JP7488212B2 - Sterilization and deodorization machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for sterilizing and deodorizing clothing, and in particular to a device for sterilizing and deodorizing clothing using gas fumigation.

In recent years, there has been a strong need for disinfecting and deodorizing clothes, and various products and devices have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2006-158586) discloses a clothes dryer that includes a drying chamber with an openable door for storing clothes, a hot air generating mechanism for generating hot air to be supplied into the drying chamber, an ozone generating mechanism for generating ozone to be supplied into the drying chamber, and a control unit for them, and that is characterized in that the ozone generating mechanism is located outside the air passage of the hot air generating mechanism to take in air that is not heated by the heating means of the hot air generating mechanism, and the ozone generated from the ozone generating mechanism is supplied to the rear of the heating means of the hot air generating mechanism and mixed with the hot air from the heating means to promote the self-decomposition of the ozone.

According to Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide a clothes dryer that can generate ozone efficiently and improves the deodorizing effect by oxygen atoms by inducing the self-decomposition of ozone. In addition, since the ozone generated from the ozone generating mechanism is supplied to the rear of the heating means of the warm air generating mechanism, it is said that the heating means will not be corroded by ozone.

JP 2006-158586 A

When using gas fumigation for sterilization, it is important to ensure a certain concentration time value (CT value = sterilizing gas concentration ppm x gas fumigation time min). For example, the CT value for ozone gas fumigation of E. coli is said to be 60 ppm x min. In other words, the higher the sterilizing gas concentration, the shorter the gas fumigation time.

According to Patent Document 1, the ozone concentration in the drying chamber is adjusted to a low concentration (e.g., 0.05 to 0.2 ppm). Such a low concentration may be effective for deodorization, but for sterilization, a very long gas fumigation time (e.g., 5 to 20 hours to reach a CT value of 60 ppm x min) would be required, and this is thought to be impractical.

On the other hand, sterilizing gases are harmful to humans when they exceed a certain concentration, so they must be reduced and detoxified to a safe concentration (work environment standard) before being exhausted. When reducing and detoxifying to a safe concentration using filters, if the sterilizing gas concentration is increased too much in order to shorten the gas fumigation time, the strain on the detoxifying filters increases. As a result, it becomes necessary to make the detoxifying filters larger and to replace them more frequently, which creates another problem of increased equipment and maintenance costs.

As mentioned above, in recent years, there has been a strong need for sterilizing clothing. In addition, it is very important for users to be able to sterilize everyday clothing easily and quickly. For example, if the total processing time required for sterilization and deodorization using a box-shaped device such as a clothes dryer is within about 50 minutes, it can be said to be extremely practical.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a sterilization and deodorization machine that can simultaneously shorten the processing time required for sterilization and deodorization of clothes and prevent an increase in maintenance costs.

One aspect of the present invention is a clothing sterilization and deodorization machine,
the clothing storage chamber includes a clothing storage chamber for storing the clothing, a blowing mechanism for blowing air into the clothing storage chamber, a sterilizing gas supply mechanism connected between the blowing mechanism and the clothing storage chamber for supplying a sterilizing gas, a controller for controlling the blowing mechanism and the sterilizing gas supply mechanism, a detoxification mechanism for detoxifying the sterilizing gas discharged from the clothing storage chamber, a housing for accommodating the clothing storage chamber, the blowing mechanism, the sterilizing gas supply mechanism, the controller, and the detoxification mechanism, and a front door for opening and closing the clothing storage chamber,
The controller is configured to control at least two types of air flow rates, a first air flow rate _Q1 ( ^m3 /s) in a gas fumigation mode and a second air flow rate _Q2 ( ^m3 /s) in an abatement mode, for the air blowing mechanism;
The present invention provides a sterilization deodorizer characterized by controlling Q ₂ >Q ₁ >0.

In addition, in the present invention, clothing includes not only clothing (things to wear), but also footwear (shoes, tights, etc.), accessories (hats, accessories, watches, etc.), and fashion accessories (belts, bags, wallets, etc.).

The present invention provides a sterilization and deodorization machine that can reduce the processing time required for sterilization and deodorization of clothes while minimizing increases in maintenance costs.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sterilization deodorization machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a graph showing an example of the transition of ozone gas concentration in a clothing storage compartment during the operation process of the sterilization and deodorization machine according to the present invention. 13 is a graph showing the change in the required time "T1-T0" when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment in gas fumigation mode is used as a parameter. 1 is a graph showing the change in the amount of decontamination "D" of sterilizing gas in the decontamination mechanism when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 in gas fumigation mode to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment is used as a parameter. This is a graph showing the change in the standardized required time "(T2-T1)/ln( _C1 /C T1 )" when the ratio " _Q2 /V" of the second air flow rate _Q2 in the abatement mode to the volume V of _{the clothing} storage chamber is used as a parameter. 13 is a graph showing the change in the required _time " _T2 - _T0 " for the entire operating process M when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment is used as a parameter when the ratio " _Q2 /Q1=3" between the second air flow rate Q2 and the first air flow rate Q1 is used. 13 is a graph showing the change in the minimum value of the required time "T2-T0" for the entire operation process M when the ratio " _Q2 / _Q1 " of the second air flow rate _Q2 to the first air flow rate _Q1 is used as a parameter. 13 is a graph showing the change in the _time required " _T2 - _T0 " for the entire operating process M when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment is used as a parameter when the ratio " _Q2 /Q1=30" between the second air flow rate Q2 and the first air flow rate Q1 is used. This map shows the range of the ratio "Q1/V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment and the ratio " _Q2 /Q1" of the second air flow rate _Q2 to the first air flow rate _Q1 , which can achieve the required time for the entire operating process " _T2 - _T0 ≦40 (min)". FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sterilization deodorization machine according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sterilization deodorization machine according to a third embodiment.

