Sterilization device

Abstract

To provide a sterilizer capable of reducing dispersion of an ultraviolet irradiation amount in a housing space, while avoiding degradation of housing efficiency of a processing object.SOLUTION: In a sterilizer 10 including a housing space 10S for a processing object, an ultraviolet light-emitting element 14 for emitting ultraviolet light is arranged on a corner portion (corner part) in the housing space 10S, and the ultraviolet light-emitting element 14 has an irradiation axis 14X having an azimuth along the interval between internal surfaces around the corner portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sterilization device using ultraviolet light. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various sterilization devices have been used for the sterilization and disinfection of medical instruments, dental instruments, etc. In such sterilization devices, treatment objects such as surgical scalpels and dental tartar removers are placed in a storage section and treated. Some sterilization devices use ultraviolet light, particularly deep ultraviolet light, and in this case, sterilization is performed by irradiating the treatment object with ultraviolet light from a light source for a certain period of time in the storage section.

[0003] The positional relationship between the accommodation unit that accommodates the object to be treated and the ultraviolet irradiator in the sterilization apparatus and other apparatus structures are known, for example, from the following Patent Documents 1 to 4. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2013-506531 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2016-506274 [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-077255 A [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-040982 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, in the above-mentioned conventional sterilization device, it is described that the inner surface of the storage section is made an ultraviolet reflective surface, and ultraviolet light is irradiated from multiple points, so that ultraviolet light can be irradiated to many parts of the surface of the object to be treated. It is also described that a guide structure is formed so that the object to be treated can rotate or move within the storage section, or the storage section itself is configured to be rotatable and movable, and the object to be treated rolls within it, so that ultraviolet light can be irradiated to many parts of the surface of the object to be treated.

[0006] However, in the above conventional sterilization device, even when multiple light sources are used, the position of the light source in the storage space and the direction of irradiation are not taken into consideration, making it difficult to reduce the variation in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated onto the surface of the object to be treated placed in the storage space, resulting in a problem of an increase in the number of light sources and the amount of light emitted. In addition, in the conventional structure, the area in the storage space with little variation in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated is limited, or the light source is placed near the center of the storage space, which leads to a problem of a decrease in the storage efficiency of the object to be treated and an increase in the size of the device.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and its object is to realize a sterilization device that can reduce the variation in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation within the storage space while avoiding a deterioration in the storage efficiency of the objects to be treated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the sterilization device according to the present invention is a sterilization device having a storage space for objects to be treated, characterized in that an ultraviolet ray light-emitting element that emits ultraviolet rays is arranged in a corner portion (corner portion) of the storage space, and the ultraviolet ray light-emitting element has an irradiation axis having an orientation along the space between the inner wall surfaces surrounding the corner portion. In this case, it is preferable that the inner wall surface arranged around the irradiation axis in the corner portion is an ultraviolet ray reflecting surface. It is also preferable that a part or all of the inner wall surfaces surrounding (facing) the storage space are the ultraviolet ray reflecting surfaces. Furthermore, it is desirable that all of the inner wall surfaces are the ultraviolet ray reflecting surfaces.

[0009] In the present invention, the housing space is preferably configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Here, the rectangular parallelepiped shape includes a cubic shape.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the ultraviolet light emitting elements are disposed at all of the plurality of corners provided in the accommodation space. In this case, it is particularly preferable that the accommodation space is a rectangular parallelepiped and the ultraviolet light emitting elements are disposed at all of the eight corners.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that an ultraviolet-transmitting tray is placed at the bottom of the storage space, and a surface of the tray for placing the object to be treated is spaced above the bottom surface of the storage space.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that a visible light emitting element for lighting confirmation that emits visible light is further provided, and the visible light emitting element for lighting confirmation has a different light emitting mode when the ultraviolet light emitting element emits light and when it does not emit light. Here, in this specification, the "light emitting mode" is used to mean that it does not emit light (off state). For example, it is preferable that when the ultraviolet light emitting element emits light, the visible light emitting element for lighting confirmation also emits light, and when the ultraviolet light emitting element does not emit light, the visible light emitting element for lighting confirmation does not emit light.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that the device is configured to realize a plurality of operation modes, and further includes a visible light emitting element for displaying the operation mode, and the visible light emitting element for displaying the operation mode has different light emitting modes according to the plurality of operation modes. For example, it is preferable that the hue (wavelength) or blinking state changes according to the operation mode of the sterilizer.

