JP7244831B2 - Storage and electric field generator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to storage and electric field generators.

For example, as described in Patent Document 1, by forming an electrostatic field in a refrigerator and storing fresh food in this atmosphere, the fresh food can be kept fresh longer than when no electrostatic field is formed. be able to.

WO 98/41115

However, in Patent Document 1, an electrode for forming an electrostatic field is arranged inside the refrigerator, and the housing of the refrigerator is grounded. Depending on the situation, the static electric field may not sufficiently act on fresh food in the refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a container and an electric field generator capable of efficiently applying an electrostatic field to objects in the container.

Such objects are achieved by the present invention described below.

(1) having an electrostatic field forming device for forming an electrostatic field in a storage chamber capable of storing an object;
The electrostatic field forming device is
a first electrode disposed in the storage chamber;
a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode in the storage chamber;
and a voltage applying unit that applies alternating voltages of opposite phases to the first electrode and the second electrode.

(2) The storage according to (1) above, wherein the amplitude of the alternating voltage is 0.1 kV to 20 kV.

(3) each of the first electrode and the second electrode has an electrode body insulated from the inner wall of the storage chamber;
The container according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the electrode body is rod-shaped.

(4) The container according to (3), wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode has an insulator positioned between the electrode main body and the container.

(5) the first electrode is arranged in the central portion of the storage chamber;
The container according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the second electrodes are arranged at both ends of the container with the first electrodes interposed therebetween.

(6) The storage according to any one of (1) to (5) above, which has a cooling device for cooling the inside of the storage chamber.

(7) An electrostatic field forming device for forming an electrostatic field in a storage chamber capable of storing an object,
a first electrode disposed in the storage chamber;
a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode in the storage chamber;
and a voltage applying unit that applies alternating voltages of opposite phases to the first electrode and the second electrode.

According to the present invention, since alternating voltages of opposite phases are applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode increases, and the electrostatic field is more reliably generated between them, that is, in the storage chamber. can be formed. Therefore, the static electric field can be efficiently applied to the objects in the refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment storage; Figure 2 is a front view of the storage of Figure 1; It is sectional drawing which looked at the storage of FIG. 1 from the side surface side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing electrodes arranged in the storage of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the storage of FIG. 1; It is a figure which shows the alternating voltage applied to an electrode.

A storage 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used as a refrigerator for refrigerating food, which is an object to be stored. However, the storage 1 is not limited to this, and can be used as, for example, a normal temperature storage, a heating storage, a freezer, a freezer, or the like. In addition, the food is not particularly limited, for example, fish, shrimp, crab, squid, octopus, shellfish and other seafood and processed foods thereof, strawberries, apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, pears and other fruits and These processed foods, vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, and tomato and processed foods thereof, fresh foods such as meat such as beef, pork, chicken, and horse meat, various dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, wheat flour, Examples include grains such as rice flour and buckwheat flour, and noodles made from these grains. Objects to be stored in the storage 1 are not limited to foods, and may be, for example, fresh flowers, medicines, organs, and other objects other than foods.

In addition, the usage form of the storage 1 is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be a fixed storage located in a home, a store, a warehouse, etc. It may be a warehouse, or a container-type storage that is mounted on a truck, ship, airplane, or the like.

The storage 1 has a main body 11 provided with a storage chamber 10 for storing food therein, and an electrostatic field generator 2 for forming an electrostatic field in the storage chamber 10 .

The main body 11 has, for example, an outer wall 111, an inner wall 112, and a heat insulating material 113 disposed between the outer wall 111 and the inner wall 112, as shown in FIG. An opening connected to the storage chamber 10 is formed in the front surface of the main body 11 . The storage 1 also has a pair of doors 12 that close the opening of the main body 11 . A pair of doors 12 are of a double-door type, and are connected to the main body 11 so as to be openable and closable. By opening the door 12, food can be taken in and out of the storage room 10, and by closing the door 12, cold air can be confined in the storage room 10, and the food in the storage room 10 can be cooled. . The main body 11 and the door 12 are each connected to the ground (0V).

In addition, the structure of the main body 11 and the door 12 is not particularly limited as long as the function can be exhibited. For example, although the main body 11 has one storage chamber 10 in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the main body 11 may have a plurality of storage chambers 10 . In addition, although the opening is formed in the front surface of the main body 11 in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. Also, in the present embodiment, a pair of doors 12 are provided, but the number of doors 12 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, one or three or more.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the storage 1 has a plurality of shelves 13 arranged inside the storage room 10 . A plurality of shelves 13 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and food can be placed on each of these shelves 13 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the electrostatic field generating device 2 has a plurality of electrodes 20 arranged in the storage chamber 10 and a voltage applying section 29 that applies an alternating voltage to the plurality of electrodes 20 . The plurality of electrodes 20 includes two electrically connected first electrodes 20A and 20B and two electrically connected second electrodes 20C and 20D. By applying an alternating voltage between the first electrodes 20A and 20B and the second electrodes 20C and 20D by the voltage applying section 29, an electrostatic field is formed between them. Such an electrostatic field generating device 2 can be easily installed (especially retrofitted) in any storage 1, and any storage can be improved to have an electrostatic field generating function. Therefore, the electrostatic field generator 2 has excellent convenience and versatility.

