Suction and processing equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a suction device capable of suppressing a decrease in suction capacity, and a processing device equipped with the suction device and capable of continuous operation. [Solution] The suction device comprises a housing having a water storage section inside where water is stored, an inlet section into which water flows, a throttling section which increases the flow rate of the flowing water, a nozzle having a suction space connected to the external space of the housing and into which water that has passed through the throttling section flows, and a discharge section which discharges water that has flowed into the suction space into the water storage section, a circulation path connecting the water storage section and the nozzle, a pump which causes water from the water storage section to flow into the nozzle via the circulation path, and a cooling section which cools the water flowing into the suction space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The following disclosure relates to suction and processing devices. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a circulation aspirator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-29176 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The circulation aspirator described in Patent Document 1 notifies the user of the reduced pressure reduction capacity when the water temperature in the tank rises and the reduced pressure reduction capacity occurs. However, the only way to restore the reduced pressure reduction capacity when the capacity is reduced is for the user to replace the water in the tank with water of lower temperature, and Patent Document 1 does not consider how to prevent the reduced pressure reduction capacity from decreasing.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a suction device capable of suppressing a decrease in suction capacity, and a processing apparatus equipped with the suction device and capable of continuous operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A suction device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a housing having a water storage section therein for storing water, an inlet section into which water flows, a throttle section that increases the flow rate of the inlet water, a suction space connected to the external space of the housing and into which water that has passed through the throttle section flows, a nozzle having a discharge section that discharges the water that has flowed into the suction space into the water storage section, a circulation path connecting the water storage section and the nozzle, a pump that causes water from the water storage section to flow into the nozzle via the circulation path, and a cooling section that cools the water that flows into the suction space.

[0007] Another aspect of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a first container having a first internal space for accommodating an object to be processed, a heating unit for heating the first internal space, a second container having a second internal space for accommodating the first container, and a decompression unit for decompressing the first internal space by decompressing the second internal space, wherein the decompression unit has the suction device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a suction device that can suppress a decrease in suction capacity, and a processing device that is equipped with the suction device and is capable of continuous operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a cross section of a suction device 300 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a processing apparatus 1 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a processing apparatus 1 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a processing apparatus 1 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a timing chart showing the time-dependent changes in the states of a heating unit, a decompression unit, and an ultraviolet light irradiation unit included in the processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a processing apparatus 1 according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 11 is a top view conceptually showing the processing apparatus 1 in an open state in which the first opening 24a is open in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a top view conceptually showing the processing apparatus 1 in a closed state in which the first opening 24a is closed in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a processing apparatus 1 according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the suction device 300 and processing device 1 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments, and appropriate design changes can be made within the scope of the configuration of the present disclosure. In the drawings, identical or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Only the main parts are shown in the drawings. The following description will focus on the main parts and parts related to the present disclosure.

[0011] In this specification, when directions are indicated, Z1 refers to the upper side and Z2 refers to the lower side of the vertical direction (also referred to as the up-down direction) Z when the suction device 300 and the processing device 1 are installed on a horizontal installation surface. Furthermore, in the horizontal direction, as viewed from a user using the suction device 300 or the processing device 1, X1 refers to the left side, X2 refers to the right side, Y1 refers to the front side, and Y2 refers to the rear side.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a cross section of a suction device 300 according to this embodiment. The suction device 300 includes a housing 311, a nozzle 340, a flow path 320, a pump 330, and a cooling unit 360. One or more of each of these components is provided in the suction device 300.

[0013] Housing 311 is cubic or rectangular parallelepiped in shape with an opening at the top, and has inside water storage section 310 that stores water 300 W. At the top of housing 311, lid section 312 that closes the opening of housing 311 is arranged, and lid section 312 is provided with protrusion 313 that protrudes upward.

[0014] Nozzle 340 has inflow section 340a into which water flows, throttle section 341 that increases the flow rate of the inflowing water, suction space E2 that is connected to the external space of housing 311 and into which water that has passed through throttle section 341 flows, and discharge section 340b that discharges the water that has flowed into suction space E2 into water storage section 310. Nozzle 340 has an external shape that is, for example, cylindrical.

[0015] Inlet portion 340a is an opening connected to flow path 320, and the diameter of the opening is preferably larger than the cross section of flow path 320. Constriction portion 341 has a shape that tapers toward outlet portion 340b. This makes the flow rate of water flowing into nozzle 340 via inlet portion 340a greater than the flow rate of water in flow path 320. A space E1 is provided between inlet portion 340a and constriction portion 341. The water flowing into nozzle 340 via inlet portion 340a flows into suction space E2 via space E1.

[0016] The suction space E2 is connected to the external space of the housing 311, and is a space into which water flows that has passed through the throttle section 341. More specifically, the suction space E2 is connected to the external space of the housing 311, and is a space into which the water that has passed through the throttle section 341 flows, thereby sucking in air from the external space of the housing 311.

[0017] The nozzle 340 is provided with an opening 340c that communicates with the external space of the housing 311. The opening 340c is formed, for example, upstream of the tip of the throttle section 341 (i.e., the end of the throttle section 341 on the discharge section 340b side). Water that flows into the nozzle 340 via the inlet 340a passes through the throttle section 341 and is then discharged from the discharge section 340b into the water storage section 310, creating a negative pressure state around the throttle section 341. When a negative pressure state occurs around the throttle section 341, air is sucked into the nozzle 340 from the external space via the opening 340c. In this way, at least the space from the vicinity of the throttle section 341 to the discharge section 340b forms a suction space E2. The air sucked in from the opening 340c is discharged from the discharge section 340b together with water.

[0018] The opening 340c may be connected to an external device or the like via, for example, an intake path 352, an intake nozzle 351 provided on the upper surface or the like of the lid 312, a vacuum hose, or the like. The intake path 352 is, for example, a pipe.

[0019] Flow path 320 is a path connecting water storage section 310 and nozzle 340. More specifically, a base end side (i.e., upstream side) of flow path 320 is connected to an upper surface opening 333b of impeller cover 333 of pump 330, and a tip end side (i.e., downstream side) of flow path 320 is connected to inlet section 340a of nozzle 340. Flow path 320 is formed, for example, in a tubular shape.

[0020] Pump 330 causes water from water storage section 310 to flow into nozzle 340 via flow path 320. Pump 330 includes motor 331, impeller 332, and impeller cover 333 that covers impeller 332. Motor 331 is housed in protruding section 313 of lid section 312, and rotates impeller 332 via rotating shaft 334 provided above impeller 332. Bottom opening 333a is provided in the center of the bottom surface of impeller cover 333, and top opening 333b, which communicates with flow path 320, is provided on the top surface of impeller cover 333. Pump 330 is configured to rotate impeller 332 using motor 331, thereby guiding water in water storage section 310 into impeller cover 333 through bottom opening 333a of impeller cover 333, and then guiding the water guided into impeller cover 333 to circulation path 320 through top opening 333b.

