Sterilization apparatus and method
AssigneesCanon Marketing Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Elquest, Elk Corporation
InventorTakashi Koyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is provided a mechanism of preventing a cartridge in which a sterilizing agent is remaining from being taken out from a sterilization apparatus in order to prevent a user from touching the sterilizing agent. There is provided a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing an object by extracting a sterilizing agent from a cartridge containing the sterilizing agent. The apparatus includes locking means for locking the cartridge containing the sterilizing agent and mounted on the sterilization apparatus and extracting means for extracting the sterilizing agent from the cartridge, wherein the locking means is configured to maintain the lock on the cartridge until sterilizing agent has been extracted from the cartridge by the extracting means.
Claims17
A sterilization apparatus for sterilizing an object by extracting a sterilizing agent from a cartridge containing the sterilizing agent, the apparatus comprising:
- locking means for locking the cartridge mounted on the sterilization apparatus and containing the sterilizing agent;
- and
- extracting means for extracting the sterilizing agent from the cartridge,
- wherein said locking means is configured to maintain the lock on the cartridge until the sterilizing agent has been extracted from the cartridge by the extracting means.
A sterilization method performed by a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing an object by extracting a sterilizing agent from within a cartridge containing the sterilizing agent, the method comprising:
- locking a cartridge mounted to the sterilization apparatus and containing sterilizing agent;
- extracting the sterilizing agent within the cartridge;
- and
- maintaining the lock on the cartridge until the sterilizing agent has been extracted from the cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.