Sterilization device

Abstract

To provide a sterilization device that discharges hypochlorite into a target space by making it possible to automatically supply water without enlarging a device.SOLUTION: A sterilization device 2 has: a storage unit 5 that stores a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 with a predetermined concentration therein; an air supply unit 7 that sucks external air 3 (air 3a) and supplies it as air bubbles 8 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6; an air release unit 9 that releases the air bubbles 8 floating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 as the air 3c containing hypochlorous acid gas; a water supply unit 11 that cools water contained in the external air 3 and supplies it to the storage unit 5 as dew condensation water 12; a hypochlorite generation unit 20 (a chloride supply unit 13, an electrode 14) that adjusts the hypochlorite aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 to a predetermined concentration; a mixing unit 21 that mixes the air 3c containing hypochlorite gas released from the air release unit 9 and the external air 3 (air 3b); and a blowing unit 19 that blows the mixed air (air 4 containing hypochlorite gas ) mixed in the mixing unit 21 to the external part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sterilization device used for sterilizing private rooms and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, devices for disinfecting living spaces and the like and reducing the risk of infectious diseases include vaporization types that vaporize and release hypochlorous acid from a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, and ultrasonic types that spray a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-133521 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional sterilization devices, such as vaporization or ultrasonic types, a large amount of water is released into the living space in conjunction with the release of hypochlorous acid, which requires a large amount of water supply. Therefore, in order to achieve automatic water supply, it is necessary to connect to an external water supply facility, which poses a problem of making the sterilization device larger.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a sterilization device that enables automatic water supply without increasing the size of the device and efficiently distributes hypochlorous acid throughout the target space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the sterilization device of the present invention comprises a storage section that stores a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution of a predetermined concentration therein, an air supply section that draws in outside air and supplies it as bubbles to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, an air release section that releases the bubbles that have risen to the surface in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution as air containing hypochlorous acid gas, a water supply section that cools the moisture contained in the outside air and supplies it as condensed water to the storage section, a hypochlorous acid generation section that adjusts the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution stored in the storage section to a predetermined concentration, a mixing section that mixes the air containing hypochlorous acid gas released from the air release section with outside air, and a blowing section that blows the mixed air mixed in the mixing section to the outside, thereby achieving the desired object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the sterilization device of the present invention, it is possible to provide a sterilization device that enables automatic water supply without increasing the size of the device and efficiently distributes hypochlorous acid throughout a target space. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of installation of a sterilization apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a private room. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the sterilization apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the water supply unit in the sterilization apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation flow of the sterilization apparatus. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a sterilization apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The sterilization device according to the present invention comprises a storage section that stores a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution of a predetermined concentration therein, an air supply section that draws in outside air and supplies it as bubbles to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, an air discharge section that discharges bubbles that have risen to the surface in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution as air containing hypochlorous acid gas, a water supply section that cools moisture contained in the outside air and supplies it as condensed water to the storage section, a hypochlorous acid generation section that adjusts the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution stored in the storage section to a predetermined concentration, a mixing section that mixes the air containing hypochlorous acid gas discharged from the air discharge section with outside air, and a blowing section that blows the mixed air mixed in the mixing section to the outside.

[0010] According to this configuration, when a small amount of air is circulated in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution as bubbles by the air supply unit, a large amount of hypochlorous acid gas can be contained in a small amount of bubbles (circulating air) and supplied to the mixing unit from the air discharge unit.At this time, the amount of bubbles (circulating air) in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution can be suppressed to a small amount, so the amount of water that is evaporated into bubbles (circulating air) and released to the outside from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution can be suppressed, and the amount of water that needs to be supplied to the storage unit can be reduced.

[0011] Furthermore, since the external air is taken in and mixed with the hypochlorous acid gas-containing air supplied from the air discharge section in the mixing section, and then blown out into the target space from the blow-out section, the volume of air blown out from the sterilization device can be increased without increasing the amount of air circulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution. Therefore, the amount of water vaporized from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution can be reduced, while the hypochlorous acid can be efficiently diffused into the target space. In other words, the amount of water required to be supplied to the storage section can be reduced, while the hypochlorous acid can be efficiently diffused into the target space.

[0012] As a result, the necessary amount of water can be secured by the water supply unit (the supply of condensed water to the reservoir by the water supply unit), eliminating the need to connect to an external water supply facility for automatic water supply. Furthermore, by increasing the amount of air blown out from the sterilization device, hypochlorous acid can be efficiently diffused throughout the target space. In other words, the sterilization device enables automatic water supply without increasing the size of the device, and can efficiently distribute hypochlorous acid throughout the target space.

[0013] The sterilization apparatus according to the present invention further includes an intake section that draws in outside air. The air supply section draws in a portion of the outside air drawn in through the intake section and supplies it as air bubbles to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, and the mixing section mixes the air containing hypochlorous acid gas discharged from the air discharge section with the remaining portion of the outside air. This makes it possible to easily adjust the air mixing ratio in the mixing section while maintaining a constant volume of air blown out from the sterilization apparatus.

[0014] The sterilization apparatus according to the present invention further includes a blower unit provided in an air duct communicating with the mixing unit, which circulates external air through the air duct and sends it to the mixing unit, and a filter unit provided in the air duct, which removes foreign matter contained in the air circulating through the air duct. The blower unit is provided downstream of the filter unit. With this configuration, by operating the blower unit, the air from which the foreign matter has been removed by the filter unit can be circulated through the air duct. In other words, by providing the blower unit downstream of the filter unit, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the blower unit.

[0015] In addition, in the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, the air supply unit includes an air pump that draws in a portion of the external air circulating through the air duct, and the air pump is installed downstream of the filter unit. In this manner, the air supply unit can send the air from which foreign matter has been removed by the filter unit into the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution using the air pump. This prevents foreign matter from being mixed into the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution and prevents foreign matter from accumulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, thereby eliminating the need for a drainage facility from the storage unit.

[0016] In addition, in the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, the water supply unit is installed in the air duct. This allows condensed water to be obtained from air from which contaminants have been removed by the filter unit, thereby reducing the amount of contaminants contained in the condensed water supplied to the storage unit. This prevents contaminants from accumulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution in the storage unit, eliminating the need for a drainage facility for the storage unit.

