JP7190733B2 - Decomposition device and refrigerator with decomposition device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for decomposing residual pesticides adhering to the surface of food, and a refrigerator equipped with the device.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, due to the growing awareness of food safety, attention has been paid to devices that decompose residual pesticides adhering to vegetables, fruits, and the like by irradiating food with ultraviolet rays. In such an apparatus, the total amount of ultraviolet light irradiated to the food affects the degree of decomposition of pesticide residues and the quality of the food. In other words, if the total amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated to food is too small, residual pesticides will not be sufficiently decomposed. On the other hand, if the total amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated to food is too large, the quality of the food may be degraded. In order to solve this problem, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 includes additional devices (oxygen enrichment device and oxygen concentration detection device, pump, or generation of hypochlorous acid aqueous solution in addition to the light source that emits ultraviolet rays By providing a feeder and an additional light source with a wavelength of 780 nm to 1 mm), the balance between the degree of pesticide degradation and the damage to food due to irradiation light is measured.

JP 2010-216667 A

However, if an additional device is provided as in the decomposition device described in Patent Document 1, problems may arise such as a complicated structure, a limited food storage space, and an increased manufacturing cost. Therefore, it is considered that there is still room for improvement regarding the method of measuring the balance between the degree of pesticide decomposition and the damage to food caused by irradiation light.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a decomposition apparatus that can effectively decompose residual pesticides adhering to food while suppressing quality deterioration of the food with a simple configuration.

In order to achieve the above object, the decomposition apparatus of the present invention
an irradiation unit arranged in a storage compartment of a refrigerator for irradiating food contained in the storage compartment with light having a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less;
Control for controlling the irradiation unit so that the product of the light illuminance (μW/cm ² ) and the irradiation time (H) is 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or less and
It is characterized by decomposing agricultural chemicals adhering to food stored in the storage chamber.

According to the present invention, there is provided a decomposing device that effectively decomposes residual pesticides adhering to food by moderate irradiation of UV-C with a simple structure while limiting damage given to food stored in a storage chamber. can.

In addition, the present invention
a housing disposed within the storage chamber;
Reflective surfaces are provided on the upper, lower and both side inner surfaces of the housing,
the lower reflecting surface of the housing is inclined so as to become lower from the central portion toward the side of the housing,
A food holding portion for holding food, which is formed of a mesh member or a member capable of transmitting light having a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less, is arranged in the housing. .

According to the present invention, the light emitted from the irradiation section is reflected within the housing, so that the food can be irradiated with light from multiple directions. Furthermore, since the food holding portion is formed of a net-like member or a member capable of transmitting light having a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less, regardless of the position of the irradiation portion and the arrangement state (orientation) of the food, the shape of the food can be Light illuminates the entire area.

In addition, the present invention
The irradiation unit has a plurality of light sources,
The plurality of light sources are arranged so as to irradiate the food stored in the storage chamber from different directions.

According to the present invention, food can be irradiated with light from multiple directions, and substantially the entire food can be irradiated with light.

In addition, the present invention
a cold air inlet for allowing cold air circulating in the refrigerator to flow into the housing or the storage chamber;
and a cold air discharge port provided near the light source for discharging cold air, which has flowed in from the cold air inlet, to the outside of the housing or the storage compartment.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can prevent that the temperature in a housing|casing or a storage chamber rises with the heat emitted from a light source.

In addition, the present invention
The cold air inlet is controlled to be opened/closed by the controller.

According to the present invention, by opening the cool air inlet, it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the housing or the storage chamber from rising due to the heat emitted from the light source. On the other hand, by closing the cold air inlet, it is possible to prevent the interior of the housing or the storage chamber from being excessively dried by the cold air.

The decomposition apparatus configured as described above can efficiently decompose residual pesticides adhering to food while suppressing quality deterioration of the food with a simple configuration.

