GB2604005A

GB2604005A - Sanitisation system and method of sanitising in an enclosed space

Info

Publication number: GB2604005A
Application number: GB2117374.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: McEntire Paul
Original assignee: Evans Turner Finishes Ltd
Current assignee: Evans Turner Finishes Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-01
Filing date: 2021-12-01
Publication date: 2022-08-24
Also published as: GB202117374D0; GB202018953D0

Abstract

A sanitisation system for an enclosed space 30 having a touch surface 32, 36 which is contacted, in use, by multiple users of the enclosed space 30. The sanitisation system comprises: an occupancy sensor 42 configured to detect a user occupancy status of the enclosed space 30 and to output an occupancy signal which corresponds to the user occupancy status; a lighting system (44, fig. 2) comprising at least one lighting device configured to irradiate the touch surface with a beam of ultraviolet light 62, 64; and a controller configured to receive the occupancy signal and to control the lighting system. In accordance with a cleansing schedule and in response to the occupancy signal, the touch surface 32, 36 is irradiated with the beam of ultraviolet light 62, 64 only when the enclosed space 30 is unoccupied. The cleaning schedule may be initiated at a frequency depending on the occupancy rate within the enclosed space 30. The enclosed space 30 may be an elevator car 12 or toilet cubicle. The system may also comprise a door sensor 26.

Description

SANITISATION SYSTEM AND

METHOD OF SANITISING IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a sanitisation system for use in sanitising surfaces in an enclosed space. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a sanitisation system for use in an enclosed space where surfaces may be touched by multi-users. Examples of the enclosed space include an elevator car, a toilet cubicle, a washroom, a meeting room or a changing room. Another aspect of the invention relates to an elevator car including a sanitisation system and to a method of sanitising in an enclosed space.

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing awareness in the world today regarding matters of hygiene and cleanliness, in particular in relation to the transmission of bacteria or viruses which pose a real problem in modern society. A problem exists especially in confined spaces which are accessed by multiple users, sometimes frequently in any given day and for only a short period of time by each user. Ideally, after each use of the space by a user or group of users, the space needs cleansing to avoid bacteria or viruses being transferred to the next user or group of users. However, this presents an onerous requirement on operators or managers of the space to provide frequent cleaning services.

One example of a space where this problem exists is that of an elevator where multiple users may access the space of the elevator in any one day. Particularly in high-rise office buildings, the ability to be able to transport workers quickly to offices on higher floors is challenging if workers are reluctant to access the elevators for fear of bacteria or virus transmission. Other spaces where hygiene considerations are a particular concern are in public conveniences, especially in toilet cubicles or washrooms, or changing rooms in shops or leisure centres. In public conveniences cleaning staff are often used to make sure the cubicles are cleaned regularly, but this does not usually occur after each use of the space because of the time commitment and staffing cost. Also, cleaning in this way can be hasty and does not necessarily kill all bacteria and viruses. In elevator cars, cleaning may typically happen only at the end of the day so that some of the touch points in the car may have had contact from literally hundreds of users before the daily clean.

However, the challenge to satisfy stringent cleansing requirements and health and safety standards also comes at a cost, and so there is a need for any sanitisation system to provide efficient and cost effective cleaning, and without excessive power demand It is against this background that the invention has been devised.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sanitisation system for an enclosed space having a touch surface which is contacted, in use, by multiple users of the enclosed space. The sanitisation system comprises an occupancy sensor configured to detect a user occupancy status of the enclosed space and to output an occupancy signal which corresponds to the user occupancy status; a lighting system comprising at least one lighting device (including, for example, at least one LED) configured to irradiate the touch surface with a beam of ultraviolet light; and a controller configured to receive the occupancy signal and to control the lighting system, in accordance with a cleansing schedule, and in response to the occupancy signal, so as to irradiate the touch surface with the beam of ultraviolet light, to sanitise the touch surface, only when the enclosed space is unoccupied.

Typically, the enclosed space may be an elevator car, a toilet cubicle (such as on an aircraft), a changing room, a washroom, a meeting room or any other space which is frequented by multiple users and where the risk of transmission of bacteria or viruses, through contact with frequently touched surfaces, is a problem. The sanitisation system provides a convenient means of ensuring that touch points which are contacted with high frequency can be made clean and hygienic safely and quickly, without risk to user of the space and with minimal cost, service time and/or manpower.

In one embodiment, at least one lighting device is configured to irradiate the touch surface with a targeted beam of ultraviolet light. This ensures that touch surfaces that are in particular need of cleansing after use, being high-frequency contact surfaces within the enclosed space, received a targeted dose of ultraviolet light. With the door closed, and no occupants within the elevator car, the enclosed space is a safe environment for a targeted dose of ultraviolet light to be delivered to internal surfaces of the space.

As an alternative to a targeted beam of ultraviolet light, or in addition, a general or "wash lighting" effect may be provided by delivering a wide beam of ultraviolet light into the enclosed space.

The or each lighting device may include a waveguide to generate a beam pattern for the targeted beam of ultraviolet light which corresponds to a surface area of the touch surface. Careful selection of the cross section of the waveguide, and the position of the lighting device within the enclosed space, determines the targeting profile of the ultraviolet beam.

In one embodiment, the enclosed space includes a door to gain access to the enclosed space, the system further comprising a door sensor to detect door status and to output a door signal dependent on the door status.

In one embodiment, the controller is configured to receive the door signal and to initiate the cleansing schedule only when the door signal indicates that the door is closed.

The controller may be configured to initiate the cleansing schedule only after a set period of time has lapsed since the previous cleansing schedule. For example, the set period of time may be dependent upon an occupancy rate within the elevator car.

The controller may be configured to select a cleansing schedule in dependence on the occupancy rate within the elevator car. For example, the cleansing schedule may result in a dose of targeted ultraviolet light being delivered which is dependent on the occupancy rate.

Alternatively, it may be desirable, for reasons of efficiency, to deliver the targeted dose of ultraviolet only for a minimum period required to adequately cleanse or sanitise the targeted surface(s).

The lighting system may include a first lighting device and a second lighting device, wherein the first lighting device is configured to direct a first beam of ultraviolet light towards a first touch surface and the second lighting device is configured to direct a second beam of ultraviolet light towards a second touch surface. The use of two lighting devices allows two beams of targeted ultraviolet light to be directed into the elevator car, to target two different touch surfaces.

The light system may further include an optic device, such as a quartz optic device, to focus light generated from the at least one lighting device onto the at least one touch surface.