[0017] In addition, in the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, the hypochlorous acid generating unit includes a tank for storing a chloride aqueous solution, a pump for delivering the chloride aqueous solution from the tank to the storage unit, and an electrode for producing hypochlorous acid by electrolyzing the chloride aqueous solution delivered from the pump. With this configuration, the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution stored in the storage unit can be easily adjusted to a predetermined concentration by mixing the chloride aqueous solution with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution and electrolyzing the mixture.

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples of specific embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, each drawing used in the embodiments is a schematic drawing, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in each drawing do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0019] (Embodiment 1) First, an outline of a sterilization apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of installation of a sterilization apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a private space 1. Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the sterilization apparatus 2. Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a water supply unit 11 in the sterilization apparatus 2. Here, (a) of Figure 3 is a schematic top view of the water supply unit 11 as seen from above, and (b) of Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the water supply unit 11 as seen from the side.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the sterilization device 2 is installed at a predetermined height on the wall surface of the private space 1. The sterilization device 2 takes in air 3 from the private space 1, adds hypochlorous acid (hypochlorous acid gas) to the taken-in air 3 (air 3a), mixes it with the also taken-in air 3 (air 3b), and releases it into the private space 1 as air 4 containing hypochlorous acid. As a result, the private space 1 is sterilized by the released air 4 (air 4 containing hypochlorous acid). In other words, the sterilization device 2 can be said to be a device that sterilizes the private space 1 by releasing hypochlorous acid into it. Note that there are no restrictions on where the sterilization device 2 is installed in the private space 1 as long as it can be connected to an external power source.

[0021] The private space 1 is a space used by users for meetings, breaks, etc., and is composed of structural elements such as walls and doors. A table or chair may be installed in the private space 1. An air conditioner for air conditioning (cooling, heating) the private space 1 may also be installed.

[0022] Air 3 is air taken into the sterilization apparatus 2 from the private room space 1. The arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the main flows of air 3 (air 3a, air 3b). As will be described in detail later, air 3a is air to which hypochlorous acid (hypochlorous acid gas) is added, and air 3b is air to be mixed with air 3c (not shown) to which hypochlorous acid (hypochlorous acid gas) has been added.

[0023] Air 4 is air blown out from the sterilization apparatus 2 into the private space 1. Arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the main flow of the air 4. As will be described in detail later, the air 4 contains hypochlorous acid (hypochlorous acid gas) generated inside the sterilization apparatus 2.

[0024] Next, the specific configuration of the sterilization apparatus 2 will be described.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the sterilization device 2 is composed of a storage section 5, an air supply section 7, an air release section 9, an eliminator 10, a water supply section 11, a chloride supply section 13, an electrode 14, a water level sensor 16 (full water sensor 16a, drought sensor 16b), and a housing 17.

[0026] The storage unit 5 is a container that stores therein the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. The storage unit 5 has a quadrangular prism shape, and the external dimensions of the air release unit 9 are, for example, 246 mm in width, 66 mm in depth, and 115 mm in height. The storage unit 5 can also be said to be a housing that forms the outer frame of the sterilization apparatus 2.

[0027] When the storage unit 5 is filled with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, an internal space 5a is formed above the liquid level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. An inlet through which condensed water 12 is introduced from the water supply unit 11 and an inlet through which a chloride aqueous solution 15 is introduced from the chloride supply unit 13 are respectively installed on the side wall of the container constituting the internal space 5a. An air supply unit 7 and an electrode 14 are installed at the bottom of the storage unit 5 while submerged in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. Water level sensors 16 (full water sensor 16a, drought sensor 16b) for detecting the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored therein are installed at predetermined positions in the storage unit 5. An opening (not shown) for communicating with the air release unit 9 is also provided on the top surface (upper end) of the storage unit 5.

[0028] The hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is an aqueous solution containing hypochlorous acid produced by electrolyzing a chloride aqueous solution 15 (described later). The hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 functions to incorporate hypochlorous acid (hypochlorous acid gas) into bubbles 8 supplied from an air supply unit 7 (described later) as they flow through the solution due to buoyancy. Therefore, the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the bubbles 8 can be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. Furthermore, by adjusting the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 to approximately 5 to 7, hypochlorous acid is more likely to evaporate from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, thereby increasing the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the bubbles 8. Furthermore, by increasing the distance the bubbles 8 rise due to buoyancy (the distance the bubbles 8 flow through the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6) and increasing the contact time between the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and the bubbles 8, the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the bubbles 8 can be increased. For these reasons, in this embodiment, the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is set to about 100 mg / L, the pH of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is set to about 7, and the capacity (full capacity) of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored inside is set to about 1 L based on the outer diameter dimension of the above-mentioned storage section 5. The concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is adjusted to be several times higher than the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution used in conventional sterilization devices such as vaporization type or ultrasonic type.

[0029] The air supply unit 7 is a member that draws in air 3a from the private space 1 and supplies the drawn-in air 3a as air bubbles 8 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. More specifically, the air supply unit 7 is configured to include an air stone 7a, an air pump 7b, and an air tube 7c.

[0030] Air stone 7a is a stone (for example, a stone made of porous ceramics or porous synthetic resin) that converts air 3a sent from air pump 7b via air tube 7c into fine bubbles and releases them as air bubbles 8 into hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. Air stone 7a is placed at the bottom of reservoir 5 in a state where it is submerged in hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6.

[0031] The air pump 7b is disposed outside the reservoir 5. The air pump 7b is a member that sucks in the air 3a from the private space 1 through an inlet (not shown), increases the pressure, and sends it to the air stone 7a.

[0032] The air tube 7c is a member that connects the air stone 7a and the air pump 7b and allows the air 3a discharged from the air pump 7b to flow to the air stone 7a. The air tube 7c is installed so as to penetrate the side wall of the storage section 5.

[0033] The air supply unit 7 is configured as described above.

[0034] In the air supply section 7, the amount of hypochlorous acid (hypochlorous acid gas) contained in the air 4 released from the air release section 9 into the private space 1 can be adjusted by controlling the amount of air 3a supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and the size (diameter) of the bubbles 8 to be generated.

