JP2007315634A - Cooled rice bin - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooled rice bin properly grasping deficient cooling and informing a user accordingly. <P>SOLUTION: The cooled rice bin comprising: a storing portion 6 receiving a stored object; a heat insulating housing 2 insulating the storing portion 6; a circulating space A formed between the storing portion 6 and the heat insulating housing 2; and a cooling device 9 for cooling the circulating space A, further comprises: a temperature sensor 27 detecting a temperature of the circulation space A; an abnormality judging portion 30b judging abnormal cooling on the basis of a circulation temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27; and a cooling abnormality lamp 18 reporting the abnormality in cooling when the abnormality judging portion 30b detects the abnormality in cooling. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooled rice container for storing grains such as white rice at a low temperature.

  Patent Document 1 is known as a cooled rice container for storing cereals such as white rice at a low temperature in a kitchen. This device surrounds the outer periphery of the storage room with a heat insulating panel, forms a cold air circulation space between the storage room and the heat insulating panel, circulates the cold air generated by the cooling device, and indirectly cools the storage room It is. The cooling device includes a Peltier element and a circulation fan. The cooling surface of the Peltier element is arranged in the circulation space, and the circulation fan cools the inside of the circulation space by circulating the cool air on the cooling surface. The cooling device is controlled based on a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the circulation space, and the supply voltage to the Peltier element is switched according to the space temperature. In addition, a heat dissipating fan for air-cooling the heat dissipating surface of the Peltier element is provided, and external air is applied to the heat dissipating surface to promote heat dissipation and maintain the cooling performance of the cooling surface.

By the way, if the outside air temperature is high or the outside air intake port of the radiating fan is clogged with dust or the like, and the radiating surface of the Peltier element is not efficiently cooled, the cooling surface of the Peltier element will not be sufficiently cooled and stored. It becomes impossible to keep the room at a suitable temperature. However, since there is no means for notifying the user of such a cooling abnormality in Patent Document 1, there has been a problem that rice is deteriorated without noticing the lack of cooling.
JP 10-338103 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cooling rice cake that solves the above problem by accurately grasping the lack of cooling and notifying the user of that fact.

  In order to solve such a problem, the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a stored product, a heat insulating box body that insulates the storage unit, a circulation space formed between the storage unit and the heat insulating box body, In a cooling rice vessel provided with a cooling device for cooling the circulation space, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulation space, an abnormality determination means for determining a cooling abnormality based on the circulation temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and And a notifying means for notifying that when the detecting means detects a cooling abnormality.

  Then, in order to accurately grasp the cooling abnormality, the abnormality determining means is configured to perform a first step in which the average circulation temperature per unit time detected by the temperature sensor is not allowed to exceed a predetermined value, and the first step is determined in advance. A second stage is determined to be defective when the impossibility when the number of repetitions exceeds a predetermined value, and a third stage is determined to be abnormal if the second stage of failure determination continues for a predetermined number of times.

  A first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulation space; a second temperature sensor for detecting the outside air temperature; and an abnormality determining means for determining a cooling abnormality based on the first and second temperature sensors; In the case where the detecting means is provided with a notifying means for notifying that when a cooling abnormality is detected, the abnormality determining means has an average circulation temperature per unit time detected by the first temperature sensor exceeding a predetermined value. Or a first step that disables the case where the difference between the average outside air temperature per unit time detected by the second temperature sensor and the average circulation temperature falls below a predetermined value, and the first step a predetermined number of times. A cooling abnormality is determined by executing a second stage in which a failure occurs when the number of repetitions exceeds a predetermined value and a third stage in which an abnormality is determined if the second stage of failure determination continues a predetermined number of times. To do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to notify the user that the cooling is not performed normally, so that the stored item is not deteriorated. Also. Since the cooling abnormality is determined by continuing the long-term defective state, the cooling abnormality can be reliably recognized without frequent occurrence of the cooling abnormality due to a temporary rise in the temperature in the storage.

  The cooling rice container of Example 1 shown below.

