JP2017063899A - Ultraviolet sterilization apparatus and ultraviolet sterilization method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus and an ultraviolet sterilization method, which can surely sterilizes even the inside of a sterilization chamber that cannot be visually observed or a part of a shadow between fingers of a glove.SOLUTION: An ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 that sterilizes a surface of a glove G by irradiating ultraviolet to the glove G worn on a hand includes: a sterilization chamber housing 120 in which a glove insertion port 130, through which the glove G worn on fingers is inserted, is opened and a sterilization chamber 121 is formed inside thereof; and an ultraviolet irradiation part 123 that is arranged in the inside of the sterilization chamber housing 120 and irradiates ultraviolet in the sterilization chamber 121. In the inside of the sterilization chamber housing 120, a forced finger opening part 190 that opens an n-th interdigital part between the n-th finger and n+1-th finger of the glove G is further disposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus and an ultraviolet sterilization method.

  Strict hygiene management is required in the field of food industry and medical care. For example, careful hygiene management is required for Norovirus, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, O157, and Mutans. In particular, norovirus is extremely small compared to other bacteria, and infects in very small amounts. In addition to conventional hand washing with antiseptic solutions such as reverse soap and alcohol, It is known that a bactericidal effect cannot be expected.

  By the way, in the field where high hygiene management is required, such as in the food industry and medical care, an operator works by wearing gloves on his hands. Whenever it is determined that the glove is dirty, the worker sterilizes the glove. Regarding the sterilization of gloves, in consideration of the above-mentioned Norovirus, it has been proposed to carry out sterilization with ultraviolet rays, which provides a higher sterilization effect than sterilization by hand washing. An ultraviolet sterilization apparatus having a function necessary for irradiation with ultraviolet rays has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The conventional ultraviolet sterilizer 900 is an ultraviolet sterilizer 900 that sterilizes the surface of the glove G by irradiating the glove G worn on the hand with ultraviolet rays. A glove insertion opening 930 to be inserted is opened and a sterilization chamber housing 920 having a sterilization chamber 921 formed therein, and an ultraviolet irradiation unit 923 that is disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing 920 and irradiates the sterilization chamber 921 with ultraviolet light. And have.
According to the conventional ultraviolet sterilizer 900, the surface of the glove G inserted from the glove insertion port 930 can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation unit 923, and the glove G can be sterilized. (See FIG. 14).

Japanese Patent No. 5019628

However, when irradiating ultraviolet rays, a part of the glove G is loosened or folded, and for example, the base of the finger can be wrinkled, and therefore, there is a wrinkle between the five fingers. is there. In addition, the five fingers of the gloves G may be closed (the fingers are not sufficiently opened) by the worker's unconsciousness.
When ultraviolet sterilization is performed on the glove G in the above state using the conventional ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 900, there is a problem that ultraviolet rays are not sufficiently irradiated to a shadowed portion between fingers.
In a general ultraviolet sterilizer, since the operator cannot directly observe the state of the gloves G inserted into the sterilization chamber, the above-described problems are more likely to occur.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and even in the inside of the sterilization chamber where it cannot be directly observed, the shadowed part between the fingers of the gloves is surely secured. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus and an ultraviolet sterilization method capable of performing sterilization.

[1] A first ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention is an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus that sterilizes the surface of a glove that is worn on a hand by irradiating the surface of the glove with ultraviolet light. A sterilization chamber housing in which a glove insertion opening for opening the glove is opened and a sterilization chamber is formed therein, an ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing and irradiating the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays, The n-th finger (n is an integer from 1 to 4) between the n-th finger and the (n + 1) -th finger of the glove to be inserted is opened inside the sterilization chamber housing. A forced finger opening part is further arranged.

  According to the first ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the forced finger opening portion that opens the n-th finger between the n-th finger and the (n + 1) -th finger of the inserted glove inside the sterilization chamber housing. Therefore, when the glove is inserted downward, the n-th finger member constituting the forced finger opening part grabs the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip and is sandwiched between the n-th finger. Since the n-th finger is forcibly opened, even in the inside of the sterilization chamber where it cannot be directly seen, the shadowed part between the fingers of the gloves Sterilization can be performed.

[2] In the first ultraviolet sterilizer of the present invention, when the glove is inserted, the forced finger opening unit is interposed between the nth finger and the nth fingertip and the n + 1th fingertip of the glove. It is preferable that the n-th finger-opening member is formed in a bar shape so that the n-th finger is opened with the fingers spaced apart from each other.

  According to such an ultraviolet disinfection device, the forced finger opening part is intervened between the nth finger when the glove is inserted, so that the nth fingertip and the (n + 1) th fingertip of the glove are separated from each other. Because of the bar-shaped n-th finger opening member that is configured so that the n-th finger is opened, even in the sterilization chamber that cannot be directly observed by a relatively simple structure, It is economically advantageous because an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus capable of reliably sterilizing the shadowed portion between the fingers can be realized.

[3] In the first ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the n-th finger opening member is directed vertically and laterally toward a plane when the palm of the glove inserted in the sterilization chamber is viewed in plan. Alternatively, it is preferable that movement in the direction perpendicular to the plane is possible.

According to such an ultraviolet sterilizer, the nth finger opening member can be moved in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, so that the nth finger can be moved according to the hand shape (finger valley positional relationship, etc.) depending on the wearer. The finger opening member (bar) can be set at an appropriate position. Further, when the nth finger opening member moves in the left-right direction, it is possible to forcibly open the gap between fingers.
Further, since the n-th finger opening member can move in a direction perpendicular to the plane, the ultraviolet irradiation can be performed with no n-th finger opening member (bar) sandwiched between the fingers. . In this way, the nth finger valley can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays without being affected by the attenuation of ultraviolet rays by the nth finger opening member. In addition, a member made of a material having low ultraviolet transmittance can be adopted as the nth finger opening member (bar).

[4] In the first ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the forced finger opening portion intervenes between the n-th finger when the glove is inserted, whereby the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip of the glove are inserted. It is preferable that it consists of a finger-cut glove-shaped finger-opening member configured such that the n-th finger is opened so as to be separated from each other.

  According to such an ultraviolet sterilization device, because the finger is forcibly opened, even in the sterilization chamber, which cannot be directly observed, the shadowed portion between the fingers of the glove G Can be reliably sterilized.

[5] In the first ultraviolet sterilizer of the present invention, it is preferable that the member constituting the forced finger opening portion is a member having an ultraviolet transmittance equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

  According to such an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus, the member constituting the forced finger opening portion is composed of a member having an ultraviolet transmittance equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Therefore, if the member has such a transmittance, ultraviolet irradiation is performed. In this case, the ultraviolet rays reach the part of the glove G located in the shadow (or the back) of the nth finger opening member as viewed from the ultraviolet irradiation unit, and the ultraviolet sterilization can be performed reliably.

[6] In the first ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the insertion depth of the glove inserted in the sterilization chamber is detected, the entire glove is inserted to a predetermined depth, and the glove is opened. Based on a glove insertion sensor that outputs an insertion detection signal when the glove is inserted up to a pointed position, an ultraviolet irradiation drive unit that drives the ultraviolet irradiation unit, and the insertion detection signal from the glove insertion sensor And a control unit that outputs an irradiation start signal to the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit.

