Fluid sterilization device

Abstract

To provide a fluid sterilizer for efficiently cooling a light source device while addressing a problem of corrosion caused by fluid to be sterilized.SOLUTION: A housing body 12 has a cylindrical part 122 on one end side in an axial direction, and an enlarged diameter part 124 on the other end side. A straight tube 18 is housed in the cylindrical part 122 and leads fluid to be sterilized from the one end side in the axial direction to the other end side. A light source device 19 has a resin sealing material 31 as a heat radiation part on a rear surface side, and is housed in the enlarged diameter part 124 so as to irradiate the inside of the straight tube 18 with UV from a front surface side. A lead-out passage 35 is formed in the enlarged diameter part 124 so as to lead the fluid to be sterilized coming out of the straight tube 18 from a notch 181 to the resin sealing material 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid sterilization device that uses ultraviolet light to sterilize a fluid. [Background technology]

[0002] Fluid sterilization devices that sterilize fluids using ultraviolet light are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, the light source that emits ultraviolet light generates heat, so cooling measures are required.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a fluid sterilization device equipped with a light source device in which a circuit board with a light source mounted thereon is disposed inside a cup-shaped metal case whose front opening is sealed with a UV (ultraviolet) light transmitting window. In this fluid sterilization device, an outlet flow path is formed on the back of the metal case so that the fluid comes into contact with the fluid after UV sterilization processing, and the fluid in the outlet flow path cools the light source. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 032943 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the fluid sterilizer of Patent Document 1, the fluid to be sterilized comes into direct contact with the metal case enclosing the light source to cool the light source. This increases cooling efficiency, but corrosion of the metal case by the fluid to be sterilized becomes a problem. For example, when cleaning the fluid sterilizer, the metal case is particularly susceptible to corrosion when a chlorine-based fluid to be sterilized is used. To address this issue, coating or covering the outer surface of the metal case facing the outlet flow path with a corrosion-resistant material would complicate the structure to prevent the corrosion-resistant material from being washed away, and would result in the corrosion-resistant material becoming thicker.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid sterilization device that can effectively cool a light source by utilizing the flowing fluid to be sterilized, while addressing the problems of corrosion caused by the fluid to be sterilized, and the complexity and thickness of the fixing structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a fluid sterilization device for sterilizing a liquid, comprising: a housing having one end side and the other end side coaxially aligned with a straight axis; the housing includes a first cylindrical portion at the one end and a second cylindrical portion at the other end having an inner diameter larger than that of the first cylindrical portion, a flow path pipe housed in the first cylindrical portion of the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized flows in one direction from the one end side to the other end side; a light source device housed in the second cylindrical portion of the housing, the light source device including a substrate, a light source mounted on a front surface side of the substrate and emitting ultraviolet light into the flow path pipe, and a non-metallic sealing member whose inner surface is in contact with a rear surface of the substrate and covers the entire rear surface; an outlet passage formed in the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized, which is led out of the flow path pipe from the end of the flow path pipe on the second cylindrical portion side, flows while coming into contact with the outer surface of the non-metallic seal member; It is equipped with: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, in the light source device, the non-metallic seal member covers the entire back surface of the substrate on which the light source is mounted and comes into contact with the fluid to be sterilized in the outlet flow path within the housing. The fluid to be sterilized in the outlet flow path within the housing has sufficient pressure, which acts to press the non-metallic seal member against the back surface of the substrate. Therefore, the non-metallic seal member only needs to reliably cover the back surface of the substrate, simplifying the structure for fixing the non-metallic seal member in the thickness direction of the light source device and allowing the non-metallic seal member to be made thinner. Furthermore, since the non-metallic seal member can be made thinner and its outer surface is cooled by the fluid to be sterilized flowing through the outlet path, the non-metallic seal member can cool the light source without any problems, and the problem of corrosion of the back surface of the substrate by the fluid to be sterilized can be solved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fluid sterilization device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components housed in the cylindrical portion of the housing body disassembled in the axial direction of the fluid sterilizer. [Figure 3] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the light source device and the housing sealing member disassembled in the axial direction and viewed from one axial end side. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the light source device and the housing sealing member, each of which is disassembled in the axial direction and viewed from the other axial end side. FIG. [Figure 5A] 2 is an enlarged view of an area including an enlarged diameter portion and an outer cover in the axial direction in FIG. 1. [Figure 5B] 5B is an enlarged view of the upper half of the expanded diameter portion of FIG. 5A above the central axis Rx. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a light source device and a housing sealing member equipped with a ceramic seal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Note that components common to multiple embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0011] (composition) 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fluid sterilization device 10. The fluid sterilization device 10 has a cylindrical housing main body 12 and a cap-shaped outer cover 14. The housing main body 12 and the outer cover 14 constitute the housing of the fluid sterilization device 10, and are threadedly engaged with each other at their respective male threaded portions 121 and female threaded portions 141, with their central axes Rx aligned. The engagement of the male threaded portion 121 and the female threaded portion 141 tightens the components housed within the housing in the axial direction, thereby simplifying the assembly structure of the components housed within the housing.

