JP2011043309A - Cold and hot storage device for food - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and positively prevent entering of foreign matter into a cart when the cart is taken out from a station. <P>SOLUTION: In a ceiling part of the station 70, a first heat exchange chamber 75H including a cooler 91H and a heater 101, and a second heat exchange chamber 75C including a cooler 91C are partitioned side by side in a horizontal direction, and when the cart 10 is housed in the station 70, individual air circulation passages 117H, 117C are formed between the first heat exchange chamber 75H and a hot storage chamber 20H, and between the second heat exchange chamber 75C and a refrigeration chamber 20C, and a circulation fan 105 is provided in each air circulation passage 117H, 117C. Shutter mechanisms 50 provided in ceiling walls 17 of the hot storage chamber 20H and the refrigeration chamber 20C and opening and closing suction passages 32 and outlet passages 37 are integrally included with respect to the cart 10, the shutter mechanisms 50 are closed at all times, and they are opened when the cart 10 is housed in the station 70. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerated storage apparatus that can take out food that has been frozen and stored after being reheated or stored at a low temperature.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in food service at hospitals and the like, when hot and cold foods are served on a single tray, a service in which hot food is served in a warm state and cold food is served in a widespread manner. Among them, in order to reduce the time burden on the provider side at the time of providing breakfast, for example, the hot and cold meals prepared for cooking the day before are stored in a chilled state in a single tray, It is proposed that the trays be transferred when the predetermined time before breakfast is provided, the hot food is reheated, the cold food is thawed at a low temperature (about 10 ° C) and then stored at low temperature, and then served for serving. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Specifically, this is composed of a cart with casters for storing trays, and a fixed station that is equipped with cooling means and heating means and for storing the above-mentioned cart so that it can be taken in and out.

The cart is divided into a warm room and a cold room with a heat insulating partition wall inside the main body with a door made of a heat insulating box, and the tray is stored in multiple stages through the partition wall. In addition, the hot food placement part of each tray is arranged on the side of the cold storage room, and the cold food placement part is arranged on the side of the cold storage room.
The station has a substantially box shape in which one side is opened to put in and out the above-described cart, and two heat exchange chambers are provided, for example, vertically divided on the back wall side. The first heat exchange chamber is equipped with a cooling means composed of a cooler and a heating means composed of a heater, and the second heat exchange chamber is equipped with only a cooling means. Both heat exchange rooms are equipped with fans.
In addition, through holes are formed at predetermined locations in both the heat exchange chamber, the warm room, and the cold room, and when the cart is stored in the above-described station, the corresponding heat ports are connected to each other while the first heat is connected. Air circulation paths are formed between the exchange chamber and the warm room and between the second heat exchange chamber and the cold room, respectively.

  As an example of use, in the evening of the previous day, hot and cold foods prepared for cooking are put on a tray and stored in a chilled storage in a freezer. The next morning, the trays are removed from the freezer, and each tray is stored in a plurality of stages across the cart's warm and cold rooms, and the cart is placed in the station. Initially, the cooling means is operated in both heat exchange chambers, and cold air is circulated and supplied to both the hot and cold rooms, so that both hot and cold foods placed on the tray are defrosted at low temperature. When the predetermined time elapses, the operation of the timer is switched from the cooling means to the operation of the heating means in the first heat exchange chamber. On the other hand, in the second heat exchange chamber, the cooling means is continuously operated. Thereby, the hot food thawed by circulating warm air in the warm room is reheated, while the set temperature in the refrigerator is lowered a little on the cold room side, and the cold food is continuously stored in the cold state. When the catering time is reached, the cart is pulled out of the station, the tray is removed and served.

JP-T 2002-539412

By the way, in the conventional apparatus, when the cart is taken out of the station, the through holes provided in the warm room and the cold room are exposed to form an air circulation path, and dust, insects, etc. are exposed from the through holes. There is a possibility that foreign matter may enter, and it is not good in terms of hygiene. For this reason, when the cart is taken out of the station, a cover such as a sheet is covered to close the through hole. However, the work is quite troublesome and improvement is desired.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to easily and reliably prevent foreign objects from entering the cart when the cart is out of the station. is there.

  The present invention includes a cart body comprising a heat insulating box having an open side, a heat insulating partition wall that partitions the cart body into a warm room and a cold room, and a door that opens and closes the opening of the cart body. A cart with casters that is stored in a plurality of stages in such a manner that the tray passes through the partition wall and extends between the warming room and the refrigerating room, and a cooling means and a heating means are provided, and the cart is taken in and out A refrigeration / heating apparatus comprising a station that can be stored, wherein a ceiling part of the station includes a first heat exchange chamber equipped with a cooling means and a heating means, a second heat exchange chamber equipped with a cooling means, Are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, and an inlet and an outlet are respectively provided on the bottom surface of each heat exchange chamber, while a suction passage and an outlet passage are respectively provided on the ceiling walls of the warm chamber and the refrigerator compartment. And the cart is And the suction passages corresponding to each other between the first heat exchange chamber and the refrigeration chamber, and between the second heat exchange chamber and the refrigeration chamber. By connecting the outlet and the outlet passages individually, individual air circulation paths are formed, and each air circulation path is provided with a fan, and controls the operation of the cooling means and the heating means. A control mechanism is provided, and a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the suction passage and the blowout passage provided on the ceiling wall of the warm room and the cold room is provided integrally with the cart. It has the characteristics.

