JPS6352903B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a chamber that can be closed to the surroundings and that can be charged via a door at one or more front faces; A movable nozzle beam in the chamber, preferably on the underside of the chamber, comprising a rail for guiding the means for transporting equipment or non-travelable items, and a plurality of spray nozzles for dispensing detergents, irrigation fluids and disinfectants. The present invention relates to a device for cleaning, sterilizing and drying equipment and everyday items, in particular bed beds, laundry containers and similar hospital equipment, having air guide holes with an outlet in the long side area.

Devices of the above-mentioned type are installed in hospitals as completely prefabricated chambers and, especially in large hospitals, slightly reduce the hygienic requirements for purifying dirty or germ-laden household items without compromising quality. This is a suitable means to satisfy the personnel costs. The device is suitable for processing mats, laundry containers or similar large-volume items on a movable bed cradle or movable transport means.

A downwardly-opening U-shaped member with a nozzle that serves to purify bed frames pushed vertically into the chamber or bed mats placed horizontally is placed on a longitudinally directed rail below the ceiling of the chamber. A device of this kind in the form of a mounting on a moving spray trolley is known from DE 21 36 561.
A disadvantage of this device is that it is not possible to adapt the U-shaped nozzle support to differently shaped objects. When the pine is placed horizontally, sterilization of the underside of the pine is always insufficient. Because the U-shaped nozzle support is symmetrically suspended from the carriage, the required length of the chamber is greater than the effective spray or working length.

DE 2,525,663 describes a device of the above-mentioned type in which a complex piping system with a longitudinal section closely adapted to the contour of the bed is moved laterally within the chamber. In this case, the objects that can be purified are similarly limited, and furthermore, the apparatus is extremely complex. Since, in cross section of the chamber, the spray pipe is suspended eccentrically on a horizontal wall, the chamber width must extend beyond the effective processing width on one side.

German Published Application No. 2754259 describes a device of the type in which a carriage is guided longitudinally at the bottom of the chamber, on which is fixed an essentially rectangular hollow member with a spray nozzle which is moved longitudinally within the chamber. . In the closed frame, an upper lateral support member of a further nozzle is arranged to be able to be raised and lowered. This device has the disadvantage that the mounting of the hollow member on the vehicle is extremely unstable and that the hollow member must be guided in a complicated manner below the rail to be cleaned. Since the carriage must have a certain length for stability reasons, the required length of the chamber is again greater than the effective length.

When using this device, as in the case of the above-mentioned publication, detergent, cleaning liquid and disinfectant are delivered over the height of the chamber, even if the height of the object to be treated is low.

It is an object of the present invention that the dimensions of the chamber do not substantially exceed the required sprayable working range;
Easy and reliable guidance of the spray beam with a simple drive, adaptability to different types of objects, and savings in detergents, irrigants and disinfectants depending on the size and shape of the objects; The object of the invention is to improve a device of the type mentioned at the outset.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in a device of the type mentioned at the outset.
one or more (preferably three) horizontal nozzle beams each sliding parallel within the chamber on the longitudinal walls of the chamber in vertical guides extending across the height of the chamber; at least two nozzle beam supports and preferably two flexible belts or chains running through deflection means provided on the upper long side of the chamber and on opposite longitudinal walls. a coupling system for the nozzle beam support member and a transportable drive system for the nozzle beam support member acting directly on the belt or chain or indirectly through deflection means and one nozzle on one side wall; and a control system for reversing the drive when the beam support member reaches the upper end of its guide and the other nozzle beam support member on the other side wall reaches the lower end of its guide. .

