AU2002100216A4 - Transportable treatment means and method - Google Patents

Description

Editorial Note: Description starts on page 2.

TRANSPORTABLE TREATMENT MEANS AND METHOD This invention relates the biocidal treatment of items of machinery or equipment.

More particularly, this invention relates to the biocidal treatment of items of machinery and equipment used in the agricultural industry. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a portable biocidal treatment means and method.

In the agricultural industry items of machinery or equipment often need to be fumigated or heat treated to prevent the spread of pests or diseases. In the past, the fumigation or heat treatment of the item has necessitated the transport of the item back to a fixed structure, where the treatment would take place, and then the item would be transported back to its work location. Such transportation creates a substantial increase in time, cost and can raise the risk of contamination/infestation along the transport path. This is particularly so near the treatment site where there is a potential for an increase in pest or disease concentration with the continual movement of a potentially contaminated item through the area.

It is also not always possible or economically viable to own one's own equipment and the use of a communal installation carries with it an increased risk of contamination.

Further the equipment owner may have various properties or parts of a property which have differing problems both with respect to the nature and concentration of the pest or disease.

Therefore, to minimise problems in any particular location it is desirable to treat the item of machinery or equipment. Such treatment has heretofore been undertaken in a fixed installation such as a shed or the like which is of a size adapted to receive the item concerned, including drive on machinery. Also the installation normally relies of mains electricity for power thereby requiring a mains power supply. Due to all of these restrictions, it has been necessary for the item of machinery or equipment to be returned to a home base or communal installation, where it is treated before then being transported out to a new work location. Such transportation involves a substantial increase in time and cost and raises the risk of contamination of the item whilst travelling along the transport path. However, heretofore the possibility of a portable treatment means and method has not been considered, perhaps due to the difficult logistics involved in devising such a temporary installation which satisfies the requirements of such a facility including size, enclosability, temperature, impact and abrasion resistance, etc.

It is an object of the invention to provide a portable treatment means or method for the biocidal treatment of an item in a location remote from a home base or communal installation.

Accordingly, the invention provides a portable or transportable sealable structure used for fumigation/heat treatment of items of machinery or equipment. By making the treatment structure portable or transportable, the above mentioned disadvantages, risk and costs can be substantially reduced.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided a portable enclosable structure for the biocidal treatment of an item of equipment or machinery, said structure defining an internal space and including: a) an inflatable frame having an interior including: i) a plurality of frame members which, in part, define a first sealable door opening to provide access for said item to said internal space; and ii) a sealable portal suitable for connecting said frame interior to a pressurised air supply; b) impervious sheets extending between the frame members to seal the areas therebetween apart from the area defined by said first opening; c) a closure adapted to temporarily seal said first opening; and d) a biocidal means to artificially create a biocidal effective environment in said internal space sufficient to inactivate or kill the target organism when said structure is substantially enclosed; transportable means for treating machinery or equipment, such transportable means including an inflatable structure having inflatable wall supports and sheet means to form a substantially sealed enclosure; wherein said enclosure has an opening enabling entry of said equipment into said enclosure; and said transportable means further include inflation means for inflating said inflatable structure; and treatment means for providing heat or fluid treatment of machinery or equipment located within said enclosure.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for the biocidal treatment of items of machinery or equipment using a portable enclosable structure as described above, the method including the steps of: a method for treating an item in a structure according to claim 1, the method including the steps of: I. transporting the structure to a location suitable for treating the item and laying out the structure on the ground or other surface; II. connecting the pressurised air supply to the sealable portal, inflating the frame and erecting the structure; III. connecting the treatment application means to the inlet duct and moving the item into the internal space and sealing the first opening with the door sheet whereby the structure forms an enclosure; and IV. creating an artificial condition which is biologically effective in the internal space in which said target organisms is inactivated or killed and subjecting the item to the condition for a predetermined period of time so as to inactivate or kill the target organism.

The item of equipment or machinery includes a wide range of transport, industrial and agricultural items. For example, the item may be a vehicle which frequents areas known or suspected to be contaminated with particular diseases or pests, such as "mad cow disease".

An example is a dairy produce transport vehicle. The item may be an item of soil working equipment such as a back hoe or plough. The item may be an agricultural machine such as a tractor or harvester.

