Patent Description:
The present invention finds a preferred, but not exclusive, application in the disinfection of the air of closed environments, in particular those which are very crowded, since they are usually characterized by the presence of a particulate matter rich in polluting agents, such as, e.g., dusts, odors of different types, fumes, unburned hydrocarbons, bacteria, viruses, fungi, carbon oxide, etc. Generally, the sanitizing devices are provided with a system for the introduction of ozone into the environment.

It is known, in fact, that ozone, through its interaction with viral and bacterial particles present in the air or through contact with surfaces placed in the environment, is able to exert an antiviral and antibacterial action.

Ozone disinfection can be carried out by several mechanisms.

A first mechanism involves the use of a hydraulic circuit which takes air from the environment, mixes the air taken with ozone and, subsequently, introduces the mixed air into the environment.

In a second mechanism, on the other end, the hydraulic circuit releases the ozone directly into the environment.

In both cases, on completion of the disinfection treatment, the ambient air is contaminated by the presence of a high concentration of ozone which can have harmful effects on human health. It is therefore usual to air the room for a certain period of time in order to reduce the concentration of ozone in the air.

However, this solution is not completely satisfactory as it usually requires an extremely long resting time to bring the ozone concentration in the air back to an acceptable level.

Moreover, this solution is most of the times not very effective. In fact, there can be situations in which it is difficult to ventilate the environment, for example due to the lack or limited presence of windows and/or ventilation systems.

Ozone sanitizing devices of the known type are described in documents <CIT>,<CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Therefore, the main aim of the present invention is to devise an ozone sanitizing device able to sanitize the air of a room quickly, fast and effectively.

A further object of the present invention is to devise a sanitizing device able to rapidly reduce the concentration of ozone present in the air of a disinfected room.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a versatile, small-sized, low-cost device.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a sanitizing device allowing to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present ozone sanitizing device having the characteristics of claim <NUM>.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an ozone sanitizing device, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non limiting example, in the accompanying tables of drawings wherein:.

With particular reference to such figures, reference numeral <NUM> globally indicates an ozone sanitizing device.

Suitably, the device <NUM> comprises a supporting frame <NUM> positionable inside a room to be sanitized. Furthermore, the device <NUM> comprises ozone sanitizing means <NUM> mounted on the supporting frame <NUM> and configured to release ozone into the room.

Ozone released in the environment interacts with viral and bacterial particles or with surfaces on which they are deposited to disinfect and sanitize the environment.

Advantageously, the device <NUM> comprises deozonization means <NUM> configured to deozonize the room subsequently to ozone sanitization. This solution allows quickly reducing the concentration of ozone present in the room as a result of the disinfection treatment.

It is specified that in the context of the present disclosure expressions such as "deozonize", "deozonization", "deozonizing" relate to the process of removing ozone from an air stream.

As shown in <FIG>, the sanitizing means <NUM> comprise an ozone generator <NUM> and a fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> configured to release the ozone generated by the ozone generator <NUM> into the room. In particular, the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> is operationally connected to the ozone generator <NUM> to take ozone and release it into the environment.

Conveniently, the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> comprises an inlet opening <NUM> for taking air to be ozonized from the room and an outlet opening <NUM> for introducing the ozonized air into the room. Moreover, the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> comprises air movement means <NUM> from the inlet opening <NUM> to the outlet opening <NUM>. In particular, the air movement means <NUM> are configured to generate an air stream flowing through the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> from the inlet opening <NUM> towards the outlet opening <NUM>.

Preferably, the air movement means <NUM> are of the motorized type, such as a fan <NUM>.

Appropriately, the ozone generator <NUM> is configured to introduce ozone into the fluid-operated circuit in an inlet area located between the inlet opening <NUM> and the outlet opening <NUM>, so that the air stream flowing through the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> can mix with the ozone generated by the ozone generator <NUM> in order to release it into the room.

Preferably, as shown in <FIG>, the ozone generator <NUM> comprises one or more ozone plates 5a of known type in which the ozone generation occurs by means of the passage of an electrical discharge through a dielectric material.