[0012] The housing main body 12 has a cylindrical portion 122, an inlet 123, an expanded diameter portion 124, and a stopper portion 125. The inlet 123 protrudes a predetermined length from one axial end side of the cylindrical portion 122 toward the one end side along the central axis Rx. The stopper portion 125 is formed as the inner surface of the one axial end side of the cylindrical portion 122, and an inlet passage of the inlet 123 opens at the center. The stopper portion 125 has the role of preventing the components housed inside the cylindrical portion 122 from moving toward the one end side in the axial direction. The expanded diameter portion 124 protrudes radially from the cylindrical portion 122 at one end side and opens at the other end side.

[0013] The outer cover 14 has an opening 142 at the center of the cover portion. The outer cover 14 prevents the stored components from coming off the housing body 12 with the cover portion, and after being screwed onto the housing body 12, has the role of pressing the stored components toward the stopper portion 125.

[0014] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components housed in the cylindrical portion 122 of the housing body 12, disassembled in the axial direction of the fluid sterilization device 10. The components include a shield 15, a rectifying plate 16, and a straight pipe 18, which are arranged in that order from one end to the other in the axial direction with their central axes aligned with the central axis Rx, and are inserted into the opening on the other end of the housing body 12.

[0015] The shield 15, together with the rectifying plate 16 and the straight pipe 18, is made of a material that is resistant to ultraviolet rays. The shield 15 is placed against the stopper portion 125 to shield the stopper portion 125 from ultraviolet (UV) rays, thereby protecting the stopper portion 125 from UV rays. The shield 15 also has a tapered portion 151 on its inner periphery. The tapered portion 151 has a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the inlet 123 and the straight pipe 18 at one end and the other end, respectively, and interconnects the inlet 123 and the straight pipe 18. By having the tapered portion 151, UV reflected by the tapered portion 151 is reflected toward the rectifying plate 16, thereby improving the efficiency of UV utilization.

[0016] The rectifying plate 16 has a plurality of rectifying holes 162 in the peripheral portion surrounding the central portion 161. The central portion 161 functions as a barrier against the fluid to be sterilized (e.g., water) that flows into the rectifying plate 16 from the pressure pump (not shown) via the inlet 123 and the shield 15. That is, the fluid to be sterilized flowing through the radial center of the tapered portion 151 is decelerated when it hits the central portion 161, flows radially outward, and then flows into the straight pipe 18 through the rectifying holes 162. This makes the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized in the sterilization chamber 182 uniform between the radial center and peripheral portions. Furthermore, by having the inlet of the shield 15 (the smallest diameter portion of the tapered portion 151) and the central portion 161 of the rectifying plate 16 on the central axis Rx, UV emitted from the straight pipe 18 toward the rectifying plate is prevented from leaking out of the fluid sterilization device 10. Here, the area of ​​the central portion 161 is equal to or greater than the area of ​​the inlet of the shield 15 .

[0017] The straight pipe 18 defines a sterilization chamber 182 on its inner periphery. A plurality of notches 181 are formed in the peripheral wall of the straight pipe 18 at the other axial end at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction, and extend a predetermined length from the other end toward the one end of the straight pipe 18. An O-ring 183 is fitted into an annular groove on the outer periphery of the straight pipe 18 to prevent leakage of the fluid to be sterilized at the outer periphery.