[0014] In the present invention, the corner portion is preferably provided with a light source section including a light source board on which the ultraviolet light emitting element is mounted and a light source support part for fixing the light source board relatively to the accommodation space. In this case, it is preferable that the light source board and the light source support part have plate surfaces perpendicular to the irradiation axis of the ultraviolet light emitting element. In this case, it is preferable that the visible light emitting element for confirming lighting or the visible light emitting element for indicating the operation mode is mounted on the light source board together with the ultraviolet light emitting element.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable to further include a plurality of drive circuits for driving the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting elements, respectively, and a control unit for controlling the plurality of drive circuits. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit is configured to supply a control signal to one end of a control line that connects the plurality of drive circuits in series, and to receive the control signal from the other end of the control line to check the operating state of the plurality of drive circuits. Furthermore, when the storage space is rectangular, it is preferable that the control line extends along the ridge portion between the corner portions. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a sterilization device that can reduce the variation in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation in the storage space without deteriorating the storage efficiency of the objects to be treated in the storage space, thereby achieving both improved sterilization function and compactness of the sterilization device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external appearance of an embodiment of a sterilization device according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a door portion of the embodiment is open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a frame structure of a housing of the embodiment excluding a circuit board and a light source board. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is an assembly diagram showing a schematic view of the light source unit installed in a corner of the storage space of the embodiment as viewed from an oblique outside angle; FIG. 1B is an exploded oblique view showing a schematic view of the light source unit as viewed from an oblique outside angle; and FIG. 1C is an exploded oblique view showing a schematic view of the light source unit as viewed from an oblique inside angle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overall structure of a control drive circuit according to the embodiment; [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main control unit (control board) of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a plurality of light source drive circuits (light source boards) according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply driving section (power supply board) of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 6 is a timing chart showing the relationship over time between the switching state of the start switch, the open / close state of the door, and the lighting state of each light-emitting element. [Figure 10] 11 is a timing chart showing the relationship over time of the switching state of the start switch, the open / close state of the door, the lighting state of each light-emitting element, and the operating state of the fan in operation mode 1. [Figure 11] 13 is a timing chart showing the relationship over time of the switching state of the start switch, the open / close state of the door, the lighting state of each light-emitting element, and the operating state of the fan in operation mode 2. [Figure 12] 13 is a timing chart showing the relationship over time of the switching state of the start switch, the open / close state of the door, the lighting state of each light-emitting element, and the operating state of the fan in operation mode 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the structure of a sterilization device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sterilization device 10 of this embodiment has a housing including a housing 11 and a door 12 that form a rectangular storage space 10S. The housing 11 is preferably made of a metal such as stainless steel (e.g., SUS304) or aluminum. Furthermore, substantially all of the inner wall surfaces of the housing 11 are configured to have an ultraviolet reflective mirror surface. As shown in Figure 3, the housing 11 includes a support frame 111, and a first wall member 112 and a second wall member 113 attached to the support frame 111. All of these wall members form the inner wall surfaces of the storage space 10S, as described below.

[0020] The support frame 111 includes a front frame portion 111a, a bottom frame portion 111b, and a rear frame portion 111c. A fan 13 is attached to the rear frame portion 111c. An operation display portion 10P is provided on the upper portion of the front frame portion 111a, on which various switches and displays (LCD and LED) mounted on a control board 100 described later are arranged. In addition, an attachment portion 111d is provided on the upper portion of the front frame portion 111a, on which a holding portion 123 of the door 12 described later can be detachably attached. Furthermore, an opening / closing detector 102 for detecting the opening / closing state of the door 12 is provided on the upper portion of the front frame portion 111a. In this embodiment, in order to ensure safety regarding damage caused by ultraviolet rays, a plurality of opening / closing detectors 102 (two in the illustrated example) are provided, and when any one of the opening / closing detectors 102 detects the opening of the door 12, a detection line L3 described later becomes a potential indicating the opening state of the door 12.

[0021] The first wall member 112 includes a front frame portion 112a, a bottom plate portion 112b, and a back plate portion 112c. A ventilation portion 112d is provided on the back plate portion 112c to allow the airflow generated by the fan 13 to flow inside and outside the accommodation space 10S. The ventilation portion 112d is not particularly limited, but in the illustrated example, is configured by an area in which a large number of small holes are distributed. A control board (main control portion) 100 is attached to the upper portion of the front frame portion 112a as shown by the two-dot chain line, and a power supply board (power supply drive portion) 130 is attached to the upper portion of the back plate portion 112c as shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0022] The second wall member 113 includes an upper plate portion 113a and left and right side plate portions 113b and 113c. Four of the left and right side plate portions 113b and 113c are provided at each of the four corners, totaling eight corners, with light source support portions 113d bent toward the inside of the storage space 10S. These light source support portions 113d are arranged at an angle at the corner portions (portions adjacent to the inside of the corner portions of the housing 11) of the storage space 10S, and therefore are configured in the shape of a triangular plate corresponding to the shape of the inner wall surface around the corner portions in the illustrated example. In addition, as illustrated, the light source support portion 113d is formed with an opening portion 113e that is capable of transmitting ultraviolet light. As described later, a light source board 140 on which the ultraviolet light emitting element 14, the visible light emitting element 15, 16, the driver circuit 141, etc. are mounted, and a light diffusion plate 150 for diffusing the light emitted by the visible light emitting element 15, 16 is attached to the light source support portion 113d, thereby configuring the light source portion LS.

