JP2002318066A - Freezing and refrigerating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase a freezing speed as unevenness during freezing is relieved and to bring many foods into a high quality freezing state at one time, regarding quick freezing for foods. SOLUTION: By situating a holding mechanism for baffle plates such that a plurality of baffle plates formed of a material having thermal conductivity higher than a given value are disposed in a food containing case placed in a refrigerating chamber and a distance between the baffle plates is arbitrarily set such that at least two surfaces of a food are adhered to the baffle plates, high-efficient and uniform cooling from the two surfaces of a food is practicable, high speed and uniform refrigeration is practicable and high grade food refrigeration and preservation are practicable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator for rapidly freezing food.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A freezing and refrigeration apparatus is an apparatus that suppresses deterioration of food quality by supplying cold air generated by means such as a freezing cycle into a food storage and storing the food in a refrigerated or frozen state. It is widely used as a household food storage means. + 3 ℃ ～ + inside the food storage
5 ° C refrigerator, 0 ° C to -3 ° C ice greenhouse, -15 ° C to -1
It is divided into 8 ° C. freezer compartments, which are the temperature range generally used. In order to suppress quality deterioration during long-term storage, it is most effective to store in a frozen state at −15 to −18 ° C. in a freezing state, and as a means for storing meat, seafood, and various prepared foods. It's being used. In order to preserve higher quality in this frozen state,
It is effective to use quick freezing that quickly passes through the temperature range of 0 to -5 ° C, which is the maximum ice crystal formation zone when food is frozen. Have been. Although many technical developments have been made to achieve this, a typical conventional example is shown in FIG.

[0003] 1 is a cooling device that generates cool air by the operation of a refrigeration cycle, 2 is a fan for blowing air, 3 is a cooling air blowing path, 4 is a freezing room, 5 is a case for storing food, and 18 is an aluminum plate. is there. Here, the cool air generated by the cooling device 1 is sent to the freezing room 4 via the air passage 3, and is circulated and supplied to the freezing room 4 by the fan 2. In the freezing room 4 cooled to about -18 ° C. by the cold air, there is a case 5 in which an aluminum plate 18 is placed on the bottom surface, and the food to be frozen and stored is placed on the aluminum plate 18 to perform quick freezing. ing.

The aluminum plate 18 is sufficiently cooled in the freezer compartment 4 in advance and is stored in accordance with its heat capacity. Therefore, the aluminum plate 18 quickly removes heat from food placed thereon and has a low thermal conductivity. Therefore, the heat taken from the food is conducted and dispersed, and quickly dissipated by heat exchange with cold air circulating in the freezing room 4. As a result, the freezing speed of the food is increased, and the food quickly passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone, thereby suppressing the formation of large ice crystals in the cells, which is a cause of food deterioration, and enabling high-quality frozen storage of the food. Things.

[0005] Further, there is a type in which the heat conduction speed is increased by increasing the thickness of the aluminum plate 18 or the heat capacity is increased by putting antifreeze or the like inside the aluminum plate 18.
A device has been devised to promote rapid heat transfer from food.

[0006]

In the above conventional method,
There was a problem that a sufficient quick freezing effect could not be obtained depending on the shape and storage method of the food. That is, in order to freeze rapidly with the conventional configuration, the food is placed on the aluminum plate 18 and cooled, but the aluminum plate 18 comes into contact with the food only on the lower surface of the food, such as the side or upper surface of the food.
The surface which does not come into contact with the aluminum plate 18 has no particular effect.

For this reason, although the surface in contact with the aluminum plate 18 is rapidly cooled, the other surface is cooled only by ordinary circulating cold air, and the freezing speed varies depending on the food surface. Was unevenly frozen and sometimes became a frozen product of poor quality. Particularly, this phenomenon is remarkable when the thickness of the food is large, and has a drawback that the quick freezing effect of the aluminum plate 18 can only contribute to a part of the surface of the lower surface of the food.

Further, as the thickness of the aluminum plate 18 increases, the difference in the freezing speed depending on the food surface increases,
Unevenness of the frozen state of the food was likely to occur.

[0009] Furthermore, the area of the food that can be placed in contact with the aluminum plate is limited, and there is a disadvantage that many foods cannot be quickly frozen at a time.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional disadvantages, further speeds up the rapid freezing of food, suppresses the non-uniformity of the frozen state in the food, and responds to the number and shape of the stored food. It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating / refrigerating apparatus capable of surely exhibiting a high quality maintaining effect by rapid freezing.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a means for generating cool air, a means for circulating the generated cool air, and a food storage case for storing the food by introducing the circulated cool air. In the food storage case, a plurality of partition plates made of a high heat conductive material are disposed, and the interval between the partition plates is arbitrarily set so that at least two surfaces of the food are in close contact with the partition plates. A refrigerating and refrigerating apparatus characterized by comprising a partition plate holding mechanism that can be set. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the partition plate is made of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than a predetermined value.

