JPH0871132A - Sterilized object detecting method for sterilizer and sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To judge the presence/absence of a sterilizing object with a high accuracy by preventing wrong decision caused by noise or disturbance by deciding the degree of coincidence for optical pulse signals plural times just for the specific number of pulses and fixedly deciding the absence of the sterilizing object when the result shows non-coincidence plural times. CONSTITUTION: A sterilizing room 11 is provided for sterilizing a finger, etc., by inserting it, a tank 12 for storing sterilizing liquid LQ is provided on the downside of the sterilizing room 11, and a nozzle 13 for jetting the sterilizing liquid LQ out is fitted while being turned downward on the ceiling side of the sterilizing room 11. Concerning a photoelectric sensor 21 provided on the ceiling of the sterilizing room 11, the finger is irradiated with pulse-shaped optical signals emitted downward from a light emitter, and reflected signals are received by a light receiver. In this case, the sterilizing object is time-sequentially and continuously irradiated with the pulse signals in a fixed cycle, the irradiating pulse signal is compared with the reflected pulse signals, the degree of coincidence for the optical pulse signals is decided more than twice just for the specific number of pulses and when they are not coincident more than twice, the absence of the sterilizing object is fixedly decided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disinfecting device for spraying a disinfecting liquid or the like on an object to be disinfected such as fingers, and more particularly to a method for detecting an object to be disinfected and a technique for controlling the spray timing of the disinfecting liquid. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a field such as a medical facility such as a hospital or a food processing plant, in order to disinfect a finger before work, a disinfectant is automatically ejected by simply inserting the finger into the disinfectant. Is used.

The automatic injection type disinfecting machine of the kind described above is usually equipped with an electromagnetic pump, which sucks up the disinfectant solution from the tank, pressurizes it, and supplies it to the nozzle through the injection path. The nozzle is mounted downward from the top of the disinfection chamber for the insertion of fingers.

When a finger is inserted into the disinfection chamber, the photoelectric sensor detects the insertion of the finger and the detection signal is supplied to the microcomputer. When the detection signal is supplied, the microcomputer drives the electromagnetic pump for a few seconds with a timer etc., and the worker just puts the fingers in the disinfection chamber and the disinfectant is sprayed from the nozzle for a few seconds to disinfect and sterilize the fingers. It can be carried out.

[0005]

Conventionally, whether or not a finger is inserted into a disinfection chamber is determined by using a photoelectric sensor. However, in a conventional disinfecting device, as shown in FIG. The pulsed optical signal (continuous pulse) OS from the light emitting device is emitted toward the finger, the more pulsed optical signal OS of the finger is reflected, and the light receiving signal receives a certain number of light reflection signals RS. It is like this.

That is, a pulsed optical signal OS having a constant frequency and a constant duty is output from a light emitting device of a photoelectric sensor toward a finger, and the duty is constant at a substantially constant frequency reflected by the finger. A light receiving device receives a pulsed light reflection signal RS having the following. Thereby, the microcomputer compares the optical signal OS from the light emitter with the light reflection signal RS in the light receiver, and when the pulse number of the received light reflection signal RS matches the pulse number of the optical signal OS, for example, The light receiver receives a predetermined number of continuous pulses (T1: 0.
When receiving the light reflection signal RS for 5 seconds, the microcomputer of the control circuit determines that the finger is inserted in the disinfection chamber, and the microcomputer uses the timer for setting the spraying time from the time point TZ1 in FIG. For example up to 10
The electromagnetic pump is driven for a second to disinfect the operator's finger with the disinfectant sprayed from the nozzle for a few seconds.

However, when a finger is removed from the disinfecting room before a maximum of 10 seconds has elapsed from the time point TZ1, for example, at a time point TZ2 which is two seconds after the time point TZ1 in FIG.
As shown in a period after time TZ2, the light reflection signal RS
Is not received by the receiver. That is, when the pulse numbers of the optical signal OS and the received light reflection signal RS do not match, the microcomputer is in a state in which the fingers are not inserted in the disinfection chamber (the state in which the fingers are removed from the disinfection chamber). And judge once.

