JP3413046B2 - Ripening system using refrigeration cycle - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ripening system using a refrigerating cycle which can make ripening uniform for fruits to be ripened and can adjust the shipping date.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Originally, it is ideal in terms of taste and freshness that fruits are harvested at the time of full ripeness and eaten immediately, but in the modern society called the gourmet era where food preservation technology has been developed, Sometimes delicious ripe fruits are on the market. Among these fruits, they are harvested in the state of blue fruits and stored in a cooled state for a certain period of time (this preservation is called "pre-cooling"), then left to stand naturally or in the presence of maturation-promoting hormone such as ethylene. There are some that have been matured by being left for a while (these leavings are called so-called "ripening"). Precooling is generally known as a method for uniformly adjusting the quality of fruits after harvesting (color tone and odor of the epidermis). The additional ripening performed after the completion of the pre-cooling is a process of fully ripening the fruits to an edible state, and by completing this process, the fruits can be shipped. For example, pear, which is one of the fruits, generally has a certain period (10
Until November), it is harvested immature and 7-1
After being pre-cooled for 0 days, it is subjected to a natural ripening treatment for about 20 to 40 days. Wait for the ripening to complete during this ripening treatment period before shipping to the market. It has become.

[0003]

By the way, in the case of Western pears, conventionally, after pre-cooling, the pears were left to stand as they are for additional ripening. However, the environment around the fruits changes depending on the climate and weather such as year and season, or the storage conditions such as the place and the container where they are placed. It often happened that the shipping plan based on the quality of the product was upset.

Further, it is well known that ripening gas such as ethylene and carbon dioxide are released from fruits by ripening action and respiration action of fruits while ripening the fruits in the storage. ing. It is known that these gases act on the cells of fruits to increase the rate of ripening and cause cell senescence, and these gases also change the rate of ripening of fruits. Therefore, even when ripening in the storage, there is a problem that the ripening speed and quality are likely to vary.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and by adjusting the amount of aging gas, carbon dioxide, etc. generated during the ripening of fruits in the storage, For the purpose of providing a ripening system that uses a freezing cycle that can eliminate factors that cause variations in the ripening speed and quality of fruits, specify the completion date of ripening fruits after precooling and specify the date Aims to provide a ripening system using a refrigerating cycle that can obtain fruits that have been subjected to uniform ripening and that can adjust the completion date of ripening of fruits of uniform quality.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a ripening system according to the present invention is provided with a storage cabinet for storing unripe fruits, a refrigerant compressor, a heat exchange device outside the cabinet, and a throttle valve. , An internal temperature adjustment for adjusting the internal temperature by arranging the internal heat exchanger at least in a freezing cycle in which the internal heat exchangers are sequentially connected in an annular shape through refrigerant pipes A device, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature inside the storage, and an exhaust device having a door that opens and closes the storage to exhaust the aging gas generated from fruits to the outside of the storage, The inside temperature of the warehouse detected by the temperature detecting means is controlled while operating the inside temperature adjusting device so that the inside temperature detected by the temperature detecting means approaches a preset target inside temperature. Eliminate so that it becomes shorter as the temperature rises. And additionally ripeness control device for controlling the device,
A humidifying device that humidifies the inside of the storage cabinet, a humidity detection unit that detects the humidity inside the storage cabinet, and the humidity inside the storage chamber detected by the humidity detection unit so as to approach the preset target storage humidity, A humidification control device that controls the operation of the humidification device based on the humidity in the refrigerator from the humidity detection means is provided, and the exhaust device is
It is arranged at a position as far as possible from the in-compartment temperature adjusting device and the humidifying device on the delivery path of the cold / warm air sent from the in-compartment temperature adjusting device and the humidified air sent from the humidifying device. The fruit here is not particularly limited as long as it is subjected to so-called ripening treatment,
Examples include pear, banana, melon, kiwifruit, avocado, pineapple, mango, papaya, tomato, lemon, lime, and early mandarin orange.

