JP2001118130A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vending machine capable of preventing a temperature inside of a cabinet from being lowered at the time of defrosting a heat exchange on the side of a heat source while reducing a running cost through the use of waste heat generated by cooling. SOLUTION: This vending machine comprises a heat source side unit 31 having a compressor 52 and a heat source side heat exchanger 53, and a using side unit 30B having a using side heat exchanger 43B. The heat exchanger 53 is branched and connected to the coolant discharging pipe 32 and the coolant suction pipe 33 of the compressor through switch valves 34A and 34B. The vending machine is also provided with a high pressure gas pipe 36 branched and connected to the coolant discharging pipe, a low pressure gas pipe 37 branched and connected to the coolant suction pipe and a liquid pipe 38 connected to the heat exchanger 53. Each heat exchanger 43B is branched and connected to the high pressure gas pipe and the low pressure gas pipe through switch valves 61A and 61B, and each unit 30B is provided in each cabinet of the vending machine. An auxiliary electric heater 46A is provided in the cabinet. The auxiliary electric heater is energized at the time of defrosting the heat exchanger 53.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine for cooling or heating products such as canned beverages for sale.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional vending machine, a product storage is formed in a main body composed of a heat insulating box, and the product storage is divided into a plurality of storages. Then, the inside of the refrigerator storing the products to be cooled is cooled by a well-known refrigeration cycle,
The interior of the storage for storing the products to be heated was heated by an electric heater.

[0003]

As described above, conventionally,
An electric heater is used as a heating means, and an enormous amount of electricity is required to obtain the amount of heat required for heating. In particular, since the inside of the cooling chamber and the inside of the heating chamber coexist, heat on the heating side by the electric heater is inevitably leaked into the cooling chamber, and excessive heat is leaked to the outside by the amount of heat leaked in the refrigeration cycle. Had to be released. As a result, the refrigeration cycle must be operated excessively, causing a problem that the running cost rises more than necessary.

[0004] In order to avoid such a rise in running cost, it is conceivable to heat the inside of the storage side on the heating side by waste heat generated in the refrigeration cycle. in this case,
Provide a heat source side heat exchanger of the refrigeration cycle outside the refrigerator, provide a use side heat exchanger inside the refrigerator, make the heat source side heat exchanger function as an evaporator, and make the use side heat exchanger function as a condenser. However, particularly in winter when the outside air temperature is low, frost forms on the heat source side heat exchanger acting as an evaporator.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to defrost the heat source side heat exchanger. When the heat source side heat exchanger is defrosted, the heat source side heat exchanger acts as a condenser and is heated. In this case, the use-side heat exchanger acts as an evaporator, which causes a problem that the inside of the refrigerator, which needs to be heated, is cooled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problem, and reduces the running cost by utilizing the waste heat generated by cooling while reducing the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine capable of avoiding a temperature drop in a refrigerator in advance.

[0007]

The vending machine of the present invention comprises:
Commodity storage in a main body consisting of an insulated box, dividing this product storage into a plurality of storages, and cooling or heating the products put in each storage and selling them from sales outlets And comprises a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger, and a plurality of use side units having a use side heat exchanger provided in each storage, and compresses the heat source side heat exchanger. The branch pipe is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe and the refrigerant suction pipe of the machine via a switching valve, and the inter-unit pipe connecting these two units is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe and the high pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe. Low-pressure gas pipe and a liquid pipe connected to the heat source side heat exchanger, and each use side heat exchanger is branched and connected to a high pressure gas pipe and a low pressure gas pipe via a switching valve, and A cooling and heating device connected to the pipe via a refrigerant flow control valve And an auxiliary electric heater provided in the refrigerator, and a control device for controlling the switching valve and the auxiliary electric heater. The control device causes the heat source side heat exchanger to act as an evaporator, and the use side heat exchange. Heating the inside of the refrigerator by operating the vessel as a condenser, and in this state, the heat source side heat exchanger acts as a condenser,
The defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger is performed by using the use side heat exchanger as an evaporator, and the auxiliary electric heater generates heat during the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger.