The present invention allows the above-mentioned sterilizing deodorizer to be improved or modified as follows.
(i) The controller controls Q ₁ and Q ₂ so that 3≦Q ₂ /Q ₁ ≦30.
(ii) The controller controls _Q1 so that 0.8×10 ⁻⁴ (s ⁻¹ )≦Q ₁ /V≦26.2×10 ⁻⁴ (s ⁻¹ ), where V is the volume (m ³ ) of the clothing compartment.
(iii) Q ₁ and Q ₂ are controlled to satisfy a predetermined relational expression.
(iv) The air blowing mechanism is configured to take in air from outside the housing through an air inlet passage, and the abatement mechanism is configured to exhaust air to the outside of the housing through an air exhaust passage.
(v) The detoxification mechanism is connected to the blowing mechanism via an air circulation path, and the blowing mechanism, the sterilizing gas supply mechanism, the clothing storage chamber, and the detoxification mechanism form a circulation flow path in that order.
(vi) An air dehumidification mechanism for reducing moisture in the air and an air heating mechanism for heating the dehumidified air are further provided midway along the circulation flow path.
(vii) A lint filter is further disposed upstream of the abatement mechanism.
(viii) The garment storage compartment comprises a rotatable drum, and further comprises a drum rotation mechanism for rotating the drum.

(Basic concept of the present invention)
In order to shorten the time required for the entire operation process of the sterilization and deodorization of clothes in a sterilization deodorizer, the first point is how to increase the sterilization gas concentration in the clothing storage chamber in a short time. On the other hand, if the sterilization gas (more precisely, the air containing the sterilization gas) sent to the clothing storage chamber is simply increased in volume in order to increase the sterilization gas concentration, a large amount of the sterilization gas that cannot be consumed by the sterilization action is also discharged from the clothing storage chamber, which causes a problem of increasing the burden on the decontamination filters.

The inventors therefore took into consideration the consumption rate of sterilizing gas consumed in the sterilizing action, and studied the relationship between the airflow rate and the time required for the sterilization mode (an operation mode in which sterilizing gas is blown to sterilize the clothes in the clothing storage compartment), and the relationship between the airflow rate and the time required for the detoxification mode (an operation mode in which the sterilizing gas in the clothing storage compartment is reduced to a safe concentration and detoxified). As a result, they found that in order to shorten the time required for the entire operation process, it is preferable to make the airflow rate in the sterilization mode as small as possible and the airflow rate in the detoxification mode as large as possible.

Furthermore, taking into consideration the constraints on the air blowing device, the effects of the ratio of the air flow rate in the sterilization mode to the volume of the clothing storage compartment, and the ratio of the air flow rate in the decontamination mode to the air flow rate in the sterilization mode were examined. As a result, it was found that in order to shorten the time required for the entire operating process, there is an appropriate range for the ratio of the air flow rate in the decontamination mode to the air flow rate in the sterilization mode, and that there is also an appropriate range for the ratio of the air flow rate in the sterilization mode to the volume of the clothing storage compartment.

The present invention was completed based on these findings.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described here, and it is possible to combine with known technologies or improve on known technologies as appropriate without departing from the technical concept of the invention. In addition, in the drawings of the present invention, parts having the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[First embodiment]
(Structure of the sterilization and deodorization machine)
Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sterilizing deodorizer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the sterilizing deodorizer 100, a housing 10 that covers the entire internal mechanism generally houses a clothing storage chamber 20 for storing clothing to be sterilized and deodorized, an air blowing mechanism 30 for blowing air to the clothing storage chamber 20, a sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 connected between the air blowing mechanism 30 and the clothing storage chamber 20 for supplying sterilizing gas, a controller 35 for controlling the air blowing mechanism 30 and the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40, and a detoxification mechanism 50 for detoxifying the sterilizing gas discharged from the clothing storage chamber 20. A front door 25 for opening and closing the clothing storage chamber 20 to put in and take out clothing is provided on the front of the housing 10.

The clothing storage chamber 20 is preferably made up of a cylindrical drum supported by a rotating shaft 21 and a front support ring 22, and is configured to be rotatable by a drum rotation mechanism 60 (e.g., an electric motor 61, a drum drive belt 62). In addition, the front support ring 22 is preferably formed with a sterilizing gas inlet passage 23 for introducing sterilizing gas into the clothing storage chamber 20, and a sterilizing gas outlet passage 24 for discharging sterilizing gas from the clothing storage chamber 20.

