Hand washing station
The hand washing station with a drawer and UV light irradiation system enables safe and contactless disinfection of hands and belongings, addressing the need for immediate sterilization in various settings.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2022048229
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-27
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-03-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing hospital furniture lacks the capability to disinfect hands and belongings immediately upon entering or leaving medical institutions, homes, or offices, which is crucial for infectious disease prevention.
A hand washing station equipped with a cabinet, a cleaning liquid outlet, a drawer for storing items, ultraviolet light irradiation, and shading members to ensure safe and efficient sterilization of items while the user washes their hands.
The hand washing station allows users to disinfect their hands and belongings without direct contact, ensuring immediate sterilization upon entry or exit from facilities, enhancing infectious disease prevention.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a hand washing station. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses "hospital furniture equipped with a sterilizing storage section." The sterilizing storage section provided in the hospital furniture in this document is a shelf-like storage section with a constantly open front, equipped with a sterilizing lamp inside. The document states that this sterilizing storage section can sterilize television remote controls, thermometers, etc. The document lists bedside tables, room dividers, and bed tables as examples of hospital furniture that can be equipped with this sterilizing storage section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-175614 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The above-mentioned conventional technology had the following problems. In recent years, from the perspective of infectious disease prevention, there has been a demand for people to be able to disinfect their hands and belongings immediately upon leaving or entering not only medical institutions but also ordinary homes and offices. The hospital furniture in Patent Document 1 was not suitable for such purposes.
[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a hand washing station that allows users to immediately disinfect their hands and belongings upon returning home or entering a facility. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] In one aspect of the disclosed technology, a hand washing station has a cabinet and a cleaning liquid outlet at the top, and is equipped with a storage section that is positioned below the cleaning liquid outlet and opens at the top or side for storing contents, a drawer that slides between a storage position where the opening of the storage section is not exposed to the outside and a drawer position where the entire opening of the storage section is exposed to the outside, an illuminator that irradiates ultraviolet light onto the contents in the storage section, and a rear shading member located behind the storage section, and the drawer has a front panel facing the user and a front shading member located between the front panel and the storage section, and the illuminator is positioned to irradiate ultraviolet light onto the storage section when the drawer is in the storage position, and the rear shading member is positioned in an area that does not cover the illuminator when the drawer is in the storage position, but covers the illuminator when the drawer is in the drawer position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a hand wash basin according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 1) of a drawer according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the attachment position of a drawer in a hand washing station according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a drawer is stored in the structure of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view (part 1) showing the periphery of the drawer in the retracted state in the hand washing unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the drawer periphery of the hand washing unit of the embodiment in the pulled-out state. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a third light-shielding member. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a fourth light-shielding member. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the drawer in an intermediate state between the retracted state and the pulled-out state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) of the drawer according to the embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view (part 2) showing the periphery of the drawer in the retracted state in the hand washing unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the periphery of a drawer in a retracted state in a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view (part 1) showing an outline of the drawer periphery when a thrust lock head is provided. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view (part 2) showing the outline of the drawer periphery when a thrust lock head is provided. [Figure 15] This is a perspective front view showing the inside of the hand washing unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the hand wash basin according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An embodiment embodying the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the present disclosure is applied to a hand wash stand 1 shown in FIG. 1. The hand wash stand 1 is an interior device having a hand washing section 2 at its top and a cabinet section 3 below it. The hand washing section 2 is provided with a water outlet 20 and a drain bowl 21 below it. The water outlet 20 is a cleaning liquid outlet that discharges tap water, a cleaning liquid used to wash a user's hands. The drain bowl 21 is a water receiving section that receives the water discharged from the water outlet 20.
[0009] A drawer 4 is provided in the cabinet section 3 of the hand wash station 1. In this embodiment, the drawer 4 is a sterilizing drawer for sterilizing small items carried by the user by irradiating them with ultraviolet light. The hand wash station 1 is intended to be used so that small items can be sterilized in the drawer 4 while the user is washing their hands in the hand wash station 2. Small items that can be sterilized in the drawer 4 include mobile communication devices. The user can use the part of the internal space of the cabinet section 3 other than the drawer 4 as a storage space for storing items. An opening / closing door 5 is provided on part of the front of the cabinet section 3. The user can put items in and take items out of the internal space of the cabinet section 3 by opening the opening / closing door 5. A fixed front panel 12 is provided on a part of the front of the cabinet section 3 that is neither the drawer 4 nor the opening / closing door 5. The front panel 12 may be an opening / closing door. In the following description, the part of the cabinet section 3 other than the drawer 4 is referred to as the main body.
