JP7574098B2 - Sterilization cabinet - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a sterilization cabinet that sterilizes items such as cooking utensils stored in a storage chamber.

In order to keep clean items such as knives, cutting boards, and other items (cooking utensils) used in kitchen facilities such as schools and restaurants, or items such as sanitary products and medical products used in hospitals, etc., sterilization cabinets are preferably used to store wet items after washing in a storage chamber and dry them in a sterilized state (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The sterilization cabinet disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a light-emitting unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the items stored in the storage chamber, and a drying unit consisting of a drying heater and a drying fan, and is configured to operate the drying fan to dry the items stored in the storage chamber with hot air that has exchanged heat with the drying heater.

JP 2016-55027 A

In the sterilization cabinet disclosed in Patent Document 1, hot air is used to dry the items stored in the storage chamber, but no consideration has been given to a configuration for efficiently circulating hot air between the storage chamber and the chamber in which the drying unit is located. In other words, no consideration has been given to any measures to address the problem of the long time it takes to dry the items caused by hot air short-circulating between the hot air outlet to the storage chamber and the hot air inlet from the storage chamber.

In other words, the present invention has been proposed in consideration of the problems inherent in the above-mentioned conventional technology, and aims to provide a sterilization cabinet that can efficiently dry items stored in the storage chamber.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the sterilization cabinet according to the invention of claim 1 comprises:
A sterilization cabinet for sterilizing articles (16A, 16B) stored in a storage chamber (12) defined inside a main body (10) by a germicidal lamp (17),
a partition wall (11) disposed inside the main body (10) to separate the storage chamber (12) from a heat exchange chamber (13);
an air outlet (28) and an air inlet (29) provided in the partition wall (11) at a distance therefrom and communicating between the storage chamber (12) and the heat exchange chamber (13);
hot air circulating means (18, 19) disposed in the heat exchange chamber (13) for sucking in air from the storage chamber (12) through the inlet (29) and exchanging heat therewith, and for blowing the resulting hot air from the outlet (28) into the storage chamber (12);
a mounting member (30) provided on the partition wall (11), protruding into the storage chamber (12), and having a support member (31) for supporting the articles (16A, 16B) disposed thereon;
The gist of the present invention is that the attachment member (30) is configured to block the space between the air outlet (28) and the air inlet (29).
In the invention of claim 1, the attachment member arranged on the partition wall separating the storage chamber and the heat exchange chamber can block the flow of hot air between the air outlet and the air inlet, preventing hot air short cycles, allowing the items to be dried efficiently and shortening the drying time. In addition, since the attachment member is a member on which the support member for supporting the items stored in the storage chamber is arranged, no dedicated member for preventing short cycles is required.

The invention according to claim 2 is as follows:
The mounting member (30) is formed in a box shape that opens toward the partition wall (11) and is disposed on the partition wall (11) so as to cover a portion of the suction port (29).
The gist of the present invention is that a through hole (30b) that communicates between the inside of the mounting member (30) and the storage chamber (12) is provided in a wall (30a) that faces away from the blow-out port (28) on the side of the mounting member (30) covering the suction port (29).
In the invention of claim 2, the opening area of the suction port can be increased to increase the amount of air sucked into the heat exchange chamber while preventing the main body from becoming large, and the amount of warm air circulated can be increased to dry items efficiently. In other words, short cycles can be suppressed by increasing the distance between the air outlet and the suction port, but in that case, the main body must be increased in size or the opening areas of the suction port and the air outlet must be reduced. However, in the invention of claim 2, by covering part of the suction port with the mounting member and providing a through hole that connects the inside of the mounting member with the storage chamber, short cycles can be prevented without increasing the size of the main body, even if the opening area of the suction port is increased.

