Rotary disinfection apparatus comprising ultraviolet light emitters

Abstract

This application is entitled "Rotating Disinfecting Apparatus Including Ultraviolet Light Emitters." This application provides systems and methods for disinfecting. One embodiment is an apparatus including a disinfecting apparatus. The disinfecting apparatus includes a housing configured to rotate about an axis, an ultraviolet light emitter configured to emit UV light, and a rotational coupling coupling the UV emitter to the housing and providing multi-axis rotation of the UV emitter relative to the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of disinfection, and in particular to disinfecting enclosed spaces such as the interior of an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Enclosed spaces present challenges in preventing infection because the interior of an enclosed space is shared by all occupants of the enclosed space. Furthermore, many enclosed spaces (even those that are particularly small, such as aircraft or restrooms) host large numbers of people throughout the day. Therefore, enclosed spaces present a potential pathway for infection, as infected individuals entering the enclosed space may contaminate surfaces within the space, and these contaminated surfaces can serve as vectors for the potential infection of others who use the enclosed space.

[0003] Even with diligent efforts to clean enclosed spaces multiple times daily, the risk of infection is non-trivial, especially for malignant diseases. Further complicating this issue, many surfaces that become contaminated throughout the day may not be in the direct line of sight of occupants, reducing the likelihood that cleaning staff will be able to disinfect these surfaces.

[0004] Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above as well as other possible issues. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments described herein provide a disinfection device that houses ultraviolet (UV) emitters on a housing. One or more UV emitters can be rotated to adjust their illumination area. In addition, the housing can be rotated (i.e., spin) to rotate the UV emitters, thereby increasing the number and size of surfaces that are disinfected by direct transmission of UV light. In one embodiment, the UV emitters illuminate various different surfaces within the enclosed space by virtue of their distance from each other, their different orientation angles relative to each other, and their rotation with the housing during the disinfection operation. Therefore, compared to the effect that can be achieved by a single point light source UV emitter, multiple UV emitters illuminate a larger surface area. This increases the diversity of surfaces that receive the disinfecting UV light, thereby reducing the chance of contamination of the enclosed space.

[0006] One embodiment is an apparatus comprising a disinfection device. The disinfection device includes a housing that rotates about an axis, an ultraviolet light emitter configured to emit UV light, and a rotary coupling that couples the UV emitter to the housing and provides multi-axis rotation of the UV emitter relative to the housing.

[0007] Another embodiment is a device comprising a disinfection device. The disinfection device comprises a core member, a cylindrical housing surrounding the core member, and an ultraviolet (UV) emitter fixedly attached around the perimeter of the housing. The disinfection device also includes the UV emitter rotationally coupled to the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing on multiple axes, a motor that rotates the housing around the core member, and a support that orients the disinfection device in an upright position.

[0008] Another embodiment is a method for disinfecting an enclosed space. The method includes placing a disinfection device on a surface within the enclosed space, wherein the disinfection device includes a housing that rotates about an axis, ultraviolet (UV) emitters attached to the housing and configured to emit UV light, and a rotational coupling that provides multi-axis rotation of the one or more UV emitters relative to the housing; adjusting the orientation of the one or more UV emitters via the rotational coupling; activating the UV emitters to emit UV light from the UV emitters; and rotating the housing about the axis while emitting the UV light.

[0009] Other illustrative embodiments (e.g., methods and computer-readable media related to the aforementioned embodiments) may be described below. The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed may be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments, further details of which may be seen with reference to the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference number represents the same element or the same type of element.

[0011] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a sterilization apparatus in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 1B is another schematic diagram of a sterilization apparatus in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0013] FIGS. 2-4 A sterilization apparatus in one illustrative embodiment is depicted.

[0014] FIGS. 5-7 Depicted is a UV emitter in one illustrative embodiment having an adjustable head that can be integrated into a disinfection device.

[0015] FIGS. 8-9 A sterilizing apparatus is depicted rotating within an enclosed space in one illustrative embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 10 A disinfection device located within a cabin of an aircraft is depicted in one illustrative embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a method for disinfecting an enclosed space, in one illustrative embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 12 An aircraft is shown in one illustrative embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 13 is a flow chart of an aircraft production and service method in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an aircraft in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The accompanying drawings and the following description provide specific illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. It will therefore be understood that those skilled in the art will be able to design various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure and are included within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, any examples described herein are intended to aid understanding of the principles of the present disclosure and should be interpreted as not being limited to these specifically cited examples and conditions. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments or examples described below, but is limited by the claims and their equivalents.

