JP5621279B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine that stores products in a warehouse and sells them after cooling.

For example, the following methods are known as a vending machine of a heat pump operation method.
First, it consists of a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an external unit that combines an outdoor (outdoor) fan, an expansion mechanism, an internal heat exchanger, and an internal unit that is arranged in the product room by combining the internal fan. Heat pump operation type vending machines are known that cool and heat the products stored in the warehouse with the cold and heat generated in the refrigeration cycle, and in each operation mode, the temperature sensor in the warehouse located in each product room in the warehouse With the detection signal of the inside as the temperature information, the compressor, heater, outside (outdoor) fan, inside fan, and solenoid valve are controlled to turn on / off by the command from the controller. , So as to maintain a suitable temperature for selling hot products (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As another method, a compressor, a gas cooler, an expansion valve, a heating heat exchanger and an evaporator, an internal heat exchanger, an outdoor auxiliary heat exchanger, and heat exchange of the outdoor auxiliary heat exchanger are performed. There is known a heat pump operation type vending machine composed of an outdoor fan that promotes and exhausts heat to the outside of the warehouse (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  In such vending machines, as described above, the outdoor fan is provided to promote heat dissipation during cooling, and this outdoor fan is synchronized with the compressor during the entire cooling operation. On the other hand, the air volume of the outdoor fan is controlled during the heat pump operation.

JP 2004-184019 A JP 2009-151356 A

  By the way, in the vending machine, since drain water is generated from the evaporator during the cooling operation, the drain is naturally evaporated by being led to a drain pan for storing drain water provided outside the warehouse.

For this reason, in an environment with much condensation such as when the outside air temperature is high, there is a possibility that the drain water generated in large quantities cannot be evaporated.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that promotes evaporation of drain water when the compressor is stopped.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a vending machine main body, an evaporator and an internal fan, which are installed in a product storage, and a compressor, a condenser, and outdoor heat are placed outside the product storage. It is equipped with a refrigerant circuit installed in combination with an exchanger, outdoor fan, and expansion mechanism. During cooling operation, the outdoor fan is operated in synchronization with the driving / stopping of the compressor. During heat pump operation, it is based on the evaporator temperature in the heating cabinet. In an automatic vending machine in which the air volume is controlled between the outdoor fan and the continuous operation, an outside air temperature sensor is provided, and when the outside air temperature of the outside air temperature sensor when the compressor is stopped is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the compressor The outdoor fan is continuously operated for a predetermined time after the compressor is stopped even when the outdoor fan is stopped or the air volume control is in progress.

  As another method, the vending machine body is combined with an evaporator and an internal fan and installed in the product storage. On the outside of the product storage, a compressor, a gas cooler, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, Equipped with a refrigerant circuit installed in combination with an expansion mechanism, during cooling operation, the outdoor fan is operated in synchronization with the drive of the compressor, and during heat pump operation, the outdoor fan is continuously operated from the stop based on the outdoor heat exchanger temperature A vending machine that controls the air flow during operation is provided with a gas cooler temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the gas cooler, and if the detected temperature of the gas cooler temperature sensor when the compressor is stopped is above a predetermined temperature, the compressor is stopped. Sometimes the outdoor fan is continuously operated for a predetermined time after the compressor stops even when the outdoor fan is in a stopped state or during air flow control.

  According to the vending machine of the present invention, when the compressor is stopped, the outdoor fan is continuously operated for a predetermined time after the compressor is stopped, regardless of the operation state of the outdoor fan when the compressor is stopped. Since ventilation by an outdoor fan is performed, the effect that evaporation of drain water can be accelerated | stimulated using the waste heat of a compressor is acquired.

  In addition, as a condition, the outdoor fan is operated continuously for a predetermined time only in an environment where a large amount of drain water is likely to be generated by setting the outside air temperature or the gas cooler temperature to be equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. The effect that it can eliminate and can accelerate | stimulate evaporation of drain water efficiently is acquired.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the internal structure of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a refrigerant circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing outdoor fan control according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing outdoor fan control according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing a refrigerant circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is.

