JP2008076019A - Dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain excessive drying, when preserving a drying object. <P>SOLUTION: When performing preserving operation in succession to drying operation, a refrigerating device 33 and a cooling fan 35 are operated, after stopping a circulating fan 22. Thus, cold air circularly flows to a short cycle circulating passage 56 composed of bypass passage 37 and a part of an upper side ventilation passage 17A opposed to this passage, and the inside of a drying chamber 12 is indirectly cooled, while generating natural convection in the drying chamber 12 with an upper surface plate 11A as a cooling plate, by cooling the upper surface plate 11A of an inner box 11 by the cold air. During this time, the cold air flowing to the short cycle circulating passage 56 is maintained at the predetermined temperature, by controlling the refrigerating device 33 for ON and OFF based on its detecting temperature, by detecting the temperature of the bypass passage 37, in its turn, the inside of the drying chamber 12 is also maintained at the predetermined preserving temperature. Cooling-preservation can be performed while restraining drying of the drying object. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drying apparatus used for drying food materials, wood, and the like.

Conventionally, what was described in patent document 1 is known as this kind of drying apparatus. In this case, the inner box is stored in the main body consisting of a heat insulating box with a space, so that a ventilation path is formed from the upper side of the inner box to both the left and right sides, and the outlets are formed on both the left and right sides of the inner box. Is opened, the upper ventilation path is further divided into upper and lower parts, a cooler and a cooling fan are provided in the upper duct, and a circulation fan and a heater are provided in the lower duct.
In the drying operation, when the circulation fan is driven, air is circulated and circulated in one direction over the ventilation path and the inner box, while the cooling fan is driven so that the lower duct of the upper ventilation path is connected to the lower duct. Part of the circulating air is sucked into the upper duct side and dehumidified by passing through the cooler, and the dried air is merged at the outlet side of the upper duct, and further heated by the heater to enter the inner box It is used for drying the stored material to be dried.
On the other hand, when the energization to the heater is interrupted in the above operation, a part of the air sucked into the upper duct side is cooled by passing through the cooler, and the generated cold air is merged at the outlet side of the upper duct. After that, the inner box is cooled by circulating in the inner box, and so-called cooling operation (storage operation) is also possible.

As described above, when the drying operation and the storage operation are possible, for example, the inside of the inner box is maintained at a predetermined temperature and humidity for a predetermined time by the drying operation, and a desired dryness (weight / dry after drying) After drying to the previous weight), the storage operation can be continued to lower the inside box to the refrigeration temperature or the freezing temperature, and the dried product after drying can be stored at a low temperature.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-106766

By the way, as described above, when storing at low temperature after completion of drying, the cooling air mixed with the cold air cooled by the cooler circulates in the inner box, but a part of the cooling air passes through the cooler. In this case, since the water vapor is frosted, the cooling air gradually becomes low humidity, and the inside box is also reduced in humidity. For this reason, there is a concern that the storage object may be further dried more than necessary, leading to quality deterioration.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to suppress excessive drying when storing an object to be dried.

  As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that the main body comprising the heat insulating box body and the inner surface of the main body are accommodated in the main body with a space therebetween and a through hole is formed on the side surface. An inner box made of a heat conducting member, a ventilation path formed around the inner box, and air circulation in one direction from the ventilation path to the inside of the inner box by the operation provided in the ventilation path A circulating fan that is connected to the ventilation path, draws a part of the air in the ventilation path, generates cold air by heat exchange, and is provided in the ventilation path with cooling air that can be re-introduced into the ventilation path. And a heating means capable of heating the air flowing through the ventilation path to raise the temperature, and generating the circulation flow by operating the circulation fan, and generating the circulation flow On the other hand, cool air is introduced by the cooling means to reduce humidity And, if necessary, by raising the temperature by the heating means, the drying operation for maintaining the inside of the inner box at a predetermined drying temperature, and stopping the circulation fan or reducing the operation rate, Control means capable of switching and executing a storage operation for indirectly cooling the inside of the inner box through cooling the air in the passage by the cooling means to lower the wall surface temperature of the inner box is provided. It is characterized by its configuration.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cooling means includes a bypass path provided with a cooler connected to a refrigeration apparatus and a cooling fan outside the ventilation path on the upper side. It is configured by being connected, and is provided with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of air flowing through this bypass path, and the storage operation is performed by operating the cooling fan, While forming a short cycle circulation path that circulates air over a region facing the bypass path in the ventilation path, the short cycle is controlled by controlling the operation and stop of the refrigeration apparatus based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. It is characterized in that the temperature of the circulation path is controlled.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a deodorizing device is provided in the ventilation path, and the circulation fan is intermittently operated every predetermined time during the storage operation. It is characterized in that a circulation fan operation control means is provided.
The invention of claim 4 is the combustion type deodorizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the deodorizing apparatus is provided with a deodorizing catalyst and a deodorizing heater for heating the deodorizing catalyst. It is characterized in that a heater control means for controlling energization of the deodorizing heater in synchronization with the operation is provided.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the circulating fan operation control means is configured such that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor disposed in the bypass path is higher than a predetermined set temperature. If it is high, it has a feature that it has a function of extending the operation time of the circulation fan until the detected temperature falls to the set temperature.