[0010] The drawer 4 is shown as a single unit in Figure 2. The drawer 4 has a storage section 6 and a front panel 7. The storage section 6 is an area that opens upward. The storage section 6 is an area where the user stores small items that are to be sterilized. The front panel 7 is an area that is exposed to the user when the drawer 4 is attached to the hand wash stand 1. The drawer 4 also has a first light-blocking member 8 and a second light-blocking member 9. Both the first light-blocking member 8 and the second light-blocking member 9 are made of a material that blocks ultraviolet rays. The first light-blocking member 8 is located between the front panel 7 and the storage section 6, and the second light-blocking member 9 is located further back than the storage section 6. The first light-blocking member 8 is a front light-blocking member, and the second light-blocking member 9 is a rear light-blocking member. The first light-blocking member 8 and the second light-blocking member 9 may be connected together as a single unit.
[0011] A structural body 13 shown in Figure 3 is built into the cabinet section 3 at the attachment position of the drawer 4. The structural body 13 has an opening plate 14 and a box body 15. The opening plate 14 has an opening 16 that is connected to the internal space of the box body 15. The internal space of the box body 15 is a space that stores the portion of the drawer 4 other than the front panel 7. The drawer 4 can be stored in the structural body 13 by pushing the drawer 4 into the opening 16 from the side of the second light-blocking member 9 (see Figure 4). In the stored state of Figure 4, only the front panel 7 of the drawer 4 is visible. In an actual hand wash cabinet 1, the structural body 13 is located inside the front panel 12, so it is usually not visible to the user.
[0012] Cross-sectional views of the area around drawer 4 in cabinet section 3 are shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 show a longitudinal section perpendicular to front panel 7 as viewed from the side of hand wash cabinet 1. Figure 5 shows drawer 4 in a storage position stored in box body 15. When drawer 4 is in the storage position, the opening of storage section 6 is not exposed to the outside of the main body. Figure 6 shows drawer 4 in a pulled-out position where a portion of drawer 4 is pulled out from box body 15. When drawer 4 is in the pulled-out position, the opening of storage section 6 is exposed to the outside of the main body. In this way, when attached to hand wash cabinet 1, drawer 4 can slide between the storage position and the pulled-out position.
[0013] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cabinet unit 3 is provided with an upper illuminator 10 and a third light-blocking member 11. The upper illuminator 10 and the third light-blocking member 11 are located above the drawer 4. The cabinet unit 3 is further provided with a lower illuminator 17 and a third light-blocking member 18. The lower illuminator 17 and the third light-blocking member 18 are located below the drawer 4. In the drawer 4, the top of the storage section 6 is the surface that faces the upper illuminator 10 and is also the open surface. The bottom of the storage section 6 is the surface that faces the lower illuminator 17 and is not the open surface.
[0014] The upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17 are illuminators that irradiate ultraviolet light onto the contents stored inside the storage section 6. An ultraviolet LED or an ultraviolet fluorescent tube can be used as the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17. The upper illuminator 10 is the first illuminator, and the lower illuminator 17 is the second illuminator. The third light-blocking member 11 and the third light-blocking member 18 are both made of a material that blocks ultraviolet light. The positions of the upper illuminator 10, the third light-blocking member 11, the lower illuminator 17, and the third light-blocking member 18 are all fixed relative to the box body 15. Therefore, these positions do not change regardless of whether the drawer 4 is in the storage position or the pull-out position. The third light-blocking member 11 and the third light-blocking member 18 are both fixed light-blocking members.
[0015] 5, the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17 are disposed in positions facing the storage section 6 when the drawer 4 is in the storage position. At this time, the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17 are not covered by either the first light-shielding member 8 or the second light-shielding member 9. Therefore, when the drawer 4 is in the storage position, ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the contents of the storage section 6 by turning on the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17.
[0016] 6, when the drawer 4 is in the pulled-out position, the second light-blocking member 9 faces the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17. At this time, the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17 are covered by the second light-blocking member 9. Therefore, when the drawer 4 is in the pulled-out position, no ultraviolet light leaks out even if the upper illuminator 10 and the lower illuminator 17 are turned on.
