JP2001272150A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator having a high cooling efficiency capable of preventing a reverse flow of heat even in the case that a temperature of heat absorbing surface of a Peltier element is increased more than a refrigerator temperature when an electrical energization is stopped. SOLUTION: A refrigerator is comprised of an outer case 1, an inner case 2 made of a thermal insulating material and a thermal insulating door 3. An inner side 4 of the refrigerator is thermally separated from an outside part 5 of the refrigerator. A Peltier element 6 is arranged along a side wall at an outside part of the side wall of the inner case 2. A refrigerant passage 10 separated from the inner side 4 is arranged along a heat-absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6. Each of an upper end and a lower end of the refrigerant passage 10 is provided with an inside connecting passage 11 and an outside connecting passage 12 through branch sections 13, and flappers 15 are installed at each of the branch sections 13. In the case that the heat sucking surface temperature of the Peltier element 6 becomes higher than the inner temperature of the refrigerator, the flappers 15 are operated, thereby the refrigerant passage 10 is separated from the inner side 4 and connected to the outside part 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator for cooling a refrigerator using a Peltier device.
In particular, the present invention relates to a cool box having an improved refrigerant passage around a Peltier element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are refrigerators using various cooling methods for storing articles stored therein in a cool state, and among them, a Peltier element is arranged on an inner / outer boundary surface. Since the cool storage of the system that cools the inside has the advantage that excellent cooling efficiency can be obtained with a simple configuration,
It is widely used as a refrigerator for various kinds of business such as vending machines.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cooling system in a conventional cool box which employs a method in which Peltier elements are arranged on the inner and outer boundary surfaces as described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the cold storage main body is composed of a heat insulating housing 31 and a heat insulating door 32, and the inside 33 of the refrigerator is thermally separated from the outside 34 of the refrigerator. A Peltier element 35 is incorporated in the side wall of the heat-insulating housing 31 along the side wall, with a heat absorbing surface facing the inside 33 and a heat releasing surface facing the outside 34. Thereby, the heat in the inside 33 is absorbed and released to the outside 34.

A Peltier device 35 in the interior 33
A heat absorbing fin 36 is disposed at a position facing the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 35 so as to cover the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 35. It is supposed to. In the vicinity of the inside of the heat absorbing fin 36, the inside fan 3
7 are arranged so as to overlap with the heat absorbing fins 36, and forced air is blown into the inside 33 by the inside fan 37 so that the air cooled by the heat absorbing fins 36 is sent to the main space of the inside 33. It has become. 37a in the figure is
The fan motor of the internal fan 37 is shown.

On the other hand, the Peltier device 35 in the outside 34
A radiating fin 38 is disposed at a position facing the heat radiating surface of the Peltier element 35 so as to cover the heat radiating surface of the Peltier element 35. The heat radiating fin 38 absorbs heat from the Peltier element 35. . A radiating fan 39 is arranged near the outer side of the radiating fin 38 so as to overlap with the radiating fin 38. The air heated by the heat is released to the external space. In the figure, reference numeral 39a denotes the radiation fan 3
9 shows a fan motor.

Further, a control device 40 is provided outside the refrigerator 34 and a temperature sensor 41 is provided inside the refrigerator 33, respectively.
According to the internal temperature measured by the temperature sensor 41,
The controller 40 controls the power supplied to the Peltier element 35 and the fan motors 37a and 39a.

To cool the interior 33 of the cool box of FIG. 3 having the above configuration to a target temperature, the Peltier element 35 is energized to lower the temperature of the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 35, Internal fan 37 and heat radiation fan 3
9 is operated to generate forced air to the inside and outside 33, 34 of the cool box, thereby cooling the inside 33 of the box. In this cooling mode, the internal temperature is measured by the temperature sensor 41, and the control device 40 appropriately controls the performance of the Peltier element 35, the internal fan 37, and the radiating fan 39 according to the measured internal temperature. By doing so, the heat in the interior 33 can be efficiently absorbed by the Peltier element 35 and can be efficiently released from the Peltier element 35 to the outside 34 of the interior. Then, when the temperature of the interior 33 reaches the target temperature, the power supply to the Peltier element 35 is stopped to switch to the standby mode, and when the interior temperature rises, the mode is returned to the cooling mode. Hereinafter, the operation principle of this cool box will be described in more detail.

