JP5743247B1 - Air conditioning unit - Google Patents

Abstract

Even during transportation in which electric power cannot be obtained from the outside, the temperature in the transportation box can be strictly controlled and kept within a predetermined range. A blowing means circulates air in a transport box. The cooling agent 25 cools the air circulated by the air blowing means 24. The temperature detection means 26 detects the temperature in the transport box. The heating means 27 heats the air circulated by the blowing means 24 when the temperature in the transport box is equal to or lower than the threshold value. The air blowing unit 24, the temperature detecting unit 26, and the heating unit 27 are operated by the electric power stored in the storage battery 23. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning unit that keeps the temperature in a transport box within a predetermined range.

Investigational drugs and specimens are required to maintain a temperature within a predetermined range. This temperature range is a considerably narrow range (for example, 2 ° C. to 8 ° C.) unlike foods and the like. For this reason, when transporting these, strict temperature control is required.
Patent Document 1 describes a temperature management system that keeps the temperature in a heat insulating container constant by disposing two kinds of heat storage agents in the heat insulating container.
Patent Document 2 describes a low-temperature chamber that includes a cooling unit and a heating unit that operate with a commercial power source, and cools the heat storage agent to a predetermined temperature by the cooling unit and the heating unit.

JP 2013-10523 A JP-A-11-108525

The method of disposing the heat storage agent that has been cooled in advance in the heat-insulating transport box may cause the temperature in the transport box to rise too much when the outside air temperature is high. This can be prevented by increasing the amount of the heat storage agent. However, if the outside air temperature is low, the temperature in the transport box may be too low. Also, when the capacity of the transport box is large, the temperature in the transport box may be uneven, such that the temperature in one place is too high and the temperature in another place is too low.
If the temperature inside the transport box is detected and the cooling means and heating means are operated, the temperature inside the transport box can be kept constant regardless of the outside temperature, but the cooling means such as a compressor can be operated. Requires a lot of power. During transportation, power cannot be supplied from a commercial power source, and even if power is supplied from the battery of a vehicle such as a truck that loads and transports a transportation box, the capacity is insufficient and cooling means, etc. Can not work.
In addition, transport using a vehicle having a dedicated facility such as a refrigerated vehicle is also carried out. However, if a relatively small amount of objects are transported, the transport cost becomes high.
An object of the present invention is to strictly manage the temperature in a transport box and keep it within a predetermined range even during transport where electric power cannot be obtained from the outside.

An air-conditioning unit according to the present invention is an air-conditioning unit that is disposed in a heat-insulating transport box and keeps the temperature in the transport box within a predetermined range, and stores a power storage battery and the power stored in the storage battery. Operating by the air blowing means that circulates the air in the transport box, the cold storage that cools the air that the air blowing means circulates, and the electric power stored in the storage battery, Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the battery, and heating means that operates by the electric power stored in the storage battery and that heats the air circulated by the blowing means when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is equal to or lower than a threshold value And provided.
The air blowing means preferably reduces the amount of air to be circulated when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is equal to or lower than a second threshold value higher than the threshold value.

According to the air conditioning unit of the present invention, since the air blowing means, the temperature detecting means, and the heating means are operated by the electric power stored in the storage battery, the carrying box can be used even if the electric power cannot be supplied from the outside. The temperature inside can be kept within a predetermined range. Since a cooling agent is used as the cooling means, electric power for cooling is unnecessary, and the temperature in the transport box can be maintained for a long time even if the capacity of the storage battery is small. Since the air blower circulates the air in the transport box, it is possible to prevent uneven temperature in the transport box. Since the heating means operates when the temperature in the transport box is equal to or lower than the threshold value, it is possible to prevent the temperature in the transport box from being excessively lowered.
If the amount of air circulated by the blowing means is reduced when the temperature in the transport box is equal to or lower than the second threshold, power consumption can be suppressed. Moreover, since it can prevent overcooling, the opportunity to operate a heating means decreases and power consumption can be suppressed. For this reason, even if the capacity | capacitance of a storage battery is small, the temperature in a conveyance box can be maintained for a long time.

