Sterilization device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sterilization device. The sterilization device has a substantially spherical storage portion for containing a fluid, a supply port opening at the storage portion for supplying the fluid into the storage portion, a take-out port opening at the storage portion for taking out the fluid in the storage portion, and a light source for irradiating ultraviolet rays into the storage portion. The storage portion includes a substantially hemispherical first half storage portion and a substantially hemispherical second half storage portion located on the upstream side and the downstream side, respectively, of the flow direction of the fluid at the supply port. The supply port opens at the first half storage portion, and the take-out port opens at the second half storage portion. When the supply port and the take-out port are projected onto a virtual plane that is orthogonal to the extension direction of the inner surface of a supply flow path that connects the supply port and the storage portion, the center of gravity of the supply port and the center of gravity of the take-out port are separated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sterilization apparatus that sterilizes a fluid by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. Background Technology

[0002] It is widely recognized that ultraviolet light can be used to sterilize liquids and other fluids. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a fluid sterilization device that sterilizes fluids flowing within an axially extending flow path by irradiating the flow path with ultraviolet light along the axial direction.

[0003] Specifically, the fluid sterilization device described in Patent Document 1 includes: a light source comprising a semiconductor light-emitting element that emits ultraviolet light; and a housing having a flow path in which the fluid to be sterilized flows axially. The light source is disposed at one end of the housing along its axial direction. The housing has a tapered structure in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path gradually increases from one end to the other. The tapered structure has an inclination that matches the light distribution angle of the semiconductor light-emitting element. In addition, a flow-rectifying member is disposed at the other end of the housing to rectify the flow of the fluid.

[0004] In the fluid sterilization device described in Patent Document 1, the housing has a tapered structure with an inclination angle that matches the light distribution angle of the semiconductor light-emitting element, thereby enabling ultraviolet light to reach a position farther from the light source. Furthermore, the fluid sterilization device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to irradiate ultraviolet light onto the fluid after it has been rectified by a rectifier, thereby uniformly irradiating the fluid with ultraviolet light and improving the sterilization effect.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-98055 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0009] There is room for improvement in the sterilization device described in Patent Document 1, from the viewpoints of uniformly irradiating the fluid with ultraviolet light and reducing the pressure loss of the fluid.

[0010] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization device that can uniformly irradiate a fluid with ultraviolet light to fully sterilize the fluid.

[0011] Solution to the problem

[0012] A sterilization apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention sterilizes a fluid by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. The sterilization apparatus includes: a generally spherical storage section for containing the fluid; a supply port, opening in the storage section for supplying the fluid into the storage section; an outlet, opening in the storage section for removing the fluid from the storage section; and a light source for irradiating the storage section with ultraviolet light. The storage section includes: a generally hemispherical first half-storage section located upstream of the fluid flow direction at the supply port; and a generally hemispherical second half-storage section located downstream of the fluid flow direction at the supply port. The supply port opens in the first half-storage section, and the outlet opens in the second half-storage section. When the supply port and the outlet are projected onto a virtual plane, the center of gravity of the supply port is separated from the center of gravity of the outlet. The virtual plane is a plane orthogonal to the extension direction of the inner surface of a supply flow path connected to the storage section at the supply port.

[0013] Invention Effects

[0014] According to the present invention, a sterilization apparatus is provided that can uniformly irradiate a fluid with ultraviolet light to achieve sufficient sterilization. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the sterilization device according to the embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the sterilization device according to the embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the sterilization device according to the embodiment;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a projection diagram showing the positional relationship between the supply port and the dispensing port when the supply port, dispensing port, and storage section are projected onto a virtual plane; and

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the flow of fluid within the storage section of the sterilization device according to the embodiment.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0021] 100 sterilization device

[0022] 101 First Component

[0023] 102 Second Component

[0024] 103 Third Component

[0025] 110 Storage Department

[0026] 111 First Half Storage Department

[0027] 112 Second Half Storage Department

[0028] 120 Supply Port

[0029] 121 Supply Flow Path

[0030] 122 Connecting part

[0031] 130 Exit

[0032] 131 Take out the flow path

[0033] 132 Connecting part

[0034] 140 light source Detailed Implementation

[0035] The sterilization apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described.

