JP2006105463A - Draining structure of cooling storage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To satisfactorily drain defrosting water in the periphery of a cooling fan. <P>SOLUTION: A drain pan 32 that forms a bottom surface of a cooler chamber 30 comprises a bottom plate 33 formed in an attitude with a down gradient toward the deep side and two suction ports 40 opened in an upper side area, and cooling fans 50 are mounted so as to cover mounting cylinder parts 41. A fan cover 60 protecting each fan comprises a mesh part 62 on the inside of an annular outer frame 61, the outer frame 61 being formed in a groove shape to form a receiving part 63, and a drain groove 65 protrusively provided in a part of the circumference. An inlet port 47 is cut out and formed on the mounting cylinder part 41 side. The fan cover 60 is fitted into the mounting cylinder part 14 in a state where it is placed on the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32 with the drain groove 65 being inserted to the inlet port 47, and fixed by a screw 66. When the frost formed on the cooling fan 50 or the fan cover 60 itself is thawed, the defrosting water is received by the receiving part 64, then flows onto the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32 through the drain groove 65, and discharged similarly to defrosting water from a cooler. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a drainage structure of defrost water in a cooling storage.

Conventionally, what was described in patent document 1 is known as an example of a commercial cooling storage. As shown in FIG. 8, a cooler chamber 2 is defined by stretching a drain pan 1 that also serves as a duct on the ceiling of the storage body, and a refrigerating device outside the refrigerator is installed in the cooler chamber 2. The connected cooler 3 is accommodated, a suction port 4 is opened on the front side of the cooler 3 in the drain pan 1, a cooling fan 5 is disposed on the upper surface side, and a lower surface side is covered with a fan cover 6. ing. Then, the cooling operation is performed by driving the refrigeration apparatus and the cooling fan 5, and the cool air is exchanged with the cooler 3 while the internal air is sucked from the suction port 4 and flows through the cooler chamber 2. Is generated and is circulated and supplied so that this cold air is blown out from the outlet 7 on the back side, thereby cooling the interior.
Further, a defrosting operation is appropriately performed. This is performed by energizing the heater 8 provided in the cooler 3 to generate heat after the refrigeration apparatus and the cooling fan 5 are stopped, and the cooler 3 is heated. The adhering frost is melted and the defrost water is received by the drain pan 1 and then drained to the outside.
Japanese Patent No. 3027085

By the way, although it is mainly the cooler 3 that forms frost as described above, the case of the cooling fan 5 and the fan cover 6 may also form frost depending on conditions such as the internal cooling temperature and the state of the outside air. When there is frost formation, defrosting is performed by heat radiation from the heater 8 and the heated cooler 3 during the defrosting operation.
However, in the conventional one, the defrost water X may flow through the net 6A of the fan cover 6 or directly flow down, and may accumulate in a step portion with the flange 6B on the lower side, and may not be drained. The remaining defrosted water X becomes ice when switching to the cooling operation, and when it grows, it interferes with the cooling fan 5 to cause the cooling fan 5 to stop or even cause a failure. . Further, there is a possibility that the defrost water X may be dripped into the storage chamber due to overflowing without being accumulated in the above-mentioned place.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to satisfactorily drain defrost water around the cooling fan.

  As a means for achieving the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a drain pan that also serves as a duct is disposed on the ceiling of the storage chamber to define a cooler chamber. And a cooling fan is mounted on the drain pan and the lower surface side thereof is covered with a fan cover, and the internal air circulates through the cooler chamber as the cooling fan is driven. In the cooling storage where the defrost water from the cooler etc. is received by the drain pan and then drained after the cold air generated by heat exchange is circulated and supplied into the warehouse, The fan cover is provided with a receiving portion for receiving defrosted water from the cooling fan and the fan cover and the like, and a drainage portion for draining the defrosted water received at the receiving portion. Drainage section Characterized in place where the structure is arranged so as to face on the bottom surface of the drain pan.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the bottom surface of the drain pan is formed to be inclined and a drain outlet is provided on a lower edge side thereof, and the fan cover is along the inclined surface of the drain pan and It is characterized in that it is arranged in a posture in which the drainage part is located on the lower side.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the fan according to the second aspect, the fan cover has a shape in which a net portion is formed inside an outer frame, and the receiving portion is formed in the outer frame. The net portion is formed above the receiving portion.

