JP2023120711A - Cold storage - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cold storage that can improve thermal insulation by reducing the number of manufacturing man-hours.SOLUTION: The cold storage has a thermosiphon 10 as a cooling piping that is thermally connected to the outside of a container 8, a heat transfer block 11 as a connection part provided on the thermosiphon 10, a Stirling refrigerator 21 in which a heat-absorbing part 22 is connected to the heat transfer block 11, and a single insulating part 13 that covers the outside of the container 8, the thermosiphon 10, and the heat transfer block 11. The heat transfer block 11 is provided with a non-formed part 16 of the insulating part 13, and the heat-absorbing part 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 21 is thermally connected to the non-formed part 16. Thereby, not only does this make it possible to improve insulation by reducing the number of joints in the insulating part 13, but also the outside of the container 8, the thermosiphon 10 and the heat transfer block 11 can be covered together in the single insulation part 13. This can make it possible to reduce the number of manufacturing man-hours.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cold storage that conducts cold heat into a container using a thermosiphon or a heat pipe.

Conventionally, as this type of cold storage, an inner container (corresponding to the container of the present invention) with an upper opening and a thermosyphon connected to the outer side of the inner container in a heat-conducting manner (cooling pipe of the present invention) corresponding), a condenser provided in this thermosiphon (corresponding to the connection part of the present invention), a Stirling refrigerator having an endothermic part connected to this condenser (corresponding to the refrigerator of the present invention), There is known a cold-storage box having a foam heat insulating material and a vacuum heat insulating material (corresponding to the heat insulating part of the present invention) covering the outer side of the inner container and the thermosiphon (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a cold storage, the periphery of the condenser is also covered with another heat insulating part, and the thermosiphon positioned between the condenser and the inner container is also covered with another heat insulating part. ing. By covering the condenser, the thermosiphon, and the inner container with a heat insulating material in this way, the cold heat generated by the Stirling refrigerator is prevented from leaking to the outside, and the inner container can be efficiently cooled. can.

JP-A-2006-90654

However, in such a cold storage, since the cooling system is covered with a plurality of heat insulating parts, there is a possibility that cold heat may leak from the joints between the heat insulating parts. In addition, since it is necessary to individually cover the portion of the container and the cooling pipe that contact the container, the connection portion of the condenser, etc., and the portion of the cooling pipe that is located between the container and the connection portion, a large number of manufacturing steps are required. There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide a cold-storage box capable of reducing the number of manufacturing processes and improving heat insulation.

The cold storage according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a container, a cooling pipe heat-conductively connected to the outside of the container, a connecting portion provided in the cooling pipe, and a heat absorbing portion at the connecting portion. A refrigerator having a connected refrigerator and a heat insulating part covering the outer side of the container, the cooling pipe, and the connecting part, wherein the outer side of the container, the cooling pipe, and the connecting part are connected by the single heat insulating part. The connecting portion is provided with a portion where the heat insulating portion is not formed, and the heat absorbing portion of the refrigerator is thermally connected to the non-forming portion.

Further, according to claim 2 of the present invention, there is provided a cold storage according to claim 1, wherein the container and the connection part are connected by a support part for fixing their positional relationship.

Further, according to claim 3 of the present invention, there is provided a cold storage box according to claim 2, wherein the support part is positioned inside the heat insulating part.

By configuring the cold storage according to claim 1 of the present invention as described above, it is possible not only to reduce the number of joints of the heat insulating part to improve the heat insulation, but also to improve the heat insulation performance of the heat insulating unit. and the connection portion can be collectively covered with the heat insulating portion, so that the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced.

In addition, by connecting the container and the connecting portion with a supporting portion that fixes their positional relationship, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the cooling pipe is bent by the bubbling pressure, and the position of the connecting portion can be accurately aligned. .

Further, by positioning the support portion inside the heat insulating portion, leakage of cold heat from the support portion can be reduced.

1 is an explanatory diagram of a structure of a cold storage box showing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Similarly, it is explanatory drawing which shows a manufacturing process in order, and shows the state which attached the support part to the inner container. It is explanatory drawing which shows a manufacturing process in order same, and shows the state which attached the thermosyphon and the condenser to FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows a manufacturing process in order similarly, and shows the state which accommodated FIG. 3 in the heat insulating material casing. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams showing the manufacturing steps in order, showing a state in which the insulating material casing shown in FIG. 4 is filled with the insulating material. It is explanatory drawing which shows a manufacturing process in order same, and shows the state which attached the Stirling refrigerator to FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a broken-line circle in FIG. 1;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a cold storage. The cold storage box 1 includes a cold storage container 2 , an inner lid 3 and an outer lid 4 . The cold insulation container 2 includes a cold insulation compartment 6 having an opening 5 at the top, and an engine section 7 .

