KR102773159B1 - Apparatus for air sterilizing - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air sterilizing device, and more specifically, to a body part having an air outlet, a suction part disposed inside the body part and opening in the body part so that outside air can be introduced into the inside of the body part through rotational force, a sterilizing part disposed inside the body part and irradiating ultraviolet rays to air introduced through the suction part, and a control part controlling the suction part and the sterilizing part, wherein inside the body part, a pair of first frames are provided at both ends of the suction part to induce movement of the introduced air, and a second frame is provided spaced apart from the first frame to induce movement of the air, and the sterilizing part comprises a first light-emitting module and a second light-emitting module, and the first light-emitting module and the second light-emitting module are provided on each side of the first frame to sterilize and purify the induced air.

Description

{APPARATUS FOR AIR STERILIZING}

The present invention relates to an air sterilizing device, and more specifically, to an air sterilizing device for sterilizing and purifying contaminated air by installing a sterilizing module equipped with a UV-C light emitting element in an air blowing device.

Indoor space is a general space where one can relax and work at the same time, and since modern people spend most of their day indoors, it is important to maintain human health by creating a comfortable indoor environment.

Indoor air has become more polluted than outdoor air due to industrialization, and people living indoors are exposed to an unsanitary environment because of the presence of fine particles of dust, various bacteria, mold, viruses, and super bacteria that are harmful to the human body.

In the case of important research facilities such as hospitals, air sterilization and purification are considered of utmost importance to protect patients from airborne pollutants, as these pollutants can worsen patient conditions or adversely affect research results.

The recent outbreak of the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has raised the need for measures to sterilize and purify the air in public facilities such as restaurants, libraries, and movie theaters.

Air conditioners, fans, and air purifiers can transmit indoor air over long distances, which has led to studies showing that the number of infected patients can increase exponentially as a wider area becomes contaminated, not just around the patient infected with the pollutant.

Because air blowers do not have air sterilization and purification functions, people staying indoors may be exposed to pollutants.

For this purpose, air purification facilities for purifying indoor air have been proposed in the past.

Conventional air purification facilities sprayed sterilizing solutions into polluted air to remove fine dust and mold, but did not remove contaminants such as viruses and super bacteria.

Moreover, air purification facilities lack the ability to sufficiently purify polluted air because there are blind spots outside the spray area of the sterilizing solution, and because filters must be installed inside, there is a problem that the installation space is limited because the facility cannot be made smaller.

Therefore, there is a need to improve air blowing equipment to solve these problems.

Republic of Korea Publication Patent No. 10-2019-0027798 (2019.03.15.)

The purpose of the present invention, which was devised to solve the above-described problems, is to provide an air sterilizing device for sterilizing and purifying polluted air by installing a sterilizing module equipped with a UV-C light-emitting element in an air blowing device.

In order to achieve the above technical task, an air sterilizing device according to the present invention comprises a body part having an air outlet, a suction part disposed inside the body part and opening in the body part so that outside air can be introduced into the inside of the body part through rotational force, a sterilizing part disposed inside the body part and irradiating ultraviolet rays to air introduced through the suction part, and a control part controlling the suction part and the sterilizing part, and inside the body part, a pair of first frames are provided at both ends of the suction part to induce movement of the introduced air, and a second frame is provided spaced apart from the first frame to induce movement of the air, and the sterilizing part comprises a first light-emitting module and a second light-emitting module, and the first light-emitting module and the second light-emitting module are provided on each side of the first frame to sterilize and purify the induced air.

In the present invention, the first frame may be composed of an upper frame and a lower frame, the first light-emitting module may be arranged on the upper side of the upper frame, and the second light-emitting module may be arranged on the lower side of the lower frame.

In the present invention, the second frame may be provided in a “ㄷ” shape to internally restrain the upper frame and the first light-emitting module, and the lower frame and the second light-emitting module.

