US 12,121,197 B2
Entryway mat for disinfecting the soles of shoes
Abhishek Tandon, Dallas, TX (US); and Kanak Subramanian, Dallas, TX (US)
Filed by Abhishek Tandon, Dallas, TX (US); and Kanak Subramanian, Dallas, TX (US)
Filed on Oct. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/491,921.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/086,635, filed on Oct. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0104686 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. A47L 23/26 (2006.01); A47L 23/02 (2006.01); A47L 23/20 (2006.01); A61L 2/22 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 23/266 (2013.01) [A47L 23/02 (2013.01); A47L 23/20 (2013.01); A61L 2/22 (2013.01); A61L 2202/14 (2013.01); A61L 2202/15 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An entryway mat comprising:
a housing defining a misting area (14) and a drying area (16), wherein the misting and drying areas are dimensioned and configured to support a human user standing on either area;
the misting area (14) defining a plurality of perforations (18) passing through it;
a misting cylinder (13) or misting bladder (13′) containing a disinfecting solution at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and in fluid connection to one or more spray nozzles (20), wherein the one or more spray nozzles (20) are dimensioned and configured to dispense the disinfecting solution through the perforations (18) in the misting area (14) and to contact the feet or the soles of the shoes of users standing on the misting area (14);
at least one sensor (26) operationally connected to at least one sensor-controlled valve (28), wherein the at least one sensor-controlled valve (28) is operationally positioned between the misting cylinder (13) or misting bladder (13′) and the one or more spray nozzles (20), wherein the at least one sensor is configured to open the at least one sensor-controlled valve (28) when a user steps onto the misting area (14) and to close the at least one sensor-controlled valve when the user steps off the misting area (14);
a microcontroller (22) operationally connected to the at least one sensor (26) and the at least one sensor-controlled valve (28), wherein the microcontroller (22) is pre-programmed to open the at least one sensor-controlled valve (28) for a pre-determined amount of time in response to a user stepping onto the misting area (14); and
a switch (36) operationally connected to the microcontroller (22), wherein the microcontroller is pre-programmed to open the at least one sensor-controlled valve (28) after the switch (36) is pressed for a predefined period of time after which the at least one sensor-controlled valve (28) will remain open as long as the switch (36) continues to remain pressed.