Saturated steam generator, steam sterilizer, and steam sterilization method

A steam sterilizer having a sterilizing chamber, in which an article to be sterilized is accommodated, and a saturated steam generator, which supplies saturated steam into said sterilizing chamber, wherein said saturated steam generator comprising:

• a heat storage tank including a heat storage section, in which a solid heat storage material and a liquid heat storage are filled, and in which a heater for heating the solid heat storage material and the liquid heat storage material and a heat transmission tube for blowing off superheated steam generated by superheating water supplied are provided;
• a saturated steam generator tank, in which stored water is heated, by the superheated steam blown off from the heat transmission tube as a heat source, so as to generate saturated steam;
• and
• a steam supply tube supplying the saturated steam generated in said saturated steam generator tank into the sterilizing chamber.

A steam sterilizer having a sterilizing chamber, which is provided in a body proper and in which an article to be sterilized is sterilized by saturated steam and the article, on which condensed water of the saturated steam is stuck, is dried, comprising:

• means for reducing pressure in said sterilizing chamber and evaporating the water stuck on the article;
• means for blowing the superheated steam into said sterilizing chamber, whose pressure has been reduced, so as to rise temperature of the article, whose temperature has been fallen by evaporating the water by pressure reduction;
• a control section alternately actuating said pressure reducing means and said blowing means so as to dry the article;
• and
• means for supplying the superheated steam, which has a heat storage tank including a heat storage section, in which a solid heat storage material and a liquid heat storage are filled, and in which a heater for heating the solid heat storage material and the liquid heat storage material and a heat transmission tube for blowing off superheated steam generated by superheating water supplied are provided.

A steam sterilization method comprising the steps of:

• sterilizing an article to be sterilized, which is accommodated in a sterilizing chamber of a body proper of a sterilizer, by introducing saturated stem into the sterilizing chamber;
• reducing pressure in the sterilizing chamber so as to evaporate condensed water stuck on the article;
• blowing a heated fluid into the sterilizing chamber so as to rise temperature of the article, whose temperature has been fallen by evaporating the water stuck thereon, so as to rise the temperature of the article;
• and alternately repeating said reducing step and said blowing step so as to dry the article,
• wherein said heated fluid blown into the sterilizing chamber is superheated steam, and the superheated steam is supplied by using a heat storage tank having a heat storage section, in which a solid heat storage material and a liquid heat storage material are filled and in which a heater for heating the solid heat storage material and the liquid heat storage material and a heat transmission tube for blowing off superheated steam generated by superheating water supplied are provided.

A steam sterilizer comprising:

• a vessel, which is a pressure vessel and in which a sterilizing chamber for sterilizing an article to be sterilized accommodated therein and a water storing section are provided;
• and means for heating water stored in the water storing section to generate steam in the vessel,
• wherein said heating means includes:
• a heat storage tank, in which
• a heat storage section filled with a solid heat storage material and a liquid heat storage material, a heater for heating said heat storage section, and a heat transmission tube passing through said heat storage section so as to heat water in said heat storage section and blow off superheated steam are provided;
• and a superheated steam supply tube connected to said heat transmission tube so as to pass the superheated steam, which is generated in said heat storage section, through said water storing section.