In the conventional example of FIG. 5, when the light receiver does not receive the light reflection signal RS (T2: 0.1 seconds) for four pulses, the microcomputer determines that the fingers are not inserted into the disinfection chamber. Determination is made once, the timer for setting the spraying time is turned off, the electromagnetic pump is stopped, and, for example, 1.
The on-off valve is opened for 5 seconds (between time points TZ3 and TZ4), the disinfectant solution remaining near the nozzle is returned to the tank, and the spraying of the disinfectant solution is stopped. This electromagnetic on-off valve is for returning the disinfectant solution remaining in the pipe to the tank so that the disinfectant solution does not drip from the nozzle when the spraying is stopped.

As described above, in the conventional disinfecting device, the microcomputer has the finger in the disinfecting chamber when the photodetector detects the number of pulses corresponding to the number of pulses of the optical signal.) Confirm with TZ1, and if it does not match the pulse number of the optical signal otherwise, it is determined at one time at time TZ3 that the finger has been removed from the disinfection chamber, and the timer for setting the spray time is determined only once at that time. It completely stops and automatically stops spraying the disinfectant solution.

However, if the noise or disturbance or the like enters the photodetector during spraying of the disinfectant solution, it is only possible to make a one-time judgment that the finger is pulled out at the time point TZ3. A situation occurs in which the light reflection signal generated in TZ3 cannot be received. When there is this noise or the like, the light receiver apparently receives the light reflection signal RS even though the number of pulses of the received light reflection signal RS actually matches the number of pulses of the optical signal OS. If not, the microcomputer will determine that the finger is absent in the disinfection room. In other words, the microcomputer determines that the finger has been pulled out from the disinfecting chamber even though the disinfecting chamber has the finger, and the undesirable operation of automatically ending the operation of spraying the disinfectant solution from the nozzle occurs. It was

Further, if the spraying operation is automatically terminated in this way, there are the following problems. That is, time point TZ3
Even if the fingers are immediately put into the disinfecting chamber again after the disinfection solution spraying operation is terminated (stopped) by making a determination in step 1, the spraying operation cannot be restarted immediately. Because at time TZ3
To the time point TZ4 (for example, 1.5 seconds), the on-off valve is not closed at all, and the time T1 (for example, 0. 5 seconds) and the time required for this on-off valve to close again (T3: 1.5 seconds)
The spraying of the disinfectant solution does not resume for a total of 2 seconds, and a fixed waiting time of a total of 2 seconds is required to restart the spraying operation.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the erroneous determination due to noise or disturbance and accurately determine the presence or absence of the sterilization target object according to whether the sterilization target object is taken in or out. It is an object of the present invention to provide a disinfecting device that can quickly spray a disinfectant solution even if it is immediately put in again.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a pulse signal having a constant cycle is continuously applied to a disinfection object in a time series, and the irradiation pulse signal and reflection on the disinfection object are reflected. In the disinfectant detection method of the disinfecting device for detecting the presence or absence of the disinfection object by comparing the pulse signal with each pulse and determining the degree of coincidence of the optical pulse signals of the both, the optical pulse signal The matching degree determination is performed at least twice or more for a predetermined number of pulses, and when the number of mismatches is two or more times, the determination is determined to be absent.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a pulse signal having a constant cycle is continuously applied to the object to be disinfected in a time series, and each of the irradiation pulse signal and the reflection pulse signal at the object to be disinfected is pulsed. By comparing each of the optical pulse signals, by determining the degree of coincidence of the optical pulse signal of the two, by detecting the presence or absence of the disinfection object, based on the detection signal to spray the disinfectant, in the disinfectant, the light When determining the degree of coincidence of pulse signals, when both pulse signals do not match, it is tentatively determined that the object to be disinfected is absent, and spraying of the disinfectant is stopped. When the pulse signals do not match, it is configured to include a control unit that determines the absence of the disinfecting target and terminates the disinfectant spraying operation.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a pulse signal having a constant cycle is continuously applied to the object to be disinfected in a time series, and each of the irradiation pulse signal and the reflection pulse signal at the object to be disinfected is pulsed. By comparing each of the optical pulse signals, by determining the degree of coincidence of the optical pulse signal of the two, by detecting the presence or absence of the disinfection object, based on the detection signal to spray the disinfectant, in the disinfectant, the light When determining the degree of coincidence of pulse signals, when both pulse signals do not match, it is tentatively determined that the object to be disinfected is absent, and spraying of the disinfectant is stopped. When the pulse signals match, it is configured to include a control unit that determines the existence of the disinfecting object and continues the spray operation of the disinfectant.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the degree of coincidence between the irradiation light pulse signal and the reflected light pulse signal from the object to be disinfected is determined at least twice by the predetermined number of pulses. As a result of the judgment, when the disagreement occurs twice or more, the judgment is determined to be the absence of the disinfection object. in this way,
Since the existence of the disinfection object is confirmed in two stages, even if an erroneous judgment due to noise or disturbance is made at the time of the tentative judgment, the judgment can be corrected by the second judgment. Accordingly, the presence / absence of the disinfection object can be determined with high accuracy.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control means determines the coincidence between the irradiation light pulse signal and the reflected light pulse signal from the object to be disinfected by a predetermined number of pulses. Occasionally, the disinfectant is provisionally determined to be absent, and the disinfectant spraying is stopped. After that, the degree of coincidence between the irradiation light pulse signal and the reflected light pulse signal emitted from the object to be disinfected is determined for a predetermined number of times, and when both optical pulse signals do not match, the determination of the absence of the object to be disinfected is confirmed. At the same time, the disinfectant spraying operation is terminated.

