Drying and volume-reducing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a drying and volume reduction treatment apparatus capable of easily spreading hot air to the whole of an object to be treated in a drying and volume reduction case and efficiently drying and volume reducing the object to be treated.SOLUTION: The drying and volume-reducing treatment apparatus 1 for drying a material to be treated by hot air to reduce the volume thereof has a drying and volume-reducing case 2 for housing the material to be treated and a main body device 3 equipped with a case housing space 31 in which the drying and volume-reducing case 2 is housed. The heated air supplying portion 7 has a hot air supplying portion 75 for supplying the heated air b to the case accommodating space 31 under the bottom portion 23 of the case body 2A, and is configured such that the heated air b introduced from the hot air supplying portion 75 flows from the lower side of the bottom portion 23 of the case body 2A to the outside of the peripheral wall portion 22 of the case body 2A and is blown into the case body 2A from the blow-out port 28 formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drying and volume reduction treatment apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to reduce the effort and cost of disposing of food waste generated at home and elsewhere, devices have been developed that dry and reduce the volume of food waste by supplying hot air from the bottom of a case containing the food waste. One such drying and volume reduction device is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0003] The drying and volume reduction processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a case storage unit having a storage space for storing an internal case having an opening at one end and a breathable bottom, a heated air supply unit that generates heated air and supplies the heated air to the bottom of the internal case stored in the storage space of the case storage unit, and an exhaust unit that discharges a portion of the heated air to the outside. This drying and volume reduction processing apparatus is configured so that heated air circulates between the heated air supply unit and the storage space of the case storage unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6749679 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is preferable that the drying and volume reduction treatment device be capable of efficiently drying and reducing the volume of the material to be treated, such as food waste, by efficiently applying hot air to the material. However, in conventional drying and volume reduction processing devices, it is difficult to ensure that hot air is sufficiently distributed throughout the entire interior of the processing case that contains the objects to be processed, and there are cases in which the objects to be processed cannot be dried and reduced in volume efficiently. On the other hand, increasing the amount of hot air generated makes drying easier, but increases energy consumption and the size of the device. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in the drying and volume reduction processing device described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] The present invention relates to a drying and volume reduction processing apparatus that can easily distribute hot air over the entire object to be processed in a drying and volume reduction case, and that can efficiently dry and reduce the volume of the object to be processed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a drying and volume reduction treatment apparatus that dries and reduces the volume of an object to be treated using hot air. The drying and volume reduction apparatus preferably includes a drying and volume reduction case for accommodating the object to be processed and a main body having a case housing space for accommodating the drying and volume reduction case. The main body preferably includes an air intake port, a heated air supply unit for heating the air taken in through the intake port to generate heated air and supplying the heated air to the drying and volume reduction case housed in the case housing space, a circulation path for returning the heated air circulating within the drying and volume reduction case to the heated air supply unit and supplying it back to the drying and volume reduction case, and an exhaust unit for discharging a portion of the heated air to the outside. The drying and volume reduction case preferably includes a case body having an opening for accommodating the object to be processed, a peripheral wall, and a bottom, and a bottom ventilation unit having a ventilation unit with multiple through-holes and forming a space between the top surface of the bottom of the case body and the bottom. The heated air supply unit preferably includes a hot air supply unit located below the bottom of the case body for supplying the heated air to the case housing space. It is preferable that the drying volume reduction processing device is configured so that the heated air introduced from the hot air supply section flows from the underside of the bottom of the case body to the outside of the peripheral wall section of the case body and is blown into the case body from an outlet formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the drying volume reduction processing apparatus of the present invention, hot air can be easily distributed over the entire object to be processed in the drying volume reduction case, enabling efficient drying and volume reduction of the object to be processed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the drying and volume reduction processing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the device shown in FIG. 1 in an open state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main body of the device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a drying volume reduction case. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a case body of a dry volume reduction case. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a bottom ventilation part forming member of a dry volume reduction case. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The drying and volume reduction apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to preferred embodiments. The drying and volume reduction apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for drying and reducing the volume of materials to be treated, such as food waste, by bringing heated air into contact with the materials to dry and reduce the volume of the materials. The drying and volume reduction apparatus of the present invention has a simple mechanism and can be easily miniaturized, making it suitable for treating food waste generated in restaurants and home kitchens, and is particularly suitable for installation on the counter of an ordinary home kitchen to treat food waste generated in the kitchen. However, the materials to be treated are not limited to food waste generated by restaurants and homes.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a drying and volume reduction processing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The drying volume reduction processing device 1 (hereinafter also referred to as processing device 1) of this embodiment has, as shown in Figure 1, a drying volume reduction case 2 that accommodates the material to be processed, and a main body device 3 that has a case accommodation space 31 in which the drying volume reduction case 2 is accommodated. As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing device 1 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, with a longitudinal direction X, a transverse direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and a height direction Z perpendicular to the XY plane. The planar shape of the processing device 1, which has the longitudinal direction X and a transverse direction Y shorter than the longitudinal direction X, makes it easy to install the processing device 1 in a narrow space such as a kitchen counter, and also makes it easier to secure space necessary for other tasks, such as cooking, to be performed in that space. In the processing device 1 of this embodiment, the drying volume reduction case 2 and the case storage space 31 also have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, extending in the same direction as the longitudinal direction X of the processing device 1. The longitudinal and transverse directions of the drying volume reduction case 2 and the case storage space 31 are also referred to as the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y, similar to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the processing device 1. The length in the longitudinal direction X, the length in the lateral direction Y, and the length in the height direction Z (hereinafter also referred to as height) of the processing device 1 are not particularly limited, but in a preferred example when it is installed on a kitchen counter, the length in the longitudinal direction X is 15 cm to 80 cm, the length in the lateral direction Y is 10 cm to 50 cm, and the height (height) is 5 cm to 50 cm. The planar shape of the drying volume reduction processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to being substantially rectangular, but may be substantially oval, substantially square, or any other shape. The same applies to the planar shapes of the drying volume reduction case and the case storage space.

