JP2011252608A - Food storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate decomposition of a chemical substance or the like, in the ozone stayed.SOLUTION: A food storage device includes: a storage box 170 for forming a storage compartment (vegetable compartment 120) that stores food; a cooler 119 for cooling air in the storage compartment 170; a ventilator 113 for making the air in the storage compartment flow; an ozone generator 200 for generating the ozone supplied to the storage compartment; and a controller 133 for acquiring whether the air in the storage compartment flows, and for controlling the ozone so as not to be supplied to the storage compartment when the air flows.

Description

  The present invention relates to a food storage including a refrigerator, and more particularly to a food storage including air blowing means for circulating air in the storage chamber to prevent air stagnation in the storage chamber.

Conventionally, ozone having a high oxidizing action has been used for sterilization and fungicide in refrigerators and the like. For example, the intercooling refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a cooler and a blower in a separate chamber from the storage room, and the air cooled by the cooler is blown into the storage room by the blower, thereby storing the refrigerator. The room is cooling. Accordingly, air is forced to flow in the storage chamber, and by generating ozone in the flow, sterilization and antibacterial can be performed over the entire storage chamber.
JP 2001-911146 A

  However, if ozone is generated while the air in the storage room is flowing, it is thought that it is possible to obtain even the effects of sterilization and antibacterial effects, but more effects such as decomposing chemical substances such as agricultural chemicals. Found it difficult.

  This invention is made | formed as a result of the said research, and aims at provision of the food store | warehouse | chamber which can show | play an effect more than sterilization and antibacterial using ozone.

  In order to achieve the above object, a food storage according to the present invention comprises a storage box forming a storage room for storing food, a door for opening and closing the storage box, and a cooling means for cooling air in the storage room, When the air is flowing, the air blowing means for flowing the air in the storage chamber, the ozone generator for generating ozone to be supplied to the storage chamber, and whether the air in the storage chamber is flowing are acquired. And a control means for controlling so that ozone is not supplied to the storage chamber.

  According to this, since the ozone generator can generate ozone when the air in the storage chamber is not flowing, it can effectively cause high-concentration ozone to act on the stored food or its vicinity. It becomes possible. Further, when the air in the storage chamber is flowing, the ozone generator does not generate ozone, so that it is possible to contribute to energy saving without consuming unnecessary energy.

  The cooling means and the air blowing means are accommodated in a cooling chamber different from the storage chamber, and further include an adjustment valve for controlling the flow rate of air flowing out from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber, the control means It is preferable to acquire and control whether the air in the storage chamber is flowing based on whether the regulating valve is in a closed state or an open state.

  Thereby, it is possible to easily acquire whether or not the air in the storage chamber is flowing, and it is possible to reliably generate ozone only when the air in the storage chamber is not flowing.

  It is desirable that the control means controls so that ozone is supplied to the storage chamber when the air blowing means is stopped even when the regulating valve is in an open state.

  According to this, even when the regulating valve is in the open state, it is possible to acquire a case where the air in the storage chamber is not flowing, and it is possible to generate ozone in more cases.

  Further, the control means may acquire whether the air in the storage chamber is flowing based on whether the air blowing means is in a movable state or a stopped state.

  Thereby, it is possible to easily acquire whether or not the air in the storage chamber is flowing, and it is possible to reliably generate ozone only when the air in the storage chamber is not flowing.

  Also, a storage box forming a storage room for storing food, a door for opening and closing the storage box, a cooling means for cooling the air in the storage room, a blowing means for flowing the air in the storage room, and the storage room An ozone generator for generating ozone to be supplied to the vehicle, and a control means for controlling the output of the ozone generator, wherein the output of the ozone generator is varied when the blower is turned on and off. It is characterized by.

  Thereby, the ozone concentration in the storage chamber can be stably maintained.

  In the present invention, it is possible to effectively cause the ozone generated by the ozone generator to act on the food stored in the storage room and the vicinity thereof.

  Next, an embodiment of a food storage according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a food storage in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the food storage 100 is a refrigerator including three doors 111, and the storage chamber formed by the storage box 170 is divided into three.