The quartz optic device may include at least one of a quartz spherical optic device, a quartz part-spherical optic device, a quartz plate optic device and a quartz cube optic device.

In one embodiment, the optic device may include a lens, such as a circular lens or a rectangular lens, depending on the lighting arrangement.

For example, the lighting device may include an array of LED elements arranged in an active zone of an LED carrier member. Each of the LED elements may include an internal prism.

The shape of the active zone is dependent on a focussing area of the lens and an angle of inclination of the array (on the LED carrier member) relative to the plane of the touch surface.

For example, the active zone may be a rectangular shape and wherein the focussing area of the lens is rectangular.

Alternatively, the active zone may be at least part-circular and wherein the focussing area of the lens is part-circular or circular.

The lighting system may further include a further lighting device configured to provide a general wash of ultraviolet illumination within the enclosed volume. The further lighting device provides a different type of lighting to the targeted beam of radiation and provides a more gentle and subtle lighting effect to address airborne viruses and bacteria, as opposed to the targeted beams of light which focus on selected touch surfaces. A combination of the two effects (targeted and wash lighting) provides a particularly beneficial solution.

The lighting system may further include a mount for the or each source of ultraviolet light which is movable to change the direction of the beam of ultraviolet light emitted from the lighting device, at least on set up of the sanitisation system. The mounts can be adjusted conveniently to direct the targeted beam of ultraviolet light at the required surfaces, which may vary slightly from car to car. If interiors of the car are altered, the mounting adjustment means the lighting system can be adapted readily to suit the new configuration.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provides an elevator car for an elevator system comprising the sanitisation system of the first aspect of the invention.

The elevator car may include a roof panel, wherein the or each lighting system is mounted, at least in part, above the roof panel within a head space of the elevator car (e.g. the roof panel may be a suspended ceiling).

The optic device may be mounted within an opening in the roof panel so that a part of the optic device projects through the opening into the enclosed volume. If the optic device is a quartz ball optic device, this provides an unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing feature in the roof panel of the car.

The elevator car may include a support feature for a user standing in the elevator car, wherein the support feature defines a touch surface.

The elevator car may also include a user input device for an occupant of the elevator car to select a landing floor for the elevator, wherein the user input device defines a touch surface.

Both the support feature (such as a handrail) and the user input device have touch surfaces which are contacted frequently by users of the car, and thus the requirement to keep these surfaces cleansed and sanitised is essential.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provides a toilet cubicle comprising the sanitisation system of the first aspect of the invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of sanitising in an enclosed space having at least one touch surface which is contacted, in use, by multiple users, the method comprising detecting an occupancy of the enclosed space and outputting an occupancy signal indicative of occupancy status; receiving the occupancy signal and controlling the lighting device to perform a cleansing schedule in response to the occupancy signal, and irradiating the at least one touch surface with a targeted beam of ultraviolet radiation to cleanse the touch surface in accordance with the cleansing schedule only when the enclosed space is unoccupied.

The cleaning schedule may be initiated at a frequency depending on an occupancy rate within the enclosed space The method may be applied to an elevator system comprising at least two elevator cars, each having an operable mode in which the elevator is operable to move between floors in a building and an inoperable mode in which movement of the elevator car between floors is disabled, the method comprising applying the cleansing schedule for one of the elevator cars when in the inoperable mode and only when the other of the elevator cars is in the operable mode.

This provides the advantage that even when one elevator car is out of action for use as it is being cleansed, the other elevator car(s) in the system can be used to transfer between floors.

It will be appreciated that preferred and/or optional features of each aspect of the invention may be incorporated alone or in appropriate combination in the other aspects of the invention also.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAW NGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system including an elevator car of one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation through an upper head space of the elevator car in Figure 1 when fitted with a sanitisation system of an embodiment of the invention; Figures 3(a)-(c) are cross sectional views of wave guide configurations which may be used in the lighting system in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system including an elevator car of another embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a sectional elevation through an upper head space of the elevator car in Figure 4 when fitted with a sanitisation system of an embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a plan view of an LED array for use in the sanitisation system in Figure 5; Figures 7 and 8 are plan views of alternative LED arrays for us in the sanitisation system in Figure 5; Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the control system for the elevator car of Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5; Figure 10 is a flow diagram to illustrate an embodiment of the method of the invention; and Figure 11 is a flow diagram to illustrate an alternative embodiment of the method of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 shows an elevator system referred to generally as 10, including an elevator car 12, of the type typically used in a building (not shown) have multiple floors. The elevator car 12 is moved by means of a motor and pulley mechanism (not shown) which is familiar technology to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail, except insofar as aspects of control of the motor and pulley mechanism are relevant to the invention (as described further below).

Elevator cars such as that shown in Figure 1 range in size from those suitable for transporting just a few passengers at any one time to those with a much higher weight and space capacity which can carry up to 20 or more passengers. In modern building constructions there is a desire for the elevator cars to be stylish and in keeping with the decor and aesthetic appeal of the floors they service. Some elevator cars include glass panels for the sidewalls and doors, and even the floor. Regardless, in a typical day, an elevator car that is used in a high-rise commercial building may transport thousands of passengers and the journey between floors may take tens of seconds, during which time passengers are contacting various touch points in the car. Keeping the elevator cars safe is of the utmost importance, and this includes the cleanliness and sanifisation of the car. Typically, cleaning of the cars is carried out at the end of a day, but this does not account for the bacteria and viruses that may be transferred to the high-contact touch surfaces within the car as different passengers use the cars. This is a particular challenge in today's increasingly hygiene-conscious society, especially for elevators cars where there is a heavy passenger footfall.

In Figure 1, the elevator car 12 is shown to have a pair of opposed sidewalls 14, a rear wall 16, a front wall 18, a roof 20 and a floor 22 which typically carry attractive panels or coverings (not shown) to give a pleasant appearance to the inside of the car 12. In other words, while the sidewalls 14, the rear and front walls 16, 18, the roof 20 and the floor 22 provide the rigid construction of the elevator car 12, each carries an associated panel which has a visually appealing surface finish to dress the interior of the car 12.

The front wall 18 is provided with a central opening 24 which accommodates a slidable door (not shown) which slides open and closed to allow occupants or passengers to enter and exit the elevator car 12 in use. The door may be slidable into a recess (not shown) defined behind a covering or covering of the front wall, in a conventional manner, to retain the door safely when the door is open.

In other embodiments, the front wall 18 is provided with a pair of doors, each of which slides away from the other to reveal an opening in the front wall 18 when access to or exit from the elevator car 12 is required.