Based on the proposal according to the invention, maximum simplicity is achieved and operation is achieved by guiding the nozzle beam support on vertical rails or guides, preferably with simple running rollers engaged from the outside. Certainty is significantly improved. The guide is
It can be fixed to the side wall of the chamber and the nozzle beam can project forward and rearward from the guide, thus making the entire length of the chamber available for spraying operations. In this case, the drives of the opposing nozzle beam supports are provided in a completely new manner in the region of the ceiling of the chamber and are connected via belts or chains. Thus, the bottom surface of the chamber can be particularly reduced, while generally sufficient structural height can be obtained. In this case, the reversible drives acting on the nozzle beam supports of both side walls are particularly simply controlled by limit switches. In this case, for objects occupying only part of the height of the chamber, the spray nozzle can be controlled such that it is stopped above the object. Simple control mechanisms for this are, for example, height-adjustable contactors or switch cams. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each side wall is provided with one nozzle beam support member having generally three fixed nozzle beams, namely for detergent solution, irrigation solution and disinfectant solution. Thus, the entire working height can be covered with a small pump output.

However, for certain purposes (e.g. for particularly intensive or rapid cleaning) a plurality of mutually parallel and spaced apart nozzle beam supports may be guided along each side wall and the target shape Alternatively, each support member can be stopped intermittently depending on the height. In this case, of course, the control costs and the pump power increase.

Based on the proposal of the invention, by moving the nozzle beam support members alternately in opposite directions, the advantage is obtained that there is no interference with the radiation in the opposite direction. If the nozzle beam support is carefully guided, the drive can be effected by a single drive belt acting approximately centrally. However, it is preferred to provide two belts spaced from each other which run on a common shaft and thus ensure parallel guidance of the nozzle beam support. In this case, a simple embodiment of the guide closes the four corners completely. The preferred material for the belt is a fiber reinforced toothed belt. Belts of this type are extremely inexpensive and exhibit unlimited durability, even in chamber atmospheres.

If it is necessary to further treat the object to be purified from above, a further nozzle beam support can be provided eccentrically in the area of the ceiling of the chamber, which can also be moved by a drive belt. In this case, it is not possible to completely prevent the nozzle from sagging, so it is important that the nozzle beam support member assumes an eccentric position after the purification cycle is completed. However, there is no need to send detergent to the treated object after rinsing or disinfection. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid placing the nozzle beam support member on top of the object during drying.

A specially constructed chamber ceiling that prevents the medicament being used from dripping downward and drains the medicament through the ceiling slope and side walls also serves this purpose. Thus, the hygienic requirements regarding the purification operation can be met.

Furthermore, according to a preferred configuration, the treated object is raised so that the essentially horizontal parts (e.g. the longitudinal and lateral supports of the bed) are strongly tilted and the droplets deposited after rinsing or sterilization are removed. Flowing down toward one corner of the object accelerates drying. Preferably, the adjustment means consist of a pneumatic cylinder having a free end for use with the rail and pivoted to the wall of the chamber. In this case, the cylinders have mutually different adjustment strokes. Furthermore, fine adjustments can be made by each threaded spindle to compensate for differences in weight distribution between objects of the same type.

Due to the special configuration of the device according to the invention, the distance between the nozzle beam and the wall can be changed by means of a lever pivotable about a vertical axis. Actuation of the lever is preferably effected by a pneumatic cylinder pivotable about a vertical axis. For example, if a container containing dirty laundry is to be fed into the apparatus, the container is placed on its side on the corresponding transport means so that the inner surface of the container can also be treated and the available treatment agent can flow down. Since the distance to the wall can be changed, the nozzle can be brought closer to the eccentric bottom of the container. Furthermore, each nozzle of both side walls can be used for a device of this type used only for cleaning the container.

Due to the above-described configuration of the nozzle beam, the distance to the wall is reduced symmetrically, especially when processing pine that is held vertically on a movable transport frame.
In this case, the distance from the nozzle to the surface to be treated can be adjusted to the desired dimension without increasing the pump output or changing the nozzle. Because the pine is vertical, both sides are treated evenly with fungicide.