First, the heat in the interior 33 is absorbed by the heat absorbing fins 36 and transmitted to the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 35. In this case, the internal fan 37 is operated to release the heat from the heat absorbing fins 36. Forced air blowing toward the main space of the inside 33 is generated. As a result, the air in the refrigerator 33 is continuously supplied to the heat absorbing fins 36, cooled by the heat absorbing fins 36 to become cool air, and then continuously returned to the main space of the refrigerator 33. Heat is efficiently absorbed by the heat absorbing fins 36. Therefore, the inside 33 of the refrigerator can be uniformly cooled, and the heat in the refrigerator 33 can be efficiently transmitted to the Peltier element 35 via the heat absorbing fins 36.

The heat taken by the Peltier element 35 is transferred from the heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 35 to the radiation fins 3.
8, the air is discharged to the outside 34 of the refrigerator. In this case, by operating the heat radiation fan 39, forced air blowing from the heat radiation fins 38 to the external space is generated. As a result, the air in the vicinity of the radiation fin 38 absorbs the heat transmitted from the Peltier element 35 to the radiation fin 38, becomes hot air, and is continuously released to the external space.
The heat from 8 is efficiently released to the outside 34 of the refrigerator. Therefore, the heat transmitted from the inside 33 to the Peltier element 35 is
The heat can be efficiently released to the external space via the heat radiation fins 38.

When the temperature of the interior 33 reaches a predetermined target temperature in the cooling mode as described above, the power supply to the Peltier element 35, the internal fan 37, and the heat radiation fan 39 is stopped to enter the standby mode. Switch. In this standby mode, the measurement of the internal temperature by the temperature sensor 41 is continued, and when the internal temperature rises, power is supplied again to switch to the cooling mode.

[0011]

In the conventional cool box as shown in FIG. 3, when the power supply to the Peltier element 35 is stopped when the mode is switched to the standby mode, or when the power supply to the Peltier element 35 at the beginning of the cooling mode is supplied. At the time of start or the like, there is a problem that heat flows backward from the Peltier element 35 and enters the inside 33 of the compartment, thereby increasing the inside temperature. Hereinafter, this point will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG.
5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing a flow of heat around the Peltier element 35 in the cool box of FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 35 energized in the cooling mode has a low temperature, and the heat radiating surface has a high temperature. In this state, when the power supply is stopped and the mode is switched to the standby mode, as shown in FIG. 4B, heat flows back from the heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 35 toward the heat absorption surface, and the heat absorption surface becomes high temperature. As described above, when the temperature of the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 35 rises, the internal fan 37
Is stopped, the heat flowing back from the Peltier element 35 due to the convection generated in the inside 33 enters the inside 33 and raises the inside temperature. Thereby, the cooling efficiency is reduced.

Further, when the power supply to the Peltier element 35 is started from the standby mode and switched to the cooling mode, the heat absorbing surface temperature is higher than the internal temperature for a while after the power supply to the Peltier element 35 is started. When the internal fan 37 is operated at this time, the internal temperature rises due to heat from the Peltier element 35. Therefore, this also leads to a decrease in cooling efficiency.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to improve the refrigerant passage around the Peltier element to thereby improve the heat absorption surface temperature of the Peltier element. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cold storage having high cooling efficiency, which can prevent the heat from flowing back into the refrigerator even when the temperature becomes higher than the internal temperature when the power supply is stopped.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cool box having a Peltier element arranged to absorb heat in an insulated box and discharge the heat outside the box. In the above, the configuration of the refrigerant passage around the Peltier element is characterized.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a refrigerant passage provided on the heat absorbing surface side of a Peltier element and separated from a main space inside the refrigerator, and the refrigerant passage is connected to either the main space inside the refrigerator or outside the refrigerator. Switching means for selectively connecting to one and disconnecting from the other is provided. According to this configuration, when the heat-absorbing surface temperature of the Peltier element becomes higher than the internal temperature when the power supply is stopped, the refrigerant passage can be separated from the main space in the internal storage and connected to the outside of the internal storage,
It is possible to prevent heat from the Peltier element from flowing back into the storage. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a temperature sensor including at least an internal temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature, and a control device for controlling energization of the Peltier element in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. And the control device is configured to select a connection destination of the refrigerant passage by the passage switching means in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

