Antibacterial interior decoration

Abstract

To provide an interior decoration with antibacterial properties that can be manufactured more inexpensively than conventional products and have excellent durability of antibacterial and antiviral effects.SOLUTION: An interior decoration comprises a container 10 with an open top surface, copper shavings 20 filled in the container, and a decorative member 30 arranged on the top surface of the assembly of the shavings. Preferably, the copper material shavings are spiral shavings produced when the copper material is cut by a lathe or milling machine. It may be provided with a saucer 11 under the container 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to antibacterial interior decorations that utilize the antibacterial and antiviral properties of copper. [Background technology]

[0002] It has long been known that copper has antibacterial and antiviral properties. The mechanism is thought to be that copper ions create holes in the virus's envelope membrane, and that free radicals generated by copper ions decompose the genetic material. According to a research team at the National Institutes of Health (NHI) in the United States, the survival time of the new coronavirus is 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel surfaces, 24 hours on cardboard surfaces, and 4 hours on copper surfaces, confirming that copper also has an antiviral effect against the new coronavirus.

[0003] Antibacterial materials utilizing such antibacterial and antiviral properties have been proposed in the past. Patent Document 1 describes dispersing very fine copper alloy powder with a particle size of 1 nm to 1 μm on the surface of an article. Patent Document 2 describes an antibacterial fabric using a composite fiber containing copper alloy yarn. Patent Document 3 discloses an antibacterial composition in which copper powder is mixed with Portland cement. However, these conventional antibacterial and antiviral materials process copper into fine powder or fine fibers to increase the surface area, which has the problem of high manufacturing costs.

[0004] Also, Patent Document 3 describes how artificial flowers can be made from resin or fiber sprayed with an antibacterial material or kneaded with an antibacterial material, and placed indoors to provide deodorizing and antibacterial effects as well as aesthetic effects as interior decoration. However, it is inevitable that the deodorizing and antibacterial effects will gradually decrease over time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-65375 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-143272 A [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3135466 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to provide an interior decoration that can be produced more cheaply than conventional ones and has antibacterial properties with excellent durability of antibacterial and antiviral action. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventor, who is in the business of processing copper products, focused on the large amount of shavings that are generated when cutting copper materials with a lathe or milling machine. These shavings have been disposed of as waste up until now, but he came up with the idea that they could be used to manufacture interior decorations that utilize the antibacterial and antiviral properties of copper at a very low cost.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and is a method for producing a decorative member comprising a container having an open top, a collection of copper material shavings filled in the container, and a decorative member disposed on the top surface of the collection of copper material shavings. The shavings are spiral shavings having minute spaces inside. It is characterized by the above.

[0009] The copper material shavings are preferably spiral shavings generated when the copper material is cut by a lathe or a milling machine. A tray may be provided under the container. The copper material may be pure copper or a copper alloy. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The interior decoration of the present invention can be manufactured at a very low cost because it is made from shavings generated when cutting copper material, which was previously disposed of as waste. The shavings are fine and spiral-shaped, so they have a large surface area. Moreover, by filling the shavings inside a container with an open top, the shavings are prevented from scattering while ensuring a large contact area with the air, and even when the product is installed indoors, fine copper pieces will not scatter.

[0011] If the interior decoration of the present invention is placed indoors, when bacteria and viruses floating in the air come into contact with the surface of the copper material shavings, their activity can be reduced by the antibacterial and antiviral effects of the copper ions. Copper also has antifungal and deodorizing effects, so it can suppress mold that occurs indoors and deodorize the room. Moreover, the air purifier of the present invention has an effect that lasts semi-permanently and does not decrease. Furthermore, since the air purifier of the present invention is a device in which a decorative member is placed on the upper surface of the collection of shavings, it also functions as an interior decoration, and is of high practical value as an air purifier that also serves as an interior decoration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which water is being sprayed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof. Reference numeral 10 denotes a container with an open top, inside which copper shavings 20 are filled.

[0014] The material of the container 10 is not particularly limited, and may be any material such as resin, metal, ceramics, glass, paper, etc. Also, it may be a metal net, punched metal, or a perforated resin plate that has holes through which air can flow. However, it is preferable to keep the size of the holes small so that the copper shavings 20 do not fly out.

[0015] The shape of the container 10 is not particularly limited, and may be a bowl-like shape as shown in the figure, or a shallow dish-like shape. It may also be a tumbler-like shape, a cup-like shape with a handle, a cup-like shape with a stem, or any other shape. However, in any case, the top surface must be open so that the air in the room can come into contact with the copper material shavings 20.

