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The disclosure relates to decontamination devices and more particularly pertains to a new decontamination device for removing dust and particles from a user. The device includes a cylinder into which a user can enter and a series of blowers that can urge air downwardly in the cylinder and outwardly from the cylinder. The device includes a blower that is oriented to surround the user and blow air laterally onto the user to dislodge dust and particles from the user. In this way the series of blowers blows the air downwardly and outwardly from the cylinder to expel the dust and particles.
The prior art relates to decontamination devices including a variety of decontamination chamber devices that each includes a rectangular housing and a series of blowers for decontaminating an occupant of dust and particles. In no instance does the prior art disclose a decontamination device that includes a cylindrical housing and a series of blowers to decontaminate an occupant of dust and particles.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cylinder that has an entrance extending into an interior of the cylinder to accommodate a user. The cylinder is vertically oriented to facilitate the user to stand in the cylinder. A first blower is integrated into the cylinder to urge air to flow downwardly over the user when the user is standing in the cylinder for blowing dust and particles off of the user. A second blower is integrated into the cylinder which blows air laterally onto the user when the user is standing in the cylinder for blowing dust and particles off of the user. A third blower is integrated into the cylinder that has a direction of flow that is colinear with the direction of flow of the first blower to blow the dust and particles from the user outwardly through the exhaust.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The cylinder 12 has an upper divider 24 that is spaced from and lies on a plane that is oriented parallel to the upper end 18 to define a first blower space 26 between the upper divider 24 and the upper end 18. The upper divider 24 has a plurality of air holes 28 each extending through the upper divider 24 such that the first blower space 26 is in fluid communication with an interior of the cylinder 12. The cylinder 12 has a lower divider 30 that is spaced from and lies on a plane which is oriented parallel to the lower end 20 to define a second blower space 32 between the lower divider 30 and the lower end 20. The lower divider 30 has a plurality of air holes 34 each extending through the lower divider 30 such that the second blower space 32 is in fluid communication with the interior of the cylinder 12. Furthermore, the lower divider 30 defines a floor 36 in the cylinder 12 for the user 16 to stand on the floor 36 when the user 16 enters the cylinder 12 through the entrance 14. The entrance 14 extends through the outer wall 22 and the entrance 14 extends from the lower divider 30 toward the upper divider 24. Additionally, the outer wall 22 has an exhaust 38 extending into the second blower space 32.
A door 40 is hingedly coupled to the cylinder 12 and the door 40 is aligned with the entrance 14 for opening and closing the entrance 14. The door 40 has a seal 42 which forms a fluid impermeable seal with the cylinder 12 when the door 40 is closed. The door 40 has a hinged edge 44 that is hingedly coupled to a bounding edge 46 of the entrance 14 and the door 40 has a handle 48 that is pivotally attached to the door 40 for opening and closing the door 40. The seal 42 may be comprised of a resiliently compressible material, including but not being limited to, rubber or silicone such that the seal 42 is compressed between the door 40 and the outer wall 22 of the cylinder 12.
A first blower 50 is integrated into the cylinder 12 and the first blower 50 is oriented to have a direction of flow moving downwardly in the cylinder 12. In this way the first blower 50 can urge air to flow downwardly over the user 16 when the user 16 is standing in the cylinder 12 for blowing dust and particles off of the user 16. The first blower 50 comprises a first housing 52 that is positioned within the first blower space 26 and the first housing 52 surrounds the plurality of air holes 28 in the upper divider 24. The first blower 50 includes a motor 54 that is integrated into the upper end 18 of the cylinder 12; the motor 54 has an output shaft 56 extending into the first blower space 26 and the motor 54 may comprise an electric motor or the like. The first blower 50 includes a fan 58 which is coupled to the output shaft 56 such that the fan 58 is positioned in the first housing 52. The fan 58 is aligned with the plurality of air holes 28 in the upper divider 24 to blow air downwardly through the plurality of air holes 28 in the upper divider 24 when the motor 54 is turned on.
A second blower 60 is integrated into the cylinder 12 and the second blower 60 includes a pair of curved ducts 62 that are positioned within the cylinder 12. Each of the curved ducts 62 extends around the user 16 when the user 16 is standing in the cylinder 12. Additionally, the second blower 60 has a direction of flow that is directed outwardly through a plurality of outlet nozzles 64 each integrated into a respective one of the pair of curved ducts 62. In this way the second blower 60 can blow air laterally onto the user 16 when the user 16 is standing in the cylinder 12 for blowing dust and particles off of the user 16.
Each of the curved ducts 62 has a first end 66, a second end 68 and an outside wall 70 extending between the first end 66 and the second end 68. Each of the curved ducts 62 is elongated between the first end 66 and the second end 68 and the outside wall 70 of each of the curved ducts 62 is continuously arcuate between the first end 66 and the second end 68. A back side 72 of the outside wall 70 of each of the curved ducts 62 is attached to an inside surface 74 of the outer wall 22 of the cylinder 12. Each of the pair of curved ducts 62 is oriented to lie on a horizontal plane and the pair of curved ducts 62 is evenly spaced apart from each other and is distributed between the lower divider 30 and the upper divider 24. Each of the plurality of outlet nozzles 64 is integrated into a front side 76 of the outside wall 70 of the respective curved duct 62. The outlet nozzles 64 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the first end 66 and the second end 68 of the respective curved duct 62.
