JPH11207330A - Ultraviolet sterilizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prolong the period until the dosage of an ultraviolet lamp in a sterilizing device is lowered to have no sterilization power in the sterilizing device for sterilizing a bath water or the like. SOLUTION: An energizing quantity calculating part 33 is driven based on a notification to lighten a fluorescent tube 40 from a lightening control part 45 and obtains an accumulated operation time of the fluorescent tube 40 by reading the data of an accumulated value of the energizing time from a lightening time accumulating part 43 and the energizing quantity corresponding to the accumulated operation time of the fluorescent tube 40 by reading the data of the energizing quantity from a phase control information recording part 31 to give to a phase control part 35. The phase control part 35 controls the output timing of a gate pulse impressed to a gate terminals of 2 thyristors in a semiconductor control rectification circuit 41 by outputting a control signal to a gate circuit of the circuit 41 based on the data of the energizing quantity from the energizing quantity calculating part 33.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for sterilizing hot and cold water by irradiating ultraviolet rays, and is suitable for, for example, an apparatus for sterilizing bathtub water at a certain level or less.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a device for disinfecting hot water, a bath water purifying / sterilizing device (JB) having a purifying / sterilizing / warming function for bath water will be described as an example.

A bath water purifying / sterilizing device (JB) having a bath water purifying / sterilizing / heating function has been developed. The bath water purification / sterilization device (JB) includes a pump for circulating the bath water, a water flow switch for detecting whether the bath water is circulating at a predetermined flow rate or more due to clogging or the like, and a purification tank for purifying the bath water. An ultraviolet lamp for sterilizing the bath, a first thermistor for detecting the temperature of the bath, a heater for keeping the bath at a predetermined temperature, a second thermistor for detecting the temperature around the heater, and a heater for the periphery of the heater. It is composed of a temperature fuse that shuts off the power supply to the heater when the temperature rises abnormally, and a 5-way valve that switches the direction of the bath water flowing through the septic tank between the forward direction and the reverse direction.

[0004]

Incidentally, the above-mentioned housing equipment such as bathtub equipment is usually required to have a life of at least 10 years or more. Therefore, it is desirable that the sterilizing lamp has a life as long as possible, if not more than 10 years.

However, it is used as an ultraviolet lamp,
The life of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp is reduced to 20,000 hours (the amount of ultraviolet rays is reduced to 60% of the initial value). The hot cathode fluorescent lamp has a life of 6000 hours, which is shorter than the product life of 10 years (90000 hours), and the ultraviolet lamp needs to be replaced periodically.

It is also conceivable to make the initial amount of ultraviolet light sufficiently large so that sufficient sterilization performance can be ensured even if it is reduced to 60% or less. In this case, the size of the ultraviolet lamp is extremely large. And it is expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to extend the period of use of a lamp used as a sterilizing function in a sterilizing apparatus provided with an ultraviolet lamp.

[0008]

An ultraviolet sterilizer according to a first aspect of the present invention sterilizes hot and cold water by irradiating an ultraviolet lamp, and calculates cumulative use time of a lamp. And a power supply control means for increasing and controlling the power supply to the lamp according to the calculated cumulative use time of the lamp.

According to the above configuration, the amount of electricity supplied to the lamp is controlled to be increased in accordance with the calculated cumulative use time of the lamp, thereby preventing a decrease in the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp.

In a preferred embodiment according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cumulative use time calculating means calculates the cumulative use time of the lamp by detecting the power supply to the lamp and the power supply time.

The amount-of-current control means increases the amount of current supplied to the lamp in proportion to the cumulative use time so that the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp is maintained at the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use.

In a modification of the above embodiment, the amount-of-current control means increases the amount of current supplied to the lamp in proportion to the length of the cumulative use time or logarithmically, so that the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp is reduced. The period during which the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use is reduced to a preset ultraviolet light amount threshold is adjusted. As a result, it becomes possible to extend the time when the lamp's ultraviolet light amount drops to the ultraviolet light amount threshold value and the life is exhausted.

[0013] In another modification, the energization amount control means controls the energization of the lamp each time the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp decreases from the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use to a preset ultraviolet light amount threshold value. The amount is controlled to be increased step by step. Thus, the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp can be returned to the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use.

