CA2211978A1 - A device for fumigation with a fluid product - Google Patents
A device for fumigation with a fluid productInfo
- Publication number
- CA2211978A1 CA2211978A1 CA002211978A CA2211978A CA2211978A1 CA 2211978 A1 CA2211978 A1 CA 2211978A1 CA 002211978 A CA002211978 A CA 002211978A CA 2211978 A CA2211978 A CA 2211978A CA 2211978 A1 CA2211978 A1 CA 2211978A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- enclosure
- product
- air
- fumigation
- spray
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
- A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
- A61L9/14—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- A01M13/00—Fumigators; Apparatus for distributing gases
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
- F24F3/12—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
- F24F8/50—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by odorisation
Abstract
A device for fumigating a sprayable fluid for treating indoor spaces, including at least one tank (RP1, RP2; 34) containing the fluid to be sprayed; spraying means (PP, PA; 31, 32, 33) with a spray nozzle (3); a heated wall facing the spray nozzle (3) for receiving said fluid sprayed by the spraying means, and being at a temperature above the evaporation temperature of the fluid, said heated wall communicating with the atmosphere through an upper opening (12) for discharging the gaseous fluid; and a microprocessor (M, 36) for operating the spraying means and monitoring the temperature of the heated wall. Said microprocessor is programmed to operate the spraying means automatically at predetermined time intervals depending on a value representing air circulation within the space to be treated.
Description
A device for fumigation with a fluid product.
This invention relates to a device for fumigation using a liquid product such as deodorisers, ambient scents, insecticides, et~c. The device will find its application in the treatment of premises such as public places, offices or hotels and other premises.
Until now, fluid products of the aforementioned type are usually dispensed in the form of fine droplets with the help of a spray pump or an aerosol bomb. These droplets remain momentarily in suspension in the air, but have a tendency to fall due to their mass, since these droplets, as their name indicates comprise a liquid phase of the product and not a gaseous phase.
This sort of fluid product distribution system is particularly well suited to a localised treatment, since a large quantity of product can be concentrated into a small volume. On the other hand, for the treatment of large volumes, this technique is inappropriate and results in poor disperslon of product because of the inexorable falling of the droplets.
Unlike this technique of simple spraying, the document EP-A-0 401 060 discloses a device in which a manual pump is activated by electromechanical means to spray a jet of fluid substance in the form of a fine spray onto a metal surface. The metal surface is heated to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid substance so that said fluid substance is instantly vaporised in ~aseous form, hence with a chan~e of state. In the following, this type of product distribution will be called fumi~ation. In fact, since the fluid substance passes into the gaseous phase, its dispersion in the atmosphere is much better than with the aerosols which produce droplets in suspension in the air. Because of this, it is possible to use much less of said substance than with an aerosol in order to achieve the same result (Avogadro's Law - Ampère), which, on the one hand is economic and on the other hand is better for human health and for the environment.
Furthermore, the fine droplets produced by the spray are instantly vaporised by the heated surface, hence the fluid substance does not have the time to be degraded by the heat during vaporisation and preserves all its properties.
Similarly, the document FR-2 706 330 discloses a spray and fumigation device which allows both a spray similar to that of an aerosol, and a fumigation, according to the form of use desired. To do this, it is provided with a pump activated by electromagnetic means, a retractable heating element and a microprocessor which commands the pump at a predetermined interval of time when the heating element is opposite the spray nozzle of the pump. The heating element includes an enclosure open at its top and bottom faces and containing a thermally conductive plate extending perpendicular to the direction of the jet of sprayed product. The plate is in thermal contact with a resistance. The product, once broken up into the gaseous state escapes through the top face of the enclosure, so that air comes into the enclosure via the bottom face.
However, this prior art fumigation device, like others, makes provision for the emission of one or several consecutive doses of product at fixed predetermined time intervals, which leads, because the air in a given volume is not static but is subject to currents of variable intensity, to variations in the density of gaseous product distributed in relation to time and because of this, the odour the product releases is sensed to be more or less intense. These variations can bring about excessive concentrations of products at certain times and conversely, a quasi-total disappearance of odour at other times.
An aim of this invention is to provide a fumigation device capable of maintaining a constant "level" of odour in the premises to be treated, even though the premises are subject to disturbances in the air.
To do this, the objective of this invention is a device for the fumigation of premises with a sprayable fluid product, comprising :
- at least one reservoir containing the fluid to be sprayed, - spray means provided with a spray nozzle.
a heated internal wall, opposite the spray nozzle, to receive said sprayed product via the spray means, said heated internal wall having a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of said fluid product, said heated internal wall being in communication with the atmosphere via a top opening to discharge said product in the gaseous state.
- a microprocessor to command the activation of the spray means and to control the temperature of the heated internal wall, characterised in that the microprocessor is programmed to automatically command the activation of the spray means at a time interval determined according to a value representative of the circulation of air inside the premises to be treated. Hence the quantity of gaseous product distributed is perfectly regulated in relation to the replacement of air in the premises, which results in the expulsion of part of the gaseous product to the outside from whence the variation in product density arises. One may thus be sure that for whatever the volume of new air brought into the premises, a quantity of gaseous product proportional to this volume will be added to it. Provision is thereby made for the maintenance of a constant odour in the premises.
According to a first embodiment, said value representative of the circulation of air is put into the microprocessor program as a logged value.
-.
According to a second embodiment, means of detection are provided to measure said representative value for the circulation of air at predetermined intervals of time, electronic circuitry being provided to input successively said values thus measured into the program of the microprocessor in order to continuously adjust the quantity of fluid product distributed.
Advantageously, the top opening is connected upstream of a turbine of an air conditioning system in order to aspirate the product in the gaseous state, an aeraulic probe being positioned downstream from the turbine in order to measure said representative value in the form of an air flow rate at the outflow of the turbine. In fact, between the mouths of the air inlets and the turbine, there is a pressure drop producing an aspiration effect which can be profitably used to extract the gaseous product from the enclosure. Using a fumigation device linked to an air conditioning system comprises a preferred practical application of the invention. In this way one may ensure that the whole of the premises are treated perfectly.
With the enclosure configuration in document FR-2 706 330, part of the sprayed fluid product does not come into contact with the heating plate, but falls to the bottom of the enclosure, that is to say to the open bottom face. This face, because the outside air is passing across it is not at a temperature sufficient to bring about instantaneous vaporisation of the fluid product. This then results in a residue of product, more or less dried out at the bottom of the enclosure which degrades under the influence of the heat released by the heated plate. The calcination of the residue releases odours which damage the true scent of the fluid product.
Furthermore, over a long period, this residue can flow out of the enclosure which is neither aesthetic nor practical.
In order to alleviate this problem, the invention provides, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, that said spray means include a water pump in fluid communication with the spray nozzle, to clean the latter as well as the heated internal wall after spraying the fluid product. Hence by regular washing of the components in contact with the fluid product in the heated zone, any risk of residue formation is eliminated and perfect cleanliness can be maintained. Incidentally, this supply of water can equally well be used to humidify the premises being treated.
More advantageously, cleaning means are provided able to project under pressure a heated cleaning agent, in vaporised form against said internal wall.
These means of cleaning under pressure can be concurrent with the means of rinsing the nozzle.
The cleaning agent, which can be pure water or a solution of water and oxygenated water enables a real scouring of the internal wall to be carried out. This is made possible because the cleaning agent is distributed under pressure and at an elevated temperature (110 to 150~C). In reality, the cleaning agent is projected against the inner wall in vaporised form, under pressure. The impact of the vapour at high temperature against the internal wall causes effective and rapid scouring. Furthermore, when the cleaning agent contains a disinfectant or a bacteriostatic substance such as oxygenated water, this gives the additional benefit of removing any bacterial traces from the internal wall, thereby bringing about perfect cleaning.
According to one embodiment, the cleaning means include a chamber having an inlet and an outlet and heating means to heat said chamber. Advantageously, the inlet of said chamber is provided with non-return valve means and the outlet of said chamber is fitted with pressure relief valve means. Superheating the cleaning agent allows the pressure inside the chamber to be increased which causes projection of the cleaning agent at the chamber outlet. ~ith a pressure relief valve set at about 5 bars, good projection under pressure is obtained at a temperature of about 130~C.
In a practical form, the chamber has substantially the shape of a horse shoe, the heating means being an electrical resistance extending along the chamber.
On the other hand, according to a first embodiment, the spray means include a spray pump activated by mechanical means. One could, for example, use a spray device as described in the aforementioned document FR-2 706 330. In this device, the dose of fluid product is put under pressure in a pump chamber before being released through a classic nozzle which allows the dispersion of the fluid in fine droplets.
Moreover, according to a second preferred embodiment, the spraying means, include an air pump and, at least one fluid product pump, said spray nozzle being a mixer nozzle where the fluid product is introduced into an air flow created by the air pump and is thus sprayed. This flow of air improves still more the evacuation of the gaseous product via the top opening.
On the other hand, the configuration of the enclosure in the aforementioned document does not bring about a rapid release of the product in the gaseous state. The gaseous product has, of course, a tendency to rise because of the temperature but in a natural way at normal speed.
This invention also aims to remedy the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art by specifying an improved device, particularly with regard to its fumigation system, that is to say the system for changing state. Another aim of the invention is also to arrive at a simple and clean device that allows rapid release of the gaseous product.
In order to achieve this, said device includes an enclosure which is closed except for a lower side opening and a top opening, said spray nozzle being positioned opposite said lower side opening, the interior of said enclosure is, at least partially, heated at least opposite said lower side opening, to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid product and thereby defines said heated internal wall, a passage for the supply of air being provided by said lower side opening in order to create a current of air inside the enclosure which encourages lQ the release of said product in the gaseous state through the top opening. There are numerous advantages in making the opening for the spray nozzle and the air inlet opening concurrent. Firstly, the enclosure is perfectly sealed at the bottom ; no product residue can run out of it. Secondly the air current does not disturb the jet of sprayed product since it is coming from the same direction. Thirdly, the air current allows a constant cooling of the spray nozzle which is subjected to the heat which arises in the enclosure. Fourthly, the air current does not cool down the heated internal wall of the enclosure which is opposite the nozzle since it comes into the enclosure in a diametrically opposed manner. Fifthly, more air current comes into the enclosure at the spray nozzle due to the air intake created around the jet of the sprayed product. Finally, in combination with the flow of air generated by the air pump, the air current coming into the enclosure via the side opening enables extraction to be improved even more.
