Sterilizer

Abstract

To provide a sterilizer with improved sterilization performance.SOLUTION: A sterilizer 1 comprises a treatment tank 10, light source parts 20, and a rotary part 30. The treatment tank 10 stores flowable subject to be sterilized 100. The light source parts 20 are inserted into the subject to be sterilized 100, and emit ultraviolet light. The rotary part 30 rotates the light source parts 20 inside the subject to be sterilized 100. The light source parts 20 are arranged non-coaxially to a rotation center axis 31 of the rotary part 30, by which revolve about the rotation center axis 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sterilizer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a water treatment device that performs a sterilization process to kill bacteria, viruses, etc. contained in water. This prior art is equipped with an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the water inside a treatment tank.

[0003] The ultraviolet irradiation device has a plurality of LED support substrates, a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs, and a rotating shaft. The plurality of LED support substrates are rectangular and are arranged inside the treatment tank. The plurality of ultraviolet LEDs are fixed to each of the plurality of LED support substrates. The plurality of LED support substrates are arranged radially from the rotating shaft and are rotatable around the rotating shaft.

[0004] The ultraviolet LEDs fixed to the LED support substrate emit ultraviolet light, which irradiates the water inside the treatment tank and performs a sterilization treatment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-205687 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, multiple LED support substrates are arranged radially around the rotation axis. When the multiple LED support substrates rotate around the rotation axis, the water flow speed is slower in the area near the rotation axis than in the area farther from the rotation axis. This causes uneven water flow within the treatment tank, making it difficult to sterilize the entire water inside the treatment tank uniformly. As a result, the sterilization performance of the entire ultraviolet irradiation device is reduced.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and aims to provide a sterilizer with improved sterilization performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a treatment tank for storing a flowable object to be sterilized; a light source unit that is inserted into the object to be sterilized and emits ultraviolet light; a rotating unit that rotates the light source unit inside the object to be sterilized, The light source unit is disposed non-coaxially with respect to the central rotation axis of the rotating unit, and thus revolves around the central rotation axis in the sterilization device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above aspect, since the light source unit is arranged non-coaxially with respect to the central axis of rotation of the rotating unit, it is possible to prevent the flow speed of the objects to be sterilized in the area near the central axis of rotation when the light source unit revolves around the central axis from being slower than in the area away from the central axis of rotation. As a result, it is possible to sterilize all of the objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank as uniformly as possible, thereby improving the sterilization performance of the sterilization device as a whole.

[0010] As described above, according to the above aspect, a sterilizer with improved sterilization efficiency can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sterilization device of embodiment 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a light source unit in the sterilization device of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a light source unit in the sterilization device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sterilization device of a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sterilization device of a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The sterilization device comprises a treatment tank for storing a flowable object to be sterilized, a light source unit that is inserted inside the object to be sterilized and emits ultraviolet light, and a rotating unit that rotates the light source unit inside the object to be sterilized, and the light source unit is arranged non-coaxially with respect to the central rotation axis of the rotating unit, so that it revolves around the central rotation axis.

[0013] The light source unit may be rod-shaped and disposed inside the treatment tank so as to extend from the upper side to the lower side in the direction of gravity. The irradiation range of ultraviolet light from the light source unit can be expanded, allowing the ultraviolet light to be irradiated as uniformly as possible onto the entire object to be sterilized inside the treatment tank. Therefore, the entire object to be sterilized inside the treatment tank can be sterilized more uniformly. Furthermore, the rod-shaped light source unit can prevent dirt from adhering to the light source unit. Therefore, a decrease in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source unit onto the object to be sterilized due to dirt adhering to the light source unit can be prevented, thereby improving sterilization performance.

[0014] The light source unit may be arranged in the treatment tank so as to avoid a region coaxial with the central axis of rotation. This reliably prevents the flow rate of the objects to be sterilized in the region near the central axis of rotation from being slower than in the region away from the central axis when the light source unit revolves around the central axis of rotation, thereby reliably improving the sterilization performance of the sterilization device as a whole.

[0015] The light source unit may be adapted to revolve around the central axis of rotation and rotate around a rotation axis different from the central axis of rotation. Since the irradiation range of the ultraviolet light from the light source unit can be expanded, the ultraviolet light can be irradiated as uniformly as possible onto the entire object to be sterilized inside the treatment tank. Therefore, the entire object to be sterilized inside the treatment tank can be sterilized more uniformly.