[0014] In another modified example, the energization amount control means may be configured such that each time the cumulative use time of the lamp reaches each of a plurality of time values determined at predetermined time intervals,
The amount of current supplied to the lamp is controlled to be increased stepwise. With this, the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp can be returned to the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use.

A sterilizer according to a second aspect of the present invention sterilizes hot and cold water by irradiating an ultraviolet lamp, and the ultraviolet light amount of the lamp is set to a predetermined ultraviolet light amount threshold after a predetermined period from the beginning of use. Down to
An electric power control means for controlling the electric power to the lamp is provided.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a bath water purifying / sterilizing apparatus (J) having a bath water purifying / sterilizing / warming function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a system configuration figure of B).

In FIG. 1, bath water purification and sterilization apparatus (JB)
Is a pump 1 for circulating bath water, a water flow switch 2 for detecting whether the bath water is circulating at a predetermined flow rate or more due to clogging or the like, a purification tank 3 for purifying the bath water, and sterilizing the bath water. Sterilizer 4, a first thermistor 5 for detecting the temperature of the bath, a heater 6 for keeping the bath at a predetermined temperature, a second thermistor 7 for detecting the temperature around the heater, and a temperature around the heater The temperature fuse 8 that shuts off the power supply to the heater 6 when the temperature rises abnormally, the direction in which the bath water pressurized by the pump 1 flows into the septic tank 3, and the forward direction for purifying the bath water and the septic tank 3 A five-way valve 9 that switches in the reverse direction to the forward direction for reverse cleaning, a drain port 10 for draining the washing water when the cleaning tank 3 is reverse-cleaned, and a purified / sterilized / heat-retained bath water are sent to the bath 16. The outgoing pipe 11 and the hot water in the bathtub 16 are supplied to the functional unit 17. And the return tube 12 to send, bus adapter 1
3, an air solenoid valve 14 for sending foam into a bathtub 16,
An operation unit 18 for operating these systems and a control unit 15 for controlling the entire system are provided.

FIG. 2 is a diagram specifically showing the operation unit 18 in FIG.

The operation unit 18 sets an operation switch 21 for turning on / off an operation for purifying / sterilizing bath water, a heat insulation switch 22 for determining whether to keep the bath water warm, and a temperature of the bath water to be kept warm. When the bath water temperature setting switches 24 and 25, the blow switch 23 for determining whether or not foam (blow) is sent into the bathtub, and the germicidal lamp (ultraviolet lamp) of the filter medium or the germicidal device 4 are replaced, the memory is stored. Exchange completion switch 26 for resetting the accumulated use time (to be described later)
And a cleaning start switch 27 for periodically cleaning the water passage.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration related to the sterilizer 4 of the bath hot water purification / sterilizer (JB) shown in FIG. Fluorescent tube 4 as sterilizing means of this sterilizing device 4
0 (ultraviolet lamp) is connected to the power supply 39 via the semiconductor control rectifier circuit 41, and is connected to the operation unit 18 via the control unit 15 which supplies a control signal to the semiconductor control rectifier circuit 41. .

Here, as the fluorescent tube 40, it is desirable to use a cold cathode type ultraviolet fluorescent tube in which the amount of ultraviolet light hardly decreases even if the energizing time is long, but a hot cathode type ultraviolet fluorescent tube can also be used. It is.

In this embodiment, the semiconductor control rectifier circuit 41
Include two thyristors connected in parallel in opposite directions to each other, and a gate circuit connected to apply a gate pulse to the gate terminals of these thyristors in order to control firing / extinguishing of these thyristors. Each of them is not shown). It should be noted that a gate circuit (not shown) generates and outputs a gate pulse under the control of a phase control unit 35 constituting the control unit 15.

The control section 15 includes, as functional blocks, an energization detecting section 42, a lighting time integrating section 43, and an ultraviolet ray detecting section 4
4, a lighting command unit 45, a reset unit 46, a phase control information storage unit 31, an energization amount calculation unit 33, and a phase control unit 3.
5 is provided.

