JPS60116358A - Surface pasturization in profile container - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for sterilizing the inner surface of an irregularly shaped container.

Since food containers require sterilization before use, various sterilization methods have been proposed and put into practice. Examples of this sterilization method include chemical methods using hydrogen peroxide, physical methods such as irradiation with R-rays, electron beams, and ultraviolet rays. It has the advantages of being easy to handle, having little effect on the human body, and having a simple device and low cost. Recently, powerful ultraviolet lamps have also been developed, and by using flash discharge lamps that use rare gas as a luminescent component, it is possible to irradiate powerful ultraviolet rays with a small discharge lamp. When sterilizing the surface, there is an advantage that a small discharge lamp, such as a U-shaped discharge lamp, can be placed inside the container and lit to emit light. By the way, if this container has a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape, symmetrical about the center, the central axis of the flat light source, such as a U-shaped lamp, should be arranged so that it coincides with the center of the container. By doing so, the inner surface of the container can be sterilized evenly, and a high sterilization rate can be obtained as a whole. However, if the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the container is an oval or rectangle, which has a long axis and a short axis, it is difficult to sterilize uniformly. There was a problem in that sterilization was insufficient in some areas, such as in distant areas, resulting in a low sterilization rate as a whole, requiring irradiation for a long time.

Therefore, the present invention aims to efficiently sterilize the inner surface of an irregularly shaped container whose horizontal cross section has a long axis and a short axis, such as an oval or a rectangle, without causing any areas where the sterilization rate is low. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for sterilizing the inner surface of an irregularly shaped container, which is configured in a U-shape so that a plane light source is formed in a vertical plane that intersects at right angles or y-right angles with the long axis of the container. The method is characterized in that a shaped lamp or two or more straight tube shaped lamps are placed inside the container, and the lamps are turned on to emit light and are irradiated with ultraviolet rays for sterilization.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. Box 1 may have built-in flash discharge power equipment such as a trigger coil as shown in the diagram.
A is provided in a protruding manner to form an opening 1b. A flash discharge lamp holder 2 is installed in the opening 1b in the diametrical direction thereof, and the opening 1b is divided into two parts by the holder 2.

This holder 2 has an inner diameter of 8M and an arc length of 2M.
701, a U-shaped bulb flash discharge lamp 3 made of quartz glass is supported downward. Furthermore, the cylindrical body 1
The aperture of a glass cup 4, which is an ultraviolet-transmitting protection tube, is fitted into a, and with this glass cup 4 inserted into a food container 5, a flash discharge lamp 6 is used to kill the flash and sterilize the cup. A ventilation duct 7 and a ventilation duct 8 connected to a fan 6 are provided on both sides of the box 1, and the ventilation duct 7
A wind cylinder 9 is connected to the flash discharge lamp 6, and the blown cooling air forcibly cools the flash discharge lamp 6.

, where the container 5 has an opening of 10 cm x 814 cm.
It is rectangular and has a box shape with a depth of 12 cr 11,
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, its horizontal cross-sectional shape is an irregularly shaped container having a long axis (indicated by CX-X) and a short axis.

Since the flash discharge lamp 3 is U-shaped, a single flash discharge lamp constitutes a plane light source, and a straight line (indicated by Y-Y) including the plane is perpendicular to the long axis. When the longitudinal dimension of the container 5 increases as shown in FIG. 4, flash discharge lamps 3 are added. Even if the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the container 5 is elliptical as shown in FIG. 5, the flash discharge lamp 3 is arranged so that the Y-Y line is orthogonal to the X-X line. In addition, flash discharge lamp 5
is not limited to a U-shape, but may be an S-shape or a meandering shape to constitute a plane light source, and furthermore,
In the case where the container 5 has a rectangular tube shape without a bottom surface, two or more straight tube-shaped lamps may be arranged side by side to form a flat light source. The lamp is not limited to a flash discharge lamp as long as it generates a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light or more and can be inserted into the container 5.

Next, FIG. 6 is a reference example in which the lines X-Xa and Y-Y coincide, and the results of a sterilization test performed in the example shown in FIG. 6 will be explained in comparison with this.

A predetermined amount of black mold is evenly sprayed and adhered to the inner surface of the container 5 over the entire area in advance, and when the luminous energy of - times is set to 975 Joule and the light is emitted at a rate of once per second, the sterilization rate is 99. The time required to reach 99999% (number of times of light emission) was compared using Taipei.

The sterilization rate was determined by the ``inner surface wiping test method'' in which the entire inner surface was rinsed with sterile water using gauze etc. after irradiation and the number of remaining bacteria was examined, but the sterilization rate described above was not reached. In the example shown in Figure 3, it took 6 seconds (3 times to emit light), while in the reference example shown in Figure 6, it took 5 seconds.
It has been found that the time and emission energy can be reduced by 40 seconds, requiring 5 seconds (5 times of emission). The reason for this is not necessarily clear, but the angle formed by the corner of the container 5 and both ends of the flat light source is larger in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 than in the reference example, and the corner is sterilized relatively well. It is presumed that the overall sterilization rate will improve because the localized areas with low sterilization rate will be eliminated.

However, in the above test, the emission energy was reduced to 10
It was found that when irradiation was performed at a large value of 00 Joule or more, the difference from the example became smaller, probably because the corners were well sterilized even in the reference example. Therefore, it can be seen that the present invention is effective in a region where the emission energy is relatively low. In addition, in this example, both X-X rays and Y-Y
We have shown only examples in which the lines are perpendicular to each other, but if the angle between the two is 8
If the angle is up to about 0 degrees, the same effect as in the case of orthogonality can be obtained.

As explained above, when sterilizing the inner surface of an irregularly shaped container whose horizontal cross section has a long axis and a short axis, such as an ellipse or a rectangle, the inner surface of the container is perpendicular or perpendicular to the long axis of the container. A lamp is placed inside the container so that a flat light source is formed in a vertical plane, and the lamp is turned on to emit ultraviolet light, thereby providing a method for sterilizing irregularly shaped containers that can be efficiently sterilized. can do.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a device used in an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side sectional view, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 1, Figs. 4 and 5 are illustrations of other embodiments, and Fig. 6 is an illustration of a reference example. It is a diagram. 1... Box 2... Holder 6... Flash discharge lamp 4... Glass cup 5... Container X-X... Long axis direction Y-Y... Planar direction procedure correction of light source (Spontaneous) December 26, 1980 Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office Kazuo Wakasugi1, Indication of the case 1981 Patent Application No. 2244852, Title of the invention Method for sterilizing the inner surface of irregularly shaped containers 3, Person making the amendment Relationship between patent applicant representative Inuzo Yumoto 4, agent 6, number of inventions to be increased by amendment N/A 7, specification subject to amendment 68 Detailed explanation of invention column 8, description of contents of amendment page 4 14 Correct the line ``flash killing'' to ``flash emitting''.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A method for sterilizing the inner surface of an irregularly shaped container whose horizontal cross section has a long axis and a short axis, such as an ellipse or a rectangle. The inner surface of an irregularly shaped container characterized in that a U-shaped lamp, two or more straight tube lamps, etc. are arranged in the container so as to form a light source, and the lamps are turned on to emit light and are irradiated with ultraviolet rays for sterilization. sterilization method.