Safety cabinet and equipment monitoring system

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology capable of notifying an operator of the degree of risk of a work environment. A safety cabinet (10) having an opening (60) for discharging air in a work space is provided with: an exhaust duct (37) connected to the opening (60); a remote blower (33) that sends the air in the work space (12) from the exhaust duct (37) to the outside; and a safety cabinet control unit (51) that transmits a signal to an arithmetic processing device (51) for notifying an operator (50) on the basis of a value indicating the operating state of the remote blower (33).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety cabinet and an equipment monitoring system used in industrial fields such as pharmaceuticals, medical treatment, and regenerative medicine. Background Art

[0002] In the development of pharmaceuticals, research on pathogens such as viruses, etc., safety cabinets are used to protect operators and specimens. In a safety cabinet, in order to prevent contaminants from being discharged outside the device, the air in the working space where contaminants are filtered by a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) is discharged outside the device after removing the contaminants.

[0003] In such a safety cabinet, when dealing with a large amount of gaseous or volatile harmful substances, when exhausting to the laboratory, the concentration of harmful substances will exceed the working environment standard. In addition, when dealing with substances that cannot be captured by the HEPA filter, highly active substances such as anticancer agents, there is a danger when exhausting to the laboratory.

[0004] Therefore, separately from the blower of the safety cabinet, a remote blower (external blower) is installed in the building. By sealing the space between the safety cabinet and the duct and connecting it through a direct duct connected to the remote blower, the exhaust gas of the safety cabinet is discharged outdoors to manage the working environment. In addition, relevant regulations include the Industrial Safety and Health Law, the Odor Prevention Law, the Air Pollution Prevention Law, etc.

[0005] As a technology for sealing the space between the safety cabinet and the duct and connecting it through a direct duct to the remote blower, there is Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes the following: In the inspection method for connecting the exhaust duct of the safety cabinet, based on the output of the pressure detection unit or the air volume detection unit and the operating state of the air supply unit, the connection method of the exhaust duct is judged. When the connection method of the exhaust duct is inappropriate, the alarm unit gives a warning.

[0006] Prior Art Documents

[0007] Patent Documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-74237 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is described that a warning is given when the connection method of the exhaust pipe is inappropriate. However, when an abnormality occurs in the exhaust pipe system due to a failure of a remote blower in a building or the like, the exhaust air volume of the safety cabinet decreases, and an air barrier at the operation opening of the safety cabinet cannot be ensured. Therefore, pollutants leak from the operation opening, and there is a risk that the operator is exposed to the pollutants.

[0011] In addition, since the operator in the building enters the laboratory where the safety cabinet is installed, there is a risk of being exposed to pollutants.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of notifying an operator of the risk level of the working environment.

[0013] Technical solution for solving the technical problem

[0014] To solve the above technical problem, one of the representative safety cabinets of the present invention is a safety cabinet having an opening for discharging the air in the working space, which includes: an exhaust pipe connected to the opening; a remote blower for sending the air in the working space from the exhaust pipe to the outside; and a control unit that sends a signal to a notification system for notifying an operator based on a value indicating the operating state of the remote blower.

[0015] Advantages of the invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to notify an operator of the risk level of the working environment.

[0017] The above-mentioned technical problems, structures, and effects other than those can be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. Description of the drawings

[0018] Figure 1 It is a right side view showing an example of the schematic structure of the safety cabinet.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a right side view showing another example of the schematic structure of the safety cabinet.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a front view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet of Embodiment 1.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet of Embodiment 1.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet of Embodiment 1.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a front view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet of Embodiment 2.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 2.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 3.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of the screen displayed on the display unit of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 3.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 4.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 4.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 5.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 6. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] However, the present invention is not construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments shown below. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that the specific structure can be changed within the scope not departing from the spirit or gist of the present invention.

[0033] In addition, in the drawings for explaining the embodiments, there are cases where the same constituent elements are denoted by the same names and reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof is omitted.

[0034] First, a safety cabinet provided with two exhaust HEPA filters for detoxifying contaminated air will be described. In the safety cabinet, when dealing with highly toxic substances, the contaminated air is passed through the exhaust HEPA filter twice, and thus the detoxified air is discharged. By providing two exhaust HEPA filters, about 99% of the contaminants are removed when passing through the first exhaust HEPA filter, and by passing through the second exhaust HEPA filter, the contaminants can be removed by approximately 100%.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a right side view showing an example of the schematic structure of the safety cabinet.