[0016] The light source unit may be disposed non-parallel to the central axis of rotation. This can enhance the agitation of the objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank by the light source unit, thereby enabling more uniform sterilization of the entire objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank.

[0017] A plurality of light source units may be provided, and the plurality of light source units may be arranged non-parallel to each other. This can further enhance the agitation of the objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank by the light source units, thereby enabling more uniform sterilization of the entire objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank.

[0018] The light source unit may be provided in a plurality of units, and the light sources may have different lengths. This can further enhance the agitation of the objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank by the light source unit, thereby enabling more uniform sterilization of the objects to be sterilized inside the treatment tank.

[0019] The surface of the light source unit may be coated with a photocatalyst, and the light source unit may be configured to emit both ultraviolet light with an emission wavelength in the UVC region and ultraviolet light with an emission wavelength in the UVA region. When ultraviolet light hits the photocatalyst, it can decompose dirt adhering to the surface of the light source unit, thereby preventing dirt from interfering with the irradiation of ultraviolet light onto the object to be sterilized. This further improves sterilization performance. Furthermore, ultraviolet light with an emission wavelength in the UVC region can efficiently sterilize the object to be sterilized. Furthermore, since ultraviolet light with an emission wavelength in the UVA region has a higher luminous efficiency than ultraviolet light with an emission wavelength in the UVC region, being configured to emit ultraviolet light with an emission wavelength in the UVA region can enhance the dirt decomposition effect of the photocatalyst.

[0020] The treatment tank may have an inlet through which the objects to be sterilized flow and an outlet through which the objects to be sterilized flow, and the rotating unit may have an impeller that receives the flow of the objects to be sterilized and rotates the light source unit. Because the light source unit can be rotated by utilizing the flow of the objects to be sterilized, the configuration for rotating the light source unit can be simplified and power consumption can be reduced.

[0021] (Embodiment 1) 1. Basic configuration of sterilizer 1 The basic configuration of the sterilization device 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. The up and down arrows in Figure 1 indicate the up and down directions in the direction of gravity. As shown in Figure 1, the sterilization device 1 has a treatment tank 10, a light source unit 20, and a rotation unit 30. The treatment tank 10 is a container that stores a flowable object to be sterilized 100. The light source unit 20 emits ultraviolet light into the treatment tank 10. The rotation unit 30 rotates the light source unit 20 inside the treatment tank 10.

[0022] The sterilization device 1 is a device that irradiates the sterilization target 100 stored in a treatment tank 10 with ultraviolet light from a light source unit 20 to sterilize the sterilization target 100. The sterilization target 100 may be a gas, liquid, or semi-solid, and may be a mixture of gas and liquid, a mixture of gas and powdery solid, or the like, as long as it has fluidity. In the case of a liquid, for example, water, oil, alcohol, or a solution using these as a solvent. In the case of a semi-solid, for example, minced meat or fish meatballs may be used.

[0023] The treatment tank 10 is a container for storing the objects to be sterilized 100. The treatment tank 10 preferably has a cylindrical shape extending in the direction of gravity so that the objects to be sterilized 100 can be easily stirred in the treatment tank 10. The treatment tank 10 is preferably made of a material that has a high reflectance for ultraviolet light so that the objects to be sterilized 100 can be easily irradiated with ultraviolet light from the light source unit 20 in the treatment tank 10. Examples of materials that have a high reflectance for ultraviolet light include PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and aluminum.

[0024] The light source unit 20 has a rod-like shape and is arranged in the treatment tank 10 so as to extend from the upper side to the lower side in the direction of gravity. To achieve high sterilization performance, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of light source units 20. In the example of FIG. 1, two light source units 20 are arranged. The object 100 to be sterilized in the treatment tank 10 comes into contact with the light source unit 20. Therefore, the light source unit 20 is cooled by the object 100 to be sterilized in the treatment tank 10. As a result, the light emission efficiency of the light source unit 20 can be increased.

[0025] The rotating unit 30 has a motor (not shown) that generates a rotational driving force for rotating the light source unit 20, and is disposed above the treatment tank 10. The rotating unit 30 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation center axis 31. In the example of FIG. 1, the rotation center axis 31 of the rotating unit 30 is disposed parallel to the direction of gravity. In the example of FIG. 1, the rotation center axis 31 of the rotating unit 30 is disposed coaxially with the treatment tank 10. The rotation center axis 31 of the rotating unit 30 may be disposed non-parallel to the direction of gravity, or may be disposed non-coaxially with the treatment tank 10.

