JP2016070606A - Booth for chilled conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a booth for a chilled conveyor, capable of being installed in an existing site in a site where food manufacturing by flow operation is performed, and further improving a work environment while retaining a cold temperature of food.SOLUTION: There is installed in a chilled operation room 2, a booth 1 for a chilled conveyor, including: a chilled conveyor 3 which includes a cooling unit 9 generating cool air C, a conveyor portion 8 for placing and conveying food F, and a cold air duct 10 guiding the cold air C generated with the cooling unit 9 to the food F placed in the conveyor portion 8; an operation block 4 surrounding at least part of the chilled conveyor 3 with a wall 4c, and forming an internal space 4d allowing an operator to operate; and a warm air unit 21 sending warm air W to the operation block 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a work booth for a chilled conveyor for improving the working environment of an operator who processes and arranges food that is conveyed on a chilled conveyor at a low temperature. Further, the present invention relates to a work booth for a chilled conveyor that can be introduced later into a food manufacturing site using an existing chilled conveyor and that improves the working environment of workers who process and arrange food.

  In food manufacturing factories and kitchens of medical facilities, processed food materials and ingredients are packed together so that they can be provided to the final consumer as they are (such as lunch boxes, including staple and side meal meal sets) Is manufactured in large quantities. In such a production site, in order to efficiently produce a large amount of the same food, an operator waits around the conveyor and sequentially processes food containers such as lunch boxes that are transported on the conveyor. In general, a flow process is performed in which finished food materials and ingredients are arranged, decorated, and seasoning is additionally processed. At this time, the ingredients and food members to be added are placed on a wagon or the like on the side of the conveyor, and are arranged close to the operator so that they can be easily taken. In such a manufacturing site, in order to prevent a decrease in freshness, it is necessary to keep food on the conveyor, ingredients added thereto, and food members as low as possible (about 0 to 10 ° C.).

  In order to maintain the low temperature of the food, it is an effective and simple method to cool the air in the manufacturing room where the food is exposed to the environment by configuring the entire manufacturing room where the conveyor is installed as a low temperature chilled working room. However, it is not preferable to perform work for a long time in such a low temperature environment because it is not comfortable for the operator and the limbs freeze and work efficiency deteriorates.

  Therefore, in order to improve the worker's working environment, it has been proposed to use a conveyor (hereinafter referred to as a chilled conveyor) having a function of keeping the surface on which food is placed at a low temperature. However, it is not always the food on the conveyor that is required to be kept cold at the food production site. As mentioned above, in many cases, in addition to the food that is transported on the conveyor, there are other ingredients and food members to be placed on it, and the place to stock such ingredients and food members, It is necessary to keep the place where food, ingredients and food parts are weighed at a low temperature. Therefore, for example, even if a chilled conveyor is installed in a working room kept at room temperature (about 15 ° C. to 20 ° C.) and the food conveyed on the conveyor is kept at a low temperature, that alone is not sufficient. A separate mechanism for maintaining the low temperature of foods, food parts, ingredients, etc. in this place is required.

  Regarding such a problem, for example, the following Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a corresponding technique in different fields. Patent Document 1 relates to a sorting and conveying system that handles low-temperature articles in a distribution center or the like, and includes a cooling device and a blower between a conveyor and a cooling box in a room that sorts low-temperature articles into a cooling box using a conveyor. A device is described. A cool air curtain is formed by the air cooled by the cooling device, while a warm air curtain is formed by the air heated by the condenser of the cooling device. Warm air is fed into the chamber, so that it is possible to achieve both cold preservation of low-temperature articles and environmental improvement of the work space.

JP-A-11-263437

  However, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is merely a system for sorting low-temperature articles, and cannot necessarily be said to be directly applicable to the food production site as described above. That is, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is characterized in that a cooling device and a blower device are provided in the sorting room at room temperature without assuming that the entire sorting chamber is kept at a low temperature. On the other hand, in the field of food production, as existing equipment, after cooling the whole production room, many of the production room are further equipped with a refrigerator. The device as described in 1 is not familiar. If the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is installed at such an existing food production site, the work space itself is separated from other spaces in the work room, even though an air curtain is formed by the cooling device and the blower. However, it is possible that cold air and warm air are likely to mix. Moreover, there is no effective method for recovering the warm air after forming the warm air curtain as return air, and the function of maintaining the temperature difference between the normal temperature of the work space and the low temperature of the refrigerator is not sufficient.

  In view of the above situation, the present invention can be installed at an existing site where a worker manufactures food such as serving as a flow operation using a conveyor, and further improves the working environment while maintaining the low temperature of the food. It is intended to provide a work booth for chilled conveyors that can be improved.

