JP2005287325A - Humidification thawing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a humidification thawing device so designed as to prevent falling of droplets from the ceiling surface of a thawing chamber. <P>SOLUTION: This humidification thawing device 1A is provided with a thawing chamber 10 having a bottom surface, a ceiling surface 10a and side wall surfaces 10b, and housing food, or the like, to be thawed; a heater 26 heating air in the thawing chamber 10; a humidification heater 27 humidifying air in the thawing chamber 10. The ceiling surface 10a is provided with a slanted surface slanted from a horizontal face. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a humidifying and thawing device for humidifying and thawing an object to be thawed.

  Conventionally, a humidifying and thawing apparatus for business use for humidifying and thawing an object to be thawed typified by frozen food or the like is known. Such a humidifying and thawing device includes a heater that heats the air in the thawing chamber and a water vapor generation device that generates water vapor by heating the water stored in the storage tank. While heating, the temperature in the thawing chamber is kept at a predetermined temperature (for example, about room temperature (25 ° C.)), and steam is given to the air in the thawing chamber by a water vapor generator so that the humidity in the thawing chamber is in a predetermined high humidity state ( For example, the target to be thawed is humidified and thawed.

  By using such a humidifying and thawing device, thawing can be performed using the latent heat of condensation of water vapor while preventing the drying of the surface of the object to be thawed, so that the quality of the object to be thawed can be quickly and highly efficient. The object to be thawed can be thawed.

References relating to a general thawing apparatus include, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-15075 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-58085 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-77334. (Patent Document 3), JP 2001-112455 A (Patent Document 4), JP 2003-180315 A (Patent Document 5), and the like.
JP 63-15075 A JP-A 63-58085 JP-A-7-77334 JP 2001-112455 A JP 2003-180315 A

  However, the above-described humidifying and thawing device has a problem that condensation occurs on the wall surface in the thawing chamber. This dew condensation occurs when water vapor supplied to the thawing chamber condenses and adheres to the wall surface of the thawing chamber. In particular, when the initial temperature of the wall of the thawing chamber during the thawing operation is lower than the dew point temperature of the humidified air that is adjusted to a predetermined temperature and humidity during the thawing operation, a large amount of dew condensation occurs on the wall immediately after the start of the humidification thawing operation. Occur.

  The droplet generated on the ceiling surface falls from the ceiling surface toward the bottom surface, and a part of the droplet adheres to the surface of the object to be thawed. In the humidifying and thawing device, the object to be thawed accommodated in the thawing chamber takes heat in the air, thereby condensing water vapor on the surface of the object to be thawed and thawing while preventing drying on the surface of the object to be thawed. It is. However, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of food hygiene that the droplets dropped from the ceiling surface adhere to the surface of the object to be thawed, and the excessive water adhesion also leads to a deterioration in the quality of the surface of the object to be thawed after thawing. . Furthermore, this excessive moisture adhesion becomes a thermal resistance on the surface of the object to be thawed at the time of thawing, and hinders quick thawing. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the number of droplets falling from the ceiling surface as much as possible.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying and thawing device capable of realizing a humidifying and thawing operation quickly and with high quality by preventing a droplet from falling from the ceiling surface of the thawing chamber.

  The humidifying and thawing device according to the first aspect of the present invention has a bottom surface, a ceiling surface, and a side wall surface, and stores a thawing chamber that houses an object to be thawed, humidifying means that humidifies air in the thawing chamber, and the ceiling surface. And a droplet drop prevention means for preventing the droplet from falling off. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible to prevent droplets condensed on the ceiling surface of the thawing chamber from falling from the ceiling surface toward the object to be thawed, and the quality of the object to be thawed is impaired in terms of hygiene. Nothing will happen. Moreover, the quality reduction | decrease in the surface of the thawing | decompression object by adhesion of excess water is prevented, and quick defrosting is implement | achieved.

  In the humidifying and thawing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the droplet drop prevention means is preferably configured by providing a slope surface inclined with respect to a horizontal surface on the ceiling surface. By configuring in this way, droplets condensed on the ceiling surface of the thawing chamber flow down along the gradient surface, so that the droplets can be easily prevented from falling on the object to be thawed.

  The humidifying and thawing device according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes an opening / closing door for taking in and out the object to be thawed on the side wall surface, and as the inclined surface moves away from the opening / closing door. It is preferable that it is formed so as to be gradually lowered. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the liquid droplets that flow down the gradient surface from flowing out to the opening / closing door side. Therefore, even if the user opens the opening / closing door during the thawing operation, the liquid droplets are moved outside the apparatus. It will be prevented from scattering.