As described above, the presence of the disinfecting object is confirmed in two stages, and even if an erroneous determination due to noise or disturbance is made at the time of the tentative determination, the determination can be corrected by the second determination. The presence / absence of the disinfection target can be determined with high accuracy according to the removal / insertion of the disinfection target. Further, since the spraying by the spraying means is temporarily stopped at the time of the tentative determination, and if the detection target is absent at the time of the second determination, the spraying by the spraying means is controlled to be terminated, so that the spraying operation is appropriately performed. Can be controlled.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the control means determines the coincidence between the irradiation light pulse signal and the reflected light pulse signal from the object to be sterilized by determining that the two light pulse signals do not coincide with each other by a predetermined pulse. At this time, the disinfectant is provisionally determined to be absent, and the disinfectant spraying is stopped. After that, when both optical pulse signals match a predetermined number of times,
The determination of the presence of the disinfection object is confirmed, and the disinfectant spraying operation is continued.

As described above, even if the presence of the disinfecting object is confirmed in two stages, and even if an erroneous determination is made due to noise or disturbance at the time of provisional determination, the determination can be corrected by the second determination, The presence / absence of the detection target can be determined with high accuracy according to the removal / insertion of the disinfection target. Then, even when the detection target is taken out of the disinfection chamber and immediately thereafter, the detection target is put in the disinfection chamber again, immediately when it is determined by the second determination that the detection target is present in the disinfection chamber, immediately. The spraying operation can be restarted.

[0021]

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the sterilizer of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the disinfecting device has a substantially box-shaped casing 10, and the casing 10 includes a disinfecting chamber 11. The disinfection chamber 11 is for inserting and disinfecting by sterilizing a finger or the like, which is an object to be disinfected, and below the disinfection chamber 11, a tank 1 for storing a disinfecting liquid LQ such as alcohol.
Equipped with 2.

On the ceiling side of the disinfecting chamber 11, a nozzle 13 for injecting the disinfecting liquid LQ is attached downward. An electromagnetic pump 15 is attached to the nozzle 13 via a supply pipe 14. The electromagnetic pump 15 has a tank 12
The blow-in pipe 16 inserted into the is connected.