A door sensor 26 is provided to provide a door status signal which indicates whether the door is open or closed. Typically, the door sensor 26 is an ultrasound sensor and is fitted to the rear wall 16 or roof 20 to direct an ultrasound signal towards the door, as described in further detail below. The rear wall 16, the sidewalls 14, the front wall 18, the roof 20 and the door when closed define an enclosed space or volume 30 within which the occupants of the elevator car 12 stand Within the enclosed space 30 of the elevator car 12, a handrail 32 is provided on the rear wall 16 for passengers to hold onto and steady themselves while the elevator car 12 is in motion. The side walls 14 may also be provided with handrails (not shown) in some embodiments. On one of the sidewalls 14, a user input device is provided including a control panel 34 to allow passengers within the car 12 to select the landing floor for the car (i.e. the floor of the building they wish to travel to). The control panel 34 includes a plurality of push-buttons 36 or touch-sensitive pads, each of which has an associated number which corresponds to the number of one of the building floors. When the button or touch-sensitive pad 36 is selected by the user, it may illuminate to confirm the selection.

A display panel 40 is provided on one of the sidewalls 14, in a position above the control panel 34, which may display, when the elevator car 12 is in motion, an indicator in the form of an arrow to show whether motion of the car 12 is in an upwards direction towards higher-numbered floors or in a downwards direction towards lowered-numbered floors. When the elevator car 12 is stationary, the display panel 40 typically displays the number of the floor that the elevator car 12 has arrived at (i.e. the landing floor).

A second sensor in the form of an occupancy sensor 42 is provided within the elevator car 12 to detect whether or not there are any occupants present within the car 12. The occupancy sensor 42 outputs a corresponding occupancy signal indicative of whether the car is occupied.

The occupancy sensor 42 may take the form of an ultrasound sensor which operates by directing an ultrasound signal into the volume 30 of the elevator car 12 and receiving and detecting a reflected signal. The occupancy sensor 42 performs a continuous check routine (as described further below) to learn' the boundary extent of the elevator car 12 and is thus able to determine, on the basis of the reflected signal, whether an occupant is present within the bounding walls 14, 16, 18 of the car 12.

A lift status sensor (not shown) is also provided to provide an output signal depending on the status of the lift, such as whether the lift is moving in an upwards direction, a downwards direction or whether the lift is stationary.

A load sensor (not shown) may also be provided to determine the load within the elevator car 12, in a conventional manner, and to generate a load signal in response to the measured car load.

Referring to Figure 2, it is a particular feature of the invention that the elevator car 12 is provided with a sanitisation system including an ultraviolet lighting system, referred to generally as 44, which is mounted above a roof panel 46 of the roof 20 within a head space of the elevator car 12. The sanitisation benefits of ultraviolet radiation are well known, but such devices are not currently utilised within elevator systems for the purpose of providing targeted sanitisafion of key problem surfaces. There are considerable benefits in applying a controlled beam of ultraviolet light in an elevator car 12, because surfaces of the car 12 which are touched or handled frequently by multiple users can be sanitised safely and regularly through irradiation with ultraviolet light, between different passenger loads, or at regular intervals of use. This protects passengers who enter the elevator subsequently from contacting with viruses or bacteria which may have settled on the high-frequency contact touch surfaces.

The roof panel 46 typically forms a suspended ceiling mounting to the roof of the car (the roof is not visible in Figure 2). Other locations for the lighting system are envisaged, but the roof mounting position provides the most convenient point to ensure emitted light illuminates areas of the car 12 uniformly and so that various features of the system can be shielded from view from the occupants of the car 12, in an upper region of the car above the roof panel 46. The roof-mounting of the lighting system also provides an aesthetic benefit as will become apparent from the following description.

The lighting system 44 includes a housing 50 within which the ultrasound sensors 26, 42 are mounted within respective openings 52 provided in lower surface of the housing.

Corresponding openings 54 are provided in the roof panel 46 to align with the openings 52 in the housing 50 so that the ultrasound sensor 26, 42 projects through the openings 52, 54, each sensor directing an ultrasonic wave into the elevator car 12 as described previously. The housing 50 and the roof panel 46 are also provided with correspondingly aligned openings, represented as opening 58, to receive an optical feature 60, as described further below.

One example of the beam profile for the two beams of ultraviolet light can be seen in Figure 1, identified as 62 and 64.

The lighting system 44 further includes a first lighting device 66 to provide a first source of ultraviolet (UVC) light. A second lighting device 68, in the form of a second source of ultraviolet (UVC) light, is also provided within the lighting system 44. Each lighting device 66, 68 is mounted on a respective mounting block 70, 72 in the form of a mounting shoe which mounts upon a base 51 of the housing 50.

The position of the mounting shoe 70, 72 is adjustable so as to adjust a direction at which a beam of light emitted from the lighting device 66, 68 is directed. The position of the mounting shoe is adjustable about three axes, x, y and z, so as to be translatable back and forth along the base 51 of the housing 50 (axis x), translatable in a vertical direction (axis y), up and down, towards and away from the base 51 of the housing 50, and translatable back and forth in the direction of the angled surface (axis z). Further degrees of movement may be incorporated into the mounting shoes 70, 72 so as to provide optimum adjustability of the direction of the beam from the device 66, 68.

Referring to the right hand mounting shoe 72, the shoe defines an angled support surface 73 (angled relative to the horizontal surface of the roof panel 46) for the lighting device 68, so that each device emits a beam of ultraviolet light through the aligned openings 52, 54 in the housing 50 and the roof panel 46, into the elevator car 12, at an angle to the horizontal. The left hand mounting shoe 70 supports the left hand lighting device 66 in the same manner.

Each lighting device 66, 68 includes an associated circuit board, 76, 78 respectively, including a light emitting diode (LED -not shown) for emitting ultraviolet light under the control of a driver 81 (as described further below), and a heat sink 77, 79 for heat management. The driver 81 is located on top of the housing 50 and is controlled by or forms a part of a system controller 90, as described further below. Several LEDs may be provided on the circuit board for each device 68, 68 depending on the dosing requirements for the cleansing schedule to be administered.

Each lighting device 66, 68 further includes a waveguide element 67, 69 respectively, which is selected so that when the beam from the device is directed to the targeted surface, the device generates the required beam profile, or beam pattern, to correspond to the shape and size of the surface to be targeted with the dose of ultraviolet light.

