JPH0379262B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a sanitary container for holding articles such as toothbrushes and combs that must be maintained in sanitary conditions.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention prevents the growth of bacteria inside the container by arranging a plurality of light emitting diodes in a container containing items to be maintained in a sanitary state so as to illuminate the inside of the container. The light source is miniaturized while maintaining a sanitary condition inside the container.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, ultraviolet lamps have generally been used to sterilize various articles.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, containers for toothbrushes, combs, etc.
It is desirable not only to keep the inside clean, but also to maintain the items placed in the container in a sanitary condition.

However, when an ultraviolet lamp is used to sterilize relatively small containers like this one, the lamp's lifespan is limited to continuous operation. 2000~3000
There were problems in terms of maintenance and management, with the lifespan of the smaller lamps being even shorter, and the lifespan of the smaller lamps being even shorter.

Further, when an ultraviolet lamp is used, there is a problem in that the entire light source becomes large due to restrictions on the size of the lamp, socket, etc., and it is difficult to attach it to the container itself.

Accordingly, the present invention aims to prevent the proliferation of bacteria using a long-life, compact light source and efficiently maintain a sanitary condition within a relatively small container.

[Means for solving problems]

In the present invention, a plurality of light emitting diodes 2 are disposed on at least the side surface of a container 1 containing articles to be maintained in sanitary conditions, and the interior of the container is illuminated with light from the light emitting diodes. This is a sanitary container designed to prevent the growth of bacteria.

[Effect]

Irradiated with light from the light emitting diode, the growth of bacteria is suppressed inside the container, and the items placed in the container are maintained in a sanitary condition.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is implemented in a square container. In the figure, 1 is a container, 2 is a light emitting diode, and 3 is a lead wire connected to a suitable power source. The light emitting diodes 2 are arranged on a substrate (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the container 1, and are each connected in parallel to a power source. Further, the light emitting diode 2 is coated with a suitable protective coating.

In addition to toothbrushes and combs, the container 1 may also contain a toothpaste, a microphone cap, etc. that comes into contact with the human mouth. Even better effects can be obtained if the articles placed in these containers are translucent.

In the illustrated example, the light emitting diodes 2 are arranged on the inner surface of the container 1, but they may be arranged on the bottom surface.

Moreover, the number of light emitting diodes 4 may be small if the light emitting output is high, and if the light emitting diode 4 is low, a large number may be used.

In this example, the light emitting diode 4 is a laser diode that emits near-infrared light with a wavelength of about 800 nm by laser oscillation. In the case of pulse oscillation as described below, the optical output of each laser diode is, for example, about 40 to 50 mW.

Since the individual size of light emitting diodes is small,
Even when a large number of light sources are used, the space occupied by the light sources can be reduced.

The present invention was made based on the fact that even visible light and infrared rays emitted by light emitting diodes have the effect of preventing proliferation.

As is well known, laser light has good directivity and can be used to irradiate a desired area spot-on using an appropriate optical system to concentrate light energy with high density.

When bacteria are exposed to this spot irradiation, the temperature rises due to light absorption by absorbing substances within the bacterial cells, causing thermal damage such as coagulation of proteins and disrupting the growth balance.

It is known that the growth cycle of bacteria, even for Escherichia coli, which is one of the shortest types, is about 30 minutes, and a relatively long period of time is acceptable for the above-mentioned spot irradiation. Become. Therefore, even if a relatively low output semiconductor laser is used as mentioned above,
It is possible to suppress the growth of bacteria in the irradiated area. The same applies when using a semiconductor laser that emits visible light.

Thereby, the light source can be made small and have a long life, and can be easily attached to a relatively small container, so that the sanitary container can be made small and inexpensive.

Furthermore, since the output of each light emitting diode can be increased by, for example, pulse oscillation with a large amplitude, the number of light emitting diodes can be appropriately reduced.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is implemented in a cylindrical container. In this figure, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. In the case of a cylindrical container, the arrangement of the light emitting diodes 2 requires some consideration. For example, only the portion where the light emitting diode 2 is attached may be formed flat, or the container 1 may be formed flat.
Make it into a polygonal prism shape. Other points are similar to those in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the use of the type shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the light emitting diode 2 is not shown. 4 is a light-transparent bottle containing purified water. In this figure, the lead wire 3 is shown as a power cord. As a power source, a commercial power source or a battery can be used.

In the above embodiments, the light emitting diode 2 is disposed on the inner surface of the container 1, but the light emitting diode may be disposed on the outer periphery of the container by making the container 1 transparent. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.
It is possible to change.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, by using a plurality of light emitting diodes, the light source can be made compact and have a long life, and the growth of bacteria inside the container is prevented, so that the items placed in the container can be kept sanitary. A sanitary container that can be maintained in a clean state is obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of use of the device shown in FIG. 1 is a container, and 2 is a light emitting diode.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of light emitting diodes are disposed on at least the side surfaces of a container containing articles to be maintained in sanitary conditions, and the interior of the container is irradiated with light from the light emitting diodes to illuminate the container. A sanitary container designed to prevent the growth of bacteria inside the container.