JP7825529B2 - Fluid sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid sterilization device that uses ultraviolet light to sterilize fluids.

A fluid sterilization device that uses ultraviolet light to sterilize fluids is known (e.g., Patent Document 1). In this case, the light source that emits ultraviolet light generates heat, so cooling measures are necessary.

Patent Document 1 discloses a fluid sterilization device equipped with a light source device in which a circuit board with a light source mounted thereon is disposed within a cup-shaped metal case whose front opening is sealed with a UV (ultraviolet) light-transmitting window. In this fluid sterilization device, an outlet flow path is formed on the back of the metal case so that the fluid comes into contact with it after UV sterilization processing, and the fluid in the outlet flow path cools the light source.

International Publication No. 2019/032943

In the fluid sterilization device of Patent Document 1, the fluid to be sterilized comes into direct contact with the metal case enclosing the light source in order to cool the light source. This increases cooling efficiency, but corrosion of the metal case by the fluid to be sterilized becomes an issue. For example, when cleaning the fluid sterilization device, the metal case is particularly susceptible to corrosion if a chlorine-based fluid to be sterilized is used. To address this issue, coating or covering the outer surface of the metal case facing the outlet flow path with a corrosion-resistant material would complicate the structure required to secure the corrosion-resistant material so that it does not wash away, and would also increase the thickness of the corrosion-resistant material.

The object of the present invention is to provide a fluid sterilization device that uses the flowing fluid to be sterilized to effectively cool a light source, while addressing the problems of corrosion caused by the fluid to be sterilized, and the complexity and thickness of the fixing structure.

The present invention provides a fluid sterilization device for sterilizing a liquid, comprising:
a housing having one end side and the other end side coaxially aligned with a straight axis;
the housing includes a first cylindrical portion at the one end and a second cylindrical portion at the other end having an inner diameter larger than that of the first cylindrical portion,
a flow path pipe housed in the first cylindrical portion of the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized flows in one direction from the one end side to the other end side;
a light source device housed in the second cylindrical portion of the housing, the light source device including a substrate, a light source mounted on a front surface side of the substrate and emitting ultraviolet light into the flow path pipe, and a non-metallic sealing member whose inner surface is in contact with a rear surface of the substrate and covers the entire rear surface;
an outlet passage formed in the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized, which is led out of the flow path pipe from the end of the flow path pipe on the second cylindrical portion side, flows while coming into contact with the outer surface of the non-metallic seal member;
It is equipped with:

In this light source device, the non-metallic sealing member covers the entire back surface of the substrate on which the light source is mounted and comes into contact with the fluid to be sterilized in the outlet flow path within the housing. The fluid to be sterilized in the outlet flow path within the housing has sufficient pressure, and this pressure acts to press the non-metallic sealing member against the back surface of the substrate. Therefore, the non-metallic sealing member only needs to reliably cover the back surface of the substrate, simplifying the structure for fixing the non-metallic sealing member in the thickness direction of the light source device and allowing the non-metallic sealing member to be made thinner. Furthermore, because the non-metallic sealing member can be made thinner and its outer surface is cooled by the fluid to be sterilized flowing through the outlet path, the non-metallic sealing member can cool the light source without any problems, and also solves the problem of corrosion of the back surface of the substrate by the fluid to be sterilized, even if it is not made of metal.

1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fluid sterilization device. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components housed in the cylindrical portion of the housing body disassembled in the axial direction of the fluid sterilizer. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the light source device and the housing sealing member disassembled in the axial direction and viewed from one axial end side. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the light source device and the housing sealing member, each of which is disassembled in the axial direction and viewed from the other axial end side. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of an area including an expanded diameter portion and an outer cover in the axial direction in FIG. 1 . 5B is an enlarged view of the upper half of the expanded diameter portion of FIG. 5A above the central axis Rx. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a light source device and a housing sealing member equipped with a ceramic seal.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Note that the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to designate components that are common to multiple embodiments.