Hereinafter, Example 1 is demonstrated based on drawing. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a cooled rice container according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an internal sectional view.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a cooling rice vine body, which is attached to a heat insulating box 2 having an open front and upper surface, a front door 3 that can be freely opened and closed to the front opening of the heat insulating box 2, and an upper opening edge of the heat insulating box 2. It is comprised from the upper surface frame 4 and the cover body 5 attached to the upper surface frame 4 so that opening and closing is possible. The heat insulation box 2 is formed of a heat-insulating side panel, a back panel, and a bottom panel, and stores a storage unit 6 for storing grains such as white rice inside, and measures and discharges the grains in the storage unit 4 A weighing unit 7, a rice receiving container 8 that receives the grain discharged from the weighing unit 7, a cooling device 9 that cools the storage unit 6, and a water storage container 10 that stores the condensed water generated by the cooling device 9. I have. A front panel 11 continuous with the front surface of the rice receiving container 8 is attached to the front surfaces of the storage unit 6 and the weighing unit 7, and a viewing window for visually checking the remaining amount of rice in the storage unit 6 is attached to the front panel 11. 12 and an operation lever 13 for operating the measuring unit 7 are provided. The front door 3 is provided with a seal member 14 adhered to the front opening edge of the heat insulation box 2 on the inner surface, and insulates the front surface of the heat insulation box 2, and is used when the front panel 11 is operated or the rice receiving container 8 is attached or detached. Sometimes it opens and closes. The lid 5 is provided with a seal member 15 bonded to the opening edge of the upper frame 4 on the inner surface, and insulates the upper surface of the heat insulating box 2 and is opened and closed when the rice is put into the storage unit 6. The upper surface frame 4 has a shape in which the inner surface of the opening is inclined inward, and includes a display panel 16 on the front surface. The display panel 16 includes a power lamp 17, an abnormal cooling lamp 18, and a reset switch 19, so that the status of the apparatus can be recognized.

Next, the internal structure of the main body 1 will be described.
The storage unit 6 is a space defined by a side plate, a back plate, and a bottom plate behind the front panel 11, and an inner peripheral surface of the heat insulating box 2 so as to form a cold air circulation layer A around the front surface. It is arranged with a gap. The bottom plate of the storage unit 6 has a shape that is inclined toward the supply port 20 while opening the supply port 20 to the weighing unit 7 in a substantially central portion, and the stored matter in the storage unit 6 is smoothly smoothed. It is formed to flow. The cooling device 9 is composed of a Peltier element 21, a cooling fan 22, and a heat radiating fan 23, and an inclination of the back panel 2 c of the heat insulating box 2 recessed along the bottom plate of the storage unit 6 below the storage unit 6. It is provided on the surface B. The Peltier element 21 is provided with cooling fins 21a on the circulation layer A side with the inclined surface B interposed therebetween, heat radiation fins 21b on the outside air side, and a cooling fan 22 provided in the vicinity of the cooling fins 21a. A heat radiating fan 23 is provided in the vicinity of the heat radiating fins 21b. An intake port 24 and an exhaust port 25 are opened in the lower rear space C of the heat insulating box 2 provided with the heat radiating fan 23, and a filter 26 for preventing suction of dust and the like is attached to the intake port 24. It has been. A circulation temperature sensor 27 that detects the temperature of the circulation layer A is provided on the suction side of the cooling fan 22, and an outside air temperature sensor 28 that detects the outside air temperature is provided on the suction side of the heat dissipation fan 23. The water storage container 10 is provided in the lower rear space C of the heat insulating box 2 and stores the condensed water generated on the cooling surface 21 a of the Peltier element 21 via the drain hose 29. The condensed water accumulated in the water storage container 10 is also evaporated by the blowing of the heat radiating fan 23.

  In addition, as other equipment, detection means such as a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of rice in the storage unit 6 and a sensor for detecting the open / closed state of the front door 3 and the lid 5, the front door 3 and the lid 5 are closed. A mechanism for locking the state may be provided. As the remaining amount detection sensor for rice, an existing sensor using a vibrator or light is used, and a micro switch or the like may be used for the opening / closing sensors of the front door 3 and the lid 5.

The ventilation path | route of the storage 1 comprised in this way is demonstrated.
The cold air generated in the cooling fins 21a of the Peltier element 21 is sent to the measuring unit 7 and the rice receiving container 8 by the cooling fan 22, and most of the air is drawn from the gap between the storage unit side plate and the heat insulating box side panel. The storage unit 6 is cooled by following a circulation path that is drawn into the cooling fan 22 again. A part of the cool air is also distributed between the front panel and the back surface of the front door, which contributes to preventing condensation on the periphery of the front panel and the back surface of the front door. In order to minimize the leakage of cold air when the front door 2 is opened for measurement operation or the like, the cold air flow to the front surface is minimized. Further, a vent hole may be provided at the upper end of the side plate or the back plate so that a part of the cold air can be taken into the storage unit, whereby the white rice can be cooled from the entire periphery.