[0036] As Figure 1As shown, the safety cabinet 110 has an operation space 112 with a front baffle 113 forming the front inside. An air supply fan 114 and an air supply HEPA filter 115 are provided above the operation space 112. The air supply fan 114 supplies clean air that has passed through the air supply HEPA filter 115 to the operation space 112. A back flow path 130 is provided at the back of the operation space 112, and a pre-filter 119 is provided between the operation space 112 and the back flow path 130.

[0037] A first exhaust HEPA filter 131 for exhaust is provided in the back flow path 130, and a second exhaust HEPA filter 132 for exhaust is provided in the building exhaust duct system in front of it and in the machine room. A remote blower 133 is provided above the safety cabinet 110.

[0038] The air supplied to the operation space 112 from above and the air taken into the operation space 112 through the operation opening 117 flow through the pre-filter 119 and then in the back flow path 130, and contaminants 140 are removed by the first exhaust HEPA filter 131 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 132, and are exhausted to the outside through the remote blower 133. In addition, as Figure 2 shown, two or more remote blowers may be provided.

[0039] Figure 2 is a right side view showing another example of the schematic structure of the safety cabinet.

[0040] Figure 2 The safety cabinet 110 is different from Figure 1 in that it has two remote blowers, a remote blower 133 and a standby remote blower 134. When one remote blower fails in this safety cabinet 110, if the other remote blower continues to operate, a certain amount of exhaust can be ensured. However, when one remote blower stops, the exhaust air volume decreases, so the air barrier at the operation opening 117 decreases, and the contaminants 140 processed in the operation space 112 may leak. Therefore, when one remote blower fails, the safety of the operator cannot be ensured, and the operation needs to be interrupted.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] Figure 3 , 4 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet of Example 1, Figure 3 is a front view, Figure 4 is a right side view. In addition, in this embodiment, an example of a safety cabinet provided with two exhaust HEPA filters is described, but it is not limited thereto.

[0043] AsFigure 3 As shown in the figure, the safety cabinet 10 has a front baffle 13 that opens and closes vertically at the front, and an operation opening 17 for performing operations below the front baffle 13.

[0044] As Figure 4 shown, the safety cabinet 10 is installed in the laboratory 55 within the building. It has an operation space 12 inside, and an air supply fan 14 and an air supply HEPA filter 15 are provided above the operation space 12. The air supply fan 14 takes in air from outside the safety cabinet 10 and supplies the clean air that has passed through the air supply HEPA filter 15 to the operation space 12. The operator 50 puts their hand through the operation opening 17 below the front baffle 13 and performs operations in the operation space 12.

[0045] The safety cabinet 10 has a back flow path 30 at the back of the operation space 12, and a pre-filter 19 is provided between the operation space 12 and the back flow path 30. Two exhaust HEPA filters 31, 32 are provided in the back flow path 30.

[0046] An opening 60 for exhausting the air that has passed through the two exhaust HEPA filters in the back flow path 30 to the outside of the safety cabinet 10 is provided at the upper part of the safety cabinet 10. The opening 60 is connected to a vertical flow path 61. The vertical flow path 61 is connected to an exhaust duct 37 via an electric valve 35. The electric valve 35 adjusts the air volume passing through the exhaust duct 37. The exhaust duct 37 has a remote blower 33 for sending air from the exhaust duct 37 to the outside of the building.

[0047] The air supplied to the operation space 12 from above and the air taken into the operation space 12 through the operation opening 17 flow through the pre-filter 19 and into the back flow path 30, where contaminants 40 are removed by the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32, and then exhausted to the outside of the building through the exhaust duct 37.

[0048] In addition, the safety cabinet 10 has a safety cabinet control unit 52 for controlling the operation of the air supply fan 14, etc. A display unit 54 and a buzzer 58 are provided in the laboratory 55. The display unit 54 is composed of a liquid crystal monitor, etc., and displays the operation status of the air supply fan 14, the remote blower 33, etc.

[0049] An arithmetic processing device 51 is provided in the building management room. In addition to Figure 4 the laboratory 55 shown, it also constitutes a notification system for notifying operators in the building of dangers such as exposure to contaminants through the control or broadcasting of the display units 54 and buzzers 58 in other laboratories throughout the building.

[0050] The safety cabinet control unit 52, the display unit 54, the buzzer 58, the electric valve 35, the remote blower 33, and the arithmetic processing unit 51 are interconnected via the control line 53.

[0051] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet according to Embodiment 1.

[0052] As Figure 5 shown, when the operation switch of the safety cabinet 10 is turned ON (step S101), a building exhaust start signal is sent from the safety cabinet control unit 52 to the remote blower 33 via the control line 53 (step S102). When the remote blower 33 receives the building exhaust start signal and starts running, a remote blower operation signal is sent to the safety cabinet control unit 52.