[0022] FIG. 1A 1 is a schematic diagram of a disinfection device 100 in an illustrative embodiment. The disinfection device 100 includes any suitable system, device, or component capable of performing disinfection by emitting ultraviolet (UV) light. The disinfection device 100 includes a housing 120 comprising an elongated outer shell. The housing 120 can have any suitable cross-sectional shape, for example, circular, hexagonal, square, etc. The disinfection device 100 also includes a UV emitter 130. The UV emitter 130 includes a component that emits UV light 122 for disinfecting a surface.

[0023] The UV emitter 130 is coupled to the housing 120 via a rotational coupling 124. The rotational coupling 124 may include a ball joint, a universal joint, and / or other components that enable the UV emitter 130 to rotate relative to the housing 120 along multiple axes (e.g., all three axes X, Y, and Z) to change its illumination area. While in this embodiment, the rotational coupling 124 is disposed near the top of the housing 120, in further embodiments, the rotational coupling 124 is additionally or alternatively disposed circumferentially along the middle or bottom portion of the housing 120.

[0024] The housing 120 rotates about an axis 121 (e.g., a central axis of the housing 120). Because the housing 120 is coupled to the UV emitter 130, the rotation of the housing 120 causes the UV emitter 130 to rotate and illuminate an area of ​​the enclosed space with UV light 122. The UV light 122 disinfects by inactivating genetic material within viruses and / or bacteria on nearby surfaces, thereby inertizing the surfaces.

[0025] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a disinfection apparatus 100 in one illustrative embodiment. FIG. 1B Describes an embodiment of FIG. 1A More components of the disinfection device 100. In this embodiment, the disinfection device 100 includes a core member 150. The core member 150 is an elongated body. In this embodiment, the centerline of the core member 150 defines an axis 121. In one embodiment, the core member 150 is a cylinder formed of a material such as metal, plastic, a composite material, etc. In this embodiment, the housing 120 is configured to rotate about the axis 121 relative to the core member 150. The housing 120 can have a hollow interior surrounding at least a portion of the core member 150. For example, the housing 120 can include a hollow cylinder arranged around the core member so that the housing 120 and the core member 150 are concentric.

[0026] In this embodiment, additional UV emitters 130 are attached to the perimeter C of the housing 120 and can be distributed radially along the perimeter, for example. Each of these UV emitters 130 occupies a unique combination of vertical position 112 and radial position 110. Thus, when the housing 120 rotates, each of the UV emitters 130 attached to the perimeter of the housing 120 provides a different illumination area.

[0027] The core member 150 is held by supports 114 (e.g., legs, wheels, etc.), which hold the core member 150 in an upright position. This ensures that the housing 120 does not contact the floor or other surface during rotation, which in turn prevents the rotation of the housing 120 from causing movement or jostling of the disinfection device 100.

[0028] FIGS. 2-4 The disinfection device 100 in one illustrative embodiment is depicted. The disinfection device 100 is placed in an upright position 290 atop a surface 260, which may include the boundary of an enclosed space 270 (e.g., a floor) or an object within the enclosed space 270. For example, the disinfection device 100 may be placed on a surface such as an aisle of an aircraft. In such an embodiment, the disinfection device 100 is sized to be placed within the aisle.

[0029] In this embodiment, UV emitters 130 are physically coupled to housing 120. In one embodiment, some UV emitters 130 are rotationally coupled to housing 120 via rotational coupling 124. Other UV emitters 130 are fixedly attached to housing 120 and do not mate with rotational coupling 124.

[0030] In this embodiment, each UV emitter 130 includes a head 234 that houses a UV light emitting diode (LED) and a body 232 that houses a power supply. Each head 234 includes an optical surface 236 that is transparent to the UV light 122 and protects the UV LED of the UV emitter 130 from physical damage (e.g., caused by impact).

