JP2012067979A - Temperature monitoring system of cooling chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To issue an alarm at a temperature lower than a defrosting temperature when the temperature in a cooling chamber is increased by abnormal conditions of equipment or the like.SOLUTION: A temperature monitoring system of a showcase 1 includes: a definition data acquisition unit 21 for acquiring definition data including an alarm temperature in the showcase 1; a measurement data acquisition unit 22 for acquiring measurement data including the temperature in the showcase 1, and for detecting whether the defrosting is performed; and an equipment operation unit 23 for issuing the alarm when the defrosting is not performed and the temperature in the showcase 1 exceeds the alarm temperature.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for effectively cooling food or the like by temperature control, and more particularly to a temperature monitoring system for a refrigerator.

  In supermarkets and the like, fresh foods such as fresh fish, meat, vegetables and fruits are displayed in a showcase having a cooling function, and a temperature corresponding to the food is set. In this showcase, a temperature change is detected by a temperature sensor, and the temperature is kept constant by turning ON / OFF the cooling function. When controlling such a showcase, there are the following problems. In general, frost forms on the cooling part of showcases. In order to prevent the cooling efficiency from being lowered due to the frost, the cooling function is stopped at regular time intervals, the heater is energized, the hot gas is discharged, or the defrosting is performed by watering or the like. This defrosting is performed for 15 to 30 minutes regularly or when frost is detected. Due to this defrosting, the temperature in the showcase displaying food temporarily rises by 4 to 10 ° C., and even in the showcase for frozen food, it may temporarily reach 20 ° C.

  Therefore, in general, if the temperature in the showcase is equal to or lower than the defrosting temperature, the temperature control system of the showcase does not issue an alarm because it is being defrosted even if it exceeds the upper limit temperature for food. However, in this case, even if the temperature rises due to an abnormality in the cooling function, this abnormality cannot be distinguished from defrosting, so an alarm cannot be issued below the defrosting temperature, and the food is exposed to an excessive temperature rise. As a result, food safety could not be secured sufficiently. Also, even if the conventional temperature control system has a function to detect and correct this abnormality even if the defrost period is prolonged due to an abnormality in the timer, the food may be exposed to a high temperature for a long time. . On the other hand, when cold air overflows from the showcase, the cold air drifts on the floor, but the thermometer in the store is often installed at a higher position than the floor, so it is not possible to immediately detect the overflow of cold air, which is useless. In some cases, it cooled down.

  As a technique related to the present application, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing the power consumption of a refrigerated refrigerator. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, a low usage time zone determination unit that determines a low usage time zone such as nighttime, and a target temperature in the time zone determined by the low usage time zone determination unit is a normal target internal temperature. It comprises a set temperature changing means for changing to a higher temperature. In this way, the power consumption is reduced by setting the target temperature in the warehouse at a low usage frequency such as at night as high. Moreover, the technique which solves the problem of the frost obstruction | occlusion of a refrigerated warm storage is disclosed by patent document 2. FIG. The invention described in Patent Document 2 includes a cooling device that cools the display chamber, an electric heater that heats the display chamber, and a control device that controls these in a showcase including a display chamber that opens upward. Yes. In particular, since a blower that circulates air over substantially the entire area of the cooler is disposed, the cold air circulates without staying in the cooling section, thereby eliminating the problem of frost blockage.

  However, since the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not detect any abnormalities in the cooling function or the timer, there is a concern that foods and the like may be exposed to high temperatures for a long time in the event of an abnormality, and the quality of the foods and the like is sufficient. It could not be said that it could be maintained. Moreover, since these do not detect the overflow of cold air, they are not fully satisfied in terms of cooling efficiency and power consumption of foods. In addition, these are all inventions related to a single refrigerator, and in a supermarket where a variety of old and new refrigerators with different performance and functions are mixed, a function that solves this problem for all refrigerators. It was difficult to provide a uniform.

JP-A-8-285431 JP 2005-13571 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a temperature monitoring system for a refrigerator that can issue an alarm at a temperature lower than the defrosting temperature when the temperature in the refrigerator rises due to an abnormality in an apparatus or the like. The purpose is to provide.

  The present invention is a temperature monitoring system for a refrigerator, a definition data acquisition unit for acquiring definition data including an alarm temperature in the refrigerator, measurement data including a temperature in the refrigerator, and defrosting A measurement data acquisition unit that detects whether or not is performed, a device operation unit that transmits an alarm when defrosting is not performed and the temperature in the refrigerator exceeds the alarm temperature, and It is characterized by comprising. Here, in the system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the measurement data acquisition unit detects whether or not the defrosting is performed based on an inclination of a temperature change in the refrigerator.

  Further, in the system according to the present invention, when the definition data further includes information related to a refrigerator adjacent to the refrigerator, and the temperature in the refrigerator exceeds the alarm temperature, the device operation unit is It is characterized in that cold air is taken into the refrigerator from the adjacent refrigerator. In this case, the cooler further includes a manually removable horizontal plate or a horizontal plate that can be automatically opened and closed, and when the temperature in the cooler exceeds the alarm temperature, the device operation unit performs the cooling. It is preferable to notify the manual removal of the horizontal plate of the storage and the horizontal plate of the adjacent cooling cabinet, or to automatically open and close the cooling plate so that cold air is taken into the cooling cabinet from the adjacent cooling cabinet.