According to this configuration, at least the inside temperature can be accurately measured by the inside temperature sensor. Therefore, when the temperature of the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element becomes higher than the inside temperature when the power supply is stopped, at least the inside temperature is reduced. The connection destination of the refrigerant passage can be automatically, quickly, and appropriately switched by the control device in accordance with the measured temperature including: Therefore, the operation reliability is excellent, and the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the temperature sensor and the control device have the following features. That is, the temperature sensor includes a heat absorption surface temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heat absorption surface of the Peltier element. Further, the control device compares the inside temperature measured by the inside temperature sensor with the heat absorption surface temperature measured by the heat absorption surface temperature sensor, and when the heat absorption surface temperature is lower than the inside temperature, the refrigerant passage is closed. When the heat absorbing surface temperature is higher than the internal temperature, the refrigerant passage is connected to the outside of the internal space.

According to this configuration, not only can the inside temperature be accurately measured by the inside temperature sensor, but also the heat absorbing surface temperature of the Peltier element can be accurately measured by the heat absorbing surface temperature sensor. At that time, it can be accurately grasped whether or not the temperature has become higher than the internal temperature. Then, the connection destination of the refrigerant passage can be more appropriately switched by the control device in accordance with the accurate comparison between the heat absorption surface temperature and the internal temperature. Therefore, the operation reliability is more excellent, and the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the switching means includes a flapper for selecting a connection destination of the refrigerant passage according to an operation position and a motor for driving the flapper. The apparatus is characterized in that the apparatus controls the energization of the motor of the flapper to operate the flapper to select a connection destination of the refrigerant passage.

According to this structure, the flapper can be automatically, promptly and appropriately operated by the control device in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.
The connection destination of the refrigerant passage can be automatically, quickly, and appropriately switched. Therefore, it has excellent operation reliability,
The cooling efficiency can be further improved. In particular, by using the flapper, the structure of the switching means can be reduced in size and simplified, and the operation of the flapper can be performed quickly and reliably, so that the operation reliability can be improved from this point as well.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the fourth aspect, the configuration of the refrigerant passage and the flapper has the following features. That is, at each end on both sides of the refrigerant passage, a cold inside connection passage connected to the main space inside the cold storage and a cold outside connection passage connected outside the cold storage are provided via the branch portion. And the flapper is arranged in each branch part, and connects the refrigerant passage to the inside connection passage and disconnects it from the outside connection passage, and connects the refrigerant passage to the outside connection passage and connects the inside to the inside. It is configured to operate between the outside connection position and the outside connection position separated from the passage.

According to this configuration, the flow of the refrigerant can be regulated and the effective flow rate can be increased by the dedicated connection passages provided inside and outside the refrigerator. That is, when the flapper is at the inside connection position, the refrigerant can be efficiently circulated between the refrigerant passage and the main space inside the store via the inside connection passage, and the flapper is connected outside the store. When it is at the position, the refrigerant in the refrigerant passage can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the warehouse via the outside-compartment connection passage. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in accordance with any one of the second to fifth aspects of the present invention, a forced blast is generated in the interior to send the refrigerant cooled by the Peltier element to a main space in the interior. An internal fan and a motor for driving the internal fan, wherein the control device is configured to control energization of the motor of the internal fan in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. .