Figure 3 shows three examples of possible cross sections for the waveguides 67, 69, although it will be appreciated that there are numerous options for the waveguide cross section which could be selected, depending on the layout within the elevator car 12 and the shape and size of the targeted surface(s) to be irradiated. Figure 3(a) shows a trapezium-shaped cross section 80 for the waveguide which may be useful for targeting a control panel (the cross section is taken in a plane perpendicular to the elongate axis of the waveguide). The trapezium-shaped cross section has two parallel-sides of different length, and two non-parallel sides which taper inwardly towards the shorter of the parallel sides. Figure 3(b) shows an elongate rectangular cross section 82 for the waveguide which may be useful for targeting the elongate handrail. Figure 3(c) shows a waveguide cross-section 84 which is a combination of Figures 3(a) and 3(b) (i.e. a waveguide having two guide components). The cross-section of Figure 3(c) may be useful in an elevator car 12 which has a rectangular control panel located immediately above an elongate handrail, for example. The selection of an appropriate waveguide is made at the time of installation in the elevator car 12, depending on the layout within the car and the position of the surfaces which require targeted cleansing.

The optical feature 60 takes the form of a lens which is mounted within the central opening 58 and serves to focus the ultraviolet light beam emitted from each lighting device 66, 68, depending on which is activated, towards the targeted features of the elevator car 12. The lens may take the form of a quartz spherical optic device 60 (referred to as a ball optic device) which provides a particularly convenient means of focussing or directing the ultraviolet light beam to the selected surface(s) because it can be mounted within the opening 58 of the suspended roof panel by selecting an appropriate size for the central opening 58 so that the ball rests securely within the central opening 58, or with only minimal support. As can be seen in Figure 2, a part of the spherical surface of the quartz ball optic device 60 projects through the central opening 58 into the enclosed volume 30 of the car 12. In this way, the spherical nature of the quartz ball 60 provides an aesthetic benefit as an attractive feature on the roof of the car 12 which is visible to the occupants.

Other forms for the lens (not shown) include a flat quartz plate, such as a rectangular or square quartz plate, or a flat circular quartz plate, or a quartz cuboid (e.g. cube).

The beam of ultraviolet light from the first lighting device 66 may be directed towards the handrail 32 of the elevator car 12 and the beam of ultraviolet light from the second lighting device 68 may be directed towards the control panel 34, as illustrated by the beam patterns 62, 64 in Figure 1. This ensures these high-frequency contact points in particular benefit from the cleansing effect from the ultraviolet irradiation. Indeed, it is an important functionality of the invention that the ultraviolet light from the lighting system 44 is directed to certain selected surfaces only and does not merely provide general illumination within the elevator (although this general illumination may also be provided using other means). Targeting surfaces in this way means that those surfaces of the elevator car 12 which represent surfaces with the highest contact by multiple users of the car 12 receive concentrated irradiation by ultraviolet radiation and, hence, optimum cleansing.

The lighting devices 66, 68 may be selected so as to emit ultraviolet radiation with the same wavelength, typically between 250nm-400nm (which represents ultraviolet light referred to as UVC), or alternatively each lighting device 66, 68 may emit a different wavelength within the UVC range. Different wavelengths are known to have different cleansing characteristics against different bacteria or viruses and so it may be beneficial to have two different lighting devices, each operating at a slightly different frequency within the UVC range, depending on the application. Typically, each lighting device 66, 68 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The targeted dose of ultraviolet radiation that is delivered is dependent on the number and strength of the LEDs within the lighting device. The number of LEDs is typically determined by the number that can be accommodated within the shape of the waveguide (which in turn is determined by the shape and size of the surface to be targeted), and/or the distance between the optical set-up and the surface(s) to be targeted, and/or the amount of time required for effective disinfection.

Referring again to Figure 2, a further UVC lighting device 88 is mounted centrally between the first and second lighting devices 66, 68 to provide a wider-angle beam of UVC lighting which is used to provide a "wash" lighting effect, or "flood lighting" effect, which fills the elevator cart. This may be referred to as 'wash' lighting, or 'flood lighting', and serves to provide a cleansing effect for airborne viruses or bacteria, as well as a less intense general surface cleanse of all internal surfaces of the car 12. The further UVC lighting device 88 is entirely optional. Wash lighting does not have the same intensity and precision as the targeted doses of light from the lighting devices 66, 68, but may be provided in combination with the targeted doses, either at the same time or intermittently between targeted deliveries. It is envisaged that in some applications it may be sufficient to apply a wash lighting effect within the elevator car 12, on a controlled basis as described previously, rather than a targeted solution directed at particular surfaces. Again, the lighting is applied only when circumstances are such that it is safe to do so and no occupants are present within the elevator car 12, and the door is closed.

The further lighting device 88 has a similar form to the first and second lighting devices 66, 68, including a circuit board carrying at least one LED, a waveguide for guiding light from the LED(s) and a heat sink. Again, the further lighting device 88 is controlled by means of the driver 81 forming part of the overall system controller. The waveguide within the further lighting device 88 may have a different cross section to those within the first and second devices 66, 68 so that the ultraviolet light that is emitted from the further lighting device 88 is less targeted and more dispersed within the elevator car 12.

In the illustration shown in Figure 1, two beams of ultraviolet radiation 62, 64 are emitted from the light system 44 at the same time and this may be achieved by providing the two lighting devices 66, 68 as shown in Figure 2. However, in an alternative embodiment (not shown), a single lighting device may be used which directs the beam through a tuneable optical element, which is tuned to direct the light beam in one of several directions, depending on the surface to be irradiated. In a simplified system, a single lighting device may be used to provide a fixed beam of ultraviolet light towards a single surface (e.g. the control panel).

If two (or more) beams of ultraviolet light are provided by the lighting device, they may be provided either (i) simultaneously (as represented in Figure 2), (ii) one at a time and one after the other, or (iii) as part of different cleansing cycles, as described further below.

The control of the lighting devices 66, 68 to irradiate the selected surfaces in accordance with an appropriate cleansing schedule is implemented by means of a controller 90, as will be described further below.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, as an alternative to using the waveguide device in the lighting device 66, 68, a lighting device 166 may include an array of LED elements, each of which has an associated optical device in the form of an internal prism. Each LED element (including the associated internal prism) is mounted on a carrier member or board 75, as identified in Figure and as will be described in further detail below. As before, the lighting device 166 includes a heat sink 77. Optionally a cooling fan 83 may also be included in the lighting device 166.

