CN114450231A

CN114450231A - Transportation method, transportation assistance device, and program

Info

Publication number: CN114450231A
Application number: CN202080068806.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 上山健治; 井手上尚弘; 船越俊洋; 植木美贺
Original assignee: Asahi Kasei Corp
Current assignee: Asahi Kasei Corp
Priority date: 2019-09-30
Filing date: 2020-09-30
Publication date: 2022-05-06
Also published as: JP7237180B2; EP4039615A4; JPWO2021066022A1; JP2023038366A; JP7470831B2; US20220333841A1; WO2021066022A1; EP4039615A1

Abstract

Provided is a transportation method capable of maintaining a low-temperature state of an object without using a refrigerant such as dry ice and achieving high transportation efficiency. The transportation method comprises the following steps: a precooling step of precooling the object; a surrounding step of surrounding the pre-cooled object with heat insulating plates (a front plate (10), a rear plate (20), side plates (30), a bottom plate (40), and a top plate (50)); and a transportation step of transporting the object surrounded by the heat insulating board.

Description

Transportation method, transportation assistance device, and program

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a transportation method, a transportation assistance device, and a program.

Background

Currently, goods such as fruits and vegetables are transported from a delivery site to a destination by a refrigerated transport vehicle. In the refrigerated transport using the refrigerated transport vehicle, the refrigerating temperature of the goods varies depending on the position loaded in the vehicle, and in addition, the refrigerating effect is lowered due to the full load, the mixed load, and the unloading. In addition, there are the following cases: when a refrigerated transport vehicle is used, a transfer work of goods occurs in the middle, or the goods are left at room temperature at the time of arrival or the like. Therefore, even if the cargo is kept cold, it is difficult to maintain the low temperature state until the destination.

Therefore, in recent years, the following techniques have been proposed: in a heat-insulated container for storing a load, a refrigerant storage space for storing a refrigerant such as dry ice, a cold retaining agent, or a cold storage material is provided, and cold air is supplied to the load from the refrigerant stored in the refrigerant storage space (see, for example, patent documents 1 to 4). When the above-described technology is employed, it is made possible to maintain the low temperature of the cargo by the cold air supplied by the refrigerant.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-43020

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-256336

Patent document 3: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2015-9838

Patent document 4: japanese patent No. 6436822

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the case of the conventional techniques as described in patent documents 1 to 4, it is necessary to prepare a refrigerant such as dry ice in advance or to supplement and replace the refrigerant such as dry ice in the middle of the process, and such preparation, supplement, and replacement of the refrigerant are complicated. In addition, there are also the following problems: since the refrigerant accommodating space is provided in the heat insulating container, a space for accommodating the goods becomes narrow, and thus a load amount of the goods is reduced and a transportation efficiency is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a transportation method capable of maintaining a low temperature state of an object without using a refrigerant such as dry ice and achieving high transportation efficiency. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method, an apparatus, and a program for assisting normal-temperature transportation by accurately setting a pre-cooling condition for a fresh product during normal-temperature transportation.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a transportation method according to the present invention includes the steps of: a precooling step of precooling the object; an enclosing step of enclosing the precooled object with a heat insulating board; and a transportation step of transporting the object surrounded by the heat insulating board. In the pre-cooling step, the object can be pre-cooled at-60 to 20 ℃.

In the method, the object after precooling is surrounded by the heat insulating board and transported, and thus the object can function as a refrigerant in the space inside the heat insulating board, and the low temperature state of the object can be maintained even during transportation. Therefore, even when the outside air temperature is higher than the temperature of the object, for example, the object can be prevented from being heated by the outside air temperature, and the quality of the object can be prevented from being degraded. In addition, even when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the object, the object can be prevented from being excessively cooled by the outside air temperature, and low-temperature damage to the object (for example, fruit and vegetable) can be prevented. In the method, since a refrigerant such as dry ice is not required, it is possible to save the work of separately preparing the refrigerant or replenishing and replacing the refrigerant in the middle, and since it is possible to save the refrigerant storage space, it is possible to increase the load of the goods and to realize high transportation efficiency.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the precooling step, when the temperature of the object at the time of arrival (arrival-time temperature) is set, the arrival-time temperature can be achieved by calculating the heat transfer based on the outside air temperature, the amount (volume density, volume) of the object, the specific heat of the object, the transportation time, and the thermal resistance value of the heat insulating panel, and setting the precooling temperature.

When the above method is adopted, the precooling temperature can be appropriately set based on the outside air temperature or the like so as to reach the temperature of the object at the time of arrival (arrival time temperature).

In the transportation method according to the present invention, the precooling step may divide the objects into at least 2 object groups, and precool the object groups under different precooling conditions. In this case, in the surrounding step, the group of objects precooled in the precooling step can be surrounded by different heat insulating plates.

In the above method, the group of objects can be conveyed under a suitable precooling temperature band in order to keep freshness.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, the precooling step may divide the objects into at least 2 object groups, and precool the object groups under different precooling conditions. In this case, in the surrounding step, the group of objects precooled in the precooling step can be surrounded by the same heat insulating plate.

In the above method, one object group can be conveyed while maintaining freshness as a whole by functioning as a refrigerant for the other object group. Particularly, it is effective when a group of objects having different heat capacities are mounted in a mixed manner.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the space inside the heat-insulating panel may be set to 30% or more, or the density of the object inside the heat-insulating panel may be set to 30kg/m³The above.

When the above method is employed, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the space inside the heat-insulating panel (volume occupancy) is set to a specific value (30%) or more, or the density of the object inside the heat-insulating panel is set to a specific value (30 kg/m)³) As described above, a desired refrigerant effect can be maintained. When volumeOccupancy of less than 30% or density of less than 30kg/m³In this case, the desired refrigerant effect cannot be maintained, and therefore, this is not desirable.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, the surrounding step can be performed by using a container having a thickness of 50m²And a heat insulating board made of a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of K/W or less.

When the above method is adopted, the material having a specific thermal resistance (50 m) is used²K/W or less) of heat insulating material, and therefore, the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, a thermal resistance of 0.3m per 10mm of thickness can be used in the surrounding step²And a heat insulating board made of a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of K/W or more.

When the above method is employed, thermal resistance can be ensured even if the thickness of the heat insulating plate is reduced, and thus a carrying capacity can be obtained.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, the coating process may be performed with a coating thickness of 0.15N/mm²A heat insulating board comprising the heat insulating material having the above flexural strength.

When the above method is adopted, the steel sheet has a specific bending strength (0.15N/mm)²The heat insulating panel made of the heat insulating material described above) surrounds the object, so that deformation of the heat insulating panel during transportation can be suppressed, and crushing can be suppressed by absorbing vibration and impact, whereby the object can be reliably protected and the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the enclosing step, the object can be enclosed by an airtight enclosure made of heat insulating plates and having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less.

When the above method is employed, since the object is surrounded by a casing having a specific airtightness (gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less) formed of a heat insulating plate, the gas concentration (for example, CO) in the casing can be controlled₂Concentration). Therefore, for example, in the case where the object is fruit or vegetable, the freshness can be maintained by suppressing respiration of the fruit or vegetable.

The transportation support method according to the present invention is a method executed by a computer to support normal-temperature transportation of fresh products, and includes: an acquisition step of acquiring request information including information on the type and quantity of fresh goods and information on a transportation destination; a calculation step of calculating a precooling condition for precooling the fresh food based on the request information; and an output step of outputting the precooling conditions.

The program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the transportation assistance method described above.

Further, a transportation assist device according to the present invention is a device for assisting normal-temperature transportation of fresh products, including: an acquisition unit that acquires request information including information relating to the type and quantity of a fresh product and information relating to a transportation destination; a calculation unit that calculates a precooling condition for precooling the fresh food based on the request information; and an output unit that outputs the precooling condition. In the present specification, "normal temperature transportation" includes transportation without cooling or warming. For example, the transportation may be performed using a transportation unit or the like that does not have a cooling device, or may be performed using a transportation unit or the like that does not have a heating device.

