GB2471131A

GB2471131A - Washing facility

Info

Publication number: GB2471131A
Application number: GB0910606A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Udall
Original assignee: BASSROCK Ltd
Current assignee: BASSROCK Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-19
Filing date: 2009-06-19
Publication date: 2010-12-22
Also published as: GB0910606D0; WO2010146396A1

Abstract

A washing facility comprises a chamber 12 affording a washing zone, a generator (50, Fig 2) for water vapour, an outlet 18 connected to the vapour generator to receive the vapour therefrom, and arranged to deliver the vapour to the chamber and a means 24 for removal of condensate of the vapour from the chamber. The vapour generator comprises a heater which may store a quantity of water and vapour at an above-atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the washing facility comprises a drying apparatus delivering a stream of air via outlet 46 from a fan and a heater.

Description

Title: Washing Facility

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a washing facility. The invention has been devised to be suitable for washing a persons hands, and it is envisaged that a facility according to the invention may be provided in situations where washing of the hands is an operation conducted frequently. Nevertheless, in providing a facility for such a purpose, it will be appreciated that the invention may find utility in other situations, for example, for washing other parts of the body.

Washing of the hands is required frequently, for example, by workers involved 1 5 in handling food. Even in ordinary life, hygiene calls for washing of the hands before eating or handling food, and after having used the toilet. It assumes increasing importance when there are concerns about spread of diseases such as influenza, of which the infectious viral agent can be spread by contact of the hands of a carrier of the virus, whose hands might be contaminated if the person has coughed or sneezed, with a surface, and subsequent infection of another person contacting that surface. Frequent hand washing is one element in helping control the spread of such a virus.

Therefore, hand-washing facilities are provided in large numbers in work places and public buildings, including public toilets. Most simply, a hand-washing facility comprises a wash basin, at which a user can dispense hot and/or cold water for washing and rinsing, make use of an appropriate soap or other cleaning agent, and dry the hands using (usually disposable) towels or wipes, and/or a dryer providing a stream of warm or hot air. In many cases, a washing facility automates the functions of providing water, soap, and a stream of hot air, in a sequence initiated when the hands are placed in a washing zone.

Whilst such washing facilities are functional, a disadvantage thereof is the use of substantial quantities of water. Therefore they are most suitable for use where a mains supply of fresh water, and proper drainage/disposal of used water, can be provided. In addition, the energy requirement in heating water to provide large numbers of washing operations is substantial.

With the object of addressing the above problems, the present invention provides a washing facility, comprising: a chamber affording a washing zone; a generator for water vapour; an outlet connected to the vapour generator to receive the vapour therefrom, and arranged to discharge the vapour to the chamber; and means for removal of condensate of the vapour from the chamber.

Preferably the washing facility further comprises drying apparatus which, further preferably, delivers a stream of air in which the body part may be disposed for drying. Preferably the stream of air is heated and, further preferably, is delivered to the chamber.

The stream of air may be heated by being drawn from a region in the vicinity of, e.g. surrounding, the generator for water vapour. Alternatively or in addition, an electrical heater for the stream of air may be provided since the vapour generator will normally be thermally insulated so that little heat energy escapes therefrom and is available for heating the stream of air.

Preferably the chamber, affording the washing zone, is open-fronted and capable of receiving at least the hands, possibly with the forearms, of a person, which can be introduced into the chamber in a generally horizontal movement.

Preferably the facility further includes means for supplying at least one washing (or other treatment) agent (e.g. soap, detergent, bactericidal agent) to the chamber. Such treatment agent(s) may be delivered separately into the chamber from position(s) in the lower part thereof, or may possibly be delivered downwardly into the chamber.

The facility may incorporate timing apparatus, to control the supply to the chamber of the vapour, treatment agent(s) and hot air, or some of same, in a predetermined sequence or a selected one of a number of predetermined sequences. Such a sequence may be partly or wholly determined by the user, by operating a selection device to choose an appropriate washing programme for the condition of the body part(s) to be washed. Thus, for example, there may be a "quick wash" for lightly soiled hands, or a programme supplying an increased quantity of soap or the like, and continuing the supply of vapour for a longer time, in the case of heavily-soiled hands.

