Ceiling-Mounted Decontamination Unit with Segmented Service Panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air decontamination systems are inefficient and labor-intensive, particularly in environments with limited ceiling space, as they require additional ductwork and frequent maintenance, and existing solutions are unsafe for technicians due to weight and installation issues.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling-mounted decontamination unit with UV-C emitters and fans that recirculates air, integrated into the ceiling grid, allowing for easy maintenance without disengagement, and includes interchangeable components like luminaire and surface decontamination systems for effective pathogen destruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a heavy germicidal unit is designed to disengage from ceiling for maintenance, then access to germicidal source is enabled, but safety of service technician deteriorates due to weight and potential break-free from attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The unit is divided into a ceiling-mounted housing and a removable service panel. The service panel can be detached from the housing to provide access to the germicidal source, allowing maintenance without removing the entire heavy unit from the ceiling. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling easy repair access while eliminating the safety risks associated with disengaging the complete heavy unit.
2Reliability
If additional germicidal devices are installed in ceiling systems, then air decontamination capability is improved, but available ceiling space is reduced due to congestion and lack of installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for ceiling tiles, integrates the germicidal lighting system, and offers maintenance access through removable panels. By making the housing multi-functional, the invention eliminates the need for separate mounting structures and additional ceiling space, thereby improving air decontamination capability without reducing available ceiling space.
3Ease of repair
If complete germicidal unit is disengaged from ceiling for maintenance, then service access is enabled, but installation facility may be damaged due to weight exceeding maximum load
Solution Approach 1:
The unit is segmented into a permanent ceiling-mounted housing and a removable service panel. Only the lightweight service panel needs to be removed for maintenance, not the entire heavy germicidal unit. This segmentation protects the ceiling grid from excessive load during maintenance operations while still providing easy service access to the germicidal source.
4Productivity
If existing HVAC systems with return ducts are used for air decontamination, then air processing capability is provided, but effectiveness deteriorates in areas distant from return ducts and when doors are closed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the air decontamination function from the centralized HVAC system and places it directly in the ceiling where air circulation occurs. The germicidal unit processes air locally as it passes through the ceiling space, eliminating dependence on distant return ducts and ensuring effective decontamination regardless of door positions or HVAC system state.
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 solution provides efficient, safe, and cost-effective air decontamination without additional ductwork, enabling quick maintenance and reducing the need for room closures, while ensuring effective pathogen destruction and maintaining a healthy environment.
Implementation Method 1
Non-visible, Ultraviolet C or Germicidal light source technology is known to destroy the DNA or ability of viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens to reproduce
Implementation Method 2
UV light used to destroy viruses, bacteria, and other types of pathogens are typically below 400 nm
Implementation Method 3
one or more fans inside the housing that recirculate the air in a room and subject the air to the decontamination source inside the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling-mounted decontamination unit with one or more internal decontamination sources, which may be UV-C emitters, inside a housing with a hingable panel for access to the internal space of the housing for maintenance and repairs, and one or more fans inside the housing that re-circulate the air in a room and subject the air to the germicidal internal decontamination source inside the housing, decontaminating the air passing through the ceiling-mounted decontamination unit's internal space and destroying viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. The ceiling-mounted decontamination unit draws the air in from the room or area where the ceiling-mounted unit is installed, subjects the air to the internal decontamination source destroying pathogens, and returns the decontaminated air back to the same room or area from which the air is drawn. An optional luminaire or external decontamination source may be attached to the room- or area-facing exterior of the ceiling-mounted decontamination unit.