleaner apparatus 100. For example, hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be activated by motion sensors located within hand cleaner apparatus 100, by pressure-sensitive actuators located within each hand cleaner end 110, by pressure-sensitive actuators located within hand cleaner grip 120, by a combination of the above-described activation methods, or by other methods, such as by a simple on/off switch 245 (see FIG. 2) that may be located external to hand cleaner apparatus 100.

When hand cleaner apparatus 100 is activated, activation includes vibration from one or both scrubbing areas 130 and rotation of one or both finger scrubbing notches 140 in addition to the illumination of the LEDs. Activation of the scrub area 130 and the finger scrub notch 140 provides a gentle rubbing scrub motion that can scrub the user's skin.

In a preferred embodiment, the scrubbing is performed in combination with a cleaning solution applied to the skin of the user. Preferably, the cleaning liquid is adapted to the skin of the user to be cleaned. For example, a child may choose to apply soap and water to their skin while using hand cleaner apparatus 100; for example, a food processor in the catering industry may choose a cleaner liquid that is stronger than soap and water; the surgeon may then choose to apply a medical cleaning solution to their skin, such as topical alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or other suitable cleaning solution, to disinfect the surgeon's hands. Of course, these three examples are not intended to limit the scope of use of hand cleaner apparatus 100, but are merely examples.

Hand cleaner apparatus 100 may include other settings for the length of time that the LEDs are illuminated when hand cleaner apparatus 100 is activated. For example, a parent may set a shorter hand wash time limit for a child that is shorter than the time set by a surgeon for washing hands prior to surgery.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of hand cleaner apparatus 100. As shown, hand cleaner grip 120 includes a handle sleeve 220. The handle sleeve 220 covers a sonic motor 225 having a sonic motor housing 230. Note that the sonic motor 225 may be a sonic or ultrasonic motor or a combination thereof, however, for simplicity, simply referred to herein as the sonic motor 225.

The sonic motor housing 230 contains a power source (not shown) for powering the sonic motor 225, the sonic motor 225 including a scrubber motor shaft 235. The scrubber motor shaft 235 is connected to the scrub location 130 and the finger scrub notch 140.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that scrubber motor shaft 235 may be coupled to sonic motor 230. Hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be activated so that cleaning articles such as scrubbing area 130 and finger scrubbing notches 140 can rotate and/or vibrate. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, activation of hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be accomplished by an on/off switch 245.

Additionally, the inventors believe it is possible to add a cleaning solution container 240 to hand cleaner apparatus 100. Upon activation of hand cleaner apparatus 100, cleaning solution container 240 dispenses cleaning solution from within hand cleaner apparatus 100 onto the exterior surface of hand cleaner apparatus 100. Thus, a user of hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be able to introduce cleaning fluid into the user's hand washing process by simply activating hand cleaner apparatus 100.

This embodiment is particularly suitable for parents who attempt to control the use of cleaning solutions by children who wash their hands. Also, the disclosed embodiments are particularly useful in a hospital setting when the surgeon may be more willing to take the appropriate cleaning solution to be used by others before performing the procedure. The surgeon may even have multiple hand cleaner assemblies 100 ready to use multiple cleaning solutions to help scrub the surgeon's hands multiple times.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing steps taken in a method according to principles of the present invention using hand cleaner apparatus 100. Hand washing begins at step 300, after which, at step 310, the user grasps hand cleaner apparatus 100 securely.

While step 310 represents a secure grip of hand cleaner apparatus 100, step 310 is intended to indicate that hand cleaner apparatus 100 is activated in any one or combination of a number of ways. For example, squeezing hand cleaner grip 120 may activate hand cleaner apparatus 100, but may also be activated by a sudden movement of hand cleaner apparatus 100. Additionally, the user can activate the hand cleaner apparatus by firmly grasping one or both hand cleaner tips 110, or by snapping switch 245.

At decision block 320 the user determines whether activation did occur. In a preferred embodiment, LED aperture 150 comprises an LED that illuminates when hand cleaner apparatus 100 is activated. As disclosed herein, the user may also be informed of activation when hand cleaner apparatus 100 begins to vibrate or make a sound. For ease of illustration, the present invention is limited to discussing LED activation/deactivation, with the "No" branch being entered when it is confirmed that LED illumination has not occurred, as indicated at decision block 320, when hand cleaner apparatus 100 has not been activated.