The quartz ball 60 in Figure 2 is also replaced with a circular lens 71 which mounts in the central opening 52 of the ceiling panel. In this example only one lighting device 166 is illustrated. As before, the lighting device 166 is mounted on an adjustable mount in the form of a mounting shoe 70 so that the direction of the beam of light from the lighting device 166 can be adjusted at set-up when the sanitisation system is installed in the elevator car. The position of the mounting shoe 70 is adjustable about three axes, x, y and z, so as to be translatable back and forth along the base 51 of the housing 50 (axis x), translatable in a vertical direction (axis y), up and down, towards and away from the base 51 of the housing 50, and translatable back and forth in the direction of the angled surface (axis z). Further degrees of movement may be incorporated into the mounting shoe 70 so as to provide optimum adjustability of the direction of the beam from the device 166. By virtue of the adjustable mounting shoe 70, the angle of inclination of the LED board relative to the horizontal can be adjusted.

A central longitudinal axis L of the lighting device 166 is mounted at angle to a central vertical axis E of the elevator car (i.e. axis E lies perpendicular to the plane of the ceiling of the car).

The angle of inclination (a) of the lighting device 166 relative to the axis E is adjustable by varying the position of the mounting shoe 70 along the three axes x, y and z. Referring to Figure 5, the LED board 75 carries an array of LED elements 175 (only two of which are numbered), with each LED element being identical to the other elements of the array. The board 75 includes a first region which is not provided with any LED elements (this is referred to as the inactive zone 85) and a second region which is provided with the LED elements (this is referred to as the active zone 87). The board 75 is also provided with an electrical arrangement which provides a power connection to the board 75. The electrical arrangement includes two electrical connectors 89 conveniently located next to one another in the inactive zone 87 of the board 75.

The LED elements 175 are arranged to fill as much of the area of the active zone 87 as possible. The arrangement of LEDs includes a central row of LED elements (referred to as 175a) which is arranged to coincide with the central diameter of the board 75. The central row 175a of LED elements has one LED element absent in the centre of the board to provide room for a central fixing point 91 for the board 75 onto the mount 70. Other fixing points 93 are arranged at the edge of the board at diametrically opposite points around the circumference of the board 75. Because the board has a circular footprint, the number of LED elements 75 which can be accommodated in a row varies depending on the position of the row relative to the central row 175a. For example, moving through the active zone 87 and away from the central row 175a, the rows have 9 LED elements, 8 LED elements, 7 LED elements, 5 LED elements and 1 element respectively. On the other side of the central row 175a there are two rows of 9 LED elements before the inactive zone 85. In Figure 4, the active zone is generally part-circular, filling at least one half of the circular LED board.

The arrangement of the LED elements 175 is selected to ensure that when the board 75 is inclined at a particular angle, a, which is pre-determined during the set-up process, the beam of illumination from the active zone of LED elements 175 is focussed through the lens 71 and targeted onto the specific area of interest within the elevator car in the required illumination area. All of the LED elements 175 are illuminated together and contribute to the illumination of the targeted area, and there are ideally no LED elements placed on the board in a position from which the light from the LED would not reach the targeted area. Any one particular size and shape for the active zone of LED elements 175 is therefore suitable for a particular size and shape of focussing area of the lens 71 and the angle of inclination of the board relative to the plane of the touch surface, so as to ensure that the targeted area is illuminated but minimal illumination is wasted on areas of less concern. This improves the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the system.

Referring back to Figure 1, in this particular embodiment light from the LED array is targeted at the control panel 34 (being one of the high frequency touch points in the car) which is mounted on one of the walls of the elevator car. The configuration of the LED elements 175 on the board is selected to ensure that the optimum illumination pattern is achieved at the target area, in this case the control panel, and without redundant LED elements being incorporated on the board unnecessarily. This ensures the system is optimised for power consumption. The appropriate LED arrangement will depend on the target area to be illuminated, the distance from the targeted area to the lens 71 and its position on the surface of the elevator car, as well as the shape or focussing area of the lens 71. For example, as seen in Figure 5, the particular configuration of the active zone of the LED elements 175 together with the inactive zone 85, is suitable for use with a circular lens 71 focussing the LED light onto the control panel 34 on the elevator car wall. In the example shown in Figure 4, the wall surface on which the control panel 34 (as shown in Figure 1) is mounted perpendicular to the plane of the ceiling which accommodates the lens 71.

Figure 6 shows an alternative configuration for the LED elements 175 which is suitable for directing a targeted beam of illumination to a surface of the elevator car which is directly vertically beneath the LED board. As for the previous embodiment, the LED board has a circular area and is divided into an inactive zone 85 and an active zone 87. The inactive zone 87 in this case includes a central region of the board as well as an annulus around the perimeter which surrounds the array of LED elements 175. The inactive zone 87 is provided with two electrical connectors 89 to enable power to be supplied to the LED elements, but no LED elements are provided in the inactive zone 87. In the active zone 85 the LED elements 175 are arranged in a regular pattern of circular form (in the form of an annulus), filling as much of the active zone 85 as possible to optimise the illumination from the board onto the control panel. The light from the LED elements 175 is focussed through the lens 71 in the ceiling of the car and is targeted to the required area of the elevator car, for example a hand rail or control panel. As described previously, the appropriate active zone 85 for the LED arrangement will depend on the target area to be illuminated, both the distance from the lens, its position on the surface of the elevator car and the plane of the touch surface, as well as the size and shape of the focussing area of the lens 71. The configuration of the LED board in Figure 6 is particularly suitable for targeting features of the car beneath the opening in the ceiling of the car.

Figure 7 is a further alternative configuration of the LED elements 175 which are arranged on a rectangular board. This configuration is suitable for use with a rectangular lens in the ceiling of the car, as opposed to a circular lens. The board 75 is provided with a regular array of LED elements, formed from rows and columns with each row and column having the same number of LED elements 175. Four inner fixing points 93a are provided within the active zone 87 of the board and four outer fixing points 93b are provided in the inactive zone 85 of the board. The inactive zone 85 of the board is the perimeter region of the board 75 which surrounds the LED elements 175. Electrical connectors 89 are provided one on each side of the board within the inactive zone 85.

The rectangular LED board with the rectangular and regular array of LED elements 175 forming the active zone, as in Figure 7, are particularly appropriate for use with a rectangular lens, for targeting an area of the elevator car such as an elongate handrail (e.g. handrail 32 in Figure 4).

Any of the embodiments of Figures 4 to 8 may also be used with a wash lighting device 88, such as that shown in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 9, the elevator system 10 further includes a control system (or controller) 90 including at least one processor. The controller 90 may include the functionality of the driver 81 in Figure 2 and receives various signals to determine the status of the elevator car 12 and to control various aspects of operation of the car 12, including movement of the car 12 between floors of the building, opening and closing of the doors and also operation of the sanitisafion system including the lighting device(s) 66, 68, 88.

