KR20230163762A - Sterilization device using LED and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

A sterilizing device using an LED and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. A sterilizing device using an LED according to one aspect of the present invention includes a main body that is sealed when the door is locked; A mounting portion provided in the main body to hold an object; A first LED module that emits visible light to an object; A second LED module that radiates UV to an object; and a control unit that drives the second LED module only under preset conditions.

Description

Sterilization device using LED and its control method {Sterilization device using LED and its control method}

The present invention relates to a towel sterilizing device using LEDs for sterilizing towels, etc., and a method of controlling the same.

Not only wet towels but also dry towels are unhygienic, as they can cause bad odors or food poisoning due to bacterial growth if they are placed in a humid place. Therefore, there is a high demand for sterilizing towels not only in households but also in various industries that provide towels, and various sterilizing devices are being released.

Typically, towel sterilization devices use ultraviolet rays (UV: Ultraviolet Ray). However, conventionally, mercury lamps are mainly used to emit UV, but mercury itself is harmful to the human body, and UV itself decomposes oxygen molecules in the air, so it can generate ozone, which is harmful to the human body. Additionally, if ozone is inhaled, it can cause damage to the laryngeal mucosa, bronchial tubes, and lung cells, thereby reducing respiratory function. Excessive exposure can cause coughing, nausea, headaches, and even fainting.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0031506 (Towel drying and sterilizing device)

Accordingly, the present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is intended to provide a sterilization device using LED and a control method thereof to prevent damage caused by UV.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a sterilization device and a control method using LED that uses UV to increase the sterilization effect but has a function of preventing external emission.

Other objects of the present invention will become clearer through the preferred embodiments described below.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a main body portion that is sealed when the door is locked; A mounting portion provided in the main body to hold an object; A first LED module that emits visible light to the object; A second LED module that radiates UV light to the object; and a control unit that operates the second LED module only under preset conditions. A sterilizing device using an LED is provided.

Here, when the door is opened, the control unit maintains the operation of the first LED module and stops the operation of the second LED module.

Additionally, the first LED module emits light in a wavelength band of 405 nm, and the second LED module emits light in a wavelength band of 280 nm.

In addition, it further includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the first LED module, wherein the control unit stops driving the first LED module when the temperature of the first LED module exceeds the threshold, and the control unit stops driving the first LED module. 1 The second LED module is driven only during the period when driving of the LED module is stopped.

In addition, when the open button for the door is operated while driving the second LED module, the control unit stops driving the second LED module, drives the first LED module, and opens the door after a set delay time has elapsed. Process it.

Additionally, the delay time is set according to the time the second LED module is maintained.

Additionally, an internal temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the main body; and a heating module that emits heat, wherein the control unit drives the heating module when the internal temperature is below a preset threshold while the first LED module is driven.

In addition, it further includes a storage unit for storing a history of opening the door, and the control unit analyzes the history to determine an allowable driving time zone for the second LED module.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a control method in a sterilization device including a first LED module that emits visible light and a second LED module that emits UV light, comprising: recognizing a door unlock command; Stopping the driving of the second LED module and allowing the first LED module to be driven; A control method in a sterilization device using an LED is provided, including the step of unlocking the door after a set delay time has elapsed.

Here, the delay time is set according to the time the second LED module maintains operation.

In addition, when the measured temperature for the first LED module exceeds the threshold, driving of the first LED module is stopped, and the second LED module is driven only during the period when driving of the first LED module is stopped. .

According to the present invention, damage to users can be prevented by using LEDs that emit visible light that is harmless to the human body.

In addition, the present invention uses UV to increase the sterilization effect and prevent damage to the human body by preventing emission to the outside even when the door is opened.

1 is a front cross-sectional view of a sterilization device using LED according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of a sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a door opening process in a sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the control process of a dual LED module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a heating module control process in a sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can make various changes and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, terms such as first threshold and second threshold, which will be described later, may be pre-designated as thresholds that are substantially different or partially the same, but may cause confusion when expressed with the same word, threshold. Since there is room, for convenience of classification, terms such as first and second will be used together.

The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, the components of the embodiments described with reference to each drawing are not limited to the corresponding embodiments, and may be implemented to be included in other embodiments within the scope of maintaining the technical spirit of the present invention, and may also be included in separate embodiments. Even if the description is omitted, it is natural that a plurality of embodiments may be re-implemented as a single integrated embodiment.

