FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention relates to a sanitizing and control portal, i.e., a portal through which people who must access a certain environment transit and whose purpose is to verify body temperature, the use of a protection device, such as a mask or the like, and to sanitize the person at the entrance to the environment.

BACKGROUND ART

There are various types of sanitizing and control portals, which are installed at the entrance of environments in which the spread of viruses, bacteria or the like is to be avoided, which may inadvertently be brought inside by the people who access such environments.

Sanitizing portals are structures of generally quadrangular shape which are provided at least on the sides and on an upper crosspiece with dispensing nozzles of a nebulized biocidal fluid.

Such biocidal fluid is normally taken by means of appropriate pumping devices from one or more tanks which can be positioned on the sides or outside the portal. Such biocidal fluid is then sent to nebulizer devices, for example ultrasonic, and then to such delivery nozzles.

By dispensing such nebulized biocidal fluid, then, the person passing through the portal is sanitized and can thus enter the environment safely.

However, the sanitizing and control portals are often very complex and cumbersome, in fact in the first place one or more pumping devices are normally necessary for the transfer of the biocidal fluid from the containing tank to the nebulizer devices and then to the nozzles.

Furthermore, the containing tank of the biocidal fluid determines a high volume, especially on the side of the portal, whereby it is often difficult to install the portal in environments with limited installation spaces, such as the entrance corridor of a building, or the entrance of environments in the naval sector, where the available spaces are limited, or other.

In addition, given their structural complexity and size, the transport and installation of such portals can also be quite long and costly.

Therefore, there is a need to improve a sanitizing and control portal which can overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a sanitizing and control portal which is efficient, compact and has reduced dimensions with respect to the known portals, thus it can also be installed in environments where the available spaces are limited.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sanitizing and control portal which is structurally simple and does not require the installation of pumping devices of the biocidal fluid between the tank and the nebulizer means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sanitizing and control portal which can be easily assembled, disassembled and transported.

The Applicant has studied, tested and obtained the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, and to obtain the above as well as further aims and benefits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is expressed and characterized in the independent claim. The dependent claims show other features of the present invention or variants of the main solution proposed.

In accordance with the aforesaid objects, a sanitizing and control portal according to the present invention comprises a frame provided with at least one upper crosspiece, at least one pair of lateral uprights associated with said upper crosspiece and nozzles for delivering a biocidal fluid taken from at least one containing tank and delivered inside a sanitizing zone defined between said lateral uprights and said upper crosspiece.

According to an aspect of the invention, said tank is housed inside said upper crosspiece and is associated with a hydraulic circuit for delivering the biocidal fluid which comprises in each lateral upright at least one duct for transferring the biocidal fluid by gravity from said tank to a receptacle in which at least one nebulizer device is positioned and at least one duct for transferring the biocidal fluid, nebulized by means of said nebulizer device, from said receptacle to said nozzles.

Since the containing tank of the biocidal fluid is positioned in the upper crosspiece, the present sanitizing and control portal is extremely compact and has a reduced lateral dimension with respect to the known portals, thus it can also be installed in environments where the available spaces are limited.

The present portal is also structurally simple and does not require the installation of biocidal fluid pumping devices between the tank and the nebulizer device, since the biocidal fluid descends by gravity from the tank located on the upper crosspiece to the receptacle of each lateral upright where the nebulizer device is located.

The present portal is also advantageously suitable for all public environments, companies or for large events. Furthermore, the user never comes into contact with any surface of the portal, further reducing the risks of any bacterial or virological transmission.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, such a frame can comprise a platform associated with such lateral uprights and provided with nozzles or a grating for delivering the nebulized biocidal fluid.

Such a frame can also be modular, thus said upper crosspiece, said lateral uprights and said possible platform are separate elements configured to be assembled at the installation site of the portal.

The present portal can therefore easily be transported, assembled and disassembled.

Such a receptacle in which the nebulizer device is positioned can be positioned at the base of such an upright.

Such a portal can comprise a fan associated with such a receptacle and configured to move the nebulized fluid inside the hydraulic circuit.

Such a portal can comprise on at least one upright sanitizing seatings for hands which is fluidly connected to such a receptacle.

Such a portal can comprise a scanning device configured to detect features of the person entering the portal, such as body temperature, the presence of a protection device on the person's face, or other.

The portal can further comprise signaling lights configured to signal at least the presence of a person at the entrance to the portal, the suitability for such a person to pass through the portal, and the activation of the sanitizing process.

