PRODUCTS Technical Field

The present invention relates to an advanced technology sterilization cabinet which provides a safe and effective in-situ sanitation of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated by the air jet injection system, photolytic and photocatalytic microbial inactivation methods.

Prior Art

Many applications aimed at the disinfection and sterilization of the indoor areas in order to prevent the airborne and respiratory infections have come to the fore after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is known that a large number of viruses are easily transmitted between people through a direct and indirect contact. The air exhaled by the infected person and the discharge such as coughing or sneezing can cause the virus to enter the air and transfer it directly to another person and the virus can also be transmitted indirectly after the contact with the table tops, equipment, devices, or surfaces such as door handles which are in common contact with the infected person, and after the contact with the personal belongings of the infected person. Although there are many sanitation practices applied to prevent the spread of the contamination through the indirect contact, their effectiveness against the resistant microorganisms is limited. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the safe and quick in-situ sterilization of the all items particularly used by the infected person through the automation has gained even more importance. The sterilization of the textile products used by the person infected or suspected to be infected has gained importance in many fields. While the sterilization of the medical textiles is a very important, the sterilization of the textile products tried in the shopping malls and stores also prevents the spread of the infection from the common areas or common items. Therefore, it has become necessary to develop the advanced technology applications for in-situ, fast, safe and effective sanitation for all textile products. In the present situations, the quick, easy and safe in-situ sterilization of the medical clothes of the healthcare personnel at high risk by using such technologies is important. In addition, the textile wastes which carry the risk of the contamination should be disposed safely. Various disinfection and sterilization strategies are used to prevent the direct and indirect spread of such infections. The main practice used in the sterilization of the textile products to reduce the indirect spread of the infections is washing, mostly with the use of a detergent at a high temperature. Although this method which is applied especially in the medical textiles is reliable, it is not suitable for many textile products (wool fabrics, etc.) used in daily life, and it is an application which requires the cleaning chemicals, energy and time. The simplest method which can be applied in the sterilization of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated before use in daily life is to air out the clothes. Although this method can be applied at home, it is not usable in these areas where many people are present, such as shopping malls and stores.

Although the present systems do not directly aim at sterilizing the textile products, they provide the microbial inactivation due to the high heat applied for drying and wrinkle removal. While such applications provide the microbial inactivation, they require high energy and time for the heat and hot steam formation. There is no invention which is not designed for the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated based on the use of the safe ultraviolet (UV) radiation technology which can be applied directly in the fitting rooms. Since the effects of UV-C radiation on human health and textile products are known, such sanitation processes must be carried out in UV-C-proof sealed cabinets without harm to human health in the sanitation of the textile products using UV radiation. It is required that UV radiation is combined with the photocatalytic inactivation (T1O2 - UV system) processes for a more effective and reliable use. A cabinet which is not designed for the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated should be self-cleaning and provide an effective inactivation for a wide variety of microorganisms and an easy and safe use without threatening human health.

A textile disinfection device is described in the invention in the Chinese patent application document, numbered CN 112107701 (A) and with the priority date 28.09.2020, in the state of the art. Said document describes a textile disinfection device. The device includes a disinfection chamber, wherein an upper chamber plate and a lower chamber plate located below the upper chamber plate are fixedly mounted in the disinfection chamber. An upper ultraviolet disinfection lamp is movably mounted under the upper chamber plate and a lower chamber ultraviolet disinfection lamp is movably located on top of the lower chamber plate. According to the textile disinfection device, the upper fabric surface and the lower fabric surface of the textile fabric can be disinfected with the ultraviolet rays. The textile fabric is disinfected and transported in a wavy curve mode, and the disinfection area of the textile fabric is formed. The number of the disinfection chambers and ultraviolet can be increased in the disinfection process. The disinfection is more uniform and sufficient, and the efficiency of use of the disinfection source of the ultraviolet lamps can be increased, and by changing the left irradiation angle and the right irradiation angle of the ultraviolet lamps, the situation in which the textile fabric cannot be irradiated by the ultraviolet rays can be prevented because the textile fabric is moved in a wavy curve mode, and the requirement for the large lot disinfection process of the textile fabric is met. In the document in the state of the art, the disinfection process of the textile products is carried out only through the ultraviolet rays in said textile disinfection device. Although this application is suitable for the general uses such as bedspreads, it is not suitable for the textile products which require a sensitive care and cannot be used in the fitting rooms. In the photolytic inactivation process in which UV radiation is used, UV light directly penetrates the microbial cell and kills it by destroying the cell and protein structure. The microorganisms occurring in colony in the photolytic inactivation process sometimes shade each other and reduce the inactivation efficiency of UV radiation. Thus, the photocatalytic inactivation (T1O2 - UV system) processes provide a more reliable sterilization. In the invention of the application, the 1 ^st photolytic inactivation and the 2 ^nd photocatalytic inactivation processes are carried out to disinfect the textile products without damaging them.

A textile fabric disinfection cabinet is described in the invention in the Chinese utility model document, numbered CN212118635 (U) and with the priority date 21.11.2019, in the state of the art. Said document discloses a fabric disinfection cabinet for spinning, which belongs to the technical field of constant-temperature disinfection and comprises a disinfection cabinet shell and a cabinet door, one side of the disinfection cabinet shell is hinged with the cabinet door. A bolt is fixedly mounted on one side of the cabinet door, and supporting legs are fixedly mounted at the bottom end of the disinfection cabinet shell. An ultraviolet disinfection lamp is connected to the top end of the interior of the disinfection cabinet shell in an embedded mode, a protective cover is fixedly installed on the outer side of the ultraviolet disinfection lamp, sliding grooves are formed in the two sides of the interior thereof. Cloth containing discs are connected into the sliding grooves in a sliding mode in the disinfection cabinet shell, and one side of the cloth containing discs are connected into the buckling grooves in a spaced mode, and the catching groove is formed in the outer side of the disinfection cabinet shell. Through the fan heater, the rubber plate and the water outlet, the inside of the disinfection cabinet shell can be kept in a circulating dry environment, a single fan heater mode is adopted, the disinfection cabinet can be more energy-saving and environment- friendly. The environment-friendly consumed energy is lower, and the purposes of energy conservation and emission reduction are achieved. In the document in the state of the art, the disinfection of the textile products is carried out by heating the textile products in said textile disinfection cabinet. Although the partial sanitation of these products can be achieved with the heat or hot steam application, it is not possible to ensure a sustainable use in the fitting rooms which are used intensively. However, since the high heat application is required for the effective microbial inactivation, the most of the textile products can be damaged. However, the invention of the application provides 100% sanitation in practice of the textile products without damaging by the 1 ^st photolytic inactivation and 2 ^nd photocatalytic inactivation processes, and is a self-cleaning device and not designed for the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated, and provides an effective inactivation for a wide variety of microorganisms and an easy and safe use without threatening human health.

The invention of the application is an advanced technology sterilization cabinet which provides a quick, safe and effective in-situ sanitation of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated. The invention of the application comprises a two-chamber sterilization cabinet: 1. the chamber in which the microorganisms on the textile products are swept with the pressurized air jet and 2. the inactivation chamber, wherein the cabinet is designed not to damage the textile product after sweeping the microorganisms which may be on the textile products with the air jet application. In the invention of the application, a disinfection cabinet is developed, which have a two-step inactivation mechanism (the 1 ^st photolytic inactivation and the 2 ^nd photocatalytic inactivation) in the inactivation chamber and provides the ultraviolet light to be used safely. The invention of the application relates to an advanced technology sterilization cabinet which provides a quick, safe and effective in-situ sanitation of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated and comprises the processes of (i) applying the pressurized air jet obtained by an air pump to the textile products, sweeping the microbial load thereon and directing it to the inactivation cell at the bottom of the cabinet, (ii) photolytic inactivation of the microorganisms swept over the textile product with a UV-C lamp with a UV-C light wavelength which cannot produce ozone and is placed in the inactivation cell, and (iii) inactivation of the microorganisms on the surfaces of the inactivation cell and on the surface which is given a photocatalytic antimicrobial quality by coating the contact path of UV-C light with the nano-sized T1O ₂ in the anatase phase.

In the invention of the application, in the photolytic inactivation process in which UV radiation is used, UV light directly penetrates the microbial cell and kills it by destroying the cell and protein structure. The microorganisms occurring in colony in the photolytic inactivation process sometimes shade each other and reduce the inactivation efficiency of UV radiation. Thus, the photocatalytic inactivation (T1O ₂ - UV system) processes are accepted as a more reliable sterilization process. The photocatalytic system (T1O ₂ - UV system) is self-cleaning and disinfects and improves the surface, ambient air, and hygienic conditions. In the photocatalytic systems, T1O ₂ is the most widely used semiconductor and is widely used for the sanitation, since it is generally cheap and stable and converts the organic compounds into the harmless compounds such as O ₂ , water and CO ₂ under the UV radiation. These systems are operated by forming the anatase phase which is a phase of the T1O ₂ on the UV light contact surfaces.

In the state of the art, the technical features of the invention subject to the application and the technical effects of the invention subject to the application are not described. In the present applications, an advanced technology sterilization cabinet is not found, which provides a quick, safe and effective in-situ sanitation of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated and comprises the processes of (i) applying the pressurized air jet obtained by an air pump to the textile products, sweeping the microbial load thereon and directing it to the inactivation cell at the bottom of the cabinet, (ii) photolytic inactivation of the microorganisms swept over the textile product with a UV-C lamp with a UV-C light wavelength which cannot produce ozone and is placed in the inactivation cell, and (iii) inactivation of the microorganisms on the surfaces of the inactivation cell and on the surface which is given a photocatalytic antimicrobial quality by coating the contact path of UV-C light with the nano-sized PO ₂ in the anatase phase.

Objects of the Invention

The object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which provides a quick in-situ sterilization of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated and prevents the infections which may arise from the textile products.

Another object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which is a cabinet designed for the easy and safe in-situ sterilization of the contaminated textile products and is suitable for use in all areas at risk in order to protect the public health.

Another object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which is widely used in hospitals, clinics, microbial research, and private and public laboratories carrying out the disinfection and sterilization research, which have high microbial risk, besides the daily use.

Another object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which provides the in-situ disinfection of the clothes of the healthcare personnel at high risk with such technologies, resulting in the significant improvements in the field of healthcare.

Another object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which provides that the sanitation processes with the UV-C radiation are carried out in a UV-C- proof sealed cabinet since the effects of UV-C radiation on human health are known and provides that the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are in-situ sterilized readily, quickly and safely without harm to human health. Another object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which provides an increase in the efficiency of UV radiation by combining it with the photocatalytic inactivation (TiC>2-UV system) processes and provides 100% of inactivation efficiency to be achieved in practice.

Another object of the invention is to realize a sterilization cabinet which is a self cleaning cabinet not designed for the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated and provides an effective inactivation for a wide variety of microorganisms and an easy and safe use without threatening human health.

Summary of the Invention

A sterilization cabinet which is realized to achieve the object of the present invention and defined in claim 1 and other dependent claims consists of a cabinet body, a cabinet lid, a sterilization chamber, a locking element, and a control board.

The textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are hung on the hanger in the textile keeping chamber in the sterilization chamber in the cabinet body of the sterilization cabinet. The cabinet lid is closed after the textile products are placed. After the cabin lid is closed, the pressurized air is injected through the air engine in the air jet injection system. By sweeping the microorganisms which are or may be found on the textile products by injecting the pressurized air on the textile products, said microorganisms are directed to the inactivation chamber. After the high-pressure air is injected through the air engine in the air jet injection system, the inactivation chamber lid with the UV-C light-proof slide between the textile keeping chamber containing the textile products and the inactivation chamber is closed. When the inactivation chamber lid is closed, the sterilization process is initiated by the photolytic and photocatalytic inactivation in the inactivation chamber. The inactivation chamber comprises a UV-C lamp with UV-C light wavelength which cannot produce ozone and the TiC>2-coated surface. The inactivation chamber provides the sterilization of the microorganisms swept from the textile product and directed by the air jet injection system with the primary photolytic inactivation method. In the secondary inactivation mechanism, the sterilization is provided by the photocatalytic inactivation by the contact of the UV-C light with the TiC>2-coated surfaces of the inactivation chamber in the anatase phase. When the sterilization process in the inactivation chamber is completed, the cabinet lid is opened and the textile product is taken from the hanger.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The sterilization cabinet realized to achieve the object of the present invention is shown in the attached figures, wherein

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sterilization cabinet with the open door.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sterilization cabinet with the open door from another angle.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sterilization chamber.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inactivation chamber.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the textile keeping chamber.

The parts in the figures are individually numbered and the numbers corresponding to these parts are given below.

1. Sterilization cabinet

2. Cabinet body

2.1. Carrying wheel

3. Cabinet lid

4. Sterilization chamber

4.1. Air jet injection system

4.2. Air engine

4.3. Textile keeping chamber

4.3.1. Hanger

4.4. Inactivation chamber

4.4.1. Inactivation chamber lid

4.4.2. UV sterilization source

4.4.3. Photocatalytic surface

5. Locking element

6. Control board

An advanced technology photolytic and photocatalytic sterilization cabinet 1 which provides an effective and safe in-situ sanitation for the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated comprises

- at least one cabinet body 2 in which the textile products which are contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are placed, and by which the textile products which are contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are accessed,

- at least one cabinet lid 3 which is positioned to close the open edge of the cabinet body 2 and can be opened and closed with a hinged system to provide access to the textile products which are contaminated or suspected to be contaminated,

- at least one sterilization chamber 4 comprising at least one air jet injection system 4.1, at least one textile keeping chamber 4.3 and at least one inactivation chamber 4.4 and providing the sterilization of the textile products placed in the textile keeping chamber 4.3 by the photocatalytic inactivation and photolytic inactivation methods,

- at least one air jet injection system 4.1 acting on the textile products preferred to be pressure-sterilized and providing the microbial load thereon to be swept and directed to the inactivation chamber 4.4 located at the bottom of the cabinet body 2,

- at least one textile keeping chamber 4.3 which is located on the upper part of the cabinet body 2 and in which the textile products are placed to remove the microorganisms from the textile products to be sterilized with the air jet injection system 4.1 ,

- at least one inactivation chamber 4.4 which is located at the bottom of the textile keeping chamber 4.3 in the cabinet body 2,

• which comprises a UV-C lamp with UV-C light wavelength which cannot produce ozone and the nanometer-sized TiC>2-coated surface in the anatase phase,

• which provides the sterilization of the microorganisms swept from the textile product and directed by the air jet injection system 4.1 with the primary photolytic inactivation by the direct penetration of the UV-C radiation into the microbial cell, and

• which provides the sterilization by the contact of UV-C light with all of the nanometer-sized Ti02-coated surfaces in the anatase phase with secondary photocatalytic inactivation,

- at least one locking element 5 which is located on the cabinet lid 3, provides the cabinet lid 3 to be locked onto the cabinet body 2 when the sterilization process starts, and prevents the cabinet lid 3 from being opened manually during the active sterilization process,

- at least one control board 6 which is located on the cabinet body 2, controls the sterilization process and is adapted to control the sterilization process.

The sterilization cabinet 1 of the application provides a safe and effective in-situ sanitation of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated. The sterilization cabinet 1 provides a quick in-situ sterilization of the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated and prevents the infections which may arise from the textile products. The sterilization cabinet 1 is a cabinet designed for the easy and safe in-situ sterilization of the contaminated textile products and is suitable for use in all areas at risk in order to protect the public health. The sterilization cabinet 1 makes a great contribution to reducing all infections which can be transmitted indirectly. The sterilization cabinet 1 is widely used in hospitals, clinics, microbial research, and private and public laboratories carrying out the disinfection and sterilization research, which have high microbial risk, besides the daily use. The sterilization cabinet 1 provides the in-situ disinfection of the clothes of the healthcare personnel at high risk with such technologies, resulting in the significant improvements in the field of healthcare. The sterilization cabinet 1 provides that the sanitation processes with the UV-C radiation are carried out in a UV-C-proof sealed cabinet since the effects of UV-C radiation on human health are known and provides that the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are in-situ sterilized readily, quickly and safely without harm to human health. The sterilization cabinet 1 provides an increase in the photolytic efficiency of UV radiation by combining it with the photocatalytic inactivation (T1O2-UV system) processes and provides 100% of inactivation efficiency to be achieved in practice. This sterilization cabinet 1 which is not designed for the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated is a self-cleaning cabinet and provides an effective inactivation for a wide variety of microorganisms and an easy and safe use without threatening human health.

The sterilization cabinet 1 in an embodiment of the invention comprises a cabinet body 2, a cabinet lid 3, a sterilization chamber 4, a locking element 5, and a control board 6. The sterilization chamber 4 consists of an air jet injection system 4.1, a textile keeping chamber 4.3, and an inactivation chamber 4.4. The textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are placed in the cabinet body 2. The cabinet body 2 provides access to the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated.

The cabinet lid 3 are positioned to close the open edge of the cabinet body 2. The cabinet lid 3 can be opened and closed with a hinged system. The cabinet lid 3 can be opened and closed to provide access to the textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated. The cabinet body 2 comprises the carrying wheels 2.1. The carrying wheels 2.1 provides the cabinet body 2 to be moved to the preferred area.

The locking element 5 and the control board 6 are located on the cabinet lid 3. The locking element 5 provides the cabinet lid 3 to be locked when the sterilization process starts, and prevents the cabinet lid 3 from being opened manually during the active sterilization process. The control board 6 receives the information about that the cabinet lid 3 is closed, controls the sterilization process and is adapted to control the sterilization process. By using the keys on the control board 6, the process is started and terminated or the timing is made. The control board 6 allows the screen panel settings on the panel to be made and the remaining time to complete the sterilization process to be displayed.

The sterilization chamber 4 in an embodiment of the invention provides the sterilization of the textile products placed in the textile keeping chamber 4.3 by the photolytic inactivation and photocatalytic inactivation methods. The sterilization chamber 4 comprises at least one air jet injection system 4.1, at least one air engine 4.2, at least one textile keeping chamber 4.3, and at least one inactivation chamber 4.4. The air jet injection system 4.1 acts on the textile products preferred to be pressure-sterilized and provides the microbial load thereon to be swept and directed to the inactivation chamber 4.4 located at the bottom of the cabinet body 2. The air engine 4.2 is located in the air jet injection system 4.1. The air engine 4.2 provides the air jet injection system 4.1 to inject the high-pressure air. The textile keeping chamber 4.3 is located on the upper part of the cabinet body 2. The air jet injection system 4.1 and the textile products are placed in the textile keeping chamber 4.3 to remove the microorganisms from the textile products to be sterilized with the air jet injection system 4.1.