[0031] The UV emitter 130 emits UV light 122 via the optical surface 236. The UV light 122 is absorbed by surfaces that are in direct line of sight with the optical surface 236 of the head 234, which inactivates the genetic material within viruses and / or bacteria located on the surfaces, rendering them inert. In one embodiment, the head 234 emits UV light 122 at a wavelength of 222 nanometers, which is safe for humans. In such an embodiment, the UV emitter 130 can continue to emit UV light even when the enclosed space 270 is occupied (e.g., by cleaning personnel).

[0032] In this embodiment, the UV emitters 130 are arranged in a staggered configuration such that each UV emitter 130 occupies a different vertical position 112 (and optionally a radial position 110) at the housing 120. Thus, when the housing 120 is rotated, each UV emitter 130 on the housing covers a different illumination area when the UV emitter 130 is activated and the housing 120 is rotated.

[0033] By adjusting the angle and position of the head of the UV emitter 130 , the UV emitter 130 can illuminate (e.g., directly irradiate) different portions of the enclosed space within the illumination zones F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, etc. To further increase the size of the area disinfected by the disinfection device 100 , the housing 120 is rotated about the core member 150 in the direction 222 .

[0034] In one embodiment, the housing 120 and the core member 150 are both made of a rigid material 214 (e.g., plastic, metal, ceramic, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), etc.). The legs 212 include four legs, each of which is pivotally attached to the core member 150 and, in this embodiment, rotatably attached to the core member 150 to facilitate folding the disinfection device 100. The legs 212 hold the disinfection device 100 in an upright position 290 and prevent the disinfection device 100 from tipping over. Specifically, the length of the legs 212 is such that the disinfection device 100 is prevented from tipping over regardless of the torque that would be applied by the various possible orientations of the UV emitter 130 on the disinfection device 100.

[0035] FIG. 3 In one illustrative embodiment, FIG. 2 A block diagram of the internal components of the disinfection device 100. Many of these internal components include electronics within the housing 120 that rotate with the housing 120. By integrating the electronics and power system into the housing 120, these components can continue to spin with the housing 120 without becoming tangled. This allows the housing 120 to continue to spin without encountering tangles or other problems. FIG. 3 , a power system in the form of a battery 330 is disposed within the housing 120. The battery 330 powers the UV emitters 130, including those rigidly attached to the housing 120 and those rotatably attached to the housing 120 via the rotational coupling 124. The battery 330 is electrically coupled to a plug 332. The plug 332 enables the battery 330 to be powered by the electrical system (e.g., through an outlet) to charge the disinfection device 100 during idle periods.

[0036] FIG. 3 It is also clearly shown that the rotating coupling 124 defines a channel through which the wiring 370 can pass to reach the UV emitter 130. The wiring 370 includes excess length, which allows the wiring 370 to adapt to any shape changes caused by repositioning the rotating coupling 124 during operation without causing the wiring 370 to be pinched or placed under tension. Because all electrical components of the disinfection device 100 are integrated into the housing 120, rotation of the housing 120 does not cause twisting of the wiring 370. This allows the housing 120 to rotate infinitely in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in response to the force applied by the motor 320.

[0037] In one embodiment, motor 320 is arranged in housing 120 or otherwise integrated into housing 120, and is rotatably fixed to core member 150 by chuck 322, rod, bolt or other parts.Motor 320 itself can include rotor 324, and core member 150 is integrated with this rotor or is mechanically coupled with this rotor.In such embodiment, the rotor 324 of rotating motor 320 can make core member 150 rotate (for example, by making the teeth at motor place and the teeth in core member 150 interlock).Motor 320 can drive housing 120 with any suitable rotation rate around core member 150.However, in order to save energy, motor 320 can rotate housing 120 with a speed between one revolution per second and one revolution per minute.Battery 330 is power supply for motor 320.

[0038] The controller 340 directs the operation of the disinfection device 100. In one embodiment, the controller 340 includes logic for switching to the battery 330 when power is interrupted at the plug 332. In a further embodiment, the controller 340 reports a low battery condition by monitoring the battery 330 and illuminating an indicator 350 when the amount of energy stored in the battery 330 falls below a threshold level (e.g., 20 percent). In a further embodiment, the controller 340 activates the UV emitter 130 and the motor 320 for a limited period of time in response to receiving input from a user (e.g., pressing an "on" button on the controller 340). This ensures that disinfection continues for a predetermined disinfection period (e.g., 15 minutes) while also ensuring that battery power is not wasted after disinfection has been completed. In one embodiment, the controller 340 is implemented as custom circuitry, as a hardware processor executing programmed instructions stored in memory, or some combination thereof.

