JP2007094501A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending machine for selling articles such as canned beverages by cooling or heating, which has high cooling efficiency so as to reduce power consumption of a compressor and low probability of becoming unsafe even by using flammable hydrocarbon coolant. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic vending machine comprises the first cooling system 43 for cooling a dedicated cold chamber 31 and the first hot/cold switchable chamber 32, and the second cooling system 50 for cooling the second hot/cold switchable chamber 33 and the third hot/cold switchable chamber 34, thereby cooling by using a plurality of cooling systems with the compressors suited for cooling two chambers in the most frequently used operation mode can improve the cooling efficiency, reduce the power consumption of the compressors, and lower the fill ration of the coolant in a cooling system. Therefore, even usage of the hydrocarbon coolant having a lower global warming potential and better efficiency can lower the probability of becoming unsafe due to leakage of the coolant. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling system, in particular, in a vending machine that sells products such as canned beverages heated or cooled.

  In recent years, while the environmental protection has been screamed, the vending machine industry has been promoting energy saving of equipment with the introduction of the top runner system.

  Of the power consumption of the vending machine, the power consumption of the compressor is about 25%. By reducing this power consumption, a certain amount of energy can be saved.

  In addition, the chlorofluorocarbon (refrigerant) CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon) -12 or HCFC (Hydrochlorofluorocarbon) -22 used in the cooling system, such as refrigerant CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon) -22, has been used in the cooling system. The use of refrigerants containing hydrogen is restricted, and conversion to HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants that do not contain chlorine atoms and that do not destroy the ozone layer is in progress. In particular, in the vending machine industry, R407C, which is a mixed refrigerant of HFC refrigerant, is adopted and sold.

  In addition, the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants such as R600a (isobutane) and R290 (propane), which have low global warming potential and high efficiency, is also in progress, but because of the flammability, the cooling system is filled with a large amount of refrigerant. Difficult to do.

  A conventional vending machine includes a plurality of evaporators in one cooling system, and a switching valve is provided in each evaporator to switch the evaporator through which a refrigerant flows, thereby cooling a product (for example, a patent) Reference 1).

  Moreover, in the vending machine using a combustible refrigerant | coolant, there exist some which reduced the refrigerant | coolant amount filled by not flowing a refrigerant | coolant simultaneously to all the evaporators (for example, refer patent document 2).

  Hereinafter, a conventional vending machine will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a conventional vending machine described in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional vending machine has a first storage chamber 1, a second storage chamber 2, a third storage chamber 3, a fourth storage chamber 4, and a machine chamber 5 for storing products. A first evaporator 6, a second evaporator 7, a third evaporator 8, a fourth evaporator 9, a condenser 10 installed in the machine room 5, a compression installed in each storage chamber The cooling system 12 is composed of a machine 11.

  The first evaporator 6, the second evaporator 7, the third evaporator 8, and the fourth evaporator 9 have a first capillary tube 13, a first switching valve 14, and a second capillary, respectively. The tube 15 and the second switching valve 16, the third capillary tube 17 and the third switching valve 18, the fourth capillary tube 19 and the fourth switching valve 20 are connected in series.

  The first evaporator 6, the second evaporator 7, the third evaporator 8, the fourth evaporator 9 and the condenser 10 are provided with blower fans 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively. ing.

  The operation of the conventional vending machine configured as described above will be described below.

  The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the condenser 10 and is heat-exchanged with the outside air led to the condenser 11 by the blower fan 25 and condensed. Thereafter, the first capillary tube 13, the second capillary tube 15, the third capillary tube 17, and the fourth capillary tube 19 are diverted and decompressed, respectively, and then the first evaporator 6 and the second evaporation tube. Flows into the evaporator 7, the third evaporator 8, and the fourth evaporator 9. The refrigerant that has flowed into the respective evaporators is evaporated by heat exchange with the air in the storage chamber guided to the evaporator by the blower fans 21, 22, 23, and 24. Thereby, the storage chamber can be cooled. Then, the refrigerants exiting the respective evaporators merge and return to the compressor 11.