The lower opening is located at the side. Since this does not offer any particular advantage, it may also be envisaged that this lower opening is in the bottom of the enclosure.
Advantageously, the top opening has a section less than that of the air supply passage. By adopting this relationship between cross section areas, a draught effect is produced inside the enclosure that increases the speed of release of the gaseous product at the top opening. It is a kind of Venturi effect that allows the gaseous product at the- outlet of the device to be expelled in an accelerated manner. This permits more rapid dispersion of the molecules of gas into the air through an initial vigorous mixing.
According to one embodlment, the air supply passage is provided by a space defined between the lower side opening and the spray nozzle positioned in the latter, remote from contact with it. The air current thus comes into the enclosure in a uniform manner around the spray nozzle. The thermodynamic disturbance that the air current engenders inside the enclosure influences the internal walls of the enclosure in a manner symmetrical lS with respect to the jet of sprayed product.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the enclosure is made of a thermally conducting material. On the other hand, the enclosure is heated by means of a thermostatic jacket which surrounds the major part of the enclosure in order to maintain substantially all of the enclosure at a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid product. Alternatively, for products which are particularly volatile, the enclosure has internal surfaces which are polished smooth. Furthermore, the enclosure has internal walls which have been sand blasted to increase the surface contact with the sprayed fluid product thus providing a catalytic effect.
In this way, one ensures that the enclosure is at an adequate temperature and that no residue at all will form. This keeps the enclosure completely clean.
The dose of product sprayed and then vaporised does not vary, only the temporal distribution is varied through modifying the time interval between the periods of activation of the spray means which allows the quantity of product distributed to be regulated in accordance with the circulation of the air in the volume to be treated.
Advantageously, means are provided to increase the air current inside the enclosure. According to a first form of use of the invention, at least one fan is provided close to the top opening to place the latter under negative pressure and thus facilitate the extraction of the gaseous product to the outside of the enclosure. It is a simple and inexpensive method which can be used in isolated fumigation devices.
For safety reasons, said fumigation device is placed in a cabinet equipped with a door and means of detecting if said door is open. Advantageously, provision is made for detection means in association with the microprocessor to monitor correct operation of the fumigation device and to fit a safety cut-out to the latter in the event of a malfunction.
Other characteristics, distinctive features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description which follows, providing non-limiting examples, illustrated in the attached drawings, of several embodiments of the invention.
In the drawings:
- Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a fumigation device according to this invention, - Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the spray nozzle used in the device shown in Figure 1.
- Figure 3 is a cross section view of a second embodiment of a fumigation device according to this invention.
- Figure 4 is a plan view of the means of cleaning under pressure in accordance with this invention and - Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the fumigation device shown in Figure 1 integrating the cleaning means shown in Figure 4.
As previously mentioned, the devices according to this invention are destined for use for the treatment of premises by fumigation with odoriferous or disinfectant products. Amongst the odoriferous products, one may list deodorisers and ambient scents. Another type of analogous product gives an opposite olfactory result, that is to say the removal of any odour. The fragrances on which any odoriferous product is based. are organic substances active in the air at low concentrations.
However, the fragrances have low solubility in water so a solutizer is chosen. One can use a polyethoxylated material in the formulation with 20 to 30% water.
However, since it has been noted that the coefficient of expansion (the relationship between the volume of gas generated by vaporisation of a liquid and its boiling temperature and the initial volume of this liquid) increases with a decrease in the molecular mass of the product it is preferable to use a product with a very high percentage of water since the molecular mass of water is only 18. This is why it is preferable to use an emulsion with a polymer in very low quantity (~ 1%) which allows the presence of at least 90~ water. A very simple theoretical calculation starting from the law relating to ideal gases gives a coefficient of expansion of 1530 for such an emulsion but only 585 for a formulation made up of 25% water and 65 of surface active solutizer.
In addition to respecting the demands linked to environment protection, seeing that it contains no volatile organic compounds dangerous for the environment or for health, an emulsion with a high water content is ideal from the point of view of its coefficient of expansion taking into account the distribution temperature employed here. In effect, the fumigation exploits precisely that property that the products have of considerably increasing in volume as they pass from their liquid phase to their gaseous phase. Consequently, the use of a product with a high water content has a reduced advantage within the context of its use in fumigation technology.
Of course, all kinds of products can be distributed with devices produced in accordance with the invention, but maximum efficiency is obtained with highly aqueous products. In the rest of the text, the question of the formulation, composition or nature of the product will not be discussed further; it will simply be designated by the generic term "product".
Both of the two embodiments of the devices described below include spray means, fumigation means and command means.
Referring now to Figure 1, a complete fumigation device has been shown in a schematic way. It is a preferred form of the invention particularly from the point of view of the spray means. These give the maximum result in relation to the fineness of the sprayed droplets and the maintenance of fumigation means.
The spray means comprise a product pump PP and an air pump PA linked by pipes 41 and 40 respectively to a mixing spray nozzle 3 an enlarged representation of which is given in Figure 2. A non-return valve C1 is mounted in series on pipe 41 to ensure that said pipe is always full of product. The product pump PP is on the one hand connected by pipe 42 to an electronically controlled valve EV, itself connected by respective pipes 45 and 46 to product reservoirs RP1 and RP2. The electronically controlled valve EV makes it possible to draw selectively from one of the two product reservoirs RP1, RP2 according to their levels.
The air pump PA delivers a flow of air to the mixing nozzle 3 at a pressure of about 150 mbar. Such a pressure can be supplied by a linear membrane pump, available on the market, for example from the company WISA who sell the pump under the name LIMA674. Such a pump comprises two pump chambers each equipped with a deformable membrane. The membranes are activated in opposite phase to achieve a regime of constant air flow.
This pump has shown itself to be particularly well suited for this application.
It is self-evident that any other way of supplying air and having similar close characteristics can be used within the scope of the invention, for example, a compressor. The flow of air must be sufficient to spray the product without creating excessive aeraulic disturbance (it will be seen below why such a condition is demanded).
As for the product pump PP, it supplies precise doses of product, almost drop by drop to the mixer nozzle 3. The drops of product are fed into the air flow created by the air pump PA which causes them to be sp-rayed in very fine droplets. As an example a LIMA
diaphragm pump WISA D100 available from the company WISA
gives good results. The product pump PP delivers constant doses of product at will. To increase the quantity of product sprayed, the frequency of emission of doses is changed and not the dose itself which is defined by the volume of the pump chamber.
These two pumps PP, PA allow one to obtain an optimum spray (fineness of the droplets) with maximum reliability (sturdiness of the pumps). Furthermore, it will be seen below that use of an air flow to spray the product leads to an important advantage for the fumigation.
The fumigation means comprise essentially an enclosure 1 closed except for a lower side opening 11 and a top opening 12. The enclosure 1 is preferably cylindrical and has the shape of a bottle having a contracted neck (top opening 12) and a side hole (side opening 11). The enclosure has a sealed bottom 13, a CA 022ll978 l997-07-30 cylindrical body 15 and a bottle neck 14 ending in the top opening 12. A thermostatic jacket surrounds the greater part of the enclosure particularly the cylindrical body part 15 except for the side hole 11.
The thermostatic jacket is supplied electrically in such a way that the inner walls of the enclosure are brought to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the product which is necessary for its fumigation. Preferably the enclosure is made of a thermally conducting material such as a metal or a conducting ceramic, in such a way that the whole of the enclosure is at the required temperature. For an emulsion, such as that specified earlier, a temperature of 300~C is sufficient. In accordance with an interesting characteristic, the internal walls of the enclosure are finely sand blasted to obtain a catalytic effect by increasing the area of contact with the sprayed product. Alternatively, the internal walls are, in a contrary way, extremely smooth in such a way as to give a mirror effect. Smooth internal walls are preferred for the distribution of particularly volatile products which have a tendency to adhere to the internal walls. On the other hand the finely sand blasted internal walls are used when the doses of product distributed are large. The sand blasting allows the size of the enclosure to be reduced without reducing the contact surface.
The mixer spray nozzle 3 is positioned opposite the lower side hole 11 in such a way that the jet of sprayed product is projected to the inside of the enclosure.
According to the invention, the nozzle does not close up the side opening 11 so that a passage for the supply of air 31 is defined through which an air current can pass into the interior of the enclosure 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, side opening 11 and the nozzle are round. The passage 31 is then defined by the annular space between the side hole 11 and the nozzle 3.
Referring now to Figure 2, the mixer nozzle used in the device of Figure 1 can be seen in enlarged form. The nozzle 3 comprises a body 30 with three inlets to which are connected respectively the non-return valve C1, to the product pump PP, the non-return valve C2 to the water pump PE and the pipe 40 to the air pump PA by means of rotating coupling 430. The body of the nozzle incorporates three internal supply channels (not visible). The two channels corresponding to the product pump PP and the water pump PE come out into a jet 330, whilst the channel corresponding to the air pump PA
comes out into the air nozzle 320. The product or the water is brought practically without any pressure into the flow of air which immediately sprays it. Thanks to this nozzle and to its associated pumps, one can deliver doses of product with an accuracy of the order of 10 microlitres.
The air current coming into the enclosure has the effect of encouraging the release of the product reduced to a gaseous state through the top opening 12 which acts like a chimney. Of course the gaseous product has already a tendency to rise because of its raised temperature and the temperature that prevails within the enclosure. With the current of air which is coming into the enclosure through the side opening, the release of the gas is improved. The latter is in the form of a dry smoke which has no tendency to fall back to earth, but, on the contrary disperses itself very easily in the air.
According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the top opening 12 has a cross section area less than that of the air supply passage 31. This brings about an acceleration of the gaseous product at the exit of the top opening by a Venturi effect. By reducing the cross section of the top opening 12, a glut of gaseous product particles is created at the bottleneck 14, but as the flow rate stays roughly constant, the particles are accelerated so that the release is in the form of a CA 022ll978 l997-07-30 cloud of active smoke which is rapidly expelled from the enclosure.