  According to such an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus, when the entire glove is inserted to a predetermined depth and the glove is inserted to the position where the glove is opened, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays is started. Ultraviolet sterilization can be performed with n fingers open.

[7] In the 1st ultraviolet sterilizer of this invention, it is preferable to arrange | position a protective sheet between the said ultraviolet irradiation part and the said forced opening part.

  According to such an ultraviolet sterilizer, not only the inserted glove (hand) is protected from touching the ultraviolet irradiation part (ultraviolet irradiation lamp), but also the opened glove is temporarily protected. Even if a finger spreads greatly, it does not touch the ultraviolet irradiation part (ultraviolet irradiation lamp). Further, even when the ultraviolet irradiation lamp is broken and the members of the lamp are scattered, the operator's hand (gloves) can be protected by the protective sheet. As described above, a safer ultraviolet sterilizer can be provided by disposing a protective sheet.

[8] A second ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention is an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus that sterilizes the surface of a glove that is worn on a hand by irradiating the surface of the glove with ultraviolet light. A sterilization chamber housing in which a glove insertion opening for opening the glove is opened and a sterilization chamber is formed therein, an ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing and irradiating the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays, A glove insertion sensor for confirming an insertion position of the inserted glove, a finger opening sensor for sensing a finger open state of the glove, a human interface unit, and an ultraviolet irradiation driving unit for driving the ultraviolet irradiation unit, After confirming that the insertion position of the glove inserted into the sterilization chamber is deeper than a predetermined depth based on an insertion detection signal output from the glove insertion sensor, and further, the open finger shape obtained by the finger opening sensor Based on the information, it is determined whether or not the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount. (I) When it is determined that the finger of the glove is not opened more than a predetermined amount, An alarm is output to the human interface unit, and (ii) when it is determined that the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined value, an irradiation start signal is output to the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit to execute glove sterilization And a portion.

  According to the second ultraviolet sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the control unit determines whether or not the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount based on the finger opening state information acquired by the camera as the finger opening sensor, and (i ) When it is determined that the finger of the glove is not opened more than the predetermined value, an alarm indicating that the finger of the glove is not opened sufficiently is output to the display panel as the human interface unit. Even inside the operator, the operator can spread the finger of the glove to such an extent that proper UV sterilization can be performed without relying only on his / her own sense. When the control unit determines that (ii) the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount, the irradiation start signal can be output to the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit to execute glove sterilization. Sterilization can be reliably performed also on the shadowed portion between the fingers.

[9] The ultraviolet sterilization method of the present invention includes a sterilization chamber housing in which a glove insertion opening into which a glove worn on the hand is inserted is opened and a sterilization chamber is formed therein, and the sterilization chamber housing. An ultraviolet sterilization method for sterilizing the surface of the glove by irradiating the glove inserted in the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays using an ultraviolet sterilizer having an ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed and radiating ultraviolet rays to the sterilization chamber A glove insertion confirmation step for confirming that an insertion position of the glove inserted into the sterilization chamber is deeper than a predetermined depth based on an insertion detection signal output by the glove insertion sensor, and a finger opening sensor. An open finger sensing step of sensing an open finger state of the glove to acquire open finger state information, and an open finger determination step of determining whether or not the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount based on the open finger state information In the finger opening determination step, when it is determined that the finger of the glove is not opened more than a predetermined value, an alarm of opening the finger that outputs an alarm to the human interface unit that the finger of the glove is not open, and When it is determined in the finger-opening determination step that the finger of the glove is opened more than a predetermined amount, a glove sterilization is performed by outputting an irradiation start signal to the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit and irradiating the glove with ultraviolet rays to sterilize the glove And a step.

  According to the ultraviolet sterilization method of the present invention, it is determined whether or not the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount based on the open finger state information acquired by the open finger sensing step, and it is determined that the finger of the glove is not opened more than a predetermined amount If this happens, an alarm will be output to the human interface indicating that the fingers are not open enough. it can. When it is determined that the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount, it is possible to start glove sterilization by starting the ultraviolet ray irradiation via the ultraviolet ray irradiation drive unit. Sterilization can be surely performed on the shadowed portion.

[10] In the ultraviolet sterilization method of the present invention, the finger opening sensor is a camera in which a light entrance is directed to the inside of the sterilization chamber housing. It is preferable to perform pattern matching processing based on the information on the inspection image and the information on the template image relating to the shape of the glove worn on the hand stored in the storage unit, and perform the finger opening determination of the inserted glove. .

  According to the ultraviolet sterilization method using such a camera, it is possible not only to make a finer finger open determination based on image information captured from the camera, but also according to the shape and size of the operator's hand. It is possible to appropriately perform the open finger determination.

[11] In the ultraviolet sterilization method of the present invention, the finger opening sensor is a wind pressure sensor or an optical sensor disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing, and the wind pressure sensor or the optical sensor is used in the finger opening determination step. It is preferable to perform the finger open determination of the inserted glove based on the sensing information captured from.

When a wind pressure sensor is used as the finger opening sensor, since the wind pressure sensor that is not affected by ultraviolet rays is used, the finger opening state can be monitored even during the ultraviolet irradiation period. In addition, it is possible to sense the finger open state with the camera before the ultraviolet irradiation, and to use a wind pressure sensor during the ultraviolet irradiation period.
When an optical sensor is used as the finger opening sensor, the finger opening state can be monitored with a simple configuration, which is economically advantageous.

It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the state of the glove | glove G inserted in the inside of the sterilization chamber 121 in Embodiment 1, and the name of the site | part regarding the five fingers of the glove | Glove. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a block diagram shown in order to demonstrate control and connection relation of 10 A of ultraviolet sterilizers concerning Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a flowchart shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilization method using the ultraviolet sterilizer which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the pattern matching process using the camera as the finger opening sensor 194 in the finger opening determination step S30 of the second embodiment. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10a which concerns on the modification 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10b which concerns on the modification 2. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10c which concerns on the modification 3. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10d which concerns on the modification 4. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10e which concerns on the modification 5. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the ultraviolet sterilizer 10f which concerns on the modification 6. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the conventional ultraviolet sterilizer 900. FIG.

Hereinafter, the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus and the ultraviolet sterilization method of the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.
Note that the structures and the like shown in the drawings are all schematic diagrams, and the display of dimensions and angles is not necessarily realistic.

[Embodiment 1]
1. Configuration of Ultraviolet Sterilization Device According to Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 to 3 are diagrams illustrating an ultraviolet sterilization device 10 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1A is an external perspective view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10, and FIG. 1B is a view when the sterilization chamber housing 120 is looked into from the glove insertion opening 130 side.
Hereinafter, in the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the previous figures.

(1) Basic configuration of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 The external appearance of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 includes, as shown in FIG. 1A, for example, an ultraviolet sterilizer main body 100 and a stand 110 that supports the ultraviolet sterilizer main body 100. As an example of the human interface unit 180, an upper surface light shielding plate 160 and a side light shielding plate 170 for preventing an ultraviolet ray from being directly irradiated to an operator who wants to sterilize and an operator in the vicinity thereof. Display panel.