The sterilization cabinet of the present invention can prevent short cycles of hot air without the need for special means for preventing short cycles, and can dry items efficiently.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of a storage chamber in a sterilization cabinet according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing a sterilization cabinet according to an embodiment. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an exhaust damper according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows an exhaust port in a closed state, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the sterilization cabinet according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a sterilization and drying process according to an embodiment. 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams showing an exhaust damper according to another embodiment, in which FIG. 11A shows a state in which the exhaust port is closed, and FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a sterilization cabinet of another type.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the sterilization cabinet according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sterilizer of the embodiment has a rectangular box-shaped main body 10, and a storage chamber 12 and a heat exchange chamber 13 are partitioned by a partition wall 11 inside the main body 10. In the embodiment, the storage chamber 12 and the heat exchange chamber 13 are partitioned left and right by the partition wall 11. An entrance 14 is provided in the front of the main body 10 corresponding to the storage chamber 12, and an opening and closing door 15 that can open and close the entrance 14 is arranged on the main body 10, so that items 16A, 16B such as cooking utensils can be put in and taken out of the storage chamber 12 through the opening of the opening and closing door 15. In addition, a sterilizing lamp 17 for sterilizing the stored items 16A, 16B is arranged in the storage chamber 12, and hot air circulation means 18, 19 for circulating hot air between the storage chamber 12 and the heat exchange chamber 13 for drying the items 16A, 16B stored in the storage chamber 12 are arranged in the heat exchange chamber 13.

1 and 2, a pair of rear mounting members 21, 21 are arranged vertically spaced apart on the back wall 20 that defines the storage chamber 12 and faces the entrance 14, and a plurality of first support members 22 are arranged horizontally spaced apart on the rear mounting members 21, 21. An article 16A, such as a cutting board, is configured to be supported in a vertical position between the first support members 22, 22 adjacent to each other on the left and right. A lower support member 24 is arranged on the bottom wall 23 that defines the storage chamber 12, and is configured to support the lower end of the article 16A supported by the first support members 22, 22 with the lower support member 24. In addition, a restricting member 25 is provided on the lower rear mounting member 21 at a distance forward from the rear wall 20, and is configured to restrict the article 16A supported by the first support members 22, 22 and the lower support member 24 from approaching the rear wall 20 through the restricting member 25. The first support member 22, the lower support member 24, and the restricting member 25 support or restrict the article 16A in a state separated from each wall 20, 23, and are configured so that the hot air circulated by the hot air circulation means 18, 19 efficiently contacts the entire article 16A.

As shown in FIG. 1, the germicidal lamp 17 is disposed on the rear wall 20 so as to be located rearward of the front end of the restricting member 25. In this embodiment, a UV lamp is used as the germicidal lamp 17, and the objects 16A and 16B are sterilized by the ultraviolet light emitted from the lamp. The germicidal lamp 17 is disposed in a recess that expands toward the front of a reflecting member 26 disposed on the rear wall 20, so that the ultraviolet light emitted from the germicidal lamp 17 can be reflected by the reflecting member 26 toward the front over a wide range.

2, the hot air circulation means 18, 19 is composed of a heater 18 for heating air and a fan 19, such as a sirocco fan rotating an impeller by a motor, for blowing the air (hot air) heated by the heater 18. The heat exchange chamber 13 is provided with an air duct 27 that is spaced apart from the partition wall 11 to the side and extends in the front-rear direction and opens at the front and rear, and the heater 18 is disposed inside the air duct 27. In addition, the partition wall 11 is formed with an air outlet 28 for air (hot air) from the heat exchange chamber 13 to the storage chamber 12 and an air inlet 29 for air (hot air) from the storage chamber 12 to the heat exchange chamber 13, spaced apart in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the inlet 29 is located on the front side and the outlet 28 is located on the back side. The blow-out port 28 and the suction port 29 are each formed by forming a plurality of long holes 28a, 29a extending in the front-rear direction and spaced apart in the up-down direction. The fan 19 is disposed between the partition wall 11 and the air tunnel 27, biased toward the suction port 29 side. By operating the fan 19, air in the storage chamber 12 is sucked into the heat exchange chamber 13 from the suction port 29 and sent toward the inlet 27a, which is the front opening of the air tunnel 27. The air that enters from the inlet 27a and flows through the air tunnel 27 is heated by the heater 18 to become hot air, and the hot air that comes out from the outlet 27b, which is the rear opening, is blown out from the blow-out port 28 into the storage chamber 12.

1 and 2, a side mounting member (mounting member) 30 protruding toward the storage chamber 12 is disposed on the partition 11, and a plurality of second support members 31 are disposed on the side mounting member 30 at intervals in the vertical and front-to-rear directions. In the embodiment, two second support members 31, 31 aligned front-to-rear form a pair, and each pair of second support members 31, 31 is configured to support an article 16B, such as a knife, that is different in type from the article 16A supported by the first support member 22. The side mounting member 30 is a member formed in a box shape that opens on the partition 11 side, and the side mounting member 30 is disposed on the partition 11 with its open end abutting the partition 11. In addition, the side mounting member 30 is configured to extend vertically longer than the vertical formation area of the blow-out port 28 and the suction port 29 at a position biased toward the suction port 29 side from the blow-out port 28, and is configured to block the space between the blow-out port 28 and the suction port 29 in the front-rear direction by the side mounting member 30. In other words, the side mounting member 30 is configured to prevent the occurrence of a short cycle in which hot air blown out from the blow-out port 28 into the storage chamber 12 is immediately sucked into the suction port 29.