  The present invention is a cooling unit that is installed in a chilled work chamber and generates cold air, a conveyor unit that loads and conveys food, and the cold air generated by the cooling unit is guided to the food that is mounted on the conveyor unit. A chilled conveyor provided with a cold air duct, a work section installed in the chilled work chamber, surrounding at least a part of the chilled conveyor with a wall, and forming an internal space in which an operator can work; And a warming unit for sending warm air and adjusting the return air temperature.

  Thus, in this way, it is possible to maintain the temperature in the work section at an allowable health and hygiene temperature for the worker while maintaining the low temperature of the food conveyed by the chilled conveyor. It is possible to prevent a large amount of air having an allowable temperature in the health and hygiene from leaking out of the work area and mixing with low-temperature air. By placing it, it can be kept at a low temperature.

  In the work booth for a chilled conveyor according to the present invention, the warm air unit preferably forms a refrigeration cycle together with the cooling unit, and is configured to generate warm air using the exhaust heat of the cooling unit. By doing so, energy for generating warm air can be saved.

  In the operation booth for a chilled conveyor according to the present invention, the cold air duct is provided along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor part below the conveyor part, and forms a flow path for taking in cold air from the cooling unit. Extending from the both sides in the width direction of the main duct portion to a height above the conveying surface of the conveyor portion so as to cover the outside in the width direction of the conveyor portion, and the cold air is branched from the main duct portion An air guide part that forms a flow path that leads upward, and a cold air blower port that is provided at an upper end portion of the air guide part and sends out cool air to the vicinity of the upper part of the conveying surface of the conveyor part. The upper surface of the section forms a downward slope that is inclined toward the conveying surface of the conveyor section located in the center of the cold air duct in the width direction, and the cold air blowing port extends from the inner surface of the air guide section to the controller. It is preferable that the cool air is discharged along the transport surface of the belt portion, and in this way, the cool air is effective in the space formed by the inner surface of the air guide portion and the transport surface of the conveyor portion. In addition, it is possible to maintain the workability of the worker on the food placed on the transport surface of the conveyor unit.

  In the work booth for a chilled conveyor according to the present invention, the wall can be configured by a flexible curtain, and in this way, it is easy to install an opening in the wall and adjust the size of the opening. In addition, there is no need to provide a door or the like necessary for access inside and outside the work section of the worker.

  In the work booth for a chilled conveyor according to the present invention, the wall can be made of a hard material having heat insulation properties, and in this way, the occurrence of condensation on the inner surface of the wall can be suppressed.

  According to the work booth for a chilled conveyor of the present invention, it can be installed in an existing food production site, and can have an excellent effect that the work environment can be further improved while maintaining the low temperature of the food.

It is a schematic front view which shows the whole structure of the work booth for chilled conveyors of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the structure of the work division of the work booth for chilled conveyors of this invention, and is II-II arrow line view of FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of the work division of the work booth for chilled conveyors of this invention, and is the III-III arrow line view of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the chilled conveyor used for this invention. It is a front sectional view showing the structure of the chilled conveyor used in the present invention, and is a view taken along the line VV in FIG. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the chilled conveyor used for this invention, and is VI-VI arrow line view of FIG. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the reference example of the chilled conveyor used for this invention. It is a cross-sectional view which shows another reference example of the chilled conveyor used for this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the refrigerating cycle provided with the cooling unit and warm air unit which are used for this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 3 show an example of a working booth for a chilled conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the chilled conveyor work booth 1 of the present embodiment is placed in a chilled work chamber 2 in which the internal air temperature is kept at a low temperature of about 0 to 10 ° C. (in this embodiment, about 8 ° C.). The chilled conveyor 3 that is installed and transports the food F placed on the conveying surface while keeping the temperature low, and is installed around the chilled conveyor 3 so that the operator can perform operations such as arranging and processing the food F. It is provided with a work section 4 which is a space to perform.

  In each place in the chilled work chamber 2, in addition to the chilled conveyor work booth 1, a refrigerator 5 for storing food F, ingredients, processed food members, a measuring device 6 for weighing ingredients and food members, Various machines and instruments such as a cart 7 for transporting ingredients and food members to the work section 4 are arranged. In a space outside the work section 4 and close to a worker working inside the work section 4, ingredients and food members are arranged and arranged on a wagon or cart (not shown). As the wagon or cart (not shown), the cart 7 on which ingredients and food members are placed may be moved to the predetermined position and used.

