KR20200144892A - Apparatus and method for sterilizing and drying towels - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for sterilizing and drying towels. The present invention can sterilize towels using ultraviolet rays and dry the same using hot air. The present invention allows hot air to be evenly delivered to towels, so that the towels can be quickly dried. Also, the present invention removes moisture generated in a bathroom along with drying of the towels, thereby having an advantage of preventing mold due to moisture.

Description

Towel sterilization and drying apparatus and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STERILIZING AND DRYING TOWELS}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for sterilizing and drying towels, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for sterilizing and drying towels for performing sterilization of towels using ultraviolet rays and drying using hot air.

In general, in the case of towels used after washing hands in a bathroom, there is a concern of bacterial infection due to the propagation of bacteria in the wet towel by using it several times in a wet state or by several people using it.

To solve this problem, used towels can be frequently replaced, but frequent towel replacement has a problem of causing environmental pollution due to an increase in the amount of washing and the use of water and detergent.

In addition, a towel rack installed to store towels in a bathroom includes a fixing bracket fixed to a wall and a hanger rod installed between the fixing bracket.

Such a towel rack is stored by hanging the towel after use or before use on the rack to dry naturally.

On the other hand, towel racks have been developed and used so that they can be dried and sterilized while hanging water pipes.

1 is a perspective view showing a towel sterilization rack according to the prior art. As shown in Fig. 1, the towel sterilization rack according to the prior art includes a sterilization storage box 10, a drying rack 22, and a towel support chin 23. ) Equipped with a sterilization drying hanger 20, a pull-out lever 30 having a handle 30a sliding along the slide guide hole 11, a pull-out door 40, a sterilization lamp, and a hook binding It is configured to include a use hanger 60 provided with a bar 61 and a use hanger rod 62.

However, the towel sterilization rack according to the prior art has a problem in that the sterilization effect decreases due to a long distance between the towel and the sterilization lamp installed for sterilization.

Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1944034 (Name of invention: towel sterilization hanger)

In order to solve this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for sterilizing and drying towels that perform sterilization of towels using ultraviolet rays and drying using hot air.

In order to achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention is a towel sterilization and drying apparatus, in which the upper part of the housing in which the towel is mounted is installed to be openable, and when the upper part of the housing is opened, the open area of the housing is Part of the housing moves so as to expand, blows drying wind with the towel, and outputs light for sterilization, and a photocatalytic enzyme is applied to the inside of the housing.

In addition, the light for sterilization according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the UV-C has a wavelength range of 100nm to 280nm.

In addition, the towel sterilization drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing including an opening and closing part rotatably installed on one side of a housing body forming a storage space, and a cover part rotatably installed on the upper part of the opening and closing portion; A drying pipe installed so that a towel is mounted in the housing and having a plurality of exhaust ports for discharging drying wind with the towel; A plurality of light sources installed inside the housing to output light for sterilization; A blower for supplying drying wind through the drying pipe; A heater for heating the drying wind to a predetermined temperature; And a control unit for controlling the operation of the light source unit, the blower unit, and the heater unit.

In addition, a door sensor for detecting whether the cover is opened or closed according to an embodiment of the present invention; A towel detection sensor detecting whether the towel is mounted; And it characterized in that it further comprises a humidity sensor for sensing the humidity inside and around the housing.

In addition, the drying pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first drying pipe supplying wind to a first region; And a double tube consisting of a second drying tube divided inside the first drying tube and supplying wind to a second area, wherein the light source unit and the mounted towel are installed to maintain a distance of 1 cm to 2 cm. It is characterized.

In addition, the light source unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it is installed at intervals of 1cm to 3.5cm.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is characterized in that it further comprises an air supply guide part forming a path so that the wind discharged from the air blower is concentrated to the drying pipe.

In addition, further comprising an exhaust guide unit for guiding the wind discharged into the housing to be discharged to the outside according to an embodiment of the present invention, characterized in that the cooling fan is installed to operate the exhaust guide unit to maintain a constant temperature.

In addition, a towel sterilization and drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a) when the control unit detects a signal for closing a door of the housing, detecting a signal for placing the towel; b) when the towel mounting signal is detected, the control unit outputs a system-on signal so that power is supplied, and outputs a control signal so that the light source unit, the blower unit, and the heater unit operate for a predetermined time; c) after a certain period of time elapses, the control unit measures the humidity inside the housing and compares the measured humidity value with a preset reference value; d) if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the control unit outputs a control signal so that only the blowing unit operates for a predetermined time; including, but if the measured humidity value is less than the reference value, power supply is cut off and the system It is characterized by outputting an off signal.