  The ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment is an ultraviolet sterilizer 10 that sterilizes the surface of the glove G by irradiating the glove G worn on the hand with ultraviolet rays. A sterilization chamber housing 120 in which a glove insertion opening 130 into which a glove G is inserted is opened and a sterilization chamber 121 is formed therein, and an ultraviolet ray disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing 120 and irradiating the sterilization chamber 121 with ultraviolet rays (The internal structure of the sterilization chamber housing 120 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2).

The UV sterilizer main body 100 includes guide walls 140 that are provided in the left and right glove insertion openings 130 and guide the insertion of the gloves G that are worn on the hand. A glove insertion sensor 150 may be attached to the guide wall 140.
“Left and right” means left and right when the ultraviolet sterilizer is viewed from the front.

  And in the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 which concerns on Embodiment 1, as shown to Fig.1 (a) and FIG.1 (b), inside the sterilization chamber housing | casing 120, the nth finger | toe of the glove G inserted is inserted. A forced finger-opening unit 190 that opens the n-th finger (n is an integer from 1 to 4) between the n + 1-th finger is further disposed (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 2 for details of the forced finger-opening unit 190). 3).

(2) Internal structure of sterilization chamber housing 120 FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams schematically showing the internal structure of the sterilization chamber housing 120 shown in FIG. 2A is a side view when the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed in the direction of arrow a (−x direction) along the x axis, and the sterilization chamber housing 120 is shown as a cross-sectional view. . FIG. 2B is a front view when the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 shown in FIG. 2A is viewed in the + y direction. The display panel as the human interface unit 180, the sterilization chamber housing 120, and the like are as follows. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a sterilization chamber 121 is formed inside the sterilization chamber housing 120, and a reflector 122 is provided on each of the front side inner wall surface and the rear side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121. It has been.
Further, an ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 is provided on the inner side of the sterilization chamber 121 when viewed from the reflection plate 122. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 is disposed to face the front side inner wall surface and the rear side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121.
A protective sheet 124 is further provided on the inner side of the sterilization chamber 121 when viewed from the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a protective net may be provided on the inner side of the sterilization chamber 121 when viewed from the protective sheet 124.

As the reflection plate 122, for example, an aluminum sheet can be used. In the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment, the reflector 122 is provided so that the aluminum sheet can be attached to the inner wall of the sterilization chamber 121.
In addition, as a reflecting plate 122, you may make it perform aluminum vapor deposition with respect to the front side inner wall surface and back side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121 instead of an aluminum sheet, and also by doing in this way, the function as a reflecting plate is carried out. You can have it. Moreover, the shape of the reflecting plate 122 is a curved surface from the bottom to the bottom of each inner wall, instead of a flat plate according to the shape of the front inner wall and the rear inner wall. The reflection plate 122 may be integrally formed in a U-shape over the inner wall surface, the bottom, and the rear side inner wall surface.

In the first embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 includes a plurality of tubular ultraviolet irradiation lamps 123a as one unit. And the unit of the ultraviolet irradiation part 123 is arrange | positioned at each of the front side inner wall surface and the back side inner wall surface.
The ultraviolet irradiation lamp 123a constituting the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 may be any lamp as long as it can irradiate light in the ultraviolet range. For example, a lamp that irradiates ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 185 nm to 280 nm. More specifically, a lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 254 nm or 185 nm, which is generally easily available, can be used. The ultraviolet sterilization action is said to be high for ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of around 260 nm. Therefore, as an ultraviolet irradiation lamp used for the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123, low-pressure mercury that emits ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 254 nm close to 260 nm. More preferably, a UV lamp is used.
Further, as the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123, a device for ultraviolet irradiation using a solid electronic component such as an LED may be used instead of the tubular ultraviolet irradiation lamp.

The member used as the protective sheet 124 may be any member as long as it can transmit a considerable amount of ultraviolet rays. For example, quartz, transparent Teflon (registered trademark), or the like can be used.
In the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment, a transparent Teflon (registered trademark) having a thickness of about 10 to 100 μm and an ultraviolet transmittance of 85% or more is used as the protective sheet 124.

(3) Gloves G and arm cover AC
Incidentally, FIG. 2A shows a state before the gloves attached to the operator's hand are inserted into the glove insertion opening 130 of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10. In FIG. 2A, only one glove (hand) of the operator is shown.
The gloves G are made of rubber, thermoplastic resin, or the like that does not allow liquid to pass through and has flexibility. The glove G is processed so as to be able to shield ultraviolet rays having a predetermined range of wavelengths (for example, 185 nm to 280 nm).
It is assumed that the operator wears gloves G in his hand and wears an arm cover AC between his wrist and elbow. Near the operator's wrist in the arm cover AC, an identifier ID such as a barcode that can be detected by the glove insertion sensor 150 is attached.
When the glove G is inserted along the guide wall 140 from the right and left glove insertion openings 130 to an appropriate position in the sterilization chamber 121 (a position where ultraviolet rays are evenly irradiated between the tip of the glove G and the vicinity of the wrist). The glove insertion sensor 150 can detect the identifier ID attached to the arm cover AC.
In addition to the barcode, an IC tag or the like can be used as the identifier ID. Further, instead of the arm cover AC, a wristband that covers only the wrist may be used, and an identifier ID may be attached to the wristband. Further, the glove G may be made slightly longer, and the identifier ID may be attached to the glove G.

(4) Parts related to the five fingers of the glove FIG. 3 illustrates the state of the glove G inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 and the names of the parts related to the five fingers of the glove G in the first embodiment. It is a figure shown in FIG. 2, It is the schematic diagram which expanded the part shown by A in FIG.2 (b). The hatched portions indicate the first finger opening member 190a to the fourth finger opening member 190d, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a glove G (or hand) attached to the left hand of the operator. About the name of the site | part regarding 5 fingers in this invention, it defines as follows.
The thumb is the first finger, the index finger is the second finger, the middle finger is the third finger, the ring finger is the fourth finger, and the little finger is the fifth finger. Is defined as an integer from 1 to 4, and so on. Similarly, the first fingertip, the second fingertip, the third fingertip, the fourth fingertip, and the fifth fingertip are defined as the fingertips of the respective fingers, and these are generalized and defined as “nth fingertip”. Similarly, the interval between the nth finger and the (n + 1) th finger is defined as “between the nth finger” (for example, when n = 2, the interval between the index finger and the middle finger is referred to as the second finger interval). In addition, an angle formed between the nth finger and the (n + 1) th finger when the palm is viewed in plan is defined as “open finger angle θn” (in FIG. 3, as an example, between the fourth finger and the fifth finger. The open finger angle θ4 of FIG. Further, a valley between the nth finger and the (n + 1) th finger is defined as an “nth finger valley”.
The right hand is similarly defined in line symmetry.

  In the present invention, “open finger / open finger” means that the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip move away from each other to increase / near the n-th finger, or the finger opening angle θn exceeds at least 0 degree. The fingers are opened / opened to an extent having an angle of a predetermined value or more.