[0039] Buttons 342 and 344 provide input to the controller 340 that can be used to activate or deactivate the motor 320, the UV emitter 130, etc. Additionally, in some embodiments, a remote control 360 sends wireless signals to the controller 340 to direct the operation of the disinfection device 100. The remote control 360 may be particularly desirable in embodiments where the motor 320 is configured to rotate at a high rate (e.g., between one revolution per second and one revolution per five seconds, or faster), as it may become difficult to manually access the buttons 342 and 344 in such embodiments.

[0040] FIG. 3 It is further illustrated that in one embodiment each leg 212 is pivotally attached to the core member 150 via a hinge 312. The hinge 312 is held in place by friction, wherein the magnitude of the force required to change the position of the hinge 312 is greater than the magnitude of the force equal to the weight of the sterilization device 100. This prevents the sterilization device 100 from collapsing under its own weight when deployed.

[0041] FIG. 4 In one illustrative embodiment, FIGS. 2-3 1. A top perspective view of the disinfection device 100. In this embodiment, the housing 120 of the disinfection device 100 rotates in a clockwise direction 400 in response to the interaction of the motor 320 with the core member 150. FIG. 4 It is clearly shown that the UV emitter 130 located at the top of the disinfection apparatus 100 is granted an increased amount of rotational freedom, as the rotational coupling 124 allows the UV emitter 130 to be adjusted to a variety of angles and positions.

[0042] FIGS. 5-7 The UV emitter 130 is depicted having a head 234 that is adjustable and integrable into the disinfection apparatus 100 in one illustrative embodiment. FIG. 2 The UV emitter 130 of the disinfection device 100 may include FIGS. 5-7 The UV emitter 130 shown can be adjusted to further enhance the ability of the disinfection device 100 to illuminate a greater number of surfaces within an enclosed space with UV light 122. In this way, even the UV emitter 130 attached to the housing 120 of the disinfection device 100 can adjust its illumination range, which enhances the ability of the disinfection device 100 to disinfect a variety of enclosed spaces.

[0043] FIG. 5 The UV emitter 130 is shown as including a body 232. The body 232 is coupled to a head 234 having an optical surface 236 via a neck 500 (e.g., including a ball joint 508, a universal joint, etc.). The optical surface 236 emits UV light 122. The neck 500 enables the head 234 to rotate relative to the body 232 along multiple axes (e.g., along the X-axis, Y-axis, and / or Z-axis, or a subset thereof, along the central axis 502 of the body 232, along axis 504 and / or axis 506, etc.). In one embodiment, the neck 500 is tightly coupled against the head 234 and the body 232. Therefore, a force greater than the weight of the head 234 or the body 232 is required to overcome friction between the head 234, the body 232, and / or the neck 500 in order to reorient the neck 500. This prevents the head 234 from sagging or otherwise changing position after it has been rotated to a desired angle by the neck 500.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of UV emitter 130 and shows that body 232 houses power supply 610 that converts received electrical energy to a desired voltage (eg, 24 volts) and / or amperage for use by light emitting diodes (LEDs) 620 . FIG. 6Further shown are internal wiring 630 that electrically connects the power source 610 to the LEDs 620. The internal wiring 630 reaches the LEDs 620 via the channel 510 in the neck 500. That is, for each UV emitter 130, the neck 500 defines a channel 510 that accommodates the internal wiring 630 that couples the LEDs 620 of the UV emitter 130 to the power source 610 of the UV emitter 130.

[0045] When tensioned, the length L1 of the inner wiring 630 exceeds the length L2 corresponding to the distance between the LED 620 and the power source 610. This excess length enables the inner wiring 630 to move to accommodate repositioning of the neck 500 without being pinched or placed under strain.

[0046] FIG. 7 A perspective view is provided in which the head 234 of the additional UV emitter 130 has been adjusted to a new position by the neck 500. FIG. 7 As shown, the head 234 of the additional UV emitter 130 has been rotated about the central axis 502 of the main body and about the axis 700 .

