JP2009165557A - Showcase cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a showcase cooling system for cooling an open showcase by which consuming power by the cooling system can be reduced to thereby attain energy saving. <P>SOLUTION: The showcase cooling system 100 including a circulation path 26 forming an air curtain 36 in an opening portion 14 by leading cold air cooled by an evaporator 28 to the front face opening portion 14 of the open showcase 100 comprises an outside air introducing opening 40 for introducing the outside air into the circulation path 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a showcase cooling system for cooling an open showcase.

  Conventionally, in a store such as a convenience store or a supermarket, an open showcase is used in which cooked foods such as lunch boxes and prepared dishes are displayed at the store while being cooled. Such cooked foods have an optimum temperature for storage. For example, a bento is best stored in a temperature range of 18 ° C. to 20 ° C., while a side dish is preferably stored at 10 ° C. or lower. For this reason, when foods with different proper cooling temperatures are displayed in the same showcase, a showcase cooling system in which a plurality of display areas are provided in the showcase and different temperature zones are formed for each area is usually used. (For example, see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  The showcase cooling system of Patent Document 1 forms a relatively hot external air curtain at the front opening of the upper area and the lower area divided into intermediate partitions, and external air curtain at the front opening of the lower area. A relatively low temperature internal air curtain is formed inside the curtain. Thus, the upper area where only the external air curtain is formed is cooled to a relatively high temperature, and the lower area where the internal air curtain is formed is cooled to a relatively low temperature, and a common evaporator (evaporator) provided in the cooling duct is cooled. ) To form a plurality of operating temperature zones in the showcase.

  In addition, the showcase cooling system of Patent Document 2 includes an intermediate suction port for sucking a part of the air curtain at the front end of the intermediate partition that partitions the upper storage chamber and the lower storage chamber. The air curtain formed at the front opening of the lower storage chamber is controlled by opening and closing the suction damper of the air curtain provided at the lower end of the opening of the lower storage chamber based on the temperature sensing operation of the temperature sensor of the lower storage chamber. The temperature of the lower storage room is controlled to a medium temperature by adjusting the air volume of the air.

  On the other hand, it is known that frost adhering to the evaporator of such a showcase cooling system is defrosted by the heat of a defrost heater provided in the vicinity of the evaporator (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP-A-5-133671 JP-A-5-141844 JP 2006-275467 A

  By the way, in the showcase cooling system of said patent document 1 and patent document 2, what is called a cold aisle by the cold air (leakage cold air) which leaked from the showcase front-surface opening part stays in the showcase front lower part generate | occur | produces. This cold aisle is an energy loss in the cooling system and also causes discomfort to shoppers and the like standing in front of the showcase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and reduces the power consumption of the cooling system by utilizing the heat of outside air such as leaked cold air for raising and lowering the cooling temperature in the showcase. An object of the present invention is to provide a showcase cooling system that can save energy.

  In order to achieve the above object, a showcase cooling system according to claim 1 of the present invention guides cool air cooled by an evaporator to a front opening of an open showcase and forms an air curtain in the opening. In the showcase cooling system including the circulating passage, an outside air inlet for introducing outside air into the circulating passage is provided.

  In addition, the showcase cooling system according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that in claim 1 described above, the showcase cooling system includes outside air introduction amount adjusting means for adjusting the amount of outside air introduced from the outside air inlet into the circulation passage. And

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a showcase cooling system according to the second aspect, wherein the temperature inside the showcase is controlled by controlling the operation of the outside air introduction amount adjusting means and / or the evaporator. And a temperature control means.

  A showcase cooling system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the showcase cooling system according to the third aspect, wherein the temperature control means includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in the showcase, and the showcase is input by the temperature sensor input. The operation of the outside air introduction amount adjusting means and / or the evaporator is controlled so that the temperature in the case becomes a predetermined set temperature.

  A showcase cooling system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the above-described third or fourth aspect, wherein the showcase is partitioned into a plurality of areas, and the temperature control means is different for the plurality of areas. Control is performed in a temperature range.

  According to claim 6 of the present invention, in the showcase cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the outside air inlet is provided below the front opening of the showcase. And

  A showcase cooling system according to a seventh aspect of the present invention includes a partition passage that vertically partitions the inside of the showcase according to any one of the first to sixth aspects described above, and the partition passage includes the partition passage A heat transporter that transports heat in the partition passage to the front side of the showcase is provided.

