Bathroom sterilization system

Abstract

To provide a bathroom sterilization system capable of sterilizing a wide range by obtaining sterilization effect up to a portion to which a bactericidal water cannot be directly attached.SOLUTION: A bathroom sterilization system 20 includes: a bactericidal water generation part 48 for generating a bactericidal water; a water discharge device 22 including a bactericidal water discharge part for discharging the bactericidal water; a bathroom drier 26 for vaporizing an active ingredient of the discharged bactericidal water; a water discharge device 22 for forming retained water by causing water to stay in a bathroom; and a control device 30 by which the bactericidal water is discharged from the bactericidal water discharge part to the bathroom in a state where the water stays in the bathroom, the active ingredient of the bactericidal water discharged to the bathroom by the bathroom drier is vaporized, and the active ingredient of the vaporized bactericidal water is dissolved in the retained water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom sterilization system for sterilizing a bathroom. [Background technology]

[0002] Bathroom users are very dissatisfied with bacterial and moldy stains. To combat this, a bathroom ventilation fan is known, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. The fan sprays a mist of electrolyzed water (sterilizing water) into the bathroom from an electrolyzed water sprayer attached to the ceiling of the bathroom to sterilize the bathroom, and then ventilates the bathroom.

[0003] Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 2, a bathroom heating and ventilation fan is known that sprays electrolyzed water from an electrolyzed water spray unit attached to the bathroom ceiling to suppress the formation of slime and other stains caused by yeast and other bacteria that grow on the bathroom floor, and then performs drying and fan operations to effectively suppress the growth of yeast and other bacteria in the bathroom. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-292183 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-165831 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, which are the prior art mentioned above, electrolyzed water (sterilizing water) is sprayed from the ceiling of the bathroom, so the electrolyzed water accumulates on the visible parts and cannot act on the backsides or gaps of the objects to be sterilized. Therefore, in conventional devices, after electrolyzed water is sprayed, it is considered to circulate the air in the bathroom using a ventilation fan to allow the electrolyzed water to act, but if the particle size of the sprayed electrolyzed water mist is small, the electrolyzed water vaporizes during circulation, reducing the concentration of the active ingredients in the electrolyzed water, and by the time it reaches the backside or gaps of the object to be sterilized, the sterilization effect is lost. Furthermore, the electrolyzed water mist adheres to various parts of the bathroom, causing problems such as limescale and marring the appearance.

[0006] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and have further developed the conventional method of sterilizing a bathroom by taking into consideration the spray distance, the concentration of the disinfectant water on contact, the amount of water that lands on contact, etc., and have discovered that by dissolving the active ingredient of the disinfectant water that evaporates after spraying, which is not used for sterilization in the prior art, in the residual water remaining in the bathroom, the active ingredient can be distributed to every corner of the bathroom, making it possible to sterilize a wider area in the bathroom.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a bathroom sterilization system that can sterilize a wide area by achieving a sterilization effect even in areas where sterilizing water cannot directly adhere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a bathroom sterilization system for sterilizing a bathroom, and is characterized by having a sterilizing water device equipped with a sterilizing water generation unit that generates sterilizing water containing an active ingredient, a sterilizing water discharge unit that discharges sterilizing water, vaporization means that vaporizes the active ingredient of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge unit, stagnant water forming means that causes water to remain in the bathroom, and a control unit that discharges sterilizing water from the sterilizing water discharge unit into the bathroom while water is stagnating in the bathroom, vaporizes the active ingredient of the sterilizing water discharged into the bathroom by the vaporization means, and dissolves the active ingredient of the vaporized sterilizing water in the stagnant water. Generally, stagnant water (residual water) in a bathroom after bathing is undesirable because it can cause bacterial and mold stains. However, in the present invention, residual water is intentionally left in the bathroom, and in this state, disinfectant water is discharged into the bathroom, and the active ingredients of the discharged disinfectant water are vaporized by a vaporization means. This allows the active ingredients of the vaporized disinfectant water to dissolve in the residual water, thereby achieving a disinfecting effect even in areas where disinfectant water cannot be applied directly (corners, seams, the underside of counters, ceilings, upper parts of walls, storage shelves, etc.). As a result, the present invention can disinfect a wide area of ​​the bathroom.

[0009] In the present invention, the evaporation means preferably generates an air current in the bathroom when the bathroom is not ventilated so as to reduce the amount of stagnant water while leaving the stagnant water. In the present invention configured as described above, the vaporizing means generates an airflow in the bathroom that reduces the amount of stagnant water while leaving the remaining water, thereby increasing the specific surface area of ​​the stagnant water and increasing the amount of active ingredient in the disinfectant water that dissolves.Furthermore, by reducing the amount of stagnant water, the concentration of the active ingredient in the disinfectant water dissolved in the remaining water can be increased, allowing the active ingredient in the disinfectant water to be used efficiently.

