JP2003038361A - Washer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washer which is excellent in sterilizing effect and freshness keeping effect so that the damage of vegetables can be reduced and the vegetables can be eaten raw and safely, and which is easy to use. SOLUTION: Rotary nozzles 27 and 28 are provided on the upper and lower sides of a washing chamber 22, and a rotary drum 37 is arranged in the middle of them so that a washing basket 38 can be put into it and taken out from it freely. Light sources 33 emitting ultraviolet rays having 254 nm wavelength are arranged on both of the right and left sides, and a shielding plate 31 consisting of an L-shaped photocatalyst member 30 is provided detechably between the light sources 33 and the drum 37. A washing liquid cooling tub 18 is provided on the side of the upstream of the washing chamber 22.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine for cut vegetables, fruits and the like for salads to be eaten raw.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for sterilizing fresh food materials such as vegetables, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-19376, ozone water is stored in a washing tank to generate a swirling flow to produce vegetables. It is known that it is cleaned.

Hereinafter, this conventional food washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional food washing machine. 1 is a cleaning tank, 2 is a cleaning solution for cleaning food, tap water is usually used as the cleaning solution 2, a cleaning solution supply pipe 3 is provided on the side wall of the cleaning tank 1, and a cleaning solution discharge pipe 4 is provided at the bottom of the cleaning tank 1. Has been done.

Further, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 3 and the cleaning liquid discharge pipe 4 are provided with solenoid valves 5 and 6 for controlling supply and discharge, respectively. Further, 7 is an ejector for injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank 1, 8 is a liquid pump for conveying the cleaning liquid 2,
The injector 7 is disposed on the side wall of the cleaning tank 1 so as to be located below the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid 2.

The injector 7 and the liquid pump 8 are connected to each other by the cleaning liquid transport pipes 9 and 10 and the cleaning tank 1 and the liquid pump 8 are connected to each other. The swirl flow generating means for generating a swirl flow in the cleaning liquid 2 includes an injector 7, a liquid pump 8, a cleaning liquid transfer pipe 9,
It is composed of 10.

Further, 11 is an ozone generator, which is configured to supply the generated ozone to the cleaning tank 1 through a gas pump 12 and a gas carrier pipe 13 for carrying the gas and ozone. Reference numeral 14 is a solenoid valve that opens and closes when ozone is supplied and when it is stopped.

In the above configuration, when a signal for starting cleaning is issued from the control unit (not shown) after the food such as vegetables is put into the cleaning tank 1, the electromagnetic valve 5 on the cleaning liquid supply side opens and the cleaning liquid 2 Is supplied to the cleaning tank 1, and when the required amount is reached, the electromagnetic valve 5 is closed and the supply is stopped.

Next, the liquid pump 8 and the ozone generator 11,
The gas pump 12 and the solenoid valve 14 are simultaneously operated, and the ozone generated by the ozone generator 11 is injected by the gas pump 12 into the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank 1 through the gas transfer pipe 13 to enter the cleaning tank 1. A swirling flow is generated, and foods such as vegetables are washed with a washing liquid containing ozone.

Then, after a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the solenoid valve 6 is opened and the cleaning liquid 2 is discharged.

Therefore, it is possible to remove contaminants such as bacteria and pesticides adhering to foods such as vegetables, and to revive freshness by replenishing the cells of foods with water. .

[0011]

However, since the conventional food washer having the above structure uses ozone water as the cleaning liquid, ozone gas is scattered from the surface of the cleaning liquid into the air. Therefore, there is a problem that an unpleasant ozone odor is generated and the mood becomes unpleasant. In addition, since the tissues of fruits and vegetables are easily damaged, browning is likely to occur after washing and the shelf life is poor.

Further, since the entire object to be cleaned must be completely immersed in the cleaning liquid, a large amount of water was required.

Further, since the whole food such as vegetables to be cleaned is constantly immersed in the cleaning liquid, there is a problem that the nutrients of the food such as vitamin C leak out into the cleaning liquid more than necessary. It was

According to the present invention, in the cleaning of such foods, especially in the cleaning and sterilization of fruits and vegetables, it is safer than the conventional one, and a sterilizing effect equal to or higher than the conventional one can be obtained with a small amount of cleaning liquid without using harmful chemicals. It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine capable of suppressing the outflow of nutritional components such as.

