JPH072197A - Hand washing device for microgravity space - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform complete rinsing after washing and removal of water and to perform hand washing in a microgravity space by a method wherein a water feed nozzle of a water feeding means and an air feed nozzle of a high speed air flow feeding means are disposed approximately in parallel or a dispersing direction, and water is continuously discharged through the water feed nozzle. CONSTITUTION:When a user inserts hands through hand insertion ports A2 and A2, the inserted hands are sensed by a sensing means 4 and a set amount of water is discharged toward hands through the water feed nozzle 1a of a water feeding means 1, and the hands are brought into contact with discharged water to wet the hands. After completion of the prewashing water discharge, a set amount of water soap is discharged toward hands through the nozzle 2a of a water soap feeding means 2 and the hands are brought into the water soap for wetting. With this state, hand rubbing operation is effected, the water soap is bubbled to wash the hands. Thereafter, water in a quality larger than a quantity of prewashing discharge water is continuously discharged toward the hands through the water feed nozzle 1a of the water feeding means 1. Approximately simultaneously, a high speed air flow is blown through the air feed nozzle 3a of a high speed air flow feeding means 3. This constitution causes complete removal of water stuck to the hands.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand washing device arranged in a microgravity space such as a space station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Usually, a hand-washing device used on the earth receives the gravity of 1 G, so that the discharged water flows down, and the user can wash it by touching it with a hand to wet it. Most of the water adhering to is pulled by gravity and removed.

[0003]

However, in a microgravity space, water floats in the form of water drops due to surface tension and the water's adhesiveness strongly acts. It is difficult to rinse, and if you put a lot of water on your hand, you can tear it to a certain extent if you shake a large amount of water, but if you leave it in a small amount, it will stay on as it is, and the water on your hand will be completely removed. There is a problem that it cannot be removed.

In view of the above conventional circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hand washing device for a microgravity space, which can completely rinse and remove water after washing.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the technical means of the present invention are as follows: a hand-washing room with a hand insertion opening, a water supply means for supplying water to the hand-washing room, and a hand-washing room. A high-speed air flow supply means for supplying a high-speed air flow, a control means for operating the water supply means and the high-speed air flow supply means at substantially the same time, and a recovery means for recovering the water and the high-speed air flow supplied into the hand-washing chamber are provided. It is characterized in that the water supply nozzle and the air supply nozzle of the high-speed airflow supply means are arranged substantially in parallel or in a diffusing direction, and water is continuously discharged from the water supply nozzle.

[0006]

According to the above technical means of the present invention, by inserting the hand through the hand insertion port and arranging it on the extension line of the water supply nozzle, the water continuously discharged from the water supply nozzle is connected in the form of a stick. When the water attached to the hand is moved to the extension line of the air supply nozzle, the high-speed airflow blown from the air supply nozzle hits the hand and the water attached to the hand is blown away. Water and high-speed airflow are collected by the collecting means.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Inside, the water supply nozzle 1a of the water supply means 1, the nozzle 2a of the water soap supply means 2, and the air supply nozzle 3 of the high-speed air flow supply means 3
a and a sensing means 4 for sensing the user's hand are provided, and as a collecting means 6, an air supply chamber B and an exhaust water collecting chamber C are provided in series above and below the hand washing room A so as to be connected to the hand washing room A. The air chamber B and the exhaust water recovery chamber C are partitioned by ventilation walls B1 and C1 such as gratings and are connected to each other.

The hand-washing room A has a side wall A1 and upper and lower ventilation walls B.
1, C1 are formed into compartments having a size sufficient for hand-washing operation, and at least a part of the side wall A1 is formed of a transparent material so that the inside of the room can be seen through from outside and the hands can be placed at or near the transparent part. Open the insertion ports A2, A2,
The user inserts his or her hand toward the center of the room through the hand insertion openings A2 and A2, and the water supply nozzle 1 of the water supply means 1 to be described later.
a, the nozzle 2a of the water soap supply means 2, the air supply nozzle 3a of the high-speed airflow supply means 3, and the sensing means 4 are opposed to each other.

The water supply means 1 is connected upstream of the water supply nozzle 1a with a water supply tank 1d for storing water under pressure via an electromagnetic valve 1b and a flow rate adjusting section 1c, and this electromagnetic valve 1b will be described later. The water in the water supply tank 1d is supplied to the water supply nozzle 1a by opening the valve based on the output signal from the control means 5.