  In the humidifying and thawing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the droplet drop preventing means is composed of a hydrophilic coating film applied to the ceiling surface. By comprising in this way, since the droplet which condensed on the ceiling surface will be hold | maintained with a hydrophilic coating film, the fall of the droplet to a thawing | decompression target will be suppressed easily.

  In the humidifying and thawing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the droplet dropping prevention means is constituted by a droplet absorbing member positioned below the ceiling surface. With this configuration, the liquid droplets that have fallen from the ceiling surface are received by the liquid droplet absorbing member, so that the liquid droplets can be easily prevented from falling onto the object to be thawed.

  The humidifying and thawing device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a thawing chamber that houses a thawing object, a heating unit that heats the air in the thawing chamber, a humidifying unit that humidifies the air in the thawing chamber, and a thawing operation. And control means for operating the heating means prior to operating the humidifying means at the start. With this configuration, it is possible to start the humidification operation after raising the temperature of the wall surface of the thawing chamber, and the dew condensation on the wall surface of the thawing chamber is greatly suppressed. For this reason, the drop of the liquid droplet from the ceiling surface toward the object to be thawed is suppressed, and the quality of the object to be thawed is not impaired in terms of hygiene. Moreover, the quality reduction | decrease in the surface of the thawing | decompression object by adhesion of excess water is prevented, and quick defrosting is implement | achieved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the liquid droplet from dropping from the ceiling surface of the thawing chamber, so that the humidifying and thawing operation can be performed quickly and with high quality.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a humidifying and thawing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A humidifying and thawing device 1 </ b> A according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a single device having a humidifying and thawing function, and all components are incorporated in the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the inside of the humidifying and thawing device 1 </ b> A in the present embodiment is partitioned into a thawing chamber 10 and a water vapor generating chamber 20 by a heat insulating wall 3 installed inside the housing 2.

  On the bottom surface of the thawing chamber 10, a conductive plate 12, which is a mounting table for mounting the frozen food 4 or the like that is the object to be thawed, is disposed. The conductive plate 12 is fixed to the bottom surface of the thawing chamber 10, and is preferably formed of a material having high thermal conductivity (for example, an aluminum alloy).

  In the water vapor generation chamber 20, a storage tank 21 that stores water, a pipe 22 that guides water flowing out of the storage tank 21, and an electromagnetic valve 23 that controls the flow of water in the pipe 22 are arranged. The pipe 22 is configured to pass through a duct 24 to be described later and drop water droplets from an open end thereof to a storage section 24c to be described later. Further, the amount of water droplets dripped into the storage unit 24 c is adjusted by the opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic valve 23. The amount of water droplets dripped from the tip of the pipe 22 by the electromagnetic valve 23 is adjusted to about 1 cc / min.

  At a predetermined position of the heat insulating wall 3 that divides the thawing chamber 10 and the water vapor generation chamber 20, a suction port 24 a that sucks air in the thawing chamber 10 and a blower outlet 24 b that sends air into the thawing chamber 10 are provided. Yes. The inlet 24 a and the outlet 24 b are connected by a duct 24 disposed in the water vapor generation chamber 20.

  In the duct 24, a blower fan 25 as a blower for promoting the air flow in the duct 24 and a heater 26 as a heater for heating the air in the thawing chamber 10 are installed. In addition, on the downstream side of the heater 26 installed in the duct 24, a storage unit 24c and a humidifying heater 27 are installed as humidifying means for humidifying the air in the thawing chamber 10. The storage part 24c is a part for temporarily storing the water flowing out from the above-described storage tank 21, and the humidifying heater 27 heats the water temporarily stored in the storage part 24c to generate water vapor. Means. Water vapor is imparted to the air flowing in the duct 24 by the action of the storage portion 24 c and the humidifying heater 27. The operations of the blower fan 25, the heater 26, and the humidifying heater 27 are controlled by a control device (not shown).

  A groove 13 is formed around the conductive plate 12 installed on the bottom surface of the thawing chamber 10. An opening leading to the drain pipe 7 is provided on the bottom surface of the groove portion 13, and the drain pipe 7 faces the drain pan 8 installed outside the thawing chamber 10. The drain pan 8 is a means for storing the drainage discharged to the outside of the thawing chamber 10 through the drain pipe 7 and allowing the drainage to pass through to the outside air to evaporate.