In FIG. 1, the sterilizing gas inlet passage 23 and the sterilizing gas outlet passage 24 are drawn close to each other for the sake of simplicity, but in reality, it is preferable that the sterilizing gas inlet passage 23 and the sterilizing gas outlet passage 24 are arranged apart so that the introduced sterilizing gas is discharged after having sufficiently spread within the clothing storage chamber 20.

The sterilizing deodorizer 100 of the present invention is also configured so that it can be operated with or without rotating the clothing storage chamber 20. For example, if the clothing to be sterilized and deodorized is clothing, rolling the clothing increases the probability of contact with the sterilizing gas, enabling efficient sterilization. On the other hand, if the clothing to be sterilized and deodorized is footwear, accessories, clothing accessories, or other items that are not suitable for rolling (items that will lose their shape or be damaged when rolled), it is preferable to install a clothing shelf in the clothing storage chamber 20, place the items on the clothing shelf, and use an operating method that does not rotate the clothing storage chamber 20.

The blower mechanism 30 is a mechanism that takes in air from outside the housing 10 via the air inlet passage 31 and sends the air to the clothing storage compartment 20, and at least two types of blower flow rates _Q1 (in gas fumigation mode) and _Q2 (in abatement mode) are controlled by the controller 35. There are no particular limitations on the blower, and for example, a positive displacement blower (e.g., a diaphragm pump) or a non-positive displacement blower (e.g., an axial flow fan) can be used as appropriate.

In principle, two blowers may be used to control the two types of air flow rates _Q1 and _Q2 . However, from the viewpoint of cost-effectiveness, it is preferable to configure the system so that the air flow rates can be controlled with one blower (details will be described later).

The sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 is connected between the air blowing mechanism 30 and the clothing storage chamber 20, and supplies sterilizing gas. The controller 35 controls the ON (gas fumigation mode) and OFF (detoxification mode) states of the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40. The sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 is also connected to the sterilizing gas introduction path 23 via a sterilizing gas flow path 41.

As long as sterilization can be effectively performed, there is no particular limitation on the type of sterilizing gas; for example, ozone gas or chlorine-based gas (chlorine gas, chlorine dioxide gas, hypochlorous acid gas, etc.) can be used as appropriate. There is also no particular limitation on the method of supplying the sterilizing gas; any known method can be used as appropriate.

The decontamination mechanism 50 is a mechanism for decontaminating the sterilizing gas discharged from the clothing storage chamber 20, and is connected to the clothing storage chamber 20 via the sterilizing gas discharge path 24 and the sterilizing gas flow path 51, and discharges air (air that has been reduced to a safe concentration or lower) outside the housing 10 via the air discharge path 52.

There are no particular limitations on the decontamination mechanism, so long as it can decontaminate the sterilizing gas used. For example, if the sterilizing gas is ozone gas, a filter that holds an ozone adsorbent (activated carbon, silica gel, alumina, zeolite, etc.) or an ozone decomposition catalyst (Co, Mn, Ni, etc.) can be preferably used. Instead of using a filter, a mechanism that promotes self-decomposition in the labyrinth flow path or a mechanism that promotes self-decomposition by heating can also be used.

It is preferable that the housing 10 is provided with a ventilation mechanism 15 (e.g., a detoxifying filter 16, a ventilation fan 17). Although the ventilation mechanism 15 is not a required component, providing the ventilation mechanism 15 has the advantage of being able to air-cool the various mechanisms within the housing 10 and prevent overheating. In addition, providing the detoxifying filter 16 has the advantage of being able to prevent high concentrations of the sterilizing gas from being released into the outside air in the unlikely event that the sterilizing gas leaks within the housing 10.

Although not a required configuration, it is preferable to provide a sterilizing gas sensor (not shown) in the air exhaust path 52 or inside the housing 10. By providing the sterilizing gas sensor, it becomes possible to check the sterilizing action of the sterilizing mechanism 50 (including determining whether or not maintenance of the sterilizing mechanism 50 is required) and to check for leakage of sterilizing gas inside the housing 10.

It is also preferable to provide an opening/closing detection mechanism (not shown) and a locking mechanism (not shown) for the front door 25. By providing a front door opening/closing detection mechanism and a front door locking mechanism, it is possible to prevent the sterilizing gas from accidentally leaking/releasing into the outside air.

In addition, if a power outage (including a power outage) occurs during operation of the sterilization and deodorization machine 100 or before the operation is completed, it is preferable that the controller 35 is configured to activate the front door lock mechanism after the power is restored and to operate the machine in the decontamination mode M2, which will be described later.

(Operation process of sterilization and deodorization machine)
The operation process of the sterilizing deodorizer according to the present invention will be specifically described below, taking as an example a case where ozone gas is used as the sterilizing gas.

