Water-powered hand-washing system

Abstract

A hand-washing apparatus configured to simultaneously wash hands includes an enclosure with openings for each hand, and members for finger support and thumb support. The finger support member extends upward from the enclosure's base and the thumb support member extends along a direction different from the finger support member. The finger support has a surface for receiving and orienting fingers of both hands at corresponding locations inside the enclosure. Similarly, the thumb support has a surface for receiving and orienting both thumbs. The finger-support surface has two recess sets, each of which receives fingers of one hand. First and second spray-nozzles are directed to irrigate the fingers and thumbs respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand washing apparatus configured to simultaneously wash both a left hand and a right hand, comprising:
 an enclosure having an exterior surface and an interior space, the exterior surface having a front face and first and second side faces located on opposites sides of the front face; the enclosure comprising:   a first opening in the first side face of the exterior surface for receiving a left hand for insertion into the interior space;   a second opening in the second side face of the exterior surface for receiving a right hand for insertion into the interior space;   a first digit support member located within the interior space having a surface for receiving and orienting a first subset of digits of the first and second hands in a predetermined position within the interior space;   a second digit support member located within the interior space having a surface for receiving and orienting a second subset of digits of the first and second hands in a predetermined position within the interior space;   a first spray nozzle, positioned in the interior space and directed toward the first digit support member at a first predetermined orientation, configured to spray a liquid toward the first subset of digits of the first and second hands when the hands are inserted into the interior space; and   a second spray nozzle, positioned in the interior space and directed toward the second digit support member at a second predetermined orientation, configured to spray a liquid toward the second subset of digits of the first and second hands when the hands are inserted into the interior space;   wherein the first and second subsets of digits comprise all of the digits of the left and right hands.   
     
     
         2 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first digit support member includes at least one surface with a plurality of recesses to receive the first subset of digits of the left and right hands. 
     
     
         3 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second digit support member includes a surface to receive the second subset of digits of the left and right hands. 
     
     
         4 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the surface of the second digit support member includes a plurality of recesses to receive the second subset of digits of the left and right hands. 
     
     
         5 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first digit support member includes a plurality of concave surfaces one associated with each of said plurality of recesses and wherein at an intersection of each concave surface and its associated recess is formed a curved edge for engaging with a digit of the first subset of digits. 
     
     
         6 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the second digit support member includes a plurality of concave surfaces one associated with each of said plurality of recesses and wherein at an intersection of each concave surface and its associated recess is formed a curved edge for engaging with a digit of the second subset of digits. 
     
     
         7 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of recesses in the second digit support member includes a surface having one of a coating and an increased roughness to increase the friction of the surface. 
     
     
         8 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of recesses in the first digit support member includes a surface having one of a coating and an increased roughness to increase the friction of the surface. 
     
     
         9 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the first digit support member includes two surfaces, a first surface for receiving the digits of a right hand and a second surface for receiving the digits of the left hand. 
     
     
         10 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first digit support member includes first and second support elements, said first support element includes said first surface for receiving the digits of the right hand and said second support element includes said second surface for receiving the digits of the left hand. 
     
     
         11 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first subset of digits includes the three-phalanx digits and the second set of digits includes the two-phalanx digits. 
     
     
         12 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first digit support member orients the first subset of digits in an upward facing direction toward an upper wall of the interior space and the second digit support member orients the second set of digits in a rearward facing direction toward a rear wall of the interior space 
     
     
         13 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first spray nozzle is located proximate an upper wall of the interior space and is directed toward the first subset of digits and wherein the second spray nozzle is located proximate a rear wall of the interior space and is directed toward the second subset of digits. 
     
     
         14 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the second spray nozzle is angled at approximately 20 degrees upward relative to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the rear wall and the first spray nozzle is angled at about 115 to 120 degrees from the second spray nozzle. 
     
     
         15 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings are spherical in shape and have curled lip portions angled inward toward the interior space on an upper portion of the openings and curled lip portions angled outward away from the interior space on a lower portion of the openings. 
     
     
         16 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a drain located in a bottom wall of the interior space for allowing sprayed liquid to be removed from the interior space. 
     
     
         17 . The hand washing apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a sensor to activate a cleaning cycle when the hands are placed in the interior space.