(5) Forced finger opening 190
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment, the n-th finger between the n-th finger and the (n + 1) -th finger of the inserted glove G is placed inside the sterilization chamber housing 120. A forced finger opening unit 190 that opens the finger is further disposed.

Specifically, when the glove G is inserted, the forced finger opening unit 190 intervenes between the n-th finger so that the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip of the glove are separated from each other. It consists of a bar-shaped n-th finger opening member configured to open the gap.
For example, in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first finger opening member 190 a, a second finger opening member 190 b, a third finger opening member 190 c, and a fourth finger opening member 190 d are shown as members constituting the forced finger opening portion 190. Each has a bar shape.
Here, the “bar shape” means, for example, a rod shape extending in the longitudinal direction, and a surface obtained by cutting such a rod shape with a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is referred to as a “cross section”.

It is preferable that the members (n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d) constituting the forced finger opening portion 190 are members having an ultraviolet transmittance equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
Specifically, the UV transmittance expected for the n-th finger opening member is desirably about 60% or more, preferably about 70% or more, more preferably about 80% or more. As a material of such a member, for example, quartz, transparent Teflon (registered trademark), or the like can be used.

The cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d can be any force as long as it is suitable for ultraviolet irradiation by opening the gap between the closed fingers of the glove, and for example, A circular shape can be adopted.
If the cross-section of the n-th finger opening member is circular, the glove G and the n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d There is relatively little friction between them, and it can be expected that the fingers are smoothly opened.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the support structure of the bar-shaped n-th finger-opening members 190a to 190d is passed as a beam from the front side inner wall surface to the opposite back side inner wall surface as a doubly supported beam. It is composed. When configured as a doubly supported beam, the strength of the bar-shaped nth finger-opening members 190a to 190d can be increased.
However, for example, it can also be configured as a cantilever so as to protrude from the inner wall surface on the back side. When configured as a cantilever, the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 can be realized with a simpler structure, which is economically advantageous.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3, the bar-shaped n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d are arranged so that the second finger opening member 190 b to the fourth finger opening member 190 d are linear. Are arranged in a row, and only the first finger opening member 190a is arranged at a position deviating from the straight line. As the shape of a general worker's hand, the first finger valley is often separated above the second to fourth finger valley rows, and according to such an arrangement, the first finger valley is attached to the hand. Five fingers can be forcibly opened in accordance with the shape of the glove.
In addition, it is good also as an arrangement | positioning by which the three of the 2nd finger opening member 190b-the 4th finger opening member 190d do not line up in a straight line. Forced finger-opening can be performed according to the shape of the operator's hand.
Conversely, four of the first finger opening member 190a to the fourth finger opening member 190d may be arranged in a straight line. The ultraviolet sterilizer 10 can be realized with a simple structure, which is economically advantageous.

(6) Forced finger opening 190 and protective sheet 124
In the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, it is more preferable to arrange a protective sheet 124 between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 and the forced finger opening unit 190.

2. Operation and Effect of Ultraviolet Sterilizer 10 According to Embodiment 1 (1) Forced Finger Opening Using Ultraviolet Sterilizer 10 According to Embodiment 1 An operator puts a glove G worn on the hand from the glove insertion opening 130. Insert into the sterilization chamber 121. When the operator removes the hand force and continues to insert in the downward direction (−z direction), the nth fingertip members 190a to 190d grab the nth fingertip and the (n + 1) th fingertip and are sandwiched between the nth finger. . Further, when the operator removes the hand force and continues to insert downward (−z direction), the n th finger opening members 190a to 190d reach the vicinity of the n th finger valley. As a result, the n-th finger is opened by the n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d, and the finger opening angle θn is also 0 ° or more, which is an angle greater than a predetermined value. Thus, the fingers between the nth fingers (n = 1 to 4) are forcibly opened.
Thus, the side surfaces of the nth finger, the n + 1th finger, the nth finger valley, and the like facing the nth finger can be exposed in the sterilization chamber 121. Further, for example, it can be expected that the “wrinkle” formed at the base of the n-th finger is extended, and as a result, the “wrinkle” formed near the n-th finger valley is extended.
In this state, the surface of the glove G is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiating unit 123 for a predetermined time, so that the shadowed portion between the fingers of the glove G (for example, the nth finger faces). The n-th finger side surface, the (n + 1) -th finger side surface, the n-th finger valley, and the like) can also be sterilized reliably.

  In addition, when forced finger opening is performed as described above, since the n th finger opening members 190a to 190d come into contact with the operator's gloves G, the n th finger opening members 190a to 190d themselves are secondarily contaminated. It is also possible. Assuming such a case, even if the glove G is not inserted into the sterilization chamber 121, secondary irradiation of the n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d itself is performed by periodically irradiating the sterilization chamber 121 with ultraviolet rays. Contamination can also be prevented.

(2) Effects of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment, the nth finger and the n + 1th finger of the glove G to be inserted are placed inside the sterilization chamber housing 120. Since the forced finger opening portion 190 that opens the n-th finger between the n-th finger and the glove G is inserted downward (−z direction), the n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d Since the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip are squeezed between the n-th finger and the n-th finger is forcibly opened, even inside the sterilization chamber 121 that cannot be directly observed, Sterilization can be reliably performed also on the shadowed part between the fingers of the gloves G.

  In addition, according to the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, when the glove G is inserted, the forced finger opening unit 190 is intervened between the nth fingers, thereby causing the nth fingertip and n + 1th of the glove G to intervene. Since it consists of bar-shaped n-th finger-opening members 190a to 190d that are configured such that the finger-tips are spaced apart from each other and the n-th finger is opened, sterilization that cannot be directly observed with a relatively simple structure Even in the chamber 121, the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 that can reliably sterilize the shadowed portion between the fingers of the glove G can be realized, which is economically advantageous. .

Moreover, according to the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 which concerns on Embodiment 1, since the forced finger opening part 190 consists of bar-shaped nth finger opening member 190a-190d, it can be utilized as what is called a stopper. That is, when the glove G attached to the hand is inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 and further inserted downward (-z direction), the bar-shaped n-th finger opening member 190a to the n-th finger valley. 190d hits and stops (stops), and the glove G (the operator's hand, arm, etc. interlocked with it) does not move downward (-z direction).
By using the bar-shaped n-th finger-opening members 190a to 190d as a stopper in this way, for example, a site where a glove G is worn while the skin is exposed without wearing the arm cover AC in a short sleeve state (for example, In the field of dentistry, biotechnology, etc., before the exposed skin enters the inside of the sterilization chamber 121 (here, the area irradiated with ultraviolet rays), the gloves G Since the movement of the arm etc. also stops, only the gloves G can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays without exposing the exposed skin to ultraviolet rays.
Conversely, sterilization can be performed without using the bar-shaped n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d as stoppers. If the insertion of the glove G is stopped before the nth finger members 190a to 190d completely reach the nth finger valley, a gap is secured between the nth finger members 190a to 190d and the nth finger valley. Can do. Since the air permeability of the n th finger valley can be ensured by this gap, for example, in the case where wet cleaning is first performed in the same sterilization chamber 121 and then ultraviolet sterilization is performed, the n th finger valley is dried. Ultraviolet sterilization can be performed.