[0015]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a washing machine according to the present invention comprises a washing chamber having a front door which can be opened and closed, a water tank for storing a washing liquid at the bottom of the washing chamber, A cleaning nozzle provided on at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber, a rotating drum arranged in the center of the cleaning chamber, a cleaning basket detachably provided in the rotating drum,
Light sources that emit ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 254 nm on both right and left sides of the rotating drum, a shield plate that is provided between the rotating drum and the light source, and has an L-shaped photocatalyst member that is open at the top and bottom, and a cleaning liquid for the water tank. Is circulated and injected into the cleaning chamber by the cleaning nozzle to bring the cleaning liquid into contact with the photocatalytic member of the shielding plate.

As a result, the washed product can be washed evenly and efficiently, a high sterilizing effect can be obtained with a small amount of washing liquid, and when the washed product is fruits and vegetables, the outflow of nutritional components such as vitamin C is minimized. It is something that can be done.

Further, a cleaning liquid cooling tank having a heat exchanger for adjusting the cleaning liquid to a low temperature is arranged upstream of the cleaning chamber.

As a result, the washed food such as fruits and vegetables will not be withered, and it is possible to prevent the so-called unpleasant feeling from deteriorating the texture and the freshness even in the summer.

Further, the shield plate is detachably provided.

With this, since the shield plate can be removed and the ultraviolet rays of the sterilizing lamp can be radiated to the entire washing chamber, the inside of the washing chamber can be efficiently washed and sterilized, the cutting board and the kitchen knife can be washed and sterilized, the surface of the egg, etc. Can be washed and sterilized.

Further, the rotary drum is constructed so as to be rotated by a rotary device of a variable speed, and a dehydration operation of high speed rotation is carried out after a cleaning operation of low speed rotation.

As a result, the washing can be performed efficiently and the drainage of the washed product can be automatically and efficiently performed after the washing.

The photocatalyst member is formed by fixing a photocatalyst containing titanium oxide as a main component on a stainless steel plate having a physically large specific surface area.

As a result, the contact area is large and the adhesion strength of the photocatalyst is increased, and the photocatalyst film having a large specific surface area is formed, so that high photocatalytic activity is obtained, and the cleaning liquid during injection is efficiently sterilized. The sterilizing effect of the cleaning liquid can be maintained.

The cleaning basket has a cylindrical shape and has a lid with a handle on the top surface and a plurality of protrusions on the bottom surface for fixing to the rotary drum.

As a result, the basket can be taken out easily and the taken-out basket can be left sanitarily.

The detachable cleaning basket is fixed by pressing the protrusion on the bottom surface into a stopper provided on the rear surface of the rotary drum.

As a result, the cleaning basket can be firmly fixed and can be attached and detached very easily.

Further, since the cleaning basket provided detachably is designed to be held by the stopper provided on the circumference of the rotary drum, it can be attached and detached very easily in a short time.

In addition, after washing with tap water at least once, it is finally washed with cooling water one or more times.

As a result, a high washing and sterilizing power can be obtained for the washed food, vegetables and the like can be prevented from wilting, and the freshness of other food can be maintained.

[0032]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention can be implemented by adopting the constitutions described in each claim, but in order to make it easy to understand the embodiments, the constitutions and the actions by the constitutions will be described below together. .

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a cleaning chamber having a door which can be opened and closed at the front, a water tank for storing cleaning liquid at the bottom of the cleaning chamber, and a top or bottom surface of the cleaning chamber. A cleaning nozzle provided on at least one side, a rotating drum arranged in the center of the cleaning chamber, a cleaning basket detachably provided in the rotating drum, and an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 254 nm is radiated to the left and right sides of the rotating drum. A light source, a shield plate formed between the rotary drum and the light source and having an L-shaped photocatalyst member whose upper and lower sides are opened, and a cleaning liquid in the water storage tank is circulated and jetted into the cleaning chamber by the cleaning nozzle to shield the light. Since the cleaning solution is in contact with the photocatalyst member of the plate, the article to be cleaned in the cleaning basket is efficiently cleaned evenly and the cleaning solution during cleaning is constantly sterilized, It is possible to prevent the lowering of bactericidal power of solution purification, it can be sterilized with less cleaning solution. Further, since the shielding plate does not directly irradiate the vegetables and the like with ultraviolet rays, it is possible to prevent deterioration of foods such as vegetables which are sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

The invention described in claim 2 is the same as claim 1
In the invention described in (1), since the cleaning liquid cooling tank having a heat exchanger for adjusting the cleaning liquid to a low temperature is arranged on the upstream side of the cleaning chamber, the washed food such as fruits and vegetables does not wither, and is so-called Thus, it is possible to prevent the texture from being impaired and the freshness to be reduced even in the summer, and at the same time, the outflow of nutritional components such as vitamin C can be suppressed to a minimum.

