Patent ID: 7854313

Claim:
A unit for sanitizing an escalator handrail comprising: A) a mounting bracket which is mounted adjacent to an escalator handrail, the escalator handrail including a top surface which is engaged by the hand of a user when that user is using the escalator associated with the handrail; B) a housing mounted on the mounting bracket located immediately superadjacent to the top surface of the escalator handrail, the handrail moving past the housing when the handrail is in use, the housing being hollow and adapted to contain sanitizing fluid for the handrail and including a first end and a second end, with the second end being located closely adjacent to the top surface of the escalator handrail, a fluid entrance port defined in the first end of the housing, a fluid dispensing port defined in the housing adjacent to the second end, the fluid dispensing port being located to dispense fluid from the interior of the housing onto the top surface of the escalator handrail as that top surface passes beneath the second end of the housing, and a closure cap removably mounted on the first end of the housing; and C) a sponge removably mounted on the mounting bracket immediately adjacent to the fluid dispensing port and located immediately downstream of the fluid dispensing port with respect to the direction of movement of the handrail relative to the housing, the sponge contacting the handrail after the handrail has passed the fluid dispensing port and has received sanitizing fluid from the housing via the fluid dispensing port.