The nozzle 13 is connected to the tank 12 via a return pipe 17, and an electromagnetic on-off valve 18 is inserted in the middle of the return pipe 17. This on-off valve 18
In order to prevent the disinfectant solution LQ from dropping from the nozzle 13 by returning the disinfectant solution LQ remaining near the nozzle 13 into the tank 12 as shown in FIG. belongs to. The on-off valve 18 and the electromagnetic pump 15 are both the microcomputer 3 of the control circuit 19.
It operates in response to a drive signal from 0 (see FIG. 2).

Inside the tank 12 of FIG. 1, there is provided a float type liquid level sensor 20 for detecting that the disinfecting liquid LQ has reached a predetermined reference level. In this liquid level sensor 20, the liquid level of the disinfectant liquid LQ is the tank 1
A float is provided to detect that a predetermined reference level has been reached in the above item 2. This reference level is a reference for calculating the remaining amount of the disinfecting liquid LQ. After the liquid level of the disinfectant liquid LQ reaches this reference level, in order to avoid the liquid-less condition, every time the injection for the specified time is completed,
The microcomputer 30 shown in FIG. 2 increments the spray number counter, which is composed of software, by +1.

A photoelectric sensor 21 is provided at a predetermined position on the ceiling of the disinfection chamber 11. The photoelectric sensor 21 is a reflection type photodetector in which the light emitter 21a and the light receiver 21b shown in FIG. 2 are integrally formed. The light emitter 21a emits a pulsed optical signal OS downward toward the finger, and the light receiver 21b reflects the pulsed optical reflection signal R reflected by the finger.
It receives S.

At the bottom of the disinfection chamber 11, the drain tray 2 is provided.
2 is arranged so that it can be taken out from the disinfection chamber 11,
Black paint is applied to the tray 22. As a result, when the user or the operator does not put his / her finger in the disinfection chamber 11, the light reflection signal RS is absorbed by the black paint of the tray 22 and does not return to the light receiver of the photoelectric sensor 21. However, when the user or the operator puts his / her finger in the disinfection chamber 11, the light reflection signal RS reflected by the finger is returned to the light receiver 21b of the photoelectric sensor 21, so that the microcomputer 30 of the control device 19 uses the light reflection signal RS. Whether or not a finger has been put in the disinfection chamber 11 can be determined by the presence or absence of.

FIG. 2 shows a control system of the disinfecting device.

In FIG. 2, this control system includes the above-mentioned control circuit 19 and photoelectric sensor 21. The control circuit 19 has a microcomputer 30, and the microcomputer 30 has D / A converters 31, 33, 35.
, Pulse shaping circuit 38, and liquid level sensor 20
Is connected. The microcomputer 30 incorporates a timer 31 for setting the spraying time.

The microcomputer 30 is connected to the electromagnetic pump 15 via the D / A converter 32 and the drive circuit 34, and the microcomputer 30 is connected to the D / A converter.
It is connected to the on-off valve 18 via the A converter 35 and the drive circuit 36.

The microcomputer 30 is connected to the light emitter 21a of the photoelectric sensor 21 via the D / A converter 31. The microcomputer 30 pulse-drives the light emitter 21a via the D / A converter 31. As a result, the light emitter 21a causes the pulsed optical signal O having a predetermined duty ratio at a predetermined frequency as shown in FIG.
S is output downward in FIG.

On the other hand, the output end of the light receiver 21b is connected to the microcomputer 30 via the differentiating circuit 37 and the pulse shaping circuit 38 of the control circuit 19. Differentiator circuit 3
Reference numeral 7 differentiates each pulse of the light reflection signal RS of the light receiver 21b and supplies it to the pulse shaping circuit 38. The pulse shaping circuit 38 discriminates the differential waveform DP by a threshold value, generates positive and negative control pulses C, and supplies them to the microcomputer 30. The microcomputer 30 constantly compares the optical signal OS of FIG. 3 output from the light emitter 21a with the light reflection signal RS received by the light receiver 21b.

