Ionic oxidation refreshing system and method

Abstract

An ionic oxidation refreshing system for refreshing odorized items, comprising an enclosure to contact the odorized items; an ionizing stage mechanism that produces an ionized ozone gas mixture inside of the enclosure, killing germs, including odor-causing bacteria, viruses, molds, and fungus; and a filtering stage mechanism that neutralizes and filters out any toxic by-products including one or more of ozone, nitric acid, aldehydes, and VOCs resulting from surface oxidation of the odorized items by the ionized ozone gas mixture.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 849,323, filed on May 17, 2019, and is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to ionic oxidation systems and methods for killing germs and eliminating odors in clothes, sporting gear, and the like.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The excessive cleaning of clothing, shoes, sports gear, and equipment is a waste of time and resources. Most worn or used items are not very dirty after one use and can be quick cleaned, or refreshed, as this term is used herein. These items may be frequently used during the week in workouts or sports games. Since most individuals lead busy daily lives, it is often hard to properly clean and maintain their gear. They have the choice of cleaning it at home, which is time consuming, or taking their gear into a professional facility, which is expensive. This presents a serious problem ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The ionic oxidation refreshing system and method, according to an aspect of the present invention, delivers quick and consistent results on items such as clothing, shoes, sports gear, equipment, and many other items that may need refreshing. This process uses ionic oxidation to kill germs and eliminate odors on the surface of items placed inside the enclosure. It begins with the working stage, or ionizing stage, by using a catalyzed corona discharge device to ionize air inside of the enclosure. The device generates a partially ionized cold plasma region on the element to create a supercharged gas mixture containing ionized ozone. A metal catalyst is placed beside and/or coated on the element in proximity to the plasma field region that creates an increased concentration of ions and free radicals when oxidized that potentiate the ozone gas mixture to a higher oxidative power. The gaseous mixture is circulated inside by means of a fan and airflow system. The airflow system may have different configurations but allows for all sides of an item to be treated during the process by increasing the total effective surface area coming into contact with the gas. This supercharged airflow kills microorganisms it encounters on the surface of any items, effectively eliminating any odors as well. By killing the germs and odors on an item, it feels refreshed to the user and comfortable to wear again. For safety, consistent process performance, and an enhanced user experience, a quick cleaning filter cartridge (e.g., gel polymer catalyst formula) is used in the finishing, or filtering, stage. This neutralizes and filters out any toxic by-products from the process, such as ozone, nitric acid, aldehydes, and VOCs. It also leaves behind a fresh scent in the enclosure at the end of a cycle. A user opens the bag to a clean smell and finds the items inside refreshed and ready to use again. This is important as most human beings today relate cleanliness to a clean aroma. When the user opens the enclosure to a fresh scent, their mind triggers into appreciating the items inside have been cleaned and are ready to use again. The ionic oxidation refreshing system and method uses a combination of an ionized ozone gas mixture and a quick cleaning filter cartridge to deliver consistent results across a multitude of items. This is accomplished with a two-stage process run during every cycle. The first stage generates a gaseous mixture of io

Problems solved by technology

The excessive cleaning of clothing, shoes, sports gear, and equipment is a waste of time and resources.

Since most individuals lead busy daily lives, it is often hard to properly clean and maintain their gear.

They have the choice of cleaning it at home, which is time consuming, or taking their gear into a professional facility, which is expensive.

This presents a serious problem as many athletes are exposed to germs that can cause severe infections.

Another problem identified is the difficulty of laundering workout clothes.

Since most items are heavily perspired in, they can develop strong odors that are very difficult to eliminate with home laundry processes.

Most people's current cleaning habits do not properly maintain sporting gear between uses.

This leads to excessive germ growth on items that are very hard to eliminate with current at-home methods.

This is due to the time required for laundry and costs associated with professional dry-cleaning.

The excessive cleaning of their wardrobe costs resources and prematurely degrades items, resulting in a shorter wearable life for the article of clothing.

Others may use a dryer or steamer to refresh worn clothing, but the results are not consistent as many odors are tough to remove with only heat and moisture.

These appliances are very large and require professional installation.

Hand cleaning items is a tedious chore to do often.

This is very time consuming and usually not done often.

A person is also limited to the areas they can clean with any sprays or wipes.

Harder to reach spots, such as the inside of a glove or shoe, never get sanitized very well.

Therefore, it is hard to get good deodorizing results with hand cleaning items.

This is due to the improper cleaning of items, leading to bacteria regrowth in hard to reach spots.

Germs stay deep within fibers, which degrades materials faster and gives off bad odors, reducing the items usable life.

Laundry is also a time-consuming chore that uses a great deal of chemicals, water, and energy to c

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