Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for the sanitization of a fluid, particularly air.

Background Art

Nowadays there is an increasing need to purify the air in a specific environment from any contaminants.

Contaminants can make the air unhealthy, which can then be unbreathable and/or potentially dangerous to the health of people who breathe it.

The air may be contaminated by outdoor pollutants and/or allergenic agents such as, e.g., dust and dust mites, and/or pathogens such as, e.g., viruses and germs which can carry diseases.

To improve the quality of the air in an environment, especially in terms of healthiness, it is common practice to ventilate the environment itself in order to allow the exchange of contaminated air with clean air from the outside.

If it is not possible to carry out this practice and/or in case the air change is not sufficient to determine an acceptable degree of healthiness of the air, the use of air sanitizing devices can be implemented.

Typically, the devices for the sanitization of known type comprise an access opening of the air to be purified, an exit opening of the purified air, and air movement means which move the air from the access opening to the exit opening.

Generally, the movement means comprise a fan which draws air into the device through the access opening and pushes it out of the device through the exit opening.

Inside the device, the air comes into contact with treatment means which sanitize it by retaining any contaminants.

The treatment means may be different in nature depending on their principle of operation.

For example, the use is known of treatment means comprising filtering devices which physically trap airborne impurities.

In other cases, the treatment means are provided with germicidal devices that lower the viral and/or bacterial load of the air to be sanitized by killing the viruses and/or bacteria contained therein.

The devices for the sanitization of air of known type do, however, have some drawbacks.

First of all, they do not allow obtaining acceptable levels of air purification and sanitization, especially with regard to the degree of abatement of the bacterial and/or viral load.

Secondly, the devices for the sanitization of air of known type require very long employment timelines that do not always mesh with customers’ needs.

Some devices for the sanitization of air are known from US 2006/076506 Al, US 2747101 A, US 6053968 A, US 2021/001681 Al, and WO 2015/116876 Al.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to devise a device for the sanitization of a fluid, particularly air, which allows achieving a high and satisfactory degree of purification and sanitization, especially in terms of inactivation of viral strains, such as SARS-CoV-2, as well as of reduction of viral and/or bacterial load, thus reducing the biological risk resulting from the spread of diseases.

It is another object of the present invention to devise a device for the sanitization of air which allows expediting and facilitating the air sanitizing process.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a device for the sanitization of air which allows the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome within a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution. The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present device for the sanitization of a fluid having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a device for the sanitization of a fluid, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet nonlimiting example, in the accompanying tables of drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of a device according to the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded axonometric view of the device in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of a cross-section of the device in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an axonometric view of the cross-section in Figure 3.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such figures, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a device for the sanitization of a fluid.

The device 1 comprises at least one substantially hollow containment body 14 provided with at least one inlet opening 3 of a fluid to be sanitized and with at least one outlet opening 4 of the sanitized fluid.

Preferably, the fluid being treated through the device 1 is air.

In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the containment body 14 is made of a metal material and has a tubular conformation. Thus, the containment body 14 has a lateral containment wall 14a and is open at its ends.

The conformation of the containment body 14 and the arrangement of the inlet opening 3 and of the outlet opening 4 define a path for the flow of the fluid to be sanitized.

More particularly, the containment body 14 has a substantially elongated conformation along a main axis of development S.

Appropriately, the inlet opening 3 and the outlet opening 4 are arranged substantially aligned with each other along the main axis of development S. The path of the working fluid defined by the containment body 14 and by the openings 3 and 4 is, therefore, substantially straight.

The term “substantially” as used in the present description is intended unless working and/or assembly tolerances.

The device 1 also comprises sanitizing means 11 for sanitizing the fluid during its transfer from the inlet opening 3 to the outlet opening 4 arranged internally to the containment body 14.

According to the invention, the device 1 comprises fluid interception means 12 housed inside the containment body 14 and comprising a plurality of interception elements 13 arranged transversely with respect to the fluid flowing path so as to intercept the flow of the fluid to be sanitized, thus interrupting it and creating a turbulence effect inside the containment body itself. In other words, the interception elements 13 are arranged in such a way as to define a barrier to the flow of the working fluid, so as to be impacted by it during its path from the inlet opening 3 to the outlet opening 4 and to obtain a turbulence effect which increases the residence time of the fluid itself inside the containment body 14.