[0021] The cooling unit 360 cools the water flowing into the suction space E2. When the motor 331 is driven, the water temperature in the water storage unit 310 rises. The suction device 300, equipped with the cooling unit 360, suppresses the rise in water temperature in the water storage unit 310. As the water temperature rises, the ultimate vacuum pressure in the nozzle 340 increases, reducing the air suction capacity. Therefore, suppressing the rise in water temperature suppresses the decline in suction capacity. Furthermore, the air sucked into the suction space E2 may contain water vapor. When the water flowing into the suction space E2 is cooled by the cooling unit 360, the nozzle 340 can effectively condense and capture the water vapor in the sucked air. To further enhance these effects, the cooling unit 360 preferably cools the water passing through the space E1. That is, in the suction device 300 of this embodiment, a space E1 is preferably provided between the inlet 340a and the throttle unit 341, and the cooling unit 360 preferably cools the water passing through the space E1. When the cooling section 360 cools the water passing through the space E1, the water flowing into the suction space E2 becomes cooled water.

[0022] The cooling unit 360 includes an evaporator 361, a condenser 362, a compressor 363, and an expansion valve 364, and these components are connected by refrigerant piping 365 through which a refrigerant flows. The condenser 362, the compressor 363, and the expansion valve 364 are disposed above the lid 312 of the water storage unit 310. The evaporator 361 is disposed so as to be close to or in contact with the outer surface of the nozzle 340. In particular, it is preferable that the evaporator 361 be disposed so as to be close to or in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface of the nozzle 340 that is close to the space E1.

[0023] (Embodiment 2) Fig. 2 is a side view schematically showing a processing device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the processing device 1 includes a housing 10, a first container 20, a second container 30, a heating section 40, and a decompression section 50. Examples of the processing device 1 according to this embodiment (and embodiments 2 to 8 described below) include a vacuum dryer, a microwave heating device, a thawing machine, and a decompression cooker. The object X to be processed by the processing device 1 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, food.

[0024] Inside the housing 10, a first container 20, a second container 30, and accessories 80 for operating the processing device 1 are provided.

[0025] The first container 20 is provided within the second container 30 and has a first internal space 20a for accommodating the workpiece X and a first opening 24a connected to the first internal space 20a. More specifically, the first container 20 has an upper wall 23, a side wall 22, and a lower wall 21, and further has a door (also referred to as a first door) 25d for opening and closing the first opening 24a. The first door 25d is switchable between an open state in which the first opening 24a is open and a closed state in which the first opening 24a is closed. The area surrounded by the upper wall 23, the side wall 22, the lower wall 21, and the first door 25d forms the first internal space 20a. The area surrounded by the upper wall 23, the side wall 22, and the lower wall 21 and in which the first opening 24a is formed is also referred to as a first main body portion 24. The upper wall 23, the side wall 22 and the lower wall 21 of the first container 20 are also simply referred to as the walls of the first container 20.

[0026] In the first internal space 20a, the workpiece X may be placed on a table Y. The table Y can separate the first internal space 20a into a reduced pressure space 20p in which the workpiece X is placed, and a non-reduced pressure space 20q. A user can remove items (e.g., the workpiece X and the antenna 44 in the non-reduced pressure space 20q) contained in the first internal space 20a through the first door 25d and the first opening 24a.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first container 20 is a shielding container (also referred to as a microwave-shielding container) that shields microwaves. The wall of the first container 20 has a portion made of a conductor such as metal in order to shield microwaves. The wall of the first container 20 is formed of, for example, a metal plate, a metal mesh, a punched metal, or the like. The wall of the first container 20 can suppress leakage of microwaves from the first internal space 20a to the outside of the first container 20.

[0028] The first container 20 is provided with a vent 20b. The vent 20b allows gas in the first internal space 20a to circulate into the second container 30. The vent 20b blocks microwaves. For example, the vent 20b is formed of a plurality of small punched holes or the like to prevent microwaves from leaking outside the first container 20. As the pressure reducing unit 50 operates, the gas in the first internal space 20a is exhausted to the outside of the first container 20 through the vent 20b. The vent 20b may be provided in a wall (e.g., the upper wall 23) constituting the first container 20. The vent 20b may be provided near the workpiece X and the exhaust port 30b1 of the second container 30, or may be provided in the side wall 22 of the first container 20.

[0029] An opening 20e is also provided in the first container 20. The opening 20e allows infrared rays to pass through and guide the infrared rays from the first internal space 20a to the outside of the first container 20. The opening 20e is provided in the top wall 23 of the first container 20 and penetrates the top wall 23 in its thickness direction. A sensor 47 is provided outside the first container 20. The sensor 47 is disposed, for example, at a position overlapping the opening 20e in a top view, and by detecting infrared rays outside the first container 20, the temperature of the first internal space 20a (particularly in the reduced pressure space 20p) can be detected outside the first container 20.

[0030] The non-reduced pressure space 20q is provided above the bottom wall 21 of the first container 20, and houses the antenna 44. Specifically, the non-reduced pressure space 20q is composed of a stage Y on which the workpiece X is placed, legs Z that support the stage Y, the bottom wall 21 of the first container 20, etc. The non-reduced pressure space 20q is not reduced, and is under atmospheric pressure.

[0031] A portion of the non-reduced pressure space 20q is made of a material that is transparent to microwaves. For example, at least the upper part of the antenna 44 is made of a material that is transparent to microwaves, and the stage Y on which the workpiece X is placed is also made of a material that is transparent to microwaves. The material that is transparent to microwaves is, for example, a material made of a dielectric material with a small loss coefficient. Examples of dielectric materials with a small loss coefficient include ceramic glass and Teflon (registered trademark).

[0032] The antenna 44 is a member that radiates microwaves and is provided in the non-reduced pressure space 20q. The antenna 44 is, for example, a patch antenna. The antenna 44 is connected to the high-frequency oscillator circuit 41 of the accessory 80 via a transmission line such as a connecting member 43 and a cable 42. An example of the cable 42 is a coaxial cable. An example of the microwave source of the antenna 44 is a magnetron formed of a vacuum tube or a gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor. The microwaves output from the magnetron are radiated into the first internal space 20a, which is shielded by metal, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, when the antenna 44 is provided at the bottom of the first container 20, the antenna 44 radiates microwaves from bottom to top.