[0012] In the processing device 1 of this embodiment, the drying volume reduction case 2 has a case main body 2A having an opening 21 for accommodating the material to be processed, a peripheral wall portion 22, and a bottom portion 23, as shown in Figure 4, and a bottom ventilation portion 2B that forms a space 25 between the top surface of the bottom portion 23 of the case main body 2A. The case body 2A has an opening 21 on its upper surface, which serves as an inlet for the material S to be treated, and also has a peripheral wall 22 having a pair of first side walls 22a, 22b facing each other in the longitudinal direction X and a pair of second side walls 22c, 22d facing each other in the lateral direction Y. The bottom 23 of the case body 2A is located on the opposite side from the opening 21, and the upper surface of the bottom 23 functions as a liquid-receiving surface that receives liquid that falls through the bottom ventilation portion 2B. From the viewpoint of allowing the upper surface of the bottom 23 to function as a liquid-receiving surface, it is preferable that the entire area of ​​the bottom 23 does not have through-holes through which water can pass. Furthermore, it is preferable that at least the upper surface of the bottom 23, which functions as a liquid-receiving surface, is formed of a material that is impermeable to liquids such as water, so that the liquid can be retained on the upper surface. With this configuration, even if water drips from the materials to be treated in the dry volume reduction case 2, it can be retained on the liquid-receiving surface, preventing the treatment device from becoming dirty or breaking down due to water dripping from the materials to be treated.

[0013] The bottom ventilation part 2B is formed by disposing a bottom ventilation part-forming member 4 (see FIG. 6) separate from the case body 2A inside the case body 2A. The bottom ventilation part-forming member 4 is preferably removably disposed inside the case body 2A from the viewpoints of cleaning the inside of the dry volume reduction case 2 and enabling the bottom ventilation part-forming member 4 to be independently replaced as necessary. In this case, it is preferable that the bottom ventilation part-forming member 4 be provided with a knob 43 on part of its upper surface from the viewpoints of facilitating disposing it inside the case body 2A and removing it from the case body 2A. From the viewpoint of efficient drying of the workpiece, it is preferable that the bottom ventilation portion forming member 4 and the bottom ventilation portion 2B formed thereby have a ventilation portion with a plurality of through holes 41 over a part or almost the entire area in a plan view, and it is more preferable that the ventilation portion has a lattice-like shape with a plurality of through holes 41 over almost the entire area in a plan view, as shown in Figure 6. The ventilation part of the bottom ventilation part 2B is designed to allow liquids such as water and air to pass through. The size of the through-hole is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is formed to a size that does not allow the object to be treated to fall out.

