JP2006187408A - Kitchen cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sanitary kitchen cabinet which can keep partial dry or wet articles in a dry state. <P>SOLUTION: In a kitchen cabinet 2, a dehumidifier 8 equipped with reversible moisture absorbing/releasing function keeps a storage 1 in drying atmosphere. A dehumidification pathway with an inlet port 13 which leads to the storage 1 and an outlet 14 and a reproduction pathway which connects another outlet 15 communicating with outside of the storage 1 and the inlet port 13 are composed. The dehumidification pathway and the reproduction pathway are switched with lock/unlock damper system, and reproducible operation by the reproduction pathway, and dehumidification operation by the dehumidification pathway are performed, then, the reproducible operation makes the air flow from a ventilation opening 5, which leads to outside of the storage 1, through inside of the storage 1 to the inlet port 13, and through the reproduction pathway to the outside of the storage 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a kitchen cabinet provided with a storage that mainly stores articles such as semi-dried or wet cooking utensils in a dry state.

  The storage for storing food and other items in a dry state is roughly divided into a desiccant such as calcium chloride or pellet-like silica gel to absorb moisture in the storage to make the interior dry. There is an adsorbing dehumidifier equipped with an adsorbing material that circulates the air in the cabinet and causes the adsorbing material to absorb moisture to make the inside of the cabinet dry (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). Storage that uses natural zeolite or silica gel as an adsorbent does not accumulate water, and can be regenerated by applying heat to the adsorbent once absorbed and letting it dry.

JP-A-4-114714 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-93833

  Conventional storages store food and other articles in a dry state, and do not dry and store semi-dried or wet articles. Storage with an adsorption / dehumidification device equipped with an adsorbent with reversible moisture absorption / desorption function is also very humid if the amount of water adhering to the articles placed in the storage is high. Thus, the amount of moisture absorption that can be adsorbed by the adsorbent is exceeded, and the interior cannot be made a dry atmosphere. In a kitchen, if cooking utensils such as wet cloths and cutting boards are stored as they are, mold is generated, bacteria are propagated, and a strange odor is produced, which is not hygienic.

  In addition, as kitchens become more open today, it is desired that cooking utensils that have been placed on the work top of the kitchen cabinet can be organized in the kitchen cabinet. Even if these cooking utensils are stored, they need to be removed after washing with water, and are often left on the work top of the kitchen cabinet for a while to remove the water drops. However, wet cooking utensils occupy a limited space in the kitchen, which hinders work in the kitchen. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to store in the storage space of the cabinet with the water droplets attached, and there is a problem that the occurrence of mold and the growth of bacteria as described above are caused.

  If the storage space of the cabinet is made to have good ventilation in order to make it difficult to get moisture, the gaps will increase and insects such as cockroaches will be allowed to enter. In addition, knives and cutting boards are often stored on a worktop or on a wall with a knife holder or cutting board stand. However, today's kitchens tend to be open, dining and living are integrated, and the kitchen cabinet is often placed in the center of the space. In such kitchens, kitchen knives and cutting boards that stand on the worktop and on the wall obstruct work on the worktop and impair the appearance of the kitchen, and thus there is an increasing need to fit in the cabinet space of the kitchen cabinet.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the object of the present invention is to obtain a hygienic kitchen cabinet that can store a semi-dried or wet article in a dry state. There is to promote the simplification and functionality of the configuration of the kitchen cabinet.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has a dehumidifier having a number of passages through which air passes and has a reversible moisture absorption / release function, a blower for passing air through the passages of the dehumidifier, and a dehumidifier. A dehumidifying path having an air inlet incorporating a heating means for raising the temperature of air in the outer shell and having an air inlet and a blowout opening that can be opened and closed with the air path as a path and accommodates articles. And a regenerative path connecting the air outlet to the outside of the storage box, which is different from the air outlet that is routed through the air passage, and a suction path, and an open / close damper that operates the dehumidification path and the regenerative path with a motor Switching according to the mechanism, so that the regeneration operation by the regeneration route and the dehumidification operation by the dehumidification route are performed. Adopt means to allow airflow to flow.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hygienic kitchen cabinet which can arrange and store a semi-dry or wet article in a storage in a dry state is obtained. Then, the dehumidifier can be regenerated along with the ventilation in the storage by the regeneration operation, and the simplification of the configuration is realized by the reduction of the open / close damper mechanism, and the function of promoting drying by ventilation is provided.