[0047] Although the above figures discuss the composition of the disinfection device 100 and the UV emitter 130 within the disinfection device 100, the following FIGS. 8-10 The arrangement and operation of disinfection apparatus 100 is depicted to facilitate disinfection of a surface in an illustrative embodiment.

[0048] FIG. 8 In one illustrative embodiment, disinfection device 100 is depicted rotating within enclosure 810 of room 800. Enclosed space 810 includes a plurality of objects 802, 804, and 806, each having surfaces 812, 814, and 816, respectively. The heads 234 of UV emitters 130 of disinfection device 100 are separated from one another vertically and horizontally and can be arranged at different angles along the X, Y, and Z axes. This separation, combined with the ability to adjust heads 234 to unique orientations 852, 854, 856, and 858, enables heads 234 to emit UV light that directly illuminates surfaces 812, 814, and 816 in different volumes Z1, Z2, and Z3, even when surfaces 812, 814, and 816 are positioned in different locations and facing different directions. In other words, each head 234 directly illuminates a different combination of surfaces and / or portions of objects 802, 804, and 806. Because UV light is absorbed by most surfaces rather than reflected by them, it is highly desirable to illuminate surfaces 812, 814, and 816 directly through head 234. This ability to disinfect all surfaces 812, 814, and 816 is not possible with any point source of UV light. Thus, disinfection device 100 offers the technical advantage of being able to disinfect more surfaces arranged at greater angles by installing a single disinfection device.

[0049] FIG. 9 It is shown that new volumes Z4, Z5, Z6 are directly illuminated by UV light after a rotation of the disinfection device 100. This further increases the size of the surface area that the disinfection device disinfects during operation.

[0050] FIG. 10 Depicted are multiple instances of the disinfection device 100 located within a cabin 1000 in the barrel section 29 of an aircraft 10 in one illustrative embodiment. In this embodiment, the disinfection device 100 is placed in an aisle 1010 between flights (e.g., when loading or unloading cargo before or after a flight). The disinfection device 100 is activated to disinfect surfaces in the cabin 1000. In one embodiment, the disinfection device 100 emits UV light having a wavelength of 222 nanometers. The disinfection device 100 has no harmful effects on the human body and can be activated in the presence of a person (e.g., a cleaning crew) for any suitable purpose. This enables the cleaning crew to disinfect a portion of the aircraft using the disinfection device 100 while manually performing other tasks (e.g., vacuuming, removing trash, etc.).

[0051] will be about FIG. 11 Illustrative details of the operation of disinfection apparatus 100 are discussed. For this embodiment, assume that an aircraft is awaiting cleaning between flights during an ongoing health crisis lasting multiple days.

[0052] FIG. 11 FIG1 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1100 for disinfecting an enclosed space in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. The method may be performed between flights of an aircraft to disinfect the aircraft cabin as needed. The steps of method 1100 are described with reference to disinfection apparatus 100 of FIG1 , but those skilled in the art will appreciate that method 1100 may be performed in other systems and / or devices. The steps of the flowchart depicted herein are not exhaustive and may include additional steps not shown. The steps described herein may also be performed in an alternate order.

[0053] Method 1100 includes placing 1102 a disinfection device 100, including a housing 120 holding a UV emitter 130, on a surface 816 within an enclosed space 810. In one embodiment, this includes configuring the disinfection device 100 from an undeployed state (closed) to a deployed state (open) by pivoting the legs 212 about hinges 312, thereby enabling the legs 212 to stably support the weight of the disinfection device 100. The disinfection device 100 can be placed on any stable surface (e.g., a horizontal surface). However, in many embodiments, a surface will be selected from which the disinfection device 100 can illuminate a substantial portion of the enclosed space 810.

[0054] The method 1100 also includes adjusting 1104 the orientation of the UV emitters 130 at the housing 120. In one embodiment, this includes manually adjusting the orientation of the head 234 relative to the body 232 of the UV emitter 130, pivoting some of the UV emitters 130 from the housing 120 by rotating the coupling 124, and the like, so as to ensure that the heads 234 of different UV emitters 130 illuminate different illumination areas. That is, adjusting the orientation of the heads increases the size of the surface area of the enclosed space that is exposed to UV light. In one embodiment, the orientation of the UV emitters 130 is adjusted so that each UV emitter 130 illuminates a different volume (e.g., areas Zl, Z2, Z3, etc.) within the enclosed space when the housing spins through one complete rotation. In a further embodiment, this adjustment is automatically preformed by the controller 340 (e.g., by operating the powered rotational coupling 124) in accordance with preprogrammed settings of the desired orientation of the enclosed space.

