JP2009160304A - Sterilizing apparatus and sterilizing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently decomposing ozone gas and drying an object in a circulation type sterilizing apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The sterilizing apparatus 1 includes: a sterilizing chamber 2 for holding the object 9 and sterilizing the object 9 with a treatment gas containing the ozone gas inside the chamber; a fan 32 for circulating the treatment gas in a circulation flow passage 31 from an exhaust port 221 to an intake port 211 in the sterilizing chamber 2; and an ozone gas decomposition unit 5 arranged in the circulation flow passage 31. The ozone gas decomposition unit 5 includes a first ozone gas decomposing part for heating the treatment gas circulating in the circulation flow passage 31 after the sterilization of the object 9, and then, thermally decomposing the ozone gas in the treatment gas. When the ozone gas is decomposed after the sterilization of the object 9 in the sterilizing apparatus 1, the treatment gas is heated by a heater, the ozone gas is thermally decomposed, and also the object 9 inside the sterilizing chamber 2 is dried with the use of the heated treatment gas. Thus, the decomposition of the ozone gas and the drying of the object 9 are efficiently performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for sterilizing an object which is a futon or a mat.

  Conventionally, commercial dryers for drying futons and mats have been used in hospitals and hotels. For example, in the dryer of Patent Document 1, a heater, an ozone generator, and an exhaust pump are individually connected to a drying tank that accommodates an object to be dried, and after the gas in the drying tank is exhausted by the exhaust pump, the air is sucked from the blower. Air is supplied into the drying tank through the heater, and ozone air is sent from the ozone generator into the drying tank. Then, by repeating the above operation, the entire object to be dried is sterilized and dried. In addition, in the dryer of patent document 1, the ozone decomposition heater which decomposes | disassembles the ozone gas contained in the gas exhausted with an exhaust pump is provided, and it is prevented that ozone gas is discharged | emitted outside.

  Moreover, in the dryer of patent document 2, a dehumidifier is provided in the duct which is a circulation flow path from the recovery port (exhaust port) to the blower port (intake port) of the drying chamber for storing objects such as futons and blankets. The object in the drying chamber is sterilized and dried by circulating the ozone gas and the gas containing the hot air introduced into the duct from the ozone generator and the hot air generator while dehumidifying them.

Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that the bactericidal effect of ozone against Bacillus subtilis in the atmosphere with a relative humidity of 95% is higher than that in the atmosphere with a relative humidity of 50%.
JP 2002-85898 A JP 2000-176199 A Takamasa Iwaki, 3 others, “On the dangers associated with ozone deodorization”, [online], Japan Veterinary Medical Association, [December 6, 2007 search], Internet <URL: http: //nichiju.lin.go .jp / mag / 06003 / 06_5.htm>

  By the way, in the dryer of patent document 1, since decompression in a drying tank and supply of ozone gas and heated air into the drying tank are repeated, it takes a long time to dry an object, and a heater, Since the ozone generator and the exhaust pump are repeatedly driven, the cost required for processing the object also increases. In addition, since the gas exhausted by the exhaust pump only passes through the ozone decomposition heater once, there is a possibility that the ozone gas contained in the gas is not sufficiently decomposed. In this case, in the gas exhausted from the dryer An apparatus for decomposing ozone gas is further required.

  Moreover, since the circulation type dryer of patent document 2 does not need to depressurize the inside of a drying chamber, it can be manufactured at a lower cost than a dryer having a pressure reducing mechanism, and the time required for drying an object is relatively long. Although shortened, even in a circulation type dryer, a device for decomposing ozone gas contained in the gas in the drying cabinet is required when the target is taken out from the drying cabinet after sterilization and drying of the target.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a novel technique for efficiently decomposing ozone gas and drying an object.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing an object that is a futon or mat, and holds the object inside, and the object is sterilized by a gas containing ozone gas in the inside. A sterilization chamber that is circulated, a circulation unit that circulates the gas in a circulation channel from the exhaust port to the intake port of the sterilization chamber, and the gas that circulates in the circulation channel after sterilization of the object. And an ozone gas decomposition unit that thermally decomposes the ozone gas in the gas by heating in the heating unit, and when the ozone gas is decomposed after sterilization of the object, the gas is 100 ° C. or more and 250 ° C. by the heating unit. The object is dried by introducing the gas heated to the following temperature and controlled to a predetermined temperature into the sterilization chamber.

  Invention of Claim 2 is a sterilizer of Claim 1, Comprising: The action of a predetermined catalyst is used for the ozone gas in the gas which is provided in the circulation channel and circulates while being heated by the heating part. It further has another ozone gas decomposition part which decomposes | disassembles by this.

  Invention of Claim 3 is the sterilizer of Claim 2, Comprising: The ozone gas decomposition | disassembly part provided in the said exhaust-gas side among the said ozone gas decomposition | disassembly part and said another ozone gas decomposition | disassembly part in the said circulation flow path And a filter between the exhaust port and the exhaust port.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the sterilization apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the filter, the ozone gas decomposing portion, and the another ozone gas decomposing portion are provided in one casing.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is the sterilization apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a humidifying unit that humidifies the gas when the object is sterilized.

  Invention of Claim 6 is a sterilizer in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5, Comprising: The said circulation flow path is the said ozone gas decomposition part from the position between the said ozone gas decomposition part and the said exhaust port. And a bypass channel that restricts the amount of the gas that enters the ozone gas decomposition unit when decomposing the ozone gas.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the ozone gas is decomposed, air from outside is introduced into the circulation flow path, and A part of the gas is discharged out of the circulation channel from a position between the ozone gas decomposition part and the intake port in the circulation channel.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the sterilization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sterilization chamber is brought into contact with an outer edge portion of the object, thereby the object from the intake port. A sealing member that forms a flow path of the gas that passes through the gas and moves to the exhaust port.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the sterilization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein ozone gas is generated from air outside the circulation flow path or oxygen gas separately prepared, and An ozone gas generation unit to be introduced into the circulation channel is further provided.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the sterilization apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the concentration measurement is provided in the vicinity of the ozone gas decomposition unit in the circulation flow path and measures the concentration of ozone gas. And when the gas is discharged out of the circulation flow path from a position between the ozone gas decomposition section and the intake port in the circulation flow path after the ozone gas in the gas is decomposed, Based on the measured value of the concentration measuring unit, ON / OFF of the ozone gas decomposing unit is controlled.