  Moreover, in the system which concerns on this invention, when the said definition data contains further defrost time and the said defrost is performed, but it is not the said defrost time, it is preferable that the said apparatus operation part transmits a warning. . Further, in the system according to the present invention, when the measurement data further includes a temperature near the ground and a temperature at a position higher than the ground, and the temperature difference is not within an allowable range, the device operation unit issues an alarm. And / or stopping the cooling function of the refrigerator. In this case, it is preferable that the system further includes a thermometer for measuring a temperature near the ground and a thermometer for measuring a temperature at a position higher than the ground.

  Furthermore, in the system according to the present invention, the definition data may further include a value obtained by multiplying the defrosting temperature and the defrosting period, and the device operation unit may perform defrosting so that the value becomes constant. preferable. In the system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the system further includes a thermometer for measuring the temperature in the refrigerator.

  According to the present invention, since it is possible to detect whether or not defrosting is being performed, an alarm is issued at a temperature lower than the defrosting temperature when the temperature in the refrigerator rises due to an abnormality of the device or the like. Can do. As a result, prompt response by the operator can be promoted, and the quality of food in the refrigerator can be maintained. In addition, when the temperature in the refrigerator exceeds the alarm temperature, the cold air is taken in from the adjacent refrigerator, so that the quality of food and the like can be maintained even in a situation where the operator cannot deal with it immediately. On the other hand, when the defrosting is performed but it is not the defrosting time, the timer is abnormal, and by detecting this, it is possible to prevent the food from being exposed to a high temperature for a long time.

  In addition, when cold air is overflowing from the refrigerator, an alarm is issued and / or the cooling function is stopped, so that unnecessary cooling can be prevented and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed. Furthermore, by performing defrosting so that the value obtained by multiplying the defrosting temperature and the defrosting period becomes constant, it is possible to remove frost in the refrigerator in a short time as the defrosting temperature is defined high. is there. If the defrosting period is short, the effects of food etc. are not so great even if the temperature rises, so defrosting can be performed while maintaining the quality of the food etc. Cooling capacity can be maintained. In addition, since it detects whether defrost is performed based on the inclination of the temperature change in a refrigerator, this invention can be applied to the existing refrigerator of the old and new various specifications from which a performance and a function differ. .

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a temperature monitoring system for a refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the showcase of FIG. 1, showing a state with a horizontal plate (A) and a state without a horizontal plate (B). FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the terminal of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the definition data acquisition screen. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the definition data acquisition screen. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of adjacent showcase numbers input on the definition data acquisition screen. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a list structure of definition data. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between temperature and time in the showcase. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the temperature in the showcase acquired at a time interval t shorter than the defrost period and the gradient of the temperature change obtained from each temperature difference. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for acquiring definition data. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for performing a temperature monitoring function, a cooling supplement function, a timer monitoring function, a cold air overflow monitoring function, and a mini defrosting function. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for performing a temperature monitoring function, a cooling supplement function, a timer monitoring function, a cold air overflow monitoring function, and a mini defrosting function. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for performing a temperature monitoring function, a cooling supplement function, a timer monitoring function, a cold air overflow monitoring function, and a mini defrosting function. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for performing a temperature monitoring function, a cooling complement function, a timer monitoring function, a cold air overflow monitoring function, and a mini defrosting function. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for performing a temperature monitoring function, a cooling supplement function, a timer monitoring function, a cold air overflow monitoring function, and a mini defrosting function. FIG. 16 is a graph showing the superiority of this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a temperature monitoring system for a refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which a temperature monitoring system according to the present invention is applied to an existing temperature control system for a refrigerator (hereinafter referred to as an existing system). The existing system mainly includes a refrigerator 1, a thermometer 2, a heating device 4, a cooling device 5, and a control device 6. The temperature monitoring system according to the present invention includes the thermometers 3, 13, 14 and the terminal 7. It consists of The thermometer 3 may be replaced with the existing thermometer 2, and the thermometers 13 and 14 are optional components. Further, a plurality of existing systems may be monitored by one terminal 7, or a plurality of existing systems shown in FIG. You may monitor. In the former case, a plurality of programs for monitoring the plurality of refrigerators 1 are executed in parallel on one terminal 7, and in the latter case, a plurality of terminals 7 for monitoring the plurality of refrigerators 1 are linked together. Operate. In this case, a plurality of terminals 7 are connected to a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network). In the following, the former configuration is used as an example.

