JPH11319041A - Sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sterilizer capable of sterilizing both inside and surface of a material to be sterilized without heating the surface. SOLUTION: The sterilizer 1 is comprised of a body 2 having a treatment space 3 where sterilization is executed while moving vertically a material to be sterilized inside, a microwave generator 4 that generates microwaves, a waveguide 5 that guides microwaves from the microwave generator 4 to the treatment space 3, an ultraviolet ray irradiator 6 that irradiates the treatment space 3 with ultraviolet rays, a material transferer 7 that holds and moves the material to be treated along the direction following the vertical face of the treatment space 3, a pressurizer 8 that pressurized the treatment space 3 normally, an HEPA filter 9 that filters air pressurized by the pressurizer 8, and an agitation fan 10 that agitates the atmosphere of the treatment space 3. Then, the sterilizer 1 is placed on a frame 11, and the frame is furnished with castors 12 so that it may be moved easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sterilizing device for foods, cooking utensils, etc., and more particularly, to sterilizing materials to be processed such as foods from inside and outside by irradiating microwaves and ultraviolet rays. The present invention relates to a sterilization device that can be used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, microwaves can be sterilized by vibrating a microwave resonance substance in a material to be treated and heating the material to be treated from the inside.
It is used for internal sterilization of cooked foods, pre-packaged foods, solids, powders and the like. Ultraviolet rays can sterilize the surface of the irradiated material, and are used for sterilizing surfaces of foods, equipment, packaging materials, etc., and sterilizing liquids such as water and gases such as air at a constant temperature. In addition, steam and heated air are used for sterilization of the inside and the surface because the material to be treated is heated from the surface by steam or the like to increase the temperature.

[0003] However, in order to heat and sterilize the surface of the material to be treated by microwaves, the surface temperature rises slowly due to heat radiation or the like, so it takes time to reach the sterilization temperature, and the surface rises to the sterilization temperature. If so, the internal temperature will be too high. Also, the method of sterilizing by irradiating ultraviolet rays could not sterilize the inside. Further, in the heat sterilization using steam, it takes time to heat the inside to sterilize it, and there is a problem that food and the like are deteriorated and taste is deteriorated.

[0004] In vacuum low-pressure sterilization, in which the processing space is decompressed and sterilization is performed, the surrounding air containing bacteria enters when the apparatus is opened and the material to be removed is taken out, and the sterilized material is contaminated. If the sealability is not good, the surrounding air containing bacteria may enter the treatment space and be contaminated with bacteria during sterilization, thus reducing the sterilizing effect. There was a risk of doing so.

[0005] Therefore, there is a sterilizer capable of performing heat sterilization from the inside by a microwave and heat from the surface by a heated gas (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 60-1).
0702). The sterilizing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-10702 includes an oven for storing foods and the like, and a pulse-like microwave having a duty such that the quality of the foods and the like is not impaired. And a heated gas supply means for supplying a gas heated to a temperature near a preset temperature in accordance with the type of bacteria to foods and the like stored in the oven. The material is placed, and gas is supplied from below to sterilize microwaves without deteriorating foods and the like.

[0006]

However, in the above-described apparatus for sterilizing using a microwave and a heated gas, since the heating is performed by gas, it takes a long time to heat the surface and it is difficult to uniformly heat the surface. There is a problem that is. In addition, equipment costs such as a gas heating device and a control device for a heated gas temperature are increased, and a gas having a temperature higher than a normal temperature used for heating must be processed. However, there is a problem that it becomes higher.

[0007] In view of such problems, the present inventor has studied various sterilizers, and combined microwaves suitable for internal sterilization with ultraviolet irradiation that can sterilize without increasing the surface temperature. It has been found that the inside and the surface of the material to be treated can be sterilized, and sterilization can be surely performed in a short time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to sterilize an inside and a surface of a material to be treated without heating the surface of the material. Is to provide.

[0009]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sterilization apparatus comprising: a main body having a processing space for sterilizing a material to be processed; A microwave generator for generating microwaves for irradiating the substrate, and an ultraviolet radiation device for irradiating the material to be processed with ultraviolet rays.