[0036] (Structure of the sterilization device)

[0037] Figures 1-3 This is a diagram showing the structure of a sterilization device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of the sterilization device 100. Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the sterilization device 100. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the vicinity of the storage section 110 of the sterilization device 100. Figure 4 It is a projection diagram showing the positional relationship between the supply port 120 and the outlet 130 when the supply port 120, the outlet 130 and the storage section 110 are projected onto a virtual plane (described later). Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the flow of fluid within the storage section 110 of the sterilization device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sterilization apparatus 100 includes: a storage section 110 for containing a fluid to be sterilized; a supply port 120 opening in the storage section 110; an outlet port 130 opening in the storage section 110; and a light source 140 for irradiating ultraviolet light into the storage section 110. The sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment is an apparatus for sterilizing fluids by irradiating them with ultraviolet light.

[0039] The storage section 110 is a generally spherical space for containing fluid. The storage section 110 includes a fluid flow direction at the supply port 120 (…). Figure 2The storage section 110 is a generally hemispherical first half-storage section 111 located upstream in the direction of arrow A (as indicated by arrow A in the diagram); and a generally hemispherical second half-storage section 112 located downstream in the direction of fluid flow at the supply port 120. In this embodiment, the storage section 110 is formed by joining a first component 101 including the first half-storage section 111 and a second component 102 including the second half-storage section 112. In this embodiment, a plurality of screws are used to join the flange of the first component 101 to the flange of the second component 102. Furthermore, a third component 103 may be further joined to the second component 102. The second component 102 and the third component 103 are joined using a plurality of screws.

[0040] The walls surrounding the storage section 110 are configured to prevent deformation or damage due to the pressure of the flowing fluid. The walls surrounding the storage section 110 are made of, for example, metal or resin. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of efficiently irradiating the fluid within the storage section 110 with ultraviolet light, it is preferable that the walls (inner surfaces) surrounding the storage section 110 (first half-storage section 111 and second half-storage section 112) include an ultraviolet-reflective surface with a reflectivity of 80% or more for ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 140. For example, the inner surface of the storage section 110 can be used as an ultraviolet-reflective surface by using a material with high reflectivity for ultraviolet light, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or aluminum. In this embodiment, both the first component 101 and the second component 102 are made of PTFE.

[0041] The inner diameter W1 of the storage section 110 is not specifically limited, for example, it is about 20mm to 60mm. By setting the inner diameter W1 of the storage section 110 to about 20mm to 60mm, the fluid in the storage section 110 can be sufficiently sterilized even when only one UV-C LED is used as the light source 140.

[0042] The supply port 120 is an opening in the storage section 110 for supplying fluid into the storage section 110. The outlet 130 is an opening in the storage section 110 for removing the sterilized fluid from the storage section 110. The supply port 120 opens into the first half-storage section 111 of the storage section 110, while the outlet 130 opens into the second half-storage section 112 of the storage section 110. Preferably, the outlet 130 is disposed in the storage section 110 (second half-storage section 112) at a location where ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 140 will not directly reach it. In this embodiment, the supply port 120 is connected to the supply flow path 121, and the outlet 130 is connected to the removal flow path 131. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the portion of the supply flow path 121 near the supply port 120 and the portion of the removal flow path 131 near the outlet 130 are parallel to each other.

[0043] In this embodiment, the supply port 120 is connected to the supply flow path 121. In other words, the opening of the supply flow path 121 into the storage section 110 is the supply port 120. Preferably, the supply port 120 (supply flow path 121) is arranged in a manner that allows fluid to be smoothly supplied into the storage section 110 along the wall of the storage section 110. In this embodiment, at the connection 122, a portion of the inner surface of the supply flow path 121 is arranged smoothly and continuously with the inner surface of the storage section 110 in a manner that coincides with the tangent of the inner surface of the storage section 110 at the connection 122. Here, in the flow direction of the fluid along the supply port 120 ( Figure 2 In the cross section (in the direction of arrow A) and including the center of gravity of the storage section 110, the connecting part 122 is the point of tangency between the inner surface of the supply flow path 121 and the inner surface of the storage section 110.

