Washing device and washing method

Abstract

To provide a washing device capable of improving detergency, washing a local part, and reducing labor and time in washing by easy handling.SOLUTION: A washing device washes objects to be washed. The washing device comprises: a device upper part and a device lower part, which can be vertically separated; a washing container that is detachably mounted on the device lower part and can store washing liquid; a vibrator that is installed so as to transmit vibration to the objects to be washed in the washing container and generates vibration of 20 kHz or more; a light source that is installed so as to radiate light to the objects to be washed in the washing container and radiates light having wave length of 350 to 450 nm; and a control part to control the vibrator and the light source. The control part causes the vibrator to generate vibration during washing by mechanical force and causes the light source to radiate the light during accelerated oxidation washing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1B

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned such as clothing by utilizing radical-induced accelerated oxidation.

Background Art

[0002] The cleaning of textile products such as clothing (hereinafter referred to as "objects to be cleaned") is generally performed using a vertical or drum-type washing machine. These washing machines are devices that immerse the objects to be cleaned in a liquid such as water or an organic solvent, and mechanically remove the dirt attached to the objects to be cleaned by rotating and stirring the liquid. The source of the dirt removal effect in such a cleaning method is the mechanical force that transmits movement to the fibers by mechanically moving the liquid, and peels off the dirt from the fibers with the mechanical force.

[0003] In a vertical washing machine, the object to be cleaned is immersed in a relatively large amount of liquid, and the dirt is cleaned by the movement of the object to be cleaned and the contact between the objects to be cleaned using the rotation of the liquid in the washing tub. On the other hand, in a drum-type washing machine, the object to be cleaned is placed in a relatively small amount of liquid, and in addition to the movement of the object to be cleaned through the liquid accompanying the rotation of the drum, the effect of dropping the dirt by the impact when the object to be cleaned is dropped from above the drum is also taken into account. Although there are some differences in their movements, in any case, they have in common the point that a large number of objects to be cleaned can be washed together by utilizing the cleaning effect caused by mechanical force.

[0004] For example, in the case of a vertical washing machine, the liquid in the washing tub is rotated by rotating the stirring blades installed at the bottom of the washing tub or the washing tub itself by a motor, and mechanical force is transmitted to the object to be cleaned. Although the quietness of the motor has advanced with the progress of motor technology, the noise from the motor body, the inverter drive circuit, and the surrounding moving parts is large, and quietness has not been achieved to the extent that it can be installed in a room where people relax. In addition, since the rotating washing tub occupies most of the volume of the washing machine, the vibration of the washing machine accompanying the rotation of the washing tub is also inevitable. For this reason, there are problems such as the installation location of the washing machine being limited and the washable time being limited to daytime.

[0005] Therefore, as a user-friendly technology that can clean regardless of location and suppress noise for local stains on the object to be cleaned, the cleaning method of Patent Document 1 is known. For example, in Claim 6 of the same document, "A method for removing stains from a fabric, comprising: (a) optionally, a step of diluting a cleaning composition with an aqueous solvent system; (b) a step of applying the cleaning composition to the stain on the fabric; and (c) a step of applying a source of ultrasonic energy to the stain, wherein the source of ultrasonic energy has a frequency of 15 to 200 kHz and an amplitude of 10 to 100 microns, and the dynamic interfacial tension of the cleaning composition is less than 70 mN / m in 30 seconds." is disclosed.

[0006] In addition, in paragraph 0023 of the same document, it is described that "The ultrasonic cleaning method can be used for both hard household inner surfaces and fibrous surfaces. The 'fibrous surface' includes all fabric surfaces, such as clothing, for example shirts, pants, gloves, hats, shoes, interior decorations, such as furniture, automobile seats, linen, curtains, tablecloths, carpets, rugs, tapestries, pads, wipes, etc. The 'fibrous surface' may be, for example, natural fibers, such as cotton, wool, silk, synthetic fibers, such as polyester, rayon, dacron, or a blend of natural and synthetic fibers, such as a polycotton blend."

[0007] Furthermore, in paragraph 0056 of the same document, it is described that "The cleaning composition used here typically includes suitable ordinary cleaning agents, such as builders, surfactants, enzymes, bleaching activators, bleach boosters, bleach catalysts, bleaches, alkalinity suppliers, colorants, fragrances, lime soap dispersants, polymeric dye transfer inhibitors, antibacterial agents, crystal growth inhibitors, optical bleaches, heavy metal ion sequestering agents, anti-fogging agents, antibacterial agents, antioxidants, anti-redeposition agents, soil release polymers, electrolytes, pH adjusters, thickeners, abrasives, divalent metal ions, metal ion salts, enzyme stabilizers, corrosion inhibitors, diamines, bubble stabilizing polymers, solvents, processing aids, fabric softening agents, optical brighteners, hydrotropes, and mixtures thereof."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6C of Patent Document 1, the ultrasonic supply device used in the same document is small and lightweight enough to be held in one hand. Therefore, the cleaning method of the same document is a user-friendly cleaning method that can clean local stains on clothes, etc., regardless of the location and with reduced noise.

