JPH0225398Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (1) Industrial application field The present invention relates to an improvement of a sterilizer used for sterilizing and disinfecting various medical instruments.

In hospitals and clinics, it is essential to disinfect various medical instruments such as injection instruments, gauze and tweezers.

The same goes for scalpels, forceps, etc. used in surgical operations, which must be sufficiently sterilized in a short period of time and with 100% certainty in case of an emergency.

The invention of the present application satisfies these demands.

(2) Prior art Among the conventionally known disinfection devices of this type, the one that is considered to be the most advanced involves storing and sealing the object to be disinfected in a pressure-resistant container, and then supplying and accumulating high-temperature, high-pressure steam in the container. Some products undergo high-temperature sterilization.

(3) Problems that the invention aims to solve The above-mentioned sterilization device performs sterilization work by generating high-temperature, high-pressure steam in a pressure-resistant container.
There is a problem with the treatment of air that remains inside the pressure container.

In other words, if air has already accumulated in the pressure vessel, and if high-temperature, high-pressure steam is supplied while keeping it airtight, there will be a limit to the temperature rise as the steam does not reach saturation inside the pressure vessel. Furthermore, in the past, the treatment of residual air within the pressure vessel was extremely incomplete.

(4) Means for solving the problems The present invention aims to provide an innovative sterilization device devised to solve the above-mentioned difficulties of the conventional sterilization device. The system includes a tank that has an opening/closing lid on one side and a water tank inside, an electric heater that heats the water in the tank to a high temperature, and a tank that senses the internal pressure of the tank and reaches a predetermined set pressure. The exhaust valve mechanism includes a pressure regulating means that opens the electric circuit of the electric heater when the tank internal pressure rises, and an exhaust valve mechanism that exhausts internal air as the internal pressure of the tank increases. A valve body having an exhaust port on one side, which can shield the exhaust port when in close contact with the tank, and allow the exhaust port to communicate with the inside of the tank when separated. is mounted so that it is always biased in the direction of opening the exhaust port via a spring mechanism, and a piston is provided on the other side that can protrude and press the valve body toward the exhaust port when the temperature rises to a predetermined temperature. It is equipped with a temperature sensing element.

(5) Embodiment The specific contents of the present invention will be explained below based on an illustrated embodiment. 1 is a tank, 4 is a tank,
1 is an electric heater, 7 is a pressure regulating means, 11 is a water tank, 13 is a timer, and 14 is an exhaust valve mechanism.

The tank 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has an opening/closing lid 2 attached to one side so as to be openable and closable, and a handle 5 is provided in the center of the opening/closing lid 2.

Furthermore, the tank 1 is provided with a pressure gauge 6 and has a water tank section 3 at its inner bottom, and an electric heater 4 is provided in the water tank section.

The electric heater 4 has its lead wire taken out to the outside of the tank 1, and one end thereof is connected to a power source, and the other end is connected to the same power source via a switch 9 and a timer 13.

Further, 8 indicates a bellows, which constitutes a pressure regulating means 7 in relation to the switch 9 described above. , and a switch 9 that is opened by the tip of the bellows 8 to open the electric circuit of the electric heater 4, and one end of the switch 9 is connected to the electric heater 4.
In addition, the other end is connected to a power supply section via a timer 13.

The water tank 11 has a water level gauge (not shown) on the side and is filled with water, and has a built-in capacitor 12 spirally wound in the horizontal direction. It is communicated with the inside of the water tank section 3 mentioned above through.

The exhaust valve mechanism 14 includes an internally hollow cylindrical body 15 having a predetermined length and a substantially middle portion of the cylindrical body that protrudes laterally, and communicates the internal hollow portion with the outside. The communication port 16 and the exhaust port 1 are installed in the center of the cylindrical body 15 on one side in the longitudinal direction.
8, a valve body 19 that shields the exhaust port 18, and a temperature sensing element 28 mounted on the other side of the cylindrical body 15.

Inside the cylindrical body 15, the valve body 19 is always urged by a coil spring 21 in a direction to open and separate from the exhaust port 18, and a coil spring 25 is placed between the valve body 19 and a spring guide 22 in the rearward direction. The internal hollow spacer 2 is always biased and held in the direction of the temperature sensing element 28 through the spacer 2.
3 is located, and a bush 26 is fitted on one side of the hollow interior of the spacer 23,
A coil spring 24 is interposed between the bush 26 and the other side, so that the tip of the valve body 1 always has the above-mentioned shape.
A bush 20 biased toward 9 is fitted.

The temperature sensing element 28 is a piston 27 that can be freely retracted.
The interior of the piston 27 is filled with a solid temperature-sensitive flux, which melts and liquefies when the temperature reaches 80 to 90 DEG C., increasing its volume and causing the piston 27 to protrude.

In addition, in the figure, 29 and 30 are airtight O
Showing the ring.

The exhaust valve mechanism 14 configured as described above has a communication port 16 protruding from its side surface continuously communicating with the tank 1, and an exhaust port 18 of the joint 17 is connected to the water tank 11.