Still according to the invention, the sanitizing means 11 can be activated to emit UVC-type radiation.

Notoriously, the light radiation of the UVC type has germicidal power and is therefore capable of sanitizing the surfaces and/or fluids with which it comes into contact.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the viral and/or bacterial load of the treated fluid through the device 1 thanks to its exposure to the light radiation of the UVC type emitted by the sanitizing means 11.

More particularly, the interception elements 13 are associated with the containment wall 14a and protrude to the inside of the containment body 14.

Usefully, the interception elements 13 have a plate- shaped conformation and define an impact surface 13a facing the inlet opening 3 and intended to be impacted by the flow of the working fluid.

Advantageously, the interception elements 13 are arranged along the perimeter edge of the containment wall 14a so as to delimit a free volume 16 inside the containment body 14. The sanitizing means 11 are arranged inside the free volume 16.

Appropriately, the interception means 12 are arranged to surround the sanitizing means 11.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the free volume 16 is arranged centrally to the containment body 14, extends between the inlet opening 3 and the outlet opening 4 and is developed along the central axis of development S. Preferably, at least some of the interception elements 13 are associated with the containment body 14 in a removable manner and the containment wall 14a comprises a plurality of predefined attachment areas 10 of the interception elements 13. In more detail, the attachment areas 10 are arranged at different heights along the longitudinal development of the containment body 14 and/or are angularly spaced apart from each other.

The interception elements 13 may then be positioned at will along the containment wall 14a at the point where predefined attachment areas 10 are located, so as to vary the turbulence of the fluid inside the containment body 14 according to the specific requirements of the case.

In the particular, but not exclusive, embodiment shown in the figures, the device 1 comprises a plurality of groups of interception elements 13 arranged substantially parallel to each other and at different heights along the longitudinal development of the containment body 14, that is, along the main axis of development S. In other words, in this embodiment, the interception elements 13 of each group are arranged parallel to the corresponding interception elements 13 of the other groups, that is, to the interception elements 13 vertically aligned thereto.

Advantageously, at least some of the interception elements 13 are rotatable around an axis of adjustment 15, so as to vary the inclination thereof with respect to the path of the working fluid, i.e. with respect to the main axis of development S. Therefore, by varying the inclination of the interception elements 13, the impact angle of the fluid to be sanitized is modified accordingly with the interception elements themselves, and in particular with the impact surface 13a thereof.

Appropriately, the axis of adjustment 15 is incident to the containment wall 14a and passes through the central area of the containment body 14.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the axis of adjustment 15 of the interception elements 13 passes through the corresponding predefined attachment area 10.

More specifically, the predefined attachment areas 10 are of the type of through holes defined on the containment wall 14a and the interception elements 13 comprise a corresponding pin that is fitted inside the attachment areas 10, where the axis of adjustment corresponds to the axis of the pin itself.

Preferably, at least one of either the containment wall 14a or the interception means 12 are made of a material selected from the group consisting of: titanium dioxide and titanium trioxide. More particularly, the containment wall 14a and/or the interception elements 13 may be made entirely of titanium dioxide or titanium trioxide, or may comprise a surface coating made of titanium dioxide or titanium trioxide.

Advantageously, the sanitizing means 11 comprise at least one UVC-radiation emitting body 17 having an elongated shape extending between the inlet opening 3 and the outlet opening 4 and arranged inside the free volume 16. The interception elements 13 are therefore arranged around the emitting body 17.

The emitting body 17 is therefore completely contained inside the containment body 14 and develops along the main axis of development S.

The fluid entering the inlet opening 3 then flows through the containment body 14 and encounters the interception elements 13 on its way towards the outlet opening 4 while being irradiated by the UVC rays emitted by the emitting body 17.

The particular expedient of making the containment wall 14a and/or the interception elements 13 at least partly made of either titanium dioxide or titanium trioxide allows amplifying the action of the sanitizing means 11 thanks to a process of photocatalysis.

Photocatalysis is a special process which involves speeding up a chemical reaction in which light radiation is used through the use of a catalyst agent.

Special types of catalyst agents are titanium dioxide and titanium trioxide which, when they come into contact with the light radiation of the UVC type, become unstable and are able to degrade by oxidation numerous organic compounds with which they come into contact.