  In the humidifying and thawing device 1A having the above-described configuration, the air in the thawing chamber 10 is introduced into the duct 24 through the suction port 24a by operating the blower fan 25. Heat is applied to the air passing through the duct 24 by the action of the heater 26. Further, by heating the water stored in the storage unit 24 c by the humidifying heater 27, the water vapor 5 is given to the air passing through the duct 24. The air that has received the heat and the water vapor 5 is introduced into the thawing chamber 10 through the outlet 24 b by the action of the blower fan 25. As described above, the temperature in the thawing chamber 10 is maintained at a predetermined temperature (for example, about 25 ° C.) and humidity (for example, about RH 90%).

  The air introduced into the thawing chamber 10 gives heat to the food etc. 4 by coming into contact with the surface of the food etc. 4 which is the object to be thawed. At the same time, condensation of the water vapor 5 occurs on the surface of the food 4 or the like due to the removal of heat. This action prevents the surface of the food 4 or the like from drying during thawing.

  In the humidifying and thawing apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 is configured with a slope surface that is inclined with a predetermined inclination angle θ1 with respect to a horizontal plane. In addition, the slope surface is formed so as to gradually become lower from the highest position of the ceiling surface 10a toward the boundary between the ceiling surface 10a and the side wall surface 10b. The predetermined tilt angle θ1 is not particularly strictly defined, but is preferably formed so as to satisfy the condition of 0 ° <θ1 ≦ 30 °, and more preferably the condition of 5 ° ≦ θ1 ≦ 10 °. It is formed to satisfy. This is because if the inclination angle θ1 is too large, the vertical dimension of the humidifying and thawing device 1A is increased.

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 does not remain on the ceiling surface 10a, and does not fall from the ceiling surface 10a, and travels along the gradient surface in the direction of arrow A in the figure. It flows down in the direction and is collected in the groove 13 along the side wall surface 10b. The moisture collected in the groove 13 is sent to the drain pan 8 through the drain pipe 7. That is, in the humidifying and thawing device 1A according to the present embodiment, the droplet drop prevention means is configured by the ceiling surface 10a having a slope surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 is prevented from falling from the ceiling surface 10a toward the frozen food 4 or the like that is the object to be thawed. In terms of hygiene, the quality of the foods 4 is not impaired. Further, the deterioration of the quality of the surface of the food 4 or the like due to the adhesion of excessive moisture is prevented, and rapid thawing becomes possible.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a humidifying and thawing device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In addition, the cross section shown in FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting a humidification thawing apparatus in the front-back direction. A humidifying and thawing device 1B in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is a single device having a humidifying and thawing function, similar to the humidifying and thawing device 1A in the first embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected in the figure about the part similar to the humidification / thawing apparatus 1A in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and the description is not repeated here.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the humidifying / thawing device 1B according to the present embodiment differs from the humidifying / thawing device 1A according to the first embodiment in the shape of the ceiling surface 10a. Specifically, the ceiling surface 10a in the humidifying and thawing device 1B according to the present embodiment is gradually lowered as it goes away from the side wall surface 10b2 on the side where the open / close door 9 is provided. Is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane at a predetermined inclination angle θ2. That is, the height of the thawing chamber 10 is reduced as the side wall surface 10b1 located in the back of the thawing chamber 10 is approached. Here, the tilt angle θ2 is preferably in the range of 0 ° <θ2 ≦ 30 °, and more preferably in the range of 5 ° ≦ θ2 ≦ 10 °, similar to the tilt angle θ1 in the first embodiment. .