As an example of use, trays in which hot food and cold food that have been stored in a chilled state are separated and stored are stored in a plurality of stages across the hot and cold rooms in the cart. Until the cart is put in the station, the suction path and the outlet path provided on the ceiling walls of the warm room and the cold room are closed by the shutter mechanism. After that, when the cart is stored in the station in a state where the suction path and the blowout path are opened, separate air circulation paths are configured for both heat exchange chambers. Initially, the cooling means is activated in both heat exchange chambers, and cold air is circulated and supplied to both the hot and cold rooms as the fan is driven, so that both hot and cold foods placed on the trays are cold. Defrosted. When a predetermined time elapses, the cooling means is switched to the heating means in the first heat exchange chamber, the cooling means is continuously activated in the second heat exchange chamber, and warm air is circulated in the warming chamber. The thawed hot food is reheated while the cold food is subsequently refrigerated. After that, when the cart is taken out of the station and the tray is taken out, the hot food can be warmed and the cold food can be served in the cold state. At the time when the cart is taken out, the suction passage and the blowout passage of the warm room and the cold room are closed.
When the cart is taken out of the station, the shutter mechanism closes the suction passage and the blowout passage of the warm and cold rooms, so that foreign matter such as dust and insects can be prevented from entering, which is good in terms of hygiene. It becomes. In addition, since the shutter mechanism is provided integrally with the cart, the opening / closing operation can be easily performed.

The following configuration may also be used.
(1) The shutter mechanism includes a first suction port and a first blower port that communicate with the suction passage and the blowout passage of the warm room and the cold room, respectively. A movable plate provided with a second suction port and a second blower port, which are respectively aligned with the first suction port and the first blower port, is slidably overlapped, and the movable plate is connected to both the suction ports. Between the open position where the air outlets are aligned with each other, and the closed position where both the air inlets and the air outlets are separated and the movable plate closes the first air inlet and the first air outlet of the fixed plate. It can move back and forth.

(2) The suction passage and the blowout passage provided on the ceiling wall of the warm room and the cold room are positions where the suction path is close to the partition wall side in the warm room and the cold room. And while being formed at a substantially central position in the depth direction, the blow-out path is formed to be almost full of the depth along the side edge of the warm room and the cold room opposite to the partition wall. And the fan is provided at the inlet of each heat exchange chamber.
When the fan is driven, the air in the refrigerator compartment and the refrigerator compartment flows toward the partition wall and is sucked into the corresponding heat exchange chamber from the suction passage, and the air after the heat exchange passes through the blowout passage. In the warm room and the cold room, it is driven from the almost full depth on the end side opposite to the partition wall. Since the fan will be arranged almost directly above the suction path whose cross-sectional area is limited to some extent, the air in the warehouse can be efficiently sucked, that is, circulated efficiently, and the air after heat exchange is Because it is driven over the depth of the warm room and the cold room without being affected by the temperature of the adjacent room, cooling and heating can be efficiently performed in the warm room, and cooling is efficiently performed in the cold room. be able to.

(3) The first suction port and the second suction port provided in the fixed plate and the movable plate are each divided into a plurality in the moving direction of the movable plate.
Compared to the case where the first and second suction ports are single, the first and second suction ports are aligned with each other while keeping the moving stroke between the closed position and the open position of the movable plate small. In this case, the opening area can be increased.

  (4) The ceiling wall of the cart body is provided with a duct on the interior plate so as to constitute the suction passage and the blowout passage, and is filled with a heat insulating material around the duct, and above the heat insulating material. The fixed plate constituting the shutter mechanism is stretched at a predetermined interval, and the movable plate is slidably supported on the duct in a state of overlapping the lower surface of the fixed plate. Since the movable plate is slidably supported using the ducts constituting the suction passage and the blowout passage, the shutter mechanism can be formed with a simple structure with a small number of parts.

  (5) While the movable plate constituting the shutter mechanism is always urged to move to the closed position by spring elasticity, the movable plate moves in the station as the cart is stored in the station. An engaging portion is provided that engages with an engaged portion provided on the plate and moves the movable plate to the open position against the spring elasticity. Since the shutter mechanism is automatically opened and closed, the usability is further improved.

  According to the present invention, when the cart is taken out of the station, the shutter mechanism closes the suction path and the outlet path of the warm room and the cold room, so that foreign matter such as dust and insects can be prevented from entering, In addition, since the shutter mechanism is provided integrally with the cart, the opening / closing operation can be easily performed.

The side view of the state where the cart of the cold storage apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention has come out Side sectional view of the cart stored in the station Front sectional view Exploded perspective view of cart ceiling wall Exploded plan view of interior panel and duct Exploded perspective view of suction duct Exploded perspective view of blowout duct Top view of interior plate and lid plate Plan view of interior plate and movable plate with cover plate attached Plan view showing the middle of moving plate assembly Plan view of shutter mechanism before assembly of fixed plate Plan view with the fixed plate removed with the movable plate moved to the open position Top view when the shutter mechanism is in the open state XIV-XIV sectional view of FIG. Plan view showing the structure of the lower chamber in the heat exchange chamber Plan view showing the structure of the upper chamber XVII-XVII line sectional view of FIG. Refrigeration circuit diagram Schematic plan view showing the circulation fan arrangement structure Its side view Plan view when the shutter mechanism is in the closed state Top view when in the open state

<Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a refrigeration / heating apparatus suitable for serving meals in a hospital or the like is illustrated. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cart 10 for storing the tray T and the tray 10 are placed on the tray T. The station 70 is provided with a means for cooling and heating the supplied food and accommodates the cart 10 in a removable manner.

The cart 10 includes a cart body 11 formed of a heat insulation box that is open on both the left and right sides. The left and right openings 12 are each provided with a double-spread type heat insulation door 13 and a caster 14 on the bottom. The cart body 11 can be moved by pulling or pushing the handle 15 provided on the front surface (the right surface in FIG. 1).
As shown in FIG. 2, a heat insulating partition wall 16 formed by stacking a plurality of unit partition walls 16 </ b> A is provided at the center in the length direction in the cart body 11, and the front side of the partition wall 16 is provided. A warm room 20H is formed, and a cold room 20C is formed on the rear side. Panels 22 forming a flow passage 21 for air after heat exchange are stretched on the surface of both chambers 20H and 20C opposite to the partition wall 16, and each panel 22 has a plurality of vent holes 22A. A tray receiver 23 is provided on the inner surfaces of both panels 22.