  The showcase cooling system according to claim 8 of the present invention is characterized in that, in claim 7 described above, the heat transporter has a flat plate heat pipe structure and / or a thermosiphon structure.

  A showcase cooling system according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the showcase cooling system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprising an outside air guide passage that guides the outside air introduced from the outside air introduction port to the vicinity of the evaporator. It is characterized by providing.

  The showcase cooling system according to claim 10 of the present invention is characterized in that, in claim 9 described above, the outside air from the outside air inlet is guided to the vicinity of the evaporator to heat the evaporator.

  According to the showcase cooling system of the present invention, the relatively high temperature outside air introduced from the outside air introduction port into the circulation passage is mixed with the cold air flowing through the circulation passage, and the temperature of the cold air is adjusted. The temperature can be adjusted. Thus, by using the heat of the outside air for raising and lowering the cooling temperature in the showcase, it is possible to reduce power consumption for cooling and to save energy in the cooling system.

  In this case, in particular, if leaked cold air generated in the lower part of the front of the showcase is introduced as outside air, the heat of the leaked cold air can be used as heat for cooling the inside of the showcase, thereby reducing energy required for cooling. At the same time, the leaked cold air at the lower front of the showcase is sucked into the circulation passage, so that the occurrence of so-called cold aisle can be prevented or reduced.

  Further, according to another showcase cooling system according to the present invention, the heat transport device provided in the partition passage partitioning the inside of the showcase into the upper and lower areas of the upper and lower areas, the heat of the cool air in the partition passage is shown in the showcase. Transport to the front side with low thermal resistance. For this reason, in order to cool a lower area, the heat | fever of the cool air in a partition channel | path can be cooled with the leakage cold air from the upper area which flows in into the showcase front side.

  Moreover, according to the other showcase cooling system which concerns on this invention, a defrost of an evaporator can be performed using the comparatively high temperature heat | fever of the external air guide | induced to the evaporator vicinity. For this reason, the output of the defrost heater introduced for defrosting can be reduced, and further downsizing of the heater and omission of heater installation can be achieved.

  Exemplary embodiments (Examples 1 to 4) of a showcase cooling system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional side view according to Embodiment 1 of a showcase cooling system according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the showcase 110 of the showcase cooling system 100 according to the first embodiment is configured as a so-called open showcase having a substantially rectangular cross section having an opening 14 on the front surface 12. In the showcase 110, three substantially horizontal plate-shaped product display shelves 16a to 16c (first product display shelf 16a, second product display shelf 16b, and third product display shelf from above are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the vertical direction. 16c) and is divided into four upper and lower regions (first region 18a, second region 18b, third region 18c, and fourth region 18d). The first region 18a, the second region 18b, and the third region 18c are cooled in the temperature zone 1 and the fourth region 18d is cooled in the temperature zone 2 as described later.

  From the upper surface 20 to the rear surface 22 and the lower surface 24 of the showcase 110, a cooling duct 26 as a circulation passage for circulating cold air is arranged in a substantially U shape. An evaporator 28 is provided at a position corresponding to the space between the second product display shelf 16b and the third product display shelf 16c in the vertical center of the cooling duct 26 on the rear surface 22 side of the showcase 110. A blower fan 30 is provided in the cooling duct 26 on the lower surface 24 side of the showcase 110.

  The evaporator 28 is connected to a compressor and a condenser (both not shown) that compress the refrigerant. The cool air cooled by the evaporator 28 is sent out through the cooling duct 26 by the blower fan 30, blown out from the blowout port 32 at the upper end of the showcase front surface 12, and sucked in from the suction port 34 at the lower end of the showcase front surface 12. As a result, a cold air curtain 36 is formed in the opening 14 of the front surface 12 of the showcase. The air curtain 36 prevents the outside air from entering, and draws cold air into the showcase 110 due to the Coanda effect. The whole area is cooled.

  Although not shown here, the partition wall 38 that separates the cooling duct 26 and the inside of the showcase 110 is provided with a large number of small holes, and the cool air in the cooling duct 26 also flows into the showcase 110 from these small holes. It is like that.