The internal space of the structure is advantageously sized to comfortably receive the item without any more void space than is necessary. Of course, where a large size range of items are to be routinely treated using the same structure, the structure will of necessity be of sufficient size to enclose the largest of the items required to be treated. To this end the structure may further include a false ceiling to eliminate voids above the item. The structure may also include selectively useable or removable wall partitions to close off voids of the structure not required for smaller items. The frame may compartmentalised to enable only a portion thereof to be inflated. The internal walls of the structure may include attachment means such as magnets, hooks, cleats or zips adapted to support one or more configurations of false walls or ceilings to suit the size and shape of the item to be treated. This enables the effective volume of the internal treatment space to be adapted to the size of the item to provide a more efficient operation where smaller items are concerned.

The frame preferably includes an interior in which all areas are in communication with one another. This enables the operator to inflate the frame in a one step operation involving the connection of the air supply to a single portal. However, this is not essential and in some circumstances it may be advantageous to provide multiple frame portals to facilitate a quicker inflation process, such as where more than one air supply unit, or an air supply unit with more than one supply outlet is available. Moreover, as mentioned above, by compartmentalising the frame, it is possible to only partially inflate the frame, i.e. fully inflate only a section of the frame. In this way void space associated with the treatment of smaller items could be reduced. For example, where the item is a small hoe or tilling machine, only the frame section corresponding to a third or half of a large structure may need to be inflated to fully accommodate the item. The frame may be made up of polymer sheeting sealably heat welded or moulded to form a plurality of tube elements optionally joined to form a unitary whole. The structure may include a combination of two or more modular units joinable and effectively sealable to form a larger combined structure made up of individually smaller units. In discussing the sealing of the interior of the frame, it will be understood that such sealing need be air tight. In discussing the sealing of the internal space of the structure, it will be understood that effective sealing only is required, i.e. the sealing is not necessarily air tight.

The closure may include a door sheet or any other convenient means of effectively sealably closing the opening. The door sheet may be made from the same material as the sheet material. The door sheet may be made from a woven material adapted to cope with repeated folding as the opening is repeatedly opened and closed. The closure may include means for securing the closure in an open state and, separately, in a closed state. The closure may include cord or rope secured to its uppermost region or to that of the support immediately above the closure to facilitate the rolling or folding of the closure up to the uppermost region of the opening.

The biocidal means may be effectively placed in the internal space during treatment.

For example, the cooling, heating or fumigation means may be placed in the internal space, activated and then the internal space enclosed. Alternatively, the structure may first be enclosed and then the biocidal means remotely activated from outside the structure.

In another arrangement, a sealable duct in a wall or closure of the structure may be provided. The sealable inlet duct may be large or small and be of a variety of shapes, depending on the type of communication to the biocidal means and the volumes and/or pressure which may be required.

The inflatable structure may include a plurality of inflatable tubes arranged in two parallel lines with sheet material extending between the tubes to form two side walls with two openable ends in order to provide a substantially sealed enclosure. The sealed enclosure may further include a floor means attached to the side walls and openable ends. The openable ends may include fastenable means such as magnets, zips or slide seals or other closing means. Preferably the sealed enclosure and the openable ends are of a size to allow machinery to be driven into one end of the enclosure for treatment and out the other end after treatment. In one form the enclosure may be of the order of 10 metres x 5 metres x 4 metres.

The air supply or inflation means may include any suitable means for pumping air under pressure into the frame. The air supply may include a compressor. The air supply may include a blower. The air supply may be powered by a combustion engine or by an electric motor. For example, the air supply may be a 240 Volt electric blower run by a portable generator, such as a diesel generator.

The treatment means may non-exclusively involve subjecting the item to: artificially reduced temperatures such as by the use of "dry ice" (solid carbon dioxide) but the consequent deflation effects on the frame would need to be compensated for.

The sheet material may also need to be insulated to maintain extreme low temperatures; (ii) elevated temperatures; or (iii) fumigation using carbon dioxide, methyl bromide or the like.

The treatment may involve the use of a heater. The heater may be thermostatically controlled. The heater may be a portable liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fired heater. The heater may be able to provide a raised temperature in the internal space of the order of over a two hour period. This is particularly effective for eradication of phylloxera which may be categorised as a vine aphid that is of concern for vineyards. A thermometer can be used to indicate the temperature at predetermined intervals over a predetermined period and be linked to a control means for suitably controlling the heat treatment means according to the required regime. The thermostat for the heater and a thermocouple for the thermometer can be connected by one or more long leads to enable both sensing devices to be placed in an appropriate position within the sealed enclosure whilst allowing both the heater and the thermometer to be located outside the sealed enclosure.

