JP2011257827A - Automatic dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the safety of automatic dispenser using a combustible refrigerant by reliably discharging the refrigerant leaked in a storage.SOLUTION: The automatic dispenser is provided with an outside air introduction means 29 constituted of a suction fan 26 and a ventilation flap 28 in an upper portion of an inner door, and a flange 34 is formed around a fan mounting bracket 27. When leakage detection means 22 detects leakage, the suction fan 26 is driven to introduce fresh air and the refrigerant accumulated in the storage is discharged through an commodity delivery port and a drain water discharge port; thereby the refrigerant density in the storage can be reduced swiftly and safely at low cost without using any particular sealing member.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine using a combustible refrigerant in a cooling system used for a cooling or heating system in a vending machine that sells products such as can drinks after cooling or heating.

  In recent years, a cooling system using a natural refrigerant made of hydrocarbons such as isobutane and propane has been desired from the viewpoint of protecting the ozone layer and preventing global warming. When using flammable hydrocarbons as a refrigerant in a cooling storage such as a vending machine, explosion-proof electrical components are used.To further enhance safety, the leakage of the refrigerant is detected by detecting the leakage of the refrigerant. What is discharged | emitted out of the store | warehouse | chamber is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1).

  In the above prior art, when installing a fan and a flap at the air inlet provided on the back of the inner door in the warehouse, an opening for attaching the fan bracket is provided in the inner door, and a gap between the fan bracket and the opening is provided. In order to seal, it is necessary to arrange a flexible foam or the like on the periphery.

JP 2009-259511

  However, in the above conventional vending machine, when installing the fan mounting bracket on the inner door, the urethane resin foam is cut out, so the cut end is sealed with tape etc. In addition, there is a problem that workability is poor because a spacer such as foam is pasted on the top.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and provides a vending machine capable of discharging the refrigerant that has been stably leaked outside the warehouse without impairing the heat insulating function of the inner door and facilitating workability. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the vending machine according to the present invention includes a product storage unit that stores products in a vending machine body that is thermally insulated, and an indoor heat exchange of a cooling system at a lower portion of the product storage unit. A cooling greenhouse having a container and a fan inside the cabinet, an outer door disposed on the front surface of the vending machine main body, an inner door covering the front surface of the product storage unit, and a machine room below the cooling greenhouse. In the vending machine using a flammable refrigerant in the cooling system, the fan mounting bracket includes a refrigerant leakage detection unit, and an outside air introduction unit including a fan, a fan mounting bracket, and a ventilation flap in the inner door. Are provided with flanges on the periphery.

  This makes it possible to discharge the refrigerant that has been stably leaked outside the cabinet without compromising the heat insulating function of the inner door while facilitating fan mounting workability.

  The vending machine according to the present invention facilitates fan installation workability, and can stably discharge the leaked refrigerant to the outside without impairing the heat insulating function of the inner door. However, the reliability of the vending machine using the combustible refrigerant can be improved.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Main part longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vending machine of the embodiment Side view of outside air introduction means of vending machine of the embodiment Fan mounting bracket vertical cross-sectional view of the vending machine of the embodiment Ventilation flap back perspective view of the vending machine of the embodiment The perspective view of the fan mounting bracket of the vending machine of the embodiment

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling unit having a product storage unit for storing a product in a vending machine main body partitioned by heat insulation, and an indoor heat exchanger or an internal fan of a cooling system below the product storage unit. A greenhouse, an outer door disposed on the front surface of the vending machine body, an inner door that covers the front surface of the product storage unit, and a machine room below the cooling greenhouse, and a flammable refrigerant in the cooling system. The vending machine used has refrigerant leakage detection means and outside air introduction means provided with a fan, a fan mounting bracket and a ventilation flap on the inner door, and a flange is provided on the periphery of the fan mounting bracket. Yes, it is possible to discharge the refrigerant stably outside the cabinet without compromising the heat insulation function of the inner door while facilitating the fan mounting workability, so the combustible refrigerant can be used while reducing the cost. Vending It is possible to improve the reliability of the machine.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the fan mounting bracket is provided with a cavity, the resin thickness is made uniform, the molding time is shortened, Resin deformation can be suppressed and dimensional accuracy can be increased.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a guide is provided on the flange of the fan mounting bracket, and the fan mounting bracket is inserted into a notch portion of the inner door. It can be easily inserted by a guide, and workability can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of 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 longitudinal sectional view of a vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of the vending machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the outside air introducing means of the vending machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fan mounting bracket of the vending machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the ventilation flap of the vending machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fan mounting bracket of the vending machine according to the embodiment.

