JP2014506496A - Purification system using ozone and atomizing fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

  A process to purify and deodorize the environment space, deodorizing the space by ozone treatment for a pre-selected time, and then the ozone suppression characteristics automatically and without human intervention Exposure to a spray solution having an odor neutralizing agent or air freshener, the method comprising reducing ozone concentration to a concentration that is safe for human exposure and removing residual odor Is described. Further disclosed are apparatus for performing the process and compositions used in the process.

Description

  The present invention relates to purification, disinfection and deodorization in both indoor and outdoor environments. More specifically, the present invention provides a system that decomposes odorous substances through the use of ozone and performs further purification by the action of an odor neutralizer, a disinfectant, or both. The system can also function to suppress the ozone concentration present in the environment space being treated.

[Related applications]
This application claims the benefit of priority of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 435,596, filed Jan. 24, 2011, and cites the US Provisional Patent Application as an integral part of this application.

  It is estimated that people spend approximately 90 percent of their lives indoors. Indoor pollution sources that release gases and particles into the air are a major cause of poor indoor air quality. Due to inadequate ventilation, not enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources of pollution, and the inability to drive out indoor air pollutants from any enclosed space, Increased indoor pollutant concentration.

  Odor problems originate from odorous fumes originating from a number of sources, namely bacteria, mold, tobacco, smoking, chemicals, cooking, fireplaces and pets. Contamination from molds and fungi is another important source of unpleasant odor.

  The US Environmental Protection Agency offers three main measures to reduce indoor air pollutants: pollutant source management, ventilation, and air cleaning. Contaminant source management is most effective, and it is believed that pollutant source management eliminates pollutant sources or reduces pollutant emissions. Unfortunately, not all contaminant sources are easily identified and actually reduced. For example, in an animal facility, harmful substances are released in large quantities, and therefore it is not economical to use a pollutant source management such as adsorption for deodorization in an animal facility. Ventilation is effective. This is because ventilation brings outdoor air indoors. The limitation of the use of ventilation is concentrated on the cost of heating or cooling the incoming air. Thus, the most practical way to reduce indoor air pollutants is based on the use of air cleaning sprays. One such application is through the use of ozone technology.

  Ozone is a powerful oxidant that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. When ozone oxidizes a substance by ozonolysis, it breaks the covalent bond of the molecule of the substance. Ozone oxidizes organic substances such as bacteria and mildew, disinfects the air, destroys odors and toxic fumes.

  Ozone is generated from oxygen as a result of discharge or ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. By decomposing diatomic oxygen molecules, singlet oxygen atoms are generated and ozone molecules are generated. The ozone produced for commercial use is produced by corona discharge, UV irradiation and electrolysis.

  In the air treatment, gaseous ozone is usually used. Ozone is an oxygen molecule with 3 atoms instead of 2 atoms. The surplus atoms of ozone are known as free radicals that attach to organic substances and oxidize. Ozone is known as an environmentally friendly oxidant by returning to oxygen after oxidation. Ozone is an oxidizing gas that travels throughout the room and oxidizes most organics, and in the process, ozone neutralizes most odors and certain gases.

  Masaoka et al. (Masaoka et al. “Ozone decontamination of bioclean rooms” (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 43 (3), 509-513, 1982)) disclosed an application example of decontaminating a sterile room in a hospital using ozone. Yes. This document points out that ozone has proved to be a good decontamination agent for decontaminating 40 ppm test microorganisms in 3 days. Compared to conventional formaldehyde treatment spraying, ozone spraying seems to be much easier to use and uses less product after use (ozone converts to non-toxic oxygen when sprayed in air) Reduce inhalation of disinfectants by hospital staff.

  Pan et al. Disclose the efficiency of ozone treatment equipment in removing ammonia in animal facilities (Pan et al. “Deodorization of laboratory animal facilities by ozone” (Exp. Anim. 44 (3), 255-259, 1995)). The device presented in this cited document takes in room air, allows the room air to react with a small amount of ozone gas generated by the discharge, and odorous substances are decomposed by the oxidizing action of ozone. However, this reference refers to a binding mechanism in which the sprayed odor neutralizing agent performs further processing of both a) odors not removed by ozone spraying, and b) odors newly generated by ozone spraying. It seems not.

