JP7237180B2 - Transport method, transport support method, transport support device and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transportation method, a transportation assistance method, a transportation assistance device, and a program.

Currently, cargo such as fruits and vegetables is transported from a shipping base to a destination using a refrigerated transport vehicle. In refrigerated transportation using refrigerated transportation vehicles, the refrigeration temperature of cargo varies depending on the position in the vehicle, and the refrigeration effect is reduced due to full loading, mixed loading, and unloading. In addition, when a refrigerated transportation vehicle is used, there are cases where cargo needs to be transshipped on the way, or cargo is left at room temperature when it arrives. Therefore, even if the cargo is kept cool, it is difficult to maintain the low temperature until the destination.

Therefore, in recent years, a refrigerant storage space for storing refrigerant such as dry ice, ice, cold insulator, cold storage material, etc. is provided in an insulated container for storing luggage, and cold air flows from the refrigerant stored in the refrigerant storage space to the luggage. has been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 to 4, for example). It is said that when such technology is employed, the cargo can be kept at a low temperature by the cold air supplied from the refrigerant.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-43020 JP 2008-256336 A JP-A-2015-9838 Japanese Patent No. 6436822

However, when conventional techniques such as those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 are adopted, it is necessary to prepare a refrigerant such as dry ice in advance or to replenish/replace it on the way.・The replacement work was complicated. In addition, since the refrigerant storage space is provided in the heat insulating container, the space for storing the cargo is narrowed, so there is also the problem that the load capacity of the cargo is reduced and the transportation efficiency is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a transportation method capable of maintaining a low temperature state of an object without using a refrigerant such as dry ice and realizing high transportation efficiency. intended to provide Another object of the present invention is to provide a method, an apparatus, and a program capable of appropriately setting pre-cooling conditions for perishables when transporting perishables at normal temperature to support normal-temperature transport.

In order to achieve the above object, the transportation method according to the present invention comprises a precooling step of precooling an object, an enclosing step of enclosing the precooled object with a heat insulating panel, and the object enclosed with the heat insulating panel. and a transport step of transporting. In the pre-cooling step, the object can be pre-cooled within the range of -60 to 20°C.

By adopting such a method, by enclosing the pre-cooled object with the insulation panel and transporting it, the object can function as a coolant in the space inside the insulation panel. Able to maintain low temperature. Therefore, for example, even when the outside air temperature is higher than the temperature of the object, it is possible to prevent the object from being heated by the outside temperature, thereby preventing deterioration in the quality of the object. In addition, even when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the object, it is possible to prevent the object from being overcooled by the outside temperature, thereby preventing the object (for example, fruits and vegetables) from being damaged by low temperatures. In this method, it is not necessary to use a refrigerant such as dry ice. It is possible to realize high transportation efficiency by increasing the loading capacity of the cargo.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the precooling step, when the temperature of the object at the time of arrival at the destination (the temperature at the time of arrival) is set, the outside temperature and the temperature at which the object is It is possible to set the precooling temperature by calculating the heat transfer based on the amount (bulk density or volume) of the object, the specific heat of the object, the transportation time, and the thermal resistance value of the insulation panel.

By adopting such a method, it is possible to appropriately set the precooling temperature based on the outside air temperature or the like so as to achieve the temperature of the object when it arrives at the destination (the temperature at the time of landing).

In the transportation method according to the invention, the pre-cooling step can divide the objects into at least two object groups and pre-cool the object groups under different pre-cooling conditions. At this time, in the enclosing step, the group of objects precooled in the precooling step can be enclosed with different heat insulating material panels.

By adopting such a method, it is possible to transport a group of objects in a pre-cooling temperature zone suitable for maintaining freshness.

In the transportation method according to the invention, the pre-cooling step can divide the objects into at least two object groups and pre-cool the object groups under different pre-cooling conditions. At this time, in the surrounding process, the group of objects precooled in the precooling process can be surrounded by the same heat insulating material panel.

By adopting such a method, one group of objects acts as a cooling agent for the other group of objects, and can be transported while maintaining freshness as a whole. This is particularly effective when objects with different heat capacities are mixed.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the space inside the insulation panel is set to 30% or more, or the density of the object inside the insulation panel is increased. It can be set to 30 kg/m ³ or more.

By adopting such a method, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the space inside the insulation panel (bulk occupancy) is set to a specific value (30%) or more, or the object inside the insulation panel is set to a specific value (30 kg/m ³ ) or higher, a desired refrigerant effect can be maintained. If the bulk occupation ratio is less than 30% or the density is less than 30 kg/m ³ , the desired refrigerant effect cannot be maintained, which is not preferable.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, the enclosing step can use insulation panels made of insulation having a thermal resistance of 50 m ² ·K/W or less.

By adopting such a method, the object is surrounded by a heat insulating material panel composed of a heat insulating material having a specific thermal resistance (50 m ² ·K/W or less), so that the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the enclosing step, a heat insulating panel made of a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of 0.3 m ² ·K/W or more per 10 mm of thickness can be used.

By adopting such a method, heat resistance can be secured even if the thickness of the heat insulating material panel is reduced, and the carrying capacity can be increased.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, the enclosing step can use insulation panels made of insulation having a bending strength of 0.15 N/mm ² or more.

By adopting such a method, the objects are surrounded by insulation panels made of insulation having a specific bending strength (0.15 N/mm ² or more). - Absorbs impact to suppress crushing, reliably protects the object, and effectively maintains the heat insulating effect.

In the transportation method according to the present invention, in the enclosing step, the object can be encased in an airtight case composed of heat insulating material panels with a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less.

When such a method is adopted, since the object is surrounded by a housing having a specific airtightness (gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less) made up of heat insulating material panels, the gas concentration (e.g., CO ₂ concentration) in the housing can be reduced. can be controlled. Therefore, for example, when the object is a fruit or vegetable, respiration of the fruit or vegetable can be suppressed to maintain freshness.

In addition, a transportation support method according to the present invention is a method executed by a computer to support room-temperature transportation of perishables, and includes request information including information on the type and amount of perishables and information on the transportation destination. , a calculation step of calculating precooling conditions for precooling perishables based on the request information, and an output step of outputting the precooling conditions.

Moreover, the program which concerns on this invention is a program for making a computer perform the already described transportation assistance method.

Further, a transportation support device according to the present invention is a device for supporting room-temperature transportation of perishables, and is an acquisition unit that acquires request information including information on the type and amount of perishables and information on the transportation destination. , a calculation unit for calculating precooling conditions for precooling perishables based on request information, and an output unit for outputting the precooling conditions. In this specification, the term "normal temperature transport" includes transport without cooling or heating. For example, transportation may be performed using a transportation means or the like that does not have a cooling device, or transportation may be performed using a transportation means or the like that does not have a heating device.

By adopting such a configuration and method, request information including information on the type and amount of perishables and information on the transportation destination is acquired, and precooling conditions for precooling perishables are determined based on the acquired request information. can be calculated and the calculated precooling conditions can be output. Therefore, it is possible to input the request information provided by the requester, output the accurate precooling conditions, and provide the output precooling conditions to the perishable product keeper. The storage person who receives such pre-cooling conditions can appropriately pre-cool perishable products before shipment under the appropriate pre-cooling conditions, so it is possible to maintain the quality of perishable products at the destination of transportation. Become.

