KR20220167457A - Fruit Vegetable Cleaning And Sterilization System - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, provided is a fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system which comprises: a washing tank defining a first space thereinside, and accommodating washing water and washing objects in the first space; a bubble module injecting bubbles into the washing tank; an ultrasonic module generating ultrasonic waves in the washing tank based on an ultrasonic signal; a UV module configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the washing tank based on a UV irradiation signal; and a control unit controlling the UV module and the ultrasonic module by generating the ultrasonic signal and the UV irradiation signal based on an input signal of a user. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable washer which can save the number of people and time required for washing fruits and vegetables by washing the same using ultrasonic waves and ultraviolet rays.

Description

Fruit vegetable cleaning and sterilization system {Fruit Vegetable Cleaning And Sterilization System}

The present disclosure relates to a system for washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables.

The content described in this section simply provides background information for the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.

The present disclosure relates to a system for washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables, and more particularly, to a system for washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables or food rice automatically without manual labor.

In general, fruits and vegetables such as pears and tangerines and vegetables such as lettuce, parsley, and spinach are sprayed with various pesticides or fertilizers to prevent pests and promote growth during cultivation. There is a risk that some will remain. In addition, since various parasites inhabit fruits and vegetables during cultivation, they are harvested in a state in which various parasites or their eggs are buried on the surface. Therefore, before eating fruits and vegetables, you must wash them to remove harmful ingredients such as various pesticides and fertilizers, parasites, and their eggs. Otherwise, eating fruits and vegetables as they are can harm the human body.

In the past, washing of fruits, vegetables and rice was done manually. However, in large restaurants, cafeterias, etc., there is a problem in that a large number of people and time are required for washing because there is a lot of water to be washed, and thus a lot of money is consumed.

In addition, food poisoning accidents caused by food pathogenic microorganisms are steadily increasing, and pathogenic microorganisms that are not separated from fruits and vegetables live in the cooking and storage environment of fruits and vegetables or fruits and vegetables, and then enter the human body to cause food poisoning. Conventionally, high pressure treatment, electric fields treatment, ultrasonic treatment, gaseous sanitizer treatment, acid/alkali wash treatment, chlorine-based treatment to sterilize pathogenic microorganisms Microorganisms have been sterilized using methods such as chlorine treatment and peracid sanitizer treatment.

However, in the case of electric field and ultrasonic treatment, in practical application, the area available for sterilization is narrow, only fixed equipment can be used, and installation and processing costs are high. In the case of gas sterilizers, safety problems may arise there is. In addition, in the case of chemical disinfection disinfectants such as acid / base wash solution, chlorine-based disinfectant, and peroxidation disinfectant, residues may remain on fruits and vegetables after treatment, and residues may react with organic matter to produce by-products harmful to the human body. Depending on the type of surface, there is a problem that can cause corrosion. In addition, there is a problem of re-contamination of pathogenic microorganisms due to reuse of washing water.

On the other hand, UV is also used for sterilization of microorganisms, but has a disadvantage of low penetrating power.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is to solve these problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a fruit and vegetable washer that can save time and manpower required for washing fruits and vegetables by washing fruits and vegetables using ultrasonic waves and ultraviolet rays without using manual labor. .

In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to provide a sterilization device that does not generate harmful by-products by sterilizing microorganisms by treating fruits and vegetables with ultraviolet rays using a UV module.

In addition, another main object is to prevent re-contamination of microorganisms by discharging washing water in which microorganisms are sterilized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure for achieving this object, a washing tub defining a first space therein and accommodating washing water and washing water in the first space; A bubble module for injecting bubbles into the washing tub; An ultrasonic module for generating ultrasonic waves in the washing tub based on the ultrasonic signals; A UV module configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the washing tank based on the UV irradiation signal; and a controller for controlling the UV module and the ultrasonic module by generating an ultrasonic signal and a UV irradiation signal based on a user's input signal.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by washing fruits and vegetables using ultrasonic waves and ultraviolet rays without using manual work, there is an effect of saving personnel and time required for washing fruits and vegetables.

In addition, by sterilizing microorganisms by treating fruits and vegetables with ultraviolet rays using a UV module, there is an effect of not generating harmful by-products. In addition, there is an effect that high microbial sterilization is possible even when UV light having low penetrating power is used.

