The present invention concerns a spectacle washing apparatus, as defined in the preamble to Claim 1.

In prior art is known, through the reference DE 3310940, a spectacle washing apparatus conforming to the preamble. A washing apparatus of this type comp¬ rises a box-like body component of which the shell defines inside itself a washing space which has been disposed to receive the spectacles in itself. A stand has been provided in said washing space to hold the spectacles. The body component is covered by a cover component, openably and closably hinged to the body component for liquid-tight sealing of the washing space. The washing apparatus further comprises a liquid tank for storing liquid, a spraying means for spraying liquid from said ^' tank onto the spectacles, and a dryer means for drying the spectacles with the aid of warm air blowing.

The problem affecting this previously known washing apparatus is that the spectacles have to be suspended on the stand of the washing apparatus in such manner that the spectacles are completely inside the shell of the body component. Moreover, in the apparatus of prior art the washing space, in its entirety within the body component, has relatively great depth. This has the effect that placing the spectacles on the stand of the washing apparatus and removing them therefrom is particularly difficult to persons whose vision is poor without glasses. The spectacles may further fall past the stand to the bottom of the body component, whence they are hard to pick up.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks addressed in the foregoing.

The object of the invention is specifically to provide a washing apparatus which is so easy to operate

that even a person with poor vision can use the appara¬ tus.

The washing apparatus of the invention is characterized by that which is stated in Claim 1. The spectacle washing apparatus of the inven¬ tion comprises a box-like lower body component, its shell defining within itself a washing space which has been disposed to receive the spectacles in itself; a stand provided in said washing space for holding the spectacles substantially in vertical or slanting posi¬ tion; an upper cover component which has been hinged to the body component to be openable and closable for liquid-tight sealing of the body component; a liquid tank for storing liquid; a spraying means for jetting liquid from said liquid tank onto the spectacles; and a drying means for drying the spectacles by means of air blowing.

As taught by the invention, the cover compo¬ nent is shaped to constitute a downward open case, to form part of the total volume of the washing space, and the stand has been disposed to hold the spectacles so that at least part of them extends above the dividing plane between body component and cover component.

The advantage of the invention is that when the cover part has been opened the spectacles can be placed with ease on the stand in the washing apparatus. It is an easy task for the user to remove the specta¬ cles from the washing space, because part of the struc¬ tures of the spectacles projects above the rim of the lower body part, affording best possible accessibility.

In an embodiment of the washing apparatus the volume of the washing space has been divided between the body component and the cover component so that the cover part comprises substantially nearly half of the total washing space volume.

In an embodiment of the washing apparatus the washing apparatus comprises two separate liquid tanks.

one of them a washing liquid tank for washing liquid and the other a rinsing liquid tank for holding rinsing liquid.

In an embodiment of the washing apparatus the spraying means comprises a pump for pumping liquid from the liquid tank to the spraying nozzles and a valve, such as a magnetic valve, disposed to control the dra¬ wing to the pump of liquid to be sprayed, selectably from the washing liquid tank or the rinsing liquid tank.

In an embodiment of the washing apparatus the spraying means comprises a spray arm, disposed in the lower part of the washing space, carried rotatably in a horizontal plane, provided with a plurality of spray nozzles and arranged to jet liquid upward and at the same time to rotate by effect of liquid pressure.

In an embodiment of the washing apparatus the washing liquid tank and/or the rinsing liquid tank is a refillable tank; and the washing liquid tank and/or the rinsing liquid tank comprises a filling aperture provi¬ ded with a closable cover, the tank being tillable therethrough.

In an embodiment of the washing apparatus the washing liquid tank and/or the rinsing liquid tank is a detachable and exchangeable replacement tank. The rep¬ lacement tank may be a liquid package mountable on the body component in cassette fashion, in which case the body component comprises appropriately fitted means for receiving and fixing the tank cassette. In the following the invention is described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein

Fig. 1 presents, sectioned, an embodiment of the washing apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 presents the washing apparatus of Fig. 1 in top view; and

Fig. 3 shows the section III-III of the wash¬ ing apparatus of Fig. 1.

Figs 1-3 depict a spectacle washing apparatus with which spectacles can be washed mechanically and automatically without abrasive contact. The washing ap¬ paratus comprises a box-like lower body component 1, this body component comprising an upward open, trough¬ like chamber. The inner shell 2 of the body component 1 defines within itself a washing space 3, disposed to receive the spectacles in itself. In this example two pairs of spectacles have been placed in the washing space 3 side by side (see Figs 2 and 3). The washing apparatus further comprises a stand 4, connected to the vertical wall of the shell 2 of the body component 1. It can be seen in Fig. 3 that the stand 4 is a hook¬ like projection extending in the washing space 3 obli- quely upward toward the centre and on which the specta¬ cles can be hung in substantially vertical or slanting position. The washing apparatus further comprises an upper cover component 5, which has been hinged to the body component 1. The cover component 5 covers the body component 1 openably and closably. The washing space 3 can be tightly closed with the cover component 5.

