Sterilization and drying device

Abstract

To provide a sterilizing and drying device which sterilizes and dries an object to be sterilized and dried (such as the inside of a boot) in a short time. The sterilizing and drying apparatus 10 of the present invention is a sterilizing and drying apparatus 10 that sterilizes and dries objects by blowing dry air from an air conditioning section 20 through a blowing nozzle 22 to the objects to be sterilized and dried, The air conditioning unit 20 is characterized by having a blower fan 24, a sprayer 30 that sprays a mist of hydrogen peroxide into the dry air, an amalgam lamp 40 that irradiates the mist with ultraviolet light having a dominant wavelength of 254 nm, and an infrared LED 50 that heats the dry air.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sterilizing and drying device that heats and sterilizes air. [Background technology]

[0002] When boots are worn for long periods of time, problems occur such as moisture buildup, odor generation, and the proliferation of bacteria and mold. Therefore, various measures have been taken in the past to maintain the comfort of wearing boots. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a mechanism for simultaneously introducing ozone-containing gas and warm air into the inside of boots via a group of piping, making it possible to sterilize and deodorize the insides of multiple boots simultaneously.

[0003] However, when sterilizing and deodorizing using ozone, excess ozone may have adverse effects on the human body, and the boots cannot be used until a certain time (several tens of minutes) has passed after sterilization and deodorization until the ozone has decomposed. In addition, ozone is corrosive, and if the inside of the boots gets wet and takes a long time to dry, it may deteriorate the synthetic rubber parts of the boots and the metal parts of the device. In addition, there are heaters, air purifiers, etc. as means of air conditioning in homes, and these are used individually. If the same configuration could be used for indoor heating (drying) and air purification, it would be possible to save space indoors and reduce power consumption. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-172152 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a sterilizing and drying device that can heat and sterilize an object to be sterilized and dried (indoor air) in consideration of the problems of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and also to provide a sterilizing and drying device that can sterilize and dry an object to be sterilized and dried (the inside of a boot) in a short time and can be used immediately after sterilization and drying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a first means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a sterilization and drying device that blows dry air from an air conditioning unit from a blowing nozzle onto an object to be sterilized and dried, The object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization and drying apparatus characterized in that the air conditioning unit is equipped with a blower fan, a sprayer that sprays a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution onto the dry air, an amalgam lamp that irradiates the mist with ultraviolet light having a dominant wavelength of 254 nm, and an infrared LED that heats the dry air. According to the first means, the object to be sterilized and dried can be sterilized, deodorized and dried in a short time. It has less adverse effects on the human body than the conventional method using ozone, and safety can be ensured.

[0007] As a second means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a sterilization and drying device which is the first means and is characterized in that the air conditioning unit has a plurality of infrared LED elements arranged on the inner surface of a cylindrical body made of fluororesin, one end of the cylindrical body serving as an inlet for the dry air and the other end having a HEPA filter arranged thereon as an outlet, the amalgam lamp and the nozzle of the sprayer arranged inside the cylindrical body, and the dry air is passed through the inlet and heated to a predetermined temperature for sterilization and dust removal. According to the second means described above, by using an amalgam lamp and infrared LED element arranged inside the cylinder, the heat generated by the lamp can be effectively utilized to heat the dry air inside the cylinder to a predetermined temperature efficiently and at low cost.

[0008] As a third means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides the second means, in which the blowing nozzle is equipped with an odor sensor, The object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing and drying apparatus comprising a control unit electrically connected to the odor sensor and the sprayer, and controlling the sprayer to spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution when the measurement value of the odor sensor exceeds a set value. According to the third means, the odor inside the boots, which are the objects to be sterilized and dried, can be reliably sterilized and deodorized. In addition, the generation of an excessive amount of hydrogen peroxide mist by the sprayer can be prevented.

[0009] As a fourth means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides any one of the first to third means, further comprising providing a suction fan at a predetermined distance from the blowing nozzle inside the object to be sterilized and dried, The object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing and drying apparatus comprising a circulation duct having one end connected to the suction fan and the other end connected to the blower fan for circulating the dry air. According to the fourth means, the object to be sterilized and dried can be sterilized and dried without the smell of the object leaking to the outside. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to this device, the inside of the object to be sterilized and dried can be heated and sterilized and dried in a short time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the sterilization and drying device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a sterilizing and drying device according to a first modified example. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a sterilizing / drying device according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a sterilizing and drying apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [Sterilization drying equipment 10] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the sterilizing and drying apparatus of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the sterilizing and drying apparatus 10 of the present invention is a sterilizing and drying apparatus that sterilizes and dries objects by blowing dry air from an air conditioning unit 20 through a blowing nozzle 22, and the air conditioning unit 20 is equipped with a blowing fan 22, a sprayer 30 that sprays a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution onto the dry air, an amalgam lamp 40 that irradiates the mist with ultraviolet light having a main wavelength of 254 nm, and an infrared LED 50 that heats the dry air. In this embodiment, the objects to be sterilized and dried are the interior of a house, boots, etc.

