NEBULIZING DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING SYSTEM

Technical field

This invention relates to a nebulizing device which is, for example, able to nebulize fluid for sanitizing a room. Background art

The current historical context, which sees the global spread of Covid-19, results in, now that the economy tries to restart and the movement of individuals is no longer restricted, a high degree of prudence to avoid the creation of new hotspots. The health risk remains high, especially in closed and crowded environments, such as cinemas, bars, shops etc.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the invention is to satisfy the above-mentioned need by providing a nebulizing device according to the invention which can facilitate sanitizing of rooms open to the public, so as to limit the diffusion of the virus.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a device which is able to operate in an optimum manner in any type of configuration desired by the user. Another aim of the invention is to provide a sanitizing device and system which is capable of sanitizing a room in a simple, safe and automatic manner, for example with particular attention to environmental sustainability. Brief description of the drawings

The technical features of the invention, with reference to the above aims, are clearly described in the claims below and its advantages are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment of the invention and in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates a nebulizing device according to one or more embodiments,

- Figures 2 and 3 show cross-sections of a nebulizing device according to one or more embodiments;

- Figures 4 to 6 show details of a cross-section of a nebulizing device according to one or more embodiments;

- Figure 7 shows details of a cross-section of a nebulizing device according to one or more embodiments.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

The invention relates to a nebulizing device 1 as illustrated for example in Figures 1 to 3, configured for dispensing at least one sanitizing fluid in the form of an aerosol. Thanks to its shape, the device 1 is able to be positioned in any position and/or orientation, for example also with dispensing nozzles 10 facing towards the ground. The nebulizing device 1 may comprise a platform 12 configured to be fixed to a wall (or ceiling), a body 14, and one or more supporting arms 16 which connect the element 14 to the platform 12. According to one aspect, the body 14 of the device 1 can be rotated about a first direction X, for example coinciding with a direction of extension of fixing elements 140 of the body 14, and can be moved along a second direction Y, for example vertical. The device 1 may be configured to dispense fluid in the form of an aerosol towards a third direction Z.

According to one aspect, a point for fixing the body 14 to the fixing elements 140 may be in alignment with a barycentre of the body 14. In this way, the maintaining of the body 14 in the desired position and orientation is facilitated.

As illustrated in the drawings, the nebulizing device 1 comprises:

- at least one ampoule 18 having a body 180 and an opening 182, the at least one ampoule 18 may be configured to receive a fluid inside its body 180 by means of the opening 182, for example a sanitizing fluid and/or a fragrance for rooms,

- at least one absorbent element 20 configured to absorb the fluid, the at least one absorbent element 20 may be positioned at least partly inside the body 180 of the at least one ampoule 18,

- at least one piezoelectric element 22 which can be positioned in contact with the at least one absorbent element 20 and configured for nebulizing the fluid, for example transforming the fluid into aerosols, through vibrations of a body of the at least one piezoelectric element 22,

- a control unit 24 configured for actuating the at least one piezoelectric element 22,

- a base 26 having at least a first through hole 260 such that the at least one ampoule 18 can be positioned at a first surface 26A of the base 26 and the at least one piezoelectric element 22 is positioned at a second surface 26B of the base 26, the second surface 26B being opposite the first surface 26 A,

- at least one supporting platform 28 having a second through hole 280, positioned at the second surface 26B of the base 26 and configured for supporting the at least one piezoelectric element 22 at the at least a second through hole 280, such that:

- the absorbent element 20, for example made of cotton, can be inserted through the at least one first through hole 260 and the second through hole 280, and

- the supporting platform 28 can be coupled in a sealed fashion with the base 26 at the at least one first through hole 260.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the device 1 may comprise a plurality of dispensing zones, for example four zones, each zone comprising a ampoule 18, an absorbent element 20, a first through hole 260 in the base 26, a supporting platform 28, a piezoelectric element 22 and a dispensing nozzle 10. The control unit 24 may be configured to operate the piezoelectric elements 22 in any combination, for example individually or simultaneously.

