JP2023017846A - Electrical apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize an electrical apparatus the operation of which can be stabilized.

SOLUTION: An electrical apparatus includes a load that operates with power, a plurality of batteries that can supply power to the load, a control unit that performs switching between connection and disconnection between each of the plurality of batteries and the load, and a main body part which includes the load and the control unit and on which the plurality of batteries are mounted in an attachable/detachable manner. The control unit selects, as a connection battery, usable one of the plurality of batteries, and performs a connection operation to establish a connection state in which the load is connected to the connection battery and the load is disconnected from the remaining batteries. When the connection battery satisfies a prescribed use stop condition during the connection state, the control unit stores the connection battery as a use prohibition battery which is unusable until a prescribed re-use condition is satisfied, and repeats the connection operation.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to electrical equipment that can be driven by a battery.

As an example of electrical equipment, a portable cold storage box that has a housing that can store food and drink, etc., and that can keep the food and drink (stored items) stored in the housing cold is commercially available (Patent Reference 1). The cold storage described in Patent Document 1 cools contents by driving a Peltier device with an external power supply in a place where an external power supply is available. At this time, it is possible to cool while charging the attached battery pack. In places where an external power supply cannot be used, the power of the charged internal battery is used to drive the Peltier element to cool the contents. A Peltier device is a semiconductor device that can freely control temperature such as cooling or heating with direct current, and can generate a temperature difference between both surfaces of the device. By passing a direct current through this Peltier element, it is possible to absorb heat on the low temperature side and generate heat on the high temperature side. By changing the voltage applied to the Peltier element, the amount of heat pumped can be changed. In addition, since the direction of pumping heat can be changed simply by changing the polarity of the current flowing through the Peltier device, it can be used not only as a cold storage but also as a heat insulation. It is a cold and warm storage.

JP 2017-122521 A

In the electric device of Patent Document 1, it was desired to drive it for a longer time. As a means for driving for a long time, it is conceivable that a plurality of batteries can be connected to the refrigerator main body, and that the plurality of batteries are used in order. As a result, the driving time can be increased to times the number of batteries connected to the refrigerator body, but when multiple batteries are connected and used in order, the load such as the Peltier element will be affected unless the batteries are switched appropriately. There was a possibility that the power would not be stable and malfunctions would occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical device that uses a plurality of batteries by switching between them, and that ensures operational stability. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical device with improved workability during use. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electric device that has a simple configuration and can be used efficiently.

The typical features of the invention disclosed in the present application are as follows.

According to one feature of the present invention, a load operated by electric power, a plurality of batteries capable of supplying power to the load, a control unit for switching connection and disconnection between each of the plurality of batteries and the load, a main body section including the load and the control section, and to which the plurality of batteries are detachably mounted, wherein the control section selects one of the plurality of usable batteries as a connected battery. Then, a connection operation is performed in which the load is connected to the connected battery and disconnected from the rest of the plurality of batteries, and when the connected battery satisfies a predetermined use stop condition in the connected state, the connected battery is stored as a disabled battery that cannot be used until a predetermined reuse condition is satisfied, and the connection operation is repeated.

According to another feature of the invention, the predetermined reuse condition includes that the disabled battery is removed from the body and then reinstalled.

According to still another feature of the invention, the predetermined deactivation condition includes that the output voltage of the connected battery falls below a predetermined over-discharge threshold.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the controller selects one of the plurality of usable batteries having the lowest output voltage as the connected battery in the connection operation.

According to still another feature of the present invention, two batteries are included as the plurality of batteries.

According to still another feature of the present invention, a charging circuit that can be connected to an external power source and charges the plurality of batteries with power supplied from the external power source is further provided, and the predetermined reuse condition is and wherein the charging circuit is powered by an external power source.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the control unit is electrically connected between each of the plurality of batteries and the load, and controls connection and disconnection between each of the plurality of batteries and the load. It has a plurality of switching units that switch independently of each other.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the body portion includes a container portion defining a container interior in which articles are stored, and a door portion closing an opening in the container, and the load is a It is a portable cold storage that is a Peltier element that cools the inside.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the load is a motor, and the main body has a head having a dust collection fan driven by the motor, and a dust suction port that is open to one side. and a filter provided in the tank for filtering air flowing from the suction port toward the opening.

According to the present invention, when the battery connected to the load satisfies the stop condition, it is stored as a prohibited battery that cannot be used until the battery satisfies the reuse condition, and another battery is newly selected and used. Therefore, when selecting a battery again later, the operation of reselecting and using a battery that was once determined to be unusable and then immediately determining that it is unusable is suppressed, so the operation of electrical equipment is stabilized. can be made In addition, since the battery is selected by the control unit, the labor of the operator is reduced and the workability during use is improved. In addition, since unnecessary operations are reduced when selecting a battery, power consumption can be reduced and power can be used efficiently.

1 is a front view of a cold storage 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a right side view of the cold storage 1 of FIG. Fig. 2 is a right side view of the refrigerator 1 of Fig. 1, showing a state in which the cover 24 of the battery storage chamber 20 is opened. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the heat exchange mechanism 50 of FIG. 4; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 2; 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 1; FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a cold storage 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the control of the Peltier element voltage and the internal temperature in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment. It is a top view which shows a DC connection cable and an AC adapter. 4 is a flow chart showing the connection operation of the microcomputer 77 in this embodiment. 4 is a graph showing time-series changes in input voltages of a battery 61, a battery 62, and a DC-DC converter 80 in this embodiment. 10 is a flow chart showing a connection operation of a microcomputer 77 in a modified example; 7 is a graph showing time-series changes in the input voltages of the battery 61, the battery 62, and the DC-DC converter 80 in the modified example. It is side view sectional drawing of the dust collector 201 which concerns on another form. It is a circuit diagram of the dust collector 201 which concerns on another form.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings below, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Further, in this specification, the front-rear and up-down directions are described as the directions shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a cold storage 1, which is an example of a main body. The cold storage 1 is a so-called cooler box type container to which a heat exchange mechanism using electric power is added. Here, pack-type batteries 61 and 62 (see FIG. ) can be used as a power source to cool or keep heat the food and the like (hereinafter referred to as the "contents") contained therein. The batteries 61 and 62 are detachably attached to the refrigerator 1 . The refrigerator 1 has a portable structure with an internal volume of about 10 to 40 liters, for example, 25 liters. A Peltier element is used as the heat exchange mechanism of the cold storage 1, and not only cooling but also heat retention is possible. It is also possible to In this specification, any refrigerator that has a cooling function regardless of the presence or absence of a heat retaining mechanism will be referred to as a "cold storage". The cold storage 1 is provided with a door portion 30 serving as a lid for closing the opening in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container portion 10 having an opening on the upper side. The container portion 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is shaped so that only one surface (upper surface) is open. It has a wall portion 11c, a left wall portion 11d), and a bottom wall portion 12b which is the opposite surface when viewed from the opening of the container portion 10. As shown in FIG. The front wall portion 11a and the rear wall portion 11b (see FIG. 2) are arranged substantially parallel, and the right wall portion 11c connects the right edge of the front wall portion 11a and the right edge of the rear wall portion 11b, 11d connects the left edge of the front wall portion 11a and the left edge of the rear wall portion 11b. Further, upper ends of the front wall portion 11a, the rear wall portion 11b, the right wall portion 11c, and the left wall portion 11d define openings that are generally rectangular in plan view.