  The refrigerator 1 is a refrigeration and / or freezer storage for displaying or storing food, medicine, other products that require cooling (hereinafter referred to as food, etc.), and stores such as refrigerators, freezers, supermarkets, etc. The showcase installed in the can be mentioned. The refrigerator 1 includes a flat base on which foods and the like are arranged flatly, a stage having shelves, and a deep bottom for storing ice cream and the like. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the refrigerator of FIG. In FIG. 2, three refrigerators 1 a to 1 c are arranged side by side, and a state where there is a horizontal plate (A) and a state where there is no horizontal plate (B) are shown. Cold air outlets 18a to 18c are provided on the rear surfaces of the refrigerators 1a to 1c, and cold air inlets 18d to 18f are provided on the front surface thereof. In the case of the present invention, the refrigerators 1a to 1c optionally include lateral plates 19a to 19f that can be manually removed or lateral plates 19a to 19f that can be opened and closed automatically by a rack and pinion or the like. When the temperature in the refrigerator 1b rises abnormally or when the refrigerator 1b performs defrosting, the horizontal plates 19b and 19e of the refrigerators 1a and 1c adjacent to the horizontal plates 19c and 19d of the refrigerator 1b are used. By removing it manually or automatically opening and closing it, cold air is taken into the refrigerator 1b from the refrigerators 1a and 1c to complement the cooling function.

  The thermometers 2 and 3 in FIG. 1 are means for measuring the temperature in the refrigerator 1 and include, for example, a bimetal, a thermistor, or the like. The thermometer 2 is a thermometer attached to the existing refrigerator 1 and is connected to the control device 6 via the cable 17. The thermometer 3 is a thermometer according to the present invention, and is connected to the terminal 7 via the cable 11. Note that the terminal 7 may monitor the temperature using the existing thermometer 2 instead of the thermometer 3. On the other hand, the thermometer 13 according to the present invention is a means for measuring the temperature near the floor (ground) (hereinafter referred to as the underfloor temperature) outside the refrigerator 1, and the thermometer 14 is from the thermometer 13. Is a means for measuring the in-store temperature (hereinafter referred to as the in-store temperature) at a higher position (for example, a height of about 1.2 m above the floor). The thermometers 13 and 14 are composed of a bimetal, a thermistor, and the like, similar to the thermometers 2 and 3, and are connected to the terminal 7 via cables 15 and 16, respectively.

  The heating device 4 is a means for performing defrosting of the refrigerator 1 (particularly the cooling portion), and includes, for example, an electric heater, a hot gas discharge device, a watering device, and the like. The cooling device 5 is a means for cooling the inside of the refrigerator 1 and is composed of, for example, a compressor. The cooling device 5 is connected to the refrigerator 1 through a pipe 8, and a valve 9 is provided in the pipe 8. By opening and closing the valve 9, cold air is taken into the refrigerator 1 from the cooling device 5 through the pipe 8.

  The control apparatus 6 which concerns on the existing system is a means for controlling the temperature in the refrigerator 1 and defrosting, and is comprised by a known control circuit. The control device 6 acquires the temperature in the refrigerator 1 from the thermometer 2 and opens and closes the valve 9 by driving a motor (not shown) when the temperature is not within the set range (upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature range). Then, temperature control is performed by adjusting the amount of cold air flowing from the cooling device 5 to the refrigerator 1 via the pipe 8. As a result, the temperature in the refrigerator 1 rises and falls within a set range around the set temperature. On the other hand, the control device 6 performs defrosting by closing the valve 9 at a time set in advance based on the timer 10 and energizing the heating device 4. As a result, the frost in the cooling portion of the refrigerator 1 is melted. This control device 6 is monitored and controlled by a terminal 7 according to the present invention via a cable 12. When the existing control device 6 cannot be controlled by the terminal 7, this may be realized by adding hardware to the control device 6 separately.

  The terminal 7 is a temperature monitoring computer according to the present invention configured by a known computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), for example, a temperature monitoring function, a cooling complement function, a timer monitoring function, This is a means for executing the cold air overflow monitoring function and the mini defrosting function. The temperature monitoring function acquires the temperature in the refrigerator 1 from the thermometer 3 via the cable 11, and the terminal 7 monitors this. In addition, the cooling supplement function notifies the user to manually remove the horizontal plate of the adjacent refrigerator when the temperature in the refrigerator 1 rises due to an abnormality of the device or the like or when defrosting is performed, or automatically The terminal 7 is controlled to open and close at, and cool air is taken into the refrigerator 1 from the adjacent refrigerator. The timer monitoring function is for the terminal 7 to monitor the time difference between the timers of the control device 6 and the terminal 7. In the cold air overflow monitoring function, the terminal 7 acquires the underfloor temperature from the thermometer 13 via the cable 15, acquires the in-store temperature from the thermometer 14 via the cable 16, and the cold air overflows from the refrigerator 1 from this temperature difference. Is to monitor. The mini defrosting function causes the control device 6 to perform defrosting so that the value obtained by multiplying the defrosting temperature and the defrosting period is constant, and as the defrosting temperature is thereby defined higher. Defrosting is performed in a short time.

  Hereinafter, the terminal 7 will be described in more detail. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the terminal of FIG. The terminal 7 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 30, an output unit 40, an input unit 50, a communication unit 60, an alarm unit 61, and a timer (not shown), and each unit is connected by a bus. The control unit 20 includes, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units), and inputs various data (including definition data and measurement data according to the present invention) stored in the storage unit 30 from the input unit 50. In accordance with various instruction data to be executed and various communication data input from the communication unit 60, various processing programs (including an OS (Operating System) and a temperature monitoring program according to the present invention) stored in the storage unit 30 are used. Various processes are executed, and the processing results are temporarily stored in the storage unit 30 and output to the output unit 40, the communication unit 60, and the like.