(composition)
1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fluid sterilizer 10. The fluid sterilizer 10 has a cylindrical housing body 12 and a cap-shaped outer cover 14. The housing body 12 and the outer cover 14 constitute the housing of the fluid sterilizer 10, and are threadedly engaged with each other at their respective male and female threads 121 and 141, with their central axes Rx aligned. The engagement of the male and female threads 121 and 141 tightens the components housed within the housing in the axial direction, simplifying the assembly structure of the components.

The housing main body 12 has a cylindrical portion 122, an inlet 123, an expanded diameter portion 124, and a stopper portion 125. The inlet 123 protrudes a predetermined length from one axial end of the cylindrical portion 122 toward that end along the central axis Rx. The stopper portion 125 is formed as the inner surface of one axial end of the cylindrical portion 122, with the inlet passage of the inlet 123 opening at the center. The stopper portion 125 serves to prevent components stored inside the cylindrical portion 122 from moving axially toward that end. The expanded diameter portion 124 protrudes radially from the cylindrical portion 122 at one end and opens at the other end.

The outer cover 14 has an opening 142 in the center of the cover portion. The outer cover 14 prevents the stored components from coming off the housing body 12, and after being screwed onto the housing body 12, it presses the stored components toward the stopper portion 125.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components housed within the cylindrical portion 122 of the housing body 12, disassembled in the axial direction of the fluid sterilization device 10. The components include a shield 15, a rectifying plate 16, and a straight pipe 18, which are arranged in that order from one end to the other in the axial direction with their central axes aligned with the central axis Rx, and are inserted into the opening at the other end of the housing body 12.

The shield 15, along with the rectifying plate 16 and straight pipe 18, is made of a material that is resistant to ultraviolet rays. The shield 15 is placed against the stopper portion 125, shielding it from ultraviolet (UV) rays and protecting it from UV. The shield 15 also has a tapered portion 151 on its inner periphery. The tapered portion 151 has a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the inlet 123 and straight pipe 18 at one end and the other end, respectively, and interconnects the inlet 123 and straight pipe 18. By having the tapered portion 151, UV reflected by the tapered portion 151 is reflected toward the rectifying plate 16, improving UV utilization efficiency.

The rectifying plate 16 has multiple rectifying holes 162 in its peripheral portion surrounding the central portion 161. The central portion 161 acts as a barrier against the fluid to be sterilized (e.g., water) that flows into the rectifying plate 16 from the pressure pump (not shown) via the inlet 123 and the shield 15. That is, the fluid to be sterilized flowing through the radial center of the tapered portion 151 is decelerated upon contact with the central portion 161, flows radially outward, and then flows into the straight pipe 18 through the rectifying holes 162. This uniforms the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized in the sterilization chamber 182 between the radial center and peripheral portions. Furthermore, by having the inlet of the shield 15 (the smallest diameter portion of the tapered portion 151) and the central portion 161 of the rectifying plate 16 on the central axis Rx, UV emitted from the straight pipe 18 toward the rectifying plate is prevented from leaking out of the fluid sterilization device 10. Here, the area of the central portion 161 is equal to or greater than the area of the inlet of the shield 15.

The straight pipe 18 defines a sterilization chamber 182 on its inner periphery. Multiple notches 181 are formed at equal angular intervals circumferentially in the peripheral wall of the straight pipe 18 at the other axial end, extending a predetermined length from the other end of the straight pipe 18 toward the one end. An O-ring 183 fits into an annular groove on the outer periphery of the straight pipe 18 to prevent leakage of the fluid to be sterilized at the outer periphery.

Figures 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the light source device 19 and the housing sealing member 32, respectively, as viewed from one axial end and the other axial end. Figure 5A is an enlarged view of the area in Figure 1 that includes the expanded diameter portion 124 and outer cover 14 in the axial direction, and Figure 5B is an enlarged view of the upper half of the expanded diameter portion 124 above the central axis Rx in Figure 5A.