In the present invention, the suction unit may be provided with a rotary blade that rotates according to the flow of air so that air is drawn into the interior of the body unit, and a conversion means that converts the number of rotations of the rotary blade into a measurable signal and then outputs it.

In the present invention, the sterilizing unit may be equipped with at least one of a UV-C (Ultraviolet rays-C, short-wave ultraviolet) LED (Light Emitting Diode), a UV-C Lamp, and an IR LED (Infrared-Light Emitting Diode) for sterilizing and purifying air.

In the present invention, the control unit can control the brightness to be maintained at a constant level by increasing the size of the power in conjunction with the total usage time of the sterilizing unit.

In the present invention, the control unit can receive an output signal from the conversion means and control the light amount of the sterilizing unit to be adjusted or the power to be turned off.

According to the problem-solving means of the present invention as examined above, various effects including the following can be expected. However, the present invention is not established only if it exhibits all of the following effects.

The air sterilizing device according to the present invention is equipped with a UV-C light emitting element in the sterilizing section, so that various harmful substances contained in the air can be sterilized and disinfected by irradiating ultraviolet rays onto contaminated air.

In addition, since the inside of the body is provided with a rotating suction unit and an air exhaust port, air is introduced through the suction unit to sterilize and disinfect external contaminated air, and air is introduced through the air exhaust port to supply the sterilized and disinfected air inside to the outside, so that the sterilized and disinfected air can be supplied to the surroundings in a short period of time.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a rear view showing an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the configuration of an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of sterilizing and disinfecting air through an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a drawing showing an application example of an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms, and therefore, it is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly describe the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are assigned similar drawing reference numerals throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be “connected” to another part, this includes not only the case where it is “directly connected” but also the case where it is “indirectly connected” with another part in between. Also, when a part is said to “include” a certain component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it can have other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the configuration of an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of air sterilizing and disinfecting through an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an application example of an air sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a description will be made based on these.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the air sterilizing device (100) according to the present invention includes a body part (110), a suction part (120), a sterilizing part (130), and a control part (150).

The body part (110) is formed as a polyhedron and has a space (not shown) inside to confine air brought in from the outside for a certain period of time to sterilize and disinfect it, and an air outlet (111) is formed to supply the sterilized and disinfected air inside to the outside.

An air exhaust port (111) is arranged on one side of the body part (110) so that air that has entered the interior of the body part (110) can be easily exhausted to the outside, and a sealing member (113) may be further provided on a part of one side of the body part (110) where the air exhaust port (111) is formed, and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

Inside the body part (110), a pair of first frames (160) consisting of an upper frame (161) and a lower frame (163) are provided to induce movement of introduced air.

Inside the body (110), a second frame (170) is provided to induce movement of the introduced air and is spaced apart from the first frame (160).

The suction part (120) is placed inside the body part (110) and has one end opened on one side of the body part (110) so that outside air is introduced into the inside of the body part (110) through the rotational operation of the rotary blade (125).

The suction unit (120) is coupled with a rotation shaft (not shown) so that the rotation operation of the rotary blade (125) can proceed smoothly, and a conversion means (123) that converts the rotation speed according to the rotation of the rotary blade (125) into the number of rotations, and a protection frame (not shown) to which the rotary blade (125) is coupled inside so as to protect the rotary blade (125) from external artificial interference can be provided, and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

A pair of first frames (160) are provided at both ends of one side of the suction unit (120) to induce movement of the introduced air, and a second frame (170) is provided inside the body unit (110) to induce movement of the air while being spaced apart from the first frame (160).

The second frame (170) is provided in a “ㄷ” shape to confine the upper frame (161) and the first light-emitting module (131) and the lower frame (163) and the second light-emitting module (133) inside, and is not limited thereto. It may be implemented in various ways as long as it has a shape that wraps other components to confine air brought in from the outside inside and induces the flow of air to the sterilization unit (130).