<Invention of Claim 1>
When the storage operation is performed after the drying operation or before the drying operation to temporarily store the object to be dried, the cooling unit is operated after the circulation fan is stopped or the operation rate is lowered. In this case, the air in the ventilation path is gradually cooled and the wall surface of the inner box becomes low temperature, while the cooling air hardly circulates in the inner box, or the inner box is used as a cooling plate. The inside box is cooled while natural convection is generated inside. In other words, the inside of the inner box is so-called indirect cooling, and the cooling air that is gradually reduced in humidity is not directly circulated, and even if it is only a slight wind, the drying of the object to be dried is suppressed. Can be stored refrigerated.

<Invention of Claim 2>
During the storage operation, the circulation fan is stopped or the operation rate is lowered, so that when the cooling fan is operated, the cold air circulates consisting of a bypass path and a part of the ventilation path facing it. Circulating and circulating in the road, the inner box is cooled with the same cold air, and the inner box is indirectly cooled. During this time, the temperature of the bypass passage is detected, and the refrigeration apparatus is controlled to be turned on / off based on the detected temperature, so that the cold air flowing through the short cycle circulation passage is maintained at a predetermined temperature, and the cooling temperature in the inner box is also predetermined. Maintained at temperature.
In addition, since the opening is opened in the side surface of the inner box, the inside of the inner box communicates with the ventilation path and the short cycle circuit. Therefore, the air in the inner box naturally convects while exchanging heat with the cold air in the short cycle circuit, and accordingly the humidity in the inner box tends to decrease. Here, as described above, the temperature of the cold air in the short cycle circuit is controlled to prevent excessive cooling, so that the lowering of humidity in the inner box due to natural convection is also suppressed.

<Invention of Claim 3>
Even during the storage operation, there is a risk that a specific odor may be generated from the material to be dried and the same odor component may adhere to the inside of the inner box, etc. There is a concern that this will lead to quality degradation.
Therefore, while a deodorizing device is provided in the ventilation path, the circulation fan is intermittently operated every predetermined time during the storage operation. Thereby, a circulation flow distribute | circulates in an inner box and an odor component is decomposed | disassembled by a deodorizing apparatus. In addition, since the circulation flow is also cooling air, the inside of the inner box is directly cooled. However, since the circulation of the cooling air is intermittent and limited to a short time, drying of an object to be dried is as much as possible. It can be suppressed.

<Invention of Claim 4>
Depending on the amount of odorous components generated, the type of odorous components, etc., the combustion type deodorizing device may have a better decomposition function. Therefore, a combustion-type deodorizing device is provided in the ventilation path, and the deodorizing heater of the combustion-type deodorizing device is energized in synchronization with the operation of the circulation fan.
As a result, the odor component filled in the inner box is more effectively decomposed, and the deodorizing heater is turned off except when circulating the circulating flow, and the inner box is heated unnecessarily. Can be avoided.

<Invention of Claim 5>
During storage operation, if the inside of the inner box rises above the storage temperature due to opening / closing of the door or intrusion heat from the outside, it takes time for the inner box to return to the appropriate temperature due to indirect cooling. There is a case.
In the present invention, during the preservation operation, when the circulation fan is operated for a predetermined time for removing odors, the temperature of the bypass passage is also detected, and if the detected temperature exceeds the set temperature, the inner box It is considered that the internal temperature has exceeded the storage temperature, and the operation of the circulation fan is continued. The circulation fan is stopped only when the detected temperature falls to the set temperature. Since the cooling air is directly circulated in the inner box for cooling, the inner box can be quickly returned to the storage temperature.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a main body made of a heat insulating box having a front opening, and an inner box 11 made of a heat conducting member such as a metal plate is mounted in the main body 10. In the inner box 11, the top plate 11 </ b> A and the left and right side plates 11 </ b> B and 11 </ b> C are assembled in a front gate shape that is slightly smaller than the opening of the main body 10, and each plate 11 </ b> A to 11 </ b> C A drying chamber 12 is constituted by the inside of the inner box 11 with a space between the inner side and the inner side of the inner box 11. In the drying chamber 12, a plurality of shelf networks 13 are mounted over a plurality of stages via shelf receivers (not shown). An object to be dried such as food is placed on the shelf network 13.

The front surface of the space between the inner box 11 and the main body 10 is closed with a cover plate 15 (partially omitted), and therefore, the upper side is between the outer surface of the inner box 11 and the inner surface of the main body 10. A ventilation path 17A, a left ventilation path 17B, and a right ventilation path 17C are formed. Each ventilation path 17 </ b> A to 17 </ b> C has a width that is comparable to the depth of the inner box 11.
An inlet 18 is formed in the left side plate 11B facing the left side ventilation path 17B in the inner box 11, and a plurality of outlets 19 are opened in the right side plate 11C facing the right side ventilation path 17C. ing.
On the inflow port 18 side, a guide plate 18A that protrudes horizontally from the lower edge toward the outside is formed. However, these guide plates 18A are set such that the protruding length a gradually increases from the upper stage toward the lower stage.
On the other hand, on the outlet 19 side, a guide plate 19A that protrudes obliquely downward on the outside from the upper edge is formed. These guide plates 19A are formed so that the opening angle gradually increases and the length decreases from the upper stage toward the lower stage, and accordingly, the guide plates 19A correspond to the lower edge of the outlet 19 as they move from the upper stage to the lower stage. The distance from the lower edge of the guide plate 19A, that is, the substantial opening size b is set to be large.

