JP7265675B6 - Ultrasonic cleaning control method, program and device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to enhance the convenience of ultrasonic cleaning having a high cleaning effect and improve the reliability of an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus as a consumer device.
There are two or more selectable ultrasonic intensities for ultrasonic output, and a step of selecting the ultrasonic intensities by an intensity selection switch (13); and selecting the cleaning time by the time selection switch (15), and the operation mode includes at least the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, and the mode selection switch (17) selects whether the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode. a step of selecting one of the operation modes; a step of supplying water to the treatment tank (4) by operating the washing start switch (19) to generate a jet when the automatic operation mode is selected; When selected, activating the wash start switch (19) after supplying treated water (30) to the treatment tank (4) by operating the water supply switch (21).
[Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act ・Test date and place 1. October 18 to November 15, 2021, Hotel The Celestine Tokyo Shiba Celestine Dining La Prouse Tokyo 2. October 21, 2021, Imperial Hotel 3. November 11, 2021, Chojiya Sakae

The present disclosure relates to an ultrasonic cleaning control technique for cleaning objects to be cleaned such as fruits and vegetables by the vibration action of ultrasonic waves.

In ultrasonic cleaning, objects to be cleaned, such as fruits, vegetables, and perishables, are immersed in the treatment liquid filled in the treatment tank and subjected to ultrasonic waves. An ultrasonic oscillator, which is a source of ultrasonic waves, is installed at the outer bottom of the treatment tank, and applies ultrasonic waves to the treatment liquid from the outside of the treatment tank.

Regarding this ultrasonic cleaning, for example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, an ultrasonic vibrator is attached to the outer surface of the bottom of a processing bath, and an object to be cleaned is immersed in treated water filled in the processing bath. It is disclosed that an object to be cleaned is ultrasonically cleaned by applying ultrasonic waves generated by a vibrator into a processing tank.

JP 2013-233502 A JP 2017-192324 A

By the way, an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus includes an ultrasonic vibrator in a processing tank, and performs ultrasonic cleaning by applying ultrasonic waves to an object to be cleaned loaded with treated water in the processing tank. However, in the conventional ultrasonic cleaning apparatus, the ultrasonic oscillator can be operated even when the treatment tank is empty, and the ultrasonic oscillator operates in a no-load state. As a result, there is a problem that it causes equipment failure such as damage to the ultrasonic transducer. In order to avoid such an inconvenience, it is sufficient to monitor the supply state and drainage state of the treated water, but such monitoring imposes a burden on the user and impairs the convenience of the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus.

Automation of ultrasonic cleaning equipment (operation in automatic operation mode) is beneficial in terms of increasing the convenience of ultrasonic cleaning, but operation switching such as changing to manual operation during automatic operation only impairs the automatic operation function. Alternatively, there is a problem that the ultrasonic cleaning is forcibly interrupted, resulting in equipment failure or cleaning failure.

In ultrasonic cleaning, continuous water supply of treated water or monotonous ultrasonic vibration causes standing waves of ultrasonic waves in the treated water in the treatment tank, reducing the cleaning effect and efficiency of ultrasonic cleaning. I have a problem.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the convenience of ultrasonic cleaning with a high cleaning effect and improve the reliability of an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus as a consumer appliance.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the ultrasonic cleaning control method of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic output includes two or more selectable ultrasonic wave intensities, and the step of selecting the ultrasonic wave intensity with an intensity selection switch. a step of selecting a cleaning time by a time selection switch including two or more selectable cleaning times in the cleaning time using the ultrasonic output; a mode selection switch for selecting either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode; and when the automatic operation mode is selected, water is supplied to the treatment tank by operating the washing start switch. and when the manual operation mode is selected, if the automatic operation mode is in operation, the mode selection is inhibited, and at least after the automatic operation mode ends, the manual operation mode is entered. and a step of activating the washing start switch after supplying treated water to the treatment tank by operating the water supply switch when the manual operation mode is selected.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the program of the present disclosure, there is provided a program to be executed by a computer, comprising two or more selectable ultrasonic wave intensities for ultrasonic output, A function of selecting a sonic intensity, a function of selecting a cleaning time by a time selection switch including two or more selectable cleaning times in the cleaning time using the ultrasonic output, and at least an automatic operation mode as an operation mode. Including a manual operation mode, a mode selection switch has a function of selecting either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode, and when the automatic operation mode is selected, the cleaning start switch is operated to operate the a function of supplying water to generate a jet; and when the manual operation mode is selected, if the automatic operation mode is in operation, mode selection is inhibited, and at least after the automatic operation mode ends, the manual operation mode is performed. and a function of activating the washing start switch after treated water is supplied to the treatment tank by operating the water supply switch when the manual operation mode is selected. .

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus of the present disclosure, there is provided a processing tank, a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the processing tank to generate a jet flow, and a water supply switch for instructing the water supply mechanism to supply water. and an ultrasonic vibrator for imparting ultrasonic vibration to the treated water, an intensity selection switch for selecting two or more ultrasonic intensities that can be selected for the ultrasonic vibration, and the ultrasonic vibration. a time selection switch for selecting the cleaning time, and an operation mode of ultrasonic cleaning including at least an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and the automatic operation a mode selection switch for selecting a mode or the manual operation mode; a cleaning start switch for starting ultrasonic cleaning; and when the automatic operation mode is selected, the cleaning start switch is operated to supply water to the processing tank. When the manual operation mode is selected, if the automatic operation mode is in operation, the mode selection is suppressed, and at least after the automatic operation mode ends, the transition to the manual operation mode is performed. and enabling the operation of the washing start switch after treated water is supplied to the treatment tank by the operation of the water supply switch.

According to the present disclosure, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) It is possible to improve the convenience of ultrasonic cleaning, which has a high cleaning effect, and realize an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus that is easy to use as a consumer product.

(2) When the manual operation mode is selected, it is possible to shift to the manual operation only when the treated water is supplied to the treatment tank. reliability can be improved.

(3) Since mode selection during automatic operation is suppressed, the priority and reliability of automatic operation can be maintained, and the convenience of the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus can be enhanced.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of ultrasonic cleaning control. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing selection processing of ultrasonic wave intensity. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the cleaning time selection process. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of ultrasonic cleaning control according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for ultrasonic cleaning control. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing selection processing of the operating time and idle time of the ultrasonic transducer. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modification of the operation time and rest time selection processing of the ultrasonic transducer. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of ultrasonic cleaning control. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing functional units of the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of an ultrasonic cleaning device. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a water supply mechanism. 15A is a cross-sectional view showing the water supply unit, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVB-XVB of FIG. 15A. FIG. 16A is a diagram showing injection of treated water, and FIG. 16B is a diagram showing convection of treated water. A of FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a drainage mechanism, and B of FIG. 17 is a plan view of the treatment tank. 18A is a cross-sectional view showing the drainage section, and FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIB--XVIIIB of FIG. 18A. FIG. 19A is a diagram showing drainage of treated water, and FIG. 19B is a diagram showing a drainage flow. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an operation panel according to the first embodiment; 21 is a diagram showing a control system of the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when power is turned on. FIG. 23 is a flow chart showing manual operation mode and automatic operation mode. A of FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a process of loading the objects to be washed, and B of FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a process of supplying treated water. FIG. 25A is a diagram showing a washing process, and FIG. 25B is a diagram showing a drainage process of treated water after washing. FIG. 26 is a flow chart showing a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode according to the second embodiment. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an operation panel according to the third embodiment; FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a control system of an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus according to the third embodiment;

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 illustrates an ultrasonic cleaning device 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as "cleaning device 2") according to the first embodiment. The cleaning apparatus 2 is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method, program, and apparatus according to the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment includes a processing tank 4, a control device 5, and ultrasonic transducers 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 (hereinafter referred to as "transducer 6-1 , 6-2 and 6-3", but when the vibrators 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 are collectively referred to simply as "vibrator 6"), water supply mechanism 10, drainage mechanism 12, Intensity selection switch 13, time selection switch 15, mode selection switch 17, washing start switch 19, water supply switch 21, drainage switch 23, etc. are included.

In this cleaning device 2, it is possible to select the ultrasonic intensity set in the vibrator 6 and the cleaning time by ultrasonic vibration. The ultrasonic intensity is selected by operating the intensity selection switch 13. For example, it is possible to select one of four levels of ultrasonic intensity: "Intensity 1", "Intensity 2", "Intensity 3", and "Intensity 4". is. "Intensity 1" represents "lowest level", "intensity 2" represents "medium level low", "intensity 3" represents "medium level high", and "intensity 4" represents "highest level". The washing time is selected by operating the time selection switch 15. For example, washing time=“1 minute”, “3 minutes”, “5 minutes” or “10 minutes” can be selected. .

The operation modes of the cleaning device 2 include an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode that can be arbitrarily selected by the user. A mode selection switch 17 is used for this mode selection. For example, the automatic operation mode is selected by pressing the mode selection switch 17 in advance, and if the mode selection switch 17 is pressed from the selected automatic operation mode, it transitions to the manual operation mode, and if it is pressed again, it transitions to the automatic operation mode.

The automatic operation mode is an operation mode in which the control of the timing of water supply of the treated water 30, the start or end of ultrasonic cleaning, the timing of drainage, etc. is automated based on input information such as designation of the automatic operation mode of the control device 5. After the object to be cleaned 28 is loaded into the processing tank 4, the cleaning start switch 19 is operated to supply water to the processing tank 4, and a jet of treated water 30 is generated by this water supply. For example, tap water such as tap water is used as the treated water 30 . In this automatic operation mode, based on the operation of the washing start switch 19, the vibrator 6 is brought into operation in a timely manner after the treated water 30 is supplied.

The manual operation mode is an operation mode in which the user determines and selects the start and end of supplying the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 , the start or end of ultrasonic cleaning, and the drainage of the treated water 30 from the treatment tank 4 . Therefore, in the manual operation mode, after the object to be cleaned 28 is loaded into the processing tank 4, the water supply switch 21 is operated to supply the treated water 30 in a jet state through the water supply mechanism 10 under the control of the controller 5. . Similarly, in the manual operation mode, the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4 is drained through the drain mechanism 12 under the control of the controller 5 based on the operation of the drain switch 23 after washing. Also in this manual operation mode, based on the operation of the cleaning start switch 19, the vibrator 6 shifts to the operating state. If the cleaning start switch 19 is operated again during continuous operation, the cleaning can be stopped.