The opening of the container portion 10 is closed by a door portion 30 that can be opened and closed with respect to the container portion 10 . The door portion 30 is pivotally supported on one long side of the opening of the container portion 10 by a hinge 19 (described later with reference to FIG. 4). Two latches 18a and 18b are provided on the long side of the opening of the door portion 30 opposite to the long side on which the hinge is provided (here, the upper edge of the front wall portion 11a). The latches 18a and 18b are manually operable lock mechanisms that are fixed by hooking on the protrusions 34a and 34b (described later in FIG. 6) formed on the door section 30 side. , and known fixing members such as snap locks and latches can be used. A convex portion 14 is formed on the upper edge of the front wall portion 11a of the container portion 10 to hold the latches 18a and 18b and to form a recess 14a into which the hand is inserted when opening the door portion 30. As shown in FIG. Since a part of the bottom surface of the outer edge of the door portion 30 is exposed on the upper side of the recess 14a, the front outer edge portion of the door portion 30 can be easily pulled upward when the latches 18a and 18b are opened. can be done. The state of FIG. 1 is a closed state in which the opening of the container part 10 is closed. When the door portion 30 is rotated upward to be in an open state, the opening of the container portion 10 is opened, and an object can be accommodated in the accommodation space through the opening. In addition, since the opening is closed when the door portion 30 is closed, the accommodation space 13 is in a sealed state, and heat exchange due to direct contact between the inside and outside air is minimized.

A first gripping portion 16 is formed on the left side of the opening of the container portion 10 . Similarly, a second grip portion 17 is formed on the right side of the opening of the container portion 10 . The first gripping portion 16 and the second gripping portion 17 are convex portions formed for carrying while gripping the vicinity of the opposite short sides of the refrigerator 1 with both hands. It is provided near the upper portion of the wall portion 11d. The first gripping portion 16 and the second gripping portion 17 are molded integrally with the outer surface of the container portion 10 made of synthetic resin. Indentations 16a and 17a are formed on the lower surfaces of the portions of the first gripping portion 16 and the second gripping portion 17 that protrude outward in the horizontal direction so that the operator can easily hold them with both hands. In addition, a through hole (not shown) is formed in the vicinity of the center in the front-rear direction of the recessed portions 16a and 17b for allowing the shoulder belt 65 to pass therethrough from top to bottom (described later). A first gripping portion 16 having a through hole serves as a first belt attachment portion, and a second gripping portion 17 having a through hole serves as a second belt attachment portion.

A strip-shaped shoulder belt 65 is stretched between the first belt attachment portion and the second belt attachment portion. The belt adjusters 66 and 67 are members for fixing the overlapped belts so as not to move relative to each other and for adjusting the effective length used for shawling by penetrating the overlapped portion by folding both ends of the shoulder belt 65 . be. The belt adjusters 66 and 67 are integrally molded parts made of synthetic resin or metal, and are shaped like three elongated plate-like ends that extend in parallel and are connected by orthogonal connecting parts. Two E-shaped members are prepared, and the opening sides face each other and are joined together. When the belt adjusters 66 and 67 are made of synthetic resin, they should have sufficient strength. The shoulder belt 65 is provided with a shoulder pad 68 for dispersing the local load applied to the shoulder of the operator when shouldering. A known shoulder pad 68 can be used, and any shape and material can be used.

A pair of casters 88a are provided near the left end of the bottom wall portion 12b of the container portion 10. As shown in FIG. Casters 88b (not visible in FIG. 1) are similarly provided near the corners of the rear wall, the left wall 11d, and the bottom wall 12b. faces forward and backward. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the rotation axis of the caster 88b on the rear side is positioned coaxially with the rotation axis 89a, and its axial direction is the front-rear direction. When the container portion 10 is kept horizontal as shown in FIG. 1, even if the casters 88a and 88b are installed, the casters 88a and 88b do not substantially move, and the container portion 10 cannot be tilted. , the casters 88a and 88b become operable. Here, the state in which the casters 88a and 88b do not substantially move means that the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 12b opposite to the casters 88a and 88b is in contact with the ground, thereby restricting the movement of the container portion 10 in the horizontal direction. Including state.

A right wall portion 11c of the container portion 10 is provided with a battery housing chamber 20 having a second rectangular parallelepiped housing. The housing volume of the battery housing chamber 20 is configured to be sufficiently smaller than the housing volume of the container portion 10 . The battery housing chamber 20 is an independent space for housing two batteries (described later) and a control circuit board (described later). The strength of the outer wall of the container part 10 and the outer wall of the battery storage chamber 20 can be sufficiently increased by integrally molding synthetic resin. In this way, the container part 10 as a container for the cold storage and the battery storage chamber 20 for accommodating a power source such as a battery (not shown) are configured as separate compartments, so that the internal space of the container part 10 is used for mounting the battery. Limited space can be used effectively without being overwhelmed.

The openable and closable door portion 30 is provided with a heat exchange mechanism 50 (described later with reference to FIG. 5) using a Peltier element. The container part 10 is not provided with any main component parts of a heat exchange mechanism such as a fan and a heat sink. Since the heat exchange mechanism is provided, an air intake port 35 for an outside fan, which will be described later, is provided on a portion of the upper side of the door portion 30 , and an exhaust port 36 is provided on a portion of the front side surface of the door portion 30 . Although not visible in FIG. 1, an exhaust port similar to the front exhaust port 36 is also provided on a portion of the rear side surface of the door portion 30 . The air sucked into the door portion 30 through the intake port 35 is exhausted from the front exhaust port 36 and the rear exhaust port (not visible in FIG. 1).

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the cold storage 1. FIG. Here, the state in which the shoulder belt 65 (see FIG. 1) is removed is shown. The door portion 30 has an external appearance substantially similar to that of a commercially available cooler box, except that it has an air inlet 35 and an air outlet 36 (see FIG. 1) at the top. However, since the heat exchange mechanism is accommodated in the door portion 30, the height occupied by the door portion 30 in the vertical direction is increased. The battery storage chamber 20 arranged on the right side of the container part 10 is a case that is smaller than the outer case of the container part 10 in both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. The front wall portion 21a, the rear wall portion 21b, the upper wall portion 21c, and the lower wall portion 21d of the battery storage chamber 20 are connected to the right wall portion 11c of the container portion 10 at joints without any gaps. An opening 21f (see FIG. 3, which will be described later) is provided on the rear side of the front-rear direction central plane (DD cross section) of the battery housing chamber 20, and an openable cover 24 is provided to cover the opening 21f. be provided. The cover 24 is formed to extend over two surfaces from the right wall portion 21e to the rear wall portion 21b of the battery housing chamber 20, and the front edge thereof is pivotally supported by a rotating shaft 24a whose axis extends in the vertical direction. It is locked closed at 21b by two latch means, a first latch 26a and a second latch 26b. As the latch means, for example, a snap lock made of resin can be used in which a movable claw portion is engaged with a convex hook portion formed on the cover 24 side. In FIG. 2, the first latch 26a is shown in an unlocked state, and the second latch 26b is shown in a locked state for explanation.