[0033] An opening 20c is provided in the non-reduced pressure space 20q. The opening 20c penetrates the first container 20 and the second container 30, and connects the housing 10 to the non-reduced pressure space 20q. The opening 20c allows heat to be dissipated through the gas around the antenna 44 and the gas inside the housing 10 outside the non-reduced pressure space 20q, thereby efficiently cooling the antenna 44. This improves the efficiency of microwave supply. The opening 20c is preferably provided, for example, at an end of the non-reduced pressure space 20q that is away from the antenna 44. For example, it is preferable that the antenna 44 is provided in the center of the non-reduced pressure space 20q, and the opening 20c is provided at the end of the non-reduced pressure space 20q. This improves the cooling efficiency of the antenna 44.

[0034] The second container 30 has a second internal space 30a that accommodates the first container 20 and a second opening 34a that communicates with the second internal space 30a. More specifically, the second container 30 has an upper wall 33, a side wall 32, and a lower wall 31, and further has a door (also referred to as a second door) 35d that opens and closes the second opening 34a. The second door 35d can be switched between an open state in which the second opening 34a is open and a closed state in which the second opening 34a is closed. The area surrounded by the upper wall 33, the side wall 32, the lower wall 31, and the second door 35d forms the second internal space 30a. A user can remove items contained in the second internal space 30a through the second door 35d and the second opening 34a. The upper wall 33, the side wall 32, and the lower wall 31 of the second container 30 are also simply referred to as the walls of the second container 30.

[0035] The bottom wall 21 of the first container 20 and the bottom wall 31 of the second container 30 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the second internal space 30a accommodates the first container 20 with the bottom wall 21 of the first container 20 placed on the bottom wall 31 of the second container 30.

[0036] In this embodiment, the second container 30 is a container capable of maintaining a reduced pressure (also referred to as a vacuum container). An exhaust port 30b1 and an intake port 30b2 are provided in the upper wall 33 of the second container 30. The exhaust port 30b1 penetrates the upper wall 33 in its thickness direction, allowing air to pass through and guide air from the second internal space 30a to the outside of the second container 30. The exhaust port 30b1 is connected to a connecting pipe 53a connected to the attachment 80. As the pressure reducing unit 50 operates, the pressure in the second internal space 30a is reduced via the connecting pipe 53a and the exhaust port 30b1. The intake port 30b2 is connected to a connecting pipe 53b. The intake port 30b2 penetrates the upper wall 33 in its thickness direction, allowing air to pass through and guide air from the outside of the second container 30 to the second internal space 30a when the pressure adjusting valve 58 is open. The intake port 30b2 and the pressure regulating valve 58 can release the reduced pressure state of the second internal space 30a from outside the second container 30.

[0037] The accessory 80 includes a high-frequency oscillation circuit 41, a heat sink 45, a cooling fan 46 of the accessory 80, a control unit 60, a power supply 70, and a suction device 300. As will be described later, the high-frequency oscillation circuit 41, the heat sink 45, and the cooling fan 46 are components that make up the heating unit 40, and the suction device 300 is a component that makes up the pressure reduction unit 50. The accessory 80 is connected to the second container 30 via a connection pipe 53a (e.g., a vacuum nipple), and is also connected to the non-pressure reduction space 20q of the first container 20 via a transmission line such as a connection member 43 and a cable 42.

[0038] The heating unit 40 heats the first internal space 20a. The heating unit 40 heats (e.g., dielectric heating) the workpiece X accommodated in the first internal space 20a, which can cause water to evaporate from the workpiece X. The heating unit 40 includes a high-frequency oscillation circuit 41, a heat sink 45, a cooling fan 46, a transmission line (e.g., a connection member 43 and a cable 42, etc.) that connects the high-frequency oscillation circuit 41 and the antenna 44, the antenna 44, etc.

[0039] The heating unit 40 is, for example, a dielectric heating unit that irradiates microwaves into the first internal space 20a. In this case, the first container 20 is a microwave-shielding container. The heating unit 40 may heat the first internal space 20a by a method other than dielectric heating. For example, the heating unit 40 may generate an AC magnetic field in the first internal space 20a to inductively heat the first internal space 20a. In this case, the first container 20 is a shielding container that shields the AC magnetic field.

[0040] The pressure reducing unit 50 reduces the pressure of the first internal space 20a by reducing the pressure of the second internal space 30a. This lowers the boiling point of water in the first internal space 20a, making it easier for water to evaporate from the workpiece X accommodated in the first internal space 20a. The pressure reducing unit 50 includes a connecting pipe 53a (e.g., a vacuum nipple), a vacuum hose 54, a suction device 300, a vacuum hose 56, a vacuum pump 51, a vacuum hose 57, a pressure adjustment valve 58, a vacuum hose 59, and a connecting pipe 53b (e.g., a vacuum nipple).

[0041] The suction device 300 is an aspect of the present disclosure, for example, the suction device 300 according to embodiment 1, and therefore a redundant description will be omitted. In Fig. 1, the opening 340c provided in the nozzle 340 is connected to the vacuum hose 370 via the suction path 352 and the suction nozzle 351, but if the suction device 300 in Fig. 2 is the suction device 300 shown in Fig. 1, the vacuum hose 370 in Fig. 1 corresponds to the vacuum hose 54 in Fig. 2.

[0042] Depressurization devices typically use a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure inside the device, typically an oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump. However, moisture in the air drawn into the vacuum pump accelerates oil degradation. Therefore, moisture must be removed from the air before it is drawn into the vacuum pump, for example, using a cold trap (also called a cooling trap). Therefore, conventional depressurization devices typically include a cooling trap and a vacuum pump. However, devices equipped with a cooling trap tend to be large. Furthermore, cooling traps trap moisture in the air by freezing it. However, if the frost formed by the trapped moisture is left unattended, it can clog the air flow path, requiring periodic shutdown and defrosting. In contrast, the processing device 1 of this embodiment uses the suction device 300, eliminating the need for a cooling trap, making it extremely useful for achieving compactness and continuous operation.

[0043] As described above, the processing device 1 further includes a control unit 60. The control unit 60 controls the decompression unit 50 and the heating unit 40 to perform a reduced-pressure drying operation. The control unit 60 is provided, for example, in the attachment 80 and includes, for example, a chip-like control component and a substrate on which the control component is mounted. The control unit 60 may be a microcomputer. Specifically, the control unit 60 controls the heating unit 40 and the decompression unit 50 to perform a reduced-pressure drying process in which the first internal space 20a is heated while being kept in a reduced-pressure state.