According to one or more embodiments, the device 1 comprises a plurality of full-bridges configured for powering the piezoelectric elements 22. In particular, the bridges allow the piezoelectric crystals to be powered at their nominal voltage, but adopting a power supply equal to half. In addition to the advantage previously discussed, the bridges allow the replacement of self-oscillating circuits, which use inductors, with precision timers, which use RC circuits. In this way, the components used, having tolerances with extremely low values, make the oscillation very stable and substantially unchanging. Moreover, thanks to this solution, it is possible to control continuously and independently the oscillation frequency of the individual piezoelectric crystals.

For simplicity, the description below refers to a single dispensing zone comprising an ampoule 18, an absorbent element 20, a piezoelectric element 22 etc., however, the description may extend to each dispensing zone of the device 1.

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the first through hole 260 and the second through hole 280 may have the same centre. The absorbent element 20 can be inserted through the first and second through holes 260, 280 at the centre of the holes 260, 280.

According to one aspect, the piezoelectric element 22 may comprise a third hole 220, smaller than the first hole 260 and the second hole 280, for example between 1 pm and 4 pm, preferably 3 pm. An end 20A of the absorbent element 20 is in contact, partly or totally, with the piezoelectric element 22. The piezoelectric element 22 may comprise a mesh disc, that is to say, a disc equipped with micro holes coupled with a piezoelectric crystal ring; the mesh disc may vibrate at the same frequency as the piezoelectric crystal ring, for example between 100 kFIz and 150 kFIz, preferably 112 kFIz. It is preferable to use a resonance frequency which makes it possible to minimize reactive components, providing a maximum vibration efficiency.

The control unit 24 may actuate the piezoelectric element 22 which, by vibrating, nebulizes the fluid present at the end 20A of the absorbent element 20. In other words, the mechanical action of vibrating the piezoelectric element 22 allows the passage of the fluid, at the end 20A of the absorbent element 20, from a liquid state to a gaseous state. The nebulized fluid, in the form of an aerosol, may pass through the third hole 220 of the piezoelectric element 22 and be dispensed through the nozzle 10 of the nebulizing device 1.

According to one aspect, the supporting platform 28 may be at least partly inserted in the first through hole 260, as illustrated in Figures 4 to 6. In particular, the supporting platform 28 may have a central portion 282, for example with a diameter substantially equal to the first through hole 260, and a peripheral portion 284, located at the outer sides of the central portion 282. The second through hole 280 may be located at the central portion. The central portion 282 can thus be inserted inside the first through hole 260. Advantageously, the dimensions of the central portion 282 of the supporting platform 28 substantially equal to the first central hole 26 allow a sealed coupling with the base 26 at the first through hole 260.

Optionally, the nebulizing device 1 may comprise a seal 286, for example annular and/or elastic, which can be positioned at the central portion 282 of the supporting platform 28. For example, the seal 286 may surround, partly or entirely, the central portion 282. The seal 286 may be simultaneously in contact with side walls of the central portion 282 and of the first through hole 260. Advantageously, the seal 286 facilitates a sealed coupling between the base 26 and the supporting platform 28. In effect, thanks to the sealed coupling, the fluid is not able to flow from the ampoule 18 towards the piezoelectric element 22 other than by means of the absorbent element 20. For this reason, escape of liquid is minimised and the device can be positioned in any desired orientation, even for example with the nozzles 10 facing towards the ground and the ampoules 18 positioned with the opening 180 facing towards the ground. Advantageously, in this way, the fluid in liquid form cannot escape from the nebulizing device 1 since the base 26 has a sealed coupling with the supporting platform and the third hole 220 of the piezoelectric element 22 has a reduced size such as to prevent the passage of fluid.

As already discussed, the supporting platform 28 may be moved towards or away from the absorbent element 20, for example along the third direction Z. In this way, the end 20A of the absorbent element 20 may be kept in contact with the piezoelectric element 22. Advantageously, this facilitates a correct operation of the nebulizing device 1 , in effect, if the absorbent element 20 is not in contact with the piezoelectric element 22 the nebulizing of the fluid fails.

