BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The field of invention relates to a handle sanitiser.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

2. Background

Shopping trolley and basket handles should be sanitised after use to reduce the risk of transmitting bacteria and viruses. This is normally done by a shop worker spraying a disinfectant spray on the handles and wiping them down and then placing the trolleys and baskets where customers can use them. Customers however may have limited confidence in how well the handles have been sanitised, which can lead to anxiety. If the handles have in fact been poorly sanitised, or not sanitised at all, then there could be an infection risk. Customers can bring their own hand sanitiser gel or wipes and apply this to the handles, but this is inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An implementation of the invention is a handle sanitiser that includes a casing and a disinfectant refill cartridge, in which the casing is configured to clamp or be secured around a handle and to be slid along the handle to distribute disinfectant along the surface of the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures, which show two different implementations of handle sanitiser that each implement the invention; Figures 1 - 5 and Figures 6 - 10 show the two implementations.

Figure 1 shows the handle sanitiser mounted on a shopping trolley or basket handle.

Figure 2 shows the handle sanitiser from one side, fully closed.

Figures 3 and 4 are exploded views of the handle sanitiser.

Figure 5 shows the handle sanitiser, partly opened.

Figure 6 shows the other implementation of the handle sanitiser; one half of the casing is shown, without the disinfectant insert in position.

Figure 7 shows the handle sanitiser, fully open, with one disinfectant insert in position, and the other disinfectant insert about to be slotted into position in one casing.

Figure 8 shows the disinfectant insert in position in the casing.

Figure 9 shows the disinfectant insert, but with the disinfectant reservoirs that are normally at each end.

Figure 10 shows the disinfectant insert, and with the disinfectant reservoirs at each end.

Key

1 handle sanitiser

2 shopping trolley or basket handle

3 upper semi-cylinder section of the casing

4 lower semi-cylinder section of the casing

5 hinge joining the upper and lower semi-cylinder sections

6 aperture defining a hollow between the upper and lower semi-cylinder sections

7 surface dimples for grip

8 latch or lock that locks the upper and lower semi-cylinder sections together

9 liquid disinfectant level window in upper semi-cylinder section

10 liquid disinfectant level window in lower semi-cylinder section

11 upper replaceable semi-cylindrical or semi-annular disinfectant reservoir

12 upper semi-cylindrical or semi-annular foam or sponge layer

13 one-way disinfectant filling valve silicone seal lower semi-cylindrical or semi-annular replaceable disinfectant reservoir lower semi-cylindrical or semi-annular foam, sponge or disinfectant permeable layer one-way disinfectant filling valve notches in the upper replaceable disinfectant reservoir holes in the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical or semi-annular disinfectant reservoir upper semi-cylinder section of the casing lower semi-cylinder section of the casing lower disinfectant insert upper disinfectant insert semi-cylindrical or semi-annular foam or sponge section liquid disinfectant reservoir pull tab semi-cylinder recess for a liquid disinfectant reservoir hinge between upper and lower semi-cylinder sections of the casing

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 shows one implementation of the handle sanitiser, shown generally at 1, mounted on a shopping trolley or basket handle shown at 2. In use, the shop worker clamps the lockable handle sanitiser 1 on the handle and then slides the handle sanitiser 1 backwards and forwards along the handle, disinfecting the surface by applying a thin film of a long-acting (e.g. will remain active on the handle for a significant time, such as more than the average shopping time, e.g. 30 minutes) food-safe surface liquid upper semi-cylinder, such as, IP A ( Isopropyl alcohol) and didecyldimethylammonium chloride or any other suitable quaternary ammonium compound or, or just IP A, or just Ethyl Alcohol, or any other disinfectant or combination of disinfectants.

Figure 2 shows the handle sanitiser 1 in more detail. It is shaped as a generally hollow cylinder with an annular cross-section; it is made up of a casing with an upper semi-cylinder section 3 and a lower semi-cylinder section 4, joined at a hinge 5 that runs along the length of the cylinder. The semi-cylinders 3 and 4 lock together at a latch or lock 8. The outer surface of each semi-cylinder 3, 4 includes small protuberances or surface dimples 7 to aid grip when sliding the handle sanitiser 1 along a handle. An aperture 6 defines the hollow through which the handle passes. The upper semi-cylinder 3 includes a small window 9 through which the level of liquid disinfectant in a liquid reservoir inside the upper semi-cylinder 3 can be seen. Likewise, the lower semi-cylinder 4 includes a small window 10 through which the level of liquid disinfectant in a liquid reservoir inside the lower semi-cylinder 4 can be seen.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the handle sanitiser 1, with the semi-cylinder sections 3 and 4 opened. Upper semi-cylinder section 3 includes upper replaceable semi-cylindrical or semi- annular disinfectant reservoir 11; this is factory filled with liquid disinfectant via one-way filling valve or port 13. Liquid disinfectant moves from the reservoir 11 into upper semi- cylindrical or semi-annular foam layer 12 via holes 20 (see Figure 4), enabling the handle contacted by the foam / sponge layer 12 to be coated in disinfectant. A silicon seal 14 prevents excess liquid disinfectant dribbling out of the handle sanitiser 1. Notches 19 in the upper replaceable disinfectant reservoir 11 enable that reservoir to latch or snap bit into the upper semi-cylinder section 3. Similarly, lower semi-cylinder section 4 includes lower semi-cylindrical or semi-annular replaceable disinfectant reservoir 15; this is factory filled with liquid disinfectant via one-way filling valve 17 so that the reservoir can only be filled at a factory, assuring customers of the integrity of the disinfectant in the reservoir. Liquid disinfectant moves from the reservoir 15 into lower semi-cylindrical or semi-annular foam / sponge layer 16 via holes 20.