[0010] However, although a cleaning agent such as a surfactant is used, in the cleaning method of Patent Document 1 that relies only on ultrasonic energy for mechanical force cleaning, it is difficult to obtain a cleaning power equal to or greater than that of a washing machine that relies on the rotation / stirring of the liquid in the washing tub, the contact between the objects to be washed, the dropping of the objects to be washed, etc.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device and a cleaning method that can ensure a user-friendliness of being able to clean without fixing the installation location like a general washing machine and with reduced noise, and can also ensure a cleaning power equal to or greater than that of a washing machine that utilizes mechanical force cleaning by the rotation of the liquid, etc.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] A cleaning device according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a cleaning device for cleaning an object to be cleaned, comprising an upper part and a lower part of the device that can be separated vertically, a cleaning container detachably attached to the lower part of the device and capable of storing a cleaning liquid, a vibrator installed to be able to transmit vibration to the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container and generating vibration of 20 kHz or more, a light source installed to be able to irradiate the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container and irradiating light with a wavelength of 350 to 450 nm, and a control unit for controlling the vibrator and the light source. The control unit generates vibration in the vibrator during mechanical force cleaning and irradiates light on the light source during accelerated oxidation cleaning.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the cleaning device and the cleaning method of the present invention, it is possible to ensure ease of use such that cleaning can be performed regardless of location and with suppressed noise, and at the same time, a cleaning power equal to or higher than that of a washing machine using mechanical force cleaning by rotation of liquid or the like can be ensured. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, examples of the cleaning apparatus and the cleaning method of the present invention for cleaning an object to be cleaned with local dirt attached thereto will be described.

Examples

[0016] First, the cleaning apparatus 1 according to Example 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 2.

[0017] <Schematic Configuration of Cleaning Apparatus 1> FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the cleaning apparatus 1. As shown here, the cleaning apparatus 1 is composed of two parts: an upper apparatus part 11 and a lower apparatus part 12 that can be separated vertically. Although not shown, for inputting and outputting electric power and control signals, the upper apparatus part 11 and the lower apparatus part 12 are connected by a wiring of a predetermined length (for example, 50 cm).

[0018] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning apparatus 1 in the vertical virtual plane P shown in FIG. 1A. As shown in the figure, an ultrasonic unit 13 is installed inside the upper apparatus part 11. This ultrasonic unit 13 has an ultrasonic vibrator 13a that generates ultrasonic vibrations of 20 kHz or more, a vertical drive mechanism 13b such as a linear actuator that moves the ultrasonic vibrator 13a in the vertical direction, a drive mechanism fixing part 13c that fixes the vertical drive mechanism 13b to the inner ceiling of the upper apparatus part 11, and an ultrasonic drive circuit 13d (not shown) that supplies drive power to the ultrasonic vibrator 13a.

[0019] The ultrasonic vibrator 13a has specifications such as an ultrasonic frequency of 50 kHz and an output of 15 W. The ultrasonic drive circuit 13d also has specifications that can output drive power according to the specifications of the ultrasonic vibrator 13a. Note that the vertical drive mechanism 13b may be a mechanism other than a linear actuator as long as it can press and fix the ultrasonic vibrator 13a against the object C to be cleaned during cleaning.

[0020] Also, a partition plate 14 having a hole for exposing only the lower end of the ultrasonic vibrator 13a downward was arranged on the inner lower surface of the upper part 11 of the apparatus. This is to prevent droplets from scattering during cleaning from adhering to various devices inside the upper part 11 of the apparatus.

[0021] On the other hand, a cleaning container 15 capable of storing a cleaning liquid is detachably arranged on the inner upper surface of the lower part 12 of the apparatus. When cleaning the object C to be cleaned, the object C to be cleaned is installed so that the cleaning location is located inside the cleaning container 15, and a cleaning liquid is supplied to the inside of the cleaning container 15. When the object C to be cleaned is larger than the cleaning container 15, it can be installed so as to be sandwiched between the upper part 11 and the lower part 12 of the apparatus.

[0022] Figure 1C is an external perspective view of the cleaning container 15. As shown here, the cleaning container 15 is a bottomed container with an open upper part and an exposed interior. The bottom surface 15a of the cleaning container 15 is formed of a material such as acrylic resin that is resistant to liquids having properties other than neutral such as oxidizing substances and weakly alkaline substances and transmits UV light. The parts other than the bottom surface are formed of a material such as polycarbonate that is resistant to oxidizing and weakly alkaline substances and UV light. Although omitted in Figure 1B, a support for supporting the cleaning container 15 so that it does not fall from a predetermined position is provided inside the lower part 12 of the apparatus. Therefore, a protruding part such as an annular ring for hooking and fixing to the support may be provided on the outer periphery of the upper end of the cleaning container 15. Also, a configuration in which the lower surface of the cleaning container 15 is supported by a support may be adopted.