[0055] The method 1100 also includes activating 1106 the UV emitters 130 of the disinfecting apparatus 100, whereby UV light 122 is emitted from each UV emitter 130. Activating the UV emitters 130 can be performed by the controller 340 through the circuit that causes current to flow between the battery 330 and the UV emitters 130. In one embodiment, emitting UV light includes emitting UV light having a wavelength of 222 nanometers.

[0056] In one embodiment, activating 1106 includes pressing the button 342 coupled to the controller 340, which causes the controller 340 to close the switch, thereby enabling power to flow from the battery 330 to the UV emitters 130. This causes the LEDs 620 of the UV emitters to radiate UV light 122. The UV light is absorbed by bacteria and viruses on the surfaces 812, 814, and 816 within the enclosed space 810, causing energy that destroys genetic information inside the bacteria and viruses to inactivate them. In yet another embodiment, the remote control 360 sends instructions to the controller 340 to activate the UV emitters 130.

[0057] Method 1100 also includes rotating housing 120 about axis 121 while emitting UV light 122 1108. In one embodiment, this includes activating motor 320 of disinfection device 100, which causes housing 120 to spin while emitting UV light 122. Activating motor 320 can be performed by controller 340 completing a circuit that causes current to flow between battery 330 and motor 320. Furthermore, activating motor 320 and activating UV emitter 130 can be performed simultaneously. In one embodiment, button 344 coupled to controller 340 is pressed, which causes controller 340 to cause power to flow from battery 330 to motor 320. In another embodiment, pressing button 342 or activating UV emitter 130 by other means also activates the motor and causes housing 120 to begin rotating or spinning. In yet another embodiment, remote control 360 sends a command to controller 340 to activate motor 320.

[0058] The method 1100 provides technical benefits by enabling a single portable disinfection device to illuminate an object from a variety of different lighting areas, thereby increasing the total surface area of ​​an enclosed space that can be disinfected from a single location.

[0059] Example

[0060] In the following examples, additional processes, systems, and methods are described in the context of disinfection equipment for enclosed spaces.

[0061] Now turn FIG. 12 , which depicts a diagram of an aircraft 10 for which the systems and methods described herein may be implemented. In this illustrative example, aircraft 10 includes wings 15 and wings 16 attached to a fuselage 28 having a nose 12. Aircraft 10 includes engines 13 attached to wings 15 and engines 14 attached to wings 16. A tail section 18 is also attached to fuselage 28. Horizontal stabilizer 20, horizontal stabilizer 21, and vertical stabilizer 22 are attached to tail section 18 of fuselage 28. Fuselage 28 itself is formed from a plurality of barrel segments 29 that have been joined together. In this embodiment, three barrel segments 29 are labeled, but any suitable number of barrel segments 29 may be used to form fuselage 28, depending on design choice.

[0062] More specifically referring to the drawings, it can be seen that FIG. 13 The method 1300 shown and FIG. 13Some embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the context of aircraft manufacturing and service, as shown in aircraft 1302. During pre-production, method 1300 may include specification and design 1304 of aircraft 1302 and material procurement 1306. During production, component and subassembly manufacturing 1308 and system integration 1310 of aircraft 1302 occur. Thereafter, aircraft 1302 may undergo certification and delivery 1312 for entry into service 1314. While in service with a customer, aircraft 1302 may be scheduled for routine maintenance and repair 1316 (which may also include modification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, etc.). The apparatus and methods embodied herein may be employed during any one or more appropriate stages of production and service described in method 1300 (e.g., specification and design 1304, material procurement 1306, component and subassembly manufacturing 1308, system integration 1310, certification and delivery 1312, entry into service 1314, maintenance and repair 1316) and / or in any appropriate component of aircraft 1302 (e.g., airframe 1318, systems 1320, interior 1322, propulsion system 1324, electrical system 1326, hydraulic system 1328, environmental system 1330).

[0063] Each process of method 1300 may be performed or carried out by a system integrator, a third party, and / or an operator (e.g., a customer). For purposes of this description, a system integrator may include, but is not limited to, any number of aircraft manufacturers and major system subcontractors; a third party may include, but is not limited to, any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may include, but is not limited to, an airline, a leasing company, a service provider, etc.