Here, by controlling the opening and closing of the first switching valve 14, the second switching valve 16, the third switching valve 18, and the fourth switching valve 20, it is controlled to which evaporator the refrigerant flows. By not allowing the refrigerant to flow at the same time, the amount of refrigerant charged in the cooling system 12 can be reduced.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-30996 JP 2004-177084 A

  However, in the above conventional configuration, since all the storage rooms cannot be cooled at the same time, when new products are put into all the storage chambers at a time, until the products in all the storage rooms reach a temperature at which they can be sold. There was a problem that it took time.

  Further, by alternately cooling the storage chambers, the product temperature of the uncooled storage chamber is raised, so that there is a problem that the cooling efficiency is deteriorated and the operation rate of the compressor is increased.

  The present invention solves the conventional problems, and has high cooling efficiency, can reduce the power consumption of the compressor, and has a low probability of becoming unsafe even when using a flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant. The purpose is to provide a vending machine.

  In order to solve the above conventional problems, the vending machine of the present invention has a plurality of cooling systems and a maximum of two evaporators connected to one cooling system.

  As a result, the compressor can be selected in accordance with the two-chamber cooling which is the operation mode of the most frequently used vending machine, so that all the storage chambers can be efficiently cooled and one cooling system can be used. The refrigerant charging amount per hit can be reduced.

  The vending machine of the present invention can improve the cooling efficiency by cooling with a plurality of cooling systems, reduce the power consumption of the compressor, and reduce the refrigerant charging amount per cooling system. Thus, even when a flammable hydrocarbon-based refrigerant is used, the probability of being unsafe due to refrigerant leakage can be reduced.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine having a plurality of storage chambers for storing products, an evaporator is disposed in each storage chamber, and the evaporator and at least a section for storing the products By having a plurality of cooling systems connected in a ring by a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion mechanism installed outside, the number of evaporators connected per one cooling system is set to two at the maximum Because it is possible to use a compressor that matches the two-chamber cooling that is the operation mode of the most frequently used vending machine, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency and to cool with a plurality of cooling systems, Since more storage chambers can be cooled at the same time, the cooling performance at high loads can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the fins can be shared by integrating the condensers of the respective cooling systems in the first aspect of the invention, so that any one of the cooling systems can be operated independently. In this case, the condensation capacity can be improved. In addition, the space can be saved in the condenser and the fan can be shared, so the cost can be reduced.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the at least one cooling system according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, a serial pipe that connects two evaporators in series is provided. Since excess refrigerant can be flowed to the evaporator located downstream and the evaporation capability of the upstream evaporator can be supplemented, the evaporation temperature can be raised to improve the efficiency of the compressor.

  Invention of Claim 4 uses the hydrocarbon-type refrigerant | coolant as a refrigerant | coolant as a refrigerant | coolant in the cooling system of the invention as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3, Especially, of the condenser with a large refrigerant | coolant retention amount. Since the capacity can be reduced according to the compressor, the amount of refrigerant charged per cooling system can be reduced, and even if hydrocarbon refrigerant is used, the probability of being unsafe due to refrigerant leakage is reduced. be able to. In addition, among natural refrigerants with a low global warming potential, the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants such as R600a with relatively high efficiency and low capacity can prevent global warming and increase the efficiency of the cooling system. .