In the configuration of the air sterilization device (100) described above, the upper frame (161) and the lower frame (163) may be provided separately and fixedly connected to both ends of one side of the suction unit (120) via a connecting means, or may be implemented as a structure in which they are formed by extending in one direction from both ends of one side of the suction unit (120) to form an integral part with the suction unit (120).

The sterilizing unit (130) is placed inside the body unit (110) and can be replaced by various means, such as a UV-C LED (Light Emitting Diode), a UV-C Lamp, and an IR LED (Infrared-Light Emitting Diode), which are equipped with UV-C ultraviolet rays as a light source, to sterilize and disinfect the air drawn in through the suction unit (120), as long as the size of the output can be controlled by a light-emitting element.

Ultraviolet rays are light with a wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm, and are classified into UV-A (Ultraviolet rays-A), UV-B (Ultraviolet rays-B), and UV-C (Ultraviolet rays-C) depending on their wavelength.

UV-C is a short-wave ultraviolet ray with a range of 180 to 280 nm that is effective in killing various microorganisms such as bacteria that exist in the air and water.

The sterilization unit (130) is equipped with a UV-C light emitting element, so that by irradiating ultraviolet rays on polluted air, various harmful substances contained in the air are sterilized and disinfected within a short period of time, enabling efficient removal of pollutants.

The sterilizing unit (130) is composed of a first light-emitting module (131) and a second light-emitting module (133), and is provided on each side of a first frame (160) formed as a pair to sterilize and disinfect the air induced by the first light-emitting module (131) and the second light-emitting module (133).

The first frame (160) is composed of an upper frame (161) and a lower frame (163), and a first light-emitting module (131) is arranged on the upper side of the upper frame (161), and a second light-emitting module (133) is arranged on the lower side of the lower frame (163).

The first light-emitting module (131) is placed on the upper side of the upper frame (161) and irradiates ultraviolet rays upward with respect to the suction portion (120) to irradiate ultraviolet rays into the space between the upper frame (161) and the second frame (170) located above the first light-emitting module (131).

The second light-emitting module (133) is placed on the lower side of the lower frame (163) and irradiates ultraviolet rays downward with respect to the suction portion (120) to irradiate ultraviolet rays into the gap between the lower frame (163) and the second frame (170) located below the second light-emitting module (133).

The first light-emitting module (131) and the second light-emitting module (133) are arranged to irradiate ultraviolet rays in different directions, so that the direction of movement can change depending on the weight and air pressure of air brought in from the outside, and thus efficient air sterilization and disinfection can be performed.

The sterilizing power for contaminated air can be maximized as the first light-emitting module (131) and the second light-emitting module (133) are formed so that the space between them and the second frame (170) is close to each other.

The inside of the body (110) is provided with a rotating suction part (120) and an air discharge port (111), so that air is introduced to sterilize external contaminated air through the suction part (120), and air is introduced to supply internal sterilized and disinfected air to the outside through the air discharge port (111), so that sterilized air can be supplied to the surroundings within a short period of time.

The control unit (150) is provided in the body unit (110) and is electrically connected to the suction unit (120), the sterilizing unit (130) and the conversion means (123). An input unit (not shown) for changing the operation mode of the sterilizing unit (130) and a notification unit (not shown) for notifying the outside of the replacement of the sterilizing unit (130) may be provided.

The control unit (150) can be controlled to maintain a constant brightness by increasing the size of the power in conjunction with the total usage time of the sterilization unit (130).

For example, the control unit (150) operates at 50% power when the sterilizing unit (130) is first operated, and sequentially controls the power level to 60% and 70% as the operating time elapses, thereby maintaining a constant sterilizing power.

The air sterilizing device (100) according to the present invention is described as having the power of the sterilizing unit (130) initially set at 50% and increasing to 60% and 70% as the operating time elapses. However, since the power level of the sterilizing unit (130) can vary depending on the number and type of light-emitting elements installed in the sterilizing unit (130) and the distance between the first light-emitting module (131) and the second light-emitting module (133) and the second frame (170), it is not limited to specific values such as 50%, 60%, and 70%.

