US-12617058-B2 - Systems and methods for automated cleaning of mobile user devices

US12617058B2US 12617058 B2US12617058 B2US 12617058B2US-12617058-B2

Abstract

A cleaning station may include an input nest that receives a device and transfers the device to a first rotation nest. The first rotation nest may position the device under a first nozzle and rotational nozzles. The first nozzle may clean a first face of the device with dry ice pellets, and the rotational nozzles may clean a first pair of sides of the device with dry ice pellets. The first rotation nest may rotate the device ninety degrees, and the rotational nozzles may clean a second pair of sides of the device with dry ice pellets. A second rotation nest may remove the device from the first rotation nest and may position the device over a second nozzle. The second nozzle may clean a second face of the device with dry ice pellets, and the second rotation nest may transfer the device to an output nest.

Inventors

Thomas David RAYAS
Ronald Wayne FLECK, JR.
Carolina HERRERA

Assignees

VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230419

Claims (20)

1 . A cleaning station, comprising: a plate nest support stage that supports an input nest and an output nest and is configured to slide in and out of the cleaning station; the input nest configured to receive a mobile user device; a vacuum nest configured to retrieve the mobile user device from the input nest and to transfer the mobile user device to a first rotation nest of the cleaning station; the first rotation nest configured to position the mobile user device under a bidirectional nozzle assembly of the cleaning station; a first blast nozzle, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, configured to clean, based on a cleaning recipe, a first face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; a pair of rotational nozzles, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, configured to clean a first pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; the first rotation nest configured to rotate the mobile user device ninety degrees; the pair of rotational nozzles configured to clean a second pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; a second rotation nest configured to remove the mobile user device from the first rotation nest and to position the mobile user device over a second blast nozzle of the cleaning station; the second blast nozzle configured to clean a second face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; and the second rotation nest configured to transfer the mobile user device to the output nest for removal from the cleaning station.
2 . The cleaning station of claim 1 , further comprising: a base pneumatic slide along which the plate nest support stage slides in and out of the cleaning station.
3 . The cleaning station of claim 1 , further comprising: a defrost heater assembly configured to dry a portion of the mobile user device prior to removal of the mobile user device from the cleaning station.
4 . The cleaning station of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning recipe includes information associated with one or more of: movement speed of the mobile user device under the bidirectional nozzle assembly, a clearance space of the pair of rotational nozzles, blast pressures of the first blast nozzle, the pair of rotational nozzles, and the second blast nozzle, dry ice pellet sizes provided by the first blast nozzle, the pair of rotational nozzles, and the second blast nozzle, or dry ice pellet feed rates provided to the first blast nozzle, the pair of rotational nozzles, and the second blast nozzle.
5 . The cleaning station of claim 1 , wherein the input nest is further configured to receive another mobile user device.
6 . The cleaning station of claim 1 , wherein the mobile user device is a mobile telephone or a tablet computer.
7 . The cleaning station of claim 1 , further comprising: a tray area configured to connect the bidirectional nozzle assembly and the second blast nozzle to a source of dry ice pellets.
8 . A system comprising: a dry ice pellet blasting machine; and a cleaning station comprising: a plate nest support stage that supports an input nest and an output nest and is configured to slide in and out of the cleaning station; the input nest configured to receive, based on a cleaning recipe, a mobile user device; a vacuum nest configured to retrieve the mobile user device from the input nest and to transfer the mobile user device to a first rotation nest of the cleaning station; the first rotation nest configured to position the mobile user device under a bidirectional nozzle assembly of the cleaning station; a first blast nozzle, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, configured to clean a first face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets received from the dry ice pellet blasting machine; a pair of rotational nozzles, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, configured to clean a first pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets received from the dry ice pellet blasting machine; the first rotation nest configured to rotate the mobile user device ninety degrees; the pair of rotational nozzles configured to clean a second pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets received from the dry ice pellet blasting machine; a second rotation nest configured to remove the mobile user device from the first rotation nest and to position the mobile user device over a second blast nozzle of the cleaning station; the second blast nozzle configured to clean a second face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; and the second rotation nest configured to transfer the mobile user device to the output nest for removal from the cleaning station.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the cleaning station further comprises: a base pneumatic slide along which the plate nest support stage slides in and out of the cleaning station.
10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the cleaning station further comprises: a defrost heater assembly configured to dry a portion of the mobile user device prior to removal of the mobile user device from the cleaning station.
11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising: a dust collection system configured to collect dust generated by the dry ice pellet blasting machine.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the input nest includes a stage for supporting the mobile user device.
13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the cleaning station further comprises: a tray area configured to connect the bidirectional nozzle assembly and the second blast nozzle to the dry ice pellet blasting machine.
14 . A system, comprising: a plate nest support stage that supports an input nest and an output nest and is configured to slide in and out of the system; the input nest configured to receive a mobile user device; a vacuum nest configured to retrieve the mobile user device from the input nest and to transfer the mobile user device to a first rotation nest of the system; the first rotation nest configured to position the mobile user device under a bidirectional nozzle assembly of the system; a first blast nozzle, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, configured to clean, based on a cleaning recipe, a first face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; a pair of rotational nozzles, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, configured to clean a first pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; the first rotation nest configured to rotate the mobile user device ninety degrees; and the pair of rotational nozzles configured to clean a second pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets.
15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising: a second rotation nest configured to remove the mobile user device from the first rotation nest and to position the mobile user device over a second blast nozzle of the system; the second blast nozzle configured to clean a second face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets; and the second rotation nest configured to transfer the mobile user device to the output nest for removal from the system.
16 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising: a base pneumatic slide along which the plate nest support stage slides in and out of the system.
17 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising: a defrost heater assembly configured to dry a portion of the mobile user device prior to removal of the mobile user device from the system.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the cleaning recipe includes information associated with one or more of: movement speed of the mobile user device under the bidirectional nozzle assembly, a clearance space of the pair of rotational nozzles, blast pressures of the first blast nozzle, the pair of rotational nozzles, and a second blast nozzle, dry ice pellet sizes provided by the first blast nozzle, the pair of rotational nozzles, and the second blast nozzle, or dry ice pellet feed rates provided to the first blast nozzle, the pair of rotational nozzles, and the second blast nozzle.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the mobile user device is a mobile telephone or a tablet computer, and wherein the input nest is further configured to receive another mobile user device.
20 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising: a tray area configured to connect the bidirectional nozzle assembly and a second blast nozzle to a source of dry ice pellets.

