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(11) | EP 2 080 846 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Modular panel for room with air having hygienic level fixed |
| (57) The invention falls within the field of panels for rooms and areas which need to
have the air having a fixed level of hygiene, in particular air which is free from
a proliferation of micro-organisms on the surface of said panels, particularly pathogenic
micro-organisms. The subject of the present invention is a panel equipped with at
least one protuberance and/or at least one groove which enable it to fit with another
similar panel in such a way as to be vertically and horizontally self-supporting and,
by considerably reducing the infiltration of air from outside into such rooms, allow
the level of hygiene within them to be improved. |
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a panel for a room or an area which needs to have fixed air hygiene conditions, in particular with an absence of a proliferation of micro-organisms on the surface of said panel, particularly pathogenic micro-organisms. Said panel is equipped with a face on which there are present silver ions and at least one protuberance and/or one groove. Said panel allows fitting together with another similar panel so as to be able to be self-supporting together, and capable of forming vertical and/or horizontal walls of said room and/or area, avoiding the proliferation of micro-organisms within said room and/or area.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] Easily-cleanable glass-ceramic or polyvinyl-chloride-faced panels are known, used in hospital premises for making operating theatres, in production plants for food products, in production plants for semiconductors, in clean rooms, in cold stores, and in general for creating rooms where specified air hygiene conditions must be maintained.
[0003] Said rooms are created by joining together said glass-ceramic or polyvinyl-chloride-faced panels by means of joining devices, such as profiles, couplings, adhesives, gaskets and silicone.
[0004] Rooms created with known panels and joining devices have the disadvantage of having to be subjected to frequent cleaning to re-establish the specified conditions. The frequent cleanings increase the risk of being unable to re-establish the maximum specified hygiene levels, in particular in relation to the presence within them of pathogenic and non-pathogenic micro-organisms.
[0005] Another of the factors which plays a role in the lowering of the level of hygienic conditions in said rooms is the infiltration of external air into their interiors through joining means for the panels which are available on the market. Said joining means leave a gap of 3-4 mm between one panel and another: air not subjected to any treatment, so-called common air, has a charge of micro-organisms considerably larger than that specified for the aforementioned rooms, and the infiltration into the interiors of said rooms contributes to the proliferation of micro-organisms in said rooms.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to realize a panel which overcomes the known panel's drawbacks, in order to inhibit the proliferation of micro-organisms in the rooms.
[0007] The object of inhibiting the proliferation of micro-organisms is equally useful for small and large spaces, such as for example chambers, drawers, cabinets, cupboards, shelves and in general for all areas where specified hygienic conditions must be maintained.
[0008] These objects are achieved through the use of silver ions applied to the surface of the panel which is the subject of the invention facing the interior of the room and/or of the aforementioned areas which must maintain specified hygienic conditions, in particular with the absence of proliferation of micro-organisms. The micro-organisms usually contained in common air are destroyed by contact thanks to the properties of said silver ions, advantageously combating the presence of micro-organisms on said surface, particularly pathogenic micro-organisms.
[0009] Said panel which is the subject of the invention is furthermore equipped with a protuberance and/or groove of square or rectangular or semicircular section which substantially reduces the infiltration of common air into the interior of said room and/or of said areas, reducing down to 0.5 mm the gap between one panel and another, advantageously eliminating the disadvantages of the joining devices for the known panels.
[0010] The presence of said protuberance and of said groove furthermore allows easier assembly with another identical panel in order to rapidly build entire walls, entire rooms, chambers, drawers, cupboards, cabinets and shelves which need to have a specified level of hygiene, in particular with the absence of proliferation of micro-organisms, particularly pathogenic micro-organisms.
[0011] The invention will become apparent from the following description of two embodiments given by way of example only but not limitative, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
- figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the panel which is the subject of the invention equipped with one protuberance and one groove;
- figure 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the panel which is the subject of the invention which is to be applied to the corners of the rooms, chambers, drawers, cupboards, cabinets and shelves, equipped with one protuberance and one groove perpendicularly located there between.
[0013] Said surface (2) is the one which is to be fitted so as to be facing the inside of the room or the area of interest in order to perform the function of inhibiting the proliferation of micro-organisms, particularly pathogenic micro-organisms. The micro-organisms usually contained in common air are destroyed by contact thanks to the properties of said silver ions, advantageously combating the presence of micro-organisms on said surface, particularly pathogenic micro-organisms.
[0014] The presence of said silver ions can be achieved by applying to the entire surface (2) a solution of silver ions and finishing paint for said surface (2), preferably with a minimum concentration of silver ions of 0.5% by weight of the solution containing silver ions applied to said surface. Said solution preferably has zeolite added to it to slow the release of the silver ions. Said presence of silver ions on the surface (2) can also be achieved on the basis of the common knowledge of a person skilled in the art without departing from the protective scope of the following claims.
[0015] (3a) indicates a shoulder portion of panel (1) and (3b) indicates the other shoulder portion of panel (1). One of the shoulders of panel (1) is equipped with a protuberance (4) of square section. Another shoulder of panel (1) is equipped with a groove (5) of square section. In the present embodiment, panel (1) can therefore be easily put together with identical panels, so that the square-section protuberance (4) fits into the square-section groove (5) of another identical panel, and the square-section groove (5) of panel (1) fits onto the square-section protuberance (4) of another identical panel.