Further, the present invention comprises a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressing pressure of the partition plate, and a driving means for at least one partition plate capable of arbitrarily setting a distance between the partition plates, wherein the pressure detecting means is provided. Control means for operating the driving means in response to the pressure signal detected by the control means.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the partition plate has a height dimension larger than the height of the food case side wall, and the upper end of the partition plate protrudes from the upper end portion of the food case side wall. is there.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention, a cooling device including a refrigerant compressor, an evaporator, a heat exchanger, and the like, a blower fan such as a propeller fan or a sirocco fan, a small operation control type motor such as a stepping motor, A pressure sensor such as a strain resistance type, a control circuit for transmitting an operation signal of a motor or the like in response to a predetermined input signal, and a temperature detecting member such as a thermistor if necessary are used. Here, detailed illustration and operation description are omitted here. The same components as those in the conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a sectional configuration view of a freezing and refrigeration apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial sectional perspective view of a main part thereof.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a cooling device for generating cool air, 2 is a fan for blowing cool air, 3 is an air passage through which cool air flows, 4 is a freezing room, and 5 is a case for storing food. 6 is aluminum (thermal conductivity: 204.5 W /
(MK)), 7 is a support groove for supporting the partition plate 6, 8 is a case 6 in which a holding groove 7 is machined and arranged.
It is the inner wall surface. Reference numeral 9 denotes stored food. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the holding grooves 7 are provided at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the case 5, and the partition plate 6 is inserted into an arbitrary position of the holding grooves 7. And can be easily removed. Thereby, the interval between the partition plates 6 can be set arbitrarily.

Next, the operation and operation of this embodiment will be described. The cool air generated by the cooling device 1 is supplied to an air passage 3
And is sent out to the freezer compartment 5 by the fan 2. The freezer compartment 4 is cooled by the circulation of the delivered cool air, and is brought into a predetermined low temperature state including the case 5 and the partition plate 6.

Here, the food 9 is stored between the two partition plates 6 fitted in the holding grooves 7 at appropriate positions according to the individual thicknesses, and both side surfaces of the food 9 are divided into two partitions. It is adhered to the plate 6. Other food items 9 stored next to
While being pressed by one partition plate 6, it is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the partition plates 6 fitted earlier and the holding groove 7 at the corresponding position.
The partition plate 6 is held in close contact with the partition plate 6. Similarly, a plurality of foods 9 having arbitrary thicknesses and sizes are stored in a row in a similar manner, with both side surfaces being in close contact with the partition plate 6.

In this manner, the food 9 comes into contact with the partition plate 6 having high thermal conductivity on both sides, and the heat of the food is quickly removed from the contact surface with the partition plate 6.
The refrigerating speed can be remarkably increased. At the same time, the cooling temperature distribution of the food 9 does not have a large unevenness as in the prior art, the uniformity of the frozen state is promoted, and high-quality quick freezing can be realized.

For example, when freezing 20 mm thick beef, it takes 86 minutes to freeze in a normal refrigerator, but according to the present embodiment, the beef is sandwiched between two aluminum partition plates 6. Can be frozen in 28.5 minutes, and the freezing time can be reduced to about 1/3.

Further, according to this configuration, even when the flat food 9 having a large area is frozen, a large number of foods 9 can be stored and stored without occupying the bottom area of the case 5, so that the storable amount can be increased. Even in such a case, since the contact state between the individual food 9 and the partition plate 6 is maintained, heat transfer can be promoted, and there is no need to worry about a decrease in freezing quality, and efficient freezing and storage can be realized. At the same time, even when the thickness and size of the food 9 are not uniform, the position of the holding groove 7 into which the partition plate 6 is fitted can be arbitrarily selected and detached, so that the thickness and size of the food 9 can be adjusted. In addition, the space in the case 5 can be effectively utilized while maintaining the adhesion between the food 9 and the partition plate 6.

Further, since the foods 9 are erected and arranged side by side, when the case 5 is pulled out and the necessary foods 9 are taken out, all the foods 9 can be visually checked. For example, it is possible to eliminate forgetting to use the food 9 stored in the container and the complexity of taking out the food 9, and it is also effective in improving the usability.