[0035] Specifically, in the air supply unit 7, as the amount of air 3a supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 increases, the amount (number) of bubbles 8 generated increases accordingly, and the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the air 4 released from the air release unit 9 can be increased. Furthermore, in the air supply unit 7, by reducing the size (diameter) of the bubbles 8 released into the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, the rising speed of the bubbles 8 as they rise can be reduced, thereby increasing the contact time between the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and the bubbles 8. Furthermore, compared to when the size (diameter) of the bubbles 8 is large, the contact area between the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and the bubbles 8 circulating in the liquid can be increased. As a result, the amount of hypochlorous acid that the bubbles 8 circulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 take in increases as they rise, and the amount of hypochlorous acid that is contained in the air 4 released from the air release unit 9 can be increased.

[0036] Here, the amount of air 3a supplied by the air supply unit 7 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 can be controlled by the amount of air discharged by the air pump 7b. Also, the size (diameter) of the bubbles 8 can be controlled by the size of the pores in the air stone 7a (and the amount of air discharged by the air pump 7b). Taking these factors into consideration, in this embodiment, the amount of air 3a supplied by the air supply unit 7 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is set to 0.1 m 3 / h, and the size (diameter) of the bubbles 8 generated by the air stone 7a is set to about 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0037] The bubbles 8 are air 3a sucked from the private space 1 by the air supply unit 7 (air stone 7a) and atomized into bubbles, and the air is trapped in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. The bubbles 8 released from the air supply unit 7 rise while incorporating the hypochlorous acid (and moisture) contained in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 into the air inside. After that, the bubbles 8 pop and disappear when they rise to the liquid surface of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. The air inside the bubbles 8, along with the hypochlorous acid (and moisture) contained in the air, is then mixed with the air inside the internal space 5a. The air inside the internal space 5a (air containing hypochlorous acid) is then supplied from the air release unit 9 to the mixer 21 as air 3c.

[0038] The air release unit 9 is a member that connects the storage unit 5 and the housing 17, and releases air containing hypochlorous acid from the storage unit 5 (air in the internal space 5a) as air 3c from the supply port 9a to the mixing unit 21 of the housing 17. The air release unit 9 is installed on the upper surface of the storage unit 5. Furthermore, the air release unit 9 has an eliminator 10.

[0039] The eliminator 10 is a member that removes water droplets and the like that are generated when air bubbles 8 burst on the liquid surface in the storage section 5. The eliminator 10 is a porous body that allows air to flow through, and is installed in the air discharge section 9. Note that the eliminator 10 can also be called a water droplet remover, as it collects water droplets contained in the air that passes through the eliminator 10. This makes it possible in the sterilization device 2 to prevent water droplets from being released from the air discharge section 9 into the mixing section 21.

[0040] The housing 17 is a member that mixes air 3c containing hypochlorous acid gas supplied from the air discharge unit 9 with external air 3b and discharges the mixture as air 4. The housing 17 is installed on the upper surface of the air discharge unit 9. An opening that communicates with the supply port 9a of the air discharge unit 9 is provided on the side wall surface of the housing 17. This allows the air 3c from the air discharge unit 9 to be supplied into the housing 17.

[0041] More specifically, the housing 17 is configured to have an intake section 18, an outlet section 19, a mixer section 21, and an air blower section 22.

[0042] The suction section 18 is an opening through which the housing 17 communicates with the outside, and is an intake port through which the air 3b from the outside (private space 1) is taken into the sterilization apparatus 2.

[0043] The blow-out section 19 is an opening through which the housing 17 communicates with the outside, and is an outlet for supplying the air 4 containing hypochlorous acid gas from the sterilization apparatus 2 to the private space 1.

[0044] The intake section 18 and the blowout section 19 are connected in communication with each other via an internal air passage 24 of the housing 17. The internal air passage 24 is connected in communication with the supply port 9a of the air release section 9. The internal air passage 24 corresponds to the "air passage" in the claims.

[0045] The mixing section 21 is a space for mixing the air 3c containing hypochlorous acid gas supplied from the air discharge section 9 with the air 3b taken in from the suction section 18, and the space where the air 3c and air 3b inside the housing 17 join becomes the mixing section 21. The air containing hypochlorous acid gas mixed in the mixing section 21 passes through the housing 17 and is blown out as air 4 from the blow-out section 19 into the private space 1. The air 4 corresponds to the "mixed air" in the claims.

[0046] Blower unit 22 is a blower fan for circulating air in housing 17, and is disposed in internal air passage 24 of housing 17. By operating blower unit 22, air 3b is taken in from suction unit 18, and air 3b taken in from suction unit 18 is mixed in mixer 21 with air 3c supplied from air discharge unit 9, and the mixed air can be blown out from blower unit 19 as air 4.

[0047] The water supply unit 11 is a member that cools the moisture contained in the air 3 outside (private space 1) and supplies it as condensed water 12 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 in the storage unit 5. The water supply unit 11 is installed outside the storage unit 5 and is configured to introduce the condensed water 12 into the storage unit 5 through an inlet provided in the side wall of the container that forms the internal space 5a.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the water supply unit 11 includes a Peltier element 11a, a heat sink 11b1, a heat sink 11b2, a heat dissipation fan 11c, and a guide 11d.

[0049] The Peltier element 11a is a type of plate-shaped semiconductor thermoelectric element (electronic component) that uses the Peltier effect. When a direct current flows in a certain direction, the Peltier element 11a absorbs heat (cools) on one side of the element and dissipates heat (heats) on the other side. When the direction of the direct current is changed, the heat absorption surface (cooling surface) and the heat dissipation surface (heating surface) of the Peltier element 11a are interchanged. In this embodiment, an element having dimensions of 40 mm wide and 40 mm high is used as the Peltier element 11a.

[0050] Heat sinks 11b1 and 11b2 are attached to the respective surfaces of Peltier element 11a and are members that promote heat absorption and heat dissipation by Peltier element 11a. Since the heat absorption surface and heat dissipation surface of Peltier element 11a are periodically changed, heat sinks 11b1 and 11b2 perform both heat absorption and heat dissipation. In this embodiment, aluminum heat sinks having a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged in a pinholder shape and having outer dimensions of 40 mm wide, 20 mm deep, and 40 mm high are used as heat sinks 11b1 and 11b2.

