JP4923964B2 - Cooling system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling device such as a cooling device that cools an object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by vacuum cooling and cold air cooling.

  Conventionally, a cold air cooling device called a blast chiller for cooling food with cold air and a vacuum cooling device for cooling food with vacuum are known as devices for cooling food.

  The cooling by the cold air cooling device is mainly due to cooling by convection heat transfer between the cold air and the food surface, so there is a problem that the cooling time takes 90 minutes, for example, and the food surface and the central part are uniform. It is difficult to cool down.

  On the other hand, the vacuum cooling device is capable of rapid cooling up to about 20 ° C. However, since the cooling rate decreases rapidly thereafter, the devices with low cooling capacity on the market reach the chilled range. Cooling has been difficult. If it is attempted to cool down to the chilled region, it is necessary to significantly increase the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means, that is, the ultimate vacuum. In general, many vacuum cooling devices do not need to be cooled to the chilled region, and ordinary vacuum cooling does not require an increased cooling capacity from the viewpoint of the cooling rate. Therefore, it is not economical to increase the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means only for cooling to the chilled region.

  By the way, the thing of patent document 1 is known as a compound cooling device which enabled vacuum cooling and cold air cooling. In this composite cooling device, an object to be cooled is first cooled by cold air cooling and then cooled to a predetermined temperature by vacuum cooling. In this conventional technology, cooling is not performed for a short time, and cooling is performed in the order of cold air cooling → vacuum cooling. Therefore, when cooling to a low temperature in the chilled region, the cooling time becomes longer and the cooling of the vacuum cooling means is reduced. There is a problem that the capacity must be increased and the apparatus for the vacuum cooling means becomes large.

JP 2002-318051 A

  The inventors of this application, as a result of repeated research and development to solve the above-mentioned problems, by utilizing the cooling characteristics of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, by performing the cold air cooling process after the vacuum cooling process, Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-10880 proposes a composite cooling device capable of realizing cooling to a chilled region in a short time.

  The inventors of this application have found the following problems as a result of further research and development. That is, when the object to be cooled is housed in a metal pad that is difficult to be cooled in a vacuum, or when the object to be cooled is placed on a metal rack for cooling, the object to be cooled is cooled to the target cooling temperature by the product temperature sensor. The present inventors have found a problem that if the cooling is stopped immediately after detecting this, the temperature of the object to be cooled rises due to heat from an uncooled pad or rack.

  In addition, depending on the position where the product temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the object to be cooled is inserted, there is a problem that the part where the temperature has not yet decreased even if the product temperature sensor reaches the cooling target temperature remains. In the case where the control is performed by the cooling room temperature without any problem, it has been found that there is a problem that even if the cooling room temperature reaches the cooling target temperature, the product temperature does not decrease to the cooling target temperature.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to perform stable cooling by controlling the object to be cooled to the cooling target temperature more accurately.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is directed to vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, and cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled. Means, control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, and detection means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber, wherein the control means is based on the vacuum cooling means. When the object to be cooled is controlled to the target cooling temperature by vacuum cooling and subsequent cooling by the cold air cooling means, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detecting means reaches the target cooling temperature. Then, cool air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so that the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling chamber is maintained at the cooling target temperature. When cold air cooling of the set time is completed, it is characterized by notifying the cooling end.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cooling unit that vacuum-cools an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling unit that cools the object to be cooled, and a control that controls the vacuum cooling unit and the cold air cooling unit. And a detecting means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber, and the control means controls the object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means. After the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means reaches the cooling target temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means is held at the cooling target temperature. Cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time, and when the cool air cooling for the set time is completed, the end of cooling is notified.

  According to the first or second aspect of the present invention, even when the object to be cooled is housed in a pan that is difficult to be vacuum-cooled or supported by a rack that is difficult to be vacuum-cooled, the object to be cooled is notified after the end of cooling. By taking out the cooling object, it is possible to obtain an object to be cooled that has been more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature, and to perform stable cooling.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cooling unit that vacuum-cools the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber, a cold air cooling unit that cools the object to be cooled, and a control that controls the vacuum cooling unit and the cold air cooling unit. And a detecting means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber, and the control means controls the object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by cooling with the cold air cooling means. After the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means reaches the cooling target temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means is held at the cooling target temperature. Cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time, and when the cool air cooling for the set time is completed, the end of cooling is notified.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, control means for controlling the cold air cooling means, and detection means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber. And the control means controls the object to be cooled to the cooling target temperature by the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means, and the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detecting means is the cooling target. After reaching the temperature, the cooling air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so that the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling chamber is maintained at the cooling target temperature, and the cold air cooling for the set time is performed. It is characterized by notifying the end of cooling when it is finished.

According to the invention described in claim 3 or claim 4, when the object to be cooled is cooled with cold air to the target cooling temperature, the object to be cooled is not limited to the temperature detection position of the object to be cooled, and the temperature of the object to be cooled is the temperature in the cooling chamber. Even in the case of controlling by the above, it is possible to obtain the object to be cooled more accurately to the cooling target temperature by taking out the object to be cooled after notification of the end of cooling, and to perform stable cooling. Become.

  Furthermore, the invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in claim 1 to claim 4, the control means performs a cooling holding step after notifying the end of cooling.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claims 1-4, the object to be cooled can be cooled and held at a low temperature by the cooling and holding step. There is an effect that the work can be performed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an object to be cooled that has been more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature, and to perform stable cooling.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The embodiment of the present invention is applied to a cooling device (composite cooling device) having a vacuum cooling means and a cold air cooling means, and a cooling device having only a cold air cooling means.

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment will be specifically described. The first embodiment includes a vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, Detecting means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber, and the control means is configured to perform the cooling by the vacuum cooling means followed by the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means. When the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling room reaches the target cooling temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling room by the detecting means is controlled. Cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so as to maintain the target cooling temperature, and when the cool air cooling for the set time is completed, the end of cooling is notified. A cooling apparatus characterized.

  In the first embodiment, the object to be cooled is first cooled by the vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means, and then cooled by the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means. And when it reaches the set temperature as the cooling target (hereinafter referred to as the cooling target temperature or the target cooling temperature), the temperature of the object to be cooled (hereinafter referred to as the product temperature) for the set time without stopping the cooling by the cooling air cooling means. The cooling air cooling operation that keeps the cooling target temperature at the cooling target temperature is continued. Even if the object to be cooled is housed in a pan that is difficult to cool by vacuum cooling, or is supported by a rack and cooled, the pan or rack is cooled to the cooling target temperature or close to it by the cold air cooling for the set time. Since cooling can be performed, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature at the time of notification of the end of cooling. In this way, stable cooling of the object to be cooled can be performed.

  Next, each component of the first embodiment will be described. The cooling chamber may be of any type, type, and size as long as it forms a sealed space for accommodating the object to be cooled and can take in and out the object to be cooled. This cooling chamber can be referred to as a cooling tank, a cooling compartment, a cooling container, or the like. The object to be cooled is preferably a food, but is not limited thereto.