In addition, the towel sterilization drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a-1) when the moisture removal signal is detected in step a), the control unit measures the humidity around the housing to determine whether the measured humidity value is higher than a preset reference value. Judging; a-2) if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to a reference value, outputting, by the controller, an operation control signal to at least one of a blower and a heater; a-3) after a certain period of time elapses, the control unit measures surrounding humidity and determines whether the measured humidity value is less than or equal to a preset reference value; And a-4) when the measured humidity value is less than or equal to the reference value, the control unit shutting off power supply and outputting a system off signal.

The present invention has the advantage of being able to perform sterilization of towels using ultraviolet light and drying using hot air, and that hot air is evenly transmitted to the towel to provide quick drying.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage of preventing the occurrence of mold due to moisture since it is possible to remove moisture generated in the bathroom along with drying of the towel.

1 is a perspective view showing a towel sterilization rack according to the prior art.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a towel sterilization and drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the towel sterilizing and drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
4 is another cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the towel sterilization and drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the towel sterilization drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
6 is an exemplary view showing an arrangement of a light source unit of the towel sterilizing and drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a drying tube of the towel sterilizing and drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
8 is another cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the towel sterilizing and drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a towel sterilization and drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a flow chart illustrating a moisture removal process in the towel sterilization drying method according to FIG. 9.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a towel sterilizing and drying apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In this specification, the expression that a certain part "includes" a certain component does not exclude other components, but means that other components may be further included.

In addition, terms such as "... unit", "... group", and "... module" mean units that process at least one function or operation, which can be classified into hardware, software, or a combination of the two.

2 is a perspective view showing a towel sterilizing and drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the towel sterilizing and drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2, and FIG. It is another cross-sectional view showing the structure of the towel sterilization drying apparatus according to the embodiment, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the towel sterilization drying apparatus according to the embodiment of Figure 2, Figure 6 is the embodiment of Figure 2 Is an exemplary view showing the arrangement state of the light source unit of the towel sterilization drying apparatus according to this, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the drying tube of the towel sterilization drying apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 2, and FIG. 8 is a towel sterilization according to the embodiment of FIG. It is another cross-sectional view showing to explain the structure of the drying device.

2 to 8, the towel sterilization and drying apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an upper portion of the housing 110 in which the towel 300 is mounted to be opened and closed, and the housing When the upper part of the housing 110 is opened, a part of the housing 110 moves so that the open area of the housing 110 is expanded, and the towel 300 blows drying wind and outputs light for sterilization. As a configuration, the housing 110, the drying pipe 120, the door sensor 130, the towel detection sensor 140, the humidity sensor 150, the light source unit 160, and the blowing units 170, 170a ), a heater unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and a control unit 1200.

The housing 110 is a member having a storage space therein so that the towel 300 is mounted, and includes a housing body 111, an opening/closing part 112, and a cover part 113.

The housing body 111 is a rectangular member forming a storage space, and has an opening with an upper side and one side open.

In addition, the housing body 111 may be divided into upper and lower portions, and a drying pipe 120, a door sensor 130, a towel detection sensor 140, and a humidity sensor 150 are installed in the upper part, , The air blower 170 and 170a, the heater 180, the power supply 190, and the control unit 200 may be installed in the lower space 110a.

In addition, the housing body 111 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 115 and 116 so that external air is introduced into the interior and internal air is discharged to the outside.

In addition, the housing body 111 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 117 and 118 so that the drying wind moves from the bottom of the housing body 111 to the top and the wind moves from the top to the bottom of the housing body 111. do.

The opening/closing part 112 is connected to one side of the housing body 111 through a rotation shaft 112a to selectively open and close one side of the housing body 111.

In addition, the opening/closing part 112 may include a stopper 114 so that the opening/closing part 112 is not opened more than a predetermined distance from the housing body 111.

The cover part 113 is connected to the upper part of the opening/closing part 112 through a rotation shaft 113a to selectively open and close the upper part of the housing body 111.

In addition, a photocatalytic enzyme may be applied to the inside of the housing 110, that is, on the inside of the housing body 111, the opening/closing part 112, and the cover part 113.