In the calculation step in the transportation support method according to the present invention, based on the request information, the transportation time required to transport the perishable product to the transportation destination and the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during transportation are calculated, and the transportation time is calculated. and the pre-cooling condition can be calculated based on the temperature fluctuation. Here, the temperature fluctuation of perishables during transportation is based on the heat that enters the interior of the container for transporting the perishables during transportation, and the weight and specific heat of the perishables stored in the container. can be calculated by The incoming heat can be calculated based on the air temperature inside and outside the container, and the heat transfer area and heat transfer rate of the container. The heat transfer coefficient can be calculated based on the heat transfer coefficient inside and outside the container, and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material forming the container.

By adopting such a method, based on the request information, the transportation time required to transport the perishable product to the transportation destination and the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during transportation are calculated, and based on these transportation time and temperature fluctuation can be used to calculate the pre-cooling conditions. At this time, information on the container for transporting perishables (heat transfer coefficient inside and outside the container, temperature inside and outside the container, thickness and thermal conductivity of the insulating material that makes up the container), and perishables stored in the container Based on the weight and specific heat of the fresh product, the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during transportation can be accurately calculated. Therefore, it is possible to accurately calculate the precooling conditions.

In the calculation step in the transportation support method according to the present invention, precooling is performed so that the temperature of perishables at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of perishables until arrival at the transportation destination) is less than a predetermined threshold. Conditions can be calculated.

By adopting such a method, the pre-cooling conditions can be accurately calculated so that the temperature of perishables at the time of arrival at the destination of transportation (or the accumulated temperature of perishables until arrival at the destination of transportation) is less than a predetermined threshold. be able to.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a transportation method capable of maintaining a low temperature state of an object without using a refrigerant such as dry ice and realizing high transportation efficiency. Become. In addition, it is possible to provide a method, an apparatus, and a program capable of supporting normal-temperature transportation by appropriately setting pre-cooling conditions for perishables when perishables are transported at normal temperature.

1 is an exploded perspective view of an insulated container used in a transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled insulated container used in a transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a support member is arranged on a pedestal of the heat insulating container used in the transportation method according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which each part of the heat insulating container used in the transportation method according to the embodiment of the present invention is laminated to reduce the volume. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the transportation support device according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram for explaining the physical configuration of a transportation support device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining each step of the transportation assistance method according to the embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments are merely suitable application examples, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to these.

<transportation method>
First, a transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. A transportation method according to the present embodiment is a method of transporting a predetermined object in a precooled state, and includes a precooling step of precooling the object, an enveloping step of enclosing the precooled object with a heat insulating material panel, and a transporting step of transporting the object enclosed by the insulation panel. Examples of objects include fruits and vegetables, meat, fresh fish, beverages, processed foods, cereals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, flowers, tea leaves, coffee beans, etc., and the state in which these are stored in a housing (cardboard box, iron container, etc.). Also includes

In the pre-cooling step, the object is pre-cooled within the range of -60 to 20°C. For example, if the object is a fruit or vegetable, it is precooled within the range of 0 to 15°C in the precooling step, and if the object is meat or fresh fish, it is precooled within the range of -60 to 10°C in the precooling step, If the object is a beverage (such as canned coffee or paper-packed beverage), it is pre-cooled within the range of -5 to 5°C in the pre-cooling process, and if the object is a processed food (such as chilled food) In the pre-cooling step, pre-cool within the range of -5 to 5 ° C. If the object is grain (rice, wheat, etc.), pre-cool within the range of 5-15 ° C in the pre-cooling step, and the object is cosmetics. In some cases, the pre-cooling process is pre-cooled within the range of -20 to 20°C, if the object is a pharmaceutical, pre-cooling is pre-cooled within the range of -60-10°C in the pre-cooling process, and if the object is a flower in the precooling step, precooling within the range of 0 to 15 ° C. When the target is tea leaves, precooling in the precooling step within the range of -20 to 15 ° C. When the target is coffee beans, Pre-cool in the range of -20 to 15°C in the pre-cooling step.

In the pre-cooling process, when the temperature of the object at the time of arrival at the destination (landing temperature) is set, the outside temperature and the amount of the object (bulk density and volume) are adjusted so that this temperature is achieved. , the heat transfer can be calculated based on the specific heat of the object, the transportation time, and the thermal resistance value of the insulation panel to set the precooling temperature. By doing so, it is possible to appropriately set the precooling temperature based on the outside air temperature or the like so as to achieve the temperature of the object at the time of arrival at the destination (temperature at arrival). Also, in the precooling step, the objects can be divided into at least two object groups, and the object groups can be precooled under different precooling conditions.

In the enclosing step, the objects pre-cooled in the pre-cooling step may be encased with different insulation panels. For example, cabbage and carrots precooled to 5°C are placed in a first insulated container, bell peppers and tomatoes precooled to 10°C are placed in a second insulated container, and onions precooled to 1°C are placed in a third insulated container. , these first, second and third insulated containers can be transported by one transport vehicle. In this way, the group of objects can be transported in a precooling temperature zone suitable for maintaining freshness (in contrast, transportation by conventional refrigeration trucks can only be carried in one precooling temperature zone).

Also, in the enclosing step, the group of objects precooled in the precooling step can be enclosed with the same insulation panel. In this way, one group of objects acts as a cold insulator for the other group of objects, and can be transported while maintaining freshness as a whole. This is particularly effective when objects with different heat capacities are mixed. For example, a group of objects precooled to 3°C whose temperature is difficult to change (for example, potatoes) and a group of objects precooled to 1°C whose temperature is easy to change (for example, leafy vegetables such as spinach) are mixed in one heat-insulating container. and can be transported.

In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the space inside the insulation panel (volume occupation ratio) is set to 30% or more, or the density of the object inside the insulation panel is set to 30 kg / m Set to ³ or more. Since the volume occupation ratio of the object is set to a specific value or more or the density of the object is set to a specific value or more in this manner, a desired refrigerant effect can be maintained. If the bulk occupation ratio is less than 30% or the density is less than 30 kg/m ³ , the desired refrigerant effect cannot be maintained, which is not preferable.

Insulation panels made of insulation with a thermal resistance of 50 m ² ·K/W or less should be used in the enclosing process. In this way, since the object is surrounded by a heat insulating material panel composed of a heat insulating material having a specific heat resistance, the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained. In addition, in the enclosing step, it is possible to use a heat insulating panel made of a heat insulating material having a heat resistance of 0.3 m ² ·K/W or more per 10 mm of thickness. In this way, heat resistance can be ensured even if the thickness of the heat insulating material panel is reduced, and the space for storing luggage can be increased.

Also, in the enclosing process, a heat insulating panel made of a heat insulating material having a bending strength of 0.15 N/mm ² or more is used. In this way, since the object is surrounded by insulation panels made of insulation having a specific flexural strength, deformation of the insulation panel during transportation can be suppressed, and at the same time vibrations and shocks can be absorbed to suppress crushing. It is possible to reliably protect the object and effectively maintain the heat insulating effect. In the enclosing step, the target object is enclosed in an airtight enclosure composed of heat insulating material panels having a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less. Since the object is surrounded by the enclosure having specific airtightness in this way, the gas concentration (for example, CO ₂ concentration) in the enclosure can be controlled. Therefore, for example, when the object is a fruit or vegetable, respiration of the fruit or vegetable can be suppressed to maintain freshness.