According to the present invention, a product storage is formed in a main body composed of a heat insulating box, the product storage is partitioned into a plurality of storages, and the products put in each storage are cooled or heated. In a vending machine to be warmed and sold from a sales outlet, from a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger, and a plurality of use side units having a use side heat exchanger provided in each refrigerator The heat source side heat exchanger is branched and connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve, and a unit-to-unit pipe connecting these two units is a high pressure gas branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe. It consists of a pipe, a low-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe, and a liquid pipe connected to the heat source-side heat exchanger, and switches each use-side heat exchanger to a high-pressure gas pipe and a low-pressure gas pipe. Branch connection via valve, refrigerant flow control to liquid pipe The cooling and heating device is connected by means of a single heat source side heat exchanger. In addition to the cooling operation or the heating operation, the simultaneous operation of cooling and heating in each storage can be freely selected and performed by an arbitrary user-side unit.

A control device for controlling the switching valve and the auxiliary electric heater is provided. The control device operates the heat source side heat exchanger as an evaporator and the use side heat exchanger as a condenser. Since the interior of the refrigerator is heated, efficient operation by heat recovery can be performed, and the running cost can be significantly reduced.

[0010] In particular, the apparatus has an auxiliary electric heater provided in the refrigerator, and in a state where the control device is heating the interior of the refrigerator by the use side heat exchanger, the heat source side heat exchanger acts as a condenser. When the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger is performed by causing the use side heat exchanger to function as an evaporator, the auxiliary electric heater is caused to generate heat during the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger. It is possible to effectively prevent the temperature inside the refrigerator from being lowered due to the use side heat exchanger acting as an evaporator.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine 1 as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine 1 excluding a front door 3 and a heat insulating door 4, and FIG. is there.

The vending machine 1 of the embodiment is for cooling or heating and selling canned beverages. The vending machine 1 has a main body 2 composed of an insulated box body opened on the front side and a pivotal support for one side of the main body 2 so as to be rotatable. And an openable front door 3. The front door 3 is provided with a product display 6 on which a plurality of product samples S are displayed. In the lower right corner of the product display 6, a bill insertion slot 7, a cash indicator 8, a coin insertion slot 9 are provided. , A coin return slot 11, a return lever 12, and a key 13 are provided. Also, on the front of the product display 6,
A selection button 14 is provided corresponding to the lower side of each product sample S, and a sales port 16 is provided below the front door 3.
Is arranged.

Behind the front door 3, a heat insulating door 4 is provided on the front.
Is formed in the main body 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the product storage 17 is partitioned into three chambers on the left and right sides by partition walls 18 and 19 filled with a heat insulating material, and either cooling or heating is selected on the left side of the partition wall 18. A switchable cooling and heating chamber 17A is formed, and a cooling and heating chamber 17B is also formed in the center located between the partition wall 18 and the partition wall 19, and a cooling and heating chamber is also provided on the right side of the partition wall 19. A hot box 17C is formed.

In the product storage 17, two rows of product racks 22 are suspended from front to back. In this case,
The product rack 2 is placed in the cooling / heating chamber 17A having the largest capacity.
2 are stored in two rows on the left and right sides, and the product rack 22 is placed in the cooling and heating chambers 17B and 17C, which are about half the capacity of the cooling and heating chamber 17A.
Are stored one by one.

Inside each product rack 22, there are provided a side plate 23 constituting an outer surface and a partition plate 24 for partitioning the inside back and forth.
Product passages 26, 26 extending in the up-down direction are formed in two rows in front and rear, respectively. In addition, each product passage 26
Are formed at the upper end thereof, and a product discharge port 28 is formed at the lower end, and a product discharge device 29 is provided at each of the product discharge ports 28 with the side plate 23 or the partition plate. 24, respectively.

Each of the merchandise carrying-out devices 29 is called an ejector mechanism (or a bend mechanism). The holding arm 29A always projects toward the merchandise passage 26 to hold the lowermost merchandise G in the merchandise passage 26. When the product is sold, the holding arm 29 is moved along the side plate 23 or the partition plate 24 by an actuator (not shown) such as a solenoid.
A is tilted to drop the products G one by one downward.

A chute 41 inclined downward toward the front is disposed below such a commodity rack 22. The commodity G discharged from each commodity rack 22 falls onto the chute 41 and rolls. Then, it is guided from the outlet 42 of the heat insulating door 4 to the selling port 16 of the front door 3.

