Patent ID: 8132870

Claim:
A ruggedized decontamination unit, comprising: a cabinet comprising at least one shelf assembly; the shelf assembly comprising a shelf that is slideable in a first direction and a second direction, the shelf comprising a first end and second end; a first stationary support and a second stationary support, the first stationary support being positioned opposite the second stationary support, the first and second stationary supports slidably supporting the shelf, the first stationary support having a first end and a second end, the second stationary support having a first end and a second end; a first stationary stop mounted on the first stationary support near the first end of the first stationary support; a first traveling stop positioned near the second end of the shelf and adapted for directly contacting the first stationary stop when the shelf slides in the first direction; a second stationary stop mounted on the second stationary support near the second end of the second stationary support; and a second traveling stop positioned near the first end of the shelf and adapted for directly contacting the second stationary stop when the shelf slides in the second direction; the cabinet including a first entrance with a first door and a second entrance with a second door, the first entrance being suitable for permitting one or more shelves to partially extend out of the cabinet through the first entrance when slid in the first direction, the second entrance being suitable for permitting one or more shelves to partially extend out of the cabinet through the second entrance when slid in the second direction; and a decontaminant generator for generating a decontaminant in the cabinet, wherein the decontamination unit includes components (1) to harden said decontamination unit to withstand five exposures to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminants, decontaminants and decontaminating procedures over a thirty-day period do not cause the apparatus to require corrective maintenance during that thirty-day period; and so that said decontamination unit is (2) capable of being used at temperatures ranging from about −32° C. to about 49° C.; (3) capable of being used in relative humidities ranging from about 5% to about 100%; and (4) capable of operating when exposed to conventional hazards of solar radiation, rain, fungus, salt fog, sand, dust, vibration and shock.