The portal can comprise at least one pumping device configured to carry out at least one replenishment of the biocidal fluid in liquid form inside the tank; such biocidal fluid is taken from a receptacle outside the portal by means of such a pumping device. Such a pumping device can be positioned in one of such lateral uprights and provide a duct which can be extracted from a compartment made in the lateral upright in which it is positioned.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following embodiment disclosure, given by way of example only, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

- fig. 1 is a schematic view from the entry side of a sanitizing and control portal according to the present invention;

- fig. 2 is a second schematic view from the rear side of a sanitizing and control portal according to the present invention;

- fig. 3 is a schematic view of a hydraulic delivery circuit of a biocidal fluid included in the portal.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the figures. It should be noted that elements and features of an embodiment can be conveniently combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further clarification.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

Detailed reference will now be made to the possible embodiments of the invention, one or more instances of which are shown in the attached figures by way of example only. The phraseology and terminology used herein is also exclusively for illustrative purposes.

With reference to figures 1 to 3 of the attached figures, a sanitizing and control portal 10 according to the present invention comprises a frame 11 provided with at least one upper crosspiece 12, at least one pair of lateral uprights 13a, 13b associated with said upper crosspiece 12 and nozzles 14a, 14b, 14c for delivering a biocidal fluid taken from at least one containing tank 15 and delivered inside a sanitizing zone Z defined between such lateral uprights 13a, 13b and such an upper crosspiece 12.

Such a tank 15 is housed inside said upper crosspiece 12 and is associated with a hydraulic circuit 16, see fig. 3, for delivering the biocidal fluid comprising in each lateral upright 13a, 13b at least one duct 20 for transferring the biocidal fluid by gravity from such a tank 15 to a receptacle 18 in which at least one nebulizer device 19 is positioned, and at least one duct 17a, 17b for transferring the biocidal fluid, nebulized by means of such a nebulizer device 19, from such a receptacle 18 to such nozzles 14a, 14b, 14c.

The nebulizer devices 19 housed in the receptacles 18 can be ultrasonic or other nebulizer devices.

Such a frame 11 can also comprise a platform 21 associated with such lateral uprights 13a, 13b and provided with nozzles 14d for delivering the nebulized biocidal fluid, or alternatively a grating through which the nebulized biocidal fluid can flow. Such a platform 21 can comprise a duct 26 to which such nozzles 14d are connected. Furthermore, such a platform 21 can be covered by a sanitizing carpet 22, known per se, which prevents microbial multiplication and at the same time allows the nebulized biocidal fluid to pass through.

The receptacles 18 for containing the biocidal fluid in liquid form can be positioned at the base of each of the lateral uprights 13a, 13b, thus advantageously, the biocidal fluid nebulized by means of the nebulizer devices 19 can be delivered through ducts 17a, 17b along the entire extension of such lateral uprights 13a, 13b and up to the upper crosspiece 12.

The portal 10 can comprise on at least one lateral upright, for example the lateral upright 13 a, sanitizing seatings 23 for hands which are fluidly connected with the receptacle 18. In particular, such seatings 23 can be fluidly connected with such a duct 17a for delivering the nebulized biocidal fluid by means of connecting ducts 24. Inside such seatings 23, nozzles 14e for delivering the nebulized biocidal fluid are included.

It is possible to envisage that the receptacle 18 positioned at the base of the lateral upright 13b delivers nebulized biocidal fluid to the nozzles 14b of the duct 17b and to a further duct 25 connecting with the duct 26 obtained below the platform 21 and then to the nozzles 14d, or to the grating. The receptacle 18 positioned at the base of the lateral upright 13a can instead deliver the nebulized biocidal fluid to the nozzles 14a arranged along the duct 17a and to the nozzles 14c arranged in the upper crosspiece 12.

Basically, the nebulized biocidal fluid is produced in the receptacles 18 by such nebulizer devices 19 and, when the hydraulic circuit 16 reaches saturation, such nebulized biocidal fluid is naturally introduced into the hydraulic circuit 16 in the form of dry fog.

To increase the thrust of the nebulized biocidal fluid inside the hydraulic circuit 16, fans 28 associated with each of the receptacles 18 can be included.

The operation of the nebulizer devices 19 can be controlled by a control unit 29, provided for example with an electronic board, which is preferably housed inside the upper crosspiece 12.