  4-6 shows an example of the form of the chilled conveyor used for implementation of this invention. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the chilled conveyor 3 includes a conveyor unit 8 having a conveying surface on which food F is placed and conveyed, a cooling unit 9 for sending out cold air C, and a conveyor unit 8 along the conveyor unit 8. It is located below the section 8 and includes a cold air duct 10 that is fed from the cooling unit 9 and sends the cool air C to the conveying surface of the conveyor section 8.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the conveyor unit 8 uses the motor 11 as power, transmits the output shaft gear rotation of the motor 11 to the shaft gear of the pulley 13 via the timing belt 12, and drives the pulley 13 to rotate. Is a well-known mechanism for placing and conveying an article on a conveyance surface formed by an annular belt 14 interlocking with the belt.

  The cooling unit 9 is connected to one end of the cold air duct 10, and the position thereof is further upstream of the upstream end (tail) of the conveyor unit 8. The cooling unit 9 in the present embodiment is a known air conditioner called a direct expansion type, and includes an evaporator 15 that is a direct expansion coil in which fins are fitted around a meandering pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and the evaporation unit A cool air fan 16 for sending air into the container 15 is provided in the housing 17. The refrigerant, which has been squeezed and expanded through an expansion valve (not shown) and turned into low-pressure wet vapor, is passed through the evaporator 15, air is sent to the evaporator 15 using the cold air fan 16, and cold air C is generated by the heat of vaporization of the refrigerant. It is a mechanism to create. The refrigerant vapor heated indirectly by the air while passing through the evaporator 15 is then directed to a compressor (not shown), which compresses the refrigerant and sends it to a condenser (not shown). The refrigerant cooled by the condenser becomes high-pressure supercooled liquid, passes through the expansion valve again, returns to the evaporator 15 as low-pressure wet vapor. The configuration of such an expansion valve, a compressor, and a condenser will be described in detail later.

  The cooling unit 9 is not limited to such a direct expansion type, and may be any device having a function of sending out cold air. For example, it is possible to use a chiller type apparatus that cools air by drawing a refrigerant that does not change phase, such as an antifreeze liquid that has been cooled to a low temperature by a Blainchler, and cools the air by returning it to the chiller.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cold air duct 10 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor unit 8 below the conveyor unit 8, and forms a flow path for taking in cold air C from the cooling unit 9. The section 18 rises from both sides in the width direction of the main duct section 18 to a height above the conveying surface of the conveyor section 8 and extends so as to cover the outer side of the conveyor section 8 in the width direction. An air guide portion 19 that forms a flow path that branches and leads upward, and a cold air blower port 20 that is provided at the upper end portion 19a of the air guide portion 19 and sends out the cool air C to the transport surface of the conveyor portion 8 are provided. Become.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the air guide portion 19 has an upper end portion 19 a that protrudes above the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8, and an upper surface 19 b that faces the conveyor portion 8 located at the center in the width direction of the cold air duct 10. An inclined downward slope is formed. An opening is provided in the inner surface (inner surface) 19c in the width direction of the upper end portion 19a of the air guide portion 19 at a position slightly higher than the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8, and this opening portion is formed on the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8. On the other hand, it functions as a cold air blowing port 20 for supplying the cold air C. The cold air blowing port 20 discharges the cold air C in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit 8. The air guide 19 and the cool air blower 20 are configured to discharge the cool air C obliquely downward from the cold air blower 20 as shown in FIG. 7, or the upper surface 19b of the air guide 19 is horizontally arranged as shown in FIG. Although it can be configured, in this embodiment, the configuration shown in FIG. 6 is adopted. The effect of this configuration will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the work section 4 has an internal space 4d divided by a ceiling 4a, a pillar 4b, and a wall 4c. The internal space 4d is connected to the conveyor 8 of the chilled conveyor 3 and a cold air duct. It arrange | positions so that 10 may penetrate. In other words, the wall 4c surrounds the conveyor portion 8 of the chilled conveyor 3 and a part of the cold air duct 10, and the worker can only work between the chilled conveyor 3 and the wall 4c. There is space.

  The wall 4c may be configured in a curtain shape with a flexible material such as a vinyl sheet, or configured in a panel shape with a hard and heat-insulating material such as a carbon plate or an acrylic plate. May be.

  The wall 4c is provided with openings (not shown) such as slits and doors at required positions. As described above, in the space outside the work section 4 and close to the worker who works inside the work section 4, the ingredients and the food members are arranged and arranged on a wagon or cart (not shown). However, the operator can access these wagons and carts from the opening (not shown). In this way, the ingredients, food members, and tools can be taken in and out of the work section 4 freely. In addition, the worker can freely enter and exit the work section 4.

