JPH04197480A - Cleaning device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To minimize the accumulation of foreign substances while sterilizing a material body to be cleaned by installing a housing designed to receive a container for holding a detergent and the material body to be washed, a pre- heater device and a supersonic wave generator. CONSTITUTION: A tooth brush (52) is held upright in a container by an arm (50). A well (16) is filled with water to the depth from the bottom of the well to a height at least equal to that of a thin film (40). By turning a switch (34) on, an oscillator generates a supersonic wave in the range of 30 to 100 kiloherz, preferably about 40 kiloherz. The supersonic wave passes through the water in the well (16) and the thin film (40) and vibrates water in the container (14). The fact that water is existing in the well (16) and that the thin film (40) is used for the container (14) minimizes the decrement of the supersonic wave when it comes out of the oscillator and comes in the container. As a result, a pulsatory flow of water is generated and hits the hair of the tooth brush, being able to separate foreign substances being accumulated on the tooth brush.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to cleaning apparatus for cleaning objects contaminated with solid foreign matter by utilizing ultrasound and thermal energy sources. Apparatus and method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heat has been utilized as one of the most effective and efficient cleaning methods, especially for objects used within the human or animal body. Sterilize Pasteur for at least 30 minutes.
It is carried out at temperatures ranging from 65 degrees C to 85 degrees C.

In addition, especially when solid substances are to be removed from an object,
It is known to use ultrasound as an energy source for cleaning objects. Conventional patent ring 3 by the present inventor,
No. 973,760, an ultrasonic cleaning and sterilizing device is shown that is specifically designed for contact lenses made of hydrophilic copolymers. Other ultrasonic cleaning devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,532 and 4,114.194
is shown by.

Problem to be Solved by the Invention In prior art cleaning devices that utilize thermal energy and ultrasonic energy, no attempt has been made to sequence the operation of the ultrasonic and thermal energy sources. Instead, heat and ultrasound are used simultaneously to perform the cleaning process. This is true if the object being cleaned does not have foreign matter deposited on the object, or is maintained at an elevated or sufficiently low temperature that it does not tend to burn the foreign material on the object being cleaned. is acceptable. In the case of certain objects, such as toothbrushes, there is a considerable tendency for solid foreign matter to build up on the object. This foreign material can be effectively removed using ultrasonic energy. Since the toothbrush needs to be Pasteur sterilized, the temperature needs to be raised to a range of about 65 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius, high enough to burn foreign objects on the toothbrush. Therefore, if ultrasonic waves and enough heat to sterilize Pasteur were applied to an object like a toothbrush at the same time, the object would be sterilized, but a significant amount of foreign matter would remain on the object even after cleaning. Because of the burning process, this foreign material will be more difficult to remove than before the cleaning operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to sequentially utilize both ultrasound and Pasteur sterilization for liquid cleaning objects such as toothbrushes and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that minimizes the accumulation of foreign matter while sterilizing objects to be cleaned.

Another object of the present invention is to utilize heat, ultrasound, water jets, and filtration all in sequence to liquid clean objects such as toothbrushes and the like to perform the cleaning process. The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for maximizing this.

As a conclusion that can easily be drawn with respect to objects up to now, the object of the present invention is to provide a method of the type in which the filtration work is carried out by means of a removable filter element that can be cleaned and cleaned in order to prolong its useful life. and equipment.

One of the other objects of the invention is to clean objects such as toothbrushes and the like, in which heat, ultrasound, water jets, and filtration are all utilized to effect the cleaning, and in which detergents are used. The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus in which ultrasound is used to induce circulating flow, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of filtration properties.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device of the type referred to in the foregoing description, which has a switch mechanism in the device for automatic cut-off operation. .

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and device of the type mentioned in the previous objects, which device is small enough to be portable and can be carried by the user from one location to another. It is possible to move it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus which meet the above-mentioned objectives and which can be designed to operate on either alternating current or direct current.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent or apparent from the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring initially to FIG.
It consists of a container 14 received in this housing.

Referring first to the housing 12 in detail, the housing is typically made of molded plastic or other suitable material and includes a shallow well 16 that is watertight and receives the container 14. At the bottom of the well 16 there are a plurality of heater elements 1 along with a thermal sensor 20.
8 is fixed.

The portion of the housing 12 not used for the well 16 is an open area 22. A timer 24 is arranged within this open area 22.

An opening 28 is provided in the side wall of the housing 12 defining the well 16. A tuning element 30 is sealingly mounted to the housing above the aperture 28, said element being electrically coupled to a transducer element 32, said transducer element preferably being piezoelectric. Although the transducer is a ceramic crystal, other suitable transducer mechanisms may be employed. Further, a main switch 34 is attached to a part of the outer wall of the housing 12 and is operated by a user of the device.

Referring in detail to container 14, said container is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a first sidewall 36 of uniform width.
and a WIE2IllI wall 38 forming a membrane portion 40 proximate the container bottom 42 . The bottom 42 has a recess 44 for purposes to be described below.

