WO2010101455A2

WO2010101455A2 - An apparatus and method for dispensing a environmental friendly disinfectant

Info

Publication number: WO2010101455A2
Application number: PCT/MY2010/000067
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chiang Ngai Ming Samuel
Original assignee: Commercial Supplies (Far East) Pte. Ltd.
Priority date: 2009-03-02
Filing date: 2010-05-03
Publication date: 2010-09-10
Also published as: MY153659A; WO2010101455A3

Abstract

An apparatus and method for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant, contained in a canister (2) of said apparatus, for sanitizing and purifying air in an enclosed surrounding for human utility and more particularly for dispensing disinfectant periodically in discrete charges with said disinfectant and propellant being environmentally friendly. The total number of discrete discharges from the apparatus with a fresh canister (2) to preferably average 600 in number.

Description

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING A ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY DISINFECTANT

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Indoor air is of vital importance to people's health and living quality. Nevertheless the nocuous components of the air they breath eg. formaldehyde, benzene and TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compound) are increasing obviously amid buoyant development of industrial civilization. Such polluted air provides an environment for bacteria and viruses to grow and multiply thus increasing the possibility that people be infected.

Air fresheners in aerosol form and discharged from canisters are commonly available in the market. Such air fresheners are commonly solvent based fragrances with other extending chemicals like diethyl glycol and with butane and pentane acting as propellant. These fragrances and the other extending chemicals typically mask the offending odour present in the surrounding atmosphere without purifying or eliminating said offending odour. Additionally the fragrances and the other extending chemicals together with the propellant are not considered environmentally friendly and hence not desirable for frequent and regular use.

An air freshener with an associated propellant that are both environmentally friendly is thus a preferred option. It is more preferred if the air freshener can also additionally act as a sanitizing agent.

It is the objective of the present invention to forward an apparatus and method for periodically dispensing, from a canister, a discrete discharge of disinfectant with a propellant for sanitizing and purifying air with said disinfectant and said propellant that are both eco-friendly.

It is a further objective of the present invention to forward an apparatus and method for periodically dispensing, from a canister, discrete discharge of disinfectant with a propellant for sanitizing and purifying air with said disinfectant and said propellant that are eco-friendly with total said discrete discharges dispensable from a fresh canister to preferably average 600 in number. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for periodically dispensing discrete discharge of disinfectant with a propellant from a canister for sanitizing and purifying air in an enclosed surrounding for human utility. The disinfectant and the propellant are to be eco-friendly and with the total discrete discharges from a fresh canister preferably to average 600 in number. The disinfectant comprises environmentally friendly plant based active sanitizing ingredients and with water as the carrying medium for said active ingredients and with pressurized nitrogen used as the propellant for discharging said disinfectant from the canister.

The body of the canister is capped at the top by a mechanical breakup nozzle having a discharge orifice through which the disinfectant is released to the surrounding atmosphere when said mechanical breakup nozzle is activated. The canister is housed in a housing together with a gear assembly, a motor, a power source and a lever with a lever arm. The power source powers the motor that in turn drives the gear assembly and with said gear assembly driving the lever. For each cycle when the motor is excited the lever arm of the lever pushes onto the top of the mechanical breakup nozzle resulting in a discrete discharge of disinfectant from the canister into the surrounding atmosphere. The top surface of the mechanical breakup nozzle and the contacting edge of the lever arm have cooperatively matching profiles to ensure that the canister is securely held in position within the housing when said lever arm acts on said mechanical breakup nozzle whenever the apparatus is activated.

In the embodiment the body of the canister is an aluminum monobloc and with the canister and certain parts contained within conforming to certain dimensions in order to achieve the preferred average number of discrete discharges of the disinfectant from a fresh canister. Additionally the quantity of disinfectant and the pressure of the propellant within a fresh canister and the duration of activation play an important part to achieve the preferred average number of discrete discharges from said fresh canister.

These and other features, advantages and objectives of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by the following specification, appended drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows the disinfectant dispenser together with the canister for containing said disinfectant.

Fig. 2 shows a partial cross-section of the canister for containing the disinfectant.

Fig. 3 shows the sectional view of the mechanical breakup nozzle and the top section of the body of the canister.