[0023] The door 12 is configured to be openable and closable so as to close the storage space 10S defined by the housing 11. The door 12 includes a light-transmitting plate 121 made of acrylic resin (CLAREX UV cut filter (product name, manufactured by Nitto Plastics Co., Ltd.)) having properties of blocking deep ultraviolet rays and transmitting visible light on the outside, and a reflecting plate 122 on the inside of the light-transmitting plate 121 having openings 122a reflective to (deep) ultraviolet rays. The reflecting plate 122 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a metal plate-like body with a plurality (a large number) of openings 122a distributed therein. The door 12 is provided with a holder 123 configured to be detachable from a mounting portion 111d formed on the edge of the opening of the housing 11. A tray 115 transparent to (deep) ultraviolet rays is arranged on the inner wall surface, which is the inner surface of the bottom plate portion 112b in the storage space 10S. The tray 115 has a placement surface (upper surface) 115a that can separate the bottom of the object to be treated upward from the inner wall surface of the bottom plate portion 112b. This makes it easier for the irradiated ultraviolet light to be incident on the bottom plate portion 112b, as described below, and the ultraviolet light is reflected by the inner wall surface of the bottom plate portion 112, making it easier for the ultraviolet light to be irradiated to the bottom of the object to be treated. In the illustrated example, the placement surface 115a is positioned upward by placing the tray 115 on the bottom plate portion 112b via the support member 114, but the present invention is not limited to such a structure. The tray 115 can be made of, for example, quartz or acrylic resin used as an ultraviolet transmission filter. In the illustrated example, the tray 115 has a shape in which the four corners are cut to avoid the light source portion LS (light diffusion plate 150) described below.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the light source unit LS provided at the corner portion (corner portion) of the upper left front portion of the sterilization device 10. In this embodiment, since all of the light source units LS provided at the eight corner portions have the same structure, the explanation of the other seven light source units LS is omitted. As shown in FIG. 4, the light source unit LS consisting of the light source board 140 and the light diffusion plate 150 attached to the light source support part 113d is arranged at the corner portion of the accommodation space 10S. This light source unit LS is configured to irradiate ultraviolet light and visible light toward the inside (center side) of the accommodation space 10S. The light source support part 113d, the light source board 140, and the light diffusion plate 150 are integrated by fixing means such as two screws shown in the figure. The light source board 140 is mounted with a light source driving circuit 141, an ultraviolet light emitting element 14, and visible light emitting elements 15 and 16. With this configuration, heat generated from the ultraviolet light emitting element 14, the visible light emitting element 15, 16, or the light source driving unit 141 mounted on the light source board is transferred to the light source support unit 113d, and further to each part of the housing 11 such as the upper plate unit 113a and the side plate unit 113b, thereby improving heat dissipation. The ultraviolet light emitting element 14 is preferably an LED because of its compactness, and is preferably capable of emitting deep ultraviolet light (wavelength 100-280 nm) because of its strong sterilizing effect. The ultraviolet light emitted from the light emitting surface of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 is emitted to the outside through the opening 113e of the light source support unit 113d and the opening 151 of the light diffusion plate 150. An ultraviolet light transmitting cover 152 may be attached to the opening 151. As the cover 152, a CLAREX UV transmission filter (product name, manufactured by Nitto Resin Industrial Co., Ltd.) or the like can be used.

[0025] In the light source unit LS, the irradiation axis 14X of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 has a direction along the space between three (deep) ultraviolet reflective inner wall surfaces (the inner surface of the upper panel portion 113a, the inner surface of the side panel portion 113b, and the inner surface of the reflector plate 122 of the door 12) around the corner portion. Here, the "direction along the space between the inner wall surfaces" may be a direction between the directions along the multiple inner wall surfaces, but it is particularly preferable that the direction is along the middle of the multiple inner wall surfaces. In the illustrated example, it is preferable that the projection of the irradiation axis 14X onto the three mutually orthogonal inner wall surfaces has an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to each ridge line. In the case of this embodiment, the irradiation axis 14X is directed toward approximately the center of the storage space 10S at any corner portion. Note that the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 has a directivity (direction angle 2θ) wider than the angle between the three inner wall surfaces around the corner portion. 1 / 2 For example, the beam angle (half-value angle) is preferably 100 degrees or more, and more preferably 115 degrees or more.