The container 14 has an open top 46 closed by a removable lid 48, which is threadably received by the uppermost portions of the side walls 36.38. Container 14 is preferably made of molded plastic and has arms 50 therein;
The arm holds a toothbrush 52, the tip of which is received in the recess 44.

The container 14 also has an internal compartment 54 integrally formed with a shelf 5 having a plurality of through holes 58.
Contains 6. Shelf 56 is located below the top of compartment 54 such that the side walls of the compartment retain filter pad 60 on the top surface of the shelf in overlying relation to through-hole 58 . The bottom wall 62 of the compartment 54 is spaced below the shelf 56 and is provided with a plurality of through holes 64.

With additional reference to FIG.
0 and the timer 24. The supply line is turned off by switch 34, which is connected to a rectifier 68 for rectifying the alternating current signal. Rectifier 68
The signal from T! is sent to the timer 24, which produces two output signals T, and T! one of these is sent to the oscillator 30 via the transducer 32 and the other is sent to the heat-sensing thermostat 20 via a suitable connection line and connected to the heater element 18. generates output.

Timer 24 is set to send a first output signal T1 to oscillator 30 with a period of about 30 minutes to one hour, during which time there is no signal to thermostat 20 and heater element 18 is not activated.

At the end of an oscillator period, a second signal T2 to thermostat 20 activates heater element 18 for the next 30
to a preselected temperature, preferably at least 65 degrees Celsius, and usually from 65 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius, for a period of minutes to one hour.
Maintain operation within the temperature range of 30°C. At the end of the second timer period, the device automatically shuts down and remains there until switch 34 is reset.

In use, the container 14 is filled with liquid detergent, which may be tap water or, in some cases, tap water containing a small amount of salt, mouthwash, or other detergent or disinfectant. There may be. toothbrush 5
2 is held upright in the container by an arm 50.

The lid 48 is then screwed onto the container and the container is placed into the well 16 and held off the bottom of the well by the legs 37.

At least a thin film 4 is disposed in the well 16 from the bottom of the well.
It is filled with water to a height equal to the height of 0. When switch 34 is turned on, the oscillator generates ultrasound in the range of 30 to 100 kilohertz, preferably about 40 kilohertz. These ultrasound waves pass through the water in the well 16 and the membrane 40, and vibrate through the water in the container 14.

The presence of water in well 16 and the presence of water in container 14
The use of a thin film 40 for this purpose is highly advantageous in that it minimizes the attenuation of the ultrasound waves as they exit the oscillator and enter the container. As a result, a pulsating flow of water is created which can strike the bristles of the toothbrush 52 and separate solid foreign matter that may have accumulated on the toothbrush. These flows turn around at sidewall 36 and rise toward the top of the container where they reverse and pass through filter pad 60 into internal separation compartment 54 .

Most of the total particulate matter removed from the toothbrush 52 is captured within the filter pad 60.

The water that has passed through the filter pad exits the internal compartment through the through holes 6.
4, and the flow rate tends to be accelerated due to the limited number of through holes. This further enhances the circulation of water within the container.

As previously mentioned, after oscillator 30 has been open for 30 minutes to 1 hour, thermostat 20 or heater element 1
8, which heats the water in well 16, which in turn heats the water in container 14. heater element 18
is preferably chosen such that the temperature within the container can be increased to a range of 65°C to 85°C, preferably up to about 70°C. The thermostat 20 monitors the temperature so as to turn the heater 18 on and off to maintain this temperature. Obviously, the temperature is 52
This level must be maintained for 30 minutes to 1 hour to achieve Pasteur sterilization. It is recognized in the art that it is within the scope of the present invention to provide an adjustable thermostat so that the elevated temperature of the liquid within container 14 can be varied as desired. It is also possible to include an indicator lamp in the control circuit for the device to provide a visual indication whenever the device is in operation and, if desired, to indicate when the heater element 18 is activated. The same goes for including two indicator lamps.

A cleaning method that provides superior results compared to hitherto known methods due to the combined effect of sequentially operating the oscillator 30 to generate cleaning ultrasonic waves in temporal relation to Pasteur sterilization heating. can be provided.

The additional effect of the pulsating water flow and the filtration of the removed particulate matter further enhances the effectiveness of the device according to the invention.