In addition, a plurality of light source units 160 are installed at regular intervals on inner surfaces of the housing body 111, the opening/closing unit 112, and the cover unit 113.

The photocatalytic enzyme is a complex using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and an oxidase, and by reacting with the light irradiated from the light source unit 160, it blocks the growth of bacteria using active oxygen generated from the titanium dioxide.

The drying pipe 120 is installed in a shape of a'∩' shape so that the towel 300 is mounted on the housing 110, and a plurality of exhaust ports for discharging drying wind through the towel 300 It is provided with (121a, 122a), and is composed of a double pipe consisting of a first drying pipe 121 and a second drying pipe 122.

The first drying pipe 121 is configured to supply wind to a first area inside the housing 110, and the wind supplied from the blowers 170 and 170a is at the top of the housing 110 (first area) A plurality of exhaust ports (121a) are installed to be discharged to.

The second drying pipe 122 is installed inside the first drying pipe 121 so as to be separated from the path of the wind moving upward along the first drying pipe 121, and in the blower parts 170 and 170a A plurality of exhaust ports 122a are installed so that the supplied wind is discharged to the side (second region) of the housing 110.

That is, the wind is uniformly moved to the side and the top through the drying pipe 120 of the double structure, so that the towel 300 can be quickly dried.

In addition, the drying tube 120 is a distance between the light source unit 160 and the mounted towel 300 so as to maintain effective sterilization power for the towel 300 on which the sterilization light output from the light source unit 160 is mounted. (d2) is installed at a position spaced apart from the light source unit 160 by a predetermined distance to maintain a 1cm ~ 2cm interval.

That is, the light source unit 160 and the towel 300 are too close to each other for 1 cm or less, and the sterilizing power of ultraviolet rays may be reduced for 2 cm or more.

The door sensor 130 is installed at the upper end of the housing body 111 and the distal end of the cover 113 to detect whether the cover 113 is opened or closed, and output it to the control unit 200.

The towel detection sensor 140 is installed in the drying tube 120 to detect whether the towel 300 is mounted on the drying tube 120 while the cover 113 is closed, and output to the control unit 200 do.

The humidity sensor 150 senses the humidity inside the housing 110 and around the housing 110 and outputs it to the control unit 200.

The light source unit 160 is installed on the inner side of the housing 110, that is, on the inner side of the housing body 111, the opening/closing unit 112, and the cover unit 113 at predetermined intervals to provide a predetermined output (for example, 5W). ) As a configuration to irradiate the sterilization light, the sterilization light may be preferably composed of a UV-C ultraviolet LED or LD having a wavelength range of 100nm to 280nm.

In addition, in order to provide an effective sterilizing power for the light source unit 160, an installation distance d1 between the light source units 160 is installed at intervals of 1 cm to 3.5 cm.

That is, if it is separated by more than 3.5cm, a shadow band that cannot reach ultraviolet rays may occur, and if it is less than 1cm, the number of LEDs may increase.

The blower parts 170 and 170a are configured to supply drying wind to the interior of the housing 110 and are made of a motor having a blower fan.

In the present embodiment, for convenience of description, the blower parts 170 and 170a are divided into two and described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it can be implemented in one configuration.

In addition, the blower 170a is configured with a tapered air supply guide part 171 narrowing toward the drying pipe 120 from the blower 170a, so that the wind discharged from the blower 170a is transmitted to the drying pipe 120 ), you can form a path to focus on.

In addition, an exhaust guide part 172 may be provided inside the housing 110 to guide wind discharged into the housing 110 to be discharged to the outside of the housing 110 through the ventilation hole 115.

In addition, a cooling fan 170b for cooling the exhaust guide unit 172 to maintain a constant temperature may be installed at one side of the exhaust guide unit 172.

That is, the moisture contained in the wind circulating inside the housing 110 and discharged to the outside is condensed through heat exchange in the exhaust guide unit 172, so that the moisture can be removed.

The heater unit 180 heats the drying wind discharged from the blowing units 170 and 170a to a predetermined temperature.

The power supply unit 190 supplies power to operate the drying apparatus 100.

The controller 200 is a component that controls the operation of the drying apparatus 100, and when a door closing signal is input from the door sensor 130 and a mounting signal of the towel 300 is input from the towel detection sensor 140, Through the power supply unit 190, the light source unit 160, the blower units 170 and 170a, and the heater unit 180 are controlled to operate for a predetermined time.

