Ultraviolet irradiation system

Abstract

To provide a mobile ultraviolet irradiation system.SOLUTION: An ultraviolet irradiation system movable in a predetermined moving direction comprises: an ultraviolet irradiation section 10 having a plurality of light source units arranged in an arrangement direction different from the moving direction and configured to apply ultraviolet light to a predetermined irradiation target, where each of the plurality of light source units includes one or more ultraviolet light sources; and an operation control section 30 for individually controlling an operating state of each of the plurality of light source units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultraviolet irradiation system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled robot to which an ultraviolet irradiation device is connected. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-176069

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultraviolet irradiation system that is movable in a predetermined moving direction, the ultraviolet irradiation system having a plurality of light source units arranged in an arrangement direction different from the moving direction, and an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays onto a predetermined irradiation object, wherein each of the plurality of light source units includes one or more ultraviolet light sources, and an operation control unit that individually controls the operation states of the respective light source units of the plurality of light source units.

[0004] Note that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the features of the present invention. Also, sub-combinations of these feature groups can also be inventions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14A

Figure 14B

Figure 14C

Figure 15

Figure 16

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0006] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention.

[0007] FIG. 1 shows an example of a side view of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example includes an ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 having a plurality of light source units 20 and an operation control unit 30. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 may include a moving unit 40.

[0008] The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example is movable in a predetermined moving direction. The moving direction is, for example, the Z-axis direction, but is not limited thereto. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 may be movable within the XZ plane. When the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 moves on a slanted surface or a stepped surface, the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 may be movable in the Y-axis direction.

[0009] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 irradiates ultraviolet rays on a predetermined irradiation object. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 includes a plurality of light source units 20 arranged in an arrangement direction different from the moving direction. The light source units 20 may be arranged in the height direction of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The arrangement direction is, for example, the Y-axis direction, but is not limited thereto. The light source units 20 may be arranged obliquely upward with respect to the XZ plane.

[0010] In the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10, one light source unit 20 may be arranged above the other light source unit 20. In the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 of this example, the light source unit 20 is placed on the upper surface of one light source unit 20. In the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10, a plurality of light source units 20 may be provided separately from each other. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 may include an intervening element for separating between the plurality of light source units 20.

[0011] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 includes a plurality of light source units 20 having the same configuration. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 may include a plurality of light source units 20 having different configurations. That the configurations of the light source units 20 are different may mean that the shapes of the light source units 20 are different, the outputs of the light source units 20 are different, or the numbers and arrangements of the ultraviolet light sources 25 included in the light source units 20 are different. The ultraviolet light source 25 will be described later.

[0012] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 of this example includes three light source units 20, but the number of the light source units 20 is not limited to this. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 may have two light source units 20 and may have four or more light source units 20. By changing the number of the light source units 20 included in the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 according to the environment in which the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 operates, the shape of the irradiation object, etc., the versatility of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 can be improved.

[0013] Each of the plurality of light source units 20 includes one or more ultraviolet light sources 25. The number of the ultraviolet light sources 25 included in the plurality of light source units 20 may be the same or different for each light source unit 20.

[0014] The operation control unit 30 individually controls the operation states of the plurality of light source units 20. The operation control unit 30 may switch the on / off of the light source unit 20, may change the output of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20, may change the wavelength of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20, and may change the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20. The operation control unit 30 in this example includes an irradiation control unit 32, a shielding control unit 34, and a traveling control unit 36.

[0015] The position where the operation control unit 30 is provided is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1. The operation control unit 30 may be integrally formed with the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 or may be integrally formed with the moving unit 40. The operation control unit 30 may be realized as a configuration separate from the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the moving unit 40, and may control the operation state of the light source unit 20 using a short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0016] The irradiation control unit 32 individually controls each light source unit 20 to be in an on state or an off state, or individually controls the intensity of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by each light source unit 20. The irradiation control unit 32 may change the combination of the light source units 20 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 that are controlled in the on state according to the shape of the irradiation object. The specific control method of the irradiation control unit 32 will be described later.

[0017] The shielding control unit 34 changes the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20. The shielding control unit 34 may control the interval at which the ultraviolet light source 25 is provided, and may control the position and height of the shielding unit 50 described later. The specific control method of the shielding control unit 34 will be described later.

[0018] The traveling control unit 36 controls the traveling of the moving unit 40. The traveling control unit 36 may control the moving direction of the moving unit 40, may control the moving speed v, and may control the irradiation distance L between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object. The specific control method of the traveling control unit 36 will be described later.

[0019] The moving part 40 moves the ultraviolet irradiation part 10 in the moving direction. The moving part 40 may be controlled by the traveling control part 36. In one example, the moving part 40 is a self-propelled robot controlled by the traveling control part 36. The configuration of the moving part 40 is not limited as long as it can move the ultraviolet irradiation part 10.

[0020] The moving part 40 may be detachable from the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. In one example, the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is formed by mounting the ultraviolet irradiation part 10 and the operation control part 30 on the moving part 40.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of a facility 200 where the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is used. The facility 200 may be a public facility available to the general public. In one example, the facility 200 is a hospital. The facility 200 may be an elderly care facility. The facility 200 has a predetermined irradiation object 110 and a non-irradiation object 120 that does not need to be irradiated with ultraviolet light or should not be irradiated with ultraviolet light.

[0022] The irradiation object 110 is an article or the like that is to be irradiated with ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example. When the irradiation object 110 is irradiated with ultraviolet light, pathogens, viruses, etc. that may exist on its surface are inactivated. The irradiation object 110 is, as an example, a handrail in a corridor. The irradiation object 110 may be a doorknob.

[0023] The non-irradiation object 120 is an article or the like that is not the target of active ultraviolet irradiation in the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example. The non-irradiation object 120 is, as an example, a person. The non-irradiation object 120 may be a wall surface in a corridor or a surface of a door. Among the non-irradiation objects 120, the wall surface in the corridor and the surface of the door may be irradiated with ultraviolet light. That is, the wall surface in the corridor and the surface of the door may be the irradiation object 110.

[0024] The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example can individually control the operating states of a plurality of light source units 20 included in the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. Thereby, the risk of irradiating the non-irradiation object 120 with ultraviolet rays is reduced, and while suppressing the extra ultraviolet output to reduce energy loss, the irradiation object 110 can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, even when there is a handrail in the corridor, which is the irradiation object 110, below a person who is the non-irradiation object 120, only the handrail in the corridor can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

[0025] FIG. 3A shows an example of the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. In the example of FIG. 3A, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 includes three light source units 20, namely, a light source unit 20-1, a light source unit 20-2, and a light source unit 20-3. The range indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3A is the ultraviolet irradiation range.

[0026] In the example of FIG. 3A, the size of the irradiation object 110 in the arrangement direction is larger than the size of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in the arrangement direction. In this case, the irradiation control unit 32 may control all three light source units 20 to be in the on state. Thereby, the entire surface of the irradiation object 110 can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

[0027] FIG. 3B shows an example of the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. Differences from FIG. 3A will be described with reference to FIG. 3B.