A circulation fan 22 is provided at the left end (exit) as viewed from the front of the upper ventilation path 17A. Three circulating fans 22 are arranged side by side over the entire width of the upper ventilation path 17A. When the circulation fan 22 is driven, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the air discharged from the circulation fan 22 flows downwardly through the left ventilation path 17B and sequentially passes from each inlet 18 to the drying chamber. 12 flows into the drying chamber 12 to the right, exits from the outlet 19 and rises on the right ventilation path 17C, and then flows upward on the upper ventilation path 17A toward the circulation fan 22 to the left. A circulation flow is generated. That is, the circulation path 23 by the circulation fan 22 is configured.
As described above, on the inlet 18 side, the protrusion length a of the guide plate 18A is made larger as the lower step side is farther from the blow-out side of the circulation fan 22, so that the air can be easily introduced. The amount of inflow at the inlet 18 is equalized. On the other hand, on the side of the outlet 19, the lower the side farther from the suction side of the circulation fan 22, the larger the actual opening size b, so that the air can easily flow out. As a result, the outlet 19 of each stage The outflow is equalized. Therefore, in the drying chamber 12, air can be circulated almost uniformly over the entire height region.

  A cooler chamber 25 that houses the cooler 32 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 10. Specifically, a horizontally long rectangular window hole 26 is opened at a position near the right end of the upper surface of the main body 10 and in the center in the depth direction, and above the window hole 26, heat insulation such as polystyrene foam is provided. A cooler chamber 25 is formed in the interior by covering with a heat insulating case 27 having a box shape with an open bottom surface formed integrally with the material. The depth of the window hole 26 described above is about half of the width (depth) of the upper ventilation path 17A. In addition, a heat-insulating partition wall 28 is fitted and partitioned to the left and right in a length range of about 1/3 in the center portion in the left-right direction of the window hole 26, the suction port 29 on the right side, and the discharge port on the left side. 30 are formed.

  A cooler 32 is provided in the cooler chamber 25 above the partition wall 28. The cooler 32 is circulated and connected by a refrigerant pipe to a refrigeration apparatus 33 (comprising a compressor, a condenser, etc .: shown in FIG. 5) installed outside the cooler chamber 25 on the upper surface of the main body 10, and is well-known refrigeration. A cycle is configured. The discharge port 30 is equipped with two cooling fans 35 via attachment members. The mounting member is, for example, a plate shape that closes the discharge port 30 and has two holes arranged side by side, and the cooling fans 35 are respectively disposed in the hole portions.

  When the cooling fan 35 is driven, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, a part of the air that has circulated from the right ventilation path 17C to the right end (inlet) of the upper ventilation path 17A in the circulation path 23 is sucked. The air is sucked into the cooler chamber 25 upward from the port 29 and circulates through the cooler 32 to the left, and then discharged downward from the discharge port 30 to the upper ventilation path 17A. A passage extending from the suction port 29 through the cooler 32 to the discharge port 30 is a bypass passage 37 according to the present invention.

The suction port 29 is equipped with a temperature sensor 55 for detecting the temperature of the air flowing through the bypass passage 37. Since the suction port 29 in the bypass passage 37 is open to the circulation passage 23 passing through the drying chamber 12, as long as the circulation fan 22 is operated and the circulation passage 23 is formed, The detected temperature can be regarded as the internal temperature (the temperature in the drying chamber 12).
On the other hand, as will be described in detail later, when the circulation fan 22 is stopped, as shown by an arrow x in FIG. 8, air (over the region facing the bypass passage 37 in the upper ventilation passage 17A and the air ( A short cycle circuit 56 for circulating the cool air) is formed, and the inside of the drying chamber 12 is indirectly cooled by the cool air flowing through the short cycle circuit 56. Therefore, in this case, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 55 arranged at the suction port 29 takes a value lower than the internal temperature (the temperature in the drying chamber 12) by a predetermined temperature.

  In addition, the defrosting operation is appropriately performed, so that a defrost heater 39 is attached to the cooler 32, and the upper surface of the partition wall 28 receives the lower surface side of the cooler 32. A drain pan 40 is attached. The drain pan 40 mainly functions to receive defrost water from the cooler 32 and drain it to the outside. The cooler chamber 25, the refrigeration apparatus 33, and the like described above are housed in a casing that forms the machine chamber 42.