In addition, there is an effect of preventing re-contamination of microorganisms by discharging washing water in which microorganisms are sterilized.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a system for washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a view showing a state in which the system of washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is closed.
3 is a view showing a state in which the system of washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is opened.
4 is an operating flowchart of a fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm of a control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail using exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible, even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

In describing the components of the embodiment according to the present disclosure, symbols such as first, second, i), ii), a), and b) may be used. These codes are only for distinguishing the component from other components, and the nature or sequence or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the codes. In the specification, when a part is said to 'include' or 'include' a certain component, it means that it may further include other components, not excluding other components unless explicitly stated otherwise. .

1 is a conceptual diagram of a system for washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a view showing a state in which the system of washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is closed.

3 is a view showing a state in which the system of washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is opened.

1 to 3, the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a washing tank 110, an ultrasonic module 130, a UV module 140, a bubble module 120, and a control unit. Includes all or part of (150).

The washing tank 110 includes all or part of an inlet 112, an outlet 114, a fixed tray 116, and a water level sensor 118.

The washing tub 110 defines a first space therein to accommodate washing objects. Washing water is introduced into the first space to wash the washing material. The first space has a volume sufficient to accommodate, for example, 12 L.

The inlet 112 injects a cleaning solvent, for example, washing water, into the cleaning tank 110 to clean the cleaning materials in the first space.

When the washing tank 110 completes the washing process, the outlet 114 discharges the washing material to the outside. For example, fruits and vegetables put into the washing tank 110 are moved in the direction of the ultraviolet lamp by a screw (not shown) formed inside the washing tank 110, and microorganisms are first detached from the fruits and vegetables by the ultrasonic module 130, The fruits and vegetables are irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp 142 to complete the secondary sterilization treatment. Thereafter, the washing water is discharged to the outside of the washing tank 110 using the outlet 114 formed at the rear of the washing tank 110 .

In addition, the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may discharge washing water through the outlet 114 using the drain valve 114a. The drain valve 114a is installed at one end of the washing tub 110. When the user presses the drain valve 114a, the outlet 114 opens and the washing water is discharged to the outside of the washing tub 110.

Here, the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure discharges the washing water to the outside after going through the sterilization process of the UV module 140 . Therefore, the present disclosure has an effect of preventing the problem of re-contamination with microorganisms by discharging washing water in which microorganisms are sterilized.

On the other hand, the washing tub 110 prevents the fruits and vegetables introduced into the interior from escaping to the outside, and the front and rear surfaces of the washing tub 110 are blocked from the outside to prevent leakage of ultraviolet rays irradiated from the UV module 140 to the outside. is formed An inlet 112 for inputting fruits and vegetables is formed on one side of the washing tank 110, and an outlet 114 for discharging sterilized fruits and vegetables is formed on the other side of the washing tank 110.

In addition, the washing tub 110 may be designed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may have a width of 240 mm, a width of 300 mm, and a height of 150 mm. The material of the washing tub 110 may be SUS304 or PTFE (Poly-Tetra Fluoro Ethylene). In addition, the material of the washing tub 110 may be titanium dioxide.

Here, SUS304 is an austenitic stainless steel containing 8 to 11% of Ni and 18 to 20% of Cr. SUS304 is a plating material with excellent chemical resistance and heat resistance. SUS304 is suitable for use as a material for the washing tub 110 because it has excellent chemical resistance and heat resistance.

에서도 안정된 상태를 유지하며 물질의 특성이 변화하지 않는다. PTFE는 도금용 소재로 이용되며, 전기특성도 양호하며, 불연성으로 내후성도 우수하다. 따라서, 세척조(110)의 소재로 사용하기 적합하다.On the other hand, PTFE is a type of polyethylene with excellent chemical resistance, and high temperature, for example, 325

It remains stable and the properties of the material do not change. PTFE is used as a material for plating, has good electrical properties, and is nonflammable and has excellent weather resistance. Therefore, it is suitable for use as a material for the washing tub 110.

If the washing tub 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is designed using SUS304 or PTFE, it can withstand shocks generated from the ultrasonic module 130, as well as the washing tub 110 from ultraviolet rays emitted from the UV module. It has a non-damaging effect.