A power jack cover 23 that covers an opening for access to a power jack 71 for connecting a power cord, which will be described later, is formed in a lower part of the front side of the battery housing chamber 20 . The power supply jack cover 23 is a plate-like open/close lid that is pivotally supported on one side and has a lock mechanism on the other opposite side. An operation display panel (not shown) is provided in a partial region 22 of the outer surface of the battery housing chamber 20 . The operation display panel is provided with a power switch (not shown), various operation buttons (cooling/heating switching, output mode setting), display lamps indicating the operating state, and the like.

A flange-shaped second gripping portion 17 projecting outward in the horizontal direction is formed on the outer edge portion near the opening 12a at the upper end of the container portion 10 . The second grip portion 17 serves as a handle for the user to grip with both hands together with the first grip portion 16, and has a sufficient length in the front-rear direction compared to the user's hand so that fingers can be easily put on it. A hollow portion 17a is formed, and a through hole (second belt mounting portion 17b) that penetrates from the top to the bottom of the second grip portion 17 in order to pass the shoulder belt 65 near the center of the hollow portion 17a in the front-rear direction. is formed. The cross-sectional shape of the through-hole is an elongated, substantially rectangular shape. By making the length of the short side larger than the thickness of the shoulder belt 65, the penetrating shoulder belt 65 can be easily moved relative to the through hole. A cord accommodating projection 15 is formed extending from the second grip 17 to the upper wall 21c of the battery accommodating chamber 20 and protruding outward. The cord housing protrusion 15 is formed to secure a space for wiring in its inner portion.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the cover 24 is opened from the state shown in FIG. The cover 24 is rotatable about 180 degrees about the rotation shaft 24a. The rotating shaft 24a is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction (vertical direction). If the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the rotation shaft 89a of the casters 88a and 88b is parallel to the axial direction (vertical direction) of the rotation shaft 24a, the vibration generated around the rotation shaft 89a of the casters 88a and 88b Since the direction and the rotation axis direction of the cover 24 are the same, the force to open the cover 24 acts repeatedly, and the load applied to the first latch 26a and the second latch 26b and the rotation axis 24a increases. . On the other hand, in the arrangement of the rotating shaft 24a of this embodiment, the direction of vibration generated around the casters 88a and 88b intersects with the axial direction of the rotating shaft 24a. It is possible to suppress the application of force in the direction of opening.

The batteries 61 and 62 are arranged side by side in two such that the mounting surfaces on which the connection terminals are arranged face the vertical direction. The mounting direction is from the rear side to the front side of the battery housing chamber 20, and the batteries 61 and 62 are mounted by moving them from the rear side to the front side while lying down. When viewed from the right side, the length of the opening 21f in the front-rear direction is approximately half the length DB of the batteries 61 and 62 to be accommodated. This length DB is set to a length that does not interfere with the user's operation of pressing latch buttons (not shown) of the batteries 61 and 62 mounted in the battery housing chamber 20 . In addition, the height HB of the storage space inside the battery storage chamber 20 should be equal to or greater than the size of two batteries so that the user can press the respective latch buttons and pull out the batteries 61 and 62 . The size is such that a predetermined space is secured around the batteries 61 and 62 . Here, the height HB of the housing space and the height of the opening 21f are substantially equal. In this embodiment, a plurality of batteries can be stored in the battery storage chamber 20, and the storage space of the battery storage chamber 20 can be sealed by providing an openable/closable lid (cover 24) at the opening. It can completely cover the circuit board, etc., and can protect it from intrusion of dust, rainwater, etc.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. The storage space 13 is a space for storing objects, and includes the inner side surfaces of the surrounding walls (the rear surface of the front wall portion 11a, the front surface of the rear wall portion 11b, the left surface of the right wall portion 11c, and the right surface and bottom surface of the left wall portion 11d). upper surface of wall 12b). The outer surface and the inner surface of the wall portion of the container portion 10 are made of, for example, ABS resin, and a heat insulating material 33 such as urethane foam is filled between the outer surface and the inner surface to ensure heat insulation in the housing space 13. . The door portion 30 is provided with an outer wall 31 and an inner wall 32 . A heat exchange mechanism 50 is provided inside the door portion 30 . The heat exchange mechanism 50 is a cooling or heating device that takes heat from the accommodation space 13 and discharges it into the atmosphere, or absorbs heat from the atmosphere and releases it into the accommodation space 13 . The heat exchange mechanism 50 includes two Peltier elements 51 and 52, an outer heat sink 54 and an outer fan 55 arranged on the surface side (outer surface side) of the Peltier elements 51 and 52, and the back side (inner surface side) of the Peltier elements 51 and 52. It is mainly composed of an inner heat sink 56 (56a to 56c) arranged on the side) and an internal fan 57. In this embodiment, the batteries 61 and 62 are housed in the battery housing chamber 20 instead of the door section 30, so the weight increase of the door section 30 can be suppressed, the center of gravity is lowered, and the stability and portability of the refrigerator 1 can be improved. In addition, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to configure so that not only the heat exchange mechanism 50 but also the battery 61 is attached to the door portion 30 . However, with such a configuration, the door portion 30 becomes heavy, and there is a high possibility that it will be difficult to open and close.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the heat exchange mechanism 50 of FIG. The inner wall 32 of the door portion 30 is formed with a through hole 32a for providing a heat exchange mechanism.

The Peltier elements 51 and 52 are arranged adjacent to each other so as to be parallel to the surface direction of the inner wall 32 with a slight gap 53a in the front-rear direction. The upper surfaces of the Peltier elements 51 and 52 are in common contact with the outer heat sink 54 , and the lower surfaces are in common contact with the thermal conductor 56 a of the inner heat sink 56 . The Peltier elements 51 and 52 are respectively connected to a red cord and a black cord, which will be described later. When current flows from the red cord to the black cord, the top surface generates heat and the bottom surface absorbs heat (the bottom surface is cooled). On the other hand, when current flows from the black cord to the red cord, the upper surface absorbs heat and the lower surface generates heat. The heat conductor 56a is, for example, an aluminum block, and is formed in a size corresponding to the through hole 32a. Although there is a gap 32c between the through hole 32a and the heat conductor 56a here, the gap 32c may be filled with an adhesive resin.

