Retrofit sanitary handle

A sanitary covering is retrofit over an existing handle or railing, particularly a shopping cart handle A stability-enhancing element in the form of compression foam is adhesively secured to an existing handle. A metal cover, such as of anodized aluminum, with a pathogen-eliminating outer surface (such as a biocidal or antimicrobial coating), jackets the compression foam. The cover may be in two parts having elements interlocking them together so as to be securely attached together and securely engage the compression foam. A method of retrofitting a sanitary covering over an existing handle or rail is also provided utilizing a stability-enhancing element and a metal cover with a biocidal or antimicrobial outer coating.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There are many surfaces that people touch in normal life that have the possibility of transmitting disease or illness-causing pathogens. For examples microbes (bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoebas, and slime molds), viruses, and like harmful organisms/pathogens can exist on handles, rails, and other surfaces for significant periods of time and can be transferred onto a human's skin when touched. If the human then touches her/his face, or the pathogen otherwise comes into contact with sensitive tissue on the human's body, illness or disease may ensue. Common surfaces with this issue include shopping cart handles, hospital bed railings, fuel pump handles, commercial building door handles, and staircase railings.

There have been many proposals for dealing with the problem of pathogen transfer from a handle or railing to a human user. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,066 provides a removable foam rubber grip for a shopping cart handle that prevents the shopper's hands from coming into contact with a conventional grocery cart handle. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,215,319 and 5,820,142 provide removable rigid plastic sanitary coverings for a shopping cart handle, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,524 utilizes an elongated flexible shopping cart handle cover with an interior anti-bacterial composition. U.S. Pat. No. 10,166,158 shows a rail cover assembly having top and bottom components made of antimicrobial or biocidal materials that couple together around railings to provide a sanitary gripping surface, and US Patent Publication No. 2005/0267233 teaches using a wide variety of antimicrobial components on a handle to allow sanitary usage of the handle. While all of these proposals can be effective under some circumstances, the invention seeks to provide a system and method that are more robust and permanent than are provided by most of the above teachings and very effectively prevent pathogens from transferring from a handle or rail to a human's skin.

According to one aspect of the present invention a system for sanitizing a handle or railing comprises a retrofit covering for the handle or railing that includes a stability-enhancing interior element, and a cover of metal (preferably aluminum) that has a pathogen-eliminating outer surface. The system of the invention is particularly applicable to shopping cart handles, but is useful for a wide variety of other handles and rails.

The stability-enhancing interior element preferably comprises compression foam which operatively engages an existing handle or railing, such as by being attached thereto with an adhesive. Surrounding/jacketing the interior compression foam is a cover of a metal such as anodized aluminum with a pathogen-eliminating outer surface, such as an antimicrobial or biocidal coating including those disclosed in US Patent Publ.2005/0267233, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/946,272 filed Dec. 10, 2019 and entitled “Process For Making Biocidal Metallic Materials,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,705, or U.S. Pat. No. 8,900,716. The aluminum cover may comprise two components which have interlocking or inter-engaging elements which allow the components to be mechanically connected together and held in place to provide a new, pathogen-eliminating surface which will be engaged by the user. Alternatively the aluminum cover could comprise a single sleeve that is crimped at one or more locations to secure it over the foam interior. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided, in combination, an existing handle or railing having an outer surface; a compression foam structure adhesively secured to the existing outer surface; and a metal cover for the compression foam having an outer surface for engagement by a user, the outer surface having pathogen-eliminating properties. Desirably the metal cover is anodized aluminum with an antimicrobial or biocidal coating on the outer surface thereof, the cover comprising two components with interlocking or inter-engaging elements to hold them together, or a single component crimped at one or more locations thereof. Typically the existing handle or railing preferably comprises a shopping cart handle, although other handles and railing may be utilized.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for retrofitting a sturdy sanitary cover on an existing handle or railing. The method comprises a) at least partially covering the existing handle or railing with a stability-enhancing element, and then b) jacketing the stability-enhancing element with a metal cover having an outer surface with pathogen-eliminating properties. In the method a) may be practiced by adhesively securing a compression foam to the existing handle or railing, and b) may be practiced utilizing an anodized aluminum cover with an outer coating of antimicrobial or biocidal material. In the method b) may be further practiced by interlocking together or inter-engaging two components, or by crimping a sleeve. The method is particularly applicable for use on a shopping cart handle although it could also be practiced on hospital bed railings, staircase railings, commercial building door handles, or other handles or rails.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a robust system for sanitizing a handle or railing, and a method of retrofitting an existing handle or railing to provide an effective pathogen-eliminating user-engaging surface. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from a detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A retrofit sanitary handle system/covering according to the invention is shown generally by reference numeral10inFIGS. 1-3. The system10includes an existing handle or railing12, which may be of metal such as aluminum, or hard plastic, and may comprise a shopping cart I handle, hospital bed railing, staircase railing, commercial building door handle, or a like handle or rail.