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to sixth aspects of the present invention, a forced air is blown out of the refrigerator to discharge a refrigerant heated by heat from the Peltier element to an external space. It has a heat dissipation fan and a motor that drives it,
The control device is configured to control energization of the motor of the radiating fan according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

According to the above constructions, the control device controls the cooling capacity of the internal fan by forced air or the forced air of the radiator fan according to at least the measured temperature including the internal temperature. The heat radiation ability can be adjusted appropriately. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be further improved. In particular, when the internal fan is provided as in claim 6, the internal temperature can be made uniform.

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment to which a cool box according to the present invention is applied will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. Here, FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing a cool box according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a state where a refrigerant passage is connected outside a refrigerator in a standby mode or the like, and FIG. 2 shows the inside connection state.

(1) Configuration As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the cool box is
It comprises an outer case 1, an inner case 2 made of a heat insulating material incorporated therein, and a heat insulating door 3. In this case, the inside 4 which is the internal space of the interior case 2 and the heat insulating door 3 is thermally separated from the outside 5 which is the external space of the interior case 2 and the heat insulating door 3. A Peltier element 6 is arranged outside the side wall of the interior case 2 along the side wall, with the heat absorbing surface facing the interior case 2 and the heat radiation surface facing the opposite side.

A heat absorbing fin 7 is arranged at a position facing the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6 so as to cover the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6. The light is absorbed and transmitted to the Peltier element 6. On the other hand, a radiation fin 8 is arranged at a position facing the heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 6 so as to cover the heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 6, and the heat radiation from the Peltier element 6 is absorbed by the heat radiation fin 8. , To the outside of the refrigerator 5.

Further, a heat radiation space 9 including a Peltier element 6 and a heat radiation fin 8 is formed in the outer case 1, and an intake port 1a and an exhaust port 1b provided on the side and upper surfaces of the outer case 1, respectively. The outer case 1 is in communication with the outer space of the outer case 1. According to the present invention, on the heat absorbing surface side of the Peltier element 6, a refrigerant passage 10 separated from both the inside 4 and the heat radiation space 9 is provided along the heat absorbing surface, and the heat absorbing fins 7 It is arranged in the passage 10.

At each of the upper and lower ends of the refrigerant passage 10, an inside connection passage 11 connected to the main space of the inside 4 and an outside connection passage 12 connected to the outside 5 through the branch 13 are provided. Each is provided. Each of the upper and lower branches 13 has a flapper 15 driven by a flapper motor 14.
Are arranged, and each flapper 15 operates between a connection position outside the refrigerator indicated by a solid line in the drawing and a connection position inside the refrigerator indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing.

On the other hand, an internal fan 17 driven by a fan motor 16 is disposed near a connection port with the internal connection passage 11 below the internal chamber 4. The forced air blowing from the main space toward the refrigerant passage 10 is generated. In the vicinity of the outside of the radiating fin 8 in the radiating space 9 of the outside 5, the radiating fan 1 driven by the fan motor 18 is provided.
9 is arranged so as to overlap with the radiation fins 8,
The heat dissipation fan 19 separates the heat dissipation space 9 from the exterior case 1.
Forced air blowing toward the outside space of the air is generated.

Further, a control device 20 is provided in a portion other than the heat radiation space 9 outside the refrigerator 5 in the outer case 1, and three types of sensors 21 to 21 provided in three places of the cool refrigerator are provided.
23, the temperature detection signal is input from the Peltier element 6,
The power supply to the flapper motor 14 and the fan motors 16 and 18 is controlled. Here, the three types of sensors 21 to 23 include a temperature sensor 21 inside the refrigerator, a temperature sensor 22 on the heat absorption surface of the Peltier element 6, and an intake port 1 a in the outer case 1.
Is an outside air temperature sensor 23 arranged in the vicinity of.