<Insulated container>
Here, the configuration of the heat insulating container 1 used in the transportation method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat-insulating container 1 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped heat-insulating container comprising a front plate 10 made of heat insulating material panels, a rear plate 20, a pair of left and right side plates 30, a bottom plate 40, and a top plate 50. . As described above, the heat insulating panels constituting the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, the side plates 30, the bottom plate 40 and the top plate 50 have a thermal resistance of 50 m ² ·K/W or less and a thermal resistance of 0.15 N/W. Insulation panels made of insulation having a bending strength of mm ² or more shall be adopted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front plate 10 is a substantially rectangular flat plate having a predetermined thickness. In this embodiment, as the front plate 10, an upper front plate 11 arranged above the heat insulating container 1 and a lower front plate 12 arranged below the heat insulating container 1 are employed. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower front plate 12 is fitted into a groove 61 formed in a pedestal 60 installed at a predetermined location so as to rise vertically upward. It is arranged above the lower front plate 12 and configured to rise vertically upward. Edge portions of the upper front plate 11 and the lower front plate 12 are connected to each other via hook-and-loop fasteners 70 which will be described later.

The upper front plate 11 and the lower front plate 12 have substantially the same height, but the width of the upper front plate 11 is slightly larger than the width of the lower front plate 12 (by twice the thickness of the side plate 30). is set. The height, thickness, and width of the front plate 10 are appropriately set according to the size of the heat-insulating container 1, the type of object to be stored in the heat-insulating container 1, the strength of the heat-insulating material panel constituting the front plate 10, and the like. can be done.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear plate 20 is a flat plate that has a predetermined thickness and is foldable and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In this embodiment, the first rear plate portion 21 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate 40, and the edge portion 21a of the first rear plate portion 21 on the side opposite to the bottom plate 40 is connected via the film 24 to the first rear plate portion 21. A second rear plate portion 22 that can be bent toward the inside of the container with respect to the first rear plate portion 21, and a film 25 on the edge portion 22a of the second rear plate portion 22 opposite to the first rear plate portion 21. and a third rear plate portion 23 that is connected to the second rear plate portion 22 via and bendable toward the inner side of the container. The film 24 is formed on each edge of the first rear plate portion 21 and the second rear plate portion 22 so as to allow the second rear plate portion 22 to be bent toward the inside of the container with respect to the first rear plate portion 21 . It is attached to the inside surface. The film 25 is formed on each edge of the second rear plate portion 22 and the third rear plate portion 23 so as to allow the third rear plate portion 23 to be bent toward the inner side of the container with respect to the second rear plate portion 22 . It is attached to the inside surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first rear plate portion 21 is fitted into a groove 62 formed in a pedestal 60 arranged at a predetermined location, and is attached to a second support portion 82 of a support member 80 to be described later. It is configured to rise vertically upward to approximately the same height. As shown in FIG. 4, the second rear plate portion 22 functions to cover the top of the laminate P composed of the front plate 10, the side plates 30, and the top plate 50, and has substantially the same area as the bottom plate 40. have. As shown in FIG. 4 , the third rear plate portion 23 functions to cover the front of the laminate P composed of the front plate 10, the side plates 30, and the top plate 50, and is closer than the first rear plate portion 21. It has a slightly smaller area. The overall height, thickness, and width of the rear plate 20 are appropriately set according to the size of the heat-insulating container 1, the type of object to be stored in the heat-insulating container 1, the strength of the heat-insulating panel that constitutes the rear plate 20, and the like. be able to.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the side plate 30 is a substantially rectangular flat plate having a predetermined thickness. In this embodiment, as the side plates 30, an upper side plate 31 arranged above the heat insulating container 1 and a lower side plate 32 arranged below the heat insulating container 1 are employed. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower side plate 32 is fitted into a groove 63 formed in a pedestal 60 installed at a predetermined location and is configured to rise vertically upward. 32 and configured to rise vertically upward. Edge portions of the upper side plate 31 and the lower side plate 32 are connected to each other via hook-and-loop fasteners 70 which will be described later.

The upper side plate 31 and the lower side plate 32 have substantially the same height, but the width of the lower side plate 32 is set slightly larger than the width of the upper side plate 31 (by the thickness of the front plate 10). The height, thickness, and width of the side plate 30 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat insulating container 1, the type of object to be stored in the heat insulating container 1, the strength of the heat insulating material panel constituting the side plate 30, and the like. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom plate 40 is a substantially rectangular flat plate having a predetermined thickness in plan view, and is a substantially rectangular plate surrounded by grooves 61, 62, and 63 on the upper surface of a pedestal 60 installed at a predetermined location. It is fixed in a state of being arranged in a shaped area (see FIG. 3). The thickness and the length of each side of the bottom plate 40 can be appropriately set according to the size of the heat insulating container 1, the type of object to be stored in the heat insulating container 1, the strength of the heat insulating material panel constituting the bottom plate 40, and the like. can.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the top plate 50 is a substantially rectangular flat plate having a predetermined thickness and is arranged above the front plate 10 , the rear plate 20 and the side plates 30 . The thickness and the length of each side of the top plate 50 are appropriately set according to the size of the heat insulating container 1, the type of object to be stored in the heat insulating container 1, the strength of the heat insulating material panel constituting the top plate 50, and the like. be able to.

Edges of the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, the side plates 30, and the top plate 50 are connected to each other via hook-and-loop fasteners 70 (shaded areas in FIG. 2). The width W of the hook-and-loop fastener 70 along each edge is set to 2% or more of the length L of each edge. Since the width of the hook-and-loop fastener 70 is set to a specific value (2% or more of the length of each edge) in this manner, the heat insulating function and airtightness of the heat insulating container 1 can be maintained. It is possible to suppress the leakage of heat and gas from the Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the front plate 10, the side plates 30 and the top plate 50 are separated from each other and laminated on the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 to be described later to form the laminate P. It is designed to

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the heat-insulating container 1 includes a support member 80 that functions as a guide or the like when loading objects to be stored in the container. In the support member 80, a flat plate-shaped first support portion 81 made of a material having rigidity and a flat plate-shaped second support portion 82 made of a material having rigidity are rigidly joined to form an L-shaped cross section. configured as follows. The first support portion 81 of the support member 80 in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. Fixed. The second support portion 82 of the support member 80 is arranged near the first rear plate portion 21 of the rear plate 20 as shown in FIG. 1 and above the first support portion 81 as shown in FIG. It is constructed so as to rise vertically upward to substantially the same height as the height of the laminated body P (when all the parts are arranged) arranged in the same direction.

The first support portion 81 and the second support portion 82 of the support member 80 have bending rigidity of 700 N/mm or more. Since the flexural rigidity of the first support portion 81 and the second support portion 82 is set to a specific value in this manner, deformation and damage of the support member 80 during loading can be suppressed, and the heat insulating container 1 can be damaged. It is possible to suppress leakage of heat and gas inside the container. The bending rigidity of the first support portion 81 and the second support portion 82 is preferably 2500 N/mm or more. The support member 80 may be made of any material as long as it achieves the bending rigidity described above, and for example, a metal material or the like can be used.

<How to use the insulated container>
Next, how to use the heat insulating container 1 in each step of the transportation method according to this embodiment will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the bottom plate 40 constituting the heat insulating container 1 is placed and fixed on the pedestal 60 placed at a predetermined place, and the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 is placed on the bottom plate 40. placed and fixed. Next, the object is placed on the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 using the second support portion 82 as a guide, and in this state, air precooling is performed in the precooling chamber (precooling step).

