Patent Application
20090256085
The invention relates generally to a ultra-violet emitting sterilization device used to disinfect kitchen dishwashing sponges.
Kitchen sponges are the number 1 source of germs in the house and are responsible for as many as 80 million Americans contacting food-borne illnesses each year and of those 9,000 die. Ultra-violet radiation is well known to killing germs and viruses in the radiation range of 300-200 nanometers short wavelengths. Ultra-violet lamps have been used to eradicate germs, purifying air, water and surfaces. The intensity of the radiation and duration of exposure determines the potency of the ultra-violet radiation. The shorter the wavelength the stronger and quicker the kill factor. Ultra-violet light with wavelength shorter than 300 nanometer is extremely effective in killing microorganisms. The most effective sterilizing range of UV is within the C bandwidth of 253.7 nm. This range is called germicidal UV bandwidth or UVC. At present the kitchen sponges are disinfected by way of the microwave oven, which is hazardous to the sponge and by way of submerging the sponge in a bleach solution, which is time consuming. Also ultra-violet radiation is used in medical, environmental and recreational environments, such as hospitals, dental practices and tanning beds, granted a different intensity of ultra-violet radiation and duration is used in each category to obtain the desired effect. There are many hand held devices which emits ultra-violet radiation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,075 issued to Whitehead (Jul. 6, 1999) discloses a device with sufficient intensity to kill germs and bacteria in a large room with a combination unlocking mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,369 issued to Beliloa (Aug. 28, 1990) describes a pocket size portable ultra-violet flash light device that kills germs by shining and passing the ultra-violet radiation over the surface. The flash light includes a housing and a ultra-violet light source an on/off switch and a gravity switch that limits the activation of the ultra-violet light source to the position wherein the light source is facing downward. U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,226 issued to Wisnosky, Mclaughlin and McGinn III (Sep. 11, 1984) describes a portable hand held device with a safety percussion which is force to activate only on flat surface.
There is a need for a ultra-violet sponge holder used to disinfect kitchen sponges having an ultra-violet light source with sufficient intensity to kill germs, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens and microorganisms.
This invention relates to a kitchen sponge sterilization holder that emits ultra-violet radiation in a range sufficient to destroy germs, bacteria, viruses, pathogens and microorganisms. The ultra-violet sponge holder includes a housing containing a ultra-violet light source a power source, a sponge holder and a drainage retention area to hold drainage from a sponge.
The ultra-violet sponge holder is in the form of a container having a holder top containing the housing for the ultra-violet light source and a holder bottom containing the power source, the sponge holder and the drainage retention area. The housing containing the ultra-violet light source is located on the holder top and is held by a ultra-violet socket allowing for sterilization of sponge without damaging the ultra-violet light source from the drainage from the kitchen sponge. The drainage from the kitchen sponge is retained in the drainage retention area, which is also sterilized by the ultra-violet light and can be drained out at a later time. The ultra-violet light source is automatically activated for a short period of time when a on/off/auto switch is moved to the “auto” position causing the ultra-violet light to activate when the holder top is opened and then closed allowing for ample time for the sterilization of the kitchen sponge placed on the sponge holder. The ultra-violet sponge holder contains a reflective top coating and a reflective bottom coating on the inside of container allowing for a larger sterilization area of sponge by reflecting the ultra-violet light. The ultra-violet light source can also be turned on by moving the on/off/auto switch to the “on” position for a longer exposure of the sponge to the ultra-violet light and then turned off by either moving the on/off/auto switch to the “auto” position, which has a predetermined timing of turning on and off the ultra-violet light when the holder top is opened and closed, or moving the switch to the “off” position to turn the ultra-violet light off. The ultra-violet light source is powered by a battery source, which is a rechargeable battery located on the holder bottom and also having a rechargeable site to charge the battery by plugging into an outlet if one is available. The ultra-violet sponge holder can also have a removable sponge holder, which can be removed from the ultra-violet sponge holder containing a sponge holder drainage openings, which allows for drainage of liquids from sponge, in which not only sponges can be placed within the ultra-violet sponge holder to be sterilized but other items as well such as utensils and wash rags. The ultra-violet sponge holder can also have a holder bottom drainage openings to allow the liquid which is drained from the sponge to the drainage retention area to be drained away for the ultra-violet sponge holder. Multiple ultra-violet lights can be added to increase the sterility of the sponge such as adding a bottom ultra-violet light to the holder bottom allowing the sponge to be radiated by ultra-violet light from both side.
The ultra-violet sponge holder can also be utilized in the form of a hand held sterilization device to clean kitchen countertops and the like. The holder top contains a holder top window, which can be opened and closed to expose the ultra-violet light source to the external environment to sterilize other areas of the kitchen or house. Unplugging the power cord from the ultra-violet sponge holder and holding the ergonomic base of the holder bottom allows the ultra-violet sponge holder to be mobile and moving the on/off/auto switch to the “no” position activates the ultra-violet light to begin sterilization of other surfaces exterior to the ultra-violet sponge holder and moving the on/of/auto switch to the “off” position turns the ultra-violet light off.
Therefore, in accordance with present invention the ultra-violet sponge holder sterilizes kitchen sponges containing the sponge holder and liquid retaining area and containing an open and closing window on holder top to sterilize other surfaces exterior to the ultra-violet sponge holder. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustrations only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only and are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings wherein the depictions are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same.