It cannot however be ruled out to use ozone generators <NUM> in which ozone is produced by means of different methods.

Conveniently, the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> comprises at least one grid element <NUM> mounted on the inlet opening <NUM>, and configured to regulate the air stream at inlet. In particular, the grid element <NUM> has one or more slots of variable size for regulating the air stream at inlet.

As shown in <FIG>, the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> comprises a main duct <NUM> in which the ozone plate 5a is mounted and at the ends of which the air inlet opening <NUM> and outlet opening <NUM> are formed.

As shown in <FIG>, the duct <NUM> is mounted in the device <NUM> in a substantially vertical position with the inlet opening <NUM> arranged inferiorly to the outlet opening <NUM>.

In the context of the present disclosure, the terms "upper" and "lower", "front", "rear", "vertical" and "horizontal", used with reference to the device <NUM>, are intended to refer to the conditions of normal use of the device <NUM>, i.e. those in which it is placed resting on the ground.

Conveniently, the deozonization means <NUM> comprise at least one fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> provided with an inlet port <NUM> for taking the air to be deozonized from the room and an outlet port <NUM> for introducing the deozonized air into the room. Furthermore, the deozonization means <NUM> comprise filtering means <NUM>, arranged at least partly along the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> and positioned between the inlet port <NUM> and the outlet port <NUM>, configured to remove ozone from the air to be deozonized.

Advantageously, the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> is separated from the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM>.

Conveniently, the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> comprises air displacement means <NUM> from the inlet port <NUM> to the outlet port <NUM>. In particular, the air displacement means <NUM> generate an air stream flowing through the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> from the inlet port <NUM> to the outlet port <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> is provided with a filtering chamber <NUM> positioned between the inlet port <NUM> and the outlet port <NUM>, and operationally connected to the filtering means <NUM>. Furthermore, the filtering chamber <NUM> is connected in a fluid-operated manner to the inlet port <NUM> and to the outlet port <NUM> by means of respective inlet ducts <NUM> and outlet ducts <NUM>.

Preferably, the filtering chamber <NUM> extends mainly horizontally and the inlet ducts <NUM> and the outlet ducts <NUM> are arranged vertically, thereby creating a substantially U-shaped air path in which the at least outlet port <NUM> faces upwards.

Conveniently, the outlet port <NUM> of the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> is arranged substantially aligned with the outlet opening <NUM> of the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM>. As will be described in detail in the remainder of the present disclosure, this solution allows both fluid-operated circuits <NUM>, <NUM> to introduce air in the same area of the room.

Appropriately, the filtering means <NUM> are provided with at least one filtering fluid comprising at least water and adapted to deozonize the air taken from the room.

Preferably, the filtering fluid comprises, in addition to water, one or more detergents.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> comprises a tank <NUM> adapted to contain the filtering fluid, and connected in a fluid-operated manner to the filtering chamber <NUM>.

Usefully, the filtering means <NUM> comprise a dispensing assembly <NUM> located between the tank <NUM> and the filtering chamber <NUM> and configured to take the filtering fluid from the tank <NUM> and introduce it into the filtering chamber <NUM>. In particular, the dispensing assembly <NUM> comprises at least one nozzle <NUM> for spilling the filtering fluid arranged at least partly inside the filtering chamber <NUM> and a pumping system <NUM> for pumping the filtering fluid from the tank <NUM> to the nozzle <NUM>.

The pumping system <NUM> is provided with at least one feeding duct <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM> and a pump that takes the filtering fluid and feeds it into the feeding duct <NUM> to send it to the nozzle <NUM>.

Conveniently, the nozzle <NUM> is configured to feed the filtering fluid into the filtering chamber <NUM> in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the air stream inside the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> in order to intercept the air stream and operate on the ozone released therein to deozonize the air.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> may comprise a repriming assembly <NUM> of the filtering fluid.