  Liquid atomization induced by ultrasonic vibration is equally known. Spraying ranges from fountains and the like used as decorative elements to humidifiers and nebulizers used for medical purposes such as inhalation devices in asthma treatment.

  Barreras et al. (Barreras et al. “Transient high-frequency ultrasonic water atomization” (Experiments in Fluids, 33, 405-413, 2002)) investigated the relationship between the physical properties of fluids and the particle size of aerosols generated by ultrasonic frequencies. Show. This reference cites a device that generates an aerosol stream so that it can penetrate all parts of an automotive air conditioning system without removing a physical barrier such as a pollen filter.

  One of the advantages of ozone technology is its relatively low cost compared to other technologies. Furthermore, ozone is also less corrosive to materials and equipment than most current chemicals such as chlorine. Furthermore, ozone kills bacteria within a few seconds by a process known as cell degradation, and thus microorganisms tend not to generate ozone-resistant fungi. Finally, ozone technology is applied with very little, if any, human effort. As one of the new methods of hygiene management of odorous facilities such as animal rooms, research to evaluate ozone fumigation is being conducted (Pan et al. “Deodorization of laboratory animal facilities by ozone”) Exp. Anim. 44 (3), 255-259, 1995)). These experiments with Bacillus spores conclude that 2-6 hours of ozone fumigation is actually effective in disinfecting materials such as cages, bedding and work clothes Has been led. In 1992, Sato et al. Reported a new system that combines an ionizing agent and a catalyst to remove malodors (Sato et al. (Exp. Anim. 41: 39-45, 1992)).

  It was first reported by Wood and Lomis (Wood et al. “The physical and biological effects of high frequency sound-waves of great intensity” (Phil Mag 4: 417-437, 1927)). Ultrasonic atomization is a very effective method of producing droplets. In this regard, there are two approaches: passing the flow across standing ultrasound (Bendig “New development of ultrasonic atomizers” (In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Liquid Atomization and Sprays Systems. The Fuel Society of Japan, 133-138, 1988)), or depositing a liquid on an ultrasonic transducer. By depositing the liquid on the ultrasonic vibrator, a fine droplet mist discharged from the vibrator at a very low speed is generated.

  On the other hand, the disadvantage of ozone treatment is that ozone only kills surface microorganisms. Ozonation has a limited effect on the innermost microorganisms when the microorganisms are present in layers or clusters. In addition, many people feel the smell of ozone unpleasant. In addition, there are known health risks associated with prolonged exposure of humans or animals to ozone above a certain concentration.

  Therefore, deodorizing and / or sanitizing surfaces with remote areas and odor deposits, neutralizing odors that are not neutralized by ozone treatment, neutralizing odors that are generated as a by-product of ozone treatment in the area, and processing There is a need for a method and / or apparatus for removing ozone from an area later.

The present invention provides a process for deodorizing and sanitizing an environmental space. The process includes an ozone treatment followed by a spray odor neutralization treatment that also removes ozone from the area. The ozone treatment optionally includes passing ambient air across the discharge area to produce ozone, which is then conveyed from the tube to the cleaned space. The emission area can include a ceramic plate having an anode and a cathode on each side. Spray disinfectant / cleaner treatment consists of spraying a solution of disinfectant, surfactant, deodorant, odor neutralizer, perfume or ozone inactive agent or a combination thereof into an aerosol, Delivering to the space to be cleaned. Accordingly, the present invention is a process for purifying and deodorizing an environmental space, the process comprising:
Deodorizing the space by ozone treatment for a pre-selected time;
Then, automatically and without human intervention, exposing the space to a spray solution having ozone-suppressing properties and containing an odor neutralizing agent or an air freshener, wherein the human is exposed to ozone concentration. Reducing the concentration to a safe level and removing residual odors.