[0010] In the present invention, the evaporation means preferably heats the bathroom in a state where the bathroom is not ventilated so as to reduce the amount of stagnant water while leaving the stagnant water. In the present invention configured as described above, the vaporizing means heats the bathroom so as to reduce the amount of stagnant water while leaving some of it, thereby increasing the specific surface area of ​​the stagnant water and increasing the amount of active ingredient in the disinfectant water that dissolves.Furthermore, by reducing the amount of stagnant water, the concentration of the active ingredient in the disinfectant water dissolved in the remaining water can be increased, allowing the active ingredient in the disinfectant water to be used efficiently.

[0011] In the present invention, the control section preferably causes a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge section to directly adhere as the sterilizing water to a predetermined area to be sterilized. To obtain a sterilization effect by dissolving an active ingredient in residual water in all areas of the bathroom where a sterilization effect is desired, water must be left in all areas of the bathroom. However, residual water (stagnant water) can cause scale and mold to form, so it is generally desirable to have no residual water. Therefore, in the present invention, the control unit causes a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge unit to adhere as sterilizing water to the areas to be sterilized, and the sterilization effect can be obtained by dissolution in other areas, thereby avoiding problems caused by residual water and obtaining a sterilization effect over a wide area of ​​the bathroom.

[0012] In the present invention, the control unit preferably causes a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge unit to directly adhere to the floor of the washing area as sterilizing water. The floor of the washing area in a bathroom is particularly prone to dirt. Therefore, in the present invention, a portion of the disinfecting water discharged from the disinfecting water discharge section is directly attached to the floor of the washing area as disinfecting water, thereby more reliably achieving disinfecting effects on the dirty washing area floor and also achieving disinfecting effects by dissolution in other areas. Therefore, the disinfecting effect can be achieved over a wide area of ​​the bathroom while avoiding problems caused by residual water.

[0013] In the present invention, the floor of the washing area preferably has a drainage gradient that slopes downward toward the drain outlet to such an extent that a predetermined amount of stagnant water remains. According to the present invention, the washing area floor has a drainage gradient that slopes downward toward the drain outlet so that a predetermined amount of stagnant water remains, so that the amount of stagnant water on the washing area floor can be reduced while maintaining its stagnation.

[0014] In the present invention, the corners of the floor of the washing area are preferably formed to have water repellency. The corners of the washing area floor are prone to dirt accumulation and mold growth. Therefore, in the present invention, the corners of the washing area floor are formed to be water-repellent, so that residual water tends to remain in the form of droplets. Therefore, this droplet formation increases the surface area of ​​the residual water, making it easier for the active ingredients of the evaporated disinfectant water to dissolve, so that the disinfectant effect can be more reliably obtained according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the bathroom sterilization system of the present invention, the sterilization effect can be achieved even in areas where the sterilizing water cannot directly adhere, thereby enabling sterilization over a wide area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a bathroom in which a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the counter in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the water discharger taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a front view showing the nozzle portion of the water discharger, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the state in which disinfecting water is being sprayed from a disinfecting water nozzle opening of a nozzle portion of the water discharge device. [Figure 6] 10 is a perspective view showing tap water being sprayed from a nozzle opening for stagnant water in a nozzle portion of the water discharge device. FIG. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a bathroom drying device of a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 7(a) shows the "ventilation damper open state" and Figure 7(b) shows the "ventilation damper closed state." [Figure 8] 1 is a time chart showing the operation of a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a configuration diagram and table explaining the "pre-wash operation" performed by a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram and table illustrating the "sterilizing water discharge operation" performed by a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]1 is a diagram illustrating part of the principle of a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a method for measuring the amount of dissolved active ingredient in vaporized sterilized water. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] First, a bathroom in which a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention is used will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bathroom in which a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, and Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the area around the counter in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, bathroom 1 has a first wall 2, a second wall 4, a third wall 6, and a fourth wall 8, which form the four sides of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped. A bathtub 10 is provided next to second wall 4, and a washing area floor 12 is provided below and between fourth wall 8 and bathtub 10. A drain 14 is provided on this washing area floor 12 near bathtub 10, and hot and cold water is discharged from this drain 14 to the outside.

[0018] A counter 16 is provided on a portion of the side of the third wall 6. A mirror, a water tap, a shower hose, etc. are provided above the counter 16 on the third wall 6. A water discharge device 22 for discharging sterilizing water and tap water (water), which constitutes part of the bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment, is provided on the underside of the counter 16.