[0051] The heat dissipation fan 11c is a member that sends air to the heat sink 11b1 or the heat sink 11b2, which is the heat dissipation side, to cool it and thereby promote heat dissipation by the Peltier element 11a. For this reason, the heat dissipation fan 11c is positioned so that it can send air across both the heat sink 11b1 and the heat sink 11b2.

[0052] Guide 11d is a member that forms a water channel that guides condensation water 12 dripping from heat sink 11b1 or heat sink 11b2 to reservoir 5. Guide 11d is disposed vertically below heat sink 11b1 and heat sink 11b2, as shown in FIG. 3(b), and is connected to an inlet (not shown) provided in the side wall of reservoir 5.

[0053] Next, the flow of operations of the water supply unit 11 will be described.

[0054] In the water supply unit 11, a direct current is passed through the Peltier element 11a in a certain direction, causing heat absorption by the heat sink 11b1 and heat dissipation by the heat sink 11b2. As a result, the heat sink 11b1 is cooled to approximately -5°C, and the heat sink 11b2 is cooled to approximately 45°C. This causes the temperature of the air 3 near the heat sink 11b1 (heat absorption side) to drop below freezing, causing moisture in the air 3 to condense and solidify. In addition, the heat dissipation fan 11c blows air toward the heat sink 11b2 (and the heat sink 11b1). This cools the heat sink 11b2 (heat dissipation side), promoting heat dissipation by the Peltier element 11a. After a certain amount of time has passed, a certain amount of solidified condensed water will adhere to the heat sink 11b1 (heat absorption side).

[0055] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the direction of the direct current flowing through Peltier element 11a is reversed, thereby reversing the heat absorption and heat dissipation surfaces of Peltier element 11a. As a result, heat sink 11b1 dissipates heat, causing the temperature of heat sink 11b1 to drop to approximately 45°C. Meanwhile, heat sink 11b2 absorbs heat, causing the temperature of heat sink 11b2 to drop to approximately -5°C. As a result, the solidified condensed water 12 adhering to heat sink 11b1 melts and drips directly below it. Meanwhile, moisture in air 3 condenses and solidifies in heat sink 11b2. Thereafter, by reversing the heat absorption and heat dissipation surfaces of Peltier element 11a at regular intervals, condensation, solidification, and melting are repeated in heat sinks 11b1 and 11b2, as described above, causing condensed water 12 to drip. The dripped condensed water 12 is then received by guide 11d and guided and supplied to reservoir 5.

[0056] By operating in this manner, the water supply unit 11 can supply the condensed water 12 to the storage unit 5. Here, by lowering the temperature of the air 3 to a low temperature below the freezing point, such as -5°C, it is necessary to melt the solidified condensed water 12, but it is also possible to obtain condensed water from low-humidity air.

[0057] Next, the chloride supply unit 13 and the electrode 14 will be described.

[0058] The chloride supply unit 13 and the electrode 14 constitute the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20, which adjusts the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 to a predetermined value. Specifically, in the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20, the chloride supply unit 13 supplies a predetermined amount of the chloride aqueous solution 15 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, and the electrode 14 electrolyzes the supplied chloride aqueous solution 15 to generate hypochlorous acid, thereby adjusting the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6.

[0059] The chloride supply unit 13 is a member that supplies the aqueous chloride solution 15 to the storage unit 5. The chloride supply unit 13 is installed outside the storage unit 5 and configured to introduce the aqueous chloride solution 15 into the storage unit 5 through an inlet provided in the side wall of a container that forms the internal space 5a. More specifically, the chloride supply unit 13 is configured to include a chloride tank 13a, a chloride pump 13b, and a tube 13c.

[0060] The chloride tank 13a is a container that stores therein an aqueous chloride solution 15 having a predetermined concentration. The chloride tank 13a is capable of supplying the aqueous chloride solution 15 to the storage unit 5 via a tube 13c by operation of a chloride pump 13b.

[0061] The chloride aqueous solution 15 may be any electrolyte capable of generating hypochlorous acid water by electrolysis, and is not particularly limited as long as it contains even a small amount of chloride ions. For example, an aqueous solution containing sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, or the like dissolved as a solute may be used. Potassium phosphate or the like may also be added to adjust the pH of the aqueous solution. In this embodiment, an aqueous solution in which potassium phosphate is added to a sodium chloride aqueous solution (brine) is used as the chloride aqueous solution 15. It is also desirable that the chloride aqueous solution 15 has a high concentration of sodium chloride. By using a high-concentration chloride aqueous solution 15, chloride (chloride aqueous solution) can be supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 without significantly changing the amount of water in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6.

[0062] The chloride pump 13b is a member that sends out the aqueous chloride solution 15 from the chloride tank 13a to the reservoir 5 in response to an output signal from a control unit (not shown).

[0063] The tube 13c is a component that connects the chloride tank 13a and the storage section 5 (an inlet provided on the side wall of the container that forms the internal space 5a) via the chloride pump 13b, and is used to circulate the chloride aqueous solution 15 from the chloride tank 13a to the storage section 5.

[0064] The chloride supply unit 13 is configured as described above.

[0065] Then, the chloride supply unit 13 operates the chloride pump 13b to supply a predetermined amount of chloride aqueous solution 15 from the chloride tank 13a to the storage unit 5 through the tube 13c. As a result, the chloride aqueous solution 15 is mixed with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5.

[0066] The electrode 14 is a member for electrolyzing the chloride aqueous solution 15, which is an aqueous solution containing chloride ions. The electrode 14 is installed, for example, at the bottom of the reservoir 5, submerged in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. The electrode 14 is composed of a pair of an anode and a cathode, and is configured by a catalytic coating on the surface of a conductive substrate. For example, titanium, tantalum, nickel, stainless steel, etc. can be used for the conductive substrate, but titanium is preferred because of its high corrosion resistance to hypochlorous acid. In addition, the catalyst contained in the catalytic coating is, for example, iridium, platinum group metals, etc. This can activate the electrolysis reaction at the electrode 14.

[0067] At electrode 14, a current is passed between the pair of electrodes, whereby chloride (chloride aqueous solution 15) is electrolyzed to generate hypochlorous acid. As a result, the mixed aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and chloride aqueous solution 15 stored in storage unit 5 is adjusted to be hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 having a predetermined concentration. Here, the time for which current is applied to electrode 14 is set to a time experimentally determined in advance based on the amount of chloride supplied to storage unit 5, for example.