  At the upper end of the rear surface 22 of the showcase 110, an outside air inlet 40 for sucking outside air and introducing it into the cooling duct 26 is provided. An outside air guide duct 42 that extends downward along the rear surface of the cooling duct 26 communicates with the outside air introduction port 40, and the outside air guide duct 42 bends toward the front side of the showcase 110 at its lower end and extends substantially horizontally. In the vicinity of the front face 12 of the showcase, it is connected to the cooling duct 26 adjacent to the upper side via the communication port 44. In the outside air guide duct 42, an outside air introduction amount adjusting valve 46 for adjusting the amount of outside air entering the cooling duct 26 from the communication port 44 is provided.

  A temperature sensor 94a is provided in the third region (temperature zone 1), and a temperature sensor 94b is provided in the fourth region (temperature zone 2). The temperature sensors 94a and 96b are provided outside the showcase 110. It is connected to a temperature controller 96 as temperature control means. The temperature control unit 96 is connected to the evaporator 28, the blower fan 30, and the outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 46, receives a signal input from the temperature sensors 94 a and 94 b, and is a preset temperature set in the temperature control unit 96 in advance. In the temperature zones 1 and 2, the refrigerant flow rate in the evaporator 28, the rotational speed of the blower fan 30, and the opening degree of the outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 46 are individually changed or changed in association with each other. The operations of the evaporator 28, the blower fan 30 and the outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 46 are controlled so as to be performed. By doing so, the temperature zones 1 and 2 can be cooled in different temperature zones.

The operation and action of the configuration of the first embodiment will be described.
When the evaporator 28 and the blower fan 30 are operated, as shown in FIG. 1, cold air in the direction of the arrow circulates in the cooling duct 26 and the opening 14 of the front surface 12 of the showcase 110 is directed from the top to the bottom. An air curtain 36 is formed. Each region 18a to 18d is cooled by drawing cool air into each region by the Coanda effect of the air curtain 36. In this case, outside air enters the outside air guide duct 42 from the outside air introduction port 40 by the rotation of the blower fan 30.

  The outside air that has entered the outside air guide duct 42 is introduced into the cooling duct 26 through the communication port 44 after the introduction amount is adjusted by the outside air introduction amount adjusting valve 46, and is mixed with the cold air circulating in the cooling duct 26. Then, the air is sent to the upper evaporator 28 side by the blower fan 30. The cooling duct 26 adjacent to the fourth region 18d is mixed with the relatively warm outside air that has entered through the communication port 44 with the cold air of the air curtain 36 that enters from the suction port 34, and thus the fourth region 18d. The temperature in the cooling duct 26 adjacent to is relatively high. As a result of the relatively high temperature air-fuel mixture flowing from the cooling duct 26 into the fourth region 18d through a small hole (not shown) in the partition wall 38, the fourth region 18d is cooled to a relatively high temperature.

  Further, since this air-fuel mixture is cooled by an evaporator 28 provided in a cooling duct 26 along the rear face 22 of the showcase and sent out upward, the temperature of the cold air in the cooling duct 26 above the evaporator 28. Is lower than the cold air below the evaporator 28.

  Since the evaporator 28 is disposed in the cooling duct 26 at a corresponding position between the second product display shelf 16b and the third product display shelf 16c, the evaporator 28 is located on the side of the evaporator 28 and above the evaporator 28. The first region 18a, the second region 18b, and the third region 18c adjacent to the cooling duct 26 are cooled in a relatively low temperature zone 1 by relatively low temperature cold air flowing from the small holes in the adjacent partition wall 38. Will be. On the other hand, the region adjacent to the cooling duct 26 below the evaporator 28, that is, the fourth region 18d is a relatively high temperature zone due to the relatively high temperature air-fuel mixture flowing from the small hole of the adjacent partition wall 38 as described above. 2 is cooled.

  Thus, according to the showcase cooling system 100 according to the first embodiment, the relatively warm outside air taken in from the outside air inlet 40 and the cool air sucked in from the air curtain inlet 34 are mixed, and the showcase is mixed with this mixture. Different temperature zones can be formed in the showcase 110, such that certain areas within 110 are at relatively high temperatures and other areas are at relatively low temperatures. In particular, by sending outside air into the cooling duct 26 on the lower side of the showcase 110 as in the first embodiment, the lower region of the showcase 110 is made relatively high and the upper region is made relatively low. Can be cooled.