[0019] A ceiling 24 is attached to the upper ends of the first wall 2 to the fourth wall 8, and a bathroom drying device 26 is provided on this ceiling 24 to ventilate and dry the air in the bathroom 1, which is part of the bathroom sterilization system 20. As will be described later, this bathroom drying device 26 is a device for vaporizing the sprayed sterilizing water, and corresponds to the "evaporation means." Furthermore, outside the bathroom 1, an operation panel 28 for operating the bathroom sterilization system 20 and a control device 30 for operating the water discharge device 22 and bathroom drying device 26 described above are provided.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the counter 16 has a top plate 16a and a lower cover 16b, and is provided above and spaced apart from the washing area floor 12.

[0021] Next, the water discharger 22 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the water discharger taken along line III-III in Figure 1, Figure 4(a) is a front view showing the nozzle portion of the water discharger, Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing disinfecting water being sprayed from the disinfecting water nozzle opening of the nozzle portion of the water discharger, and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing tap water being sprayed from the stagnant water nozzle opening of the nozzle portion of the water discharger. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a bathroom drying device of a bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 7(a) showing the "ventilation damper open state" and Figure 7(b) showing the "ventilation damper closed state."

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, a water discharger 22 is provided inside the counter 16 (between the top plate 16a and the lower cover 16b), and this water discharger 22 has a nozzle portion 32 that protrudes downward from the lower cover 16b of the counter 16. As also shown in Figure 2, the nozzle portion 32 is positioned below the counter 16, at a distance from the washing area floor 12, and further, the nozzle portion 32 is located near the center of the counter 16 in the horizontal direction, i.e., near the center of the washing area floor 12 in the horizontal direction.

[0023] Returning to Figure 3, the water discharge device 22 is provided with a first strainer 36, a first solenoid valve 38, a second solenoid valve 40, a pressure regulating valve 42, a vacuum breaker 44, a check valve 46, a sterilized water generator 48, and a second strainer 50. The first strainer 36 is connected to an external water supply pipe (not shown), and the flow path for tap water branches into two downstream of the first strainer 36. Note that the vacuum breaker 44 need not be provided.

[0024] One of the flow paths 51 downstream of the first strainer 36 is configured to supply tap water directly to the nozzle portion 32 via the first solenoid valve 38. By opening the first solenoid valve 38, tap water is supplied to the nozzle portion 32. The first solenoid valve 38 and the nozzle portion 32 provided in this one of the flow paths 51 spray tap water onto the washing area floor 12 to form residual water on the washing area floor 12, and therefore correspond to the "residual water forming means."

[0025] The other flow path 52 downstream of the first strainer 36 is connected to, in order from the upstream side, a second solenoid valve 40, a pressure regulating valve 42, a vacuum breaker 44, a check valve 46, a sterilized water generator 48, and a second strainer 50, so as to supply sterilized water to the nozzle section 32. The vacuum breaker 44 does not have to be provided.

[0026] The first solenoid valve 38 and the second solenoid valve 40 are configured to open the above-mentioned flow paths 51, 52 for tap water and close the flow paths 51, 52 for tap water, respectively.

[0027] The pressure regulating valve 42 controls the pressure of the tap water being supplied. This makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of tap water supplied to the sterilized water producing section 48, which will be described in detail later, to a desired value. By adjusting the flow rate of tap water supplied to the sterilized water producing section 48, the flow rate of sterilized water supplied to the nozzle section 32 is adjusted. Note that instead of or in addition to the pressure regulating valve 42, the flow rate of tap water may be adjusted by a second solenoid valve 40.

[0028] The sterilized water generating unit 48 is an electrolysis chamber (electrolytic cell) having an anode and a cathode. The sterilized water generating unit 48 generates sterilized water containing hypochlorous acid by applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode and electrolyzing tap water flowing between the electrodes. Because tap water contains chloride ions, hypochlorous acid is generated by electrolyzing the chloride ions. Here, the sterilized water generating unit 48 corresponds to the "sterilized water generating unit," and the nozzle unit 32 corresponds to the "sterilized water discharge unit."

[0029] The first solenoid valve 38, the second solenoid valve 40, the pressure regulating valve 42, and the sterilized water generating unit 48 are appropriately controlled by the control device 30. This makes it possible to control the spraying of tap water from the nozzle unit 32 and the spraying of sterilizing water from the nozzle unit 32 independently of each other.

[0030] Specifically, the first solenoid valve 38 and the second solenoid valve 40 open and close the tap water flow paths 51, 52 based on signals from the control device 30. This controls the flow rate of tap water supplied downstream. The sterilized water generator 48 also switches the electrolysis chamber ON / OFF, etc., based on signals from the control device 30. In this way, the control device 30 can control the concentrations of various components in the sterilized water, the instantaneous flow rates (flow rate per unit time) of the tap water and sterilized water being discharged, and the total amount of sterilized water being discharged.