The water soap supply means 2 is connected upstream of the nozzle 2a with a water soap tank 2d for storing water under pressure via a solenoid valve 2b and a flow rate adjusting unit 2c, and this solenoid valve 2b is connected. Is opened based on the output signal from the control means 5 described later, so that the water soap tank 2
The water soap in d is supplied to the nozzle 2a.

The high-speed air supply means 3 has a fan 3b connected to the inside of the room connected to the upstream side of the air supply nozzle 3a by piping, and operates the fan 3b based on an output signal from a control means 5 which will be described later. Air is supplied to the air supply nozzle 3a.

The water supply nozzle 1 of these water supply means 1
The water a discharged from the water supply nozzle 1a is arranged by arranging a and the nozzle 2a of the water soap supply means 2 close to each other toward the central portion in the hand washing room A, or in a direction in which the extension lines of the both converge. The water soap discharged from the nozzle 2a is supplied to approximately the center of the hand inserted through the hand insertion ports A2 and A2, and the air supply nozzle 3a of the high-speed air flow supply means 3 is located in the center of the hand washing room A. The water discharged from the water supply nozzle 1a and the high speed discharged from the air supply nozzle 3a by arranging the water supply nozzle 1a of the water supply means 1 in a direction substantially parallel to the water supply nozzle 1a or in a direction in which extension lines of the both are diffused toward each other. Make sure the airflows do not interfere with each other.

Further, the sensing means 4 is composed of, for example, a photoelectric sensor or the like, and electrically communicates with a control means 5 which will be described later so that the light emitted toward the central portion in the hand-washing room A can be inserted into the hand insertion opening A2. It changes depending on the hand inserted from A2,
When the light receiving element receives the changed light, it is converted into a sensing signal and output to the control means 5.

The control means 5 is the solenoid valve 1 of the water supply means 1.
b, the solenoid valve 2b of the water soap supply means 2, the fan 3b and the sensing means 4 of the high-speed air flow supply means 3, and the other electrically connected to the operation panel 5a, and a program previously input by the operation panel 5a. Solenoid valve 1 of water supply means 1 based on
b, the solenoid valve 2b of the water soap supply means 2 and the fan 3b of the high-speed air flow supply means 3 are sequentially operated.

In the case of the present embodiment, when the user's hand is sensed in the initial state where nothing is operated and the sensing signal output from the sensing means 4 is input to the control means 5, the electromagnetic waves of the water supply means 1 are detected. Immediately after the valve 1b is opened for the set time and the solenoid valve 1b is closed after the opening time is closed, the solenoid valve 2b of the water soap supply means 2 is opened for the set time and the solenoid valve 2b is closed. After a lapse of a predetermined time, the solenoid valve 1b of the water supply means 1 is continuously opened for a time longer than the first opening time, and at the same time as or a little later than this, the fan 3b of the high-speed air flow supply means 3 is opened. The operation of the fan 3b is stopped at the same time when the valve opening time of the solenoid valve 1b ends and the valve is closed, or a little later, and the operation returns to the initial state.

The recovery means 6 connects the exhaust water recovery chamber C and the air supply chamber B with a communication path 6a so that the two chambers communicate with each other, and the communication path 6a is supplied from the fan 3b of the high-speed airflow supply means 3. An air supply fan 6b having a low air supply capacity is provided, and this air supply fan 6b is constantly operated to supply air from the air supply chamber B to the hand washing room A through the ventilation wall B1 to recover the recovery airflow to exhaust water. The air generated toward the chamber C and recovered in the exhaust water recovery chamber C through the ventilation wall C1 is sent again to the air supply chamber B by the air supply fan 6b to be circulated.

Further, the exhaust water recovery chamber C is provided with a waste water recovery unit 6c such as a paper filter, and the waste water recovery unit 6c for recovering the waste water is periodically replaced, or the recovered waste water is filtered. After cleaning, for example, by returning it to the water supply tank 1d of the water supply means 1 for reuse.

Next, the operation of such a hand washing device for a microgravity space will be described.

First, when the user inserts his / her hand through the hand insertion ports A2, A2, the sensing means 4 senses this and a set amount of water is discharged from the water supply nozzle 1a of the water supply means 1 toward the hand. Wet the discharged water with your hands.

After the pre-wash water discharge is completed, a set amount of water soap is discharged from the nozzle 2a of the water soap supply means 2 toward the hand, and the water soap thus discharged is brought into contact with and attached to the hand.