  Further, in addition to the opening (not shown) described above, the wall 4c is provided with a rectangular opening 4e at a required position in the lower portion as shown in FIGS. The opening 4 e has a lower end that is coincident with the floor surface, a width that is substantially coincident with the width of the cold air duct 10, and an upper end that is slightly higher than the height from the floor to the upper end of the air guide portion 19 of the cold air duct 10. That is, the opening 4e of the wall 4c passes through the opening 4e through the conveyor section 8 and the cold air duct 10 of the chilled conveyor 3, and the food F flowing on the conveying surface of the conveyor section 8 frees the opening 4e of the wall 4c. It is the minimum size that can pass through. By arranging the openings 4e provided at two locations on the wall 4c so that the cold air duct 10 and the conveyor portion 8 of the chilled conveyor 3 pass through, the cooling unit 9 is located outside the work section 4, and the cold air duct 10 In addition, a part of the conveyor unit 8 is located inside the work section 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a warm air unit 21 for warming the air in the internal space 4 d is provided on the upper surface of the ceiling 4 a. The warm air unit 21 of the present embodiment incorporates a condenser that creates warm air W using the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9 that is a direct expansion type cooling device. The refrigerant | coolant circuit which connects with the cooling unit 9 by the refrigerant | coolant piping which is not shown in figure and circulates a refrigerant | coolant between the cooling units 9 is formed.

  The ceiling 4 a is provided with a hot air blowing port 22 that opens toward the lower surface, and the hot air blowing port 22 is connected to the warm air unit 21 via a flexible duct 23, and the warm air generated by the warm air unit 21 is provided. W is sent from the warm air blowing port 22 to the internal space 4 d of the work section 4 through the flexible duct 23.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the hot air blowing port 22 has an elongated shape generally called a line type, and is located near the wall 4 c of the ceiling 4 a along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor unit 8 of the chilled conveyor 3. Has been placed. And the warm air blowing port 22 discharges the warm air W in such a direction that the central axis of the blown air stream is directed toward the back of the worker standing in the work area.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a suction port 4 f is provided at a required position near the floor surface of the wall 4 c. The suction port 4 f is connected to the warm air unit 21 via the return air duct 24. A return air fan 25 is provided in the vicinity of the suction port 4 f in the return air duct 24, and the warm air W sent into the internal space 4 d of the work section 4 is returned to the warm air unit 21 as return air R from the return air duct 24. It is supposed to be returned to. In the case where the blowing pressure of the blower fan built in the warm air unit 21 is sufficiently high and the warm air W can be recovered from the return air duct 24 as the return air R to the warm air unit 21 without the return air fan 25. May omit the return air fan 25. Conversely, by increasing the static pressure of the return air fan 25, it is possible to eliminate the blower fan built in the warm air unit 21.

  In addition, although the work section 4 was demonstrated with the structure provided with the ceiling 4a, the pillar 4b, and the wall 4c, it is not limited to this structure. For example, the ceiling 4a may be a part of the ceiling of the chilled work chamber 2, and the work section 4 may be configured such that the wall 4c is suspended from the ceiling of the chilled work chamber 2. In addition, various configurations can be adopted as long as the work section 4 can be installed in the chilled work chamber 2 while keeping the air temperature of the internal space 4d at the allowable temperature (13 ° C. to 20 ° C.) for health and hygiene. . The installation position of the warm air unit 21 is not limited to the upper surface of the ceiling 4a and can be installed at various positions. For example, the warm air unit 21 is arranged vertically (in a direction rotated 90 ° from the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) along the wall 4c where the suction port 4f is installed, and the return air R is sent from the suction port 4f to the warm air unit. The flexible duct 23 for blowing the hot air W is extended to the upper surface of the ceiling 4a along the wall 4c while returning to the hot air unit 21 using the static pressure of the blower fan built in the warm air unit 21. It can also be connected to the mouth 22. In this case, the return air fan 25 may be omitted.

  The configuration of the cooling unit 9 and the warming unit 21 will be described with reference to FIG. The cooling unit 9 and the warm air unit 21 of the present embodiment have the same mechanism as a general direct expansion type air conditioner. As described above, the cooling unit 9 includes an evaporator 15 that is a direct expansion coil in which fins are fitted around a meandering pipe through which refrigerant flows, and a cold air fan 16 that sends air to the evaporator 15. In the casing 17, the refrigerant G that has passed through the expansion valve from the state of the high-pressure supercooled liquid and has become low-pressure wet steam due to the expansion of the throttle is passed through the evaporator 15, and the outside of the evaporator 15. The cool air C is generated by the heat of vaporization of the refrigerant G transmitted through the fins and the tube wall by sending air to the air by the cold air fan 16. On the other hand, the warm air unit 21 includes a condenser 26 that is a direct expansion coil in which fins are fitted around a meandering pipe through which refrigerant flows, and a warm air fan 27 that sends air to the condenser 26. The refrigerant G discharged from the compressor in the form of high-pressure dry steam is passed through the condenser 26, and air is sent to the outside of the condenser 26 by the hot air fan 27, thereby passing through the fins and the tube wall. The warm air W is generated by utilizing the heat of condensation of the refrigerant G transmitted. As shown in FIG. 9, the outlet side of the condenser 26 and the inlet side of the evaporator 15 are connected by piping through an expansion valve 28, and the outlet side of the evaporator 15 and the inlet side of the condenser 26 are connected via a compressor 29. Connected by piping. In this way, a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant G flows is formed between the cooling unit 9 provided with the evaporator 15 and the warm air unit 21 provided with the condenser 26. If the cooling unit 9 is configured to further include a compressor 29 and an expansion valve 28 in the housing 17, the weight of the warming unit 21 can be reduced.