The control device 5 is provided with a storage unit 25, and the storage unit 25 stores a control program for executing the above-described control and a database containing the control information.

<Control by control device 5>
The control device 5 includes a computer on which an ultrasound control program is executed. The functions realized by this control device 5 include the following functions.

a) Ultrasonic intensity selection function for selecting ultrasonic output with different intensity by operating the intensity selection switch 13 b) Cleaning time selection function for selecting cleaning time by operating the time selection switch 15 c) By operating the mode selection switch 17 Mode selection function including switching between automatic operation mode and manual operation mode d) Ultrasonic cleaning function in automatic operation mode e) Ultrasonic cleaning function in manual operation mode f) Cleaning start control by operating cleaning start switch 19, and its re-operation g) Jet water supply of treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 by the water supply mechanism 10 in response to the operation of the water supply switch 21 h) Receiving the operation of the drainage switch 23, the treated water from the treatment tank 4 by the drainage mechanism 12 In addition to the drainage of 30, the ultrasonic output adjustment function of transducers 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3

FIG. 2 shows an example of an ultrasonic cleaning control processing procedure realized by the control device 5 . This processing procedure is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method or program of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, S is a step of the processing procedure, and the number attached to S is an example of the order of the steps (the same applies to other flowcharts below). This processing procedure includes, as processing executed after initial setting, loading of the object to be cleaned 28 (S101), mode selection (S102), selection of ultrasonic intensity (S103), selection of cleaning time Tn (S104). , first mode determination (S105), operation determination of cleaning start switch 19 (S106), water supply of treated water 30 (S107), ultrasonic cleaning (S108), drainage of treated water 30 (S109), second mode Determination (S110), operation determination of water supply switch 21 (S111), water supply of treated water 30 (S112), activation of cleaning start switch 19 (S113), ultrasonic cleaning (S114), operation determination of drainage switch 23 (S115 ), treatment of wastewater (S116), and the like.

For ultrasonic cleaning of the object to be cleaned 28, the object to be cleaned 28 is loaded into the processing tank 4 (S101). The mode selection switch 17 is used to select whether the operation mode to be executed is the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode (S102). The control device 5 receives the operation of the mode selection switch 17, and the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode is set.

The intensity of the ultrasonic output to be set for the transducer 6 is selected by the intensity selection switch 13 (S103). For the ultrasonic intensity, any one of the four levels, for example, "intensity 1," "intensity 2," "intensity 3," and "intensity 4," is selected. Also, the operating time of the vibrator 6, that is, the cleaning time Tn of the object to be cleaned 28 is selected by the time selection switch 15 (S104). For the cleaning time, one of the four stages of cleaning time described above, for example, "1 minute", "3 minutes", "5 minutes", and "10 minutes" is selected. As a result, it is possible to combine any ultrasonic intensity and any cleaning time, such as the “lowest level” ultrasonic intensity and cleaning time “10 minutes”, or the “highest level” ultrasonic intensity and cleaning time “1 minute”. is.

After setting the ultrasonic intensity and the cleaning time, it is determined whether the set operation mode is the automatic operation mode (S105). If the operation mode is the automatic operation mode (YES in S105), the controller 5 determines whether the washing start switch 19 has been operated (S106).

If the cleaning start switch 19 is operated in the automatic operation mode (YES in S106), the treated water 30 is automatically supplied to the treatment tank 4 by jet flow (S107). Ultrasonic cleaning is performed according to this water supply (S108), and after the cleaning is completed, the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4 (S109).

If the operation mode is not the automatic operation mode (NO in S105), the controller 5 determines whether it is in the manual operation mode (S110) and determines whether the water supply switch 21 has been operated (S111). In this case, if the water supply switch 21 is not operated (NO in S110), this process is terminated after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Upon receiving the operation of the water supply switch 21 , the control device 5 controls the water supply to the water supply mechanism 10 (S 112 ).

After supplying the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 , the controller 5 activates the washing start switch 19 . That is, if the water supply switch 21 is not operated, the start of washing by the washing start switch 19 is inhibited, and the operation of the vibrator 6 when the processing tank 4 is empty can be avoided.

In response to the operation of the cleaning start switch 19, the control device 5 executes ultrasonic cleaning (S114), and after cleaning is completed, determines whether the drain switch 23 has been operated (S115). The control device 5 controls the drainage of the drainage mechanism 12 (S116), and the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4. FIG.

<Selection of ultrasonic output S1n>
In this first embodiment, the ultrasonic output S1n used for ultrasonic cleaning is selected by the number of operations N of the intensity selection switch 13, and the setting of the ultrasonic output S1n related to the number of operations N is stored in the storage unit 25. Stored. The level of this ultrasonic wave output S1n is determined by the vibration amplitude of the ultrasonic wave output by each transducer 6. FIG.

FIG. 3A shows an information table representing processing in which the ultrasonic output S1n is selected by operating the intensity selection switch 13. FIG. This information table is an example of a database stored in the storage unit 25 . This information table stores the number of operations N of the intensity selection switch 13, the amplitude level V of the ultrasonic wave output, and the ultrasonic wave output S1n.

For the intensity selection switch 13, for example, a touch sensor that detects human touch operation or pressing can be used. If the number of times N of operations is, for example, N=1 to 4 (times), the control device 5 receives the number of times N of operations of the intensity selection switch 13 and generates an amplitude level V corresponding to the number of times N of operations. In this case, if N=1, the amplitude level is set to V=V1, and the ultrasonic output S1n is set to S1-1. If N=2, the amplitude level is V=V2, V2=4×V1, and the ultrasonic output S1n is S1-2. If N=3, the amplitude level is set to V=V3, V3=6×V1, and the ultrasonic output S1n is set to S1-3. If N=4, the amplitude level is set to V=V4 and V4=8×V1, and the ultrasonic output S1n is set to S1-4. This amplitude level setting is an example, and the present disclosure is not limited to this amplitude level setting.

FIG. 3B shows ultrasonic outputs S1-1, S1-2, S1-3 and S1-4 controlled to amplitude levels V1, V2, V3 and V4. Therefore, the ultrasonic outputs S1-1, S1-2, S1-3, and S1-4 having desired vibration amplitudes can be selected and output according to the number N of times the intensity selection switch 13 is operated. In other words, ultrasonic cleaning can be performed by selecting ultrasonic outputs S1-1, S1-2, S1-3, and S1-4 according to the attributes of the object 28 to be cleaned.

The selection of the intensity of the ultrasonic output S1n may be adjusted, for example, by selecting the number and positions to be driven from the transducers 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3. The number of vibrators 6 to be used may be changed. The transducers 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 may have the same ultrasonic output, or different ultrasonic outputs may be set to change the intensity of the ultrasonic output S1n applied to the treatment bath 4. FIG. Further, the control of changing the position of the standing wave generated in the treated water 30 by varying the frequency of each ultrasonic output S1n of the transducers 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 is also the intensity selection of the ultrasonic output S1n. It is possible as well.

<Selection of cleaning time Tn>
In this first embodiment, the ultrasonic cleaning time Tn is selected by the number of times N of operations of the time selection switch 15 , and the cleaning time associated with the number of times N of operations is stored in the storage unit 25 . This cleaning time Tn is determined by the operating time of each vibrator 6 .

FIG. 4A shows an information table representing the process of selecting the cleaning time Tn by operating the time selection switch 15. FIG. This information table is an example of a database stored in the storage unit 25 . This information table stores the number of operations N of the time selection switch 15, the cleaning time signal Tcn, and the ultrasonic output S2n.

For the time selection switch 15, similarly to the intensity selection switch 13, for example, a touch sensor that detects human touch operation or depression can be used. Assuming that the number of operations N is, for example, N=1 to 4 (times), the controller 5 receives a detection signal representing the number of operations N, and outputs the cleaning time signal Tcn set to the cleaning time Tn corresponding to the number of operations N. Generate. In this case, if N=1, the cleaning time Tn=T1 (for example, 1 minute), the cleaning time signal Tcn=Tc1, and the ultrasonic output S2n is S2-1. If N=2, the cleaning time Tn=T2 (for example, 3 minutes), the cleaning time signal Tcn=Tc2, and the ultrasonic output S2n is S2-2. If N=3, the cleaning time Tn=T3 (for example, 5 minutes), the cleaning time signal Tcn=Tc3, and the ultrasonic output S2n is S2-3. If N=4, the cleaning time Tn=T4, the cleaning time signal Tcn=Tc4 (for example, 10 minutes), and the ultrasonic output S2n is S2-4. This time setting is an example of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to this time setting.

FIG. 4B shows a cleaning time signal Tcn (=Tc1, Tc2, Tc3, Tc4).

FIG. 4C shows ultrasonic outputs S2-1, S2-2, S2-3, and S2-4 whose cleaning time Tn is controlled by the cleaning time signal Tcn (=Tc1, Tc2, Tc3, Tc4). . Therefore, the ultrasonic outputs S2-1, S2-2, S2-3, and S2-4 having the desired cleaning time Tn can be selected and output by the number N of times the time selection switch 15 is operated. That is, the cleaning time Tn can be selected according to the attribute of the object 28 to be cleaned, and ultrasonic cleaning suitable for the attribute of the object 28 to be cleaned is possible.

<Effects of the first embodiment>
According to this first embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) According to this cleaning apparatus 2, the output intensity of ultrasonic waves used for ultrasonic cleaning can be selected, and a desired cleaning time can be selected.

(2) The objects to be cleaned 28 that can be cleaned by the cleaning device 2 include various patterns such as various attributes and quantitative differences. The time can be selected to optimize ultrasonic cleaning.

(3) In ultrasonic cleaning, in addition to continuous cleaning time, intermittent cleaning time can be selected, the output intensity of ultrasonic waves can be selected arbitrarily, and various cleaning patterns can be set such as combination with cleaning time. can.

(4) It is possible to provide the cleaning device 2 that is highly convenient as a consumer appliance that realizes ultrasonic cleaning with excellent cleaning performance.

[Second embodiment]
This second embodiment includes a mode selection inhibiting function for avoiding inconvenience caused by free switching to the manual operation mode during execution of the automatic operation mode. In other words, if the automatic operation mode is switched to the manual operation mode before the treated water 30 is supplied to the treatment tank 4 and the cleaning is started, ultrasonic driving is performed before the treated water 30 is supplied to the treatment tank 4 . It avoids the inconvenience of becoming possible.