In embodiments of the invention, a door status signal 26a from the door sensor 26 is provided to the controller 90 to provide an indication of the status of the door (i.e. whether the door is opened or closed) and an occupancy signal 42a is provided to the controller 90 to provide an indication of whether or not the internal volume 30 of the elevator car 12 is occupied. In practice, as described previously, the signals 26a, 42a from the door sensor 26 and the occupancy sensor 42 are provided to the controller 90 to determine the range of the reflected signal that is received by the sensor(s) 26, 42, from which it can be determined whether the door is open or closed (in the case of the door sensor 26) or whether or not there are any occupants within the elevator car 12 (in the case of the occupancy sensor 42).

The controller 90 also receives a demand signal 34a from the user input device 34 to indicate a user's request for the elevator car 12 to move to a particular floor and an elevator status signal 100a from the elevator status sensor 100 which provides an indication of whether the lift is moving in an upwards direction, in a downwards direction or is stationary. A lighting signal 44a is also provided by the lighting sensor 44 to the controller 90 to provide feedback on the lighting system status.

In response to the various signals 26a, 42a, 34a, 100a, 44a received at the controller 90, the controller 90 processes the signals 26a, 42a, 34a, 100a, 44a and provides a control signal 90a to control operation of the lighting device(s) 66, 68, 88, in accordance with a cleansing schedule as described further below. The controller 90 also provides a control signal 90b to the lift mechanism 102 (e.g. the motor and pulley system) for the elevator car 12 so that the elevator car 12 moves between the floors of the building in accordance with the user's commands. The motor and pulley system 102 provides a feedback signal 102a to the controller 90 so that at all times the controller 90 has knowledge of the status of the motor and pulley system 102. The controller 90 may provide a still further output signal, in the form of an inhibit signal 190a, as described further below.

The manner in which the lighting system 44 is controlled, according to a cleansing cycle, will now be described with reference to Figure 10.

Figure 10 shows a flow diagram to illustrate one possible method of the invention which is employed to sanitise the elevator car 12 in a time period between different groups of passengers occupying the car 12.

Initially, at Step A, a check is made in the controller 90 on elevator status by checking the elevator status signal. The check is repeated until it is determined that the lift is stationary. At Step B, a check is made on the occupancy status of the elevator car 12 by interpreting the occupancy signal 42a to determine whether or not anyone is present within the car 12. The check is continued until it is determined that the car 12 is vacated of its occupants and would be safe to receive ultraviolet radiation. A check is made at Step C on the status of the door by checking the door status signal 26a, the check continuing until it is determined that the door is closed. Thus, at the end of Step C, the elevator car 12 is stationary, the car 12 is vacated of its occupants and the door is closed.

At Step D a cleansing schedule is initiated as it is safe, in these circumstances, to irradiate targeted areas of the elevator car 12 with ultraviolet radiation. As the surfaces are irradiated with ultraviolet light they become sanitised or cleansed as the ultraviolet light kills any bacteria and/or viruses which have been transferred to the surfaces by any previous occupants.

Typically, the cleansing schedule may last around 45-90 seconds, although longer or short time periods are also envisaged as discussed further below. A timing loop (Step E) is used to monitor the timing of the cleansing schedule.

Once the cleansing schedule has finished (Step F) the controller 90 initiates a further timing check at Step G to ensure that a subsequent cleansing schedule is not initiated too early. For example, it may be desirable for the next cleansing schedule to be initiated only after a time interval of one hour has lapsed since the last cleansing schedule. The start of a subsequent cleansing schedule is not initiated until the pre-set time interval has lapsed.

Whilst the cleansing schedule is in process, the inhibit signal 190a is provided by the controller to the door system to prevent the door or doors of the elevator car 12 from opening while ultraviolet radiation is being emitted by the lighting device(s). The inhibit signal is terminated at the end of the cleansing schedule to ensure the door or doors can be opened freely, in accordance with the user demands, for the next group of occupants to access the elevator car 12, complete with cleansed surfaces, safely. The inhibit signal 190a may be derived from the weight sensor of the elevator car 12 so that if the weight sensor detects that an occupant or other object is present within the car 12 (contrary to the suggestion from the occupancy sensor 42), the inhibit signal 190a is sent to the controller 90 to prevent the start of a cleansing schedule. This prevents a failsafe measure to ensure the car 12 cannot be irradiated with ultraviolet light if there is any possibility that an occupant is present.

Various options are proposed for the cleansing schedule. The cleansing schedule may include initiating the first and second lighting devices 66, 68 to direct ultraviolet light to two targeted areas of the elevator cart simultaneously, the handrail 32 and the control panel 34, for a predetermined period of time. The period for operating the cleansing schedule may be a set period for every cleansing schedule, or it may be a period that is determined based on the previous occupancy of the elevator car 12 (e.g. how many passengers have travelled in the elevator car 12 since the last cleansing cycle). In the latter case, the irradiation process occurs for a longer period of time when occupancy of the elevator car 12 has been higher, and for a shorter period when occupancy of the elevator car 12 is lower.

The cleansing schedule may be initiated every time it is detected that the elevator car 12 is vacated of passengers, as indicated in Figure 10, so that the car is fully cleansed for every passenger or group of passengers using the car. Alternatively, in a more sophisticated system, a more energy efficient method applies the cleansing schedule after a set period of time for which the elevator has been in use (for example, once per hour). In a still further embodiment, the cleansing schedule is applied at a frequency determined by the occupancy rate of the elevator car 12. For example, at times when there is a relatively high occupancy, the cleansing schedule may need to be delivered more frequently than at times when there is relatively low occupancy. For this purpose, the controller is configured so as to interpret the signals received from the occupancy sensor 42 to determine the number of passengers using the elevator car 12, so that the cleansing schedule can be controlled in response to passenger numbers. In another example, it may be desirable to cleanse different surfaces more or less frequently. For example, the user input device 34, which is almost certainly touched on every use of the elevator car 12, may be cleansed in every cleansing schedule by irradiating with ultraviolet light, whereas the handrail 32 may only need cleansing less regularly as it is not always touched by every user.