The portal 10 can further comprise a scanning device 30, e.g., a thermal camera, capable of detecting features of the person entering the portal 10 such as at least body temperature, the presence of a protection device on the person's face, or other. The portal 10 can only be crossed in direction I, i.e., from the inlet side where the scanning device 30 is positioned, which can be installed on one of the lateral uprights, e.g., the lateral upright 13a.

Such a portal 10 can be provided with signaling lights 31, e.g., LEDs or other, positioned for example on the lateral uprights 13a and 13b, and configured to signal at least the presence of a person at the entrance of the portal 10, the suitability for their passage through the portal 10, and the activation of the sanitizing process. The presence of a person at the entrance of the portal 10 can be signalled by the activation of a first colour, e.g., green, on such signaling lights 31. The activation of the sanitizing process, by means of the delivery of nebulized biocidal fluid from the nozzles 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, can be signaled by means of the activation of a second colour, e.g., blue. The inability to pass through the portal 10 can be signalled by the activation of a further colour, for example red.

For example, when the scanning device 30 detects the presence of a person entering, provided with a protection device and with a body temperature below a certain limit, for example 37.5°C, the signaling lights 31 turn green. On the other hand, if the person has a temperature above such a limit and/or is not wearing a protection device, the signaling lights 31 turn red, signalling the prohibition of crossing the portal 10.

In the event of a green light from the signaling lights 31 , at the same time, the control unit 29 commands the switching on of the nebulizer devices 19, which begin to produce nebulized biocidal fluid inside the receptacles 18 and, once saturation is reached, the nebulized biocidal fluid is sent in the form of dry fog into the various ducts 17a, 17b, 25 of the hydraulic circuit 16 and then to the nozzles 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d. The nebulizer devices 19 can be set to be, from time to time, activated by the passage of people only for the time necessary to saturate the hydraulic circuit 16. Such a control unit 29 can also control the opening of one or more solenoid valves which allow the passage by gravity of a given amount of biocidal fluid in liquid form from the tank 15 to the receptacles 18 through the ducts 20.

The saturation is advantageously achieved in a very short period of time, approximately 3 seconds, whereby the person in the sanitizing zone Z is rapidly sanitized through the delivery of nebulized biocidal fluid through such nozzles 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d. As seen, the portal 10 can be provided with fans 28, so the control unit 29, in addition to the actuation of the nebulizer devices 19, can also command the actuation of such fans 28 during the sanitizing process.

During the sanitization, the signaling lights 31 can turn blue, and, after the process, can again turn green to indicate the consent for the sanitized person to access inside the environment.

The portal 10 can further include a pumping device 27 configured to carry out at least one replenishment of the biocidal fluid in liquid form inside the tank 15. Such biocidal fluid is taken, if necessary, from a receptacle 34 outside the portal 10.

Such a pumping device 27 can be housed inside one of the lateral uprights, e.g., the lateral upright 13b, and include a duct 32, possibly removable from a compartment 33 obtained in the lateral upright 13b.

Such a compartment 33 can be closed by means of a normally closed door 39 which is opened when it is necessary to replenish the tank 15. In this regard, the tank 15 can be provided with sensors which detect the level of biocidal fluid therein and which can be connected to the control unit 29.

The duct 32 can then be extracted from the compartment 33 and placed inside the receptacle 34 containing the biocidal fluid. Such a receptacle 34 can be provided with an electronic label 36, e.g., an RFID label, which is detected by a reader 35 installed in the portal 10, e.g., on the lateral upright 13b near such a compartment 33. This recognition can be useful for example to establish the type of biocidal fluid contained inside a given receptacle 34, thus to control, through the control unit 29, the operation of the pumping device 27 for the replenishment of the tank 15.

The actuation of the pumping device 27 can also be carried out manually by means of a special button 37 preferably positioned in the compartment 33.

In order to facilitate the transport and assembly operations, the frame 11 can be modular, thus such an upper crosspiece 12, such lateral uprights 13a, 13b and such a possible platform 21 can be separate elements configured to be assembled at the installation site of the portal, for example flanked and joined by fixing means such as screws or the like, joined to each other by interlocking and possibly fixed by screws, or other. The frame 11 can also be provided with inspection doors 38, positioned for example along the lateral uprights 13a, 13b.

Such a frame 11, therefore its components such as the upper crosspiece 12, the lateral uprights 13a, 13b and the possible platform 21 can be made of metallic material, such as stainless steel, possibly painted. It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps can be made to the sanitizing and control portal 10 described so far, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

In the following claims, the references in parentheses have the sole purpose of facilitating reading and must not be considered as limiting factors as regards the scope of protection underlying the specific claims.