The front view and left view which show a conveyance box. The top view which shows an air-conditioning unit, a front view, and a left-right side view.

A transport box 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a container for storing a transported object that requires strict temperature control, such as an investigational drug. The transport box 10 includes a substantially rectangular box-shaped housing 11 whose surface on the + X side is open, a door 12 that closes the opening of the housing 11, a handle 13 for opening and closing the door 12, and −Z of the housing 11. Four casters 14 provided on the side surface, a shelf 15 for placing an object to be transported accommodated in the case 11, and an air conditioning unit 20 for keeping the temperature in the case 11 within a predetermined range; Is provided.
The housing | casing 11 and the door 12 are heat insulation, and suppress the heat exchange between the outside and the inside of the housing | casing 11 to the minimum.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioning unit 20 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped casing 21 having an opening on the surface on the + Z side, a lid 22 that closes the opening of the casing 21, and 2 arranged in the casing 21. One storage battery 23, 14 cold insulation agents 25 and heating means 27, air blowing means 24 arranged on the + Z side surface of the housing 21, temperature detection means 26 arranged on the + X side surface of the housing 21, An operation changeover switch 28 and a charging port 29 are provided.
The housing 21 includes a louver 211 disposed on the + Z side of the air blowing means 24, a drain port 212 disposed on the −Z side surface, and a partition plate 213 that partitions the interior of the housing 21. The louver 211 adjusts the wind direction so that the air blown from the blower 24 is distributed in the transport box 10. The drain port 212 discharges water droplets condensed on the cooling agent 25 to the outside of the housing 21. Inside the housing 21, the partition plate 213 is provided with a cooling agent storage part 215 that stores the cooling agent 25, an electrical system storage part 216 that stores an electrical system such as the storage battery 23, and a heating unit that stores the heating means 27. It is divided into a housing part 217.
The lid 22 includes a retractable handle 221 and an intake port 222 having a large number of openings. By lifting the handle 221, it is possible to remove the lid 22 and replace the cryogen 25 contained in the housing 21.
The operation changeover switch 28 is a switch for switching the operation state of the air conditioning unit 20 to a state selected by the user from, for example, three states of on, off, and charge.

  The storage battery 23 is a DC 12V battery, for example, and stores electric power. By connecting two storage batteries 23 in series, a DC 24V power source is obtained. The charging port 29 is an insertion port for connecting a cord for charging the storage battery 23. By connecting a cord connected to an external power source such as a commercial AC power source to the charging port 29 and switching the operation changeover switch 28 to “charging”, the storage battery 23 is charged with electric power supplied from the external power source. The air blowing unit 24, the temperature detecting unit 26, and the heating unit 27 are operated by the electric power stored in the storage battery 23. By charging the storage battery 23 in advance before the start of transportation, the air blowing means 24, the temperature detecting means 26, and the heating means 27 can be operated during transportation without any external power supply.

The air blowing means 24 circulates the air in the transport box 10. The blower 24 includes, for example, two fans 241 and 242. The fan 241 discharges air from the heating means housing 217 toward the outside of the housing 21. The fan 242 discharges air from the cold insulation container 215 toward the outside of the housing 21. As a result, the air pressure in the housing 11 decreases, and the air in the transport box 10 flows from the outside of the housing 11 toward the cold insulation storage portion 215 and the heating means storage portion 217 through the air inlet 222. The air that has flowed into the housing 11 is cooled by the cooling agent 25 or heated by the heating means 27 and then discharged out of the housing 11 by the fans 241 and 242. When the capacity of the transport box 10 is large, there is a limit if it is left to natural convection, and there is a possibility that a temperature difference is generated in the transport box 10 depending on the distance from the cold insulation agent 25. By forcibly stirring the air, it is possible to prevent the temperature in the transport box 10 from becoming uneven.
The fan 241 always operates while the operation switch 28 is “ON”. On the other hand, the fan 242 operates only when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. The operation threshold value of the fan 242 is set to a predetermined temperature within a range in which the temperature in the transport box 10 should be maintained. If the temperature in the transport box 10 should be kept between 2 ° C. and 8 ° C., the threshold is set to 5 ° C., for example.