In this state, the user performs a hand-kneading operation to foam and wash the hands, and thereafter, the water supply nozzle 1a of the water supply means 1.
A high-speed airflow is blown out from the air supply nozzle 3a of the high-speed airflow supply means 3 at substantially the same time that a larger amount of water than the prewash water is continuously discharged toward the hand.

Here, the microgravity experimental airplane equipped with the handwashing device for microgravity space makes a ballistic flight to create a microgravity state for a predetermined time (about 20 seconds) in the plane,
As a result of conducting this microgravity experiment a plurality of times, the water supply means 1
The water continuously discharged from the water supply nozzle 1a is connected in a rod shape and moves toward the hand.

At this time, when the water supply nozzle 1a of the water supply means 1 and the air supply nozzle 3a of the high-speed air flow supply means 3 are arranged so that their respective extension lines converge, the water supply nozzle 1a
Before the water continuously discharged from the water reaches the hand, it was blown away by the high-speed airflow blown out from the air supply nozzle 3a, and the water could not be efficiently supplied to the hand. However, the water supply nozzle 1a and the air supply nozzle When 3a are arranged substantially parallel to each other or in a direction in which the extension lines of both are diffused, as shown in FIG. 2, the water continuously discharged from the water supply nozzle 1a is connected in a rod shape and sequentially reaches the hand.

In this state, while the user is in contact with water, the user performs a scrubbing action to rinse bubbles on the hand, and when the rinse is completed, the user moves the hand with water to supply air. If you hit the high-speed airflow blown from the nozzle 3a,
Water that adheres to your hands can be blown away and completely removed.

Then, the water removed from the hands becomes water drops and floats in the hand washing room A, and these floating water drops are
The recovery airflow supplied from the air supply chamber B is carried to the exhaust water recovery chamber C and collected in the drainage recovery unit 6c.

In the embodiment shown above, the control means 5 senses the hand inserted in the hand-washing room A by the sensing means 4 and controls the operation of the water supply means 1, water soap supply means 2 and high-speed air flow supply means 3. Automatically started, but is not limited to this,
For example, the operation control by the control means 5 may be started by a foot-operated switch or the like.

Further, although water soap was spouted toward the hand by the water soap supply means 2, it is not limited to this, and soap may be supplied to the hand by a method other than this, and the recovery means 6 is The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned one, and may have any configuration as long as the water and the high-speed airflow supplied into the hand-washing room A are collected.

[0029]

Since the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, it has the following advantages.

1. By inserting the hand from the hand insertion port and placing it on the extension line of the water supply nozzle, the water spouted continuously from the water supply nozzle is connected in a rod shape and sequentially reaches the hand, and the hand with water moves. By moving it to the extension line of the air supply nozzle, the high speed airflow blown from the air supply nozzle hits the hand, the water adhering to the hand is blown away, and the water and the high speed airflow are collected by the collection means. Complete post rinsing and water removal.

Therefore, the hand can be efficiently washed even in the microgravity space.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view of a hand washing device for a microgravity space showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view showing a rinsed state.

[Explanation of symbols]

A Hand-washing room A2 Hand insertion port 1 Water supply means 1a Water supply nozzle 3 High-speed air flow supply means 3a Air supply nozzle 5 Control means 6 Recovery means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Toshihiko Moriyama 2-5-14 Minamisuna, Koto-ku, Tokyo Inside the Takenaka Corporation Technical Research Institute (72) Inventor Kiyuki Takahashi 2-5, Minamisuna, Koto-ku, Tokyo No. 14 Incorporated Takenaka Corporation Technical Research Institute (72) Inventor Masahiko Imazono 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture Totoki Kikai Co., Ltd. (72) Hidetoshi Tsuji Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 2-1, 1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku Totoki Equipment Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kaoru Otsuji 10 Oemachi, Minato-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hand-washing room having a hand insertion opening, a water supply means for supplying water into the hand-washing room, a high-speed air flow supplying means for supplying a high-speed air flow into the hand-washing room, and the water supply means and the high-speed air flow supplying means. A control means for operating at substantially the same time and a recovery means for recovering the water and high-speed airflow supplied into the hand-washing chamber are provided, and the water supply nozzle of the water supply means and the air supply nozzle of the high-speed airflow supply means are directed in a direction substantially parallel or diffuse A hand-washing device for microgravity space, characterized in that water is continuously discharged from a water supply nozzle.