The device may comprise at least one pair of fixing elements 30, for example screws, and a pair of elastic elements 34, for example springs. The elastic elements 34 may be wound around respective fixing elements 30.

According to one aspect, the fixing elements 30 may be configured for coupling the supporting platform 28 to the base 26, for example the pair of fixing elements 30 may be engaged with the peripheral portion 284 of the supporting platform 28, for example at opposite ends of the peripheral portion 284. The supporting platform 28 may comprise further through holes in which the fixing elements 30 can be inserted. Moreover, at each further through hole the supporting platform 28 may comprise a recess configured to receive an end of the respective elastic element 34. In this way, despite the deformation of the elastic element 34, this is able to be kept in position.

The base 26 may comprise a pair of recesses 264, for example at the second surface 26B, such that the recesses 264 can be configured to receive the fixing elements 30 and/or the elastic elements 34. In this way, one end of the elastic elements 34 is kept in position by means of the recesses 264.

According to one aspect, the supporting platform 28 can be moved towards or away from the absorbent element 20 by means of the fixing elements 30. The fixing elements 30 can be adjusted along the third direction Z.

Once adjusted, the fixing elements 30 and the elastic elements 34 act in conjunction to hold the supporting platform 26 in position. In effect, the fixing elements 30, for example by means of a screw head, can apply a pressure at a first surface 28A of the supporting platform 28, and the elastic elements 34 can apply a pressure at a second surface 28B of the supporting platform 28, opposite the first surface 28A, for example by means of a loaded spring. The pressure by the fixing elements 30 and by the elastic elements 34 may be applied at a same portion of the supporting platform 28, for example thanks to the fact that a spring may be positioned around a respective screw.

Advantageously, the supporting platform 28 and, consequently, the piezoelectric element 22 are thus held firmly in position, and a continuous contact with the absorbent element 20 is facilitated.

According to one aspect, the nebulizing device 1 may comprise a first element 340 made of magnetic or ferromagnetic material at the at least one first through hole 260 and the ampoule may comprise a second element 184 made of magnetic or ferromagnetic material. In this way, the first element 340 and the second element 184 can be configured for coupling magnetically. For example, one or both of the first and second elements 340, 184 may be magnets configured to attract.

According to one aspect, the ampoule 18 may comprise an opening 180 partly closed by the second magnetic or ferromagnetic element 184. For example, the second magnetic or ferromagnetic element 184 may be at a predetermined distance from an end, for example upper, of the ampoule 18 such that, during the coupling, the first magnetic or ferromagnetic element 340 is at least partly inserted inside the opening 180 of the ampoule 18.

The second magnetic or ferromagnetic element 184 may be positioned in such a way as to allow the insertion of the absorbent element 20 inside the body 180 of the ampoule 18. In this way, the ampoule 18, when inserted in the nebulizing device 1 , may be held in position by a magnetic coupling between the first element 340 and the second element 184. Advantageously, this allows a quick and easy coupling of the ampoule 18 to the device 1.

According to one or more embodiments, the first through hole 260 may have a reduction 262 in diameter, for example at the first surface 26A, which defines an end of stroke element. In this way, an engagement block 34 can be inserted, in a removable manner, inside the first through hole 260. The block 34 may be configured to engage the ampoule 18 and hold it in position at the first surface 26A of the base 26. The ampoule 18 may engage with the block 34 at the opening 182.

According to one aspect, the first magnetic or ferromagnetic element 340 may be included in or coupled to the block 34 in such a way as to engage the second magnetic or ferromagnetic element 184 when it is positioned close to the first magnetic or ferromagnetic element 340.

According to one aspect, the second magnetic or ferromagnetic element 184 may be at a predetermined distance from the end of the ampoule 18 which has the opening 180. In this way, during the coupling between the ampoule 18 and the engagement block 34, the first element 340 may be at least partly inserted in the opening 180 of the ampoule 18. Advantageously, this allows a more secure coupling of the ampoule 18 inside the device 1.