  As for the kitchen cabinet of this invention, the storage is comprised in the cabinet space under the top part which comprises a worktop. The storage is provided with a drawer-type storage unit with an open upper part that can be pulled out and pushed in, and an adsorption dehumidifying device is incorporated in a place that does not interfere with the storage unit. The adsorption dehumidification device has a large number of passages through which air passes, a dehumidifier having a reversible moisture absorption / release function, a blower for passing air through the passages of the dehumidifier, and heating means for raising the temperature of the air passed through the dehumidifier A wind path incorporating the is constructed in the outer shell. The dehumidifying device has a dehumidification path having a suction port and a blowout opening that leads to the inside of the storage box with the air passage as a route, and a dehumidification path with the air passage as a route and a common suction opening and a blowout opening that communicates outside the storage case. A playback path with is configured. The storage is provided with a ventilation port with a greater pressure loss than the suction port leading to the storage, and ventilation from the outside of the storage chamber through the ventilation port and through the suction port leading to the interior of the storage space. The route is configured. This ventilation path is also the path of the air flow for regeneration. The air outlets of the dehumidification path and the regeneration path are alternately opened and closed by an open / close damper mechanism that is operated by a motor. For a predetermined time after turning on the power, the ventilation path is opened, and the dehumidifier is regenerated by the regeneration path along with the ventilation by the ventilation path. After that, the regeneration operation by the regeneration path and the dehumidification operation by the dehumidification path are alternately performed. .

  When you put semi-dried or wet cooking utensils in the storage part in the storage and turn on the power, the ventilation path (some of which is also the regeneration path) is opened, and the regeneration operation is started together with the ventilation operation, The moisture inside the chamber, which has become so humid that it exceeds the dehumidifying capacity of the dehumidifier, is driven out of the chamber through the outlet. A large amount of moisture in the chamber is expelled by ventilation operation, and the regeneration operation for regenerating the dehumidifier by the regeneration route is performed in parallel, and then the dehumidification route is opened and the dehumidification operation is performed. This is repeated alternately to make the inside of the cabinet dry. The inside of the cabinet is kept dry by repeated ventilation and dry atmosphere formation, and cooking utensils and the like put in a semi-dry or wet state are arranged and stored in an optimal dry state. Since this storage is not dried by heat, cooking utensils and the like in the storage can be altered, the adverse effects of heat around the installation location, and the thermal effects on the materials constituting the kitchen cabinet can be avoided. In addition, since the suction port for the regeneration path and the dehumidification path are common and an opening / closing damper mechanism for opening and closing the opening is unnecessary, the structure is simplified and a function of promoting drying by ventilation is provided.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
The present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 relates to a kitchen cabinet 2 that constitutes a system kitchen provided with a storage 1 that dries cooking utensils or the like to which moisture has adhered and stores them in a dry atmosphere. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1, the kitchen cabinet 2 includes a storage 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 below the top part of the worktop. The storage 1 is provided with a drawer-type storage 3 that can be taken in and out, and an adsorption dehumidifying device 4 that processes the air in the storage 1 into a dry atmosphere. The storage unit 3 is configured as a box structure with an open top surface, and can store cooking utensils or the like that are semi-dry or wet. The storage 1 in which the storage 3 is accommodated has a generally airtight structure. However, a small ventilation port 5 leading to the outside is provided, and this is not a completely airtight structure.

  The storage unit 3 is provided with an inner drawer 6 formed of a breathable mesh or punching metal as shown in FIG. The inner drawer 6 can be pulled out in conjunction with the storage unit 3 and can be pushed independently from the pushing-in of the storage unit 3 and has an easy-to-use structure.