Fig. 4 shows the side view of the contacting edge of the lever arm in contact with the top face of the actuator of the canister.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for periodically dispensing discrete discharge of disinfectant with a propellant from a canister (2) for sanitizing and purifying air in an enclosed surrounding for human utility with said disinfectant and said propellant being eco-friendly. The total number of discrete discharges from the canister (2) should preferably be 600 on average.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a canister (2) to contain the disinfectant and the propellant and a housing (3) to house said canister (2) as shown in Fig. 1. The canister (2), as shown in Fig. 2, comprises a body (2a) of monobloc design and is capped at the top by a mechanical breakup nozzle (20). The mechanical breakup nozzle (20) further comprises a discharge orifice (22) through which the disinfectant is released to the surrounding atmosphere when said mechanical breakup nozzle (20) is activated. The top surface (21) of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) and the contacting edge (12) of the lever arm (10) have cooperatively matching profiles when they are in contact, as shown in a side view in Fig. 4, and the purpose of said cooperatively matching profiles shall be explain later.

Within the canister (2) is a stem (23) that is in communication with the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) and with said stem (23) having a valve orifice (25) at the level of the seal (24) when said mechanical breakup nozzle (20) is not activated as shown in Fig. 3. The lower end of the stem (23) rests on to of a spring (27) and within a chamber (28). A valve house stem (hidden within the spring) in the chamber (28) connects, at its lower end, to a dip tube (26). The dip tube (26) extends down with its free end locates towards the bottom of the body (2a) of the canister (2) and is normally below the level of the disinfectant contained within said canister (2) as shown in Fig. 2. Upon the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) being activated disinfectant flows up the dip tube (26) from its free end, into the chamber (28), through the valve orifice (25) and discharges from the canister (2) through the discharge orifice (22).

The canister (2) is placed in a housing (3) with a cover (4) for enclosing the open face of said housing (3) as shown in Fig. 1. Mounted within the housing (3) is a gear assembly (5) that is driven by a reversible motor (not shown) at one end and with said gear assembly (5) driving a lever (6), with a lever arm (10), at the other end. The motor is connectable to a power source and in the embodiment shown said power source is a plurality of dry cells (7) that are mounted within the housing (3). With the canister (2) correctly assembled in the housing (3) the lever arm (10) is positioned above the top surface (21) of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) of said canister (2) and with a contacting edge (12) of said lever arm (10) proxy or in contact to said top surface (21) as shown in Fig. 4. The cooperatively matching profiles of the contacting edge (12) of the lever arm (10) and the top surface (21) of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) when they are in contact together with a suitable contacting pressure ensure the canister (2) is securely held in position once said canister (2) is correctly placed in the housing (3) and preventing possible displacements, in particular rotational displacements, of said canister (2) about the substantially upright axis each time the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) is activated. For each cycle when the motor is excited the lever arm (10) pushes onto the top surface (21) of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) and for each said action a discrete discharge of disinfectant is released into the surrounding atmosphere from the canister (2). The power source drives the reversible motor that in turn drives the gear assembly (5) and the lever (6) and with the lever arm (10) acting on the mechanical breakup nozzle (20). The power source, the reversible motor, the gear assembly (5) and the lever (6) through their interconnection and interaction form the activating means for activating the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) to dispense the disinfectant from the canister (2).

A non-metered valve is selected for the present apparatus because for the present purpose a relative larger volume of disinfectant is required for each discrete discharge. Additional compressed nitrogen is used as the propellant for dispensing of the disinfectant from the canister (2) to further satisfy the objective of having an eco-friendly system. LPG, which is commonly used, is not selected as the propellant for the present purpose as it is considered as non eco-friendly. The active sanitizing ingredients in the disinfectant are plant based and water is used as the carrying medium for said active sanitizing ingredients to further satisfy the eco-friendly objective. Aluminum is the chosen material for the body (2a) of the canister (2) due to its resistance to corrosion by water, the carrying medium for the active sanitizing ingredients. Tin coated canisters for solvent-based fragrances with LPG as the propellant are in common use.

The apparatus is suitable for use in enclosed premises utilized by human beings wherein the discrete discharges of disinfectant from the canister (2) should preferably averaged 600 in number. This selected average number of discrete discharges is a compromise between the overall physical size of the apparatus and the regularity wherein the canister (2) need to be replaced due to depletion of the disinfectant contained within.