<Invention of Claim 1>
If the frost on the cooling fan or fan cover melts due to defrosting operation, etc., the defrosted water is received by the receiving part and then drained from the drainage part. It is drained in the same manner as the defrost water. Since all the defrost water around the cooling fan is received by the receiving portion of the fan cover and then drained, it is possible to prevent the defrost water from remaining on the fan cover.

<Invention of Claim 2>
The defrosted water received at the fan cover receiving part flows down to the drainage part following the inclination, and then is guided from the drainage part to the bottom surface of the drain pan. Is done.
<Invention of Claim 3>
The defrost water adhering to the net part is collected in a receiving part below the net part by utilizing the inclination, flows down to the drainage part, and is guided onto the bottom surface of the drain pan. The defrost water adhering to the net part can also be drained reliably.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 1, the code | symbol 10 is the storage main body which consists of a heat insulation box body by which the front surface was opened, and while being supported by the four legs 11, the inside becomes the storage chamber 12. FIG. By partitioning the front of the storage chamber 12 with a partition frame 13, two upper and lower entrances 14 are formed, and a heat insulating door 15 is swingably attached to each entrance 14.

  On the upper surface of the storage body 10, a machine room 17 is configured by a panel standing around. A square opening 18 is formed in the ceiling wall 10 </ b> A of the storage body 10 that is the bottom surface of the machine room 17, and the unit base 21 of the refrigeration unit 20 is placed so as to close the upper surface of the opening 18. Is placed. On the other hand, a drain pan 32 that also serves as a cooling duct is stretched downwardly from the position of the lip of the lower surface on the front side (right side in FIG. 1) of the opening 18 toward the rear wall 10B. The cooler chamber 30 is formed between the two.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the unit table 21 is heat-insulating, and a refrigeration device 23 comprising a compressor 24, an air-cooled condenser 25, and the like is placed on the upper surface thereof, while the lower surface thereof. A cooler 27 (evaporator) is attached to the rear side of the rear side in a slanting posture in a downward direction and is unitized. The cooler 27 and the refrigeration apparatus 23 are circulated and connected by a refrigerant pipe 28 to constitute a known refrigeration cycle.
For example, a cord type heater 29 for defrosting is mounted on the lower surface of the cooler 27.

  The structure of the cooler chamber 30 will be further described. The drain pan 32 also serving as a cooling duct is made of synthetic resin such as ABS resin, and is formed in a flat rectangular dish shape as shown in FIG. 3, but from the near side (right side in FIG. 2) to the far side. The bottom plate 33 is formed to be inclined so that the depth gradually increases. Almost half of the front side of the bottom plate 33 is a mounting area for the cooling fan 50 described later, and the cooler 27 is positioned above the remaining back side portion. The mounting area of the cooling fan 50 has a slightly steep downward slope than the back side.

The rear wall 34 of the drain pan 32 is cut off at the upper side except for a predetermined height at the lower portion, and a cold air outlet 35 is formed by this cut-out portion.
The drain pan 32 has a deepest portion on the back side, and a drain port 36 is formed at a position slightly closer to the right side when viewed from the back side than the center in the width direction of the remaining back wall 34. The drain port 36 has a groove shape with an opening on the upper surface, and is formed so as to be lowered downward toward the back side. The drain port 36 is fitted and connected to the upper end portion of the drainage channel 38 formed in the back wall 10B of the storage body 10. The drainage channel 38 turns to the side wall side from the middle, and is opened on the near side of the bottom surface.
A heater 39 such as a belt heater is mounted in the drain port 36.