According to one or more embodiments, the control unit 24 may be able to check an insertion of the ampoules 18 inside the nebulizing device 1. Advantageously, this makes it possible to check that the correct ampoule 18 is positioned in the correct position and/or that the coupling between the ampoule and the nebulizing device 1 is performed in an adequate manner.

According to one aspect, the control unit 24 may be connected, directly or indirectly, for example by means of a wireless network such as Wi-Fi, to a portable electronic device, for example a PC or a smartphone.

The control unit 24 may be configured for:

- actuating the piezoelectric elements 22,

- checking if an overload of one or more piezoelectric elements 22 occurs,

- if there is an overload of a certain piezoelectric element 22, it is possible to power that piezoelectric element 22 and transmit an alarm signal to the electronic device, for example a smartphone by means of an app, and/or

- if an overload does not occur, transmitting a correct insertion signal to the electronic device.

According to one aspect, the control unit 24 may be configured to activate the dispensing of nebulized fluid only if all the ampoules 18 are installed correctly inside the device 1.

More specifically, the overload of a piezoelectric element 22 may occur because the piezoelectric elements work off-load, that is to say, the absorbent element 20 is not in contact with the respective piezoelectric element 22, or because the absorbent element 20 contains not very much liquid or is dry.

One or more embodiments may refer to a sanitizing system, for example a system (loT) for the automatic sanitizing of rooms of any type, comprising:

- at least one nebulizing device 1 as illustrated above, which is able to dispense a sanitizing device since the fluid contained inside one or more ampoules 18 comprises at least one sanitizer, and

- at least one sensor, designed for detecting at least one presence of the sanitizer in the form of aerosol and for transmitting a signal indicating said presence to the control unit 24 of the nebulizing device 1. According to one aspect, the sensor may be connected to the control unit 24, for example in a wired or wireless manner (by means of a wireless network such as Wi-Fi).

According to one aspect, the nebulizing device 1 may comprise, in an optional manner, at least one antenna for creating a flexible and scalable network of diffusers controlled by Wi-Fi which allows a homogeneous distribution of the disinfectant in the entire space to be sanitized to be guaranteed. The antenna, if present, may be configured for communicating with the sensor and/or with the electronic device, for example a smartphone, which may be configured for adjusting an operation of the nebulizing device 1. For example, from the electronic device it is possible to set up dispensing times, the particular fluid to be dispensed, an automatic planned dispensing, etc.

The control unit 24 is in turn configured for adjusting a dispensing of nebulized fluid as a function of the signal received, which may indicate one or more parameters associated with the sanitizing fluid, for example a concentration in the air, a chemical composition, the strength of the sanitizing fluid.

The sensor may be installed in a closed place at a predetermined distance from the device 1. The control unit 24 may be configured for adjusting the dispensing of nebulized fluid also as a function of the predetermined distance.

According to one aspect, the control unit 24 may be configured for transmitting an alarm signal, for example to an electronic device such as a PC or a smartphone, if the signal received indicates that a certain parameter, for example the concentration of sanitizer or the strength of the fluid, reaches (for example, is greater than) a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold may indicate a level beyond which the sanitizer may be harmful for human health.

According to one aspect, the system may comprise a temperature sensor, which can be positioned at the nebulizing device and configured for measuring a temperature and transmitting it to the control unit 24.

The control unit 24 may be configured to adjust a drive of the piezoelectric element 22 as a function of the temperature measured, for example by adjusting the oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric element 22. Advantageously, this makes it possible to keep constant a level of dispensing of the sanitizing device in the air. In effect, a lower temperature may result in a smaller dispensing range and the jet tends to remain concentrated close to the nozzle 10. On the other hand, a higher temperature may result in a larger and more rarefied product dispensing range. A constant dispensing over time is desirable.