Hereinafter, the operation mode of the control unit according to the present invention will be specifically described.

The control unit (150) has a function of changing between the first and second modes as follows through an input member.

The first mode is a function that operates when power is turned on through an input device, and automatically compensates the power level of the sterilizing unit (130) as the total usage time of the sterilizing unit (130) described above elapses, thereby always maintaining the same sterilizing power.

In the air sterilizing device (100) according to the present invention, in the case of a light-emitting element that can be equipped in the sterilizing unit (130), the light-emitting efficiency may relatively decrease depending on the total usage time. To this end, by increasing the power applied to the light-emitting element, i.e., the size of the current and voltage, the output of the light-emitting element is increased, thereby preventing the phenomenon of the light-emitting efficiency decreasing depending on the total usage time.

The control unit (150) measures the output signal of the conversion means (123) and automatically changes the output size of the sterilizing unit (130) according to the rotation speed of the rotary blade (125). When the operating time during which the output of the sterilizing unit (130) cannot be controlled at a constant level has elapsed, an external notification is activated through the notification unit, and a detailed description of this will be described later.

The second mode is a function that operates when the input device is pressed for more than 2 seconds, and has the function of always using a constant output of the sterilizing unit (130) through the operator's selection in preparation for a failure of the conversion means (123) and to extend the life of the sterilizing unit (130).

The control unit (150) can notify the outside of which mode is changed to either the first or second mode through a signal system using a “beep” sound for the first mode and a “beep beep” sound for the second mode, when the operation mode is changed through a notification device.

The control unit (150) is equipped with an input member and a notification member, so that the operation mode of the sterilizing unit (130) can be changed through the input member, and the replacement of the sterilizing unit (130) can be notified to the outside through the notification member, so that the air sterilization and disinfection function can be controlled according to the installation location and environment, thereby increasing the convenience of the worker.

The air sterilizing device (100) is not limited to the arrangement of the components described above, but can be implemented in various ways on the body part (110) formed as a polyhedron by artificially changing each component to correspond to the installation environment.

Hereinafter, the principle of sterilizing and disinfecting air through an air sterilizing device will be explained with reference to the drawing symbols of Figures 1 to 3 described above. However, arrows indicate the flow of air.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the air sterilizing device (100) according to the present invention includes a body (110), a suction unit (120), a sterilizing unit (130), and a control unit (150) to sterilize and disinfect contaminated air.

The air existing around the air sterilizer (100) is introduced into the interior of the body (110) through the rotational operation of the suction unit (120).

Air that forms an airflow by the rotational force of the suction unit (120) is induced to the upper frame (161) and the lower frame (163) and flows into the separation space between the upper frame (161) and the second frame (170) and into the separation space between the lower frame (163) and the second frame (170), respectively.

Air introduced into the space between the upper frame (161) and the second frame (170) is introduced into the air exhaust port (111) with contaminants sterilized and disinfected by UV-C ultraviolet rays irradiated from the first light-emitting module (131).

Air introduced into the space between the lower frame (163) and the second frame (170) is introduced into the air exhaust port (111) with contaminants sterilized and disinfected by UV-C ultraviolet rays irradiated from the second light-emitting module (133).

The control unit (150) can change the operation mode of the sterilizing unit (130) through the input unit, and can notify the replacement of the sterilizing unit (130) through an audible signal through the notification unit.

The control unit (150) can control a notification device so that it can be known externally which mode is being changed when the operation mode is changed to either the first or second mode.

The air sterilization device (100) can efficiently perform air sterilization work because various harmful substances contained in polluted air are sterilized and disinfected by irradiating UV-C ultraviolet rays from the sterilization unit (130).

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the air sterilizing device (100) according to the present invention can be applied to air blowing equipment such as an air conditioner (90), an electric fan (not shown), and an air purifier (not shown), and is not limited to any one equipment.