[0023] Also, as shown in FIG. 1B, an ultraviolet unit 16 is disposed inside the lower part 12 of the apparatus so as to face the bottom surface 15a of the cleaning container 15. This ultraviolet unit 16 has a light source 16a using an LED that emits UV (ultraviolet rays) with a wavelength of 365 nm, and a heat sink 16b that quickly dissipates the heat generated by the light source 16a, and is controlled so that the light source 16a lights up when performing AOP cleaning described later.

[0024] In the present exemplary embodiment and the exemplary embodiments hereinafter, the UV-LED is configured to be mounted on the upper part 11 or the lower part 12 of the apparatus. When the power of the apparatus is turned on, a magnet switch, a micro switch, or the like is provided so that it can be detected that the upper part 11 and the lower part 12 of the apparatus are arranged so as to substantially overlap. Since the UV-LED can emit light only when this detection is being performed, it is possible to prevent light from accidentally irradiating the human body. Note that a plurality of the above-described magnet switches and micro switches may be provided.

[0025] Furthermore, a ventilation opening 12a for exhaust heat is provided on the side surface of the lower part 12 of the apparatus. When the heat generation of the light source 16a is large, a fan may be installed around the ventilation opening 12a to improve the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0026] <Control System of Cleaning Apparatus 1> Next, the control system of the cleaning apparatus 1 will be described using the functional block diagram of FIG. 2. In the figure, solid lines represent the transmission of control signals, dotted lines represent the transmission of power, and double lines represent the feeding of the cleaning liquid.

[0027] As shown here, in addition to the above-described respective configurations, the cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a tank 17, a pump 18, a control unit 19, and a "presser". Here, the "presser" is a part for pressing and fixing the object C to be cleaned installed in the cleaning container 15 by receiving power from the vertical drive mechanism 13b, and in the present embodiment, as is apparent from FIG. 1B, it is the bottom surface of the ultrasonic vibrator 13a.

[0028] Needless to say, when the cleaning device 1 uses a commercial AC power supply, it includes an AC / DC converter that converts commercial AC power into DC power and outputs it. When it does not use a commercial AC power supply, it includes a storage battery that outputs DC power. A DC / DC converter that converts the DC power from the AC / DC converter or the storage battery into DC power with an appropriate voltage and supplies it to the vertical drive mechanism 13b, etc. A DC / AC converter that converts the DC power from the AC / DC converter or the storage battery into AC power with an appropriate voltage and supplies it to the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d, etc. An input interface that the user operates when starting the cleaning device 1, etc., and an output interface that notifies the user of the state of the cleaning device 1, etc. However, in the following, while appropriately omitting the description of these well-known configurations, the details of FIG. 2 will be described.

[0029] The tank 17 is a container for storing a cleaning liquid or water for cleaning the object C to be cleaned. If multiple types of liquids are used, multiple tanks 17 may be provided. The details of the cleaning liquid stored here will be described later.

[0030] The pump 18 is a device that sucks up an appropriate amount of the liquid in the tank 17 and supplies it to the cleaning container 15. Although there are various options for the pump 18, any type is acceptable as long as it is easy to control in order to supply the required liquid volume and is small enough to fit inside the device. For example, a diaphragm pump with a liquid delivery speed of several tens of mL / min can be considered.

[0031] When it is desired to simplify the configuration of the cleaning device 1, the tank 17 and the pump 18 may be omitted, and an appropriate amount of liquid may be manually supplied to the cleaning container 15.

[0032] The control unit 19 is a device that controls the vertical drive mechanism 13b to move the presser (ultrasonic vibrator 13a) up and down, controls the output of the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d to generate ultrasonic vibrations in the ultrasonic vibrator 13a, controls the light source 16a to emit UV light, and controls the pump 18 to supply liquid to the cleaning container 15. Although omitted in FIG. 1B, it is assumed that the control unit 19 is installed above the partition plate 14 of the upper part 11 of the device.

[0033] Specifically, this control unit 19 is a computer equipped with hardware such as an arithmetic unit like a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and a communication device. Then, by the arithmetic unit executing a desired cleaning program, each function outlined above is realized. However, hereinafter, such well-known technologies will be omitted as appropriate for the explanation.

[0034] <Cleaning Procedure> Hereinafter, the cleaning procedure by the cleaning device 1 of this embodiment will be described. Note that here, a cleaning device 1 with a simple configuration that does not include the tank 17 and the pump 18 and in which the user manually pours the cleaning liquid into the cleaning container 15 will be described as an example.

[0035] <<Step S1: Removal of the upper part 11 of the device and injection of the cleaning liquid>> First, the user removes the upper part 11 of the device and pours 3% hydrogen peroxide water, which is the cleaning liquid, into the cleaning container 15. The amount to be poured only needs to be such that when the object to be cleaned C is placed, the soiled part is immersed in the poured liquid.