The vacuum cooling means includes a decompression line connected to the cooling chamber, and a decompression means (a decompressor) provided in the decompression line. The decompressor is preferably a vacuum pump or a water ejector, and more preferably does not include a heat exchanger for vapor condensation upstream. This lowers the vacuum cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means (this vacuum cooling capacity is determined by the temperature of the sealed water when the pressure reducer is a water-sealed vacuum pump). It can be simplified. The decompressor may be a combination of a steam ejector, a heat exchanger for steam condensation, and a vacuum pump or water ejector. The vacuum pump is preferably a water ring vacuum pump.

  The cooling by the vacuum cooling means cools the object to be cooled by evaporating moisture in the object to be cooled by setting the pressure around the object to be cooled to a pressure corresponding to the product temperature or less. This cooling is uniform cooling with a small temperature difference between the surface and the center of the object to be cooled. This vacuum cooling characteristic is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate in the latter period is slower than that in the previous period. This vacuum cooling characteristic is a time-pressure characteristic determined by the vacuum cooling means, and the product temperature decreases exponentially while drawing a curve substantially along the vacuum cooling characteristic except for the initial step.

  The cold air cooling means cools an object to be cooled with cold air. Preferably, the cold air cooling means includes a cooling heat exchanger that cools the air in the cooling chamber, a fan that circulates the air in the cooling chamber, and the object to be cooled and the cooling heat exchanger. It is comprised from the circulation path formation member which forms a circulation path so that the circulation flow of air may be formed with a fan. The circulation path is preferably formed in the cooling chamber by disposing the heat exchanger and the fan in the cooling chamber, but the heat exchanger and / or the fan is disposed outside the cooling chamber, A circulation path can be formed by connecting these and the cooling chamber with a ventilation duct.

The cold air cooling characteristics of the cold air cooling means are such that the cold air cooling rate is slower than the vacuum cooling rate of the previous period and faster than the slowed vacuum cooling rate of the latter period. This cold air cooling is cooling by indirect heat exchange with the surrounding air on the surface of the object to be cooled. For this reason, the object to be cooled cannot be uniformly cooled in a short time. The cold air cooling characteristic is a time-product temperature characteristic by the cold air cooling means, and the slope of the decrease in the product temperature is a characteristic curve that is gentler than that of the vacuum cooling characteristic.

  The cooling heat exchanger may be any heat exchanger that can be cooled to a low temperature (for example, −10 ° C. or lower) that can cool the object to be cooled to the chilled region by cooling with cold air. And an evaporator that evaporates the liquefied refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit and cools the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange. However, the heat exchanger for cooling can be a heat exchanger that uses cold water supplied from a cold water production apparatus (chiller) or brine supplied from a branler as a refrigerant.

  The control means controls the operation of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means by a first cooling program stored in advance. In the first cooling program, the cooling target is cooled by sequentially performing a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled by the vacuum cooling means and a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled by the cold air cooling means. A main cooling step (first cooling step) for cooling to a first cooling step, and a preliminary cooling step (second cooling step) for cooling and holding the product temperature at the cooling target temperature (first holding cooling) by cold air cooling after the first cooling step. Consists of.

  The timing for switching from the vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step is preferably a timing at which the latter vacuum cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate.

The switching from the vacuum cooling process to the cold air cooling process includes a detecting means for detecting any one of a cooling time by the vacuum cooling means, a pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, and a temperature of the object to be cooled. When the detected value reaches the set value, the control unit can be configured to perform the detection. The detecting means detects any amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber, or the temperature of the object to be cooled, and when the detected value reaches a set value, It can comprise so that it may switch to the said cold wind cooling process. Further, the switching can be performed when a plurality of detection values become the set values (when a plurality of conditions are satisfied).

  Then, the “cold air switching timing at which the latter-stage vacuum cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate” continuously monitors the vacuum cooling rate in the vacuum cooling step, and compares it with the cold air cooling rate in the cold air cooling step. The timing when the former is later than the latter can be set. This timing can be set with a slight width before and after the timing at which the latter vacuum cooling rate becomes equal to the cooling air cooling rate. The cold air switching timing may be when the pressure or temperature in the cooling chamber becomes a value obtained by adding a set value to the final pressure or temperature due to the vacuum cooling characteristics. The final ultimate pressure (temperature) means a pressure (temperature) that can be finally reached, although an infinite time is required depending on the vacuum cooling characteristics.

  In addition, the cold air switching timing is determined in advance by experiments from the start of cooling until the “late vacuum cooling rate falls below the cold air cooling rate” (cooling time), the pressure in the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber, When the temperature of the object to be cooled or the amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, or the temperature of the object to be cooled is obtained as a set value, and the value detected by the detection means becomes the set value It can be.

  Further, when the cold air switching timing is set with the time required for the vacuum cooling process and the cold air cooling process (set cooling time) and the cooling temperature to be reached (set cooling temperature), the set cooling time, the vacuum It can be set from the cooling characteristics and the cold air cooling characteristics. The outline of this setting is as follows. In the time (horizontal axis) -temperature (vertical axis) characteristic, the cold air cooling characteristic curve (time-temperature characteristic curve) is traced back so that the final point determined by the set cooling time and the set cooling temperature is the end point. The point that is drawn in the direction and intersects the time-product temperature characteristic curve corresponding to the vacuum cooling characteristic is defined as the cold air switching timing. By setting the timing as described above, the cooling can be reliably performed to the determined temperature in the determined time.

  Preferably, the control means ends the second cooling step when the product temperature detected by the product temperature sensor inserted into the object to be cooled reaches a cooling target temperature. The cooling target temperature can be arbitrarily adjusted by the user of the cooling device. Further, the end of the second cooling step can be set to the temperature in the cooling chamber when the product temperature sensor cannot be inserted regardless of the product temperature sensor.

  In the second cooling step, the cold air cooling means is controlled so that the product temperature becomes the cooling target temperature by controlling the output capacity if the output capacity can be controlled. It is realized by doing. The control means ends the second cooling step for a set time. This set time is preferably configured such that the user can arbitrarily set the set time according to the type and amount of the object to be cooled and the use status of the cooling device. However, the set time can be automatically adjusted by inputting the type and amount of the object to be cooled to the control means.

At the end of the second cooling step, the control means notifies the end of cooling, that is, the fact that it has been cooled to the cooling target temperature substantially by the notifying means. The notification method preferably notifies the end of the cooling directly, but can be an indirect notification that notifies that the cooling operation has ended and that the next process is started. This notification may be any one of visual notification (display), audio notification (sound, etc.), or a combination thereof. Moreover, it can comprise so that it may alert | report with another apparatus by a communication line or an email instead of alert | reporting with a cooling device main body.

  Further, the first cooling program preferably includes an additional cooling step (third cooling step) in which the product temperature is cooled and held at the cooling target temperature (second holding cooling) after the second cooling step. This third cooling step is terminated by the end of the cooling operation. The end of the cooling operation can be defined as when the user opens the cooling chamber door or operates the cooling operation end switch.

  As a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the vacuum cooling means includes a first vacuum cooling means having a first vacuum cooling characteristic and a second vacuum cooling means having a second vacuum cooling characteristic. It can be. In this case, the first cooling step includes a first vacuum cooling step by the first vacuum cooling unit and a second vacuum cooling step by the second vacuum cooling unit.