[0028] In the example of FIG. 3B, the size of the irradiation object 110 in the arrangement direction is smaller than the size of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in the arrangement direction. In the example of FIG. 3B, the upper end of the irradiation object 110 is below the upper end of the light source unit 20-1, and the lower end of the irradiation object 110 is above the lower end of the light source unit 20-3.

[0029] In the example of FIG. 3B, the irradiation control unit 32 controls only the light source unit 20-2 among the three light source units 20 to be in the on state, and controls the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-3 to be in the off state. Thereby, while irradiating the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet rays, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to non-irradiation objects that may exist around the irradiation object 110 can be avoided, and the power consumption can be reduced. Instead of controlling the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-3 to be in the off state, the irradiation control unit 32 may control the outputs of the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-3 to be smaller than the output of the light source unit 20-2.

[0030] FIG. 3C shows an example of the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. Differences from FIGS. 3A and 3B will be described with reference to FIG. 3C.

[0031] In the example of FIG. 3C, the size of the irradiation object 110 in the arrangement direction is smaller than the size of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in the arrangement direction. In the example of FIG. 3C, the upper end of the irradiation object 110 is below the upper ends of the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-2.

[0032] In the example of FIG. 3C, the irradiation control unit 32 controls only the light source unit 20-3 among the three light source units 20 to be in the on state, and controls the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-2 to be in the off state. Thereby, while irradiating the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet rays, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to non-irradiation objects that may exist around the irradiation object 110 can be avoided, and the power consumption can be reduced. Instead of controlling the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-2 to be in the off state, the irradiation control unit 32 may control the outputs of the light source unit 20-1 and the light source unit 20-2 to be smaller than the output of the light source unit 20-3.

[0033] FIG. 4A shows an example of a front view of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in this example has a plurality of light source units 20 each including one or more ultraviolet light sources 25. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in this example includes a shielding unit 50 that limits the ultraviolet irradiation range in the arrangement direction of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10.

[0034] The ultraviolet light source 25 emits ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light source 25 may have a substantially spherical shape, or may have a substantially cylindrical shape with a major axis in the moving direction (in one example, the Z-axis direction) or the array direction (in one example, the Y-axis direction). The ultraviolet light source 25 in this example is embedded in the light source unit 20 and has a substantially hemispherical outer shape. Ultraviolet light is emitted isotropically from the ultraviolet light source 25.

[0035] The ultraviolet light source 25 in this example is a UV-C LED. This can reduce the deterioration of the ultraviolet light source 25 when repeatedly switched between the on state and the off state. However, the ultraviolet light source 25 is not limited to a UV-C LED.

[0036] A plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 may be provided at equal intervals in the array direction. The ultraviolet light sources 25 in this example are provided at equal intervals with an interval d in the array direction. This can equalize the planar illuminance of ultraviolet light on the surface of the irradiation object 110. However, the ultraviolet light sources 25 do not have to be provided at equal intervals. The ultraviolet light sources 25 may be provided at different intervals according to the shape of the irradiation object 110.

[0037] The shielding portion 50 limits the irradiation range of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet light source 25. The shielding portion 50 in this example is provided for each light source unit 20 of the plurality of light source units 20. This can adjust the irradiation range of ultraviolet light for each light source unit 20.

[0038] FIG. 4B shows an example of a side view of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. In FIG. 4B, the ultraviolet light source 25-2 controlled to be in the on state is shown in white, and the ultraviolet light source 25-1 controlled to be in the off state is shown in black. Using FIG. 4B, the limitation of the irradiation range of ultraviolet light above the light source unit 20 will be described.

[0039] The shielding part 50 is provided at the upper end of the light source unit 20 and restricts the irradiation range of ultraviolet rays upward from the light source unit 20. In the example of FIG. 4B, the shielding part 50 is provided above the light source unit 20-2 and restricts the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20-2 above the light source unit 20.

[0040] The shielding part 50 restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range above the ultraviolet light source 25-2 which is in the on state and provided at the uppermost position among one or more ultraviolet light sources 25 in any one of the plurality of light source units 20. The intensity of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20 above the light source unit 20 depends on the intensity of the ultraviolet rays emitted by the uppermost on-state ultraviolet light source 25-2 among the one or more ultraviolet light sources 25 that the light source unit 20 has. Therefore, by restricting the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays emitted by the uppermost on-state ultraviolet light source 25-2, the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20 above the light source unit 20 can be restricted.

[0041] The shielding control unit 34 can control at least one of the shielding distance S between the ultraviolet light source 25 adjacent to the shielding part 50 and the shielding part 50 among the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25, and the height H of the shielding part 50. The shielding distance S may include the upper shielding distance S between the ultraviolet light source 25-2 and the shielding part 50, and the height H of the shielding part 50 may include the height H of the shielding part 50. The shielding control unit 34 can adjust either one or both of the upper shielding distance S between the ultraviolet light source 25-2 and the shielding part 50 and the height H of the shielding part 50. Thereby, the irradiation range I of the ultraviolet rays above the light source unit 20-2 can be adjusted. U may be included, and the height H of the shielding part 50 may include the height H of the shielding part 50. U The shielding control unit 34 can adjust either one or both of the upper shielding distance S between the ultraviolet light source 25-2 and the shielding part 50 and the height H of the shielding part 50. U and the height H of the shielding part 50. U Thereby, the irradiation range I of the ultraviolet rays above the light source unit 20-2 can be adjusted. U

[0042] The irradiation range I U is such that taking the irradiation distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the object to be irradiated 110 as L, I U = L×S U / H UIt is represented by. The irradiation distance L between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the object 110 to be irradiated is the distance between the front of the light source unit 20 and the object 110 to be irradiated. The irradiation distance L may be the distance between the surface of the ultraviolet light source 25 and the object 110 to be irradiated, taking into account the thickness of the ultraviolet light source 25.

[0043] The operation control unit 30 controls the light source unit 20 in which the position of the uppermost ultraviolet light source 25 included in the light source unit 20 is lower than the upper end of the object 110 to be irradiated to the on state, and controls the light source unit 20 above the light source unit 20 to the off state. In the example of FIG. 4B, since the position of the uppermost ultraviolet light source 25-2 included in the light source unit 20-2 is lower than the upper end of the object 110 to be irradiated, the light source unit 20-2 is controlled to the on state, and the light source units 20-1 located above the light source unit 20-2 and the light source unit 20 further above are controlled to the off state. Thereby, the risk of ultraviolet rays being irradiated to other than the object 110 to be irradiated can be reduced.

[0044] In the example of FIG. 4B, the irradiation range I U The upper end of is restricted so as to coincide with the upper end of the object 110 to be irradiated. The shielding control unit 34 may restrict the irradiation range so that the upper end of the irradiation range I U comes to a position lower than the upper end of the object 110 to be irradiated. When there is no non-irradiation object 120 such as a human body above the upper end of the object 110 to be irradiated, the shielding control unit 34 may restrict the irradiation range so that the upper end of the irradiation range I U comes to a position higher than the upper end of the object 110 to be irradiated.