A heater 45 is arranged slightly downstream of the position where the discharge port 30 of the bypass passage 37 is opened in the upper ventilation passage 17A. The heater 45 is spirally wound, for example, and is mounted across the full width (depth) of the upper ventilation path 17A.
A combustion-type deodorizing unit 47 is provided at a position below the partition wall 28 in the upper ventilation path 17 </ b> A, in other words, at a position between the suction port 29 and the discharge port 30 of the bypass path 37. As schematically shown in FIG. 3, the deodorizing unit 47 is fitted with a metal honeycomb catalyst 49 (hereinafter referred to as catalyst 49) in a cylindrical case 48, while a sheathed heater or the like is provided on the intake side thereof. For example, by allowing air to pass through the catalyst 49 while being heated to about 300 ° C., that is, deodorization, that is, deodorization. It has a function that can perform.
Further, a deodorizing filter 52 is provided on the upstream side of the circulation fan 22 in the upper ventilation path 17A. The deodorizing filter 52 is, for example, an artificial enzyme supported on the surface of a honeycomb carrier, and can exhibit a deodorizing function from a low temperature to a normal temperature region.

  Basically, the drying apparatus according to the present embodiment can execute a drying operation for drying an object to be dried accommodated in the drying chamber 12 and a storage operation for storing the object to be dried at a low temperature. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first switching mode for executing the storage operation following the drying operation, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second switching mode for executing the storage operation before the drying operation, and FIG. 4C. As shown in FIG. 6, each control operation in the third switching mode in which the storage operation is executed before and after the drying operation is possible, and each control operation is executed based on a predetermined program.

The operation control mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. This control mechanism includes a control device 60 equipped with a microcomputer, two timers 61 and 62, and stores various programs.
An operation mode setting unit 64, a time setting unit 65, a temperature setting unit 66, and a temperature sensor 55 are connected to the input side of the control device 60.
The operation mode setting means 64 can selectively set the drying mode, the storage mode, and the first to third switching modes. The time setting means 65 is for setting the operation time, and can be set individually for the drying operation and the storage operation. The temperature setting means 66 is for setting the internal temperature in advance, and can be set individually for drying and for storage (refrigeration and freezing). The temperature sensor 55 detects the temperature of the suction port 29 of the bypass passage 37 as described above.

On the other hand, a display panel 68, a refrigeration apparatus 33 (compressor and condenser fan), a cooling fan 35, a circulation fan 22, a heater 45, and a deodorizing heater 50 are connected to the output side of the control device 60.
The display panel 68 can display the type of operation mode, the internal temperature, and the like. The display panel 68 is provided with setting operation sections of the operation mode setting means 64, the temperature setting means 66 and the time setting means 65 described above, and is provided at the lower front position of the machine room 42.

Then, the effect | action of this embodiment is demonstrated. Here, as shown in FIG. 4A, a case where the first switching mode in which the storage operation is executed following the drying operation is selected is illustrated.
In this case, the operation mode setting means 64 sets the first switching mode, and the time setting means 65 sets the respective operation times of the drying operation and the storage operation. Further, the temperature setting means 66 sets the internal temperature for each of the drying operation and the storage operation (the setting value of the drying temperature and the setting value of the storage temperature).

As described above, in the drying operation in which the circulation fan 22 is operated, the temperature of the suction port 29 of the bypass passage 37 coincides with the temperature in the drying chamber 12. The detected temperature is compared with the set value of the drying temperature.
On the other hand, in the storage operation in which the circulation fan 22 is stopped, the temperature of the suction port 29 is a temperature obtained by subtracting a certain value from the temperature in the drying chamber 12. Therefore, when performing the control operation, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 55. And a value obtained by subtracting a fixed value from the set value of the storage temperature (hereinafter referred to as a reference temperature). However, when the circulation fan 22 is operated during the storage operation, the temperature of the suction port 29 coincides with the temperature in the drying chamber 12, and therefore the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 55 and the storage temperature are set during control. The value is compared.

[Dry operation]
The drying operation will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. The drying temperature is set, for example, in the range of 5 to 40 ° C., and the temperature of the cooler 32 is changed in accordance with the set temperature T1.
When the start switch is turned on, the cooling fan 35 provided in the bypass passage 37 and the circulation fan 22 provided in the circulation passage 23 are driven, and one minute later, the heater 45 and the deodorizing unit 47 are provided. The deodorizing heater 50 is energized. After 3 minutes from the start, the refrigeration apparatus 33 (compressor and condenser fan) is driven. Thereby, as shown by the arrow line in FIG. 1, air flows through the circulation path 23, and a part of the air that has circulated from the right ventilation path 17 </ b> C to the right end of the upper ventilation path 17 </ b> A from the suction port 29 of the bypass path 37. By being sucked upward into the cooler chamber 25 and passing through the cooled cooler 32, water vapor in the air is condensed on the cooler 32, that is, dehumidified to generate dry air. This dry air is discharged downward from the discharge port 30 to the upper ventilation path 17A, joined to the air flow flowing leftward through the upper ventilation path 17A, and then heated by passing through the heater 45, This is continued, and the dehumidified air is circulated through the circulation path 23, that is, the drying chamber 12 while being gradually heated, and the inside of the drying chamber 12 is gradually heated (initial heating).