[0031] The above-mentioned disinfectant water is functional water that has the function of reducing bacteria, mold, and yeast, and is, for example, water containing hypochlorous acid. Tap water contains chloride ions, and hypochlorous acid is generated by electrolyzing these chloride ions. As a result, the electrolyzed water changes into a liquid containing hypochlorous acid (HOCl). This hypochlorous acid vaporizes and becomes disinfectant water gas (ClO). This dichlorine monoxide is the active ingredient of disinfectant water gas. The sterilized water may be metal ion water (e.g., water containing metal ions such as silver ions, copper ions, or zinc ions) or water containing ozone. For example, when tap water is electrolyzed, an acid (H + ) is consumed, and the pH rises near the cathode. In other words, alkaline water is produced near the cathode. On the other hand, alkaline (OH) is produced near the anode. - ) is consumed, and the pH drops near the anode. That is, acidic water is produced near the anode. By changing the flow rate in the sterilized water generator 48, the concentration of the components contained in the sterilized water can be controlled. In this case, the vaporized active ingredient is metal ions such as silver ions, copper ions, or zinc ions, or ozone (O3). In addition, the above-mentioned disinfected water generating unit 48 generates disinfected water by electrolysis, but this is not limited to this, and for example, disinfected water may be generated by dissolving a disinfectant in tap water.

[0032] In this embodiment, the term "effective" in terms of the active ingredients of the vaporized disinfectant water refers to, for example, a reduction rate of 10% or more of bacteria, mold, and yeast adhering to an object. More specifically, the vaporized disinfectant water is defined as being effective when the vaporized disinfectant water reduces the ratio of the amount of bacteria, mold, and yeast adhering to an object to 90% or less of the amount of bacteria, mold, and yeast that were adhering to the object.

[0033] In this embodiment, the nozzle portion 32 is rotationally driven by an electric motor 53, which will be described in detail later. The electric motor 53 is, for example, a stepping motor. Electric motor 53 is controlled by control device 30. As a result, the rotation angle and rotation speed of nozzle unit 32 are changed by controlling electric motor 53 based on signals from control device 30 (see Figures 10 and 11). Control device 30 is also connected to operation panel 28, which is equipped with a switch for starting the sterilization process, allowing bathroom users to perform appropriate operations other than the sterilization process.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the nozzle section 32 has a first water passage section (stagnant water passage section) 54, a second water passage section (sterilizing water passage section) 56, a stagnant water nozzle opening 58 formed in the stagnant water passage section 54, and a sterilizing water nozzle opening 60 formed in the sterilizing water passage section 56.

[0035] The tap water that has passed through the first solenoid valve 38 is supplied into the first water storage section 54 and is discharged from the first nozzle opening 58. The sterilized water generated by the sterilized water generation section 48 is supplied into the second water storage section 56 and is discharged from the second nozzle opening 60.

[0036] 5 and 6, tap water is discharged from the stagnant water nozzle opening 58 so as to spread vertically, and disinfecting water is discharged from the disinfecting water nozzle opening 60 so as to spread vertically. Furthermore, by rotating the nozzle part 32 around its axis by the electric motor 53, tap water and disinfecting water can be discharged over a wide horizontal range.

[0037] Next, we will explain bathroom drying device 26 installed on ceiling 24 of bathroom 1 with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7(a) shows the state in which bathroom 1 is being ventilated by bathroom drying device 26, and Figure 7(b) shows the state when heating is performed before bathing, heating is performed during bathing, and "discharge of sterilizing water" is performed by bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment. The arrows in the figure indicate the air flow.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7, bathroom drying device 26 includes housing 70, the bottom of which is connected to the interior of bathroom 1 via opening 72. A fan 74 is provided within housing 70 and rotated by an electric motor, and the rotation of fan 74 draws air into bathroom 1. Furthermore, an exhaust damper 76 and a heater 78 are provided downstream of fan 74 within housing 70. Furthermore, an exhaust port 80 is provided downstream of exhaust damper 76.

[0039] As shown in Figure 7(a), when ventilating the bathroom 1 using the bathroom drying device 26, the exhaust damper 76 is opened and the air inside the bathroom 1 sucked in by the fan 74 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 80.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 7(b), when bathroom 1 needs to be heated before and during bathing, exhaust damper 76 is closed, and the air drawn into bathroom 1 by fan 74 is heated by heater 78, and this heated air returns to bathroom 1 through opening 72. In this way, the air in bathroom 1 is circulated between bathroom dryer 26 and bathroom 1, maintaining the air at a desired temperature (e.g., 20°C).

[0041] When "discharging sterilizing water" is performed by bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(b), exhaust damper 76 is closed, the air in bathroom 1 sucked in by fan 74 is heated by heater 78, and this heated air returns to bathroom 1 through opening 72, and the air in bathroom 1 is circulated between bathroom drying device 26. At this time, bathroom 1 is not ventilated, so the air in bathroom 1 is trapped within bathroom 1.