The invention described in claim 3 is the same as claim 1
Alternatively, in the invention described in item 2, since the shielding plate is detachably provided, the ultraviolet rays of the germicidal lamp can be emitted to the entire cleaning chamber by removing the shielding plate, so that the cleaning chamber can be efficiently cleaned. It is possible to sterilize, wash and sterilize cutting boards and knives, and the surface of eggs.

The invention according to claim 4 is the same as claim 1
In the invention described in any one of 1 to 3, the rotary drum is configured to be rotated by a variable speed rotating device, and a dehydration operation of high speed rotation is performed after a cleaning operation of low speed rotation. Therefore, it is possible to perform the cleaning efficiently and automatically and efficiently drain the water after the cleaning.

The invention described in claim 5 is the same as claim 1.
In the invention according to any one of 1 to 4, the photocatalyst member is a stainless steel plate having a physically large specific surface area and a photocatalyst containing titanium oxide as a main component is fixed to the photocatalyst member. Since the photocatalytic film having a large specific surface area is formed as the strength is increased, a high photocatalytic activity is obtained, and the cleaning liquid being jetted is efficiently sterilized, so that the sterilizing power of the cleaning liquid can be maintained.

The invention described in claim 6 is the same as claim 1.
In the invention according to any one of items 1 to 5, the cleaning basket is cylindrical and has a lid with a handle on the top surface and a plurality of protrusions on the bottom surface. Can be left unattended.

The invention described in claim 7 is the same as claim 1.
In the invention according to any one of items 1 to 6, the cleaning basket detachably provided is fixed by press-fitting the protrusion on the bottom surface into a stopper provided on the back surface of the rotating drum. The basket can be firmly fixed and very easily attached and detached.

The invention described in claim 8 is the same as in claim 1.
In the invention according to any one of items 1 to 6, the cleaning basket provided detachably is designed to be grasped by a stopper provided on the circumference of the rotating drum. can do.

The invention described in claim 9 is the same as claim 1.
In the invention according to any one of items 1 to 8, since the product is washed with tap water at least once or more and then with cooling water at least once, it is high with respect to the washed food. The washing and sterilizing power is obtained, vegetables and the like are not wilted, and the freshness of other foods can be maintained after washing.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
Starting from FIG.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a washing machine and a cleaning liquid cooling tank according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the main components of the washing machine. is there. The washing machine 15 is provided with a closed type box body 17 made of stainless steel or the like having a door 16 that can be opened and closed on the front side, and has a washing solution cooling tank 18 on the upstream side and a washing solution supply source (not shown) on the most upstream side. is doing.

Here, the washing liquid supply source is a tap water source, and the washing machine 15 is a washing machine for fruits and vegetables. That is,
The washing machine 15 is of a so-called direct water supply type, is connected to a tap water faucet (not shown) by a conduit 19 such as a vinyl chloride pipe, and opens and closes two solenoid valves 20 and 21 provided on the washing machine side to supply tap water and The stop of the supply of tap water through the cleaning liquid cooling tank 18 is controlled.

The cleaning chamber 22 inside the closed box 17 is composed of a storage section 23 and a water storage section 25 at the bottom of the storage section 23 which serves as a storage tank for tap water 24 as a cleaning liquid. A first machine room 26 is provided below 25.

A rotary nozzle 27 is provided on the top surface of the washing chamber 22 for initially injecting the tap water 24 and for spraying the tap water during washing, and a predetermined amount of tap water is stored above the bottom water storage section 25. A rotary nozzle 28 for absorbing and jetting 24 is provided. Plural injection ports 27a and 28a for injecting the cleaning liquid at a constant angle are provided in the upper and lower injection rotation nozzles 27 and 28, respectively.

Further, mesh shelves 29 are attached to the left and right sides above the rotary nozzle 28 on the bottom surface, and a shielding plate 31 composed of an L-shaped photocatalytic member 30 having upper and lower openings on the mesh shelves 29, respectively.
And a flat plate-shaped photocatalyst member 32 provided on the left and right wall surfaces of the cleaning chamber 22 so as to surround the light source 33 provided so as to project from the back surface.

The light source 33 is a waterproof type germicidal lamp which is detachable from the back side and mainly irradiates light with a wavelength of 254 nm.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the photocatalyst members 30 and 32 has an uneven surface 35 obtained by subjecting a stainless steel plate 34 to so-called blast treatment by collision of glass beads.
The photocatalyst 36 containing titanium dioxide as a main component is applied and baked and fixed.

As the base material, a dull-finished stainless steel sheet having fine irregularities formed on its surface by a roller or the like may be used.