  The adsorption dehumidifying device 4 is provided at one corner of the storage unit 3 as shown by the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 and has a dehumidifier 8 placed in a stationary state having a large number of linear passages 7 through which air passes, and a blower 9. And the heating means 10 as a main component. Adsorption dehumidification as shown in FIG. 5 is implemented by incorporating a blower 9 for ventilating the passage 7 of the dehumidifier 8 and a heating means 10 for raising the temperature of the air passed through the dehumidifier 8 into the air passage 12 in the outer shell 11 of the hexahedron. A device 4 is configured.

  The suction passage 13 of the adsorption dehumidifying device 4 has one suction port 13, and the two blowout ports 14 and 15 are opened in pairs on two surfaces of the adjacent outer shell 11. In the outer shell 11, a dehumidifying path from the suction port 13 through the air passage 12 to the one outlet 14 and a regeneration path from the inlet 13 through the air passage 12 to the other outlet 15 are configured. . The air outlet 14 of the dehumidifying path blows upward into the storage unit 3 so that the dehumidified air uniformly strikes the storage unit 3 including the inner drawer 6.

  The suction port 13 of the dehumidification route and the regeneration route is always open in the storage portion 3, and the air outlets 14 and 15 are opened and closed by the opening / closing damper mechanism 16. The opening / closing damper mechanism 16 has a blower opening / closing blade mounted on the rotating shaft of the stepping motor 17. The air outlet 15 in the regeneration path is communicated to the outside from the front panel of the storage unit 3 while maintaining airtightness.

The dehumidifier 8 is formed by laminating a corrugated structure material or a honeycomb structure material in which a hygroscopic material such as silica gel is bonded to inorganic fibers such as ceramics using a polymerization reaction, and a plurality of linear passages through which air to be treated passes. 7 is a rectangular parallelepiped having a density of 230 to 270 kg / m ³ , distributed throughout, and has a reversible moisture absorption / release function. Each passage 7 has a parallel shape, and all open ends thereof are opened on two opposing surfaces of the dehumidifier 8. Since the structure of the dehumidifier 8 is low pressure loss, the blower 9 may be small.

  The heating means 10 has a structure in which heat dissipating fins that are thermally connected to a positive temperature coefficient thermistor are integrated, and is assembled in a state of crossing the air passage 12 at the front stage of the dehumidifier 8. Between the dehumidifier 8 and the outer shell 11, a heat insulating structure of a heat insulating air layer or a multi-bubble heat insulating resin is provided so that the dehumidifier 8 can be efficiently heated during regeneration. The heating means 10, the blower 9, and the stepping motor 17 are controlled by a control circuit 18 equipped with a microcomputer incorporated in the adsorption dehumidifying device 4.

  As shown in the time chart of FIG. 6, the open / close damper mechanism 16 is provided in the kitchen cabinet 2 with the storage 1 by putting semi-dry or wet cooking utensils into the storage unit 3 and turning on the power. First, a regeneration operation is performed in which the blowout port 15 of the regeneration path is opened for a predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes) and the blower 9 and the heating means 10 are operated. By opening the regeneration path, air outside the storage 1 is sucked from the ventilation port 5 and blown out of the storage 1 through the regeneration path. That is, ventilation in the storage 1 is performed in parallel with the regeneration of the dehumidifier 8 by the regeneration operation. As a result, moisture such as cooking utensils in the storage 1 is expelled to the outside along with ventilation, and the humidity in the storage is at a level that can be processed by the moisture absorption capacity of the dehumidifier 8. Thereafter, the dehumidification path and the regeneration path are alternately opened and closed, and the dehumidifier 8 can be switched between the dehumidification process and the regeneration process to make the inside of the storage 1 have a dry atmosphere. The dehumidifying operation for dehumidifying the inside of the storage 1 is performed by rotating the stepping motor 17 and closing the air outlet 15 of the regeneration path with the air outlet opening / closing blade and operating the blower 9. That is, a circulating airflow is formed in the storage 1 by the opened dehumidification path, and moisture is adsorbed to the dehumidifier 8 in a molecular state every time it passes through the dehumidifier 8, and the inside of the storage 1 quickly becomes a low temperature dry atmosphere. . At this time, the air in the cabinet does not leak from the ventilation port 5. This is because the pressure loss of the ventilation port 5 is larger than that of the suction port 13.