[0064] like FIG. 13 As shown, aircraft 1302 produced by method 1300 may include fuselage 1318 having multiple systems 1320 and interior 1322. Examples of systems 1320 include one or more of propulsion system 1324, electrical system 1326, hydraulic system 1328, and environmental system 1330. Any number of other systems may be included. Although an aerospace example is shown, the principles of the present invention may be applied to other industries, such as the automotive industry.

[0065] As mentioned above, the apparatus and methods embodied herein may be employed during any one or more of the stages of production and service described in method 1300. For example, the components or subassemblies corresponding to component and subassembly manufacturing 1308 may be processed or manufactured in a manner similar to components or subassemblies produced while aircraft 1302 is in service. Furthermore, one or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized during subassembly manufacturing 1308 and system integration 1310, for example, by significantly speeding up assembly of aircraft 1302 or reducing the cost of aircraft 1302. Similarly, one or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized while aircraft 1302 is in service, such as, but not limited to, during maintenance and repair 1316. Thus, the present invention may be used in any of the stages discussed herein or in any combination thereof, for example, specification and design 1304, material procurement 1306, component and subassembly manufacturing 1308, system integration 1310, certification and delivery 1312, entry into service 1314, maintenance and repair 1316 and / or any appropriate component of the aircraft 1302 (e.g., airframe 1318, systems 1320, interior 1322, propulsion system 1324, electrical system 1326, hydraulic system 1328 and / or environmental system 1330).

[0066] In one embodiment, the part comprises a portion of an airframe 1318 and is manufactured during component and subassembly manufacturing 1308. The part can then be assembled into an aircraft during system integration 1310 and then used during entry into service 1314 until wear renders the part unusable. The part can then be discarded and replaced with a newly manufactured part during maintenance and repair 1316. The components and methods of the present invention can be utilized throughout component and subassembly manufacturing 1308 to manufacture new parts.

[0067] Any of the various control elements (e.g., electrical or electronic components) shown in the figures or described herein can be implemented as hardware, a processor implementing software, a processor implementing firmware, or some combination of these elements. For example, an element can be implemented as dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware element can be referred to as a "processor," "controller," or some similar terms. When provided by a processor, the function can be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or multiple independent processors (some of which can be shared). In addition, the explicit use of the term "processor" or "controller" should not be interpreted as specifically referring to hardware capable of executing software, but can implicitly include but is not limited to digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other circuit systems, field programmable gate array (FPGA), a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), non-volatile storage device, logic, or some other physical hardware components or modules for storing software.

[0068] Furthermore, the control element may be implemented as instructions that can be executed by a processor or computer to implement the functionality of the element. Some examples of instructions are software, program code, and firmware. When executed by a processor, the instructions are operable to direct the processor to implement the functionality of the element. The instructions may be stored on a storage device readable by the processor. Some examples of storage devices are digital or solid-state memory, magnetic storage media such as disks and tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media.

[0069] The present disclosure includes examples in accordance with the following clauses:

[0070] Item 1. An apparatus comprising a disinfection device, the disinfection device comprising: a housing configured to rotate about an axis; an ultraviolet (UV) emitter configured to emit UV light; and a rotational coupling coupling the UV emitter to the housing and providing multi-axis rotation of the UV emitter relative to the housing.

[0071] Item 2. The apparatus of Item 1, further comprising: a core member surrounded by the shell and defining an axis, wherein the core member remains stationary when the shell rotates about the axis; UV emitters attached to the shell around the perimeter of the shell and arranged at varying radial and vertical positions along the perimeter; and a support member that maintains the disinfection device in an upright position.

[0072] Clause 3. The device of Clause 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the housing about the axis and disposed within the housing.

[0073] Clause 4. The device of clause 1, further comprising a battery disposed within the housing, the battery configured to power the UV emitter.

[0074] Clause 5. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein each UV emitter comprises a body holding a power source and a head holding a UV light emitting diode (LED), wherein the head comprises a neck that allows for multi-axis rotation of the head relative to the body.

[0075] Clause 6. The device of clause 5, wherein the UV LED at each head is protected by an optical surface transparent to UV light.