  When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 55 of the suction port 29 reaches an upper limit value T1u that is higher than a predetermined drying temperature set value T1, the energization of the heater 45 is cut off, and the circulating air The temperature gradually decreases, and the internal temperature also decreases accordingly. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 55 reaches a lower limit value T1d that is a predetermined temperature lower than the set value T1 of the drying temperature, the heater 45 is energized again, and the temperature is raised by heating the circulating air. The internal temperature also rises gradually. Thereafter, the internal temperature (drying temperature) is substantially maintained at the set temperature T1 (control heating) by repeating the above. During this time, the material to be dried housed in the drying chamber 12 is accelerated in the evaporation of the contained water, that is, gradually dried.

During the drying operation, the deodorizing heater 50 of the deodorizing unit 47 is energized to raise the temperature of the catalyst 49. In particular, when the temperature of the catalyst 49 reaches about 300 ° C. (complete combustion decomposition temperature), the catalyst 49 is circulated. Oxidative decomposition of odor components in the air, that is, deodorization is completely performed. In detail, the deodorizing unit 47 functions so that oxidative decomposition of the odor component starts when the temperature of the catalyst 49 is about 80 ° C., and is completely decomposed as described above when it rises to about 300 ° C. Therefore, when the temperature of the catalyst 49 is about 80 ° C. to about 300 ° C., there is a concern that an intermediate product may be generated due to incomplete decomposition of the odor component. It is decomposed by a deodorizing filter 52 having a function of decomposing odor components.
During the drying operation, if it is detected that frosting has progressed, for example, by detecting the temperature of the cooler 32, the defrosting operation is executed although not described in detail.
After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the drying operation, the drying operation is stopped, and during this time, the material to be dried is dried to a desired degree of drying.

[Conservation operation]
When the drying operation for a predetermined time is completed, the storage operation is subsequently performed. A preservation | save driving | operation is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B. The storage temperature can be arbitrarily set from the refrigeration temperature to the freezing temperature.
As will be described later, in the preservation operation, the inside of the drying chamber 12 is basically cooled, and means for effectively exerting the deodorizing function intermittently for a predetermined time is taken.

  When the storage operation is switched, the energization of the heater 45 and the deodorizing heater 50 of the deodorizing unit 47 is cut off as shown in step S1, while the cooling fan 35 of the bypass passage 37 and the circulation fan 22 of the circulation passage 23 are disconnected. The refrigeration apparatus 33 (compressor and condenser fan) is driven with a delay of about 3 minutes. Thereby, as shown by the arrow line in FIG. 1, air flows through the circulation path 23, and a part of the air that has circulated from the right ventilation path 17 </ b> C to the right end of the upper ventilation path 17 </ b> A from the suction port 29 of the bypass path 37. The cold air is sucked upward into the cooler chamber 25 and passes through the cooler 32 to generate cold air by heat exchange. The cold air is discharged downward from the discharge port 30 to the upper ventilation path 17A and joined. The air continues to circulate through the circulation path 23 as the temperature gradually decreases, and the inside of the drying chamber 12 is gradually cooled (initial cooling).

When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 55 at the suction port 29 is equal to or lower than a predetermined set value of the storage temperature (“Yes” in step S2), the operation of the cooling fan 35 is continued as in step S3. The refrigeration apparatus 33 and the circulation fan 22 in the circulation path 23 are stopped. At the same time, measurement of a first predetermined time (for example, about 30 minutes) by the first timer 61 is started.
In particular, the air that has been sucked into the bypass passage 37 from the suction port 29 and passed through the cooler 32 as shown by the arrow x in FIG. However, a short cycle circulation path 56 is formed in which the air is blown out from the discharge port 30 and then flows in the reverse direction through the upper ventilation path 17A and is sucked into the bypass path 37 from the suction port 29 again.

Therefore, thereafter, the upper surface plate 11A of the inner box 11 is cooled by the cold air flowing through the short cycle circulation path 56 to become a low temperature, and natural convection is generated in the drying chamber 12 using the upper surface plate 11A as a cooling plate, while the interior of the drying chamber 12 is maintained. It will be indirectly cooled. During this time, the on / off state of the refrigeration apparatus 33 is controlled based on the rise and fall of the temperature in the drying chamber 12, and the inside of the drying chamber 12 is substantially maintained at the set value of the storage temperature (control cooling).
As described above, during the indirect cooling using the short cycle, the temperature of the suction port 29 is substantially equal to the temperature (reference temperature) obtained by subtracting the constant value A (several K) from the temperature in the drying chamber 12. Therefore, the actual control operation is performed as follows.

That is, as shown in steps S4 to S8 of the flowchart, when the detected temperature of the suction port 29 reaches an upper limit value that is higher than the reference temperature by a predetermined temperature, the temperature in the drying chamber 12 (internal temperature) is stored. The operation of the refrigeration apparatus 33 is resumed because the temperature is considered to be higher than the temperature (upper limit value), and the internal temperature gradually decreases. Thereafter, when the detected temperature of the suction port 29 reaches a lower limit value lower than the reference temperature by a predetermined temperature, it is considered that the internal temperature has become lower than the storage temperature (lower limit value), and the refrigeration apparatus 33 is stopped. Thereafter, the above operation is repeated until the first predetermined time elapses, and the temperature of the suction port 29 is maintained substantially at the reference temperature, that is, the internal temperature is substantially maintained at the set value of the storage temperature.
Here, since the inside of the drying chamber 12 is indirectly cooled, the object to be dried is cooled and stored while unnecessary drying is suppressed.

