Disinfection method for mattresses and the like
View Patent ↗A disinfection system and method disinfect relatively large, unwieldy articles such as mattresses and the like. The disinfection system includes two basic components, including a barrier delivery, containment apparatus and an air treatment apparatus. The barrier delivery, containment apparatus includes at least one gas-impermeable barrier and a barrier delivery mechanism for lifting and supporting the article or mattress within the gas-impermeable barrier. The air treatment apparatus is in circulatory communication with the gas-impermeable barrier and configured to circulate apparatus-treated air through the gas-impermeable barrier for disinfecting the article or mattress as lifted and supported by the barrier delivery mechanism. The air treatment apparatus treats air by at least one of ozonating the air and heating the air during the disinfection process. The barrier delivery mechanism is collapsible and portable for easing transport of the system between applications. In some embodiments, a layered gas-impermeable barrier arrangement is provided.
1 . A disinfection method for disinfecting an article, the disinfection method comprising the steps of:
supporting an article vertically by a support structure, the article having an article width and an article length, the article and support structure being horizontally stationary;
positioning a barrier delivery, containment apparatus at a first end of the article, the barrier delivery, containment apparatus comprising at least one gas-impermeable barrier and a barrier delivery mechanism;
the barrier delivery mechanism comprising a front end, a rear end, and a plurality of support rollers extending in spaced relation to one another intermediate the front and rear ends, the plurality of support rollers each having a roller length at least equal to the article width;
the front end comprising a wedge-shaped lead element extending in parallel relation to a first support roller at the front end, the wedge-shaped lead element having an element length at least equal to the roller length;
directing the barrier delivery mechanism toward the article such that the wedge-shaped lead element wedges intermediate the article and the support structure remaining horizontally stationary thereby raising the article and enabling the article to roll atop the plurality of support rollers as the barrier delivery mechanism is directed along the article length;
simultaneously enveloping the article within the at least one gas-impermeable barrier while the barrier delivery mechanism is directed along the article length; and
circulating apparatus-treated air through the at least one gas-impermeable barrier by way of an air treatment apparatus in circulatory communication therewith.
2 . The disinfection method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier delivery mechanism comprises opposed roller-receiving tracks;
the plurality of support rollers being supported by frame sections of conveyor roller segments rollably received in the opposed roller-receiving tracks by roller wheels;
the roller wheels being located outside the gas-impermeable barrier and attached to the frame sections by way of gasketed apertures formed in the gas-impermeable barrier, the gas-impermeable barrier enveloping the support rollers and the article while apparatus-treated air circulates within the gas-impermeable barrier.
3 . The disinfection method according to claim 1 comprising the step of adjusting a height of the front end and the rear end such that the wedge-shaped lead element is height positioned intermediate the article and the support structure before the barrier delivery mechanism is directed theretoward.
4 . The disinfection method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier delivery, containment apparatus is reconfigurable intermediate a stowage configuration and an application configuration, the barrier delivery mechanism of the barrier delivery containment apparatus being directed into the application configuration from the stowage configuration while directing the barrier delivery mechanism along the article length.
5 . The disinfection method according to claim 4 , wherein the barrier delivery, containment apparatus comprises a vertical stowage configuration and a horizontal application configuration, the barrier delivery mechanism being retractable into the vertical stowage configuration for portability of the barrier delivery, containment apparatus after circulating apparatus-treated air through the at least one gas-impermeable barrier.
6 . The disinfection method according to claim 5 , wherein the wedge-shaped lead element is height adjusted for horizontal insertion intermediate the article and the support structure before the barrier delivery mechanism is directed into the horizontal application configuration.
7 . The disinfection method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier delivery, containment apparatus comprises a plurality series of layered gas-impermeable barriers including an interior bottom bladder barrier, an interior top bladder barrier, and an exterior over-barrier, the interior bottom bladder barrier and the interior top bladder barrier for directing apparatus-treated air against article surfacing, the exterior over-barrier for enveloping the interior bottom bladder barrier and the interior top bladder barrier and exhausting apparatus-treated air back to the air treatment apparatus.