The cold insulation compartment 6 includes a container 8, an outer shell 9 provided on the outside of the container 8, a thermosiphon 10 as a cooling pipe, and a thermosiphon 10 provided near the highest position in a heat-conducting manner. A heat transfer block 11 as a connecting part made of a metal with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper, and for supporting the heat transfer block 11 so that the heat transfer block 11 is at a predetermined position with respect to the container 8. and a heat insulating portion 13 provided between the container 8 and the outer shell 9 . The container 8 has a side portion 8W and a bottom portion 8B, and at least the side portion 8W is made of metal with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum. Note that the entire container 8 may be made of aluminum or the like. On the other hand, the outer shell 9 is made of synthetic resin or the like having low thermal conductivity. The evaporating portion 10V of the thermosiphon 10 is connected to the outer side of the side portion 8W of the container 8 in a heat-conducting manner. Further, the outer shell body 9 is formed with a protruding portion 14 protruding toward the engine portion 7 side. The projecting portion 14 accommodates the heat transfer block 11, the support portion 12, and a portion of the thermosiphon 10 excluding the evaporating portion 10V. As described above, by connecting the heat transfer block 11 to the vicinity of the highest level of the thermosiphon 10, the vicinity of the highest level of the thermosiphon 10 becomes the condensing section 10C. A cylindrical portion 15 having an upper end opening 15U and a lower end opening 15D is formed in the projecting portion 14, and the upper end opening 15U of the cylindrical portion 15 is closed by the heat transfer block 11. That is, the lower surface of the heat transfer block 11 is exposed inside the tubular portion 15 . Furthermore, the single heat insulating portion 13 is provided between the outer shell 9 including the projecting portion 14 and the container 8 . That is, the container 8 , the thermosiphon 10 , the heat transfer block 11 and the support portion 12 are covered with the single heat insulating portion 13 . On the other hand, since the upper end opening 15U of the cylindrical portion 15 is closed by the heat transfer block 11 , the lower surface of the heat transfer block 11 becomes the non-formation portion 16 of the heat insulating portion 13 .

The outer shell body 9 is provided with an upper surface portion 17 facing the lower surface of the outer lid 4 so as to surround the opening portion 5 . The upper surface portion 17 is configured by part of the outer shell body 9 . Then, as shown in FIG. 7, a heater 18 as a heat source is provided slightly outside the center of the upper surface portion 17 . This heater 18 is provided over substantially the entire circumference of the upper surface portion 17 . Furthermore, an enclosing portion 19 protruding upward is formed on the outer edge portion of the upper surface portion 17 except for the portion along the engine portion 7 . The height of the surrounding portion 19 is constant, and is formed to such a height that a slight gap is formed between the surrounding portion 19 and the outer lid 4 when the opening portion 5 is closed with the outer lid 4 .

The engine section 7 is provided on the side of the cold insulation compartment 6 . Further, as described above, the projecting portion 14 that is a part of the cold insulation compartment 6 is positioned inside the outer shell 20 of the engine portion 7 . Further, a Stirling refrigerator 21 as a refrigerator is provided inside the outer shell 20 of the engine section 7 . This Stirling refrigerator 21 has a heat absorbing section 22 and a heat discharging section 23 . A connecting block 24 made of a metal having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper is attached to the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 20, and a heat insulating plug 25 is attached to the connecting block 24 on the side of the heat discharging portion 23. be provided. The heat insulating plug 25 is made of an elastically deformable foam material such as foam rubber, and its outer dimension is slightly larger than the inner dimension of the tubular portion 15 .

A connecting block 24 provided in the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 20 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 15 from the lower end opening 15D, and its upper surface is the lower surface of the heat transfer block 11, that is, the non-forming portion 16. in thermal contact with That is, the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 20 is in thermal contact with the non-forming portion 16 through the connecting block 24 . Further, the heat insulating plug 25 is inserted into the tubular portion 15 from the lower end opening 15D of the tubular portion 15, and abuts against the inner surface of the tubular portion 15 in a press-contact state. As a result, the cylindrical portion 15 is tightly closed by the heat insulating plug 25, and the non-forming portion 16 can be prevented from being exposed to the outside.