The washing apparatus further comprises, built into the body component 1, two liquid tanks 6 and 10, separate relative to each other, one of them a washing liquid tank 6 containing washing liquid, and the other a rinsing liquid tank 10 containing rinsing liquid. The washing apparatus further comprises a spraying means 7 for jetting liquid from the liquid tanks 6,10 onto the spectacles, and a drying means 8 for drying the specta- cles by means of air blowing after washing.

The cover component 5 has been shaped to con¬ stitute a downward open box, to form part of the total volume of the washing space 3, so that the volume of the washing space 3 is divided between the body compo- nent 1 and the cover component 5 in such manner that the chamber internal to the cover component 5 consti¬ tutes substantially nearly half of the total washing

space volume. The stand 4 is arranged to support the spectacles in the washing space in such manner that at least part of the structure of said spectacles, e.g. in the figure about half of it, extends above the dividing plane 9, this dividing plane 9 dividing the washing space 3 into two nearly equal halves: a half in the cover component 5 and a half in the body component 1. These halves form together the washing space 3. The cover component 5 comprises a clasp means 17, by which the cover component 5 can be locked tightly to the body component 1.

The spraying means 7 comprises a pump 11, driven by an electric motor, for pumping liquid from the liquid tanks 6,10. Between the liquid tanks 6,10 and the pump 11 a magnetic valve 12 is provided which can be controlled by means of a selector or by a suit¬ able timing device (not depicted). The magnetic valve 12 switches the intake of liquid to be sprayed, option¬ ally, to come from the washing liquid tank 6 or from the rinsing liquid tank 10, for further jetting the respective liquid into the washing space 3. The spray¬ ing means comprises a jet arm 14 placed in the lower part of the washing space, fitted with a plurality of spray nozzles 13 and carried to be rotatable, this arm being arranged to jet liquid towards the spectacles and towards the cover component 5. The jet arm 14 will at the same time rotate by effect of the liquid pressure produced by the pump 11 and of the oblique direction of the jets. The washing apparatus can be arranged to operate fully automatically in such a way that, first, washing liquid is sprayed with the spraying means for a predetermined period of time and, thereafter, rinsing liquid is sprayed during a predetermined time, whereaf¬ ter the drying means 8 is switched on to operate for a predetermined period of time. The end result will be clean and dry spectacles.

The drying means 8 is disposed in the cover

component 5 of the washing apparatus. The drying means 8 comprises a blower 20, driven by an electric motor 19, and an air duct 21 within which the blower 20 has been disposed. The air duct 21 comprises an air intake aperture 22 for drawing drying air from outside the washing apparatus, and blow apertures 23 for blowing air into the washing space 3. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the blow apertures 23 have been provided with a valve 24, such as a diaphragm valve or the like, which pre- vents any of the liquids from entering the air duct 21 during the washing and rinsing phases. Inside the air duct 21 has also been provided a heating resistance 25, by means of which the air flowing in the air duct 21 can be heated. The body component 1 and/or the cover component 5 further comprises exit apertures (not de¬ picted) for exhaust air.

In the exemplary embodiment of Figs 1-3 the washing liquid tank 6 and the rinsing liquid tank 10 are refillable tanks. The washing liquid tank 6 and the rinsing liquid tank 10 comprise filling apertures 16 provided with covers 15. In another embodiment the washing liquid tank 6 and/or the rinsing liquid tank 10 may be detachable and replaceable exchange tanks which can be purchased in a store complete with contents and mounted on the body component 1 in cassette fashion.

Figs 1-3 present an advantageous layout of the washing apparatus, wherein the liquid tanks 6,10 have been placed on the bottom of the washing apparatus, lowermost and side by side separated by a vertical partition 26. The liquid tanks 6 and 10 are comparati¬ vely shallow in relation to their length and rectangu¬ lar of their cross section. The machinery space 27, in which the pump 11, electric motor 18, valve 12 and other requisite components have been encapsulated wit- hin the body component, is disposed on that side of the apparatus where the hinging 28 of the cover component 5 is located. Thanks to the design, the centre of gravity

of the apparatus is low down and the apparatus is very stable on its base. In the immediate vicinity of the hinge 28 the machinery components located in the cover component 5 have also been placed, that is the electric motor 19 and the blower 20, whereby the cover component 5 turns into opened position with rather little effort. The shell of the air duct 21 in the cover component, placed on the centre-line of the cover in Fig. 3, has been shaped to resemble a handle as of its external appearance and is therefore convenient to grasp.

Fig. 3 also shows an advantageous disposition of the stands 4. In order to enable two pairs of spec¬ tacles to be inserted, the stands 4 have been placed on opposed vertical walls of the body component, extending therefrom in a perpendicular plane obliquely upward towards the centre-line of the washing space 3. In the washing space 3, immediately over the rotating spray arm 14, Fig. 3 shows a wire tray 29 or equivalent, permitting passage of the liquid jets, provided to support the spectacles from below. The spectacles beco¬ me positioned in a slanting, nearly vertical position on the stand 4 and on the supporting member, whereby during the washing and rinsing phases the jets directed from below will efficiently flush the surfaces of the spectacles and during the drying phase the air flow di¬ rected from above will blow off any liquid droplets that have been left on the spectacle surfaces.

The invention is not restricted to concern merely the embodiment examples presented in the fore- going: numerous modifications are feasible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims.