| WO1999048807A1 | 1999-09-30 |
| CN106178034A | 2016-12-07 | |||
| CN108195000A | 2018-06-22 | |||
| CN112580740A | 2021-03-30 | |||
| CN113679869A | 2021-11-23 | |||
| JP2001174137A | 2001-06-29 | |||
| JP2002136582A | 2002-05-14 | |||
| JPH03150207A | 1991-06-26 | |||
| US20170072082A1 | 2017-03-16 | |||
| US20210338869A1 | 2021-11-04 |
| What is claimed is : Claim 1. An apparatus for sterilizing an inner cavity of a container means, comprising: sterilizing means for producing a sterilizing substance; wherein said substance being released into the air of said inner cavity and being capable of redistributing itself in air by diffusion; calculation means for calculating a current amount of said substance constantly/periodically, basing on, including but not limited to, time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) having been used in producing said substance by said sterilizing means, and a decomposition rate of said substance; determining means for determining time period(s) and energy supply level(s) will or to be used in producing said substance by said sterilizing means on-the-fly, basing on said current amount, so as to achieve a target amount of said substance; interface means for providing a user with information representative of said current amount; wherein said container means having at least one door, for allowing article(s) to be moved into or out of said inner cavity by a person, and for preventing said substance from leaking out from said inner cavity to external atmosphere; wherein no means for detecting said substance existing in said container means for providing current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity directly or indirectly. Claim 2. A method for sterilizing an inner cavity of a container means, comprising the steps of: causing a sterilizing means to produce a sterilizing substance; wherein said substance being released into the air of said inner cavity and being capable of redistributing itself in air by diffusion; calculating a current amount of said substance constantly/periodically, basing on, including but not limited to, time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) having been used in producing said substance by said sterilizing means, and a decomposition rate of said substance; determining time period(s) and energy supply level(s) will or to be used in producing said substance by said sterilizing means on-the-fly, basing on said current amount, so as to achieve a target amount of said substance; causing an interface means to provide a user with information representative of said current amount; wherein said container means having at least one door, for allowing article(s) to be moved into or out of said inner cavity by a person, and for preventing said substance from leaking out from said inner cavity to external; wherein no means for detecting said substance existing in said container means for providing current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity directly or indirectly. Claim 3. An apparatus for sterilizing an inner cavity of a container means, comprising: sterilizing means for producing a sterilizing substance, according to time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) to be used, as specified in a preset plan; wherein said substance being released into the air of said inner cavity and being capable of redistributing itself in air by diffusion; means for obtaining first information representative of a current amount of said substance produced and not decomposed, from a preset table directly or indirectly, basing on second information related to time having been used by said sterilizing means in producing said sterilizing substance; interface means for providing a user with said first information; wherein said container means having at least one door, for allowing article(s) to be moved into or out of said inner cavity by a person, and for preventing said substance from leaking out from said inner cavity to external; wherein no means for detecting said substance existing in said container means for providing current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity directly or indirectly. Claim 4. A method for sterilizing an inner cavity of a container means, comprising the steps of: causing a sterilizing means to produce a sterilizing substance, according to time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) to be used, as specified in a preset plan; wherein said substance being released into the air of said inner cavity and being capable of redistributing itself in air by diffusion; obtaining first information representative of a current amount of said substance produced and not decomposed, from a preset table directly or indirectly, basing on second information related to time having been used by said sterilizing means in producing said sterilizing substance; causing an interface means to provide a user with said first information; wherein said container means having at least one door, for allowing article(s) to be moved into or out of said inner cavity by a person, and for preventing said substance from leaking out from said inner cavity to external; wherein no means for detecting said substance existing in said container means for providing current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity directly or indirectly. Claim 5. An apparatus for sterilizing an inner cavity of a container means, comprising: planning means for providing a plan; sterilizing means for producing a sterilizing substance, according to time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) to be used, as specified in said plan; wherein said substance being released into the air of said inner cavity and being capable of redistributing itself in air by diffusion; interface means for providing a user with first information representative of a current amount of said substance produced and not decomposed, obtained from a table, basing on second information related to time being used in carrying out said plan; wherein said plan and table being preset, or being a plan and a table developed by said planning means, by constantly/periodically calculating current amount of said substance, using information including but not limited to, time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) having been used in producing said substance by said sterilizing means, and a decomposition rate of said substance, and then determining on-the-fly, time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) will or to be used in producing said substance by said sterilizing means, basing on said calculated current amount, in order to reach a required amount/concentration of said substance; wherein said container means having at least one door, for allowing article(s) to be moved into or out of said inner cavity by a person, and for preventing said substance from leaking out from said inner cavity to external; wherein no means for detecting said substance existing in said container means for providing current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity directly or indirectly. Claim 6. A method for sterilizing an inner cavity of a container means, comprising the steps of: causing a sterilizing means to produce a sterilizing substance, according to time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) to be used, as specified in a preset plan, or a plan developed by constantly/periodically calculating current amount of said substance, using information including but not limited to, time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) having been used by said sterilizing means in producing said substance, and a decomposition rate of said substance, and then determining, time period(s) and corresponding respectively energy supply level(s) will or to be used in producing said sterilizing substance by said sterilizing means, basing on said current amount, in order to reach a required amount/concentration of said substance; wherein said substance being released into the air of said inner cavity and being capable of redistributing itself in air by diffusion; obtaining first information representative of said current amount, or a current amount of said substance produced and not decomposed, from said preset plan, basing on second information related to time being used in carrying out said preset plan ; causing an interface means to provide a user with said first information; wherein said container means having at least one door, for allowing article(s) to be moved into or out of said inner cavity by a person, and for preventing said substance from leaking out from said inner cavity to external; wherein no means for detecting said substance existing in said container means for providing current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity directly or indirectly. Claim 7. An apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein said preset plan and said plan being developed, being equivalent or developed in a same manner. Claim 8. At least one program storage device storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processing devices, are configured to perform a method as claimed in any one of claims 2, 4 or 6. Claim 9. An apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said information representative of said current amount, being a current concentration of said substance in said inner cavity calculated by, dividing said current amount by an assumed size or actual size of, said inner cavity or unoccupied space of said inner cavity. Claim 10. An apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said substance may be molecules, ions, plasma, and may be a reactive oxygen species, including ozone, hydroxyl radical, positive/negative ion. Claim 11 . An apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein sterilizing effectiveness of said substance depending on its concentration in air. Claim 12. An apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said interface means also being for providing information representative of a target concentration/amount of said substance, which being selected or decided by a command received by a means, from a user directly or indirectly. Claim 13. An apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said container means being a refrigerator. |
Apparatus and Method
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for providing information related to amount/concentration of sterilizing substance, and particularly, to such devices for use in an enclosed space for storing articles, such as a refrigerator.
Background of the Invention
Nowadays, people become more and more aware of the necessity of using sterilizing substance such as ozone in a refrigerator, to kill bacteria.
And, China patent application CN114087838A discloses using an ozone concentration sensor to detect ozone concentration in a refrigerator, and display the detected concentration to a user. However, such a sensor is very expensive, short-life and unstable.
The concentration of the sterilizing substance in air determines whether it can kills bacteria or not.
Brief Description of the Invention
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a user with information related to amount/concentration of a sterilizing substance in a storage means, by calculation or table looking-up, without using a concentration sensor.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig.1 is a block diagram of a support device 1 and an ozone generator 9 of the present invention. Detailed description of the preferred embodiments
The patent applications from which this application claims priority benefit, are incorporated herein in their entirety, by reference.
The present invention related to amount/concentration of sterilizing substance, which may be molecules, ions, plasma, gaseous state matter, particles suspended in the air, and may be a reactive oxygen species, such as ozone, hydroxyl radical or positive/negative ion, but for the sake of convenience, the following description is confined on ozone.
Referring to Fig.1 , support device 1 has processor 4 inside, for controlling its overall operation, whereas ozone generator 9 has processor 7 inside, for controlling its overall operation. Both can communicate with each other, by using their respective communications modules 5 and 8, which may be WI-FI or blue tooth. The support device 1 may be a mobile smart phone.
The programs 3 and 10 are stored in different memory means of processors 4 and 7, for to be executed by processors 4 and 7, for performing the following operations of support device 1 and ozone generator 9, corresponding respectively.
The amount of ozone molecules generated by ozone generator 9 in an internal cavity of a refrigerator, is calculated in the following manner :
For the sake of convenience, all ozone molecules generated are treated as generated in successive “one second” time periods, and those generated in a same “one second” time period, are all treated as being generated at a same “generation time”.
And, in each “one second” time period, the percentage/proportion of ozone has decomposed is dependent on the decomposition rate and the time has elapsed since the generation time, which is the time difference between the real time provided by a real time clock of processor 4, and the generation time.
By adding up all the ozone molecules generated in all the “one second” time periods, minus all their corresponding respectively proportions of ozone molecules has decomposed so calculated, will obtain a total amount of ozone molecules generated and not decomposed, and is referred to as “active ozone amount” herein below.
Then the “active ozone amount” is divided by the size of the internal cavity, or the unoccupied space of the internal cavity, to obtain the ozone concentration, if such size or unoccupied space information is available, which may be provided by a user or manufacturer of the refrigerator. Otherwise, an assumed size of the internal cavity, or of its unoccupied space such as 100% or 50% unoccupied, has to be used.
By using ozone concentrations so calculated constantly or periodically, support device 1 determines when the ozone generation module 6 should generate ozone, for how long, and at what power level, on-the-fly.
Note that after raising ozone amount/concentration to a target ozone level, as will be discussed herein, the power level for generating ozone will be lowered down, just for the purpose of compensating for the ozone decomposes naturally.
Note that the amount of ozone gas molecules generated, is dependent on an ozone generation rate, which may be in the unit of, says, molecules per second, and is dependent on the power used in the generation.
To avoid repeated calculations, support device 1 , or their manufacturer (or ozone generator 9 itself) may calculate in the above-mentioned manner, to develop a schedule which includes different power levels to be used for ozone generation in different time periods, and supply the schedule to ozone generator 9 for future use.
By using the above calculations, a table can also be obtained by the manufacturer, ozone generator 9 (or support device 1 itself), for containing ozone level information, which may be “high”, “medium” and “low”, or from “0” to “10”; versus the time being used or steps being performed, by ozone generator 9 in executing the schedule. And, supply the table to support device 1 for future use.
Such a table may also be obtained by using an ozone concentration sensor to detect concentration of ozone generated by ozone generator 9 executing the schedule, in the user refrigerator, or a different refrigerator.
With the table, support device 1 obtains current ozone level, basing on “time has been used” or “steps have been performed”, by ozone generator 9 in execution of the schedule. Then, displays the current ozone level to a user, by display module 2.
The support device 1 may obtain the “time has been used”, by subtracting a starting time of execution of the schedule, supplied by ozone generator 9, from the real time provided by a real time clock inside processor 4.
Alternatively, support device 1 sends a signal to command ozone generator 9 to execute the schedule, and therefore, it has the starting time of execution of the schedule itself.
Note that more than one schedule and table may be developed, for different target ozone levels selectable by a user, and which will be discussed below.
Note also that the “ozone level” displayed to a user, may be information representative of the “active ozone amount”, or information representative of the ozone concentration which being calculated basing on the “active ozone amount”, as well as an assumed size/unoccupied space of inner cavity, or an actual size supplied by the manufacturer or user, as mentioned above.
This is because the informations are equally useful to the user, to avoid opening the refrigerator door when ozone level is high, as ozone may escape, and may be hazardous, and it is a waste of useful ozone.
On the other hand, a user would know that he should consider lowering his target ozone level, if he smells ozone when opening the refrigerator door.
A user can use a keypad disposed on support device 1 , under control of processor 4, to select a target ozone level, which may be “low”, “medium” or “high”, and the respectively corresponding ozone ranges will be, for e.g., from level “0” to “4”, “0” to “7” and “0” to “10” respectively.
To convenient the user, desirably in additional to displaying the current ozone level, support device 1 also displays information representative of the target ozone level, or the ozone range which starting from zero to the target ozone level.
And, processor 4 sends the user selection to processor 7 of ozone generator 9, for selecting a corresponding schedule to generate ozone for achieving the target ozone level, in future operations.
In the above embodiments, support device 1 and ozone generator 9 are portable, powered by batteries.
Alternatively, support device 1 or ozone generator 9 may be permanently disposed in the refrigerator, as a part thereof, or as a plug-in part, and they may be disposed inside the internal cavity and on the outer surface of the refrigerator respectively, by the manufacturer of the refrigerator, and powered by a public electricity power line, and communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. Further, both support device 1 and ozone generator 9 may be controlled by one same processor, says, processor X, storing a program (including programs 3, 10 as a part thereof) for controlling all the above- mentioned functions of support device 1 and ozone generator 9, in place of processors 4, 7.
And, ozone generator 9 may generate ozone by conventional techniques such as, corona discharge and/or ultra-violet light.
The programs 3 and 10, schedule(s) and table(s) may be stored in any medium that can store program code or data, such as a USB flash memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, EPROM memory, RAM memory. They may be prestored in such a memory, or through an Over-The- Air downloading process.
Note that the generation rate or decomposition rate of a sterilizing substance may be dependent on the temperature or humidity obtainable by low cost sensors. And, support device 1 can use their sensed temperature or humidity to adjust the generation rate or decomposition rate in the above- mentioned calculations.
It should be noted that the above embodiments/alternatives/ improvements/examples are given by way of examples only, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.