In Figures 3, 4, 5A, and 5B, the light source device 19 and housing sealing member 32 are housed in the expanded diameter portion 124 at one end and the other end, respectively, with their central axes aligned with the central axis Rx. The light source device 19 is disassembled into the shielding ring 20, O-ring 191, quartz glass 22, reflector 24, UV-LED 26, substrate 28, and resin sealant 31, in that order from one end to the other in the axial direction.

In the light source device 19, the side that emits UV light and the opposite side will be referred to as the front side and back side, respectively. The front side and back side of the light source device 19 face one end and the other end in the axial direction of the fluid sterilization device 10, respectively. An O-ring 191 is fitted between the periphery of the quartz glass 22 and the annular step on the front side of the reflector 24 to provide a seal. As a result, the opening on the other end of the straight tube 18 is sealed by an opening sealing member composed of the quartz glass 22 and the O-ring 191.

The reflector 24 has a reflective surface 241, a protruding surface 242, a peripheral surface 243, and a recess 244. The reflective surface 241 is tapered on the inner peripheral side of the reflector 24, with the diameter gradually increasing from the back surface toward the front surface. The protruding surface 242 protrudes radially outward from the opening in the reflective surface 241 on the front surface side of the reflector 24. The peripheral surface 243 is formed on the cylindrical side as the outer peripheral surface of the reflector 24. The recess 244 is formed to open at the periphery of the back surface of the reflector 24.

The reflector 24, together with the shielding ring 20, is made of a material that is resistant to ultraviolet light. On its back side (Figure 4), the reflector 24 has a circumferential end surface 247 and an annular step 248 that extends radially inward by a predetermined width along the inner circumference of the circumferential end surface 247.

Multiple (two in the illustrated example) UV-LEDs 26 and multiple electrical components 27 that make up the current-carrying circuits for the UV-LEDs 26 are mounted respectively at the center and periphery of the front surface of the substrate 28. The UV-LEDs 26 are exposed within the tapered reflective surface 241 on the rear surface of the reflector 24, and the electrical components 27 are housed in recesses 244 on the rear surface of the reflector 24. A pair of opposing recesses 281 and a pair of recesses 282 are formed on the periphery of the circular substrate 28.

After the electrical component 27 is housed, the recess 244 is filled with a resin that has good thermal conductivity (at least higher than that of air). The resin encapsulation structure can be created, for example, by (a) filling the back surface of the reflector 24 with liquid resin at a high temperature before contacting the surface of the substrate 28 with the back surface of the reflector 24, and then solidifying it at room temperature; or (b) before housing the light source device 19 in the housing main body 12, joining the reflector 24 and the substrate 28 together, and then injecting liquid resin at a high temperature into the recess 244 through a linear pore (not shown) that connects the surface of the reflector 24 to the recess 244, and then solidifying it at room temperature. The resin encapsulation facilitates the transfer of heat from the electrical component 27 to the substrate 28.

The UV emitted by the UV-LEDs 26 belongs to the deep ultraviolet range, which is highly effective at sterilizing fluids, and has a wavelength range of, for example, 100 to 400 nm. In particular, within the ultraviolet wavelength range, UVC, with a wavelength of 100 to 280 nm, is more preferable as it has a particularly high sterilizing effect.

The resin sealant 31 is made of resin and has a harness hole 311 that penetrates axially. The resin sealant 31 is attached to the back surface of the substrate 28, and an O-ring 192 is inserted through the resin sealant 31, which is attached to the annular step 248 of the reflector 24. On the back surface, the resin sealant 31 has a flat plate portion 310, an annular raised portion 313 that protrudes along the circumferential edge of the flat plate portion 310, and a pair of positioning holes 312 formed on the inner periphery of the annular raised portion 313. The flat plate portion 310 is formed by recessing the resin sealant 31. In other words, the flat plate portion 310 is thinner than the annular raised portion 313. This shortens the distance between the back surface of the substrate 28 and the fluid to be sterilized, while maintaining rigidity through the annular raised portion 313, improving heat dissipation. Instead of using a resin sealant 31, ceramic can be sprayed onto the back surface of the substrate 28 to coat the back surface with ceramic.