  The control unit 20 includes a definition data acquisition unit 21, a measurement data acquisition unit 22, and a device operation unit 23. The definition data acquisition unit 21, the measurement data acquisition unit 22, and the device operation unit 23 are realized when the control unit 20 reads and executes the temperature monitoring program according to the present invention stored in the storage unit 30. It is. The temperature monitoring program is read into the control unit 20 for each refrigerator 1 and executed in parallel. This temperature monitoring program is executed at a predetermined time by using a well-known OS timer interrupt function, and is executed to monitor other refrigerators using well-known OS inter-program communication. Performs inter-program communication with the temperature monitoring program. The functions of the definition data acquisition unit 21, the measurement data acquisition unit 22, and the device operation unit 23 will be described later. The storage unit 30 is a means for storing various processing programs executed by the control unit 20 and various data, and is configured by, for example, a magnetic or optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory.

  The output unit 40 is a means for displaying various screens based on display data input from the control unit 20, and is configured by a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The input unit 50 is a means for outputting an input instruction to the control unit 20 and includes, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard. The communication unit 60 outputs data received from the thermometers 3, 13, and 14 and the control device 6 to the control unit 20 and performs communication control for outputting the data received from the control unit 20 to the control device 6. For example, it is configured by an interface such as RS-232 (Recommended Standard-232) or USB (Universal Serial Bus). The alarm unit 61 is a means for transmitting an alarm according to the instruction data of the control unit 20, and is configured by a communication device such as a speaker or a modem connected to an external monitoring facility terminal via a network, for example.

  Next, each component of the control unit 20 will be described. The definition data acquisition unit 21 is means for registering definition data including information related to the temperature in the refrigerator 1, information related to the shape and arrangement of the refrigerator 1, and information related to defrosting. The definition data acquisition unit 21 outputs the definition data acquisition screens 71 and 81 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to the output unit 40, and the definition data 70 and 80 input by the operator using the input unit 50 on these screens. Acquired for each refrigerator. The definition data 70 is data in which information on the temperature in the refrigerator 1 and information on the shape and arrangement of the refrigerator 1 are defined. As shown in FIG. 4, the definition data 70 includes a number 72 of the refrigerator 1, a product name 73 displayed in the refrigerator 1, information 74 regarding the temperature in the refrigerator 1, and information regarding the shape of the refrigerator 1. 75 and information 76 and 77 regarding the arrangement of the refrigerator.

  The information 74 related to the temperature in the refrigerator 1 further includes a set temperature 74a, an upper limit temperature 74b, a lower limit temperature 74c, an alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d, and an alarm temperature (lower limit) 74e. The set temperature 74a is an intermediate temperature between the upper limit temperature 74b and the lower limit temperature 74c. The alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d is higher than the upper limit temperature 74b and lower than the defrost temperature described later, and the alarm temperature (lower limit) 74e is lower than the lower limit temperature 74c. On the other hand, the information 75 related to the shape of the refrigerator 1 is information indicating whether the shape of the refrigerator 1 is a flat platform 75a or a platen 75b. Moreover, the information 76 and 77 regarding the arrangement | positioning of the refrigerator 1 is comprised by the information 76a-77c regarding the number 76a-76c of an adjacent refrigerator, and the horizontal plate of an adjacent refrigerator. Here, the adjacent refrigerator is controlled in temperature independently in normal times, but is in a state in which cold air can be taken in at the time of abnormality such as when the cooling capacity is reduced or stopped or when defrosting This refers to the warehouses. Information 77a to 77c relating to the horizontal plate of the adjacent refrigerator is information indicating whether it is the left horizontal plate (L) or the right horizontal plate (R).

  On the other hand, the definition data 80 is data in which information related to defrosting is defined, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, information 82 to 84 regarding the setting of defrosting, and information 85 to 87 regarding the setting of mini defrosting described later, including. Information 82 to 84 relating to the setting of defrost is further configured by start times 82 a to 82 c, end times 83 a to 83 c, and a defrost temperature 84. The information 85 to 87 regarding the setting of the mini defrost is further configured by a mini defrost coefficient 85, start times 86a and 86b, and end times 87a and 87b or defrost temperatures 88a and 88b. Here, the mini defrosting means defrosting that is executed so that the mini defrosting coefficient 85 (a value obtained by multiplying the defrosting temperature and the defrosting period) is constant. As it is defined higher, defrosting is performed in a shorter time. For example, when the defrost coefficient is 25 and the defrost temperature is 5 ° C., the defrost period is 5 minutes, and when the defrost temperature is 10 ° C., the defrost period is 2.5 minutes. When the start time 86a is determined on the definition data acquisition screen 81 because the mini-defrost coefficient 85 is constant, when the end time 87a is determined, the defrost temperature 88a is automatically determined, and the defrost temperature 88a is determined. The end time 87a is automatically determined. Note that the mini defrosting coefficient 85 is defined by an experience value because it varies depending on the air flow in the entire sales floor and the environment such as the number of shoppers.