Here, when the finger H (see FIG. 2) enters the disinfection chamber 11 of FIG. 1, from time point TP0 to TP of FIG.
1, the optical signal OS from the light emitter 21a is reflected by a finger and the light receiver 21b receives the light reflection signal RS having the same duty ratio at substantially the same frequency. Thereby, for example, the light receiver 21b outputs the light reflection signal RS for the period T1.
If light is received (for 20 pulses), the microcomputer 3
0 confirms that a finger has entered the disinfection chamber 11. In FIG. 3, at the time point TP0, the disinfection chamber 1 is already in this manner.
I have confirmed that my fingers are inside 1.

In FIG. 3, the microcomputer 30 confirms that the fingers are already inside the disinfection chamber 11 at the time point TP0, and at the time point TP1 the fingers are completely in the disinfection chamber 1.
1. When removed from inside 1 (finger H is absent), microcomputer 30, electromagnetic pump 15, on-off valve 1
8 shows the operation of the timer 31 for setting the injection time.

Further, in FIG. 4, the microcomputer 30 confirms that the finger has already entered the disinfecting chamber 11 at the time point TP0 (the state where the finger H exists), and at the time point TP4, the finger is detected. The microcomputer 30, the electromagnetic pump 15, the opening / closing valve 18, and the timer in the case where the finger is temporarily removed from the disinfection chamber 11 (the finger H is absent), and the finger is put in the disinfection chamber 11 again at the next time point TP6. 31 shows the operation.

The operation example of FIG. 3 is as follows.

In FIG. 3, the light signal OS of the light emitter 21a and the light reflection signal RS of the light receiver 21b are compared, and the pulse of the light signal OS of the light emitter 21a and the pulse of the light reflection signal RS of the light receiver 21b do not match. Disinfection room 1 of Figure 1
A temporary determination PJ that the finger H, which is a detection target, does not exist in 1 is performed, and the electromagnetic pump 15 that is a spraying unit is used.
Spraying is stopped, and when the pulse of the light signal of the light emitter and the pulse of the light reflection signal of the light receiver do not match after that, it is determined that the detection target is absent in the disinfection chamber and the spray is performed. Stop spraying by means.

Specifically, in FIG. 3, when a finger is put into the disinfection chamber 11 of FIG. 1, the optical signal OS from the light emitter 21a is reflected by the finger and the light receiver 21b has substantially the same frequency and the same duty ratio. 3 for receiving the light reflection signal RS of FIG. The microcomputer 30 of FIG. 2 compares the number of pulses of the optical signal OS with the number of pulses of the light reflection signal RS, and the light reflection signal RS is 0.5 seconds (for 20 pulses).
When the light is continuously received by the light receiver 21b, the microcomputer 30 confirms that the finger is inside the disinfection chamber 11. In FIG. 3, this confirmation has already been made at time TPO.

As a result, the microcomputer 30 issues a drive command to the electromagnetic pump 15 shown in FIG.
Is driven to spray the disinfectant solution LQ from the nozzle 13 of FIG.

The injection time of the disinfecting liquid LQ is preset by the timer 31 for setting the injection time, and is, for example, 10 seconds at maximum from the time point TPO. Time point TP on fingers
The disinfectant LQ is sprayed from the nozzle 21 from O for a maximum of 10 seconds to disinfect and sterilize the fingers.

When the time point TP1 is reached after a certain time (for example, 2 seconds has elapsed) from the time point TPO and the finger is completely removed from the disinfection chamber 11 during the disinfection, the light receiver 21b causes the light reflection signal RS. I will not receive it. At this time T
O.P. 1 second (4 pulses,
After the elapse of the period from the time point TP1 to the time point TP2), the microcomputer 30 first makes a temporary determination PJ that the finger has come out of the disinfection chamber 11 (that the finger H is absent).

The microcomputer 30 makes this provisional judgment P.
Simultaneously with J, the microcomputer 30 stops (OFF) the electromagnetic pump 15 of FIG. 2 and opens the opening / closing valve 18. The on-off valve 18 is open for 1.5 seconds, for example. As a result, the spraying of the disinfectant solution LQ is stopped and the disinfectant solution LQ in the vicinity of the nozzle 13 is removed from the tank 1.
Return to 2.