Further, a storage for accommodating immature fruits,
At least a refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant compressor, a heat exchanger outside the refrigerator, a throttle valve, and a heat exchanger inside the refrigerator are sequentially connected in an annular shape through a refrigerant pipe, and the heat exchanger inside the heater is arranged in the refrigerator. The inside temperature control device for adjusting the inside temperature of the storage, the temperature detecting means for detecting the inside temperature of the storage, and the door that opens and closes the storage open and close the aged gas generated from fruits. An exhaust device for exhausting the storage to the outside of the storage and an operation control of the internal temperature adjustment device and opening / closing of the door so that the internal temperature detected by the temperature detecting means approaches a preset target internal temperature. An additional maturity control device that controls the exhaust device so that the time interval becomes shorter as the temperature inside the storage detected by the temperature detection means becomes higher, a humidifying device that humidifies the inside of the storage, and the inside of the storage. Humidity detection means for detecting humidity and humidity detection A humidification control device that controls the operation of the humidifying device based on the humidity inside the storage unit from the humidity detection means, so that the inside humidity detected by the stage approaches the preset target inside humidity. An air stirrer that is installed to stir the air inside the store, a wind speed sensor that is installed near the fruits in the storage, and a preset target for the cool and warm air from the temperature control device inside and the humidified air from the humidifier. A blower control device is provided for controlling the operation of the air agitator based on the wind speed detected by the wind speed sensor so that the fruits can be sprayed at a wind speed within the range.

Further, the outside temperature detecting means for detecting the outside temperature of the storage and the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature detecting means are compared with the inside temperature detected by the inside temperature detecting means. The inside-outside temperature comparing means and the inside-temperature controlling device for controlling the operation of the inside-temperature adjusting device according to the comparison result by the inside-outside temperature comparing means are provided.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 1 shows an additional ripening system using a refrigeration cycle according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, 1
Is a storage for accommodating unripe fruits after harvest, 2 is a pear which is an example of fruits, 10B is a refrigerant compressor 12, an outside heat exchanger 13 (condenser), a throttle valve 3, an inside heat Exchanger 1
Refrigerating cycle 10a for cooling and heating warming device 1 in which 0 (evaporator) is sequentially connected in an annular shape through a refrigerant pipe.
Internal heat exchanger 10 and heating device 16
To the inside of the storage cabinet 1 to adjust the temperature inside the storage cabinet, 11 indicates the temperature of the cool / warm air 14 that has passed through the inside heat exchanger 10 (the arrow indicates the flow direction of the air). (Shown) is sent to the inside of the refrigerator, 15 is a refrigeration cycle 10
A duct that is attached to the air outlet of a to guide the cool and warm air 14 in a predetermined direction, and 20B is a blower 20 that discharges the air from the storage 1 to the outside and a door 21 that opens and closes the storage 1 freely.
And an opening / closing device 22 that opens and closes the door 21 to exhaust the aged gas (ethylene) or the like generated from the pear 2 to the outside of the storage, and 23 is the pear 2 stored in the storage 1.
Inside temperature detecting means (an example of an additional maturity level data detecting means) for detecting an inside temperature (an example of additional maturity degree related data) having a close correlation with the additional maturity degree of the, and an inside temperature detecting means 23. Inside temperature control device 1 based on the inside temperature detected by
0B and a temperature control device for controlling the exhaust device 20B (an example of an additional maturity control device), 33 is a target temperature input device for setting and inputting a target internal temperature of the storage 1 (target additional maturity-related data) Is. The temperature control device 30 described above mainly controls the operation of the internal temperature adjusting device 10B so that the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature detecting means 23 approaches a preset target internal temperature. ing.