A cylindrical rotating drum 37 is provided in the center of the cleaning chamber 22, and a removable cleaning basket 38 is housed and fixed in the rotating drum 37. The cleaning basket 38 is a cylindrical net basket made of stainless steel, and has a lid 40 with a handle 39 on the upper surface and a plurality of protrusions 41 serving as pedestals on the bottom surface.

Further, the rotary drum 37 is rotationally driven by the variable speed motor 43 provided in the second machine chamber 42 at the rear of the cleaning chamber 22, and as a result, the cleaning basket 38 is stored and fixed.
Is designed to rotate. In the cleaning basket 38, the protrusion 41 on the bottom is press-fitted and fixed to the base 44 of the rotary drum 37.

The shielding plate 31 composed of the L-shaped photocatalyst member 30 has strong ultraviolet rays from the light source 33 so that the fruits and vegetables are not damaged by the ultraviolet rays when the fruits and vegetables are put in the cleaning basket 38. Is set so that the height does not hit directly.

Further, in the first machine room 26, a water supply pump 45 for absorbing the tap water 24 stored in the upper and lower rotary nozzles 27, 28 and sending it under pressure, and a control circuit board for controlling a series of cleaning operations. 46 is provided.

Further, three-way motorized valves 47 and 48 are provided in front of the rotary nozzle 27 on the top surface and the rotary nozzle 28 on the bottom surface, respectively.
And the upper and lower rotary nozzles 27, 28 are connected to each other via a conduit 49 via these three-way electric valves 47, 48.

The rotary nozzle 27 on the top surface and the three-way motorized valve 37 are connected by a conduit 50, and the rotary nozzle 27 on the bottom surface and the three-way motorized valve 48 are connected by a conduit 51.

The flow path switching of the two three-way motorized valves 47, 48 is controlled by a signal from the control circuit board 46, so that the suction port 5 provided on the bottom surface of the water storage section 25.
When the tap water 24 absorbed from 2 is passed to the conduit 49 side, the rotary nozzle 27 on the top surface is rotated by jetting water, and when the tap water 24 is passed to the conduit 51 side, the rotary nozzle 28 on the bottom surface is also rotated. Is configured to.

The cleaning liquid cooling tank 18 is composed of an upper ice heat storage tank 53 and a lower machine room 54. In the ice heat storage tank 53, a heat exchanger 55 made of a copper pipe in which a refrigerant circulates,
A cooling conduit 56 through which tap water is passed, a stirring blade 57 for stirring the stored water, and a compressor 58 for supplying a refrigerant to the heat exchanger 55 are provided in the machine room 54.

Then, by mainly using the late-night power, ice lumps are formed around the heat exchanger 55 of the ice heat storage tank 53 at night, and the water stored in the ice heat storage tank 53 is cooled to the freezing point for cooling. The tap water passing through the conduit 56 becomes cold water and is supplied to the washing machine 15.

The operation of the washing machine 15 for fruits and vegetables configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

In operation, the fruits and vegetables are first stored in the cleaning basket 38 shown in FIG. 4, and then the washing machine 15 shown in FIG.
Open the door 16 on the front side of the
7, the lid 37a provided in front of the rotary drum 37 is closed, and the cleaning basket 38 is housed and fixed in the rotary drum 37.

After storing the washing basket 38, the door 1 of the washing machine 15
When 6 is closed, it becomes operable, and the solenoid valve 20 is opened by an electric signal from the control circuit board 46 provided in the first machine room of the hermetically sealed box 17 to start cleaning, and tap water is introduced into the conduit. A fixed amount is supplied from 18 to the cleaning chamber 20 through the three-way valve 47 and the rotating nozzle 27 on the top surface.

That is, a predetermined amount of tap water 24, which is a cleaning liquid, is stored in the water storage portion 25 while being poured like a shower on the stored fruits and vegetables.

When a predetermined amount set in advance is reached,
The electromagnetic valve 20 is closed by a signal from the control circuit board 46, and the two three-way motorized valves 47 and 48 are opened / closed so that the tap water 24 flows into the conduit 49.

Next, the water supply pump 45 is operated in conjunction with each other, and the tap water 24 in the water storage section 25 is pressure-fed from the suction port 52 to the rotary nozzle 27 on the top surface as shown by arrow A, and the tap 27a supplies water. The rotating nozzle 27 on the top surface rotates while jetting the water 24 downwardly violently. And tap water 2
Bacteria, mold and the like adhering to the surface of fruits and vegetables (not shown) stored in the washing basket 38 are washed away with the jet water of No. 4 to remove bacteria.

