Patent ID: 8465704

Claim:
An apparatus for disinfecting and/or deodorizing an article comprising: a cabinet defining a compartment configured to receive the article; a regenerative dryer positioned with respect to the compartment and configured to dehydrate air flowing into an ozone generator, the dryer including: a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet located downstream from the air inlet, the housing defining a chamber, and a dehydrating agent disposed within the chamber for absorbing moisture laden in the air, the dehydrating agent being operatively regenerated by heat for vaporizing and removing moisture in the dehydrating agent when saturated with the moisture, an exhaust port for releasing the moisture captured by the dehydrating agent, and a valve mechanism operatively connected to the housing, the valve mechanism including a piston and a solenoid for displacing the piston between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the piston is spaced from the air outlet to allow dehydrated air to flow from the dryer to the ozone generator, the piston closing the exhaust port, wherein in the second position, the piston is spaced from the exhaust port to allow for exhausting of vaporized moisture from the dehydrating agent, the piston closing the air outlet, and wherein the solenoid is a coil which is wound at least partially around the piston, wherein energization of the coil moves the piston from the first position to the second position, wherein the heat generated from energization of coil increases temperature of the dehydrating agent releasing the moisture captured therein through the exhaust port; the ozone generator in communication with the dryer and positioned with respect to the compartment, the ozone generator being configured to selectively generate ozone, the generated ozone being introduced into the compartment; an ozone conversion device positioned with respect to the compartment and configured to selectively convert ozone back to oxygen; and a controller configured to selectively activate the dryer, ozone generator and ozone conversion device.