Next, the operation will be described. The pear 2 is stored at a low temperature at 0 to 2 ° C for 7 to 10 days after harvesting (pre-cooling treatment), and then left at 10 to 25 ° C for 20 to 40 days (ripening treatment). First, in the pre-cooling process, the temperature control device 30 operates the in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B based on the target in-compartment temperature input from the target temperature input device 33. For example, the inside temperature detecting means 23 detects the inside temperature of the storage case 1, and if the inside temperature is lower than 0 ° C., the inside temperature detecting means 23 outputs a signal and the temperature control device 30.
Controls the heating device 16 of the in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B so that the in-compartment temperature does not drop too much. This allows
Prevents deterioration of the quality of the pear 2 due to too cold in the storage 1. On the other hand, when the internal temperature rises to 2 ° C. or higher after the internal temperature adjusting device 10B is stopped, the internal temperature detecting means 23
The temperature control device 30 restarts the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10a on the basis of the signal output from the temperature control device 30 to prevent the temperature inside the refrigerator from rising. After the completion of this pre-cooling process, the temperature control device 30 stops the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10a while starting the operation of the heating device 16 and starts the additional ripening process. At this time,
As described in the prior art, the pear 2 releases carbon dioxide by its breathing action, and releases an aging gas such as ethylene by its maturation action.

By the way, it is known that when 2000 ppm or more of ethylene is retained in the storage 1, the rate of additional ripening increases even at the same internal temperature. It is also known that the amount of these gases released increases as the temperature inside the chamber increases, per unit time and unit weight. FIG. 2 shows a graph showing the correlation related to carbon dioxide. The vertical axis represents the amount of carbon dioxide generated (unit: mg / kg · hr), and the horizontal axis represents the internal temperature (unit: ° C). in this way,
It can be seen that carbon dioxide of 18 mg / kg · hr is generated near 27 ° C. while the temperature inside the refrigerator is 4.2 mg / kg · hr near 10 ° C. Therefore, in order to prevent the change in the additional ripening rate due to the generated ethylene or carbon dioxide, the door opening / closing time interval of the door opening / closing device 22 corresponding to the preset target internal temperature is preset in the temperature control device 30. (For example, if the target inside temperature is 15 ° C., the door 21 is opened and closed every 2 hours), the exhaust device 20B and the inside temperature corresponding to the target inside temperature input from the target temperature input device 33. The temperature control device 30 controls the operation of the adjusting device 10B.

However, the time interval for opening and closing the door by the door opening / closing device 22 is set so as to become shorter as the inside temperature increases. This is because the time required for ethylene, carbon dioxide, etc. released into the storage 1 to reach a certain concentration is
This is because it becomes shorter as the temperature inside the chamber rises. For example,
With carbon dioxide, when the temperature inside the chamber rises from 10 ° C. to 27 ° C., the required time becomes about ¼ according to FIG. As described above, the pear 2 that has been ripened to a desired degree can be obtained by controlling the temperature inside the refrigerator, which is closely related to the degree of additional ripening.

Although the inside temperature detecting device 23 is used as the additional maturity data detecting means in the above, instead of this, the increasing rate of ethylene released from the pear 2, the increasing rate of carbon dioxide, or the western rate. It is also conceivable to use a means for detecting the color tone of the skin of the pear 2 (the color tone quantified depending on whether the color of the skin is close to yellow or green). Western pear 2 shows a tendency such as yellowing of the epidermis, increase of ethylene emission amount, and increase of carbon dioxide emission amount as the ripening progresses. Therefore, these data are corresponded with the time interval of door opening / closing by the door opening / closing device 22 in advance. By doing so, a similar ripening system can be obtained.

Further, the heating device 16 is provided as a means for heating the inside of the storage 1 at the time of additional ripening, but instead of the refrigeration cycle 10B for cooling and the heating device 16 for heating, a cooling operation and a heating operation are performed. It is needless to say that the same effect can be obtained even with an in-compartment temperature adjusting device using a refrigeration cycle unit having a function of performing both of the above.

