IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0793182
(2010-06-03)
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등록번호 |
US-8609029
(2013-12-17)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Grosman, Kurt E.
- Sparks, David W.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Zimek Technologies IP, LLC
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대리인 / 주소 |
Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
27 |
초록
▼
A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space includes a tank having an interior space for holding an aqueous sanitizing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing liquid, a bottom sector, an air inlet sector, and an exhaust sector, inner walls of the exhaust sector and the air inlet sector forming a subs
A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space includes a tank having an interior space for holding an aqueous sanitizing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing liquid, a bottom sector, an air inlet sector, and an exhaust sector, inner walls of the exhaust sector and the air inlet sector forming a substantially V-shaped air pathway within the interior space. A liquid cascading reactor vessel is positioned within the bottom sector of the tank, a top edge of the reactor vessel in adjustably spaced relation from a notch in the V-shaped air pathway. A vibratable ultrasonic head array is positionable within and beneath a top edge of the reactor vessel and is submergable within the reactor vessel for vibrating the disc to form atomized micro-particles from the liquid. Air can be drawn into the air inlet, and the formed atomized micro-particles can be exhausted from the exhaust outlet.
대표청구항
▼
1. A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space comprising: a tank having an interior space for holding an aqueous sanitizing and disinfecting liquid, the tank having a bottom sector, an air inlet sector having an air inlet therein and an inner wall, and an exhaust sector having an exhaust outle
1. A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space comprising: a tank having an interior space for holding an aqueous sanitizing and disinfecting liquid, the tank having a bottom sector, an air inlet sector having an air inlet therein and an inner wall, and an exhaust sector having an exhaust outlet therein and an inner wall facing the air inlet inner wall, the exhaust sector inner wall and the air inlet sector inner wall forming a substantially V-shaped air pathway within the interior space, the V-shaped air pathway forming a notch generally central therein;a reactor vessel positioned within the bottom sector of the tank, a top edge of the reactor vessel in spaced relation to and generally proximate a notch of the V-shaped air pathway;an ultrasonic head support comprising means for supporting an ultrasonic head comprising an ultrasonically vibratable disc for generating ultrasonic energy, the ultrasonic head support positionable within and beneath a top edge of the reactor vessel;means for transferring liquid from the tank interior space to the reactor vessel to a level for substantially submerging an ultrasonic head supported therewithin, the ultrasonic head vibratable to form atomized micro-particles from the aqueous sanitizing and disinfecting liquid;means for drawing air into the air inlet across the reactor vessel and for exhausting the formed atomized micro-particles from the exhaust outlet; anda particle filter positioned in an airflow pathway within the exhaust sector;wherein the particle filter comprises a plurality of layers, the layers comprising a support frame having apertures of a first size therethrough, a first filter element positioned in surrounding relation to the support frame and having apertures of a second size therethrough, and a second filter element positioned in surrounding relation to the first filter element and having apertures of a third size therethrough, the first size greater than the second size, the second size greater than the third size. 2. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 1, wherein the first filter element comprises a 0.25-in. plastic mesh and the second filter element comprises a 0.088-in. plastic mesh covering a first portion of the first filter element and a 0.05-in. plastic mesh covering a second portion of the first filter element distinct from the first portion. 3. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 1, wherein the support frame, the first, and the second filter element comprise substantially inverted conical-shaped elements. 4. A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space comprising: a tank having an interior space for holding an aqueous sanitizing and disinfecting liquid, the tank having a bottom sector, an air inlet sector having an air inlet therein and an inner wall, and an exhaust sector having an exhaust outlet therein and an inner wall facing the air inlet inner wall, the exhaust sector inner wall and the air inlet sector inner wall forming a substantially V-shaped air pathway within the interior space, the V-shaped air pathway forming a notch generally central therein;a reactor vessel positioned within the bottom sector of the tank, a top edge of the reactor vessel in spaced relation to and generally proximate a notch of the V-shaped air pathway;an ultrasonic head support comprising means for supporting an ultrasonic head comprising an ultrasonically vibratable disc for generating ultrasonic energy, the ultrasonic head support positionable within and beneath a top edge of the reactor vessel;means for transferring liquid from the tank interior space to the reactor vessel to a level for substantially submerging an ultrasonic head supported therewithin, the ultrasonic head vibratable to form atomized micro-particles from the aqueous sanitizing and disinfecting liquid; andmeans for drawing air into the air inlet across the reactor vessel and for exhausting the formed atomized micro-particles from the exhaust outlet;wherein the ultrasonic head support comprises a substantially U-shaped reactor cradle supported by the reactor vessel top edge, the reactor cradle comprising means for supporting a plurality of ultrasonic head arrays, each comprising a plurality of vibratable disks affixed to a top surface of the respective ultrasonic head array. 5. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 4, wherein the reactor cradle comprises a pair of reactor cradles, each comprising means for supporting two ultrasonic head arrays and positionable in side-by-side relation to each other. 6. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 4, wherein the reactor cradle is adjustably supported by the reactor vessel top edge, for achieving an optimal reaction point relative to the liquid, the liquid-transferring means operable to retain a liquid level in the reactor vessel at a predetermined, substantially constant level. 7. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 4, further comprising a sensing device for detecting a level of liquid in the tank. 8. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 7, wherein the sensing device comprises a tube positioned within the tank interior space having a hole adjacent a bottom end, a flotation element movably positioned within the tube, an air ventilation hole at a top end, and an ultrasonic sensor adjacent the top end, the ultrasonic sensor adapted to measure a distance from the flotation element, wherein in use liquid enters the tube through the tube hole, floats the flotation element to a level representative of the liquid level in the tank, and the ultrasonic sensor creates a signal based upon the sensed distance from the flotation element. 9. The space-sanitizing and -disinfecting device recited in claim 7, wherein the sensing device is positioned within the tank air inlet sector. 10. A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space, the device comprising: a tank having an interior space, the tank having a bottom sector, an exhaust sector having an inner wall, and an air inlet sector having an inner wall facing the exhaust sector inner wall, wherein the air inlet sector inner wall and the exhaust sector inner wall form a compression region for an air pathway within the interior space, the tank further having an air inlet in the air inlet sector and an exhaust outlet in the exhaust sector;an aqueous liquid having at least one of sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing properties carried within the tank interior space;a reactor vessel positioned within the tank bottom sector;means for continuously transferring the aqueous liquid into the reactor vessel;an ultrasonically vibratable disc having an ultrasonic head array to generate ultrasonic energy, the ultrasonic head array positioned within and beneath a top edge of the reactor vessel and submerged within the transferred liquid at a substantially constant emersion depth, wherein the continuously transferring of the liquid and vibratable disk in operation form a plurality of atomized micro-particles therefrom;air flow means operable for providing a preselected flow of air within the interior space from the inlet toward the outlet, the air flowing through the compression region from a high pressure to a low pressure, so as to cause smaller particles within the plurality of micro-particles to move more quickly than larger particles thereof, the preselected flow of air allowing at least a portion of the larger micro-particles to fall back to the tank bottom sector and the plurality of micro-particles preferentially enriched with the smaller micro-particles;a mesh filter having a first cross sectional portion positioned for initially receiving the preferentially enriched micro-particles and a second cross sectional portion downstream therefrom, wherein the first cross sectional portion is smaller than the second cross sectional portion, the mesh filter positioned for passing the preferentially enriched micro-particles through the mesh filter prior to exiting the exhaust outlet for a filtering thereof, and wherein the air flow means results in exhausting the preferentially enriched micro-particles from the reactor vessel through the exhaust outlet to a space exterior of the tank. 11. The device recited in claim 10, wherein the filter comprises a particle filter having a plurality of layers, each layer having a support frame including apertures of a first size therein, a first filter element positioned in surrounding relation to the support frame and having apertures of a second size therein, and a second filter element positioned in surrounding relation to the first filter element and having apertures of a third size therein, wherein the first size aperture is greater than the second size aperture and the second size is greater than the third size aperture. 12. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the first filter element comprises a 0.25-in. plastic mesh and the second filter element comprises a 0.88-in. plastic mesh covering a first portion of the first filter element and a 0.05-in. plastic mesh covering a second portion of the first filter element distinct from the first portion. 