In the above configuration and method, request information including information on the type and amount of fresh food and information on the transportation destination can be acquired, precooling conditions for precooling the fresh food can be calculated based on the acquired request information, and the calculated precooling conditions can be output. Therefore, it is possible to output the accurate precooling condition using the request information provided from the requester as an input, and to provide the output precooling condition to the fresh food custodian. Then, the custodian who has received the provision of the above-described precooling conditions can appropriately precool the fresh food before shipment by the accurate precooling conditions, and therefore can maintain the quality of the fresh food at the transport destination.

In the calculation step of the transportation assistance method according to the present invention, the transportation time required to transport the fresh food to the transportation destination and the temperature variation of the fresh food during transportation can be calculated based on the request information, and the precooling condition can be calculated based on the transportation time and the temperature variation. Here, the temperature variation of the fresh food during transportation can be calculated based on the heat of entry into the container for transporting the fresh food during transportation, and the weight and specific heat of the fresh food contained in the container. The entering heat can be calculated based on the air temperatures inside and outside the container, and the heat transfer area and heat passing rate of the container. The heat passage rate can be calculated based on the thermal conductivity inside and outside the container, and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material constituting the container.

In the above method, the transportation time required to transport the fresh food to the transportation destination and the temperature variation of the fresh food during transportation can be calculated based on the request information, and the precooling condition can be calculated based on the transportation time and the temperature variation. In this case, the temperature fluctuation of the fresh food during transportation can be accurately calculated based on the information on the container for transporting the fresh food (the thermal conductivity inside and outside the container, the air temperature inside and outside the container, and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material constituting the container), and the weight and specific heat of the fresh food contained in the container. Therefore, the precooling condition can be accurately calculated.

In the calculation step in the transportation assistance method according to the present invention, the precooling condition can be calculated so that the temperature of the fresh food at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of the fresh food until the arrival at the transportation destination) is less than a predetermined threshold value.

When the above method is employed, the precooling condition can be accurately calculated so that the temperature of the fresh food at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of the fresh food until the arrival at the transportation destination) becomes smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a transportation method capable of maintaining a low-temperature state of an object without using a refrigerant such as dry ice and achieving high transportation efficiency can be provided. Further, it is possible to provide a method, an apparatus, and a program for assisting normal temperature transportation by accurately setting a pre-cooling condition of a fresh product at the time of normal temperature transportation.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exploded heat-insulating container used in a transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled heat insulating container used in the transportation method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state where a support member is disposed on a base of a heat-insulating container used in a transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the respective components of the heat insulating container used in the transportation method according to the embodiment of the present invention are stacked and reduced in volume.

Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram for explaining a functional configuration of the transportation assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a configuration diagram for explaining the physical configuration of the transportation assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart for explaining each step of the transportation assistance method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are merely preferred examples of applications, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited thereto.

< transportation method >

First, a transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The transportation method according to the present embodiment is a method for transporting a predetermined object in a precooled state, and includes a precooling step of precooling the object, a surrounding step of surrounding the precooled object with a heat insulating board, and a transportation step of transporting the object surrounded by the heat insulating board. Examples of the object include fruits and vegetables, edible meat, fresh fish, beverages, processed foods, cereals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, flowers, tea leaves, coffee beans, and the like, and also include a state in which these are accommodated in a case (a cardboard box, an iron box, or the like).

In the pre-cooling step, the object is pre-cooled at-60 to 20 ℃. For example, in the case where the object is a fruit or vegetable, precooling is performed at a temperature in the range of 0 ℃ to 15 ℃ in the precooling step, in the case where the object is meat or fresh fish, precooling is performed at a temperature in the range of-60 ℃ to 10 ℃ in the precooling step, in the case where the object is a beverage (such as canned coffee or a paper-packed beverage), precooling is performed at a temperature in the range of-5 ℃ to 5 ℃ in the precooling step, in the case where the object is a processed food (such as a frozen food), precooling is performed at a temperature in the range of-5 ℃ to 5 ℃ in the precooling step, in the case where the object is a cereal (such as rice or wheat), in the case where the object is a cosmetic, in the range of-20 ℃ to 20 ℃ in the precooling step, and in the case where the object is a pharmaceutical, precooling is performed at-60 ℃ to 10 ℃ in the precooling step, precooling is performed at 0 ℃ to 15 ℃ in the precooling step when the object is a flower, precooling is performed at-20 ℃ to 15 ℃ in the precooling step when the object is a tea leaf, and precooling is performed at-20 ℃ to 15 ℃ in the precooling step when the object is a coffee bean.

In the precooling step, when the temperature of the object at the time of arrival (arrival-time temperature) is set, the arrival-time temperature can be achieved by calculating the heat transfer based on the outside air temperature, the amount (volume density, volume) of the object, the specific heat of the object, the transport time, and the thermal resistance value of the heat insulating panel, and setting the precooling temperature. In this arrangement, the precooling temperature can be appropriately set based on the outside air temperature or the like so as to reach the temperature of the object at the time of arrival (arrival time temperature). In the precooling step, the objects may be divided into at least 2 object groups, and these object groups may be precooled under different precooling conditions.

In the surrounding step, the group of objects precooled in the precooling step can be surrounded by different heat insulating plates. For example, cabbage and carrot pre-cooled to 5 ℃ can be placed in a first heat-insulating container, green pepper and tomato pre-cooled to 10 ℃ can be placed in a second heat-insulating container, onion cooled to 1 ℃ can be placed in a third heat-insulating container, and these first, second, and third heat-insulating containers can be transported by a transport vehicle. In this case, the group of objects can be conveyed in the appropriate pre-cooling temperature zone for keeping the freshness (in contrast, in the conventional refrigerator car, the group of objects can be conveyed only in one pre-cooling temperature zone).

In the surrounding step, the group of objects precooled in the precooling step can be surrounded by the same heat insulating plate. In this case, the one object group can be transported while maintaining the freshness as a whole by functioning as a refrigerant for the other object group. Particularly, it is effective when a group of objects having different heat capacities are mounted in a mixed manner. For example, a group of objects that are difficult to change in temperature when cooled to 3 ℃ (e.g., potatoes) and a group of objects that are easy to change in temperature when cooled to 1 ℃ (e.g., vegetables such as spinach) can be mixed and loaded in a single heat-insulating container and transported.

In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the space inside the heat-insulating board (volume occupancy) is set to 30% or more, or the density of the object inside the heat-insulating board is set to 30kg/m³The above. In this way, the volume occupancy of the object is set to a specific value or more or the density of the object is set to a specific value or more, and therefore a desired refrigerant effect can be maintained. When the volume occupancy rate is less than 30% or the density is less than 30kg/m³In this case, the desired refrigerant effect cannot be maintained, and therefore, this is not desirable.

In the surrounding step, a film having a thickness of 50m is used²A heat insulating panel comprising a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of K/W or less. Since the object is surrounded by the heat insulating board made of the heat insulating material having a specific heat resistance in this manner, the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained. In addition, in the surrounding process, a material having a thermal resistance of 0.3m per 10mm of thickness can be used²A heat insulating board made of a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of K/W or more. When so arranged, even if the thickness of the heat insulating plate is reducedThe heat resistance can be ensured, so that the space for accommodating the goods can be increased.

In the surrounding step, the coating composition is set to have a thickness of 0.15N/mm²A heat insulating board comprising the heat insulating material having the above flexural strength. Since the object is surrounded by the heat insulating board made of the heat insulating material having a specific bending strength, the deformation of the heat insulating board during transportation can be suppressed, and the collapse can be suppressed by absorbing the vibration and the impact, thereby reliably protecting the object and effectively maintaining the heat insulating effect. In the surrounding step, the object is surrounded by an airtight casing made of a heat insulating plate and having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less. Since the object is surrounded by the case having a specific airtightness in this manner, the gas concentration (for example, CO) in the case can be controlled₂Concentration). Therefore, for example, in the case where the object is fruit or vegetable, the freshness can be maintained by suppressing respiration of the fruit or vegetable.