[0053] The safety cabinet control unit 52 determines whether the remote blower operation signal is ON (step S103). When the remote blower operation signal does not become ON (step S103: No), it waits for the remote blower operation signal to become ON. When a certain period of time has passed while maintaining the state where the remote blower operation signal has not become ON (step S104: Yes), an alarm is issued through the buzzer 58 (step S105), and it returns to step S103.

[0054] When the remote blower operation signal becomes ON (step S103: Yes), after a certain period of time, the safety cabinet control unit 52 starts the operation of the supply air fan 14 (step S106), and the safety cabinet 10 enters a normal operation state, becoming a state where the operator 50 can perform experiments. The electric valve 35 is always ON, maintaining the state where the damper is open.

[0055] In order to prevent the operation space 12 from becoming positive pressure and the contaminant 40 from leaking outside the machine, an interlock is applied such that the supply air fan 14 starts running after the remote blower 33 starts running.

[0056] Next, the safety cabinet control unit 52 determines whether the operation switch of the safety cabinet 10 has become OFF (step S107). When the operation switch of the safety cabinet 10 becomes OFF, the operation of the supply air fan 14 is stopped, and after a certain period of time, the operation of the remote blower 33 is stopped, and the operation of the safety cabinet 10 is stopped, ending the process.

[0057] In order to prevent the operation space 12 from becoming positive pressure and the contaminant 40 from leaking outside the machine, an interlock is applied such that the remote blower 33 stops running after the supply air fan 14 stops running.

[0058] On the other hand, when the operation switch of the safety cabinet 10 has not become OFF (in step S107: No), it proceeds to step S108.

[0059] In step S108, the safety cabinet control unit 52 determines whether the air supply fan operation signal is ON and monitors for abnormal stoppage of the air supply fan 14. In the case where the air supply fan 14 stops abnormally, if the remote blower 33 continues to operate while maintaining a certain exhaust air volume, the amount of air flowing in from the operation opening 17 becomes excessive. Therefore, there is a risk that the contaminant 40 will fly into the operation space 12, contaminating the operation space 12, and the contaminant 40 will leak from the safety cabinet 10.

[0060] When the air supply fan 14 stops abnormally and the air supply fan operation signal is OFF (step S108: No), in order to prevent leakage of the contaminant 40, the remote blower air volume control signal is set to ON (step S109). The remote blower 33 receives the remote blower air volume control signal and becomes ON, and is controlled to suppress the air volume. By suppressing the air volume of the remote blower 33 equivalent to that when the air supply fan 14 is operating, an increase in the amount of air flowing in from the operation opening 17 can be prevented.

[0061] At this time, the pressure in the exhaust duct 37 is monitored to determine whether the building exhaust air volume is an appropriate value (step S110). A sensor (not shown) detects the pressure in the exhaust duct 37. Based on the pressure detected by the sensor, the safety cabinet control unit 52 calculates the building exhaust air volume to determine whether it is an appropriate value. If the building exhaust air volume is higher than the appropriate value, the amount of air flowing in from the operation opening 17 becomes excessive, the contaminant 40 flies into the operation space 12, contaminating the operation space 12, and there is a risk that the contaminant 40 will leak from the safety cabinet 10. If the building exhaust air volume is lower than the appropriate value, the air barrier at the operation opening 17 is reduced, and there is a risk that the contaminant 40 will leak from the operation opening 17.

[0062] When the building exhaust air volume is an appropriate value, the process returns to step S107, and the operation of the remote blower 33 continues. On the other hand, when the building exhaust air volume is not an appropriate value (step S110: No), an alarm is issued by the buzzer 58 to draw attention (step S111), and the process returns to step S107, and the operation of the remote blower 33 continues.

[0063] In step S108, when the air supply fan operation signal is ON, the safety cabinet control unit 52 sets the remote blower air volume control signal to OFF (step S112), returns to step S107, and continues the operation of the remote blower 33.

[0064] According to this embodiment, in the case where the air supply fan 14 stops abnormally, the remote blower air volume control signal is set to ON to suppress the air volume of the remote blower 33, thereby preventing the operator from being exposed to contaminants.

[0065] Embodiment 2

[0066] Figure 6 This is a front view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet of Example 2.

[0067] In Example 2, similar to Example 1, the operating state of the remote blower 33 is changed according to an instruction from the safety cabinet.

[0068] When the operator 50 uses the safety cabinet 10 for an experiment, in order to ensure the air barrier at the operation opening 17, it is necessary to use it at a specified opening height determined for the safety cabinet 10. Therefore, an opening limit switch 56 is provided to monitor whether the front baffle 13 is set in the correct position.

