JP2022165186A - Sterilization device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sterilization device capable of preventing increases in size and installation space when sterilizing a grip of a shopping cart.SOLUTION: A sterilization device 10 is disposed which includes a main body 22 attachable to and detachable from a grip 20 of a shopping cart 11, and bactericidal lamps 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 which are disposed on the main body 22 and radiate ultraviolet light to the grip 20. If the main body 22 is provided with a grip, a user can handle the sterilization device 10 by holding a grip 34 with a hand.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to a sterilization device for sterilizing shopping carts.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, shopping carts used by shoppers in supermarkets and the like are widely known. A shopper can operate the movement of the shopping cart by gripping a handle provided on the shopping cart. Such shopping carts are shared by a plurality of shoppers visiting a supermarket or the like, and viruses and bacteria tend to adhere to the handles held by the shoppers.

In order to deal with such situations, an example of a technology capable of sanitizing shopping carts is described in US Pat. The sterilization booth described in Patent Document 1 includes a booth body for accommodating a shopping cart, an outlet for carrying out the shopping cart formed on the front side of the booth body, and a rear side of the booth body. a loading entrance for loading the shopping cart, a cover covering the left and right sides and the upper side of the booth body, a shopping cart transport mechanism for transporting the shopping cart from the loading entrance side to the loading exit side, and the booth and a disinfectant sprayer provided inside the main body for spraying a disinfectant.

Utility Model Registration No. 3230162

The inventors of the present application have recognized the problem that the sterilization booth described in Patent Document 1 has a large size of equipment and a large space for installing the equipment because the booth main body is installed.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a sterilization device capable of suppressing an increase in size and an increase in installation space when sterilizing a shopping cart.

The sterilization device of the present disclosure includes a main body that can be attached to and removed from a grip of a shopping cart, and a germicidal lamp that is provided on the main body and irradiates the grip with ultraviolet rays.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of a sterilization device, and to suppress an increase in the installation space of the sterilization device.

It is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sterilization device, three shopping carts, and a control box. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of one shopping cart; FIG. (A) is a rear view of the sterilization device placed on the grip of the shopping cart, and (B) is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the sterilization device. (A) is a side view of the sterilizer, and (B) is a plan view of the sterilizer. (A) is a front view of the control box, and (B) is a side view of the control box. It is a block diagram showing a control system of a sterilizer and a control box. (A) is a side view showing another example of the sterilization device, and (B) is a plan view of the sterilization device of FIG. 7(A). Figure 7(B) is a rear view of the sterilizer of Figure 7(A);

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of the embodiments. In FIG. 1 a sterilization device 10, a shopping cart 11 and a control box 12 are shown. First, an outline of the shopping cart 11 to be sterilized by the sterilizer 10 will be described. The shopping cart 11 is placed in the premises of a store, such as a supermarket or a home center, and is moved by a store user, store clerk, or the like. The configuration of one shopping cart 11 will be described with reference to FIG.

The shopping cart 11 has a body frame 13, support frames 14, reinforcing frames 15, casters 16, wheels 17, basket support frames 18 and 19, and the like. The body frame 13, support frame 14, reinforcing frame 15, casters 16, and car support frames 18 and 19 are made of metal, for example. The body frame 13 is curved in a substantially U shape when the shopping cart 11 is viewed from above. The two support frames 14 are fixed to the ends of the body frame 13 and extend upward. A plurality of, for example, two casters 16 are attached to the body frame 13, and the casters 16 are attached to the lower ends of the two support frames 14, respectively. Furthermore, wheels 17 are attached to all the casters 16 respectively. The wheels 17 can roll while in contact with the floor.

The two basket support frames 18 and 19 are curved in a U shape when the shopping cart 11 is viewed from above, and both ends of the two basket support frames 18 and 19 are fixed to the support frame 14, respectively. The car support frame 18 is provided above the car support frame 19 . The cage support frame 18 is provided substantially horizontally. The cage support frame 19 is inclined so that its height becomes lower as it approaches the support frame 14 . When the shopping cart 11 is viewed from the rear as shown in FIG. 3A, the two support frames 14 are provided substantially parallel.