Regarding the hygienic conditions outside the chamber, it is particularly important that treatment agents that are generally harmful to the skin or the respiratory tract do not escape. In this case, it is absolutely necessary to close the door airtight. On the other hand, in order to save space, the chamber door is preferably an inward-swinging door (eg, a symmetrical two-wing folding door). In this case, in order to achieve a seal, the door must rest from the inside against the sealing means of the support frame all around, ie also at the lower edge. On the other hand, due to the introduction of movable objects or transport means, there is a risk that the sealing means in the area of the lower opening may be damaged. This damage can be prevented due to an advantageous embodiment of the invention in which, when the door is opened, the rail protrudes forward above the sealing area, so that damage caused by the wheels during the chamber loading operation is completely eliminated; This is prevented by the rail being slidable longitudinally on the bottom of the chamber, so that upon closing, the rail returns into the chamber and frees the pivot range of the door.

The control in the method according to the invention, ie the alternating and opposite movements of the nozzle beam support members, is simply achieved by limit switches or slidable contactors, as already mentioned. In this case, according to a preferred embodiment, the nozzle beam support that is outside the height of the object to be treated is closed by suitable valves and control means. However, instead of a mechanical switch element, it is preferable to provide a simple stroke detector as part of the drive means or on the nozzle beam support, and furthermore, possibly with the aid of various selectable programs. Preferably, all operations are controlled entirely electronically by a processor.

As is clear from the above description, the cleaning, sterilizing, and drying apparatus according to the present invention has a simple drive, guide, and control mechanism for the slidable nozzle beam support member.
The chamber space can be utilized optimally and a sufficiently good adaptation can be made to the dimensions and shapes of the various objects to be treated.

Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention having a chamber 1 and a supply block 2. In FIG. In this case, an inward-opening folding door 3 with a window 4 is installed on the back of the chamber.
is in a closed state. On the front side of the bottom area, a sealing element 5 is provided, against which the door rests from the inside.
A similar sealing element is provided on the rear side. The rail 6, which guides the means for transporting movable equipment or everyday items to be cleaned, is partially covered by a sealing element, as shown. An example of this type of equipment is
A hospital bed is shown with a chain line. Chiyamba ceiling 7
are roof-like and symmetrically sloped to allow the detergent solution to flow down to the sides. In the upper edge region of the chamber 1, a belt pulley 9 is shown which is attached to a shaft 8. A toothed belt shown in chain lines runs through the belt pulley. A drive 11 acts on one of the shafts 8 . The toothed belt 10 includes two nozzle beam support members 12a, 12 each receiving three nozzle beams 13a, 13b, 13c.
Combine b. The nozzle beam supports are guided in parallel guides 14 fixed in pairs to the side walls of the chamber 1. The rear guide 14a is shown in the upper half of the drawing, and the front guide 14b is shown in the lower half.
is shown. As is clear from the upper half of the drawing,
Between the guides there is a fixed piping system 15 connecting a flexible conduit (not shown) for connection to the nozzle beam 13. A guide groove 16 on the front side of guide 14b and a guide groove (not shown) on the back side of guide 14a serve to engage rollers (not shown) on the nozzle beam support member. The relationship between the nozzle beam supports and the movement of the nozzle beam supports when the toothed belt pair 10 is driven alternately by the drive device 11 can be easily seen from the drawings.