  The present invention further provides an apparatus having an air process unit, an ozone generation unit, a liquid spray unit, and an electronic system unit. A retaining housing is provided. The air flow can be generated by an air processing unit that includes a fan, an optional air filter, and an optional air temperature sensor. Ozone can be generated by an ozone generation unit and released through an outlet tube. The liquid spray unit can include a combination of a container, a spray section and a sensor. The container is for storing liquid. The flow of the liquid can be sprayed into an aerosol by a ceramic piezo element disposed in the spray section. The aerosol is preferably 1 μm to 5 μm in size. The apparatus allows both ozone and aerosols to be carried into the space where cleaning is desired by the force of the air flow generated by the air process unit.

The ozone treatment is
Passing ambient air across the discharge area, thereby producing ozone;
Conveying the ozone to the cleaned space;
Can further be included.

  The emission area can include a ceramic plate with an anode and a cathode on each side that facilitates voltage generation.

The spray liquid treatment is
Spraying the liquid to aerosol,
Delivering the aerosol to the cleaned space.

  The component of the liquid is one of a disinfectant, a fragrance, an ozone deactivator, an odor neutralizer, and any combination thereof.

  The process can further include exposing the space to a spray disinfectant / cleaner either before or after the step of deodorizing the space by ozone treatment.

  The process can further include detecting the presence of liquid provided to the liquid spray unit prior to initiating ozone generation.

  The process can further include blocking the operation of the ozone generation unit if the presence of the liquid is not detected.

  The process can further include detecting the amount of liquid present in the liquid spray unit.

  The process can further include preventing the ozone generation if the amount of liquid detected is less than a predetermined minimum amount.

  The process can further include blocking the ozone production if the amount of liquid detected is greater than a predetermined maximum amount.

The apparatus of the present invention for purifying environmental space
A housing;
An air flow source for generating an air flow;
An ozone generating unit that is disposed within the housing and generates ozone that is conveyed to the environmental space by the airflow;
And a liquid spray unit that generates an aerosol that is disposed in the housing and is conveyed to the environment space by the air flow.

  The air flow source may include a fan. The air flow source can include an air temperature sensor. The air flow source can be integral with the housing. The spray area may include a ceramic piezo element.

The ozone generation unit is
A ceramic plate having an anode and a cathode to facilitate voltage generation;
And a transport tube through which the ozone is carried into the environmental space.

The liquid spray unit is
A container for storing the liquid;
A spray area for generating an aerosol from the liquid flow, disposed in the container;
A sensor disposed in the container for monitoring the efficiency of the aerosol generation.

  The apparatus may further include a liquid sensor that detects the presence or the amount of the liquid in the container.

  The apparatus may include a path through which the air flow generated by the air flow source flows along the ozone generation unit and the liquid spray unit in any order to the environment to be treated. it can. The path can pass through the air source, the ozone generation unit and the liquid spray unit in any order, but it may be beneficial to have the air flow source at the starting point of the path. The path can subsequently pass through the ozone generation unit and the liquid spray unit in any order. It may be beneficial to place the ozone generating unit in front of the liquid spray unit in the air flow path.

  The device according to claim 20 can further comprise a transport tube adapted to prevent spraying liquids exceeding a certain droplet size from exiting the unit into the environment space to be treated.

  The apparatus can comprise a valve that prevents the liquid from being exposed to the ozone produced during the ozone production cycle. The valve may be provided in the spray unit.

  The ozone generating unit may be configured to provide a maximum concentration of 0.8 ppm in the treated environment after the ozone generating step.

  The environment to be treated can have a volume that is substantially comparable to the interior space of the automobile.

  The apparatus has a method of deodorizing the space by ozone treatment for a preselected time, and then, automatically and without human intervention, the space has an ozone suppression property and an odor neutralizer or (correct Or) a method of exposing to a spray solution containing an air freshener, wherein the method is configured to reduce ozone concentration to a level safe for human exposure and to remove residual odor And can optionally be adapted to carry out a further method of spraying the liquid according to any one of composition 2 or composition 3 as described herein below. .

The volume of the environment to be treated may be a 1.5m ³ ~4.5m ³ about.

  The container can contain a liquid mixture containing a combination of odor neutralizers and ozone quenching agents.