[0044] The control unit 60 controls the operation of the heating unit 40, for example, by controlling the power supplied to the high-frequency oscillation circuit 41. The control unit 60 also controls the operation of the pressure reducing unit 50, for example, by controlling the power supplied to the vacuum pump 51 and the pressure regulating valve 58 and the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 58. In addition, the power source 70 supplies power to the control unit 60.

[0045] Preferably, the control unit 60 drives the pump 330 to start depressurizing, then drives the heating unit 40 to start heating, and then drives the heating unit 40 to start heating, and then drives the cooling unit 360 to start cooling. For example, when the control unit 60 receives an instruction to start the depressurized drying operation, it first drives the pump 330 to start depressurizing. When the pump 330 included in the suction device 300 is driven, depressurization of the second internal space 30a and the first internal space 20a begins. Thereafter, the control unit 60 drives the heating unit 40 to start heating, and then drives the cooling unit 360 to start cooling. When cooling begins, the cooling unit 360 starts cooling the water flowing into the suction space E2. This suppresses an increase in the water temperature in the water storage unit 310, and moisture in the air sucked into the suction space E2 is captured in the nozzle and discharged as water from the discharge unit 340b.

[0046] Preferably, the control unit 60 strengthens the cooling by the cooling unit 360 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooling unit 360 was driven to start cooling. When heating is started in addition to decompression, evaporation of water from the workpiece X progresses, and the amount of moisture (water vapor) in the air sucked into the suction space E2 through the opening 340c provided in the nozzle 340 of the suction device 300 increases. Therefore, by strengthening the cooling by the cooling unit 360 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of cooling, the water vapor in the air sucked by the nozzle 340 can be more sufficiently captured. Furthermore, an increase in the water temperature in the water storage unit 310 of the suction device 300 is further suppressed. The predetermined time here may be set appropriately taking into account the outside air temperature and the like, and is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 3 to 30 minutes (e.g., several minutes to several tens of minutes).

[0047] The control unit 60 also preferably stops the operation of the cooling unit 360 approximately simultaneously with stopping the operation of the pump 330. "Approximately simultaneously with stopping the operation of the pump 330" means either simultaneously with stopping the operation of the pump 330 or within five minutes after stopping the operation of the pump 330. The control unit 60 may also stop the operation of the heating unit 40 approximately simultaneously with stopping the operation of the pump 330, or may stop the operation of the heating unit 40 before or after stopping the operation of the pump 330. "After stopping the operation of the pump 330" refers to, for example, five minutes or more after stopping the operation of the pump 330. By extending the time between stopping the operation of the pump 330 and starting the operation of the heating unit, drying in a low-pressure environment can be promoted. This allows for effective drying even when the workpiece X is a soft food material that is prone to losing its shape due to evaporation.

[0048] (Embodiment 3) In the second embodiment, an example has been described in which the first container 20 is a microwave-shielding container and the second container 30 is a vacuum container, but the first container 20 may be a vacuum container and the second container 30 may be a microwave-shielding container. In the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the first container 20 is a vacuum container and the second container 30 is a microwave-shielding container. This embodiment is substantially the same as the second embodiment except for this point, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0049] (Embodiment 4) FIG. 3 is a side view schematically illustrating the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a top view schematically illustrating the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes an ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 capable of irradiating the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light. This embodiment is substantially similar to Embodiments 2 and 3 except for this point, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted. Note that in FIGS. 3 and 4, the irradiation range of ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 is conceptually shown as a triangle. Also, in FIG. 3, the parts indicated by the reference numerals 51, 56, and 52 are replaced with the suction device 300.

[0050] As described above, the first container 20 has the first main body 24 in which the first opening 24a is formed, and the first door 25d switchable between an open state in which the first opening 24a is open and a closed state in which the first opening 24a is closed, and it is preferable that the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 is located outside the first container 20 in the closed state and can irradiate the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light in the open state. Thus, in the open state, the processing device 1 causes the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 to irradiate the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light while stopping the driving of the heating unit 40, and in the closed state, causes the heating unit 40 to heat the first internal space 20a with the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 located outside the first container 20. As a result, it is possible to suppress the influence on the ultraviolet light irradiation section 210 when the heating section 40 heats the workpiece X, and the ultraviolet light irradiation section 210 can efficiently irradiate the workpiece X with ultraviolet light. Specifically, the processing apparatus 1 can suppress exposure of the ultraviolet light irradiation section 210 to microwaves irradiated by the heating section 40, and the ultraviolet light irradiation section 210 can efficiently irradiate the workpiece X with ultraviolet light.

[0051] Here, when inactivating microorganisms adhering to a workpiece by irradiating it with ultraviolet light before the drying process as a countermeasure against microbial adhesion, it is necessary to close the outermost door of the treatment device during ultraviolet light irradiation to minimize exposure of the user to ultraviolet light. For example, when irradiating ultraviolet light on a workpiece in a sealed container that doubles as a microwave-shielding container and a vacuum container, the light source must be placed inside the sealed container. However, in this case, the treatment device cannot avoid exposing the light source to microwaves, and the workpiece cannot be efficiently irradiated with ultraviolet light. Furthermore, when treating a workpiece in a microwave-shielding container or a vacuum container using a treatment device in which one of the containers is housed inside the other, a possible method is to irradiate the workpiece with ultraviolet light through a small hole in the side of the inner container. However, the irradiated ultraviolet light is attenuated by the inner container, preventing the effective ultraviolet light irradiation of the workpiece. For example, if the inner container is made of ordinary glass, the UV-C light used for sterilization is attenuated by more than 99% by the inner container. As such, it is difficult to effectively irradiate the object with ultraviolet light using conventional microwave vacuum drying methods.

[0052] On the other hand, the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can irradiate the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 when the first door 25d of the first container 20 is in an open state, and therefore can irradiate ultraviolet light over a wider area than conventionally possible. Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 can realize a structure in which no medium with low transmittance (e.g., glass) is interposed between the workpiece X and the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210, and therefore can also suppress attenuation of ultraviolet light.

[0053] The ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 is provided, for example, near the outside of the opening and closing end of the first door 25d of the first container 20, and is installed so as to face a direction in which ultraviolet light can be irradiated from the first opening 24a toward the workpiece X when the first door 25d of the first container 20 is open. Note that a plurality of ultraviolet light irradiation units 210 may be installed in the processing apparatus 1. FIG. 4 shows the processing apparatus 1 including two ultraviolet light irradiation units 210.