The energization detecting section 42 includes the semiconductor control rectifier circuit 4
1, a power supply 3 based on an output signal from a current sensor 37 provided on a power supply line connecting the power supply 39 and the fluorescent tube 40.
From 9 it is detected whether or not the fluorescent tube 40 is energized. Then, when the energization is detected, the lighting time integration unit 43 is continuously notified that the energization is detected only while the energization is being performed (that is, the time when the semiconductor control rectifier circuit 41 is turned on).

The lighting time integrating section 43 integrates the notification time, that is, the energizing time each time the energizing detecting section 42 notifies that the energizing is detected, and outputs the integrated value to the energizing amount calculating section 33. Output to The lighting time integrating unit 43 keeps storing the accumulated energized time data until the reset command is given from the reset unit 46. The case where the reset command is given from the reset unit 46 is a case where the accumulated power-on time accumulated value data becomes meaningless, for example, when the fluorescent tube 40 is replaced with a new one.

The ultraviolet ray amount detecting section 44 detects the ultraviolet ray amount of the fluorescent tube 40 based on an output signal from an ultraviolet ray measuring sensor (not shown) provided in the fluorescent tube 40 and outputs the detected ultraviolet ray amount to the electricity amount calculating section 33. I do.

The lighting command section 45 reads various commands output from the operation section 13. Then, when it is determined that the fluorescent tube 40 needs to be turned on because the lighting command is given from the operation switch 21, it notifies the energization amount calculating unit 33 that the fluorescent tube 40 should be turned on.

The reset unit 46 reads various commands output from the operation unit 13 and determines that the phase control information storage unit 31 and the lighting time integration unit 43 need to be reset. , And a reset command to the lighting time integrating unit 43. Reset unit 46
Outputs a reset command, as described above,
This is a case in which the information stored in the phase control information storage unit 31 and the lighting time integration unit 43 needs to be initialized by replacing the fluorescent tube 40 with a new one.

The phase control information storage section 31 stores, as information necessary for controlling the firing / extinguishing of the two thyristors, data on the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use of the fluorescent tube 40 and information on the amount of ultraviolet light for a long time after the start of use. Fluorescent tube 4 capable of maintaining the amount of ultraviolet light of fluorescent tube 40 at the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use even after elapse.
It stores data such as the amount of energization to zero. Here, the fluorescent tube 40
The ultraviolet ray amount data at the beginning of use is indicated by reference numeral 100% in FIG. Further, the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 is set to 10 as shown in FIG.
The energization amount data required to maintain 0% is shown in FIG.
It is shown in (b). The current amount data increases substantially linearly with the passage of time from the start of use of the fluorescent tube 40. The phase control information storage unit 31 provides the stored data to the power consumption calculation unit 33 based on the data read request from the power consumption calculation unit 33. The phase control information storage unit 31 resets each of the above data in response to a reset command from the reset unit 46.

The energization amount calculation unit 33 is activated based on a notification from the lighting instruction unit 45 that the fluorescent tube 40 should be turned on,
The cumulative value of the energizing time is read from the lighting time integrating unit 43 to determine the cumulative use time of the fluorescent tube 40. And
The power supply data shown in FIG. 4B is read from the phase control information storage unit 31 to obtain a power supply amount corresponding to the cumulative use time of the fluorescent tube 40, and the obtained power supply amount is given to the phase control unit 35. It should be noted that the amount-of-current calculator 33 determines that the amount of ultraviolet light from the fluorescent tube 40 is equal to the phase controller 35 and the semiconductor control rectifier circuit 41.
The amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 detected by the ultraviolet light amount detection unit 44 and the above-described ultraviolet light amount data 100
By comparing with%, the amount of electricity supplied to the fluorescent tube 40 can be precisely controlled.

The phase control unit 35 outputs a control signal to the gate circuit of the semiconductor controlled rectifier circuit 41 based on the current amount data from the current amount calculation unit 33, thereby connecting the gate terminals of the two thyristors to each other. The output timing of the applied gate pulse is controlled.

