Device for disinfection of soles of shoes

A device providing a reception surface for shoe soles to be disinfected, beneath which is an element impregnated with a disinfection liquid, the complete assembly being contained in a shallow tray or reservoir which is placed on the ground or embedded in this latter. The tray or reservoir (1) contains a certain quantity of disinfection liquid (4) and above the level of this liquid is a rigid plate which bears on the bottom of the tray or reservoir, for example by means of spacer members or ribs (7). The impregnation element consists of a sheet (9) of porous material stretched over and supported by the rigid plate (5a). At least one of the edges of the sheet dips into the disinfection liquid contained in the tray or reservoir (1) and serves as a capillary wick to impregnate the sheet with disinfectant. A perforated covering element (11) covers the impregnation sheet (9) so as to constitute the receiving surface for the shoes to be disinfected.

The present invention is concerned with the problem presented by the need 
to protect residential premises against the introduction of pathogenic 
agents or infectious germs carried by the soles of shoes. 
In order to solve this problem, it has already been proposed to provide 
disinfection devices which are intended to be placed at the entrance of 
premises instead of an ordinary sole-wiping doormat. One of these devices, 
described in patent FR 2,590,473, consists of a shallow tray which is 
intended to be placed on the ground and contains a relatively thick body 
of spongy material containing a disinfectant liquid. This spongy body is 
covered with a net which serves as a support for bristles and which is 
intended to constitute the receiving surface for shoes to be disinfected. 
Thus, when a person places his or her shoes on this surface, the person's 
weight causes compression of the spongy body containing the disinfection 
liquid. This latter is thus abruptly expelled from said spongy body, with 
the result that it impregnates the soles of shoes placed on the surface of 
the device considered. 
However, although the design of a device of this type appears satisfactory 
from a theoretical standpoint, this is absolutely not the case from a 
practical point of view. In fact, with the solution thus contemplated, an 
excessive quantity of liquid is discharged onto the soles of shoes. This 
has a disadvantage in that it gives rise to excessive consumption of said 
liquid and consequently to the need for frequent re-supply of the spongy 
body with disinfection liquid. Moreover, when the shoes are too strongly 
impregnated, they are liable to produce stains and dirty marks on the 
floor of the corresponding premises, especially when this floor is covered 
with wall-to-wall carpet. 
Moreover, by reason of the abruptness of compression of the spongy body 
under the action of a person's weight, upward squirting of the 
disinfection liquid frequently occurs. This results in dirty marks on the 
lower parts of clothing of the person who is standing on the device as 
well as on the floor and adjacent walls. This clearly constitutes an 
unacceptable drawback. 
All the same disadvantages are again met with in the case of the device 
described in patent FR 2,381,152. In fact, this latter also comprises a 
relatively thick spongy body which is impregnated with disinfection 
liquid. Here again, it is the compression and deformation of said spongy 
body which causes expulsion of the disinfection liquid towards the soles 
of shoes placed on a perforated flexible sheet which covers the entire 
assembly. 
It is for this reason that the present invention has for its object a 
disinfection device which is of the same general type but is so designed 
as to circumvent these disadvantages. 
In the same manner as the devices recalled earlier, the present device 
comprises a reception surface for soles to be disinfected, beneath which 
provision is made for an element impregnated with a disinfection liquid, 
the complete assembly being contained in a shallow tray or the like which 
is intended to be placed on the ground. However, the device in accordance 
with the invention is characterized in that: 
on the one hand the tray of this device contains a certain quantity of 
disinfection liquid and provision is made above the level of this liquid 
for a rigid plate which bears on the bottom wall of the tray, for example 
by means of spacer members, ribs or the like, 
and on the other hand the impregnation element consists of a sheet of 
porous material or the like stretched over the rigid plate which serves as 
a support for this latter, and at least one of the edges of said sheet 
dips into the disinfection liquid contained in the tray, a perforated 
covering element or the like being placed over said impregnation sheet so 
as to constitute the reception surface for shoes to be disinfected. 
Thus impregnation of shoe soles takes place by simple moistening as a 
result of rubbing contact with the reception surface which has already 
been moistened by the disinfection liquid, and not by abrupt expulsion of 
said liquid from a spongy body of substantial thickness under the action 
of compression of this latter. Furthermore, by virtue of the design 
concept of the device in accordance with the invention, the reception 
surface for soles to be disinfected is virtually isolated from the 
disinfection liquid which is contained in the bottom of the tray, namely 
by means of the rigid plate which serves as a support for the porous 
impregnation sheet. In this connection, emphasis should be laid on the 
fact that this sheet does not constitute a spongy body of substantial 
thickness but a relatively thin sheet which is only impregnated by 
capillarity with the disinfection liquid and which contains a very limited 
quantity of this liquid. It is for this reason that there is no risk of 
abrupt expulsion of a large quantity of disinfection liquid under the 
weight of a person. 
