JPH0246358Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] a. Purpose of the invention (industrial application field) The steam sterilizer according to this invention is used in hospitals, clinics, etc. to clean used medical instruments before reusing them. , used for sterilization.

(Prior Art) In hospitals, clinics, etc., used medical instruments and the like are sterilized before being reused.

As a steam sterilizer used in such cases, a steam sterilizer as shown in FIG. 3 is conventionally known. To begin with, this conventional steam sterilizer will be described. This steam sterilizer is equipped with an electric heater 3 at the bottom of a bottomed horizontal cylindrical sterilization container 2 having a lid 1 that can be opened and closed. The water supplied to the bottom of the sterilization container 2 is heated and evaporated to fill the sterilization container 2 with high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor, thereby sterilizing the objects on the shelf 4 provided in the sterilization container 2. ing. 5 is a water storage tank for storing water to be supplied to the bottom of the sterilization container 2, and an on-off valve 6 is provided between the water storage tank 5 and the sterilization container 2.
It is communicated by a pipe 7 provided with. Reference numeral 8 denotes a filter net for preventing thread waste etc. mixed into the water from being sent into the water storage tank 5 when the water in the sterilization container 2 is returned to the water storage tank 5 after the sterilization work is completed.

When sterilizing objects to be sterilized using the conventional steam sterilizer configured as described above, after storing the objects in the sterilization container 2 and closing the lid 1, the heater 3 is energized. The water that has been sent into the sterilization container 2 in advance is heated and steamed to fill the sterilization container 2 with high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor, thereby sterilizing the object to be sterilized.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional steam sterilizer constructed and operated as described above has the following disadvantages.

That is, if energization to the heater 3 is started without supplying water into the sterilization container 2, the temperature inside the sterilization container 2 will rise excessively due to so-called dry firing, which will not only damage the sterilization container. In severe cases, combustible objects to be sterilized may catch fire.

Also, during sterilization work, the high-temperature steam that filled the sterilization container 2 comes into contact with the relatively low-temperature wall of the sterilization container and condenses, and the resulting condensed water drips onto the objects to be sterilized on the shelf 4. This may cause the object to be sterilized to become wet. Objects to be sterilized that are wet with condensed water in this way are
Since it takes a long time to dry after sterilization, it takes an extra amount of time before it can be used again, which is undesirable.

The steam sterilizer of the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages.

b. Structure of the invention (Means for solving the problem) The steam sterilizer of the invention, like the conventional steam sterilizer described above, has a lid that can be opened and closed at the opening of the sterilization container, which is a horizontal cylinder with a bottom. is provided so that high-temperature, high-pressure steam can be freely filled into the sterilization container.

In the steam sterilizer of the present invention, instead of an electric heater, a spiral steam pipe is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the sterilization container to allow high-temperature, high-pressure steam to flow inside. The inner circumferential side of this steam pipe is in elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of a restraining plate made of an elastic metal plate formed into a hollow cylindrical shape, and the restraining plate is bent in the outer circumferential direction from both ends in the circumferential direction. The steam pipe is positioned by fitting a portion of the spiral steam pipe into a notch formed in the bent edge.

(Operation) When sterilizing objects with the steam sterilizer of the present invention configured as described above, the objects are sterilized in the same way as when sterilizing with a conventional steam sterilizer. It is stored inside a holding plate inside a container, and this sterilized container is filled with high-temperature, high-pressure steam.

The objects to be sterilized stored in the sterilization container are sterilized by this high-temperature, high-pressure steam, but since there is no electric heater inside the sterilization container, the temperature inside the sterilization container may become excessive due to dry heating. There is no rise.

In addition, a spiral steam pipe is installed around the outer circumference of the holding plate that stores the objects to be sterilized, so the temperature of this holding plate will never become lower than the temperature of the steam for sterilization. Since water vapor does not condense on the surface of the holding plate, the objects to be sterilized are not wetted by condensed water.

(Example) Next, the present invention will be explained in more detail by explaining the illustrated embodiment.

In FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 9 denotes a spiral steam pipe disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the sterilization container 2. As shown in FIG. The sterilization container 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, similar to the sterilization container used in a conventional steam sterilizer, and slopes downward from the opening provided with the lid 1 toward the back. is set up. The pitch of the spirally wound steam pipe 9 is fine on the back side of the sterilization container where the water 10 stored at the bottom of the sterilization container is deep, and coarser on the entrance side of the sterilization container where the water 10 is shallow. Thus, the amount of heating per unit volume of water 10 is made to be approximately equal.

The inner circumferential side of the steam pipe 9 is brought into elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of a restraining plate 11 formed of an elastic metal thin plate such as stainless steel into a hollow cylindrical shape. This holding plate 1
1, as shown in FIG. 12, a thin metal plate is curved into a hollow cylinder shape, and a steam pipe 9 is attached to a pair of bent edges 12, 12 formed by bending the metal thin plate in the outer circumferential direction from both end edges in the circumferential direction. Notch 13,1 into which a part of
3 is formed to match the pitch of the steam pipe 9, and the lower end of the steam pipe fits into each notch 13, 13.