As mentioned above, the CT value (sterilizing gas concentration ppm × gas fumigation time min) is used as an index of sterilization using gas fumigation. For example, the CT value of ozone gas fumigation against E. coli is said to be 60 (ppm × min). Note that the "CT value = 60 ppm × min" of ozone gas fumigation is said to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus and influenza viruses in addition to E. coli. In other words, if an ozone gas fumigation equivalent to a "CT value = 60 ppm × min" is secured, it can be said to be effective against many types of bacteria and viruses.

Figure 2 is a graph showing an example of the transition of the concentration of sterilizing gas in the clothing storage compartment during the operation process of the sterilizing and deodorizing machine of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the operation process M of the sterilizing and deodorizing machine of the present invention basically consists of two operation modes: a gas fumigation mode M1 for increasing the concentration of sterilizing gas in the clothing storage compartment 20 to sterilize clothes, and a detoxification mode M2 for reducing the concentration of sterilizing gas in the clothing storage compartment 20 to a safe concentration.

The start time of operation process M (start time of gas fumigation mode M1) is T0, the end time of gas fumigation mode M1 (start time of abatement mode M2) is T1, and the end time of operation process M (end time of abatement mode M2) is T2. The time required for gas fumigation mode M1 is expressed as "T1 - T0", the time required for abatement mode M2 is expressed as "T2 - T1", and the time required for the entire operation process M is expressed as "T2 - T0". The disinfectant gas concentration _C1 is the safe concentration of the disinfectant gas. In the case of ozone gas, _C1 = 0.1 ppm (allowable up to 8 hours per day, Japan Society for Occupational Health).

In the present invention, the time required for the time integral of the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/ ^m3 ) in gas fumigation mode M1 to reach a specified CT value (here, 60 ppm x min) is defined as "T1 - T0". By achieving the CT value in gas fumigation mode M1, the target object can be reliably sterilized and deodorized. When "ppm x min" is converted into the unit "(g/ ^m3 ) x s", the result is "60 ppm x min = 7.7 (g/ ^m3 ) x s".

In gas fumigation mode M1, the controller 35 operates both the air blowing mechanism 30 and the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40. The air blowing mechanism 30 takes in air from outside the housing 10 via the air introduction passage 31 and sends it to the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40. The sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 generates/supplies a sterilizing gas (ozone gas in this case) and produces air containing the sterilizing gas (hereinafter, "air containing sterilizing gas" will be simply referred to as "sterilizing gas"). The sterilizing gas is introduced into the clothing storage chamber 20 via the sterilizing gas flow passage 41 and the sterilizing gas introduction passage 23.

The sterilizing gas introduced into the clothing storage chamber 20 exerts a sterilizing effect when it comes into contact with the clothing to be sterilized and deodorized. At this time, it is considered that the sterilizing gas introduced is not consumed all at once, but is consumed (to exert a sterilizing and deodorizing effect) at a certain consumption rate.

The sterilizing gas that is not completely consumed in the clothing storage chamber 20 reaches the detoxification mechanism 50 via the sterilizing gas exhaust passage 24 and the sterilizing gas flow passage 51. The sterilizing gas exhausted from the clothing storage chamber 20 becomes air whose concentration is reduced to below a safe concentration by the detoxification mechanism 50, and is exhausted outside the housing 10 via the air exhaust passage 52.

If the volume of the clothing storage chamber 20 is V ( ^m3 ), the sterilizing gas concentration in the clothing storage chamber 20 is C (g/ ^m3 ), the introduction rate of the sterilizing gas into the clothing storage chamber 20 is _vi (g/s), the consumption rate of the sterilizing gas due to the sterilizing action is _vc (g/s), the discharge rate of the sterilizing gas from the clothing storage chamber 20 is _ve (g/s), and time is t (s), the following equation (1) holds true according to the law of conservation of mass of the sterilizing gas. Note that in the present invention, it is assumed that there is no change in volume due to compression/expansion of the gas.

Here, it is assumed that the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/ ^m3 ) is uniform and without bias in the sterilizing gas flow path 41, the sterilizing gas inlet path 23 and the clothing storage compartment 20. Moreover, the sterilizing gas introduction rate v _i (g/s) essentially means the supply rate in the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40.

The consumption rate v _c (g/s) of the sterilizing gas is expressed by the following formula (2) as a function of the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/m ³ ) and the reaction constant k (m ³ /s) of the sterilizing action.

Since the flow rate discharged from the sterilizing gas exhaust passage 24 is the same as the first blowing flow rate _Q1 ( ^m3 /s) of the blowing mechanism 30 in the gas fumigation mode M1, the discharge rate v _e (g/s) of the sterilizing gas is expressed by the following equation (3) as a function of the first blowing flow rate _Q1 ( ^m3 /s) and the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/ ^m3 ).

Equations (2) and (3) are substituted into equation (1) to solve the differential equation. Since the ratio of the sterilizing gas introduction rate v _i (g/s) to the volume V (m ³ ) of the clothing storage compartment 20 and the ratio of the first air flow rate Q ₁ (m ³ /s) to the volume V (m ³ ) of the clothing storage compartment 20 are important factors related to the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/m ³ ), the following equation (4) is obtained by using these ratios as a basis.