The tray T is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape with a synthetic resin or the like, and a boundary portion Ta is provided at a position slightly closer to one side than the central portion of the horizontal width, and a wider portion sandwiching the boundary portion Ta is a hot food placing portion. Th, the narrower one is the cold food placement portion Tc.
The tray T is inserted from the left and right sides while the boundary portion Ta penetrates the partition wall 16 and both ends are received by the tray receiver 23, and the hot food placing portion Th is placed on the warming chamber 20H side on the left and right sides. The cold food placement portion Tc is accommodated over a plurality of stages in a state where the cold food placement portion Tc is disposed on the refrigerator compartment 20C side.

As will be described in detail later, cold air or warm air generated on the station 70 side is individually circulated and supplied to the warm storage room 20H and the cold storage room 20C defined in the cart body 11. Therefore, a suction passage 32 and a blow-off passage 37 are formed in the ceiling wall 17 of the cart body 11 for the warm storage room 20H and the cold storage room 20C, respectively.
Next, the structure of the ceiling wall 17 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 14, the ceiling wall 17 is roughly covered with a lid plate 26 with a space on the upper surface of the interior plate 25 serving as a ceiling surface, and a heat insulating material is provided between the plates 25 and 26. 27 is formed to form a heat insulating wall 28, and a suction path 32 and a blowout path 37 are formed in the heat insulation wall 28, and a shutter mechanism 50 that opens and closes the suction path 32 and the blowout path 37 is provided on the upper surface thereof. Has been.

  Further details will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the interior plate 25 is formed with a pair of suction window holes 30 that are elongated in the front-rear direction on both sides of the center line in the front-rear direction at an intermediate position in the left-right direction. Yes. The suction window hole 30 has a length slightly less than half the width of each of the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C. On the other hand, at the positions corresponding to the front and rear edges of the interior plate 25, that is, the upper surfaces of the flow passages 21 provided on the side walls of the warming chamber 20H and the refrigerating chamber 20C, a strip shape elongated in the left-right direction over almost the entire length of the flow passage 21 A pair of blowing window holes 31 formed is formed.

A suction duct 33 is erected on the edge of each suction window hole 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the suction duct 33 is composed of a total of four duct plates 34 and 35 on the left and right and front and rear sides. An inclined left and right duct plate 34 is erected, and a front and rear duct plate 35 having a length comparable to the distance between the upper ends of both the left and right duct plates 34 along the front and rear mouth edges on the short side. It is formed by being erected, and the inside is a suction passage 32.
In particular, since the inclined left and right duct plates 34 are erected, the suction passage 32 has an upwardly opening shape that gradually spreads outward as the left and right side surfaces are directed upward. Further, the upper edges of the left and right and front and rear duct plates 34, 35 constituting the suction duct 33 reach the same height and are formed with flanges 34A, 35A bent at right angles to the outside, respectively. , 35A serve as a support surface that slidably receives a movable plate 60 constituting a shutter mechanism 50 described later.

A blowing duct 38 is erected on the edge of each blowing window hole 31. As shown in FIG. 7, the blowout duct 38 is composed of a total of four duct plates 39 and 40 on the left and right and front and rear. Short left and right duct plates 39 are erected on the left and right mouth edges on the short side in the blowout window hole 31. The upper edges of the left and right duct plates 39 reach the same height as the upper edge of the suction duct 33 described above, and a flange 39A that is similarly bent at right angles to the outside is formed.
On the other hand, front and rear duct plates 40 are erected on the front and rear rims on the long side. The front and rear duct plates 40 are shaped like channel members facing up, and the inner side plates 41 are left and right duct plates. 39, the outer side plate 42 is shorter than the inner side plate 41 by a predetermined dimension, and the upper edges of the side plates 41, 42 are respectively flanges 41A bent at right angles to the outside. , 42A are formed.

By setting up the blowout duct 38, a blowout passage 37 having the same cross-sectional shape as the blowout window hole 31 is formed in the entire inside of the blowout duct 38. Further, the flange 39A at the upper edge of the left and right duct plates 39 constituting the blowout duct 38 and the flange 41A at the upper edge of the side plate 41 inside each of the front and rear duct plates 40 are similarly movable plates constituting the shutter mechanism 50. It is a support surface which receives 60 slidably.
A flange 42A at the upper edge of each outer side plate 42 in the front and rear duct plates 40 serves as a receiving surface for receiving the cover plate 26 described below. In addition, each outer side plate 42 has a plurality of long holes 43 to suppress heat conduction between the interior plate 25 on which the side plate 42 is erected and the lid plate 26 received by the side plate 42. Are lined up.

As described above, the cover plate 26 is stretched at a predetermined interval on the upper surface side of the interior plate 25 where the suction duct 33 and the blowout duct 38 are erected.
As shown in FIG. 8, the cover plate 26 is provided with a relief window hole 45 through which both suction ducts 33 can be inserted in the center, and front and rear blowing ducts 38 at both front and rear edges. An escape window hole 46 that can be inserted individually is opened.
The cover plate 26 is placed over the interior plate 25 while letting the suction duct 33 and the blowout duct 38 pass through the corresponding escape window holes 45 and 46, and the side edges on the long side of the front and rear escape window holes 46 are covered. The front and rear duct plates 40 constituting the outlet duct 38 are received by the flanges 42A (receiving surfaces) of the respective side plates 42, and the peripheral edge is received by the peripheral wall 25A standing on the peripheral edge of the interior plate 25. Thus, as shown in FIG. 14, the interior plate 25 is stretched at a predetermined interval on the upper surface side. The upper edges of the suction duct 33 and the blowout duct 38 protrude above the cover plate 26 by a predetermined dimension.
From this state, the heat insulating material 27 is provided between the interior plate 25 and the cover plate 26 and in the space around the suction duct 33 and the blowout duct 38. Thereby, the heat insulation wall 28 is formed, and the suction path 32 and the blowout path 37 are formed in the heat insulation wall 28 together.