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those of the conventional example or the embodiments described above, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the vending machine of the present invention is a storage room comprising a cold dedicated room 31, a first hot / cold switching room 32, a second hot / cold switching room 33, and a third hot / cold switching room 34. , A compressor 35, a first evaporator 36 installed in the cold dedicated chamber 31, a second evaporator 37 installed in the first hot / cold switching chamber 32, and a machine chamber 38. An expansion mechanism connected in parallel to the outlet of the first switching valve 40 and the first switching valve 40 for switching between the condenser 39, the first evaporator 36 and the second evaporator 37. A first cooling system 43 comprising a first capillary tube 41 and a second capillary tube 42 for cooling the cold dedicated chamber 31 and the first hot / cold switching chamber 32; a compressor 44; The ho A third evaporator 45 installed in the hot / cold switching chamber 33, a fourth evaporator 46, a condenser 39, and a third evaporator 45 installed in the third hot / cold switching chamber 34. A second switching valve 47 for switching which refrigerant flows to the fourth evaporator 46, a third capillary tube 48 as an expansion mechanism connected in parallel to the outlet of the second switching valve 47, a fourth A second cooling system 50 that includes a capillary tube 49 and cools the second hot / cold switching chamber 33 and the third hot / cold switching chamber 34 is provided.

  Here, the second evaporator 37 and the fourth evaporator 46 have smaller internal volumes than the first evaporator 36 and the third evaporator 45, respectively.

  In the first cooling system 43, the outlet of the second evaporator 37 and the inlet of the first evaporator 36 are connected in series by a first series pipe 51. Similarly, also in the second cooling system 50, the outlet of the fourth evaporator 46 and the inlet of the third evaporator 45 are connected in series by the second serial pipe 52.

  Further, the condenser 39 is constituted by a two-pass fin tube heat exchanger, and each refrigerant pipe is connected to the first cooling system 43 and the second cooling system 50.

  Here, the refrigerant used in the cooling system of the present embodiment is a hydrocarbon refrigerant such as an R290 single refrigerant, an R600a single refrigerant, or a mixed refrigerant containing R290. In particular, it is desirable to use R600a, which is a high-boiling refrigerant having excellent efficiency.

  The first evaporator 36, the second evaporator 37, the third evaporator 45, the fourth evaporator 46, and the condenser 39 have independent blower fans 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57, respectively. Is provided.

  The first hot / cold switching chamber 32, the second hot / cold switching chamber 33, and the third hot / cold switching chamber 34 are provided with heaters 58, 59, and 60, respectively.

  The operation and action of the vending machine configured as described above will be described below.

  In addition, since the 1st cooling system 43 and the 2nd cooling system 50 perform the same operation | movement, description of operation | movement is abbreviate | omitted about the 2nd cooling system 50. FIG.

  First, when cooling the cold exclusive chamber 31 and the first hot / cold switching chamber 32, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 35 is supplied to the condenser 39, and the outside air guided to the condenser 39 by the blower fan 57. The water is exchanged with heat to be condensed and liquefied, and supplied to the first switching valve 40.

  Here, in the condenser 39 of the present embodiment, the condensers of the first cooling system 43 and the second cooling system 50 are integrally configured and share fins, so that any one of the cooling systems is independent. When operated, the condensing capacity can be improved. Further, since the blower fan 57 can be shared by the first cooling system 43 and the second cooling system 50, the cost is reduced.

  When the flow path is switched by the first switching valve 40 and the pressure is reduced by the first capillary tube 41, the flow is supplied to the first evaporator 36 and evaporated. Further, when the pressure is reduced by the second capillary tube 42, it is supplied to the second evaporator 37 to evaporate, is supplied to the first evaporator 36 through the serial pipe 51, and the second evaporator 37. The excess refrigerant that could not be evaporated in step evaporates in the first evaporator 36.

  Here, when indoor heat exchangers are connected in parallel as in a conventional vending machine, when the amount of refrigerant is determined according to the indoor heat exchanger having the largest volume, the refrigerant is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger having the smallest volume. When flowing, the evaporating temperature is extremely lowered. However, as in the present embodiment, by connecting the indoor heat exchanger via the serial pipe 51, the second volume having a smaller volume than the first indoor heat exchanger 36 is obtained. Even when the refrigerant flows through the indoor heat exchanger 37, the evaporating temperature can be prevented from becoming extremely low, so that the efficiency of the compressor can be improved. Furthermore, while cooling the first hot / cold switching chamber 32, the cold exclusive chamber 31 can also be cooled at the same time, so that the operating rate of the compressor can be lowered and a highly efficient vending machine can be obtained. it can.