However, at the time of tentative judgment PJ (at time point TP
In 2), unlike the conventional case of FIG. 5, the timer 31 does not initialize (initialize) the count value of the time, but continues the count value of time up to 10 seconds as it is. Then, the time T when the provisional determination PJ is performed
When the state where the light receiver 21b does not receive the light reflection signal RS for a further 0.4 seconds (for 16 pulses) from P2 continues, the time point TP
At 3, the microcomputer 30 further makes a determination (also referred to as a main determination) MJ.

The microcomputer 30 makes this judgment MJ.
At the time point TP3 when
When 0 is confirmed and determined that the finger is completely removed from the disinfection chamber 11, the timer 31 stops counting (OFF) and the count value of the time counted up to that point is initialized (initialized), The number of times of the spray number counter during the float operation of the liquid level sensor 20 of FIG. 1 is incremented (+1). As described above, every time the disinfectant solution LQ is sprayed from the nozzle 13, the liquid level of the disinfectant solution LQ in the tank 12 decreases. Therefore, the disinfectant solution LQ can be reduced by adding +1 to the number of spraying counters. Let the microcomputer 30 recognize it.

In this way, in the operation example of FIG. 3, the microcomputer 30 operates when the light receiver 21b does not receive the light reflection signal RS for a certain time T2 (0.1 seconds: 4 pulses). Makes a temporary judgment PJ that the finger has been pulled out from the disinfection chamber 11. Further, when the light receiver 21b does not receive the light reflection signal RS for a certain time T4 (0.4 seconds: 16 pulses), it is determined that the finger has been removed from the disinfection chamber 11, and the main determination MJ is performed. Stop spraying. As a result, the microcomputer 30 makes a provisional determination PJ that the light reflection signal RS does not enter during the period T2 and the finger is pulled out from the disinfection chamber 11 due to noise or disturbance generated during spraying.
Even if it does, if the light reflection signal RS enters even one pulse in the subsequent period T4, the correct definite determination MJ that the finger H has not been removed can be performed. It is possible to reliably determine the disinfectant liquid LQ and perform better spray control regardless of noise or disturbance.

Next, the operation example of FIG. 4 is as follows.

The light signal OS of the light emitter 21a and the light reflection signal RS of the light receiver 21b in FIG.
When the pulse of the light signal of a and the pulse of the light reflection signal RS in the light receiver 21b do not match, the provisional determination PJ that the finger H that is the detection target does not exist in the disinfection chamber 11 of FIG.
When the pulse of the optical signal OS of the light emitting device 21a and the pulse of the light reflection signal RS of the light receiving device 21b coincide with each other within a predetermined period from the provisional determination PJ, the spraying by the electromagnetic pump 15 as the spraying means is performed. The determination MJ that the object to be detected is present in the disinfection chamber 11 is made, and the spraying operation by the spraying means is continued.

In FIG. 4, as described above, the microcomputer 30 has confirmed that the fingers are already inside the disinfection chamber 11 at the time point TP0, and furthermore, the fingers are temporarily disinfected at the time point TP4. The case where the finger is removed from the inside (absence state) and the finger is put into the disinfection chamber 11 again at the time point TP6 (state present) is shown. Alternatively,
FIG. 4 also shows a case where the light reflection signal RS cannot be received by the light receiver 21b due to noise or disturbance from time TP4 to time TP6.

In FIG. 4, when a finger is put into the disinfection chamber 11 of FIG. 1, the optical signal OS from the light emitter 21a is reflected by the finger and the light receiver 21b has the same frequency and the same duty ratio. Of the light reflection signal RS. The microcomputer 30 in FIG. 2 compares the number of pulses of the optical signal OS with the number of pulses of the light reflection signal RS, and the light reflection signal RS is continuously received for 0.5 seconds (20 pulses). When received by the microcomputer 30, the microcomputer 30
Has fingers in the disinfection chamber 11 (exists)
Confirm. In FIG. 4, this confirmation has already been made at the time TPO.