[0036] <<Step S2: Installation of the object to be cleaned C>> Next, the user installs the object to be cleaned C inside the cleaning container 15. When the object to be cleaned C is larger than the cleaning container 15, the object to be cleaned C is installed in such a way as to be sandwiched between the upper part 11 and the lower part 12 of the device. When installing the object to be cleaned C, it is arranged so that the soiled part is located at the center of the cleaning container 15.

[0037] <<Step S3: Attachment of the upper part 11 of the device and ultrasonic cleaning>> After that, the user places the upper part 11 of the device on top and presses the cleaning start button, which is one of the interfaces, to start the cleaning. When the control unit 19 detects that the cleaning start button has been pressed, it drives the vertical drive mechanism 13b, moves the ultrasonic vibrator 13a downward, and fixes the object to be cleaned C with the bottom surface (presser) of the ultrasonic vibrator 13a. Further, in this state, ultrasonic vibration is generated in the ultrasonic vibrator 13a, and ultrasonic cleaning is performed for, for example, 3 minutes.

[0038] During ultrasonic cleaning, when the control unit 19 controls the vertical drive mechanism 13b to vary the force with which the ultrasonic vibrator 13a presses against the object C to be cleaned, the dirt removed from the object C to be cleaned by the ultrasonic waves diffuses more easily in the liquid, so the dirt is more likely to fall off. This diffusion effect is more likely to appear the more the dirt is particulate dirt. When the ultrasonic cleaning is completed, the control unit 19 moves the ultrasonic vibrator 13a, which is a presser, upward to release the fixation of the object C to be cleaned.

[0039] <<Step S4: AOP Cleaning>> Next, the control unit 19 turns on the light source 16a and irradiates the object C to be cleaned with UV light through the light-transmitting bottom surface 15a. The irradiation intensity of the UV light is adjusted so that it becomes 100 mW / cm 2 at the position to be cleaned. By irradiating the hydrogen peroxide solution, which is the cleaning liquid, with UV light, hydroxyl radicals are generated, and the dirt components are oxidized by the strong oxidizing power, and the dirt is decomposed and removed by so-called advanced oxidation process (AOP). The suitable cleaning time by UV light depends on the type and strength (concentration, amount) of the dirt, the type and concentration of the cleaning liquid used, the wavelength and intensity of the light to be irradiated. For example, for a cotton cloth wiped with spicy oil, it is 10 minutes under the above-mentioned cleaning liquid and light irradiation conditions.

[0040] <<Step S5: Removal of the upper part 11 of the apparatus and the cleaning container 15>> After the cleaning is completed, the user sequentially removes the upper part 11 of the apparatus and the cleaning container 15 from the cleaning apparatus 1. Then, the removed cleaning container 15 is carried to a washbasin or the like together with the object C to be cleaned, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning container 15. The object C to be cleaned after cleaning is further lightly rinsed with tap water and naturally dried in a place not exposed to light, thereby completing the washing of the soiled object C to be cleaned. The cleaning container 15 is appropriately cleaned to remove dirt and wiped off the water droplets around the apparatus and then returned to the cleaning apparatus 1.

[0041] <Evaluation of the cleaning effect by the cleaning apparatus 1> The cleaning effect of the object C to be cleaned by the above procedure was evaluated by the following procedure. The evaluation was carried out using a colorimeter to measure the color of the cloth as L * a * b * and obtained as color coordinates in color space, and evaluated by the distance between the points in the respective color spaces before and after soiling and after cleaning.

[0042] Specifically, the color coordinates were measured for the color of the cotton cloth in a clean state before soiling, the color of the cotton cloth before cleaning in the soiled state, and the color of the cotton cloth after cleaning and drying, and the distances ΔE (before cleaning) and ΔE (after cleaning) from the color coordinates of the cotton cloth in the clean state before soiling were obtained. The cleaning rate η was defined by (Equation 1), and η of each cloth was compared.

[0043] η = 1 - ΔE (after cleaning) / ΔE (before cleaning) ··· (Equation 1) As a result, the cleaning rate was 64% (η = 0.64) when using a commercially available washing machine and liquid detergent, whereas in the cleaning according to this example, the cleaning rate was 92% (η = 0.92), and it was confirmed that there was a high cleaning effect compared to a general washing machine. From the above, a highly convenient cleaning device that can achieve high cleaning power by ultrasonic vibration cleaning and AOP cleaning and can remove the entire cleaning container 15 for drainage and rinsing was constructed.

[0044] <Modification example of the cleaning procedure> In the above cleaning procedure, mechanical force cleaning using ultrasonic vibration was performed, and then advanced oxidation cleaning was carried out, but it is not necessarily necessary to carry out these cleanings separately. When the degree of soiling is low, or when the amount of soiling dispersed and dissolved in water by ultrasonic cleaning is small, or when the turbidity of water is low, ultrasonic cleaning and AOP cleaning may be carried out in parallel.