[0016] In this embodiment, a tray 11 is disposed at the bottom of the container 10. The tray 11 is not essential, but can be used as necessary to catch fine pieces of copper material shavings 20 spilled from the container 10 and prevent them from scattering inside the room.

[0017] The shavings 20 of the copper material are generated when the copper material is cut by a lathe or a milling machine. These shavings 20 are often finely spiral-shaped as shown in the figure, and fine spaces are formed not only on the surface but also inside, so that the contact area with the air in the room becomes very large. The shavings 20 shown in the figure are generated when the copper material is milled. The shavings 20 from the lathe are also spiral-shaped, but the individual lengths are often longer than those generated from the milling machine. There is no problem in using a mixture of both. Depending on the processing conditions, the outer diameter of the spiral is about 1 to 10 mm.

[0018] The copper material may be pure copper or a copper alloy. For example, shavings 20 of various copper alloys such as alumina dispersion strengthened copper, silver-containing copper, beryllium-containing copper, chromium zirconium-containing copper, and cobalt-containing copper can be used. These copper materials are widely used as industrial materials, and the amount of shavings 20 generated is large, so they are easily available. Many of the alloy components do not have antibacterial or antiviral effects, but they do not inhibit the antibacterial or antiviral effects of copper.

[0019] The interior decoration of the present invention has a decorative body 30 placed on the top surface of a collection of shavings 20. In this embodiment, the collection of shavings 20 is likened to the ground or water surface, and artificial flowers are placed on top of it as decorative body 30. The artificial flowers are made by attaching petals 32 and leaves 33 to the top of a stem 31, so the stem 31 is inserted into the collection of shavings 20 with the top exposed. This gives the interior decoration a gorgeous appearance. The artificial flowers can be replaced as needed, and in some cases, fresh flowers can be added. Furthermore, in homes with children, small dolls, flags, and other decorations can be used as decorative body 30.

[0020] The interior decoration of the present invention thus constructed captures airborne bacteria and viruses on the copper surface by contacting the air with the copper shavings 20, thereby reducing the activity of the bacteria and viruses. Moreover, the shape of the space formed inside the shavings 20 is complex, so that the bacteria and viruses floating in the air can be reliably captured on the copper surface, just like a mask. This also increases the effect of reducing the activity of airborne bacteria and viruses. Moreover, such shavings 20 do not scatter in the air like copper powder or copper fibers, and cannot be inhaled by mistake. Copper is a safe metal that is also used in pots and pans, so even if a small child accidentally touches or licks it, there is no adverse effect on the human body.

[0021] The interior decoration of the present invention is preferably placed in a place where air can circulate, such as near a window, because the copper shavings 20 come into contact with the air in the room, trapping airborne bacteria and viruses on the copper surface and reducing the activity of bacteria and viruses. Furthermore, an electric fan or a small fan can be placed nearby to further increase the air contact effect.

[0022] It is also possible to pour a small amount of water as shown in FIG. 3. Although the copper shavings 20 are not water-absorbent, part of the poured water adheres to the surface of the shavings 20, and the rest flows down to the bottom of the container 10. Since copper ions also have an antibacterial effect against microorganisms in water, water that comes into contact with the copper shavings 20 is kept clean without the development of germs or mold. It then gradually evaporates, which has the effect of humidifying the room. In addition, it is expected that the surface of the shavings 20 is more effective at capturing airborne bacteria and viruses when it is wet than when it is dry, so it is preferable to periodically pour a small amount of water on it, as if watering a flower. If a tray 11 is placed as shown in FIG. 3, it can be used to catch any excess water that spills from the container 10.

[0023] As explained above, the interior decoration of the present invention uses copper shavings 20 that were previously disposed of as waste, so the manufacturing cost is low and it has excellent antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and deodorizing effects. In addition, the air purifier of the present invention uses the antibacterial and antiviral effects of copper, so the effects last almost forever. Furthermore, the air purifier of the present invention is suitable for use as an interior decoration by placing decorative bodies 30 such as artificial flowers on the upper surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 10 containers 11 Saucer 20 Shavings 30 Decorations 31 Shaft 32 Petals 33 leaves

Claims

1. The antibacterial interior decoration comprises a container with an open top, copper material shavings filled in the container, and a decorative member placed on the top surface of the collection of the shavings, the shavings being spiral shaped shavings having minute spaces inside.

2. 2. The antibacterial interior decoration body according to claim 1, characterized in that the shavings of the copper material are spiral shavings generated when the copper material is cut by a lathe or a milling machine.

3. 3. The antibacterial interior decoration according to claim 1, further comprising a tray provided under said container.

4. 4. The antibacterial interior decoration according to claim 1, wherein the copper material is pure copper or a copper alloy.

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