[0045] FIG. 4C shows an example of a side view of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. Using FIG. 4C, the restriction of the irradiation range of ultraviolet rays below the light source unit 20 will be described.

[0046] The shielding part 50 restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range below the ultraviolet light source 25-1 that is in the on state and is provided at the lowest position among one or more ultraviolet light sources 25 in any one of the plurality of light source units 20. The shielding distance S includes the lower shielding distance S between the ultraviolet light source 25-1 and the shielding part 50 L and the height H of the shielding part 50 may include the height H of the shielding part 50 L . Thereby, the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source unit 20 can be restricted below the light source unit 20.

[0047] The shielding control unit 34 can adjust either one or both of the lower shielding distance S between the ultraviolet light source 25-1 and the shielding part 50 L and the height H of the shielding part 50 L . Thereby, the irradiation range I of the ultraviolet rays below the light source unit 20-1 can be adjusted. The irradiation range I L is represented by I L =L×S L / H L with the irradiation distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the object to be irradiated 110 being L L .

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a modified example of the front view of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. Differences from FIG. 4A will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0049] The shielding part 50 is provided for each of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25. The shielding part 50 may be provided one by one between each of the ultraviolet light sources 25. The shielding part 50 may be provided one above and one below each of the ultraviolet light sources 25. That is, two shielding parts 50 may be provided between each of the ultraviolet light sources 25. By providing the shielding part 50 for each ultraviolet light source 25, the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 can be adjusted more finely.

[0050] In the example of FIG. 5, the shielding portion 50 does not necessarily need to be provided for all the ultraviolet light sources 25. As an example, for two adjacent ultraviolet light sources 25 vertically, the shielding portion 50 is provided above the upper ultraviolet light source 25 and below the lower ultraviolet light source 25, and the shielding portion 50 is not provided between these two ultraviolet light sources 25. In this way, by finely adjusting the position where the shielding portion 50 is provided, ultraviolet light can be irradiated in accordance with the shape of the irradiation object 110 and the like.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a modified example of the front view of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. Using FIG. 6, the differences from FIGS. 4A and 5 will be described.

[0052] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 has a shielding portion 50-1 and a shielding portion 50-2 that limit the ultraviolet irradiation range in the arrangement direction. The shielding portion 50-1 is provided above the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and limits the ultraviolet irradiation range above the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. The shielding portion 50-2 is provided below the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and limits the ultraviolet irradiation range below the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. By providing the shielding portion 50 above and below the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10, the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 can be restricted all at once.

[0053] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 may have a shielding portion 50-3 and a shielding portion 50-4 that limit the ultraviolet irradiation range in the moving direction. The shielding portion 50-3 is provided on the right side of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and limits the ultraviolet irradiation range on the right side of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. The shielding portion 50-4 is provided on the left side of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and limits the ultraviolet irradiation range on the left side of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. By providing the shielding portion 50 on the right and left sides of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10, the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 can be restricted, and the average illuminance on the surface of the irradiation object 110 can be improved.

[0054] FIG. 7A shows an example of a side view of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 includes a position adjustment unit 60 that adjusts the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10.

[0055] The position adjustment unit 60 adjusts the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in the array direction. The position adjustment unit 60 can adjust the height h from the moving unit 40 to the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. The position adjustment unit 60 may be able to manually adjust the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10, or may be able to automatically adjust the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. As an example, the position adjustment unit 60 is an elevator. By providing the position adjustment unit 60, the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 can be adjusted according to the position where the irradiation object 110 is provided and the like.

[0056] The position adjustment unit 60 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 7A. The position adjustment unit 60 may be able to adjust the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 in the moving direction. As an example, the position adjustment unit 60 can adjust the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 within the XZ plane. For example, the position adjustment unit 60 can adjust the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110, and can adjust the average illuminance on the surface of the irradiation object 110 and the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10.

[0057] FIG. 7B shows an example of a side view of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. An example of position adjustment by the position adjustment unit 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 7B.

[0058] In the example of FIG. 7B, when the height from the moving unit 40 to the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 is h1, the lower end of the ultraviolet irradiation range below the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 is lower than the lower end of the irradiation object 110. In this case, the position adjustment unit 60 may change the height from the moving unit 40 to the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 from h1 to h2. Thereby, the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 can be adjusted according to the irradiation object 110.

[0059] When the irradiation range is limited by changing the shielding distance S and the height H of the shielding unit 50, the intensity of the ultraviolet rays in the ultraviolet irradiation range is also changed. However, in the example of FIG. 7B, the ultraviolet irradiation range can be adjusted without changing the shielding distance S and the height H of the shielding unit 50. Thereby, the ultraviolet irradiation range can be adjusted without changing the intensity of the ultraviolet rays in the ultraviolet irradiation range.

[0060] FIG. 8A shows an example of the irradiation range control of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 includes a first light source 25-1 and a second light source 25-2 which are ultraviolet light sources 25 that are lit during the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100, a first shielding plate 50-1 that limits the ultraviolet irradiation range above the first light source 25-1 of the ultraviolet light irradiated by the first light source 25-1, and a second shielding plate 50-2 that limits the ultraviolet irradiation range above the second light source 25-2 of the ultraviolet light irradiated by the second light source 25-2. The second light source 25-2 is provided at a predetermined distance y from the first light source 25-1.

[0061] The shielding control unit 34 adjusts at least one of the heights H1 and H2 of the first shielding unit 50-1 and the second shielding unit 50-2 and the shielding distances S1 and S2 so that the ultraviolet irradiation range above the first light source 25-1 and the ultraviolet irradiation range above the second light source 25-2 overlap. By overlapping the irradiation ranges of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25, the average illuminance of the ultraviolet light on the surface of the irradiation object 110 can be made uniform.

[0062] In FIG. 8A, the ultraviolet irradiation range above the first light source 25-1 is represented by L×S1 / H1 using the shielding distance S1 between the first light source 25-1 and the first shielding unit 50-1, the height H1 of the first shielding unit 50-1, and the irradiation distance L. Similarly, the ultraviolet irradiation range above the second light source 25-2 is represented by L×S2 / H2 using the shielding distance S2 between the second light source 25-2 and the second shielding unit 50-2, the height H2 of the second shielding unit 50-2, and the irradiation distance L. In the example of FIG. 8A, since the second light source 25-2 is separated by a predetermined distance y and is provided below the first light source 25-1, if L×S2 / H2 - L×S1 / H1 ≦ y is satisfied, the ultraviolet irradiation range above the second light source 25-2 does not exceed the ultraviolet irradiation range above the first light source 25-1. That is, the shielding control unit 34 controls at least one of the distance S1, the distance S2, the height H1, or the height H2 so as to satisfy S2 / H2 ≦ S1 / H1 + y / L.