  The food storage 100 is provided with a refrigerator compartment 110, a vegetable compartment 120, and a freezer compartment 130 from above as compartmentalized storage compartments. In the same figure, the rectangular broken lines represent the openings of the respective storage chambers, and the food to be stored is carried into the storage box 170 partitioned in a shelf shape from the front and is taken out. It has become.

  Further, the food storage 100 includes a door 111 that can seal the storage box 170 and can be opened and closed. Specifically, the food storage 100 includes a first door 111a capable of opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 110, a second door 111b capable of opening and closing the vegetable compartment 120, and a third door 111c capable of opening and closing the freezer compartment 130. The door 111 is attached to the storage box 170 so that it can be opened and closed by a hinge.

  The storage box 170 has a function to insulate the outside and the inside, and as shown in the ellipse in the figure, an inner box 171 vacuum-formed with a resin such as ABS and a metal material such as a pre-coated steel plate are used. The outer box 172 is used, and the heat insulating material 173 is disposed between the inner box 171 and the outer box 172. Similarly, the door 111 includes an inner plate, an outer plate, and a heat insulating material 173.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the food storage 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the food storage 100 includes an ozone generator 200, partitioning means 210, and a light source 220. The food storage 100 includes a first container 123, a second container 121, and a lid 122 inside the vegetable compartment 120.

  The ozone generator 200 is a device that can generate ozone to be supplied to the first container 123 and the second container 121 disposed in the storage chamber. The ozone generator 200 is embedded in the lower surface side of the shelf 115 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 110 and the vegetable compartment 120 toward the inside of the vegetable compartment 120. Therefore, the ozone generator 200 is disposed above an opening 127 of the second container 121 described later, and is disposed at a position spaced from the opening 127 of the second container 121 and facing the opening 127. .

  The ozone generator 200 can generate or stop ozone based on a signal from a control board 132 described later.

  By burying the ozone generator in the shelf 115 in this way, the temperature of the ozone generator 200 is hardly changed even by the temperature change of the vegetable compartment 120, and the ozone generation efficiency can be stably maintained. .

  Moreover, it becomes possible to generate ozone as needed.

Here, the ozone generator 200 is not particularly limited as long as it is a device that generates ozone. Specifically, a device for generating ozone (O ₃ ) by irradiating ultraviolet light to oxygen molecules (O ₂ ) in the air, or an electrode disposed in the air is set to a high voltage, and discharge or the like An apparatus that converts oxygen molecules into ozone, an apparatus that electrolyzes a substance containing oxygen such as water, and supplies ozone into the air can be exemplified.

  The partitioning unit 210 is a member made of a thin plate that partitions the ozone generator 200 and the storage chamber, and as shown in FIG. . The partition unit 210 partitions the ozone generator 200 and the vegetable compartment 120 by being attached to the lower surface of the shelf 115 so as to cover the ozone generator 200 embedded in the shelf 115. In addition, the partition unit 210 is provided with a number of suction holes 212 in front of the lower surface portion.

  The lower surface portion of the partitioning unit 210 is inclined so that the position gradually decreases toward the rear of the food storage 100, and the discharge hole 211 is disposed in the vicinity of the lowest position.

  As a result, ozone having a higher specific gravity than air is mainly emitted downward from the emission hole 211. On the other hand, the suction hole 212 disposed in the front mainly functions as a hole for sucking the atmosphere outside the partition unit 210. In the case of the present embodiment, the suction port 212 sucks in cold air that has been discharged along the outer wall of the second container 121, which will be described later.