  In this modified example, as described above, either the cooling time, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, and the temperature of the object to be cooled are detected, or the pressure, the same temperature, and the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber are detected. Detecting means for detecting any amount of change in the temperature of the control unit, and when the detected value of the detecting means reaches a first set value (vacuum switching timing), from the first vacuum cooling step, Switching to the second vacuum cooling process, and when the detected value becomes the second set value (cold air switching timing), the second vacuum cooling process can be switched to the cold air cooling process. This modification can also be configured to perform the switching when a plurality of detected values become set values (when a plurality of conditions are satisfied).

  In this modification, preferably, the first vacuum cooling means has a first vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate in the latter period is slowed down, and the second vacuum cooling means is in the previous period. The vacuum cooling rate of the first vacuum cooling means has the second vacuum cooling characteristic that the vacuum cooling rate of the latter is slow, and the vacuum cooling rate decreases later, and the cold air cooling means has the cold air cooling characteristics of the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum. It is assumed that the cooling means is slower than the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period and faster than the slowed vacuum cooling rate in the latter period.

  And preferably, it is configured to switch from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step at a timing when the latter vacuum cooling rate by the second vacuum cooling unit is lower than the cold air cooling rate by the cold air cooling unit, It is not limited to this.

  The cold air switching timing from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step is the same as the cold air switching timing, and the description thereof is omitted. The cooling time by the vacuum cooling means can be the time from the start of cooling by the first vacuum cooling means or the time from the start of cooling by the second vacuum cooling means.

  The vacuum switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step is preferably a timing at which a late vacuum cooling rate by the first vacuum cooling means is lower than a cold air cooling rate by the cold air cooling means. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  In this modification, first, rapid cooling is performed by the first vacuum cooling step, and when the vacuum cooling rate is reduced, rapid cooling is performed by the second vacuum cooling step, and when the vacuum cooling rate is reduced, the process proceeds to the cold air cooling step. To do.

According to this modified example, after the vacuum cooling process capable of rapid and uniform cooling is performed, the cooling air cooling process capable of cooling to a low temperature is performed, so that the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means is enhanced. The object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time. In addition, since the vacuum cooling process is performed in two stages by the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means, the vacuum cooling process is performed in a vacuum compared with the case of vacuum cooling with an excessive cooling capacity from the beginning of the vacuum cooling. In addition to reducing the energy required for the operation of the cooling means, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of quality in foods in which the quality of the object to be cooled is a problem due to rapid cooling.

  The first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means can be configured as follows as a first aspect suitable for a composite cooling device having a relatively small cooling capacity. That is, the cold air cooling means is configured to cool the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange with the cooling heat exchanger. And said 1st vacuum cooling means is comprised so that 1st vacuum cooling may be performed by the action | operation of the decompressor connected with the said cooling chamber. The second vacuum cooling means is configured to perform the second vacuum cooling step by condensing steam from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger with the cooling chamber sealed under a low pressure. The The cooling heat exchanger is not particularly limited as long as it can cool the object to be cooled to the chilled region, but preferably performs a cooling action by evaporation of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator.

  The decompressor of the first vacuum cooling means may be a vacuum pump or a water ejector, and preferably does not include a heat exchanger for vapor condensation. The vacuum pump is preferably a water ring vacuum pump.

  The second vacuum cooling means is provided with an open / close valve between the cooling chamber and the pressure reducer in a pressure reducing line including the pressure reducer to seal the cooling chamber, and the second vacuum cooling means is operated when the second vacuum cooling means is operated. By closing the on-off valve, the cooling chamber can be sealed.

  The operation of the first vacuum cooling means is to open the on-off valve and operate the pressure reducer, and the operation of the second cooling means is the operation after the cooling chamber is in a low pressure state. The on-off valve is closed and the cooling heat exchanger is operated, that is, the refrigerant is supplied to perform the cooling action.

  In the second vacuum cooling step, steam is generated from the object to be cooled in a sealed space under reduced pressure, and the generated steam is condensed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger to evaporate from the object to be cooled. Facilitate. In order to ensure the action of the second vacuum cooling step, it is important that there is no air in the cooling chamber that prevents vapor condensation. For this reason, it is desirable to provide an air exclusion process before the first vacuum cooling process or before the second vacuum cooling process. This air exclusion step is preferably configured to exclude air by supplying steam or hot water to the cooling chamber and filling the cooling chamber with steam while operating the decompressor and exhausting. Moreover, this air exclusion process can be configured to be performed in the order of the exhaust gas → the steam supply → the exhaust gas, and this may be performed once or a plurality of times.

  The second vacuum cooling step is performed using the cooling heat exchanger not only for cooling cold air but also as a cold trap for condensing steam from the object to be cooled. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a steam ejector as the decompressor, and in some cases, a steam condensation heat exchanger (condensation heat exchanger) provided on the upstream side of the decompressor can be omitted. The configuration of the cooling means can be simplified.

Further, the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means can be configured as follows as a second aspect suitable for a composite cooling apparatus having a relatively large cooling capacity. That is, the decompression line, the steam ejector provided in the decompression line, the heat exchanger for condensation, and the decompressor are provided. And said 1st vacuum cooling means is comprised so that a 1st vacuum cooling process may be performed by the action | operation of the said pressure reduction device. Further, the second vacuum cooling means is configured to execute the second vacuum cooling step by operating the steam ejector and the condensing heat exchanger in addition to the operation of the decompressor. The cold air cooling means is configured to cool the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange with the cooling heat exchanger.

  The first vacuum cooling step is performed by the operation of the first vacuum cooling means of the second aspect, that is, the operation of the decompressor. The second vacuum cooling step is performed by the operation of the second vacuum cooling means, that is, the operation of the decompressor.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment includes a vacuum cooling unit that vacuum-cools an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling unit that cools the object to be cooled, and a control unit that controls the vacuum cooling unit and the cold air cooling unit. Detecting means for detecting a temperature of the object to be cooled or a temperature in the cooling chamber, and the control means controls the object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means. After the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detection means or the temperature in the cooling chamber reaches the cooling target temperature, the cold air is maintained so that the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling room by the detection means is maintained at the cooling target temperature. The cooling device is characterized in that the cool air cooling by the cooling means is performed for a set time, and when the cool air cooling for the set time is completed, the end of the cooling is notified.

  In the second embodiment, first, the object to be cooled is cooled by vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means. When the cooling target temperature is reached, the vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means is stopped, and the cold air cooling is performed by the cold air cooling means for a set time. Even if the temperature of the product is controlled by the temperature in the cooling room without using the product temperature sensor as a problem, and without using the product temperature sensor, The pan or rack can be cooled to or near the cooling target temperature. As a result, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature, and the object to be cooled can be stably cooled.

  In the second embodiment, the control means controls the operation of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means by a second cooling program stored in advance. The second cooling program includes a main cooling step (first cooling step) for cooling the object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by performing a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled by the vacuum cooling means, and a first cooling. And a preliminary cooling step (second cooling step) in which the product temperature is cooled and held at the cooling target temperature (first holding cooling) by cold air cooling after the step. That is, the second embodiment and the first embodiment are the same except that the first cooling process is different, and the description thereof will be omitted. The vacuum cooling means can also be constituted by the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means. In the second embodiment, the second holding cooling can be performed after the second cooling step.