[0063] The plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 may be provided at equal intervals with a predetermined interval d. When the ultraviolet light source 25 included in the light source unit 20 is the first light source 25-1 and the second ultraviolet light source is the second light source 25-2 with the first light source 25-1 as the first one, since the distance y between the first light source 25-1 and the second light source 25-2 is the interval d, the shielding control unit 34 may control at least one of the shielding distance S and the height H of the shielding unit 50 so as to satisfy S2 / H2≦S1 / H1+d / L.

[0064] When a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 are provided at equal intervals with an interval d in a certain light source unit 20, where n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) are provided, for the first light source 25-1 included in the light source unit 20 and the first shielding unit 50-1 located above the first light source 25-1, the shielding distance is S1, the height of the first shielding unit 50-1 is H1, with the first light source 25-1 as the first one and the k-th (k is a natural number of 2 or more and n or less) ultraviolet light source 25 as the k-th light source 25-k, for the k-th light source 25-k and the k-th shielding unit 50-k located above the k-th light source 25-k, the shielding distance is Sk, and the height of the k-th shielding unit 50-k is Hk. For all natural numbers k from 2 to n, the shielding distances S1, S2, ……, Sn and the heights H1, H2, ……, Hn of the shielding unit 50 may be controlled respectively so as to satisfy Sk / Hk≦S1 / H1+(k-1)d / L. Thereby, for each of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 included in the light source unit 20, the ultraviolet irradiation ranges above each of them can overlap.

[0065] The shielding control unit 34 may control the shielding unit 50 so as to overlap the ultraviolet irradiation ranges below each of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 included in the light source unit 20. When the light source unit 20 includes a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 arranged in the moving direction, the shielding control unit 34 may control the shielding unit 50 so as to overlap the ultraviolet irradiation ranges on the right and / or left of each ultraviolet light source 25.

[0066] FIG. 8B shows an example of the planar illuminance of the irradiation object 110 when the light distribution characteristics of the ultraviolet light source follow the cosine characteristics of a general LED. In FIG. 8B, an example of the planar illuminance is shown when the ultraviolet irradiation ranges of a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 provided at equal intervals with an interval d in the light source unit 20 overlap as in FIG. 8A. FIG. 8B shows the planar illuminance when the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 are provided so as to be parallel to each other at an irradiation distance L.

[0067] In FIG. 8B, the horizontal axis takes the vertical coordinate of the irradiation plane divided by L. That is, the horizontal axis 0 indicates the surface coordinate of the irradiation object 110 at the same height as one ultraviolet light source 25 included in the light source unit 20, the horizontal axis 1 indicates a position on the surface of the irradiation object 110 that is vertically upward from the position of the horizontal axis 0 by the irradiation distance L, and the horizontal axis -1 indicates a position on the surface of the irradiation object 110 that is vertically downward from the position of the horizontal axis 0 by the irradiation distance L.

[0068] In FIG. 8B, the vertical axis takes the planar illuminance on the surface of the irradiation object 110 divided by the standard illuminance E0. The standard illuminance E0 is the planar illuminance at the position of the irradiation distance L when a single ultraviolet light source 25 is lit. In this example, since the irradiation ranges of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 overlap, the maximum value of the planar illuminance is larger than E0.

[0069] In this example, since the ultraviolet irradiation ranges of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 provided at equal intervals with an interval d in the light source unit 20 overlap, the planar illuminance becomes a periodic function with a period d in the vertical direction. In FIG. 8B, the solid line indicates the planar illuminance when the interval d is equal to the irradiation distance L, the dashed line indicates the planar illuminance when the interval d is 150% of the irradiation distance L, and the dotted-dashed line indicates the planar illuminance when the interval d is 200% of the irradiation distance L. As the interval d increases, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the planar illuminance increases.

[0070] In the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example, the travel control unit 36 and the shading control unit 34 control at least one of the irradiation distance L and the interval d between the ultraviolet light sources 25 so that the interval d between the ultraviolet light sources 25 is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 150% of the irradiation distance L between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110. That is, the travel control unit 36 may move the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 so that the irradiation distance L satisfies the above relationship, and the shading control unit 34 may adjust the interval d between the ultraviolet light sources 25 so that the interval d satisfies the above relationship. This allows ultraviolet light to be uniformly irradiated onto the surface of the irradiation object 110, thereby uniformly inactivating pathogens, viruses, and the like that may be present on the surface.

[0071] Fig. 9A shows an example of irradiation range control of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. Unlike Fig. 8A, Fig. 9A shows an example of irradiation range control for the ultraviolet light source 25 that is provided at the top among the multiple ultraviolet light sources 25 included in the light source unit 20. Note that, in the example shown in Fig. 9A as well, the multiple ultraviolet light sources 25 are arranged at equal intervals d.

[0072] The irradiation range above the ultraviolet light source 25-1 is determined by the shielding distance S U (1) and the height is H U In the case of (1), L × S U (1) / H U Similarly, the irradiation range on the upper side of the ultraviolet light source 25-1 is the shielding distance S U (2) Height is H U (2) In the case of L × S U (2) / H U (2) and the shielding distance is S U (3) Height is H U (3) In the case of L × S U (3) / H U (3)

[0073] In the example of Figure 9A, H U (1)=H U (2)=H U (3) and S U(1)<S U (2)<S U (3) It is. Also, in the example of FIG. 9A, S U (1) / H U (1) = 0.5, and S U (2) / H U (2) = 1, and S U (3) / H U (3) = 1.5.

[0074] Under the condition that light rays are isotropically radiated from the light source, the illuminance on a plane existing at a certain distance from the light source monotonically decreases according to the distance from the light source. In FIG. 9A, the ultraviolet light source 25-1 is the ultraviolet light source 25 located at the uppermost position during lighting, and the ultraviolet light source 25-3 located above the ultraviolet light source 25-1 does not light up. Therefore, above the ultraviolet light source 25-1, there is no overlap in the irradiation range by the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet light source 25-3, so the planar illuminance monotonically decreases according to the distance from the ultraviolet light source 25-1. That is, the greater the distance between the ultraviolet light source 25-1 and the shielding portion 50-1, the lower the planar illuminance at the upper end of the irradiation range.

[0075] FIG. 9B shows an example of the planar illuminance of the irradiation object 110 in FIG. 9A when the light distribution characteristics of the ultraviolet light source follow the cosine characteristics of a general LED. FIG. 9B is a graph showing the planar illuminance in each of the irradiation ranges indicated by the solid line, broken line, and one-dot chain line in FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 9B, the greater the distance between the ultraviolet light source 25-1 and the shielding portion 50-1, the lower the planar illuminance at the upper end of the irradiation range. The definitions of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis are the same as those in FIG. 8B.

