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EP-4735057-A1 - SANITISATION APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES, IN PARTICULAR BUSES OR COACHES, AND METHOD FOR SANITIZING A VEHICLE

EP4735057A1EP 4735057 A1EP4735057 A1EP 4735057A1EP-4735057-A1

Abstract

A sanitisation apparatus (1) for vehicles, in particular buses or coaches, comprising at least one radiating body (2) and activation means (3) associable with the radiating body (2) to allow and/or prohibit a radiation emission. Furthermore, the apparatus (1) comprises detection means (4) adapted to detect at least one operating parameter of the sanitisation apparatus (1) and/or of the vehicle and generate at least one detection signal (SR) representative of the at least one operating parameter. In particular, the apparatus (1) comprises a control unit (5) configured to receive the detection signal (SR), generate a command signal (SC) as a function of the contents of the detection signal (SR) and/or as a function of at least one preset operating parameter and to send the command signal (SC) to the activation means (3) to perform sanitisation at least as a function of the contents of the detection signal (SR) and/or of the at least one preset operating parameter.

Inventors

  • BONACCORSI, Manuele

Assignees

  • Azienda Trasporti Verona S.r.l. - Atv S.r.l.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240626

Claims (13)

  1. 1. A sanitisation apparatus (1 ) for vehicles, in particular buses or coaches, comprising: - at least one radiating body (2) adapted to emit at least one radiation to perform an at least partial sanitisation of an environment of a vehicle; - activation means (3) associable with said at least one radiating body (2) to allow and/or prohibit an emission of radiation from said at least one radiating body (2); - detection means (4) adapted to detect at least one operating parameter of said sanitisation apparatus and/or of the vehicle and generate at least one detection signal (SR) representative of said at least one operating parameter; - a control unit (5) configured to: • receive said at least one detection signal (SR) representative of the at least one operating parameter, including the temperature and/or humidity of the air, the geometry of the environment to be sanitised, the physical properties of the objects arranged within the environment to be sanitised, and/or the time of use of the environment to be sanitised or of one or more specific objects present in said environment; • generate a command signal (SC) as a function of the contents of said at least one detection signal (SR) and/or as a function of at least one preset operating parameter; • send said command signal (SC) to said activation means (3) to perform said sanitisation at least as a function of the contents in said detection signal (SR) and/or of said at least one preset operating parameter.
  2. 2. The sanitisation apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of radiating bodies (2) operatively connected to perform an at least partial sanitisation of an environment of the vehicle.
  3. 3. The sanitisation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one radiating body (2) comprises at least one UV ray source, preferably a IIV-C ray source.
  4. 4. The sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one radiating body (2) comprises at least one directable and/or movable appendage.
  5. 5. The sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising movement means (6) configured to move said at least one radiating body (2) between a plurality of operating positions; and wherein said control unit (5) is configured to generate a movement signal (SM) as a function of the contents of said at least one detection signal (SR) and to send said movement signal (SM) to said movement means (6) to move said at least one radiating body (2) at least as a function of the contents in said detection signal (SR).
  6. 6. The sanitisation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said movement means (6) and said control unit (5) are operatively connected to move each of said at least one radiating body (2) between a plurality of respective operating positions in a mutually independent manner.
  7. 7. The sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said detection means (4) comprises at least one telecamera (7) and/or a camera and/or a video camera adapted to detect at least one physical and/or geometric parameter of the environment, said at least one detection signal (SR) being representative of said at least one physical and/or geometric parameter of the environment to be sanitised.
  8. 8. The sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said detection means (4) comprises: - at least one distance sensor (8) adapted to detect a distance between said at least one radiating body (2) and at least one object to be sanitised arranged in the environment of the vehicle; and/or - at least one opening sensor (9) for the doors and/or the windows of the vehicle; and/or - at least one presence sensor (10) configured to detect the presence of people and/or animals within the environment to be sanitised.
  9. 9. The sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said control unit (5) is configured to regulate at least the power of the radiation emitted by said at least one radiating body (2) and/or the duration of the period of emission of the radiation by said at least one radiating body (2).
  10. 10. The sanitisation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control unit (5) is configured to regulate the power of the emitted radiation and/or the duration of the emission period as a function of said detection signal (SR).
  11. 11. The sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising safety means (12) active on said activation means (3) for reversibly switching it between an active configuration, in which it is activatable on said at least one radiating body (2) to allow and/or prohibit a radiation emission, and an inactive configuration, in which it is not active on said at least one radiating body (2).
  12. 12. A vehicle, in particular a bus or coach, comprising: - an environment adapted to contain at least one person to be transported; - a sanitisation apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims; wherein said at least one radiating body (2) is arranged at least partially within said environment; and wherein said sanitisation apparatus is configured to perform a sanitisation of said environment.
  13. 13. A method for sanitising a vehicle, in particular a bus or coach, comprising the steps of: - providing at least one radiating body (2) at least partially within an environment of a vehicle, said at least one radiating body (2) being adapted to emit at least one radiation to perform an at least partial sanitisation of the environment of the vehicle; - obtaining at least one detection of at least one operating parameter of the vehicle including, preferably, the source-surface distance to be sanitised, quantity of suspended dusts, type of material and/or roughness of the surface to be sanitised; - actuating said radiating body (2) as a function of said at least one detection.