1 is a schematic front view of a refrigerator in which a disassembly device according to one embodiment of the present invention is arranged; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the decomposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front, and schematically shows the irradiation direction of light emitted from the light source by dashed arrows. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the decomposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the side, and the dashed arrows schematically show the direction of light emitted from the light source. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a decomposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front, and solid arrows schematically indicate directions in which cold air flows. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cracking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side, in which solid-line arrows schematically indicate directions in which cold air flows; FIG. 2 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the pesticide removal rate and the product of UV-C irradiation time and irradiation intensity (UV irradiation index). 1 shows the UV irradiation index and the appearance of spinach when spinach is irradiated with UV-C.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a refrigerator 1 in which a decomposition device 100 according to one embodiment of the invention is arranged. A refrigerator 1 includes a storage compartment 2 in which foods such as fruits and vegetables are stored. A decomposition device 100 according to the first embodiment is arranged in the storage chamber 2 .

FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the disassembly device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front. FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view from the side of the disassembler 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The dashed arrows shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically indicate the irradiation direction of the light emitted from the light source 8 of the decomposition device 100. As shown in FIG.
FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the disassembly device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front. FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view from the side of the disassembler 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. Solid arrows shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically indicate the direction of flow of cool air that flows in from the cool air inlet 14 of the cracking device 100 and is discharged from the cool air outlet 16 .
A disassembly apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2A-3B.

A disassembling device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a housing 4 . Inside the housing 4, a food container 6a and a light source 8 for irradiating the food placed in the food container 6a are provided. A cool air inlet 14 and a cool air outlet 16 are further arranged inside the housing 4 . The illuminance (μW/cm ² ) and/or irradiation time (H) of the light source 8 and opening/closing of the cold air inlet 14 are controlled by a control unit 12 provided in the decomposition apparatus 100 .

(Case)
The housing 4 has an upper inner surface 4a, a lower inner surface 4b, a rear inner surface 4c, and two side inner surfaces 4d and 4e, and is open forward. Each inner surface 4a to 4e is provided with a reflective surface so as to cover the entire inner surface. Moreover, the housing 4 itself may be formed of a reflecting member.
The lower inner surface 4b of the housing 4 is inclined downward from the central portion 4b1 toward the side inner surfaces 4d and 4e. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, in cross-sectional views of the disassembling device 100 viewed from the front, the lower inner surface 4b has a convex shape with the highest central portion 4b1.

(Food holding part)
The food holding part 6 has a food holding container 6a for placing food and a drawer door 6b connected to the food holding container 6a. The food holding container 6a is housed in the housing 4 in a drawer-type manner. The drawer door 6b covers the front opening of the housing 4 when the food holding container 6a is accommodated in the housing 4. As shown in FIG. The inner surface 6c of the drawer door 6b is also provided with a reflective surface so as to cover the entire inner surface 6c. The size of the mesh of the food holding container 6a is such that the food placed in the food holding container 6a can be held without falling, and a sufficient light irradiation area can be secured below and to the sides of the food. The mesh size in the embodiment is, for example, 3 cm×3 cm.

(light source)
The light source 8 emits UV-C with a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less. The light source 8 is, for example, an LED or LD. The decomposition apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes four light sources 8a to 8d. The four light sources 8a to 8d are arranged so as to irradiate the food placed in the food holding container 6a with light from different directions. Specifically, the first light source 8 a and the second light source 8 b are arranged on the upper inner surface 4 a of the housing 4 . The third light source 8c and the fourth light source 8d are provided at boundaries between the side inner surfaces 4d and 4e of the housing 4 and the lower inner surface 4b, respectively. However, the positions of these light sources 8a to 8d are not limited to the above positions. Also, the number of light sources 8 is not limited to four.

(cold air inlet)
The cold air inlet 14 in this embodiment is arranged at the upper center of the rear inner surface 4 c of the housing 4 . The decomposition device 100 has an on-off valve 18 for opening and closing the cool air inlet 14 . When the on-off valve 18 is open, part of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator 1 flows into the storage compartment 2 from the cold air inlet 14 . Here, part of the cold air is a part of the cold air with a relatively low temperature among the circulating cold air. It's the cold air inside. The cold air inlet 14 has, for example, an elliptical shape with a major axis of 10 cm and a minor axis of 3 cm. In order to prevent the food placed in the food holding container 6a from drying out, the cold air inlet 14 is desirably provided at a position that avoids direct exposure of the food to the cold air.