Below the chutes 41, use-side units 30A and 30B, which will be described in detail later, correspond to the cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B and 17C, respectively.
And a use side unit 30C, and each unit is provided with a blower 44A, 44B, 44C, respectively. In addition, auxiliary electric heaters 46A, 46B, 46C are provided in the cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B, 17C.

On the other hand, the machine room 5
The heat source side unit 31 and the blower 54 are provided in the machine room 51. The heat source side unit 31 and the use side units 30A to 30A
C constitutes a cooling and heating device of the vending machine 1.

Next, a refrigerant circuit of the vending machine 1 in the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The heat source side unit 31 includes a compressor 52, a heat source side heat exchanger 53, a gas-liquid separator 55, and the like.
0A, 30B and 30C are the use side heat exchanger 43
A, 43B and 43C. The heat source side heat exchanger 53 is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the refrigerant suction pipe 33 of the compressor 52 by switching the switching valves 34A and 34B, while the heat source side unit 31 and the use side units 30A, 30B, 3
0C to the refrigerant discharge pipe 32
A low-pressure gas pipe 37 branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe 33, and a liquid pipe 38.

The user-side units 30A, 30B,
The use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 43C of the 30C are respectively provided with a switching valve 61 for the high-pressure gas pipe 36 and the low-pressure gas pipe 37.
A, 61B, 39A, 39B, 40A, 40B are branched and connected to the liquid pipe 38 via refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, 49 such as electric expansion valves. Reference numeral 50 denotes a refrigerant flow control valve such as an electric expansion valve interposed in the liquid pipe 38.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a configuration diagram of the control device C of the vending machine 1. The control device C is constituted by a general-purpose microcomputer 56, and is attached to the selection buttons 14 (shown by one) of the product G and the cooling / heating chambers 17A, 17B, 17C on the input side. Temperature sensors 58A and 58B as temperature detecting means,
58C, temperature sensors 63A, 63B, 63C, 63 as the evaporating temperature detecting means of the refrigerant in the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 43C and the heat source side heat exchanger 53, and the temperature sensor 62B as the condensing temperature detecting means, 62C and 62C are connected. On the output side of the microcomputer 56, each of the switching valves 61A, 61B, 34A, 34B,
39A, 39B, 40A, 40B, each refrigerant flow control valve 47, 48, 49, 50, each auxiliary electric heater 46A,
46B, 46C, the compressor 52, and the respective blowers 44A, 44
B, 44C, 54 and the respective product unloading devices 29 (shown as one) are connected.

Next, the operation of the vending machine 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, the cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B, 17C
The case where the product is cooled using all of them as a cooling cabinet will be described with reference to FIG. The temperature sensors 58A, 58B, 58
When the temperature detected by C is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature, the microcomputer 56 opens the switching valve 34A of the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 of the heat source side heat exchanger 53 and sets the refrigerant suction pipe 33
Is closed, and the use-side heat exchanger 43A,
Switching valves 61A and 39 of the high-pressure gas pipe 36 of 43B and 43C
A, 40A are closed, and the switching valves 61B, 3B of the low-pressure gas pipe 37 are closed.
Open 9B and 40B.

Thus, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 flows sequentially through the refrigerant discharge pipe 32, the switching valve 34A, and the heat source side heat exchanger 53, where it is condensed and liquefied. 38, each user side unit 30A,
The refrigerant is distributed to refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 of 30B and 30C, where the pressure is reduced.

At this time, the microcomputer 56
Means that the refrigerant flow control valve 50 is fully opened, and that the refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 are temperature sensors 58A, 58
The diaphragm amount is adjusted based on the outputs of B and 58C. Thereafter, the refrigerant that has passed through each of the refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 is
After flowing into each of the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 43C and evaporating and evaporating, the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 43C are used.
Thereafter, the gas enters the low-pressure gas pipe 37 via the switching valves 61B, 39B, and 40B. Then, the refrigerant joined by the low-pressure gas pipe 37 is sucked into the compressor 52 through the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 55 in order.

As described above, in this case, the heat source side heat exchanger 53 acts as a condenser, and the entire use side heat exchanger 43A,
Since 43B and 43C function as evaporators, all of the cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B and 17C are simultaneously cooled.