Although such a function is a new function not provided in the first embodiment, it can be realized by the cleaning device 2 according to the first embodiment. The functions realized by this control device 5 include the following functions.

i) Mode selection monitoring function j) Automatic operation mode monitoring function k) Mode selection suppression function

FIG. 5 shows an example of a processing procedure including the above-described functions realized by the control device 5. As shown in FIG. This processing procedure is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method or program of the present disclosure. This processing procedure includes, as processing executed after the initial setting, loading of the object to be cleaned 28 (S201), determination of mode selection (S202), determination of execution of the automatic operation mode (S203), suppression of mode selection ( S204), continuation of automatic operation mode (S205), determination of termination of automatic operation mode (S206), permission of manual operation mode (S207), water supply determination and water supply (S208, S209), determination of cleaning start (S210), over Processing of sonic cleaning (S211), cleaning end determination (S212), drainage determination and drainage (S213, S214), and the like are included.

For ultrasonic cleaning of the object to be cleaned 28, the object to be cleaned 28 is loaded into the processing tank 4 (S201). A mode selection switch 17 is used to select whether the operation mode to be executed is the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode. The control device 5 receives the operation of the mode selection switch 17 and determines whether the current status is the automatic operation mode (S203).

If the automatic operation mode is being executed (YES in S203), the control device 5 suppresses mode selection (S204) and continues the automatic operation mode (S205). To continue the operation in the automatic operation mode, it is determined whether the automatic operation mode has ended (S206), and when the automatic operation has ended (YES in S206), the process proceeds to S207. The automatic operation mode can be terminated when the cleaning time in the automatic operation mode expires, or can be forcibly terminated by operating the cleaning start switch 19 again. Upon termination of the automatic operation mode, the controller 5 receives this termination and permits execution of the manual operation mode (S207).

In the manual operation mode, the controller 5 determines whether or not the treated water 30 is supplied (S208). The controller 5 receives the operation of the water supply switch 21 and supplies the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 through the water supply mechanism 10 (S209).

After this water supply, it is determined whether washing is started (S210). The control device 5 receives the operation of the cleaning start switch 19, operates the vibrator 6, applies ultrasonic waves to the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4 and the object to be cleaned 28, and performs ultrasonic cleaning (S211).

During this ultrasonic cleaning, the control device 5 determines the end of cleaning (S212), and accepts the operation of the drain switch 23 when the ultrasonic cleaning is completed (YES in S212). The controller 5 determines whether or not the water is drained based on the operation of the drain switch 23 (S213). The cleaning process and drainage continue until the cleaning time Tn ends (NO in S212, NO in S213). If the drain switch 23 has been operated (YES in S213), the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4 through the drain mechanism 12 (S214), and the cleaning process ends.

According to such a process, it is possible to avoid confusion of control due to acceptance of mode switching to the manual operation mode during execution of the automatic operation mode, improve the reliability of control, and improve the convenience of the cleaning apparatus 2. can be enhanced. Further, after the water is supplied to the processing bath 4, the cleaning process can be performed, and the inconvenience of operating the vibrator 6 when the processing bath 4 is empty can be avoided.

Although not shown, in the manual operation mode, the control device 5 accepts the operation of the water supply switch 21 or the water discharge switch 23 so that the treated water 30 can be supplied and discharged even during ultrasonic cleaning.

<Modified Example of Processing Procedure>
In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 5, if the cleaning is not started (NO in S210), S211 and S212 may be skipped and the process may proceed to the drainage determination (S213). If the water is not drained (NO in S213), the process may transition to determination of start of cleaning (S210).

<Effects of Second Embodiment>
According to this second embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode can be arbitrarily selected, and mode selection can be used according to the attributes of the object 28 to be cleaned, for example, in addition to the convenience of the user.

(2) It is possible to prevent ultrasonic driving in a state in which the treated water 30 is not supplied, avoid adverse effects on the vibrator 6 due to so-called idle operation, and improve the reliability of the cleaning apparatus 2 .

[Third Embodiment]
This third embodiment includes an intermittent operation mode in which the operating time Mt and the resting time Nt of the vibrator 6 are alternately set to perform the cleaning operation intermittently during execution of the manual operation mode or the automatic operation mode.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning apparatus 2 according to the third embodiment includes a processing tank 4, a control device 5, a vibrator 6, a water supply mechanism 10, a drainage mechanism 12, an intensity selection switch 13, a time selection switch 15, A mode selection switch 17, a washing start switch 19, a water supply switch 21, a drainage switch 23, an intermittent operation mode switch 27, an intermittent time selection switch 29, and the like are included. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as in FIG.

In the cleaning device 2 according to the third embodiment, in addition to the selection of the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode by the mode selection switch 17, the intermittent operation mode can be selected by the intermittent operation mode switch 27. The intermittent operation mode is ultrasonic cleaning in which an operation time Mt for operating the oscillator 6 and a rest time Nt for stopping the oscillator 6 are alternately operated. The length of the operating time Mt and resting time Nt can be selected by the intermittent time selection switch 29 . This intermittent operation can be selected in either automatic operation mode or manual operation mode. In this third embodiment, the setting of the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode precedes the setting of the intermittent operation mode. may precede.

The control device 5 is provided with a storage unit 25, and the storage unit 25 stores a control program for executing control of intermittent operation and a database containing the control information.

<Control by control device 5>
Functions realized by the control device 5 according to the third embodiment include the following functions in addition to the functions described above.

l) Selection function of intermittent operation of vibrators 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 by operating intermittent operation mode switch 27 m) Transducers 6-1, 6-2 and 6 by operating intermittent time selection switch 29 -3 Intermittent time selection function for selecting the operation time Mt and the rest time Nt n) In automatic operation mode, ultrasonic cleaning function by intermittent operation o) In manual operation mode, ultrasonic cleaning function by intermittent operation p) Intermittent operation mode Execution of the intermittent operation mode by operating the switch 27, switching function to the continuous operation mode by re-operating the intermittent operation mode switch 27 in the intermittent operation mode q) Jet supply of the treated water 30 synchronized with the intermittent operation

FIG. 7 shows an example of a processing procedure of ultrasonic cleaning control realized by the control device 5. As shown in FIG. This processing procedure is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method or program of the present disclosure. This processing procedure includes loading of the object to be cleaned 28 (S301), mode selection (S302), selection determination of the intermittent operation mode (S303), selection of the operation time Mt and rest time Nt (S304), and turning on of the cleaning start switch 19. Operation determination (S305), determination of automatic operation mode (S306), water supply of treated water 30 (S307), ultrasonic cleaning (S308), drainage of treated water 30 (S309), determination of manual operation mode (S310), water supply Operation determination of switch 21 (S311), water supply of treated water 30 (S312), ultrasonic cleaning (S313), operation determination of drainage switch 23 (S314), drainage (S315), and the like are included.

For ultrasonic cleaning of the object to be cleaned 28, the object to be cleaned 28 is loaded into the processing tank 4 (S301). The mode selection switch 17 is used to select whether the operation mode to be executed is the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode (S302). The control device 5 receives the operation of the mode selection switch 17, and the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode is set.

The intermittent operation mode is selected by the intermittent operation mode switch 27 (S303). By selecting the intermittent operation mode, the operation of the intermittent time selection switch 29 is validated. It is possible to select the operating time Mt and the idle time Nt (S304).

After that, the controller 5 determines whether the washing start switch 19 has been operated (S305). When the washing start switch 19 is operated (YES in S305), the controller 5 determines the automatic operation mode (S306). If the cleaning start switch 19 is operated in the automatic operation mode (YES in S306), automatic water supply is performed by jetting the treated water 30 into the treatment tank 4 in synchronization with the operation time Mt (S307). Ultrasonic cleaning is performed according to this water supply (S308), and after the cleaning is completed, the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4 (S309).

If it is determined in S306 that it is not in the automatic operation mode (NO in S306), the controller 5 determines whether it is in the manual operation mode (S310) and determines whether the water supply switch 21 has been operated (S311). In this case, if the water supply switch 21 is not operated (NO in S311), this process is terminated after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

If the operation of the water supply switch 21 is received (YES in S311), the controller 5 causes the water supply mechanism 10 to perform water supply control (S312) in synchronization with the operation time Mt. As a result, the treated water 30 is jetted to the treatment tank 4 .

After supplying the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4, the controller 5 receives the operation of the cleaning start switch 19 and executes ultrasonic cleaning (S313). S314). Upon receiving the operation of the drainage switch 23, the controller 5 controls the drainage of the drainage mechanism 12 (S315), whereby the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4.

<Processing for Selecting Operation Time Mt and Pause Time Nt of Vibrator 6>
In this third embodiment, the control voltage Vc to be generated is selected according to the number N of times the intermittent time selection switch 29 is operated. This control voltage Vc is stored in the storage unit 25 in association with the number of operations N of the intermittent time selection switch 29 .

FIG. 8A shows an information table representing processing for selecting the operation time Mt and the rest time Nt of the vibrator 6 by operating the intermittent time selection switch 29 . This information table is an example of a database stored in the storage unit 25 . This information table stores the number of operations N of the intermittent time selection switch 29, the control voltage Vc, the reference voltage Vm, the operation time Mt, the pause time Nt, and the ultrasonic output S3n.

For the intermittent time selection switch 29, for example, a touch sensor that detects human touch operation or pressing can be used. If the number of times N of operations is, for example, N=1 to 4 (times), the control device 5 receives the number of times N of operations of the intermittent time selection switch 29 and generates the control voltage Vc according to the number of times N of operations. On the other hand, for example, a triangular wave voltage is used as the reference voltage Vm. By using the reference voltage Vm and the control voltage Vc, an intermittent time signal Tdn having an operating time Mt and a rest time Nt is generated according to the control voltage Vc, and the ultrasonic output S3n controlled by the intermittent time signal Tdn is produced. can get.

In this case, if N=1, Vc=V1, Mt=Mt1, Nt=Nt1, and the ultrasonic output S3n is S3n=S3-1. If N=2, Vc=V2, Mt=Mt2, and Nt=Nt2, and the ultrasonic output S3n is S3n=S3-2. If N=3, then Vc=V3, Mt=Mt3, Nt=Nt3, and the ultrasonic output S3n is S3n=S3-3. If N=4, then Vc=V4, Mt=Mt4, and Nt=Nt4, and the ultrasonic output S3n is S3n=S3-4. This time setting is an example, and the present disclosure is not limited to this time setting.