8 . The disinfection method according to claim 7 , wherein the interior bottom bladder barrier and the interior top bladder barrier each comprise article-opposing surfacing, the article-opposing surfacing comprising a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures for directing apparatus-treated air against article surfacing.
9 . The disinfection method according to claim 1 , wherein the air treatment apparatus treats air by at least one of ozonating the air and heating the air.
10 . A disinfection method for disinfecting an article, the disinfection method comprising the steps of:
providing a barrier delivery, containment apparatus, the barrier delivery, containment apparatus comprising opposed roller-receiving tracks, a gas-impermeable barrier and a barrier delivery mechanism;
the gas-impermeable barrier being configured to encase the article via a closable open end;
the barrier delivery mechanism comprising a front end, a rear end, and a plurality of support rollers extending in spaced relation to one another intermediate the front and rear ends;
the plurality of support rollers being supported by frame sections of conveyor roller segments rollably received in the opposed roller-receiving tracks by roller wheels;
the roller wheels being located outside the gas-impermeable barrier and attached to the frame sections by way of gasketed apertures formed in the gas-impermeable barrier;
positioning the closable open end adjacent a first side of the article;
directing the barrier delivery mechanism along an article length of the article thereby simultaneously lifting and supporting the article while enveloping the article within the gas-impermeable barrier;
closing the closable open end at a second side of the article opposite the first side thereby encasing the article within the gas-impermeable barrier; and
circulating apparatus-treated air through the gas-impermeable barrier in adjacency to the article as encased within the gas-impermeable barrier thereby immersing the article in the circulating apparatus-treated air;
the gas-impermeable barrier enveloping both the support rollers and the article while apparatus-treated air circulates within the gas-impermeable barrier.
11 . The disinfection method according to claim 10 , wherein the article is supported by a support structure, the article having an article width;
the plurality of support rollers each having a roller length at least equal to the article width;
the front end comprising a wedge-shaped lead element extending in parallel relation to a first support roller at the front end, the wedge-shaped lead element having an element length at least equal to the roller length;
directing the barrier delivery mechanism along the article length such that the wedge-shaped lead element wedges intermediate the article and the support structure thereby raising the article and enabling the article to roll atop the plurality of support rollers as the barrier delivery mechanism is directed along the article length.
12 . The disinfection method according to claim 11 comprising the step of adjusting a height of the barrier delivery mechanism before directing the barrier delivery mechanism toward the article so as to position the wedge-shaped lead element for horizontal insertion intermediate the article and the support structure.
13 . The disinfection method according to claim 10 , wherein the barrier delivery, containment apparatus is reconfigurable intermediate a vertical stowage configuration and a horizontal application configuration.
14 . The disinfection method according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of support rollers are configured to rollably elevate the article within the gas-impermeable barrier when transitioning from the vertical stowage configuration to the horizontal application configuration.
15 . The disinfection method according to claim 14 , wherein the vertical stowage configuration is enabled by a vertically-oriented roller-support carriage and the horizontal application configuration is enabled by a horizontally-oriented roller-support carriage, the vertically-oriented roller support carriage and the horizontally-oriented roller-support carriage both comprising opposed roller-receiving tracks for rollably supporting the support rollers.
16 . The disinfection method according to claim 15 , wherein the barrier delivery, containment apparatus comprises opposed side rail assemblies stowable upon the vertically-oriented roller-support carriage when in the vertical stowage configuration, the opposed side rail assemblies being removable from the vertically-oriented roller support carriage and attachable to a lower end of the vertically-oriented roller-support carriage when reconfigured into the horizontal application configuration.
17 . The disinfection method according to claim 16 , wherein roller-receiving tracks of each side rail assembly are placed in-line with roller-receiving tracks of the vertically-oriented roller-support carriage thereby together providing L-shaped roller-receiving tracks.
18 . The disinfection method according to claim 10 , wherein the apparatus-treated air is treated by at least one of ozonating the air and heating the air.