The fixing tray 116 fixes objects to be washed, for example, fruits and vegetables, to prevent them from floating in the washing tub 110 by the washing water. The fixed tray 116 may include a cover including a fixed net. A cover (not shown) is configured to be detachable from the fixing tray 116 . The user can select a cover based on the size of the wash. That is, when the size of the object to be cleaned is large, a cover having a large net hole is used, and when the size of the object to be washed is small, a cover having a small hole is used. In addition, the washing water can pass through the fixing net and come into contact with the washing material, but the washing material cannot pass through the fixing net, so the fixed tray 116 prevents the washing material from floating inside the washing tub 110 . In addition, the fixed tray 116 may be fixedly installed inside the washing tub 110, but may be detachable or detachable from the washing tub 110.

The water level detection unit 118 is installed on one side of the inside of the washing tub 110 and detects the level of washing water inside the washing tub. The water level detection unit 118 is a contact sensor that moves up and down and detects the water level based on the level of the washing water supplied to the washing tub 110, or a non-contact sensor that detects the level of the washing water based on the water pressure of the washing water without contacting the washing water. It may be a detection sensor. The water level detection unit 118 detects the level of the washing water and transmits the generated water level information to the control unit 150. The control unit 150 determines whether or not to supply washing water by determining whether the water level in the washing tank 110 is insufficient based on the received water level information.

The bubble module 120 includes all or part of the water pump 122 and the dry pump 124 .

The bubble module 120 injects bubbles to induce a flow of washing water inside the washing tub 110 . In addition, the bubble module 120 dries fruits and vegetables that have been washed and sterilized.

The water pump 122 injects bubbles into the washing tub so that the washing water and fruits and vegetables can more smoothly contact each other. The bubble performs a function similar to that of ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic module 130 . The bubbles vibrate the fruits and vegetables to separate the microorganisms from the fruits and vegetables. In addition, the bubble has an effect of preventing the microorganisms detached from the fruit and vegetable from being reattached to the surface of the fruit and vegetable by rising to the top in a state of aggregation on the surface of the bubble. In addition, when the bubble attached with the detached microorganisms rises upward, sterilization can be easily performed even when UV with low penetrating power is used during sterilization by the UV module located at the top.

The dry pump 124 injects air into the washing tub 110 to dry the washed fruits and vegetables. The dry pump 124 injects strong wind into the washing tank so that water droplets remaining on fruits and vegetables can be evaporated or blown away.

The ultrasonic module 130 generates ultrasonic waves inside the washing tub 110 . For example, the ultrasonic module 130 includes a vibrator (not shown), and the ultrasonic module 130 may generate ultrasonic waves inside the washing tub 110 by vibrating the vibrator.

In the detailed description of the present disclosure, the ultrasound module 130 may be, for example, the ultrasound module 130 of 40 KHz, and the frequency of vibration may be appropriately selected by a person skilled in the art in the range of 30 KHz to 50 KHz.

For example, when the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure uses the ultrasonic module 130 having a frequency of 40 KHz, the vibrator vibrates 40,000 times per second to generate ultrasonic waves inside the washing tub 110. can cause

The generated ultrasonic wave reaches the fruits and vegetables inside the washing tub 110, so that microorganisms attached to the surface of the fruits and vegetables can be separated from the fruits and vegetables.

In addition, the impact force of ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic module 130 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be tens of atmospheres, for example, 50 atmospheres, and the particle accelerator may be 2500 G and generate waves with strong diffraction. The ultrasonic module 130 of the present disclosure can desorb microbes of fine particles, for example, 2 μm (micrometer).

Also, vibrators disposed inside the ultrasound module 130 may be disposed in an array form. When the vibrators of the ultrasonic module 130 are arranged in an array form, there is an effect of suppressing blind spots where vibrations reach.

In addition, since the cleaning principle of the ultrasonic module 130 is based on cavitation, the ultrasonic module 130 can realize general cleaning purposes using ultrasonic waves.

In the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, prior to operating the UV module 140, the ultrasonic module 130 is used to desorb microorganisms attached to fruits and vegetables, and the UV module 140 By sterilizing fruits and vegetables using it, an excellent sterilization effect is realized.

For example, when microorganisms are detached from fruits and vegetables by the ultrasonic module 130, the detached microorganisms may be reattached to the fruits and vegetables. However, the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can prevent reattachment of microorganisms by rapidly sterilizing the detached microorganisms using the UV module 140 . In addition, when cavitation also occurs by the ultrasonic wave along with the rise of the desorbed microorganisms by the bubbles, the desorbed microorganisms aggregate and rise on the surface of the bubbles generated by the cavitation, and the desorbed microorganisms rise up in the UV module located at the top. Sterilization is facilitated by

The UV module 140 includes at least one ultraviolet lamp 142 . At this time, an appropriate distance between the plurality of ultraviolet lamps 142 installed in the washing tub 110 and the inner wall of the washing tub 110, for example, is made within 15 to 20 cm. The UV module 140 is not limited to a specific module as long as it emits a germicidal wavelength, and may include an LED, a mercury ultraviolet lamp, an excimer lamp, and the like. In addition, the wavelength irradiated by the UV module 140 may be a wavelength capable of implementing a sterilization effect, that is, 200 nm to 280 nm.