FIG. 8B shows signal processing for generating the intermittent time, that is, the operating time Mt and the resting time Nt of the vibrator 6. FIG. In this signal processing, comparison processing is performed between the control voltage Vc (=V1, V2, V3, V4) and the reference voltage Vm.

C of FIG. 8 shows the intermittent time signal Tdn obtained by comparing the control voltage Vc (=V1, V2, V3, V4) and the reference voltage Vm. In this intermittent time signal Tdn, an operating time Mt and an idle time Nt are obtained according to the level of the control voltage Vc (=V1, V2, V3, V4). The intermittent time signal Tdn is a periodic signal that alternately repeats the operating time Mt and the idle time Nt.

D of FIG. 8 shows the ultrasonic output S3n obtained by the intermittent time signal Tdn. That is, when N=1, Vc=V1, Mt=Mt1, Nt=Nt1, S3n=S3-1 are generated. For N=2, Vc=V2, Mt=Mt2, Nt=Nt2, S3n=S3-2 are generated. For N=3, Vc=V3, Mt=Mt3, Nt=Nt3, S3n=S3-3 are generated. Also, when N=4, Vc=V4, Mt=Mt4, Nt=Nt4, and S3n=S3-4 are generated.

<Other Selecting Processing of Operating Time Mt and Resting Time Nt of Vibrator 6>
The selection process shown in FIG. 9 uses a periodic sawtooth voltage having a monotonically increasing part periodically in the reference voltage Vm (B in FIG. 8). A periodic sawtooth wave voltage with a constant frequency is used. The control voltage Vc to be generated is also selected according to the number of operations N of the intermittent time selection switch 29 by the selection process using the reference voltage Vm (B in FIG. 9). This control voltage Vc is stored in the storage unit 25 in association with the number of operations N of the intermittent time selection switch 29 .

A of FIG. 9 is the same as A of FIG. 8, so description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 9B shows signal processing for generating the intermittent time, that is, the operating time Mt and the resting time Nt of the vibrator 6. FIG. In this signal processing, comparison processing is performed between the control voltage Vc (=V1, V2, V3, V4) and the reference voltage Vm. This increase/decrease relationship of the level of the reference voltage Vm is opposite to that of B in FIG.

FIG. 9C shows the intermittent time signal Tdn obtained by comparing the control voltage Vc (=V1, V2, V3, V4) and the reference voltage Vm. The magnitude relationship of V1, V2, V3, and V4 is, for example, V1>V2>V3>V4, unlike B in FIG. In the intermittent time signal Tdn, the operating time Mt and the idle time Nt are obtained according to the level of the control voltage Vc (=V1, V2, V3, V4). The intermittent time signal Tdn is a periodic signal that alternately repeats the operating time Mt and the idle time Nt.

D of FIG. 9 shows the ultrasonic output S3n obtained by the intermittent time signal Tdn. That is, when N=1, Vc=V1, Mt=Mt1, Nt=Nt1, S3n=S3-1 are generated. For N=2, Vc=V2, Mt=Mt2, Nt=Nt2, S3n=S3-2 are generated. For N=3, Vc=V3, Mt=Mt3, Nt=Nt3, S3n=S3-3 are generated. Also, when N=4, Vc=V4, Mt=Mt4, Nt=Nt4, and S3n=S3-4 are generated. In this case, the magnitude relationship of the operation time is reversed from that in the case of D in FIG. 8, but similar selection processing is possible by such processing.

<Effects of the third embodiment>
According to this third embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode, the vibrator 6 can be intermittently operated to intermittently clean the object to be cleaned 28 by the ultrasonic output S3n.

(2) In the intermittent operation mode, the jet flow of the treated water 30 can be supplied to the treatment tank 4 in synchronization with the intermittent operation of the vibrator 6, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced by synchronizing the intermittent operation of the ultrasonic vibration with the jet flow. can be done.

(3) The intermittent operation mode can be freely changed to normal continuous operation, and the variety of ultrasonic cleaning operations of the cleaning device 2, which is a consumer appliance, can be increased.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In this fourth embodiment, the water supply time Wt and the pause time Vt can be alternately set. includes an intermittent operation mode that produces an intermittent jet.

As shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning apparatus 2 according to the fourth embodiment includes a processing tank 4, a control device 5, a vibrator 6, a water supply mechanism 10, a drainage mechanism 12, an intensity selection switch 13, a time selection switch 15, A mode selection switch 17, a washing start switch 19, a water supply switch 21, a drainage switch 23, an intermittent operation mode switch 71, an intermittent time selection switch 73, and the like are included. In FIG. 10, the same parts as in FIG. 6 are given the same reference numerals.

In the cleaning device 2 according to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the selection of the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode by the mode selection switch 17, the intermittent operation mode by the intermittent jet can be selected by the intermittent operation mode switch 71. In the intermittent operation mode, an intermittent jet is generated by alternately supplying water with a water supply time Wt and a rest time Vt for intermittently supplying water during continuous operation of the vibrator 6, and ultrasonic cleaning is performed using both continuous ultrasonic vibration and intermittent jet. is. The length of water supply time Wt and pause time Vt can be selected by intermittent time selection switch 73 . This intermittent operation can be selected in either automatic operation mode or manual operation mode. In this embodiment, the setting of the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode precedes the setting of the intermittent operation mode. may be preceded by the setting of

The control device 5 is provided with a storage unit 25, and the storage unit 25 stores a control program for executing control of intermittent operation and a database containing the control information.

<Control by control device 5>
Functions realized by the control device 5 according to the fourth embodiment include the following functions in addition to the functions described above.

r) Selection function of intermittent operation of the water supply mechanism 10 by operating the intermittent operation mode switch 71 s) Water supply time Wt representing the opening time of the water supply valve 54 of the water supply mechanism 10 and its closing time by operating the intermittent time selection switch 73 Intermittent time selection function for selecting pause time Vt t) Ultrasonic cleaning function by intermittent jet operation in automatic operation mode u) Ultrasonic cleaning function by intermittent jet operation in manual operation mode v) By operation of intermittent operation mode switch 71 Execution of the intermittent operation mode, switching function to the continuous operation mode by re-operating the intermittent operation mode switch 71 during the intermittent operation mode w) Drainage function of the treated water 30 synchronized with the intermittent operation Note that the treated water 30 synchronized with the intermittent operation The drainage function includes simultaneously supplying and draining the treated water 30 in the intermittent jet operation.

FIG. 11 shows an example of an ultrasonic cleaning control processing procedure realized by the control device 5 . This processing procedure is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method or program of the present disclosure. This processing procedure includes loading of the object to be cleaned 28 (S401), selection of intermittent operation mode (S402), selection of ultrasonic intensity (S403), selection of water supply time Wt and pause time Vt (S404), cleaning start switch 19 operation determination (S405), supply of treated water 30 (S406), continuous operation of vibrators 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 (S407), generation of intermittent jet (S408), determination of cleaning time (S409 ), the treatment of waste water (S410) of the treated water 30, and the like.

For ultrasonic cleaning of the object to be cleaned 28, the object to be cleaned 28 is loaded into the processing tank 4 (S401).

The intermittent operation mode is selected by the intermittent operation mode switch 71 (S402). The intensity of the ultrasonic output to be set for the transducer 6 is selected by the intensity selection switch 13 (S403). For the ultrasonic intensity, any one of the four levels, for example, "intensity 1," "intensity 2," "intensity 3," and "intensity 4," is selected. By selecting the intermittent operation mode, the operation of the intermittent time selection switch 73 is enabled, and by operating the intermittent time selection switch 73, the water supply time Wt and the rest time Vt can be selected (S404).

After that, the controller 5 determines whether the washing start switch 19 has been operated (S405). When the cleaning start switch 19 is operated (YES in S405), the controller 5 controls the water supply mechanism 10 to supply the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 (S406). In this case, if the cleaning start switch 19 is operated in the automatic operation mode, the treated water 30 is automatically supplied to the treatment tank 4 in synchronization with the water supply time Wt.

At this time, the controller 5 continuously operates the vibrators 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 (S407). During the continuous operation of each vibrator 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, the control device 5 causes the water supply mechanism 10 to alternately supply water during the water supply time Wt and stop water supply during the pause time Vt. intermittent jets are generated in the treated water 30 (S408).

Ultrasonic cleaning with an intermittent jet is performed by such continuous operation of the vibrators 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 and alternate operation of water supply for the water supply time Wt and water supply stop for the pause time Vt. will be The control device 5 monitors the time elapsed for this ultrasonic cleaning and determines the end of the cleaning time (S409). Until the cleaning time ends (NO in S409), the control device 5 continues the ultrasonic cleaning with the intermittent jet.

When the cleaning time ends, the controller 5 stops cleaning. This cleaning stop includes stopping the intermittent jet. When the cleaning time ends (YES in S409), the controller 5 controls the drainage mechanism 12 to drain the treated water 30 from the treatment tank 4 (S410).

<Processing for Selecting Water Supply Time Wt and Pause Time Vt>
For the process of selecting the water supply time Wt and the pause time Vt in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to use, for example, the operation time Mt and the pause time Nt of the vibrator 6 described in the third embodiment. be.

<Effects of the fourth embodiment>
According to this fourth embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode, an intermittent jet is generated in the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4 by intermittent operation of the water supply, and the object 28 to be cleaned is ultrasonically output by ultrasonic vibration during the continuous operation. Intermittent cleaning by S3n can be performed.

(2) In the intermittent operation mode, the treated water 30 can be jetted into the treatment tank 4 while the vibrator 6 is continuously operating, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced by synchronizing the intermittent operation of the ultrasonic vibration with the jet. .

(3) By using this intermittent operation mode, it is possible to improve the effect of ultrasonic cleaning as well as saving water. For example, water is supplied to the washing device 2 from a water tap, and the amount of water supplied can be reduced by intermittent water supply, so that a water saving effect can be obtained. Contamination can be discharged out of the treatment tank 4 by using intermittent water supply and intermittent water discharge in combination by intermittent jet flow and continuous ultrasonic operation. Drainage from the treatment tank 4 can be drained at once after intermittent water supply.

(4) Even in this intermittent operation mode, it is possible to change from the intermittent operation mode to normal continuous operation, so that the variety of ultrasonic cleaning operations of the cleaning device 2, which is a consumer appliance, can be enhanced.