[0054] The first opening 24a is preferably located on the optical axis of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet light irradiating unit 210. The processing device 1 of this aspect enables the ultraviolet light irradiating unit 210 to efficiently irradiate the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light when the first door 25d of the first container 20 is in an open state.

[0055] The processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, a housing 10, a vacuum container which is a second container 30 provided in the housing 10, a shielding container which is a first container 20 provided in the vacuum container, an ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 which irradiates ultraviolet light onto the workpiece X, and a mechanism (door moving unit 220) which opens and closes a first door 25d of the shielding container, and the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 is provided inside the vacuum container and outside the shielding container. When the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 irradiates ultraviolet light, the second door 35d of the vacuum container remains closed and the first door 25d of the shielding container is opened.

[0056] The control unit 60 controls the pressure reducing unit 50 and the pressure reducing unit 50 as described above, and also controls the ultraviolet light irradiating unit 210. Furthermore, as will be described later in the fifth embodiment, when the door moving unit 220 includes a convex member 221 and a drive motor 222 for moving the convex member, the control unit 60 also controls the driving of the drive motor 222.

[0057] 5 is a timing chart showing the time-dependent changes in the states of the heating unit 40, the decompression unit 50, and the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 included in the processing apparatus according to this embodiment. A method for drying the workpiece X under reduced pressure by the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0058] 5 starts (i.e., before the reduced-pressure drying process), the workpiece X is placed in the first internal space 20a, and the second door 35d is closed. The first door 25d may be open or closed, but the present embodiment will be described taking the case where the first door 25d is closed as an example. Before the start of operation, i.e., before the control unit 60 receives an instruction to start the reduced-pressure drying process, the control unit 60 does not drive the heating unit 40, the decompression unit 50, and the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210.

[0059] When the control unit 60 receives an instruction to start the reduced-pressure drying operation, the ultraviolet light irradiation process is first performed. That is, before starting the driving of the heating unit 40, the control unit 60 causes the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 to start irradiating the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light.

[0060] Specifically, at timing T1 before driving the heating unit 40, the control unit 60 causes the door moving unit 220 to open the first door 25d while keeping the second door 35d closed. At timing T1, the control unit 60 also causes the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 to start irradiating the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light.

[0061] The timing at which first door 25d is opened and the timing at which irradiation of ultraviolet light begins may be the same or different from each other.

[0062] It is preferable that the control unit 60 controls the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 to irradiate ultraviolet light and the decompression unit 50 to decompress the first internal space 20a. That is, the decompression process by the decompression unit 50 may be performed in parallel with the ultraviolet light irradiation process by the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210. The processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can simultaneously perform the decompression process and the ultraviolet light irradiation process, thereby shortening the time required for the entire processing process.

[0063] Specifically, at timing T2, the control unit 60 causes the pressure reducing unit 50 to start reducing the pressure in the first internal space 20a. Timing T2 may be any timing after timing T1.

[0064] After the pressure reduction starts, the control unit 60 stops driving the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210. Specifically, at timing T3 after timing T2, the control unit 60 stops driving the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 and causes, for example, the door moving unit 220 to close the first door 25d. The timing at which the driving of the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 is stopped and the timing at which the first door 25d is closed may be the same or different from each other.

[0065] After stopping the driving of the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210, the control unit 60 causes the heating unit 40 to start heating the first internal space 20a. Specifically, at timing T4 after timing T3, the control unit 60 causes the heating unit 40 to start heating the first internal space 20a. In the processing apparatus 1 of this aspect, microwaves are irradiated when the first door 25d is closed, so that the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 can be prevented from being exposed to microwaves. If the first door 25d is not closed, microwaves will leak outside the first container 20. Therefore, when heating is performed by the heating unit 40, it is preferable that the first door 25d be closed. On the other hand, when irradiating ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210, the first door 25d must be open. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ultraviolet light irradiation process is performed followed by the heating process.

[0066] The control unit 60 stops driving the heating unit 40 at timing T5 after timing T4.

[0067] The control unit 60 may stop driving the decompression unit 50 at any time after the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 starts irradiating the first internal space 20a with ultraviolet light. For example, the control unit 60 may stop driving the decompression unit 50 at timing T3 when the driving of the ultraviolet light irradiation unit 210 is stopped, or may stop driving the decompression unit 50 at timing T5 when the driving of the heating unit 40 is stopped.

[0068] (Embodiment 5) FIG. 6 is a side view schematically illustrating a processing device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in the processing device 1 according to this embodiment, a first door 25d for opening and closing the first opening 24a is movably provided on a second door 35d for opening and closing the second opening 34a, and a detector 410 is provided in the second internal space 30a. The detector 410 detects contact between the detector 410 and the first door 25d to detect a closed state in which the first opening 24a is blocked. This embodiment is substantially similar to the second, third, or fourth embodiment except for these points, and therefore, a redundant description will be omitted. In FIG. 6, the components designated by the reference numerals 51, 56, and 52 are interchangeably referred to as a suction device 300.

[0069] First door 25d is movably attached to second door 35d, and second interior space 30a is provided with detector 410. Detector 410 detects contact between first door 25d and detector 410, thereby detecting a closed state in which first opening 24a is blocked. Preferably, a sealant g (e.g., a rubber packing or gasket) is disposed at the contact point between first door 25d and first opening 24a in the closed state.

[0070] The detection unit 410 is disposed outside the first container 20 in the second internal space 30a. For example, the detection unit 410 is an open / close detection switch that turns on when pressed by a contact and turns off when the pressure is released. The detection unit 410 may be provided on an outer wall of a wall (e.g., the upper wall 23, etc.) that constitutes the first container 20, and the contact of the detection unit 410 may be provided on the first door 25d, or the detection unit 410 may be provided on the first door 25d, and the contact of the detection unit 410 may be provided on the outer wall of the wall.

[0071] For example, when the first door 25d is fixed to the second door 35d, the seal material g (e.g., a gasket) provided between the second door 35d and the second opening 34a is not crushed and maintains its thickness before decompression. Therefore, when the first door 25d is fixed to the second door 35d, the gap between the first door 25d and the first opening 24a tends to widen. Therefore, for example, if an open / close detection switch is attached to the first container 20, the first door 25d and the first opening 24a may not be close enough to each other to press the switch, resulting in unstable switch depression. Furthermore, the first opening 24a may not be fully closed. On the other hand, after decompression, the gasket g between the second door 35d and the second opening 34a is crushed and thinned by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the first container 20, and the first door 25d fixed to the second door 35d also moves closer to the first opening 24a. In this case, the open / close detection switch may be pressed in more than expected, and excessive force may be applied, causing the positional relationship between the open / close detection switch and the first door 25d to become unstable.

