JP2013255431A - Incubator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an incubator which can make the temperature in the incubator more uniform.SOLUTION: An incubator 1 includes: a casing 5; a plurality of rack units 30 which have a plurality of trays 33, on which hatching eggs are mounted, and are installed in the casing 5; blowers 10 each of which is installed in a ventilation passage 6 sandwiched by the plurality of rack units 30; and partition wall panels 40 each of which is installed at a boundary between the rack unit 30 and the ventilation passage 6 so as to face the blower 10 side flank of the rack unit 30. Air sent from the blower 10 is prevented from entering the rack unit 30 from the flank.

Description

  The present invention relates to an incubator that is an apparatus for artificially hatching eggs.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an incubator that controls the inside of a machine to a predetermined temperature and hatches a large number of seed eggs placed on an egg shelf in the machine is disclosed, for example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below.

  In general, the seed eggs hatch in 504 hours after starting to warm in the incubator, but the time required for hatching varies depending on the warming temperature. For this reason, if the temperature in the incubator varies greatly depending on the location, the time required for hatching the seed eggs placed in the incubator will also vary greatly.

  For this reason, in conventional incubators, it is attempted to uniformly control the temperature in the incubator by generating a circulating wind in the apparatus to forcibly circulate the air. The machine also has a fan to generate wind.

JP 2001-324176 A Japanese Patent No. 4531982

  By the way, as it is said that if the average temperature of the place where the egg is placed differs by 0.1 ° C., the time required for hatching the egg will be different for several hours, there is a demand for uniform temperature in the incubator. The level is very high. However, conventional incubators have not been able to fully meet such requirements.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a subject, and it aims at providing the incubator which can make the temperature in a machine more uniform.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to the incubator according to the first aspect of the present invention, the casing 5 and the plurality of trays 33 on which the seed eggs are placed are provided. The rack unit 30, the blower 10 installed in the blower passage 6 sandwiched between the plurality of rack units 30, and the rack unit 30 and the rack unit 30 so as to face the side surface of the rack unit 30 on the blower 10 side. And a partition panel 40 installed at the boundary with the air passage 6, and can be configured so that the air blown from the blower 10 does not enter the rack unit 30 from the side surface.

  In addition, according to the incubator according to the second aspect, the partition panel 40 can extend to the tray 33 installed at the uppermost stage of the rack unit 30 in the height direction.

  Furthermore, according to the incubator according to the third aspect, the partition panel 40 can be extended to the tray 33 installed at the lowest level of the rack unit 30 in the height direction.

  Furthermore, according to the incubator according to the fourth aspect, the partition panel 40 extends in a height direction to a position separated from the tray 33 installed at the lowest stage of the rack unit 30. Can do.

  Furthermore, according to the incubator according to the fifth aspect, the blower 10 is installed above the rotary blade 12 and the rotary blade 12 that generates the wind upward by rotating, and obliquely upward. And a stationary blade 15 for rectifying the wind rising while diffusing so as to rise more vertically.

  Furthermore, according to the incubator according to the sixth aspect, the stationary blade 15 includes a plurality of fins 16 extending radially about the rotation axis of the rotating blade 12, and the fin 16 includes the rotating blade. The lower side of the 12 side can be bent in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of the rotary blade 12.

  According to the incubator according to the present invention, the temperature inside the incubator can be made more uniform, so that the timing of hatching the seed eggs in the incubator can be aligned and the work efficiency can be greatly improved.

It is a vertical sectional view of an incubator according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of an incubator concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the stationary blade which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fin of the stationary blade which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of a stationary blade and a fan concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the incubator which concerns on a modification.

  Hereinafter, an incubator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies an incubator for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the incubator as follows. Specifically, the members shown in the claims are by no means specified as the members in the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the constituent members described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to the description unless otherwise specified. It's just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing. In addition, the contents described in some examples and embodiments may be used in other examples and embodiments.

  This embodiment demonstrates the case where this invention is applied to a single stage incubator. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an incubator according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the incubator according to the present embodiment, excluding the ceiling of the casing.

  The incubator 1 includes a casing 5 that is an outer frame, a blower 10, a cooling means 20, a heating means 22, a rack unit 30, and a partition panel 40. The casing 5 is a rectangular parallelepiped box and the inside is sealed. The blower 10, the cooling means 20, the heating means 22, the rack unit 30, and the partition panel 40 are installed in the casing 5. A blower passage 6 serving as a passage for circulating air is formed in a central region that divides the inside of the casing 5 into two, and the rack unit 30 is installed in divided regions on both sides divided by the blower passage 6. .