The inner lid 3 has an inner lid main body 26 which is inserted into the opening 5 and has heat insulating properties, and a flange portion 27 which protrudes laterally from the outer peripheral portion of the inner lid main body 26 . A heat transfer layer 28 is annularly provided from the outer peripheral surface of the inner lid main body 26 to the bottom surface of the flange portion 27 . The heat transfer layer 28 is made of a metal with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum. The inner lid main body 26 is formed in substantially the same shape as the opening 5 . The outer size of the inner lid main body 26 including the heat transfer layer 28 is slightly smaller than the inner size of the opening 5 . Therefore, the inner lid main body 26 is inserted into the opening 5 with a slight gap between it and the upper portion of the side surface 8W of the container 8. As shown in FIG. The flange portion 27 has substantially the same shape as the upper surface portion 17 and has an outer dimension slightly smaller than the inner dimension of the enclosing portion 19 . Further, the flange portion 27 has an outer dimension such that the heat transfer layer 28 provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 27 contacts the heater 18 . Furthermore, the flange portion 27 is formed to have a thickness such that it is sandwiched between the outer lid 4 and the heater 18 when the opening 5 is closed with the outer lid 4 . That is, by closing the opening 5 with the outer cover 4, the heat transfer layer 28 is brought into close contact with the heater 18, and is thermally connected. The inner end of the heat transfer layer 28 is a portion facing the outer peripheral surface of the inner lid main body 26 of the inner lid 3, that is, the upper portion of the side surface portion 8W of the container 8 with a slight gap therebetween. It does not extend to the bottom surface of the inner lid main body 26 .

Further, the outer lid 4 has heat insulating properties and is pivotally supported on the outer shell 9 of the cold insulating container 2 by a hinge mechanism (not shown) so as to be openable and closable.

Next, the manufacturing process will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 12 is attached to the outer side of the side portion 8W of the container 8. As shown in FIG.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the heat transfer block 11 is attached to the support portion 12, and the evaporation portion 10V of the thermosiphon 10 connected to the heat transfer block 11 is connected to the side portion 8W of the container 8. Thermally connect to the outside. By attaching the heat transfer block 11 to the support portion 12 in this manner, the positional relationship between the container 8 and the heat transfer block 11 is fixed, and the angle of inclination of the thermosiphon 10 with respect to the container 8 is kept constant. can keep.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the assembly in the state shown in FIG. At this time, the condensing portion 10C of the thermosiphon 10, the heat transfer block 11, and the support portion 12 are positioned within the projecting portion . Further, the heat transfer block 11 closes the upper end opening 15U of the tubular portion 15 formed in the projecting portion 14 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the heat insulating portion 13 is formed between the container 8 and the outer shell 9 in the assembly shown in FIG. This is done by injecting foamed polyurethane or the like between the container 8 and the outer shell 9 . At this time, pressure due to foaming is applied to the heat transfer block 11 and the thermosiphon 10, but as described above, the heat transfer block 11 is supported by the support portion 12, so that the movement of the heat transfer block 11 and the movement of the heat transfer block 11 are prevented. Deformation of the thermosiphon 10 is suppressed. In this example, for the sake of simplification of explanation, only the foamed heat insulating portion was explained as the heat insulating portion 13, but for example, a structure in which vacuum heat insulating panels are combined may be used. Even in such a case, except for the non-formed portion 16, the single heat insulating portion 13 made of foam is provided entirely between the outer shell 9 including the projecting portion 14 and the container 8. will be formed. In this case, it can be said that the vacuum insulation panel is combined in addition to the single heat insulation part 13 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the connecting block 24 attached to the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 21 is inserted into the tubular portion 15 through the lower end opening 15D. Then, the upper surface of the connecting block 24 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the heat transfer block 11, that is, the non-formed portion 16, and these are heat-conductively coupled, thereby connecting the Stirling refrigerator 21 to the heat transfer block. 11. Further, the gap formed between the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 21 and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 15 is closed by the heat insulating plug 25 .

Then, the projecting portion 14 and the Stirling refrigerator 21 are covered with the outer shell 20 of the engine portion 7, the heater 18 is attached to the upper surface portion 17, the outer lid 4 is pivotally supported on the outer shell 9, and the By inserting the inner lid 3 into the opening 5 and closing the outer lid 4, the cold storage box 1 in the state shown in FIG. 1 is formed.