  Further, according to the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, the member constituting the forced finger opening unit 190 is a member having an ultraviolet transmittance equal to or higher than a predetermined value. For example, when the ultraviolet irradiation is performed, the ultraviolet rays reach the part of the glove G located in the shadow (or the back) of the nth finger member as viewed from the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123, and the ultraviolet sterilization is surely performed. Can do.

The ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment detects the insertion depth of the glove G inserted into the sterilization chamber 121, the entire glove G is inserted to a predetermined depth, and the glove G is opened. A glove insertion sensor 150 that outputs an insertion detection signal (not shown) when the glove G is inserted up to a position, and an ultraviolet irradiation drive unit 280 that drives the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 (FIGS. 4A and 5). And a control unit that outputs an irradiation start signal (not shown) to the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit based on the insertion detection signal from the glove insertion sensor 150. preferable.
According to the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10, since the entire glove G is inserted to a predetermined depth and the glove G is inserted to the position where the glove G is opened, ultraviolet irradiation is started. In addition, ultraviolet sterilization can be performed in a state where the n-th finger is opened.
Here, “(i) the entire glove G is inserted to a predetermined depth” means the entire glove G (here, at least an area to be sterilized. For example, an arm cover of the glove G). The portion hidden in the AC may not be included in this case, and the finger may not be completely opened at this time)) when the glove G is inserted to such an extent that it can be exposed to ultraviolet rays. “(Ii) The glove has been inserted to the position where the glove G is opened” means that the glove G is opened and a shadow is formed between the fingers by irradiation for a specified time. The case where the gloves G are inserted to such an extent that the sterilization can be surely performed. Further, the insertion depth of the glove G that realizes (i) and the insertion depth of the glove G that realizes (ii) may be the same depth. Assume that the positional relationship among the glove insertion sensor 150, the identifier ID attached to the arm cover AC, and the finger opening sensor 194 (described later) is appropriately adjusted so that the above control can be achieved.
The ultraviolet irradiation drive unit 280 (see FIGS. 4A and 5) inputs an irradiation start signal and drives the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 for ultraviolet irradiation.

  Moreover, according to the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 which concerns on Embodiment 1, since the reflecting plate 122 is provided in each of the front side inner wall surface and the back side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121, the irradiation light from the ultraviolet irradiation part 123 is received. Among them, the light emitted to the inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121 can be reflected and condensed inside the sterilization chamber 121 to contribute to the sterilization of the gloves G, and an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus with high energy efficiency can be provided. it can.

  Moreover, according to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment, since the protective sheet 124 is disposed between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 and the forced finger opening unit 190, the glove G (hand) simply inserted is used. Not only touches the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 (ultraviolet irradiation lamp 123a) but also the glove G in the opened state, even if the finger is greatly spread, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 (ultraviolet irradiation lamp 123a). Never touch. Further, even when the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 123a is damaged and the members of the lamp are scattered, the operator's hand (gloves G) can be protected by the protective sheet 124. As described above, a safer ultraviolet sterilizer can be provided by disposing the protective sheet 124.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A and the ultraviolet sterilization method according to Embodiment 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

1. Configuration of Ultraviolet Sterilization Device According to Embodiment 2 FIG. 4 is a view for explaining an ultraviolet sterilization device 10A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4A is a side view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A viewed in the −x direction as in FIG. 2A, and the sterilization chamber housing 120 is shown as a cross-sectional view. Connection lines are schematically displayed between the control unit 260, the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit 280, the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 123a, and the camera as the finger opening sensor. 4B is a front view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A viewed in the + y-axis direction as in FIG. 2B, and shows a display panel and a sterilization chamber housing as the human interface unit 180. 120 and the like are shown as a cross-sectional view along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining the control and connection relationship of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A according to the second embodiment.

  The ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment basically has the same configuration as the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, but instead of the bar-shaped n-th finger opening member, the finger opening sensor 194 is used. It differs from the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a camera, a control unit 260, a display panel as the human interface unit 180, and the like. That is, the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment includes a glove insertion sensor 150 for confirming the insertion position of the inserted glove G, and an opening for sensing the open state of the glove G, as shown in FIGS. The sensor is inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 based on an insertion detection signal (not shown) output from the finger sensor 194, the human interface unit 180, the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit 280 that drives the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123, and the glove insertion sensor 150. After confirming that the inserted position of the glove G is deeper than the predetermined depth, the finger of the glove G is more than the predetermined based on the finger open state information (not shown) acquired by the camera as the finger open sensor 194. It is determined whether or not it is open. (I) If it is determined that the finger of the glove G is not opened more than a predetermined amount, an alarm that the finger of the glove G is not open enough (Ii) When it is determined that the finger of the glove G is opened more than a predetermined amount, an irradiation start signal is output to the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit 280 to sterilize the glove. And a control unit 260 to be executed. These structural requirements are integrated to provide a function equivalent to that of the forced opening finger 190.

The finger opening sensor 194 indicates a finger opening state of the glove G inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 (a state where the finger is closed or close to it, a state where the finger is properly opened, a finger is fully opened, etc.). It is a sensor to sense. As shown in FIG. 4, the camera as the finger opening sensor 194 has the light entrance (lens) L1 facing the inside of the sterilization chamber 121 and is positioned at the middle of the front side inner wall surface or the back side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121. It is arranged and senses the open state of the glove G.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5, the control unit 260 is connected to the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit 280 connected to the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123, the glove insertion sensor 150, and the above-described finger opening sensor 194. Are connected to the human interface unit 180 and the storage unit 230, respectively.
The human interface unit 180 may be any device as long as it notifies at least the state of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A to a worker or the like outside the device. Although the display panel is used in Embodiment 2, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a buzzer, a speaker, and the like can be used.

  According to the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment, the control unit 260 determines whether or not the finger of the glove G is opened more than a predetermined amount based on the finger opening state information acquired by the camera as the finger opening sensor 194. (I) When it is determined that the finger of the glove G is not opened more than a predetermined value, an alarm indicating that the finger of the glove G is not sufficiently opened is output to the display panel as the human interface unit 180. Even inside the sterilization chamber where it is not possible, the operator can spread the finger of the glove G to such an extent that appropriate ultraviolet sterilization can be performed without relying only on his / her own sense. (Ii) When it is determined that the finger of the glove G is open more than a predetermined amount, an irradiation start signal can be output to the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit 280 to execute glove sterilization. Sterilization can be performed reliably even for the shadowed portion between the two.

  In addition, since the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment except for the above-described configuration, the effect of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment is obtained. Of which, it has the relevant effect.