< insulated Container >

Here, the structure of the heat insulating container 1 used in the transportation method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 4.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the heat insulating container 1 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating container including a front plate 10 including heat insulating panels, a rear plate 20, a pair of left and right side plates 30, a bottom plate 40, and a top plate 50. As already described, the heat insulating plate having a thickness of 50m is used as the heat insulating plate constituting the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, the side plates 30, the bottom plate 40 and the top plate 50²A thermal resistance of K/W or less and has a value of 0.15N/mm²The heat insulating board is composed of the heat insulating material with the bending strength.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the front plate 10 is a flat plate having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and having a predetermined thickness. In the present embodiment, an upper front panel 11 disposed above the heat-insulating container 1 and a lower front panel 12 disposed below the heat-insulating container 1 are used as the front panels 10. As shown in fig. 3, the lower front plate 12 is configured to be fitted into a groove 61 formed in a pedestal 60 provided at a predetermined place and to rise vertically upward, and the upper front plate 11 is configured to be disposed above the lower front plate 12 and to rise vertically upward. The edge portions of the upper front plate 11 and the lower front plate 12 are connected to each other via a surface connector 70 described later.

The height of the upper front panel 11 is substantially the same as that of the lower front panel 12, but the lateral width of the upper front panel 11 is set to be slightly larger than that of the lower front panel 12 (larger by 2 times the thickness of the side panel 30). The height, thickness, and lateral width of the front panel 10 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat insulating container 1, the kind of the object to be accommodated in the heat insulating container 1, the strength of the heat insulating panel constituting the front panel 10, and the like.

As shown in fig. 1, the rear panel 20 is a flat panel having a predetermined thickness, and is configured to be foldable and to have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In the present embodiment, the present invention includes: a first rear plate portion 21 arranged substantially perpendicularly to the bottom plate 40; a second rear plate portion 22 connected to an edge 21a of the first rear plate portion 21 on the side opposite to the bottom plate 40 via a film 24 and bendable in the container inner direction with respect to the first rear plate portion 21; and a third rear plate portion 23 connected to an edge portion 22a of the second rear plate portion 22 on the opposite side to the first rear plate portion 21 via a film 25, and bendable in the container inner direction with respect to the second rear plate portion 22. The film 24 is attached to the inner surfaces of the respective edges of the first rear plate portion 21 and the second rear plate portion 22 so that the second rear plate portion 22 can be bent in the container inner direction with respect to the first rear plate portion 21. The film 25 is attached to the inner surfaces of the edges of the second rear plate portion 22 and the third rear plate portion 23 so that the third rear plate portion 23 can be bent in the container inner direction with respect to the second rear plate portion 22.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the first rear plate portion 21 is configured to be fitted into a groove 62 formed in a base 60 provided at a predetermined position, and to rise vertically upward to substantially the same height as a second support portion 82 of a support member 80 described later. As shown in fig. 4, the second rear plate portion 22 functions to cover the upper side of the stacked body P including the front plate 10, the side plate 30, and the top plate 50, and has substantially the same area as the bottom plate 40. As shown in fig. 4, the third rear plate portion 23 functions to cover the front of the stacked body P including the front plate 10, the side plate 30, and the top plate 50, and has an area slightly smaller than the area of the first rear plate portion 21. The height, thickness, and lateral width of the entire rear panel 20 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat-insulating container 1, the type of the object to be stored in the heat-insulating container 1, the strength of the heat-insulating panel constituting the rear panel 20, and the like.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the side plate 30 is a flat plate having a predetermined thickness and a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. In the present embodiment, an upper side plate 31 disposed above the heat-insulating container 1 and a lower side plate 32 disposed below the heat-insulating container 1 are used as the side plates 30. As shown in fig. 3, the lower side plate 32 is configured to be fitted into a groove 63 formed in a base 60 provided at a predetermined place and to rise vertically upward, and the upper side plate 31 is configured to be disposed above the lower side plate 32 and to rise vertically upward. The edge portions of the upper side plate 31 and the lower side plate 32 are connected to each other via a surface connector 70 described later.

The upper side plate 31 and the lower side plate 32 have substantially the same height, but the lateral width of the lower side plate 32 is set to be slightly larger than the lateral width of the upper side plate 31 (by the thickness of the front plate 10). The height, thickness, and lateral width of the side panel 30 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat insulation container 1, the type of the object to be accommodated in the heat insulation container 1, the strength of the heat insulation panel constituting the side panel 30, and the like.

As shown in fig. 1, the bottom plate 40 is a flat plate having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and having a predetermined thickness, and the bottom plate 40 is fixed in a state of being disposed in a substantially rectangular region (see fig. 3) surrounded by

grooves

61, 62, 63 provided on the upper surface of the pedestal 60 at a predetermined position. The thickness and the length of each side of the bottom plate 40 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat-insulating container 1, the kind of the object to be accommodated in the heat-insulating container 1, the strength of the heat-insulating plate constituting the bottom plate 40, and the like.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the top panel 50 is a flat panel having a predetermined thickness and a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and is disposed above the front panel 10, the rear panel 20, and the side panels 30. The thickness and the length of each side of the top panel 50 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat-insulating container 1, the kind of the object to be accommodated in the heat-insulating container 1, the strength of the heat-insulating panel constituting the top panel 50, and the like.

The edge portions of the front panel 10, the rear panel 20, the side panels 30, and the top panel 50 are connected to each other via a surface connector 70 (hatched area in fig. 2). The width W of the surface fastener 70 along each edge is set to 2% or more of the length L of each edge. Since the width of the surface connector 70 is set to a specific value (2% or more of the length of each edge) in this manner, the heat insulating function and airtightness of the heat insulating container 1 can be maintained, and heat and gas leakage from the heat insulating container 1 can be suppressed. As shown in fig. 4, the front plate 10, the side plates 30, and the top plate 50 are stacked on a first support portion 81 of a support member 80 described later in a state separated from each other, thereby forming a stacked body P.

As shown in fig. 1, 3, and 4, the heat-insulating container 1 includes a support member 80 that functions as a guide or the like when an object accommodated in the container is loaded. The support member 80 is formed by rigidly joining a flat plate-like first support portion 81 made of a rigid material and a flat plate-like second support portion 82 made of a rigid material to each other so as to have an L-shaped cross section. As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 in the present embodiment is fixed to the bottom plate 40 in a state of being arranged to be substantially parallel (substantially horizontal) to the bottom plate 40 in an overlapping manner. As shown in fig. 1, the second support portion 82 of the support member 80 is disposed in the vicinity of the first rear plate portion 21 of the rear plate 20, and is configured to rise vertically upward to a height substantially equal to the height of the stacked body P (in the case where all the components are aligned) disposed on the first support portion 81, as shown in fig. 4.

The first support part 81 and the second support part 82 of the support member 80 have flexural rigidity of 700N/mm or more. Since the bending rigidity of the first support portion 81 and the second support portion 82 is set to a specific value in this manner, deformation and breakage of the support member 80 during loading can be suppressed, and heat and gas leakage inside the container due to breakage of the heat-insulating container 1 can be suppressed. The bending rigidity of the first support part 81 and the second support part 82 is preferably 2500N/mm or more. The material of the support member 80 may be any material that can achieve the bending rigidity, and for example, a metal material or the like can be used.

< method of Using Heat-insulated Container >

Next, a method of using the heat insulating container 1 in each step of the transportation method according to the present embodiment will be described.