In this way, the outer side of the container 8, the entire thermosiphon 10, and the heat transfer block 11 are covered by the single heat insulating portion 13, except for the non-forming portion 16 of the heat insulating portion 13. By doing so, the number of joints of the heat insulating portion 13 can be reduced, and leakage of cold heat generated by the Stirling refrigerator 21 can be minimized. In addition, although there is a seam between the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 15 and the heat insulating plug 25, the heat insulating plug 25 is pressed against the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 15 so that no gap is formed between them. , the leakage of cold heat at this joint can be suppressed. As a result, the inside of the accommodation space surrounded by the container 8 and the inner lid 3 can be efficiently cooled. Furthermore, since the support portion 12 is also covered with the heat insulating portion 13, leakage of cold heat from the support portion 12 can be reduced.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, the user operates an operation unit (not shown) to operate the Stirling refrigerator 21 . As a result, heat flows from the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 21 to the heat discharging portion 23 . That is, cold heat is generated in the heat absorbing portion 22 . This cold heat cools and liquefies the coolant in the thermosiphon 10 . The liquefied refrigerant descends inside the thermosiphon 10 by gravity and reaches the evaporator 10V. Then, the refrigerant takes heat from the container 8 in the evaporating section 10V, is vaporized, and rises in the thermosiphon 10. As shown in FIG. Then, the rising refrigerant is deprived of heat again in the condensation section 10C and liquefied. By repeating this, the space surrounded by the container 8 and the inner lid 3 is cooled. As described above, the entire outer side of the container 8, the entire thermosiphon 10, the portion excluding the lower surface of the heat transfer block 11, and the entire support portion 12 are formed by the single heat insulating portion 13. Since it is covered, the portion where cold heat generated by the Stirling refrigerator 21 may leak is minimized, and the inside of the housing space surrounded by the container 8 and the inner lid 3 can be efficiently cooled.

Further, when the Stirling refrigerator 21 is operated, the heater 18 is also energized. As a result, the heater 18 generates heat. This heat is conducted from the heater 18 to the heat transfer layer 28 . As a result, the temperature of the heat transfer layer 28 rises. As described above, the heater 18 is provided slightly outside the center of the upper surface portion 17, as shown in FIG. The inner end of the heat transfer layer 28 is located on the outer peripheral surface of the inner lid main body 26 facing the upper portion of the side surface portion 8W of the container 8 with a slight gap therebetween. not extended. Therefore, the heater 18 and the heat transfer layer 28 are located away from the housing space surrounded by the container 8 and the inner lid. Thereby, the temperature rise in the accommodation space can be minimized. Furthermore, the heat transfer layer 28 is provided on the flange portion 27, and the flange portion 27 is sandwiched between the upper surface portion 17 of the cold insulating container 2 and the lower surface portion of the outer lid 4, thereby 28 and heater 18 can be kept in contact.

Then, if the storage space surrounded by the container 8 and the inner lid 3 is continuously cooled, even if the storage space is surrounded by the heat insulating portion 13 and the heat-insulating inner lid 3 and the outer lid 4, cold heat is released from the storage space. leaks. In particular, cold heat is likely to leak from the side surface portion 8W of the container 8 to the outside of the cold storage 1 via the surface of the outer shell 9 . On the other hand, in order to suppress leakage of cold heat from the housing space, it is necessary to narrow the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the inner lid main body 26, that is, the heat transfer layer 28 and the side surface portion 8W. In this way, when the distance between the heat transfer layer 28 and the side surface portion 8W is narrow, the inner lid 3 is stuck to the side surface portion 8W when moisture contained in the air in the accommodation space freezes. , the inner lid 3 may become difficult to remove from the cold insulating container 2 . In addition, as described above, due to the leaked cold heat, the moisture contained in the outside air freezes and sticks between the lower surface of the flange portion 27, that is, the heat transfer layer 28 and the upper surface portion 17, and the inner lid 3 may become difficult to remove from the cold insulation container 2. In particular, when the outer lid and the inner lid are repeatedly opened and closed, moisture contained in the outside air tends to freeze between the side surface portion 8W, the upper surface portion 17, and the heat transfer layer 28, and the inner lid 3 is separated from the cold insulation container 2. There was a risk that it would not be possible to remove it from the However, as described above, since the heat transfer layer 28 is heated by the heater 18, freezing of the heat transfer layer 28 is suppressed. By suppressing the freezing of the heat transfer layer 28 in this manner, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the inner lid 3 cannot be removed from the cold insulation container 2 .