(cold air outlet)
The cool air that has flowed into the housing 4 through the cool air inlet 14 circulates within the housing 4 and is then discharged out of the housing 4 through a cool air outlet 16 provided inside the housing 4 . The cool air discharged to the outside of the housing 4 flows into, for example, a return duct of the refrigerator 1 and returns to the cool air circulating through the refrigerator 1 . The cold air discharge port 16 has, for example, a circular shape with a diameter of 10 cm. The cool air outlet 16 is arranged near the light source 8 . Here, the neighborhood means a range within about 3 mm from the outer peripheral edge of the light source 8 . When the decomposition apparatus 100 is equipped with a plurality of light sources 8 as in this embodiment, the cool air outlet 16 is arranged near each light source 8 .

(control part)
The control unit 12
(1) illuminance (μW/cm ² ) of light source ⁸ and/or Controlling the irradiation time (H);
(2) opening/closing control of the opening/closing valve 18;
I do.

Here, FIG. 4(a) shows the product of the pesticide removal rate, the UV-C illuminance (μW/cm ² ), and the irradiation time (H) (in this specification, this product is the UV irradiation index (μW/cm ² ×H)) is a graph showing an example of the relationship. The vertical axis is the pesticide removal rate (%) of the irradiated part. The horizontal axis is the UV irradiation index (μW/cm ² ×H).
The relationship data between the pesticide removal rate and the UV irradiation index is obtained when food is irradiated with UV-C with the illuminance and irradiation time set so that the UV irradiation index is within the range of 0 to 10000 (μW/cm ² ×H). , which measures the removal rate of pesticides in irradiated parts of food. This measurement was repeated to accumulate the data and create a correlation graph of pesticide removal rate versus UV exposure index.
FIG. 4(b) shows the UV irradiation index (μW/cm ² ×H) and the appearance of spinach when spinach is irradiated with UV-C. The above "desired numerical range" will be described with reference to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b).

Generally, when irradiating food with UV-C, if the total amount of UV-C is too small, that is, if the irradiation time is too short and/or the illumination intensity is too weak, residual pesticides will not be decomposed. On the other hand, if the total amount of UV-C is too high, ie the irradiation time is too long and/or the illumination intensity is too high, the food will be damaged. Therefore, according to the present invention, based on the test data shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), residual pesticides are decomposed to a level that satisfies consumer requirements to some extent, and the appearance of food products is significantly changed. The range of the UV irradiation index (μW/cm ² ×H) without , is set as the “desired numerical range”.

As shown in ^FIG . 4(a), as the UV irradiation index increases, the pesticide decomposition rate increases. be done. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4( ^b ), as the UV irradiation index increases, the appearance of the food deteriorates. become visible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the desired numerical range of the UV irradiation index is set to 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or less.

From the above, the control unit 12 controls the illuminance of the light source 8 so that the UV irradiation index of the light emitted from the light source 8 is 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 or less (μW/cm ² ×H). (μW/cm ² ) and/or irradiation time (H) is controlled.

(Light source control)
A method of controlling the illuminance and/or the irradiation time of the light source 8 by the control unit 12 will be described with some examples.

(1) Automatic control When the temperature and humidity in the housing 4 are within the appropriate range, the UV irradiation index is 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or less. The irradiation of the light source 8 is automatically controlled. If the temperature and humidity are not within the proper ranges, the opening/closing of the on-off valve 18 is controlled so that the temperature and humidity are within the proper ranges, as will be described later.
The method of automatic control is, for example, if food that is vulnerable to UV-C irradiation is included, a mode that irradiates for a long time with a small output is selected, and if food that is vulnerable to UV-C irradiation is not included. , there is a method of selecting a mode for short-time irradiation with a large output and controlling the illuminance and irradiation time. Mode selection may be performed by the user via an interface such as a touch panel provided in the decomposition apparatus 100, or the stored food may be identified by the control unit 12 using an image sensor or the like. Conceivable.