  The cold insulation agent 25 stores cold heat and cools the air circulated by the air blowing means 24. The inside of the transport box 10 can be cooled during transport by sufficiently cooling the cryogen 25 with an external refrigerator or the like and storing it in the housing 21 before the start of transport. Unlike cooling using a compressor, power for cooling is not consumed during transportation. Since the cooling means such as the compressor consumes a large amount of power, it is necessary to receive power from the outside or increase the capacity of the storage battery 23 in order to operate it during transportation. During transportation, it is not always possible to receive power supply from the outside, and when the capacity of the storage battery 23 is increased, the volume and weight of the storage battery 23 increase and the transportation cost increases. On the other hand, since the cooling agent 25 that does not consume power during transportation is used as the cooling means, the power stored in the storage battery 23 is consumed only for operating the air blowing means 24, the temperature detecting means 26, and the heating means 27. The For this reason, it is not necessary to receive power supply from the outside during transportation, and the temperature in the transportation box 10 can be kept constant for a long time even when the capacity of the storage battery 23 is relatively small.

  The temperature detection means 26 is a temperature sensor, for example, and detects the temperature in the transport box 10. The temperature detection means 26 detects the temperature in the transport box 10, so that the temperature in the transport box 10 can be adjusted before the temperature in the transport box 10 deviates from a predetermined range.

  The heating means 27 is an electric heater such as a low-temperature heater, for example, and heats the air circulated by the air blowing means 24. The heating means 27 operates only when the temperature detected by the temperature detection means 26 is below a predetermined threshold value. The operation threshold value of the heating means 27 is set to a predetermined temperature within a range in which the temperature in the transport box 10 should be maintained. If the temperature in the transport box 10 is to be kept between 2 ° C. and 8 ° C., the threshold is set to 3 ° C., for example. Thereby, it can prevent that the temperature in the conveyance box 10 falls too much by influences, such as external temperature.

  Next, the transportation procedure will be described. In addition, the temperature shown by the following description is an example in the case where it is necessary to keep the temperature in the conveyance box 10 between 2 degreeC-8 degreeC. When the target temperature range in which the temperature in the transport box 10 should be maintained is different, the temperature setting value may be changed in accordance with the temperature range.

(1) Preparation before the start of transportation The entire transportation box 10 is housed in a refrigerator, and the temperature in the transportation box 10 is set to a predetermined temperature (for example, 4 ° C.) within the target temperature range.
A cord connected to an external power source is connected to the charging port 29 of the air conditioning unit 20 accommodated in the transport box 10, the operation changeover switch 28 is set to “charge”, and the storage battery 23 is fully charged.
Put the cryogen 25 having a melting point at a predetermined temperature (for example, 4 ° C.) within the target temperature range into a freezer having a predetermined temperature (for example, 0 ° C.) lower than the melting point of the cryogen 25 and Keep refrigerated.

(2) At the start of transportation The cold-reserving agent 25 that has been sufficiently cooled is accommodated in the cold-reserving agent accommodating portion 215 of the air conditioning unit 20.
The object to be transported is placed on the shelf 15 of the transport box 10.
The operation changeover switch 28 of the air conditioning unit 20 is turned “ON” to operate the air conditioning unit 20 and the door 12 of the transport box 10 is closed.

(3) During transportation During transportation, the inside and outside of the transportation box 10 are completely disconnected. The air conditioning unit 20 operates only with the electric power charged in the storage battery 23, and keeps the temperature in the transport box 10 within the target temperature range.
The air conditioning unit 20 has three operation states, and switches the operation state according to the temperature in the transport box 10. There are two thresholds for switching the operating state. The first threshold is set to a temperature (for example, 3 ° C.) that is higher than the lower limit temperature of the target temperature range. The second threshold is set to a temperature (for example, 5 ° C.) that is lower than the upper limit temperature of the target temperature range and higher than the first threshold.