The cleansing schedule may therefore include any one or more of the following steps in relation to a touch surface or surfaces within the elevator car 12 that are subjected to high frequency contact by passengers: irradiating a single surface of the elevator car 12; irradiating multiple surfaces within the elevator car 12 simultaneously; or irradiating multiple surfaces within the elevator car 12 one at a time (e.g. one surface may be irradiated in one cleansing schedule and another surface may be irradiated on another schedule following use by a different group of occupants). Typically, the surfaces to be cleansed may be surfaces of the user input device 34, such as the buttons 36 or touch pad of the input device, surfaces of the handrail 32, or internal surfaces of the door or doors which tend to receive a high number of contacts from passengers as they exit or enter the elevator car 12. Equally, the surfaces of the internal walls 14, 16, 18 may be cleansed in case of occasional contact with users leaning on the walls.

Figure 11 shows a flow diagram to illustrate an alternative method of the invention to that shown in Figure 10. For the method of Figure 11, the door sensor 26 and the occupancy sensor 42 may both be ultrasound sensors, and of the same type as each other, but configured differently. They may be mounted in the positions shown in Figure 1.

As described previously, the door sensor 26 is configured so as to direct an ultrasound signal in the direction of the door when closed and to monitor the reflected signal to determine the range of the object from which the signal is reflected. If a reflected signal is received that is consistent with reflection from the door being in its closed position then the door sensor 26 outputs a signal 26a to indicate that the door is closed. If a reflected signal is received that is consistent with reflection from objects that are further away than the closed door (e.g. objects in a foyer outside of the elevator car 12), then the door sensor outputs a signal 26a to indicate that the door is open.

The occupancy sensor 42a, on the other hand, is directed towards the enclosed volume 30 within the elevator car 12 and continuously performs a learning routine to determine the extent of the enclosed volume 30. Because the door sensor 26 and the occupancy sensor 42 can be the same type of ultrasonic sensor, just configured differently within the enclosed volume 30 of the car, this makes the system particularly convenient to install into either existing or new elevator systems.

Referring to Figure 11, at Step K the method is initiated and the controller 90 starts the check on the status of the sensors 26, 42 by proceeding to Steps L, M, N and 0.

In Step L, a check is carried out by the occupancy sensor 42 on the range of the reflected ultrasound signal from within the enclosed volume 30 of the elevator car 12. This check is performed by directing an ultrasound signal into the enclosed volume 30 of the elevator car 12, every 100ms, and checking this, at Step M, against the previous maximum range of the occupancy sensor 42 (i.e. the range which equates to reflection from the internals walls). By monitoring the range of the reflected signal that is detected every 100ms, a check can be made to determine the range corresponding to the maximum range of reflection and, hence the signal that would be expected to be reflected if nothing was in the elevator car 12.

At Step N, the sensor signal is checked every 100ms by directing an ultrasound signal towards the door to determine, at Step 0, the maximum range of reflection of the ultrasound signal when the door is closed.

The two loops (Steps L and M, and Steps N and 0) are caned out continuously, every 100ms, to continuously calibrate the system. The steps are particularly important when the sensors 26, 42 are first installed and the system has to 'learn' the extent of the walls of the elevator 12 within which they are installed, and the relative position of the door when closed.

At Step P, whether or not an occupant (and/or other object) is present in the elevator car 12 is determined by comparing the reflected signal from the occupancy sensor 42 with the maximum range of reflection for an empty elevator car 12 (as determined from the calibration loop). If an object is detected, nothing happens (Step Q), the task ends (Step R) and the process returns to the initial checking step (Step K). The process terminates, and starts again, because if an occupant is present in the elevator car 12 then it is not safe to initiate the cleansing schedule.

If, at Step P, an occupant is not detected, then a further check is made (at Step S) about whether or not the door is closed ("external trigger allow"). If the reflected signal from the door sensor 26 indicates that the door is open, then the process continues to Step Q, the task ends (Step R) and the process starts again at Step K. If, however, it is determined that the range of reflection for the door sensor corresponds to the door being closed, then the process continues to Step T. At Step T, the cleansing schedule is initiated for the selected time period, before the task ends (Step R) and the process returns to the initial checking step (Step K).

Thus, if it is determined that there is no occupant in the elevator car 12 and the door is closed it is safe to initiate the cleansing schedule within the elevator cart and the lighting devices are activated in accordance with the selected cleansing schedule.

The process of checking whether it is safe to initiate the cleansing schedule may consider an external trigger at Step S other than the output signal from the door sensor 26. One example may be that an external trigger that is derived from the weight sensor in the elevator car. The weight sensor sends a signal to the controller to indicate the load in the car at any one time. Typically, elevators are fitted with weight sensors to ensure overloading of the car does not occur when in use and to provide a signal to inhibit elevator operation if overloading is detected. This is one example of an inoperable mode of the elevator. For an empty lift, the weight sensor would indicate that there was no one present in the elevator so that the external trigger at Step S would allow the method to continue to the cleansing schedule at Step T. Prior to Step K in Figure 11, a pre-check routine may be performed to check whether the time is right to initiate the system task. For example, this may include a timer routine to ensure that the system task is only initiated once in a given time period (for example, once per hour, once every two hours) or alternatively in accordance with a time interval dependent on the rate of occupancy of the elevator car. In practice it is beneficial to apply the targeted dose of ultraviolet light for a fixed period which is the minimum time possible to achieve the desired cleansing effect, which may typically be between 45-90 seconds.

It will be appreciated that the method may be adapted so as to apply a pre-check routine prior to cleansing which is based on the output from the weight sensor, to provide a back up determination of whether or not anyone is occupying the elevator car, in addition to the check being made based on the occupancy sensor as well as door status.

It will be further appreciated that although not mentioned explicitly in the methods described previously, the further lighting device 88, to provide the wash lighting effect, may be delivered under the same control strategy as for the lighting devices 66, 68, so that the further lighting device 88 is only activated whether there is no occupancy of the elevator car 12 and the door is closed (and/or any other required external trigger is satisfied). The use of the lighting devices 66, 68 to target specific surfaces, in combination with the further lighting device 88 to provide a wash lighting effect, provides a particularly beneficial combination.

In another embodiment of the invention (not shown) the ultrasound occupancy sensor may be replaced with a camera to record images of the interior of the elevator car. An image processing method may then be used to monitor whether or not an occupant is present in the car (Step P) and the method can proceed to initiate the cleansing schedule if no occupants are detected using the camera. In this case an ultrasound sensor 26 may still be used to determine door status, as described with reference to Figure 11. Alternatively, a door status sensor (e.g. a movement or contact sensor) fitted to the door could be used in combination with the camera. While a camera provides a viable solution to detecting the occupancy within the elevator car, the processing of data captured by the camera is more computationally expensive, which may add undesirable cost and complexity to the processing system. The benefit of using ultrasound sensors is that they are relatively inexpensive, and both sensors can be of the same type, but configured differently to detect either occupancy or door status.