[0018] 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the light source device 19 and the housing sealing member 32, respectively, as seen from one axial end and the other axial end. Fig. 5A is an enlarged view of the range including the expanded diameter portion 124 and the outer cover 14 in the axial direction in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5B is an enlarged view of the upper half of the expanded diameter portion 124 above the central axis Rx in Fig. 5A.

[0019] 3, 4, 5A, and 5B, the light source device 19 and the housing sealing member 32 are housed in the expanded diameter portion 124 in an arrangement relationship on one end side and the other end side, respectively, with their central axes aligned with the central axis Rx. The light source device 19 is disassembled into the shielding ring 20, the O-ring 191, the quartz glass 22, the reflector 24, the UV-LED 26, the substrate 28, and the resin sealing material 31, in that order from one end side to the other end side in the axial direction.

[0020] In light source device 19, the side that emits UV light and the opposite side will be referred to as the front side and back side, respectively. The front side and back side of light source device 19 face one end and the other end in the axial direction of fluid sterilization device 10, respectively. An O-ring 191 is fitted between the periphery of quartz glass 22 and the annular step on the front side of reflector 24 to provide a seal. As a result, the opening on the other end of straight tube 18 is sealed by an opening sealing member composed of quartz glass 22 and O-ring 191.

[0021] The reflector 24 has a reflecting surface 241, a protruding surface 242, a peripheral surface 243, and a recess 244. The reflecting surface 241 is formed in a taper on the inner peripheral side of the reflector 24, with the diameter gradually increasing from the back surface side toward the front surface side. The protruding surface 242 protrudes radially outward from the opening of the reflecting surface 241 on the front surface side of the reflector 24. The peripheral surface 243 is formed on the cylindrical side surface as the outer peripheral surface of the reflector 24. The recess 244 is formed to open at the peripheral portion of the back surface of the reflector 24.

[0022] The reflector 24, together with the shielding ring 20, is made of a material that is resistant to ultraviolet light. On the back side (FIG. 4), the reflector 24 has a circumferential end face 247 and an annular step portion 248 that projects radially inward by a predetermined width along the inner periphery of the circumferential end face 247.

[0023] A plurality of (two in the illustrated example) UV-LEDs 26 and a plurality of electrical components 27 that form a current-carrying circuit for the UV-LEDs 26 are mounted respectively at the center and periphery of the front surface side of the substrate 28. The UV-LEDs 26 are exposed within a tapered reflective surface 241 from the rear surface side of the reflector 24, and the electrical components 27 are housed in a recess 244 on the rear surface of the reflector 24. A pair of opposing recesses 281 and a pair of recesses 282 are formed on the periphery of the circular substrate 28.

[0024] After the electrical component 27 is housed, the recess 244 is filled with a resin having good thermal conductivity (at least higher thermal conductivity than air). The resin-filled structure can be created, for example, by (a) filling the back surface of the reflector 24 with liquid resin at a high temperature before the front surface of the substrate 28 is brought into contact with the back surface of the reflector 24, and then solidifying the resin at room temperature, or (b) before the light source device 19 is housed in the housing main body 12, bonding the reflector 24 and the substrate 28 together in advance, and then injecting liquid resin at a high temperature into the recess 244 through a linear pore (not shown) that communicates with the recess 244 from the front surface of the reflector 24, and then solidifying the resin at room temperature. The resin-filled structure facilitates the conduction of heat generated by the electrical component 27 to the substrate 28.

[0025] The UV emitted by the UV-LED 26 belongs to the deep ultraviolet range, which is highly effective for sterilizing fluids, and has a wavelength range of, for example, 100 to 400 nm. In particular, within the ultraviolet wavelength range, UVC light with a wavelength of 100 to 280 nm is more preferable because it has a particularly high sterilizing effect.