This enclosure configuration has numerous advantages. The bottom part 13 of the enclosure is closed off in such a way that no running out of product residue can take place. This is even more impossible since the enclosure is heated almost in its entirety. It should also be noted that the side opening 11 where the mixer nozzle is located is positioned in such a way with respect to the thermostatic jacket 2 that the whole of the jet of sprayed product is projected onto an internal wall of the enclosure covered by the ~acket 2. One is assured that the sprayed product comes into contact with a surface at an adequate temperature. On the other hand, the fact that the air supply passage 31 surrounds the nozzle, allows, on the one hand the latter to be cooled since it is directly subjected to the heat of the enclosure and, on the other hand means that the internal wall of the enclosure situated opposite the side opening 11 and onto which the greater part of the sprayed product is projected, is not cooled down.
Furthermore the current of air ccming in disturbs the jet of sprayed product in a uniform manner and not laterally or transversely, as would be the case if the air supply passage were to be situated in another place.
In the case where the spray means described above is used, the flow of air generated by the air pump PA adds to the air current to improve the release of the gaseous product. That is why these spray means are preferred.
However the flow of air must not be too high, since there is a risk of cooling down the internal wall of the enclosure opposite nozzle 3 which would make any fumigation impossible. The air pump must be chosen and adjusted in an optimum manner to spray the fluid product supplied by the product pump PP as finely as possible, whilst avoiding cooling down the enclosure.
To increase the air current coming into the enclosure via the side opening 11, defined around the nozzle, one can make provision for one or several fans positioned close to said top opening and run at a distance from said opening in such a way that the latter is under negative pressure which will facilitate the extraction of the gaseous product from the enclosure.
This has the effect of increasing the speed at which the gaseous product is released which means that it is more rapidly dispersed in the air. Such an arrangement is particularly well suited to the case where the device is isolated, that is to say the top opening leads directly into the atmosphere.
Another arrangement, more practical but particularly advantageous provides for the top opening to be connected upstream from a turbine of an air conditioning system. In effect, in this part of the system there is a negative pressure which has the effect of drawing in outside air. Hence by connecting the device, the inside of the enclosure will be aspirated. In addition to the current of air which already exists and which brings about an accelerated release of the gaseous product, the negative pressure created by the turbine encourages still further the extraction of the gaseous product through aspiration. Air conditioning systems have the advantage that they can treat all the rooms in a building and they are more and more common in such buildings as offices and hotels.
According to a very advantageous characteristic of this invention, the device includes a water pump PE
linked, on the one hand to a reservoir of water RE by a feed pipe 44 and, on the other hand, to the mixer nozzle 3 by a pipe 43. A non-return valve C2 is mounted in series in pipe 43 to prevent water present in pipe 43 from returning into pump PE once the latter is switched off. One can therefore be sure that there is always water in pipe 43 and more particularly at nozzle 3. When -CA 022ll978 l997-07-30 water pump PE is activated, the non-return valve C2 opens whilst valve C1 in the product pipe closes. The water supply to the nozzle serves to rinse it and to clean the enclosure and, incidentally to humidify the S air of the premises being treated. Cleaning of the nozzle is necessary since the fluid product remaining on the nozzle after spraying has a tendency to dry out under the effect of the heat released in the enclosure.
In effect, once spraying is finished, the enclosure still remains hot for a certain time. It is therefore useful to remove fluid product remaining on the nozzle.
To do this, the nozzle is supplied with water instead of fluid product and the air pump is activated. The water is thereby sprayed and is released in gaseous form.
lS Rinsing the nozzle is essential since, if not done, it will block up but cleaning of the enclosure is equally important, since it enables any residue that might possibly form in the enclosure to be removed. The enclosure is thereby kept perfectly clean. To do this, it is enough to activate the water pump PE after each spraying of the product coming from pump PP.
For reasons of safety and public hygiene, the water which is sprayed has a bactericide added to it to avoid the spread of bacteria, microbes or other substances capable of reacting with the human organism.
Alternatively, the water pump PE can be connected by a pipe to an electronically operated valve to which is also connected pipe 41 from the product pump PP. The electronically operated valve makes it possible to switch selectively between the product pump PP and the water pump PE and is connected to the mixer nozzle 3 by a single pipe. The water pump PE must then be run for a certain time since it is necessary to empty the product fluid remaining in pipe 41 after spraying. The choking up of the mixer nozzle is thereby avoided which prolongs its life.
To manage the operating cycle of each unit making up the device, that is to say, the pumps PP, PA and PE, the valves C1, C2 and electronically operated valve EV and the thermostatic jacket 2, provision is made for a S microprocessor M to be connected to each unit by connections 51-56. The microprocessor can be programmed to command in the following manner. First it supplies power to the thermostatic jacket so that it reaches the required temperature, for example 300~C. Once this temperature is reached, the microprocessor commands the activation of air pump PA. Next, it brings product pump PP into action after having checked the state of electronically operated valve EV. In the event that product reservoir RP1 has reached its minimum level, it lS commands electronically operated valve EV to switch over to reservoir RP2. Activation of product pump PP
signifies the emission of a dose or a determined series of doses. Once the activation of product pump PP is terminated, the microprocessor commands the activation of water pump PE all the time keeping the air pump PA
running. The water pump PE remains in action until the mixer nozzle 3 and the enclosure 1 are perfectly cleaned. If the time interval between each dose or series of doses of product is small, then water pump PE
will simply be brought into action after the final spraying of the product, for example at the end of the evening before the device is shut down for the night.
Finally the microprocessor commands the switching off of the power supply to the jacket 2.
The frequency of the doses or the series of doses emitted is dependent on the circulation of the air in the premises to be treated, on the replacement of air in the premises and the nature of the product being distributed. The logged value for the frequency can be calculated in accordance with the parameters involved, can be found empirically by testing or determined in relation to a significant quantity, for example, the instantaneous flow rate from the turbine in an air conditioning system. In this last case, an aeraulic probe S communicates the air flow value taken every three seconds for example, and the microprocessor determines the frequency for activating product pump PP.
Hence the quantity of gaseous product distributed by the air conditioning system into the premises to be treated is directly determined as a function of a real representative parameter. The fumigation device is thus perfectly self-contained and adapts itself to the changing conditions at the site being treated.
To reduce the maintenance of the fumigation device, provision can be made for a remote monitoring system which will indicate by means of various sensors such as pressurestats, any malfunctioning of the device. The only intervention to be made at the site of the installation of the device would then be to replace the product reservoirs RP1, RP2 and the water reservoir RE.
By way of an example, in the case where the fumigation device is connected to an air conditioning system, it could be arranged that when the system turbine stops the fumigation device is made safe so that product is not used wastefully. Alternatively, the fumigation device can make itself safe if the air flow rate in the system drops below a predetermined threshold value, for example 0.5 m.s~1.
As another safety measure, one can envisage mounting a manostat on the air pipe which links the air pump PA
to the nozzle 3. In the event of a pressure drop in the pipe to below a threshold value, for example 80 mbar, the manostat contact opens and causes the fumigation device to be made safe. This detection goes back to detecting the presence of a spray, since it is the air emitted by the air pump PA which makes the spray possible.
Provision can equally be made to detect the presence or not of a plug in the jet of the nozzle by checking the pressure in the water pipe. An excess pressure during the rinsing/cleaning cycle, of for example, more than 70 mbars indicates the presence of an obstruction which causes the contact of a manostat to open which makes the device safe.
The fumigation device, for safety reasons, can be placed in a cabinet, the door of which is equipped with an opening detection system.
An optical sensor, associated with an electronic logic system powered by an accumulator allows movement of the strike plate, necessary to open the door, to be detected. Straightaway, the device moves to a safe condition, stopping the diffusion of product. The apparatus can only be started up again once an n figure code is typed in on an internal keyboard and the door has been closed again.
Any opening of the door, even with the power supply switched off, is recorded and causes the device to be made safe.
The different safety measures described and others that may be envisaged, are controlled by appropriate electronic circuitry and the microprocessor in order to avoid false alarms.
Referring to Figure 3, a second embodiment of a fumigation device according to this invention will be described. The spray means are more conventional in this case since they involve a classic manual spray pump 38 of the type one meets on fluid product distributors for domestic use. The spray nozzle 3 is integral to a distribution head 30 in which an outlet channel is formed. The nozzle can include a whirl chamber which creates a vortex centred on the spray orifice. The fluid product is thus sprayed. The outlet channel is connected to the hollow activating shaft of the pump 38 which is integral with the piston (not shown). The pump includes a tube 35 which reaches down to the bottom of a product reservoir 34. The distribution head is, on the one hand -connected to a piston 32, mounted so that it may slide in a solenoid 33. When the solenoid is supplied with current, the piston is moved towards the bottom, which activates the pump. A microprocessor is provided to S control the power supply to the solenoid by regulating the frequency, that is to say the time interval between each supply of power.
The microprocessor 36, as in the first embodiment, shown in Figuré 1, also controls the prior power supply to the thermostatic jacket 2 which surrounds the enclosure 1. Furthermore, the microprocessor program incorporates a logged value which corresponds to the mean representative value for the circulation of air in the premises to be treated. This logged value, can, for example, be measured with appropriate instruments such as an aeraulic probe. The fumigation device in Figure 3 is a more simple design and lends itself particularly well to domestic use whilst the device in Figure 1 is rather more for industrial use. A correlation table may be supplied with the device with the help of which one could determine the logged value as a function of the volume and the nature of the room to be treated. An entrance hall must be treated in a more intense manner than a living room. The enclosure 1 in Figure 3 is of reduced size but operates in the same manner as that in Figure 1, except that the jet of sprayed product does not contain an air flow and that the top opening 12 opens directly into the atmosphere. The release of gaseous product takes place in a unforced way, caused only by the rise of the gas under the action of the heat. However, the gaseous product at the outlet of the top opening 12 acquires a certain speed just the same due to the reduced cross section area of the top opening.
This fumigation device can be put into a case fitted with a release mouthpiece at the top opening to allow the exit of the gaseous product. Protective insulation 21 can be provided around the enclosure to prevent the whole device being heated up.
The enclosure in the two embodiments described plays the role of a particle accelerator or cyclotron, in the S sense that the particles which are released through the top opening do so with a certain speed. This phenomenon is obtained by introducing an air current into the enclosure and is encouraged by the carefully chosen relationship of cross sections of the enclosure openings.
The enclosures which have just been described are in the shape of a cylindrical bottle. Of course, one can imagine all kinds of geometry for an enclosure equipped with two openings without departing from the scope of the invention.