Description

BACKGROUND Utilization of a mobile user device (e.g., a mobile telephone, a tablet computer, and/or the like) may cause the mobile user device to become soiled with dust, dirt, oils from human fingers or ears, and/or the like. The mobile user devices may also be contaminated with bacteria. For example, an average of seventeen thousand bacterial gene copies may be found on a single mobile user device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example automated cleaning system for mobile user devices. FIGS. 2A-2H are diagrams of an example associated with automated cleaning of mobile user devices with the cleaning system of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example mobile user device before and after processing with the cleaning system of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 4 is a diagram of example components of one or more devices of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example process for automated cleaning of mobile user devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. Contaminated mobile user devices may be cleaned and sanitized in a variety of ways, such as via manual cleaning techniques, semi-automated techniques, and/or the like. Manual cleaning techniques may include manual utilization of liquid cleaning solutions, plastic razors, brushes, microfiber cloths, and/or the like to clean mobile user devices. Such techniques typically clean all six surfaces, ports, keys, seams, and/or the like of the mobile user devices. However, manual cleaning techniques are very time consuming, labor intensive, and expensive. Semi-automated techniques may include utilization of liquid cleaning solutions, microfiber cloths, sponges, paper towels, and/or the like to clean mobile user devices. However, such techniques fail to clean ports, keys, seams, and/or the like of the mobile user devices, fail to support cleaning of some models of mobile user devices, and are very time consuming and expensive. Thus, current techniques for cleaning mobile user devices consume computing resources (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, communication resources, and/or the like), machinery resources, and/or other resources associated with manually cleaning mobile user devices, failing to clean certain portions of ports, keys, seams, and/or the like of the mobile user devices, failing to support cleaning of some models of mobile user devices, and/or the like. Some implementations described herein provide a cleaning station that provides automated cleaning of mobile user devices. For example, the cleaning station may include a plate nest support stage that supports an input nest and an output nest and that slides in and out of the cleaning station. The input nest may receive a mobile user device, and a vacuum nest may retrieve the mobile user device from the input nest and may transfer the mobile user device to a first rotation nest of the cleaning station. The first rotation nest may position the mobile user device under a bidirectional nozzle assembly of the cleaning station, and a first blast nozzle, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, may clean, based on a cleaning recipe, a first face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets. A pair of rotational nozzles, of the bidirectional nozzle assembly, may clean a first pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets, and the first rotation nest may rotate the mobile user device ninety degrees. The pair of rotational nozzles may clean a second pair of sides of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets, and a second rotation nest may remove the mobile user device from the first rotation nest and may position the mobile user device over a second blast nozzle of the cleaning station. The second blast nozzle may clean a second face of the mobile user device with dry ice pellets, and the second rotation nest may transfer the mobile user device to the output nest for removal from the cleaning station. In this way, the cleaning station provides automated cleaning of mobile user devices. For example, the cleaning station may be designed to work with a robotic device and a carbon dioxide dry ice pellet source to clean mobile user devices. The dry ice pellet cleaning process utilized by the cleaning station may make the mobile user devices look brand new for reuse in a secondary mobile user device market. Thus, the cleaning station may conserve computing resources, machinery resources, and/or other resources that would have otherwise been consumed by manually cleaning mobile user devices, failing to clean certain portions of ports, keys, seams, and/or the like of the mobile user devices, failing to support cleaning of some models of mobile user devices, and/or the like. FIGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with automated cleaning of mobile user devices.