[0026] The light source unit 20 is arranged non-coaxially with respect to the rotation center axis 31 of the rotating unit 30. That is, the light source unit 20 is arranged so as to avoid the area coaxial with the rotation center axis 31 inside the treatment tank 10, and the objects to be sterilized 100 are present in the area coaxial with the rotation center axis 31 inside the treatment tank 10. As a result, the light source unit 20 revolves around the rotation center axis 31 inside the treatment tank 10.

[0027] The light source units 20 are arranged non-parallel to the rotation axis 31. The light source units 20 are arranged obliquely to the rotation axis 31 so as to move away from the rotation axis 31 from the upper side in the direction of gravity to the lower side in the direction of gravity. As shown in FIG. 1 , the two light source units 20 are arranged non-parallel to each other. That is, the two light source units 20 have different angles. The two light source units 20 also have different lengths. When the angles and lengths of the two light source units 20 are different from each other in this way, the agitation of the objects to be sterilized 100 in the treatment tank 10 is improved when the two light source units 20 are revolved.

[0028] Furthermore, the light source unit 20 is connected to the rotating unit 30 via a bearing (not shown) so that it can rotate around a rotation axis 21 that is different from the rotation center axis 31. The force that rotates the light source unit 20 may be a force transmitted from a motor of the rotating unit 30 via a gear or the like, or may be a resistance force received from the object 100 to be sterilized when the light source unit 20 is revolved.

[0029] 2. Configuration of the light source unit 20 The configuration of the light source unit 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the light source unit 20. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the light source unit 20. The light source unit 20 has a light emitting element 22, a mounting substrate 23, a frame 24, and a covering member 25.

[0030] Light-emitting element 22 is an element that emits ultraviolet light. For example, light-emitting element 22 uses a group III nitride semiconductor and emits light with a wavelength of 200 to 280 nm. Because the emitted light wavelength is in the UVC region, object 100 to be sterilized can be sterilized efficiently.

[0031] The mounting substrate 23 is a substrate having a mounting surface on which the light-emitting elements 22 are mounted. The mounting substrate 23 is preferably made of a material with high heat dissipation properties, such as aluminum or stainless steel. A wiring pattern is formed on the mounting substrate 23. Wiring 26 that supplies power to the light-emitting elements 22 is connected to the mounting substrate 23. For example, the wiring 26 is connected to a slip ring (not shown). This allows power to be supplied to the light-emitting elements 22 arranged in the rotating light source unit 20. The method of supplying power to the light-emitting elements 22 is not limited to the slip ring method, and various methods such as a wireless power supply method may be used.

[0032] The light emitting element 22 may be directly mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting substrate 23, or an LED package in which the light emitting element 22 is packaged may be mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting substrate 23. The LED package is a unit in which the light emitting element 22 is placed in a housing and sealed with a glass plate or a lens. In addition, various elements (for example, Zener diodes) necessary for driving and protecting the light emitting element 22 are mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting substrate 23.

[0033] The frame 24 is a housing member that houses the light emitting element 22 and the mounting board 23 and ensures the rigidity of the light source unit 20, and has an overall cylindrical shape. An irradiation port 24a for extracting the ultraviolet light emitted by the light emitting element 22 to the outside of the light source unit 20 is formed in the frame 24 at a portion of the frame 24 surrounding the light emitting element 22 by cutting out a part of the cylindrical surface of the frame 24. The frame 24 is preferably made of a material with high heat dissipation properties, such as aluminum or copper.

[0034] The covering member 25 covers the light-emitting element 22, the mounting substrate 23, and the frame 24 from the outside, and protects the light-emitting element 22 and the mounting substrate 23 by preventing the object to be sterilized 100 from coming into direct contact with the light-emitting element 22 and the mounting substrate 23. The covering member 25 is formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet light. The covering member 25 is formed, for example, of a fluorine tube, a quartz tube, a laminated tube, or the like. When the covering member 25 is a hard member, it is sufficient that the covering member 25 is formed in an entirely cylindrical shape, including the portion that overlaps with the irradiation port 24a of the frame 24. The covering member 25 does not necessarily have to be entirely cylindrical; for example, when the covering member 25 is a soft member, the covering member 25 may be in close contact with the mounting substrate 23 and the light-emitting element 22 at the portion that overlaps with the irradiation port 24a of the frame 24.