(5) Even in this intermittent operation mode, an intermittent operation mode may be set in which the treated water 30 is drained intermittently during continuous ultrasonic operation, thereby increasing the variation of the ultrasonic cleaning operation of the cleaning device 2. can.

Example 1 is a specific example of the cleaning device 2 according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment.
<Functional part of cleaning device 2>
FIG. 12 shows functional parts of the cleaning device 2 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 12, parts common to those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The cleaning device 2 includes a stand-alone type that can be used independently of the kitchen equipment and a built-in type that is installed in the kitchen equipment. The cleaning device 2 shown in FIG. 12 is an example of a stand-alone type, and such functional units are intended for the stand-alone type.

As shown in FIG. 12, the functional units of this cleaning apparatus 2 include a processing tank 4, vibrators 6-1 and 6-2, an overflow mechanism 8, a water supply mechanism 10, a drainage mechanism 12, a waterproof fixing mechanism 14, a separator 16, It includes a processing basket 18, a holding plate 20, an operation panel 22, a control board 24, and the like.

The processing tank 4 is a container made of a metal plate such as stainless steel having a thickness of about 0.6 mm, for example, a dome-shaped molded body, and is installed in an apparatus housing 26 . An object to be cleaned 28 and treated water 30 are accommodated in the treatment tank 4 . The object 28 to be washed may be any of fruits, vegetables, perishables, and the like. The illustrated object 28 to be cleaned is a strawberry, which is loaded into the processing tank 4 together with the processing basket 18 . The treated water 30 is a medium for transmitting ultrasonic waves and a fluid that causes separation such as dirt separated from the object 28 to be cleaned by cleaning to flow. For example, tap water such as tap water may be used as the treated water 30 .

The vibrator 6 is an ultrasonic wave generating source that receives electrical energy and generates ultrasonic waves during cleaning, and is installed on the outer bottom portion 32 of the processing bath 4 . In this treatment tank 4, for example, three oscillators 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 are attached as a plurality of oscillators, and each oscillator 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 processes They are arranged at intervals of, for example, 120 degrees with the center of the outer bottom of the tank 4 as a reference.

The overflow mechanism 8 captures and discharges the treated water 30 overflowing from the treatment tank 4 during cleaning. The overflow mechanism 8 includes an overflow catcher 34 and a drain pipe 36 , and allows the treated water 30 caught by the overflow catcher 34 to flow through the drain pipe 36 . The overflow catcher 34 is connected to an overflow opening 38 formed in the treatment tank 4 , catches the treated water 30 overflowing from the overflow opening 38 , and guides it to the drainage mechanism 12 side through a drain pipe 36 . The overflow filter 40 for filtering the treated water 30 is detachably provided in the overflow catcher 34 . The flooding filter 40 is means for filtering the overflowing treated water 30 . The overflow level of the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4 is set by the filtering holes 42 formed in the overflow filter 40 . The treated water 30 exceeding this overflow level is caught by the overflow mechanism 8 and discharged to the drainage mechanism 12 side, as shown.

The water supply mechanism 10 is means for supplying the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 , and supplies water to the water supply portion 44 of the treatment tank 4 . The water supply part 44 is installed in the center of the outer bottom part 32 of the treatment tank 4, and has a water supply nozzle 94 (A in FIG. 16), which will be described later, receives the treated water 30, and generates a jet of the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4. . The water supply pipe 46 is provided with a water supply connection port 48 , an air vent valve 50 , a constant flow valve 52 and a water supply valve 54 . For example, a water supply pipe 55 is connected to the water supply connection port 48 to supply the treated water 30 . The air vent valve 50 releases air from the treated water 30 flowing into the water supply pipe 46 . The constant flow valve 52 stabilizes the flow rate of the treated water 30 supplied to the water supply unit 44 . The water supply valve 54 is, for example, an electromagnetic valve that is controlled to be open during cleaning, and is controlled to be closed when cleaning is completed.

The drainage mechanism 12 is means for draining the treated water 30 from the treatment tank 4 , and includes a drainage part 56 to drain the treated water 30 from the treatment tank 4 . The drainage unit 56 includes a drainage filter 118 (A in FIG. 18), which will be described later, to filter and drain the treated water 30 . A drain pipe 60 is connected to the drain portion 56 . The drain pipe 60 has a drain connection port 62 and a drain valve 64 . An external device such as a drain pipe 65 (not shown) is connected to the drain connection port portion 62 . The drain valve 64 is, for example, an electromagnetic valve that is controlled to be closed during cleaning, and is controlled to be open when cleaning is completed. The drain pipe 36 is connected to the drain pipe 60 on the downstream side of the drain valve 64 , and the treated water 30 from the overflow trapping part 34 flows from the drain connection port 62 to the drain pipe 65 regardless of whether the drain valve 64 is opened or closed. Ejected.

The waterproof fixing mechanism 14 includes a waterproof portion 66 and a fixing mechanism portion 68 , waterproofs the space between the processing tank 4 and the apparatus housing 26 , and fixes the processing tank 4 to the apparatus housing 26 . The waterproof part 66 has a water stop packing to stop water between the processing tank 4 and the apparatus housing 26 . On the other hand, the fixing mechanism part 68 maintains the waterproof packing of the waterproof part 66 in a compressed state, and can adjust the fixing force between the treatment tank 4 and the apparatus housing 26 . A plurality of legs 70 are attached to the bottom of the device housing 26, and each leg 70 is made of a vibration-proof material to reduce vibration transmission from the device housing 26 to the installation location.

A separator 16 is installed on the bottom plate of the processing tank 4 . By installing the separator 16 , the washing space for the object to be washed 28 can be separated from the tank bottom including the water supply section 44 and the drainage section 56 . In order to set this separation interval, the separator 16 is provided with a plurality of supporting columns 72 having a predetermined height on the back side.

The treatment basket 18 can be installed on the upper surface of the separator 16, and is used properly according to the object 28 to be cleaned. The use of the processing basket 18 is effective for the objects 28 to be washed, such as strawberries, which have a small volume and can be treated all at once. On the other hand, for objects 28 to be washed such as cabbage having a large volume, the treatment basket 18 is not required, and the objects 28 to be washed can be loaded directly into the treatment tank 4 .

The restraining plate 20 is installed at the opening 76 of the processing bath 4 to prevent the objects 28 to be cleaned from floating. The holding plate 20 is provided with a plurality of fixing arms 74 and is detachably fixed to the opening edge of the processing tank 4 by the fixing arms 74 .

The control board 24 is provided with a control unit that receives an operation input from the operation panel 22 and controls the opening and closing of the water supply valve 54 and the water discharge valve 64 . The operation panel 22 is provided with an operation unit such as an operation switch for starting and stopping the cleaning operation, and a display unit.

<Appearance form of cleaning device 2>
FIG. 13 shows the appearance of the cleaning device 2 as viewed from the operation panel 22 side. The processing tank 4 installed in the apparatus housing 26 is opened, and through the opening 76 of the processing tank 4, it is possible to install the separator 16, load the object 28 to be cleaned, and install the holding plate 20 and the like. A lid (not shown) can be attached to and detached from the opening 76 . An operation housing 77 is installed on the front side of the side portion of the device housing 26, and the operation panel 22 is installed on the upper surface of the operation housing 77 so as to be inclined forward. A power switch 78 is arranged on the lower side of the operation housing 77 .

<Water supply mechanism 10>
During cleaning, etc., it is necessary to continuously supply clean treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4 and generate a circulation flow in the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4 in ultrasonic cleaning. Even when the treated water 30 is drained from the drainage part 56 during washing, it is effective to generate a jet of the treated water 30 without obstructing or being obstructed by the drainage. In this water supply mechanism 10, the pressure of the tap water is used to generate a jet stream to supply the treated water 30 to the treatment tank 4, thereby homogenizing the treated water 30 in the treatment tank 4 and supplying water during washing. Together with the ultrasonic vibration, it contributes to the improvement of the cleaning effect.

FIG. 14 shows the water supply mechanism 10. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 14, the same parts as in FIG. 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The water supply mechanism 10 receives the treated water 30 in a water supply portion 44 installed in the center of the outer bottom portion 32 of the treatment tank 4, and when the water supply valve 54 is controlled to open, for example, the water pressure of the treated water 30 to generate a jet of treated water 30 .

A of FIG. 15 shows a cross section of the water supply part 44 . The water supply section 44 includes a water supply nozzle 94 and a water supply connection section 96 . The water supply nozzle 94 is connected to the water supply pipe 46 through the water supply connection part 96 from the water supply pipe 46 and receives the water supply of the treated water 30 . The water supply connecting portion 96 is means for connecting the water supply nozzle 94 and the water supply pipe 46 .

The water supply nozzle 94 has a nozzle head 98 and a water supply tube coupling portion 100 . The nozzle head 98 is formed with, for example, four nozzle ports 102 in the XY-axis direction and one nozzle port 104 in the Z-axis direction. ing.

The water supply connecting portion 96 includes a processing tank fixing portion 106 and a water supply pipe mounting portion 108, and is made of, for example, an elastic material such as synthetic resin or a metal material such as stainless steel. The processing tank fixing part 106 is inserted into the through hole 110 of the processing tank 4 and connected to the through hole 110 . A flange portion 112 is formed on the opening side of the water supply pipe mounting portion 108, and the water supply connecting portion 96 is reinforced.

A flange portion 114 is formed at the end of the water supply pipe 46, and an O-ring 116 is attached as a water stop means. The flange portion 114 functions as a retainer for the O-ring 116 from the water supply pipe 46 . The water supply pipe coupling portion 100 of the water supply nozzle 94 is inserted and connected to the water supply pipe 46 . Due to this connection, the nozzle ports 102 and 104 of the nozzle head 98 function as a plurality of water supply ports for the processing tank 4 .

Since the O-ring 116 is inserted into the water supply connecting portion 96 in a compressed state, the inner wall of the water supply pipe mounting portion 108 and the flange portion 114 side of the water supply pipe 46 are in close contact with each other. A water stop structure is formed between them, and this water stop structure is further strengthened by the connection between the water supply nozzle 94 and the water supply pipe 46 .

FIG. 15B shows the XVB-XVB section of FIG. 15A. A plurality of nozzle ports 102 and 104 communicating with the water supply pipe 46 are formed in the nozzle head 98 .