[0069] On the other hand, when the safety cabinet 10 is not in use, the remote blower 33 continues to operate to prevent the leakage of contaminants 40 in the working space 12. At this time, a power-saving limit switch 57 is set so that the opening height of the front baffle 13 is at a position lower than when the safety cabinet is in use. When the position information signal of the power-saving limit switch 57 is received, the safety cabinet control unit 52 suppresses the air volume of the remote blower 33. Thereby, the power consumption when the safety cabinet 10 is not in use can be reduced.

[0070] When the opening height of the front baffle 13 is reduced and the remote blower 33 continues to operate while maintaining a certain exhaust air volume, the air volume flowing in from the operation opening 17 becomes excessive. Therefore, the contaminants 40 fly in the working space 12, contaminating the working space 12, and there is a risk of leakage from the safety cabinet 10. By suppressing the air volume of the remote blower 33, the exhaust air volume of the safety cabinet 10 can be maintained at an appropriate value, preventing the operator 50 from being exposed to contaminants.

[0071] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet of Example 2.

[0072] In Figure 7 , the same steps as those in Figure 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0073] The safety cabinet control unit 52 determines whether the position information signal of the opening limit switch 56 or the power-saving limit switch 57 becomes ON and whether the front baffle 13 is set in the correct position (step S201). When the position information signals of both the opening limit switch 56 and the power-saving limit switch 57 do not become ON (step S201: NO), the process returns to step S107.

[0074] When the position information signal of the opening limit switch 56 or the power-saving limit switch 57 becomes ON (step S201: Yes), it is determined whether the position information signal of the power-saving limit switch 57 becomes ON (step S202).

[0075] When the position information signal of the power-saving limit switch 57 is ON (step S202: Yes), the remote blower air volume control signal is set to ON (step S203), and the process returns to step S107. The remote blower 33 receives the remote blower air volume control signal to become ON, and thus is controlled in a manner that suppresses the air volume.

[0076] In step S108, when the position information signal of the power-saving limit switch 57 does not become ON, the remote blower air volume control signal is set to OFF (step S204), and the process returns to step S107.

[0077] According to this embodiment, when the safety cabinet is not in use, the opening height of the front baffle 13 is reduced, the air volume of the remote blower 33 is suppressed, thereby reducing power consumption and preventing operators from being exposed to contaminants.

[0078] Embodiment 3

[0079] In this embodiment, an example of monitoring the air barrier change of the operation opening 17 caused by the change in the exhaust air volume of the safety cabinet 10 and the supply power of the safety cabinet 10 is described.

[0080] The change in the exhaust air volume sometimes becomes a sign of a malfunction of the remote blower 33. In addition, an abnormality in the supply power of the safety cabinet 10 causes the remote blower 33 to stop. By monitoring these, the safety of the operation environment of the safety cabinet 10 can be confirmed, and when an abnormality occurs, the degree of danger of the operation environment can be notified to the operator through the notification system of the building. The notification system is composed of an arithmetic processing device 51 and the like.

[0081] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet of Embodiment 3.

[0082] In Figure 8 for the same steps as Figure 5 the same reference numerals are assigned and the description is omitted.

[0083] After the air supply fan 14 of the safety cabinet 10 starts running, the safety cabinet control unit 52 determines whether the value indicating the operating state of the remote blower 33 satisfies a predetermined first determination condition (step S301), and always monitors the operating state of the safety cabinet 10.

[0084] Here, the values indicating the operating state of the remote blower 33 include multiple items such as the exhaust air volume, voltage fluctuation, momentary power failure, or the state of the uninterruptible power supply device (UPS) that supplies power to the safety cabinet 10 during a power outage. Additionally, instead of the exhaust air volume, the pressure inside the exhaust HEPA filters 31, 32, and the exhaust duct 37 can be monitored to thereby monitor the operating state of the remote blower 33.

[0085] The first judgment condition is prescribed in advance for each of these multiple items. When the value indicating the operating state satisfies the first judgment condition, it is judged that a minor abnormality has occurred in the operating state of the remote blower 33. As an example of the first judgment condition, the exhaust air volume is equal to or less than the lower limit value of the exhaust air volume of the safety cabinet 10, etc.

[0086] When the operating state of the remote blower 33, for example, the value indicating the exhaust air volume, satisfies the first judgment condition (step S301: Yes), a caution signal is sent from the safety cabinet control unit 52 to the arithmetic processing unit 51 provided in the management room of the building (step S302).