[0045] In this case, it is necessary to use a hydrogen peroxide water cleaning solution instead of water for ultrasonic cleaning. Since the cleaning can proceed simultaneously by this method, there is an advantage that the time required for the entire cleaning is shortened. On the other hand, when the dirt is dispersed in the hydrogen peroxide water cleaning solution as fine particles of a size that scatters UV light, or when the dirt is dissolved in the hydrogen peroxide water cleaning solution and absorbs the UV light used, the light transmittance decreases, so the light irradiation time must be made longer accordingly.

[0046] <Measures against Aging of Light Source 16a> When a semiconductor element such as an LED or a laser diode is used for the light source 16a, the temperature of the light source 16a rises with the light irradiation time and the light output decreases. This is the same when using a discharge tube light source that does not use a semiconductor element. Therefore, in determining the light irradiation time, it is necessary to determine it not uniquely by time but by the light irradiation amount (light irradiation energy). In addition, the semiconductor element also deteriorates with time during use, and the light irradiation energy per unit time decreases with time. For these reasons, it is desirable to incorporate a system for monitoring the amount of light irradiated into the apparatus and adjust the time according to the monitored amount.

[0047] <Cleaning Solution during Ultrasonic Cleaning> In the above cleaning procedure, ultrasonic cleaning was also performed with hydrogen peroxide water as the cleaning solution, but it is not always necessary to use hydrogen peroxide water. Although using hydrogen peroxide water for ultrasonic cleaning can slightly increase the cleaning power, it does not cause a difference that affects the cleaning result after AOP cleaning. Therefore, ultrasonic cleaning may be performed with water and the cleaning solution may be replaced at the AOP cleaning stage. Although this method increases the labor because the operation of replacing the liquid during cleaning occurs, the effect of removing dirt is improved because the liquid in which the dirt generated by ultrasonic cleaning is dispersed is replaced before AOP cleaning. Furthermore, the cleaning effect is further improved if the object to be cleaned C is rinsed in accordance with the replacement of the liquid.

[0048] <Wavelength of Ultraviolet Light> In the above cleaning procedure, a UV-LED with a wavelength of 365 nm was used for the light source 16a, but it is not limited to this wavelength. For example, even when using light with a wavelength of 405 nm, the cleaning effect by AOP can be obtained. In this case, since the wavelength is longer than that of the light with a wavelength of 365 nm and is almost in the visible light region, the safety is enhanced when the light accidentally irradiates the human body, etc.

[0049] On the other hand, it is also conceivable to use light with a wavelength shorter than 365 nm. For example, even for light in the wavelength range classified as so-called UV-C, such as the emission line of a mercury lamp at about 254 nm or a Deep UV LED lamp around 270 nm, the cleaning effect by AOP can be expected. In this case, since it can be expected that the generation efficiency of hydroxyl radicals is higher for light with a shorter wavelength than 365 nm, there is an advantage that the decomposition rate of dirt can be easily increased. However, there is also a demerit that as the wavelength of the light becomes shorter, the possibility that the fiber itself is damaged by light irradiation increases.

[0050] In view of the above, for the light source 16a of this embodiment, one that can irradiate light with a wavelength of 350 to 450 nm, which can obtain the cleaning effect by AOP and does not damage the fiber, was adopted.

[0051] <Cleaning liquid for AOP cleaning> In the above procedure, 3% hydrogen peroxide water was used for the cleaning liquid, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, hydrogen peroxide water with a higher concentration can also be used. In this case, the dirt removal becomes faster. Conversely, hydrogen peroxide water with a lower concentration can also be used. In this case, the cleaning liquid can be prepared by diluting the concentration of commercially available 3% oxidol, but more cleaning liquid can be obtained for a certain amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide water. That is, the amount of the cleaning liquid used for a certain amount of the object to be cleaned C can be reduced, or more objects to be cleaned C can be processed. On the other hand, in this case, it is necessary to extend the treatment time by AOP, that is, to extend the cleaning time.

[0052] Regarding the type of cleaning liquid, it is not limited to hydrogen peroxide solution. Any substance containing hydrogen peroxide as a component can be substituted. For example, sodium percarbonate, urea hydrogen peroxide, etc. can be considered. In particular, sodium percarbonate is commercially available as an oxygen-based bleaching agent and is easily obtainable, so it has high convenience. In this case, since it is usually provided as a powdered solid, it is appropriately dissolved in water and used. The concentration may be adjusted so that 1 g of sodium percarbonate is dissolved in 200 mL, but this is not strict and even if there is a slight deviation in concentration, the cleaning power will not change significantly.

[0053] <The effects of this example> According to the cleaning device 1 of this example described above, although it is an easy-to-handle and simple device, it can clean local dirt adhering to the object to be cleaned in a short time.