  The component of the liquid mixture can be selected from one of disinfectants, surfactants, complexing agents, fragrances, ozone deactivators, odor neutralizers, and combinations thereof.

For use in ozone suppression,
One or more surfactants;
One or more complexing agents;
There is provided a first composition comprising a component capable of neutralizing the odor of odor molecules.

  The first composition further comprises a suitable fragrance and any one or a combination of one or more inorganic and / or organic solvents so as to obtain specific properties for spraying the preparation with the device. be able to. The first composition can be provided for use in the methods of the invention.

For use in sterilization, cleaning and air cleaning of environmental space
One or more surfactants;
One or more complexing agents;
There is further provided a second composition comprising a component having a life-killing property.

  The second composition is one of a suitable fragrance, one or more inorganic and / or organic solvents added to obtain specific properties suitable for spraying the liquid in the device. Or all can be further included.

For use in disinfection, cleaning and air cleaning of environmental spaces,
One or more surfactants or soaps or combinations thereof;
A third composition is provided comprising one or more complexing agents.

  The third composition further comprises a suitable fragrance and one or more of one or more inorganic and / or organic solvents so as to obtain specific properties for spraying the formulation with the device. be able to.

It is a see-through | perspective perspective view inside a purification apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal components of the apparatus. It is a perspective view of the electric control panel of an apparatus.

  The present invention has utility as a process and apparatus for purifying and deodorizing environmental spaces. The present invention particularly relates to the deodorization, sterilization and neutralization of odor-generating substances such as fungi, molds, cooking smoke, animal odors or other substances generated by odors, etc. May be in an area that forms or is hard to reach.

  Conventional deodorization treatments that use ozone alone may in some cases be inadequate in the environment being treated due to the poor penetration characteristics of ozone. Therefore, the inside of odorous substances or odor clusters may be protected from the deodorizing action of ozone. In addition, while ozone attacks microbes on their surface, cell debris can remain and form a new contaminated hotbed. Due to the limited time that ozone can be present in the area due to safety reasons or due to the natural suppression of ozone after the ozone production ceases, further contamination, i.e. increased microbial contamination, has occurred. Could happen immediately after processing. Furthermore, ozone itself can leave an unpleasant odor in the treated environment.

  The present invention improves upon the prior art to remove odor, optionally sterilize pollutants in the environmental space, and further neutralize odor after ozone treatment. This is achieved by a two-step process in which the ozone treatment is followed by a spray odor neutralization treatment that involves the use of various odor neutralization chemicals. This two-step process is optionally repeated until the desired level of odor removal from the purification and processing environment is obtained. The ozone treatment step aims to oxidize odorous substances. On the other hand, the odor neutralization step has been found to have a surprising dual effect of significantly reducing the half-life of ozone in the environment being treated. Thus, the two-step operation i) oxidizes odorous substances, ii) neutralizes residual odor and residual odor, while iii) reduces the ozone concentration in the environment to a level safe for human exposure. It has three effects of suppressing.

  Optional spray disinfectant / cleaner treatment, either before or after ozone treatment, treats residual cell debris or any other contaminants that are present or left by ozone treatment. As a result of these steps, the treated surface is more resistant to new contamination, where new microbial growth may otherwise occur. Thus, the present invention overcomes the limitations associated with the use of ozone, odor neutralizer or disinfectant alone. An apparatus adapted to perform the method described herein may also be adapted to perform a process of spraying a disinfectant and / or cleaning fluid without being combined with an ozone generation cycle. it can. Odor neutralizers can also be sprayed into the environment to be treated without using the ozone generation step of the method described herein. Providing a single device capable of performing any combination of the methods described herein adds the advantage of reduced hardware costs. In this apparatus, any arbitrary combination or partial combination of an ozone generation cycle, an odor neutralization cycle, an ozone suppression cycle, and a sterilization cycle can be used. Thus, the user only needs to purchase a single device capable of performing any or all of the above methods.

