Ionic Oxidation Refreshing System with Toxic By-Product Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sanitizing and refreshing sports gear and clothing are inefficient, often requiring excessive time and resources, failing to effectively kill germs and eliminate odors, especially in hard-to-reach areas, and can damage items or produce unpleasant by-products like VOCs and nitric acid.
Innovation Solution
An ionic oxidation system using a catalyzed corona discharge device to generate ionized ozone, combined with a quick cleaning filter cartridge that neutralizes toxic by-products and leaves a fresh scent, ensuring consistent sanitization and deodorization across all surfaces of items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ozone technology is used to eliminate odors and kill germs, then sanitization effectiveness is improved, but toxic by-products (VOCs, nitric acid) are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful toxic by-products (VOCs, nitric acid) generated during ozone sanitization into beneficial substances. The filter cartridge contains alkaline materials that chemically neutralize these acidic by-products, transforming them into safe salts and water, thereby eliminating toxicity while preserving sanitization effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The filter cartridge acts as an intermediary between the ozone generation process and the user environment. It intercepts and neutralizes toxic by-products before they can escape into the surrounding air, allowing the system to maintain high sanitization performance without exposing users to harmful substances
2Reliability
If frequent washing is performed to eliminate germs and odors, then hygiene is improved, but item degradation and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical washing system (water, detergent, agitation) with a chemical oxidation system using ozone. This substitution allows germs and odors to be eliminated through oxidation reactions without subjecting items to the physical stress of washing, thereby maintaining hygiene while preventing mechanical degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ozone, a strong oxidant, to rapidly kill germs and eliminate odors through oxidation reactions. This accelerated oxidation process achieves thorough sanitization in a short time without requiring repeated washing cycles, reducing both resource consumption and item degradation
3Ease of operation
If chemical sprays and wipes are used to sanitize gear, then ease of operation is improved, but sanitization completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a gas delivery system (pneumatics) to distribute ozone throughout the enclosure. The ozone gas naturally flows and penetrates all surfaces, including hard-to-reach areas, ensuring complete sanitization coverage while maintaining ease of operation through automatic gas circulation
4Loss of substance
If home laundry processes are used to clean clothing, then resource consumption is reduced, but odor elimination effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ozone, a strong oxidant, to rapidly break down odor-causing bacteria and organic compounds embedded in fabric fibers. This accelerated oxidation process effectively eliminates persistent odors that conventional home laundry processes cannot remove, while consuming fewer resources than traditional washing
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 system provides quick, consistent, and effective germ killing and odor elimination, extending the life of items by reducing the need for frequent washing and maintaining a fresh, clean aroma, thus addressing the inefficiencies of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
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
Implementation Method 2
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
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
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.