Description

“SANITISATION APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES, IN PARTICULAR BUSES OR COACHES, AND METHOD FOR SANITISING A VEHICLE” DESCRIPTION * * * * * Technical field The present invention relates to a sanitisation apparatus for vehicles, in particular buses or coaches, and a vehicle, in particular a bus or a coach. The present invention finds a wide field of application in the field of means for public - and possible also private - transport that guarantee an effective service to the community by allowing the simultaneous transport of a plurality of passengers, for example buses, coaches, trains, metro, trolleybuses, trams and the like. The invention also relates to a vehicle, in particular a bus or coach, comprising the aforementioned sanitisation apparatus. The invention also refers to a method for sanitising a vehicle, in particular for sanitising a bus or coach. Preferably, said method is implemented with the aforesaid sanitisation apparatus on the aforesaid vehicles. * * * * * Prior art The large influx of people, together with the narrowness of the shared spaces, makes the environments inside the vehicles particularly thriving for the proliferation of microorganisms and the spread of viruses and bacteria. Aerating the environments of the vehicles is generally carried out at the end of the service in order to limit this diffusion. However, this procedure is not able to guarantee the complete sanitisation of the vehicle's internal environments, turning out as essentially ineffective. To this end, sanitisation apparatuses have been developed with the aim of guaranteeing a more efficient sanitisation and, therefore, an increased level of safety for the passengers. Some of these apparatuses use ozone generators that make it possible to neutralise microorganisms thanks to the oxidising properties of ozone, a molecule found in nature and artificially reproduced by these machines. However, ozone sanitisation has several disadvantages. In fact, exposure to ozone can damage some materials (fabrics, tires, plastics...) causing rapid wear of the objects (seats, seals, handles and the like) present within the environment to be sanitised. It should also be pointed out that ozone is a carcinogenic gas according to the directives of the Ministry of Health and an irritant for the respiratory tract that can cause lung problems and irritation to the eyes if inhaled in high concentrations. Therefore, ozone sanitisation procedures must ensure the absence of people within the environment to be sanitised during ozone delivery. Disadvantageously, moreover, ozone tends to accumulate in indoor environments and, therefore, additional aeration procedures may be necessary in order to ensure complete safety for people's health. An alternative to the use of ozone is represented by the sanitisation apparatuses that exploit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, the use of ultraviolet rays for sanitisation also has several drawbacks. In fact, the efficacy of sanitisation by UV radiation is closely linked to the exposure time, the distance from the UV radiation source, the material with which the surface is made, the roughness of the latter, the presence of any shadow cones or suspended dusts that reduce the quantity of energy transferred to the body to be sanitised. Inevitably, moreover, the distance is strictly dependent on the geometry and arrangement of the objects within the environment to be sanitised. Furthermore, the exposure time may vary depending on the material of which the objects are composed and the energy absorbed or deflected by the airborne fine dust. It should be pointed out that inadequate exposure to UV radiation can cause damage to materials such as plastic, rubber, fabrics and electronic components, therefore, the emitted radiation must be properly calibrated in such a way as to avoid damage to the environment, but, at the same time, to ensure effective sanitisation. In essence, the apparatuses currently on the market are not able to guarantee an effective and homogeneous sanitisation of the surfaces and objects arranged within the environment to be sanitised, nor to adapt to the conformation, nature or distance of the surfaces with respect to the source of emission of UV rays or to the presence of airborne fine dust that reduces their efficacy. * * * * * Summary In this context, the task of the present invention is to make available a sanitisation apparatus for vehicles, in particular buses or coaches, and a vehicle, in particular a bus or a coach, capable of overcoming the drawbacks shown by the prior art. In particular, an object of the present invention is to propose a sanitisation apparatus for vehicles, in particular buses or coaches, and a vehicle, in particular a bus or a coach, having an increased sanitising efficacy compared to the apparatuses of the prior art. A further object of the present invention is to propose a sanitisation apparatus for vehicles, in particular buses or coaches, and a vehicle, in particular a bus