  Further, in this case, the outside air introduction amount adjusting valve is set so that the temperature controller 96 sets the temperatures in the temperature zones 1 and 2 to the set temperatures designated in advance by the user based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 94a and 94b. The opening / closing operation of 46 is controlled. Thereby, the ratio of the outside air mixed with cold air changes, and the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is adjusted. By doing so, for example, the cooling temperature in the temperature zone 2 can be changed to a desired set temperature.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the temperature control unit 96 increases or decreases the opening degree of the outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 46 has been described. Instead of increasing or decreasing the opening degree of the outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 46, or In combination, a temperature control method for changing the flow rate of the refrigerant in the evaporator 28 and the rotation speed of the blower fan 30 may be implemented, thereby controlling the temperature of the air-fuel mixture and setting the cooling temperature in the temperature zones 1 and 2. You may make it adjust.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the outside air introduction port 40 is provided at the upper end of the showcase rear surface 22 has been described. However, as shown in the modification of FIG. The outside air may be introduced from the outside air inlet 40 and mixed with the cold air in the cooling duct 26. In any case, the same effect as the present invention can be obtained.

  Next, as a second embodiment of the showcase cooling system according to the present invention, a description will be given of a case in which leaked cold air generated at the lower end of the front of the showcase is sucked and used for cooling in the showcase. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional side view according to Embodiment 2 of the showcase cooling system according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the showcase 210 of the showcase cooling system 200 is an open showcase having an opening 14 in the front surface 12, and the inside of the showcase 210 is a hollow flat plate extending substantially horizontally. The upper partition 50a and the lower store 50b are divided into two upper and lower storage chambers by an intermediate partition plate 48 (product display shelf). An external air curtain outlet 32 is provided at the upper end of the showcase opening 14, and an air curtain suction opening 34 is provided at the lower end of the opening 14. The blowout opening 32 and the suction opening 34 are the showcase upper surface 20, the rear surface 22, and the lower surface 24. Are respectively communicated with the cooling ducts 26 arranged in a substantially U-shape.

  Although not shown here, a large number of small holes are provided in the partition wall 38 between the cooling duct 26 and the respective storage chambers 50a and 50b, and the cold air in the cooling duct 26 is also supplied to the respective storage chambers 50a, 50a, It flows into 50b.

  In the following description of the second embodiment, the cooling duct 26 that extends in the vertical direction on the rear surface side of the upper storage chamber 50a is arranged in the vertical direction on the rear surface side of the upper zone cooling duct 26a and the lower storage chamber 50b. The extended cooling duct 26 will be referred to as a lower zone cooling duct 26b.

  An evaporator 28 is provided in the lower zone cooling duct 26b, and a blower fan 30 is provided in the cooling duct 26 on the lower surface 24 side of the lower storage chamber 50b. The evaporator 28 is connected to a compressor and a condenser (both not shown) for compressing the refrigerant. An internal air curtain outlet 52 is provided below the front end of the intermediate partition plate 48, and an intermediate duct 54 passing through the inside of the intermediate partition plate 48 is communicated with the outlet 52. The intermediate duct 54 communicates with the upper end of the lower zone cooling duct 26b on the showcase rear surface 22 side.

  A damper 56 is provided at the boundary between the upper zone cooling duct 26a and the lower zone cooling duct 26b. The damper 56 is located at the upper end of the lower zone cooling duct 26 b that communicates with the rear end of the intermediate duct 54. As a result, communication between the evaporator 28 side and the internal air curtain outlet 52 is always possible, and the amount of cold air from the lower zone cooling duct 26a to the upper zone cooling duct 26b is increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the opening of the damper 56. The amount of passage can be adjusted.

  At the lower end of the front face 12 of the showcase, a leakage cold air inlet 60 is provided for sucking and introducing leakage cold air. Leaked cold air inlet 60 is located below external air curtain suction port 34, and leaked cold air guide duct 62 is communicated with leaked cold air inlet 60. Leaked cold air guide duct 62 is arranged to extend substantially horizontally along the lower surface of cooling duct 26 and to extend upward along lower zone cooling duct 26b, and its upper side communicates with upper zone cooling duct 26a. .

  In the leakage cold air guide duct 62, a leakage cold air amount adjusting valve 64 is provided on the side close to the leakage cold air introduction port 60, and a leakage cold air blowing fan 66 is provided on the far side. When the leaking cold air blowing fan 66 rotates, the leaking cold air 68 generated on the lower side of the showcase front surface 12 is sucked and introduced from the leaking cold air inlet 60. Then, the passage flow rate is adjusted by the leaking cold air amount adjusting valve 64 and is sent to the upper zone cooling duct 26 a through the leaking cold air guide duct 62.