As a result, the microcomputer 30 issues a drive command to the electromagnetic pump 15 shown in FIG.
Is driven to spray the disinfectant solution LQ from the nozzle 13 of FIG.

The injection time of the disinfecting liquid LQ is preset by the timer 31 for setting the injection time, and is, for example, 10 seconds at maximum from the time point TPO. The disinfecting liquid LQ is sprayed onto the fingers from the nozzle 21 to disinfect and sterilize the fingers.

For example, when a time point TP4 is reached after a certain time (eg, 2 seconds has elapsed) from the time point TPO, if the finger is temporarily removed from the disinfection chamber 11 during the disinfection (absence state), the light is received. The device 21b does not receive the light reflection signal RS. At this time point TP1, the time when it is no longer received is O. 1
Second (4 pulses, period from time point TP4 to time point TP5)
After the lapse of time, the microcomputer 30 first makes a provisional determination PJ that a finger has come out of the disinfection chamber 11 (state of absence).
I do.

The microcomputer 30 makes this provisional judgment P.
By executing J, the microcomputer 30 stops (turns off) the electromagnetic pump 15, and the on-off valve 18
Open to stop spraying. As a result, the spraying of the disinfectant solution LQ is stopped and the disinfectant solution LQ near the nozzle 13 is returned to the tank 12. However, at the time of tentative determination PJ (time point TP1), unlike the conventional case of FIG. 5, the timer 31 does not initialize (initialize) the count value of that time, but the count value of the spray time setting is changed to the time point TP0. To 10 seconds at maximum, the count value of time is continued as it is.

The open / close valve 18 has been open for 1.5 seconds, for example, from the time point TP5.

At the time point TP6 when the light receiver 21b is further less than 0.4 seconds (less than 16 pulses) after the time point TP5 at which the tentative judgment PJ is performed, when the finger is put into the disinfection chamber 11 again, the light receiver 21b is turned on. The light reflection signal RS is received again. The microcomputer 30 receives the light reflection signal RS for 0.5 seconds (20 pulses) to confirm that the finger has entered (existing) the disinfection chamber 11 again, and at this time point TP7. The microcomputer 30 further performs determination (also referred to as main determination) MJ.

At the time point TP7 of this determination MJ, the microcomputer 30 drives (ON) the electromagnetic pump 15 and automatically closes the on-off valve 18, unlike the operation example of FIG. 3, and the operation example of FIG. Unlike the above, the spraying time setting timer 31 continues to count. As a result, the time point TP7 when 0.5 seconds has elapsed from the time point TP6
Thus, the disinfecting liquid LQ can be promptly sprayed from the nozzle 13 to disinfect the fingers again.

As described above, in the operation example of FIG.
Since the timer 31 for setting the injection time continues counting even after the time TP5 when there is J, unlike the conventional example of FIG. 5, the microcomputer 30 causes the light reflection signal R
At a time point TP7 when S is received for 0.5 seconds (20 pulses) and it is confirmed that the finger H is present, the spraying operation can be restarted immediately, and the confirmation time for keeping the operator waiting is only 0.5 seconds. (Period from TP6 to TP7). That is,
In the conventional example of FIG. 5, the time for confirming that the fingers are further in the disinfection chamber after the on-off valve is opened for 1.5 seconds 0.5
After a lapse of seconds, the disinfectant solution LQ was sprayed again, and a long waiting time (2 seconds) was required.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 4 described above, if a period T6 (0.5 seconds) for confirming that the finger is inserted is started from the time point TP6 of FIG. Restart spraying again at time point TP0 of timer 31
It is possible to continue spraying for the remaining time until the maximum spray set time (for example, 10 seconds) from is elapsed. That is, the determined waiting time is about 0.5 seconds.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the control circuit 19 may use an analog electronic circuit, a memory, a logic circuit or the like instead of the software processing by the microcomputer 30 as described above.

The object to be detected by the photoelectric sensor is not limited to the finger depending on the application of the disinfecting device.