[0068] Next, the flow of operations of the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20 will be described.

[0069] In the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20, hypochlorous acid is supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 at regular intervals in order to adjust the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 to a predetermined level. That is, as will be described in detail later, in the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20, a predetermined amount of chloride aqueous solution 15 is supplied by the chloride supply unit 13 and electrolysis is performed by the electrode 14 at regular intervals.

[0070] In the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20, first, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the chloride pump 13b sends a predetermined amount of chloride aqueous solution 15 from the chloride tank 13a to the storage unit 5, and the chloride aqueous solution 15 is supplied to and mixed with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. Then, in the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20, a current is passed through the electrode 14 to electrolyze the chloride mixed with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, i.e., sodium chloride, and generate hypochlorous acid corresponding to the amount of sodium chloride supplied as the chloride aqueous solution 15. This results in a state equivalent to that in which hypochlorous acid is supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. In other words, the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 (hypochlorous acid concentration) is adjusted by the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20. At this time, the amount of hypochlorous acid supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 can be controlled by adjusting the amount (supply amount) of the chloride aqueous solution 15 supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 during the operation of the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20. Although the pH of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 increases due to the electrolysis of sodium chloride, it is neutralized by the potassium phosphate contained in the chloride aqueous solution 15, and adjusted to a predetermined pH.

[0071] Next, the water level sensors 16 (full water sensor 16a, drought sensor 16b) will be described.

[0072] The water level sensor 16 is a component for detecting the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored inside the storage section 5, and includes a full water sensor 16a and a low water sensor 16b. Each of the water level sensors 16 is installed at a predetermined height position within the storage section 5.

[0073] The full water sensor 16a detects whether the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 is in a full water state (full water level). On the other hand, the drought sensor 16b detects whether the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 is in a drought state (drought water level). In this embodiment, the drought water level is set to a water level of 700 mL, which is 30% less than the volume of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 at the full water level (volume when full), which is 1 L.

[0074] Then, based on the water level information detected by the water level sensor 16, the supply of hypochlorous acid to the storage unit 5 by the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 is controlled. The detected water level information is used as an input signal to a control unit (not shown).

[0075] As described above, the sterilization apparatus 2 is made up of each member.

[0076] Next, the operation of the sterilization apparatus 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the operation flow of the sterilization apparatus 2.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 4, the sterilization apparatus 2 has a stopped state in which the air supply unit 7, the blower 22, the water supply unit 11, and the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 (chloride supply unit 13, electrode 14) are stopped, and an operating state in which the air supply unit 7 and the blower 22 are operating. Here, arrow R1 in Fig. 4 indicates the transition from the stopped state to the operating state. Also, arrow R4 in Fig. 4 indicates the transition from the operating state to the stopped state.

[0078] By entering the stopped state (step S01), the sterilization apparatus 2 can suppress the evaporation of hypochlorous acid from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and suppress the amount of hypochlorous acid released. However, since hypochlorous acid not only evaporates from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 into bubbles 8 but also evaporates directly from the liquid surface of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 into the internal space 5a, some amount of hypochlorous acid is evaporated and released even in the stopped state.

[0079] On the other hand, by operating the sterilization apparatus 2, it is possible to release hypochlorous acid into the private room 1. In the operating state, hypochlorous acid and water evaporate from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, so that the amount and level of water in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 decrease.

[0080] More specifically, in the operating state, the sterilization apparatus 2 basically performs standard operation (step S02). Here, standard operation refers to operation in which the air supply unit 7 and the blower unit 22 are operated to release hypochlorous acid. That is, in standard operation, the water supply unit 11, the chloride supply unit 13, and the electrode 14 are not operated. Therefore, in standard operation, bubbles 8 are supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 by bubbling in the air supply unit 7, and the air 3c containing hypochlorous acid is supplied from the air discharge unit 9 to the mixer unit 21. Then, the air 3c containing hypochlorous acid is mixed with the air 3b taken in from the suction unit 18 in the mixer unit 21 by the blower unit 22, and is released as air 4 from the blower unit 19 into the private space 1.

[0081] Thereafter, standard operation is continuously performed in step S02, and when the drought sensor 16b (see FIG. 2) detects that the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 decreases from the full-water level L1 to the drought level L2 (step S03), the sterilization apparatus 2 operates the water supply unit 11 to supply condensed water 12 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 as water supply operation (step S04). As a result, the water level L3 of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 rises. When the full-water sensor 16a detects that the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 has reached the full-water level L4 (the same level as water level L1) (step S05), the sterilization apparatus 2 stops the operation of the water supply unit 11 and returns to standard operation (step S02).

[0082] In this way, the sterilization apparatus 2 can maintain the amount of hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 within a certain range. Arrow R2 in Fig. 4 represents the flow of standard operation, detection of water level L2 by drought sensor 16b, supply of condensed water 12 by water supply unit 11, detection of water level L4 by full water sensor 16a, and return to standard operation. Note that during the series of flows represented by arrow R2, the operation of air supply unit 7 and blower unit 22, and the associated release of air 4 containing hypochlorous acid, continue.

[0083] Meanwhile, the sterilization apparatus 2 operates the hypochlorite generation unit 20 every time a certain time period elapses, causing the chloride supply unit 13 to supply the chloride aqueous solution 15 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and electrolyzing the supplied chloride by the electrode 14. More specifically, standard operation is continuously performed in step S02, and after a certain time period (e.g., one hour) has elapsed (step S06), the sterilization apparatus 2 operates the chloride supply unit 13 to supply a predetermined amount of chloride aqueous solution 15 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 as chloride introduction (step S07). Then, the sterilization apparatus 2 applies a current to the electrode 14 to electrolyze (also referred to as electrolysis) the sodium chloride mixed with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, thereby generating hypochlorous acid corresponding to the amount of sodium chloride supplied as the chloride aqueous solution 15 (step S08). As a result, hypochlorous acid is supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, and the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is adjusted to a predetermined concentration. Here, the amount of hypochlorous acid supplied is an amount experimentally estimated in advance, and is equal to the amount of hypochlorous acid that decreases from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 over a certain period of time. Then, as soon as the supply of hypochlorous acid by the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 is completed, the sterilization apparatus 2 stops the operation of the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 and returns to standard operation (step S02).