In addition, the controller 200 measures the humidity inside the housing 110 through the humidity sensor 150 to determine whether the measured humidity value is higher than a preset reference value, and if the measured humidity value is higher than the reference value, the transmission Only the abundances 170 and 170a are controlled to operate for a certain time.

In addition, when the measured humidity value is less than or equal to the reference value, the control unit 200 cuts off the power supply to stop the drying operation.

In addition, when a door closing signal is input and a moisture removal signal is input through a button input unit (not shown), the control unit 200 measures the humidity around the housing 110 through the humidity sensor 150, and the measurement It is determined whether the determined humidity value is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, and when the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the blower 170 and the heater 180 are controlled to be operated.

In addition, after a certain period of time, the control unit 200 re-measures the surrounding humidity to check whether the measured humidity value is less than or equal to a preset reference value. If the measured humidity value is less than or equal to the reference value, the power supply is cut off and the drying operation is performed. Let it stop.

The following describes a towel sterilization drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a towel sterilization drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a moisture removal process of the towel sterilization drying method according to FIG. 9, and FIGS. This will be explained with reference to 10.

When the control unit 200 of the drying apparatus 100 detects (S100) a door closing signal that is a closed state of the housing body 110 and the cover unit 113 through the door sensor 130, the towel detection sensor 140 It is determined whether the mounting signal of the towel 300 is detected (S110).

As a result of the determination in step S110, when the towel mounting signal is detected, the control unit 200 outputs a system-on signal to supply power (S120), and the light source unit 160, the blower units 170 and 170a, and the heater The control signal is output (S130, S140) so that the unit 180 operates for a predetermined time.

At this time, the operation time of the light source unit 160, which is turned on and operated in the steps S130 and S140, and the operation time of the blowers 170 and 170a and the heater unit 180 may be the same, or different times, for example , It is possible to prevent unnecessary power loss by controlling the operation time of the blowers 170 and 170a and the heater unit 180 longer than the operation time of the light source unit 160.

In addition, as a result of the determination in step S110, if the towel mounting signal is not detected, the controller 200 outputs a towel-free alarm 111 signal.

After performing the steps S130 and S140, and after a certain period of time elapses, the control unit 200 re-measures the humidity inside the housing 110 through the humidity sensor 150 (S150), and preliminarily measures the measured humidity value. It compares with the set reference value for determining system off (S160).

As a result of the comparison in step S160, if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to a reference value (for example, 10%), the controller 200 turns off the heater unit 180, and only the blowers 170 and 170a are A control signal is output to operate (S170), and when a predetermined time elapses, a system off signal is output (S180).

In addition, as a result of the comparison in step S160, when the measured humidity value is less than or equal to the reference value, power supply is cut off and a system off signal is output (S180).

Meanwhile, in the step S100, when a door closing signal is input from the door sensor 130 and a moisture removal signal is input through a button input unit (not shown) in a state in which the towel detection signal is not detected from the towel detection sensor 140, , The control unit 200 turns on the moisture control mode so that power is supplied (S200), measures the humidity around the housing 110 through the humidity sensor 130 (S210), and sets the measured humidity value to a preset reference value ( For example, 30%) and comparison (S220).

As a result of the comparison in step S220, if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the control unit 200 outputs an operation control signal so that the air blower 170 and the heater 180 are turned on (S230), and if it is less than the reference value , A system off signal is output (S250).

After performing the step S230, when a predetermined time elapses, the controller 200 re-measures the surrounding humidity and compares the measured humidity value with a preset reference value (S240).

As a result of the comparison in step S240, if the measured humidity value is less than or equal to a reference value (eg, 10%), the control unit 200 cuts off power supply and outputs a system off signal (S250).

In addition, as a result of the comparison in step S240, if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the process moves to step S230.

Thus, sterilization of towels and drying using hot air can be performed using ultraviolet rays, and hot air is evenly transmitted to the towel to provide quick drying, and moisture generated in the bathroom along with drying of the towel can be removed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of mold due to moisture.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, but those skilled in the art can variously modify and change the present invention within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. You will understand that you can do it.