  Next, the definition data acquisition unit 21 converts the definition data 70 and 80 input on the definition data acquisition screens 71 and 81 into a list structure and stores it in the storage unit 30. A procedure for creating the list structure of the definition data 70 and 80 will be described below. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of adjacent refrigerator numbers input on the definition data acquisition screen, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a list structure of definition data. When the adjacent refrigerator number is FIG. 6, since the refrigerator of the refrigerator number 2 is adjacent when the refrigerator number 1 is examined, as shown in FIG. In addition to writing definition data, a list of refrigerator number 2 is prepared, and the address is written to the list of refrigerator number 1 as the next address. Next, when the refrigerator number 2 is examined in FIG. 6, the refrigerators of the refrigerator number 1 and the refrigerator number 3 are adjacent to each other, and the refrigerator number 1 has been processed, so a list of the refrigerator number 3 is prepared. Then, the definition data of the address and the refrigerator number 2 is written in the list of the refrigerator number 2.

  Furthermore, when the refrigerator number 3 is examined, the refrigerator of the refrigerator number 2 is adjacent, but since the refrigerator number 2 has already been processed and there is no other adjacent refrigerator, the list of the refrigerator number 3 The next address is set to an empty value, and the definition data of the refrigerator number 3 is written. When such a process is performed for all the refrigerators, adjacent refrigerators can be represented by the list structure of FIG. The definition data acquisition unit 21 stores the definition data 70 and 80 having the list structure shown in FIG. 7 in the storage unit 30 and outputs the data to the control device 6 via the communication unit 60. The control device 6 performs temperature control and defrost control of the refrigerator 1 based on the definition data 70 and 80.

  Next, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 and the device operation unit 23 will be described. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 is a means for acquiring measurement data including the temperature in the refrigerator 1, the underfloor temperature, and the in-store temperature and detecting whether or not defrosting is being performed. The equipment operation unit 23 is a means for causing the control device 6 to energize the heating device 4, opening and closing the valve 9, opening and closing the horizontal plate if possible, and causing the alarm unit 61 to issue an alarm. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 and the device operation unit 23 include the above-described (1) temperature monitoring function, (2) cooling supplement function, (3) timer monitoring function, (4) cold air overflow monitoring function, and (5) mini-defrosting function. Are executed in cooperation. (1) In the temperature monitoring function, it is determined whether or not the temperature in the refrigerator 1 acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 22 from the thermometer 3 is lower than the lower limit temperature 74c. 23 causes the control device 6 to close the valve 9 so that cold air is not taken into the refrigerator 1. If the temperature in the refrigerator 1 still does not rise and falls below the alarm temperature (lower limit) 74e, the device operation unit 23 causes the alarm unit 61 to issue an alarm.

  On the other hand, when the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the upper limit temperature 74b, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 detects whether defrosting or mini-defrosting is being performed, and when defrosting is in progress. The defrosting is continued as it is, and when the defrosting is not being performed, the device operation unit 23 causes the control device 6 to open the valve 9 so that cold air is taken into the refrigerator 1. If the temperature in the refrigerator 1 still does not drop and the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d, the device operation unit 23 causes the alarm unit 61 to issue an alarm. In addition, as a detection method of a defrost or a mini defrost, the method which judges based on the start time and end time of a defrost or a mini defrost, and acquires the information regarding the electricity supply to the heating apparatus 4 from the control apparatus 6. And a method of determining based on the gradient of the temperature change in the refrigerator 1 can be used. A method for detecting defrosting and mini-defrosting based on the inclination of the temperature change in the refrigerator 1 will be described later.

  When the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d, (2) the cooling supplement function is further executed. The cooling supplement function supplements the cooling function by taking cold air from the adjacent cooling box into the cooling box 1 when the alarm temperature (upper limit) is exceeded or defrosting is performed as described above. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether there is an adjacent refrigerator from the definition data 70, and when there is an adjacent refrigerator, the left horizontal plate 19e is located in the refrigerator adjacent to the right side of the refrigerator 1. The equipment operation unit 23 requests the temperature monitoring program of the adjacent cooler by inter-program communication to lower the right side plate 19b to the cooler adjacent to the left side. Thereby, cold air is taken in into the refrigerator 1 from the adjacent refrigerator, and the temperature in the refrigerator 1 falls.

  On the other hand, when the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the upper limit temperature 74b and the control device 6 is defrosting or mini-defrosting, (3) a timer monitoring function is executed. In the timer monitoring function, when the current time of the terminal 7 is not between the start time and the end time of the defrost or mini defrost even though defrost or mini defrost is being performed, the control device 6 and the terminal 7 is determined to be shifted or abnormal, and the device operation unit 23 causes the alarm unit 61 to issue an alarm. When the timer is shifted, the device operation unit 23 may correct the current time of the control device 6 or the terminal 7. On the other hand, the (4) cold air overflow monitoring function is executed at an arbitrary timing. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 acquires the underfloor temperature and the in-store temperature and determines whether or not the temperature difference is within the allowable range. If the temperature difference is not within the allowable range, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines that the cold air is overflowing from the refrigerator 1. Then, the device operation unit 23 transmits an alarm to the alarm unit 61, causes the control device 6 to close the valve 9, and stops the cooling function. Further, (5) the mini defrosting function is executed at an arbitrary timing. In the mini defrosting function, the device operating unit 23 determines whether or not the mini defrosting start times 86a and 86b are reached. Defrosting is performed based on the mini defrosting coefficient 85. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the device operation unit 23 is the end time 87a, 87b of the mini defrosting, and when it is the end time of the mini defrosting, the device operation unit 23 sends the control device 6 to the heating device 4. Is turned off, and the valve 9 is opened after a certain time for draining water.