  The invention according to claim 11 is a sterilization method for sterilizing an object, which is a futon or mat, with a sterilizer, wherein the sterilizer has an exhaust port and an intake port and holds the object inside. A sterilization chamber that circulates gas in a circulation flow path from the exhaust port to the intake port, and the sterilization method includes: a) adding ozone gas to the gas so that the gas is contained in the sterilization chamber. A step of sterilizing the object; and b) a step of thermally decomposing the ozone gas in the gas by heating the gas circulating in the circulation flow channel in a heating unit of an ozone gas decomposition unit provided in the circulation flow channel. In the step b), the gas is heated to a temperature of 100 ° C. or more and 250 ° C. or less by the heating unit, and the gas controlled to a predetermined temperature is introduced into the sterilization chamber. Yo Drying of the object is performed.

  Invention of Claim 12 is the sterilization method of Claim 11, Comprising: In another ozone gas decomposition | disassembly part provided in the said circulation flow path in parallel with the said b) process, the said heating part The method further comprises the step of decomposing the ozone gas in the gas heated by the above-mentioned by the action of a predetermined catalyst.

  According to the present invention, in a circulation type sterilization apparatus, after sterilization of an object with ozone gas, the object can be dried with a heated gas while thermally decomposing ozone gas in the gas. The product can be efficiently dried.

  In the inventions of claims 2 and 12, the gas heated during the thermal decomposition of the ozone gas can promote the decomposition of the ozone gas by the action of the catalyst, whereby the ozone gas can be decomposed more efficiently. .

  Moreover, in invention of Claim 3, by removing the micro foreign material (micro fiber etc. from a target object) contained in the gas which circulates through a circulation channel, a malfunction arises by the said foreign material in an ozone gas decomposition part. In the invention of claim 4, the configuration of the sterilizer can be simplified.

  Moreover, in invention of Claim 5, a target object can be sterilized efficiently, and in invention of Claim 6 and 7, it can prevent the excessive raise of the temperature of the gas introduce | transduced in a sterilization chamber at the time of ozone gas decomposition | disassembly. it can.

  In the invention of claim 8, the object can be sterilized and dried efficiently. In the invention of claim 9, the concentration of ozone gas can be easily adjusted. Even if ozone gas is detected in the gas discharge step after decomposition, the ozone gas decomposition unit can be operated to reliably decompose and discharge the ozone gas.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sterilizer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sterilizer 1 is for sterilizing an object that is a futon or a mat in an accommodation facility such as a hospital or a hotel, and the typical shape of the object is a rectangular mat.

  The sterilizer 1 of FIG. 1 has a sterilization chamber 2 that holds an object 9 therein, and a circulation channel 31 that extends from the exhaust port 221 to the intake port 211 of the sterilization chamber 2 (indicated by a thick line in FIG. 1). , A mixing unit 41 that is provided in the circulation channel 31 and introduces a mixture of ozone gas and air into the circulation channel 31; a gas in the circulation channel 31 (as will be described later, ozone gas used for processing such as sterilization) Hereinafter, the gas in the circulation flow path 31 is referred to as a “processing gas”. The fan 32 that circulates through the circulation flow path 31), and the processing gas in the circulation flow path 31 in the ozone gas decomposition process described later. An ozone gas decomposition unit 5 that decomposes the contained ozone gas into oxygen and an overall control unit 6 that performs overall control of the sterilizer 1 are provided. In FIG. 1, components other than the overall control unit 6 are surrounded by broken-line rectangles to indicate that these components are targets of control by the overall control unit 6.

  The mixing unit 41 includes an ozone gas generation unit 42 that generates ozone gas by discharge from oxygen gas supplied from the oxygen supply unit 421 during sterilization of the object 9 to be described later, and air that has been humidified during sterilization of the object 9. An air introduction unit 43 to be introduced into the mixing unit 41 is connected, and ozone gas and humidified air are mixed in the mixing unit 41 and introduced into the circulation channel 31. In other words, ozone gas is introduced into the circulation channel 31 by the ozone gas generation unit 42 via the mixing unit 41, and the gas in the circulation channel 31 is humidified by the air introduction unit 43 that is a humidification unit. In the sterilization apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, an ozone gas generation unit is configured by the oxygen supply unit 421 having an oxygen cylinder and the ozone gas generation unit 42. However, when the sterilization apparatus 1 is installed in a hospital or the like, Oxygen may be supplied from the hospital oxygen supply line to the ozone gas generator 42. That is, in the ozone gas generation part 42, ozone gas is produced | generated from oxygen gas (namely, oxygen gas of high concentration different from oxygen in air) prepared separately. In addition, the air introduction part 43 can perform only humidification, without introducing air.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the sterilization chamber 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the sterilization chamber 2 includes a box-shaped chamber body 20 whose front surface is open, and a door portion 201 that closes the opening of the chamber body. A support part 202 that supports the object 9 is provided in the chamber body 20, and the rectangular plate-like support part 202 is tilted in a substantially horizontal direction with one side of the bottom surface side of the chamber body 20 as a fulcrum. It is possible to turn it upright in a substantially vertical direction. One end of a wire 203 is attached to the opposite side of the support portion 202 from the fulcrum, and the other end of the wire 203 is provided outside the chamber body 20 through a hole provided in a side surface of the chamber body 20. Actually, the support section 202 can be easily upright by the operator pulling the other end of the wire 203. This operation can be automated by electric power.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sterilization chamber 2 in a state where the support portion 202 is upright. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the punching plate 24, which is a plate-like member having a large number of through holes formed in the center portion of the support portion 202 (in FIG. 2, the outline of the punching plate 24 is indicated by broken lines). And an annular seal member 25 that overlaps the outer edge of the punching plate 24 is provided on the outer edge of the support portion 202. The inside of the seal member 25 is formed of an elastic member such as foam rubber, and the entire surface is made of a fluorine-based resin (other types of resins having oxidation resistance) such as Teflon (registered trademark). Covered. In FIG. 3, illustration of the punching plate 24 and parallel oblique lines of the baffle plate 212 and the flow spreading plate 213 described later are omitted.