In the attachment area of the cooling fan 50 in the drain pan 32, two circular suction ports 40 are formed side by side, and the cooling fan 50 is attached to each of them. The cooling fan 50 has a structure in which a fan motor 52 is accommodated in a rectangular synthetic resin case 51 having a shroud in the center.
On the other hand, a mounting cylinder portion 41 is erected on the upper edge of the suction port 40 of the drain pan 32. The mounting cylinder 41 has a shape in which a relatively small small-diameter portion 43 is arranged in a step shape above a short large-diameter portion 42, and the outer periphery of the case 51 of the cooling fan 50 is formed on the outer periphery thereof. Support portions 45 that respectively support the four corner portions are formed separately in two front and rear portions.
The cooling fan 50 is fixed by fastening the corners of the four corners at the front and rear corners to the corresponding support portions 45 with screws 46. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the fan 52 </ b> A of the fan motor 52 is positioned in the small diameter portion 43 of the mounting cylinder portion 41.

  Further, a fan cover 60 that covers and protects the lower surface side of the fan 52A of the fan motor 52 is mounted. The fan cover 60 is made of a synthetic resin and has a structure in which a net 62 is formed inside a ring-shaped outer frame 61 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the outer frame 61 is wide with an outer diameter that fits almost tightly within the large-diameter portion 42 of the mounting cylinder portion 41 on the drain pan 32 side, and an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the fan 52A of the fan motor 52. It is formed in the ring shape. The inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the outer frame 61 are formed in a groove shape by the peripheral walls 63A and 63B being erected, thereby forming a defrosted water receiving portion 64.

A drainage groove 65 is connected to a part of the outer periphery of the receiving portion 64 so as to protrude by a predetermined dimension in the radial direction. In addition, an insertion hole 67 of a screw 66 is opened on the bottom surface of the receiving portion 64 at a position spaced apart from the formation position of the drainage groove 65 by 180 degrees.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a predetermined width is cut from the large diameter portion 42 to the stepped portion 44 on the attachment cylinder portion 41 side of the drain pan 32 as shown in FIGS. An introduction port 47 into which the drainage groove 65 of the fan cover 60 can be inserted is formed. Further, a screw hole 48 into which the above-described screw 66 is screwed is formed at a position on the near side opposite to the position where the introduction port 47 is formed in the stepped portion 44.

The mesh portion 62 of the fan cover 60 is formed so as to be stretched on the upper end surface of the inner peripheral wall 63A of the outer frame 61 (receiving portion 64). Specifically, the cross portion 69 and a plurality of concentric ring portions 70 are formed. It is a shape that is assembled. Therefore, the net portion 62 is formed at a position higher than the bottom surface of the receiving portion 64.
As shown by the arrow in FIG. 5, the fan cover 60 having the above-described shape has the outer frame 61 (the receiving portion 64) and the large-diameter portion 42 while the drainage groove 65 is inserted into the introduction port 47 of the mounting tube portion 41. The screw 66 fitted inside and passed through the insertion hole 67 of the outer frame 61 is fixed by screwing into the screw hole 48 on the mounting cylinder part 41 side and tightening. 2 and 3, the net 62 of the fan cover 60 covers the lower surface side of the fan 52 </ b> A of the fan motor 52, and the front end of the drain groove 65 protruding from the receiving portion 64. However, it is in a state of being placed on the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32.
Actually, the fan cover 60 is attached first, and then the cooling fan 50 is attached.