(3-1) When the temperature in the transport box 10 is higher than the second threshold When the temperature detected by the temperature detection means 26 is higher than the second threshold, the fan 241 and the fan 242 operate and the heating means 27 stops. The air that has flowed into the housing 21 from the air inlet 222 passes through the cold insulation storage unit 215 and the heating means storage unit 217. The air that has passed through the cold insulation container 215 is cooled by the cold insulation agent 25 and then discharged outside the housing 21. The air that has passed through the heating means accommodating portion 217 is not heated because the heating means 27 is stopped, and is discharged outside the casing 21 at the same temperature.
By cooling the air in the transport box 10 with the cooling agent 25, the temperature in the transport box 10 is prevented from becoming higher than the upper limit of the target temperature range, and the air in the transport box 10 is forcibly stirred. It is possible to prevent temperature unevenness in the transport box 10.

(3-2) When the temperature in the transport box 10 is lower than the first threshold value When the temperature detected by the temperature detection means 26 is lower than the first threshold value, the fan 241 and the heating means 27 operate, and the fan 242 stops. The air that has flowed into the housing 21 from the air inlet 222 passes through the heating means storage portion 217 without passing through the cold insulation storage portion 215. The air that has passed through the heating means accommodating portion 217 is heated by the heating means 27 and then discharged out of the casing 21.
The temperature inside the transport box 10 is lower than the melting point of the cold insulation agent 25 in the winter when the outside air temperature is lower than the melting point of the cold insulation agent 25, and the temperature inside the transport box 10 can be lower than the lower limit of the target temperature range. There is sex. By operating the heating means 27 to warm the inside of the transport box 10, the temperature in the transport box 10 is prevented from becoming lower than the lower limit of the target temperature range.

(3-3) When the temperature in the transport box 10 is between the first threshold value and the second threshold value The temperature detected by the temperature detection means 26 is higher than the first threshold value, and the second threshold value. If lower than that, the fan 241 operates and the fan 242 and the heating means 27 are stopped. The air that has flowed into the housing 21 from the air inlet 222 passes through the heating means storage portion 217 without passing through the cold insulation storage portion 215. The air that has passed through the heating means accommodating portion 217 is not heated because the heating means 27 is stopped, and is discharged outside the casing 21 at the same temperature.
When the temperature in the transport box 10 is close to the melting point of the cryogen 25, the temperature in the transport box 10 is appropriately maintained, and it is not necessary to heat or cool the air in the transport box 10. Therefore, the power consumption is suppressed by stopping the fan 242 and the heating means 27. However, if the air blowing means 24 is completely stopped, there is a possibility that temperature unevenness may occur in the transport box 10, so that only the fan 241 is moved to forcibly agitate the air in the transport box 10. This prevents temperature unevenness in the transport box 10.

In addition, the partition plate 213 does not need to have heat insulation. In that case, the air passing through the heating means accommodating portion 217 is also slightly cooled under the influence of the cooling agent 25.
In general, the outside air temperature is often higher than the upper limit of the target temperature range. Therefore, even when the temperature in the transport box 10 is between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, the slightly cooled air is circulated through the heating means accommodating portion 217 to By slightly cooling the air, the temperature in the transport box 10 can be kept constant.
Further, when the temperature in the transport box 10 is lower than the first threshold value, the heating means 27 warms the air that has been slightly cooled through the heating means accommodating portion 217. Thereby, the overheating by the heating means 27 can be prevented.