  In the chamber body 20, annular projections 204 projecting toward the object 9 are provided on the surfaces (that is, both side surfaces, the upper surface, and the lower surface) that surround the periphery of the outer edge portion of the object 9 in a state where the support portion 202 is upright. The annular projecting portion 204 is formed so as to contact the upright support portion 202 via the seal member 25 on the entire circumference. Thereby, the space between the annular protrusion 204 and the support portion 202 is in a sealed state.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support portion 202 is provided with a plurality of fixing portions 26 that sandwich the object 9 with the seal member 25 (in FIG. 2, the fixing portions 26 are illustrated in a simplified manner). Is shown.) In the fixed portion 26 shown in FIG. 3, a tip end portion 261 having a contact portion 263 that comes into contact with the object 9 is rotatably supported by the shaft portion 262, and the contact portion 263 is arranged in the vertical direction in FIG. 9) (moving forward and backward with respect to 9). As a result, the support 202 can hold not only thick mats but also relatively thin and soft futons. Actually, the seal member 25 is fixed only to a portion other than the punching plate 24. For example, when the object 9 is a mat, the seal member 25 is shown in FIG. As shown to A, when the target object 9 is mounted in the state which extended the sealing member 25 and the target object 9 is made into futons, FIG. As shown in B, the object 9 is placed in a state where the seal member 25 is bent.

  An intake port 211 that is long in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) is formed on one side surface of the chamber body 20 shown in FIG. 2, and the processing gas introduced from the intake port 211 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the baffle plate 212 provided opposite to the intake port 211 and a plurality of flow spreading plates 213 provided on the opposite side of the baffle plate 212 from the intake port 211 (the baffle plate 212 and the current flow in FIG. 2). Although the illustration of the plate 213 is omitted, these members have substantially the same length as the intake port 211 in the vertical direction in FIG. 2) and are spread uniformly over substantially the entire main surface of the object 9. Guided to the object 9 (diffusion). An exhaust port 221 having the same shape as the intake port 211 is formed on the side surface of the chamber body 20 side by side with the intake port 211, and the processing gas that has passed through the object 9 is exhausted from the exhaust port 221. As described above, the outer side of the object 9 is blocked by the seal member 25 that contacts the outer edge portion of the object 9 and the annular protrusion 204, so that the intake port 211 is connected to the exhaust port in the sterilization chamber 2. The flow path of the processing gas that moves to 221 is limited to one that passes through the object 9.

  When the object 9 is accommodated in the sterilization chamber 2, the object 9 is placed on the support part 202 in a collapsed state and is fixed by the fixing part 26. The part 201 is closed, and the inside of the sterilization chamber 2 is hermetically sealed at portions other than the intake port 211 and the exhaust port 221. Actually, the door portion 201 comes into contact with the chamber body 20 via the seal 27.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the ozone gas decomposition unit 5. The ozone gas decomposition unit 5 includes, in order from the upper side to the lower side in FIG. 5, a filter (particle filter) 53, a first ozone gas decomposition unit 51 having a heater 511 that is a heating unit, and a predetermined material such as platinum or platinum rhodium. The second ozone gas decomposing part 52 which is a lattice-like member carrying the catalyst on the surface is provided, and the filter 53, the first ozone gas decomposing part 51 and the second ozone gas decomposing part 52 are, for example, one casing 50 formed of metal. (Indicated by a thick line in FIG. 5). The first ozone gas decomposing unit 51 further includes a thermometer 512 that measures the internal temperature using a thermocouple or the like, and a measured value by the thermometer 512 is input to a heater control unit 513 that controls the heater 511.

  In the ozone gas decomposition process described later, the process gas circulating in the circulation flow path 31 is heated by the heater 511 of the first ozone gas decomposition unit 51, whereby the ozone gas in the process gas is thermally decomposed, and the second ozone gas decomposition unit 52 is heated. The ozone gas in the processing gas heated by the heater 511 is decomposed by the action of the catalyst. When the heater 511 is not turned on and the processing gas is not heated (that is, the temperature of the processing gas is low), the ozone gas in the processing gas is hardly decomposed in the second ozone gas decomposition unit 52.

  In the circulation channel 31, a concentration measurement unit 33 that measures the concentration of ozone gas is provided in the vicinity of the second ozone gas decomposition unit 52. Further, the downstream side of the concentration measurement unit 33 in the circulation channel 31 (that is, the side opposite to the ozone gas decomposition unit 5) is branched, and one channel is one of the circulation channels 31 connected to the mixing unit 41. The other flow path is indicated by an arrow with a reference numeral 311 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 described later, which communicates with the outside (for example, outside the building where the sterilizer 1 is installed). It is). As shown in FIG. 5, valves 312 and 313 are provided in these flow paths, respectively, and the processing gas discharged from the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 is mixed by closing the valve 313 and opening the valve 312. 41, the valve 312 is closed and the valve 313 is opened, whereby the processing gas discharged from the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 is guided to the outside of the circulation flow path 31 via the discharge path 311. The concentration measuring unit 33 may be provided in the circulation channel 31 in the vicinity of the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 and upstream of the branch point of the discharge path 311 (on the side opposite to the mixing unit 41). It may be provided in the vicinity of the upstream side of the decomposition unit 5.