[0026] The resin sealant 31 is made of resin and has a harness hole 311 that penetrates in the axial direction. The resin sealant 31 is attached to the back surface of the substrate 28, and an O-ring 192 is inserted through the resin sealant 31 and attached to the annular step portion 248 of the reflector 24. The back surface of the resin sealant 31 has a flat plate portion 310, an annular raised portion 313 that protrudes along the circumferential edge of the flat plate portion 310, and a pair of positioning holes 312 formed on the inner periphery of the annular raised portion 313. The flat plate portion 310 is formed by recessing the resin sealant 31. That is, the flat plate portion 310 is thinner than the annular raised portion 313. This shortens the distance between the back surface of the substrate 28 and the fluid to be sterilized while maintaining rigidity through the annular raised portion 313, thereby improving heat dissipation. Instead of the resin sealant 31, the back surface of the substrate 28 can be coated with ceramic by thermal spraying the back surface of the substrate 28.

[0027] The housing sealing member 32 has, on its inner surface, spacers 320 as a plurality of protrusions formed at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction, and convex portions 321 formed on the top surfaces of the protrusions of the spacers 320, which are spaced 180° apart in the circumferential direction. The arc-shaped protruding edge 324 fits onto the outside of the circumferential surface 243 of the reflector 24.

[0028] The cylinder defining the harness hole 322 on its inner periphery is press-fitted into the harness hole 311 after an O-ring 193 is inserted therethrough.

[0029] The housing sealing member 32 has, on its back surface, a sealing portion 325 and an outlet 326 that protrudes from the sealing portion 325 to the other end in the axial direction along the central axis Rx. The outlet 326 passes through the inner periphery of the opening 142 of the outer cover 14 and reaches the outside of the outer cover 14 at its protruding end.

[0030] 5A and 5B, the shield ring 20 has an annular end surface at one axial end thereof fitted onto the inner periphery of the expanded diameter portion 124 using an O-ring 196. The shield ring 20 has a cylindrical side surface portion 202 and a tapered portion 201 on the inner periphery of one axial end and the other axial end, respectively. In the axial direction, the end position P1 at one end of the shield ring 20, the position P2 at the small diameter end of the tapered portion 201, the position P3 at the large diameter end of the tapered portion 201, the end position Q1 of the notch 181 (the position of one axial end), and the start position Q2 of the notch 181 (the position of the other axial end), i.e., the other end position Q2 of the straight pipe 18, are arranged as P1, Q1, P2, and P3 (=Q2) in that order from one end to the other end in the axial direction. However, it is preferable that P1 and Q1 be at the same axial position (P1=Q1). This is because the entire notch 181 is exposed to the tapered portion 201, increasing the effective area of ​​the notch 181, and a space with a triangular cross section is formed between one end of the tapered portion 201 and the outer circumferential surface of the straight pipe 18, preventing the fluid to be sterilized from stagnating in the triangular space.

[0031] 5A and 5B, Fn indicates the flow of the fluid to be sterilized in the fluid sterilization device 10. The outlet flow path 35 serves as a passage for guiding the fluid to be sterilized, which is discharged radially outward from the notch 181 of the straight tube 18, to the outside of the fluid sterilization device 10. The outlet flow path 35 is formed in the space between the light source device 19 in the fluid sterilization device 10 and the tapered portion 201 of the shield ring 20, the expanded diameter portion 124, or the inner surface of the sealing portion 325 of the housing sealing member 32. The outlet flow path 35 has, in order in the flow direction of the fluid to be sterilized, a first flow path section 351, a second flow path section 352, a third flow path section 353, a fourth flow path section 354, and a fifth flow path section 355. The first flow path section 351, the second flow path section 352, and the third flow path section 353 all have an annular shape when viewed in the axial direction. The fourth flow path section 354 and the fifth flow path section 355 have a circular shape when viewed in the axial direction.

[0032] First flow path section 351 is formed in the space sandwiched between tapered section 201 and protruding surface 242 in the axial direction, and serves as the most upstream portion of outlet flow path 35, guiding the fluid to be sterilized downstream immediately after being discharged from notch 181. Second flow path section 352 is formed as a passing section between tapered section 201 and a corner section at the boundary between protruding surface 242 and circumferential surface 243. Third flow path section 353 is formed in an annular shape between expanded diameter section 124 and circumferential surface 243. Fourth flow path section 354 is formed as an axial gap between the back surface of light source device 19 and the inner surface of housing sealing member 32.