The housing sealing member 32 has spacers 320, which are multiple ridges formed at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction, on its inner surface, and convex portions 321 formed on the top surfaces of the ridges of the spacers 320, which are spaced 180° apart in the circumferential direction. The arc-shaped protruding edges 324 fit onto the outside of the circumferential surface 243 of the reflector 24.

The cylinder defining the inner periphery of the harness hole 322 is press-fit into the harness hole 311 after an O-ring 193 has been inserted through it.

The housing sealing member 32 has a sealing portion 325 on its back side and an outlet 326 that protrudes from the sealing portion 325 to the other end in the axial direction along the central axis Rx. The outlet 326 passes through the inner periphery of the opening 142 in the outer cover 14 and reaches the outside of the outer cover 14 at its protruding end.

5A and 5B, the shield ring 20 has an annular end surface at one axial end thereof fitted onto the inner circumference of the expanded diameter portion 124 using an O-ring 196. The shield ring 20 has a cylindrical side surface portion 202 and a tapered portion 201 on the inner circumferential sides of one axial end and the other axial end, respectively. In the axial direction, the end position P1 at one end of the shield ring 20, the position P2 at the small diameter end of the tapered portion 201, the position P3 at the large diameter end of the tapered portion 201, the end position Q1 of the notch 181 (the position of one axial end), and the start position Q2 of the notch 181 (the position of the other axial end), i.e., the other end position Q2 of the straight pipe 18, are arranged as follows in the illustrated example, from one end to the other axial end: P1, Q1, P2, P3 (= Q2). However, it is preferable that P1 and Q1 be at the same axial position (P1 = Q1). This is because the entire notch 181 is exposed in the tapered section 201, increasing the effective area of the notch 181, and a space with a triangular cross section is formed between one end of the tapered section 201 and the outer circumferential surface of the straight pipe 18, preventing the fluid to be sterilized from accumulating in this triangular space.

In Figures 5A and 5B, Fn indicates the flow of the fluid to be sterilized in the fluid sterilization device 10. The outlet flow path 35 serves as a passage for guiding the fluid to be sterilized, which is discharged radially outward from the notch 181 in the straight tube 18, to the outside of the fluid sterilization device 10. It is formed in the space between the light source device 19 within the fluid sterilization device 10 and the tapered portion 201, expanded diameter portion 124 of the shield ring 20, or the inner surface of the sealing portion 325 of the housing sealing member 32. The outlet flow path 35 has, in order in the flow direction of the fluid to be sterilized, a first flow path portion 351, a second flow path portion 352, a third flow path portion 353, a fourth flow path portion 354, and a fifth flow path portion 355. The first flow path portion 351, the second flow path portion 352, and the third flow path portion 353 all have an annular shape when viewed axially. The fourth flow path portion 354 and the fifth flow path portion 355 have a circular shape when viewed axially.

The first flow path section 351 is formed in the space sandwiched axially between the tapered section 201 and the protruding surface 242, and serves as the most upstream portion of the outlet flow path 35, directing the fluid to be sterilized downstream immediately after being discharged from the notch 181. The second flow path section 352 is formed as a passage between the corner at the boundary between the protruding surface 242 and the circumferential surface 243 and the tapered section 201. The third flow path section 353 is formed in an annular shape between the expanded diameter section 124 and the circumferential surface 243. The fourth flow path section 354 is formed as an axial gap between the rear surface of the light source device 19 and the inner surface of the housing sealing member 32.

(material)
The following are examples of materials for each component that constitutes the fluid sterilization device 10.
(a) Housing (housing body 12 and outer cover 14): Engineering plastic such as PC (polycarbonate) or POM (polyacetal). (b) Shield 15, rectifying plate 16, straight pipe 18, shielding ring 20, reflector 24 and resin sealant 31: Fluid to be sterilized such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene tetrafluoroethylene resin), PFA (perfluoroalkoxyalkane), PVF (polyvinyl fluoride), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), fluororesin, ceramic.