[0084] By doing so, the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 can be maintained within a certain range. Furthermore, since the amount of water in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 is controlled within a certain range, the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 can be maintained within a certain range. Arrow R3 in FIG. 4 represents a flow of standard operation, a certain time period, supply of the chloride aqueous solution 15 by the chloride supply unit 13, electrolysis by the electrode 14, and return to standard operation. Note that during the series of flows represented by arrow R3, operation of the air supply unit 7 and the blower unit 22 and release of hypochlorous acid continue.

[0085] By operating the sterilization device 2 in the manner described above, the sterilization device 2 can continuously release hypochlorous acid into the private space 1 while maintaining the amount of water in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and the amount of hypochlorous acid contained in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 within a certain range.

[0086] As described above, the sterilization apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0087] (1) The sterilization device 2 includes a storage section 5 that stores a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 of a predetermined concentration inside, an air supply section 7 that draws in air 3a from the outside (private space 1) and supplies it as bubbles 8 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, an air discharge section 9 that discharges the bubbles 8 that rise in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 as air 3c containing hypochlorous acid gas, a water supply section 11 that cools the moisture contained in the air from the outside (private space 1) and supplies it to the storage section 5 as condensed water 12, a hypochlorous acid generation section 20 (chloride supply section 13, electrode 14) that adjusts the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage section 5 to a predetermined concentration, a mixing section 21 that mixes the air 3c containing hypochlorous acid gas discharged from the air discharge section 9 with air 3b from the outside (private space 1), and a blowing section 19 that blows the air 4 mixed in the mixing section 21 to the outside (private space 1).

[0088] As a result, when a small amount of air 3 is circulated as bubbles 8 through the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 by the air supply unit 7, a large amount of hypochlorous acid gas can be contained in the small amount of bubbles 8 (circulating air) and supplied from the air release unit 9 to the mixing unit 21. At this time, since the amount of bubbles 8 (circulating air) in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 can be kept small, the amount of water vaporized from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 into the bubbles 8 (circulating air) and released to the outside (private space 1) is suppressed, and the amount of water required to be supplied to the storage unit 5 can be reduced.

[0089] Furthermore, air 3b from the outside (private space 1) is taken in, mixed with air 3c containing hypochlorous acid gas supplied from the air release section 9 in the mixer 21, and blown out from the blowout section 19 into the target space (private space 1), thereby increasing the amount of air blown out from the sterilization device 2 without increasing the amount of air circulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. This allows hypochlorous acid to be efficiently diffused into the target space (private space 1) while suppressing the amount of water vaporized from the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. In other words, hypochlorous acid can be efficiently diffused into the target space (private space 1) while suppressing the amount of water required to be supplied to the storage section 5.

[0090] As a result, the necessary amount of water can be supplied by the water supply unit 11 (the supply of condensed water 12 to the reservoir 5 by the water supply unit 11), eliminating the need to connect to an external water supply facility for automatic water supply. Furthermore, by increasing the amount of air blown out from the sterilization apparatus 2, hypochlorous acid can be efficiently diffused in the target space (private space 1). In other words, the sterilization apparatus 2 enables automatic water supply without increasing the size of the apparatus, and can efficiently distribute hypochlorous acid in the target space (private space 1).

[0091] (2) In the sterilization device 2, the hypochlorous acid generating unit 20 (chloride supply unit 13, electrode 14) is configured to include a chloride tank 13a that stores the chloride aqueous solution 15, a chloride pump 13b that delivers the chloride aqueous solution 15 from the chloride tank 13a to the storage unit 5, and an electrode 14 that generates hypochlorous acid by electrolyzing the chloride aqueous solution 15 delivered from the chloride pump 13b. With this configuration, the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 stored in the storage unit 5 can be easily adjusted to a predetermined concentration by mixing the chloride aqueous solution 15 with the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and electrolyzing the resulting mixture.

[0092] (Embodiment 2) A sterilization apparatus 2a according to embodiment 2 of the present invention differs from embodiment 1 in that the internal air passage 24a of the housing 17a is expanded and the air pump 7b of the air supply unit 7, the water supply unit 11, and the filter unit 23 are arranged in the internal air passage 24a of the housing 17a. The rest of the configuration of the sterilization apparatus 2a is the same as that of the sterilization apparatus 2 according to embodiment 1. Below, the details already explained in embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate, and differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly explained.

[0093] A sterilization apparatus 2a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a sterilization apparatus 2a according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 5, in the sterilization apparatus 2a, the air pump 7b of the air supply unit 7, the water supply unit 11, the blower unit 22, and the filter unit 23 are arranged in an internal air passage 24a of the housing 17a.

[0095] Internal air passage 24a is an air passage that connects suction section 18a and blowing section 19 inside housing 17a. Similar to internal air passage 24, internal air passage 24a is connected to supply port 9a of air release section 9. Note that internal air passage 24a corresponds to the "air passage" in the claims.

[0096] The filter section 23 is a filter for removing dirt or foreign matter from the air 3 taken in through the suction section 18a, and is disposed in the internal air passage 24a near the suction section 18a.

[0097] Blower section 22 is disposed in internal air passage 24a downstream of filter section 23 and upstream of mixer section 21. This allows air 3 from which foreign matter has been removed after passing through filter section 23 to flow through blower section 22, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering blower section 22. Furthermore, blower section 22 is less susceptible to the effects of hypochlorous acid gas, thereby preventing corrosion or deterioration of blower section 22 due to hypochlorous acid gas.

[0098] Air pump 7b is disposed in internal air passage 24a downstream of filter section 23 and upstream of mixer 21. This allows air pump 7b to take in less contaminated air 3a that has passed through filter section 23 and send it to hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. Furthermore, air pump 7b is less susceptible to the effects of hypochlorous acid gas, which can prevent corrosion or deterioration of air pump 7b due to hypochlorous acid gas.