The desired CT value C _CT ((g/m ³ )×s) to be reached is the integral of time t (s) in equation (4), and the following equation (5) is obtained.

Solving equation (5) for time t (s), it can be expressed as the following equation (6) using Lambert's omega function W. The obtained time t (s) is the time to reach the specified CT value C _CT ((g/m ³ )×s), i.e., the required time for gas fumigation mode M1, "T0-T1".

Next, the amount of sterilizing gas ablated by the abatement mechanism 50 in the gas fumigation mode M1 will be described. The amount of sterilizing gas ablated D (g) in the gas fumigation mode M1 is the time integral of the emission rate v _e (g/s) of the sterilizing gas from the clothing storage compartment 20, and therefore the following formula (7) is obtained.

The relationship between "T1 - T0" and " _Q1 /V" was investigated based on formula (6), and the relationship between "D" and " _Q1 /V" was investigated based on formula (7). In each of formulas (6) and (7), the volume of the clothing storage chamber 20 was set to V = 0.1 ( ^m3 ), the introduction rate of the sterilizing gas was set to v _i = 1.4 x ^10-6 (g/s), and the specified CT value was set to _CCT = 7.7 ((g/ ^m3 ) x s). The reaction constant for the sterilization action was set to k = 1.2 x ^10-4 ( ^m3 /s), assuming a medium-sized adult male T-shirt (100% cotton) as a representative type of clothing.

Figure 3 is a graph showing the change in the required time "T1-T0" when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment in gas fumigation mode is used as a parameter. As shown in Figure 3, it can be seen that "T1-T0" increases monotonically with an increase in " _Q1 /V". In other words, it can be seen that the smaller " _Q1 /V" is made, the shorter "T1-T0" can be made.

It should be noted that " _Q1 /V=0" (i.e., " _Q1 =0") is not preferable because the sterilizing gas generated and supplied by the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 may flow back through the blower mechanism 30 and the air introduction path 31 and be released outside the housing 10. For this reason, " _Q1 >0" is a necessary condition in the present invention.

4 is a graph showing the change in the amount "D" of sterilizing gas removed by the detoxification mechanism when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 in the gas fumigation mode to the volume V of the clothing storage chamber is used as a parameter. As shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen that "D" increases monotonically with an increase in " _Q1 /V". In other words, it can be seen that "D" can be reduced as " _Q1 /V" is made smaller. A reduction in the amount D (g) of sterilizing gas removed by the detoxification mechanism 50 means a reduction in the burden on the detoxification filters, which leads to suppression of increases in the maintenance costs of the detoxification filters.

From the results of Figures 3 and 4, it is clear that in gas fumigation mode M1, it is preferable to reduce "Q ₁ /V", which makes it possible to shorten "T1 - T0" and suppress increases in the maintenance costs of abatement filters.

Next, we will explain the abatement mode M2.

In the decontamination mode M2, the controller 35 stops the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 while operating the air blowing mechanism 30. The air blowing mechanism 30 takes in air from outside the housing 10 via the air introduction passage 31 and blows it to the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 at a second air blowing flow rate _Q2 ( ^m3 /s). Since the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 is stopped, air not containing sterilizing gas passes through the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 and is introduced into the clothing storage chamber 20 via the sterilizing gas flow path 41 and the sterilizing gas introduction passage 23.

The air introduced into the clothing storage chamber 20 reaches the decontamination mechanism 50 via the sterilizing gas exhaust passage 24 and the sterilizing gas flow passage 51 while diluting the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/ ^m3 ) in the clothing storage chamber 20. The sterilizing gas exhausted from the clothing storage chamber 20 becomes air whose concentration has been reduced to a safe concentration or lower by the decontamination mechanism 50, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 10 via the air exhaust passage 52.

As described above, in the decontamination mode M2, the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40 is stopped, so that the introduction rate of the sterilizing gas in formula (1) becomes "v _i = 0." That is, the following formula (8) is established.

Since the flow rate discharged from the sterilizing gas discharge path 24 is the same as the second blowing flow rate _Q2 ( ^m3 /s) of the blowing mechanism 30 in the decontamination mode M2, the discharge rate v _e (g/s) of the sterilizing gas is expressed by the following equation (9) as a function of the second blowing flow rate _Q2 ( ^m3 /s) and the sterilizing gas concentration C (g/ ^m3 ).

Substituting equations (2) and (9) into equation (8) to solve the differential equation, if the sterilizing gas concentration in the clothing storage compartment 20 at the end of the gas fumigation mode M1 (time T1) is C _T1 (g/m ³ ), the following equation (10) is obtained.

Since the abatement mode M2 is an operation mode for reducing the sterilizing gas concentration to the safe concentration _C1 , the required time “T2-T1” is expressed as the following equation (11) by substituting _C1 for C in equation (10) and solving equation (10) for time t (s).