Next, the case where the cooling and heating chamber 17C is heated while the cooling and heating chamber 17A and 17B are cooled will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIG. For example, the temperature sensor 58
A, the temperature detected by 58B is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature, and
When the temperature of the temperature sensor 58C is equal to or lower than the set heating temperature, the microcomputer 56 sets the switching valve 3 of the heat source side heat exchanger 53
4A is opened, the switching valve 34B is closed, and the switching valves 61A and 39A of the use side heat exchangers 43A and 43B for cooling are closed, the switching valves 61B and 39B are opened, and
Open the switching valve 40A of the use side heat exchanger 43C to be heated,
The switching valve 40B closes.

As a result, part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 passes through the high-pressure gas pipe 36 and the switching valve 40A sequentially,
The refrigerant flows into the use side heat exchanger 43C to be heated, and the remaining refrigerant flows into the heat source side heat exchanger 53 from the switching valve 34A via the refrigerant discharge pipe 32. And it is condensed and liquefied in the use side heat exchanger 43C and the heat source side heat exchanger 53. The refrigerant condensed and liquefied in the heat exchangers 43C and 53 is depressurized by the refrigerant flow control valves 47 and 48 of the use units 30A and 30B via the liquid pipe 38, and then the respective use side heat exchangers 43A and 43B. And evaporate.

The microcomputer 56 controls the refrigerant flow control valve 49 and the refrigerant flow control valve 50 with the temperature sensor 62.
The refrigerant flow control valves 47 and 48 are adjusted based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 63A and 63B, while adjusting based on the outputs of C and 62. If the temperature of the cooling and heating chamber 17C is equal to or lower than the heating set temperature based on the output of the temperature sensor 58C, the auxiliary electric heater 46C is energized to supplementally heat the inside of the cooling and heating chamber 17C. I do.

The refrigerant that has passed through the use-side heat exchangers 43A and 43B passes through the switching valves 61B and 39B, and then passes through the low-pressure gas pipe 37.
And are merged, and are sequentially sucked into the compressor 52 through the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 55. Thus, in this case, since the use side heat exchanger 43C acts as a condenser, the cooling and heating chamber 17C is heated and cooled and heated by the use side heat exchangers 43A and 43B acting as evaporators. Library 17
A and 17B will be cooled.

As described above, the use-side unit 30C can heat the cooling and heating chamber 17C by utilizing the waste heat generated when the use-side units 30A and 30B are cooled, so that the heat can be efficiently recovered and used. And efficient operation can be performed.

Next, the case where the cooling and heating chamber 17A is cooled and the cooling and heating chambers 17B and 17C are heated is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 58A is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature and the temperature sensors 58B and 58C are equal to or lower than the heating set temperature, the microcomputer 5
6 is a switching valve 61 of the use side heat exchanger 43A for closing and cooling the switching valves 34A and 34B of the heat source side heat exchanger 53.
A is opened, and the switching valve 61B is closed. Further, the switching valves 39A and 40A of the user-side heat exchangers 43B and 43C to be heated are opened, and the switching valves 39B and 40B are closed.

As a result, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 is heated through the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the high-pressure gas pipe 36, and the switching valves 39A, 40 of the respective use side units 30B, 30C are heated.
A, flows into each use side heat exchanger 43B, 43C,
Condensed and liquefied in these use side heat exchangers 43B and 43C. And these use side heat exchangers 43B, 4
The refrigerant condensed and liquefied in 3C is decompressed by the refrigerant flow control valve 47 of the use side unit 30A through the liquid pipe 38, and is then evaporated and vaporized in the use side heat exchanger 43A.

The microcomputer 56 fully opens the refrigerant flow control valves 48, 49 and the refrigerant flow control valve 50, and adjusts the refrigerant flow control valve 47 based on the output of the temperature sensor 58A. The auxiliary heaters 46B and 46C
, Auxiliary power is supplied based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 58B and 58C in the same manner as described above.

The refrigerant having passed through the use side heat exchanger 43A flows into the low-pressure gas pipe 37, and is sucked into the compressor 52 through the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 55 in order. Thus, in this case, the use side heat exchanger 43B acting as a condenser,
The cooling and heating chambers 17B and 17C are heated at 43C, and are cooled and cooled at the utilization side heat exchanger 43A acting as an evaporator.
A becomes cooled.

