Sanitising apparatus

Abstract

A sanitising apparatus (10) for sanitising a door handle (17) is affixable to a door surface (14) adjacent a door handle (17). A main body (12) houses a reservoir (50) for holding a quantity of saniti

Description

This invention relates to sanitising apparatus, and in particular, but without limitation, to sanitising apparatus that is capable of automatically sanitising door furniture, such as door handles. It is widely accepted that the problem of cross-contamination in hospitals, care homes and the like is exacerbated by patients, staff and visitors washing their hands too infrequently. Guidelines currently recommend that all staff and visitors wash and sanitise their hands on a regular basis when visiting a patient but unfortunately, such practices are frequently not observed. This can result in germs being transferred from patient to patient, either directly, or by people touching surfaces, which have previously been touched by unclean hands. The problem of cross-contamination control can be ameliorated by regular cleaning / sanitisation procedures but, in practice, it is virtually impossible for cleaning procedures to keep up with the rate of cross-contamination events. Another situation in which cross-contamination is potentially problematic is in bathrooms and kitchens, and especially those in restaurants where kitchen staff may visit a bathroom and subsequently return to the kitchen area. Regulations typically mandate the washing of kitchen staff's hands before and after bathroom visits to minimise cross-contamination, but again, this is sadly not always adhered to. Similarly, patrons of a restaurant often frequent the bathroom facilities during the course of a meal, and there is potential there also, where patrons do not observe correct handwashing procedures, for cross-contamination to occur. This invention aims to provide a solution to one or more of the above problems. Aspects of the invention are set forth in the appended independent claims. Preferred and / or optional features are set forth in the appended dependent claims. According to the invention, there is provided a door-handle sanitiser comprising a main body affixable, in use, to a door surface adjacent to a door handle, and within the body: a reservoir for holding a quantity of sanitising liquid or gel; at least one actuator; a pump; and a nozzle configured, in use, to be spaced apart from, and directed towards, the door handle and being configured to produce a fan spray pattern directed towards the handle; and a first tube connecting an outlet of the pump to the nozzle; the door handle sanitiser being characterised by: upon actuation, the pump transferring a quantity of sanitising liquid or gel from the reservoir to, and out through, the nozzle; and by the nozzle being mounted on an actuated moveable mount, whereby movement of the actuator moves the nozzle such that the fan of spray and sanitising liquid or gel traverses the handle thereby coating a portion of it with the sanitising liquid or gel. Suitably, the main body is affixable, in use, to the door surface using a pressure sensitive adhesive strip or screws. By affixing the main body to the door using a pressure sensitive adhesive strip or screws, it is possible to retrofit the handle sanitising apparatus relatively easily. It also permits ready replacement and / or repair as well. Suitably, the actuator comprises a linear actuator such as a solenoid. Linear actuators, and in particular solenoids, are relatively commonplace and easy to source such as. A solenoid is a preferred option as it has a lower power consumption and is extremely reliable. Preferably, the solenoid is spring-biased so that energising the solenoid moves it to the first direction, but when de-energised, it automatically returns to a second position. This avoids the need to have to power the solenoid when it is in an "at rest" state and also avoids the need to have two solenoids operating in different directions. The nozzle is suitably configured, in use, to produce a narrow fan spray pattern. In situations where the nozzle is configured to produce a narrow fan spray pattern, this can be advantageous as it minimises the amount of wastage. Suitably, the width of the fan pattern is approximately the same as the width of the handle at the point where it impinges upon the handle, and is "narrow" in the sense that it draws-out a strip as it moves along the handle. The first and second one-way valves are preferably oriented so as to permit the flow of sanitizing liquid or gel in the direction of, or towards, the nozzle. By orientating the first and second one-way valves thus, the system can be configured to operate as a positive displacement pump, which is an extremely simple and reliable configuration. The moveable mount suitably comprises a hub supported on an axle, which is arranged to oscillate about the hub. Suitably, the moveable mount comprises a plastics disc with the hub formed in it. The hub serves as a pivot point for the disk, but can also be hollow so as to provide a conduit through which the sanitizing liquid or gel flows. In such a configuration, the first tube can be connected to a hollow axle and the nozzle can be connected to the hub such that sanitizing liquid or gel can be pumped through the moveable mount into the nozzle, in use. A linkage suitably connects the actuator to the piston. A linkage suitably connects the actuator to the moveable mount at a position spaced from the hub such that the moveable mount translates substantially linear movement of the linkage into rotational movement of the moveable mount. The linkage connecting the actuator to the piston and the linkage connecting the actuator to the moveable mount can be the same linkage or separate linkages, depending on the configuration. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a first linkage connects the actuator to the moveable mount so as to move the nozzle, and a second linkage connectsan opposite side of the moveable mount to the piston. In such a configuration, the moveable mount effectively operates as a crank to translate linear movement of the actuator into rotational movement of the nozzle, and rotational movement of the mount into linear movement of the piston. This is a very simple and reliable mechanical configuration. The extent of movement of the piston and / or nozzle can thus be adjusted by moving the spacing of the connection points between their respective linkages relative to the hub of the moveable mount. This enables the amount of sanitizing liquid or gel to be adjusted, as well as the travel of the nozzle to be adjusted also. The orientation of the nozzle relative to the moveable mount is suitably adjustable and lockable to a user-defined position. This enables the nozzle to be configured upon first installation so as to direct the sanitizing liquid or gel from the nozzle correctly onto the handle, in use. The orientation of the nozzle relative to the user defined position may be moveable by way of an articulated coupling between the moveable mount and the nozzle. The articulated coupling may comprise a sleeve within which the nozzle is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The articulated coupling may comprise a tang associated with the nozzle and an abutment associated with the main body, whereby movement of the nozzle relative to the main body causes the tang to engage with the abutment and thus rotate the nozzle about its longitudinal axis. A return spring is suitably provided to return the nozzle to a neutral position when the tang disengages the abutment. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a housing is provided for containing and / or protecting the working components of the sanitiser. Suitably, the housing comprises a main body portion, which is detachably connectable to a mounting plate, to enable the workings of the sanitiser to be inspected and, preferably, for the reservoir to be replaced or re-filled. The dispensing means suitably comprises a pump, which can be an impeller pump, a positive displacement pump (e.g. a piston) or any other suitable means. Suitably, the dispensing means is configured to dispense a predetermined quantity of sanitised liquid or gel upon actuation thereof. The nozzle is suitably provided to form a spray of sanitising liquid or gel having a desired spray pattern. In certain embodiments, the nozzle may generate a generally conical spray pattern, whereas in other embodiments, it may generate a generally cylindrical spray pattern (columnated) or a sheetlike spray pattern. The nozzle is suitably mounted in a ball and socket type mount to enable its orientation to be adjusted and a locking means is suitably provided for locking the nozzle at a desired orientation. The trigger can be of any suitable type, although it is envisaged that the trigger may comprise a timing device, such as a mechanical timer and / or an electronic timer. The timer can be configured to cause the dispenser to actuate at predetermined intervals and / or at pre-determined times of the day. A microcontroller may be provided for controlling the trigger such that the frequency of the dispensing is greater or lesser at different times of the day / night. Specifically, the trigger may be configured to increase the frequency of the dispensing around mealtimes and less frequently overnight. The timing and frequency can be adjusted by a user to match certain prevailing conditions such as shift patterns, mealtimes, etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the trigger may comprise a proximity sensor, which triggers the dispensing means upon detection of an object in proximity thereof. For example, the dispensing means may be set to dispense a quantity of sanitising liquid or gel when an object moves within a certain distance of a proximity sensor. Preferably, however, detection of an object within the vicinity of the proximity sensor suitably causes a countdown timer to start, at the end of which, a dispensing means is triggered. Such a configuration may be particularly advantageous insofar as it enables, in one embodiment, a person's hand to pass within range of the proximity sensor and only after hand has been removed, does the dispensing means fire. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the sanitising apparatus is specifically designed to be affixed to a door with the nozzle directing a spray of sanitising liquid or gel towards a door handle / touch plate of the door. It will be appreciated that door handles and fingerplates on doors are areas which are touched frequently by dirty hands, and thus provide an ideal site for crosscontamination events to occur. However, by providing the sanitising apparatus of the invention alongside the door handle or finger plate, it is possible to configure it to sanitise the door handle / finger plate each time the door handle or finger plate is used. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the sanitising apparatus comprises a mounting plate, which is generally planar and which can be screwed, adhered or otherwise affixed to a door surface above the location of a door handle on the door. The nozzle, in this particular embodiment, could be directed downwardly to form a fan-like spray pattern, which coats the door handle with sanitising Iiquid / gel each time the dispensing means is triggered. A proximity sensor may be located at the bottom of the sanitising apparatus, which detects when the door handle has been used (i.e. a hand passing beneath it) such that once the door handle has been used and the hand withdrawn, a spray of sanitising liquid / gel is dispensed onto the handle thereby sanitising it. The sanitising apparatus is suitably battery-powered and this avoids the need for any hardwiring, which can be particularly problematic on moving items, such as doors. Suitably the sanitising liquid / gel comprises an anti-bacterial / anti-microbial agent, which kills bacteria / micro-organisms on contact therewith. Sanitising liquids or gels are relatively well-known in the art and do not require detailed explanation herein. However, in certain embodiments of the invention, it may be preferable for the sanitising liquid or gel to be alcohol-free, in order to respect the needs of people with religious beliefs that do not allow them to use alcohol. An embodiment of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1, is a schematic, perspective view of a sanitising apparatus in accordance with the invention by being used to sanitise a door handle; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a sanitising apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a schematic internal view showing the configuration of the various parts of the sanitising apparatus; Figures 4-7 are a sequence showing the operation of the sanitising apparatus, in use; Figure 8 is a schematic, perspective view of a nozzle rotating arrangement; Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3, in which the linear actuator has been replaced by a motor; Figure 10 shows a yet further alternate embodiment of the invention, similar to that shown in Figure 9, in which the gear arrangement has been replaced by a pulley arrangement; Figure 11 shows a yet further embodiment of the invention utilising a rack and pinion arrangement; Figures 12 and 13 show side and front schematic views, respectively, of an alternative embodiment of the invention suitable for use in conjunction with an elongate port handle / door bar; Figure 14 shows a further alternative embodiment of the door bar sanitiser shown in Figures 12 and 13; Figure 15 is a schematic side view of a yet further possible embodiment of the door bar version shown in Figures 12 - 14; Figure 16 is a perspective, exploded view of another embodiment of a handle sanitising apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 17 is a close-up view of components of the handle sanitising apparatus shown in Figure 17; Figures 18 and 19 are, respectively, perspective views of the handle sanitising apparatus of Figure 16 assembled, but with the housing removed, and present; Figure 20 is a front view of the handle sanitising apparatus shown in Figure 19; Figure 21 is a plan view from above of the handle sanitising apparatus shown in Figure 19; Figure 22 is a cross-section of Figure 20 on XX II - XX II; and Figure 23 is a cross-section of Figure 20 on XX III - XX III. Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a sanitising apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention comprises a main body 12, which is affixed to a door surface 14 above a door handle 16. The sanitising apparatus has a nozzle 20, through which sanitising liquid is sprayed so as to impinge upon the door handle 16. The nozzle 20 is mounted on a rotor 18, which rotates between first and second positions 21 so as to direct the spray 22 of sanitising liquid or gel onto a surface 17 of the door handle 16. Although not shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the main body 12 houses a reservoir, which contains a quantity of sanitising liquid or gel to be dispensed, a power supply, such as a rechargeable battery or a "supercapacitor", an actuator and an internal mechanism and hydraulic component, as shall be described below. Comparing Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it can be seen that in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the rotor 18 simply oscillates, during use, so as to inscribe 21 an arc of liquid or gel sanitiser onto the surface 17 of the handle 16. However, in Figure 2 of the drawings, it can be seen that when the rotor 18 moves to the end of its extent of rotation, the nozzle 20 is also rotated 24 so as to cause the sweep 21 of the spray 22 to extend 21a to a position 22a whereby the outwardly projecting part of the handle 16 is also coated with liquid or gel sanitising fluid. The invention differs from known handle sanitisers insofar as the nozzle 20 is configured to move, thereby causing the jet or mist of sanitising liquid or gel to be swept over the surface 17 to be coated. This means that a narrower arc 22 of spray can be formed, thereby increasing the efficiency of the device by minimising loss of fluid by spraying an area adjacent to, but not impinging, the handle 16. Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, the internal mechanism of the sanitising apparatus 10 comprises a linear actuator 30, such as a solenoid, which connects to a connecting rod 32, which rotates a rotor 18 about a hub. A second connecting rod 38 is provided on the opposite side of the hub 36 to the first connecting rod 32, and the second connecting rod 38 connects to the piston 40 of a positive displacement pump 42. It will be appreciated, therefore, that as the linear actuator 30 is extended or retracted, the rotor 18 rotates about the hub 36 and this drives the piston 40 to move in an opposite direction to the linear actuator 30. The nozzle 20 is mounted on the rotor 18 and has an internal pipe 50, which permits a feed-through between the nozzle 20 and a feed tube 48, via the hub 36. The feed tube 48 is connected at one end to the hub 36, and then to the nozzle 20, and at its opposite end to an outlet of the cylinder 41 in which the piston 40 is arranged to reciprocate. Aone-way check valve 44 is provided in the feed pipe 48 to ensure that the flow of fluid within the feed pipe 48 is in one direction, namely towards the nozzle 20. However, interposed between the one-way check-valve 44 and the end of the feed pipe 48 that connects to the cylinder 41 is a branch pipe 52, which is teed into the feed pipe 48 stream of the afore-mentioned check-valve 44. A further one-way check-valve 46 is provided in the branch pipe 52 ensuring one-way flow of fluid within the branch pipe 52 towards the feed pipe 48. The opposite end of the branch pipe 52 is connected to a reservoir 50, which contains a quantity of sanitising liquid or gel to be dispensed. In use, as the linear actuator 30 is extended, this rotates the rotor 18 causing the piston 40 to be driven in the opposite direction and thereby force fluid out of the cylinder 41, down the feed pipe 48, through the one-way check-valve 44, and out through the nozzle 20. However, when the linear actuator 30 operates in the opposite direction, the piston 40 is pulled down, causing the volume of the cylinder 41 to expand, permitting fluid from a reservoir to be drawn into the feed pipe 48 and into the cylinder 41 via the branch line 52 and the one-way check-valve 46. The sequence of operation is shown, schematically in Figures 4-7 of the drawings, in which Figure 4 shows the apparatus 10 in an "at rest" state with the linear actuator 30 fully retracted and the nozzle 20 moved to a left-hand position. When the sanitising apparatus 10 is actuated, the linear actuator 30 moves down 60, causing the rotor 18 to rotate and thereby move the nozzle 20 to an intermediate position. At the same time, the piston 40 is being driven upwardly 62 causing fluid within the cylinder 41 to be ejected through the feed pipe 48 and out through the nozzle 20, thereby forming a spray 22. The formation of spray occurs simultaneously with movement of the nozzle 20, causing the spray 22 to be "swept" over a given area in front of the nozzle 20. As shown in Figure 6, at the full extent of the linear actuator's 30 movement, the piston 41 reaches dead centre and the nozzle 20 has moved fully to the right-hand position. As there is no further movement in the piston 41, the spraying of liquid or gel sanitiser is halted at this point. As shown in Figure 7, the linear actuator 30 then retracts 64 causing the nozzle 20 to move back to the left-hand position as shown in Figure 4 and for the piston 40 to be drawn downwardly 66 causing the volume of the cylinder 41 to increase drawing fluid from the reservoir 50 down the branch pipe 52, through the check-valve 46, up the feed pipe 48 and into the cylinder 41. This essentially recharges the cylinder for a subsequent use. Figure 8 of the drawings shows a possible arrangement for rotating the nozzle, as indicated by arrow 21a in Figure 2 of the drawings. Here, it can be seen that the moveable mount 18 is arranged for rotation about its hub 36. The nozzle 20 is mounted for rotation about a tube 50 and has a tang 60 extending radially therefrom. The tip of the tang engages with an abutment 62, which has a curved or shaped surface 64 as can be seen from Figure 8 of the drawings. It will be appreciated, therefore, that as the moveable mount 18 rotates, as indicated by the arrow in the drawing, that the tang 60 will ride up features 66 of the surface 64 and thereby rotate about an axis of the tube 50. The nozzle is spring-loaded (not shown), such that when the moveable mount 18 rotates in the opposite