The UV module 140 is installed on one side, for example, the upper side of the washing tub 110 . In addition, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the UV module 140 may be installed inside the washing tub 110 . In addition, the UV module 140 may be installed in a fixed type inside the washing tub, or may be installed in a movable type as well. When the UV module 140 is installed in a movable type, the fruits and vegetables passing through the washing tub 110 are moved while the movable UV module 140 is continuously moved, so that all fruits and vegetables passing through the washing tub 110 are evenly sterilized. In addition, by sterilizing fruits and vegetables several times, a perfect sterilization effect of fruits and vegetables can be obtained. Meanwhile, a handle 144 may be installed in the UV module 140 . Knob 144 is configured to open or close UV module 140 .

In addition, an LED may be inserted into the upper part of the washing tub 110, that is, the lower part of the UV module 140, and finished with quartz for ultraviolet irradiation. By finishing with quartz or the like, there is an effect that the UV module 140 is not affected by the washing water of the washing tank 110 and at the same time does not affect the transmission of ultraviolet rays irradiated by the UV module 140. Even though ultraviolet rays pass through quartz, they are not affected by wavelength or frequency. As a result, the UV module 140 is waterproof from washing water and has an effect of irradiating ultraviolet rays.

The ultraviolet lamp 142 installed in the UV module 140 irradiates fruits and vegetables with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 200 nm to 280 nm. When the wavelength of the UV lamp 142 is 200 nm to 280 nm, microorganisms detached from fruits and vegetables are effectively removed. In addition, as the length of the wavelength irradiated by the UV lamp 142 increases in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 280 nm, the transmittance increases, thereby minimizing the effect on the turbidity of the washing water. Therefore, in the present disclosure, microorganisms desorbed from fruits and vegetables are effectively removed using a wavelength of 280 nm.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, the UV module 140 sterilizes microorganisms detached from fruits and vegetables to provide sterilized fruits and vegetables to the user, so that the user is protected from microorganisms harmful to the human body. In addition, the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the UV module 140 do not affect the quality of fruits and vegetables, and no by-products harmful to the human body are produced in fruits and vegetables.

The controller 150 controls on/off states of the bubble module 120, the ultrasound module 130, and the UV module 140. For example, the user can selectively control each module constituting the washing system by using a manipulation unit formed in the controller 150, for example, a touch screen. In addition, the controller 150 may control each module so that the washing tub 110 performs a cleaning and sterilization process based on a preset algorithm.

Tables 1 and 2 are tables showing experimental data of the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Table 1 is Escherichia. coli O157:H7-inoculated apple samples and 2000 ml of tap water were placed in a washing tank, and each module combination was treated over time, and E. coli O157:H7 that survived in the apple samples and washing water was shown.

E.coil O157:H7 surviving on apples (log CFU/sample) processing time UV module Ultrasonic module and bubble module UV module, ultrasonic module and bubble module 0 minutes 8.76 ± 0.36 8.76 ± 0.36 8.57 ± 0.19 5 minutes 7.69 ± 0.17 5.91 ± 0.27 4.37 ± 0.11 10 minutes 6.53 ± 0.13 5.86 ± 0.24 4.02 ± 0.19 15 minutes 6.24 ± 0.22 5.54 ± 0.18 3.91 ± 0.21 20 minutes 4.76 ± 0.14 3.23 ± 0.29 2.53 ± 0.92

On the other hand, Table 2 is a table showing a sterilization effect of 4 log (CFU/ml, 99.99%) or more in 5 minutes when desorption of microorganisms using the ultrasonic module 130 and sterilization by the UV module 140 are performed at the same time.