Even if the heating of the heat transfer layer 28 is continued in this way, if the inside of the accommodation space is cooled to an extremely low temperature, the moisture in the air between the heat transfer layer 28 and the side portion 8W will freeze. , and freezing of moisture contained in the outside air may not be prevented. In this case, the ice formed between the side surface portion 8W, the upper surface portion 17, and the heat transfer layer 28 can be melted by operating an operation portion (not shown) to increase the amount of heat generated by the heater 18. . As a result, the inner lid 3 can be removed from the cold insulation container 2 .

Further, as described above, the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 27 is surrounded by the enclosing portion 19, and the gap formed between the upper end of the enclosing portion 19 and the outer lid 4 is small. The amount of outside air flowing between the upper surface portion 17 and the outer lid 4 can be suppressed. Therefore, freezing between the flange portion 27 of the inner lid 3 and the upper surface portion 17 of the cold insulation container 2 can be suppressed by reducing the number of times the outer lid 4 is opened and closed. Moreover, by suppressing the outflow of the heat generated by the heater 18 to the outside of the refrigerator by the enclosure 19, it is possible to efficiently prevent freezing or thaw the ice.

As described above, the present invention comprises a container 8, a thermosiphon 10 as a cooling pipe heat-conductively connected to the outside of the container 8, and a heat transfer block 11 as a connecting portion provided in the thermosiphon 10. and a Stirling refrigerator 21 having a heat absorbing part 22 connected to the heat transfer block 11, and a heat insulating part 13 covering the outer side of the container 8, the thermosiphon 10 and the heat transfer block 11, The outer side of the container 8, the thermosiphon 10, and the heat transfer block 11 are covered with the single heat insulating portion 13, and the heat transfer block 11 is provided with the non-forming portion 16 of the heat insulating portion 13. By connecting the heat absorbing portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 21 to the forming portion 16 in a heat-conducting manner, not only can the number of seams of the heat insulating portion 13 be reduced to improve heat insulation, but also the container 8 can be stored. Since the outside, the thermosiphon 10 and the heat transfer block 11 can be collectively covered with the single heat insulating portion 13, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, by connecting the container 8 and the heat transfer block 11 with the support portion 12 that fixes their positional relationship, the risk of bending the thermosiphon 10 due to the bubbling pressure is reduced and the heat transfer is performed. The block 11 can be positioned accurately.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, by locating the support portion 12 inside the heat insulating portion 13, leakage of cold heat from the support portion 12 can be reduced.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, only a single foamed heat insulating portion is used as the heat insulating portion. Other insulation elements, such as vacuum insulation panels, may additionally be used as described in the embodiments. Further, in the above embodiment, the lower surface of the heat transfer block as the connecting portion is the non-insulating portion, but other portions such as the side surfaces may be the non-insulating portion. Further, in the above embodiment, a thermosiphon is used as the cooling pipe, but other means such as a cooling pipe using brine or a heat pipe may be used. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the support portion is used as a means for simply positioning the container and the connection portion. In addition, the inside of the container may also be cooled by cold heat conducted through the support portion. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the supporting portion is configured independently, but for example, a part of the outer shell surrounding the container may be used as the supporting portion.

1 cold storage 8 container 10 thermosiphon (cooling pipe)
11 heat transfer block (connection)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 12 support portion 13 heat insulation portion 16 non-forming portion 21 Stirling refrigerator (refrigerating machine)
22 endothermic part

Claims (3)

a container, a cooling pipe heat-conductively connected to the outside of the container, a connecting portion provided on the cooling pipe, a refrigerator having a heat absorbing portion connected to the connecting portion, and the outside of the container. In a cold storage having a heat insulating part covering the cooling pipe and the connection part,
The outer side of the container, the cooling pipe, and the connecting portion are covered with the single heat insulating portion, and the connecting portion is provided with a non-heat insulating portion, and the heat absorbing portion of the refrigerator is provided in the non-heat insulating portion. are heat-conductively connected to each other. 2. The cold storage box according to claim 1, wherein the container and the connecting portion are connected by a supporting portion that fixes their positional relationship. 3. The cooler according to claim 2, wherein said support portion is positioned inside said heat insulating portion.

Images