In particular, the control device 20 controls the inside temperature sensor 2
1 and heat-absorbing surface temperature sensor 22
The heat-absorbing surface temperature measured by the above method is compared, and the flapper 15 is operated by controlling the energization to the flapper motor 14 according to the comparison result. That is, when the heat absorbing surface temperature is lower than the internal temperature, the refrigerant passage 10 is connected to the internal space 4, and when the internal temperature is lower than the heat absorbing surface temperature, the refrigerant passage 10 is connected to the heat radiation space 9 outside the internal space 5. It is designed to be connected.

(2) Operation The operation of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration is as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 1, in a cold storage operation stop state (when the power is off), the flapper 15 is held at the outside connection position side, and the refrigerant passage 10 is connected to the heat radiation space 9 outside the storage 5. I have. Then, when the power is turned on from such an “operation stop state”, the cold storage repeats a series of operations of “cooling start mode”, “cooling mode”, “cooling stop mode”, and “standby mode”. Hereinafter, details of each operation will be described.

(Cooling start mode) When the cooling mode is started from the operation stop state or the standby mode, the control device 20 is started by turning on the power, and the control device 20 starts energizing the Peltier element 6 and The energization of the fan motor 18 is started to start the operation of the heat radiating fan 19.

In this case, since the heat absorbing surface temperature is higher than the internal temperature for a while after the start of energization of the Peltier element 6, the control device 20 holds the flapper 15 as it is at the external connection position side. , Refrigerant passage 10 and heat radiating space 9 outside the warehouse 5
Keep connection with. In this case, the interior 4 is separated from the refrigerant passage 10 located on the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6 and is thermally separated from the exterior 5 by the interior case 2 and the heat insulating door 3 made of a heat insulating material. Therefore, the heat from the outside 5 does not enter the inside 4 and the inside temperature does not rise.

When a certain period of time has elapsed from the start of energization of the Peltier element 6 and the heat absorbing surface temperature of the Peltier element 6 becomes equal to or lower than the internal temperature, the control device 20 sets the
The flapper 15 is moved to the inside connection position side, the refrigerant passage 10 is separated from the heat radiation space 9 outside the outside 5 and connected to the inside 4, and the power supply to the fan motor 16 is started to start the fan 17 inside the inside of the inside. Start the operation. Thereby, the cool box shifts to the cooling mode.

(Cooling Mode) In the cooling mode, the control device 20 keeps energizing the Peltier element 6 to sufficiently lower the temperature of the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6 and energizes the fan motors 16 and 18. Continuing fan 1
The operation of the cooling fan 7 and the radiating fan 19 is continued to generate forced air in the inside 4 and the outside 5 of the housing, respectively, to cool the inside 4 of the housing. The operation principle in this case is as follows.

First, since the in-compartment fan 17 is operating, forced air blowing from the in-compartment 4 to the refrigerant passage 10 is generated. As a result, the air in the refrigerator 4 is sent to the refrigerant passage 10 located on the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6 through the refrigerator connection passage 11 and is cooled by the heat absorbing fins 7 in the refrigerant passage 10 to become cool air. After that, it is continuously returned to the warehouse 4.
In this way, by circulating the air in the refrigerator 4 between the refrigerator 4 and the refrigerant passage 10, the refrigerator 4 can be uniformly cooled, and the heat in the refrigerator 4 is transferred to the Peltier through the heat absorbing fins 7. It can be transmitted to the element 6 efficiently.

Further, the heat taken by the Peltier element 6 is released from the heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 6 to the heat radiation space 9 outside the refrigerator 4 by the heat radiation fins 8.
Since the heat radiation fan 19 is operating, forced air blowing from the heat radiation space 9 to the external space is generated. As a result, the air in the vicinity of the radiating fin 8 absorbs the heat transmitted from the Peltier element 6 to the radiating fin 8, becomes hot air, and is continuously released to the external space. Heat is efficiently released to the external space. Therefore, the heat transmitted from the interior 4 to the Peltier element 6 can be efficiently released to the external space via the radiation fins 8.