According to such a water supply nozzle 94, as shown in A of FIG. Axial injection.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16B, the jets 30X and 30Y of the processing tank 4 collide with the tank wall along the bottom of the processing tank 4 to generate a circulating flow and an upward flow, and the jet 30Z becomes an upward flow. , and these combine to generate a circulation flow in the treated water 30 . This circulating flow can be obtained in any of the automatic, manual or intermittent modes of operation.

<Drainage mechanism 12>
It is necessary to drain the dirty treated water 30 from the treatment tank 4 at the end of washing or the like. During this drainage, the treated water 30 after washing may contain solid matter separated from the object 28 to be washed. This solid matter deteriorates the drainage function of the treated water 30, and depending on the case, there is a problem that the drainage becomes impossible. Discharging the treated water 30 containing solid matter etc. into the drainage system leads to environmental pollution and must be avoided. To solve this problem, the drainage mechanism 12 filters and drains the treated water 30 containing solids and the like, thereby maintaining the drainage function and avoiding the influence on the drainage system.

A of FIG. 17 shows the drainage mechanism 12 . In FIG. 17A, the same parts as in FIG. 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The drainage mechanism 12 drains the treated water 30 from the drainage part 56 installed in the outer bottom part 32 of the treatment tank 4 through the drainage pipe 60 to the drain pipe 65 connected to the drainage connection port part 62 .

17B is a plan view of the processing tank 4. FIG. While the water supply part 44 is arranged at the center of the bottom of the treatment tank 4 , the drainage part 56 is arranged at a position displaced from the water supply part 44 . The outer bottom portion 32 of the treatment tank 4 may have, for example, a conical inclined surface centered on the drainage portion 56 in order to facilitate the drainage of the treated water 30 .

18A shows a cross section of the drainage part 56. FIG. The drainage section 56 includes a drainage filter 118 and a drainage connecting section 120 . The drainage filter 118 filters the treated water 30 from the treatment tank 4 to the drainage connection port 62 and drains it to the drain pipe 65 (A in FIG. 17). The drain connection part 120 is means for connecting the drain filter 118 and the drain pipe 60 .

The drainage filter 118 has a filter head 122 and a drainage guide portion 124 . The filter head 122 has a plurality of filtration holes 126 in the peripheral direction and a filtration hole 128 in the Z-axis direction. Unlike the filter hole 128 , the filter hole 126 is a U-shaped opening, and the rim of the hole is formed by the surface of the processing tank 4 . In other words, the treated water 30 on the bottom surface of the treatment tank 4 can be made to flow along the tank surface of the treatment tank 4 and enter the filtration holes 126, and the drainage efficiency of the treated water 30 can be improved.

The drain connection part 120 includes a treatment tank fixing part 130 and a drain pipe mounting part 132, and is made of, for example, an elastic material such as synthetic resin or a metal material such as stainless steel. The drainage pipe mounting portion 132 has a smaller diameter on the side of the fixing portion 130 of the treatment tank and a larger diameter on the opening portion side to form a space, and is strengthened by forming a flange portion 136 . The drainage guide portion 124 of the drainage filter 118 is inserted into the drainage pipe mounting portion 132 . In the drain pipe mounting portion 132 , the drain guide portion 124 of the drain filter 118 communicates with the drain pipe 60 , and this communication allows the filter holes 126 and 128 of the filter head 122 to function as a plurality of drain ports of the treatment tank 4 .

A flange portion 138 is formed at the end of the drain pipe 60, and an O-ring 140 is attached as a water stop means. The flange portion 138 functions as a retainer for the O-ring 140 from the drain pipe 60 . A drain filter 118 is connected to the drain pipe 60 by a drain connector 120 . By connecting the drain connection part 120 and the drain pipe 60 , the filter holes 126 and 128 of the filter head 122 function as a plurality of drain ports of the treatment tank 4 .

Thus, the drain guide portion 124 is integrally provided at the central portion of the filter head 122 . A plurality of filter holes 142 are formed in the peripheral wall of the drainage guide portion 124 . That is, after the treated water 30 filtered through the filter holes 126 is filtered through the filter holes 142 , it reaches the drain pipe 60 from the drain guide portion 124 .

An O-ring 140 is inserted into the drain connecting portion 120 in a compressed state, and the inner wall of the drain pipe mounting portion 132 and the flange portion 138 side of the drain pipe 60 are in close contact with each other. , and this water stop structure is reinforced by connecting the drain pipe mounting portion 132 and the drain pipe 60 .

FIG. 18B shows the XVIIIB-XVIIIB section of FIG. 18A. A plurality of filter holes 126 and 128 communicating with the drain pipe 60 are formed in the filter head 122 .

According to such a drain filter 118, as shown in FIG. 19A, the treated water 30 flows from the peripheral direction of the drain filter 118 through the filter holes 126 into the filter head 122 according to the water level of the treatment tank 4. At the same time, it flows into the filter hole 128 from the Z-axis direction and reaches the drain pipe 60 .

Therefore, as shown in B of FIG.

<Operation panel 22>
The operation panel 22 is an interface of the control device 5 (FIG. 1) mounted on the control board 24, and is used for operation display, status display, operation of water supply and drainage, lamp display, and the like.

FIG. 20 illustrates the operation panel 22. As shown in FIG. The operation panel 22 includes a strength selection switch 13, a washing start switch 19, a water supply switch 21, a drainage switch 23, a selector switch 31, a timer switch 33, an automatic operation lamp 35, a manual operation lamp 37, a water supply lamp 39, a drainage lamp 41, Intensity display lamps 43-1, 43-2, 43-3, 43-4, cleaning lamp 45, cleaning time display lamps 47-1, 47-2, 47-3, 47-4, and operation lamp 49 are arranged. there is

The intensity selection switch 13 is used to set the intensity of ultrasonic output, and for example, the intensity of ultrasonic waves is set by the number of times the switch is pressed. In response to the intensity designation of the intensity selection switch 13, the intensity display lamps 43-1, 43-2, 43-3, and 43-4 are lit according to the set intensity based on the control of the control device 5, and the set intensity is displayed. Displays sound intensity. In this example, the cleaning intensity is set in four levels from weak to strong. -3 indicates an intermediate high level of ultrasonic wave intensity, and the intensity display lamp 43-4 indicates the highest level of ultrasonic wave intensity.

The washing start switch 19 is a switch for instructing the start of washing operation. In response to the operation of the cleaning start switch 19, based on the control of the control device 5, ultrasonic cleaning is started and the cleaning lamp 45 is turned on to indicate that cleaning is in progress. During the cleaning operation, the controller 5 accepts pressing of the cleaning start switch 19 to stop cleaning and turn off the cleaning lamp 45 . At the end of the cleaning time, the cleaning lamp 45 blinks as notification information of the cleaning time, the control device 5 accepts the long press of the cleaning start switch 19, turns off the cleaning lamp 45, opens the drain valve 64 of the drain mechanism 12, The treated water 30 is discharged from the treatment tank 4 .

When the manual operation mode is selected, the water supply switch 21 is activated, and the treated water 30 is supplied to the treatment tank 4 under the control of the controller 5 . A water supply lamp 39 is an annular lamp provided side by side with the water supply switch 21 . In both the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, when the treated water 30 is supplied, the water supply lamp 39 is lit under the control of the control device 5 to indicate that the treatment tank 4 is being supplied with water. During water supply, the control device 5 accepts depression of the water supply switch 21, closes the water supply valve 54 to stop water supply, and turns off the water supply lamp 39.

When the manual operation mode is selected, the drain switch 23 is activated, and the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4 under the control of the controller 5 . The drain lamp 41 is an annular lamp provided side by side with the drain switch 23 . In both the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, when the treated water 30 is drained, the drain lamp 41 lights up under the control of the control device 5 to indicate that the treated water 30 is being drained from the treatment tank 4 . During draining, the controller 5 accepts pressing of the drain switch 23, closes the drain valve 64 to stop draining, and turns off the drain lamp 41. - 特許庁

The selector switch 31 is an example of the mode selection switch 17 already described. In Embodiment 1, the selector switch 31 is used for switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode. The control device 5 accepts repeated pressing of the switch 31 and switches from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode and from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode. When the automatic operation mode is selected, the automatic operation lamp 35 is turned on and the manual operation lamp 37 is turned off under the control of the control device 5 . When the manual operation mode is selected, the manual operation lamp 37 is lit and the automatic operation lamp 35 is extinguished under the control of the control device 5 .

The timer switch 33 is used to set the washing time, and for example, different washing times are set depending on the number of times the switch is pressed. In response to the time setting from the timer switch 33, the cleaning time display lamps 47-1, 47-2, 47-3, and 47-4 are lit according to the set time under the control of the control device 5, and the set time is set. Display wash time. In this example, the cleaning time is set in 4 steps from 1 minute to 10 minutes. When the timer switch 33 is pressed once, the cleaning time display lamp 47-1 lights up to indicate that the cleaning time is 1 minute, and when the timer switch 33 is pressed twice, the cleaning time display lamp 47-2 lights up to indicate the cleaning time. When the timer switch 33 is pressed three times, the cleaning time display lamp 47-3 lights up to indicate that the cleaning time is 5 minutes, and when the timer switch 33 is pressed four times, the cleaning time display lamp 47-4 is turned on. lights up to represent a wash time of 10 minutes each. Continuous operation is indicated when all the cleaning time display lamps 47-1, 47-2, 47-3 and 47-4 are extinguished.

The operation lamp 49 lights up when power supply is instructed by the power switch 78, and lights up during power supply to indicate that the cleaning device 2 is in operation or can be operated.

<Control system>
FIG. 21 shows an example of a control system including a control device 5 that controls the cleaning device 2. As shown in FIG. The control device 5 includes a power supply unit 51, a timer 53, vibrator drive units 57-1, 57-2, 57-3, valve drive units 58-1, 58-2, a display drive unit 59, and the like. Implemented. The power supply unit 51 receives commercial power, rectifies and stabilizes the voltage, controls the control device 5, vibrator drive units 57-1, 57-2, 57-3, valve drive units 58-1, 58-2, displays A DC output or an AC output is supplied to the drive unit 59 or the like.

The timer 53 is used for setting the washing time, the reference time for the elapsed time for control, and the like. The transducer driving units 57-1, 57-2, 57-3 are controlled by the control device 5, drive the transducers 6 (=6-1, 6-2, 6-3), and output ultrasonic waves. generate.