Embodiment 2 of the Invention FIG. 3 shows an ripening system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which 23a is an ethylene concentration sensor which is an example of a ripening degree data detecting means, and 25 is an ethylene concentration detected by the ethylene concentration sensor 23a. An exhaust control device for controlling the operation of the exhaust device 20B based on the reference numeral 35 is a pear 2
The number of days input device for setting and inputting the number of days required for additional ripening, 37 is the ethylene concentration (an example of additional maturity degree related data) from the ethylene concentration sensor 23a (an example of additional maturity degree data detection means) and up to this detection time point. The actual ripening degree calculation device for calculating the actual ripening degree and the substantial ripening rate of the pear 2 based on the cumulative number of additional ripening days, 42 is the number of additional ripening days set and input from the day number input device 35 and the above-mentioned additional ripening A planned replenishment degree calculation device for calculating the planned replenishment degree and the planned replenishment rate of the pear 2 based on the cumulative number of days, and 38 is a substantial replenishment degree calculation device 3
5 is a replenishment degree comparing means for comparing the real replenishment rate and the real replenishment rate from 5 with the plan replenishment degree and the plan replenishment rate from the plan replenishment degree calculating device 42, respectively, and 30A is a replenishment degree comparison means 38 10B according to the comparison result according to
Is a first internal temperature control device for controlling the operation of the. The other components are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a signal output flow of each component of the ripening system according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the first in-compartment temperature control device 30A operates based on the signal output from the additional maturity comparison means 38. Here, the degree of additional ripening is 0 at the start of additional ripening and 1 at the end of additional ripening, and the additional ripening rate is the reciprocal of the number of days until the additional ripening completion state 1 is reached. Therefore, in the additional ripening degree comparing unit 38, the planned additional ripening speed calculated in 39 on the basis of the number of days required for completion of additional ripening set in the number of days input device 35 and the cumulative number N of additional ripening from the start of additional ripening (this The value is set as S1 [/ day]) and the planned maturity degree (this value is set as X [dimensionless]), the actual maturity degree based on the detection signal from the ethylene concentration sensor 23a and the cumulative number N of additional maturation days. The actual internal ripening rate (this value is set to S2 [/ day]) and the actual additional ripening degree (this value is set to Y [dimensionless]) calculated by the arithmetic unit 37 are compared, and the first chamber temperature is calculated. Output to the control device 30A. First internal temperature control device 3
0A indicates the inside temperature control device 10B according to the comparison result.
Is operated to control the temperature inside the storage case 1.

That is, the planned replenishment level X at the time when N days have elapsed from the start of replenishment is represented by X = N · S1. Further, the actual replenishment degree Y is Y = Σ [S2], and the actual replenishment degree Y on the Nth day is the detection signal from the ethylene concentration sensor 23a and data preset in the actual replenishment degree calculation device 37 ( For example, it is output by comparison between the degree of additional ripening and the correlation of the color tone of the epidermis of the pear 2). Here, the values of X and Y are compared, and if X> Y, that is, if the pear 2 is ripened later than the planned ripening degree, the heating amount of the heating device 16 is increased and Increase the internal temperature. Also, X <Y
In that case, conversely, the refrigeration cycle 10a is operated to lower the internal temperature. In this way, the ripening state of the pear 2 is controlled by the control by the ripening degree comparing means 38 and the first in-compartment temperature control device 30A. However, the correlation between the degree of additional ripening and the temperature inside the refrigerator is as shown in FIG. Here, the vertical axis represents the degree of additional ripening, the horizontal axis represents the number of days, each curve in the graph in the figure represents the number of days N required for additional ripening at each internal temperature, and the slope of the curve corresponds to the actual additional ripening rate S2. . As shown in this figure, the higher the internal temperature, the smaller the number N of days required for additional ripening. That is, the value of S2 becomes large. Therefore, if the actual data and the plan data as shown in FIG. 4 are set in advance in the first internal temperature control device 30A, the number of days input device 35 is set.
The first in-compartment temperature control device 30A controls the operation of the in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B so that the in-compartment temperature corresponds to the number of days required for additional ripening output from. In this way, the internal temperature is controlled so that the planned additional maturity X and the actual additional maturity Y are X = Y, and when X = Y = 1, the additional maturation processing is completed.