[0014] Bottom ventilation section 2B is arranged to form space 25 between it and the upper surface of bottom section 23 of case main body 2A. As a result, even if an object to be treated is present on bottom ventilation section 2B, hot air flows through space 25 below it and diffuses, passing through the ventilation section and hitting the entire underside of the object to be treated, improving the drying efficiency of the object to be treated. Furthermore, the presence of space 25 prevents liquid from leaking from the object to be treated and accumulating on the bottom of case main body 2A from re-adhering to the object to be treated.

[0015] The dry volume reduction case 2 preferably has a spacing portion (not shown) for forming a space 25 between the bottom ventilation portion 2B and the upper surface of the bottom 23 of the case main body 2A. One example of the spacing portion may be, for example, a plurality of legs extending toward the bottom 23 provided on the back side of the bottom ventilation portion-forming member 4, or a convex portion or step portion protruding inward at a predetermined height position on the peripheral wall of the case main body 2A on which the peripheral edge of the bottom ventilation portion-forming member 4 can rest. Examples of materials for the dry volume reduction case 2 include plastic, stainless steel, iron, copper, and other metals. The heat resistance temperature (or melting point or softening point) of the dry volume reduction case 2 is preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 130°C or higher. The case body 2A and the bottom ventilation part-forming member 4 may be made of the same or different materials. From the viewpoint of accelerating the drying of the liquid on the bottom 23, the case body 2A is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0016] The main body device 3 in this embodiment has a lower space 32 below the case storage space 31, a return air passage 33 around the case storage space 31, and an upper space 34 above the case storage space 31. In this embodiment, the main body 3 includes a lid 5 that opens and closes the upper portion of the case housing space 31. More specifically, in the main body 3, the lid 5 is rotatably connected to an upper portion 61 of the housing portion 6, which is located around the opening of the case housing space 31, via a connecting portion 62 such as a hinge. By rotating the lid 5, the main body 3 can be switched between a closed state in which the upper portion of the case housing space 31 is closed and an open state in which the upper portion of the case housing space 31 is open. When the lid 5 is closed, the internal space of the processing device 1, including the case housing space 31, is substantially airtightly isolated from the processing device 1. It is preferable to provide a packing or the like in the lid 5 or in the area in contact with the lid 5 in the closed state. The provision of the packing can reduce noise during operation and prevent odor leakage during shutdown. A highly heat-resistant rubber material such as silicone rubber is preferably used for the packing.

[0017] As shown in Figure 7, the main body device 3 is equipped with an outside air intake 71 and a heated air supply section 7 that heats the air a taken in from the intake 71 to turn it into heated air b, and supplies the heated air b to the drying volume reduction case 2 housed in the case housing space 31. The heated air supply section 7 in this embodiment is composed of a lower piping 72 arranged in the lower space 32 of the main body device 3, a blower 73 arranged in the lower piping 72, a heating device 74 arranged in the lower piping 72 and heating the air generated by the blower 73, a hot air supply section 75 that supplies the heated air b generated by the blowing function of the blower 73 and the heating function of the heating device 74 to the case accommodating space 31, and a bypass hot air path 76 that flows the heated air b introduced from the hot air supply section 75 from the underside of the bottom 23 of the case main body 2A to the outside of the peripheral wall portion 22 of the case main body 2A and blows it into the case main body 2A from an outlet 28 formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 22. The bypass hot air passage 76 is a flow path that, instead of supplying the heated air b supplied from the hot air supply section 75 below the bottom 23 of the case body 2A into the case body 2A from below through a through hole provided in the bottom 23, circulates the heated air b from below the bottom 23 to the outside of the peripheral wall section 22 and supplies it from the inner surface of the peripheral wall section of the case body 2A.