  The refrigerant G that has passed through the condenser 26 and has become a high-pressure supercooled liquid is throttled and expanded by passing through a small-diameter hole provided in the expansion valve 28 in the course of reaching the evaporator 15. It becomes wet steam and is sent into the evaporator 15. Air is applied to the evaporator 15 from the outside by a cold air fan 16, and the refrigerant G takes heat of vaporization from the air and evaporates in the evaporator 15, and the whole amount changes into a gas. The air deprived of heat is sent out to the cold air duct 10 as cold air C (see FIG. 5).

  The refrigerant G sent from the evaporator 15 as a gas is pressurized by the compressor 29 in the course of the path to the condenser 26, and is sent to the condenser 26 as high-temperature and high-pressure dry steam. Air is applied to the condenser 26 from the outside by a hot air fan 27, and hot air W is generated by exchanging heat between the air and the high-temperature refrigerant G inside the condenser 26. ing. The refrigerant G passing through the condenser 26 is cooled by heat exchange with the air, passes through wet steam and saturated liquid, becomes a supercooled liquid state, and is sent to the path from the condenser 26 to the condenser 26 again. It is. Thus, the cooling unit 9 and the warm air unit 21 form a refrigeration cycle.

  The warm air unit 21 of the present embodiment is of a type that forms a refrigeration cycle together with the cooling unit 9 as described above and generates warm air W using the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9, but the output of the cooling unit In addition, depending on the conditions such as the temperature in the chilled work chamber 2, sufficient exhaust air performance may not be obtained only by the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9. In that case, a heater such as an electric type, a steam type, or a hot water type may be attached as an auxiliary heater in the warming unit 21 to improve the warming performance.

  Further, the warm air unit 21 is not limited to the above type, and various types of devices can be used as long as they have a function of generating the warm air W. For example, when the cooling unit 9 is a chiller type cooling device that draws in a low-temperature phase-change refrigerant from the outside to generate cool air, the warm air unit 21 that uses the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9 cannot be used. In this case, the warming unit 21 may be configured as a device including a heat source independent of the cooling unit 9, such as an electric heater or a gas fan heater.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  Operations such as processing and serving the food F are performed in the work section 4 of the chilled conveyor work booth 1 as shown in FIG. An operator waits beside the conveyor unit 8 in the work section 4, and ingredients and food members to be placed on the food F are prepared beside the worker.

  By the operation of the chilled conveyor 3, the food F such as a lunch box is transported on the transport surface of the conveyor unit 8. As above-mentioned, since the upstream edge part (tail part) and the downstream edge part (head part) of the conveyor part 8 are located outside the work section 4, the food F to the chilled conveyor 3 in the low temperature air Can be loaded and unloaded. The food F placed on the conveying surface of the conveyor unit 8 at a position outside the work section 4 on the upstream side of the conveyor unit 8 flows into the work section 4 through the opening 4e of the wall 4c. Note that the food F may be in a state of only a container (lunch box or the like) at the time of loading onto the conveyor unit 8, or a part of the food F may be prepared from the beginning. The worker successively processes, arranges and decorates the food F flowing on the conveyor unit 8, and brings the food F close to completion by the flow work. The food F for which the process in the work section 4 has been completed is transported further downstream by the chilled conveyor 3, flows out of the work section 4 through the opening 4e of the wall 4c, and is loaded onto another conveyor. Or unloaded from the chilled conveyor 3 and sent to the next process such as packaging or boxing.

  Here, warm air W is blown into the internal space 4d of the work section 4 from the warm air blowing port 22 of the ceiling 4a by the function of the warm air unit 21, and the air temperature of the internal space 4d is an allowable temperature for health and hygiene. (13 ° C. to 20 ° C.). This air temperature is not preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining the quality of the food F, but the food F placed on the conveyor unit 8 is not exposed to warm air by the action of the chilled conveyor 3, and is always low in temperature ( About 8 ° C.).

