Automated Screen Cover Device for Air-Cleaning Sterility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-cleaning devices in sensitive environments face challenges in maintaining sterility due to the risk of contamination from staff touching the device, and there is a need for user-friendly, disposable screen covers that enhance sterility and provide a laminar air flow.
Innovation Solution
A screen cover device with at least two disposable screen covers, a first unit for storing unused covers and a second unit for collecting used covers, which are mounted to the air-cleaning device, allowing seamless replacement and integration with a germicidal radiation source for sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single use screen cover is provided over the screen, then sterility is improved and risk of contamination is reduced, but the device complexity increases and user-friendliness deteriorates due to manual handling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The screen cover device is designed to automatically feed and replace screen covers without manual intervention. The device feeds a new screen cover from a supply roll, automatically attaches it to the air outlet screen, and winds up the used cover, enabling the system to service itself and maintain sterility continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of removing, replacing, and securing screen covers is replaced by an automated mechanical system comprising a supply roll, feed mechanism, attachment mechanism, and winding mechanism that performs all operations automatically.
2Productivity
If manual replacement of screen covers is required, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming cover changes
Solution Approach 1:
The automated screen cover device performs all replacement operations autonomously - feeding new covers from the supply roll, attaching them to the air outlet screen, and winding used covers onto the collection roll - eliminating the need for manual intervention and significantly improving replacement efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple screen covers are pre-loaded onto the supply roll before use, allowing the device to automatically feed and replace covers in sequence without requiring manual reloading, thus maintaining continuous productivity during operation.
3Reliability
If multiple disposable screen covers are stored in the device, then continuous sterility is improved, but the volume of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple screen covers are rolled and nested concentrically on the supply roll, similar to nested dolls, allowing multiple covers to be stored in a compact cylindrical format that minimizes device volume while ensuring continuous availability of sterile covers.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen covers themselves are thin flexible films that can be rolled into compact cylinders on the supply and collection rolls, enabling multiple covers to be stored in minimal space without significantly increasing device volume.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
A screen cover device and an air-cleaning device configured to be used together with such a screen cover device, wherein said screen cover device is configured for holding at least one disposable screen cover (7) which when in use is configured for covering at least a substantial part of an air outflow area (9) of a screen (11) of an air-cleaning device (1), 5 wherein said screen cover device (3; 3'; 3'') is provided as an attachment to the air-cleaning device (1) and comprises: at least one disposable screen cover (7); and a first unit (13) which is configured for keeping the at least one disposable screen cover (7) when unused and which is configured to be mounted to the air-cleaning device (1).