Based on formula (11), the relationship between "T2 - T1" and " _Q2 /V" was investigated. Note that since the sterilizing gas concentration C _T1 (g/ ^m3 ) in the clothing storage room 20 at time T1 varies depending on how the gas fumigation mode M1 is operated, the standardized required time "( _T2 - T1)/ln( _C1 /C _T1 )" obtained by standardizing "T2 - T1" by the natural logarithm of the ratio of C _T1 to C1, "ln( _C1 /C _T1 )", was used as an index. The volume V ( ^m3 ) of the clothing storage room 20 and the reaction constant k ( ^m3 /s) of the sterilizing action were the same as above.

Figure 5 is a graph showing the change in normalized required time "(T2 - T1)/ln(C1/ _CT1 )" when the ratio " _Q2 /V" between the second air flow rate _Q2 in abatement mode and the volume V of the clothing storage compartment is used as a parameter. As shown in Figure 5, it can be seen that "(T2 - T1)/ln( _C1 / _CT1 )" monotonically decreases exponentially with an increase in " _Q2 /V". In other words, it can be seen that the larger " _Q2 /V" is made, the shorter "( _T2 - T1)/ln( _C1 / _CT1 )" can be made.

From equations (6) and (11), the time required for the entire operation process M, "T2 - T0", is expressed as the following equation (12).

3 to 5, it was found that it is preferable to make the first air flow rate _Q1 in the gas fumigation mode M1 as small as possible and to make the second air flow rate _Q2 in the abatement mode M2 as large as possible in order to shorten the time "T2-T0" required for the entire operation process M. In addition, by making the first air flow rate _Q1 in the gas fumigation mode M1 small, the amount of sterilizing gas abatement D(g) in the abatement mechanism 50 can be reduced, which is thought to lead to suppression of increases in the maintenance costs of the abatement filters.

As an example, the relationship between "T2 - T0" and " _Q1 /V" was investigated when " _Q2 / _Q1 = ₃ " was set based on equation ( ₁₂ ). Figure 6 is a graph showing the change in the required time "T2 - T0" for the entire operation process M when the ratio " _Q1 /V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment is used as a parameter when the ratio of the _second air flow rate Q2 to the first air flow rate Q1 is " _Q2 /Q1 = 3". The volume V ( ^m3 ) of the clothing storage compartment 20 and the reaction constant k ( ^m3 /s) of the sterilization action were the same as described above.

As shown in Figure 6, "T2 - T0" shows a downward convex curve with respect to the increase in "Q ₁ /V", and it was found that an appropriate "Q ₁ /V" exists to shorten "T2 - T0". It was also confirmed that the minimum value "T2 - T0 = 40 (min) = 40 x 60 (s)" can be achieved at "Q ₁ /V = 13.8 x ^{10 -4} (s ^-1 )".

Based on the results of Fig. 6, the relationship between " _Q2 / _Q1 " and the minimum value of "T2-T0" was investigated. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the change in the minimum value of " _T2 - _T0 ", the time required for the entire operation process M, when the ratio of the second air flow rate _Q2 to the first air flow rate _Q1 is set as the parameter "Q2/Q1". The volume V ( ^m3 ) of the clothing storage compartment 20 and the reaction constant k ( ^m3 /s) of the sterilization action were the same as described above.

As shown in Figure 7, it can be seen that the minimum value of "T2 - T0" decreases monotonically and exponentially with increasing " _Q2 / _Q1 ." It was also found that when " _Q2 / _Q1 >1", the minimum value of "T2 - T0" is 50 minutes or less, when " _Q2 / _Q1 >3", the minimum value of "T2 - T0" is 40 minutes or less, and when " _Q2 / _Q1 >18", the minimum value of "T2 - T0" is 30 minutes or less.

Here, the control of the first airflow rate _Q1 and the second airflow rate _Q2 will be considered. Air blowers are usually configured to be able to control the airflow rate within a certain range using various control methods. For example, in an axial fan whose operating speed can be controlled using pulse width modulation control (PWM control), the ratio of the minimum speed (minimum airflow rate) to the maximum speed (maximum airflow rate) is about 1:5. In other words, with conventional control methods, the limit is thought to be about _Q2 / _Q1 ≦5.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention conducted extensive research into a method for increasing " _Q2 / _Q1 " with one blower. As a result, they discovered that the time-average flow rate can be significantly reduced by performing intermittent ON/OFF control on the blower when controlling the first blower flow rate _Q1 in addition to the conventional PWM control, and confirmed that the ratio can be increased to " _Q2 / _Q1 ≦30".

As mentioned above, the more " _Q2 / _Q1 " is increased, the smaller the minimum value of "T2-T0". Looking at FIG. 7 in more detail, it can be seen that even if " _Q2 / _Q1 >30", the decrease in the minimum value of "T2-T0" is small. From this, it can be said that even if two blowers are used to achieve " _Q2 / _Q1 >30", the effect of increasing the cost of the device is small. In other words, from the viewpoint of cost-effectiveness, it is more preferable in the sterilization deodorizer according to the present invention to use one blower as the blower mechanism 30 and control it so that "3≦ _Q2 / _Q1 ≦30".

