Aircraft Sanitization Device with Articulated UV-C Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies fail to effectively and efficiently sanitize the surfaces of aircraft interiors, where infectious diseases can spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, and existing UV-C technologies pose risks due to skin and eye damage and labor-intensive chemical disinfection.
Innovation Solution
A mobile sanitization device with a source of UV radiation mounted on a trolley that can travel over aircraft surfaces, featuring articulated arms to direct UV-C light to seat surfaces and other areas, ensuring safe and rapid germicidal exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical disinfection is used to sanitize aircraft surfaces, then microbial loads are reduced, but the process becomes labor intensive and leaves harmful residues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual chemical disinfection processes with an automated UV-C irradiation system mounted on a mobile cart. The system uses ultraviolet radiation to sanitize surfaces without requiring manual application of chemicals, thereby eliminating labor-intensive operations and harmful chemical residues while maintaining sanitization effectiveness.
2Reliability
If UV-C radiation is used to sanitize surfaces, then germicidal effectiveness is improved, but human exposure causes skin and eye damage
Solution Approach 1:
The UV-C irradiation system is divided into multiple independent radiation sources mounted on articulated arms that can be positioned and controlled separately. This segmentation allows the system to target specific surfaces for sanitization while minimizing unnecessary exposure areas, thereby maintaining germicidal effectiveness while reducing potential human exposure zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile cart platform serves as an intermediary between the UV-C sources and the aircraft interior surfaces. It enables controlled delivery of germicidal radiation to targeted surfaces while positioning the radiation sources at safe distances from occupied areas, thus achieving effective surface sanitization without exposing humans to harmful UV-C levels.
3Area of stationary object
If UV radiation sources are positioned to cover all surfaces, then sanitization coverage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs articulated arms with adjustable positioning mechanisms that allow UV-C sources to be dynamically repositioned according to the specific aircraft cabin configuration. This dynamic adaptability enables comprehensive surface coverage without requiring a fixed complex structure, as the arms can be configured to match different seat arrangements and cabin layouts.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile cart platform is designed as a universal system that can sanitize various types of aircraft cabin surfaces through its articulated arms and adjustable UV-C sources. The same basic platform can adapt to different aircraft models, seating configurations, and surface types, thereby achieving broad coverage area without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides a rapid, safe, and effective means to sanitize aircraft interiors, reducing microbial loads and minimizing disease transmission risks while avoiding the hazards of chemical disinfection and UV exposure to humans.
Implementation Method 1
The source of UV radiation is configured to direct UV radiation to the surface at a dosage sufficient to diminish microbial loads to acceptable levels
Data Source
AI summary
Sanitizing surfaces in a location related to aircraft. There are multiple rows of seats. A sanitization device includes a mobile body configured to travel along the aisle of the aircraft. An arm extends from the sanitization device laterally from the mobile body across the seats, and a source of UV radiation mounted on the sanitization device is directed across the seats exposing surfaces in the passenger area to UV radiation. There can be a unit hand operated, pushed down the aisle by hand, wings deployed and stowed by hand. There can be a plug in version with long extension cords that a human can keep from tangling. The operator can be protected with skin and eye protective gear and there can be remote control by an operator standing nearby.