E.coil O157:H7 (log CFU/sample) that survived in the wash water processing time UV module Ultrasonic module and bubble module UV module, ultrasonic module and bubble module 0 minutes - - - 5 minutes 7.69 ± 0.16 8.68 ± 0.15 3.5 ± 0.35 10 minutes 6.84 ± 0.07 8.54 ± 0.15 3.5 ± 0.0 15 minutes 5.22 ± 0.2 8.67 ± 0.14 3.5 ± 0.0 20 minutes 3.3 ± 0.0 8.493 ± 0.04 3.5 ± 0.0

Referring to Tables 1 and 2, when the bubble module 120, the ultrasonic module 130, and the UV module 140 are all operated, the fruit and vegetable sterilization system 10 is used to sterilize and wash fruits and vegetables for 20 minutes It can be seen that a control effect of 6 log (CFU/ml, 99.9999%) or more exists during the treatment.

4 is an operating flowchart of a fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 150 controls all or part of the bubble module 120, the ultrasonic module 130, and the UV module 140.

The process and criterion for converting each module in steps 1 to 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 .

Step 1 is a process of washing fruits and vegetables inside the washing tank 110 using washing water and bubbles. The controller 150 controls each module so that only the bubble module 120 is maintained in an on state, and the ultrasonic module 130 and the UV module 140 are maintained in an off state.

Step 2 is a process of detaching microorganisms from washed fruits and vegetables. The controller 150 switches the on-state bubble module 120 to an off-state and the off-state ultrasound module 130 to an on-state.

Step 3 is a process of sterilizing the detached microorganisms. The controller 150 converts the off-state UV module 140 to an on-state.

Step 4 is a process of drying fruits and vegetables after washing and sterilization. The controller 150 switches the ultrasonic module 130 and the UV module 140, which are in an on state, to an off state, and switches the dry pump ( 124 in FIG. 1 ) of the bubble module 120 to an on state.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm of a control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the controller 150 determines whether to initiate a process of washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables (S510). In step S510, the controller 150 starts washing and sterilizing fruits and vegetables based on the user's input signal. For example, when a user presses an On switch (not shown), the controller 150 initiates a cleaning and sterilization process. If it is determined that the washing and sterilization process is not started in step S510, this algorithm ends.

When it is determined that the washing and sterilization process starts, the controller 150 controls the washing tub 110 to supply washing water to the first space. Upon receiving the washing water injection signal from the control unit 150, the washing tank 110 injects washing water into the first space in an amount sufficient to wash and sterilize the washing water (S515).

The control unit 150 determines whether or not the washing tub 110 stops injecting the washing water based on whether a sufficient amount of washing water has been injected into the first space (S520). In step S520, the control unit 150 may determine the water level of the washing water in the first space based on the water level information received from the water level detection unit 118, and determine whether to additionally inject the washing water. For example, when the water level determined based on the water level information is 5 cm or less, the controller 150 controls the washing tub 110 to further inject washing water so that the water level reaches 10 to 12 cm.

In addition, when the washing water reaches a certain level, the controller 150 controls the bubble module 120 to inject bubbles into the washing tank 110 . The bubble module 120 injects bubbles into the washing tub 110 based on a control signal from the controller 150 (S525).

After the bubble module 120 starts operating, the controller 150 stops the bubble module 120 and determines whether to operate the ultrasonic module 130 (S530). In step S530, the control unit 150 determines whether to operate the ultrasonic module 130 based on whether or not the washing of fruits and vegetables inside the washing tub 110 is completed. For example, the control unit 150 may be set to start the operation of the ultrasound module 130 when the bubble module 120 injects bubbles for 30 s. Here, the control unit 150 may stop the operation of the bubble module 120 when it is determined that the operation of the ultrasound module 130 is started.

When it is determined that the control unit 150 does not start the operation of the ultrasonic module 130 in step S530, the control unit 150 does not stop the operation of the bubble module 120 and the bubble module 120 continues to operate in the washing tub 110. ) to inject bubbles.

Meanwhile, when the controller 150 determines that the operation of the ultrasound module 130 starts in step S530, the controller 150 generates an ultrasound signal and transmits it to the ultrasound module 130. The ultrasonic module 130 receives an ultrasonic signal from the controller 150 and starts operating (S535). Here, the ultrasonic signal is a signal set so that the ultrasonic module 130 injects ultrasonic waves into the washing tank 110 .

When the ultrasonic module 130 separates microorganisms from fruits and vegetables by injecting ultrasonic waves into the washing tub 110, the controller 150 determines whether to operate the UV module 140 (S540). For example, when 20 s has elapsed after transmitting the ultrasonic signal, the controller 150 may determine that the microorganisms are sufficiently separated from the fruits and vegetables and transmit a UV irradiation signal to the UV module 140 .