  Five blowers 10 are installed in series on the floor of the air passage 6 and are configured to generate wind upward. Needless to say, the number of blowers is not limited to five, and may be four or less, or six or more according to the required air volume. The blower 10 includes a fan 11 having a rotary blade 12 and a motor 13, a stationary blade 15 for rectifying the wind generated by the fan 11, and a casing 17 that supports the fan 11 and the stationary blade 15.

  The rotating blades 12 of the fan 11 rotate clockwise as viewed from above by the rotational power of the motor 13 to generate upward wind. At this time, the rising wind from the fan 11 does not go straight up, but rises while swirling clockwise and spreading. Of course, it is also possible to configure the rotary blade 12 counterclockwise. In this case, the way of attaching the blade is opposite to the example shown in the figure.

  The stationary blade 15 has fixed fins 16 extending radially about the rotation shaft 131 of the rotating blade 12 and is installed immediately above the rotating blade 12. Here, the number of fins 16 is preferably set so as not to be a multiple of the rotor blades 12. If the multiple of the rotor blades is used, it is conceivable that the air volume is reduced because the number and the number of times the rotor blades and the fins coincide with each other at the time of rotation increase. Therefore, the number of fins is intentionally different from the multiple of the rotor blades. In the example of FIG. 5, the number of the four rotary blades 12 is nine instead of the multiple of eight. On the other hand, the stationary blade 15 has a function of rectifying the wind rising from the fan 11 so as to rise more vertically. A more detailed configuration and operation of the blower 10 will be described later.

  In the casing 5, a cooling unit 20 and a heating unit 22 are provided in order to adjust the temperature of the air supplied to the fan 11. The cooling means 20 is installed below the fan 11 and supported by the casing 17 of each blower 10. The cooling means 20 includes a cooler 24 that cools air passing through the apparatus portion. As the cooler 24, for example, a heat exchanger in which cooling water is circulated in a coil shape can be used.

  Moreover, the heating means 22 is arrange | positioned in the circulation path of the air circulated with the fan 11, and adjusts the temperature of circulating air. In the example shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the air that is fixed to the ceiling surface in the casing 5 is heated in the air passage 6. As the heater 22, for example, an electric heater that is a heating element can be used.

  In addition, a temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature can be installed in the casing 5, and the cooling means 20 and the heating means 22 can be controlled based on the measured value of the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is provided at, for example, the lower end of the partition panel 40-2. Based on the measured value of the temperature sensor, the cooling means 20 and the heating means 22 are operated, and for example, the room temperature is controlled to be a constant value around 37 ° C. In particular, since the amount of heat generated by the egg changes according to the fertilization rate of the egg and the size of the egg, the actual temperature is detected, and feedback control is performed to adjust the cooling capacity and the degree of heating accordingly. Thus, optimum temperature management can be performed according to the actual temperature inside the casing 5.

  The rack unit 30 functions as an egg shelf on which a large number of eggs are placed. Two rack units 30 are installed on each side of the air passage 6, and a total of four first to fourth rack units 30-1 to 30-4 are installed. Has been. Although the number of rack units is four in the example of FIG. 2, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this configuration and can be three or less, or five or more. For example, an incubator 1B according to a modification using a total of six rack units 30 ′, 30′-1, 30′-2, 30′-3, 30′-4, 30′-5, and 30′-6. An example of this is shown in FIG.

  The rack unit 30 includes a plurality of multi-stage tray shelves 31 and casters 36 installed on the lower surface, and can be moved on the floor by the casters 36. In this example, it is moved along a caster 36 on a rail laid in advance.

  The multi-stage tray shelf 31 includes a plurality of trays 33 on which a plurality of eggs are placed vertically and a support frame 32 that holds the trays 33 in multiple stages. As shown in FIG. 1, each multi-stage tray shelf 31 is tilted with 15-stage trays 33 so that the eggs can be turned.

  The partition panel 40 is a flat plate installed at the boundary between the air passage 6 and the rack unit 30 so as to face the side surface of the rack unit 30 on the blower 10 side. It is blocked from moving. The partition panel 40 is extended and installed so as to block all the regions where the eggs of the rack unit 30 are placed from the air passage 6, and one partition is provided on each side of the air passage 6. Partition panels 40-1 and 40-2 are installed.