According to the above configuration, the amount of current corresponding to the cumulative use time of the fluorescent tube 40 is determined, and the output timing of the gate pulse applied to the gate terminals of the two thyristors is controlled based on the amount of current. Therefore, even if the fluorescent tube 40 is used for a long time, the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 can be maintained at 100% which is the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use. Therefore, even if the fluorescent tube 40 is used for a long period of time, there is no possibility that the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 is reduced to nearly 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use, which is the life of the fluorescent tube 40, and the sterilization ability is not insufficient.

FIG. 5 shows ultraviolet ray data of the fluorescent tube 40 and the fluorescent tube 40 according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows data of the amount of electricity to be supplied to.

In this modification, the life of the fluorescent tube 40 is considered to have expired when the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 becomes 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use in the sterilizing apparatus 4 having the above-described configuration. It is characterized in that the time when the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 becomes 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use is extended as early as possible by controlling the amount of electricity supplied to the fluorescent tube 40 to increase.

That is, the ultraviolet ray amount of 60% is set as the threshold value, and the ultraviolet ray amount data shown in FIG. 5A is shown in FIG. 4B instead of the ultraviolet ray amount data shown in FIG. The energization amount data shown in FIG. 5B is stored in the phase control information storage unit 31 instead of the energization amount data. For example, the cumulative usage time of the fluorescent tube 40 is usually longer than 20,000 hours, which is the life of the fluorescent tube 40 of this type.
When the time reaches 0000 hours, the output timing of the gate pulse applied to the gate terminals of the two thyristors is set in the above manner so that the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 becomes 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use. Control.

It should be noted that the energization amount data shown in FIG. 5B includes first energization amount data that increases substantially linearly with time from 200 mA at the start of use of the fluorescent tube 40, There is second energization amount data that increases in a logarithmic function over time from the start of use. In order to obtain the amount of ultraviolet rays as shown in FIG. 5A, the amount-of-current calculation unit 33 calculates the amount of current corresponding to the accumulated use time of the fluorescent tube 40 by using one of the above-mentioned amount-of-current data. Become.

FIG. 6 shows ultraviolet ray data of the fluorescent tube 40 and the fluorescent tube 40 according to a second modification of the embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows data of the amount of electricity to be supplied to.

In the present modified example, in the sterilizing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the amount of current supplied to the fluorescent tube 40 is reduced by 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use. By performing control to increase the amount by a predetermined amount from the amount, the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 is returned to the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use,
This is characterized in that the life of the fluorescent tube 40 is extended first.

That is, instead of the ultraviolet ray data shown in FIG. 5A, the ultraviolet ray data shown in FIG.
The energization amount data shown in FIG. 6B is stored in the phase control information storage unit 31 in place of the energization amount data shown in FIG. Also, with the amount of ultraviolet rays 60% as a threshold, FIG.
As shown in (b), the amount of current at the beginning of use of the fluorescent tube 40 is set to, for example, 200 mA. Then, at the time t1 in FIG. 6A when it is recognized from the notification from the ultraviolet ray amount detecting unit 42 that the ultraviolet ray amount of the fluorescent tube 40 has become 60% of the ultraviolet ray amount at the beginning of its use, the ultraviolet ray of the fluorescent tube 40 The amount of current is increased to, for example, 500 mA so that the amount returns to the amount of ultraviolet rays (100%) at the beginning of use. In this manner, the amount of electricity is increased to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 by 100%.
At the time t2 in FIG. 6A, when it is recognized from the notification from the ultraviolet ray amount detecting section 42 that the ultraviolet ray amount of the fluorescent tube 40 has become 60% of the ultraviolet ray amount at the beginning of its use again, In order to return the amount to 100%, the amount of current is increased again to, for example, 700 mA.

The time (time t1 and time t2 in FIG. 6 (a)) at which the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 becomes 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of its use is determined in advance by the phase control information storage unit 31.
, The above-described control of increasing the amount of current can be performed without receiving a notification from the ultraviolet ray amount detection unit 42.

FIG. 7 shows data on the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 and data on the amount of current applied to the fluorescent tube 40 according to the second aspect of the present invention.