In a particular form of construction of the present device, this latter is 
so designed that it can be installed directly within a cavity formed in 
the ground, for example a cavity already provided for positioning a 
conventional wiping doormat, or a cavity specially arranged to receive the 
present device. In this particular form of construction, this latter is 
accordingly simply constituted by a rigid plate for supporting the 
impregnation sheet as well as by the element which covers the complete 
assembly. In such a case, in fact, the disinfection liquid is directly 
placed within the cavity which is provided in the ground and which 
accordingly performs the function of a disinfection liquid reservoir in 
the same manner as the tray which existed in the preceding form of 
construction. 
However, other particular features and advantages of the device in 
accordance with the invention will become apparent from the following 
description which is given with reference to the accompanying drawing 
solely by way of indication.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the present disinfection device 
comprises a rectangular tray 1 of small thickness which virtually 
constitutes the body of this device. This tray can be laid flat on the 
ground or else can be fitted in a recess formed in the ground for this 
purpose in order that its top surface should be flush with the ground. 
Said tray can advantageously be manufactured by moulding from plastic 
material or elastomer. 
The peripheral wall 2 surrounding said tray can be inclined as is apparent 
from FIG. 2. The top edge of said wall has a horizontal flange 3 which 
extends inwards. 
The tray 1 contains a certain quantity of disinfection liquid 4 which is 
capable of destroying pathogenic agents and infectious germs. This liquid 
can fill at least half the height of the tray 1, its maximum level being 
indicated by the line A-B. Above this latter are provided two horizontal 
rigid plates 5a and 5b which are placed one after the other in the 
lengthwise direction and the overall surface area of which corresponds to 
that of the internal space of the tray 1. These two plates are directly 
supported on the bottom wall 6 of the tray 1 by means of spacer members or 
ribs 7 which project downwards from the bottom surface of said plates and 
are intended to bear on the bottom wall of the tray 1 and which extend in 
the longitudinal direction. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, each of 
these plates is fabricated from extrusion-moulded plastic material and is 
provided with a series of parallel compartments 16 which extend in the 
longitudinal direction. However, ribs 7 as well as the compartments 16 
could just as easily extend in the transverse direction. The height of 
said ribs 7 is such that the plates 5a and 5b are accordingly located 
above the level of the line A-B. 
However, the ribs 7 could be replaced by any other suitable supporting 
elements such as, for example, studs or other spacer members. If so 
required, the ribs or other spacer members carried by the bottom faces of 
the plates 5a and 5b could be replaced by projecting studs or other 
supporting elements provided on the top face of the bottom wall 6 of the 
tray 1. 
Preferably, the two plates 5a and 5b are spaced apart (see FIG. 4). 
However, they are connected to each other by means of junction members 8, 
the ends 8a and 8b of which are engaged within recesses 16 existing in the 
plates 5a and 5b (see FIG. 4). However, any other suitable elements could 
be employed for attaching the two plates 5a and 5b to each other. 
One of these two plates, namely the plate 5a, is covered with a thin sheet 
9 of porous material which can be soaked with the disinfection liquid. 
This sheet covers the entire surface of the plate 5a but at least one of 
its edges extends beyond and is turned downwards in order to dip into the 
disinfection liquid contained in the tray 4. In the example shown in FIG. 
2, both longitudinal edges 10 of said porous sheet are turned downwards 
and dip into the liquid 4. The turned-down edges perform the function of 
wicks so that the entire surface of the porous sheet 9 is impregnated with 
disinfection liquid by capillarity. However, the quantity of said 
impregnation liquid is very limited since the impregnation element is a 
porous sheet 9 of very small thickness and not a relatively thick spongy 
body. 
In regard to the second plate 5b, it is not provided with any impregnation 
element of this type. However, said plate as well as the first plate 5a is 
covered with a brush-type mat 11 which covers both plates. Said brush mat 
is constituted by a thin layer 12 of plastic which carries a large number 
of bristles 13 of synthetic material or vegetable material. In addition, 
the bottom layer 12 has a multitude of holes 14 for allowing the liquid 
which impregnates the porous sheet 9 to pass through. 
By virtue of the design concept of the present device, that portion of the 
mat 11 which covers the first plate 5a is continuously moistened by 
capillarity by the disinfection liquid which impregnates the porous sheet 
located underneath. In consequence, when a person rubs the soles of his or 
her shoes on this portion of the mat 11, these latter are impregnated 
simply by moistening with a limited quantity of disinfection liquid. 