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 does not remain on the ceiling surface 10a and does not fall from the ceiling surface 10a, and travels along the gradient surface in the direction of arrow B in the figure. It flows down in the direction and is collected in the groove 13 along the side wall surface 10b1 located in the back of the thawing chamber 10. The moisture collected in the groove 13 is sent to the drain pan 8 through the drain pipe 7. That is, in the humidifying and thawing device 1B according to the present embodiment, the droplet drop preventing means is configured by the ceiling surface 10a having a slope surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 is prevented from falling from the ceiling surface 10a toward the frozen food 4 or the like that is the object to be thawed. In terms of hygiene, the quality of the foods 4 is not impaired. Further, the deterioration of the quality of the surface of the food 4 or the like due to the adhesion of excessive moisture is prevented, and rapid thawing becomes possible. Furthermore, since the droplet 6 flowing out through the ceiling surface 10a is prevented from flowing out toward the opening / closing door 9, even if the user opens the opening / closing door 9 during the thawing operation, the droplet 6 moves outside the apparatus. It will be prevented from scattering.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a humidifying and thawing device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. A humidifying and thawing device 1C in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is a single device having a humidifying and thawing function, similarly to the humidifying and thawing device 1A in the first embodiment described above. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected in the figure about the part similar to the humidification / thawing apparatus 1A in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and the description is not repeated here.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the humidifying and thawing device 1 </ b> C according to the present embodiment is different from the humidifying and thawing device 1 </ b> A according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the ceiling surface 10 a. More specifically, the ceiling surface 10a in the humidifying and thawing apparatus 1C according to the present embodiment is subjected to a hydrophilic coating process, and the surface of the ceiling surface 10a is covered with the coating layer 14. As a main component of the coating layer 14, it is preferable to apply a fluorine-based coating agent, a glass-based coating agent, a titanium oxide-based coating agent, or the like. However, since the titanium oxide-based coating agent is a photocatalyst, it is necessary to turn on the lighting device installed in the warehouse during the thawing operation in order to exert a hydrophilic function.

  More preferably, as shown in FIG. 3, as in the above-described first embodiment, from the highest position on the ceiling surface 10a toward the boundary between the ceiling surface 10a and the side wall surface 10b. The slope is formed with a predetermined inclination angle θ3 on the ceiling surface 10a so as to be gradually lowered. This makes it possible to guide the droplet 6 that cannot be held by the hydrophilic coating film layer 14 in the direction of the arrow C in the drawing along the gradient surface without dropping the side wall surface 10 b of the thawing chamber 10. Accordingly, the droplet 6 can be collected in the groove 13. The predetermined inclination angle θ3 is preferably in the range of 0 ° <θ1 ≦ 30 °, more preferably in the range of 5 ° ≦ θ1 ≦ 10 °, similar to the inclination angle θ1 in the first embodiment. .

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 is held by the hydrophilic coating layer 14, so that it is suppressed from falling from the ceiling surface 10a. become. That is, in the humidifying and thawing apparatus 1C according to the present embodiment, the droplet drop prevention means is configured by the hydrophilic coating layer 14 applied to the ceiling surface 10a.

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 is prevented from falling from the ceiling surface 10a toward the frozen food 4 or the like that is the object to be thawed. In terms of hygiene, the quality of the foods 4 is not impaired. Further, the deterioration of the quality of the surface of the food 4 or the like due to the adhesion of excessive moisture is prevented, and rapid thawing becomes possible.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a humidifying and thawing device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. A humidifying and thawing device 1D in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is a single device having a humidifying and thawing function, similar to the humidifying and thawing device 1A in the first embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected in the figure about the part similar to the humidification / thawing apparatus 1A in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and the description is not repeated here.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the humidifying / thawing device 1D in the present embodiment differs from the humidifying / thawing device 1A in the above-described first embodiment in the shape of the ceiling surface 10a and the configuration in the vicinity of the ceiling surface 10a. Specifically, in the humidifying and thawing device 1D according to the present embodiment, the ceiling surface 10a is formed horizontally without being inclined. On the other hand, a mesh member 15 as a droplet absorbing member is stretched below the ceiling surface 10a with a predetermined distance from the ceiling surface 10a.

  The mesh member 15 is installed so as to cover at least the upper part of the conductive plate 12 on which the food 4 or the like that is the object to be thawed is placed. The mesh member 15 is a member for receiving and absorbing the droplet 6 falling from the ceiling surface 10a. For example, a cloth-like mesh woven with cotton or the like, or a mesh in which a resin is formed in a net shape is used. In particular, when a cloth-like mesh member is used, a high droplet retention force is realized.

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 that has fallen from the ceiling surface 10a is received by the mesh member 15, so that the droplet 6 does not fall down to the food 4 or the like that is the thawing target located below the mesh member 15. It becomes like this. That is, in the humidifying and thawing device 1D according to the present embodiment, the droplet dropping prevention means is configured by the mesh member 15 stretched below the ceiling surface 10a.

  With this configuration, the droplet 6 condensed on the ceiling surface 10a of the thawing chamber 10 is prevented from falling from the ceiling surface 10a toward the frozen food 4 or the like that is the object to be thawed. In terms of hygiene, the quality of the foods 4 is not impaired. Further, the deterioration of the quality of the surface of the food 4 or the like due to the adhesion of excessive moisture is prevented, and rapid thawing becomes possible. In addition to the mesh member described above, a sponge member or the like can be used as the droplet absorbing member.