Next, the shutter mechanism 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the shutter mechanism 50 is mounted so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side of the fixed plate 51 that covers the entire upper surface of the lid plate 26. The movable plate 60 is constituted.
The fixing plate 51 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 11, the fixing plate 51 has a shape like a flat square dish that follows the cover plate 26 as a whole. The lid plate 26 is placed and fixed on the peripheral edge. A first air outlet 55 is formed at both front and rear edges of the fixed plate 51 at a position corresponding to the position directly above the upper surface opening of the air outlet duct 38.

  On the other hand, a first suction port 52 is formed in the center portion of the fixed plate 51 at a position corresponding to the upper side of the upper surface opening of each suction duct 33 described above. Specifically, the first suction port 52 is divided into two parts, a front suction port 53A and a rear suction port 53B. Each of the suction ports 53A and 53B is formed in a short band shape having a length that is slightly larger than the length in the left-right direction of the upper surface opening of the suction duct 33 and a width that is substantially the same as that of the first air outlet 55. . Both suction ports 53A, 53B are formed in a posture that extends in the left-right direction, similar to the first blower outlet 55, and with a gap slightly larger than the width of each suction port 53A, 53B. In other words, the front and rear suction ports 53A and 53B constituting the first suction port 52 cross the left and right positions respectively near the front end and the rear end of the upper surface opening of the corresponding suction duct 33, as shown in FIG. In addition, an interval slightly larger than the width of each of the suction ports 53A and 53B is provided between the front and rear suction ports 53A and 53B.

Between the rear suction port 53B in the first suction port 52 on the front side and the front suction port 53A in the first suction port 52 on the rear side, the same interval as described above is opened, and Between the front suction port 53A of the first suction port 52 and the front first blower port 55, the rear suction port 53B of the rear first suction port 52, and the rear first blower port 55 There is an interval larger than the above-described intervals.
The formation area of the front and rear first suction ports 52 and the formation area of the front and rear first air outlets 55 are respectively recessed portions 56 that are lowered by one step.

As shown in FIG. 9, the movable plate 60 has a substantially rectangular shape in which the dimension in the left-right direction is shorter than that of the fixed plate 51 and the rear edge side is cut out by a predetermined dimension, and is closer to the rear ends of the left and right side edges. A protruding portion 61 is formed at the position.
The movable plate 60 includes a second suction port 62 (front and rear suction ports 63A and 63B) having a size aligned with the first suction port 52 and the first blower port 55 provided in the fixed plate 51 described above. ) And the second air outlet 65 are formed in an arrangement corresponding to the first air inlet 52 and the first air outlet 55.

On the upper surface of the lid plate 26 described above, a pair of receiving plates 47 having a band shape are provided along the left and right side edge portions. The both receiving plates 47 are at the same height as the flanges 34A and 35A on the upper edge of the suction duct 33 and the flanges 39A and 41A on the upper edge of the blowout duct 38, and can slide on the left and right side edges of the movable plate 60. To function. In addition, a guide groove 47 </ b> A that fits the side edge of the front side of the movable plate 60 is formed in a region slightly stronger than the front side of both receiving plates 47.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the movable plate 60 is placed on the flanges 34A and 35A of the suction duct 33, the flanges 39A and 41A of the blowout duct 38 and the receiving plate 47, and the left and right side edges are fitted in the guide grooves 47A. It is slidably supported in the direction.
As described above, the first suction port 52 and the first outlet 55 are formed in the recessed portion 56 in the fixed plate 51, and the first suction port 52 and the first outlet 55 are formed in the movable plate. The upper surface of 60 is overlapped.

As shown in FIG. 9, a latch plate 49 is erected at a position slightly rearward from the front and rear central portion at a position inside the left and right receiving plates 47 in the lid plate 26, and the movable plate 60 includes A long escape groove 66 is cut in the front-rear direction at a position entering from the left and right side edges, and another retaining plate 67 is provided on the lower surface of the escape groove 66 near the front end. A tension coil spring 68 is mounted between the front and rear latch plates 67 and 49, and the elastic force of the tension coil spring 68 urges the movable plate 60 to move backward, As shown in FIG. 11, a stopper 48 is provided at a position outside the receiving plate 47 at the rear end of the plate 47, and the rear edge of the overhanging plate 61 of the movable plate 60 hits the stopper 48 and moves backward. It is supposed to be stopped. This stop position becomes the closed position of the movable plate 60.
Pins 69 are erected on both projecting portions 61 of the movable plate 60, while the pin 69 penetrates the pin 69 at a position near the rear ends of the left and right side edges of the fixed plate 51. A slit 57 is cut to allow the movement of. A region extending from the slit 57 to the rear edge is a recessed portion that is lowered by one step. As will be described later, an engagement path 118 provided on the station 70 side can enter from the rear and The tip of the pin 69 protrudes into the entry path 58.

  As described above, the movable plate 60 is always held in the closed position by the biasing force of the tension coil spring 68. At this time, as shown in FIG. 21, the second suction port 62 (front and rear suction ports) of the movable plate 60 is used. And the second air outlet 65 are aligned with the corresponding first air inlet 52 (consisting of the front and rear air inlets 53A and 53B) provided in the fixed plate 51 and the first air outlet 55. The first suction port 52 and the first air outlet 55 of the fixed plate 51 are blocked by the movable plate 60, that is, the shutter mechanism 50 is closed. Communication with the suction inlet 52 and the 1st blower outlet 55, and the corresponding suction path 32 and the blowing path 37 is interrupted | blocked.

As will be described later, when the cart 10 is pushed to the normal position in the station 70, the engaging plate 118 provided in the station 70 pushes the pin 69 of the shutter mechanism 50 from the rear, as shown in FIG. The movable plate 60 moves forward by a predetermined length against the urging force of the tension coil spring 68, and the second suction port 62 and the second outlet 65 are respectively connected to the upper surface openings of the suction passage 32 and the outlet passage 37. Move to a communicating position. This position is the opening position of the movable plate 60.
When the movable plate 60 moves to the open position, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 22, the second suction port 62 (consisting of the front and rear suction ports 63A and 63B) and the second outlet 65 of the movable plate 60, The corresponding first suction port 52 (consisting of front and rear suction ports 53A and 53B) of the fixed plate 51 and the first blower port 55 are aligned, that is, the shutter mechanism 50 is opened, and the first suction port of the fixed plate 51 is opened. 52, the 1st blower outlet 55, and the corresponding suction path 32 and the blowing path 37 will communicate.