[0087] The arithmetic processing unit 51 that has received the caution signal controls to display a screen as shown in Figure 9 on the display unit 54 provided in the safety cabinet 10. For example, by displaying "Exhaust air volume abnormality", "Chamber pressure abnormality", etc. in yellow, the attention of the operator 50 is aroused.

[0088] In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 51 controls to sound the buzzer 58 provided in the safety cabinet 10 to arouse the attention of the operator 50.

[0089] Next, it is judged whether the value indicating the operating state of the safety cabinet 10 satisfies a second judgment condition prescribed in advance (step S303).

[0090] The second judgment condition is prescribed in advance for each of the multiple items of the operating state of the safety cabinet 10. When the value indicating the operating state satisfies the second judgment condition, it is judged that a major abnormality has occurred in the operating state of the remote blower 33. In this case, the operator 50 needs to take shelter from the laboratory 55. Additionally, it is dangerous for the operators in the building to enter the laboratory 55.

[0091] When the value indicating the operating state of the safety cabinet 10 satisfies the second judgment condition prescribed in advance (step 303: Yes), the safety cabinet control unit 52 switches from the caution signal to an alarm signal and sends it to the arithmetic processing unit 51 (step S304).

[0092] In addition, the attention signal may be switched to the alarm signal when a predetermined number of the plurality of items, for example, two or more items, indicating the operating state satisfy the first judgment condition. For example, when the exhaust air volume and voltage fluctuation satisfy the first judgment condition, the attention signal may be switched to the alarm signal.

[0093] In addition, the attention signal may be switched to the alarm signal when the state in which the value representing the operating state satisfies the first judgment condition continues for a predetermined time. For example, the attention signal may be switched to the alarm signal when the state in which the exhaust air volume satisfies the first judgment condition continues for a predetermined time.

[0094] The processing device 51 receives the alarm signal and displays the following information on the display unit 54 of each laboratory installed in the building: Figure 9 The control is performed in the manner of the screen shown, for example, by displaying "power outage" or "emergency evacuation" in red, so as to urge workers in the building to evacuate.

[0095] Furthermore, the processing device 11 controls the buzzers 58 installed in the laboratories in the building so that the tone and interval of the buzzers 58 change when receiving the attention call signal, thereby prompting the workers in the building to evacuate danger.

[0096] Then, the processing device 11 issues an alarm by broadcasting to the entire building, etc., so as to prevent entry into the laboratory 55 .

[0097] By linking with the building's computing processing unit 51, an alarm can be sounded throughout the building. When a serious abnormality occurs in the operating state of the remote blower 33, access to the location where the safety cabinet 10 is installed can be restricted, or operators can be prompted to evacuate the location where the safety cabinet 10 is installed.

[0098] Furthermore, the display unit 54 and the buzzer 58 are installed in each laboratory in the building, but may be installed in other places such as a management room or a corridor.

[0099] According to the present embodiment, a warning signal or an alarm signal is sent to the processing device 51 of the building based on the value indicating the operating state of the remote blower 33, so that the worker can be informed of the dangerousness of the working environment.

[0100] In addition, the processing unit 51 notifies the operator 50 of the safety cabinet 10 when a minor abnormality occurs in the operating state of the remote blower 33, and notifies the operators of the entire building when a major abnormality occurs in the operating state of the remote blower 33, so that the operators can take actions corresponding to the danger level of the working environment.

[0101] In addition, in a safety cabinet 10 inside a building, when the safety cabinet control unit 52 detects that the above first judgment condition is satisfied, it is determined that a slight abnormality has occurred in the operating state of the remote blower 33, and a caution signal is sent to the notification system. When the notification system receives the caution signal, it notifies the operator 50 of the safety cabinet 10.

[0102] On the other hand, in a safety cabinet 10 inside a building, when the safety cabinet control unit 52 detects that the above second judgment condition is satisfied, it is determined that a major abnormality has occurred in the operating state of the remote blower 33, and an alarm signal is sent to the notification system. When the notification system receives the alarm signal, it notifies the operators of the entire building.

[0103] Thus, the operators inside the building can take actions corresponding to the risk level of the working environment.

[0104] In addition, the notification system may also notify the operators of the entire building when it receives caution signals from a specified proportion of the safety cabinets inside the building.

[0105] In addition, by monitoring the fluctuations, momentary power outages, and status of the uninterruptible power supply device (UPS) of the supply power, detecting minute changes and abnormalities in the operating state of the system, and sending signals to the arithmetic processing unit 51, it is possible to notify the operator of the abnormality.

[0106] Embodiment 4

[0107] In this embodiment, an example of a safety cabinet having two exhaust ducts will be described.