In particular, the repriming assembly <NUM> is provided with at least one baffle element <NUM>, arranged downstream of the filtering chamber <NUM> with respect to the air stream in order to separate the deozonized air from the particles of filtering fluid released therein, and a fluid-operated repriming circuit <NUM> to collect the separated filtering fluid and convey it to the tank <NUM>.

In detail, the baffle element <NUM> has a substantially flat shape and is arranged in a sloping position inside the outlet duct <NUM>.

Preferably, the repriming assembly <NUM> comprises a plurality of baffle elements <NUM> arranged to define a labyrinth-like path for the air stream.

The filtering fluid intercepted by the baffle element <NUM> falls by gravity into the filtering chamber <NUM> where it is collected by the fluid-operated repriming circuit <NUM> to convey it towards the tank <NUM>. For this purpose, the fluid-operated repriming circuit <NUM> is provided with at least one pipe that puts the bottom of the filtering chamber <NUM> in fluidic communication with the tank <NUM>.

Advantageously, the repriming assembly <NUM> also allows the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> to be used for the purpose of filling the tank <NUM> with the filtering fluid, also allowing the fluid-operated circuits to be flushed easily and quickly. In particular, an operator can insert the filtering fluid and/or the flushing water into the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM> through the outlet port <NUM> so that it can flow until it reaches the tank <NUM>.

Conveniently, the device <NUM> comprises control means operationally connected to the sanitizing means <NUM> and to the deozonization means <NUM> to control at least the activation/deactivation thereof. In particular, the control means make it possible to automate the operation of the device <NUM> by appropriately programming the sanitizing and deozonization cycles.

Conveniently, the control means are configured to sequentially carry out the following phases:.

Preferably, the control means are of the type of an electronic control device such as e.g. a PLC, microcontroller, PC and/or the like.

Conveniently, the control means may be configured to activate the sanitizing means <NUM> and/or the deozonization means <NUM> for a predefined activation time, usually based on the size of the room to be sanitized.

For this purpose, the control means comprise an interfacing device by means of which the activation time of the sanitizing means <NUM> and/or of the deozonization means <NUM> is settable by the operator.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> may be provided with an ozone sensor <NUM> configured to measure the amount of ozone present in the air of the room. Preferably, the ozone sensor <NUM> is configured to measure the concentration of ozone present in the air of the room according to one or more known methods. The ozone sensor <NUM> is operationally connected to the control means in order to provide them with the ozone measurement value.

Appropriately, the control means are configured to selectively control the operation of the sanitizing means <NUM> and/or of the deozonization means <NUM> depending on the amount of ozone measured by the ozone sensor <NUM>.

In particular, the control means are configured to deactivate the sanitizing means <NUM> and activate the deozonization means <NUM> when the value of the ozone amount measured by the ozone sensor <NUM> is above a predetermined threshold value. Furthermore, the control means may also be configured to deactivate the deozonization means <NUM> and activate the sanitizing means <NUM> when the value of the ozone amount measured by the ozone sensor <NUM> is below the threshold value.

Conveniently, the device <NUM> may be provided with a motion sensor configured to detect the presence and/or the passage of a person inside the room in which the device <NUM> is located.

In particular, the motion sensor, when it detects the presence and/or the passage of a person, is configured to interrupt the operation of the sanitizing means <NUM> and activate the deozonization means <NUM> to deozonize the air of the room.

As shown in <FIG>, the supporting frame <NUM> comprises a casing <NUM> adapted to enclose at least partly the fluid-operated sanitizing circuit <NUM> and the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM>.

Conveniently, the casing <NUM> has at least one intake chamber <NUM>, wherein the inlet port <NUM> and the inlet opening <NUM> of the fluid-operated circuits <NUM>, <NUM> are facing, and an exhalation chamber <NUM> wherein the outlet port <NUM> and the outlet opening <NUM> are facing.

Conveniently, the intake chambers <NUM> and the exhalation chambers <NUM> are separated from each other. This allows the device <NUM> to take air from an area of the room other than the area into which the air taken in is being fed, thus promoting effective recirculation of air in the room.