  On the other hand, the hot air generated in the radiating fins 21 b of the Peltier element 21 is discharged to the outside air by the radiating fan 23. An outside air temperature sensor 28 is provided on the suction side of the heat radiating fan 23, and a cooling abnormality is detected based on the outside air temperature detected here. Moreover, the ventilation of the radiation fin 23 acts on the water storage container 10 and contributes to promoting the transpiration of condensed water stored.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the first embodiment.
A control unit 30 is connected to the cooling device 9, the display panel 16, the circulating temperature sensor 27, the outside air temperature sensor 28, and the memory 31. The control unit 30 includes a drive unit 30a that controls the driving of the cooling device 9 based on the temperature sensors 27 and 28, and an abnormality determination unit 30b that determines a cooling abnormality based on the temperature sensors 27 and 28. ing. The memory 31 is provided with a memory map that stores a cooling state for each predetermined time (for example, one hour) determined based on the circulating temperature and the outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensors 27 and 28. The memory map is divided into M1 to Mn so that the cooling status for a predetermined period (for example, 3 days) can be stocked at all times. 30b is used to determine the cooling abnormality.

  The cooling drive control in the drive unit 30a is performed based on the circulating temperature of the circulating layer A detected by the circulating temperature sensor 27. If the circulating temperature is higher than the upper limit value, the supply voltage to the Peltier element 21 is maximized and the lower limit is set. If it is lower than the value, the supply voltage to the Peltier element 21 is set to “0”, and the supply voltage to the Peltier element 21 is increased or decreased between the upper limit value and the lower limit value according to the circulation temperature. Further, the cooling fan 22 and the heat radiating fan 23 are ON / OFF controlled, and are always driven to be constant except that the Peltier element 21 is turned OFF in a stopped state. Here, since the temperature detected by the circulating temperature sensor 27 is not the temperature of the surface of the storage unit but the suction temperature of the cooling fan 22, the temperature in the circulating layer A can be accurately recognized and is based on that temperature. In addition, accurate drive control of the cooling device is performed. Further, in this embodiment, the ambient temperature sensor 28 is provided to reflect the surrounding environment state in the drive control of the cooling device, and here, it is used to determine the upper limit value and the lower limit value as the control reference. Yes.

  The cooling abnormality determination in the abnormality determination unit 30b is performed based on the circulation temperature and the outside air temperature, and detects a situation where the storage unit does not cool. As for the situation where the storage part does not cool, it is in the initial stage of cooling, warm rice is introduced, the outside temperature is high, the lid and door are opened and closed, etc., and the suction of the heat dissipation fan due to filter clogging It may be necessary to perform maintenance / inspection such as a defect occurring or a cooling device failure. Among these, if an abnormality that does not cool by determining a temporary factor is determined, an error frequently occurs. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the case where the cooling does not cool for a long time to some extent continues the cooling abnormality. And so on.

Hereinafter, a method for determining the cooling abnormality in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
When the power is turned on, the power lamp 17 of the display panel 16 is turned on (S1). When the cooling device 9 starts operation, every time a unit time (for example, 1 minute) elapses (S2), the circulating temperature Ta and the outside air temperature Tb are taken in (S3). When this temperature data is taken in a predetermined number N (for example, 60 times = 1 hour) (S4), an average value Ta ′ of the circulating temperature and an average value Tb ′ of the outside air temperature are calculated (S5).

  Next, the calculated average value Ta ′ of the circulating temperature is compared with the set value T1 (S6). If the average value Ta ′ of the circulating temperature is lower than the set value T1, it is determined that the cooling is normally performed. The normal flag “0” is written in the memory map M1 of the memory 31 (S7). In step (S6), if the average value Ta ′ of the circulating temperature is equal to or greater than the set value T1, then the temperature difference ΔT (= Tb′−Ta) between the average value Ta ′ of the circulating temperature and the average value Tb ′ of the outside air temperature. ') Is compared with the set value T2 (S8), and if the temperature difference ΔT is equal to or greater than the set value T2, it is determined that the cooling is normally performed and the normal flag “0” is set in the memory map M1 of the memory 31. Write (S7). If the temperature difference ΔT is less than the set value T2 in step (S8), it is determined that the cooling is insufficient and a failure flag “1” is written in the memory map M1 (S9).

  The cooling determination in steps (S2) to (S9) is repeated until the cooling status data is written in the memory map Mn. When data is written to the memory map Mn (S10), the memory maps M1 to Mn are grouped into three groups. Dividing into G1 to G3 (S11), the number of defect flags E1 to E3 in each group is calculated (S12). Next, the calculated number of defective flags E1 is compared with the number of data in the group G1 (S13). If the number of defective flags E1 is less than half of the number of data, it is determined that cooling is normal, and the process returns to step (S2). If the number of defective flags E1 is equal to or greater than half of the number of data in step (S13), the number of defective flags E2 is compared with the number of data in the group G2 (S14), and if the number of defective flags E2 is less than half of the number of data. Then, it is determined that cooling is normal, and the process returns to step (S2). If the number of defective flags E2 is more than half of the number of data in step (S14), the number of defective flags E3 is compared with the number of data in the group G3 (S15), and if the number of defective flags E3 is less than half of the number of data. Then, it is determined that cooling is normal, and the process returns to step (S2). If the number of defective flags E3 is more than half of the number of data in step (S15), the defective state continues for a predetermined period. Therefore, it is determined that the cooling is abnormal, and the cooling abnormality lamp 18 of the display panel 16 is blinked (S16). ), The process returns to step (S2).