Next, the lower front plate 12, the first rear plate portion 21 of the rear plate 20, and the lower side plate 32, which constitute the heat insulating container 1, were fitted into the grooves 61, 62, and 63 of the base 60, respectively, and lifted vertically upward. After that, the upper front plate 11 and the upper side plate 31 are arranged above the lower front plate 12 and the lower side plate 32 to cover the cargo from all sides. interconnect the edges of the Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2 , the top plate 50 is placed above the front plate 10 , the rear plate 20 and the side plates 30 , and the top plate 50 is attached to the front plate 10 , the rear plate 20 and the side plates 30 using hook-and-loop fasteners 70 . to seal the insulated container 1. As a result, the pre-cooled object is surrounded by the heat insulating material panel (surrounding step).

After that, the heat insulating container 1 containing the object is transported to a predetermined destination by using a refrigerated transportation vehicle or the like (transportation step).

When the object is transported to a predetermined destination using the heat-insulating container 1, the top plate 50 of the heat-insulating container 1 is first removed, and then the front plate 10 and the side plates 30 are removed from the grooves 61 and 63 of the base 60, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, a laminate P comprising the front plate 10, the side plates 30 and the top plate 50 is formed. Next, the laminate P is stacked on the first support portion 81 of the support member 80 using the second support portion 82 as a guide. At this time, since the height of the second support portion 82 of the support member 80 is approximately equal to the height of the laminate P when all the parts are aligned, the shortage of the plates constituting the laminate P is visually checked. can be easily recognized by

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, the second rear plate portion 22 of the rear plate 20 is bent toward the inner side of the container with respect to the first rear plate portion 21 to cover the upper side of the laminate P. The third rear plate portion 23 is bent toward the inner side of the container with respect to the second rear plate portion 22 to cover the front of the laminate P. As a result, the laminate (the front plate 10, the side plates 30, and the top plate 50) P can be reliably protected, and the heat insulating container 1 is stored at a predetermined place in this state.

<Effect>
In the transport method according to the embodiment described above, the precooled object is surrounded by the heat insulating panels (the front plate 10, the rear plate 20, the side plates 30, the bottom plate 40 and the top plate 50) for transportation. Since the object can function as a coolant in the space inside the material panel (internal space of the heat insulating container 1), the object can be maintained at a low temperature even during transportation. Therefore, for example, even when the outside air temperature is higher than the temperature of the object, it is possible to prevent the object from being heated by the outside temperature, thereby preventing deterioration in the quality of the object. In addition, even when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the object, it is possible to prevent the object from being overcooled by the outside temperature, thereby preventing the object (for example, fruits and vegetables) from being damaged by low temperatures. In this method, it is not necessary to use a refrigerant such as dry ice. It is possible to realize high transportation efficiency by increasing the loading capacity of the cargo.

Further, in the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the space inside the heat insulating panel (internal space of the heat insulating container 1) (volume share) is set to a specific value (30% ) or higher, or the density of the object inside the heat insulating panel (inside the heat insulating container 1) is set to a specific value (30 kg/m ³ ) or higher, so that the desired refrigerant effect can be maintained. .

In addition, in the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, the heat insulating material panels (front plate ¹⁰ , rear plate 20, side plate 30, bottom plate 40 and the top plate 50) surround the object, the heat insulating effect can be effectively maintained.

Further, in the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, the heat insulating material panels (front plate 10, rear plate 20, side plate 30 ^, bottom plate 40 and the top plate 50) surround the object, it is possible to suppress the deformation of the heat insulating material panel during transportation, absorb vibrations and shocks and suppress crushing, and reliably protect and insulate the object. The effect can be effectively maintained.

In addition, in the transportation method according to the embodiment described above, since the object is surrounded by a case (insulated container 1) having a specific airtightness (a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour or less) made up of insulating material panels, , the gas concentration (eg _CO2 concentration) in the enclosure can be controlled. Therefore, for example, when the object is a fruit or vegetable, respiration of the fruit or vegetable can be suppressed to maintain freshness.

<Modified example of heat-insulating container>
In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the support member 80 having an L-shaped cross section and the heat insulating panel were separate members, but the supporting member also serves as part of the heat insulating panel (part of the support member). (consisting of insulation panels). Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the support member 80 having an L-shaped cross section is employed has been shown, but such a support member is not essential, and the object may be surrounded only by a heat insulating material panel. In this case, it is preferable to surround the object with a housing having specific airtightness made up of a heat insulating material panel having specific heat resistance and bending rigidity. Moreover, when surrounding an object with a heat insulating material panel, it is preferable to set the volume occupation ratio of the object to a specific value or more, or to set the density of the object to a specific value or more.

Next, examples of the present invention will be described.

<Example 1>
In this example, the target object was a fruit or vegetable (cabbage, carrot, Japanese radish, etc.) housed in a rectangular parallelepiped cardboard box with a volume of 0.047 m ³ . First, the object was air precooled in a precooler at 5°C so that the temperature at the time of landing was 15°C or less (precooling step). Then, the pre-cooled object is placed in an airtight insulated container composed of thermal insulation panels with a thermal resistance of 2.5 m ² ·K/W and a bending strength of 0.45 N/mm ² with a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour. Surrounded (surrounding process). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the internal space of the heat-insulating container (volume share) was set to 96%, and the density of the object inside the heat-insulating container was set to 250 kg/ ^m3 . . After that, the object stored in the heat-insulating container was transported from the shipping base to the destination by transport vehicle (transportation process). Total transportation time was 48 hours. Also, the average outside temperature during transportation was 25°C. In this example, the temperature of the object when the object was put on was 11° C., and the target temperature when the object was put on was achieved. Moreover, when the temperature of the object was measured at regular time intervals, no rapid temperature rise was observed. Furthermore, in this example, no deterioration was observed in the object.

<Example 2>
First, an object similar to that of Example 1 was precooled by ventilation at 5°C in a precooler so that the temperature at the time of landing was 15°C or less (precooling step). Then, the pre-cooled object is placed in an airtight insulated container composed of thermal insulation panels with a thermal resistance of 1.5 m ² ·K/W and a bending strength of 0.25 N/mm ² with a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour. Surrounded (surrounding process). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the internal space of the heat-insulating container (volume share) was set to 96%, and the density of the object inside the heat-insulating container was set to 250 kg/ ^m3 . . After that, the object stored in the heat-insulating container was transported from the shipping base to the destination by transport vehicle (transportation process). Total transportation time was 48 hours. Also, the average outside temperature during transportation was 25°C. In this example, the temperature of the object when the object was put on was 13° C., and the target temperature when the object was put on was achieved. Moreover, when the temperature of the object was measured at regular time intervals, no rapid temperature rise was observed. Furthermore, in this example, no deterioration was observed in the object.

<Example 3>
First, the same object as in Example 1 was precooled in a precooler at 5° C. (precooling step). The pre-cooled object was then enclosed in an insulated container made up of insulation panels with a bending strength of 0.14 N/mm ² (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the internal space of the heat-insulating container (volume share) was set to 96%, and the density of the object inside the heat-insulating container was set to 250 kg/ ^m3 . . After that, the object stored in the heat-insulating container was transported from the shipping base to the destination by transport vehicle (transportation process). Total transportation time was 48 hours. Also, the average outside temperature during transportation was 25°C. In this example, the temperature of the object when it was put on was 13° C., and the target temperature when it was put on was achieved. On the other hand, when the temperature of the object was measured at regular time intervals, there was a period of time during which the rate of temperature increase was large. It is presumed that this is because external air entered the heat-insulating container due to impact during transportation. No deterioration was observed in the object.