[0017] The third light-shielding member 11 has a shape shown in Fig. 7. An irradiation window portion 22 and a front window portion 23 are formed in the third light-shielding member 11. Therefore, the third light-shielding member 11 has a rear end portion 24, a central portion 25, and a front end portion 26. The rear end portion 24 is the portion on the rear side of the irradiation window portion 22, the central portion 25 is the portion between the irradiation window portion 22 and the front window portion 23, and the front end portion 26 is the portion on the front side of the front window portion 23. The rear end portion 24, the central portion 25, and the front end portion 26 are connected by side portions 27.
[0018] 5 and 6, only the rear end 24, the central portion 25, and the front end 26 of the third light-shielding member 11 are visible. The rear end 24 is located on the rear side of the upper illuminator 10, the central portion 25 is located on the front side of the upper illuminator 10, and the front end 26 is located at the front end of the box body 15. The third light-shielding member 11 exists over a range from a position on the rear side of the upper illuminator 10 to the front end of the box body 15. However, the position of the upper illuminator 10 is a position where the irradiation window portion 22 is formed in the third light-shielding member 11. In the stored position of FIG. 5, the irradiation window portion 22 is within the range of the opening of the storage section 6. Therefore, the third light-shielding member 11 does not prevent the upper illuminator 10 from irradiating the storage section 6 with light in the stored position.
[0019] Furthermore, in the storage position, the rear end 24 is in contact with both a member of the box body 15 and a member of the drawer 4. The member of the drawer 4 here refers to the storage section 6 or the second light-shielding member 9. Therefore, when irradiation is being performed by the upper irradiator 10 in the storage position, the rear end 24 prevents ultraviolet light from leaking backward through the gap between the top surface of the drawer 4 and the box body 15. In the storage position, the front end 26 is in contact with both a member of the box body 15 and the first light-shielding member 8. Therefore, when irradiation is being performed by the upper irradiator 10 in the storage position, the front end 26 prevents ultraviolet light from leaking forward through the gap between the top surface of the drawer 4 and the box body 15.
[0020] In the pulled-out position shown in FIG. 6 , the rear end portion 24 and the central portion 25 are in contact with both the box body 15 and the second light-shielding member 9. Therefore, even if the upward irradiator 10 is turned on in the pulled-out position, the central portion 25 and the rear end portion 24 prevent ultraviolet light from leaking forward and backward through the gap between the top surface of the drawer 4 and the box body 15. In this way, the third light-shielding member 11 more reliably blocks ultraviolet light provided by the first light-shielding member 8 and the second light-shielding member 9. From the viewpoint of blocking ultraviolet light, it is not essential that the third light-shielding member 11 has the front window portion 23. The presence of the front window portion 23 in the third light-shielding member 11 is intended to reduce frictional resistance when the drawer 4 slides.
[0021] The third light-shielding member 18 has a shape shown in FIG. 8. The third light-shielding member 18 has an irradiation window portion 28 and a front window portion 29. The third light-shielding member 18 has a rear end portion 30, a central portion 31, a front end portion 32, and side portions 33. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the rear end portion 30 is located on the rear side of the downward irradiator 17, the central portion 31 is located on the front side of the downward irradiator 17, and the front end portion 32 is located at the front end of the box body 15. The third light-shielding member 18 plays a role on the bottom side of the drawer 4 similar to the role played by the third light-shielding member 11 on the top side of the drawer 4. In addition to the shape shown in FIG. 8, the third light-shielding member 18 may have a shape that does not have a front end portion 32. When the third light-shielding member 18 does not have a front end portion 32, the side portions 33 only need to be present in the range connecting the rear end portion 30 and the central portion 31.
[0022] Consider a state in which the drawer 4 of the hand wash cabinet 1 is positioned halfway between the storage position and the extended position. Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of this state. Figure 9 also shows the position of the front panel 7 in the storage position superimposed with an imaginary line. The amount of extension of the drawer 4 from the extended position in the state of Figure 9 is not very great. However, the front end of the second light-blocking member 9 still comes into contact with the center portion 25. In other words, the underside of the upper irradiator 10 is covered by the second light-blocking member 9. For this reason, even if the upper irradiator 10 is not yet turned off, the second light-blocking member 9 prevents ultraviolet light from leaking.