  Next, a method for detecting defrosting or mini-defrosting based on the inclination of the temperature change in the refrigerator 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature in the refrigerator and time. As shown in FIG. 8, the temperature in the refrigerator 1 is kept within a certain range by opening and closing the valve 9, so that the temperature change is gradual, but if the heating device 4 is energized by defrosting or mini-defrosting, the temperature Rises rapidly. In the present invention, the temperature in the refrigerator 1 is acquired at a time interval t shorter than the defrosting period, and defrosting or mini-defrosting is performed by detecting a rapid and continuous temperature rise based on the gradient of the temperature change. Judge whether or not

  Specifically, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 acquires the temperature in the refrigerator 1 at the above time interval t, obtains the gradient of the temperature change from each temperature difference, and at least three or more of these gradients continuously. The first and last slopes are removed from the positive part, and the average of the slopes between them is obtained. Next, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 (A) When the current temperature change slope is substantially equal to the average of the previous slope, the temperature continues to rise. It is determined that defrosting or mini-defrosting is not being performed when the slope is equal to or less than the average of the previous slope, while the average of the previous slope is the average of the previous slope. If larger, it is determined that defrosting or mini-defrosting is in progress. Moreover, (B) When the inclination of the current temperature change is larger than the average of the immediately preceding inclinations, it is determined that defrosting or mini-defrosting is in progress because the temperature has increased rapidly. Further, (C) when the current temperature change slope is smaller than the average of the latest slopes, it is determined that the defrosting or mini-defrosting is not being performed because the temperature is switched to a decrease at the current time.

  The detection method of this defrost is further demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the temperature in the refrigerator 1 acquired at a time interval t shorter than the entire defrosting period, and the gradient of the temperature change obtained from each temperature difference. In FIG. 9, the first and last slopes are excluded (K1, K4, K10, and K14 are excluded) from the portions (K1 to K4, K10 to K14) where the slope of the temperature change is continuously positive. (The average of K2 and K3 is Ka, and the average of K11 to K13 is Kb). Next, (A) If K14≈Kb, the temperature continues to increase at the time T15 after the time T14. Therefore, Ka and Kb are further compared. If Kb ≦ Ka, the temperature is removed at the time T15. On the other hand, it is determined that frost or mini defrost is not being performed. On the other hand, if Kb> Ka, it is determined that defrost or mini defrost is being performed at time T15. (B) If K14> Kb, it is determined that defrosting or mini-defrosting is in progress at time T15 because the temperature has rapidly increased. (C) If K14 <Kb, it is determined that the defrosting or mini-defrosting is not being performed because the temperature has switched to a decrease at the time point T15.

  Next, processing that the control unit 20 causes the temperature monitoring program (that is, the definition data acquisition unit 21, the measurement data acquisition unit 22, and the device operation unit 23) according to the present invention to execute will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for acquiring the definition data, and FIGS. 11 to 15 are flowcharts for performing the temperature monitoring function, the cooling supplement function, the timer monitoring function, the cold air overflow monitoring function, and the mini defrosting function. . In FIG. 10, the definition data acquisition unit 21 presents definition data acquisition screens 71 and 81 to the operator to acquire definition data 70 and 80 for each refrigerator (step 100), and the measurement data acquisition unit 22 and device operation unit 23 is read from the storage unit 30 and activated (step 101). In FIG. 11 to FIG. 15, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 sets a timer interrupt for temperature monitoring (temperature monitoring-1) to occur after time t so that the processing is continued repeatedly, and also performs inter-program communication. Interrupt (communication-1) is set (step 102). Next, a sleep state is entered (step 103). As a result, the temperature monitoring function is executed after time t, and inter-program communication is performed with the temperature monitoring program of the adjacent refrigerator.

  When the temperature monitoring-1 interrupt occurs, first, (1) the monitoring function of the lower limit temperature 74c is executed. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 acquires the temperature data in the refrigerator 1 and records it in the storage unit 30 (step 104). Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether or not the temperature in the refrigerator 1 is lower than the lower limit temperature 74c (step 105). Then, it is determined whether or not it is too cold (a flag or the like) is set in the storage unit 30 (step 106). In step 106, it may be determined whether the temperature is below the alarm temperature (lower limit) 74f. If it is not set to be too cold, or if it is not below the alarm temperature (lower limit) 74f, the device operating unit 23 outputs a control signal to the control device 6 to close the valve and the measurement data. The fact that the acquisition unit 22 is too cold is set in the storage unit 30 (step 107), and the process returns to step 102. On the other hand, if it is already set to be too cold, or if the temperature is below the alarm temperature (lower limit) 74f, the temperature does not rise due to some abnormality, so the device operation unit 23 issues an alarm to the alarm unit 61. A message is sent and a response is urged (step 108). Then, the process returns to step 102. On the other hand, when the temperature in the refrigerator 1 is not lower than the lower limit temperature 74c in step 105, the fact that the measurement data acquisition unit 22 is too cold is canceled (deleted from the storage unit 30) (step 109).

