JPH0223307Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] a. Purpose of the invention (industrial application field) The steam sterilizer with a compressed air-driven valve device according to this invention is used in hospitals to sterilize patient's clothes and surgical tools. Regarding steam sterilizers, when electricity is normally transmitted, high-temperature steam is sent into the sterilization container for sterilization, and in the event of a power outage, the steam supply to the sterilization container is automatically stopped and the container is filled with steam. This steam sterilizer is equipped with a compressed air-driven valve device that allows the steam to be discharged and the door to be opened safely.

(Prior Art) Steam sterilizers that send high-temperature steam into a sterilization container to sterilize objects to be sterilized stored in the sterilization container are widely used in hospitals and the like. Such steam sterilizers are equipped with a steam supply pipe for sending high-temperature steam into the sterilization container and a steam exhaust pipe for discharging the high-temperature steam filled in the sterilization container. An on-off valve installed in the middle of the pipe is controlled to open and close according to the operating status of the steam sterilizer.

However, in the past, the opening/closing control of a plurality of on-off valves was performed in conjunction with mechanical means, resulting in a complicated and expensive control device. That is, by fixing the same number of cams as the on-off valves to be controlled to a shaft that is rotationally driven by a motor, and connecting one end of the boat wire that pushes and pulls the inner cable as the cams rotate, to the on-off valves. ,
Since the opening and closing of multiple on-off valves was centrally controlled, the cams were difficult to work with, requiring a motor with a large driving force, and the production costs were high. In addition, in steam sterilizers like this, which use only a motor to rotate the cam and operate the valves, if the power goes out, the valves cannot be operated, so if the door is suddenly opened to take out the object to be sterilized from the sterilization container, Due to the pressure of the steam filled in the sterilization container, the door may open suddenly and collide with the worker, injuring him or causing burns from the steam blown out.

The steam sterilizer with the compressed air driven valve device of the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages.

b. Structure of the invention (means for solving the problem) The steam sterilizer with the compressed air-driven valve device of the invention is configured so that the valve is opened and closed by an air cylinder, and the compressed air source and the air cylinder are connected to each other. An electromagnetic three-way valve is installed in the middle of the air pipe connecting the two.

That is, the valve 1 constituting the valve device of the present invention has a first
As shown in the figure, a valve plate 2 for controlling the opening and closing of the steam flow path is driven by an air cylinder 4 via a rod 3. More specifically, in the middle of the tubular valve casing 7 having a steam inlet 5 and a steam outlet 6 at both ends, there is a partition wall that partitions the steam inlet 5 and the steam outlet 6 and has a horizontal opening 8 in the center. There are 9. A valve plate 2 for opening and closing the opening 8 is provided below the partition wall 9, and the upper surface of the valve plate 2 is pressed against the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the opening 8 by a spring 10. The lower end of the rod 3 is brought into contact with the center of the upper surface of the valve plate 2.

On the other hand, a connecting cylinder 12 having a flange 11 formed on the upper outer peripheral surface is fixed to the upper part of the valve housing 7, and an air cylinder 4 is fixed to the upper end of this connecting cylinder 12.
Piston 13 fitted in this air cylinder 4
The upper end of the aforementioned rod 3 is fixed to the center of the piston 13 so that the movement of the piston 13 is transmitted to the valve plate 2 via the rod 3. An air inlet 14 is provided at the top of the air cylinder 4 for feeding compressed air into the air cylinder 4, and an exhaust port 15 is provided at the side of the connecting tube 12 for discharging air present below the piston 13. Each is provided. Reference numeral 16 denotes a bellows, the upper end of which is airtightly fixed to the upper end of the rod 3, and the lower end of which is airtightly held between the lower end surface of the connecting tube 12 and the valve housing 7. is prevented from entering into the air cylinder 4.

In the valve 1 configured as described above, when compressed air is sent to the upper side of the piston 13 of the air cylinder 4 through the air supply port 14, the valve plate 2 is moved by the spring 10.
The steam inlet 5 and steam outlet 6 of the valve housing 7 are brought into communication with each other by being pushed down against the elasticity of the valve housing 7.

Next, the portion that supplies compressed air to the valve 1 configured as described above is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, an electromagnetic three-way valve is installed in the middle of an air supply pipe 18 that connects a compressed air source 17 such as a compressor and the air supply port 14 (FIG. 1) of the air cylinder 4 in the upper part of the valve 1. There are 19. This three-way valve 19
The flow path is switched between when energized and when not energized.
For example, when the valve 1 having the structure shown in Fig. 1 is installed in the middle of a steam exhaust pipe for discharging high-temperature steam in a sterilization container, the three-way valve 19 switches as shown in Fig. 2 when the electricity is not applied. The compressed air source 17 and the air supply port 14 of the air cylinder 4 are brought into communication, and the piston 13 is pushed down to open the valve 1. Conversely, when electricity is applied, the state is switched to the state shown in FIG. 3, and the air supply port 14 is communicated with the atmosphere. The elasticity of the spring 10 acts to close the valve 12.

Furthermore, when the valve 1 as shown in FIG. When energized, the compressed air source 17 and the air supply port 14 of the air cylinder 4 are communicated with each other to open the valve 1, as shown in FIG. The valve 1 is closed with the port 14 communicating with the atmosphere.

