Multi-wavelength ultraviolet light sanitizing systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9993571-B2
Application number	US-201615245251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2016
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

An ultraviolet (UV) light sanitizing system is configured to sanitize a structure. The UV light sanitizing system includes a UV light assembly that is configured to emit UV light onto the structure, and a UV light emission control unit coupled to the UV light assembly. The UV light emission control unit is configured to control the UV light assembly to emit UV light onto the structure within at least a first UV band and a second UV band that differs from the first UV narrow band during a sanitizing cycle that sanitizes the structure. The UV light within the first and second UV bands is configured to kill at least one type of microbe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultraviolet (UV) light sanitizing system configured to sanitize a structure, the UV light sanitizing system comprising:
a UV light assembly that is configured to emit UV light onto the structure; and
a UV light emission control unit coupled to the UV light assembly, wherein the UV light emission control unit is configured to control the UV light assembly to separately emit UV light onto the structure within at least a first UV band and a second UV band that differs from the first UV band during a sanitizing cycle that sanitizes the structure, and wherein the UV light within the first and second UV bands is configured to kill at least one type of microbe.

2. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 1 , wherein the first UV band comprises one of a far UV light range, a UVC light range, a UVB light range, a UVA light range, or a vacuum UV light range within the UV spectrum, and wherein the second UV band comprises another of the far UV light range, the UVC light range, the UVB light range, the UVA light range, or the vacuum UV light range.

3. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 1 , wherein the UV light emission control unit controls the UV light assembly to emit the UV light within the first UV band at a first time period and to emit the UV light within the second UV band at a second time period.

4. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 3 , wherein the first time period differs from the second time period.

5. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 3 , wherein the second period of time sequentially follows the first period of time.

6. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 3 , wherein the first time period is concurrent with the second time period.

7. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 3 , wherein the first time period at least partially overlaps the second time period.

8. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 1 , wherein the UV light assembly comprises a plurality of UV light elements.

9. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 8 , wherein a first one of the plurality of UV light elements is configured to emit the UV light within the first UV band, and wherein a second one of the plurality of UV light elements is configured to emit the UV light within the second UV band.

10. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 8 , wherein the UV emission control unit is configured to modulate the UV light emitted by the plurality of UV light elements to selectively emit the UV light within the first and second UV bands.

11. The UV light sanitizing system of claim 8 , wherein the UV light assembly further comprises at least one filter coupled to the plurality of UV light elements, wherein the filter is configured to filter the UV light with respect to the first and second UV bands.

12. An ultraviolet (UV) light sanitizing method configured to sanitize a structure, the UV light sanitizing method comprising:
coupling a UV light emission control to a UV light assembly; and
emitting UV light from the UV light assembly onto the structure, wherein the emitting comprises using the UV light emission control unit to control the UV light assembly to separately emit the UV light onto the structure within at least a first UV band and a second UV band that differs from the first UV band during a sanitizing cycle that sanitizes the structure, and wherein the UV light within the first and second UV bands is configured to kill at least one type of microbe.

13. The UV light sanitizing method of claim 12 , wherein the emitting comprises using the UV light emission control unit to control the UV light assembly to separately emit the UV light onto the structure within at least a first UV band comprising one of a far UV light range, a UVC light range, a UVB light range, a UVA light range, or a vacuum UV light range within the UV spectrum and a second UV band comprising another of the far UV light range, the UVC light range, the UVB light range, the UVA light range, or the vacuum UV light range during the sanitizing cycle that sanitizes the structure.

14. The UV light sanitizing method of claim 12 , wherein the emitting comprises:
controlling, using the UV light emission control unit, the UV light assembly;
emitting, through the controlling, the UV light within the first UV band at a first time period; and
emitting, through the controlling, the UV light within the second UV band at a second time period.

15. The UV light sanitizing method of claim 12 , wherein the emitting comprises:
emitting the UV light within the first UV band from a first UV light element of the UV light assembly; and
emitting the UV light within the second UV band from a second UV light element of the UV light assembly.

16. The UV light sanitizing method of claim 12 , wherein the emitting comprises:
modulating the UV light emitted by the UV light assembly; and
selectively emitting, by way of the modulating, the UV light within the first and second UV bands.

17. The UV light sanitizing method of claim 12 , wherein the emitting comprises filtering, using at least one filter coupled to the plurality of UV light elements, the UV light with respect to the first and second UV bands.

18. A vehicle comprising:
an internal cabin;
a lavatory within the internal cabin; and
an ultraviolet (UV) light sanitizing system that is configured to sanitize at least one structure within the lavatory, the UV light sanitizing system comprising:
a UV light assembly that is configured to emit UV light onto the at least one structure, wherein the UV light assembly comprises a plurality of UV light elements; and
a UV light emission control unit coupled to the UV light assembly, wherein the UV light emission control unit is configured to control the UV light assembly to separately emit UV light onto the at least one structure within at least a first UV band and a second UV band that differs from the first UV band during a sanitizing cycle that sanitizes the at least one structure, wherein the first UV band comprises one of a far UV light range, a UVC light range, a UVB light range, a UVA light range, or a vacuum UV light range within the UV spectrum, wherein the second UV band comprises another of the far UV light range, the UVC light range, the UVB light range, the UVA light range, or the vacuum UV light range, and wherein the UV light within the first and second UV bands is configured to kill at least one type of microbe.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the UV light emission control unit controls the UV light assembly to emit the UV light within the first UV band at a first time period and to emit the UV light within the second UV band at a second time period, wherein the first time period is one of concurrent with, different from, sequentially following, or partially overlapping the second time period.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the UV emission control unit is configured to modulate the UV light emitted by the plurality of UV light elements to selectively emit the UV light within the first and second UV bands.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Lin Chao-Hsin
• Dytioco Roveyln T
• Norris Sharon L

Classifications

• A61L2103/97

  Passenger compartments of vehicles · CPC title

• A61L2/102

  Ultraviolet B [UVB] · CPC title

• A61L2/101

  Ultraviolet A [UVA] · CPC title

• A61L2/108

  Multiple UV ranges in combination · CPC title

• A61L2103/75

  Room floors or walls · CPC title