  1 to 6, the vending machine main body 1 has an outer door 2 for displaying sample products, giving and receiving money and taking out products, and has a storage 3 for storing products such as beverage cans. ing. Around the storage 3, a rear panel 4, an upper panel 5, a lower panel 6, an upper inner door 7, and a lower inner door 8 are disposed as heat insulating walls made of urethane foam or the like. The product outlet 9 is provided in the lower inner door 8 and the product take-out port 10 is provided in the outer door. After the product is stored in the storage 3 through the product take-out port 9 to the door chute 11 when the product is sold, the product take-out port is provided. The consumer receives the goods carried out via 10.

Moreover, the hanging metal fitting 12 is arrange | positioned at the upper part of the storage 3, and all the goods are accommodated by suspending several goods storage columns 13-15 holding goods, such as a can drink. A heater 16, an internal fan 17, and an evaporator 18 are installed in the lower part of the storage 3, and a cooling and heating system formed with a compressor 19, an external fan 20, and a condenser 21 installed outside the storage 3. The product in the storage 3 is used for heating and cooling. The warming of the product is set at about 55 ° C and the cooling is set at about 3 ° C. Isobutane, which is a flammable refrigerant, is used as a refrigerant for the cooling and heating system.

  Leakage detection means 22 for detecting refrigerant leakage is installed in the lower part of the storage 3, and the upper inner door 7 is provided with an outside air introduction means 29 including a suction fan 26, a fan mounting bracket 27, and a ventilation flap 28. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the outside air introducing means 29 has the suction fan 26 attached to the fan mounting bracket 27 by screwing or screw tightening, and a ventilation flap 28 is also provided on the downstream side of the fan mounting bracket 27 in the wind direction. The outside air introduction means 29 itself is, for example, made of urethane resin foam or the like, so that the upper portion of the attachment portion of the outside air introduction means 29 of the upper inner door is attached to the outside air introduction means 29 itself. It can be installed in the upper inner door 7 simply by opening it, cutting it out, and sliding it from above. Since the flange 34 is provided on the peripheral side and the lower part of the fan mounting bracket 27 and the notch of the upper inner door 7 is compressed and slid, it is possible to work without the need to attach tape or the like to the notch.

  Further, by providing the cavity 35 in the upper part of the fan mounting bracket 27, the thickness of the resin can be made uniform, the molding time can be shortened, the resin deformation such as sink can be suppressed, and the dimensional accuracy can be improved. it can.

  Further, by providing a guide at the lower part of the flange 34 around the entire circumference of the fan mounting bracket 27, when the fan mounting bracket 27 is inserted into the notch of the upper inner door 7, it can be easily inserted by the guide 36 and the workability is improved. can do.

  Here, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base flange 30 is provided over the entire circumference at the close contact portion between the fan mounting bracket 27 and the ventilation flap 28 when the ventilation flap is closed, and the foundation flange 30 is viewed from the side. Thus, an inclination of 3 ° to 5 ° is provided so that the upper portion in the vertical direction has an acute angle. As a result, the installation of the vending machine is normally set to be within 3 ° because there is a risk of falling, so even if the fan mounting bracket 27 and the ventilation flap 28 are tilted back and forth at the time of installation, Heat leakage inside and outside the storage 3 due to the gap can be reduced.

  At this time, by making the front surface of the suction fan 26 in close contact with the base flange 30, the suction fan 26 can be reliably operated by preventing the suction fan 26 from jumping out to the front. Further, by providing a throat 31 of about 3 mm on the surface of the ventilation flap 28 that faces the fan mounting bracket 27, even if the ventilation flap 28 is opened by an external shock or the like during normal operation, the fan mounting bracket 27 and the ventilation flap 28 Since the gap between them is filled with the throat 31, heat leakage can be further reduced. Further, the upper inner door 7 and the outer door 2 are often integrated in terms of construction method, and if the suction fan 26 comes into close contact with the outer door 2, the outer door 2 becomes a resistance and a sufficient amount of suction airflow. Therefore, it is possible to fix the mounting position of the suction fan 26 by providing the stopper 32 behind the mounting position of the suction fan 26 of the fan mounting bracket 27, and to secure the capacity of the suction fan 26 on the suction side. Efficiency can be increased. In addition, the outside air introduction means 29 may partially condense because it has a lower heat absorption than the surrounding urethane resin, but condensate water is drained by chamfering 33 on the lower portion of the fan mounting bracket 27. Condensed water can be drained using the drainage mechanism in the warehouse by dropping it inside the warehouse 3.