[0018] The lower space 32 of the main body 3 is separated from the case housing space 31 by a non-permeable partition wall. The intake port 71 and the lower space 32 are connected by an air intake passage 79 extending in the height direction Z. The suction force generated by the blower 73 draws outside air through the intake port 71 and introduces it into the lower space 32 via the air intake passage 79. The hot air supply unit 75 has a top-covered cylindrical portion 75a that penetrates the partition wall forming the bottom of the case housing space 31 and protrudes into the case housing space 31, and a heated air supply port 75b formed in the top-covered cylindrical portion 75a. The top-covered cylindrical portion 75a may have a circular or rectangular shape in a plan view. It is preferable that multiple supply ports 75b be provided at intervals on the circumferential surface of the top-covered cylindrical portion 75a, and that at least one supply port 75b be provided at each of opposing positions in the longitudinal direction X. The bottom ventilation section 2B preferably has a protruding portion 42 at the portion disposed on the top cylindrical section 75a that protrudes upward. Various known devices with a blowing function, such as a blower, can be used as the air blower 73. Various known devices capable of heating air, such as a heater using an electric heating wire or a ceramic heater, can be used as the heating device 74.

[0019] As shown in Figure 7, the main body device 3 is equipped with a circulation path 8 that returns the heated air c that is supplied to the drying volume reduction case 2 by the heated air supply unit 7 and circulates through the drying volume reduction case 2 to the lower piping 72 of the heated air supply unit 7 and supplies it to the drying volume reduction case again, and an exhaust unit 9 that releases a portion of the heated air circulated by the circulation path 8 to the outside through an exhaust port 91. The circulation path 8 is configured to include the upper space 34, the return air flow path 33, a portion of the lower space 32, and the lower piping 72. By providing the circulation path 8, the air a taken in through the intake port 71 can be heated by passing it through the heating device 74 multiple times, thereby obtaining heated air c that has been heated to a high temperature with a small-output heating device compared to heating in a single pass. Furthermore, by providing the circulation path 8, the amount of air exhausted from the exhaust section 9 can be reduced, thereby reducing the odor emitted outside the treatment device 1 during the drying and volume reduction process. The exhaust section 9 has a branch pipe 92 connected midway to a main pipe that heats the air taken in the lower pipe 72 with a heater 74 and supplies it into the case body 2A, and an activated carbon arrangement section 93 installed between the branch pipe 92 and the exhaust port 91. From the viewpoint of prolonging the deodorizing function of the activated carbon contained in the activated carbon arrangement section 93, the amount of air flowing in the branch pipe 92 is preferably 30% or less, and more preferably 10% or less, in volume ratio, of the amount of air flowing in the main pipe.

[0020] To dry and reduce the volume of materials to be treated using the treatment device 1 of this embodiment, the lid 5 is opened and the drying and volume reduction case 2 is placed in the case storage space 31. Materials to be treated, such as food waste, are placed in the case storage space 31 either before or after the materials are placed in the case storage space 31. The space above the bottom ventilation section 2B in the case main body 2A is the storage section 27 for materials to be treated. The treatment device 1 has a control unit 10 electrically connected to the air blower 73, heating device 74, power switch 11, temperature sensor (not shown), and other components. The control unit 10 can be located anywhere within the main body 3. When the power switch 11 is turned on with the drying and volume reduction case 2 containing the materials to be treated S placed in the case storage space 31 and the lid 5 closed, the air blower 73 and heating device 74 are activated, and outside air is drawn in through the inlet 71. The drawn-in outside air is then introduced into the lower space 32 via the air intake path 79. In the lower space 32, the air taken into the lower piping 72 is converted into heated air b by the heated air supply unit 7 and blown into the case body 2A through the bypass hot air duct 76 from the outlet 28 opening on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the case body 2A. The heated air b that has circulated inside the drying volume reduction case 2 is returned to the lower space 32 by the circulation path 8 and is supplied again into the drying volume reduction case 2 through the blower 73 and the heater 74. In this way, the air a taken in through the intake port 71 is heated by passing it through the heating device 74 multiple times, and the heated air b can be circulated within the drying and volume reduction case 2, thereby making it possible to efficiently dry the material to be treated in the drying and volume reduction case 2 and thereby reduce its volume while reducing the size and power consumption of the heating device 74.