  Further, the cooling chamber temperature is a concept including the cooling chamber pressure because the saturated vapor pressure and the saturated steam temperature have a correlation in the vacuum cooling step, and the cooling chamber pressure is detected. Thus, the first cooling step can be completed.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, vacuum cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber by vacuum, cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber by cold air, and control for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. And a detecting means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber, and the control means controls the object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by cooling with the cold air cooling means. After the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means reaches the cooling target temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means is held at the cooling target temperature. The cooling device is characterized in that cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time, and the end of cooling is notified when the cool air cooling for the set time is completed.

  In the third embodiment, first, the object to be cooled is cooled by cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means. Then, when the cooling target temperature is reached, the cold air cooling operation for maintaining the product temperature at the cooling target temperature for the set time is continued without stopping the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means. Even if the temperature of the product is controlled by the temperature in the cooling room without using the product temperature sensor as a problem, and without using the product temperature sensor, The pan or rack can be cooled to or near the cooling target temperature. As a result, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature, and the object to be cooled can be stably cooled.

  In the third embodiment, the control means controls the operation of the cold air cooling means by a third cooling program stored in advance. The third cooling program includes a main cooling step (first cooling step) for cooling the object to be cooled to a cooling target temperature by performing a cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled by the cold air cooling means, and a first cooling And a preliminary cooling step (second cooling step) in which the product temperature is cooled and held at the cooling target temperature (first holding cooling) by cold air cooling after the step. That is, the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the configuration of the first cooling step, and the other configurations are the same, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In the second embodiment, the second holding cooling can be performed after the second cooling step.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment includes cold air cooling means for cooling an object to be cooled in the cooling chamber, control means for controlling the cold air cooling means, and detection means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber. And the control means controls the object to be cooled to the cooling target temperature by the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means, and the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detecting means is the cooling target. After reaching the temperature, the cooling air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so that the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling chamber is maintained at the cooling target temperature, and the cold air cooling for the set time is performed. The cooling device is characterized by notifying the end of cooling when it is finished.

  In the fourth embodiment, the control means controls the operation of the cold air cooling means by the third cooling program. That is, the third embodiment and the first embodiment are the same except for the provision of the vacuum cooling means, and the description is omitted.

  The present invention is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments. For example, it can be set as the cooling device which combined multiple cooling programs of the said Embodiment 1-3.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a composite cooling device 1 as a cooling device of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a main part of a control procedure according to the first embodiment, and FIG. It is a cooling characteristic (time-temperature characteristic) figure by the Example 1. FIG.

  The composite cooling device 1 is a cooling device that can perform vacuum cooling and cold air cooling, can selectively execute various cooling patterns, and has an object temperature to be cooled (hereinafter referred to as a product temperature) in a chilled region. It has the characteristic that the to-be-cooled object 3 can be cooled in a short time so that it may become low temperature.

  The composite cooling device 1 includes a cooling chamber 2, a vacuum cooling means 4 for cooling the object to be cooled 3 in the cooling chamber 2, a cold air cooling means 5 for cooling the object 3 to be cooled, and the vacuum cooling. A controller 6 as a control means for controlling the means 4 and the cold air cooling means 5 is provided as a main part. The controller 6 is provided with a timer 7 by software.

  Next, each component of the composite cooling device 1 will be described. The cooling chamber 2 forms a sealed space in which the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated, and includes an opening for taking in and out the object to be cooled 3 and a door for opening and closing the object (both not shown). The cooling chamber 2 is divided into an upper first region 81 and a lower second region 82 by a partition wall 8. In the first area 81, the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated, and in the second area 82, the cooling heat exchanger 9 constituting a part of the cold air cooling means 5 is arranged. In the first embodiment, the object to be cooled 3 is a food stored in a container called a hotel pan (not shown), and is placed on a metal rack (shelf) (not shown). It is configured to cool.

  The cooling heat exchanger 9 is a well-known evaporator that performs a cooling action by evaporating the liquefied refrigerant supplied from a condensing unit 11 having a condenser (not shown) that liquefies the refrigerant of the refrigerator 10. Has been.

  The refrigerator 10 includes defrosting means for defrosting the cooling heat exchanger 9. This defrosting means has a well-known configuration called hot gas defrost for defrosting by flowing hot gas from the condensing unit 11 to the cooling heat exchanger 9 by reversing the flow of the refrigerant.

  The partition wall 8 is configured to be detachable with respect to the cooling chamber 2. When the door is opened and the partition wall 8 is removed, the cooling heat exchanger 9 takes in and out the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber 2. It is comprised so that it may expose from the opening for use. In order to clean the cooling heat exchanger 9, the partition wall 8 is removed and exposed so that a cleaning machine (not shown) provided with the cooling heat exchanger 9 in the composite cooling device 1 is used. Can be used to wash.

  The cold air cooling means 5 cools the object 3 to be cooled with cold air. The cold air cooling means 5 includes a cooling heat exchanger 9 for cooling the air in the cooling chamber 2, and a fan 13 as an air circulation means driven by a motor 12 disposed outside the cooling chamber 2. including.

  A first opening (or gap) 141 and a second opening (or gap) 142 are provided between the constituent wall of the cooling chamber 2 and the partition wall 8, and an air circulation path (in the cooling chamber 2 ( In this case, the cooling air cooling function is achieved. In the first embodiment, the partition wall 8 constitutes the circulation path constituting member with the constituent wall of the cooling chamber 2. A shielding member (not shown) is provided between the fan 13 and the partition wall 8 and the constituent walls of the cooling chamber 2 so that the air emitted from the fan 13 does not return through a short path. A shielding member (not shown) is also provided between the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the partition walls 8 and the constituent walls of the cooling chamber 2.

  The vacuum cooling means 4 has a first vacuum cooling means 41 having a first vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast (can be referred to as fast or high), and the vacuum cooling rate decreases in the later stage, The second vacuum cooling means 42 has a second vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate is high and the vacuum cooling rate decreases later.

Specifically, the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 are configured as follows. That is, the first vacuum cooling means 41 includes a decompression line 15 connected to the cooling chamber 2, a water-sealed vacuum pump 16 as a decompression means provided in the decompression line 15, the cooling chamber 2 and An opening / closing valve 17 is provided between the vacuum pumps 16 and keeps the cooling chamber 2 hermetically closed when closed.

  The decompression line 15 is connected to the central portion of the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 2 as shown in FIG. Since the bottom wall is inclined downward from the peripheral end portion toward the center portion, the decompression line 15 is connected to the lowest portion of the bottom wall. With this configuration, drain can be quickly discharged in the drain discharge operation described later.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41 is configured to perform the first vacuum cooling step by operating (operating) the vacuum pump 16 with the on-off valve 17 open. The on-off valve 17 is a valve that only opens and closes, but can be a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted. The decompression line 15 may be provided with a check valve (not shown) for preventing the flow in the direction of the cooling chamber 2 as necessary. The first vacuum cooling characteristic of the first vacuum cooling means 41 having such a configuration is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the latter period.