[0042] Next, the "pre-wash" and "discharge of disinfecting water" performed by the bathroom disinfection system 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a time chart showing the operation of the bathroom disinfection system according to this embodiment, and Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the bathroom disinfection system according to this embodiment.

[0043] First, as shown in Figure 8, for 12 minutes after the start of operation, the bathroom drying device 26 ventilates the air in the bathroom 1 (see Figure 7(a)), and in this state, the water discharge device 22 sprays water onto the washing area floor 12 of the bathroom 1 to perform a "pre-wash."

[0044] Next, after 12 minutes have passed since the start, the bathroom drying device 26 closes the exhaust damper 76 to stop ventilation for 34 minutes (see Figure 7(b)), and in this state turns on the heater 78 to heat the air in the bathroom 1 and circulate the heated air. When 12 minutes have passed since the start of operation, the water discharger 22 stops discharging water and waits for 4 minutes. After that, the water discharger 22 intermittently performs "discharging sterilizing water" for 30 minutes, and then stops "discharging sterilizing water."

[0045] While water discharger 22 is "discharging disinfecting water," bathroom drying device 26 closes exhaust damper 76 to stop ventilation, heats the air in bathroom 1 with heater 78, and circulates the heated air, which causes the discharged disinfecting water to volatilize and vaporize. Circulating heated air is effective in vaporizing the disinfecting water, but the disinfecting water can also be vaporized by simply blowing air with heater 78 turned off.

[0046] Bathroom drying device 26 then keeps exhaust damper 76 closed and ventilation stopped for 26 minutes, turns heater 78 off, and circulates air in bathroom 1. After that, bathtub drying device 26 opens exhaust damper 76 and ventilates the air in bathroom 1 for 24 hours (see Figure 7(a)), after which ventilation ends.

[0047] Next, the control flow executed by the bathroom sterilization system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. The control flow shown in Figure 9 and the above description of Figure 8 have the same basic operation. In Figure 9, "S" indicates each step.

[0048] As shown in Figure 9, in S1, the switch for starting operation of the bathroom sterilization system, which is provided on the operation panel 26, is turned on. Proceeding to S2, ventilation operation by the bathtub drying device (drying device) 26 is started, and at the same time, a "pre-wash" operation by the water discharger 22 is also started. This "pre-wash" operation will be explained in detail later with reference to Figure 10. Next, the process proceeds to S3, where it is determined whether 12 minutes have passed. Until 12 minutes have passed, the operation of S2 continues.

[0049] The "pre-wash" operation using this water discharge device 22 allows the necessary amount of residual water to be formed on the washing area floor 12, and the active ingredients of the vaporized disinfecting water described below dissolve in this residual water, thereby achieving further disinfecting effects.

[0050] If it is determined in S3 that 12 minutes have elapsed, the process proceeds to S4, where the ventilation operation by the drying device 26 is stopped (the exhaust damper is closed), and the "pre-wash" operation by the water discharger 22 is also stopped.

[0051] Next, the process proceeds to S5, where it is determined whether water discharger 22 has stopped the "pre-wash" operation and waited for four minutes. Until the four-minute wait has been reached, the process proceeds to S6, where it determines whether the temperature in the bathroom is 20°C or higher. If it is not 20°C or higher, the process proceeds to S7, where heater 78 of dryer 26 is turned on and a circulation operation is performed to warm and circulate the air in the bathroom. This operation in S7 is performed immediately after exhaust from the dryer is stopped in S4 if the temperature in the bathroom is not 20°C or higher. Furthermore, if it is determined in S6 that the temperature in the bathroom is 20°C or higher, the process proceeds to S8, where the dryer performs a circulation operation to circulate the air with the exhaust damper closed.

[0052] If it is determined in S5 that the water discharger 22 has waited for four minutes, the process proceeds to S9, where the water discharger 22 starts "discharging sterilizing water." This "discharging sterilizing water" will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 11.

[0053] Next, the process proceeds to S10, where it is determined whether 30 minutes have passed since the water discharger 22 began "discharge of sterilizing water." If 30 minutes have not passed, the process proceeds to S11, where it is determined whether the temperature in the bathroom is 20°C or higher. If it is not 20°C or higher, the process proceeds to S12, where the drying device 26 turns on the heater 78 with the exhaust damper 76 closed, and performs a circulation operation to warm and circulate the air in the bathroom. If the temperature in the bathroom is not 20°C or higher, this operation in S12 is performed immediately after the water discharger 22 discharges sterilizing water in S9. Furthermore, if it is determined in S11 that the temperature in the bathroom is 20°C or higher, the process proceeds to S13, where the drying device 26 performs a circulation operation to circulate the air with the exhaust damper 76 closed.