[0108] Figure 10 It is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet of Embodiment 4.

[0109] In Figure 10 the same structures as those in Figure 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Figure 10 The safety cabinet 10 is different from Figure 4 in that it has two exhaust ducts, an exhaust duct 37 and a standby exhaust duct 38, provided in the building.

[0110] As shown in Figure 10As shown, at the upper part of the safety cabinet 10, there is an exhaust duct 37 connected to the vertical flow path 61 via an electric valve 35, and a standby exhaust duct 38 that branches between the opening 60 of the vertical flow path 61 and the electric valve 35 and is connected via a standby electric valve 36. The standby electric valve 36 adjusts the air volume passing through the standby exhaust duct 38. The standby exhaust duct 38 is provided with a standby remote blower 34 that sends air to the outside.

[0111] Normally, the electric valve 35 is open, the remote blower 33 is operating, the standby electric valve 36 is closed, and the standby remote blower 34 is stopped. Therefore, the air in the working space 12 of the safety cabinet 10 is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust duct 37.

[0112] In the case where the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, the standby electric valve 36 is opened, the operation of the standby remote blower 34 is started, and the electric valve 35 is closed. Therefore, the air in the working space 12 is exhausted to the outside through the standby exhaust duct 38.

[0113] When the safety cabinet control unit 52 receives an abnormal stop signal of the remote blower 33, it can be achieved by sending a start signal of the standby remote blower 34, an open signal of the standby electric valve 36, and a close signal of the electric valve 35.

[0114] Figure 11 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the safety cabinet according to Embodiment 4.

[0115] In Figure 11 , the same reference numerals are assigned to the same structures as Figure 5 and the description thereof is omitted.

[0116] Next, the safety cabinet control unit 52 determines whether the remote blower operation signal is ON (step S401) and monitors the abnormal stop of the remote blower 33. In the case where the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, the exhaust to the outside cannot be performed. However, when the supply fan 14 of the safety cabinet 10 continues to operate, the clean air that has passed through the supply HEPA filter 15 passes through the working space 12, contains contaminants 40, and is blown out from the work opening 17 to the operator 50. Therefore, the operator 50 may be exposed to the contaminants 40, which is dangerous.

[0117] In addition, in the case where the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, when the operation of the supply fan 14 of the safety cabinet 10 is stopped, the contaminants 40 in the working space 12 float in the working space 12 and may leak out from the work opening 17 to the laboratory 55 where the operator 50 is located.

[0118] In order to prevent the operator 50 from being exposed to the contaminant 40, when the remote blower 33 abnormally stops and the remote blower operation signal is OFF (step S401: No), the safety cabinet control unit 52 sends a stop signal to the remote blower 33 (step S402).

[0119] Next, the safety cabinet control unit 52 sends a close signal to the electric valve 35 to fully close the exhaust flow path of the exhaust duct 37 (step S403), and sends an open signal to the standby electric valve 36 to open the exhaust flow path of the standby exhaust duct 38 (step S404).

[0120] Moreover, the safety cabinet control unit 52 sends a start signal to the standby remote blower 34 to start the operation of the standby remote blower 34 (step S405), and switches the exhaust flow path from the exhaust duct 37 to the standby exhaust duct 38.

[0121] As a result, the contaminant 40 in the working space 12 passes through the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32, and is exhausted to the outside through the standby exhaust duct 38. Therefore, it will not float in the working space 12 and will not leak out of the working opening 17 to the laboratory 55 where the operator 50 is located.

[0122] Next, the safety cabinet control unit 52 controls to display on the display unit 54 in order to notify the operator 50 in the laboratory 55 of the abnormal stop of the remote blower 33 using the standby exhaust duct 38 (step S406), and returns to step S107. Alternatively, the abnormal stop of the remote blower 33 can be notified to the operator 50 by sounding the buzzer 58 provided in the laboratory 55.

[0123] According to this embodiment, even when the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, the exhaust air volume required for the safety cabinet 10 can be maintained, and the operator can be prevented from being exposed to the contaminant.

[0124] In addition, when the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, the electric valve 35 is closed and removed from the exhaust flow path of the safety cabinet 10. Therefore, even in the state where the safety cabinet 10 is in operation, the fault diagnosis and maintenance work of the remote blower 33 can be performed.

[0125] Further, the preliminary exhaust pipe 38 is provided so as to branch between the opening 60 of the vertical flow path 61 and the electric valve 35, such that the distance of the exhaust flow path from the opening 60 to the preliminary electric valve 36 is shorter than the distance of the exhaust flow path from the opening 60 to the electric valve 35. Therefore, in the case where the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, the switching of the exhaust flow path from the exhaust pipe 37 to the preliminary exhaust pipe 38 due to the abnormal stop of the remote blower 33 can be performed in a short time, the disturbance of the air barrier at the operation opening 17 of the safety cabinet 10 can be prevented, and the leakage of contaminants can be prevented.