[0044] In this embodiment, the outlet 130 is connected to the extraction flow path 131. In other words, the opening of the extraction flow path 131 into the storage section 110 is the outlet 130. Preferably, the outlet 130 (extraction flow path 131) is configured such that fluid can be smoothly extracted from the storage section 110 along the wall of the storage section 110. In this embodiment, at the connection 132, a portion of the inner surface of the extraction flow path 131 is smoothly and continuously arranged with the inner surface of the storage section 110 in a manner that coincides with the tangent of the inner surface of the storage section 110 at the connection 132. Here, in the flow direction of the fluid along the outlet 130 (… Figure 2 In the cross-section (in the direction of arrow B) and including the center of gravity of the storage section 110, the connecting part 132 is the point of tangency between the inner surface of the extraction flow path 131 and the inner surface of the storage section 110.

[0045] By ensuring that there is no height difference at the connection point 122 between the inner surface of the supply flow path 121 and the inner surface of the storage section 110, and at the connection point 132 between the inner surface of the extraction flow path 131 and the inner surface of the storage section 110, fluid flow along the wall of the spherical storage section 110 can be achieved. Furthermore, the fluid can be extracted after being rotated and retained in a fixed direction within the storage section 110. As a result, ultraviolet light can be uniformly irradiated onto the fluid, thus enabling thorough sterilization of the fluid.

[0046] The inner diameter W2 of the supply port 120 (supply flow path 121) and the inner diameter W3 of the outlet 130 (exit flow path 131) are not specifically limited. From the viewpoint of maintaining sterilization performance while reducing fluid pressure loss, it is preferable that the inner diameter W2 of the supply port 120 (supply flow path 121) and the inner diameter W3 of the outlet 130 (exit flow path 131) are in the range of 25% to 40% relative to the inner diameter W1 of the storage section 110. By increasing the inner diameter W2 of the supply port 120 and the inner diameter W3 of the outlet 130, the pressure loss of the fluid in the sterilization device 100 can be reduced. On the other hand, by decreasing the inner diameter W2 of the supply port 120 and the inner diameter W3 of the outlet 130, the residence time of the fluid supplied from the supply port 120 in the storage section 110 is increased, thereby improving sterilization performance.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the supply port 120 and the outlet 130 are configured such that, when the supply port 120, the outlet 130, and the storage section 110 are projected onto a virtual plane, the center of gravity of the supply port 120 is separated from the center of gravity of the outlet 130, and this virtual plane is the direction of extension of the inner surface of the supply flow path 121. Figure 2 The supply flow path 121 is perpendicular to the plane (direction of arrow A) and connects to the storage section 110 at the supply port 120. With the supply port 120 and the outlet 130 configured in this way, as... Figure 5 As shown, the fluid supplied from the supply port 120 to the storage section 110 does not flow in a straight line to the outlet 130, but instead swirls multiple times within the storage section 110 before reaching the outlet 130. Therefore, the fluid is sufficiently sterilized by being irradiated with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light before reaching the outlet 130. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when projection is performed as described above, the window 150 (light source 140) is configured not to overlap with the supply port 120 and the outlet 130. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, when projected onto the aforementioned virtual plane, the supply port 120, the take-out port 130, the window 150, and the storage section 110 are all circular. Therefore, the center of gravity of the supply port 120 is the same as the center of the supply port 120, the center of gravity of the take-out port 130 is the same as the center of the take-out port 130, and the center of gravity of the storage section 110 is the same as the center of the storage section 110.