The sheet material extending between the frame members may be made from any suitable material capable of forming part of an effectively sealed enclosure. The sheet material may be welded, moulded, sewn or otherwise attached to the frame. The sheet material may include polymeric materials such as PVC, polyethylene and fabric or web materials. Such materials may be used provided they display, alone or in combination, sufficient gas impermeability, heat resistance and insulation properties, abrasion resistance, flexibility, non-elasticity and strength. The structure may be made of a combination of materials, keeping in mind the abrasion resistance and strength required of the floor material, the gas impermeability, heat resistance, strength etc. requirements of the walls and the UV resistance requirements, for example, of the roof material.

In another form of the invention there is provided a portable treatment means comprising a trailer or vehicle wherein the portable treatment means includes an inflatable structure able to be transported on the trailer; a pump means able to be transportable in the trailer or vehicle to inflate said inflatable structure at a determined location whereby treatment means is able to be transported in the portable trailer or vehicle unloaded and temporarily erected for the treatment of items of machinery or equipment placed within the erected inflatable structure.

In accordance with the invention there is also provided a method of treating an item of machinery or equipment including the steps of providing a transportable inflatable enclosable structure a transportable pump means for inflating the enclosable structure and a transportable biocidal means for treating the item of machinery or equipment located within the inflated enclosable structure, wherein the inflatable enclosable structure, pump and the biocidal means are transportable on a single trailer to any suitable location.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood a number of embodiments thereof will be described by way of illustration only wherein: Figure 1 is a side perspective schematic representation of the frame of inflated enclosable structure in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an inflated structure according to another aspect of the invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective partial view of the interior of the structure shown in Figure 2.

The structure consists of an inflatable PVC framework. The PVC framework is covered with a PVC sheeting which is attached to a PVC floor to create a completely enclosed structure. To allow machinery/equipment to enter the structure there is a sealable door at each end. This allows machinery/equipment to drive in to the structure and then drive out following the treatment process.

Contained in the wall of the structure is a sealable inlet duct. This allows any fumigant/heated gases to be injected into the structure from the outside, as well as the potential for placing the heater/fumigant unit within the structure itself.

The size of the unit may vary depending on the size of the machinery/equipment being treated. Regardless of size, the unit can be deflated, folded, packed and moved to another site with a minimum of effort and cost.

Referring to the drawings there is shown an inflatable structure 11 to be used in combination with a trailer or vehicle and pump means and treatment apparatus (all not shown) to form a portable treatment means. The pump means is in the form of an electric blower powered by a portable generator of a compatible voltage such as 220 or 240 volts.

The generator is preferably powered by diesel fuel. The treatment apparatus is in the form of a thermostatically controlled portable LPG gas fired heater unit. A printing thermometer is provided to produce both a hard copy readout of the temperature within the erected structure during the treatment at predetermined intervals. A visual thermometer is in view on the heater unit to give an indication of the temperature in the structure at any time. Both the thermostat for the heater and the thermocouple for the thermometer are connected by a long lead to enable both sensing devices to be placed in an appropriate position within the structure 11, whilst allowing the heater and the thermometer to be placed outside the structure.

The inflatable structure 11 comprises spaced opposing side walls 21, 22 connected therebetween by an inverted V-shape roof 23 to form a substantially closed structure with a first openable end 25 and second openable end 26 at each respective longitudinal end of the inflatable structure 11. Such a structure is sized so as to allow a vehicle or tractor or the like to enter the first openable end 25 and be fully contained within the inflatable structure 11 while being treated and then exit the second openable end 26 without having to turn around.

The inflatable structure 11 is formed by an interconnection of inflatable wall supports in the form of an interconnected framework of inflatable tubes which are covered by one or more sheet means 16 to form the substantially enclosed inflatable structure 11.

Each side wall 21, 22 is formed by side wall structures 31, 32 having inflatable tubes in the form of substantially a figure 8 lying on its side. The first and second openable ends and 26 are formed by first and second end structures 33 comprising substantially vertically extendible end pillars 34 having an apex structure 35 in the form of an inverted V connecting the top of the end pillars 34. The figure 8 of the side wall structure 31 interconnects with the end pillars 34 and can be at least partially co-formed. The roof 23 is formed by one of the inflatable tubes 15 forming a roof apex 36 standing between the top of the apex structure 35 of each of said first and second openable ends 25 and 26 so as to form a sloping inverted V-shaped roof 23 connected to the top of the side wall structure 31. By interconnection with the side wall structure 31 and the roof apex 36, the roof 23 appears to have a figure 8 structure from a top plan view as well which is co-formed with the figure 8 structures of the side wall structures 31, 32 so as to have common side tubes.