[0026] The visible light emitting elements 15 and 16 can be composed of light emitting elements such as LEDs capable of emitting visible light. In the illustrated example, the visible light emitting elements 15 and 16 mounted on the light source board 140 are directly fitted into the recesses 153 and 154 of the light diffusion plate 150 through the area where the light source support portion 113d does not exist, and the emitted light is emitted into the storage space 10S through the light diffusion plate 150. In this embodiment, since both the visible light emitting elements 15 and 16 are installed for the purpose of illuminating the storage space 10S, the visible light emitted from either of them is diffused by the diffusion action of the light diffusion plate 150 and is irradiated into the storage space 10S. In this embodiment, the irradiated light from the visible light emitting elements 15 and 16 illuminates the storage space 10S, and the illumination state in the storage space 10S can be confirmed by visually checking it through the opening 122a of the reflector 122 of the door 12. However, the sterilization device 10 may be configured so that the irradiated light from the visible light emitting elements 15, 16 is directly emitted to the outside, so that the irradiated light can be directly confirmed from outside the sterilization device 10.

[0027] In the light source unit LS of this embodiment, the irradiation axis 14X of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 is set to a direction approximately in the middle of the direction along the three inner wall surfaces around the corner portion, as described above. In the illustrated example, the light emission axis is perpendicular to the light source substrate 140. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the visible light emitting elements 15, 16 are configured to be distributed and irradiated in a wider angle range of the accommodation space 10S through the light diffusion plate 150. Here, the visible light emitting element 15 is driven synchronously with the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 so as to be turned on and off simultaneously, as described later. In addition, the visible light emitting element 16 is configured to be able to change the hue of the illumination light according to the driving mode, for example, by a structure including a plurality of light emitting units for each RGB that can be controlled independently. In this case, the visible light emitting element 16 may be configured to be able to change the emission interval, such as continuous driving and intermittent driving, or changing the time interval of intermittent driving, instead of or in addition to the emission mode in which the hue can be changed. Each of the light emitting elements 14, 15, and 16 may have a lens structure for adjusting directivity on the light emitting surface, or a wavelength modulation structure such as a phosphor for adjusting the wavelength distribution of the emitted light.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of the control and drive system of the sterilization device 10. In this embodiment, the control and drive system includes a main control unit 100 configured by the control board, a power supply drive unit 130 configured by the power supply board, and a plurality of light source drive units 140A, 140B, 140C, 140D, 140E, 140F, 140G, and 140H (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "140A-140H") provided in each of the light source units LS. These light source drive units 140A-140H are formed on the light source board 140 provided in the light source unit LS. The light source drive units 140A-140H drive the ultraviolet light emitting elements 14 and the visible light emitting elements 15 and 16, respectively, based on a control signal sent from the main control unit 100. The main control unit 100, the power supply driving unit 130, and the light source driving units 140A-140H are connected in series to each other by connection cables CB1-CB10. In this embodiment, the connection cables CB1-CB10 pass in a single stroke along the inside of the ridges provided between the corners of the support frame 111, and connect the main control unit 100, the power supply driving unit 130, and the light source driving units 140A-140H in a closed loop. For example, from the control board 100 at the front upper part, the connection cable CB1, the light source drive unit 140A provided in the light source unit LS at the front left upper part, the connection cable CB2, the light source drive unit 140B at the front left lower part, the connection cable CB3, the light source drive unit 140C at the rear left lower part, the connection cable CB4, the light source drive unit 140D at the rear left upper part, the connection cable CB5, the power supply board 130 at the rear upper part, the connection cable CB6, the light source drive unit 140E at the rear right upper part, the connection cable CB7, the light source drive unit 140F at the rear right lower part, the connection cable CB8, the light source drive unit 140G at the front right lower part, the connection cable CB9, the light source drive unit 140H at the front right upper part, and the connection cable CB10, in this order, return to the control board 100 again. Note that the left and right sides mentioned above indicate the left and right sides when the sterilization device 10 itself is the center (reference).

[0029] As shown in Fig. 6, the main control unit (control board) 100 includes a control circuit 101 that can be configured by a microcomputer chip or the like that constitutes an MPU (microprocessor unit), an open / close detector 102 that detects whether the door 12 is open or closed, a potential supply unit 103 that supplies a logic potential, and a wireless communication unit 104 such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The main control unit 100 is also connected to the connection cables CB1 and CB10 via connectors CN. The connection cables CB1 and CB10 include control lines L1 and L2 that transmit control signals (commands and data) sent from the main control unit 100, an open / close detection line L3 that transmits a potential corresponding to a detection signal of an open / close detector 102 (described later) that detects the open / close state of the door 12, and power supply lines L4 and L5 (L4 is a potential line, and L5 is a ground line) that supply power (DC voltage in the illustrated example) supplied from the power supply drive unit 130. When the door 12 is opened and the open / close detector 102 is activated, the potential of the open / close detection line L3 changes, and the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 (and the visible light emitting element 15, 16) is turned off via the switching circuit 142 and the light source driving circuit 141 (see FIG. 7) of the light source driving units 140A-140H. The control circuit 101 outputs a no signal to the open / close detector 102, and can forcibly set the potential of the open / close detection line L3 to the same potential as when the door 12 is opened. This makes it possible to forcibly turn off the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 regardless of whether the door 12 is open or closed. Although only one open / close detector 102 is illustrated in FIG. 6, as described above, a plurality of open / close detectors 102 may be provided, and the potential of the open / close detection line L3 may be changed when any one of the open / close detectors 102 detects the opening of the door 12, thereby improving safety. In the illustrated example, multiple (two) open / close detectors 102 are connected in series, and if any one of the open / close detectors 102 detects the opening of the door 12 (is interrupted), the potential of the open / close detection line L3 changes (decreases), and the light source driving output of the light source driving path 141 is turned off via the switching circuit 142.