On the other hand, when it is desired to change the number of days required for additional ripening, the control contents (steps S11 to S17) shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are followed. First, after pre-cooling is completed (S1
When performing the ripening in 1), normally, the setting input of the number of days required for ripening is made by the number of days input device 35 (S12), and the ripening is performed via the actual maturity degree calculating device 37 and the planned maturity degree calculating device 42. The first inside temperature control device 30 so that the target inside temperature is set according to the signal output from the degree comparing means 38.
A controls the internal temperature adjustment device 10B (S13). Such control is continued until the additional ripening is completed (S14, S1).
5). Then, if the number of days is to be changed in the course of ripening (S14, YES), the actual ripening degree at that time is calculated by the substantial ripening degree calculation device 37 (S16), and the calculated actual ripening is performed. The number of days required for additional ripening is recalculated based on the degree (S17), and the first inside temperature control device 30A
Is updated and set (S12). That is, the degree of ripening is Y1.
The number of days until the completion of ripening of Western pear 2 is M1 to M2
When changing to (M1> M2), the additional ripening speed S is (1-Y
1) / M1 [/ day] is changed to (1-Y1) / M2 [/ day] so that the degree of additional maturity is controlled by changing to the corresponding in-compartment temperature.

Third Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 7 shows a ripening system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, in which 26 is a humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity inside the storage cabinet 1, and 36 is a humidifying device for sending humidified air 39 into the storage cabinet. , 30B are humidification control devices for controlling the operation of the humidification device 36. The other components are the same as those in the above-described embodiments.

Next, the operation will be described. Inside temperature control device 10B during the pre-cooling process and the additional ripening process on the pear
The steam contained in the air inside the refrigerator contacts the inside heat exchanger 10 to become frost and adheres to the inside heat exchanger 10, and as a result, the inside humidity of the storage cabinet 1 increases. descend. In addition, the steam and transpiration action of the pear 2 increase the amount of water vapor in the refrigerator and promote the increase of the humidity in the refrigerator. When pear 2 is stored, if the humidity in the storage environment falls below 80%, deterioration of quality occurs due to drying, and conversely, if the humidity exceeds 95%, the occurrence of a disease called prickling disease of pear 2 suddenly occurs. It is known to increase. In order to prevent such deterioration of the quality of the pear 2, the inside humidity is set to 80 to 95% of the target inside humidity.
%, The target inside humidity is set in advance in the humidification control device 30B, and a signal based on the inside humidity detected by the humidity detecting means 35 is output to the humidification control device 30B and output from the humidification control device 30B. Humidification device 3
6 is operated and controlled. That is, the humidification control device 30B is
The humidity detecting means 2 is arranged so as to bring the inside humidity detected by the humidity detecting means 26 close to the preset target inside humidity.
The humidifier 36 is operated and controlled based on the internal humidity from 6. As a result, the pear 2 can be stored in an environment capable of maintaining good quality.

Fourth Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 8 shows a ripening system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, in which 39 is humidified air with high humidity sent from the humidifying device 36, and 40 is ethylene or carbon dioxide discharged from the exhaust device 20B. The air in the storage containing air 41 is the air introduced from outside the storage and does not contain ethylene or carbon dioxide. Further, each arrow in the figure indicates the flow direction of air. The other components are the same as those in the above-described embodiments.