(6) Effect In the configuration of the embodiment described above, after sufficient water is injected into the water tank 3 in the tank 1, the timer 13
Then, the circuit of the pressure regulating means 7 is closed, and energization of the electric heater 4 is started.

As a result, the interior of the tank 1 is gradually filled with high-temperature steam generated by being heated by the electric heater 4. At that time, the air remaining in the tank 1 is expelled to the exhaust valve mechanism 14 according to the increase in the amount of high-temperature steam, and in the exhaust valve mechanism 14, the air passes through the communication port 16 through the slit 22a of the spring guide 22, and then passes through the exhaust port 18. is gradually exhausted. tank 1
When most of the air inside was exhausted and high-temperature steam began to pass through the exhaust valve mechanism 14, the exhaust valve mechanism 14 was gradually heated until the flux inside the temperature sensing element 28 reached 80°C or higher. At this time, the flux gradually liquefies and increases in volume, and as a result, the piston 27 is moved by the bush 26 and the spacer 23.
The valve body 19 is pushed out through the bush 20 toward the exhaust port 18, and this pushing force causes the valve body 19 to be pushed out.
is pressed against the exhaust port 18 against the elastic force of the coil spring 21, thereby blocking the exhaust port 18.

When the exhaust port 18 is completely shielded and the vapor pressure in the tank 1 reaches a preset value, the pressure regulating means 7 is activated.

That is, the bellows 8 is pressed and moved by the internal pressure of the tank 1, and its tip comes into contact with the switch 9 to open the switch 9 and de-energize the electric heater 4 described above.

In this state, the medical instruments to be sterilized and previously stored in the tank 1 are sufficiently sterilized.

In this case, since the temperature sensing element 28 of the exhaust valve mechanism 14 through which steam no longer passes is gradually cooled, when the flux solidifies and the piston 27 contracts, the coil spring 25 causes the bush 20 to move together with the spacer 23. However, even in this case, the valve body 19 is still under the pressure inside the tank 1, so the exhaust port 18 remains blocked, preventing wasteful steam from flowing out. do not have.

When the preset energization time of the timer 13 has elapsed, the solenoid valve 10 is automatically opened, and the water and steam in the tank section 3 of the tank 1 are stored through the solenoid valve 10 due to the pressure inside the tank. The condenser 12 in the water storage tank
The water is cooled sufficiently by passing through the water storage tank 1.
1 is reduced as water.

As the pressure within the tank 1 gradually decreases in this manner, the valve body 19 is pushed up by the action of the coil spring 21 within the exhaust valve mechanism 14, opening the exhaust port 18 and returning to the initial state.

In this manner, the sterilized object to be sterilized can be taken out by operating the handle 5 and opening the opening/closing lid 2.

(7) Effects of the invention The present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and includes an exhaust valve mechanism attached to the tank, and in particular, the exhaust valve mechanism communicates the central part of a cylindrical body of a predetermined length with the inside of the tank. , further has an exhaust port on one side,
A valve body that can shield the exhaust port and allow the exhaust port to communicate with the inside of the tank when separated is attached to the exhaust port so as to be always biased in the direction of opening the exhaust port via a spring mechanism. At the same time, the other side is equipped with a temperature-sensitive element equipped with a piston that can protrude and press the valve body toward the exhaust port when the temperature rises to a predetermined temperature. When filling the tank with air, the accumulated air in the tank can be sequentially discharged to the outside through the exhaust valve mechanism, which not only saturates the tank with high-pressure steam to improve the sterilization effect, but also improves the sterilization effect during sterilization. Even when the temperature-sensing element cools down sequentially, the valve body presses against the exhaust port due to the internal pressure of the tank, completely shielding it, preventing the steam inside the tank from accidentally leaking out and ensuring ideal sterilization work at all times. It has various beneficial effects.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of a sterilization device which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of an exhaust valve mechanism attached to the device of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Tank, 3...Water tank part, 4...Electric heater, 7...Pressure adjustment means, 10...Solenoid shut-off valve, 11...Water tank, 12...Capacitor, 13
...Timer, 14...Exhaust valve mechanism, 15...Cylindrical body, 16...Communication port, 17...Joint, 18...
Exhaust port, 19... Valve body, 20... Bush, 22
... Spring guide, 23 ... Spacer, 2
6...Butsuyu, 27...Piston, 28...Temperature sensing element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A tank that has an opening/closing lid on one side and a water tank inside, an electric heater that heats the water in the tank to a high temperature, and an electric heater that senses the tank internal pressure and when the pressure reaches a predetermined set value. It consists of a pressure regulating means for opening the electric circuit of the heater, and an exhaust valve mechanism for discharging internal air as the internal pressure of the tank increases, and the exhaust valve mechanism is configured to insert the central part of a cylindrical body of a predetermined length into the tank. A spring mechanism is connected to the valve body, which has an exhaust port on one side, can be shielded from the exhaust port, and can communicate the exhaust port with the inside of the tank when separated. A temperature-sensitive element is installed so that it is always biased in the direction of opening the exhaust port through the valve, and the other side is equipped with a piston that can protrude and press the valve body toward the exhaust port when the temperature rises to a predetermined temperature. A sterilization device equipped with