[0021] Furthermore, heated air b supplied to the case storage space 31 from the hot air supply unit 75 located below the bottom 23 of the case body 2A is supplied to the case body 2A through the outlets 28 formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the case body 2A. This allows the heated air to hit the workpiece S from various directions, compared to when the heated air is supplied from below through through-holes penetrating the bottom 23 of the case body 2A, enabling more efficient drying and volume reduction of the workpiece S. More specifically, the provision of the outlets 28 on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 allows the heated air to hit the workpiece S from all around it in a plan view. Furthermore, the provision of the bottom ventilation section 2B allows some of the heated air blown out from the outlets 28 to flow through the space 25 below the bottom ventilation section 2B and hit the workpiece S from below. This exposure of the heated air to the workpiece S from various directions enables more efficient drying and volume reduction of the workpiece S.

[0022] 4 and 7, the outlet 28 formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 of the case body 2A includes a lower-ventilation outlet d located between the bottom vent 2B and the upper surface of the bottom 23 of the case body 2A, and an upper-ventilation outlet u located above the bottom vent 2B. More specifically, a through-hole that is elongated in the height direction Z and penetrates each of the pair of side walls 22a, 22b of the case body 2A is formed in each of the side walls, and the opening of each through-hole on the inner surface side of the peripheral wall 22 serves as the outlet 28. The outlet 28 has a portion located above the bottom vent 2B and a portion located below the bottom vent 2B, with the upper portion being the upper-ventilation outlet u and the lower portion being the lower-ventilation outlet d. The outlet 28 may have either the upper ventilation section outlet portion u or the lower ventilation section outlet portion d, or may have both, but it is preferable that it has at least the lower ventilation section outlet portion d. Since the outlet 28 has a lower ventilation section d, the heated air can more easily flow through the space 25 below the bottom ventilation section 2B, making it possible to more efficiently dry the entire workpiece S, including the lower peripheral section which is difficult to dry.

[0023] 4, it is preferable that the air outlets 28 opening on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 are formed on each of a pair of side walls 22a, 22b that face each other in the longitudinal direction X of the case body 2A, from the viewpoint of spreading the heated air d sufficiently over a wide range in the longitudinal direction X and making it easier to apply the heated air d to the entire workpiece S. It is preferable that the treatment device 1 and the case body 2A have a shape that is long in one direction, from the viewpoint of making it easier to install them in a narrow space such as on a kitchen counter by orienting them in a direction that is less likely to get in the way. In the present invention, the air outlet 28 may be formed only on a pair of side wall portions 22c, 22d that face each other in the short direction Y of the case body 2A, or may be formed on all four side wall portions 22a to 22d or on only one of the four side wall portions 22a to 22d.

[0024] In the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the drying volume reduction case 2 is accommodated in the case accommodation space 31 of the main body 3, so that the aforementioned bypass hot air duct 76 is formed between the outer surface of the drying volume reduction case 2 and the inner surface of the case accommodation space 31. This allows the drying volume reduction case 2 to have a simpler configuration than when the bypass hot air duct 76 is provided within the drying volume reduction case 2 itself, such as when the walls of the drying volume reduction case have a double structure and the bypass hot air duct 76 is provided between them. This has the advantage of making it easier to clean the inside of the drying volume reduction case, for example.

[0025] In the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the bypass hot air passage 76 has a flat first flow passage 76a located below the bottom 23 of the case body 2A and extending across the entire area of ​​the bottom 23 in a plan view, and flat second flow passages 76b located outside each of the pair of side walls 22a, 22b and continuing to the first flow passage 76a at their lower ends. Note that above the outlet 28 of the drying volume reduction case 2, the drying volume reduction case 2 and the case storage space 31 are in contact with each other by convex portions formed on one or both of them, and substantially all of the heated air b introduced into the bypass hot air passage 76 is introduced into the case body 2A through the outlet 28. The presence of a bypass hot air duct 76 along the bottom 23 below the bottom 23 of the case body 2A is preferable from the viewpoint of making it easier to evaporate moisture on the upper surface of the bottom 23 by thermal conduction, and from the same viewpoint, it is even more preferable that a flat bypass hot air duct 76 along the bottom 23 below the bottom 23 of the case body 2A is present.

