JP2012242061A - Service wagon system and tableware suitable thereto - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a service wagon system, which has a simple structure, is inexpensive and easy to handle, and furthermore can heat food individually for each piece of tableware, and to provide tableware suitable to the service wagon system.SOLUTION: The service wagon system includes a service wagon 1, service trays 4, and pieces 20, 21 of tableware. The service wagon 1 includes a storage shelf 11 for holding the service trays 4 horizontally in a plurality of columns and vertically in a plurality of stages, a first coil 13 for wireless power supply provided in each of shelf plates 12 of the storage shelf 11, and a power supply part 8 which supplies an AC current or pulse current to the first coil. Each of the pieces 20, 21 of tableware each includes a second coil 22 for wireless power supply, and a heating element 23 connected to the second coil 22 and generating heat with electric power generated by the second coil 22.

Description

  The present invention relates to a distribution car system that can be heated and kept warm for each tableware and a tableware suitable for the system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a distribution car system that can heat each tableware using electromagnetic induction heating has been proposed. In the layout vehicle system described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of electromagnetic induction coils are provided on the layout tray side, and on the layout vehicle side, an individual drive circuit and each drive circuit for controlling each electromagnetic induction coil for each layout tray There is provided a single tray control unit for controlling the operation. Furthermore, the layout vehicle is provided with an operation unit (such as an operation panel) operated by a user and a main control unit (including a power supply circuit) that controls a plurality of control units provided for each layout tray. The tableware used in the distribution car and the distribution tray may be a ceramic container having a magnetic material that can be induction-heated attached to the lower surface, or a stainless steel container that itself can be induction-heated.

  When serving using such a distribution vehicle system, the user selects the tableware according to the menu of the dish to be arranged, and also places each tableware on the distribution tray, that is, which tableware and which electromagnetic induction. Decide whether to heat with a coil. And a user inputs the heating temperature and heating time of tableware for every foodstuff via an operation part. Thereby, the food can be heated and distributed at an optimum temperature.

  According to this layout vehicle system, a plurality of drive circuits and layout tray control units are required in the same number as the number of layout trays that can be mounted on the layout vehicle, and the circuit configuration is complicated, resulting in an increase in cost. Further, each time the menu is used, the heating temperature and the heating time for each tableware must be input, and the operation becomes complicated. Furthermore, since the placement position of the tableware on the tray is limited, if the placement position of the tableware is wrong, there is a problem that the food is not heated to an appropriate temperature due to insufficient heating or excessive heating. Therefore, handling of tableware becomes complicated.

  On the other hand, in the layout vehicle system described in Patent Document 2, an electromagnetic induction coil is provided on the layout vehicle side, a heating element made of a magnetic material is provided on the layout tray side, and a tableware having heat resistance is placed on the heating element. Therefore, overheating is possible for each tableware. Since the heating element is held in a heat insulating state in the tray, the material of the tray itself must be able to withstand the heat generation temperature of the heating element, and so that the user can touch the tray by hand, It must be low in thermal conductivity. Therefore, in order to efficiently heat the tableware, the surface of the heating element is exposed to the outside from the serving tray, and the tableware is directly placed thereon. On the surface of the layout tray, a protrusion that holds the heating element and fits with the bottom of the tableware is formed, and the surface of the layout tray is not flat. For this reason, it is not easy to clean the trays and it is not suitable for stacking and storing the trays.

JP 2011-78537 A JP 2009-82168 A

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems of the above-described conventional example, and has a simple structure, low cost, and easy handling, and can be individually heated for each tableware. It aims at providing a system and tableware suitable for it.

  In order to achieve the above object, a distribution vehicle system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a distribution vehicle, a distribution tray, and tableware, and the distribution vehicle includes a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction and a vertical direction in the distribution tray. A table comprising: a storage shelf capable of holding a plurality of stages; a first coil for wireless power feeding provided on each shelf plate of the storage shelf; and a power supply unit that supplies an alternating current or a pulsed current to the first coil. Are each provided with a second coil for wireless power feeding and a heating element connected to the second coil and generating heat by the electric power generated in the second coil.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a distribution vehicle system includes a distribution vehicle, a distribution tray, and tableware, and the distribution tray energizes the first coil and the first coil for wireless power feeding. A first rack for holding the storage tray, the storage tray can hold a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction and a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and the storage tray holds the tray in the storage shelf. A second terminal connected to the first terminal; and a power supply unit that supplies an alternating current or a pulsed current to the first coil via the first terminal and the second terminal. And a heating element connected to the second coil and generating heat by the electric power generated in the second coil.