  Further, the partitioning unit 210 has an ozone generation efficiency of the ozone generator 200, the amount of oxygen that flows into the partitioning unit 210 through the suction hole 212, and the amount of ozone that flows out from the discharge hole 211. It is possible to adjust the density. That is, the partition unit 210 determines the total opening area of the discharge hole 211 and the total opening area of the suction hole 212 provided in the partition unit 210 at the design stage, so that the ozone of the first container 123 and the second container 121 is determined. The density can be adjusted to some extent. Specifically, if there are many discharge holes 211 (the total opening area is wide), the amount of ozone flowing out increases, and the ozone concentration in the first container 123 and the second container 121 increases. Further, since the inflow amount of oxygen increases in proportion to the outflow amount of ozone, the number of discharge holes 211 and the ozone concentration in the first container 123 and the second container 121 are proportional to the limit of the capacity of the ozone generator 200. . On the other hand, when the number of the discharge holes 211 is small (the total opening area is narrow), the amount of ozone flowing out decreases, and the ozone concentration in the first container 123 and the second container 121 decreases.

  In addition, although the said partition means 210 flowed out ozone by natural convection and flowed in oxygen, you may make it flow out ozone and forcibly take in oxygen using a fan. Furthermore, the movement and stop of the fan may be controlled based on a signal from the control board 132. In addition, an ozone concentration meter is arranged so that the ozone concentration in the second container 121 can be measured, and the ozone generation amount of the ozone generator 200 is adjusted based on information from the ozone concentration meter (for example, the fan is turned on or off). By doing so, the ozone concentration in the second container 121 may be maintained within a predetermined range.

  It is desirable to maintain the ozone concentration in the first container 123 and the second container 121 that are food storage rooms at 0.05 ppm or less. If the ozone concentration is higher than this, there is a risk of affecting the human body performing these operations when the second container 121 is pulled out or when food such as vegetables is extracted from the second container 121 container. . Moreover, it is desirable to maintain at 0.03 ppm or less. This is because, if the ozone concentration is higher than this, the person who performs the operation may feel uncomfortable due to the ozone odor.

  The light source 220 is a device that emits light of a predetermined wavelength that can promote decomposition of agricultural chemicals by ozone to food stored in the vegetable compartment 120 as a storage compartment. In the present embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) is employed as the light source 220.

  Further, the light source 220 is disposed inside the partitioning unit 210. This is to prevent light of a predetermined wavelength from being absorbed by the light source 220 and degrading the decomposition efficiency of the agricultural chemical.

  Therefore, it is desirable that at least the partitioning unit 210 is made of a material that can sufficiently transmit light having a necessary wavelength among light emitted from the light source 220.

  The wavelength emitted by the light source 220 is a predetermined wavelength that can promote the decomposition of agricultural chemicals by ozone with respect to food stored in the storage room, and any wavelength region in the infrared region, visible region, or ultraviolet region. May be included.

  Specifically, a wavelength that resonates with vibrations of molecules constituting the agricultural chemical is preferable. This wavelength is considered to exist in the infrared region. More specifically, the infrared absorption spectrum of the target agricultural chemical is used, and the wavelength corresponding to the valley portion of the spectrum, such as the wavelength of the strongest absorbing portion, is preferable. For example, the wavelength specified from the infrared absorption spectrum of chlorpyrifos, malathion or pyrethroid pesticides is preferred. This is because it is an agrochemical that is often used in foods and is likely to remain in foods.

  On the other hand, the wavelength at which ozone is activated may be used. For example, the wavelength in the infrared region that ozone absorbs. This is because if ozone is activated, the decomposition of agricultural chemicals is promoted.

  Moreover, the light emission method of the light source 220 should just employ | adopt the method which is easy to decompose | disassemble an agrochemical. For example, a method in which the light source 220 is continuously turned on only when the ozone concentration in the vegetable compartment 120 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value can be considered. The predetermined value is preferably 0.01 ppm or more considering the decomposition efficiency of agricultural chemicals. Further, the light source 220 may be blinked at an emission interval corresponding to a multiple or a divisor of the natural frequency of the molecules constituting the agricultural chemical. As a result, it is considered that light energy can be efficiently input to the pesticide and the pesticide can be easily decomposed with ozone.

  In the present embodiment, a light emitting diode is used as the light source 220. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and the light source 220 that emits light having a continuous spectrum may be used. Further, a light source 220 may be used that is provided with a plurality of light emitting diodes that emit light of different wavelengths.

  The food storage 100 further includes a cooling unit 119, a blowing unit 113, a regulating valve 131, and a control board 132.