In the present modified example, in the sterilizing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the threshold value of the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 is set to 60%, and the amount of current supplied to the fluorescent tube 40 is set to a value smaller than the normal amount of current (eg, 90%), the life of the fluorescent tube 40 is made longer than usual. That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the amount of current supplied to the fluorescent tube 40 is set to a constant value (for example, 180 mA) from the beginning of use of the fluorescent tube 40 regardless of the elapse of the use time of the fluorescent tube 40. As a result, the time when the amount of ultraviolet light of the fluorescent tube 40 is reduced to 60% of the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use is extended to 40000 hours as shown in FIG. 7A.

It should be noted that the phase control information storage unit 31 stores the ultraviolet ray amount data shown in FIG.
The ultraviolet light amount data shown in FIG. 7A is replaced with the electric current amount data shown in FIG.
Each is memorized. Energization amount calculation unit 33 and phase control unit 3
5 is to control the output timing of the gate pulse applied to the gate terminals of the two thyristors so that the amount of current supplied to the fluorescent tube 40 is always 180 mA regardless of the cumulative use time of the fluorescent tube 40. Becomes

It should be noted that the above-mentioned contents relate only to an embodiment of the present invention, and do not mean that the present invention is limited to only the above-described contents.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a sterilizer for sterilizing hot water or the like, the period during which the amount of ultraviolet light of the ultraviolet lamp of the sterilizer decreases to an amount having no sterilizing power can be extended, and the frequency of replacement of the ultraviolet lamp can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a 24-hour bath as a bath water purification / sterilization device (JB) having a bath water purification / sterilization / warming function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram specifically illustrating an embodiment of an operation unit 18 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration related to the 24-hour bath sterilizer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing ultraviolet ray amount data of a fluorescent tube and data on an amount of current applied to the fluorescent tube according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing ultraviolet light amount data and fluorescent lamp current amount data for a fluorescent tube according to a first modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing ultraviolet ray amount data and fluorescent lamp current amount data for a fluorescent tube according to a second modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing ultraviolet light amount data and fluorescent lamp current amount data for a fluorescent tube according to a second aspect of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 4 Sterilizer 15 Control unit 16 Bathtub 17 Function unit 18 Operation unit 31 Phase control information storage unit 33 Electricity calculation unit 35 Phase control unit 37 Current sensor 39 Power supply 40 Fluorescent tube 41 Semiconductor control rectifier circuit 42 Electricity detection unit 43 Lighting time integration Unit 44 Ultraviolet ray amount detection unit 45 Lighting command unit 46 Reset unit

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An ultraviolet sterilizer for sterilizing hot and cold water by irradiating an ultraviolet lamp, comprising: a cumulative use time calculating means for calculating a cumulative use time of the lamp; and An ultraviolet sterilizer, comprising: an energization amount control unit that controls an amount of energization to the lamp. 2. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the cumulative use time calculating means calculates the cumulative use time of the lamp by detecting the power supply to the lamp and detecting the power supply time. UV sterilizer. 3. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the amount-of-current control means accumulates the amount of current supplied to the lamp such that the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp is maintained at the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use. An ultraviolet sterilizer characterized by being increased in proportion to the length of time. 4. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the power supply amount control means increases the power supply amount to the lamp in proportion to the length of the cumulative use time or logarithmically. An ultraviolet sterilizing apparatus for adjusting a period during which the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp is reduced from the ultraviolet light at the beginning of use to a preset ultraviolet light amount threshold. 5. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the current control means controls the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp each time the amount of ultraviolet light of the lamp decreases from the amount of ultraviolet light at the beginning of use to a preset amount of ultraviolet light. And an ultraviolet sterilizer wherein the amount of current supplied to the lamp is controlled in a stepwise manner. 6. The ultraviolet sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the current control unit controls the cumulative amount of use of the lamp each time a plurality of time values set at predetermined time intervals reach each other. And an ultraviolet sterilizer wherein the amount of current supplied to the lamp is controlled in a stepwise manner. 7. An ultraviolet sterilizer for sterilizing hot and cold water by irradiating an ultraviolet lamp, wherein the ultraviolet light amount of the lamp is reduced to a preset ultraviolet light amount threshold after a lapse of a predetermined period from the start of use of the lamp. An ultraviolet sterilizer comprising: a current control unit for controlling a current supplied to the lamp.