Figure 4 shows a preferred form of cleaning means taken from the fumigation device into which they are integrated. In the embodiment shown, which is not limiting, the cleaning means designated in its entirety by reference number 6, comprises a pressurising chamber 60 which has a general horse-shoe shape. Of course, one can imagine pressurising chambers of other shapes without departing from the scope of the invention. The shape chosen is however preferred, since it takes up little space and furthermore can be obtained on the market at low cost.
Chamber 60 includes an inlet 62 and an outlet 61.
Its capacity is of the order of from a few centimetres cubed to 20 centimetres cubed. The chamber, in reality is formed from a thermally conducting metal tube, about 30 cm in length, bent so as to give it a folded back shape, for example, a horse-shoe shape. The tube forming the chamber 60 has an electrical resistance along its side which extends, inside the horse-shoe along the major part of its length. This resistance 65 is connected to a power supply 66 and has the function of heating up the pressurisation chamber and because of this, its contents. The chamber 60 and the resistance 65 are mounted on a base 63 which holds the chamber by means of four lugs 64.
The chamber 60 is provided with a valve 7, 8, at S each of its ends 61, 62. Valve 8 connected to inlet 62 of the chamber is a non-return valve which prevents liquid from running back. Valve 7 connected to outlet 61 is a pressure relief valve appropriately set to allow the superheated and hence vaporised liquid to be released from the chamber.
The non-return valve 8 can include a spring which presses lightly on the ball 82 on its seat 83, though in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the valve 8 does not incorporate a spring. Except for the spring, the two valves 7 and 8 can be identical. They each comprise a sleeve 71, 81 into which a bush 73, 83 is inserted which forms the valve seat. The ball 72, 82 sits in the bush 73, 83 and an obstructing element 74, 84 limits movement of the ball within the bush. A spring 75 is compressed between the ball 72 and the obstructing element 74 to press the ball down onto its seat 73, in the case of the pressure relief valve 7. Setting the spring for about 5 bars is perfectly suitable to obtain sufficient pressure in chamber 60.
The operation in a fumigation device, of the cleaning means in Figure 4 will now be explained by referring to Figure 5.
In Figure 4 we have a preferred form of the invention particularly from the point of view of spray means.
The device includes a water pump PE connected, on the one hand to a water reservoir RE by a supply pipe 44 and, on the other hand, by a pipe 43, to valve 8 on the cleaning means. Another pipe 47 passing into the enclosure through the bottom is connected to the pressure relief valve 7. The end of pipe 47 is directed towards the hot internal wall of the enclosure, opposite the nozzle. Hence superheated steam will be projected against this hot internal wall. Cleaning under pressure is thus achieved.
For reasons of safety and public hygiene, the water S which is vaporised can have added to it a bacteriostatic substance so as to avoid any spreading of bacteria, microbes or other substances capable of reacting with the human organism. Preferably oxygenated water (H~O~) will be used at a concentration of about 1 %.
To manage the operating cycle of each unit making up the device, that is to say, the pumps PP, PA and PE, the valve C1, the electronically operated valve EV the thermostatic jacket 2 and the cleaning means 6, provision is made for a microprocessor M to be connected to each unit by connections 51-56. The microprocessor can be programmed to command in the following manner.
First it supplies power to the thermostatic jacket so that it reaches the required tçmperature, for example 300~C. Once this temperature is reached, the microprocessor commands the activation of air pump PA.
Next, it brings product pump PP into action after having checked the state of electronically operated valve EV.
In the event that product reservoir RP1 has reached its minimum level, it commands electronically operated valve EV to switch over to reservoir RP2. Activation of product pump PP signifies the emission of a dose or a determined series of doses. Once the activation of product pump PP is terminated, the microprocessor commands the activation of water pump PE which has the effect of filling the pressurisation chamber 60 with water (if required containing 1 ~ of H~O~). Once chamber 60 is full, the microprocessor commands the supply of power to resistance 65. The temperature of the water in the chamber increases, which brings about an increase in pressure, given that the non-return valve 8 prevents the backflow of watçr in pipe 43 and that the pressure relief valve 7 is only set to open when a predetermined pressure of about 5 bars is reached. A pressure of 5 bars is reached in the chamber at a temperature of about 130~C. The pressure relief valve then opens to allow the release of a jet of superheated water vapour under pressure. The combined action of the temperature and the pressure permits rapid and total scouring of the hot internal wall of the enclosure. It is however preferable to switch off the supply of power to the thermostatic jacket during the cleaning operation. Once the pressure in the chamber falls to below 5 bars again, the pressure relief valve closes and the non-return valve 8 opens to allow water to again come into the chamber through the action of pump PE. Hence the chamber is filled again for the next cleaning operation.
If the time interval between each dose or series of doses of product is small, then the activation of water pump PE and cleaning means 6 can simply be commanded after the final spraying of the product, for example at the end of the evening before the device is shut down for the night. Finally the microprocessor commands the switching off of the power supply to the jacket 2.
These means 6 of cleaning the internal wall of the enclosure under pressure can be used together with the means for cleaning the mixer nczzle 3. The supply of water to nozzle 3 through conduit 43 (fig. 1) allows rinsing of the nozzle and a primary cleaning of the hot internal wall and the means of cleaning under pressure 6 allow a real scouring of the hot internal wall to be carried out.
This invention relates to a device for fumigation using a liquid product such as deodorisers, ambient scents, insecticides, et~c. The device will find its application in the treatment of premises such as public places, offices or hotels and other premises.
Until now, fluid products of the aforementioned type are usually dispensed in the form of fine droplets with the help of a spray pump or an aerosol bomb. These droplets remain momentarily in suspension in the air, but have a tendency to fall due to their mass, since these droplets, as their name indicates comprise a liquid phase of the product and not a gaseous phase.
This sort of fluid product distribution system is particularly well suited to a localised treatment, since a large quantity of product can be concentrated into a small volume. On the other hand, for the treatment of large volumes, this technique is inappropriate and results in poor disperslon of product because of the inexorable falling of the droplets.
Unlike this technique of simple spraying, the document EP-A-0 401 060 discloses a device in which a manual pump is activated by electromechanical means to spray a jet of fluid substance in the form of a fine spray onto a metal surface. The metal surface is heated to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid substance so that said fluid substance is instantly vaporised in ~aseous form, hence with a chan~e of state. In the following, this type of product distribution will be called fumi~ation. In fact, since the fluid substance passes into the gaseous phase, its dispersion in the atmosphere is much better than with the aerosols which produce droplets in suspension in the air. Because of this, it is possible to use much less of said substance than with an aerosol in order to achieve the same result (Avogadro's Law - Ampère), which, on the one hand is economic and on the other hand is better for human health and for the environment.
Furthermore, the fine droplets produced by the spray are instantly vaporised by the heated surface, hence the fluid substance does not have the time to be degraded by the heat during vaporisation and preserves all its properties.
Similarly, the document FR-2 706 330 discloses a spray and fumigation device which allows both a spray similar to that of an aerosol, and a fumigation, according to the form of use desired. To do this, it is provided with a pump activated by electromagnetic means, a retractable heating element and a microprocessor which commands the pump at a predetermined interval of time when the heating element is opposite the spray nozzle of the pump. The heating element includes an enclosure open at its top and bottom faces and containing a thermally conductive plate extending perpendicular to the direction of the jet of sprayed product. The plate is in thermal contact with a resistance. The product, once broken up into the gaseous state escapes through the top face of the enclosure, so that air comes into the enclosure via the bottom face.
However, this prior art fumigation device, like others, makes provision for the emission of one or several consecutive doses of product at fixed predetermined time intervals, which leads, because the air in a given volume is not static but is subject to currents of variable intensity, to variations in the density of gaseous product distributed in relation to time and because of this, the odour the product releases is sensed to be more or less intense. These variations can bring about excessive concentrations of products at certain times and conversely, a quasi-total disappearance of odour at other times.
An aim of this invention is to provide a fumigation device capable of maintaining a constant "level" of odour in the premises to be treated, even though the premises are subject to disturbances in the air.
To do this, the objective of this invention is a device for the fumigation of premises with a sprayable fluid product, comprising :
- at least one reservoir containing the fluid to be sprayed, - spray means provided with a spray nozzle.
a heated internal wall, opposite the spray nozzle, to receive said sprayed product via the spray means, said heated internal wall having a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of said fluid product, said heated internal wall being in communication with the atmosphere via a top opening to discharge said product in the gaseous state.
- a microprocessor to command the activation of the spray means and to control the temperature of the heated internal wall, characterised in that the microprocessor is programmed to automatically command the activation of the spray means at a time interval determined according to a value representative of the circulation of air inside the premises to be treated. Hence the quantity of gaseous product distributed is perfectly regulated in relation to the replacement of air in the premises, which results in the expulsion of part of the gaseous product to the outside from whence the variation in product density arises. One may thus be sure that for whatever the volume of new air brought into the premises, a quantity of gaseous product proportional to this volume will be added to it. Provision is thereby made for the maintenance of a constant odour in the premises.
According to a first embodiment, said value representative of the circulation of air is put into the microprocessor program as a logged value.
-.
According to a second embodiment, means of detection are provided to measure said representative value for the circulation of air at predetermined intervals of time, electronic circuitry being provided to input successively said values thus measured into the program of the microprocessor in order to continuously adjust the quantity of fluid product distributed.
Advantageously, the top opening is connected upstream of a turbine of an air conditioning system in order to aspirate the product in the gaseous state, an aeraulic probe being positioned downstream from the turbine in order to measure said representative value in the form of an air flow rate at the outflow of the turbine. In fact, between the mouths of the air inlets and the turbine, there is a pressure drop producing an aspiration effect which can be profitably used to extract the gaseous product from the enclosure. Using a fumigation device linked to an air conditioning system comprises a preferred practical application of the invention. In this way one may ensure that the whole of the premises are treated perfectly.
With the enclosure configuration in document FR-2 706 330, part of the sprayed fluid product does not come into contact with the heating plate, but falls to the bottom of the enclosure, that is to say to the open bottom face. This face, because the outside air is passing across it is not at a temperature sufficient to bring about instantaneous vaporisation of the fluid product. This then results in a residue of product, more or less dried out at the bottom of the enclosure which degrades under the influence of the heat released by the heated plate. The calcination of the residue releases odours which damage the true scent of the fluid product.