Embodiments of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional side view showing an internal structure of a vending machine, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the refrigerant circuit.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, an outer door 2 and an inner door 3 are provided on the front surface of the main body cabinet 1. The outer door 2 is for opening and closing the front opening of the main body cabinet 1, and the inner door 3 is for opening and closing the front surface of the commodity storage 4. The inner door 3 is divided into upper and lower parts, and the upper door 3a opens and closes when a product is replenished.

  The product storage 4 is provided with a product storage rack 5, a carry-out mechanism 6 and a carry-out shooter 7. The commodity storage rack 5 is for storing commodities in a manner arranged in the vertical direction. The carry-out mechanism 6 is provided in the lower part of the product storage rack 5 and is used to carry out the products at the lowest level of the product group stored in the product storage rack 5 one by one. The carry-out shooter 7 is for guiding the product carried out from the carry-out mechanism 6 to the product outlet 2 a provided in the outer door 2.

An evaporator 8, an auxiliary heater 9, and an internal fan 10 are provided below the carry-out shooter 7, and a rear duct 11 is provided behind the evaporator 8.
A machine room 12 is provided in the lower part of the commodity storage 4 partitioned by the heat insulating casing.

  A refrigerant circuit 17 is formed by sequentially connecting a compressor 13, a condenser 14, an expansion mechanism 15 and a refrigerant pipe 16 disposed in the machine room 12. The compressor 13 sucks the refrigerant through the suction port, compresses the sucked refrigerant to be in a high-temperature and high-pressure state (high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant), and discharges it from the discharge port. The condenser 14 condenses the refrigerant that passes therethrough. More specifically, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 13 and discharged from the discharge port through the refrigerant pipe 16 is condensed by exchanging heat with the ambient air. The expansion mechanism 15 is for adiabatic expansion by reducing the pressure of the passing refrigerant.

  An outdoor fan 18 is provided between the compressor 13 and the condenser 14, and is operated to promote heat dissipation during cooling operation and when high temperature and high pressure are detected during heat pump operation. The outdoor fan 18 is activated in synchronization with the activation of the machine 13.

  By circulating the refrigerant in these refrigerant circuits 17, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 13 is condensed by the condenser 14 and then adiabatically expanded by the expansion mechanism 15 and passes through the evaporator 8. When the refrigerant passes through the evaporator 8, heat exchange is performed with the internal air of the commodity storage 4 in which the evaporator 8 is disposed, and the refrigerant evaporates to cool the internal air. The evaporated refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 13.

  The cooled internal air moves in the product storage 4 by driving the internal fan 10, whereby the product stored in the product storage rack 5 of the product storage 4 is brought to a desired temperature (for example, 5 ° C.). It will be cooled.

  The auxiliary heater 9 heats the ambient air when energized, the compressor 13 stops, and the air heated by the auxiliary heater 9 during the heating single operation is driven by the internal fan 10. The product stored in the product storage rack 5 of the product storage 4 is heated to a desired temperature (for example, 55 ° C.) by moving inside the product storage 4.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the machine room 12 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger 26 (see FIG. 2) in the vicinity of the condenser 14 for discharging unnecessary condensation heat during heating operation. is there.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the piping exiting from the compressor 13 is connected to the condenser 15 via the electromagnetic valve 21, and the piping exiting from the condenser 14 is connected to the first expansion valve 22. The piping from the first expansion valve 22 is connected to the flow divider 23, and is connected to the evaporator 8a and the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c through the electromagnetic valves 21a, 21b, and 21c. The pipes from the evaporator 8 a and the internal heat exchangers 8 b and 8 c are collected and connected to the compressor 13 via the accumulator 24.

  2 indicate the product containers 4a, 4b, and 4c. In-product temperature sensors Ta, Tb, and Tc are provided in the product containers 4a, 4b, and 4c, and the product containers 4b and 4c are provided in the product containers 4b and 4c. Heaters Hb and Hc are provided.

The refrigerant pipes connected to the outlet sides of the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c are provided with return solenoid valves 21d and 21e, respectively.
The evaporator 8a and the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c are provided with temperature sensors 81a, 81b and 81c for detecting the outlet temperatures thereof.