[0023] In the state shown in FIG. 9 , the rear end of the first light-shielding member 8 has not yet escaped from the area occupied by the front panel 7 in the storage position. In other words, the rear end of the first light-shielding member 8 remains within the cabinet section 3. In this state, the second light-shielding member 9 has already come into contact with the center portion 25 of the third light-shielding member 11 on the upper side of the storage section 6. Therefore, the second light-shielding member 9 covers the lower side of the upper irradiator 10. On the lower side of the storage section 6, the light-shielding portion 38 (described later) reaches the center portion 31 of the third light-shielding member 18 and covers the upper side of the lower irradiator 17. Therefore, even if the irradiator is turned off late, leakage of ultraviolet light is prevented. In other words, in the hand wash cabinet 1, leakage of ultraviolet light is always prevented even when the drawer 4 is in the intermediate position. If the drawer 4 is further pulled out from the state shown in FIG. 9 , the storage section 6 is exposed to the outside. This state is the state shown in FIG. 6 , and leakage prevention in this state is as described above.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 10, a support member 34 is provided inside the storage section 6. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the drawer 4 as a single unit, viewed from a different perspective than that of FIG. 2. The support member 34 has a diagonal side 35 extending from the upper front to the lower back. Therefore, when an item 36 placed in the storage section 6 is a flat item such as a mobile communication terminal, the item 36 is held at an angle within the storage section 6, as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the drawer 4 and its surroundings, viewed from the same perspective as FIG. 5. However, the cross-section at the location of the support member 34 is shown with the item 36 placed inside. As shown in FIG. 11, the item 36 placed in the storage section 6 is held with its upper surface facing the upward irradiator 10 and its lower surface facing the downward irradiator 17.
[0025] In the hand washing unit 1, the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 are arranged to match the posture of the stored item 36. As shown in FIG. 5 etc., the upper irradiator 10 is arranged in a position closer to the back of the opening range of the storage section 6 in the storage position. The lower irradiator 17 is arranged in a position closer to the front of the storage section 6, opposite to the upper irradiator 10. The shape of the support member 34 and this arrangement of the upper and lower irradiators 10, 17 make it possible to efficiently irradiate ultraviolet light onto the stored item 36 in the posture shown in FIG. 11. The size and arrangement of the third light-shielding member 11 and the third light-shielding member 18 are also adapted to this arrangement of the upper and lower irradiators 10, 17.
[0026] In accordance with the arrangement of the downward irradiator 17, a transmitting section 37 and a light-shielding section 38 are provided at the bottom of the storage section 6. The transmitting section 37 is a section that transmits ultraviolet light, and the light-shielding section 38 is a section that blocks ultraviolet light. The transmitting section 37 is a section of the bottom of the storage section 6 that is closer to the front, where the downward irradiator 17 is arranged. The light-shielding section 38 is a section that is closer to the back, where the downward irradiator 17 is not arranged. When only flat-shaped objects as described above are assumed as the stored item 36, the transmitting section 37 may be an opening.
[0027] Conversely, it is also possible to arrange the upper illuminator 10 closer to the front and the lower illuminator 17 closer to the back. In this case, the orientation of the oblique side 35 is reversed, and the arrangement of the third light-shielding member 11, the third light-shielding member 18, the transmission portion 37, and the light-shielding portion 38 is also reversed. The upper illuminator 10 and the third light-shielding member 11 may also be arranged near the center of the storage section 6. They may also be distributed to multiple locations within the storage section 6. However, an arrangement with the upper illuminator 10 closer to the back and the lower illuminator 17 closer to the front, as described above, is superior. This is because the upper illuminator 10 is covered by the second light-shielding member 9 more quickly when the drawer 4 is pulled out from the storage position. This is also because it makes it easier for the user to insert and remove flat-shaped items 36 from the storage section 6. The user simply inserts and removes the items 36 from the front side of the storage section 6.
[0028] In the explanation so far, the upper illuminator 10 and the third light-blocking member 11 are arranged above and below the storage section 6. However, the arrangement of the first illuminator and the second illuminator on the hand wash sink 1 is not limited to the top and bottom. FIG. 12 shows a modified example in which two illuminators are arranged on both sides of the storage section 6. Unlike FIG. 5 and other figures, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the drawer 4 and its surroundings as viewed from above. In the example of FIG. 12, side illuminators 46 are arranged on both sides of the storage section 6. In this case, either of the two side illuminators 46 may be the first illuminator or the second illuminator. In the example of FIG. 12, the opening for inserting items into the storage section 6 is provided on the upper side, as in the example shown in FIG. 5. Both the left and right side surfaces of the storage section 6 face the side illuminators 46 and are not open surfaces.