First, as shown in fig. 1, the bottom plate 40 constituting the heat insulating container 1 is disposed and fixed on the base 60 disposed at a predetermined position, and the first supporting portion 81 of the supporting member 80 is disposed and fixed on the bottom plate 40. Next, the object is loaded on the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 using the second support portion 82 as a guide, and in this state, ventilation precooling is performed in a precooling freezer (precooling step).

Next, the first rear plate portion 21 and the lower side plate 32 of the lower front plate 12 and the rear plate 20 constituting the heat insulating container 1 are fitted into the

grooves

61, 62, 63 of the base 60, respectively, and are raised vertically upward, and then the upper front plate 11 and the upper side plate 31 are disposed above the lower front plate 12 and the lower side plate 32, respectively, to cover the load from all directions, and the edge portions of the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, and the side plates 30 are connected to each other using the surface connector 70. Next, as shown in fig. 2, the top plate 50 is disposed above the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, and the side plates 30, and the top plate 50 is connected to the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, and the side plates 30 using the surface connectors 70, thereby sealing the heat insulating container 1. Thereby, the precooled object is surrounded by the heat insulating plate (surrounding step).

Then, the heat insulating container 1 containing the object is transported to a predetermined destination using a refrigerated transport vehicle or the like (transport step).

After the object is transported to a predetermined destination using the heat insulating container 1, the top plate 50 of the heat insulating container 1 is first removed, and then the front plate 10 and the side plate 30 are removed from the

grooves

61 and 63 of the pedestal 60, respectively, to form a laminated body P including the front plate 10, the side plate 30, and the top plate 50, as shown in fig. 4. Next, the stacked body P is loaded on the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 using the second support portion 82 as a guide. At this time, since the height of the second support portion 82 of the support member 80 is made substantially equal to the height of the stacked body P in the case where all the modules are aligned, the deficiency of the plates constituting the stacked body P can be easily recognized visually.

Next, as shown in fig. 4, the second rear plate portion 22 of the rear plate 20 is bent in the container inner direction with respect to the first rear plate portion 21 to cover the upper side of the stacked body P, and the third rear plate portion 23 of the rear plate 20 is bent in the container inner direction with respect to the second rear plate portion 22 to cover the front side of the stacked body P. This can reliably protect the stacked body (front panel 10, side panel 30, top panel 50) P, and store the heat insulating container 1 in a predetermined place in this state.

< Effect >

In the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, since the precooled object is surrounded by the heat insulating panels (the front panel 10, the rear panel 20, the side panels 30, the bottom panel 40, and the top panel 50) and transported, the object can function as a refrigerant in the space inside the heat insulating panels (the internal space of the heat insulating container 1), and therefore the low-temperature state of the object can be maintained even during transportation. Therefore, even when the outside air temperature is higher than the temperature of the object, for example, the object can be prevented from being heated by the outside air temperature, and the quality of the object can be prevented from being degraded. In addition, even when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the object, the object can be prevented from being excessively cooled by the outside air temperature, and low-temperature damage to the object (for example, fruit and vegetable) can be prevented. In the method, since a refrigerant such as dry ice is not required, it is possible to save the work of separately preparing the refrigerant or replenishing and replacing the refrigerant in the middle, and since it is possible to save the refrigerant storage space, it is possible to increase the load of the goods and to realize high transportation efficiency.

In the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, the ratio (volume occupancy) of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the space inside the heat insulating panel (the internal space of the heat insulating container 1) is set to a specific value (30%) or more, or the density of the object inside the heat insulating panel (the internal space of the heat insulating container 1) is set to a specific value (30 kg/m)³) As described above, a desired refrigerant effect can be maintained.

In the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, the material having a specific thermal resistance (50 m) is used²K/W or less) of heat insulating material, and therefore, the object is surrounded by the heat insulating panels (the front panel 10, the rear panel 20, the side panels 30, the bottom panel 40, and the top panel 50), and the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained.

In the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, the material having a specific bending strength (0.15N/mm) is used²The heat insulating panels (the front panel 10, the rear panel 20, the side panels 30, the bottom panel 40, and the top panel 50) made of the heat insulating material described above) surround the object, so that deformation of the heat insulating panels during transportation can be suppressed, and crushing can be suppressed by absorbing vibration and impact, and the object can be reliably protected and the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained.

In the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, since the object is surrounded by the casing (heat-insulating container 1) having a specific airtightness (gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less) formed of the heat-insulating plate, the gas concentration (for example, CO) in the casing can be controlled₂Concentration). Therefore, for example, in the case where the object is fruit or vegetable, the freshness can be maintained by suppressing respiration of the fruit or vegetable.

< modification of Heat insulating Container >

In the above embodiment, the heat insulating plate and the support member 80 having an L-shaped cross section are provided as separate members, but the support member may also be a part of the heat insulating plate (a part of the support member is constituted by the heat insulating plate). In the above embodiment, the support member 80 having an L-shaped cross section is used, but the support member is not necessarily required, and the object may be surrounded only by the heat insulating plate. In this case, it is preferable that the object is surrounded by a case having a specific airtightness and formed of a heat insulating plate having a specific thermal resistance and bending rigidity. In addition, when the object is surrounded by the heat insulating board, it is preferable that the volume occupancy of the object is equal to or more than a predetermined value, or the density of the object is equal to or more than a predetermined value.

Next, examples of the present invention will be explained.

< example 1>

In this embodiment, fruits and vegetables (cabbage, ginseng, radish, etc.) are accommodated in a volume of 0.047m³The article in the rectangular parallelepiped cardboard box of (1) is an object. First, the object is ventilated and precooled at 5 ℃ in a precooling freezer,so that the temperature at the time of arrival becomes 15 ℃ or lower (precooling step). Then, the thermal resistance is 2.5m²K/W and flexural Strength of 0.45N/mm²The object after precooling is surrounded by an airtight heat-insulating container having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour and composed of the heat-insulating panel (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the internal space of the heat insulating container (volume occupancy) was set to 96%, and the density of the object in the heat insulating container was set to 250kg/m³. Then, the object accommodated in the heat insulating container is transported from the delivery site to the destination by the transport vehicle (transport step). The transport time amounted to 48 hours. The average outside air temperature during transportation was 25 ℃. In the present example, the arrival time temperature of the object was 11 ℃, and the target arrival time temperature was achieved. In addition, the temperature of the object was measured at fixed time intervals, and no sharp temperature rise was observed. In this example, no deterioration was observed with respect to the object.

< example 2>

First, the same object as in example 1 was precooled with air at 5 ℃ in a precooling freezer so that the temperature at the time of arrival was 15 ℃ or less (precooling step). Then, the thermal resistance is 1.5m²K/W and flexural Strength of 0.25N/mm²The object after precooling is surrounded by an airtight heat-insulating container having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour and composed of the heat-insulating panel (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the internal space of the heat insulating container (volume occupancy) was set to 96%, and the density of the object in the heat insulating container was set to 250kg/m³. Then, the object accommodated in the heat insulating container is transported from the delivery site to the destination by the transport vehicle (transport step). The transport time amounted to 48 hours. The average outside air temperature during transportation was 25 ℃. In the present example, the arrival time temperature of the object was 13 ℃, and the target arrival time temperature was achieved. In addition, the temperature of the object was measured at fixed time intervals, and no sharp temperature rise was observed. In this example, no deterioration was observed with respect to the object.

< example 3>

First, the same object as in example 1 was precooled by ventilation at 5 ℃ in a precooling freezer (precooling step). Then, the bending strength was 0.14N/mm²The object after precooling is surrounded by the heat insulating container comprising the heat insulating board (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the internal space of the heat insulating container (volume occupancy) was set to 96%, and the density of the object in the heat insulating container was set to 250kg/m³. Then, the object accommodated in the heat insulating container is transported from the delivery site to the destination by the transport vehicle (transport step). The transport time amounted to 48 hours. The average outside air temperature during transportation was 25 ℃. In the present example, the arrival time temperature of the object was 13 ℃, and the target arrival time temperature was achieved. On the other hand, the temperature of the object is measured at fixed time intervals, and there are time periods in which the rate of temperature increase increases. This is presumably because the outside air enters the heat insulating container due to the impact during transportation. Further, no deterioration was observed with respect to the object.