[0030] Moreover, the control lines L1 and L2 transmit the control signal output from the control circuit 101 to the light source driving units 140A-140H. In this main control unit 100, control signals (control data and timing signals) are sent via the control lines L1 and L2 to the power supply driving unit 130 and the light source driving units 140A-140H through the connection cable CB1 by the output from the control circuit 101. Then, the control lines L1 and L2 and the open / close detection line L3 of the connection cable CB10 that have made a full circuit are taken back into the control circuit 101 to check the control signal and detection signal. This makes it possible to detect abnormalities in the power supply driving unit 130 and the light source driving units 140A-140H and to execute a diagnostic process. For example, if the control signal output by the control circuit 101 to the control lines L1, L2 via the connection cable CB1 and the control signal received by the control circuit 101 from the control lines L1, L2 via the connection cable CB10 cannot be regarded as substantially the same when judged according to a predetermined standard (threshold value), an abnormality may be notified by a sounding means or a display means (not shown) that receives the output signal from the control circuit 101. In this case, the control circuit 101 may execute a diagnostic process for the power supply driving unit 130 and the light source driving unit 140.

[0031] The control circuit 101 is configured to receive operation signals from the operation switches S1, S2, S3, and S4 provided on the operation display unit 10P, and to output the above-mentioned control signals in response to these operation signals. Here, the operation switches S1 and S2 are used to operate the timer for the sterilization process, and a two-digit processing time can be set by using these switches, and the set time and the elapsed time can be displayed on the display unit DP by the output of the control circuit 101. Furthermore, the operation switch S3 can change the operation mode in sequence each time it is pressed. In this embodiment, it is possible to set operation mode 1, operation mode 2, and operation mode 3, as described later. Furthermore, the operation switch S4 is a switch for starting and stopping ultraviolet irradiation and the timer.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 7, the light source driving units 140A-140H include a light source driving circuit 141 which simultaneously drives the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 and the visible light emitting element 15 in response to the control signals on the control lines L1 and L2, and drives the visible light emitting element 16, and a switching circuit 142 which turns off the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 (and the visible light emitting elements 15, 16) of the light source driving circuit 141 in response to the potential of the open / close detection line L3. The ultraviolet light emitting element 14 and the visible light emitting element 15 are configured to be turned on and off simultaneously by a common driving signal of the light source driving circuit 141. As a result, by visually checking the inside of the accommodation space 10S through the opening 122a of the reflector 122 and the transparent plate 121, it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of ultraviolet irradiation, since when the visible light emitting element 15 is turned on, the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 should also be turned on, and when the visible light emitting element 15 is turned off, the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 should also be turned off. When the open / close detector 102 detects that the door 12 is open, the switching circuit 142 stops the drive signal of the light source drive circuit 141 in response to a change in the potential of the open / close detection line L3. The visible light emitting element 15 can be configured to emit visible light of a hue such as blue or purple, but is not particularly limited thereto. In the illustrated example, the light source drive circuit 141 operates in response to control signals on control lines L1 and L2 connected to the previous stage, and is configured to supply control signals to be sent to the light source drive unit of the next stage to the control lines L1 and L2.

[0033] The visible light emitting element 16 can change the hue of the illumination light based on the drive signal from the light source drive circuit 141, thereby visually checking the inside of the accommodation space 10S through the opening 122a of the reflector 122 and the light-transmitting plate 121, thereby reporting the current situation. That is, the visible light emitting element 16 can provide illumination for checking the situation in a manner that is not particularly limited, but for example, is yellow before the operation switch S4 is pressed (started) while the door 12 is closed, blue after start-up, purple just before the sterilization is completed, green after the sterilization is completed, and then turned off. Note that the visible light emitting element 16 can be configured to enable the situation to be checked not only by changing the hue as described above, but also by changing various light emission modes.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 8, the power supply drive unit 130 (power supply board) has a fan drive circuit 131, a switching circuit 132, and a protection circuit 133. When the DC power supply 17 is connected via the connector CN1, power is supplied to the power supply lines L4 and L5 via the protection circuit 133, and a predetermined voltage is set between the potential line L4 and the ground line L5. The fan drive circuit 131 also supplies a drive signal to the fan 13 via the connector CN2 based on a control signal transmitted via the control lines L1 and L2, and controls the operation and stopping of the fan 13. Here, when the switching circuit 132 detects the opening of the door 12 according to the potential of the open / close detection line L3, it stops the driving of the fan 13 by the fan drive circuit 131.