Furthermore, over a long period, this residue can flow out of the enclosure which is neither aesthetic nor practical.
In order to alleviate this problem, the invention provides, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, that said spray means include a water pump in fluid communication with the spray nozzle, to clean the latter as well as the heated internal wall after spraying the fluid product. Hence by regular washing of the components in contact with the fluid product in the heated zone, any risk of residue formation is eliminated and perfect cleanliness can be maintained. Incidentally, this supply of water can equally well be used to humidify the premises being treated.
More advantageously, cleaning means are provided able to project under pressure a heated cleaning agent, in vaporised form against said internal wall.
These means of cleaning under pressure can be concurrent with the means of rinsing the nozzle.
The cleaning agent, which can be pure water or a solution of water and oxygenated water enables a real scouring of the internal wall to be carried out. This is made possible because the cleaning agent is distributed under pressure and at an elevated temperature (110 to 150~C). In reality, the cleaning agent is projected against the inner wall in vaporised form, under pressure. The impact of the vapour at high temperature against the internal wall causes effective and rapid scouring. Furthermore, when the cleaning agent contains a disinfectant or a bacteriostatic substance such as oxygenated water, this gives the additional benefit of removing any bacterial traces from the internal wall, thereby bringing about perfect cleaning.
According to one embodiment, the cleaning means include a chamber having an inlet and an outlet and heating means to heat said chamber. Advantageously, the inlet of said chamber is provided with non-return valve means and the outlet of said chamber is fitted with pressure relief valve means. Superheating the cleaning agent allows the pressure inside the chamber to be increased which causes projection of the cleaning agent at the chamber outlet. ~ith a pressure relief valve set at about 5 bars, good projection under pressure is obtained at a temperature of about 130~C.
In a practical form, the chamber has substantially the shape of a horse shoe, the heating means being an electrical resistance extending along the chamber.
On the other hand, according to a first embodiment, the spray means include a spray pump activated by mechanical means. One could, for example, use a spray device as described in the aforementioned document FR-2 706 330. In this device, the dose of fluid product is put under pressure in a pump chamber before being released through a classic nozzle which allows the dispersion of the fluid in fine droplets.
Moreover, according to a second preferred embodiment, the spraying means, include an air pump and, at least one fluid product pump, said spray nozzle being a mixer nozzle where the fluid product is introduced into an air flow created by the air pump and is thus sprayed. This flow of air improves still more the evacuation of the gaseous product via the top opening.
On the other hand, the configuration of the enclosure in the aforementioned document does not bring about a rapid release of the product in the gaseous state. The gaseous product has, of course, a tendency to rise because of the temperature but in a natural way at normal speed.
This invention also aims to remedy the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art by specifying an improved device, particularly with regard to its fumigation system, that is to say the system for changing state. Another aim of the invention is also to arrive at a simple and clean device that allows rapid release of the gaseous product.
In order to achieve this, said device includes an enclosure which is closed except for a lower side opening and a top opening, said spray nozzle being positioned opposite said lower side opening, the interior of said enclosure is, at least partially, heated at least opposite said lower side opening, to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid product and thereby defines said heated internal wall, a passage for the supply of air being provided by said lower side opening in order to create a current of air inside the enclosure which encourages lQ the release of said product in the gaseous state through the top opening. There are numerous advantages in making the opening for the spray nozzle and the air inlet opening concurrent. Firstly, the enclosure is perfectly sealed at the bottom ; no product residue can run out of it. Secondly the air current does not disturb the jet of sprayed product since it is coming from the same direction. Thirdly, the air current allows a constant cooling of the spray nozzle which is subjected to the heat which arises in the enclosure. Fourthly, the air current does not cool down the heated internal wall of the enclosure which is opposite the nozzle since it comes into the enclosure in a diametrically opposed manner. Fifthly, more air current comes into the enclosure at the spray nozzle due to the air intake created around the jet of the sprayed product. Finally, in combination with the flow of air generated by the air pump, the air current coming into the enclosure via the side opening enables extraction to be improved even more.
The lower opening is located at the side. Since this does not offer any particular advantage, it may also be envisaged that this lower opening is in the bottom of the enclosure.
Advantageously, the top opening has a section less than that of the air supply passage. By adopting this relationship between cross section areas, a draught effect is produced inside the enclosure that increases the speed of release of the gaseous product at the top opening. It is a kind of Venturi effect that allows the gaseous product at the- outlet of the device to be expelled in an accelerated manner. This permits more rapid dispersion of the molecules of gas into the air through an initial vigorous mixing.
According to one embodlment, the air supply passage is provided by a space defined between the lower side opening and the spray nozzle positioned in the latter, remote from contact with it. The air current thus comes into the enclosure in a uniform manner around the spray nozzle. The thermodynamic disturbance that the air current engenders inside the enclosure influences the internal walls of the enclosure in a manner symmetrical lS with respect to the jet of sprayed product.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the enclosure is made of a thermally conducting material. On the other hand, the enclosure is heated by means of a thermostatic jacket which surrounds the major part of the enclosure in order to maintain substantially all of the enclosure at a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid product. Alternatively, for products which are particularly volatile, the enclosure has internal surfaces which are polished smooth. Furthermore, the enclosure has internal walls which have been sand blasted to increase the surface contact with the sprayed fluid product thus providing a catalytic effect.
In this way, one ensures that the enclosure is at an adequate temperature and that no residue at all will form. This keeps the enclosure completely clean.
The dose of product sprayed and then vaporised does not vary, only the temporal distribution is varied through modifying the time interval between the periods of activation of the spray means which allows the quantity of product distributed to be regulated in accordance with the circulation of the air in the volume to be treated.
Advantageously, means are provided to increase the air current inside the enclosure. According to a first form of use of the invention, at least one fan is provided close to the top opening to place the latter under negative pressure and thus facilitate the extraction of the gaseous product to the outside of the enclosure. It is a simple and inexpensive method which can be used in isolated fumigation devices.
For safety reasons, said fumigation device is placed in a cabinet equipped with a door and means of detecting if said door is open. Advantageously, provision is made for detection means in association with the microprocessor to monitor correct operation of the fumigation device and to fit a safety cut-out to the latter in the event of a malfunction.
Other characteristics, distinctive features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description which follows, providing non-limiting examples, illustrated in the attached drawings, of several embodiments of the invention.
In the drawings:
- Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a fumigation device according to this invention, - Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the spray nozzle used in the device shown in Figure 1.
- Figure 3 is a cross section view of a second embodiment of a fumigation device according to this invention.
- Figure 4 is a plan view of the means of cleaning under pressure in accordance with this invention and - Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the fumigation device shown in Figure 1 integrating the cleaning means shown in Figure 4.
As previously mentioned, the devices according to this invention are destined for use for the treatment of premises by fumigation with odoriferous or disinfectant products. Amongst the odoriferous products, one may list deodorisers and ambient scents. Another type of analogous product gives an opposite olfactory result, that is to say the removal of any odour. The fragrances on which any odoriferous product is based. are organic substances active in the air at low concentrations.
However, the fragrances have low solubility in water so a solutizer is chosen. One can use a polyethoxylated material in the formulation with 20 to 30% water.
However, since it has been noted that the coefficient of expansion (the relationship between the volume of gas generated by vaporisation of a liquid and its boiling temperature and the initial volume of this liquid) increases with a decrease in the molecular mass of the product it is preferable to use a product with a very high percentage of water since the molecular mass of water is only 18. This is why it is preferable to use an emulsion with a polymer in very low quantity (~ 1%) which allows the presence of at least 90~ water. A very simple theoretical calculation starting from the law relating to ideal gases gives a coefficient of expansion of 1530 for such an emulsion but only 585 for a formulation made up of 25% water and 65 of surface active solutizer.
In addition to respecting the demands linked to environment protection, seeing that it contains no volatile organic compounds dangerous for the environment or for health, an emulsion with a high water content is ideal from the point of view of its coefficient of expansion taking into account the distribution temperature employed here. In effect, the fumigation exploits precisely that property that the products have of considerably increasing in volume as they pass from their liquid phase to their gaseous phase. Consequently, the use of a product with a high water content has a reduced advantage within the context of its use in fumigation technology.
Of course, all kinds of products can be distributed with devices produced in accordance with the invention, but maximum efficiency is obtained with highly aqueous products. In the rest of the text, the question of the formulation, composition or nature of the product will not be discussed further; it will simply be designated by the generic term "product".
Both of the two embodiments of the devices described below include spray means, fumigation means and command means.
Referring now to Figure 1, a complete fumigation device has been shown in a schematic way. It is a preferred form of the invention particularly from the point of view of the spray means. These give the maximum result in relation to the fineness of the sprayed droplets and the maintenance of fumigation means.
The spray means comprise a product pump PP and an air pump PA linked by pipes 41 and 40 respectively to a mixing spray nozzle 3 an enlarged representation of which is given in Figure 2. A non-return valve C1 is mounted in series on pipe 41 to ensure that said pipe is always full of product. The product pump PP is on the one hand connected by pipe 42 to an electronically controlled valve EV, itself connected by respective pipes 45 and 46 to product reservoirs RP1 and RP2. The electronically controlled valve EV makes it possible to draw selectively from one of the two product reservoirs RP1, RP2 according to their levels.
The air pump PA delivers a flow of air to the mixing nozzle 3 at a pressure of about 150 mbar. Such a pressure can be supplied by a linear membrane pump, available on the market, for example from the company WISA who sell the pump under the name LIMA674. Such a pump comprises two pump chambers each equipped with a deformable membrane. The membranes are activated in opposite phase to achieve a regime of constant air flow.
This pump has shown itself to be particularly well suited for this application.
It is self-evident that any other way of supplying air and having similar close characteristics can be used within the scope of the invention, for example, a compressor. The flow of air must be sufficient to spray the product without creating excessive aeraulic disturbance (it will be seen below why such a condition is demanded).
As for the product pump PP, it supplies precise doses of product, almost drop by drop to the mixer nozzle 3. The drops of product are fed into the air flow created by the air pump PA which causes them to be sp-rayed in very fine droplets. As an example a LIMA
diaphragm pump WISA D100 available from the company WISA
gives good results. The product pump PP delivers constant doses of product at will. To increase the quantity of product sprayed, the frequency of emission of doses is changed and not the dose itself which is defined by the volume of the pump chamber.
