IT202100009074A1 - Sanitization system using a dry fog generating machine - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial invention entitled:

"Sanitization system by generating dry fog for the treatment of confined spaces and centralized ventilation systems, Air Treatment Unit (UTA)

DESCRIPTION TEXT

Field of invention

The present invention refers to a sanitizing system by continuous aerodispersion of thermo-generated dry fog capable of nebulizing a specifically composed sanitizing aqueous solution using a percentage of a biocidal product included in the classification of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) and classified in the PT1 category (Group 1) and PT2 (Group 2) necessary to validate the effectiveness of the system itself and eliminate bacterial loads and viruses dangerous for human health.

Environmental context

The spread of viruses and bacterial load? been amply demonstrated finds fertile ground in closed environments characterized by static? of movement and capacity? to keep airborne micrometric particles in suspension, a class which includes viruses and bacteria. To this condition must be added a factor that only increases the problem deriving from the fact that people spend most of their time in confined spaces quantified by some scientific studies in a percentage equal to 85% of the daily time. In the state of the art punctual sanitization systems are known which, through addressing devices, convey substances based on ozone, alcohol, sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide, substances, not without many contraindications and/or interactions with materials, fabrics and electronic devices .

Summary of the invention

The purpose of the present invention ? that of creating an improvement system for the sanitization of confined spaces compared to those created according to the prior art.

In particular, by means of the present invention ? possible to generate a flow of dry fog with micrometric dimensions, between 0.5 microns and 3 microns, with a specific temperature capable of becoming a transport vehicle for the sanitizing substance specially formulated with different types of biocide-based sanitizing principles compliant with the regulation of the European Chemical Agency (BPR, EU regulation 528/2012), spreading it homogeneously throughout the environment by saturation. In this way the effectiveness and efficiency of the system is optimized, improving its performance and at the same time allowing complete sanitization at 360 ? of all the surfaces of the rooms where the dry fog is diffused both horizontally and vertically, including the furnishings and equipment present. According to the present invention, the aim is achieved by creating a thermal system capable of bringing the sanitizing solution to a pre-set temperature without altering its effectiveness, and subsequently by means of the electronic card to manage the temperature variables in the group thermal heating according to the capacity? of the sanitizing liquid to spread and remain in suspension, in which this system has the technical characteristics mentioned in the annexed independent claim. Thanks to the ability of diffusion of the active ingredient, including the quaternary Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium in suspension with triethylene glycol, demineralized water and ethanoic acid, will allow? a sanitization from the bacterial load and viruses, thus limiting? the risks of exposure and contagion for the people present in the environments. It is to be understood that the annexed claims form an integral part of the technical teachings provided herein in the detailed description which follows regarding the present invention . In particular , some preferred embodiments of the present invention are defined in the attached dependent claims which include optional technical characteristics. More details and further characteristics and advantages of the claimed invention will become clear in the following detailed description, provided by way of summary and explanatory and not to be considered limiting, of possible further solutions using the same claimed principle, with particular reference to the attached drawings, and below summarized.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 ? a perspective view of a system for generating dry fog capable of conveying the sanitizing principle, made according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figures 2 and 3 are exploded views representing the system shown in Figure 1, but in which Not ? visible interior with component allocations. Pi? in detail figures 2 and 3 show a three-dimensional view, while figure 4 represents a block diagram of the functions and variables managed by the electronic board.

For the sake of completeness of the tables, the following is a list of the alphanumeric references used to identify the parts, elements and components illustrated in the drawings summarized above, together with the relative translation into English of the terms used to define these parts, elements and components.

IN Input - Inlet

OUT Output - Outlet

10 System - system

11 Casing - external case

12 Tank - liquid tank

13 Tank closure cap - screw cap

14 Flexible pump feed duct - flexible pipe 15 Feed pump - solenoid pump

16 Safety check valve

17 Liquid flow sensor in the pumping circuit - flow rate sensor

18 Semi-rigid boiler feed pipe - junction pipe

19 Maximum temperature thermostat - safety thermal switch

20 Armored resistance - heater

21 Thermal heating group - heater unit

22 Micronization nozzle - fog spray nozzle

23 Main switch - main power switch

24 Temperature sensor - thermocouple

25 Units? control board - Main control board

26 Machine status display - touch screen display

27 Internal ventilation system - internal fan system

28 Liquid code reader - RFID code tank reader

29 Activity log memory card? - SD memory card register 30 Liquid suction non-return valve - check valve Detailed description of the invention