The drive device 11 can be easily understood from the drawing.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment particularly suitable for sterilizing mats (indicated by chain lines) held vertically on a movable frame. In this embodiment, the nozzle beam support members 12a, 12b are provided with a nozzle beam 17 that is slidable in parallel, in addition to the three fixed nozzle beams 13a, 13b, 13c. The nozzle beam 17 is held in a pivotable double-armed lever 18 which can be pivoted by actuating means (not shown) to change the distance between the nozzle beam 17 and the wall. Thus, the distance from the nozzle to the object to be treated can also be varied, so that, for example, the illustrated mat can be adequately cleaned with the same type of nozzle and the same pump power. For example, in the case of a container on its side, only one double-armed lever 18 needs to be pivoted to place the corresponding nozzles of the nozzle beam 17 at approximately equal distances from the eccentric bottom surface. The door and supply block are not shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the chamber 1. In this figure, a drive shaft 8 with a belt pulley 9 and connected to a drive 11 via a chain or belt 19 is shown in detail. The toothed belt 10 to which the nozzle beam support member 12 is pivotally connected is attached to the belt wheel 9.
Travel through. The nozzle beam support member is secured to the guide 14 by suitable means (e.g. rollers).
I have been guided to. Fixed conduits 15a, 15 are connected to the nozzle beam support member 12 via connection studs 20a, 20b, 20c and flexible hoses.
Three nozzle beams 13 connected to b, 15c
a, 13b, and 13c are provided. The nozzle beam and hose are shown in the lower and upper positions. The guide range 21 of the inward-opening folding door is shown on the end face of the chamber. When the door is closed, the rail 6 releases the pivot range of the door, while when the door is opened, the rail is advanced over the seal 22. The drawing shows the rail in a partially advanced position. The rails 6 rest on parallel transverse rails 23, 24 which are provided with pneumatic lifting elements 25, 26 on one side and another lifting element 27 on the opposite side. By coordinating the lifting and lowering strokes with each other, the transverse rail is raised in a plane that can be pivoted in two directions relative to the position shown, thus tilting the treated object towards one corner and displacing the treatment agent. It can be dripped.