[0029] In the example of FIG. 12, the side illuminator 46 on the right side (upper side in FIG. 12) as seen from the user is positioned toward the back of the storage section 6. The side illuminator 46 on the left side (lower side in FIG. 12) is positioned toward the front of the storage section 6. Not only the side illuminators 46 but also the third light-blocking members 18 are arranged on both side surfaces of the drawer 4 in FIG. 12. The third light-blocking members 18 in FIG. 12 can be of the shape shown in FIG. 8. However, their installation positions differ on the left and right sides to match the aforementioned difference in the positions of the side illuminators 46. A shape that does not have a front end portion 32 from the shapes shown in FIG. 8 can also be used. If there is no front end portion 32, the side portions 33 only need to be present in the range connecting the rear end portion 30 and the central portion 31.
[0030] In the example of FIG. 12, support members 34 are provided inside the storage unit 6 at the rear right (upper left in FIG. 12) and front left (lower right in FIG. 12). In this example, each support member 34 is horizontal. Therefore, there is a diagonal gap between the oblique sides 35 of the support members 34, extending from the upper right to the lower left in FIG. 12. With the drawer 4 pulled out, the user can insert a flat object into the gap between the oblique sides 35 through the opening on the top surface of the storage unit 6. The inserted object is held in a position with one side facing the side irradiator 46 on the right side and the other side facing the side irradiator 46 on the left side. However, it is not essential to provide the support members 34 inside the storage unit 6 as shown in FIG. 12.
[0031] In the example of Figure 12, a transmitting section 37 and a light-shielding section 38 are provided on the sides of the storage section 6 in accordance with the arrangement of the left and right side irradiators 46. On the right side (upper side in Figure 12), the portion closer to the back is the transmitting section 37 and the portion closer to the front is the light-shielding section 38. On the left side (lower side in Figure 12), conversely, the portion closer to the back is the light-shielding section 38 and the portion closer to the front is the transmitting section 37. The transmitting section 37 may be an opening. Therefore, in the example of Figure 12, the user can store items in the drawer state and sterilize them in the stored state, just like in the example shown in Figure 5 etc.
[0032] Whether two illuminators are provided above and below the storage section 6 or on the left and right sides, the opening of the storage section 6 does not have to be provided on the top surface, but may be provided on the right or left side. If the opening is provided on the side, the user puts the contents into the storage section 6 from the side, not from above. When the opening is provided on the side and the illuminators are provided on the left and right sides of the storage section 6, it is desirable that the third light-shielding member on the opening side has the front end 26 shown in FIG. 7. The opening of the storage section 6 may be formed to span both the top and the side.
[0033] In the hand wash basin 1, the drawer 4 is normally held in the storage position. When the user lightly presses the front panel 7 of the drawer 4, the hold is released and the drawer 4 can be pulled out to the pulled-out position. In this state, the user can put items in and take items out of the storage section 6. When the user pushes the drawer 4 in the pulled-out position and the drawer 4 reaches the storage position, the drawer 4 is again held in the storage position. The box body 15 is a holding section that holds the drawer 4 in the storage position when the drawer 4 is pushed in and reaches the storage position, and when the drawer 4 in the storage position is pushed further in, the hold is released and the drawer 4 can be moved to the pulled-out position.
[0034] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, a thrust lock head 47 can be provided at the back of the box body 15. When the thrust lock head 47 is provided, the second light-blocking member 9 described above is connected to the thrust lock head 47. The thrust lock head 47 is extendable within a finite range in the sliding direction of the drawer 4. The thrust lock head 47 is fixed to the box body 15. The thrust lock head 47 can be in two states: a restricted state and a movable state. In the restricted state, extension is restricted, and this state corresponds to the knock head of a knock-type ballpoint pen in its lead-out state. In the movable state, the restriction is released, and this state corresponds to the knock head of a knock-type ballpoint pen in its lead-retracted state.
[0035] When the drawer 4 is held in the storage position, the thrust lock head 47 is in the restricted state described above. This state is shown in Figure 13. When the drawer 4 is lightly pushed in as described above to pull it out, the drawer 4 is released from its hold and the thrust lock head 47 becomes movable. As the drawer 4 is pulled out, the thrust lock head 47 extends, and the second light-blocking member 9 also follows the drawer 4. When the thrust lock head 47 reaches its maximum extendable length (Figure 14), the second light-blocking member 9 can no longer follow the drawer 4. Therefore, when the drawer 4 is pulled out fully as shown in Figure 6, the second light-blocking member 9 separates from the drawer 4 and remains inside the box 15. When the drawer 4 is pushed in from that state, the second light-blocking member 9 comes into contact with the drawer 4 again, returning to the state shown in Figure 13.