  It is preferable that the tableware further includes a thermostat connected between the second coil and the heating element and having an operating temperature set to a predetermined temperature.

  In addition, the tableware includes two sets of the heating element and the thermostat, the operating temperature of one thermostat corresponds to the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the heat retention range of the food, and the operating temperature of the other thermostat is the reheating of the food It is preferable to correspond to a temperature and a temperature lower than the lower limit.

  Alternatively, the tableware includes a set of the heating element and the thermostat, and the thermostat includes a thermistor and an IC chip, and the IC chip includes an upper limit value and a lower limit of a food reheating temperature and a food heat retention range. It is preferable that a value is set.

  It is preferable that the power supply unit always supplies an AC current or a pulse current to the first coil while the tray is placed on the storage shelf.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the tableware which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is equipped with the coil which comprises a wireless electric power feeding system, and the heat generating body which is connected to the said coil and is heated with the electric power generated in the said coil.

  It is preferable that the tableware further includes a thermostat connected between the coil and the heating element and having an operating temperature set to a predetermined temperature.

  In addition, the tableware includes two sets of the heating element and the thermostat, the operating temperature of one thermostat corresponds to the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the heat retention range of the food, and the operating temperature of the other thermostat is the reheating of the food It is preferable to correspond to a temperature and a temperature lower than the lower limit.

  Alternatively, the tableware includes a set of the heating element and the thermostat, and the thermostat includes a thermistor and an IC chip, and the IC chip includes an upper limit value and a lower limit of a food reheating temperature and a food heat retention range. It is preferable that a value is set.

  According to the present invention, the first coil provided on the shelf board or the tray of the storage rack of the layout car and the second coil of each tableware placed on the layout tray are electromagnetic induction type or magnetic resonance type wireless. By configuring the power feeding system and supplying an alternating current or a pulse current to the first coil, a current flows through the second coil due to an electromagnetic induction phenomenon or a magnetic resonance phenomenon, and thereby the heating element generates heat. As the calorific value, the calorific value of the heating element provided in each tableware is set in advance, whereby the tableware and the food stored therein can be heated to a predetermined temperature. In addition, since electromagnetic induction heating is not used, the tableware not including the second coil and the heating element and the food therein are not heated regardless of the material, even if they are made of metal, for example. . Further, when the first coil is provided on the shelf board of the storage rack of the layout vehicle, the wiring structure inside the layout vehicle is simplified, and the type of the layout tray is not limited. On the other hand, when the first coil is provided on the layout tray, the shelf board can be removed, or the shelf board itself can be omitted, and the inside of the layout car can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, by providing a thermostat on the tableware, the food contained in each tableware can be reheated and kept warm to an appropriate temperature while continuing to pass a current through the first coil.

The figure which shows the state which closed the door of the heat retention box of the layout vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the state which opened the door of the heat retention box of the said layout vehicle. Sectional drawing which shows the state which mounted the tray and tableware on the storage shelf of the said layout vehicle. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the tableware suitable for the distribution vehicle system of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the other tableware suitable for the distribution vehicle system of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the other structure of the storage shelf and the tray of the said layout vehicle.

  A distribution car system according to an embodiment of the present invention and tableware suitable therefor will be described. The distribution vehicle 1 in this system is, for example, a cook chill type equipped with a heat storage (refrigerator), and foods that are refrigerated or stored at room temperature and foods that are heated and kept warm are placed together on the same distribution tray. It is configured so that it can be placed.

  FIG. 1 shows a state in which the door 6 of the heat insulation box of the arrangement vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is closed, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the door 6 of the heat insulation box of the arrangement vehicle 1 is opened. The layout vehicle 1 basically includes a moving device (cart) 2 and a reheating / heat retaining device 3 mounted on the moving device 2. The mobile device 2 may be a self-propelled type or a hand-held type. In addition, in the case of a self-propelled mobile device, a type that moves while being guided by a guidance device embedded in the floor in advance, in addition to a type that autonomously moves along a preset route while recognizing its own position on the map May be a type that moves along a guide rail, or a type that is operated by a person in charge of the arrangement. The distribution vehicle 1 further includes a control unit 7 that controls the entire distribution vehicle 1, such as a moving device (cart) 2 and a reheating / heat insulation device 3, and a power supply unit 8 that supplies power to each unit of the distribution vehicle 1. Yes. The control unit 7 includes an operation button (operation unit) 71 operated by the user, a display (display unit) 72 for displaying the internal temperature and other set temperatures, a switch unit 73 for performing manual operation, and the like. ing.