One end is connected to the inlet side of the steam pipe 9, and the other end of the steam supply pipe 14, which has an electromagnetic on-off valve 15 and a main on-off valve 16 in the middle, leads to a steam supply device (not shown) such as a boiler. .

A drain pipe 19, which has one end connected to the outlet side of the steam pipe 9 and has a trap 17 and a check valve 18 in the middle, communicates with a drainage facility (not shown).

Further, the upper end of the drain pipe 22 is connected to the lowest part of the sterilization container 2, and the lower end of the drain pipe 22, which has a trap 20 and a check valve 21 in the middle, is connected to the middle of the drain pipe 19, and is connected to the drainage facility. I'm letting you know. In the middle of this drain pipe 22, an electromagnetic on-off valve 23 is installed, with the trap 20 and the check valve 21 short-circuited.
A bypass pipe 24 is provided.

When an object to be sterilized is sterilized using the steam sterilizer of the present invention configured as described above, a predetermined amount of water 10 is poured into the sterilization container 2, and a shelf ( (See Figure 3. Omitted in Figure 1.)
The lid 1 is closed with the object to be sterilized placed on it, the main on-off valve 16 and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 are opened, and high-temperature, high-pressure steam is sent into the steam pipe 11. By this steam feeding, the water 10 stored at the bottom of the sterilization container 2 is heated and evaporated to become high-temperature steam, which fills the sterilization container 2 and heats the object to be sterilized, which is then sterilized. do.

The condensed water generated by condensation and liquefaction of water vapor in the steam pipe 9 is transferred to the trap 17 and the check valve 1.
8 and is discharged to a drainage facility through a drainage pipe 19.

The holding plate 11 that surrounds the object to be sterilized and holds down the inner circumferential side of the steam pipe 9 is heated by the steam pipe 9 during sterilization work, so the holding plate 11 The temperature of the sterilizing water vapor does not become lower than the temperature of the sterilizing water vapor, and the sterilizing water vapor does not condense on the surface of the holding plate 11.

After the sterilization work is completed, the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 in the middle of the steam supply pipe 14 is closed, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 23 in the middle of the bypass pipe 24 is opened to remove the water 10 remaining in the sterilization container 2 and the high temperature and high pressure. After discharging the water vapor, the lid 1 is opened and the sterilized object is taken out.

In the above-described embodiment, the water 10 supplied into the sterilization container 2 is heated and evaporated by the water vapor flowing through the steam pipe 9. As shown, if a part of the high-temperature, high-pressure steam sent from the steam supply device is sent directly into the sterilization container 2 through a branch steam supply pipe 26 with an electromagnetic shut-off valve 25 installed in the middle, , it is possible to reduce the time required to fill the sterilization container 2 with high-temperature steam necessary for sterilization. Among the parts shown by chain lines in FIG. 1, 27 is a safety valve, and 28 is a pressure gauge.

c. Effects of the invention Since the steam sterilizer of the invention is configured and operates as described above, there is no risk of damaging the sterilization container or the objects to be sterilized due to dry heating, and the objects to be sterilized are not exposed to condensed water. Since it does not get wet, the time required to reuse sterilized medical instruments can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional side view showing an embodiment of the steam sterilizer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a restraining plate, and FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional side view of a conventional steam sterilizer. 1: Lid, 2: Sterile container, 3: Heater, 4: Shelf,
5: Water tank, 6: Open/close valve, 7: Pipe, 8:
Filter net, 9: Steam pipe, 10: Water, 11: Holding plate, 12: Bent edge, 13: Notch, 14: Steam supply pipe, 15: Solenoid on-off valve, 16: Original on-off valve, 17:
Trap, 18: Check valve, 19: Drain pipe, 20:
Trap, 21: Check valve, 22: Drain pipe, 23:
Electromagnetic on-off valve, 24: bypass pipe, 25: electromagnetic on-off valve, 26: branch steam supply pipe, 27: safety valve, 28: pressure gauge.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a steam sterilizer comprising a bottomed horizontal cylindrical sterilization container with a lid that can be opened and closed at the opening, and high-temperature, high-pressure steam can be freely filled into the sterilization container, on the inner peripheral surface of the sterilization container, A spiral steam pipe is installed inside to circulate high-temperature, high-pressure steam, and the outer circumferential surface of a restraining plate made of an elastic metal plate in the shape of a hollow cylinder is brought into elastic contact with the inner circumferential side of the steam pipe. let me,
In the notch formed in the bent edge formed by bending the restraining plate from both ends in the circumferential direction toward the outer circumferential direction,
A steam sterilizer characterized in that the position of the spiral steam pipe is determined by fitting a part of the spiral steam pipe.