Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
The CrazyCap® is an elegant USB charged, UV-C water-purifying device that screws onto a portable water bottle, immediately providing a disinfection treatment to 750 ml (approx. 3 cups) of water. Beyond the primary purpose of killing 99.9996% of the germs in your water in 90 seconds, without thermal or chemical treatment, the CrazyCap®, together with its water bottle, also contribute to reducing plastic waste pollution, estimated to generate more than 8 million tons of waste in the ocean, each year (e.g. Ritchie, R. & M. Poser, Sept. 2018; Meyer, K., 2018).
Ultra-violet C (UVC) sanitizing technology was proven effective more than 40 years ago for the removal of pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and algae from drinking water, wastewater, air, food products, and various surfaces (Rammelsberg, 1998). For example, UVC sanitizing robots are commonly used in hospitals, including surgery rooms (Diab-El Schahawi, M. et. al., 2021). Succinctly, UVC technology is an effective sanitizing technology because exposure to a source of generated UVC radiation damages both the DNA and RNA of micro-organisms, preventing them from replicating. Specifically, UVC exposure creates new double bonds, called dimers, particularly Thymine dimers, which then prevent the micro-organisms (e.g., bacteria or viruses) from replicating, and thus from infecting other cells. Thus, many applications relying on the generation of UVC radiation exist (e.g. UVC-emitting lightbulbs), while more recently, a renewed interest in this sanitizing technology has surged, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thus, the CrazyCap® draws on UVC technology to sanitize water in three easy steps: 1. fill (the water bottle), 2. tap (the CrazyCap® to operate), and 3. Enjoy safe water! The CrazyCap® is also marketed with lab reports that have tested the technology.
The CrazyCap® invention is disclosed in the active US design patent USD906805, titled Bottle cap with UV light. As a reminder :
“a utility patent protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a design patent protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171).” [USPTO]
Below, a figure of the cap extracted from the design patent, together with images of the marketed CrazyCap®, and of the marketed CrazyCap® water
bottle with cap.
Just one
caveat, the CrazyCap®, which might also be used as a small, surface-sanitizer, does not require being screwed
onto the water bottle to operate. Since no childproof
mechanism has been designed within The CrazyCap®, it thus appears possible to inadvertently operate the little cap
on surfaces that include fingers or other body parts. Consequently, considering
that UVC radiation is known harmful to humans, the device should be kept out of
children’s hands, and extra care should be taken to follow instructions for
safe adult use.
References
Diab-El Schahawi, M. et. al. (Feb.12, 2021) Ultraviolet disinfection robots to improve hospital cleaning: Real promise or just a gimmick? https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-020-00878-4
Meyer, K. (Sept 11, 2018) UN Environment: Meet the UN agency protecting the only planet we got. https://betterworldcampaign.org/blog/un-family-un-environment
Rammelsberg, A. (Aug. 17, 1998) How does ultraviolet light kill cells? Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-ultraviolet-ligh/
Ritchie, R. & M. Poser (Sept. 2018) Plastic Pollution https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution
The CrazyCap® (website) https://thecrazycap.com/
The CrazyCap® (How it works) https://thecrazycap.com/pages/how-it-works-1
The CrazyCap® (Lab Reports)
The CrazyCap® (Accolades) https://thecrazycap.com/blogs/media-mentions
USPTO - MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent. https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html
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