Grips 20 extending substantially horizontally are provided at the upper ends of the two support frames 14, respectively. A grip 20 is provided above the car support frame 18 . The grips 20 protrude substantially horizontally from the upper ends of the two support frames 14 toward each other. In a plan view of the shopping cart 11 shown in FIG. 4B, the direction in which the grip 20 protrudes from the support frame 14 is substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction A1. Of the two grips 20, assuming that the user stands behind the shopping cart 11, the one located on the right side as seen from the user is defined as the grip 20A, and the one located on the left side as seen from the user. is defined as grip 20B.

A cover 21 is attached to each of the two grips 20 . The cover 21 has a cylindrical shape and is made of synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, sponge, or the like. The cover 21 is a part (location) that a person grips when moving the shopping cart 11 . Two covers 21 provided on one shopping cart 11 are separated from each other. The two covers 21 are positioned at the same height.

When placing the shopping carts 11 at a predetermined place in a store, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of shopping carts 11 are placed in a row in a state of being stacked in the front-rear direction A1. FIG. 1 shows a state in which three shopping carts 11 are stacked in the front-rear direction. The covers 21 of the grips 20 of the three shopping carts 11 are arranged in a row in the direction in which the shopping carts 11 are arranged, and all the covers 21 are arranged at approximately the same height.

The sterilization device 10 is a device for sterilizing the grips 20 and the covers 21, and can sterilize the grips 20 and the covers 21 of a plurality of shopping carts 11 collectively. The sterilization device 10 can be attached to and removed from the grip 20 . The sterilization device 10 has a main body 22 and germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, as shown in FIGS. 3(B), 4(A) and 4(B). The sterilization lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 are light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources for sterilization. This light-emitting diode comprises, for example, a light-emitting chip that emits ultraviolet rays having a main emission peak in the wavelength range around 275 nm. The germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 of the present disclosure inactivate viruses with UV (ultraviolet). Ultraviolet rays do not leave residue like chemicals, and are excellent in terms of safety. In addition, ultraviolet rays are said to destroy deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) of viruses, and unlike chemical sterilization, they have the advantage of not producing resistant bacteria.

The body portion 22 has a top plate 29 , a front plate 30 , a rear plate 31 and two side plates 32 and 33 . The top plate 29, the front plate 30, the rear plate 31, and the two side plates 32 and 33 are made of a material having a function of blocking ultraviolet rays, or the top plate 29, the front plate 30, and the rear plate. 31, the inner surfaces of the two side plates 32, 33 are provided with a material having a function of blocking ultraviolet rays. A material having a function of blocking ultraviolet rays is, for example, a base material (glass, resin, etc.) capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays having energy in at least the sterilization wavelength region (UVC region). A plate-like panel or filter that blocks ultraviolet rays in the sterilization wavelength region (UVC region), for example, that cuts at least the wavelengths in the UVC region, is superimposed on this base material. Also, the material having the function of blocking ultraviolet rays may be a transparent member (for example, UV-cut glass) such as glass containing a UV-cutting material that blocks ultraviolet rays in the sterilization wavelength region (UVC region). Further, the inner surfaces of the top plate 29, the front plate 30, the rear plate 31, and the two side plates 32 and 33 may be covered with aluminum foil or the like that reflects ultraviolet rays.

The top plate 29 has a substantially quadrangular planar shape. A front plate 30 and a rear plate 31 are connected to two parallel sides of the top plate 29, and two side plates 32, 31 are connected to the other two parallel sides of the top plate 29. 33 are connected. The front plate 30, the rear plate 31, and the two side plates 32 are substantially perpendicular to the top plate 29, and the body portion 22 has a substantially box shape. A grip 34 is attached to the top plate 29 . The grip 34 is a portion that is gripped by a person's hand, and the grip 34 is provided outside the body portion 22 . The front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 are arranged substantially parallel, and the two side plates 32 and 33 are substantially parallel to each other.