As described above, the drain pan 32 to which the two cooling fans 50 and the fan cover 60 are attached has the drain port 36 at the upper end of the drain channel 38 of the back wall 10B of the storage body 10 as shown in FIG. After the insertion, the edge on the near side (the right side in the figure) is applied to the edge on the near side of the lower surface of the opening 18 of the ceiling wall 10A, and the two attachment portions 49 at the left and right ends are screwed (see FIG. It is fixed by stopping with (not shown).
As a result, the bottom surface of the drain pan 32 has a downward slope toward the inner edge (the left side in FIG. 2), and the fan cover 60 also has an oblique posture in which the drainage groove 65 has come down. . As described above, the drainage groove 65 of the fan cover 60 is placed on the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32, and in the fan cover 60, the net portion 62 is arranged at a position one step higher than the bottom surface of the receiving portion 64. It is in the state.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
The cooling operation is performed by driving the refrigeration apparatus 23 (compressor 24) and the cooling fan 50, and the air in the storage chamber 12 flows from the suction port 40 into the cooler chamber, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 30, and after passing through the cooling fan 50, heat is exchanged while passing through the cooler 27 from the front to the back to generate cold air, and this cold air is blown into the storage chamber 12 from the outlet 35. The inside of the storage chamber 12 is cooled by being circulated as described above. During this time, the internal temperature is detected by the internal thermistor 72 (FIG. 2), and the driving and stopping of the refrigeration apparatus 23 and the cooling fan 50 are controlled depending on whether the detected temperature is higher or lower than the set temperature. Is substantially maintained at the set temperature.

When the cooling operation is continued, frost gradually adheres to the cooler 27. On the cooling fan 50 side, for example, the case 51 and the fan cover 60 are cooled to the same temperature as the inside temperature, and the outside air that has entered when the heat insulating door 15 is opened is easily touched. The case 51 and the fan cover 60 may be frosted depending on conditions such as the low internal temperature and the high external temperature.
Therefore, a defrosting operation is appropriately performed during the cooling operation. The defrosting operation is performed by energizing and heating the heater 29 provided in the cooler 27 and the heater 39 provided in the drain port 36 in a state where the refrigeration apparatus 23 and the cooling fan 50 are stopped. The frost adhering to the cooler 27 and the like is melted and dropped as defrost water onto the drain pan 32, flows down to the deepest part of the inner edge following the inclination of the bottom plate 33, and then passes through the drain port 36 to the rear wall 10B. Into the drainage channel 38. During this time, a mass of frost may fall and clog in the vicinity of the inlet of the drain port 36, but the mass is melted by the heat of the heater 39 and quickly discharged from the drain port 36 as defrost water. .

When all the frost in the cooler 27 becomes water, the cooler 27 further rises in temperature from 0 ° C., and this time, the cooler 27 becomes a heat source, and the heat radiation is directed to the cooling fan 50 side. As a result, the frost on the cooling fan 50 side is melted, and for example, the defrost water on the outer surface of the case 51 of the cooling fan 50 and the mounting cylinder portion 41 flows down onto the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32. On the other hand, defrosted water X from the inner surface of the mounting cylinder 41, the case 51 fitted in the mounting cylinder 41, and the inner surface of the outer frame 61 of the fan cover 60 is formed on the outer frame 61 of the fan cover 60. It is received by the receiving portion 64, flows down to the drainage groove 65 following the inclination of the fan cover 60, that is, the receiving portion 64, and flows from the drainage groove 65 onto the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32 on which it is placed.
The defrosted water X adhering to the mesh portion 62 of the fan cover 60 also flows along the mesh portion 62 itself along the inclination of the fan cover 60, that is, the mesh portion 62, and flows to the lower side thereof, and is received via the inner peripheral wall 63A. After flowing to the lower side of the portion 64, it flows from the drainage groove 65 onto the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32. After that, similarly to the defrost water from the cooler 27, it flows down to the rear edge following the inclination of the bottom plate 33 of the drain pan 32, and flows into the drainage channel 38 of the back wall 10B from the drainage port 36.