  Next, (2) a cooling supplement function is executed. The device operation unit 23 determines whether or not the adjacent showcase is requested to lower the horizontal plates 19b and 19e (step 110). When it is requested to lower the horizontal plates 19b and 19e, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether or not the temperature in the showcase 1 has decreased below the upper limit temperature 74b (step 111). When the temperature in the showcase 1 falls below the upper limit temperature 74b, the device operation unit 23 requests the adjacent showcase to raise the horizontal plates 19b and 19e (step 112).

  Next, (4) a cold overflow monitoring function is executed. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether there is a thermistor 13 that measures the underfloor temperature and a thermistor 14 that measures the in-store temperature (step 113). When there is the thermistor 13 and the thermistor 14, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether or not the temperature difference between the underfloor temperature and the in-store temperature is within an allowable range (step 114). If the temperature difference is not within the allowable range, it is determined that the cold air is overflowing, and the device operation unit 23 causes the speaker 61 to issue an alarm (step 115) and / or causes the control device 6 to close the valve 9. To stop the cooling function. If the thermistor 13 and the thermistor 14 are not present in step 113, or if the temperature difference is within the allowable range in step 114, the process proceeds to step 116.

  Next, (5) the mini defrosting function is executed. As shown in FIG. 13, the device operation unit 23 determines whether or not the mini-defrost start times 86a and 86b are reached (step 116). Whether or not the mini defrosting start times 86a and 86b are reached is determined by whether or not the current time of the terminal 7 is within t hours from the start times 86a and 86b. When it is the start time 86a, 86b of the mini defrosting, the device operation unit 23 requests the control device 6 to energize the heating device 4 (step 117). Moreover, as shown in FIG. 15, the apparatus operation part 23 sets the timer interruption (mini defrost-1) for the mini defrost which generate | occur | produces after t time in order to complete | finish mini defrost (step 118), A sleep state is entered (step 119). When the timer interruption of mini-defrost-1 occurs, device operation unit 23 determines whether or not mini-defrost end times 87a and 87b are reached (step 120). Whether or not the mini defrosting end times 87a and 87b are reached is determined by whether or not the current time of the terminal 7 is within t hours from the end times 87a and 87b.

  If the end times 87a and 87b of the mini defrost are not reached, the device operation unit 23 sets so that the mini defrost-1 is generated again after t time (step 121). When the end times 87a and 87b are reached, the device operation unit 23 requests the control device 6 to stop energization of the heating device 4, and a timer interrupt for mini-defrosting that occurs after a certain time for draining water. (Mini defrost-2) is set (step 122), and a sleep state is set (step 123). When the timer interruption of the mini defrosting-2 occurs, the device operating unit 23 requests the control device 6 to open the valve and put cold air into the refrigerator 1 (step 124). Then, the process returns to step 102.

  Next, (1) a monitoring function of the upper limit temperature 74b is executed. In step 116 mentioned above, when it is not the mini defrost start time 86a, 86b, the measurement data acquisition part 22 determines whether the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the upper limit temperature 74b (step 125). . When the temperature in the refrigerator 1 does not exceed the upper limit temperature 74b, the process returns to step 102. When the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the upper limit temperature 74b, it is determined whether defrosting or mini-defrosting is being performed (step 126). In addition, the detection method of a defrost and a mini defrost is as having mentioned above. When defrosting or mini-defrosting is in progress, (3) a timer monitoring function is executed. The measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether or not the current time of the terminal 7 is between the defrosting or mini-defrosting start times 82a to 82c, 86a and 86b and the end times 83a to 83b, 87a and 87b. (Step 127). If the current time of the terminal 7 is between the defrosting or mini-defrosting start times 82a to 82c, 86a and 86b and the end times 83a to 83b, 87a and 87b, the timer is not shifted or the timer is Since it is not abnormal, the process returns to step 102. On the other hand, if the current time of the terminal 7 is not between the start times 82a to 82c, 86a and 86b and the end times 83a to 83b, 87a and 87b, the timers of the control device 6 and the terminal 7 are shifted, or the timer Is abnormal, the device operation unit 23 causes the alarm unit 61 to issue an alarm (step 128).