The outer heat sink 54 is formed of a plate-like base portion 54a whose upper surface is in contact with the Peltier elements 51 and 52, and a fin portion 54b consisting of a plurality of plate-like fins extending upward in the orthogonal direction from the base portion 54a. . The fin portion 54b extends in the front-rear direction and has a predetermined length in the vertical direction, and the outer heat sink 54 is manufactured by integrally molding a light metal such as aluminum. Between the base portion 54a of the outer heat sink 54 and the inner wall 32, an elastic body 58 such as rubber is interposed. By providing the elastic body 58 in the gap between the outer heat sink 54 and the housing of the door section 10 in this manner, rattling of the outer heat sink 54 during movement of the casters can be suppressed. An outer fan 55 is provided adjacent to the upper side of the fin portion 54b. The outer fan 55 is a centrifugal fan, and when the outer fan 55 rotates, the outside air is sucked in the axial direction (from top to bottom) through the plurality of slits 35a formed in the intake port 35, and is drawn in the radial direction as indicated by arrow AF1. and is exhausted from the exhaust port 36 (see FIG. 1). At this time, heat is removed from the outer heat sink 54 by coming into contact with the heated outer heat sink 54 . Here, the arrow AF1 indicates that air flows backward from above, but an air flow that flows forward from above is generated on the side of the Peltier element 52 in the same manner.

The inner heat sink 56 is composed of a heat conductor 56a, a base portion 56b, and a fin portion 56c, which are integrally formed of a light metal such as aluminum. A plate-shaped base portion 56b having a large area is connected to the lower surface of the heat conductor 56a. A fin portion 56c made of is formed. The fin portion 56c extends in the front-rear direction and has a predetermined length in the vertical direction. An internal fan 57 is formed below and adjacent to the fin portion 56c. A fan cover 37 made of synthetic resin and having a plurality of ventilation windows (here, invisible due to the cross-sectional shape) is provided below the internal fan 57 in the axial direction. The internal fan 57 is close to the fin portion 56c, sucks the air on the upper surface of the inside of the container portion 10 from below in the axial direction, and flows the air so as to be sufficiently in contact with the fin portion 56c and radially outward. It is ejected in the direction of arrow AF2. In FIG. 5, only the rearward component of the airflow AF2 is indicated by arrows, but it is also discharged to the inner heat sink 56 on the front side in the same manner. The cooled inner heat sink 56 draws heat from the flowing air like AF2, thereby lowering the temperature inside the refrigerator. In addition, the air inside the refrigerator is sufficiently agitated by circulating the air as indicated by the arrow AF2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along BB in FIG. The outer edge shape of the door portion 30 is substantially rectangular in bottom or top view, and convex portions 34a and 34e that engage with the latches 18a and 18b are formed on one (front) of the long sides of the outer edge. In addition, a slight depression 34c is formed in the vicinity of the center between the protrusions 34a and 34b for the user to place his or her hand when opening the door section 30. As shown in FIG. Mounting portions 34d and 34c for fixing the hinge 19 are provided on the other (rear side) of the long side of the outer edge. Of the inner wall of the door portion 30 , the substantially left half thereof is formed with a concave portion 32 b recessed upward, and the substantially right half thereof serves as a placement portion 41 for the heat exchange mechanism 50 . A rotating stopper piece 43 is provided on the left side of the recessed portion 32b so as to maintain the open state at a predetermined angle when the door portion 30 is opened. The stopper piece 43 is rotatably supported on the door portion 30 via a rotating shaft 44 at the rear, and the front side 43a is a free end. can be held in a wide open state.

The cross-sectional position of FIG. 6 is at the same position as the lower surfaces of the two Peltier elements 51 and 52 . The Peltier elements 51 and 52 are of the same size and standard, and are adjacent to each other with a slight gap 53a between them. The size of the base portion 54a of the outer heat sink 54 is configured to be larger than the size of the two Peltier elements 51 and 52 combined. By arranging the two Peltier elements 51 and 52 in one outer heat sink 54 in this manner, the cooling performance is improved and the increase in the manufacturing cost due to the increase in the number of parts is suppressed. The two faces of the Peltier elements 51 and 52 are square in shape, and two power cords are drawn out from one side. That is, a red cord 51a and a black cord 51b are drawn forward from the Peltier element 51, and a red cord 52a and a black cord 52b are drawn out from the Peltier element 52 to the rear side. The pulled out power cords (51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) are routed to the control circuit board 70 in the battery chamber 20 through the cord housing protrusion 15 (see FIG. 2). Here, the direction of the cords pulled out from the Peltier elements 51 and 52 is directed not to the side (right side) but to the front or rear side, thereby reducing the space required for wiring and improving the heat conversion mechanism. The size in the horizontal direction occupied by the arranged portion 41 is made equal to or less than the size in the horizontal direction occupied by the non-arranged portion 42 of the heat conversion mechanism.

In this embodiment, the red cord 51a and the black cord 51b of the Peltier element 51 are arranged as shown in FIG. A gap 53a is provided so that the side portion 52d facing the side portion 52c from which the side portion 52b is pulled out is adjacent to the side portion 52d. As a result, even if two Peltier elements 51 and 52 are arranged side by side, an increase in the area occupied by the housing space of the heat exchange mechanism 50 can be suppressed. In addition, although the direction of the power cord pulled out from the Peltier elements 51 and 52 is not directed to the side (right side), the positions of the Peltier elements 51 and 52 are shifted to the right side compared to the conventional example shown in FIG. , the lengthening of the red cords 51a, 52a and the black cords 51b, 52b can be suppressed.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. Here, assuming that the inner width of the container portion 10 is W, the distance between the side where the heat exchange mechanism 50 is accommodated and the side where it is not accommodated is approximately equal to W/2. With this configuration, the concave portion 32b can secure a large area of the portion having the maximum height H (=H1+H2) in the chamber, which is advantageous for accommodating tall containers. Battery mounting portions 25 a and 25 b are arranged in the vertical direction in the battery housing chamber 20 . The battery attachment portions 25a and 25b have connection terminal portions (not shown) and are connected to connection terminals (not shown) formed on the batteries 61 and 62 side. A pair of guide rails (not shown) extending parallel to each other are formed on the battery mounting portions 25a and 25b. A control circuit board 70 is arranged in a portion of the battery housing chamber 20 closer to the container section 10 than the batteries 61 and 62 are. The control circuit board 70 is arranged so that its surface direction is vertical, and the power cords to the Peltier elements 51 and 52, the power cord to the outside fan 55, the power cord to the inside fan 57, and the temperature sensor 78 (Fig. 9, which will be described later) is wired up to the door portion 30 .