  Next, the structure on the station 70 side will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the station 70 has a box shape in which the front surface and the bottom surface are opened, and is always installed at a fixed position. However, the station 70 is convenient when changing the installation position. In addition, a caster 71 is provided at the bottom so that the station 70 itself can also move. In the station 70, a storage chamber 72 is provided in which the above-described cart 10 can be stored in and out of the front entrance. A heat exchanging unit 73 is constructed in the ceiling portion of the storage chamber 72.

On the back surface side of the ceiling plate of the storage chamber 72, an outer shell 74 that forms a box with an open bottom surface is installed, thereby forming two front and rear first heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C. As shown in FIG. 2, when the cart 10 is properly stored in the storage chamber 72, the first heat exchange chamber 75 </ b> H on the front side is a warm storage compartmented and formed in a front region in the cart 10. The second heat exchange chamber 75 </ b> C on the back side corresponds to a position directly above the refrigerator compartment 20 </ b> C formed on the rear side in the cart 10. In the following, when a common structure is described for the first heat exchange chamber 75H and the second heat exchange chamber 75C, it may be referred to as both heat exchange chambers 75.
As will be described in detail later, the two heat exchange chambers 75 are each provided in two layers, an upper chamber 77 and a lower chamber 78, by placing a horizontal partition plate 76 at a height of a little less than ¼ of the total height. It is partitioned.

  On the bottom surfaces of the lower chambers 78 of both heat exchange chambers 75, as shown in FIG. 15, near the edge on the side close to the adjacent heat exchange chamber 75 and in the center position in the left-right direction, that is, the warming chamber of the cart 10. A rectangular inlet 80 that is slightly larger than each upper surface opening is formed at a position corresponding to the upper surface opening of the suction passage 32 of 20H and the refrigerator compartment 20C. On the other hand, a position closer to the opposite end edge of the bottom surfaces of the lower chambers 78 of the two heat exchange chambers 75, that is, a position corresponding to the upper surface openings of the outlet passages 37 of the warming chamber 20H and the refrigerating chamber 20C. A large strip-shaped outlet 81 is formed. Seal packings 82 are respectively attached to the edge portions on the lower surface side of the inlet port 80 and the outlet port 81 (see FIG. 2).

  On the inner bottom surface of the lower chamber 78 of both heat exchange chambers 75, a short partition duct 83 is erected so as to surround each inlet 80. Each partition duct 83 has a shape that is obtained by dividing a baseball base base into two pieces, and is located on the side closer to the adjacent heat exchange chamber 75 in each heat exchange chamber 75 from the back side than the introduction port 80. The arrangement is such that it extends inward from the viewed left position and then bends at right angles toward the right side, and then extends in an oblique posture toward the right side of the introduction port 80 on the same side surface. Further, at the outer position over almost the entire length of each outlet 81, the same low wind direction duct 84 as the above-described partition duct 83 is disposed in an oblique posture from the left end of the outlet 81 to the opposite side surface. . At the upper edges of the partition duct 83 and the wind direction duct 84, flanges 83A and 84A are formed by bending at right angles.

As described above, in each heat exchange chamber 75, the partition plate 76 is mounted on the flanges 83 </ b> A and 84 </ b> A of both the ducts 83 and 84 from the left end edge to a position slightly in front of the right end edge as viewed from the back. The lower chamber 78 is formed on the lower surface side of the partition plate 76. In each lower chamber 78, the introduction chamber 85 is formed inside the partition duct 83, and the introduction port 80 is opened over a wide area of the bottom surface. On the other hand, the outside of the partition duct 83 is a lead-out chamber 86, and a lead-out port 81 is opened at a position just outside the introduction chamber 85 on the bottom surface of the lead-out chamber 86.
As described above, the upper surface side of the partition plate 76 becomes the upper surface chamber 77. As shown in FIG. 16, an inflow side connection port 87 formed of a round hole is formed at a position approximately in the depth direction of each partition plate 76 and slightly leftward from the center portion in the left-right direction. . As shown in FIG. 15, the inflow side connection port 87 corresponds to the left outer corner portion of the introduction chamber 85, and takes a form in which a part of the left outer corner portion of the introduction port 80 is overlapped.
On the other hand, a gap between the cut end on the right side of the partition plate 76 and the right side surface (hereinafter referred to as the opposing wall surface 89) in each heat exchange chamber 75 serves as the outflow side connection port 88.

In each upper chamber 77 of the first heat exchange chamber 75H and the second heat exchange chamber 75C, a first cooler 91H and a second cooler 91C, which are cooling means, are arranged in the right region as viewed from the back. ing. As shown in FIG. 18, both the coolers 91H and 91C are connected in parallel, and are connected by a refrigerating device 95 and a refrigerant pipe 96 including a compressor 92, a condenser 93 with a condenser fan 93A, and an expansion valve 94. The refrigeration circuit 90 is configured by circulating connection. Drain pans 99 are arranged on the lower surfaces of the coolers 91H and 91C, respectively. Further, the refrigeration apparatus 95 is installed in a machine room 100 provided on the heat exchange unit 73 as shown in FIG.
The refrigerant inflow pipes 96H and 96C to the respective coolers 91H and 91C are provided with a control on-off valve 97, and the refrigerant inflow pipe 96H to the first cooler 91H is provided with a switching valve 98. ing.