The second blower 60 includes a blower unit 78 that is positioned within the first blower space 26. The blower unit 78 is positioned between the outer wall 22 of the cylinder 12 and the first housing 52 associated with the first blower 50 and the blower unit 78 has an output 80 extending through the upper divider 24. The second blower 60 includes a first conduit 82 that is fluidly coupled between the output 80 of the blower unit 78 and a respective one of the curved ducts 62. The blower unit 78 may comprise an electric blower that includes a motor and a fan contained within the blower unit 78. The second blower 60 includes a second conduit 84 that is fluidly coupled between the pair of curved ducts 62 to blow air into each of the curved ducts 62 and outwardly through each of the plurality of outlet nozzles 64 on the pair of curved ducts 62.
A third blower 86 is integrated into the cylinder 12 and the third blower 86 is positioned on an opposing end of the cylinder 12 with respect to the first blower 50. The third blower 86 is in communication with the exhaust 38 in the cylinder 12 and the third blower 86 is oriented to have a direction of flow that is colinear with the direction of flow of the first blower 50. In this way the third blower 86 can blow the dust and particles from the user 16 outwardly through the exhaust 38 thereby facilitating the user 16 to be cleaned of the dust and particles.
The third blower 86 comprises a second housing 88 that is positioned within the second blower space 32 and the second housing 88 surrounds the air holes 34 in the lower divider 30. The third blower 86 includes a motor 90 that is positioned within the second housing 88 and the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 has an output shaft 92 that is directed toward the lower end 20 of the cylinder 12. The third blower 86 includes a fan 94 that is attached to the output shaft 92 associated with the third blower 86. The fan 94 associated with the third blower 86 is aligned with the plurality of air holes 34 in the lower divider 30 to urge the dust and particles through the air holes 34 in the lower divider 30 and into the second housing 88 when the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 is turned on.
An exhaust port 96 is fluidly coupled between the second housing 88 and the exhaust 38 in the outer wall 22 of the cylinder 12 to facilitate the third blower 86 to blow air outwardly through the exhaust 38. The exhaust port 96 includes a mesh screen 98 that is aligned with the exhaust 38 in the outer wall 22 of the cylinder 12 to inhibit objects from entering the exhaust port 96 from outside of the cylinder 12. A filter 100 is positioned within the exhaust port 96 to filter the dust and particles from the air being blown into the exhaust port 96 thereby inhibiting the dust and particles from being released from the cylinder 12. The filter 100 may comprise a high efficiency particulate air (hepa) filter or other type of filter that can filter particles with a size of at least 0.3 microns.
A control panel 102 is positioned within the cylinder 12 such that the control panel 102 is accessible to the user 16 when the user 16 is standing in the cylinder 12. The control panel 102 includes an on button 104 and an off button 106 and the control panel 102 is electrically coupled to the motor 54 associated with the first blower 50, the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 and the blower unit 78. Each of the motor 54 associated with the first blower 50, the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 and the blower unit 78 is turned on when the on button 104 is depressed. Conversely, each of the motor 54 associated with the first blower 50, the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 and the blower unit 78 is turned off when the off button 106 is depressed.
A power supply 108 is integrated into the cylinder 12 and the power supply 108 is electrically coupled to the motor 54 associated with the first blower 50, the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 and the blower unit 78. The power supply 108 comprises a motor controller 110 that is electrically coupled to the motor 54 associated with the first blower 50, the motor 90 associated with the third blower 86 and the blower unit 78. The power supply 108 includes a power cord 112 that is coupled to and extends away from the cylinder 12 and the power cord 112 is electrically coupled to the motor controller 110. The power cord 112 has a male plug 114 that is electrically coupled to a distal end 116 of the power cord 112 for plugging in to a female electrical outlet 118.
In use, the user 16 enters the cylinder 12, closes the door 40 and depresses the on button 104. In this way the first blower 50 and the blower unit 78 blow air onto the user 16 at a velocity that is sufficient to dislodge dust particles, pollen particles and other particles from the user's clothing, hair and body. In additionally, the third blower 86 urges the dislodged dust particles, the pollen particles and the other particles into the filter 100 for to be collected while the filtered air passes outwardly through the exhaust 38. In this way the user 16 can be prepared to enter a clean room, for example, or other location that requires a high level of cleanliness. Furthermore, the curvature of the outer wall 22 of the cylinder 12 reduces the amount of turbulence in the air as compared to a container with interior corners to enhance the efficiently with which the dust and particles are removed from the cylinder 12.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5277654 | Fenn | Jan 1994 | A |
| 5692954 | Lee | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5816908 | Tsou | Oct 1998 | A |
| 9630219 | Templeton | Apr 2017 | B2 |
| D812248 | Leckrone | Mar 2018 | S |
| 10239098 | Ding | Mar 2019 | B2 |
| 20100001097 | Spivak | Jan 2010 | A1 |
| 20120111749 | Chang | May 2012 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO2021206648 | Oct 2021 | WO |