  Next, the flow of the process of sterilizing the object 9 by the sterilizer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In the sterilization process, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the object 9 is placed on the support part 202 in a collapsed state and fixed by the fixing part 26. Is closed and the object 9 is accommodated in the sterilization chamber 2 (step S11). Subsequently, when the overall control unit 6 in FIG. 1 drives the ozone gas generation unit 42 and the air introduction unit 43, ozone gas and high-humidity air are supplied to the mixing unit 41, and the mixed gas is a circulation channel. 31. Actually, the concentration of ozone gas in the processing gas measured by the concentration measuring unit 33 in FIG. 5 becomes a predetermined value (for example, 1000 to 2000 ppm (parts per million)), and the relative humidity of the processing gas (in the circulation channel 31). The mixing unit 41 adjusts the mixing ratio so that ozone gas and high humidity are adjusted so that the measured value of a thermohygrometer (not shown) provided between the fan 32 and the air inlet 211 of the sterilization chamber 2 is 80% or more. Air is introduced into the circulation channel 31. At this time, only humidification may be performed without introducing air.

  At this time, the valve 313 is opened as needed for a while after the start of introduction of ozone gas and high-humidity air into the circulation channel 31 (until the ozone gas is detected by the concentration measuring unit 33 at the latest). In addition, the processing gas in the circulation flow path 31 may be prevented from becoming an excessively high pressure. In addition, depending on the (relative) humidity of the air preliminarily existing in the circulation channel 31 and the sterilization chamber 2, first, only the high-humidity air is circulated from the mixing unit 41 while the valve 313 in the discharge channel 311 is opened. After introducing into the channel 31 and increasing the humidity of the gas in the circulation channel 31 and the sterilization chamber 2, the valve 313 may be closed and ozone gas may be introduced into the circulation channel 31 from the mixing unit 41.

  The processing gas having a predetermined ozone gas concentration and humidity is in the order of the sterilization chamber 2, the ozone gas decomposition unit 5, and the mixing unit 41 through the circulation channel 31 by the fan 32 with the valve 313 closed and the valve 312 opened. Circulate. At this time, in the sterilization chamber 2 of FIG. 3, the processing gas introduced into the inside from the air inlet 211 spreads to almost the entire main surface of the object 9 by the baffle plate 212 and the flow spreading plate 213, and reaches the object 9. In addition to being guided, it passes (penetrates) the object 9 and moves to the exhaust port 221. Thereby, the whole object 9 is efficiently sterilized by the processing gas containing ozone gas inside the sterilization chamber 2 (step S12). Actually, the object 9 is pressed against the punching plate 24 and the seal member 25 by the processing gas moving from the intake port 211 to the exhaust port 221, and the space between the object 9 and the seal member 25 is more firmly sealed. The

  When the circulation of the processing gas containing ozone gas in the circulation flow path 31 is continued for a predetermined time (for example, a time not shorter than 2.5 minutes and not longer than 10 minutes), the heater 511 of the first ozone gas decomposing unit 51 in FIG. As a result, the processing gas passing through the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 is heated, and the ozone gas in the processing gas is thermally decomposed (step S13). At this time, the process gas is heated to a temperature of 100 ° C. or higher and 250 ° C. or lower (more preferably 150 ° C. or higher, for example, 200 ° C.). In the second ozone gas decomposition unit 52, the ozone gas in the processing gas heated by the heater 511 is decomposed by the action of the catalyst (step S14). As a result, the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 decomposes ozone gas efficiently (in a short time). Further, as described above, since the processing gas circulates in the circulation flow path 31, the ozone gas in the processing gas is reliably decomposed by repeatedly passing through the ozone gas decomposition unit 5.

  The processing gas heated by the heater 511 is introduced into the sterilization chamber 2 through the circulation flow path 31, spreads over almost the entire main surface of the object 9, and is guided to the object 9. As a result, the entire object 9 is dried by the heated processing gas inside the sterilization chamber 2.

  Actually, in the sterilization apparatus 1, when ozone gas is decomposed, a small amount of external air (air that has not been humidified) is introduced into the circulation flow path 31 by the air introduction unit 43, and the valve 313 is slightly set. As a result, a part of the processing gas is discharged from the discharge path 311 to the outside of the circulation path 31. Thereby, for example, the temperature of the processing gas passing through the object 9 is controlled to 60 ° C. or more and 80 ° C. or less, and the object 9 is not damaged (for example, the object 9 is not altered or burned). The product 9 can be dried. The ozone gas in the processing gas discharged from the discharge path 311 is almost decomposed by the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 and the flow rate is very small. Therefore, the concentration of ozone gas in the gas actually discharged to the outside Is definitely lowered to the extent that it does not affect the human body. For safety, normally, the gas discharged to the outside is treated by an exhaust treatment device (scrubber) or the like just in case.

  When it is confirmed in the concentration measuring unit 33 that the ozone gas has been decomposed (that is, the concentration of the ozone gas has become a predetermined value or less), the heating of the processing gas by the heater 511 is stopped. Then, after the valve 312 is closed and the valve 313 is opened, external air (unhumidified air) is introduced into the circulation flow path 31 through the mixing unit 41 from the air introduction unit 43, thereby circulating. The processing gas in the flow path 31 (processing gas obtained by decomposing ozone gas) is discharged outside the circulation flow path 31 via the discharge path 311 without being circulated in the circulation flow path 31 (so-called one-pass). (Step S15), the gas in the circulation channel 31 is replaced with the air from the mixing unit 41 in a short time. That is, after the object 9 is dried, the object 9 can be taken out from the sterilization chamber 2 in a short time.