  A mechanism for maintaining the food F of the chilled conveyor 3 at a low temperature will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, the cold air C generated by the cooling unit 9 is sent to the main duct portion 18 of the cold air duct 10 installed below the conveyor portion 8. The cold air C passes through the main duct portion 18 and reaches the entire lower portion of the conveyor portion 8, and then is extracted upward to the both sides in the width direction of the conveyor portion 8 through the air guide portion 19 as shown in FIG. 6. Then, the air is discharged from the cold air blowing port 20 provided on the inner side surface 19 c of the air guide portion 19 toward the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the air guide portion 19 is disposed so as to cover both sides in the width direction of the conveyor portion 8, and the upper end portion 19 a protrudes to a position higher than the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8. The cold air C discharged to the conveying surface of the part 8 does not mix immediately with the air at the allowable temperature in the hygiene in the internal space 4 d, but on the inner surface 19 c of the air guiding part 19 and the conveying surface of the conveyor part 8. Stay in the configured space. This is because the low-temperature cold air C has a higher specific gravity than the air having an allowable temperature in the hygiene in the internal space 4d of the work section 4.

  Here, as described above, the upper surface 19b of the air guide portion 19 forms a downward slope inclined toward the conveyor portion 8 located in the center of the cold air duct 10 in the width direction, and the cold air C is supplied from the cold air blowing port 20. Are discharged in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying surface of the conveyor unit 8. In this way, as shown in FIG. 7, the cool air C is discharged obliquely downward, or the cool air C is in the health in the internal space 4d as compared with the case where the upper surface 19b of the air guide portion 19 is horizontal as shown in FIG. It has been clarified by the applicant's research that the effect of staying on the conveyor unit 8 without being mixed with air having a sanitary allowable temperature is enhanced. In addition, the upper surface 19b of the air guide portion 19 has a downward slope inclined toward the conveyor portion 8 located in the center in the width direction of the cold air duct 10, so that the upper portion of the air guide portion 19 does not interfere with the operator. There is also an effect of ensuring workability for the food F on the conveyor unit 8.

  Ingredients and food components prepared by the worker for serving in the food F will be exposed to air at an acceptable health and safety temperature in the work section 4, but the stock of such foods Can be arranged outside the work compartment 4 (see FIG. 1). That is, the air temperature in the work section 4 is an allowable temperature for health and hygiene, but the space other than the work section 4 in the chilled work room 2 is kept at a low temperature as described above. Therefore, most of the ingredients and food members may be placed outside the work section 4, and a small amount may be carried into the work section 4 for each work and replenished as needed. In this way, even if the ingredients and food members are exposed to air at an acceptable health and safety temperature in the work section 4, the food F is placed before the quality is affected by the temperature rise. As a result, the influence of temperature on freshness can be kept to a minimum.

  As described above, the wall 4c is provided with openings such as slits and doors at required positions (not shown), so that ingredients, food members, and instruments can be taken in and out freely. it can. Here, when the wall 4c is composed of a flexible curtain (for example, a single piece of vinyl curtain or slit curtain), it is easy to install the opening and adjust the size, and the operator's own work. There is no need to provide a door or the like necessary for access inside and outside the compartment. On the other hand, when the wall 4c is made of a hard material having heat insulation properties, there is an effect that the occurrence of condensation in the internal space 4d can be suppressed. That is, if the low-temperature air with low absolute humidity inside the chilled work chamber 2 is heated as it is, there is no concern about condensation, but since the worker is actually working inside the work section 4, Moisture is supplied from the exhaled air or sweat to the internal space 4 d of the work section 4. As a result, in addition to the temperature difference, a humidity difference (absolute humidity difference) occurs between the internal space 4d of the work section 4 and the outside space, and there is a possibility that condensation occurs on the inner surface of the wall 4c. Here, if the wall 4c is made of a heat-insulating material, the temperature of the inner surface of the wall 4c does not drop to the dew point due to the heat insulating action, and condensation does not occur.

  The warm air W sent out from the warm air unit 21 via the flexible duct 23 is discharged from the warm air blowing port 22 provided in the ceiling 4a as shown in FIGS. At this time, the line-type hot air blowing port 22 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor section 8 of the chilled conveyor 3 at a position near the wall 4c has the central axis of the blown air flow in the work area as described above. It is adjusted so that the warm air W is discharged in a direction toward the back of the standing worker. The warm air W flows downward along the wall 4c in the work section 4 and reaches the vicinity of the floor while mainly warming the space on the back side when viewed from the worker. The warm air W that has reached the vicinity of the floor is returned to the warm air unit 21 as the return air R through the return air duct 24 from the suction port 4f provided at a required position near the floor of the wall 4c.