  A temperature sensor 94a is provided in the upper storage chamber 50a, and a temperature sensor 94b is provided in the lower storage chamber 50b. Each temperature sensor 94a, 94b is connected to a temperature control unit 96 as temperature control means provided outside the showcase 210. The temperature control unit 96 is connected to the evaporator 28, the blower fan 30, the leaked cold air blower fan 66, the leaked cold air amount adjustment valve 64, and the damper 56, and receives a signal input from the temperature sensors 94 a and 94 b, and receives the temperature control unit 96, the refrigerant flow rate in the evaporator 28, the rotational speed of the blower fans 30 and 66, the amount of leakage cold air adjustment valve 64, and the opening degree of the damper 56 are set in order to realize the preset temperature set in 96 in each of the storage chambers 50a and 50b. These operations are controlled so as to be changed individually or in association with each other.

The operation and action of the configuration of the second embodiment will be described.
When the evaporator 28 and the blower fan 30 are operated, the cool air cooled by the evaporator 28 is sent out through the lower zone cooling duct 26b by the blower fan 30, and a part thereof is cooled by the lower zone cooling duct 26b and the upper zone cooling. It passes through a damper 56 provided between the duct 26a and is sent to the upper zone cooling duct 26a, blown out from the external air curtain blowout port 32, and sucked in from the air curtain suction port 34. Thus, an external air curtain 36 common to the upper and lower storage chambers 50a and 50b is formed on the front surface 12 of the showcase, and the upper and lower storage chambers 50a and 50b are cooled. The cold air sucked from the air curtain suction port 34 is sent to the evaporator 28 side.

  Further, a part of the cold air sent out in the lower zone cooling duct 26 b passes through the intermediate duct 54 without passing through the damper 56, blows out from the internal air curtain outlet 52, and is sucked in from the air curtain inlet 34. As a result, an internal air curtain 58 is formed on the inner side of the outer air curtain 36 of the opening 14 on the front surface 12 of the lower storage chamber 50b to cool the lower storage chamber 50b.

  When the leaked cold air blowing fan 66 is operated in this state, the leaked cold air 68 generated on the lower side of the front surface 12 of the showcase 210 enters the leaked cold air introduction port 60, and the amount of introduction is adjusted by the leaked cold air amount adjusting valve 64. Through the leaked cold air guide duct 62 to the upper zone cooling duct 26a. The upper zone cooling duct 26a is supplied with relatively low temperature cold air from the lower zone cooling duct 26b where the evaporator 28 is placed via the damper 56, and by mixing relatively high temperature leakage cold air therewith, The inside of the upper zone cooling duct 26a is cooled to a relatively high temperature. In this manner, the cool air generated in the showcase front surface 12 is sucked and sent to the upper zone cooling duct 26b, whereby the temperature of the upper storage chamber 50a can be cooled to a relatively high temperature.

  The temperature control unit 96 controls the increase / decrease operation of the opening degree of the leakage cold air amount adjustment valve 64 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 94a, thereby increasing / decreasing the amount of leakage cold air to be introduced, and the inside of the upper zone cooling duct 26a. Adjust the temperature up and down. Thus, the cooling temperature of the upper storage chamber 50a is adjusted and controlled. In this case, the opening degree of the damper 56 may be controlled to increase or decrease based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 94a of the upper storage chamber 50a instead of or in combination with the opening degree operation of the leakage cold air amount adjustment valve 64. In this way, the distribution amount of the relatively cool air from the lower zone cooling duct 26b to the upper zone cooling duct 26a may be adjusted to control the cooling temperature of the upper storage chamber 50a.

  In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling set temperature of the upper storage chamber 50a is set to 18 ° C., and the set temperature of the lower storage chamber 50b is set to 0 ° C. 68, when leaking cold air at a temperature of 10 ° C. is generated, the temperature of the upper storage chamber 50a is controlled by appropriately adjusting and controlling the opening degree of the leakage cold air amount adjusting valve 64 and the damper 56 as described above. It is possible to cool to the desired 18 ° C.

  As described above, according to the showcase cooling system 200 according to the second embodiment, since the leaked cold air is sucked and introduced from the introduction port 60, the occurrence of the leaked cold air on the front surface 12 of the showcase can be reduced or eliminated.