[0072] In contrast, in the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the first door 25d is movable relative to the second door 35d. This maintains a constant positional relationship between the first door 25d and the first opening 24a both before and after depressurization, ensuring stable and appropriate closure of the first opening 24a. For example, if the first container 20 is a microwave-shielding container, microwaves are more reliably blocked. Furthermore, when the detector 410 is an open / closed detection switch, insufficient or excessive depression of the open / closed detection switch is prevented. Even if the open / closed detection switch is depressed too far, distortion of the first door 25d or its surroundings is prevented, preventing any adverse effects of changes in the positional relationship between the open / closed detection switch and the first door 25d. Furthermore, the first opening 24a can be stably and appropriately closed both when the processing apparatus 1 is performing a depressurization process and when it is not performing a depressurization process.

[0073] The processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment preferably includes a door moving unit 220 that moves the first door 25d toward the first container 20 so that the first door 25d is in the closed state. This more reliably closes the first opening 24a. Furthermore, by disposing the door moving unit 220 between the first door 25d and the second door 35d, the first door 25d can move relative to the second door 35d. The door moving unit 220 preferably switches the first door 25d between an open state and a closed state.

[0074] An example of the door moving unit 220 is a biasing member (such as a spring) 221. The door moving unit 220 may also include a convex member (such as a biasing member or a screw) 221 and a drive motor 222 for moving the convex member. The biasing member and the convex member may be attached, for example, to the surface of the first door 25d facing the second door 35d, or to the surface of the second door 35d facing the first door 25d, or may have one end attached to the surface of the first door 25d facing the second door 35d and the other end attached to the surface of the second door 35d facing the first door 25d. The processing device 1 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 includes a spring 221 and a drive motor 222 as the door moving unit 220. FIG. 7 is a top view conceptually illustrating the processing device 1 in an open state in which the first opening 24a is open in this embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a top view conceptually illustrating the processing device 1 in a closed state in which the first opening 24a is closed in this embodiment.

[0075] In this embodiment, in a position in which the second opening 34a is closed by the second door 35d, it is preferable that at least a portion of the first door 25d is located in the second internal space 30a (see FIG. 8). That is, in a side view, it is preferable that at least a portion of the first door 25d protrudes toward the second internal space 30a beyond the surface where the second door 35d and the second container 30 contact each other.

[0076] The processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 60 that controls the decompression unit 50 and the heating unit 40 to perform a reduced-pressure drying operation. As described above, when the door moving unit 220 includes the convex member 221 and the drive motor 222 for moving the convex member 221, the control unit 60 also controls the driving of the drive motor. For example, upon receiving an instruction to start the reduced-pressure drying operation, the control unit 60 preferably instructs the door moving unit 220 to move the first door 25d until the detection unit 410 detects the closed state (i.e., the first opening 24a is blocked). In other words, upon receiving an instruction to start the reduced-pressure drying operation, the door moving unit 220 preferably moves the first door 25d toward the first container 20 until the detection unit 410 detects the closed state. For example, the door moving unit 220 moves the first door 25d so as to press the first door 25d against the first container 20 until the detection unit 410 detects the closed state.

[0077] First opening 24a is more securely closed by first door 25d moving to first container 20. By more securely closing first opening 24a in this way, even if the gap between second door 35d and second opening 34a changes due to shrinkage of the sealing material caused by decompression, first door 25d does not insufficiently close first opening 24a, and the open / close detection switch is not insufficiently or excessively pressed, so that first opening 24a is more stably and appropriately closed.

[0078] When the detection unit 410 detects the closed state, the control unit 60 causes the door moving unit 220 to end the pressing operation (that is, the closing operation of the first door 25d).

[0079] It is also preferable that the control unit 60 drives the pressure reducing unit 50 to start depressurization when the detection unit 410 detects the closed state. This increases the efficiency of depressurization. Note that the control unit 60 does not start depressurization if the detection unit 410 does not detect the closed state after receiving an instruction to start the depressurized drying operation. The timing at which the control unit 60 drives the heating unit 40 to start heating may be before the depressurization starts, simultaneously with the depressurization starts, or after the depressurization starts.

[0080] (Embodiment 6) The processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a pressure adjustment valve 58 connected to the vacuum vessel, and an opening operation detection unit (not shown) that detects a user's operation to open door A provided on the vacuum vessel. The opening degree of the pressure adjustment valve 58 is controlled based on instructions from a control unit 60. The control unit 60 fully closes the pressure adjustment valve 58 and then stops the operation of the pump 330, approximately simultaneously with or after stopping the operation of the heating unit 40. When the opening operation detection unit detects a user's operation to open door A, the control unit 60 opens the pressure adjustment valve 58. This embodiment is substantially similar to Embodiments 2, 3, 4, or 5 except for the inclusion of the opening operation detection unit and the content of the control described above, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0081] The vacuum container is the second container 30 in the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 2, and the first container 20 in the processing apparatus of embodiment 3. The door A provided on the vacuum container is the second door 35d in the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 2, and the first door 25d in the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 3. The first door 25d and the second door 35d may be linked to each other.

[0082] The detector 410 included in the processing device 1 of the fifth embodiment and configured to detect the closed state in which the first opening 24a is blocked may also function as the opening operation detector.

[0083] The upper wall of the vacuum container is provided with an exhaust port and an intake port penetrating through the thickness direction thereof. In the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 1, as described above, the upper wall 33 of the second container 30 is provided with an exhaust port 30b1 and an intake port 30b2 penetrating through the thickness direction thereof. The exhaust port 30b1 is connected to the cold trap 52 and the vacuum pump 51 of the pressure reducing unit 50 via a connecting pipe 53a, a vacuum hose 57, etc. In addition, a pressure adjustment valve 58 is provided in the middle of the path connected to the intake port 30b2 by the vacuum hoses 57 and 59 (see FIG. 2).

[0084] The processing device 1 may further include a notification unit for notifying the user whether or not the door A is locked. The notification unit that may be included in the processing device 1 of the present disclosure notifies the user of predetermined information by, for example, text, images, sound, or light.

[0085] Examples of operations by a user to open door A (also referred to as an opening operation) include (1) if a handle is provided on door A, the user grips the handle; (2) if the processing device 1 is provided with an operation unit through which the user inputs that door A should be opened, the user operates the operation unit; and (3) if door A is provided with a fixing device to ensure that door A remains locked so that it does not open due to vibration or impact, the user removes the fixing device to release the lock.

