Disinfector for glass vials

Claim 1

A disinfector apparatus for effecting heat disinfection by heating of a plurality of devices such as contact lenses, each of said plurality of devices being disposed in a quantity of liquid within a closed container, said apparatus comprising: a housing, a plurality of receptacles defined within said housing, each said receptacle being of a complementary shape for receiving a portion of one of said containers therewithin; heating means disposed for heating said receptacles to thereby heat respective containers disposed therein, and control circuit means for controlling a predetermined cycle of heating effected by said heating means; wherein said heating means comprises at least one electrically energizable heating element and wherein said control circuit means comprises controllable switching means coupled with said heating means and with a source of electrical power and having a control input, said controllable switching means being responsive to a control signal at said control input for alternatively making and breaking an electrical circuit between said power source and said heating means, and timer circuit means coupled with said control input for producing said control signal for causing energization of said heating means for a predetermined time duration; wherein said timer circuit means includes reset input means responsive to a reset signal for resetting the timer circuit means to restart said predetermined time duration of heating by said heating means; wherein said housing includes a selectively openable and closable cover member, and wherein said control circuit means further includes cover sensor means responsive to said cover portion being open and being closed, respectively, for continuously producing said reset signal until said cover portion is closed.