  Next, as Example 3, an embodiment in the case of performing defrosting of the evaporator of the showcase cooling system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional side view according to Embodiment 3 of the showcase cooling system according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the showcase 310 of the showcase cooling system 300 is a box-shaped open showcase having an opening 14 on the front surface 12, and an upper surface 20, a rear surface 22, and a lower surface 24 of the showcase 310 are provided. A cooling duct 26 is provided in a substantially U shape so as to follow. A blower fan 30 is provided in the cooling duct 26 on the showcase lower surface 24 side, and an evaporator 28 is provided on the lower side in the cooling duct 26 on the showcase rear surface 22 side. The evaporator 28 is connected to a compressor and a condenser (both not shown) for compressing the refrigerant, and the cool air cooled by the evaporator 28 is sent to the blower fan 30 and passes through the cooling duct 26 to be displayed. The inside of the showcase 310 is cooled by forming an air curtain 36 in the direction of the arrow in the opening 14 of the case front surface 12.

  At the upper end of the rear surface 22 of the showcase 310, an outside air introduction port 70 for sucking and introducing relatively high temperature outside air is provided. An outside air guide duct 72 as an outside air guide passage communicates with the outside air introduction port 70, and the outside air guide duct 72 extends downward along the rear surface of the cooling duct 26 disposed on the rear surface 22 of the showcase, The rear end of the rear surface 22 bends toward the front side of the showcase 12 and extends substantially horizontally, and the front end thereof communicates with the cooling duct 26 on the lower side of the showcase lower surface 24. The bend portion 74 of the outside air guide duct 72 is disposed so as to approach the rear surface side and the lower surface side of the evaporator 28.

  An outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 76 that adjusts the outside air introduction amount is provided in a substantially horizontal section of the outside air guide duct 72. The amount of outside air entering from the outside air introduction port 70 is adjusted by the opening operation of the outside air introduction amount adjusting valve 76 and sent to the evaporator 28 side.

The operation and action of the configuration of the third embodiment will be described.
When the evaporator 28 and the blower fan 30 are operated, the cold air cooled by the evaporator 28 circulates in the cooling duct 26 in the direction of the arrow, so that an air curtain 36 is formed in the opening 14 of the front surface 12 of the showcase 310. The inside of the showcase 310 is cooled. At the same time, the moisture contained in the cooled air is attached to the evaporator 28 as frost.

  On the other hand, relatively hot outside air outside the showcase 310 is sucked from the outside air introduction port 70 by the operation of the blower fan 30. Then, the outside air passes through the inside of the outside air guide duct 72, the amount of introduction is adjusted by the outside air introduction amount adjusting valve 76, and then enters the cooling duct 26 and is mixed with the circulating cold air. The mixture of the outside air and the circulating cold air is guided to the blower fan 30 and sent to the evaporator 28 side. A relatively high-temperature air-fuel mixture as compared with cold air touches the evaporator 28 and its surroundings to warm them, thereby removing or reducing frost formation on the surface of the evaporator 28 and the like.

  In addition, when the outside air in the outside air guide duct 72 passes through the bend portion 74 approaching the rear surface 22 and the lower surface 24 of the evaporator 28, the evaporator 28 and its peripheral portion are warmed, and the surface of the evaporator 28, etc. There is also an effect of removing frost formation.

  As described above, according to the showcase cooling system 300 of the third embodiment, relatively warm outside air is introduced into the cooling duct 26 and the outside air is guided to the evaporator 28 side, thereby defrosting the evaporator 28. Can be carried out effectively. As a result, the output of these devices when using a heating device such as a defrost heater can be reduced, and energy consumption for defrosting of the evaporator 28 can be reduced. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size of the heater and to omit the installation of the heater.

  In the above-described third embodiment, the case where the outside air introduction port 70 is provided at the upper end of the rear surface 22 of the showcase 310 has been described. Instead of doing this, for example, as shown in FIG. You may make it provide in the lower end of the front surface 12 of case 310. FIG. Even if it does in this way, defrosting of the evaporator 28 can be carried out by introduce | transducing outside air to the evaporator 28 side, and utilizing the heat of this outside air as a heat source for evaporator defrosting.