The two side plates 32 and 33 respectively have three notch portions 35, 36 and 37 provided at intervals between the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31. As shown in FIG. The notch portion 36 is provided between the notch portion 35 and the notch portion 37 , and the notch portion 35 is provided between the notch portion 36 and the front plate 30 . The notch portion 37 is provided between the notch portion 36 and the rear plate 31 . The six germicidal lamps 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 are provided inside the main body 22 . The germicidal lamp 23 is provided between the front plate 30 and the notch 35 , and the germicidal lamps 24 and 25 are provided between the notch 35 and the notch 36 . The germicidal lamps 26 , 27 are provided between the notch 36 and the notch 37 , and the germicidal lamp 28 is provided between the notch 37 and the rear plate 31 .

The six germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 are respectively supported by holders (not shown). The six germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are all cylindrical, and the six germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are arranged substantially parallel to each other, Moreover, it is arranged in parallel with the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 . The three notch portions 35, 36, and 37 are provided at intervals in the predetermined direction B1 of the body portion 22. As shown in FIG. The predetermined direction B1 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (center line) of the six germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 in a plan view of the sterilizing device 10 as shown in FIG. 4(B). is the direction. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the shopping cart 11 and the sterilizer 10 are viewed from above, the width L1 of the main body portion 22 is less than the distance L2 between the support frames 14 . The width L1 is a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction B1.

A cover 38 is provided inside the main body 22, and the cover 38 covers the six germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, respectively. The cover 38 is provided between the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 of the body portion 22 and outside the range where the notches 35, 36, and 37 are provided. The cover 38 is made of a material (material) that can transmit ultraviolet rays, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or vinyl chloride resin. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4A, a mounting sensor 39 is provided inside the body portion 22 . The mounting sensor 39 detects whether or not the main body 22 is placed on the grip 20 as shown in FIG. 1 and outputs a signal. Mounted sensor 39 may be either a contact sensor or a non-contact sensor. Contact sensors include pressure sensors, tactile switches, and the like. Non-contact sensors include optical sensors, magnetic sensors, and the like. In addition, the mass of the sterilizer 10 is 2 kg or less, and the burden when the user holds it with one hand is small.

1, the six germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are connected to a power cable 40, and the power cable 40 is routed inside and outside the main body 22. It is A power cable 40 is connected to the control box 12 . Control box 12 is connected to power source 54 by power cable 41 . The voltage of the power supply 54 is, for example, 100V.

The control box 12 has a main body 42 supported by a frame 43 . The frame 43 is made of metal, for example, and a plurality of casters 44 are attached to the frame 43 . Wheels 45 are attached to the casters 44 . The wheels 45 are grounded on the floor and can roll. The frame 43 has a grip 51 provided substantially horizontally. A user can move the control box 12 by grasping the grip 51 by hand.

A computer 53 and a switch circuit 55 shown in FIG. 6 are provided inside the main body 42 . The computer 53 has an input port, an output port, a central processing unit, a timer, a storage device, and the like. The switch circuit 55 electrically connects and disconnects the power cables 40 and 41 . 5A and 5B, a power switch 46, an operation button 47, an emergency stop button 48, an indicator light 49, a pop plate 50, and an output section 52 are provided on the main body 42. there is

The power switch 46 is for starting and stopping the control box 12 and is operated by a person. The operation button 47 is operated by the user when the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are turned on. The emergency stop button 48 is operated by a person while the power switch 46 is operated to activate the control box 12 and forcibly stops the control box 12 . The indicator lamp 49 is provided for confirming whether the germicidal lamps 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 are on or off from the outside of the main body 22 . The indicator lamp 49 indicates whether the germicidal lamps 23 and 24 corresponding to the notch 35, the germicidal lamps 25 and 26 corresponding to the notch 36, and the germicidal lamps 27 and 28 corresponding to the notch 37 are turned on or off. It is possible.

The output unit 52 is composed of a lamp and a buzzer, and notifies the user that the sterilization process by the sterilizer 10 has been completed. An operation signal of the operation button 47 and a signal of the mounting sensor 39 are input to the computer 53 . The computer 53 controls turning on and off of the switch circuit 55 , controls turning on/off of the indicator lamp 49 , and controls the output section 52 . Note that the operation button 47 may be provided on the grip 34 instead of the main body 42 .