[0035] In this embodiment, the main control unit 100 can appropriately control the light emission modes of the multiple light source units LS. At this time, it is possible to control and drive the multiple light source units LS in the same way, but it is also possible to control them in different ways. For example, the ultraviolet light emitting elements 14 of each light source driving unit 140A-140H may be configured to emit light sequentially with a shift in timing, the pulse driving frequencies of each ultraviolet light emitting element 14 may be changed mutually or over time, and the light emission amount (constant current value) of each ultraviolet light emitting element 14 may be changed mutually or over time. As an example, a pattern in which the front left upper part and the front right upper part are lit, then the front right upper part and the front right lower part are lit, then the front right lower part and the front left lower part are lit, then the front left lower part and the front left upper part are lit, then the rear left upper part and the rear right upper part are lit, then the rear right upper part and the rear right lower part are lit, then the rear right lower part and the rear left lower part are lit, then the rear left lower part and the rear left upper part are lit, and then the rear left lower part and the rear left upper part are lit. It is also possible to have a pattern in which the four lights in the front are lit, then the four lights in the back are lit, then the four lights in the front are lit again, and so on, with four lights being lit at a time.

[0036] Next, in this embodiment having the above configuration, the control of the sterilization device 10 by the main control unit 100 and the operation of each unit will be described with reference to the timing charts in Figures 9 to 12. Figure 9 shows an example of the operation state of the operation switch S4, the open / close state of the door 12, the on / off timing of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14, and the on / off timing of the visible light emitting elements 15 and 16. Note that this example shows a case where the visible light emitting element 15 is turned on / off in synchronization with the on / off of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14, and the visible light emitting element 16 illuminates with a different hue depending on the operating mode.

[0037] In this example, when the door 12 is open, the light emitting elements 14, 15, and 16 are turned off. Even when the door 12 is closed, only the light emitting element 16 is turned on (e.g., yellow) until the operation switch S4 is pressed, and the light emitting element 15 is not turned on, so that it is understood that the light emitting element 14 is not turned on. Next, when the operation switch S4 is pressed, the light emitting elements 14 and 15 are turned on, and the sterilization process using ultraviolet light is started. At this time, the light emitting element 16 is changed in color so as not to hinder the light emitting element 15 from being turned on. After that, the time of the sterilization process becomes longer, and the progress of the sterilization process can be notified by a change in the hue (e.g., purple) of the light emitting element 16 or by blinking. Finally, when the sterilization process is sufficiently completed (e.g., the timer set time Ts has elapsed), the hue (e.g., green) or blinking state of the light emitting element 16 changes further, notifying that the sterilization process is completed. After that, when the operation switch S4 is pressed again, the light emitting elements 14 and 15 are turned off.

[0038] In this example, the sterilization process set time Ts can be known by the light emission mode (change in hue or blinking) of the visible light emitting element 16, and the sterilization process (ultraviolet light irradiation) can be stopped by pressing the operation switch S4 at that point. However, as described below, the sterilization process (ultraviolet light irradiation) may be configured to automatically stop when the set time Ts has elapsed. Also, when the door 12 is closed after the light emission has stopped by opening the door 12, the sterilization process (ultraviolet light irradiation) may not be started unless the operation switch S4 is pressed again, or may be configured to start automatically when the door 12 is closed.

[0039] FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the operation timing of the operation switch S4 in the operation mode 1, the open / closed state of the door 12, the ultraviolet irradiation state, and the operation state of the fan 13. Here, the operation mode can be set by pressing the operation switch S3 as described above. The operation mode can be confirmed by the indicator lamp (three lights in the illustrated example) 105 of the operation display unit 10P shown in FIG. 1. In this operation mode 1, an example is shown in which the operation switch S4 is pressed and then the door 12 is closed. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation starts after the door 12 is closed. However, as in FIG. 9, if the operation switch S4 is pressed after the door 12 is closed, the ultraviolet irradiation starts from the time the operation switch S4 is pressed. In this mode, the ultraviolet irradiation stops when the timer setting time Ts is reached. In this mode, the fan 13 does not operate. If the door 12 is opened or the operation switch S4 is pressed again within the setting time Ts, the ultraviolet irradiation stops until the door 12 is closed or the operation switch S4 is pressed. Incidentally, the operation when the set time Ts has elapsed and the operation when the door 12 is closed again after being opened can be set in various ways, as in the explanation of FIG.