The valve driver 58-1 opens and closes the water supply valve 54 under the control of the controller 5. FIG. The valve driver 58-2 opens and closes the drain valve 64 under the control of the controller 5. FIG. Under the control of the control device 5, the display driving unit 59 operates the automatic operation lamp 35, the manual operation lamp 37, the water supply lamp 39, the drainage lamp 41, the intensity display lamps 43-1, 43-2, 43-3, 43-4, The cleaning lamp 45, cleaning time display lamps 47-1, 47-2, 47-3, 47-4, and operation lamp 49 are turned on, off, or blinked.

The control device 5 includes a storage section 25 , a processor 61 and an input/output section 63 . The storage unit 25 includes storage elements such as ROM (Read-Only Memory) and RAM (Random-Access Memory), and the ROM stores an OS (Operating System), a cleaning control program, a database for recording control information, and the like. The RAM constitutes a work area for information processing.

<Control function of control device 5>
The control functions realized by executing the washing control program, etc., include the operation display function, operation mode switching function, mode display function, water supply determination function, operation permission function, mode selection suppression function, washing strength selection function, washing strength display functions, cleaning time setting function, cleaning time display function, cleaning start instruction function, water supply control function, water supply display function, drainage control function, drainage display function, ultrasonic vibration control function, database, and the like.

<Operation when power is turned on>
FIG. 22 shows a processing procedure representing the operation at power-on. This processing procedure is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method or program of the present disclosure. When the power switch 78 is turned on (S451), the operation lamp 49, the intensity display lamp 43-1 and the manual operation lamp 37 are lit, and all the cleaning time display lamps 47-1, 47-2, 47-3 and 47-4 are turned on. goes off, the water supply switch 21 and the water discharge switch 23 are turned off, and the water supply lamp 39 and the water discharge lamp 41 are turned off (S452).

In this case, lighting of the operation lamp 49 indicates that the shift to the cleaning operation is possible. Lighting of the intensity display lamp 43-1 indicates that the ultrasonic output S1n is at the lowest level, which is the initial value. Lighting of the manual operation lamp 37 indicates that the manual operation mode is the preceding mode. Since the water supply switch 21 and the water discharge switch 23 are in the OFF state, the water supply lamp 39 and the water discharge lamp 41 are turned off, indicating that neither water is being supplied nor water is being drained.

In this case, the manual operation mode precedes (S453), and in this manual operation mode, pressing the switch 31 (S454) switches to the automatic operation mode (S455).

In the automatic operation mode, if mode selection is not inhibited, pressing the changeover switch 31 (S454) enables switching from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode (S453).

<Manual operation mode and automatic operation mode>
FIG. 23 shows the procedure for manual operation mode and automatic operation mode. This processing procedure is an example of the ultrasonic cleaning control method or program of the present disclosure.

This procedure includes mode switching (S501), manual operation mode processing (S502), and automatic operation mode processing (S503). Mode switching is performed by the control device 5 by pressing the changeover switch 31 . The controller 5 determines the current status, switches to the manual operation mode if it is in the automatic operation mode (S502), and switches to the automatic operation mode if it is in the manual operation mode (S503).

Manual operation mode includes water supply process (S601-S604), drainage process (S701-S704), and cleaning process (S801-S806). Automatic operation mode includes water supply/drainage, cleaning time management, ultrasonic cleaning, etc. (S901-S913).

In the manual operation mode, when the water supply switch 21 is pressed (S601) in the water supply process, the treated water 30 is supplied to the treatment tank 4 (S602). The supply of water 30 is stopped (S604). The water supply of the treated water 30 is performed by the water supply mechanism 10, the water supply is performed in the open state of the water supply valve 54, and the water supply is stopped by switching the water supply valve 54 from the open state to the closed state. Water supply is started by pressing the water supply switch 21, and water supply is stopped by pressing the switch again during water supply.

In the manual operation mode, by pressing the drainage switch 23 (S701) in the drainage step, the treated water 30 is drained from the treatment tank 4 (S702). 30 is stopped (S704). The drainage of the treated water 30 is performed by the drainage mechanism 12, and the drainage is performed by opening the drainage valve 64, and the stop is performed by switching the drainage valve 64 from the open state to the closed state. Drainage is started by depressing the drain switch 23, and is stopped by depressing again during draining.

In the manual operation mode, the cleaning process is based on the assumption that the object to be cleaned 28 is taken in and out of the processing tank 4 (S801). By pressing the cleaning start switch 19 (S802), the output of ultrasonic waves is started (S803), and the elapsed cleaning time is monitored (S804). During this cleaning, if the cleaning start switch 19 is pressed (S805), the output of ultrasonic waves is stopped (S806). In this case, when the cleaning time ends, the output of ultrasonic waves is similarly stopped (S806).

In the automatic operation mode, after the object to be cleaned 28 is taken in and out (S901), the cleaning start switch 19 is pressed (S902), and the treated water 30 is supplied to the treatment tank 4 (S903). is monitored (S904). After elapse of, for example, 90 seconds (YES in S904), the output of ultrasonic waves is started (S905). That is, after the treated water 30 is supplied to the treatment tank 4, the output of ultrasonic waves is started, and the output of ultrasonic waves is avoided when the treatment tank 4 is empty.

After the start of ultrasonic wave output, the treated water 30 is supplied for a certain period of time, for example, 30 seconds, and then the water supply is stopped for a certain period of time, for example, 30 seconds, to continue ultrasonic cleaning (S906).

Even in this automatic operation mode, the cleaning time is monitored (S907), and when the cleaning time has elapsed (YES in S907), the output of ultrasonic waves is stopped and the cleaning lamp 45 is flashed (S908). By blinking the washing lamp 45, the end of washing is announced.

Upon receiving the notification of the end of cleaning, the user can take the object 28 into and out of the processing tank 4 (S909), and press the cleaning start switch 19 (S910) to start outputting ultrasonic waves (S905). can. That is, it is possible to repeat and continuously perform ultrasonic cleaning of different objects 28 to be cleaned.

By pressing the cleaning start switch 19 for a long time (S911), the cleaning is completed, and after the cleaning lamp 45 is turned off (S912), the treated water 30 can be drained from the treatment tank 4 (S913).

<Washing operation>
The ultrasonic cleaning of the object 28 to be cleaned by the cleaning apparatus 2 includes a process of loading the object 28 into the processing tank 4 (loading process) and a process of supplying treated water 30 to the processing tank 4 (water supply process). , a step of ultrasonically cleaning the object 28 to be cleaned (cleaning step), a step of draining the treated water 30 after cleaning (drainage step), and the like.

FIG. 24A shows the loading process. In this example, the object to be washed 28 is a small volume, such as a strawberry. Such objects to be cleaned 28 are placed in the processing basket 18 and loaded into the processing tank 4 together with the processing basket 18 . The objects to be cleaned 28 having a large volume can be loaded directly into the treatment tank 4 without using the treatment basket 18 . This loading step may be during washing.

B of FIG. 24 shows the water supply process. A water supply pipe 55 is connected to the water supply connection port 48 , and the treated water 30 , which is tap water, for example, is supplied from the water supply pipe 55 . When the water supply valve 54 is opened in this state, water supply is started, and the treated water 30 becomes a jet stream and is supplied to the treatment tank 4 . The water supply of the treated water 30 may be performed up to a level at which the entire object 28 to be cleaned is submerged or the overflow level Lref.

In this example, since the holding plate 20 is installed in the treatment tank 4, the treated water 30 may be supplied to such an extent that the holding plate 20 is submerged. If this treated water 30 exceeds the flooding level Lref, the excess is drained through the overflow mechanism 8 . Then, the water supply of the treated water 30 is stopped by closing the water supply valve 54 .

FIG. 25A shows the washing process after supplying water. In this cleaning process, the supply of the treated water 30 is stopped, the ultrasonic oscillators 6 are simultaneously driven, and ultrasonic waves are applied from the outer bottom portion 32 of the treatment tank 4 into the treatment tank 4 . The treated water 30 in the treatment bath 4 is excited by ultrasonic waves, and ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the object 28 to be cleaned through the treated water 30 . Ripples due to ultrasonic waves are generated on the water surface of the treated water 30 . Dirt and the like are removed from the object to be cleaned 28 which receives the ultrasonic waves, and the treated water 30 is suspended. If this application of ultrasonic waves is continued for a predetermined period of time, the object to be cleaned 28 is cleaned by ultrasonic cleaning.

In this cleaning process, if the supply of the treated water 30 described in the above-described water supply process, that is, the jet stream is used together, a higher cleaning effect can be expected in combination with the ultrasonic cleaning by the jet stream of the treated water 30, and the rapid ultrasonic cleaning can be expected. is possible.

B of FIG. 25 shows the drainage process after ultrasonic cleaning. In this drainage process, after stopping the application of ultrasonic waves, the drainage valve 64 is opened to drain the treated water 30 after cleaning from the treatment tank 4 . Contaminants such as solids contained in the treated water 30 are separated from the treated water 30 by the drainage filter 118 (A in FIG. 18) of the drainage part 56, and separated from the treated water 30 and the object to be cleaned 28 that have passed through the drainage filter 118. The collected dirt flows into the drain pipe 60 and is discharged to the drainage system through the drain pipe 65. - 特許庁

After the water is drained, the object to be cleaned 28 which has been cleaned is removed from the treatment tank 4 with the treatment basket 18 in this case.

<Effect of ultrasonic cleaning>
According to this ultrasonic cleaning, any of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The supply of the treated water 30 can be speeded up, and the time required for the preparatory process leading to ultrasonic cleaning can be shortened.

(2) By using the jet stream of the treated water 30 during ultrasonic cleaning, the cleaning effect of the ultrasonic cleaning is enhanced, and dirt is easily and quickly removed from the object 28 being cleaned into the treated water 30. be able to.

(3) After washing, the treated water 30 can be discharged quickly, and the removal of the washed object 28 after washing and post-treatment can be shortened.

(4) By shortening the washing time, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the freshness of the object to be washed 28, which requires freshness.

Example 2 is a modification of the procedure for manual operation mode and automatic operation mode.

FIG. 26 shows the processing procedures of the manual operation mode and the automatic operation mode according to the second embodiment. This processing procedure is a modification of the processing procedure shown in Example 1 (FIG. 23), and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In this processing procedure, except for pressing the cleaning start switch 19 (S805: FIG. 23) from the manual operation mode (S502), it is determined that the cleaning time has ended (S804). At this point, the output of ultrasonic waves is stopped (S806). If the cleaning time has not ended (NO in S804), it is determined whether the cleaning start switch 19 has been pressed (S807). If the cleaning start switch 19 is pressed (YES in S807), the output of ultrasonic waves is stopped at that point (S806). If the cleaning start switch 19 is not pressed (NO in S807), the process transitions to the start of ultrasonic wave output (S803).