  The cooling unit 119 is a device that releases heat in the storage chamber to the outside of the storage chamber by a cooling cycle, and includes a refrigerant circuit including a cooler 112, a radiator, a compressor, and the like.

  In the case of this embodiment, the cooling means 119 includes two coolers 112, a first cooler 112 and a second cooler 112.

  The first cooler 112 is attached to a cooling chamber 114, which is a separate chamber provided on the back side of the freezing chamber 130, and cools the air in the storage chamber introduced into the cooling chamber 114.

  The 2nd cooler 112 is provided in the back side of the back of refrigerator compartment 110, and cools refrigerator compartment 110 by carrying out direct heat exchange with the air in refrigerator compartment 110.

  The blowing means 113 is a device for blowing the air cooled by the first cooler 112 to the freezer compartment 130 or the vegetable compartment 120. In the present embodiment, an axial fan is employed as the air blowing means 113.

  The adjustment valve 131 is a damper for adjusting the amount of cold air (air cooled by the cooler 112) blown by the blowing means 113 and discharged to the vegetable compartment 120, and controls the opening degree of the valve including full closure. It is possible to adjust by.

  The cold air cooled by the first cooler 112 is at a low temperature sufficient to cool the freezer compartment 130 and cannot be constantly discharged into the vegetable compartment 120. Therefore, the amount of the cold air discharged to the vegetable compartment 120 is adjusted by the regulating valve 131 to maintain the temperature of the vegetable compartment 120 at a predetermined temperature (0 ° C. to 4 ° C.).

  The control board 132 is a board that is electrically connected to the cooling means 119, the air blowing means 113, the regulating valve 131, a sensor (not shown), and the like and controls each of the devices, and a control unit 133 serving as the control means. Etc.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the food storage.

  As shown in the figure, the control unit 133 is connected to the regulating valve 131, the air blowing means 113, the cooling means 119, the ozone generating apparatus 200, the light source 220, and various sensors, and the connected apparatus is controlled according to a predetermined program. A processing unit to be controlled. For example, the following processing is performed by the control unit 133.

(Control 1)
The temperature of the refrigerator compartment 110, the vegetable compartment 120, and the freezer compartment 130 is measured with various sensors, and the control unit 133 acquires the information. On the basis of this information, the cooling means 119 and the air blowing means 113 are ON / OFF controlled so that each storage chamber has a set temperature, and the opening degree of the regulating valve 131 is controlled.

(Control 2)
When the control unit 133 acquires information that the regulating valve 131 is fully closed, it is determined that the air in the vegetable compartment 120 is not flowing, and the ozone generator 200 is controlled so that ozone is not supplied to the storage compartment. To do. Specifically, the power supplied to the ozone generator 200 may be cut off and control may be performed so that ozone is not generated. In addition, when ozone is supplied to the storage room by opening / closing the opening or turning on / off the fan, the ozone is not supplied to the vegetable compartment 120 by controlling to close the opening or to turn off the fan. It may be.

  The information indicating that the regulating valve 131 is fully closed may be acquired directly from the state of the regulating valve 131, or may be acquired based on control information indicating that the regulating valve 131 is fully closed. It doesn't matter.

  Further, the light source 220 may be turned on only when ozone is generated.

(Control 3)
Furthermore, even when the control unit 133 acquires information that the regulating valve 131 is not fully closed and the blowing unit 113 is stopped, it is determined that the air in the vegetable compartment 120 is not flowing, and ozone is stored in the storage compartment. It may be controlled not to be supplied.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the first container, the second container, and the lid.

  The first container 123 is a box that is disposed in a position that can receive the ozone released from the ozone generator 200 in the upper part of the vegetable room 120 that is a storage room, and is referred to as a so-called fruit case. Is. In the case of the present embodiment, the first container 123 is supported in the accommodated state behind the second container 121 described later, and can be pulled out and pushed into the vegetable compartment 120 together with the second container 121. Further, the first container 123 is provided with a plurality of outflow holes 128 through which ozone flows out in the thickness direction in the range from the lower part of the front wall, which is one of the peripheral walls, to the bottom part. The first container 123 is made of a material that can sufficiently transmit light having a necessary wavelength among the light emitted from the light source 220.