In addition, reference numerals in the claims of the present invention are provided for clarity and convenience of description, and are not limited thereto. In the process of describing the embodiments, the thickness of the lines shown in the drawings, the size of components, etc. May be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description, and the above-described terms are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention and may vary according to the intention or custom of users and operators. Is to be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

100: drying device 110: housing
111: housing body 112: opening and closing part
113: cover portion 114: stopper
115, 116, 117, 118: vent 120: drying pipe
121: first drying pipe 121a: exhaust port
122: second drying pipe 122a: exhaust port
130: door sensor 140: towel detection sensor
150: humidity sensor 160: light source
170, 170a: blower 170b: cooling fan
171: air supply guide portion 172: exhaust guide portion
180: heater unit 190: power supply unit
200: control unit 300: towel

Claims (10)

The upper portion of the housing 110 in which the towel 300 is mounted is installed to be openable and closed,
When the upper portion of the housing 110 is opened, a part of the housing 110 moves so that the open area of the housing 110 is expanded,
Blowing the drying wind with the towel 300 and outputting light for sterilization,
Towel sterilization and drying apparatus, characterized in that the photocatalytic enzyme is applied to the inside of the housing (110). The method of claim 1,
The sterilizing light is a towel sterilization drying apparatus, characterized in that the UV-C having a wavelength range of 100nm to 280nm. The method of claim 1,
A housing 110 including an opening/closing part 112 rotatably installed on one side of the housing body 111 forming a storage space, and a cover 113 rotatably installed on an upper portion of the opening/closing part 112;
A drying pipe 120 provided with a plurality of exhaust ports 121a and 122a for discharging the drying wind through the towel 300 and installed in the housing 110 so that the towel 300 is mounted;
A plurality of light sources 160 installed inside the housing 110 to output light for sterilization;
Blowing units 170 and 170a supplying drying wind through the drying pipe 120;
A heater unit 180 for heating the drying wind to a predetermined temperature; And
And a control unit 200 for controlling the operation of the light source unit 160, the air blower units 170 and 170a, and the heater unit 180. The method of claim 3,
A door sensor 130 for detecting whether the cover 113 is opened or closed;
A towel detection sensor 140 for detecting whether the towel 300 is mounted; And
Towel sterilization drying apparatus, characterized in that it further comprises a humidity sensor (150) for sensing the humidity in and around the housing (110). The method of claim 4,
The drying pipe 120 includes a first drying pipe 121 for supplying wind to a first region; And
Consisting of a double pipe consisting of a second drying pipe 122 that is divided inside the first drying pipe 121 and supplies wind to a second region,
Towel sterilization and drying apparatus, characterized in that the light source unit 160 and the towel 300 is installed to maintain a 1cm ~ 2cm interval. The method of claim 4,
The light source unit 160 is a towel sterilization drying apparatus, characterized in that installed at intervals of 1 cm ~ 3.5 cm. The method of claim 4,
Towel sterilization drying apparatus, characterized in that it further comprises an air supply guide portion (171) forming a path so that the wind discharged from the blower (170a) is concentrated to the drying pipe (120). The method of claim 4,
Further comprising an exhaust guide portion 172 for guiding the wind discharged into the housing 110 to be discharged to the outside,
Towel sterilization drying apparatus, characterized in that the cooling fan (170b) is installed to operate the exhaust guide unit 172 to maintain a constant temperature. a) when the control unit 200 detects a door closing signal of the housing 110, detecting a mounting signal of the towel 300;
b) When the towel mounting signal is detected, the control unit 200 outputs a system-on signal so that power is supplied, and the light source unit 160, the blowers 170 and 170a, and the heater unit 180 are Outputting a control signal to operate;
c) after a certain period of time, the controller 200 measures the humidity inside the housing 110 and compares the measured humidity value with a preset reference value;
d) if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to the reference value, outputting, by the control unit 200, a control signal so that only the air blowers 170 and 170a operate for a predetermined time; including,
When the measured humidity value is less than or equal to a reference value, power supply is cut off and a system off signal is output. The method of claim 9,
a-1) when a moisture removal signal is detected in step a), the controller 200 measures the humidity around the housing 110 to determine whether the measured humidity value is equal to or greater than a preset reference value;
a-2) if the measured humidity value is greater than or equal to a reference value, outputting, by the control unit 200, an operation control signal to at least one of the air blower 170 and the heater 180;
a-3) after a certain period of time elapses, the control unit 200 measures the surrounding humidity and determines whether the measured humidity value is less than or equal to a preset reference value; And
a-4) If the measured humidity value is less than or equal to the reference value, the control unit 200 shuts off the power supply and outputs a system off signal. The towel sterilization drying method further comprises.

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