2. Ultraviolet Sterilization Method Using Ultraviolet Sterilization Device 10A According to Embodiment 2 FIG. 6 is a flowchart shown for explaining an ultraviolet sterilization method using ultraviolet sterilization device 10A according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining pattern matching processing using a camera as the finger opening sensor 194 in the finger opening determination step S30 of the second embodiment. Fig.7 (a) is a figure which shows an example of the template image regarding the shape of the glove worn on the hand memorize | stored in the memory | storage part. The part indicated by x shows an example of the feature extraction point. FIG. 7B shows an example of an image to be inspected taken from a camera as the finger opening sensor 194 and an image when the finger opening of the glove G is not sufficient (inappropriate). FIG. 7C is an example of an image to be inspected captured from a camera serving as the finger opening sensor 194, and is an example of an image when it is determined that the finger opening of the glove G is more than predetermined (appropriate). Is shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ultraviolet sterilization method using the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment has a glove insertion opening 130 into which a glove G worn on the hand is inserted and is sterilized inside. Inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 using the sterilization chamber housing 120 in which the chamber 121 is formed and the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10 </ b> A that is disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing 120 and that irradiates the sterilization chamber 121 with ultraviolet rays 123. 6 is an ultraviolet sterilization method for sterilizing the surface of the glove G by irradiating the glove G with ultraviolet rays, as shown in FIG. 6, a glove insertion confirmation step S10, an open finger sensing step S20, an open finger determination step S30, An open finger alarm step S40 and a glove sterilization step S50 are included.

(1) The glove insertion confirmation step S10 confirms that the insertion position of the glove G inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 is deeper than a predetermined depth based on an insertion detection signal (not shown) output by the glove insertion sensor 150. To do.
(2) The finger-opening sensing step S20 senses the finger-opening state of the glove G using the finger-opening sensor 194 and acquires finger-opening state information (not shown).
(3) In the finger opening determination step S30, it is determined whether or not the finger of the glove G is opened by a predetermined amount or more based on the finger opening state information.
(4) When the finger opening alarm step S40 determines that the finger of the glove G is not opened more than a predetermined amount in the finger opening determination step S30 (BR2), an alarm indicating that the finger of the glove G is not opened is a human. Output to the interface unit 180 (for example, a display panel).
(5) In the glove sterilization step S50, if it is determined in the finger opening determination step S30 that the finger of the glove G is more than predetermined (BR1), an irradiation start signal (not shown) is sent to the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit 280. And the gloves G are irradiated with ultraviolet rays to sterilize the gloves.

Here, as the finger opening sensor 194 in the second embodiment, a camera in which the light entrance (lens) L1 is directed inside the sterilization chamber housing 120 is used.
In this case, in the finger-opening sensing step S20, the camera captures the image of the glove G, binarizes the captured image data, and acquires it as finger-opening state information (inspected image) (for example, FIG. 7B). ), And binarization processing like an image to be inspected as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the template image information is stored in the storage unit 230 by previously capturing the shape of each worker's hand with a camera. In the finger opening determination step S30, information on the image to be inspected (open finger state information) captured from the camera and information on the template image relating to the shape of the glove worn on the hand stored in the storage unit 230 ( For example, a pattern matching process is performed based on the template image information as shown in FIG. 7A, and the finger opening determination of the inserted glove G is performed. The pattern matching process is performed by matching the shapes of the template image and the image to be inspected. For example, when the image to be inspected is an image as shown in FIG. 7B, it is determined that the hand is not sufficiently opened as a result of the collation. On the other hand, when the image to be inspected is an image as shown in FIG. 7C, it is determined that the hand is sufficiently opened as a result of the collation. In the pattern matching process, there is a case where there is no practical problem even if the template image and the image to be inspected do not completely match. For example, as shown in FIG. This may be done by collating around the feature points.
Although the example which performs the finger open determination of the glove | globe G by the pattern matching process of the binarized image was demonstrated above, it is not restricted to this. For example, feature points as indicated by x in FIG. 7A are extracted, and the degree of vacancy between the nth finger is calculated based on the feature point information, or the edges of the nth and n + 1th fingers Or the finger opening angle θn is calculated, and the finger opening determination can be performed.

  According to the ultraviolet sterilization method using the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment, it is determined whether or not the finger of the glove G is opened more than a predetermined amount based on the finger opening state information acquired in the finger opening sensing step S20. When it is determined that the finger of the glove G is not opened more than a predetermined value, an alarm indicating that the finger of the glove G is not sufficiently opened is output to the human interface unit 180. G's fingers can be spread. When it is determined that the finger of the glove G is open more than a predetermined value, the glove sterilization can be executed by starting the ultraviolet irradiation via the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit 280. Sterilization can be reliably performed even in the shadowed part.

  Further, according to the ultraviolet sterilization method using the camera in the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment, it is possible not only to make a finer finger opening determination based on the image information captured from the camera, but also to the operator. The finger opening determination according to the shape and size of the hand can be performed appropriately.

In addition, when a camera is used as the finger opening sensor 194 as described above, since the ultraviolet rays are also incident on the camera during the period of ultraviolet irradiation in the sterilization chamber 121, the image to be inspected cannot be captured. There are concerns. Taking this into account, for example, the finger sensing is performed with the camera before the ultraviolet irradiation, the finger opening sensing is stopped during the ultraviolet irradiation period, and the finger opening sensing is performed again after the predetermined ultraviolet irradiation period ends. Thus, it can be estimated whether the finger was properly opened even during the ultraviolet irradiation period. When it is determined that the finger opening is insufficient in the finger opening sensing when the ultraviolet irradiation period of the predetermined time is finished, the sterilization by the ultraviolet irradiation can be retried for the operator. In the method of sensing finger opening by the above estimation, if the ultraviolet irradiation period is about 5 seconds to 10 seconds, for example, once the glove G is in an open finger state before the ultraviolet irradiation, the state is maintained after that. Since there is a high possibility that it can be maintained, sufficiently practical UV sterilization can also be achieved by this method.
As another method, during the ultraviolet irradiation period, the ultraviolet irradiation to the sterilization chamber 121 is temporarily blocked by a shutter or the like, and while it is blocked, the open finger sensing is performed with the camera, and the glove G's finger open state is reconfirmed. It is also possible to adopt the method of doing. Further, in the case where the ultraviolet irradiation unit 123 is configured by a solid electronic device such as an LED, the ultraviolet irradiation is temporarily interrupted by controlling on / off of the solid electronic device instead of blocking with a shutter or the like. It is also possible to adopt this method.

  In addition, according to the ultraviolet sterilization method using the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A according to the second embodiment, the configuration similar to that of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10A according to the second embodiment described above. Therefore, it has the corresponding effect as it is among the effects of the ultraviolet sterilization method using the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on said embodiment, this invention is not limited to said embodiment. The present invention can be implemented within a range that does not depart from the gist, and for example, the following modifications are possible.

(1) FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the ultraviolet sterilizer 10a according to the first modification, and is a front view when the ultraviolet sterilizer 10a is viewed in the + y-axis direction. The inside shows a state when the sterilization chamber housing 120 is seen through.