[0099] Water supply unit 11 is disposed downstream of filter unit 23 and upstream of mixer 21 in internal air passage 24a. This allows water supply unit 11 to obtain condensed water 12 from air that has passed through filter unit 23 and is free of foreign matter or contamination, and therefore can supply condensed water 12 that is free of foreign matter or contamination to hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. Furthermore, water supply unit 11 is less susceptible to the effects of hypochlorous acid gas, which can prevent water supply unit 11 from corroding or deteriorating due to hypochlorous acid gas.

[0100] In this embodiment, filter section 23, blower section 22, air pump 7b, water supply section 11, and mixer section 21 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in internal air passage 24a of housing 17a.

[0101] Next, the flow of the air 3 sucked in through the suction part 18a during the operation of the sterilization apparatus 2a will be described.

[0102] In the sterilization apparatus 2a, when the air supply unit 7 and the blower unit 22 are operated, the air 3 from the outside (private space 1) is sucked into the housing 17a (internal air passage 24a) through the suction unit 18a.

[0103] Then, the air 3 sucked in through the suction portion 18a flows through the filter portion 23. This removes dirt or foreign matter contained in the air 3, and the air 3 is purified.

[0104] The air 3 that has flowed through the filter section 23 flows through the blower section 22 .

[0105] Then, a portion (air 3a) of the air 3 that has circulated through blower section 22 is sucked into air pump 7b of air supply section 7. The remaining portion (air 3b) of the air 3 that has circulated through blower section 22 flows directly through internal air passage 24a toward mixer section 21.

[0106] The air 3a sucked into the air pump 7b is turned into bubbles 8 by bubbling in the air stone 7a and supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, and is sent from the air discharge section 9 to the mixer 21 as air 3c containing hypochlorous acid.

[0107] Then, the air 3c containing hypochlorous acid sent to the mixing section 21 is mixed with the air 3b that has circulated through the internal air passage 24a, and is released into the private room space 1 from the blowing section 19 as air 4 containing hypochlorous acid.

[0108] In this way, the sterilization device 2a draws in air 3 from the outside (private space 1), circulates the drawn-in air 3 inside as air 3a and air 3b, and finally releases it to the outside (private space 1) as air 4 containing hypochlorous acid.

[0109] As described above, according to the sterilization apparatus 2a of the second embodiment, in addition to the above-mentioned effects (1) and (2), the following effects can be obtained.

[0110] (3) The sterilization apparatus 2a has an intake section 18a that draws in air 3 from the outside (private space 1). The air pump 7b of the air supply section 7 draws in a portion (air 3a) of the air 3 drawn in through the intake section 18a and supplies it as bubbles 8 to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution. The air discharge section 9 discharges the air 3 containing hypochlorous acid gas generated from the bubbles 8. The mixer 21 mixes the hypochlorous acid gas-containing air 3c discharged from the air discharge section 9 with the remaining portion (air 3b) of the air 3. This makes it possible to easily adjust the mixing ratio of the air (air 3c, air 3b) in the mixer 21 while maintaining a constant volume of air blown out from the sterilization apparatus 2a (blowout section 19).

[0111] (4) The sterilization device 2a includes an air blower 22 provided in an internal air passage 24a (housing 17a) communicating with the mixing section 21, which blows air 3 from the outside (private space 1) through the internal air passage 24a and sends it to the mixing section 21, and a filter 23 provided in the internal air passage 24a and removes foreign matter from the air 3 (air 3a, air 3b) flowing through the internal air passage 24a. The air blower 22 is located downstream of the filter 23 and upstream of the mixing section 21. This allows the air 3 from which foreign matter has been removed by the filter 23 to flow through the internal air passage 24a by operating the air blower 22. In other words, by placing the air blower 22 downstream of the filter 23, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the air blower 22.

[0112] Furthermore, by installing the blower section 22 upstream of the mixing section 21, the possibility of the blower section 22 being exposed to the hypochlorous acid gas flowing through the internal air passage 24a is reduced, and corrosion or deterioration of the blower section 22 due to the hypochlorous acid gas can be suppressed.

[0113] (5) In the sterilization apparatus 2a, the air supply unit 7 includes an air pump 7b that draws in a portion of the air 3 (air 3a) flowing through the internal air passage 24a. The air pump 7b is installed downstream of the filter unit 23 and upstream of the mixer 21. This allows the air supply unit 7 to take in the air 3a from which foreign matter has been removed by the filter unit 23, and send it into the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 using the air pump 7b. This prevents foreign matter from entering the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and prevents foreign matter from accumulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, making it unnecessary to provide a drainage facility for the storage unit 5.

[0114] Furthermore, by installing the air pump 7b upstream of the mixing section 21, the possibility that the air pump 7b will be exposed to the hypochlorous acid gas circulating through the internal air passage 24a is reduced, and corrosion or deterioration of the air pump 7b due to the hypochlorous acid gas can be suppressed.

[0115] (6) In the sterilization apparatus 2a, the water supply unit 11 is installed downstream of the filter unit 23 in the internal air passage 24a and upstream of the mixer 21. This allows the condensed water 12 to be obtained from air from which foreign matter has been removed by the filter unit 23, thereby reducing the amount of foreign matter contained in the condensed water 12 supplied to the storage unit 5. This prevents foreign matter from accumulating in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 in the storage unit 5, eliminating the need for a drainage facility for the storage unit 5.

[0116] Furthermore, by installing the water supply unit 11 upstream of the mixing unit 21, the possibility that the water supply unit 11 will be exposed to the concentration of hypochlorous acid gas circulating through the internal air passage 24a is reduced, and corrosion or deterioration of the water supply unit 11 caused by hypochlorous acid gas can be suppressed.

[0117] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it can be easily inferred that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0118] In the sterilization apparatus 2 and sterilization apparatus 2a according to the present embodiment, a Peltier element 11a is used as the water supply unit 11, but this is not limiting. For example, a heat pump device may be used as the water supply unit 11. By doing so, although the sterilization apparatus itself becomes larger, it is possible to enjoy the effect of obtaining a larger amount of condensed water 12 with less power consumption.

[0119] Furthermore, in the sterilization apparatus 2 and sterilization apparatus 2a according to the present embodiment, hypochlorous acid is supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 by electrolyzing chloride, but this is not limiting. For example, hypochlorous acid may be supplied to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 by supplying an organic chlorine chemical such as sodium dichloroisocyanurate to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6. With this configuration, hypochlorous acid can be supplied without using electrodes 14, thereby reducing the power consumption of the apparatus.