[0010] The sterilization apparatus according to claim 2 is provided with a pressurizing device for pressurizing the processing space to a positive pressure. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention is provided with a fan for stirring the atmosphere in the processing space. In the sterilization apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the material to be processed is moved in the processing space in a direction along a vertical plane so that the material to be processed is uniformly irradiated with microwaves or ultraviolet rays. Claim 5 of the present invention
In the sterilizing apparatus, the pressurizing apparatus discharges the atmosphere after filtering the atmosphere with a HEPA filter.

[0011] The sterilizing apparatus of the present invention heats the material to be treated from the inside by radiating microwaves while moving the material to be treated while preventing the invasion of bacteria from the outside in the treatment space of positive pressure. At the same time as sterilization, the surface of the material to be treated is sterilized with ultraviolet light by irradiating ultraviolet light. At this time, by circulating the atmosphere in the processing space, the sterilization treatment can be performed uniformly, effectively and quickly.

In the present invention, making the processing space positive pressure means that the pressure in the processing space is kept higher than the external pressure. The HEPA filter is High Eff
icency Particulate Late Air F
means ilter (ultra high performance filter). Moving in the direction along the vertical plane means that if the moving direction is decomposed into a horizontal component and a vertical component, the component moves in a direction in which the vertical component exists.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, FIGS. 1 to 5 show an embodiment of the batch type apparatus of the sterilizing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a front view of a part of the sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention cut away, FIG. 3 is a side view of a moving device for moving the material to be treated in the sterilizing apparatus, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a container for loading the material to be treated, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a pressurizing device.

The sterilizing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes an apparatus main body 2 having therein a processing space 3 for sterilizing while moving a material to be processed, a microwave generating apparatus 4 for generating microwaves, and a microwave generating apparatus. 4, a waveguide 5 for guiding microwaves to the processing space 3, an ultraviolet irradiation device 6 for irradiating the processing space 3 with ultraviolet light,
Material transfer device 7 for moving the inside in a direction along the vertical plane,
A pressurizing device 8 for pressurizing the processing space 3 to a positive pressure, and a HEPA filter 9 for filtering air pressurized by the pressurizing device 8
And a stirring fan 10 for stirring the atmosphere in the processing space 3. The sterilizing apparatus 1 is mounted on a gantry 11, and a caster 12 is provided on the gantry 11 so as to be easily moved. Then, the processing space 3 in the apparatus main body 2
The material to be treated is sterilized at room temperature.

The apparatus main body 2 includes a front part 21, a ceiling part 22,
The bottom 23, the left and right walls 24, 24, and the rear surface 25 are formed in a substantially box shape, and the processing space 3 is formed therein. Each part has an airtight electromagnetic shielding structure, and microwaves leak to the outside to prevent harm. I try not to affect it. The inner peripheral surface of the apparatus main body 2 uses a polished plate member,
The reflectivity of microwaves and ultraviolet rays is increased so that the microwaves and ultraviolet rays can be evenly radiated in the processing space 3 to enhance the sterilizing effect.

The front part 21 is provided with an opening / closing door which is entirely large. The opening / closing door is provided with an electromagnetic shielding glass 26 and a wall 24 on one side of the apparatus main body 2 by means of rotation locking members 27 and 27. Is mounted so as to be rotatable. A door locking member 28 is provided on the wall 24 on the other side, and the door is closed to airtightly lock the door. The door is a door locking member 2
By disengaging the engaging member 8 and pulling it with the handle 29, it is opened by rotating through the rotation locking member 27, and the material to be processed is put in and out of the processing space 3. The contact surface between the opening / closing door and the apparatus main body 2 is also airtight, and a mesh gasket, a silicone sponge, or the like is used to prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves. Further, a door opening limit switch 13 is provided so that the microwave generator 4 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 6 do not operate so that electromagnetic waves do not leak when the door is opened.