Next, the operation will be described. In the ripening system according to this embodiment, carbon dioxide and ethylene generated from the pear 2 are controlled during precooling or ripening of the pear 2, but as shown in FIG. Direction of the air 40 containing air, and the cool / warm air 14 and the humidifier 36 from the inside temperature controller 10B.
The respective devices are provided so that the flow direction of the humidified air 39 from is opposite to the flow direction. Also, the air from the outside 4
By separating the arrangement position of the door 21a for taking in 1 and the arrangement position of the exhaust device 20B from each other, the air 41 flowing from the door 21a is prevented from being directly exhausted from the exhaust device 20B. Then, the flow of the cool / warm air 14 sent from the internal temperature adjusting device 10B and the flow of the humidified air 39 sent from the humidifying device 36 do not become counter flows, that is, the reaching distance of the respective sent air does not decrease. The in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B and the humidifying device 36 are relatively arranged. Furthermore, by disposing the exhaust device 20B at a position as far as possible from the in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B and the humidifying device 36 on the delivery path of the cool / warm air 14 and the humidified air 39, the in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B is provided. It is possible to avoid a phenomenon in which the cool / warm air 14 and the humidified air 39 from the humidifying device 36 are immediately discharged from the exhaust device 20B, that is, a so-called “short cycle phenomenon”. With the above equipment arrangement, the retention of ethylene and carbon dioxide in the refrigerator can be prevented.
Further, a sufficient amount of the cold / warm air 14 and the humidified air 39 can be uniformly supplied to each area in the storage 1.

Fifth Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 9 shows a ripening system according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention, in which 29 is a wind speed sensor installed near the pear 2 housed in the storage 1 for detecting the wind speed around the pear 2. And 50 is an air agitator provided in the storage of the storage 1 to stir the air in the storage, and 30C is a wind speed sensor 29.
The air blowing control device controls the operation of the air agitating device 50 based on the wind speed detected by. The other components are the same as those in the above-described embodiments.

Next, the operation will be described. In this additional ripening system, the wind speed detected by the wind speed sensor 29 is controlled so as to fall within the target range of 0.1 to 0.2 m / s. For example, when the wind speed shows a value of 0.1 m / s or less or 0.2 m / s or more, the air blowing control device 30
C controls the operation of the air agitating device 50 so that the cold / warm air 14 from the in-compartment temperature adjusting device 10B and the humidified air 39 from the humidifying device 36 are blown to the fruits at a wind speed within a preset target range. That is, the wind speed sensor 2
The fan speed of the air agitator 50 is controlled based on the signal output from the air blow control device 30C from the air blower 9 so that the wind speed around the pear 2 is 0.1 to 0.2 m /.
adjusted within the target range of s.

In this way, the wind speed around the pear 2 is 0.2
By suppressing the m / s or less, it is possible to prevent the surface of the pear 2 from drying and prevent the quality from deteriorating. In addition, the pear 2 facing the direction of the air blown out from the inside heat exchanger 10
By reducing the difference between the wind speed at the surface part of the and the wind speed at the surface part on the opposite side, the difference in change in yellowing due to additional ripening can be reduced. On the other hand, by setting the wind speed around the pear 2 to 0.1 m / s or more, ethylene and carbon dioxide generated from the pear 2 are prevented from staying in the vicinity of the epidermis, and the epidermis of the pear 2 is yellowed. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of unevenness (unevenness caused by the additional ripening of the part where ethylene is present than the surrounding parts).