As described above, in the cooling mode, the internal fan 17 and the heat radiating fan 19 are operated while the Peltier element 6 is energized to lower the heat absorbing surface temperature thereof, thereby allowing the air in the internal chamber 4 to flow through the refrigerant passage 10. And heat is efficiently circulated between the heat radiation space 9 and the heat transmitted to the heat radiation space 9 to the external space by forced air blowing from the heat radiation space 9 to the external space.

In this cooling mode, the inside temperature, the heat absorption surface temperature, and the outside air temperature are measured by three types of sensors, that is, the inside temperature sensor 21, the heat absorption surface temperature sensor 22, and the outside air temperature sensor 23, respectively. In accordance with the measured temperatures, the controller 20 appropriately adjusts the cooling capacity of the Peltier element 6, the air blowing capacity of the internal fan 17, and the air blowing capacity of the heat radiating fan 19.

(Cooling Stop Mode) When the temperature of the inside of the refrigerator 4 reaches the target temperature in the above-described cooling mode, the control device 20 stops supplying power to the Peltier element 6. In this case, when the power supply to the Peltier element 6 is stopped, the heat of the heat radiation surface is transmitted to the heat absorption surface, and the temperature of the heat absorption surface gradually rises. Since the temperature is lower than the temperature, the control device 20 holds the flapper 15 at the inside connection position side as it is, and holds the connection between the refrigerant passage 10 and the inside 4 of the storage.

When the heat absorption surface temperature of the Peltier element 6 becomes higher than the internal temperature after a certain period of time has elapsed from the stop of the power supply to the Peltier element 6, the control device 20 moves the flapper 15 to the storage area as shown in FIG. The refrigerant passage 10 is moved to the outside connection position, the refrigerant passage 10 is separated from the inside 4 of the refrigerator, connected to the heat radiation space 9 outside the refrigerator 5, and the power supply to the fan motor 16 is stopped to stop the operation of the fan 17 in the refrigerator.

Even after the operation of the internal fan 17 is stopped, the control device 20 continues to supply power to the fan motor 18 for a while, and operates the heat radiation fan 19 to thereby control the Peltier element 6. Cool both heat-absorbing and heat-dissipating surfaces. In this case, the interior 4 is separated from the refrigerant passage 10 located on the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 6,
Moreover, since the interior case 2 and the heat insulating door 3 made of heat insulating material are thermally separated from the outside 5 of the refrigerator, the heat of the outside 5 does not enter the refrigerator 4 and the temperature of the refrigerator rises. There is no.

After the operation of the internal fan 17 is stopped, the heat absorption surface temperature measured by the heat absorption surface temperature sensor 22 is close to the outside air temperature measured by the outside air temperature sensor 23 (the outside air temperature + α, where α is an arbitrary value). When the temperature has decreased to the temperature of (2), the control device 20 stops the energization of the fan motor 18 and stops the operation of the heat radiating fan 19. Thereby, the cool box shifts to the standby mode.

(Standby Mode) In the standby mode, the control device 20 constantly monitors the inside temperature measured by the inside temperature sensor 21, and when the inside temperature rises above the target temperature, the above-mentioned "Cooling start" Mode ”.

(3) Effect As described above, according to the present embodiment, the Peltier device 6
The refrigerant passage 10 is provided on the heat absorbing surface side of the Peltier element 6 by separating the refrigerant passage 10 from the inside of the refrigerator 4 and switching the connection destination of the refrigerant passage 10 by the flapper 15.
When the heat-absorbing surface temperature becomes higher than the internal temperature, the refrigerant passage 10 can be separated from the internal space 4 and connected to the external space 5, so that the heat from the Peltier element 6 flows back into the internal space 4. Can be prevented. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be improved. In particular, by using the flapper 15, the configuration of the switching means can be reduced in size and simplified.
Since the operation of the flapper 15 can be performed quickly and reliably, the operation reliability can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the control device 20 is controlled in accordance with the temperatures measured by the inside temperature sensor 21, the heat absorption surface temperature sensor 22, and the outside temperature sensor 23.
When the heat absorbing surface temperature of the Peltier element 6 becomes higher than the internal temperature, the controller 20 automatically, promptly, and appropriately operates the flapper 15 when the flapper 15 is configured to operate. Can be. That is, switching of the connection destination of the refrigerant passage 10 can be performed automatically, promptly, and appropriately. Therefore, operation reliability can be further improved, and cooling efficiency can be further improved.