Therefore, when the refrigeration apparatus 95 is driven, if the switching valve 98 is opened, both the coolers 91H and 91C are in a state capable of exhibiting the cooling function, and if the switching valve 98 is closed, Only the two coolers 91C are in a state where the cooling function can be exhibited.
In addition, by individually controlling the on-off valves 97 provided in the refrigerant inflow pipes 96H and 96C of the respective coolers 91H and 91C, the refrigerant flows into and stops from the respective coolers 91H and 91C, that is, the cooling function. Demonstrating and stopping are controlled.
The upper chamber 77 of the first heat exchange chamber 75H is equipped with a heater 101 as a heating means in addition to the cooler 91H. The heater 101 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole, and is installed concentrically above the inflow side connection port 87 described above. The lead wire 102 of the heater 101 is led to the machine room 100 side.

Both heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C are equipped with circulation fans 105, respectively. The circulation fan 105 is a turbo type fan motor, and as shown in FIG. 20, the circulation fan 105 includes a motor 106 attached with an output shaft 107 facing downward, and a fan 108 provided on the output shaft 107. The fan 108 has a structure in which a suction port 109 is provided on the lower surface side and a discharge port 110 is provided on the peripheral surface. During driving, the air sucked from the suction port 109 on the lower surface of the fan 108 functions so as to be discharged radially from the discharge port 110 on the peripheral surface.
The fans 108 of the circulation fan 105 having the above-described structure are concentrically provided in the upper chamber 77 of each heat exchange chamber 75 immediately above the inflow side connection port 87. The upper chamber 77 of the first heat exchange chamber 75H is arranged inside the heater 101. The motor 106 is installed in the machine room 100.

In the upper chamber 77 of each heat exchange chamber 75, as shown in FIG. 16, a wind direction duct 112 is provided over the entire height so as to close the left side of the fan 108 of each circulation fan 105 in the figure. Each wind direction duct 112 takes an arrangement that forms a half of a hexagon, extends diagonally to the left from one of the front and rear wall surfaces facing each other, is bent in the front-rear direction, and then extends diagonally to the right and extends to the other wall surface. To reach.
A wind direction plate 115 is disposed in the outflow side connection port 88 formed by cutting off the right end portion of the partition plate 76. The wind direction plate 115 is provided so as to cover almost the entire length and almost the entire height inside the opposing wall surface 89 on the side where the outflow side connection port 88 is formed in each heat exchange chamber 75. As shown in FIG. 17, the cross-sectional shape is a shape in which the upper and lower corners of the U-shaped cross section are the C plane 116.

When the circulation fan 105 is driven, the air on the lower surface side of each heat exchange chamber 75 is introduced into the introduction chamber 85 from the introduction port 80, and then sucked into the fan 108 from the inflow side connection port 87. As shown by the arrow 16, the air flows from the discharge port 110 of the fan 108 to the right in the upper chamber 77 toward the outflow side connection port 88, and then the wind direction plate as shown by the arrow in FIG. 17. 115, it goes around to the outlet chamber 86 of the lower chamber 78 while being guided by 115, continues to flow through the outlet chamber 86 as shown by the arrow in FIG. .
And the inlet 80 and the outlet 81 of the first heat exchange chamber 75H communicate with the suction passage 32 and the outlet passage 37 of the warm storage chamber 20H, respectively, so that the first heat exchange chamber 75H to the warm storage chamber 20H. In the same way, the introduction port 80 and the discharge port 81 of the second heat exchange chamber 75C are communicated with the suction passage 32 and the discharge passage 37 of the refrigerating chamber 20C, respectively. An air circulation path 117C from the exchange chamber 75C to the refrigerator compartment 20C is configured.
Although not shown, the machine room 100 is provided with a control unit 113 that includes a timer and controls the operation of the refrigeration apparatus 95, the heater 101, and the like.

The station 70 is equipped with means for switching opening and closing of the shutter mechanism 50 provided in the cart 10 described above.
As shown in FIG. 21, the left and right side walls of the storage chamber 72 of the station 70 are located at a height position that can be engaged with the upper end of the pin 69 erected on the movable plate 60 constituting the shutter mechanism 50, from the rear wall. An engaging plate 118 that presses the pin 69 is provided so as to oppose and project at a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance.
As will be described later, when the cart 10 is placed in the storage chamber 72 of the station 70 and close to the final stage, the engaging plate 118 hits the pin 69 and is relatively pushed toward the front side, so that the movable plate 60 is pulled by the tension coil spring. While moving 68 toward the open position while expanding, the movable plate 60 reaches the open position, that is, the shutter mechanism 50 is opened.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
A case where breakfast is served will be described as an example. For example, in the evening of the previous day, hot and cold foods prepared for cooking and the like are served on a tray T, placed in a freezer and chilled. The next morning, the tray T is taken out from the freezer, and as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of trays T are placed across the warming room 20H and the refrigerating room 20C with respect to the cart 10 taken out from the station 70. Store in the steps. As long as the cart 10 is taken out from the station 70, the shutter mechanism 50 is closed, so that foreign matters such as dust and insects are mixed from the suction passage 32 and the blowout passage 37 opened in the ceiling wall 17 of the cart 10. It is not.

  When the storage of the tray T is completed, the cart 10 is pushed into the storage chamber 72 of the station 70 as shown by the arrow in FIG. A blow-out passage 37 and a suction passage 32 provided in the ceiling wall 17 of the warm room 20H and the refrigerator compartment 20C of the cart 10 are provided with an inlet 80 provided on the bottom surface of the corresponding heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C of the station 70. When the cart 10 is stopped to the normal position corresponding to the position immediately below the outlet 81, the shutter mechanism 50 is opened by the engagement plate 118 pushing the pin 69 during this period, as shown in FIG. Through the suction ports 52 and 62 and the outlets 55 and 65, the suction passage 32 and the outlet passage 37 of the warming chamber 20 </ b> H and the refrigerator compartment 20 </ b> C are connected to the inlet 80 and outlet 81 of the corresponding heat exchange chamber 75. Communicate. In addition, the seal packing 82 mounted on the lower edge of the inlet port 80 and the outlet port 81 of the heat exchange chamber 75 is a region where the inlet port 52 and the outlet port 55 are formed on the upper surface of the shutter mechanism 50 (fixed plate 51). Because it is closely attached around the air, no air leakage occurs.