Sixth Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 10 shows a ripening system according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention, in which 51 is an outside temperature detecting means for detecting an outside temperature of the storage cabinet 1, and 43 is an outside temperature detecting means 51. The outside-compartment temperature comparing means for comparing the outside-compartment temperature with the inside-compartment temperature detected by the inside-compartment temperature detecting means 23 (an example of the additional maturity data detecting means), and 30D shows the comparison result by the inside-outside temperature comparing means 43. According to the internal temperature control device 10B
It is a second internal temperature control device for controlling the operation of. The other components are the same as those in the above-described embodiments.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. When the pear 2 is subjected to the pre-cooling process and the additional ripening process, the internal temperature controller 10B is operated and controlled, and the internal temperature of the storage 1 is controlled. At the time of pre-cooling, the internal temperature is set to 0-2 ° C
10 days, when ripening, set the temperature in the chamber to 10 to 25 ° C.
Maintain 0-40 days. In these processes, the outside air temperature may fluctuate between daytime and nighttime due to the external weather, and the inside and outside temperatures may be reversed. For example, in the pre-cooling period, what was "inside temperature <outside air temperature (condition 1)" during the day was reversed at night, and the temperature level was reversed, so "inside temperature> outside air temperature (condition 2)". May be In this case, refrigeration cycle 1
Although the cooling operation by 0a is performed, the cooling operation is stopped by the detection signal from the in-compartment temperature detecting means 23 when the outside air temperature decreases at night and the condition 2 is changed.
As it is, the temperature inside the refrigerator tends to approach the outside air temperature, so that it is impossible to prevent the temperature inside the refrigerator from excessively decreasing. Therefore, in the ripening system according to the present embodiment, the inside / outside temperature comparing means 43 compares signals corresponding to the inside temperature and the outside temperature detected by the inside temperature detecting means 23 and the outside temperature detecting means 51, respectively. Then, according to this comparison result, the second inside temperature control device 30D stops the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10a and starts the operation of the heating device 16 in response to the switching from the condition 1 to the condition 2. Has become. On the other hand, when the condition 1 and the condition 2 are switched during the additional ripening process, the same control as in the above precooling process is performed. As described above, according to this ripening system,
It is possible to maintain the inside temperature at a predetermined level without being affected by fluctuations in the outside air temperature.

[0028]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects. In order that the humidified air sent from the cold / warm air and the humidified air sent from the inside temperature adjusting device are not immediately discharged from the exhaust device, by appropriately disposing the inside temperature adjusting device, the humidifying device, and the exhaust device, It is possible to provide an inside environment showing a uniform temperature distribution and humidity distribution, and it is possible to maintain the fruit quality in a uniform and good condition.

Further, it is possible to provide an in-compartment environment in which the wind speed distribution around the fruits contained in the storage is controlled within an appropriate range. This prevents the local distribution of ethylene and carbon dioxide generated from fruits, and prevents the ripening from being non-uniform due to the local distribution of ethylene and carbon dioxide. You can