[0033] (material) The following are examples of materials for each component that constitutes the fluid sterilization device 10. (a) Housing (housing body 12 and outer cover 14): Engineering plastic such as PC (polycarbonate) or POM (polyacetal) (b) Shield 15, rectifier plate 16, straight pipe 18, shield ring 20, reflector 24, and resin sealant 31: PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene tetrafluoroethylene resin), PFA (perfluoroalkoxyalkane), PVF (polyvinyl fluoride), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), or other fluid to be sterilized, and fluororesin, ceramic

[0034] The material (b) above is selected as a material that has higher ultraviolet resistance and UV reflectivity than the material (a) above. Note that the material (a) is a material that is more corrosion-resistant to the fluid to be sterilized than metal. The reason for selecting the material (a) above for the shield 15 and the shield ring 20 is that the shield 15 and the shield ring 20 are made of lightly processed PTFE, and therefore are made of a material that can be manufactured with simple processing.

[0035] (action) The fluid to be sterilized is pressure-fed from a pressure pump (not shown) to fluid sterilization device 10 and introduced into sterilization chamber 182 of straight pipe 18 via inlet 123 of housing main body 12, tapered section 151 of shield 15 and straightening holes 162 in straightening plate 16. The reason why straightening plate 16 has central section 161 with no through-holes is to straighten the flow of the fluid to be sterilized along with the straightening holes 162 of straightening plate 16, and to make the flow velocity in sterilization chamber 182 uniform across the radial direction of sterilization chamber 182.

[0036] UV-LED 26 emits UV light in the axial direction of light source device 19 toward quartz glass 22. Of the ultraviolet light emitted from UV-LED 26, the ultraviolet light that spreads radially and is irradiated onto reflective surface 241 is reflected by reflective surface 241 toward central axis Rx. The ultraviolet light passes through quartz glass 22 and is irradiated onto the fluid to be sterilized in sterilization chamber 182. As a result, the fluid to be sterilized is sterilized.

[0037] When the fluid to be sterilized collides with the surface of the quartz glass 22, its direction changes from the axial direction of the straight pipe 18 to the radial direction, and it exits the straight pipe 18 through the notches 181. Because the total cross-sectional flow area of ​​the multiple notches 181 is smaller than the cross-sectional flow area of ​​the sterilization chamber 182, the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized increases at the notches 181. The flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized is further increased by the tapered portion 201.

[0038] In FIG. 1, the fluid sterilizer 10 is shown in a horizontal orientation (with its longitudinal direction aligned horizontally), but it can also be used in a vertical orientation (with its longitudinal direction aligned vertically), with the inlet 123 and outlet 326 at the bottom and top, respectively. In this case, when the equipment, such as a water server, equipped with the fluid sterilizer 10, stops operating, the pump also stops, leaving air in the upper portion of the straight pipe 18. It is preferable that this remaining air be quickly discharged outside the next time the pump starts operating, because air weakens the intensity of UV light.

[0039] As described above, the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized increases at the notch 181, so in a vertically-mounted fluid sterilizer 10, any air remaining at the top of the straight pipe 18, i.e., at the height of the notch 181, does not remain there for long, but is quickly and smoothly expelled out of the straight pipe 18 by the increased flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized.

[0040] On the other hand, UV emitted from quartz glass 22 into sterilization chamber 182 that spreads widely outward in the radial direction is emitted to the outside of straight tube 18 through notch 181. Hereinafter, UV that enters notch 181 will also be referred to as "leaked UV."

[0041] As described above, the axial positional relationship between position P1 of one end of shielding ring 20, position P2 of the small-diameter end of tapered portion 201, position P3 of the large-diameter end of tapered portion 201, position Q1 of the end of notch 181, and position Q2 of the start of notch 181, i.e., position Q2 of the other end of straight pipe 18, is defined as described above, so that leaking UV is blocked by fluid sterilization device 10 and prevented from irradiating the inner surface of housing main body 12. That is, all of the leaking UV is irradiated onto tapered portion 201 of shielding ring 20 and reflected radially inward, or reflected onto cylindrical side surface portion 202 via one end side of notch 181 and immediately returned into straight pipe 18, and the remainder is irradiated onto tapered portion 201 of shielding ring 20 and reflected.

