Wearable Hat Air Cleaner with UV Disinfection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional masks and respirators are not entirely effective against small infectious agents like viruses and often restrict airflow, making them uncomfortable and impractical for daily activities, while existing solutions fail to balance protection and usability.
Innovation Solution
A wearable air cleaner integrated into a hat that uses a fan unit and UV light to disinfect air, combining an air filter with UV-C light to provide effective protection against small infectious agents without the need for high-efficiency filters, allowing for improved airflow and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mask or respirator with a filter is used to protect against small infectious agents, then protection effectiveness is improved, but airflow restriction increases making breathing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the disinfection function from the filter and places it in a separate UV-C light module. This allows the filter to use less restrictive materials while the UV-C light handles viral disinfection, resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and breathing comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical filtration of viruses (which requires high-efficiency restrictive filters) with UV-C light disinfection. This substitution eliminates the need for restrictive high-efficiency filters while maintaining viral protection, thereby improving airflow and breathing comfort
2Reliability
If a mask or respirator is used to protect against infectious agents, then protection is provided, but comfort and practicality for daily activities deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protection system into two independent modules: a filter for particle filtration and a UV-C light module for viral disinfection. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, improving overall comfort while maintaining protection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the viral disinfection function from the traditional filter system and places it in a separate UV-C light module. This extraction allows the use of less restrictive filters while maintaining viral protection, thereby improving comfort and practicality for daily activities
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 wearable air cleaner effectively disinfects airborne viruses using UV light, enabling the use of less restrictive filters and a more efficient fan unit, providing comparable protection with reduced airflow resistance and increased comfort.
Implementation Method 1
The air cleaning device also includes ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect the air
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is directed to a wearable air cleaner where an air cleaning device is incorporated into a hat. The air cleaning device includes a fan unit to pull air through the device. The air cleaning device also includes ultraviolet light to disinfect the air and pushes the disinfected air in front of the wearer for breathing.