A steam sterilizer using such a valve has a boiler 25 and a sterilization container 2, as shown in Fig. 5, which shows the state when electricity is being transmitted, and Fig. 6, which shows the state during a power outage.
The valve 1a provided in the steam supply pipe 23 that communicates with the
A three-way valve 19a is provided on the air supply pipe 18a (same as valve 1 above), and a three-way valve 19a is provided on the steam exhaust pipe 24 (valve 1
A three-way valve 19b is provided on the air supply pipe 18b to the air supply pipe 18b.

(Function) In the steam sterilizer having the compressed air driven valve device of the present invention configured as described above, the steam supply pipe 23 Compressed air is supplied to the air cylinders 4 of the valves 1a and 1b provided in the steam exhaust pipe 24, respectively, and the opening and closing of these valves is controlled. That is,
As shown schematically in FIG. 5, when high-temperature steam is sent from the boiler 25 into the sterilization container 22, air is used to drive the valve 1a provided in the steam supply pipe 23 and the valve 1b provided in the steam discharge pipe 24. Three-way valve 19 provided in each of the air pipes 18a and 18b leading to the cylinder
Both a and 19b are energized. This results in
The valve 1a of the steam supply pipe 23 is opened, and the steam exhaust pipe 2
The valve 1b of No. 4 is closed, and the sterilization container 22 is filled with high-temperature steam. To discharge the steam in the sterilization container, conversely, without energizing any three-way valve, close the valve 1a of the steam supply pipe 23 and open the valve 1b of the steam discharge pipe 24, as shown in Fig. 6. .

Whether or not to energize each three-way valve in accordance with the sterilization process is determined by storing it in a microcomputer, etc. However, in the event of a power outage, none of the three-way valves is energized, so the valve of the steam supply pipe 23 is changed as shown in Fig. 6. 1a is closed, and the valve 1b of the steam exhaust pipe 24 is opened and switched to exhaust the high temperature steam in the sterilization container.

Therefore, even if it is desired to quickly take out the objects to be sterilized in the sterilization container during a power outage, high-temperature pressure steam will not remain in the sterilization container, and the objects to be sterilized can be taken out safely. During a power outage, the compressor also stops, but the amount of compressed air remaining in the pressure storage tank is sufficient to open the valve 1 provided in the middle of the steam exhaust pipe.

(Application example) In the valve 1 shown in Fig. 1, the valve housing 7
Since the air cylinder 4 is provided at the top of the connecting tube 12 fixed to the top of the valve housing 7, the heat of the high-temperature steam flowing inside the valve housing 7 is transmitted to the air cylinder 4, which accelerates the deterioration of the packing 20 fitted to the outer periphery of the piston 13. To prevent this, if the main body of the valve 1 and the air cylinder 4 are separated and connected by rods 21, 21 as shown in FIG. 4, the amount of heat conducted to the air cylinder 4 can be reduced. can be kept to a minimum.

c Effect of the invention The steam sterilizer with the compressed air-driven valve device of the invention is constructed and operates as described above, but the control part that controls opening and closing of the valve is simple, so the entire device can be manufactured at low cost. In the event of a power outage, the steam inside the sterilization container will be released, so there is a risk that the sterilizer door will open suddenly due to the steam pressure when removing the items to be sterilized from the container, putting workers at risk of harm. You can work safely without any problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a half-part vertical side view showing a first example of a valve incorporated in the valve device used in the present invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are schematic side views showing the compressed air supply section in a three-way valve state. , Fig. 4 is a partial vertical side view showing a second example of the valve, Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a steam sterilizer showing the operating state of the valve device when electricity is applied, and Fig. 6 is a steam sterilizer showing the same state during a power outage. This is a schematic diagram of the vessel. 1, 1a, 1b: valve, 2: valve plate, 3: rod,
4: Air cylinder, 5: Steam inlet, 6: Steam outlet, 7: Valve housing, 8: Opening, 9: Partition wall, 10: Spring, 11: Flange, 12: Connection tube, 13: Piston, 14: Air supply Port, 15: Exhaust port, 16: Bellows, 17: Compressed air source, 18: Air pipe, 19,
19a, 19b: Three-way valve, 20: Packing, 2
1: rod, 22: sterile container, 23: steam supply pipe, 24: steam discharge pipe, 25: boiler.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Steam supply pipe 2 that sends steam into the sterilization container 22
3 and a steam exhaust pipe 24 for discharging steam from the sterilization container, the steam supply pipe 23 and the steam exhaust pipe 24 are usually elastically closed to each other, and air is injected into the steam sterilizer. Valves 1a and 1b are provided which are driven by the cylinders to open passages, and the air supply pipes 18a and 18b, which connect these air cylinders and the compressed air source, are provided with valves 1a and 1b that are driven by the cylinders to open passages. Electromagnetic three-way valves 19a and 19b are provided to switch between the two, and the three-way valve 19a, which is provided in the air supply pipe 18a leading to the air cylinder for opening and closing the valve 1a provided in the steam supply pipe 23, opens and closes the valve 1a provided in the steam supply pipe 23. The valve 1a of the steam supply pipe 23 connects the source and this air cylinder.
When the air cylinder is not energized, the air cylinder is opened to the atmosphere and the valve 1a of the steam supply pipe is closed by elasticity.
The three-way valve 19b provided in the steam exhaust pipe 24 opens the air cylinder to the atmosphere when energized.
This steam sterilizer has a compressed air-driven valve device in which valve 1b of the steam exhaust pipe 24 is opened by communicating the air cylinder with a compressed air source when the air cylinder is not energized.