  The second vacuum cooling means 42 has a function of condensing steam from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 with the inside of the cooling chamber 2 sealed under a low pressure, and a second vacuum cooling step Configured to perform. The elements constituting the second vacuum cooling means 42 are the cooling chamber 2, the cooling heat exchanger 9, the on-off valve 17, and the first vacuum cooling means 41. Closing the inside of the cooling chamber 2 under a low pressure is realized by closing the on-off valve 17 after the first vacuum cooling step. As with the first vacuum cooling characteristic, the second vacuum cooling characteristic of the second vacuum cooling means 42 having such a configuration is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the first half is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the second half.

  Then, the cold air cooling characteristic of the cold air cooling means 5 will be described. The characteristic of the temperature range above the first temperature set value (first cold air cooling characteristic) is the object to be cooled in the temperature range above the first temperature set value. Since the natural evaporation from 3 is dominant, the characteristic of the temperature range (second cold air cooling characteristic) that is faster than the vacuum cooling rate and lower than the second temperature set value is the same as that of the first vacuum cooling means 41 and The second vacuum cooling means 42 is slower than the previous vacuum cooling rate and faster than the later slowed vacuum cooling rate.

  In the first embodiment, in order to enable the operation of the second vacuum cooling step even when the initial product temperature is low, the air exclusion step is executed in the middle or later stage of the first vacuum cooling step. is doing. More specifically, before the internal pressure of the cooling chamber 2 reaches a pressure (limit pressure) corresponding to the depressurization capacity limit of the vacuum pump 16, the hot water of 40 ° C. that is equal to or higher than the temperature corresponding to the limit pressure is cooled. It is configured to inject into the chamber 2. The injected hot water starts to evaporate from the time when the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 is reduced to a temperature equal to or lower than the saturated steam pressure of the hot water, and the generated steam can discharge the air in the cooling chamber 2 to the outside. it can.

  The timing of the hot water injection in the air exclusion process is the time when the elapsed time from the start of the first vacuum cooling process is measured by the timer 7 and the measured value becomes a set value (injection timing). The warm water injection timing can be set when the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 is lowered to a set value.

  A hot water supply means 18 as a means for injecting hot water into the cooling chamber 2 includes a first water supply line 19 for supplying hot water into the cooling chamber 2, a hot water supply source (a hot water heater or a hot water generator) 20, The first water supply valve 21 for controlling the hot water supply is provided.

  The cooling chamber 2 is provided with a return pressure means 22 for returning the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 from negative pressure to atmospheric pressure after the vacuum cooling step. The return pressure means 22 includes a return pressure line 23 connected to the cooling chamber 2, and a return pressure valve 24 and a sterilization filter 25 provided in the middle of the return pressure line 23. The return pressure valve 24 is a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted in order to adjust the return pressure speed, but can be a valve only for opening and closing. Further, the return pressure line 23 can be provided with a check valve (not shown) that prevents the outward flow from the inside of the cooling chamber 2.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41, in addition to the exhaust function for discharging the gas in the cooling chamber 2, condensate water (drain) generated in the cooling heat exchanger 9 during the cold air cooling process. It is configured to have a drain discharge function for discharging to the outside. That is, the on-off valve 17 is opened during the cold air cooling step, and the operation of operating the vacuum pump 16 is performed intermittently.

  The controller 6 operates the first vacuum cooling means 41, the second vacuum cooling means 42, the hot water supply means 18 and the cold air cooling means 5 according to a program (control procedure) such as a first cooling program stored in advance. And so on.

  In the first cooling program, referring to the cooling characteristic X of FIG. 3, the vacuum cooling means 4 and the cold air cooling means 5 are controlled, and the first vacuum cooling process A and second by the vacuum cooling means 4 are controlled. After the vacuum cooling step B, the cold air cooling step C by the cold air cooling means 5 is sequentially performed, and the first cooling steps A to C for cooling the object 3 to the cooling target temperature T0, and the set time t0 after the first cooling step. A second cooling step D for holding the object 3 to be cooled at the cooling target temperature T0 by cooling with the cold air cooling means 5 and cooling air cooling by the cold air cooling means after the second cooling step D until the end of the cooling operation. Thus, a cooling program for sequentially performing the third cooling step E for holding the object to be cooled 3 at the cooling target temperature T0 is included.

  In order to control the first cooling program, the product temperature sensor 26 that detects the product temperature of the object 3 to be cooled, the indoor temperature sensor 27 that detects the temperature (pressure) in the cooling chamber 2, and the refrigerator 10 A refrigerant pressure sensor 28 and a refrigerant temperature sensor 29 for respectively detecting the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant circuit, and a setter 43 for performing various settings such as setting of the cooling target temperature T0 and the setting time t0 of the second cooling step. ing. These sensors and the setter 43 are connected to the controller 6, and are connected to the condensing unit 11, the motor 12, the vacuum pump 16, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24. Control etc. The setter 43 has a notification function for audibly and visually notifying the end of the second cooling step and the results of various settings. This notification function can be configured to be performed by a separate notification device from the setting device 43.

  Next, the switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step A to the second vacuum cooling step B (hereinafter referred to as vacuum switching timing) in the first cooling steps A to C and the second vacuum cooling step B to the above. The switching timing to the cold air cooling step C (hereinafter referred to as cold air switching timing) will be described.

  The vacuum switching timing and the cold air switching timing are obtained in advance by experiments in consideration of the first vacuum cooling characteristics and the second vacuum cooling characteristics, respectively. The vacuum cooling switching timing is a first switching of the elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of the first vacuum process until the late vacuum cooling rate of the first vacuum cooling process reaches the vicinity of the cold air cooling rate of the cold air cooling process. It is obtained as a set value, and it is assumed that the measured value by the timer 7 as the detecting means becomes the first switching set value.

Further, the cold air switching timing is an elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of the second vacuum cooling process until the latter vacuum cooling rate of the second vacuum cooling process reaches the vicinity of the cold air cooling speed of the cold air cooling process. Two switching setting values are obtained, and the time when the measured value by the timer 7 becomes the second switching setting value. When the detected value of the indoor pressure sensor 27 is equal to or lower than the second vacuum forced end pressure value or the detected value of the product temperature sensor 26 is equal to or lower than the second vacuum forced end temperature value, the second vacuum cooling step is performed. It is configured to forcibly terminate.

  The first switching set value and the second switching set value reach the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, and the vicinity, regardless of the cooling time (measurement time by the timer 7). Or the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 or the amount of change (rate of change) of the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, or the temperature of the object to be cooled 3. Can do. Then, when the indoor pressure sensor 27 detects the indoor pressure or the indoor temperature, or the product temperature sensor 26 detects the product temperature, when the detected value becomes the first switching set value, Switching from the vacuum cooling process to the second vacuum cooling process can be configured to switch from the second vacuum cooling process to the cold air cooling process when the detected value becomes the second switching set value.

  When setting the first and second switching setting values according to the product temperature, the first switching setting value and the second switching setting value are set as the first temperature setting value and the second temperature setting value, respectively. Can do.

  Further, the first switching setting value and the second switching setting value are any one of the measurement time by the timer 7, the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, and the temperature of the object 3 to be cooled. Alternatively, a combination of a plurality of these and the amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature of the object 3 to be cooled, or a combination thereof can be set as appropriate. .