  In the concentration measuring unit 33, the concentration of ozone gas is also measured when the processing gas is discharged from the circulation channel 31, and in the unlikely event that an ozone gas concentration of a predetermined value or more is detected, the concentration measuring unit 33 of the first ozone gas decomposing unit 51 The processing gas is discharged from the discharge path 311 while the processing gas is heated by the heater 511 to decompose the ozone gas.

  Thereafter, the door 201 of the sterilization chamber 2 is opened, and the object 9 is actually taken out from the sterilization chamber 2 (step S16). In the sterilizer 1, the above steps S11 to S16 are repeated for the next object 9 as necessary.

  As described above, in the sterilization apparatus 1, the object is efficiently sterilized by humidifying the process gas containing ozone gas, and the process gas is heated by the heater 511 when the ozone gas is decomposed after the object 9 is sterilized. Then, the ozone gas is thermally decomposed, and the object 9 in the sterilization chamber 2 is dried by the heated processing gas. Thus, in the circulation type sterilization apparatus 1, the ozone gas is decomposed and the object 9 is dried only by the heater 511 of the first ozone gas decomposing unit 51 without separately providing a heating unit for drying the object 9. It can carry out efficiently and can reduce the manufacturing cost of the sterilizer 1 and the cost (running cost) required for processing the object.

  Further, the processing gas circulating while being heated in the first ozone gas decomposition unit 51 promotes the decomposition of the ozone gas by the action of the catalyst in the second ozone gas decomposition unit 52, thereby comparing the heating temperature of the processing gas in the heater 511. The ozone gas can be decomposed more efficiently while keeping the temperature low (that is, at the minimum required heating temperature). Therefore, in the sterilization apparatus 1, the heating temperature of the processing gas by the heater 511 is lower than when the ozone gas is decomposed only by thermal decomposition (for example, the heating temperature of the processing gas is 300 ° C. in the case of only thermal decomposition). On the other hand, in the sterilization apparatus 1, the decomposition efficiency of the ozone gas can be equivalent while lowering by 100 ° C. or more.

  Further, when decomposing ozone gas, air from the outside is introduced into the circulation flow path 31 and part of the processing gas that has passed through the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 is discharged from the discharge path 311 to the outside of the circulation flow path 31. Thus, an excessive increase in the temperature of the processing gas introduced into the sterilization chamber 2 during ozone gas decomposition can be prevented. In addition, in the process gas discharge process of step S15 in FIG. 6, if ozone gas is detected by controlling ON / OFF of the first ozone gas decomposition unit 51 based on the measurement value of the concentration measurement unit 33. However, the ozone gas can be reliably decomposed and discharged by operating the first ozone gas decomposition unit.

  By the way, in the dryer of the above-mentioned patent document 2, since the object is sterilized and dried in a state where the object is hung on the stand in the drying cabinet, the interior of the object (particularly, a thick mat) is sufficiently provided. Cannot be sterilized and dried, or it takes a long time (for example, several hours) to sterilize and dry. Moreover, in the dryer of patent document 1, it becomes possible to permeate ozone gas to the inside of the object to some extent by supplying ozone gas into the drying tank after decompression in the drying tank. It takes a long time to dry.

  On the other hand, in the sterilization apparatus 1, the flow path of the processing gas that moves from the intake port 211 to the exhaust port 221 in the sterilization chamber 2 is limited by the seal member 25 to pass through the object 9. Compared with the dryers of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the inside of the object 9 can be sterilized and dried efficiently. Further, in the circulation type sterilization apparatus 1, the object 9 is processed in a state where the gas pressure in the sterilization chamber 2 is almost atmospheric pressure, and thus the object is accommodated like the dryer of Patent Document 1. Compared with the case where the space is decompressed, a decompression-resistant structure is unnecessary, and the entire apparatus and the sterilization chamber can be reduced in size and weight.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing a part of another example of the sterilizer. In the sterilization apparatus 1a of FIG. 7, a bypass flow path 314 that connects a position between the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 and the sterilization chamber 2 to a position between the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 and the mixing unit 41 in the circulation flow path 31 is added. This is different from the sterilizer 1 of FIG. The other structure is the same as that of the sterilizer 1 of FIG.

  In the sterilization apparatus 1a of FIG. 7, when the ozone gas is decomposed by limiting the amount of the processing gas entering the first ozone gas decomposition unit 51 (see FIG. 5) of the ozone gas decomposition unit 5 by the bypass flow path 314, The relatively high temperature processing gas that has passed through the first ozone gas decomposing unit 51 and the relatively low temperature processing gas that has passed through the bypass channel 314 are mixed and guided into the sterilization chamber 2. Thereby, in the sterilization apparatus 1a, the excessive rise of the temperature of the process gas introduced in the sterilization chamber 2 at the time of ozone gas decomposition | disassembly can be prevented, and the target object 9 is damaged reliably when the target object 9 dries. Can be prevented. Of course, in the sterilization apparatus 1a of FIG. 7, when decomposing ozone gas, air from the outside is introduced into the circulation flow path 31 by the air introduction part 43, and a part of the processing gas is discharged from the discharge path 311 to the circulation flow path 31. It is also possible to further reduce the temperature of the processing gas discharged outside and introduced into the sterilization chamber 2 during ozone gas decomposition.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the sterilization chamber 2a. FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the sterilization chamber 2a on a plane including a central axis perpendicular to the main surface of the rectangular mat-shaped object 9 (that is, the surface having the largest area of the thin rectangular parallelepiped object). .