< example 4>

First, the same object as in example 1 was precooled with air at 5 ℃ in a precooling freezer (precooling step). Then, the film was formed with a thickness of 50mm and a thermal resistance of 2.5m²K/W and flexural Strength of 0.45N/mm²The precooling step (a surrounding step) includes surrounding the precooled object with an airtight insulated container having a gas exchange rate of 2 times/hr. In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the internal space of the heat insulating container (volume occupancy) was set to 96%, and the density of the object in the heat insulating container was set to 250kg/m³. Then, the object accommodated in the heat insulating container is transported from the delivery site to the destination by the transport vehicle (transport step). The transport time amounted to 40 hours. The average outside air temperature during transportation was 25 ℃. In this example, the arrival time temperature of the object was 15 ℃, and it was found that the target arrival time temperature could be achieved in the case of transportation for a shorter time than in example 1. In addition to this, the present invention is,no deterioration was observed with respect to the object.

< example 5>

First, the same object as in example 1 was precooled with air at 5 ℃ in a precooling freezer (precooling step). Then, the film was formed with a thickness of 50mm and a thermal resistance of 2.5m²K/W and flexural Strength of 0.45N/mm²The object after precooling is surrounded by an airtight heat-insulating container having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour and composed of the heat-insulating panel (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the internal space of the heat-insulating container (volume occupancy) is set to 39%, and the density of the object in the heat-insulating container is set to 29kg/m³. Then, the object accommodated in the heat insulating container is transported from the delivery site to the destination by the transport vehicle (transport step). The transport time amounted to 10 hours. The average outside air temperature during transportation was 25 ℃. In this example, the arrival time temperature of the object was 14 ℃, and it was found that the target arrival time temperature could be achieved in the case of transportation for a shorter time than in example 1. Further, no deterioration was observed with respect to the object.

< comparative example >

First, the same object as in example 1 was precooled with air at 5 ℃ in a precooling freezer (precooling step). Next, a container (thickness: 10mm, thermal resistance: 0.0002 m) was used without using a heat insulating board²K/W, flexural Strength 270N/mm²And a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour) to surround the precooled object (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the entire volume of the internal space of the container (volume occupancy) is set to 96%, and the density of the object in the container is set to 250kg/m³. Then, the object accommodated in the container is transported from the delivery site to the destination by the transport vehicle (transport step). The transport time amounted to 48 hours. The average outside air temperature during transportation was 25 ℃. In the comparative example, the temperature at the time of arrival of the object was 25 ℃, which was extremely high as compared with example 1, and about 1-fold deterioration of the object was observed.

< transportation assistance device >

Next, a functional configuration of the transportation assistance device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 5.

The transportation assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment is for assisting transportation of a precooled fresh product at normal temperature, and the transportation assistance device 100 includes: an information acquisition unit 101 for acquiring various information such as request information transmitted from a requester C or the like; an information calculation unit 102 for calculating various information such as precooling conditions; an information output unit 103 that outputs various information such as the precooling condition calculated by the information calculation unit 102 to the custodian P or the like; and various databases 104 (a request information database 104A, a fresh product information database 104B, a transportation information database 104C, and a packaging information database 104D) for recording various information. The term "fresh product" in the present embodiment refers to a food or the like that deteriorates due to a temperature change during transportation, and includes, for example, fruits and vegetables (vegetables and fruits), edible meat, fresh fish, grains, tea leaves, coffee beans, flowers, and the like. In addition, the "fresh food" in the present embodiment also includes frozen food.

The information acquisition unit 101 functions to acquire request information transmitted from the requester C or to receive various information input from the user of the transportation assistance device 100, and is configured by a communication unit 140 (described later with reference to fig. 6) and an input unit 150 (described later with reference to fig. 6). As shown in FIG. 5, the request information is sent from the terminal U held by the requester C_CThe information is input to the information acquisition unit 101 of the transportation assistance apparatus 100 via the communication network N. As terminal U_CVarious electronic devices (such as a desktop PC, a notebook PC, and a smartphone) having an information display unit, an information input unit, and a communication unit can be used. The communication network N is an information communication network capable of connecting a plurality of computers to each other, and may be a global information communication network such as the internet. The request information acquired via the information acquiring unit 101 is stored in the request information database 104A.

The request information includes information on the type and amount of the fresh product. For example, the request information includes "cucumber (600 kg)", "green pepper (300 kg)", "eggplant (200 kg)", "lettuce (200 kg)", "potato (150 kg)", and the like. In the present embodiment, fresh product information (for example, "respiratory heat" and "frictional heat") relating to fresh products having a large respiratory amount such as "corn" and "okra" and fresh products such as "soybean" which are easily scratched by vibration during transportation is recorded in the fresh product information database 104B, and when these fresh products are included in the request information, fresh product information relating to the fresh products is read from the fresh product information database 104B and used for calculating the precooling conditions described later. The request information includes information on the destination (e.g., position information of the destination).

The information calculation unit 102 functions as follows: the precooling condition for precooling the fresh food is calculated from the request information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 and the information (fresh food information, transportation information, and packaging information) read from the various databases 104 based on the request information. Specifically, the information calculation unit 102 calculates a transport time required to transport the fresh food to the transport destination and a temperature variation of the fresh food during transport, and calculates the precooling condition based on the transport time and the temperature variation.

The transportation time required to transport the fresh food to the transportation destination can be calculated based on the information (the transportation route, the transportation distance, and the like) related to various kinds of transportation set based on the preset initial information (the location information of the storage place of the fresh food, the specification of the transportation vehicle, and the like), the information related to the transportation destination, and the like, in addition to the information related to the transportation destination included in the request information. These pieces of initial information and pieces of information relating to transportation are recorded as transportation information in the transportation information database 104C, and when pieces of information relating to destinations are input as request information, pieces of transportation information relating to the destinations are read from the transportation information database 104C. For example, when the location information of the storage location of the fresh produce is "yaoka city, mazaki prefecture", the location information of the transportation destination is "tokyo-koku-da area (field market)", and the transportation route is "land and air", the assumed transportation distance can be calculated as "1050 km", and the average cruising speed is assumed as "70 km/h" based on the specification of the transportation vehicle, and therefore the transportation time is calculated as "15 hours".

The temperature change of the fresh food during transportation can be calculated based on the heat of entry into the heat-insulating container 1 (see fig. 1 to 4) for transporting the fresh food during transportation, and the weight and specific heat of the fresh food contained in the heat-insulating container 1. Here, the heat of entry into the heat-insulating container 1 during transportation can be calculated based on the air temperatures inside and outside the heat-insulating container 1, and the heat transfer area and heat passage rate of the heat-insulating container 1. The heat passage rate of the heat-insulating container 1 can be calculated based on the heat conductivity coefficient inside and outside the heat-insulating container 1, and the thickness and heat conductivity of the heat-insulating material constituting the heat-insulating container 1. Further, the heat of entry may take a negative value. That is, when heat is discharged from the heat insulating container 1 during transportation, the entering heat becomes negative.

Heat passing rate C of heat-insulating container 1_HTRIs determined by the design specifications of the insulated container 1. That is, the thermal conductivity of the inside of the heat-insulating container 1 is C_HTIC represents the thermal conductivity of the outside of the heat-insulating container 1_HTOT represents the thickness of the heat insulating panels (the front panel 10, the rear panel 20, the side panels 30, the bottom panel 40, and the top panel 50) constituting the heat insulating container 1_HThe thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation board is C_TCHeat passing rate C of the heat insulating container 1_HTRThe calculation is performed by the following equation (1).