[0040] FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the operation timing of the operation switch S4 in the operation mode 2, the open / close state of the door 12, the ultraviolet irradiation state, and the operation state of the fan 13. This mode differs from the operation mode 1 in that when ultraviolet irradiation is started and the timer set time Ts has elapsed, the ultraviolet irradiation is not stopped, the fan 13 continues to operate, and the air inside the chamber sterilized by ultraviolet rays is supplied to the outside. This air sterilization state continues until the operation switch S4 is pressed again or the door 12 is opened. When the door 12 is closed, the fan 13 operates again, and when the operation switch S4 is pressed, it stops. Note that the operation when the set time Ts has elapsed and the operation when the door 12 is closed again after being opened can be set in various ways as in the explanation of FIG. 9. In either case, regardless of the presence or absence of operation, after the sterilization process of the treatment object contained in the storage space 10S is completed, the air purification process is performed in which the fan 13 operates while being irradiated with ultraviolet rays. A filter is attached to the outer surface of the fan 13, and when the fan 13 is operated, outside air is introduced into the storage space 10S from the rear through the filter. A gap is formed along the outer periphery between the housing 11 and the door 12, and the sterilized air in the storage space 10S leaks out from the front through the gap around the door 12.

[0041] FIG. 12 shows the relationship between the operation timing of the operation switch S4 in the operation mode 3, the open / closed state of the door 12, the ultraviolet irradiation state, and the operation state of the fan 13. This mode differs from the operation mode 2 in that the fan 13 starts operating at the same time as the ultraviolet irradiation starts, and sterilized air is supplied to the outside. This mode is a mode for supplying sterilized air, and the ultraviolet irradiation and the operation of the fan 13 continue until the operation switch S4 is pressed or the door 12 is opened. When the door 12 is closed, ultraviolet irradiation is resumed and the fan 13 starts operating, and both are stopped when the operation switch S4 is pressed. Note that the operation when the door 12 is closed again after being opened can be set in various ways, as in the explanation of FIG. 9. In either case, the air purification process is immediately performed regardless of the presence or absence of operation. This operation mode 3 is basically used without placing an object to be treated in the storage space 10S, and the storage space 10S is used as an air sterilization processing area.

[0042] According to this embodiment, an ultraviolet light emitting element 14 that emits ultraviolet light is arranged in a corner portion (corner portion) in the storage space 10S for the object to be processed, and the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 has an irradiation axis 14X with an orientation along the inner wall surface around the corner portion, and the inner wall surface arranged around the irradiation axis 14X in the corner portion is an ultraviolet reflective surface, so that the light emitting portion of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 is arranged in the corner portion, so that the storage of the object to be processed in the storage space 10S is less likely to be hindered, and the ultraviolet light along the irradiation axis 14X is reflected by the inner wall surface arranged around the irradiation axis 14X in the corner portion, so that the ultraviolet light is isotropically guided to the center side of the storage space 10S compared to the case where the ultraviolet light is arranged in another place. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the variation in the amount of irradiation of (deep) ultraviolet light in the storage space 10S while avoiding the deterioration of the storage efficiency of the object to be processed. In particular, since all the inner wall surfaces facing the storage space 10S are (deep) ultraviolet reflective, the variation in the amount of irradiation of (deep) ultraviolet light on the object to be processed can be further reduced.

[0043] In particular, in this embodiment, since the storage space 10S is configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape (including a cube shape), the device is easy to configure, and by arranging the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 in a corner portion that is likely to become a dead space in the rectangular parallelepiped storage space 10S, it is possible to obtain a sufficient storage space 10S while ensuring compactness of the device. In addition, since three equivalent inner wall surfaces consisting of mutually orthogonal planes are arranged around the irradiation axis 14X in this corner portion, the isotropy of the (deep) ultraviolet irradiation light is further improved. Furthermore, since the light emitting unit (light source unit LS) of the (deep) ultraviolet light emitting element 14 is arranged in each of all (eight) corner portions, the variation in the irradiation amount of the (deep) ultraviolet light is further reduced. In this case, the connection cables (control line, power supply line, detection line) CB1-CB10 extend along the ridge line of the rectangular parallelepiped. In addition, the main control unit 100 and the power supply drive unit 130 are also arranged along the ridge line. For these reasons, it is possible to achieve both compactness of the sterilization device 10 and securing of the storage space 10S at a high level. Furthermore, since the connection cables CB1-CB10 are not exposed to ultraviolet rays emitted by the device itself, deterioration of the coating due to ultraviolet rays can be prevented. In order to prevent the influence of ultraviolet rays, it is preferable that the main control unit 100, the power supply driving unit 130, and / or the connection cables CB1-CB10 are arranged at positions along the ridgeline outside the first wall member 112 and / or the second wall member 113 having ultraviolet reflective inner wall surfaces, and in addition to this, it is particularly preferable to arrange them inside the support frame 111 provided along the ridgeline.