(2) Control based on user input (a) When the user specifies the irradiation time This is the case where T time is set. As a method of specifying the irradiation time, for example, there is a method of converting a user's input into a signal and sending it to the control unit 12 via an interface such as a touch panel provided in the decomposition apparatus 100 . The interface is not limited to that provided in the decomposition apparatus 100 and may be provided in the refrigerator 1 . When the irradiation time is specified, the control unit 12 controls the illuminance so that the UV irradiation index is 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or less according to the irradiation time. do.
(b) When the User Designates the Irradiation Intensity This is the case, for example, when the user sets the illuminance for the food stored in the decomposition apparatus 100 . As for the method of specifying the illuminance, there is a method of converting a user's input into a signal and sending it to the control unit 12 via an interface such as a touch panel provided in the decomposition apparatus 100, for example, in the same way as the method of specifying the irradiation time. The interface is not limited to that provided in the decomposition apparatus 100 and may be provided in the refrigerator 1 . When the illuminance is specified, the control unit 12 controls the irradiation time so that the UV irradiation index is 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or less according to the illuminance. .

(Control of on-off valve)
Next, a method of controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 18 by the control unit 12 will be described.
The control unit 12 performs opening/closing control of the opening/closing valve 18 according to preset conditions. The control method of the control unit 12 will be described below with specific examples.

When the light source 8 starts irradiating, the heat emitted from the light source 8 increases the temperature inside the housing 4, which may spoil the food in the housing 4. Therefore, for example, when the temperature inside the housing 4 becomes higher than the predetermined upper limit temperature _θH , the control unit 12 opens the on-off valve 18 so that the temperature inside the housing 4 reaches the predetermined lower limit temperature _θL . When it becomes lower than , the on-off valve 18 is closed. The upper limit temperature θH is, for example, 7°C, and the lower limit temperature _θL is, for example, 3° _C . The temperature inside the housing 4 is transmitted to the controller 12 via, for example, a temperature sensor provided inside the housing 4 .

Further, the control unit 12 may control the opening and closing of the on-off valve 18 based on humidity conditions as well as temperature conditions. The cold air that has passed through the evaporator has a low humidity. If cold air with low humidity is supplied into the housing 4, the humidity within the housing 4 may become too low and the food within the housing 4 may dry out. Therefore, for example, when the temperature inside the housing 4 becomes higher than the predetermined upper limit temperature _θH , the control unit 12 opens the on-off valve 18 so that the humidity inside the housing 4 reaches the predetermined lower limit humidity _HL . When it becomes lower than , the on-off valve 18 is closed. The lower limit humidity H _L is, for example, 20% to 22%. The humidity inside the housing 4 is transmitted to the control unit 12 via, for example, a humidity sensor provided inside the housing 4 .

Further, the opening/closing control of the opening/closing valve 18 by the control unit 12 may be performed according to the time condition. For example, the controller 12 may periodically open and close the on-off valve 18 .

The above control method is only an example, and the control unit 12 can control the opening and closing of the on-off valve 18 based on conditions set by various combinations of temperature conditions, humidity conditions, and time conditions that can be considered by those skilled in the art. . Also, the conditional elements are not limited to temperature, humidity, and time.

In the decomposition apparatus 100 configured as described above, the illuminance (μW/cm ² ) and/or irradiation of the light source 8 is controlled by the controller 12 so that the irradiation index (μW/cm ² ×H) falls within a desired numerical range. Time (H) can be controlled. As a result, it is possible to provide a decomposing device that effectively decomposes residual pesticides adhering to food while limiting damage given to the food contained in the housing 4 with a simple structure by appropriate irradiation of UV-C. .

In addition, in the decomposition apparatus 100 configured as described above, the light emitted from the light source 8 is reflected within the housing 4 as schematically shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The food can be irradiated with light from multiple directions. Furthermore, since the food holding container 6a is made of a net-like member, substantially the entire food is irradiated with light regardless of the position of the light source 8 and the arrangement state (orientation) of the food.

The decomposition apparatus 100 configured as described above has a plurality of light sources 8, and the plurality of light sources 8 are arranged so as to irradiate the food contained in the housing 4 from different directions. As a result, the food can be irradiated with light from multiple directions, and substantially the entire food can be irradiated with light.