Although only the partition plate 6 is used here as a member for promoting heat transfer, it is used together with a heat transfer promoting member such as an aluminum plate laid on the bottom surface of the case 5 as conventionally used. It is possible to do so without impairing the effects of the present invention.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the partition plates 6 are used upright and are used in parallel. However, it is also possible to use a case 5 opened on the front surface and to insert and insert the partition plates 6 in the horizontal direction. It is possible and the same effect can be obtained in any case.

In this embodiment, the thermal conductivity 204.
Although the aluminum partition plate 6 of 5 W / (m · K) was used, the present invention is not limited to this, and the thermal conductivity is 8 W / (m · K).
K) The same effect can be obtained by using a metal such as copper or brass or a highly thermally conductive material such as a crystalline carbon material.

It is also effective to enclose an antifreeze or a cold storage material in the partition plate 6 in order to provide a cold storage effect.

Further, in order to impart the radiation heat radiation effect, it is possible to coat the surface of the partition plate 6 with a thin film having a high emissivity, which can provide an effect complementary to the above effect.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigeration apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the main part. The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in the basic configuration, operation and the like, except that the partition plate is slidably disposed. Therefore, the description will focus on this difference.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 6 denotes a partition plate made of aluminum having a high thermal conductivity, which is provided continuously on the inner wall surface 8 of the case 5 disposed in the freezer compartment 4 (not shown here). 12 to be fitted. The partition plate 6 includes a plate-shaped portion 10 and a holding portion 11, and the plate-shaped portion 10
The holding portions 11 protruding from both side surfaces are inserted into the guide grooves 12, and are also slidably and horizontally rotated.

Further, the partition plate 6 is supported by the guide groove 12 and a plurality of the partition plates 6 are arranged, and all of them can be moved to an arbitrary position along the guide groove 12.

In the above configuration, when a plurality of foods 9 having different properties are stored in the case 5, the partition plate 6 slidable to any position is moved along the guide groove 12, and
The food 9 is held so as to be sandwiched from both sides. Other food 9
Also, the food 9 and the partition 6 may be closely and alternately arranged at any position by closely supporting the adjacent partition 6 (or separately using two other separating plates 6). it can.

Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the partition plate 6 enables high-speed and uniform freezing, and the position of the food 9 sandwiched by the partition plate 6 is sandwiched at an arbitrary position in the case 5. It is also possible to freely move the food 9 as it is, and when a new food 9 is additionally stored, a necessary storage space can be secured instantaneously and freely. Also, when taking out the frozen food 9,
Even if the food 9 and the partition plate 6 are freeze-bonded, the partition plate 6 can be easily peeled off and taken out.

When a large volume of food 9 is stored, the partition plate 6 can be freely moved toward both ends of the guide groove 12 at any time, and an effective and easy-to-use freezer compartment 4 can be supplied. Things.

Further, by moving the partition plate 6 to the guide groove 12 formed in the upright direction and rotating it appropriately, the food 9 and the partition plate 6 can be stacked and stored in a vertically stacked form. Become. In the case of a flat flexible food 9 (for example, a plate-shaped meat piece) which is difficult to arrange upright, the food 9 is placed on one upper surface of the horizontally placed partition plate 6 and arranged, and the partition plate 6 is rotated thereon again. By placing the food 9 on it, the food 9 can be frozen without being buckled or deformed, and problems caused by the shape of the food when used for thawing or cooking can be prevented.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of a refrigeration apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The present embodiment is the same as the second embodiment in the basic configuration and operation, but is different in that a partition plate is provided with a pressing detecting means and a driving means interlocked with the detecting means. Therefore, the description will focus on this difference.

In FIG. 5, 13 is a rack provided on the outer wall surface side of the case 5, 14 is a gear that meshes with the rack 13, 15 is a motor for driving the gear 13, and 16 is a drive for controlling the motor 15 Control means. Also, 17
Is a pressure sensor attached to the partition plate 6 located at the end in the case 5, and is attached so as to detect pressing of the adjacent partition plate 6. The rotation shaft of the gear 14 is connected to the holding portion 11 of the partition plate 6 on which the pressure sensor 17 is disposed, and passes through the side wall of the case 5 through the guide groove 12 horizontally arranged. Partition plate 6 and gear 1
4 operate integrally.

In the above configuration, when the food 9 sandwiched between the slidable partition plates 6 is stored in the case 5, the control means 16 transmits the signal until the pressure signal detected by the pressure sensor 17 reaches a predetermined value. An operation signal is sent to the motor 15 to drive the motor 15 to rotate. The rotation of the motor 15 causes the gear 14 to rotate, and the gear 14 moves on the rack 13 meshing with the gear 14. The gear 14 is connected to the partition plate 6 at the end position (provided by the pressure sensor 17). ,
This is guided by the guide groove 12 and moves horizontally. This partition plate 6 collides with the adjacent partition plate 6 and the pressure sensor 17
This operation is continued until a predetermined pressure signal is detected,
The food 9 and the partition plate 6 sandwiching the food 9 are successively pushed to reach a close contact state. When the pressure sensor 17 detects that the pressure has reached the predetermined pressure, the signal is sent to the control means 16 and the transmission of the drive signal to the motor 15 is stopped.