In addition, when describing with reference to the accompanying drawings, identical or related reference numbers will be assigned to identical or related elements regardless of the drawing symbols, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Figures 1 and 2 are a front cross-sectional view and a functional block diagram of a sterilization device using LED according to each embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to Figure 1, the sterilizing device according to this embodiment includes a main body 10, a mounting part 20, one or more first LED modules 30, one or more second LED modules 40, and a heating module ( 50).

The main body 10 is sealed or opened by a door (not shown), and objects for sterilization, such as towels and bedding, are mounted on the mounting portion 20 within the main body 10.

In addition, the first LED module 30 is a means for emitting visible light (for example, light in the 405 nm wavelength band) to the object, and the second LED module 40 is a means for emitting UV light (for example, light in the 280 nm wavelength band) to the object. It is a means for emitting light.

The light from the first LED module 30 is visible light and is harmless to the human body, and sterilizes through porphyrin reaction with the material. Ultraviolet rays (UV) generated by the second LED module 40 have a sterilizing effect, but may be harmful to the human body due to ozone generation, etc., so their operation is controlled according to preset conditions. For example, the operation of the second LED module 40 is restricted when the door of the main body 10 is opened.

The heating module 50 is a means for generating heat to remove internal humidity of the main body 10, and its control method will be described later with reference to the related drawing (FIG. 5).

Referring to Figure 2 together, the sterilization device includes a temperature sensor 31 for sensing the temperature of the first LED module 30, an internal temperature sensor 60 for measuring the temperature inside the main body 10, and a storage unit. It further includes (70) and a control unit (80).

The control unit 80 performs the overall control function of each component, and in particular, controls the operation of the second LED module 40 that emits UV light according to specific conditions. According to one example, the control unit 80 stops driving the first LED module 30 when the temperature value of the first LED module 30 measured by the temperature sensor 31 exceeds a preset threshold, The second LED module 40 is driven only during the period when driving of the first LED module 30 is stopped. That is, the first LED module 30 is driven only under a certain temperature, and the second LED module 40 is driven only when the first LED module 30 is stopped. Of course, this is just one embodiment and the first LED module and the second LED module can each be controlled according to each condition.

And according to one example, when the door open button (not shown) is operated by the user while the second LED module 40 is being driven, the control unit 80 stops driving the second LED module 40 and operates the first LED module 40. (30) is driven, and door opening is processed after a set delay time (e.g., 1 second, etc.) has elapsed. Here, the delay time may be set according to the time the second LED module 40 is driven. For example, the longer the second LED module 40 is driven, the longer the delay time is set.

In addition, when the internal temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor 60 for measuring the internal temperature of the main body is below a preset threshold, the control unit 80 drives the heating module 50 to heat the internal temperature of the main body 10. emits heat In other words, the purpose is to quickly remove moisture from the object by maintaining the internal temperature above a certain temperature.

In addition, the control unit 80 stores the door opening history in the storage unit 70 and analyzes the door opening history for use in determining the allowable driving time zone of the second LED module 40. For example, if the door is frequently opened between 2 PM and 7 PM, the control unit 80 operates the second LED module 40 from 10 AM to 2 PM and 7 PM to 10 PM. Set the allowed time zone.

The LED control unit 81 of the control unit 80 controls the operation of the first LED module 30 and the second LED module 40. As described above, control or unlocking (i.e. opening) of the door is performed. Controls the operation of the first LED module 30 according to its temperature and controls the operation of the second LED module 40 depending on whether the first LED module 30 is driven.

The door control unit 82 of the control unit 80 controls the door. The door can be divided into a closed state and an open state, and the closed state is a locked state (a state that cannot be opened with a button)/unlocked (a state that cannot be opened with a button). It can also be classified into a state where it can be opened. For example, the control unit 80 maintains the locked state only when the second LED module 40 is being driven, and at this time, when the open button (not shown) provided on the outside of the main body 10 is operated by the user, 2 Stop the operation of the LED module (40) and after the delay time, only unlock the door or perform unlocking and door opening.

Hereinafter, the control method in the sterilization device using LED will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a door opening process in a sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, when a door unlock command (or door opening command) is recognized (S310), it is determined whether the second LED module 40 is currently operating (S320). Alternatively, the door may be set to a locked state only when the second LED module 40 is driven, and when the door open button is operated, it may be determined whether the door is currently locked or unlocked. That is, when the second LED module 40 is driving, the door is set to the locked state.

If the second LED module 40 is not operating, the door is opened (S330). At this time, when the first LED module 30 is being driven, it is maintained, and when it is not being driven, at least one LED module is driven to brighten the inside of the main body 10.