  As the water molecules are adsorbed, the adsorptive capacity of the dehumidifier 8 decreases, so that a regeneration operation for regenerating the dehumidifier 8 in the regeneration process is performed. The regeneration of the dehumidifier 8 is performed by rotating the stepping motor 17, closing the blower outlet 14 of the dehumidification path by the blower opening / closing blade, operating the blower 9, and energizing the heating means 10, and about 70 ° C. Regeneration is performed at a temperature of. That is, the outside air is sucked into the storage 1 from the ventilation port 5 by the opened regeneration path, and is further heated by passing through the heat radiating plate of the heating means 10 through the suction port 13. Water molecules in the dehumidifier 8 are released by passing through the passage 7. Thereafter, the energization to the heating means 10 is cut off and the operation proceeds to the dehumidifying operation. The time for the regeneration operation and the dehumidifying operation is set to about 15 minutes, for example. Thereby, the cooking utensils etc. put in the storage part 3 can be stored in a clean and hygienic environment where mold and bacteria do not propagate.

  The regeneration operation is also a ventilation operation in which the inside of the storage 1 is ventilated at the same time, and the humidity in the storage 1 can be lowered by ventilation, but a series of passages such as the vent 5, the storage 1, the regeneration path, and the outside of the storage Therefore, when the dry state progresses and the operation is stopped, the control circuit 18 opens the dehumidification path and closes the regeneration path to stop the operation in order to maintain the interior atmosphere of the storage 1.

  In addition, an opening / closing lid that can be opened and closed may be provided at the ventilation port 5. In this case, the ventilation port 5 is automatically opened when the inside humidity becomes a predetermined value or less by using a humidity deforming member that deforms according to the inside humidity. It can also be closed with an open / close lid.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
The present embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 has an adsorption dehumidifying device and a hot air device provided in the storage of a kitchen cabinet, and the other basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. is there. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment are used for the same parts as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of the kitchen cabinet 2 of the present embodiment. In the kitchen cabinet 2, an adsorption dehumidifying device 4 and a hot air device 19 are provided in the storage 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the warm air device 19 is composed of a positive temperature coefficient thermistor 20 and a blower 21. The warm air device 19 sucks the air in the cabinet, raises the temperature, and blows it out into the cabinet. It is provided in the upper part on the back side that does not obstruct the storage of cooking utensils or the like, and a duct 22 is attached to the suction port so that air is sucked in from the lower side of the storage 1 and blown out from the upper side. Thereby, a short circuit can be prevented and the temperature distribution in the warehouse can be made uniform.

  In the rainy season, etc., the humidity rises to about 85%, so evaporation of water droplets adhering to cooking utensils etc. can hardly be expected. In addition, condensation may occur on the inner walls of the kitchen cabinet 2 and the storage 1 to cause mold. In such a case, if the warm air device 19 is operated and the inside temperature is increased by about 6 ° C., for example, the temperature 20 ° C. and the humidity 85% become the temperature 26 ° C. and the humidity 60%. The difference between the absolute temperature and the absolute humidity under the air condition is almost the same as the state of 20 ° C. and 50%. That is, the evaporation rate of water droplets adhering to cooking utensils and the like becomes substantially the same, and drying in the cabinet during the regeneration operation can be promoted.