Once either or both liquid disinfectant reservoir 11 and 15 are low in disinfectant or are dry, the user (e.g. shop worker) can unlock and open the semi-cylinder sections 3 and 4, remove the low or dry reservoirs 11 and 15 and insert fresh, fully filled reservoirs 11 and 15 and then re clamp the handle sanitiser 1 on the handle.

Figure 4 is an exploded view showing the open semi-cylinder sections 3 and 4, with upper replaceable disinfectant reservoir 11 shown separated from upper semi-cylindrical foam layer 12 to reveal the grid of small holes 20 in the inner surface of the upper replaceable disinfectant reservoir 11 through which liquid disinfectant passes into the foam layer 12. Upper liquid filling valve or port 13 and its one-way stopper 21 are shown.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the open handle sanitiser 1, ready to be clamped around a shopping trolley handle and to be slid along that handle to distribute disinfectant on the handle.

Figure 6 -10 shows a variant of the handle sanitiser; it uses a hinged shell that clamps around a handle, just like the first implementation, shown above, but the design of the disinfectant reservoir is different. Figure 6 shows the empty upper semi-cylinder section 30 of the casing and a part of the lower semi-cylinder section 31, joined at a hinge 38 (not shown) that runs along the length of the cylinder. The user (e.g. a shop worker) will clip a disinfectant insert into the empty upper semi-cylinder section 30; this process is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7 shows the handle sanitiser fully open, with a lower disinfectant insert 32 in position in the lower semi-cylinder section 31, and the upper disinfectant insert 33 about to be slotted into position in the upper semi-cylinder section 30. Each disinfectant insert 32, 33 has a liquid disinfectant reservoir 36 and at each end, a foam or sponge section 35. The disinfectant insert 32, 33 is the consumable item; when liquid disinfectant runs out, the entire disinfectant insert 32 or disinfectant insert 33 is removed and replaced with a new disinfectant insert. A pull tab 37 covers a liquid disinfectant release hole (not shown) in the disinfectant reservoir 36; the pull tab 37 remains in position during transit of the disinfectant insert and prevents liquid disinfectant from being released from the liquid disinfectant reservoir 36.

Figure 8 shows the upper disinfectant insert 33 slotted into position in the upper semi-cylinder section 30. Pull tabs 37 are in position, covering the liquid disinfectant release holes in the sides of the reservoir 36. Pulling one pull tab 37 releases it, exposing the previously covered liquid disinfectant release hole and so enabling liquid disinfectant to flow from the liquid disinfectant reservoir 36 into the foam or sponge sections 35 at each end of the reservoir 36.

Figure 9 shows the upper disinfectant insert 33, including the liquid disinfectant reservoir 36 and the two pull tabs 37 at each end of the reservoir 36. There is a semi-cylinder recess 38 at each end for the foam or sponge sections 35.

Figure 10 shows the upper semi-cylinder section 30, now with the upper disinfectant insert 33 clipped into position; disinfectant insert 33 has a liquid disinfectant reservoir 36. At each end of the reservoir 36 is a semi-cylindrical or semi-annular foam or sponge section 35. To activate the device, the user (e.g. shop worker) removes all four metal pull tabs 37 from each of the two liquid disinfectant reservoirs 36, and closes, at hinge 39, the upper and lower semi-cylinder sections against the shopping trailer or basket handle. Liquid disinfectant is then released slowly into the upper and lower semi-annular foam or sponge sections 35; the capillary action of the foam or sponge sections 35 draws out liquid disinfectant from the disinfectant reservoirs 36. When the liquid disinfectant has run out, the upper and lower semi-cylinder sections 30, 31 of the casing are opened and removed from the trolley handle, and the entire upper disinfectant insert 33 and lower disinfectant insert 32 removed and replaced with fresh disinfectant inserts 32, 33.