JPH0314188Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] a. Purpose of the invention (industrial application field) The steam sterilizer according to this invention can be used in hospitals and various research facilities to use patient clothing, surgical gowns, surgical or experimental equipment, etc. It is used for sterilization such as

(Prior Art) In hospitals, etc., clothes and surgical gowns used by patients are sterilized to prevent nosocomial infections. This is done using a steam sterilizer like this.

This steam sterilizer has a horizontal cylindrical shape with a bottom, one end of which opens at the front of the container 1 (left side in the drawing). A sterilizer is provided, which consists of an inner cylinder 2 and an outer cylinder 3 surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 2, and the front opening of the inner cylinder 2 can be opened and closed by a lid 4 provided on the front side of the container body 1. .

When sterilizing objects to be sterilized such as clothes using such a steam sterilizer, there are two steps: a vacuum process in which water vapor is pulsed into the inner cylinder 2 which is evacuated to remove air from the objects to be sterilized; A sterilization process in which high-temperature saturated steam is sent into the inner tube 2 to sterilize the objects, and a pipe is wound around the outer tube 3 after the inner tube 2 is evacuated to dry the objects wetted by this saturated steam. A drying process in which the operation of repeatedly feeding clean air heated inside the inner cylinder 2 into the inner cylinder 2 is performed in order. During this time, the outer cylinder 3 is always filled with high-temperature water vapor to heat the objects to be sterilized during the vacuum process, to keep the inner cylinder warm during the sterilization process, and to remove heat from the objects to be sterilized during the drying process. Efforts are being made to accelerate the evaporation of moisture.

A steam generator 5 for sending high-temperature steam into the inner and outer cylinders 2 and 3 is provided at the lower part of the vessel body 1, and is used to generate water 8 injected into the can body 7 by a heater 6.
is heated, and the generated steam is sent into the outer cylinder 3 through a steam supply pipe 9 (a valve is appropriately provided in the middle, but not shown). When sending high-temperature steam into the inner cylinder 2 for sterilization work, open the valve 11 installed in the middle of the pipe 10, which has both ends opened inside the inner cylinder 2 and the outer cylinder 3, and supply steam. The water vapor sent into the outer cylinder 3 through the pipe 9 is further sent into the inner cylinder 2. Drain generated by condensation and liquefaction of water vapor within the inner and outer cylinders 2 and 3 is discharged through a trap (not shown).

When the water in the can body 7 of the steam generator 5 decreases by supplying steam into the inner and outer cylinders 2 and 3, the water supply pipe 1
Water is supplied into the can body 7 through the can body 7, and the water level in the can body 7 is always kept within a certain range. That is,
A low water level detection sensor 13 for detecting a low water level L at which water supply should be started and a high water level detection sensor 14 for detecting a high water level H at which water supply should be stopped are provided in the can body 7. A controller 15 inputting signals from sensors 13 and 14 opens and closes an electric (including electromagnetic type and motor type) water supply valve 16 provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 12, or a water supply provided with a check valve. By controlling the operation and stop of the pump (not shown), the can body 7
The water level inside is always located between a low water level L and a high water level H. In addition, in the drawing, 17 is a ground electrode.

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

That is, in hospitals, etc., even after sterilization work is completed, the supply of high-temperature steam into the outer cylinder 3 is continued to shorten the time required for the preparation process when starting the next sterilization work. to the standby state. Therefore, the water 8 in the can body 7 of the steam generator 5 decreases little by little by the amount of condensed water discharged from the drain provided at the bottom of the outer cylinder 3. Can body 7
Immediately after completing one sterilization operation, the water supply valve 16 is opened to supply water to the high water level H, but the waiting time is long and the condensed water is discharged through the drain of the outer cylinder 3. When the amount of can increases, the can body 7
There may be cases where the water level within the tank drops to a position directly above the low water level L.

In this way, the sterilization work was restarted when the water level in the can body 7 of the steam generator 5 had fallen to just above the low water level L, and steam was sent not only into the outer cylinder 3 but also into the inner cylinder 2. In this case, the water level in the can body 7 rapidly drops below the low water level L, and the water supply valve 16 opens based on a signal from the controller 15. When the water supply valve 16 opens and low-temperature water is supplied into the can body 7 through the water supply pipe 12, the temperature of the water 8 in the can body 7, which had been boiled by the heater 6, drops rapidly. , the boiling will stop. In this way, when the water in the can body 7 stops boiling, the temperature and pressure of the water vapor sent into the inner and outer cylinders 2 and 3 via the steam supply pipe 9 and the pipe 10 will change until the water boils again. decreases temporarily.

In this way, if the temperature and pressure of the steam sent into the inner and outer cylinders 2 and 3 decrease even temporarily, condensed water will adhere to the surface of the object to be sterilized stored in the inner cylinder 2, causing the object to be sterilized. This is undesirable as it may result in the liquid getting wet or the sterilization being incomplete.