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. The two batteries 61 and 62 are arranged vertically with a predetermined distance therebetween. The sliding direction for mounting the batteries 61 and 62 is from the rear to the front (horizontal direction), and the direction is parallel to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 89a of the casters 88a and 88b. A control circuit board 70 is provided on the front side of the batteries 61 and 62 . The control circuit board 70 is provided with a power supply connector, that is, a power supply jack 71 for enabling connection with an external power supply other than the batteries 61 and 62 . The power jack 71 has a terminal 85b connectable to the power jack 71 at one end and a cigarette lighter socket 85a at the other end, as shown in FIG. As shown in B), an AC-DC conversion adapter 86 that converts AC power to DC power can be connected. The AC-DC conversion adapter 86 has an outlet 86a that connects to a home commercial power supply (for example, AC 100V), an adapter section 86b that accommodates an AC-DC converter, and a terminal 86c that can be connected to the power jack 71 .

Next, the electrical configuration of the cold storage 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The device shown in FIG. and a load 102 including a second Peltier element 52, an outside fan 55, and an inside fan 57. The refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 100 and a load 102, and a plurality of batteries 101 are detachably mounted. An electrical circuit portion is mainly mounted on the control circuit board 70 (see FIG. 8). The cold storage 1 uses a power supply to supply two Peltier elements 51 and 52 with a predetermined direct current, thereby causing one surface of the Peltier elements 51 and 52 to absorb heat and the opposite surface to generate heat. . The amount of heat absorbed by the Peltier elements 51 and 52 is approximately proportional to the magnitude of the applied voltage (V). efficiency is increased. A microcomputer 77 controls the driving of the Peltier elements 51 and 52 and the driving of the fans 55 and 57 . The microcomputer 77 controls the operation of the refrigerator 1, and uses a commercially available one-chip microcontroller. The microcomputer 77 operates at a voltage of 5V or 3.3V, but the illustration of the power supply circuit for the microcomputer 77 is omitted in FIG. A power supply for the microcomputer 77 is generated by a power supply circuit 79, which utilizes power from the batteries 61 and 62 and the charging circuit 72 and generates power using a DC-DC converter such as a three-terminal regulator circuit.

The power source of the refrigerator 1 is of a three-power source system. One is batteries 61 and 62 arranged in the battery housing chamber 20 . By enabling movement by the batteries 61 and 62, it is possible to operate the cold storage 1 even in an environment in which a commercial power supply or an in-vehicle power supply cannot be obtained. Here, two detachable batteries can be attached in order to extend the operating time of the battery. When two batteries are used, it is possible to switch them for control, connect them in series, or connect them in parallel. In this embodiment, a switching control system is adopted, and in the case of battery drive, the microcomputer 77 sequentially selects and uses either the battery 61 or the battery 62 . Therefore, the batteries 61 and 62 are connected in parallel to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 serving as loads, and relay switches 75 and 76 are provided respectively. Diodes D1, D2 are also provided to prevent current from circulating between the batteries 61,62. The opening and closing of the relay switches 75 and 76 are controlled by the microcomputer 77 . The relay switches 75 and 76 are examples of a plurality of switching units.

The microcomputer 77 first uses the battery 61 and then uses the battery 62 . In other words, battery 61 is selected as the connected battery to be connected to load 102, and then battery 62 is selected as the connected battery. However, the microcomputer 77 may, for example, measure the voltage of each of the batteries 61 and 62 according to a predetermined rule, and determine the order in which the battery with the highest remaining capacity or the battery with the lowest remaining capacity is used first. , may be configured so that the operator can select the order in which they are used. A procedure for the microcomputer to select the battery will be described later. In addition, as the batteries 61 and 62, not only battery packs of the same standard but also batteries with different rated voltages can be mixed and installed. For example, a battery with a rating of 14.4V may be used as the battery 61 and a battery with a rating of 18V may be used as the battery 62 . However, since it is limited to those that can be physically attached to the battery attachment portions 25a and 25b of the battery storage chamber 20, a plurality of types of batteries can be directly attached to the battery attachment portions 25a and 25b (see FIG. 7), or a conversion adapter can be used. It is preferable to configure it so that it can be attached via.

When the microcomputer 77 selects the battery 61 as the connected battery, it turns on the relay switch 75 . Thereby, the electric power of the battery 61 is supplied to the Peltier elements 51 and 52, the outside fan 55 and the inside fan 57 via the DC-DC converters 80, 81 and 82, respectively. That is, battery 61 is connected to load 102 . While the battery 61 is selected as the connected battery, the relay switch 76 is turned off to cut off the connection between the battery 62 and the load. On the other hand, when the battery 62 is selected as the connected battery, the relay switch 75 is turned off and the relay switch 76 is turned on, so that the battery 61 is disconnected from the load 102 and the battery 62 is connected to the load 102 to supply power. do. In this way, the control unit 100 switches connection and disconnection between each of the plurality of batteries 101 and the load 102, and each of the relay switches 75 and 76 of the control unit 100 switches between the batteries 61 and 62 and the load 102. and blocking are switched independently of each other. A state in which the load 102 is connected to the connected battery and disconnected from the remaining batteries as described above is called a connected state. This is called a connection operation.

Batteries 61 and 62 accommodate a plurality of secondary battery cells. In this embodiment, a lithium ion secondary battery is used. Although not shown here, the batteries 61 and 62 have a temperature signal output terminal in addition to power connection terminals such as a charging positive terminal (C+), a discharging positive terminal (+), and a charging/discharging negative terminal (-). (T), an overcharge signal output terminal (V), a battery type identification terminal (Ls), and a battery level signal output terminal (LD). Or part of it is connected to the microcomputer 77 . Therefore, the microcomputer 77 can detect the type and remaining capacity of the batteries 61 and 62 .

A DC-DC converter 80 serving as a first power source supplies the Peltier elements 51 and 52 with a driving direct current. For example, a voltage of 12 V or 6 V is generated from a battery of 14.4 V, 18 V, or 12 V or more and supplied to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 . A "Peltier element" is called an electronic cooling element, and can cool one side by using the principle that heat moves between metals by joining different metals and passing an electric current through them. Peltier elements have no moving parts, so they are durable, reliable, and easy to handle. In addition, there is no risk of refrigerant gas leakage or corrosion, and handling is easy. Furthermore, the Peltier device can reverse the heating side and the cooling side by reversing the voltage polarity (plus, minus) applied. Although FIG. 9 shows that the polarities of the currents flowing through the Peltier elements 51 and 52 are fixed, by interposing a switching circuit (not shown) for reversing the polarities, it is possible to keep warm without changing the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1. It can also be used as a warehouse.

Switching elements M6 and M7 such as FETs (field effect transistors) are interposed in a power supply circuit to the Peltier elements 51 and 52, respectively. A control signal from a microcomputer 77 is input to the gates of the switching elements M6 and M7, and the microcomputer 77 cuts off either one or both of the switching elements M6 and M7 to turn on both or both of the Peltier elements 51 and 52. One can be stopped. Resistor 1 and resistors R3 to R5 are circuits for setting a feedback voltage (feedback voltage) FB to DC-DC converter 80, and semiconductor switching elements M3 to M5 are directly provided to resistors R3 to R5, respectively. An output of a microcomputer 77 is connected to the gates of the semiconductor switching elements M3 to M5, and each connection or disconnection can be performed by control by the microcomputer 77. FIG. A feedback voltage (feedback voltage) to the DC-DC converter 80 is changed by a combination of connecting or disconnecting the switching elements M3 to M5, and the output voltage from the DC-DC converter 80 to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 can be changed. be.