In this case, not only the inside temperature can be accurately measured by the inside temperature sensor 21, but also the heat absorbing surface temperature of the Peltier element 6 can be accurately measured by the heat absorbing surface temperature sensor 22. At that time, it can be accurately grasped whether or not the temperature has become higher than the internal temperature. Then, the control device 20 can more appropriately switch the connection destination of the refrigerant passage 10 in accordance with the accurate comparison between the heat absorption surface temperature and the internal temperature. Therefore, operation reliability can be further improved, and cooling efficiency can be further improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inside connection passage 11 and the outside connection passage 12 are provided at both ends of the refrigerant passage 10 via the branch portions 13, respectively. Since the flapper 15 is disposed, the flow of air can be regulated by the inside connection passage 11 and the outside connection passage 12 according to the position of the flapper 15 to increase the effective flow rate. That is, when the flapper 15 is at the inside connection position, the air can be efficiently circulated between the refrigerant passage 10 and the inside 4 through the inside connection passage 11, and the flapper 15 is When in the outside connection position, the air in the refrigerant passage 10 can be efficiently discharged to the outside 5 through the outside connection passage 12. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

In the cooling mode, the control device 20 controls the inside temperature, the heat absorption surface temperature, and the outside air temperature measured by the inside temperature sensor 21, the heat absorption surface temperature sensor 22, and the outside air temperature sensor 23. The cooling capacity of the Peltier element 6, the blowing capacity of the internal fan 17, and the blowing capacity of the radiating fan 19 can be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, according to the target temperature, the interior 4 is efficiently cooled,
Because the temperature of the interior 4 can always be kept constant,
The cooling efficiency can be further improved.

(4) Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various other modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the specific arrangement of the Peltier element and the specific configuration of the refrigerant passage and its connection with the inside and outside of the refrigerator can be appropriately selected. The configuration and arrangement of the flapper are appropriately selected according to the arrangement of the Peltier elements and the configuration of the refrigerant passage and the connection portion between the inside and outside of the compartment. It is not always necessary to use a flapper as the switching means. However, a motor-driven flapper can ensure operation reliability while having a very simple structure, and therefore, is generally extremely used as the switching means according to the present invention. Useful.

In any case, in the present invention, the space on the heat dissipation surface side of the Peltier element is separated from the main space in the refrigerator.
As long as it can be selectively connected to either the main space inside the refrigerator or the outside of the refrigerator, the specific arrangement of the Peltier element, the refrigerant passage and its connection part with the inside and the outside of the refrigerator, the specific means of the switching means, etc. The configuration can be freely selected. In addition, the arrangement and number of the in-compartment fans and the radiating fans can be freely selected according to the configuration of the Peltier element, the refrigerant passage, and the connection portion thereof. For example, when the size of the cool box is large, it is conceivable to provide a plurality of internal fans and heat radiating fans.

On the other hand, as for the refrigerant, air is usually used as described above, but other suitable gas such as an inert gas can be used, and similarly excellent effects can be obtained. It is. Further, specific configurations such as a temperature sensor and a control device can be appropriately selected. For example, if at least an internal temperature sensor is provided as a temperature sensor, control according to the internal temperature can be performed.