The outlet for discharging vapour into the chamber is preferably provided in a lower part of the chamber, and arranged to discharge vapour to the chamber upwardly. This is advantageous in that if condensation of the vapour occurs in a conduit connecting the outlet to the heater, any droplets of condensate are unlikely to fall on a user's hands. If such droplets were to fall from a downwardly-facing outlet, this could be hazardous as condensate from a vapour supply could be so hot as to cause discomfort or possibly injury. By way of example, the outlet may face upwardly at an inclination of about 30° - 75° to the vertical.

The means for removal of condensate from the chamber may comprise a drainage outlet, preferably at the lowest part of a basin-like formation of the chamber.

Preferably the drainage arrangement for the chamber includes a drainage connection to the vapour outlet, so that any such drops of condensate are disposed of rather than remaining in the vicinity of the vapour outlet, where they might be contacted by a user of the washing facility.

The chamber may be generally circular viewed from its open front, or possibly oval/elliptical or any other shape which can accept a persons hands and parts of the forearms and enable washing movement thereof, i.e. rubbing together, shaking, etc. A basin-like formation can readily be incorporated in such a chamber, at the lowest part of which a main drainage outlet can be provided.

A vapour extraction means may be provided, for drawing excess water vapour from the chamber. Such means may comprise a vapour extraction port, which may be provided in a lower part of the chamber. It may be generally opposite the vapour outlet, or associated with the drainage outlet, and a fan may be arranged to draw from the chamber into the extraction port.

The vapour extraction means may be caused to operate at least part of the time the drying apparatus is operating. This helps to minimise escape of any droplets from the hands from the chamber to contaminate the surrounding atmosphere.

The drying apparatus may be arranged to deliver the stream of air to an upper part of the chamber, discharging downwardly into the chamber.

The drying apparatus may include a valve in the path of flow of air to the chamber, which valve is arranged to close when the drying apparatus is not in operation, thereby preventing excess vapour from travelling towards the fan which causes the flow of air when the fan is not in operation.

Such a valve may be opened by the pressure of the stream of air created by the fan, and closed by gravity or a spring arrangement when the fan is not operating. Alternatively, it may be caused to open by a solenoid or the like when the fan is operating, and closed when the fan is not operating.

Because, in apparatus according to the invention, water is supplied to the washing zone in the form of vapour, the supply of the vapour can be continued for a length of time sufficient to ensure thorough washing without an undue quantity of water being consumed. By way of example 5m1 or less of water may be consumed in a washing operation. This has to be compared with a traditional water-based hand washing cycle which might consume 0.51 of water.

With such a low usage of water, a correspondingly low amount of waste is created and has to be dealt with by the drainage features of the washing facility. Connection to a mains water supply and drainage may not be required, since the facility may be accommodated within a cabinet or installation space of reasonable size, and incorporate containers for fresh water and used dirty' water of sufficient size to enable a large number of washes to be carried out before replenishment/emptying/cleaning of such containers is necessary. Because the water has to be heated to a temperature above the normal boiling point, in order to be able to supply vapour on demand as described hereafter, supply of sterile water to the facility to the standard of mains water supplies is not necessary, although clearly it is desirable that the water supply of the facility should have no significant content of impurities.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 illustrates a typical layout of certain components of a washing facility in accordance with the invention; Figures 2 to 5 illustrate the operative relationship between different groups of components of the washing facility; Figure 6 illustrates the operative relationship between all the principal active components of the washing facility.

Referring firstly to figure 1 of the drawings, this illustrates a washing facility in accordance with the invention, in which components of the washing facility are installed in a cabinet indicated generally at 10. The principal components include a chamber 12, which is open-fronted and extends rearwardly into the cabinet 10 from a front wall (not shown) thereof. The chamber 12 has a rear wall 14 and a peripheral wall 16 which has part-cylindrical side parts but flattened top and bottom parts so that the chamber as a whole is somewhat wider than it is high. This embodiment of washing facility is intended for hand washing, and the dimensions of the chamber are such that a person can place 1 5 his/her hands in it and move them about to the extent necessary for washing them.

Water vapour is supplied from a vapour generator (water heater), not shown in figure 1, to the chamber 12. The water vapour emerges into the chamber at a vapour outlet 18. The vapour outlet 18 provided in the peripheral wall 16 of the chamber, and faces upwardly at an inclination to the vertical, to discharge the vapour towards the central region of the chamber from one side thereof.