On the output side of the batteries 61 and 62, DC-DC converters 81 and 82 serving as second power supply units are provided. DC-DC converter 81 is a power source for driving outer fan 55 . The DC-DC converter 82 is a fan for driving the internal fan 57 . Further, a switching element M1 is interposed for power supply to the outside fan 55, and a semiconductor switching element M2 is interposed for power supply to the inside fan 57. As shown in FIG. The switching elements M 1 and M 2 can be turned on and off by the microcomputer 77 .

When a commercial power source or an external DC power source is input via a power jack 71 serving as a connecting portion for an external power source, a charging circuit 72 operates. The charging circuit 72 can be connected to an external power supply via a power jack 71, and its output is connected to the batteries 61 and 62 and to the DC-DC converters 80 to 82 via relay switches 75 and 76. are also connected. Therefore, power can be supplied to the DC-DC converters 80 to 82 and the batteries 61 and 62 can be charged. In the circuit of this embodiment, a charge control circuit 73 is provided to control charging of the batteries 61 and 62 . Specifically, the charging control circuit 73 first determines whether the battery 61 is fully charged, and if not, the charging circuit 72 charges the battery 61 . When the battery 61 is fully charged from the beginning, or when the battery 61 is fully charged by charging, the charging control circuit 73 determines whether the battery 62 is fully charged. , charging circuit 72 charges battery 62 . The microcomputer 77 detects whether or not the external power supply is connected by the input detection circuit 74 and outputs the result to the microcomputer 77 . The microcomputer 77 controls the charging control circuit 73 based on this output. The batteries 61 and 62 can be charged even when the relay switches 75 and 76 are both turned off. Further, since a temperature sensor 78 such as a thermistor for detecting the temperature inside the refrigerator is provided, the microcomputer 77 can detect the temperature inside the refrigerator. The microcomputer 77 optimizes the electric power supplied to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 based on the state of battery attachment (one or two), the state of connection with an external power supply, and the temperature inside the storage space (the temperature in the housing space 13). to control. At this time, regardless of the operation status of the Peltier elements 51 and 52, the outside fan 55 and the inside fan 57 can be operated continuously. can be independently controlled, and efficient operation is possible even with limited electric power by the batteries 61 and 62 .

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method of controlling the Peltier elements 51 and 52 in this embodiment. The upper graph in FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the passage of time (unit: minutes) and the internal temperature (unit: ° C.), and the lower graph shows the passage of time (unit: minutes) and the voltage supplied to the Peltier element ( Unit: V). Here, by supplying the same voltage to the two Peltier elements, the temperature is lowered to C2 (where C2<C1), which is 25° C. lower than the ambient temperature. However, since the internal temperature is controlled by the microcomputer 77, the temperatures C1 and C2 are controlled so as not to fall below a predetermined temperature (for example, less than 5°C). Also, the temperature C2 is a setting value when the cooling mode is "strong", and a set temperature difference is set small when the cooling mode is set to "medium" or "small".

When the Peltier element is turned on at time t=0, the inside temperature 93 drops as indicated by an arrow 93a, and reaches the desired temperature C2 (here, a temperature 25° C. lower than the outside air temperature) as indicated by an arrow 93b at time t1. reach. The voltage 93 applied to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 up to this point is constant at 12 V, and at time t1, the voltage applied to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 is lowered from 12 V as indicated by arrow 94a to 6 V as indicated by arrow 94b. This 6V generation may be achieved by reducing the output of the DC-DC converter 80 itself, or by PWM-controlling the switching elements M6 and M7 (see FIG. 9) to lower the effective value of the voltage to 6V. . When the voltage is lowered to 6 V as indicated by arrow 94b at time t1, the inside temperature 93 becomes substantially constant as indicated by arrow 93c. However, it may slightly decrease (or may increase) over time as indicated by arrow 93d. Since this temperature change state greatly depends on the type, size, temperature, etc. of the items to be stored in the chamber, the temperature change indicated by the arrow 93d is an example.

When the temperature reaches a predetermined threshold at time t2 as indicated by an arrow 93e, that is, the temperature at which power supply to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 is stopped, the microcomputer 77 stops supplying voltage to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 as indicated by an arrow 94c. do. As time elapses, the inside temperature 93 rises as indicated by an arrow 93f. When the temperature reaches a predetermined threshold at time t4 as indicated by an arrow 93g, that is, the temperature at which power supply to the Peltier device is restarted, the temperature rises as indicated by an arrow 94d. 12 V is applied to the Peltier elements 51 and 52 as shown. At this time, instead of supplying 12 V to the Peltier elements 51 and 52, 6 V may be applied. good. When the power supply to the Peltier device is restarted at time t3, the internal temperature gradually decreases as indicated by arrow 93h. At time t4, when the temperature reaches a predetermined threshold, that is, the threshold temperature for reducing the power of the Peltier elements 51 and 52, the voltage to the Peltier elements is reduced to 6V as indicated by arrow 94e. After that, the same control is repeated.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the connection operation of the microcomputer 77 in this embodiment. When a power switch (not shown) is turned on in step S1, the microcomputer 77 detects whether or not the battery 61 is connected to the refrigerator 1 in step S2. (S2: Yes) At step S32, it is determined whether or not the battery 61 has been discharged. The battery 61 discharged flag will be described later. When the battery 61 discharged flag does not exist (step S32: No), the process proceeds to step S34 and the battery 61 is discharged. In other words, the microcomputer 77 connects the load 102 to the battery 61 and disconnects it from the battery 62 in step S43. After step 43, at step 54, the microcomputer 77 determines whether or not the output voltage of the battery 61 is equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2. The discharge stop voltage V2 is the voltage in the state immediately before the remaining capacity of the battery 61 decreases and the battery 61 becomes over-discharged, and is an example of the over-discharge threshold. If the output voltage of the battery 61 is higher than the discharge stop voltage V2 in step 54 (S54: No), the microcomputer 77 proceeds to step S6 to determine whether the battery 62 is disconnected or not. If so (S6: No), it is further determined in step S7 whether or not the battery 61 is disconnected. If the battery 61 is still connected in step S7 (S7: No), the process returns to step S43. If the output voltage of the battery 61 is equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2 in step 54 (S54: Yes), the microcomputer 77 proceeds to step S85 and sets the battery 61 discharged flag. That is, the battery 61 discharged flag is a flag indicating that the output voltage of the battery 61 is equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2. It should be noted that the fact that the output voltage of the battery 61 is equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2 is an example of the use stop condition. After setting the battery 61 discharged flag in step S85, the microcomputer 77 returns to step S2. If the detachment of the battery 62 is detected in step S6 (S6: Yes), the process advances to step S9 to reset the battery 62 discharged flag if it exists. Similarly, when the detachment of the battery 61 is detected in step S7 (S7: Yes), the process proceeds to step 10, and if the battery 61 discharged flag exists, it is reset. Here, resetting the battery 61 discharged flag and the battery 62 discharged flag 62 means deleting the battery 61 discharged flag and the battery 62 discharged flag, thereby making the battery 61 and the battery 62 usable. Become. When the batteries 61 and 62 are detached from the refrigerator 1 and then attached to the refrigerator 1 again, it is likely that the batteries 61 and 62 have been charged by an external charger. has been resolved and can be used without problems. In this configuration, removal of the batteries 61 and 62 from the refrigerator is an example of a reuse condition. Further, the reuse condition may be that the power jack 71 is connected to an external power source and power is supplied to the charging circuit 72 from the external power source. Further, the microcomputer 77 is in a connected state in steps S43 to S5.