  As shown in FIG. 8, the sterilization chamber 2 a includes a frame-shaped portion 23 that surrounds the periphery of the outer edge portion of the rectangular mat-shaped object 9, and openings on both sides of the frame-shaped portion 23 (that is, the object 9. A substantially bowl-shaped first and second closing parts 21 and 22 are provided to cover the openings facing the main surfaces. A punching plate 24 (the illustration of parallel diagonal lines is omitted in FIG. 8) is attached to the opening on the second closing portion 22 side of the frame-like portion 23 (the opening on the left side in FIG. 8). A rectangular annular seal member 25 is provided on the entire outer edge portion of the punching plate 24 along the frame-like portion 23. As in the sterilization chamber 2 of FIG. 2, the inside of the seal member 25 is formed of an elastic member such as foam rubber, and the entire surface is made of a fluorine-based resin such as Teflon (registered trademark) (other types of oxidation resistance). It may be a resin). In addition, a fixing portion 26 that sandwiches the object 9 with the seal member 25 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the frame-like portion 23. The fixing portion 26 can hold not only thick mats but also relatively thin and soft futons.

  In addition, in the sterilization chamber 2a of FIG. 8, the fixing part 26 is assumed to sandwich the object 9 over almost the entire outer edge of the object 9, but only the four corners of the rectangular object 9 are fixed. It may be. In the sterilization chamber 2a, one part of the seal member 25 and the fixed part 26 can be exchanged, and the parts of the seal member 25 and the fixed part 26 are exchanged according to the size and thickness of the object to be processed. Is done.

  An air inlet 211 is formed in the vicinity of the center of the first closing portion 21, and the processing gas introduced from the air inlet 211 is a baffle plate 212 provided between the air inlet 211 and the object 9, and a baffle. The flow spreading plate 213 provided around the plate 212 is uniformly spread (diffused) over almost the entire main surface of the object 9 and guided to the object 9. In addition, the second closing part 22 has a shape symmetrical to the first closing part 21 with respect to a plane parallel to the main surface of the object 9, and the processing gas that has passed through the object 9 passes through the first closing part 21. The air is exhausted by being led to an exhaust port 221 provided near the center of the second closing portion 22 via the flow contracting plate 223 and the baffle plate 222 respectively corresponding to the current spreading plate 213 and the baffle plate 212. As described above, the outer side (the frame-like portion 23 side) of the object 9 is closed by the seal member 25 that comes into contact with the outer edge portion of the object 9, thereby exhausting air from the intake port 211 in the sterilization chamber 2 a. The flow path of the processing gas that moves to the port 221 is limited to one that passes through the object 9. At this time, the object 9 is pressed against the punching plate 24 and the seal member 25 by the processing gas moving from the intake port 211 to the exhaust port 221 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The space between the seal member 25 and the seal member 25 is more firmly sealed. In addition, even if the 2nd obstruction | occlusion part 22, the baffle plate 222, and the current reduction plate 223 are abbreviate | omitted and only the flow path connected to the circulation flow path 31 is provided in the opposite side to the 1st obstruction | occlusion part 21 of the sterilization chamber 2a. In this case, the channel is regarded as an exhaust port.

  The first closing part 21 can be opened and closed with one straight line part of the frame-like part 23 as a fulcrum as shown by an arrow denoted by A1 in FIG. 8, and the object 9 is accommodated in the sterilization chamber 2a. In this case, the object 9 is carried into the sterilization chamber 2a and fixed by the fixing portion 26 with the first closing portion 21 opened, and then the first closing portion 21 is closed and the sterilization chamber 2a is closed. The inside is sealed at a portion other than the intake port 211 and the exhaust port 221. Actually, each of the first closing portion 21 and the second closing portion 22 is in contact with the frame-like portion 23 via a seal 27 (for example, an O-ring) (in FIG. 8, the second closing portion 22 is contacted). The illustration of a seal provided between the frame-like portion 23 and the frame-like portion 23 is omitted.).

  As described above, in the sterilization chamber 2a of FIG. 8, the flow path of the processing gas moving from the intake port 211 to the exhaust port 221 is limited to that passing through the object 9 by the seal member 25, thereby The inside of the object 9 can be sterilized and dried efficiently.

  Next, the sterilizers 1 and 1a according to the present embodiment and the object are hung on a stand in the drying cabinet, and ozone gas and hot air are circulated in a circulation channel from the exhaust port to the intake port of the drying chamber. A comparison with a circulation type sterilization apparatus (for example, a drier in Patent Document 2) of a comparative example that sterilizes and dries an object in a drying cabinet by circulating a gas containing the above will be described. In the sterilization apparatus 1, 1 a, the sterilization chamber 2, 2 a is reduced by downsizing associated with the characteristic internal structure of the sterilization chamber 2, 2 a (diffusion of ozone gas and restriction of the flow path of the processing gas using the seal member 25). And the volume of the circulation channel 31 can be made compact compared with the corresponding volume in the sterilizer of the comparative example. That is, in the sterilization chambers 2 and 2a, a sufficiently wide space is formed with respect to the object (such as a mat) and the space is not filled with the processing gas, but the flow of the processing gas passing through the inside of the object. Since only the path is formed, the size can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of ozone gas to be used can be reduced with respect to the sterilizer of the comparative example. In addition, due to the humidification of the processing gas and the characteristic internal structure of the sterilization chambers 2 and 2a, the ozone gas exposure time is significantly shortened (2.5 minutes to 10 minutes) compared to the sterilization apparatus of the comparative example. Almost the same sterilization efficiency can be realized. This is conventionally sterilized by the diffusion of ozone gas into the object from the outside, and sufficient time must be taken, but in the present embodiment, it may be forcibly passed. To obtain 5000 to 10000 CT (where CT value is the product of gas concentration (ppm) and time (minute)), it can be achieved by passing 1000 to 2000 ppm of gas for 2.5 to 10 minutes. is there.

  Further, as described above, in the sterilizers 1 and 1a, a high-concentration oxygen gas (for example, a concentration of about 99.9%) is used when ozone gas is generated. Compared to the case of generating ozone gas from a concentration of about 21%), ozone gas can be generated with an efficiency approximately five times higher. Therefore, the energy consumption or time required for the generation of ozone gas can be reduced to one fifth, and if the reduction of the amount of ozone gas to be used is taken into consideration, the energy related to the generation of ozone gas can be compared with the sterilization apparatus of the comparative example. Consumption and time can be greatly reduced or shortened. Thus, in the sterilizers 1 and 1a, the processing relating to the sterilization of the object 9 can be performed very efficiently compared to the sterilizer of the comparative example.