C_HTR＝1/{1/C_HTO+(T_H/C_TC)}+1/C_HTI…(1)

The user of the transportation assistance device 100 can calculate the heat passage rate C of the heat-insulated container 1 at the stage of determining the design specification of the heat-insulated container 1_HTRThis value is input by the information acquisition unit 101 and recorded as package information in the package information database 104D provided in the transportation assistance device D.

Further, when the temperature inside the heat-insulating container 1 is I_TAnd the temperature outside the heat-insulating container 1 is set to O_TA represents a heat transfer area of the heat insulating container 1_TIn the meantime, the heat of entry H into the interior of the heat-insulated container 1 during transportation_PThe calculation is performed by the following equation (2).

H_P＝(O_T-I_T)×A_T×C_HTR…(2)

Heat transfer area A of heat insulating container 1_TIt can also be recorded in the package information database 104D in advance as package information. As the air temperature I inside the heat-insulated container 1_TThe product temperature of the fresh product contained in the heat-insulating container 1 (for example, 1 hour before the calculation) can be used. As the outside air temperature O of the heat-insulating container 1_TThe temperature of the transportation destination input as the request information can be used.

When the weight of the fresh food contained in the heat-insulating container 1 is W and the specific heat of the fresh food is S, the temperature change Δ T of the fresh food during transportation is calculated by the following equation (3).

ΔT＝(H_P/W)×S…(3)

The specific heat S of the fresh product is recorded as fresh product information in the fresh product information database 104B, and when the type of the fresh product is input as request information, the specific heat S of the fresh product is read from the fresh product information database 104B and used for calculating the temperature fluctuation. In the case where the fresh food is a vegetable, the specific heat S can be assumed to be the same as the specific heat of water.

In addition, the temperature variation can also take into account the respiratory heat generated by the fresh product per unit time. The respiratory heat can be used at a fixed value and can also be expressed as the temperature in the box and CO₂Concentration, etc. Specific values of respiratory heat can be determined, for example, using journal of the agro-mechanical society 55 (2): 69 to 75, 199369. In addition, the temperature fluctuation may take into account frictional heat during transportation. The frictional heat can be calculated from the frictional coefficient of each kind, the surface pressure corresponding to the packed state of the fresh food, the moving speed, the frictional heat per unit movement, and the like.

When set in this manner, the precooling condition can be calculated using information on the respiratory heat and frictional heat of the fresh food set based on the request information (fresh food-related information). Therefore, even in the case where the "respiratory heat" cannot be ignored due to the fact that the fresh product is an article having a large respiratory amount such as "corn" or "okra", or the "frictional heat" cannot be ignored due to the fact that the fresh product is an article which is easily scratched by vibration during transportation, the precooling condition can be accurately calculated.

The information calculation unit 102 can calculate the temperature change Δ T of the fresh product during transportation using the above expressions (1) to (3) from the request information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 and the information read from the various databases 104 based on the request information. Note that, the temperature fluctuation Δ T is also referred to as "temperature increase" when it is positive, and is also referred to as "temperature decrease" when it is negative. Then, the information calculation unit 102 calculates the precooling condition based on the temperature variation Δ T calculated in this manner and the transport time calculated separately. In this case, the information calculation unit 102 may calculate the precooling condition so that the temperature of the fresh food at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (arrival time temperature) satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, the pre-cooling condition may be calculated such that the temperature at the time of arrival is less than a predetermined threshold value. For example, when the fresh product is a potato and the temperature change Δ T after the calculated transportation time is "5 ℃", the initial product temperature T of the potato is set to be "T ℃", and the temperature of the potato is measured₀"5 ℃ C" was set (calculated) so that the arrival temperature of the potatoes was less than a predetermined threshold value (10 ℃ C.). Initial article temperature T as described herein₀This is an example of the pre-cooling condition. The threshold used here can be recorded in the fresh product information database 104B for each type of fresh product.

The information calculation unit 102 may calculate the precooling condition so that the cumulative temperature of the fresh food arriving at the transportation destination satisfies a predetermined condition. As an example, the pre-cooling condition may be calculated such that the integrated temperature is less than a predetermined threshold value. In this case, the information calculating unit 102 calculates the temperature change Δ T of the fresh food every predetermined time, for example, every 1 hour from the transportation start time point₁、ΔT₂、…、ΔT_NBased on respective temperature variations Δ T₁、ΔT₂… to calculate the number of fresh products per 1 hour intervalTemperature T of the article₁、T₂、…、T_NFor these fresh products every 1 hour, the product temperature T₁、T₂、…、T_NThe accumulation is performed until the transportation completion time point, thereby calculating the accumulated temperature Σ T. Temperature T of fresh food 1 hour after the start of transportation₁By setting the initial article temperature T₀Plus a temperature change DeltaT of 0 to 1 hour₁To obtain the product. In addition, the temperature T of the fresh food 2 hours after the start of transportation₂Is measured by measuring the temperature T of the article after 1 hour₁Plus a temperature change DeltaT of 1 to 2 hours₂To obtain the product. Next, similarly, the temperature T of the fresh food N hours after the start of transportation_NIs measured by measuring the temperature T of the article after (N-1) hours_N-1Plus a temperature change DeltaT of (N-1) to N hours_NTo obtain the product. The information calculating part 102 accumulates the article temperature T of the fresh articles every 1 hour₁、T₂、…、T_NBy calculating the cumulative temperature Σ T up to the time point of completion of transportation, the initial product temperature T of the fresh product can be set (calculated) so that the calculated cumulative temperature Σ T becomes smaller than the predetermined threshold value₀. The threshold used here can also be recorded in the fresh product information database 104B for each type of fresh product.

The information calculating unit 102 may also set the initial article temperature T at one time₀The simulation is repeated with the changes to optimize the arrival temperature (or cumulative temperature) of the fresh produce. For example, at the initial temperature T of a fresh product₀The temperature at the time of arrival was calculated as "5 ℃ C" with the setting of "0 ℃ C", and the initial article temperature T was set to₀The temperature at the time of arrival was calculated as "10 ℃ with the setting of" 5 ℃ ", and the initial article temperature T was set to₀When the arrival time temperature is calculated as "15 ℃ C" when the temperature is set as "10 ℃ C", if it is determined that the quality of the fresh product is not deteriorated if the quality is not more than "10 ℃ C", the initial product temperature T is not set₀Since the temperature of the initial product T can be set to "0 ℃", the degradation of the fresh product at the time of arrival at the transportation destination can be avoided, and the initial product temperature T can be set₀Set to "5" to avoid excessive pre-cooling. The information calculating unit 102 may also change the internal volume (kg) of the fresh produce and the design specification of the heat insulating container 1 as necessary during simulation. The information calculation unit 102 may estimate (calculate) the pre-cooling condition by statistical processing, machine learning, or the like using a history of correlation between the request information and the pre-cooling condition in the past transportation of the fresh product.

Note that the "precooling condition" in the present embodiment is not limited to the initial article temperature T₀The storage conditions of the fresh food before the start of transportation (including not only "precooling" but also "preheating") can be included. As the pre-cooling condition, for example, a condition for pre-cooling the fresh food to a predetermined starting temperature T of the food can be adopted₀The set temperature of the precooling refrigerator, the precooling temperature of the heat-insulating container 1 for containing fresh products, the precooling temperature of the packaging box for packaging fresh products in small portions by a predetermined weight (predetermined volume), and the like. In addition, as the storage condition, it is also possible to adopt a method for preheating the fresh goods to a predetermined initial goods temperature T₀The set temperature of the pre-cooling refrigerator, the preheating temperature of the heat insulating container 1 for storing fresh products, the preheating temperature of the packaging box for packaging fresh products in small portions of a predetermined weight (a predetermined volume), and the like.