  When the cart 10 is stored in the regular position in the storage chamber 72 of the station 70, the hot and cold foods are first thawed at a low temperature. For this purpose, the refrigeration apparatus 95 is driven in a state where the switching valve 98 of the refrigeration circuit 90 is opened, and the both circulation fans 105 are driven at the same time. As a result, the air in the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C is sucked up from the suction passage 32 and introduced into the introduction chamber 85 of the lower chamber 78 in the corresponding heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C. Cool air is generated while flowing into the upper chamber 77 and flowing through the coolers 91H and 91C as shown by the arrows in FIG. The cold air is guided by the wind direction plate 115 and then flows into the outlet chamber 86 of the lower chamber 78 through the outflow side connection port 88, and is then driven into the flow passage 21 of the warm chamber 20H or the refrigerator chamber 20C from the outlet 81. As a result, a circulation flow occurs such that the refrigerant flows into the warming chamber 20H or the refrigerating chamber 20C while flowing down the same flow passage 21, and both the warming chamber 20H and the refrigerating chamber 20C are cooled. Here, the cooling temperature of the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C is set to, for example, about “10 ° C.”, and the hot and cold foods placed on the tray T are both defrosted at low temperature.

When a predetermined time elapses after the low-temperature thawing starts, the warm room 20H side switches to a heated state, and the cold room 20C side is in a refrigerated state at a cooling temperature (about 3 ° C.) slightly lower than that during thawing. That is, at a predetermined timing, the switching valve 98 is closed by the operation of the timer, the first cooler 91H is inactivated, and the heater 101 is energized instead. Then, warm air is generated while the air drawn from the warming chamber 20H flows into the upper chamber 77 of the first heat exchange chamber 75H and passes through the heater 101, and the warm air flows through the flow passage 21 of the warming chamber 20H. Circulated into the warming chamber 20H while flowing down the same flow passage 21, and the hot food placed on the tray T is reheated. During this time, the heating temperature in the warming chamber 20H may be maintained substantially at the set temperature by controlling the power interruption to the heater 101 based on the detected temperature of the temperature in the warming chamber 20H. On the other hand, on the side of the refrigerator compartment 20C, the internal set temperature is lowered to about 3 ° C. and then the cooling state is continued.
When the serving time is reached, the operation of the refrigeration apparatus 95, the heater 101, and the circulation fan 105 is stopped. After that, when the cart 10 is pulled out of the station 70, the hot food is warmed, and the trays T respectively stacked in the state where the cold food is cooled can be taken out and used for serving.

According to the present embodiment, advantages can be obtained as follows.
First, until the cart 10 is put in the station 70, the suction path 32 and the outlet path 37 provided in the ceiling wall 17 of the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C are closed by the shutter mechanism 50, and the cart 10 is station 70. When housed inside, the shutter mechanism 50 is opened, so that individual air circulation paths 117H and 117C are configured for both heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C.
When the cart 10 is taken out from the station 70, the shutter mechanism 50 closes the suction passage 32 and the blowout passage 37 of the warm storage room 20H and the cold storage room 20C, so that foreign matter such as dust and insects can be prevented from entering. It becomes good in terms of hygiene. In addition, since the shutter mechanism 50 is provided integrally with the cart 10, and the shutter mechanism 50 is automatically opened and closed, the usability is excellent.

The air circulation paths 117H and 117C of the present embodiment have the following structure. The suction path 32 and the outlet path 37 provided in the ceiling wall 17 of the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C of the cart 10 are positions where the suction path 32 is close to the partition wall 16 side in the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C. In the depth direction, the blowout passage 37 is formed along the flow path 21 provided on the side wall opposite to the partition wall 16 in the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C. The turbo-type circulation fan 105 is provided so as to correspond almost directly above the introduction port 80 of each of the heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C with the suction port 109 facing downward. ing.
Here, when the circulation fan 105 is driven, the air in the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C flows into the side near the partition wall 16 and is sucked into the corresponding heat exchange chambers 75H and 75C from the suction passage 32. The air after the heat exchange is driven through the blowout path 37 from the almost full region on the end side opposite to the partition wall 16 in the warm room 20H and the cold room 20C. Since the circulation fan 105 is arranged at a position almost directly above the suction passage 32 having a limited cross-sectional area, the internal air can be efficiently sucked, that is, efficiently circulated, and after the heat exchange. Since the air is driven over the entire depth of the refrigerator compartment 20H and the refrigerator compartment 20C without being affected by the temperature of the adjacent rooms 20H and 20C, cooling and heating are efficiently performed in the refrigerator compartment 20H as a whole. It is possible to cool efficiently in the refrigerator compartment 20C.

In the portion that performs the function of opening and closing the suction passage 32 of the warm chamber 20H and the refrigerator compartment 20C, the suction passage 32 is shaped to be opened first toward the upper surface, while the fixed plate 51 and the movable plate constituting the shutter mechanism 50 60, the first suction port 52 and the second suction port 62 are divided into two parts with an interval in the moving direction of the movable plate 60 within the region of the upper surface opening of the suction passage 32. It has become.
For example, when the shutter mechanism 50 is opened, the first suction port 52 and the first suction port 52 of the fixed plate 51 and the movable plate 60 and the first plate are provided under the condition that the substantial opening area of the upper surface opening of the suction passage 32 is the same as that of the above embodiment. When the two suction ports 62 are covered by one each, the movable plate 60 is moved between the open position where the suction ports 52 and 62 are aligned and the closed position where the suction ports 52 and 62 are displaced. Although it is necessary to take a large stroke, in this embodiment, the first suction port 52 and the second suction port 62 are divided into two parts, so that both the suction ports 52 and 62 are aligned with each other. The moving stroke of the movable plate 60 between the closed position where the suction ports 52 and 62 are displaced is suppressed to a small value.
That is, the moving stroke of the movable plate 60 constituting the shutter mechanism 50 can be kept small, in other words, the shutter mechanism 50 can be gathered compactly, and the opening area of the suction path 32 when the shutter mechanism 50 is opened can be increased. .