[0042] After passing through second flow path section 352, the fluid to be sterilized flows axially through annular third flow path section 353 between circumferential surface 243 of reflector 24 and the inner circumferential surface of enlarged diameter section 124. Then, upon contact with the inner surface of sealing section 325, the fluid changes direction radially inward. It then flows around to fourth flow path section 354 on the rear side of light source device 19 and converges at an opening on one end of outlet 326, which serves as the radial center along the inner surface of sealing section 325. Fourth flow path section 354 is formed as a gap sandwiched axially between the rear side of light source device 19 and sealing section 325 of housing sealing member 32. Here, notch 181 and tapered section 201 increase the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized, thereby improving the cooling performance of heat dissipation cover 30.

[0043] The fluid to be sterilized comes into contact with flat plate portion 310 of resin sealant 31 of light source device 19 in fourth flow path section 354, and cools resin sealant 31. Resin sealant 31 is pressed against the back surface of substrate 28 by the fluid pressure of the fluid to be sterilized in fourth flow path section 354. Therefore, as long as resin sealant 31 completely covers the back surface of substrate 28, it does not need to be firmly fixed, and is prevented from peeling off from the back surface of substrate 28 or from flowing away due to the entrainment of the fluid to be sterilized.

[0044] When the resin sealant 31, together with the substrate 28, is in contact with the annular step 248 on the inner periphery of the circumferential end face 247 of the reflector 24, the circumferential end face 247 prevents the substrate 28 from peeling off or flowing away, so the thickness of the resin sealant 31 can be made even thinner and thermal conductivity can be improved. Note that the resin sealant 31 only needs to be in contact with the circumferential end face 247 at its periphery, and does not need to be in contact with the annular step 248 on the inner periphery of the circumferential end face 247. In this case, the protrusion 321 of the housing sealing member 32 fits into the positioning hole 312 of the resin sealant 31, and the spacer 320 presses the end of the peripheral wall of the positioning hole 312 toward one axial end, preventing the resin sealant 31 from peeling off.

[0045] The heat generated by the UV-LEDs 26 is conducted to the substrate 28. The substrate 28 is also called a metal substrate, and the mounting area for components that require heat dissipation is made of metal, making it easy for heat to be conducted to the back side.

[0046] Conduction heat from UV-LEDs 26 is conducted to the back surface of substrate 28, then conducted through flat plate portion 310 of resin sealant 31, and released into the fluid to be sterilized flowing through fourth flow path portion 354. Resin sealant 31 is made of resin, and has lower thermal conductivity than metal. However, because the heat is released into the fluid to be sterilized in fourth flow path portion 354, which flows at a sufficient speed to cool resin sealant 31, the cooling efficiency is high and there is no problem in cooling UV-LEDs 26.

[0047] Furthermore, the flow of the fluid to be sterilized in fourth flow path section 354 gathers from the periphery of flat plate section 310 toward the center, and then flows to the next, fifth flow path section 355. Therefore, the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized in fourth flow path section 354 increases radially inward, while the heat conduction from UV-LEDs 26 is higher toward the center of flat plate section 310. Therefore, it is possible to prevent high temperature areas from concentrating in the center of flat plate section 310.

[0048] The fluid to be sterilized then flows out of the fluid sterilization device 10 via the fifth flow path section 355.

[0049] (ceramic seal) FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a light source device 19b equipped with a ceramic seal 37 and a housing sealing member 32. Differences between the light source device 19b and the light source device 19 will be described below. The light source device 19 is equipped with a ceramic seal 37 instead of the resin sealing material 31 of the light source device 19. A pair of positioning holes 377 are formed on the back surface, similar to the pair of positioning holes 312 of the resin sealing material 31, and are fitted with the protrusions 321 of the housing sealing member 32 during assembly. The protruding tube 375 protrudes from the back surface side of the ceramic seal 37 and has a through-hole through which the harness passes. The harness hole 322 (FIG. 3) of the housing sealing member 32 is press-fitted into the protruding tube 375 with an O-ring 193 inserted therethrough.

[0050] The ceramic seal 37 can also be used as a substrate, i.e., the UV-LED 26 and the electrical components 27 can be mounted on the surface side of the ceramic seal 37, and the substrate 28 can be omitted.