When the battery 61 is not connected in step S2 (S2: NO), or when the battery 61 discharged flag exists in step S3 (S3: Yes), the battery 62 is connected in step S10. If the battery 62 is not connected (S10: Yes), the process proceeds to step S11. When the battery 61 discharged flag exists in step S112 (S2: Yes), the microcomputer 77 proceeds to step S6 and determines whether or not the battery 62 discharged flag exists. In other words, when the output voltage of the connected battery falls below the overdischarge threshold in step S54 in the connected state, the microcomputer 77 stores the connected battery as a prohibited battery and continues the connection operation. If the battery 62 discharged flag is not detected in step S611, the microcomputer 77 discharges the battery 62 in step S127, and then determines whether or not the output voltage of the battery 62 is equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2 in step S138. . When the output voltage of the battery 62 is higher than the discharge stop voltage V2 (S138: No), the microcomputer 77 proceeds to step 714 to determine whether the battery 61 is disconnected or not. If so (S14: No), the process proceeds to step S15 to identify whether or not the battery 62 is disconnected, and if the battery 62 is also continuously connected (S15: No), step S12. back to Returning to step S13, if the output voltage of the battery 62 is the discharge stop voltage V2, the process proceeds to step S169 to set the battery 62 discharged flag, and then returns to step S2. If the detachment of the battery 61 is detected in step S14 (S14: Yes), the battery 61 discharged flag is reset in step S17, the process proceeds to step S15, and detachment of the battery 62 is detected in step S15. If so (S15: Yes), reset the battery 62 discharged flag and return to step S2. Further, if the microcomputer 77 detects disconnection of the battery 62 in step 10 (S10: No), or detects the battery 61 discharged flag in step 2 (S2: Yes), the battery 62 discharged flag is detected in step 116. is detected (S116: Yes), it is determined that none of the batteries 61 and 62 are connected to the refrigerator 1 or all of the plurality of connected batteries 101 are prohibited batteries, and the process proceeds to step 190. do. In step 19, the microcomputer 77 identifies whether or not the external power supply is connected to the power supply jack 71. If the external power supply is connected (S54: Yes), the load 102 is driven by the external power supply. If the power supply is not connected, the power is turned off. In step S55, the battery 61 discharged flag and the battery 62 discharged flag may be reset.

The battery 61 discharged flag and the battery 62 discharged flag can be reset at any step in the flowchart of FIG. 12, in other words, at any timing during the connection operation. For example, the battery 61 discharged flag is reset when the battery 61 is removed from the cooler 1 and then reattached, and the battery 62 discharged flag is reset when the battery 62 is removed from the cooler 1 and then reattached. may be configured to be reset to . Since there is a high possibility that the batteries 61 and 62 are removed from the refrigerator 1 and charged and then attached to the refrigerator 1 again, the batteries 61 and 62 that have become usable after the overdischarge is eliminated are used without problems. be able to. In this configuration, removing the batteries 61, 62 from the refrigerator and then reinstalling them is an example of a reuse condition. Further, the reuse condition may be that the power jack 71 is connected to an external power source and power is supplied to the charging circuit 72 from the external power source.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing an example of time series changes in the input voltages of the battery 61, the battery 62, and the DC-DC converter 80. In FIG. When the output voltages of both the batteries 61 and 62 are the full charge voltage V1, the microcomputer selects the battery 61 as the connected battery and starts discharging the battery 61 at time t11. While discharging the battery 61, the voltage of the battery 61 decreases according to the remaining capacity. When the output voltage of the battery 61 becomes equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2 at time t12, the microcomputer 77 stores the battery 61 as a prohibited battery and selects the battery 62 as the connected battery. When the battery 61 is disconnected from the load 102 at time t12, the battery 61 is released from the load 102, so the output voltage increases from V2 to V3. When the discharge of the battery 62 progresses and the output voltage becomes equal to or lower than the discharge stop voltage V2, the microcomputer 77 stores the battery 62 as a prohibited battery and turns off the power.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the batteries 61 and 62 connected to the load 102 satisfy the stop condition, the batteries 61 and 62 are stored as disabled batteries that cannot be used until the reuse condition is met. Since it is configured to newly select and use another battery, when selecting a battery again later, the battery that was once determined to be unusable is selected again and used, and immediately after that, it is determined to be unusable. Since the operation is suppressed, the operation of the cold storage 1 can be stabilized. In addition, since the selection of the battery is performed by the control unit 100, the labor of the operator is reduced and the workability during use is improved. In addition, since unnecessary operations are reduced when selecting a battery, power consumption can be reduced and power can be used efficiently.

Next, the operation of the electrical equipment according to the modification of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the connection operation of the microcomputer 77 in the modified example. In the modified example, steps S23 and S2436 are added in addition to the present embodiment, and other configurations are mostly the same as in the present embodiment. In steps S32 to S35, if it is determined that both the batteries 61 and 62 are connected and neither the battery 61 discharged flag nor the battery 62 discharged flag is detected, the microcomputer 77 in S36 detects the voltage (not shown). A detector detects and compares the output voltage of battery 61 and the output voltage of battery 62 . If the battery 61 discharged flag is detected in step S22, the microcomputer 77 proceeds to step S23 to identify the presence or absence of the battery 62 discharged flag. If the battery 62 discharged flag does not exist in step S23 (S23: Yes), the process proceeds to step S25, and the subsequent flow is the same as in FIG. If the battery 62 discharged flag does not exist in step S23 (S23: No), the microcomputer 77 proceeds to step S24 and compares the output voltage of the battery 61 and the output voltage of the battery 62 with each other. If the output voltage of the battery 61 is lower than the output voltage of the battery 62 (S3624: Yes), the microcomputer 77 advances to step S3725 to select the battery 61 as the connected battery. (S36: No), the flow advances to step S4729 to select 62 as the connected battery. In other words, in the modification of the present embodiment, the microcomputer 77 selects the battery with the lowest output voltage among the plurality of usable batteries 101 as the connected battery in the connection operation. According to the configuration of this modification, among the plurality of batteries 101 connected to the refrigerator 1, the battery with the lowest remaining capacity is consumed first. The first battery can be charged for a long time while using the first battery, and the cold storage 1 can be used efficiently.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing an example of time-series changes in the input voltages of the battery 61, the battery 62, and the DC-DC converter 80 in the modified example. At t31, the microcomputer 77 selects the battery 62 with the smaller remaining capacity between the output voltage V1 of the battery 61 and the output voltage V4 of the battery 62 as the connected battery, and starts discharging. When the discharge of the battery 62 progresses and the output voltage drops to V2 at t32, the microcomputer 77 stores the battery 62 as a prohibited battery and selects the battery 61 as the connected battery. When the battery 62 is disconnected from the load 102, the battery 62 is released from the load 102, so the output voltage increases from V2 to V3. When the discharge of the battery 61 progresses and the output voltage drops to V2 at t33, the microcomputer 77 stores the battery 61 as a prohibited battery and turns off the power.