As shown in <FIG>, the casing <NUM> is provided one or more side walls defining a housing compartment <NUM> of the sanitizing means <NUM> and deozonization means <NUM>.

The casing <NUM> also comprises a separator element <NUM> arranged internally to the housing compartment <NUM> to define the intake chamber <NUM> below it and the exhalation chamber <NUM> above it.

In addition, the casing <NUM> is provided with a closure lid <NUM> arranged above the exhalation chamber <NUM> to close the housing compartment <NUM>.

Appropriately, the casing <NUM> is provided with at least one inlet slot <NUM> of air from the room, made on the intake chamber <NUM>, and at least one outlet slot 38a, 38b of air in the room, made on the exhalation chamber <NUM>. In particular, the slots <NUM>, 38a, 38b are pass-through to put in fluidic communication the interior of each chamber <NUM>, <NUM> with the external environment, thus allowing the fluid-operated circuits <NUM>, <NUM> to take and feed air from/into the external environment. Preferably, each slot <NUM>, 38a, 38b may be defined as a whole by a series of closely spaced slits.

In one or more embodiments, the casing <NUM> is provided with a plurality of inlet slots <NUM> arranged on both sides of the intake chamber <NUM>.

Furthermore, the casing <NUM> may comprise a pair of outlet slots 38a, 38b. Preferably, the first outlet slot 38a is recessed on the closure lid <NUM> and the second outlet slot 38b is recessed peripherally around the closure lid <NUM>.

Usefully, the casing <NUM> comprises a covering element <NUM> of the first outlet slot 38a. Preferably, the covering element <NUM> is removable to allow an operator to access at least the outlet port <NUM> of the fluid-operated deozonizing circuit <NUM>, allowing, as described above, the insertion inside the latter of the filtering fluid and/or of a washing liquid in order to fill the tank <NUM> and/or to flush the circuit.

Conveniently, the covering element <NUM> comprises a grid element <NUM> arranged facing the first outlet slot 38a and adapted to house one or more fragrant substances, such as essential oils, in order to mix them with the air stream exiting the first outlet slot 38a in order to release them in the room during the sanitization treatment.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> comprises a ground movement assembly <NUM> of the supporting frame <NUM>, which allows the device <NUM> to be transported between different rooms in order to sanitize them.

Preferably, the ground movement assembly <NUM> comprises a pair of front wheels <NUM> mounted on the supporting frame <NUM> and a handle <NUM> grippable by an operator to move the device <NUM>.

Preferably, the ground movement means <NUM> comprise one or more rear wheels <NUM>, preferably swivel wheels.

In an alternative embodiment, the device <NUM> comprises a plurality of deozonization means <NUM> placed side by side to each other. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the device <NUM> comprises a pair of deozonization means <NUM>.

It goes without saying that the device <NUM> may be intended to contain a greater or lesser number of deozonization means <NUM> and/or of sanitizing means <NUM> depending on operational requirements. In such an embodiment, preferably, the fluid-operated deozonizing circuits <NUM> of the plurality of deozonization means <NUM> may be connected to single air displacement means <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Ozone sanitizing device (<NUM>) comprising:
- a supporting frame (<NUM>), positionable inside a room to be sanitized;
- ozone sanitizing means (<NUM>) mounted on said supporting frame (<NUM>) and configured to release ozone into said room;
- deozonization means (<NUM>) configured to deozonize said room subsequently to said ozone sanitization;
wherein said deozonization means (<NUM>) comprises at least:
- a fluid-operated deozonizing circuit (<NUM>) provided with an inlet port (<NUM>) for taking the air to be deozonized from said room and an outlet port (<NUM>) for introducing the deozonized air into said room,
- filtering means (<NUM>), arranged along said fluid-operated deozonizing circuit (<NUM>) and positioned between said inlet port (<NUM>) and said outlet port (<NUM>), configured to remove said ozone from said air to be deozonized;
characterized by the fact that said filtering means (<NUM>) comprise at least one filtering fluid comprising at least water and adapted to deozonize said air taken from said room.