Lavatory disinfection system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJames J. Childress, Mark L. Cloud, Karen Lee Hills
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for disinfecting a lavatory inside a vehicle in response to a set of criteria being met. A determination is made as to whether a set of criteria for activation of a disinfection system that emits far-ultraviolet radiation to perform a disinfection process inside a lavatory has been met. In response to a determination that the set of criteria has been met, the disinfection system is activated to perform the disinfection process inside the lavatory using the far-ultraviolet radiation.
Claims26
An apparatus comprising:
- a disinfection system to perform a disinfection process inside a lavatory when the lavatory is not in use, wherein the disinfection system is inactive when the lavatory is in use;
- and
- an activation system that controls activation and deactivation of the disinfection system;
- wherein the disinfection system comprises a source of far ultraviolet radiation, the source located in or on a ceiling of the lavatory to perform the disinfection process on at least one surface inside the lavatory.
A method for disinfecting a lavatory, the method comprising:
- determining whether a set of criteria for activation of a disinfection system to perform a disinfection process inside the lavatory has been met;
- and
- activating the disinfection system to perform the disinfection process inside the lavatory in response to a determination that the set of criteria has been met;
- wherein the disinfection system comprises a source of far ultraviolet radiation, the source located in or on a wall of the lavatory and configured to perform the disinfection process on at least one surface inside the lavatory.
A method for disinfecting a lavatory, the method comprising:
- determining whether the lavatory is unoccupied;
- determining whether the lavatory has been occupied a selected number of times since a previous disinfection of the lavatory, in response to a determination that the lavatory is unoccupied;
- determining whether a door to the lavatory is closed in response to a determination that the lavatory has been occupied the selected number of times since the previous disinfection of the lavatory;
- activating a disinfection system to perform a disinfection process inside the lavatory in response to a determination that the door is closed;
- and
- deactivating the disinfection system after completion of the disinfection process;
- wherein the disinfection system comprises a source of far ultraviolet radiation located in or on a ceiling or a wall of the lavatory and configured to perform the disinfection process on at least one surface inside the lavatory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.