  The inside of the main body 30 of the reheating / warming device 3 is apparently partitioned into two heat storages 31, 32, but substantially functions as one refrigerator and heat storage. A cooling device 33 is provided in the lower part of the reheating / warming device 3, for example, the moving device 2, and the inside of the heat retaining chambers 31 and 32 can be kept warm (cold) in a certain temperature range. In the case of the cook chill method, depending on the type of food provided, food that has been cooked in advance, frozen or refrigerated and kept warm is placed on the tray 4 and the tray 4 is further kept in the warmer 31, It mounts on the storage shelf 11 provided in 32, and is refrigerated and preserve | saved in that state. And if it becomes a fixed time before the distribution time, the food provided by heating is once reheated to a predetermined temperature, for example, a high temperature of 120 to 130 ° C., and further distributed at a temperature of about 60 to 80 ° C. .

  In the case of a conventional general cook chill type distribution car, food that is refrigerated or kept at room temperature and food that is reheated are placed in a dedicated area of the same distribution tray, and the distribution tray is partitioned by an insulating wall. Only reheated food is reheated with warm air or the like. On the other hand, in this distribution vehicle system, as will be described later, by using an electromagnetic induction type or magnetic resonance type wireless power feeding system, a heating element provided in each tableware is heated to reheat and keep the food warm. I do. According to the distribution vehicle system using the wireless power feeding system, when the power receiving coil and the heating element are not provided on the tableware placed on the distribution tray 4, the food contained in the tableware is not heated at all. Has the advantage. That is, it is possible to place food that is reheated and food that is not reheated on the same tray 4 at random. Therefore, it is only necessary for the heat insulation boxes 31 and 32 to have a heat insulating function, and it is not necessary to provide a heating device. In addition, the serving tray 4 used in the present embodiment is a so-called flat tray, and in particular, a space for placing a frozen or refrigerated food and a reheated food is not partitioned.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration of the storage shelf 11 constituting a part of the reheating / warming device 3 in the first embodiment, and tableware 20 and 21 suitable for the distribution vehicle system. As described above, in this distribution vehicle system, the heating elements 23 provided in the individual dishes 20 and 21 are heated using the wireless power feeding system to reheat and keep the food. Therefore, a shelf plate 12 that forms the floor of the storage shelf 11 is provided with a first coil 13 for power transmission that forms a wireless power feeding system. On the other hand, the bottoms of the dishes 20 and 21 that contain the food to be reheated are heated by the electric power generated in the second coil 22 and the second coil for power reception that form the wireless power feeding system, and generate heat such as a carbon heater. A body 23 is provided. The first coil 13 may basically be provided on almost the entire surface of the shelf board 12. In the first embodiment, the shelf 12 of the storage shelf 11 is a fixed type, the power supply unit 8 and the first coil 13 are connected by wiring (not shown), and power is supplied from the power supply unit 8. . The material of the tableware 20 is not specifically limited, What has heat resistance and electrical insulation, for example, pottery, porcelain, heat resistant resin, etc. can be used.

  As described above, when reheating food to be reheated with warm air or the like, the internal temperature becomes 120 to 130 ° C. at the time of reheating. Therefore, after the whole food is reheated, Due to the effect, the internal temperature can be kept at about 60 to 80 ° C. for some time. On the other hand, in this embodiment, only the individual tableware 20 and 21 is heated, and the foodstuff accommodated in the inside is reheated. Therefore, in the distribution vehicle system of the present embodiment, the electric power necessary for reheating the food is significantly reduced as compared with the case of heating the entire reheating / warming chamber, but the heat retention is slightly inferior. . Therefore, for example, the temperature of the reheated food is detected using the temperature sensor 10 or the like, the first coil 13 is appropriately energized to heat the heating element 22, and the temperature of the food is kept at about 60 to 80 ° C. Is preferably maintained.

