Cleaning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020289984-A1
Application number	US-201916373069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cleaning device includes a housing, an air driver, an ozone generator, and a catalyst. The housing defines an inlet, an outlet, and an internal cavity connecting the inlet to the outlet. The air driver is positioned within the internal cavity. The air driver is configured to draw contaminated air from an external environment into the inlet and through the internal cavity of the housing to facilitate decontaminating the contaminated air and emitting clean air out of the outlet into the external environment. The ozone generator is positioned within the internal cavity. The ozone generator is configured to generate ozone. The catalyst is positioned within the internal cavity. The ozone and/or the catalyst are configured to interact with the contaminated air to produce the clean air.

First claim

1 . A cleaning device comprising:
a housing defining an inlet, an outlet, and an internal cavity connecting the inlet to the outlet; an ozone generator positioned within the internal cavity; a catalyst positioned within the internal cavity; and an air driver positioned within the internal cavity, the air driver configured to draw contaminated air from an external environment into the inlet, across the ozone generator, and through the catalyst to facilitate decontaminating the contaminated air and emitting clean air out of the outlet into the external environment; wherein the ozone generator is configured to convert at least a portion of oxygen within the contaminated air into ozone as the contaminated air flows across the ozone generator; and wherein at least one of the ozone or the catalyst is configured to interact with the contaminated air to produce the clean air.

2 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is positioned to neutralize excess ozone that does not interact with the contaminated air such that the excess ozone does not exit the outlet of the housing.

3 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising a filter positioned within the internal cavity, proximate the inlet.

4 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the air driver includes a fan.

5 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising an ultraviolet light source positioned within the internal cavity and configured to emit ultraviolet light.

6 . The cleaning device of claim 5 , wherein the ultraviolet light source is positioned between the ozone generator and the catalyst.

7 . The cleaning device of claim 5 , further comprising a photocatalyst positioned within the internal cavity, wherein the photocatalyst and the ultraviolet light source function as a photocatalytic oxidizer.

8 . The cleaning device of claim 7 , wherein the photocatalyst is spaced from the ultraviolet light source such that a gap is formed therebetween.

9 . The cleaning device of claim 7 , wherein the photocatalyst and the ultraviolet light source are a single component.

10 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a door that is selectively openable, wherein the cleaning device is operable in (i) a first mode where the door is closed such that the contaminated air is cycled through the housing and the clean air is emitted from the outlet of the housing and (ii) a second mode where the door is open and the ozone is emitted from the housing through the door into the external environment such that the ozone bypasses the catalyst and the outlet.

11 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a port configured to interface with a humidifying unit to facilitate injecting moisture into the internal cavity.

12 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A cleaning device comprising:
a housing defining an inlet, an outlet, and an internal cavity connecting the inlet to the outlet; a filter positioned within the internal cavity, proximate the inlet; an air driver positioned within the internal cavity, downstream of the filter, wherein the air driver is configured to drive air through the internal cavity; an ozone generator positioned within the internal cavity, downstream of the air driver, wherein the ozone generator is configured to generate ozone from oxygen within the air driven across the ozone generator by the air driver; an ultraviolet light source positioned within the internal cavity, downstream of the ozone generator, wherein the ultraviolet light source is configured to emit ultraviolet light; a photocatalyst positioned within the internal cavity, downstream of the ultraviolet light source such that a gap is defined between the ultraviolet light source and the photocatalyst, wherein the ultraviolet light is configured to activate the photocatalyst; and a catalyst positioned within the internal cavity, downstream of the photocatalyst, proximate the outlet.

21 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the air driver includes an ion generator.

22 . The cleaning device of claim 3 , further comprising a first screen positioned upstream of the filter and a second screen positioned downstream of the filter such that the filter is positioned between the first screen and the second screen, wherein the first screen and the second screen assist in holding the filter in place.

23 . The cleaning device of claim 3 , wherein the housing defines a filter aperture and includes a cap positioned to selectively enclose the filter aperture, and wherein the cap is selectively removable to facilitate removing the filter from the internal cavity through the filter aperture.

24 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising a first screen positioned upstream of the catalyst and a second screen positioned downstream of the catalyst such that the catalyst is positioned between the first screen and the second screen, wherein the first screen and the second screen assist in holding the catalyst in place.

25 . The cleaning device of claim 24 , wherein the catalyst is a first catalyst, and wherein the first screen is coated in a catalyst material such that the first screen functions as a second catalyst.

26 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the housing has an inlet chamber that defines the inlet and an outlet chamber that defines that outlet, wherein the inlet chamber has a first width and the outlet chamber has a second width that is different than the first width.

27 . The cleaning device of claim 26 , wherein the first width is at most eight inches and the second width is at most twelve inches, and wherein the housing has an overall length of at most twenty-four inches.

28 . The cleaning device of claim 26 , wherein the housing has an intermediate chamber connecting the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber, wherein the intermediate chamber has at least one of a linear profile or a non-liner profile.

29 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the air driver is positioned upstream of the ozone generator and the catalyst.

30 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the air driver is positioned downstream of at least one of the ozone generator or the catalyst.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Drake Dan
• Gray Don
• Brizius Glen
• Wood Allen
• Johnston Jeromie
• Evans Pete

Classifications

• B01D2259/4566

  for use in transportation means · CPC title

• B01D53/8675

  Ozone · CPC title

• A61L9/16

  using physical phenomena · CPC title

• A61L9/015 Primary

  using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone (A61L9/20 takes precedence {; evaporation in general B01B1/005}) · CPC title

• A61L2/202

  Ozone · CPC title