At the same time as the above-mentioned jetting operation, the light source 33
Lights up and is irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 254 nm. Then, the photocatalysts 36 on the surfaces of the L-shaped and flat-shaped photocatalyst members 30 and 32 arranged so as to surround the light source 33 are excited to generate a hydroxyl group as shown in the reaction formulas (Formula 1) and (Formula 2). It produces active oxygen radical species called radicals and superoxide anions.

[0067]

[Chemical 1]

[0068]

[Chemical 2]

The tap water 24 is circulated by these active oxygen radical species and the photocatalyst members 30, 32 are circulated.
The surface will be constantly sterilized during cleaning.

Further, when the cleaning by the rotary nozzle 27 on the top surface is completed for a predetermined time, the three-way motorized valve 47 is closed, and this time the three-way motorized valve 48 at the bottom part supplies the tap water 24 to the conduit 51.
The tap water 24 that has been opened and closed so as to lead to and is sucked in as indicated by the arrow B is pumped to the rotary nozzle 28 on the bottom surface.

As a result, this time, the rotary nozzle 28 on the bottom rotates while spurting the tap water 24 vigorously, and the fruits and vegetables in the cleaning basket 38 are washed and sterilized from below. After the cleaning is completed, the cleaning liquid is drained from a drain pipe (not shown).

After the above washing operation with tap water is completed at least once, this time, the electric valve 21 on the washing liquid cooling tank 18 side is opened by an electric signal from the control circuit board 46 to cool the washing machine. 15 is supplied.

With the supplied cold water, the washing operation is performed at least once as in the case of tap water.

Then, this alternating upper and lower cleaning is performed for a predetermined time.
When cleaning is completed by repeating a predetermined number of times, the rotating nozzle 2
The operation is controlled so that the rotating drum 37 is rotated and dehydration operation is performed in a state where there is no shower from 7 and 28.

The rotary drum 37 is the control circuit board 4
The rotation speed of the variable speed motor 43 is controlled by a signal from the motor 6, and a low speed rotation of about 10 to 20 rotations per minute is performed during washing, and a relatively high speed rotation of about 30 to 60 rotations per minute is performed in the dehydration operation after washing. Is set to.

Since the photocatalyst 36 is excited by light in the ultraviolet region of 380 nm or less, the light source 33 may be a black light which emits light having a wavelength of 365 nm.
The activity of the photocatalytic reaction by the sterilization ray of 4 nm is higher,
It is preferable to use a germicidal lamp in the washing machine 15 because the instantaneous germicidal power and the ability to decompose a small amount of pesticides and other organic substances are high.

Therefore, the washing machine 15 has the following effects.

As a result of the study by the washing experiment, the washing machine 15 of the present embodiment can obtain a high washing and sterilizing effect equivalent to that when ozone water is used, and that the tissue of fruits and vegetables, especially cut vegetables can be obtained. It turned out to be less damaged.

An example of the cleaning and sterilizing effect will be described below.

100 g of cut lettuce cut into about 5 cm square was stored in the washing machine 15, and ozone water having an ozone concentration in water of 0.35 mg / liter and tap water having a free residual chlorine concentration of 0.6 ppm were used as a washing liquid. 3 each
When liters of water were stored and washing was repeated twice for 5 minutes, the bactericidal effects were compared. As a result, the same bactericidal effect was obtained for general bacteria and coliforms, and both were 99% or more.

Therefore, by irradiating the photocatalyst 36 with ultraviolet rays, the tap water 24 can be used as a cleaning liquid having a sterilizing effect equivalent to that of ozone water. In addition, the effect of less damage to the surface of cut lettuce and clearer browning after storage was obtained compared to the case of washing with ozone water.

When the cut lettuce was washed, the freshness was maintained only after washing.

Immediately after cleaning, the number of negative ions in the cleaning chamber 22 was measured to be about 20,000 /
It was revealed that negative ions of cm ³ were generated. This phenomenon is caused by water collision, which is generally called the Leonard effect.

If it was possible to measure during cleaning, it was estimated that a larger amount of negative ions were generated.

Of course, these sterilizing effect and freshness maintaining effect are due to the synergistic effect of the physical cleaning power of the jet water from the upper and lower rotary nozzles 27 and 28, the photoactive force of the photocatalyst 36 and the negative ions. it is conceivable that.

The bactericidal effect is obtained by cleaning cut lettuce with a commonly used high-concentration sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution (recommended cleaning at 100 ppm for 10 minutes or 200 ppm for 5 minutes). The bactericidal effect was equivalent.

