Abstract:
The present invention generally relates to mail processing and environment control. Systems for controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants may comprise a first air vent for supplying air to the mail-processing environment, a second air vent for exhausting air from the mail-processing environment, an air exchanger coupled to the first air vent and the second air vent for exchanging air in the environment, a first damper for substantially blocking air supplied to the environment through the first air vent, a second damper for substantially blocking air exhausted from the environment through the second air vent, and a control circuit for controlling the first damper and the second damper in response to a possible presence of contaminants in the mail-processing environment.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention generally relates to mail-processing and, more particularly, to controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants.  
           [0003]    2. Brief Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Recent incidents involving anthrax contamination in the United States postal service have increased anxiety about handling mail. In the case of organizations that receive large volumes of mail on a daily basis, more expressed concerns arise for their employees. Specifically, the nature of mail-processing jobs places mailroom personnel at a greater risk of infection and exposure to contaminants hidden in mail. Many organizations have implemented measures, such as requiring the use of latex gloves by mailroom personnel, to help mitigate this threat, but these measures only protect against physical contact with the contaminants. They do not protect against other modes of transmission, such as inhalation or ingestion.  
           [0005]    Besides the health risks posed to personnel, the shutting down of an organization&#39;s facility due to a possible biological attack creates a significant economic burden on the organization. Further, a proliferation of hoax attacks makes it imperative for an organization to implement effective and efficient mechanisms that will prevent needless work stoppages, while protecting itself from the possible spread of contamination. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved way to protect mail-processing environments from contamination due, for example, to airborne hazardous substances.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture of the present invention may control a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants.  
           [0007]    One exemplary aspect of the invention may relate to a system for controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants. The system may comprise a first air vent for supplying air to the mail-processing environment, a second air vent for exhausting air from the mail-processing environment, an air exchanger coupled to the first air vent and the second air vent for exchanging air in the environment, a first damper for substantially blocking air supplied to the environment through the first air vent, a second damper for substantially blocking air exhausted from the environment through the second air vent, and a control circuit for controlling the first damper and the second damper in response to a possible presence of contaminants in the mail-processing environment.  
           [0008]    A second aspect of the invention may relate to a method for controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants, wherein the mail-processing environment includes a mail-processing workstation. The method may comprise detecting whether contaminants are present in the mail-processing environment, controlling a first damper coupled to a first air vent to substantially block air flow from the environment through the first air vent, and controlling a second damper coupled to a second air vent to substantially block air flow to the environment through the second air vent. The first and second dampers may be controlled in response to a detection of a possible contaminant in the mail-processing environment.  
           [0009]    Additional embodiments and aspects of the invention are set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part are obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention. It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment control system, consistent with features and principles of the present invention, for controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative exemplary environment control system, consistent with features and principles of the present invention, for controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary control circuit, consistent with features and principles of the present invention, in a system for controlling a mail-processing environment to protect against contaminants. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Reference is now made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system  100 , consistent with features and principles of the present invention, for controlling a mail-processing environment  101  to protect against contaminants. In one embodiment of the present invention, system  100  may comprise a mail-processing workstation  102 , a first air vent  104 , a second air vent  106 , an air exchanger  108 , a first damper  110 , a second damper  112 , a filter  114 , and a control circuit  116 .  
         [0016]    Environment  101  may be any room, tent, or any other structure for processing mail that may be at risk to exposure to contaminants. For example, mail processed in environment  101  may contain contaminants that may be released into the environment when the mail is processed. Contaminants may include biological contaminants (e.g., anthrax), chemical contaminants (e.g., sarin), or any other toxic, hazardous, or unwanted material in the workplace. Mail-processing workstation  102  may be any system for receiving, sorting, opening, or handling mail. Examples of mail-processing workstation  102  may include a mail-sorting machine, an envelope extraction machine, or any other type of automatic mail-processing machine. Further, mail-processing workstation  102  may also refer to a workstation desk area for personnel processing mail by hand.  
         [0017]    Air vents  104  and  106  may be any mechanism that allows air to flow into or out of environment  101 . For example, air vents  104  and  106  may include an aperture, a portal, a grate, a screen, or any partially covered opening that allows air to pass from or to environment  101 . Air exchanger  108  may, in turn, be any device for circulating air. For example, air exchanger  108  may be a standard heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system, a fan, or a vacuum system.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 1, first air vent  104  and second air vent  106  are coupled to air exchanger  108  through a system of air ducts. The air ducts may include pipes, hoses, conventional ductwork, or any other mechanism or structure for directing airflow. As known by one of ordinary skill in the air ventilation art, air vent  104  may exhaust air from environment  101  to air exchanger  108 , which may then supply fresh air back to environment  101  through air vent  106 .  