direction, the nozzle 20 rotates back to its original position. It will be appreciated that the shape of the surface 64 can be configured in any suitable way so as to make the locus 21, 21a of the jet 22 follow a desired path / pattern. Turning now to Figure 9 of the drawings, the arrangement of the invention is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 3 of the drawings previously, except this time, the linear actuator 30 has been replaced by a motor (not shown), which drives a gear 68. The teeth of the gear 68 mesh with corresponding teeth 70 provided around the exterior of the rotatable hub 18 and it will be seen, therefore, that rotation of the gear 68, causes rotation of the moveable mount 18 in an opposite direction, thereby moving the nozzle 20 as previously described. Furthermore, due to the provision of the linkage 38 connecting the moveable mount 18 to the piston 40, rotation of the gear 68 also causes displacement of the piston 40 in the manner previously described. Referring now to Figure 10 of the drawings, this is essentially an equivalent embodiment of that shown in Figure 9, except this time, the motor (not shown) is connected to a first pulley wheel 72 which drives a pulley belt 74, which wraps around the moveable mount 18, so as to rotate it upon rotation of the motor. Again, because the moveable mount 18 is connected to the piston 40 via the linkage 38, movement of the motor causing rotation of the first pulley wheel 72 simultaneously moves the nozzle 20 and simultaneously displaces the piston 40. A further possible embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 11 of the drawings, but this time a linkage 39 connecting the piston 40 to the main linkage 38 comprises a rack 76, which engages with a pinion gear 78, which is driven by a motor (not shown). It will be appreciated that rotation of the motor, and hence the pinion gear 78 translates into linear movement of the rack 76 thereby displacing the piston 40 linearly, and causing the moveable mount 18, and hence the nozzle 20 to move around the hub 36. Yet further embodiments of the invention are shown in Figures 12 -15 of the drawings, which relate to embodiments that are suitable for use in conjunction with a door bar / door pull type handle. The pull bar handle 170 comprises a generally straight section 172 that is affixed to a door surface 14 by feet 174 that connect to the straight portion 172 by outward projection parts 176. This forms a space 178 between the straight section 172 and the door surface 14 into which a user's hand (not shown) can be placed to pull on the bar handle 170 to open or close the door. A housing 180 (not shown in Figures 13 and 14 for clarity) is located in the space 178 and houses a mechanism that drives a nozzle 20 as previously described. As can be seen more clearly from Figures 13 and 14, the nozzle has a slit aperture in it so as to produce a thin fan of spray 22 directed towards the back of the handle 170. The nozzle 20 is mounted on a moveable mount 182, which is moveable by various means so that the spray 20 traverses the length of at least part of the handle 170, thereby sanitising it with sanitising gel or liquid. In the embodiment shown in Figures 12 and 13 of the drawings, the moveable mount 182 is connected to a pulley arrangement 190, which comprises pulley wheels 192 and a pulley belt 194. Rotation of one, or both of the pulley wheels 192 causes the pulley belt 194 to move thereby linearly moving (in the illustrated embodiment) the moveable mount 182, and hence the nozzle 20 along the length of handle 170 as indicated by the arrow. Conveniently, in the embodiment shown in Figures 12 and 13, an opposite side of the pulley belt 174 is connected to a linkage 194, which connects to a piston / cylinder arrangement 196 that pumps sanitising liquid or gel, through a tube 198 to the nozzle 20. It will be appreciated by considering Figure 13 that as the pulley wheels 192 are rotated anti-clockwise, the moveable mount 182 moves down and the linkage 194 moves up. This simultaneously dispenses sanitising liquid or get into the nozzle, and then onto the handle 170. Turning now to Figure 14, the operation of the piston pump 196 is separate from the movement of the nozzle 20. In this case, a pinion gear 200 rotates and meshes with a rack 2020 so as to move the linkage 194 and thus pump liquid from the piston / cylinder 196, via the tube 198 and into the nozzle. The advantage of this arrangement is that it enables the movement of the nozzle 20 and the dispensing of the sanitising liquid or gel to be independently controlled. It also permits the system to dispense sanitising liquid or gel irrespective of the direction of movement of the nozzle relative to the handle 170. A yet further embodiment is shown in Figure 15 of the drawings, which example, the pulley system 190 has been replaced by a lead screw 204, which is supported 206 at either end, and which is driven by a motor 210. As the motor rotates, so too does the lead screw 204, thereby driving the nozzle mount 182 in either direction depending on the direction of rotation of the motor. Referring now to Figures 16 - 23 of the drawings, an alternative embodiment of the