When the execution time of the control operation has passed the first predetermined time (step S8 is “Yes”), in addition to the operation of the refrigeration apparatus 33 and the cooling fan 35, the circulation fan 22 is operated, as in step S9. The deodorizing heater 50 of the deodorizing unit 47 is energized. In addition, the measurement of the first predetermined time is stopped, and instead, the measurement of the second predetermined time (for example, about 10 minutes) by the second timer 62 is started.
As a result, a circulating flow including circulation into the drying chamber 12 is generated as in the initial cooling described above, and therefore, the deodorizing unit 47 and the deodorizing filter 52 are mixed with the special odor generated from the object to be dried in the circulating flow. The odor components are decomposed, that is, deodorized.
Since the circulation flow through the drying chamber 12 is generated during the operation (deodorizing operation) that exhibits the deodorizing function in this way, the temperature of the suction port 29 matches the temperature of the drying chamber 12. To do. Therefore, during the deodorizing operation, as shown in step S10 to step S14, when the detected temperature of the suction port 29 becomes equal to or lower than the lower limit value of the storage temperature, the heater 45 is turned on, and conversely the detected temperature of the suction port 29. Is equal to or higher than the upper limit value of the storage temperature, the heater 45 is repeatedly turned off, and the inside of the drying chamber 12 is maintained substantially at the storage temperature.
During the deodorizing operation, if the door is opened or closed, the temperature in the drying chamber 12 may increase. In this case, it is necessary to lower the storage temperature. When energized, it takes time to lower the internal temperature. In anticipation of such a situation, the deodorizing operation is limited to about 10 minutes. That is, when the second predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the deodorizing operation (“Yes” in step S14), energization to the deodorizing heater 50 is stopped and the heater 45 is turned on in step S15. Is turned off, and the measurement for the second predetermined time is stopped.

Further, when the deodorizing operation is completed, the internal temperature may be higher than the storage temperature due to the opening / closing of the door or the intrusion heat from the outside as described above. At this time, when switching to the control operation, since it is indirect cooling, there is a dislike that it takes time for the internal temperature to return to an appropriate temperature (storage temperature).
Therefore, following step S15, the internal temperature is detected. Specifically, since the circulating flow is circulated during the deodorizing operation, the temperature of the suction port 29 of the bypass passage 37 may be equal to the temperature in the drying chamber 12, and therefore, in step S16, suction is performed. When the detected temperature of the mouth 29 is compared with the set value of the storage temperature and the detected temperature is higher (“No” in step S16), the circulation fan 22 is continuously operated with both the refrigeration apparatus 33 and the cooling fan 35. As a result, similarly to the initial cooling, the cooling air is circulated in the drying chamber 12, and the inside of the drying chamber 12 is cooled relatively early.

When the temperature in the drying chamber 12 is lowered to the storage temperature, that is, when the detected temperature of the suction port 29 is equal to or lower than the set value of the storage temperature (Step S16 is “Yes”), the control operation in Steps S3 to S8 is resumed. The
Following step S15, when the detected temperature of the suction port 29 is compared with the set value of the storage temperature in step S16, if the detected temperature is lower (“Yes” in step S16), then The control operation is switched to step S3 to step S8.

As described above, in the storage operation, the deodorizing operation is intermittently executed for a predetermined time during the control operation. When a preset time for the storage operation elapses, the storage operation ends.
Note that the second switching mode in which the storage operation is executed before the drying operation shown in FIG. 4B or the third switching mode in which the storage operation is executed before and after the drying operation shown in FIG. 4C is also selected. The drying operation and the storage operation are executed in the same manner as described above.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, after the drying operation or before the drying operation, when performing the storage operation to temporarily store the object to be dried, the cold air circulated through the short cycle circuit 56 is used. Thus, the inside of the drying chamber 12 is indirectly cooled. In other words, since the inside of the drying chamber 12 is cooled without the direct circulation of the cooling air that is gradually reduced in humidity, it can be cooled and stored while suppressing the drying of the object to be dried.
In addition, since the inlet 18 and the outlet 19 are opened on the side surface of the inner box 11, the interior of the drying chamber 12 is in communication with the ventilation paths 17 </ b> A to 17 </ b> C and the short cycle circulation path 56. There is a concern that the internal air naturally convects while exchanging heat with the cold air in the short cycle circuit 56, and the humidity in the drying chamber 12 decreases accordingly, but the temperature of the cold air in the short cycle circuit 56 is controlled. In addition, since excessive cooling is avoided, lowering of humidity in the drying chamber 12 due to natural convection is also suppressed. Thus, the material to be dried is maintained in high quality.