[0076] The shielding control unit 34 may control at least one of the shielding distance S and the height H of the shielding portion 50 so that the shielding distance S is less than or equal to the height H of the shielding portion 50. Thereby, even in the vicinity of the upper end of the irradiation range where the planar illuminance decreases, pathogens, viruses, etc. can be inactivated.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of a front view of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. A plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 may be arranged in the arrangement direction and may be arranged in the moving direction. In the modified example shown in FIG. 10, M ultraviolet light sources 25 are arranged in the Z-axis direction. By arranging a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 in the moving direction, the ultraviolet irradiation amount in the moving direction when the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 moves in the moving direction can be increased.

[0078] When the light distribution characteristics of the ultraviolet light source follow the cosine characteristics of a general LED, when M ultraviolet light sources 25 are arranged at intervals equivalent to the irradiation distance L in the moving direction, on the surface of the irradiation object 110 existing at the irradiation distance L, it is known that the planar illuminance becomes uniform in the horizontal direction within a range of width M×L [m]. When the average illuminance within the range of the width M×L [m] is E [W] and the moving speed of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is v [m / s], ultraviolet light is irradiated on the surface of the irradiation object 110 in the range of width M×L [m] by E×(M×L / v) [J].

[0079] In the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example, the travel control unit 36 controls the travel of the moving unit 40 so that the ultraviolet irradiation amount on the surface of the irradiation object 110 becomes 2 the target irradiation amount Q [mJ / cm 2 . The target irradiation amount Q [mJ / cm 2 may be an irradiation amount at which 99% or more of pathogens, viruses, etc. on the surface of the irradiation object 110 are inactivated. As an example, when the wavelength of the ultraviolet light is around 260 nm, excluding mold, etc., the target irradiation amount Q [mJ / cm 2 is 2 mJ / cm 2 or more and 40 mJ / cm

[0080] The travel control unit 36 sets the number of ultraviolet light sources 25 arranged in the moving direction of the light source unit 20 as M, the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 as L [m], the average illuminance in the range of width M×L [m] in the moving direction on the plane at the distance L [m] as E [mW / cm 2 , and the target ultraviolet irradiation amount as Q [mJ / cm 21. With the moving speed of the moving part 40 being v [m / s] and the number of irradiation times on the irradiation object 110 being N, control the moving speed v [m / s] or the number of irradiation times so as to satisfy Q×v / (E×L×M)≦N. Thereby, pathogens, viruses, etc. on the surface of the irradiation object 110 can be sufficiently inactivated.

[0081] The traveling control unit 36 may control the moving speed v of the moving part 40 to be a predetermined speed. Thereby, in the facility 200 where the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is used, the risk of collision between the users of the facility 200 and the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 can be reduced. The moving speed v of the moving part 40 is, for example, 400 mm / s or less.

[0082] When an upper limit value is provided for the moving speed v of the moving part 40, the traveling control unit 36 changes the number of irradiation times N on the irradiation object 110, or the irradiation control unit 32 adjusts the intensity of the ultraviolet rays in the light source unit 20, and the average illuminance E [mW / cm 2 is changed, so as to control such that ultraviolet rays of Q [mJ / cm 2 or more are irradiated. Thereby, while considering the safety of the users, pathogens, viruses, etc. on the surface of the irradiation object 110 can be sufficiently inactivated.

[0083] The traveling control unit 36 may stop the moving part 40 while the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 irradiates ultraviolet rays until the irradiation amount on the surface of the irradiation object 110 becomes Q [mJ / cm 2 or more. After that, the traveling control unit 36 may move the moving part 40 by a predetermined distance and then stop the moving part 40 again. Also by such a method, pathogens, viruses, etc. on the surface of the irradiation object 110 can be sufficiently inactivated.

[0084] FIG. 11 shows an example of various sensors included in the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 in this example includes a position sensor 70 and an imaging sensor 80. The light source unit in this example includes a distance sensor 22 and a temperature sensor 24.

[0085] The position sensor 70 detects the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The position sensor 70 may detect the absolute position of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100, and may detect the relative position within the facility 200 where the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is used. The position sensor 70 is, for example, a beacon using Bluetooth Low Energy. The position sensor 70 transmits the detected position information of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 to the operation control unit 30.

[0086] The imaging sensor 80 images the surrounding environment of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The imaging sensor 80 may image the state in the moving direction of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100, and may image the shape of the irradiation object 110. The imaging sensor 80 is, for example, a camera. The imaging sensor 80 transmits the captured image to the operation control unit 30.

[0087] The distance sensor 22 measures the distance between the light source unit 20 and the irradiation object 110. The distance sensor 22 may measure the irradiation distance L between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110. In this example, the distance sensor 22 is provided for each of the plurality of light source units 20, but one distance sensor 22 may be provided for the entire ultraviolet irradiation system. The distance sensor 22 is, for example, a radar detector. The distance sensor 22 transmits the measured distance information between the light source unit 20 and the irradiation object 110 to the operation control unit 30.

[0088] The temperature sensor 24 measures the temperature of at least one of the light source unit 20 or the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25. The temperature sensor 24 may measure the absolute temperature, and may detect that the temperature of at least one of the light source unit 20 or the plurality of ultraviolet light sources 25 exceeds a preset reference value. In this example, the temperature sensor 24 is provided for each of the plurality of light source units 20, but may be provided for each ultraviolet light source 25.

[0089] The temperature sensor 24 may transmit the detected temperature information of the light source unit 20 or the ultraviolet light source 25 to the operation control unit 30. The control of the operation control unit 30 after receiving the temperature information will be described later.

[0090] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the operation of the operation control unit 30. The operation of the travel control unit 36 will be mainly described with reference to FIG. 12.

[0091] The travel control unit 36 controls the travel of the moving unit 40 according to the position information received from the position sensor 70. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 may have map data of the facility 200, and the travel control unit 36 may receive the current location of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 on the map data from the position sensor 70 and control the travel of the moving unit 40 based on the received current location.

[0092] The travel control unit 36 may control the moving unit 40 so as to adjust the distance L between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 according to the position information received from the position sensor 70. Here, the shorter the irradiation distance L between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110, the higher the planar illuminance on the surface of the irradiation object 110. The travel control unit 36 may control the movement of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 so that the irradiation distance L becomes as small as possible within a range where the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 does not collide with the irradiation object 110.

[0093] The position sensor 70 may determine the determination system of the measurement data and transmit it to the travel control unit 36. The determination system of the measurement data may be information about how many millimeters of error the position information of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 contains.

[0094] The control of the travel control unit 36 may be performed based on the determination accuracy of the measurement data. In one example, the travel control unit 36 controls the movement of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 so that the irradiation distance L is equal to or greater than the sum of the height H of the highest shielding part within the shielding part 50 of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 and the determination accuracy of the self-position of the ultraviolet irradiation system detected by the position sensor 70 described later. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 from colliding with the irradiation object 110.

[0095] The travel control unit 36 may calculate the average illuminance E according to the temperature information input from the temperature sensor 24. When the ultraviolet light source 25 is a UV-C LED or the like, the output may decrease when heat is generated due to long-term operation. The travel control unit 36 detects a change in the output of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 according to the output from the temperature sensor 24, and corrects the average illuminance E [mW / cm 2 of the irradiation object 110 at the irradiation distance L, so as to calculate the speed v and the irradiation times N for which the irradiation dose of ultraviolet light on the irradiation object 110 exceeds the target irradiation dose Q [mJ / cm 2 .