In FIG. 4, both sides of the chamber 1 can be opened and closed by folding doors 4. In the figure, the open position of the door is indicated by a chain line. Furthermore, the rail can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the chamber by means of pneumatic sliding elements 29, 28, as shown in phantom. In this case, the rail can be advanced beyond the position shown above the sealing area of the door. The relationship between the three lifting elements 25, 26, 27 and the transverse rails will be clear from FIG. On rail 6,
Lock elements 31, 3 for fixing the wheels to be processed
2 and a central guide groove 30 are provided. Furthermore, corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a partial sectional view of a device according to the invention taken along line 3 in FIG. 3; FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3 in FIG. 3 of an alternative embodiment; 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 1. 1... Working chamber, 2... Supply block, 3... Folding door, 4... Window, 5... Sealing element, 6... Rail, 7
...Ceiling, 8...Shaft, 9; 19...Belt wheel, 1
0... Toothed belt, 11... Drive device, 12... Nozzle beam support member, 13; 17... Nozzle beam, 1
4... Guide, 15... Piping system, 16; 30... Guide groove, 18... Pivoting double-arm lever, 20... Connection stud, 21... Door guide range, 22... Door seal, 23; 24... Lateral rail, 25-27... Lifting element, 28; 29... Sliding element, 31; 32... Lock wedge.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A chamber that can be closed to the surroundings and that can be loaded via a door at one or more front faces, and a movable fixture extending longitudinally into the chamber. a movable nozzle beam in the chamber with a plurality of spray nozzles for discharging detergents, irrigation fluids and disinfectants; in the longitudinal direction in equipment for cleaning, sterilizing and drying equipment and articles of use, in particular bed, laundry containers and similar hospital equipment, with air guide holes having an outlet in the lower long side area of the chamber. each comprising one or more (preferably three) horizontal nozzle beams directed within the chamber on the longitudinal walls of the chamber in vertical guides provided across the height of the chamber. at least two nozzle beam supports which can slide in parallel and preferably two which run via direction changing means provided on the upper long side of the chamber.
A coupling system for the nozzle beam support members of the opposing longitudinal walls, comprising a flexible belt or chain, and for the nozzle beam support member acting directly on the belt or chain or indirectly through deflection means. reversible drive system and reversing the drive when one nozzle beam support member on one side wall reaches the upper end of its guide and the other nozzle beam support member on the other side wall reaches the lower end of its guide. A device characterized in that it consists of a control system. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in each side wall guide there is in each case only one nozzle beam support, preferably guided over the entire height of each guide. . 3 Within the guide of each side wall, two nozzle beam supports are arranged at regular intervals from each other, which support members are preferably guided over 1/2 of the length of the guide. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that each nozzle beam support member has three nozzle beams for individually discharging detergent, irrigant and disinfectant respectively. . 5. A lever pivotable about a vertical axis is pivotally mounted on the nozzle beam support member, and the angular position of said lever relative to the wall can be changed by pneumatic pressure in order to change the distance from the wall of the nozzle beam. 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 6. Another nozzle beam support member with one or more (preferably three) horizontal nozzle beams oriented in the longitudinal direction is installed below the ceiling of the chamber and across the width of the chamber. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it can slide in parallel within the guide. 7. Another nozzle beam support member with one or more (preferably three) horizontal nozzle beams oriented in the longitudinal direction is eccentrically located approximately on one long side below the ceiling of the chamber. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is fixed with a . 8. The deflection means of the flexible belt or chain consists of belt wheels or gear wheels each mounted on one common shaft in one long side of the chamber, at least one of said belt wheels or gear wheels being 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is driven. 9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible belt or chain is replaced by a fiber-reinforced toothed belt. 10. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the ceiling of the chamber is sloped roof-like symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the chamber. 11. Pneumatic lifting means act on both ends of one rail and on one end of the other rail, and the lifting stroke of said rail is such that the laying plane of the rail is pivoted about the longitudinal and transverse axes of the chamber upon actuation of the lifting means. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is adjusted to be tilted relative to the bottom of the chamber. 12. A rail capable of sliding longitudinally within the chamber and returning to the interior of the chamber when the door is closed, for an inwardly opening door (particularly configured as a folding door);
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is coupled so as to exit the chamber forwardly beyond the sealing means of the door frame when the door is opened. 13. A chamber that can be closed to the surroundings and that can be loaded via a door at one or more front faces and that extends longitudinally into the chamber to guide movable or non-movable equipment. a movable nozzle beam in the chamber with a rail for guiding a means for transporting used products and a plurality of spray nozzles for discharging detergents, irrigation fluids and disinfectants;
Preferably, the chamber has an air guide hole with an outlet in the lower long side area of the chamber, and the chamber is provided with an air guide hole with an outlet in the lower long side area of the chamber. and a method for cleaning, sterilizing and drying used articles, in which a nozzle beam with spray nozzles on opposite side walls is moved alternately in opposite directions past the object to be treated, each of the three movements A method characterized in that a detergent, a irrigation solution and a disinfectant are sequentially released in a cycle, optionally followed by the supply of hot air to the chamber. 14. If the object to be treated occupies only part of the chamber height, the nozzle beam with the spray nozzles is guided alternately over the entire height of the chamber;
Claim 1 characterized in that the release of detergents, irrigants and disinfectants takes place only during a part of the transfer cycle, in particular only in the lower half of the chamber.
The method described in Section 3. 15 At the start and end positions of the travel cycle, the nozzle beam support on one side wall is installed in the highest position and the nozzle beam support on the other side wall is installed in the lowest position, possibly below the ceiling. 15. A method as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, characterized in that the attached slidable nozzle beam support member is placed in an eccentric position. 16 Any one of claims 13 to 15
The method described in paragraph 1, for cleaning, sterilizing and drying a container lying on its side, the nozzle distance to the bottom of a vertically placed eccentric container is equal in size from both sides, i.e. from the inside and the outside. A method characterized in that one or more nozzle beam supports of one side wall are fed so as to 17. Claims characterized in that after the release of the detergent, washing liquid and disinfectant, the object to be treated is tilted towards one corner by raising the rail and dried by supplying hot air to the chamber. The method according to any one of items 13 to 16. 18 Claims 13 to 17, characterized in that when a plurality of nozzle beam support members are provided on each side wall, the operation of the nozzles that exceed the height of the object to be processed is periodically stopped. The method described in any one of the paragraphs.