2, the side mounting member 30 is arranged to cover a part of the suction port 29, and a plurality of through holes 30b that connect the inside of the side mounting member 30 to the storage chamber 12 are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the front wall (wall) 30a located on the suction port 29 side (the side covering the suction port 29) of the side mounting member 30 and facing away from the blow-out port 28. That is, the air (hot air) in the storage chamber 12 is sucked directly into the heat exchange chamber 13 from the part of the suction port 29 exposed from the side mounting member 30, and the air (hot air) sucked into the inside of the side mounting member 30 from the through holes 30b of the front wall 30a is also sucked into the heat exchange chamber 13 from the part of the suction port 29 covered by the side mounting member 30. In addition, the rear wall 30c of the box-shaped side mounting member 30 protrudes from the partition wall 11 in the direction in which the hot air is blown out from the air outlet 28, and functions to guide the hot air blown out from the air outlet 28 toward the side of the storage chamber 12 opposite the partition wall 11.

The heat exchange chamber 13 is provided with an exhaust duct 32 that extends vertically and opens to the outside of the main body. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust duct 32 is formed with an exhaust port 32a that communicates with the heat exchange chamber 13, and is configured to discharge moisture (air) that has flowed into the exhaust duct from the exhaust port 32a to the outside of the main body. Inside the exhaust duct 32, an exhaust damper 33 is pivotally supported so that it can be rotated between a closed position (FIG. 3(a)) that closes the exhaust port 32a and an open position (FIG. 3(b)) that opens the exhaust port 32a. In addition, the center of gravity of the exhaust damper 33 is set at a position away from the center of rotation so that it rotates toward the closed position in an unloaded state. The exhaust damper 33 is configured to rotate to an open position by the force (wind pressure) of the hot air sent out by the operation of the fan 19 to open the exhaust port 32a, thereby discharging moisture to the outside of the main body, and rotate to a closed position by its own weight to close the exhaust port 32a when the force (wind pressure) of the hot air is no longer acting when the operation of the fan 19 is stopped. The exhaust duct 32 and the exhaust damper 33 are preferably disposed near the blowing side of the fan 19, where the wind pressure and humidity are highest in the heat exchange room.

The sterilization cabinet has a control means 34 that controls the sterilization lamp 17 and the hot air circulation means 18, 19. As shown in FIG. 4, the sterilization lamp 17, the heater 18, and the fan 19 are electrically connected to the control means 34. The control means 34 also has a timer 35, and controls the sterilization lamp 17, the heater 18, and the fan 19 based on the time measured by the timer 35. The control means 34 is also electrically connected to an opening/closing detection means 36 that detects the opening/closing of the opening/closing door 15.

The main body 10 is provided with a control panel 37 having various buttons that can be operated by the user. As shown in FIG. 4, the control panel 37 is provided with an operation start button 38 for starting the sterilization/drying operation in the sterilization chamber, a mode switching button 39 for switching the operation mode in the sterilization chamber, and a time setting means 40 for setting the time for performing the sterilization/drying operation (sterilization/drying time). The control panel 37 is electrically connected to the control means 34, and by operating the operation start button 38, the control means 34 is configured to turn on the sterilization lamp 17 and to energize the heater 18 and the fan 19 to operate the fan 19 and start the sterilization/drying operation. The control panel 37 is provided with switches corresponding to each of the various buttons 38, 39, and the operation of the buttons 38, 39 operated by the switches is detected. The control panel 37 is also provided with an operation lamp 38a such as an LED corresponding to the operation start button 38, and is configured to notify that the operation is in progress by lighting up the operation lamp 38a. In addition, the control panel 37 is provided with a mode lamp 39a such as an LED corresponding to the mode switching button 39, and is configured to indicate that the reset mode, which will be described later, is in effect when the mode lamp 39a is lit, and to indicate that the reset mode, which will be described later, is in effect when the mode lamp 39a is turned off. The operation lamp 38a is configured to be turned off during standby (when operation is stopped) when sterilization/drying operation is not being performed.

