US 12,330,815 B2
Method and apparatus for disinfecting a vehicle interior
Mark R. Gurvich, Middletown, CT (US)
Assigned to AMI Industries, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO (US)
Filed by AMI Industries, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/342,141.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/036,677, filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0380281 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. B64F 5/30 (2017.01); A61L 2/06 (2006.01); A61L 2/24 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 5/30 (2017.01) [A61L 2/06 (2013.01); A61L 2/24 (2013.01); A61L 2202/14 (2013.01); A61L 2202/15 (2013.01); A61L 2202/16 (2013.01); A61L 2202/25 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for disinfecting an interior space in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
providing a vehicle having an interior space;
providing at least one portable disinfecting apparatus configured to supply heated air;
determining critical levels of heated air in the interior space of the vehicle required to neutralize effects of at least one predetermined pathogen;
positioning the at least one portable disinfecting apparatus in the interior space of the vehicle;
activating the at least one portable disinfecting apparatus to supply the heated air to achieve the determined critical levels of the heated air in the interior space of the vehicle;
maintaining the achieved critical levels of the heated air in the interior space for a determined critical time period to disinfect the interior space;
providing at least one portable exhausting apparatus;
positioning the at least one portable exhausting apparatus in the interior space of the vehicle remote from the at least one portable disinfecting apparatus; and
upon deactivation of the at least one portable disinfecting apparatus after the determined critical time period, activating the at least one portable exhausting apparatus to exhaust the heated and humidified air from the interior space to cool the interior space;
wherein the at least one portable disinfecting apparatus comprises:
a housing defining an internal area, at least one ambient air inlet, and at least one heated air outlet;
a heated air generator positioned in the internal area of the housing and including a heating element;
a blower positioned in the internal area of the housing, the blower configured to flow heated air generated by the heated air generator out through the at least one heated air outlet; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the heated air generator, the controller including a processor configured to activate the heated air generator to achieve the determined critical levels of the heated air in the internal area of the vehicle and maintain the determined critical levels of the heated air for the determined critical time period; and
wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, the interior space is a passenger cabin in the aircraft, and each of the at least one portable disinfecting apparatus and the at least one portable exhausting apparatus is implemented as a galley cart.