[0026] The processing device 1 of this embodiment preferably includes a desiccant placement section 15 in the heated air flow path. Fig. 7 shows an example in which the desiccant placement section 15 is provided inside the top-covered cylindrical section 75a of the hot air supply section 75. A desiccant such as silica gel is placed in the desiccant placement section 15. For example, a desiccant processed into a predetermined shape such as a plate, or a desiccant contained in a breathable container, is attached to the desiccant placement section 15 by any method such as engagement, fitting, or adhesion. By providing a desiccant placement section 15 in the heated air flow path and placing a desiccant therein, it is possible to prevent the inside of the processing device 1 from becoming dirty or the processing device 1 from becoming prone to breakdowns due to liquid or humid air coming out of the drying volume reduction case 2 before or after the drying volume reduction process. Furthermore, even during the drying volume reduction process of the processing device 1, the humidity of the humid heated air that comes into contact with the object to be processed is reduced, thereby improving the drying efficiency of the object to be processed. Furthermore, when using a desiccant such as silica gel whose moisture absorption function is restored to some extent by heated air, the desiccant can be placed in the flow path of heated air to restore the moisture absorption function of the desiccant, thereby eliminating the need for replacement of the desiccant or reducing the frequency of replacement. The desiccant placed in the desiccant placement section 15 may be replaceable or non-replaceable. The desiccant placement section 15 may be located in the hot air supply section 75, the first flow path 76a, the second flow path 76b, etc. The desiccant placement section 15 is preferably located in the hot air supply section 75, preferably near the upper side of the supply port 75b in the hot air supply section 75.

[0027] The treatment device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a deodorizing agent placement section 93 in the exhaust section 9. By placing a deodorizing agent such as activated carbon in the exhaust section 9, the odor of the exhaust released from the exhaust port 91 can be reduced. The treatment device 1 of this embodiment preferably includes an activated carbon arrangement section 93 in which activated carbon is arranged as a deodorizer in the exhaust section 9, and also includes a switching device (not shown) that reduces the amount of heated air supplied to the case accommodation space 31 and increases the amount of heated air sent to the exhaust section 9. By providing such a switching device in the treatment device 1 and making it possible to restore the deodorizing function of the activated carbon at a desired timing, it is possible to eliminate the need for replacing the activated carbon or reduce the frequency of replacement. The activated carbon arranged in the activated carbon arrangement portion 93 may be provided in a non-replaceable manner or may be provided in a replaceable manner. The activated carbon arranged in the activated carbon arrangement portion 93 may be provided in a non-replaceable manner as, for example, a cartridge, or may be provided in a replaceable manner.

[0028] The deodorizer placed in the deodorizer placement section 93 is preferably one whose deodorizing function is restored to a certain extent at the temperature of the heated air used in the treatment device 1. It is preferable to use activated carbon, which can restore its deodorizing function to a certain extent at temperatures below 300°C, more preferably below 250°C, and even more preferably below 150°C. While high temperatures such as 800°C are required to fully regenerate activated carbon, it is possible to separate malodorous components with relatively large molecular structures at temperatures as low as 140°C, thereby restoring the deodorizing function to a certain extent. Instead of placing activated carbon alone in the deodorizer placement section, activated carbon and another deodorizer, such as high-temperature-fired bamboo charcoal, can also be placed in combination. Using activated carbon in combination with another deodorizer is preferable because it facilitates lowering the regeneration temperature of the deodorizer. From the viewpoint of achieving both compactness, simple structure, and reduced energy consumption of the treatment device 1, as well as maintaining the deodorizing function for a long period of time without replacing a deodorizing agent such as activated carbon, the temperature of the heated air used in the treatment device 1 is preferably 100° C. or higher and 150° C. or lower, and more preferably 110° C. or higher and 140° C. or lower. The mass proportion of activated carbon in the deodorizing agent placed in the placement section 93 is preferably 30% or higher, more preferably 60% or higher, and even more preferably 90%, with the upper limit being 100%.