Also, from the automatic operation mode (S503), excluding the long-pressing of the cleaning start switch 19 (S911: FIG. 23), the termination of the cleaning time is determined (S907), the output of ultrasonic waves is stopped, and the cleaning lamp 45 flashes (S908). , the cleaning lamp 45 is extinguished (S912), and then transitioned to draining (S913).

<Effect of Example 2>
According to the second embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) When the cleaning time ends, the output of ultrasonic waves can be stopped, and when the cleaning start switch 19 is pressed before the cleaning time ends, the output of ultrasonic waves can be started.

(2) The function allocation to the cleaning start switch 19 can be simplified, and the cleaning lamp 45 can be changed from blinking to extinguishing when the output of ultrasonic waves is stopped.

Example 3 embodies the cleaning device 2 according to the third embodiment.

<Operation panel 22>
The operation panel 22 indicates the operation panel 22 of the cleaning device 2 according to the third embodiment. This operation panel 22 is an interface of the control device 5 (FIG. 28) mounted on the control board 24 according to the third embodiment, and is used to operate the control device 5 such as operation display, status display, intermittent operation operation, and intermittent operation display. Used for input and lamp display. In this operation panel 22, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the operation panel 22 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 27 illustrates the operation panel 22 according to the third embodiment. This operation panel 22 has an intermittent operation mode switch 27, an intermittent time selection switch 29, an intermittent operation lamp 83, and intermittent time display lamps 85-1, 85-2, 85-3, 85- on the operation panel 22 shown in FIG. 4 has been added.

The intermittent operation mode switch 27 is used for intermittent operation of the cleaning device 2 and its mode setting. The intermittent operation mode is selected, and the intermittent operation lamp 83 lights up when the intermittent operation mode is executed to indicate that the intermittent operation is being performed. By operating the intermittent operation mode switch 27 during the intermittent operation, the intermittent operation that is being executed can be canceled and the normal continuous operation can be started.

The intermittent time selection switch 29 is used to set the operating time Mt and resting time Nt during intermittent operation of the vibrators 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3. Nt is set. In response to the selection operation of the intermittent time selection switch 29, one of the intermittent time display lamps 85-1, 85-2, 85-3, and 85-4 is lit under the control of the control device 5, and the set intermittent time is displayed. display the time. In this example, the display "1" is the above operation time Mt1+pause time Nt1, the display "2" is the above operation time Mt2+pause time Nt2, and the display "3" is the above operation time Mt3+pause time Nt3. "4" represents the above-mentioned operation time Mt4+idle time Nt4.

<Control system>
FIG. 28 shows an example of a control system including a control device 5 that controls the cleaning device 2 according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 28, the same parts as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 21) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

The timer 53 is used for setting the washing time, the reference time for the elapsed time for control, and the like. The transducer driving units 57-1, 57-2, 57-3 are controlled by the control device 5, drive the transducers 6 (=6-1, 6-2, 6-3), and output ultrasonic waves. generate.

In response to the operation of the intermittent operation mode switch 27, the control device 5 intermittently operates the vibrators 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 at the operating time Mt and resting time Nt set by the intermittent time selection switch 29. Execute. If the intermittent operation mode switch 27 is operated during this execution, the control device 5 cancels the intermittent operation being executed and shifts to the cleaning operation by continuous ultrasonic vibration. At this time, the intermittent time display lamps 85-1, 85-2, 85-3, and 85-4 are switched from selective lighting to full extinguishing, and this lighting mode indicates continuous operation.

<Control function of control device 5>
In addition to the functions shown in Embodiment 1, the control functions realized by executing the washing control program include intermittent operation, operation mode selection function, intermittent operation mode acceptance function, water supply time/pause time selection function, operation time/ It includes an idle time selection function, an intermittent cleaning function, a database related to information on intermittent operation, and the like.

[Other embodiments and examples]
The present disclosure includes the following embodiments.
(1) In the above embodiment, three sets of vibrators 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 are illustrated as a plurality of vibrators, but the number of vibrators may be two or less or four or more.

(2) In the above embodiment, the output of ultrasonic waves is selected, but control for changing the output frequency of ultrasonic waves may also be used.

(3) In the above embodiment, the stand-alone type ultrasonic cleaning device 2 was exemplified, but the ultrasonic cleaning device 2 may be configured as a built-in type that is incorporated in kitchen equipment such as a system kitchen.

(4) Although fruits and perishables are exemplified as the object 28 to be washed, it is not limited to these. All the objects to be cleaned that can be expected to have a cleaning function by ultrasonic cleaning are the objects to be cleaned 28 .

(5) The control device 5 disclosed in Example 1 or Example 2 may include devices other than a computer, such as a timer 53, vibrator drive units 57-1, 57-2, 57-3, A controller including the valve driving units 58-1 and 58-2 and the display driving unit 59 may be configured.

As described above, the most preferable embodiment and the like of the present disclosure have been described. The disclosure is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the detailed description. It goes without saying that such variations and modifications are included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the convenience of ultrasonic cleaning with a high cleaning effect, and realize a highly convenient ultrasonic cleaning apparatus with improved usability as consumer equipment.

2 ultrasonic cleaning device 4 treatment tank 5 control device 6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 ultrasonic vibrator,
8 overflow mechanism 10 water supply mechanism 12 drainage mechanism 13 intensity selection switch 14 waterproof fixing mechanism 15 time selection switch 16 separator 17 mode selection switch 18 treatment basket 19 washing start switch 20 holding plate 21 water supply switch 22 operation panel 23 drainage switch 24 control board 25 Storage part 26 Device housing 27, 71 Intermittent operation mode switch 28 Object to be washed 29, 73 Intermittent time selection switch 30 Treated water 30X, 30Y, 30Z Jet 31 Changeover switch 32 Outer bottom 33 Timer switch 34 Overflow trap 35 Automatic operation lamp 36 Drainage pipe 37 Manual operation lamp 38 Overflow port 39 Water supply lamp 40 Overflow filter 41 Drainage lamp 42 Filtration hole 43-1, 43-2, 43-3, 43-4 Intensity display lamp 44 Water supply section 45 Cleaning lamp 46 Water supply pipe 47 -1, 47-2, 47-3, 47-4 Washing time display lamp 48 Water supply connection port 49 Operation lamp 50 Air vent valve 51 Power supply unit 52 Constant flow valve 53 Timer 54 Water supply valve 55 Water supply pipe 56 Drainage unit 57-1 , 57-2, 57-3 Vibrator drive unit 58-1, 58-2 Valve drive unit 59 Display drive unit 60 Drain pipe 61 Processor 62 Drain connection port 63 Input/output unit 64 Drain valve 65 Drain pipe 66 Waterproof unit 68 Fixing mechanism 70 Leg 72 Post 74 Fixing arm 76 Opening 77 Operation housing 78 Power switch 83 Intermittent operation lamp 85-1, 85-2, 85-3, 85-4 Intermittent time display lamp 94 Water supply nozzle 96 Water supply Connection Part 98 Nozzle Head 100 Water Supply Pipe Connection Part 102, 104 Nozzle Port 106 Treatment Tank Fixing Part 108 Water Supply Pipe Mounting Part 110 Penetration Port 112, 114 Flange Part 116 O-ring 118 Drainage Filter 120 Drainage Connection Part 122 Filter Head 124 Drainage Guide Part 126, 128 filter hole 130 treatment tank fixing part 132 drain pipe mounting part 134 through hole 136, 138 flange part 140 O-ring 142 filter hole

Claims (3)

including two or more selectable ultrasound intensities in the ultrasound output, selecting an ultrasound intensity with an intensity selection switch;
a step of selecting the cleaning time with a time selection switch, including two or more selectable cleaning times in the cleaning time using the ultrasonic output;
the operation mode for the cleaning time includes at least an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and a mode selection switch selects either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode;
when the automatic operation mode is selected, a step of supplying water to the processing tank by operating the washing start switch to generate a jet flow;
When the manual operation mode is selected, if the automatic operation mode is being operated, mode selection is inhibited, and at least after the automatic operation mode ends, a step of allowing transition to the manual operation mode;
a step of activating the washing start switch after the treated water is supplied to the treatment tank by operating the water supply switch when the manual operation mode is selected;
A method of controlling ultrasonic cleaning, comprising: A program for a computer to execute,
The ultrasonic output includes two or more selectable ultrasonic intensities, and a function of selecting the ultrasonic intensity with an intensity selection switch;
a function of selecting two or more selectable cleaning times in the cleaning time using the ultrasonic output, and selecting the cleaning time with a time selection switch;
The operation mode includes at least an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and a mode selection switch selects either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode;
when the automatic operation mode is selected, the washing start switch is operated to supply water to the treatment tank to generate a jet flow;
When the manual operation mode is selected, if the operation is in the automatic operation mode, mode selection is suppressed, and at least after the automatic operation mode ends, a function that permits transition to the manual operation mode;
a function of activating the washing start switch after treated water is supplied to the treatment tank by operating the water supply switch when the manual operation mode is selected;
A program for causing the computer to execute. a treatment tank;
a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the processing tank to generate a jet flow;
a water supply switch for instructing the water supply mechanism to supply water;
an ultrasonic vibrator for imparting ultrasonic vibration to treated water;
an intensity selection switch that includes two or more selectable ultrasonic wave intensities for the ultrasonic vibration and selects the ultrasonic wave intensities;
a time selection switch that includes two or more selectable cleaning times for the cleaning time using the ultrasonic vibration, and selects the cleaning time;
An operation mode of ultrasonic cleaning includes at least an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and a mode selection switch for selecting the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode;
a cleaning start switch for starting ultrasonic cleaning;
When the automatic operation mode is selected, the cleaning start switch is operated to supply water to the treatment tank to generate a jet, and when the manual operation mode is selected, even if the operation is in the automatic operation mode. mode selection is inhibited, at least after the automatic operation mode ends, transition to the manual operation mode is permitted, and after the treated water is supplied to the treatment tank by operating the water supply switch, the cleaning start switch is turned on. a control for enabling operation;
an ultrasonic cleaning device.

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