  The second container 121 is a box having an opening 127 that is disposed in the vegetable room 120 as a storage room and can be pulled out and opened upward.

  The lid 122 is a plate-like member that closes the opening 127 above the first container 123 and the second container 121, and includes a passage hole 124 and an adjustment hole 125. The lid 122 is made of a material that can sufficiently transmit light having a necessary wavelength among light emitted from the light source 220. The lid 122 has a function of adjusting the humidity in the first container 123 and the second container 121, and specifically, transpiration from vegetables and fruits stored in the first container 123 and the second container 121. The humidity is adjusted so that the moisture does not condense in the first container 123 or the second container 121 while maintaining the moisture to be kept in the first container 123 or the second container 121 to some extent.

  The passage hole 124 is a hole having a function of mainly passing ozone, and is a hole penetrating in the thickness direction of the lid 122. Further, the passage hole 124 has a tapered shape that gradually increases in diameter upward as shown in FIG. Further, since the passage hole 124 is a hole for introducing ozone generated by the ozone generator 200 into the inside of the first container 123, a region immediately below the discharge hole 211 provided in the partitioning unit 210 and its surrounding area (corresponding to the discharge hole) Position 126 (see FIG. 5)).

  By forming the passage hole 124 in such a shape, ozone falling from the discharge hole 211 of the partitioning means 210 is received by a portion having a large diameter of the passage hole 124, and ozone is effectively introduced into the first container 123. be able to. On the other hand, the moisture existing inside the first container 123 and the second container 121 can be adjusted to the outflow amount of an adjustment hole 125 described later, and the humidity inside the second container 121 can be adjusted as designed. Become.

  The adjustment hole 125 is a through-hole provided in a portion other than the discharge hole corresponding position 126 and is inward to adjust the state of the atmosphere inside the first container 123 and the second container 121 (particularly moisture). This part has a function of releasing the atmosphere of the outside. The adjustment hole 125 is a hole penetrating in the thickness direction of the lid 122 as shown in FIG. Further, the number and size of the adjustment holes 125 are determined at the design stage depending on the range to be adjusted (for example, the humidity range in the second container 121).

  With the configuration of the container as described above, the ozone released from the ozone generator 200 is first introduced into the first container 123, and the second container is discharged from the outflow hole 128 provided in the lower part or bottom of the peripheral wall of the first container 123. 121. Therefore, it is possible to spread the ozone as a whole up to the second container 121 without the ozone remaining only in the first container 123.

  Furthermore, by providing the outflow holes 128 at the corners connecting the peripheral wall and the bottom of the first container 123, ozone can be efficiently discharged to the second container 121 below. Furthermore, the food assumed to be stored in the first container 123 is fruit. Many fruits are spherical, and if the outflow holes 128 are provided at the corners of the first container 123, it is possible to prevent the outflow holes 128 from being blocked by food.

  As described above, since ozone is supplied to the first container 123 and the second container 121 in the vegetable room 120 when there is no air flow in the vegetable room 120, the first container 123 and the second container 121 have a predetermined value. Of ozone at a concentration of 5%. Therefore, it is possible to secure a concentration necessary for decomposing chemical substances remaining in food such as vegetables and fruits stored in the first container 123 and the second container 121, particularly agricultural chemicals.

  In addition, when there is air flow in the vegetable compartment 120, if it is controlled so that ozone is not generated, energy required for generating ozone can be saved, and it is possible to contribute to energy saving.

  In the present embodiment, a cold-cooled refrigerator (vegetable room 120, freezer room 130) has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, a direct cooling type refrigerator (refrigeration room 110) may be provided with the air blowing means 113 in the storage room in order to force the air in the storage room to flow. In this case, the ozone generator 200 may be controlled based on ON / OFF of the air blowing means 113.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the ozone generator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. About the structure of a refrigerator, it is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in the figure, when the air blowing means 113 is driven in the ON state and the freezer compartment 130 is cooled, the vegetable compartment 120 is not cooled. It is controlled so that the ozone generated in the second container 121 of the vegetable compartment 120 flows by supplying electric power to the apparatus 200.