16 and 17 illustrate the operation of an electrical device according to another embodiment of the invention. The electrical equipment in this another form is the dust collector 201 . The dust collector 201 is also an example of the main body. The main body includes a motor 211 as a load, a head 210 having a dust collecting fan 212 driven by the motor 211, and a tank 220 having a dust suction port 221 and an opening 223 in which the head 210 is arranged. A filter 222 is provided in the tank and filters air flowing from the suction port 221 toward the opening 223 .

FIG. 17 shows a circuit block diagram of the dust collector 201. As shown in FIG. Batteries 61 and 62 are detachably connected to the dust collector 201 . A microcomputer 277 is provided, and the microcomputer 277 selects either one of the battery 61 and the battery 62 by switching the switching unit 275 and performs a connection operation to connect the battery 61 and the battery 62 to the motor 211 . The role of the microcomputer 277 is equivalent to that of the microcomputer 77. The connection operation and time series changes in the output voltages of the batteries 61 and 62 are the same as those of the present embodiment shown in FIGS.

The electrical equipment according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

Reference Signs List 1, 1A cold storage (refrigerator) 10, 10A container portion 11a front wall portion 11b rear wall portion 11c right wall portion 11d left wall portion 12a opening 12b bottom wall portion 13 accommodation space 14 convex portion 14a hollow portion 15 cord accommodation convex portion 16 first gripping portion 16a recessed portion 16b first belt attachment portion 17 second gripping portion 17a recessed portion 17b second belt attachment portion 18a, 18b latch 19 hinge 20 battery compartment 21a front wall portion 21b rear wall portion 21c upper wall 21d Lower wall 21e Right wall 21f Opening 22 Operation display panel 23 Power jack cover 24 Cover 24a Rotating shaft 25a, 25b Battery attachment 26a First latch 26b Second latch 27, 28 Third belt attachment 30 Door 31 Outer wall 32 inner wall 32a through-hole 32b concave portion 32c gap 33 heat insulating material 34a convex portion 34d mounting portion 35 intake port 35a slit 36 exhaust port 37 fan cover 41 portion (of heat exchange mechanism) arranged portion 42 non-arranged portion (of heat exchange mechanism) 43 stopper Piece 43a Front side 44 Rotating shaft 50 Heat exchange mechanism 51 First Peltier element 51a, 52a Red cord 51b, 52b Black cord 51c, 51d, 52c, 52d (of Peltier element) Side 52 Second Peltier element 53a Gap 54 Outside Heat sink 54a Base portion 54b Fin portion 55 Outer fan 56 inner heat sink 56a thermal conductor 56b base 56c fin 57 internal fan (inner fan) 58 elastic body 59 cord group 61, 62 battery 65 shoulder belt 66, 67 belt adjuster 68 shoulder pad 69 grip 69a grip 69b opening Part 69c Belt holding part 69d Through hole 69e Connecting part 70 Control circuit board 71 Power supply jack 72 Charging circuit 73 Charging control circuit 74 Input detection 75 First relay switch 76 Second relay switch 77 Microcomputer 78 Temperature sensor 80 DC-DC converter (second 1 power supply unit) 81 DC-DC converter (second power supply unit 1) 82 DC-DC converter (second power supply unit 2) 85 Vehicle DC cord 85a Cigar socket 85b Terminal 86 AC-DC conversion adapter 86a Outlet 86b Adapter Portion 86c Terminals 88a, 88b Casters 89a Rotating shafts 91, 93 Inside temperature 92, 94 Voltage 97 Drawer ring 101 Cooler 110 Container 116 First grip 117 Second grip 120 Battery storage chamber 130 Door 132b Recess 150 Heat exchange mechanism 151 Peltier element 151a Red cord 151b Black cord 154 Outer heat sink 155 Outer fan 157 Inside fan D1, D2 Diodes M1 to M6 Switching element R1 to R5 Resistance AF1, AF2 Air flow 201 Dust collector (body part) 210 head 211 motor 212 dust collecting fan 220 tank 221 suction port 222 filter 223 opening 275 switching unit 277 microcomputer

Claims (9)

a load operated by electric power;
a plurality of batteries capable of supplying power to the load;
a control unit that switches connection and disconnection between each of the plurality of batteries and the load;
a main body section including the load and the control section, and to which the plurality of batteries are detachably mounted;
The control unit selects one of the plurality of usable batteries as a connected battery, connects the load to the connected battery, and performs a connection operation in which the load is disconnected from the rest of the plurality of batteries. 2. An electric device, wherein, when said connected battery satisfies a predetermined use stop condition in said connected state, said connected battery is stored as a use-prohibited battery that cannot be used until a predetermined reuse condition is satisfied, and said connection operation is repeated. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined reuse condition includes that said prohibited battery is removed from said main body and then reinstalled. 3. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined use stop condition includes that the output voltage of said connected battery falls below a predetermined overdischarge threshold. The electric device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit selects one of the plurality of usable batteries having the lowest output voltage as the connected battery in the connecting operation. 5. The electric device according to claim 1, comprising two batteries as said plurality of batteries. further comprising a charging circuit connectable to an external power source and charging the plurality of batteries with power supplied from the external power source;
The electric device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined reuse condition includes that power is supplied to the charging circuit from an external power source. The control unit is electrically connected between each of the plurality of batteries and the load, and has a plurality of switching units that switch connection and disconnection between each of the plurality of batteries and the load independently of each other. 7. The electrical equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The main body includes a container portion that defines the inside of the warehouse in which the articles are stored, and a door portion that closes an opening in the container,
8. The electrical equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the load is a Peltier device that cools the inside of the refrigerator, and is a portable cold storage. the load is a motor;
The main body is
a head having a dust collection fan driven by the motor;
a tank having a dust suction port and opening on one side, wherein the head is arranged in the opening;
9. The electrical equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electrical equipment is a dust collector, comprising a filter provided in the tank and filtering air flowing from the suction port toward the opening.

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