  If it demonstrates in detail with the air diagram of FIG. 9, now the evaporation amount of the water droplet adhering to cooking utensils etc. at the time of temperature 20 degreeC and humidity 50% is generally represented by Q = KA (Pw2-Pw1). The Pw1 and Pw2 are water vapor pressures of air, and the unit is kPa (A and B in FIG. 9). The evaporation amount under these conditions is Q = KA (1.64-1.2) = 0.44KA. If the air condition such as the rainy season is temperature 28 ° C and humidity 85%, the evaporation amount at this time becomes Q = KA (3.35-3.23) = 0.12KA, 20 ° C, 50%. The amount of evaporation is significantly lower than that of Fig. 9 (c). If it heats with the warm air apparatus 19 and raises to 34 degreeC, the evaporation amount at this time will be Q = KA (3.66-3.23) = 0.43KA, and is the same as the time of 20 degreeC and 50%. The amount of evaporation can be realized (e) in FIG. Here, K is a coefficient, and A is the wet area of the cooking utensil or the like, and shows a substantially constant value. Therefore, the evaporation amounts can be compared depending on the difference in the water vapor pressure.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 10, a warm air device is provided in a kitchen cabinet in which the regeneration path of the adsorption dehumidifier and the suction port and the outlet of the dehumidification path are separated from each other. The basic configuration is the same as that of the second embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the second embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Even in the kitchen cabinet 2 of the present embodiment, the hot-air device 19 is operated immediately after the wet cooking utensils or the like are put in the storage 1, so that the drying in the storage is rapidly advanced as in the second embodiment. be able to.

It is a perspective view of a kitchen cabinet. (Embodiment 1) It is sectional drawing of the kitchen cabinet of the state which accommodated the accommodating part. (Embodiment 1) It is sectional drawing of the kitchen cabinet of the state which pulled out the accommodating part. (Embodiment 1) It is a perspective view which shows an inner drawer independently. (Embodiment 1) It is sectional drawing of an adsorption dehumidification apparatus. (Embodiment 1) It is a time chart which shows operation | movement of a storage. (Embodiment 1) It is a section lineblock diagram of a kitchen cabinet. (Embodiment 2) It is a section lineblock diagram of a warm air device. (Embodiment 2) It is an air diagram. (Embodiment 2) It is a section lineblock diagram of a kitchen cabinet. (Embodiment 3)

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Storage, 2 Kitchen cabinet, 3 Storage part, 4 Adsorption dehumidification apparatus, 5 Ventilation port, 7 Passage, 8 Dehumidifier, 9 Blower, 10 Heating means, 11 Outer shell, 12 Air path, 13 Inlet, 14, 15 Air outlet, 16 Open / close damper mechanism, 19 Hot air device.

Claims (4)

  A dehumidifier having a large number of passages through which air passes and having a reversible moisture absorption / release function, a blower for passing air through the passages of the dehumidifier, and heating means for raising the temperature of the air passed through the dehumidifier are assembled. A dehumidifying path having a suction port and a blowout opening that can be opened and closed with the air path as a path, and is connected to the storage for storing articles, and the air path as a path. Constructing a regeneration path connecting the air outlet and the air outlet, which is different from the air outlet, and the suction port, and switching the dehumidification path and the regeneration path by an open / close damper mechanism operated by a motor, The regeneration operation by the regeneration route and the dehumidification operation by the dehumidification route are performed, and in the regeneration operation, the ventilation port leading to the outside of the storage room leads to the suction port through the storage room, and the storage room through the regeneration path. Kitchen cabinet that allows airflow to flow outside Tsu door.   It is a kitchen cabinet of Claim 1, Comprising: When stopping operation, the kitchen cabinet which made the dehumidification path | route open and was made to stop.   It is a kitchen cabinet in any one of Claim 1 or Claim 2, Comprising: The kitchen cabinet provided with the warm air apparatus which makes the air in a storage room into warm air and blows it out into the storage room.   The storage has a number of passages through which air passes, a dehumidifier having a reversible moisture absorption / release function, a blower for passing air through the passages of the dehumidifier, and the temperature of the air passing through the dehumidifier is increased. An air passage incorporating a heating means is formed in the outer shell, and a dehumidification passage having a suction port and a blow-out opening that can be opened and closed with the air passage as a route and accommodates an article, and the air passage. Opening and closing that operates the motor with the dehumidification path and the regeneration path, comprising a suction path that communicates with the outside of the storage, and a regeneration path that has a blowout opening, which are separate from the suction port and the blowout port. It is switched by a damper mechanism so that the regeneration operation by the regeneration path and the dehumidification operation by the dehumidification path are performed, and the storage room has warm air that is blown into the storage room by warming the air in the storage room Kitchen cabinet with equipment.

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