The system10includes a stability-enhancing interior element shown generally by reference numeral14inFIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment the stability-enhancing element comprises compression foam16which may be secured by adhesive18(shown exaggerated in size inFIG. 1for clarity of illustration only) to the handle or railing12. In the embodiment illustrated the foam16includes upper and lower portions which are spaced from each other as indicated by gaps17inFIG. 1. Alternatively the foam16could comprise a sleeve slid over the handle or railing12, or a one-piece sheet folded over around the handle or railing12so that the ends thereof substantially touch.

The compression foam16preferably comprises a high or medium compression foam selected from the group consisting essentially of polyurethane, polyethylene, and neoprene foam, and combinations thereof, with a density of about 2-40 lbs./ft3and which requires a pressure of about 4-15 psi to compress it 25%, preferably a density of about 8-30 lbs./ft3and requiring a psi of about 6-12 to compress it 25%. The adhesive18preferably comprises an acrylic and/or silicone adhesive with an effective operating range of −40 to 120° F. The surface of the handle or railing12is cleaned, such as with a liquid or spray isopropanol, or an alcohol wipe, and left to dry before applying adhesive18, and then the foam16to the adhesive18.

Jacketing the compression foam16and securely in engagement therewith is a metal cover shown generally by reference numeral20inFIG. 1. The metal may be selected from aluminum (e.g. 6060-T5) such as anodized aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, or a variety of other metals, with anodized aluminum preferred. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1the cover20is formed by two components, an upper component21, and a lower component22which, as seen inFIG. 1, can be substantially identical. Mechanical elements are preferably provided to connect the components21,22by interlocking or inter-engaging them together. In the preferred embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1the upper component21has one hook-shaped end23which receives the end projection24of the lower component22, and vice-versa for the lower component22. Alternatively one component21,22can have two hook-shaped ends23and the other component two end projections24.

The interlocking/inter-engaging ends23,24are provided in the gaps17between the upper and lower portions of the foam16, as seen inFIG. 1so that the components21,22. snap together, making a “clicking” sound when they do so. The ends23,24securely fit together so that they will not separate during normal use of the handle system10, by pressing the projections24into operative association with the hooks23. The fit between the projections24and hooks23may be clearance, transition, or interference, preferably a transition or interference fit. In any case preferably the cover20is held securely in place, and securely engages the foam16. Optionally another layer (not shown) of the same adhesive as18may be provided between the foam16and the interiors of components21,22.

As an alternative to the components21,22, the cover20may be provided as a sleeve and crimped into contact with the foam substantially continuously along its length, or at one or more spaced locations.

The outer surface of the metal cover20has a pathogen-eliminating coating26, shown greatly exaggerated in size inFIG. 1for clarity of illustration only. The coating26may be a known biocidal or antimicrobial coating such as provided by the UmanProtek™ technology of A3 Surfaces of Chicoutimi, QC, Canada, and/or provided by a variety of known or to be developed techniques, such as shown in US Patent Publ. 2005/0267233, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/946,272 filed Dec. 10, 2019 and entitled “Process For Making Biocidal Metallic Materials,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,705, and/or U.S. Pat. No. 8,900,716, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The covering10according to the invention is shown in side view inFIG. 2. The length thereof will, of course, depend upon the length of the handle or rail12and the covering10may terminate just short of the ends of the handle or rail12, as schematically illustrated inFIG. 2. As shown inFIG. 3the covering10is preferably applied to the handle12of a conventional shopping cart30.

According to the method of the invention, there is provided a method for retrofitting a sturdy sanitary covering10on an existing handle or railing12. The method comprises: a) at least partially covering the existing handle or railing12with a stability-enhancing element16(or16/18) as shown inFIG. 1; and then b) jacketing the stability-enhancing element16with a metal cover20having an outer surface (e. g. coating26) with pathogen-eliminating properties.

In the method a) may be practiced by adhesively (18) securing a compression foam16to the existing handle or railing12. Also in the method b) may be practiced utilizing an anodized aluminum cover20with an outer coating26of antimicrobial or biocidal material. In the method b) may be further practiced by interlocking together or inter-engaging two components21,22of the cover20(such as by using hook23and projection24ends thereof in a transition or interference fit, and snap together with a “clicking” sound) so that they are securely held together and preferably in secure contact with the stability-enhancing element16; or alternatively b) is further practiced by tightly crimping a sleeve of aluminum into contact with the stability-enhancing element. Most desirably, a) and b) are practiced on a shopping cart handle12as the existing handle or railing, as seen inFIG. 3for shopping cart30.

While the invention has been herein shown and described in what is presently conceived to be preferred embodiments thereof it is to be understood that the system, combination, and method of the invention are to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent structures and procedures limited only by the prior art. This disclosure is also to be interpreted so as to encompass all narrower ranges within a broad range; for example a foam density of about 2-40 lbs./ft.3specifically covers 3.0-33.2, 8.4-30.5, 1.95-6.8, and all other specific ranges within the broad range.