The material (b) above was selected as it has higher ultraviolet resistance and UV reflectivity than the material (a) above. Furthermore, the material (a) is more corrosion-resistant to the fluid being sterilized than metal. The reason for selecting the material (a) above for the shield 15 and the shield ring 20 is that the shield 15 and the shield ring 20 are made of lightly processed PTFE, and therefore are made of a material that can be manufactured with simple processing.

(effect)
The fluid to be sterilized is pressure-fed to the fluid sterilization device 10 from a pressure pump (not shown) and introduced into the sterilization chamber 182 of the straight pipe 18 via the inlet 123 of the housing main body 12, the tapered section 151 of the shield 15 and the flow straightening holes 162 of the flow straightening plate 16. The reason why the flow straightening plate 16 has a central section 161 without any through-holes is to straighten the flow of the fluid to be sterilized along with the flow straightening holes 162 of the flow straightening plate 16, and to make the flow velocity in the sterilization chamber 182 uniform across the radial direction of the sterilization chamber 182.

The UV-LED 26 emits UV light in the axial direction of the light source device 19 toward the quartz glass 22. Of the ultraviolet light emitted from the UV-LED 26, the ultraviolet light that spreads radially and strikes the reflective surface 241 is reflected by the reflective surface 241 toward the central axis Rx. The ultraviolet light passes through the quartz glass 22 and is irradiated onto the fluid to be sterilized in the sterilization chamber 182. This sterilizes the fluid to be sterilized.

When the fluid to be sterilized collides with the surface of the quartz glass 22, its direction changes from the axial direction of the straight tube 18 to the radial direction, and it exits the straight tube 18 through the notch 181. Because the total cross-sectional flow area of the multiple notches 181 is smaller than the cross-sectional flow area of the sterilization chamber 182, the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized increases at the notch 181. The flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized is further increased by the tapered portion 201.

In Figure 1, the fluid sterilizer 10 is placed horizontally (with its length aligned horizontally), but it can also be used in a vertical position (with its length aligned vertically), with the inlet 123 and outlet 326 at the bottom and top, respectively. In this case, when the water server or other equipment equipped with the fluid sterilizer 10 is shut down, the pump also stops operating, leaving air in the upper portion of the straight pipe 18. It is preferable that this remaining air be quickly vented to the outside the next time the pump starts operating, as air weakens the UV intensity.

As mentioned above, the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized increases at the notch 181. Therefore, in a vertically mounted fluid sterilizer 10, any air remaining at the top of the straight pipe 18, i.e., at the height of the notch 181, does not remain there for long, but is quickly and smoothly expelled from the straight pipe 18 by the increased flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized.

On the other hand, UV light emitted from the quartz glass 22 into the sterilization chamber 182 that spreads outward in the radial direction is emitted from the straight tube 18 through the notch 181. Hereinafter, UV light that enters the notch 181 will also be referred to as "external leakage UV."

As described above, the axial positional relationships between position P1 of one end of the shielding ring 20, position P2 of the small-diameter end of the tapered portion 201, position P3 of the large-diameter end of the tapered portion 201, position Q1 of the end of the notch 181, and position Q2 of the other end of the straight tube 18 are defined as described above. As a result, leaked UV light is blocked by the fluid sterilization device 10 and prevented from irradiating the inner surface of the housing main body 12. In other words, all of the leaked UV light is irradiated onto the tapered portion 201 of the shielding ring 20 and reflected radially inward, or reflected onto the cylindrical side surface portion 202 via one end of the notch 181 and immediately returned to the straight tube 18, and the remainder is irradiated onto the tapered portion 201 of the shielding ring 20 and reflected.

After passing through the second flow path section 352, the fluid to be sterilized flows axially through the annular third flow path section 353 between the circumferential surface 243 of the reflector 24 and the inner circumferential surface of the expanded diameter section 124. Then, upon contact with the inner surface of the sealing section 325, the fluid changes direction radially inward. It then flows around to the fourth flow path section 354 on the rear side of the light source device 19 and converges at the opening on one end of the outlet 326, which serves as the radial center along the inner surface of the sealing section 325. The fourth flow path section 354 is formed as a gap sandwiched axially between the rear side of the light source device 19 and the sealing section 325 of the housing sealing member 32. The notch 181 and tapered section 201 increase the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized, thereby improving the cooling performance of the heat dissipation cover 30.