The microwave generator 4 that heats and sterilizes the material to be processed in the processing space 3 of the apparatus body 2 may be a known microwave oscillator that generates a continuous microwave with a constant power, or may be a pulsed intermittent microwave. A known microwave oscillator that generates a wave may be used, and a frequency at which a microwave causes a heating effect on a material to be processed, 2350 to 2600 MH
What is necessary is just to generate the microwave of z. The microwave generator 4 is provided on a gantry 11 below the apparatus main body 2. The microwave generator 4 and the apparatus main body 2 are communicated with each other by the waveguide 5, the tip of the waveguide 5 is branched into 5a and 5b, and the microwave is processed from two openings of the waveguides 5a and 5b. The material is supplied to the space 3 to uniformly irradiate the material to be treated, so that the material can be heated and sterilized from the inside. The waveguide 5 is made of a material that can increase the conductive reflectance, such as aluminum or stainless steel, so as not to be heated by the microwave.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 6 has a substantially full width on which the material to be processed is mounted so that the electromagnetic wave of the component having a wavelength of 1 to 380 nm in a region where the monochromatic light component is shorter than the wavelength of visible light is radiated to the material to be processed in the processing space 3. Along with the length of
They are provided on the ceiling part 22 and the left and right wall parts 24, respectively. By irradiating ultraviolet rays from three directions by the ultraviolet irradiating device 6, the material to be treated is evenly irradiated, and the sterilization of the surface is made uniform and the atmosphere of the processing space is also sterilized. Is also sterilized.
In this embodiment, the ultraviolet rays are irradiated from three directions. However, in order to uniformly irradiate the material to be processed, it is preferable to irradiate the light from the entire circumference. Alternatively, a reflective plate or the like may be appropriately disposed in the processing space so that the material to be processed is irradiated with ultraviolet rays evenly.

The material transfer device 7 for moving the material to be processed in the processing space 3 in the direction along the vertical plane is a ferris wheel type device that rotates in the vertical plane, and has a pair of rotating wheels 31 and a rotating wheel. 3
The apparatus includes a driving device 32 for rotating the rotating member 1 and a plurality of containers 33 for storing the material to be processed. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotating wheel 31 is fixed to the drive shaft 34 and rotates together with the drive shaft 34. A plurality of, in this embodiment, four containers 33 are erected between the rotating wheels 31 via the hanging arms 35, and the containers 33 rotate the processing space 3 by the rotation of the rotating wheels 31, thereby ascending and descending. It is supposed to. Each hanging arm 35
It is rotatably attached to the rotating wheel 31 by the pin 36,
The container 33 maintains a state of being suspended by the suspension arm 35. As shown in FIG. 4, the container 33 is provided with a net 38 between the frames 37 so that microwaves and ultraviolet rays are directly applied to the material to be processed.

The driving device 32 of the material transfer device 7 includes a well-known variable speed reduction motor 39, a V pulley, a sprocket,
And a transmission device 40 such as a belt or a chain. The transmission device 40 is mounted on the gantry 11 so as to be movable together with the device main body 2. By rotating the drive shaft 34 at a required speed by the drive device 32,
1 in accordance with the movement of the rotating wheel 31.
Is moved while turning in the vertical direction so that the magenta 33 is evenly irradiated with ultraviolet rays. By configuring the material transfer device 7 in this way, compared with the conventional sterilization treatment method in which the material is placed on a turntable and treated, the material to be treated is irradiated with microwaves and ultraviolet rays with good condition and uniformity. Is done quickly.

The pressurizing device 8 for maintaining the processing space 3 at a positive pressure is constituted by a blower so as to maintain the pressure of the processing space 3 at a positive value of about 0 to 5 mmH ₂ O. The pressurizing device 8 is provided in a casing 41 as shown in FIG. The HEPA filter 9 is provided on the discharge port side of the pressurizing device 8 in the casing 41. The HEPA filter 9 is provided in an airtight manner in the casing 41 so as to prevent air mixed with dust and bacteria from leaking into the processing space 3. The HEPA filter 9 is arranged in a zigzag manner so as to have a large air passage area so as to reduce pressure loss, and is provided with a lattice duct to prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves.