As illustrated the outlet 18 is at the 5 o'clock' position in one of the part-cylindrical parts of the peripheral wall 16, so that it is inclined at about 30° to the vertical, but it may be inclined at a greater or possibly lesser angle to the vertical. Associated with the outlet 18 is a drain from which a drain pipe 20 extends. Also visible in figure 1 is a water vapour supply pipe 22 extending from the heater which is in a different part of the cabinet 1 0 from that visible in figure 1.

The chamber 12 further has a main drain 24 at its lowermost point, from which a drain pipe 26 extends, the pipe 26 and pipe 20 both leading to a drainage collecting container 28 accommodated in a lower part of the cabinet.

The lower part of the cabinet 10 also accommodates a storage container 30 for clean water, from which a pipe 32 leads to a pump and to the heater referred to above, neither of which are visible in figure 1. Between the containers 28, 30 two smaller containers 34, 36 provide storage for washing or other treatment agents for delivery into the chamber 12 in the course of a washing operation. By way of example, one of the containers 34, 36 may 1 0 contain soap or detergent, while the other may contain a bactericidal/sanitising agent such as an alcohol-based gel. Pipes 38, 40 extend to respective dispensing pumps 42, 44 having outlet nozzles which open into the chamber 12 at the lower region thereof.

The facility includes drying apparatus. An outlet duct 46 from a fan and heater arrangement (not shown) opens into the top part of the peripheral wall 16 of the chamber 12, facing downwardly. This provides for delivery of a stream of, preferably heated, air to the chamber for hand drying after a washing operation has been performed.

Referring now to figure 2 of the drawings, this illustrates, diagrammatically, the arrangement of the above-described parts for delivering water vapour to the chamber 12. The storage tank 30 for clean water and pipe 32 extending therefrom are shown, the pipe 32 leading to a heater indicated at 50 which is able to heat the water sufficiently to generate vapour (steam) therefrom. A pump for delivering water to the heater 50 from the tank 30 is indicated at 52, a non-return valve 54 being interposed between the pump 52 and heater 50.

Outlet pipe 22 extends from the heater 50 to the water vapour outlet 18 in the chamber 12, a solenoid-operated valve 56 being provided in the pipe 22 adjacent the heater 50.

The heater 50 is of known type, and is in the form of a vessel containing a sheathed electrically-powered thermostatically-controlled heating element. The vessel contains water and a certain amount of vapour, being maintained at a temperature suitable to establish an internal pressure of the order of, for example, 4 to 6 bar. When the solenoid valve 56 opens to release vapour from the heater vessel, more vapour is produced as required from the hot water contained in the vessel. The pump 52 supplies water to the heater vessel when the level of water therein drops below a predetermined limit, as determined by a suitable sensing device provided in or in association with the vessel. Because the vessel contains water and vapour at a temperature sufficient to provide the 4 to 6 bar vapour pressure as aforesaid, vapour can be supplied from the vessel for a sufficient length of time to enable completion of a washing operation. Because not all the water in the heater is consumed before the pump is brought into operation to replenish the water, the temperature of the heater is not suddenly and greatly reduced by virtue of the injection of cold water into the volume of water it contains, so that when the heating element is brought into operation it brings the content of the heater vessel up to the required temperature very quickly so successive washing cycles can be carried out without significant recovery time therebetween.

Figure 2 illustrates, diagrammatically, the expanding, e.g. conical, configuration of the outlet 18 of the chamber, and the drainage pipe 20 extending from the outlet 1 8 to the collecting container 28, for dealing with the removal of any large water droplets that might enter the outlet 18 having condensed in the pipe 22, before they can be propelled upwardly into the chamber 12. Also shown is an over-temperature sensor 58 in the wall of the chamber 12, for cutting off operation of the heater 50 and delivery of water vapour to the chamber therefrom if the temperature within the chamber reaches a level which might be uncomfortable or hazardous for the user of the apparatus.

The temperature of water, and the pressure achieved at the outlet of the heater 50, together with the length of the pipe 22 and the provision of any thermal insulation thereon, may be arranged so that in use water vapour is delivered to the interior of the chamber 12 at a temperature of the order of 40°C, or any suitable temperature.