The cut vegetables and the like washed with sodium hypochlorite showed a large amount of tissue damage, which caused severe browning during storage and large destruction of vitamin C. In the case of vegetables, browning is extremely slight, and the loss of vitamin C is about 20-
A result of 30% or less was obtained.

Further, since a high concentration of sodium hypochlorite which is usually used generally has a residue and a reaction with an organic substance may generate trihalomethane which is said to be a carcinogen. After washing and sterilization, it is essential to wash thoroughly with water, and a large amount of purified water is used.

On the other hand, if the cleaning method of the present embodiment is used, a relatively small amount of tap water can be used and water can be saved, which is economical and a small amount of residue attached to fruits and vegetables can be retained. Photocatalyst for harmful chemical substances such as pesticides 3
It is very safe because it can be decomposed on the surface of 6.

Further, since there is no unpleasant ozone odor or strong chlorine odor of sodium hypochlorite, an extremely safe working environment can be provided for the worker.

Also, since fruits and vegetables are washed with cold water after being washed with tap water, not only the sterilizing power against fruits and vegetables is high, but also so-called soothing taste and texture are deteriorated even in the summer and the freshness is deteriorated. Can be suppressed.

Further, since the shielding plate 31 prevents the ultraviolet rays from directly hitting the fruits and vegetables, it is possible to prevent the fruits and vegetables from being damaged by the ultraviolet rays.

Furthermore, since the shield plate 31 is detachable, the shield plate 31 can be removed to radiate the ultraviolet rays of the germicidal lamp light source 33 to the entire cleaning chamber, so that the cleaning chamber can be efficiently cleaned and sterilized. It is possible to efficiently sterilize cutting boards and knives, and the surface of eggs.

Further, since the rotary drum 37 is adapted to perform the dehydration operation of the high speed rotation after the cleaning operation of the low speed rotation, the cleaning is efficiently performed and the drainage after the cleaning is automatically and efficiently performed. be able to.

Further, since the photocatalyst members 30 and 32 are members in which the photocatalyst 36 containing titanium oxide as a main component is fixed to the blasted stainless steel plate 34 or the dull finish stainless steel plate, the adhesiveness is high and the specific surface area is high. Since a photocatalytic film having a large amount is formed, it is possible to effectively sterilize food-adhering bacteria such as fruits and vegetables washed away in the cleaning liquid, and decompose residual pesticides efficiently.

Further, since the cleaning basket 38 has a cylindrical shape and the lid 40 with the handle 39 is provided on the upper surface and the plurality of protrusions 41 serving as pedestals are provided on the bottom surface, the cleaning basket 38 can be easily taken out and taken out. The bottom surface of the basket can be prevented from directly contacting the ground, and the fruits and vegetables in the basket 38 can be left hygienically.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIG. The difference from the first embodiment is that the rotary drum 37
That is, the cleaning basket 38 is press-fitted and fixed to the base of the. The other parts have basically the same configuration as in the first embodiment. The same components are given the same reference numerals,
Detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the structure of the base portion 59 of the rotary drum 37, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts showing a state in which the cleaning basket 38 is press-fitted and fixed to the base portion 59.

At the base portion 59 of the rotary drum 37, as shown in FIG. 2, there is provided at the center a fastening portion 60 which integrates the rotary drum 37 and the variable speed motor 43.
Four basket holders 61 are radially provided at regular intervals.

The basket holder 61 is provided with a rectangular opening 62 having a size larger than that of the protrusion 41 of the cleaning basket 38, and the base 59 is located below the opening 62.
Stopper 63 made of stainless steel spring material on the wall
Is provided. Further, the reinforcing guide plate 64 for connecting two adjacent two of the four basket holders 61 has two
Book is provided.

Next, the operation when the cleaning basket 38 is housed and fixed in the rotary drum 37 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be explained.

First, after putting fruits and vegetables in the cleaning basket 38 shown in FIG. 4 and closing the lid 40, the cleaning basket 38 is held so that the handle 39 is on the front side, and the cleaning drum 38 is inserted from the front side to the inside of the rotary drum 37. . Then, any one of the four protrusions 41 of the cleaning basket 38 hits the reinforcing guide plate 64 shown in FIG. 5, so if the cleaning basket 38 is rotated to the left or right so as to be lightly pushed while holding the handle 39, The tip of the protrusion 41 is fitted in the hole at the position of the opening 62 provided in the basket holder 61.

When the cleaning basket 38 is pushed in at this position, the spring characteristic of the stopper 63 arranged under the opening 62 as shown in FIG. 6 causes the protrusion 63a having a dogleg-shaped cross section to be cleaned. The basket 38 is placed in the hole 41a of the protrusion 41 of the basket 38, and as a result, the cleaning basket 38 is rotated by the rotary drum 37.
It is designed to be fixed to.