[0016] To increase the characteristics of action against the micro-organisms in the air around the panel which is the subject of the invention, there are silver ions present on each external surface (8) of each shoulder portion (3a) and on each external surface (9) of each shoulder portion (3b), preferably with a minimum concentration of silver ions of 0.5% by weight of the solution containing silver ions applied to said surface, thus enabling a further barrier to be created to the proliferation of the micro-organisms present in the common air coming from the exterior of the room, or area of interest, through the joints between the panels.
[0017] To further increase the characteristics of action against the micro-organisms in the air around the panel which is the subject of the invention, there are silver ions present on the external surface (6) of protuberance (4) and on the external surface (7) of groove (5), preferably with a minimum concentration of silver ions of 0.5% by weight of the solution containing silver ions applied to said surface, thus enabling a further barrier to be created to the proliferation of the micro-organisms present in the common air coming from the exterior of the room, or area of interest, through the joints between the panels.
[0018] The presence of said silver ions can be achieved in this case also by applying to the whole of surfaces (6), (7), (8), (9) a solution of silver ions and paint for finishing said surfaces (6), (7), (8), (9). Said presence of silver ions on surfaces (6), (7), (8), (9) can also be achieved on the basis of the common knowledge of a person skilled in the art without departing from the protective scope of the following claims.
[0019] Another embodiment of panel (1), not graphically represented, also comes within the scope of the present invention. It is different from the panel described in relation to figure 1 by virtue of the fact that both shoulders of panel (1) have square-section grooves.
[0020] In the present embodiment, panel (1) can therefore be easily put together with identical panels but with shoulders equipped with square-section protuberances (4), so that the square-section grooves (5) of panel (1) fit onto the square-section protuberances (4) of other identical panels.
[0021] A further embodiment of the panel which is the subject of the present invention, not graphically represented, is different from the panel described in relation to figure 1 by virtue of the fact that both shoulders have square-section protuberances (4).
[0022] In the present embodiment, panel (1) can be easily put together with identical panels with both shoulders having square-section grooves (5), so that the square-section protuberances (4) of panel (1) fit into the square-section grooves (5) of other identical panels.
[0023] In figure 2, panel (1) is different from the panel described in relation to figure 1 by virtue of the fact that the protuberance (4) is located perpendicularly to the groove (5).
[0024] Surface (2), protuberance (4) and groove (5), and the shoulder portions (3a) and (3b) of the panel which is the subject of the invention are preferably made of metallic or plastic material, or clad in such materials, on which silver ions are present with the minimum concentration mentioned above. Said materials are preferred because their structure answers advantageously to the requirements of rigidity necessary for performing both the self-supporting function of the panels and that of advantageously retaining the silver ions on the surface.
[0025] In the case of claddings in metallic or plastic materials, said cladding can be achieved with a single sheet. Said single sheet can advantageously form surfaces (2), (6), (7), (8) and (9) on the basis of the embodiment in which panel (1) is realized.
[0026] The use of a single sheet advantageously allows the elimination of gaps in which micro-organisms can lurk and proliferate.
[0027] The shape of protuberance (4) and of groove (5) in the embodiment described is of square section. This shape has been preferred because it advantageously reduces infiltration of external air. Other preferred shapes for the sections of protuberance (4) and of groove (5) are rectangular and semicircular, both of these having the same characteristics of reducing infiltration of air.
[0028] In the description of the embodiments illustrated, specific reference is also made to silver ions present on surfaces (2),(6), (7) (8) and (9). It is understood that the procedures through which the presence of silver ions is achieved on said surfaces or on the entire device which is the subject of the present invention may vary on the basis of the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, such as for example using sheets or films to which solutions containing silver ions have been applied, which are subsequently positioned on the aforementioned surfaces or over the entire device which is the subject of the present invention. Naturally, this mode do not departs from the protective scope of the following claims.
1. Panel (1) for room with specified air hygiene conditions and surfaces hygienically
controlled comprising at least one shoulder having a shoulder portion (3a) and a shoulder
portion (3b), at least one protuberance (4) and/or one groove (5) of square or rectangular
or circular section characterized in that silver ions are present at least on one face (2), on the surface (8) of the shoulder
portion (3a) and on the surface (9) of the shoulder portion (3b) of the panel (1);
2. Panel according to claim 1 characterized in that silver ions are present on the surface (6) of the protuberance (4);
3. Panel according to claim 1 characterized in that silver ions are present on the surface (7) of the groove (5);
4. Panel according to claim 1 characterized in that surfaces (2), (8), (9) are made of plastic or metallic material;
5. Panel according to claim 4 characterized in that the surface (6) is made in plastic or metallic materials;
6. Panel according to claim 4 characterized in that the surface (7) is made in plastic or metallic materials;
7. Panel according to claim 1 characterized in that the presence of silver ions on surfaces (2), (8), (9) is obtained by means of a cladding
in plastic or metallic materials on which silver ions are present;
8. Panel (1) according to claim 2 characterized in that the presence of silver ions on the surface (6) is obtained by means of plastic or
metallic materials cladding on which silver ions are present;
9. Panel according to claim 5 and/or 6 characterized in that the plastic or metallic material surface is realized with a single sheet;
10. Panel according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the minimum concentration of silver ions on the surfaces (2) or (6) or (7) or (8)
or (9) is of 0,5 % by weight of the solution containing silver ions applied to said
surfaces on which silver ions are present;
11. Panel according to claim 10 characterized in that zeolite is present in the solution applied on surfaces (2) or (6) or (7) or (8) or
(9) wherein silver ions are present;
12. Panel according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the gap between said panel joined with the other panel of anyone of the preceding
claims is comprised between 0,5 mm and 1 mm.