  Environmental spaces that can benefit from the present invention include automobile interior spaces, trailer interior spaces, ships, aircraft, trains, passenger cars, trucks, buses, private houses, offices, air conditioning units, air systems, toilet areas, sports venues and Includes nursery rooms, but is not limited to these. The present invention is effective in removing odors including but not limited to smoking odors, animal odors, human odors, odors from decay of biological materials, and odors emitted by bacteria and yeasts. It is.

  FIG. 1 shows an apparatus according to the invention adapted to carry out the method of the invention. The device is shown from the bottom upside down with respect to the normal orientation during use. The device 10 generates a flow of ozone in the odorous atmosphere of the environment space being cleaned. The apparatus comprises a housing 101, a fan 110 installed in the housing, an ozone generation unit including an enclosure in the form of a box 220, and a ceramic plate 210. A transport tube 230 connects the ozone generating unit to a container 320 equipped with a high frequency ceramic vibrator 310 that sprays the liquid in the container.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows the configuration of the components used to perform the described method. Ambient air passes between the discharge areas 240 arranged in the box 220. Box 220 is made of metal, plastic or other durable material. The box 220 is preferably made from ABS plastic or a better durable material. The emission area 240 includes a ceramic plate 210 having an anode 2110 and a cathode 2120 on each side. The discharge area 240 is arranged in the lower part of the box 220. The ceramic plate is powered to produce a voltage ranging from 3000 volts to 4000 volts. A preferred operating voltage for discharge area 240 is 3000 volts at 60 KHz. A transport tube 230, optionally made of stainless steel, is connected to the upper portion of the box 220 and it is desired that the generated ozone be cleaned through the open space associated with the container 320 and the outlet tube 340. Carry to space. An optional valve 330 is disposed within the container 320. The valve 330, if present, is closed during the ozone generation stage so that the liquid contained under the valve 330 is not mixed with the ozone flowing through the transport tube 230.

Next, the liquid sprayed in the liquid spray unit 300 further cleans and / or deodorizes and / or disinfects the area pretreated by the ozone flow. Prior to the ozone treatment, a liquid having odor neutralizing and deodorizing properties is added to the container 320. A liquid presence detector that detects the presence of the liquid in the container 320 is provided. The liquid is stored up to a height below the valve 330. Container 320 is preferably manufactured from stainless steel 316L that has been chemically polished to have a very smooth surface. A spray area 350 containing the ceramic piezo element 310 is disposed in the lower portion of the container 320. Nebulization begins when the ceramic piezo element 310 has reached its resonance frequency in the range of 0.5 MHz to 5 MHz, preferably 1.7 MHz, by a high frequency generator 172 attached to the microcontroller data processor 170. A dose of liquid is emptied from the container 320 through the valve 330. The ceramic piezo element 310 generates a high frequency in a certain amount of liquid at a frequency of 1.7 MHz, and pushes up the liquid into a fountain-like column. At the edge of the fountain, the liquid breaks up into very fine aerosols. The aerosol is then conveyed through exit tube 340 to a space that requires cleaning. The size and shape of the outlet tube 340 is designed to facilitate producing an optimal air flow and to prevent aerosols that are too large from exiting the device 10. One or more sensors can be placed at a critical height on the outer wall of the container 320 to facilitate maintaining the optimum height of the liquid level in the container 320, which is most preferred for the spraying process. The sensor for detecting the liquid level is in the form of a pressure sensor 171 connected to the container 320 directly or via an optional tube 321 that detects the pressure resulting in a certain level of liquid level in the container 320. Can be taken. One or more alternative sensors can be installed to indicate when the liquid level in the container 320 is too high, too low, and when the temperature of the fluid is too high. If there is too little liquid in the container, the liquid present may be insufficient to adequately suppress the ozone concentration to a concentration that is safe for human exposure after the ozone generation step. Thus, the minimum amount can be a minimum amount sufficient to limit the ozone concentration to a concentration that is safe for human exposure in the processing environment. Accordingly, the minimum and maximum amounts of fluid in the container can be defined such that the device does not produce ozone except when the amount of liquid in the container is above and below the minimum amount. . In certain instances, the minimum amount, in particular automotive applications interior space having a volume in the range of 1.5m ³ ~4.5m ^3, can be a fluid 60ml with ozone inhibiting properties, the The use of the method is not limited to these amounts. The physicochemical property of the applied chemical mixture is that the liquid is sprayed onto particles in the range of 1 μm to 5 μm.