The first electrodes 20A and 20B are arranged side by side on the front side and the back side in the vertical central portion of the storage chamber 10 . One of the second electrodes 20C is arranged at the center of the lower side of the storage room 10 in the depth direction, and the other second electrode 20D is arranged at the center of the upper side of the storage room 10 in the depth direction. That is, the second electrodes 20C and 20D are arranged at both ends of the storage chamber 10 with the first electrodes 20A and 20B interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 3, when the storage chamber 10 is viewed from the side, the first electrodes 20A and 20B and the second electrodes 20C and 20D are arranged at each corner of the rhombus. With such an arrangement, the first electrodes 20A and 20B and the second electrodes 20C and 20D can be spaced apart as much as possible in the storage chamber 10, and the static electrodes can be spread over a wider range in the storage chamber 10. An electric field can be created.

Each electrode 20 (first electrodes 20A, 20B and second electrodes 20C, 20D) has the same configuration, and as shown in FIG. and a pair of support portions 22 that support the electrode main body 21 at both ends thereof. Each support portion 22 has an insulator 23 attached to the inner wall 112 and a connection portion 24 attached to the insulator 23 and connected to the electrode main body 21 . By forming the electrode main body 21 into a bar shape, the size of the electrode 20 can be reduced, and reduction in the storage space of the storage chamber 10 due to the placement of the electrode 20 can be suppressed.

Each insulator 23 has a function of insulating the electrode main body 21 and the inner wall 112, and is composed of an insulator, for example. Each insulator 23 is fixed to the inner wall 112 by various fixing means such as an adhesive agent and screws. Each connecting portion 24 is a semi-cylindrical member extending coaxially with the electrode main body 21, into which the end of the electrode main body 21 is inserted. The electrode main body 21 is slidable with respect to the connecting portion 24, and the total length of the electrode 20 can be adjusted by sliding. Therefore, various storage chambers 10 having different sizes can be accommodated, and the versatility of the electrode 20 is improved.

Each connecting portion 24 may be either insulating or conductive, preferably conductive. In this case, the connection portion 24 is in contact with the electrode main body 21 and is electrically connected to the electrode main body 21, so that the connection portion 24 as well as the electrode main body 21 functions as an electrode. larger can be secured. Therefore, the electrostatic field can be efficiently applied to a wider range in the storage room 10 .

However, the configuration of the electrode 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can exhibit its function. For example, the connection part 24 may be omitted and the electrode main body 21 and the insulator 23 may be directly connected. Moreover, the connection part 24 may be configured to have a tubular shape and the electrode main body 21 is inserted therein. Further, for example, when the surface of the electrode body 21 is covered with an insulating layer, the insulator 23 and the connecting portion 24 may be omitted and the electrode body 21 may be directly attached to the inner wall 112 .

Moreover, the shape of the electrode main body 21 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, plate-like, mesh-like, or block-like instead of rod-like. In this case, electrode 20 may be used as shelf 13 . That is, some shelves 13 may be replaced with electrodes 20 . Further, for example, the electrode body 21 may have a telescopic structure having an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder inserted into the outer cylinder. According to such a configuration, the total length of the electrode 20 can be adjusted, and various storage chambers 10 having different sizes can be accommodated, and the versatility of the electrode 20 is further improved.

Also, the electrode 20 may have at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode. Therefore, for example, one of the first electrodes 20A and 20B may be omitted, or one or more first electrodes may be added. Similarly, one of the second electrodes 20C, 20D may be omitted, or one or more second electrodes may be added. Also, in the illustrated configuration, the first and second electrodes 20A to 20D have the same configuration, but at least one of them may have a different configuration from the other electrodes. The arrangement of the first electrodes 20A, 20B and the second electrodes 20C, 20D is not particularly limited. The two second electrodes 20C and 20D may be arranged side by side in the depth direction on the upper side of the chamber 10 . Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the first electrodes 20A and 20B and the second electrodes 20C and 20D may be arranged vertically. Further, when the first electrodes 20A, 20B and the second electrodes 20C, 20D are arranged upright in this manner, they may be attached to the inner wall 112 using magnets, for example.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1 , the storage 1 has a machine room 19 located above the main body 11 . A cooling device 16 for cooling the storage chamber 10 and a voltage applying section 29 for applying an alternating voltage to the first and second electrodes 20A to 20D are provided in the machine chamber 19 . A touch panel type display screen 191 is provided on the front surface of the machine room 19, and various settings can be made from this display screen 191. FIG. The arrangement of the machine room 19 is not particularly limited, and it may be provided below the main body 11 or may be provided behind the main body 11 . Also, the cooling device 16 and the voltage application unit 29 may be provided at a location different from the machine room 19 .