[0036] By using the thrust lock head 47 in this way, the drawer 4 itself can be made compact with a simple structure. The thrust lock head 47 and the detection sensor 39, which will be described later, can also be integrated together.
[0037] It is preferable that the above-described opening and closing operation of the drawer 4 can be performed without the user having to touch the drawer 4. In this embodiment, the height at which the drawer 4 is placed in front of the hand wash stand 1 allows the drawer 4 to be opened and closed without touching it. In this embodiment of the hand wash stand 1, the height position of the bottom end 4A of the drawer 4 in FIG. 1 is between 25 cm and 40 cm above the installation surface. The part of the drawer 4 that is visible in FIG. 1 is actually the front panel 7 mentioned above. This height setting of the drawer 4 allows the user to open and close the drawer 4 by gently pushing it with their knee, without having to touch it with their hand.
[0038] As shown in Figure 15, hand wash basin 1 has a water supply component 45 and a drain component 19 inside. Water supply component 45 supplies water to water outlet 20, and includes a water supply pipe, a valve, and a controller. Drain component 19 is connected to the bottom of drain bowl 21, and includes a drain pipe and a trap. Water supply component 45, drain component 19, and drawer 4 are all located below drain bowl 21. As shown in Figure 15, in this embodiment, drawer 4 is positioned so as not to interfere with either water supply component 45 or drain component 19.
[0039] The irradiation control of the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 in the hand wash stand 1 will be described. The hand wash stand 1 is designed so that irradiation is permitted only when the drawer 4 is in the storage position. Furthermore, irradiation is started based on the user's actions. For this irradiation control, the hand wash stand 1 is provided with a detection sensor 39 (Fig. 5) and a start / stop switch 40 (Fig. 1) in addition to the components described above. The detection sensor 39 is a sensor that detects that the drawer 4 is in the storage position. In Fig. 5, the detection sensor 39 is provided on the back side of the drawer 4, but the detection sensor 39 may also be provided in two locations, on the back side and the front side. The start / stop switch 40 is a switch that detects the user's actions and starts or stops irradiation.
[0040] The control system of the hand wash basin 1 is configured as shown in Figure 16. As shown in Figure 16, the hand wash basin 1 further has a control unit 44, a buzzer 42, and a display 41 in addition to those mentioned above. The control unit 44 and buzzer 42 are built into the inside of the hand wash basin 1. The display 41 is located on the front of the hand wash basin 1 as shown in Figure 1. Figure 16 shows a case where there are two detection sensors 39, one at the front and one at the back, but as mentioned above, there may be only one detection sensor 39.
[0041] The start / stop switch 40 and the detection sensor 39 depicted on the left side of the control unit 44 in Fig. 16 output input signals to the control unit 44. The upper irradiator 10, the lower irradiator 17, the buzzer 42, and the display 41 depicted on the right side of the control unit 44 are actuators that operate in response to output signals from the control unit 44. The control unit 44 is a control board that operates each actuator based on input signals.
[0042] Start / stop switch 40 is located on the front of hand wash basin 1 and detects whether or not a user has given an instruction to start irradiation. In this embodiment, it also accepts an instruction to stop irradiation from the user. Specifically, start / stop switch 40 may be a physical switch such as a push button, or a non-contact sensor that detects the human body, for example, the user's finger, without contact. In the case of a non-contact sensor, any type of sensor may be used, such as an optical, ultrasonic, or capacitive type. In this embodiment, a non-contact sensor is used as start / stop switch 40. When a user holds their finger near start / stop switch 40 on the front of hand wash basin 1, this is detected by start / stop switch 40, and a signal to that effect is input to control unit 44. Control unit 44 treats the input signal from start / stop switch 40 as an instruction to start or stop irradiation.
[0043] The detection sensor 39 detects whether the drawer 4 is in the storage position or another position. The detection sensor 39 detects that the drawer 4 is in a position other than the storage position, not only in the storage position shown in FIG. 6 but also in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 9. The detection sensor 39 detects that the drawer 4 is in the storage position only when the drawer 4 is fully pushed in, as shown in FIG. 5. The control unit 44 treats the input signal from the detection sensor 39 as a condition for whether irradiation is permitted or not. A signal indicating that the drawer 4 is in the storage position is treated as a condition for permitting irradiation. A signal indicating that the drawer 4 is in a position other than the storage position is treated as a condition for prohibiting irradiation. When there are two detection sensors 39, the condition for permitting irradiation is that both detection sensors 39 detect the storage position. If either of the two detection sensors 39 detects a position other than the storage position, this is treated as a condition for prohibiting irradiation.