The inactivation chamber 4.4 in an embodiment of the invention comprises an inactivation chamber lid 4.4.1, a UV sterilization source 4.4.2, and the photocatalytic surfaces 4.4.3. The UV sterilization source 4.4.2 emits the beams with the UV-C light wavelength. The UV sterilization source 4.4.2 provides the primary photolytic inactivation. The secondary photocatalytic inactivation is provided as a result of the contact of the microbial load directed to the nanometer-sized TiC>2-coated photocatalytic surfaces 4.4.3 in the anatase phase with the UV-C light. The inactivation chamber 4.4 is located at the bottom of the textile keeping chamber 4.3 in the cabinet body 2. The inactivation chamber 4.4 comprises a UV-C lamp with UV-C light wavelength which cannot produce ozone and the nanometer-sized TiC>2-coated surfaces in the anatase phase. The inactivation chamber 4.4 provides the sterilization of the microorganisms swept from the textile product and directed by the air jet injection system 4.1 with the photolytic inactivation method. The inactivation chamber 4.4 provides the sterilization with the secondary photocatalytic inactivation method by the contact of the TiC>2-coated surfaces with the UV-C light. The inactivation chamber lid

4.4.1 is a UV-C light-proof slide. The inactivation chamber lid 4.4.1 is separated by the silicone gasket. The UV sterilization source 4.4.2 comprises a light source with the UV- C light wavelength which does not ozone. The UV sterilization source 4.4.2 provides the microbial contamination collected by the air jet in the inactivation cell to be inactivated with the UV-C radiation. The inactivation chamber 4.4 forms the anatase phase which is a phase of the nanometer-thick T1O2 on the UV light contact surfaces. This phase has a photocatalytic effect. All the microorganisms will be photocatalytically inactivated by 100% in practice by means of these surfaces. The air engine 4.2 provides the turbulence of the air entering the cabin body 2 and the air jet. The hanger

4.3.1 is TiC>2-coated so that the textile products placed on the cabinet body 4.2 can be placed.

The photocatalytic system (T1O2 - UV system) described in this embodiment of the invention is self-cleaning and disinfects and improves the surface, ambient air, and hygienic conditions. In the photocatalytic systems, T1O2 is the most widely used semiconductor in the literature and is widely used for the sanitation, since it is generally cheap and stable and converts the organic compounds into the harmless compounds such as O2, water and CO2 under the UV radiation. These systems are operated by forming the anatase phase which is a phase of the T1O2 on the UV light contact surfaces.

The sterilization cabinet 1 in this embodiment of the invention is used as follows. The textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are placed inside the cabinet body 2 in the sterilization cabinet 1. The textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are placed inside the textile keeping chamber 4.3 in the sterilization chamber 4 in the cabinet body 2 of the sterilization cabinet 1. The textile products contaminated or suspected to be contaminated are hung on the hanger 4.3.1 in the textile keeping chamber 4.3 in the sterilization chamber 4 in the cabinet body 2 of the sterilization cabinet 1. The cabinet lid 3 is closed after the textile products are placed. After the cabin lid 3 is closed, the pressurized air is injected through the air engine 4.2 in the air jet injection system 4.1. By injecting the pressurized air on the textile products hung on the hanger 4.3.1 in the textile keeping chamber 4.3, the microorganisms which are or may be found on the textile products are swept. By sweeping the microorganisms which are or may be found on the textile products by injecting the pressurized air on the textile products, said microorganisms are directed to the inactivation chamber 4.4. After the high-pressure air is injected through the air engine 4.2 in the air jet injection system 4.1, the inactivation chamber lid 4.4.1 with the UV-C light-proof slide between the textile keeping chamber 4.3 containing the textile products and the inactivation chamber 4.4 is closed. When the inactivation chamber lid 4.4.1 is closed, the sterilization process is initiated by the photolytic and photocatalytic inactivation in the inactivation chamber 4.4. When the sterilization process in the inactivation chamber 4.4 is completed, the cabinet lid 3 is opened and the textile product is taken from the hanger 4.3.1. The inactivation chamber 4.4 comprises a UV- C lamp with UV-C light wavelength which cannot produce ozone and the TiC>2-coated surface. The inactivation chamber 4.4 provides the sterilization of the microorganisms swept from the textile product and directed by the air jet injection system 4.1 with the primary photolytic inactivation method. The inactivation chamber 4.4 provides the sterilization with the secondary photocatalytic inactivation method by the contact of the TiC>2-coated surfaces with the UV-C light.