[0035] The surface of the light source unit 20 is coated with a photocatalyst. When ultraviolet light hits the photocatalyst, dirt adhering to the surface of the light source unit 20 can be decomposed. When the surface of the light source unit 20 is coated with a photocatalyst, it is preferable to also arrange a blue light-emitting element whose emission wavelength is in the UVA region in the light source unit 20 in addition to the light-emitting element 22 whose emission wavelength is in the UVC region. The blue light-emitting element whose emission wavelength is in the UVA region has higher luminous efficiency than the light-emitting element 22 whose emission wavelength is in the UVC region, thereby enhancing the dirt decomposition effect of the photocatalyst. In addition, the photocatalyst can also sterilize the object 100 to be sterilized by coming into contact with the object 100 to be sterilized.

[0036] 3. Operation and Effects of Sterilization Device 1 When the light source unit 20 is rotated (revolved) by the rotating unit 30 while the objects 100 to be sterilized are stored in the treatment tank 10, the objects 100 to be sterilized are agitated by the revolving light source unit 20 within the treatment tank 10. When power is supplied to the light source unit 20 in this state to cause the light source unit 20 to emit ultraviolet light, the objects 100 to be sterilized are irradiated with the ultraviolet light, and the objects 100 to be sterilized can be sterilized.

[0037] At this time, since the object 100 to be sterilized is being agitated, irradiation of only specific parts of the object 100 with ultraviolet light is prevented, and ultraviolet light can be irradiated as uniformly as possible at as close a distance as possible over the entire object 100 to be sterilized. Furthermore, by rotating (revolving and spinning) the light source unit 20, ultraviolet light can be irradiated even more uniformly over the entire object 100 to be sterilized.

[0038] Because the light source unit 20 is arranged non-coaxially with respect to the central rotation axis 31, a flow of the objects 100 to be sterilized can be generated even in the vicinity of the central rotation axis 31, thereby preventing the objects 100 from accumulating in the vicinity of the central rotation axis 31. In other words, the objects 100 to be sterilized can be well agitated even in the vicinity of the central rotation axis 31.

[0039] Since the light source unit 20 is tilted non-parallel to the central axis of rotation 31, it is possible to better agitate the objects 100 to be sterilized. Furthermore, since the tilt angles and lengths of the plurality of light source units 20 are different from one another, it is possible to more effectively agitate the objects 100 to be sterilized.

[0040] Because light source unit 20 is rod-shaped, objects 100 to be sterilized are less likely to remain on the surface of light source unit 20 compared to when light source unit 20 is plate-shaped. This prevents dirt from adhering to the surface of light source unit 20 and reducing the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated from light source unit 20 to objects 100 to be sterilized.

[0041] Because the light source unit 20 rotates, it is possible to prevent the object 100 to be sterilized from constantly hitting a specific part of the light source unit 20. In other words, because the part of the light source unit 20 that hits the object 100 to be sterilized is constantly changing, it is possible to further prevent dirt from adhering to the surface of the light source unit 20 and reducing the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source unit 20 to the object 100 to be sterilized. Furthermore, because the light source unit 20 rotates, the light source unit 20 including the light-emitting element 22 can be effectively cooled by the object 100 to be sterilized. This makes it possible to increase the output (irradiation amount) of the light-emitting element 22, thereby further improving the sterilization efficiency.

[0042] Furthermore, because the surface of light source unit 20 is coated with a photocatalyst, even if dirt adheres to the surface of light source unit 20, the adhered dirt can be decomposed. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent a decrease in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated from light source unit 20 to object 100 to be sterilized due to dirt adhering to the surface of light source unit 20.

[0043] The revolution speed of light source unit 20 may be changed depending on the turbidity of object 100 to be sterilized. Specifically, a turbidity sensor that detects the turbidity of object 100 to be sterilized and a control device that controls the number of revolutions of the motor of rotating unit 30 may be provided, and the control device may control the number of revolutions of the motor of rotating unit 30 (i.e., the revolution speed of light source unit 20) based on the turbidity detected by the turbidity sensor.

[0044] For example, when the turbidity of the object 100 to be sterilized is high, it is preferable to increase the revolution speed of the light source unit 20 compared to when the turbidity of the object 100 to be sterilized is low. By increasing the revolution speed of the light source unit 20, ultraviolet light can be irradiated as uniformly as possible over the entire object 100 to be sterilized at as close a distance as possible, so that even if the object 100 to be sterilized is highly turbid, ultraviolet light can be effectively irradiated and sterilization efficiency can be improved. When the revolution speed of the light source unit 20 is increased, the relative speed between the light source unit 20 and the object 100 to be sterilized also increases, improving the cooling performance of the light source unit 20 including the light-emitting element 22. This makes it possible to increase the output (irradiation amount) of the light-emitting element 22, thereby further improving sterilization efficiency.