  When the defrost temperature sensor (not shown) detects that the temperature of the cooler 27 has risen to a predetermined value (for example, 35 ° C.), the heaters 29 and 39 are de-energized and the defrosting is finished. After that, a pre-cooling operation for cooling the cooler 27 is performed by starting the refrigeration apparatus 23 while the cooling fan 50 is stopped after a predetermined time (for example, about 10 minutes), and after a few minutes (optional ), The cooling fan 50 is activated and the cooling operation is resumed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the defrost water on the cooling fan 50 side, in particular, the defrost water X on the inner side of the mounting cylinder portion 41 and the inner surface of the fan cover 60 itself is provided on the fan cover 60. The defrosted water X that is received by the fan cover 60 and adhered to the net 62 of the fan cover 60 is all drained after being received by the receiver 64, so that it is possible to prevent defrosted water from remaining inside the fan cover 60. . As a result, it is possible to prevent the ice from growing as a result of the cooling operation, and to prevent the cooling fan 50 from interfering with the fan 52A. Further, the defrost water from the fan cover 60 is prevented from dripping into the cabinet, and the quality of stored items is prevented from being adversely affected. Moreover, since drainage from the fan cover 60 uses the drain pan 32, it is not necessary to provide a separate drainage path, and it is also possible to flow from the fan cover 60 onto the drain pan 32 as an inclination that is the mounting posture of the fan cover 60. Because it uses, you can easily organize the structure.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) The drain pan may have a shape in which the deepest portion is set at an arbitrary position such as the center of the bottom plate and the bottom plate is inclined downward toward the deepest portion. In such a case as well, the defrost water on the cooling fan side can be drained well by attaching the cooling fan and the fan cover to the inclined portion of the bottom plate.
(2) The receiving portion provided in the fan cover is not limited to the annular groove shape illustrated in the above embodiment, but may be formed in any shape as long as it can receive defrost water on the cooling fan side and flow down toward the drain groove. it can.
(3) The heating means for defrosting is not limited to a heater, and may be a hot gas system that distributes hot gas toward a cooler.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention Expanded cross section near the cooler room Disassembled perspective view of drain pan Perspective view of fan cover Exploded sectional view of the cooling fan and fan cover mounting part Sectional view after assembly Perspective view seen from the bottom side of the drain pan Schematic diagram around the cooler room

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Storage body 12 ... Storage room 27 ... Cooler 29 ... Heater 30 ... Cooler room 32 ... Drain pan 33 ... Bottom plate 35 ... Outlet 36 ... Drain port 38 ... Drain channel 40 ... Suction port 41 ... Installation cylinder 47 ... Inlet port DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Cooling fan 51 ... Case 52A ... Fan 60 ... Fan cover 61 ... Outer frame 62 ... Net | network part 64 ... Receiving part 65 ... Drainage groove (drainage part) 66 ... Screw X ... Defrost water

Claims (3)

A drain pan also serving as a duct is arranged on the ceiling of the storage chamber to define a cooler chamber. The cooler chamber is equipped with a cooler, and a cooling fan is attached to the drain pan, and the lower surface side is Cooled by being covered with a fan cover, and cooling air generated by heat exchange with the cooler through circulation of the cooler air through the cooler chamber as the cooling fan is driven. On the other hand, in the cooling storage where the defrost water from the cooler etc. is drained after being received by the drain pan,
The fan cover is provided with a receiving portion that receives defrost water from the cooling fan and the fan cover, and a drainage portion that drains the defrost water received at the receiving portion, A drainage structure for a cooling storage, wherein the drainage portion is arranged facing the bottom surface of the drain pan. A bottom surface of the drain pan is inclined and a drain outlet is provided on a lower edge side of the drain pan, and the fan cover is disposed along the inclined surface of the drain pan and with the drain portion positioned on the lower side. The drainage structure for a cooling storage according to claim 1. The fan cover has a shape in which a mesh portion is formed inside an outer frame, and the receiving portion is formed in the outer frame, and the mesh portion is formed above the receiving portion. The drainage structure for a cooling storage according to claim 2.

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