These two pumps PP, PA allow one to obtain an optimum spray (fineness of the droplets) with maximum reliability (sturdiness of the pumps). Furthermore, it will be seen below that use of an air flow to spray the product leads to an important advantage for the fumigation.
The fumigation means comprise essentially an enclosure 1 closed except for a lower side opening 11 and a top opening 12. The enclosure 1 is preferably cylindrical and has the shape of a bottle having a contracted neck (top opening 12) and a side hole (side opening 11). The enclosure has a sealed bottom 13, a CA 022ll978 l997-07-30 cylindrical body 15 and a bottle neck 14 ending in the top opening 12. A thermostatic jacket surrounds the greater part of the enclosure particularly the cylindrical body part 15 except for the side hole 11.
The thermostatic jacket is supplied electrically in such a way that the inner walls of the enclosure are brought to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the product which is necessary for its fumigation. Preferably the enclosure is made of a thermally conducting material such as a metal or a conducting ceramic, in such a way that the whole of the enclosure is at the required temperature. For an emulsion, such as that specified earlier, a temperature of 300~C is sufficient. In accordance with an interesting characteristic, the internal walls of the enclosure are finely sand blasted to obtain a catalytic effect by increasing the area of contact with the sprayed product. Alternatively, the internal walls are, in a contrary way, extremely smooth in such a way as to give a mirror effect. Smooth internal walls are preferred for the distribution of particularly volatile products which have a tendency to adhere to the internal walls. On the other hand the finely sand blasted internal walls are used when the doses of product distributed are large. The sand blasting allows the size of the enclosure to be reduced without reducing the contact surface.
The mixer spray nozzle 3 is positioned opposite the lower side hole 11 in such a way that the jet of sprayed product is projected to the inside of the enclosure.
According to the invention, the nozzle does not close up the side opening 11 so that a passage for the supply of air 31 is defined through which an air current can pass into the interior of the enclosure 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, side opening 11 and the nozzle are round. The passage 31 is then defined by the annular space between the side hole 11 and the nozzle 3.
Referring now to Figure 2, the mixer nozzle used in the device of Figure 1 can be seen in enlarged form. The nozzle 3 comprises a body 30 with three inlets to which are connected respectively the non-return valve C1, to the product pump PP, the non-return valve C2 to the water pump PE and the pipe 40 to the air pump PA by means of rotating coupling 430. The body of the nozzle incorporates three internal supply channels (not visible). The two channels corresponding to the product pump PP and the water pump PE come out into a jet 330, whilst the channel corresponding to the air pump PA
comes out into the air nozzle 320. The product or the water is brought practically without any pressure into the flow of air which immediately sprays it. Thanks to this nozzle and to its associated pumps, one can deliver doses of product with an accuracy of the order of 10 microlitres.
The air current coming into the enclosure has the effect of encouraging the release of the product reduced to a gaseous state through the top opening 12 which acts like a chimney. Of course the gaseous product has already a tendency to rise because of its raised temperature and the temperature that prevails within the enclosure. With the current of air which is coming into the enclosure through the side opening, the release of the gas is improved. The latter is in the form of a dry smoke which has no tendency to fall back to earth, but, on the contrary disperses itself very easily in the air.
According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the top opening 12 has a cross section area less than that of the air supply passage 31. This brings about an acceleration of the gaseous product at the exit of the top opening by a Venturi effect. By reducing the cross section of the top opening 12, a glut of gaseous product particles is created at the bottleneck 14, but as the flow rate stays roughly constant, the particles are accelerated so that the release is in the form of a CA 022ll978 l997-07-30 cloud of active smoke which is rapidly expelled from the enclosure.
This enclosure configuration has numerous advantages. The bottom part 13 of the enclosure is closed off in such a way that no running out of product residue can take place. This is even more impossible since the enclosure is heated almost in its entirety. It should also be noted that the side opening 11 where the mixer nozzle is located is positioned in such a way with respect to the thermostatic jacket 2 that the whole of the jet of sprayed product is projected onto an internal wall of the enclosure covered by the ~acket 2. One is assured that the sprayed product comes into contact with a surface at an adequate temperature. On the other hand, the fact that the air supply passage 31 surrounds the nozzle, allows, on the one hand the latter to be cooled since it is directly subjected to the heat of the enclosure and, on the other hand means that the internal wall of the enclosure situated opposite the side opening 11 and onto which the greater part of the sprayed product is projected, is not cooled down.
Furthermore the current of air ccming in disturbs the jet of sprayed product in a uniform manner and not laterally or transversely, as would be the case if the air supply passage were to be situated in another place.
In the case where the spray means described above is used, the flow of air generated by the air pump PA adds to the air current to improve the release of the gaseous product. That is why these spray means are preferred.
However the flow of air must not be too high, since there is a risk of cooling down the internal wall of the enclosure opposite nozzle 3 which would make any fumigation impossible. The air pump must be chosen and adjusted in an optimum manner to spray the fluid product supplied by the product pump PP as finely as possible, whilst avoiding cooling down the enclosure.
To increase the air current coming into the enclosure via the side opening 11, defined around the nozzle, one can make provision for one or several fans positioned close to said top opening and run at a distance from said opening in such a way that the latter is under negative pressure which will facilitate the extraction of the gaseous product from the enclosure.
This has the effect of increasing the speed at which the gaseous product is released which means that it is more rapidly dispersed in the air. Such an arrangement is particularly well suited to the case where the device is isolated, that is to say the top opening leads directly into the atmosphere.
Another arrangement, more practical but particularly advantageous provides for the top opening to be connected upstream from a turbine of an air conditioning system. In effect, in this part of the system there is a negative pressure which has the effect of drawing in outside air. Hence by connecting the device, the inside of the enclosure will be aspirated. In addition to the current of air which already exists and which brings about an accelerated release of the gaseous product, the negative pressure created by the turbine encourages still further the extraction of the gaseous product through aspiration. Air conditioning systems have the advantage that they can treat all the rooms in a building and they are more and more common in such buildings as offices and hotels.
According to a very advantageous characteristic of this invention, the device includes a water pump PE
linked, on the one hand to a reservoir of water RE by a feed pipe 44 and, on the other hand, to the mixer nozzle 3 by a pipe 43. A non-return valve C2 is mounted in series in pipe 43 to prevent water present in pipe 43 from returning into pump PE once the latter is switched off. One can therefore be sure that there is always water in pipe 43 and more particularly at nozzle 3. When -CA 022ll978 l997-07-30 water pump PE is activated, the non-return valve C2 opens whilst valve C1 in the product pipe closes. The water supply to the nozzle serves to rinse it and to clean the enclosure and, incidentally to humidify the S air of the premises being treated. Cleaning of the nozzle is necessary since the fluid product remaining on the nozzle after spraying has a tendency to dry out under the effect of the heat released in the enclosure.
In effect, once spraying is finished, the enclosure still remains hot for a certain time. It is therefore useful to remove fluid product remaining on the nozzle.
To do this, the nozzle is supplied with water instead of fluid product and the air pump is activated. The water is thereby sprayed and is released in gaseous form.
lS Rinsing the nozzle is essential since, if not done, it will block up but cleaning of the enclosure is equally important, since it enables any residue that might possibly form in the enclosure to be removed. The enclosure is thereby kept perfectly clean. To do this, it is enough to activate the water pump PE after each spraying of the product coming from pump PP.
For reasons of safety and public hygiene, the water which is sprayed has a bactericide added to it to avoid the spread of bacteria, microbes or other substances capable of reacting with the human organism.
Alternatively, the water pump PE can be connected by a pipe to an electronically operated valve to which is also connected pipe 41 from the product pump PP. The electronically operated valve makes it possible to switch selectively between the product pump PP and the water pump PE and is connected to the mixer nozzle 3 by a single pipe. The water pump PE must then be run for a certain time since it is necessary to empty the product fluid remaining in pipe 41 after spraying. The choking up of the mixer nozzle is thereby avoided which prolongs its life.
To manage the operating cycle of each unit making up the device, that is to say, the pumps PP, PA and PE, the valves C1, C2 and electronically operated valve EV and the thermostatic jacket 2, provision is made for a S microprocessor M to be connected to each unit by connections 51-56. The microprocessor can be programmed to command in the following manner. First it supplies power to the thermostatic jacket so that it reaches the required temperature, for example 300~C. Once this temperature is reached, the microprocessor commands the activation of air pump PA. Next, it brings product pump PP into action after having checked the state of electronically operated valve EV. In the event that product reservoir RP1 has reached its minimum level, it lS commands electronically operated valve EV to switch over to reservoir RP2. Activation of product pump PP
signifies the emission of a dose or a determined series of doses. Once the activation of product pump PP is terminated, the microprocessor commands the activation of water pump PE all the time keeping the air pump PA
running. The water pump PE remains in action until the mixer nozzle 3 and the enclosure 1 are perfectly cleaned. If the time interval between each dose or series of doses of product is small, then water pump PE
will simply be brought into action after the final spraying of the product, for example at the end of the evening before the device is shut down for the night.
Finally the microprocessor commands the switching off of the power supply to the jacket 2.
The frequency of the doses or the series of doses emitted is dependent on the circulation of the air in the premises to be treated, on the replacement of air in the premises and the nature of the product being distributed. The logged value for the frequency can be calculated in accordance with the parameters involved, can be found empirically by testing or determined in relation to a significant quantity, for example, the instantaneous flow rate from the turbine in an air conditioning system. In this last case, an aeraulic probe S communicates the air flow value taken every three seconds for example, and the microprocessor determines the frequency for activating product pump PP.
Hence the quantity of gaseous product distributed by the air conditioning system into the premises to be treated is directly determined as a function of a real representative parameter. The fumigation device is thus perfectly self-contained and adapts itself to the changing conditions at the site being treated.
To reduce the maintenance of the fumigation device, provision can be made for a remote monitoring system which will indicate by means of various sensors such as pressurestats, any malfunctioning of the device. The only intervention to be made at the site of the installation of the device would then be to replace the product reservoirs RP1, RP2 and the water reservoir RE.
By way of an example, in the case where the fumigation device is connected to an air conditioning system, it could be arranged that when the system turbine stops the fumigation device is made safe so that product is not used wastefully. Alternatively, the fumigation device can make itself safe if the air flow rate in the system drops below a predetermined threshold value, for example 0.5 m.s~1.