[0014] Fig. 2 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of a portion of the air conditioning unit. The air conditioning unit 20 is equipped with a casing 23 having an inlet for outside air and an exhaust port for discharging dry air. The casing 23 is equipped therein with a blower fan 24 (not shown in Fig. 2), a sprayer 30, an amalgam lamp 40, and an infrared LED 50. A duct is connected to the exhaust port of the air conditioning unit 20, and a blowing nozzle 22 is attached to the end of the duct.

[0015] (Sprayer 30) The sprayer 30 comprises a spray nozzle 32, a storage tank, and piping. A plurality of spray nozzles 32 are provided on the side of a cylinder 52 described below. The storage tank is attached to the outer circumferential side of the main body. The piping connects the spray nozzle 32 inside the main body to the storage tank on the outer circumferential side of the main body along the outer circumferential side and upper surface of the main body. The storage tank stores hydrogen peroxide solution with a concentration of 6% to 10%. The spray nozzle 32 is set to spray about 5cc of liquid hydrogen peroxide solution in a mist with a particle size of several μm per sterilization process. The mist of hydrogen peroxide sprayed inside the cylinder 52 reacts with ultraviolet light of 254 nm wavelength to generate hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, etc., which are mixed into the dry air and have the effect of oxidizing, sterilizing, and deodorizing.

[0016] (Amalgam Lamp 40) The amalgam lamp 40 has a dominant wavelength of 254 nm and is capable of emitting a small amount of ultraviolet light of 365 nm. The amalgam lamp 40 is a low-pressure lamp in which an inert gas and an amalgam alloy are sealed inside a cylindrical discharge tube. The discharge tube of this embodiment is made of synthetic quartz glass, has a pair of filament electrodes at both ends in the axial direction, and has a base attached to one end. The base of this embodiment is a 4-pin base, and when it is inserted into a mounting slot or socket of the device, an electrical connection is established and the light source operates. The amalgam lamp 40 is disposed at the center inside a cylinder 52 (described later) (see FIG. 2).

[0017] The discharge tube is filled with a mixture of an amalgam alloy (described later) and an inert gas at low pressure. Amalgam alloy is an alloy of mercury and a metal element, and in this embodiment, an alloy of bismuth (Bi) and mercury is used as an example. This alloy has a high density, a low melting point (271 degrees), and is characterized by its low toxicity. Such an amalgam alloy is formed into a pellet and attached near the base of the filament electrode of the tip cap on the side of the discharge tube where the base is not attached. The inert gas is a mixture of multiple inert gases, and in this embodiment, a mixture of argon and neon gas is used as an example. Note that the mixture ratio of argon gas and neon gas can be changed to various ratios according to the design.

[0018] The discharge tube may have a hafnium (Hf) coating on the surface. Silicon oxide (SiO2) is applied to the outer surface of the discharge tube by spraying or the like, and then dried. Silicon oxide serves as an anchor, and can easily form the coating of metal oxide described later. Next, yttrium oxide (Y2O3), which is a transition element of metal oxide, is applied to the silicon oxide coating by spraying, and then dried. The coating layer of yttrium oxide absorbs and amplifies ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 300nm to 430nm. And it does not transmit ultraviolet rays in other wavelength ranges. Furthermore, hafnium oxide (HfO2), which is a transition element, is applied to the yttrium oxide coating layer by spraying, and then dried. The coating layer of hafnium oxide absorbs and amplifies ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 300nm to 600nm. And it does not transmit ultraviolet rays in other wavelength ranges. In this way, the multilayer coating of metal oxide is formed by stacking layers one by one, so that different transition elements do not mix with each other. The amalgam lamp 40 having such a configuration can amplify the ultraviolet wavelength energy derived from the mercury.

[0019] (50 infrared LEDs) The infrared LED 50 is an LED that emits infrared rays, and generates heat in the range of 80 degrees to 150 degrees when irradiated. A plurality of infrared LED elements are arranged on the main surface of a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, which is formed into a cylindrical shape so that the infrared LED elements are arranged inside. The amalgam lamp 40 is arranged in the center of the cylinder 52. The spray nozzle 32 of the sprayer 30 penetrates the side of the cylinder 52 from the outside to the inside, and a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution is sprayed into the cylinder 52. The cylinder 52 may be made of aluminum coated with nickel. This allows the weight of the cylinder 52 to be reduced. A plurality of cylinders 52 can be installed in the casing 23 depending on the volume of the objects to be sterilized and dried.