Here, the electrical components installed inside and outside the storage 3 have an explosion-proof structure so as to satisfy the requirements shown in the Vending Machine Manufacturers Association voluntary standards (JVMA2B001, Annex 2 “Safety of Cooling Unit”). . This explosion-proof structure prevents electrical components from becoming an ignition source when refrigerant leaks from the cooling and heating system. The structure that diffuses the leaked refrigerant, the structure that keeps the surface temperature low, and the flame to the outside Includes a simple explosion-proof structure that does not propagate.

  The operation of the vending machine of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

  If the piping of the cooling and heating system arranged in the storage 3 is damaged and the refrigerant leaks, and the leak detection means 22 detects the refrigerant, the suction fan 26 is operated. The outside air can be introduced by pushing the ventilation flap 28 with the dynamic pressure of the suction fan 26. As a result, the refrigerant that has accumulated in the storage 3 due to the increased pressure in the storage 3 is discharged from the product outlet 9 or a drain water discharge port (not shown), and the refrigerant leaked by continuously replacing the air in the storage. The concentration can be quickly reduced to increase safety.

  And the refrigerant | coolant discharged | emitted from the merchandise exit 9 or the drain water discharge port reaches | attains the machine room in which the compressor 19, the external fan 20, and the condenser 21 are arrange | positioned, diffusing downward from the door chute 11, and the exterior The air is discharged from the back of the vending machine main body 1 while being mixed with the outside air by the fan 20. As a result, the refrigerant concentration in the storage 3 can be quickly reduced below the flammable lower limit value to reduce the risk of explosion, and the refrigerant released from the product outlet 9 can be safely discharged while being diluted with outside air.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the refrigerant leaked by operating the external fan 20 continuously for 24 hours in preparation for the case where the refrigerant leaks due to damage to the piping of the cooling and heating system disposed outside the storage 3. However, the outside fan 20 may be operated only when it is detected by the leakage detection means 22. In the present embodiment, in order to maintain the temperature distribution of the products in the storage 3, the internal fan 17 that is normally continuously operated is continued without stopping even when the refrigerant leaks. If it is detected at, the internal fan 17 may be stopped. When the internal fan 17 is stopped, the air below the storage 3 is not agitated, so that isobutane (specific gravity 2.09) and propane (specific gravity 1.56), which are heavier than the atmosphere, stay below the storage 3. Since it is easy to do, the refrigerant | coolant which leaked earlier by the external air introduction from the upper part can be discharged | emitted out of the warehouse.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, although the leak detection means 22 is arrange | positioned in the lower part of the storage 3, the leak detection means 22 is arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the door chute 11 which is the outer side of the goods exit 9, and the inside of a storage is The same effect can be expected by using a means for communicating with a conduit or the like.

  As described above, in the vending machine according to the present invention, the outside air introducing means formed by the suction fan and the ventilation flap is installed on the inner door of the storage, and the suction fan is operated when the leakage detection means detects the leakage. By opening the ventilation flap with the dynamic pressure and introducing the outside air, the refrigerant concentration in the storage can be reduced quickly and safely, so it can be refrigerated such as in a showcase using a flammable refrigerant or a commercial refrigerator-freezer. It can also be applied to refrigeration equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine main body 2 Outer door 3 Storage 7 Upper inner door 22 Leak detection means 26 Suction fan 27 Fan mounting bracket 28 Ventilation flap 29 Outside air introduction means 34 Flange 35 Cavity 36 Guide

Claims (3)

A product storage unit for storing products in a vending machine main body that is insulated, a cooling greenhouse having an indoor heat exchanger and a fan in a cooling system at a lower part of the product storage unit, and a vending machine main unit In a vending machine comprising an outer door disposed on the front surface, an inner door that covers the front surface of the product storage unit, and a machine room below the cooling chamber, the refrigerant leakage in the vending machine using a flammable refrigerant in the cooling system A vending machine comprising: a detecting means; and an outside air introducing means provided with a fan, a fan mounting bracket and a ventilation flap on the inner door, and a flange provided on a peripheral edge of the fan mounting bracket. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a hollow portion is provided in the fan mounting bracket. The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a guide is provided on the flange of the fan mounting bracket.