As another safety measure, one can envisage mounting a manostat on the air pipe which links the air pump PA
to the nozzle 3. In the event of a pressure drop in the pipe to below a threshold value, for example 80 mbar, the manostat contact opens and causes the fumigation device to be made safe. This detection goes back to detecting the presence of a spray, since it is the air emitted by the air pump PA which makes the spray possible.
Provision can equally be made to detect the presence or not of a plug in the jet of the nozzle by checking the pressure in the water pipe. An excess pressure during the rinsing/cleaning cycle, of for example, more than 70 mbars indicates the presence of an obstruction which causes the contact of a manostat to open which makes the device safe.
The fumigation device, for safety reasons, can be placed in a cabinet, the door of which is equipped with an opening detection system.
An optical sensor, associated with an electronic logic system powered by an accumulator allows movement of the strike plate, necessary to open the door, to be detected. Straightaway, the device moves to a safe condition, stopping the diffusion of product. The apparatus can only be started up again once an n figure code is typed in on an internal keyboard and the door has been closed again.
Any opening of the door, even with the power supply switched off, is recorded and causes the device to be made safe.
The different safety measures described and others that may be envisaged, are controlled by appropriate electronic circuitry and the microprocessor in order to avoid false alarms.
Referring to Figure 3, a second embodiment of a fumigation device according to this invention will be described. The spray means are more conventional in this case since they involve a classic manual spray pump 38 of the type one meets on fluid product distributors for domestic use. The spray nozzle 3 is integral to a distribution head 30 in which an outlet channel is formed. The nozzle can include a whirl chamber which creates a vortex centred on the spray orifice. The fluid product is thus sprayed. The outlet channel is connected to the hollow activating shaft of the pump 38 which is integral with the piston (not shown). The pump includes a tube 35 which reaches down to the bottom of a product reservoir 34. The distribution head is, on the one hand -connected to a piston 32, mounted so that it may slide in a solenoid 33. When the solenoid is supplied with current, the piston is moved towards the bottom, which activates the pump. A microprocessor is provided to S control the power supply to the solenoid by regulating the frequency, that is to say the time interval between each supply of power.
The microprocessor 36, as in the first embodiment, shown in Figuré 1, also controls the prior power supply to the thermostatic jacket 2 which surrounds the enclosure 1. Furthermore, the microprocessor program incorporates a logged value which corresponds to the mean representative value for the circulation of air in the premises to be treated. This logged value, can, for example, be measured with appropriate instruments such as an aeraulic probe. The fumigation device in Figure 3 is a more simple design and lends itself particularly well to domestic use whilst the device in Figure 1 is rather more for industrial use. A correlation table may be supplied with the device with the help of which one could determine the logged value as a function of the volume and the nature of the room to be treated. An entrance hall must be treated in a more intense manner than a living room. The enclosure 1 in Figure 3 is of reduced size but operates in the same manner as that in Figure 1, except that the jet of sprayed product does not contain an air flow and that the top opening 12 opens directly into the atmosphere. The release of gaseous product takes place in a unforced way, caused only by the rise of the gas under the action of the heat. However, the gaseous product at the outlet of the top opening 12 acquires a certain speed just the same due to the reduced cross section area of the top opening.
This fumigation device can be put into a case fitted with a release mouthpiece at the top opening to allow the exit of the gaseous product. Protective insulation 21 can be provided around the enclosure to prevent the whole device being heated up.
The enclosure in the two embodiments described plays the role of a particle accelerator or cyclotron, in the S sense that the particles which are released through the top opening do so with a certain speed. This phenomenon is obtained by introducing an air current into the enclosure and is encouraged by the carefully chosen relationship of cross sections of the enclosure openings.
The enclosures which have just been described are in the shape of a cylindrical bottle. Of course, one can imagine all kinds of geometry for an enclosure equipped with two openings without departing from the scope of the invention.
Figure 4 shows a preferred form of cleaning means taken from the fumigation device into which they are integrated. In the embodiment shown, which is not limiting, the cleaning means designated in its entirety by reference number 6, comprises a pressurising chamber 60 which has a general horse-shoe shape. Of course, one can imagine pressurising chambers of other shapes without departing from the scope of the invention. The shape chosen is however preferred, since it takes up little space and furthermore can be obtained on the market at low cost.
Chamber 60 includes an inlet 62 and an outlet 61.
Its capacity is of the order of from a few centimetres cubed to 20 centimetres cubed. The chamber, in reality is formed from a thermally conducting metal tube, about 30 cm in length, bent so as to give it a folded back shape, for example, a horse-shoe shape. The tube forming the chamber 60 has an electrical resistance along its side which extends, inside the horse-shoe along the major part of its length. This resistance 65 is connected to a power supply 66 and has the function of heating up the pressurisation chamber and because of this, its contents. The chamber 60 and the resistance 65 are mounted on a base 63 which holds the chamber by means of four lugs 64.
The chamber 60 is provided with a valve 7, 8, at S each of its ends 61, 62. Valve 8 connected to inlet 62 of the chamber is a non-return valve which prevents liquid from running back. Valve 7 connected to outlet 61 is a pressure relief valve appropriately set to allow the superheated and hence vaporised liquid to be released from the chamber.
The non-return valve 8 can include a spring which presses lightly on the ball 82 on its seat 83, though in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the valve 8 does not incorporate a spring. Except for the spring, the two valves 7 and 8 can be identical. They each comprise a sleeve 71, 81 into which a bush 73, 83 is inserted which forms the valve seat. The ball 72, 82 sits in the bush 73, 83 and an obstructing element 74, 84 limits movement of the ball within the bush. A spring 75 is compressed between the ball 72 and the obstructing element 74 to press the ball down onto its seat 73, in the case of the pressure relief valve 7. Setting the spring for about 5 bars is perfectly suitable to obtain sufficient pressure in chamber 60.
The operation in a fumigation device, of the cleaning means in Figure 4 will now be explained by referring to Figure 5.
In Figure 4 we have a preferred form of the invention particularly from the point of view of spray means.
The device includes a water pump PE connected, on the one hand to a water reservoir RE by a supply pipe 44 and, on the other hand, by a pipe 43, to valve 8 on the cleaning means. Another pipe 47 passing into the enclosure through the bottom is connected to the pressure relief valve 7. The end of pipe 47 is directed towards the hot internal wall of the enclosure, opposite the nozzle. Hence superheated steam will be projected against this hot internal wall. Cleaning under pressure is thus achieved.
For reasons of safety and public hygiene, the water S which is vaporised can have added to it a bacteriostatic substance so as to avoid any spreading of bacteria, microbes or other substances capable of reacting with the human organism. Preferably oxygenated water (H~O~) will be used at a concentration of about 1 %.
To manage the operating cycle of each unit making up the device, that is to say, the pumps PP, PA and PE, the valve C1, the electronically operated valve EV the thermostatic jacket 2 and the cleaning means 6, provision is made for a microprocessor M to be connected to each unit by connections 51-56. The microprocessor can be programmed to command in the following manner.
First it supplies power to the thermostatic jacket so that it reaches the required tçmperature, for example 300~C. Once this temperature is reached, the microprocessor commands the activation of air pump PA.
Next, it brings product pump PP into action after having checked the state of electronically operated valve EV.
In the event that product reservoir RP1 has reached its minimum level, it commands electronically operated valve EV to switch over to reservoir RP2. Activation of product pump PP signifies the emission of a dose or a determined series of doses. Once the activation of product pump PP is terminated, the microprocessor commands the activation of water pump PE which has the effect of filling the pressurisation chamber 60 with water (if required containing 1 ~ of H~O~). Once chamber 60 is full, the microprocessor commands the supply of power to resistance 65. The temperature of the water in the chamber increases, which brings about an increase in pressure, given that the non-return valve 8 prevents the backflow of watçr in pipe 43 and that the pressure relief valve 7 is only set to open when a predetermined pressure of about 5 bars is reached. A pressure of 5 bars is reached in the chamber at a temperature of about 130~C. The pressure relief valve then opens to allow the release of a jet of superheated water vapour under pressure. The combined action of the temperature and the pressure permits rapid and total scouring of the hot internal wall of the enclosure. It is however preferable to switch off the supply of power to the thermostatic jacket during the cleaning operation. Once the pressure in the chamber falls to below 5 bars again, the pressure relief valve closes and the non-return valve 8 opens to allow water to again come into the chamber through the action of pump PE. Hence the chamber is filled again for the next cleaning operation.
If the time interval between each dose or series of doses of product is small, then the activation of water pump PE and cleaning means 6 can simply be commanded after the final spraying of the product, for example at the end of the evening before the device is shut down for the night. Finally the microprocessor commands the switching off of the power supply to the jacket 2.
These means 6 of cleaning the internal wall of the enclosure under pressure can be used together with the means for cleaning the mixer nczzle 3. The supply of water to nozzle 3 through conduit 43 (fig. 1) allows rinsing of the nozzle and a primary cleaning of the hot internal wall and the means of cleaning under pressure 6 allow a real scouring of the hot internal wall to be carried out.
Claims (26)
1.- A device for fumigation with a sprayable fluid product for the treatment of premises, comprising:
- at least one reservoir (PR1, RP2 ; 34) containing the fluid product to be sprayed - spray means (PP, PA ; 31, 32, 33) provided with a spray nozzle (3).
- a heated internal wall, opposite the spray nozzle (3), to receive said sprayed product via the spray means, said heated internal wall having a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of said fluid product, said heated internal wall being in communication with the atmosphere via a top opening (12) to discharge said product in the gaseous state.
- a microprocessor (M, 36) to command the activation of the spray means and to control the temperature of the heated internal wall, characterised in that the microprocessor is programmed to automatically command the activation of the spray means at a time interval determined according to a value representative of the circulation of air inside the premises to be treated.
- at least one reservoir (PR1, RP2 ; 34) containing the fluid product to be sprayed - spray means (PP, PA ; 31, 32, 33) provided with a spray nozzle (3).
- a heated internal wall, opposite the spray nozzle (3), to receive said sprayed product via the spray means, said heated internal wall having a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of said fluid product, said heated internal wall being in communication with the atmosphere via a top opening (12) to discharge said product in the gaseous state.
- a microprocessor (M, 36) to command the activation of the spray means and to control the temperature of the heated internal wall, characterised in that the microprocessor is programmed to automatically command the activation of the spray means at a time interval determined according to a value representative of the circulation of air inside the premises to be treated.