By the interconnected inflatable tubes 15 forming the side wall structure 31, roof 23 and first and second end structures 33 a single pump can be connected at one end to a lower inflatable tube of a side wall structure 31 so as to inflate the entire structure and maintain the structure at reasonable pressure sufficient to maintain the required dimensions of height, width and length. Thin sheet means 16 attached to the roof 23 and side wall structures 31 and sheet means in the form of first and second sealable ends 42 and 43 to close the first and second openable ends 25 and 26 together for the fully enclosed structure 11. Substantially little weight is added by the sheet means 16 reducing the required pressure to be supplied by the pump to the inflatable tubes forming the frame of the inflatable structure 11. Further a sheet means extends between the lower surfaces of the side wall structures 31 and 32 so as to form a floor means 41.

In use the inflatable structure 11 can be demounted from a trailer or the like and rolled out to a required position and inflated by the pump means connected to a side wall structure 31 so as to inflate the inflatable structure 11. The first and second sealable ends 42 and 43 can include zip means or the like to fully seal the first and second openable ends 25 and 26 such that after a vehicle has entered the first openable end 25 the structure can be substantially sealed. The treatment apparatus comprising the heating means is in communication with the internal space of the structure 11 by means of insertion of a flexible duct through an external port into the enclosure to form a portable treatment means and thereby treat the equipment or machinery enclosed therein.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, the structure includes a closure in the form of a door flap 50 which may be zipped on its sides and lower edge to seal the internal space of the structure 11. The door flap 50 has in its uppermost region 51 on its external surface a number of cords which are used to secure the door flap 50 in an open position when an item is to be passed therethrough. In this embodiment, an identical door flap (not shown) is provided at the opposite end 60 of the structure 11. Guide lines 62 are provided on the side walls 63 to secure the structure 11, particularly in high winds, and anchored to the ground by pegs 64. Immediately above the cords in region 51 of the door flat 50 is a vent 65 to permit ventilation of the internal space, for example, following completion of the treatment. At the base of the door flap 50 is a sealable duct inlet 66 to permit communication of the internal space with the biocidal means, such as the heater.

Referring to Figure 3, the internal space 70 of the structure 11 is shown. Frame members 71 in an inflated state support the erected structure 11 and the areas therebetween are sealably filled by sheet material 72. Along reinforced seam lines on the frame members 71 and the internal surfaces of the sheets 72 are located hook members 73 adapted to cooperate with complementary loop members (not shown) on partitioning sheet members (not shown). The partitioning sheet members are adapted to enable the operational internal space 70 to be reduced to suit the size and/or shape of the item. Moreover, in one embodiment, the frame 71 is compartmentalised into discrete sections which may be separately inflated to similarly adapt the volume of internal space 70 to suit the size of the item.

The above description is of a preferred embodiment of the invention and is illustrative only. Clearly variations which would be understandable by a person skilled in the art without any element of inventiveness are included within the scope of this invention. For example the frame structure may not be in a figure 8 but another inflatable frame configuration.

Claims (4)

1. A portable enclosable structure for the biocidal treatment of an item of equipment or machinery, said structure defining an internal space and including: a) an inflatable frame having an interior including: i) a plurality of frame members which, in part, define a first sealable door opening to provide access for said item to said internal space; and ii) a sealable portal suitable for connecting said frame interior to a pressurised air supply; b) impervious sheets extending between the frame members to seal the areas therebetween apart from the area defined by said first opening; c) a closure adapted to temporarily seal said first opening; and d) a biocidal means to artificially create a biocidally effective environment in said internal space sufficient to inactivate or kill the target organisms when said structure is substantially enclosed.

2. A method for treating an item in a structure according to claim 1, said method including the steps of: I. transporting said structure to a location suitable for treating said item and laying out said structure on the ground or other surface; II. connecting said pressurised air supply to said sealable portal, inflating said frame and erecting said structure; III. connecting said treatment application means to said inlet duct and moving said item into said internal space and sealing said first opening with said door sheet whereby said structure forms an enclosure; and IV. creating an artificial condition which is biocidally effective in said internal space in which said target organism is inactivated or killed and subjecting said item to said condition for a predetermined period of time so as to inactivate or kill said target organisms.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said artificial condition is an elevated temperature and said treatment application means is a heating apparatus located outside of said structure and in communication with said internal space via a sealable inlet duct in said structure.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said method includes the further steps of thermostatically controlling said heating apparatus and monitoring the temperature of said internal space using a thermocouple, wherein the thermostat and said thermocouple are located in said internal space. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said structure includes a second closure adapted to seal a second opening opposite said first opening to enable said item to travel through said structure without reversing. Dated this 20th day of March 2002 PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES Attorneys for CHRISTOPHER LOWE