When the cleaning basket 38 is to be taken out,
The projection 41 of the cleaning basket 38 is released from the stopper 63 simply by pulling the handle 39 lightly.

Therefore, since the cleaning basket 38 is firmly fixed to the rotating drum 37 because of the above-described structure, it is not necessary to provide the lid 37a in front of the rotating drum 37, and the cleaning basket 38 can be taken in and out extremely. Since it can be performed easily and in a short time, usability can be improved.

Although four stoppers 63 are shown in FIG. 5, they may be two on a straight line.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

The difference from the second embodiment is that the cleaning basket 38 is more easily fixed. Although other parts are not shown, the washing machine of the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as the washing machine of the first embodiment. The same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the structure of the base portion 66 of the rotary drum 65, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the essential parts showing a state in which the cleaning basket 38 is press-fitted and fixed to the base portion 66.

As shown in FIG. 7, four stoppers 67 are arranged on the inner circumference of the base 66 of the rotary drum 65. The stopper 67 is made of a stainless steel plate spring material, and has a protruding portion 67a bent into a dogleg shape.
Is provided.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the cleaning basket 38 is housed in the rotary drum 65, the stopper 67 presses the protrusion 67a onto the outer periphery of the bottom of the cleaning basket 38 due to the spring characteristic, so that the protrusions on the bottom of the basket. 38a.

Therefore, because of the above structure, the structure of the rotary drum 65 can be simplified, and
The cleaning basket 38 can be easily taken in and out.

In the second embodiment, it was necessary to rotate the cleaning basket 38 in order to align the protrusion 41 of the cleaning basket 38 with the position of the basket holder 61, but this is not necessary in this embodiment. The cleaning basket 38 can be more easily taken in and out of the rotary drum 65.

Further, as a common effect of the above-described embodiments, harmful substances such as trihalomethane, which is a carcinogen contained in a small amount in tap water generated by the reaction of residual chlorine and organic substances, and adhered to the surface of fruits and vegetables. It also has the effect of decomposing a small amount of pesticides that are believed to be contained and rendering them harmless.

Further, as compared with the conventional example, it is more economical than the conventional example because ozone water is not produced, and the ozone production time and ozone decomposition time are not required, and the cleaning time can be shortened as a whole. There is. Furthermore, in cut vegetables, damage to fruits and vegetables such as browning of the cut edge during storage can be reduced.

Since there is no unpleasant ozone odor or the strong chlorine odor of sodium hypochlorite, it is possible to provide a very safe working environment for workers, and the washed fruits and vegetables have an ozone odor and chlorine odor. You can maintain the original taste and aroma of fruits and vegetables without worrying about remaining.

At least one of the upper and lower rotary nozzles 25 and 26 may be of a fixed type.

The washing machine 15 of the present embodiment is not limited to washing fruits and vegetables. Further, instead of thawing the seafood such as shrimp under running water, the washing machine 15 of the present embodiment can automatically and thaw efficiently and sanitarily.

[0119]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1 of the present invention, a cleaning chamber having a front door which can be opened and closed,
A water storage tank for storing the cleaning liquid at the bottom of the cleaning chamber, a cleaning nozzle provided on at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber, a rotary drum arranged in the center of the cleaning chamber, and detachable inside the rotary drum. A cleaning basket provided on the rotating drum, a light source that emits ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 254 nm on the left and right sides of the rotary drum, and a shield plate that is provided between the rotary drum and the light source and has an L-shaped photocatalytic member that is open at the top and bottom. When,
Since the cleaning liquid in the water storage tank is circulated and sprayed into the cleaning chamber by the cleaning nozzle so that the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the photocatalytic member of the shielding plate, the cleaning object in the cleaning basket is even and efficient. Since the washing liquid is continuously sterilized during the washing as well as being washed, it is possible to prevent the sterilizing power of the washing liquid from being lowered, and therefore it is possible to sterilize with a small amount of the washing liquid. It is also possible to decompose a small amount of harmful substances such as pesticides washed away in the cleaning liquid. Further, since the shielding plate does not directly irradiate the vegetables and the like with ultraviolet rays, it is possible to prevent deterioration of foods such as vegetables which are sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the cleaning liquid cooling tank having the heat exchanger for adjusting the cleaning liquid to a low temperature is arranged on the upstream side of the cleaning chamber, foods such as washed fruits and vegetables can be obtained. Does not wilt, so-called soothingly, it is possible to suppress deterioration of texture and deterioration of freshness even in summer, and it is possible to suppress outflow of nutritional components such as vitamin C to a minimum. .