As another example of " _Q1 /V" control, the relationship between "T2-T0" and " _Q1 /V" was investigated when " _Q2 / _Q1 =30" was set based on equation ( ₁₂ ). Figure 8 is a graph showing the _change in the required time "T2-T0" for the entire operating process M when the ratio "Q1/V" of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment is used as a parameter when the ratio of the second air flow rate _Q2 to the first air flow rate Q1 is " _Q2 / _Q1 =30". The volume V ( ^m3 ) of the clothing storage compartment 20 and the reaction constant k ( ^m3 /s) of the sterilization action were the same as described above.

As in Figure 6, Figure 8 also shows that "T2 - T0" shows a downward convex curve as " _Q1 /V" increases. It is confirmed that "T2 - T0 ≦40 (min)" is satisfied in the range of "0.8× ^10-4 (s ^-1 ) ≦ _Q1 /V ≦ 26.2× ^10-4 (s ^{- 1} )," and that "T2 - T0 ≦ 30 (min)" is satisfied in the range of " _2.7 × ^10-4 (s ^- 1) ≦ Q1/V ≦ 11.4× ^10-4 (s-1)."

Based on the results of Figures 6 to 8, the relationship between " _Q1 /V" and " _Q2 / _Q1 " to satisfy "T2-T0≦40 (min)" was investigated. Figure 9 is a map showing the range of "Q1/V", the ratio of the first air flow rate _Q1 to the volume V of the clothing storage compartment, and " _Q2 /Q1", the ratio of the second air flow rate _Q2 to the first air flow rate _Q1, which can achieve the time required for the entire operating process " _T2 -T0≦40 (min)". The map also shows the range _where "T2-T0≦30 (min)" is achieved.

As shown in Figure 9, by controlling the first air flow rate Q1 and the second air flow rate _Q2 so that "0.8 x ^10-4 (s ^-1 ) ≤ _Q1 /V ≤ 26.2 ^{x 10-4} (s ^-1 )" and "3 ≤ _Q2 / _Q1 ≤ ₃₀ ", the required time for the entire operation process M can be achieved as "T2 - T0 ≤ 40 (min)".

[Second embodiment]
(Structure of the sterilization and deodorization machine)
Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sterilization deodorizer according to the second embodiment. The sterilization deodorizer 101 shown in Fig. 10 does not have the air inlet passage 31 for taking in air from outside the housing 10 and the air outlet passage 52 for discharging air to the outside of the housing 10 in the sterilization deodorizer 100 of the first embodiment, but instead has an air blowing mechanism 30 and a deodorization mechanism 50 connected via an air circulation passage 53, and the air blowing mechanism 30, the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40, the clothing storage chamber 20, and the deodorization mechanism 50 form a circulation passage in that order, which is different from the sterilization deodorizer 100 of the first embodiment, but is otherwise the same.

The blower mechanism 30 sucks in the air that has been detoxified by the detoxification mechanism 50, so even if a circulation flow path is formed, it can prevent corrosion caused by the sterilizing gas. In addition, since a circulation flow path is formed, there is an advantage that the inside of the clothing storage chamber 20 is less likely to become positive pressure, which makes it possible to better prevent leakage of the sterilizing gas from the clothing storage chamber 20.

Other effects and operating processes are the same as in the first embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
(Structure of the sterilization and deodorization machine)
11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sterilization deodorizer according to the third embodiment. The sterilization deodorizer 102 according to the third embodiment forms a circulation flow path similar to that of the second embodiment, but differs from the sterilization deodorizer 101 of the second embodiment in that an air dehumidification mechanism 70 for reducing moisture in the air and an air heating mechanism 80 for heating the dehumidified air are further provided between the detoxification mechanism 50 and the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40, but the rest is almost the same.

The sterilization and deodorization machine 102 has an air dehumidification mechanism 70 and an air heating mechanism 80, and therefore has a clothing drying function in addition to sterilization and deodorization functions. In other words, it can be used as a clothes drying, sterilization, and deodorization machine. However, it is preferable to perform the clothes drying process and the clothes sterilization process separately, and it is even more preferable to perform the clothes sterilization process after the clothes drying process.

Below, only the differences from the first and second embodiments will be explained.

The air dehumidification mechanism 70 exchanges heat between the air discharged from the exhaust port 24' and the outside air to reduce the moisture in the discharged air and turn it into dry air. There are no particular limitations on the air dehumidification mechanism, and any known dehumidification device can be used as long as it can reduce the moisture in the air and turn it into dry air.

In FIG. 11, the air dehumidification mechanism 70 is depicted as a dehumidification blower fan that also functions as a blower mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air dehumidification mechanism 70 may be configured as a single-function dehumidification device, and a blower mechanism similar to that of the first and second embodiments may be separately disposed between the air dehumidification mechanism 70 and the sterilizing gas supply mechanism 40.

The air heating mechanism 80 is a mechanism that heats the dehumidified dry air. There are no particular limitations on the air heating mechanism as long as it can heat the air, and any known heating device (e.g., electric heater, heat pump) can be used as appropriate.