  Next, as a fourth embodiment, an embodiment using a heat transporter of the showcase cooling system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional side view of a showcase according to a fourth embodiment of the showcase cooling system according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the heat transporter in FIG. It is a figure explaining.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the showcase 410 of the showcase cooling system 400 is a box-shaped open showcase having an opening on the front surface, and is a flat plate extending substantially horizontally provided at the approximate center in the vertical direction. The upper partition room 80a and the lower storage room 80b are divided into upper and lower two-stage storage rooms by an intermediate partition plate 78 (product display shelf). You may make it provide the merchandise display shelf 84 in each store room 80a, 80b. A substantially U-shaped upper cooling duct 82a and a lower cooling duct 82b are provided on the upper, rear and lower surfaces of the storage chambers 80a and 80b, respectively. In each of the cooling ducts 82a and 82b, an upper blower fan 30a and a lower blower fan 30b for generating a circulating airflow are provided. An evaporator 28 connected to a compressor for compressing refrigerant and a condenser (both not shown) is provided in the upper cooling duct 82a on the rear side of the upper storage chamber 80a.

  An upper air outlet 32a is provided at the upper end of the front surface 12a of the upper storage chamber 80a, and an upper air suction port 34a is provided at the lower end of the front surface 12a so as to communicate with the upper cooling duct 82a. On the other hand, a lower air outlet 32b is provided at the upper end of the front surface 12b of the lower storage chamber 80b, and a lower air inlet 34b is provided at the lower end of the front surface 12b so as to communicate with the lower cooling duct 82b.

  A heat pipe 86 as a heat transporter is provided on the lower surface side of the intermediate partition plate 78. The heat pipe 86 has a substantially L-shaped side cross-sectional shape, and includes a horizontal portion 88 that constitutes an upper wall surface of the lower cooling duct 82b, and a front bent portion 90 that is exposed to the showcase front surface 12 and bent upward. Become. The front bent portion 90 is provided so as to easily come into contact with the cold air 92 leaked from the upper air curtain 36a generated near the lower end of the showcase front surface 12a (near the upper end of the front surface 12b). A working medium (for example, a fluid) is sealed inside the heat pipe 86.

The operation and action of the configuration of the fourth embodiment will be described.
When the evaporator 28, the upper blower fan 30a and the lower blower fan 30b are operated, the air cooled by the evaporator 28 is sent out in the direction of the arrow by the upper blower fan 30a as shown in FIG. 6, and the upper cooling duct 82a. Through the upper air outlet 32a, and an upper air curtain 36a is formed in the opening 14a of the front surface 12a of the upper storage chamber 80a to prevent outside air from entering and cool air is drawn into the upper storage chamber 80a by the Coanda effect. The upper storage chamber 80a is cooled. The cold air forming the upper air curtain 36a enters the upper air suction port 34a, passes through the upper cooling duct 82a, is cooled by the evaporator 28, and circulates through the upper cooling duct 82a.

  On the other hand, leaking cold air 92 from the upper air curtain 36a is generated near the lower end of the front surface 12a of the upper storage chamber 80a. The leaked cold air 92 is sucked into the lower air suction port 34b by the lower blower fan 30b, and at this time, the lower air curtain 36b is formed in the opening 14b of the front surface 12b of the lower storage chamber 80b. Then, the leaked cold air sucked into the lower air suction port 34b is sent out through the lower cooling duct 82b in the direction of the arrow by the lower air blowing fan 30b, blown out from the lower air blower port 32b, and lower to the opening 14b. The air curtain 36b is formed and the lower storage chamber 80b is cooled. In this way, the cool air 92 is sucked from the lower air inlet 34b and circulates in the lower cooling duct 82b, thereby cooling the lower storage chamber 80b.

  The cool air circulating in the lower cooling duct 82b transfers heat to the horizontal portion 88 of the heat pipe 86 as shown in FIG. Then, the working medium enclosed in the heat pipe 86 evaporates in the heat pipe 86 and moves to the front bent portion 90 exposed at the showcase front surface 12. The working medium moved to the front bent portion 90 side releases heat to the leaked cold air 92 from the upper air curtain 36a generated near the lower end of the showcase front surface 12a and condenses and liquefies inside the heat pipe 86. Return to the horizontal portion 88.