  The branch path that uses the heat exchangers 8b and 8c for heating in the cabinet branches from the middle of the path between the compressor 13 and the electromagnetic valve 21, one being the refrigerant piping on the inlet side of the cabinet heat exchanger 8b, and the other being the warehouse. It is comprised by the branch piping which each merges with the refrigerant | coolant piping by the side of the inlet_port | entrance of the internal heat exchanger 8c. Here, in the refrigerant pipes on the inlet side of the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c, a path on the upstream side of the junction with each branch pipe, that is, between each junction and the electromagnetic valves 21b and 21c upstream thereof. Check valves 25a and 25b are provided in the path between them.

In such a branch path, branch solenoid valves 21f and 21g are provided on the downstream side of the branch point, respectively.
That is, when the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 13 is supplied through the branch path, the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c condense the refrigerant that passes through the internal air of the target product storage 8b and 8c. Is to heat.

  In this case, the heat dissipation path is branched in the middle of each refrigerant pipe connected to the outlet side of the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c, and the outdoor heat exchanger 26 disposed in a manner adjacent to the condenser 14. It is comprised by the heat radiating piping connected to the entrance side. In the outdoor heat exchanger 26 to which the refrigerant is supplied through the heat radiation path, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the ambient air, and the refrigerant radiates heat. That is, the heat dissipation path is a system in which the refrigerant condensed in the internal heat exchangers 8b and 8c is introduced and supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 26, and the refrigerant is exchanged with ambient air by the outdoor heat exchanger 26. is there.

  In the middle of the heat radiating piping constituting such a heat radiating path, that is, on the way from the branching point to the refrigerant pipe connected to the outlet side of the internal heat exchanger 8b and the internal heat exchanger 8c to the confluence, respectively. Stop valves 25c and 25d are provided.

  The return path downstream of the heat dissipation path is connected to the outlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 26 and is the refrigerant pipe constituting the main path, that is, the junction of the refrigerant pipe between the first expansion valve 22 and the distributor 23. This is a path constituted by connecting return pipes.

A second expansion mechanism 27 is provided in the middle of the return pipe constituting the return path.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the vending machine according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the main control unit 30 controls the entire vending machine according to a program stored in the memory 30a and data stored in the memory 30b.

  The main control unit 30 includes a main body slave 31 for controlling product carry-out, cooling and heating, a currency identification device 32 for identifying inserted currency, a remote controller 33 for performing various setting / confirming operations, and a front surface of the outer door of the vending machine. A product selection button 34 provided and an integrated display 35 for displaying various information are connected.

  The main body slave 31 includes a heater 9, an internal fan 10, a compressor 13, an outdoor fan 18, internal temperature sensors Ta, Tb, Tc, an exhaust temperature sensor 81a, 81b, 81c, an external air temperature sensor 19, and a carry-out mechanism. 6 is connected.

The main body slave 31 comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the refrigerant circuit 17.
Although not shown in FIG. 1, the outside air temperature sensor 19 is provided at the lower side of the main body cabinet 1.

  In such a configuration, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, in the case of a single cooling operation, the outdoor fan 18 is continuously operated (step S402) by starting the compressor 13 (step S401), and then the inside of the refrigerator When the cooling off temperature is reached by the detected temperatures of the temperature sensors Ta, Tb, and Tc (S403, Yes), the compressor 13 is stopped (step S404).

  When the compressor 13 is stopped, if the outside air temperature detection by the outside air temperature sensor 19 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature (step S405, Yes), the outdoor fan 18 is continuously operated with a delay for the predetermined time (step S406). (Step S407, Yes), the outdoor fan 18 is stopped (step S408).

  On the other hand, when the outside air temperature detection by the outside air temperature sensor 19 is lower than the predetermined temperature (No at Step S404), the outdoor fan 18 is stopped simultaneously with the stop of the compressor 13 (Step S407), and no delay time is provided. is there.

  Next, in the case of the heat pump operation method, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, when the compressor 13 is started (step S501), the outdoor fan 18 is operated (step S502), and then the internal heat of the heating chamber is stored. The air volume control of the outdoor fan 18 is performed based on the detected temperatures of the evaporator temperature sensors 8b1 and 8c1 of the exchangers 8b and 8c (step S503). That is, based on the detected temperatures of the evaporative temperature sensors 8b1 and 8c1 every predetermined time, the air flow level is changed, and when the detected temperature falls below the predetermined temperature (step S504, Yes), the outdoor fan 18 is stopped (step S505). .