At process block 322, the user may take further action in an attempt to activate hand cleaner apparatus 100. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the user may squeeze hand cleaner apparatus 100 again until activated. When active, the yes branch is entered when the LED is lit.

At process block 340, a hand washing operation is performed until hand cleaner apparatus 100 is deactivated. At the conclusion of hand washing, process block 350 may prompt the user to rinse their hands and hand cleaner apparatus 100 before ending at hand washing method process oval 395, shown in fig. 3.

As previously disclosed herein, deactivation may be performed automatically as a timer setting or manually upon user selection. Although in the disclosed embodiments deactivation is generally described as being automatically completed after a predetermined period of time indicated by a timer that begins after hand cleaner apparatus 100 is activated, in other embodiments deactivation may also be accomplished by manual operation by a user.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing a more detailed description of process block 340. Scrubbing begins at process block 400 when hands are actively moved over activated hand cleaner apparatus 100. Of course, hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be used to clean other areas of a user's body, however, the increased friction of hand cleaner apparatus 100 may be beneficial for more robust areas of a user's skin. For purposes of illustration, this description is limited to both hands of the user.

The user's hands are moved over hand cleaner apparatus 100 in various ways until hand cleaner apparatus 100 is deactivated. As previously disclosed, the deactivation instructions disclosed herein are limited to LED dimming signals for efficiency, however, deactivation may also be prompted by any of a variety of methods, such as LED changing state/color, audible sounds, such as music changing state, vibration stopping, manual deactivation, and the like.

In fig. 4, deactivation of hand cleaner apparatus 100 is indicated when the illuminated LED is darkened as may be observed through LED aperture 150. As indicated at decision block 430, if the illuminated LED is not dimmed, the "No" branch is taken and the user continues to move his hands over hand cleaner apparatus 100. Otherwise, because the LEDs have darkened and hand cleaner apparatus 100 has been deactivated-either automatically or by other means, the yes branch is entered.

The user then checks their hands at decision block 440. If it is determined that the user's hands are not sufficiently cleaned, the "NO" branch is taken and step 445 directs the hand washing method to return to process block 322 of FIG. 3, where hand cleaner apparatus 100 is again activated and the hand washing process is repeated. Otherwise, the yes branch is taken and step 450 indicates that hand pressure on hand cleaner apparatus 100 has been released, at which point completion oval 495 indicates that the cleaning process returns to rinse step 350.

Functional descriptive material is included to provide information about the function of the machine. Such functional descriptive material includes, but is not limited to hand cleaner apparatus 100 disclosed herein.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention and its broader aspects. Therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Further, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

It will be understood by those with skill in the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such limitation is present. For non-limiting example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim elements. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one of the cited features, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an"; this also applies to the use in the claims of definite articles.

Claims (20)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a sonic motor enclosed within an elongated pressure sensitive housing, said sonic motor comprising a motor housing in which said sonic motor is disposed, said sonic motor being in mechanical communication with a power source and a cleaning solution dispenser also enclosed within said motor housing, said motor housing being located within said elongated pressure sensitive housing, said housing having at least one actuator built therein and said at least one actuator being designed to activate at least a timer, an indicator, said cleaning solution dispenser, and said sonic motor, all of which are disposed within said device, said actuator being capable of activating said device upon application of pressure to said housing and deactivating said device after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since activation of said device;

first and second scrubbing heads disposed at first and second ends of the device, respectively, the scrubbing heads being mechanically coupled to each end of the sonic motor such that the scrubbing heads are rotated by the sonic motor when the sonic motor is activated; and

at least one indicator in electrical communication with the power source and the timer, the at least one indicator being arranged such that, when activated, the at least one indicator is apparent from outside the elongate pressure sensitive housing of the device, the at least one indicator being activated when pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive housing, the indicator being deactivated when the timer exceeds the predetermined period of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator comprises a signal light.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator comprises an audible signal.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising the at least one indicator being designed to be manually deactivated by releasing pressure on the actuator.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by manually selecting a position of an activation switch that is visually mounted on the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timer in electrical communication with the at least one indicator measures elapsed time only when pressure is exerted on the pressure sensitive housing.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator of the housing comprises an actuator that activates the sonic motor by sudden movement of the device.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal lamp comprises a Light Emitting Diode (LED).

9. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second scrub heads comprises a scrub area that vibrates upon activation and a finger scrub notch that vibrates and rotates upon activation.

10. A method of washing hands, the method comprising:

activating a hand cleaner apparatus comprising an elongated hand cleaner grip having two hand cleaner ends, each hand cleaner end having a scrubbing location and a finger scrubbing recess, the hand cleaner apparatus further comprising a sonic motor having a motor housing, the sonic motor and sonic motor housing being enclosed within the elongated hand cleaner grip, a power source and a timer also being enclosed within the elongated hand cleaner grip, the sonic motor comprising a shaft mechanically coupled to the scrubbing location and the finger scrubbing recess, wherein, in operation, the sonic motor causes the scrubbing location to vibrate and causes the finger scrubbing recess to rotate and vibrate, the hand cleaner apparatus further comprising an actuator located within the hand cleaner apparatus for activating the sonic motor and timer, and the hand cleaner apparatus further comprising an interface with the timer, the actuator, at least one LED (light emitting diode) electrically connected to the power source, the at least one LED being disposed within the hand cleaner apparatus such that the at least one LED is visibly illuminated by an unaided eye for a predetermined amount of time when the hand cleaner apparatus is activated and changes state after the at least one LED has elapsed the predetermined amount of time since the hand cleaner apparatus was activated;

performing a hand washing operation upon activation of the hand washer apparatus;

rinsing the hand and hand washer assembly when the at least one LED changes state; and

releasing the hand cleaner apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing hand washing operations comprises moving a hand about the activated hand cleaner apparatus in a positive manner to produce gentle abrasive scrubbing of skin at locations where the activated scrubbing locations and finger scrubbing notches contact the hand moving about the activated hand cleaner apparatus.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing hand washing operations further comprises adding a hand sanitizer to a surface portion of the activated hand cleaner apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing the hand to determine whether a previously performed handwashing operation has satisfactorily cleaned the hand.

14. A hand cleaner apparatus, comprising:

an elongated hand cleaner grip having two hand cleaner ends, each hand cleaner end having a scrubbing area and a finger scrubbing notch;

a power source disposed within said elongated hand cleaner grip;

a sonic motor having a motor housing, the sonic motor and housing being enclosed within the elongated hand cleaner grip, the sonic motor including a shaft mechanically connected to the scrubbing location and finger scrubbing recess, wherein, in operation, the sonic motor causes the scrubbing location to vibrate and causes the finger scrubbing recess to rotate and vibrate;

an actuator disposed within the hand cleaner apparatus for activating the hand cleaner apparatus; and

an indicator electrically connected to the actuator and the power source, the indicator being disposed within the hand cleaner apparatus such that the indicator indicates activation of the hand cleaner apparatus when the hand cleaner apparatus is activated.

15. The hand cleaner apparatus of claim 14 wherein a cleaning solution container is disposed within said elongated hand cleaner grip, said cleaning solution container being connected to a cleaning solution passageway for transporting cleaning solution from within said elongated hand cleaner grip to a location external to said hand cleaner grip.

16. The hand cleaner apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indicator is a light emitting diode that is visibly illuminated by the naked eye for a predetermined amount of time after activation of the hand cleaner apparatus and changes state after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed since activation of the hand cleaner apparatus.

17. The hand cleaner apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indicator is an audible signal that is visible upon activation of the hand cleaner apparatus and changes state upon deactivation of the hand cleaner apparatus.

18. The hand cleaner apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indicator is a combination of at least one light emitting diode and an audible signal.

19. The hand cleaner apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a timer configured to measure a predetermined activation time of the hand cleaner apparatus.

20. The hand cleaner apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indicator comprises vibrations induced by a sonic motor from within the hand cleaner apparatus.