Example

[0054] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C, the cleaning device 1 according to Example 2 of the present invention will be described. Regarding the common points with Example 1, duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0055] In Example 1, the ultrasonic vibrator 13a, which is the main part of the ultrasonic unit 13, was arranged in the upper part 11 of the device, and the light source 16a, which is the main part of the ultraviolet unit 16, was arranged in the lower part 12 of the device. In contrast, in this example, the light source 16a was arranged in the upper part 11 of the device, and the ultrasonic vibrator 13a was arranged in the lower part 12 of the device. Hereinafter, the cleaning device 1 of this example, which applies ultrasonic vibration from the lower side of the object to be cleaned C and irradiates UV light from the upper side of the object to be cleaned C, will be described.

[0056] <Upper part 11 of the device> FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the upper part 11 of the device of this example. As shown here, there is a partition plate 14 inside the upper part 11 of the device, which prevents droplets from scattering and adhering from the cleaning container 15 side to the control unit 19 side. On the upper side of the partition plate 14, a ventilation port 11a, an up-and-down drive mechanism 13b, a heat sink 16b, etc. are arranged.

[0057] At the lower part of the partition plate 14, a light source 16a fixed to the lower surface of the heat sink 16b and a translucent object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e are arranged. The object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e is a part that undertakes the function of "holding down" which was performed by the ultrasonic vibrator 13a in the first embodiment under the configuration of this embodiment. That is, the function of the object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e is to fix the object to be cleaned C in order to improve the vibration transmission efficiency during ultrasonic cleaning while transmitting the light from the upper light source 16a downward. Therefore, the object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e has an area that generally covers the bottom surface 15a of the cleaning container 15 in order to cover and fix the cleaning part. This is connected to the lower end of the vertical drive mechanism 13b and fixes the object to be cleaned C during ultrasonic cleaning. Here, in order to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the upper part of the object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e, it is desirable that the object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e has a thickness or a vertical wall surface is formed on the outer periphery of the object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e. By this mechanism, it is possible to prevent the droplets from scattering onto the light source 16a. The object-to-be-cleaned fixing part 13e may be formed of a material such as an acrylic resin that is resistant to oxidizing substances and weakly alkaline substances and transmits UV light, similar to the bottom surface 15a of the cleaning container 15 in the first embodiment.

[0058] <Lower part 12 of the apparatus> FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C are cross-sectional views of the lower part 12 of the apparatus of this embodiment. As shown in these figures, the cleaning container 15 can be fitted into the lower part 12 of the apparatus and can be detached. Further, a disk-shaped ultrasonic vibrator 13a is firmly fixed to the lower surface of the cleaning container 15. Furthermore, an ultrasonic drive circuit 13d is arranged below the cleaning container 15. An electrode 13f is provided at the lower part of the ultrasonic vibrator 13a. When the cleaning container 15 is fitted into the lower part 12 of the apparatus, the electrode 13f contacts the electrode 13g on the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d side, so that high-frequency power can be supplied from the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d to the ultrasonic vibrator 13a. In order to improve the supply efficiency of the high-frequency power, it is desirable to use a leaf spring or the like for the electrode 13f on the ultrasonic vibrator side and the electrode 13g on the high-frequency drive circuit side so as to maintain a firm contact.

[0059] Also, in FIG. 3B, the periphery of the cleaning container 15 is depicted as protruding greatly from the upper end of the lower part 12 of the apparatus. This is for the sake of easy understanding and emphasis. In reality, it is better if the protruding part is as low as possible within the range where the container can be easily removed. This is not relevant when the object to be cleaned C is completely placed inside the cleaning container 15. However, in the case where the object to be cleaned C is sandwiched between the upper and lower parts of the cleaning apparatus and cleaned, it is because the suction due to the penetration of the cleaning liquid is suppressed in that case.

[0060] Also according to this embodiment, similar to Embodiment 1, a cleaning apparatus with high cleaning power by ultrasonic vibration cleaning and AOP cleaning, and high convenience in which the entire cleaning container can be removed for drainage and rinsing can be configured.

Embodiment

[0061] Next, the cleaning apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. Regarding the common points with Embodiments 1 and 2, duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0062] Also in this embodiment, similar to Embodiment 2, ultrasonic vibration is applied from the lower surface of the object to be cleaned C, and UV light is irradiated from the upper surface. By changing the power supply of the ultrasonic unit 13 from a contact method to a non-contact method (wireless method), deterioration of the apparatus due to the adhesion of the cleaning liquid or water droplets is made less likely to occur.

[0063] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the upper part 11 of the apparatus of this embodiment, which is equivalent to FIG. 3A of Embodiment 2.

[0064] Figures 4B and 4C are cross-sectional views of the lower part 12 of the apparatus in this embodiment. As shown in these figures, in the position where the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d was installed in Embodiment 2, a drive circuit 20 for power transmission is installed in the lower part 12 of the apparatus, and a transmission coil 21 is built in above it. Further, an ultrasonic drive circuit 13d is installed below the ultrasonic vibrator 13a fixed to the lower surface of the cleaning container 15, and a power receiving coil 22 is installed on the lower surface of the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d. Therefore, when the cleaning container 15 is attached to the lower part 12 of the apparatus, as shown in Figure 4B, the transmission coil 21 and the power receiving coil 22 are arranged to face each other. With such a configuration, the ultrasonic drive circuit 13d can drive the ultrasonic vibrator 13a using the power wirelessly supplied by the power transmission and reception by electromagnetic induction between the transmission coil 21 and the power receiving coil 22.