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

b. Structure of the invention (means for solving the problem) As shown in the drawing, the steam sterilizer of the invention is similar to conventional steam sterilizers, and has a cylindrical shape with one end closed and the object to be sterilized in the opening at the other end. An inner cylinder 2 provided with a lid 4 for loading and unloading, and an outer cylinder 3 surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 2 to heat the air (including water vapor) and objects to be sterilized within the inner cylinder 2. It has High-temperature steam generated by a steam generator 5 can be freely fed into the inner cylinder 2 and outer cylinder 3 through a steam supply pipe 9 and a pipe 10.

Furthermore, a low water level detection sensor 13 and a high water level detection sensor 14 are provided in the can body 7 of the steam generator 5,
Based on the signals from both sensors, the controller 15 opens and closes the water supply valve 16 in the middle of the water supply pipe 12, so that the water level in the can body 7 remains within a certain range between the high water level and the low water level. .

Furthermore, in the steam sterilizer of the present invention, a timer is provided in the controller 15, and based on the signal from the timer, the water supply valve 16 is activated at regular intervals, regardless of the signal from the low water level detection sensor 13. The water supply pump, which is open or uses a check valve, is operated at regular intervals. This timer does not work during the sterilization process, that is, from when the start switch is pressed until all the predetermined sterilization processes are completed.
1 is closed and high-temperature steam is supplied only into the outer cylinder 3. It operates only during standby.

(Function) In the steam sterilizer of the present invention configured as described above, high-temperature steam is supplied only into the outer cylinder 3 from the end of the sterilization operation until the start of the next sterilization operation. When the sterilization is in standby mode, the controller 15 uses a signal from a built-in timer to determine whether the sterilization process is performed at fixed time intervals (a period of time long enough to keep enough water in the can so that water is not needed to be supplied during sterilization work). The water supply valve 16 is opened at intervals of, for example, 10 minutes. As a result, water is supplied into the can body 7 of the steam generator 5 through the water supply pipe 12, but when the water level in the can body 7 rises to the high water level H, the water supply valve 16 is activated based on the signal from the high water level detection sensor 14. Closed. This operation is
This process is repeated at regular intervals while the steam sterilizer is on standby.

Therefore, even when the water level in the can body 7 in the standby state is the lowest, it will be slightly lower than the high water level H immediately before the expiration of the above-mentioned fixed time. Therefore, even after the standby state continues for a long time, the can body 7
The water level inside is located sufficiently above the low water level L at which water supply should start, and water will not be supplied to the can body 7 in the middle of the sterilization operation after sterilization is restarted.

c. Effects of the invention The steam sterilizer of the invention is configured and operates as described above, so that the following effects can be obtained.

(1) When the next sterilization operation is started after the standby state ends, the can body 7 holds enough water so that there is no need to supply water during the sterilization operation.

(2) Therefore, if water is supplied during the sterilization process, low-temperature, low-pressure water vapor may be sent into the inner cylinder 2, and the objects to be sterilized may become wet to the extent that they cannot be completely dried in the drying process alone, or sterilization may fail. It does not cause any problems such as becoming insufficient.

(3) Water is supplied to the can body 7 of the steam generator intermittently by a timer that operates only during the standby time, so that the water level of the steam generator is always near the high water level H, and even if the water level is low, water is supplied during sterilization work. You can keep it high enough that you don't have to.

(4) During the standby time, water is supplied to the can body 7 intermittently by a timer, but without using the timer, water supply starts when the water level drops a little and stops when the water level reaches high water level H. If you do this,
Starting and stopping of the water supply pump, opening and closing of the water supply valve 16, and the connection and disconnection of other electrical contacts may cause a hunting condition, but by using a timer, hunting will not occur, avoiding failure of these devices and extending maintenance intervals. I can do it.

Note that Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-232551 describes a device to avoid problems with sterilization work due to a drop in water temperature due to sudden water supply to the steam generator; This design was designed to prevent such problems from occurring after the sterilization process has started, and is different from the present invention, which uses a timer to supply sufficient water during the standby period when sterilization is not performed. be.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a partially cutaway side view of a steam sterilizer to which the present invention is applied. 1: Body, 2: Inner cylinder, 3: Outer cylinder, 4: Lid, 5:
Steam generator, 6: heater, 7: can body, 8: water,
9: Steam supply pipe, 10: Pipe, 11: Valve, 12: Water supply pipe, 13: Low water level detection sensor, 14: High water level detection sensor, 15: Controller, 16: Water supply valve, 17: Ground electrode.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An inner cylinder that closes one end and has a lid for taking objects to be sterilized into and out of an opening at the other end, an outer cylinder that surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder to heat the inside of the inner cylinder, and both inner and outer cylinders. a high water level detection sensor that sends a signal to the steam generator to stop supplying water into the can, and a low water level detection sensor that sends a signal to the steam generator to start supplying water to the can. In a steam sterilizer equipped with a water level detection sensor, the supply of steam into the inner cylinder is stopped and steam is only sent into the outer cylinder.It operates only when the steam sterilizer is on standby, and does not supply water during sterilization work. A timer that outputs a signal at sufficient time intervals to keep enough water in the can at all times, and a timer that starts supplying water to the can of the steam generator based on the signal from this timer, and detects the high water level. A steam sterilizer comprising: a water supply mechanism that stops water supply into a can body based on a signal from a sensor.