(Embodiment 5)
5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator-freezer in Embodiment 5 of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a humidifying and thawing device incorporated in the refrigerator-freezer shown in FIG. Unlike the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the humidifying and thawing device 1E according to the present embodiment is incorporated in the inside of a refrigerator-freezer. In FIG. 6, the same parts as those in the humidifying and thawing device 1 </ b> A in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerator-freezer 30 according to the present embodiment includes a freezer compartment 32 for freezing food, a refrigerator compartment 33 for refrigerated food, and vegetables in a space surrounded by a heat insulating wall 31. And a vegetable room 34 to be stored. Moreover, the refrigerator-freezer 30 in this Embodiment has the humidification thawing apparatus 1E in the predetermined space divided by the heat insulation wall 31. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the humidifying and thawing device 1 </ b> E includes a thawing chamber 10 and a water vapor generation chamber 20.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the humidifying / thawing device 1E according to the present embodiment differs from the humidifying / thawing device 1A according to the first embodiment in the shape of the ceiling surface 10a. Specifically, in the humidifying and thawing device 1D according to the present embodiment, the ceiling surface 10a is formed horizontally without being inclined. About another structure, it is the same as that of the humidification thawing apparatus 1A in Embodiment 1 mentioned above.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the flow of cold air in the refrigerator-freezer shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, in the refrigerator-freezer 30 according to the present embodiment, the cold generated by the refrigerator is first transmitted to the evaporator 35 by the refrigerant. Cold air is generated in the evaporator 35. The cold air generated by the evaporator 35 flows in the cold air flow path by the rotation of the F fan 36. The cold air flowing in the cold air flow path can flow into each of the freezer compartment 32, the refrigerator compartment 33, and the thawing chamber 10. However, an R damper 37 is provided in the cold air flow path between the evaporator 35 and the refrigerating chamber 33, and a K damper 38 is provided in the cold air flow path between the evaporator 35 and the thawing chamber 10. The functions of the R damper 37 and the K damper 37 adjust the widths of the respective cold air flow paths in the refrigerator compartment 33 and the thawing chamber 10. Thereby, the temperature of the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 33 and the temperature of the cold air in the thawing chamber 10 are adjusted. Moreover, the refrigerator compartment 33 and the vegetable compartment 34 are connected, and the cold air slightly warmed by the refrigerator compartment 33 flows into the vegetable compartment 34. The cold air in the vegetable compartment 34, the thawing chamber 10, and the freezer compartment 32 is returned to the evaporator 35 by the action of the F fan 36.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the relationship between the flow of cold air and the flow of humidified air in the thawing chamber of the humidifying and thawing device shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, in the refrigerator-freezer 30 according to the present embodiment, the water vapor flow path for thawing the food etc. 4 in the thawing chamber 10 and the cold air flow path generated by the evaporator 35 are separated. It is formed as an independent channel. The hot air from the heater 26 and the moisture from the humidifying heater 27 are sent into the thawing chamber 10 by the rotation of the blower fan 25 shown in FIG. Thereby, the air in the thawing chamber 10 is controlled so that the temperature is in the range of 0 to 25 ° C. and the humidity is approximately 90%.

  FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the ON / OFF operation of the heater and the humidifying heater and the opening / closing operation of the K damper in the humidifying and thawing device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, in the humidifying and thawing device 1E according to the present embodiment, the heater 26 and the humidifying heater are operated so that the heater 26 is activated before the humidifying heater 27 is activated at the start of the thawing operation. 27 is controlled by control means (not shown).

  At time t0 at which the thawing operation is started, a control unit (not shown) closes the above-described K damper 38, shuts off the flow of cool air flowing from the evaporator 35 into the thawing chamber 10, and operates the heater 26. Heating of the air in the thawing chamber 10 is started. Thereby, the bottom surface, the side wall surface, and the ceiling surface 10 a which are the wall surfaces of the thawing chamber 10 are heated by the air in the thawing chamber 10.

  The control means operates the humidification heater 27 at time t1 when it is detected that the temperature in the thawing chamber 10 has reached a predetermined temperature by a thermistor or the like installed in the thawing chamber 10. As a result, water vapor is supplied to the air in the thawing chamber 10, and the humidification and thawing operation is performed. Even during the humidifying and thawing operation, the K damper 38 is kept closed, and the heater 26 is kept on.