  The airflow required to carry ozone and aerosol is generated by an air processing unit 100 that includes a fan 110 with an optional built-in 5 μm particle filter 120. The filter 120 can be replaced from the outer surface 160 of the fan 110. After the air flow passes through the particle filter, it then moves through the connecting tube 130 (FIG. 2). The strength of the air flow can be adjusted by changing the operating speed of the fan 110. An optional air temperature sensor 140 is installed in the connection tube 130. The processing time of the air stream delivering the aerosol is automatically adjusted depending on the temperature of the incoming air stream. Airflow constantly moves from the connection tube 30 through the open space in the box 220, the transport tube 230, the open space in the container 320, and the outlet tube 340.

  The ozone generation unit 200, the liquid spray unit 300, and the air process unit 110 are powered by either a 230 volt or 110 volt 50 Hz-60 Hz power source or a 12 volt, 24 volt and 48 volt DC power source. A typical electronic system controls the speed of the fan 110, the ozone generating power of the discharge area 240, and the spray power of the spray area 350. Furthermore, the electronic system also regulates the operation of the container 320 sensor and the air temperature sensor 140. Adjacent to the air temperature sensor 140, an optional heat sink 150 (FIG. 2) is disposed in the connecting tube 130 that can provide cooling of the electronic system. The ozone generation unit 200 and the liquid spray unit are structurally arranged so that the electronic system is protected from the leaked liquid when the liquid overflows accidentally. The operation of the entire apparatus 10 is achieved by a control panel or a remote control unit shown in FIG. 3 and disposed on the outer surface of the apparatus 10. The control panel has a function of displaying the liquid spray operation 450, the high liquid level 410, the low liquid level 420, the high liquid temperature 430, and the ready 460 by a light emitting diode (LED). In addition, the ozone treatment time and start / stop function are set by pushbutton 440 on the control panel. Due to the availability of the control panel, most procedures of operation 10 are such that the human operator's physics can be used to prevent harmful exposure due to ozone, sanitizing chemicals or odor neutralizing chemicals. It is achieved without the presence of consciousness. 10 is optionally provided with a carrying handle 470.

If the device is operated, for example, to produce an ozone flow of 20 mg per hour, an ozone treatment time of 15 minutes to 30 minutes is sufficient to purify a volume comparable to the automobile environment. Normal volume of automobiles is about 2.5 m ^3, it may be in the range of 1.5m ³ ~4.5m ^3. When the ozone cycle that can be treated for 30 minutes is completed, the ozone concentration is about 0.8 ppm, which is below the recorded human lethal dose of 4 ppm. When a liquid having odor neutralization characteristics and ozone suppression characteristics is sprayed onto the environment, the ozone concentration can be reduced to less than 0.01 ppm in a very short time. This is an advantage because the ozone concentration in the environment can cause damage to materials and people, as shown in the table below.

The recommended maximum human exposure to ozone is as shown in the following table, Table 2. Thus, the ozone concentration that is safe for human exposure can be less than 0.01 ppm.

  A liquid that is particularly well suited for use in the method and apparatus of the present invention is described as follows.

Composition 1:
One or more surfactants, one or more complexing agents, ingredients capable of neutralizing the odor of odorous molecules, and optionally specific properties for spraying the preparation with the device A composition comprising a suitable fragrance and any one or a combination of one or more inorganic and / or organic solvents so as to obtain

  The composition has both odor neutralization and ozone suppression properties and is therefore particularly well suited for use in the method of the present invention.

  One that is particularly well-suited for use either before or after the step of deodorizing the space by ozone treatment, or in the step of exposing the space to the spray disinfectant / wash solution, independent of this step. The composition can be prepared as follows.

Composition 2:
To obtain one or more surfactants, complexing agent (s), components having biocidal activity, and optionally specific properties suitable for spraying the liquid in the device A composition comprising one or all of a suitable fragrance, one or more inorganic and / or organic solvents added to

  As an alternative to composition 2, different liquid preparations, especially when the emphasis is on cleaning residual cell debris or any other existing contaminants from the surface of the environmental space without using biocidal actives Can be particularly well suited for use in the present invention.