  Further, when the ozone gas is thermally decomposed, generally, the gas containing the ozone gas is heated to 300 ° C. or higher. However, in the circulation type sterilization apparatus of the above comparative example, the ozone gas is introduced into the circulation channel. When assuming another sterilization apparatus of a comparative example in which a bypass for the bypass from the upstream side of the heater to the downstream side is formed, provided with a heater for thermal decomposition, the processing gas is heated to 300 ° C. by the heater. However, when the temperature of the processing gas introduced into the sterilization chamber is about 100 ° C., the flow rate of the processing gas that passes through the bypass channel (that is, the processing gas that does not undergo thermal decomposition of ozone gas) passes through the heater. It must be at least twice the flow rate of the processing gas, and it takes a long time to thermally decompose ozone gas. Actually, the temperature of the processing gas in the circulation channel gradually increases, so it is necessary to introduce a large amount of external air into the circulation channel, and energy for heating these air is also necessary. It becomes.

  In contrast, in the sterilization apparatus 1a of FIG. 7 according to the present embodiment, ozone gas is also decomposed by the action of the catalyst in the second ozone gas decomposition unit 52, so even when the processing gas is heated to about 200 ° C., It is possible to achieve the decomposition efficiency of ozone gas substantially equal to that when the processing gas is heated to 300 ° C. in the sterilization apparatus of the other comparative example. Such an effect by the catalyst is generally known. In this case, the energy required for heating the processing gas can be reduced by 33% (2/3 times) compared to the case where the processing gas is heated to 300 ° C. by the sterilization apparatus of the comparative example. Further, when the temperature of the processing gas introduced into the sterilization chambers 2 and 2a is about 100 ° C. while heating the processing gas to 200 ° C., the flow rate of the processing gas passing through the bypass channel 314 is decomposed by ozone gas. The flow rate of the processing gas passing through the unit 5 may be approximately 1 time, and the time required for thermal decomposition of ozone gas is also reduced by 33% (2/3 times) compared to the case where the processing gas is heated to 300 ° C. )be able to. Moreover, as already stated, in the sterilizer 1a, the amount of ozone gas to be used is reduced. Therefore, in the sterilization apparatus 1a, it becomes possible to significantly reduce energy consumption compared to the sterilization apparatus of the comparative example. In practice, the amount of external air introduced into the circulation flow path 31 to prevent the temperature of the processing gas in the circulation flow path 31 from rising is reduced, and the energy for heating the air is also reduced. . Further, by providing the filter 53 in the ozone gas decomposition unit 5, generation of unnecessary gas due to the combustion of fibers from the object 9 in the heater 511, a decrease in ozone gas decomposition efficiency, and the like are suppressed.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

  In the above embodiment, when drying the object 9 while decomposing ozone gas, the temperature of the processing gas introduced into the sterilization chambers 2 and 2a is controlled to, for example, 60 ° C. or more and 80 ° C. or less. Depending on the material of the object, the temperature of the processing gas introduced into the sterilization chambers 2 and 2a may be controlled (adjusted) within a predetermined temperature range higher than 80 ° C. In addition, in the case of an object made of a special material, no damage occurs even when a processing gas having a temperature near 250 ° C. is introduced into the sterilization chambers 2 and 2a. , 2a need not be forcibly reduced in temperature of the processing gas introduced into 2a. As described above, the drying of the object in the sterilizers 1 and 1a is performed by heating the processing gas to a temperature of 100 ° C. or more and 250 ° C. or less by the heater 511 in order to thermally decompose the ozone gas, and further controlling to a predetermined temperature. This is done by introducing the treated gas into the sterilization chamber 2, 2a. The temperature of the heated processing gas is controlled by providing a cooling unit for directly cooling the processing gas in addition to the introduction of external air into the circulation channel 31 and the formation of the bypass channel 314. May be performed.

  Moreover, in the sterilizer 1, 1a, the filter 53, the 1st ozone gas decomposing part 51, and the 2nd ozone gas decomposing part 52 are provided in the one casing 50 as the ozone gas decomposing unit 5, thereby simplifying the configuration of the sterilizing apparatus. However, depending on the design of the sterilizer, the filter 53, the first ozone gas decomposing unit 51, and the second ozone gas decomposing unit 52 may be separately provided in the circulation channel 31, and the first ozone gas decomposing unit and Any of the second ozone gas decomposing units may be provided on the upstream side (sterilization chamber 2, 2a side).

  In this case, from the viewpoint of stably decomposing ozone gas, the ozone gas decomposing unit provided on the exhaust port 221 side of the sterilization chamber 2, 2 a in the circulation channel 31 among the first ozone gas decomposing unit and the second ozone gas decomposing unit. A filter is provided between the exhaust port 221 and fine foreign substances (such as fine fibers from the object 9) contained in the processing gas circulating in the circulation flow path 31 are removed by the filter. By doing so, it is important to prevent the first and second ozone gas decomposing parts 51 and 52 from causing problems (catalyst contamination, etc.) due to the foreign matters. In addition, when an ozone gas concentration of a predetermined value or more is detected in the process gas discharge process of step S15 in FIG. 6, or air is introduced into the circulation channel 31 in the ozone gas heating (thermal decomposition) process of step S13. In each case where a part of the processing gas is discharged, from the viewpoint of discharging the processing gas in which the ozone gas is decomposed to the outside, between the first ozone gas decomposition unit 51 and the intake port 211 in the circulation flow path 31. It is preferable that a discharge path 311 for discharging the processing gas to the outside of the circulation flow path 31 is provided at the position.