[0096] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the operation of the operation control unit 30. The operation control unit 30 may individually control the operation state of the light source unit 20 according to the detection information regarding the irradiation object 110. The detection information may be the position information detected by the position sensor 70, the image captured by the imaging sensor 80, or the distance information detected by the distance sensor 22. With reference to FIG. 13, the operations of the operation control unit 30, mainly the irradiation control unit 32 and the shielding control unit 34, will be described.

[0097] The position sensor 70 may transmit the detected position information of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 to the operation control unit 30. The operation control unit 30 receives the position information detected by the position sensor 70 as detection information, and when it determines that the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is included in a predetermined irradiation section, controls the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 to irradiate the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet light. The operation control unit 30 may control the operation state of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 according to the position information from the position sensor 70 when it determines that the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is in a predetermined irradiation object section.

[0098] The imaging sensor 80 may transmit the captured image to the operation control unit 30. The operation control unit 30 receives the image input from the imaging sensor 80 as detection information, determines the degree of coincidence between the image input from the imaging sensor 80 and the irradiation target 110, and controls the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 to irradiate the irradiation target 110 with ultraviolet rays when the degree of coincidence is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. When the operation control unit 30 determines, according to the image input from the imaging sensor 80, that the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 faces the irradiation target 110, the operation control unit 30 may control the operation state of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10. The operation control unit 30 may control the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 according to the image input from the imaging sensor 80.

[0099] The distance sensor 22 may transmit the detected distance information between the light source unit 20 and the irradiation target 110 to the operation control unit 30. The operation control unit 30 receives the distance to the irradiation target 110 input from the distance sensor 22 as detection information, and controls the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 to irradiate the irradiation target 110 with ultraviolet rays when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value. The operation control unit 30 receives the distance information from each of the plurality of distance sensors 22 provided for each light source unit 20, and may control only the light source unit 20 whose distance to the irradiation target 110 is equal to or less than the reference value to be in the on state. The operation control unit 30 may control the ultraviolet irradiation range of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 according to the distance information input from the distance sensor 22.

[0100] FIG. 14A shows an example of a flowchart of the operation control unit 30 based on the position sensor 70. The operation control based on the position sensor 70 includes a step S100 of receiving position information from the position sensor 70, a step S110 of reading travel route information and irradiation section information from the memory, and a step S120 of determining whether the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is included in the irradiation section. The operation control based on the position sensor 70 further includes a step S130 of determining whether to perform shape detection based on the position information, a step S140 of detecting the shape of the irradiation object 110 based on the position information, a step S150 of changing the combination of the light source units 20 or the output of the light source unit 20 that the irradiation control unit 32 controls to the on state based on the shape of the irradiation object 110, and a step S160 of irradiating the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet rays. Since the step S100 of receiving position information from the position sensor 70 has already been described, it will not be described again here.

[0101] In step S110, the operation control unit 30 reads the travel route information and the irradiation section information stored in the memory. The travel route information may be information in the map data of the facility 200 where the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is used. For example, when the facility 200 is a hospital, the travel route information includes information on the layout of the corridors on each floor of the hospital and the order in which to travel through the corridors.

[0102] The irradiation section information may be information on the section of the travel route of the facility 200 where the irradiation object 110 exists. The irradiation section information may include information on the shape and size of the irradiation object 110 existing in the irradiation section, information on the combination of the light source units 20 to be lit in the irradiation section, and information on the ultraviolet irradiation intensity of the light source unit 20 to be lit in the irradiation section. For example, when the facility 200 is a hospital, the irradiation section information includes information on the shape and position of the handrails in the corridors, information on the shape and position of the doorknobs of each patient room facing the corridors, and information on the position of the nurse stations and the height of the counters on each floor of the hospital.

[0103] In step S120, the operation control unit 30 determines whether the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is included in the irradiation section based on the position information received from the position sensor 70 and the irradiation section information read from the memory. The determination of whether the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is included in the irradiation section may be made by determining whether the current position of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 detected by the position sensor 70 is included in the area designated as the irradiation section in the map data of the facility 200. In step S120, if the operation control unit 30 determines that the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is not included in the irradiation section, the ultraviolet rays are not irradiated. If the operation control unit 30 determines that the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is included in the irradiation section, it proceeds to step S130.

[0104] In step S130, the operation control unit 30 determines whether to perform shape detection of the irradiation object 110 based on the position information. If the operation control unit 30 determines to perform shape detection based on the position information, it proceeds to step S140. If it determines not to perform shape detection based on the position information, it proceeds to step S160.

[0105] In step S140, the operation control unit 30 detects the shape of the irradiation object 110 according to the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100. The shape detection may be performed by reading, from the memory, information regarding the shape of the irradiation object 110 present in the irradiation section where the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is currently located according to the position information received from the position sensor 70. The shape detection of the irradiation object 110 according to the position information is advantageous, for example, when the irradiation object 110 is a fixed object and the arrangement and shape of the irradiation object 110 do not change.

[0106] In step S150, the operation control unit 30 controls the operation state of the light source unit 20 based on the shape of the irradiation object 110. The control of the operation state of the light source unit 20 by the operation control unit 30 may be that the irradiation control unit 32 controls the combination of the light source units 20 to be controlled to the on state and the output of the light source units 20, and the shielding control unit 34 controls the shielding distance S of the shielding unit 50, the height H of the shielding unit 50, and the interval d at which the ultraviolet light source 25 is provided, so as to change the irradiation range of the ultraviolet light.

[0107] In step S160, the operation control unit 30 individually controls the operation state of the light source unit 20 so as to irradiate the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 of this example can selectively irradiate only the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet light by controlling the irradiation of the ultraviolet light according to the position information received from the position sensor 70.

[0108] FIG. 14B shows an example of the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 based on the position sensor 70. FIG. 14B is a bird's-eye view of the corridor of the facility 200. In FIG. 14B, the travel route of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 is shown by solid lines and broken lines, and the irradiation section is shown by solid lines. That is, in the example of FIG. 14B, the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 moves upward along the wall from the lower left of the corridor, changes the traveling direction to the right at a certain point, changes the traveling direction downward when reaching the opposite wall, and moves along the wall toward the lower right of the corridor.

[0109] In the example shown in FIG. 14B, the object to be irradiated 110 is a handrail in a corridor, and the non-irradiated object 120 is a wall of the corridor. In the example shown in FIG. 14B, since there is only one type of object to be irradiated 110, it is not necessary to change the combination of the light source units 20 controlled to be in the on state in the irradiation section. Thus, when the object to be irradiated 110 included in the irradiation section is of one type and is a fixed object whose shape and the like do not change, the step S140 of detecting the shape of the object to be irradiated 110 based on the position information and the step S150 of the shielding control unit 34 changing the irradiation range based on the shape of the object to be irradiated 110 may be omitted. Thereby, the calculation amount of the operation control unit 30 can be reduced, and the battery consumption of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 can be reduced.