An example of use of the sterilization device 10 of the present disclosure is as follows. First, when the power switch 46 is turned on, the control box 12 is activated. A user holds the grip 34 by hand and places the sterilizer 10 on the three shopping carts 11 . Then, the grips 20 or the cover 21 come into contact with the side plates 32 and 33 of the main body 22, and the sterilizer 10 is supported by the grips 20 of the three shopping carts 11. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, the grip 20 of the shopping cart 11 (11A) located at the left end in FIG. 1 enters the notch 35 and stops as shown in FIG. 4(A). The grip 20 of the shopping cart 11 (11B) located in the center in FIG. 1 enters the notch 36 and stops. The grip 20 of the shopping cart 11 (11C) located at the right end in FIG. 1 enters the notch 37 and stops.

That is, the sterilizer 10 is supported by the grips 20 of the three shopping carts 11 at three different positions in the front-rear direction A1 of the shopping carts 11 . Therefore, when the user releases the grip 34, the sterilizer 10 does not drop from the grips 20 of the three shopping carts 11. - 特許庁Moreover, the attachment sensor 39 detects the grip 2 or the cover 21 and outputs a signal indicating that the sterilizer 10 is placed on the grip 20 . Further, the contact between the grip 20 and the body portion 22 positions the body portion 22 with respect to the grip 20 in the front-rear direction A1.

When the operation button 47 is not operated, the computer 53 turns off the switch circuit 55, and the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 are extinguished. When the user operates the operation button 47, the computer 53 turns on the switch circuit 55 to apply voltage to the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 to light them, and also to light the indicator lamp 49. . The grip 20 and the cover 21 of the shopping cart 11 on the left end are irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the germicidal lamps 23 and 24 at a short distance. Ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the germicidal lamps 25 and 26 to the grip 20 and the cover 21 of the central shopping cart 11 at a short distance. The grip 20 and the cover 21 of the shopping cart 11 on the right end are irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the germicidal lamps 27 and 28 at a short distance.

The control box 12 controls the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 after a predetermined time, for example, 15 to 30 seconds, has elapsed since the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 were turned on. 28 is extinguished, and the indicator lamp 49 is extinguished. The power consumption when using the sterilizer 10 once is 240W. By turning on the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28, the grips 20 and covers 21 of the three shopping carts 11 can be sterilized (sterilized) collectively. The sterilization rate by the fungus lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 is, for example, 99%. The control box 12 has an output section for outputting the completion of sterilization of the grip 20 and the cover 21 by means of a lamp or sound.

When the sterilization of the grip 20 and cover 21 is completed, the user turns off the operation button 47 . Also, the user picks up the grip 34 to lift the sterilizing device 10 and places the sterilizing device 10 on a predetermined place, for example, the upper surface of the main body 42 of the control box 12 . Note that the computer 53 keeps the switch circuit 55 off when the operation button 47 is operated while the mounting sensor 39 does not detect the grip 20 or the cover 21 . Therefore, the germicidal lamps 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 are turned off.

The sterilization device 10 of this embodiment can be held in one hand by a user, and the grip 20 and the cover 21 of the shopping cart 11 can be sterilized by the sterilization device 10 . Therefore, large facilities such as gates and booths for accommodating the entire shopping cart 11 are not required, and space can be saved. In addition, there is no need to put the shopping cart 11 in and out of the gate, booth, etc., and the burden on the store side can be reduced. Furthermore, since the control box 12 can be moved on the floor by the wheels 45, the place where the sterilizer 10 is used is not restricted, which is convenient. Furthermore, the user of the store can sterilize the grip 20 with the sterilizer 10 immediately before using the shopping cart 11 by himself/herself, which increases reliability and security in terms of hygiene.

Next, another example of the sterilization device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 7(A), 7(B) and 8. FIG. The sterilization device 10 sterilizes the grips 20 of one shopping cart 11 as shown in FIG. The body portion 22 of the sterilization device 10 has a notch portion 35 and does not have the notch portions 36 and 37 described above. Further, germicidal lamps 23 and 24 are provided inside the body portion 22, and the above-described germicidal lamps 25, 26, 27 and 28 are not provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the operation button 47 and the output section 52 are provided on the main body section 22 . The grip 34 is arch-shaped and extends along the length of the germicidal lamps 23,24.