13. The device recited in claim 12, wherein the support frame, the first, and the second filter element comprise substantially inverted conical-shaped elements. 14. A device for sanitizing and disinfecting a space comprising: a tank dimensioned for carrying an aqueous sanitizing liquid in an interior space of a tank, the tank having a bottom sector, an exhaust sector having an inner wall, and an air inlet sector having an inner wall facing the exhaust sector inner wall, the air inlet sector inner wall and the exhaust sector inner wall forming a compression region for an air pathway within the interior space, and further having an air inlet in the air inlet sector and an exhaust outlet in the exhaust sector;a reactor vessel carried within the tank interior space above a lowermost portion of the bottom sector, the reactor vessel having a cradle;means for continuously transferring the aqueous sanitizing liquid from the tank interior space to the reactor vessel;an ultrasonic head array having an ultrasonically vibratable disc, the ultrasonic head array supported by the cradle, wherein each ultrasonic head array comprises a plurality of vibratable disks affixed to a top surface of the ultrasonic head array, the ultrasonic head array positioned within and beneath a top edge of the reactor vessel and submerged within the transferred liquid, the ultrasonic head array thus positioned at a substantially constant emersion depth resulting from the continuously transferring liquid step so as to form a plurality of atomized micro-particles during operation thereof;means for providing a preselected flow of air within the interior space from the inlet toward the outlet, the air flowing through the compression region from a high pressure to a low pressure, so as to cause smaller particles within the plurality of micro-particles to move more quickly than larger particles thereof, the preselected flow of air allowing at least a portion of the larger micro-particles to fall back to the tank bottom sector and the plurality of micro-particles preferentially enriched with the smaller micro-particles; andmeans for exhausting the preferentially enriched micro-particles from the reactor vessel through an exhaust outlet to a space exterior of the tank. 15. The device recited in claim 14, wherein the reactor cradle comprises a pair of reactor cradles, each comprising means for supporting two head arrays and positionable in side-by-side relation to each other. 16. The device recited in claim 14, further means for detecting a level of the sanitizing liquid in the tank. 17. The device recited in claim 16, wherein the detecting means comprises a tube positioned within the tank interior space, a flotation element movably positioned within the tube for permitting liquid to enter the tube, a flotation element for floating to a level representative of the liquid level in the tank, and signaling means for providing a signal responsive to the liquid level. 18. A device for sanitizing and disinfecting an environment comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet positioned for air flow therebetween;a reactor vessel carried within the housing;an aqueous liquid having at least one of sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing properties carried in an interior space of the housing;air flow means providing an air flow from the inlet to the outlet of the housing;means for continuously transferring the aqueous liquid from the housing interior space into the reactor vessel;an ultrasonic head positioned at a preselected and fixed level below a surface of the aqueous liquid in the reactor vessel for forming a plurality of atomized particles to be emitted therefrom;means for compressing the air flow between the inlet and the outlet for causing air to flow from a high pressure to a low pressure, thus causing smaller particles within the plurality of atomized particles to move more quickly than larger particles therein, the air flow compressing allowing at least a portion of the larger particles to fall away from the outlet and thus preferentially enrich the plurality of atomized particles with the smaller atomized particles; anda mesh filter having a first cross sectional portion positioned for initially receiving the preferentially enriched micro-particles and a second cross sectional portion downstream therefrom, wherein the first cross sectional portion is smaller than the second cross sectional portion, wherein the mesh filter is positioned for filtering the preferentially enriched atomized particles when the particles pass therethrough toward the outlet; andmeans for exhausting the preferentially enriched atomized particles from the housing into a space outside the housing. 19. The device recited in claim 18, wherein particles having a first size and particles having a second size exit the mesh filter, and wherein the exhausting means is operable for exhausting only the first sized particles into the outside space, and allowing the second sized particles to be deposited into the aqueous liquid. 20. The device recited in claim 19, wherein the exhausted atomized particles are sized to not exceed five microns. 21. The device recited in claim 18, wherein the mesh filter comprises a conical shape having an apex and a base thereof, and wherein the apex is upstream the base within the air flow.
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