  On the other hand, when defrosting and mini-defrosting are not being performed in step 126, the measurement data acquisition unit 22 determines whether or not the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d (step 129). . If the temperature in the refrigerator 1 does not exceed the alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d, the device operation unit 23 requests the control device 6 to open the valve 9 and put cold air into the refrigerator 1 (step 130). When the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the alarm temperature (upper limit) 74d, the device operation unit 23 causes the alarm unit 61 to issue an alarm (step 131), and (2) executes the cooling supplement function. The device operation unit 23 searches for the adjacent refrigerator from the definition data 70, lowers the left horizontal plate 19e to the right adjacent refrigerator, and lowers the right horizontal plate 19b to the left adjacent refrigerator. The temperature monitoring program for monitoring the refrigerator adjacent to the system is requested by inter-program communication (step 132). In addition, the device operation unit 23 sets in the storage unit 30 that a request is made to lower the horizontal plates 19b and 19e to the adjacent refrigerator (a flag or the like) (step 133). As shown in FIG. 14, the temperature monitoring program for the adjacent refrigerator that received the communication-1 interrupt analyzes the protocol and issues a command to lower or raise the right or left horizontal plate to the control device 6 ( Step 134).

  Hereinafter, the superiority of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a graph showing the superiority of this embodiment. Conventionally, since defrost could not be detected, even if the temperature rises due to an abnormality of the device, it cannot be distinguished from defrost, and the alarm temperature for foods etc. is set at the position of the broken line 90 higher than the defrost temperature. It was. For this reason, even if it was below the defrost temperature, food etc. were exposed to the high temperature which bacteria are easy to propagate for a long time, and it was difficult to maintain the quality of food etc. However, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect whether or not defrosting is performed by the temperature monitoring function. Therefore, when the temperature in the refrigerator 1 rises due to an abnormality in the apparatus or the like, the defrosting temperature An alarm can be transmitted at an alarm temperature indicated by a lower solid line 91. Thereby, quality, such as a foodstuff in the refrigerator 1, can be maintained. In addition, when the temperature in the refrigerator 1 exceeds the alarm temperature by the cooling supplement function, cold air is taken in from the adjacent refrigerator 1, so that the quality of food and the like can be maintained even in a situation where the alarm cannot be received. it can. On the other hand, by the timer monitoring function, when the defrosting is performed but it is not the defrosting time, it is possible to prevent the food from being exposed to a high temperature for a long time by determining that the timer is abnormal.

  Further, the cold air overflow monitoring function issues an alarm when the cold air is overflowing from the refrigerator 1 and stops the cooling function, so that unnecessary cooling can be prevented and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed. . Furthermore, the mini defrosting function performs defrosting so that the mini defrosting coefficient (a value obtained by multiplying the defrosting temperature and the defrosting period) is constant, and as the defrosting temperature is defined high, the time is shortened. Thus, it is possible to remove frost in the refrigerator 1. If the defrosting period is short, the effects of foods (such as melting ice cream) are not so great even at high temperatures, so defrosting can be performed while maintaining the quality of foods, The cooling capacity of the refrigerator 1 can be maintained by this defrosting. For example, in a store that sells ice cream, the cooling capacity is maintained even during business hours, so there is no concern that the ice cream will become soft during business hours. In addition, since it detects whether defrost is performed based on the inclination of the temperature change in the refrigerator 1, this embodiment can be applied to the refrigerator of various specifications old and new with different performance and functions. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooling box 2,3 Thermometer 4 Heating apparatus 5 Cooling apparatus 6 Control apparatus 7 Terminal 13 Underfloor thermometer 14 In-store thermometer 19a-19f Horizontal plate 21 Definition data acquisition part 22 Measurement data acquisition part 23 Equipment operation part 70,80 Definition Data 74d Alarm temperature (upper limit)
74f Alarm temperature (lower limit)
76, 77 Information about adjacent refrigerators 84 Defrost temperature 85 Mini defrost coefficient (value multiplied by defrost temperature and defrost period)

Claims (9)

A temperature monitoring system for a refrigerator,
A definition data acquisition unit for acquiring definition data including an alarm temperature in the refrigerator;
A measurement data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data including the temperature in the refrigerator and detects whether or not defrosting is performed,
And a device operating unit that issues an alarm when the temperature in the refrigerator exceeds the alarm temperature when defrosting is not performed.   The system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement data acquisition unit detects whether or not defrosting of the refrigerator is performed based on an inclination of a temperature change in the refrigerator. .   3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the definition data further includes information related to a refrigerator adjacent to the refrigerator, and the temperature of the refrigerator exceeds the alarm temperature. Makes the cooler take in cold air from the adjacent cooler.   The system according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a manually removable horizontal plate or an automatically openable horizontal plate, and the temperature in the refrigerator exceeds the alarm temperature. The equipment operation unit notifies that the horizontal plate of the cooler and the horizontal plate of the adjacent cooler are manually removed, or automatically opens and closes to allow cold air to be taken into the cooler from the adjacent cooler. Feature system.   The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the definition data further includes a defrosting time and the defrosting is performed but not the defrosting time, the device operation unit includes: A system characterized by sending an alarm.   The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the measurement data further includes a temperature in the vicinity of the ground and a temperature at a position higher than the ground, and the temperature difference is not within an allowable range. A system in which the device operating unit issues an alarm and / or stops the cooling function of the refrigerator.   The system according to claim 6, further comprising a thermometer that measures a temperature near the ground and a thermometer that measures a temperature at a position higher than the ground.   The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the definition data further includes a value obtained by multiplying a defrost temperature and a defrost period, and the device operation unit is configured so that the value is constant. A system characterized by defrosting.   The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a thermometer for measuring a temperature in the refrigerator.

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