Since the preservation operation basically stops the circulation flow, there is a concern that a characteristic odor from the material to be dried may be trapped in the drying chamber 12. Therefore, during the storage operation, the deodorizing heater 47 of the deodorizing unit 47 is energized while the circulation fan 22 is operated intermittently for a predetermined time. As a result, a circulating flow including the drying chamber 12 is generated, and the deodorizing filter 52 passes through the deodorizing unit 47 to decompose odor components over a wide range mixed in the circulating flow. As a result, the odor peculiar to each object to be dried is prevented from being transferred to another object to be dried stored in the drying chamber 12 next.
During the deodorizing operation, the circulation flow circulates in the drying chamber 12 and directly hits the object to be dried. However, the circulation flow is intermittent and limited to a short time. Drying of dried products is minimized.

In addition, when performing the above-described deodorizing operation, the internal temperature may become higher than the storage temperature due to opening / closing of the door or intrusion heat from the outside, and the control operation can be switched in that state. And since it is indirect cooling, it may take time for the inside temperature to return to an appropriate temperature (storage temperature).
Therefore, when the set time for the deodorizing operation has elapsed, the temperature in the drying chamber 12 is detected (indirectly), and if the temperature in the drying chamber 12 is considered to exceed the storage temperature, the operation of the circulation fan 22 is performed. Is continued, and the circulation fan 22 is stopped only when the temperature in the drying chamber 12 falls to the storage temperature. Since the cooling air is directly circulated in the drying chamber 12 for cooling, the inside of the drying chamber 12 can be quickly returned to the storage temperature.

<Related technologies>
9, FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B show a related technique of the present invention.
In the drying apparatus as exemplified in the above embodiment, for example, when a drying operation for drying an object to be dried is performed at a set temperature lower than the room temperature, the object to be dried at a low temperature is taken out from the drying chamber 12, In the process of raising the temperature to the same level as the room temperature, the water vapor in the room condenses and adheres to the surface of the object to be dried, and the attached moisture may permeate into the interior, so that the desired dryness may not be obtained.
Further, when the drying operation is performed at a set temperature higher than the room temperature, it takes time to lower the temperature to the same degree as the room temperature after taking out the high temperature object to be dried from the drying room 12, and it is left to stand. In addition, there are hygiene problems such as airborne bacteria and dust adhering to the room.

This related technique takes measures against the above-mentioned problems. In short, as shown in FIG. 9, after changing the temperature of the object to be dried after the drying process to the same level as the room temperature. It can be taken out from the drying chamber 12.
For the drying operation, the drying temperature and the operation time are preset. The temperature of the drying chamber 12 is detected by a temperature sensor 55 disposed in the suction port 29 of the bypass passage 37 as in the above embodiment. In addition, another temperature sensor for detecting the room temperature is provided. For example, the temperature sensor is provided in the vicinity of the condenser and detects the temperature of the outside air taken in to cool the condenser. I try to detect it.

The operation of this related technology will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 10A and 10B.
The drying operation is the same as that in the above embodiment. As shown in step S21, the refrigeration apparatus 33, the cooling fan 35, and the circulation fan 22 are operated, and the heater 45 and the deodorizing heater 50 are energized. As a result, the drying air that has been dried by passing through the cooler 32 and that has been heated by the heater 45 circulates and circulates through the drying chamber 12, so that the temperature in the drying chamber 12 is gradually raised.
After that, as shown in step S22 to step S26, when the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 55 of the suction port 29 reaches the upper limit value of the set value of the drying temperature, the energization to the heater 45 is cut off, while the temperature sensor When the detected temperature of 55 reaches the lower limit value of the set value of the drying temperature, the heating heater 45 is repeatedly energized, so that the internal temperature (drying temperature) is substantially maintained at the set temperature. The material to be dried stored in the chamber 12 is gradually dried, and the drying operation is finished when the set operation time has elapsed.

  Next, as shown in step S27 to step S30, the temperature in the drying chamber 12 (internal temperature) detected by the temperature sensor 55 is compared with the indoor temperature, and the internal temperature is higher than the indoor temperature. The heater 45 is turned off. Conversely, when the internal temperature is lower than the room temperature, the heater 45 is turned on. When the internal temperature and the room temperature are equal, the heater 45 is turned off. In the state, the process of adjusting the internal temperature ends.

  Here, since there is a delay in the temperature of the object to be dried itself being equal to the internal temperature, that is, the room temperature, the delay time is measured in advance by experiments. Then, as described above, when the process of adjusting the internal temperature is completed (“Yes” in step S30), the above delay time has elapsed (steps S31 and S32), the notification lamp is turned on, and the notification is performed. A buzzer is sounded (step S33), and then the operation ends.

As described above, the object to be dried can be taken out from the drying chamber 12 in a state where the temperature is substantially the same as the room temperature. Therefore, the moisture of room air is prevented from adhering to the object to be dried, and when the object to be dried having a temperature higher than the room temperature is put in a transparent bag made of vinyl or polyethylene, water drops adhere to the inner surface. It is avoided that the situation such as clouding occurs.
Further, since the temperature adjustment of the object to be dried is performed in a low humidity atmosphere, the change in the dryness is small and high quality can be maintained.