  In other words, if the temperature detected by the evaporative temperature sensors 8b1 and 8c1 is low, the outdoor fan 18 is intermittently operated to reduce the air volume, and if the temperature falls below a predetermined temperature, it is stopped, and the air volume is controlled between 0 and 100%. It is carried out.

  While the outdoor fan 18 is stopped, when the internal temperature reaches a predetermined temperature based on the detected temperatures of the internal temperature sensors Ta, Tb, and Tc (step S506, Yes), the compressor 13 is stopped (step S506).

  When the compressor 13 is stopped and the detection of the outside air temperature by the outside air temperature sensor 19 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature (step S508, Yes), the outdoor fan 18 is operated (step S509), and when a predetermined time has elapsed (step S509) (S510, Yes), the outdoor fan 18 is stopped (step S511).

  On the other hand, when the temperature detected by the heating side temperature sensors 8b1 and 8c1 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the air volume control is performed to reduce the air volume by intermittently operating the outdoor fan 18, and in this state, the compressor 13 is stopped. Then (step S507), regardless of the current air volume, the outdoor fan 18 is operated at 100% output (step S509). When a predetermined time has elapsed (step S510, Yes), the outdoor fan 18 is stopped (step S511). ).

  If the outside air temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature when the compressor 13 is stopped (No at Step S508), the compressor 13 is stopped regardless of the operating state of the outdoor fan 18 (Step S511), and no delay time is provided. When the outdoor fan 18 is stopped, the stopped state is maintained as it is.

  Thus, even if the outdoor fan 18 is in a stopped state or the air volume control is being performed when the compressor 13 is stopped, if the outdoor air temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the outdoor fan 18 is stopped after the compressor 13 is stopped. By continuously operating for a period of time, evaporation of drain is promoted.

Next, the case where another type of refrigerant circuit is used will be briefly described.
This method uses a gas cooler instead of the condenser, and performs outdoor fan control when the compressor is stopped based on the gas cooler outlet temperature. A conceptual diagram of the refrigerant circuit is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, it has the compressor 60 which compresses a refrigerant | coolant, the gas cooler 61 and the outdoor heat exchanger 62 for releasing the warm heat which the refrigerant | coolant which passes through to air | atmosphere, and the expansion mechanism 63 which expands the refrigerant | coolant which passes through ing.

  The product storage 4c indicated by the broken line in FIG. 6 is provided with an evaporator 64c and a heat exchanger 65 for heating, and the product storages 4a and 4b are provided with evaporators 64a and 64b, respectively, and the product storage 4a. , 4b, 4c are provided with internal temperature sensors Ta, Tb, Tc, and the product containers 4b, 4c are provided with heaters Hb, Hc.

An external fan 66 that blows air toward the gas cooler 61 is installed.
Next, the compressor 60 and the gas cooler 61 are connected by a high-pressure and high-temperature pipe 80 provided with a three-way valve 67. An internal heat exchanger 68 is disposed between the gas cooler 61 and the expansion mechanism 63, and both are connected by a high-pressure intermediate temperature pipe 81 and a high-pressure intermediate temperature heat transfer tube 68 a that forms the internal heat exchanger 68.

  The expansion mechanism 63 and the branching device 69 are connected by a low-pressure / low-temperature pipe 82. The low-pressure / low-temperature piping 82 is connected to the evaporator 64a, via the solenoid valves 70a, 70b, 70c and the expansion mechanisms 71a, 71b, 71c. 64b and 64c.

  The outlet sides of the evaporators 64a, 64b, and 64c are respectively a low-pressure intermediate temperature pipe 83 connected to the internal heat exchanger 68, a low-pressure intermediate temperature heat transfer pipe 68b that forms the internal heat exchanger 68, and an internal heat exchanger 68. The compressor 60 is connected to the compressor 60 by a low-pressure intermediate temperature pipe 84 connecting the compressor 60.