[0086] When the opening operation is the operation (1) above, the opening operation detection unit is a sensor (for example, a contact sensor) that detects that the user has gripped the gripping unit, and is arranged, for example, near the gripping unit of door A. When the opening operation is the operation (2) above, the operation unit also functions as the opening operation detection unit. When the opening operation is the operation (3) above, the opening operation detection unit is a sensor (for example, a non-contact sensor) that detects that the user has removed the fixing device, and is arranged, for example, near the fixing device of door A.

[0087] The control unit 60 stops driving the heating unit 40, for example, when it receives an instruction to stop operation from the user or when it detects that the heating process of the workpiece X has been completed. The control unit 60 fully closes the pressure adjustment valve 58 at approximately the same time as or after stopping the driving of the heating unit 40, and after fully closing it, it stops driving the pump 330 of the suction device 300. Thereafter, when the opening operation detection unit detects an opening operation by the user, the control unit 60 opens the pressure adjustment valve 58. This releases the reduced pressure inside the vacuum container. For example, if a fixing device is provided on door A, when the user removes the fixing device to unlock it, the pressure adjustment valve 58 opens and the reduced pressure inside the vacuum container is released, so door A can be opened without the user having to touch door A.

[0088] After the heating process (e.g., drying process) of the workpiece X in the processing device 1 is completed, the user may leave the workpiece X in the processing device 1 for a while without immediately removing it. If the workpiece X is exposed to the air outside the vacuum container during this time, there is a concern that the dryness of the workpiece X may decrease due to the influence of the humidity in the air, or that the workpiece X may become more susceptible to oxidation by the oxygen in the air. However, the processing device 1 of this embodiment prevents the workpiece X from being exposed to the air outside the vacuum container for a long period of time between the end of the heating process and the user removing the workpiece X, thereby avoiding the various effects that may result.

[0089] (Embodiment 7) FIG. 9 is a side view schematically illustrating a processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a sensor 47 for detecting the temperature of the workpiece X and a positionally adjustable calibration temperature body 501 outside the shielded container. The sensor 47 is an infrared temperature sensor. The sensor 47 is provided in a position overlapping an opening B penetrating the upper wall of the shielded container in the thickness direction in a top view. The processing apparatus 1 may further include a notification unit for notifying a user of a false detection in the operation of the sensor 47. This embodiment is substantially similar to the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth embodiment except for these points, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted. Note that FIG. 9 illustrates an example of the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, in which the processing apparatus 1 according to the fifth embodiment further includes a calibration temperature body 501. In FIG. 9, the components designated by the reference numerals 51, 56, and 52 are interchangeably referred to as the suction apparatus 300.

[0090] The shielding container is the first container 20 in the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 2, and is the second container 30 in the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 3. For example, in the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 2, opening B corresponds to opening 20e in the upper wall 23 of the first container 20, which penetrates the upper wall 23 in the thickness direction thereof.

[0091] The processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 60 that controls the decompression unit 50 and the heating unit 40 to perform a decompression drying operation. The control unit 60 also controls the movement and temperature of the calibration temperature body 501.

[0092] The calibration temperature body 501 is, for example, a heater member, and its temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature based on instructions from the control unit 60. A motor 502 for moving the calibration temperature body 501 is attached to the calibration temperature body 501. The calibration temperature body 501 can be moved into the detection area of ​​the sensor 47 based on instructions from the control unit 60. When the calibration temperature body 501 is located within the detection area of ​​the sensor 47, it is preferable that the calibration temperature body 501 be disposed between the detection portion of the sensor 47 and the opening B in a side view, and be disposed in a position overlapping the detection portion of the sensor 47 or the opening B in a top view.

[0093] The control unit 60 stops the operation of the heating unit 40 at a certain timing after starting the decompression and heating, and at approximately the same time causes the sensor 47 to measure the temperature t1 of the internal space of the shielding container and the temperature t2 of the calibration temperature source 501. If the temperature t1 matches the temperature t2, the control unit 60 resumes the operation of the heating unit 40. More specifically, the control unit 60 stops the operation of the heating unit 40 at a certain timing after starting the decompression and heating, and at approximately the same time increases the temperature t2 of the calibration temperature source 501 (for example, starts heating the heater element) and moves the calibration temperature source 501 into the detection area of ​​the sensor 47. At this time, the control unit 60 sets the temperature t2 of the calibration temperature source 501 to be higher than the heating target temperature of the workpiece X. After moving the calibration temperature source 501 into the detection area of ​​the sensor 47, the control unit 60 causes the sensor 47 to measure the temperature t1 of the internal space of the shielding container and the temperature t2 of the calibration temperature source 501. If the temperature t1 is equal to the temperature t2 (for example, if "t1 = (t2 ± 2) °C" is satisfied), the control unit 60 determines that the sensor 47 is operating normally, moves the calibration temperature body 501 out of the detection area of ​​the sensor 47, and then resumes driving the heating unit 40.

[0094] It should be noted that "substantially simultaneously with stopping the driving of the heating unit 40" means simultaneously with stopping the driving of the heating unit 40 or within one minute after stopping the driving of the heating unit 40.

[0095] If temperature t1 is lower than temperature t2 (for example, if "t1<(t2-2)°C" is satisfied), the control unit 60 determines that a false detection (also called a detection failure) has occurred in the operation of the sensor 47, and holds the calibration temperature body 501 in its position without moving it until it can determine that temperature t1 is equivalent to temperature t2. If the false detection is not resolved even after the control unit 60 has caused the sensor 47 to measure temperatures t1 and t2 and has held the calibration temperature body 501 in that state without moving it for a certain period of time, the control unit 60 notifies the user of the false detection by sending a predetermined signal to the notification unit.

[0096] The calibration temperature body 501 is provided outside the shielding container. This allows the processing apparatus 1 to avoid the influence of heating (e.g., the influence of microwaves) on the calibration temperature body 501. Furthermore, the control unit 60 moves the calibration temperature body 501 into the detection area of ​​the sensor 47 only when checking for the presence or absence of a false detection by the sensor 47. This prevents the calibration temperature body 501 itself from becoming a source of noise at times other than when checking for the presence or absence of a false detection. Furthermore, if the temperature t2 of the calibration temperature body 501 when checking for the presence or absence of a false detection by the sensor 47 is higher than the heating target temperature of the workpiece X, detection defects by the sensor 47 can be more reliably detected.

[0097] (Embodiment 8) The processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a pressure sensor (not shown) that detects the pressure inside the vacuum container. The processing apparatus 1 may further include a notification unit that notifies the user that the vacuum container has been imperfectly sealed. Except for these points, this embodiment is substantially the same as embodiment 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, and therefore a redundant description will be omitted.