[0045] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, the light source unit 20 is revolved by the motor of the rotating unit 30, but in the second embodiment, the light source unit 20 is revolved by utilizing the flow of the object 100 to be sterilized.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, treatment tank 10 is formed with an inlet 11 through which objects to be sterilized 100 flow in and an outlet 12 through which objects to be sterilized 100 flow out. This creates a flow of objects to be sterilized 100 in treatment tank 10 from the inlet 11 side toward the outlet 12 side.

[0047] An impeller 32 is fixed to the rotating unit 30. The impeller 32 is arranged coaxially with a rotation center axis 31. The impeller 32 receives the flow of objects to be sterilized 100 moving from the inlet 11 side to the outlet 12 side within the treatment tank 10, causing the impeller 32 to rotate around the rotation center axis 31, and the light source unit 20 rotates together with the impeller 32 and revolves around the rotation center axis 31.

[0048] This embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment 1. For example, by orbiting the light source unit 20, the entire object 100 to be sterilized can be irradiated with ultraviolet light as uniformly as possible, thereby improving the sterilization performance of the object 100 to be sterilized.

[0049] (Embodiment 3) In the above embodiment, each light source unit 20 is an independent rod-shaped unit, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, both ends (i.e., upper and lower ends) of each light source unit 20 in the direction of gravity are connected to each other by connecting members 27 and 28.

[0050] 5, the plurality of light source units 20 are arranged parallel to the rotation central axis 31 and have the same length, but this is not limiting, and the plurality of light source units 20 may be arranged non-parallel to the rotation central axis 31. The inclination angles of the plurality of light source units 20 may be different from each other, and the lengths of the plurality of light source units 20 may be different from each other.

[0051] This embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment 1. For example, by orbiting the light source unit 20, the entire object 100 to be sterilized can be irradiated with ultraviolet light as uniformly as possible, thereby improving the sterilization performance of the object 100 to be sterilized.

[0052] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the power required to make the light-emitting element 22 emit light is supplied from outside, but the power required to make the light-emitting element 22 emit light may also be generated within the sterilization device 1.

[0053] For example, a generator that generates electricity by receiving the flow of the objects 100 to be sterilized may be provided in the treatment tank 10, and the electricity generated by the generator may be supplied to the light emitting element 22, causing the light emitting element 22 to emit light.

[0054] The light source unit 20 does not necessarily have to be oblique to the central axis of rotation 31. When the object 100 to be sterilized does not require high agitation properties, the light source unit 20 may be parallel to the central axis of rotation 31.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the light source unit 20 is formed in a straight rod shape, but this is not limited to this, and the light source unit 20 may be formed in a straight or curved rod shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10: Treatment tank 20: Light source part 21: Rotation axis 22: Light-emitting element 30: Rotating part 31: Rotation axis

Claims

1. a treatment tank for storing a flowable object to be sterilized; a light source unit that is inserted into the object to be sterilized and emits ultraviolet light; A rotating unit that rotates the light source unit inside the object to be sterilized, A sterilization device, wherein the light source unit is arranged non-coaxially with respect to the central rotation axis of the rotating unit, and thereby revolves around the central rotation axis.

2. The sterilization device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit is formed in a rod shape and is disposed inside the treatment tank so as to extend from an upper side in the direction of gravity to a lower side in the direction of gravity.

3. The sterilization device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit is arranged inside the treatment tank so as to avoid an area coaxial with the rotation center axis.

4. The sterilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit revolves around the central axis of rotation and is rotatable around a rotation axis different from the central axis of rotation.

5. The sterilizer according to claim 2 , wherein the light source unit is disposed non-parallel to the central axis of rotation.

6. A plurality of the light source units are provided, The sterilizer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of light source units are arranged non-parallel to each other.

7. A plurality of the light source units are provided, The sterilizer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of light source units have different lengths.

8. The surface of the light source unit is coated with a photocatalyst, 2. The sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the light source unit is configured to be able to emit both ultraviolet light having an emission wavelength in the UVC region and ultraviolet light having an emission wavelength in the UVA region.

9. The treatment tank has an inlet through which the object to be sterilized flows and an outlet through which the object to be sterilized flows, The sterilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating unit has an impeller that receives the flow of the object to be sterilized and rotates the light source unit.

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