<Example 4>
First, the same object as in Example 1 was precooled in a precooler at 5° C. (precooling step). Then, the pre-cooled object is made of a heat insulating panel having a thickness of 50 mm, a thermal resistance of 2.5 m ² K/W and a bending strength of 0.45 N/mm ² , and has airtightness with a gas exchange rate of 2 times/hour. It was enclosed in an insulated container (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the internal space of the heat-insulating container (volume share) was set to 96%, and the density of the object inside the heat-insulating container was set to 250 kg/ ^m3 . . After that, the object stored in the heat-insulating container was transported from the shipping base to the destination by transport vehicle (transportation process). Total transport time was 40 hours. Also, the average outside temperature during transportation was 25°C. In this example, the target temperature at the time of landing was 15° C., and it was found that the target temperature at the time of landing could be achieved by transporting the object for a shorter time than in Example 1. No deterioration was observed in the object.

<Example 5>
First, the same object as in Example 1 was precooled in a precooler at 5° C. (precooling step). Then, the pre-cooled object is made of a heat insulating panel having a thickness of 50 mm, a thermal resistance of 2.5 m ² K/W and a bending strength of 0.45 N/mm ² , and has airtightness with a gas exchange rate of 1 time/hour. It was enclosed in an insulated container (surrounding step). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the internal space of the heat-insulating container (volume share) was set to 39%, and the density of the object inside the heat-insulating container was set to 29 kg/ ^m3 . . After that, the object stored in the heat-insulating container was transported from the shipping base to the destination by transport vehicle (transportation process). Total transportation time was 10 hours. Also, the average outside temperature during transportation was 25°C. In this example, the target temperature at the time of landing was 14° C., and it was found that the target temperature at the time of landing could be achieved by transporting the object for a shorter time than in Example 1. No deterioration was observed in the object.

<Comparative example>
First, the same object as in Example 1 was precooled in a precooler at 5° C. (precooling step). The pre-cooled object was then enclosed in a container without insulation panels (thickness 10 mm, thermal resistance 0.0002 m ² K/W, bending strength 270 N/mm ² , gas exchange rate 1 time/h) ( siege process). In the enclosing step, the ratio of the volume of the object to the total volume of the internal space of the container (bulk occupation ratio) was set to 96%, and the density of the object inside the container was set to 250 kg/m ³ . After that, the object housed in the container was transported from the shipping base to the destination by transport vehicle (transportation process). Total transportation time was 48 hours. Also, the average outside temperature during transportation was 25°C. In the comparative example, the temperature at which the object was put on was 25° C., which was much higher than that of Example 1, and about 10% of the objects were deteriorated.

<Transportation support device>
Next, the functional configuration of the transportation support device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIG.

The transportation support device 100 according to the present embodiment is for supporting normal-temperature transportation of pre-cooled perishables, and is an information acquisition unit for acquiring various types of information such as request information sent from the client C or the like. 101, an information calculation unit 102 for calculating various information such as precooling conditions, an information output unit 103 for outputting various information such as precooling conditions calculated by the information calculation unit 102 to the custodian P and the like; Various databases 104 (request information database 104A, perishables information database 104B, transportation information database 104C, packing information database 104D) for recording various information are provided. In addition, "perishables" in this embodiment means foods that deteriorate due to temperature changes during transportation, such as fruits and vegetables (vegetables and fruits), meat, fresh fish, grains, tea leaves, coffee beans, flowers, etc. including. In addition, frozen foods are also included in the "perishables" in this embodiment.

The information acquisition unit 101 functions to acquire request information sent from the requester C and to receive various types of information input by the user of the transportation support device 100. The communication unit 140 (see FIG. 6) (to be described later) and an input unit 150 (to be described later in FIG. 6). The request information is input from the terminal UC owned by the client _C to the information acquisition unit 101 of the transportation support device 100 via the communication network N, as shown in FIG. As the terminal _UC , various electronic devices (desktop PC, notebook PC, smart phone, etc.) having an information display section, an information input section, and communication means can be adopted. The communication network N is an information communication network capable of interconnecting a plurality of computers, and may be a global information communication network such as the Internet. The request information acquired via the information acquisition unit 101 is stored in the request information database 104A.

The request information includes information on the type and amount of perishables. For example, the request information includes “cucumber (600 kg)”, “bell pepper (300 kg)”, “eggplant (200 kg)”, “lettuce (200 kg)”, “potato (150 kg)” and the like. Note that in the present embodiment, perishable product information (for example, "breathing heat" and "frictional heat") are recorded in the perishables information database 104B. It is read and used to calculate the precooling conditions, which will be described later. Further, the request information includes information on the destination of transportation (location information of the destination of transportation, etc.).

The information calculation unit 102 precools perishables based on the request information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 and information (perishables information, transportation information, packing information) read from various databases 104 based on the request information. It functions to calculate the actual precooling conditions. Specifically, the information calculation unit 102 calculates the transportation time required to transport the perishables to the transportation destination and the temperature fluctuations of the perishables during transportation, and precools the perishables based on the transportation time and the temperature fluctuations. Calculate conditions.

The transportation time required to transport perishables to their destination is calculated based on the information on the transportation destination included in the request information, as well as the preset initial information (location information for storage of perishables, transportation vehicle specifications, etc.), and information on various transportations (transportation route, transportation distance, etc.) set from information on transportation destinations. These initial information and information on transportation are recorded in the transportation information database 104C as transportation information. When information on the transportation destination is input as request information, the transportation information on the transportation destination is read from the transportation information database 104C. It is designed to be For example, the location information of the storage location for perishables is "Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture", the location information of the transportation destination is "Ota Ward, Tokyo (Ota Market)", and the transportation route is "land route and sea route". In this case, the assumed transportation distance can be calculated as "1050 km", and the average cruising speed is assumed to be "70 km/h" based on the specifications of the transportation vehicle, so the transportation time is calculated as "15 hours". be.

The temperature fluctuations of perishables during transportation are caused by heat entering the heat-insulating container 1 (see FIGS. 1 to 4) for transporting perishables and perishables stored in the insulated container 1 during transportation. It can be calculated based on the weight and specific heat of the item. Here, the incoming heat entering the heat-insulating container 1 during transportation can be calculated based on the temperature inside and outside the heat-insulating container 1 and the heat transfer area and heat transfer rate of the heat-insulating container 1 . The heat transfer coefficient of the heat insulating container 1 can be calculated based on the heat transfer coefficient between the inside and outside of the heat insulating container 1 and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material forming the heat insulating container 1 . Note that the incoming heat may take a negative value. That is, when heat is emitted from the heat-insulated container 1 during transportation, the incoming heat has a negative value.

The heat transfer rate C _HTR of the insulated container 1 is determined by the design specifications of the insulated container 1 . That is, C _HTI is the heat transfer coefficient inside the insulated container 1, C _HTO is the heat transfer coefficient outside the insulated container 1, and the heat insulating material panels (already described front plate 10, rear plate 20, side plate 30, the thickness of the bottom plate 40 and the top plate 50) is T _H , and the thermal conductivity of the heat insulating panel is C _TC , the heat transfer coefficient _CHTR of the heat insulating container 1 is calculated by the following formula (1). .
C _HTR =1/{1/C _HTO +(T _H /C _TC )}+1/C _HTI (1)
The user of the transport support device 100 calculates the heat transfer rate _CHTR of the heat-insulated container 1 when the design specifications of the heat-insulated container 1 are finalized, inputs the value through the information acquisition unit 101, and sends the value to the transport support device D. It can be recorded as packing information in the installed packing information database 104D.