  The wireless power supply system requires the first coil 13 on the power transmission side and the second coil 22 on the power reception side in either the electromagnetic induction method or the magnetic resonance method, but the principle is different. In the case of the electromagnetic induction method, the first coil 13 and the second coil 22 function as a primary coil and a secondary coil of the transformer, respectively, and the second coil 22 is supplied by supplying an alternating current or a pulse current to the first coil 13. To generate electromotive force. In the case of the electromagnetic induction method, it is necessary to arrange the coils of the first coil 13 and the second coil 22 so that the axes of the coils do not greatly deviate. When there are a plurality of dishes to be heated, the number and size of the dishes are determined. In addition, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of first coils 13. Moreover, the placement position of the tableware on the serving tray 4 is also limited to some extent. On the other hand, in the case of the magnetic resonance method, it is sufficient that the first coil 13 and the second coil 22 are set to resonate at the same frequency, and the first and second coils 13 and 22 have slightly different axes. Even if it is shifted, power can be supplied. Furthermore, it is possible to resonate a plurality of second coils 22 simultaneously by one first coil 13. Therefore, the wireless power feeding system can appropriately select which of the electromagnetic induction method and the magnetic resonance method is used according to the application and cost.

  Next, another configuration example of tableware suitable for the distribution vehicle system of the present invention will be described. The tableware 20 and 21 shown in FIG. 3 includes only the second coil 22 and the heating element 23, and the temperature control is performed by supplying a current to the first coil by the control unit 7 based on the temperature of the food detected by the temperature sensor 10. This is done by controlling whether to do or to block. On the other hand, the tableware 25 shown in FIG. 4 further includes a thermostat 24 connected in series to the second coil 22 and the heating element 24, and temperature control is performed using this thermostat. The structure of the thermostat 24 is not particularly limited as long as the temperature range can be kept constant. In general, in consideration of cost and incorporation in the tableware 25, the thermostat 24 using bimetal is inexpensive and easy to handle. As is well known, the temperature at which the current is interrupted and the temperature at which the current is reapplied can be arbitrarily set by appropriately selecting two metal materials constituting the bimetal and changing the combination of expansion coefficient and heat capacity. . Therefore, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to set the reheating temperature by the tableware 21 containing soup or the like to 80 ° C. and set the reheating temperature by the tableware 20 containing the main dish to 130 ° C.

  FIG. 5 shows a configuration example in which two sets of heating elements 23A and 23B and thermostats 24A and 24B are used in one tableware 26. For example, if the current interruption temperature of one thermostat 24A is 130 ° C., the current re-injection temperature is 60 ° C., the current interruption temperature of the other thermostat 24B is 90 ° C., and the current re-introduction temperature is 70 ° C., the reheating of food The temperature can be 130 ° C., and then the food can be kept warm in the range of 70-90 ° C. Alternatively, in the configuration example using one set of the heating element 23 and the thermostat 24 shown in FIG. 4, a thermistor and an IC chip (microcomputer) can be used as the thermostat 24. In that case, if three temperatures of the reheating temperature and the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the heat retention temperature are set in the IC chip, the food can be reheated to a predetermined temperature and then kept in a lower temperature range. In these cases, the reheating temperature and the subsequent heat retention range can be automatically controlled.

  The control unit 7 drives the power supply unit 8 to energize the first coil 22 with an alternating current or a pulse current while the layout tray 4 is placed on the storage shelf 11. Since the temperature management of the tableware 25 or 26 is performed by the thermostats 24, 24A, and 24B, the controller 7 does not need to perform the temperature management. Furthermore, if the tableware provided with the thermostat from which electric current interruption temperature and electric current recharging temperature differ according to foodstuffs, it can reheat and hold | maintain to different temperature for every foodstuff.

  Although not shown, the tableware 20, 21, 25, 26 provided with the second coil 22 and the heating element 23 is provided with a lid, and for example, a double structure is used to leak the heat inside the tableware to the outside of the tableware. If it is set as the structure which does not have, the foodstuffs accommodated in the tableware 20,21,25,26 can be reheated, using the heat storage boxes 31 and 32 as a refrigerator. That is, it is possible to perform refrigeration and heating / warming at the same time.

  Next, another configuration example of the distribution vehicle system according to the present embodiment will be described. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 3, the storage shelf 11 has the shelf plate 12 and the first coil 13 is provided on the shelf plate 12. However, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the shelf plate 12 is omitted, One coil 13 is provided at the bottom of the tray 4. When washing the layout vehicle 1, it is not easy to remove the shelf board 12, but in such a configuration, since there is no shelf board from the beginning, washing is easy. Further, although the first coil 13 generates a little heat during power transmission, it does not heat food with its own heat. For example, even if the first coil 13 is embedded in the resin tray 4, the tray 13 4 itself does not reach a high temperature, and no particular problem occurs. A first terminal 14 connected to the first coil 13 and supplied with electric power from the power supply unit 8 is provided at the flange portion of the tray 4. The guide rail portion of the storage shelf 11 is provided with a second terminal 15 that is connected to the power supply unit 8 and supplies power to the first coil 13 by contacting the first terminal 14. Such a configuration can also function in the same manner as described above.

