Patent Application
20130199581
I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sanitizing and deodorizing equipment. More specifically, it relates to a device for sanitizing equipment by applying a disinfecting and deodorizing chemical to equipment by means of a directed airflow, said airflow also used to dry the equipment.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Many sports teams have a strong interest in protecting the health and safety of their players. Bacterial infections can keep a player from competing, or least from performing to their greatest potential. After use, sports equipment such as hockey padding, jerseys or the like, can grow bacteria and mold. This bacteria and mold can cause infections as well as unpleasant-smelling odors. Eliminating or preventing the growth of mold or bacteria on uniforms and equipment worn by player athletes will give teams the greatest chance of having consistent and productive seasons. Further, eliminating or preventing bacteria and molds in sports equipment will reduce unpleasant odors which make storage and use of sports equipment unpleasant.
Others have a need to sanitize and deodorize equipment as well. For example, hunting clothing, snowmobile clothing and other articles may need to be dried, sanitized and deodorized as well.
Previously, sports teams on the professional and amateur levels have sprayed their equipment directly with sanitizing compounds, such as ozone. Sprinkler systems have been used in locker rooms whereby ozone is sprayed throughout the entire locker room to kill bacteria and mold. Alternatively, shelving units have been created where sports equipment is placed on the shelving and sprayed with a sanitizing chemical. The problem with these prior art approaches is they do not evenly distribute the sanitizing compound (be it ozone or an atomized chemical), leaving pockets of untreated equipment or uniforms. This can leave health-threatening bacteria on the sports equipment and still leave the equipment with the unpleasant odor. Alternatively, boot driers and glove driers and the like do not isolate odor from the environment of the room. The air is allowed to circulate in the room, resulting in smelly locker rooms.
What is needed, then, is an enclosed unit where equipment can be placed for cleaning and drying. To ensure that the equipment is efficiently cleaned and dried, what is needed is an enclosed unit which uses a directed airflow for simultaneously cleaning and drying the equipment.
One object of the present invention is to provide a unit for sanitizing equipment which injects chemicals directly onto each item of equipment and dries the equipment using a moving, directed airflow.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a unit which uses moving air, heat, an ozone generator, a dehumidifier, an atomized chemical and ultraviolet light to eliminate bacteria and mold from equipment.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an enclosed unit for sanitizing and deodorizing equipment wherein the enclosed unit can ventilate excess air through a filter to help eliminate odors after treatment.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a unit for sanitizing and deodorizing equipment which is adaptable to a home, locker room or work setting.
The unit for cleaning, drying and disinfecting equipment is provided. Said unit comprises a cabinet formed to define a chamber having a generally flat bottom surface, mutually perpendicular opposed side walls, a top wall and a rear wall and an open front and a latchable door assembly for closing the cabinet. At least one baffle is placed in the cabinet spaced apart from the rear wall to form a vertical passage between the baffle and the rear wall. The baffle includes a plurality of rows of regularly spaced apart ports wherein said rows are regularly spaced apart along the height dimension of the baffle. A plurality of adjustable nozzles is inserted into the ports. Each nozzle includes a first end and a second end wherein the first end is inserted into the port of the baffle and the second end extends at an angle with respect to the mid portion of the nozzle. An exterior inlet is disposed on the top wall of the unit. A blower assembly is placed in a housing section of the unit, said blower is adapted to mix air from the interior and exterior of the unit and pull air from the exterior of the unit in through the air inlet. A means for applying atomized chemicals into the flow of air from the exterior of the unit as the air mixes with the air from the interior unit is also provided. The directed airflow passes through the vertical passage and sprays through the nozzles such that atomized chemicals are applied to the equipment disposed between the baffle and the door assembly.
The foregoing features, aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of an embodiment, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals in the several views refer to corresponding parts:
This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation.
Terms such as “connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless expressively described otherwise.
As shown in
As shown in
The nozzle members 36 are angularly adjustable so that they can be directed for maximum efficiency. The nozzles 36 may be selectively removed from the ports 32 and also replaced by plugs 34.
The upper housing 30 contains a blower assembly 42 and a means for applying atomized chemicals 44 and a heater 46. Optionally, the unit 10 may also include a dehumidifier unit 48, an ozone generator 50 and/or an ultraviolet light 52.
The blower 42 is connected to an exterior air inlet 54. By way of example, OEM Specialty Blowers, such as a PSC Blower, may be used for blower 42. The air inlet 54 is disposed on the upper cabinet wall 31b of the unit 10. The air inlet 54 pulls air from the exterior of the unit 10 under influence of the blower 42 and mixes the air with air from the interior of the unit 10. The blower 42 forces the mixed air past a heater 46 which heats the directed airflow. A number of commercially available electric heaters 46 may be used in the unit 10 to heat the airflow. Atomized chemicals with a dose of disinfecting, deodorized spray are injected into the directed airflow by the means for applying atomized chemicals 44 after the airflow is heated by the heater 46. The atomized chemical may be a protective coating spray with an antimicrobial agent proven to prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria. The means for applying atomized chemicals 42 may be any atomist sprayer such as the RL Flo-Master Electric Atomist Sprayer.
After the directed airflow has been heated by the heater 46 and injected with disinfecting, deodorized spray, the directed airflow flows into the plenum chamber 38. The directed airflow egresses from the plenum chamber through the ports 32 in the baffle 28, and enters into the chamber 40 via nozzles 36 where items to be cleaned have previously been hung by the user. Nozzles 36 direct the heated, atomized airflow on to the items thus disinfecting them.
The optional ozone generator 50 may be mounted in the upper housing portion 30 proximate the heater 46. Commercially available ozone generators such as those manufactured by New Comfort are suitable. The ozone generator 50 circulates ozone into the directed airflow before it egresses into the chamber 40. It should be noted that the ozone-containing air circulates throughout the chamber 40 in order to ensure it contacts all the equipment. The optional ultraviolet light source 52 may depend from the upper housing 30 into the chamber 40. In certain other embodiments the dehumidifier 48 is also disposed in the upper housing 30. The dehumidifier 48 decreases the relative humidity in the unit 10 and thereby slows down the degeneration of O3 to O2.
The unit may also further include an activated charcoal filter 58 disposed on a lower portion 20c of the rear panel 20. Exhaust air in the airflow stream can be filtered using the activated charcoal filter 58 to trap undesirable odors before releasing exhaust air into the environment. An on/off switch 59 is mounted to the unit 10 for activating the blower, heater and other components of the unit. The on/off switch 59 may include a timer for keeping the unit running for a designated time.
In
Once in the horizontal plenum chamber 90, the air egresses from the chamber through the ports 95 and a plurality of nozzles 98 mounted on the ports 95, and then is applied to equipment placed in the chamber 90. An activated charcoal filter 102 is disposed on the second side wall 78. Exhaust air in the airflow stream is filtered through the activated charcoal filter 102 to trap undesirable odors before releasing exhaust air into the environment.
As with the preferred embodiment, the alternative embodiment may include an ozone generator 104 as in
This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.