[0044] Now, let us consider the start of irradiation. In order to start irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17, the input signal from the detection sensor 39 must be "permitted" and in that state a start command signal must be received from the start / stop switch 40. This presupposes that the drawer 4 is correctly stored in the storage position. When the drawer 4 is in the pulled-out position or an intermediate position, irradiation will not start even if a start command signal is sent from the start / stop switch 40.
[0045] When the user pushes the drawer 4 into the storage position, the input signal from the detection sensor 39 changes from "prohibited" to "permitted." When the user then places their finger near the start / stop switch 40 to issue a start instruction signal, the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 begin irradiation. For this reason, when irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 begins, the drawer 4 is always in the storage position. Irradiation will not occur if the drawer 4 remains in the pulled-out position or an intermediate position.
[0046] The end of irradiation will be described below. Irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 ends when at least one of the following two events occurs. When a stop signal is issued from the start / stop switch 40 during irradiation. When the input signal from the detection sensor 39 changes from "Permit" to "Prohibit" during irradiation.
[0047] The former specifically refers to when the user holds their finger near the start / stop switch 40 again after irradiation has started. This user action itself is the same as the action at the start, but the control unit 44 treats this as an instruction to stop if irradiation is in progress. The latter specifically refers to when the drawer 4 is pulled out after irradiation has started. If the drawer 4 moves even slightly forward from the stored position after irradiation has started, the detection sensor 39 detects this. This causes irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 to end even without the user issuing a stop instruction. Irradiation does not continue even if the drawer 4 is pulled out.
[0048] The control unit 44 can also be equipped with a standard irradiation time function. An irradiation time sufficient for sterilizing the contents can be preset in the control unit 44. With this function, irradiation will end when the irradiation time has elapsed from the start of irradiation, even if the user does not issue a stop command or the drawer 4 is not pulled out.
[0049] In the above, the detection sensor 39 and the control unit 44 function as switches that allow irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 only when the drawer 4 is in the storage position. The start / stop switch 40 and the control unit 44 function as an activation operation unit that starts irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17. The activation operation unit in this embodiment starts irradiation based on the user's action. If the start / stop switch 40 is of the non-contact type described above, it functions as a non-contact activation operation unit.
[0050] The operation of the buzzer 42 and the display 41 will now be described. These are not essential to the disclosed technology, but are more convenient to have. The buzzer 42 and the display 41 both inform the user of the operating status of the hand wash basin 1. The buzzer 42 may be set to sound in the following cases, for example. The sound it emits may be changed depending on the type of case. At the start of irradiation At the end of irradiation When drawer 4 is released from its storage position When drawer 4 is pushed in from the pulled-out position and held in the stored position When drawer 4 is pulled out and the user issues a start command, the start of irradiation is refused.
[0051] The display 41 may be configured to light up, for example, during irradiation by the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17. Also, when the drawer 4 is held in the storage position, the display may be configured to light up in a color different from the color that lights up during irradiation. If there are multiple displays 41 and the control unit 44 has the standard time function described above, the number of displays 41 that light up may be configured to change as time passes from the start of irradiation.
[0052] A speaker may be added in place of or in addition to the buzzer 42 to emit a more detailed announcement voice. The display 41 may be capable of displaying characters so as to display message text.
[0053] In this embodiment of the hand washing station 1, the user can wash their hands in the hand washing section 2 while small items are being sterilized in the drawer 4 as described above. The user does not need to touch the hand washing station 1 with their hands when opening or closing the drawer 4 to store small items. The user also does not need to touch the hand washing station 1 with their hands when starting irradiation. If the water outlet 20 is an auto-sensor type equipped with a sensor 48 (see Figure 1), the user does not need to touch anything other than water when washing their hands in the hand washing section 2. By the time the user finishes washing their hands, the small items will have been sufficiently sterilized. The user does not need to touch the hand washing station 1 with their hands when stopping irradiation or when opening or closing the drawer 4 to retrieve small items.