  By the way, referring to FIG. 1, in the first embodiment, the fan 13 is disposed in the second region 82 so as to face the cooling heat exchanger 9, and is disposed outside the cooling chamber 2. 12 to drive. For this reason, the motor 12 is cooled to prevent the vacuum leakage at the rotating shaft 52 portion of the motor 12 that connects the fan 13 and the motor 12 and penetrates the cooling chamber wall 51 during the vacuum cooling process. Sealing means 50 for hermetically blocking the space in the chamber 2 is provided.

  Further, portions where the refrigerant pipes 39, 39 connecting the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the condensing unit 11 penetrate the chamber wall 51 of the cooling chamber 3 are hermetically sealed by a seal packing 53. . The seal packing 53 can be a compression fitting.

  The operation of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  The user of the combined cooling device 1 opens the door, accommodates the object to be cooled 3 in the cooling chamber 2, inserts the product temperature sensor 26 into the object to be cooled 3, closes the door, and closes the door. To do. In this state, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24 are all closed, and the motor 12, the vacuum pump 16, and the condensing unit 11 are all in an operating (operation) stopped state. It is. The steam generation source 20 can be in an operating state in advance.

(Various settings and operation start)
Referring to FIG. 2, in this state, in processing step S1 (hereinafter, processing step SN is simply referred to as SN), the user selects the first cooling program and sets the cooling target temperature with the operating device 43. Settings such as T0 and the set time t0 of the second cooling process D are performed, and the operation is started by an operation switch (not shown) of the operation device 43. Now the initial product temperature is 70 ℃
It is assumed that the object to be cooled 3 is housed in a hotel pan and is cooled by being placed on a rack of metal wagons. The hotel pan and the wagon are heated at the same time as the object to be cooled 3 and have the same temperature as the object to be cooled 3. Further, it is assumed that the cooling target temperature is set to 3 ° C. and the set time t0 is set to 3 minutes.

(First vacuum cooling process)
In S2, the first vacuum cooling step A is performed. This first vacuum cooling step A (S2) is performed as follows. The on-off valve 17 is opened, the first water supply valve 21 is closed, the return pressure valve 24 is closed, and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, the gas in the cooling chamber 2 is discharged to the outside through the decompression line 15. The pressure in the cooling chamber 2 decreases along with the first vacuum cooling characteristic, and the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 decreases from 70 ° C. due to evaporation of the vapor from the object to be cooled 3 according to this pressure decrease. go. This product temperature decrease rate is rapid in the initial stage, and becomes slower in the later stage as the temperature decreases.

  In the first vacuum cooling step A (S2), when the measured value of the timer 7 reaches the injection timing, the controller 6 opens the first water supply valve 21 for a predetermined time, and then from the hot water supply source 20 A predetermined amount of warm water is supplied into the cooling chamber 2. When the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 is reduced to a temperature equal to or lower than the saturated steam pressure of the hot water, the supplied hot water starts to evaporate. The air in the cooling chamber 2 together with the steam thus generated is discharged to the outside through the decompression line 15. Thus, air in the cooling chamber 2 is removed.

  When the time measured by the timer 7 reaches the first switching set value (t1), the process proceeds to the second vacuum cooling step B of S3. The vacuum cooling rate at the time of this transition is lower than the cooling rate due to the cold air cooling characteristics of the cold air cooling means 5. The product temperature at the time of this transition is about 20 ° C.

(Second vacuum cooling process)
In the second vacuum cooling step S3, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21 and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 is operated. By the operation of the condensing unit 11, the temperature in the cooling heat exchanger 9 is set to about −10 ° C. Since the temperature reduction of the cooling heat exchanger 9 by the condensing unit 11 requires a predetermined time from the start, the condensing unit 11 may be started a predetermined time before the first switching set value. desirable.

  In the second vacuum cooling step B (S3), the inside of the cooling chamber 2 is sealed at a low pressure, and the steam in the cooling chamber 2 moves to the cooling heat exchanger 9 where it is condensed. The pressure in the cooling chamber 2 maintains a low pressure state. As a result, steam is continuously generated from the object 3 to be cooled, and the product temperature decreases. This product temperature decrease is made in accordance with the second vacuum cooling characteristic, and is rapidly performed in the initial stage, and the rate of decrease is slowed down in the later stage as the temperature decreases. When the measurement time by the timer 7 reaches the second switching set value (t2), the process proceeds to the pressure recovery step of S4. The vacuum cooling rate at the time of the transition is lower than the cooling rate due to the second cold air cooling characteristic of the cold air cooling means 5. Moreover, the product temperature at the time of this transition is about 10 ° C.

(Return pressure process)
The return pressure step S4 is performed by opening the return pressure valve 24. As a result, outside air is introduced into the cooling chamber 2 through the return pressure line 23, and the inside of the cooling chamber 2 returns to atmospheric pressure. This return pressure process is detected by the indoor pressure sensor 27. When the atmospheric pressure is detected, the return pressure process is terminated and the process proceeds to the cold air cooling process C of S5. In the first embodiment, the operation of the condensing unit 11 is continued and the operation of the fan 13 is stopped during the decompression process. However, if necessary, the operation of the condensing unit 11 can be stopped and the fan 13 can be operated.

(Cooling air cooling process)
In the cold air cooling step C (S5), the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21 and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 and the fan 13 are operated. Let Thereby, in the cooling chamber 2, the fan 13 → the cooling heat exchanger 9 → the second opening 142 → the object to be cooled 3 → the first opening 141 → the cold air as indicated by the one-dot broken line arrow of the fan 13. A circulating flow is formed. Due to this circulation flow, the air in the cooling chamber 2 is cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the temperature is lowered, and the object to be cooled 3 is cooled by convection heat transfer. By such cold air cooling, the product is cooled until the product temperature becomes about 3 ° C. When the product temperature sensor 26 detects that the product temperature has dropped to 3 ° C. (t3), YES is determined in S6, and the process proceeds to the second cooling step D in S7.

  In the second cooling step D, the cold air cooling means 5 is controlled so that the product temperature maintains the cooling target temperature T0 by the same cold air cooling as in the cold air cooling step. Specifically, the motor 12 is ON / OFF controlled with a predetermined differential so that the product temperature becomes the cooling target temperature T0. The second cooling process D is continued in S8 until the set time t0 is counted (t4).

  Here, a case where the second cooling step D is not performed will be described. At the end of the cold air cooling step C, the object to be cooled 3 itself is cooled to 3 ° C., but the hotel pan and the wagon rack are obtained by the first vacuum cooling step A and the second vacuum cooling step B. Since it is hardly cooled, even if it receives the cooling action by the cold air cooling step C, it keeps about 10 ° C., which is higher than the product temperature. For this reason, if the cold air cooling is stopped simultaneously with the end of the cold air cooling step C, the heat of the hotel pan and the wagon is transmitted to the object to be cooled 3, the product temperature rises, and as a result, the product temperature is cooled to the cooling target temperature. It will not be possible. On the other hand, according to the first embodiment, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature by executing the second cooling step D for the set time t0.