It should be noted that each use side heat exchanger 4 in this embodiment is
The capacities of the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, and 43C (capacity 3) = the capacity of the use side heat exchanger 43B (ratio 1) + the capacity of the use side heat exchanger 43C (ratio 2). Have been. Thereby, the use side heat exchanger 43A
Can heat the use-side heat exchangers 43B and 43C by utilizing all the waste heat generated when the acts as an evaporator.
There is no need to perform waste heat treatment using the heat source side heat exchanger 53, and efficient operation can be performed by efficient heat recovery.

Next, referring to FIG.
A case in which a product is heated using all of 17B and 17C as a heating cabinet will be described. The temperature sensors 58A, 58B, 58C
If the detected temperature is equal to or lower than the heating set temperature, the microcomputer 56 closes the switching valve 34A of the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 of the heat source side heat exchanger 53 and opens the switching valve 34B of the refrigerant suction pipe 33, And the use-side heat exchangers 43A, 4
Switching valves 61A, 39 of high-pressure gas pipe 36 of 3B, 43C
A, 40A are opened, and the switching valves 61B, 3B of the low-pressure gas pipe 37 are opened.
Close 9B and 40B.

Thus, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 is heated through the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the high-pressure gas pipe 36 to each of the switching valves 6 of each of the utilization side units 30A, 30B, 30C.
1A, 39A, 40A to each use side heat exchanger 43A, 4A
3B and 43C, and these use side heat exchangers 43
A, 43B and 43C condense and liquefy. Then, the refrigerant condensed and liquefied in these use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 43C passes through the liquid pipe 38, and the refrigerant flow control valve 5
After the pressure is reduced to 0, the gas is evaporated and vaporized in the heat source side heat exchanger 53.

The microcomputer 56 fully opens the refrigerant flow control valve 50, and also controls the refrigerant flow control valve 47,
48 and 49 are adjusted based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 63A, 62B and 62C. The auxiliary heaters 46A, 46A
B and 46C are supplementarily energized based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 58A, 58B and 58C in the same manner as described above.

The refrigerant having passed through the heat source side heat exchanger 53 flows into the low-pressure gas pipe 37, and is sucked into the compressor 52 through the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 55 in order. Thus, in this case, the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43A,
The cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B and 17C are heated by 3B and 43C, and the heat in the outside air is pumped up by the heat source side heat exchanger 53 acting as an evaporator.

That is, in this case, the heat source side heat exchanger 53 functions as an evaporator, and all the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43A.
Since B and 43C function as condensers,
All of 7A, 17B and 17C will be heated simultaneously.

The entire cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B, 17C
In the simultaneous heating operation, the heat source side heat exchanger 53 acts as an evaporator, so that frost forms on the heat source side heat exchanger 53 particularly in an environment where the outside air temperature is low. Therefore,
The microcomputer 56 executes a defrosting operation of the heat source side heat exchanger 53, for example, every fixed operation time.

When performing the defrosting operation, the microcomputer 56 opens the switching valve 34A of the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 of the heat source side heat exchanger 53 and closes the switching valve 34B of the refrigerant suction pipe 33 as shown in FIG. And the use side heat exchangers 43A, 4A
Switching valves 61A, 39 of high-pressure gas pipe 36 of 3B, 43C
A, 40A are closed, and the switching valves 61B, 3B of the low-pressure gas pipe 37 are closed.
Open 9B and 40B.

Thus, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 flows sequentially through the refrigerant discharge pipe 32, the switching valve 34A, and the heat source side heat exchanger 53, where it is condensed and liquefied. Then, the refrigerant flow control valve 50 and the liquid pipe 38, each user side unit 30A,
The refrigerant is distributed to refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 of 30B and 30C, where the pressure is reduced.

Thereafter, each refrigerant flow control valve 47, 48, 4
9 passes through each of the use-side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 4
After flowing into 3C and evaporating, the use side heat exchanger 43
A, 43B, 43C, switching valves 61B, 39B, 4
The gas enters the low-pressure gas pipe 37 via OB. The refrigerant joined by the low-pressure gas pipe 37 is supplied to the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 5.
5 are sequentially sucked into the compressor 52.

That is, in this case, the heat source side heat exchanger 53 acts as a condenser, and all the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B,
Since 3C acts as an evaporator, the heat source side heat exchanger 53
Is heated by the high-temperature refrigerant and defrosted.