In this way, the presence of titanium dioxide or titanium trioxide allows improving the level of sanitization of the fluid obtained through the device 1. The UVC radiation emitted by the emitting body 17 invests the fluid moved inside the containment body 14 and sanitizes it.

At the same time, titanium dioxide and titanium trioxide are activated by the UVC light radiation itself thus improving the inactivation power of viral strains, such as Sars-CoV-2, and the germicidal power of the sanitizing means 11.

Preferably, the device 1 comprises at least one supporting element 18 of the emitting body 17 arranged in the proximity of one of either the inlet opening 3 or the outlet opening 4 and associated with one end of the emitting body itself.

In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the supporting element 18 is attached to the containment body 14 in the proximity of the outlet opening 4 and comprises a housing seat inside which an end portion of the emitting body 17 is fitted and fastened.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the end of the emitting body 17 opposite the end associated with the supporting element 18 is free.

In an alternative embodiment, the device 1 comprises at least one blocking body of the emitting body 17 arranged on the opposite side of the supporting element 18 and associated with the other end of the emitting body itself. This blocking body is associated with the containment body 14 at the point where the inlet opening 3 is located and comprises an insertion compartment inside which the end of the emitting body 17 opposite the end associated with the supporting element 18 is fitted and fastened. The blocking body allows the emitting body 17 to be kept in position inside the free volume 16, thus preventing it from oscillating as a result of the flow of the fluid to be sanitized and coming into contact with, and being damaged by, the interception elements 13. Furthermore, the blocking body allows the containment body 14 to be positioned with its main axis of development S arranged both vertically and horizontally.

Usefully, the device 1 comprises forced ventilation means 20 of the fluid from the inlet opening 3 to the outlet opening 4.

The ventilation means 20 comprise at least one rotor 21 positioned between the inlet opening 3 and the outlet opening 4 and motor means operable to move the rotor 21 in rotation around a corresponding axis.

Preferably, the rotor 21 is positioned inside the containment body 14 so that the axis of rotation thereof coincides with the main axis of development S. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the rotor 21 is arranged at the point where the inlet opening 3 is located. More in detail, the device 1 comprises a supporting member 28 of the rotor 21, which is associated with the containment body 14 at the point where the inlet opening 3 is located.

The rotor 21, after being activated, draws the fluid that is in the environment surrounding the containment body 14, and conveys it inside the containment body itself through the inlet opening 3 and pushes it towards the outlet opening 4.

Conveniently, the device 1 comprises manual operating means of at least one of either the motor means or the sanitizing means 11.

The manual operating means are associated with the containment body 14 and comprise an actuation button located externally to the containment body 14 and operationally connected to the motor means and to the sanitizing means 11.

The user is then able to activate the operation of the device 1 by acting on the manual operating means, through which it sets both the rotor 21 and the emitting body 17 into operation.

Conveniently, the device 1 comprises automated drive means 24 of the motor means and of the sanitizing means 11 comprising: sensor means adapted to detect at least one characteristic quantity relating to the environment surrounding the containment body 14; at least one electronic control unit 25 comprising at least one management and control unit 26, operationally connected to the motor means, to the sanitizing means 11 and to the sensor means, and at least one programmable memory 27 with at least one reference value of the detected characteristic quantity, the management and control unit 26 being programmed to activate the motor means and the sanitizing means 11 when the detected characteristic quantity is greater than the reference value.

In this case, the actuation of the device 1 is based on the comparison between the value of a characteristic quantity detected in the environment surrounding the containment body 14 and a preset reference value of the same physical quantity.

More in detail, the reference value corresponds to an optimal value of this characteristic quantity which ensures a reference level beyond which it is appropriate to activate the device 1 in order to ensure a satisfactory quality level of the air.

Particularly, the sensor means are adapted to detect at least one of either: at least one physical parameter relating to the air present in the environment surrounding the containment body 14; or the number of people present in the proximity of the containment body 14.

For example, the sensor means may detect at least one of the oxygenation level, temperature, or viral and/or bacterial load of the air surrounding the containment body 14.

The management and control unit 26 receives the values detected by the sensor means, compares them with the preset values in the programmable memory 27 and activates the motor means and the sanitizing means 11 when the value of the detected parameters exceeds the preset values.

