Systems for Air-Borne Cleaning of Surfaces

• US 20170129463A1
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvinair, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nuvinair, LLC
• Inventors: Bailey, Kyle, Wood, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,925,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/00 Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/008 for interiors of land vehicles

Abstract

There is provided a system and method of cleaning surfaces of an interior cabin space of a contamination comprising a microbial and viral load. The method includes the steps of sealing the interior cabin space and placing water, and a solid or gel pack, into a container and generating a vortex the container by rotating an impeller. The agitation causes the solid or gel pack to release a gaseous cleaning agent. An air-borne spray exiting from the container spreads throughout the interior cabin space to coat the surfaces to be cleaned within the interior cabin space. The cabin is maintained closed for an effective time period while the coating from the air-borne spray dwells on the surfaces to eliminate or substantially reduce the load of the contamination.

Claims

1. A system for cleaning a cabin interior of a car, truck, SUV or tractor-trailer rig of a microbial or viral contamination, the system comprising:

sealing the cabin from the outside environment and starting an air recirculation system of the cabin;

selecting a portable apparatus to place inside the cabin interior, the apparatus comprising;

a container having therein water with the solid or the gel pak that releases a gaseous cleaning agent into the container;

a motor to provide energy to cause formation of a vortex of the water in the container;

a lid sized and configured to releasably and sealingly engage an open end of the container, the lid having a liquid baffle therein and a nozzle extending from the lid through which the gaseous cleaning agent passes into the cabin while the lid knocks out entrained liquid from gaseous cleaning agent emitting out of the nozzle; and

maintaining the cabin closed while allowing a coating of the gaseous cleaning agent to dwell for an effective time to reduce a microbial and viral load on interior surfaces within the closed cabin.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is sized to fit inside a cup-holder inside the cabin space and the motor of the apparatus is powered by connection to a power outlet located within the cabin space.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a detector and indicator to indicate when a concentration of the gaseous cleaning agent has reduced to a safe level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a step of activating the motor of the apparatus is carried out remotely.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the cabin closed while allowing a coating of the gaseous cleaning agent to dwell for an effective time, includes an effective time in the range from about 10 to about 30 minutes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the cabin closed while allowing a coating of the gaseous cleaning agent to dwell for an effective time to reduce a microbial and viral load on interior surfaces within the closed cabin, further includes removing odors from the cabin interior.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the cabin closed while allowing a coating of the gaseous cleaning agent to dwell for an effective time includes maintaining the cabin closed for up to about 8 hours.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the container includes therein an impeller driven by the motor.