         [0019]    In systems consistent with the present invention, the air duct between first air vent  104  and air exchanger  108  may include a first damper  110  and the air duct between second air vent  106  and air exchanger  108  may include a second damper  112 . Dampers  110  and  112  may operate to substantially block air leaving or entering environment  101  through vents  104  and  106 , respectively. Further, dampers  110  and  112  may be installed using caulk or other sealing mechanisms to prevent uncontrolled airflow (e.g., leaks around edges of dampers, drafts, etc.). In an exemplary embodiment, dampers  110  and  112  may isolate the air of environment from that of other environments or rooms connected to the same air exchanger  108 . Dampers  110  and  112  may be implemented using a number of devices or mechanisms that can substantially block air flow from or to environment  101 . For instance, dampers  110  and  112  may comprise a smoke damper or an air damper. In an exemplary embodiment, dampers  110  and  112  may be a two-position, direct-coupled air damper with a built-in motorized activator. The activator may be operated to open/close the damper according to the methodology described below.  
         [0020]    In an exemplary embodiment, vent  104  may be provided with a filter  114  to filter air leaving environment  101 . More particularly, filter  114  may remove possible contaminants from environment  101 , thus helping to prevent further contamination to areas outside of environment  101 . Filter  114  may be implemented by using a HEPA filter, a carbon filter, or other type of filter. While FIG. 1 shows only one filter  114  operatively coupled with vent  104 , systems consistent with the invention may use more than one filter, and may operatively couple a filter at other locations and in other vents, for instance by using a filter operatively coupled with vent  106 .  
         [0021]    Control circuit  116  may control the operation of first damper  110  and second damper  112  based upon the detection of a possible contamination to environment  101 . When a contaminating event is detected, control circuit  116  may control dampers  110  and  112  to substantially block air from leaving or entering environment  101 . Control circuit  116  may be implemented by using a panic button, a switch, or an emergency power off (EPO) switch that controls the operation of dampers  110  and  112 .  
         [0022]    Control circuit  116  may be manually operated by an operator (not shown) who detects the contaminating event. A contaminating event may be any indication of an exposure, a possible exposure, or a threat of exposure to a contaminant in mail-processing environment  101 . For example, an operator may find powder in a piece of mail, notice a suspicious package in environment  101 , or see a puff of powder come from mail-processing workstation  102 . The operator may then proceed to operate control circuit  116  to close dampers  110  and  112  to substantially block air from leaving or entering environment  101 . Control circuit  116  may also be connected to mail-processing workstation  102 . When a contaminating event is detected, control circuit  116  may thus, also stop operation of workstation  102 .  
         [0023]    In an alternative embodiment, control circuit  116  may also be connected to a sensor (not shown) for detecting hazardous substances in environment  101 . When the sensor detects a possible contamination, the sensor may then automatically activate control circuit  116  to, in turn, control the operation of workstation  101  and dampers  110  and  112 , as described above. In either embodiment, control circuit  116  may be connected to workstation  101  and dampers  110  and  112  by using any type of connection, including electromagnetic connections (such as wires or wireless links) or physical connections (such as springs, levers, or cables).  
         [0024]    During operation of system  100 , air from environment  101  may flow through first air vent  104  to air exchanger  108  and air from air exchanger  108  may flow through second air vent  106  to environment  101  in order to cycle the air in environment  101 . As the air is cycled, mail-processing workstation  102  may sort, open, or otherwise handle mail. Further, filter  114  may filter any air flowing through first air vent  104  or second air vent  106 , to thereby remove contaminants in the air of environment  101  or prevent contaminants from entering environment  101 .  
         [0025]    If an operator detects possible contaminants in mail that will be processed, is being processed, or has been processed by mail-processing workstation  102 , the operator may operate control circuit  116  to close dampers  110  and  112 , and/or stop mail-processing workstation  102  from processing any additional mail. Alternatively, as described above, control circuit  116  may be connected to a sensor (not shown) that detects contaminants in environment  101  before automatically triggering control circuit  116  to close dampers  110  and  112 , and/or stop mail-processing workstation  102  from processing any more mail. Closing dampers  110  and  112  deadens the circulation of air through air vents  104  and  106  in environment  101  and also prevents any possibly contaminated air from substantially moving out of or into environment  101 . At the same time, control circuit  116  may prevent further exposure to the contamination by stopping mail-processing workstation  102 , by turning off the power to mail-processing workstation  102 , or otherwise deactivating it. Further, control circuit  116  may also trigger a warning alarm that indicates a possible contamination has been detected.  
         [0026]    Because environment  101  is thus substantially sealed off from any other environments or rooms associated with air exchanger  108  (i.e., other rooms in the same building), those other mail-processing work areas may continue to process mail. Accordingly, systems consistent with the invention may prevent the shutting down of operations in other areas or environments due to a contaminating event by blocking off the contaminated environment  101 , and thereby allowing mail-processing to continue in other areas. For example, a facility may have a production area and several mail-processing areas. System  100  may be implemented in the mail-processing areas. If a contaminating event occurs in one of the mail-processing areas, system  100  may use air dampers  110  and  112  to separate the ventilation system of the contaminated mail-processing area from the remaining areas. Thus, the remaining mail-processing and production areas may continue operating with little risk of exposure to the contaminants.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 further illustrates how in another embodiment of the present invention, system  100  may comprise a third air vent  118 , a fourth air vent  120 , and an electrostatic filter unit  122 . Air ducts, as previously described, may couple third air vent  118  and fourth air vent  120  to electrostatic filter unit  122 . Electrostatic filter unit  122  may be any type of electrostatic filter known in the art, such as a dust collector or an electrostatic HEPA filter unit. Such filters charge air particles (including any contaminants) to cause those particles to agglomerate and make them easier to filter out of the air. As described below, control circuit  116  may control the operation of electrostatic filter unit  122 .  