  That is, since the warm air W mainly flows in the vicinity of the wall 4c and the floor, it warms the space in the vicinity of the worker's back surface and does not reach the food F on the transport surface of the conveyor unit 8 directly. Thereby, the cooling effect with respect to the food F of the above-mentioned chilled conveyor 3 can be reliably maintained. Further, if the ingredients and food members used for the food F are arranged near the chilled conveyor 3, the hot air W does not directly hit and the temperature rise can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the warm air W circulates in the internal space 4d separated from the other spaces in the chilled work chamber 2 by the ceiling 4a and the wall 4c, it can be prevented from being mixed with the low-temperature air outside the work section 4, While suppressing the temperature rise of the air outside the division 4, the temperature fall of the air in the work division 4 can also be suppressed. Moreover, since the warm air W is collected from the suction port 4f near the floor and returned to the warm air unit 21 as the return air R, the warm air W leaks out of the work section 4 and enters the chilled work chamber 2. It can prevent more effectively that it mixes with low temperature air and raises temperature. In addition, since the warm air can be reused as the return air R in the warm air unit 21, energy for warm air can be saved as compared with the case where only the low temperature air outside the work section 4 is warmed. It also becomes.

  The opening 4e of the wall 4c provided for passing the conveyor part 8 and the cold air duct 10 of the chilled conveyor through the work section 4 penetrates the wall 4c through the conveyor part 8 and the cold air duct 10 as described above, and Since the food F flowing on the conveying surface of the conveyor unit 8 has a minimum size that can freely pass through the opening 4e of the wall 4c, leakage of warm air to the outside of the work section 4 through the opening 4e and Inflow of cold air from outside the work section 4 is also minimized.

  In addition to the opening 4e, the wall 4c is provided with an opening at a required position as described above, and the air circulating through the internal space 4d and the warming unit 21 passes through these openings and the opening 4e for a while. The air in the chilled work chamber 2 is replaced one by one. As a result, the outside air that contributes to the breathing of the worker in the internal space 4d is supplied little by little from the work space 4e and at the same time exhausted to the outside of the work space 4e little by little. It goes without saying that the amount of air to be replaced can be optimized by adjusting the pressure loss of the suction port 4f, the pressure of the return air fan 25, and the like.

  The work section 4 as described above can be easily added around the existing chilled conveyor 3 installed in the chilled work chamber 1. Further, when the warming unit 21 is further added to the added work section 4, the existing cooling device for the chilled conveyor 3 is replaced with the cooling unit 9 including the evaporator 15 which is a direct expansion coil as in this embodiment. In this way, the warm air unit 21 can be easily added to the existing chilled conveyor 3. Thus, the chilled conveyor work booth 1 can be easily installed at an existing food production site.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the warm air unit 21 is connected to the cooling unit 9 of the chilled conveyor 3 by a pipe (not shown) to form a refrigerant circuit, and uses the exhaust heat accompanying the generation of the cold air C in the cooling unit 9. It is a mechanism to do. For this reason, the energy required for generating the warm air W can be saved. In addition, when the cooling unit 9 is a chiller type cooling device that draws in a refrigerant that does not change phase, such as a low-temperature antifreeze liquid, from the outside to generate cool air, or when the warm air unit 21 is different from the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9. This effect cannot be obtained when the heat source is configured to be used. In addition, even if the warm air unit 21 uses the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9, if sufficient warm air performance cannot be obtained only by the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9, as described above, Although an auxiliary heater may be attached, it is a matter of course that even in this case, it is not possible to save the energy consumption of the auxiliary heater.

  The cooling unit 9 has a configuration in which an evaporator 15 and a cold air fan 16 are provided inside a housing 17. In this embodiment, as described above, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the conveyor unit of the cold air duct 10 is provided. 8 is connected to one upstream end. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the housing 17 can be used as a work table on which the food F before being sent to the work section 4 or a tray of the food F is placed.

  The cooling unit 9 can change the size and shape of the housing 17 to some extent by changing the internal layout. Depending on the situation of implementation, for example, by matching the height of the conveying surface of the conveyor unit 8 and the upper surface of the casing 17 of the cooling unit 9, the flow work from the previous process can be smoothly connected to the process in the work section 4. It is also possible to do.