  Specifically, the partition panel 40 is fixed and installed on the housing 17 of the blower 10 so as to cover the side surface facing the air passage 6 of the multi-stage tray shelf 31 on which the egg is placed. As shown in FIG. 1, the height direction extends from the vicinity of the lower end of the multi-stage tray shelf 31 to the vicinity of the upper end. Further, in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 2, from one end (lower end in the figure) of the region where the multi-stage tray shelf 31 of the first rack unit 30-1 is installed to the multi-stage of the second rack unit 30-2. The partition panel 40-1 extends to the other end (upper end in the figure) where the tray shelf 31 is installed.

  Here, in the height direction, the upper end of the partition panel extends to the tray installed at the uppermost stage. On the other hand, the lower end is extended to the tray installed at the lowest level of the rack unit. However, the lower end side of the partition panel does not necessarily need to completely cover the lowest level of the rack unit, and may be slightly separated. In other words, the partition panel can be configured to be short so that the lower end of the partition panel comes to a position spaced from the lowest level of the rack unit. As a result, the opening can be widened to facilitate the flow of wind.

  By installing the partition panel 40 having such a structure at the boundary between the air passage 6 and the rack units 30 on both sides, the air passage 6 and the side surface of the rack unit 30 are blocked, and the flow of wind cannot be performed. Thereby, the wind blown upward from the fan 11 does not enter the rack unit 30 from the side, and all rises up to the top of the air passage 6 and then along the ceiling of the casing 5. It is divided into left and right, and then enters the rack unit 30 only from above. Further, the wind coming out from inside the rack unit 30 does not escape to the side of the rack unit 30.

  When wind also enters from the side of the rack unit 30, the temperature from the side and the wind from above are different, and therefore, the temperature may be different depending on the location in the vertical direction in the rack unit 30.

  On the other hand, when the wind enters the rack unit 30 only from above and escapes only from below as in the present embodiment, only the wind having substantially the same temperature enters the rack unit 30. The variation in the temperature in the vertical direction in the rack unit 30 can be minimized.

  As described above, chicken eggs are hatched in 21 days, and if the average temperature of the place where the seed eggs are placed differs by 0.1 ° C., the time required for hatching is said to differ by several hours. Therefore, if the temperature in the rack unit 30 varies depending on the location, even the eggs placed in the same rack unit 30 vary greatly in the time required for hatching, making it impossible to perform efficient work. . On the other hand, by installing the partition panel 40, it is possible to greatly improve work efficiency by suppressing temperature variations in the vertical direction in the rack unit 30.

  Subsequently, the stationary blade 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the stationary blade. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of the fins of the stationary blade. FIG. 4A is a side view seen from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the fins (the direction of rotation of the fan), and FIG. It is the side view seen from the outer side (outer cylinder side). FIG. 5 is a plan view of a stationary blade and a fan.

  The stationary blade 15 includes a shaft cylinder 151, an outer cylinder 152, and nine fins 16 that extend between the shaft cylinder 151 and the outer cylinder 152. As shown in FIG. 4, the fin 16 forms a bent portion 162 that is curved so that a substantially lower half of a substantially rectangular flat plate bends to one side. The direction in which the bent portion 162 of the fin 16 bends is opposite to the rotation direction (clockwise) of the rotary blade 12 of the fan 11 (counterclockwise).

  Further, the fin 16 is formed so that the lower end side gradually protrudes so that the width in the height direction of the fin 16 becomes wider as it approaches the outer end 162 connected to the outer cylinder 152.

  The shaft cylinder 151 is coaxial with the rotation shaft 131 of the fan 11 and is hollow inside. The nine fins 16 extend radially around the shaft tube 151 to the outer tube 152 at 40 ° intervals. The fan 11 installed below the stationary blade 15 includes a rotating blade 12 having four blades installed around the rotation shaft 131 at intervals of 90 °. Of course, changing the number of fins and wings also changes the angle. For example, when five blades are provided on the rotary blade 12, the interval is 72 °.

  In such a configuration, when the rotor blades 12 of the fan 11 rotate clockwise as viewed from above, a flow of air that rises while swirling clockwise and expanding is generated. At this time, since the rotor blades 12 of the fan 11 are composed of four blades, the wind, which is the airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor blades 12, varies in wind speed depending on the location in the horizontal direction.