  After the cooling status data is written to the memory map Mn, each time the cooling determination is performed in steps (S2) to (S9), the latest cooling determination is overwritten in order from the memory map M1, and step (S11) is performed. ) To (S13), the abnormal cooling is determined by grouping the oldest data in order.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are explanatory views illustrating such a determination of cooling abnormality.
With the processing in steps (S2) to (S9) in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, if the memory map has M1 to M72, the cooling status data for 72 hours (that is, for 3 days) is stocked. When data is written up to M72 of this memory map, the memory map is divided into 24 pieces corresponding to one day by the processing of steps (S11) to (S13), and the first day M1 to M24, the second day Three groups of eyes M25 to M48 and day 3 M49 to M72. Then, the number of the cooling status data “1” determined as the cooling failure from the group on the first day is calculated, and if there are 12 or more defective data corresponding to half of the total number of data in the group, the group is determined as the cooling failure. When it is determined that all three groups have poor cooling, a cooling abnormality is determined. Thus, the determination of the cooling abnormality is not performed until 72 hours have elapsed from the start of the cooling, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the cooling abnormality frequently by catching the situation in which the cooling does not readily occur. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, even when one day has passed since the start of cooling, even if the storage part does not cool easily, it is determined that cooling has been performed normally if cooling has stabilized from the second day. It does not become abnormal.

  Once the data has been written to all the memory maps, new cooling status data is updated every hour by the processing of steps (S2) to (S9). This data is overwritten in order from the oldest memory map M1 as shown in FIG. And in the process of said step (S11)-(S13), it is divided | segmented into 3 groups of the 1st day M2-M25, the 2nd day M26-M49, and the 3rd day M50-M1, and the determination of cooling abnormality is performed. Therefore, after 3 days have passed since the start of cooling, data is updated every hour and cooling abnormality is judged, so that continuous cooling failure due to filter clogging or the like can be detected and abnormality notification can be instantly reported. it can.

  The blinking of the cooling abnormality lamp 16 is turned off when a user who has recognized the cooling abnormality removes the cause of the abnormality and inputs a reset switch. Although not specifically shown here, a cooling abnormality may be notified with a buzzer or the like.

It is a front view which shows the cooling rice cake of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an internal cross-sectional view showing a cooled rice container according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart figure which shows the determination method of the cooling abnormality in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation in a memory map according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation in a memory map according to the first embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Heat insulation box 3 Front door 5 Lid 6 Storage part 9 Cooling device 21 Peltier element 22 Circulation fan 23 Radiation fan 27 Circulation temperature sensor 28 Outside temperature sensor 30 Control part 30a Drive part 30b Abnormal judgment part 31 Memory

Claims (4)

Cooling provided with a storage part for storing the storage, a heat insulating box body for insulating the storage part, a circulation space formed between the storage part and the heat insulation box body, and a cooling device for cooling the circulation space In the rice bowl,
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulating space; an abnormality determining means for determining a cooling abnormality based on the circulating temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and an informing means for notifying that when the cooling means detects a cooling abnormality. Cooled rice bins characterized by comprising
The abnormality determining means includes a first stage in which an average circulation temperature per unit time detected by the temperature sensor is not allowed to exceed a predetermined value, and an impossibility number when the first stage is repeated a predetermined number of times. 2. The cooling rice bran according to claim 1, wherein a second stage for determining a defect when the value exceeds the value and a third stage for determining an abnormality when the defect determination in the second stage continues for a predetermined number of times are executed.
Cooling provided with a storage part for storing the storage, a heat insulating box body for insulating the storage part, a circulation space formed between the storage part and the heat insulation box body, and a cooling device for cooling the circulation space In the rice bowl,
A first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulation space; a second temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature; an abnormality determining means for determining a cooling abnormality based on the first and second temperature sensors; A cooling rice container comprising: an informing means for informing when a cooling abnormality is detected by the detecting means.
The abnormality determining means is configured to detect an average outside air temperature per unit time detected by the second temperature sensor when an average circulation temperature per unit time detected by the first temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined value. A first stage in which the case where the difference from the average circulation temperature is less than a predetermined value is not possible, and a second stage in which a case where the number of impossibility when the first stage is repeated a predetermined number of times exceeds a predetermined value is defective And a third stage in which the second stage is judged to be abnormal if the second stage of failure judgment continues for a predetermined number of times.

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