Deodorizing and sanitizing container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ozone generators used for deodorizing and sanitizing clothing and shoes require prolonged operation and are not suitable for home use due to their size and inefficiency in generating and transporting ozone, necessitating on-site generation and circulation.
Innovation Solution
A deodorizing and sanitizing apparatus with an enclosed treatment zone, an ozone generator, and a ventilation assembly that creates ozone-laden air currents by drawing ambient air past the generator, with a fan and optional heating to efficiently deodorize and sanitize items like shoes, where the ozone generator is located outside the treatment zone to enhance ozone concentration and delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing ozone generators are used for deodorizing and sanitizing clothing and shoes, then deodorizing and sanitizing function is achieved, but treatment time is prolonged and device size becomes too large for home use
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into distinct functional zones: an ozone generation compartment separated from the treatment chamber by a partition wall. This segmentation allows the ozone generator to operate in a confined space while delivering ozone-laden air to the treatment zone, improving treatment efficiency without requiring the entire device to be oversized.
Solution Approach 2:
A fan acts as an intermediary device to transport ozone-laden air from the generation compartment to the treatment chamber. This mediator enables efficient ozone distribution throughout the treatment space, accelerating the deodorizing and sanitizing process compared to passive diffusion methods.
2Quantity of substance
If ozone generator is placed inside the treatment zone, then ozone is generated in-situ, but ozone concentration and delivery efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment chamber is partitioned into two separate compartments: an ozone generation compartment and a treatment compartment. The partition wall with openings allows ozone-laden air to pass from the generation compartment to the treatment compartment, maintaining high ozone concentration while simplifying the overall device structure through functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition wall serves as an intermediary structure that facilitates ozone transfer between compartments. The openings in the partition wall allow ozone-laden air to flow from the generation compartment to the treatment compartment, enabling efficient ozone delivery without requiring the generator to be placed inside the treatment zone.
3Productivity
If ambient air is drawn into proximity with ozone generator, then ozone-laden air currents are created efficiently, but additional ventilation components increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation functions are merged into a single integrated fan assembly that performs multiple tasks: drawing ambient air into the generation compartment, circulating ozone-laden air through the treatment chamber, and maintaining positive pressure. This consolidation improves ozone generation efficiency while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as an air intake device, an ozone distribution pump, and a pressure regulation mechanism. This multi-functionality enables efficient ozone-laden air current creation without requiring separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in 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 apparatus effectively deodorizes and sanitizes items in a shorter time frame, ensuring rapid and complete odor removal and microbial kill, while maintaining a positive pressure for efficient air circulation and ozone distribution.
Implementation Method 1
Ozone may be generated using known equipment, especially corona discharge tubes and UV radiation devices.
Implementation Method 2
Ozone may be generated using known equipment, especially corona discharge tubes and UV radiation devices.
Implementation Method 3
a fan operable to induce ambient air currents past the generator in order to create the ozone-laden air currents
Implementation Method 4
Optionally, a heater may be provided for heating the air currents before or after the ozone supplementation thereof.
Implementation Method 5
Ozone is a triatomic form of oxygen (O3), and is known to be the strongest oxidant of common disinfecting agents. A wide spectrum of organisms is destroyed by ozone, and the ability of ozone to remove taste and odors is excellent.
Data Source
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AI summary
Improved, portable apparatus for ozone deodorizing and sanitizing of clothing items such as shoes is provided having a housing sized to receive an item to be treated, together with an ozone generator and a ventilation assembly operable to deliver ozone-laden air currents into the housing. In preferred forms, the ozone generator is located within a compartment separate from the housing, and a fan assembly is used to draw ambient air currents adjacent the generator for ozone supplementation, followed by delivery of the ozone-laden air currents into the housing.