The nebulizing device and the sanitizing system may lead to one or more advantages, for example it is possible to replace manual sanitizing with automatic sanitizing, reducing costs, increasing environmental sustainability by limiting the dispensing of the sanitizing device to the amount strictly necessary for reducing the bacterial and viral charge and keeping constant the effectiveness of the disinfectant action, modulating the dispensing power by a closed chain control of the ambient temperature and the strength of the disinfectant solution. The automation provided also makes it possible to better guarantee the safety of the persons controlling by means of a suitable system of sensors the deterioration of the sanitizing chemical agents below the toxicity threshold and therefore signalling by means of an APP the possibility of accessing the treated rooms in complete safety.

Advantageously, the nebulizing device is designed to create a flexible and scalable network of diffusers controlled by Wi-Fi which allows a homogeneous distribution of the disinfectant in the entire space to be sanitized to be guaranteed; the device therefore constitutes the base module of an loT system for the automatic sanitizing of spaces of any size. Advantageously, the flexible and scalable loT system comprises a modular structure defined by the individual nebulizing devices. The modular loT structure is able to operate in an optimum manner in any type of configuration desired by the user and, following a CFD analysis of the diffusion of the sanitizer in the environment by the diffuser according to the invention, allows the creation of a connected topologic space wherein the concentration of the sanitizer is constant in the entire environment and sufficient to guarantee the reduction of the viral and bacterial load at any point of it.

In one or more embodiments, as depicted in figure 7, the device may comprise at least a pair of fixing elements 30 such as threaded grains and a pair of tightening elements 36, such as hex nuts. The fixing elements 30 and the tightening elements 36 can be adjusted to move the supporting platform 28 away or towards the absorbent element 20 along the Z axis. The fixing and tightening elements 30, 36 can cooperate to maintain the absorbent element 20 in contact with the piezoelectric element 22.

As already discussed above, the fixing elements 30 may be configured for coupling the supporting platform 28 to the base 26, for example the pair of fixing elements 30 may be engaged with the peripheral portion 284 of the supporting platform 28, for example at opposite ends of the peripheral portion 284. The supporting platform 28 may comprise further through holes in which the fixing elements 30 can be inserted.

The fixing elements 30 are configured for coupling the supporting platform 28 to the base 26. The base 26 may comprise a pair of recesses 264, for example at the second surface 26B, such that the recesses 264 can be configured to receive at least partially the fixing elements 30 and/or the tightening element 36.

The fixing elements 30 can thus be introduced into the through holes of the peripheral portion 284 and a second end of the fiing element 30 may be received within the recesses 264.

The fixing element 30 may comprise a first end protruding from the first surface 28A of the supporting platform 28 and the second end firmly coupled to the base 26 by means of the recess 264. The portions of the fixing element 30 at, e.g. immediately adjacent to, the first surface 28A and at, e.g. immediately adjacent to, the second surface 28B of the supporting element 28 may be coupled with the tightening elements 36. In other words, the tightening element 36 are configured to maintain the supporting element 28 in position by means of the coupling thereof with the fixing elements and the tightening elements 36.

During the insertion of the fixing element 30 within the further through holes of the peripheral portion 284 of the supporting platform 28, once the second end of the fixing element 30 passes through the through hole of the peripheral portion 284, the second tightening element 36 may be coupled to the fixing element 30 at the second end. Subsequently, the second end of the fixing element 30 may be introduced into the recess 264. The second tightening element 36 may be moved along a length of the fixing element 30 through a rotation movement. The first tightening element 36 may be coupled to the fixing element 30 at the first end thereof.

The tightening elements 36 may be moved, e.g. through a rotation movement, along the fixing element 30 towards each other so that the tightening elements 36 come into contact with the first and second surfaces 28A, 28B of the supporting element 28. That is, once mounted on the respective fixing element 30, the first tightening element 36 may apply a pressure at the first surface 28A of the supporting platform 28 and the second tightening element 36 may apply a pressure at the second surface 28B of the supporting platform 28.