[0110] FIG. 14C shows an example of the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 based on the position sensor 70. Differences from FIG. 14B will be described with reference to FIG. 14C.

[0111] In the example shown in FIG. 14C, the objects to be irradiated 110 are a handrail in a corridor and a doorknob, and the non-irradiated objects 120 are a door and a human body. Even when there are a plurality of objects to be irradiated 110, the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 in this example can effectively irradiate the objects to be irradiated 110 by performing shape detection based on the position information.

[0112] In FIG. 14C, at the location indicated by region A, the object to be irradiated 110 is a handrail in a corridor. At the location indicated by region B, the object to be irradiated 110 is a doorknob. At the location indicated by region C, the object to be irradiated 110 is a handrail in a corridor, but there is a service counter or the like where a person may be present above the handrail in the corridor. The ultraviolet irradiation system 100 in this example performs shape detection based on the position information, and by changing the combination of the light source units 20 controlled to be in the on state according to the detected shape, the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays, etc., it can effectively irradiate the objects to be irradiated 110 while reducing the risk of irradiating the non-irradiated objects 120 with ultraviolet rays.

[0113] FIG. 15 shows an example of a flowchart of the operation control unit 30 based on the imaging sensor 80. The operation control based on the imaging sensor 80 includes a step S200 of receiving an image from the imaging sensor 80, a step S210 of calculating the degree of coincidence between the image of the irradiation object 110 and the received image, and a step S220 of determining whether the degree of coincidence is equal to or greater than a reference value. The operation control based on the imaging sensor 80 further includes a step S230 of determining whether to perform shape detection based on the image, a step S240 of detecting the shape of the irradiation object 110 based on the image, a step S250 of changing the combination of the light source unit 20 or the output of the light source unit 20 that is controlled to be in the on state by the irradiation control unit 32 based on the shape of the irradiation object 110, and a step S260 of irradiating the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet light. The step S200 of receiving an image from the imaging sensor 80 has already been described, and since the steps S250 and S260 are the same as the steps S150 and S160, they will not be described again here.

[0114] In step S210, the operation control unit 30 may read information regarding the image of the irradiation object 110 existing in the facility 200, which is stored in the memory in advance, from the memory, and compare the read image information with the image received from the imaging sensor 80. The calculation of the degree of coincidence may use a known image authentication algorithm or a similarity determination algorithm.

[0115] In step S220, the operation control unit 30 determines whether the calculated degree of coincidence is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. The predetermined reference value may be 95% or more, 80% or more, or 60% or more. In step S220, when the degree of coincidence is lower than the predetermined reference value, the operation control unit 30 determines that the imaged object is not the irradiation object 110 and does not irradiate ultraviolet light. When the degree of coincidence is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value, the operation control unit 30 determines that the imaged object is the irradiation object 110 and proceeds to step S230.

[0116] In step S230, the operation control unit 30 determines whether to detect the shape of the irradiation object 110 based on the image. If the operation control unit 30 determines to perform shape detection based on the image, it proceeds to step S240. If it determines not to perform shape detection based on the image, it proceeds to step S260.

[0117] In step S240, the operation control unit 30 detects the shape of the irradiation object 110 according to the image input from the imaging sensor 80. The shape detection may be performed by reading from the memory information regarding the shape of the irradiation object 110 existing in the facility 200 and stored in the memory in advance. The shape detection may be performed by combining information such as the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 and the irradiation distance L received from the position sensor 70 and the distance sensor 22, and processing the image input from the imaging sensor 80 in real time.

[0118] The operation control unit 30 detects the shape of the irradiation object 110 according to the image input from the imaging sensor 80, and controls the operation state of the light source unit 20. Thereby, for example, even when the position of the irradiation object 110 changes according to the opening and closing state of the door, such as when the irradiation object 110 is a doorknob, the irradiation object 110 can be detected and irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

[0119] FIG. 16 shows an example of a flowchart of the operation control unit 30 based on the distance sensor 22. The operation control based on the distance sensor 22 includes a step S300 of receiving distance information from the distance sensor 22, and a step S320 of determining whether the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 is equal to or less than a reference value. The operation control based on the distance sensor 22 further includes a step S325 of bringing the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 closer to the irradiation object 110, a step S330 of determining whether to perform shape detection based on the distance information, a step S340 of detecting the shape of the irradiation object 110 based on the distance information, a step S350 of changing the combination of the light source units 20 or the output of the light source unit 20 that the irradiation control unit 32 controls to the on state based on the shape of the irradiation object 110, and a step S360 of irradiating the irradiation object 110 with ultraviolet rays. The step S300 of receiving distance information from the distance sensor 22 has already been described, and the steps S350 and S360 are the same as the steps S150 and S160, so they will not be described again here.

[0120] In step S320, the operation control unit 30 determines whether the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value. The predetermined reference value may be 200% or less, 150% or less, or 100% or less of the interval d at which the ultraviolet light source 25 is provided. The predetermined reference value may be 10 mm or more and 200 mm or less.

[0121] In step S320, when the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 is greater than the predetermined reference value, the operation control unit 30 determines that the distance from the irradiation object 110 is not small enough and proceeds to step S325. When the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 and the irradiation object 110 is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value, the operation control unit 30 determines that the distance from the irradiation object 110 is small enough and proceeds to step S330.

[0122] In step S325, the operation control unit 30 moves the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 closer to the object 110 to be irradiated. The operation control unit 30 may control the travel of the moving unit 40 to move the ultraviolet irradiation system 100 toward the object 110 to be irradiated, thereby moving the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 closer to the object 110, or may control the position adjustment unit 60 to move the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 closer to the object 110. The distance for moving the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 closer to the object 110 may be determined by combining not only the distance information received from the distance sensor 22 but also the position information received from the position sensor 70. After moving the ultraviolet irradiation unit 10 closer to the object 110, the process returns to step S300 again to acquire distance information.

[0123] In step S330, the operation control unit 30 determines whether to perform shape detection of the object 110 to be irradiated based on the distance information. If the operation control unit 30 determines to perform shape detection based on the distance information, the process proceeds to step S340; if it determines not to perform shape detection based on the distance information, the process proceeds to step S360.

[0124] In step S340, the operation control unit 30 detects the shape of the object 110 to be irradiated according to the distance from the distance sensor 22 to the object 110 to be irradiated. The shape detection may be performed based on a plurality of distance information respectively input from a plurality of distance sensors 22. The shape detection may be performed by combining, in addition to the distance information input from the distance sensor 22, the position information received from the position sensor 70 and the information regarding the image received from the imaging sensor 80.