[0126] Embodiment 5

[0127] Figure 12 FIG. 7 is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet according to Embodiment 5.

[0128] Embodiment 5 and Figure 10 The difference from Embodiment 4 of [Embodiment 4] is that a preliminary exhaust pipe 38, a preliminary remote blower 34, and a preliminary electric valve 36 are arranged between the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32.

[0129] As Figure 12 shown, the safety cabinet 10 has an opening 62 for exhausting air to the outside of the safety cabinet 10 between the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32 in the back flow path 30. The opening 62 is connected to the preliminary exhaust pipe 38 via the preliminary electric valve 36.

[0130] Similar to Embodiment 4, when the remote blower 33 abnormally stops and the remote blower operation signal is OFF, the safety cabinet control units 52 respectively provided in the plurality of safety cabinets 10 send a closing signal to the electric valve 35 to fully close the exhaust flow path of the exhaust pipe 37, and send an opening signal to the preliminary electric valve 36 to open the exhaust flow path of the preliminary exhaust pipe 38. The safety cabinet control unit 52 sends a start signal to the preliminary remote blower 34 to start the operation of the preliminary remote blower 34, and switches the exhaust flow path from the exhaust pipe 37 to each preliminary exhaust pipe 38.

[0131] In addition, at least one of the safety cabinet control units 52 respectively provided in the plurality of safety cabinets 10 may also send each signal.

[0132] According to the present embodiment, in the case where the remote blower 33 abnormally stops, the exhaust flow path is switched from the exhaust pipe 37 to each preliminary exhaust pipe 38. Therefore, the necessary exhaust volume of the safety cabinet 10 can be maintained, and the operator can be prevented from being exposed to contaminants.

[0133] In addition, an opening 62 is provided between the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32 in the back flow path 30, such that the distance of the exhaust flow path from the pre-filter 19 to the standby electric valve 36 is shorter than the distance of the exhaust flow path from the pre-filter 19 to the electric valve 35. A standby exhaust pipe 38 is connected to the opening 62. Therefore, in the case where the remote blower 33 stops abnormally, the switching of the exhaust flow path from the exhaust pipe 37 to the standby exhaust pipe 38 can be performed in a shorter time, the disturbance of the air barrier at the operation opening 17 of the safety cabinet 10 can be prevented, and the leakage of contaminants can be prevented.

[0134] Moreover, according to the present embodiment, an opening 62 is provided between the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32 in the back flow path 30, such that the exhaust of the standby exhaust pipe 38 does not pass through the second exhaust HEPA filter 32. A standby exhaust pipe 38 is connected to the opening 62. Therefore, compared with the case where the exhaust passes through two exhaust HEPA filters, the exhaust resistance is reduced, the rated output of the standby remote blower 34 can be suppressed, and the power consumption can be suppressed.

[0135] In addition, the opening 62 is arranged between the first exhaust HEPA filter 31 and the second exhaust HEPA filter 32 in the back flow path 30, but the number of the exhaust HEPA filters and the arrangement position of the opening 62 are not limited thereto. The opening 62 may be arranged in such a way as to discharge the air that has passed through at least one exhaust HEPA filter.

[0136] Embodiment 6

[0137] In the present embodiment, an example in which the exhaust flow paths of a plurality of safety cabinets are connected to one exhaust pipe together will be described.

[0138] Figure 13 FIG. is a right side view showing an example of the structure of the safety cabinet according to Embodiment 6.

[0139] As Figure 13 shown, the openings 60 of the plurality of safety cabinets 10 are each connected to a vertical flow path 61, and each vertical flow path 61 is connected to an exhaust pipe 37 via an electric valve 35.

[0140] In addition, each of the plurality of safety cabinets 10 has a standby exhaust pipe 38 that branches between the opening 60 of the vertical flow path 61 and the electric valve 35 and is connected via a standby electric valve 36. The standby electric valve 36 adjusts the air volume passing through the standby exhaust pipe 38. The standby exhaust pipe 38 has a standby remote blower 34 that sends air to the outside from the standby exhaust pipe 38.