In the first embodiment, the forced finger opening 190 is made of the bar-shaped n-th finger opening member, but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 8, when the glove G is inserted, the forcible finger opening unit 190 intervenes between the nth finger so that the nth fingertip and the (n + 1) th fingertip of the glove G are separated from each other. It may be composed of a finger-cut glove-shaped finger-opening member 190 </ b> A configured so that the n-th finger is opened.
The finger-cut glove-shaped finger-opening member 190A is a member having an ultraviolet transmittance equal to or greater than a predetermined value, such as quartz, transparent Teflon (registered trademark), and the like, similar to the members constituting the forced finger-opening portion 190 according to the first embodiment. It is only necessary to form an inner surface that can guide the glove G while guiding it along the shape of the hand / finger. The shape is not limited to the finger-cut gloves as shown in FIG. For example, the fingertip does not have to be cut. Moreover, as long as the inner surface is formed in the shape of a hand, the other part may be a block having a sufficient thickness.
According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10a according to the first modification, the same effect as that of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

(2) FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the ultraviolet sterilizer 10b according to the second modification. FIG. 9A is a side view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10b as seen in the −x direction as in FIG. 2A, and the sterilization chamber housing 120 is shown as a cross-sectional view. 9B is a front view when the ultraviolet sterilizer 10b is viewed in the + y-axis direction, as in FIG. 2B. The display panel as the human interface unit 180, the sterilization chamber housing 120 and the like are shown as a cross-sectional view along the line BB in FIG.

In the first embodiment, the bar-shaped n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d constituting the forced finger opening 190 are fixed to the front side inner wall surface and / or the rear side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121. However, it is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 9, the n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d move in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (x direction) toward the plane when the palm of the glove G inserted in the sterilization chamber 121 is viewed in plan. May be possible. For example, the cantilever portions of the n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d are connected to the movement guide 192, and the n-th finger opening member may move in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction along the movement guide 192.
“Moveable” may be either static (movable before ultraviolet irradiation) or dynamic (movable during ultraviolet irradiation). However, although it is movable, it is desirable that it is a mechanism (for example, a damper mechanism) that generates a drag force enough to open the gap between fingers.

  According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10b according to the second modified example, since the nth finger opening member can move in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, the shape of the hand varies depending on the wearer (such as the positional relationship between the finger valleys). Accordingly, the n-th finger opening member bar can be set to an appropriate position. Further, when the nth finger opening member moves in the left-right direction, it is possible to forcibly open the gap between fingers.

(3) FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the ultraviolet sterilizer 10c according to the modified example 3, and is a side view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10c as viewed in the −x direction as in FIG. 2 (a). The sterilization chamber housing 120 is shown as a cross-sectional view.

  In the first embodiment, the bar-shaped n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d constituting the forced finger opening 190 are fixed to the front side inner wall surface and / or the rear side inner wall surface of the sterilization chamber 121. However, it is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 10, the n-th finger opening members 190 a to 190 d are perpendicular to the plane (y′-axis) toward the plane when the palm of the glove G inserted into the sterilization chamber 121 is viewed in plan. Direction) may be possible.

  According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10c according to the third modification example, the nth finger opening member can move in the direction perpendicular to the plane (y′-axis direction). After confirming that it has been inserted to a predetermined depth, the n-th finger opening member (bar) is moved back in the + y ′ direction and the n-th finger opening member (bar) is sandwiched between the fingers. UV irradiation can be performed in a non-exposed state. In this way, the nth finger valley can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays without being affected by the attenuation of ultraviolet rays by the nth finger opening member. In addition, during the ultraviolet irradiation period, the n-th finger opening member (bar) is moved in the + y ′ direction to be retracted, and therefore, a member made of a material having low ultraviolet transmittance can be adopted as the n-th finger opening member (bar). it can.

(4) FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the ultraviolet sterilization apparatus 10d according to the modified example 4. As in FIG. 1B, the sterilization chamber housing 120 is viewed from the glove insertion opening 130 side. FIG.

In the first embodiment, the bar-shaped n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d constituting the forced finger opening portion 190 are arranged in parallel to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 11, the n-th finger opening members 190a to 190d may be arranged non-parallel to each other.
According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10d according to Modification 4 as described above, the position of the glove G is appropriately shifted back and forth (back and forth in the direction of D1 perpendicular to the palm surface), so that the shape of the operator's hand, Forced finger opening can be performed at an appropriate position according to the size.

(5) FIG. 12 is a view for explaining the ultraviolet sterilizer 10e according to the fifth modification. FIG. 12A is a side view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10e viewed in the −x direction as in FIG. 2A, and the sterilization chamber housing 120 is shown as a cross-sectional view. FIG. 12B is a front view when the ultraviolet sterilizer 10e is viewed in the + y-axis direction, as in FIG. 2B. The display panel as the human interface unit 180, the sterilization chamber housing 120 and the like are shown as a cross-sectional view along the line BB in FIG.

In the second embodiment, a camera is used as the finger opening sensor 194, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 12, the finger opening sensor 194 is a wind pressure sensor 194a arranged inside the sterilization chamber housing 120, and in the finger opening determination step S30, based on the sensing information captured from the wind pressure sensor 194a, It is good also as performing the finger open determination of the inserted glove G.
Specifically, the wind pressure sensor 194a is disposed inside the sterilization chamber 121, and the fan 196 is disposed on the inner wall surface facing the inner wall surface on which the wind pressure sensor 194 is disposed. Wind is sent from the fan 196, and the wind pressure is sensed by the wind pressure sensor 194a. Here, after measuring the wind pressure when the fingers are insufficient and the wind pressure when the fingers are sufficient, and setting the intermediate value as a threshold value, the glove G as the inspection object was inserted. When the wind pressure at that time exceeds the threshold, it can be determined that the finger is in an appropriate open state.
According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10e according to the fifth modification example, since the wind pressure sensor 194a that is not affected by ultraviolet rays is used, the finger open state can be monitored even during the ultraviolet irradiation period. In addition, it is possible to use a combination of sensing the finger open state with the camera before the ultraviolet irradiation and using the wind pressure sensor 194a during the ultraviolet irradiation period.

(6) FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the ultraviolet sterilizer 10f according to the modification 6. FIG. 13A is a side view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10f as seen in the −x direction as in FIG. 2A, and the sterilization chamber housing 120 is shown as a cross-sectional view. FIG. 13B is a front view of the ultraviolet sterilizer 10f when viewed in the + y-axis direction, as in FIG. 2B. The display panel as the human interface unit 180, the sterilization chamber housing 120 and the like are shown as a cross-sectional view along the line BB in FIG.

Similar to the modified example 5, the finger opening sensor 194 is an optical sensor 194b disposed inside the sterilization chamber casing, and in the finger opening determination step S30, based on the sensing information captured from the optical sensor 194b, It is good also as performing the finger open determination of the inserted glove G.
Specifically, the optical sensors 194b are arranged at positions corresponding to the n-th finger, and the optical sensor light projecting parts 194c are arranged corresponding to the opposing inner wall surfaces in the sterilization chamber 121, respectively. And when the space | interval of a finger | toe is not fully open, since the light which projected is interrupted, it can sense that an open finger is inadequate. Although the modification 6 has been described using the optical sensor 194b having a configuration in which the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are separated, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are formed in the same device. A type of light sensor may be used.
According to the ultraviolet sterilizer 10f according to Modification 6 as described above, the finger open state can be monitored with a simple configuration, which is economically advantageous.