On the other hand, during the defrosting operation of the heat source side heat exchanger 53, the microcomputer 56 operates the use side unit 30.
A, 30B, auxiliary electric heater 46 provided in 30C
A, 46B and 46C are energized. This energization is controlled based on the outputs of the respective temperature sensors 58A, 58B, 58C, and the respective cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B, 17C are controlled.
The inside is maintained at the heating set temperature.

As described above, when the heat source side heat exchanger 53 is operated as a condenser to perform the defrosting operation of the heat source side heat exchanger 53, the auxiliary electric heaters 46A, 46B and 46C are energized. In each case, the use-side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, and 43C, which function as evaporators, effectively prevent the temperatures of the respective cooling and heating chambers 17A, 17B, and 17C from dropping, so that the inside of the chambers can be safely operated. Can be heated.

[0049]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a product storage is formed in a main body composed of a heat insulating box, and the product storage is divided into a plurality of storages and put into each storage. A vending machine that cools or heats a given product and sells it from a sales outlet, comprising a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger, and a use side heat exchanger provided in each refrigerator A heat source side heat exchanger is branched and connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve, and a piping between the units connecting these two units is a refrigerant discharge pipe. High pressure gas pipe, branched and connected
A low pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe, and a liquid pipe connected to the heat source side heat exchanger, and each use side heat exchanger is provided with a switching valve for a high pressure gas pipe and a low pressure gas pipe. And the liquid pipe is provided with a cooling and warming device connected through a refrigerant flow control valve, so that the simple heat-source-side heat exchanger with a single function can be used. In addition to simultaneous cooling operation or heating operation in each compartment by a plurality of use-side heat exchangers, simultaneous operation of cooling and heating in each compartment can be freely selected and performed by an arbitrary use-side unit.

The control device controls the switching valve and the auxiliary electric heater. The control device operates the heat source side heat exchanger as an evaporator and the use side heat exchanger as a condenser. Since the interior of the refrigerator is heated, efficient operation by heat recovery can be performed, and the running cost can be significantly reduced.

In particular, the apparatus has an auxiliary electric heater provided in the storage, and in the state where the control device is heating the inside of the storage by the use side heat exchanger, the heat source side heat exchanger acts as a condenser. When the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger is performed by causing the use side heat exchanger to function as an evaporator, the auxiliary electric heater is caused to generate heat during the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger. It is possible to effectively prevent the temperature inside the refrigerator from being lowered due to the use side heat exchanger acting as an evaporator.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine of FIG. 1 excluding a front door and a heat insulating door.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a control device of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is another refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is still another refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is still another refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Vending machine 17 Commodity storage 17A, 17B, 17C Cooling and heating storage 30A, 30B, 30C User side unit 31 Heat source side unit 32 Refrigerant discharge pipe 33 Refrigerant suction pipe 34A, 34B, 39A, 39B, 40A, 40B, 6
1A, 61B switching valve 36 high-pressure gas pipe 37 low-pressure gas pipe 38 liquid pipe 43A, 43B, 43C utilization side heat exchanger 44A, 44B, 44C blower 46A, 46B, 46C auxiliary electric heater 47, 48, 49, 50 refrigerant flow rate control Valve 52 Compressor 53 Heat source side heat exchanger 55 Gas-liquid separator 56 Microcomputer C Controller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A product storage box is formed in a main body composed of an insulated box, and the product storage box is divided into a plurality of storage boxes, and the goods put in each storage box are cooled or heated to sell them. In a vending machine to be sold from the mouth, a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger,
A plurality of use-side units having use-side heat exchangers provided in each of the refrigerators, and the heat-source-side heat exchanger is branch-connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve. On the other hand, the piping between the units connecting these two units is
A high-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe, a low-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe, and a liquid pipe connected to the heat source side heat exchanger; A heat exchanger is branched and connected to the high-pressure gas pipe and the low-pressure gas pipe via a switching valve, and the liquid pipe is provided with a cooling and heating device connected via a refrigerant flow control valve, and And a control device for controlling the switching valve and the auxiliary electric heater, the control device causing the heat source side heat exchanger to act as an evaporator, and the use side heat exchanger By acting as a condenser, the interior of the compartment is heated, and in this state, the heat source side heat exchanger is caused to act as a condenser,
The defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger is performed by causing the use side heat exchanger to function as an evaporator, and the auxiliary electric heater generates heat during the defrosting of the heat source side heat exchanger. vending machine.