The initial temperature T of the fresh goods can be carried out according to the types of the fresh goods₀(precooling condition) calculation. In this case, only one type of fresh product is stored in a predetermined volume in the heat-insulating container 1, and the initial product temperature T when the remaining space in the heat-insulating container 1 is assumed to be air (worst case in which the temperature is most likely to fluctuate) is calculated₀. When this method is adopted, in the case where other kinds of fresh products are accommodated in the remaining space, the temperature variation of each fresh product is suppressed as compared with the worst case (this is because the specific heat of any fresh product is large as compared with air and the temperature is difficult to vary). In addition, the above method can be used to calculate the initial article temperature T for each kind of fresh article₀Calculating the initial article temperature T of all kinds₀The average value of (a) is used as the precooling temperature (precooling condition) of the heat-insulating container 1. At this time, instead of usingAverage value, and the initial article temperature T of the fresh articles with the largest weight₀As a representative value, the pre-cooling temperature (pre-cooling condition) of the heat insulating container 1 is adopted as the representative value.

The information output unit 103 functions to output various information such as the precooling condition calculated by the information calculation unit 102 to the custodian P or the like, and is configured by a communication unit 140 (described later with reference to fig. 6) and a display unit 160 (described later with reference to fig. 6). As shown in fig. 5, the precooling condition calculated by the information calculation unit 102 and the various information read from the various databases 104 and used for calculating the precooling condition are output from the information output unit 103 of the transportation assistance apparatus 100 to the terminal U held by the custodian P via the communication network N_P. As terminal U_PCan be connected with the terminal U_CVarious electronic devices having an information display unit, an information input unit, and a communication unit are similarly used.

Next, a physical configuration for realizing the transportation assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 6.

As shown in fig. 6, the transportation assistance device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 120, a ROM (Read only Memory) 130, a communication Unit 140, an input Unit 150, and a display Unit 160, and these components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to transmit and receive data. In the present example, a case where the transportation assistance apparatus 100 is configured by one computer is described, but the transportation assistance apparatus 100 may be configured by a plurality of computers. For example, the display unit 160 may be configured by a plurality of displays. The configuration shown in fig. 6 is merely an example, and some of these configurations may not be provided. Also, a portion of the structure may be remotely located. For example, a part of the ROM 130 may be provided remotely and configured to be able to communicate via a communication network.

The CPU 110 is an arithmetic unit that executes a computer program or the like recorded in the ROM 130 or the like to perform arithmetic processing or the like in the present embodiment, and constitutes the information calculation unit 102. The CPU 110 includes a processor. The CPU 110 receives various information (including process data) from the RAM 120, the ROM 130, the communication unit 140, the input unit 150, and the like, and displays the calculation processing result and the like on the display unit 160 or stores the calculation processing result and the like in the RAM 120 and/or the ROM 130.

The RAM 120 functions as a cache memory and can constitute a part of the information calculation unit 102. The RAM 120 may be constituted by a volatile semiconductor memory element such as an SRAM or a DRAM.

The ROM 130 functions as a main memory and can constitute a part of the information calculation unit 102. The ROM 130 is configured by, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory element such as a flash memory that can electrically rewrite information, or an HDD that can magnetically rewrite information. The ROM 130 can store, for example, a computer program and data for executing various arithmetic processing in the present embodiment.

The RAM 120 and the ROM 130 constitute various databases 104 (a request information database 104A, a fresh product information database 104B, a transportation information database 104C, and a packaging information database 104D) of the transportation support apparatus 100.

The communication unit 140 is an interface for connecting the transportation assistance device 100 to another device, and constitutes the information acquisition unit 101 and the information output unit 103. The communication unit 140 is connected to a communication network N such as the internet.

The input unit 150 is used for receiving data input, selection of a chart, and the like from an operator, and may constitute a part of the information acquisition unit 101. The input unit 150 may include, for example, a keyboard and a touch panel.

The display unit 160 visually displays the calculation result of the CPU 110, and can constitute a part of the information output unit 103. The Display unit 160 may be formed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).

In the physical configuration described above, the functional units constituting the transportation assistance device 100 can be realized mainly by the CPU 110 executing a computer program. Further, the transportation assistance apparatus 100 may be constituted by a tablet terminal. By configuring the transportation support device 100 with a tablet terminal, the transportation support device 100 can be carried, and the transportation support device 100 can be used while moving, for example.

< transportation assistance method >

Next, a transportation assistance method using the transportation assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart and the like of fig. 7.

First, the information acquisition unit 101 of the transportation assistance device 100 acquires information from the terminal U held by the consignor C_CRequest information is transmitted via the communication network N (request information acquisition step: S1). The request information acquired in the request information acquisition step S1 includes information on the type and amount of fresh food and information on the transportation destination.

Next, the information calculation unit 102 of the transportation assistance device 100 calculates the precooling conditions for precooling the fresh food based on the request information acquired in the request information acquisition step S1 (precooling condition calculation step S2). In the precooling condition calculation step S2, the transportation time required to transport the fresh food to the transportation destination and the temperature variation of the fresh food during transportation are calculated based on the request information and the like, and precooling conditions are calculated based on the transportation time and the temperature variation. The specific calculation method of the precooling condition is as described above. That is, the information calculation unit 102 first calculates the heat passage rate based on the thermal conductivity of the inside and outside of the heat-insulated container 1, and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat-insulated plate constituting the heat-insulated container 1. Next, the intake heat is calculated based on the air temperatures inside and outside the heat-insulating container 1, and the heat transfer area and the heat passage rate of the heat-insulating container 1. Next, the temperature fluctuation is calculated based on the calculated heat of entry, and the weight and specific heat of the fresh food contained in the heat-insulating container 1. Then, based on the calculated temperature fluctuation and the separately calculated transportation time, the precooling condition (for example, the initial product temperature T) is calculated so that the temperature of the fresh food at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of the fresh food until arrival at the transportation destination) becomes lower than a predetermined threshold value₀)。

Next, the information output unit 103 of the transportation assistance apparatus 100 outputs the precooling condition calculated in the precooling condition calculation step S2 to the terminal U held by the custodian P via the communication network N_P(precooling condition output step: S3). The custodian P who received the provision of the precooling condition can pressThe fresh product before shipment is precooled according to the precooling condition, and the fresh product can be shipped at a point of time when precooling is completed.

Further, the total volume (the number of the heat-insulating containers 1) required can be calculated based on the type and weight of the fresh food to be transported by using the information calculation unit 102 of the transportation assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment. For example, in the case where the transported fresh produce is "cucumber (600 kg)", "green pepper (300 kg)", "eggplant (200 kg)", "lettuce (200 kg)", or "potato (150 kg)", the total volume is calculated as follows.

First, in the case of subdividing "cucumber (600 kg)" into 1 container of 15L (10kg), 60 containers are required, and the total volume of the 60 containers is 900L. Next, in the case of subdividing "green pepper (300 kg)" into 1 box of 10L (4kg) packaging boxes, 75 packaging boxes were required, and the total volume of the 75 packaging boxes was 750L. Next, in the case of subdividing "eggplant (200 kg)" into 1 box of 15L (8kg) packaging boxes, 25 packaging boxes are required, and the total volume of the 25 packaging boxes is 375L. Next, in the case of subdividing "lettuce (200 kg)" into 1 box of 30L (10kg) packaging boxes, 20 packaging boxes are required, and the total volume of the 20 packaging boxes is 600L. Finally, in the case of dividing "potatoes (150 kg)" into 1 box of 15L (15kg) packaging boxes, 10 packaging boxes are required, and the total volume of the 10 packaging boxes is 150L. Thus, the total volume required is (900+750+375+600+ 150) 2775L. Assuming that the volume of 1 heat-insulating container 1 is 1500L, 2 heat-insulating containers 1 are necessary to accommodate all fresh products having a total volume of 2775L.