The cooling device 16 includes a compressor 161 , a condenser 162 , and the like, and cools the storage room 10 by supplying cold air into the storage 1 . Although the temperature inside the storage chamber 10 is not particularly limited, it is preferably about 0° C. to 10° C., for example.

The voltage application unit 29 has a high voltage transformer and applies an alternating voltage to the electrodes 20 . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the voltage application unit 29 applies a first alternating voltage Vac1 to the first electrodes 20A and 20B, and applies a voltage opposite to the first alternating voltage Vac1 to the second electrodes 20C and 20D. of the second alternating voltage Vac2 is applied. As a result, a potential difference is generated between the first electrodes 20A, 20B and the second electrodes 20C, 20D, and an electrostatic field is formed between them, that is, within the storage chamber 10 . By forming an electrostatic field, it is possible to promote ripening while maintaining the freshness of the food stored in the storage chamber 10.例文帳に追加Therefore, the food can be stored for a longer period of time and the taste of the food can be amplified, compared to the case where no electrostatic field is formed.

By shifting the phases of the first alternating voltage Vac1 and the second alternating voltage Vac2 by 180°, the potential difference ΔV1 between the first electrodes 20A and 20B and the second electrodes 20C and 20D becomes It is larger than the potential difference ΔV2 with the inner wall 112 and the potential difference ΔV3 between the second electrodes 20C and 20D and the inner wall 112 . That is, the relationship is ΔV1>ΔV2, ΔV3. Therefore, the electrostatic field between the first electrodes 20A, 20B and the second electrodes 20C, 20D is greater than that between the first electrodes 20A, 20B and the inner wall 112 and between the second electrodes 20C, 20D and the inner wall 112 . becomes easier to form. Therefore, the electrostatic field can be formed over a wider range, preferably the entire area, of the storage chamber 10, and the electrostatic field can be efficiently applied to food placed anywhere in the storage chamber 10. In addition, the above-mentioned "opposite phase" means that the phase difference between the first alternating voltage Vac1 and the second alternating voltage Vac2 is equal to 180°, and a slight error (for example, ±10%) that can occur technically. It is a meaning including the case of having

Although the amplitudes of the first and second alternating voltages Vac1 and Vas2 are not particularly limited, they are preferably about 0.1 kV to 20 kV, more preferably about 1 kV to 10 kV. By applying the first and second alternating voltages Vac1 and Vac2 having such amplitudes to the electrode 20, an electrostatic field of sufficient strength can be formed in the storage chamber 10, and the above effects can be exhibited more reliably. can do. Further, although the frequencies of the first and second alternating voltages Vac1 and Vac2 are not particularly limited, they are preferably about 5 Hz to 50 kHz, for example. Also, in FIG. 6, the first and second alternating voltages Vac1 and Vas2 are respectively sinusoidal waves, but are not limited to this, and may be square waves, for example.

In addition, the voltage application unit 29 is provided with a safety device (not shown) for preventing the user from electric shock, fire, or the like. For example, the safety device may be configured such that the door 12 installed in the main body 11 is provided with a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the door 12, and voltage application to the electrode 20 is stopped when the door 12 is opened. Moreover, the safety device may be configured to stop the voltage application to the electrode 20 when the abnormal voltage is detected.

As described above, the container and the electrostatic field generating device of the present invention have been described based on the illustrated embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration that exhibits similar functions, or any configuration can be added.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Storage 10... Storage room 11... Main body 111... Outer wall 112... Inner wall 113... Heat insulating material 12... Door 13... Shelf 16... Cooling device 161... Compressor 162... Condenser 19... Machine room 191... Display screen 2... Silence Electric field forming device 20... Electrode 20A, 20B... First electrode 20C, 20D... Second electrode 21... Electrode body 22... Support part 23... Insulator 24... Connection part 29... Voltage application part Vac1... First alternating voltage Vac2... Second 2 alternating voltage

Claims (5)

Having an electrostatic field forming device that forms an electrostatic field in a storage room that can store an object,
The electrostatic field forming device is
a first electrode disposed in the storage chamber;
a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode in the storage chamber;
a voltage applying unit that applies alternating voltages of opposite phases to the first electrode and the second electrode ,
The first electrode is arranged in a central portion of the storage chamber,
A container , wherein the second electrodes are arranged at both ends of the container with the first electrode interposed therebetween. The storage according to claim 1, wherein the amplitude of said alternating voltage is 0.1 kV to 20 kV. The first electrode and the second electrode each have an electrode body insulated from the inner wall of the storage chamber,
3. The container according to claim 1, wherein said electrode body is rod-shaped. 4. The storage according to claim 3, wherein said first electrode and said second electrode each have an insulator located between said electrode body and said storage chamber. 5. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a cooling device that cools the inside of the storage chamber.

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