handle sanitiser 10 comprises a housing 12, which is designed to sit behind an elongate door pull-type handle 170. The pull-type handle 170 has a straight portion 172, which is located in front of the housing 12. The housing 12 is formed as a hollow plastic body having a recess 121, which provides space between the back of the handle 172 and the housing 12 for a user to insert their hand to pull upon the handle 170. A slotted aperture 123 enables a mechanism to operate through the housing 12. Internally, the housing 12 accommodates a slender reservoir 50, which has an opening 51 through which liquid or gel sanitiser can be dispensed into the reservoir 50. A tube (not shown) is inserted through the opening 51 to enable the sanitising liquid or gel to be dispensed or decanted therefrom, as desired. A guide track 200, in the form of a generally U-cross-sectioned metal component or extrusion is aligned with the slotted aperture 123 in the housing 12. The channel member 200 carries a slider 202 within it by way of complimentary formations, which permit the slider 202 to move up and down the guide rail 200. The slider 202 is connected to a drive mechanism 206 in the form of a pulley belt system 190, which has pulley wheels 192 and a pulley belt 194 that connects to the slider 202. A pump cylinder 196 is also connected to the pulley system and this is a positive displacement pump, which pumps sanitising liquid or gel from the reservoir 50 and out through a nozzle assembly 220 in use. The nozzle assembly 220, in this embodiment, comprises an outer housing 222, 224 formed by complimentary parts that fit together around the straight part 172 of the handle 170. Within this arrangement are two half-ring nozzles 226, 228, which are formed as generally C-shaped tubes with an inlet nipple 230 onto which a silicone tube or the like connects leading to the pump. The interior part of each nozzle 226, 228 has a set of slitted apertures (not visible), which each generate a "fan" of nozzle spray 22. Because the generally C-shaped nozzle assemblies 226, 228 are orientated in opposite directions, one of them 226 sprays sanitising liquid or gel onto one side of the handle 170, whereas the other 228 sprays sanitising liquid or gel onto the opposite side of the handle. The two half-rings 226, 228 are axially separated by a distance that permits a split-ring collet 232 to be located therebetween. The split-ring collet 232 is manufactured of cloth or paper pulp and has an interior surface 234, which wipes against the straight portion 172 of the handle. Because the collet 132 is located between the two half-ring nozzles 226, 228, it is slid up and down the straight part 172 of the handle 170 as the nozzle assembly 228 moves up and down the handle. In use, the drive mechanism 190 causes the nozzle assembly 220 to slide up and down the straight part 172 of the handle 170. In doing so, sanitising liquid or gel is dispensed from the half-ring nozzle assemblies 226, 228 and sanitising liquid or gel is relatively evenly distributed over the handle surface. As the nozzle assembly 220 moves axially along the straight part 172 of the handle 170, the split-ring collet serves to wipe the handle. The operation largely mimics manual spraying and wiping of a handle, but the invention enables it to be carried out automatically, or on demand. An additional element of the sanitising apparatus sees the interior surfaces 223 of the casings 222, 224 being silvered or rendered reflective, and the provision of a UV lamp or LED 225 located therewithin. Illumination of the UV lamp causes UV light to be reflected around the inside of the casing 222, 224, thereby bathing the portion of the handle 170 in UV light thereby performing a sterilising / antibacterial / antifungal / antiviral procedure as well. The UV lamp 225 is suitably a UV-C lamp, which has proven to be effective against viruses, bacteria and fungi, and this could be used in addition too and / or as an alternative to the wiping collet previously described. The foregoing embodiments are merely exemplary and it will be appreciated that other possibilities exist for causing simultaneous movement of the piston and moveable mount, and hence the orientation of the nozzle. Any such equivalents are deemed to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A door handle sanitizer comprising:a main body affixable, in use, to a door surface adjacent a door handle, and within the body:a reservoir for holding a quantity of sanitizing liquid or gel;at least one actuator;a pump; anda nozzle configured, in use, to be spaced apart from and directed towards, the door handle and being configured to produce a fan spray pattern directed towards the handle; anda first tube connecting an outlet of the pump to the nozzle;the door handle sanitizer being characterised by:upon actuation, the pump transferring a quantity of sanitizing liquid or gel from the reservoir to, and out through, the nozzle; and bythe nozzle being mounted on an actuated moveable mount, whereby movement of the actuator moves the nozzle such that the fan of spray of sanitizing liquid or gel traverses the handle thereby coating a portion of it with the sanitizing liquid or gel.