  As described above, the chilled conveyor work booth 1 according to the present embodiment is installed in the chilled work chamber 2, the cooling unit 9 that generates the cold air C, the conveyor unit 8 that loads and conveys the food F, and A chilled conveyor 3 provided with a cold air duct 10 for guiding the cold air C generated by the cooling unit 9 to the food F placed on the conveyor unit 8; and the conveyor unit 8 of the chilled conveyor 3 installed in the chilled work chamber 2; A part of the cold air duct 10 is surrounded by a wall 4c to form an internal space 4d in which an operator can work, and warm air that warms the return air R by sending warm air W into the work area 4 Since the unit 21 is provided, the temperature in the work section 4 can be kept at an acceptable health and hygiene temperature for the worker while maintaining the low temperature of the food F conveyed by the chilled conveyor 3, and Work section 4 It is possible to suppress a large amount of air having an allowable temperature in the health and hygiene from leaking out of the work section 4 and mixing with low-temperature air. It can be kept at a low temperature by placing it outside. Moreover, by installing the work section 4 around the existing chilled conveyor 3, the chilled conveyor work booth 1 can be easily installed at the existing food production site.

  In the present embodiment, the warm air unit 21 forms a refrigeration cycle together with the cooling unit 9 and is configured to generate the warm air W using the exhaust heat of the cooling unit 9. Can save energy to generate.

  In the present embodiment, the cold air duct 10 is provided below the conveyor unit 8 along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor unit 8, and forms a flow path for taking in the cold air C from the cooling unit 9. The duct portion 18 extends from both sides in the width direction of the main duct portion 18 to a height above the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8 and extends so as to cover the outer side of the conveyor portion 8 in the width direction. A wind guide portion 19 that forms a flow path that branches from the portion 18 and leads upward, and a cold air blower that is provided in the upper end portion 19a of the wind guide portion 19 and that sends the cool air C to the vicinity of the upper portion of the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8. The upper surface 19b of the air guide portion 19 forms a downward slope that is inclined toward the conveying surface of the conveyor portion 8 located in the center of the cold air duct 10 in the width direction. Inside part 19 Since the cool air C is discharged from the transport surface of the conveyor unit 8 from 19c, the cool air C is effectively applied to the space formed by the inner surface 19c of the air guide unit 19 and the transport surface of the conveyor unit 8. In addition, the workability of the operator for the food F placed on the transport surface of the conveyor unit 8 can be ensured.

  In the present embodiment, when the wall 4c is configured by a flexible curtain, it is easy to install an opening in the wall 4c and adjust the size of the opening, and inside and outside the work section of the operator. There is no need to provide a door for access.

  In the present embodiment, when the wall 4c is made of a hard material having heat insulation properties, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation on the inner surface of the wall 4c.

  Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, in the site where the worker manufactures food such as serving by the flow work using the conveyor, it can be installed at the existing site, and while maintaining the low temperature of the food, the working environment is further improved. Improvements can be made.

  The work booth for the chilled conveyor according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chilled conveyor work booth 2 Chilled work room 3 Chilled conveyor 4 Work section 4c Wall 4d Internal space 8 Conveyor part 9 Cooling unit 10 Cold air duct 18 Main duct part 19 Air guide part 19a Upper end part 19b Upper surface 19c Inner side surface 20 Cold air blowing port 21 Warm air unit C Cold air F Food W Warm air

Claims (5)

A cooling unit installed in the chilled work chamber for generating cold air, a conveyor unit for placing and transporting food, and a cold air duct for guiding the cold air generated by the cooling unit to the food placed on the conveyor unit A chilled conveyor with
A work section installed in the chilled work chamber, surrounding at least a part of the chilled conveyor with a wall, and forming an internal space in which an operator can work;
A work booth for a chilled conveyor comprising a warm air unit for sending warm air to the work section and adjusting the return air temperature.   The operation for a chilled conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the warm air unit forms a refrigeration cycle together with the cooling unit, and generates warm air using exhaust heat of the cooling unit. booth. The cold air duct is
A main duct part that is provided along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor part below the conveyor part and forms a flow path for taking in cold air from the cooling unit,
The main duct portion extends from both sides in the width direction to a height above the conveying surface of the conveyor portion, extends so as to cover the outer side of the conveyor portion in the width direction, and the cold air is branched off from the main duct portion A wind guide portion that forms a flow path leading to
A cold air blowing port provided at the upper end portion of the air guide portion and for sending cold air to the vicinity of the upper part of the conveying surface of the conveyor portion;
The upper surface of the air guide part forms a downward slope that is inclined toward the transport surface of the conveyor part located in the center in the width direction of the cold air duct,
3. The chilled conveyor work booth according to claim 1, wherein the cold air blowing port is configured to discharge cold air from an inner surface of the air guide portion along a conveying surface of the conveyor portion. .   2. The work booth for a chilled conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the wall is configured by a curtain having flexibility.   The said wall is comprised with the hard raw material which has heat insulation, The work booth for chilled conveyors of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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