Typically, the elevator car 12 may form a part of a system of elevator cars 12 which can be used simultaneously to transport high volumes of passengers between floors, particularly in high rise buildings which are used by a substantial number of people. In this case, the cleansing schedule may be applied across all cars 12 in rotation so that only one car 12 is out of service at any one time. This ensures passengers are still able to access higher floors using one elevator of the system which is operable, even when the another is being cleansed in an inoperable mode. The timing of delivery of the cleansing schedule via the process shown in Figure 6 may be built into a pre-check stage of the process, which precedes Step K in Figure 6.

It will be appreciated that elevator cars may have a wealth of different internal configurations, and handrails or other support features may be provided on any one or more of the walls, and in some cases seats may be provided for the occupants. Likewise, control panels for controlling various features within the elevator car may be provided on any one or more of the walls or surfaces. In any configuration, the invention may be applied so that surfaces of any or all of the above may be cleansed or sanitised, in accordance with a cleansing schedule, to ensure safe future use for passengers. Where lifts are refurbished and the exact positions of the touch surfaces is altered, the lighting system components can be reconfigured or adjusted to focus the ultraviolet light beams onto the new target areas.

The invention is applicable to any number of applications where an enclosed space is occupied by a lot of different people and cleansing between different people using the space is desirable. Other examples including changing rooms, wash rooms, toilet cubicles and meetings rooms. In aircraft, for example, small toilet cubicles are used by very high numbers of aircraft passengers almost constantly. If installed in an aircraft, the sanifisation system could be implemented so that after each use, when one user has vacated the cubicle, a short cleansing schedule is initiated to cleanse or sanitise the space before the next person enters.

The ultraviolet light could be targeted towards key contact points within the cubicle, for example the door handle, the taps and the toilet, and a wash lighting effect could be applied as well as, or alternatively to, the targeted lighting. As before, the UVC cleansing schedule is applied only when it is determined that there is no-one within the cubicle and the door is closed.

Whilst the embodiments of the invention described previously include two lighting devices for delivering a dose of targeted ultraviolet light, in some configurations it may be desirable to include more than two lighting devices. Where there are a greater number of high-frequency touch surfaces to be targeted, it may be preferable to provide two quartz ball optic devices (such as item 60) to focus the light onto the multiple surfaces. Multiple quartz optic devices may be arranged at multiple locations in the roof of the elevator car, or indeed in any other panel of the car depending on the position of the surfaces to be targeted and the arrangement of the lighting devices.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sanitisation system for an enclosed space having a touch surface which is contacted, in use, by multiple users of the enclosed space, the sanitisation system comprising: an occupancy sensor configured to detect a user occupancy status of the enclosed space and to output an occupancy signal which corresponds to the user occupancy status; a lighting system comprising at least one lighting device configured to irradiate the touch surface with a beam of ultraviolet light; and a controller configured to receive the occupancy signal and to control the lighting system, in accordance with a cleansing schedule, and in response to the occupancy signal, so as to irradiate the touch surface with the beam of ultraviolet light, to sanitise the touch surface, only when the enclosed space is unoccupied.
2. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosed space includes a door to gain access to the enclosed space, the system further comprising a door sensor to detect door status and to output a door signal dependent on the door status.
3. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 2, the controller being configured to receive the door signal and to initiate the cleansing schedule only when the door signal indicates that the door is closed.
4. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one lighting device is configured to irradiate the touch surface with a targeted beam of ultraviolet light.
5. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one lighting device includes a waveguide to generate a beam pattern for the targeted beam of ultraviolet light which corresponds to a surface area of the touch surface.
6. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the lighting system includes a first lighting device and a second lighting device, wherein the first lighting device is configured to target a first beam of ultraviolet light towards a first touch surface and the second lighting device is configured to target a second beam of ultraviolet light towards a second touch surface.
7. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controller is configured to initiate the cleansing schedule only after a set period of time has lapsed since the previous cleansing schedule.
8. The sanitisation systems as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller is configured to select a cleansing schedule in dependence on the occupancy rate within the elevator car.
9. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, including an optic device to focus light generated from the at least one lighting device onto the at least one touch surface.
10. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the optic device includes a lens.
11. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, comprising an array of LED elements arranged in an active zone of an LED carrier member.
12. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the LED elements includes an internal prism.
13. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12 when dependent on claim 10, wherein the shape of the active zone is dependent on a focussing area of the lens and an angle of inclination of the array relative to the plane of the touch surface.
14. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the active zone is a rectangular shape and wherein the focussing area of the lens is rectangular.
15. The sanitisation system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the active zone is at least part-circular and wherein the focussing area of the lens is at least part-circular.
16. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 15, wherein the lighting system further includes a further lighting device configured to provide a general wash of ultraviolet illumination within the enclosed volume.
17. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 16, further including a mount for the or each source of ultraviolet light which is movable to change the direction of the beam of ultraviolet light emitted from the lighting device, at least on set up of the sanitisation system.
18. The sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the enclosed space is one of an elevator car, a toilet cubicle, a washroom, a changing cubicle.
19. An elevator car for an elevator system comprising the sanitisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18.
20. The elevator car as claimed in claim 19, including a roof panel, wherein the or each lighting system is mounted, at least in part, above the roof panel within a head space of the elevator car.
21. The elevator car as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20, including a support feature for a user standing in the elevator car, wherein the support feature defines a touch surface.
22. The elevator car as claimed in any of claims 19 to 21, including a user input device for an occupant of the elevator car to select a landing floor for the elevator, wherein the user input device defines a touch surface.
23. A toilet cubicle comprising the sanifisation system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18.
24. A method of sanitising in an enclosed space having at least one touch surface which is contacted, in use, by multiple users, the method comprising: detecting an occupancy of the enclosed space and outputting an occupancy signal indicative of occupancy status; receiving the occupancy signal and controlling the lighting device to perform a cleansing schedule in response to the occupancy signal, and irradiating the at least one touch surface with a targeted beam of ultraviolet radiation to cleanse the touch surface in accordance with the cleansing schedule only when the enclosed space is unoccupied.
25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the cleaning schedule is initiated at a frequency depending on an occupancy rate within the enclosed space.
26. The method of claim 24 or claim 25, when applied to an elevator system comprising at least two elevator cars, each having an operable mode in which the elevator is operable to move between floors in a building and an inoperable mode in which movement of the elevator car between floors is disabled, the method comprising applying the cleansing schedule for one of the elevator cars when in the inoperable mode and only when the other of the elevator cars is in the operable mode.