Also, if the temperature inside the heat-insulating container 1 is I _T , the temperature outside the heat-insulating container 1 is O _T , and the heat transfer area of the heat-insulating container 1 is _AT , then the heat entering the heat-insulating container 1 during transportation is assumed to be I T . The approach heat _HP is calculated by the following formula (2).
H _P =(O _T −I _T )×A _T ×C _HTR (2)
The heat transfer area _AT of the heat insulating container 1 can also be recorded in advance in the packing information database 104D as packing information. As the air temperature _IT inside the heat-insulating container 1, the temperature of the perishables stored in the heat-insulating container 1 (for example, one hour before the calculation) can be used. As the air temperature _OT outside the insulated container 1, the air temperature at the transport destination input as the request information can be used.

Assuming that the weight of the perishable product stored in the heat insulating container 1 is W, and the specific heat of the perishable product is S, the temperature change ΔT of the perishable product during transportation is calculated by the following formula (3).
ΔT=( _HP /W)×S (3)
The specific heat S of perishables is recorded as perishables information in the perishables information database 104B. When the type of perishables is input as request information, the specific heat S of the perishables is read from the perishables information database 104B. used to calculate temperature fluctuations. If the perishables are vegetables, their specific heat S can be assumed to be the same value as the specific heat of water.

It should be noted that the temperature fluctuation may take into consideration the respiration heat generated per unit time by perishables. Such respiration heat may be a constant value, or may be expressed as a function of the temperature inside the box, the CO ₂ concentration, or the like. As a specific value of respiratory heat, for example, the value described in Journal of Agricultural Machinery 55(2): 69-75, 1993 69 can be used. Temperature fluctuations may also take into account frictional heat during transportation. Such frictional heat can be calculated from the coefficient of friction for each product type, the surface pressure corresponding to the packing state of perishables, the speed of motion, the amount of frictional heat per unit motion, and the like.

In this way, the precooling conditions can be calculated using the information on the respiration heat and frictional heat of the perishables set based on the request information (information on the perishables). Therefore, if the perishable product such as corn or okra has a large respiration rate and the “respiratory heat” cannot be ignored, or if the perishable product is rubbed by vibration during transportation such as soybean. Even if the "frictional heat" cannot be ignored because it is easy, the precooling conditions can be accurately calculated.

The information calculation unit 102 uses the above formulas (1) to (3) based on the request information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 and the information read from the various databases 104 based on the request information. The temperature variation ΔT of perishables can be calculated. A positive temperature change ΔT is also referred to as a “temperature increase”, and a negative temperature change ΔT is referred to as a “temperature decrease”. Then, the information calculation unit 102 calculates the precooling condition based on the temperature change ΔT calculated in this way and the transportation time calculated separately. At this time, the information calculation unit 102 can calculate the pre-cooling condition so that the temperature of the perishable product at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (the arrival temperature) satisfies a predetermined condition. As an example, the pre-cooling condition can be calculated so that the temperature at the time of landing is less than a predetermined threshold. For example, if the perishable product is a potato and the temperature change ΔT after the calculated transportation time has passed is "5°C", the temperature at the time of arrival of the potato is set to be less than a predetermined threshold value (10°C). , the initial product temperature _T0 of the potato is set (calculated) to "5°C". The initial product temperature _T0 referred to here is an example of precooling conditions. The threshold used here can be recorded in the perishable product information database 104B for each type of perishable product.

In addition, the information calculation unit 102 can calculate the pre-cooling condition so that the cumulative temperature of perishables until arrival at the transportation destination satisfies a predetermined condition. As an example, the precooling condition can be calculated so that the accumulated temperature is less than a predetermined threshold. In this case, the information calculation unit 102 calculates the temperature fluctuations ΔT ₁ , ΔT _{2 , .} , ΔT _{2 ,} . . _{. , T 1 , T 2} , . An integrated temperature ΣT is calculated by accumulating _N until the transportation is completed. The product temperature T ₁ of perishables one hour after the start of transportation is obtained by adding the temperature fluctuation ΔT ₁ from 0 to 1 hour to the initial product temperature T ₀ . Also, the product temperature T ₂ of perishables two hours after the start of transportation is obtained by adding the temperature fluctuation ΔT ₂ for 1 to 2 hours to the product temperature T ₁ after 1 hour. Similarly, the product temperature T _N of perishables after N hours from the start of transportation is the product temperature T N-1 after (N-1) hours plus the temperature fluctuation ΔT _N for (N- ₁ ) to N hours. obtained by The information calculation unit 102 calculates the integrated temperature _ΣT by integrating the product temperatures T ₁ , T ₂ , . The initial product temperature _T0 of perishables can be set (calculated) so that it is less than the threshold of . The threshold used here can also be recorded in the perishable product information database 104B for each type of perishable product.

The information calculation unit 102 can repeat the simulation by changing the initial product temperature _T0 once set in order to optimize the arrival temperature (or accumulated temperature) of perishable products. For example, if the initial product temperature _T0 of a certain perishable product is set to "0°C", the arrival temperature will be calculated as "5°C", and if the initial product temperature _T0 is set to "5°C", the arrival temperature will be "10°C". ℃", and if the initial product temperature _T0 is set to "10℃", the temperature at the time of arrival is calculated to be "15℃". In _such a case, even if the initial product temperature _T0 is not set to "0°C", it is possible to avoid deterioration of perishables at the time of arrival at the transportation destination. It can be set to "5°C" to avoid extra pre-cooling. The information calculation unit 102 can also change the content (kg) of perishables and the design specifications of the heat-insulating container 1 as necessary during the simulation. In addition, the information calculation unit 102 estimates (calculates) the precooling conditions by statistical processing, machine learning, etc., using the correlation history between the request information and the precooling conditions when perishables were transported in the past. good.

It should be noted that the "pre-cooling conditions" in this embodiment are not limited to the initial product temperature _T0 , but include storage conditions for perishables before the start of transportation (not only "pre-cooling" but also "pre-heating"). can be done. The pre-cooling conditions are, for example, the set temperature of the pre-cooler for pre-cooling the perishables to a predetermined initial product temperature _T0 , the pre-cooling temperature of the heat insulating container 1 for storing the perishables, and the perishables per predetermined weight (predetermined volume). A precooling temperature of a packing box for packing in small portions, etc., can also be adopted as a precooling condition. In addition, as the storage conditions, the set temperature of the precooler for preheating the perishables to a predetermined initial product temperature _T0 , the preheating temperature of the heat insulating container 1 for storing the perishables, and the perishables per predetermined weight (predetermined volume) It is also possible to adopt the preheating temperature of the packing box for packing in small portions.

The initial product temperature T ₀ (pre-cooling condition) can be calculated for each type of perishable product. In this case, it is assumed that only one kind of perishable product is stored in the heat-insulating container 1 with a predetermined volume, and the remaining space in the heat-insulating container 1 is assumed to be air (the worst case where the temperature fluctuates most easily). Calculate the temperature _T0 . By adopting such a method, if other types of perishables are stored in the remaining space, the temperature fluctuation of each perishables will be suppressed more than the worst case (all perishables have a higher specific heat than air and temperature This is because it is difficult to change). Also, using the above method, the initial product temperature _T0 is calculated for each type of perishable product, the average value of the initial product temperatures _T0 for all types is calculated, and the average value is the precooling temperature of the heat insulating container 1 (precooling condition). At this time, instead of using the average value, the initial product temperature _T0 of the heaviest perishable product may be used as a representative value, and the representative value may be used as the precooling temperature (precooling condition) of the heat insulating container 1.