Thus, the food 9 in the case 5 and
The partition plate 6 erected between the plates is cooled in a state in which the partition plate 6 is sufficiently pressed and adhered, and it is possible to achieve a high-speed and uniform freezing operation without requiring any special treatment when storing the food 9. Become.

When a part of the food 9 is taken out,
The detection signal of the pressure sensor 17 becomes lower than the predetermined value again, and the transmission of the operation signal to the motor 15 via the control means 16 is resumed, and the movement of the partition plate 6 is executed until the space corresponding to the taken out food 9 is filled. Then, the food 9 and the partition plate 6 are corrected and moved again so as to be in close contact with each other. Therefore, even after taking out the food, there is no gap,
The storage form in which the food is automatically set up can be maintained.

Also in this case, the rack 13 and the guide groove 12 may be installed vertically, and the partition plate 6 provided in a horizontal state may be moved up and down, and the same effect can be obtained.

(Embodiment 4) A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present invention is the same as Embodiment 2 in the basic configuration and operation, but differs in that the height of the leading end of the partition plate is larger than the height of the case. Therefore,
The present embodiment will be described focusing on this difference. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a refrigeration apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, a plurality of partition plates 6 are slidably held by guide grooves 12 provided on the inner wall surface 8 of the case 5. And the upper part of the partition plate 6 protrudes from the case 5. By doing so, the upper exposed portion of the partition plate 6 further promotes contact with cold air circulating in the freezing room 4 (not shown). That is, since the food 9 is stored within approximately the height of the side wall of the case 5, even when the partition plate 6 is pressed and adhered to the food 9, the upper exposed portion of the partition plate 6 protrudes into the free flowing cold air in a free state. Is done. This protruding part
It acts as a heat dissipating fin structure having extremely high contact efficiency with cold air, and can quickly dissipate heat removed from the food 9 by conduction. That is, even when the food 9 is filled in the case 5, the partition plate 6 still has a sufficient heat radiation area, and even when the heat capacity of the food 9 is large, the partition plate 6 can operate at high speed. It is possible to perform a homogeneous freezing process. In this way, it is possible to realize good-quality freezing regardless of the quantity of the food 9.

[0043]

As described above, in the refrigerating / chilling apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of freely movable partition plates made of a material having a heat conductivity higher than a predetermined value are disposed in the food storage case. Thereby, the food can be efficiently and uniformly cooled from both sides of the food, and can be frozen at high speed and homogeneously, thereby enabling high-quality frozen storage of the food. At the same time, it is possible to provide a cryopreservation device that can effectively and densely utilize the inside of the storage case and that is convenient for storing and taking out food.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram in Embodiment 1 of a refrigeration apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the same main part.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigeration apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a main part of the same.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of a refrigerator-freezer according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator-freezer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a conventional refrigerator-freezer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cooling device 2 fan 3 air passage 4 freezer compartment 5 case 6 partition plate 7 holding groove 8 inner wall surface 9 food 10 plate-shaped portion 11 holding portion 12 guide groove 13 rack 14 gear 15 motor 16 control means 17 pressure sensor 18 aluminum plate

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiko Yasunobu 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3L045 AA04 BA01 BA04 CA03 DA02 EA01 FA03 KA00 KA07 LA01 MA08 NA00 PA04

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A means for generating cool air, means for circulating and blowing the generated cool air, and a food storage case for storing the food by introducing the circulating cool air, wherein the food storage case has a high thermal conductivity. A plurality of partition plates made of a conductive material are provided, and a partition plate holding mechanism is provided that enables an interval between the partition plates to be arbitrarily set such that at least two surfaces of the food are in close contact with the partition plates. A refrigeration unit characterized by the following. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate is made of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than a predetermined value. 3. A pressure detecting means for detecting a pressing pressure of the partition plate, and a driving means for at least one partition plate capable of arbitrarily setting an interval between the partition plates,
3. The refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for operating said driving means in response to a pressure signal detected by said pressing detection means. 4. The partition plate according to claim 1, wherein a height of the partition plate is greater than a height of a side wall of the food case, and an upper end of the partition plate protrudes from an upper end of the side wall of the food case. 4. The refrigeration apparatus according to 2, 3 or 4.