Patent ID: 7124766

Claim:
A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a respiratory device having a tubular inlet end and an outlet end, comprising: a tank housing having a bottom, opposing sides, a top, and an interior; a partition disposed in the tank housing so as to divide the interior thereof into first and second chambers that are adapted to contain cleaning liquid therein, the partition having an opening therethrough and an upper end portion which defines an upper edge as an overflow weir, adjacent to but below said top, over which cleaning liquid can flow, and wherein the partition vertically extends from said bottom to said upper end portion and also extends across the interior of the tank housing between said sides so as to divide said interior into the first and second chambers as the only chambers within the tank housing adapted to contain cleaning liquid; a submersible pump inside the first chamber and having at least one inlet and an outlet, said at least one inlet being adapted to receive cleaning liquid from the first chamber; and at least one tubular member having opposing first and second ends and defining a flow path extending from the first end, to which the outlet of the pump is connected, and through said opening to the second end positioned inside the second chamber so as to be adjacent to but spaced from the partition, thereby allowing the tubular inlet end of the respiratory device, when within the second chamber for cleaning, to be received over said second end and removably connected thereto, such that cleaning liquid from the first chamber can be pumped by the submersible pump along said flow path, into said tubular inlet end, and through the respiratory device so as to clean the interior thereof and exit its outlet end into the second chamber to fill such second chamber to the upper end portion and associated upper edge of the partition so as to exteriorly clean the respiratory device by immersion thereof in cleaning liquid, which overflows from the second chamber into the first chamber.