Figure 3 illustrates, diagrammatically, the arrangement of storage tanks 34, 36, pipes 38, 40 and delivery pumps 42, 44 for delivering soap or other treatment agent(s) to the chamber 12. The respective pumps 42, 44 may be arranged to operate at different stages of a washing operation, e.g. firstly to deliver soap to the chamber at an early stage and secondly to deliver a sanitising agent such as an alcohol gel to the chamber at a later stage such as the drying stage.

The delivery pumps 42, 44 are illustrated as supplying the treatment agent(s) to the chamber upwardly from lower parts thereof. When washing his or her hands, a person most naturally places the hands palms downwardly into the chamber, so that the treatment agent(s) contact the palms of the hands.

However, it would be possible for one or both of the outlets for the treatment agent(s) to face downwardly into the chamber.

Figure 4 illustrates, diagrammatically, the drainage/waste collection components of the washing facility, including the main drain 24 and pipe 26 leading to the collection container 28, and the drainage pipe 20 for disposal of any droplets of water from the vapour outlet 18.

Also shown in figure 4, but not referred to above, is a vapour-extraction device associated with the main drain 24 and provided in the pipe 26 to draw vapour from the interior of the chamber 12 through the drain 24. The extraction device comprises a fan or impeller 60 in the pipe 26, the fan 60 being capable of handling water droplets which have formed by condensation of vapour in the pipe 26 and which have condensed in the chamber and entered the pipe 26 from the drain 24. Figure 4 also illustrates that the waste collection tank 28 has a sensor 62 associated therewith, e.g. a float switch, for detecting when the tank 28 is full.

Referring now to figure 5 of the drawings, this illustrates the fan by which a stream of air, for drying purposes as a final stage of a washing cycle, is delivered to the chamber 12 by way of duct 46. A valve element 64 is disposed in the duct 46 either at its region of discharge into the chamber 12 or slightly upstream thereof. The valve element 64 is openable either in response to air flow created by the fan, or by being caused to open by a solenoid device or the like when the fan is switched on. When the fan is not operating, the valve element 64 closes under gravity or a light spring, or on operation of the solenoid device if one is provided, to prevent vapour travelling through the duct 46 to reach the fan and heater element.

1 5 Figure 5 also shows a fan 66 by which air is drawn from the region of heater and impelled to the duct 46 to be supplied to the chamber 12. The heater may be enclosed within a casing or shroud by which the air is caused to flow over the surface of the heater, thereby being warmed by virtue of loss of heart from the heater, which is at a relatively elevated temperature.

Because washing the hands with vapour does not mean that they become as wet as if they were washed in water, air does not have to be supplied for drying purposes for as long a time nor at as high a temperature as is usual in conventional wash facilities, but nevertheless an electrically powered heater element may be associated with the fan 66 50 that the air supplied to the chamber is heated to a significant extent.

In a washing facility as above described, a suitable electronic control apparatus 70 (figure 6) is provided, including a timer T operative to cause all the above-described elements to commence operation at suitable points in the washing cycle and to remain in operation for a suitable length of time. In addition to the level sensor provided in association with the collection container 28, level sensors are also provided for the water storage container 30, and the containers 34, 36 for treatment agents. The control apparatus receives signals from these sensors, to indicate whether the content thereof is at an acceptable level. A proximity sensor (not shown) of suitable type may respond to the placing of the user's hands into the chamber 12 to cause a washing cycle to commence, by initiating delivery of water vapour to the chamber 12 and dispensing of a small quantity of cleaning agent. By way of example, the dispensing of the cleaning agent may take place after approximately 15% of the total time allocated to the supply of water vapour, so that the hands are moistened before the cleaning agent is dispensed. A timer may delay the commencement of a washing cycle until the proximity sensor has detected the presence of a user's hand for more than a predetermined minimum time, to ensure that fleeting introduction of the hands into the chamber does not start a washing cycle. The supply of vapour continues for a time sufficient for hand washing, and while the vapour is being supplied, vapour extraction continues by way of the drain 24 and pipe 26.

After the supply of vapour has been discontinued, operation of the fan for supplying drying air to the chamber commences. At the same time operation of the vapour extraction fan may be stopped, or it may continue as above mentioned to assist in reducing any escape of droplets from the chamber.