[0141] When the remote blower 33 stops abnormally and the remote blower operation signal is OFF, the safety cabinet control units 52 respectively provided in the plurality of safety cabinets 10 send a closing signal to the motorized valve 35 to fully close the exhaust flow path of the exhaust duct 37, and send an opening signal to the standby motorized valve 36 to open the exhaust flow path of the standby exhaust duct 38. The safety cabinet control unit 52 sends a start signal to the standby remote blower 34 to start the operation of the standby remote blower 34, and switches the exhaust flow path from the exhaust duct 37 to the respective standby exhaust ducts 38.

[0142] In the case where a plurality of safety cabinets are connected to one exhaust duct, due to the operation stop of one safety cabinet 10, the exhaust air volume of the other safety cabinets 10 changes, and the air barrier at the operation opening 17 is disturbed. Therefore, it is necessary to stop the operation of the plurality of safety cabinets 10 together. In the case where one safety cabinet stops abnormally, by switching the exhaust flow path from the exhaust duct 37 to the standby exhaust duct 38, it is possible to prevent the disturbance of the air barrier at the operation opening 17.

[0143] According to Embodiment 6, even when the remote blower 33 stops abnormally, it is possible to maintain the exhaust air volume required for the safety cabinet 10, and it is possible to prevent the operator from being exposed to contaminants. In addition, since the plurality of safety cabinets 10 share one exhaust duct 37, it is possible to manufacture at low cost.

[0144] In Figure 13 the standby exhaust ducts 38 are arranged directly above the respective safety cabinets 10 and are configured to have a structure respectively provided with a standby motorized valve 36 and a standby remote blower 34, but it is also possible to connect the plurality of standby exhaust ducts 38 and integrate them into one system.

[0145] In this case, it is possible to make the standby exhaust duct one, so it is possible to further manufacture at low cost.

[0146] In each of the above embodiments, a full-exhaust type safety cabinet has been described in which the air taken in from the outside passes through the working space, and contaminants are removed by a HEPA filter and all the air is discharged to the outside. However, the present invention can also be used for a circulation type safety cabinet in which a part of the discharged air is returned to the working space to circulate the air.

[0147] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and includes various modified examples. For example, the above embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to having all the structures described. In addition, a part of the structure of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the structure of another embodiment, and in addition, the structure of another embodiment can be added to the structure of a certain embodiment. In addition, with respect to a part of the structure of each embodiment, other structures can be added, deleted, or replaced.

[0148] Description of Reference Numerals

[0149] 10 Safety Cabinet

[0150] 33 Remote Blower

[0151] 34 Standby Remote Blower

[0152] 35 Electric Valve

[0153] 37 Exhaust Duct

[0154] 51 Operation Processing Device

[0155] 52 Safety Cabinet Control Unit

[0156] 54 Display Unit

[0157] 58 Buzzer

Claims

1. A safety cabinet having an opening for discharging the air in the working space, characterized in that it comprises: An exhaust duct connected to the opening; A remote blower for sending the air in the working space from the exhaust duct to the outside; And A control unit that sends a signal to a notification system for notifying an operator based on a value representing the operating state of the remote blower.

2. The safety cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit When the value representing the operating state satisfies a predetermined first judgment condition, sends a warning signal to the notification system, When the value representing the operating state satisfies a predetermined second judgment condition, sends an alarm signal to the notification system.

3. The safety cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The notification system When receiving the warning signal, notifies the operator of the safety cabinet, When receiving the alarm signal, notifies the operators in the building where the safety cabinet is located.

4. The safety cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The value representing the operating state includes multiple items.

5. The safety cabinet according to claim 4, characterized in that: The value representing the operating state includes the state of the power supply provided to the safety cabinet.

6. The safety cabinet according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control unit, when the values representing the operating state in a predetermined number or more of the multiple items satisfy the first judgment condition, sends the alarm signal to the notification system.

7. The safety cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit, when the state where the value representing the operating state satisfies the first judgment condition continues for a predetermined time, sends the alarm signal to the notification system.

8. An equipment monitoring system for a safety cabinet, wherein the safety cabinet has an opening for discharging the air in the working space, characterized in that it comprises: An exhaust duct connected to the opening; A remote blower for sending the air in the working space from the exhaust duct to the outside; A control unit that sends a signal based on a value representing the operating state of the remote blower; And An arithmetic processing unit that notifies an operator based on the signal sent from the control unit.

9. The equipment monitoring system according to claim 8, characterized in that: It further has at least one display unit, The arithmetic processing unit performs control to display on the display unit based on the signal sent from the control unit.

10. The equipment monitoring system according to claim 7, characterized in that: It further has at least one buzzer, The arithmetic processing unit performs control to sound the buzzer based on the signal sent from the control unit.

11. The equipment monitoring system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The arithmetic processing unit performs a broadcast based on the signal sent from the control unit.

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