[0054] In this way, the sterilizing water "discharged" from the water discharger 22 is acted upon by the circulating air warmed by the dryer 26, which vaporizes the sterilizing water, and the active ingredients of this vaporized sterilizing water dissolve in the residual water remaining on the washing area floor 12, improving the sterilizing effect. Note that when the temperature in the bathroom is 20°C or higher, the sterilizing water can be easily vaporized even if the heater 78 is turned off.

[0055] If it is determined in S10 that 30 minutes have passed since the water discharger 22 started discharging disinfecting water, the process proceeds to S14, where the heater 78 of the drying device 26 is turned off and circulation operation is performed with the exhaust damper 76 closed. At this time, the "discharge of disinfecting water" by the water discharger 22 is stopped.

[0056] Next, the process proceeds to S15, where it is determined whether 26 minutes have passed since the heater 78 of the drying device 26 was turned off in S14. If 26 minutes have passed, the process proceeds to S16, where the circulation operation with the exhaust damper 76 of the drying device 26 closed is stopped. Next, the process proceeds to S17, where the ventilation operation of the drying device 26 is continued for 24 hours with the exhaust damper 76 open. This completes the bathroom sterilization operation by the bathroom sterilization system of this embodiment.

[0057] Next, the "pre-wash" operation performed by the water discharger 22 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a configuration diagram and table illustrating the "pre-wash" operation performed by the bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10 , tap water is discharged (sprinkled) from stagnant water nozzle opening 58 of nozzle portion 32 of water discharger 22 toward washing area floor 12 of bathroom 1. At this time, nozzle portion 32 can rotate, so it executes action 1 → action 2 → action 3 → action 4 → action 5 → action 6 → action 7 → action 8 → action 9 in this order. At this time, tap water is not discharged (water discharge OFF) in actions 6 and 9. The range of tap water discharge is from 25 degrees to 335 degrees. The angular velocity at which nozzle portion 32 rotates is slow in the central region of washing area floor 12 (actions 3, 4, 5) and fast in both side regions (actions 1, 2, 7, 8) when tap water is being discharged, so that as much tap water as possible is sprayed toward the central region of washing area floor 12. Furthermore, actions 1 to 9 are performed for approximately four minutes, and this water discharge action of the water discharger 22 is performed over three revolutions, so tap water is discharged for a total of approximately 12 minutes.

[0058] Here, the washing area floor 12 of the bathroom 1 has a drainage gradient (for example, 0.1 to 11 degrees) that slopes downward toward the drain outlet 14 so that a predetermined amount of retained tap water remains. This allows the amount of tap water retained on the washing area floor 12 to be adjusted to a desired amount that will dissolve the active ingredients of the vaporized sterilized water.

[0059] Next, the "sterilizing water discharge" operation performed by the water discharge device 22 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a configuration diagram and table explaining the "sterilizing water discharge operation" performed by the bathroom sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11 , disinfectant water is discharged (sprayed) from the disinfectant water nozzle opening 60 of the nozzle portion 32 of the water discharger 22 toward the washing area floor 12 of the bathroom 1. At this time, the nozzle portion 32 can rotate, and therefore performs the following operations in order: action 1 → action 2 → action 3 → action 4 → action 5 → action 6 → action 7. The disinfectant water is discharged from a range of 25 degrees to 335 degrees. The angular velocity at which the nozzle portion 32 rotates is slow in the central region of the washing area floor 12 (actions 2 and 5) and fast in both side regions (actions 1, 3, 4, and 6), so that as much disinfectant water as possible is sprayed toward the central region of the washing area floor 12. Furthermore, actions 1 to 7 are performed for approximately 2.5 minutes, and this discharge operation of the water discharger 22 is performed over 12 revolutions, so disinfectant water is discharged for a total of approximately 30 minutes.

[0060] Next, the basic principle of the bathroom sterilization system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining part of the principle of the bathroom sterilization system according to this embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 12, conventionally, disinfecting water with a chlorine concentration of A was sprayed from a nozzle, and when the disinfecting water reached the target point, it had to be at an "effective concentration of B." Furthermore, the "amount of disinfecting water that hits the target point" and the "duration of action" were also important.

[0061] This conventional technology had the problem that the disinfectant water sprayed from the nozzle volatilized (evaporated) before reaching the destination, which reduced the concentration of the disinfectant water. Therefore, it was necessary to spray the disinfectant water taking into consideration the "concentration x amount of water applied x duration of action" at the destination, making it difficult to disinfect a wide area of ​​the bathroom.