The user grips the grip 34 and places the sterilizer 10 on the grip 20 of one shopping cart 11 as shown in FIG. When the user operates the operation button 47, the computer 53 turns on the switch circuit 55, and the germicidal lamps 23 and 24 are turned on. The grip 20 and the cover 21 are sterilized by ultraviolet rays emitted from the germicidal lamps 23 and 24. - 特許庁The computer 53 turns off the switch circuit 55 and extinguishes the germicidal lamps 23 and 24 after a predetermined time, for example, 3 to 5 seconds, has elapsed since the germicidal lamps 23 and 24 were turned on. Further, the computer 53 outputs from the output section 52 of the main body section 22 that the sterilization of the grip 20 and the cover 21 has been completed. The sterilization device 10 shown in FIGS. 2, 7(A), 7(B), and 8 can also obtain the same effects as the sterilization device 10 described above. Note that the sterilization device 10 may be used by employees of the store.

(supplementary explanation)
An example of the technical meaning of the items described in the embodiment is as follows. The sterilizer 10 is an example of a sterilizer. The grip 20 and the cover 21 are examples of grips. In other words, the grip irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the germicidal lamp includes not only the grip itself but also the cover, the cushioning material, etc. attached to the grip. The germicidal lamps 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are examples of germicidal lamps. The body portion 22 is an example of a body portion. The body part is the element that supports the germicidal lamp, and the body part includes a casing, a housing, a bracket, and the like. The cutouts 35, 36, and 37 are examples of positioning portions. The predetermined direction B1 is an example of a predetermined direction.

When the sterilizing device 10 is supported by the grip 20 and the sterilizing device 10 is viewed from above as shown in FIG. 4B, the front-rear direction A1 and the predetermined direction B1 are the same. The positioning portion may be configured so that the grip can enter and exit, and the positioning portion includes notches, recesses, depressions, and the like. The wearing sensor 39 and the computer 53 are examples of the detection section. The computer 53 and switch circuit 55 are an example of a control section. The detector and controller are composed of one or more electrical or electronic components.

The sterilization device described in this embodiment is not limited to the one described with reference to the drawings. For example, the notches may be provided at two different positions in the predetermined direction B1, or may be provided at four or more different positions. The detector and controller may be configured by a processor, module, or the like. The power supply may be either an AC power supply or a DC power supply. If the power supply is a DC power supply, the DC power supply may be provided in the main body 42 . The DC power supply may be either a primary battery or a secondary battery.

Furthermore, a device having functions similar to those of the control box 12 may be miniaturized and provided in the main body 22 of the sterilizer 10 . It should be noted that the sterilization device can also be used by placing it on a shopping cart in which the grips are integrated in the left-right direction. Further, the germicidal lamp is positioned so that the sterilizing device is placed on the grip of the shopping cart and the center line of the germicidal lamp is positioned in a direction that intersects the front-rear direction of the shopping cart when the shopping cart is viewed from above. It may be attached to the main body. Furthermore, the shape of the germicidal lamp is not limited to a rod shape, and may be circular, chip-shaped, or the like.

The sterilizing device of the present disclosure can be used to sterilize grips of shopping carts in stores such as supermarkets and home centers.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Sterilization apparatus, 20... Grip, 21... Cover, 22... Main body part, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28... Germicidal lamp, 35, 36, 37... Notch part, 39... Mounting sensor, 53... Computer, 55... Switch circuit, B1... Predetermined direction

Claims (5)

A main body that can be attached to and removed from the grip of the shopping cart,
a germicidal lamp provided in the main body and irradiating the grip with ultraviolet light;
A sterilization device having The sterilization device according to claim 1,
The body part has a positioning part for positioning the body part with respect to the grip in the front-rear direction of the shopping cart. In the sterilization device according to claim 2,
The sterilizer, wherein the positioning portion is a notch portion provided in the main body portion and into which the grip can enter and exit. In the sterilization device according to claim 3,
The sterilizer, wherein a plurality of the notch portions are provided along a predetermined direction of the body portion so that the grips of the plurality of shopping carts can enter and exit. In the sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a detection unit that detects whether the main body is attached to the grip;
a control unit that turns on the germicidal lamp when the main body is attached to the grip, and turns off the germicidal lamp when the main body is not attached to the grip;
The sterilization device is further provided with.

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