  The first switching valve 40 may use an electromagnetic valve, but it is preferable to use a three-way switching valve because the power consumption can be reduced.

  Then, the gas refrigerant exiting the first evaporator 36 is refluxed to the compressor 35. Here, the first capillary tube 41 and the second capillary tube 42 are designed so that the evaporation temperature is about −20 to −15 ° C. Further, by using the first capillary tube 41 and the second capillary tube 42 as the expansion mechanism, heat can be exchanged with the refrigerant piping from the first evaporator 36 to the compressor 35, and each evaporator The cooling capacity can be improved.

  On the other hand, when the first hot / cold switching chamber 32 is heated, the first switching valve 40 is fixed to the capillary tube 41, the refrigerant is supplied only to the first evaporator 36, and the heater 58 is heated. Heat with.

  Here, the cooling systems 43 and 50 according to the present embodiment are filled with a flammable hydrocarbon-based refrigerant. Even if piping is accidentally damaged, piping is damaged due to excessive piping vibration, etc., or leaks in the machine room 38, there are two evaporators per cooling system, so the conventional cooling system Since the amount of refrigerant to be charged is reduced as compared with the above, the concentration of the refrigerant in the air can be lowered, the risk of refrigerant leakage can be reduced, and safety can be ensured.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the first cooling system 43 that cools the cold exclusive chamber 31 and the first hot / cold switching chamber 32, the second hot / cold switching chamber 33, and the third hot / cold switching chamber 32, respectively. Compressors 35 and 44 are selected in accordance with the two-chamber operation which is the operation mode of the most frequently used vending machine. In addition, by performing cooling with a plurality of cooling systems, a larger number of storage chambers can be cooled at the same time, so that the cooling capacity at high loads can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the capacity of the condenser having a large refrigerant retention amount can be reduced according to the compressor, the refrigerant charging amount per cooling system can be reduced, and even if a flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant is used. The probability of being unsafe due to refrigerant leakage can be reduced.

  Also, among natural refrigerants with low global warming potential, hydrocarbon refrigerants such as R600a with relatively high efficiency and low capacity are used, so that global warming can be prevented and the efficiency of the cooling system can be improved. I can plan.

  In the present embodiment, the condensers of the first cooling system 43 and the second cooling system 50 are integrally configured, so that fins can be shared with each other, and the cooling system is operated by one unit. In this case, the condensation capacity is improved, so that the efficiency can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the blower fan 57 can be shared, space saving and cost reduction can be achieved.

  As described above, the vending machine according to the present invention can simultaneously cool a plurality of cooling systems by cooling with a plurality of cooling systems, and can reduce the refrigerant filling amount per cooling system. Since a low-coefficient and efficient hydrocarbon-based refrigerant can be used, it can be applied to a large-scale air conditioner or a cooling device having a series of coolers.

Refrigerant circuit diagram of vending machine in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Refrigerant circuit diagram of a conventional vending machine

Explanation of symbols

31 Cold dedicated chamber 32 First hot / cold switching chamber 33 Second hot / cold switching chamber 34 Third hot / cold switching chamber 35 Compressor 36 First evaporator 37 Second evaporator 39 Condenser 41 First capillary tube 42 Second capillary tube 43 First cooling system 44 Compressor 45 Third evaporator 46 Fourth evaporator 48 Third capillary tube 49 Fourth capillary tube 50 Second cooling system 51 First serial piping 52 Second serial piping

Claims (4)

  In the vending machine having a plurality of storage chambers for storing products, an evaporator is disposed in each of the storage chambers, and the evaporator, and a condenser installed at least outside the compartment for storing the products, A vending machine having a plurality of cooling systems connected in a ring by a compressor and an expansion mechanism, and having a maximum of two evaporators connected to one cooling system.   2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the condenser of each cooling system is integrally formed.   The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least one cooling system and a serial pipe for connecting two evaporators in series.   The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant is used as a refrigerant of the cooling system.

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