[0054] As explained in detail above, according to this embodiment, the hand wash station 1 having the hand washing section 2 and the cabinet section 3 is provided with the drawer 4, the upper irradiator 10, the lower irradiator 17, etc. The structures of the first light-shielding member 8, the second light-shielding member 9, etc. are designed to prevent ultraviolet light from leaking to the outside from the upper irradiator 10 and the lower irradiator 17 as much as possible, regardless of the position of the drawer 4. This realizes a hand wash station 1 that allows you to immediately sterilize your hands and belongings when you return home or enter the building.
[0055] This embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the disclosed technology in any way. Therefore, the disclosed technology can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a nozzle for discharging rubbing alcohol may be provided instead of the water outlet 20. In this case, the drain bowl 21 and drainage part 19 are not essential. The irradiator may not include the downward irradiator 17, but only the upward irradiator 10. A mirror may be provided above the hand wash basin 1.
[0056] The device may be configured so that irradiation does not occur when there is nothing stored in the storage section 6. The device may not have the start / stop switch 40. In that case, for example, the device may be configured so that irradiation begins when the drawer 4 is held in the storage position. Alternatively, the device may be configured so that irradiation begins when water starts to be discharged from the water outlet 20. If the start / stop switch 40 is a non-contact sensor, it may be configured so that it also functions as the sensor 48 for the water outlet 20. [Explanation of symbols]
[0057] 1... hand washing stand, 2... hand washing section, 3... cabinet section, 4... drawer, 6... storage section, 7... front panel, 8... first light blocking member, 9... second light blocking member, 10... upward illuminator, 11...Third light blocking member, 17...Downward irradiator, 18...Third light blocking member, 20...Water outlet, 22...Irradiation window portion, 23...Front window portion, 28...Irradiation window portion, 29...Front window portion, 36...Storage, 37...Transmitting section, 38...Light-shielding section, 46...Side illuminator, 47...Thrust lock head
Claims
1. A hand washing stand having a cabinet and a cleaning liquid outlet at an upper portion, a drawer that is disposed below the cleaning liquid discharge port, has a storage section that is open at the top or side and stores an object, and slides between a storage position where the opening of the storage section is not exposed to the outside and a drawer position where the entire opening of the storage section is exposed to the outside; an irradiator that irradiates ultraviolet light onto the contents in the storage unit; a rear light blocking member located behind the storage section, The drawer is A front panel facing the user, a front light-shielding member positioned between the front panel and the storage section, the irradiator is disposed at a position where it irradiates the storage section with ultraviolet light when the drawer is in the storage position, The rear light blocking member is When the drawer is in the storage position, it does not cover the illuminator; The hand washing stand is provided in an area that covers the irradiator when the drawer is in the drawn-out position.
2. The hand washing station according to claim 1, A hand washing stand in which the rear end of the range in which the front light-shielding member is provided is positioned so as to remain within the cabinet when the rear light-shielding member is not covering the illuminator.
3. A hand washing station according to any one of claims 1 and 2, a fixed light blocking member fixedly disposed on the cabinet on the side of the drawer where the illuminator is located; The fixed shading member has an irradiation window formed at a position that is within the range of the opening of the storage section when the drawer is in the storage position.
4. The hand washing station according to claim 3, the irradiator and the fixed light blocking member are provided on both the opening side and the opposite side of the storage section, A hand washing stand in which the fixed shading member on the opening side of the storage section has a front window section formed forward of the irradiation window section, separate from the irradiation window section.
5. A hand washing station according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The irradiator includes a first irradiator above or to the side of the drawer and a second irradiator on the opposite side to the first irradiator, the first irradiator is disposed at one of a front position and a rear position within the range of the storage section when the drawer is in the storage position, The second illuminator is disposed at a position where the first illuminator is not disposed, either closer to the front or closer to the back within the range of the storage section when the drawer is in the storage position, and a surface of the side surface of the storage section other than the opening and facing the first illuminator or the second illuminator is The portion of the front side or the rear side where the first irradiator or the second irradiator is disposed is a transmission portion that transmits ultraviolet light, A hand washing stand in which the portion near the front or the back where the first irradiator or the second irradiator is not located is a shading portion that blocks ultraviolet rays.
6. A hand washing station according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a thrust lock head that is extendable within a finite range in the sliding direction of the drawer, and that is in a restricted state in which extension is restricted when the drawer is pushed in and reaches the storage position, and that is released from the restricted state and becomes movable when the drawer is further pushed in from the storage position; The rear light blocking member is connected to the thrust lock head.
Citation Information
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