With reference to the attached drawings, and generally indicated by the number 10 an electronically managed apparatus for a sanitization system with dry fog generated through a thermochemical process using, for example, a solution based on Dimethyl Didecyl Ammonium Quaternary, glycol tri - ethylene, demineralised water and ethanoic acid capable, at a given temperature (heater set point), of generating micromolecular dry fog with a broad spectrum antibacterial and virucidal effect. Such a system? made in accordance with an exemplary apparatus construction form of the present invention.

System 10 is, particularly but not exclusively, suitable for use in closed environments, of any volume, and intended for people to frequent, to obtain complete and total sanitization of all surfaces, with consequent elimination of viruses and bacterial load .

For example, such closed environments can be classrooms, hospital premises, gymnasiums, hotel rooms, public offices, cinema halls, museums, trains, buses, subway cars, shops and shopping centres.

In the embodiment, sar? mentioned the use of the system 10 inside a closed room characterized by a volume that varies according to the size of the room. However, how? clear to an expert in the sector, this type just in virtue? of the capacity? modular system 10, must be understood as purely non-limiting of the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

With reference to figure 1, the system 10 comprises a containment casing. In particular, the casing 11 contains all the components and devices belonging to the system. In the illustrated embodiment, the casing is consists of a hollow parallelepiped and defines a feed mouth IN closed by a cap 13 and an outlet nozzle 22 (OUT) for the diffusion of the micro-molecular dry fog.

With reference in particular to figures 2 and 3, the system 10 comprises a supply pump 15 and a thermal heating group 21 managed by a unit? of control 25. The thermal group equipped with a temperature sensor 24, piloted by the control unit according to the elaborations of the flow variables, due to the effect of the armored heating element, will reach? a temperature that can place itself in a value from 180 C? at 240 C? (programmable through the control unit 25) determined according to the processing of the data transmitted by the sensor of the pump 17 and generated by the unit? control 25.

The supply cycle is ensured by the tank 12, into which the previously described sanitizing solution is loaded and, by means of the adduction duct 14, on which the liquid suction non-return valve 30 has been mounted to avoid the lack of hydraulic suction head, conveyed to the feed pump 15 which injects it in a single direction, thanks to the safety non-return valve 16, to the heating unit 21 , in which, due to the effect of the armored resistance 20, it undergoes a heat exchange which brings its temperature to 130?-160?C, allowing the OH groups of the triethylene glycol (HOCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OH) to bind with the cationic compound of an active ingredient (PMC or BPR) in solution. This thermal treatment determines due to the effect of the pressure in the coil contained in the thermal heating group 21 generated by the thermochemical expansion of the mixture which produces a thrust towards the micronization nozzle 22, diffusing in the environment a dry fog characterized by micro-molecular size and temperature output of about 50?C and diffusion of the sanitizer in the environment in a homogeneous way. The expansion of the mixture is limited in the event of the feed pump 15 being switched off by the safety non-return valve 16, avoiding the return of the heated solution towards the pump which could damage it. Is all the process described above monitored by the unit? controller 25, equipped with a microprocessor and proprietary management software, which continuously governs and controls the flow rate of the feed pump 15 through the liquid flow sensor in the pumping circuit 17, the temperature of the heating unit 21 detected by the temperature sensor 24, in order to keep the nebulization temperature constant. Within system 10 ? place a memory card activity log? 29 able to record the dates and duration of individual activities? of sanitation. The unit? of control 25 contains a multiplicity? of data C1,Ci...,Cn,Each control data set Ci ? directly referred to a specific operating configuration of the flow rate of the feed pump 15 and of a setting of the temperature of the thermal heating group 21. In the specific planning? embodiment illustrated in figures 1,2,3 and 4 for each control data value C1 includes:

- A Ti temperature datum of the heating thermal unit 21

- A flow datum Pi of the feed pump 15 Consequently, to each control data value Ci there correspond two data comprising a temperature datum Ti which determines the operating temperature of the heating thermal unit 21 and a corresponding flow datum Pi of the liquid flow of the feed pump 15, coupled to each other according to a binary logic.

