UV Sanitization Interface with Shape-Adaptive Emission for User Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sanitization systems for footwear and other devices are inadequate in removing bio-contaminants and do not effectively prevent re-contamination, while also lacking sufficient ultraviolet (UV) light shielding for user safety during the sanitization process.
Innovation Solution
The development of a system that integrates debris removal and UV sanitization stages, utilizing a digital shield to protect users from UV light by emitting it only when necessary, and employing adjustable UV emission interfaces with sensors to ensure precise alignment and emission control, allowing for effective sanitization of footwear and other devices without exposing users to harmful UV rays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UV-C light is emitted continuously for effective sanitization, then pathogen elimination is improved, but user safety deteriorates due to harmful UV exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by emitting UV-C light during the debris removal stage before the sanitization stage, and also emits UV light during re-contamination prevention between users. This preliminary and extended UV emission ensures pathogen elimination without requiring continuous high-intensity exposure during main sanitization, thereby reducing harmful effects while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic UV-C emission across three distinct stages: debris removal, sanitization, and re-contamination prevention. By distributing UV exposure across periodic intervals rather than continuous emission, the system achieves cumulative pathogen elimination while allowing brief recovery periods that reduce harmful effects on users and materials.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If UV light emission is restricted to improve user safety, then user protection is improved, but sanitization effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary debris removal with UV-C light before the main sanitization process. This preliminary action reduces organic load and prepares surfaces for more effective UV-C exposure during sanitization, allowing reduced UV intensity or duration while maintaining overall sanitization effectiveness and improving user safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous useful UV-C action across three stages (debris removal, sanitization, and re-contamination prevention) rather than relying on a single intensive exposure. This continuous distributed action ensures cumulative pathogen elimination equivalent to longer single exposures, allowing safer interruption patterns during the process.
3Device complexity
If manual debris removal is used for shoe cleaning, then device complexity is reduced, but bio-contaminant removal capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges three distinct functions (debris removal, sanitization, and re-contamination prevention) into a single integrated shoe cleaning device. By combining these functions, the system achieves comprehensive bio-contaminant elimination that manual methods cannot provide, while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through shared components and sequential operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoe cleaning device performs multiple functions including mechanical debris removal, UV-C sanitization, and re-contamination prevention. This multi-functionality allows a single device to address all aspects of bio-contaminant removal, replacing the need for multiple separate manual cleaning operations and significantly improving effectiveness without proportionally increasing 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
This system effectively removes bio-contaminants and prevents re-contamination by ensuring proper alignment and controlled UV exposure, creating a cleaner environment while ensuring user safety by shielding them from UV light during the sanitization process.
Implementation Method 1
The array of UV light emitter cells may include light emitting diodes (LEDs)
Implementation Method 2
UV-C light, at several peak wavelengths between 200 nm and 280 nm, has been proven to be highly effective and efficient in the sanitization of pathogens
Data Source
AI summary
A UV shielding device including a sanitizing interface having a top surface arranged to support device positioned above the sanitizing interface where the sanitizing interface includes a translucent material arranged to allow UV light to pass through. The device also includes at least one shape sensor arranged to detect a shape of a surface of the device facing the sanitizing interface. The device further includes an adjustable UV emission interface that is positioned adjacent to the sanitizing interface and arranged to adjustably conform to the shape of the surface of the device facing the sanitizing interface, while also being arranged to emit the UV light toward sanitizing interface and device.