When the type and weight of fresh products to be transported are input, the information calculation unit 102 of the transportation support device 100 can calculate the total volume of each fresh product and the total volume (total volume) thereof by referring to the weight and volume of each packaging box of each fresh product stored in advance in the table, and provide information on the total volume (the number of required heat-insulating containers 1) to the custodian P via the information output unit 103. The custodian P who has received the above-described information can appropriately allocate the fresh products to the 2 heat-insulated containers 1.

For example, the custodian P can distribute fresh products ("cucumber (600 kg)" and "green pepper (300 kg)") having large weights to 2 heat-insulated containers 1, and then distribute the remaining fresh products so that the volume and weight in each heat-insulated container 1 are substantially equalized. For example, "cucumber (600 kg: 900L)" and "eggplant (200 kg: 375L)" can be distributed to the 1 st heat-insulating container 1, and "green pepper (300 kg: 750L)", "lettuce (200 kg: 600L)" and "potato (150 kg: 150L)" can be distributed to the 2 nd heat-insulating container 1 (first distribution method).

Alternatively, the custodian P can determine the amount of packaging in each heat-insulating container 1 by dividing the weight of each fresh product by the required number (2) of heat-insulating containers 1. That is, 300kg (450L) of "cucumber," 150kg (375L) of "green pepper," 100kg (187.5L) of "eggplant," 100kg (300L) of "lettuce," and 75kg (75L) of "potato" can be distributed to each of the 2 heat-insulating containers 1 (second distribution method).

< Effect >

In the transportation assistance method according to the embodiment described above, request information including information on the type and amount of fresh food and information on the transportation destination can be acquired, the precooling condition for precooling the fresh food can be calculated based on the acquired request information, and the calculated precooling condition can be output. Therefore, it is possible to output the accurate precooling condition using the request information provided from the requester C as an input, and provide the output precooling condition to the fresh product storage person P. Then, the custodian P who has received the provision of the above-described precooling conditions can appropriately precool the fresh food before shipment under the accurate precooling conditions, and therefore can maintain the quality of the fresh food at the transportation destination.

In the transportation assistance method according to the above-described embodiment, the transportation time required to transport the fresh food to the transportation destination and the temperature variation of the fresh food during transportation can be calculated based on the request information, and the precooling condition can be calculated based on the transportation time and the temperature variation. In this case, the temperature variation of the fresh produce during transportation can be accurately calculated based on the information on the heat insulating container 1 for transporting the fresh produce (the heat conductivity inside and outside the heat insulating container 1, the air temperature inside and outside the heat insulating container 1, the thickness and heat conductivity of the heat insulating plate constituting the heat insulating container 1), and the weight and specific heat of the fresh produce contained in the heat insulating container 1. Therefore, the precooling condition can be accurately calculated.

In the transportation assistance method according to the embodiment described above, the precooling condition can be accurately calculated so that the temperature of the fresh food at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of the fresh food until arrival at the transportation destination) is less than the predetermined threshold value.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and embodiments obtained by appropriately modifying the design of the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the features of the present invention are provided. That is, the elements provided in the above-described embodiments, and the arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, and the like thereof are not limited to the examples, and can be appropriately modified. The elements included in the embodiments can be combined to the extent that they are technically possible, and the invention in which the elements are combined is also included in the scope of the invention as long as the invention includes the features of the invention.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a heat-insulating container (casing); 10: a front plate (heat shield); 20: a rear plate (heat insulating plate); 30: side panels (insulation panels); 40: a base plate (heat insulating plate); 50: a top plate (heat insulating plate); 100: a transportation assistance device; 101: an information acquisition unit; 102: an information calculation unit; 103: an information output unit; s1: a request information acquisition step; s2: a pre-cooling condition calculation procedure; s3: and a pre-cooling condition output process.

Claims

1. A transportation method for transporting an object, comprising the steps of:

a precooling step of precooling the object;

an enclosing step of enclosing the precooled object with a heat insulating plate; and

and a transportation step of transporting the object surrounded by the heat insulating board.

2. The transportation method according to claim 1,

in the pre-cooling step, when the arrival-time temperature is set, the arrival-time temperature may be achieved by calculating a heat transfer based on an outside air temperature, an amount of the object, a specific heat of the object, a transportation time, and a thermal resistance value of the heat insulating board and setting a pre-cooling temperature.

3. The transportation method according to claim 1 or 2,

in the pre-cooling step, the object is divided into at least 2 object groups, and the object groups are pre-cooled under different pre-cooling conditions.

4. The transportation method according to claim 3,

in the surrounding step, the object group is surrounded by different heat insulating plates.

5. The transportation method according to claim 3,

in the surrounding step, the object group is surrounded by the same heat insulating plate.

6. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

in the surrounding step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the space inside the heat-insulating board is set to 30% or more, or the density of the object inside the heat-insulating board is set to 30kg/m³The above.

7. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

in the surrounding process, a material having a thickness of 50m is used²The heat insulation material having a heat resistance of K/W or lessAnd (3) a plate.

8. The transportation method according to claim 7,

in the surrounding process, a film having a thermal resistance of 0.3m per 10mm of thickness is used²The heat insulating board is made of a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of K/W or more.

9. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

in the surrounding process, a coating having a thickness of 0.15N/mm is used²The heat insulation board is composed of the heat insulation material with the bending strength.

10. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

in the surrounding step, the object is surrounded by an airtight casing made of the heat insulating plate and having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less.

11. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

the object comprises fruits and vegetables.

12. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

the object includes edible meat and/or fresh fish.

13. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

the object includes a beverage.

14. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

the object includes a processed food.

15. The transportation method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

the object includes cereals, cosmetics, medicinal products, flowers, tea leaves or coffee beans.

16. The transportation method according to any one of claims 11 to 15,

in the pre-cooling step, the object is pre-cooled at-60 to 20 ℃.

17. A transportation assistance method for assisting normal temperature transportation of fresh products by executing the transportation assistance method by a computer, the transportation assistance method comprising the steps of:

an acquisition step of acquiring request information including information on the type and amount of the fresh food and information on a transportation destination;

a calculation step of calculating a precooling condition for precooling the fresh food based on the request information; and

an output step of outputting the precooling condition.

18. The transportation assistance method of claim 17,

in the calculating step, a transport time required to transport the fresh food to the transport destination and a temperature variation of the fresh food during the transport are calculated based on the request information, and the precooling condition is calculated based on the transport time and the temperature variation.

19. The transportation assistance method of claim 18,

in the calculating step, the temperature variation is calculated based on the heat of entry into the container for transporting the fresh food during transportation, and the weight and specific heat of the fresh food contained in the container.

20. The transportation assistance method according to claim 19,

in the calculating step, the intake heat is calculated based on the air temperatures inside and outside the container, and the heat transfer area and the heat passage rate of the container.

21. The transportation assistance method of claim 20,

in the calculating step, the heat passage rate is calculated based on the thermal conductivity inside and outside the container, and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material constituting the container.

22. The transportation assistance method according to any one of claims 17 to 21,

in the calculating step, the pre-cooling condition is calculated so that the temperature of the fresh food at the time of arrival at the transportation destination is less than a predetermined threshold value.

23. The transportation assistance method according to any one of claims 17 to 22,

in the calculating step, the pre-cooling condition is calculated so that the cumulative temperature of the fresh food items before the fresh food items reach the transportation destination is less than a predetermined threshold value.

24. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for assisting ambient transportation of fresh goods, the method comprising the steps of:

an output step of outputting the precooling condition.

25. A transportation assistance device for assisting normal-temperature transportation of fresh products, comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires request information including information relating to the type and quantity of the fresh food and information relating to a transportation destination;

a calculation unit that calculates a precooling condition for precooling the fresh food based on the request information; and

and an output unit that outputs the precooling condition.