After approximately 1 5% of the time of operation of the drying fan, an injection of sanitising gel or the like into the chamber is effected. In the remainder of the drying time, the hands are dried to the extent required.

The timer may be adjustable to control the operating times, independently or in combination with one another, of all the above elements of a washing cycle.

Two or more predetermined operating cycles may be provided, settable by a user to suit the state or his/her hands.

If the above above-described sensors associated with the storage containers of the machine operate to detect that these containers are nearly full (in the case of container 28) or nearly empty (in the case of containers 30, 34, 36) the facility may be rendered inoperable. A service' indicator may be operated indicating that the facility is unusable until the necessary emptying! filling of the containers has been effected. It will of course be appreciated that safety devices may be provided in addition to those above described, in generally known manner for appliances or facilities usable by persons.

As described above, the low usage of water in a washing facility according to the invention enables the facility to be incorporated in a freestanding cabinet, or installed in a building structure, in a position where there is no mains water supply. However, it would be within the scope of the invention for a mains water supply to be utilised if one is available, in which case a storage container for fresh water need not be provided. Similarly, mains drainage may be utilised, if available.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

Claims 1. A washing facility, comprising: a chamber affording a washing zone; a generator for water vapour; an outlet connected to the vapour generator to receive the vapour therefrom, and arranged to deliver the vapour to the chamber; and means for removal of condensate of the vapour from the chamber.
2. A washing facility according to claim 1 wherein the vapour generator comprises a heater and means for supplying water to the heater for vapour generation.
3. A washing facility according to claim 2 wherein the heater stores a quantity of water and vapour at an above-atmospheric pressure.
4. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising drying apparatus.
5. A washing facility according to claim 4 wherein the drying apparatus delivers a stream of air in which the body part can be disposed for drying.
6. A washing facility according to claim 3 wherein the stream of air is delivered to the chamber.
7. A washing facility according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the stream of air is heated.
8. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the chamber has an opening through which at least the hands of a person can be introduced into the chamber.
9. A washing facility according to claim 8 wherein the hands of a person can be introduced into the chamber in a generally horizontal movement.
10. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising means for supplying at least one treatment agent to the chamber.
11. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vapour outlet to the chamber is provided in a lower part of the chamber, and arranged to admit vapour upwardly into the chamber.
1 2. A washing facility according to claim 11 wherein the vapour outlet faces upwardly, at an inclination of 30° to 75° to the vertical.
13. A washing facility according to claim 11 or claim 12 further comprising a drainage connection to the vapour outlet.
14. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for removal of vapour condensate from the chamber comprises a drainage outlet from the chamber.
15. A washing facility according to claim 14 wherein the chamber incorporates a basin-like formation, having a main drainage outlet at the lowest part thereof.
16. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a vapour extraction means, for drawing excess water vapour from the chamber.
17. A washing facility according to claim 16 wherein the vapour extraction means comprises a vapour extraction port provided in a lower part of the chamber, and a fan arranged to draw from the chamber into the extraction port.
18. A washing facility according to claim 17 as appendent to claim 14 wherein the vapour extraction part comprises the drainage outlet.
19. A washing facility according to claim 4 or any claim appendent thereto wherein the drying apparatus delivers the stream of air to an upper part of the chamber, discharging downwardly into the chamber.
20. A washing facility according to claim 19 wherein the drying apparatus includes a valve in the path of air flow to the chamber, the valve being arranged to close when the drying apparatus is not in operation.
21. A washing facility according to claim 20 wherein the valve is opened by pressure of the stream of air.
22. A washing facility according to claim 20 wherein the valve is caused to open by an operating device acting when the drying apparatus is in use.
23. A washing facility according to any one of claims 5, 6, 19-22 wherein the stream of air is heated.
24. A washing facility according to claim 23 wherein the air is drawn from the vicinity of the vapour generator.
25. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims, including timing apparatus operative to control one or more of: delivery of vapour to the chamber, delivery of a treatment agent(s) to the chamber, operation of the drying apparatus, operation of the vapour extraction means, operation of the valve of the drying apparatus.
26. A washing facility according to any one of the preceding claims incorporating containers for fresh water and for material removed from the chamber.
27. A washing facility substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.
28. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.