When the cleaning is complete, the device will automatically go into a halt state and
Toothbrush 52 can be removed for use. When particulate matter accumulates on the filter pad 60, remove the pad and wash the accumulated matter from the pad.
Can be inserted into the container again. It may also be desirable in some cases to include a sensor in recess 44 so that the device will automatically activate whenever toothbrush 52 is placed in the position shown.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a vertical sectional view of the device according to the invention; FIG.
1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit employed in the illustrated device; FIG. In the figure, 10...Cleaning device 12...Housing 14...Container 18...Heater device 20...Temperature sensor 24...Timer device 30...Ultrasonic generator 40...Container Wall portion 48...container lid 50...holding device 52...toothbrush 54...filter chamber 60...filter device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a cleaning device (10) for use with the detergent when cleaning an object placed in a liquid detergent, for holding the detergent and the object to be cleaned. a housing (12) adapted to receive a container (14) in the housing (12) and a heating device (12) in the housing (12) for heating the detergent to at least 65 degrees C;
18); a device in the housing (12) coupled to the heater device (18) for sensing the temperature of the detergent in the container (14); said housing (12) for generating
) is coupled to both the ultrasonic generator (30) and the heater device (18) and sequentially operates the ultrasonic generator (30) and the heater device (18). A timer device (24
), wherein the heater device (18) is activated after the ultrasonic generator (30) is activated. 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing (12) is adapted to hold a quantity of water sufficient to surround a portion of said container (14). (3) A device according to claim 2, wherein the heating device (18) is adapted to heat the detergent in the container (14) to a temperature of at least 65 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes.
A cleaning device capable of heating for 0 minutes. (4) A cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that the ultrasonic generator (30) is capable of generating ultrasonic waves of about 30 to 100 kilohertz. (5) In the device according to claim 4, the heater device (18) is arranged so that the container (
14) A cleaning device, characterized in that it is capable of heating the detergent therein to a temperature of at least 65 degrees C for at least 30 minutes. (6) A device according to claim 5, wherein the device (10) comprises a device (20) for sensing the temperature of the detergent in the container (14), the temperature sensor (20) ) is a cleaning device coupled to said heater device (18) and generating a signal for controlling the operation of said heater device (18). (7) A device for cleaning an object in a liquid detergent, comprising a housing (12) configured to receive the object and the liquid detergent, and further comprising a housing (12) configured to receive the object and the liquid detergent;
a container (14) adapted to be received by said housing (12), said housing (12) being adapted to receive an amount of water sufficient to partially surround said container (14); detergent at least 65%
a heating device (18) in said housing (12) for heating to degrees Celsius and said heating device (18) in said container (14) for sensing the temperature of said detergent in said container (14);
) in said housing (12);
a device (30) within the housing (12) for generating ultrasound into the detergent, the ultrasound generator being located below the level of the water surrounding the container (14); said ultrasonic generator (30) and said heater device (18), said ultrasonic generator (30) and said heater device (18) being coupled to said ultrasonic generator (30) and said heater device (18) for sequential operation. and a timer device (24) that can be activated, wherein the heater device (18) is activated after the ultrasonic generator (30) is activated. (8) The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the container (14) has at least one wall (40) having a thickness that allows ultrasound waves to pass through. cleaning equipment. (9) The device according to claim 8, wherein the container includes a filter chamber (
54). (10) In the device according to claim 9,
A cleaning device in which said filter chamber (54) has a removable filter device (60). (11) A device according to claim 8, wherein the heating device (18) is adapted to heat the detergent in the container (14) to a temperature of at least 65 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes.
A cleaning device capable of heating for 0 minutes. (12) In the device according to claim 8,
A cleaning device characterized in that the ultrasonic generator (30) is capable of generating ultrasonic waves of about 30 to 100 kilohertz. (13) In the device according to claim 12, the heater device (18) is attached to the container (14).
A cleaning device, characterized in that it is capable of heating detergent therein to a temperature of at least 65 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes. (14) A device according to claim 13, wherein the device includes a device (20) for sensing the temperature of the detergent in the container (14), and the temperature sensor (20) A cleaning device coupled to a heater device (18) and generating a signal for controlling the operation of said heater device (18). (15) A toothbrush cleaning device (10) including a housing (12) and an open top container (14) adapted to receive the toothbrush and liquid detergent,
and a container (14) thereof adapted to be received by said housing (12), and a device (48) for removably closing the open top of said container (14); a device (50) in said container adapted to hold a quantity of water partially surrounding said container (14) for holding a toothbrush (52) in position during a cleaning operation;
a device (18) in the housing (12) for heating the detergent to a temperature of at least 65 degrees C; and a device (18) in the housing (12) for heating the detergent at a level below the level of the water surrounding the container (14). a device (30) in the housing (12) for generating ultrasonic waves within the housing; and a device (30) in the housing (12) for sequentially operating the ultrasonic generator (30) and then operating the heater device (18). A toothbrush cleaning device comprising: a timer device (24). (16) A method for cleaning an object soiled by foreign matter and placed in a liquid detergent, comprising applying the ultrasonic waves to the detergent for a period of time sufficient to loosen and remove the solid foreign matter; , followed by heating the detergent to a temperature level for a period of time sufficient to Pasteurize the detergent. (17) The method according to claim 16, comprising circulating the detergent within the closed structure and filtering the circulating detergent substantially simultaneously with applying the ultrasound. , a cleaning method whereby loose foreign matter is filtered from said detergent. (18) In the method according to claim 17, in the heating step, the detergent contains at least 65%
The cleaning method is heated to 30°C for at least 30 minutes.