[0065] Note that in Figures 4B and 4C, a configuration in which the power receiving coil 22 is exposed is shown, but in actuality, by appropriately enclosing the power receiving coil 22 in the container, it is possible to avoid deterioration of the electrodes due to adhesion of liquid.

[0066] Wireless power transmission and reception can utilize, for example, a wireless charging system such as a smartphone. Currently, such wireless chargers can transmit and receive power of about 15W. Although the ultrasonic output is inferior to the power supply by direct wiring, it has been confirmed that even an ultrasonic output of about 10W is effective for cleaning by ultrasonic vibration. When higher cleaning power is required for cleaning by ultrasonic vibration, it is also possible in principle to use a plurality of coils in the wireless charging system.

[0067] Although the power transmission and reception by electromagnetic induction in this embodiment is different from that of the previous embodiments, the circuit configuration and control method of this part may apply the existing methods.

Embodiment

[0068] Next, the cleaning apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5A and 5B. Note that duplicate descriptions of the common points with Embodiments 1 to 3 will be omitted.

[0069] The cleaning apparatuses 1 of Examples 1 to 3 were configured such that the upper part 11 of the apparatus and the lower part 12 of the apparatus could be separated, and the cleaning container 15 could be separated from the lower part 12 of the apparatus. However, as shown in FIG. 5A, the cleaning apparatus 1 of this example has a configuration in which the upper part 11 of the apparatus and the lower part 12 of the apparatus are integrated via a hinge 10, and the cleaning container 15 is fixed to the lower part 12 of the apparatus. Therefore, in the cleaning apparatuses 1 of Examples 1 to 3, the cleaning container 15 removed from the lower part 12 of the apparatus was tilted to drain the cleaning liquid, whereas in the cleaning apparatus 1 of this example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the upper part 11 of the apparatus and the lower part 12 of the apparatus are opened up and down about the hinge 10, and the cleaning liquid is drained from the cleaning container 15 by tilting the apparatus itself. Note that the hinge 10 has stable points in two states, an open state and a closed state, so that the states of FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B can be maintained.

[0070] Inside the upper part 11 of the apparatus of this example, as shown in FIG. 5A, a light source 16a, a heat sink 16b, and a cleaning object fixing part 13e are provided. The cleaning object fixing part 13e is configured of a UV light transmissive material for a surface for fixing the cleaning object C facing the light source 16a, in the same manner as in Example 2. In the above example, in order to change the fixing force of the cleaning object fixing part 13e, a somewhat large vertical drive mechanism 13b has been used. However, in order to drain the liquid by tilting the apparatus itself as shown in FIG. 5B, it is desirable to reduce the size of the cleaning apparatus 1, and it is necessary to pay attention not to use a large drive mechanism. Therefore, for the vertical drive mechanism 13b of this example, for example, a mechanism that can be miniaturized such as an actuator with a small displacement amount or a crank mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion is used. Note that 23 in the figure is a drive circuit for the light source 16a and the vertical mechanism 13b.

[0071] Also, inside the lower part 12 of the apparatus of this example, there is a cleaning container 15 in which an ultrasonic vibrator 13a is firmly fixed to the bottom surface, and the cleaning object C can be placed therein. Note that the built-in circuit of the upper part 11 of the apparatus and the built-in circuit of the lower part 12 of the apparatus are electrically connected via the hinge 10 and share electric power and control signals.

[0072] The cleaning method of this embodiment is generally the same as that of the previous embodiments. First, open the hinge 10 and put the object to be cleaned C into the cleaning container 15, or close the hinge 10 so that the part to be cleaned is located at the center of the cleaning container 15. Then, pour the cleaning liquid into the cleaning container 15 and start the cleaning. After the cleaning is completed, open the hinge 10 and discharge the cleaning liquid after cleaning from the cleaning container 15.

[0073] According to the cleaning device 1 of this embodiment, since the cleaning liquid after cleaning can be discharged without removing the cleaning container 15, the usability can be further improved.

Embodiment

[0074] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the cleaning device 1 according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described. Note that duplicate descriptions of the common points with Embodiments 1 to 4 will be omitted.

[0075] In the cleaning device 1 of Embodiment 4, the upper part 11 of the device and the lower part 12 of the device are integrally formed via the hinge 10, and the cleaning liquid is discharged by tilting the device itself. In contrast, in the cleaning device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper part 11 of the device and the lower part 12 of the device are opened up and down with the hinge 10 as the axis, and then the cleaning container 15 is removed from the device to discharge the cleaning liquid.