In an embodiment of the canister (2) the body (2a) of said canister (2) is an aluminum monobloc having dimensions substantially equal to 65 mm in diameter and 170 mm in height. The dimensions of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20), body (2a) of the canister (2) and certain parts contained within conform to certain dimensions in order to achieve the preferred average number of discrete discharges. Specifically these other parameters are setting the time duration of each discharge of disinfectant or the time duration for each actuation of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) at 0.8 seconds, providing the diameter of the discharge (22) substantially at 0.041 millimeter, providing the diameter of the valve orifice (25) substantially at 0.46 millimeter and providing the dimension of the valve house stem internal diameter (26) substantially at 1.27 millimeter. Additionally the amount of disinfectant provided in a new or fresh canister (2) to be substantially at 250 gm and with the pressure of the propellant (nitrogen in this case) in said fresh canister (2) be substantially at 100 psi at the ambient temperature of 25 degrees centigrade.

The active sanitizing ingredients in the disinfectant for use in the apparatus of the present invention is plant based and environmentally friendly and with water as the carrying medium for said active sanitizing ingredients. The active sanitizing ingredients themselves come under a separate patent and not within the scope of the present invention. The disinfectant is stored in a canister (2) with compressed nitrogen used as the propellant for dispensing said disinfectant from said canister (2). Hence both the disinfectant together with the propellant are environmentally friendly and meeting an objective of the present invention.

It should be noted that for the sake of clarity all the components and parts of the apparatus might not be shown and marked in the drawings. Additionally the terms as used in this description refer to the items as orientated in the drawings and they may in any various orientations when in use and as such the orientations as illustrated in the drawings are not necessary for operability.

The foregoing description is considered as illustration of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant with said disinfectant and said propellant environmentally friendly for sanitizing and purifying air in an enclosed surrounding for human utility with said apparatus comprises; a canister (2) comprising a body (2a) and a mechanical breakup nozzle (20) having a top surface (21) and a discharge orifice (22); disinfectant and propellant contained within said canister (2) with said disinfectant comprising plant based active sanitizing ingredients with water as the carrying medium for said active sanitizing ingredients and with said propellant being pressurized nitrogen.

2. An apparatus for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant as in claim 1 wherein the body (2a) of the canister (2) is made from aluminum and of monobloc design.

3. An apparatus for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant as in claim 1 wherein within the canister (2) is a stem (23), a seal (24), a spring (27), a chamber (28), a valve house stem and a dip tube (26) with said stem (23) in communication with the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) and with said stem (23) having a valve orifice (25) at the level of said seal (24) and with the lower end of said stem (23) resting on to said spring (27) within said chamber (28) and with said valve house stem in said chamber (28) connecting, at its lower end, to said dip tube (26) and with the free end of said dip tube (26) locating towards the bottom end of the body (2a) of said canister (2).

4. An apparatus for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant as in claim 1 wherein a housing (3) is provided to house the canister (2) and an activating means provided for activating the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) for dispensing said disinfectant from said canister (2) and a power source provided to power said activating means.

5. An apparatus for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant as in claim 4 wherein and the activating means comprises a gear assembly (5) driven by a reversible motor that is powered by the power source and with said gear assembly (5) driving a lever (5) with a lever arm (10) with a contacting edge (12) with said contacting edge (12) acting on the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) at its top surface (21) for dispensing the disinfectant and with the power source is a plurality of dry cells (7).

6. An apparatus for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant as in claim 5 wherein contacting edge (12) of the lever arm (10) and the top surface (21) of the mechanical breakup nozzle (20) have cooperatively matching profiles when they are in contact.

7. A method for dispensing disinfectant with a propellant utilizing an apparatus as in claim 1 to claim 3 wherein the total discrete discharges from the apparatus with a fresh canister (2) is to be set at an average of 600 in number by including the steps of ; providing the disinfectant in the fresh canister (2) to be not less then 250 grams and with the pressure of the propellant provided within said fresh canister (2) to be substantially at 100 psi at 25 degrees centigrade; set the duration for each discharge of said disinfectant from said canister (2) to be substantially at 0.8 seconds; providing the diameter of the discharge orifice (22) substantially at 0.041 millimeter, the diameter of the valve orifice (25) substantially at 0.46 millimeter and the valve house stem internal diameter (26) substantially at

1.27 millimeter; providing the dimensions of the body (2a) of the canister (2) substantially equal to 65 millimeter in diameter and 170 millimeter in height.