  On the other hand, the compressor 60 and the heating heat exchanger 65 are connected by a high-pressure and high-temperature pipe 80 and a heating high-pressure and high-temperature pipe 85 via a three-way valve 67. The heating heat exchanger 65 and the outdoor heat exchanger 62 are connected to each other by a heating high-pressure intermediate temperature pipe 86, and the outdoor heat exchanger 62 and the internal heat exchanger 68 are connected to each other by a heating high-pressure low-temperature pipe 87. .

  A gas temperature sensor 61 a that detects the temperature of the outlet refrigerant is provided on the outlet side of the gas cooler 61, and an outlet temperature sensor 62 a that detects the temperature of the outlet refrigerant is provided on the outlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 62.

  The gas cooler 61 has a function of dissipating the heat energy of the refrigerant. Here, the gas cooler 61 is set to have a cooling capacity larger than that required for cooling the refrigerant in the all-chamber cooling operation mode, and the excess cooling capacity is divided. Thus, the outdoor heat exchanger 62 is configured.

  Therefore, the outdoor fan 66 is shared by the gas cooler 61 and the outdoor heat exchanger 62, and heat exchange of the gas cooler 61 can be promoted by the outdoor fan 66 and can be exhausted to the outside of the cabinet.

  In such a circuit configuration, for example, the air volume control of the outdoor fan 66 is performed based on the detected temperature of the outlet temperature sensor 62a of the outdoor heat exchanger 62 during operation in the HCC mode.

At this time, the outdoor fan 66 stops when the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor 62a is equal to or lower than the lower limit temperature.
In this state, as in the previous embodiment, when the compressor 60 is stopped, in this embodiment, even if the outdoor fan 66 is stopped when the detected temperature of the gas temperature sensor 61a is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. The outdoor fan 66 is operated for a predetermined time.

When air volume control is being performed, the air volume control is stopped, and the outdoor fan 66 is operated for a predetermined time with 100% output.
Thus, in the present embodiment, drain gas is promoted by controlling the outdoor fan 66 by regarding the gas temperature sensor 61a as a pseudo outside air temperature.

It should be noted that the predetermined temperature at which the outdoor fan is operated when the compressor is stopped is more effective by setting it to an environmental temperature zone in which drain water is easily generated.
The predetermined temperature can be set and changed by the remote controller 33 or the like.

81a, 81b, 81c Eva temperature sensor 30 Main controller 30a, 30b Memory 33 Remote control 18, 66 Outdoor fan 19 Outdoor air temperature sensor 61a Gas temperature sensor 62a Outlet temperature sensor

Claims (2)

Inside the vending machine body, the evaporator and the fan in the cabinet are combined and installed in the product storage. On the outside of the product storage, a compressor, condenser, outdoor heat exchanger, outdoor fan and expansion mechanism are installed in combination. In the cooling operation, the outdoor fan is operated in synchronism with the driving / stopping of the compressor, and in the heat pump operation, the air volume is changed between the stoppage and the continuous operation based on the evaporator temperature of the heating cabinet. In an automatic vending machine that is controlled, an outside air temperature sensor is provided, and if the outside air temperature of the outside air temperature sensor when the compressor is stopped is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature , the outdoor fan is stopped or the air volume is being controlled when the compressor is stopped. Even if it exists, the vending machine is characterized by continuously operating the outdoor fan for a predetermined time after the compressor stops. Inside the main body of the vending machine, a combination of an evaporator and a fan in the cabinet was installed in the product storage, and outside this product storage, a compressor, gas cooler, outdoor heat exchanger, outdoor fan, and expansion mechanism were installed in combination. Equipped with a refrigerant circuit, during cooling operation, the compressor operates the outdoor fan in synchronization with driving / stopping, and during heat pump operation, the outdoor fan is controlled based on the outdoor heat exchanger temperature to control the air volume between stopping and continuous operation. In such a vending machine, a gas cooler temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the gas cooler is provided, and when the detected temperature of the gas cooler temperature sensor when the compressor is stopped is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature , the outdoor fan is stopped or A vending machine characterized by continuously operating an outdoor fan for a predetermined time after the compressor is stopped even during air flow control .

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