<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) In the above embodiment, the circulation fan is stopped in the case of the preservation operation. However, the operation rate may be lowered by controlling the rotation speed of the fan instead of stopping completely. . In this case, since the circulating flow flowing in the drying chamber is kept in a breeze, there is no problem with drying, but rather it is effective in eliminating the temperature difference in the drying chamber.
(2) Regarding the first predetermined time that is the interval of the deodorizing operation performed during the storage operation and the second predetermined time that is the execution time of the deodorizing operation, what is shown in the above embodiment is an example, It can be arbitrarily set to those suitable for various conditions such as the type of dried product, the set temperature for drying and storage, and the structure of the drying apparatus.

(3) Depending on the type of object to be dried, there is a thing that does not require the combustion type deodorizing unit to function during the deodorizing operation during the storage operation, and such a thing is also within the technical scope of the present invention. included.
(4) The present invention can also be applied to a type in which a cooler chamber is provided on the side of the main body, such as a horizontal (under table) refrigerator. In this case, for example, a bypass passage including the cooler chamber is connected to a vertical ventilation passage provided on the side facing the cooler chamber, and a circulation fan is disposed above the discharge port of the bypass passage. It can be implemented by providing. Further, at this time, if the bypass path is connected to the upper position of the vertical ventilation path to form a short cycle circulation path, it is more efficient in the case of indirect cooling using natural convection.
(5) Moreover, you may make it provide the temperature sensor which detects the internal temperature in an inner box. By doing so, it is possible to perform a control operation by comparing the temperature detected by the temperature sensor directly with the storage temperature, particularly when performing indirect cooling.

Schematic sectional view showing the internal structure of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention Partially cutaway perspective view showing the structure near the upper ventilation path Schematic diagram of combustion deodorization unit Operation diagram of the first switching mode Operation diagram of the second switching mode Operation diagram of the third switching mode Block diagram of operation control mechanism Drying timing chart First part of flowchart for storage operation Later step Partial enlarged sectional view showing the structure near the formation part of the short cycle circuit Driving operation diagram related technology The first part of the operation flowchart Later step

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Main body 11 ... Inner box 11A ... Top plate 11B, 11C ... Side plate 12 ... Drying room (inside of a warehouse) 17A-17C ... Ventilation path 18 ... Inlet (outlet) 19 ... Outlet (outlet) 22 ... Circulation Fan 23 ... Circuit path 25 ... Cooler chamber 29 ... Suction port 30 ... Discharge port 32 ... Cooler 33 ... Refrigerator 35 ... Cooling fan 37 ... Bypass passage 45 ... Heating heater (heating means) 47 ... Deodorizing unit (combustion type) Deodorizing device) 49 ... Catalyst 50 ... Deodorizing heater 52 ... Deodorizing filter (deodorizing device) 55 ... Temperature sensor 56 ... Short cycle circuit 60 ... Control device 61, 62 ... Timer 64 ... Operation mode setting means 65 ... Time setting means 66 ... Temperature setting means

Claims (5)

A main body made of an insulated box,
An inner box made of a heat conducting member housed in the main body with a space between the inner surface and a side opening formed on the side surface;
A ventilation path formed around the inner box,
A circulation fan that circulates and distributes air in one direction from the ventilation path to the inside of the inner box by the operation provided in the ventilation path;
Cooling means connected to the ventilation path to draw a part of the air in the ventilation path to generate cold air by heat exchange, and re-injecting the cold air into the ventilation path;
Heating means provided in the ventilation path and capable of heating the air flowing through the ventilation path to raise the temperature,
By generating the circulation flow by operating the circulation fan, and by introducing cold air to the circulation flow by the cooling means to reduce the humidity and raising the temperature by the heating means as necessary, A drying operation for maintaining the inside of the inner box at a predetermined drying temperature;
After the circulation fan is stopped or the operating rate is lowered, the inside of the inner box is indirectly cooled by cooling the air in the ventilation path by the cooling means to lower the wall surface temperature of the inner box. A drying apparatus comprising control means that can be switched between storage operation and executed. The cooling means is configured by connecting a bypass path provided with a cooler connected to a refrigeration apparatus and a cooling fan to the outside of the ventilation path on the upper side, and flows through the bypass path. A temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air
In the storage operation, the cooling fan is operated to form a short cycle circuit that circulates air over the bypass channel and a region of the ventilation channel that faces the bypass channel, while the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the short cycle circuit is controlled by controlling the operation and stop of the refrigeration apparatus based on the temperature. The deodorization device is provided in the ventilation path, and the circulation fan operation control means for operating the circulation fan intermittently every predetermined time during the storage operation is provided. Item 3. The drying apparatus according to Item 2. The deodorization apparatus is a combustion type deodorization apparatus provided with a deodorization catalyst and a deodorization heater for heating the deodorization catalyst, and heater control means for controlling energization to the deodorization heater in synchronization with the operation of the circulation fan The drying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drying apparatus is provided. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor disposed in the bypass path is higher than a predetermined set temperature, the circulation fan operation control means is configured to control the circulation fan until the detected temperature decreases to the set temperature. 5. The drying apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a function of extending the operation time.

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