[0062] Here, since the active ingredients of the volatilized (vaporized) sterilizing water are not utilized in the sterilization work at all while the sterilizing water travels from the nozzle to the destination, the inventors have discovered that the active ingredients of this volatilized (vaporized) sterilizing water can be utilized in the sterilization work. That is, the volatilized (vaporized) sterilizing water is dissolved in the residual water remaining on the washing area floor, bathtub apron, behind the counter, walls, etc. by the above-mentioned "pre-wash" operation, thereby utilizing the active ingredients of the vaporized sterilizing water and enabling widespread sterilization.

[0063] Next, a method for measuring the amount of dissolved active ingredient in vaporized sterilized water will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a method for measuring the amount of dissolved active ingredient in vaporized sterilized water. The amount of dissolved active ingredient in the vaporized sterilized water according to the embodiment of the present invention can be measured by a fluorescence intensity measurement method using a fluorescent reagent for detecting active oxygen (aminophenyl fluorescein), commonly known as APF solution. Specifically, 1.5 ml of a solution (hereinafter referred to as "APF solution") prepared by diluting "Goryo Chemical's APF reagent" 5000 times with "0.1 mol / L phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd." is dropped into a 22 mm diameter Petri dish 90.

[0064] After retaining the stagnant water using the water discharger 22, a dish 90 containing the APF liquid is placed on the floor 12 of the bathroom 1's wash area, and an enclosure 92 is provided on the side and top of the dish 90 on the nozzle 32 side to prevent direct contamination with the sterilizing water. The water discharger (sterilizing water discharge means) 22 and the bathroom dryer (evaporation means) 26 are then operated, and the water is collected in the dish 90 after, for example, one hour. The fluorescence intensity in the collected Petri dish 90 is measured using a spectrofluorometer, and the amount of dissolved active ingredient in the vaporized hypochlorous acid solution is calculated from the measurement results. Here, a Shimadzu RF-5300PC spectrofluorometer is used, and measurements are taken at an excitation wavelength of 490 nm and a fluorescence wavelength of 515 nm. A calibration curve is also obtained by directly adding hypochlorous acid solutions of known concentrations to the APF solution and determining the fluorescence intensity.

[0065] This allows for the measurement of the amount of active ingredient dissolved in the sterilized water vaporized in the space of bathroom 1. The amount of active ingredient dissolved in the vaporized space of bathroom 1 is preferably 0.5 μg / L or more. Note that the measurement method is not limited to this, and other methods may also be used.

[0066] Furthermore, the dissolution of the active ingredient in vaporized disinfectant water is defined as follows: In the fluorescence intensity measurement method, the total weight of the Petri dish 90 into which the APF solution has been dropped is measured before installation in the bathroom 1. Then, the water discharge device (sterilizing water discharge means) 22 and the bathroom dryer (evaporation means) 26 are operated, and the total weight of the Petri dish 90 is also measured. If the concentration of the disinfectant ingredient has increased compared to before installation, and the weight remains the same or has decreased, and if the dissolved amount of the active ingredient in the disinfectant water is measured to be 0.5 μg / L or more, it is defined that the action is due to the dissolution of the vaporized active ingredient, rather than the direct action of the disinfectant water.

[0067] The following describes the effects of the bathroom sterilization system according to this embodiment. Generally, stagnant water (residual water) in bathroom 1 is undesirable because it can cause bacterial and mold stains. However, in this embodiment, residual water is intentionally left in bathroom 1, and in this state, disinfectant water is discharged into bathroom 1, and the active ingredients of this discharged disinfectant water are vaporized by bathroom dryer 26. This allows the active ingredients of the vaporized disinfectant water to dissolve in the residual water, thereby achieving a disinfecting effect even in areas where disinfectant water cannot be applied directly (corners, seams, the back of the counter, the ceiling, the top of the wall, storage shelves, etc.). As a result, this embodiment allows disinfection over a wide area of ​​the bathroom.

[0068] In the bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment, the bathroom drying device 26 creates an airflow in the bathroom that reduces the amount of stagnant water while leaving some of it behind, thereby increasing the specific surface area of ​​the stagnant water and increasing the amount of active ingredient in the sterilized water that dissolves. Furthermore, by reducing the amount of stagnant water, the concentration of the active ingredient in the sterilized water dissolved in the remaining water can be increased, allowing the active ingredient in the sterilized water to be used more efficiently.

[0069] In the bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment, the bathroom drying device 26 heats the bathroom 1 with the heater 78 so as to reduce the amount of stagnant water while leaving some of it behind, thereby increasing the concentration of the active ingredient of the sterilizing water in the droplets of stagnant water and increasing the specific surface area. Therefore, the active ingredient of the vaporized sterilizing water can be dissolved in the remaining water to achieve the sterilization effect, allowing the active ingredient of the sterilizing water to be used efficiently.