  If YES is determined in S <b> 8, the process proceeds to S <b> 9 and the controller 43 notifies the end of cooling. Based on this notification, the user knows that the object to be cooled 3 has been cooled to the cooling target temperature, and can perform operations such as taking out the object to be cooled 3.

  In the cold air cooling step C and the second cooling step D, condensed water (drain) is generated from the surfaces of the object to be cooled 3 and the cooling heat exchanger 9 and stored in the bottom of the cooling chamber 2. This drain is discharged as follows. The on-off valve 17 is opened and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, the drain is discharged out of the cooling chamber 2 through the decompression line 15. When the drain is discharged, the drain pressure can be discharged smoothly by opening the return pressure valve 24. The drain generated in the first cold air cooling step S21 is also discharged out of the cooling chamber 2 in the same manner.

(Third cooling process)
After the process of S9, the process proceeds to S9, and the third cooling step E is executed. In the third cooling step E, similarly to the second cooling step D, the cold air cooling means 5 is controlled to maintain the product temperature at the cooling target temperature T0. By providing the third cooling step E, the user knows that the object to be cooled 3 is cooled to the cooling target temperature T0, but does not take out the object to be cooled 3 immediately and performs other work. It can be carried out.

(End of cooling operation)
In the third cooling step E, when the door of the cooling chamber 2 is opened in S12 or when the operation switch end operation of the operation device 43 is determined (t5), the process proceeds to S13 and the cooling operation is performed. End, that is, end the first cooling program. In addition, it can comprise so that it may not be determined that the cooling operation is ended by opening the door.

  In this first cooling program, when the initial product temperature is about 70 ° C. or higher, the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 is high, and natural evaporation from the object to be cooled 3 is dominant, so the vacuum cooling means 4 is operated. The vacuum cooling by is not performed effectively. Therefore, it is desirable that the cold air cooling process similar to the cold air cooling process S5 is provided before the first vacuum cooling process so that the object 3 to be cooled is subjected to rough heat removal. By carrying out like this, since the rough heat removal is performed not by vacuum cooling but by cold air cooling, the cooled object 3 can be effectively cooled, and the total cooling time can be shortened.

  According to the first embodiment configured as described above, the following operational effects are obtained. After the cold air cooling step C is completed, the second cooling step D is performed, so that the product temperature can be reduced even when the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated in a pan that is hardly subjected to vacuum cooling or is cooled on a rack. Cooling to the cooling target temperature T0 can be performed more accurately. In addition, by notifying the end of cooling, it is possible to prevent the object to be cooled 3 from being taken out before the product temperature is cooled to the cooling target temperature T0.

  Further, depending on the position of the product temperature sensor 26 to be inserted into the object 3 to be cooled, there may be a portion of the object 3 to which the temperature has not decreased even if the product temperature sensor 26 detects the cooling target temperature T0. is there. Even in this case, by executing the second cooling step D, the entire object to be cooled 3 can be uniformly cooled at the cooling target temperature T0.

  Further, in the case where the object to be cooled 3 cannot pierce the product temperature sensor 26, the first embodiment is configured to indirectly detect and control the product temperature using the indoor temperature sensor 27. Yes. During control by the indoor temperature sensor 27, the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 may not be cooled to the cooling target temperature 3 even if the temperature in the cooling chamber 2 becomes the cooling target temperature. Even in such a case, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature by executing the second cooling step D.

  In addition, the vacuum cooling process is divided into a first vacuum cooling process using an external cold trap by the first vacuum cooling means 41 and a second vacuum cooling process using an internal cold trap by the second vacuum cooling means 42. Since it is performed in stages, the pressure reducing means of the vacuum cooling means 4 can be simplified. In addition, the energy required for the operation of the vacuum cooling means can be reduced compared to the one that starts vacuum cooling with an excessive cooling capacity from the beginning of vacuum cooling, and the quality of the object to be cooled becomes a problem due to rapid cooling. Then, deterioration of quality can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the air exclusion process is performed during the first vacuum cooling process, the steam can be efficiently condensed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger in the second vacuum cooling process.

  Further, since the cooling heat exchanger 9 for cooling the cold air is also used as a cold trap for condensing the vapor of the second vacuum cooling means 42, the equipment of the vacuum cooling means can be simplified, and the composite cooling device initials Cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the cooling program. A composite cooling device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the cooling program executed by the controller 6 is the second cooling program shown in FIG. The hardware configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1). Hereinafter, different points will be mainly described.

  In the second embodiment, the controller 6 controls the operations of the vacuum cooling means 4 and the cold air cooling means 5 by a second cooling program stored in advance. The second cooling program is executed based on the control procedure of FIG. That is, a first cooling step for cooling the object 3 to the cooling target temperature T0 is performed by the first vacuum cooling step A (S2) and the second vacuum cooling step B (S3). A second cooling step D (S7) is performed in which the product temperature is cooled and held at the cooling target temperature T0 by cooling, and the third cooling step E (S11) is performed by cold air cooling after the second cooling step. That is, this second cooling program omits the cold air cooling step C (S5) of the first cooling step, compared with the first cooling program of the first embodiment, and the vacuum cooling step (S1) ( Only S2) is different, and the others are the same, and the description is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the product temperature is controlled according to the temperature in the cooling chamber 2 without considering the position of the product temperature sensor 26 inserted into the article 3 to be cooled and without using the product temperature sensor 26. Even in the case of control, the pan or rack can be cooled to the cooling target temperature T0 or near by the cold air cooling in the second cooling step D. As a result, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature T0.

  Next, a composite cooling device 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the cooling program executed by the controller 6 is the third cooling program shown in FIG. The hardware configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1). Hereinafter, different points will be mainly described.

  In the third embodiment, the controller 6 controls the operation of the vacuum cooling means 4 and the cold air cooling means 5 by a third cooling program stored in advance. The third cooling program is executed based on the control procedure of FIG. That is, the first cooling step for cooling the object 3 to the cooling target temperature T0 is performed by the cold air cooling step C (S5), and the product temperature is cooled and held at the cooling target temperature T0 by the cold air cooling after the first cooling step. The second cooling step D (S7) is performed, and the third cooling step E (S11) by cold air cooling is performed after the second cooling step. That is, the third cooling program omits the vacuum cooling steps A and B (S2, S3) of the first cooling step and compares the cold cooling step C with the first cooling program of the first embodiment. Only (S5) is different, and the other configurations are the same, so the description is omitted.

  Also in the third embodiment, the product temperature is controlled by the temperature in the cooling chamber 2 without causing the problem of the position of the product temperature sensor 26 to be inserted into the object 3 to be cooled and without using the product temperature sensor 26. Even in this case, the whole object to be cooled 3 can be uniformly cooled to the cooling target temperature T0 or near by the cold air cooling in the second cooling step D. As a result, the product temperature can be more accurately cooled to the cooling target temperature T0.

  Next, a composite cooling device 1 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the cooling program executed by the controller 6 is the cooling program shown in FIG. The hardware configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1). Hereinafter, different points will be mainly described.