Although the lint filter 90 is not a required component, it is preferable to place it upstream of the decontamination mechanism 50 so that the decontamination mechanism 50 does not become clogged with dust, lint, etc. from the clothes in the clothing storage chamber 20.

In the sterilization and deodorization machine 102, the air discharged from the clothing storage chamber 20 passes through the decontamination mechanism 50 to become decontaminated air, so even during the clothing sterilization process, the air dehumidification mechanism 70 and air heating mechanism 80 arranged in the circulation flow path can be protected from corrosion caused by the sterilizing gas.

The above-mentioned embodiments have been described to aid in understanding the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations described. For example, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of the embodiments with configurations that are within the technical common sense of a person skilled in the art, and it is also possible to add configurations that are within the technical common sense of a person skilled in the art to the configuration of the embodiments. In other words, it is possible to delete, replace, or add other configurations to part of the configuration of the embodiments of this specification, as long as it does not deviate from the technical idea of the invention.

100, 101, 102... Sterilization and deodorization machine,
10... housing, 15... ventilation mechanism, 16... removal filter, 17... ventilation fan,
20: clothing storage compartment; 21: rotating shaft; 22: front support ring;
23: sterilizing gas inlet passage, 24: sterilizing gas outlet passage, 24': outlet port, 25: front door,
30 ... air blowing mechanism, 31 ... air introduction passage, 35 ... controller,
40...sterilizing gas supply mechanism, 41...sterilizing gas flow path,
50: Harm removal mechanism, 51: Sterilizing gas flow path, 52: Air exhaust path, 53: Air circulation path,
60... drum rotation mechanism, 61... electric motor, 62... drum drive belt,
70...air dehumidification mechanism, 80...air heating mechanism, 90...lint filter.

Claims (8)

A clothing sterilization and deodorization machine,
the clothing storage chamber includes a clothing storage chamber for storing the clothing, a blowing mechanism for blowing air into the clothing storage chamber, a sterilizing gas supply mechanism connected between the blowing mechanism and the clothing storage chamber for supplying a sterilizing gas, a controller for controlling the blowing mechanism and the sterilizing gas supply mechanism, a detoxification mechanism for detoxifying the sterilizing gas discharged from the clothing storage chamber, a housing for accommodating the clothing storage chamber, the blowing mechanism, the sterilizing gas supply mechanism, the controller, and the detoxification mechanism, and a front door for opening and closing the clothing storage chamber,
The controller is configured to control at least two types of air flow rates, a first air flow rate _Q1 ( ^m3 /s) in a gas fumigation mode and a second air flow rate _Q2 ( ^m3 /s) in an abatement mode, for the air blowing mechanism;
Q ₂ ＞Q ₁ ＞0 , and

k: reaction constant of the sterilization action of the sterilizing gas (m3 ^/ s),
W( ): Lambert's omega function,
v _i : mass flow rate (g/s) of the sterilizing gas supplied;
C _CT : CT value converted from the unit "ppm x min" to "(g/m3 ⁾ x s"
C1 : _The safe concentration/work environment standard of the sterilizing gas; and
C _T1 : Mass concentration (g/m ³ ) of the sterilizing gas in the clothing storage compartment at the end of the gas fumigation mode (time T1) ;
_Q1 and Q2 _are controlled so as to satisfy the following :
A sterilizing and deodorizing machine characterized by the above. The sterilizing and deodorizing machine according to claim 1,
The controller is configured _{to :}
The sterilization and deodorization machine is characterized in that _Q1 and _Q2 are controlled so as to satisfy the above. The sterilization and deodorization machine according to claim 2,
The controller:
0.8×10 ^-4 (s ^-1 ) ≦ Q _{1 /} V ≦ 26.2×10 ^-4 (s ^-1 ) for the volume V (m ³ ) of the clothing storage room
A sterilization and deodorization machine characterized in that _Q1 is controlled so as to satisfy the following: The sterilization deodorizer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The air blowing mechanism takes in air from outside the housing through an air introduction passage,
The sterilization and deodorization machine is characterized in that the deodorization mechanism is configured to exhaust air to the outside of the housing through an air exhaust path. The sterilization and deodorization machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The abatement mechanism is connected to the blower mechanism via an air circulation path,
A sterilizing deodorizer characterized in that the air blowing mechanism, the sterilizing gas supply mechanism, the clothing storage chamber, and the deodorizing mechanism are configured to form a circulation flow path in that order. The sterilization and deodorization machine according to claim 5 ,
A sterilization and deodorization machine characterized in that an air dehumidification mechanism for reducing moisture in the air and an air heating mechanism for heating the dehumidified air are further disposed in the circulation flow path. The sterilization and deodorization machine according to claim 6 ,
A sterilizing deodorizer further comprising a lint filter disposed upstream of the sterilizing mechanism. The sterilization deodorizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The garment storage chamber comprises a rotatable drum;
A sterilizing deodorizer further comprising a drum rotating mechanism for rotating the drum.

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