The timer 35 starts timing at the same time that the sterilization/drying operation is started by operating the operation start button 38, and when the time counted by the timer 35 reaches the sterilization/drying time set by the time setting means 40, the control means 34 is configured to stop the sterilization/drying operation. In the embodiment, if the sterilization/drying time is set to, for example, 3 hours, the timer 35 counts down (times) the set 3 hours at the same time that the operation start button 38 is operated, and when the time counted (count value) reaches "0", the control means 34 turns off the sterilization lamp 17 and stops the supply of electricity to the heater 18 and fan 19 to stop the sterilization/drying operation.

The sterilization cabinet of the embodiment is configured to allow the selection of a reset mode in which the sterilization and drying time is automatically reset and a non-reset mode in which the sterilization and drying time is not automatically reset by operating the mode switching button 39. In the reset mode, when the open/close detection means 36 detects the opening and closing of the opening and closing door 15 during the sterilization and drying operation (during the countdown of the timer 35), the control means 34 resets the count value of the timer 35 and restarts the countdown of the sterilization and drying time from the initial value (e.g., 3 hours) (the sterilization and drying operation continues). In the reset mode, when the open/close detection means 36 detects the opening and closing of the opening and closing door 15 while the operation is stopped, the control means 34 resets the count value of the timer 35 and restarts the countdown of the sterilization and drying time from the initial value (e.g., 3 hours) and starts the sterilization and drying operation. Specifically, the control means 34 resets the timer 35 and continues or starts the sterilization/drying operation when the open/close detection means 36 detects that the open/close door 15 is opened and then detects that the open/close door 15 is closed.

Next, the sterilization and drying process executed by the control means 34 of the sterilization cabinet according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
When the operation start button 38 is operated (step S10), the control means 34 judges in step S11 whether or not the mode is with reset, and if the judgment result in step S11 is negative (i.e., the mode is without reset), the control means 34 starts the sterilization and drying operation and starts the timer 35 to count down (step S12). Then, when the timer 35 has timed the sterilization and drying time (yes in step S13), the control means 34 stops the sterilization and drying operation (step S14) and ends the sterilization and drying process.

If the judgment result of step S11 is positive, the control means 34 starts the sterilization/drying operation and starts the timer 35 to count down (step S15). In step S16, the control means 34 judges whether the opening/closing detection means 36 has detected the opening/closing of the opening/closing door 15, and if the judgment result of step S16 is negative, the control means 34 proceeds to step S18 to judge whether the timer 35 has timed the sterilization/drying time (the count value of the timer 35 has become "0"). If the judgment result of step S18 is negative, the control means 34 returns to step S16. If the judgment result of step S16 is positive, that is, if the opening/closing door 15 is opened or closed during the countdown of the timer 35, the control means 34 resets the count value of the timer 35, starts the countdown of the sterilization/drying time from the initial value (e.g., 3 hours), and executes (continues) the sterilization/drying operation (step S17). Then, in step S18, it is determined whether the timer 35 has timed the sterilization and drying time, and if the determination result in step S18 is negative, the process returns to step S16.

If the determination result of step S18 is positive, the control means 34 determines in step S19 whether the opening/closing detection means 36 has detected the opening/closing of the opening/closing door 15, and if the determination result of step S19 is positive, the process returns to step S17 and repeats the flow. If the determination result of step S19 is negative, the control means 34 determines whether the mode has been switched to the no-reset mode (step S20). If the determination result of step S20 is negative, the control means 34 returns to step S19, and if the determination result of step S20 is positive, the sterilization/drying process is terminated.

[Function of the embodiment]
Next, the operation of the sterilization cabinet according to the embodiment will be described.
In the sterilization cabinet, when the operation start button 38 is operated with the articles 16A, 16B stored in the storage chamber 12, the sterilization and drying process is executed. That is, the control means 34 judges whether the mode is the reset mode or not, and then turns on the sterilization lamp 17 and energizes the heater 18 and the fan 19 to operate the fan 19, thereby starting the sterilization and drying operation, regardless of whether the mode is the reset mode or the non-reset mode. Also, the timer 35 starts counting down.