[0120] Furthermore, the sterilization apparatus 2 and sterilization apparatus 2a according to this embodiment may be provided with a sensor that measures the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6, and the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 may be controlled in accordance with the output of the sensor. Specifically, when the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 output by the sensor falls below a specified value, the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 is operated, and when the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 output by the sensor reaches the specified value, the hypochlorous acid generation unit 20 is stopped. This makes it possible to more reliably control the concentration of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 within a certain range.

[0121] Furthermore, in the sterilization apparatus 2 and sterilization apparatus 2a according to the present embodiment, in step S04, only condensed water 12 is supplied from the water supply unit 11 to the storage unit 5 as the water supply operation, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the condensed water 12 supplied to the storage unit 5 may be in a state equivalent to supply water containing hypochlorous acid. Specifically, when the water supply unit 11 supplies condensed water 12, the chloride supply unit 13 supplies an amount of chloride aqueous solution 15 necessary to convert the amount of condensed water 12 supplied to the storage unit 5 (the amount of water equal to the difference between water levels L1 and L2) into a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution of a predetermined concentration. Then, electrolysis is performed by the electrode 14 for a time necessary to convert the chloride aqueous solution 15 supplied from the chloride supply unit 13 into hypochlorous acid. As a result, in step S05, when the water level of the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 reaches the full water level L4, supply water containing hypochlorous acid of a predetermined concentration has been supplied. That is, when the operation returns to the standard operation in step S02, the concentration of the aqueous hypochlorous acid solution 6 can be within the predetermined range. Therefore, the sterilization apparatus 2 and the sterilization apparatus 2a controlled as described above can release the air 4 containing hypochlorous acid at a stable concentration into the private room 1.

[0122] Furthermore, in the sterilization apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, the water supply unit 11 is configured to cool the moisture contained in the air 3 outside (private space 1) and supply it as condensed water 12 to the aqueous hypochlorous acid solution 6 in the storage unit 5, but this is not limiting. For example, the water supply unit 11 may be provided in the internal space 5a of the storage unit 5, and the moisture contained in the air in the internal space 5a may be cooled and supplied as condensed water 12. In this way, the above-mentioned effects can also be obtained.

[0123] Furthermore, in the sterilization device 2 and sterilization device 2a according to the present embodiment, the bubbles 8 are passed through the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution 6 and released as hypochlorous acid-containing air 4, but this is not limiting. In a modified example, for example, a chemical solution containing a sterilizing component, such as chlorine acid water, ozone water, or hydrogen peroxide water, may be used as the solution stored in the storage unit 5, and as the bubbles 8 pass through the chemical solution containing the sterilizing component, the bubbles 8 may contain a gas containing the sterilizing component, such as chlorine gas, ozone gas, or hydrogen peroxide gas, and the gas may be released as air 4. This method also allows sterilization of the private space 1. [Industrial Applicability]

[0124] The sterilization device of the present invention enables automatic water supply without increasing the size of the device and can release hypochlorous acid into the target space, making it useful as a device for sterilizing private rooms and other spaces. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 Private room 2. Sterilization device 2a Sterilization device 3. Air 3a Air 3b Air 3c Air 4. Air 5. Storage section 5a Interior space 6. Hypochlorous acid solution 7 Air supply section 7a Air Stone 7b Air pump 7c air tube 8. Bubbles 9 Air release section 9a Supply port 10 Eliminator 11 Water supply section 11a Peltier element 11b1 Heatsink 11b2 heat sink 11c Heat dissipation fan 11d Guide 12 Condensation water 13 Chloride supply section 13a Chloride Tank 13b Chloride Pump 13c tube 14 electrodes 15 Chloride Aqueous Solution 16 Water level sensor 16a Full water sensor 16b Drought sensor 17. Cabinet 17a Case 18 Intake section 18a Intake section 19 Air outlet 20 Hypochlorous Acidification Division 21 Mixing section 22 Blower 23 Filter section 24 Internal air passage 24a Internal air passage

Claims

1. A housing having a mixing section and a blowing section, A storage section for storing a hypochlorous acid aqueous solution of a predetermined concentration therein; An air supply unit that sucks in air outside the housing and supplies it as air bubbles to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution; An air release section that communicates the storage section with the housing and releases the air bubbles that have risen in the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution as air containing hypochlorous acid gas; a water supply unit that cools moisture contained in the air outside the housing and supplies the moisture as condensed water to the storage unit; A chloride supply unit that supplies a predetermined amount of chloride aqueous solution to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, and a hypochlorous acid generating unit that includes an electrode that electrolyzes the chloride aqueous solution to generate hypochlorous acid; Equipped with The mixing unit mixes the air containing the hypochlorous acid gas released from the air release unit and the air outside the housing, the blowing unit blows the mixed air mixed in the mixing unit to the outside of the housing, The hypochlorous acid generation unit performs the supply of a predetermined amount of chloride aqueous solution by the chloride supply unit and electrolysis by the electrode at regular intervals, thereby adjusting the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution stored in the storage unit to the predetermined concentration. A sterilization device characterized by the above.

2. Further, an intake section is provided to draw in air outside the housing, The air supply unit sucks in a portion of the air outside the housing sucked in from the suction unit and supplies it as air bubbles to the hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, 2. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing section mixes the hypochlorous acid gas-containing air released from the air release section with the remaining part of the air outside the housing.

3. a blower section provided in an air passage communicating with the mixing section, the blower section causing air outside the housing to flow through the air passage and send the air to the mixing section; a filter section provided in the air duct to remove foreign matter contained in the air flowing through the air duct; Furthermore, The sterilization apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air blowing section is disposed downstream of the filter section and upstream of the mixer section.

4. the air supply unit includes an air pump that draws in a portion of the air outside the housing that flows through the air passage; 4. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the air pump is installed downstream of the filter section and upstream of the mixer section.

5. 5. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the water supply unit is disposed downstream of the filter unit and upstream of the mixer unit in the air duct.

6. the chloride supply unit includes a tank that stores the chloride aqueous solution and a pump that delivers the chloride aqueous solution from the tank to the storage unit; The sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the electrodes generate hypochlorous acid by electrolyzing the chloride aqueous solution delivered from the pump.

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