As described above, since the air blowing unit, the temperature detecting unit, and the heating unit operate with the electric power stored in the storage battery, the air conditioning unit does not need to receive power supply from the outside and cannot receive power supply from the outside. Even during transportation, the temperature in the transportation box can be kept within a very narrow target temperature range.
Moreover, since it is not necessary to receive power supply from the outside, it is not necessary to connect the air conditioning unit to an external power source provided outside the transport box. Since it is not necessary to provide wiring for connecting the inside and outside of the transport box, the air conditioning unit can be configured separately from the transport box. For this reason, when transporting an object to be transported that does not require temperature management, the weight to be transported can be reduced and the capacity of the transport box can be increased by removing the air conditioning unit, so that the transport cost can be suppressed. .
Since a cooling agent that does not consume power for cooling during transportation is used as a cooling means, there is no need to receive external power supply during transportation, and the temperature in the transportation box can be maintained even if the capacity of the storage battery is relatively small. In a narrow target temperature range for a long time.
In addition, when operating a large number of transport boxes, the air conditioning unit housed in each transport box only has to cool the cooling agent in a lump compared to a configuration in which a cooling means such as a compressor is provided. Energy can be reduced.
Since the air blowing means forcibly agitates the air in the transport box, it is possible to prevent temperature unevenness from occurring in the transport box even when the capacity of the transport box is relatively large. Since it is not necessary to divide the objects to be transported into a transport box with a small capacity, it is possible to reduce labor and to reduce the transport cost.
Since the heating means operates when the temperature in the transport box is too low, the temperature in the transport box can be kept within a very narrow target temperature range even when the outside air temperature is low.
When the temperature in the transport box is just right, the amount of air circulated by the blower means is reduced, so that power consumption can be suppressed and the temperature in the transport box is very narrow even if the capacity of the storage battery is relatively small It can be kept within the target temperature range for a long time.
Since it is not necessary to use a vehicle with a dedicated facility such as a refrigerated vehicle for transportation, transportation costs can be reduced.

Note that the number of fans of the air blowing means is not limited to two, and may be three or more. For example, when the capacity of the transport box is large, it is necessary to increase the amount of air circulated by the blower means, so the number of fans may be increased in accordance with the capacity of the transport box.
The number of the cooling agents accommodated in the air conditioning unit is not limited to 14, and may be smaller or larger. For example, if the capacity of the transport box is large, it is necessary to increase the amount of cold heat stored in the cryogen. Therefore, the volume of the cryogen storage part is increased to match the capacity of the transport box, and the cooler that can be stored in the air conditioning unit. The number of agents may be increased.
The number of storage batteries is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.
Two or more air conditioning units may be accommodated in one transport box. If the number of air conditioning units to be accommodated is changed in accordance with the capacity of the transport box, it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of types of air conditioning units having different numbers of fans and the number of refrigerants that can be accommodated.

  The embodiment described above is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the configuration of the non-essential part may be replaced with another configuration.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Carrying box, 11, 21 Case, 12 Doors, 13, 221 Handle, 14 Caster, 15 Shelf, 20 Air-conditioning unit, 211 Louver, 212 Drain outlet, 213 Partition plate, 215 Coolant storage part, 216 Electrical system storage part 217 Heating means accommodating section, 22 lid, 222 air inlet, 23 storage battery, 24 air blowing means, 241, 242 fan, 25 cold insulator, 26 temperature detecting means, 27 heating means, 28 operation changeover switch, 29 charging port.

Claims (1)

An air conditioning unit that is arranged in an insulating transport box and keeps the temperature in the transport box within a predetermined range,
A storage battery for storing electric power;
Operating with the electric power stored in the storage battery, regardless of the temperature in the transport box, first air blowing means for circulating the air in the transport box;
Temperature detecting means that operates by the electric power stored in the storage battery and detects the temperature in the transport box;
A heating unit that operates by the electric power stored in the storage battery and heats the air that the first blowing unit circulates when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than a first threshold;
A second one that operates with the electric power stored in the storage battery and circulates the air in the transport box when the temperature detected by the temperature detection means is higher than a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value. Air blowing means,
A cold storage agent that stores cold and cools the air circulated by the second air blowing means;
An intake port for taking into the air conditioning unit the air circulated by the first air blowing means and the second air blowing means;
A discharge unit for discharging the air circulated by the first air blowing unit and the second air blowing unit to the outside of the air conditioning unit;
A heating means accommodating portion through which the heating means is accommodated and the air circulated by the first blowing means passes;
Containing the cold-retaining agent, and a cold-retaining agent containing portion through which the air circulated by the second blowing means passes;
Equipped with a,
The heating means is disposed at a position closer to the discharge part than the cold-retaining agent,
Air conditioning unit.

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