In the sterilization/drying operation, the stored items 16A and 16B are sterilized by ultraviolet light emitted by turning on the sterilization lamp 17. In addition, the fan 19 is operated to suck air from the storage chamber 12 into the heat exchange chamber 13 through the suction port 29, and the air is heated by the heater 18 to become hot air, which is then blown out from the outlet 28 into the storage chamber 12. That is, the hot air circulates between the storage chamber 12 and the heat exchange chamber 13, and the items 16A and 16B stored in the storage chamber 12 are dried. In the sterilization/drying operation, the pressure (wind pressure) of the air (hot air) flowing through the heat exchange chamber 13 causes the exhaust damper 33 to rotate to the open position as shown in FIG. 3(b), opening the exhaust port 32a, and allowing moisture in the storage chamber (storage chamber 12 and heat exchange chamber 13) to be discharged to the outside. That is, during the sterilization/drying operation, moisture is discharged to the outside without being trapped inside the chamber, and the drying of the items 16A, 16B stored in the storage chamber 12 can be accelerated. When the timer 35 counts the sterilization/drying time, the control means 34 turns off the sterilization lamp 17 and stops the power supply to the heater 18 and the fan 19 to stop the sterilization/drying operation. Also, when the air (hot air) from the storage chamber 12 is no longer sucked into the heat exchange chamber 13, the wind force acting on the exhaust damper 33 disappears, and the exhaust damper 33 rotates to the closed position under its own weight to close the exhaust port 32a.

The sterilization cabinet of the embodiment is configured to block the flow of hot air between the blow-out port 28 and the suction port 29 by the side mounting member 30 arranged on the partition wall 11 that separates the storage chamber 12 and the heat exchange chamber 13, so that short cycles of hot air can be prevented. In other words, the amount of hot air blown out from the blow-out port 28 to the storage chamber 12 is not reduced by short cycles, and a sufficient amount of hot air spreads over a wide area of the storage chamber 12, allowing the items 16A and 16B to be dried efficiently and the drying time to be shortened. In addition, since the side mounting member 30 is a member on which the second support member 31 that supports the items 16B stored in the storage chamber 12 is arranged, no dedicated member is required to prevent short cycles, and the number of parts does not increase. In addition, the side mounting member 30 covers part of the suction port 29, and the front wall 30a of the side mounting member 30 that covers part of the suction port 29 has a through hole 30b that connects the inside of the side mounting member 30 to the storage chamber 12. This increases the opening area of the suction port 29, ensuring a large amount of air being sucked into the heat exchange chamber 13, and preventing short cycles without increasing the size of the main body 10.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear wall 30c of the side mounting member 30 protrudes from the partition wall 11 in the direction in which the hot air is blown out from the air outlet 28, so that the hot air blown out from the air outlet 28 can be guided toward the opposite side of the storage chamber 12 from the partition wall 11, and the hot air can be distributed over a wide area of the storage chamber 12. Furthermore, since the front wall 30a in which the through hole 30b is provided faces away from the air outlet 28, the hot air immediately after being blown out from the air outlet 28 is prevented from going around the outer periphery of the side mounting member 30 and being sucked in through the through hole 30b.

The sterilization cabinet of the embodiment is configured such that the exhaust damper 33 for discharging moisture inside the cabinet to the outside closes the exhaust port 32a by its own weight when the fan 19 is stopped, and opens the exhaust port 32a by wind pressure when the fan 19 is operating, so no electric parts are required to operate the exhaust damper 33, and the number of parts does not increase. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the exhaust port is opened and closed by manually moving the exhaust damper, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the drying function due to forgetting to open it, and the intrusion of insects and dust due to forgetting to close it, and it is also possible to eliminate the trouble of opening and closing the exhaust port by the user.