Furthermore, no projection of a large quantity of said liquid is liable to 
take place since, contrarily to what occurs in the prior art devices 
recalled earlier, there is not any compression of a thick spongy body and 
abrupt expulsion of a liquid contained in this latter. In fact, in the 
case of the present device, the plate 5a isolates the porous sheet 9 from 
the liquid and only the edges of said sheet dip into this liquid. In 
consequence, said sheet does not itself serve as a disinfection liquid 
reservoir as is the case in the prior art devices in question. It serves 
simply as an impregnation element and itself contains only a very limited 
quantity of liquid by virtue of the very fact that it has a small 
thickness. Furthermore, there cannot take place a substantial deformation 
of said impregnation sheet since its thickness is limited and said sheet 
is directly supported by the rigid plate 5a provided for this purpose. In 
consequence, all the disadvantages of the prior art devices are thus 
radically removed. 
In regard to that portion of the mat 11 which covers the second plate 5b, 
it remains dry since no provision is made beneath said portion for any 
porous impregnation sheet. In consequence, this portion of the mat 11 can 
serve as a brush for wiping shoe soles after they have been impregnated 
with the disinfection liquid. As will be readily apparent, suitable 
indications can be marked on the surface of the mat 11 in order to 
differentiate the two separate portions of this latter. 
It should be noted that the spacing provided between the two plates 5a and 
5b is intended to prevent the portion of the mat 11 which is located above 
the second plate 5b from being moistened by the impregnation liquid 
contained in the porous sheet 9. 
There may preferably be provided on one side of the tray 1 a transparent 
plug which serves to check the level of liquid 4 contained within this 
latter in order to carry out a fresh filling operation whenever necessary. 
This filling operation can accordingly be performed through an orifice 
specially provided for this purpose. However, it is also possible to 
remove the top mat and the two plates 5a and 5b in order to carry out this 
filling operation. To this end, the top flange 3 of the tray 1 is flexible 
and its bottom edge has a number of recesses for easily lifting said 
flange. 
The device in accordance with the invention can form the subject of many 
other forms of construction. This device may accordingly be constructed so 
as to constitute solely a surface for impregnating shoe soles whereas 
wiping of these soles is carried out on another suitable surface, for 
example on a conventional doormat. In such a case, the device in 
accordance with the invention comprises a rigid plate in a single piece 
and its entire surface is covered with a porous sheet 9, at least one edge 
of which is turned-down so as to dip into the disinfection liquid 4 
contained within the tray 1. 
FIG. 6 illustrates another form of construction which is designed to be 
employed directly within a cavity 15 formed in the ground, for example a 
cavity already provided for the installation of a conventional doormat or 
a cavity specially designed for the installation of the device in 
accordance with the invention. In such a case, the tray 1 provided in the 
preceding form of construction is completely suppressed. The device is in 
this case simply constituted by the two plates 5a and 5b as well as by the 
porous impregnation layer 9 which covers the first of these plates and the 
mat 11 placed over the complete assembly. However, the example shown in 
FIG. 6 corresponds to the alternative embodiment in which provision is 
made for a single plate 5 instead of two separate and distinct plates 5a 
and 5b. Said single plate is covered with a porous sheet 9 which extends 
over its entire surface and the same applies to the top mat 11. In this 
case, the entire top surface of the present device serves as a surface for 
impregnating shoe soles which must subsequently be wiped on another 
suitable surface. 
After its installation within the cavity 15, the plate 5 is directly 
applied against the bottom of this latter by means of the ribs 7 provided 
on the underface of said plate. In view of the fact that the tray is 
completely suppressed, the impregnation liquid 4 is poured directly into 
the interior of the cavity 15 which thus serves as a reservoir. Under 
these conditions, the cavity walls can advantageously be covered 
beforehand with a fluid-tight lining. As will readily be apparent, the 
cavity 15 must not be filled to the level of the plate 5 in order that 
this latter should be capable of performing the same function as the 
plates 5a and 5b of the preceding form of construction. 
Thus the operation of this device is the same as before. In fact, 
impregnation of the porous sheet 9 takes place simply by capillarity by 
reason of the fact that at least one edge of said sheet dips into the 
disinfection liquid contained in the cavity 15. Here again, impregnation 
of shoe soles to be disinfected takes place simply by moistening and not 
by projection of a liquid contained within a relatively thick spongy body 
which is subjected to a high degree of compression. 
It is worthy of note that the single plate 5 or the two separate and 
distinct plates 5a and 5b can be readily cut to the dimensions of the 
cavity 15 if a cavity already exists in the ground. 
Once again, however, the device in accordance with the invention may form 
the subject of many other forms of construction, especially according to 
cases and applications.