  As described above, according to the present invention, by using the wireless power feeding system, power is individually supplied to each tableware, the heating element provided on the tableware is heated, and the food is reheated. It can be kept warm. Therefore, food that is reheated and food that is not reheated can be placed on the same serving tray. Moreover, it is no longer necessary to partition the insulated car's heat insulation box into a refrigerator and a reheating / heat insulation container, which simplifies the structure of the distribution car itself and reduces costs. Furthermore, by changing the calorific value of the heating element appropriately according to the use of the tableware, it can be reheated to different temperatures for each food. Further, by combining the heating element and the thermostat, the reheating temperature and the heat retention temperature can be controlled on the individual tableware side, and the temperature control of the entire distribution vehicle becomes simple and easy. In addition, if the magnetic resonance phenomenon is used as a wireless power feeding system, the restriction on the position of the tableware placed on the tray is relaxed, and it is possible to place the tableware at random, and power can be efficiently supplied. Can be supplied. Further, since the first coil constituting the wireless power feeding system is provided on the shelf plate of the storage shelf or the bottom of the layout tray, the surface of the layout tray is flat, the cleaning of the layout tray is easy, and The trays can be stacked and stored. In particular, when the first coil is provided on the shelf plate of the storage shelf, there is no limitation on the size and shape of the layout tray, and various trays such as a commercially available flat tray can be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Distributor 3 Reheating and heat retention apparatus 4 Disposition tray 7 Control part 8 Power supply part 11 Storage shelf 12 Shelf board 13 1st coil 14 1st terminal 15 2nd terminal 20,21,25,26 Tableware 22 2nd coil 23, 23A, 23B Heating element 24, 24A, 24B Thermostat 31, 32 First heat storage 41, 42 Second heat storage

Claims (10)

A distribution vehicle system comprising a distribution vehicle, a distribution tray, and tableware,
The layout vehicle includes a storage shelf that can hold the layout trays in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction and a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, a first coil for wireless power feeding provided on a shelf plate of the storage shelf, and an alternating current. Or a power supply unit for supplying a pulse current to the first coil,
The tableware includes a second coil for wireless power feeding and a heating element connected to the second coil and generating heat by the electric power generated in the second coil. A distribution vehicle system comprising a distribution vehicle, a distribution tray, and tableware,
The serving tray includes a first coil for wireless power feeding and a first terminal for energizing the first coil,
The layout vehicle includes a storage shelf that can hold the layout tray in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction and a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and a second shelf connected to the first terminal in a state where the layout tray is held in the storage shelf. A power supply unit for supplying an alternating current or a pulsed current to the first coil via a terminal and the first terminal and the second terminal;
The tableware includes a second coil for wireless power feeding and a heating element connected to the second coil and generating heat by the electric power generated in the second coil.   3. The distribution vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the tableware further includes a thermostat connected between the second coil and the heating element and having an operating temperature set to a predetermined temperature. 4. .   The tableware includes two sets of the heating element and the thermostat, the operating temperature of one of the thermostats corresponds to the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the food heat retention range, and the operating temperature of the other thermostat is the reheating temperature of the food and The trolley car system according to claim 3, which corresponds to a temperature lower than the lower limit value.   The tableware includes a set of the heating element and the thermostat, and the thermostat includes a thermistor and an IC chip, and the IC chip has a reheat temperature of the food and an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the food heat retention range. 4. The distribution vehicle system according to claim 3, wherein the arrangement is set.   The said power supply part always supplies an alternating current or a pulse current to the said 1st coil, while the tray is mounted in the said storage shelf, The any one of Claims 3 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The distribution car system described in 1.   A tableware comprising: a coil constituting a wireless power feeding system; and a heating element connected to the coil and generating heat by electric power generated in the coil.   The tableware according to claim 7, further comprising a thermostat connected between the coil and the heating element and having an operating temperature set to a predetermined temperature.   The tableware includes two sets of the heating element and the thermostat, the operating temperature of one of the thermostats corresponds to the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the food heat retention range, and the operating temperature of the other thermostat is the reheating temperature of the food and The tableware according to claim 8, which corresponds to a temperature lower than the lower limit value.   The tableware includes a set of the heating element and the thermostat, and the thermostat includes a thermistor and an IC chip, and the IC chip has a reheat temperature of the food and an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the food heat retention range. The tableware according to claim 8, wherein the tableware is set.

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