         [0028]    While mail-processing workstation  102  is processing mail, electrostatic filter unit  122  may charge particles in the air circulating in environment  101  to make the particles easier to filter. Air from environment  101  may flow through third air vent  118  to electrostatic filter unit  122  and back into environment  101  through fourth air vent  120  in order to charge the particles. Electrostatic filter unit  122  may also use a filter (similar to filter  114 ) to further remove any contaminants from the air.  
         [0029]    If an operator detects possible contaminants in mail that will be processed, is being processed, or has been processed by mail-processing workstation  102 , the operator may operate control circuit  116  to deactivate electrostatic filter unit  122  in order to deaden the circulation of air through air vents  118  and  120  in environment  101 . Or, the operator may let the electrostatic filter unit  122  continue operating to facilitate removal of the possible contaminant. Alternatively, and as described above, control circuit  116  may include a sensor for detecting contaminants in environment  101  and to automatically trigger the activation of control circuit  116 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 further illustrates how in another embodiment of the present invention, system  100  may also include a self-contained filter  124  connected to mail-processing workstation  102 . Self-contained filter  124  may be any stand-alone system, such as a portable air HEPA filter unit, that directly filters air contaminants from or near mail-processing workstation  102 . Self-contained filter  124  may be situated in close proximity to mail-processing workstation  102  or directly coupled to mail-processing workstation  102  via air ducts or hoods. Control circuit  116  may control the operation of self-contained filter  124 .  
         [0031]    A fan or other mechanism (not shown) in self-contained filter  124  may pull air through a hood into self-contained filter  124 . Self-contained filter  124  may then filter the air and allow the filtered air to be exhausted back into environment  101 . If an operator or sensor detects possible contaminants in the mail-processing environment of workstation  102 , the operator or sensor may then operate control circuit  116  to deactivate self-contained filter unit  124  in order to deaden the air circulation caused by self-contained filter unit  124  in environment  101 . Alternatively, The operator or sensor may also let the self-contained filter  124  continue operating to facilitate removal of the possible contaminant.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 2 illustrates another mail-processing environment consistent with the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, system  100  may alternatively or additionally include an air duct coupled between third air vent  118  and mail-processing workstation  102 . A fan or other mechanism (not shown) in electrostatic filter unit  122  may draw air from mail-processing workstation  102  through third vent  118  to then filter it, as described above, and send the filtered air back to environment  101 . If an operator or sensor detects possible contaminants in the mail-processing environment of workstation  102 , the operator or sensor may trigger control circuit  116  to stop electrostatic filter unit  122  from charging or filtering particles in environment  101  in order to deaden the air flow through air vents  118  and  120  in environment  101 . Or, the operator may let the electrostatic filter  122  continue operating to facilitate removal of the possible contaminant.  
         [0033]    While FIGS. 1 and 2 describe electrostatic filter units  122  dedicated to environment  101 , electrostatic filter units  122  may also be used to filter the air for other environments or areas as well. In such cases, the air ducts coupling electrostatic filter units  122  to environment  101  may include dampers similar to those of dampers  110  and  112  to isolate environment  101  from these other areas and environment.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a control circuit  116  consistent with the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, control circuit  116  may include a power source  302  that is connected, via switch  304 , to either mail-processing workstation  102 , electrostatic filter unit  122 , self-contained filter  124 , or to dampers  110  and  112 . When processing mail, power source  302  may provide power to mail-processing workstation  102 , electrostatic filter unit  122 , and self-contained filter  124  via a switch  302 . If an operator or sensor detects contaminants in environment  101  (FIG. 1), the operator or sensor may flip switch  304  to an alternate state that cuts power to mail-processing workstation  102 , electrostatic filter unit  122 , and/or self-contained filter  124 . The alternate state of switch  304  may then activate dampers  110  and  112  to cause them to substantially block air flow from and to environment  101 , as described above. Further, the switch  304  may also trigger an alarm (not shown) when activating the dampers. As one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, other control circuits may be used to control mail-processing workstation  102 , electrostatic filter unit  122 , self-contained filter  124 , or dampers  110 - 112 .  
         [0035]    In the foregoing description, various features are grouped together in various embodiments for purposes of streamlining the disclosure. This manner of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than may be expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects may lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the invention. Further, the word “or” may be used herein in the conjunctive or the disjunctive sense.  
         [0036]    Also in the foregoing description, various embodiments of the invention may be used to control a mail-processing environment in order to mitigate the risks of processing mail that may contain possible contaminants. It should be understood, however, that systems consistent with the invention may not provide complete and absolute protection against all contaminants.