  Furthermore, when the filter 53, the first ozone gas decomposing unit 51, and the second ozone gas decomposing unit 52 are individually provided in the circulation channel 31 in the sterilization apparatus 1a of FIG. 7, the first ozone gas decomposing unit in the circulation channel 31 is provided. 51. By providing a bypass flow path connecting from the position between 51 and the exhaust port 221 to the position between the first ozone gas decomposition unit 51 and the intake port 211, it is introduced into the sterilization chamber 2, 2a when the ozone gas is decomposed. It is realized to prevent an excessive increase in the temperature of the treated gas.

  The ozone gas generation unit 42 does not necessarily generate ozone gas from oxygen gas (a gas containing only oxygen). For example, a fan for sucking in ambient air is provided in the ozone gas generation unit 42 and the outside of the circulation channel 31. Ozone gas may be generated from the air. Even in this case, compared with the case where ozone gas is generated from the processing gas circulating in the circulation flow path 31, the ozone gas generation unit 42 in which the original gas is supplied by a system different from the circulation flow path 31 has a high concentration. Ozone gas can be generated easily and efficiently, and the concentration of ozone gas circulating in the circulation channel 31 can be easily adjusted. Moreover, in the sterilizers 1 and 1a, the air introduction part 43 may be abbreviate | omitted and the mixing part which has a humidification function may be provided. In this case, external air is sucked in the mixing unit.

It is a figure which shows the structure of a sterilizer. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a sterilization chamber. It is a cross-sectional view of a sterilization chamber. It is a figure which shows the target object on a support part. It is a figure which shows the target object on a support part. It is a figure which shows the structure of an ozone gas decomposition | disassembly unit. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process which disinfects a target object. It is a figure which shows some other examples of a sterilizer. It is a figure which shows the other example of a sterilization chamber.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1a Sterilization apparatus 2,2a Sterilization chamber 9 Target object 25 Seal member 31 Circulation flow path 32 Fan 33 Concentration measurement part 42 Ozone gas generation part 43 Air introduction part 50 Casing 51, 52 Ozone gas decomposition part 53 Filter 211 Inlet 221 Exhaust 314 Detour channel 511 Heater S12 to S14 Steps

Claims (12)

A sterilizing device for sterilizing objects that are futons or mats,
While holding the object inside, in the inside, the sterilization chamber in which the object is sterilized by a gas containing ozone gas,
A circulation part that circulates the gas in a circulation flow path from the exhaust port of the sterilization chamber to the intake port;
After the sterilization of the object, an ozone gas decomposing unit that thermally decomposes the ozone gas in the gas by heating the gas circulating in the circulation channel with a heating unit;
With
When decomposing the ozone gas after sterilization of the object, the gas is heated to a temperature of 100 ° C. or more and 250 ° C. or less by the heating unit, and the gas controlled to a predetermined temperature is introduced into the sterilization chamber. The sterilizer is characterized in that the object is dried by being performed. The sterilizer according to claim 1,
A sterilizer further comprising another ozone gas decomposing unit that is provided in the circulation channel and decomposes the ozone gas in the gas circulating while being heated by the heating unit by the action of a predetermined catalyst. The sterilizer according to claim 2, wherein
The sterilizer further comprising a filter between the ozone gas decomposition unit provided on the exhaust port side of the ozone gas decomposition unit and the other ozone gas decomposition unit and the exhaust port in the circulation channel. The sterilizer according to claim 3, wherein
The filter, the ozone gas decomposing part, and the other ozone gas decomposing part are provided in one casing. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A sterilizing apparatus further comprising a humidifying unit that humidifies the gas when the object is sterilized. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The circulation flow path is connected from the position between the ozone gas decomposition section and the exhaust port to a position between the ozone gas decomposition section and the intake port, and to the ozone gas decomposition section when decomposing the ozone gas. A sterilizer comprising a bypass channel that limits the amount of the gas that enters. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
When decomposing the ozone gas, air from the outside is introduced into the circulation flow path, and a part of the gas is circulated from a position between the ozone gas decomposition portion and the intake port in the circulation flow path. A sterilizer characterized by being discharged out of the flow path. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The sterilization chamber includes a seal member that forms a flow path of the gas that moves from the intake port to the exhaust port through the object by contacting the outer edge of the object. The sterilizer. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A sterilizer further comprising an ozone gas generation unit that generates ozone gas from air outside the circulation channel or oxygen gas separately prepared and introduces the ozone gas into the circulation channel. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A concentration measuring unit that is provided in the vicinity of the ozone gas decomposing unit in the circulation flow path and that measures the concentration of ozone gas,
After the decomposition of the ozone gas in the gas, when the gas is discharged out of the circulation flow path from a position between the ozone gas decomposition unit and the intake port in the circulation flow path, the concentration measurement unit measures The sterilizer characterized in that ON / OFF of the ozone gas decomposing unit is controlled based on the value. A sterilization method for sterilizing an object that is a futon or mat with a sterilizer,
The sterilizer includes a sterilization chamber that has an exhaust port and an intake port and holds an object inside, and a circulation unit that circulates gas in a circulation flow path from the exhaust port to the intake port,
The sterilization method comprises
a) sterilizing the object in the sterilization chamber by adding ozone gas to the gas;
b) heating the gas circulating in the circulation flow path at a heating section of an ozone gas decomposition section provided in the circulation flow path to thermally decompose the ozone gas in the gas;
With
In the step b), the gas is heated to a temperature of 100 ° C. or more and 250 ° C. or less by the heating unit, and further, the gas controlled to a predetermined temperature is introduced into the sterilization chamber. A sterilization method characterized by drying. The sterilization method according to claim 11,
c) In parallel with the step b), in another ozone gas decomposition unit provided in the circulation channel, the step of decomposing the ozone gas in the gas heated by the heating unit by the action of a predetermined catalyst A sterilization method further comprising:

Images