The cooling program of the fourth embodiment includes a program S43 that is the same as the first cooling program, a program S42 in which a cold air cooling process is added before the vacuum cooling process of the first cooling program, according to program selection (S41), The same program S4 as the third cooling program
4, the same program S 45 as the second cooling program, and a program for cooling the object to be cooled 3 to the cooling target temperature by performing the vacuum cooling step after the cold air cooling step can be selected. In any program, the second cooling step D (S7), the determination step S8, the notification step S9, the third cooling step E (S11), the determination step S12, and the operation end step S13 are performed after the first cooling step. Configured to do.

  In the fourth embodiment, five programs (S42 to S46) can be selected, but two to four programs out of the five programs can be selected.

  Next, a composite cooling device 1 according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The fifth embodiment has the same hardware configuration as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1), but differs in that a steam supply means 55 is provided instead of the hot water supply means 18. . And although the structure of said 1st cooling program is the same as the said Example 1, the structure of the said vacuum cooling process is varied. Moreover, the structure of the said circulation path | route structural member is varied. Hereinafter, different points will be mainly described.

  The configuration of the steam supply means 55 will be described. Referring to FIG. 7, the steam supply means 55 is connected to the cooling chamber 2 so as to supply steam and hot water into the cooling chamber 2. The steam supply means 55 is constituted by a hot water tank 56. Water is supplied to the hot water tank 56 through the second water supply valve 57, warmed to a predetermined temperature by the heater 58, and stored as hot water. In the second embodiment, the hot water tank 56 is connected to the lower part of the cooling chamber 2 via a second steam supply line 59, and a second steam supply valve 60 is provided in the middle thereof. The second steam supply valve 60 opens and closes the second steam supply line 59. In the fifth embodiment, the second steam supply valve 60 includes a motor valve.

  By opening the second steam supply valve 60 in a reduced pressure state in the cooling chamber 2, the steam in the hot water tank 56 is naturally supplied into the cooling chamber 2 with hot water due to the differential pressure. Thus, by supplying warm water also into the cooling chamber 2, concentration of water in the warm water tank 56 can be prevented. By preventing this concentration, blow (discharge) of concentrated water can be eliminated or the number of times can be reduced. The hot water supplied into the cooling chamber 2 is further evaporated under reduced pressure to fill the cooling chamber 2 with steam. On the other hand, excess warm water and steam condensate are immediately discharged to the outside by the first vacuum cooling means 41. The second steam supply valve 60 is controlled to open when the predetermined injection timing is reached by the timer, and to close when the time measured by the timer 7 becomes a set value and the temperature in the hot water tank 56 becomes a set value or less. . By the way, by supplying steam and hot water into the cooling chamber 2, the cooling heat exchanger 9 described later can be defrosted.

  Next, the vacuum cooling process will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the fan 13 is driven during the second vacuum cooling step, and the fan 13 is driven at the initial stage of the first vacuum cooling step. The initial stage of the first vacuum cooling step means a period until the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 becomes equal to or lower than a set pressure. In the fifth embodiment, a sensor (not shown) detects the pressure in the cooling chamber 2. ) To control the period.

Next, the configuration of the circulation path constituting member will be described. In the fifth embodiment, as a part of the circulation path constituting member, a cylindrical fan guide 30 and a first shield that shields the fan guide 30 from the partition wall 8 and the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 2. The shielding member 31, the second shielding member 32 that shields between the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the partition wall 8 and the cooling chamber 2 wall, and the cold air are supplied to the object 3 to be cooled substantially evenly. The 1st ventilation guide 33 which consists of a perforated board for this, and the 2nd ventilation guide 34 are provided.

  The first air blowing guide 33 has a function of returning the cold air after cooling the article 3 to be cooled almost uniformly to the first opening 141 of the partition wall 8, and the second air blowing guide 34 is formed on the partition wall 8. It is configured to have a function of guiding and supplying the cold air from the second opening 142 almost uniformly toward the object to be cooled 3. The air blowing guides 33 and 34 are detachably connected separately from the partition wall 8. The fan guide 30, the first shielding member 31, and the second shielding member 32 have a function of preventing a short path of cold air, and these are also detachable.

  Moreover, this invention is not limited to the said composite cooling device 1, It is applicable also to the cooling device 1 which is not provided with the said vacuum cooling means 4 like Example 6 shown in FIG. The sixth embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment only in that the components necessary for the vacuum cooling of the first embodiment are omitted. The same components as those in the first and fifth embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Reference numeral 44 denotes a drain discharge line. In the cooling device 1 of the sixth embodiment, the third cooling program shown in FIG. 5 is executed.

  The present invention is not limited to the first to sixth embodiments. For example, in the first and second embodiments, the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 constitute the vacuum cooling means 4. However, the vacuum cooling means 4 can be constituted only by the first vacuum cooling means 41. The arrangement of the components in the cooling chamber 2 can be variously changed. Further, in the first cooling program of FIG. 2, S6 can be provided after the second vacuum cooling step S42 as in the second cooling program of FIG. In this case, if YES is determined in S6, the process proceeds to the second cooling process in S7.

It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure explaining the 1st cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is a cooling characteristic view of the first embodiment. It is a flowchart figure explaining the 2nd cooling program of Example 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure explaining the 3rd cooling program of Example 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure explaining the cooling program of Example 4 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 5 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 6 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Composite cooling device 2 Cooling chamber 3 Object to be cooled 4 Vacuum cooling means 5 Cold air cooling means 6 Controller 26 Product temperature sensor 27 Indoor temperature sensor 41 First vacuum cooling means 42 Second vacuum cooling means

Claims (5)

Vacuum cooling means for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber, cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, and the temperature of the object to be cooled Or a detecting means for detecting the temperature in the cooling chamber,
The control means controls the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detection means when the object to be cooled is controlled to a cooling target temperature by vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means and subsequent cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means. After cooling room temperature reaches the cooling target temperature, cool air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so as to keep the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detection means or the cooling room temperature at the cooling target temperature, and A cooling device that notifies the end of cooling when the cool air cooling of the set time is completed. Vacuum cooling means for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber, cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, and the temperature of the object to be cooled Or a detecting means for detecting the temperature in the cooling chamber,
When the control means controls the object to be cooled to the cooling target temperature by vacuum cooling by the vacuum cooling means, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means reaches the cooling target temperature. When the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so as to maintain the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling chamber at the cooling target temperature, and when the cold air cooling of the set time is completed, A cooling device that notifies the end of cooling. Vacuum cooling means for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber, cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, and the temperature of the object to be cooled Or a detecting means for detecting the temperature in the cooling chamber,
When the control means controls the object to be cooled to the cooling target temperature by the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means reaches the cooling target temperature. When the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so as to maintain the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling chamber at the cooling target temperature, and when the cold air cooling of the set time is completed, A cooling device that notifies the end of cooling. Cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, control means for controlling the cold air cooling means, and detection means for detecting the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber,
When the control means controls the object to be cooled to the cooling target temperature by the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means, the temperature of the object to be cooled or the temperature in the cooling chamber by the detection means reaches the cooling target temperature. When the cold air cooling by the cold air cooling means is performed for a set time so as to maintain the temperature of the object to be cooled by the detecting means or the temperature in the cooling chamber at the cooling target temperature, and when the cold air cooling of the set time is completed, A cooling device that notifies the end of cooling.   The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means performs a cooling holding step after notifying the end of cooling.

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