When the inside temperature and the outside temperature are reversed, the inside temperature controller is controlled to cool or heat the inside according to the reverse.
The inside temperature can be controlled to the target temperature without being affected by the fluctuation of the outside air temperature. As a result, the fruit pre-cooling process and the additional ripening process can be performed more accurately by controlling the temperature inside the refrigerator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a re-ripening system using a refrigeration cycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the correlation between the storage temperature of pears and the amount of carbon dioxide released from pears.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a ripening system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a control system of each component of the ripening system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the correlation between the degree of maturity of Western pear, the number of maturation days, and the temperature in the refrigerator.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing control of a ripening system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a ripening system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a ripening system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a ripening system according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a ripening system according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a control state of the in-compartment temperature adjusting device of the ripening system according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 storage, 2 pears (fruits), 3 throttle valve, 10
Inside heat exchanger, 10a Refrigeration cycle, 10B Inside temperature control device, 12 Refrigerant compressor, 13 Outside heat exchanger, 14 Cooled / heated air, 16 Heating device, 20 Blower, 20B Exhaust device, 21 Door, 22 Door Switchgear,
23 In-compartment temperature detection means (additional maturity data detection means), 2
3a Ethylene concentration sensor (additional maturity data detection means), 26 Humidity detection means, 29 Wind speed sensor, 30
Temperature control device (additional maturity control device), 30A 1st inside temperature control device, 30B humidification control device, 30C ventilation control device, 30D 2nd inside temperature control device, 35 days input device, 36 humidification device, 37 Substantial Maturity Level Calculator, 38 Maturity Level Comparison Means, 39 Humidified Air, 42 Plan Maturity Level Calculator, 43 Inside / Outside Temperature Comparison Means, 50
Air stirrer, 51 Outside temperature detecting means.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI F25D 23/00 F25D 23/00 302Z (72) Inventor Takeshi Sugimoto 2-3-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Within Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (72) Inventor Michio Furuta 2-3-41, Satsuki-cho, Kameda-cho, Nakakabara-gun, Niigata Prefecture (72) Satoshi Asano 2330-6 Kawasaki-cho, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture (72) Inventor Niitsu City, Niigata Furuta 2773-5 (56) Reference JP-A-4-356158 (JP, A) JP-A-2-299541 (JP, A) JP-A-5-308899 (JP, A) JP-A-60-120941 ( JP, A) Actual development 1-48558 (JP, U) Actual development 1-22972 (JP, U) Actual development Sho 63-201960 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23B 7/00-9/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage for accommodating immature fruits and a refrigerant.
Compressor, outside heat exchange equipment, throttle valve, inside heat exchanger
Is it a refrigeration cycle that is connected in an annular fashion through refrigerant pipes?
And at least the inside heat exchanger,
Inside temperature controller that adjusts the inside temperature by arranging inside
And temperature detection means for detecting the temperature inside the storage,
The fruit has a door that can open and close the storage compartment.
Exhaust gas that exhausts the aging gas generated from the storage cabinet to the outside
The device and the internal temperature detected by the temperature detection means
In order to approach the preset target internal temperature,
Opening and closing the door while controlling the operation of the internal temperature adjustment device
The temperature inside the refrigerator detected by the temperature detection means has a high time interval.
Control the exhaust device so that it becomes shorter as it gets older
Additional maturity control device and humidifier for humidifying the inside of the storage
And humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity inside the storage,
Preliminarily set the humidity in the refrigerator detected by the humidity detecting means.
The humidity detecting hand
The operation of the humidifier is controlled based on the humidity inside the storage compartment.
A humidification control device for controlling the inside temperature control device and the humidification device on the delivery path of the cool / warm air sent from the inside temperature control device and the humidification air sent from the humidification device. A ripening system characterized by being placed as far as possible from the device. 2. A storage for accommodating immature fruits and a refrigerant.
Compressor, outside heat exchange equipment, throttle valve, inside heat exchanger
Is it a refrigeration cycle that is connected in an annular fashion through refrigerant pipes?
And at least the inside heat exchanger,
Inside temperature controller that adjusts the inside temperature by arranging inside
And temperature detection means for detecting the temperature inside the storage,
The fruit has a door that can open and close the storage compartment.
Exhaust gas that exhausts the aging gas generated from the storage cabinet to the outside
The device and the internal temperature detected by the temperature detection means
In order to approach the preset target internal temperature,
Opening and closing the door while controlling the operation of the internal temperature adjustment device
The temperature inside the refrigerator detected by the temperature detection means has a high time interval.
Control the exhaust device so that it becomes shorter as it gets older
Additional maturity control device and humidifier for humidifying the inside of the storage
And humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity inside the storage ,
Preliminarily set the humidity in the refrigerator detected by the humidity detecting means.
The humidity detecting hand
The operation of the humidifier is controlled based on the humidity inside the storage compartment.
A humidification control device, an air agitator installed in the storage to agitate the air inside the storage, a wind speed sensor installed near the fruits in the storage, and cool and warm air from the storage temperature controller. And so that the humidified air from the humidifier is blown onto the fruit at a preset target range wind speed,
A blowing control device for controlling the operation of the air agitator based on the wind speed detected by the wind speed sensor. 3. An outside temperature detecting means for detecting an outside temperature of the storage, an outside temperature detected by the outside temperature detecting means and an inside temperature detected by the inside temperature detecting means. The inside-outside temperature comparing means for comparing and the inside-temperature controlling device for controlling the operation of the inside-temperature controlling device according to the comparison result by the inside-outside temperature comparing means are provided.
The ripening system according to claim 1 or 2 .