It is well known that the number of people in a room affects the healthiness and breathability of the air and, therefore, the number of people present in the proximity of the containment body 14 can be a parameter on the basis of which to activate the device 1.

Also in this case, the sensor means detect this datum and communicate it to the management and control unit 26 which, if it detects a greater number of people than the preset reference value, activates the motor means and the sanitizing means 11.

Advantageously, the device 1 comprises at least one outer casing 2 arranged around the containment body 14 so as to enclose it.

Usefully, the outer casing 2 comprises a plurality of components 5, 6, 7 which are separate from each other and mutually coupled to define a single body piece. In a preferred embodiment, not shown in the figures, the device 1 comprises removable blocking means of the components 5, 6, 7 which are adapted to constrain them integrally together.

Conveniently, the components 5, 6, 7 comprise a plurality of mutually coupled containment elements 5.

The blocking means comprise at least one blocking element of the ferromagnetic type, which is inaccessible from the outside of the outer casing 2 and movable between a blocking configuration and a release configuration.

Advantageously, control means of the blocking element are provided to move it at least from the blocking configuration to the release configuration.

Conveniently, the control means are of the magnetic type.

Appropriately, elastic means may be provided which are adapted to push the blocking element into the blocking configuration. In this embodiment, the control means are then adapted to displace the blocking element from the blocking configuration to the release configuration, thus counteracting the elastic means.

Alternatively, the control means are of the electronic type.

In this case, the control means provide an electrical signal at input which powers an electromagnet which can then attract the blocking element to command the displacement thereof.

In the alternative embodiment shown in the figures, the components 5, 6, 7 comprise a plurality of containment elements 5 mutually coupled by interlocking and at least one bedplate 6 associated with at least one of the containment elements 5.

Conveniently, the mutual coupling of the containment elements 5 occurs by shape coupling.

For example, the containment elements 5 may be mutually coupled through pin elements which fit inside corresponding seats or through protruding elements which fit inside corresponding sliding guides, thus defining a linear sliding coupling, e.g. of the dovetail type.

Additionally, the device 1 comprises removable fastening means of at least one containment element 5 to the bedplate itself so as to define a single body piece. The fastening means are of the tamper-proof type.

In detail, the fastening means comprise at least one tamper-proof screw which is adapted to mutually block at least one of the containment elements 5 to the bedplate 6.

Conveniently, the components 5, 6, 7 comprise at least one closure element 7 associated with the containment elements 5 and arranged on the opposite side of the bedplate 6.

The closure element 7 may be associated by interlocking with the containment elements 5 or may be constrained to at least one of them by means of the relevant removable fastening means, preferably of the tamper-proof type.

The inlet opening 3 is defined at the point where one of either the bedplate 6 or the closure element 7 is located and the outlet opening 4 is defined at the point where the other of either the bedplate 6 or the closure element 7 is located.

Following the fastening of at least one of the containment elements 5 with the bedplate 6 or of another containment element 5 with the closure element 7, the uncoupling between the containment elements 5 is difficult to carry out since the anchoring to the bedplate 6 and to the closure element 7 prevents any mutual movement of the containment elements 5.

The outer casing 2 and the components of the device 1 possibly contained therein appear to be practically inaccessible from the outside except by breakage of the containment elements 5.

The containment elements 5 define the outer lateral surface 9 of the outer casing 2, the outer lateral surface 9 being substantially without interruption.

The particular expedient of associating the containment elements 5 by shape coupling makes it possible to obtain the flush union of the respective outer surfaces, thus making the outer lateral surface 9 of the outer casing 2 substantially smooth and free of protruding elements.

In this way, the manual uncoupling of the containment elements 5 is complicated by the absence of fixing screws which are easily accessible from the outside.

The particular type of coupling existing between the components 5, 6, 7 makes unauthorized access to the inner volume of the outer casing 2 particularly difficult, thus ensuring both the safety of the user, who can therefore not come into visual contact with the radiation emitted by the emitting body 17, and the operation of the device 1, which can therefore not be altered inappropriately.

Moreover, the choice of inserting the emitting body 17 inside the containment body 14 allows defining an additional barrier which interposes itself between the outer casing 2 and the emitting body itself, so as to further protect the user in case of forced opening of the outer casing 2.