As the temperature of the thermal heating group 21 varies, due to the effect of vaporization, the flow rate of the feed pump 15 varies, thus managing the generation of dry fog particles characterized by a dimensional range falling within the dimensions between 0.5 and 3 microns, and therefore excluding the formation of particles of larger dimensions? big.

The possibility? to govern the operation of the machine by setting and detecting the parameters of the liquid flow sensor in the pumping circuit 17 and the optimal temperature of the thermal heating group 21, allowing the machine to optimize electrical absorption and avoid pauses due to the restoration of the temperature detected by the thermocouple 24 to the full advantage of continuous operation of the machine for the time necessary to complete the sanitization cycle.

In the typology of embodiment illustrated in tables 1,2,3 and 4, the possible operating conditions determine a configuration of high activity? production of a dry fog characterized by a constant quality and intrinsic characteristics maintained throughout the expected delivery time.

In the type of construction illustrated ? Is there an interactive display 26 capable of indicating the status of the machine and useful for entering the dimensional data of the room to be sanitized which, through the unit? control 25 governs, in total autonomy, the operating dynamics of the sanitization cycle according to the values established by the algorithm which establishes the optimal delivery time of the dry fog according to the volume of the room subject to treatment and the degree of volumetric saturation pre-set percentage,

In the typology of design illustrated, the system 10 always through the unit? control 25 to which are connected:

- liquid code reader 28

- machine status display 26

- activity log memory card? 29

- 20 armored resistance

- thermal heating group 21

- feed pump 15

- liquid flow sensor in the pumping circuit 17

- internal ventilation system 27.

Naturally, the principle of the described invention remaining the same, the embodiments can be expanded both in a modular and variable manner with respect to what is described by way of a purely exemplifying and non-exhaustive case n? limiting, without this entailing an exit from the scope of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Claims (5)

1) System 10 for sanitization by generating dry fog for the treatment of confined spaces and centralized ventilation systems, said system includes: - A containment structure 11 characterized by an IN inlet and a tank 12 and a micronizing nozzle 22 OUT; - A sanitization system based on the dry fog generation technology through the injection of a predetermined dose of sanitizing solution taken from the tank 12 by a feed pump 15 with priming guaranteed by the liquid suction non-return valve 30 on the flexible duct pump supply 14 and measured by a liquid flow sensor in the pumping circuit 17 and sent, passing through a safety non-return valve 16, to a thermal heating group 21 at a temperature regulated and monitored by the unit? control 25 through the temperature sensor 24 and the maximum temperature thermostat 19 capable of activating the thermochemical reaction of the solution and subsequently the expansion of the same and therefore the expulsion of the dry fog into the environment through the micronization nozzle 22 ; it also includes: - A unit? control unit 25 placed inside the containment structure 10 and configured to receive and manage data from the following peripheral sensors in the circuit: 13 liquid code reader 28, liquid flow sensor in the pumping circuit 17, a temperature sensor 24 which records the set point thermal heating unit 21. - A unit? controller 25, allocated in the casing structure 11, configured to control and manage said system and all its variables and/or programmings (T1, Ti,. Tn) (P1, Pi,. Pn). - An activity log memory card? 29, with the function of storing all data relating to the sanitization carried out (reference UNI 10585: 1993 and subsequent amendments/integrations). This memory card activity log? 29, (SD card) once removed from its seat ? capable of producing, through an SD card reader, a register containing a series of data of the sanitizations carried out, in which each data refers to a specific sanitization carried out and recorded in the memory bearing the following parameters: date, start time - end time and local identifier; this document in all respects ? a register of sanitisation carried out which must be kept and exhibited for legal checks. 2) Sanitization system by generating dry fog according to one of the preceding claims wherein said unit? of control 25 ? configured to regulate the temperature Ti of the thermal heating group 21 according to the flow rate of the supply pump 15 defined Pi. 3) System according to one of the preceding claims further comprising a liquid code reader 28, configured to transmit to the board the detection of any non-compliant liquids. 4) Sanitization device by generating dry fog for interventions in confined spaces such as hospitals, schools, hotels, offices, cinemas, gyms and places with a high number of visitors, made according to one of the preceding claims. 5) Dry fog sanitizing device for sanitizing interventions on centralized air treatment plants and units and defined with the acronym AHU, according to any one of the preceding claims.