The specific control process and operation timing of the Peltier device, the flapper, the internal fan, the heat radiating fan, and the like by the control device can be appropriately selected. For example, in the above-described embodiment, when the predetermined temperature condition is satisfied, the flapper is operated immediately. However, after the temperature condition is satisfied, control is performed such that the flapper is operated after a predetermined time elapses. It is also possible. In addition, the cool box of the present invention is not limited to a vending machine having a cool function, but also keeps the inside of an insulated box at a connection port, such as various other commercial cool boxes or home cool boxes. It can be used for the whole warehouse.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A refrigerant passage separated from the inside of the refrigerator is provided on the heat absorbing surface side of the Peltier element, and the connection destination of the refrigerant passage is switched between the inside of the refrigerator and the outside of the refrigerator. Even when the temperature is higher than the internal temperature at the time of stop, it is possible to prevent the heat from flowing back into the internal space,
A cool box having high cooling efficiency can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cool box according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied, and is a schematic diagram showing, in particular, a state in which a refrigerant passage is connected outside a refrigerator.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the cool box of FIG. 1, and particularly a schematic diagram showing a connection state of a refrigerant passage in the box.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cooling system in a conventional cool box.

4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing heat flows around a Peltier element in the cool box of FIG. 3, wherein FIG. 4A shows a state when power is supplied and FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer case 1a ... Intake port 1b ... Exhaust port 2 ... Inner case 3 ... Insulated door 4 ... Inside the compartment 5 ... Outside the compartment 6 ... Peltier element 7 ... Heat absorbing fins 8 ... Radiation fins 9 ... Radiation space 10 ... Refrigerant passage 11 ... Inside connection passage 12 ... Outside connection passage 13 ... Branch portion 14 ... Flapper motor 15 ... Flapper 16, 18 ... Fan motor 17 ... Inside fan 19 ... Radiation fan 20 ... Control device 21 ... Inside temperature sensor 22 ... Heat absorbing surface Temperature sensor 23 ... Outside air temperature sensor

Claims (7)

[Claims] An insulated box provided with a Peltier element arranged to absorb heat in an insulated box and discharge the heat to the outside of the box. A refrigerator having a refrigerant passage separated from a space, and switching means for selectively connecting the refrigerant passage to one of a main space inside the refrigerator and an outside of the refrigerator and disconnecting the refrigerant passage from the other. 2. A control device comprising: a temperature sensor including at least an internal temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature; and a control device for controlling energization of the Peltier element in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The cold storage according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to select a connection destination of the refrigerant passage by the passage switching means according to a temperature measured by the temperature sensor. 3. The temperature sensor includes a heat-absorbing surface temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of a heat-absorbing surface of a Peltier element, and the control device is configured to control the inside temperature measured by the inside temperature sensor and the heat-absorbing surface temperature sensor. Comparing the heat absorption surface temperature measured by the above, the refrigerant passage is connected to the main space in the refrigerator when the heat absorption surface temperature is lower than the internal temperature, and the refrigerant is connected when the heat absorption surface temperature is higher than the internal temperature. The cold storage according to claim 2, wherein the passage is connected to the outside of the storage. 4. The switching means has a flapper for selecting a connection destination of the refrigerant passage according to an operation position and a motor for driving the flapper, and the control device controls energization of the flapper to the motor. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the flapper is operated to select a connection destination of the refrigerant passage. 5. A flapper is provided at each end on both sides of the refrigerant passage with a branch inside connecting passage connected to a main space inside the store and a store outside connection passage connected outside the store. Is disposed at each of the branching portions, and connects the refrigerant passage to the inside connection passage and disconnects it from the outside connection passage, and connects the refrigerant passage to the outside connection passage. The cool storage box according to claim 4, characterized in that it is configured to operate between an outside connection position and a connection position separated from the inside connection passage. 6. A cooling fan which generates forced air in the refrigerator and sends a refrigerant cooled by the Peltier element to a main space in the refrigerator, and a motor for driving the fan. The power supply to the motor of the internal fan is controlled in accordance with a temperature measured by a sensor.
The cold storage according to any one of the above. 7. A radiator fan for generating forced air blown out of the refrigerator to discharge a refrigerant heated by heat from the Peltier element to an external space, and a motor for driving the radiator fan; 7. The motor according to claim 2, wherein a current supplied to said motor of said heat radiating fan is controlled in accordance with a temperature measured by a sensor.
The cold storage according to any one of the above.