The fluid to be sterilized comes into contact with the flat plate portion 310 of the resin sealant 31 of the light source device 19 in the fourth flow path portion 354, cooling the resin sealant 31. The resin sealant 31 is pressed against the back surface of the substrate 28 by the fluid pressure of the fluid to be sterilized in the fourth flow path portion 354. Therefore, as long as the resin sealant 31 completely covers the back surface of the substrate 28, it does not require strong fixation and is prevented from peeling off from the back surface of the substrate 28 or being washed away by the fluid to be sterilized.

When the resin sealant 31, together with the substrate 28, is in contact with the inner annular step 248 of the circumferential end face 247 of the reflector 24, the circumferential end face 247 prevents the substrate 28 from peeling off or flowing away, allowing the thickness of the resin sealant 31 to be made even thinner and improving thermal conductivity. The resin sealant 31 need only contact the circumferential end face 247 at its periphery, and does not necessarily have to contact the inner annular step 248 of the circumferential end face 247. In this case, the protrusion 321 of the housing sealing member 32 fits into the positioning hole 312 of the resin sealant 31, and the spacer 320 presses the edge of the peripheral wall of the positioning hole 312 toward one axial end, preventing the resin sealant 31 from peeling off.

The heat generated by the UV-LEDs 26 is conducted to the substrate 28. The substrate 28 is also known as a metal substrate, and the mounting area for components that require heat dissipation is made of metal, making it easier for heat to be conducted to the back side.

The heat conducted from the UV-LEDs 26 to the back surface of the substrate 28 is conducted through the flat plate portion 310 of the resin sealant 31 and released into the fluid to be sterilized flowing through the fourth flow path portion 354. This resin sealant 31 is made of resin and has lower thermal conductivity than metal. However, since the heat is released into the fluid to be sterilized in the fourth flow path portion 354, which flows at a sufficient speed to cool the resin sealant 31, the cooling efficiency is high and there is no problem in cooling the UV-LEDs 26.

Furthermore, the flow of the fluid to be sterilized in the fourth flow path section 354 gathers from the periphery of the flat plate section 310 toward the center and then flows to the next fifth flow path section 355. Therefore, the flow rate of the fluid to be sterilized in the fourth flow path section 354 increases radially inward, while the heat conduction from the UV-LEDs 26 is higher toward the center of the flat plate section 310. This makes it possible to avoid high-temperature areas concentrating in the center of the flat plate section 310.

The fluid to be sterilized then flows out of the fluid sterilization device 10 via the fifth flow path section 355.

(ceramic seal)
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a light source device 19b equipped with a ceramic seal 37 and a housing sealing member 32. Differences between the light source device 19b and the light source device 19 will be described. The light source device 19 is equipped with a ceramic seal 37 instead of the resin sealing material 31 of the light source device 19. A pair of positioning holes 377, similar to the pair of positioning holes 312 of the resin sealing material 31, are formed on the back surface, and are fitted with the protrusions 321 of the housing sealing member 32 during assembly. The protruding tube 375 protrudes from the back surface of the ceramic seal 37 and has a through-hole through which the harness passes. The harness hole 322 (FIG. 3) of the housing sealing member 32 is press-fitted into the protruding tube 375 with an O-ring 193 inserted therethrough.

The ceramic seal 37 can also be used as a substrate. That is, the UV-LED 26 and electrical components 27 can be mounted on the surface of the ceramic seal 37, and the substrate 28 can be omitted.

(Modification)
In the fluid sterilization device 10, water is used as the fluid to be sterilized. However, in the present invention, the fluid to be sterilized may be a liquid other than water.