[0020] In the sterilizing and drying device 10 of the present invention with the above configuration, the dry air introduced into the casing 23 of the air conditioning unit 20 passes through the cylinder 52 in the casing 23. At this time, the mist-like hydrogen peroxide solution sprayed in the cylinder 52 reacts with ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 254 nm, generating hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, etc., which are mixed in and have a high oxidative sterilizing effect. The dry air is dusted by the HEPA filter 54. Then, the dry air is introduced from the air conditioning unit 20 through the duct and into the inside of the object to be sterilized and dried (room, boots, etc.) from the blowing nozzle 22. The inside of the object to be sterilized and dried is deodorized and sterilized by the high oxidative sterilizing effect of hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, etc. In addition, the infrared LED 50 introduces dry air at a predetermined temperature to dry the inside of the object to be sterilized and dried.

[0021] [Variation 1] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a sterilizing drying apparatus of modified example 1. As shown in the figure, the sterilizing drying apparatus 10A of modified example 1 is equipped with an odor sensor 60 in the blow-out nozzle 22, and is equipped with a control unit 70 that is electrically connected to the odor sensor 60 and the sprayer 30 and controls the sprayer 30 to spray a mist of the hydrogen peroxide solution when the measurement value of the odor sensor 60 exceeds a set value. The other configuration is the same as the configuration shown in Fig. 1, and detailed description will be omitted. The odor sensor 60 detects, via electrodes, a change in electrical conductivity caused by a sensor element made of a semiconductor metal oxide (such as tin oxide, for example) reacting with an odor component. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the odor sensor 60 and the sprayer 30. The control unit 70 controls the sprayer 30 to spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution when the measured value exceeds a set odor value. According to the sterilizing and drying apparatus 10A of the first modification, the odor inside the boots, which are the objects to be sterilized and dried, can be reliably deodorized and sterilized. In addition, the generation of an excessive amount of hydrogen peroxide mist by the sprayer 30 can be prevented.

[0022] [Variation 2] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a sterilizing and drying apparatus of modified example 2. As shown in the figure, the sterilizing and drying apparatus 10B of modified example 2 is provided with a suction fan 80 at the opening of the boots, and is equipped with a circulation duct 90 that circulates dry air by connecting one end to the suction fan 80 and the other end to the blower fan 24. The other configurations are the same as those shown in Figs. 1-3, and detailed explanations will be omitted. The suction fan 80 is attached to the opening of a boot to be sterilized and dried, and serves to suck the inside of the boot. The suction fan 80 is connected to a circulation duct 90 which is connected to the inlet of the air conditioning unit 20. According to the sterilizing and drying apparatus 10B of the second modified example having such a configuration, the dry air introduced into the inside of the boots to be sterilized and dried and sterilized and deodorized can be circulated to the air conditioning unit 20, and the odor inside the boots during sterilization and drying does not leak to the outside. By circulating the hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, etc. generated by the air conditioning unit 20, the opportunity for contact with the inside of the boots is increased, enabling sufficient sterilization.

[0023] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the combinations shown in the embodiments, but can be implemented in various combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 10,10A,10B Sterilization drying equipment 20 Air Conditioning Section 22 Blowing nozzle 23 Casing 24 Blower fan 30 sprayer 32 Spray nozzle 40 Amalgam Lamp 50 Infrared LEDs 52 Cylinder 54 HEPA filter 60 Odor Sensor 70 Control section 80 Suction fan 90 Circulation Duct

Claims

1. A sterilizing and drying device that sterilizes and dries objects by blowing dry air from an air conditioning unit through a blowing nozzle, The sterilization and drying device is characterized in that the air conditioning unit is equipped with a blower fan, a sprayer that sprays a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution into the dry air, an amalgam lamp that irradiates the mist with ultraviolet light having a dominant wavelength of 254 nm, and an infrared LED that heats the dry air.

2. The sterilizing and drying apparatus according to claim 1, The air conditioning unit is a sterilization and drying device characterized in that a plurality of infrared LED elements are arranged on the inner surface of a cylinder made of fluororesin, one end of the cylinder is used as an inlet for the dry air, a HEPA filter is arranged at the other end as an outlet, the amalgam lamp and the nozzle of the sprayer are arranged inside the cylinder, and the dry air is passed through the inlet, heated to a predetermined temperature, sterilized, and dust removed.

3. The sterilizing and drying apparatus according to claim 2, The blowing nozzle is equipped with an odor sensor, A sterilizing and drying apparatus comprising a control unit electrically connected to the odor sensor and the sprayer, and controlling the sprayer to spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution when the measurement value of the odor sensor exceeds a set value.

4. The sterilizing and drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A suction fan is provided at a predetermined distance from the blowing nozzle inside the object to be sterilized and dried, A sterilizing and drying apparatus comprising a circulation duct having one end connected to the suction fan and the other end connected to the blower fan for circulating the dry air.

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