Further, the decomposition apparatus 100 configured as described above can allow cold air circulating in the refrigerator 1 to flow into the housing 4 and discharge the cold air to the outside of the housing 4 from the cold air discharge port 16 . Thereby, it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the housing 4 from rising above a preset temperature due to the heat emitted from the light source 8 .
In addition, since the cool air outlet 16 is provided near the light source 8, the cool air naturally flows around the light source 8, so that the light source 8 can be efficiently cooled.
In addition, since the cold air inlet 14 is provided above the rear inner surface 4c of the housing 4, the cold air that has flowed into the housing 4 is warmed inside the housing 4, and the weight of the air is different from that of the housing. It is easy to flow into the bottom of 4. As a result, the entire interior of the housing 4 can be efficiently cooled.

Further, the cracking apparatus 100 configured as described above can control the opening and closing of the cold air inlet 14 by the control unit 12 . Thus, by opening the cool air inlet 14 , it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the housing 4 from rising due to the heat emitted from the light source 8 . On the other hand, by closing the cold air inlet 14 , it is possible to prevent the inside of the housing 4 from being excessively dried by the cold air flowing into the housing 4 through the cold air inlet 14 .

(deformation)
In the above embodiment, the food holding container 6a is a net-like container, but it is not limited to this. For example, the food holding container 6a may be a container formed of a member capable of transmitting light with a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the food holding container 6a is housed in the housing 4 in a drawer-type manner, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the food holding container 6a may be a holding container fixed within a housing having an opening and closing door. Further, for example, the housing 4 may be the drawer-type storage compartment itself of the refrigerator 1 .

Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the lower inner surface 4b is inclined downward from the central portion 4b1 toward the side inner surfaces 4d and 4e and has a convex cross-section, but is not limited to this. . For example, the lower inner surface 4b may be inclined from the central portion 4b1 toward 4d and 4e from the central portion 4b1 toward the inner surfaces on both sides, and may have a concave cross section. Further, for example, the center portion 4b1 may be curved and inclined so as to become lower or higher toward 4d and 4e on both side inner surfaces. Moreover, not only the lower inner surface 4b but also the upper inner surface 4a, the rear inner surface 4c, and the side inner surfaces 4d and 4e may be inclined or curved.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control unit 12 is a dedicated control device for the decomposition device 100, but it is not limited to this. For example, part of the control device of the refrigerator 1 body may control the illuminance (μW/cm ² ) and/or the irradiation time (H) of the light source 8 and control the opening/closing of the on-off valve 18 .

Although embodiments and embodiments of the present invention have been described in this specification, the details of the disclosure may vary in terms of configuration, and combinations of elements, changes in order, etc., in the embodiments and embodiments may be changed. may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.

1 refrigerator 2 storage room 4 housing 4a upper inner surface 4b of housing lower inner surface 4c of housing rear inner surfaces 4d and 4e of housing lateral inner surface 6 food holding portion 6a food holding container 6b drawer door 6c of drawer door Inner surface 8 Light source 8a First light source 8b Second light source 8c Third light source 8d Fourth light source 12 Control unit 14 Cool air inlet 16 Cool air outlet 18 On-off valve 100 Decomposition device

Claims (4)

an irradiation unit arranged in a storage compartment of a refrigerator for irradiating food contained in the storage compartment with light having a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less;
Control for controlling the irradiation unit so that the product of the light illuminance (μW/cm ² ) and the irradiation time (H) is 2000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or more and 6000 (μW/cm ² ×H) or less Department and
a housing disposed within the storage chamber;
has
Reflective surfaces are provided on the upper, lower and both side inner surfaces of the housing,
the lower reflecting surface of the housing is inclined so as to become lower from the central portion toward the side of the housing,
A food holding portion for holding food, which is formed of a mesh member or a member capable of transmitting light having a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 300 nm or less, is arranged in the housing,
A decomposition device for decomposing agricultural chemicals adhering to the food stored in the storage chamber. The irradiation unit has a plurality of light sources,
2. The decomposition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are arranged to irradiate the food stored in the storage chamber from different directions. a cold air inlet for allowing cold air circulating in the refrigerator to flow into the housing or the storage chamber;
3. The decomposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cold air discharge port provided in the vicinity of said light source for discharging cold air, which has flowed in from said cold air inlet, out of said housing or said storage chamber. 4. The decomposition apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said cool air inlet is controlled to be opened and closed by said controller.

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