[0051] (Variation) In the fluid sterilization device 10, water is used as the fluid to be sterilized. However, in the present invention, the fluid to be sterilized may be a liquid other than water.

[0052] The fluid sterilization device 10 is equipped with two UV-LEDs 26. The fluid sterilization device of the present invention may have one light source that emits UV light, or three or more light sources.

[0053] Examples of fluids to be sterilized by the fluid sterilization device 10 include water stored in the water tank of an ice maker, water supplied through water pipes and water heaters, drinking water from a water server, cooling water from a circulation device (chiller), and drinking liquid from a drink server. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Fluid sterilization device, 18 Straight tube, 19 Light source device, 20 Shielding ring, 22 Quartz glass, 24 Reflector, 26 UV-LED, 28 Substrate, 31 Resin sealing material, 32 Housing sealing member, 35 Outlet flow path, 24 Expanded diameter portion, 112 Housing main body, 114 Outer cover, 125 Stopper portion, 142···Opening, 181···Notch, 201···Tapered portion, 202···Cylindrical side portion, 241···Reflecting surface, 242···Protruding surface, 243···Circumferential surface, 245···Groove, 325···Blocking portion, 326···Outlet, 351···First flow path portion, 352···Second flow path portion, 353···Third flow path portion, 354···Fourth flow path portion, 355···Fifth flow path portion.

Claims

1. A fluid sterilization device for sterilizing a liquid, comprising: a housing having one end side and the other end side coaxially aligned with a straight axis; the housing includes a first cylindrical portion at the one end and a second cylindrical portion at the other end having an inner diameter larger than that of the first cylindrical portion, a flow path pipe housed in the first cylindrical portion of the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized flows in one direction from the one end side to the other end side; a light source device housed within the second cylindrical portion of the housing, the light source device including a substrate, a light source mounted on the front surface side of the substrate and emitting ultraviolet light into the flow path pipe, a non-metallic sealing member whose inner surface is in contact with the rear surface of the substrate and covers the entire rear surface, and a reflector that is a member separate from the non-metallic sealing member and made of an ultraviolet resistant material; an outlet passage formed in the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized, which is led out of the flow path pipe from the end of the flow path pipe on the second cylindrical portion side, flows while coming into contact with the outer surface of the non-metallic seal member; Equipped with The reflector has an inner circumferential side whose diameter increases toward the one end and is formed as a reflective surface that reflects ultraviolet light from the light source, and the other end is contacted with the surface side of the substrate. A fluid sterilization device characterized by the above.

2. 2. The fluid sterilization device of claim 1, the housing, the flow path pipe, and the light source device are arranged with their central axes aligned, The outlet passage is formed so as to extend from the outer periphery of the other end of the flow path pipe, through an annular surrounding portion between the housing and the light source device, to the center of the outer surface of the non-metallic sealing member, and further so as to extend from the center in a direction away from the light source device along the central axis of the flow path pipe.

3. 3. The fluid sterilizing device of claim 2, A fluid sterilizing device, wherein the reflector has an outer periphery that projects radially to define the outlet passage between the reflector and the housing.

4. 4. The fluid sterilizing device of claim 3, A fluid sterilizing device, characterized in that the non-metallic seal member is inserted into an annular step formed on the back side of the reflector at its periphery.

5. 4. The fluid sterilizing device of claim 3, A fluid sterilizing device, wherein the non-metallic sealing member is made of a ceramic material and also serves as the substrate.

6. The fluid sterilizing device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, moreover, a housing sealing member having a sealing portion that forms a gap between the back surface of the non-metallic sealing member and the back surface of the light source device at a portion of the outlet passage, and an outlet that protrudes from the center of the sealing portion to the outside of the housing and guides the fluid to be sterilized in the gap to the outside of the housing, the housing has a stopper portion at the one end side in the axial direction that prevents movement of the stored component inside the housing toward the one end side, and a tightening portion that tightens the stored component toward the stopper portion via the closing portion of the housing closing member, The flow path pipe and the light source device are housed in the housing as the housing components, A fluid sterilization device characterized in that the flow path pipe, the light source device, and the housing sealing member are aligned with their central axes and arranged in a row in the axial direction in order from the one end side.

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