The fluid sterilization device 10 is equipped with two UV-LEDs 26. The fluid sterilization device of the present invention may have one UV-emitting light source, or three or more light sources.

Examples of fluids to be sterilized by the fluid sterilization device 10 include water stored in the water tank of an ice maker, water supplied through water pipes and water heaters, drinking water from a water dispenser, cooling water from a circulation system (chiller), and drinking liquid from a drink dispenser.

10: Fluid sterilization device, 18: Straight tube, 19: Light source device, 20: Shielding ring, 22: Quartz glass, 24: Reflector, 26: UV-LED, 28: Substrate, 31: Resin sealant, 32: Housing sealing member, 35: Outlet flow path, 24: Expanded diameter portion, 112: Housing main body, 114: Outer cover, 125: Stopper portion, 142: Opening, 181: Notch, 201: Tapered portion, 202: Cylindrical side portion, 241: Reflective surface, 242: Protruding surface, 243: Peripheral surface, 245: Groove, 325: Sealing portion, 326: Outlet, 351: First flow path portion, 352: Second flow path portion, 353: Third flow path portion, 354: Fourth flow path portion, 355: Fifth flow path portion.

Claims (6)

A fluid sterilization device for sterilizing a liquid, comprising:
a housing having one end side and the other end side coaxially aligned with a straight axis;
the housing includes a first cylindrical portion at the one end and a second cylindrical portion at the other end having an inner diameter larger than that of the first cylindrical portion,
a flow path pipe housed in the first cylindrical portion of the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized flows in one direction from the one end side to the other end side;
a light source device housed within the second cylindrical portion of the housing, the light source device including a substrate, a light source mounted on the front surface side of the substrate and emitting ultraviolet light into the flow path pipe, a non-metallic sealing member whose inner surface is in contact with the rear surface of the substrate and covers the entire rear surface , and a reflector that is a member separate from the non-metallic sealing member and made of an ultraviolet resistant material ;
an outlet passage formed in the housing so that the fluid to be sterilized, which is led out of the flow path pipe from the end of the flow path pipe on the second cylindrical portion side, flows while coming into contact with the outer surface of the non-metallic seal member;
Equipped with
The reflector has an inner circumferential side whose diameter increases toward the one end and is formed as a reflective surface that reflects ultraviolet light from the light source, and the other end is contacted with the surface side of the substrate. A fluid sterilization device characterized by the above . 2. The fluid sterilization device of claim 1,
the housing, the flow path pipe, and the light source device are arranged with their central axes aligned,
The outlet passage is formed so as to extend from the outer periphery of the other end of the flow path pipe, through an annular surrounding portion between the housing and the light source device, to the center of the outer surface of the non-metallic sealing member, and further so as to extend from the center in a direction away from the light source device along the central axis of the flow path pipe. 3. The fluid sterilizing device of claim 2,
A fluid sterilizing device , wherein the reflector has an outer periphery that projects radially to define the outlet passage between the reflector and the housing. 4. The fluid sterilizing device of claim 3,
A fluid sterilizing device, characterized in that the non-metallic seal member is inserted into an annular step formed on the back side of the reflector at its periphery. 4. The fluid sterilizing device of claim 3,
A fluid sterilizing device, wherein the non-metallic sealing member is made of a ceramic material and also serves as the substrate. The fluid sterilizing device according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
moreover,
a housing sealing member having a sealing portion that forms a gap between the back surface of the non-metallic sealing member and the back surface of the light source device at a portion of the outlet passage, and an outlet that protrudes from the center of the sealing portion to the outside of the housing and guides the fluid to be sterilized in the gap to the outside of the housing,
the housing has a stopper portion at the one end side in the axial direction that prevents movement of the stored component inside the housing toward the one end side, and a tightening portion that tightens the stored component toward the stopper portion via the closing portion of the housing closing member,
The flow path pipe and the light source device are housed in the housing as the housing components,
A fluid sterilization device characterized in that the flow path pipe, the light source device, and the housing sealing member are aligned with their central axes and arranged in a row in the axial direction in order from the one end side.