In contrast, when the second LED module 40 is being driven, driving of the second LED module 40 is stopped and the first LED module 30 is driven (S340). When the first LED module 30 is also being driven, the first LED module 30 maintains its driving, and when not being driven, it is driven in place of the second LED module 40.

Then, after the delay time has elapsed, the door is unlocked (S350). Here, as described above, the delay time may be set differently depending on the time during which the second LED module 40 is maintained.

As described above, according to one example, the sterilizing device may store the door opening history and periodically analyze the stored opening history to determine the allowable operation time zone of the second LED module 40.

In this embodiment, the first LED module 30 and the second LED module 40 are driven and controlled, respectively. According to another embodiment, the two modules can be controlled to be driven separately.

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the control process of a dual LED module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the first LED module 30 is driven, the temperature is periodically sensed and checked (S410).

Check whether the sensed temperature exceeds a preset threshold (for example, 60 degrees, etc.) (S420), and if the temperature of the first LED module 30 exceeds the threshold, the first LED module 30 ) is stopped, and the second LED module 40 is driven (S430).

Thereafter, when the temperature of the first LED module 30 falls below the second threshold (e.g., 40 degrees, etc.), the first LED module 30 is driven again and the second LED module 40 is immediately or After maintaining operation for a certain period of time, operation is stopped (S440).

In this embodiment, the second LED module 40 operates only when the first LED module 30 is stopped, and the process according to this embodiment only operates at a specific time using the door opening history as described above. is performed, and the remaining time may be individually controlled according to each condition.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the heating module 50 control process in the sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the temperature inside the main body 10 is measured (S510), and it is determined whether it is below a preset threshold (for example, 40 degrees, etc.) (S520).

If the internal temperature is below the threshold, the heating module 50 is driven (S430). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, when the temperature of the first LED module 30 is high and the second LED module 40 is driven, it is necessary to quickly lower the temperature of the first LED module 30, so the heating module 50 ) controls the operation of That is, the heating module 50 is driven only when the first LED module 30 is being driven.

The control method in the sterilization device using LED according to the present invention described above can be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include all types of recording media storing data that can be deciphered by a computer system. For example, there may be Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disk, flash memory, optical data storage device, etc. Additionally, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed to computer systems connected through a computer communication network, and stored and executed as code that can be read in a distributed manner.

In addition, although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. You will understand that it can be modified and changed in various ways.

10: main body
20: Holder
30: 1st LED module
40: 2nd LED module
50: Heating module

Claims (11)

a main body that is sealed when the door is locked;
A mounting portion provided in the main body to hold an object;
A first LED module that emits visible light to the object;
A second LED module that radiates UV light to the object; and
A sterilization device using an LED including a control unit that operates the second LED module only under preset conditions.
In claim 1,
The control unit maintains driving of the first LED module and stops driving the second LED module when the door is opened.
In claim 2,
The first LED module emits light in the 405nm wavelength band, and the second LED module emits light in the 280nm wavelength band.
In claim 1,
It further includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the first LED module,
The control unit stops driving the first LED module when the temperature of the first LED module exceeds the threshold, and drives the second LED module only during the period when driving of the first LED module is stopped. Sterilization device using LED.
In claim 4,
When the open button for the door is operated while the second LED module is operating,
The control unit stops driving the second LED module, drives the first LED module, and processes the door opening after a set delay time has elapsed.
In claim 5,
A sterilization device using an LED, wherein the delay time is set according to the time the second LED module is maintained.
In claim 4,
An internal temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the main body; and
It further includes a heating module that emits heat,
The control unit drives the heating module when the internal temperature is below a preset threshold while the first LED module is driven.
In claim 1,
It further includes a storage unit for storing the history of the door being opened,
A sterilization device using an LED, wherein the control unit analyzes the history and determines an allowable driving time zone for the second LED module.
In a control method in a sterilization device equipped with a first LED module that emits visible light and a second LED module that emits UV,
Recognizing a door unlock command;
Stopping the driving of the second LED module and allowing the first LED module to be driven; and
A control method in a sterilization device using an LED, comprising the step of unlocking the door after a set delay time has elapsed.
In claim 9,
A control method in a sterilization device using an LED, wherein the delay time is set according to the time the second LED module maintains operation.
In claim 9,
An LED that stops driving the first LED module when the measured temperature for the first LED module exceeds a threshold, and drives the second LED module only during the period when driving of the first LED module is stopped. Control method in a sterilization device using.