2. The door handle sanitizer of claim 1, wherein the duration of the pump actuation and the duration of the actuated moveable mount actuation, overlap.

3. The door handle sanitizer of claim 2, wherein the actuation of the pump and the actuation of the moveable mount occur simultaneously.

4. The door handle sanitizer of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the pump comprises a motorised pump.

5. The door handle sanitizer of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuated moveable mount comprises a motor-driven pulley arrangement, the moveable mount being connected to the pulley belt thereof such that rotation of the motor causes the moveable mount to move substantially according to a locus of the pulley belt.

6. The door handle sanitizer of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuated moveable mount comprises a motor-driven lead-screw screw-threadingly engaging with the moveable mount, such that rotation of the motor causes the lead-screw to rotate and thus move the moveable mount substantially parallel to the lead-screw.

7. The door handle sanitizer of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuated moveable mount comprises a motor-driven pinion gear engaging with a rack connected to the moveable mount, such that rotation of the motor causes the pinion gear to rotate and thus move the moveable mount substantially parallel to the rack.

8. The door handle sanitizer of any of any preceding claim, wherein the pump and the moveable mount are interconnected such that movement of one by an actuator causes simultaneous movement of the other.

9. The door handle sanitizer of any preceding claim, wherein:the pump comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement;a first tube connects an outlet of the cylinder to the nozzle;a second tube connects an outlet of the reservoir to the first tube at a point between the outlet of the cylinder and the nozzle;first and second one-way valves are provided, which are located upstream and downstream, respectively, of the first tube / second tube junction, andan actuator is arranged to move the piston relative to the cylinder, whereby:movement of the actuator in a first actuator direction moves the piston in a first piston direction to transfer a quantity of sanitizing liquid or gel from the reservoir to the cylinder; whereasmovement of the actuator in a second actuator direction, opposite to the first actuator direction, moves the piston in a second piston direction, opposite to the first piston direction, to pump a quantity of sanitizing liquid or gel from the cylinder and out through the nozzle.

10. The door handle sanitizer of claim 9, wherein the moveable mount and piston are mechanically interconnected, such that movement of the piston in the first direction causes movement of the whilst the moveable mount, and hence the nozzle, in a first nozzle direction, and movement of the piston in the second direction causes movement of the moveable mount, and hence the nozzle, in a second nozzle direction, the second nozzle direction being opposite to the first nozzle direction.

11. The door handle sanitizer of claim 9, wherein the moveable mount and piston are mechanically interconnected, such that movement of the mount in the first direction causes movement of the whilst the piston in the first direction, and movement of the mount in the second direction causes movement of the piston in the second direction.

12. The door handle sanitizer of any preceding claim, wherein the moveable mount comprises a hub supported on an axle, which is arranged to oscillate about the hub.

13. The door handle sanitizer of claim 12, wherein the pump or piston and the moveable mount are interconnected by a linkage connecting the pump or piston to the moveable mount at a positionradially spaced from the hub such that rotation of the moveable mount about the hub causes linear movement of the piston or movement of the pump and / or vice versa.

14. The door handle sanitizer of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation of the nozzle relative to the moveable mount is adjustable and optionally lockable to a user-defined position.

15. The door handle sanitizer of claim 14, wherein the orientation of the nozzle relative to the user defined position is moveable by way of an articulated coupling between the moveable mount and the nozzle.

16. The door handle sanitizer of claim 15, wherein the articulated coupling comprises a sleeve within which the nozzle is rotatable about its longitudinal axis.

17. The door handle sanitizer of claim 16, wherein the articulated coupling comprises a tang associated with the nozzle and an abutment associated with the main body, whereby movement of the nozzle relative to the main body causes the tang to engage with the abutment and thus rotate the nozzle about its longitudinal axis.

18. The door handle sanitizer of claim 14, 15 or 16 wherein the articulated coupling further comprises a return spring to return the nozzle to a neutral position when the tang disengages the abutment.

19. The door handle sanitizer of any of claims 9 to 18, wherein the first and second one-way valves are oriented so as to permit the flow of sanitizing liquid or gel in the direction of, or towards, the nozzle.

20. The door handle sanitizer of any preceding claim, wherein the main body is affixable, in use, to the door surface using a pressure sensitive adhesive strip or screws, the main body comprises anopening through which the reservoir can be refilled via a reservoir inlet and the reservoir is removable and comprises a releasable sealing arrangement between its outlet and the second tube

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