Advantageously, the outer casing 2 comprises one or more barrier elements, not shown in detail in the figures, arranged so as to prevent direct visual access of the emitting body 17 from the outside. The barrier elements define, therefore, a shielding to the emitted radiations of the emitting body 17, in order to prevent the user from being in any way affected by them and, at the same time, allowing the flow of the fluid to be sanitized. In particular, the barrier elements are arranged so as to define a labyrinthine path of the fluid to be sanitized.

In a particular embodiment, not shown in the figures, the outer casing 2 and the containment body 14 are coincident with each other, in which case the containment body 14 is made up of the components 5, 6, 7 and has the same peculiarities as the outer casing 2 according to what has been described above.

As already discussed above, any direct exposure of the users to the UVC rays emitted by the emitting body may be harmful to their health.

Conveniently, the device 1 comprises detection means adapted to detect the opening of the outer casing 2 and operationally connected to the motor means and to the sanitizing means 11.

More particularly, the detection means are adapted to deactivate the motor means and the sanitizing means 11 as a result of the detection of the opening of the outer casing 2.

In a particular embodiment, the detection means may be of the type of sensors adapted to detect the vibrations of the outer casing 2, which would increase in intensity as a result of a forced opening of the same.

Specifically, the detection means are operationally connected to the electronic control unit 25, which is programmed to deactivate the motor means and the sanitizing means 11 as a result of the signal received by the detection means.

The operation of the present invention is as follows.

According to on the embodiment, the device 1 may be manually activated by the user through the manual operating means and/or through the automated drive means 24.

More specifically, the user may control the actuation of the motor means and of the sanitizing means 11 by acting on the manual operating means.

Alternatively, or in addition, the device 1 may activate automatically depending on the environmental conditions in which it is located, or when one of the parameters detected by the sensor means exceeds the relevant preset reference value.

When the device 1 has been activated, the air to be sanitized is drawn back into the containment body 14 by the actuation of the rotor 21 and on its path to the outlet opening 4 impacts the interception elements 13, while coming into contact with the UVC radiation emitted by the sanitizing means 11.

The impact with the interception elements 13 results in a turbulence effect, as it interrupts the linear path of the fluid to be sanitized, consequently increasing its residence time inside the containment body 14. This causes, therefore, a longer exposure time to UVC radiation and a longer impact time with the surfaces of the containment wall 14a and of the interception elements 13, suitably made of titanium dioxide or titanium trioxide, so as to optimize the germicidal power of the sanitizing means 11.

The purified air escapes through the outlet opening 4.

It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects.

In particular, the presence of the interception means allows creating a turbulence effect inside the containment body along which the fluid to be treated is conveyed, thus increasing the exposure time to UVC radiation and the superficial exchange with the surfaces with which the fluid itself comes into contact, so as to optimize the germicidal power of the sanitizing means.

The combined action of the sanitizing means able to emit a UVC-type radiation, and the realization of the containment wall and/or of the interception elements made of titanium dioxide or titanium trioxide allows therefore obtaining a synergistic effect able to drastically reduce the viral and/or bacterial load present in the treated air, thus reducing the biological risk resulting from the spread of diseases. The device covered by the present invention is, therefore, also effective in preventing the transmissibility of Sars-CoV-2.

Furthermore, the possibility of modifying the positioning of the interception elements inside the containment body makes it possible to vary the turbulence inside it at will and, consequently, the residence time of the fluid to be sanitized in the containment body itself, thus ensuring, at the same time, the optimal flow rate of treated air.

Moreover, the device covered by the present invention results to be of safe operation, as it can be activated only in the manual mode, in ON-OFF mode, or in the automatic mode when the sensor means detect that the physical conditions of the surrounding air deviate from the conditions considered optimal. Therefore, the device in question does not allow the user to manually modify the operating settings, thus ensuring the maintenance of the optimal setting for the correct operation thereof. Moreover, the presence of the blocking means and/or of the tamper-proof threaded elements, allows avoiding the undesired opening of the outer casing, thus ensuring at the same time both the safety and security of the user, who is therefore prevented from coming into contact with the radiations emitted by the emitting body, and the correct operation of the device itself. Additionally, the detection means preserve the health of a user of the device as they deactivate the ventilation means and the sanitizing means in the event that the outer casing has been opened.