The information output unit 103 functions to output various kinds of information such as the precooling conditions calculated by the information calculation unit 102 to the storage person P or the like. 160 (described later in FIG. 6). The precooling conditions calculated by the information calculating unit 102 and various information read from various databases 104 and used for calculating the precooling conditions are sent from the information output unit 103 of the transportation support device 100 to the communication network N, as shown in FIG. is output to the terminal _UP owned by the custodian P via the . As the terminal _UP , various electronic devices having an information display section, an information input section, and a communication means can be adopted, like the terminal _UC .

Next, a physical configuration for realizing the transportation support device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The transportation support device 100 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 120, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 130, a communication section 140, an input section 150 and a display section 160, as shown in FIG. , and these components are connected to each other via a bus so that data can be sent and received. In this example, a case where the transport support device 100 is composed of one computer will be described, but the transport support device 100 may be composed of a plurality of computers. For example, the display unit 160 may be composed of multiple displays. Also, the configuration shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example, and some of these configurations may be omitted. Additionally, portions of the configuration may be provided at remote locations. For example, part of the ROM 130 may be provided at a remote location and configured to be communicable via a communication network.

The CPU 110 is a calculation unit that performs calculation processing and the like in the present embodiment by executing a computer program or the like recorded in the ROM 130 or the like, and constitutes the information calculation unit 102 . The CPU 110 has a processor. The CPU 110 receives various information (including process data) from the RAM 120, the ROM 130, the communication unit 140, the input unit 150, and the like, and causes the display unit 160 to display the results of arithmetic processing and the like, and stores them in the RAM 120 and/or the ROM 130. do.

The RAM 120 functions as a cache memory and can form part of the information calculation section 102 . The RAM 120 may be composed of volatile semiconductor memory elements such as SRAM and DRAM.

The ROM 130 functions as a main memory and can form part of the information calculation section 102 . The ROM 130 may be composed of an electrically rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory element such as a flash memory, or a magnetically rewritable HDD. The ROM 130 can store, for example, computer programs and data for executing various arithmetic processes in this embodiment.

The RAM 120 and ROM 130 constitute various databases 104 (request information database 104A, perishables information database 104B, transportation information database 104C, packing information database 104D) of the transportation support device 100 .

The communication unit 140 is an interface for connecting the transportation support device 100 to other devices, and constitutes the information acquisition unit 101 and the information output unit 103 . The communication unit 140 is connected to a communication network N such as the Internet.

The input unit 150 receives data input, graph selection, and the like from the operator, and can constitute a part of the information acquisition unit 101 . The input unit 150 may include, for example, a keyboard or touch panel.

The display unit 160 visually displays the calculation result by the CPU 110 and can constitute a part of the information output unit 103 . The display unit 160 may be composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).

In the physical configuration as described above, it is possible to realize each functional unit that constitutes the transportation support apparatus 100 mainly by the CPU 110 executing a computer program. Note that the transportation support device 100 may be configured by a tablet terminal. By configuring the transportation assistance device 100 with a tablet terminal, the transportation assistance device 100 can be carried around, for example, the transportation assistance device 100 can be used while moving.

<Transportation support method>
Next, a transportation assistance method using the transportation assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 7 and the like.

First, the information acquisition unit 101 of the transportation support device 100 acquires request information sent from the terminal UC owned by the client _C through the communication network N (request information acquisition step: S1). The request information acquired in the request information acquisition step S1 includes information on the type and amount of perishables and information on the transportation destination.

Next, the information calculation unit 102 of the transportation support device 100 calculates precooling conditions for precooling perishables based on the request information acquired in the request information acquisition step S1 (precooling condition calculation step: S2). In the precooling condition calculation step S2, based on the request information, etc., the transportation time required to transport the perishables to the transportation destination and the temperature fluctuation of the perishables during transportation are calculated, and the transportation time and temperature fluctuation are calculated. Pre-cooling conditions are calculated based on The specific method of calculating the precooling conditions is as described above. That is, the information calculation unit 102 first calculates the heat transfer coefficient based on the heat transfer coefficient between the inside and outside of the heat insulating container 1 and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material panel that constitutes the heat insulating container 1 . Next, the incoming heat is calculated based on the air temperature inside and outside the heat insulating container 1 and the heat transfer area and heat transfer rate of the heat insulating container 1 . Next, the temperature fluctuation is calculated based on the calculated incoming heat and the weight and specific heat of the perishables stored in the heat insulating container 1 . After that, based on the calculated temperature fluctuation and the separately calculated transportation time, the temperature of the perishable product at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of the perishable product until it reaches the transportation destination) is a predetermined threshold A precooling condition (for example, the initial product temperature T ₀ ) is calculated so as to be less than that.

Next, the information output unit 103 of the transport support device 100 outputs the precooling conditions calculated in the precooling condition calculation step S2 to the terminal _UP owned by the custodian P via the communication network N (precooling condition output step: S3 ). The storage person P who has received the precooling conditions can precool the perishables before shipping according to the precooling conditions, and can ship the perishables when the precooling is completed.

The information calculation unit 102 of the transportation support device 100 according to this embodiment can also be used to calculate the required total volume (the number of heat-insulated containers 1) based on the type and weight of perishables to be transported. For example, if the perishables to be transported are "cucumber (600 kg)", "bell pepper (300 kg)", "eggplant (200 kg)", "lettuce (200 kg)", and "potato (150 kg)", Calculate the total volume in

First, when subdividing "cucumber (600 kg)" into 15 L (10 kg) packing boxes, 60 packing boxes are required, and the total volume of these 60 packing boxes is 900 L. Next, when subdividing "green pepper (300 kg)" into 10 L (4 kg) packing boxes, 75 packing boxes are required, and the total volume of these 75 packing boxes is 750 L. Next, when "eggplant (200 kg)" is subdivided into 15 L (8 kg) packing boxes, 25 packing boxes are required, and the total volume of these 25 packing boxes is 375 L. Next, when "Lettuce (200 kg)" is subdivided into 30 L (10 kg) packing boxes, 20 packing boxes are required, and the total volume of these 20 packing boxes is 600 L. Finally, when "potato (150 kg)" is subdivided into 15 L (15 kg) packing boxes, 10 packing boxes are required, and the total volume of these 10 packing boxes is 150 L. Therefore, the total volume required is (900+750+375+600+150=)2775L. Assuming that the volume of one insulated container 1 is 1500 L, two insulated containers 1 are required to store all perishables with a total volume of 2775 L.

When the type and weight of perishables to be transported are input, the information calculation unit 102 of the transportation support device 100 refers to the weight and volume per packing box for each perishable, which is stored in advance in the table. to calculate the total volume of each perishable product and its total (total volume), and to provide information on the total volume (the number of necessary heat insulating containers 1) to the custodian P via the information output unit 103. can be done. The custodian P who has received such information can distribute perishables between the two heat-insulated containers 1 as appropriate.

For example, after allocating heavy perishables ("cucumber (600 kg)" and "green pepper (300 kg)") to two heat-insulating containers 1, the storage person P divides the volume and weight of each heat-insulating container 1 into The remaining perishables can be apportioned approximately evenly. For example, "cucumber (600 kg: 900 L)" and "eggplant (200 kg: 375 L)" are distributed to the first insulated container 1, while "green pepper (300 kg: 750 L)" is distributed to the second insulated container 1. ”, “Lettuce (200 kg: 600 L)”, and “Potatoes (150 kg: 150 L)” can be sorted (first sorting method).

