Unified Airflow Assembly for UV Lamp Cooling and Ozone Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current UV disinfection devices face limitations in surface coverage due to lamp positioning, require additional cooling components increasing cost and weight, and generate harmful ozone, making them cumbersome and costly for effective surface decontamination.
Innovation Solution
A unified airflow system that includes a shared airflow passage between a UV source and an airflow accessory, with air restriction units controlled by a unit to manage airflow, allowing for efficient cooling of the UV lamp and effective disinfection of surfaces at various heights without exposing the lamp to unclean air, while also removing contaminants and ozone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the UV lamp is positioned proximate to the suction opening for cooling, then the UV lamp cooling efficiency is improved, but the UV lamp is exposed to unclean air which deteriorates its life and performance
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow path is segmented into clean and unclean zones using a partition wall. The clean airflow path delivers cooled air to the UV lamp from the cooling fan, while the unclean airflow path carries contaminated air away from the UV lamp to the exhaust. This segmentation allows the UV lamp to be cooled efficiently without exposure to harmful unclean air.
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall acts as an intermediary structure that physically separates the clean and unclean airflow paths. This partition wall prevents direct mixing of the two airflow streams, ensuring that the UV lamp receives only clean cooling air while unclean air is directed to exhaust, thus protecting the UV lamp from contamination.
2Reliability
If the UV lamp is positioned away from the suction opening to avoid unclean air exposure, then the UV lamp reliability is improved, but additional cooling components are required which increases cost and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system merges the functions of the cooling fan and exhaust fan into a unified airflow management system. The cooling fan provides clean air to the UV lamp, while the exhaust fan removes unclean air, both operating within the same housing structure. This integration reduces the need for separate cooling components and simplifies the overall device design.
3Area of stationary object
If the UV lamp is positioned on top of the vacuum cleaner body to project UV light away from the floor, then the UV disinfection coverage area is improved, but the overall weight increases impeding easy maneuverability
Solution Approach 1:
The UV lamp is integrated into the existing vacuum cleaner housing structure, allowing it to serve multiple functions: providing UV disinfection coverage for large areas while utilizing the vacuum cleaner's existing cooling and structural framework. This multi-functionality approach avoids adding separate mounting structures that would increase weight.
4Area of stationary object
If traditional room UV disinfection devices are used for area disinfection, then the UV disinfection coverage area is improved, but harmful ozone is generated which adversely affects user health
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potentially harmful effect of UV lamp operation into a beneficial outcome by using the exhaust fan to actively remove ozone and other harmful byproducts generated during UV disinfection. The exhaust airflow transforms the harmful ozone into a removable contaminant, protecting user health while maintaining effective UV disinfection coverage.
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
Enables efficient, cost-effective, and comprehensive surface decontamination across different heights, reducing operational costs and health risks associated with ozone exposure.
Implementation Method 1
a suction airstream
Implementation Method 2
UV source configured to emit pulses of ultraviolet (UV) light
Implementation Method 3
provides a shared airflow passage between the UV source and an airflow accessory... allowing for efficient cooling of the UV lamp
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a unified airflow system for ultraviolet disinfection devices are disclosed. One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a unified airflow assembly and a control unit. The unified airflow assembly provides a shared airflow passage between a UV source and an airflow accessory capable of extracting contaminants from a target surface using a suction airstream. The UV source may be fluidically disconnected from the airflow accessory. The unified airflow assembly may include at least one air restriction unit in the shared airflow passage for manipulating a suction airstream therein. The control unit may be configured to drive the at least one air restriction unit to restrict the suction airstream to only one of the UV source and the airflow accessory.