[0029] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the lid 5, which opens and closes the upper portion of the case storage space 31, may be manually openable or closable. Alternatively, an automatic lid-opening mechanism may be provided that uses a non-contact sensor to detect a user's action and open the lid 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the automatic lid-opening mechanism may include a first contact 17 and a second contact 18 on the lid 5 and its opposing portion, which maintain a mutually coupled state by the magnetic force of an electromagnet. The control unit 10 may also include an open / close control unit that switches the electromagnet ON / OFF. The electromagnet is switched OFF when a detection unit 19, which includes a non-contact sensor, detects that a part of a human body is approaching. The connecting portion of the lid 5 may be provided with a biasing means such as a torsion spring so that the lid 5 automatically opens when the magnetic coupling between the first contact 17 and the second contact 18 is released. Examples of non-contact sensors include a motion sensor using infrared light, a sound sensor, an illuminance sensor, and an electrostatic sensor. It is also preferable to equip the device with an automatic opening / closing mechanism that detects a voice command such as "open" or "close" and opens or closes the lid 5. The lid 5 may also be configured to open when a part of the body passes over the detection unit 19.

[0030] In addition, a sterilization function can be provided that irradiates the dry volume reduction case housed in the case storage space 31 with light having a sterilizing or bacteriostatic effect, such as UV, and a gas supply function can be provided that can supply ozone gas into the dry volume reduction case housed in the case storage space 31. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Drying and volume reduction equipment 2 Dry volume reduction case 2A case body 21 Opening 22 Peripheral wall section 22a, 22b 1st side wall part 22c,22d 2nd side wall part 23 Bottom 2B Bottom ventilation 4 Bottom ventilation part forming member 41 Through hole 42 Ridge 3 Main unit 5 Lid 6 Housing part 7. Heated air supply section 8 Circulation path 9 Exhaust section 10 Control Unit 11 Power switch 15 Desiccant placement section 17 First Contact 18 Second Contact 19 Detection unit 28 Air Outlet 31 Case storage space 32 Lower space 33 Return air passage 34 Upper space 71 Outside air intake 72 Lower piping 73 Blower 74 Heating device 75 Hot air supply section 76 Detour hot air path 76a First flow path 76b Second flow path 91 Exhaust port 92 Branch Pipe 93 Activated carbon placement section

Claims

1. A drying and volume reduction treatment device that dries and reduces the volume of an object to be treated using hot air, The device includes a dry volume reduction case that accommodates the material to be treated, and a main body device that includes a case accommodation space in which the dry volume reduction case is accommodated, The main body device includes an intake port for external air, a heated air supply unit that heats the air taken in through the intake port to form heated air and supplies the heated air to the drying volume reduction case housed in the case housing space, a circulation path that returns the heated air that has circulated inside the drying volume reduction case to the heated air supply unit and supplies it again to the drying volume reduction case, and an exhaust unit that discharges a portion of the heated air to the outside, The dry volume reduction case includes a case body having an opening for accommodating the object to be treated, a peripheral wall portion, and a bottom portion, and a bottom surface ventilation portion having a ventilation portion with a plurality of through holes and forming a space between the bottom surface of the case body and an upper surface of the bottom portion, the heated air supply unit has a hot air supply unit located below the bottom of the case body and supplying the heated air to the case accommodation space, A drying and volume reduction processing device configured so that the heated air introduced from the hot air supply unit flows from the underside of the bottom of the case body to the outside of the peripheral wall portion of the case body and is blown into the case body from an outlet formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion.

2. The drying and volume reduction processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet has a ventilation lower outlet portion located between the bottom ventilation portion and an upper surface of the bottom portion of the case body.

3. The drying and volume-reducing processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the case body has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction in a plan view, and the air outlets are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

4. The drying and volume reduction processing device described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the main body device is equipped with a lid portion that opens and closes the top of the case storage space, and an automatic lid opening mechanism that detects the user's action using a non-contact sensor and opens the lid portion.

5. A drying and volume reduction processing device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein by accommodating the drying and volume reduction case in the case accommodation space, a flow path is formed between the outer surface of the drying and volume reduction case and the inner surface of the case accommodation space, through which the heated air flows from below the bottom of the case body to the outside of the peripheral wall portion of the case body.

6. The drying and volume-reducing processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heated air supply unit includes a desiccant placement unit in a flow path of the heated air.

7. The exhaust section is provided with an activated carbon arrangement section; and The drying and volume-reducing processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a switching device that reduces the amount of heated air supplied to the case accommodation space and increases the amount of heated air sent to the exhaust section.

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