[0076] The configurations of the upper part 11 and the lower part 12 of the device in this embodiment are generally the same as those in Embodiment 4. In order to enable the container to be removable, the disk-shaped ultrasonic vibrator 13a is fixed to the lower part of the container so that it can be attached and detached together with the container, which is the same as in Embodiment 2. The power supply method to the ultrasonic vibrator 13a may be the same as that in Embodiment 2 or Embodiment 3.

[0077] The cleaning method of this embodiment is generally the same as that in Embodiment 4. The difference is that the container 15 can be removed after cleaning to discharge the cleaning liquid. Since the container can be removed, it is an advantage that the dirt remaining in the container can be cleaned only with the container.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 1 Cleaning device 10 Hinge 11 Upper part of the device 11a Vent 12 Lower part of the device 12a Vent 13 Ultrasonic unit 13a Ultrasonic vibrator 13b Vertical drive mechanism 13c Drive mechanism fixing part 13d Ultrasonic drive circuit 13e Object to be cleaned fixing part 13f, 13g Electrodes 14 Partition plate 15 Cleaning container 15a Bottom surface 16 Ultraviolet unit 16a Light source 16b Heat sink 16c Drive circuit 17 Tank 18 Pump 19 Control unit 20 Drive circuit for power transmission 21 Power transmission coil 22 Power reception coil 23 Drive circuit

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning an object to be cleaned, comprising: an upper part and a lower part of the device that can be separated vertically; a cleaning container that is detachably attached to the lower part of the device and can store a cleaning liquid; a vibrator installed so as to be able to transmit vibration to the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container and generating vibration of 20 kHz or more; a light source installed so as to be able to irradiate the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container with light having a wavelength of 350 to 450 nm; a control unit for controlling the vibrator and the light source, wherein the control unit causes the vibrator to generate vibration during mechanical force cleaning and causes the light source to irradiate light during accelerated oxidation cleaning. The cleaning device is characterized by this.

2. In the cleaning device according to Claim 1, the cleaning liquid contains at least one of hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, or urea peroxide. The cleaning device is characterized by this.

3. In the cleaning device according to Claim 1, the upper part of the device is provided with a vertical drive mechanism for pressing and fixing the object to be cleaned installed in the cleaning container from above by moving the vibrator in the vertical direction, wherein the light source irradiates light to the object to be cleaned installed in the cleaning container through the translucent bottom of the cleaning container. The cleaning device is characterized by this.

4. In the cleaning device according to Claim 1, the upper part of the device is provided with a vertical drive mechanism for pressing and fixing the object to be cleaned installed in the cleaning container from above by moving a cleaning object fixing part in the vertical direction, wherein the vibrator is fixed to the bottom surface of the cleaning container, and the light source irradiates light to the object to be cleaned installed in the cleaning container through the translucent cleaning object fixing part. The cleaning device is characterized by this.

5. In the cleaning device according to Claim 4, a power receiving coil for receiving the driving power of the vibrator is provided on the lower surface of the cleaning container, a power transmitting coil for transmitting the driving power is provided at a position facing the power receiving coil when the cleaning container is attached to the lower part of the device, and the driving power is transmitted in a wireless manner using the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil. The cleaning device is characterized by this.

6. A cleaning device for cleaning an object to be cleaned, comprising: an upper part and a lower part of the device that can be separated vertically; a hinge for connecting the upper part and the lower part of the device so as to be openable and closable; a cleaning container fixed to the lower part of the device and capable of storing a cleaning liquid; A vibrator that is installed so as to be able to transmit vibration to the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container and generates vibration of 20 kHz or more, A light source that is installed so as to be able to irradiate the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container with light having a wavelength of 350 to 450 nm, A control unit that controls the vibrator and the light source, and The control unit causes the vibrator to generate vibration during mechanical force cleaning and causes the light source to irradiate light during accelerated oxidation cleaning. A cleaning device characterized by that.

7. In the cleaning device according to claim 6, The vibrator is fixed to the bottom surface of the cleaning container, The cleaning device, characterized in that the cleaning container is detachably attached to the lower part of the device.

8. In the cleaning device according to claim 7, A power receiving coil for receiving the driving power of the vibrator is provided on the lower surface of the cleaning container, A power transmitting coil for transmitting the driving power is provided at a position facing the power receiving coil when the cleaning container is attached to the lower part of the device, A cleaning device characterized by wirelessly transmitting the driving power using the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil.

9. A cleaning method implemented by the cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The control unit, A mechanical force cleaning step of transmitting the vibration of the vibrator to the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container for cleaning, An accelerated oxidation cleaning step of irradiating the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container with light from the light source for cleaning, A cleaning method characterized by executing in parallel.

10. A cleaning method implemented by the cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, After the mechanical force cleaning step of transmitting the vibration of the vibrator to the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container for cleaning, A cleaning method characterized by executing an accelerated oxidation cleaning step of irradiating the object to be cleaned in the cleaning container with light from the light source for cleaning.

11. In the cleaning method according to claim 10, In the mechanical force cleaning step, the object to be cleaned is immersed in water, In the accelerated oxidation cleaning step, the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid. A cleaning method characterized by that.

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