[0048] In this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the center of gravity of the storage unit 110 ( Figure 3 The black dot located in the center of the storage section 110 and the center of gravity of the supply port 120 ( Figure 3 The black dot located in the center of the supply port 120 and the center of gravity of the outlet 130. Figure 3 The straight line connecting the black dot in the center of the outlet 130 is separated. In addition, the center of gravity of the storage section 110 is not located between the supply port 120 and the outlet 130.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, preferably, when projecting the supply port 120, the dispensing port 130, and the storage section 110 onto the aforementioned virtual plane, the center of gravity of the supply port 120 is ( Figure 4 The black dot located in the center of the supply port 120 and the center of gravity of the storage section 110 ( Figure 4 The straight line connecting the black dot in the center of the storage section 110 and the center of gravity of the outlet 130 ( Figure 4 The angle α formed by the straight line connecting the center of the outlet 130 (the black dot located at the center of the outlet) and the center of gravity of the storage section 110 is in the range of 75° to 165°, more preferably in the range of 120° to 150°. By setting the angle α within the above range, it is possible to further reduce the pressure loss of the fluid while maintaining sufficient sterilization performance. Here, the angle formed by the two straight lines refers to the smaller of the two angles formed by the two straight lines.

[0050] Light source 140 irradiates ultraviolet light into the fluid within storage compartment 110. Light source 140 can directly irradiate ultraviolet light into the fluid within storage compartment 110, or it can irradiate ultraviolet light into the fluid within storage compartment 110 via other components such as a window or a reflector. In this embodiment, the wall constituting storage compartment 110 includes a window 150 that allows ultraviolet light to pass through, and light source 140 irradiates the fluid within storage compartment 110 by transmitting ultraviolet light through the window 150. The type of light source 140 is not particularly limited as long as it can emit ultraviolet light. Examples of light source 140 include light-emitting diodes (LEDs), mercury lamps, metal halide lamps, xenon lamps, and laser diodes (LDs). In this embodiment, light source 140 is a light-emitting diode (LED). The wavelength of the ultraviolet light emitted by light source 140 is not particularly limited. From the viewpoint of effectively sterilizing the fluid within storage compartment 110, the wavelength of the ultraviolet light emitted by light source 140 is preferably 200 nm or more and 350 nm or less, more preferably 200 nm or more and 280 nm or less. That is, preferably, the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 140 is ultraviolet C (UVC). Examples of commercially available light sources 140 include the NCSU334A (Nichia Chemical Industries, Ltd.), an ultraviolet light-emitting diode with a peak wavelength of 280 nm. Other examples of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with a peak wavelength of 280 nm include KLARAN (Asahi Kasei Corporation) and ZEU110BEAE (Stanley Electric Corporation).

[0051] The location of the light source 140 is not particularly limited as long as it can irradiate the fluid in the storage section 110 with ultraviolet light. However, if the light source 140 is positioned in the second half of the storage section 112, the sterilization performance can be further improved. In this embodiment, the light source 140 is positioned on the side closest to the second half of the storage section 112. More specifically, the light source 140 is positioned inside the recess provided in the third component 103 (inside the wall constituting the second half of the storage section 112) in such a way that the optical axis of the light source 140 does not intersect with the supply port 120 and the dispensing port 130.

[0052] The window 150 is configured as part of the wall of the storage section 110, allowing ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 140 to penetrate into the interior of the storage section 110. The material of the window 150 is not particularly limited, as long as it allows ultraviolet light to pass through and has the required intensity. From the viewpoint of improving sterilization performance, the material of the window 150 is preferably a material that allows ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 350 nm or less to pass through, and more preferably a material that allows ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 280 nm or less to pass through. Examples of materials for the window 150 include quartz (SiO2), sapphire (Al2O3), and amorphous fluorinated resins.

[0053] Furthermore, the shape of the window 150 is not particularly limited, as long as it allows the ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source 140 to reach the storage section 110. It can be flat or have a shape that mates with the inner surface of the storage section 110. In this embodiment, the window 150 is flat and is disposed inside the recess provided in the second member 102. The outer diameter W4 of the window 150 is not particularly limited, as long as it allows the ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source 140 to reach the storage section 110. For example, preferably, the size of the outer diameter W4 of the window 150 is 20% to 50% of the size of the inner diameter W1 of the storage section 110. By increasing the outer diameter W4 of the window 150, ultraviolet rays can be directly irradiated into a wider area within the storage section 110. On the other hand, by decreasing the outer diameter W4 of the window 150, the proportion of the ultraviolet reflective surface on the inner surface of the storage section 110 can be increased.

