Hand-held pressurized sanitizing system

Abstract

A hand-held system for sanitizing contaminated articles that come into intimate contact with the human body such as scuba diving equipment including aqua lungs, wet-suits, fins, caps and masks comprises structures for exposing confined parts of the gear such as hoses, pressure regulators and mouthpieces to a pressurized flow of fluid using a fluid-conditioning spray gun adapted to mix a germicidal solution into a jet of water or other fluid carrier. The spray gun has a conical nozzle provided with a set of graduated, flexible, feather-edged disks or barbs that can hermetically mate with a number of component apertures of different sizes and shapes.

1 . An apparatus for sanitizing contaminated articles which comprises: 
 a source of pressurized fluid;    a source of sanitizing fluid;    a spraying gun having a pressurized fluid inlet, a mixed fluid outlet, a pressurized fluid channel including a venturi between said inlet and said outlet, and a mixing fluid inlet connected to said venturi;    conduct means between said source of pressurized fluid and said pressurized fluid inlet, and between said source of sanitizing fluid and said mixing fluid inlet; and    a nozzle at said mixed fluid outlet, said nozzle have a proximal end secured to said outlet and a distal end;    a plurality of circumferentially feather-edged disks axially layered around said nozzle, said disks having different, graduated outer diameters stepping up from a smallest one of said disks proximal to said distal end to a largest one of said disks proximal said proximal end.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said disks are made of resiliently flexible material.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said disks are formed integrally with said nozzle.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of pressurized fluid comprises a water supply line.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of pressurized fluid comprises a tank of pressurized gas.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of pressurized fluid comprises a pump drawing from a body of water.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of pressurized fluid comprises: 
 a reservoir;    a liquid held in said reservoir; and    means for pressurizing said liquid within said reservoir.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said means for pressurizing comprise a manually operable pump.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of sanitizing fluid comprises: 
 a reservoir; and    a germicidal solution held within said reservoir.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said spray gun further comprises a manometer connected to said pressurized fluid channel.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of sanitizing fluid comprises: an anti-bacterial agent.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises means for pressurizing fluid at said mixed fluid outlet to at least 1.36 atmospheres to said source of pressurized fluid.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises means for injecting said mixed fluid into confined zones of said articles.