  As described above, at the start of the thawing operation, the temperature of the wall surface of the thawing chamber 10 is raised by operating the heater 26, which is a heating unit, before the humidifying heater 27, which is a humidifying unit, is operated. After that, the humidification operation can be started, so that dew condensation on the wall surface of the thawing chamber 10 is greatly suppressed. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent the liquid droplets from falling from the ceiling surface 10a to the food 4 which is the object to be thawed, and the quality of the food 4 is not impaired in terms of hygiene. In addition, deterioration of the quality of the surface of the food 4 or the like due to excessive moisture adhesion is prevented, and rapid thawing can be realized.

  It should be noted that the operation start of the humidifying heater 27 may be controlled based on room temperature information in the thawing chamber 10 detected by a thermistor or the like as described above, or for a certain time from the thawing operation start time t0. You may set so that it may transfer to ON operation automatically after progress.

  In Embodiments 1 to 4 described above, the case where the present invention is applied to a single humidifying and thawing device having a humidifying and thawing function has been described as an example. However, humidification incorporated in other devices such as a refrigerator The same can be applied to the thawing apparatus. Further, in the above-described fifth embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the humidification and thawing apparatus incorporated in the refrigerator-freezer has been described as an example, but a single humidification and thawing apparatus having a humidification and thawing function, The present invention can be similarly applied to a humidifying and thawing device incorporated in equipment other than the refrigerator.

  In addition, the droplet drop prevention means described in the first to fourth embodiments can be combined with each other, and further, an operation as described in the fifth embodiment can be combined with them. Is possible. For example, it is formed by tilting the ceiling surface, hydrophilic coating treatment is performed on the ceiling surface, a mesh member is stretched below the ceiling surface, and the humidifying means is activated at the start of the humidifying operation. If the heating means is controlled to operate prior to the liquid drop, the liquid droplets are almost certainly prevented from falling from the ceiling surface.

  Thus, the above-described embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a schematic cross section of the humidification thaw device in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic cross section of the humidification and thawing device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section of the humidification thawing device in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section of the humidification thawing device in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section of the refrigerator-freezer in Embodiment 5 of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a humidifying and thawing device incorporated in the refrigerator-freezer shown in FIG. 5. It is a block diagram which shows the flow of the cold air in the refrigerator-freezer shown in FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the relationship between the flow of the cold air in the thawing room | chamber of the humidification thawing apparatus shown in FIG. 6, and the flow of humidified air. It is a timing chart which shows the ON / OFF operation | movement of a heater and a humidification heater in the humidification thawing apparatus shown in FIG. 6, and the opening / closing operation | movement of a K damper.

Explanation of symbols

  1A to 1E Humidification and thawing device, 2 housing, 3 heat insulation wall, 4 food, etc. 5 water vapor, 6 droplets, 7 drain piping, 8 drain pan, 9 open / close door, 10 thawing chamber, 10a ceiling surface, 10b, 10b1, 10b2 Side wall surface, 12 conductive plate, 13 groove portion, 14 coating layer, 15 mesh member, 20 water vapor generation chamber, 21 storage tank, 22 piping, 23 solenoid valve, 24 duct, 24a inlet, 24b outlet, 24c storage portion, 25 Blowers, 26 Heating heaters, 27 Humidification heaters, 30 Refrigerating refrigerators, 31 Heat insulation walls, 32 Freezing rooms, 33 Refrigeration rooms, 34 Vegetable rooms, 35 Evaporators, 36 F fans, 37 R dampers, 38 K dampers.

Claims (6)

A thawing chamber having a bottom surface, a ceiling surface and a side wall surface and containing a thawing object;
Humidifying means for humidifying the air in the thawing chamber;
A humidifying and thawing device comprising: a droplet dropping prevention unit that prevents the droplet from falling from the ceiling surface.   The humidifying and thawing device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet fall prevention means is configured by providing a slope surface inclined with respect to a horizontal plane on the ceiling surface. The door further includes an opening and closing door for taking in and out the object to be thawed,
The humidifying and thawing device according to claim 2, wherein the inclined surface is formed so as to gradually become lower in a direction away from the opening / closing door.   The humidifying and thawing device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet drop prevention means is constituted by a hydrophilic coating film applied to the ceiling surface.   The humidifying and thawing device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet dropping prevention means is configured by a droplet absorbing member positioned below the ceiling surface. A thawing chamber for housing the thawing object;
Heating means for heating the air in the thawing chamber;
Humidifying means for humidifying the air in the thawing chamber;
A humidifying and thawing apparatus comprising: a control unit that operates the heating unit prior to operating the humidifying unit at the start of the thawing operation.

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