Alternatively, the custodian P can divide the weight of each perishable product by the number (two) of the necessary heat insulating containers 1 to determine the packing amount for each heat insulating container 1 . That is, in each of the two insulated containers 1, 300 kg (450 L) of "cucumber", 150 kg (375 L) of "bell pepper", 100 kg (187.5 L) of "eggplant", 100 kg (300 L) of "lettuce", 75 kg (75 L) of "potatoes" can be distributed (second distribution method).

<Effect>
In the transportation support method according to the embodiment described above, request information having information on the type and amount of perishables and information on the transportation destination is acquired, and the perishables are pre-cooled based on the acquired request information. It is possible to calculate the pre-cooling conditions at the time of cooling and output the calculated pre-cooling conditions. Therefore, it is possible to input the request information provided by the client C, output an accurate precooling condition, and provide the output precooling condition to the keeper P of perishables. After receiving such precooling conditions, the custodian P can appropriately precool the perishables before shipment under the appropriate precooling conditions, thereby maintaining the quality of the perishables at the transportation destination. becomes.

Further, in the transportation support method according to the embodiment described above, based on the request information, the transportation time required to transport the perishables to the transportation destination and the temperature fluctuation of the perishables during transportation are calculated. , pre-cooling conditions can be calculated based on these transport times and temperature fluctuations. At this time, information on the insulated container 1 for transporting perishables (heat transfer coefficient inside and outside the insulated container 1, temperature inside and outside the insulated container 1, thickness and thermal conductivity of the insulating panel that constitutes the insulated container 1) and , the weight and specific heat of the perishable product stored in the heat insulating container 1, the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during transportation can be accurately calculated. Therefore, it is possible to accurately calculate the precooling conditions.

Further, in the transportation support method according to the embodiment described above, the temperature of perishables at the time of arrival at the transportation destination (or the cumulative temperature of perishables until arrival at the transportation destination) is set to be less than a predetermined threshold. In addition, the precooling conditions can be accurately calculated.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any design modifications made by those skilled in the art to such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the features of the present invention. . That is, each element provided in the embodiment and its arrangement, material, condition, shape, size, etc. are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate. In addition, each element provided in the above embodiment can be combined as long as it is technically possible, and a combination of these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

1... Insulated container (housing)
10... Front plate (insulation panel)
20... Rear plate (insulation panel)
30... Side plate (insulating material panel)
40 ... Bottom plate (insulation panel)
50 ... Top plate (insulation panel)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Transportation assistance apparatus 101... Information acquisition part 102... Information calculation part 103... Information output part S1... Request information acquisition process S2... Pre-cooling condition calculation process S3... Pre-cooling condition output process

Claims (8)

1. A computer-implemented transportation assistance method for aiding ambient transportation of perishable goods, comprising:
an obtaining step of obtaining request information including information about the type and amount of the perishables and information about the transportation destination;
a calculation step of calculating precooling conditions for precooling the perishables based on the request information;
an output step of outputting the precooling conditions,
In the calculating step, the perishable product is transported to the transportation destination based on the request information and perishable product information including information on respiration heat or frictional heat of the perishable product specified from the request information. a transportation time required for the transportation and temperature fluctuations of the perishables during the transportation, and calculating the precooling conditions based on the transportation time and the temperature fluctuations. 1. A computer-implemented transportation assistance method for aiding ambient transportation of perishable goods, comprising:
an obtaining step of obtaining request information including information about the type and amount of the perishables and information about the transportation destination;
a calculation step of calculating precooling conditions for precooling the perishables based on the request information;
an output step of outputting the precooling conditions,
In the calculating step, the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during transportation is calculated based on the request information, the product temperature of the perishable product during transportation is calculated based on the temperature fluctuation, and the product temperature is transported. A transportation support method, wherein the pre-cooling condition is calculated so that an accumulated temperature accumulated up to a point of completion is less than a predetermined threshold. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for supporting ambient temperature transportation of perishables, the method comprising:
an obtaining step of obtaining request information including information about the type and amount of the perishables and information about the transportation destination;
a calculation step of calculating precooling conditions for precooling the perishables based on the request information;
an output step of outputting the precooling conditions,
In the calculating step, the perishable product is transported to the transportation destination based on the request information and perishable product information including information on respiration heat or frictional heat of the perishable product specified from the request information. A program for calculating a transportation time required for the transportation and temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during the transportation, and calculating the precooling conditions based on the transportation time and the temperature fluctuation. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for supporting ambient temperature transportation of perishables, the method comprising:
an obtaining step of obtaining request information including information about the type and amount of the perishables and information about the transportation destination;
a calculation step of calculating precooling conditions for precooling the perishables based on the request information;
an output step of outputting the precooling conditions,
In the calculating step, the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during transportation is calculated based on the request information, the product temperature of the perishable product during transportation is calculated based on the temperature fluctuation, and the product temperature is transported. A program for calculating the pre-cooling condition so that the accumulated temperature accumulated up to the point of completion is less than a predetermined threshold. A transportation support device for supporting normal temperature transportation of perishables,
an acquisition unit that acquires request information including information on the type and amount of the perishables and information on the transportation destination;
a calculation unit that calculates precooling conditions for precooling the perishables based on the request information;
and an output unit that outputs the precooling condition,
The calculation unit transports the perishable product to the transportation destination based on the request information and perishable product information including information on respiration heat or frictional heat of the perishable product specified from the request information. a transportation time required for the transportation and temperature fluctuations of the perishables during the transportation, and calculating the pre-cooling conditions based on the transportation time and the temperature fluctuations. A transportation support device for supporting normal temperature transportation of perishables,
an acquisition unit that acquires request information including information on the type and amount of the perishables and information on the transportation destination;
a calculation unit that calculates precooling conditions for precooling the perishables based on the request information;
and an output unit that outputs the precooling condition,
The calculation unit calculates a temperature change of the perishable product during the transportation based on the request information, calculates a product temperature of the perishable product during the transportation based on the temperature variation, and transports the product temperature. A transportation support device that calculates the pre-cooling condition so that an accumulated temperature accumulated up to a point of completion is less than a predetermined threshold. A packing method for transporting perishables at room temperature ,
A pre-cooling step of pre-cooling the perishables ;
enclosing the pre - chilled perishables with insulation panels ;
In the precooling step,
obtaining request information including information on the type and quantity of the perishables and information on the transportation destination;
Transportation time required to transport the perishable product to the transportation destination based on the request information and perishable product information including information on respiration heat or frictional heat of the perishable product specified from the request information and temperature fluctuations of the perishables during the transportation, calculating precooling conditions based on the transportation time and the temperature fluctuations,
A packing method , wherein the perishable product is pre-cooled based on the calculated pre-cooling condition . A packing method for transporting perishables at room temperature ,
A pre-cooling step of pre-cooling the perishables ;
enclosing the pre - chilled perishables with insulation panels ;
In the precooling step,
obtaining request information including information on the type and quantity of the perishables and information on the transportation destination;
Based on the request information, the temperature fluctuation of the perishable product during the transportation is calculated, the product temperature of the perishable product during the transportation is calculated based on the temperature fluctuation, and the product temperature is integrated until the transportation is completed. Calculate precooling conditions so that the accumulated temperature is less than a predetermined threshold,
A packing method , wherein the perishable product is pre-cooled based on the calculated pre-cooling condition .

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