  When the freezer compartment 130 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, the blowing unit 113 is turned off and stopped, and the damper device 131 is closed, the ozone generator 200 outputs more output than when the blowing unit 113 is turned on. The operation is performed by lowering and ozone is caused to flow into the second container 121.

  This is because even if the damper device 131 is closed and the cool air discharge air passage to the vegetable compartment 120 is closed, the cool air return air passage (not shown) formed in the vegetable compartment 120 is opened. Since the air in the vegetable compartment 120 is in a convection state, the ozone concentration is difficult to stabilize.

  For this reason, even if the damper device 131 is in the closed state, the output of the ozone generator 200 is varied by turning on and off the air blowing means 113 to stabilize the ozone concentration in the second container 121.

  Specifically, the output of the ozone generator 200 when the air blowing means is OFF is operated lower than the output of the ozone generator 200 when the air blowing means is ON.

  In the above case, when the damper device 131 is in the open state, the ozone generator 200 is stopped. However, when the damper device 131 is in the open state, the output of the ozone generator 200 is further increased to generate ozone and produce vegetables. It is possible to prevent and stabilize the ozone concentration in the second container 121 while increasing the ozone circulating in the chamber 120.

  The present invention can be applied to a food storage where internal air may flow, particularly a storage or a refrigerator for storing foods in which chemical substances such as agricultural chemicals remain.

The front view which shows the food storage in Embodiment 1 of this invention Longitudinal sectional view of food storage of embodiment A perspective view of the partition means from below. Block diagram showing control system of food storage The perspective view which shows a 1st container, a 2nd container, and a lid | cover (A) Cross section of transmission hole (b) Cross section of adjustment hole The figure which shows operation | movement of the ozone generator in Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Food storage 110 Refrigerating room 111a 1st door 111b 2nd door 111c 3rd door 112 Cooler 113 Blower means 114 Cooling chamber 115 Shelf plate 119 Cooling means 120 Vegetable room 121 Second container 122 Lid 123 First container 124 Passing hole 125 Adjusting hole 126 Emission hole corresponding position 127 Opening part 128 Outflow hole 130 Freezer compartment 131 Adjusting valve (damper device)
132 Control Board 133 Control Unit 170 Storage Box 171 Inner Box 172 Outer Box 173 Heat Insulating Material 200 Ozone Generator 210 Partitioning Means 211 Release Hole 212 Intake Hole 213 Cold Air Discharge Port 220 Light Source

Claims (6)

  A storage box forming a storage room for storing food, a door for opening and closing the storage box, a cooling means for cooling the air in the storage room, a blowing means for flowing the air in the storage room, and the storage room An ozone generator for generating ozone to be supplied, and a control means for acquiring whether or not the air in the storage chamber is flowing, and controlling so that ozone is not supplied to the storage chamber when the air is flowing And a food storage.   The cooling means and the air blowing means are housed in a cooling chamber different from the storage chamber, and further include an adjustment valve that controls the flow rate of air flowing out from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber, The food storage according to claim 1, wherein whether the air in the storage chamber is flowing is acquired based on whether the regulating valve is in a closed state or an open state.   The food storage according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the ozone to be supplied to the storage chamber when the air blowing means is stopped even when the regulating valve is in an open state.   The food storage according to claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires whether the air in the storage chamber is flowing based on whether the blowing unit is in a movable state or a stopped state.   A storage box forming a storage room for storing food, a door for opening and closing the storage box, a cooling means for cooling the air in the storage room, a blowing means for flowing the air in the storage room, and the storage room A food storage comprising an ozone generator for generating ozone to be supplied and a control means for controlling the output of the ozone generator, wherein the output of the ozone generator is varied and operated when the blower is turned on and off. .   The food storage according to claim 5, wherein the output of the ozone generator when the blower is OFF is operated with lower than the output of the ozone generator when the blower is ON.