The UV module 140 receives a UV irradiation signal from the controller 150 and starts operating (S545). In step S545, the UV module 140 supplies power to the ultraviolet lamp 142 to irradiate the fruits and vegetables inside the washing tub 110 with ultraviolet rays. Here, even if the UV module 140 starts operating, the ultrasonic module 130 continuously injects ultrasonic waves into the washing tub 110 .

When the UV module 140 radiates ultraviolet rays into the washing tub 110 to sterilize microorganisms detached from fruits and vegetables, the controller 150 terminates the washing and sterilization and determines whether to dry the fruits and vegetables (S550). In step S550, the controller 150 determines whether or not to start drying based on the UV irradiation time applied to the washing tub. For example, when the UV module 140 irradiates ultraviolet rays for 40 s, the control unit 150 determines that all microorganisms detached from fruits and vegetables are killed, and determines that washing of the fruits and vegetables is completed.

In step S550, the control unit 150 controls the UV module 140 to determine that fruit and vegetable sterilization has been completed, stops the ultrasonic module 130 and the UV module 140 together, and operates the bubble module 120 ( S555). In step S555, the control unit 150 injects air into the washed and sterilized fruits and vegetables using the dry pump 124 to dry the fruits and vegetables.

When the drying process is completed, this algorithm ends.

In the above description, it is described that the operation of the bubble module is terminated before the operation of the ultrasonic module. However, if bubbles are supplied even during operation of the ultrasonic module, cavitation by the ultrasonic module and supply of bubbles by the module cause separation of microorganisms and migration to the upper part. can be further promoted.

The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of the present embodiment, and various modifications and variations can be made to those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present embodiment, but to explain, and the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of this embodiment should be interpreted according to the claims below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of rights of this embodiment.

10: cleaning and sanitizing system 110: washing tank
112: inlet 114: outlet
116: fixed tray 118: water level detection unit
120: bubble module 122: water pump
124: dry pump 130: ultrasonic module
140: UV module 150: control unit

Claims (13)

a washing tub defining a first space inside and accommodating washing water and washing water in the first space;
a bubble module for injecting bubbles into the washing tub;
An ultrasonic module generating ultrasonic waves in the washing tub based on ultrasonic signals;
a UV module configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the washing tub based on a UV irradiation signal; and
A controller for controlling the UV module and the ultrasonic module by generating the ultrasonic signal and the UV irradiation signal based on a user's input signal
Fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system comprising a. According to claim 1,
The UV module,
A fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system, characterized in that the ultraviolet wavelength is a wavelength within the range of 200 nm to 280 nm showing a sterilization effect. According to claim 1,
The UV module includes at least one of an LED lamp, a mercury ultraviolet lamp, and an excimer lamp. According to claim 1,
The UV module,
Fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system, characterized in that mounted inside the washing tank to move and wash the washing water. According to claim 1,
The fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system, characterized in that the bubble module comprises a water pump for injecting bubbles into the washing tank. According to claim 1,
The bubble module further includes a dry pump for drying the washed water,
The control unit controls the dry pump to dry the laundry when washing and sterilization of the laundry is completed.
Characterized by a fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system. According to claim 1,
The bubble,
Preventing the microorganisms from being reattached to the surface of the wash by aggregating and rising the microorganisms detached from the wash on the surface
Characterized by a cleaning and sanitizing system. According to claim 1,
The washing tank,
Fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system, characterized in that it comprises a fixed tray configured to fix the wash. According to claim 1,
The ultrasound module,
A fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system, characterized in that the microorganisms detached from the washing water by cavitation are aggregated to generate rising bubbles. According to claim 1,
The ultrasound module,
A fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system characterized in that it is coated with a chemical resistant material. According to claim 1,
The washing tank,
Fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system characterized in that it comprises a water level sensor for detecting the level of the washing water on one side. According to claim 1,
The washing tank includes an outlet for discharging the washing water,
The fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization system, characterized in that the outlet is opened or closed by a drain valve installed at one end of the washing tank. a washing water supply process for supplying washing water into the washing tub;
a bubble injection process of injecting bubbles into the washing tank to desorb microorganisms from the washing water and to prevent re-attachment of the detached microorganisms;
an ultrasonic wave generation process of generating ultrasonic waves inside the washing tank to desorb the microorganisms from the washing water; and
Fruit and vegetable washing and sterilization method characterized in that it comprises a UV irradiation process for killing the microorganisms by irradiating ultraviolet rays to the washing water.

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