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the shield plate is detachably provided, it is possible to remove the shield plate and radiate the ultraviolet rays of the germicidal lamp to the entire cleaning chamber. It is possible to efficiently sterilize the inside of the washing chamber, wash and sterilize cutting boards and knives, and the surface of eggs.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the rotating drum is configured to be rotated by the variable speed rotating device, so that the high speed rotating dehydration operation is performed after the low speed rotating cleaning operation. Therefore, the cleaning can be performed efficiently, and the drainage after the cleaning can be performed automatically and efficiently.

Further, according to the invention of claim 5, the photocatalyst member comprises a stainless steel plate having a physically large specific surface area and a photocatalyst containing titanium oxide as a main component fixed to the photocatalyst member. As the adhesion strength of the photocatalyst increases and a photocatalyst film with a large specific surface area is formed, high photocatalytic activity is obtained, and the cleaning liquid during spraying is efficiently sterilized, and the sterilizing effect of the cleaning liquid is maintained. it can.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the cleaning basket is cylindrical and has a lid with a handle on the top surface and a plurality of protrusions on the bottom surface. The basket can be left hygienically.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the cleaning basket provided detachably is fixed by pressing the protrusion on the bottom surface into the stopper provided on the rear surface of the rotary drum. The cleaning basket can be firmly fixed and can be attached and detached very easily.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, since the cleaning basket which is detachably provided is grasped by the stopper provided on the circumference of the rotary drum, the structure of the rotary drum is It is easy and extremely easy to attach and detach the cleaning basket in a short time.

Further, according to the invention of claim 9, after being washed at least once with tap water, it is finally washed with cooling water one or more times. As a result, high washing and sterilizing power can be obtained, and vegetables and the like do not wilt, and the freshness of other foods can be maintained after washing.

The washing machine of the present invention can be used not only for washing food but also for thawing running fish and shellfish such as shrimp under running water, so that it can be thawed automatically and efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the washing machine.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of a photocatalyst member of the cleaning machine.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an opened state of a washing basket of the washing machine.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a rotary drum base portion of the washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a fixed state of a washing basket of the washing machine.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a rotary drum base portion of a washing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a fixed state of a cleaning basket of the same washing machine.

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional food cleaning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

15 washing machine 16 doors 18 Cleaning liquid cooling tank 22 Washing room 24 Tap water (cleaning liquid) 25 Water reservoir (water tank) 27, 28 rotating nozzle 30 L-shaped photocatalyst member 31 Shield 32 Flat photocatalyst member 33 light source 34 stainless steel plate 36 Photocatalyst 37,65 rotating drum 38 Washing basket 39 handle 40 lid 41 Projection 43 Variable speed motor (rotating device) 55 heat exchanger 63, 67 stopper

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning chamber having a front door that can be opened and closed,
A water storage tank for storing the cleaning liquid at the bottom of the cleaning chamber, a cleaning nozzle provided on at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber, a rotary drum arranged in the center of the cleaning chamber, and detachable inside the rotary drum. A cleaning basket provided on the rotating drum, a light source that emits ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 254 nm on the left and right sides of the rotary drum, and a shield plate that is provided between the rotary drum and the light source and has an L-shaped photocatalytic member that is open at the top and bottom. When,
A cleaning machine characterized in that the cleaning liquid in the water storage tank is circulated and sprayed into the cleaning chamber by the cleaning nozzle so that the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the photocatalytic member of the shielding plate. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein a washing liquid cooling tank having a heat exchanger for adjusting the washing liquid to a low temperature is arranged upstream of the washing chamber. 3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the shield plate is detachably provided. 4. The rotary drum is configured to be rotated by a variable speed rotating device, and a high speed rotation dehydration operation is performed after a low speed rotation cleaning operation.
The washing machine according to any one of items 1 to 3. 5. The photocatalyst member is a member obtained by fixing a photocatalyst containing titanium oxide as a main component to a stainless steel plate having a physically large specific surface area, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The described washing machine. 6. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing basket has a cylindrical shape and a lid with a handle is provided on an upper surface and a plurality of protrusions is provided on a bottom surface. . 7. The cleaning basket detachably provided is fixed by press-fitting a protrusion on the bottom surface to a stopper provided on the rear surface of the rotary drum.
The washing machine according to any one of items 1 to 6. 8. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detachable washing basket is held by a stopper provided on the circumference of the rotary drum. . 9. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein after washing with tap water at least once, washing with cooling water is performed once or more finally.