  When a wind with variations in wind speed enters the rack unit 30 from above, temperature variations occur in a horizontal plane as shown in FIG. Even when the temperature variation in the horizontal direction occurs, the time required for hatching the eggs varies depending on the location as described above.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment in which the stationary blade 15 is installed, the wind generated from the fan 11 immediately passes through the stationary blade 15, but at this time, the lower side of the fin 16 on the rotary blade 12 side. Wind is applied to the bent portion 161 that is bent in the counterclockwise direction and is rectified so as to rise more vertically along the surface of the fin 11 rather than obliquely upward. Needless to say, when the rotating blade 12 is rotated counterclockwise, the bending direction of the bent portion 161 is also the opposite clockwise direction.

  In addition, since the number of fins 16 (9) of the stationary blade 15 is larger than the number of blades (4) of the rotary blade 12 and is installed around the rotary shaft 131 at intervals of 40 °, it is generated by the rotary blade 12. The variation in the wind speed in the wind that has been performed can be greatly suppressed, and the air can be distributed more evenly.

  As mentioned above, although the structure of the incubator 1 which concerns on this embodiment was demonstrated in detail, according to this embodiment, the partition panel 40 is installed in the both sides of the ventilation path 6 in which the air blower 10 was installed, By shutting off the rack unit 30, wind can be prevented from entering the rack unit 30 from the side surface, and the temperature environment in the vertical direction in the rack unit 30 can be made more uniform.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the stationary blade 15 is installed above the fan 11 of the blower 10, and the air generated from the fan 11 is rectified so as to suppress the variation in the flow velocity in the horizontal plane. The temperature environment in the horizontal direction can be made more uniform.

  Thus, by making the temperature environment in the rack unit 30 uniform as a whole, the temperature difference between the eggs placed in the rack unit 30 can be suppressed to a greater extent than before. Thereby, according to this embodiment, the time of hatching of all the eggs can be arranged, and workability | operativity can be improved significantly.

  Although the present embodiment has been described in detail above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a single-stage incubator has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to a multi-stage incubator.

  In addition, the shape, size, number, and the like of the members constituting the incubator 1 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the number of the blower 10 and the rack unit 20, the number of the trays 33 placed in the rack unit 30, etc. Can change.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1B ... Incubator 5 ... Casing 6 ... Air blower passage 10 ... Air blower 11 ... Fan 12 ... Rotary blade 13 ... Motor 131 ... Rotary shaft 15 ... Stator blade 151 ... Shaft cylinder 152 ... Outer cylinder 16 ... Fin 161 ... Bending part 162 ... outer end 17 ... casing 20 ... cooling means 22 ... heating means 24 ... coolers 30, 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, 30-4, 30'-1, 30'-2, 30'- 3, 30'-4, 30'-5, 30'-6 ... Rack unit 31 ... Multi-stage tray shelf 31
32 ... support frame 33 ... tray 36 ... casters 40, 40-1, 40-2 ... partition panel

Claims (6)

A casing (5),
A plurality of trays (33) on which eggs are placed; a plurality of rack units (30) installed in the casing (5);
A blower (10) installed in a ventilation passage (6) sandwiched between the plurality of rack units (30);
A partition panel (40) installed at the boundary between the rack unit (30) and the air passage (6) so as to face the side surface of the rack unit (30) on the fan (10) side,
With
An incubator configured such that air blown from the blower (10) does not enter the rack unit (30) from a side surface. An incubator according to claim 1,
The incubator characterized in that the partition panel (40) extends in the height direction to the tray (33) installed at the uppermost stage of the rack unit (30). An incubator according to claim 1 or 2,
The incubator characterized in that the partition panel (40) extends in the height direction to the tray (33) installed at the lowest stage of the rack unit (30). An incubator according to claim 1 or 2,
The incubator characterized in that the partition panel (40) extends in a height direction to a position separated from the tray (33) installed at the lowest stage of the rack unit (30). An incubator according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The blower (10) is installed above the rotary blade (12) to generate wind upward by rotating and the wind that rises while diffusing obliquely upward. A stationary blade (15) for rectifying so as to rise in the vertical direction;
An incubator characterized by comprising. An incubator according to claim 5,
The stationary blade (15) includes a plurality of fins (16) extending radially about the rotation axis of the rotating blade (12), and the fin (16) is located on the lower side of the rotating blade (12). An incubator that is bent in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor blade (12).

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