  Thus, according to the showcase cooling system 400 of the fourth embodiment, the heat of the cold air in the lower cooling duct 82b for cooling the lower storage chamber 80b is applied to the leaked cold air 92 near the lower end of the showcase front surface 12a. The heat pipe 86 is transported with low thermal resistance. By doing so, the heat of the cold air in the lower cooling duct 82b on the downstream side in the circulating flow for cooling the lower storage chamber 80b can be transported to the upstream leaked cold air side with low thermal resistance. Therefore, the lower storage chamber 80b can be cooled using the leaked cold air 92 from the upper air curtain 36a without newly providing an evaporator in the lower cooling duct 82b. The upper and lower two regions can be cooled in different operating temperature zones.

  In the above-described fourth embodiment, the case where the upper and lower two-stage storage chambers are provided in the showcase has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the above multi-stage storage chambers are provided and can be applied to an open showcase that cools each storage chamber at a different temperature. In this case, each storage chamber can be cooled in a different operating temperature zone by providing the heat pipe 86 with respect to a partition plate (product display shelf) that partitions each storage chamber up and down.

  In the fourth embodiment, the heat pipe 86 is used as the heat transport device. However, instead of using the heat pipe, a heat siphon structure may be used, and the circulating cold air on the downstream side in the lower cooling duct 82b may be used. Other types of heat transporters may be used as long as they are thermally connected to the leaked cold air 92 from the upper air curtain 36a, and in any case, the same effects as the present invention can be achieved. it can.

  As described above, the showcase cooling system according to the present invention is useful for a showcase used in a store such as a convenience store or a supermarket that displays and sells refrigerated foods such as lunch boxes and side dishes. It is suitable for a cooling system used in an open showcase that forms a plurality of temperature zones in the showcase.

It is a schematic sectional side view by Example 1 of this invention. It is another schematic sectional side view by Example 1 of this invention. It is a schematic sectional side view by Example 2 of this invention. It is a schematic sectional side view by Example 3 of this invention. It is another schematic sectional side view by Example 3 of this invention. It is a schematic sectional side view by Example 4 of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the heat transporter periphery of FIG. 6, and is a figure explaining the transport condition of heat.

Explanation of symbols

26 Cooling duct 28 Evaporator 30 Blower 32 Air curtain outlet 34 Air curtain suction port 36, 58 Air curtain 40 Outside air introduction port 46 Outside air introduction amount adjustment valve 48 Intermediate partition plate (product display shelf)
50a, 80a Upper storage chamber 50b, 80b Lower storage chamber 52 Internal air curtain outlet 54 Intermediate duct 56 Damper 60 Leaky cold air introduction port 62 Leaky cold air guide duct 64 Leaky cold air amount adjustment valve 70 Outside air introduction port 72 Outside air guidance duct 76 Outside air Introduction amount adjusting valve 82a Upper cooling duct 82b Lower cooling duct 86 Heat pipe 94a, 94b Temperature sensor 96 Temperature control unit 100, 200, 300, 400 Showcase cooling system 110, 210, 310, 410 Showcase

Claims (10)

  In a showcase cooling system including a circulation passage that guides cool air cooled by an evaporator to a front opening of an open showcase and forms an air curtain in the opening, an outside air introduction port that introduces outside air into the circulation passage is provided A showcase cooling system comprising:   The showcase cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising an outside air introduction amount adjusting unit that adjusts an introduction amount of outside air from the outside air introduction port to the circulation passage.   The showcase cooling system according to claim 2, further comprising temperature control means for controlling the temperature inside the showcase by controlling the operation of the outside air introduction amount adjusting means and / or the evaporator.   The temperature control means includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the showcase, and the outside air introduction amount adjusting means and / or the temperature control means so that the temperature in the showcase becomes a predetermined set temperature by the temperature sensor input. The showcase cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the operation of the evaporator is controlled.   The showcase cooling system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the showcase is partitioned into a plurality of areas, and the temperature control means controls the plurality of areas in different temperature zones.   The showcase cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outside air introduction port is provided below the front opening of the showcase.   7. A heat transporter for transporting heat in the partition passage to the front side of the showcase is provided in the partition passage, the partition passage partitioning the inside of the showcase up and down. The showcase cooling system according to any one of the above.   The showcase cooling system according to claim 7, wherein the heat transporter has a flat heat pipe structure and / or a thermosiphon structure.   The showcase cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising an outside air guide passage that guides outside air introduced from the outside air introduction port to the vicinity of the evaporator.   The showcase cooling system according to claim 9, wherein the outside air from the outside air introduction port is guided to the vicinity of the evaporator to heat the evaporator.

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