[0125] The operation control unit 30 may detect the shape of the object 110 to be irradiated according to the distance from the distance sensor 22 to the object 110 to be irradiated, and control the operation state of the light source unit 20. In this way, by irradiating ultraviolet rays only when the distance to the object 110 to be irradiated is sufficiently close, the risk of ultraviolet ray irradiation to the non-irradiated object 120 can be reduced, and the object 110 to be irradiated can be effectively irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

[0126] As described above, the present invention has been described using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that forms with such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0127] It should be noted that the execution order of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown in the claims, specification, and drawings is not explicitly indicated as "before" or "preceding" etc., and can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, specification, and drawings, even if it is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to be implemented in this order.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0128] 10 ··· Ultraviolet irradiation unit, 20 ··· Light source unit, 22 ··· Distance sensor, 24 ··· Temperature sensor, 25 ··· Ultraviolet light source, 30 ··· Operation control unit, 32 ··· Irradiation control unit, 34 ··· Shielding control unit, 36 ··· Travel control unit, 40 ··· Moving unit, 50 ··· Shielding unit, 60 ··· Position adjustment unit, 70 ··· Position sensor, 80 ··· Imaging sensor, 100 ··· Ultraviolet irradiation system, 110 ··· Object to be irradiated, 120 ··· Non-irradiated object, 200 ··· Facility

Claims

1. An ultraviolet irradiation system capable of moving in a predetermined moving direction, comprising: an ultraviolet irradiation unit having a plurality of light source units arranged in an arrangement direction different from the moving direction, and irradiating ultraviolet rays onto a predetermined irradiation object, wherein each of the plurality of light source units includes one or more ultraviolet light sources; an operation control unit that individually controls the operation states of the respective light source units of the plurality of light source units; An ultraviolet irradiation system comprising:

2. The operation control unit: individually controls the operation states of the light source units according to detection information regarding the irradiation object. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 1.

3. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 1, further comprising a shielding unit that restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range in the arrangement direction of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiation unit. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 1.

4. The shielding unit is provided above the ultraviolet irradiation unit and restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range above the ultraviolet irradiation unit. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 3.

5. In any one of the plurality of light source units, the shielding unit restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range above the ultraviolet light source that is in an on state and is provided at the uppermost position among the one or more ultraviolet light sources. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 4.

6. The shielding unit is provided below the ultraviolet irradiation unit and restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range below the ultraviolet irradiation unit. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 3.

7. In any one of the plurality of light source units, the shielding unit restricts the ultraviolet irradiation range below the ultraviolet light source that is in an on state and is provided at the lowermost position among the one or more ultraviolet light sources. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 6.

8. The shielding unit is provided for each of the respective light source units of the plurality of light source units. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 3.

9. The shielding unit is provided for each of the respective ultraviolet light sources of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to Claim 3.

10. The operation control unit: is an irradiation control unit that individually controls each of the light source units to be in an on state or an off state, or individually controls the intensity of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by each of the light source units. A shielding control unit capable of controlling at least one of a shielding distance between the ultraviolet light source adjacent to the shielding portion among the plurality of ultraviolet light sources and the shielding portion, and a height of the shielding portion including The ultraviolet irradiation system according to any one of claims 3 to 9

11. The shielding control unit controls at least one of the shielding distance and the height of the shielding portion so that the shielding distance is less than or equal to the height of the shielding portion The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 10

12. The ultraviolet irradiation unit A first light source which is an ultraviolet light source that lights up during operation of the ultraviolet irradiation system A first shielding plate that limits an ultraviolet irradiation range above the first light source of the ultraviolet light irradiated by the first light source Among the ultraviolet light sources that light up during operation of the ultraviolet irradiation system, a second light source provided at a predetermined distance y away from the first light source A second shielding plate that limits an ultraviolet irradiation range above the second light source of the ultraviolet light irradiated by the second light source including The shielding control unit When the shielding distance between the first shielding plate and the first light source is S1, the height of the first shielding plate is H1, the shielding distance between the second shielding plate and the second light source is S2, the height of the second shielding plate is H2, and the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the irradiation object is L S2 / H2 ≤ S1 / H1 + y / L controls at least one of S1, S2, H1 or H2 so as to satisfy The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 10

13. Comprising a moving unit that moves the ultraviolet irradiation unit in the moving direction The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 1

14. The plurality of ultraviolet light sources are provided at equal intervals in the arrangement direction The operation control unit has a travel control unit that controls the travel of the ultraviolet irradiation system The travel control unit and the shielding control unit control at least one of the irradiation distance and the interval at which the plurality of ultraviolet light sources are provided so that the interval at which the plurality of ultraviolet light sources are provided is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 150% of the irradiation distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the irradiation object The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 10

15. The operation control unit has a travel control unit that controls the travel of the ultraviolet irradiation system, and the travel control unit Let the number of ultraviolet light sources in the moving direction of the light source unit be M, the distance between the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the irradiation object be L, the average illuminance in the range of the width M×L in the moving direction on the plane at the distance L be E, the target ultraviolet irradiation dose be Q, the moving speed of the moving unit be v, and the number of irradiation times on the irradiation object be N. Control the moving speed or the number of irradiation times so as to satisfy Q×v / (E×L×M)≤N. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 13.

16. The light source unit includes a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of at least any one of the light source unit or the plurality of ultraviolet light sources. The travel control unit calculates the average illuminance according to the temperature information input from the temperature sensor. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 15.

17. It includes a position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the ultraviolet irradiation unit in the arrangement direction. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 1.

18. It includes a position sensor that detects the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system. The operation control unit receives the position information detected by the position sensor as the detection information, and when it determines that the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system is included in a predetermined irradiation section, controls the ultraviolet irradiation unit to irradiate the irradiation object with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 2.

19. The operation control unit detects the shape of the irradiation object according to the position of the ultraviolet irradiation system, and controls the operation state of the light source unit. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 18.

20. It includes an imaging sensor that images the surrounding environment of the ultraviolet irradiation system. The operation control unit receives the image input from the imaging sensor as the detection information, determines the degree of coincidence between the image input from the imaging sensor and the irradiation object, and when the degree of coincidence is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value, controls the ultraviolet irradiation unit to irradiate the irradiation object with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 2.

21. The operation control unit detects the shape of the irradiation object according to the image input from the imaging sensor, and controls the operation state of the light source unit. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 20.

22. The light source unit includes a distance sensor that measures the distance between the light source unit and the irradiation object. The operation control unit receives, as the detection information, the distance to the irradiation target input from the distance sensor, and controls the ultraviolet irradiation unit to irradiate the irradiation target with ultraviolet light when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 2.

23. The operation control unit detects the shape of the irradiation target according to the distance to the irradiation target input from the distance sensor, and controls the operation state of the light source unit. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 22.

24. The operation control unit controls the light source unit in which the position of the uppermost ultraviolet light source among the ultraviolet light sources included in the light source unit is lower than the upper end of the irradiation target to an on state, and controls the light source unit above the light source unit to an off state. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 2.

25. The ultraviolet light source is a UV-C LED. The ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 1.

Images