If the sterilization cabinet of the embodiment is set to the reset mode, when the opening and closing door 15 is opened and additional items 16A, 16B are stored in the storage chamber 12 during the sterilization and drying operation, the added items 16A, 16B can be sterilized and dried in the set sterilization and drying time without the user having to manually reset the timer 35 or operate the operation start button 38 again. That is, in the reset mode, if the sterilization and drying time is set to 3 hours, for example, when the sterilization and drying operation has elapsed for 1 hour, the items 16A, 16B added by opening and closing the opening and closing door 15 are sterilized and dried for only the remaining 2 hours, resulting in insufficient sterilization and drying. However, in the reset mode, if the opening and closing detection means 36 detects the opening and closing of the opening and closing door 15, the timer 35 is automatically reset, so that the added items 16A, 16B can be sterilized and dried for 3 hours, and there is no insufficient sterilization and drying. In addition, even if the door 15 is opened and closed while the operation is stopped and the items 16A, 16B are stored in the storage chamber 12, but the operation start button 38 is not operated, if the reset mode is selected, the timer 35 is automatically reset by opening and closing the door 15, and the sterilization and drying operation is automatically performed. Therefore, even if the user forgets to operate the operation start button 38, the stored items 16A, 16B can be sterilized and dried within the sterilization and drying time. In other words, after opening the door 15 to store the items 16A, 16B, the sterilization and drying operation is automatically performed by simply closing the door 15, so there is no need to manually operate the operation start button 38, which can reduce the burden on the operator.

[Another embodiment]
6 shows another embodiment of the sterilization cabinet, and since this embodiment differs from the embodiment only in the configuration related to the exhaust damper 33, only the configuration related to the exhaust damper 33 will be described. Also, the same members as those described in the embodiment will be given the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 6, an exhaust damper 33 capable of opening and closing the exhaust port 32a is rotatably supported on the exhaust duct 32. The exhaust damper 33 is connected to an actuating means 41 such as a solenoid electrically connected to the control means 34, and is configured to move the exhaust damper 33 between a closed position for closing the exhaust port 32a and an open position for opening the exhaust port 32a by actuating the actuating means 41. A detection means (not shown) for detecting the humidity of the storage chamber 12 is electrically connected to the control means 34, and when the detection means detects a preset open humidity, the control means 34 moves the exhaust damper 33 to the open position by the actuating means 41 to open the exhaust port 32a. In addition, when the detection means detects a closed humidity that is lower than the open humidity due to the opening of the exhaust port 32a, the control means 34 is configured to move the exhaust damper 33 to the closed position by the actuating means 41 to close the exhaust port 32a.

The sterilization chamber of another embodiment can open the exhaust port 32a at an appropriate time depending on the humidity detected by the detection means, and discharge the humidity inside the chamber to the outside. In addition, in the configuration in which the exhaust damper 33 is opened by wind pressure as in the above embodiment, there is a risk that the exhaust damper 33 will not open properly due to changes in the air (hot air) flow and flow rate in the heat exchange chamber 13. However, in another embodiment, the exhaust damper 33 is forcibly moved to the open position by the operating means 41, so that the exhaust port 32a can be reliably opened without being affected by changes in the air (hot air) flow and flow rate.

In another embodiment, the operating means 41 for moving the exhaust damper 33 is not limited to a solenoid, but may be a gear motor or other various means. The exhaust damper 33 is not limited to a rotating configuration, but may be configured to move linearly. Furthermore, instead of a detection means for detecting humidity, a configuration can be implemented in which the control means 34 controls the operating means 41 to open and close the exhaust port 32a using the exhaust damper 33 in response to the detected temperature of the detection means for detecting the temperature of the storage chamber 12.

[Another form]
FIG. 7 shows a sterilization cabinet of another embodiment, in which the same components as those described in the embodiment or those having the same functions are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In another type of sterilization cabinet, the main body 10 is formed in a vertically long box shape, a machine room 43 is defined above a partition wall 42 arranged at the top of the interior, and a storage room 12 is defined below the partition wall 42, and the storage room 12 and the machine room 43 are connected by a suction port 29 provided in the partition wall 42. Inside the main body 10, a circulation duct 44 extending in the vertical direction is provided on the outside of a side wall (the left wall in the illustrated example) 47 that defines the storage room 12 and the machine room 43, and a through hole 44a that connects the circulation duct 44 to the machine room 43 is provided in the side wall 47 on the upper side of the circulation duct 44, and an air outlet 28 that connects the circulation duct 44 to the bottom side of the storage room 12 is provided in the side wall 47 on the lower side of the circulation duct 44. In another embodiment, a fan 19 is provided in the machine room 43, and a heater 18 is provided inside the circulation duct 44. That is, when the fan 19 is operated, air in the storage room 12 is sucked into the machine room 43 through the suction port 29, the air flows into the circulation duct 44 through the through hole 44a, and the hot air heated by the heater 18 while moving downward in the circulation duct 44 is blown out from the outlet 28 of the circulation duct 44 into the storage room 12, rises, and is sucked into the machine room 43 again through the suction port 29. That is, in another embodiment, the air inside the storage room circulates between the storage room 12, the machine room 43, and the circulation duct 44. In another embodiment, the machine room 43 and the circulation duct 44 form a heat exchange room, and the partition wall 42 and the rear wall 20 form a partition wall.

