DEVICE FOR DISINFECTING CABLES AND WIRES AND A METHOD FOR DISINFECTING CABLES AND WIRES

Abstract

A device for disinfecting cables and wires for use in cable coiling/pulling machines which, under their operating conditions, are placed in an environment where the cable/wire is exposed to high exposure to bacteria, viruses and microorganisms, such as pipe ducts, having a body including all parts (2 and 3) of the body (1) have at least one supporting element (5), and the front (7) and rear (8) wall of the body (1) have openings (9) and (10), and furthermore it has electromagnetic radiation sources (12) inside the body (1).

Claims

1. A device for disinfecting cables and wires comprising a body (1) having a first part (2); a second part (3); a front wall (7); a rear wall (8); and an electromagnetic radiation sources (12) inside the body (1); wherein the first and second parts have at least one supporting element (5); wherein the front wall and rear wall have openings (9 and 10) made therein.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting elements have a semi-circular bend (6) forming an opening (11) coaxially positioned with respect to the openings (9 and 10).

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation sources (12) are placed in each part (2 and 3) of the body (1).

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body (1) has a wall (14) with an opening (15) coaxially positioned with respect to the openings (9, 10), arranged between the rear wall (8) of the body and the electromagnetic radiation source (12) to form a chamber (16).

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chamber (16) has a chemical agent spraying nozzle (17) supplied by a line (18) from a chemical agent container.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chamber (16) has an ozone supply outlet (19) via a line (20).

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device has frictional elements for mechanical pre-cleaning of a cable or a wire between the electromagnetic radiation source (12) and the front wall (7) of the body (1).

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation sources (12) are UV LED modules.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation sources (12) are UV diode modules.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation sources (12) are UV LED fluorescent lights.

11. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the UV electromagnetic radiation sources emit radiation in the range of 10-400 nm.

12. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the UV electromagnetic radiation sources emit radiation with a wavelength in the range of 100-280 nm.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation sources (12) are powered by electrical cables (13) led outside the device through a cable gland.

14. A method of disinfecting cables and wires, placing the cable or wire, on a disinfecting device (22) having the ability of winding it up, pulling cable or wire through a body (1) of the disinfecting device; and exposing cable or wire to UV electromagnetic radiation in the range of 10-400 nm.

15. The method of disinfecting as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of exposing the cable or wire to biocides supplied to the body (1) of the disinfecting device.

16. The method of disinfecting as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of exposing the cable or wire to ozone supplied to the body (1) of the disinfecting device.

17. The method of disinfecting as claimed in claim 14, wherein the disinfecting device constitutes a device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The subject of the solution according to the invention is shown in an exemplary embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 1—shows a front view of the disinfecting device in a two-chamber variant with a chemical agent spraying nozzle and an ozone supply line;

[0011] FIG. 2—shows a cross-section along line A-A of the same device;

[0012] FIG. 3—shows a cross-section along line B-B of the same device

[0013] FIG. 4—shows a vertical cross-section along line C-C of the same device same device;

[0014] FIG. 5—shows a view of the same device in its embodiment placed on a device cleaning sewers with water under high pressure; and

[0015] FIG. 6—shows a view of the same device in its embodiment placed on a device for curing a pipeline sleeve with UV light.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiment 1

[0016] A disinfecting device according to the invention consists of a body 1 formed of two identical parts 2 and 3 with U-shaped cross-section, connected to each other by a hinge 4, the open ends of which are connected by two crosswise, longitudinal elements in the form of flat supporting elements 5 with a curved—semi-circular bend 6 in the middle of their length, the inner radius R of which is larger than the radius of the cable intended to be placed in this device. In addition, a front wall 7 and a rear wall 8 of the body 1 have openings 9 and 10 made accordingly, positioned coaxially with respect to openings 11 formed by the semi-circular bends 6 when the device is closed. In addition, inside the body 1, both parts 2 and 3 have longitudinal electromagnetic radiation sources 12 in the form of UVC LED modules positioned between each of the two flat supporting elements 5 and the outer walls of the respective parts 2 and 3, which are connected to a power source, not shown in the figure, by means of electrical cables 13 brought outside the device through a cable gland.

Embodiment 2

[0017] In the second embodiment, the device has a design analogous to the device as in the first embodiment, except that its body 1 has an additional wall 14 with an opening 15 coaxially positioned with respect to the openings 9, 10 and 11 and formed between the rear wall 8 of the body and the end of the electromagnetic radiation source 12, forming an additional chamber 16 inside of which and simultaneously on the surface of the side wall of the part 3 of the body 1 there is placed a nozzle 17 for spraying chemicals in the form of known chemical agents, supplied by a line 18 from a chemical agent container not shown in the figure.

Embodiment 3

[0018] In the third embodiment, the device has a design analogous to the device as in the second embodiment, except that the additional chamber 16, on the side wall 2 of the body 1, has an outlet 19, located next to the nozzle 17, for supplying ozone conveyed to the device via conduits 20 from an external ozone container not shown in the figure.

Embodiment 4

[0019] In the fourth embodiment, the device has a design analogous to the device as in the third embodiment, wherein the chamber 16 has only the outlet 18 of the ozone supply line.

[0020] In further embodiments of the device according to the invention, not shown in the figures, the source of the UV electromagnetic radiation is a set of LEDs or LED fluorescent lights, and the two parts 2 and 3 of the body 1 are connected to each other by means of an articulated mechanism or by means of male-and-female connectors, and have one, three or five supporting elements 5 having additionally in their cross-section a semi-circular shape with bends 6 quantitatively selected according to the needs and length of the body 1. Moreover, in further embodiments not shown in the figures, the device according to the invention is provided with additional frictional elements mechanically pre-cleaning the cable/wire, advantageously in the form of sponges, brushes, felts, which are placed between the electromagnetic radiation source 12 and the front wall 7 of the body 1 of the device, while the supporting element 5 adheres directly to the front wall 7 or to the rear wall 8 of the body 1 in such a way that the bends 6 constitute an extension of the openings 9 and 10.

[0021] The UV electromagnetic radiation sources used in the above embodiments of the invention emit radiation in the range of 10-400 nm, advantageously there are used UVC diodes/modules/lights emitting radiation with a wavelength in the range of 100-280 nm.

[0022] An example of the implementation of the method according to the invention consists in that the beginning of a cable 21 mounted as standard on a device 22 for cleaning sewers with high-pressure water is placed inside the body 1 in the bends 6 of the flat elements 5 of the device according to the invention described in the embodiments 1-4, whereupon the body 1 is closed and the power supply is switched on, as a result of which the cable pulling mechanism of the device 22 sets the cable in motion, which is pulled through the chamber of the body 1 moving uniformly through the openings 9, 11, 15 and 10 while being simultaneously exposed to the electromagnetic radiation source 12 and/or is subsequently subjected to spraying with chemical agents in the form of known liquid biocides with the nozzle 17 and is subjected to ozone treatment with the conduit 19.

[0023] Due to the design of the device and the ease with which the method can be implemented in known devices for handling all types of cables, the device according to the invention can be used in all types of cable and wire winches or winders as an additionally fixed equipment therein, including but not limited to devices adapted for cleaning sewers and devices with UV heads for curing sleeve linings of pipelines.