Composition 3:
One or more surfactants or soaps or combinations thereof, one or more complexing agents, and optionally a suitable fragrance so as to obtain specific properties for spraying the formulation with the device. A composition comprising an agent and one or all of one or more inorganic and / or organic solvents.

  Patent documents and publications referred to in this specification are at a level that will be accepted by those skilled in the art to which this application relates. These documents and publications are individually cited as forming part of this specification.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 apparatus 100 air process unit 101 housing 110 fan 110 air process unit 120 particle filter 130 connection tube 140 air temperature sensor 150 heat sink 160 outer surface 170 micro control data processor 171 pressure sensor 172 high frequency generator 200 ozone generation unit 210 ceramic plate 220 box 230 Transport tube 240 Release area 300 Liquid spray unit 310 High frequency ceramic vibrator 310 Ceramic piezo element 316L Stainless steel 320 Container 321 Tube 330 Valve 340 Outlet tube 350 Spray area 410 High liquid surface 420 Low liquid surface 430 High liquid temperature 440 Button 450 Liquid Spray operation 460 Ready 470 Carrying handle 2110 Anode 2120 Cathode

Claims (20)

In a method for purifying and deodorizing environmental space,
Deodorize the space by ozone treatment for a preset time, and then automatically inject the liquid containing odor neutralizing agent or air cleaner into the space without human intervention. A method comprising exposing. The ozone treatment is
Passing ambient air across the discharge area, thereby producing ozone;
2. The method of claim 1, comprising conveying the ozone to the environmental space. The spray liquid treatment is
Spraying the liquid into an aerosol;
2. The method of claim 1, comprising delivering the aerosol to the environmental space to be purified.   The method of claim 3, wherein the components of the liquid are selected from the group consisting of disinfectants, fragrances, ozone deactivators, odor neutralizers, and any combination thereof.   The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the environmental space to a spray disinfectant or cleaning solution or a combination thereof.   The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the presence of the liquid.   The method of claim 6, further comprising preventing the ozone generation when the detected amount of the liquid is less than a predetermined minimum amount.   The method of claim 6, further comprising blocking the ozone generation if the detected amount of the liquid is greater than a predetermined maximum amount. In equipment that purifies the environmental space,
A housing;
An air flow source for generating an air flow;
An ozone generating unit that is disposed within the housing and that generates the ozone transported to the environmental space by the airflow;
An apparatus comprising: a liquid spraying unit configured to generate an aerosol, which is disposed in the housing and is transported from the liquid to the environmental space by the air flow.   The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the air flow source includes an air temperature sensor.   The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the spray area includes a ceramic piezo element. The ozone generation unit is
A ceramic plate having an anode and a cathode to facilitate voltage generation;
The apparatus of Claim 11 provided with the transport tube in which the said ozone is conveyed to the said environmental space. The liquid spray unit is
A container for storing the liquid;
A spray area for generating the aerosol from the liquid flow, disposed in the container;
The apparatus of Claim 11 provided with the sensor which monitors the efficiency of the production | generation of the said aerosol arrange | positioned at the said container.   The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a liquid sensor that detects the presence or the amount of the liquid in the container.   The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a path along which an air flow generated by the air flow source flows passes through the ozone generation unit and the liquid spray unit in an arbitrary order to the environment space.   The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a valve that prevents exposure of the liquid to ozone generated during the ozone generation.   The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the ozone generation unit is configured to provide a maximum concentration of 0.8 ppm in the environmental space after the ozone generation.   14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the component of the liquid is selected from the group consisting of disinfectants, surfactants, complexing agents, fragrances, ozone deactivators and odor neutralizers, and combinations thereof. The liquid is
One or more surfactants;
One or more complexing agents;
The apparatus of Claim 13 containing the component which can neutralize the said odor of an odor molecule.   20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the liquid comprises a suitable fragrance and any one or combination of one or more solvents so as to obtain the particular property of spraying the liquid.

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