The exhaust duct 32 is provided in the machine room 43, and the exhaust port 32a is opened and closed by the exhaust damper 33, which is the same as the embodiment and is provided in the exhaust duct 32. The exhaust duct 32 and the exhaust damper 33 are arranged near the blowing side of the fan 19, where the air pressure and humidity are highest in the machine room. In addition, a plurality of germicidal lamps 17 are arranged on the back wall 20 of the storage room 12, spaced apart in the vertical direction. In another embodiment, a third support member 45 capable of supporting a type of item different from the items 16A and 16B is arranged in the upper interior part of the storage room 12 via a separate mounting member 46.

In another embodiment, the exhaust duct 32 and exhaust damper 33 are disposed near the blowing side of the fan 19 where the air pressure and humidity in the machine room are highest, so that more moisture can be discharged to the outside. In addition, since the exhaust damper 33 is disposed at a position where the air pressure is high, even if the flow rate of the hot air in the machine room changes (decreases), sufficient air pressure can be secured to move the exhaust damper 33, and the occurrence of a situation in which the exhaust port 32a does not open during sterilization/drying operation can be suppressed. In addition, in another embodiment, the exhaust damper 33 can adopt the configuration of another embodiment. In addition, the circulation duct 44 is not limited to being disposed on the left side of the storage chamber 12, but can be disposed on the right side or back side.

[Example of change]
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples and other examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention.
(1) In the embodiment, a part of the suction port is covered by the side mounting member, but a configuration in which the side mounting member is disposed between the air outlet and the suction port without covering the suction port can be adopted. In this configuration, the through hole provided in the front wall of the side mounting member can be omitted.
(2) The shape and arrangement of the second support member disposed on the side mounting member may be determined according to the type of article to be supported.
(3) In the embodiment, a UV lamp is used as the germicidal lamp, but various lamps capable of emitting ultraviolet rays, such as a xenon lamp, can be used.
(4) In the embodiment, the heat exchange chamber is defined on the side of the storage chamber, and the blow-out port and the suction port are provided spaced apart from each other in the front and rear directions, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the heat exchange chamber is defined by a back wall (partition) on the rear side of the storage chamber, the blow-out port and the suction port are provided spaced apart from each other in the left and right directions, and a mounting member that blocks the gap between the blow-out port and the suction port is disposed so as to protrude from the back wall (partition) toward the storage chamber. Also, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the heat exchange chamber is defined by a partition that constitutes the ceiling of the storage chamber, the blow-out port and the suction port are provided in the partition at a distance from each other in the front and rear directions or the left and right directions, and a mounting member that blocks the gap between the blow-out port and the suction port is disposed so as to protrude downward (to the storage chamber) from the partition.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Main body, 11 Partition wall, 12 Storage chamber, 13 Heat exchange chamber, 16A, 16B Articles, 18 Heater (hot air circulation means), 19 Fan (hot air circulation means), 28 Air outlet, 29 Intake port, 30 Side mounting member (mounting member), 30a Front wall (wall), 30b Through hole, 31 Second support member

Claims (2)

A sterilization cabinet that sterilizes items stored in a storage chamber defined inside a main body using a germicidal lamp,
A partition wall is provided inside the main body to separate the storage chamber from the heat exchange chamber;
an air outlet and an air inlet provided at a distance from each other in the partition wall, the air outlet and the air inlet communicating with the storage chamber and the heat exchange chamber;
a hot air circulation means arranged in the heat exchange chamber, sucking in air from the storage chamber through the suction port, exchanging heat with the air, and blowing the resulting hot air into the storage chamber through the blowing port;
a mounting member provided on the partition wall, protruding into the storage chamber, and on which a support member for supporting the article is disposed,
A sterilization cabinet characterized in that the space between the air outlet and the air inlet is blocked by the mounting member. The mounting member is formed in a box shape that opens toward the partition wall, and is disposed on the partition wall so as to cover a portion of the suction port.
2. The sterilization cabinet according to claim 1, wherein a through hole communicating the inside of the mounting member with the storage chamber is provided in a wall of the mounting member that covers the suction port and faces away from the blow-out port.

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