I take an elevator up to my 8th floor office every day. Frequently, a smoker who has just used the same elevator before me, or got on with me, has effectively stunk up the elevator for a few minutes. As people move in and out of the car on various floors, some of the air is exchanged with them, but odors can linger too long.
I've gotten into many an empty car that reeks of cigarettes, perfume, fast food, flatus, or who knows what. Ugh! The offending occupant is not even present to be judged, and I am left to breathe the polluted air for a minute or so as I travel to my floor.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to push a button or have an automated system simply refresh the air in the elevator at any floor? Push a button, have the car suck in a little fresher (hopefully) air in and push some of the stale air out. If this is controlled manually, the occupant can decide if the floor smells fresh enough to trade a bit, then do it. I'd gladly stop a floor or two before my floor, just to freshen the car's air a bit. I'd be leaving the car fresher for the next load of folks getting in, too.-- XSarenkaX, May 06 2012 Prototype design http://www.myspace....oe01/photos/3596543 [AusCan531, May 06 2012] I see the opposite idea of this is called "Air Putrefier" - LOL.-- XSarenkaX, May 06 2012 "We smell dead people …"-- 8th of 7, May 06 2012 What a breath of fresh air. +-- blissmiss, May 06 2012 I've already built a prototype for this good idea. [+] Here is a link of me watching a lady friend try it out. [link]-- AusCan531, May 06 2012 The most annoying thing is being stuck in an elevator for 40 or so floors with either A) A monster, take-your-breath-away fart orB) The odours of someone's delicious lunch, before they've eaten it.-- UnaBubba, May 06 2012 Haha, [AusCan531]!-- XSarenkaX, May 06 2012 I would recommend a "Deux Chevaux"-style approach here: a lift shaft open to the atmosphere which only closes when precipitation is detected, with openable louvres in the lift itself. Moving through the shaft ought to create some kind of breeze to ventilate the air.-- nineteenthly, May 07 2012 And another baker comes back from long absence...-- RayfordSteele, May 07 2012 nice +-- xandram, May 07 2012 If the top and bottom of the elevator were made of metal grilles, rather than being solid, then air would be forced through the elevator as it ascended or descended. An additional advantage would be a sort of Marylyn Monroe effect when the elevator descends at high speed.-- hippo, May 07 2012 Making [AusCan531] a happy man.-- blissmiss, May 07 2012 // air would be forced through the elevator as it ascended or descended. //
This would be the ambient air present in the elevator shaft? Because elevator shafts don't exactly smell like wildflower meadows. They smell like lithium grease, worn electric motor brushes, dirt, grime, mildew, and, in certain parts of Europe, old cigarette butts.-- Alterother, May 07 2012 Bun just for the username. Hi Sarenka!-- phundug, May 07 2012 Don't forget that great ozone smell.-- RayfordSteele, May 07 2012 Ellevator-- rcarty, May 08 2012 You missed the opportunity for "smellavator"!!-- xandram, May 08 2012 //Because elevator shafts don't exactly smell like wildflower meadows. They smell like lithium grease//
but the point is, its not the same bad smell you were smelling two floors ago, so its not *stale* bad air.-- erenjay, May 08 2012 Hi, guys! What a welcoming bunch, after all this time. Thank you for the warmth and fun. I can always count on you guys for some quick one-liners and puns. :)-- XSarenkaX, May 08 2012 No, aside from the butts and mildew, I love all of those smells, but I'm not an accurate characterization of a frequent elevator-rider. In fact, most of _my_ elevator rides are marked by the smell of raw oxygen from a nasal canula and a very good view of the ceiling.-- Alterother, May 08 2012 random, halfbakery