An air sterilization device (100) can be installed in an air conditioner (90) so that contaminated air is sterilized and disinfected and then supplied to the surrounding area by sterilizing it with fresh, cool air.

The air sterilizing device (100) is equipped with a flexible sealing member (113) in the body (110) to seal the air outlet (111) of the body (110) and the air intake means of the air conditioner (90), thereby preventing contaminated air from flowing into the interior of the air conditioner (90).

The air existing around the air sterilizer (100) is introduced into the interior of the body (110) through the rotational operation of the suction unit (120).

The conversion means (123) is linked to the air intake means of the air conditioner (90) so that outside air is drawn into the intake part (120), and the speed of the air drawn into the intake part (120) can be changed according to the operating speed of the air intake means, and the control part (150) converts the changed rotation speed of the rotary blade (125) into a signal that can be measured.

Air that forms an airflow by the rotational force of the suction unit (120) is induced to the upper frame (161) and the lower frame (163) and flows into the separation space between the upper frame (161) and the second frame (170) and into the separation space between the lower frame (163) and the second frame (170), respectively.

Accordingly, the air conditioner (90) sucks in air that has entered the air outlet (111) of the body (110) as the air intake means rotates, thereby causing outside air to be drawn in through the intake section (120) of the air sterilizing device (100), and the rotating blade (125) of the intake section (120) rotates due to the outside air that is drawn in.

Air introduced into the space between the first light-emitting module (131) and the second frame (170) is sterilized and disinfected by UV-C ultraviolet rays irradiated from the first light-emitting module (131), and is introduced into the air outlet (111) and into the air intake of the air conditioner (90) through the air outlet (111).

Air introduced into the space between the second light-emitting module (133) and the second frame (170) is sterilized and disinfected by UV-C ultraviolet rays irradiated from the second light-emitting module (133), and is introduced into the air outlet (111) and into the air intake of the air conditioner (90) through the air outlet (111).

Air sterilized and disinfected through the air sterilizer (100) flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air conditioner (90) through the air outlet (111) of the air sterilizer (100), and since the air that has passed through the heat exchanger is converted into cold air, cold air that has undergone the sterilization and disinfection process is supplied to the area around the air conditioner (90).

The control unit (150) controls the output of the sterilizing unit (130) in response to the operating speed of the air conditioner (90), such as strong, medium, and weak, thereby maintaining a constant sterilizing power of the sterilizing unit (130), and when the operation of the air conditioner (90) is stopped, the output of the sterilizing unit (130) can be turned off or the strength of the output can be adjusted to increase the lifespan of the sterilizing unit (130).

The air sterilizing device (100) can measure the speed of the inflow air generated by the air intake means of the air conditioner (90) through the conversion means (123) of the intake part (120).

The control unit (150) measures the output signal of the conversion means (123) to determine the operating speed or operation status of the air conditioner (90), and controls the output of the sterilizing unit (130) through this. At this time, the output of the sterilizing unit (130) refers to the amount of light.

The control unit (150) measures the signal input from the conversion means (123), and then increases the output of the sterilizing unit (130) when the strength of the air conditioner (90) is strong (the air intake speed is determined to be relatively fast), thereby sterilizing the air introduced within a limited time.

The control unit (150) measures the signal input from the conversion means (123), and when the strength of the air conditioner (90) is low (the air intake speed is determined to be slow), it reduces the output of the sterilizing unit (130), thereby increasing the lifespan of the sterilizing unit (130).

Meanwhile, when the air conditioner (90) operates at high speed, the speed of air sucked into the air sterilizing device (100) may increase as the air intake means of the air conditioner (90) rotates at high speed, and when the first light emitting module (131) and the second light emitting module (133) of the sterilizing unit (130) always operate at the same output, the sterilizing efficiency of the introduced air may decrease.

To this end, the control unit (150) changes the output signal of the conversion unit (123) as the speed of the air flowing into the suction unit (120) of the air sterilizing device (100) becomes relatively faster when the air intake unit of the air conditioner (90) rotates at high speed, so that the output of the sterilizing unit (130) can be set relatively large based on the measurement value obtained through this.