[0054] (Instructions for using the sterilization device)

[0055] Next, the method of using the sterilization device 100 of this embodiment will be described.

[0056] While ultraviolet light is emitted from the light source 140, the fluid to be sterilized (e.g., water) is introduced into the storage section 110 through the supply port 120, and the fluid in the storage section 110 is taken out through the outlet 130. At this time, the fluid can be moved by pressurizing the side near the supply port 120 (supply flow path 121) or by depressurizing the side near the outlet 130 (extraction flow path 131). As described above, in the sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the storage section 110 is shaped approximately spherically, and the supply port 120 and the outlet 130 are arranged in a manner that meets predetermined conditions. Therefore, the fluid to be sterilized is irradiated with ultraviolet light while swirling in the storage section 110, and is taken out from the outlet 130 in a state of being sufficiently sterilized.

[0057] (Effect)

[0058] As described above, the sterilization apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, since the storage section 110 is shaped to be approximately spherical and the supply port 120 and the outlet 130 are arranged in a manner that meets the prescribed conditions, can reduce fluid pressure loss while maintaining sufficient sterilization performance.

[0059] Industrial applicability

[0060] The sterilization device of this embodiment is useful for sterilizing, for example, pure water, agricultural water, washing water for food, various washing water, bath water, swimming pool water, etc.

Claims

1. A sterilization device that sterilizes a fluid by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, characterized in that, have: A spherical storage compartment for containing the fluid; A supply port, which opens into the storage section, is used to supply the fluid into the storage section; An outlet is provided, which opens in the storage section, for removing the fluid from the storage section; as well as A light source irradiates the storage compartment with ultraviolet light. The storage section includes: a hemispherical first half-storage section located upstream of the flow direction of the fluid at the supply port; And a hemispherical second storage section, located downstream in the direction of fluid flow at the supply port. The supply port opens in the first half of the storage section. The outlet is located at the opening of the second half of the storage section. When the supply port and the outlet are projected onto a virtual plane, the center of gravity of the supply port is separated from that of the outlet. This virtual plane is orthogonal to the extension direction of the inner surface of the supply flow path, which connects the supply port and the storage section. The supply port is connected to the supply flow path. At the junction of the inner surface of the supply flow path and the inner surface of the storage section in a cross-section along the flow direction of the fluid at the supply port and including the center of gravity of the storage section, a portion of the inner surface of the supply flow path is smoothly and continuously arranged with the inner surface of the storage section in a manner consistent with the tangent of the inner surface of the storage section at the junction.

2. The sterilization device as described in claim 1, wherein, When the supply port and the outlet port are projected onto the virtual plane, the supply port and the outlet port are separated.

3. The sterilization device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The light source is positioned on the side closest to the second half of the storage section.

4. The sterilization device as described in claim 1, wherein, The center of gravity of the storage section is separated from the following straight line, which is a straight line connecting the center of gravity of the supply port and the center of gravity of the dispensing port.

5. The sterilization device as described in claim 4, wherein, The center of gravity of the storage section is not located between the supply port and the outlet.

6. The sterilization device as described in claim 1, wherein, When the supply port, the outlet, and the storage unit are projected onto the virtual plane, the angle between the straight line connecting the center of gravity of the supply port and the center of gravity of the storage unit and the straight line connecting the center of gravity of the outlet and the center of gravity of the storage unit is in the range of 75° to 165°.

7. The sterilization device as described in claim 1, wherein, The outlet is positioned in a location where the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source will not directly reach it.

8. The sterilization device as described in claim 1, wherein, The walls constituting the storage section include windows that allow ultraviolet light to pass through. The light source allows ultraviolet light to be transmitted through the window and irradiate the storage compartment.

9. The sterilization device as described in claim 1, wherein, The inner surface of the storage section includes an ultraviolet reflective surface with a reflectivity of over 80%.

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