[0098] The vacuum vessel is the second vessel 30 in the processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, and is the first vessel 20 in the processing apparatus 1 of the third embodiment.

[0099] The pressure sensor is provided midway along the path between the vacuum vessel and the pressure reduction source of the pressure reduction unit 50. For example, the pressure sensor is provided midway along the vacuum hose 57 in FIG. 2. The pressure sensor is, for example, a vacuum pressure gauge, and detects the pressure inside the vacuum vessel via the vacuum hose 57 based on instructions from the control unit 60. The measurement value of the pressure sensor is sent to the control unit 60.

[0100] The processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 60 that controls the decompression unit 50 and the heating unit 40 to perform a reduced-pressure drying operation. After the start of decompression and heating, the control unit 60 stops the operation of the heating unit 40 at a certain timing, and simultaneously causes the pressure sensor to measure the change in pressure within the vacuum chamber. If a predetermined pressure drop is detected within the predetermined time, the control unit 60 resumes operation of the heating unit 40. More specifically, after the start of decompression and heating, the control unit 60 stops the operation of the heating unit 40 at a certain timing, and simultaneously causes the pressure sensor to start measuring the pressure within the vacuum chamber. The control unit 60 receives the pressure value from the start of measurement until the predetermined time, and determines the amount of pressure drop P2 within the predetermined time. The control unit 60 estimates the amount of pressure drop P1 within the predetermined time in advance. If the actual amount of pressure drop P2 within the predetermined time is greater than or equal to the estimated amount P1 (P1≦P2), the control unit 60 determines that the vacuum chamber is properly sealed and resumes operation of the heating unit 40.

[0101] If the actual pressure drop P2 within a specified time is smaller than the estimated amount P1 (P1>P2), the control unit 60 determines that the vacuum container is not sealed properly and notifies the user of the sealing failure by sending a specified signal to the notification unit.

[0102] If a sealing defect occurs in the vacuum container of the processing device 1 or in the pressure system piping connected thereto, the first internal space 20a in which the object to be processed X is placed may not reach a predetermined target pressure when depressurizing. If heating by the heating unit 40 continues in this state, the temperature of the object to be processed X may rise above the expected temperature (boiling point), which may affect heat-sensitive pigments and nutrients if the object to be processed X is food, for example. In contrast, the processing device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the vacuum container, thereby preventing the risk of overheating even when a sealing defect is actually detected.

[0103] Furthermore, when the processing apparatus 1 performs, for example, decompression and microwave heating, particularly in the initial stage of heating (initial stage of drying), the heat supplied to the workpiece X by the microwaves can cause a large amount of moisture to evaporate, resulting in a sudden increase in water vapor partial pressure. Therefore, simply measuring the change in pressure over time makes it difficult to distinguish whether a pressure increase in the processing apparatus 1 is due to a poorly sealed container, such as a vacuum container, or a water vapor partial pressure increase caused by microwave heating. However, as described above, the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment measures the change in pressure over time within the vacuum container when the operation of the heating unit 40 is stopped, and resumes operation of the heating unit 40 only if a predetermined pressure drop is detected within a predetermined time. This prevents a sudden increase in water vapor partial pressure caused by microwave heating, and therefore, when a pressure increase occurs in the processing apparatus 1, it is clearly distinguishable whether the pressure increase is due to a poorly sealed container, such as a vacuum container, or a water vapor partial pressure increase caused by microwave heating.

[0104] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, some of the components shown in one embodiment may be added to the components of another embodiment, or some of the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

[0105] Furthermore, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configurations of each component shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1: Processing equipment 10: Housing 20: First container 20a: First interior space 20b: Ventilation hole 20c, 20e: Opening 20p: Decompression space 20q: Non-decompressed space 21: Lower wall 22: Side wall 23: Upper wall 24: First main body 24a: First opening 25d: First Door 30: Second container 30a: Second interior space 30b1: Exhaust port 30b2: Air intake 31: Lower wall 32: Side wall 33: Upper wall 34a: Second opening 35d: Second Door 40: Heating section 41: High frequency oscillator circuit 42: Cable 43: Connection member 44: Antenna 45: Heat sink 46: Cooling fan 47: Sensor 50: Pressure reduction section 51: Vacuum pump 52: Cold trap 53a, 53b: connecting pipe 54, 56, 57, 59: Vacuum hose 58: Pressure regulating valve 60: Control section 70: Power supply 80: Accessory 210: Ultraviolet light irradiation section 220: Door moving part 221: Urging member (spring, etc.) 222: Drive motor 300: Suction device 300W: Water 310: Water storage section 311: Housing 312: Lid 313:Protrusion 320: Distribution Channels 330: Pump 331: Motor 332: Impeller 333: Impeller cover 333a: Bottom opening 333b:Top opening 334: Rotation axis 340: Nozzle 340a: Inlet 340b:Discharge part 340c: opening 341: Constriction section 351: Intake nozzle 352: Intake path 360: Cooling section 361: Evaporator 362: Condenser 363: Compressor 364: Expansion valve 365: Refrigerant piping 370: Vacuum hose 410: Detection unit 501: Calibration temperature body 502: Motor E1: Space between the inlet portion 340a and the throttle portion 341 E2: Suction space X: Processing object Y: stand Z: Legs g: Sealing material

Claims

1. a housing having a water storage section therein for storing water; an inlet portion into which water flows, a throttle portion that increases the flow rate of the inflowing water, a suction space that is connected to an external space of the housing and into which the water that has passed through the throttle portion flows, and a nozzle having a discharge portion that discharges the water that has flowed into the suction space into the water storage portion; a flow path connecting the water storage portion and the nozzle; a pump that causes the water in the water storage section to flow into the nozzle through the flow path; a cooling unit that cools the water flowing into the suction space.

2. A space is provided between the inlet portion and the throttle portion, The suction device according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling section cools water passing through the space.

3. a first container having a first internal space for accommodating the object to be treated; a heating unit that heats the first internal space; a second container having a second interior space for accommodating the first container; a pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure of the first internal space by reducing the pressure of the second internal space, The processing device, wherein the pressure reducing unit comprises the suction device according to claim 1 .

4. Further comprising a control unit, 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit drives the pump to start decompression, then drives the heating unit to start heating, and further drives the heating unit to start heating, and then drives the cooling unit to start cooling.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit increases the cooling by the cooling unit when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooling unit has been driven to start cooling.

6. The processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit stops driving the cooling unit substantially simultaneously with stopping driving the pump.

Images