[0044] In this specification, the "corner portion of the storage space" is preferably a place where the inner wall surface defining the storage space 10S has three or more different surface orientations obliquely oriented to the direction of ultraviolet irradiation around the irradiation axis 14X of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14. The storage space 10S may be not only a rectangular parallelepiped shape as in the above embodiment, but also a prismatic shape or a polyhedral shape. In either case, it is preferable that the inner wall surface of the corner portion has three or more different surface orientations obliquely oriented to the direction of ultraviolet irradiation around the irradiation axis 14X of the ultraviolet light emitting element 14 arranged in the corner portion. For example, when the inner wall surface around the corner portion is substantially all composed of flat surfaces, the corner portion has an inner wall surface that is a flat surface having three or more different surface orientations. Here, in the case of this embodiment, there are three mutually orthogonal flat surfaces around the irradiation axis 14X, that is, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface of the upper plate portion 113a, the inner surface of the side plate portion 113b, and the inner surface of the reflector plate 122 of the door 12. In addition, in the corner portion, such as the corner portion of the peripheral edge of the end portion of a cylindrical storage space, there may be an inner wall surface that is a flat surface having one or two different plane orientations and an inner wall surface that is a concave curved surface. The inner wall surface that is a concave curved surface has two or more plane orientations around the irradiation axis, so that, as a whole, the inner wall surface around the irradiation axis has three or more plane orientations.

[0045] The sterilization apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned illustrated example, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the apparatus is provided with a device structure having a storage space 10S in which a housing 11 with a door 12 for storing an object to be treated is used as a case, but the storage space may be configured in a room of an ordinary building. In addition, the housing 11 and the door 12 can be of various types, and are not particularly limited to those configured so that a lid covers the top of the main body, and those configured so that the door 12 and the lid are detachable from the housing and the main body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10...sterilization device, 10P...operation display unit, 11...housing, 111...support frame, 111a...front frame portion, 111b...bottom frame portion, 111c...rear frame portion, 111d...mounting portion, 112...first wall member, 112a...front frame portion, 112b...bottom plate portion, 112c...rear plate portion, 112d...ventilation portion, 113...second wall member, 113a...upper plate portion, 113b, 113c...side plate portion, 113d...light source support portion, 113e...opening portion, 114...support member (spacer, columnar portion), 115...tray, 115a...mounting surface, 12...door, 121...translucent plate, 122...reflector, 122a...opening portion, 123...holder, 13...fan, 14...ultraviolet light emitting element, 15, 16...visible light emitting element, 17...power supply unit, 100...main control unit (control board), 101...control circuit (MPU, microcomputer chip), 102...open / close detector, 103...constant voltage source, 104...wireless communication unit, 105...indicator light, 130...power supply drive unit (power supply board), 131...fan drive circuit, 132...switching circuit, 133...protection circuit, 140 (140A-140H)...light source drive unit (light source board), 141...light source drive circuit, 142...switching circuit, 150...light diffusion plate, 151...opening, CB1-CB10...connection cable, CN, CN1, CN2...connector, L1, L2...control line, L3...open / close detection line, L4...potential line, L5...ground line

Claims

1. A sterilization apparatus having a storage space for an object to be treated, ultraviolet light emitting elements that emit ultraviolet light are disposed in a plurality of corners within the accommodation space, The plurality of ultraviolet light emitting elements have an irradiation axis having an orientation along an inner wall surface around the corner portion, Further comprising a plurality of drive circuits for driving the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting elements, respectively, and a control unit for controlling the plurality of drive circuits, the control unit is connected to both ends of a control line that connects the plurality of drive circuits in series, so as to supply a control signal to one end of the control line and receive the control signal from the other end of the control line via the plurality of drive circuits, thereby connecting the plurality of drive circuits in a closed loop via the control line; The control unit is configured to be able to check and report abnormalities in the operating status of the multiple drive circuits by determining whether the control signal output to one end of the control line and the control signal received from the other end of the control line can be considered substantially identical according to a predetermined standard.

2. A part or all of the inner wall surface surrounding the storage space is a reflecting surface for the ultraviolet light. The sterilization device according to claim 1.

3. The storage space is configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The sterilization device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The ultraviolet light emitting elements are arranged in all of the plurality of corner portions provided in the accommodation space. A sterilization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. An ultraviolet-transmitting tray is disposed at the bottom of the storage space, and a surface of the tray on which the object to be processed is placed is spaced above a bottom surface of the storage space. A sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A visible light emitting element for lighting confirmation that emits visible light is further provided, and the visible light emitting element for lighting confirmation has a different light emitting mode when the ultraviolet light emitting element emits light and when it does not emit light. A sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A plurality of operation modes can be realized, and a visible light emitting element for displaying the operation mode is further provided; The visible light emitting element for indicating the operation mode has different light emitting modes according to the plurality of operation modes. A sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The corner portion is provided with a light source unit including a light source substrate on which the ultraviolet light emitting element is mounted and a light source support portion that fixes the light source substrate relatively to the accommodation space. A sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The control line is included in a connection cable that cascade-connects the plurality of drive circuits and the control unit, The connection cable extends along the ridge portion between the corner portions and passes through in a single stroke. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 3.

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