The apparatus main body 2 is provided with a thermometer 14 for measuring the temperature of the processing space 3 and an infrared radiation thermometer 15 for measuring the surface temperature of the material to be processed. It is configured so that it can be controlled. Further, an exhaust damper 16 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 3 is provided so that the pressure and the atmosphere in the processing space can be controlled. The exhaust damper 16 is provided with a lattice duct to prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves.

Next, the sterilization processing of the material to be processed by the sterilization apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. First, the door locking member 28 is loosened to release the locking, the handle 29 is pulled to open the opening / closing door, and the material to be processed is accommodated in the container 33 of the material transferring apparatus 7. Next, the opening and closing door is closed in a procedure reverse to the procedure of opening to make it airtight. Next, the pressurizing device 8 and the driving device 32 are operated to pressurize the processing space 3 to a positive pressure and move the processing target material by the processing target material transfer device 7. Further, sterilization is started by operating the microwave generator 4 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 6,
The operation is continued for a predetermined time to perform a sterilization process.

According to the present invention, while preventing the invasion of bacteria from the outside, the microwave is radiated while moving the material to be treated, and the inside of the material to be treated is heated and sterilized at the same time.
Since the surface of the material to be treated is sterilized by irradiating the ultraviolet rays with the ultraviolet rays, the sterilization process can be performed effectively and quickly.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes those which can be modified and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. By the way, in the above description, the example of the batch type apparatus has been described, but the main body of the apparatus is formed in a tunnel type or the like, seal chambers are provided before and after to keep the inside of the apparatus airtight, and the material transfer apparatus is a hang type. A continuous type may be configured by adding a change such as a conveyor. The container for storing the material to be processed may be formed in a lattice shape instead of a net.

[0026]

According to the sterilizing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the material to be treated is heated from the inside by microwave irradiation to sterilize the inside of the material, and at the same time, the surface of the material to be treated is sterilized by ultraviolet light. It can sterilize more quickly than the method of spraying heated gas to heat sterilize the surface. Therefore,
Exposure to heat for a long time, as in the conventional sterilization method, can prevent food and the like from deteriorating, and can prevent deterioration of foods that tend to change their taste.

According to the sterilizing device of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the sterilizing device of the first aspect, sterilization can be further improved, and contamination by bacteria in the surrounding atmosphere can be prevented. Can be improved. According to the sterilization device of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the sterilization device of the first or second aspect, it is possible to achieve an effect that sterilization can be performed more quickly and sufficiently. According to the sterilization device of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effects of the sterilization devices of the first to third aspects, there is an effect that the lower surface of the placed workpiece can be sterilized more quickly and sufficiently. According to the sterilization device of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effects of the sterilization devices of the first to fourth aspects, there is an effect that sterilization can be performed more effectively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view in which a part of a sterilization apparatus according to the present invention is cut away.

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a moving device that moves a material to be processed in the sterilizing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a basket on which materials to be processed are stacked.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a pressing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: sterilization device 2: device main body 3: processing space 4: microwave generator 5: waveguide 6: ultraviolet irradiation device 7; material to be processed transfer device 8: pressurizing device 9: HEPA filter 10: stirring fan 11: Mount 12: Caster 13: Door open limit switch 14: Thermometer 15: Infrared radiation thermometer 16: Exhaust damper 21: Front part 22: Ceiling part 23: Bottom part 24: Wall part 25: Back part 26: Electromagnetic shielding glass 27: Rotation locking member 28: Door locking member 29: Handle

Claims (5)

[Claims] An apparatus body having a processing space for sterilizing a material to be treated, a microwave generator for generating a microwave for irradiating the material to be treated, and an ultraviolet radiation device for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the material to be treated. A disinfection device characterized by comprising: 2. The sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising a pressurizing device for pressurizing the processing space to a positive pressure. 3. The sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising a fan for stirring an atmosphere in the processing space. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material to be processed is moved in a direction along a vertical plane in the processing space so that the material to be processed is uniformly irradiated with microwaves or ultraviolet rays. Sterilizer. 5. The sterilizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressurizing device filters the atmosphere with a HEPA filter and discharges the filtered atmosphere.