In addition, since the speed of air flowing into the intake section (120) of the air sterilizing device (100) becomes relatively slow when the air intake section of the air conditioner (90) rotates at a low speed, the output signal of the conversion section (123) also changes, and thus, the output of the sterilizing section (130) can be set relatively low based on the measurement value obtained through this.

The output size of the sterilizing unit (130) is not limited to a specific value because it varies depending on the number and type of light-emitting elements installed in the sterilizing unit (130) and the distance between the first light-emitting module (131) and the second light-emitting module (133) and the second frame (170).

As a result, since the body part (110) is provided with an intake part (120) and an air outlet (111), air is introduced to sterilize and disinfect external contaminated air through the intake part (120), and air is introduced to supply sterilized and disinfected air inside the body part (110) to the air conditioner (90) through the air outlet (111), so that the flow of sterilized air can be achieved within a short period of time.

An air conditioner (90) with a built-in air sterilization device (100) irradiates UV-C ultraviolet rays to the outside air that has been taken in, thereby sterilizing and disinfecting various harmful substances contained in the air, thereby supplying sterilized air while simultaneously supplying fresh cool air to the surrounding area, thereby enabling efficient air sterilization and disinfection in indoor multi-use facilities.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical idea or essential characteristics. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

90: Air conditioning
100: Air sterilizer 110: Body
111: Air exhaust port 113: Sealing member
120: Suction part 123: Conversion means
125: Rotating blade 130: Sterilization unit
131: First light emitting module 133: Second light emitting module
150: Control unit 160: First frame
161: Upper frame 163: Lower frame
170: Second Frame

Claims (7)

A body part having an air exhaust port;
An intake portion positioned inside the body portion and opened in the body portion to allow outside air to flow into the inside of the body portion through rotational force;
A sterilizing unit positioned inside the body part and irradiating ultraviolet rays to air drawn in through the suction unit; and
Including a control unit that controls the above suction unit and the above sterilization unit,
Inside the above body part, a pair of first frames are provided at both ends of the suction part to induce movement of the introduced air, and a second frame is provided to induce movement of the air by being spaced apart from the first frame.
The above sterilizing unit is composed of a first light-emitting module and a second light-emitting module,
The first light-emitting module and the second light-emitting module are provided on each side of the first frame to sterilize and purify the induced air;
The above sterilization unit is equipped with at least one of a UV-C (Ultraviolet rays-C, short-wave ultraviolet) LED (Light emitting diode), a UV-C Lamp, and an IR LED (Infrared-Light Emitting Diode) for sterilization and purification of air.
The above control unit controls the sterilization unit to maintain a constant sterilizing power by sequentially increasing the power size of the sterilization unit in conjunction with the total usage time of the sterilization unit, thereby maintaining a constant brightness.
The above first frame is composed of an upper frame and a lower frame,
The first light-emitting module is arranged on the upper side of the upper frame, and the second light-emitting module is arranged on the lower side of the lower frame.
The second frame is provided in a “ㄷ” shape to internally restrain the upper frame and the first light-emitting module, and the lower frame and the second light-emitting module.
The above first light-emitting module is placed on the upper side of the upper frame and irradiates ultraviolet rays upward based on the suction portion.
An air sterilizing device characterized in that the second light-emitting module is positioned on the lower side of the lower frame and irradiates ultraviolet rays downward based on the suction portion.
delete delete In the first paragraph,
The above suction part,
A rotary blade that rotates according to the flow of air so that air is introduced into the interior of the above body part; and
A conversion means for converting the rotational speed of the above-mentioned rotary blade into a measurable signal and then outputting it;
An air sterilizing device characterized by having a .
delete delete In paragraph 4,
An air sterilizing device characterized in that the control unit receives an output signal from the conversion means and controls the light amount of the sterilizing unit to be adjusted or the power to be turned off.

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