[0070] To obtain a sterilization effect by dissolving an active ingredient in residual water in all areas of the bathroom 1 where a sterilization effect is desired, it is necessary to leave water in all areas of the bathroom 1. On the other hand, residual water (stagnant water) can cause scale and mold to form, so it is generally desirable to have no residual water. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 30 causes a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water nozzle opening 60 to adhere as sterilizing water to the areas to be sterilized, and the sterilization effect due to dissolution can be obtained in other areas, so that the sterilization effect can be obtained over a wide area of ​​the bathroom while avoiding problems caused by residual water.

[0071] In the bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment, the control device 30 may be configured to allow a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water nozzle opening 60 to directly adhere to the washing area floor 12 as sterilizing water. The bathroom washing area floor is particularly prone to dirt. Therefore, in this embodiment, a portion of the disinfecting water discharged from the disinfecting water nozzle opening 60 is directly attached to the washing area floor 12 as disinfecting water, so that the disinfecting effect on the dirty washing area floor 12 can be more reliably obtained, and the disinfecting effect due to dissolution can also be obtained in other areas, so that the disinfecting effect can be obtained over a wide area of ​​the bathroom while avoiding problems caused by residual water.

[0072] According to the bathroom sterilization system 20 of this embodiment, the washing area floor 12 has a drainage gradient that slopes downward toward the drain outlet 14 so that a predetermined amount of stagnant water remains, so that the amount of stagnant water on the washing area floor 12 can be reduced while maintaining its stagnation.

[0073] In the bathroom sterilization system 20 according to this embodiment, the corners of the washing area floor 12 may be formed to be water-repellent. The corners of the washing area floor 12 are prone to accumulate dirt and mold. Therefore, in this embodiment, the corners of the washing area floor 12 are formed to be water-repellent, so that they are more likely to retain water, i.e., water is more likely to stagnate. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the sterilization effect can be more reliably obtained.

[0074] In the present embodiment described above, the disinfectant water discharged into bathroom 1 is vaporized by the air flow or heated air flow of bathroom drying device 26, and the active ingredients of this vaporized disinfectant water are dissolved in the residual water remaining in bathroom 1. However, in this embodiment, it is not necessary for all of the disinfectant water to be vaporized, and a mixture of atomized disinfectant water and vaporized disinfectant water may be used.

[0075] As described above, the bathroom drying device 26 is a device for vaporizing sprayed disinfectant water and corresponds to the "vaporization means." However, in this embodiment, the "vaporization means" also includes means or devices for vaporizing disinfectant water by applying heat or wind to the disinfectant water, means for vaporizing the disinfectant water by reducing the pressure, and means for vaporizing the disinfectant water by applying ultrasound to the disinfectant water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 bathroom 10 Bathtub 12 Washing area floor 14 Drain 16 Counter 20 Bathroom sterilization system 22 Water discharge device 26 Bathroom drying equipment 30 Control device 32 Nozzle section 48 Sterilization water generation section 51, 52 Flow path 53 Electric Motor 58 Nozzle opening for stagnant water 60 Nozzle opening for disinfecting water 74 fans 76 Exhaust damper 78 Heater 80 Outlet

Claims

1. A bathroom sterilization system for sterilizing a bathroom, a sterilizing water device including a sterilizing water generating unit that generates sterilizing water containing an active ingredient and a sterilizing water discharge unit that discharges the sterilizing water; a vaporization means for vaporizing the active ingredients of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge portion; A stagnant water forming means for stagnating water in the bathroom; a control unit that discharges sterilized water from the sterilizing water discharge unit into the bathroom while water is being retained in the bathroom by the retained water forming means, vaporizes the active ingredients of the sterilizing water discharged into the bathroom by the vaporizing means, and dissolves the vaporized active ingredients of the sterilizing water in the retained water; A bathroom sterilization system comprising:

2. The bathroom sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the evaporation means creates an airflow in the bathroom that reduces the amount of stagnant water while leaving it there when the bathroom is not ventilated.

3. 2. The bathroom sterilization system according to claim 1, wherein the vaporization means heats the bathroom so as to reduce the amount of stagnant water while leaving it in the bathroom when the bathroom is not ventilated.

4. The bathroom sterilization system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit directly applies a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge unit to a predetermined area to be sterilized as sterilizing water.

5. The bathroom sterilization system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit causes a portion of the sterilizing water discharged from the sterilizing water discharge unit to directly adhere to the floor of the washing area as sterilizing water.

6. The bathroom sterilization system according to claim 5, wherein the washing area floor has a drainage slope that slopes downward toward the drain outlet so that a predetermined amount of stagnant water remains.

7. The bathroom sterilization system according to claim 6, wherein the corners of the washing area floor are formed to be water-repellent.

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