[0062]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the absence of the disinfection object is confirmed in two steps, it is possible to make a false determination due to noise or disturbance at the time of the provisional determination. However, the determination can be corrected by the second determination, and the presence / absence of the detection target can be determined with high accuracy in accordance with the removal / insertion of the disinfection target.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the irradiation light pulse signal and the reflected light pulse signal do not coincide with each other, it is tentatively determined that the object to be disinfected is absent, and the spraying by the spraying means is stopped. Then, even after that, when the irradiation light pulse signal and the reflected light pulse signal do not match, it is determined that the object to be disinfected is absent, and the spraying by the spraying means is ended. Thus, in addition to being able to prevent erroneous determination due to noise or disturbance due to the two-stage determination and highly accurately determine the presence or absence of the disinfecting object, the spraying by the spraying means is temporarily stopped during the temporary determination. Set aside 2
If the object to be detected does not exist at the time of the determination for the first time, it is possible to appropriately control the spraying operation by ending the spraying by the spraying means.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to being able to prevent erroneous determination due to noise or disturbance due to the determination in two stages and determining the presence or absence of the disinfection object with high accuracy, Even if the object to be detected is put out and the object to be detected is placed again in the disinfecting chamber immediately after that, when it is determined that the object to be detected is present in the disinfecting chamber by the second judgment, the spraying operation is immediately restarted. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of a disinfecting device of the present invention.

2 is a diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the control system of the sterilizer of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an operation diagram showing a temporary determination and a subsequent determination when a finger is completely removed from the disinfection chamber.

FIG. 4 is an operation diagram showing provisional determination and subsequent determination in the case where the finger is completely removed from the disinfecting chamber and then the finger is put into the disinfecting chamber again.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a determination in a conventional disinfecting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Disinfection chamber 15 Electromagnetic pump (spraying means) 21a Photoelectric sensor light emitter 21b Photoelectric sensor light receiver 19 Control device (control means)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sterilizing object is continuously irradiated with a pulse signal of a constant cycle in a time series, and the irradiating pulse signal and the pulse signal reflected by the sterilizing object are compared for each pulse. In the disinfectant detection method of a disinfecting device for detecting the presence or absence of the object to be disinfected by determining the degree of coincidence of light pulse signals, the degree of coincidence of the light pulse signals is determined by a predetermined number of pulses at least twice or more. A disinfectant detection method for a disinfecting device, characterized in that the determination is made to be absent when the disinfection is performed twice or more. 2. A sterilizing object is continuously irradiated with a pulse signal of a constant cycle in a time series, and the irradiation pulse signal and the reflection pulse signal of the sterilizing object are compared for each pulse, and both of them are compared. By determining the degree of coincidence of the light pulse signal, in the disinfectant that detects the presence or absence of the object to be disinfected and sprays a disinfectant based on the detection signal, when determining the degree of coincidence of the light pulse signal When both light pulse signals do not match for a predetermined number of pulses, it is tentatively determined that the object to be disinfected is absent, and disinfection of the disinfectant is stopped, and thereafter, when both light pulse signals do not match for a predetermined number of times. A disinfecting device, comprising: a control unit that determines the absence of an object to be disinfected and terminates the spraying operation of the disinfectant. 3. A pulse signal of a constant cycle is continuously applied to the object to be disinfected in time series, and the irradiation pulse signal and the pulse signal reflected by the object to be disinfected are compared for each pulse, and both of them are compared. By determining the degree of coincidence of the light pulse signal, in the disinfectant that detects the presence or absence of the object to be disinfected and sprays a disinfectant based on the detection signal, when determining the degree of coincidence of the light pulse signal , When both light pulse signals do not match for a predetermined number of pulses, it is tentatively determined that the object to be disinfected is absent, the spray of disinfectant is stopped, and after that, when both light pulse signals match for a predetermined number of times, disinfection is performed. A disinfecting device comprising a control means for determining the existence of an object and for continuing the spraying operation of the disinfectant.