[0076] Clause 7. The device of Clause 1, wherein the UV emitter emits UV light having a wavelength of 222 nanometers.

[0077] Clause 8. An apparatus comprising a sanitization device, the sanitization device comprising: a core member; a housing surrounding the core member, the housing configured to rotate about the core member and being cylindrical; ultraviolet (UV) emitters fixedly attached about a perimeter of the housing; the UV emitters rotationally coupled with the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing on multiple axes; a motor that spins the housing about the core member; and a support that orients the sanitization device in an upright position.

[0078] Clause 9. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the UV emitters fixedly attached about the perimeter of the housing are radially distributed along the housing.

[0079] Clause 10. The apparatus of clause 8, further comprising a battery disposed within the housing, the battery powering the UV emitters.

[0080] Clause 11. The apparatus of clause 10, wherein the battery powers the motor.

[0081] Clause 12. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the support comprises legs, each leg pivotally attached to the core member.

[0082] Clause 13. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the UV emitters rotationally coupled with the housing are attached to the housing via rotational couplings.

[0083] Clause 14. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the UV emitters emit UV light having a wavelength of 222 nanometers.

[0084] Clause 15. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the sanitization device is sized to be placed in an aisle of an aircraft.

[0085] Clause 16. A method for sanitizing a closed space, the method comprising: placing a sanitization device at a surface within the closed space, wherein the sanitization device comprises a housing that rotates about an axis, ultraviolet light emitters attached to the housing and configured to emit UV light, and rotational couplings that provide multi-axis rotation of one or more of the UV emitters relative to the housing; adjusting an orientation of one or more of the UV emitters via the rotational couplings; activating the UV emitters to emit UV light from the UV emitters; and rotating the housing about the axis while emitting the UV light.

[0086] Clause 17. The method of clause 16, wherein the closed space is a cabin of an aircraft.

[0087] Clause 18. The method of clause 16, further comprising powering a motor that rotates the housing via a battery within the housing.

[0088] Clause 19. The method of Clause 16, wherein the orientation of the UV emitters at the housing is adjusted so that each UV emitter illuminates a different volume within the enclosure.

[0089] Clause 20. The method of Clause 16, wherein emitting UV light comprises emitting UV light having a wavelength of 222 nanometers.

[0090] Although some specific embodiments are described herein, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to those specific embodiments.The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the following claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a disinfection device, the disinfection device comprising: a housing configured to rotate about an axis; a central core member surrounded by the housing and defining the axis, wherein the central core member remains stationary when the housing rotates about the axis; Ultraviolet light emitters, i.e., UV emitters, each of the UV emitters comprising a body holding a power source, and a head holding a UV light emitting diode, i.e., a UV LED, and configured to emit UV light, wherein the head comprises a neck allowing multi-axis rotation of the head relative to the body; as well as A rotational coupling couples the UV emitter to the housing and provides multi-axis rotation of the UV emitter relative to the housing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: UV emitters attached to the housing around a perimeter of the housing and disposed at varying radial and vertical positions along the perimeter; as well as A support member holds the disinfection device in an upright position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A motor is configured to rotate the housing about the axis and is disposed within the housing.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A battery is disposed within the housing, and the battery is configured to power the UV emitter.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The UV LEDs at each of the heads are protected by an optical surface that is transparent to UV light.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The UV emitter emits UV light having a wavelength of 222 nanometers.

7. A method for disinfecting an enclosed space, the method comprising: placing a disinfection device at a surface within the enclosed space, wherein the disinfection device comprises a housing that rotates about an axis, a central core member surrounded by the housing and defining the axis, wherein the central core member remains stationary as the housing rotates about the axis, ultraviolet light emitters attached to the housing and configured to emit UV light, wherein each of the ultraviolet light emitters comprises a body that holds a power source and further comprises a head that holds a UV LED and has a neck, the neck providing multi-axis rotation of the head relative to the body, and the rotational coupling providing multi-axis rotation of one or more of the UV emitters relative to the housing; adjusting an orientation of the one or more of the UV emitters via the rotational coupling; activating the UV emitter to emit UV light from the UV emitter; as well as The housing is rotated about the axis while emitting the UV light.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The enclosed space is a cabin of an aircraft.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: A motor that rotates the housing is powered via a battery within the housing.

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