  Further, the movable plate 60 of the shutter mechanism 50 has flanges 34A, 35A and 39A, 41A provided at the upper edges of the suction duct 33 and the blowout duct 38 so that the central portion thereof constitutes the suction path 32 and the blowout path 37. And is slidably supported. Since the movable plate 60 is slidably supported using the ducts 33 and 38 constituting the suction passage 32 and the blowout passage 37, the shutter mechanism 50 is formed with a simple structure with a small number of parts. Can do.

<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.
(1) In the above embodiment, the structure in which the suction port provided in the fixed plate and the movable plate constituting the shutter mechanism is divided into two in the moving direction of the movable plate is exemplified. However, as the structure divided into three or more Also good.
(2) Conversely, there may be a single suction port, and such a thing is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the shutter mechanism is automatically opened and closed is illustrated. However, as long as the shutter mechanism is integrated with the cart, the structure may be manually opened and closed. .

(4) The positions of the suction path and the outlet path provided on the ceiling wall of the warm room and the cold room of the cart are not limited to those illustrated in the above embodiment, and can be arbitrarily set.
(5) The circulation fan provided in the air circulation path is not limited to the turbo fan motor exemplified in the above embodiment, but may be other types of fans, and air can be circulated through the air circulation path. As long as it is, the location can be set arbitrarily.
(6) In the above embodiment, the cart has a format in which the tray can be inserted and removed from the left and right openings, but the opening is provided only on either the left or right side. Also good.
(7) The refrigeration / heating apparatus of the present invention is not limited to serving breakfast at hospitals, but can be used in a wider range, including when providing meals to other medical facilities and canteens in factories, as well as for setting out times It is possible to apply across forms.

  T ... Tray 10 ... Cart 11 ... Cart body 13 ... Insulated door (door) 14 ... Casters 16 ... Partition wall 17 ... Ceiling wall 20H ... Warm room 20C ... Cold room 21 ... Flow path 25 ... Interior plate 32 ... Suction path 33 ... Suction duct 34A, 35A ... Flange 37 ... Blowout passage 38 ... Blowout duct 39A, 41A ... Flange 50 ... Shutter mechanism 51 ... Fixed plate 52 ... First suction port 53A, 53B ... (Front and rear) suction port 55 ... First blow Outlet 60 ... Movable plate 62 ... Second suction port 63A, 63B ... (Front and rear) suction port 65 ... Second outlet 68 ... Tension coil spring 69 ... Pin (engaged part) 70 ... Station 75H ... First heat exchange Chamber 75C ... Second heat exchange chamber 80 ... Inlet port 81 ... Outlet port 91H, 91C ... Cooler (cooling means) 101 ... Heater (heating means) 105 ... Circulation fan 112 ... Control unit 117H, 117C ... Air circulation path 118 ... Engagement plate (engagement unit)

Claims (6)

A tray having a cart body comprising a heat-insulated box having an open side, a heat-insulating partition wall for partitioning the cart body into a warm room and a refrigerator room, and a door for opening and closing the opening of the cart body. A cart with casters that is stored in a plurality of stages in a form extending through the partition wall and extending between the warm room and the cold room,
A refrigeration / heating apparatus comprising a station provided with a cooling means and a heating means for storing the cart so that it can be taken in and out,
In the ceiling of the station, a first heat exchange chamber equipped with a cooling means and a heating means and a second heat exchange chamber equipped with a cooling means are partitioned and formed in a horizontal direction,
While the bottom surface of each heat exchange chamber is provided with an introduction port and a discharge port,
The ceiling walls of the warm room and the cold room are each provided with a suction path and an outlet path,
When the cart is stored in the station, the inlet and the suction port corresponding to each other between the first heat exchange chamber and the warm room and between the second heat exchange chamber and the cold room. Individual air circulation paths are formed by communicating the paths and the outlets and the outlet paths,
Each air circulation path is provided with a fan,
Control means for controlling the operation of the cooling means and the heating means is provided,
And a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the suction passage and the blow-off passage provided on the ceiling wall of the warm room and the cold room is provided integrally with the cart. Refrigerated equipment. The shutter mechanism has the first suction port with respect to a fixed plate provided with a first suction port and a first blower port that communicate with the suction passage and the blow-out passage of the warm room and the cold room, respectively. And a movable plate provided with a second air inlet and a second air outlet respectively aligned with the first air outlet are slidably overlapped, and the movable plate is provided between the air inlets and the air outlets. Can be reciprocated between the open position where the two are aligned and the closed position where both the suction ports and the two outlets are separated and the movable plate closes the first suction port and the first outlet of the fixed plate. The refrigeration / warming apparatus for food according to claim 1, wherein: The suction passage and the blowout passage provided in the ceiling wall of the warm room and the cold room are the position where the suction path is close to the partition wall side in the warm room and the cold room and the depth direction. And the blowout path is formed to be almost full of depth along the side edge of the warm room and the cold room opposite to the partition wall, and 3. The food refrigeration / heating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fan is provided at the inlet of each of the heat exchange chambers. The first suction port and the second suction port provided in the fixed plate and the movable plate are each divided into a plurality of portions in the moving direction of the movable plate. 3. A refrigerator-freezer for foods according to 3. The ceiling wall of the cart body has a duct standing on an interior plate to form the suction passage and the blowout passage, and is filled with a heat insulating material around the duct, and a predetermined interval is provided above the heat insulating material. The fixed plate constituting the shutter mechanism by being opened is stretched, and the movable plate is slidably supported on the duct in a state of overlapping the lower surface of the fixed plate. The cold storage apparatus of the foodstuff as described in any one of Claim 2 thru | or 4. The movable plate constituting the shutter mechanism is always urged to move to the closed position by spring elasticity, while the station is provided with the movable plate as the cart is housed in the station. 6. An engagement portion is provided that engages with the engaged portion, and moves the movable plate to an open position against the spring elasticity. The cold storage apparatus of the foodstuff of one term.

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