(7) Although Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 have been described with an example using a five-finger glove G, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a mittens-like glove, the forced finger opening part may be configured only as the first finger opening member 190a for forcibly opening the first finger. Similarly, it can be configured for three fingers and four fingers. Moreover, although it demonstrated supposing the gloves G of both right and left hands, you may sterilize only one hand with ultraviolet rays.
(8) In the first and second embodiments, the sterilization chamber housing 120 is separated from the outside world so that ultraviolet rays do not leak from the surface other than the glove insertion port, but is limited to this. It is not a thing. What is necessary is just to be comprised so that it may not enter into human eyes, for example, it can also be set as the structure which an ultraviolet-ray leaks only in a lower surface (ground).
(9) In the first and second embodiments, the “hand” in the “glove worn on the hand” has been described as the hand of an operator (human), but is not limited thereto. For example, it can be applied to a hand such as a robot hand.
(10) The present invention can also be applied by reversing the top and bottom of the sterilization chamber housing 120. In that case, the definitions of the x-axis, y-axis, z-axis, y′-axis and z′-axis, and definitions such as upper and lower are appropriately converted, and the present invention is understood.

10, 10A, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 900 ... UV sterilizer, 100 ... UV sterilizer main body, 110 ... Mount, 120, 920 ... Sterilization chamber housing, 121, 921 ... Sterilization chamber, 122 Reflector, 123, 923 ... UV irradiation section, 123a ... UV irradiation lamp, 124 ... protective sheet, 130, 930 ... glove insertion slot, 140 ... guide wall, 150 ... glove insertion sensor, 160 ... upper surface light shielding plate, 170 ... Side light shielding plate, 180 ... interface portion, 190 ... forced finger opening portion, 190A ... finger-cut glove-like finger opening member, 190a ... first finger opening member, 190b ... second finger opening member, 190c ... third finger opening member, 190d ... 4th finger opening member, 192 ... Movement guide, 194 ... Finger opening sensor, 194a ... Wind pressure sensor, 194b ... Light sensor, 194c ... Light sensor -Projection unit, 196 ... Fan, 210 ... Worker identification unit, 211 ... Camera, 230 ... Storage unit, 260 ... Control unit, 280 ... Ultraviolet irradiation drive unit, AC ... Arm cover, G ... Gloves, L1 ... Light introduction mouth

Claims (11)

An ultraviolet sterilization apparatus that sterilizes the surface of the glove by irradiating the glove in a state worn on the hand with ultraviolet rays,
A sterilization chamber housing in which a glove insertion opening into which the glove attached to the hand is inserted is opened and a sterilization chamber is formed inside,
An ultraviolet irradiation unit that is disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing and irradiates the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays;
In the inside of the sterilization chamber housing, there is a forced finger opening portion that opens the n-th finger (n is an integer from 1 to 4) between the n-th finger and the (n + 1) -th finger of the glove to be inserted. Furthermore, the ultraviolet sterilizer characterized by being arrange | positioned. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1,
When the glove is inserted, the forcible finger opening portion is intervened between the n-th finger, so that the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip of the glove are separated from each other so that the n-th finger is opened. An ultraviolet sterilization apparatus comprising a bar-shaped n-th finger opening member configured as described above. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 2,
The n-th finger opening member is capable of moving in a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, or a direction perpendicular to the plane toward a plane when the palm of the glove inserted in the sterilization chamber is viewed in plan. UV sterilization device. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1,
When the glove is inserted, the forcible finger opening portion is intervened between the n-th finger, so that the n-th fingertip and the (n + 1) -th fingertip of the glove are separated from each other so that the n-th finger is opened. An ultraviolet sterilizing apparatus comprising a finger-cut glove-shaped finger opening member configured to be configured as described above. In the ultraviolet sterilizer in any one of Claims 1-4,
The member constituting the forced finger opening portion is a member having an ultraviolet transmittance equal to or higher than a predetermined value. In the ultraviolet sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The insertion depth of the glove inserted into the sterilization chamber is detected, and the insertion is detected when the entire glove is inserted to a predetermined depth and the glove is inserted to a position where the glove is opened. A glove insertion sensor that outputs a signal;
An ultraviolet irradiation drive unit for driving the ultraviolet irradiation unit;
An ultraviolet sterilizer further comprising: a control unit that outputs an irradiation start signal to the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit based on the insertion detection signal from the glove insertion sensor. In the ultraviolet sterilizer in any one of Claims 1-6,
An ultraviolet sterilization apparatus, wherein a protective sheet is disposed between the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the forced finger opening unit. An ultraviolet sterilization apparatus that sterilizes the surface of the glove by irradiating the glove in a state worn on the hand with ultraviolet rays,
A sterilization chamber housing in which a glove insertion opening into which the glove attached to the hand is inserted is opened and a sterilization chamber is formed inside,
An ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing and irradiating the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays;
A glove insertion sensor for confirming the insertion position of the inserted glove,
An open finger sensor for sensing an open finger state of the glove,
Human interface part,
An ultraviolet irradiation drive unit for driving the ultraviolet irradiation unit;
After confirming that the insertion position of the glove inserted into the sterilization chamber is deeper than a predetermined depth based on an insertion detection signal output by the glove insertion sensor, and further, the finger opening state acquired by the finger opening sensor Based on the information, it is determined whether or not the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount. (I) When it is determined that the finger of the glove is not opened more than a predetermined amount, An alarm is output to the human interface unit, and (ii) if it is determined that the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount, an irradiation start signal is output to the ultraviolet irradiation driving unit to execute glove sterilization A control unit;
An ultraviolet sterilizer characterized by comprising: A sterilization chamber housing in which a glove insertion opening into which a glove attached to a hand is inserted is opened and a sterilization chamber is formed inside, and an ultraviolet ray disposed inside the sterilization chamber housing and irradiating the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays An ultraviolet sterilization method using an ultraviolet sterilizer having an irradiation unit to sterilize the surface of the glove by irradiating the glove inserted into the sterilization chamber with ultraviolet rays,
Based on the insertion detection signal output by the glove insertion sensor, a glove insertion confirmation step for confirming that the insertion position of the glove inserted in the sterilization chamber is deeper than a predetermined depth;
An open finger sensing step of sensing the open state of the glove using an open finger sensor and obtaining open finger state information;
An open finger determination step of determining whether or not a finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined based on the open finger state information;
When it is determined that the finger of the glove is not opened more than a predetermined amount in the finger-opening determination step, an alarm of the finger-opening that outputs an alarm to the human interface unit that the finger of the glove is not open enough;
When it is determined in the finger-opening determination step that the finger of the glove is open more than a predetermined amount, a glove sterilization is performed by outputting an irradiation start signal to the ultraviolet irradiation drive unit and irradiating the glove with ultraviolet rays An ultraviolet sterilization method comprising: a sterilization step. In the ultraviolet sterilization method according to claim 9,
The finger opening sensor is a camera in which a light entrance is directed inside the sterilization chamber housing,
In the open finger determination step, pattern matching processing is performed based on information on the inspected image captured from the camera and information on the template image related to the shape of the glove attached to the hand stored in the storage unit, An ultraviolet sterilization method characterized by performing an open finger determination on the inserted glove. In the ultraviolet sterilization method according to claim 9,
The finger opening sensor is a wind pressure sensor or an optical sensor arranged inside the sterilization chamber housing,
In the finger opening determination step, the ultraviolet sterilization method is characterized in that the finger opening determination of the inserted glove is performed based on sensing information captured from the wind pressure sensor or the optical sensor.