2.- A fumigation device according to Claim 1 in which said value representative of the circulation of air is put into the microprocessor program as a logged value.
3.- A fumigation device according to Claim 1 in which detection means are provided to measure said value representative of the circulation of air at predetermined time intervals, an electronic circuit being provided to successively put said values, thus measured, into the microprocessor program to continuously adjust the quantity of fluid product being distributed.
4.- A fumigation device according to Claim 1 in which the top opening (12) is connected upstream of a turbine of an air conditioning system to aspirate the product in the gaseous state, an aeraulic probe (S) being positioned downstream from the turbine to measure said representative value in the form of an air flow rate at the turbine outlet.
5.- A fumigation device according to any one of the preceding Claims in which said spray means include a water pump (PE) in fluid communication with the spray nozzle (3) in order to clean the latter and the heated internal wall after spraying the fluid product.
6.- A device according to Claims 1 to 5 in which cleaning means (6) are provided suitable for projecting under pressure a heated cleaning agent in vaporised form against said internal wall.
7.- A device according to Claim 6 in which the cleaning means (6) include a pressurisation chamber (60) having an inlet (62) and an outlet (61) and heating means (65) to heat said chamber (60).
8.- A device according to Claim 7 in which the inlet (62) to said chamber (60) is fitted with non-return valve means (8) and the outlet of said chamber is fitted with pressure relief valve means (7).
9.- A device according to Claim 8 in which the pressure relief valve means (7) is set at about 5 bars.
10.- A device according to any one of Claims 6 to 9 in which the temperature of the cleaning agent at the outlet (61) of chamber (60) is between 110 and 150~C.
11.- A device according to any one of Claims 6 to 10 in which the cleaning agent is water.
12.- A device according to any one of Claims 6 to 11 in which the cleaning agent is a solution of water and oxygenated water (H2O2).
13.- A device according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 in which the chamber (60) has the shape substantially of a horse-shoe, the heating means being an electrical resistance (65) extending along the chamber (60).
14.- A fumigation device according to any one of the preceding Claims in which the spray means include an air pump (PA) and at least one fluid product pump (PP), said spray nozzle being a mixer nozzle (3) at which the fluid product is brought into the air flow created by the air pump (PA) and is thereby sprayed.
15.- A fumigation device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 in which the spray means include a spray pump (38) activated by mechanical means (32, 33).
16.- A fumigation device according to any one of the preceding Claims characterised in that said device includes an enclosure (1) closed except for a lower side opening (11) and a top opening (12), said spray nozzle (3) being positioned opposite said lower side opening (11), the interior of said enclosure (1) being, at least partially heated, at least opposite said lower side opening (11), to a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid product and thus defining said heated internal wall, an air supply passage (31) being provided at said lower side opening (11) to create a current of air to the inside of the enclosure (1), encouraging the release of said product, in the gaseous state, through the top opening (12).
17.- A fumigation device according to Claim 8, in which the top opening (12) has a cross section area smaller than that of the air supply passage (31).
18.- A fumigation device according to Claim 16 or Claim 17, in which the air supply passage (31) is created by a space defined between the lower side opening (11) and the spray nozzle (3) positioned within the latter, remote from contact with it.
19.- A fumigation device according to any one of Claims 16 to 18, in which the enclosure (1) is made of a thermally conducting material.
20.- A fumigation device according to any one of Claims 16 to 19, in which the enclosure (1) is heated by means of a thermostatic jacket (2) which surrounds the major part of the enclosure to maintain substantially the whole of the enclosure at a temperature greater than the vaporisation temperature of the fluid product.
21.- A fumigation device according to any one of Claims 16 to 20, in which the enclosure (1) has sand blasted internal walls to increase the area of contact with the sprayed fluid product, thereby causing a catalytic effect.
22.- A fumigation device according to any one of Claims 16 to 20, in which the enclosure (1) has smooth internal walls.
23.- A fumigation device according to any one of the preceding Claims in which means are provided to increase the current of air to the interior of the enclosure.
24.- A fumigation device according to Claim 23, in which at least one fan is provided close to the top opening (12) to place the latter under negative pressure and thus facilitate the extraction of the gaseous product out of the enclosure.
25.- A fumigation device according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which detection means are provided, in association with the microprocessor to monitor correct operation of the fumigation device and to make the latter safe in the event of a malfunction.
26.- A fumigation device according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which said fumigation device is put into a cabinet fitted with a door and the means to detect the opening of said door.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR9501037A FR2730042B1 (en) | 1995-01-30 | 1995-01-30 | FLUID PRODUCT FUMIGATION DEVICE |
| FR9510201A FR2738167A1 (en) | 1995-08-30 | 1995-08-30 | Fumigation of a room by volatilisation of a fluid in a hot vessel |
| FR95/10201 | 1995-08-30 | ||
| FR95/01037 | 1995-08-30 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2211978A1 true CA2211978A1 (en) | 1996-08-08 |
Family
ID=26231724
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002211978A Abandoned CA2211978A1 (en) | 1995-01-30 | 1996-01-19 | A device for fumigation with a fluid product |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0808178A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH11514247A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU698550B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2211978A1 (en) |
| CZ (1) | CZ240197A3 (en) |
| HU (1) | HUP9801717A3 (en) |
| TW (1) | TW297772B (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1996023530A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2007029044A1 (en) * | 2005-09-06 | 2007-03-15 | Denis Zuvela | Disinfectant and deodorant doser for purification of air conditioning and ventilation systems or for disinfection and deodorization of rooms |
| US9789219B2 (en) | 2007-03-26 | 2017-10-17 | Prolitec Inc. | Glycol sensor for feedback loop control |
| US20110253797A1 (en) | 2007-03-26 | 2011-10-20 | Richard Weening | System and method of controlling operation of a liquid diffusion appliance |
| WO2009080902A1 (en) * | 2007-12-21 | 2009-07-02 | Genevois, Christophe | Method and apparatus for diffusion of a liquid product by atomization in the air |
| USD816506S1 (en) | 2015-11-02 | 2018-05-01 | Pura Scents, Inc. | Vial for a scent dispenser |
| CA3133703C (en) | 2015-11-02 | 2023-10-24 | Pura Scents, Inc. | Scent dispensation |
| USD809116S1 (en) | 2015-11-02 | 2018-01-30 | Pura Scents | Dispenser |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH0672706B2 (en) * | 1988-05-31 | 1994-09-14 | 清水建設株式会社 | Scent supply method and scent supply device |
| DK162141C (en) * | 1989-04-14 | 1992-03-02 | Accu Air As | PROCEDURE FOR DISINFECTING ONE OR MORE ROOMS AND PLACES FOR EXERCISING THE PROCEDURE |
| FR2659854A1 (en) * | 1990-03-23 | 1991-09-27 | Goldenberg Marc | Method for slowly diffusing a liquid substance into an enclosure, and installation for carrying out this method |
| FR2706330B1 (en) * | 1993-06-15 | 1995-08-25 | Conceptair Anstalt | Multipurpose device for spraying and fumigating a vaporizable fluid substance. |
-
1996
- 1996-01-19 EP EP96901416A patent/EP0808178A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1996-01-19 JP JP8523299A patent/JPH11514247A/en active Pending
- 1996-01-19 CA CA002211978A patent/CA2211978A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1996-01-19 CZ CZ972401A patent/CZ240197A3/en unknown
- 1996-01-19 WO PCT/FR1996/000087 patent/WO1996023530A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1996-01-19 HU HU9801717A patent/HUP9801717A3/en unknown
- 1996-01-19 AU AU45442/96A patent/AU698550B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-03-28 TW TW085103717A patent/TW297772B/zh active
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU698550B2 (en) | 1998-10-29 |
| EP0808178A1 (en) | 1997-11-26 |
| WO1996023530A1 (en) | 1996-08-08 |
| HUP9801717A3 (en) | 1999-05-28 |
| HUP9801717A2 (en) | 1998-11-30 |
| MX9705792A (en) | 1998-07-31 |
| CZ240197A3 (en) | 1997-12-17 |
| JPH11514247A (en) | 1999-12-07 |
| AU4544296A (en) | 1996-08-21 |
| TW297772B (en) | 1997-02-11 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US10918757B2 (en) | Device and method for diffusing dry fog | |
| US4903583A (en) | Aerosol air and duct treatment apparatus for air conditioning and heating systems | |
| US20040096354A1 (en) | Ozone deodorizing and sterilizing method and device | |
| EP2273004B1 (en) | Cleaning system | |
| JP2005118534A (en) | Method and system for scenting and disinfecting air by flexible autonomous liquid atomizer cartridge and network thereof | |
| US7223166B1 (en) | Automatic scent dispensing system | |
| CA2211978A1 (en) | A device for fumigation with a fluid product | |
| US20050226788A1 (en) | Air scenting apparatus | |
| JP2004515352A (en) | Safely removable tank-type atmospheric fluid diffusion device | |
| JP2008188189A (en) | Air vortex ring carrying apparatus | |
| US20060037330A1 (en) | Apparatus and method for the disinfection of an air conditioning installation of a stationary air conditioning system for buildings | |
| US20080029614A1 (en) | Mist-Spraying Apparatus | |
| JPH08280785A (en) | Deodorizing method and deodorizing device | |
| KR20200097866A (en) | Decontamination system for space and surface with scrubbing device | |
| WO2021245685A1 (en) | A system for disinfecting human orobject from microbes using pressurized steam | |
| CA2886905A1 (en) | Biological safety cabinet with a falling-film evaporator | |
| US5311616A (en) | Body freshener | |
| MXPA97005792A (en) | A device for fumigation with a flu product | |
| GB2322554A (en) | Aroma emitting apparatus | |
| JP2022090949A (en) | Ozone mist generator | |
| KR102621861B1 (en) | Auto spraying device and Vehicle Air Conditioning Unit containing the same | |
| BE1019814A3 (en) | DEVICE FOR DIRECTLY SPREADING A SMELL IN A SPACE, AND A SPACE PROVIDED WITH SUCH A DEVICE. | |
| US3355571A (en) | Device for the production of aerosols | |
| US20220088256A1 (en) | Misting system and method | |
| WO2022243885A1 (en) | Device for sanitizing environments and surfaces |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |